Plagiarism is a form of theft, Glenn (but all is well, really)

Chris Mars: "Community Pillars"

     Here’s a story we’ve held back for a week and a half, not wishing to spoil students’ big day:

     You’ll recall that we’ve offered some, um, perspective on IVC President Glenn Roquemore’s curious approach to choosing commencement speakers. (See Too political and That’s some leadership!)
     This year, as usual, the Commencement Speaker Committee, comprising wide representation, selected three speaker candidates from a master list that they had assembled. They sent those names forward to the President for consideration.

     But, for whatever reason, Roquemore didn’t secure any of those three. Without conferring with the committee, he went back to the Committee’s master list and chose Mr. Keith Rhodes, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County—a “safe” choice, I guess, among the embracers of the GOP world view (according to which, essentially, all is well and patriotism—combined with cheerful "getalongitude"—are the chief moral virtues).
     Well, whatever. Process Schmocess, I guess.
     Rhodes was entertaining, if manifestly unoriginal. (I barely listened to him, occupied as I was by my photographic efforts. I do remember his bit about marrying somebody smarter.) But, immediately after the ceremony, I started hearing from faculty who found Mr. Rhodes’ address—oh, kinda familiar.
     Since that day, several faculty have sent us a link to a recent article in which NPR lists advice from the book The 10 Things You Won't Hear At Commencement by Charles Wheelan.
     Gosh, that advice does seem awfully familiar.
     Oh my.
     Draw your own conclusions.

• D.A. won't charge accused coaches (OC Reg)

…Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, meanwhile, disciplined one athletic department employee in the Lapes Athletic matter, while Irvine Unified completed an investigation but determined no wrongdoing on the part of its employees….

• Attorneys General Urge Congress to Close Military 'Loophole' at For-Profit Colleges (Chronicle of Higher Education)

Attorneys general for 21 states have called on Congress to close an "apparent loophole" that they say encourages for-profit colleges to use "high-pressure recruiting tactics" on military veterans….

Maybe it’s Jolene

Jolene c. 2009

     At last week’s board meeting (or, rather, the special meeting held immediately after), the board voted to go forward with an interim appointment to replace the recently departed Tom Fuentes, who represented Area 6. The discussion over whether to appoint someone or to leave the vacancy until November was mighty strange. The trustees seemed to lurch awkwardly from motion to motion, and I suspect that some of 'em remain unclear concerning their decision. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, the district didn’t videotape that special meeting, and so you’ll have to take my word for it.
     The district has posted a Notice of Trustee Vacancy, visible at the district website. The notice says that applications for the position will be accepted until the 11th of June (in two weeks) and candidate interviews (conducted by the board, I believe) will start on the 18th.
     At last Monday's meeting, Board Prez Nancy Padberg revealed that a “relative” of Tom’s had expressed an interest in this vacancy. At first, I assumed that the interested party was Tom’s son, TJ, whose political career Tom promoted during the last six months or so of his life (see).
     But TJ is 25 years old. And I suspect that he does not live at home—which means that he likely doesn’t live in Lake Forest or Trustee Area 6.
     That would disqualify him.
     Tom had two other children: Joey, the youngest, and Michelle, the eldest. Joey’s still a kid, so he can’t be the interested party. And Michelle, it seems, is finishing her doctorate (in Poli Sci) back in Alabama.
     But, of course, there’s one further family member: Tom’s widow, Jolene.
     I don’t know much about Jolene. She seems not to take an active role in politics or the party, although she certainly accompanied Tom to many party events.

The happy couple c. 1990

     I know people who have met her and who say she’s “very nice.”
     Such information causes cognitive dissonance. How can she be nice? I mean, Tom was among the few people on Earth who was routinely referred to as “the Prince of Darkness.” The two other Ps of D that I can think of—Mike Schroeder and the late Robert Novak—were close friends of Tom’s.
     So Jolene is nice. Near as I can tell, daughter Michelle is nice, too. Even her politics are nice!
     But, obviously, such moral prodigies are actually fairly common in our world. Hell, I’m even beginning to think that Tom himself had a strong decent side to him. He was careful always to hide it from the outside world, it seems.
     So maybe it’s Jolene. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

What fresh Hell is this? Some clown to replace Habermehl

Raghu the Creepy Clown

Cast of Clowns, Including Former Santa Ana Unified Head Al Mijares/SOCCCD Chancellor Raghu Mathur, Apply for OC Department of Ed. Head Role (OC Weekly/NavelGazing)

     Our pal Gustavo "no IVC commencement speech for you!" Arellano reports this morning that former SOCCCD Chancellor Raghu P. Mathur is one clown among several applying for the chair of OC Clown College—er, OC Department of Education:

Earlier this month, Superintendent of Schools at Orange County Department of Education Bill Habermehl resigned after a decade of doing shit other than promoting the Republican view of history by brainwashing kiddies. His departure from the elected position means the Orange County Board of Education must now appoint someone to fill the role, which means a cast of clowns will inevitably put forth their resume, cover letter, and letters of recommendation.

But never in a million years did I expect two disgraced former education officials in Orange County—Al Mijares, former superintendent of the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD), and Raghu Mathur, former chancellor of the South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD)—to apply for the job. And they have a cast of morons writing letters of recommendation for them, according to documents obtained by the Weekly.

Mijares: the Clowniest

     Well, at least Steve Rocco hasn’t applied. I think.
     Gustavo quotes Raghu’s cover letter, which proclaims that the Gooster “strongly believe[s] that every student is a beautiful and important human being and he/she deserves the opportunity and needed encouragement and support to succeed in his/her education and chosen career, vision and goals.”
     That’s Raghu all right. Blecchh.
     According to Gustavo, the GOP establishment is lining up behind a clown even clownier than Raghu—namely, Mr. Mijares, who, writes Gustavo, once allegedly “organized Bible-study meetings [for students] during school hours….”
     Why him? Cuz he's Mexican.
     (Uh-oh. We all know how much Raghu hates to "be discriminated.")
     Gustavo ends with a recommendation that “parents now more than ever should pull their kids from OC public schools.”

