COMMUNITY ullerto♥ n bsCeALErNDAvR Peage 1r 4-15 FULLERFTON’S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS • Est.1978 (printed onO 20% recycled paper) • YEAR 37 #15 • MID SEPTEMBER 2015 Submissions: [email protected] • Contact: (714) 525-6402 • Read Online at : www.fullertonobserver.com Man Charged in Fire that Burned 80 Acres The OC District Attorney has charged Paul Munoz, 56, of Fullerton, with one felony count of unlawfully causing fire and one mis - demeanor count of trespassing on private property. If convicted he faces a maximum of 3 years in state prison. Pretrial is Sept. 18 at 8:30am at North Justice Center, Fullerton. A fire broke out on the Chevron- owned West Coyote Hills and burned 80 acres on Sept. 8. The fire was called in by local residents at 3:45pm and was 70% contained by 7:30pm through the tremendous work of Fullerton Fire Department along with Brea, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Orange, OC Fire Authority, and LA County Fire departments. Randy and Kathy Goodwin, the residents who first called 911, reported that the fire started in a homeless encampment just above the equestrian rest stop north of the Continued on page 12 Over 200 firefighters from Fullerton, Anaheim, Brea, Orange, Garden Grove and OC Fire Authority work to get the fire under control and provide protection to nearby properties in the September 8th fire. LA County and OC Fire Authority helicopters and “super scooper” planes dropped water dipped from Laguna Lake and Clark Park. 40 homes in La Habra were evacuated. The fire was 70% contained by 7:30pm on Tuesday and 100% contained by Thursday with crews continuing to check for hotspots. PHOTO JERE GREENE 7 . A 7 S AIR BNB - A RE SHORT D . 5 C I D 1 U Homelessness: Next Steps for Fullerton A E . N P ERM ENTALS T D T R O O E R R Neighbors United for Fullerton is host - Liaison Officer Michael McCaskill. N T G A O R LLOWED IN OWN T A S A T ? D ing a free forum on proposals and plans for This past May, the cities of Anaheim and I E T E L N S M R addressing the complicated issue of home - Fullerton agreed upon a joint program for L A Just as Uber upset the world of trans - O P R T U P E S lessness. The forum will be held from the development of a year-round homeless F portation by taxi by offering a less expen - P 6:45pm to 8:30pm on Monday, September shelter to be located on North Kraemer sive alternative, Airbnb seems to be doing 21st at the Fullerton Public Library Place, in a light industrial area close to the the same in the vacation property man - Osborne Auditorium, 353 W. Anaheim-Fullerton border. Anaheim and agement and hotel industries. There are Commonwealth. Fullerton will each contribute $500,000 to about 100 sites operating in private The forum will include a panel discus - the project, with an additional $3.2 million homes in Fullerton where travelers can sion on finding the balance between ensur - in funding provided by the county. find lodging in rooms or even entire ing the safety of homes and businesses In addition to converting an existing homes for far less than booking a hotel or while meeting the shared obligation to help warehouse to a year-round shelter with 200 vacation home. T homeless people. A Q&A will follow the beds, the county also plans to offer medical Those interested in this subject will find N panel discussion. Panelists are OC 4th care, job training, mental health counseling a wealth of pros and cons online and in E L District Supervisor Shawn Nelson; former and other social services on-site. L newspaper articles as cities begin to regu - D A I Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, and late or ban such uses. Advocates of the sys - C S 2 E Fullerton Police Department Homeless Continued on page 4 S E 0 tem say it is part of the new economy of R I E 4 R T trading and sharing that puts power into V 6 R - R T E the hands of ordinary individuals interest - E 5 V West Nile Virus Cases Jump to 11 in OC S N 2 ed in making a modest profit and is good D B E 5 The theat of West Nile Virus, according “Duet” being used was evaluated by the A - for the consumer. The opposition says R O 4 to OC Mosquito and Vector Control, EPA which categorized it as one with “rea - O R E that the system is unfair to conventional 1 T remains high through September and possi - sonable certainty of no harm” to humans, 7 U H regulated and taxed businesses and their