Foothills Sentry - July 2021

Page 3 Foothills Sentry July 2021 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: 7/31/21 5 OC’s Premier ProduceMarket State of Old Towne addressed at annual meeting By Tina Richards The Old Towne Preservation Association held its State of Old Towne meeting on June 16, the 35th anniversary, to the day, of its founding. Hosted by OTPA President Tony Trabuco, the meeting was held before a largely remote au- dience. Coronavirus restrictions had been lifted the day prior, and the meeting was open for in-person attendance. Most view- ers, however, watched the live- streamed proceedings from afar. The “state” of the Old Towne Historic District was described by a panel, consisting of Orange Mayor Mark Murphy; District 1 City Councilwoman Arianna Barrios; City Manager Rick Otto; Police Chief Tom Kisela; and Chapman University Community Relations Vice President Alisa Driscoll. Their remarks were supplemented with questions sub- mitted by the audience. School site secured Driscoll provided a quick up- date on the Killefer School site. Chapman University purchased the historic school in 2020 and immediately secured the prop- erty to protect it from vandalism. Chapman plans to renovate and preserve the building, which will eventually be office space. The university will install a plaque recognizing the school’s role in early desegregation efforts. The bulk of the discussion centered around homelessness; crime; ADUs (accessory dwell- ing units); Chapman University expansion; and the future of the Paseo, the closure of one block of Glassell to allow outdoor dining during the pandemic. Regarding the homeless, Rick Otto noted that Orange is part of a 13-city coalition that funds a homeless navigation center, and that there are now 600 beds avail- able that did not exist two years ago. He reported that the city budget includes funding for two outreach professionals to join the police department. Barrios applauded the new Be Well Orange campus that serves the mentally ill. The first of its kind in Orange County, Chief Kisela called the center a game- changer. “We’re not going to arrest our way out of homeless- ness,” he said. “It takes out- reach.” Police blotter Kisela also reported that crimes against persons and commercial burglaries are up, while residen- tial burglary is down. Ten people have been assigned full time to transients, he said, noting that there is a lot of “influx from other areas.” Related to the topics of home- lessness and crime, a questioner raised the issue of Mary’s Kitch- en. The city is, reluctantly, not go- ing to renew its lease on the prop- erty. “On the advice of experts Orange city manager to retire The City of Orange announced the retirement of City Manager Rick Otto this October, after 24 years of service. The Orange City Council has begun the search for a new city manager who, as ex- ecutive leader, will coordinate the activities of city government. There are 10 departments with 750 staff members and an annual budget of about $250 million. The city manager is the top executive. All positions at the city, with the exception of the City Attorney, report to the city manager. “In the spectrum of city man- ager opportunities, the City of Orange is a plum position,” Otto says. “The city council is support- ive and collaborative. There is a built-in team of people delivering great work for the community. The residents of Orange are pas- sionate about their town and col- laborate to help it succeed. It is hard to beat this opportunity to lead and impact a community.” Fairhaven Memorial Park presented a drive-through tour honoring the six branches of the U.S. military over the Memorial Day weekend. Visitors were directed to displays set up along a short route through the cemetery. Free ice cream was offered at the end of the tour. on homelessness,” Rick Otto ex- plained, “we’re going to let it go. The county has changed its focus to services, jobs and transitional housing. Handing out food is not part of it.” Kisela reported an increase in crime in the area around Mary’s Kitchen, with 84 calls for ser- vice so far this year. (See Mary’s Kitchen, page 1). Chapman University is a pe- rennial hot topic in Old Towne. Residents related that with no students on campus this past year, “the neighborhood has noticeably changed for the better.” Barrios noted that “for lease” signs are bringing in families, not fraterni- ties. “We want to be a town with a college, not a college town,” she said. Growing concerns “Student housing is an interest we all share,” Alisa Driscoll ad- vised. “We are committed to pro- viding additional student hous- ing.” She confirmed that the uni- versity has growth plans for 1,800 more students. “But that growth will be gradual. We are looking for properties to house students, renovating old student apart- ments to make room for more. We are keeping our commitment to house 50% of our students on campus. You are our eyes and ears,” she added. “Let us know if you experience any misconduct.” Some Old Towne residents like the Paseo; others do not. With Glassell closed, traffic and bus routes migrated onto side streets and in to neighborhoods. “Old Towne took one for the team,” Barrios admitted. Right now, whether the Paseo remains an outdoor dining area or reverts back to a city street is up in the air. Murphy advised that the topic will be agendized for the July council meeting. “Only thing we know for sure,” he said, “is that we’re going to talk about it.” Building bungle The issue of ADUs, on the oth- er hand, is beyond the “talking” stage. The State of California has mandated that ADUs be built with little local interference. Setbacks are smaller, parking spaces are not required, garage conversions encouraged. Orange recently halted several ADUs near Chap- man University that were built “outside the intent of the law,” but those were clearly illegal. “We’re doing everything we can legally,” Murphy empha- sized, “but the state seems op- posed to local control.” “It’s important to communicate with our local state representa- tives,” Barrios stressed. “They need to talk to the people who these laws effect. They are dis- connected.” “Your voices are louder than ours,” Otto said. “The state thinks we (the city) are obstructionists. They need to hear from you.” Elks honor those who have fallen Memorial Day is a special day for the Orange Elks Lodge, as members honor those men and women who have fought and paid the ultimate price for our free- dom. Someone is missing their son, daughter, mother, father, sis- ter, or brother. Lodge members placed flags for this special day, noting the many coins on the headstones, each with a special meaning. A coin left on a headstone lets the deceased soldier’s family know that somebody stopped by to pay their respects. If you leave a pen- ny, it means you visited. A nickel means that you and the deceased soldier trained at boot camp to- gether. If you served with the sol- dier, you leave a dime. A quarter is incredibly significant, because it means that you were there when that soldier was killed. Because of the pandemic guidelines, the Tri-City Memorial Day Observance at the Santa Ana Cemetery was cancelled, but 21 Elks gathered to present a floral arrangement. The Orange Elks gathered to present a floral tribute for fallen service- men and women. Photo by Tony Richards