Memories of Ralph Kennedy There Been Any Sulfur-Like Odors? Voters Choose
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I Courtesy of the Local History Room, Fullerton Public Library COMMUNITY & ARTS CALENDAR Page 12-15 C\J o o h- O CH C\J ullerton Fullerton’s Only Local, Independent Newspaper • Est 1978 (printed on recycled paper) VOLUME 29 # 336 • JULY 2002 Ll- *“3 McColl Norby Makes Dump Site: Deadline, Community Feedback Now What? Requested by EPA Reversing his original inten November 2002 will mark five tion of staying put until his new years since the in-place “cleanup” office as County Supervisor solution of the McColl Superfund kicks in, Councilmember Site in North Fullerton was in Chris Norby changed his mind stalled. Superfund Law requires a and decided to resign from his review every five years at all place on the City Council by Superfund sites where waste is left the July 2nd deadline. The de in-place to make sure the cision annnounced at the June “cleanup” is still effective. 18th Council meeting allows The EPA currently operates and the position to be placed on the maintains a gas collection and regular November ballot and treatment plant at the site where saves the city the considerable its agent, the Corps of Engineers, expense of calling for a special performs routine inspections six election ($58,000) while leav times per year. But as early as Sep ing the option open for voters ■« tember 2002, this responsibility to choose Norby’s replace LEASE RETURN TO THE may revert back to the oil compa nies (AtlanticRichfield; Shell; ment. Alternatively, ULLERTON PUBLIC LIBRARY Councilmembers could bypass 301 Texaco; Union) which fought voters by appointing a replace 53 W. COMMONWEALTH AVE. clean-up efforts and have at ment for Norby that would fin ULLERTON, CA. 92832-1796 tempted to avoid paying for the ish out the two-years remain solution finally ordered by the EPA ing of his term. Housing Advocate, Human Rights Activist and Environmentalist, the late Ralph Kennedy with wife Natalie ever since. Another scenario has the during the last year of his life. The Kennedys and a group o f friends founded the Observer in 1978. The public is encouraged to con Council placing the two-year tact the EPA with questions or seat on the November ballot comments about the McColl Site. and appointing someone as an Some of the issues include: • Have interim councilperson until Memories of Ralph Kennedy there been any sulfur-like odors? voters choose. Many feel that • Has there been any runoff of an interim appointment of by Roy Kobayashi protection of the environment, Viet Nam war. But I believe his greatest pride water or soil from the site onto sur Norby would be most fair to and the list goes on and on. Here came when he marched along side Cesar rounding property or into sur those who voted him into of I t has now been four years since was a man who was guided not Chavez in support of the United Farm Work rounding neighborhoods? • Have fice originally. The final deci the city of Fullerton lost Ralph only by his mind but also by his ers. Ralph had three American there been any offensive noises or sion is expected at the July 2nd , Kennedy. His presence has been heart. heroes...Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther other disturbances from the gas Council meeting where the is sorely missed, but his legacy lives on He helped to start the Fair King, and you’ve guessed it...Cesar Chavez! treatment facility located at the sue will appear on the agenda. through the Fullerton Observer. Housing Council in Fullerton How proud he must have been, marching be site? • Have there been any ill In Norby’s remarks he said, This newspaper was Ralph’s pas working to end discrimination side this giant of a man. nesses? Comments may be sent to “In 1984, my first act as coun sion and he wanted it to become a against minorities in the pur Ralph loved the City of Fullerton and was EPA Remedial Project Manager cilman was to be sworn-in, ac source of advocacy, information, chase or rental of homes and involved in numerous committees and com Dave Seter US EPA (SFD-7-2) 75 cepting this seat from the vot education, and entertainment. And apartments. In 1968 he served missions throughout the years. With a Hawthorne Street San Francisco, ers. My last act as councilman through his persistence and dedica as president of the Presbyterian master’s degree in regional planning and a CA 94105 is now to return this seat to tion this mission has been accom Interracial Council, a panel to Ph.D. in urban studies from USC, he was an Phone: 1-800-231-3075 Email: them. They chose me to serve plished and has