Teen clothing retailer rue21 files bankruptcy for 3rd time

• May 2, 2024

By Jonathan Randles | Bloomberg

Teen clothing retailer rue21 has filed bankruptcy to close its stores and sell its brand, marking the third time the business has sought court protection and the latest sign of trouble for mall-based outlets.

The retailer, which is majority owned by Blue Torch Capital, filed Chapter 11 Thursday in Delaware, listing assets and liabilities each of between $100 million and $500 million. The company said it will conduct going-out-of business sales over the next 4 to 6 weeks while it runs a sale process for the retailer’s intellectual property.

The chain previously filed Chapter 11 in 2017 and 2002 under the name Pennsylvania Fashions. Headquartered outside of Pittsburgh, rue21 operates roughly 540 locations in malls and other outlets across the US, according to court documents.

Rue21 Chief Financial Officer Michele Pascoe said in a sworn statement that company advisers marketed the business before the Chapter 11 case. The company determined it would generate more money for creditors by conducting store closing sales, liquidating inventory and other assets and selling the brand rather than keeping the rue21 operating as a going-concern Pascoe said.

The latest bankruptcy filing comes after the retailer overhauled its executive leadership in 2023. In March, rue21 announced the appointment of Chief Executive Officer Josh Burris and in December appointed Pascoe CFO. Burris had previously served as the head of vitamin retailer GNC Holdings Inc. following that chain’s restructuring in 2020.

Last year, rue21 also worked with with AlixPartners LLP for operational help after racking up earnings losses, Bloomberg News reported at the time. The retailer’s 2017 bankruptcy was initiated after rue21’s sales were hurt by falling foot traffic and changing consumer spending habits.

Rue21 entered into negotiations with its lenders to avert a bankruptcy filing in October 2022.

Several mall-based retail chains have filed Chapter 11 in recent years to close stores and restructure. Express Inc. filed bankruptcy in April and said it could be forced to liquidate if it can’t complete a buyout relatively quickly.

The case is New rue21 Holdco Inc., number 24-10939, in the US Bankruptcy Court in the District of Delaware.

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​ Orange County Register 

Trump says ‘a lot of people like it’ when he floats the idea of being a dictator

• May 2, 2024

People don’t seem to mind the idea of former President Donald Trump acting as a dictator, he told Time magazine in an interview that drew swift rebuke from the Biden-Harris campaign.

In a wide ranging interview given to the magazine — and shared by the 45th President Tuesday morning via his Truth Social media platform — Trump was asked to explain comments he made to Fox News host Sean Hannity, in which the former president said he would become a dictator on his first day in office.

“A lot of people like it,” Trump reportedly told Time.

As might be expected, President Joe Biden’s reelection team was quick to note the revelations contained in the interview and respond.

“Not since the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault at home as they are today – because of Donald Trump. Trump is willing to throw away the very idea of America to put himself in power,” Biden-Harris 2024 Spokesperson James Singer said in a statement.

“In his own words, he is promising to rule as a dictator on ‘day one,’ use the military against the American people, punish those who stand against him, condone violence done on his behalf, and put his own revenge and retribution ahead of what is best for America. Bottom line: Trump is a danger to the Constitution and a threat to our democracy,” Singer continued.

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According to Time, Trump also shared his thoughts on abortion in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, effectively leaving the legality of abortion up to state legislatures. Trump said he would not stand in the way of conservative states that wish to monitor the pregnancies of resident women and punish them should they receive abortions, according to the magazine.

“Simply put: November’s election will determine whether women in the United States have reproductive freedom, or whether Trump’s new government will continue its assault to control women’s health care decisions. With the voters on their side this November, President Biden and Vice President Harris will put an end to this chaos and ensure Americans’ fundamental freedoms are protected,” Biden-Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said.

