Saddleback Community College District

Every time I hear someone denying the existence of the Holocaust, I would like to smear in his face the blood of my family (grandparents, uncles and cousins) who died under torture of the Nazi butcher, Riga Latvia ("Studying the Lessons of Steven J. Frogue," Nov. 25). Shame on you people in Orange County, who with your votes put this man back in a pulpit of hatred and bigotry. E.J. FRIEDMAN Fullerton Unfortunately, I have to come to the conclusion that the voting public is not informed enough to select officials to local low-profile positions.

Irvine Valley College's Academic Senate will sponsor a forum from 7 to 9 p.m. todayfor candidates seeking seats on the Saddleback Community College District board. The nine candidates who are seeking four open seats will answer questions posed by a representative from the League of Women Voters. Candidates also will make opening and closing statements. Three incumbents, Lee W. Rhoades of Laguna Beach, Steven J. Frogue of Lake Forest and John S. Williams of Mission Viejo are seeking reelection.

Saddleback Community College District's speech and debate team has talked its way to a title, ending the season as No. 1 in debate among community colleges across the nation. For the second year in a row, the team of 15 debaters from Irvine Valley College and Saddleback College finished the season at the top. "Our students were extremely motivated to provide the effort to achieve this level of excellence," coach Gary Rybold said.

The president of the Saddleback Community College District Board of Trustees, who also happens to be one of the district's longtime instructors, is apparently teaching a heavier load of courses than state law allows. Besides the legal issue the situation raises, some critics point to the potential conflict of interest that Teddi Lorch faces, being the boss of the district chancellor, Robert A. Lombardi, as well as his paid employee.

Orange County's bankruptcy cost the Saddleback Community College District about $2.3 million, spokeswoman Diane Riopka said, resulting in an annual budget that is 2% smaller than last year's. District trustees last week approved a $69.9-million budget for fiscal 1996, which began July 1. To help balance the budget, the board cut $680,000 for capital outlay, according to a report.

A public hearing tonight will focus on the proposed redrawing of boundaries for trustees of the Saddleback Community College District. The seven-member board voted in September to redraw trustee areas before the 1996 election to give residents a more equal voice on the panel, with each trustee representing roughly the same number of people. Trustees are elected by districtwide vote but must live in the area they represent.

The Saddleback Community College District speech and debate team recently finished second at the Community College National Tournament in San Francisco. The team finished first in the debate competition and fourth in individual events to earn second place overall. The tournament took place April 10 to 14. The team, which consists of students from Saddleback and Irvine Valley colleges, competed against 82 other community college teams.

The Saddleback Community College District board has approved $2 million in budget cuts in anticipation of losses from the county's collapsed investment pool. The board voted 4 to 1 on Monday to approve the cuts, with Trustee Steven J. Frogue opposed. Trustee Teddi Lorch abstained and board President Marcia Milchiker was absent. The district had approved a $69-million budget for the fiscal year ending June 30 and had $24 million in the county investment pool when it collapsed.