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Troops Come 

Home 

President and First Lady Obama 

welcomed soldiers back home on 

Wed. December 14th marking the 

end of the 9-year US led war in Iraq. 

The ceremony, attended by 3,000 soldiers, 

was held at Fort Bragg, North 

Carolina. The 5,000 troops remaining 

in Iraq are due home Dec. 31st. 

First Lady Michelle Obama noted 

the sacrifice of military families and 

introduced President Obama who 

thanked the troops and welcomed 

them home without mentioning that 

he had opposed the war in the first 

place. The war killed 4,483 US soldiers 

and wounded over 32,000. Over 

104,000 Iraqi civilians were killed. 

The war cost over $1 Trillion. 

New Mayor Asks for 

Civility at Meetings 

Newly selected Fullerton Mayor 

Sharon Quirk-Silva addressed the 

audience at Tuesday’s council meeting 

and laid down a zero-tolerance policy 

for abusive behavior. “I look forward 

to listening to everyone’s input but at 

the same time respect for our public 

processes must be followed. We need 

to work together and cooperate.” 

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FULLERTON’S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS •est.1978 (printed on 20% recycled paper) Volume 33 #21 • Mid December 2011 

FULLERTON CA F 

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES text & photo by Emily Holland 

Diego Gonzalez, 11, pictured above, was 

one of 20 exceptional students honored for 

overcoming tremendous odds to achieve 

their goals at the FESMA Awards. Diego 

was born with Cerebral Palsy. After undergoing 

life-changing surgery at Children’s 

Hospital in LA he spent nine weeks in casts 

entirely covering both of his legs. 

Sharon Quirk-Silva Elected Mayor 

by Vince Buck 

At the December 6th Council meeting 

Sharon Quirk-Silva was elected mayor 

according to previously agreed upon procedure; 

and as the Observer so presciently predicted. 

Just a few days earlier it was reported that 

Don Bankhead said in conversation that he 

expected to be the next mayor. However, 

the council majority apparently allowed 

their collective good sense - not always in 

evidence - to overcome their partisan biases 

and defused a potentially explosive situation 

with this vote. Pat McKinley nominat- 

Recall Yes & No Reality Check 

Two sides - both with plenty of cash - are 

at each others throats and spewing the kind 

of overblown rhetoric that has become 

commonplace in recent elections. 

The campaign to recall councilmembers 

Don Bankhead, Dick Jones, and Pat 

McKinley was launched by local developer 

and blog host Tony Bushala and recently 

elected FSD boardmember Chris 

Thompson. The counter campaign Protect 

Fullerton-Recall NO! was launched by the 

three councilmembers and their supporters 

through a campaign company in Anaheim. 

The expensive mailer sent out by Protect 

Fullerton - Recall NO! committee references 

a Fullerton Observer article. 

While the article (see page 9 of the Mid 

Sept. 2011 issue at www.fullertonobserver.com) 

did point out that Mr. Bushala, an 

avid redevelopment foe, had a below market 

rate redevelopment deal from the city - 

it failed to add the interesting detail that 

the deal was signed by then Mayor Don 

Bankhead. To be fair it must be mentioned 

that one councilmember can not pass such 

a deal. Council decisions are made by 

majority vote. The mailer is filled with 

other unsourced allegations and half truths. 

The expensive mailer from Bushala’s 

recall group is also full of unsourced allega- 

His teacher, Mr. Mankowitz, donated his 

time over the summer to catch Diego up on 

his studies so he was able to return to 

school in August and he is now able to walk 

on his own. Diego was honored for his 

strength and determination, positive attitude, 

and kindness towards others. 

More on page 5 

ed Sharon and after a slight hesitation and 

with no further nominations the vote was 

by acclamation. 

This was followed by the vote for mayor 

pro tem and the council majority nominated 

and elected one of their own, Pat 

McKinley. Sharon Quirk-Silva nominated 

Whitaker, which some felt was ungracious 

since McKinley nominated her. However 

Whitaker may have the strongest case to be 

the next mayor and if the issue is about graciousness, 

McKinley did not demonstrate 

much of that last year when he voted 

against Quirk-Silva to be pro tem. 

Continued on page 10 

tions and claims offered as “reasons” to 

recall the three councilmembers. “They are 

in the process of doubling your water 

rates!” appears in large capitals. Water rates 

are going up but it is not the fault of anyone 

sitting on the council. The claim is 

made that “They’ve used corporate welfare 

to enrich their friends and supporters” but 

no details are given. 

The mailers and websites of both the pro 

and con recall camps apparently expect citizens 

to just “believe” claims without backup. 

Both camps accuse the other of using 

huge money to buy elections. In this claim 

they may both be correct. In the last election, 

Bankhead and McKinley were backed 

by out-of-town developers based in 

Willows, northern California ($26,824); 

the police union ($40,521); fire union 

($14,248); and Chevron ($2,700 each). 

Bushala, himself a developer, spent 

$16,405 to oppose McKinley; $22,618 

against Roland Chi; and $15,170 against 

Aaron Gregg. He contributed $4,900 to the 

successful campaign of Bruce Whitaker. 

(For exact figures check out “Follow the 

Money” campaign disclosure info in past issues 

of the Observer online at www.fullertonobserver.com.) 

Hearing Set for 

Officers in Kelly 

Thomas Case 

A court date has been set for March 28 

at 8:30am in Courtroom C55 - third floor 

of the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana 

where charges brought against Fullerton 

police officers Manuel Ramos and Jay 

Cicinelli will be heard. 

The OCDA has charged Ramos, 37, 

with second degree murder and 

manslaughter and Cicinelli, 39, with 

involuntary manslaughter and excessive 

use of force against Kelly Thomas, 37, a 

homeless and mentally ill man. Thomas 

died five days after being severely beaten 

by six officers at the Fullerton Train 

Station in July. The four other officers 

involved were not charged. 

Both officers are out on bail and have 

been put on leave without pay. 

10-Year Plan to End 

Homelessness 

The City of Fullerton Task Force on 

Homelessness and Mental Health Services 

will meet on Jan. 5, 2012 at 4pm at the 

Main Library Conference Center, 353 W. 

Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton. The 

public is invited to attend the meeting. 

Alcohol Sales 

& Neighbors 

by J.A. Kaluzny 

The downtown Fullerton "bar scene" is 

an on-going concern of many residents, 

especially those who remember that this 

eight block area is costing taxpayers $1.6 

million a year to maintain, over and above 

the sales tax receipts brought in by the 

area’s businesses. 

Councilmember, now Mayor, Sharon 

Quirk-Silva said recently that “how did 

downtown get this way” is a frequent 

question at her meetings with citizens. 

Licenses to sell alcoholic beverages are 

granted by the state Alcohol Beverage 

Control Board (ABC). This agency is 

required, by the Business and Professions 

Code, to send notices of every application 

to sell alcoholic beverages to the city and 

to the police department. 

In Fullerton, such notices to the city are 

directed to the Development Dept. 

Planning Manager Heather Allen said that 

notices are disposed of unless an ARUP 

(Administrative Restaurant Use Permit) or 

CUP (Conditional Use Permit) is 

required. An ARUP is needed if a restaurant 

less than 2,500 sq. ft. wants to sell 

beer and wine. In that case a small sign at 

the place of business is all that is required. 

A CUP is triggered if a restaurant has live 

entertainment, or is larger than 2,500 sq. 

ft., or wants to sell full alcohol. In that 

case the city sends notice of a public hearing 

to all businesses and residents within 

300 feet of the site. Allen said any other 

noticing processes are up to the ABC. 

Residents north of Chapman near 

Malden Ave. and Harbor Blvd. are especially 

concerned lately. A second restaurant 

at 133 W. Chapman Ave. has applied 

for a license from the ABC Board to serve 

beer and wine. Neighbors of this property 

have filed objections, as they did for 

another restaurant at the same location. 

Continued on page 10

Page 2 FULLERTON OBSERVER 

Kudos to John Gilbert 

Dear John Gilbert, 

Great column in the early December 

Observer (“Not the Real Conservative 

Message” page 2, Early Dec. Fullerton 

Observer, www.fullertonobserver.com). I 

take it that you are a Republican, but not 

a hard-headed one. So many Republicans 

think, or say they think, for all Americans. 

Not true. Mr. Dole used to say that a lot. 

They are not speaking for me and I am 

very much an American. 

Joyce Palmer Fullerton 

John Gilbert Responds: 

Dear Joyce, Thank you for your flattering 

and thoughtful comments. You are 

not alone among people who recognize 

that there are many un-elected folks out 

there who pretend to speak for others. I 

always keep a skeptical eye in their direction! 

Though I have inclinations which 

may be described as anywhere from “conservative” 

to “liberal” and “other”, I 

remain politically unaffiliated. Again, 

thanks for reading! - John 

Subscriber Comments 

Thank you to all our subscribers both 

returning and new! If you are wondering 

if you remembered to renew your subscription 

- please take a moment to look 

through your checkbook. 

This year nearly all of our subscribers 

have signed on for another year and some 

signed on for multiple years! We also 

gained some new subscribers. Along with 

the subscriptions came great notes, some 

of which we have been sharing in the last 

few issues. Here are some more! 

• “Sorry I’m late with our contribution. 

Do not mail the Observer, we pick it up at 

the store. Glad to see Tracy Wood is doing 

some articles.” - G. & S. Z. 

ED: Yes, she is great. Read more of Tracy 

Wood’s reporting at www.voiceofoc.org 

• “What a great paper! I’m not sure I’d 

want to live in Fullerton if I didn’t have 

the Observer. Best wishes.” - K 

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Market.” - M. S. 

• “Here is our renewal. You asked for 

comments about ways to improve the 

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ED: Thanks for your comment. We 

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comments above, because we didn’t 

inform people we might print their comments 

in the beginning and then couldn’t 

remember which comments came in after 

we did make that announcement. 

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• 104,106 

• 4,484 

• 1,857 

• 32,200 

• 14,342 

• $1.293 

Trillion 

The following postcards are representative 

of many more which were sent to Mr. 

Watson, CEO of Chevron, by high school 

students gathered at the “Human Broom” 

beach clean up event held by Stephanie 

Barger of Earth Resources. The students 

wrote out the messages on postcards after 

listening to guest speaker Denny Bean 

who has been involved in the Friends of 

Coyote Hills effort to save the land as an 

open space park instead of creating a 

housing development as proposed by 

Chevron/Pacific Coast Homes. 

Dear CEO Mr. John Watson, 

Chevron Headquarters 

•We are asking you to donate land to 

Fullerton in an effort to create an open 

space reserve. It has been brought to our 

attention that the founder of Chevron, 

John D. Rockefeller, was an environmentalist 

who would have donated the land if 

he were alive today. 

•Lets not dance around the bush here. 

You know what you should do. Please 

donate this land. You know its going to 

be greatly appreciated. It’s just common 

sense to do the right thing. You’ll be 

happy you did, Trust me. 

•We would like to keep our parks to 

hike in. -Thank you, Laticia Fonseca 

•I am imploring that you please, please, 

please end this 10-year battle and donate 

West Coyote Hills to the public. Please 

put aside your own wants and needs and 

consider the impact of your careless acts. 

And if you can’t do it for the environment 

do it for your children and grandchildren. 

Do you really want them to grow up in a 

place where the only way they can view 

nature is in old photos? - Meghan 

•I would appreciate it if you donated 

the land to the people in Fullerton. They 

would be willing to take care of this property. 

- Thank You, Sincerely, Yamel 

•West Coyote Hills contains coyotes 

and the threatened California 

Gnatcatcher. West Coyote Hills deserves 

to be donated to a private foundation. It 

should be a public natural reserve with 

access for recreation. So please 

DONATE. - Marion Soriano 

•I strongly believe that it is in the best 

interest of the community to donate the 

Coyote Hills land. Your consideration is 

greatly appreciated. -Sincerely, Alix Hales 

•Quite Frankly, I do not understand 

why you want Coyote Hills. Unless you 

really want more money, I suppose it is 

understandable. Environmental wise, I 

don’t understand. Please listen to others. 

-Tom Truong 

•As CEO of a company founded by J. 

Rockefeller, whose son was responsible for 

many of the national parks today, you can 

also do your part to help the environment. 

Please donate the land of West Coyote 

Hills for acquisition and mitigation. The 

donation of this land would help protect 

the environment greatly and prevent the 

extinction of many endangered species. 

WAR COSTS in Life & Money 

IN IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN 

Civilians killed by military www.iraqbodycount.org (11/11/2011) 

US Soldiers killed in Iraq: (DoD 12/16/2011) 

US Soldiers killed in Afghanistan (12/16/2011) www.icasualties.org 

US Soldiers wounded (DOD reports) www.icasualties.org 

Iraq (3/2003 thru 10/2011) 

Afghanistan (10/2001 thru 10/2011) 

Cost of Wars Since 2001 www.costofwar.com (12/17/2011) (rounded 

down) (Iraq $807.3 million) (Afghanistan $485.6 million) 

COMMUNITY OPINIONS 

Postcards to Chevron 

Thank you -Amanda Huang 

•It has come to my attention that 

Coyote Hills is in danger. Even as just a 

high schooler from a small town, I know 

how important it is to save it. Do something 

right, give Coyote Hills to the citizens 

of Fullerton. -Stephanie J. Orrelas 

•I write you this letter because I’m trying 

to save Coyote Hills. I am a student 

who loves the environment. I don’t think 

that there’s a good reason to destroy this 

piece of environment, because there will 

be endangered animals and I don’t think 

that’s fair. -Laura Mora 

•SAVE COYOTE HILLS! Please 

donate the land. This is so important to 

us and we would be forever grateful!! 

•Save Coyote Hills. We already have 

enough developed places. 

•We would like it if you would donate 

this area. This would be very helpful to 

the environment. So please consider. - 

Thanks, Emily Leifer 

•Coyote Hills is very valuable and 

meaningful to all citizens of Orange 

County, from the amazing sights to the 

colorful, abstract animals. I believe that 

you should donate this property to the citizens. 

Thank you very much for your consideration. 

-Sincerely, Sarah Cohen 

•Please donate Coyote Hill to the 

Friends of Coyote Hills. Fullerton and 

other vicinities greatly appreciate the 

beauty of the area. -Thank you, Melanie 

•Can you please donate Coyote Hills 

to the citizens of Fullerton? It would be 

nice if you did. -Thank you, Andy Veung 

•Please save Coyote Hills. Everyday 

more and more wilderness is getting 

destroyed. Look to the past. You guys 

used to help save the environment by 

donating land for state parks. You guys 

should continue that. 

•Please donate Coyote Hills to the 

City of Fullerton because if you don’t you 

will kill off a biodiverse zone and we will 

lose the wildlife for future generations. 

•Please do not develop the Coyote Hills 

area. If it is donated for hiking and open 

space, beneficial effects will include habitat 

for preserving endangered and threatened 

species and a better opportunity for 

people in the community to experience 

nature and exercise. 

•Please donate the land to the city of 

Fullerton because if you build on it then 

you will kill the wildlife and it won’t be 

pretty for future generations. -Rachel 

Mevans 

•Please donate the land to the citizens 

of Fullerton. Your company started by 

Rockefeller’s son, was very environmental. 

Please carry on that tradition. 

•Please donate Coyote Hills to the city 

of Fullerton, in order to create open space 

reserve. It will benefit the environment 

much more than drilling for oil and 

destroying precious limited land. Thanks 

for you time, SAVE THE EARTH, 

PLANT A TREE! 

•If the forefathers of this company 

were environmentalists then it should 

remain environmentally friendly. 