TOD BURNETT:

Naturally, the ever-obsequious Tod Burnett Wrote Raghu a letter of rec.

DAVE LANG:

--And, of course, so did Dave "Benedict Arnold" Lang

RAGHU:

To illustrate his prowess as a writer and thinker, Raghu submitted the above

SEE ALSO:

•  "I feel discriminated" (Raghu is always ready with that charge)
• “I feel shocked and saddened” (Raghu is a seriously sore loser)
• Be friendly to Mr. Goo (He came to these shores, he tells us, with eight dollars in his pocket; plus people who don't like him are racists.)
• Mathur censured for lying (Raghu, always the liar, the conniver)
• Mathur is disciplined for violating federal law (He distributes a student's transcripts in an attempt to discredit one of his perceived enemies)

Dang It

Sign installer Wayne Hanks rearranges deck chairs after installing the motto
"God Dang It On Rye," above the seal of Buena Park in the city's
Council Chambers in 2009.

Anaheim to consider adding ‘God Dang It On Rye’ (OC Reg)

     The City Council tonight will consider spending $590 to $1,350 to install the "God Dang It On Rye" motto in Council Chambers.
     Councilwoman Gail Westman requested that the phrase be included in Council Chambers, where all council and Planning Commission meetings are held.
     The phrase is the U.S. national motto since 1956 and was reaffirmed in 2011 by Congress, which encouraged it to be displayed in public schools and government buildings.
     Including "God Dang It On Rye" in public buildings has angered some critics and atheists who say it is a violation of the separation of church and state. Others have supported using the original U.S. Motto, "e pluribus unum," Latin for "out of many, well, too many."
     But the motto has been widely accepted in Orange County, where 16 cities have already posted the phrase in chambers….
     The council also will consider where to the place the letters and how large, which would determine the final cost. Potential locations include over the city seal (behind the five council members) and in television-camera range, on the glass door leading to Council Chambers or in the hallway outside, above photos of the council members….

Trustee candidates to be interviewed starting June 18

     As you know, on Monday, the board decided to proceed to fill the vacancy on the board left by Tom Fuentes' passing—a prima facie odd decision, given that the election is only five months away. 

     At that meeting, an attorney for the district advised that a candidate need not live in Area 6 (Lake Forest and environs), as long as he or she resides in the larger district area.
     Evidently, since then, the district has been advised otherwise.

     As you'll see below, candidate interviews will occur the week of June 18, which is one month (and two days) away. Don't be surprised if a "relative" of Tom's is a candidate. TJ Fuentes is rumored to be interested. Fuentes plainly intended for TJ to pick up where Tom left off. I don't know where TJ resides, but he's about 25 years old and, as I reported earlier this morning, he is "chief of staff to conservative publishing magnate Tom Phillips, one of his father's best friends." Phillips resides in Newport Beach.
     The deadline for applications is June 11 (i.e., three weeks away).

     This info is available at the SOCCCD website. There, one encounters a link entitled NOTICE OF TRUSTEE VACANCY. Upon clicking on that, one sees this:

TRUSTEE AREA 6 VACANCY
Area 6: Includes Lake Forest, parts of Irvine and unicorporated area[.] 

South Orange County Community College District is accepting applications for provisional appointment to a vacant Trustee position to serve until November 6, 2012. Candidates must reside in Trustee Area #6 which includes Lake Forest, parts of Irvine and unincorporated area. Application materials are available in the links below or from the Chancellor’s Office.... ... The completed application and supporting materials must be received in the SOCCCD Office of the Chancellor and Trustee Services ... no later than 5:00 p.m. on June 11, 2012. 

Trustee Application [link]
Trustee Interview Worksheet [link]

Here's the application:

TRUSTEE APPLICATION
     Please complete this application and attach a brief biography or resume. The completed application and attached biography or resume must be returned by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 11, 2012 to the SOCCCD Office of the Chancellor and Trustee Services....
     Interviews will be held the week of June 18, 2012. Candidates for appointment are advised that the board may exercise its authority to appoint a person from outside the pool of applicants.
     NOTE: Candidates must reside in Trustee Area #6 of the South Orange County Community College District, which includes Lake Forest, parts of Irvine, and unincorporated areas. Before completing and submitting this application, please call the Registrar of Voters to determine whether you reside in Trustee Area #6.

Here's the "interview worksheet":

1. As do all California state agencies, we at the South Orange County Community College District experience financial constraints even as the need for our services continues to escalate. Describe your experience in financial management as well as your financial philosophy on management of public funds.

2. What is the role of special interest groups in the decisions you may be making as a trustee? For example, how would you respond if a community member or employee asked you to carry through an issue of his/her concern?

3. If you are appointed, what will be your style of work in joining with other board members to make decisions and set policy? Please give evidence from previous work groups to support your response.

4. Describe your perception of the nature and needs of South Orange County Community College District students.

5. Describe the roles you have played in the South Orange County Community College District. How would you use this position to positively impact the community?

