Foothills Sentry - December 2024

NEWS INSIDE A Monthly Community Newspaper DECEMBER 2024 Letters Page 4 Canyon Beat Page 6 Obituaries Page 9 Service Directory Pages 11-13 Classifieds Page 13 Community Sports Page 14-15 The Best News In Town Since 1969 FOLLOW US at Foothills Sentry POLO CONTENDERE Silverado stable makes the sport of kings available to everyone, with lessons, events and national polo matches. See Canyon, page 7 MAY THE DAYS BE MERRY Seasonal festivities illuminate town and country canyon. See Lights, page 11 STREAM OF CONSCIOUS- NESS The path of Orange’s primary waterway is owned by many, cared for by none. A city commission is taking notice. See Santiago Creek, page 2 CALL OF DUTY Veterans awarded, applauded and honored for their military service at annual event in Orange. See Field of Valor, page 5 YESTERDAY AND TODAY Tustin Area Historical Society preserves the foundations that factor into the city’s future. See Volunteers, page 5 See "Mills Act" continued on page 2 The Grijalva Ballers, a loosely organized group of hoops aficionados, play basketball every day. Ron Esparza, center, invited Councilwoman Ana Gutierrez, far left, and OUSD Boardmember Kris Erickson, in pink, to meet the inspirational players when he presented them with basket- ball jerseys, courtesy of State Farm Insurance. See Grijalva, page 8. OUSD Board reverses policy to conform with state law By Tina Richards Orange Unified School Dis- trict’s controversial Parent Noti- fication Policy, wherein teachers were required to alert parents of a child’s gender preferences, was quietly rescinded, Nov. 14, to comply with state law. The Board of Trustees voted, 5-2, to abandon the policy ahead of legislation that takes effect Jan. 1. The Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth, or SAFETYAct, prohibits school districts from requiring staff to report a student’s sexual orienta- tion or gender identity to parents, and will protect school staff from retaliation if they refuse to notify parents of a child’s gender prefer- ence. The legislation invalidates any adopted school board policy or administrative regulation that requires outings without the stu- dent’s consent. The act does not limit a parent’s ability to request school records. From ruckus to bupkis The OUSD notification policy was adopted in September 2023 during a volcanic meeting attend- ed by scores of parental rights advocates, most from out of the area, who threatened to become violent. A police officer quelled the disruptive crowd, but not before three board members op- posed to the policy were forced to exit the boardroom for their own safety. The four remaining trustees approved the policy. Two of them (Rick Ledesma, Madi- son Miner) were subsequently recalled. The district was prepared for additional disruption as the board rescinded the notification policy. Additional security guards were hired for crowd control, but no throng of angry parents appeared. Only one person spoke in favor of the ill-fated policy during pub- lic comments. She expressed her belief that children were being given puberty blockers without parental consent, and that con- stituents were entitled to the facts. Several other district parents applauded the board for adher- ing to state law, “getting ahead of potential liability and exposure to litigation and fiscal waste.” One speaker noted that the purpose of public schools is education and they should foster respect and compassion for one another. “Stu- dents will tell parents when they believe it is safe,” another pointed out. Last stands Trustees John Ortega and An- gie Rumsey, voted to approve the policy last year. Neither Ortega or Rumsey chose to run for reelection and this was their last meeting. Ortega said he would be voting no to re- scind the policy because “parental advisement is always necessary, for all students, no matter what the subject. It’s about showing re- spect to parents,” he said. “They have a right to be informed; they do all they can to keep their kids safe.” Rumsey said she would also vote “no,” advising that she be- lieved the policy was in line with the constitution. “It’s not a reli- gious issue for me,” she said, “but it’s about the constitution.” “I’m a parent,” Board President Ana Page stated. “And I have ac- cess to all my students’ records,” suggesting that information is available to parents who wanted it. There was no further board dis- cussion, and the vote was taken without fanfare. Trustees Stephen Glass, Andrea Yamasaki, Kris Er- ickson, Sara Pelly and Ana Page voted yes; Ortega and Rumsey, no. Orange tax measure failing Measure Z, the one-half cent sales tax that Orange voters were asked to approve, is, at press time, failing. The vote remains within 1.5%, but with fewer ballots left to count, it appears the proposed tax will not pass. The City of Orange put the tax increase on the ballot to let vot- ers decide whether retaining vital city services is worth an addition- al one-half cent on dollars spent in the city. The city currently faces an $8 million deficit, which is expected to grow to $26 million over the next five years. Orange has al- ready cut city-sponsored events, initiated a hiring freeze, and cut all department budgets by 10 per- cent. It has also launched initiatives to attract more businesses, and visitors to boost revenue. In the short term, the city may have to cut more services, including po- lice, fire and public safety. Measure Z was supported by the police and fire associations, the public libraries and recre- ational groups that use city facili- ties as well as the entire city coun- cil, save for John Gyllenhammer. A Fire Department PAC paid for most of the campaign signs and literature mailed to voters. The measure was opposed by the Automobile Dealers Associa- tion, OC Taxpayers Association and much of the Latino commu- nity. Most of the “No on Z” ma- terial was financed by the Orange County Automobile Dealers As- sociation. The Latinos who opposed the measure did so, according to organizer Sammy Rodriguez, because they saw it as an unfair financial burden, with no specific payback to their community. “El Modena has long been ignored by the city,” Rodriguez asserts, “and we were fighting this tax to make a statement that the city would hear.” Until the final vote is tallied, the city has been mum on what its next steps will be. Mills Act contract approvals rest on Orange budget woes By Tina Richards The Orange City Council was slated to approve 14 Mills Act contracts at its Nov. 12 meeting, but deferred the vote, based on concerns about their impact to the city’s budget deficit. The Mills Act is a property tax reduction available to own- ers of qualified historic proper- ties. Money not spent on property taxes is redirected to the costs of maintenance, restoration and preservation of those structures. The Mills Act is considered the single most important economic incentive program in California for the restoration and preserva- tion of historic buildings by pri- vate property owners. Contracts are awarded for 10 years, and are automatically renewed ever year after that. There is a requirement for periodic audits to ensure tax savings are spent appropriately. The city currently oversees 445 Mills Act contracts. Of those, approximately 100 are not in compliance; that is, the property owner does not report mainte- nance or rehabilitation expenses to the city. Tax loss or investment? The contracts under consider- ation would result in a $15,700 tax loss to the city each year. Councilman John Gyllenham- mer noted that while the city is redirecting tax dollars for historic preservation, it is not enforcing the contracts and does not know what it is getting in return. “We need an understanding of how we’re investing in this space,” he said. “I’m not against it, but right now how and where we’re spend- ing money is not controlled.” Jon Dumitru agreed that it was inappropriate to approve more contracts until the council un-