Foothills Sentry February 2023

Page 5 Foothills Sentry February 2023 Circulation … 40,000 Published on the last Tuesday of each month and distributed to residences, businesses, libraries and civic centers. Printing by Advantage, Inc. 714-532-4406 Fax: 714-532-6755 foothillssentry.com 1107 E. Chapman Ave., #207 Orange, CA 92866 © Foothills Sentry 2023 Publisher/Editor Anita Bennyhoff 1969-2013 Editor Tina Richards editor@foothillssentry.com Sports Editor Cliff Robbins sportseditor@att.net Graphic Designer Stephanie Gundran graphics@foothillssentry.com Advertising Sales Andie Mills advertising@foothillssentry.com 714-926-9299 Office Manager Kathy Eidson officemanager@foothillssentry. com duplexes in his neighborhood. I am not disagreeing about where our single-family neighborhoods are going. I believe that the death of single-family neighborhoods is so close that it’s not hard to see how quickly it is happening. In my neighborhood we have apartment parking that overflows into our neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods have opted for “permit parking only,” which means that the overflow from the permit parking and the apart- ments/duplexes branches out into our neighborhoods. It’s just laughable (although the laughter is only disguising the frustration and tears of anger) what “prog- ress” has brought upon us. My neighborhood doesn’t have high-density dwellings yet. We do have duplexes, old apartments, grandparent units, and over filled homes with more persons than a single family. University students are here in full force. The state’s claim that we need more affordable housing and more units should be built in single-family communities dis- counts those who bought homes in a neighborhood that was sup- posed to be single-family only. We are doomed if something doesn’t change. Actually I won- der who can afford to live in those “so called” affordable units any- way? Mary Keough Orange New sheriff in town Dear Editor: Hooray! Citizens of Orange, we have a breath of fresh air in our city council. Mayor Dan Slater has publicly announced his open door policy. Twice a week, Mayor Slater is available to listen one- See "Letters" continued on page 13 on-one to community concerns regarding the City of Orange. Of course, it is by appointment only, so be sure to set one up. I can confirm this works. Not too long ago, I made an appointment and met with Mayor Slater. This is the type of change and commu- nication the City of Orange needs for its future. I look forward to seeing the continued growth and prosperity of Orange with Mayor Slater at the helm. Laurie Burnett Cesena Orange Dear Editor: The value of the new mayor and city council was apparent in the first meeting of the Orange City Council on Jan. 10. It was obvious from the start that this mayor is vastly different from his predecessor. Mayor Dan Slater proposed, and it was unanimously approved, that the city council have meet- ings twice per month, instead of once. This will allow more access for the citizens to be heard, and more issues addressed. The highlight of this meeting was the agendized request by Councilmember Ana Gutierrez to obtain more information about the proposed project on the Chan- dler-Hurwitz site. Kudos to Guti- errez for standing up for the rights of citizens to have real informa- tion on an important issue. The project aims to fill in part of the area behind Blue Ribbon Nurs- ery with approximately 750,000 cubic yards of unknown material, from an unspecified site. The citizens of East Orange are against this project for many rea- sons, and Interim City Manager Tom Kisela did a commendable job in listing some of the city's (and residents’) concerns. Kisela said that this project is “vague, and lacks details that are important to address” and that a "deeper, and more in-depth look at all possible issues" is needed. East Orange residents have been fighting to protect this entire area of Santiago Creek for over 25 years, and this is the first time that the city council and mayor have recognized, and openly sup- port, preserving this area of open space. Perhaps this time, an enlight- ened mayor and an educated, re- sponsive city council will not be unduly influenced by donor mon- ey, outside investment groups and self-interested lobbyists. John Reina Orange Park Acres Pile it on Dear Editor: Orange residents were shocked during the holidays to learn that Chandler Sand & Gravel is pro- posing to turn the Hurwitz wet- land habitat into a waste disposal site. This same group got caught in 2020 operating an illegal dumpsite on Sully-Miller. Now they want to repeat the offense and destroy a beautiful natural habitat along the Santiago Creek. It was notable that Interim City Manager (former police chief) Tom Kisela raised some of the concerns the city has regarding the proposal at the Jan. 10 city council meeting. Important and specific questions were asked. I applaud Chief Kisela for his candor. It’s a refreshing change that I know the public appreci- ates. I encourage the city to take all needed action to expose Chan- dler’s half-baked proposal and the flawed documents they are using to get approvals. Arlene Johnson Orange Dear Editor: Chandler’s Sand & Gravel is proposing to operate a waste dump at E. Santiago Canyon Road and Cannon St. The compa- ny has applied for a grading per- mit, but the Santa Ana Regional Water Board is requiring a Waste Discharge Permit before the city may approve a grading permit. A Notice of Public Hearing to adopt a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) was issued, but no public notice was mailed to any nearby residents to this project. Chandler is calling the site an open mine pit, but for the last 60 years it has been reclaimed and restored by nature. This project will cause extensive damage to natural habitat and endangered species. The MND has many errors and inconsistencies. There was no independent peer review of the technical studies, which are at least 4-6 years old, and often refer to the Trails at Santiago Creek Project (decertified) Envi- ronmental Impact Report. The MND doesn’t appropri- ately analyze many impacts such as biological resources, traffic, noise, air and water quality. It doesn’t discuss specific impacts to the Oakridge Private School, which is within 20 feet of the proposed diesel truck traffic, es- timated to be 60 trips daily. Truck traffic on Santiago Canyon Road is incorrectly calculated and missing sufficient information on the surrounding streets and exact routes. The project setting has contin- ued to evolve, and some State Environmental CEQA criterion has changed, which leads me to question the defensibility of the MND. An Environmental Impact Report should be required. The public comment period has been extended to Feb. 10. Send comments to Claudia Tenorio at Claudia.Tenorio@WaterBoards. ca.gov. Leslie Manderscheid