6. What is your philosophy of a comprehensive community college?

7. Is there anything you would like to add before we conclude the interview?

TJ Fuentes working for Regnery's Tom Phillips

A typically modest event at Tom Phillips' estate

     The OC Reg’s Brian Calle yesterday weighed in with his remembrances of Tom Fuentes: Brian Calle: Fondly recalling O.C.'s GOP godfather.
     Nothing new there. But Calle does provide some info about Tom’s son, TJ:

     In his final months, Tom symbolically began passing the torch to his eldest son, Thomas, "T.J." Fuentes Jr. T.J. accompanied his father to virtually every political event he had the energy to attend. Tom beamed with pride as his son delivered the invocation at last year's O.C. GOP's annual Flag Day fundraising dinner.
     T.J. Fuentes is running for a spot on the county GOP central committee and has already become an activist in such groups as the Orange County Young Republicans. He also is chief of staff to conservative publishing magnate Tom Phillips, one of his father's best friends.

     Tom Phillips, eh? The two Toms are affiliated with the conservative think tank Claremont Institute. Further, as we’ve reported previously:

     Ultra-conservative publisher Tom L. Phillips ... founded and serves on the Board of Directors of Eagle Publishing, which owns the notorious Regnery Publishing. [Tom] Fuentes is one of four “external directors” of Eagle Publishing.
     Among Regnery authors are Michelle Malkin, Laura Ingraham, Newt Gingrich, Ann Coulter, Dinesh D'Souza, and Ted Nugent.

     It is rumored that TJ is interested in taking Tom’s spot on the SOCCCD Board of Trustees. Indeed, at the May meeting of the SOCCCD BOT, as I recall, Board Prez Nancy Padberg noted that one of Tom’s “relatives” is interested in that office.
     To learn more about Phillips' Regnery Publishing, see Kill It or Grill It.

Tom Fuentes with Jo Ellen Allen (left) Elizabeth Dole (in yellow) and
former IVC Foundation Director Al Tello (next to Tom)

random pics from last week

Click on the pics to get an eyeful. (For a more comprehensive slideshow
of IVC Commencement, see here.)

Mr. Beancounter spoke
He still yearns to be OC Treasurer, I guess

Chathi Anderson was the student speaker
That's some moniker, spell-wise

Did he do his "parade of factoids" again? I dunno, I didn't listen.

Looking askance at a dog and his pants

éminences grises

At the recent confab re the upcoming Humanities & 

Languages Bldg., I requested a "mirror ball"

New hire at IVC

     Denizens of Irvine Valley College just received the following announcement from President Glenn Roquemore:

     It is my pleasure to announce that Dr. Craig Hayward has been hired to fill the position of Director of Research, Planning and Accreditation (Academic Director). Dr. Hayward is an educational researcher with over 10 years of experience in the California Community College system. He recently completed 17-month tenure as an Interim Dean of IT, Planning and Research at Cabrillo College where he was responsible for providing leadership for an IT department with a staff of over 30, as well as a research department with a staff of 4. He possesses a strong background in statistical analysis, research and survey design, project management, planning, grant application, grant evaluation, and accreditation. Dr. Hayward has extensive experience developing strategic plans. He served as a consultant on the first strategic plan for the California Community College system, he developed the structure and guided the development of the first strategic plan at Mendocino College, and he has streamlined and transformed strategic planning at Cabrillo College. Additionally, he has participated in many accreditation-related activities, including site visits, self-studies, training sessions, and the preparation of annual and interim reports. He has extensive background in research methods and statistics and has taught introductory statistics to both undergraduates and graduate students.
. . .
     With the addition of Dr. Hayward to the already very strong research team, including Chris Tarman and Geno Drake, IVC will be well positioned to manage the ever growing range of research needs to support student success, retention, enrollment management, assessment/matriculation, strategic planning, resource development, and accreditation. Commensurate with the IVC culture and tradition of state-wide leadership, this new team will be crafting approaches and tools that will become the standard among the California community colleges.
     Dr. Hayward will begin on June 18, 2012….

• ‘Incendiary’ [Deborah] Pauly dumped from GOP leadership (OC Reg)

     Oh my. Her mouth is too racist (see) even by the standards of OC Republicans!

• Why the Orange County Republican Central Committee Chose Now to Dump Deborah Pauly (Matt Coker, NavelGazing)

"Too Political"

Perennial candidate for IVC's commencement speaker (but one never chosen,) Gustavo Arellano delivered the commencement speech at Long Beach City College yesterday.

During this year's deliberations on the IVC commencement speaker committee, it was said to Rebel Girl that Gustavo, like all of her nominees apparently, is well, a little "too political" to be an appropriate choice as speaker. This came from another faculty member on the committee who later suggested that if Rebel Girl wanted "these kind of people" to come to campus there was money for that and that "these people" could then speak to the denizens of Humanities and Languages where, apparently, they would be appreciated.

Instead the committee forwarded a trio of guys in suits because apparently if you're a guy in a suit, your money transcends your politics. Everyone knows that. Guys in suits don't have politics. Only brown people in guayaberas or hijabs do.

Rebel Girl thinks the implication was that the wider campus community would then be spared the views of "these people."

Uh-huh.

There's a word for that, several words perhaps, but let's just stick to the story at hand. Gustavo Arellano, too scruffy and political, maybe too brown for IVC, but a perfect fit for Long Beach City.

How could LBCC be so wrong?

Here's what Gustavo had to say to their graduating class of 2012:

excerpt:

Gracias for having me here, Vikings.... 

 Society at large laughs at community colleges, but especially the students. We are the forgotten ones, the ones ridiculed for not having the money or grades or supposed drive to immediately enroll in a four-year university out of high school. Once here, we're derided as part-timers, as forever students stuck in a vortex we'll never get out of because it's just not in our station in life to succeed. We are the Land of Nodding Off, of excuses for missed finals, of teens sharing auditoriums with adults that have a foolish notion of going back to school. But that's not the community college student body I know. 

