Foothills Sentry Page 6 AUGUST 2025 Forest for the trees Hoist on her own petard Engaged (or enraged) citizens will by now have read the tragicomic story of Representative Young Kim’s apparent public relations miscalculation. Inviting Inter-Canyon League (ICL) President Geoff Sarkissian to host her real-life June 20 visit to Silverado’s Community Center perhaps seemed an opportunity to address criticisms of her failure to host town halls and also sincerely answer residents’ concerns about Trumpian defunding of national parks, GSOB mitigation, and wildfire defense. A jolly crew of mostly grayhaired and tie-dyed constituents attempted to greet her with homemade signs supporting Medicare and wilderness, of all things, with Kim cancelling. Rescheduling the meeting to Zoom, Sarkissian welcomed Kim and staffer John Ding and two leaders each from canyon organizations: Silverado-Modjeska Parks and Recreation District (SMRPD), Fire Safe Council (FSC), both Volunteer Fire Stations, and ICL. Other attendees included Foothills Sentry editor Tina Richards, canyon activist Joanne Hubble, and Supervisor Wagner’s Field Deputy Al Tello. Minutes, or even acknowledgement, of the 70-minute meeting in the lately noticeably more frequent and ironically named “Catch Up with Young Kim” newsletter have not been shared. This reporter could not receive confirmation of Kim’s pledge to "show photos of the canyon protest to House leadership." For lack of what is found there Even the terrific online Voice of OC went out of its way to present so-called objective reporting on the Supervisors’ approval of the long-resisted Saddleback Meadows (ignoring the ICL’s written concerns) “development,” finding one token canyon proconstruction contrarian whose bottom line is the sacred right of private property ownership over ecosystem destruction, wildfire risk and traffic congestion. Fun to reread an archived 2002 LA Times piece reporting on conservation activists’ then already long-running struggle over the same area and issues. Or not. Mike Boeck, GSOB correspondent, reports his participation in the recent OC portion of a GSOB infestation survey. The Irvine Ranch Conservancy organized trained volunteers to canvas the canyon oaks, with no bugs detected in Limestone. Silverado residents were disappointed in their meeting with multiple agencies and offices (Sheriff, Public Works, National Forest, CHP, Supervisor’s office, and Rep. Kim’s office). Organized by resident Brian Blair, the packed June 25 Public Safety and Traffic meeting (with more Zooming in) had hoped for action responding to (quoting one local) “loud, speeding, drunk and generally obnoxious off-roaders who caravan to the forest, lower their tire-pressure at the Maple Springs gate, and blast on up. Late at night, this is repeated as they stop at Maple Springs and reinflate their tires and speed on down the road.” Meet Mr. Gilly! “Dump it in, smash it down, drive around the Trashy Town!” Parents and children who grew up with "Trashy Town," the classic 1999 kids’ book, might want to join a new generation at the Saturday, Aug. 2, 11 a.m. visit of a real trash truck to Library of the Canyons. A Waste Management (WM) rep will explain recycling and disposal. All ages welcome. Naturally, our local branch library has copies of the enduring favorite (and American Library Association notable book) chronicling the adventures of trash truck driver Mr. Gilly, written by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha, with iconic illustrations by Dan Yaccarino. Clever parents will have noted WM’s recent invitation to complete a customer service survey. Ironic, considering the provider is our region’s exclusive contractor (read: monopoly), but fun to answer questions about the merits of recycling and guess at what other canyonites think of its effectiveness or impact. The Wednesday, Aug. 6, 5 p.m. library book group selection is the autobiography "Code Talker" by Chester Nez, subtitled “The first and only memoir by one of the original Navajo code talkers of WWII,” on his experiences of racial discrimination, answered by patriotic service to his country. Among many activities listed on its website (ocpl.org/libraries/lotc), the library announces a new monthly program starting Tuesday, Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. The Mocktail Hour Cookbook Group will (soberly) review cookbooks while enjoying non-alcoholic potables made from juices, syrups and botanicals. The debut meeting considers fruit cookbooks. More beauty, please! In other literary (and civic literacy) news, local readers celebrate the arrival of longtime Modjeska resident Lisa Alvarez’s debut short story collection. "Some Final Beauty and Other Stories" (University of Nevada Press) features 11 stories by the Irvine Valley College writing professor, editor, and arts administrator, two set in the canyons and featuring familiar landscape and fictionalized versions of colorful local characters. Of the collection, LA Times columnist (and former OC Weekly editor) Gustavo Arellano writes: “Lisa Alvarez’s Southern California is one of melancholy and beauty, cities and canyons, insurrections and mariachis and secrets kept and spoken. Gorgeous pacing, storytelling prose — gorgeous.” Country wit This month’s Saturday, Aug. 18 Silverado Summer Concert Series welcomes Wreck-N-Sow, covering bluegrass, roots country and old-timey classics, and Hillbilly Crutch. "Sully-Miller" continued from page 1 Ghost stories will haunt you The Orange Community Historical Society presents the spooky side of Orange with Ernie Alonza, a third-generation Orange resident whose family settled in Old Towne in the 1920s. During this free community program, Alonza will share personal ghost stories from his early years in Orange, tales that sparked his lifelong fascination with the paranormal and ultimately led to the 2009 founding of Haunted OC, Orange County’s original and oldest historical haunted ghost tour company. Valerie Brewster will also bring her tales as the longtime docent for the original Old Towne Orange Haunted OC Ghost Walk, operating for over 15 years. Brewster will share