Therefore I believe that Coyote Hills 

should be donated to the citizens of 

Fullerton. -Thank you, Kelly Strohm 

• I strongly believe that the entire 

area of Coyote Hills should be preserved 

and donated to citizens of 

Fullerton in order to preserve the 

health and biodiversity of Coyote Hills. 

-Thank you. Sincerely, Erin Park 

•I came to a beach clean-up and 

learned how important the environment 

is to us. Please help us with the 

environment. -Jenna Shin 

MID DECEMBER 2011 

Fullerton 

Observer 

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MID DECEMBER 2011 COMMUNITY OPINIONS 

Out of My Mind 

by Jon Dobrer © 2011 JonDobrer@mac.com 

Still Between Iraq and a Hard Place 

After the lie of threatened mushroom 

clouds over our cities ten years ago, 

after the lie of major military operations 

being completed eight years ago, now 

we are really leaving. Or is this too a 

lie? 

With our largest embassy 

in the world in Baghdad 

being staffed eventually by 

close to 15,000 potential 

targets, hostages and victims, 

we don’t seem to be 

leaving. Yes, our official 

soldiers are going, but with 

Marines and private contractors 

aka mercenaries, 

we are still going to be in 

Iraq. Why? 

Our real reason, our true 

policy aim in invading Iraq 

was neither cynical nor 

simply therapy for W’s 

Oedipal issues. Nor did 

we go in to own all the oil. 

If our lies were incredible, 

our motives were relatively 

benign. However, we didn’t 

have a coherent plan. We wanted to 

block Iranian ambition. We wanted to 

stop them from running the table and 

creating a Shiite Crescent from Tehran 

into the heart of the Sunni Arab 

nations. 

In terms of our stated goals—getting 

rid of Saddam and making sure there 

were no weapons of mass destruction, 

well, we succeeded long ago. In terms 

of our real policy goals of weakening 

and limiting Iran, this war has been an 

abject failure. As in Vietnam, we won 

all the battles but lost the war. 

We leave Iraq politically weak and 

once again on the verge of a civil war 

that will end either in the slaughter of 

the Sunnis or the military intervention 

of Sunni Arab states. We leave Iraq 

with Iran having much more power and 

influence and all but paved a road into 

the heart of Arabia. 

Building a democracy in any meaningful 

sense was impossible—and we 

knew it. With three Kurdish factions, 

Sunni Arab versus Shiite Arab and eth- 

With our 

largest embassy 

in the world 

in Baghdad 

being staffed 

eventually by 

close to 15,000 

potential targets, 

hostages and 

victims, 

we don’t seem 

to be leaving. 

nic Arabs against ethnic Persians, there 

was no chance that any group could 

have faith in elections. There could be 

no social contract across these lines. 

This vision of democracy was an illusion 

bordering on a delusion. 

However, our real goal 

of limiting Iran and leaving 

us with major military 

bases to deter their 

ambitions would have 

been difficult but not 

impossible. The possibility 

of success was eliminated 

the moment we 

decided that all the 

Sunnis who had worked 

for the Saddam regime 

were to be cut free. Iraq 

lost its cadre of competence. 

The officer corps 

was gone. The police 

dispersed. The bureaucrats 

unemployed. We 

fired the people with 

guns and put in those 

whom they had 

oppressed. What could possibly go 

wrong? 

George Santayana got it part right 

when he observed that those who forget 

their history are condemned to relive it 

and make old mistakes. It is also true 

that those who forget their history 

won’t repeat their successes. After 

WWII we did not send packing every 

German who had been a member of the 

Nazi party. We needed competent 

police, administrators, managers and 

bureaucrats. I’m hardly soft on, or forgiving 

of, Nazis, but we did the right 

thing then, and we failed to learn from 

our success in Iraq. 

This misadventure has been an 

unmitigated disaster and tragedy. 

Saddam and his rotten sons are dead 

but the far more dangerous 

Ahmadinejad and the Mullahs are both 

empowered and emboldened by our 

multiple failures. 

Read more of the thoughts of Jon Dobrer 

at www.insidesocal.com/friendlyfire/ 

All the World’s People Want a Better Life 

The current unrest in countries 

around the globe is understandable 

considering that the world population 

tripled in the last century (two billion 

people in 1927....six billion in 1999). 

Population may double again in this 

century. Now there is famine in several 

countries and wars over oil and natural 

resources. All want a better life. 

We are a rich country and unrest 

takes longer to reach us. Search out the 

problems facing third world countries 

such as lack of food,..clean water and 

unemployment which will increase 

with population growth. 

Part of the solution may be in a quick 

change over from oil to alternate energy 

and to legalize most drugs (as we have 

with alcohol).....and to improve on 

China's system of birth control. 

We may also need a stronger United 

Nations to help take a lead role in this 

and they would probably make better 

policemen than any individual country. 

Jay Williams Fullerton 

A Great Site for 

Travelers 

Check out Carissa’s Travel Guide at 

www.sixsensestravel.com. Carissa is a 

designer and the website itself is a wondrous 

thing, not to mention the great 

travel tips! SK Fullerton 

HOW TO VOICE YOUR OPINION 

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accepts letters on any subject of interest to readers. Letters will be 

checked for typos and may be shortened for space. Opinions are those 

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the need to remain anonymous. Thank You! Send letters by email to 

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Fullerton Observer, PO Box 7051, Fullerton CA 92834 

FULLERTON OBSERVER Page 3 

OBSERVERS AROUND THE WORLD 

Loren & Greta on the Black Sea 

Greta Nagel and Loren Doll took a trip that 

started in Athens and then took them on a 

cruise to a variety of places on the Black Sea 

before they got back to Greece and Rome. 

They had a wonderful time learning more 

about the people and history of Turkey, 

Georgia, Ukraine, and Russia. 

They visited Sochi, the site of the winter 

Olympics coming up in 2014. Because of its 

mild climate most games will take place in the 

by John Gilbert 

War’s End, New Year 

Just as the drawing of a year to a close 

provokes reflection, so too does the close of 

a war. The end of the Iraq War is an occasion 

for many of us to look back at the initial 

reasons for the conflict, as well as at its 

often questionable execution throughout. 

Perhaps most importantly, the lowering of 

the American flag in Baghdad signifies not 

only the end of an era, but the beginning of 

a new and unknown future for 

Iraq, the Middle East, and the 

United States. 

The causes of the war are manifold, 

and those who would assign a 

single, monolithic motive for the 

U.S’s actions (i.e. oil, bloodvengeance, 

imperialism, crusade, 

etc.) are probably not capable of 

much more complexity. However, 

these people can hardly be thought 

of as alone in their desire for tamable 

simplicity when President 

Bush chose the “fear” option of 

WMD’s and mushroom clouds 

rather than explaining the complexity of the 

situation. Again, I must say “probably not 

capable” of much more complexity. 

Among my favorite single-stroke reasons 

for going to war is the fact that the U.S., by 

way of the C.I.A., helped Saddam Hussein 

come to power in the first place, and is trying 

to clean up its mess. The great irony 

here is that the same people who point this 

out often simultaneously use it as the reason 

why there should have been NO intervention! 

I ask them: Does this not give us 

even greater responsibility to do something 

about it? In any case, waiting for the 

regime to implode, and for Iraq to disintegrate 

between the polar forces of Uday, 

Qusay, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran was not 

an option. 

An analysis of the abysmal prosecution of 

the war would take volumes, and would 

simply have to include the word “piss-poor” 

on every other page. There is no other 

English phrase more apt to describe such 

failures as using a light truck (the 

HMMWV*) as the primary armored car, 

necessitating so many add-on armor 

upgrades as to result in a top-heavy gypsy 

wagon which killed dozens of troops in 

rollover accidents. 

One thing is clear, though, from the execution 

of combat missions by U.S. troops: 

This was no war against Islam. Very few of 

my acquaintances (both Muslim and otherwise) 

feared that the war was religiously 

motivated. Startlingly, some of these folks 

wished it to be so! However, we only need 

to ask ourselves why the city of Fallujah is 

still standing. Why did we give weeks’ 

notice for the citizens to leave before making 

the sweep for insurgents? Why did we 

send Marines house-to-house, 

losing their limbs and lives in 

gut-spilling hand –to-hand 

combat, when we could have 

carpet bombed the town into 

rubble in a matter of minutes? 

The U.S. is a nuclear armed 

country with the capability to 

utterly destroy nations. Had 

this been a war against Islam, 

house-to-house clearing of 

homes, payments of cash to 

Iraqi families who lost loved 

ones due to collateral damage, 

and the jailing of U.S. soldiers 

for atrocities against Iraq’s citizens would 

not have been the best way to proceed. 

The mighty questions remains: Did we 

win? What future? Certainly the mass 

graves being emptied now, rather than 

filled, counts as some sort of victory. I 

remember ridiculing Bush when he said, 

“We are fighting that enemy in Iraq … so 

that we do not meet him again on our own 

streets, in our own cities.” I also remember 

eating my words as I watched the decimation 

of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and the 

shifting of al-Qaeda’s strategy towards using 

U.S. citizens as “home-grown terrorists”. 

This is because we killed most of their willing 

martyrs when they came to fight us in 

Mesopotamia. 

Today’s Iraq is traumatized, but the apocalyptic 

sectarian war that the parties of god 

tried to unleash on its citizens was instead 

blunted against the bodies of U.S. soldiers. 

What remains is for the U.S. to stand by its 

new ally and not again abandon, as we had 

done in 1991, those Iraqis who wish for secular 

democratic rule. 

One thing 

is clear, though, 

from the 

execution 

of combat 

missions 

by U.S. troops: 

This was 

no war 

against Islam. 

Caucasus Mountains. Sochi is a popular 

place for Russia’s elite to establish 

dachas (summer homes). Joseph 

Stalin was certainly best known 

among visitors to Sochi. Much of his 

evil work was orchestrated from his 

villa - a scene which was reproduced 

complete with a lifesize figure of Stalin 

at his parquet desk. To seem larger 

than his short stature allowed, Stalin 

ordered the furniture and stairs to be 

made much smaller than normal. 

Perhaps their most charming stop 

was in Batumi, Georgia. Only a few 

cruise ships visit per year so their ship 

pulling in was a big event. The climate 

is similar to Orange County but with 

more rain. “We were warmly welcomed 

by friendly, curious people, 

and toured the very large Botanical 

Gardens where we found the same 

pineapple guava that grows on our 

front patio. Another memorable highlight 

was the haircut Loren got at a 

barbershop in Sinop, Turkey. Once 

the cutting was done and his shoulders 

were dusted off, the barber lit a stick 

and wafted the flames toward the sides 

of his face to get rid of the little hairs 

remaining on his ears! A common, traditional 

practice, we were told.” 

*(High-Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle 

manufactured by A.M. General, 

pronounced “humvee”.)

Page 4 FULLERTON OBSERVER CITY GOVERNMENT NEWS MID DECEMBER 2011 

CITY COUNCIL NOTES by Jane Rands 

The City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each 

month. Upcoming Agenda info and streaming video of council 

meetings are available at www.cityoffullerton.com. Meetings are 

broadcast live on Cable Channel 3 and rebroadcast at 3pm and 

6pm the following Wed. & Sun. and at 5pm Mon. 

City Hall is located at 303 W. Commonwealth. 

Contact Council at 714-738-6311 or by email to: council@ci.fullerton.ca.us 

Pretrial Hearing for 

Cicinelli & Ramos 

& Ongoing Investigation 

of Police Practices 

The City Attorney announced that 

the pre-trial hearing for Jay Cicinelli 

and Manual Ramos, Fullerton Police 

officers charged in the death of Kelly 

Thomas, would be Dec. 16. (The 

Preliminary Hearing has since been 

set for March 28 at 8:30am in 

Courtroom C55 - third floor of the 

Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.) 

In response to requests by Ron 

Thomas, the city attorney reported 

that Michael Gennaco had been 

instructed to investigate the image of 

Kelly Thomas released to the press by 

Fullerton police, the call to police 

claiming someone was breaking into 

cars, and the initial report of officer 

injuries by FPD Information Officer 

Andrew Goodrich. 

The attorney said that the City 

cannot discipline the six officers 

involved in the death of Kelly 

Thomas until Gennaco makes his 

recommendations. 

•Homeless Task Force: The City 

Attorney also informed the council 

and public that the Homeless Task 

Force was halfway through their 

meeting schedule and should have a 

report for the council by early spring 

at the latest. 

Norby Honors Jones 

A representative from the office of 

California State Assembly member 

Chris Norby presented Mayor Jones 

with a certificate of recognition for 

his service as mayor. He reached over 

the desk to receive the certificate saying, 

“We’re in a big rush here.” 

City Awards 

•The Excellence in Child Care 

Planning Award was presented to 

the City by Childcare Connect in 

recognition of planning efforts that 

allow for the inclusion of childcare 

services in new building projects. 

The presenter explained that childcare 

allows parents to work, be selfsufficient, 

and help break the cycle of 

poverty. 

•The Excellence in 

Neighborhood Planning Award: 

The City also received awards from 

the Orange County Section and the 

California Chapter of the American 

Planning Association (APA) for the 

Fullerton Transportation Center 

Specific Plan. The Excellence in 

Council Report Dec. 6, 2011 

Neighborhood Planning Award was 

presented by local planner and APA 

member, Jennifer Lilly. The plan is 

now eligible for a national award. 

PUBLIC COMMENTS 

Mayor Jones prefaced the Public 

Comments with an announcement 

that he had to leave by 7:30 to begin 

preparing for a “double procedure” 

the next day. He asked that people 

only speak during the 30 minute 

public comment period at the start of 

the meeting if it was regarding the 

mayoral election. 

•Mayor Rotation: One after 

another, the public asked the council 

to honor the mayoral rotation 

process agreed to by council in 

February 2010 and select Sharon 

Quirk-Silva as mayor. Former councilmember 

Pam Keller spoke in support 

of Quirk-Silva for mayor but 

also asked that the rotation process 

be extended to the selection of mayor 

pro tem. She reminded the council 

that Quirk-Silva’s turn at pro tem was 

skipped the previous year. 

Consent Calendar 

Three items were pulled from the 

consent calendar before it was 

approved by council. 

•Mello-Roos: Council member 

Whitaker removed Item 2 in opposition 

to the Mello-Roos Community 

Facilities District created as part of 

the ordinance. The item passed with 

support from all other council members. 

•Mayor’s Auto Allowance: Item 5, 

a temporary suspension of the 

mayor’s auto allowance, was removed 

by a member of the community, 

Tony Package. The purpose of the 

temporary suspension was to avoid a 

conflict of interest for mayoral nominees 

who would then need to recuse 

themselves from voting in the mayor 

selection process. An alternate proposal 

was made to permanently suspend 

the auto allowance. The alternative 

proposal was passed with support 

from all but Whitaker. He supported 

temporary suspension. 

•Permit-Only Parking: The vote 

on Item 12, for permit-only parking 

on four more streets in Fullerton 

neighborhoods near schools, was 

forced through after a bit of discussion 

and without a call for opposing 

votes by Mayor Jones. Regardless, 

Whitaker voiced his, “No” vote, followed 

by a “No” vote from Quirk- 

Silva. 

Former Councilmember Pam Keller who was passed over when it came her time to be 

mayor pro tem urged the council to be fair. PHOTO BY JERE GREENE 

Mayor Nominations 

The city attorney called for nominations for 

mayor from the council. Without 

hesitating, Mr. McKinley nominated 

Ms. Quirk-Silva. There were no 

other nominations from the council. 

Ms. Quirk-Silva was unanimously 

supported by all members of the 

council. The audience stood and 

applauded for her as former Mayor 

Jones and Mayor Quirk-Silva traded 

positions on the dais. 

