Proclamation of May as Jewish American Heritage Appreciation and Awareness Month

Jewish American Heritage Month provides an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the remarkable achievements, enduring legacy, and invaluable contributions of Jewish Americans to advancing our society and enriching our collective heritage. As we commemorate Jewish Heritage Month, let us reaffirm our commitment to fostering inclusivity, promoting understanding, and honoring the diversity that strengthens the fabric of our nation. Councilmember Dr. Shana Charles said, “After I was elected, I discovered I was the first Jewish person ever elected to the Fullerton City Council. And so, you know, in that role.

It has been my pleasure to serve alongside not only the 1st Muslim American on this council but also incredibly supportive colleagues of multiple faiths. All five of us represent the diversity, inclusivity, and unity that we, as a Fullerton community, have shown in promoting our strength and diversity. I want to acknowledge Rabbi Miriam Van Raalte, who did not get her rabbinate until she was 66 years old, Rabbi Mati Kirschenbaum, who gave the invocation, and trustee Lauren Klatzker, who serves on our local Fullerton high school board. Thank you all.” This year, Temple Beth Tikvah celebrates its 60th anniversary of being in Fullerton, a testament to the enduring spirit and contributions of our Jewish American community. Temple Beth Tikvah is known for opening its doors to all faiths.

Proclamation Mental Health Awareness Month

Promoting mental health awareness fosters understanding, empathy, and support within our communities, creating environments where individuals feel safe to seek help and support. Mental health awareness encourages early intervention, reduces stigma, and promotes mental wellness, ultimately leading to healthier and more resilient communities. The certificate was presented to High Hopes Counseling, Saint Jude Medical Center, Radiant Health Centers, and BeWell Orange County.

Fullerton Lions City Scholastic Chess Championship 2024 Recognition Awards

The 16th annual Fullerton City Scholastic Chess Championship, sponsored by the Fullerton Host Lions with significant help from the Fullerton School District since its inception, was held on April 26 at Ladera Vista Jr. High. To reduce the number of no-shows and to raise funds for expenses, we charged $5 for each participant. The tournament organizer this year was Lion Marisol Terraza, who organized the Morrison Scholastic in February. With that experience, she ran one of the best-organized tournaments in memory despite the added complexity of collecting money and the shortage of section monitor volunteers.

Lewis Gerbl was the tournament director, and Dewain Barber made the introductory remarks. Barber supported the cause by providing chess sets and boards, medals for third places, and keychain tags for all students. The tournament finished in an impressive three hours—an all-time record!       

The number of elementary school and Junior High students participating was 52, slightly lower than last year (58). Nine different grade-level tournaments were run (K-7 and an 8 & 7 section); each winner is the 2024 city champion for their grade. 

The winner of this year’s “SuperChamp section,” Marcus Vasquez, is Fullerton’s 2024 SCHOLASTIC CHESS CHAMPION, a title to be proud of. Chess Champions by school and grade are: 

• Arnik Raina (Acacia), Kindergarten, 
• Olivia Leav (Laguna Road), 1st Grade, 
• Harvey Sim (Covenant Christian), 2nd Grade, 
• Owen Tse (Laguna Road), 3rd Grade, 
• Tianyu Xiong (Acacia), 4th Grade, 
• Jayden Baek (Acacia), 5th Grade, 
• Joshua Sun (Sunset), 6th Grade, 
• Isaac Chun (Fisler), 7th Grade.

Girl Scouts Gold Awards

Abigail Estrada achieved Fullerton’s top Girl Scout cookie seller award for selling 5,444 packages of cookies and securing fourth place in Orange County. 

Layla Andre’s project filled a gap in earthquake preparedness, particularly within immigrant communities. She organized workshops and booth presentations that empowered approximately 200 individuals with life-saving information. The sustainability of Layla’s project, which was facilitated through partnerships with ICNA Relief and the Make Noise Today Club, exemplifies her commitment to long-term community resilience. 

Emily Molendyk’s revamp of the museum at Camp Sherman (Girl Scouts’ resident summer camp) reflects her commitment to enhancing the experiences of both new and returning campers. Through her diligent efforts, she transformed the museum into a more engaging space, ensuring the campers can immerse themselves in its exhibits and activities for projects. 

Sienna Shah started an initiative called Reading for Kids, which has been instrumental in combating declining literacy rates by creating and implementing a comprehensive reading curriculum tailored to the needs and interests of young learners. Through a six-week program at Fullerton School District and monthly events at the Boys and Girls Club of Fullerton and the Anaheim Public Library, Sienna has successfully ignited a passion for reading among elementary student

The City of Fullerton Updated Emergency Operations Plan

Ensuring the safety and well-being of the community is a shared responsibility among local, state, and federal governments. The City of Fullerton has crafted this Emergency Operations Plan to efficiently allocate resources to safeguard lives, property, and the environment during emergencies.

While it is impossible to entirely prevent the challenges that disasters bring, a well-designed and updated plan executed by skilled and trained professionals can significantly reduce the impact and minimize losses. This plan outlines the structure of our emergency response organization, delegates roles and responsibilities, and fosters coordination among various emergency teams and services. It leverages established frameworks such as the Incident Command System, the Standardized Emergency Management System, the National Incident Management System, and the National Response Framework to ensure a cohesive and effective response. This item was approved

Public Comments

Memorial Day Fullerton

Marilyn Harris: The homecoming is our theme, and it is reflected when service members come home or return home to their final resting place. 

