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COUNCIL APPOINTS JAN FLORY AS 5TH MEMBERby Jesse La Tour

At a special meeting on January 29th,Fullerton City Council voted 3-1(Whitaker “no”) to appoint formerFullerton City Council member Jan Floryto fill the remaining two years of the “at-large” seat vacated when now Mayor Silvawas elected to represent District 3.Here’s a recent timeline of how the coun-

cil got to this point:At their December 18th meeting, council

was deadlocked (2-2) over how to fill thevacancy, with Mayor Silva and MayorProtem Fitzgerald supporting appointmentand Councilmembers Zahra and Whitakerfavoring a special election. At this meeting,former councilmember Jan Flory and oth-ers began lobbying for her appointment.Councilmember Zahra, who at this time

favored a special election, asked rhetorical-ly, “Is there a fairer and more transparentprocess than voting itself? Can we come upwith something better than what the con-stitution came up with?”At the January 15th meeting, Council

member Zahra switched his vote to favorappointment, citing the expense and the

fact that the city did not have the option todo an all mail-in election.The following day (January 16), applica-

tions for appointment were made availableon the city’s website. Applications were dueon January 23rd, and 26 people applied.On January 28, Neighbors United for

Fullerton hosted an “Applicants Forum” atthe Library Conference Room in whichapplicants introduced themselves andanswered questions on various city issues.And on January 29, there was a special

city council meeting to make the appoint-ment.Before applicants gave their opening

statements, Councilmember Zahra calledthe process by which council found them-selves in this position “a series of unfortu-nate events that led to what is really animpossible decision.” He said that the costof the special election was, for him, a majorfactor in his decision.Councilmember Whitaker, who has from

the beginning opposed the appointmentprocess, said “it is with some level of protestthat I do participate in this evening. I tooshare the hope that there will be a support-

The Friends of Coyote Hills has filed apetition with the California SupremeCourt to review our Measure W lawsuitagainst the City of Fullerton andChevron-Pacific Coast Homes.At issue is the City of Fullerton’s han-

dling of the people’s 2012 referendumcalled Measure W. The City wrote aDevelopment Agreement ordinance sothat no matter the outcome of the elec-tion, the City and Chevron would get thelast say, regardless of the people’s vote. The4th District Court of Appeals sided withthe City, ruling a business contract ismore important than voter rights.The California constitution grants its

people the right to make or veto lawsthrough the initiative and referendumprocess. The right to petition our electedrepresentatives to redress grievances is atthe root of the American government.In 2011, the Fullerton City Council

approved a Development Agreement

Friends PetitionSupreme Court on City IgnoringCoyote Hills Public Vote

by Angela Lindstrom

Continued on page 4

The California StateUniversity Board of Trusteeshave renamed Cal StateFullerton’s University Hall asMilton A. Gordon Hall in recog-nition of the 21-year legacy ofservice by the late university’sfifth president. A dedication ceremony for the

new Gordon Hall is planned forfall 2019.During Gordon’s tenure, the

university grew from serving25,600 students to more than 36,000 andbecame one of the most diverse campusesin the CSU. Cal State Fullerton alsobecame a destination campus for commu-

nity college students transfer-ring to a four-year university.Gordon presided over the cre-ation of the GuardianScholars Program in 1998(the first-of-its-kind programin the nation for serving fosteryouth), numerous construc-tion and building projectsthat added 22 buildings andmore than four million squarefeet of interior space, and sig-nificantly increased outreach

to the community. In athletics, he cheered as the Titans took

two national championships in baseball(1995, 2004).

The Late Dr. Gordon Honored by CSUF

Continued on page 5

Newly appointed Councilmember Jan Flory is sworn into office by City Clerk Lucinda Williams. PHOTO BY JESSE LA TOUR

able and just outcome to whatever actionswe take.”The City Clerk informed council that

three people who submitted applicationshad since withdrawn.Each of the remaining 23 applicants

had three minutes to briefly introducethemselves. (see page 5 for brief bios)After this, the public weighed in, with

most speakers criticizing the appointmentprocess, preferring instead a special elec-tion.“No matter what your efforts are, and

good intentions, it is impossible for anappointment to be made without unin-tended bias,” said Diane Vena, “That iswhy we need an impartial election inwhich everyone has a voice.”Harry Langenbacher noted how recent-

ly the city of Orange, facing a similar deci-sion, voted to have a special election, andnot appoint a council member.Angela Lindstrom, who criticized the

fact that one applicant had lobbied for theposition even before a decision to appointrather than hold an election had beenmade, said, “I support an election processbecause I’ve lost my trust in the council tobe able to make a fair choice on behalf ofall 69,740 voters in Fullerton, not becauseyou’re bad people but because you’re veryvery human—humans subject to biases.” Helen Higgins said, “I can’t believe the

method of filling the vacancy is up fordebate. I’d expect this kind of discussionin another state that actively challengesthe rights of voters or where voter sup-pression exists…Let’s not regress but aimforward in protecting our voting rights asAmerican citizens. The city of Orangechose special election. The county ofOrange chose special election. Why doesFullerton have to be different?”Matthew Leslie called the process “a

congenial train wreck” and said, “This isthe nicest-sounding slap in the face ofdemocracy I’ve ever experienced.”

Page 2 FULLERTON OBSERVER EARLY FEBRUARY 2019REGIONAL NEWS

• 182,769

• 4,566• 2,419

• $4.727Trillion

WAR COSTS in Life & MoneyIN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN

Civilians killed by violence www.iraqbodycount.org (2/1/2019)

US soldiers killed in Iraq: (DoD 2/1/2019)

US soldiers killed in Afghanistan (2/1/2019) www.icasualties.org

Cost of wars Since 2001 www.nationalpriorities.org (2/1/2019) (rounded down)

U.S. taxpayers are payingover $32 million/PER HOUR

for total costs of war since 2001. What Can We Do With this Money Instead?

by Jesse La Tour

On January 19th, thousands gathered in downtownSanta Ana for the third annual OC Women’s March.“This is the third year that we’ve come together to

march to assert what should be a very simple concept,but one that we still struggle to achieve, and that is thatwomen’s rights are human rights,” said event emcee Dr.Michele Goodwin to the large crowd of people gath-ered near the Civic Center before the march began.Goodwin noted that this year’s march comes on the

same week as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday, andthat Dr. King stood for more that just the March onWashington, but he also stood for equal pay, for envi-ronmental justice, and for women’s rights.When King was asked in 1966 why he stood for so

many social movements, his response was, “I refuse tosegregate my moral concerns.” Goodwin led the crowdin a chant “We refuse to segregate our moral concerns!”Indeed, the Women’s March was not just about

women’s rights. Gillian Palacios, a sophomore at SantaAna High School read from the mission statement ofthe OC Women’s March: “We march as a grassrootseffort, fighting for equal rights of all women, regardlessof religious beliefs, race, status, or sexual orientation. Aswomen, we must stand in solidarity with all marginal-ized communities and ask those communities to standtogether with us against oppression in all forms.”Before the march, women representatives of Orange

County Native American tribes (Acjechemen andTongva/Kizh) addressed the crowd.“We are the indigenous women from different

respective tribes standing before you to tell you that weexist and we’re still here and we still hold onto our tra-ditions here in Orange County. We march today tobring awareness of the missing and murdered indige-nous women and girls,” said Michelle Castillo of theOrange County Native Voices Coalition.State Senator Connie Leyva introduced a large num-

ber of women who had recently been elected in OrangeCounty at various levels of government, including con-gresswoman Katie Porter, Assemblymember CottiePetrie-Norris, Assembly member Sharon Quirk-Silva,and many members of city councils and school boards.“This is the future of California and the United

States, and it is decidedly female,” said Leyva, whoadded that “We also have some enlightened men heretonight” and introduced newly-elected congressmem-ber Gil Cisneros, Harley Rouda, and others. Leyvaasked former OC Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez,“What advice do you have for the young women in theaudience who want to run for office now and in thefuture?”“Get on a campaign so you can see if you like the

political process. Learn every day. Don’t wait. Workwith each other, get on those slates for water board,school district, transportation. Let’s not wait. If womenrun, women win,” said Sanchez.The featured speaker of the March was civil

rights/labor leader Dolores Huerta, who co-foundedthe United Farm Workers in 1962 with Cesar Chavez,and started the Dolores Huerta Foundation.Huerta has received the Eleanor Roosevelt Human

Rights Award, and the Presidential Medal ofFreedom—the highest civilian honor in the UnitedStates.

Thousands Gather forWomens’ March 2019

“We are marching for the future of ourchildren, and we are marching for thefuture of the United States of America,”said Huerta, who expressed solidaritywith the teachers who were on strike inLos Angeles, and with a wide variety ofsocial movements.Huerta said that public schools need to

add gender studies, ethnic studies, andlabor studies, so people are more aware ofthe social movements that came beforethem.“We need to teach our children where

the 8-hour day came from, where week-ends came from. Our children do notknow about May Day, about that riot thattook place in Chicago before the 20thcentury, where the people who were fight-ing for the 8-hour day were executed. Wedon’t know that. We need to know thenames of those martyrs who fought forthe 8-hour day and for our weekends sowe can enjoy them,” said Huerta.

Above:Presidential Medal of Freedomhonoree Civil Rights leaderDolores Huerta (at center) led the march and spoke at the eventin Santa Ana attended by thousands of local residents.

At Left: Women of OC Native Voices were among the groups speaking at the event.

Below: The march took over the streets ofSanta Ana. Similar events wereheld in cities across the country

on January 19.

- PHOTOS BY JESSE LA TOURSee more photos at

www.fullertonobserver.com

Huerta spoke against extreme wealthinequality in America.“It is a shame that in our society one

percent of the wealthy families own 50percent of the wealth…and yet we have somany people who are homeless on ourstreets, so many women who are homelesson our streets. We should not allow this tocontinue.”She also said, “I think it’s about time

that the U.S. Senate ratify the EqualRights Amendment for women!”Huerta ended by urging people to

remember the contributions of not justMartin Luther King Jr, but also CorettaScott King.“Let’s not forget Coretta. There would-

n’t be a Martin Luther King day withoutCoretta Scott King because she’s the onewho went all over the country campaign-

ing to make sure it (the Civil Rights Act)passed congress,” said Huerta, “We knowthat when women march, people win. Weare going to lead the way because we arereally going to make the United States ofAmerica a real democracy.”Huerta led the March through the

streets of downtown Santa Ana, asmarchers carried signs and chanted slo-gans like:Si se puede! [Yes we Can!]Show me what democracy looks like! This

is what democracy looks like!When women’s rights are under attack,

what do we do? Stand up, fight back!Women united will never be divided!

Similar marches took place across thecountry on the same day. Visitwww.fullertonobserver.com for more pho-tos of the event in Santa Ana.

FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 3EARLY FEBRUARY 2019

Only 18 Out of 26 Candidates Vying for Council Appointment Show Up by Jane Rands

Neighbors United for Fullerton(NUFF) hosted a Forum on Monday, Jan.28 for the 26 City Council AppointmentApplicants vying to fill the vacancy creat-ed when Jesus Silva was elected in District3, 2 years into his 4 year at-large term.Only 18 applicants participated, each

giving a minute and a half opening state-ment followed by a series of “LightningRound” questions in which answers wereexpected to be brief or even a simple yesor no.Mayor Jesus Silva opened the forum by

thanking the City Council AppointmentApplicants. He said he had read throughthe applications and recognized, “A lot ofquality and a lot of talent.”Josh Newman, Chair of NUFF, moder-

ated the forum. He said that the City had

asked NUFF, a non-partisan non-profit,to host the applicant forum in place ofNUFF’s planned community program.NUFF typically hosts pubic meet andgreet events for candidates as part of theirendorsement process, but Mr. Newmanstated that NUFF would not be taking aposition on the appointee applicants.After Opening Statements where each

candidate introduced themselves thepanel was asked a series of questions pro-vided to the applicants by NUFF inadvance of the session. A video of the event including all ques-

tions asked and answered is available onthe city facebook page at https://www.face-book.com/CityofFullerton/ See some of the questions at right:

Should Fullerton Allow Cannabis Activities?

Yes: Ferguson; Gaarder (but not retail);Gamble, Planchon (for tax revenue);Charles (with regulation); Jung, Kim,Siddiqui (with regulation) No: Reid, Bennett, Fuller, Alcantara,

SalazarMaybe: Pendergraft, Dino, Flory (vot-

ers decide); Cantor (voters & taxed);Lloyd (study more)

Should homeless people be housed within the city?

Yes: Lloyd, Cantor, Flory, Pendergraft,Reid; Siddiqui (community approvedlocation); Alcantara (coordinated); Kim,Jung (where appropriate); Charles (withprograms); Planchon (neighborhoodapproval); Gamble (in SB2 zones);Gaarder (with security plan); Dino, (withfunding) No: SalazarDepends: Ferguson, Fuller (county and

state should do it); Bennett (balancedwithin county)

Should West Coyote Hills bePreserved or Developed?

Develop: Jung (sustainably); Flory(Chevron plan); Rudy, Bennett (withopen space); Gaarder (current plan);Pendergraft, Reid (but save as much aspossible)No Development: Kim, Alcantara,

Siddiqui, Cantor, Lloyd, Gamble, Fuller,Dino; Charles (but build along down-town corridors); Planchon, (as long asChevron gets paid) Neither: Ferguson (wants funding first

before deciding)

Do you support a Sales Tax to Closea Long-Term Budget Deficit?

Yes: Charles (with voter approval);Planchon, Dino (earmarked); Gamble,Fuller (voter approval); Gaarder (efficien-cies first); Bennett (if no other option);Pendergraft (other remedies first);Alcantara (voter approval and for infra-structure); Flory (voter approval)No: Salazar, Ferguson, Lloyd; Reid

(already paying too much taxes); Jung(not necessary yet); Kim, Siddiqui (AskGovernor to give city more of existing taxrevenue); Cantor (gave his answer verypointedly to Newman)

Do you support paid public parking downtown?

No: Llyod, Ferguson, Salazar, Siddiqui,Kim, Fuller, Pendergraft, Reid; Charles(shuttle instead), Planchon, Gamble(public transit); Yes: Cantor, Flory, Jung (after 6pm);

Gaarder, Bennett (for “bar scene”); Dino(evenings)Depends: Alcantara (on goals and

impacts)

Do Downtown businesses have toomuch influence on city governance?Yes: Jung, Charles, Planchon, Gamble,

Fuller, Reid, Cantor, Ferguson, Lloyd;Alcantara (need transparency); Siddiqui(usurping large amounts of policeresources) No: Gaarder, Bennett, Pendergraft,

Salazar; Flory (though she agrees withSiddiqui) None: Dino, Kim

See video of the session atwww.facebook.com/CityofFullerton

REGIONAL NEWS continued from page 2

Brea School Board Keeps Fanning Nameby Jesse La Tour

For the past year and a half, a debate hasraged in the Brea School Board chambersand on social media over whether tochange the name of Fanning ElementarySchool, over allegations that the school’snamesake, William E. Fanning, was amember of the Ku Klux Klan in the1920s. On January 28th, the Board voted4-1 to retain the “Fanning” name, butchange the school’s name to FanningAcademy of Science and Technology, toreflect the school’s new emphasis on com-puter science.The primary source of the allegations

against Mr. Fanning is a list of allegedOrange County Klan members (whichFanning’s name appears on) donated tothe Anaheim Heritage Center in 1972 bylocal historian Leo J. Friis. Another pieceof evidence is an oral history interview atCal State Fullerton in which William’s sonKarl remembers going to a Klan rally withhis family in 1924.The organizers of the “Re-Name

Fanning” campaign have cited this evi-dence, as well as more general historicalevidence that, in addition to having anactive Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s, Breawas also a “Sundown Town,” in whichAfrican-Americans were not allowed inthe city after sundown—a social realitydescribed in sociologist James Louewen’sbook Sundown Towns: A HiddenDimension of American Racism.Opponents of the name change cite a

study commissioned by the school boardlast year done by Linda Shay of the BreaHistorical Society, which concluded thatthere is not sufficient evidence to knowwhether Fanning was indeed a Klan mem-ber, and questioned the validity of the listat the Anaheim Heritage Center.On January 14th, Re-Name Fanning

organizers hosted a press conference andinvited local leaders, including Fred

Calhoun, president of the Orange Countychapter of the NAACP, who urged theschool board to change the name.“I’m here today because I don’t believe

anything about the Klan that is good. Icannot support that. I cannot support aschool with the name of Fanning…We’vegot to get rid of that name, and we’ll takeany kind of action that we have to—national action, whatever we have to do.We want that name to comedown,” said Calhoun.At the school board meeting

on the 28th, the chamberswere full of people on bothsides of the issue who spokeduring “public comments.”“We believe that our grand-

father is innocent of thesecharges,” said WilliamFanning, the grandson of theschool’s namesake, “The lackof proof would compel a rea-sonable person to deny thepetition.”Jim Bailey, PTA president at

Fanning, agreed that the list of Klanmembers at the Anaheim Heritage Center“has no provenance” and that “the cam-paign to make Mr. Fanning’s name into asymbol of things outside of his control isunjust.”Kris Percy, a family doctor in Brea, said

that there is indeed evidence that Fanningwas a KKK member.“The list that bears William Fanning’s

name has been cited in numerous booksand scholarly works,” said Percy, whoadded that the list was donated by respect-ed local historian Leo J. Friis.Percy also cited numerous interviews at

the CSUF Center for Oral and PublicHistory, including an interview withFanning’s son Karl, which document thatBrea was a “sundown town” in the 1920sand 1930s.

