2014 Mid April
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COMMUNITY ullerto♥ n bsCAeLENrDAvR Paege 12r -15 FFULLERTON’S INDEPENDENT NEWS • Est.1978 (prinOted on 20% recycled paper) • YEAR 36 #7 • MID APRIL 2014 ONLINE AT : www.fullertonobserver.com • Submissions: [email protected] • (714) 525-6402 Book Sale Success The March Friends of the Fullerton Public Library Book Sale drew people of all ages and raised over $10,000. PHOTO BY JERE GREENE The Friends of the Fullerton Public Library raised over $10,000 at the annual March Book Sale event. The CELL TOWER PROPOSED FOR PARK Arsonist Targets Friends will be donating $60,000 to AT&T Wireless has proposed installing a year with a 3% increase every year after the Muck the library this year, raised through its cell tower and equipment shelter at the west which will be used for existing Park & annual events plus revenue from the end of Richman Park at 711 S. Highland Recreation programming costs. A string of fires at the Muckenthaler in-library Book Store and online sales. Ave. The Parks and Recreation (See related story page 8) Cultural Center appear to be set by an Commission will discuss the issue at its arsonist. Two weekends ago a fire was set April 14 meeting at city hall at 6:30pm. behind the stage as a wedding was being 7 . A 7 prepared. This was the third fire in as S D . 5 C The proposed cell tower will be located I D 1 U many weeks. The Muck staff cleared out A E . N P adjacent to the athletic field and Richman T D O all the wood stored behind the stage so O E R R N School, between the St. Jude Health Center T G A O there is no more fuel for fire-starting. Last R T A S D and the Richman Community Center I E T E L N weekend two fires were set simultaneously S M R L building. A O P R T about 2pm in trash cans near the stage and U P E S The height of the tower will be 65 feet. A F P 10 foot by 17 foot area along the south entrance way. Both were discovered by the property line will house the equipment nec - Muckenthaler caterer and receptionist essary to operate the tower. thanks to alert neighbors who spotted The final vote will take place at a future them. These fires seem to happen on council meeting. If approved by council, weekends in the late morning or early AT&T will pay the city $36,000 in the first afternoon. “Thanks to Chief Hughes for quickly putting officers on the case,” said execu - tive director Zoot Velasco. T North Fullerton Earthquake Damage If you notice a fire, call 911. If you have N Residents of Fullerton were shook up by sons being hired to do repair work as there E L information about the arsons, call the L D the 5.1 earthquake on March 28th. The are a lot of scam operators. police non-emergency line at 714-738- A I C S quake was centered just 3 miles north of The CA State Contractor website is 2 E 6800 ext 0 or leave an anonymous tip S E 0 R I Fullerton, 7.5km (about 4.6 miles) below http://www.cslb.ca.gov/. Once on the site online through the link on the police news E 4 R T V 6 the ground, in La Habra on a fault under - hit the red link “Instant License Check” on R page at www.cityoffullerton.com. - R T E E 5 neath the Puente Hills Thrust Fault which the left side of the page. V S N 2 D B also runs through West Coyote Hills. If the Residents with damage may also contact E 5 A - R O quake had been one point stronger (6.1) it the City Building Dept. at 714-738-6541. 4 O R E 1 would have been ten times as powerful. No The council voted unanimously at the April Earthquake Program T 7 U H T injuries were reported in connection with 1st meeting to waive building permit fees C at Library Tuesday N the quake. through June for repair of damage related I R Damages in Fullerton included $1 mil - to the earthquake. The Fullerton Public Library will host O lion to private property and $520,000 to “I am so thankful to be alive,” said a an earthquake program on Tuesday, April public property. CSUF listed its damages at neighbor who lives in an upscale develop - 15, at 7pm at the Fullerton Public Library $6.5 million. Damage in Orange County ment. “I’ve lived through the Whittier Community Room. California State overall was estimated at $10.8 million. The Narrows quake, the Northridge quake and Fullerton seismologist, Dr. David OC Board of Supervisors filed a local emer - the Chino Hills quake, but I never experi - Bowman, will discuss what happened dur - gency declaration with the state on April 8 enced anything like this before.” She said ing the March 28 earthquake, which which could lead to federal aid. she and her neighbors have been brought faults may have been responsible, and Though most Fullerton households closer together through sharing their expe - what this could mean for future earth - reported little or no damage, some north riences of the quake. “In all the houses right quakes. 