Griffins Give Back
The Los Alamitos Junior Varsity Boys Basketball team held a “Basketball Gear” drive at their holiday party this past season.
These generous young men, along with their coach Steve Schultz, donated several dozen new and gently used jerseys, basketball shorts, and basketball shoes.
All items collected will go to the Bell Gardens Boys and Girls Club.
“My parents have always been able to provide for me … it feels good to help kids whose parents are struggling financially,” said Chris Powelson, a player on the team.
Kathi Powelson
Seal Beach
Rossmoor happy with Moorlach
An article on the front page on the Thursday, Feb. 23, issue of the Sun was headlined “Rossmoor remains at odds with OC Supervisor Moorlach.”
The truth is that Rossmoor is quite happy with Supervisor John Moorlach.
Every survey and sampling of resident opinion shows that the residents are well satisfied with the County services under Moorlach’s control.
The people “at odds with … Moorlach” are the RCSD (Rossmoor Community Services District”) directors, not the community.
The RCSD directors do not represent or govern the residents of Rossmoor. The District exists to manage Rossmoor’s parks, perform tree trimming, and maintain the “Signature Wall.”
While the RCSD directors are actively seeking added responsibilities (latent powers), a recent survey made it clear that the residents would prefer that latent powers not be granted.
While the RCSD directors continually decry Supervisor Moorlach for not providing financial data, the directors themselves refuse to provide residents with visibility into their own operations.
They have hired numerous consultants (lawyers, accountants, and survey takers) in their quest for latent powers, but refuse to provide residents with an accounting of related expenditures.
Resident requests that they provide access to proposed budgets have been ignored.
Residents making reasonable requests at RCSD meetings have been greeted with defensive reactions and insults.
The directors continually embarrass residents with their name-calling and vilification of Supervisor Moorlach. The RCSD Board’s actions are having the effect of isolating Rossmoor from our neighbors, and making us an enemy of Supervisor Moorlach.The RCSD Board should cease wasting our money in their quest for latent powers, and return to its intended purpose as manager of Rossmoor’s assets.
Ken Brown
Rossmoor
Assisted living option for Leisure World
There was a survey in the Feb. 9 Leisure World Golden Rain News concerning the land use of the Westminster Property.
Although offering multiple choices, it is apparent that the survey is looking for confirmation that Leisure World shareholders would like to see a rental self-storage unit on the property.
I believe it is time for all of Leisure World to consider the option of assisted living facilities for those shareholders who can no longer care for themselves.
I heard at our last Mutual board meeting that there are residents who call security and 911 daily for help in getting to the bathroom or getting food.
We have been shortsighted in not planning for this inevitability within our community.
Multiple use apartments within a retirement community is not a new concept.
Go on-line to Boutwells.org; this is a beautiful facility in Stillwater, Minnesota that has planned for all the possibilities that may affect seniors as they age.
We do not have to re-invent the wheel; we can copy and adapt.
Let’s put our energies to planning for the future of all shareholders in Leisure World. Rent storage units are the last thing we need. What we desperately need is more additional residential units designed for assisted living.
Suzi G. Smith
Seal Beach Leisure World
Elect LW directors who serve your interests
It’s time for the majority of Leisure World Shareholders to use their power TO BENEFIT THEMSELVES. In spring all Mutuals will vote for Mutual directors and even numbered Mutuals will vote for GRF Representatives. We need to vote for those who listen to shareholders and care about our Mutual, our money, investment.
Before marking the ballot ask yourself the following …
Are you voting for an incumbent because they go to your church, belong to the same political party, clubs, are nice and you know their name? Ask what is their voting record at GRF* and board meetings? Did their vote benefit YOU? Does your director buy votes by doing special services for those, who vote for them such as extra maintenance, ice cream socials or taking around cookies?
There is little advance planning done by Mutual boards. You have one board planting trees and years later another board cutting them down. One board gives permission for a shareholder to do work outside their home and another board says it’s illegal. Lack of wise planning and documentation is confusing and costly to shareholders and the Mutual.
Has your representative and directors served with honor and integrity? Ask your Golden Rain Foundation or Mutual director the following: Were you on the GRF board in Aug. 2004 and did you as Mutual president vote that our reserves accounts be transferred to NY Mellon?
Foundation representatives and Mutual presidents did this in secret at that time. Now our reserves are not FDIC protected.
Did you as a Golden Rain representative vote to keep the Foundation attorneys from going to court when originally Franz, Loritz, Lyon and others went to Small Claims Court simply to gain access to information, which included how our money was being spent?
Does your Foundation representative tell the truth?
At a Foundation meeting we were informed that the Orange County Fire Authority had approved the original Northgate entrance? When a shareholder investigated he found out that the Fire Authority didn’t participate in the planning.
Since the fire engine could not make the origianal curve at this gate, more of your money was spent to correct the problem.
Did the Foundation representative vote on other issues like the golden parachute to Haber Narang, at a cost to shareholders and hiring an inexperienced man to be administrator?
We are told he is learning on the job? At his salary he should be an expert.
Ask those informed and get documented information before you elect someone from your Mutual to be a Foundation representative or board director.
Being on a board requires honesty, being ethical, takes time, is hard work and requires knowledge of sound business practices, basic economics, personnel evaluation, supervision, contract writing, purchasing, preventative maintenance, construction and on and on. In order to benefit the shareholders and community we need the most talented and able to serve.
David Noble of Mutual 5—(562) 785-6107—has a record of how Foundation representatives have voted.
Margarita Bahr
Seal Beach Leisure World
The opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of the Sun. The Sun welcomes Letters to the Editor. Letters should be 300 words maximum. Letters should be e-mailed, signed by the author and include the author’s address and phone number (the latter two are for verification, not publication). The Sun reserves the right to accept, edit, or reject letters for any reason. Unless otherwise indicated, all letters sent to the Sun are understood to be intended for publication. E-mail letters to: dennis@sunnews.org.