Harry Langenbacher read a quote fromRalph Barnes, founder of the BreaOilfields National Bank: “We had noNegroes, Orientals, or Jewish people.”Mike Rodriguez, organizer of the Re-

Name Fanning campaign, read a quotefrom Cruz Reynoso, former CaliforniaSupreme Court Justice who grew up inBrea in the late 1930s and experienceddiscrimination: “In Brea there were veryfew Mexican families, 5 of us, so we spokeSpanish at home, but on our sidewalks,

we fought in English, weplayed in English.” “What do we know about

William E. Fanning?” askedRodriguez, “We know he wassuperintendent of schoolsduring the ‘sundown’ era. Weknow that there were noblack or Asian-Americans inthose schools…We’re justtrying to speak the truth.”David This said, “It is

undisputed by historians thatthe Klan thrived in north OCin the 20s and 30s. Duringthat time, many prominent

citizens and elected officials were associat-ed with the KKK, and some towns, likeBrea, forced African Americans to leave bysundown. So it’s conceivable that some ofour early civic leaders would have associ-ated with the Klan.”Brea City Councilmember Steven

Vargas, urged the board to keep theFanning name, and called the effort toremove it “revisionist history.”One resident suggested putting the

question of re-naming the school on theballot, so the voters can decide.After public comment, the board dis-

cussed the matter. At first, board membersNicole Colon and Keri Kropke said theywanted to change the name, while CarrieFlanders and Paul Ruiz were for keepingit. Board President Gail Lyons seemedundecided.

Boardmember Lyons said that there isn’ta clear solution, but that “our town hassome history that we’re going to have todeal with.” She pointed out that the BreaMuseum recently got a grant to developeducational exhibits about de facto segre-gation in the northern and westernUnited States, including restrictive hous-ing covenants and sundown towns.“This problem continues to spread in

the papers and the media, and this is nothow we want to be known. We want to beknown as a city with a world-class schoolsystem, not one mired in controversy andproblems,” said boardmember Kropke,who was in favor of changing the name,“this is about our children and our future,not our past.”Boardmember Colon nominated the

new name Heritage Hills Academy ofScience and Technology. This motionfailed.Boardmember Flanders nominated the

new name Fanning Academy of Scienceand Technology, and this passed 4-1(Kropke “no”).In a statement following the meeting,

Mike Rodriguez wrote, “The vote lastnight ensures that the sundown legacy isalive and well in Brea…The vote lastnight sends a clear message to students ofcolor in Brea: Just as these communitieswere not welcome 100 years ago, today,their voices are still drowned out by thewealth and power of the dominant culturein this city.”The Re-Name Fanning campaign has

now developed into The North OrangeCounty Truth, Justice, and ReconciliationProject.“We will continue to educate and equip

the residents and students of Brea toaddress this legacy and the travesty thatoccurred last night,” wrote Rodriguez.

The above is an excerpt of a longer article.Read the entire report at www.fullertonobserver.com

Brea was a“SundownTown” in

which African-Americans were not

allowed in thecity after sundown.

LOCAL NEWS

Page 4 FULLERTON OBSERVER EARLY FEBRUARY 2019LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS

CITY COUNCIL NOTESby Jesse La Tour

The Council meets at 6:30pm on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Upcoming agenda information and streaming video

of council meetings are available at www.cityoffullerton.com. Meetings are broadcast live on Cable Ch 3 and rebroadcast at 3pm and 6pm the following Wed. & Sun. & 5pm Mon. City Hall is located at 303 W. Commonwealth, Fullerton.

Contact council at 714-738-6311 or by email to: [email protected]

January 15th and 29th City Council Meetings(Next meeting Tuesday, February 4 at 6:30pm. Come see your local government in action!)

Before every public city council meet-ing, there is a “closed session” in whichcouncil meets with various parties to dis-cuss items outside view of the public.During this week’s closed session, councilmet with legal counsel to discuss four law-suits in which the city is involved, includ-

ing Cody Carter v. City of Fullerton, et al,Stephanie Ortiz v. City of Fullerton,Friends of Coyote Hills et al., v. City ofFullerton, et al, and Orange CountyCatholic Worker et al v. Orange County(the lawsuit regarding homelessness inOrange County).

Closed Session

Angela Lindstrom, president of theFriends of Coyote Hills, gave an updateon a recent court decision in which anappeals court judge sided with the City ofFullerton and Chevron against theFriends. In 2016, the Friends sued the cityfor not complying with the result ofMeasure W, in which over 60 percent ofFullerton voters said they didn’t wantdevelopment on Coyote Hills. The citywent ahead and approved the develop-ment anyway, under a different name.“Unfortunately, the Orange County

appellate court sided with the city andChevron,” said Lindstrom, “They saidthat the development agreement is a ‘busi-ness contract’ between Chevron and thecity, and they get to decide what happensto it even after voters reject it. In other

words, a business contract is more impor-tant than our constitutional right to refer-endum.”Lindstrom continued, “According to

the American Political Science Review,cities have been trying to outwit referen-dums since they have been in operation.They play a kind of 'hide and seek game'such as passing the same or similar ordi-nances after a referendum to get aroundpeoples’ votes. These shenanigans infringeon our Constitutional rights, disenfran-chise voters, and rob the public of mean-ingful participation in policy-making. Wemust hold our government accountable. Ifnot, I’m embarrassed to say that my citywill be adding to the referendum hide andseek playbook for other cities to follow.”

See related story on frontpage

Update on Coyote Hills Appeal

It was a full house at the meeting where the council appointed a 5th candidate to serve theremainder of a two year term left vacant due to former member Chaffee’s election to the

OC Board of Supervisors and Mayor Silva’s win of the 3rd District seat.

Debra Pember spoke in favor ofappointment, saying, “I have confidencein your decision tonight.”Councilmember Zahra said he found it

offensive “to equate this quagmire series ofunfortunate events that is no one’s faulthere on this council collectively with themalicious act of voter suppression againstminorities, African Americans, Latinos,and people like me.”He said that the Library forum “was

supposed to be to allow residents to beable to understand the positions of theapplicants and come here and state theircase and give us input on the candidates,not come and berate certain candidateswho have applied. And there are somefolks who I wonder if their position isreally for a special election or they justhate one of the applicants.”Following these comments, each coun-

cil member wrote down on a slip of papertheir top three choices, which narrowedthe field of applicants to Sonia Carvalho,Jan Flory, Chris Gardner, Fred Jung,Kevin Pendergraft, Greg Sebourn, RyanCantor, and Larry Bennett.Each of these people was then given a

chance to answer one question from eachcouncil member. Here are the questions,and how each applicant responded.

Fitzgerald asked: Why are you theright candidate at this point in time to

serve Fullerton for two years?

Carvalho said she has served local gov-ernments for 26 years as a city attorney,served diverse communities, and workedcollaboratively.Cantor said he is invested in the com-

munity, and is raising his kids here. Hesaid he’s willing to make decisions not inhis best interest, but in the interest of thecommunity.Jung said there’s a burden to being the

only non-elected member of council thatwould weigh heavily on his shoulders. Hesaid he is humble, willing to cooperateand listen.Flory said she lives in district 2, which is

currently not represented on council. Shesaid she doesn’t have a learning curvebecause she has developed significant rela-tionships with staff and council members,and has served on many regional boards.Pendergraft said he has served the com-

munity in many facets, and his back-ground would serve him well.Sebourn, who recently lost his District

3 city council seat race, said he has someunfinished business, such as protectingour neighborhoods and working on infra-structure.Siddiqui said his education, back-

ground, and experience qualify him forthe job.Gardner said he has been involved in

important issues like homelessness and

housing at the county level, working forsupervisor Andrew Do.Bennett said he brings private sector

experience. His background in financialservices makes him well-equipped to dealwith budget issues.

Mayor Silva asked, “What are someways you can see addressing our roadissues given that we have a 'D' ratingand we’d like to get it up to a 'B'. Wheredo we get the extra $8-10 million we

need to do that?”

All applicants said the council needs to“make it a priority” in the budget. Cantor,Flory, Sebourn, Siddiqui, and Bennetadded that the city should lobby the stateto get more of a fair share of taxes forinfrastructure improvements.

Zahra asked, “How do you perceiveyour role as council member consideringthe tough decisions that could come uponyou in working with this council, staff,

and city manager?”

All applicants gave very similar answers,saying they are willing to listen, to putaside differences, and to put the residents’interests first.Flory added that she would “put in the

work” by reading and seeking to under-stand staff reports and agenda items.

Whitaker asked, “Because one of thegreat concerns is the council could beappointing someone who could be alonger term incumbent in District 2,would you plan on running for office in

2020?”

Carvalho and Gardner said “Yes.”Siddiqui and Bennet said “Maybe.”Cantor, Jung, Flory, Pendergraft, and

Sebourn said “No.”After answering these questions Mayor

Silva nominated Jan Flory to be appoint-ed to council saying his top two pickswere women because half of Fullerton iswomen but the council does not reflectthat. The nomination was seconded byMayor Protem Fitzgerald.Zahra nominated Sonia Carvalho,

which was seconded by Whitaker. Themotion failed 3-1 (Silva, Fitzgerald andWhitaker, no).Ultimately, council voted 3-1

(Whitaker “no”) to appoint Jan Flory,who was sworn into office that night andtook her place on the council.

Adjourned for Tom ShultzAt the request of Mayor Protem

Fitzgerald, the meeting adjourned inmemory of Tom Schultz, who passedaway this week. He spent 30 years as afirefighter in Fullerton before becomingfire chief of Garden Grove.

COUNCIL SELLECTS 5TH MEMBER continued from frontpage

•New Commissioners andCommittee MembersCouncil appointed new members to

city commissions and committees. Hereare the new appointed members (alongwith which council member appointedthem in parentheses):•Bicycle Users Sub-Committee: Vince

Buck (Silva), Raphael Avila (Zahra)•Community Development Citizens’

Committee: Gladys Hanzel (Silva),Danielle Nava Mejares (Zahra)•Parks and Recreation Commission:

Enrique Macías (Silva), Aisha Hoseini(Zahra)•Planning Commission: Wayne

Carvalho (Silva), Elizabeth Hansburg(Zahra)•Transportation and Circulation

Commission: Moramay Sanchez (Silva),Brandon Whalen Castellanos (Zahra)•Infrastructure and Natural Resources

Committee: Arnel Dino (Silva), ThadSanford (Fitzgerald), Greg Sebourn

(Whitaker), Mark Shapiro (Zahra)•Library Board of Trustees: Sean Paden

(Whitaker), Arif Monsouri (Zahra)City Council is scheduled to make addi-

tional at-large appointments at theFebruary 5 meeting.

•New MWD and ArboretumBoard Members SelectedCouncil voted (3-1, Whitaker “no”) to

appoint Adan Ortega as the city’s repre-sentative on the Metropolitan WaterDistrict Board of Directors for a four-yearterm. Whitaker favored Thomas Babcock.Ortega worked at MWD from 1999-

2005, and has served on numerous stateand local bodies dealing with water.Council voted 2-1-1 (Silva and

Fitzgerald “yes”) to appoint Kristin Priorto serve on the Fullerton ArboretumCommission. CSUF had submitted a let-ter requesting the reappointment of Prior.Zahra nominated Jose TrinidadCastaneda, and Whitaker abstained.

He Speaks for the TreesJensen Hallstrom, who is currently

studying horticulture at FullertonCollege, expressed concern about thehealth and condition of Fullerton’s com-munity forest—which includes all treesand landscape on public and private prop-erty within city boundaries. He pointedout that the most recent community for-est management plan, found on the cityweb site, was published in November of1998. “Now, over 20 years later, we haveseen unprecedented drought and diseasethat has stressed and killed large swaths inour tree population in our parks, trails,and streets,” he said, “And I cannot find

any revised or updated management planon the web site, and I don’t know if thereis a more updated plan that has includedadjustments for these unforeseen circum-stances.”“Trees are an essential public resource,

as they reduce air pollution, leaves filter-ing dust, odors, and particulate matter.Trees sequester carbon and produce oxy-gen. They also help to cool our urbanenvironment by providing shade and UVprotection. The benefits are numerous,”Hallstrom stated.City Manager Domer said there are cur-

rently no plans to update urban forestplan, however, he said, “I can check onthat and report that back to council.” Continued on page 5

Council voted (3-1, Whitaker “no”) torenew its contract with Townsend PublicAffairs to be its lobbyist at the state andfederal levels for $60,000 per year.Council had put out a “request for pro-

posals” to solicit other lobbying firms,however TPA gave the lowest bid.An alternative option, for the city to

renew its membership in the League ofCalifornia Cities and use its lobbyist serv-ices for an annual membership cost ofapproximately $30,000, was also dis-cussed.Former City Commissioner Arnel Dino

spoke in favor of going with the League ofCalifornia Cities option as a matter of fis-cal responsibility.Cori Williams, regional director of

Townsend Public Affairs, listed some ofthe important lobbying efforts underway,such as securing funding for West CoyoteHills and transportation funding in theupcoming state budget.

Mayor Silva said, “I like the idea of hav-ing a lobbyist/advocate for us to specifical-ly target our needs.”

New Fire Chief Adam Loeser wassworn in at a joint Fullerton/Brea publicceremony on January 22.Loeser will serve as Chief forthe joined Fire Department.Chief Loeser began his

duties on December 30,2018 following the retire-ment of former Fire ChiefWolfgang Kanabe.Loeser joined the

Fullerton Fire Departmentin 2002 as a Firefighter androse through the ranks to toDeputy Chief of Operationsin 2014.Loeser is a State Certified

Fire Chief Officer and holdsa Bachelor of Arts degree inPolitical Science from the University ofHawaii, where he attended on an athleticscholarship. He is a member of CaliforniaFire Chiefs Association, Orange County

Fire Chiefs Association, and the BreaRotary Club.

New Public WorksDirector Meg McWadestarts her position onFeb. 4th. She is replac-ing Don Hoppe whoretired in October 2018after 14 years withFullerton. McWade, who holds

a Masters in PublicAdmin, is the formerPublic Works Directorof Pomona. Her dutiesinclude hiring a newCity Engineer/AssistantDirector and a new

Water Services Manager. She plans to pri-ortize city street improvements and reor-ganization of Public Works.

FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 5EARLY FEBRUARY 2019 LOCAL GOVERNMENT NEWS

CSUF Recognizedfor Toy Program

The Parks and Recreation Departmenthosted the annual Breakfast with Santa atthe Maple Community Center. The eventincluded a waffle breakfast, photos withSanta, arts and crafts, raffle prizes for thefamily, and each child received a toy.There were about 200 attendees. This year, seven CSUF clubs and teams

participated in a toy drive for the event.Over 400 toys were donated. Mayor Silvapresented a certificate of recognition tothe CSUF Multi-Cultural Greek Council,CSUF Equestrian Team, Ultimate FrisbeeClub, Theta Delta Beta, Tennis Club,Interfraternity Council, and the ArcheryClub.

COUNCIL NOTES continued from page 4

Lobbying Firm Contract Renewed

Agenda ForecastFebruary 5th, 2019: Agenda items

include: Water Rate StudyRecommendations; Library AdHoc onHunt Library; Maple Community CenterFees; Appeal of denial of conditional usepermit at 1155 W Orangethorpe Ave. forCSUF student housing; Catch Basin con-nector pipe screen installation project; ;donation acceptance; delegates for SCAG

Regional Conference; At large appoint-ments; 2nd quarter Financial ReportFebruary 19th, 2019: Agenda shows

Jan. check register; outgoing committeemembers; personnel managementchanges; Monthly legislative update anddraft 2019 platform; fireworks annualreport & timeline; Letters to State &County on election matters and more.

Find the full agenda for upcoming meetingsposted online at www.cityoffullerton.com

Coyote Hills Update Continued from frontpage(Ordinance 2011-3169) that gaveChevron entitlement to develop on WestCoyote Hills. A terminated DevelopmentAgreement triggers the auto-nullificationof the other development approvals suchas the General Plan and Specific PlanAmendments. Fullerton voters over-whelmingly vetoed the Council’s approvalwith a 61% vote. Yet the Council refusedto act.For nearly three years after the Measure

W election, the City repeated-ly refused to clarify whataction they would take andwhen. They even refused toanswer questions on the statusof the Coyote Hills develop-ment approvals such as thezoning change and GeneralPlan.On October 2015, the City

revealed they had agreed withChevron to move the terms of theDevelopment Agreement into a tract mapagreement, thereby evading the 2012 ref-erendum. The tract map is not subject toreferendum so the 2012 approval of theDevelopment Agreement effectivelymoved forward. The people’s vote meantnothing.Our state constitution grants voters the

right to referendum, but the language isnot prescriptive enough to prevent citiesfrom trying to outsmart voters by playingshell games such as rescinding a law aftera referendum petition is filed and thenrepass one, practically identical with thefirst, a short time later. Another version ofthis game is to pass other laws with partsof the referended law in it to restore the

referended law. Compare this to the Cityof Fullerton moving the referendedDevelopment Agreement into a tract mapthat is not subject to referendum.Kern County passed an ordinance ban-

ning Marijuana dispenseries. Citizensresponded with a referendum overturningthe ordinance. The county then repealedan older ordinace allowing dispensaries -in the attempt to subvert the public vote.The State Supreme Court sided with the

citizens in 2016.That same year the Supreme

Court stopped the City ofOrange from trying to subverta voter’s referendum whichvetoed the city’s revised devel-oper-friendly General Plan byusing a differnt version that itsaid was the “real” GeneralPlan so that the people’s vetoapproval was moot.

These games infringe on our constitu-tional right, disenfranchise voters, and robthe public of meaningful participation inland use decisions. The judicial branch ofour government must step in to rein inrunaway powers of the legislative branch.We must hold our city government

accountable. If not, the City of Fullertonwill have legitimized their referendumshell game for itself, other cities and coun-ties to play on its voters.A generous donor has already kickstart-

ed a $20,000 challenge grant to supportthe Friends of Coyote Hills’ continuedeffort to save Coyote Hills. To help, please call (657)325-0725 or

visit the Friends of Coyote Hills website atwww.coyotehillls.org/donate.

These gamesdisenfranchisevoters, androb the publicof meaningfulparticipation.

