Foothills Sentry April 2020

Foothills Sentry April 2020 Page 3 Lauren Minaya, a second grader at McPherson Magnet Elemen- tary School, was crowned Golden State Princess 2020 by the International Junior Miss Pag- eant, March 1. She also won the Achievement and Spirit award, Ms. Congeniality, Most Volunteer Hours, Best in Interview and Fun Fashion Attire, and was first runner-up in Talent and Casual Modeling. Her favorite subjects in school are science and math. After school, she participates in cheerleading and basketball, and volunteers at community events. The fate of short-term rentals (STRs) in Orange has fallen off the city council’s meeting agen- das, while city staff wrestles with the potential restrictions and re- quirements that will be written into a new ordinance. Short-term rentals were a fo- cus of council meetings for two months running, as unhappy neighbors urged the city to ban them entirely and landlords ex- tolled their benefits. With council members di- vided between an outright ban versus enforcement of existing city codes that could be applied to them, staff was asked to draft a controlling ordinance, but to leave an STR prohibition in the city’s back pocket. Staff interviewed several Or- ange residents to collect com- munity input, but that effort was curtailed due to COVID-19 re- strictions. When drafted, the ordinance will go to the planning commis- sion first, and the city council second. The expectation was that the review would happen in early summer, but, with the changes wrought by the virus outbreak, nothing is certain. STR ordinance falls off priority list Downtown Orange preschoolers prepared a poster to commemorate Mayor Mark Murphy’s visit on Read Across America Day. The students of Downtown Or- ange Preschool celebrated Read Across America Day, March 2, with Mayor Mark Murphy read- ing Dr. Seuss', “I Can Read With My Eyes Shut.” Murphy enter- tained students, parents and staff with an animated rendition of the book. He also reinforced the idea that reading is important and encouraged the children to read themselves. Students had an op- portunity to ask questions, and learned about his job and his dog Harley, who likes to accompany him when he rides his motorcy- cle. The preschool is located di- rectly across the street from city hall, so the students pass by the mayor’s office on weekly walks. Mayor Murphy reads to future voters