​ Orange County Register 

US lawmakers slam UnitedHealth’s cybersecurity, call the company ‘a monopoly on steroids’

• May 2, 2024

Christopher Snowbeck | Star Tribune (TNS)

A hugely disruptive cyberattack in February exposed clear technology flaws at a UnitedHealth Group subsidiary, lawmakers said Wednesday, and raised difficult questions about whether the Minnetonka-based health care giant has just gotten too big.

Andrew Witty, the UnitedHealth chief exeutive, offered an apology during testimony before the Senate Finance Committee as he disclosed that a hacked server at the company’s Change Healthcare unit lacked multifactor authentication protections.

This was a significant failure to comply with “cybersecurity 101,” said committee chair Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon.

Sen. John Barrasso, a Republican from Wyoming, said he was “just not sure why you haven’t had this in place yet.”

Witty said he was “disappointed and frustrated” by the flaw, as well, explaining that UnitedHealth was in the process of upgrading security and systems after acquiring Change Healthcare in October 2022. While the CEO said the company’s massive size and scope has enabled a speedy response to the incident, Wyden promised further investigation both of the cyberattack and broader questions surrounding the company.

“The Change hack is a dire warning about the consequences of ‘too big to fail’ mega-corporations gobbling up larger and larger shares of the health care system,” Wyden said. “It is long past time to do a comprehensive scrub of UHG’s anti-competitive practices, which likely prolonged the fallout from this hack.”

UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on Capitol Hill on May 1, 2024 in Washington, DC. In February hackers stole health and personal data of what UnitedHealth says is “potentially a substantial proportion” of patient information from its systems. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images/TNS)

UnitedHealth Group is Minnesota’s largest company by revenue and the fourth largest firm in the U.S. by the same measure. The company’s UnitedHealthcare division is the nation’s largest health insurer. It also owns a fast-growing health services division called Optum that employs or is affiliated with about 70,000 physicians.

The cyberattack has been a blow to the nation’s health care system because UnitedHealth Group — to contain the threat — had to shut down Change Healthcare systems used widely to process payment claims for U.S. health care providers. Those systems are now getting back to normal, Witty said, but senators grilled the CEO for not yet being able to specify how many and which patients have had their data compromised.

A substantial proportion of Americans may have been impacted, the company says, and Witty said it will take more time to understand exactly who was impacted, including members of the U.S. armed forces. UnitedHealth last week offered credit monitoring and identity theft protection for two years, but this amounts to “cold comfort,” Wyden said.

“This corporation is a health care leviathan,” he said. “I believe the bigger the company, the bigger the responsibility to protect its systems from hackers. … Americans are still in the dark about how much of their sensitive information was stolen.”

Witty told the committee that on Feb. 12 criminals used compromised credentials to access the Citrix portal at Change Healthcare. This portal was used for remote access of desktops, the CEO said.

It was company policy at the time, Witty said, to have multifactor authentication — called MFA for short — on all externally facing systems. He told Wyden that all these systems are now protected in this way.

“To all those impacted, let me be clear: I’m deeply, deeply sorry…,” Witty said. “We will not rest — I will not rest — until we fix this.”

Barrasso said he didn’t understand the oversight, considering he knows how even a small, financially struggling hospital in his home state has been able to implement MFA technology. UnitedHealth Group, meanwhile, is one of the nation’s most financially successful health care companies, with about $22 billion in profits last year alone.

“Did you lack the financial resources to implement a multifactoral authentication system?” Barasso asked.

Wyden said the comments showed there was bipartisan support for the committee to further investigate the issue.

“We’ve just heard excuse after excuse from Mr. Witty,” Wyden said. “The fact is, that first server that was hacked did not have multifactor authentication and Mr. Witty’s head of cybersecurity knew about it.”

Brett Callow, an analyst with the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, said multifactor authentication can stop a significant number of attacks and is a “basic defense mechanism I’d have expected to be implemented.” At the same time, Callow said it’s not absolutely certain that this technology would have blocked the attack.

