Foothills Sentry April 2023

Page 5 Foothills Sentry April 2023 Circulation … 40,000 Published on the last Tuesday of each month and distributed to residences, businesses, libraries and civic centers. Printing by Advantage, Inc. 714-532-4406 Fax: 714-532-6755 foothillssentry.com 1107 E. Chapman Ave., #207 Orange, CA 92866 © Foothills Sentry 2023 Publisher/Editor Anita Bennyhoff 1969-2013 Editor Tina Richards editor@foothillssentry.com Sports Editor Cliff Robbins sportseditor@att.net Graphic Designer Stephanie Gundran graphics@foothillssentry.com Advertising Sales Andie Mills advertising@foothillssentry.com 714-926-9299 Office Manager Kathy Eidson officemanager@foothillssentry. com Montessori Daycare 12922 Browing Ave. N. Tustin, 92705 (A block from Tustin Memorial Elementry) Call Anoma 714-858-0950 or 714-914-3696 Cmumindradasa@hotmail.com ACCEPTING CHILDREN FROM 4 MONTHS ONWARDS made sure I had access to speech therapy, occupational therapy, and an amazing inclusion special- ist who made sure I was success- ful in a general education class- room. I was given access to extra resources and patience from their commitment to making sure my needs were met. The people who have support- ed me didn’t see me for who I was, they saw me for who I could be. It didn’t matter to them what my diagnosis was on paper. Dr. Hansen and Mrs. Corella, and the people who have supported me, see people for their potential. Is that not the epitome of what you want from an educator? Faith in a student’s future is a virtue that should have shined above the board majority’s desire to prove whatever point they were trying to prove. What exactly was that point? Garrett Hartfelder Anaheim All thumbs Dear Editor: Someone will be killed. It is not a matter of “if,” it is a matter of "when." I’m talking about the Orange Circle and the confluence of hun- dreds of pedestrians and hundreds of cars and trucks. With the addi- tion of the parking structure and so many more restaurants, we’ve seen a massive increase in the number of people downtown. The speed limit is the same as it was 50 years ago. I often see cars coming into the Circle going 30 miles per hour, or more. There have already been people injured in the cross- walks. We can’t just do nothing until there is a fatality. I believe that the downtown area should be designated a “Pedestrian Safety Zone” with a 15 mph speed limit. Maybe install signage and rumble strips at the entry points at Maple, Almond, Lemon and Grand? Any cost to the city would probably be made up by the increased tax base that the new restaurants generate. Mitch Faris Orange Dear Editor: I read with interest the let- ter from a concerned Oakridge School parent about a potential construction waste site less than 50 feet to the east of the school. Perhaps she should be more con- cerned about the landfill that is directly next to the school on the west. The majority of the Oakridge property is located on the land- fill, except for the buildings. It is difficult to imagine that she is unaware of this existing condi- tion. The landfill was in operation from the 1950s to the early 60s. The methane travels under Villa Park Road, and there is an active methane mitigation system at the fire station property. There is ap- proximately one mile of landfill on the north side of Villa Park Road from Hewes to the old Sul- ly-Miller plant. Steve Palmer Orange Dear Editor: The March issue of the Foot- hills Sentry included three Let- ters to the Editor, all of which endorsed the revisioning of the Village/Orange Mall with a large condo complex. As a reminder, this includes 372 individual units and a design that fails to provide adequate parking. These letters did not sound as though they were actually written by regular people looking out for the best interest of the community and/or Orange. So we, the North Tustin Preser- vation Group (NTPG), did some research. The first letter on this topic was from Peter Vanik, vice president forward planning - Integral Com- munities. This letter is obviously biased, but it is transparent; I have no issue with it. Letter #2 was from a gentleman who lives next door to Matthew Cunningham. Letter #3 was from someone who lives on the same side of the street as Matthew Cun- ningham. So, who is Matthew Cunning- ham? Cunningham states: “I am a consultant to Integral Commu- nities, the owner of the JC Pen- ney portion of the mall site, and co-developer of the proposed for- sale townhome development with TRC Retail, which owns most of the mall site.” Cunningham is be- ing paid to promote housing at the Village/Orange Mall. Keeping all of this in mind, the question our group poses is: Did those neighbors write these letters, or did Matthew Cunning- ham? It’s strange that these letters came only from Cunningham’s neighbors. According to him, he has spent a considerable amount of time knocking on doors “sell- ing” the condo redevelopment idea. Did he not find anyone in any neighborhood other than his own who wanted to write in sup- port of this plan? If Cunningham actually wrote the letters and had his neighbors submit them to the Sentry , it would seem to be for the purpose of misleading our city council and our residents. The letters, taken at face value, might make one think that there is support from the community for the proposed condo development when there is not. In fact, there have been over 750 signatures collected from the community that do not support the project, as proposed. Our group’s concern is that these Letters to the Editor appear to be insincere and may actu- ally be manufactured PR tactics designed to mislead the public. Please stay informed and ask questions. Carol Chaney North Tustin Street Preservation Group Orange Dear Editor: No reasonable person denies the need to increase the supply of affordable housing in Cali- fornia. There is action the state legislature can take: use Caltrans properties for affordable housing projects. Doing so will not only provide low-income families and individuals with safe, secure and affordable housing, but it will also help alleviate the homeless- ness crisis in the City of Orange and surrounding cities. At the March 14 Orange City Council meeting, I