Foothills Sentry Page 4 JUNE 2025 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 Office Manager officemanager@foothillssentry.com “The Wall That Heals” brings Vietnam memorial tribute to Orange will be honored— a solemn reminder of this history that remains in our city. Open to the public 24 hours a day, the wall gives visitors the chance to reflect, remember, and learn. A mobile Education Center travels with the memorial, sharing the stories of those whose names are etched into the wall and educating younger generations about the war’s enduring legacy. For many, this visit represents more than a historical moment— it’s deeply personal. Orange is the only city in Southern California to host The Wall That Heals (TWTH), and approximately 15,000 visitors will come from far and near to visit TWTH during the four-day event. Orange families who lost loved ones in Vietnam, including Gold Star families, will be honored in a dedicated ceremony. Their sacrifices remain etched in the community’s conscience, and this event offers a chance to publicly acknowledge that loss with dignity and gratitude. Additionally, there will be a special segment recognizing veterans affected by Agent Orange exposure. Many Vietnam veterans returned home carrying invisible wounds—physical and psychological—that persisted long after the war. This tribute aims to shine a light on their suffering and resilience, and to affirm that their struggles have not been forgotten. The arrival of The Wall That Heals has been made possible thanks to the tireless efforts of local volunteers and the generosity of community sponsors. From coordinating logistics to staffing the site and assisting visitors, dozens of volunteers—many of them veterans—will ensure that each person who visits feels welcomed and supported. “Hosting The Wall That Heals in Orange is a community effort," said Doug Redding, president of The Wall That Heals Orange – 2025. "Veterans, volunteers, city leaders and neighbors have all come together to bring The Wall home. Our focus is simple: to honor those who served and to create a space for healing and reflection.” Sponsorships and donations from local businesses, service clubs and residents have made the event possible, reflecting Orange’s long-standing commitment to honoring military service. Those wishing to contribute can visit our website: TheWallThatHealsOrange-2025. org, call (714) 497-0257, or email INFO@TheWallThatHealsOrange-2025.org. Ceremonies and educational programs will run throughout the exhibit’s stay, with a full schedule available online and onsite. For more information or to donate and volunteer, visit TheWallThatHealsOrange-2025.org. As Orange welcomes The Wall That Heals, it does so with reverence, reflection, and a solemn promise to remember the names, stories, and lives that shaped a generation. Actions speak louder Dear Editor: In the dead of the night, while America was asleep, Rep. Young Kim made a troubling decision— contrary to her promise to the American people that she would not take away their healthcare. This is a clear betrayal of trust. Republicans in Congress voted to strip healthcare from millions of Californians in order to provide tax breaks to billionaires, prioritizing the wealthy over the health of our communities. Rep. Young Kim had the opportunity to protect Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act but chose not to. We must hold her accountable and make it clear that this is unacceptable. We are not merely numbers in a budget; we are real people deserving of quality healthcare. Let your Congressman know how you feel about slashes in funding to our health care system. This is the time for us all to let our elected officials know that we will not sit by while White House starts hacking away at these entitlements. In the City of Orange that would be Representative Young Kim (young.kim@mail. house.gov). MarkMoore Orange Editor’s note: The House budget bill passed by a 215 to 214 vote in the wee hours of May 22. As the negotiations continued through the night, many last minute changes were made to the bill. It is unclear whether Kim read the bill she supported. Shock and bah! Dear Editor: What is the matter with Orange Unified? The board says that enrollment is declining, so they’re looking at consolidating and selling off schools. Currently poised for the chopping block is La Veta Elementary – an Advisory Committee is meeting to explore selling part of the school property. What the heck?? How do you rip part of a children’s school away from them? I thought California was so focused on kids’ physical and mental health? Where are they supposed to exercise and relax with almost the entire playing field taken away? We’ve been here before – it’s nothing new if Orange Unified reacts rashly when school enrollment is declining. So what happens when older residents move out of neighborhoods, and young families move in? All of a sudden, we have a school shortage – not enough space for kids to learn. And with Newsom’s outrageous demands for California cities to increase housing density, those days of increasing enrollment are surely coming fast. Then there's the impact on the neighborhood if this sale moves forward. Who is the likely buyer? Surely a developer -- and surely a developer who will want to help the city comply with our governor's outrageous demands to squeeze apartments into every available square inch. High density apartments in this singlefamily-dwelling neighborhood will stress our already overtaxed power grid, impact the sewer system, dramatically increase traffic, and along with it, noise and air pollution. Pull it together, Orange Unified. Spend your creative energy on something