Page 3 Foothills Sentry OCTOBER 2025 "Rentals" conti nu ed f rom page 1 Register to Attend or Host a Trunk: https://bit.ly/SCCTrunkorTreat2025 5:30 – 8:30 PM Santiago Canyon College 8045 E. Chapman Ave., Orange FREE ADMISSION 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 Happy Halloween Orange! dan@DanSlater.com 714-744-2219 1537 E. Chapman Ave. Orange, CA 92866 DAN SLATER was from sports fields and was told $200,000. She noted that there must be different schemes the city could use to balance fees with actual costs, for example step-up fees based on a team’s level of low-income players. “I don’t want to exclude kids in need,” she said. “There are other fees to consider. Building fees are a big chunk of money.” More than one way Reporting that Chapman University recently received a $100 million grant from the state, she was curious about the amount Orange was charging Chapman for field rental. Rates vary between lighted and unlighted fields, Orange residents or businesses and non-residents or businesses. Chapman has two contracts with the city for field rentals which were negotiated separately and expire in 2029. Seemingly confident that fee increases could be more equitable, Barrios asked staff to “come back with ideas.” Ana Gutierrez pointed out that in addition to sports fields, many other “community benefit” fees -- library cards, swimming lessons -- were being raised. “These community services relate to quality of life and life skills for residents,” she noted, while recommending a separate council study session, with public participation, to focus on those fees. “Let’s not try to do this on the dais,” she said. “It’s a lot to look at.” Points to ponder “There is a budget issue in the city,” Jon Dumitru reminded the audience. “That’s why this is coming up. There are no sacred cows.” But, he agreed, he would prefer a stepped-up approach to any increases. He also expressed frustration with the number of fees to consider and the lack of an advance briefing on the topic for council members. “I saw this list the same time you did,” he said to the audience, adding that he would like to have a better understanding of the methodology used to determine what those increases should be. “I had sticker shock when I saw the swimming program,” he said. Denis Bilodeau agreed that fees should be phased in, with COLA (cost of living adjustment) included so the city would not have to repeat this exercise in 10 years. He also advocated subsidizing Little League with a 50% cost recovery as the goal. Mayor Dan Slater directed staff to meet with the Little League and Pony team leaders to determine what is palatable. He agreed that a separate study session for community benefit fees is warranted; City Manager Jarad Hildenbrand agreed to set that up as soon as possible. Orange Home Grown raises $8,000 at "Market for the People" Orange Home Grown hosted "Market for the People: Buy-Out to Nourish Our Community," a one-day farmers market event held to support local families. During the special event, 100% of proceeds from vendor stall fees were directed to the El Modena Family Resource Center, not as a monetary donation, but as fresh, nourishing food purchased directly from local farmers and vendors. Through the generosity of the community and participating vendors, the event raised $6,000, with an additional $2,000 donation from the Orange Rotary, totaling $8,000 in contributions to support families in need. “This event is all about standing together as a community,” said Megan Penn, executive director of Orange Home Grown. “Every dollar spent stayed within our community, supporting farmers and vendors while directly nourishing families in Orange. It’s a beautiful example of a circular community and shows what can happen when we work together.” During August and September, contributions were delivered in the form of farm boxes to the Resource Center. Each box was curated with fresh, seasonal produce and staples, including cantaloupes, watermelons, tomatoes, potatoes, squash, stone fruits and eggs. Local farms and food artisans, including Gaytan Family Farms, Black Sheep Farms, Sunny Cal Farms, Harris Apiarie, Lucky Habanero, and the Orange Home Grown Education Farm, helped package and deliver the boxes. The El Modena Family Resource Center provides support services for families in the El Modena Orange community, including food and nutrition assistance, parenting support, youth programs, and access to community services. The Orange Home Grown K-9 retires from Orange PD Police canine officer Wyatt, a Slovakian-born German Shepherd, was celebrated by the Orange City Council, marking his retirement from the department after 7.5 years of service. Wyatt and his handler Officer Michael Osborn were issued a proclamation, Aug. 26, recognizing the canine’s achievements as a multi-purpose dog trained for patrol, tracking and narcotics detection. He assisted in more than 500 deployments, apprehending criminals, sniffing out narcotics and helping recover over $3 million in cash. He also served as a community liaison officer, participating in some 300 public demonstrations, along with Osborn, for civic organizations. Wyatt will spend his retirement with Osborn and his family. O cer Michael Osborn and Wyatt Megan Penn, le , executive director of Orange Home Grown and Heidi Gaytan from Gaytan Family Farms unload boxes of fresh food. Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit helping people reconnect to a healthy and sustainable food system. The branches of the nonprofit engage residents of all ages, ethnicities and income levels in creative environments and programs. These programs foster education, awareness and action around farming, food and health while celebrating the positive agricultural attributes of the City of Orange and surrounding cities. Wyatt readies for action.
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