When: Tomorrow, Saturday, August 15th, at 9am and going all day
What: Passing out fliers to the community to drum up support
Where: The Wirth Home, (Dolores & Ben, Benjamin and Zachary)

If you want to help save a coveted community school bring your walking shoes and sunscreen!!! You can just come pick up fliers and get a neighborhood assigned to you and pass them out either Saturday or Sunday.

From the Clubhouse, take Ridge Route towards Jeronimo. Make a right on Jeronimo. Take a right on Greenbay (before El Toro). Greenbay turns into Belquest. Continue on Belquest for a short bit, then make a right on Cavanaugh. We are the house at the end of the cul de sac. 24911 Cavanaugh.

Call Dolores at 949-636-7818 or check out the Save Lakeview Learning Center blog for more information.

In the event of a major disaster or even a more common emergency, do you know what to do to care for yourself and family until help arrives?

The City of Rancho Santa Margarita will host an eight week Community Emergency Preparedness Academy (CEPA) to provide residents with critical information and skills to sustain themselves and their families for up to 72 hours without the support of emergency responders.

The series of classes will begin on Wednesday, September 2 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Bell Tower Regional Community Center. Classes will continue every Wednesday for the next eight weeks, with the last class being held on October 21. Class size is limited to 30 members and reservations are required.

The class is free and open to all adult residents who are able to attend the entire program. Teenagers attending with parents are also welcome. Class topics include: earthquake preparedness, fire safety and fire extinguishers, basic first aid, CPR and defibrillators, and water treatment techniques. The program concludes with a mock disaster drill to test students on what they learned during the program. Fire Station 45 will be transformed into a disaster scene with dozens of injured victims covered in makeup to resemble burns, cuts and lacerations. After completing all eight sessions, participants will be trained how to prepare their homes, themselves and their families for emergencies; and how to help their community prepare for and deal with larger emergencies.

To register for CEPA, contact Steve Rhyner, Emergency Coordinator for the City of Rancho Santa Margarita, at srhyner@ocsd.org or (949) 635-1809.

The San Clemente Fiesta Street Festival is presented by the San Clemente Chamber of Commerce and participating sponsors. It is a unique family-orientated event, held on the second Sunday in August from 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Ave. Del Mar in beautiful San Clemente.

The Fiesta Street Festival Block Party represents a variety of activities that attract numerous families and visitors to the Southern California Coast year after year, approximately 25,000 people will attend this party.

The San Clemente Street Festival is held on picturesque Ave. Del Mar, where the two main blocks of downtown San Clemente are dedicated to an entire day of FUN.

The San Clemente Fiesta Street Festival – This event features activities for the whole family, including: Food and game booths sponsored by local nonprofit organizations, three stages with continuous live music throughout the day, contests for all ages, a Salsa Challenge, arts & crafts show, kiddie rides, a classic car & motorcycle show, exhibits, clowns, jugglers, face painters and much more.

For more info click here.

August 7: Concert
Springsteen (Bruce Springsteen tribute)

August 14: Concert
Stone Soul (60’s and Motown)

There’s no better way to spend a warm summer evening than outdoors with family and friends. This summer, LARCS continues the Concerts on the Green and a Movie in the Park series on Friday nights in the Town Green. Because they’ve been so popular, we’ve expanded the number of concerts to five this summer; one movie will play within the 6-week series.

Concerts are at 6:30PM to 8:30PM and movies will begin at dusk (approx. 8PM).

Bring your own picnic or enjoy a treat from the concession stands serving all types of goodies, including popcorn, cotton candy, ice cream, shaved ice and drinks. You could also visit one of the participating local restaurants for special discounts.

Whether you need a ballroom for a wedding or gala event, a smaller room for a birthday party or baby shower, a conference or meeting room for a business meeting, or a technology room for training, the Bell Tower Regional Community Center is here to serve you.

The Bell Tower Regional Community Center was opened in 2004 as a central meeting place for Rancho Santa Margarita residents. The arts and crafts style interior adds charm to any event and the outdoor views are spectacular.

Included in your event package are tables, chairs and assistance in setting up the room in a way that best meets your event needs. To make your event special, podiums, wireless microphones, projector carts with DVD/VCR/Laptops, and portable white boards are available for an additional fee. Immediately adjacent to the ballroom is a full caterer’s kitchen also available for an additional fee.

For more information, visit the City’s website or email Community Services at jrussi@cityofrsm.org.

Monday, September 7, 7:30 – 11 a.m.
Civic Plaza
22112 El Paseo

The Healthy Community Expo is a free community event featuring experts and resources from the health and fitness services industry in Rancho Santa Margarita. We invite you to bring your family and friends to this exciting community event focusing on healthy living. The 5k Fun Run/Walk leads runners and walkers through the neighborhoods of Rancho Santa Margarita. Awards for each age division are presented following the race.

