NELLIE GAIL RANCH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE LAUNCHES FIRST COMMUNITY EXPO  

and 

LAGUNA HILLS NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

plus

staying current with ** Win-Win-Wednesdays 

 

 
NELLIE GAIL RANCH EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEE LAUNCHES FIRST COMMUNITY EXPO

On Saturday, August 24, the Nellie Gail Ranch Emergency Preparedness Committee will welcome residents of the Ranch and the Laguna Hills Community at large to an exciting and informative inaugural event featuring First Responders, emergency experts, representatives from local utilities plus emergency supply vendors and members of the Emergency Preparedness Committee.  All presenters and committee members are eager to inform citizens of the resources available to them during disasters and to promote citizen involvement in the program.

The Expo is scheduled from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Gallup Park, located at the corner of Nellie Gail Road and Gallup Circle.  Among agencies and organizations participating will be the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Search and Rescue Team, the Orange County Fire Authority, Moulton Niguel Water District, San Diego Gas and Electric, local Boy Scouts, Mission Viejo RACES/ARES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency/Amateur Radio Emergency Services) and Laguna Hills ARES communications support groups, as well as Be Ready Earthquake and Survival Supplies.  Committee volunteers and experts will conduct a variety of how-to activities including First Aid demonstration, instruction on how to shut off utilities, build home and personal earthquake kits and more.

Mr. Dennis Blough, current Nellie Gail Ranch Emergency Preparedness Committee Chairman said “the Nellie Gail Ranch EPC is looking forward to this first of many informative events and we are eager to meet with residents of Nellie Gail and Laguna Hills.  This is a wonderful opportunity to share information.  I hope that residents of Nellie Gail Ranch and Laguna Hills will learn how to be better prepared and want to volunteer to support this important program.”

Mr. Blough went on to explain the purpose of the Committee, stating that EPC members strongly advocate the principles of ‘Neighbor Helping Neighbor’.  “We strive to inform citizens of what they can do to help their families and neighbors to survive the inevitable emergencies and disasters until First Responders can arrive. It is critical for all of us to remember that when it comes to disasters, it isn’t a question of if but of when”.

The Nellie Gail Ranch Emergency Preparedness Committee was formed in 2007 to provide a variety of resources to Ranch Residents when fire, earthquake and other disasters occur. 
Among other resources, the Committee has established an emergency communications command center on site and has enlisted a group of Area and Block Coordinators to provide direct communications during any emergency and to communicate the needs of residents, therefore allowing for the most efficient response to critical needs. In addition Dr. Kenneth Cheng authors monthly articles on preparedness published in the Nellie Gail Ranch Pony Express and other Orange County community publications.

CONTACTS:

Dennis Blough                                                                         
Email address bloughd@aol.com                                             
Cell Phone: 949-677-0457    

Loree Blough
Email address: loreeb@cox.net                                                    
Cell Phone: 949-441-6526


Laguna Hills National Night Out

Laguna Hills National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2013 was very well done.  It was valuable, interesting and enjoyable for the community that attended. For the kids there were rides and for everyone there were animals, treats from local food vendors, a lively performance by Aliso Viejo's Taekwondo Academy, and an OC Sheriff's Dept. Crime Scene Investigations truck with supplies and demonstrations.  There was an especially compelling booth from our own Laguna Hills Student Resource Officer, Deputy Brian Gunsolley, with a surprisingly large and interesting display of drug paraphernalia that he presented and explained with the benefit of his expertise and experience.

There were informational handouts provided from many organizations including the American Red Cross, Alert OC and our own Laguna Hills Crime Prevention Specialist Brittney Oldham who is currently announcing the next  Laguna Hills Emergency Preparedness Academy that will start on Sept. 5, 2013 and run weekly through Oct. 24.  The reality is that this Emergency Preparedness Academy is a must for all Laguna Hills citizens who care about knowing what to do, how to help and how to survive when a significant earthquake or other disaster hits.  There is no Laguna Hills City Emergency Preparedness Plan, there is only the County of Orange Plan where citizens can register to be called on land lines and cell phones through Alert OC at www.alertoc.com   We completed a Laguna Hills Emergency Preparedness Academy a couple of years ago and recommend it highly.  It was stimulating and exciting as well as exceptionally informative, with the added plus of a tasty meal provided at each session.

We were told, by one Laguna Hills Council Member, that our City Manager "needed" to have his $60,000, 4 wheel drive vehicle to drive up those "hills" to rescue us in a disaster.  If you believe that, you probably won't be interested in planning for yourself and your family, but we hope residents will very seriously consider attending the Laguna Hills Emergency Preparedness Academy to learn for themselves  what to do and how to survive for what may be an extended period of time when a disaster occurs.  You can contact Brittney Oldham, Laguna Hills Crime Prevention Specialist for more information at  BOldham@ocsd.org

LH National Night out also provided crowd pleasing surprises such as the Percheron Horse named Clyde who is 16.3 hands tall (each hand = 4 inches) and is part of the OC Sheriff's Department's Mounted Equestrian Unit with his owner who is a Sheriff's Deputy.  Clyde is about 13 years old, was rescued after being abandoned by farmers in Pennsylvania and now lives in the City of Norco, CA. The Mounted Equestrian Unit is an integral part of Sheriff's Operations offering high profile patrol to the parks, beaches and special events throughout Orange County. Deputies on horseback reemerged some 35 years ago when some enterprising sheriff's deputies commandeered a string of rental horses at Irvine Park to address an unruly crowd that had gathered. The department recognized the effectiveness of this force multiplier and organized an official Mounted Unit.
 

And there was Reserve Deputy Don Hanson, a friendly and dedicated Search and Rescue provider with his irresistibly huggable and lovely 12 year old female Bloodhound Sonsee. These two are delightful veterans who have been successfully helping to find missing persons throughout Southern CA. for many years.



** Don't Forget WIN WIN Wednesdays!, the on-going series of restaurant fundraisers that is a project of the Laguna Hills High School PTSA.  Everyone can eat at these great local restaurants on Wednesdays and in return, they donate a portion of the proceeds to the LHHS PTSA. It’s good for us AND it’s good for the local restaurant community. This all year long fund raising effort allows the Laguna Hills High School PTSA to fund many worthwhile programs such as "EVERY 15 MINUTES" (a vividly realistic drunk driving prevention presentation), the award winning "I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE" program and the "SAFE and SOBER all night "GRAD NIGHT" that keeps our kids not only safe but in Laguna Hills and on campus continuing a 23 year tradition that makes us HAWK Proud!  **For Weekly Flyers and Schedules go to our web site at: http://www.winwinwednesdays.com/ and please be sure to"LIKE US" on Facebook"!

** Keep taking those Win-Win-Wednesday flyers to the participating restaurants on the dates shown below to raise money for more projects such as the classroom projectors, and the State of the Art Language Lab to give LHHS students an international edge in the world and in our community. You can now get durable and attractive business card size Win-Win-Wednesday Fan and Supporter Cards that contain all the info. for W-W-Wed. on one side including how to subscribe to W-W-Wednesday to get your flyers, dates and Restaurant Information sent to you weekly on Wednesdays and the other side of the card will serve as a universal flyer, if you forget to bring a flyer. You can sign up for an e-blast at  WinWinWednesdays@gmail.com  to have the weekly schedule and flyers for Win-Win-Wednesdays e-mailed to you.

WWW!! Weekly Events
August 14, 2013 – Veggie Grill (La Paz Rd. - LN)
August 21, 2013 – ToGo's (Alicia Pkwy @ Hon - LH)
August 28, 2013 – Veggos Green Cuisine (El Toro Rd.- LF)