2014 Early March

COMMUNITY ullerto♥ n bsCAeLENrDAvR Paege 12r -15 FULLERTON’S INDEPENDENT NEWS • Est.1978 (printedO on 20% recycled paper) • YEAR 36 #4 • EARLY MARCH 2014 COLLEGE TOWN SPECIFIC PLAN MEETING A meeting to discuss the CollegeTown proposed development will be held on Thurs., March 13 at 6:30pm in the Grand Hall of the Fullerton Community Center, 340 W. Commonwealth Ave. The 88-acre project area is bounded on the north by Nutwood & CSUF, on the west by State College, on the south by Chapman, and on the east by the 57 freeway. The project includes student housing, retail space, open public space transportation options and closure of Nutwood from Titan to Folino. The draft environmental impact report for the project was released for a 45-day public comment period on Feb. 21. The report is available online at www.cityoffullerton.com. See page 18 for more details. High School District Fast Concert for Fox Theater & a Friend: The concert featuring musicians Greg Leisz, Jackson Browne, Greg Copeland, and Food Lunch Steve Noonan pictured above was amazing, wonderful, fantastic! PHOTO BY BRANDISE DANESEWICH See story & photos on page 9 Chick-fil-A: Too Much Fullerton Trolley Boon or Folly? Political Baggage? by Kathleen Faher 7 . “We are paying penance for ripping out and stretch along a 4-mile route on A 7 S D . 5 C I mass transit because car companies wanted Commonwealth from the downtown trans - D 1 U A E . Speaking as one who knows, public N P us in our cars. Centerline would have hit all portation center to CSUF. T D O O E R school cafeteria food is usually over - R N T the cores of all communities in Orange Most of the money will come from an OC G A O R T A priced pizza at best and unknown S D I E County, but, in extremely short-sighted Transportation Authority grant. Council T E L N S M reheated meat filling at worst. But the R L A mode we killed that project. People don’t like member Jennifer Fitzgerald noted that the O P R T U P E Fullerton Joint Union High School S F to hear that CSUF is projecting an addition - grade separations in Fullerton, another P al 18,000 new students, but growth is com - OCTA project, cost $188 million but the District’s cafeteria food has the oppor - ing. Much is said that this (trolley project) is city paid only $5 million. tunity for change. too expensive, but we subsidize car traffic in A 19-member citizen’s committee scruti - FJUHSD’s Board of Trustees is the billions with expanded freeways. This nized the project over the past year and considering having Chick-fil-A or mass transit investment is relatively small unanimously voted to recommend it move Taco Bell sell their products at all high compared to freeway expansion. However forward to the next step of submitting the school cafeterias in the district. While any route planned must also include plan to the OCTA and SCAG. The council some students consider this the best Fullerton College,” said Councilwoman Jan agreed. Moving forward allows the city to be news they have heard in a long time, others are outraged that Chick-fil-A is T Flory in the Feb. 18 council discussion about eligible for regional, state and federal fund - N applying for OCTA funds to build a trolley ing for subsequent phases of the plan where being considered. Troy High School’s E L Gay-Straight Alliance Club created an L system in Fullerton. details, including a specific route, will be D A I online petition, hoping to impact the C The system, as planned, would cost about worked out. S 2 E Board’s decision. See it at: S E 0 R $150 million, according to the consultant, Continued on page 7 I E 4 R http://unite.gsanetwork.org/peti - T V 6 R - R tions/keep-chick-fil-a-off-fjuhsd- T E E 5 Fullerton School Teacher Arrested V S N campuses?source=facebook-share- 2 D B E 5 Nicolas Jr. High teacher Melissa Lindgren, ination of harmful matter to a minor. After button&time=1392499327 A - R O 4 28, of La Mirada was arrested Feb. 21st fol - being booked she posted bail set at $100,000. District Superintendent, George O R E 1 T lowing her admission of felony sexual mis - Her arraignment is scheduled for April 9, 7 U H Giokaris released an official statement T C conduct with two male students. She was put 2014, in the North Justice Center in on behalf of the district. “The district N I R on administrative leave by the Fullerton Fullerton. The investigation is ongoing but is gathering additional input…after O School District pending due process. the district stated, “we believe that this is an all input is gathered, a decision will be A press release put out by the district