Foothills Sentry April 2020

Foothills Sentry Page 10 April 2020 Guest Commentary By David Hillman There are two former sand and gravel quarries on Santiago Creek in the City of Orange. Most people are familiar with the Sully-Miller site owned by Milan Capital, because it has been in the news for over 12 years. Orange citizens recently gathered 13,000 signatures to stop the Santiago Creek development and a General Plan change for an area not zoned for houses. The second abandoned quar- ry operation is located west of Cannon, next to Blue Ribbon Nursery, and was owned by the Hurwitz family until a couple of years ago. This hidden site along Santiago Creek has now been re- claimed by Mother Nature. It is one of the most beautiful places for miles around, but very few are even aware of it. The City of Orange is renowned for Old Towne, the largest nation- ally registered Historic District in the state. Orange is also home to three historic Eichler tracts, and one of the finest equestrian com- munities in California, Orange Park Acres. Orange residents want their neighborhoods protect- ed, and have a history of pushing back when short-sighted city pol- iticians disregard their carefully crafted city and community plans. Orange is also bisected by San- tiago Creek. Back in the 1970s, both the county and the Orange City Council helped create the Santiago Creek Greenbelt Plan. The Greenbelt Plan, part of the city’s General Plan, designated the two quarries on Santiago Creek to be open space once the mining had ceased. The Orange City Council has struggled for two decades to determine how to tran- sition these former mining sites from the resource/sand and gravel zoning to the Greenbelt Plan that was adopted 40 years ago. Having grown up here in the 70s, I remember when the Sully- Miller site was still in operation. The operators concealed the min- ing part of the site from passersby with thick rows of oleanders, and most of the property was a field full of wildflowers. The Hurwitz site had evolved on its own into a beautiful secret fishing spot. In 1972, I caught a three-pound largemouth bass in that pond. Fast-forward 50 years, and we discover the city has reneged on its promises to Orange residents. Milan Capital has been allowed to create a dumpsite for construction waste and demolition debris with stockpiles 40 feet high. Chandler LLC, the same company that is operating that dumpsite for Mi- lan, has purchased the Hurwitz property and applied for a permit to start another dumpsite on it. If approved, Chandler will bring in 1,250,000 cubic yards of con- struction waste and demolition debris to fill and destroy a beauti- ful canyon and wetland, which is home to two endangered species of birds. It is disappointing that in a day and age when citizens care more about their environment and waterways than ever before, the City of Orange is sidestep- ping its responsibility to preserve open space, and replacing it with dumpsites in the middle of resi- dential neighborhoods and next to a school. The dumping goes unmonitored and in violation of nuisance and zoning ordinances. There are no active grading or inert waste dump permits for the Sully-Miller site. And now, the city may grant Chandler a per- mit for the Hurwitz site without an Environmental Impact Re- port. This travesty would bring in 70,000 truckloads of construction detritus over five years -- all with- in 300 feet of the water recharge basin. Theodore Roosevelt warned about selfish men and greedy in- terests skinning our country of its beauty. It’s time for our city leaders and staff to stop skinning Orange and do the job we elected them to do: serve the citizens of Orange -- and not outside inves- tors. David Hillman has lived in Or- ange since 1963. A tale of two quarries and a city The regular March Silverado Modjeska Recreation and Parks District (SMRPD) meeting was decidedly irregular, with one director self-quarantining. The board made a quorum via on- line platform participation by other officers, and even attracted one audience member, intrepid Foothills Sentry reporter Scott Breedon, who watched and lis- tened to debate over the district’s response to likely closure of the Silverado Children’s Cen- ter: “Salaries are about $15,000 a month. After discussion, the board voted, 3-0, to cover the center’s expenses for two months, and an optional third month, with funds to be reimbursed over two years, or three years if the third month was covered.” This plan would avoid using reserves. Vice President Isabell Kerins posted minutes to the SMRPD website, which also included vigorous expressions of gratitude to staff. She pledged to notify families --- and, presumably, all community supporters --- that monetary do- nations utilizing Zelle or PayPal will be accepted to help offset ex- penses. The next SMRPD meet- ing, real or