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SOUP’S ON By


Liz Richell


Foothills Sentry


Tuesday, April 7, 2015


NCL and NLYM youth give help to Second Harvest


The Villa Park/Orange Chapter


I don’t have a restaurant rec- ommendation for you this month, but instead would like to talk about pepper! Pepper Project is the brainchild of Cris Peterson and Tom Gordon. Their travels to Cambodia made them real- ize that so many of the charm- ing and friendly natives lived at the poverty level. Talks with a hard-working pepper farmer gave them the idea that perhaps they could ‘make a difference’ -- even if only in a small way. A couple of years ago, they brought home 30 pounds of Kampot pepper and began their small enterprise online, pepper- project.org. Kampot pepper is grown in the southwest corner of Cambodia, where 135 individual farmers and their families dedi- cate their lives to the production of this berry. It is the only area of the world that grows Kampot, which has a slightly different and unique flavor from other pep- pers, and is not widely available. Pepper berries are green and har- vested from a long stalk, then dried in the sun. Complete drying produces a black berry, which is the spiciest variety when ground. Some berries are left on the bush until they ripen to red. These are then dried and produce a slightly sweeter grind. For white pepper, the berries are soaked in water to remove the thin outer coating before drying. This produces the mildest pepper, as the skins of the berries contain the most heat. A modest success with Pep-


per Project encouraged Cris and Tom to expand their imports – but always from organizations


that they knew personally, and small businesses whose mission it was to support children or un- derprivileged natives. This led to the opening of a small retail shop, which is an absolute de- light to visit. It’s tucked away in Suite 106 of the Citrus Building, 940 W. Chapman Ave., Orange and is open Mon-Fri from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Here you will find not only


white, black, red and green pepper in small canvas bags or grinders ($7.25 to $8.95), but also palm sugar, salt and even pepper sauce, which has a differ- ent flavor from other popular hot sauces ($3.75 and $5.75). You will also discover a wide variety of handicrafts made by CHA, a support group for Cambodians disabled by landmine explosions or polio; and NYEMO, a center to help vulnerable women and children, and other native or- ganizations. Cris and Tom deal directly with these groups, as it is their mission to help support these extraordinary people and make sure the funds donated from Pepper Project go to the source, and not to some corrupt administrator. A visit to the store will de-


light anyone looking for unique scarves, bags, jewelry (beauti- ful creations made from bright colored seeds and stones), small spoons and bowls carved from attractive palmwood, and lots of other surprises. Your purchases will help fund this good work, and I’m sure you will find it a wonderful source for small and unusual gifts.


OPA trails meeting soon The Orange Park Association


will hold its regular trails and town hall meeting Wednesday, April 15 at Moreno’s Mexican restaurant, 4328 E. Chapman Ave. at 7:30 p.m. The kick-off topic will concern the Irvine


Ranch Water District and the upcoming changes to OPA wa- ter bills. This affects the whole neighborhood. Nominations and voting will also take place for the Gary Bandy Volunteer of the Year award.


of the National Charity League and the Greater Orange Chapter of the National League of Young Men worked together on a project to give back to their community. A total of 38 young men and women, with some of their moth- ers, met at the Second Harvest Food Bank at the Great Park in Irvine. They organized and pack- aged hygiene kits that included shampoo, combs, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and deodorant for distribution by Second Har- vest to the homeless and others in need. The volunteers also en- joyed a guided tour of the Second Harvest facility to learn how the organization supports the com- munity. The National Charity League is


a service organization with more that 192 chapters in 22 states and approximately 55,000 ac- tive members – mothers and their daughters in grades 7-12. The Villa Park/Orange Chapter was founded in March 2006; more in- formation is available from Don- na Garrett, (714) 305-1934. The National League of Young Men was founded in 2007, and is open to boys in grades 9-12 and their mothers. For more information, see nlymgreaterorange.org.


Members of the National Charity League and National League of Young Men work together to create hygiene kits for those in need.


