COMMUNITY ullerto♥ n bsCAeLENrDAvR Paege 12r -15 FULFLERTON’S INDEPENDENT NEWS • Est.1978 (printed onO 20% recycled paper) • YEAR 36 #20 • EARLY DECEMBER 2014 Submissions: [email protected] • Contact: (714) 525-6402 • Read Online at : www.fullertonobserver.com WINTER MARKET FUN Winter Market at the Downtown Plaza on E. Wilshire features free photos with Santa, bounce house, food & craft ven - dors, live entertainment, beer & wine gar - den and more Sat., Dec. 6, noon to 4pm. More fun stuff on pages 12 through 15. Home Recievership in Fullerton Receivership is a legal code enforcement tool used to take property from the owner and place it with a court-appointed offi - cer: “the receiver.” The method is used to cleanup substandard properties which pose threats to health or safety, where the owner has had a history of noncompliance with enforcement agency orders to correct violations. Typically property is cleaned up by the city and costs are reimbursed by the court through loans or a forced sale. In Fullerton, cases have included: Parkin Gardens Apts., 1201 Gilbert, where the city recovered $67,509 in 2010-11; 138 Malvern where all funds were recovered in a forced sale; 2109 Serrano, a currently ongoing case; and three others, which were brought into compliance prior to the receivership being issued so the city was unable to recover costs. The Council at its Dec. 2nd meet - ing will consider transferring $100,000 to to the receivership revolving fund so that cleanups can be conducted prior to reim - Above : Front row: Armando Boult, Mike Ybarra, Eddie Valenzuela, Assemblymember Quirk-Silva, and Victor Levoit; Back row: Kitty bursement through the court system. Jaramillo, Bobby Melendez, David Owens, Carlos Colvin, Marty Gomez, Steve Peek, Ernie Ramos, and Joe Juarez. -PHOTO JERE GREENE APLE ETERANS ONORED 7 M V H . A 7 Fox Theatre S D . 5 C I D 1 In Sharon Quirk-Silva’s last action as Committee in 1999 and funds raised from U A E . N P T D California Assemblymember, she honored the annual dances were, and still are, O O E Closes Escrow R R N T G A the Maple Veterans Committee. At the donated to the Maple School PTA. The O R T A S D I E On November 19, 2004, the T E Nov. 22 event, veterans enjoyed a breakfast school, which many of the vets attended as L N S M R L A Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation O P R at Monkey Business Cafe on Pomona. children, is located at the corner of Lemon T U P E S F entered escrow for the purchase of the P Later everyone assembled on the steps of and Valencia and is Fullerton’s oldest ele - the restaurant with certificates of recogni - mentary. Fox Theatre, the Tea Room, and the tion from the California State Legislature “It is through our veterans’ sacrifices that Firestone building at the corner of honoring their service in “Preserving the we are able to enjoy the freedoms we have Harbor and Chapman in Downtown Rights and Freedoms of Our Country.” today,” said Assemblywoman Quirk-Silva. Fullerton. Historically, the Maple Veterans “We commend the members of the Maple Ten years ago the effort to save the Committee held regular family picnics Veterans Committee for not only serving Fox Theatre was launched by Fullerton each year to celebrate their friendships. the country abroad but also for coming Heritage, our town’s preservation Those picnics evolved into dances which back and continuing their service to our group. When their campaign to save the T are still going on today. community as leaders, business owners and theater was turned down by the city N The group formed the Maple Alumni philanthropists.” council of that time, Chuck Estes and E L L Jane Riefer took up the cause and got D A I the community involved. C S 2 E S E They founded the Fullerton Historic 0 R I Water Usage Down But New Connections Going Up E 4 R T Theatre Foundation and the group V 6 R - R “Use by both public and private water Due to the on-going drought, a number T E raised enough money through individ - E 5 V S N customers in Fullerton is down 6% this of cities and counties have considered, or 2 ual citizen donations (including one D B E 5 year compared to the same time period put in place, moratoriums on new water A - very large doner) to surpass the city’s R O 4 from July through September a year ago,” hook-ups including: City of Sierra Madre, O R E challenge that at least $1 million be 1 T 7 U H says City Water Systems Manager Dave Ventura, Coachella Valley, Montecito raised before the city would join the T C Shickling. Water usage on city-owned Water District in