NEWS INSIDE A Monthly Community Newspaper MAY 2025 Canyon Beat Page 6 Obituaries Page 9 Service Directory Pages 11-12 Professional Directory Page 13 Community Sports Page 14-15 The Best News In Town Since 1969 FOLLOW US at Foothills Sentry GOING, GOING, BUT NOT GONE Decommissioned and empty Orange fire station will house a museum and learning center until the city tears it down. See Old, page 4 LAST HURRAH Retiring Orange police chief presents his final crime report, reflecting a decrease in misdeeds and mayhem. See Chief, page 13 THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING Campaign contributions in Orange can now be transferred from one political committee to another. See Orange Council, page 2 TALK OF THE TOWNE Orange leaders field topical questions at the annual State of Old Towne meeting. See Officials, page 5 SPEAK THE LANGUAGE Villa Park High French classes puts language skills to test in lavish wedding ceremony. See French, page 8 See "RSCCD" continued on page 3 See "Tiptoe" continued on page 3 See "Lorenzo" continued on page 3 An estimated 2,000 people gathered at O range City Hall, lining both sides of Chapman Avenue, April 5, to protest the nation’s current administration. 7he rall\ Zas part of a nationZide effort that tooN place in all states. RSCCD finds funds hidden by insurance cooperative By Tina Richards $n off the Eooks cache of money, totaling some 1 mil lion, was hidden from the Eoard of 5ancho Santiago Community College 'istrict (5SCC'), its au ditors and the SuElic as far Eack as 1 7he funds were held in an ac count Ey the district¶s insurer $l liance of Schools for CooSerative ,nsurance Programs ($SC,P), a nonSro¿t Moint Sowers author ity wherein school districts Sool their money for SroSerty, liaEil ity and health insurance 7o date, aEout 1 0 school districts in Cali fornia are memEers of $SC,P Unreported surplus :hen Sayments e[ceeded claims, the surSlus was aSSar ently credited Eack to districts via a risk management deSosit fund :hile those funds Eelonged to the memEer district, they were never disEursed ,n 5SCC'¶s case, those funds were never reSorted to anyone Eeyond a handful of district administrators 7hey were never included in the district¶s Eudget and never disclosed to the ¿rm that handled 5SCC'¶s an nual audit 7he Board of 7rustees dis covered the unknown account in mid 202 when it was reviewing SroSosals for emSloyee health in surance $n $SC,P memEer since 1 , it had signed on for health insurance in 201 and was deEat ing whether to renew that Solicy or switch to $etna, which was offering a comSetitive rate 7he Eoard was advised that $SC,P would Ee cheaSer in the long run, due to the reEates :hat reEates" Barry 5esnick, a retired Santiago Community Col lege Srofessor, wondered where those reEates were ,f the district was getting money Eack, why were some emSloyee Sremiums so high" He Eegan his own inves tigation, learned of $SC,P¶s unre Sorted risk management fund and OUSD honors legacy of Lorenzo Ramirez By Tina Richards $ triEute to Loren]o 5amire], a Slaintiff in the landmark lawsuit that ended school segregation in California, gave sSeakers at the $Sril 1 Orange 8ni¿ed School 'istrict Board meeting a Slatform to Eroach the idea of renaming Jordan (lementary School after the historic ¿gure Jordan (lementary is the clos est school to where 5amire] lived in (l 0odena, the Earrio wherein he raised his family and fought for educational eTuality for his children 7he name change was ¿rst reTuested in 2011, Eut SroSo nents were told the district only named schools after the streets they were on O8S' did name the (l 0ode na LiErary after 5amire] and Sro claimed that it would honor him every year on 0arch 2, the anni versary of the 1 ruling Since then, the date and recognition for him has fallen Ey the wayside 7imes may have changed Board President .ris (rickson and Orange Councilwoman $na *utierre] Slaced the $Sril 1 ac knowledgement on that night¶s meeting agenda (rickson noted the contriEutions 5amire] had made to education in general and the local community sSeci¿cally ³5arely does a community wit ness something so historically signi¿cant as that court case,´ she said She Sointed out that O8S' teaches the 5amire] story in grades , and 11, Eut admitted that memories can fade Making up for lost time ³1one of us were on the Eoard in 2011,´ she said, ³Eut today, O8S' is committed to ensure this imSortant legacy lives on ´ :hile (rickson did not men tion renaming a school after him, several 5amire] family memEers and friends who were in atten dance did Janice Pere] lived two doors down from the 5amire] family She shared her e[Seri Serrano Avenue to lose trees Orange/Milan tiptoe towards Sully-Miller site solution Orange Homeowners near Ser rano $venue may soon wake to the sound of chainsaws ,f the Orange City Council aS Sroves, PuElic :orks Slans to immediately remove 2 mature trees on Serrano Eetween Can non Street and Orange Park Bou levard 7he removal Slan is Sart of a SroSosed tree maintenance agreement Eetween the city and the 0aEury 5anch Homeowners $ssociation $ total of 12 of the 22 trees turned over to the city for mainte nance are earmarked for removal Seventy one of those are (uca lyStus trees which, according to the staff reSort, ³tySically sustain failure without any sign of defect which, can create a safety ha] ard ´ )ifty seven of the trees to Ee removed on Serrano are Canary ,sland Sines, descriEed in the re Sort as showing no sign of dis ease Eut, according to staff, were Slanted too close to walls 7he city estimates the cost to remove the Sines at 1,000 Council is scheduled to consider the agree ment at its 0ay 1 meeting $ Letter of ,ntent (LO,) Eetween the City of Orange, 0ilan 5(, ; and Landify (C7, for Sotential oSen sSace develoSment on the acre Sully 0iller dumSsite in (ast Orange is Sunctuated with mayEes 7he maMority of the site falls within the Orange Park $cres SSeci¿c Plan $SSroved Ey the city council $Sril 22, the letter is essentially a good faith agreement detailing the Sarties roles and resSonsiEilities as the SroSerty is evaluated for oSen sSace Sark SossiEilities 0ilan, the SroSerty owner has Eeen talking with Landify, a comSany that reclaims degraded land, aEout a SossiEle transformation of the site to oSen sSace Sark ,t has also Eeen talking to the city aEout acceSting the land as an oSen sSace Sark in consideration of other develoSment SroSosals 7he document does not commit the Sarties to move forward on a Sark SroMect, which is contingent on feasiEility studies (soils and environmental reSorts) and the 5egional :ater 4uality Control Board¶s assessment of any Sotential ha]ardous materials deSosited on the site 7he agreement enaEles 0ilan and Landify to Sroceed with their due diligence on the SroSosed SroMect, Eut when comSleted, the Sarties retain sole discretion whether to continue or not ,f they choose to continue, Landify will suEmit a SroSosal for the city to review and aSSrove $t that time, the Sarties may Sroceed with the design Shase, entitlements and de¿nitive agreements 7he LO, is clear that the Sarties have the right to terminate it with or without cause, that the city is not committed to aSSrove anything, and that 0ilan may develoS an alternative use for the site Councilwoman $rianna Barrios noted the long history of the Sully 0iller site and wanted to Ee sure that the city would have no Canary I sland pines line a portion of Serrano Avenue
Foothills Sentry Page 2 MAY 2025 Jadtec Security Services is joining forces with Post Alarm Systems! A New Era of Protection + ACO 1843 | PPO 10170 | Contractors License 670585 24/7 Local Alarm Monitoring from Post Alarm’s UL-listed Monitoring & Dispatch Facility Custom Design & Professional Installation Video Surveillance Systems Live Video Monitoring & Verification Smart Home Upgrades & Integration SCHEDULE YOUR IN-HOME ASSESSMENT TODAY! Through this partnership our current and future clients can expect: • Access to faster service and installation windows via a larger team of local technicians • Local alarm monitoring via Post Alarm’s owned-andoperated central station • Enhanced security solutions that provide proactive protection, like live video monitoring & verification From one multi-generation, family-owned company to another, we’re excited to provide more powerful security solutions and service to the communities we call home. We’re thrilled to announce that Jadtec Security Services is joining Post Alarm Systems, bringing together two familyowned and locally operated companies deeply rooted in our communities, each with decades of experience safeguarding homes and businesses throughout Southern California. United in Protecting Southern California Homes & Businesses postalarm.com (949) 894-4839 Orange council's weakening of campaign contribution ordinance irks its initiator By Tina Richards Following the money donated to political campaigns has been Shirley Grindle’s personal crusade for 50 years. She has successfully spearheaded local ordinances restricting contributions and does not take kindly to back- pedaling on that front. Her appointment to the county planning commission in the 1970s gave her insights into the impact large campaign donations and gifts had on individual politicians and the favoritism that resulted. She initiated a campaign finance ordinance, TIN CUP (Time Is Now, Clean Up Politics), and convinced the Board of Supervisors to adopt it. Effective in December 1978, it limited contributions to $1,000 per election cycle. In 1992, she amended the TIN CUP ordinance to ease compliance. County supervisors placed it on the ballot, and it passed with 85% of the vote. Since then, she has promoted ordinances prohibiting county employees from accepting gifts and post-employment lobbying, and helped create a county ethics commission approved by voters in 2014. The cities of Orange and Anaheim subsequently adopted the TIN CUP ordinance. A resident of Orange, she now focuses her attention primarily on those cities. Thanks, but no thanks Last year, the Orange County district attorney awarded her a Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Campaign Finance Reform. She was invited to attend an Orange City Council meeting the following month to accept a similar honor. She declined. “There is no way I will accept an award from a city council that deliberately weakened the Orange campaign ordinance solely for its benefit. Council members created a loophole whereby they could unknowingly accept donations over the contribution limit that are laundered through other candidate-controlled committees.” Grindle’s ire was ignited by the Orange Council’s 4-3 vote to rescind a campaign finance limitation from the municipal code last May. A city ordinance relating to campaign donations had prohibited donations from one candidatecontrolled political committee to another. In other words, Candidate A could not funnel money to Candidate B through his or her campaign committee. By the same token, a donor who had met the contribution limit for Candidate A could give money to Candidate B, whose committee could in turn pass it on to Candidate A. An unnecessary loophole Grindle sees that restriction as a means to circumvent individuals or special interests from exceeding contribution limits for a specific candidate or measure. Because Orange now has by-district elections, candidates have fewer voters to reach, which means campaigns cost less and fundraising efforts are more focused. An individual in a given district may donate to a candidate running in that district. They may not, Grindle asserts, want their candidate’s committee to pass their donation on to a candidate running in another district. “Councilmembers Jon Dumitru, Denis Bilodeau, John Gyllenhammer and Kathy Tavoularis degraded a campaign ordinance that has been recognized up and down the State of California,” she says. “The loophole they created is in opposition to the purpose of the ordinance, which is to prevent evasion of contribution limits by funneling or laundering them.” If a candidate in one district wants to support a candidate running in a different district, she says, they can write a check. They are free to do so, up to the maximum ($1,500) allowed. Calling the restriction an infringement on free speech and unconstitutional, both Jon Dumitru and Denis Bilodeau pointed out that Orange, Anaheim and Orange County are the only jurisdictions in the nation to prohibit candidate committee transfers. Dumitru added that there have been no legal challenges to the restriction and no findings to support