Foothills Sentry Page 2 SEPTEMBER 2025 End of Summer Sales: Shop Orange! dan@DanSlater.com 714-744-2219 1537 E. Chapman Ave. Orange, CA 92866 DAN SLATER BRUNCH | LUNCH | DINNER | SPECIAL EVENTS Sit Down & Sip Up. It’s... HAPPY HOUR MONDAY FRIDAY FROM 3PM 6PM OpenTable Diner’s Choice 2025 Winner Best Ambiance, Best Steak 6410 EAST CHAPMAN AVE. | 714.997.2910 THEORANGEHILLRESTAURANT.COM ORANGEHILLRESTAURANT ORANGEHILLEATS Residential ball court banished By Carrie Graham One Villa Park resident's life is about to get a little quieter after the city council denied his permit request for a pickleball court on his property. Pickleball, a net sport similar to tennis, has seen a marked increase in interest over the past few years. Unlike tennis, pickleball uses a white plastic ball similar to a whiffle ball. The homeowner, Dominic Milan, was hoping to secure a conditional use permit for the recreational court constructed on his property on Old Lamplighter Lane. However, city council had two complaints: for noise, and an overall disregard for the process. He had built the court without a city permit, and was now asking for one after the fact. A report prepared by city staff asserts that the average pickleball court has an ambient noise level of around 60 decibels within 100 feet of the court, and up to 70 decibels when a ball makes contact with the paddle. Both exceed the city ordinances that limit residential noise to 55 decibels between the hours of 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and 50 decibels overnight. Lance Friedman, a resident living within a 300-foot radius of the court, said that he and other neighbors didn’t really mind the noise, it was the lighting that was a problem. The court featured six 20-foot poles topped with LED lights, three along the east side of the court and three on the west. “I live two houses north of the pickleball court,” Friedman said. “We don't have a problem with the court. It's the lights, because the resident plays way past 10 p.m. and those lights are on.” While acknowledging the potential for noise, Milan refuted that the lights were a nuisance. ”The lights were actually removed over a month ago,” he said. “All of them. We have no lights on there.” He also pointed out that without lights, he can’t play after sundown anymore, so late night sound and light are no longer an issue. Milan’s points were moot though. While Mayor Nicol Jones and Councilmember Crystal Miles had to recuse themselves due to the proximity of their own homes to the court, the three remaining members were in agreement: that’s just not how things are done in Villa Park. “There's the Villa Park way of doing things, and then there's the other way of doing things,” advised Councilmember Robert Frackelton. “The Villa Park way of doing things is to come to city staff, either yourself or your contractor, and ask, ‘can I do this?’ Whether it's building an ADU, or a court, or a second story, or whatever.” City staff said they knew nothing about the court until after it was completed, he added, and "we're now trying to work backwards to fix what was already there.” Councilman Kelly McBride shared Frackelton's sentiments. “I think there's been a history of disregarding the neighbors and the city ordinances for how we build in Villa Park, so I'm concerned if we give this approval, we're going to be revisiting complaints.” Frackelton, McBride and Mayor Pro Tem Jordan Wu voted to deny Milan’s permit. Nonprofits agree to produce and finance city of Orange traditional holiday celebrations By Tina Richards With the City of Orange facing a major budget deficit, it was forced to abandon its sponsorship of annual holiday celebrations, that, to some, defined the city’s connection with its residents. In making the decision to forego Treats in the Streets, The Tree Lighting Ceremony and Third of July fireworks, the city council expressed the hope that a local foundation or nonprofit would agree to take over those events. For Treats in the Streets and the Tree Lighting Ceremony, that wish has come true. The Orange International Street Fair, Inc. (OISF), has signed an agreement with the city to take over responsibility for the fall and winter celebrations. OISF, which produces the annual International Street Fair held in Old Towne Orange, reached an agreement with the city to take over Treats in the Streets last April. In May, it advised the city that it was prepared to take on the Tree Lighting as well. The April agreement was subsequently amended to include the December celebration and that restated agreement was approved by a unanimous vote of the city council, Aug. 12. Last year, Treats in the Streets was saved from the budget axe by the Old Towne Preservation Association, led by Brandy Romero, who launched a fundraising campaign