“Locking your door doesn’t guarantee that a burglar won’t get it, it just makes it less likely,” he said in an email. “Same here.”

The slow timeline for restoring services after the cyberattack shows a clear lack of system redundancy within Change Healthcare, said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. While holding up a copy of the book “Hacking for Dummies,” Tillis told Witty: “This was some basic stuff that was missed.”

The CEO responded by stressing the relatively short duration of time since UnitedHealth Group acquired Change Healthcare in October 2022. “It’s very frustrating that there wasn’t a quick redundancy switchover,” Witty said.

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Witty was scheduled to testify before a House committee Wednesday afternoon. While the hearings were scheduled in response to the cyberattack, the Washington Post reported Tuesday that there’s growing concern in the nation’s capital about the company’s enormous size is an economic and security liability.

“UnitedHealth is a monopoly on steroids,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said during the committee hearing.

Last week, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and 21 other state attorneys general sent a letter pushing UnitedHealth Group to provide more help for affected health care providers and patients.

In remarks prepared for the House committee, Witty said UnitedHealth Group has advanced more than $6.5 billion in accelerated payments and no-interest, no-fee loans to thousands of health care providers. About one-third of these loans, Witty said, have gone to safety net hospitals and federally qualified health centers that help high-risk patients and communities.

Minnesota health care providers, including small mental health clinics, were critical in the first few weeks after the cyberattack of the company’s initial financial assistance offers. One clinic in Roseville told the Star Tribune that UnitedHealth Group initially offered just $90 per week.

The company rolled out a second program designed to provide more help.

“While some of our early estimates of providers’ potential gaps did not address their full need given our lack of visibility into their claims flow, we quickly adjusted,” Witty said.

©2024 StarTribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

​ Orange County Register 

LA County Fair returning with retro-themed fun and classic games too

• May 2, 2024

The LA County Fair returns Friday, May3, bringing fair favorites, spins on classic foods, and even a throwback trip to the roller rink.

This year’s theme “Stars, Stripes, and Fun” aims to celebrate the uniqueness of the community and the traditions they have created, organizers said.

One of those traditions is a call back to the time when roller skating was a popular pastime. This year the fair has a Skate-r-cade in Expo Hall 9. Skate rentals and access to the rink are included with fair admission, meaning everyone can take a spin around the throwback-themed rink.

Classic arcade games like Pac-Man and Pinball are also available to play in Expo Hall 9.

Other non-wheel-oriented activities include the flower and garden expo, where vibrant floral displays celebrate all things Southern California and Los Angeles County.

Fairgoers can also visit resident cold-blooded creatures at the Reptile House in the Great Outdoors section.

Alfredo Flores replaces a sign on a food stand at Fairplex in Pomona on Tuesday, April 30, 2024 in preparation for the start of the LA County Fair. (Photo by Will Lester, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin/SCNG)

If scales are not for you, perhaps cheering on piglets, ducks and goats at the barnyard animal races is a better alternative.

Food vendors offer new takes on old favorites, like a funnel cake chicken sandwich, but classic tacos and bacon-wrapped items can still be found.

This year’s fair has something for all to enjoy, from car shows to agricultural education, homemade items and wine tasting with wines from all over the world.

About the LA County Fair

Where: Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona

When: Friday, May 3, through Monday, May 27

Hours: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. opening day. After that, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday through Sunday, plus Memorial Day, May 27.

Cost: $17 to $25 for adults; $12 for children ages 6 to 12 and seniors 60 and older. Parking is $20.

Payment: Parking, admission and concert box office payments are cashless. Advance online purchases cost less than gate prices.

Information: lacountyfair.com

​ Orange County Register 

Discount Disneyland tickets for as little as $50 a day available all summer

• May 2, 2024

Disneyland has dropped ticket prices to as little as $50 a day for the entire summer stretching from the springtime Pixar Fest to Halloween Time in the fall with multi-day ticket offers that can serve as mini annual passes for those not willing to splurge on an expensive Magic Key pass.