New Fire Chief & New Public Works Director

PHOTOBYIRAMCNABB

•Sonia Carvalho, a graduate of UCLAlaw school whose husband Wayne hasserved on the Planning Commission.•Ryan Cantor, who has served on the

Library Board of Trustees and thePlanning Commission.•Dr. Shana Charles, a Public Health

professor at CSUF who is also her GirlScout Troop’s cookie coordinator. Sherecently ran for School Board but was notelected.•Ryan Alcantara, who served on the

Citizens Infrastructure ReviewCommittee (CIRC) for 8 years and has aneducation and public policy background.•Fred Jung, a first generation Korean-

American who has lived in Fullerton for30 years and has served on the Parks andRec Commission.•Roberta Reid, a retired volunteer at

the Senior Center who has previously rununsuccessfully for city council.•Larry Lloyd who worked for the Taco

Bell Corporation and is now the ChiefFinancial Officer for the Catalina IslandConservancy.•Kenneth Fuller, a prosecutor, a

reservist in the JAG corps, and a businessowner.•Jan Flory, who previously served on

City Council twice for a total of 12 years.She is a family law attorney and formerreal estate broker.•Joshua Ferguson, a retail clerk and

blogger, who previously ran unsuccessful-ly for a council seat and a CaliforniaSenate seat. He called the appointmentprocess a “farce,” pointing out that thecouncil could have avoided the vacancyproblem if the District Elections Map hadnot been gerrymandered.•Arnel Dino, who works in non-profit

management and grant writing and hasserved on the Economic DevelopmentCommission, CIRC, and the Water RateStudy Ad Hoc Committee.

•Michal Pasqual, a first generationFilipino American who has worked in thepublic sector and higher education.•Damion Lloyd Planchon, a small busi-

ness owner and commercial photographer.•Kevin Pendergraft, president and

CEO of a credit union, who has served onthe Planning Commission for 6 years andwith the Chamber of Commerce and FoxTheatre Board in the past.•Michael Ward, a chiropractor who has

also served with the LA police departmentand the US Air Force, and currently serveson the California Citizens RedistrictingCommission.•Leland Wilson, a real estate broker

who has served on Fullerton CityCouncil, Fullerton Chamber ofCommerce, and the Fox TheaterFoundation.•Robert Schoonmaker, a retired aero-

space engineer and defense contractor.•Rudy Salazar who started his own

business (CalBIT) to help commercialtruck drivers understand BIT inspectionrules and regulations.•Greg Sebourn, a public land surveyor

who previously served on City Councilfor 6 years and recently lost his bid for theDistrict 3 council seat.•Omar Siddiqui, a lawyer for the

Friends of Coyote Hills, is an engineerwho serves on the Police Chief ’s AdvisoryCommittee. He also ran unsuccessfullyfor congress in 2018.•Chris Gaarder works for Orange

County Supervisor Andrew Do and is theChair of the Planning Commission.•Curtis Gamble, a homeless activist,

Navy veteran, and former OCTA busdriver who serves on the Continuum ofCare Board (for the homeless).•Larry Bennett, a certified financial

planner and Boy Scout Leader who haspreviously run several times unsuccessful-ly for a city council seat.

COUNCIL SELECTS 5TH MEMBER continued from page 4

The diverse array of applicants included:

Page 6 OBSERVER EARLY FEBRUARY 2019The DOWNTOWN Report © 2019Text & Photos by Mike Ritto [email protected]

QUESTION:Have you seen one of these

(pictured above)? Send your answer to Mike at [email protected]

ANSWER TO LAST ISSUE’SPHOTO QUESTIONWhere is this and

what is the significance? A: West Wilshire newly upgraded

‘acorn’ light and sign that signifies the newbike lane. This is just west of Harbor.

Fullerton Photo Quiz

The Found Shop was a really interestingstore on Harbor and Amerige, but Joeland Jeni have been very busy expandingFound Rentals in Northern Californiaand later this year, Nashville. We wishthem well. BTNC on Harbor has alsomoved on, as has Wander Outfitters. Noword on what happened with those twoshops, but we know many retailers arefeeling the pinch from online stores. Huge retailers like JC Penny, Macy’s,

Sears, Target, Lowe’s and others are clos-ing locations now as well, and all we cando is hope some unique new retailersmove into those now vacant downtownspaces soon. After 20 or so years of revital-ization, maybe another downtown renais-sance is on the horizon. One good solu-tion to this, and we say it all of the time,Shop Fullerton First!

THE JET SETWe gave you a heads up about the FAA

navigation equipment flight test onTuesday, January 8th on page two of thelast Fullerton Observer, but some were stillsurprised. Comments ranged from howcool it was to see a Lear Jet up close toconcern regarding jets taking off andlanding at our Municipal Airport. This same concern has been expressed

in the past, but there are no plans to allowprivate jets to land at our airport. According the airport manager Brendan

O’Reilly, the runway is too short for jetsto take off and land so we don’t see themoften. Also, the airport facilities can onlyaccommodate the smallest of private jetsdue to the pavement strength rating andthe size of our hangars.

ELECTRIC CARCHARGING STATIONSInstallation & Upgrades

714-234-3370Guy Sanderson,

Electrical ContractorEst. Fullerton 1986

CSLB #547196Licensed, Insured, Bonded

Every year at the end of January we seean influx of visitors from all over theworld. In the past, they mostly stayed inthe area around the Anaheim ConventionCenter, where the huge music merchantsconvention is held, but for the past decadeor so, they have discovered the manyrestaurants, venues and shops downtownso we started seeing them arrive as soon asThursday January 24. With the advent of Uber and Lyft, it’s a

lot easier for them to come here every dayafter the convention hours. We hiredshuttles in the past because there were sofew taxis. These world travelers boost thedowntown economy quite a bit, so wel-come to Fullerton one and all!

NAMM Downtown

We Lost Found

A recent LA newspaper called outFullerton as one of the “Orange Countyolder cities” that had not “passed somekind of retrofit law recently.” That made itsound to me like they did not know weretrofitted our entire downtown after theWhittier Narrows quake. An update fromour City Manager’s office revealed this:“The City of Fullerton did adopt theURM (unreinforced masonry) buildingretrofit ordinance, a state-wide seismicretrofit ordinance implemented in 1986.”I recall all of the jack hammering andinstallation of some huge steel reinforce-ment structures and the near red-taggingof many of our historic buildings. Goodto know, we are good to go.

Earthquake Update

FULLERTON HIGH 1928 PLEIADES YEARBOOK TIDBITS

THE BOYS IS BACK IN TOWNImproper grammar? Not really. Long

ago, 1974 - I believe, The Boys Marketwent under, and the painted sign wentunder as well. It was recently revealed asconstruction began on the new Goodwillstore on Raymond Avenue.

As you can see, they offered low pricesand Blue Chip stamps, gee whiz. Many ofyou will recall the place, there seems to bea lot of nostalgia for it, and from what wecan determine, it appears the sign willstay. That’s a nice historic touch that wecan all appreciate.

Since many of you attended FullertonHigh School we wanted to share somemore info from the 1928 PleiadesYearbook.The class poem: “I saw no marching

armies, heard no roar of guns, no brutalconflict; Only peace and happiness.” The Senior class willed their ’28

sweaters, “which have often been com-

pared to the costumes of the SalvationArmy” to the Junior class.Hand written notes from classmates:

“Golly, I will always remember the keentimes we had at the beach.” “You remem-ber the time you and Jim and Dodo andyours truly went to Anaheim. I still thinksomething was wrong but I won’t tell.”“We’ve had oodles of fun in the gang.”

FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 7EARLY FEBRUARY 2019 LOCAL NEWS & CROSSWORD

ACROSS1. British rule in India4. Lunch meat7. ___ constrictor10. “What ___, chopped liver?”11. Hummus brands14. It stands for something16. Dreaded fly17. “Friends” twosome19. Bengals on the scoreboard21. Load with praise22. Yoko ___23. TV network of this puzzle’s

twosomes26. Blue Cheney advisor?28. “He’s managed to ___ suspicions.”31. Bout enders, for short

32. Island nation east of Fiji33. “Dave” actor Kevin37. K-O connection39. Television shows42. “Parks & Rec” twosome46. Verizon rival, abbr.47. In favor of48. Weight loss strategy51. ___-de-France52. “This is the worst book___!”56. Tel Aviv is its capital58. Herbivorous lizards59. Online awareness?60. Taxi61. Tool with teeth62. Ron Darling was one63. Common Core standard, abbr.

DOWN1. Rajah’s wife2. Enzyme in saliva3. “The Office” twosome4. Upholstered ottoman5. Lincoln’s cozy corners?6. “A-Team” tough7. Keep out8. Wood sorrel9. Circle segment11. Quits12. Fancy tie13. River of 51-Across15. “I see...”18. Trump’s lawyer Giuliani20. ___’easter23. ___ King Cole24. Dude25. Jailbird27. Capital on a fjord

29. “Coyote ___” (2000 film set in a bar)

30. “Cheers” twosome34. Ore-___ (frozen food brand)35. Butterfly catcher36. “C’___ la vie!”38. Least worldly39. 1920’s one-named art deco designer40. Bad habit by one backing

Gladys Knight?41. Unlawful42. 100 Greatest Movies org.43. “It’s the truth!”44. Garb45. “Get Out” director Jordan49. Caribbean cruise stop50. Gun grp.53. Coast Guard rank, abbr.54. Battery size55. Discount footwear retailer57. Sleep stage

OUR TOWN CROSSWORD © 2019

“LOVE IS ON THE AIR” by Valerie Brickey (answer key on page 19)

CAPRI SHOES

WEEKLY SWIM LESSONS Choose your days and times each

week. All levels and ages taught fromthose who fear the water to thoselooking to refine their strokes. WINTER SESSION

Registration begins Dec. 3rd.

LEARN MORE AT www.fastswimming.net

FullertonCheerleadersin Rome

Sisters Lyndsey and Aleeya were the only two from Fullertonout of 150 students selected from the US to perform in Rome’s New Year’s Eve Parade. PHOTO BY J. MITSCH

Sunny Hills High studentsAleeya a 17-year-old seniorand Lyndsey, a 15 year oldsophomore were selected asAll American Cheerleaders tobe part of the Varsity AllAmerican Team to performon New Year’s Day Parade inRome along with other per-formers from around theworld.Last summer each Varsity

Spirit Camp, held at variouslocations around the US,selected participants fromamong the girls trying out.150 students from the USwere chosen to perform inthe parade in Rome, Italy.Aleeya and Lyndsey were theonly two from Fullerton. It was an amazing educa-

tional experience and oppor-

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tunity. The girls learned about the art, culture, and history of Rome while visiting var-ious historical sites. Visit www.romeparade.com for a video of the action.

A parent feeds a grub to a nestling at theentrance hole of a properly constructedbluebird house. PHOTO PEGGY HONDA

Bluebirdsby Susan Bulger & Gillian Martin

Southern California Bluebird Club

Are bluebirds visiting your yard to for-age for insects or seek a tree hole in whichto nest? Installing a birdhouse can be beneficial

and a source of much entertainment. Butproblems develop when proven methodsof helping them are not followed.Bluebirds are favorite and beautiful

local birds that need human help to findcavities they need for nesting. In a healthyhabitat dead trees and woodpeckers wouldprovide the tree holes they require. Certain birdhouses are acceptable sub-

stitutes, however, most birdhouses are notwell designed or placed in safe locations. Bluebirds search for tree cavities in

earnest in February and March and beginbuilding their nests. Learn how you can help bluebirds

thrive by reading this whole article postedon the Fullerton Observer website atwww.fullertonobserver.com. Also find moreinformation at: www.socalbluebirds.org

and www.nabluebirdsociety.org.Contact local Fullerton representative

Susan Bulger at [email protected] orGillian Martin at [email protected].

Page 8 FULLERTON OBSERVER EARLY FEBRUARY 2019EDUCATION NEWS

HIGH SCHOOL BOARD HIGHLIGHTS& Commentary by Vivien Moreno

The Fullerton Joint Union High School District Board meets at 7:30pm on the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month

at district headquarters, 1051 W. Bastanchury Rd. 714-870-2800 • See the agenda at www.fjuhsd.net

January 8th FJUHSD Board Meeting•SEARCH AND SEIZURE POLICY: The

trustees approved SB Policy 5805.1, thenew Search and Seizure: ContrabandDetection policy. No public commentswere presented and President Fawleyclearly stated her reservations with thepolicy, supporting a year-end review forthe program’s cost effectiveness while bal-ancing the effects the searches will have onstudent rights and school environment.•BOARD MEETING CALENDAR

CHANGES: Trustees quickly agreed to a6pm (instead of current 7:30pm) starttime for meetings. President Fawley pro-posed to cut the number of meetings fromthe current 19 meetings to 13. This calen-dar change elicited plenty of discussionand it was finally concluded that remov-ing 2 of the meetings, one in May and theother in November, would maintain theeffectiveness of the board to conduct busi-ness in 17 annual meetings. A secondreading for these changes will occur dur-ing the February 8th meeting.•FULLERTON UNION HIGH SCHOOL

125-YEAR ANNIVERSARY: Dr. JenniferWilliams, Director of Admin Services,presented a video celebrating the 125thanniversary of Fullerton Union HighSchool, one of the oldest high schools inOrange County. The district added itssecond-high school in La Habra in 1954.Dr. Williams explained that the name ofthe school district describes the uniquerole that the Fullerton Joint Union HighSchool District plays in north OrangeCounty. “Joint” stands for the multiplecounties that the district represents (LAand Orange) and “Union” indicates thatthe district accepts students from multipleelementary school districts. The video isposted on the FJUHSD website and cov-ers the various high school openings aswell as a wealth of old photographs. Beginning in 1893 with 8 students and

one school, the history of the Fullerton

Joint Union High School District is fasci-nating. Like all California schools, the dis-trict was segregated and did not allowMexican-American students to attenduntil after the CA Ninth Circuit Court ofAppeals decision, Mendez vs.Westminster in 1947. Within 5 years, theschool integrated and my father-in-law,Ray Moreno, became the first Mexican-American to be elected as Student Bodypresident. He graduated from FullertonUnion High School in 1953.•FULLERTON GYMNASIUM: The

trustees did not address the closure of theFullerton High Gymnasium. The inspec-tion and decision to condemn the gymhappened concurrently with the schoolboard meeting and there was not time toput it on an open meeting agenda. A pressrelease and parent meetings held a fewdays after the board meeting indicatedthat due to the instability of the roof, it isno longer safe for any gatherings.Fullerton College will host the remainingbasketball and wrestling matches that hadbeen scheduled. Parents at the sports teammeetings were told to expect a minimumof two years to rebuild (unofficial). Back in 2014 when Ghataode Bannon

Architects presented the Fullerton HighSchool facilities upgrade, they recom-mended a new two-story gym to replacethe existing structure due to the land-locked nature of the school location.Bond I money was always allocated tomodernize the existing Gymnasium andthe district is gathering additional con-struction funds from CA grants availableto school districts in unforeseen situationslike this one. Hopefully official plans willbe presented by the district soon.Superintendent Scott Scambray has statedclearly that no current Bond I projects willbe affected by the Gym closure.The next Scheduled Regular Board Meeting is February 5th, at 7:30pm.

SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTES by Jan Youngman

Fullerton School District Board meets at 6pm on 2nd & 4th Tuesdays of each month at district headquarters,

1401 W. Valencia Dr., Fullerton. For agenda go to: www.fsd.k12.ca.us or call 714-447-7400

have earned him a spot on the NatCarTeam. Jude V., a junior high school student

who takes initiative for the safety of chil-dren. He created signs over the summerto remind drivers to slow down and beaware of children in the neighborhoods. Yuri Y., a junior high school student

who has a passion for jewelry and helping

others. She created her own jewelry andsells it online and at children’s fairs. Shedonates a potion of the proceeds to cancerresearch in honor of a family friend thatpassed away. Francine V., a junior high school stu-

dent who discovered her passion for writ-ing and has established herself as a veter-an contributor to The Fullerton Observer.

Dream Catchers Honored

DreamCatchers: Student DreamCatchers, who are making a difference in the community, were recognized by FSD Superintendent Pletka and the FSD Board

represented by Board President Meyer. PHOTO BY PAM CHOW

Nine Dream Catchers, students who aremaking an impact on the communitybeyond their classrooms, were recognizedby Fullerton School DistrictSuperintendent Dr. Pletka and the FSDBoard at the January 22 meeting (seephoto at right). The nine Dream Catchersare featured on a poster and advertisementshowing at local movie theaters.The Dream Catcher program which is

one part of the district’s PATH Finderprogram, is continuing for the 2019-2020year. The nomination period is from nowto March 15, 2019. All nominees willreceive Dream Catcher recognition. Ofthe nominees, FSD will select a smallnumber of standout nominees who willrepresent the district for the year. The Fullerton School District serves

over 13,500 students in grades TK – 8thand includes 20 schools, 15 elementaryschools, two K-8th grade schools, andthree middle schools. For more informa-tion, call (714) 447-7400 or visitwww.fullertonsd.org.Honored Dream Catcher students

include:Derek D., an upper grade student who

has a passion for reading and history andwas the ONLY 5th grade boy to join andfinish strong until the end for ACLASpeech and Debate last year.

Ashley R., a junior high school studentand cellist who has won an internationalcompetition, played at Carnegie Hall,played with Brian McKnight at DisneyHall, and was recently accepted toColburn’s chamber music program. Sheis also an impressive ice skater who wonfirst place during the 2018 season for USFigure Skating Regional and Nationalsynchronized skating team.Aaruv B., a primary grade student who

early on discovered his passion for chessand has entered and won many chesscompetitions.Aretsi C., a primary grade student who

loves life and has a passion for cookingand baking despite her special needs. Shehas an infectious smile that lights up theroom.Kaio K., a Kindergarten student who

discovered his passion for swimming andhas been placed in groups with other chil-dren based on his skill level. He is almostready for the swim team and regionalcompetitions.Jeffrey T., a junior high school student

who has a passion for robotics. He notonly codes in Java but also in Robot C.Jeffrey has been a key member of theaward winning Cyber Security Got TalentCompetition and the Congressional AppChallenge. His passion and knowledge

Based on the Local Control FundingFormula (LCFF), California has a newaccountability system. These measures areused to determine local educationalagency (LEA) and school progress towardmeeting the needs of their students.Performance on these multiple measureswill be reported through the newCalifornia School Dashboard. The new system is online at

caschooldashboard.org/reports/ca/2018 andreports on multiple measures, includinglocal and state indicators. Enter“Fullerton” in the search engine after youget on the site and it will give you linksincluding Fullerton Elementary School.The presentation at the January 22

board meeting was extremely complex:The district needs to provide an easier wayto understand the “Dashboard.” According to the Dashboard, Fullerton

School District with an enrollment of13,307 students of which 40.7% are dis-advantaged and 26.9% are English lan-guage learners scored 18.9 points abovethe standard in English Language Artsand 2.8 points below the standard inMathematics (though improving 4 pointsfrom previous year score).California with a student enrollment of

6,220,413 statewide with 61.5% of stu-dents socioeconomically disadvantaged,

and 20.4% English language learnerscame in 6 points below the standard inEnglish Language Arts and 36.4 pointsbelow the standard for Mathematics,scored a 42.2% prepared status forCollege/Career readiness and has a gradu-ation rate of 83.5%.

