Foothills Sentry - July 2022

Page 7 Foothills Sentry July 2022 Park and regulations district In April, the Silverado-Modjes- ka Recreation and Park District (SMRPD) sent emails to canyon groups using district facilities for art, recycling, Bible study, etc. The email said, in part, “At- tached please find our re-opening letter for all program coordina- tors and instructors, as well as the new agreements required by our insurance provider.” It also stated that there are now two categories of facility users: (1) Instructors who charge a fee, and (2) Park volunteers, who would have to submit monthly logs of partici- pant volunteer hours and accept SMRPD’s workers’ compensa- tion in lieu of their own health insurance. Where did that leave people who neither charged a fee nor did volunteer work for the district, such as art, recycling and Bible study groups? Canyon Beat asked to see the insurance requirements cited in SMRPD’s email. Board President Isabell Kerins provided links to SMRPD’s insurance documents, but those documents were exist- ing versions, not versions con- taining new requirements. They did not mention new agreements, or facility-users categorized as volunteers. Canyon Beat sent Kerins an email asking, “Was the April 24 email referring to additional in- surance requirements not speci- fied in any of the documents provided so far, or are the two categories of instructor/contact led classes/programs/activities not actually insurance require- ments?” Kerins did not reply. Canyon Beat called SMRPD’s insurance provider, CAPRI (Cali- fornia Association for Park and Recreation Indemnity). CAPRI said that final versions of the new insurance documents were not quite ready, but that facility-user categories were not a CAPRI re- quirement. In case last month’s Canyon Beat column was not clear, the county could take over if our park district were found “inefficient” in providing services. Anyone who would prefer efficient yet helpful local government should consider running for the SMRPD governing board. Three seats will be open beginning July 12. Having all the answers is not a job requirement. We also need people who can ask questions. Mountain motorists Silverado seems to have more forest-bound traffic these days, day and night. One person who enjoys driving the mountain roads several times a week is Brenden Griffin, a former Modjeska Fire Explorer Scout. At the June 7 Inter-Canyon League meeting, Griffin said that one of his big concerns is fire. Al- though campfires are illegal out- side of designated areas, he has encountered roadside embers that were still hot. Still, Griffin said that after two or three years of picking up trash, helping stuck drivers, and encouraging fellow off-roaders to act responsibly, he has noticed fewer fire pits. He would be inter- ested in holding an educational event about off-roading sometime in Silverado. Vegetation inflation For many years, the canyon Fire Safe Council has sponsored Chipper Days to reduce fire risk by allowing residents to bring in yard waste for disposal. This year, though, the council could not af- ford the chipper price, which had nearly doubled. So the Inter-Can- yon League agreed to chip in (ha- ha) and co-sponsor the June 11 Chipper Days. The organizations will seek grants to cover future events. Pole of fame Silverado resident Zach Dupre always flies the American flag from his flagpole, with the New Orleans Saints flag usually added during football season. A few years ago, though, Du- pre began adding mementos of respected canyon residents when they passed away. First was Dick Ertman Dupre said that he flew one of Ertman’s 13 identical blue shirts for several months. People took pictures. When Silverado yoga teacher Karta saw the shirt, he asked Dupre to fly his (Karta’s) turban after he died. Dupre did so. He said that the long strip of cloth faded until it looked like toilet pa- per hanging from the pole. Currently on Dupre’s flagpole are Gene Robinson’s red sus- penders, and below that, a pair of boots that belonged to Caryn Brinegar, who loved to dance. Dupre said that he will con- sider other requests for $20 each — first come, first served. But, currently, he is more interested in offers to help with food and games at the public gathering he is planning for July 3 at the Sil- verado Community Center. Look for him in his mobile downtown Silverado office. If you’re not sure which golf cart is his, follow the dogs — they know who hands out the treats. Mound metamorphosis Although Silverado’s giant dirt pile near the community center is scheduled for removal, as part of the Anderson-Wildcat-Silverado creek dredging