T C bly longer depending on the weather. animals and the environment, there were employees as well as reducing affordable N I R This month in Orange County 11 protests by citizens opposed to the spray - housing units. Continued on page 5 O human infections have been reported (up ing. The district said that the product is from 3 in August); 33 dead birds tested used throughout the US to control mosqui - OUNDERS AY ARADE positive and there have been 304 positive to populations and applied at very low F D P mosquito samples. dosages - roughly a tablespoon to treat a & T OWN FAIR No aerial spraying will take place in 2015 football sized area, and that it dissipates according to a press release sent out by quickly. No special precautions are Saturday September 26 Vector Control. The Sept. 9-10 aerial appli - required, except for beekeepers, because the The Fullerton Founders Day Parade cation of a chemical spray to kill adult mos - spray is toxic only to insects. will take place September 26, 2015 from quitos was cancelled, according to the dis - A special meeting, open to the public, 10am to 12pm beginning on Harbor trict, due to the subcontractor being unable will take place at district headquarters, Blvd. south of Berkeley Ave. and ending 4 to secure final permission for the federal 13001 Garden Grove Blvd. in Garden at the Fullerton Downtown Plaza on E. 3 8 N 2 Temporary Flight Restriction permit for Grove on Thurs., Sept. 17 at 3pm to Wilshire Ave. where the Town Fair will be R 9 1 O 5 E A over half of the planned spray area. The announce the cancellation of the aerial held. The fair opens at 10am and runs 0 T V 7 C time to re-apply for the permit, and re- spraying for 2015. through 4pm and includes music, con - R R X N E E O notice the eight cities where spraying was The district asks the public to remain vig - O tests, food and craft vendor booths, and L S B T R planned, would have delayed the process ilant with personal protective clothing and an awards ceremony for the marching L B O E P U L past the September peak of the mosquito mosquito repellents and to remove all bands. Beverages will also be available for O L F U season, diminishing the effectiveness. standing water where mosquitos can breed. purchase at the Fullerton Museum Center F Although the district said the insecticide Continued on page 13 Beer & Wine Garden. Page 2FULLERTON OBSERVER COMMUNITY COLUMNS MID SEPTEMBER 2015 by Synthia Tran One memorable and important after - PASSION FOR JUSTICE noon, we were told to take the bus to Nha Fullerton Be, get to the restaurant by the bus station bserver and order dinner. After a while, we would O Preparation for the Escape see a man wearing black pajamas coming out of the alley. He would be eating a The Fullerton Observer Community sugar cane. We were to ask for the tab, Newspaper, founded by Ralph and Natalie Our hometown was in the central part house. In just a few days, the cousin pay the bill, and leave the restaurant, fol - Kennedy and a group of friends in 1978, is of South Vietnam. In March 1975, when removed the ceiling fan saying it con - staffed by local citizen volunteers who create, lowing him to the river bank. the communist invasion was in progress, sumed so much electricity, meaning he publish, and distribute the paper throughout Everything went as planned even father bought the whole family to Saigon, didn’t want father to live there any longer. our community. though we were not good actors. We were This venture is a not-for-profit one with where we had a house. It was there for us Father was quite upset. People say, “If you nervous and talked a little too loud in the all ad and subscription revenues plowed back to live in to go to work and to school, and stay up all night, you know how long the restaurant, and one cousin quietly showed into maintaining and improving our inde - for father to stay whenever he has some night is. If you stay long enough with pendent, non-partisan, non-sectarian com - me that he could see I wore two pairs of business in town. someone, you know whether or not that munity newspaper. pants, etc. When we got to the river’s South Vietnam was invaded and Saigon person is kind to you.” Our purpose is to inform Fullerton resi - edge, there was a small boat waiting for dents about the institutions and other socie - was lost on April 30, 1975. After a cou - Fortunately, a generous relative allowed us.