Briefly In the News

Police Department promotes five

Police Chief Paul Workman has promoted three new lieutenants and two new sergeants. A departmental reorganization has been in the making for more than two years, taking the department from a three-division concept to two and placing a level of middle management over the patrol division.

“Having two to three lieutenants working in patrol will definitely help the division’s captain with effective oversight of a critical part of this organization,” Workman said. “The quality of police service in the community will be positively impacted by this change.”

Other changes to the department include two sergeants in the investigation branch, a civilian investigator to aid in less critical investigations and a civilian supervisor overseeing Parking Enforcement and Animal Services.

Promoted to lieutenant are Sgts. Jason Kravetz, Darin Lenyi and Jeff Calvert. The new sergeants are Cpls. John Falk and Joe Torres.

In addition, the department has hired two new recruits.

Ryan Hotchkiss and Jesstin Schmidt signed with the department last week, Workman said. Both attend Golden West Police Academy and will graduate in September. Hotchkiss graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies and Schmidt has two years with Palomar College.

City Council fills two environmental seats

The City Council appointed two new faces to the Environmental Committee, both with experience in sustainability, in line with adding “Green Building Standards” to the municipal code, at the July 21 meeting.

JoAnne Situ Allen is a sustainability consultant and Joshua Joseph Neufeld is the owner of a packaging company he described as “eco-friendly.” They were appointed to complete the terms of two committee members who are scheduled to resign at the end of this month.

“I have been passionate about cultivating environmental responsibility since I was in the eighth grade,” Allen stated in her application. “My education and career has been one continuous narrative culminating with my MBA in sustainability management this year.”

Neufeld has been a resident for 14 years with his wife, Amy. They have three children: Alexander, Benjamin and Jordan.

He is president and chief executive of Jillson & Roberts, a packaging wholesaler, converter and distributor, and the owner of Sandcast, which makes hand-crafted and painted, breed-specific animal sculptures.

“I want to share my wealth of experience in the hopes that we limit the abuse of our surroundings and resources,” Neufeld stated in his application.

The council will also be appointing members to the committee in October when four terms will expire.

Woman’s Club is collecting food today

The Laguna Beach Woman’s Club is asking the community to bring groceries to the Clubhouse for needy Laguna Beach families between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. today.

Sande St. John, Woman’s Club Resource chairwoman, said that the need for food has grown with the economic downturn.

“Additional new requests for aid, primarily for food, have challenged existing community resources,” St. John said.

“The present economic crunch has made already bad situations worse for some families.”

Club members will be at the site, 286 St. Ann’s Drive, to receive donations and transport them to distribution sites. Perishables or food in glass containers will not be accepted. For more information, call (949) 497-1200.