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It was great to join the community on July 9th for the kickoff of the 2025 Concerts in the Park series. The concert featured classic soul and Motown sounds, and the community came out in full force to support the event and enjoy a beautiful evening at Hart Park.
I had the pleasure of joining the Kiwanis Club of Orange, the organizers of the concert series, in presenting scholarships to a group of incredibly deserving students and introducing the band to get the show started.
 This year, our office joined other sponsors to help save the Concerts in the Park series, which were initially at risk of being cancelled due to budget shortfalls in the city of Orange. Thanks to the support of all the sponsors, the concerts are now scheduled to continue at Hart Park every Wednesday through August 6th.
 I want to recognize and thank the members of the Kiwanis Club of Orange, the sponsors, and the volunteers who are making this year’s concert series a great success.
These concerts are more than just a chance to hear great music. They are an opportunity to strengthen our sense of community and support the well-being of our families.
Over the last two years, I have worked with local community organizations and many caring individuals on ways we can make improvements at OC Animal Care that address the concerns I have heard.
This spring, I brought to the board recommendations from advocates and residents, and we provided direction to staff, and I'm proud to share that changes are underway at OC Animal Care.
As of July 1, the OC Animal campus is now open for unescorted walk-through viewing from 11 am – 5 pm, seven days a week. Of course, people can still make appointments, but the public now has an extended opportunity to view all adoptable dogs and cats. The county is also recruiting t and hiring additional animal care attendant positions.
The recruitment for the Community Liaison position is moving along and we have received many qualified applications. We are also making great progress in our recruitment for a Research, Policy, and Quality Assurance Administrator to support the production of monthly statistics and we are on track to close out quarterly reporting and convert to monthly reporting starting this month. Statistics for July and every month thereafter will be available by the 15th of the following month.
I want to thank the community for working with us to bring these changes forward and thank the staff at OC Animal Care for their continuing commitment. These are changes we need to make together for the benefit of all the animals that need our help.
 On June 7, OC Animal Care participated in the state-wide California Adopt-a-Pet Day initiative, where 169 pets were adopted from the shelter. I encourage all community members to get involved and support these efforts through donations, volunteering, or perhaps by adding a new pet member to their household.
In these uncertain times, we know how important it is to show up for one another. Over the last two months, our office has been supporting Community organizations and partnering with schools and community volunteers on food distribution events to assist families that have been impacted by the ICE enforcement activity that is taking place in our cities.
Many families have lost the support of their breadwinner due to detentions, and many families with undocumented members of the family are fearful to venture out of their homes even for necessities like groceries. These events have helped thousands of families in need- where neighbors and friends picked up bags of food not just for themselves, but for families who couldn’t make it out.
 We are partnering with United Across Borders Foundation, a great community partner, local elected officials, and schools like Ponderosa Elementary, and Garden Grove, Katella, Savanah, Anaheim, and Santiago high schools.
These events would not be possible without the support of businesses and organizations like United Across Borders.
 It is inspiring to see the commitment and hard work of the volunteers, especially our youth, who give countless hours to help the most vulnerable in our communities. I thank them for their hard work and generosity.
Our office will continue working with local leaders, schools, and organizations to make sure families across our communities get the support they need.
With a recent vote by the City of Anaheim and the progress of Assembly Bill 57 by Assemblymember Quirk-Siva in Sacramento, the Orange County Veterans Cemetery at Gypsum Canyon is moving closer to becoming a reality.
The cemetery, needed to provide a dignified final resting place for Orange County veterans, has garnered county and state funding and is ready to proceed.
 Thank you to the countless hours spent by local advocates and veterans’ groups like the Veterans Alliance of Orange County (VALOR) the cemetery is becoming a reality. We are grateful for the support of our Sacramento legislators, our federal representatives, and our residents like VALOR President Nick Berardino, who continue their advocacy each day.
Amidst the difficult news that we all see each day, when immigrant communities are under attack and the rights of our neighbors are being eroded, I wanted to take a moment to share some good news from right here in Santa Ana.
The Santa Ana Unified School District Board voted unanimously to rename Fremont Elementary to William and Virginia Guzman Elementary.
This important change honors two of Santa Ana’s own — Virginia and William Guzman — who were co-plaintiffs in the historic Mendez v. Westminster desegregation case that helped end school segregation in California and paved the way for Brown v. Board of Education. The Guzman family, along with fellow plaintiffs, courageously fought for educational equity, changing the course of history for generations to come.
 Students at John C. Fremont Elementary School, located in the Artesia barrio of Santa Ana, pose for a class picture in the 1930s, when Orange County schools were racially segregated.
This is a powerful step toward honoring local leaders who fought for family, equity, justice, and educational access for generations of students in Santa Ana.
Manny Escamilla, my housing policy advisor, joined in the dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting for this important affordable housing project for low-income seniors in the City of Orange.
The building is the site of the former Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. Though the project faced funding challenges, it was an honor to assist and support the development and Mercy Housing, which operates the site.
 This project meets such an important need, providing a dignified housing option in the community for our seniors.
For those of us who didn’t grow up in an era with advanced technologies like artificial intelligence or robotics, it is eye-opening to see young students competing nationally and taking their first steps into engineering and other technology fields.
On a recent visit to Magnolia Science Academy, the Santa Ana, a K-12 school,I had the opportunity to learn from members of their high school robotics team as well as from the very youngest students on their elementary team. They presented to the group of teachers and parents about the importance of the programs and the commitment that students and parents have for the robotics labs.
 It was a joy to see the parents, teachers, coaches, and leadership of the school supporting the students during the summer, though school is not yet in session. Their focus on family and community is creating an atmosphere where students thrive and can take the first steps in their academic journey.
What was most impressive was the confidence and teamwork of the students as they discussed their experiences at the world robotics competition in Dallas and the tremendous level of teamwork that the teams must have to be successful.
 I was thankful for them sharing their robot driving skills with me, teaching me the ins-and-outs of robot competition, and letting me - take some robots for a spin.
Our office worked with OC Parks and Recreation Department to host a group of Kids from the Santa Ana Police Department's Police Athletic & Activity League (PAAL) program at the Orange County Zoo. The kids had a terrific day outdoors and got to interact with of the animals. They also learned about conservation and different species from our county's very knowledgeable and compassionate zoo staff. It was a great opportunity for enrichment and learning in a fun and memorable environment.
 The Santa Ana PAAL program is an after-school and outreach program for youth in the city. The program provides homework assistance, physical fitness training, academic accountability, exposure to culture and the arts, and an expanding athletics program. The program seeks to set kids up for success and create a healthy, positive relationship between kids, families, and the city’s police officers.
We continue to address public safety concerns related to people congregating along the riverbed and in flood control channels. We face the dual challenge of expanding access to bike paths while controlling these areas to prevent criminal activity and ensuring we provide services to those in need.
I also wanted to share some of the latest before-and-after images of that ongoing work. Thank you to the Public Works for this great work. Click here to request services.
Before After
 Before After
The safety of students is paramount, and installing safety fencing along the flood channels will help prevent potential issues. I wanted to provide an update regarding the sections of safety fencing along Calvary Chapel High School in south Santa Ana, which are now mostly completed.
 The fencing controls access to the channels and prevents access to the school by individuals that may be in the flood channels. The County Public Works Department worked with City of Santa Ana Councilmember Phan to mitigate the safety concerns in the area.
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