called for the enactment of legislation to de- velop California Department of Transportation Maintenance Sta- tions located throughout Califor- nia into affordable housing proj- ects, and to also stop their assault on local city governments and our ability to regulate zoning and development within our jurisdic- tions. Caltrans owns property throughout California. Here in Orange, for example, the Caltrans properties at 1808 N. Batavia St. and 691 S. Tustin St. provide op- portunities to address this critical issue by developing them into af- fordable housing units. The state has taken numerous actions that have undermined local control, including the re- cent passage of SB9, SB10 and SB330. These bills allow for the development of up to four hous- ing units on single-family lots, and for the conversion of com- mercial properties into housing, respectively, without regard for local zoning laws. By taking away local control, the state is making it difficult for local governments to address their unique housing needs. Lo- cal governments should have the ability to determine the best use of land within their jurisdictions. We need to work together to address the housing crisis. De- veloping Caltrans Maintenance Station properties into affordable housing units is a step in the right direction, and local governments should have the ability to deter- mine the best use of land within their jurisdictions. Jon Dumitru Orange City Councilman, District 2 Dear Editor: The 14-acre Hurwitz site, lo- cated behind the Blue Ribbon Nursery, continues to be in the spotlight. Recall that Chandler seeks permission to dump five years’ worth of inert construction material onto the site, destroying the thriving riparian ecosystem in a designated Water of the State. The comment period for Chan- dler’s application to the Regional Water Board ended on Feb. 10. The Water Board received 372 letters in a huge outcry oppos- ing this waste disposal project and calling for greater analysis through an Environmental Im- pact Report. Under this pressure, the March 17 public hearing was postponed. In the meantime, because Chandler illegally graded and paved the Blue Ribbon Nursery without permits, rain runoff from the entire property is being sent down the west slope of the Hur- witz site. This illegal action has caused major erosion, polluting and depositing the material down into the pond. It is illegal to, on purpose or otherwise, cause the filling of the Waters of the State. In order for the Water Board to grant a permit for a waste dis- posal operation, Chandler must prove it has a good reason to fill the Hurwitz site. Ironically, its stated reason is to solve the ero- sion problem it has created. Under the State’s Clean Water Act, the Regional Water Board has a legal obligation to protect the Hurwitz wetlands. The ero- sion problem Chandler cites as justification for the permit appli- cation has been created by its own illegal grading operation. Our city should not look the other way like it did on Sully- Miller. The city needs to lead the way and require Chandler to rem- edy the public nuisance that it has created. Chandler must be held accountable to solve the erosion issues. This is an easy fix if city staff will use its enforcement authority and work with the Water Board to prevent further damage to this precious natural resource. David Hillman Orange Explore volunteerism with the Assistance League Assistance League of Orange has wrapped up a successful year onboarding over 25 new mem- bers, and is hoping for more to join its ranks. An informational Open House for Membership will be held on Thurs., April 27 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Assistance League Chapter House, 124 S. Orange Street, featuring appetiz- ers and drinks. Membership Vice President Laura Farr is, “look- ing for women and men wanting to give back to their community while forming lasting relation- ships.” Assistance League runs over a dozen charitable programs that its new members engage with dur- ing their first year. Several have recently taken on leadership roles on committees that organize these efforts and the fundraising that supports this work. Membership in Assistance League has been a great fit for Darlene DeCenzo who said, “The members are friendly and welcoming. And, as a recent retiree, it has provided me with a purpose and opportunity to give back to the community.” Joining Assistance League helped Pam Carlson, “discover a new sense of purpose as well as a network of invaluable friendships.” Another new member commented that she had, “never met a nicer, harder working group,” and looks for- ward to her second year. To explore your passion for volunteerism, contact Member- ship@alorange.org and make plans to attend the Open House. See assistanceleague.org/or- ange/chapter-membership for more information. Trinity presents "Whatever Happened to Rock N. Roley?" Welcome to Roley City, USA. It is Saturday night, Aug. 15, 1959, and we are celebrating the five-year reunion of the class of 1954 from Roley High School. One of the success stories of the class is alumnus Rock N. Rol- ey. His musical career took off right out of high school, and his fame is now widespread. He gra- ciously came back for the reunion and gave a concert this afternoon. We’re here at the malt shop, Maltie’s Falcon, waiting for the arrival of Rock N. Roley after the concert. The malt shop is run by Maltie, who was here when the kids were in high school, and is still here, older and wiser. Hey, here comes the group of friends who are the characters in tonight's mystery: Joe Kawledge, Rick Alcitrant, Del Toydes, Cal Q. Layder, Penny Loafer, E.Z. Ryder, Pris Teene, and Dee Deuc- er. But no Rock N. Roley. And so begins the murder mys- tery dinner. Clues abound dur- ing the three-act play. Audience members will have the opportu- nity to determine “who done it.” The Trinity Players and Out- reach will present this one-time- only event on Saturday, May 20; 6 p.m. appetizers, three-course meal begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets: $20 adults; $8 children 6 - 11; 5 and under, free. Trinity Episcopal Church is located at 1600 N. Ca- nal Street. (714) 637-1390.