PLACENTIA
NEWS-TIMES
AN EDITION OF
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 20 1 3
OCREGISTER.COM/PLACENTIA
COWABUNGA
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What I’m looking forward to most is the fellowship and the fun that everybody’s going to have. That’s more important than the food.”
CRABFEST The fifth annual fundraising event will bring great food and classic cars to Kraemer Park.
GLENN BALDWIN R O TA RY C L U B CHAIRMAN OF SCHOLARSHIPS AND CAR SHOW
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BY REBECCA KHEEL ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
owabunga – a surfing term used as a greeting or exclamation – normally isn’t associated with an inland suburb like Placentia. But that’s the title the city’s Rotary Club has bestowed upon its annual Crabfest, the organization’s biggest fundraiser of the year. “When we were at the Yorba Linda Community Center, we had an event for seniors where we brought in surfers and wore Hawaiian shirts,” said Ron White, presidentelect and program chairman at the Rotary Club. “So we brought Cowabunga over from that.”
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If you go What: Fifth annual Cowabunga Crabfest When: 3-8 p.m. Saturday Where: Kraemer Memorial Park, 20 1 N. Bradford Ave., Placentia Tickets: $60 at Valencia, El Dorado and El Camino Real high schools, at cowabungacrabfest.net or at the event. Top: Roy Redman with his 1 966 Mustang Fastback; center, Julianne James, Miss Placentia 2008, with a 1 966 Jaguar XKE; bottom, Ron and Sue White of Placentia with past Rotary President Roy Redman, right, at last year’s event. PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PLACENTIA ROTARY CLUB; PAUL A. HEBERT, FOR THE REGISTER;
S E E C R A B ● PA G E 3
AND COURTESY OF GLENN BALDWIN
Resignations put Cultural Arts Commission on hold BY REBECCA KHEEL ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The city of Placentia has temporarily suspended the Cultural Arts Commission after a year that saw six commissioners resign and two opt not to seek reappointment. “We need to look at the scope of responsibilities commissioners have as volunteers to make sure they’re appropriate,” said Steve Pischel, director of administrative and community services. “It’s possible that maybe they were overloaded.” Earlier this year, the Placentia City Council needed to reduce the number of
Cultural Arts commissioners to seven from nine to ensure a quorum was met. Still, by April, there were only four commissioners left. Last month, Maria Gibbs, appointed in August, resigned. In a letter to the city, she cited personal reasons. With only three members on the commission, not enough to meet a quorum, the City Council voted earlier this month to suspend the panel until new commissioners are recruited. The commissioners resigned for a variety of reasons, Pischel said. A staff report asking the
council to suspend the commission said “the common concern seems to be the commission’s leadership.” Pischel said that refers to a lack of understanding of the roles of commissioners and in what capacity they should work with city staff members. New commissioners are being recruited as part of the annual application process for all city commissions and committees. City staffers are studying the roles and responsibilities of Cultural Arts commissioners to make sure they aren’t asking too much of volunteers. The findings could be
presented to the City Council next month. The commission should be reinstated in July, Pischel said. For now, programs usually run by the commission – such as summer Concerts in the Park, the annual photography contest and the Cultural Arts Projects for Every Student Scholarship Program – will be run by city staffers. “We appreciate all the work done by commissioners,” Pischel said. “(But) part of what needs to transpire in the group is to make sure people honor their commitment.”
Placentia’s vacancies The city is accepting applications for several committees and commissions. ● Cultural Arts Commission: three four-year terms, two three-year terms, and two two-year terms ● Financial Audit Oversight Committee: one three-year term ● Heritage Committee: one non-expiring term ● Historical Committee: one non-expiring term ● Planning Commission: one four-year term, and one two-year term ● Recreation and Park Commission: three four-year terms ● Traffic Safety Commission: two four-year terms Applications are due by 5 p.m. Monday and can be found on the city’s website, placentia.org.