Mayor Quirk-Silva thanked her 

colleagues. She asked the public to 

look forward to the things that all 

can agree on, like their love for 

Fullerton. She recognized that the 

city is still going through a “period of 

grieving.” Her remarks were interrupted 

by councilmember Jones saying, 

“I’m going to leave if you don’t 

move on.” 

The city attorney called for nominations 

for mayor pro tem from the 

council. Councilmember Jones 

nominated Patrick McKinley. Mayor 

Quirk-Silva nominated Bruce Whitaker. 

When the roll was called, Jones, McKinley, 

and Bankhead voted for McKinley and Quirk- 

Silva and Whitaker voted for Whitaker. 

Sharon wished Jones “good luck” in his procedure 

as the council went to a brief recess. 

PUBLIC COMMENTS 

CONTINUED 

•OC Weekly Story on Pattern of Police 

Abuse “Bullies in Blue”: Ron Thomas (father 

of Kelly Thomas who was beaten by police and 

later died) said a few words before a series of 

speakers each began reading for 3 minutes 

each from a recent OC Weekly cover story, The 

Bullies in Blue, by Marisa Gerber. The story 

argues that the fatal beating of Kelly Thomas 

was one of many wrong-doings by Fullerton 

Police. 

The article claims that as far back as the 

1920s, the FPD enforced segregation, relegating 

Mexican and African-Americans to the 

neighborhoods south of the railroad tracks. 

Gerber says that historically, the police have 

practiced their heavy-handed tactics mainly in 

those same minority neighborhoods. Gerber’s 

article gave examples of how the 

Fullerton police have become 

increasingly abusive throughout 

the city. 

According to the article, in 

1996 former Police Chief (and 

current city council member) 

Pat McKinley had his officers 

ransack family homes when no 

one came forward with the 

name of a murderer. 

In 1998, when a man was 

found hanged in a city jail cell 

and the surveillance video 

erased, it was deemed a suicide. 

In 2003 two officers were 

only suspended after one pretended 

to lick and the other 

passed gas in the face of a 

woman assumed to be unconscious 

after a suicide attempt. 

In 2004, two officers who 

punched an African-American 

man in their custody while also 

making racial slurs, were only demoted and 

not dismissed. 

Two independent incidents of men being 

falsely detained then brutalized by Officer 

Kenton Hampton went unpunished. 

Two civil claims have since been brought 

against the FPD for each incident. This fall 

the city paid $350,000 to settle claims of sexual 

harassment of two women arrested by 

Officer Albert Rincon. Their complaints to 

the FPD had resulted in no disciplinary action 

even though the officer’s recording device was 

switched off during each incident and there 

were other similar complaints. 

Another hanging occurred in April of this 

year. That time, the audio recording was 

destroyed when the officer’s DAR was 

smashed. The OC Weekly story also tells of an 

illegally searched garage of a 68-year-old 

retired accountant, a police raid on the wrong 

home that went unreported to superiors, and a 

raid on a baby shower in a public park where 

Sharon 

Quirk-Silva 

was 

unanimously 

supported 

by council 

to serve 

as mayor. 

The audience 

stood and 

applauded. 

men had shotguns trained on them by officers 

Continued on page 10

MID DECEMBER 2011 EDUCATION continued on page 11 

Boardmembers Janny Meyer and Hilda Sugarman with 20 successful students honored for 2011. 

20 Amazing Success Stories: 

Every Student Succeeding by Ellen Ballard 

Students, families, friends, teachers, 

principals, support staff, and members of 

FESMA (Fullerton Elementary Schools 

Management Association) gathered 

together on Dec. 8th to honor 20 amazing 

students. 

It was a celebration of each student’s 

determination, attitude, perseverance, 

achievement, survival and success. Each 

school selected one student to receive special 

recognition for their ability to work 

through challenges that were difficult, 

sometimes seemingly impossible, to overcome. 

All of the students, each supported 

by a dedicated team, were introduced by 

their school principal or classroom 

teacher. 

The students, their families and their 

“team” worked together to plan an IEP 

(individualized education plan) with 

highly specialized resource teachers, 

school psychologists, speech and language 

pathologists, classroom teachers and in 

some cases, home-hospital and adaptive 

physical education teachers. Yes, it does 

take a community to reach out and offer a 

hand-up to a child. 

The 20 students represent others like 

them who have succeeded against all 

odds. They do not have the everyday 

annoyances and problems all kids face. 

Some of the students were and still are 

second language learners. Two are afflicted 

with cerebral palsy, one child thought he 

had the flu, it turned out to be Guillaim- 

Barre syndrome. One child had a massive 

brain hemorrhage and others had severe 

illness that took them out of school for 

months. Some of the students have 

experienced the death of a loved one, 

divorce and family challenges hard 

for a youngster to comprehend. The 

things all of them have in common 

are a willingness to work hard, come 

to school early, stay late to ask questions, 

maintain a positive attitude 

and have a sunshine smile on their 

face. Some of the descriptive words 

that were said by principals about the 

students were: cheerful, leader, 

respectful, curious, energetic, compassionate 

and she lights up the 

room when she enters. 

A Golden Hill teacher went to a 

student’s house each day after school 

to provide home schooling. A 

Ladera Vista teacher said, “I am a 

very fortunate teacher to be able to 

have her as a student.” Another said, 

“I look forward to seeing her pursue 

her dreams.” A Laguna Road grandfather 

attends parent conferences, 

tutors his grandson and helps him 

Above Right: 

The Dorsey Family. 

At Right: 

The Galvan Family. 

Below Left: 

Anaca Lord will 

represent Fullerton 

at the regional 

competition. Also 

pictured is her new 

friend Diego. 

Below Right: 

The Lynch Family. 

with homework and extra activities. 

Brothers and sisters have stepped-up to 

tutor their siblings at Nicolas Junior 

High. Teachers at Orangethorpe School 

commented that their student was a role 

model for others, showing respect, solving 

problems and making good decisions 

daily. Sunset Lane teachers wrote, “He 

never gave up and always demonstrated 

a willingness to work to the best of his 

ability.” “She won the hearts of the 

Acacia staff as soon as she started 

kindergarten”. 

It was an impossible task, but the 

Board members of FESMA had to 

select one student to send to the 

regional competition. (There is the 

possibility that the student will go on 

to the State level.) So, at the end of all 

the introductions, Dr. Mitch Hovey 

announced the name of the student 

representing the Fullerton School 

District. And…it was Rolling Hills 

student, Anaca Lord. Her story is truly 

one of hope and inspiration. As 

Principal, Randa Schmalfeld stated, 

“Anaca’s success can be attributed to 

her courage and determination, her 

loving grandmother’s unwavering support, 

and a good strong school team 

standing behind her every step of the 

way.” As John Albert, principal of 

Ladera Vista Junior High School quoted, 

“Sometimes good things fall apart 

so better things can fall together.” 


These wonderful students and their 

families truly represent the message of 

the holiday season. The FESMA team, 

classroom teachers and Student Support 

Services of the Fullerton School District 

have played a huge part in the celebration 

of caring and love. 

Grandmother Jan and Anaca

Page 6 OBSERVER MID DECEMBER 2011 

Holiday Closures 

•Fullerton City Hall will be closed 

from Monday, Dec. 26, through Monday, 

Jan. 2, for the winter holiday season. It 

will reopen at 7 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. 

Emergency city services such as police 

and fire protection will be unaffected by 

the closure. 

Maintenance crews will be on duty to 

handle emergencies during the closure. 

No street sweeping will be performed 

Dec. 22-Jan. 2. Normal street sweeping 

operations will resume Jan. 3. 

The Development Department will be 

closed during the holidays; however, 

building officials will be available to conduct 

inspections Dec. 28-29. Citizens 

needing to schedule inspections either of 

those days may call (714) 738-6542. 

Residents who chose not to mail their 

water bill payments may drop the payment 

envelopes in the water payment box 

located on the exterior of the north side of 

City Hall or pay on-line by logging onto 

www.cityoffullerton.com. 

Fullerton Municipal Airport Air Traffic 

Control Tower will remain open, and airport 

service workers will be available to 

assist pilots through the closure. 

•The Fullerton Main Library, Hunt 

Branch Library and the Library's 

Bookmobile will be closed Dec. 24 

through Jan. 2. Patrons wishing to return 

books over the closure can place them in 

the “book drop boxes” at both the Main 

Library and the Hunt Branch Library. 

Patrons can use the library’s website – 

www.fullertonlibrary.org – to search databases, 

access the library’s catalog, and 

renew materials or place books on hold. 

Patrons will also be able to download ebooks 

and audio-books via the website. 

•Fullerton Museum Center galleries 

are closed Dec. 25 & 26. Call 714-738- 

6545 for hours on other days. 

•Fullerton Senior Center closed Dec. 

24 through Jan. 2. Call 714-738-6305. 

•Fullerton Tennis Center closed Dec. 

25. Call 714-870-9955. 

•Richman Community Center closed 

Dec. 24, 25, 30, 31, and Jan. 2. Call 714- 

738-3146. 

•Maple, Garnet, Gilbert, 

Orangethorpe Community Centers 

closed Dec. 24 through Jan. 1. Call 714- 

738-6575 

•Independence Park Gym closed Dec. 

24, 25, 31, and Jan. 1. Call 714-738- 

5369. 

•Janet Evans Swim Complex closed 

Dec. 24, 25, 30, & 31. Call 714-871- 

9616 or www.fastswim.org. 

•Trash Service: Since both Christmas 

and New Year’s Day fall on Sundays this 

year, MG will not make trash collections 

on Monday, Dec. 26, or Monday, Jan. 2. 

Residential collections will run one day 

late for the remainder of both weeks. 

•Tree Recycling: Citizens wishing to 

recycle their Christmas trees may either 

cut the tree up and place it in their yard 

waste container, or they may place it with 

their trash on their collection day during 

the two weeks following Christmas. Tree 

stands (both metal and wood), decorations, 

lights and tinsel must be removed. 

Trees taller than 6 feet must be cut in half. 

Flocked trees cannot be recycled. 

Citizens may discard their flocked trees by 

cutting them up and placing them in their 

regular trash containers or they can call 

MG Disposal at (714) 238-2444 to 

schedule a “bulky item pickup.” There is 

no additional charge for that service. 

•More Information: Further information 

about city closures during the holidays 

may be obtained by calling the city's 

Public Information Office at (714) 738- 

6317. 

President Gordon (at left) and his wife, Dr. Margaret Faulwell Gordon (at far right) 

greet longtime Titan supporters Merilyn and Jerry Goodwin, namesake 

to the university's Goodwin Field. PHOTO BY PATRICK AND PEGGY O’DONNELL 

300 Attend Tribute to Dr. Gordon 

A tribute dinner and gala with over 300 

well-wishers was held Dec. 10th at the 

Bowers Museum to honor Milton A. 

Gordon who is retiring after 22 years as 

CSUF president. 

Wylie and Bette Aitken and Rudy Hanley 

served as chairs of the event. 

Attendees included numerous longtime 

supporters of the university. Founding chair 

of the university’s Theater and Dance Dept. 

James Young and his wife Dottie were present. 

The couple’s donations contributed to 

the current state of the art performing arts 

complex on campus. 

Also present were founding historian 

Lawrence B. deGraaf, author of a 50-year 

CSUF President Gordon announced in 

his 2011 Convocation address on Sept. 13 

his plans to retire. Numerous federal, state, 

and local office holders and others have 

since made statements honoring Dr. 

Gordon for his 22 year service to CSUF. 

Dr. Gordon said serving as president of 

the university had been an honor and privilege 

and “has been one of the most exciting 

and professionally satisfying experiences in 

my career.” Since his appointment in 1990, 

Gordon has strengthened student recruitment 

and retention programs and formed 

new partnerships with public and private 

community entities and has attracted millions 

in donations to the campus. 

The latest U.S. News & World Report 

rankings elevated CSUF to No. 6 among 

“Top Public Universities-Master’s 

Institutions in the West” - the highest ranking 

for CSUF since first being named to the 

top 10 list in 2001. An excellent article on 

Dr. Gordon’s accomplishments “Marking a 

Milestone” can be found on the university 

website. 

The search for the next president began 

in October with an open forum at CSUF 

Titan Student Union. The search group is 

composed of two committees - the Trustee’s 

Committee for the Selection of the 

President and the Advisory Committee to 

the Trustee’s Committee. Trustee 

Committee members are Lou Monville, 

Herbert L. Carter, Henry Mendoza, Steven 

Glazer, William Hauck, and CSU 

Chancellor Charles B. Reed. Advisory 

Committee members are Jack Bedell, Paul 

Carter, Diana Guerin, Willie Hagan, Eric 

Niu, Jacqueline Otis, Douglas Simao, Mark 

history of CSUF, along with emeritus professor 

of speech communication Robert 

Emry and numerous longtime supporters 

of the university. 

CSUF graduates Verne Wagner (Class of 

‘77) a longtime volunteer on the President’s 

Scholars Selection Committee and Capt. 

Joseph Gazman (Class of 2006) a former 

physics major now serving in the US 

Marine Corps, were among the evening’s 

speakers. Alumni Lucy Dunn (Class of ‘76) 

currently president and CEO of the Orange 

County Business Council was the master of 

ceremonies, and songstress Erin McNally 

(Class of 2002) was the featured entertainer. 

New CSUF President to be Announced in January 

Hoven Stohs, Sharon Quirk-Silva and F. 

King Alexander. 

A closed meeting was held in November 

and December to consider candidate qualifications 

and determine which candidates 

to advance to the next level of consideration. 

On January 16th to 20th, candidate 

visits to campus will be conducted. CSU 

Trustees are scheduled to interview candidates 

and select Cal State Fullerton’s next 

president in late January. This will be the 

fifth president in the university’s 54-year 

history. 

The president of CSUF leads the institution 

by managing the human and financial 

resources, no small job with 1,777 full and 

part-time faculty members; 1,408 staff and 

management employees; a highly diverse 

student body of over 36,000; and a overall 

budget of $432.5 million (2011-12). 

Annual salaries of the 23 CSU presidents 

range from $258,680 to $350,000 plus free 

housing or a $50,000 to $60,000 annual 

housing stipend. 

City Shorts 

•Unemployment levels as provided 

by Orange County Workforce 

Investment board are as follows: 

Fullerton-9.5%; Orange County- 

8.5%; California-11.3%; US-9% 

•Police Dept.: In Nov., police 

received 3,393 calls and initiated an 

additional 2,026; 315 persons were 

arrested for various criminal offenses; 

1,131 criminal reports were taken. 

•Fire Dept.: In Nov., the department 

had 932 calls (677 were for 

emergency medical aid; 23 for fires; 9 

hazardous materials incidents; 58 

service calls). 

•SCORE Small Business 

Workshops: 165 people came to the 

Internet Marketing Workshop for 

small business held at the library by 

the local retired business executives 

group SCORE. The workshops are 

free. Upcoming sessions: Jan. 12 

Start-Up Capital & Financing; Jan. 

19 Developing a Winning Business 

Plan; Jan. 26 Social Media 

Marketing. To sign up call 714-738- 

6327 or go to www.score114.org. 

•After School Library 

Computers: The Children’s Library 

has added four new Early Literacy 

Stations designed for children ages 2- 

8; and one After-school Edge computer 

from AWE for older children 

ages 6-14. The new stations will 

replace some of the older computer 

stations and provide kids with lots of 

educational opportunities to learn 

while having fun. The new stations, 

funded by the Fullerton Library 

Foundation, have been immensely 

popular. 

•First Night Music: The 21st 

annual city New Year’s party begins 

at 7pm downtown Fullerton on Dec. 

