Foothills Sentry March 2024

Foothills Sentry Page 6 MARCH 2024 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 ),; $ /($. :((. 0$5&+ ($67 :$7(5 25$1&( ',675,&7 &2817< /HDUQ PRUH DW HRFZG FRP A local mountain lion was ac- cidentally struck and killed by a car, Jan. 18, when she tried to cross the road near Cook’s Cor- QHU 6FLHQWLVWV KDG ¿ WWHG KHU ZLWK a GPS collar in 2022 when she was two years old, according to the Jan. 25 Saddleback Valley News. 2൶ FLDOO\ NQRZQ DV ) WR the UC Davis team studying mountain lions in our area, she was nicknamed Uno by wildlife photographer Mark Girardeau because of an injured right eye. Veterinarian Winston Vickers said that being killed while cross- ing roads and highways is the most common cause of death for local mountain lions. Unlike in northern California, lions in the Santa Ana and Santa Monica Mountains have a par- ticularly tough time surviving be- cause they need a lot of territory for hunting, and they are increas- ingly hemmed in by roads and houses. Isolated lion groups also develop health problems associ- ated with inbreeding. It has been estimated that we currently have around 20 moun- tain lions in the Santa Ana Moun- tains. It has also been estimated that in less than 15 years, we might not have any. So the local lion population is now a candi- date for state threatened or endan- gered species status. Saddened by the death of Uno, but inspired by the story of moun- tain lion P-22 in Los Angeles, Silverado resident Julie Williams proposed formation of a local mountain lion advocacy group at WKH )HE PHHWLQJ RI WKH ,QWHU Canyon League (ICL). She was promptly “volunteered” to head a new mountain lion committee. Williams said that the Envi- ronmental Nature Center, which runs Modjeska’s Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary, has agreed to hold an event on March 21 featuring veterinarian and lion researcher Dr. Jessica Sanchez. Williams is eager to hear from other big cat fans, and can be reached at julie. williams1@cox.net . Phone phacts AT&T wants to abandon tra- ditional landlines due to declin- ing demand, and focus on wire- less and Internet-based service instead. In California, though, AT&T is the Carrier of Last Re- sort (COLR) in much of its ter- ritory, so it is asking the Califor- nia Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to no longer require it to provide service where alternative voice service exists. Opposition to AT&T’s request is especially strong in rural ar- eas where cellular or Voice over IP (VoIP) service, if available at all, is viewed as less reliable than copper wire-based Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS). Tra- ditional wired phones do not need electrical outlets because they are powered by the phone line. :KHQ WKH %RQG )LUH RI broke out in Silverado, AT&T landlines continued to work after SCE cut power to Cox and Veri- zon. Eventually some telephone poles burned also, but would that have happened if someone could have called 911 earlier, instead of KDYLQJ WR GULYH WR D ¿ UH VWDWLRQ WR UHSRUW WKH ¿ UH" )RU PRUH LQIRUPDWLRQ DERXW AT&T's COLR proposal and a related Eligible Telecommunica- tions Carrier (ETC) application, see cpuc.ca.gov/industries-and- topics/internet-and-phone/att- colr-etc-proceedings. To read or submit public com- ments on the COLR proposal, see DSSV FSXF FD JRY F $ Be prepared Naloxone is an opioid antidote that can save the life of someone experiencing an overdose of fen- tanyl, heroin, morphine or related GUXJV )LUVW UHVSRQGHUV OLNH 2& 6KHUL൵ GHSXWLHV DQG ¿ UH¿ JKWHUV now carry it, and it is available over-the-counter at drugstores, branded as Narcan and Kloxxado. In return for a donation of nal- oxone for neighborhood emer- gency use, Inter-Canyon League block captains received training on administering the drug from the OC Health Care Agency, with support from Third District Su- pervisor Don Wagner. There are also YouTube videos that explain how to administer the drug. $OWKRXJK QDOR[RQH LV QRW H൵ HF tive against non-opioid drugs like cocaine, it does no harm if given to someone not overdosing on opioids. Have you seen this plant? A small group of Ladd Canyon ZLOGÀ RZHUV KDV QRW EHHQ VHHQ for some time, and neighboring plants are concerned. California peony, also known as wild peony, is a native sub- shrub no more than a foot or two tall. Its downward-facing ping- SRQJ EDOO VL]H À RZHUV PD\ ORRN ready to burst forth in dazzling maroon at any moment, but actu- ally they never completely open. Since California peony is an early bloomer that goes dormant in hot weather, nearby plants are accustomed to not seeing it for much of the year. But this year VHHPV GL൵ HUHQW DFFRUGLQJ WR RQH sagebrush, speaking through an interpreter: “By the time a lot of us wake up in the spring, the peo- nies have already been up, made FR൵ HH VWDUWHG EORRPLQJ DQG begun waiting for a little bee ac- WLRQ %XW ZKHUH DUH WKH\ QRZ" ,I someone uprooted our neighbors, DUH ZH QH[W"´ Anyone spotting a missing pe- ony is urged to contact the Can- \RQ %HDW )%, )ORZHU %XUHDX RI Investigation). Authorities doubt that birds seeking seeds killed the plants, but they haven’t complete- ly ruled out fowl play. Orange Park Association elects board members Caution: cat crossing The Orange Park Association re- elected three board members to continue their service for another three years. David Hillman, Kate Bonnaud and Kelley Chaplin rejoined the board, following a membership vote Jan. 27 at the annual association meeting. The board members are, front row from left, Kate Bonnaud, Sherry Pant- taja, David Clemson, Jim Jack- man, Cindy Reina, Laura Thomas. Top row, Nancy Flathers, David Hillman and Kelley Chaplin. The meeting also featured remarks from County Supervisor Don Wag- ner and Mayor Dan Slater. California peony