The data available can be broken downby school. Here are the numbers for FSD:

High Scores in English andMathematics were posted for Acacia,Beechwood, Parks, Fern Drive, GoldenHill, Laguna Road, Raymond, Fisler,Sunset LaneAverage Scores in English and

Mathematics were posted for HermosaDrive, Maple, Orangethorpe, andWoodcrest.Mixed Scores included high score for

Mathematics and average score forEnglish for Richman; high scores forEnglish and average scores forMathematics for Ladera Vista and RollingHills, while Nicolas and Pacific Drivereceived an average score for English and alower score for Mathematics.Lower Scores (indicating schools in

need of additional services and support)were posted for Commonwealth andValencia Park in both English andMathematics.

California Dash Board School Scores

Ms. Lauralyn Eschner and Mr. KyleMeyers presented the focus areas of thecontinuing District Award-winning Artsprogram: Access to the Arts for every stu-dent, Creativity excellence, Core Values,Pyramid of Talent, Maintain & expandopportunities with after-school & sum-mer programs, curriculum instruction &assessment, professional development forteachers- How to integrate in curriculum,provide resources for teachers, create a

digital newsletter and have parentsinvolved in “Art Nights.” Surveys will besent to students, teachers and supportstaff. Approved 5-0.

Mural Ribbon CuttingA beautiful mosaic mural designed by

staff, teachers and students and made as ajoint effort through All the Arts programartist Katherine England’s after-schoolmosaic class was revealed on a BoardRoom wall.

Performing Arts Education Strategic Plans

students or 33% is running. I guess itis because we are not used to running 2laps or half mile at a time. It gets evenharder at the end of the quarter whenwe are supposed to do 4 laps or 1 miletimed run that is graded based on com-pletion time. I think the school shouldinform prospective students about thisP.E. activity to better prepare them.For the girls, they don’t like it when

boys hog the ball and suggest-ed not to allow Co-Ed gamesduring P.E.Having separate PE games

for boys and girls actuallytopped the list of suggestedimprovements in P.E. This isbecause the girls are tired ofthe way boys play their games.The rest of the suggestionsinclude adding new games;updating the P.E. grade right

after every graded activity; students onteams should be picked by teachers toavoid anyone getting left out; and,providing more time to change clothesbefore and after PE. The PE lockerrooms are located outside the mainbuilding where most classes are heldand with only 4 minutes to make it tothe next class without being markedlate, changing clothes can be a dailysource of stress. I guess this feedback is worth taking

into consideration to motivate studentsto be more engaged in PE and developa lifelong interest in keeping fit. Afterall, PE is just as important as any aca-demic subject because keeping fit is keyto a happy and healthy life.

FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 9EARLY FEBRUARY 2019 YOUNG OBSERVERS

Did You Know? by Genevieve

1)What kind of Valentine’s Day candy is never on time? A: ChocoLATE!

2)What did the clock say on Valentine’s Day?A: It’s ValenTIME’s Day!

3) Why is Lunar New Year of 2019 so messy? A: It’s the year of the pig!

4) What did the lightbulb say toanother lighbulb on Valentine’s Day?

A: I love you a WATT!1) "Sunflower"

by Post Malone and Swae Lee2) "Without Me" by Halsey3) “Thank U, Next”

by Ariana Grande4) “Sicko Mode” by Travis Scott5) “High Hopes”

by Panic! At The Disco

Story behind the song: “Thank U,Next” by Ariana Grande is a reflectionof her past relationships. She is thank-ful and has learned three main things:patience, pain, and love. She also saysthat she found a new lover, herself. Justas Ariana Grande has learned from herpast relationships, we should also try tolearn from past events and hardships tobecome stronger. Find more meanings behind songs at

www.songmeaningsandfacts.com

Scrappy is a fun-loving older boy wholoves to take life one step at a time. He isquiet and shy, but once he gets to knowyou, he is a bundle of love. Want a bunny for a pet? Down at the OC

Animal Care Center, it’s Adopt a ShelterRabbit Month, so hop on down!The OC Animal Care Center is located

at 1630 Victory Road, Tustin, CA 92782.

1. Every year, over 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are soldaround Valentine's Day!2. In Finland, Valentine's Day is a cel-

ebration for friends, not couples.3. On the night of Chinese New Year,

more fireworks are set off than any otherday of the year.

4. Chinese families decorate theirhomes in red, which is believed to scareoff Nian, a ferocious beast.

Fun Links to Explore:https://chinesenewyear.net/21-things-you-didnt-know-about-chinese-new-year/

https://www.k-international.com/blog/18-fun-facts-about-the-chinese-new-year/

Fortnite

FEATURED PET FORADOPTIONby Katie

WHAT’STRENDING?

by Sienna

Top 5 Songs of the Weekby Alexandria

Ever since Fortnite was released in2017, it has taken over the gamingworld. The Fortnite sensation evenresulted in dance moves which turnedinto another popular trend.Competition has made some of thedance moves offensive. The "Take theL" dance, for example, implies thatsomeone is a loser. Sadly, even technol-ogy produces more opportunities forbullying. Everywhere, you can see peo-ple doing the loser dance, tauntingtheir Fortnite opponents, and evenpeople who don't play Fortnite aredoing the loser dance. If only we couldfind a way to stop introducing moremeanness to the world. (source: wcvb.com "School Bans 'Takethe L' Fortnite Dance" 10.3.2018)

Meet Scrappy!

When I was in elementary school, P.E.wasn’t a big deal. We had it only twotimes a week. We ran laps, played gamesand had fun. It wasn’t graded like Mathor ELA. No stress, just pure fun. We moved to junior high then every-

thing changed. We have P.E. every dayand it is now graded just like Math orELA. If you’re athletic and sporty, youhave nothing to worry about. But, if youaren’t, you will have to brace foreveryday PE that includes run-ning up to 2 laps (half mile) andplaying team sports that can benew to you, and both are grad-ed. The change made me curious

as to how my fellow students arecoping, so I conducted a surveyin our PE class with 60 stu-dents. Half of the class classified

themselves as athletic and sporty. Amongthose who are neither athletic nor sporty,15 students or 25% of the class are wor-ried how their teachers and classmateswould judge their P.E. performance; 15students or 25% are aiming to graduatewith honors and are concerned abouttheir grade in P.E.; 10 students or 16% areworried that despite their best effort, theywon’t get their desired grade.Students were asked what they like most

about P.E. and the most popular responsecomprising 21 students or 35% of theclass was being able to play differentsports activities. Playing with friends andhaving a great P.E. teacher came next.When asked what they don’t like about

P.E., the top response coming from 20

YOUNG OBSERVER by Francine

P.E. – Love It or Hate It?

Team members playing handball during P.E. PHOTO BY GEOFF HECHT

The Fullerton School District FallSports League certainly produced someamazing games back in 2018. NicolasKnights were back-to-back champions inflag football and soccer while ParksPanthers brought home the gold for vol-leyball and Beechwood Bobcats beatLadera Vista in a close game.The Winter Sports League debuted

with basketball season opening last week

(Jan 30). Girls and boys basketball cham-pionships will be held on March 13 atLadera Vista Junior High. Softball andtrack will be held in the Spring/Summerwith the softball tournament taking placeon April 3 and 10, along with the ParksInvitational track meet on May 15 and16, both taking place at Parks JuniorHigh. (Source: FSD Sports League HeadGeoff Hecht).

FSD Sports League Winter/Spring Preview

Valentines & Lunar New Year

JOKE TIME Compiled by Joy

For more information call 714-935-6848 or visitwww.ocpetinfo.com.

SPORTS ROUND UP by Leah

25% of students are aiming to graduatewith honorsand are concernedabout theirgrade in P.E.

Page 10 FULLERTON OBSERVER EARLY FEBRUARY 2019LOCAL COLUMNS

So the first step to physical transitionis going to a pediatrician who has beencertified in gender transition. Turns outjust getting an appointment takes 3-6months. Each step was a lot of waitingand at 16 years old when my daughterwas finally brave enough to do this shewanted to do it NOW!Our first appointment

was hard because mydaughter was very attachedto our family doctor andhad gone to her since shecould remember. It washard to give this new doc-tor a chance, but she did.She started on testosteroneblockers that month. Andfemale hormones the nextmonth. The relief seemedimmediate. She no longerneeded antidepressants,which had not reallyhelped anyway. Her bodystarted changing veryquickly. My daughter never had

a low voice, Adam’s apple,beard or much body hair. Ilearned how to do boxbraids and instantly shehad beautiful hair to her waist. She gother ears pierced and eventually her nosepierced as well. She changed her namelegally which was a very tedious set ofhoops to jump. Her school was luckilysmall and all the kids, counselors andteachers were instantly on board.We went through months of hoops to

get a new birth certificate, driverslicense & passport, while waiting forfirst appointment with surgeon. Wewere very lucky to live in Santa Cruzbecause one of the world famous sur-geons was right in Marin County.Before the consultation we had to haveappointments and get letters from doc-tors, psychiatrist & psychologist. Backin 8th grade we started seeing the samepsychiatrist she had seen when she was6 . He had done a complete DNA andeducational evaluation at that time try-ing to find a medication that wouldhelp. Nothing did help till she startedblockers and female hormones. He was

able to write the letters she needed sincehe had treated her for awhile.It took 6 months to get an appoint-

ment with the surgeon, but like thecounselor, we were immediately com-fortable with him and his fantasticteam. I had a million very specific ques-tions as you might guess a mother

would before I wouldagree to messing with mychild’s sexual function forlife. The very difficult psy-

chological process ofunfolding the persona youhave built up to fit intoexpectations of others andfinally feel safe to shareand be yourself is notsomething that happensquickly or smoothly. Mydaughter struggles stillwith the final stages ofthis transition at times. That Junior year at

school was very hard. Shewas less and less able toface the intense closenesswith the other teens anddeal with their reactionsto what she was going

through. They were struggling withtheir own lives and not always under-standing. By senior year she was doing most of

her school work at home and just meet-ing with her teacher and counselor.Luckily they were very understandingand patient and she was able to gradu-ate in January that year.I called this stage the cocoon phase,

and it truly is like that. She retreated toher room so much of the time I wasconstantly worried she was slippingback into depression or drugs. But trulyshe just needed the time to be with her-self undaunted by the expectations ofothers. Listening only to herself andallowing herself the chance to grow andfeel safe to occupy her whole beingagain. Getting to know that self she hadpushed down to fit in all those years.

Stay tuned for Becoming a TransParentPart 4 in the Mid February Observer.

TRANSPARENTINGby Kay Gardner © 2019

Becoming a TransParent: Part 3

...unfolding the persona you have built up to fit into expectations of others and finally feeling safe to share

and be yourself is not somethingthat happensquickly...

Emu BushesSpring is a great time of year to see the

“emu bushes” at the Fullerton Arboretum.At the entrance just beyond the waterfallare two shrubby emu bush cultivars, pink-flowered Eremophila laanii ‘Pink Beauty’and yellow-flowered Eremophila maculata‘Aurea.’ A little farther down is a small tree with

white flowers tinged with lilac calledEremophila ‘Big Poly’ (E. bignoniiflora xpolyclada). The orange-flowered shrubEremophila decipiens at the south end ofthe arboretum is a little harder to find.Emu bushes are tolerant of heat, wind,

drought (“eremophila” means “desert-lov-ing”), and poor soil (no fertilizer needed.)They ask only for good drainage and afairly sunny location. With more than200 species and numerous cultivars this

Drought Tolerant Gardenby Penny Hlavac © 2019

BALANCE & CHANGE

305 N. Harbor Blvd, Suite 202, Fullerton, CA 92832714-879-5868 x5 www.michellegottlieb.com

INDIVIDUAL, COUPLE & FAMILY THERAPYMICHELLE GOTTLIEB Psy.D., MFT

One of the toughest things that youcan do is admit when you are wrongand apologize. Many people strugglewith this. There may be many reasonswhy this is so hard.For some people they may feel that it

makes them less than the person towhom they are apologizing. I wouldchallenge that thought. It takes a greatdeal of courage to apologize. By choos-ing to apologize you are not losinganything. You are gaining. You are notsaying that you are a terrible humanbeing. You are acknowledging thatyour actions were hurtful or notthoughtful. You are apologizing foryour behavior, not for who you are.

For an apology to be received well, itmust be heartfelt. Your statement can-not be, “I am sorry you felt that way.”You are not apologizing for youractions with that statement. You arenot taking any responsibility. When you apologize, it is important

that you apologize for your part.Be aware of your tone and your body

language. If you say that you are sorryin an aggressive manner, then there isnothing real about it. Instead, softenyour tone, your stance, your approach. But always keep your head up and

be proud of who you are in your core,even if you have made a mistake!

The Art of Apologizing

Microplastics, tiny bits of plastic inwaste and pollution, are all around us —in oceans, rivers, soil and air, in whales,seabirds, and fish, and in us too. Sharingthe same global environment and eatingat the top of the food chain, we humansare not magically spared contaminationfrom plastics.The presence of microplastics in human

feces is clearest proof of human exposure.And, there’s plenty more evidence suggest-ing that we’re taking the stuff in by eating,drinking and just breathing.

Plastics for Dinner?Research reveals that visible and invisi-

ble plastic debris is taken up by life formsthroughout the ocean food web, from tinyplankton and shellfish to turtles, fish anddolphins. That such a spectrum of sea lifeis taking in plastics has sparked concernthat, for years, humans have been con-suming plastics too.Most marine plastics are invisible to the

naked eye. Petroleum-based plastics aremost threatening. They resist biodegrada-tion, fragmenting instead into ever small-er pieces. Over years, these microplasticsbecome smaller than a millimeter and vir-tually invisible, making them easily trans-ferred up aquatic food chains from zoo-plankton, mussels and smaller fish to larg-er carnivorous species and mammals. Ithas been confirmed that fish sold forhuman consumption at fish marketsworldwide contain plastic debris. But, plastics also show up in less obvi-

ous places. One study showed that 36 of39 brands of table salt from 16 countries,including the United States, containedmicroplastics.In city tap water tested in five conti-

nents, over 80 percent of samples con-tained plastic microfibers from synthetictextiles. The U.S. samples fared the worst:94 percent contaminated. And, all 12brands of beer tested in the Great Lakesregion contained microplastics, averagingfour particles per liter.

How much plastic might we be ingesting?

One study estimated that shellfish con-sumers could be eating 11,000 microplas-tic particles annually. Another figured

yearly consumption of 5,800 bits fromjust beer, salt and tap water.Plastics appear inert, but they’re not.

The various polymers’ building blocksand the additives used to impart desiredproperties can be dangerous chemicalsthat migrate out into the surrounds.Plastics also absorb toxic chemicals fromseawater. When fish consume plastics thepollutants can transfer to their tissues.It’s frightening to contemplate that

degrading plastics eventually reach themicroscopic dimensions of viruses,enabling them to penetrate the lung andgut and reach vital organs via the circula-tory or lymphatic systems.

How are plastics getting into everything?

Less than a tenth of the 9 billion tons ofplastics produced worldwide thus far havebeen recycled, the remainder ending inlandfills or fragmenting in the environ-ment.Water treatment plants weren’t designed

to remove microfibers sloughed off fromlaundered synthetic fabrics which, conse-quently, pollute oceans, lakes, streams,and soils.Normal abrasion of clothing, uphol-

stery and carpeting contaminates air withmicroplastic fibers. Besides breathingthem in, there’s evidence we actually con-sume more microplastics from the dustthat invisibly rains down on our mealsthan from the food itself.

The Solution?“The Age of Plastics” has provided us

with countless conveniences, but it’s alsounknowingly created a deadly monster:the microplastic contamination of theglobal environment and ourselves.Sweeping reforms in humanity’s rela-

tionship to plastics are urgently required.The European Union has recently bannedcommon single-use plastics, like cutlery,straws and cotton swabs. Hopefully theUnited States will follow suit and pressuremanufacturers to substitute or redesignplastics so they’re made from sustainable,non-petro-chemical, non-toxic,biodegradable, and easily recycled materi-als. Read more at: www.boogiegreen.com

What do beer, oysters, salt, air & tap water have in common? by Sarah Mosko

beautiful and underused group from dryareas of Australia range in size fromground covers, small and large shrubs, andsmall trees with flower colors in orange,yellow, pink, blue, violet and white. In their native Australia birds called

“honeyeaters” feast on the abundant nec-tar produced by the flowers. Emus, largeflightless birds similar to ostriches, eat thefruit. In Fullerton, lacking emus andhoney eaters, hummingbirds are crazyabout them.

FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 11EARLY FEBRUARY 2019 BOOKS

A Day of AuthorsTickets on Sale The innovative hybrid book publisher,

Riverdale Avenue Books is releasing WhatI Learned from 50 Celebrities (By ScrewingUp In Front of Them) by Farrell Hirschchronicles the many lessons Farrelllearned during his show business careerfrom Justin Bieber toStormy Daniels, and evenDonald Trump.Meet the author at the

Muckenthaler CulturalCenter on Tuesday,February 19 at 6:30 p.m. fora champagne reception andan exclusive book signing.The event is presented bythe Muckenthaler CenterCircle Guild and is free tothe public. The Muckenthaler is located at 1201

West Malvern Ave., Fullerton.Farrell Hirsch has launched multiple

national radio networks, worked with thecoaching staff of a major league sportsteam, executive produced star-studdedawards shows, been the co-creator of ahigh-tech startup, written a play thatplayed at Lincoln Center, optioned a TVpilot to a major production company, andnow serves as the CEO of theMuckenthaler Cultural Center.Hirsch was one of the people who

founded The Ovation Awards, LA'sanswer to The Tonys. Writing, producing,and lining up talent for those shows forseven years brought him into contact withstars like Charlton Heston, Annette

Bening, Carol Burnett, Neal PatrickHarris, Stephen Sondheim, Nathan Lane,Danny Glover, Gwyneth Paltrow, BenStiller, and hundreds more.He was hired to launch national radio

networks on SiriusXM. The first of thesewas taking on the inimitabletask of turning the world'smost visual brand, Playboy,into something viable in theworld's least visual medium,radio. The endless drudgeryof having to spend countlessevenings at The PlayboyMansion parties, of recordingthe likes of Etta James to ElvisCostello at the Playboy JazzFestival, having celebrities likeCarmen Electra, Pitbull and

Fleetwood Mac come into the studio,hanging at the Super Bowl with WarrenMoon and Lil John was exhausting.These are his stories…“While on the surface this book seems

light and entertaining, when you read theentire book you can see how we can alllearn from celebrities, both good andbad,” said Riverdale Avenue BooksPublisher Lori Perkins. “This book cer-tainly lets us see many of our pop cultureicons in a new perspective.”Downloads are available on Amazon,

Barnes & Noble Nook, iTunes, Kobo andwherever e-books are downloaded.For more information about this or

other events at the Muck, visitwww.TheMuck.org.

ALPHA’s 27th Annual A Day of Authors is coming upin March at Cal State Fullerton. Get your tickets early asthis event always sells out. New York Times bestselling author James Rollins is the

featured speaker at the event which begins at 9am withbreakfast.The line up this year includes other NYT best sellers

and other award winning authors: Robin Benway(young adult novelist), Jessica Knoll whose bestsellerLuckiest Girl Alive has been optioned for a film); Ivy

Pochoda (LA TimesBest Book of the Year);Tatjana Soli (NYT best-seller); journalist &playwright RalphPezullo and more.After author presen-

tations and book sign-ings, guests will enjoylunch followed by amoderated panel andbreakout sessions withthe authors. Proceeds from the

event fund ALPHA’sphilanthropies.

James Rollins, #1 New YorkTimes bestselling author of international thrillers is the featured speaker.

Book Review by Al Bell

BOOK SIGNING PARTY FEBRUARY 19

The War on Alcohol: Prohibition and the Rise of the American State by Lisa McGirrLisa McGirr’s book tells the story of the

Prohibition era from a much broader anddeeper perspective than we get from themyth; that common version driven byimages of a failed social experiment bestrepresented by visions of speakeasies,mobsters, flappers, moonshiners, and FBIagents breaking down saloon doors. Likemost things that are alleged to be true,that image contains some truth, but it ishighly inaccurate and, worse, painfullymisleading.If you only read one paragraph of this

review, here it is. If you care deeply aboutour nation and its unending struggle toreach its potential, The War onAlcohol offers insights that can significant-ly inform your contribution to that cause.It documents a classic case of advantagedAmericans intentionally and aggressivelyintimidating and exploiting less advan-taged Americans almost 100 years ago. Weare there again, but magnified exponen-tially. There is much to learn here.It is true that Prohibition failed on at

least two counts: 1) it promoted drinkingrather than eliminating it, and 2) it gaveimpetus (some would say, birth) to a wildand unrestrained cultural shift based onalcohol, first in the big cities and thenspreading throughout the land. The pricewas high and it still is.The story of Prohibition is not just

about alcohol. That was the premise, butthe premise was soon polluted by the tar-geted and highly discriminatory enforce-ment regimes that prevailed during the 14years between the 18th and21st Amendments to our Constitution. It is a story of arrogant Protestant reli-

gious zealots who looked down on “lesser”recent immigrants, including Catholics,blacks, and other minorities, and thepoor, who were viewed as threats to tradi-

tional Christian moral standards of behav-ior. Meanwhile, those with money andpolitical connections, as well as the crimi-nally inclined, prospered and capitalizedon the federally imposed constraints onaccess to alcohol. In truth, all of thosewho claimed special privilege violated thelaw, too. It’s just that relatively few ofthem were ever punished.The power of this intensive investiga-

tion of the real nature of Prohibition isthat it exposes the pain and tragedy visit-ed upon the target populations by selec-tive enforcement. This part of history isseldom told; those who suffer the mostusually have neither the ability to tell theirstory nor the platform from which it canbe shared. While I only note it here, the role of the

Ku Klux Klan, in partnership withProtestant ministers, public officials andsuch activist organizations as the Woman’sChristian Temperance Union is a sad andreprehensible sub-plot in the story.This slice of American history illumi-

nates intended and, more importantly,unintended consequences of one group ofAmericans (us) telling another group ofAmericans (them) how they should livetheir lives, insisting that (they), being less-er humans, must now abide by rules ofpersonal behavior that (we), being the realAmericans, rightfully impose upon them.Does this sound familiar? The keystone of Lisa McGirr’s tale

comes at the end. The same righteousmentality that drove Prohibition alsoempowers our so-called “war on drugs”.For those Americans motivated to repeatthis pattern, it might be worth a simplewarning, based on our Prohibition experi-ence: be very careful what you wish for.

The book is available on Amazon.com

OC Human Relations' annual YouthSpeakSpeech & Essay Contest

The YouthSpeak Speech & Essay Contest is a county-wide searchfor the top human relations speech and essay written by middle & high school students.

This year, through generous support from our donors, we are able to offer two contests.

1) The speech contest is open only to high school students. 2) The essay contest is solely for middle school students.

For more details, see the YouthSpeak pages on our website.http://www.ochumanrelations.org/youthspeak/

Deadline to submit essays or speeches is February 28, 5pm

Page 12 FULLERTON OBSERVER EARLY FEBRUARY 2019VIDEO OBSERVER

VIDEO OBSERVERby Emerson Little © 2019

Local Twist It Up Inventors Win on Shark Tank

On a sunny Saturday morning inJanuary, I met with Adrian Brown, SocialMedia Director, and Noel Durity,Director of Sales and CEO of Twist It Up,a hair care product for Afrocentric hairthat looks like a miniature tennis racket. Both Adrian and Noel, who have con-

nections to North Orange County, weregiven the amazing opportunity of pitch-ing their product on an episode of theABC Television show, Shark Tank, whichaired on January 27th. However, since I interviewed both

Adrian and Noel before the TV showaired, they weren’t allowed to talk abouttheir experience. Adrian Brown moved out to Southern

California from Detroit, Michigan whenhe was nine-years-old and soon became amember of the Fullerton Boys and GirlsClub. He said, “My mom was alwaysworking, so she needed me to go to aplace that was somewhat safe. I went tothe Boys and Girls Club from nine-years-old until I was eighteen. So that’s prettymuch been my entire life out here inCalifornia that I’ve been involved with theBoys and Girls Club.” From the Boys and Girls Club, he said,

“I learned that it’s important for youngkids in the community to have role mod-els, to have somebody they can look up to.Could be an older person, but I think it’simportant for kids to be around peers tolearn different things and value friendshipbetween each other.” Adrian first met Noel at a 24-hour

Fitness in Brea. Noel said, “We were justplaying basketball and one of our firstconversations was that he asked me how I

got my hair this way. I told him that hehad to keep it a secret that I was using anactual tennis racket to do my hair.”This gave Noel the idea for the Twist It

Up Comb, now the number one twistcomb for Afrocentric hair on the markettoday. “For the first time, as a culture, weactually have a way to wearour hair that doesn’t requiremaintenance,” said Duirty. “Back in 2006, this whole

natural wave hit and for thefirst time in my life, I wasable to wake up and my hairwas done in two minutes.The only problem was thehair tool I was using at thetime. It grew bacteria, andyou couldn’t really clean it.You got to replace it over andover again, and in the span offive months, I spent eightydollars. So, I was like, therehas to be a better way. I went on YouTube and found out that

you can use a tennis racket. I’ve beenusing that for three years. When I went ona trip to Brazil, someone stole my tennisracket and it took me like an hour to finda new one. When I came back, I made ita point to shrink it for my own benefitand then I made it a business.”Noel Durity comes from a family of

immigrants. “We are immigrants in thiscountry and I just think we have a mind-set that you’ve just got to work,” he said.“I’m grateful and I’m thankful to be livingin a country like America, where myresources and my opportunities are, com-pared to Trinidad, completely different.

“Knowing where I came from andknowing about the opportunities that Ihave in front of me, I owe it, to not justmy mom and my dad, but the generationthat came before them because there werea lot of sacrifices that were made just forme to be in this country. I have to makesomething for myself, and it doesn’t mat-ter if I’m wrong a million times, all I haveto do is be right once. “So, it doesn’t matter that Shark Tank

rejected me the first time, or the secondtime, or the third time. The point is thatI’m doing this and at the end of the day, itrests on my shoulders to make sure thatit’s successful and I’d die trying.”Even though Adrian and Noel weren’t

allowed to disclose anyinformation about SharkTank ahead of time, I didfind out from Noel thatthey were rejected threetimes before they gotaccepted. “Actually, whenwe got there, our energywas super hype and theytold us that we had tocalm down,” said Adrian. “I was just excited

because I know that thekids at the Boys and Girlsclub can see that ‘that guy’is on TV. You know, he’s

just a normal person, but if he can be onTV, then if I put my mind to something,they can too. Not just kids at the Boys andGirls Club, but [it’s about] giving peoplehope that you can start something, andthe next thing you know, you end up onTV.” “It’s all about hard work,” said Noel. “It’s funny because, just my story, like if

you ask anyone in Brea that knows me, Iliterally held down three serving jobs forthree years and all I did was work. Noweekends, no festivals, no parties, no life.I apply that same work ethic to anythingthat I do and now I’m on Shark Tank.” Adrian always wears his Boys and Girls

Club bracelet with the words, “Be great”written on it, everywhere he goes.However, they wouldn’t let him wear it onShark Tank because they weren’t allowedto promote other organizations. “I just always have that reminder,” he

said. “I felt like a kid. I grew up watchingTV shows and being like, “I want to do

that one day” and it actually happened.Here we are.”On the January 27th episode of Shark

Tank, Noel Durity along with AdrianBrown and Derrall Brownlee (ExecutiveLeader of Prayer & Part-time Twist ItModel) walked onto the set with t-shirtspromoting the Twist It Up comb to pitchtheir product, and surprised everyone onthe show by doing a unique dance routinein which they demonstrated how theircomb is actually used. The dance routine was a collective

effort from the three of them and it defi-nitely got the judges’ attention. Noelended up accepting a joint offer, walkingoff the show with $225,000, makingTwist It Up Comb a Mark Cuban andDaymond John Company. The mesh for their comb used to be

made in China, but in a follow-up inter-view via email, Noel said, “we kept every-thing in America and are proud to say weare 100 percent made in the USA.” Now that they’ve received the money,

Noel wrote, “We get to work and helpempower everyone with Afro-centric hairto embrace their natural twist.” To watch my full interview with Noel

Durity and Adrian Brown, check out thenew Fullerton Observer website atwww.fullertonobserver.com and click onthe words, “YouTube Channel” on theleft-hand sidebar, which will take youdirectly to my channel.

At Right:Adrian Brownand NoelDurity presented Twist It Up on Shark Tank and won theattention ofMark Cubanand Daymond

John.

At Left:The Twist ItUp CombLogo.

“He asked mehow I got myhair this way. I told him thathe had to keep it a secret that I was using anactual tennisracket to do my hair.”

In partnership with OC Human Relations &

Rotary International Dist. 5320

THE GIANNESCHI CENTER FORNONPROFIT RESEARCH AT CSUF

Presents:

Paul K. Chappell of the

Nuclear Age Foundation

on ConflictResolution & PeaceLiteracy

7pm-9pm MondayFebruary 25

O’Brien Room 3230Mihaylo Hall $20 (Free for CSUF Students & Faculty)

Parking: $8 (at the Marriott across the street)

Register online at:https://business.fullerton.edu/center/gianneschinonprofitre-search/g3x-lecture-series

FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 13EARLY FEBRUARY 2019 EVENTS CALENDAR

TUES, FEB 5•6:30pm: Fullerton City

Council Meeting at city hall, 303W. Commonwealth. Agenda online.

WED, FEB 6•8am-1pm: Rain or Shine Every

Wednesday Farmers Market atIndependence Park next to theDMV on Valencia between Euclidand Highland in Fullerton. Freshproduce including fruit, vegetables,plants, eggs, flowers, baked goods,tamales, empenadas, kettle korn,nuts, and more. Repeats •3:30pm-4:30pm: Read with

the Dogs from Pet Prescription atFullerton Public Library, 353 W.Commonwealth for families withelementary school kids. Free•6:30pm: FPL Arthouse Film

Series “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018,PG-13). The film follows nativeNew Yorker Rachel Chu (ConstanceWu) as she accompanies her long-time boyfriend Nick Young (HenryGolding) to his best friend’s wed-ding in Singapore. Excited aboutvisting Asia for the first time, butnervous about meeting Nick’s fami-ly, Rachel is unprepared to learnthat Nick has neglected to mentiona few key details about his life.Fullerton Public Library OsborneAuditorium, 353 W.Commonwealth. Free

THURS, FEB 7•5:45pm: Look Who’s Dancing

benefit for Pathways of Hope atFullerton College Campus Theatre,321 E. Chapman Ave, Fullerton fea-tures a reception at 5:45pm andshowtime at 7pm with dancers PamKeller, DiAnna Tait, Jeanette Reese,Rick Mendez, Kristin Wilson, RayFernandez, Rabbi Nico Socolovsky,Debra Pember, and Kim Barlow.Tickets are available online atwww.pohoc.org/lwd or contactRhiannon Doscher at 714-680-3691 ext.207 ($50/general;$20/child; $75/VIP) Proceeds helpPathways programs to end hungerand homelessness in North OC.•6:30pm: Fullerton High

School District StudentExhibition Opening Receptionfeatures the finest student artworkfrom the seven local high schools.Muckenthaler Cultural Center,1201 W. Malvern, Fullerton. Freefor members ($10 non-members).

FRI, FEB 8•1pm-5pm: Boardgame Empire

Teens 14+ join to learn to play pop-ular board and minatures games likeFury of Dracula, TerraformingMars, and Wings of Glory. Bringyou friends or chalenge FPL’s cadreof elite gamemasters. Repeats on the2nd Friday of each month.Fullerton Public Library Teen Area,353 W. Commonwealth. Free•11am: Gloria Allred Keynotes

Annual Planned ParenthoodLuncheon celebrating recentlyelected and re-electedAssemlymembers Sharon Quirk-Silva, Cottie Petrie-Norris, andJames Ramos, and RepresntativesGil Cisneros, Katie Porter, HarleyRouda, Mike Levin, and SenatorTom Umberg. Hilton OC, 3050Bristol St., Costa Mesa. Register athttp://www.ppactionsca.org/local-info/orange-san-bernardino/

VICE: Two Hits

by Joyce Mason © 2019

HITS & MISSES

Writer/director Adam McKay began his entertainmentcareer as head writer for Saturday Night Live, where hemastered the art of sketch comedy, then gradually movedinto making comedic movies like “Anchorman” and“Talladega Nights.” Later, in his 2015 movie, “The BigShort,” McKay took on the complexities of the 2008financial collapse, explaining arcane economic policies byusing his trademark humor and inventiveness. Fewmoviegoers will forget Margot Robbie explaining thetoxic effect of mortgage-backed securities as she basks ina bubble bath of frivolity.In “Vice,” McKay takes on another abstruse topic as he

examines the political career of our most powerful vice-president, Dick Cheney. Whatever the topic, McKay’sinventive mind, analytical skills and penchant for humorsurface as he explores some of the darkest moments inthe 21st century and the players in power during thosemoments.We first meet a young Dick Cheney (Christian Bale),

who has washed out of Yale, returned to his home stateof Wyoming, and now works as a lineman by day whiledrinking heavily each night. Lynne Vincent (AmyAdams), not yet married to Dick, tells him that he issquandering his potential and unless he stops drinking,completes his education, and sets goals for his life, shewill break off their engagement. By the end of the scene,Dick looks into her eyes and promises that he will neverdisappoint her again. He keeps his word.Always attracted to politics and power, Cheney runs

for Congress in 1979 and wins the one Congressionalseat that meagerly populated Wyoming has. Having pre-viously served as a Congressional intern assigned to theassertive and powerful Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carell),Cheney has already learned the art of statecraft. By1989, he is in the George H.W. Bush cabinet as Secretaryof Defense.McKay artfully intersperses Cheney’s political career

with scenes of him riding horseback in Wyoming and flyfishing in the Sierras . Cheney teaches his daughters Liz(Lily Rabe) and Mary (Alison Pill) the skill of creatingartificial bait that will lure unsuspecting trout. The anal-ogy for survival and success in Washington D.C. is notlost here. Although Cheney is depicted as ruthless in hispursuit of power, he is always shown as a devoted hus-band and father to Lynne and their two daughters.During the years that the Democrats are in the White

House, Cheney is employed by the HalliburtonCompany, which leaves him richly remunerated. WhenGeorge W. Bush (Sam Rockwell) runs for President, heenlists Cheney’s help in finding a running mate but ispleased that Cheney himself wants to take that role.There is a deliciously amusing scene between the two ofthem when Cheney realizes the duties of the VicePresident are so vague that they could be crafted to suitthe chief executive and his VP. He tells Bush that as hisVice President, he could relieve him of overseeing someof his more tedious and bureaucratic duties, such a mili-tary, energy, and foreign policy. The plan appeals to Bushand early in his administration Cheney offices pop up inseveral D.C. locations.Both the President and the VP take on more powers

after 9/11. A theory of “unitary executive power,” sup-ported by some conservative politicians and pundits, isnow propelled, granting the President and, in this case,his Vice President vast powers in the fight against terror-ists. The Patriot Act and the use of advanced interroga-tion methods are soon interpreted as legally acceptable.McKay uses satire to present these controversial policies.In a scene where Cheney, Rumsfeld and other high rank-ing officials are out to dinner, their waiter (AlfredMolina) offers them various forms of torture as themenu’s plates de jour, and the four diners agree, “We’lltake them all.”McKay also realizes that he must recreate scenes and

conversations that occur within the privacy of theCheney home. Again, he uses various comedic strategies,the most inventive being a long bedroom conversationbetween Lynne and Dick, written in iambic pentameter,giving it the cadence and significance of a Shakespeareanmonologue.