Brighten your garden with VP geraniums


The City of Villa Park has its


own geranium! This hardy, sun- loving, jewel-toned flower was specially created for Villa Park’s 50th anniversary and is now available in limited supply. The grower estimates that the plants will arrive in two spring


will present its 19th annual fun- draiser, Promenade Home and Garden Tour, on Saturday, May 2, and invites the public to take this opportunity to wander through historic residences. Opening ceremonies for “Put-


tin’ on the Ritz” will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Tustin Presbyterian Church, 225 W. Main Street, with honors to this year’s Legends and Leaders volunteers Jeanne Brown and her late husband Ernie. Ticket


holders also check in here for a tour wristband, and may also visit this historic sanctuary. Four select homes and gardens


shipments. An email will be sent to those who order, advising the arrival of the plants and where to pick up. The cost of each five- inch container is only $5, and all orders must be pre-paid. Go to vpcsfoundation.org for complete information.


Tustin to open historical homes Tustin Area Historical Society


will be open for self-guided tours from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m., and docents at each location will pro- vide interesting vignettes. Catch a horse-drawn or motorized trol- ley, or stroll down shady streets on your tour. Other activities will include a quilt show, a va- riety of vendors, a vintage car show, a tree walk and a colorful


draiser on Sunday, April 26 from 12-4 p.m. at the estate home and museum of Dani and Tom White. Guests may enjoy mint juleps,


The Villa Park Women’s


League will host a Kentucky Der- by-themed event, “Wine and Run for the Roses” as its annual fun-


raffles, a silent auction, live music from the Villa Park High School jazz combo, and dance music by local Scott Thorberg. Special etched wine glasses will be avail- able for $5, and wine tastings will be priced at a reasonable 10 tast- ings for $5, or 12 for $10. Guests may vie for the most outrageous chapeau in the Derby Hat Parade. In addition to a tour of the beau-


tiful family residence, a highlight of the event is an opportunity to


le Center, and the Assistance League of Tustin received the Tu- stin School Management Associ- ation’s 2015 Community Servic- es Awards, presented to groups or individuals whose impact on Tu- stin Unified students and schools “exceed all expectations.” The awards were presented at the 40th annual “Friends of Tustin Schools” Community Recogni- tion dinner, which was themed “TUSD Superheroes in Action.” Enderle graduated from Tustin


TUSD Superintendent Gregory Franklin, left, and Tustin School Management Association President Erick Fineberg, far right, present the 2015 Community Service Awards to Al Enderle and Assistance League of Tustin members Carol Merritt, parliamentarian, and Deb- bie Ewing, president.


High in 1947, and has continu- ously supported schools, teach- ers, students, athletic teams, choirs and band groups in the district. He has given motiva-


tional talks to high school stu- dents, sponsored the Teacher of the Year program, and assisted students who could not afford athletic equipment. He promotes high school performing arts with holiday performances at Enderle Center, and regularly supports lo- cal organizations, such as the Tu- stin Public Schools Foundation’s Dinosaur Dash, Golf Tournament and Teachers of the Year Dinner, as well as the Tustin Area Council for Fine Arts’ “Broadway in the Park” program. Assistance League of Tustin


has lived up to its name for 50 years, giving help to thousands of children in TUSD. Its pro- grams include Operation School


Maypole dance. Refreshments will be served and tickets may be purchased for the chance to win exciting prizes donated by local merchants and restaurants. Tickets are $20 per person un-


til May 1; $25 on the day of the event. Go to tustinhistory.com for information to buy online or from one of Tustin’s vendors. Volunteer docents are still needed. If you are interested in a two-hour shift, contact Doreen Corwin at (714) 743-8284.


Kentucky Derby coming to Villa Park


visit the White’s “Early Years of Motocross” Museum. Tom White was recently inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, and has amassed a collection of more than 120 vintage racing bikes and race memorabilia. Tickets for the event are $40


per person. Proceeds are re- turned to the community in the form of scholarships for college- bound seniors and grants to local schools and community-related nonprofits.


For information


contact Kelly Jordan, Ways & Means, at (714) 231-1497 or see vpwl.org.


Enderle and Assistance League honored Al Enderle, owner of Ender-


Bell, which provides needy stu- dents with uniforms or appropri- ate school clothing and supplies; Project TODAY, bringing ad- vice, consultation and assistance to first-time drug or alcohol of- fenders and their parents, and, recently added, a mental health component to address teen stress and anxiety. The league also of- fers low-cost SAT review classes to any high school student. Dur- ing the past year, members have volunteered more than 17,000 hours, touching the lives of more than 8,000 people in the Tustin Unified community. All funds to support these programs are raised at the Assistance League Thrift Store in Old Town Tustin.


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