it because "it doesn’t exist anywhere else." Supported by law Grindle suggests that Dumitru may be mistaken. “Since many California local ordinances are patterned after TIN CUP, one would have to wade through 180 city and 27 county codes to prove or disprove that,” she notes. And there has been a legal challenge. An Alaska Supreme Court case found that the ban on inter-committee transfers was constitutional because the “state has a right to enforce its contribution limits; no one’s free speech rights are being violated; it prevents the funneling of contributions through candidate-controlled committees.” She also notes a 2002 finding from the California Attorney General that “a county ordinance may prohibit the transfer of funds from campaign committees.” That opinion restates a 1995 Attorney General report that said a candidate may accept inter-committee transfers “unless prohibited from doing so by county ordinance.” The same applies to city ordinances, Grindle says. “Just because we’re one of the few,” Arianna Barrios contended during the council discussion, “that doesn’t make us wrong. Sometimes standing up for the right thing is the right thing to do.” Barrios, along with Ana Gutierrez and Mayor Dan Slater, voted against the amendment to change the ordinance. “I’m deferring to Shirley Grindle,” Slater said. “She’s devoted her life to this. Perhaps other cities should hold Orange up and say this is a model for the correct direction.” SCC MUN team wins top honors Santiago Canyon College's (SCC) Model United Nations (MUN) team earned the Outstanding Delegation Award—the highest team honor presented—at the 2025 National Model United Nations (NMUN) Conference in New York City. This marks the sixth consecutive year SCC has achieved this distinction, showcasing the college’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence and global engagement. The NMUN conference is the world's largest and oldest ongoing intercollegiate Model UN, with participants representing more than 250 colleges and universities from over 100 countries. In addition to the team’s success, students Jenna Darwish and Sabine Farhat received the Outstanding Research and Position Paper Award for their work representing the General Assembly Third Committee. SCC student Elyse Halbreich achieved individual distinction by being selected to chair the General Assembly Third Committee—one of NMUN’s premier bodies—and was also invited to join the NMUN staff for its Washington, D.C. conference this fall. Complementing the student successes, SCC Professors Chris Haynes, Michiko Kuroda, and Professor Cale Crammer co-organized a session focused on international diplomacy education. Shirley Grindle
Page 3 Foothills Sentry MAY 2025 Conservation. Another great American pastime. Learn more at at www.eocwd.com "RSCCD" continued from page 1 "Lorenzo" continued from page 1 "Tiptoe" continued from page 1 Presented by the Community Foundation of Orange Thursday, June 5 6:00 – 9:30 PM 2025 GALA Please join us for the annual Honoring our Orange City Fire ghters Please RSVP by May 20 Erica Mae and her new romance book, the Stars of Scotland - the first in her Scottish Stars series Local Author! Book available now at Barnes and Noble or a cute shop in Anaheim - Heartbound Book Shop. Michael Ramirez, son of Lorenzo Ramirez speaks to the audience, flanked by his brother Tony and Niece Layla Grajeda. ences as a segregated student and stressed that a school should be named after him, so what he has done “can never be erased.” Layla Grajeda, a niece of Ramirez and an El Modena High student, noted that she appreciates that the school library honors “someone I can relate to.” Need to know Orange Councilwoman Ana Gutierrez, a staunch supporter of a future Lorenzo Ramirez elementary school, made her case by recounting how she grew up in El Modena, but knew nothing about the neighbor who changed public education in California. “I’ve lived in El Modena my whole life, grew up with the Ramirez cousins, played with them, went to school with them. I had no idea of their uncle’s impact,” she said. “I didn’t learn about the Mendez case until 2002. I didn’t learn about the 'et als' (Ramirez, Guzman, Estrada, Palomino) until five years ago. I was surprised to learn El Modena was part of it. "There has to be something in El Modena that tells residents what happened here, she asserted, "to tell the story of a brave man. Naming a school after him is a good way to do that, and Jordan is the most appropriate one." “We need to highlight Mr. Ramirez and make it permanent in the El Modena Barrio, she concluded. The conversation, Erickson summarized, is just starting. Orange Elks donate to community partners The Orange Elks Lodge recently donated funds to HomeAid Orange County for La Veta Village and to the Ronald McDonald House. La Veta Village is a unique and affordable housing community for families and seniors experiencing homelessness. The lodge donated $2,500 to help provide small homes to the unhoused and low-income seniors. The Ronald McDonald House received $2,600 to provide housing and support for families when their child needs long-term medical care in a local hospital. From left, Elk Terrie Schatz, HomeAid board member Dave Prolo, Elk Janine Storm, HomeAid Executive Director Gina Cunningham and Elk Marilyn Dinger. From left, Ronald McDonald House Executive Director Noel Burcelis, with Orange Elks Marilyn Dinger and Terrie Schatz alerted Trustee Phil Yarbrough. Yarbrough, a board member since 1996, chair of the district’s fiscal/audit committee and president of a mortgage corporation that he founded, was furious. Why was that money not disclosed? Who was hiding it? How long has this been going on? What laws have been broken? He demanded the money be returned. He hired a forensic audit firm (separate from the annual auditors) to look into it. The firm was able to trace the fund back to 1997, noting the balance ranged from $1 to $7.1 million. ASCIP reported the fund as a lump sum on its financial statements, but did not specify how much, including interest, belonged to RSCCD or any other district. Audit did not augur well The audit, completed in March, identified numerous violations of California state law and the state education code. The violations included funds not