By Virginia Vaughn
On Feb. 7, I had the pleasure of presenting alongside City Manager Jim Vanderpool at the annual State of the City event and luncheon. The event was held at the Knott’s Berry Farm Hotel and showcased the city’s accomplishments over the past year, ongoing city initiatives and programs, and upcoming projects. The event was the highest attended to date with over 360 guests. This year’s theme was “Our Town,” which aimed to highlight all of Buena Park’s great attributes. In line with the theme, the local band, Stereo Ghosts, wrote a song specifically for this event that captured the essence of Buena Park. All of the city’s departments also created centerpieces depicting their contributions to the city. These, along with centerpieces representing several area businesses and attractions, made the event representative of the town we all love—Buena Park.
This month, I would like to spotlight two healthcare partners that are providing benefits to our community. Earlier this year the Orange County Health Care Agency, in partnership with the Orange County Perinatal Council, launched a new website entitled, “Every Woman Counts.” This website is dedicated to supporting the optimal perinatal health and wellness of all Orange County women and babies—before, during, and after birth. The goal of this website is to provide essential health information and resources to women who are considering pregnancy, are pregnant, or are in the postpartum period with infants through their first phase of life. For more information, visit www.everywomanoc.org.
The second health care provider is KCS Health Center located at 7212 Orangethorpe Ave., Suite 9A. Buena Park, CA, 90621. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of touring their facility and witnessing firsthand the valuable services they provide to the community. Their offices have recently expanded and include primary care, pediatrics (age five and over), behavioral health, dentistry, preventative services, and acupuncture to Buena Park residents who are uninsured, or carry CalOptima or Medicare. As a federally-qualified health center, KCS accepts all patients regardless of their ability to pay for services. They also believe in an integrated, holistic approach to health and provide assistance in applying for several social services, including health navigation and enrollment, food bank access, and tax services to low income residents. For more information on their services, please call 714-503-6550.
Late last year, the city held a ribbon cutting event for Buena Park’s new mile-long walking and cycling path. The pathway starts just west of the intersection of Knott Ave. and Thelma Ave., and continues westward within the Southern California Edison Right-of-Way until Valley View St., where it connects to the city of La Palma’s walking path. The pathway never received a specific name, so the City Council has decided to ask residents and businesses to create one. Go to any of the city’s social media sites, including Facebook and Instagram, and leave a comment with a name you think would fit this new amenity in Buena Park. Who know? Maybe there will be a prize for the name selected by the City Council.
Upcoming events
Notice a project around town that could be accomplished during Love Buena Park Day 2018? Now is the time to submit service projects. Past projects have included maintenance to senior citizens’ houses, murals at elementary schools, trash pickup, and much more. Have a project in mind, but don’t want to be the leader? Not a problem. Participants can submit a project for consideration without taking the leadership position. All project submissions must be received by March 30. Also, make sure to save the date for Love Buena Park Day which will be held on April 28 at The Source, 6940 Beach Blvd., Buena Park. For more information, please visit www.BuenaPark.com.
Come be a part of the “egg-citement” this year at the city’s annual Spring Eggstravaganza! This year’s event will be held on March 31 at Henry Boisseranc Park located at 7520 Dale St. Activities will include stage entertainment, children’s crafts, field games, a petting zoo, moon bounces, visits with the Spring Bunny, and as always, the candy scramble for children 12 years of age and younger. The festivities kick off at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Buena Park Noon Lions, followed by the remainder of activities starting at 9 a.m. Please visit www.buenapark.com for more information.