Younger kids, ages 5 years and up, can participate in a half-mile run around Central park in the Healthy Kids Fun Run. All registrants of the Kids Fun Run will receive a participation award. A parent or guardian must accompany children under 8 years. A consent form must be signed prior to the Kids Fun Run by a legal guardian.

For more information, visit the City’s website or call Community Services at 949.216.9700, ext. 250.

Saturday September 26, 2009 – Sunday September 27, 2009 from 10:00am – 5:00pm
Rancho Santa Margarita – Central Park
30842 La Miranda
Rancho Santa Margarita, California 92688 Get Directions
The Rancho Santa Margarita Fine Arts Festival will be held at Central Park on September 26 – 27, 2009.

The art festival will feature artists from throughout Southern California presenting their original work in all mediums of two and three dimensional fine art, including paintings in acrylics, oils, and watercolors, photography, etchings, sculpture in clay, glass, metal, stone, and wood. Each artist will be present to meet with the public and discuss their work. All work is available for purchase.

In addition to fine art, fine crafts will also be presented. Festival attendees will find blown glass, turned wood, semi-precious jewelry, pottery, stained glass, and an array of high quality crafts.

Central Park is located at 30842 La Miranda, Rancho Santa Margarita. The hours of the event are from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Admission and parking are free to the public The event is handicap accessible.

The Rancho Santa Margarita Fine Arts Festival is presented by West Coast Artists and Sponsored by SAMLARC. For additional information visit the website at www.westcoastartists.com or call 818-709-2907.
Website: http://www.westcoastartists.com

Dear Mom’s and Dad’s of Ladera,

Due to the the recent down turn in the economy so many of us are affected, especially retail stores, including our beloved Toy Town.

I had an idea and want to pass it along. What if all of the Mom’s (and Dad’s) stop by Toy Town and purchase 2 or 3 toys for future birthday parties? Our children have so many birthday parties coming up in the spring.

I want to “clear” out the store, and help them be able to use that income to purchase additional toys.

Josh has done so much to help our school, our community and our children. He has the biggest heart, bigger than anyone I know. This man will help whoever he can, whenever he can. People cannot help but stop by on their way into the grocery store just to say hello.

We are all tightening our belts. I am sure that the last thing on many of our lists is to go buy toys. Some might say that they can buy the same toy at Target for less money. The difference is if we buy at Toy Town we are directly supporting a business that supports our school and our community. Josh and Irene have been so incredibly generous since they opened, they willingly donate to many charitable organizations. They are constantly providing toys and baskets for different events, no matter what. They donate their time too and have such a love for our community. Where else can you buy a gift, have it wrapped and delivered to your car curbside!

I want to Pay It Forward to them…

I am heartbroken at the thought that this special little store owned by this wonderful family could be gone one day. It is an icon within our community and has brought so much joy to our children.

I hope that Josh is not upset that I did this, because I know that he is a strong man and has his pride, but I just want to do whatever I can to help.

Please pass this on to everyone in your distribution lists.

Thank you…

Judy (Mom in Ladera)

Each Tuesday night Ladera Ranch Community Services (LARCS) hosts an evening of fun and food for teens.

The Oak Knoll Village Club hosts the weekly event from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. The cost is $7 per person and each week features a different game and catered dinner. Come with schoolmates or just meet new people.

Upcoming Events:

June 24: Take a trip back to the 70’s! Tie-dye a shirt while feasting on Baja Fresh for dinner.

July 1: Heat things up with a game of Dodge Ball and eat fresh with sandwiches from Subway.

July 8: Before you munch on some KFC, get competitive with a game of Spud.

July 15: Some juicy burgers and delicious fries from In N Out will follow a fast paced game of Hide and Seek and Sardines.

July 22: Cool off from the heat with a water balloon fight! Enjoy a summer BBQ for dinner.

July 29: Tap into your competitive edge with an exciting game of Capture the Flag. Delve into some pizza afterwards.

Registration is not required and payment is accepted at the door. Checks can be made out to CampCo. If you have any questions, visit www.Laderalife.com or email teens@CampCoDayCamps.com for further information.

In celebration of all the men and women – locally and national – who main provide street maintenance services, the City of Rancho Santa Margarita declared May 18-24, 2008 to be National Public Works Week in the community.

In Rancho Santa Margarita, public works services are provided by PV Maintenance. With more than 24 years of experience, PV Maintenance provides public works maintenance services to several cities in South Orange County.

“PV Maintenance has an excellent track record of serving this community,” comments Tom Wheeler, Director of Public Works for the City of Rancho Santa Margarita. “They not only possess the technical knowledge and skills to perform the work, they also have the interpersonal skills to provide outstanding service to residents. “

Providing public works maintenance services means that a PV Maintenance crew must be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

“We work very closely with Tom Wheeler and his team to coordinate daily schedules to ensure that we understand the City’s priorities,” shares Joe Garza, Project Manager for PV Maintenance.

For more information about public works services in the City of Rancho Santa Margarita, visit the City’s Web site at www.cityofrsm.org.