project, wildflow- ers sprouted there anyway. One species was caterpillar phacelia (“fa-SEEL-ee-a”), a small native that likes dry slopes. Its pale lav- ender flowers bloom at the tips of stalks that uncurl and stretch out like big fuzzy caterpillars. Where did the seeds come from? One theory points to big yellow Caterpillar earth-moving equipment. But if that’s true, what wildlife would have ap- peared if the dirt had been pushed around by John Deere tractors in- stead? Caterpillar phacelia Foothill senior receives P.E.O. STAR Scholarship Keira McNamee, a 2022 Foot- hill High School graduate, was se- lected to receive a $2,500 STAR Scholarship from the P.E.O. Sis- terhood. She was recommended by P.E.O. Chapter IE of Orange. The P.E.O. STAR Scholarship was established in 2009 to pro- vide scholarships for exceptional women to attend an accredited postsecondary educational insti- tution in the U.S. or Canada. The competitive STAR Scholarship is for women who exhibit excel- lence in leadership, academics, extracurricular activities, com- munity service and potential for future success. McNamee was on the varsity basketball team, an Associated Student Body officer, active in From left, Kathy Cole, chapter scholarship committee; Keira McNa- mee, scholarship awardee; and Sheryl Franke, scholarship committee. National Charity League and an International Baccalaureate can- didate. She will attend the University of California, Los Angeles to pursue a degree in business eco- nomics. Her ultimate goal is to become a business owner in the eco fashion and beauty industry. P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educa- tional Organization) has been cel- ebrating women helping women for more than 150 years. Through membership, the P.E.O. sister- hood has brought together more than half a million women in the United States and Canada. In ad- dition to educational philanthro- pies, the Sisterhood provides a framework of support and com- munity for all members. Tustin Dems return to live meetings Tustin Dems are once again meeting in person on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. The July 27 meeting will feature speakers from Moms Demand Action and Planned Parenthood. Meetings are held at the centrally located campus of St. Paul’s Epis- copal Church in Tustin, which has an outdoor meeting space with plenty of parking. St. Paul’s is lo- cated at 1221 Wass St. Anyone wanting to connect with fellow Democrats, get in- formed and help increase com- munity involvement in civic engagement is welcome to join. More information is available at TustinDemocraticClub.org. During the final Couples Gour- met event of the year, Angela Fasbender, left, and Anne Stefani were recognized for their time and effort creating the seating and creative menus for the Villa Park Women’s League activity during the past years. The long- running activity has been popular since its inception in 1969; it pro- vides an opportunity for couples to meet new friends and try new recipes each month. See vpwl.org for more information. Chapman named a military friendly campus Chapman University’s commit- ment to helping its student veter- ans fulfill their educational goals was recognized with a 2022-23 Military Friendly School designa- tion by Military Friendly. The group determines this des- ignation using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey, with input from the Mili- tary Friendly Advisory Council. Final ratings are combined with the university’s ability to meet benchmarks for veteran student retention, graduation, job place- ment, repayment, persistence and loan default rates. Chapman’s Veterans Resource Center helps its student veterans maximize their educational ben- efits, while providing programs to increase student retention and persistence. The program offers unlimited scholarships to assist veterans in paying tuition through a program funded by Chapman and the U.S. Department of Vet- erans Affairs. Beach Boys Tribute to rock the (Villa) Park There will be a lot of “Good Vibrations” rocking the Villa Park High Amphitheater on Friday, July 8, beginning at 7 p.m. No need for a surfboard, as the Villa Park Community Services Foundation will make sure you “Catch AWave” at its FREE Con- cert in the (Villa) Park featuring the music of the legendary Beach Boys. The Villa Park Community Band will entertain the audience just before the main act. Thanks to Supervisor Don Wagner and County of Orange for their sponsorship of this “Fun, Fun, Fun” event. There is no doubt that you will want to “Get Around” and check out their booth for some free give-a-ways. More info at vpcsfoundation.org.