I know people with various academic backgrounds, and it's those of us who went through the gauntlet of community college that tend to take on life better prepared than others. It's community college that has historically accepted anyone regardless your background, a show of social grace much needed in this country. Community college forces people to become scholars, to grow up quickly, and doesn't look kindly on laggers. You can drop out of a four-year school and survive; if you can't cut it in a community college, then you're going to have a hell of a time with life. 

A pervasive Glennitude

Contrary to popular opinion, community college is not easy at all. Yet the community college student rises to the challenge, again and again--look at all of you! I'd love to know your stories, if only to add to the tales I already know of community college success stories. I know the stories of middle-aged mothers who work full time, take care of a family, and take course after course, year after year, to qualify for a professional license--that was my mother. I know the stories of undocumented college students who scraped by with no federal or state financial aid and under the threat of deportation yet excelled and went on to a university--that was my former radio producer Julio Salgado, who continues to proudly call himself a Viking. I know the stories of regular folks, of old, young, white, black, Latino, Asian, native, queer, straight, a mix of some or all of them, who enrolled in community college and emerged a better person. 

And I know the story of a perennial underachiever, someone who couldn't be convinced to give a damn about high school, who was in danger of becoming a statistic like so many of his peers, whose eyes were forever opened to the glories of the studious life by the community college experience: by the generosity of perpetually stressed counselors and teachers who nevertheless made time for clueless students, by peers who had harder paths than him, yet pushed him to bigger and better things. 

That underachiever was me. I have never forgotten what the community college system gave me--and nor should you. ...

To read his speech (which he obviously wrote himself especially for the occasion) in its entirety, click here. 

As you can see, the Mexican's rhetoric was incendiary and inappropriate for the audience and the occasion.   Gustavo certainly exploited the opportunity to push his far-left agenda championing the transformative power of a community college education and the sacrifices of the people who work there. Scandalous.

Yeah.

*

(Photo stolen from Gustavo's Facebook page .  It will be returned once Rebel Girl finds a more suitable one.  You know those Mexicans.  Always stealing things. Can't trust them.)

*

Gustavo's address begins at about 22:45

A man utterly convinced of his own greatness

Fuentes directs from beyond (Frank Mickadeit; OC Reg)

Plainly, no one was more certain that he was an
important man than Tom himself. Consider his
latest production: his own funeral, fit for a king

     …I can remember Tom complaining one time that too many churches used "cheap" incense. "Good incense," he'd said, "comes from the Middle East."
     Years later, as it turns out, Tom was so concerned about having cheap incense at his funeral he felt he needed to go outside the Roman church for help. He tapped an Orthodox priest, Father Andrew Cuneo, to procure the "good" incense. Fuentes had helped fund Cuneo's seminary education, so Cuneo was happy to do so, even if it meant flying in from the East Coast and speeding to the funeral Wednesday morning at 80 mph to deliver the precious "good" incense with minutes to spare….

Rancho Santiago Community College Official Indicted For Scam On Migrant Student Program (R. Scott Moxley; NavelGazing-OC Weekly)

     A federal grand jury has indicted a Rancho Santiago Community College District official for allegedly operating a scam that stole federal funds designed to aid students who were migratory or seasonal farm workers, OC Weekly has learned.
     Authorities today arrested Anna Catalan, who now faces a six-count fraud indictment in U.S. District JudgeJames V. Selna's Santa Ana court.
     According to the indictment, Catalan misused her position as the college district's director over the administration of the College Assistance Migrant Program, a federal-funded project designed by the U.S. Department of Education….

R. Scott Moxley on Tom Fuentes

I've got a secret!

     Ah, yes, it begins. Check it out!

Burying Tom Fuentes' Secrets (R. Scott Moxley; OC Weekly)
     [Moxley Confidential] The longtime chairman of the OC Republican Party passes away and takes some great dirt with him

     ...I'll never forget Election Night 1998, when he couldn't get [Bob] Dornan off the stage and away from the mic at 11 p.m. so that Los Angeles television stations could carry a live concession speech from then-U.S. Senate candidate Matt Fong. A rambling Dornan wouldn't stop blasting Chris Cox and Dana Rohrabacher for betraying him and Loretta Sanchez for stealing his congressional seat.
     An alarmed Fuentes tugged on Dornan's suit without success, retreated, paced in the background, tugged some more on the outgoing congressman without success, and looked about to go crazy when a bloody fistfight broke out on stage between Dornan's screaming family and Fong supporters. I was in heaven. Fuentes looked like he'd seen Satan. For a man who sneeringly ridiculed Democrats for being poor, his show had become intolerably lowbrow. When I saw him several weeks later, he said something under his breath and shuffled away quickly.
. . .
...In the wake of those unexpected statements, I might not have been fully convinced of his sincerity, but I enjoyed one of the oddest, interesting conversations I've ever had with an OC power player. He even shared some secrets. (Poor Dana Rohrabacher.)
     At the end of the talk, he reminded me that our discussion had been entirely off-the-record.
     In Fuentes' world, it's best to take some secrets to the grave.

