Yorba Linda youth invited to 'fire cadet' program; Sunrise Rotary Club's Lobsterfest sets return date

 

A new program for Yorba Linda youth ages 14 through 21 to serve as “fire cadets” with the Orange County Fire Authority and a return of the popular Lobsterfest fundraiser by the Sunrise Rotary Club merit attention this week.

The fire cadet program will hold weekly sessions at Station 32 on Yorba Linda Boulevard on Mondays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Applications will be sent to individuals who complete a short interest form on the Fire Authority website (ocfa.org and click on “residents”).

Requirements include maintaining a 2.0 or higher grade point average, having no arrests or convictions and adhering to fire-safe grooming standards. A complete background check is required for applicants age 18 and over.

A 10-week training academy will include nine weeks of instruction at Station 32 and a final examination at the Fire Authority headquarters in Irvine. A similar program is scheduled for Station 61 at 7440 La Palma Ave. in Buena Park.

“Upon successful completion of the trainee academy, participants will become full members in the fire cadet program and ride-along certified,” noted a statement on the website. Prospective cadets will be accepted for academy training three times each year.

Cadet activities will include pre-fire planning, hydrant maintenance, crowd and traffic control, public information programs, record-keeping, vehicle and station maintenance, door-to-door fire prevention contacts and writing minor standard reports.

Other activities: formal drills held at the station, field trips and participation as observers in ride-alongs. Cadets also will develop life skills, character, citizenship and leadership traits.

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The famed Lobsterfest is scheduled to return on Saturday, Oct. 9, at the Yorba Linda Community Center, after a one-year absence due to the Covid-19-related restrictions.

The Sunrise Rotary Club-sponsored event had been scheduled for a 33^rd year in 2020 for the traditional third Friday night in May. Since the Lobsterfest is the club's only annual fundraiser, club members organized an “Ask” campaign for five weeks last summer.

For the drive, three club members offered to match up to $20,000, if fellow club members and Lobsterfest supporters could raise the same amount or more. A $41,000 goal was surpassed with a final total of some $61,000.

Over the 30-plus years of the event, more than $1.8 million has been raised to help support the club's 22 community and 11 international projects. The 2019 event raised $89,000 from 1,400 attendees, who feasted on the all-you-can-eat lobsters and steaks.

Among local organizations supported by the Rotarians are Love Yorba Linda Day, Meals on Wheels, Yorba Linda Food for Families, George Key School for Children with Special Needs, Families of Active Military and Miss Yorba Linda and Miss Placentia Pageant Scholarships.

The club also sponsors a generous grant program for teachers in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District.

Yorba Linda City Council takes stand against racism; approves projects for federal funding

 

The Yorba Linda City Council – described by Mayor Peggy Huang as “the most diverse of city councils” – has voted unanimously to adopt a strongly worded resolution condemning hate and racism.

The resolution is modeled after one adopted last month by the Orange County Board of Supervisors that acknowledges “the grave harm of racism,” repudiates “those who perpetuate acts of racism” and commits “to work in our role as a county government to eradicate racism.”

Each of the city's council members expressed support for a motion by Huang for a resolution denouncing hate and racism. Three of the five members are women, two White and one Asian-American, and two members are men, both Hispanic.

At the April 6 meeting, Huang said she wanted Yorba Linda to be a model in uniting, not dividing, people. She noted recent acts of hate toward Asian-Americans, as she told of one resident whose family dates to “the railroad days” being asked, “Where do you come from?”

Mayor Pro Tem Carlos Rodriguez said the city should repudiate racism “in any form,” and he stated it is “good to see outrage at unprecedented levels.” He also said “anger and outrage” should be made “productive.”

Rodriguez also noted the “painful” experiences of his boyhood, with his name Carlos Antonio Rodriguez. He said he was often told to “go back to Mexico,” even though he's Puerto Rican.

Gene Hernandez, a 34-year law enforcement veteran, including his eight years as Chino's police chief, said, “Kids aren't born racist, they learn from the adults in their life.” He likened racism to ignorance. As for racism in his youth, he said, “I gave as good as I got...but that was just me.”

Councilwoman Tara Campbell cited “solidarity and unity” in denouncing “hate and racism in any form,” while Councilwoman Beth Haney said she agreed “with my council colleagues to support the resolution wholeheartedly.”

In the last completed census, based on the 2010 population, Yorba Linda's racial makeup was 48,246 or 75.1% White (65.7% non-Hispanic White and 9.4% White Hispanic); 10,030 or 15.6% Asian; and 9,220 or 14.4% Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Others: 835 or 1.3% African-American, 230 or 0.4% Native American, 85 or 0.1% Pacific Islander. Also, 2,256 or 3.5% from other races and 2,552 or 4.0% from two or more races.

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At the same April 6 meeting, the council approved projects for an application for federal funds through the Community Development Block Grant Program, administered by the Housing and Urban Development Department, a program proposed by native son President Richard Nixon.

Funding for the coming fiscal year ($258,530) would go to rehabilitation grants to homeowners ($90,000); senior nutrition program ($38,779); Americans with Disabilities Act improvements ($78,045); remainder to cover administration costs ($51,706 split evenly by city and county).

The city has received close to $5 million from the program since 2003.

Yorba Linda to honor veterans with banners, flags

 

Yorba Linda is implementing a veterans recognition program to honor residents who have served in the country's armed forces by providing banners or flags to be displayed at their homes.

Deadline for ordering a banner or flag with the message “A Yorba Linda Veteran Lives Here” is April 30, with a first batch of banners and flags ready for pickup by Memorial Day, May 31.

The vinyl banners, measuring 18 inches by 48 inches, will cost $25, while the nylon polyester flags, measuring 3 feet by 5 feet, will cost $55. Eligible residents can display a banner or flag, and one banner or flag will represent all veterans living at the residence.

The banners are designed to be displayed on residences by affixing the banner to the eaves of the structure, patio cover, overhang or other method, and the flags can be displayed using a traditional flagpole or house-mounted pole that's often used to display an American flag.

In addition to lettering, each two-sided banner or flag will show the logo of the military branch in which the veteran served – Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, National Guard or Navy, said Parks and Recreation Director Mike Kudron, who briefed the City Council on the program.

The banners and flags can be displayed for an indefinite period of time but must be removed when they are worn or tattered, Kudron said. He also noted that subsequent ordering periods will be established “as this is intended to be an ongoing program.”

The program was discussed with members of the Veterans Memorial Association, which supports the city's Veterans Memorial at 4756 Valley View Ave., just north of Yorba Linda Boulevard.

“Originally, the program only incorporated banners. However, the Veterans Memorial Association requested the addition of adding flags as an option to the program. Staff researched the cost of printing custom flags and was able to find a quality product at a reasonable price,” Kudron said.

The city website will post ordering information or call City Hall at 714-961-7100 for information.

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Deadline for ordering banners for the city's other military recognition program, which began in  2011, is today, April 1.

The Military Banner Program is designed to honor the city's Gold Star and active-duty military through the display of banners on light poles on Yorba Linda Boulevard beginning from Valley View Avenue and continuing east, with banners listing the name of each individual along with his or her military branch.

Individuals recognized must reside in Yorba Linda or have an immediate family member – parent, spouse, son, daughter or grandparent – who resides in the city. Banner cost is $85.

Banners will be displayed for one year starting in May for 2021-22. An application form is on the city website. Sponsors are available for the street banners, with individual and nonprofit group match-up sponsors to be developed for the residential banners and flags.