being reported as district assets, nor provided to external auditors; inaccurate accounting methodology; failure to disclose fund balances; improper investments or use of excess funds; and the impairment of public confidence. The audit also noted that Chancellor Martin Martinez and his staff were aware of the risk management fund and received annual statements, but did not share them with the board or the independent auditor. Further, the chancellor misled the board about who held the funds or how they were allocated in the budget. The chancellor had claimed during an October board meeting that the funds were audited every year and the board should have known about it. The district’s independent auditor later advised that he didn’t know anything about the ASCIP fund until he read about it in the L.A. Times. The short version of the forensic audit’s findings, Yarbrough says, is that “it is illegal for a school district to have any financial holdings not reported to the public. Every penny must be accounted for in the budget. In this case, ASCIP was holding district funds that neither the board, the auditor nor the taxpayers knew anything about.” He notes that there are two elements in this deception: employee discipline and potential criminality. “All the board can do is deal with the involved staff members. We don’t know who, if anyone, benefitted from the unreported fund. We can’t launch a criminal investigation, but Barry and I have referred the matter to the state Attorney General. That office is looking into it.” Although RSCCD got its $7.1 million back, it is not clear whether the other impacted districts did. “This has statewide implications," Resnick says. “RSCCD is just one part of it." To Yarbrough, however, RSCCD is what matters. “I’ve devoted 30 years to this district because I care about it,” he says. “I’m chair of the fiscal committee, and I was kept in the dark. I’m doing everything I can to right the wrong and to assure taxpayers that this will never happen again.” responsibility regarding the cleanup of the property, and that “any materials that shouldn’t be there would not put the city at risk.” Interim City Attorney Wayne Winthers explained that the city is not the property owner and that Orange is not responsible for anything at this point. “If the city is not doing anything under this agreement,” Barrios asked, “why are we signing this?” “To give the parties a comfortable feeling that they can work towards this goal,” Winthers replied. Barrios voted "no" on the Letter of Intent. The six other councilmembers voted "yes."
Foothills Sentry Page 4 MAY 2025 JOHNSON MOTORCARS 34 Years of Specializing in the Service and Repair of Mercedes-Benz Gary Johnson 714-997-2567 982 N. Batavia # B13, Orange, CA 92867 gary@johnsonmotorcars.com 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 2025 Publisher/Editor Anita Bennyhoff 1969-2013 Editor Tina Richards editor@foothillssentry.com Sports Editor Cliff Robbins sportseditor@att.net Graphic Designer Jef Maddock graphics@foothillssentry.com Advertising Sales Andie Mills advertising@foothillssentry.com 714-926-9299 OffiƤe Manager officemanager@foothillssentry.com Villa Park High School Saturday May 10 8 am - 1 pm Rain or Shine - Spectators FREE - 501(c)(3) - All proceeds benefit music education at Villa Park High School. TAX ID: 95-3537732 Email to register: Jamie Sokoll jamiecsokoll@gmail.com Check-In 6 am Gates Open 8 am Judging 11 am Awards 12 pm Live Music! Register Today! 21st Annual Car & Bike Show Scan to register a vehicle Scan to register vendor booth Guest Commentary Former fire headTuarters vew -ra for Orange Änifiedؚ stabilityؙ planning and ƤoǼǼunity engageǼent By K ris E rickson School board meetings in Orange 8ni¿ed may no longer be making headlines, but that doesn’t mean critical work is not happening. In fact, the board has been hard at work ensuring the long-term success of our district Ey fostering civility, securing ¿ nancial staEility, and Slanning for the future. $t the start of the year, the Eoard held several study sessions, including one on governance We committed to strengthening our decision making Srocess Ey prioritizing respectful dialogue and collaboration. With the addition of new members, we took the oSSortunity to set new norms, Srioriti]ing Sroductive deEate while ensuring that even when disagreements arise, they remain constructive ,n a time when public meetings can often Eecome contentious, we Eelieve that school leaders should set an example for students. )inancial staEility remains a Sriority for this Eoard ,n June 202 , after two years of nego tiations, the Eoard aSSroved a raise for district emSloy ees, Eringing our Say scale to the median of comparable districts. This was accomplished using reserve funds strategically set aside for this SurSose 7oday, Orange 8ni¿ed maintains a 200 million reserve, a necessary cushion as the district prepares for potential budget reductions and shifts in federal funding. Looking ahead, declining enrollment is a reality faced Ey school districts across California, mostly driven Ey lower Eirth rates and shifting demographics. In January 202 , the Eoard aSSroved a comSrehensive study to assess the impact of enrollment changes on Orange 8ni¿ed, and to e[ plore whether school consolidations could Srovide oSSortunities to upgrade facilities while cutting costs 7his initiative aligns with our commitment to serving stu dents in modern, well-equi pped campuses while ensuring responsible use of resources. Facilities planning remains a key focus :ith 0easure S SroM ects nearing completion, our high school facilities are serving our students well. The board has now turned its attention to elementary schools, which are in clear need of upgrades. Our $sset 0anagement Plan aims to oStimi]e revenue streams and maintain district assets for the long term. Consolidations, if deemed necessary, could lead to signi¿cant investments in camSus imSrovements and the Sotential for state matching funds, ensuring our schools are not only well maintained, but equi pped for the future. 