to pay for it. Those efforts not only allowed the event to continue, but generated a surplus. That $9,563 was presented to OISF to help with this October’s candyfest. The annual Tree Lighting at the Orange Plaza, held on the first Sunday in December, also continued last year, despite the budget cuts. The event's long-time centerpiece, the Orange Master Chorale, led by Director Michael Short, agreed to take on full responsibility for the 2024 ceremony. While OISF will produce the fair going forward, the Orange council insisted that the tradition established by the Master Chorale and Michael Short remain intact. Adam Feliz, OISF president, assured the council that he and Short had already had that discussion and agreed that the Chorale would remain a central contributor to the event. Under the agreement, OISF will reimburse the city for actual costs (police, fire, staff time); the Plaza will close to vehicular traffic at 2 a.m.; the ceremony will commence at 5:15 p.m. and end at 7 p.m. The Plaza is expected to reopen to traffic at midnight. The organizers intend to include a Christmas Market at this year’s event, with holiday crafts and food vendors onsite beginning at 10 a.m. There was some discussion at the council meeting regarding the sale of alcohol at the Christmas Market, but whether it becomes part of the festivities or not remains up in the air. Although not on the city’s chopping block, the Orange May Parade will be reinstated next year under the auspices of the Orange Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The May Parade was held every year from 1933 to 1991 to mark the beginning of the Valencia orange packing season. It was reestablished in 2019 by the Orange Chamber of Commerce, which organized and financed the parade until this year. The 2025 parade was cancelled because the original production agreement ended Dec. 31, 2024 and it was not immediately renewed. The new agreement, also approved by the city council Aug. 12, gives the Orange Chamber of Commerce Foundation the exclusive right to produce the parade until Dec. 31, 2030. It will reimburse the city for all associated costs. The Wall That Heals coming to Orange The Wall That Heals team members are, from left, John Schutz, escort director; Susan Wood, CFO; Diana Trujillo, events director; Chris Locke, executive director; Dana Redding, executive assistant; Doug Redding, president. A traveling, three-quarter scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, known as The Wall That Heals, is scheduled to be in Orange, from Oct. 2-5. The exhibit will be located at Grijalva Park and is free and open to the public 24 hours a day. The Wall That Heals honors the more than three million Americans who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam War and bears the names of the 58,281 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. Alongside the Wall is a mobile Education Center, which tells the story of the Vietnam War and the original memorial. The center also features several special displays, including Hometown Heroes, which highlights local service members listed on the Wall; the In Memory Honor Roll, which honors Vietnam veterans from California who have since passed away; the Gold Star Bike, a tribute to mothers who lost sons in the war; and a display of items left at the original memorial in Washington, D.C. Doug Redding, president of The Wall That Heals Orange - 2025, reports that he is honored to bring the exhibit to Orange, a community that "truly understands the meaning of service, sacrifice and remembrance." He thanked the dedicated team of volunteers who worked tirelessly to bring the Wall to the community: Veterans Susan Wood, CFO; Chris Locke, executive director; Michael Carter, secretary; and John Schutz, escort director, as well as Orange residents Dana Redding and Diana Trujillo. Redding also noted that the exhibit offers a "powerful opportunity for healing and connection." The event begins on Tuesday, Sept. 30, with an honorary escort procession hosted by American Legion Posts 328 and 132. Motorcycle riders will travel from Norco to Grijalva Park and will be joined by the City of Orange Fire Department's Hook and Ladder truck, which will be flying a large American flag. The public is encouraged to welcome the riders along the route. The official opening ceremony will be on Thursday, Oct. 2. The Wall will remain accessible to visitors 24/7 until the closing ceremony on Sunday, Oct. 5, at 1:30 p.m. The Wall That Heals Orange - 2025 is a 501(c)(3) composed of local veterans and volunteers. The national tour is sponsored by USAA, with additional support from the Truckload Carriers Association and Blue Beacon. For more information, visit TheWallThatHealsOrange-2025. org.
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