The 2024 Disneyland summer ticket offer is good for three-day, one-park tickets for visits between June 10 through Sept. 26.

ALSO SEE: 5 best things I ate at Disneyland’s Pixar Fest

Tickets go on sale May 29 and sales may be paused or stopped at any time.

The three-day, one-park per day tickets start at $149 for children and $249 for adults for admission Monday through Thursdays. That works out to just under $50 per day for kids and $83 a day for adults.

You can also get weekend three-day, one-park tickets good on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for $199 for kids and $299 for adults. That’s $67 a day for children and $100 for adults.

All the tickets can be upgraded with the parkhopper option or Disney Genie+ line-skipping service.

ALSO SEE: Tortilla Jo’s owner working on ‘many opportunities’ at Downtown Disney

By comparison, a one-day/one-park ticket costs $104 to $194 while a parkhopper ticket that gets you into both parks on a single day will set you back $169 to $259. The Genie+ line-cutting service typically costs $30 per day.

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The three-day tickets don’t have to be used on consecutive dates. Advance reservations are required for each visit. Disneyland warns that reservations are not guaranteed and could be difficult to get as the ticket expiration date approaches.

The ticket deal stretches throughout the summer and includes Pixar Fest (which runs through Aug. 4), the “Fantasmic” nighttime spectacular (returning May 24) and Halloween Time (starting Aug. 23).

Disneyland is also offering 20% discounts on single night weekday stays at the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel (but not the recently refurbished Pixar Place Hotel) and 25% discounts on stays of four nights or longer.

The hotel discounts are available June 10 through Sept. 26 and can be reserved starting May 29. The deals are not available on some suites and villas.

​ Orange County Register 

Israel-Hamas war a thorny issue for Southern California Democrats

• May 2, 2024

Want to make a Democrat running for office squirm? Ask about Gaza.

The Israel-Hamas war and the related campus unrest, including the Tuesday night, April 30, violent clash between protesters and counterprotesters at UCLA, are delicate issues for Southern California Democrats on the November ballot.

Side with Israel and risk alienating young voters and far-left activists. Sympathize with Palestinians and student protesters and risk the wrath of Jewish voters and the deep-pocketed American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

RELATED: UCLA resumes ‘limited’ operations after police dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment; Dozens detained

“It’s obviously a polarizing issue within the Democratic Party right now,” Derek Humphrey, a Riverside-based Democratic political consultant, said via email.

“Most candidates for state or municipal office have tried to avoid the subject publicly in order to focus on local issues. But candidates are certainly getting asked about it. It’s anyone’s guess as to how prominent the issue will be or where public opinion will be when voting begins in the fall.”

There are few places in California where the war looms larger than in the open 47th Congressional District in Orange County.

In Irvine, the largest city in the district where protests against the Israel-Hamas war have sprung up on the UC Irvine campus, large Jewish and Muslim communities coexist.

For example, nowhere else in Orange County is there an eruv, an area in which people of the Jewish faith can do things that are otherwise usually forbidden on the Sabbath in public areas.

In Irvine, a 100-pound fishing line, a berm and walls create the eruv, which runs along the side of the 405 Freeway, to University Drive, to Harvard Avenue and back up to near the freeway. Also in the district is the Islamic Center of Irvine, known to be one of the largest Muslim congregations in California.

The anger that has risen locally since Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel has shown itself through the hours of residents’ comments at Irvine City Council meetings and now the protest at UCI, where demonstrators are calling for the university to divest itself from businesses with ties to Israeli and weapon manufacturers.

RELATED: Violence breaks out at UCLA after counter-protesters storm pro-Palestinian encampment

It has already played out in the congressional primary in the district.

Pro-Palestinian voters have expressed distaste over the millions of dollars funneled into the race by a pro-Israel lobbying group, and Jewish voters have said they are voting for the candidate who is the strongest supporter of Israel.