8ltimately, our goal is to en hance educational Tuality for all students Ey • Reducing combination classes • Reintroducing assistant principals ,ncreasing staff collaEoration to imSrove student outcomes In December, the board brought in former Superintendent 0ichael Christensen as ,nterim SuSerintendent He has offered steady, e[Serienced, and thought ful leadership during a crucial time of transition. He will continue to serve through the end of the school year, and the Eoard is grateful for his service Orange 8ni¿ed School 'istrict is preparing to welcome its next Superintendent—a milestone moment for the community 7he board expects the name to be public soon. The search for a permanent suSerintendent attracted 2 highly Tuali¿ed aSSlicants )ollowing a thorough selection process, the Eoard unanimously chose a leader they Eelieve will drive the district¶s Srogress Community engagement was instrumental in the search, with more than a dozen forums and over 2,000 survey responses shaping the criteria for selection 7he Eoard is con¿dent that its ¿nal choice reÀects the Sriorities identi¿ed Ey those who participated. $s the district moves forward, the board encourages continued involvement from Sarents, stu dents and community memEers :hile meetings have Eecome less contentious, they remain an important space for discussion. Our students are our number one Sriority, and a well informed and engaged community ensures that Orange 8ni¿ed will continue to thrive and uShold its commit ment to excellence in education. .ris (ricNson is president of the 28S' %oard of (ducation. Local college district faces leadership challenges By Barry Resnick Over my four decades as a fac ulty memEer in the 5ancho Santi ago Community College 'istrict (5SCC'), ,¶ve had the Srivilege of working with some outstanding educational leaders. U nfortunately, ,¶ve also witnessed a few whose failed leadership brought embarrassment to our community¶s two colleges ,n the early 1 0s, Santa $na College was led Ey J :illiam :enrich, a visionary who recog ni]ed the need for a community college in East Orange. His leadershiS was instrumental in laying the foundation for what would Eecome Santiago Canyon Col lege His legacy set a high stan dard that has Sroven di൶cult for successors to match. )ifteen years ago, 5aul 5odri gue] assumed leadershiS over both Santa Ana and Santiago Canyon Colleges One of his most controversial decisions was entering into a training contract with two colleges in Saudi AraEia, SurSortedly to generate ad ditional revenue 7he deal Tuickly unraveled when Rodriguez stated that female emSloyees from the district would not be allowed to particiSate on site :hat was originally touted as a 100 million oSSor tunity ultimately yielded a mere 0,000, which was not even enough to helS offset the legal costs of a faculty ¿led lawsuit 7oday, 5SCC' serves over 50,000 students across multiple sites, with an annual budget nearing a Eillion dollars 0arvin 0ar tinez, who became chancellor in 201 , initially insSired oStimism However, his recent actions have cast doubts upon his leadership. Some may think community college leadership is of limited relevance, Eut it¶s your ta[ dollars that operate both our community¶s two colleges and related sites $dditionally, local Eond 0ea sures E and Q, which imposed long term ¿nancial commitments on ta[Sayers, are administered Ey this very leadershiS 2൵ site and oXt oI sight 0artine] is now at the center of a growing controversy involving 1 million in ta[Sayer funds 0ultiSle news outlets²includ ing the Orange County 5egister, Times/ OC, and Foothills Sen tr\²have reSorted that the funds were kept in an account managed Ey a vendor, not on the district¶s books. The Alliance of Schools for CooSerative ,nsurance Programs ($SC,P), which has managed 5SCC'¶s various insurance cov erages since 1 , oSerates as a risk pool with other school districts $SC,P was e[Sected to re turn excess premiums after reconciliation of the pool, but instead those funds were retained in an $SC,P controlled account 5SCC' 7rustee PhilliS Yar brough called for the immediate return of the money uSon discov ering its e[istence last June He also alleged that district leadership had withheld information about the fund from the board. A forensic audit, initiated at YarErough¶s reTuest, con¿rmed that the funds had Eeen keSt off the district¶s Eooks since 1 (ven the auditors were keSt in the dark about the fund. The audit also found education code viola tions and inherent ¿nancial con Àicts of interest 7his Slaces 0artine] in a di൶ cult position. There is no record showing the Eoard was ever in formed of the account during his tenure. At the same time, he cannot crediEly claim ignorance Ee cause he is ultimately resSonsiEle for overseeing the district¶s ¿nan cial stewardship. ,nstead, 0artine] has gone on the defensive, SuElicly dismiss ing YarErough¶s concerns as ³reckless´ and hiring a law ¿rm to refute the audit’s conclusions. Regardless of how this unfolds, one thing is clear it¶s Eecoming yet another leadershiS challenge for our community colleges²one that ta[Sayers cannot afford to ig nore. 'r. %arr\ 5esnicN retired as a professor of counseling from the 5SCC' in haYing serYed for \ears. Old fire departǼent headȮuarters to house teǼporary fire ǼuseuǼ Orange¶s decommissioned ¿re department headqua rters, unused and slated for demolition, will be the temSorary home of a ¿re mu seum and learning center, beginning in early summer 7he ¿re station on $lmond and Grand Street in Old Towne has Eeen emSty since the deSartment moved into its new headTuarters on ChaSman $venue in 2022 7he Orange City Council agreed, $Sril , to lease the ground Àoor of the building to the Call to Adventure California )ire 0useum for 1 until it is ultimately torn down 7he second Àoor of the building is considered unsafe, and the stairway will Ee Elocked off 7he ground level will Ee re furbished and cleaned up before exhibits are installed. :hat Eetter location for a ¿re museum than a ¿re station, Hoddi Hurlings, president of Call to Adventure, says :hile the museum will feature disSlays of historical apparatus and artifacts, it will also be a learning center, designed to teach the SuElic aEout safety Sre cautions, how to mitigate risks and live more resilient lives Virtual learning exhibits will enaEle visitors to SarticiSate in ³adventures´ related to ¿res, un intentional inMuries and natural disasters 7he adventures will Ee Euilt around interactive disSlays, multimedia and