Foothills Sentry - December 2022

Page 5 Foothills Sentry December 2022 Circulation … 41,750 Published on the last Tuesday of each month and distributed to residences, businesses, libraries and civic centers. Printing by Advantage, Inc. 714-532-4406 Fax: 714-532-6755 foothillssentry.com 1107 E. Chapman Ave., #207 Orange, CA 92866 © Foothills Sentry 2022 Publisher/Editor Anita Bennyhoff 1969-2013 Editor Tina Richards editor@foothillssentry.com Sports Editor Cliff Robbins sportseditor@att.net Graphic Designer Stephanie Gundran graphics@foothillssentry.com Advertising Sales Andie Mills advertising@foothillssentry.com 714-926-9299 Office Manager Kathy Eidson officemanager@foothillssentry. com A voter's lament Dear Editor: Thank goodness for John Clark, whose response to the edi- tor in the November edition said everything that I was thinking af- ter receiving the October Sentry about the OUSD elections. Given the concerned climate regarding our schools, I had read each of the statements of the eight people running for the Orange Unified School District. After reading about each can- didate, I wrote down the names of the ones I felt had a vision for our children's futures in the area of education. I was looking for an emphasis on reading, writing and math, working not with just the students, but making sure that the schools would actively be engaged directly with parents to oversee their children's education and well-being. Was I in shock on the heels of my little experiment to receive the Foothills Sentry! I had writ- ten Madison, Angela, Tim and Rick as promising frontrunners. Opening the Sentry , I was met with Letters to the Editor along with the Guest Commentary smearing these candidates along with multiple ads for the other four candidates (which I will call the old order) smiling and shar- ing their expertise and longevity in serving on the OUSD. I have just received the newest copy of the Sentry and there is more of the same coverage. There was no mention of Mad- ison, Angela, Tim or Rick in ei- ther edition. What was even more alarming was in rereading the statements of the "other" candidates some of them were mentioning adding more counselors and psychia- trists in order to help students. Why not include parents in sup- porting their children and get back to learning the basics so that our children can go out into the world and pursue their dreams? Let's put some parents and new leaders into an old system that has broken down and left our kids uneducated, unable to read and unable to tackle math. We can't blame everything on CO- VID because the problem existed long before this. Donna Rhoades Orange Open space dilemma Dear Editor: I would like to respond to Robert Detrano’s article entitled “East Orange natural space open by appointment only.” He states that the ability to ac- cess open space land is a “well- kept secret,” and suggests that a fee might be imposed for the lets- gooutside guided hikes to expand the programs. Detrano is basing his conclusion on a poll he took of residents in the immediate area of the canyons in Orange. I completely disagree with both this conclusion and his suggestion of a fee, and assert that he is simply unaware of the facts. First of all, so many peo- ple throughout Orange County (not just the City of Orange) are aware of letsgooutside programs that it is nearly impossible to get access to the land, which is done by participating in a guided hike. Knowledge of letsgooutside has increased so much over the years that a “start time” online registration system had to be implemented to keep early birds from signing up, I rarely get a reservation because I fail to reg- ister within the first few hours of a posting – that’s an indication of how popular the programs are, and how many people in South- ern California are aware of lets- gooutside. I do not question Detrano’s poll results, I only suggest that informing even more county residents of the programs will frustrate not only us oldtimers, but these new-comers as well, because none of us will get ac- cess to the land unless we have a trigger finger the minute reserva- tions open. Letsgooutside has multiple programs almost every day of the week, every week of the year, in many different open space areas around the county. There is no shortage of activities, and each program is fully staffed with vol- unteer guides. In other words, there is no need and, really, no op- portunity to expand letsgooutside programs unless larger groups are allowed to participate, which letsgooutside doesn’t want, in order to avoid disturbance to the land and animals. Therefore, a fee to attend hikes will make no difference. Having more money will not increase the number of activities/access to the land because letsgooutside simply doesn’t want any more people tromping on the grass and frightening the early-morning deer. In fact, open space already receives $5 million per year of our tax dollars (for what? trail maintenance?) and I think that is enough of my money, particular- ly since I am never lucky enough to get one of the coveted spots on a hike. Ellen Smiley North Tustin Life in the fast bike lane Reader William Sellin of Orange offered a detailed response to another writer’s suggestions for the Santiago Creek Bikeway (Unhappy trails, October): The Santiago Creek Bikeway is safe most of the time, but some users are unsafe or at best, frightening. Establishing speed limits is not a viable answer: 1.) The California Vehicle Code does not pertain to bike- ways, so no one can get a ticket on any county bikeway posted with a 10 mph limit. No one who can ride faster than 10 mph obeys the signs. 2.) If made the law, who would enforce it? Orange doesn’t have enough police, it seems, to deal with “real” crimes; where are we going to pull officers to cite cy- clists? 3.) 