Foothills Sentry Page 8 DECEMBER 2025 Mail check: OPCC P.O. Box 2872 Orange, Ca. 92659 Credit Card: Call OPA Hotline 714.900.2OPA (672) Zelle: 2025 Year end tax deduction opportunity! Act fast before December 31, 2025 Make your tax-deductible donation directly to: The Orange Park Community Corporation (OPCC) 501(c)(3) Support preservation of East Orange Recreational and Open Space Merry Christmas Happy Holidays -&- A Healthy, Happy, Prosperous 2026 New Year See ya’ll at Orange Park Association Annual General Membership Meeting 8:00 AM Coffee ~ Donuts 9:00 AM Meeting Saturday, January 31, 2026 Salem Church School Multipurpose Room Wishing the OPA Community Family From Your Orange Park Association Board We are honored to serve the community info@orangeparkacres.org OPA Hotline 714.900.2OPA(672) The cake celebrating the 250th USMC birthday is cut by, from left, Ricardo Paco; Mark Wayland, the oldest Marine present; Lance Corporal Sean Perez, the youngest Marine present; Colonel Mark M. Tull, USMC, retired; and Jose Gadea. By Bill Neessen The week surrounding Veterans Day is busy around Orange Elks Lodge as members plan, organize, carry out and participate in programs dedicated to those who served. Orange Elks veterans greeted students at Palmyra Elementary School as they arrived the morning of Nov. 7. They shared their experiences as veterans, talked about military history and answered questions posed by student. Later that day, Lodge #1475 hosted Orange High School’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps in celebration of the USMC 250th birthday. The Orange High program is one of the biggest in the West, with over 200 cadets attending. Elks members then volunteered at Handy Park to help the Community of Orange Foundation set up the Field of Valor, a tribute to the men and women who are serving and have served in the military. Over 1,100 American flags were set up, with each flag dedicated to honor a friend or family member. On Veterans Day, the Elks worked with the American Legion Post 132 to honor vets at a special event. Over 120 veterans As long as there is a vet, the Orange Elks will never forget and guests attended a ceremony at the Post. The Orange High School’s Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps presented the colors, followed by the program and dinner provided by the lodge. The week ended with the Veterans Night Program at the lodge. The program included patriotic songs, recognizing our members who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard and Space Force. Veterans Committee Chairmen Brian and Stephanie Fitzpatrick presented the 21st Heroes Scholarship Award to E-5 Petty Officer Andrea Alexander, U.S. Navy. Veterans and Elks, left to right, Brian Fitzpatrick, Terrie Schatz and John Smith shared their military experiences with Palmyra Elementary students. The colors were presented by Orange High School USMC JROTC at the American Legion Post event. U.S. Navy Petty Officer Andrea Alexander, far left, with two sons, received the Heroes Scholarship Award from Elks Stephanie and Brian Fitzpatrick. Residents in Old Towne paid parking zone will get permits By Carrie Graham Moving forward in the process to establish paid parking in Old Towne, the Orange City Council approved a portion of an ordinance giving free parking permits to residents, but balked at the inclusion of businesses in the ordinance as written. While Councilmember Ariana Barrios, who lives near the Old Towne zone, recused herself from the Oct. 28 council discussion; the rest of the members largely agreed that those living in Old Towne shouldn’t be saddled with sudden parking costs. Residents, who must prove they live there, will be issued permits to park in paid parking slots for free. The council, however, was not as amenable to the portion of the ordinance addressing parking permits for businesses. “My problem,” Dumitru said, “is that the whole basis behind this was folks who are working down there would be funneled into the parking structure and other areas. And now there's an inclusion of a permit for employees at $50 a pop for each permit. But it doesn't limit each business to how many permits,” said Dumitru. He later asked Public Works Director Christopher Cash what was to stop businesses from committing fraud. Unclear on the concept The parking system for businesses would require merchants to request permits for their employees as needed. To qualify, the employee must work for the business full-time. While the business would be responsible for the application and the $50 per month price tag, payable only in six-month increments, the permit itself would be assigned to a specific employee license plate number. Cash admitted that the current system leaves some room for dishonesty, but was optimistic that with over 1,000 free parking spots still available in the area, many businesses will likely opt not to foot the $600 per year bill per employee. “There is part of this that’s the honor system, and part of us monitoring the number of permits issued,” he advised. "If we find businesses that are not being honest in their application, that would certainly impact our ability to continue to do the program the way that we're describing it.” Asked how the city would rein in permits if they get out of control, Cash said the permits must be renewed every six months, meaning changes can be made quickly if data shows the current system isn’t providing the desired results. As part of the city’s contract with ACE Parking LLC, awarded over the summer, it will provide a “parking manager” who will track metrics that Public Works can use to bring proposed tweaks to the council. OK for some Dumitru motioned to bifurcate the residential and business portions, passing the residential while continuing the commercial side to a later meeting once city staff had a chance to create more solid criteria. Ana Gutierrez seconded the motion to bifurcate, advising that the criteria for business permits “could be by size or by type of business, but not free rein determined by public works. Not knowing the true parameters is not making it fair and equitable. It cannot be that I'm going to give eight to this one business, 10 to this other one, five to this one and three to this one. It's just too open.” The lone dissenting voice on the issue was councilman Denis Bilodeau. “We have a two-hour parking standard in Old Towne,” he said. “It's not enforced, and I think that is why we have so many parking congestion problems. If you're not going to enforce the existing regulations, then why would anybody follow any of them? I’m not knocking the OPD. They have more important things to do than play meter maid, but we’re not enforcing the existing parking regulations in Old Towne. I think this system will not be as profitable as some may think.” The council will resume discussion with revised criteria from city staff at the last meeting of the year on Dec. 9. Lot 5 Lot 4 Lot 3 Lot 6 Lot 2 Lot 1A Lot 8 Lot 7 L Lot 10 Lot 10 Lot 1 Lot 9 Lot 15 Paid Parking Plaza Circle Paid Parking On-street Paid Parking City Lots Free Parking City Lots Senior Center Lot J:\Production_Environment\Projects\PermitParking\PermitParking.aprx\Paid Parking Ordinance | Old Towne - Landscape 9/3/2025 Source: City of Orange (2025) AREA MAP 0 400 200 Feet . Rate per Hour Maximum Park Time Area $1.25 M-F Senior Ctr. only Sat/Sun, 3 hours $2.00 2 hours $1.50 2 hours $1.25 3 hours Free See Lot Signage Lot 5 Lot 4 Lot 3 Lot 6 Lot 2 Lot 1A Lot 8 Lot 7 Lot 12 Lot 13 Lot 11 Lot 10 Lot 10 Lot 1 Lot 9 Lot 15 Paid Parking Plaza Circle Paid Parking On-street Paid Parking City Lots Free Parking City Lots Senior Center Lot J:\Production_Environment\Projects\PermitParking\PermitParking.aprx\Paid Parking Ordinance | Old Towne - Landscape 9/3/2025 Source: City of Orange (2025) CITY OF ORANGE AREA MAP (OLD TOWNE PARKING) 0 400 200 Feet . Rate per Hour Maximum Park Time Area $1.25 M-F Senior Ctr. only Sat/Sun, 3 hours $2.00 2 hours $1.50 2 hours $1.25 3 hours Free See Lot Signage
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