TWO HITS: Don’t Miss it!

SAT, FEB 9•11am-2:30pm: Leon Owens

Luncheon featuring entertainmentby Saxophonist J. Boykin at theAnaheim White House Restaurant,887 S. Anaheim Blvd. Proceeds ben-efit Fullerton Union High School’sBiology-Engineering-Arts-Science-Technology program. ContactShirley Owens McClanahan [email protected] questions or visitwww.leonowensfoundation.org

WED, FEB 13•6pm-7pm: College 101 Parent

Workshop at the Fullerton Boys &Girls Club, 410 S Richman Ave,Fullerton. Learn about A-GRequirements, 3 California PublicUniversity systems, private schools,financial aid and scholarships. Call714-992-2933 for more info.Sponsor Richman Teen Center Boys& Girls Club and Advance on toCollege. Free.

SAT, FEB 16•5:30pm-9pm: Fullerton Elks

Lodge Pasta Dinner at the lodgelocated at 1400 Elks View Lane,Fullerton (up on the hill across fromHillcrest Park). The event includes a$10 pasta dinner and an evening offellowhip as attendees stuff bears todonate to area police departments togive to children they encounter whoare in stressful situations. Tickets at714-870-1993•7pm: Unplugged Concert

Series: Echo Hill Band at FullertonMuseum Center, at the corner of E.Wilshire and Pomona in downtownFullerton. Vocalist Liz McTan joinedby Oliver McTan, voice and guitar,Chris Dyer, guitar & bass, BonnieCorral, cello and Chad Knuebuhl ondrums mix jazz, bluegrass, and folk.Beer and wine will be available forpurchase. RSVP to 714-738-6545;$12/general•7pm: Ron Kobyashi Trio with

trumpeter and producer TonyGuerrero at Les Amis Restaurant,128 W. Wilshire Ave, downtownFullerton. Guerrero’s band and theTrio perform in sort of a Steamersreunion. Great food/no cover. But,reservations suggested to save a spot(714)526-2100.

MON, FEB 18•12pm: “How We Study

California’ History of Drought,Floods, Fire and Vegetation”What the Past Can Tell Us Aboutthe Future” a presentation byMatthew Kirby, professor of geolog-ical sciences at the Pollak Library,CSUF, 800 N. State College Blvd.,Fullerton. Free (except parking)

TUES, FEB 19•12pm: “We Band of Brothers?”

A presentation of “A Social-Identity-Based Study of Miltary PublicAffairs Professional Identity,Organizational Socialization, andCollaborattion,” by Julio Bermejo,assistant professor of communica-tions at the Pollak Library, CSUF,800 N. State College Blvd.,Fullerton. Free (except parking)

TUES, FEB 20•6:30pm: Fullerton City

Council Meeting at city hall, 303W. Commonwealth. Agenda onlinethe Friday before the council meet-ing at www.cityoffullerton.com

TUES, FEB 19 - SAT, FEB 23•8pm: 18th Annual New Music

Festival: Ancestral Threads - Musicfor strings, pianos, voices at CSUFMeng Concert Hall, 800 N. StateCollege Blvd., Fullerton features:Feb 19-Nicholas Isherwood, TheElectric Voice; Feb 20-UniversityWind Ensemble (Dustin Barr, con-ductor and composer DavidBiedenbender with guest artists; Feb21- TwoSense: Ashley Bathgate,cello & Lisa Moore, piano & voice;Feb 22- CSUF New MusicEnsemble w/guest artists; Feb 23-Amy Williams, pianist composer w/Cahill/Stenberg Duo, violin &piano. All sessions are $10. Ticketsavailable online or call CSUF BoxOffice at (657) 278-3371 M-F11am-5pm.

SAT, FEB 239am: Hillcrest Park Walking

Tour led by Kay Miller of FullertonHeritage. Meet at the lower parkinglot at the base of the stairs. Thereare lots of stairs included in the walkso plan accordingly. $5 (Free tomembers)•10am-6pm: Composer-

Performer Symposium featuresguest artists Mari Kimura, AmyWilliams, Kate Stenberg, SarahCahill and a lecture demo and paneldiscussion with New Music Festivalguest artists. at CSUF Recital Hall,800 N. State College Blvd.,Fullerton. Free

SAT, FEB 24•7pm: Unplugged Concert

Series: Home, Hope & Love atFullerton Museum Center, at thecorner of E. Wilshire and Pomona indowntown Fullerton. SopranoHannah Kim with BrigitteBellavoine on piano deliver classicalselections, American folk songs, andmusical theater tunes. Beer and winewill be available for purchase. RSVPto 714-738-6545 to save your seat.$12/general; $10/members

MON, FEB 25•6:30pm-8:30pm: Save Coyote

Hills Community Meeting to hearthe current legal and political chal-lenges, and the next steps in ouraction plan, including ways you canhelp to achieve our common goal ofa park in Coyote Hills. FullertonPublic Library Osborne Room, 353W. Commonwealth. Refreshments.([email protected] or call657-325-0725)

WED FEB 27•7pm: Planning Commission

Meeting to hear amendments to theZoning Code for restaurants withalcohol sales. Fullerton City Hall

THURS, FEB 28•11am: Lunch With League of

Women Voters at Coyote HillsCountry Club, 1440 BastanchuryRoad (off of Payne Stewart Drive) inFullerton. Guest speaker is NobertoSantana, Publisher of Voice of OC.RSVP by Feb 25 by email to [email protected]. - $20•7:30pm: The James Thomas

“Cool Papa” Bell Story One-man-show about the greatest outfielder inthe Negro Leagues who was induct-ed into the 1974 Baseball Hall ofFame. Bell played baseball from1922 to 1946. Muckenthaler, 1201W. Malvern, Fullerton. ($30)

Page 14 FULLERTON OBSERVER EARLY FEBRUARY 2019THEATER & MUSIC

Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Nile”@ STAGES THEATRE

400 E Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton, CA 92832Tickets: (714) 525-4484 www.stagesoc.org

Stages Theatre, Orange County’slongest running storefront theater, hasbeen entertaining audiences with a won-derfully wide-range of shows of all kindsfor nearly 28 years; but, surprisingly, thisis STAGES first venture into the world ofDame Agatha Christie. To begin, we find ourselves floating

down the Nile on The Lotus, a luxurysteamer with Christie’s memorable andeclectic bunch of unlikely fellow passen-gers. There is the pesky Beadseller (Anuar

Uribe); the snobby and narcissistic richSocialite Miss Ffoliot-Fjoulkes (impres-sively portrayed by RoseLondon), and her lovely butacquiescent and shy niece,Christina Grant (Emily Porr);Wise-cracking AmericanSocialist William Smith (CarlosDavid Lopez); theHeadwaiter/Steward (AndrewAguilar); Kay’s mildly disturbingUncle Canon AmbrosePennefather (Lawrence Ingalls);Kay’s French maid, Louise (BiancaSinger); Dr. Bessner from a countryruined by Kay’s father (Avi Wilk);Newlywed and society rich girl KayMostyn (KC Marie Pandell) and her not-so-rich but charismatic and utterly charm-ing husband, Simon (Jason Cook);Simon’s ex-lover and Kay’s ex-bestie,Jacqueline de Severac (Jessica TaylorGable); and The Lotus’ CaptainMcNaught (Brian Yager). Coincidentally, some of these folks are

not strangers to each other, and Christiedrip feeds these connections to the audi-ence throughout the play. When someone onboard is killed, a

“floating” game of detective work ensues. Brilliantly directed by Phil Brickey,

Murder on the Nile is one of those intricatewhodunits that has the audience playing amental game of tag, while proclaiming

“You’re it!” over again in their minds asone’s suspect list continues to dwindle;however, Christie continues to enthrallaudiences with never-ending suspenseuntil all is revealed. Based on her 1937 novel, Death on the

Nile, Christie made the interesting choiceto replace Poirot with Canon Pennefatherin this murderous tale of adventure. Theperformances are all spot on and theattractive Rose London is delicious as oneof those old biddies you love to hate. As the rejected lover, Jackie, Taylor-

Gable is brilliant at navigating the vastarray of emotions, and Ingalls, as

Pennefather the clergymanwith the investigative mind,keeps the audience always onits toes. Cook is dazzling as the

socially inferior newlywed hus-band, and Carlos David Lopez’portrayal of Smith, the cynicalmisfit, makes being out ofplace the place to be. The solid cast is convincing

and draws the audience in with trulyengaging performances; however, there issomething to be said about dialects. Mostof the cast members nail their Englishaccents; however, there is one emulatingan Eastern European accent that unfortu-nately is not easily understood. Although this play is taking place dur-

ing the winter season, it’s mighty hotonstage as the action heats up and the ten-sion rises. That brings me to PatMannion’s unique set design whichincludes some large imposing bamboo-like fans strategically centered above theaction adding to the ambiance of a smalltheater’s trip down the Nile. Director: Phil Brickey; Set Design: Pat

Mannion; Light Design: Jon Gaw; SoundDesign: Calvin A. Ballard; CostumeDesign: Amanda DeMaio. The play runs through February 10th.

REVIEWEDby Angela Hatcher © 2019

“James and the Giant Peach” @ CHANCE THEATER

Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center5522 E La Palma Ave, Anaheim, CA

Tickets: (888) 455-4212 www.chancetheater.com

King Kong is adapted & directed byBrian Newell from the novelization byDelos W. Lovelace based on the screenplay by James A Creelman and Ruth Rosefrom a story by Edgar Wallace and MerianC. Cooper.This is not a musical, it's a lighthearted

take on the classic film from the writer/director of Night of the Living Dead, SantaClaus Conquers the Martians, and TheKiller Angels. Together with Maverick Light &

Magic, audiences will experience a showunlike anything the world has seen before,the eighth wonder of the world, KONG! Movie director Carl Denham learns of a

mysterious island and a legend of a beast

known as "Kong". Determined to uncov-er the myth, he puts together an expedi-tion to capture his discovery on film."They'll have to invent new adjectives todescribe my picture!" Denham isn't mak-ing a mere documentary, his picture has atheme, beauty and the beast.Shortly after locating Skull Island the

inhabitants take Beauty to Kong, a gigan-tic ape that rules the island and its prehis-toric wildlife. But as fate would tell,Kong's affection for Beauty deceives himand he must now face his worst enemy, acivilized world. Opens Feb 8 and plays trhough March

17th. Fridays & Saturdays 8pm, Sundays5pm. (suitable for 6yrs and older.)

“King Kong: The Eighth Wonder of the World”@ MAVERICK THEATER

110 E Walnut Ave Unit B, Fullerton, CA 92832Tickets: (714) 526-7070 www.mavericktheater.com

Chance Theater, Anaheim’s official resi-dent theater company, announces the firstshow in its fifth season of the TYA FamilySeries: James and The Giant Peach, withbook by Timothy Allen McDonald, musicand lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul,based on the book by Roald Dahl, anddirected by Darryl B. Hovis. The musical follows James Henry

Trotter who lives with two ghastly hags —his odious aunts — and he’s a very lonelylittle boy indeed. One day, something

peculiar happens. At the end of the gar-den, a peach starts to grow and grow …and grow. Inside that peach are seven veryunusual insects, all waiting to take Jameson a magical adventure of enormous pro-portions. this family musical takes you onan amazing voyage across the ocean.James and The Giant Peach will preview

from February 15 through February 17;regular performances will begin February18 and continue through March 3 on theFyda-Mar Stage.

Tempesta de Mare@ WILSHIRE AUDITORIUM

315 W. Wilshire, Fullerton, CA 92832Tickets: (714) 526-5310 www.fullertonfriendsofmusic.com

On Sunday February 17th at 3:30pm atthe Wilshire Auditorium in downtownFullerton, Fullerton Friends of Music willpresent the Tempesta de Mare ChamberPlayers in a free concert.Fanfare magazine recently hailed

Tempesta de Mare for its “abundant ener-gy, immaculate ensemble, and undeniablesense of purpose.” In a marketplace dom-inated by European ensembles, Tempestais the only American baroque musicgroup to record for the prestigious Britishlabel Chandos. They have performed forthe Frick Collection, the National Galleryof Art, the Miami Bach Festival, theOregon Bach Festival, Abbey Bach

Festival, Whitman College, CornellConcerts and the Yale Collection.The ensemble includes, Gwyn Roberts

(flute), Rebecca Harris (violin), Lisa Terry(viola de gamba), Richard Stone (theor-bo), and Adam Pearl (harpsichord). Theywill perform Holiday in Paris: Teleman’smusical vacation. In 1737 Teleman ful-filled a lifelong dream and traveled toParis for an eight-month sojourn. Holidayin Paris recreates this magical time withmusic by Teleman and by the perform-ers/composers for whom Teleman wrote:Blavet, Guignon and Forqueray. For additional information call 714-

526-5310 or562-691-7437. Free

Both a solid cast theuniqueset designadd to thesuspense.

FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 15EARLY FEBRUARY 2019 ART & FILM

Fullerton Union High School District Student Exhibition Opens February 7EXHIBIT @ MUCKENTHALER CULTURAL CENTER

1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton www.themuck.org (714)738-6595

The finest student artworks from the seven schools of the Fullerton UnionHigh School District, including campuses in Buena Park and La Habra openswith a reception on Thursday, February 7, at 6:30pm. Awards will be given forbest drawings, paintings, sculpture, digital art, and more. $10 non-members,Free for Members. The exhibit runs through February 24, 2019.

“Immersion” EXHIBIT @ BREA ART GALLERY1 Civic Center Circle Brea, CA 92821 (714) 990-7731 www.breagallery.com

designed to change the perception ofspace. What makes installation art differ-ent from sculpture or other traditional artforms is that it is a complete unified expe-rience, rather than a display of separate,individual artworks. The focus on howthe viewer experiences the work is a dom-inant theme in installation art.

The Brea Gallery will host Immersion, agroup exhibition of installation art, fromFebruary 9th to April 5th, 2019, featuringten talented artists from around the regionto create a unique site-specific artwork inthe gallery. The public is invited to the free opening

reception on Saturday, February 9th from7pm to 9pm. This ambitious exhibitioninvites visitors to experience art in a wholenew, profound way through the explo-ration of dynamic, large-scale installationpieces. As these innovative artists take overthe gallery and transform it into a series ofimaginative environments, viewers will beastounded and inspired by these immer-sive works of art.What is installation art? An art installa-

tion is a three-dimensional visual artwork,often created for a specific place and

“Dr. Entomo’s Palace of Exotic Wonders”EXHIBIT @ FULLERTON MUSEUM CENTER

301 N Pomona Ave, Fullerton, CA 92832 (714) 738-6545

Fullerton Museum Center’s currentexhibit “Dr. Entomo’s Palace of ExoticWonders” runs through April 14, 2019. Freakish, bewildering marvels of the

insect world are on display in Dr.Entomo’s Palace of Exotic Wonders.Resembling an old-fashioned circussideshow, this exhibit explores the truth,myths and mysteries surrounding some ofnature’s most curious creatures – many ofthem alive and on view. Those daring enough to enter will be

captivated by the deceptive and treacher-ous techniques these insects can wield onunsuspecting predators. Among the offerings attendees will

learn about how the Giant AfricanMillipede, though harmless-lookingenough, can unleash a harmful cyanidesecretion. The “Devil with Two Heads,”also known as the Vietnamese Centipede,exposes how it can confound predatorswith a tail that looks just like its head.Small admission fee.

Borrowing its name from ancient history, the video Exodus tackles the massflight/movement of the people all over the world trying to survive war, poverty andsocial injustice. Mandana Moghaddam knows firsthand the refugee’s sense of loss anddisplacement, hope and renewal. At age 21, she fled Iran after her father was executedin the revolution and she was barred from higher education as a penalty for politicalactivities. After five years in transition in Turkey, she was granted asylum in Sweden,where she lives today. Her video Exodus captures that experience through the motion ofsuitcases adrift on the ocean, lost in passage — the baggage of our worldly goods thatboth protect us and expose us, cloak us and mark us as individuals or as members of acertain culture. The uncertainty of their delicate dance on the waves, and the comfortof reaching solid ground, evoke empathy and a desolate sense of loss, amplified by thesheer simplicity and beauty of the images. Gallery hours are Tues-Thurs 11am-4pm;Fri-Sat 11am-5pm; Sun 11am-3pm; and every 1st Saturday 7-10pm. ThroughFebruary 17, 2019.

“Exodus” Works by Mandana MoghaddamVIDEO @ GRAND CENTRAL ART CENTER125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92701 (714) 567-7233 www.grandcentralartcenter.com

The Fullerton Museum Center’smonthly film series featuring independ-ent, thought-provoking films continueson February 15th with a screening ofFantastic Planet. Nothing else has everlooked or felt like director René Laloux’sanimated marvel Fantastic Planet, a polit-ically-minded and visually inventive workof science fiction. With its eerie, coollysurreal cutout animation by RolandTopor; brilliant psychedelic jazz score byAlain; and wondrous creatures and land-

scapes, this Cannes awarded countercul-ture classic is a perennially compellingstatement against conformity and vio-lence.With an introduction by series curator

and local filmmaker Steve Elkins, eachfilm screening will be followed by aninformal discussion over drinks availablefor purchase. Seating is limited and reser-vations are recommended. Films showevery third Friday of the month at 7pm.$10 admission. $8 for Museum members.

“Water”EXHIBIT @ FULLERTON COLLEGE ART GALLERY321 E Chapman Ave., Fullerton (714) 992-7271

Fullerton College Art Gallery invites you to dive into the year with the Water exhi-bition. Soothing to the mind and spirit, a source of fun and danger, water is essentialfor life. Four artists who allow water to inspire them are highlighted: Lindsay Carron,Vicky Hanrahan, Don Ryan, and Caroline Zimmermann. Gallery hours are Mon-Thurs 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm (evening Feb. 4, 6-8pm.) Through February 20.