On May 27, we will gather to reflect on all those occasions we yearn for our service members to come home safe, but also, we realize saying goodbye can be so hard. Our speaker this year is a Troy High School graduate class of 2008. She spent ten years in the Navy and now writes speeches for the Secretary of the Navy. 

We have two opportunities for volunteering. One is on Saturday at 8 am. We’ll place over 4,400 flags on every veteran grave buried there and on Tuesday we’ll remove the flags and iron them over at the Community Center starting at 8 am. 

The Memorial Day program is Monday at 10am at Loma Vista Memorial Park. We invite all of you and the public to join us in commemorating and remembering those of us who have served our country and are resting there in peace. 

Parking Tickets

Maria Figueroa: I want to thank our councilmember from district #5 for coming to our community and giving information about the pilot program. Jeffrey Shisha and our traffic police were also there. They also gave us information regarding the parking program that’s coming this summer. The Woodcrest community has very little parking. We have the school and the park, and the owners of the houses will not permit parking in front of their homes. We are paying for the overnight parking. We ask that while this program takes place and we get the permits, please stop giving tickets in the Woodcrest and Orangethorpe area. I make this request in the name of our community at Woodcrest. 

Overnight parking

Resident: I documented my walk that I have to make when I have to abide by the 2 to 5am no parking rule. The City Council is disconnected from how dangerous it is. There are many spots where it’s poorly lit, dilapidated sidewalks, overgrown bushes, and active gang territory. And it is unfair to make the residents of this city go through this. 

The City Council only offers options for residents who own property. They don’t offer anything for renters. Which is the boat I’m in. The City Council must understand that making these people walk at night is dangerous. 

I challenge all of you City Council members to come down to District 5 find somebody, any resident affected by this no parking rule, ride with them, watch them find parking, and then follow them back to their residence. See what it’s like. See what we go through daily so that you can keep this 100-year-old rule in place. For what good?

Rancho La Paz

Todd Harrison: Life as a Fullerton Rancho La Paz senior is not easy. Retired, but working a collection of part-time jobs that keep me exhausted trying to keep up and failing, I owe about 1/3 of my retirement savings. We want to keep up, but we can live in Fullerton for at least two years. All these challenges limit my efforts to help other senior citizens I know are facing many of the same problems. John Saunders is blamed for many of these issues and is still getting away with it. Years ago, others and I came to our government, including the then leaders of Fullerton, for help with his attack on us. Who else but our community could help fight back against a predator with so many resources, money, and political power? What did we get? A lot of head pats and explanations of why what was happening was wrong, but there was little or nothing that could be done for us. Some of you tried, but those efforts were too little, too late, and mostly ineffective. I do appreciate the concern and hard work, but the few that did give a damn and tried to help. I’m a great believer in self-responsibility. My problems are my job to handle. This does not absolve those who take on responsibilities for their community at any level. Shame on my government. Shame on all of it at every level.

 Less Lethal Projectile

Resident: I came here today to show the City Council what less lethal rounds look like. These are the rounds used on Alejandro Campos Rios that were shown in the critical incident video that the Fullerton Police Department released. They come in a full-length shotgun. It could be orange, but that doesn’t make it less lethal. 

And maybe this bird shot is wrapped in canvas, but that doesn’t make it any less lethal. You can see here that they’re filled with lead beads, and the only thing I can imagine that makes them less than a birdshot shotgun round is being wrapped in canvas. 

Actually, on the round itself, it says that they’re stabilized by this canvas round and by this canvas wrap, meaning that this birdshot is more aerodynamic and penetrating than it might have been if it wasn’t wrapped in canvas. And so I’d invite the Fullerton Police Department, the City of Fullerton, and the City of Fullerton’s council to consider whether these rounds truly are less lethal and provide some evidence that they are less lethal.

Helping Homeless

Curtis Gamble made the following recommendations on behalf of the over 300+ Homeless and Low-Income people living on the streets of the City of Fullerton:

1. The Cash App Card is a free Visa debit card that allows Community Funding to pay for rent, electric bills, gas, hotels & motels, OCTA bus passes, shelter beds, and other goods and services.
2. Extremely Low-Income units are units that are affordable too and occupied by persons whose income is at or below 30% of the area median income as defined in the Health and Safety Code.
3. Rapid Rehousing units are an alternative to emergency shelters. They are occupied at no rent or subsidized rent for a limited time to allow a household to collect sufficient funds for move-in deposits and moving costs.

ADA compliance & End of landlines

Maureen Milton: independent advocate for the disabled, handicapped, little people, and the mobility challenged. I want to advise everyone that I heard the news about the AT&T Landline situation. I was told that the administrative law judge plans to recommend that the proposal made by AT&T be rejected. Final confirmation will come in June. If you haven’t written your letter or called, I urge you to do so immediately. Your voice is crucial in this matter. If they do not win their request, AT&T can request this again one year after the final confirmation. 

I want to thank everyone again for the push buttons that open the doors of the council chambers. It took a long time, but I really, really appreciate it, and I’m sure all the mobility-challenged people in the city who come into the council chambers appreciate it, too.