virtual, is scheduled for April 21. Girls gone wild Closure of state and county parks for three days after signifi- cant rains typically means a reli- able bump in visits to the Cleve- land National Forest. Marcella Gilchrist of the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary, now officially closed (like nearly everything, including library, Modjeska House, Com- munity Center), notes recently in- creased use of adjacent trails, es- pecially on weekend afternoons. Locals have seen fewer large groups, including the regular Fri- day night wine and cheese OC Meet-Up pilgrimage, which takes in the golden hour from the vista offered at the Goat Shed picnic table, about two miles up Harding Truck Trail. Yet rain, COVID-19, economic collapse, and official advisories to stay at home seem not to have stopped destination photography, with the reliable appearance of young men pos- ing with their high-performance automobiles parked against sce- nic canyon backdrops, or scant- ily-clad young women staging frisky tableaus (trail, mountains, sexy underwear, come-hither looks), neither of which scenarios President Teddy Roosevelt likely imagined when establishing the park named after Grover Cleve- land. S.O.B. Silverado Fire Station #16 and Modjeska #14 are closed to the public but, of course, their volun- teer crews continue to respond to calls, lately going out in protec- tive gear (goggles, masks, gowns) and anticipate arriving at homes, accident sites or other emergency locales with at least basic in- formation on the status of those requesting services. This means those using 911 need to report flu status of accident victims or CANYON BEAT By Janet Wilson By Andrew Tonkovich Planning ahead those requiring medical care. Add to our brave new lexicon the ac- ronym for “shortness of breath,” and expect that first responders will put a face mask on you or your loved one. Making sense The Census Bureau is part of the U.S. Department of Com- merce. Its local field work was also suspended, in mid-March, no surprise, but not before a handful of workers did their best to find canyon residents, deliver materi- als, and confirm participation by households in this federal gov- ernment project upon which so much county, state and federal decision-making relies. Workers carrying laptops may not be get- ting consistent GPS or online or telephone reception, and often lack the maps, moxie or fearless- ness required to navigate our nar- row canyon roads, negotiate gates and dogs, or find the entrance or entrances to a domicile, as my own, whose floor plan recalls that of the Winchester Mansion. Happily, Edison-contracted tree- trimming crews have cut limbs and cleared brush in past weeks, reducing risk of downed lines, and perhaps making it easier for census workers, emergency ser- vice providers, delivery drivers to actually find your place, espe- cially as many residents rely on neighbors and professionals to provide groceries, prescriptions or other essentials. “Notice to Destroy Weeds on Reverse Side” OC Public Works wins this month’s Top Award for Pleas- ing Syntax. The agency’s an- nual weed and vegetation abate- ment letter, delivered by mail to homeowners, makes for a fun read beyond its delightful header (weeds okay in front?), with oth- erwise useful and urgent removal guidelines, offered --- no, insisted upon --- toward preventing condi- tions that encourage, even invite, wildfires. The hit parade of the intrusive, noxious and hazard- ous includes dead palm fronds, Eucalyptus trees and branches, artichoke thistle and castor bean plants. Aguinaga Green in Baker Canyon will accept your truck- load of plant debris. Cold comfort With recent rain and cold temps, our favorite, and much- welcome sign of the times outside the U.S. Forest Service (Depart- ment of Agriculture) station on Silverado Canyon Road: “To- day’s Fire Danger: Low.” Life force The life of canyon friend, ac- tivist, advocate and role model of civic virtue Connie Nelson was celebrated at a standing-room-on- ly potluck at the Silverado Com- munity Center. She was LART (Large Animal Rescue Team) cer- tified, but extended her expertise, example and generosity to rescu- ing small animals, needy human animals, and making everyday struggles and joys seem equally urgent. Former Olive Elementary Ocelot Jason Sanders, a kicker for the NFL Miami Dolphins, returned to his home campus to serve as Principal for a Day with Principal Heather Darrow. OUSD sponsors the annual event, which allows a business or community leader a glimpse into the daily responsibilities of a school principal. Nature reclaimed an abandoned mining pit, now an oasis slated to be filled in with construction waste. Chandler LLC owns the 14-acre site and recently purchased the adjacent Blue Ribbon Nursery property. A large earth mover showed up there in late March.