theater presentations, and focus on experiential learning. ³7he goal,´ says Hurlings, ³is to infuse fun into safety learning e[Seriences Call to $dventure¶s goal is to create a world without unintentional inMuries and death The organization notes that accidental inMuries are the third lead ing cause of death in the U .S., and accidental deaths in ¿res has in creased 22 in the last 10 years 7he temSorary museum in Or ange is, Hurlings says, ³an in cuEator for a Sermanent facility that will be located in the Great Park in ,rvine ´ 7hat SroMect has Eeen aSSroved Ey the *reat Park Board and three and a half acres set aside for it. In the meantime, Orange will, at no cost to the city, have a Sroductive use of an other wise inhospitable space that also enhances the historic district and encourages more visitors 7he Call to $dventure Cali fornia )ire 0useum is ready to launch ³:e already have e[hiE its,” Hurlings reports. “ Once the lease is signed, we’ll start work on the ground Àoor and get ready to move in ´ 7he city has no immediate plans to raze the old headqua rters and expects the lease to continue for at least a year
Page 5 Foothills Sentry MAY 2025 @ramblingroseoc Officials report on State of Old Towne Orange City of Orange community leaders addressed a range of issues at the Old Towne Preservation Association's (OTPA) State of the City presentation, April 17. Topics ranged from Old Town parking fees to city finances to Chapman student housing to the homeless, Mills Act, and city services. Questions, many of them from Old Towne residents, were posed by OTPA President Rob Boyce. Mayor Dan Slater, City Councilwoman Arianna Barrios, City Treasurer Garrett Smith, City Manager Tom Kisela, Police Chief Adam Jevec and Chapman Vice President of Community Relations Alisa Driscoll did their best to answer them. Slater on economic development: "Without economic development, the city will be stuck in the mud. We have a full-time staff member devoted to it, and created an economic forum to bring more business to orange. There are lots of things coming down the pike, but it takes time.” Library services: "We are dedicated to our library system, but we had to make cuts. Orange is fortunate to have its own police and fire departments and its own library system. All of those services cost more money than if we contracted with the county. Library funding will be restored as soon as we have more revenue. For now, the choice is between police officers and librarians.” New city manager: "We have a consultant leading the effort to replace Tom Kisela. Over 65 candidates applied; we have many solid applications. Political stability is a dream situation for a city manager. In Orange, the city council gets along, there’s no infighting. We expect to conduct interviews in May.” Police Chief Adam Jevec Residents settle in at the Orange City Council chambers for the State of Old Towne presentation. Mayor Dan Slater Chapman VP Alisa Driscoll Mule deer by Robert Meyer Treasurer Garrett Smith Councilwoman Arianna Barrios City Manager Tom Kisela Kisela on city staffing and services: "Personnel is our number one cost. We’re running 82 vacancies. Our pay is not competitive, we’re losing people for that reason. Others are retiring. We’re looking at how we are doing business from the top down. The challenge is that we provide service. With vacancies, there is a going to be an impact. We’re deferring maintenance, implementing technology, looking to have a balanced budget for general fund this year.” Mills Act: “We’re finding out that some people don’t recognize that it is a contract, that things have to be accomplished on a timeline. We have 430-ish Mills Act contracts, and a large number are not in compliance. Enforcement is a challenge. We’re working with OTPA to come up with options, to come up with a different methodology. Whether the city accepts new applications or not is a policy decision made by the council.” Barrios on paid parking in Old Towne: "I couldn’t vote on it because I live there. Paid parking has been a conversation for 20 years. There were parking meters back in the 1960s. Old Towne is growing with an influx of restaurants, shops and businesses. Employees park there all day, and there is no space for patrons. Paid parking is a big revenue enhancement and allows businesses to thrive with more turnover. The lots out of main plaza area are still free, and we’re offering permit parking in nearby neighborhoods.” Library services: "The cuts we made were due to metrics, based on when people are actually using the library. It was costing us $6 million a year, three times that of larger cities. By cutting hours, we have been able to keep all three libraries open.” Chief Adams on safe and sane fireworks: "The department has a game plan. We’re creating enforcement zones, with more officers in smaller areas. We’re taking a zero tolerance approach; tickets will be issued. There will be a higher presence of officers in no fireworks zones and using maps of prior calls for service, so we know where problem areas are. Most calls that people make, however, are for fireworks that are illegal.” Update on homeless: “We don’t have a homeless shelter, but we have the HUB, just down the street from the police station. The rules there are enforced. Hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. no loitering, no drugs, no pop ups. We estimate between 100 and 115 homeless individuals in the city; our eightperson team maintains constant engagement. We’re working with Caltrans, the highway patrol and Santa Ana to eliminate camps. We sheltered over 200 people last year.” Driscoll on Chapman Specific Plan: "Chapman is asking to increase enrollment at 1.8% per year over 10 years, about 1,800 students. We are committed to housing 50% of undergraduates, and all first and second year students. We’ve redeveloped several halls to allow for more students and just bought a new building that will house 900. We’ve made a $200 million investment in housing over the last decade. Current enrollment is 8,877, just over the 8,700 cap.” Real estate: "Chapman buys properties around itself. We don’t go after properties, but they come to us. The majority of houses we own are used by faculty, staff, single families. We pay property taxes on those. We do