that can make a positive difference – like improving academic and recreational programs for the students you already have, and the students you want to attract to your schools. Elisabeth Beall Orange Dear Editor: What a shock to find out that Orange Unified is considering selling part or all of our neighborhood’s La Veta Elementary School. Not at all shocking was the dismal way the district “informed” the community about the advisory committee considering this sale – or the meetings they had scheduled in the district’s transportation yard, of all places, to discuss it. The district apparently wants to sell off part of the school property because of declining enrollment. I fail to see how the sale of most of the playing field addresses the decline in student population. How about focusing on being a trusted resource for the community, instead of threatening to remove resources from students and their families? Orange Unified may have an enrollment problem. But the answer isn’t taking more away from students – particularly students from a minority community, who are receiving free or discounted lunches. If Orange Unified thinks it can pull the playing field out from under these students, they should know that they will have a fight on their hands. Eleanor Bullock Orange Good to know Dear Editor: Thank you for including the guest commentary of Orange Unified School Board President Kris Erickson in last month’s issue. As soon-to-be OUSD parents, we are pleased to see the school district our child will be attending for the next 13 years taking a long-term approach to planning the best education for our child and use of our tax dollars. With financial uncertainties ahead, we’re assured by the proactive nature of Erickson’s comments. Many of the problems we see locally in cities and school districts have a root cause in simply pretending the problems aren’t there, refusing to make adjustments, and then having an emergency when the problem has been left to fester for far too long. We are pleased with these attempts to keep community members like ourselves informed, and look forward to being part of the conversation as OUSD takes on the issues of today. David Dufault Dr. Lisa Leitz Orange Trust busted Dear Editor: Congratulations to the Foothills Sentry for its exemplary reporting last month regarding the millions of dollars intended for Rancho Santiago CCD that have been hidden from the public and elected officials for decades. ("RSCCD Finds Funds Hidden by Insurance Cooperative"). A scathing forensic audit, paid for by taxpayers, outlined education code violations, conflicts of interest, inaccurate accounting, failure to report to the auditors, improper use of the funds - all of which created “the impairment of public confidence.” One would think this would be enough for the board to take the appropriate action against those culpable for this embarrassment. Instead, Board President Daisy Tong wants $50,000 to pay another firm to review the forensic audit and evaluate its findings! If anyone wonders why there will never be a bond passed for the college district, this debacle is why. Barry Resnick Orange Land a better legacy Following is an open letter to Donald Bren, Chairman of the Irvine Company: Dear Mr. Bren: As I once met you many years ago, I hope this letter makes its way to your desk. A pleasurable encounter, I was impressed, especially learning how you’ve kept so much land open for us to enjoy. Rapidlydisappearingwilderness, whether locally or globally, is of tremendous concern. I was quite surprised and taken aback to learn of the Orange Heights project. Certainly, you’ve obtained substantial wealth to last your family many times over, enough for generations to come. Please leave a legacy of one who kept lands open for people to hike and wildlife to thrive. Below is a quote from a letter I had sent about an experience at Irvine Regional Park. Many of us visit parks to escape the noise and pandemonium of urban living. We want to immerse our minds, truly our souls, into the wonderfully healing properties nature provides. We enjoy watching and listening to the multiple bird species that visit this jewel of an oasis. Stephen Tyler Orange By Chris Locke A powerful symbol of remembrance and healing is coming to Orange. From October 2–5, The Wall That Heals Orange-2025, a three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., will be installed at Grijalva Park. The exhibit honors the 58,281 men and women who died in the Vietnam War, including 23 servicemembers who once called Orange home. During the exhibit, they SCC makes Esports official Santiago Canyon College (SCC) welcomed more than 400 students, faculty, staff and community members to its inaugural Neon Night, held May 8. The highlight was SCC President Jeannie G. Kim, Ph.D. announcement that Esports will become an official college sport at SCC in Fall 2025. The Esports program, led by Head Coach Roshan Uma, will join SCC’s nine intercollegiate athletic programs and compete year-round. Neon Nights featured an Esports showcase, where student teams competed on a 40-foot stage enhanced by a 20-foot LED video wall. The event also included a Prompt-a-Thon, an artificial intelligence tournament where students applied AI tools to tackle real-world challenges in the medical field, and Resource Alley, where attendees could connect with staff and explore hands-on exhibits from college programs and industry partners across technology, gaming and healthcare fields. Neon Night reflects SCC’s mission to foster academic innovation, community connection, and student opportunity. To learn more about SCC, see sccollege. edu.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA1MjUy