Lindsay Carron, Flow Free, 2018

“Fantastic Planet”FILM @ FULLERTON MUSEUM CENTER

301 N. Pomona Ave. (at E. Wilshire) (714)738-6545

Page 16 FULLERTON OBSERVER EARLY FEBRUARY 2019COMMUNITY OPINIONS

FullertonObserver

The Fullerton Observer CommunityNewspaper, founded by Ralph andNatalie Kennedy, Roy and IreneKobayashi, and other friends in 1978,is staffed by local citizen volunteerswho create, publish, and distribute thepaper throughout our community.This venture is a not-for-profit onewith all revenues plowed back intomaintaining and improving our inde-pendent, non-partisan, non-sectariancommunity newspaper.Our purpose is to inform Fullerton

residents about the institutions andother societal forces which most impacttheir lives, so that they may be empow-ered to participate in constructive waysto keep and make these private andpublic entities serve all residents in law-ful, open, just, and socially-responsibleways. Through our extensive local cal-endar and other coverage, we seek topromote a sense of community and anappreciation for the values of diversitywith which our country is so uniquelyblessed.

SUBMISSIONS:Submissions on any topic of interest are accepted from Fullerton residents and we try hard to get it all in.

Shorter pieces have a better chance. Email to [email protected]

or mail to: FULLERTON OBSERVERPO BOX 7051, FULLERTON, CA 92834____________________________How To SubscribeSubscriptions are due each October$25/Fullerton • $35/Out of Town

Send Check with Name & Address to: Fullerton Observer, PO Box 7051,

Fullerton CA 92834-7051________________________________

How to AdvertiseCall 714-525-6402,

or email [email protected]________________________________

10,000 issues of the Fullerton Observer are distributed throughout Fullerton

and sent through the mail to subscribers every two weeks except only once

in January, July & August.

Missed a Copy? Visit us online at:www.fullertonobserver.com

& on FaceBook• STAFF•

• Managing Editor: Sharon Kennedy• Web Editor: Jesse La Tour

•Chief Digital Officer: Mehul Desai• Database Manager: Jane Buck

• Copy Editor/Proof: Christine Romer• Distribution: Roy & Irene Kobayashi,

Marjorie Kerr, Leslie Allen• Advisor: Tracy Wood

• FEATURES & COLUMNISTS• COUNCIL REPORT: Jesse La Tour•Special Reports: Jesse La TourJane Rands & Matt Leslie

• DOWNTOWN REPORT: Mike Ritto• SCHOOL BOARD REPORTS:

Jan Youngman & Vivien Moreno •YOUNG OBSERVER EDITOR: Francine Vudoti

•POLITICAL COMMENTARY: Jonathan Dobrer & Vince Buck•CROSSWORD: Valerie Brickey

•FULLERTON HISTORY: Terry Galvin•PASSION FOR JUSTICE: Sinh Dang

•PHOTOGRAPHER: Jere Greene, Jesse La Tour•ROVING REPORTERS: Jere Greene and other Community Members

•SCIENCE: Sarah Mosko •GARDENING: Penny Hlavac

• MOVIE REVIEW HITS & MISSES: Joyce Mason• THEATRE REVIEWS:

Eric Marchese, Angela Hatcher, Mark Rosier •VIDEO OBSERVER: Emerson Little

Created & Published in Fullerton by local citizen volunteers for 40 years

Fullerton Observer LLC

The Mid February 2019 issue will hit the stands on Feb. 18th.SUBMISSION & AD DEADLINE: Feb 11

HOW TO VOICEYOUR OPINION

The Community Opinionpages provide a free forum forthe community. The Observerwelcomes letters on any subjectof interest. Comments are theopinions of the writer, may beshortened for space, and typoscorrected - if we notice them. We must verify your identity.Please Note: Opinions sent tous without name, address andphone number for verificationpurposes are not printed. Thatinformation aside from nameand town will not be kept,shared, or printed. We allowinitials only and town toappear in print if desired.Anonymous is allowed if a rea-sonable case can be made as towhy that is necessary. Thanks!

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or mail to:Fullerton Observer, PO Box7051, Fullerton CA92834

Congratulations Observer on 40th & the FoxCongratulations on the Observer's 40th

Anniversary (1978-2018)!!! If you'll allowme some personal nostalgia, I rememberChuck introducing me to your parentssometime late in 1977 (when we first start-ed hanging out) and then the year theObserver was "born" Chuck and I weremarried at First Pres on Euclid in October:) so I guess "it was a very good year"(can'tyou just hear Old Blues crooning??? corny,I know but I couldnt resist:)Re: the Fox blurb, just wanted to clari-

fy/add in some important additional inforegarding the volunteerorganization/founding of the Fox HistoricTheatre Foundation; both Chuckie andJane were the two individuals who got theball rolling, so it's appropriate to refer to

them as co-founders of the Foundation. I remember the 2 of them initially meet-

ing here at "Villa d'Este" (Chuck's studio-- sorry, really don’t harbor delusions ofgrandeur, just trying to make a tiny jokehaha;) for 4-5 months before bringing inother people equally committed to savingthe theatre. So I would greatly appreciateit if you could publish something to thateffect in the next issue of the paper:)Thanks again for keeping your parents'

legacy alive through this one-of-kind com-munity newspaper; hope all is well withyou and yours.

Nancy Bliss Estes FullertonED:We remember Chuck Estes letter in

the Observer that kicked the whole Save theFox campaign off.

Proposed Water Rate Changes & Impact on Residents

Regarding Jane Rands articulate arti-cle on water rates (Proposed Water RatesChanges and the Impact on ResidentsJanuary Observer page 2) some issues tobe considered by our City Council:The increase in meter charges (more

than doubling for a 1” meter from$35.64 to $71.28 per billing cycle) is toassure sufficient revenue when severewater rationing is enforced. The citysuffers a shortfall when we don’t useenough water. Have they considered reducing

expenses instead?There is no provision for the city to

accommodate limiting indoor waterusage to 55 gallons per person startingin 2022 as required by two billsGovernor Brown signed last May.The tier 1 rate allows residents to use

more water (12,000 gallons verses7,500 gallons) at a lower cost. This isantithetical to the need to conservewater. The city should encourage waterconservation by establishing rates thatdo not encourage higher usage of water.Edison does that with my electrical bill. The impact of water delivery pass-

through costs due to electricity andother cost increases are not included inthe rates proposal. For example, Edison plans to increase

electricity costs by nearly 10% in thenext three years. The city must includesuch increases in the overall rate struc-ture.Infrastructure replacement costs are

included in the meter charges. The cityshould show this as a separate charge inour water bill. A committee apparent-ly will be overseeing the replacementprogram. We want to see that thismoney goes to infrastructure.The Water Ad Hoc Committee

should meet again to clarify these issuesbefore our City Council acts on theproposal.

Fritz von Coelln Fullerton

ED: Read Jane Rand’s article in theJanuary issue on the Fullerton Observerwebsite at www.fullertonobserver.com.

I am writing this letter anonymously sothat my identity will not be exposed. I ama current student at the college and havebeen attending for around two and a halfyears now, give or take.Sexual harassment and racism is still an

ongoing issue within the school. Manywomen do not feel comfortable walkingaround the campus even in broad daylightbecause of rampant sexual assault andabuse by losers who use our social freedomsto indulge in misogynistic behaviors.Complaints of neo nazis, white nationalistpropaganda, and religious extremism havebeen repeatedly ignored even though theseindividuals are clearly visible on the cam-pus and terrorize the school in and out ofthe classroom. Far too many professorseither actively ignore or subtly encouragethis behavior themselves by participating inthe intimidation or downplaying it as acase of ‘immaturity’ or simply ‘the waythings are’. Having an open campus doesnot mean that students should be subject-ed to abuse or prejudice of any kind on thebasis of one’s skin color, sexual orientation,or gender.I believe that the college can do better,

and that many of those who don’t fear for

their behavior should be held accountablefor their actions. It isn’t enough to haveonly a quota of minorities or the ‘token’faculty member to skirt around the issue ofdiversity. Paying lip service to ‘progressive’ideals will change nothing unless everyone,on some level, does their best to encouragethis growth and follows this path with notjust their mind but their heart. The administration should stop protect-

ing professors who abuse their tenure topush their own political agendas onto theirstudents. If a professor has been reportedconsistently for racism, inappropriate sexu-al advances, or for failing to properly edu-cate their students, there should be someform of repercussion for their actions.There should be no favoritism of any kind,or fear of these educators being ‘exposed’ tothe media for abusing their power. Power isearned, not given just by privilege of beinghired or earning a degree. Professors shouldbe hired on the basis of not just their edu-cation or ‘who they know’, but on whatthey can bring to the table to enrich thecampus and stimulate ideas. Nepotism isrife in the administration and this shouldnot be the heritage of Fullerton College.

Anonymous Fullerton

Harassment UnChecked at Fullerton College

RE: Brief History of Klan in OCRe: Brief History of the Ku Klux Klan in

OC, and La Tour’s “summary of what helearned.” (Jan. Observer, pages 10 & 11)

True, the KKK was, is and remains a bas-tion of evil intentions, followed by horrifi-cally evil actions. True, the KKK wasformed by Democrats, in opposition to theRepublican party’s implementation of theReconstruction policies following the CivilWar. The Republicans were (and arguably are,

still) fighting to implement and preservethe 14th amendment to the Constitution,which granted “equal protection” to formerslaves and enacted US male suffrage (guar-anteed voting rights).The root of the Klan and its staying

power was provided by the Democraticleaders in the south. The Klan was the ter-rorist arm of the Democratic party. Let’s not forget the Civil Rights move-

ment of the late 50’s and 60’s was led by(mostly) Republican Christians.La Tour’s article states, “KKK ideology

was based on the racial supremacy of whiteProtestant Christians….in OrangeCounty…and racism was pretty much nor-malized everywhere”, and, “…Klan’s lead-ership…centered on the major Protestantdenominations and were predictablyRepublican…"The irresponsible presentation of La

Tour’s book report as journalism by theObserver comes as no surprise. True, Klanmembers were “white protestant”, this wasin effect to ‘check the box’, as entry quali-fications for admission to this despicable

group. The Jewish and Catholic communi-ties, each with significant populations inOrange County, thrived during this time,making significant and lasting contribu-tions as business entrepreneurs, politicians,charity organizations - in spite of theKKK’s presence. Catholic communities consider them-

selves “Christians”, and are irritated by therepeated lacing of suggestion in the articlethat equates Klan members in any way - tofollowers of the true Christian faith. Jesus Christ teaches us to love all men

and women, and that all humans are lovedequally in the sight of God. How can onetell who is an authentic Christian? By thelove that they show to their fellow man.Today’s authentic ‘White Protestant

Christians’ are certainly offended by thisarticle, which does its best to wronglyequate them with the evil Ku Klux Klan.

G.R. Williams Fullerton

ED: You are right that true followers ofChristianity have nothing to do with theKKK either then or now (however, notethat the KKK self identifies as a Christianorganization to this day). The report wasrelating actual history. Was the CivilRights Movement led by RepublicanChristians? Most northern Republicansand Democrats supported the Civil RightsAct of 1964 while most southern membersof both parties opposed it. An interestingwell-sourced discussion of this is on theNew York Magazine’s website athttp://nymag.com/intelligencer/2012/05/con-servative-fantasy-history-of-civil-rights.html

Recently I wrote an article critical ofPresident Trump. Yes, I’ve written morethan one such article. Some readersaccused me of attacking Trump person-ally and not concentrating on his poli-cies. I freely admitted that their observa-tion was entirely correct. I was focusingon Trump personally—on his character,integrity, intelligence, knowledge andtemperament.My observation is that his policies and

promises have such short half-lives,while his half-truths and full lies seem tobe permanent fixtures, that critiquing apolicy is futile. I’ve observed before thathe is a “Quantum Politician”flitting through time andspace in unpredictable waysand, as Heisenbergexplained, you could eitherknow his position or hisdirection but not both at thesame time.He promised to have “the

best people” in his govern-ment. Indictments andguilty pleas seem to indicatehe didn’t even get competentcrooks. One consistent pat-tern is his grandiosity, e.g.“Believe me, I know morethan the generals.” Today, heclaims to know more thanthe heads of the FBI, CIA,DIA and NSA—all of whomhe appointed! When theycontradicted his assertionsthat our greatest threat was the “crisis onour southern border,” and that NorthKorea no longer posed a nuclear threat,or that ISIS was “beaten and beatenbadly,” his entirely predictable responsewas to attack and tell his own advisorsthat they “needed to go back to school,”and that they were “naïve.”I might even agree with some of his

impulsive policies. I too want us out ofSyria, Iraq and Afghanistan. We are nei-ther killing nor dying with any likeli-hood of a good outcome. But we cannotjust precipitously pull out and leave pastallies to be slaughtered. This would notbe simply wrong but would also deterothers from trusting us as potentialallies. Leaving Afghani and Iraqi villagersand translators to be murdered is badpolicy. Leaving the Kurds, who fought asour ground troops while we did thebombing, to the not tender care of theTurks is a terrible betrayal and will costus. This is not about saving face butlooking out for our friends, past, presentand future. Trump’s instincts are exactlywrong.Trump’s governmental shutdown was

a disaster—economic for everyone andpolitical for Trump. It squeezed more

money out of the economy than what hewas demanding for his wall. The “essen-tial workers,” who worked without paychecks, will get their money back—butnot the penalties, fines or credit scores.The furloughed workers will not gettheir money. It’s gone—as is the moneywrung from the economy out of thestores, restaurants and markets that theydid not use.He claims (again credibility is an issue)

that he’ll shut it all down again, if hedoesn’t get his wall. I think that MitchMcConnell will tell him that he can’t,that there are 70 votes to override him.

So then there would bethe “national emergency,”and using military fundsand forces to build thewall. The courts are like-ly, but not certain, to stophim.Sen. McConnell, of

whom I’m not a fan, wasnot really the bad guy inthe shutdown. He got theSenate to vote for aContinuing Resolutionto fund the governmentthat Trump promised tosign. But then Trump gothit by Laura Ingram,Anne Coulter, RushLimbaugh and SeanHannity; and Trumpbroke his promise toMitch. Mitch did not

want to lobby his Republican Senators,get them on record, and then have themcut off at the knees by another brokenpromise. You understand what thismeans? Even the Republicans don’t trustTrump’s word.And that really is my point. Though I

am liberal socially, I do not dislike or dis-miss principled conservatives. My argu-ment is not with Republicans or conser-vatives. Conservative writers with whomI may or may not agree, often offercoherent and thoughtful analyses. I readfaithfully George Will, and liked boththe late Charles Krauthammer and verylate William F. Buckley. Currently, Ialways find Victor Davis Hansonthought-provoking.My animus and fear are about one

man—one man who lacks balance, judg-ment, modesty and integrity. While hemay hold some positions that I agreewith, I can’t count on him keeping thosepositions. At best, he is a salesman will-ing to say anything to make the sale,close the deal or just win the encounter.Yes, it is personal, and I agree with theold conservatism: Character Counts.

www.Dobrer.comFollow me on Twitter@jondoobrer

FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 17EARLY FEBRUARY 2019 COMMUNITY OPINIONS

OUT OF MY MINDby Jon Dobrer © 2019

Character Counts—except when it doesn't

Coyote DowntownI walked east on Whiting to look at the

moon, and as I retraced my steps, just atthe west corner of my office, a coyote ranright in front of me, down MaldenAvenue. Whew!!! S/he did glance leftbefore running across the street. Pitter-pat, my little heart- bone...I can still hearthe skritch of her claws on the concrete.

JAK Fullerton

SurveillancePlease look into the purpose of the sur-

veillance cameras going in aroundFullerton College. Anonymous Fullerton

A Wealth of Films Around TownI am surprised that few people seem to know about movies shown around town. The Fullerton Public Library shows good movies every Thursday at 1pm and every

first Wednesday at 6pm. I saw Capote recently, and will see Trumbo on January 31.Coming up are Crazy Rich Asians, and BlacKkKlansman. Films are also shown at the Fullerton Community Center on Commonwealth every

Friday at 12:30pm for a donation of only a dollar. I’ll be there for the February 22flick, Bohemian Rhapsody. At the Museum Center on E. Wilshire downtown esoteric films are brought to us by

local filmmaker Steve Elkins on the third Friday of each month for $8/members($10/non-members). That event also includes an after-film discussion and beer andwine for purchase. And then, there is the annual French Film Festival, a FullertonCollege event, to look forward to in April. Judith Kaluzny Fullerton

KKK & Book ReviewI shared your superb two-page center-

fold spread on the KKK in OrangeCounty (January 2019 pages 10 & 11)with Al Bell, because he's my best friendand a former resident of Fullerton, and heknew personally many of those men-tioned in the article. In return, he sent me his review of a fine

book about Prohibition, events of whichcontinue to have relevance today, as thebehavior of the KKK does.

Jim Armstrong PlacentiaED: See page 11 for Al’s review of the

book on Prohibition.

Fullerton Council Vacancy (Dis)AppointmentThe 1/29/19 Fullerton Council Special

Meeting was the culmination of a debateon how the Council would fill a vacancycreated by Mayor Silva’s transition froman at-large to District 3 elected councilmember in the middle of his first term.The council appointed someone to fill the2-year seat rather than allow Fullerton’s69,740 voters to vote.I was disappointed by the disorganized

and rushed decision-making based onmisinformation that cornered us withlimited options. On January 15, 2019, theCouncil voted to fill the vacancy byappointment, rationalizing they can makea fair and unbiased appointment in lessthan two weeks since now there was athoughtful and transparent process.The council meeting agenda material

only included an application form. Aform is not a process. At the SpecialMeeting on Jan 29, there was nearly 20minutes of discussion amongst theCouncil, the City Attorney and the CityManager about how to select the finalcandidate. Councilmember Whitakercommented he received an email proposalthe night before the meeting which gavehim no time to add input.A candidate forum was held the night

before the Special Meeting. Applicantswere asked where they stood on variousissues. Was the council selecting someonebased on how they align with their ownviews? If so, aren’t they just exercisingtheir own right to a vote, not an unbiasedappointment?I’m skeptical this was a fair appoint-

ment process. Even before the appoint-ment decision was made on January 15,2019, one of the 26 applicants claimed tohave two council votes and was trying tolobby a third councilmember. This is notfair nor transparent. Did each coun-cilmember give equal time to all of theother applicants? Is it mere coincidencethat this applicant was ultimately appoint-ed by three of the four council members?In October 2018, the Council repealed

an ordinance that mandated elections tofill vacant council seats. This ordinancegave them the flexibility to make an inter-im appointment until an election whenvoters can choose their representative.Certain councilmembers rationalized

that their decision to fill this vacancy byappointment was justified because voterselected them to make tough decisions likethis. That is an absolute falsehood becausewhen they were elected, the ordinance inforce was to fill vacancies with elections!As of December 2018, this Council

replaced that ordinance with one thatgives them the discretion to makeappointments in more situations, tiltingthe balance of power in their favor at thecost of voters’.Retired judge Frank Ochoa wrote in the

Santa Barbara Independent, “Let VotersFill Every Council Vacancy” about hiscity’s own dilemma. Frederick Douglasssaid, ‘Power concedes nothing without ademand. It never did and it never will.’When the council is presented with thisunfettered option, it will choose to fill theseat itself. In practical terms, all vacancieswill be filled by council appointment. Sounds like more disappointments to

come. Angela Lindstrom Fullerton

Trump’s governmental shutdown was a disaster - It squeezed

more money out of the economythan what he was

demanding for his wall.And he claims that he will

shut it all downagain.