31st. Admission is free. Kids rides 

and activities including ice skating, 

bounce houses, train rides and more 

cost from $2-$7. There will be a variety 

of food for purchase from vendors 

and downtown restaurants. 

Entertainment at the event is free 

and includes live bands; “The 44s” 

with Kid Ramos; “HELP” Beatles 

Tribute Band; “Soundbytes” and 

“Spare Change.” A free karaoke 

stage, roaming magician, Chaz the 

Unicyclist, stilt walkers and the Taiko 

Project drumming group.


CSUF College Buddies 

Partner in YayPlanner.com 

Jimmy Amash and Travis Davis are 

building a social media site, YayPlanner, 

that will give the viewer live feeds of 

events happening in the community. 

The idea began when the two entrepreneurs 

found a disconnect between people 

and the world around them. They felt 

people were disengaged from their communities 

and set out to create a sight that 

would provide a centralized site for accurate 

information on live, local events. 

“We wanted to connect people to more 

than just family and friends. We wanted 

to create a place where you could simply 

find something to do,” says Jimmy. “And 

we did just that.” 

The new site already has a facebook 

page (facebook.com/yayplanner) and the 

website (yayplanner.com) devoted to 

everything happening locally, is scheduled 

to be up on January 23rd. 

The two decided to begin in Fullerton 

because both attended CSUF. Jimmy 

LOCAL NEWS 

earned a BA in Marketing in 2007. Travis 

had a couple classes to complete for his BS 

in Criminal Justice when he quit to spend 

full time on YayPlanner. Both currently 

work in retail management, but have been 

spending all their spare time developing 

YayPlanner. 

The site will be free to businesses, 

organizations and viewers. You can reach 

the two by phone at 714-494-6929 or 

email info@yayplanner.com. 

Serve on the Grand Jury 

The Orange County Grand Jury conducts 

investigations which examine various 

aspects of county government to 

ensure that the county is being governed 

honestly and efficiently. Applicants must 

be residents 18 or older and able to serve 

full time for one year beginning July 1, 

2012. Applications are available at 

www.ocgrandjury.org or by calling 714- 

834-6747 

Holiday Greetings for Solstice, Eid, 

Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa 

(In Possibly Historic Order!) 

Business 

partners and 

creators of 

YayPlanner, 

Travis Davis 

and Jimmy 

Amash 

shake hands. 

Their new 

online social 

media site 

YayPlanner.com 

is designed to 

connect 

people with 

all that is 

happening 

event-wise 

in our area. 

The site is 

set to launch 

in the 

new year 

on January 

23rd. 

Let us set aside our daily struggle for love, money, property or custody and 

have a little fun. Your inner child, along with any other child, needs creative 

activity. This recipe was a favorite in my family, and this year, I invited adult 

friends over and we had a jolly time making them. These painted cookies 

come out glossy. Carefully make a small hole, and you can use them for ornaments. 

3 ⁄4 cup soft shortening, 

(at least part butter) 

1 cup sugar 

2 eggs 

1 tsp lemon or vanilla extract 

2 1 ⁄2 cup sifted flour 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp salt or less (I use 1 ⁄4 tsp) 

Paint Brush Cookies 

Beat butter until smooth; beat in 

sugar, then eggs and extract. Mix in 

the flour, baking powder & salt. 

Chill at least one hour before rolling 

out and cutting with cookie cutters. 

Before baking, paint the cookies 

with the paint (recipe below). 

The Paint 

Beat 1 egg yolk with 1⁄4 tsp water, color with food 

coloring. (divide the mixture before adding coloring.) 

Bake 

Bake on ungreased sheet in 325 degree oven. 

Baking cookies on parchment paper is a good idea. 

May You Enjoy Your Holidays! 

JUDITH A. KALUZNY, MEDIATOR & LAWYER 

714-441-2344 or jak@judithkaluzny.com 

by Carol van Ahlers 


CSUF Jazz Orchestra Director Bill Cunliffe at left and Friends of Jazz President Bill 

Klinghoffer at far right with some of this year’s music scholarship recipients: Glen Turner, 

Art Ramirez, Jordan Ferrin, Brandon Miller, Kurt Reeder, Matt Smith, Tim Johnson, 

and FOJ boardmember Nick Batinich and scholarship winner Leo Valverde. 

Friends of Jazz Scholarships 

It has been the season for giving and 

more than 35 young musicians in the 

local college community recently benefited 

from that fact. One of Fullerton’s 

biggest advocates for promoting music 

education, Friends of Jazz, recently awarded 

more than $18,000 in scholarships to 

students studying music at Fullerton 

College and California State University, 

Fullerton (CSUF). 

The scholarships were awarded at the 

end-of-the year concerts. A total of nearly 

$9,000 was shared between 23 vocal 

and instrumental students at Fullerton 

College. Each jazz vocalist received $270. 

Awards were presented to Attia Arenes, 

Jonny Arenas, Felicia Boehringer, Jenina 

Brown, Albert Contreras, Greg Fletcher, 

Alexandra Ignacios, Amber Odin, 

Kameron Owens, Maria Quintanilla, 

Joslyn Sarshad, Alexa Ulman and John 

Xarras. 

Eight Fullerton College jazz instrumentalists 

were also awarded scholarships 

between $290-$500. These students 

included Jordan Wainright, Angel D’az, 

Will Jackson, Rod Bagheri, Miles George, 

Aron Murillo, Eric Deluca, and Kevin 

Brunhober. Miles Davis, Herman Tu and 

David Colon, each received $1,000. 

In addition to these individual scholarships, 

Mary Ranson, a Friends of Jazz 

member, also provided additional support 

for Fullerton College’s upcoming trip to 

the Monterey Jazz Festival. 

A week after the Fullerton College presentations, 

Friends of Jazz (FOJ) attended 

the CSUF Jazz Orchestra Concert in 

Meng Concert Hall. The concert included 

performances by the jazz orchestra, 

FROID, the University’s jazz combo 

group and guest musician, trumpeter Kye 

Palmer. 

Presentations were made to 12 CSUF 

musicians. The following received $500 

scholarships: Kurt Reeder, Jordan Ferrin, 

Loren Asmus, Brandon Miller, Ryan 

Navales, Arturo Ramirez, Matt Smith, 

Glen Turner, Leo Valverde and Evan 

Chrisney. Pianist Tim Johnson received a 

$1,000 scholarship. An additional $500 

award was presented to Reina Rodriquez 

the evening’s guest jazz vocalist. CSUF’s 

Jazz program also received monies for 

scholarships to support incoming musicians. 

Friends of Jazz is a non-profit organization 

whose mission is to promote the continuance 

of music education in public 

schools. The group also sponsors scholarships 

for local high school jazz musicians, 

provides support for high school 

bands through a series of performances at 

Fullerton’s local jazz club, Steamers; and, 

to help encourage the love of music beginning 

at a young age, FOJ conducts a 4th 

grade recorder program throughout the 

Fullerton School District where young 

children are introduced to an instrument 

and the skills of reading and playing 

music. 

Funds for Friends of Jazz’s scholarships 

and other programs are raised through 

special events, membership, business 

sponsorships and individual donations. 

For information on FOJ’s scholarships or 

other programs, please call 714.680.6684

Page 8 FULLERTON OBSERVER LOCAL NEWS 


Above: Sunny Hills High School's ASB members Derrick Ury, Marlee Fruto, Daniel 

Chun, Mariana Salas and Alanis Brittain (at front) help with the toy distribution 

provided for Santa's Closet by Fullerton School PTAs. 

by Pat Feiler 

Teens Spread Holiday Magic 

We all know the fall/winter holiday season 

is very busy, but the Assisteens of 

Assistance League of Fullerton are some of 

the busiest teenagers around! 

They went into full speed at 

Thanksgiving as they bought, collected, 

sorted, assembled and delivered 25 food 

baskets to needy community families. 

They work and play together very successfully, 

so this big project was completed 

with a lot of enthusiasm. Then they 

moved on to the next holiday event where 

they could be Santa helpers. 

Santa’s Closet is a long standing yearly 

Fullerton event supported by FIES, the 

PTAs of Fullerton School District, and 

Assistance League of Fullerton. Santa’s 

Closet has just completed its run this year 

from November 28 – December 13 where 

it has given joy to approximately 800 families 

identified by the school district. 

Susie Sokol is this year’s chairman for 

Assistance League’s part in the joint effort 

which included $20 gift certificates to 

Ralph’s and a $20 gift card for use at 

Assistance League’s Thrift Shop at 233 

West Amerige in Fullerton. The 

Assisteens have been greeting the clients 

on Saturdays as the families pick up their 

gifts from the Assistance League, groceries 

from FIES, and toys from the Fullerton 

school PTAs. 

And speaking of Saturdays this fall, the 

Assisteens have been helping fit school 

children in their school outfits provided 

by Operation School Bell, another philanthropy 

of Assistance League. Their help is 

much needed and appreciated. By the end 

of October, Operation School Bell had 

served 592 children from two schools 

from Buena Park, 6 schools from 

Fullerton School District, and 2 schools 

from Placentia-Yorba Linda District. The 

Assisteens have given $2,000 for the purchase 

of books for these children’s backpacks 

which are provided as part of their 

total school uniform and supplies. 

Saturdays have also found the Assisteens 

volunteering in the Assistance League’s 

Thrift Shop. Every Saturday throughout 

the school year, the Assisteens and their 

mothers run the shop and enjoy the fact 

that a portion of the proceeds goes back to 

their treasury to continue their work in 

helping needy families. 

Another big holiday event is a party at 

the Boys and Girls Club given by the 

Assisteens. The party this year on 

December 5, made 25 children very 

happy. Each child got to go shopping for 

a gift valued up to $50 that they identified 

from their own wish list! 

The Assisteens are creating a bit of 

Holiday Magic for a lot of children in our 

community and spreading around some 

At Left: 

Fran Carey, 

Jackie 

Schleich, 

and Hazel 

Smyth are 

the overall 

coordinators 

for Santa's 

Closet and 

have served 

for many 

years. 

They are 

beginning to 

talk about 

retiring.... 

oh, no! 

At Right: 

Assisteen Lisa 

Mueller, senior 

and 3rd year 

member and 

Assisteen Bridget 

O'Brien, sophomore 

and 4th year 

member with her 

mother, Casey 

McHugh-O'Brien, 

member of 

Assistance League 

of Fullerton greet 

the family clients 

at Santa's Closet 

and give them 

gifts from 

Assistance League. 

good old fashioned holiday cheer. At 

the same time the Assisteens are benefitting 

from their experiences as they 

learn how good it feels to help a child 

in need and they also understand just 

how important volunteering and doing 

community service is in our small community 

and the big world. 

If you would like to learn more about 

Assisteens and Assistance League, check 

them out at www.fullerton.assistanceleague.org 

or call (714)526-5124 for 

membership information. 

Above: Christina Brittain is the holiday 

coordinator for all the Fullerton PTAs. 

She currently has 2 children at Sunny 

Hills, 1 at Fern Drive, and 4 that have 

already graduated from Sunny Hills. 

Above: Assisteens Fariah and Saadia and their mother Gemma 

Nur are shown working at Assistance League's Thrift Shop where 

they help shoppers use their Santa’s Closet gift cards. 

Above: Naomie Jaso with her daughter, 

Assisteen Tayler Poulin, Fullerton High sophomore 

sort the bargains available at the 

Assistance League Thrift Shop, at 233 W. 

Amerige. 

Below: FIES Food Bank manager, April 

Johnen, bags groceries at Santa’s Closet.


HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT 

Fooled by Fake Food Dyes: 

Should you be concerned? 

by Sarah Mosko 

Perhaps you round out your child’s 

lunch with popular, healthy-sounding 

extras like cereal bars, fruit roll-ups, mixed 

fruit cups, cheesy snacks and fruit drinks. 

However, unless you’re in the habit of 

carefully screening product labels for artificial 

ingredients, you’re probably unaware 

that synthetic food dyes are likely packed 

into that lunchbox too. A single item 

might contain as many as four or five. 

While people have used dyes derived 

from spices and minerals to enhance the 

appeal of foods for centuries, most of us 

don’t know that modern synthetic food 

dyes (aka artificial food colors) are manmade 

concoctions from petroleum and 

that a controversy swirls around their 

usage because of several studies 

suggesting they worsen 

symptoms in at least some 

children with attention deficit 

hyperactivity disorder 

(ADHD). The connection to 

ADHD prompted Britain to 

pressure food companies and 

restaurants to phase out synthetic 

dyes by the end of 

2009, and the European 

Union now requires that 

products containing certain 

dyes sport a warning label 

saying the food “may have an 

adverse effect on activity and 

attention in children.” 

Not so in the United States 

where an advisory panel to 

the Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA) just 

concluded in April 2011 an 

inquiry into the safety of synthetic 

food dyes and decided there was 

insufficient evidence to warrant tightening 

of regulations. The inquiry was 

prompted by a petition from the Center 

for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) 

to ban all synthetic dyes in foods based on 

research suggesting they pose risks of cancer 

and allergic reactions, as well as hyperactivity 

in children. 

There are currently nine FDA-approved 

synthetic food dyes, and many others 

once in use have been banned. Recall, for 

example, when Red Dye No. 2, found in 

a wide range of products from ice cream 

to frankfurters, was outlawed in 1976 

because of suspected carcinogenicity. The 

FDA does not set limits on how much dye 

is allowed in foods, stipulating only that 

the amount should not exceed what is 

needed to achieve the desired effect. 

Consequently, the food industry adds 

more than 15 million pounds of synthetic 

dyes to processed foods annually, and per 

capita consumption has risen five-fold 

since the 1950s. The FDA’s primary form 

of oversight is that every batch undergoes 

testing to assure that legal levels of contaminants 

– like lead, arsenic and benzidine 

– are not exceeded. 

Although it should come as no surprise 

that vividly colored products, like Lucky 

Charms cereal or M&M’s candy, contain 

an array of synthetic dyes (ever heard of a 

naturally blue food?), some examples 

serve to illustrate how commonly they are 

added to processed foods in general. Betty 

Crocker Strawberry Fruit Roll Ups are 

colored with Blue 1, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 

and Red 40. Jell-O chocolate pudding 

mix contains Blue 1, Yellow 5 and Red 40. 

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese has Yellow 5 

& 6. The black in Twizzlers Licorice 

Twists derives from Blue 1 and Red 40, 

The 

connection 

to ADHD 

prompted 

Britain 

to pressure 

food companies 

and restaurants 

to phase out 

synthetic dyes 

by the end 

of 2009... 

Not so 

in the 

US... 

and maraschino cherries get their “day 

glo” red hue from Red 3 or Red 40. 

Nacho Cheese Doritos are colored with 

Yellow 5 & 6 and Red 40. Even salad 

dressings can be dyed – Ken’s Steak House 

Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette contains 

Blue 1 and Red 40. 

To substantiate the claim that synthetic 

food dyes are unsafe, CSPI released a 

report in 2010 titled “Food Dyes: A 

Rainbow of Risks” which summarizes the 

available health safety studies in animals 

and humans (To read the report go to 

http://www.cspinet.org/new/pdf/fooddyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf). 

In addition to 

the body of evidence linking the dyes to 

hyperactivity in children, eight dyes have 

either been linked to cancer directly or 

through their contaminants. CSPI points 

out that children’s bodies are 

still developing, so any 

health risks would likely be 

amplified in youngsters. 

Synthetic dyes have no 

known nutritional value. 

