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Golden State defends black water


North Tustin residents hoping to replace


Golden Sate Water with a more reasonably priced public provider may have found more reasons to distrust the privately held corpora- tion.


ABC News recently interviewed Golden


State Water customers in the City of Gardena whose faucets and toilets were dispensing black or yellow gunk. Complaints were also heard about bad odors and the need to change badly discolored filters frequently. Unpalatable as this seems, Golden State’s


Kate Nutting, who manages the company’s southwest district, told alarmed users that the water was safe – even for drinking. She re- ported that Golden State takes samples of the water every week, and nothing unsafe has been found. Nutting noted that the company ”was concerned” about delivering discolored water to customers, but that only one person had complained. Another Gardena resident, however, reported tap water that is


brown and gooey; yet another claims to have found stones in her water, and another says her water is black on occasion, and that her child gets skin rashes. Last year, Golden State spent around $300K trying to shut down


a Claremont ballot measure that would enable the city to take over the water system by eminent domain and turn it into a municipal ser- vice. The measure passed. A similar measure was passed in Ojai in 2013, but the private utility has kept the matter tied up in court. Water is North Tustin is not discolored, but it costs three to four


times more than what other providers charge. “We need to run them out of town,” says John Sears, who is leading the effort to oust Gold- en State.


SOUP’S ON By


Liz Richell Little Saigon is but a few miles


to the west, and it’s chock-full of eating experiences. Bordered by Westminster Blvd., Magnolia, Bolsa and Euclid, there are doz-


ens – maybe even hundreds -- of opportunities for your tastebuds to get out of their rut. Occasionally, we join friends


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Marilyn and Joe for a dim sum brunch. Our destination is Sea- food Cove at 9211 Bolsa, on the southwest corner at Magnolia in Westminster for these tasty, delicious and unbelievably in- expensive dumplings. The room is large, with plenty of space for at least a dozen ladies to wheel their food carts from table to table. The choices are wide, and we have many favorites, such as shrimp dumplings, barbecued pork rolls, chicken and veg- gie fillings wrapped in thin rice noodles. Nothing is labeled, and there is no menu, but the serving ladies will be pleased to explain their wares. Each will mark your check with a different stamp, and the whole will be tallied at the conclusion of your meal. Our rec- ommended drinks are iced coffee, Vietnamese style, or the more tra- ditional Chinese tea. Leave room for dessert. My particular fave is the individual custard tart. This is an interesting and fun repast for a group of friends who like to ex- periment or take a step away from the norm. Another find is Thuan Kieu,


13861 Brookhurst St. on the northwest corner of Westminster Blvd. in the Target shopping cen- ter. I joined a friend for lunch, and was persuaded to bypass the fa- miliar pho, which is served here in huge bowls for $9.99 (and sometimes on special). Instead, we shared a dish called com tam hoac bun – a large platter of 10 different items with either rice or noodles in the center, which easi- ly fills two hungry people for only $13.99. Don’t worry about trying to pronounce the name of this dish – it’s on the menu, so just point to it. I highly recommend this choice. The different tastes of grilled fish, shrimp, shrimp paste, julienned pork, steamed egg,


Foothills Sentry CANYON BEAT


By Janet Wilson By Andrew Tonkovich


Christmas comes...late After failing to recite the flag


salute or mission statement and completely ignoring all atten- dant non-recitation controver- sies, as well as not singing the Sil-Mod Plan Anthem penned by Yours Truly (Go ahead, ask, I dare you!), the recently sworn-in Silverado Modjeska Recreation and Parks District board further challenged tradition at its second regular meeting by declining their own stipends. Joining the already abstaining Director Chay Peter- son, the four newbies announced group eschewment of the modest, largely symbolic, monthly total $250 budget line-item to appre- ciative applause. Audience response echoed re-


ception to their collective debut at an earlier special meeting (one of many for this busy group!) dedi- cated to facilities management and site improvement. Indeed, one carry-over item involved adopting a sober response to the startling news that a long-stand- ing if, apparently, apocryphal prohibition of alcohol at the Sil- verado Center was bogus. It turns out you could’ve had that beer, darn it, at events hosted on-site and, consistent with renewed ef- forts to rent the facility for wed- dings and other celebrations, a judicious booze-use policy was adopted. Cheers! One further happy consequence of facilities improvement discussions, beyond weekend volunteer landscaping, new light bulbs and purchase of a photocopier, was the anonymous contribution of a ping-pong table and foosball table.


