Wishing you and yours a very Happy Holidays! It is a joy to represent over 630,000 diverse residents in the Third District. May the New Year bring everyone health, wealth, and happiness. |
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Supervisor Wagner wishes you and yours a Merry Christmas. Because our residents deserve a safe holiday season, Supervisor Wagner shared a PSA video message about preventing package theft. As it is the giving season, he also shared about several charitable Toy Drives, including County's Senior Santa & Friends and Operation Santa Claus, and the Orange County Fire Authority's Spark of Love Toy Drive. To participate in the Spark of Love Toy Drive, visit any OCFA Station and drop off an unwrapped gift in the official bin. Operation Santa Claus and Senior Santa & Friends holiday gift drives have served Orange County’s most vulnerable children, seniors and disabled adults for 60 and 30 years, respectively. Operation Santa Claus began as a small effort to provide gifts and toys to children who are in foster care in Orange County and to children of disadvantaged families receiving services from the County of Orange. Last year, the effort distributed more than 19,000 toys and gifts to children in need. This would not be possible without the generosity of County of Orange employees, community-based organizations, businesses and individuals in the community who play a significant role in collecting toys and gifts. Items received through Senior Santa & Friends help make life easier, more comfortable and more independent for recipients. Last year, over 1,115 gifts and necessities went to low-income seniors and adults with disabilities in Orange County. Support from generous donors helped the programs exceed last year’s goal of $30,000 raised. This year, organizers hope to raise $35,000 in total donations by the end of 2022. Support Operation Santa Claus and Senior Santa and Friends by: - Donating new and unwrapped toys at the collection boxes placed in many County buildings, including most County libraries
- Drop off toys and other gifts at the OSC and SSF drop-off center at 1505 E. Warner Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705.
- Gifts may also be shipped to 1505 E. Warner Ave., G-101, Santa Ana, CA 92705.
Supervisor Wagner thanks our generous residents who spread love, tolerance, and kindness throughout our community. That's what the Spirit of Christmas is all about.
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Supervisor Wagner helped light the menorah at Villa Park's 2nd annual Hanukkah celebration. Thank you to the Villa Park City Council and Rabbi Shuey Eliezrie from Chabad of Tustin for coordinating a fun night filled with music, singing, and delicious fried latkes and jelly donuts. Attending was a distinguished Villa Park resident and Holocaust survivor who fled Łódź, Poland. At 99 years young, Dr. Jacob Eisenbach was happy to celebrate his 100th Hanukkah with the community (pictured in the green beanie). Dr. Eisenbach immigrated to the United States and went on to become Anaheim Hills’ first dentist. As the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust, he is devoted to sharing the importance of tolerance around the world. Dr. Eisenbach shares: - No matter how dark the clouds may be, there will always be a day when the sun breaks through. Never lose hope for a better tomorrow. It has happened to me many times.
- Do not accept ideas of hatred, discrimination, and intolerance. It is those ideas that lead to the Holocaust
- Observe the Ten Commandments, which Moses received from God.
Read more about his story here. |
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From left to right: Rabbi Shuey Eliezrie of Chabad of Tustin, Supervisor Don Wagner, Villa Park Council Member Crystal Miles, Dr. Eisenbach, Villa Park Council Members Nicol Jones and Jordan Wu. |
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Supervisor Wagner holds a lifesaving tool, a nasal spray known as NARCAN, used to block deadly fentanyl absorption At the December 20 Board Meeting, Supervisor Wagner brought an item to the Board of Supervisors, which allocates $120,000 from the Third District discretionary funds to go towards $20,000 in grants to purchase Naloxone supplies, known as NARCAN, for schools located in his Supervisorial District. A NARCAN nasal spray immediately stops fentanyl absorption; it has prevented deadly overdoses or poisonings when administered in a timely manner. Fentanyl poisonings are the number one killer of adults from ages 18 to 45. The item passed unanimously. Six school districts are eligible for the grant and are in the Third District: Capistrano, Irvine, Orange, Placentia-Yorba Linda, Saddleback Valley and Tustin. Supervisor Wagner’s proposal saw strong support from OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer, OC Sheriff Don Barnes, local law enforcement departments, OC Fire Authority, school districts, and parents who tragically lost children to a fentanyl poisoning. Because fentanyl is easy and cheap to produce and traffic, fentanyl-related deaths account for the bulk of deaths in the opioid crisis: young adults and our youth are statistically at higher risk. From 2017 to 2021, there was a 550% increase in Fentanyl-related deaths among young adults. Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes thanked Supervisor Wagner for bringing the item forward and noted, “Naloxone is an important tool that has been used by public safety personnel to stop fentanyl-related deaths. The funding approved today will help ensure our school personnel have the same opportunity to save lives in the event of a fentanyl poisoning on their campus. While naloxone itself is not a long-term solution to the fentanyl epidemic, it should be available for those moments when life is at risk.” According to the California Department of Health, statewide fentanyl deaths increased nearly 2,300% in the last five years. In February 2021 to February 2022, nationwide, there were approximately 75,000 deaths from synthetic opioids, mainly fentanyl. Tragically, Orange County lost 1,358 of our residents to substance use-related deaths (approximately four people a day). It has affected families from all different backgrounds, races, socio-economic statuses, and walks of life. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department alone estimates 382 lives have been saved by deputies armed with NARCAN. Since the State has failed to increase penalties for fentanyl murders, the hope is to bring an immediate, lifesaving tool to where it’s needed most -- with our youth and in our schools. What can else be done? Contact your CA local legislator and demand harsher penalties for fentanyl dealing. IN THE NEWS: FOXLA OC REGISTER EPOCH TIMES |
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FLAG ONE WAVES IN ANAHEIM HILLS |
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A few short weeks after Veterans Day, Supervisor Wagner led a bipartisan ceremony for the raising of FLAG ONE at the Gypsum Canyon site in Anaheim Hills. A team of Veterans and elected officials worked together to unfold the 30-by-60-foot American flag. The giant flag is the most visible marker of what is hoped to become Orange County's first Veterans Cemetery. From the hills, applause came from a large crowd of Veterans, and from the freeway, supportive honks as the flag inched its way up the 100-foot flagpole. Lights illuminate the flag at night for all to see. Since the ceremony, commuters have shared with our office their thoughts on the flag — which is visible from the 91 and 241 Freeway: "Absolutely love the flag! It made my absolute misery of a drive on the 241/91 interchange beautiful tonight! Thank you!" -- Carla E. "Thank you for your work in making it all happen. I've been driving the 91 for 11.5 years. This gives me peace on my commute." -- JP "We just saw this yesterday and it was absolutely breathtaking!" -- Daryl N. FLAG ONE is significant because for years, our veterans have advocated for their own dignified cemetery so loved ones won’t have to drive to existing national cemeteries in Riverside or Los Angeles. Those cemeteries are also reaching capacity. While the process has been an uphill political battle, the County of Orange backs our Veterans every step of the way. Supervisor Don Wagner got support at the County level, and Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva led the legislative charge to see through the promise made to our Veterans. The Anaheim Hills location is supported by all 34 OC cities, many Veterans organizations, and the OC Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Wagner gives extra thanks to Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva for authoring a bill that designates Anaheim Hills as the land to study. The next step is a CalVet Study, for which the Orange County Board of Supervisors allocated $20 million. We continue to push forward in the process until the right thing is done for our Veterans. IN THE NEWS: ABC7 OC Register VoC |
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To kick off trout season, Supervisor Wagner coordinated with OC Parks to stock 4,000 lbs of trout into the Lake and for the Third District Inaugural Trout Fishing Derby. Whoever catches the biggest trout wins the Derby. Trout bite early in the morning so hundreds of anglers showed up for the 6 AM Derby start time, but it was a first-time fisherman who won the Derby. Cian Pullman (pictured) reeled in a 3.96 lbs trout and won the big prize, a 65” Smart TV. Irvine Lake reopened to the public in August 2019, thanks to negotiations led by Supervisor Wagner. The popular shoreline fishing spot had been closed for 3 years due to disagreements among several large entities. Returning a resource like Irvine Lake back to the public is so far one of Supervisor Wagner's most favorite accomplishments during his tenure at the Board. A special thank you to our community for joining the fun and creating new memories. We hope to make the Fishing Derby an annual tradition at Irvine Lake. |
Team Wagner Field Rep Pat Buttress, Bill Steiner and Supervisor Wagner photograph with a Proclamation honoring Bill's work William Steiner was a cherished friend of Supervisor Wagner for many years, and a longtime friend of his staff as well. Known as the "Champion of Childhood", Bill died at age 85 years young, but his legacy will live on through the Orangewood Children's Home and the generations of foster youth he uplifted. The Orange County Board of Supervisors adjourned in his loving memory at the December 20, 2022 meeting. Bill will be greatly missed. Please take a moment to read more about Bill and his magnificent life of public servicehere. |
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Supervisor Wagner is proud to serve approximately 630,000 diverse residents at the Board of Supervisors in the communities of Anaheim Hills, Irvine, Lake Forest, Tustin, North Tustin, Orange, Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Villa Park, Yorba Linda, the Unincorporated Canyon areas. |
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