Their chief purpose is to 

catch the eye of children or 

to increase general appeal by 

capitalizing on the colorfulness 

people associate with 

healthful fresh fruits and 

vegetables. They’re also generally 

cheaper, brighter and 

more stable than so-called 

natural food colorings 

derived from plants, minerals 

or animals. The list of 

FDA-approved sources for 

natural colorings is long and 

includes beets, carrots, 

grapes, tomatoes, elderberries, 

purple corn, red cabbage, 

sweet potatoes, annato tree seeds, 

turmeric, paprika, chlorophyll, iron, titanium 

dioxide and a bug called Coccus 

cactic L. 

Any argument from the food industry 

that synthetic dyes are indispensable is 

easily countered by the fact that they have 

been largely replaced with natural alternatives, 

or simply eliminated, in Britain and 

Europe. For example, McDonald’s colors 

their strawberry sundaes with Red 40 in 

the U.S. but uses only real strawberries for 

color in Britain. Similarly, beetroot, paprika 

and annato are substituting in Britain 

for the three artificial dyes used in 

Kellogg’s Strawberry Nutri-Grain Bars 

sold in the U.S. Though controversy exists 

as to whether natural food colorings offer 

any health benefits such as from antioxidants, 

there seems to be no debate that 

they are at least not harmful. 

It seems unlikely that the FDA is going 

to rein in the use of synthetic dyes in 

foods anytime soon, so it’s up to consumers 

to express their preference for natural 

coloring agents – or maybe better yet 

for no added colorings – by scanning 

product labels before purchasing. Because 

law requires that only artificial flavorings 

(not artificial colorings) must be labeled 

on package fronts, look for the ingredients 

label where added colorings are listed. 

Also, several brands of processed foods are 

marketed today as free of all artificial 

ingredients and post labels to that effect 

right on package fronts. 

The take home lesson about synthetic 

food dyes is that health-conscious consumers 

might try eating a little less with 

their eyes and a bit more with their brains. 

Go to boogiegreen.com for more articles 

by Sarah Mosko 


Arrest Made in Taxi Driver Stabbing Downtown 

Fullerton Police have arrested 

pulled over on Amerige, just 

city resident Nicholas Ryan 

east of Harbor, and told both 

Cameron, 24, and booked him 

men to get out. 

on assault with a deadly 

Nicholas Ryan Cameron, 

weapon in association with the 

the suspect sitting in the 

stabbing of a taxi driver at 1:30 

front right passenger seat, 

Sunday morning, Dec. 4th on 

began stabbing the driver, 

Amerige downtown. His family 

who fled in his taxi, leaving 

convinced him to turn himself 

the suspects behind. 

in. 

The taxi driver was trans- 

The other young man at the 

scene also turned himself in, 

Nicholas Cameron 

ported to a trauma center and 

was listed in stable condition. 

but he was released as he ended up not The primary suspect was originally 

having anything to do with the stabbing. described as male Hispanic in his mid- 

The taxi driver picked up the two 20s, 5-foot-7, 180 pounds, short dark 

young men in the area of Harbor and hair, and possibly a goatee. He wore a 

Commonwealth. The fares got into an white jacket or sweater. The second sus- 

argument with the driver about making a pect, a Hispanic in mid 20s, 5 foot 6, 160 

stop before taking them home. The driver pounds wore dark clothing. 

Release of High Risk Sex Offender 

Fullerton Police sent notifica- 

current criminal activity by this 

tion to media and passed out fly- 

or any offender is directed to call 

ers along S. Jefferson alerting 

Fullerton Police Dept. at 714neighbors 

that a “High Risk Sex 

738-6580 or 911. 

Offender” had moved into the 

Mr. Jordan says he never raped 

neighborhood. 

or kidnapped anyone, but had a 

In 1981, Antoine Denell 

public defender who, he says, 

Jordan, (now 50), was arrested 

talked him into a plea deal. Mr. 

for kidnapping and raping mul- Antoine Jordan 

Jordan says the attorney told him 

tiple women at knifepoint in Los 

he could not win the case despite, 

Angeles. In 1983 he was convicted to 44 according to Jordan, the DNA evidence 

years in prison. He was released on parole coming back inconclusive. As a result of 

in 2005 after serving 22 years and eventu- media attention, Mr. Jordan said his gym 

ally cleared his parole obligation in 2009. canceled his membership and he was fired 

As a result of his arrest and conviction he from his job. He is considering hiring a 

must register with the police department lawyer to clear his name. 

whenever he moves. 

One neighbor, Merri Jo Hatfield who, 

Mr. Jordan is not wanted by police. In after receiving the flyer, dropped by to 

fact the flyer states that the disclosure is to invite him to her church, says “he seems 

inform community members so they may like a nice man. I don’t know if he was 

protect themselves - but that any use of guilty or not but everyone deserves a sec- 

the “information to threaten, intimidate, ond chance.” 

commit a crime against, or harass sex There are 70 known, convicted sex 

offenders will NOT be tolerated. Any of offenders living in Fullerton neighbor- 

the above described actions will lead to hoods. Go to www.meganslaw.ca.gov for 

criminal prosecution and or civil liability.” photos, descriptions of their crimes, and a 

However, anyone with information on map of where each lives.



Sharon Quirk-Silva Elected Mayor Continued from frontpage 

And given that he is serving under a cloud 

it would have been gracious for McKinley to 

have declined the nomination. 

The vote for pro tem demonstrated that 

the council majority believes that it is still a 

force to be reckoned with; and while they 

may have had little room to maneuver on the 

Quirk-Silva selection, they were not about to 

fade into the woodwork. With Pat McKinley 

in the pro tem position it will make it more 

difficult for Sharon to return civility to the 

council chamber; and that is one of her most 

difficult jobs in the coming year. The ever 

smaller group that continues to speak 

uncivilly at council meetings is not helping 

their cause nor helping the city. Most of 

them respect Sharon and will probably go 

along with her requests to reduce the abrasiveness 

of their comments. But knowing 

that the majority still feel free to flex its muscle 

will make that more difficult. 

The agreed upon succession policy is silent 

on the selection of the pro tem position, but 

common sense would suggest that the pro 

City of Fullerton 

Member City Council, Full Term 

Number to Vote For: 2 

Vote Percentage 

Candidate Count 

Don Bankhead 

Pat McKinley 

Doug Chaffee 

Greg Sebourn 

Barry Levinson 

Marty Burbank 

Jesse LaTour 

Johnnie Atkinson 

Bruce Whitaker 

Roland Chi 

Aaron Gregg 

Anthony Fonte 

11,986 20.9% 

10,346 18.1% 

10,256 17.9% 

6,375 11.1% 

6,092 10.6% 

5,562 9.7% 

4,838 8.5% 

1,772 3.1% 

City of Fullerton 

Member City Council, Short Term 

Number to Vote For: 1 

Vote Percentage 

Candidate Count 

11,723 37.8% 

9,218 29.7% 

7,124 23.0% 

2,960 9.6% 

Source: OC Registrar of Voters 

Alcohol Sales & Neighbors 

Continued from frontpage 

That first restaurant withdrew its application after 

objections were filed. 

A third restaurant at that location did obtain a 

license to sell alcoholic beverages without sending 

notices to anyone. 

Notices to the police department are currently 

directed to Cpl. Gary Mancini. He said it was his 

understanding that his predecessor, Capt. Greg 

Mayes, and city planner Jay Eastman had agreed 

with Cameron Irons, when Irons purchased the 

133 West Chapman property, to not object to any 

alcohol license applications. 

Eastman said that when the city council extended 

the restaurant overlay district (ROD) to 

include the area north of Chapman in 2006, beer 

and wine service was understood to be included. 

The ROD ordinance was established by the city 

council in 2002, originally only to the south side 

of Chapman. It now extends from Ellis Ave. to the 

railroad tracks, and from Malden to Pomona Ave. 

The ordinance provided that no restaurant has 

to provide parking nor have a conditional use permit. 

This was modified somewhat in 2008 with a 

new “alcohol ordinance” after the costs of this area 

were analyzed by city staff. 

In the present case, ABC representatives have 

contacted persons filing objections. The representatives 

denied that they were advocating on behalf 

of the applicant. But one representative told 

neighbor Randolph Baxter that an applicant was 

tem should be the person expected 

to advance to mayor the following 

year. This was what happened the 

first time when Pam Keller was 

selected as pro tem (absent the policy 

she could have made a strong case 

to be mayor at that time). She did 

not run again and so did not advance 

to that position, but a possible precedent 

was provided. However the 

precedent was violated next time 

when Don Bankhead was elected 

mayor protem over Sharon Quirk- 

Silva. 

But the policy is also not entirely 

clear on who should be the next 

mayor. The policy states that if two 

or more council members are first 

elected in the same election, the one 

having the most votes will be first in 

line for mayor. McKinley and 

Whitaker were both elected in 

November 2010. Whitaker got 

11,723 while McKinley got 10,346. 

Whitaker should be next in line to 

be mayor, except that they were not 

running for the same seat! Whitaker 

was running to fill a 2-year vacancy 

left by the departure of Shawn 

Nelson, while McKinley was running 

for one of the 4-year seats, one 

occupied by Don Bankhead (who 

was re-elected) and the other vacated 

by Pam Keller. 

One could argue that this is a 

comparison of apples and oranges 

and that the occupant of the 4-year 

seat should have precedence. But 

why? The contests were comparable 

in many ways. The same people 

voted (although in the 2 candidate 

4-year contest individuals may have 

voted for only one candidate). There 

were 8 candidates for the two 4-year 

seats and 4 for the one 2-year seat. 

Whitaker got 37.8% of the vote 

while McKinley got 18.1% (doubled 

to 36.2% because there were two 

seats). 

No matter how you look at it, 

Whitaker seems to have the strongest 

case to be the next mayor. Of course 

all of this may be moot since he has 

to be reelected in November and 

McKinley has to survive the recall. 

not required to send out notice of an application 

to sell alcohol, that such notices are voluntary. 

However state law states that “...in any instance 

affecting the issuance of any retail license at a 

premises that is not currently licensed or for a different 

retail license, the department shall require 

that the applicant mail notification of the application 

to every resident and owner of real property 

within a 500-foot radius of the premises for which 

the license is to be issued.” 

Baxter said he had assumed the one license at 

the 133 W. Chapman Ave. location had been 

“grandfathered” because the owners had a previous 

license at another location. No, said another 

ABC representative, notice should have been 

given. 

Some of the objections to allowing alcohol sales 

at the Chapman location include “more traffic 

into the neighborhood; late business inviting 

more tipsy folks on our quiet streets and sidewalks; 

the premises are located adjacent to two 

historic residential neighborhoods and the normal 

operation of the licensed premises would interfere 

with the quiet enjoyment of our property; 

issuance of the license would add to an already 

high concentration of licenses in the nearby 

downtown area; there are already 45-50 licenses 

within 6-8 blocks; our neighborhood already gets 

the fallout of fights, urination, increased trash and 

vandalism from the drinking crowds who park on 

our streets; this one will add the additional burden 

of close-by noise, especially because the 

patrons will be seated outside.” 

SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTES by Jan Youngman 

FSD Board meetings are held at 6pm on the 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 

of each month at District Headquarters, 1401 W. Valencia Dr., 

Fullerton. See www.fsd.k12.ca.us for agenda or call 714-447-7400 

Dec. 13 FSD Boardmeeting 

•Acacia School Report: 6th Grade students 

Ashley Martinez, Rebecca Bao and 

Cole Thomas presented various aspects of 

the school, being especially proud of 

Acacia’s raising their API scores from 875 

in 2007 to 924 in 2011. Acacia students 

Madison Venable, Pauline Galacac and 

Travis Mickle profiled their favorite school 

day in a podcast in a great presentation. 

Go Panda Pride! 

•FEMSA Awards See page 5 

•New Beechwood School Principal is 

district administrator Ms. Julie Graham. 

•Fullerton Education Foundation will 

distribute $20,000 to teachers for classroom 

grants. 

•Fullerton Technology Foundation 

announced the distribution of $26,465 to 

FSD’s Laptop for Learning 

Programs; $39,000 for the 50/50 

parent program to subsidize parents 

with students in the Laptop 

programs for laptops; $74,398 for 

the Discovery Education Program 

that provides laptops to all the 

schools for student access. 

$28,000 has been given to 28 

teachers for classroom grants using 

technology. This year, $30,00 has 

been pledged for teacher grants 

from the junior high schools. 

Since 2005, the Foundation has 

raised a half million dollars for 

school technology. The annual 

Wine Event will be June 2, 2012. 

•All the Arts for All the Kids 

Foundation presented the Trustees with a 

check for $200,000 for the continuation 

of the arts programs in FSD. 

•DELAC (Parents of English Learners ) 

will be meeting on January 20th at 

Richman School. 

•Trustee Sugarman was selected to be 

board president, 5-1 (Thompson no). 

Trustee Thompson asked Trustee 

Sugarman’ “How open will you be to put 

items on the agenda?” Trustee Sugarman 

responded: “I am an open-minded person, 

but, one needs to find a second to place an 

item on the agenda or have board policy 

Council Report Dec. 6, 2011 

for 45 minutes in response to a 

claim that someone nearby had a 

weapon. 

•Police Oversight Committee: 

Patrick McGee asked for feedback 

from the city on his proposal for a 

civilian police oversight committee. 

•Protect Fullerton-Recall NO: 

Larry Bennett, of Protect 

Fullerton-Recall NO, said the 

recall campaign signs referencing 

pension spikes as a reason for 

recalling council members 

Bankhead and Jones were “deceitful” 

and that they were “not 

responsible for that.” Bennett 

recommended the website 

Pension Tsunami as a source of 

information on the pension 

spikes. He said, “those of us who 

understand this topic understand 

there are strong legal protections” 

and that changes “have to go 

through the state supreme court.” 

•Other Comments: Erin Lewis 

said she was glad to see Mayor 

Quirk-Silva in “that seat.” She 

also thanked code enforcement 

for following up on her request to 

changed.” Although he voted against her, 

later in the meeting Trustee Thompson 

seemed to change his tune saying that he 

“wanted to make it clear that Hilda 

(Sugarman) is highly competent and has 

my support as president.” 

•Homeless Students: Superintendent 

Hovey said that the district is currently 

aware of 165 homeless students attending 

district schools. Staff works with the various 

local agencies to assist the families. 

Donations of toiletry items (shampoo, 

conditioner, toothpaste and tooth brushes) 

are needed. 

•1st Interim Budget Report: Once 

again the budget is like a “moving target.” 

Nothing is certain except that promised 

funding will not be materializing, this 

includes no COLA on revenue limit and 

no new programs. FSD currently has 

13,287 students enrolled. Last 

year, through its Saturday 

School, the district was able to 

recapture 5,086 days of ADA 

funding. 

In anticipation of future 

cuts, the district has requested 

the Budget Advisory 

Committee reactivate to assist 

in prioritizing cuts. Due to 

financial uncertainties, the district 

is self-certifying 

“Qualified” and may not be 

able to meet its financial obligations 

for the current fiscal 

year or subsequent two years. 

Once again, Ms. Charlene 

Chandler from the O.C. Department of 

Education will oversee/ advise the district 

on its financial situation. 

•Attorney: With such a discouraging 

financial forecast, it was very surprising 

that the district has begun to have legal 

counsel attend the Board meetings. While 

I am sure Attorney Spencer Covert is very 

versed in California education law, it is 

quite an added expense during these difficult 

financial times to retain him for $300 

per meeting. Although he was present during 

the entire meeting, he was never consulted. 

(Bringing in an attorney was at the 

request of Trustee Chris Thompson.) 

