Foothills Sentry April 2022

Page 3 Foothills Sentry April 2022 7540 E. Chapman Ave. Orange, CA 92869 (714) 639-9792 MEAT&DELI, PRODUCE, BAKERY, FRESH FISH, GIFT BASKETS, WINE MON-SAT: 8am - 9pmSUN: 8am - 8pm www.Pac i�i cRanchMarket.com $ OFF Excluding alcoholic beverages and tobacco products. With coupon only. May not be combined with any other offer or discount. Limit one coupon per customer. Valid only at P aci�ic Ranch Market. When You Spend $25 or More * EXPIRES: 04/30/22 5 OC’s Premier ProduceMarket MAY 7, 2022 Presented by Giracci Vineyards & Farm s PURCHASE TICKETS AT: OCWINEANDSPIRITFEST.COM OC Wine & Spirit Festival is a modern tasting experience featuring global tastings that include wine, craft beer, spirits, hard seltzers, and more. Located at Giracci Vineyards & Farms in Silverado Canyon. Citizen takes on county contractor and succeeds where officials failed By Tina Richards When Laurel Maldonado learned that Waste Management (WM) was raising its collection rates from $10 a month to $102 month for her 95-gallon cart for horse manure she was, she said, “glad she was sitting down.” Not only was the rate increas- ing by 900%, the size of the ma- nure carts was being decreased from 95- to 65-gallons. “We were going to be charged a lot more for a lot less,” she reasoned. “It was going to cost more to dispose of my horses’ waste than it does to feed them.” Less than helpful After catching her breath, she called everyone she could think of: the county waste and recy- cling director, Third District Supervisor Don Wagner, Waste Management. She was assured by everyone that the company was well within its legal rights to charge those rates, and there was nothing she could do about it. The county had approved a 10-year contract with WM last year, and that, she was told, was final. Maldonado lives in the county portion of Orange Park Acres. Already stung by the rate increase imposed by the 2021 contract, and the knowledge that her neighbors with a City of Orange address pay substantially less for the same service from a different company, she did what no one else apparently could. She read the contract. Its all in the name Waste Management was de- fending its rate hike by labeling horse properties in Orange Park Acres and the canyons as “com- mercial.” The commercial bin rate is $102. Maldonado dis- covered that the language in the contract that defines “residen- tial” and “commercial” did not support that claim. The contract written by WM and signed by the county waste management direc- tor states: “Residential premises shall also mean any building or site from which horse manure is generated, including but not limited to maintenance and boarding of horses, provided such premises include a residence used for human shelter.” It further states, “Commercial premises shall not mean any building or site from which horse manure is generated, including but not limited to maintenance and boarding of horses.” The contract is clear: Orange ParkAcres customers are residen- tial, and cannot be charged com- mercial rates for manure disposal. Read the fine print In addition, Maldonado found that the contract does not limit the size of carts available to cus- tomers and Waste Management cannot arbitrarily replace 95-gal- lon carts with 65 gallon ones. The brown manure carts are not spe- cifically mentioned at all. A line on page 30 of the contract notes that collection services for ma- nure shall be according to the rate defined in an appendix. That ap- pendix, however, refers to larger metal bins and not carts. The amateur sleuth shared the contract details with the county, and a Zoom meeting was set up to discuss her findings. During the meeting with Supervisor Don Wagner, County Waste and Recy- cling Director Tom Koutroulis, a representative from Waste Man- agement and Maldonado, it was agreed that under the existing contract, WM could not charge commercial rates for residential customers. The rate hike that was intended to be effective Jan. 1 has been put on hold while WM’s attorneys “review the contract.” Mask requirements eased in OUSD schools By Gunn Marie Hansen, OUSD Superintendent In alignment with our Safety & Health-Driven Plan, Orange Uni- fied continues to follow public health guidance and mandates to allow for full in-person instruc- tion in the safest way possible. At no point in time have we created stricter guidance than our county and state. The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updated K-12 Schools Guidance to reflect that masks will no longer be required for unvaccinated students and staff members in K-12, but will be strongly recommended for all individuals in most indoor settings. The first day of in-class instruction with voluntary masking – both outdoors and indoors – was March 14. There is no distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated in the state masking policy. We remain committed to fos- tering supportive school environ- ments where we respect individ- ual choice for those who choose to continue wearing masks and those who choose not to wear masks. We ask that you also re- spect and support personal choice and treat each other with respect and kindness. We understand that the state lifting the mask requirement may cause anxiety for some people, especially those who are at higher risk for COVID or live with someone who is at higher risk. Please note that mask wearing is still strongly recommended by the state and is an option for every student or staff member who wishes to wear one. OUSD will continue to follow other COVID-19 precautions and guidance, including frequent hand washing, enhanced ventilation, cleaning and disinfecting practices and case tracking. Face masks will continue to be provided upon request. Current volunteer processes and testing requirements will remain unchanged. As we begin to transition from pandemic response into a new chapter where we can use more routine disease control tactics, we will not only be ready if and when something changes, but we have built stronger and more flexible systems for the future. Thank you for your partnership and support. I truly appreciate your patience and understanding as we take every step to preserve the health of our students and staff while keeping our community as safe and healthy as possible. Easter Sonrise coming to OPA The annual Cowboy Easter Sonrise service at the horse arena on Santiago Canyon Road will be led by Pastor Larry Day at 7 a.m. on Sunday, April 17. “Come one, come all,” Day says, “and that means your dog, horse or any other companion. This may be the last cowboy ser- vice, as the land the arena sits on is for sale, and the cowboy preacher is getting mighty old. But for now, the tradition lives on.” Day will be joined by Margaret Steinberg’s Blue Grass Friends and his favorite horses, Merlin, Pearl and Jules. Bring a folding chair. The service includes free bibles, donuts, coffee and music. Laurel Maldonado and Rain