Next to last gasp? Yes, the January meeting was


a dizzyingly deliberate, if action- packed, four and a half-hour doozy, with consideration of, cutting right to the chase, fund- ing (or not) of the Silverado Chil- dren’s Center after presentation


grilled pork, grilled pork paste, egg roll, and a couple of differ- ent sausages are bound to please even a picky eater. Descriptions of some items might not appeal right away, but put your skepti- cism aside, and give everything a taste. I’m willing to bet you’ll find everything delicious. Thuan Kieu is usually busy, but the ser- vice is fast. Lee’s Sandwich Shop, where


you may eat in or take out, is in the same center. This is one of a chain that does it right. The choices are likely to create indecision. Want pulled pork, grilled chicken, veg- gie, ham/turkey/roast beef with cheese, BLT, Asian specialties, cured pork and pork roll, pate, or Chinese sausage? But wait, there’s more! Everything is ex- tremely fresh, and each sandwich is made to order on just-baked baguettes or croissants and gen- erously stuffed. Lee’s also offers egg rolls, pastries made on the premises, coffees, smoothies and party platters. Most surprising are the prices – sandwiches are in the range of $3-5, and all other offer- ings are equally well priced. Celebrate Tet Nguyen Dan – or


Tet – the Vietnamese New Year, which falls on Feb. 19, with a de- licious visit to Little Saigon.


Tuesday, February 10, 2015


of a compelling, if ambitious, “business plan” by well-spoken parent-activists Caroline Hayden and Diggy Breiling. They asked the board not to close the center, and promised fiscal independence based on a current windfall, pro- jected enrollment increase and fundraising. Directors Kevin Topp, Deborah Johnson and John Olson responded skeptically, if sympathetically, with an appar- ent “no” vote likely when director and self-identified professional philosopher Phil McWilliams added 19th century German phi- losopher Friedrich Hegel to the mix (it’s the canyons, folks!) of- fering a compromise built on, yes, developing thesis and antithesis into synthesis. His compromise notion, which passed, allows its continued operation as an enter- prise project with a formal drop- dead proviso that the moment SCC sees red, a countdown to closure begins, expected to take 30 days. Good luck to all. Testimony, largely skeptical


when not outright negative, from Inter-Canyon League (ICL) reps Linda May and Scott Breedon surrounding the proposed adopt- a-highway sign program on 12 miles of Santiago Canyon Road, addressed the failure of boosters (Scenic Corridor Group) to ad- dress specific concerns, includ- ing size of signs, placement and, perhaps indirectly, the whole pro- gram of fetishizing volunteerism with big self-congratulatory signs. Still, discussion was friendly, with supporters eager to compromise. Perhaps a similar spirit will greet the anticipated struggle over cell phone towers proposed for the canyons, to be discussed by ICL.


Coal in this stocking To this point, the typically


boisterous crowd had mostly succumbed to President Olson’s charm and calm, professional


and lawyerly meeting manners. Surprising, then, as the room responded in stunned silence and then mass sarcasm there in the otherwise unshocking Hunt Building on a Tuesday night af- ter his review of the increasing- ly weird, and possibly sordidly curious, “Case of Christmas in the Canyons” or “L’affair Noël dans le canyon.” Sharing emails among principals and more charts (!) Olsen told a tale of uncol- lected funds and an effort by vol- unteer organizers of the official SMRPD-sponsored holiday event to make the holiday fair their own, independent of the district, going so far as to file their own fictitious business name state- ment. Not present to respond to concerns about delivery of a promised check, Olsen suggested that the situation for said elves was “very serious and very un- fortunate” and absolutely did not use the words “embezzlement” or “misappropriation of funds.” The board reported progress


in rebuilding and updating the district’s website at the old url, www.SMRPD.org, now active, and Facebook page. Director Topp seemed pleased with his training as a WordPress web pro- fessional, but proposed hiring somebody to maintain the site, with agendas, meeting archives, event announcements and the en- during photo of Rusty Richards. Although failing to consider a revised social media policy, the board identified brand-new new editors, including two directors and volunteer Wendy Hayter. In a lately unfamiliar, if refresh-


ing nod to propriety and legal pro- tocol, the board announced that it will present (and likely approve) the district’s 2014-15 budget, consistent with a 30-day notifica- tion requirement. Finally, the Egyptians and,


presumably Egyptian librarians, worshipped cats. Same at our lo- cal branch, where Ruth and Lu- cille report that Megan, mascot or squatter or both for 13 of her 14 years, is recuperating nicely after major dental surgery. With seven fewer teeth, the otherwise healthy bibliocritter, frequently mistaken for furry furniture, has bills to pay, friends. Further contribu- tions to the Friends of the Library (felines) are welcome. Meow.


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