Foothills Sentry - December 2023

Page 7 Foothills Sentry December 2023 The Holidays are coming. Enjoy the family and friends at your place. Let them sleep at our place. The NewOrange Grove Inn , where simple, clean, quiet and economical is our passion. Rates start at $84.00 plus tax. 1671 El Camino Real Tustin, CA 92780 Reservations #714-474-2400 www.orangegroveinnoc.com Get Project Updates & Alerts Any Time, Online at www.EOCWD.com Or Call Our Office 714.538.5815 The elves at East Orange County Water District are working extra hard to make sure your holiday, and every day after, is merry and bright. Over the next year ,our team will be working on projects large and small throughout the service area as we repair and upgrade your local water and sewer system s . We promise to stay on your “Nice” list with as little disruption as possible ! A Gift for All Seasons 2017 Dec Sewer Update Ad.indd 1 11/29/17 12:41 PM Orange High JROTC celebrates an enduring tradition, the birthday of the U.S. Marines The Orange High School Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) held a luncheon, Nov. 9 to celebrate the 248th birthday of the Marine Corps. With 170 enrolled cadets, the Orange High program is one of the largest in the western United States. The luncheon featured an ad- dress by retired Col. Jim Gruny (USMC). He spoke of the Ma- rines' core values of honor, cour- age and commitment and the tradition of “servant leadership,” taking care of the people you oversee and the communities you belong to. A challenge coin was presented by School Board Trust- ee Andrea Yamasaki to JROTC Senior Instructor Mark Col. Tull. The cadets were honored with presentations by U.S. represen- tatives Lou Correa (CA-46) and Young Kim (CA-40). The cadets marched from Orange High to the Elks Lodge in Old Towne Orange where the luncheon was held. Cadet Sgt. Alex Gonzalez an- nounces the birthday Com- mendation Order from General Lejune. He holds the ceremonial Mameluke sword used to cut the cake. Following tradition, the first piece of cake was given to Corporal Mark Wayland, the oldest Marine in attendance. Wayland then passed the cake to the youngest Marine, PFC Dulce Salinas, a 2022 Orange High alum who enlisted soon after graduation. The passing of the cake sym- bolizes the passing of the torch from the oldest and most experienced Marines to the next generation. OUSD enhances campus safety The Orange Unified School District has boosted health and safety measures ranging from facility and technology enhance- ments to professional develop- ment. Following detailed walk- throughs at every school site with police, fire and other com- munity partners, and forums held to amass stakeholder input, a task force identified what was needed to harden district facilities from, as Executive Director, student and community services Herib- erto Angel, says, “from curb to classroom.” In a presentation given to the board Nov. 17, Angel described new signage, taller perimeter fencing with privacy slats, and bolder building identifying num- bers to aid first responders. Knox Boxes, a universal system used by responders to enter locked fa- cilities with a master key, will be installed in the futures. Under an access control pilot program at several school sites, Lock Bloks that can secure (or open) all doors from one location have been in- stalled. In another pilot program, vape detectors have been installed in student restrooms on three cam- puses to alert administrators. Technology enhancements in- clude cameras at all secondary school sites; elementary schools will be covered by year end. Cameras can be monitored live or footage stored for later view- ing. An automated visitor manage- ment system, coupled with new employee badges, will allow administrators to keep track of who’s on campus. OUSD teachers and staff took part in emergency response training over the summer; school counselors participated in addi- tional crisis response training. The next step, Angel said, is to create school threat assess- ment guidelines and redesign the district’s emergency operations center. The total estimated cost for the program from 2019 (when up- graded fencing began) to 2024 is $2,507,100. The $850,000 for high school perimeter fencing is coming from Measure S funds. The re- mainder of the security enhance- ments (cameras, Knox Boxes, Lock Bloks, sensors, profession- al development) will be paid out of the general fund. In recognition of the on-going service to the community provided by Orange Elks Lodge 1475, Don Wagner, Chairman of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, presented a proclamation to Exalted Ruler Janine Storm.