everything we can to restore those houses.” Smith on his first months on the job: "You usually think of a treasurer as involved in everything having to do with money. I found out this role is to manage the investment portfolio, so I’m working with Chandler Investments. With that said, there is discussion of making changes and getting more access. I promised you transparency, and I want to do that. I’m working for all of you; maybe by next year things will be slightly different.” Soundness of investments: "I’ve heard good things about Chandler Investments, met with them in January, calling and emailing them more than they are used to. The city has been with them since 2022. There’s over $120 million in our portfolio, which is 100% bonds. We’re seeing 3.5 to 4% percent growth every year. That’s a good number.” VPCSF sponsors Wellness Fair Villa Park Community Services Foundation (VPCSF) and MMG Health and Wellness will sponsor a free Health and Wellness Fair on Saturday, May 31 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Villa Park Towne Center, 17855 Santiago Blvd. It is a great opportunity to discover local health professionals and businesses that promote wellness, prevention and valuable health resources to help you live your healthiest life. Whether you’re looking to start a new wellness journey, or just curious about local health services, this event has something for everyone. Bring your family, friends and neighbors. It’s also a great opportunity if you are a business or organization focused on health, fitness, nutrition or mental wellness to showcase your business by securing a space or providing a demonstration at the event. For information, see vpcsfoundation.org. Spring Fling II library fundraiser coming to canyons By Andrew Tonkovich Library of the Canyons, OC Public Library’s smallest branch, is supported by one of the system’s most enthusiastic Friends of the Library (FoL) groups, a project of the Inter-Canyon League (ICL). The Second Annual Spring Fling fundraiser, a homemade chili dinner and dessert auction, will once again be hosted by ICL President Geoff Sarkissian and Master Gardener Sarah Sarkissian, caretaker of their award-winning creek-side garden, a Modjeska destination location all its own. Vegetarian chili with all the fixin’s and homemade desserts ⸻served after competitively friendly bidding for these local culinary creations⸻arrive with live music, all to support the work of the Friends, whose efforts support family and children’s programming and purchases of toys, books and supplies. Last year’s inaugural fundraiser honored the late Fran Williams, longtime FoL chair and onewoman volunteer force of nature. This year the celebration features local artist Robert Meyer, whose “prehistoric”-style animal tracks drawings⸻bobcat, raccoon, deer, skunk and fox⸻decorate the walls of Orange County’s newest, most unique, and much-cherished branch. He’ll speak on his work and offer a short presentation including display of plaster casts upon which his representations of local fauna are based. Tickets are available ($25 tax deductible donation) at the door but please RSVP: atonkovi@uci. edu or (949) 235-8193. Contributing a cake, pastry, pie or cookies for the dessert auction? Let the hosts know, please. For more on the ICL or to make a donation: intercanyonleague.org. Photo by Tony Richards
Foothills Sentry Page 6 MAY 2025 SATURDAY, MAY 24th 10:00AM - 5:00PM Visit Our Showroom 13031 Newport Ave. Suite 114, Tustin, CA FREE Estimate & 3D Drawing Financing Available o.a.c. 21 Months 0% Interest On Approved Credit www.CabinetFB.com Licensed and Insured (714) 422-4000 Yes, and know S MRP D , m eet RP TTF Recent Silverado-Modj eska Recreation and Parks District (SMRPD) committee meetings --- lately, four in a row on one Tuesday evening! --- document the size and scope of our only local governance agency’s mission. Whether maintaining a facility (two, actually) or developing policy, SMRPD is administered by elected and appointed directors. President Ted Wright and both remaining and outgoing board members reported last month on both the success of essential programming and recent struggles. Good news: the weekly seniors “ Lunch Bunch” regularly hosts a dozen attendees, and enrollment is solid at the district’s singular and enduring proj ect, the Silverado Children’s Center. Short-term challenges include working with the Abbey to address use and liability concerns on or adj acent “The Riviera,” with negotiations over proposed fencing and a crosswalk. SMRPD hopes to sponsor nature camps or walks this summer. Responding to complaints, the board drafted a reasonable and enforceable good behavior policy. Our buildings, concert stage, courts, and playground are not in OC Parks' j urisdiction. Independent-minded canyonites seem to like that, but it requi res extra care by way of posted rules and regulations to encourage playing well with others. The resignations of director Brittney Kuhn and treasurer Tamara Beauchamp mean the board invites interested residents to self-nominate, with excellent possible appointees already being considered. “M iscellaneous” All of the above is complicated by a funding crisis, fully apprehended by President Wright only after months of scrupulous auditing and examining county funding sources since 2019, and next year’s incomplete proj ections. With further info unavailable, it aSSears that signi¿cant funding may have, over past years, been provided on a limited basis with uncertainty if it will be fully renewed, largely including monies from the Redevelopment Property Tax Trust Fund (RPTTF), last contributed to SMRPD in August 2024. Weirdly, this huge line item is categorized as “ Miscellaneous” and, as reported by Wright, the county’s AB8 process will allocate “most, but probably not all” of property tax revenue distribution that historically comes our way. Fingers crossed that the Constitutionally requi red state reimbursement to local agencies and school districts once again includes us. No word on whether this year’s massive shortfall ($95K ) will arrive. Next year’s allocation numbers arrive in September. Fortunately, your board has maintained a healthy surplus, giving directors more opportunities for further meetings! Wright encourages attendance at monthly