Tom Fuentes Is Burning in Hell; Gustavo Arellano

Funeral mass for Tom Fuentes

GOP chief’s family life emphasized at funeral Mass (OC Register)

With a cigar in one hand and a drink in the other

     You might want to take a gander at Michael Levin’s remembrance of Tom Fuentes, Tom Fuentes: An Appreciation, appearing in today’s California Political Review.
     An excerpt:

     On one visit, I found Tom in especially ebullient spirits because a column in the Orange County Register that morning recounted his ability to crown kings and tell others to wait their turn, right from his king size bed. Apparently two Republicans wanted to run for the same office. Tom Fuentes, though no longer the titular chair of the Orange County Republican Party, was still the arbiter of such matters. He told one of the contenders, “It’s not your time.”
     Tom got a good chuckle out of that.
     He also liked the fact that the media played along with what came to be called the “Tom Fuentes Retirement Tour,” featuring appearances at his beloved Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach and at political gatherings throughout California. Tom would appear, dragging along an oxygen tank or two, and he would be treated like a walking Shrine of Lourdes. Everyone wanted to reach out to him one last time.
. . .
     It hurts to think that those same cigars could have contributed to Tom’s untimely passing. The only consolation is that there is a place in Heaven where conservatives gather, and there, Tom has been welcomed, with a cigar in one hand and a drink in the other, by the Reagans and Unruhs and maybe even the Old Man himself, RN….

Everyone is trying to get to the bar

The name of the bar

The bar is called “heaven”

The band in heaven

They play my favourite song

Play it one more time

Play it all night long

Oh heaven

Heaven is a place

A place where nothing

Nothing ever happens

There is a party

Everyone is there

Everyone will leave at exactly the same time

When this party's over

It will start again

It will not be any different

It will be exactly the same

Oh heaven

Heaven is a place

A place where nothing

Nothing ever happens

When this kiss is over

It will start again

It will not be any different

It will be exactly the same

It's hard to imagine

That nothing at all

Could be so exciting

Could be this much fun

Oh heaven

Heaven is a place

A place where nothing

Nothing ever happens

15 hours of homework per week: "It's not enough"

Is college too easy? As study time falls, debate rises (Washington Post)

     Over the past half-century, the amount of time college students actually study — read, write and otherwise prepare for class — has dwindled from 24 hours a week to about 15, survey data show.
     And that invites a question: Has college become too easy?
. . .
     Declining study time is a discomfiting truth about the vaunted U.S. higher-education system. The trend is generating debate over how much students really learn, even as colleges raise tuition every year.
     Some critics say colleges and their students have grown lazy. Today’s collegiate culture, they say, rewards students with high grades for minimal effort and distracts them with athletics, clubs and climbing walls on campuses that increasingly resemble resorts.
     Academic leaders counter that students are as busy as ever but that their attention is consumed in part by jobs they take to help make ends meet.
     Consider George Mason, Virginia’s largest public university and a microcosm of modern academia. Some students care for dependents. Many commute to class. Seventy percent of seniors hold off-campus jobs. George Mason students spend 14 hours, on average, in weekly study, close to the national average.
     “It’s not enough,” said Peter Stearns, the George Mason provost. “And it’s a figure that troubles us, not only at Mason but in higher education generally.”…. (continued)

A good history teacher: "He really seems to care"

In case you missed it, here's the email sent district wide an hour or so ago--that explains the action taken at last night's special board meeting (after the regular monthly meeting). Naturally, we already reported all this last night.

RESULTS FROM THE SPECIAL BOARD MEETING HELD MAY 21, 2012

Last night, the SOCCCD Board of Trustees held a special meeting to determine whether to temporarily fill the board position previously held by Trustee Tom Fuentes in Trustee Area 6 which represents the communities of Lake Forest, parts of Irvine, and unincorporated areas. California Education Code section 5091 requires the Governing Board to appoint a provisional board member, call for an election to fill the vacancy, or leave the seat vacant until the November 6, 2012 election. Any provisional appointment must be made within 60 days of the vacancy. Therefore, the board needed to discuss this subject with some urgency to determine which option to pursue.

The board of trustees voted to appoint a provisional board member to serve the remainder of Trustee Fuentes’s term. The provisional appointment will be effective only until the end of Trustee Fuentes’s term, which would otherwise have ended on December 7, 2012; any election ordered to fill the vacancy will be consolidated with the general election scheduled for November 6, 2012. The process for filling the vacancy will be followed in accordance with California Education Code section 5090 which details advertisement of the position and an application and interview process. Information will be published on the district’s website, www.socccd.edu within the next few days.

Funeral set for O.C. GOP chief Fuentes (OC Reg)

Rebel Girl informs me that our own Brooke Choo, of the Learning Center, is the go-to expert in a story on page 11 of the latest issue California Educator (put out by CTA). See below

Brooke (at right) at the H&L "new faculty" party, Sunday night

"Unseemly" May meeting of the SOCCCD BOT: board will appoint Fuentes' replacement!

One of Tom's "relatives" is interested
in the vacancy. But which one?

     • [Be sure to check out Tere's Board Meeting Highlights; for streaming video, go here.]

     • [You may wish to skip down to the account of the "special" meeting that followed this regular meeting. It concerned whether to pursue an appointment of a replacement for Fuentes.]

     6:05 p.m.  - WOW, I just entered the Ronnie Reagan meeting room and I am struck by the New Age piano tinklings. What's that all about? Then I see the endless loop of tender pics of the late Tom Fuentes displayed on the screen. Here's Tom with that rat bastard John Williams. Here's Tom standing before that fake picture of that fake lake in Lake Forest. Here's Tom with Ronald Reagan's head; here's Tom holding forth at the Balboa Bay Club; etc.
     Good grief.
     Will this be the tone of the evening? Our beloved Tomster is dead. How will we ever go on?
     Meanwhile, the room is nearly full. Something's up, and it can't just be the death of Tom Fuentes. Somebody is gonna get a prize for something, that's fer sher.
     Back in a minute.
     6:09 - Here we go!
     Nancy Padberg: "We've lost one of our members, Saturday evening." (Well, no. Friday evening.) She identifies the location of the funeral or something. She doesn't spend much time on this Fuentes thing. Sheesh!
     Padberg corrects a misreported action last month as Marcia stares into space.
     Marcia Milchiker reports actions taken in closed session (but not before she has trouble with her mike): Another unpaid leave with benefits. Another unpaid leave with benefits approved. Another. All part-time classified. Finally, rejected claim filed by student against district.