Scott Baugh, the Republican candidate who will face Democratic state Sen. Dave Min in the November runoff in the 47th, said he has no idea whether the war in Gaza will become an issue in his campaign, but that “there will always be a place for peaceful protests in America, even for those with whom we disagree.”

“However, there is no room for the antisemitism, hate, violence, vandalism and promotion of terrorist activity that is taking place on many of these campuses,” Baugh said on X Tuesday.

“I want to restate my unequivocal support of Israel and the right of Israel to take action against terrorists who state as their goal the destruction of the Jewish State and death to all Jewish people.”

Min could not immediately be reached.

Politically, Gaza is a much simpler issue for Republicans, most if not all of whom, support Israel. Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, said via email that he was “proud to be a co-sponsor and lead the effort on the House floor to provide critical security funding for Israel last month.”

Calvert, who faces a tough reelection fight against Democrat Will Rollins in a swing district in Riverside County, added: “It is shameful that Rollins would align himself with those calling for a ceasefire while Hamas still holds 129 hostages, including Americans.

“The abhorrent, antisemitic demonstrations we’ve seen at UCLA and across the country are an egregious violation of the Civil Rights Act and need to be shut down immediately.”

Rollins wrote in an email that he understands “Israel’s need to dismantle Hamas, the importance of standing with our ally in their efforts to return hostages after the horrors of October 7, and the critical necessity to minimize the human toll of this war. To insinuate anything otherwise is not only untrue and offensive, but hypocritical.”

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Last week, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Steve Garvey stood before Israeli flags waving in the breeze —  part of a Beverly Hills art installation memorializing victims of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack — and decried what he sees as antisemitism at colleges.

The student encampments, Garvey said, are “organized support of terrorism” and “a moment where terrorism is disguised as free speech.”

“Now it’s the campuses, great institutions, that all of a sudden are lacking leadership, where all of a sudden (they’re) saying one group, under the disguise of free speech, can attack another,” he added.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, Garvey’s foe in the Senate race, announced Wednesday, May 1, his vote for the Antisemitism Awareness Act, “which strengthens the administration’s ability to combat antisemitism on college campuses,” according to a Schiff news release.

“Free speech and passionate disagreement are fundamental to our democracy, and college campuses must be places where those values are both taught and exemplified,” Schiff, who is Jewish, said in the release.

“But violence, vandalism, and antisemitic harassment and intimidation are not free speech and those engaging in this behavior should be held accountable.”

In deep blue L.A., two Los Angeles City Council candidates have no qualms about supporting Palestinians.

Ysabel Jurado, who has undergraduate and law degrees from UCLA, said in a statement that seeing students “peacefully exercising their right to free speech” makes her proud.

“I stand with UCLA students who continue to demand a divestment from the weapons manufacturing companies that are facilitating the unspeakable horrors in Gaza,” Jurado said.

Another L.A. council candidate, Jillian Burgos, said in an Instagram post she was “disturbed” by reports of counter-protesters being allowed “to terrorize student protesters.”

“Protests are the actions of those who feel their voices are not being heard,” Burgos wrote. “Rather than using violence to further silence them, we need to ask ourselves what we’re so afraid to hear.”

But in another L.A. council race, candidate Grace Yoo said the conflict won’t enter her campaign, which focuses on safe streets, city services and carrying residents’ voices to City Hall.

“It does however lift up the fact that Angelenos are passionate about what they believe,” she said. “And I hope through my campaign I’m able to promote understanding rather than division.”

Republican Tony Rodriguez, who is running for the Assembly’s District 44 seat representing parts of L.A. County, plans to address the violent campus clashes during his campaign.

‘We can’t keep running away from issues,” he said. “It’s out there and it’s affecting our schools. It’s affecting our friends and relationships. It’s affecting even going to work because people are blocking traffic.” 

Marcia Godwin, a professor of public administration at the University of La Verne, said via email that the timing of elections affected the issue’s impact on races.

