Foothills Sentry March 2022

Foothills Sentry Page 8 March 2022 Come Visit Our Showroom 3024 East Chapman Avenue Orange, CA 92869 QUALITY BILLIARD PRODUCTS. EXPERT POOL TABLE SERVICE. Tuesday - Friday: 10 AM - 4 PM Saturday: 10 AM - 3 PM (714) 620-4001 Call/Text dkbilliards.com david@pooltableguru.com Appointments Available: DK BILLIARDS SALES & SERVICE Bridges and standards: how rigid? Orange County Public Works is proposing to replace the Modjes- ka Canyon Road Bridge near Markuson Road. The bridge, built in 1935, is classified as func- tionally obsolete due to narrow road width. The Initial Study/Mitigated Negative Declaration (IS/MND) for the replacement bridge also states that the existing bridge’s live load capacity does not meet current standards, and that its steel girders and floor beams require biennial inspection. A new concrete bridge is expected to eliminate inspection costs, meet current federal standards, increase safety, and support an increased ADT (Average Daily Trips) capacity. The current bridge is about 20 feet wide. Lanes on the new bridge would be 12 feet wide, not 10, and shoulders 8 to 10 feet wide would be added in both di- rections, more than doubling the overall bridge width to around 43 to 53 feet. In 2017, however, the Prelimi- nary Environmental Screening for the replacement bridge said, “The bridge width selected has been modified from full standard curb to curb width of 40’ to 34’ to match the rural community road while adding sidewalk and roadway shoulders not currently provided.” Similarly, the IS/MND for the new Silverado bridge near Oak Lane states, “The replacement bridge will have 12-foot wide lanes and will include a 4-foot shoulder on the north side and 6-foot shoulder on the south side, for a minimum total barrier to barrier width of 34 feet.” At each end of the newModjes- ka bridge, portions of the road- way would also require widening. The IS/MND states, “Temporary easements and partial parcel ac- quisition, will be necessary, but are anticipated to be minimal. Exact amounts will be deter- mined during final design.” Construction of the new bridge would take several months. Initially, alternating one-way traffic would use a temporary bridge installed next to the existing bridge. The existing bridge would then be removed, and one lane of the new bridge constructed in its place. Next, alternating one-way traffic would shift to the just- completed span until the temporary bridge has been replaced by the second half of the new bridge. (Alternating one-way traffic will also be used during replacement of the Ladd Canyon bridge in Silverado.) More information is at ocds. ocpublicworks.com: Click on the magnifying glass in the top right corner, search for “Modjeska bridge” and click on “Modjeska Canyon Road Bridge (No. 55C- 0172) Replacement Project.” The “Complete Document” PDF includes everything in the other documents except the Notice of Intent. Send any public comments to Sam.Tieu@ocpw.ocgov.com by Monday, March 7. The IS/MND Table of Contents lists topics which may addressed: aesthetics, biological resources, land use and planning and transportation. Planning an emergency Following the scramble to clear private roads and creeks in Sil- verado after last year’s mud and debris flows, representatives from the Inter-Canyon League, the Fire Safe Council, and the Silverado- Modjeska Recreation and Park District met to discuss preparing for future emergencies. The Fire Safe Council agreed to research emergency plans devised by other organizations. Good news: As of Feb. 18, the giant pile of mud across from the Silverado community center is gone. Bad news: Thanks to dry weather, it’s now a giant pile of dirt. The county says it’s not theirs. The cost to haul it away has been estimated at $80-$100 per cubic yard or $800-$1,000 per dump truck. Government agencies can be granted additional powers dur- ing fire, flood, tsunami, terrorism. Unfortunately, “pile of dirt” is apparently not on the list of ap- proved emergencies. Fran Since Canyon Beat featured Fran Williams in the last two is- sues, we won’t mention her this month. Phlower of the month A small sub-shrub that you might not notice very often in chaparral is California prickly phlox. Like tumbleweeds (Rus- sian thistle), prickly phlox has small spiny leaves that dry up and turn brown after a few months, making the plant appear dead. By early spring, though, it greens up and sprouts pale pink to lavender flowers about an inch in diameter, which open during the day and close at night. California prickly phlox grows wild only in California, mostly below 6,500 feet, from San Luis Obispo County to Orange and Riverside Counties. Unlike tum- bleweeds, it stays in one place, usually on well-drained slopes where it enjoys full sun; but goes dormant in late summer. The particular plant shown in the photo is in Santiago Canyon and was apparently being guarded by a rattlesnake, which serenaded the Canyon Beat photo crew with a high-pitched percussion solo as they were leaving the site. According to californiagar- dens.com , transplanting native California prickly phlox is “rare- ly successful.” But the plant is available at native plant nurser- ies, so you might be able to grow your own under the right condi- tions. You wouldn’t necessarily need a rattlesnake, either. An Old English Sheepdog would also be a good choice for keeping watch over your phlox. Tustin Dems to host local candidates Orange County District Attor- ney candidate Pete Hardin and Orange County Board of Educa- tion candidate Sherine Smith will be featured at the Tustin Demo- cratic Club’s Tuesday, March 22, 7 p.m. Zoom meeting. They will discuss local issues and their races and answer questions. Email Tu- stinDemocraticClub@gmail.com to get a link to the Zoom meeting. Anyone wanting to connect with fellow Democrats in and around Tustin can get information at Tu- stinDemocraticClub.org. Library STEAM event postponed The Orange Public Library Foundation’s “Full STEAM Ahead” awards and celebration have been postponed to Sept. 25. due to COVID concerns. The cel- ebration recognizes organizations that have contributed to STEAM (science, technology, engineer- ing, arts and math) education in the community. All proceeds benefit the Orange public librar- ies. For more information, visit oplfoundation.org or call Execu- tive Director Lynn-Marie Fredi- ani at (714) 288-2470. Boy Scouts are recruiting Boy Scout Troop 850 in Villa Park is recruiting boys finishing fifth grade this year, or older, from Villa Park, Orange and Anaheim. Junior high schoolers are also encouraged to join. In these pandemic times, it is important to have adventures and learn skills that life offers in the outdoors. Troop 850 teaches skills, teamwork and leadership via campouts, day events and summer camps. Visit Troop850 Villa Park or email info@troop850.com. Prickly phlox sans rattlesnake