Foothills Sentry Page 6 FEBRUARY 2026 Past, present, pests, preparation and politics Historic Silverado January’s Inter-Canyon League (ICL) meeting began with a multimedia time-travel History Committee hydrology-meets-memory report from Scott Breeden. His archival, photographic, and archeological interests also engage oral history and seem to involve forensic hiking. Breeden’s esoteric investigation, not to be confused with strolling up and down Silverado Canyon Road, resulted in discovery of remnants of a once-prominent elevated concrete pipeline, apparently connecting Holtze Ranch via Ladd Canyon to the creek nearly 100 years ago. Now broken and buried in pieces, it would once have been a defining feature of Silverado life, a local landmark now lost in hillside scrub but documented by Breeden in recovered images. Interviews with locals, vintage photos, and an AI-generated reconstruction of a long-ago local landmark delighted meeting attendees. Fans of Breeden and the work of the ICL History Committee hope to organize a public program featuring highlights from its archives. In other ICL news, Friends of the Library announced a celebratory program featuring the life and work of a local legend. Titled “Leo Hetzel in Pictures and Words: How I Became a Photojournalist,” Modjeska resident and former Station 16 volunteer Hetzel will share a narrated survey highlighting his portfolio of images taken over 50 years. Hetzel’s award-winning work (often featured in galleries and books) includes photojournalism from his career at the Long Beach Press-Telegram but also travel (South America and Africa) and surf photography, nature images, and, of course, many documenting canyon life. Mary Schreiber of Fire Safe Council reminded attendees of the still-pending finalization of protocols around the newly adopted statewide Zero Zone. Implications for California rural homeowners are potentially both profound and weirdly quotidian, with the new law requiring removal of all combustibles within five feet of what the state calls a domicile, or what you call your home. Details, including definitions and specifications about potted plants, outbuildings, and temporary structures, are under discussion with actual enforcement a whole other can, or perhaps pot, of worms. Local realtors are already legally required to “disclose” an extensive list of relevant property details, this one now part of the new defensible space feature. Katie Kirkland, hero of the recent Silverado Country Fair and new fair chairperson, announced an initial early organizing meeting for this year’s annual celebration and fundraiser, welcome news to the tireless, but likely very tired, ICL Chair Geoff Sarkissian, who has helmed the event with outgoing chair Jane Bove. Mike Boeck offered little good news, but them’s the breaks when you are our canyons’ singular full-time GSOB activist. At least three newly identified areas of Silverado are now confirmed as infested, resulting in the removal of one very old and iconic oak. Meanwhile, what to do when the bugs are discovered in a small grove on a property owned by an absentee owner who seems unwilling to take action? Word count/words count From our Congressional representative in response to my modest online comment suggesting that she release a statement, provide a press announcement, or otherwise weigh in on the kidnapping of a head of state, almost universally identified as violating both U.S. and international law: “While we may not see eye-to- eye on this issue, I believe those responsible for illicit drug trafficking that has claimed countless American lives should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and I look forward to receiving additional information from the Administration as this matter proceeds.” I called Rep. Young Kim’s office to ask exactly what that means, and to ask for comment on Venezuela, Iran, ICE raids, the Epstein files, and the murder of Renee Nicole Good. I also wondered why the Congressmember’s comment box limits longwinded constituents like me to 150 words. The youthful sounding phone staffer opined that this word limit policy was instituted to encourage more concise communication. And he indicated that Kim had indeed expressed her concern about the tragedy of Good’s death. Where, I asked, and to whom? To her staff, he said. Suddenly our conversation became concise indeed after I asked, identifying myself also as a columnist for a local independent community paper, if I could quote him or go on the record with this answer. No. As a purely objective measure (and not ideological or political at all -- not much anyway) I contacted the office of Representative David Min of the nearby district. I checked. His staffer checked. You can check. His website offers a more generous allowance of 500 words. Good times Cultural and political messaging in our canyons community (signs, flags, banners, leaflets) invites thoughtful engagement at its best and vandalism or disappearance at its less appealing. Symbolic discourse is part of a democratic conversation. Unadorned photos of murdered Minneapolis civil rights activist, legal observer, poet, and mother Renee Nicole Good (1988-2026) stapled to oak trees, signposts, and a community bulletin board were torn down or ripped up within hours of that effort to quietly memorialize her. Discouraging, yes, but wait: a day later somebody found pieces of her portrait and carefully reaffixed them, creating an instant art collage, a meditation on empathy, humanity, co-existence and peaceful resistance. Bibliophilia Library of the Canyons staffer Marilyn reminds patrons of the branch’s new seed library: “Come in and look through our seed binder for options. Check out up to three seed varieties per month--yours to keep! No returns necessary, but let us know how it grows!” Anticipate a program on local backyard gardening and landscaping best practices, with an eye toward native species, xeriscapic drought and fire-resistant species. February’s book club is "Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford" by longtime Secret Service agent Clint Hill, whose assignment was the White House, where he served through war, assassination, and resignation. The following month’s selection offers fictional intrigue with Ellery Lloyd’s "The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby." Other reliably interesting programming for February includes the Thursday, Feb. 26 (11 a.m.) Irvine Ranch Conservancy (IRC) presentation on bats with an IRC docent leading a talk, a walk on the trail, and a craft project on the winged mammals. On Saturday, Feb. 28 (11 a.m.) you can learn sloyd, a Swedish paper craft using simple geometric shapes to make handicrafts, perhaps even bat-shaped! It enhances manual dexterity, handeye coordination, and preps for woodwork and sewing so might be fun, not just for recommended ages 5-12, but for parents and grandparents, too. Not horsin’ around Joanne Hubble reports the approval of a new county-wide equine evacuation program: Orange County Animal Response Team (OCART). Introduced two years ago by intrepid horse owner/safety advocates Bill Klovstad and Dee Dee Friedrich, it was recently signed by Supervisor Wagner and facilitated by staffers Tara Campbell and Scott Voight. OCART is now a county-recognized official entity. Hubble and OCART invite canyon participation, including two types of trainings: “The first option will be abbreviated for those who were members of San Juan Capistrano’s Large Animal Response Team (LART) or have other relevant experience in handling and transporting large animals to safety. "Option two will be classes and training for those new to the program who may not yet feel comfortable in handling or transporting large animals.” Organizers want “our entire team to all be on the same page so that we can all work together to the best of our abilities.” Contact them to join that team and sign up for training. Bill Klovstad: billklovstad@ gmail.com or Dee Dee Friedrich: d2bridn@aol.com. Steer Clear Steve Kerrigan of Silverado Fire Station 14 reports rocks falling into the parking lot after early January’s big rains, requiring the attention of heavy equipment, including an OCFA skid-steer loader. That’s the good part. “Downside,” says Kerrigan, “we are not allowed to use the parking lot until Risk Management approves its use. So, no public access to the parking lot, which is coned off.” He hopes for full access in a month or so. Many canyonites paid tribute to Renee Good, while others disparaged the sentiment.
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