An attorney 

paid $300 

per session 

is now 

sitting in 

on meetings 

at the request 

of Trustee 

Chris 

Thompson. 

continued from page 4 

clean up an abandoned house in 

her neighborhood. She said that 

she wanted council member 

Whitaker to be selected as pro 

tem because he “stands for what is 

right in the city.” 

Greg Sebourn congratulated the 

new mayor and mayor pro tem 

saying that he “saw leadership in 

McKinley” for nominating 

Quirk-Silva for mayor. He also 

praised the FPD, Detective 

Baldwin, and Cpt. Hughes for the 

arrest of a tagger. He noted that 

taxes are spent cleaning up after 

taggers. 

•Family Introduced: At the 

end of the meeting, Mayor 

Sharon Quirk-Silva introduced 

her mother Joey who was sitting 

in the audience. 

Next Meeting 

Tues., Dec. 20 at 6:30pm: OC 

Human Relations Annual Report; 

Cessation of Special Tax Lien 

related to Amerige Heights CFD; 

Amerige Court Downtown 

Development Agreement

MID DECEMBER 2011 EDUCATION continued from page 5 

PHOTOS KAREN GREEN 

Above: 6th, 7th, 

and 8th grade 

winners 

Andrew Chen, 

Robert Clark and 

Matthew Jewell 

At Left: 4th 

grade winner 

Edgar Medina 

At Right: 

5th grade winner 

Madeleine 

Brickey 

Spelling Bee Winners 

The Fullerton School District held its annual district wide spelling 

bee on Wed., Nov. 30th at Ladera Vista Junior High School. Fourth, 

fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade level winners from school site 

spelling bee competitions challenged each other to determine the top 

district wide winner for each grade level shown below: 

4th Grade: Edgar Medina, Maple 

5th Grade: Madeleine Brickey, Raymond 

6th Grade: 1st - Andrew Chen, Acacia 

2nd - Sue-Jin Lee, Laguna Road 

3rd - Justine Sombilion, Rolling Hills 

7th Grade: 1st -Robert Clark, Nicolas Jr. High 

2nd - Bill Kwon, Parks Jr. High 

3rd - Kimmilie Tran, Nicolas Jr. High 

8th Grade: 1st - Matthew Jewell, Parks Jr. High 

2nd -Pablo de la Cruz, Ladera Vista Jr. High 

3rd - (tie) Angela Tsai, Parks; Andrea Escobar, Nicolas 

The “caller” was Parks Junior High teacher Mark Sonny. Judges 

were Valencia Park Assistant Principal Ms. Juleen Faur, and school 

board trustee Chris Thompson. Becky Czerwinski, Sara Gearhart, 

Andi Goettinger, Jill Nagler. and Karen Green provided technical 

assistance/video/photography. 

Elks Donate Dictionaries: 


Richman Golden Bell Winner! 

Richman School was honored on Dec. 3rd with a 

Golden Bell Award at the 32nd annual awards program 

of the California School Boards Association. 

The ceremony took place at the Marriott Marquis & 

Marina in San Diego, in conjunction with the association’s 

annual education conference. 

The award was won in the Wellness category for 

Strong Minds, Strong Bodies, Strong Futures program 

under the direction of Principal Estella Grimm. 

Research has shown a direct correlation between 

good health and academic achievement, and 

Richman School is a prime example of this. The 

Strong Minds, Strong Bodies, Strong Futures program 

seeks to combat childhood obesity within the 

school’s at-risk population while supporting the significant 

and double digit API growth that has been 

evident over the past eight years. The program consists 

of several components and collaborative efforts, 

which include a strong PE program and partnership 

with the St. Jude Neighborhood Heath Clinic. 

The non-profit CSBA and its Golden Bell Awards 

program promotes excellence in education by recognizing 

outstanding programs in California’s over 

1,000 K-12 school districts and county offices of 

education. The goal of the program is to contribute 

to the development and evaluation of curriculum, Richman School Principal Estella Grimm and FSD 

instruction and support services. 

Superintendent Mitch Hovey accepted the award. 

A few of the 107 parents who graduated from the Parent Institute for Quality Education 9-week seminar. 

Pacific Drive Working for Successful Education 

by Laura Grover 

The Pacific Drive community is working diligently 

to involve everyone in the successful education 

of their students. The programs below are just 

the latest in an exciting and eventful year. 

•Graduation: The Parent Institute for Quality 

Education held its Parent Involvement Education 

Program graduation ceremony on Nov. 30. The 

nine-week program seeks to guide parents in their 

important role of ensuring the educational success 

of their child. It also stresses that the opportunity 

for college exists for every child. One hundred and 

seven parents completed the program and several 

spoke about the value of the information. 

• Fundraiser: Parents helped bag groceries and 

collect receipts in a Dec. 1st fundraiser at Fresh & 

Easy. The market donates $1 for every $20 in 

receipts collected. Receipts dated no later than 

Dec. 31st can still be turned into the school office. 

•Adult English Classes are in full swing 

through June. Classes meet Mon., Tues., Thurs., 

and Friday of each week from 

8:30am to 11am. Teacher Carlos Perez presents a 

class including all levels from beginner to 

advanced. Currently eighty participants are 

attending. Free babysitting is provided and everyone 

is welcome regardless of home language or 

where their child attends school. On Dec. 2nd, an 

Open House was held with special guests 

Fullerton Council PTA President Georgene 

Bravo; FSD Trustee Chris Thompson; DELAC 

(District English Language Advisory Committee) 

coordinators Julie Brandon and Sue Albano; and 

school psychologist Jody Goodrich in attendance. 

Participants provided a home cooked buffet of 

their favorite dishes and then almost brought their 

guests to tears with their rendition of “My 

Declaration” by Eliza Bennet. It was a special day. 

•Swap Meet Fundraiser: The PTA held a swap 

meet in the parking lot on Dec. 10th. Spaces were 

filled with all types of items from yard sale treasures 

to baked goods and steaming Mexican food 

available for purchase. The next one is scheduled 

in the spring so start decluttering and get those 

items ready to sell!

Page 12 FULLERTON OBSERVER ART MID DECEMBER 2011 

Fullerton Union High School PTSA recognized participants in the 2011-2012 PTA 

Reflections program at a reception held recently. Shown above are Katie Simpson, first 

place winner in the photography division; Scott Lloyd and Chloe Saunders, literature 

entrants; and Victoria Saunders, literature and visual arts entrant. 

2011 PTSA Reflections Art Contest Winners 

by Carol van Ahlers 

The Fullerton Union High School 

PTSA recently celebrated the artist talents 

of 46 students who participated in the 

2011-2012 PTA Reflections art program. 

All the entries were on display at a 

Above: Thinh Nguyen was presented 

with one of the Florence 

Millner Arnold scholarships. 

Center: Juliana Rico was presented 

one of the Graduate Tribute 

Grants 

Below: Eddie Mendoza was 

presented with one of the Myrt 

Purkiss Scholarships 

reception attended by members of the 

PTSA, as well as family and friends of the 

artists. This year entries were received in 

four categories, photography, literature, 

visual arts and music composition. 

Seven of the entries were sent on to the 

Fullerton PTA Council where they will be 

judged along with entries from other 

Fullerton high schools. This year’s 

theme was “Diversity means…” 

In the Visual Arts category, the first 

place award went to Bailie Karcher for 

her work titled “Diversity Means Love.” 

Second place was given to Dasha Petrov 

and an honorable mention went to Luis 

Lara. 

The largest selection of entries was in 

the Photography Division with 25 

entries. Awards included first place 

Katie Simpson, second place Jocelyn 

Ortiz and honorable mention awards to 

Ivette Mendez and Haylie Barnett. 

In the Literature category, Brenna 

Schaffell took home first place for her 

poem, second place went to Michaela 

Negrete for a short story and David 

Tsuda received an honorable mention 

for his poem on religious diversity. The 

music composition first place award was 

presented to Jeremy Lewis for his composition 

entitled “Uvertina.” 

First and second place in each category 

were forwarded on to the district 

competition. PTA Reflections is a 

national art competition that is held 

every fall to encourage students in 

kindergarten to senior year in high 

school to explore and enjoy art in all 

forms. National winners will be 

announced in spring of 2012. 

CSUF Art Alliance Scholars by Marge Kerr 

CSUF Art Alliance Awards 

$12,000 in Scholarships. 

Art Alliance and CSUF Art Department 

scholarship reception was December 7 at 

noon, held in the Golleher Alumni House 

on campus. Eight CSUF art students each 

received a $1000 scholarship. Two graduate 

students received $1500 each. 

Over 100 Art Alliance members, CSUF 

art faculty and scholarship winners were 

treated to a catered lunch of gourmet sandwiches, 

salads, fruit, cookies and beverage 

prior to the awards ceremony. 

Dr. Joe Arnold, Dean, College of the Arts, 

opened the reception by introducing Dana 

Lamb, Art Department Chair and Maxine 

Allen, Art Alliance Scholarship chair. 

Maxine thanked her jurors from Art 

Alliance, Leah Beattie, Margie Starks, Iris 

Timmons and from the art department 

Theron Moore, Hala Swearingen, and 

Lawrence Yun. Presentations were made by 

Maxine Allen as follows: 

Myrt Purkiss Scholarship: Alexandra 

Elizabeth Nordyke and Eddie Mendoza 

Junior Transfer Scholarship: Alexandra 

Smyrnoitis and Ashley Brade 

Florence Millner Arnold Scholarship: 

Tricia Gardner and Thinh Nguyen 

John and Flora Olsen Scholarship: Angel 

G. Manzo and Jonathan Soto 

Graduate Tribute Grant: Barbara Malley 

and Juliana Rico 

Special Thanks to: Art Alliance, Art 

Department, Maxine Allen, Art Alliance 

Scholarships Chair, Andi Sims, Assistant 

Dean Student Affairs, Dana Lamb, Art 

Department Chair, Stephanie Cuellar and 

Heather Guzman, Scholarship Program 

Support. 

CSUF Art Alliance scholarship funding 

comes from the endowment fund interest 

and annual fundraising events throughout 

the year. The main event this year was “Art 

Gala 2011 Artist Marketplace featuring 

International Food Faire, Wine and Music”. 

The event earned over $6,000 in June. 

Other enrichment events include dinners, 

field trips and lectures. You are invited to 

join Art Alliance for your own enjoyment 

and to benefit the CSUF Art Department 

and especially art students. 

FULLERTON 

MUSEUM CENTER 

301 N. Pomona (corner of Wilshire) 

Downtown Fullerton 714) 738-6545 

CITRUS: CALIFORNIA’S 

GOLDEN DREAM 

Fruit labels, historic books, maps, postcards, 

farm machinery, packing crates and 

other citrus industry memorabilia on loan 

from the California Citrus State Historic 

Park, Fullerton Arboretum, Bowers 

Museum of Cultural Arts, and the 

Homestead Museum, as well as from individuals 

including Gordon McClelland, 

Mike Ritto and Jack Franklyn are on 

exhibit thru March 25, 2012. 

Through vivid colors and bold type the 

highly decorative labels that graced the 

boxes of citrus produce shipped from 

California to all corners of the nation tell 

the history of California’s “Second Gold 

Rush” - the rise of the citrus industry that 

comprised an integral part of the state’s 

history and economy from the 1880s 

through the middle of the last century. 

Few developments helped spark the 

growth of young Orange County communities, 

such as Fullerton, as the citrus 

industry. A key player in that growth was 

Charles Chapman, Fullerton’s first mayor, 

who revolutionized the industry in the 

1890s by championing the Valencia 

orange. Agriculture quickly became the 

community’s leading industry. Fullerton, 

with more orange groves than any other 

Orange County city, featured packing 

houses shipping as much as $15 million in 

citrus crops in banner years. Today fewer 

than 50 acres of groves remain. 

• GRAND CENTRAL ART 

125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana 

714-567-7233 

www.grandcentralartcenter.com 

RIDE & TAKIZAWA 

THRU JAN. 15 

“Ride” an exhibit curated by Elle Seven 

and Loriann Hernandez highlights alternative 

modes of transportation in the 

main gallery and an installation in the 

project room gallery by artist Hiromi 

Takizawa uses 400 repurposed optical 

lenses. Both end January 15.

MID DECEMBER 2011 THEATER 

REVIEWED 

by Jennifer Matas 

SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS 

THE MARTIANS AT MAVERICK 

For anyone sick of the sticky-sweetness that clings to 

Christmas like holiday shoppers to the mall, the Maverick 

Theater has an antidote: Martians. Their sixth annual performance 

of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is part 

nostalgic, part absurd, and 100% cult classic. 

Kimar (Robert Dean Nunez), the Martian leader, discovers 

that all the Martian children suddenly want to 

spend all their time watching television programs from 

Earth about Santa Claus. He and his two associates, the 

silly Chormar (David Chorley) and the disgruntled Voldar 

(Nathan Makaryk), decide to kidnap Santa and enslave 

him on Mars to placate their children. They also kidnap 

two Earth kids, who must rescue Santa and make it home 

to Earth before Christmas is ruined. 

After so many years of reenacting this B sci-fi movie, the 

cast admits they decided not to hold rehearsals this year. 

Apparently this went okay until the end of opening night, 

when they had trouble remembering the ending. By the 

second weekend, though, they managed to keep the plot 

(such as it is) intact, and the quick-thinking cast created 

punch lines out of any flubs. 

Makaryk is characteristically excellent at ad-libbing 

humor: sending jabs at various audience members and 

concocting wry comments when someone misses a lighting 

cue. Katie Sapp, as little Earthling Betty, also adds 

some good lines, reminding her counterpart, Billy (Jamie 

Scheel or Ryan Clark), to watch the stairs, since they were 

not there last year. The entire cast enjoys teasing the new 

Billy, one of the tallest members of the cast, who they say 

could have eaten last year’s Billy. 

In addition to the verbal darts, this show involves a lot 

of visual humor and slapstick, as any good campy show 

should. The hubcap flying saucer attached to a pole as it 

hurtles through space, or at least the space above the audience’s 

heads, warrants some laughs. The oversized robot 

Torg tends to have difficulty seeing whether doors are 

open or closed, with a result you can imagine. With all the 

pressure to find the perfect gifts and decorate the house 

like a magazine designer, it’s relieving and refreshing to 

watch a show that doesn’t take itself seriously. And in a 

season of joy that too often gets crowded with tension and 

stress, it’s nice to laugh. 

Catch this developing Fullerton tradition at the 

Maverick Theater Wednesday, December 21 through 

Friday the 23rd before it takes off to Mars until next year. 

MAVERICK THEATER 

110 E. Walnut, Fullerton 

Tickets: 714-526-7070 www.mavericktheater.com 

•SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS 

back for its 6th year plays through Dec. 23. Suitable for 

children age 5 and up, and cranky adults. Plays Fri. 8pm; 

Sat. at 4pm (starting 12/11) & 8pm; Sun. 3pm & 7pm. 

$20/adults $10/kids under 10. 

•IMPROV SHIMPROV late night improv comedy 

Fri. & Sat. at 11pm. $5 

This is Jennifer Mata’s last column as she is moving out of 

town to begin her career. Thank You Jennifer for doing a 

great column for the Observer! We will miss you. 

CHANCE THEATER 

5552 E. La Palma Ave., 

Anaheim Hills 

Tickets: 714-777-3033 

www.chancetheater.com 

•ANNE OF GREEN 

GABLES plays thru-Dec. 27. 

(no performances on Dec 24 & 

25). Good for the whole family. 

•THE EIGHT REINDEER 

MONOLOGUES by Jeff 

Goode, directed by Oanh 

Nguyen, plays thru Dec. 23. 

Rumors are flying fast around 

Santa’s toyshop. Hear the truth 

about Santa from the reindeer 

who know him best. Very 

naughty, not for kids. 

