Foothills Sentry June 2023

Page 3 Foothills Sentry June 2023 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: 6/30/23 5 OC’s Premier ProduceMarket Evergreen Professional Tree Lacing Thinning Shaping Crown Reduction Citrus & Fruit Tree Pruning Expert Tree Removal High Risk Tree Removal Fire Safety - Weed Abatement Stump Grinding - Clean Ups Fully Equipped Emergency Tree Service 7 Days A Week RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL Free Estimates Call Steve Anytime @ Workers Comp Insured State Lic# 817335 (714) 744-4562 • (949) 485-9181 Tree Service American Owner Operated Since 1985 Serving All of Orange County "OUSD" continued from page 1 Olympic-sized pool at Villa Park is your number one priority when we have so many other needs.” “The community of OUSD will benefit,” Rick Ledesma said. “We need to work on the num- bers a little more, but a 50m pool is what aquatics requires. We’re competing with schools around us.” Boardmember Andrea Yama- saki urged the board to be fis- cally responsible, to spend money to serve the greatest number of students. “How does this impact facilities improvements at other schools? Voters want us to invest in classrooms, not athletics. We have a billion dollars worth of needs.” Yamasaki and Anna Page both inquired about the potential of the Peralta site as an aquatics facility for the whole district. “Why not refurbish the existing pools and build an aquatics center at Per- alta,” Page asked. “That would benefit all students.” “How much would it cost to put a pool at Peralta?” Yamasaki pressed. “We should explore all options. It would be prudent to do so.” “Not at this point,” Ledesma said. “We’re in crisis, the Villa Park pool is going down.” Failure not an option “We are in crisis,” Angie Rumsey agreed. “Otherwise, we would be putting money into oth- er schools. This is a 40- to 50-year decision. I support a 50m pool.” “It would cost an exuberant [sic] amount of money for Per- alta,” Ortega said. “Here we go again talking politics. That’s what this is all about. I support a 50m pool at Villa Park.” Erickson and Page attempted to steer the board to a less cost- ly alternative. “Looks like we could make them all like new for $12 million,” Erickson noted. “Sounds like refurbishing the cur- rent pools would benefit all stu- dents,” Page added. “We need a 50-year solution, and that is a replacement pool for Villa Park,” Ledesma said. He pressed Facilities Manager Scott Harvey and Rivera to get the numbers down and look for alter- nate funding sources. “I can see where this is head- ing,” Yamasaki conceded. “You’re steamrolling ahead. You haven’t answered my questions or the public’s questions. I’m try- ing to do my due diligence. $31 million is all we have." “Your due diligence is to vote no,” Ledesma told her. “I still want more information on potential conflict of interest,” she said. “Is John Ortega on OR- CA’s board or not?” Interests in conflict John Ortega’s apparent rela- tionship with the ORCA swim club has been brought up by members of the public at every meeting since a new pool for VPHS was introduced. ORCA uses that pool. Ortega was (or is) on the ORCA board; the club sent out an email prior to the Novem- ber election advising members to vote for Rick Ledesma, Madison Miner and Angie Rumsey be- cause, with Ortega’s help, it was their best chance of getting a new pool. At this meeting, an OUSD parent introduced an email meet- ing outlining a July 2022 meeting in which ORCA was granted the use of the El Modena pool for $15 an hour in exchange for donated equipment. Ortega was in that meeting. Whenever he is asked about his relationship with ORCA by a member of the public or another board member, Ortega accuses the questioner of being “political,” of inserting “politics” into the dis- cussion. He has yet to explain his involvement. When asked to recuse himself from votes on the pool issue, he refuses. In response to Yamasaki’s question, Ledesma said, “That’s separate.” He ended the discus- sion, directing staff to whittle the numbers down. Harvey assured the board he’d have more infor- mation by the June 1 meeting. TAWC awards scholarships The Tustin Area Woman's Club awarded $1,000 scholarships to eight graduating seniors from Tu- stin Unified High School District. Awardees are, from Foothill High School: Caydence Bach and Kitty Pham. Bach will attend the University of Michigan, majoring in sports management. Pham will major in psychology at UCLA. From Tustin High: Skye Aude- lo plans to attend UC San Diego, majoring in cognitive science; Tessa Smit will major in business administration at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Beckman High: Fiona Fang will attend New York University, majoring in finance and market- ing. Arden Stratton will major in chemistry at UC Davis. Awardees Morella Vargas and Katie Zuniga are from Hillview High. Vargas will attend South- western College to earn her teach- ing credential; Zuniga will attend a community college to become a medical assistant. From left, Brian Hay, Clarke Balvanz, Exalted Ruler Janine Storm and Lem Bucago. Elks create new Fire Dog Program Adding to its longtime sup- port of the Orange Police Depart- ment’s K-9 program, the Orange Elk’s Clarke Balvanz started a new program to help the Orange City Fire Department acquire a new dog. The Fire Department canine will be used as a therapy dog to help the men and women who go out on traumatic calls deal with the stress of the job. It may also be used on emergency calls where residents could use a little puppy love. Brian Hay and Lem Bucago, both Orange Elks, presented a $1,000 donation on behalf of the Indian Guides/Indian Princesses who raised the funds to help start the new Fire Dog Program. The Elks have committed to assist with vet bills and costs for the care of the dog.