Orange Elections matter Dear Editor: By now, you’ve heard about the ambush firing of Orange Uni- fied’s Superintendent and Assis- tant Superintendent. For parents like me, finally finding peace and stability after a hellish pandemic, it felt like a betrayal. For elected leaders like California Senator Dave Min, it felt like corruption. But beyond the investigations into Brown Act violations, there are things you probably haven’t heard. Things that all of Orange needs to know. As I write this, I’m fresh from the first regularly scheduled school board meeting of the year. I watched dozens of speakers take the podium. Bright and brave El Modena students. Ordinary moms and dads. Educators with binders and bifocals. They spoke from their hearts. They spoke for their schools. Then, there was someone else. A man whose comments were so reprehensible, so far from the val- ues we share here in Orange, that his words will echo in my mind for months to come. Teachers in attendance speak- ing out against the majority board “should be suspended or fired,” he said. A collective gasp went through the crowd. He doubled down. He called our teachers, there in their sensible shoes after a school day that likely started before sunrise, “animals.” He im- plored the room to imagine what these teachers “must be doing” to our kids. So who was this guy? He sits on a foundation board for the Or- ange County Classical Academy. The same Orange County Board of Education-backed religious school where Trustee Madison Miner sends her children. The same school she routinely raises construction funds for. And this ghoulish, anti-teacher rhetoric isn’t a glitch. It’s a cen- tral part of a script being used nationwide to dismantle public schools and replace them with religious charters. If that sounds extreme, that’s because it is. The OUSD majority board has opened a Pandora’s box of outside chaos agents and set them loose to lie about our schools and disrupt our normalcy. But actions, especially ones as reckless as these, have conse- quences. When teachers are at- tacked and access to quality, eq- uitable public education declines, so do our property values. More importantly, so do our moral val- ues. Nicole Barlow Orange Dear Editor: The following remarks were given as public comments at the Jan. 5 OUSD board meeting: I’m Sara Pelly, proud principal of Fletcher Mandarin Language & GATE Academy, and also a concerned OUSD resident. After watching CSPAN and the attempt to elect a new Speaker of the House, it occurred to me that when someone becomes an elected official, they are granted instant power. However, they are not immediately given instant in- formation, knowledge or wisdom. I respectfully acknowledge that I work for you, the OUSD Board of Trustees, and this is your de- cision to make. However, I also respectfully suggest that you not make this decision in haste, and first collect as much information as you can to ensure this decision is “what’s best for kids.” I invite you to come to Fletcher Academy, to see the amazing learning taking place, and the wonderful, rich programs we have, including the Mandarin Dual Immersion program, thanks to the years of dedication of Dr. Gunn Marie Hansen and Cathleen Corella. While I am only speak- ing on my own behalf, I am cer- tain my fellow principals would invite you to their schools as will- ingly as I, to see more great things happening in OUSD. Making a decision now, with- out having witnessed first-hand what is actually happening in OUSD schools, would not only be in haste, but it would cause a disruption in learning that would be detrimental to our students. As a principal, I am deeply con- cerned and ask you to consider my request. Sara Pelly Villa Park Dear Editor: The Orange Unified School Board's secretive and hasty ac- tions are appalling. The newly elected majority demonstrated a willingness to shun their elected commitment to public education, refused to listen to the communi- ty, and took action that damaged the integrity, quality and consis- tency of education for OUSD stu- dents. The dismissal of the superin- tendent and assistant superinten- dent, followed by two interim appointments, negatively impacts students, teachers, parents and the community. There will be a steep learning curve for the two men appointed to replace Dr. Hansen and Ms. Corella that impacts the preparation and administration of state testing, ongoing curricu- lum development, and support for educators. The time it takes for the two interim appointees to “get up to speed” is time away from academic progress and support for students. This decision wastes taxpayers' dollars with contract buyouts, interim staff and a su- perintendent search process. As a resident of Orange and an educator, I do not want my elect- ed officials to dismantle public education systems and ignore the greater good of public education. I do not want a school board that caters to special interests at tax- payers' expense and diverts tax- payers' money from the general fund to make political statements. I do not want a school board that engages in cronyism and demon- izes educators and administrators. That means we need to par- ticipate more. Participating starts with awareness. We need aware- ness for ourselves, and we need to make others aware. After aware- ness, we need action. Action in- cludes speaking out and support- ing public schools by holding elected officials accountable. We cannot allow the tyranny of the minority to overrule the greater public good. Nancy Watkins Orange Dear Editor: Personal political ideologies are fueling a fight at OUSD. The dismissal of Gunn Marie Hansen and Cathleen Corella spurred a huge uproar in politics and politi- cal preferences. Our school chil- dren are being used. Reading blogs and community pages regarding this meeting, I couldn’t help but note all the po- litical bias. Words that stood out were “extremists,” “bigots,” “mi- sogynists” and “radicals.” What does this have to do with my child’s education? I am assuming there was a reason for these two employees being dismissed. Was it misuse of funds? Did they treat their employees and/or co-work- ers badly? Was nepotism rampant within the Orange Unified School District? Why must it come down to the left versus the right? To the ladies who are fueling the recall of the board members, can we wait un- til the investigation is complete? You cannot blindly throw stones if you do not know the truth. We do not have time for politics. Pub- lic school enrollment is down, state test scores are down, and so- cial/emotional/health issues are at an all-time high. And here we are, spiraling out of control. Enough! To everyone who is affiliated, do not use our children for your po- litical agenda. Jana Lee Orange Dear Editor: For the last six months, I have opened up the Sentry to find writ- ers using the Letters to the Editor