Briefly In Neighbors

Enjoy some snow in sunny California

A winter wonderland is coming to Aliso Viejo with the Snow Fest on Jan. 28.

The city will transform Grand Park, where visitors can enjoy the Grand Mountain (long run), the Bunny Slope (short run), and the Snow Man Park for kids 5 and younger, according to a news release from the city.

There will be three different sessions from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition to the snow, there will be music and refreshments.

Pre-registration is required, with priority given to Aliso Viejo residents only beginning Jan. 7. Open registration starts Jan. 11 if space is still available.

Registration will be at City Hall, 12 Journey. For more information, visit https://www.cityofalisoviejo.com.

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Man accused of running illegal robocalling network

After tens of thousands of people complained about getting automated telemarketer calls from companies owned by Roy M. Cox Jr., the Federal Trade Commission has accused the Santa Ana resident of illegal robocalling.

The agency contends that Cox and his coterie of companies have buzzed phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry since at least 2008 while masking their identities, actions that violate the FTC’s telemarketing sales rules.

In addition to Cox’s Laguna Niguel-based Castle Rock Capital Management Inc., the FTC alleges he runs operations based in Panama, Hungary, Argentina and the Republic of Seychelles. His clients include companies selling credit card interest rate reduction programs, extended automobile warranties and home security systems.

The FTC accused Cox’s network of obscuring its caller ID and instead appearing on customers’ phones as vague entities such as “card services,” “credit services” or “private office.”

The agency also contends that Cox and his companies were aware of — or at least made a point of not finding out — that the numbers they were calling were included on the national no-call list.

The FTC’s complaint aims to get Cox to pay civil penalties and stop dialing.

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CUSD accepting applications for Mandarin program

Capistrano Unified School District completed its first enrollment Dec. 9 and will begin another in February for its Mandarin language immersion program.

It’s the only public school Mandarin program in the county, the district said in a statement.

The district has filled its first kindergarten class at Marian Bergeson Elementary School in Laguna Niguel and plans to fill another in the coming months. More than 160 families have told the district they’re interested in the program.

Those interested in applying for a seat in a kindergarten or first-grade class can pick up applications at the elementary school between 7:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. during instructional hours. The enrollment period goes from Feb. 1 to 10.

Students in the class are picked by random lottery.

For more information, contact Principal Barbara Scholl at (949) 643-1540.

—Los Angeles Times, Kelly Parker and Joanna Clay