Foothills Sentry August 2021

Foothills Sentry Page 9 August 2021 Troop 850 recognizes new Eagles Boy Scout Troop 850 of Villa Park celebrated 12 new Eagle Scouts at the Oak Canyon Nature Center in Anaheim Hills on July 11. Not only was this the larg- est Eagle Court of Honor in the troop’s history, but each of these young men made Eagle rank de- spite the hurdles the pandemic threw their way. The event was attended by four past and present Scoutmasters, past and current Troop 850 mem- bers, parents, family and friends. The opening ceremony made use of 50 state flags, 11 historical flags, a troop flag, and the Ameri- can flag. Eagle Scout took the podium and shared his most meaning- ful memories of scouting and thanked those who helped him make it to the Eagle’s Nest. To earn the rank of Eagle, the highest attainable rank in scout- ing, each Scout completed an Ea- gle Scout Service Project, earned at least 21 merit badges and par- ticipated in camping adventures, learning valuable leadership skills along the way. Eagle Service Projects in- cluded the design, construction and installation of benches, bird houses, Gaga Ball pits, educa- tional kiosks, bridges, irrigation systems, gardens, patios, podi- ums, tables and split rail fences at nature centers, religious centers and schools. Troop 850 is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Villa Park. Troop 850’s new Eagle Scouts are, front row, left to right, Chris Gudmundsen, Lance Esquillo, Tom No, Matthew San Pedro, Hunter Strauss, Shawn Ricker; back row, left to right,Thomas Wagner, Kyle Chen, Joseph Ettipio, Griffin Dwyer, Dominic Agarwal and Andrew Strauss. Scoutmaster Shawn Sessions is in back. VP equines' popularity swells During the pandemic, Jax and Mia were the unofficial mascots of Villa Park, with a friendly greeting for runners, bicyclists, walkers, kids, moms with stroll- ers and dog-walkers. So many people stopped by to visit the duo, bringing treats of apples and carrots, that Mia gained a whop- ping 300 pounds. Owners Julia and Mitch Felde promptly put Mia on a diet and were pressed to erect “do not feed the horse” signs. Jax, the pala- mino, is 28 and a retired hunter- jumper. Mia, 8, is a thorough- bred. They still receive numerous visitors each day, and Mia always trots over to see if there is a treat, but the signs have helped her re- main slim. From left, Mia shows off her newly svelte shape, with Julia Felde, Jax and Mitch Felde. Jax’s expressions reflects his thoughts on the new signage. Crescendo presents Joely Fisher Actress/singer Joely Fisher will be the featured guest at the Celeb- rity Speakers Series, sponsored by the Crescendo Chapter of the Guilds of Segerstrom Center. Fisher earned awards for her comedic roles on TV, sang on Broadway and starred in dramatic films. She is a member of the talented Fisher family, the daugh- ter of Connie Stevens and Eddie Fisher, with sibling Carrie Fisher. The program will be Thursday, Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. at the Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main Street. Tickets are $30 for general ad- mission and Crescendo Chap- ter members. Bowers Museum members may buy one discount- ed ticket for $20; student tickets are $25, or three for $20. Parking is $6. The Guilds of Segerstrom, in- cluding the Crescendo Chapter, raise funds to support the Center’s community engagement and arts education programs. See SCFTA. org, under Support Us. Tustin Dems address local, state issues The Tustin Democratic Club will focus on local and state is- sues at its Aug. 24 Zoom meeting, beginning at 7 p.m. Orange County Supervisor Ka- trina Foley will share her board experiences and answer mem- bers’ questions. The remainder of the meeting will be devoted to the recall election, with a focus on how citizens can inform the com- munity and get out the vote. The club’s Democratic Task Force has launched its first ini- tiative to promote stewardship of community resources. It is foster- ing a Community Choice Energy (CCE) plan for Tustin. CCE ac- celerates the transition to clean energy sources. See TustinDemocraticClub. org or email TustinDemocratic- Club@gmail.com . Orange Elks reach out to at-risk youth The Orange Elks are active par- ticipants in the county Gang Re- duction Intervention Partnership (GRIP), which aims to keep stu- dents in school and decrease their chances of joining a gang. The GRIP program includes Elks, law enforcement officers, probation officers and social workers, who all work together to mentor at-risk kids and change lives. The mentors teach kids to make and set goals, and they must show improvement to stay in the program. Kids between 8 and 12 years old are pre-selected to participate in the program. Candidates include those struggling in the classroom, with poor attendance, behavioral or truancy issues. GRIP kids of- ten have low self-confidence or limited hope for their futures.