HUNGER ARTISTS 

THEATER 

699-A S. State College, 


Tickets: 714-680-6803 

www.hungerartists.com 

•THE MUSES: written by 

Melisa Cole, Jill Johnson, 

Jessica McDonald, Jennifer 

Pierce, Kaitlyn Ralston, 

Amanda Riisager, and Veronica 

Rosas, directed by Jill Johnson, 

opens Jan. 6 and plays through 

Jan. 29, 2012, 8pm Fri. & Sat. 

and 7pm on Sundays. 

STAGES THEATER 

400 E. Commonwealth, 


Tickets: 714-525-4484 

www.stagesoc.org 

•SUBTERFUGE by Tina 

Mittler, directed by Andrea 

Freeman, opens Jan. 21 and 

plays thru Feb. 18th, Sat. & 

Sun. at 5pm. A story of loss and 

truth. After the sudden death of 

her husband, Laurel returns to 

the quiet Midwestern town of 

her youth to grieve. Seeking 

answers about her past and 

present, Laurel begins to uncover 

her family's secrets while her 

well-meaning mother tries to 

maintain the status quo. In 

search of comfort, Laurel 

renews her relationship with her 

childhood friend Laci and 

Laci's mother Grace. In the 

stillness of the present, Laurel 

looks to the past and discovers 

that some secrets are best left 

buried. 


PHOTO BY JOHN ROGERS www.johnrrogers.com 

In Love with Shakespeare & Company 

by Jonathan Dobrer 

You all have seen the English language 

bookshop in Paris, Shakespeare 

& Company. If you're a writer, you've 

visited it. If you were ever an 

American in Paris, you went in. If you 

saw this year's Woody Allen movie, 

Midnight in Paris, it was one of the 

last shots. It has been an institution 

forever. Both the store and the owner 

are of some sentimental value to me 

because I ran the store, if only for 

about 2 hours. 

The owner and founder of this 

incarnation of Shakespeare & Co, 

George Whitman, died this week at 

98, and neither Paris nor literature 

will ever be the same. He is an historic 

link in 20th Century literature. From 

Hemingway to Ginsberg, from Anais 

Nin to, well, me, all the famous and 

the hopeful came by. 

I first walked in around 1 o'clock in 

the afternoon one sunny August day 

in 1965. I knew nothing about the 

place, its history or George. It was just 

a quaint little bookstore across from 

Notre Dame. I was soon disabused of 

my ignorance and naïveté. 

While I was browsing, George 

called to me and asked not if he could 

help me but if I would run the store 

while he went to lunch. He pointed to 

two cigar boxes for taking in money 

and making change, and then he went 

away. I wish I could theorize that he 

saw something special in me. But I 

can't. I was an American. I looked relatively 

clean and sober for 1965 and 

spoke English (no French at the time). 

He just wanted to go to lunch and 

trusted people. Extraordinary. 

He came back, thanked me and that 

was that, at least until 1991 when 

once more I sauntered in. George was 

at the little desk (not really a counter) 

and I reminded him of my unique and 

memorable encounter with him. He 

was good enough not to pretend that 

he remembered. Since I was living in 

the south of France and only in Paris 

for the day, I inquired about a café 

where I could write. He quite naturally, 

for him and surprisingly to me, 

offered me an upstairs room with a 

remarkable view and an incredible 

history. I am sure I spent more time 

imagining I could hear the walls talking 

and recounting history than actually 

writing. 

Whether productive in word-count 

or not, I have joined in a large group 

of grateful American writers who have 

been touched by the grace and generosity 

of George Whitman. We will 

remember him in our thoughts and in 

our work. 

www.Dobrer.com 

Monkey Wrench Theater Closes 

The Monkey Wrench Theater 

Collective was scheduled to stage its 

last show at its storefront home in 

downtown Fullerton on Dec.18 as the 

paper went to print. 

If you are reading this online you 

may still have time to catch the last 

show, Theatre Uncut: Incredible True 

Tales of the 99% featuring eight new 

plays from Britain’s leading playwrights. 

The show presents eight 

short plays directed by Dave Barton 

and starring Frank Aranda, Mo Arii, 

Scott Barber, Patti Cumby, Sean 

Engard, Bryan Jennings, Jeffrey 

Kieviet, Katrina Klein, Jessica 

Lamprinos, Jill Cary Martin, Jami 

McCoy, Tiina Mitler, Terri Mowrey, 

Jennifer Pierce, Cynthia Ryanen, and 

Lee Samuel Tanng. 

Known for its cutting edge productions 

Monkey Wrench came to 

Fullerton in 2010 and located at 204 

N. Harbor downtown. The theater 

will will close Dec. 31st. Dave Barton 

and the collective will be staging a 

series in May 2012 at South Coast 

Repertory and working in LA. You 

can keep track of them through facebook.com/MonkeyCollective.

Page 14 FULLERTON OBSERVER EVENTS 

HITS & 

MISSES © 2011 

by Joyce Mason 

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN: Two Hits 

The Weinstein Company that brought us “The 

King’s Speech” last year have returned to England for 

the setting, and they have once again hired sterling 

actors. The result is a much less significant but, nevertheless, 

charming film. As the title implies, the 

story encompasses seven days when a young man 

finds his life crossing paths with the world’s most 

iconic sex symbol. 

From an aristocratic family that values scholarship 

but eschews the movie world, 23-year-old Colin 

Clark (Eddie Redmayne), a devout fan of the movies, 

decides to make film his career. Well-educated and 

well-connected, Colin goes to Pinewood Studios 

outside London and sits it out in the waiting room 

until an assignment comes along. It is 1956 and 

Lawrence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) has begun production 

on “The Prince and the Showgirl,” a light 

comedy in which he will co-star with Marilyn 

Monroe. 

When Colin is hired as 3rd director, aka gofer, his 

first job is to locate a house for Miss Monroe and her 

new husband, Arthur Miller (Dougray Scott). He is 

also asked to keep an eye on her because she is notoriously 

late and casual about learning her lines. 

Luminous and breathy, Marilyn Monroe (Michelle 

Williams) arrives from America with her manager, 

Milton Greene (Dominic Cooper), and her acting 

coach Paula Strasberg (Zoe Wanamaker), wife of Lee 

Strasberg and dedicated proponent of “Method” acting. 

Marilyn, intimidated by Olivier’s reputation as a 

classic actor with impeccable diction, greets him 

with, “Gee, Mr. Sir, I could listen to your accent all 

day.” But Olivier is less than charmed when she 

arrives the next day late, stumbles through her lines, 

and resists direction. Calming the impatient, blustering 

director is the esteemed British actress Dame 

Sybil Thorndike (Judi Dench), who performs in 

scenes with Marilyn and befriends the American 

actress. 

Colin, assigned to watch over Marilyn, succumbs 

to her plea when she asks him, “Whose side are you 

on?” By the third day, he has developed a huge crush 

on the famous actress and agrees to whisk her away 

for a tour of Windsor Castle, where his godfather 

works as royal librarian (Derek Jacobi in an impressive 

cameo role), and a look at the English countryside, 

where they stop by the Thames and go for a 

chilly dip. 

Furious with Colin for taking Marilyn away from 

the studio for a day, Greene warns Colin, “Picking 

up and discarding men like playthings is what 

Marilyn does best.” 

In an unusual moment of self-evaluation, Olivier 

acknowledges Monroe’s on-screen magnetism and 

knows he can never match it. As he watches the daily 

rushes, he is aware that when Marilyn is in a scene, 

viewers’ eyes are on her. The same phenomenon is 

true of “My Week with Marilyn.” Michelle Williams 

inhabits the role of Marilyn Monroe so completely 

that her on-screen presence is enchanting. She has 

perfected the star’s facial expressions and body language, 

moving languidly and easily before the camera 

as she exudes sweetness and sexiness at the same 

time. 

“My Week with Marilyn” does not overlook 

Monroe’s emotional instability, her health problems, 

and her emerging drug use, and cameraman Ben 

Smithard succeeds in capturing the star’s vulnerability 

as well as her iconic beauty. The film is based on 

a memoir and a book written by Colin Clark 

recounting in detail his memorable week; it was 

adapted for screen by Adrian Hodges (“Tom & 

Viv”). 

Michelle Williams has appeared in two previous 

films, “Brokeback Mountain” and “Blue Valentine,” 

both of which earned her Academy Award nominations. 

Her performance in “My Week with Marilyn” 

might win her the golden statuette. 

Two Hits: Don’t Miss It! 

TUES., DEC. 20 

•2pm-3:30pm: Free Screening of 

Muppet Christmas Carol Film: 

Fullerton Public Library Osborne 

Auditorium, 353 W. Commonwealth 

Ave. A cheerful retelling of the classic 

tale by Charles Dickens starring 

Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and 

other Muppet favorites. Free 

•6:30pm: City Council Meeting: 

Downtown Amerige Court 

Development Agreement; OC 

Human Relations Annual Report. 

WED., DEC. 21 

•8pm-1pm: Certified Farmers’ 

Market fresh fruit and vegetables, 

eggs, honey, nuts, bread, fish, flowers, 

plants and more. Independence Park, 

801 W. Valencia between Euclid and 

Highland. 714-871-5304. Know 

Where Your Food Comes From. 

WED., DEC. 28 






Highland. 714-871-5304. 

SAT., DEC. 31 

•7pm-midnight: 21st Annual 

First Night Fullerton the city’s annual 

New Year’s Eve party offers family 

oriented, alcohol-free activities at 

numerous locations in the streets and 

buildings of historic downtown. 

Admission is free but there is a $2 to 

$7 charge for children’s activities and 

rides. There will be live music, synthetic 

ice rink, children’s rides, entertainers, 

art exhibits, food vendors and 

fireworks at midnight. Call 714-738- 

6545 for more info. 

SUN., JAN. 1, 2012 

•HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

WED., JAN. 4 






Highland. 714-871-5304. 

•6pm: Free Screening of “Little 

Sparrows” Fullerton Public Library 

Osborne Auditorium, 353 W. 

Commonwealth Ave. An Australian 

film about three sisters. Adults. 

THURS., JAN. 5 

•1pm-3pm: Free Screening of 

“National Velvet” Fullerton Public 

Library Osborne Auditorium, 353 W. 

Commonwealth Ave. Academy 

Award winning classic starring 

Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney 

about two children and their passion 

for a horse. 

•4pm: Task Force on 

Homelessness and Mental Health 

Services at Fullerton Public Library 

Conference Center, 353 W. 

Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton. “10- 

Year Plan to End Homelessness.” 

Public invited to attend. 

FRI., JAN. 6 

•10am-11:30am: Diabetes Class 

Dibetics and/or family members are 

welcome to attend a four week education 

series led by Yvonne Ahmid, RN, 

who specializes in diabetes health 

education. Topics include getting diabetes 

under control, complications, 

prevention, and other self-care issues. 

Free but pre-registration is required. 

Call 714-738-6305. Senior Center, 

temporarily located at St. Marys 

Church, 400 W. Commonwealth 

Ave. 

•6pm-10m: Downtown Fullerton 

Art Walks Over 20 galleries and businesses 

display art. Free admission. 

Maps available at Museum Center, 

301 N. Pomona at Wilshire. 

SAT., JAN. 7 

•8:30am: Mayor Sharon Quirk- 

Silva’s Walk & Talk meets at the 

Downtown Plaza, next to the 

Museum Center on Wilshire Ave. east 

of Harbor at Pomona. Wear comfortable 

shoes and bring your thoughts 

and concerns. No appointments necessary. 

Call the City Council office at 

714-738-6311 with questions. This 

event repeats on first Sat. of each 

month in different locations. 

•10am-3pm: Free E-Waste 

Recycling sponsored by Fullerton 

Junior All American at Parks Jr. High, 

1710 Rosecrans Ave. Bring monitors, 

phones, cartridges, cables, wires, etc. 

•10am: Free Home Composting 

Workshop led by Patrick McNelly, 

recipient of the nationally recognized 

H. Clark Gregory Award for 

Outstanding Grassroots Efforts to 

Promote Composting. This is a 90min 

workshop on how to introduce 

worms into home composting systems 

to produce a rich “fluffy” soil 

that works wonders in the garden. 

The workshop is free to Fullerton residents 

and discount vouchers are 

available for purchase of state-of-theart 

compost bins. Registration is 

required. Call Fullerton Arboretum at 

(657)278-3579. The Arboretum is 

located at 1900 Associated Road on 

the campus of CSUF. 

TUES., JAN. 10 

•1:30pm: Fullerton Collaborative 

at Hunt Branch Library, 201 S. 

Basque Ave. (off Valencia). 

Businesses, schools, non-profits get 

together to think up ideas about how 

to make Fullerton the best it can be 

for everyone. 714-447-2884. 

•7pm-9pm: Neighborhood Watch 

at Fullerton Police Dept. Mural 

Room, 237 W. Commonwealth. 714- 

738-6836. 

•7pm-9pm: Town & Gown 

Lecture CSUF Geological Sciences 

Dept. talk on Tsunamis, Volcanoes, 

Earthquakes, and Climate Change. 

Fullerton Public Library Conference 

Center Community Room, 353 W. 

Commonwealth Ave. 

Visit Our Website at 

ChristianScience 

Fullerton.org 


WED., JAN. 11 






Highland. 714-871-5304. 

SUN., JAN. 15 

•2pm-4pm: Sandra Tsing Loh 

named one of the 50 most influential 

comedians by Variety and author of 

New York Times notable book Mother 

on Fire. Fullerton Public Library 

Conference Center Community 

Room, 353 W. Commonwealth Ave. 

Free 

TUES., JAN. 17 

•6:30pm: City Council Meeting: 

Richman Group Project; Outdoor 

dining; Towing; Water main system 

replacement; OCTA Project Funding; 

PR09-00350 Appeal; Appointments 

Fire severity zone maps. 

•7:30pm: OC Music Live Band 

Competition: at the Slidebar, 122 E. 

Commonwealth, Fullerton. 8pm- We 

Are She Is; 8:45- Midnight Hour; 

9:30 - Ceasefire; 10:15 - We Are the 

Arsenal; 11pm - PWEST 

WED., JAN. 18 






Highland. 714-871-5304. 

THURS., JAN. 19 

•4pm: Task Force on 

Homelessness and Mental Health 

Services at Fullerton Public Library 

Conference Center, 353 W. 

Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton. 

Public invited to attend. 

SAT., JAN. 21 

•9am: Fullerton Heritage 

Historic Downtown Walking Tour: 

Meet at the Museum Center, corner 

of Wilshire & Pomona, Downtown 

Fullerton for a two hour tour. Call 

714-740-3051 or email tours@fullertonheritage.org 

to make reservations. 

$5 (free for Fullerton Heritage members). 

•11am-2pm: YMCA Indoor Pool 

Grand Re-opening: YMCA, 2000 

Youth Way (off Valencia Mesa near 

St. Jude Hospital). Free fitness and 

youth sports classes will be held. 

Refreshments served. 

WED., JAN. 25 






Highland. 714-871-5304. 

THURS., JAN 27 

•11:30am-1:30pm: League of 

Women Voters Lunch at Meridian 

Club, 1535 Deerpark Drive, 

Fullerton. The topic will be "The 

National Popular Vote". Marilyn 

Lees, Government & Advocacy 

Director of the Orange Coast League 

and former Orange County analyst 

and legislation drafter, will inform us 

about the status of the movement 

and the participants. $16. Call 714- 

254-7440 for reservations. lunchwithleague@lwvnoc.org. 