10 mph is not a reasonable speed for anyone trying to use ac- tive transportation to commute. Most cyclists ride faster than 10 mph, and good cyclists can slow down or stop when needed to keep others safe. “Maintain Safe Speed" makes more sense if you want signs - it matches the existing Basic Speed Law, the far-better existing law, i.e., do not operate at a speed fast- er than you can control and safely share the path. Cyclists can, with experience or electric assist, get up to 30 mph, but it is their responsibility to slow down when other users are near by. (I know - some don’t, but how is a legal limit that is not enforced going to help that?) Class III pedal assist electric bicycles go over 28 mph only when pedaled HARD past the limited assist. Class 1 bikes can reach over 20 mph. It’s not the bi- cycle speeding dangerously -- it's the cyclist. Unregistered electric mopeds and illegal mini bikes that throttle over 20 mph are not allowed on streets or bikeways, but they are there on this bikeway. A speed limit sign won’t matter to them. The police - if they have time - can already cite operators of those vehicles, on streets, paths and sidewalks, even if going less than 10 mph. A moped (motorized bicycle) requires an M1 or M2 motorcycle license, so the operator must be 16. A motorcycle helmet is also required, not just a bike helmet, and the vehicle must be registered with the DMV as a moped (gas or electric). Minibikes are not street-legal motorcycles and are not allowed on any public road, much less any bike path or sidewalk. No pedals? It’s a motor-driven cycle, not an e-bike. I do agree that any new segment should be designed with the standards of the Orange County Highway Design Manual, and portions of the existing bikeway should be brought up to those standards. The county standard calls for separation of pedestrians and cyclists when there are a lot of users. We have enough cyclists -- including responsible electric bicycle riders -- and pedestrians to warrant a separate path or trail for pedestrians. The city should ensure that the path is wide enough, has at-grade shoulders to run off on, have all railings, signs and lightposts and landscaping two feet or more off the path, and standard way-find- ing signs. City bikeways should have reflective painted edge stripes and a center stripe when approaching conflict zones, and a separate adjacent sidewalk, walk- way, trail or foot path for pedes- trians. Class I bikeways are supposed to have grade separation (bridges or tunnels) from street traffic, like at Glassell, Cambridge, Tus- tin, Chapman and Prospect, not a crosswalk like at Villa Park Road and Hewes. Three lanes striped -- each direction of cyclists and one two-way lane for pedestrians -- works well along southbound Jamboree on Orange’s segment of the regional Parks Connector Bikeway between Santiago Canyon and Canyon View. But that segment has crosswalks, not bridges, at Santiago Canyon, Chapman, Fort and Canyon View. Public Works can apply for federal, state and regional funds to improve cycling infrastructure and make paths and roads safer for everyone. Parents should not let their children operate illegal mopeds and minibikes, and chil- dren need the exercise "acoustic bicycles" can offer. The state just signed into law a change that allows Class III elec- tric bicycles (pedal assist) to use Class I bikeways; mopeds are still not allowed. There is no reason to ban Class III electric bicycles, when they can increase enforcement of ex- isting laws to educate the opera- tors of mopeds and mini bikes speeding on our bike paths and streets now. When I get older, I plan to get an electric bicycle, but not yet - I’m only 65. TAWC announces Young Women of the Month Caydence Bach and Tessa Smit are two of three Young Women of the Month named by the Tustin Area Woman's Club. Caydence Bach from Foothill High is an International Baccalaureate candidate. She is the president of the Hoops 4 Doug Club and Associated Student Body president. Bach is the captain of the girls varsity basketball and girls varsity tennis teams. Outside of school, she is the head coach and community outreach commissioner for Serving Advantage, a nonprofit where she teaches tennis to children with special needs. Bach intends to major in sports administration or business, with a minor in public relations and human rights. Her goal is to become a professional sports team general manager. Tustin High School’s Tessa Caydence Bach Tessa Smit The Orange City Council awarded Mills Act contracts to three Old Towne properties, Nov. 15, after an additional review re- quested by neighboring residents at a previous council meeting. The Mills Act allows owners of historic properties a reduction in property taxes, in exchange for money spent to preserve and maintain those sites. Old Towne residents claimed that the properties at 515 and 529 S. Grand Street should not be eli- Mills Act contracts questioned, then approved gible, because they are owned by investment companies that had remodeled the interiors to house Chapman students, planned to add an additional unit behind 515, and are “destroying the historic property, not preserving it." The council asked staff to determine how the construction of additional units on a historic property might affect Mills Act eligibility and how many contracts were granted to investment properties. A property at 154 N. Shaffer Street had been questioned by Councilman Jon Dumitru because it appeared to have an illegal Accessory Dwelling Unit on it. It was subsequently determined to be a storage shed. The review determined that all three properties qualify. Mills Act contracts can be issued to owner- occupied or income-producing properties, including those owned by absentee landlords. New construction is not eligible. Smit is the secretary-general of the THS United Nations Club, which provided her with extensive leadership opportunities. Her academic accomplishments have placed her on the Superintendent’s Honor Roll all four years. Smit participates in the aquatics program, where she plays water polo and swims competitively. She enjoys math, and is planning to pursue a career in the finance area with a major in business or finance. Morgan Ventura of Beckman High was also honored.