4 town neighborhoods were not so lucky. around me, everything flew out of every The 5.1 magnitude earthquake and the 3 8 Residents of a 20-unit apartment building kitchen cupboard and smashed on the N subsequent aftershocks were centered in 2 R 9 1 O and several homes were evacuated as build - floor, lamps fell, chandeliers shattered, TVs 5 E the city of La Habra with surrounding A 0 T V 7 C ings were checked by structural engineers. fell and broke, and more. “It actually communities such as Fullerton, Brea, and R R X N All buildings, but two have since been proved to me how much a house can with - E La Mirada also experiencing trauma E O O L S B T cleared by the inspectors who also found 90 stand in a large quake and I feel safer know - caused by the tremors. R L B O E damaged block walls and chimneys. ing my house survived.” But there remains P The Fullerton Public Library is located U L O L F Building Dept. Director Kirke Warren much clean up and repair ahead. at 353 W. Commonwealth. For more info U F cautioned residents to check licences of per - Continued on page 5 call (714) 738-6326. Page 2FULLERTON OBSERVER COMMUNITY OPINIONS continued next page EARLY APRIL 2014 WAKE UP CALL ON DEVELOPMENT OF WEST COYOTE HILLS Fullerton The March 28, 5.l quake should be a In May 2011 the city council at the time Hills are the bull’s eye of what has been wake up call for the City Council and ignored the information provided to them characterized as the worst-case earth - Observer Chevron, the owners of West Coyote Hills. from the U. S. Geological Survey about the quake scenario in the United States—a It is not often that we have the opportu - earthquake hazard at West Coyote Hills. rupture of the Puente Hills blind The Fullerton Observer Community nity to make right a bad decision but that They voted to approve a 760 unit housing Newspaper, founded by Ralph and Natalie thrust Fault.” The letter continues: Kennedy and a group of friends in 1978, is is just what our current City Council can development in the center of the hills. “The point here is that the Coyote staffed by local citizen volunteers who create, do. The USGS letter states “…the Coyote Hills themselves were most likely creat - publish, and distribute the paper throughout ed by repeated Puente Hills earth - our community. quakes (because the rupture includes This venture is a not-for-profit one with all ad and subscription revenues plowed back the Coyote Hills fault segment).” A into maintaining and improving our inde - copy of the letter is at left, with refer - pendent, non-partisan, non-sectarian com - ences to more on-line information and munity newspaper. a copy is in the comment section of the Our purpose is to inform Fullerton resi - proposed project. dents about the institutions and other socie - tal forces which most impact their lives, so Does Chevron/Pacific Coast Homes, that they may be empowered to participate the landowner, want to be known as in constructive ways to keep and make these the California corporation that insisted private and public entities serve all residents on jeopardizing the lives of more than in lawful, open, just, and socially-responsible 700 families by selling them houses on ways. Through our extensive local calendar and what is considered the “bull’s eye” of other coverage, we seek to promote a sense this dangerous fault system? of community and an appreciation for the Does the current Fullerton City values of diversity with which our country is Council want to be known as the one so uniquely blessed. that caused the bankruptcy of the city when the next earthquake on this sys - SUBMISSIONS : tem occurs? Submissions on any topic of interest are The March 28th 5.1 earthquake accepted from Fullerton residents and we try hard should be considered a “game changer” to get it all in. Sorry we sometimes fail. Shorter as far as development on the top of the pieces have a better chance.