Foothills Sentry February 2023

Foothills Sentry Page 6 February 2023 Family. Friends. Community. We’re all in this together. State Farm, Bloomington, IL 1801073 Ron Esparza, Agent Insurance Lic#: 0C79663 827 S. Tustin Ave Orange, CA 92866 Bus: 714-505-3400 ron@ronesparza.com Dr. del Junco is welcoming new patients! Michael del Junco, MD (Internal Medicine) 1310 W Stewart Dr, Ste 502 Orange, CA 92868 Looking for a new primary doctor? (714) 832-0750 462 El Camino Real • Tustin, CA 92780 WWW.IVYS.COM IMPROVE HEALTH NATURALLY! • Iridology Consults • Wellness Tips • Awesome Lunches • Organic Cofee & Tea Old Town Tustin $10.00 OFF* Iridology Consult *NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY WELLNESS SEMINARS 2 ND SATURDAY OF EACH MONTH Happy Valentine’s Day! dan@DanSlater.com 714-744-2219 MAJOR DAN SLATER MARCH 26, 2023 Presented by Giracci Vineyards & Farm s PURCHASE TICKETS AT: OCWINEANDSPIRITFEST.COM OC Wine & Spirit Festival is a modern tasting experience featuring global tastings that include wine, craft beer, spirits, hard seltzers, and more. Located at Giracci Vineyards & Farms in Silverado Canyon. Family Circle of Orange opens membership rolls Family Circle of Orange (FCO) is hosting a breakfast and play- date, Saturday, Feb. 25 at Gri- jalva Park. The playdate is open to the community; FCO invites parents to fuel up on coffee while their children use the playground. Coffee, donuts, juice and water will be served. FCO is opening its membership to those with children under 17 who live, work or go to school in Orange and Villa Park. It provides resources, activities and support for traditional and nontraditional families. Founded in 2021, Family Circle was started by a few local moms who saw a need for a group that Corey Vane with sons Cody (left) and Parker (right) participates in a Family Circle of Orange activity. would include all members of the family – no matter how that fam- ily looked. Since then, the group has grown to serve dozens of families. FCO offers playdates, holiday- themed parties and service oppor- tunities that get children involved in the community. In addition, parents can take part in moms’ or dads’ nights out and group date nights. This unique family- centered model provides a “vil- lage” of connected families that can share experiences and friend- ships. Grijalva Park is located at 368 N. Prospect. For information vis- it familycircleoforange.org. e 2023 Orange May Parade theme has a 70s retro vibe, “Peace, Love & Orange.” Applications are now open for the hip, groovy Orange May Parade that will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 6. See OrangeMayParade.com for sponsor and parade info. Open letter to the Orange Unified Board of Education and OUSD community Dear President Ledesma and Trustees Ortega, Rumsey and Miner: As members of the Orange Unified School District Board of Education, duly elected by the voters, we are troubled by the recent action taken by the Board majority in releasing the Superin- tendent without cause, with just 24-hour notice, and appointing your pre-selected Interim Super- intendent immediately thereafter. We are equally troubled by your decision to place the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services on administrative leave pending an undefined and non- agendized “academic audit” and immediately appointing your pre-selected Acting Assistant Su- perintendent of Educational Ser- vices. We are deeply concerned by the appearance of wrongdoing cre- ated by the Board majority’s ac- tions, which raise questions about improper collusion and conspir- acy to violate the Brown Act, questions of cronyism, and the exclusion of at least three elected Board members (Erickson, Yama- saki, Page) from any meaningful opportunity for input, discussion, or deliberation. These decisions are among the most important de- cisions we make as a Board. The fact that two offers of employ- ment were made by Mr. Ledesma prior to us even knowing who the candidates were, and without any vetting of candidates, public no- tice of candidates, interviews, or anything else that would consti- tute due diligence with industry- established standards, is outra- geous and reckless. This act has created chaos and fear among employees, and it chips away at the trust parents, students, and the community have in us. Elections have consequences. But those consequences can- not include a total abdication of a duty to govern responsibly, to ensure the stability of our organi- zation, to protect our students, to work as a governing team, and to ensure the very best qualified and vetted candidates are placed in charge of our students’ education. Decisions like these must be done with careful deliberation, based upon objective qualifications, and without regard to personal politi- cal agendas or personal relation- ships. Further, they must be done with the full participation of the entire Board of Education. The public had a right to know who was being considered, and they must feel confident that the peo- ple chosen to fill these powerful positions were fully vetted and fit for the jobs. We demand that you rescind all actions taken in closed ses- sion on Jan. 5, 2023 and start the process over. We also demand the appointment of a neutral party to commence an investigation of possible Brown Act violations on your part. Sincerely, Kris Erickson, Orange Unified School District Trustee Andrea Yamasaki, Orange Uni- fied School District Trustee Ana Page, Orange Unified School District Trustee