Related links

UCLA cancels classes, condemnations roll in, after night of violence at pro-Palestinian encampment
Violent clashes break out at UCLA after counter-protesters storm pro-Palestinian encampment
UCLA faculty walk out as pro-Palestine demonstrations, counterprotests grow across SoCal campuses
UCLA declares Palestine encampment unlawful, USC president in talks with protesters
Will more graduations get canceled? Southern California colleges grapple with safety amid Gaza protests

California’s early March primary “meant that foreign policy largely came up in the U.S. Senate race and not as much in other campaigns,” Godwin wrote in an email.

That said, “all candidates for public office should expect questions on Israel, Hamas, and Gaza for the foreseeable future,” she said.

“The recent campus protests have added more ideological dimensions to what is a very complex situation. Republican congressional candidates may have an opportunity to campaign even more on law-and-order issues and to criticize certain colleges, somewhat echoing themes from decades past when Ronald Reagan was elected governor and S.I. Hayakawa was elected to the Senate.”

If there’s a positive for Democrats, “the recent protests may very well increase turnout amongst younger voters, which has been more of a concern for Democrats,” Godwin added.

​ Orange County Register 

Dunn: Wedding bells for Newport Beach councilmember, Cowboys fan

• May 2, 2024

Newport Beach Mayor Pro-Tem Joe Stapleton didn’t need to star in the television series “The Bachelor” to find his dream girl.

Stapleton, a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan who grew up in Tucson and played youth football for many years on a Cowboys team, was enjoying dinner one night at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach, where he serves on the board of directors, when a cousin mentioned that she knew a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and that the two of them should meet.

They did – and talked on the phone for three hours. What followed was a long-distance relationship, with Stapleton in Newport Beach and his fiancée, Julie Jacobs, in Dallas, where she lived for 17 years and still owns a house.

The couple is planning to tie the knot Oct. 19 in Tuscany.

Jacobs moved to Newport Beach and became the best promoter in Stapleton’s 2022 campaign for a City Council seat, thanks to her door-to-door treks, experience making public appearances and generating interest for an organization, important components for the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, who are grilled with training in media relations, etiquette, referees, game rules and regulations and a variety of public persona details.

There’s no fraternizing with the players, but Jacobs admitted her favorite player “by far” was Jason Whitten, a former Dallas tight end.

The cheerleaders do their own hair and makeup. They arrive at 6 a.m. for Sunday day games to practice all morning. Every cheerleader must either have a full-time job, be a full-time student or a full-time mother to qualify for the glamorous role of a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, the No. 1 dance and cheerleading sports outfit in the world, according to sports lore. The Laker Girls Dance Team is ranked No. 2, Jacobs said.

But the life of a professional dancer in the spotlight is challenging and competitive. Despite some serious knee injuries, Jacobs lasted four years as a Cowboys cheerleader. She dislocated her left knee three times after performing a “jump split” in cowboy boots, in which they land on the ground while doing the splits.

Once, during a game, Jacobs put her knee back in place and continued with the routines. After, she was examined by a member of the medical team in the locker room to make sure she was healthy, and a cheerleading director quipped, “Iis that why you took an extra step,” she said.

Jacobs was inspired to become a Cowboys cheerleader after watching the team play on Thanksgiving Day, a longtime tradition for the franchise. There were 1,000 girls trying out in the first round, only 35 would make the team.

“My dad said, ‘Wow, so you went to college for this?’ But I told him, yeah, I honestly think I’m going to make it,” she said. “He was very proud of me and he’s been my biggest cheerleader.”

What does it take to become a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader?

“You really have to like to dance,” Jacobs said, and it’s not for the salary because first-year cheerleaders earn a whopping $50 a game, with an increase to $100 a game in your second year.

Most of the cheerleaders have a short career span. By Jacobs’ fourth and final year, she was making $200 a game. Some cheerleaders move on to careers in the media, and a few worked in theater on Broadway in New York.

