Foothills Sentry - December 2024

Foothills Sentry Page 6 DECEMBER 2024 DINNER | LUNCH | BRUNCH | HAPPY HOUR | SPECIAL EVENTS 6410 EAST CHAPMAN AVE. | 714.997.2910 | THEORANGEHILLRESTAURANT.COM ORANGEHILLRESTAURANT ORANGEHILLEATS BEST STEAKHOUSE, MOST ROMANTIC, SCENIC VIEW, MOST BOOKED Cold and flue season In other news A cheerful OC Vote Center crew of mostly Silverado and Modjeska residents welcomed voters and ballot dropper-offers to Saddleback Gateway Library of the Canyons on Election Day. Despite high winds and red flag warnings, and with Edison on- site ready to switch to genera- tors, power remained on during our recent, if shortest, Santa Ana winds event. Voters picked up SCE emergency swag and visited our branch library, many for the first time. Silverado-Modjeska Recre- ation and Parks District (SMRPD) President Ted Wright submitted five names of locals willing to fill two board director positions cur- rently vacant. We await Supervi- sor Wagner’s picks. Cameras, correlation, causa- tion, cougars Mountain lion sightings have increased, due to placement by property owners of inexpensive cameras and video doorbell cam- eras. Alas, that doesn’t increase the cougar population, or we’d suggest more Rings, perhaps use- ful in tracking post-Airport Fire phenomena: the spread of hikers, mountain bikers and bird watch- ers from their usual territory into eco-systems unaffected by the closure of most of the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest. Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park is crowded, with trails especially busy on week- ends. Some cyclists ignore the park closure at Santiago Truck Trail to ride the popular “Luge.” Blackstar is open, with access to points north. The Airport Fire also displaced wildlife, resulting in more moun- tain lion sightings and online postings. Residents who capture on-camera images or, as one resident did, witness an animal on its early morning jog through downtown Modjeska, should re- port to both local agencies track- ing them. Call Whiting Ranch at (949) 923-2245; then go online to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (wildlife. ca.gov) and to report the sighting. You likely won’t have recorded the “ear tag number,” having, we hope, safely avoided a more inti- mate encounter. Maybe the Ring got it. Sil-Mod Plan! A witness to the failed rumble strips, pedestrian/mountain biker safety enhancement experiment necessitated by speeders on Modjeska Grade Road, home- owner Jim Carter met with OC Public Works about planned, yes, upgrades to the shortest, steep- est way into the canyon. He also corresponded regarding proposed gutters, curbs, and V-ditches, ex- pressing concern about limited access during construction. More poetically, Carter summarizes, “Please use the Sil-Mod Plan when making improvements to the canyons to keep the rural can- yons looking and feeling rural. We live in the canyons because we like the smell of nature, the calmness of a sunset, and wild- ness of a coyote looking for its next meal.” Canyon Chargers We celebrate canyon athletes Lilly Schroeder and Ava Crocker, both El Toro High freshmen Char- gers. Their girls cross country team placed first in recent region- al Southern division preliminar- ies, now advancing to CIF region- als and one step closer to state finals. Multiple steps, in fact: 3.1 miles! The boys team, including canyonite senior Gavin Crocker, placed third. Local heroine Agorgeous landscape, err, plan- et scape painting by Modjeska artist Kris Leal Temple features in the Hilbert Museum’s newly opened show “Undiminished: Heroines of California Art,” now through early March. “Twilight Over Gale Crater, Mars,” oil on linen, is based on actual photos taken by the Mars Perseverance Rover and originally included in the 2021 California Art Club ex- hibition “Mars, An Artistic Mis- sion.” Admission is free. Hours: Tues-Sat, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. See Kris’s work at laelartstudio.com . Up on the rooftop The holidays and recent cold snap mean canyonites might warm themselves by fireplace or woodburning stove, but prep now to avoid a house fire or wildfire. Silverado Station 14 Fire Captain Steve Kerrigan reminds residents that we are a Firewise Commu- nity, with our annual certification pending. Participating in this program gets us special designation, which in addition to reducing our risk of wildfire, benefits many home- owners when it comes to keep- ing insurance premiums from going through the roof. Resident hours spent attending Fire and Ice and Fire Safe Council meet- ings, bringing green debris out to Chipper Day, and dumping at Aquinaga have paid off. Speaking of going through the roof, Kerrigan advises getting your chimney swept. Fires can be prevented by cleaning your flues. Masonry chimneys are especially prone to combustion. Check your chimney cap and mesh. Fire Safe Council of East Orange County Canyons website lists chim- neysweeps who visit the canyons at fsceocc.org . Thinking and eating December’s first Wednesday of the month Library of the Canyons Book Club choice pick is “Visual Thinking: The Hidden Gifts of People Who Think in Pictures, Patterns, and Abstractions” by Temple Grandin. January is Vera Wong’s “Unsolicited Advice for Murders,” described at Kirkus Book Review as “literary comfort food in the guise of a quirky who- dunit.” Helpfully, you can read either as book, eBook or audio book. Feed your head. Bon Appe- tit. Happy Holidays, Peace, and please reaffirm your New Year’s resolution: Don’t move oak limbs! Gonzalez steps down, Christensen steps up The Orange Unified School Dis- trict Board of Trustees announced, Nov. 14, that Michael Christensen will serve as interim district super- intendent, replacing Ernie Gonza- lez, who asked to be transferred to a senior administrative role and stepped down Nov. 15. Gonzalez was appointed as OUSD Superintendent 18 months ago, during a time of significant change for the district. He pro- vided the continuity needed to navigate complex challenges, for which the Board and the commu- nity remain deeply grateful. In his message to the communi- ty, Gonzalez said, “My decision to transition from superintendent to a senior administrative role is pri- marily motivated by my desire to dedicate my full attention to sup- porting the needs of our students and staff. Fulfilling the role of su- perintendent has been an honor, and I extend my gratitude to the Board for the opportunity to lead and serve our students.” Christensen took the reins Nov. 18. He had served as OUSD Su- perintendent from 2011 to 2017, retiring from the District after 20 years of service. He was the dep- uty superintendent, business ser- vices and held numerous positions in the business/facilities division. The Board’s announcement that he will return to the district as in- terim superintendent was met with applause. The Board intends to search for a permanent superintendent.