Foothills Sentry January 2022

Foothills Sentry Page 6 January 2022 Seasonal disasters Visitors from as far away as Trabuco Canyon enjoyed craft booths, food, music and Santa Claus at Christmas in the Canyons in Silverado, Dec. 11. If they had stuck around longer, they might have had front row seats for Mud- slides in the Mountains. The Dec. 14 rainstorm in the Bond Fire burn area triggered flooding and debris flows in Sil- verado, destroying one house in Wildcat Canyon, pushing an or- ange K-rail barrier on Water Way into the creek, and piling more dirt and rocks on top of what was still on Anderson Way from last season’s storms, making the road impossible to drive. OC Fire Authority rescue teams evacuated people who could not cross the muddy “river” roaring past their homes. Rushing water pushed rocks, branches, outdoor furniture, and sandbags down nearby streets. OC Public Works (OCPW) cleared debris from bridges and Silverado Canyon Road, but since many of Silverado’s side streets are private, the county does not maintain them. (Ladd Canyon Road is maintained because it was deeded to the county in the 1940s.) County work on private prop- erty could be considered misuse of public funds, like using your tax dollars to build someone else a new driveway or gazebo. It was suggested at OCPW’s Dec. 8 virtual townhall that private-road residents who cannot clear debris themselves seek help from private organizations like Team Rubicon. Where to put removed debris is a problem. Mary Schreiber asked an interesting question: What if debris blocking a private road prevented access for emergency vehicles, such as a fire truck try- ing to reach a burning house? Would the county then be allowed to clear the debris? In case the county can chan- nel fire/flood aid to the canyons, the Silverado-Modjeska Recre- ation and Park District created an ad hoc committee on Dec. 16 to work on communicating requests and responses related to relief. The California FAIR plan is said to be covering damage from water and debris if it is attribut- able to the Bond Fire. Insurance elsewhere may be different. Some people don’t wait for outside help, though. Aman with a small tractor made the mud on one street at least good enough to drive on. A friend brought him gasoline. Both refused money. Something we probably wouldn’t like to think about right now -- the old song that includes these lines: God gave Noah the rainbow sign, No more water, but fire next time. Transitions Fran Williams of Silverado is retiring this year, again. The first time was 25 years ago, from Orange County Social Services. Almost immediately, though, she became involved in efforts to keep the Silverado Library open during the county’s bankruptcy. Now she is stepping down as head of Friends of the Library, the Inter-Canyon League com- mittee that she has headed since its founding. For a time, Friends of the Li- brary was the only source of funds for new books and maga- zines. Starting with baked goods and books for sale outside the li- brary (then located next to Can- yon Market), Fran organized oth- er fundraisers like holiday raffles, pet vaccinations, swap meets, and a Silverado Fair boutique. She said that her proudest moment, though, was when she evacuated Meghan, the library cat, during the 2007 Santiago Fire. In Modjeska, meanwhile, Can- yon Beat Senior Editor Andrew Tonkovich reports that longtime canyon resident and volunteer ac- tivist Joan Kelly Wilson and her husband Chris are selling their home. “She is a retired nurse who got re-certified to help with the recent vaccination drive,” he says, “and he is a respected and much-admired craftsman, builder … lovely people.” Coyote brush Over the last couple of months, if you happened to notice bushes along Santiago Canyon Road that looked like they were dusted with snow, what you likely noticed was coyote brush. Actually, what you likely noticed was only half of the coyote brush—the female plants. Unlike oaks, which pro- duce male and female flowers on the same tree, a coyote brush is either all male or all female. Coyote brush, a California na- tive that can grow to over 10 feet in height, blooms from late sum- mer to late fall. The male flowers, less than a quarter inch in size, are yellowish. The white paintbrush- looking female flowers produce tiny seeds with puffy parachutes for catching the wind, like dande- lion seeds. That is what you no- tice in winter. The coyote brush in our area tends to be erect, but nurseries sometimes sell cultivated pros- trate varieties as ground cover. These plants are male clones, to appease gardeners who dislike “messy” seeds. Although coyote brush is avail- able commercially, be careful about ordering it online, or you might wind up with something from Petsmart that isn’t exactly what you had in mind, and which would probably be useless to you unless you happen to own a pet coyote. Coyote brush VP Boat Parade brings "Joy to the World" Best Youth Group – Richard Quiones, Villa Park Baseball Best Overall - David Pickering Best Use of Lights - Eric Johnson The Villa Park James Street residents always turn out en masse to greet Santa when he arrives on the fire truck. s