stated unfortunate, isolated incident.” made as to whether or not to offer that it is the “district’s goal that students have Five hundred people came to the school additional products for student the resources and strength to report untoward district scheduled parent meeting on Feb. lunch.” FJUHSD acknowledged that behavior of any kind.” In this case the 24th at Nicolas to discuss concerns and feedback with concerns regarding teacher’s actions were reported by two brave answer questions. The district has 20 schools, Chick-fil-A had been received. students and their “complaints were thor - 14,000 students, and over 600 teachers. “Please be assured that the district’s oughly investigated and swift action was “This occurrence is in direct conflict of nondiscrimination policy prohibits taken.” Fullerton School District’s zero-tolerance pol - discrimination on the basis of all pro - A joint investigation of the allegations by icy on staff misconduct, where the district’s tected categories under California 4 Fullerton police and school officials took teachers, faculty and staff are held to a higher 3 law…if the district decides to expand 8 N 2 place at the school on the day the complaints standard,” read the release. R product offerings, students would not 9 1 O 5 E were made. Nude photos of Lindgren were A former case where pornography was dis - A have to purchase the product.” 0 T V 7 C found on one of the victim’s cell phone. Chief covered on a male teacher’s computer at R Students and parents may contact R X N E E O Hughes said that, “Lindgren was arrested Beechwood School resulted in a lengthy O Admin. Exec. Dir. Jennifer Williams L S B T R within five hours of the school district discov - administrative leave which, according to the L with comments at 714-870-2801 or B O E P U L ering the allegations.” Lindgren was charged district, has recently been resolved by the by email to [email protected]. O L F U with several felony counts including child judicial panel which sided with the school F Continued on page 11 molestation, child annoyance and the dissem - district’s decision to fire that employee. Page 2FULLERTON OBSERVER COMMUNITY OPINIONS EARLY MARCH 2014 OBSERVERS Fullerton AROUND Observer THE WORLD The Fullerton Observer Community Fullerton Friends Newspaper, founded by Ralph and Natalie Kennedy and a group of friends in 1978, is in Costa Rica staffed by local citizen volunteers who create, “Our group of 12 rented a publish, and distribute the paper throughout our community. beach house on the Pacific coast This venture is a not-for-profit one with for the holiday, seeking adven - all ad and subscription revenues plowed back ture by white-water river rafting, into maintaining and improving our inde - zip lining, ATV riding, and pendent, non-partisan, non-sectarian com - horseback riding. But we also munity newspaper. Our purpose is to inform Fullerton resi - took time to relax under the dents about the institutions and other socie - coconut palms, watching the tal forces which most impact their lives, so ocean waves at sunset with a that they may be empowered to participate beer or two. We took this photo in constructive ways to keep and make these at Manuel Antonio National private and public entities serve all residents in lawful, open, just, and socially-responsible Park, where we got quite a show ways. from the local monkeys. With Through our extensive local calendar and the help of raccoons, they stole other coverage, we seek to promote a sense bags of cheese puffs from of community and an appreciation for the tourists!” values of diversity with which our country is so uniquely blessed. “We are avid readers and sub - scribers - and all the folks in the SUBMISSIONS : photo are Fullerton residents. Submissions on any topic of interest are We love our little local newspa - Back row: Geoff Green, John Pantle, Angie Reyes, Mike & Cher Hobbick, Brian Williams, Jen & Chris accepted from Fullerton residents and we try hard per.” Thompson; Front row: Nikki & Griffin Green, Hayden Hobbick (holding newspaper) and Pacific Hobbick. Jen Thompson to get it all in. Sorry we sometimes fail. Shorter pieces have a better chance. Send by email to [email protected] or by snail mail to: ROUGHT RIVEN MPERATIVE that humankind is implicated and that if FULLERTON OBSERVER A D -D I : we don’t act fast we could doom our PO BOX 7051 descendants to an existence dominated by FULLERTON, CA 92834-7051 ____________________________ It’s Time to Put a Price on Carbon cycles of climate extremes.

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