Foothills Sentry March 2023

Foothills Sentry Page 10 March 2023 Orange Park Association honors Julie Maurer Orange Park Association sur- prised Julie Maurer, a tireless community volunteer for the last 35 years, with a special recogni- tion at the Jan. 28 annual meeting. Maurer has been an integral part of the OPA Trails Committee from its inception in the 1980s. She coordinates and brings to- gether countless groups to work on trail improvements and main- tenance, operate heavy equip- ment, recruit volunteers, and do general community cleanup. With OPA’s David Hillman, she co-created the OPAAdopt-a-Trail program to promote volunteerism for trail projects. She maintains relationships with local parks for sustainability, trail growth and connections to OPA’s 25-mile trail system. She is currently working to develop the Colt Trail, which will complete the 10-mile East Orange Loop segment. A recipient of the Gary Bandy Memorial Trophy for “Outstand- ing Devotion and Effort in Pre- serving and Maintaining OPA Trails and Eques- trian Facilities” almost 30 years ago, Maurer continues to demonstrate that devotion every day. Recently, she has been instrumental in the re- vitalization of the OPA Women’s League. She has never hesi- tated to walk neighbor- hoods to inform residents of local issues, support petitioning efforts and, most recently, to support the election of Mayor Dan Slater. In addition to a cel- ebratory plaque given to her by OPA, District 3 Supervisor Don Wagner presented a Certificate of Recognition to her for Years of Volunteer Ser- vice. When you see her on a trail or around town, say "thank you." Julie Maurer and Jesse Apply for Assistance League honors and scholarships Assistance League of Orange will recognize the bright futures of dozens of high school seniors through two of its philanthropic programs later this spring. “Salute to Service,” a celebra- tion dinner, May 17, will honor students who plan to enter the military following high school graduation. Held at the Assis- tance League Chapter House, the event will feature guest speakers and musical entertainment ac- knowledging all branches of the military. Names of students who should be invited must be submit- ted to program chair Nancy Clark at nmarieclark@gmail.com by April 15. Granting scholarships to stu- dents who demonstrate a commit- ment to community service, show academic merit and have a finan- cial need has been a tradition for Assistance League since 1948. These awards recognize students who are enrolled in an OUSD high school or reside in the OUSD dis- trict. Eligible students can apply for general scholarships, as well as those for several specialized fields. Last year, 19 scholarships totaling $47,000 were awarded to seniors from Orange, El Modena, Villa Park, Canyon, and Richland High Schools, as well as Unity Middle College High School. The deadline for submitting the online application is midnight Thursday, April 6. For informa- tion about the selection criteria and to access the downloadable application, visit Assistancelea- gue.org/orange/scholarships. Karen and Bill Masters outside their "retirement" laundromat Are clean clothes now in jeopardy? Residents were blindsided by soaring gas bills, but businesses have also felt the squeeze. The trickle-down costs to the con- sumer also hits hardest on those who can least afford it. The cost of simply getting clean clothes is increasing. Six years ago, after running the numbers and careful analysis, Bill and Karen Masters invested their savings into a laundromat, seek- ing passive income for their re- tirement years. Always involved in the community, Bill as a re- serve OCFD firefighter, Orange Chamber of Commerce Ambas- sador, and Karen at OUSD, the couple also knew a clean, safe laundromat would benefit their community, too. They installed new equipment, laid new vinyl flooring, put in a new ceiling and lighting to make “The Orange Laundry Room” on 476 N. Tustin, a comfortable and friendly place. On weekends, the 1,800-sq.-ft. business is filled with families, many of whom do not have their own appliances. During the week, the parking lot Citrus trees under attack A new pest in town is attacking Orange citrus crops. The Asian citrus psyllid is a tiny, brown insect about the size of an aphid, and feeds on the new leaves of all types of citrus trees, including oranges, grapefruit, lemons, mandarins. It can kill a tree within five years. Mostly undetectable until serious dam- age is done, in about two years, the pest spreads the HLB (huan- glongbing) or citrus greening dis- ease, carrying bacteria to healthy plants. At this time, there is no remedy but to destroy the infect- ed trees. For further information and detailed photos of the pests, see pim.ucanr.edu. Call the exotic pest hotline immediately at (800) 491-1899 if you suspect your tree may have the disease. is filled with Teslas and Mer- cedes, as busy people do multiple loads of laundry at once, utiliz- ing many of the 42 washers and 27 dryers, saving time for their families. It is also economical, with 30- lb. top load washers priced at $2.25 per load, and dryers at only a quarter for nine minutes. But the gas bill soared, from $950 in January of 2022 to $3,250 in February of this year – more than a 340% increase. Begrudg- ingly, Masters has had to raise the prices for use of the washers and dryers, which he fears may very negatively impact his customers. The price to wash a load of cloth- ing was increased 150%, to $3.50 per load; the 40 lb. washer, which holds 4 loads, is now $4.25; the price for the dryers escalated to $.25 for only six minutes. The surprise skyrocketing gas bill directly impacts every family the laundromat serves. Other city laundromats have also posted price increases for a load of laundry, due to the in- creases in the cost of gas. New programs at VP Library Children in grades 1-4 are in- vited to participate in the Reading Buddies program on Saturdays from 2- 4 p.m. Children will be paired with a teen volunteer to practice their reading and build confidence reading aloud. Teens and Adults are invited to join the monthly Knitterati Craft Group on Sat., March 18 at 2 p.m. Programs are always free! The VP Library is located at 17865 Santiago Blvd., in the Villa Park Towne Center.