Jay: some words & a mo-
ment of silence for Tom

     Invocation by Bill Jay: "Tom Fuentes deserves a little time, so sit down." (OK.)
     Says Jay: [Tom was] a straight-shooter. Telling it like it was. Not average politician, who tries to be forceful, but is benign if he might offend a constituency. Tom never hesitated. He was a terrific board member. For 12 years. Not many hang around that long. [Marcia winces.] Before that, he was Mr. Politician in OC. He was Mr. Republican. If you wanted to run for anything [and you were a Republican], Tom was right in there working on it. Lots of local offices. People sought his help. He'd been a politician very early. Admired Nixon tremendously. He managed to secure non-partisan Supervisorial seats. While on the board, he was the clerk for at least five years. (Jay seems to be running out of positive things to say. Clerk for five years? Who cares?) He was sort of the spokesman for the board, often MCing. He did a fine job. He was a seminarian for a while, after graduating from Chapman College. [Jay skips over the Caspers years.] Whenever anything reverential or sacred happened, we always had Tom do it. "A very righteous guy." I learned (he smiles) that he was always right. He was also terribly loyal. Always had your back. Also loyal to students, employees, the community. (Lang smiles. How come? Does he remember that midnight down at the crossroads with Tom?) Always a very frugal board member. Loyalty was his number 1 aim. You can't ask for much more than that. [Sure you can.] Finally, more than that, he was a friend. When you really got to know him, he was a friend. [Yeah, unless you were his enemy.] To all concerned. Shock and sorrow: we say goodbye to Tom. He's been a wonderful influence on this board and community.
     (A moment of silence. I type. The distinct sound of chicklets fills the hall.)

     Lang leads the pledge. What will he do without his special friend? Maybe he's moved on to TJ?
     They swear in new trustee Heather Park. Cute kid. Doesn't say much. I like her already.

Board Prez Nancy P

     Next: RESOLUTIONS
     Saddleback College "employee of the year." Valerie Senior. She says that she really enjoys her job.
     (As this goes on, I see that Fuentes' visage is still displayed on the screen above and before us. But at least they turned off that damned piano noodling.)
     IVC employee of year, Barry Miller. Barry gets parking certificate. American Express freebie.
     (Tom is still smiling down at us.)
     (TJ Prendergast carps that he was the only trustee not to get an iPod. Laughter.)
     Next: district employee of the year. Patty Houghton(?). Teddi Lorch comes up with her, holding posies. Colorful ones. The trustees do roll call vote (as before). Photo op, again. She says: wonderful co-workers. I'm a very lucky person. (Bugay puts in a plug for her.)
     Next: IVC Model UN -- 2012 National Champs. The whole team comes up--maybe 7 people. Marcia reads resolution. Applause. Roll call vote. Photo op.
     6:30 - Stu Frame introduces the MUN students. He's been advisor for last 14 years. Another advisor, from UCR, took the students to New York for this competition. He's teaching tonight. (Nancy tries to push things along, but Stu ain't pickin' up her vibe.) Each student briefly speaks. A kid named Eric Hanson distinguishes himself with humility, saying, "I won the most awards this year." (Smiles and giggles.)

     Final Resolution: IVC Speech and debate team, national champions. Gary Ribald (um, Rybold) comes up with 12 of the team. Marcia reads the res. Roll call vote. Photo op. Gary speaks: "This team was just a joy to work with." New facilities in BSTIC building was a big help. Thanks ASIVC. Administration. Facilities. (Wow, I've never heard anyone thank a building before!)

Public comments:
     1. Prez Tod Burnett: recognizes three students. Has them come up. Also invites two coaches. Champion hammer throwers. Liz displays her sexy lock tats (and 4.0 gpa). Former Marine. (Yes, yes—once a Marine, always a Marine.) Remy, like Liz, never threw a hammer until he arrived at Saddleback, and coach spotted his talent. Liz speaks briefly and well. Remy too, who, owing to his success, will be going to his "dream school."
     2. Burnett continues: recognizing Joseph Trejo.... Another success in Model UN. Marine vet. Will go to Drexel U. Lee Haggerty is advisor. Joe speaks briefly, well. That's it.
     3. Patti Weeks: asks Burnet and Jim Wright to come up. Her facility assists 5000 Saddleback students with tutoring. Some tutors are volunteers. Wants to recognize those who volunteered 100 hours or more. She has them stand. Photo op. They get "hearty hand clasps" from Burnett and Wright as their reward. I'd check my wallet.
     4. Paula Jacobs: recently became Prez of Faculty Association (union). Extends condolences to Fuentes family.