continued for 24 improve understanding between ideal candidate for a seat on the Planning seter.david @ epa.gov on the council in 5 separate years. His once small readership of people of different race and re Commission, and was appointed to serve in If you would like to be on the elections, and they’ve now a hundred has increased to its present ligion. He participated in vari that capacity in 1977. He worked relentlessly mailing list to receive information elected me to the Orange day circulation of 10,000 households. ous walks to help raise funds for to provide low cost housing for the citizens on the McColl site contact: Vicky County Board of Supervisors. It began as a simple four page the hungry and for those with unable to purchase or rent a home due to the Semones, US EPA (SFD-3), 75 The voters put me here, and typewritten pamphlet and today has debilitating illnesses. He coura high cost of housing. He felt passionately Hawthorne Street, San Francisco they are entitled to choose my matured into a printed 20-page news geously demonstrated against that every man, woman and child should C A 94105 successor.” paper containing news, feature sto the nuclear arms race and the have a decent home in which to live. continued on page 10 ries, opinions, pictures and graphics. continued on page 8 w/ short history & map Post Office The Observer is now in the hands of World Criminal his daughter, Sharon, who continues Groundwater Test Results Released Traffic to carry on her father’s legacy. Court Becomes The newspaper, like clockwork, The April 2002 Groundwater drawn from the regional groundwater Changes hits the street every other Monday, Reality Monitoring Report of the Raytheon system between 250 to 1000 feet, but as to the delight of its faithful readers. Despite strong opposition owned former Hughes property on W. the report says and City Water Officials Direction On those Mondays, when the Ob from the Bush Administration, Malvern has finally been released to confirm no sign of the contamination has In the past week the main server is being loaded into my truck, the International Criminal Court the library archives. For those inter yet been detected at the nearest produc post office on Chapman Av I cannot help but think about this man became a reality on July 1st. ested in seeing the reports first hand tion well a mile from the site. enue has changed the direction who I first met in April of 1969 when The World Court will try cases look for the plastic bound book #46. April 2002 Tests of Monitoring Well- of the flow of traffic through we both worked on the campaign to of genocide, war crimes, and The report confirms that chemicals 16, screened in the Regional Aquifer un its parking lot. This change will elect Bob Ward to the Board of Trust crimes against humanity that the are continuing to leach into the aqui der the site showed 1,1-DCE registering provide more room for west ees of the North Orange County accused person’s home govern fer from the contaminated area of the from 350 to 500ug/l grossly exceeding bound traffic to line up to turn Community College District. That ment has refused to try in a rea property but concludes that, in the the Maximum Contaminant Level of into the lot without blocking was the beginning of a beautiful sonable manner. opinion of the Raytheon longtime 6ug/l allowed in drinking water. 1,4-di- the left turn lane on Chapman friendship and a journey that would Sixty-nine countries including contractors Hargis & Assoc., the oxane registered at 190ug/l. for Hart. It will also prevent take us through many activities to all European allies, have ratified chemicals are unlikely to ever reach April 2002 test results of P-7 showed patrons leaving the PO from gether. We helped to win that elec the treaty so far. a production well. The company made levels of seven chemicals with 1,1-DCE cutting across the street to get tion for Bob Ward and in 1972 helped “Justice will be strengthened a similar argument years ago, that dis and 1,4-dioxane both reading at2,200ug/ an ice cream cone at Ben and in another victory for him, this time and accountability will be rein missed the possibility that contami 1 in the perched zone. Jerry’s. Traffic leaving the PO to City Council. forced,” said Richard Dicker nants would ever reach the aquifer. Chloroform, a by-product of the chlo must turn right. Those wishing As I got to know him better, I head of the-International Justice Most contaminants have been rination of tap water was detected for the to go west will now have to found Ralph to be a sincere and dedi Program at Human Rights found “where the perched zone first time since 1997 in MW-6.