Foothills Sentry - October 2023

Foothills Sentry Page 6 October 2023 Family. Friends. Community. We’re all in this together. State Farm, Bloomington, IL 1801073 Ron Esparza, Agent Insurance Lic#: 0C79663 827 S. Tustin Ave Orange, CA 92866 Bus: 714-505-3400 ron@ronesparza.com Grand Canyon hiker outpaces the odds Guest Commentary By Carrie Graham Fran Anderson, 81, shatters the image of a frail octogenarian. Over Labor Day weekend, this mom of four and grandmother of nine hiked the Grand Canyon, 24 miles, rim to rim, in a single day. She didn't just roll out of bed on Sept. 1 and head out toArizona. It took time and training to prepare. Brenda Sibley, her daughter and a frequent hiker, prepared a nutri- tion and work-out routine to help her mother prepare for the 24- mile hike. Anderson says she began training about three months in advance by walking around her neighborhood; two months out, she began hiking Peters Canyon. “Peters Canyon mimicked the Grand Canyon for me because it has different elevations. I hiked 10 miles a day, four days a week, two back-to-back, and the other two spread throughout the week,” Anderson says. Aside from her age, Ander- son also had other factors work- ing against her. She has non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. In April, her com- promised immune system led to a case of double pneumonia, contracted during a month-long cruise, that nearly killed her. Additionally, in 2018, Ander- son fell and broke her shoulder and knee. She underwent surgery to repair her knee with plates and screws, and could not bear weight on that leg for three months. Not one to let things keep her down, she worked hard at rehab as soon as she received the all- clear from her doctor, and was hiking Machu Picchu in Peru just three short weeks after getting out of a wheelchair. Originally, Anderson’s group had planned to span the hike over two days, staying at Phantom Ranch, the only lodging below the rim, for a night. However, when they learned, at the last minute, that there had been a wa- ter main break and their reserva- tions were canceled, they had a decision to make. They could either cancel the whole trip, or hike it straight through without stopping to rest. Anderson, not one to be deterred, was enthusiastically ready to tackle the challenge of hiking it in one day. A family affair She was accompanied by mem- bers of her family, all decked out in custom “Fran Canyon” shirts for the occasion. Her husband and son dropped everyone off at North Kaibab Trail in the early hours of Sunday morning, Sept. 3, then drove to the other side of the canyon for pick up. Anderson’s son-in-law, grand- daughter and niece set out first, planning to hike the trail as quick- ly as they could. Her remaining “pit crew,” as they came to think of themselves, consisted of two of her daughters and a second niece, By Jane Rice Two major events happened in the last few weeks impacting our local land use and zoning. Nei- ther is good news. First, Senate Bill 423 passed the Assembly and the Senate, and it is virtually certain that Gover- nor Gavin Newsom will sign it. This is by far the most onerous law the legislature has come up with yet in its efforts to dramati- cally increase our housing supply. We’ve all become familiar with builder's remedy projects -- if your municipality hasn’t filed a “substantially compliant” hous- ing plan, a builder can file for a project on any piece of land and put up whatever the site will sup- port, with no limits on height, density, or fit for the community. But now, with SB423, Sacra- all of whom stayed with Ander- son throughout the hike. When Anderson struggled with the steep downhill trek at the beginning of the trail, the pit crew divided up her backpack contents amongst themselves to lighten her load. As the day wore on, they gave her whatever sup- port she needed, removing rocks from her shoes, treating hot spots on her feet, and making sure she stayed hydrated and nourished. “It was amazing, just being in the canyon and looking at the most beautiful rock formations and striations. Even though it was the hottest down below, clouds would shade us. It was beautiful to look from the top, but you don't really get it, until you're in it, and surrounded by it,” she recalls. At around 9 p.m., they began the notoriously difficult 4.5-mile home stretch. When they made it to the end, Anderson was greeted by her husband and other family, all cheering her on. “It was so heartwarming to hear their cheers coming up the last of the walk,” she smiles. mento has further weaponized builder's remedy in a way that is almost unbelievable -- except that it is true. Under this new law, if a city or county can’t show that 50% of its planned housing units have been built 50% of the way through the eight-year planning cycle, the city or county becomes non- compliant again! Subject to the builder's remedy again! The last time I checked, cities and counties don’t build housing. Yet the communities they serve will be penalized severely for any failure to build. Our current plan- ning cycle began in 2021, and our half-way point will be 2025. Second, despite the strong sup- port received from our Supervi- sor and Board Chair Don Wag- ner, the Board of Supervisors denied the Foothill Community Association’s appeal of the Plan- ning Commission’s ruling on the Ranch Hills development, thereby approving the conversion of the Tustin Hills Racquet Club into condominiums. This project was submitted based on an earlier law in this series of legislation, SB330. And the hits are just gonna keep on comin’ if we don’t pass our proposed constitutional amendment, restoring local con- trol over land use and zoning. Please, join this fight before it’s too late to save our communities from major damage. We need money to get this initiative on the 2024 ballot. Help out at restore- localcontrol.com . Jane Rice is the chair of Re- store Local Control, Foothill Communities Association From left, daughter Lynnette Opp, niece Laurie Usinger, daughter Brenda Sibley and Fran Anderson at a lookout on the North Rim. Fairhaven Memorial Park com- memorated the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, hosting a 2,200-step walk around its grounds, Sept. 10. The 2,200 steps symbolize the 110 flights of stairs at the World Trade Center. An American flag was hoisted by a crane to fly over the start of the walk route. De- spite the rainy morning, about 75 people came to participate in the second annual event. Above left, Orange County Fire Author- ity Division Chief Jim Henry; at left, bugler Damon Machado, a Marine Corps retiree.