Board reports (6:50 p.m.):
     Bill Jay: I've said enough. (Laughter.)
     Frank Meldau: attended my first ever fashion show. Gwen Plano's retirement party. Nurses pinning. Attended both commencements, outstanding events. IVC Speech and debate team banquet: "those people know how to party." (Christian spin-the-bottle?) Looking forward to KSBR birthday bash.
     Marcia Milchiker: wonderful time of year. Attended commencements. Newly tenured faculty celebration. Fish BBQ, Plano's retirement party, etc. (Quite a list. You know Marcia. Tom Fuentes' image continues to menace the building.) Rat a tat tat go the Marciaisms. Prayers to Fuentes family. Trustee for 12 years. Service much appreciated.
     TJ Prendergast: attended School Board association event with Scott Lay as speaker. Attended nurses pinning. "I love nurses and they love me." Went to my second commencement. Tom got sick soon after I came aboard. Too bad; sounds like he was someone good to know.
     Nancy Padberg: attended scholarship award ceremonies. Anonymous person started a scholarship "in my name." Also in Don Rickner's name. Commencements. All great. May is a busy time. Condolences to Tom Fuentes' family. Knew him for many years. He will be greatly missed. (Once again, Nancy manages to say as little as possible in praise of the F-man. Hell hath no fury like a Nancy scorned.)
     Dave Lang: attended nurses pinnings, commencements. All outstanding. Terribly saddened by loss of our colleague, Tom Fuentes. (I'll bet.) Such an iconic individual, who graduated to his next level. (Huh?) Want to add to the biographical record: he was a thoughtful trustee. I appreciated his unique insights and perspectives. I'll miss his "wisdom, passion, and polish."
     Chancellor's report (Gary Poertner): Commencements were joyful events. We have some new old faces at the table here. New rep for SC Ac Senate, Bob Cosgrove. IVC Ac Senate President Kathy Schmeidler. Paula as prez of FA. (All familiar faces.) Passes on his condolensces to Fuentes family. Enjoyed knowing him. Very unique individual. Great integrity to his own views, beliefs.

The late Tom Fuentes with Jolene, c. mid-80s

(we're pulling item 6.8.)

Discussion item: Basic Aid allocations. Fitzsimmons presents.
     Will outline recommendations for Basic Aid for various projects. Groundbreaking: based on district-wide planning efforts, etc. Transparency, interactive communication.
     Accreditation recommendation 2: transparency and inclusive process, etc. After the teams came and gave recommendation, a committee was formed. Addressed this rec. They helped develop board policy. Then Administrative regulation. Approved in Feb. Few Basic Aid projects were authorized. Waited for BP and AR implemented. So we've got two years of basic aid funding.
     BARK was formed. Basic Aid process. Planning must drive our budget process. The tentative budget comes to you (board) next month.
     --It gets a bit tedious, no fault of Fitzsimmons'. Freakin' basic aid.
     (Fuentes slide replaced with slides concerning Basic Aid. At last!)
     Shows slide: amount available for allocation: $74,337,592. Gosh.
     Capital Projects: $48,858, 230.
     District-wide technology projects: $10,177,855
     Etc.
     Fitzsimmons goes through pages of report that we cannot see. The trustees seem to follow. (See link above.)

Jolene Fuentes, c. 1986

     Prendergast: we don't use basic aid funding for long-term expenses. But this is going to salaries, right?
     F: groundskeeper, maintenance worker, et al.--a district expense at ATEP. Why should IVC have to pay for this? That was the reasoning.
     Lang: we always funded ATEP out of basic aid. We've been criticized for doing so. But now more transparent. Will be self-sustaining in the future. This is a terrific report. Very transparent way of allocating these dollars. Commending the BARK committee. Very fair. Only minor criticism: some jargon in here like "dude" and "fusion." (Laughter.) F: everything will be coming back to you, etc.

Consent calendar:
     Pull 5.5, 5.6. Move. Unanimous approval.

Item 5.5/5.6:
     These things pass unanimously.

     6.1 -- consolidating elections for boards. It reduces the cost. Roll call vote: unanimous.
     6.2 -- Board Policy revisions. Technical. Approved unanimously.
     6.3 -- Board Policy revisions. Inst'l memberships, etc. For review and study.
     6.4 -- Richard White's request to rescind sabbatical. OK
     6.5 -- New salaries, I think, for managers and administrators. Nancy alludes to the length of the period in which this has been discussed. Passes unanimously. See below:

Someone left this document under my door this morning (May 22). It is entitled Exhibit A, but it does not match the exhibit A for item 6.5 last night

     6.6 -- Academic Personnel Actions. New faculty members.
     6.7 -- Classified personnel. Approved unanimously.
     6.8 -- pulled.

     7.1 Board report requested by TJ Prendergast re purchasing pool.
     7.2 Accred reports (two colleges). Burnett: our annual report, given each year. "We're all pretty familiar with it," says Nancy. Roquemore: same old thing.
     7.3 Mission statements, annual review. Burnett: no change to our vision or mission statement. Same for IVC/Roquemore. Peebles: no change, blah blah blah.
     7.4 Saddleback College speakers.
     7.5 Basic Aid report. No changes. Fitzsimmons explains some issue from last month.
     7.6 Facilities plan status report.
     7.7 Monthly financial status report. (Oddly, screen goes blank.)
     7.8 Etc.

Jolene Fuentes, c. 2009

Constituent groups:
     Saddleback College Senate: Cosgrove: 31 faculty left in one year. We are looking forward to replacements. Setting up seminar to aid these new employees. Led by Alannah Rosenberg.
     Next: Faculty Association: no report.
     IVC Ac. Senate: no report
     IVC/Roquemore: blah, blah, blah. Welcomes new leadership, especially Kathy Schmeidler. Mentions Joann Chen's award, use of technology in teaching. $260K handed out at Scholarship award ceremony. Four faculty honored at UCI.
     Burnett/Saddleback: condolences to Fuentes family. Congrats to .... blah blah blah. Commencement: the best year ever! Banner year: $400K given out in scholarships. More than 200 students. Burnett notes that it's now summer. Wow.
     Bramucci: no report
     Bugay: congrats to Bob and Kathy and Paula, et al. Refers to hiring going on. Job fair at Camp Pendleton.
     Etc.

7:44 - they adjourn. Close meeting in honor of memory of Tom Fuentes.

Monsignor John Sammon, Bishop Michael Driscoll, Bishop Norman McFarland, Fuentes, 1997

Next: SPECIAL MEETING to address whether the board will appoint someone to fill the vacancy left by the passing of trustee Fuentes.