The Status Quo RulesAfter months of civic engagement relat-

ed to the District Map, the residents’ mapchoice was stolen from us by the council.Now, when the council had an opportu-

nity to do the right thing - they chose tohave potential candidates lobby for thevacant council seat position. There weresome wonderful diverse candidates withawesome credentials. You just didn’t knowthat the process was rigged. Wake up, ifyou ever thought your resident civicengagement was important to the council,it’s not, because after living in Fullertonfor almost 15 years, I know it’s a sham, afarce.

Susan L. Petrella Fullerton

Page 18 FULLERTON REST IN PEACE WE REMEMBER YOU

OrangethorpeChristianChurch

(Disciples of Christ)

Sunday Service: 10AM2200 W. ORANGETHORPEFULLERTON (714) 871-3400www.orangethorpe.org

Dr. Robert L. Case, Pastor

EARLY FEBRUARY 2019

Don Edwin Ludwig, son of Henry andEdna Ludwig, was born on July 19, 1933in Great Falls, Montana. His sister,Marilyn Rose, died of sudden pneumo-nia when he was a teenager. He wasbright and excelled as a student. At thetime he was the youngest boy to becomeEagle Scout by age 14. He went to the

University of Wyoming on a basketballscholarship and after moving to LosAngeles, earned a masters degree at USCin Electrical Engineering. Don worked for decades at Hughes

Aircraft in Fullerton in the Aerospacedivision. He was a dedicated managerand was very well-respected by his workcolleagues. As part of his work Don trav-elled extensively to the Middle East andEurope and later in his career at Hugheshe worked for 5 years in Vancouver,Canada on their air traffic control sys-tem. He had numerous interests and was an

active member of Rotary, Probus andOlli and other local groups in Fullerton.He was also an avid pianist and playedregularly for those groups. He was sup-portive of his wife’s activities in AAUWand the Republican Party. Don loved sports. He played in

Fullerton in a basketball league, andcoached at the YMCA. He loved sailing,deep sea fishing, and was a keen skier.Don also enjoyed golf with his friends,and was excited once to hit a hole in onein 2015. Don passed away peacefully at his

home in Fullerton on 23 December,2019. He is survived by Jo Ann, his wifeof 60 years, their 4 children and 4 grand-children.

Don Edwin Ludwig (July 19, 1933 - December 23, 2018)

Lenora Jane O’Dell of Anaheim,California passed away on December 26,2018 at the age of 83. She’ll be laid to restwith her husband Thomas O’Dell atRiverside National Cemetery.She is survived by two sons, Robert

Webb and Dale Vaughn; and sons-in-law

Frank Strode, Mark Garcia, andRandolph Latimore; three daughters,Marie Strode, Melonie Garcia, LynnLewis-Latimore, and daughters-in-lawKelly Webb and Angie Vaughn; 14 grand-children and 17 great-grandchildren; abrother John Webb, and sister AliceArchuleta, and sisters-in-law SonyaCarolan and Bernice Webb.

Lenora Jane O’Dell

Sailing in LA Harbor

Manuel N. Bass died peaceful-ly in his sleep on the early morn-ing of January 10, 2019 at theage of 91. Besides writing memorable

articles on both local andnational politics and oftenspeaking up at city councilmeetings, Manny, a Princetonalumn, served on the FullertonObserver’s all Ph.D labeling crew. He keptthe crew entertained with his encyclopeicknowledge on numerous topics, evenwithout access to Google.

His quick wit, wry sense ofhumor, and his ability to figureout (along with a fellow puzzleenthusiast) the toughest NPRpuzzles amazed the crew. Manny, a retired Chevron Oil

Company geologist, was alsoknown as the highest signature-gatherer during the SaveCoyote Hills petition days.

Manny has a large loving family whowill be arranging a Celebration of Life at alater date.Manny is greatly missed.

Goodbye Dear Friend Manny Bass

Rafael MedinaRafael Medina, age 68, a long-

time Fullerton resident, passedaway peacefully of stomach can-cer on January 13, 2019 in hishome surrounded by his family.Rafael, the oldest of six brothersand a sister, was born in ElHuizcolote, Colima, Mexico onDecember 10, 1950. In 1969 heimmigrated to the U.S. with theintention of earning $500 andreturning to Mexico. However,he met Andrea Argumedo(deceased 1999), and after a briefcourtship they married and start-ed their family, having fourdaughters and a son. He met andmarried his second wife, Olivia,in 2008.He worked as a cook, welder and even-

tually as a clerk for the U.S. Postal Service,having retired after 30 years of service.Apa (as he was known to everyone wholoved him) enjoyed spending time withhis family, working in the garden, enjoy-ing nature, and spontaneous travel. Heloved visiting casinos and was the life of aparty. He would share stories of his child-hood, life experiences and offer wisdom.His family and friends loved hearing hisanecdotes which always provided unique

perspectives to life’s challenges. He is remembered fondly for being a

strong and unifying force in the family.He is survived by his wife, Olivia; five

children: Bertha Medina, Beatriz Pratt(Chris), Veronica Medina (Mary), IlianaBenitez (Juan), and Juan Carlos (Vanessa);two step-daughters, Gina Baltazar andNancy Ornelas (Jorge); eight grandchil-dren, four step-grandchildren, and onestep-great-grandchild. He is also survivedby his seven siblings.

Rafael Medina during the family tamale making party at Chrismas.

Born: July 4, 1935 in Detroit, MichiganDied: January 10, 2019 at the home of

his son in Long Beach, CAAfter graduating from Michigan Tech in

1958 with a Degree in Civil EngineeringRon served 2 years with the U.S. Army,then relocated with his parents and sisterJanet in Los Angeles. In 1961 he met andmarried Marilyn Knauss. He owned arespected land surveying business inFullerton for 35 years.He is survived by his wife of 57 years

and three children, their spouses and sixgrandchildren; Son John (Marty) Kevinand Nicole; daughter Ann (Jim Peshek)

Matt and Emily; and daughter Joanie(Mano Chidambram) Zoe and Dylan.Ron and Marilyn enjoyed participating

as leaders in their children’s girl scout andboy scout activities. Ron had an inquiring mind. A few of

his favorite activities were: deep sea fish-ing, camping, bee keeping, gardening andbackyard barbequing. During theChristmas holidays he always enjoyedsharing his wife’s Santa collection withfriends and neighbors.Marilyn would welcome condolence

cards sent to: Concordia Guest Home,212 Juniper Street, Brea, CA 92821

Ronald Bruce Kendricks

Theresita Ong Sim, 75, born on August20, 1942, passed away on January 3, 2019in Fullerton. Terry grew up in Manila,Philippines with her 8 siblings. After col-lege she married Francisco (Frank) Sim onOctober 24, 1965. Frank and Terry hadfive kids. Francisco moved to the US in1980 and Terry, Sonny, Sharon andSidney followed in 1982, and Simoun and

Steve in 1983. Most of the extended fam-ily migrated later. The family moved from Bellflower to

Paramount and then to Fullerton in 2003. Terry became a nursing assistant in

1980, then worked as a cosmetologist,and in 1985 studied to be a medical assis-tant. She worked at Mulkin MedicalCenter where she retired in 2014. Terryloved her family, loved to travel, and lovedher church. Services were held January 9.

Theresita Ong Sim

FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 19EARLY FEBRUARY 2019 NEWS, CROSSWORD & CLASSIFIEDS

The Fullerton Observer provides space for NEIGHBORS to advertise. To par-ticipate you must have a local phone number. Contractors must provide validlicenses. Editor reserves right to reject any ad not considered suitable for ourfamily newspaper. The cost of a classified is $10 for 50 words or less per issue.Payment is by check only. The Observer assumes no liability for ads placed here. However, if you have acomplaint or compliment about a service, please let us know at (714) 525-6402. Call City Hall at (714) 738-6531 to inquire about business licenses. For contractor license verification go to the California State ContractorLicense Board website at www.cslb.ca.gov.

ANSWER KEYto the puzzle on page 7: “LOVE IS

ON THE AIR”

OUR TOWN CROSSWORD © 2018

LOCAL ONLY CLASSIFIEDS Call (714) 525-6402

FOR SALEAMWAY, ARTISTRY, NUTRILITE

To buy Amway, Artistry, or Nutrilite products

please call Jean (714) 349-4486.

HOME REPAIRLICENSED HOME SERVICESRoofing, Dry Rot, Windows, Doors,Fences, Gates, Patio Covers

CSLB #744432.

CITY JOB OPENINGS(updated January 31, 2019)

Visit www.cityoffullerton.com and clickon the “How Do I” tab and then“Careers.” Apply online by clicking on the“Apply” link or visit Fullerton City Hall,303 W. Commonwealth Ave.•Police Records ClerkFull Time $3,205-$4,091/monthly•Water Divison ManagementFull Time $106,683-$140,774/annual•Fire Department Utility Worker$11-$12/hr/no benefits/at will•Police Officer Trainee$5,926-$6,599/monthly Full Time.•Police Officer (Lateral) $5,926-$7,564/mo. Full Time. Must be currently employed as a police officer.•Community Services Specialist$11.75-$12,25/hr No Benefits

PUZZLE MASTER

Valerie Brickey grew up in Fullerton.She and her husbandare raising their

family here. She hasbeen contributing

puzzles to the FullertonObserver since 2014.

CAVITY PREVENTION FOR CHILDRENOne of the most effective proactive

steps parents can take to help ensurethat their children will not developtooth decay and cavities is to have thedentist apply “sealants” to their chil-dren’s teeth. The most likely place forcavities to develop in children is on thechewing surfaces of their back teeth,where the tiny grooves known as “pitsand fissures” trap bacteria and foodparticles. Because toothbrush bristlesdon’t always effectively clean down tothe bottoms of these crevices, childrenstand to benefit greatly from the appli-cation of an invisible plastic coatingthat smooths uneven chewing surfacesand seals out food and bacteria.Sealants are easy to apply and cost less

than the dental fillings they prevent.After slightly “etching” the area to besealed with an acid solution to betterensure proper adhesion, the dentistbrushes on liquid sealant, which hard-ens in about one minute.This month is National Children’s

Dental Health Month, the perfecttime to address any concerns you mayhave about your children’s teeth andgums. We treat dental needs, but moreimportantly, we educate our patientsto prevent future problems. Our mis-sion is to provide open and free com-munication and the highest standardof personalized care in an environmentof health, mutual understanding andrespect. We see patients of all ages.

501 N. Cornell Ave., Suite 1, Fullerton 92831.To schedule an appointment please call 714-992-0092

www.paulnelsondental.com

EMPLOYMENT

WANT TO BUY

Wanted: OLDER ENGINEERING& TECHNICAL BOOKS

Engineering, physics, mathematics, elec-tronics, aeronautics, welding, woodwork-ing, HVAC, metalworkingm and othertypes of technical books purchased. LargeCollections (25+ books) Preferred. Please

call Deborah (714) 528-8297

Welcome to the WorldAnastasia

FULLERTON SCHOOL DISTRICTJOB OPENINGS

•Bus Driver Training ClassesUnpaid training

•Bus Driver $19.945 - $25.55/hour•Bus Driver Trainer$4,014 - $5,134/mo

•Food Service Assistant I (substitute)$14.46/hour

•Instructional Assistant/Recreation(substitute) $15.58/hour

And more. Apply by 2/8/2019 online atwww.edjoin.org - “Fullerton Elementary”

Above: Grandpa Don Waterburybestows blessings Namaste, happy trails,mitakuye oyasin, cheers, Salam andhave fun on his newest grandchildAnastasia born at St. Jude MedicalCenter on December 9, 2018.

Above right: Anastasia gets a kiss from big brother Wyatt, 4 years old.

At right: Anastasia and Wyatt with mom Natalie and dad Julian.(not pictured but also present to wel-come her were cousin Sunny and Aunt

Olivia.)

SERVICES OFFERED

CAREGIVER AVAILABLEReliable and dependable caregiver withmedical experience available. Will cometo your home and care for the elderly.Available days, nights and weekends atreasonable rates. Also excellent housecleaning available. Please call Marcie at

714-853-2031 or 562-449-7699

FIBER OPTICS: Crews lay trenches along Commowealth for the first “pilot”phase of the SiFi Networks city-wide gigabit fiber optic network. The first area will belocated in the residential area south of Commonwealth to Valencia from Brookhurst toGilbert. Once the the network is completed it will be leased to Internet serviceproviders who will market the service to the community. - PHOTO BY JERE GREENE

FULLERTON OBSERVER PAGE 20EARLY FEBRUARY 2019 LOCAL NEWS

Introducing Troop 97Eagle Court of Honorby Bob Muleady, Former Troop 97 Scoutmaster

Troop 97 had an Eagle Court of Honor recently to congratu-late four young men who accomplished Scouting’s highestachievement--Eagle Scout. The event took place at Fullerton’sCommunity Center on January 5th, 2019. Over one hundred family members and friends were on hand

to honor the four new Eagle Scouts, and applaud their effortsover their years in the Scouting program.The four honored Scouts were Steven Baek, Sebastian

Gutierrez, Ben Lopez and Colton Wert. Their combined accom-plishments include 136 merit badges, twenty-one summercamps attended and over seven hundred miles hiked.Three have currently moved on to college--California

Maritime Academy (Baek), UC Santa Barbara (Gutierrez), CalPoly Pomona (Lopez), while Colton Wert is a senior at SunnyHills High School. All four Scouts pointed to their Scout careers, adult leaders,

and loving parents, as being beneficial in shaping the young menthey have become.Scoutmaster Gene Mason and Senior Patrol Leader John

Phillips, took turns emceeing the event.

•Steven Baek- Built 200 white crosses for Memory Garden Memorial Park's Memorial Day event.•Sebastian Gutierrez- Created a forty-foot long dinosaur mural in the Children's place yard at

Morningside Presbyterian Church.•Ben Lopez- Built six orange crates with unique hand-painted labels and a wooden train model

on a five foot track for Fullerton Library's Fullerton History display.•Colton Wert- Built five wooden benches for Sunny Hills High School and oversaw a clothing

drive, collecting and donating sixty bags of clothes to Goodwill.

Eagle Scouts Steven Baek, Sebastian Gutierrez, Ben Lopez and Colton Wert.

Fullerton Heritage Photography Internby Terry Galvin

Fullerton Heritage has engaged a free-lance photographer, Jax Barbour, as anintern for Spring 2019 starting January28th. Born and raised inOrange County, Ms.Barbour is currently attain-ing her degree inPhotography at FullertonCollege. She originally started as a

hobbyist taking photographson her travels, but theamount of recognition shereceived for many of hershots prompted her to takeher passion further. Sheloves all types of photogra-phy, and has a passion forwildlife and nature, but for the FullertonHeritage project, she will be concentrat-ing on sites and properties around the city. As part of the Fullerton Historic Survey

in 1978, photographs were taken of his-

toric residences, commercial structures,and other properties that were at least fiftyyears old. While those photographs havebeen invaluable to researchers, homeown-

ers, and city staff, they havebecome dated. Lots ofchanges have been made toFullerton since 1978, andMs. Barbour will be updatingthe survey, photodocument-ing sites around town. If youlive or work in Fullerton, it’spossible you might run intoMs. Barbour, so please comeout and greet her. All of thephotographs she takes will beon file in the Local HistoryRoom of the Fullerton PublicLibrary where they will beavailable to the public.

The 2019 photography internship wassponsored by Fullerton Heritage memberKay Miller, who is well-known for herengaging public tours of Hillcrest Park.

Jax Barbour

by Ashley Dalmaine

Mr. Pitochelli, a teacher at FullertonUnion High School, has a unique idea toengage his students in a hands-on learningproject. In his own words:“Our Biology Engineering Arts Science

Technology (BEAST) is a STEAM pro-gram in which students study art, biology,and physics through the lens of the filmand theme park industries to innovate andcreate animatronics, machines that movelike living creatures. Students will designand fabricate life-sized prehistoricmechanical insects that not only look likethe gigantic creatures that once flourishedour planet, but move like them too!”

He is asking the public to donate to hisproject on DonorsChoose.org so that hisstudents have the necessary equipment tooperate the power-hungry features of theircreatures. Mr. Pitochelli is among over 67,000

teachers from California public schoolswho have had projects funded onDonorsChoose.org. California teachershave raised $149 million from nearly619,000 donors to fund over 217,000classroom project requests. These projectshave inspired our community of donorsto reach across state borders; 42% of thedonations to California projects havecome from outside of the state.

How You Can Help Fullerton High BEAST

Pick-Up Locations for the Armory ShelterThe Armory Shelter will be open

through April and accomodate up to 237people over age 18 per night. There are nowalk-ups allowed. Those needing shelterwill be picked up beginning at 5:30pm atthe following local locations:1) The Way Fellowship Church, 7142 Thomas St., Buena Park

2) La Habra Community Resource

Care Center, 350 S. Hillcrest Ave, La Habra.

3) Fullerton Transportation Center, Santa Fe Ave. (between Pomona & Lemon)

4) H.I.S. House/Presbyterian parking lot, 849 Bradford Ave., Placentia

5) City Hall Park, 401 S. Brea Blvd., Brea.