Foothills Sentry February 2021

Foothills Sentry Page 6 February 2021 While temperatures remain mild, 2 day-a-week watering is still in effect. The new schedule began on November 1 and continues through March 31, 2021. To learn more about conservation and fabulous landscaping ideas, visit eocwd.com/landscape 2 Day-a-Week Watering Assistance League of Orange was feted by both local and na- tional leaders and entities, Jan. 8, honoring the organization for its 80 years of philanthropic service to the community. A letter from the White House, signed by the President, offered congratulatory wishes on the oc- casion. Third District Supervisor Don Wagner sent a proclama- tion on behalf of the County of Orange and, via remote, thanked the organization for serving the people of Orange. Mayor Mark Murphy, whose wife is a member, appeared online to extend his ap- preciation and present a procla- mation from the City of Orange. The Orange Unified School District Board of Education marked the occasion with a for- mal proclamation of appreciation for Assistance League of Orange “Embracing our Vision for 80 Years.” ACertificate of Commen- dation was presented by the Or- ange Chamber of Commerce, and Assistance League honored for 80th milestone a letter of appreciation sent from the Community Foundation of Orange Board of Directors. The City of Villa Park also submitted a Proclamation. The philanthropic organization began in 1941, with a mere $30 allocated to help the less fortunate pay for taxis for doctor visits, purchase cribs, eye exams and glasses, dental work, even assist a young mother, who had lost her husband to polio, buy food. The original group of 24 members has expanded to over 300, including theAssisteens Auxiliary for teens, Orange Blossoms Auxiliary for young professionals and mothers, and over 20 philanthropic programs within the greater Orange community. Volunteer members contribute over 30,000 hours, including working at the “Now & Again” thrift shop, located at The Plaza in Orange, that funds the nonprofit. For more information, see alor- ange.org . Assistance League Chapter President Norma Hockensmith, left, and Sue Peterson hold the proclamation received from Don Wagner, Third District, Orange County Board of Supervisors. New regional mental health campus opens in Orange Be Well OC unveiled its first mental health and wellness cam- pus located in the City of Orange, via a virtual ribbon cutting, Jan. 13. The center is the first in the county to address mental health and substance abuse issues un- der one roof. The first of three planned campuses, the facility features a crisis stabilization cen- ter for mental health needs and the county’s first recovery station for substance use disorders. Services include withdrawal management, adult residential treatment and an integrated support center. The campus has 93 beds and the capacity to treat about 100 people each day. While the facility will primarily treat adults, it will have limited youth crisis stabilization services, and strong partnerships with Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and other community- based organizations. Located at 265 Anita Dr., the 60,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art fa- cility will provide services to all county residents who are referred for care. “BeWell is about systems trans- formation, and this is a significant step forward. Hospital emer- gency rooms aren’t designed to effectively address mental health crises,” said Marshall Moncrief, CEO, Be Well OC. “So, we’re adding the equivalent of urgent care for mental health and sub- stance use into a comprehensive care facility. This also helps ER doctors re-focus on physical health emergencies, which, in the midst of a pandemic, is more im- portant than ever before.” The OC Board of Supervisors committed $16.6 million for the campus, in addition to invest- ments from CalOptima, Kaiser Permanente, Hoag Presbyterian, MemorialCare and Providence St. Joseph Health. Be Well OC opened with a virtual ribbon cutting. From left, Be Well OC CEO Marshall Moncrief; Third District Supervisor Donald Wagner; Chief Assistant District Attorney Shawn Nelson, First District Supervisor and Chairman Andrew Do; Fifth District Supervisor Lisa Bartlett; District Attorney Todd Spitzer; Fourth District Ambassador Paulette Chaffee; Mind OC Board Chair Dr. Richard Afable. Orange City Council may be ready to talk about the Sully-Miller site Mayor Pro Tem Kim Nichols requested an update on the Sully- Miller site, current home to an inactive stockpile of construction waste and failed housing project proposal, at the Jan. 12 city coun- cil meeting. “We all know in the November election, Measure AA failed, so the Trails [housing development] project is no longer approved,” she acknowledged. “We have a big site out there. I’d like to get consensus from colleagues that staff come back with an update on what’s happening on that site, where we are, and bring it forward for future discussion.” Mayor Mark Murphy agreed that the topic could be agendized for a future meeting “when ap- propriate,” while short-circuiting further comments that may or may not have been forthcoming. “It will be agendized,” he said. “That’s the appropriate time for discussion.” Councilmember Arianna Bar- rios asked if that update would include a report on the mining operation or just land-use plan- ning. Nichols suggested that the update should encompass ev- erything that’s going on now. “I know there is pending litigation,” she advised. “It’s zoned sand and gravel. We don’t know what the landowner is doing.” Hidden in plain sight Having seen “Sully-Miller” listed on the agenda with no details, several Orange residents submitted written public comments reminding the council that the city has ignored activity on that site for years and failed to respond to complaints about it. The commenters referred to a letter addressed to the city in September 2019 by Orange Park Acres attorney John Edgcomb, detailing the history of the site, explaining why the debris crush- ing/stockpiling was illegal, es- tablishing Orange’s enforcement authority and outlining steps the city could take to stop it. The city never responded to that letter in any way. Last year, the county Local Enforcement Agency looked into it and or- dered the landowner to cease and desist. That order is currently be- ing appealed by property owner Milan Capital. Meanwhile, the city is involved in litigation challenging its cer- tification of the Environmental Impact Report prepared for The Trails at Santiago Creek project rejected by voters. “In hearing those public com- ments, and being in receipt of the Edgcomb letter,” Councilmember Ana Gutierrez interjected, “can we find out why there was no re- sponse to that?”