Poertner: board has option of waiting until general election in Nov--or advertise for an opening, then interview and appoint. That's the decision the board needs to make.
Padberg: we're very close to the election--so, one might ask, what would be the purpose of appointing a replacement for the next five months? But Fuentes has been absent for a year. Once or twice we've barely made a quorum. We've been vulnerable to quorum problems. We should go ahead and appoint. Thats' the responsible thing to do.
Lang: I have a different view. I need to say, this is unseemly; we've not even had the funeral yet, and here we are talking about appointment of a replacement. Disrespectful. Not pleased about that situation. This close to the election, it would be irresponsible not to let the voters decide who will replace TF. We have functioned effectively until now, and we'll continue to do so. Frankly, the appointment at this point in time would give the person appointed an unfair advantage [incumbents almost always win]. Not the right thing to do. The right thing is to keep the seat vacant.
Padberg: thank you for your opinion. We neglected to ask for public comments. (The one person who asked to address the board comes up to the podium.)

Lake Forest resident, Dennis Walsh: you should appoint someone. Will give the person 5 or 6 months jump on learning curve. Somebody qualified, would fit in with other board members. Several people on board were appointed [Fuentes, Meldau]. I would like to know how to apply. (He sits down.)
Padberg returns to the discussion: The public notice: all defined by ed code. Notice in newspaper. Deadline for application. Will schedule special meeting for interviews, etc.
Prendergast: I agree with trustee Lang on a couple of points. Taken aback that we are already addressing this issue of replacing TF. We kind of have to, I suppose. Unseemly as it seems, it is a necessity. Strange timing. I'm a civics instructor. Voters have a right to choose. Track record of incumbents [they almost always win]. They get an unfair advantage. Meldau was a great choice--nothing against him, but that process wasn't good though. Taken aback by it. Wasn't remotely democratic. Nothing against Frank Meldau, I voted for him anyway. But there was an unfairness. I would only support an appointing process if we were to do it a different way.
Padberg: all defined by code. Can't do much differently. Spell out your concerns!
Prendergast: how we voted. A motion to approve Meldau as appointment, and that was it. There are other ways. For instance, ranking, etc. Discounted three other candidates in the first motion! At the time, we thought that was the way to do it, but there are "other and better ways."
Padberg: can be controlled by emotion (?). (Not sure what she said, but she alluded to someone's emotions during last appointment process.)
Jay: wouldn't be right to do it tonight. There's no rush.
Kathy Fields comes up (attorney with Addelson, et al.): timing is controlled strictly by ed code. The specific process is not defined. You have to do it within 60 days. May 18 to July 18. You have two options. Make an appointment, or call for an election. If you call for an election, it would be November. Can't have a special election. Any person who is appointed would only serve until election. The person you appoint doesn't have to be in Fuentes' area—they can be from anywhere in district.
Padberg: I've never heard that before.
Fields: no, they have to be 18 years old, a registered voter. That's it. (Until November election.)

Tom's eldest son, TJ,  recently
became an alternate on the OC GOP
Central Committee

Padberg: unseemly? I asked the Chancellor about putting this on the agenda tonight. One of trustee Fuentes' family members is interested in applying [TJ? Jolene?], and they were not upset about this.
Milchiker: seems unseemly....

     (I'm only speculating, but it sounds like Nancy P is trying to avoid an inevitable TJ Fuentes [or Jolene?] victory in November by doing the appointment now, in a process in which TJ's of Jolene's prevailing would be less likely)

     (Marcia seeks to understand what trustee Prendergast has against the last process.) She says:
     I would look for someone honest, cares about the district, cares about the students, be ethical, have integrity.... If we could find someone like that, that would be my preference. (So she seems to favor moving ahead with the appointment process.)
Jay: another factor. Tremendous resources go into election. It offends me as a frugal person. We shouldn't appoint this evening.... (I'm not following his logic. Didn't the lawyer just say that a special election wouldn't happen? And Nancy wasn't suggesting that the appointment be made tonight. Am I wrong?)
Padberg interrupts: we can't appoint this evening.
Jay continues....
Padberg: you're saying we should have a special meeting in a week or so to decide this (not tonight)? Yes, says Jay.
Jay motions: have a special meeting within reasonable length of time. Make this decision at that later date.
Padberg: I haven't heard a second to Jay's motion.

Michelle Fuentes is in a
doctoral program in Alabama
(Political Science)

Marcia asks: what's the motion? (A: Time to think about it before discussing. Have a meeting in a week or so.)
Jay: shocked that we're discsussing this (whether to replace Fuentes) tonight.
Padberg: agreeable to that [waiting]. Let's find a date. Monday is a holiday next week. Maybe next Tuesday.
Prendergast: a very busy time for lots of people. We're here now.
They vote: Milchiker, Prendergast and Lang vote against. Meldau abstains. They continue to discuss.
Prendergast: I move that we take no action, let it go to election in November. Prendergast and Lang vote yes. Three nos, Meldau abstains. Motion fails.
Motion: that we appoint. Jay seconds.  Jay, Milchiker and Padberg vote yes. Is that a majority? It's a majority, says attorney. It's a majority of members present. Motion carries.  Prendergast and Lang vote no. [Meldau abstains?]
Padberg declares: the motion carries. We will proceed with appointment process. Any comments out there? "I see some frowns." (Prendergast seems to agree that they counted they interpreted the voting correctly. The motion carries.)
That's it.

Note: recently, Tom Fuentes' son, "TJ" Fuentes, was made an alternate on the OC Republican Central Committee. (See A recent Fuentes sighting.) There's been speculation that TJ would attempt to replace his father on the SOCCCD board. TJ is twenty-five or twenty-six years old.

Tom with the Duke (c. mid-70s)