“I still miss performing. I get jealous when I see them out there,” said Jacobs, whose Cowboys calling lasted from 2006 to 2010, from her first tryout to making the all-star team.

Jacobs, now a Pilates instructor in the area, discussed her Cowboys career April 16 at the Oasis Senior Center in Corona del Mar, site of the public forum “Tackling Sports,” hosted by former NFL referee Laird Hayes and Stu News Newport Publisher Tom Johnson.

Richard Dunn, a longtime sportswriter, writes the Dunn Deal column regularly for The Orange County Register’s weekly, The Coastal Current North.

​ Orange County Register 

Daxon: No strike for Brea teachers

• May 2, 2024

After weeks of talks and negotiations, even ones including outside mediators, the Brea Olinda Teachers Association and the Brea Olinda Unified School District have finally agreed on salary terms for the teachers.

So there is no chance of the teachers walking picket lines instead of walking into their classrooms.

“I am pleased to share the teachers agreed to a 2-year agreement, pending board approval on May 9,” Superintendent Brinda Leon said via email.

What the teachers agreed to accept is a 2.40% on-schedule increase, retroactive to July 1, and a 1.60% on-schedule increase, effective from April 1. There is no off-schedule increase, or bonus.

The district’s offer was a 4% increase, a combination on-schedule and off-schedule compensation. While BOTA’s request was for a 4% on-schedule, plus an off-schedule increase. So there is no bonus, but the raise is retroactive in the two-year agreement. Seems like an acceptable compromise.

But the best part is that they came to an agreement without the teachers having to going out on strike, especially so close to all the students’ last day of school, May 31.

May 31 is also graduation day for both Brea Olinda High School and Brea Canyon High School. No more getting out of school in the middle of June. And, they go back on Aug. 15. Maybe the old song, “See You in September” needs to be updated.

Something very much updated is AUsome Resource Market’s Rise of Inclusion Celebration, which will be held 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 4 at Fullerton Free Church, 2801 N. Brea Blvd.

There will be more than 50 vendors, assorted food trucks, music by DJ B. Diamond, games, family activities and kid-friendly, interactive fun for all, including neurodivergent kids. There will even be a chance to meet Star Wars characters.

Rise of Inclusion sounds like a fun event for everyone. And entrance and parking are free.

It all started with AUsome Sauce, a nonprofit organization founded by Sarah Watkins, whose young son is autistic. The organization lends support, resources and activities for families with members whose brains work differently. Check out there website: AusomeSauce.org.

Springtime means lots of fun activities in Brea.

Mark your calendar for the annual Brea Bonanza Days Country Music Festival May 17, 18, 19 on Birch Street, Brea Downtown. Grab your boots, your 10-gallon hat and get ready to line dance to cool country bands all weekend long.

Free admission and parking, plus plenty of food and drinks available. Go to BreaDowntown.com for the days and times your favorite country singers will be on stage.

Do you know how Brea’s Bonanza Days got started? According to Linda Shay, Brea Museum executive director and curator, the Brea Lions Rodeo began in 1952 and in 1968 it became Bonanza Days.

“There was a pancake breakfast, picnic and a carnival,” said Shay. She added that there was also a Bicentennial Bonanza Parade on Brea Boulevard in 1976.

And don’t forget to come to Brea Downtown at 5 p.m. on May 23 for the Brea Chamber of Commerce’s annual Taste of Brea, featuring tastes from many restaurants, wineries and breweries.

Go to BreaChamber.com for ordering tasting tickets and more information.

Why not buy Mom a Taste of Brea ticket for Mother’s Day, May 12? Save $10 if you order it by May 22. Better get one for Dad, too.

Terri Daxon is a freelance writer and the owner of Daxon Marketing Communications. She gives her perspective on Brea issues twice a month. Contact her at  [email protected].

​ Orange County Register