meetings, invites committee membership, and says, “ SMRPD’s dilemma is that, because of the unexpected shortfall in county funding, the district’s savings are proj ected to run out this summer. U ncertainty surrounding the outcome of the AB8 process means we cannot even get a loan to bridge us until increased funding might be available.” S eeing red Notwithstanding all-scarlet federal, state, and supervisorial governmental representation of the canyons, many locals attended recent regional “Hands Off´ rallies and anti 0usk dem onstrations outside the Mission 9ieMo o൶ces of Congresswoman Young Kim (CD-40) . Modj eska, Williams and Silverado voters are represented by Republicans State Senator (37) Steven Choi, Assemblymember (71) Kate Sanchez, and Supervisor (5) Don Wagner. Good to know. A rs gratia canyonis Canyon Artists invites you to its ¿fth annual Studio 7our, Sat urday, May 24, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sponsored by local real estate agent Marion Schuller, 13 estimable artists invite you to their studios in Silverado and Modj eska, with a ¿nal stoS at the (1C Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary. Look for numEer Àags on your tour Maps are available at Canyon Market and canyonartists.net. Info: artist, organizer Alice Phillips at silveradoglass@ cox.net. If you attend Laguna’s Pageant of the Masters this summer, look for work by and about our own local artist, Madame Helena Modj eska, among the tableaux vivants. G rading How to know who is grading on local hillsides, or if it’s legal? Modj eska residents recently noted bulldozing above Markuson Road, started asking questions, and alerted Code (nforcement No site mediation (bales, markers, sandbags), a vehicle parked on the property, mud from recent rain, and the eyesore of denuded landscape on a previously scenic ridge got the county’s interest. Memento Mori May is Older Americans Month. Happily, it’s a long month. Celebrate longevity and creativity with diverse Library of the Canyons programming, including origami and knitting classes, rock painting and bingo. This month’s Wednesday, May 7, 5 p.m. Book Club read is " A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson, who was a young 45 when he attempted his trek of the Appalachian 7rail Book and ¿lm adaS tation DVD available, of course, at the library. Dems feature Supervisor The Central Orange County Democratic Club will welcome Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, and Orange County Board of Supervisors candidate, Connor Traut to its Wednesday, May 28 meeting. They will discuss the state of Orange County now and into the future. Snacks at 6: 30 p.m., general meeting starts at 7 p.m. Visit the club website calendar, Mobilize.us or the club Facebook link to RSVP. RSVP is requi red to attend. Central OC Dems meet at St. Paul¶s (SiscoSal Church, 1221 Wass St. in Tustin. Local author spins tale of Scottish Romance By C arrie G raham Fans of the show " Outlander" looking for their ne[t kilted ¿[ when the show ends may want to step away from the screen and into the imagination of local author (r ica Mae. Mae’s book, “ The Stars of Scotland,” is a romance novel that follows memoirist and single mom Brielle Hunter as she embarks on a trip of self-discovery and healing after divorce. After devoting herself to rebuilding her children’s lives in the wake of the split, she’s gifted a trip to Scotland with her best friend where she runs into kilt-clad Bryce Fraser, unaware that he’s the star of a popular Scottish show centered on a Highland warrior $s the days of her triS Ày by so do the sparks. Mae, a lifelong Orange resident, always wanted to be a writer, and now her book is available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. “ My little girl dreams came true,” she says. ” I started writing about fairies and Àowers as a kid Ee cause I was shy, and writing was how I expressed myself. Now it feels like I achieved one of my life' s dreams.” The mom of two, who also works full-time, began writing “ Stars” during the pandemic, after her husband was involved in an accident. She says at times she felt like a single mom, and imagining Brielle’s Scottish vacation and romance gave her a chance to live another life and heal from the ordeal. The author has Scottish heritage and has always wanted to visit, so thought it would make a perfect setting ³,t helSed me ¿nd Seace and j oy and escape in a moment that was very trying, and I wanted to share that with other women.” So far, she seems to be doing j ust that. The book has a rating of 4 .4 out of 5 on GoodReads and 4 .7 on Amazon, receiving praise from reviewers for her descriptive language, the relatability of her characters and the main character’s j ourney of self-empowerment. While Mae says there are some steamy scenes, fans are more taken with the tenderness with which Bryce treats Brielle as he attempts to keep her identity a secret from the paparazzi and teaches her to love again. In addition to “The Stars of Scotland,” Mae has written a holiday romantic comedy based around cooking, called “Falling for Lemon Snowballs” that she says is a q uick read meant to be similar to a Lifetime Christmas movie. Though romance is her primary genre, she also writes children’s books. She’s done several picture books and is currently working with her son on a book about a magic tractor as a means of encouraging him to read. Her son isn' t the only family member she’s motivating. After seeing her mom’s book on sale at Barnes and Noble, her daughter says she wants to write a book too. And those who think Mae’s Scottish warrior sounds like their cup of tea are in luck, because ³Stars´ is Must the ¿rst in a three part series, with the other two installments planned for falls of 2025 and 2026 . She also has a sSin off Slanned Erica Mae Rare fruit and plant sale 7he nonSro¿t OC ChaSter of the California Rare Fruit Growers will hold its annual sale of rare and unusual fruiting plants on Sat., May 10, from 8 :3 0 a.m. to 1:3 0 p.m. The event will be held at the Costa Mesa Women’s Club, 6 10 W. 18 th Street. For more information, see ocfruit.com “ plant sale.” Proceeds will help fund scholarships for college students maj oring in the plant sciences.
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