Democratic Club

Mary Larson

LW Contributor

The next Democratic Club meeting will be held via Zoom on Friday, Dec. 15 at noon. All LW Democrats are invited to participate. This week’s featured speaker is Chris Forehan of the Los Alamitos Unified School District Board of Trustees. Login information for the meeting can be found in the club’s most recent electronic newsletter. Anyone who needs login assistance can call (562) 412-0898 or email lwsbdemocraticclub@ gmail.com.

Elected as Area 2 Trustee in 2020, Forehan brought a 38-year career in public education to the Los Alamitos Board of Education. He has been a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent for PreK-12th grade educational services. He was recognized throughout his career for placing kids first, involving all stakeholders in decisions, being a good listener and one that takes action. Forehan has been honored for his service to students with the Parent Teacher Association’s (PTA) highest awards for Honorary Service, the PTA Honorary Life Award and the PTA Golden Oak Award. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Los Alamitos Youth Center, where he supports children across our community. Forehan feels that his greatest honor was his 2020-2021 selection by Lee Elementary as its Hero of the Heart for his volunteer work at the school.

Forehan and his family have lived in Trustee District 2 for 40 years. Their children attended K-12 in Los Alamitos, and currently, his grandsons attend Lee Elementary. In retirement, he has spent every week volunteering in his grandsons’ classrooms. With all his experience, he shares that the “Los Al schools are outstanding.” He wants to give back and continue to make a difference for all children, their families, staff and the outstanding community.

Forehan is one of the three Los Alamitos Unified trustees whom opponents are attempting to recall. All three of the board members being threatened with recall represent parts of Leisure World. They are Megan Cutuli (District 5), Scott Fayette (District 4) and Forehan. Organizers recently filed their third draft of the recall petitions. As of now, the petitions to recall have not yet been approved by the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

If the petitions are approved for circulation, the school district will have to pay for the costs, estimated to be up to $192,948, in addition to $3.40 per signature for verification. The club urges its supporters to refuse to sign the petitions, when and if they are certified for distribution in the community.

••• LWDemocratsandsupporters who are interested in more in-depth reporting on the issues can subscribe to the club’s free electronic newsletter by emailing democraticclubsblw@gmail. com or calling editor Mary Larson at (562) 296-8521.

The Democratic Club welcomes new members and friends. Both new and renewal 2022 membership forms are available at https://sblwdems. wordpress.com/democraticclub- membership-2/ or by Googling “Seal Beach Leisure World Democratic Club Membership.” Call (562) 431-7275 for more information.