Santa Barbara County, effort. N I R property is down 12% from last year. Cambria, County of San Luis Obispo, and Thanks to the tireless work and con - O In 2008 the city mandated a 10% reduc - cities in Arizona and Colorado. Should tributions of hundreds of volunteers tion for all city-owned property and water Fullerton also consider a building morato - and thousands of community members consumption has been reduced by an aver - rium until the drought is over? the Fox is well on its way to again age of 21% over the past six years. State law SB 610 passed in 2001 requires becoming the crown jewel of Fullerton. The city is currently under a Phase I housing developments over 500 units, The effort to save the theater from Water Supply Shortage Conservation Plan including those built in smaller phases, to the wrecking ball has been a long hard which restricts residents from watering prove adequate water is available for 20 struggle against long odds. In the begin - landscaping between 10am to 4pm, man - years. Continued on page 18 ning few thought the effort would pre - dates repair of all plumbing leaks, and pro - vail. Now, nearly everyone agrees that hibits washing of paved surfaces to con - reviving the downtown theater would 4 3 serve water. Beckman Clean-up give a boost to our town. Construction 8 N 2 R An asked but unanswered question, is 9 1 has been under way slowly for many The Department of Toxic Substances O 5 E A 0 why the city continues to approve new T years and is continuing under the cur - V 7 Control is accepting comments on the C R housing developments which require new R X N proposed plan to clean up contaminated rent set of hardworking boardmembers. E E O O water hook-ups while at the same time ask - L You can help in the ongoing project S B T soil at the former home of Beckman R L B ing existing residents to cut back on water O to restore and reopen the Fox. Find E Coulter, 4300 N. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton. P U L usage. Doesn’t that negate any water saved O information on how you can contribute L Beckman closed the facility in 2010. F U by conservation? at www.foxfullerton.org. F Continued on page 18 Page 2FULLERTON OBSERVER COMMUNITY OPINIONS EARLY DECEMBER 2014 Author Bentley Little Fullerton & the Library Observer I discovered the author Bentley Little sever - al years ago when you wrote an article about The Fullerton Observer Community him in the Fullerton Observer . I checked out Newspaper, founded by Ralph and Natalie Kennedy and a group of friends in 1978, is several of his books from the Hunt Branch staffed by local citizen volunteers who create, Library, and he quickly became my favorite publish, and distribute the paper throughout writer. Recently, I learned that he had a new our community. book out and I went to the main library to see This venture is a not-for-profit one with if I could check it out. The library didn’t have all ad and subscription revenues plowed back into maintaining and improving our inde - it. When I suggested to a clerk that the library pendent, non-partisan, non-sectarian com - should get the book, she told me that I could munity newspaper. Fullerton Icon Retires donate a copy if I wanted to. Our purpose is to inform Fullerton resi - The Freek’s Garage location at 321 S. Highland, a Fullerton icon since 1950, has I couldn’t believe it! The library can afford a dents about the institutions and other socie - closed. The property and business was sold to Tony Bushala who is asking $84,000 a multi-million dollar renovation and dozens of tal forces which most impact their lives, so that they may be empowered to participate year lease (call 714-526-1242 if you are interested). Customer records for the business new computers, but when a patron asks for a in constructive ways to keep and make these are still onsite with the hopes that another repair shop will take over the business and book, she is told to buy it herself and give it to private and public entities serve all residents reopen in the near future, perhaps under the same name. Connie Barron, who opened the library? in lawful, open, just, and socially-responsible Freek’s first shop with her husband Dan in 1935 before moving to the Highland loca - I am extremely disappointed. The library ways. tion, said she appreciates all the wonderful loyal clients over the years but due to some should support books and reading and local Through our extensive local calendar and other coverage, we seek to promote a sense family health issues it was time for them to retire.