chilling legends and local history. The haunting will be held Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Orange Public Library Community Room, 407 E Chapman Ave. Ed Reynolds and Tammis Berkheimer display their Tustin Area Man and Woman of the Year awards. Tustin names Man and Woman of the Year By Mark Eliot Longtime Tustin community volunteers Ed Reynolds and Tammis Berkheimer have been selected as Tustin Area Man and Woman of the Year for 2024. The announcement was made at the annual Tustin Area Man and Woman of the Year (TAMWY) awards dinner and celebration, June 6. The event, held at the Santa Ana Elks Lodge, was attended by over 120, including city and county officials, previous TAMWY award winners and community members. The TAMWY program has been held for more than 60 years. Tustin individuals are recognized for their dedicated work, leadership and outstanding volunteerism in the community. Nominations for the award come from previous winners or local nonprofit organizations. This year, three men and three women were nominated for the award. "I am stunned and humbled to be part of the legacy of individuals in Tustin who quietly go about their business improving lives and enhancing our community," Ed Reynolds said. Reynolds has called Tustin home since 1971. A graduate of Foothill High School, Reynolds received his degree in civil engineering from the University of Southern California, where he now teaches engineering. Reynolds is a passionate advocate for youth sports. He helped lead SoCal water polo to national prominence, coached SoCal's Tustin girls’ teams to numerous championships and helped players earn over $20 million in collegiate scholarships. He was also a board member of USA Water Polo, helping it turn a surplus and win Olympic medals. He serves on many boards of directors, including the Construction Advisory Council for the Roman Catholic Bishop of Orange. Reynolds has been an active and committed member of the Tustin Community Foundation for many years, guiding the annual grant process. "I am so honored to represent Tustin and all the dedicated and hard-working volunteers who make Tustin great," Tammis Berkheimer said. Berkheimer has lived in Tustin for over 40 years and worked for the Tustin Unified School District for more than 30 years. Currently, she is a member of the TUSD Citizens' Oversight Committee, a group appointed by the school board to oversee the expenditure of bond funds for school improvements. Berkheimer is a familiar face at countless Tustin nonprofit events, and is passionate in her unwavering support of local causes. She approaches every task with a “What can I do to help?” attitude, rolling up her sleeves and taking on any responsibility. Berkheimer's willingness to go above and beyond, taking on even the most overlooked and unglamorous tasks, sets her apart as a true community champion. Her selflessness and reliability make her an invaluable asset to Tustin’s nonprofit sector, as well as Tustin Unified schools. Since the 1980's, Berkheimer has volunteered in the schools, church and community events. She coordinated the Tustin Community Foundation's Project Pajama Drive; supervised TCF's Sip & Stroll in Old Town Tustin; is a referee at TCF's Paper Football Challenge; worked as a TustinSanta Ana Rotarian at Lobsterfest, Tustin Tiller Days and Tustin Chili Cook-Off. She has served as treasurer for Dollars for Tustin Scholars; treasurer for Soroptimist International of Santa Ana-Tustin; is a member of the Tustin Area Council for Fine Arts' Encore group and a volunteer at many other events. Reynolds and Berkheimer will become lifetime members of the TAMWY organization. They will also ride in the Tustin Tiller Days Parade as guests of honor on Saturday, Oct. 4, and have their names permanently etched on a brick walkway in the plaza between the Tustin Library and Clifton C. Miller Community Center at the Tustin Civic Center. city has until July 1, 2026 to approve them. In exchange, Milan will take necessary action to clean up the Sully-Miller dumpsite and contract with a third party to turn the land into usable public open space. Once completed, ownership of the property will be transferred to the city for a nominal sum. Right now, that third party is Landify, a European-based company that reclaims distressed properties and converts them into usable open space for the public benefit. Under the MOU, Landify is given the go ahead to study the site and determine its potential role in reclaiming it. It hopes to develop a feasible open space “vision” and clarify what it would take to achieve that goal. The city has agreed to cooperate fully with Landify’s planning and implementation process. Unfinished business A major stumbling block continues to be the level of contaminants in the mounds of dirt on the site. Pressured by the Local Enforcement Agency (LEA), Milan hired Leighton Engineering to take boring samples from the mounds in 2023. LEA released the test results from one stockpile last year, reporting that some samples did not meet regulatory standards, and that some contained levels of arsenic exceeding acceptable background concentrations. LEA has not released the findings for the rest of the mounds, but turned jurisdiction over to the Regional Water Quality Control Board. The Water Board is considered a better overseer because it has more resources than LEA, the dumpsite borders Santiago Creek and sits atop the ancient creek bed, which contains ground water. The Water Board has not yet reported on the extent, location or composition of contaminants on the Sully-Miller site. During the city council hearing, several residents spoke in opposition to the MOU, noting the site’s contamination and city liability, lack of specific detail in the document, the number of houses slated for the horse arena property, and the lack of consideration for equestrians. “The MOU is not legally binding,” Mayor Dan Slater said. “It can change. It’s simply a roadmap for going forward.” The council approved it with a 6-1 vote. Arianna Barrios dissented. Orange spooks
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjA1MjUy