SUN., JAN. 29 

•3:30pm: Friends of Music Free 

Concert Chamber Music Palisades 

has performed with the LA Chamber 

Orchestra and the Hollywood Bowl 

Orchestra. The group will perform 

works by Mozart, Schubert and 

Brahms. Sunny Hills High 

Performing Arts Center, 1801 

Warburton Way (off Bastanchury). 

714-526-5310. Free

MID DECEMBER 2011 LOCAL EVENTS 

Library Dogs: Please Read to Me! 

text & photo by Jere Greene 

The Fullerton Library Children’s 

Library is instituting a new program for 

children that may have problems reading 

aloud. Certified therapy dogs and their 

handlers from the Pet Prescription Team 

The 


High Jazz 

Choir is 

Available to 

Entertain 

Your Party! 

will be at the Main Library from 6pm to 

7pm on the 2nd Wednesday of each 

month. The program “Read With The 

Dogs,” allows elementary school children 

and their families to meet the dogs and 

read them a story or two. Books will be 

provided by the library or you may bring 

your own. 

The first event was held on 

December 14th and featured a 

Pug named L.T., Moxie an 

American Bulldog, Scamp a 

Border Collie, and while not 

certified as yet, Children’s 

Services Division Manager 

Janine Jacobs’ husband brought 

their beautiful white Samoyed 

to complete the mix. The children 

got into the spirit of the 

event and went after additional 

books when they had finished 

reading one. There were two 

crafts tables for the children 

who were waiting their turn. 

For booking contact director Mrs. Jill DeWeese 

(714) 626-3975 or deweesefuhs@aol.com. 

“The Taikoproject” will perform at 

8:30pm, 9:30pm and 10:30pm during 

First Night Fullerton on Sat., Dec. 31st. 

The group was founded in LA in 2000 by 

young, emerging drummers wishing to 

create an American form of the traditional 

Japanese style. The group has excellent 

reviews from performances around the 

world, and in 2005, became the first 

American taiko group to win the prestigious 

Tokyo International Taiko Contest. 

They appeared at the 2011 Grammy 

Awards and have performed with Stevie 

Wonder, Usher, Justin Bieber, John 


Taiko Drummers to Perform at 

“First Night Fullerton” 

“The” place to be for children this New 

Year’s Eve will be Downtown Fullerton 

where a whole host of special activities 

will be waiting for them as part of the 

city’s annual “First Night Fullerton” New 

Year’s Eve party Saturday, Dec. 31. 

The “First Night Kids’ Lane” will feature 

everything from rides to special activities 

and entertainment. A fireworks show 

at midnight will cap the event. 

Now into its 21st year, “First Night” is 

an alcohol-free, family oriented celebration 

featuring dozens of events staged at 

numerous sites downtown. Admission is 

free, and the festivities start at 7 p.m. 

Kids’ Lane activities will include bounce 

houses, bungee run, an obstacle course, 

“Robo Surfer,” “Gladiator Jousting,” a 

Velcro wall, slides, “basketball shot,” the 

“trackless train,” face painting, caricature 

art, carnival games and balloon artistry. 

Returning this year by popular demand 

will be the “hybrid” ice skating rink, 

which will be set up on Harbor Blvd. at 

Chapman Ave. The rink’s synthetic surface 

has the texture and sound of a real ice 

rink, and guests can bring their own 

skates or rent a pair. 

Legend, and rapper Kanye West. 

The group will be located in the auditorium 

of the First Christian Church, 109 

E. Wilshire Ave. 

First Night held on the streets and 

buildings of downtown Fullerton begins 

at 7pm and features numerous live bands, 

entertainment, synthetic ice skate rink, 

food and souvenir vendors, and children’s 

rides and activities. (cost for kid’s activities 

is $2 - $7). The alcohol free evening ends 

in a 10-minute fireworks display at midnight 

to welcome the new year. Admission 

is free. 

Kids Activities at “First Night Fullerton” 

Tickets for the skating rink are $7 per 

person, and include a 20-minute skating 

session and skate rentals. 

There will also be a stilt walker, Chaz 

the Unicyclist and a strolling magician to 

entertain guests young and old. 

The Kids’ Lane will be set up on S. 

Pomona Ave. Fees ranging from $2 to $7 

will be charged for the children’s rides and 

activities. 

A variety of food booths will be selling 

items throughout the evening, and most 

downtown restaurants will be open and 

are within walking distance of the “First 

Night” festivities. 

The "First Night" program began in 

Boston in 1976, as a cap to the nation's 

bicentennial. The event's goal is to broaden 

public appreciation of the visual and 

performing arts while offering an alternative 

to the traditional New Year's Eve celebrations 

which focus on alcohol and 

drinking. There are now several hundred 

“First Night” cities throughout the United 

States and Canada. Fullerton was the first 

California city to offer the event, and is 

the only Orange County city to present a 

“First Night” celebration this year.

Page 16 FULLERTON OBSERVER 

Rest in Peace • We Remember You 

MARGUERITE LEA 

NOUTARY 

Marguerite Lea Noutary, Lt. Colonel 

US Army, 94, passed away on December 

6, 2011. 

Marguerite was a resident of Fullerton 

for 94 years. Born in Fullerton in 1917, 

she was the daughter of one of the original 

settling families of the 

Fullerton/Orange County area who 

migrated from France in 1905. 

She cherished and had many lifetime 

memories of the 1899 Historical 

Landmark home that she was born in and 

lived in, her entire life. She was a true historian 

and loved sharing her knowledge 

about the early days of Fullerton and captivated 

many, with stories that could keep 

you listening for hours. She has shared her 

fascinating life story with the Orange 

County Historical society so history may 

never be lost. 

After completing her education at 

Orange County School of Nursing in 

1940, she joined the Army Nurse Corps 

where she served for 36 years. Marguerite 

is a retired Lieutenant Colonel with honors 

and served in World War II, Burma, 

India and China. Upon her return, she 

worked for 41 yrs. as a Director of the 

State Hospital in Norwalk and 

Department of Health in Psychiatry of 

California. 

Marguerite was very active and social. 

She loved to travel, attend lectures, oil 

paint, taught French and Spanish to others, 

enjoyed her garden and always wanted 

to challenge her mind to learn new 

things throughout her life. She always 

wanted to help others and was part of 

ROBERT “BOB” FUGLER 

Robert “Bob” Fugler, 88, of Fullerton, 

went to be with the Lord on December 

10, 2011. Bob was born Nov. 23, 1923 in 

Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Bartley and 

Florence Fugler. 

He served in the Army with the 82nd 

Combat Engineers in France, Belgium, 

Africa, Holland, and Germany during 

World War ll, and was awarded the 

Bronze Star. 

Bob studied at the University of Rhode 

Island, and the University of New 

Hampshire (UNH), graduating from 

UNH Summa Cum Laude, with a degree 

in Business Administration. 

He then went to work for Eastman 

Kodak in Rochester, NY for 30 years, rising 

to the position of Director of Business 

Support Services. 

During his lifetime, he served in various 

leadership roles within the International 

Communications Association, 82nd 

Engineers Combat Battalion Association, 

many charitable outreaches. She volunteered 

one day a week at the St. Francis 

Home for 30 years, was a Native 

Daughters/Grace Parlor member for 39 

years, a Foundation Board Member 

Donor at St. Jude Hospital, member at St. 

Mary’s Parish, donor to the Fullerton 

Arboretum, member and donor to 

Orange County Historical Society and 

Cal State Fullerton. 

Her family and friends will always 

remember Marguerite for her zest and 

passion for life, her laugh, intelligence, 

support, love and all that she did to help 

and give to others. She will be greatly 

missed by all who knew her. She was 

honored with a full military funeral. 

Mass was held Dec. 15th at St. Mary’s 

Catholic Church, 400 West 

Commonwealth Ave, Fullerton. 

Burial was at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, 

in Orange. 

Services were arranged by McAulay & 

Wallace Mortuary of Fullerton. 

North Orange County Probus Club, and 

was co-founder and 1st President of the 

Golden Hearts Support Group for 

Cardiac Services. 

Bob leaves his wife of 27 years, 

Annelies, and four children of a previous 

marriage to the late Evelyn Fugler; Marcia 

Holcomb (John); Robert Fugler (Jan); Jon 

Fugler (Noonie); and Michele McFee 

(Ed); stepson, Mark Brown (Becky); stepdaughter 

Lisa Jordan (Tony); 14 grandchildren 

and 11 great grandchildren; sister, 

Kathryn Messenger; and brother, 

Bartley Fugler. 

Services will be held at the First 

Presbyterian Church of Fullerton on 

Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 10am. A 

committal service will follow at Loma 

Vista Memorial Park. 

Donations in lieu of flowers may be 

made to the Salvation Army, 

https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/ or 

the Braille Institute, http://brailleinstitute.org/giving-options.aspx. 

FULLERTON’S CONGREGATIONS 

WELCOME YOU 

CHANUKAH FAMILY 

CELEBRATION 

Friday, December 23, 2011 

7:30 p.m. Family Service 

Dessert Reception Following Services 

LOCAL NEWS 

Every year most people receive numerous 

pleas for support from various charities. 

It can be difficult to decide between 

them. Two helpful websites can help in 

the decision: www.charitywatch.org and 

www.guidestar.org. 

Only a select number of the 500 national 

charities qualify for CharityWatch Top- 

Rated designation. Groups included on 

the list generally spend 75% or more of 

their budgets on programs, spend $25 or 

less to raise $100 in public support, do 

not hold excessive assets in reserve, and 

receive "open-book" status for disclosure 

of basic financial information and documents 

to CharityWatch. For a full listing 

of top charities in various categories go to 

www.charitywatch.org. 

GuideStar offers a in depth look at nonprofits 

including their IRS filings so you 

can see exactly how the money you donate 

is spent. Thousands of charities including 

local charities are listed. Go to 

www.guidestar.org and sign up to use the 

nonprofit search. Put “Fullerton 

California” in the search area and see all 

charities in Fullerton or if you know the 

name of the non-profit you are considering 

key that name in. The list that comes 

up includes the name of the charity and 

its annual income. Click on the “Read 

More” for the complete report. 


How to Choose Top-Rated Charities 

Top Rated by CharityWatch: 

ACLU Foundation; Food and Water 

Watch; Public Citizen Foundation; 

Goodwill Industries International; 

Environmental Defense Fund; Greenpeace; 

Izaak Walton League of America; National 

Arbor Day Foundation; Nature 

Conservancy; Rainforest Alliance; Sierra 

Club Foundation; Trust for Public Land; 

Union of Concerned Scientists; City of 

Hope/Beckman Research Foundation; 

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's 

Research; Juvenile Diabetes Research 

Foundation International; Mexican 

American Legal Defense and Educational 

Fund; National Alliance to End 

Homelessness; Human Rights First & 

Human Rights Watch; American Red 

Cross; Farm Aid; Salvation Army; The Y 

(formerly YMCA of the US); Action 

Against Hunger - USA; Global Hunger 

Project; Oxfam-America; Rotary 

Foundation of Rotary International; Save 

the Children; Doctors Without Borders - 

USA; American Friends Service Committee; 

Alzhelmer's Foundation of America; 

International Peace Institute; National 

Council on Aging; National Military Family 

Association; Big Brothers/Big Sisters of 

America; Boys & Girls Clubs of America; 

National 4-H Council. 

FULLERTON’S CONGREGATIONS 

WELCOME YOU


by Mimi Ko Cruz 

PHOTO BY ALMA GONZALEZ 

Administrators, students and staff and faculty members 

of Cal State Fullerton’s College of Health and 

Human Development recently made 71 holiday cards 

for troops as part of the American Red Cross Holiday 

Mail for Heroes Program. 

The cards will be distributed to service men and 

women stationed overseas or in hospitals across the 

country from all branches of the military. 

“This year was our first year participating,” said Shari 

McMahan, dean of the College of Health and Human 

Development, adding that the card-making activity 

was so successful, they plan to do it again next year. 

Next year, however, “we will work with ROTC to see 

EMMANUEL 

EPISCOPAL CHURCH 

1145 W. Valencia Mesa, Fullerton 

(714) 879-8070 

www.emmanuelfullerton.org 

SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES 

8:15 am and 10:00 am 

Children’s Sunday School at 10am 

“Walking in Love, 

as Christ loved us” 

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN 

CHURCH 

OF FULLERTON 

838 N. EUCLID 

(between Malvern & Bastanchury) 

714-526-7701 

Christmas Eve 

Services 

Saturday, December 24th 

4:00 pm - Family Service 

8:00 pm - Lessons and 

Carol Singing 

11:00 pm - Candlelight 

Communion 

Christmas Day 

Service 

Sunday, December 25th 

10:45 am – Joint Worship 

www.fpc-fullerton.org 

LOCAL NEWS 

Card-making Craft 

Village members 

Jill Rodriguez, College 

of Health and Human 

Development; 

Kathy Koser, associate 

dean; Lea Beth Lewis, 

assistant dean; 

Rebecca Hernandez, 

kinesiology student; 

Stephanie Thames, 

College staff member; 

Steve Walk, 

chair of kinesiology; 

Jon Nepute, 

coordinator of military 

science; and 

Nancy Ahern, associate 

director of the 

School of Nursing. 

PHOTO BY ALMA 

GONZALEZ 

Sending Holiday Cheer to Troops Far From Home 

if we can sponsor a specific troop to include former 

CSUF students,” said Alma Gonzalez, McMahan’s 

assistant. 

“Dean McMahan suggested the idea,” Gonzalez said. 

“She wanted this year’s college open house to be meaningful 

and purposeful. Purposeful: to thank faculty and 

staff for their hard-work this year. Meaningful: to thank 

those who serve us year-round — our troops.” 

As Gonzalez collected the cards to take to the post 

office, she said she read the hand-written sentiments. 

“I felt proud as I mailed the cards,” she said. “Proud 

of the people who took time to make the cards, proud 

to be a part of a thoughtful and caring college and, 

most of all, proud that 71 service men and women will 

receive some much needed holiday cheer.” 

Unitarian Universalist 

Congregation in Fullerton 

1600 N. Acacia Ave. 

Welcome 10:15am • Service: 10:30am 

CHILDCARE (infant & toddlers) & Programs for Pre-K thru Teen 

SATURDAY, DEC. 24: 

Christmas Eve Family Celebration - Rev. Jon Dobrer 

SUNDAY, DEC 25: 

Special Christmas Morning Service 

Rev. Jon Dobrer www.uufullerton.org 714-871-7150 


FULLERTON’S CONGREGATIONS WELCOME YOU 

Orangethorpe 

Christian 

Church 

(Disciples of Christ) 

Dr. Robert L. Case, Pastor 

Sunday Service: 10:00 a.m. 

2200 W. ORANGETHORPE 

FULLERTON (714) 871-3400 

www.orangethorpe.org 

SAINT ANDREW’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH 

1231 E. CHAPMAN AVE., FULLERTON • 714-870-4350 • www.saintandrewsfullerton.org 

CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WITH US! 

CHRISTMAS EVE, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24 

4:00 p.m. Family Service with Christmas Pageant 

10:00 p.m. Carol Sing 

11:00 p.m. Choral Holy Eucharist 

CHRISTMAS DAY, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 

10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist 

Wayne, Cathy, 

& big brother Nathan 

wish 

EVAN & ERIN 

A HAPPY 

5TH BIRTHDAY! 

Send the Observer Notices 

Tributes, obituaries, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, 

birthdays, and birth announcements are printed at 

no charge in the Fullerton Observer for residents and former 

residents of Fullerton. Send photos in jpeg form and copy 

in .doc form or pasted into body of email to 

observernews@earthlink.net. Call 714-525-6402 

WEEKLY SERVICES 

Sundays: 

8 a.m. Holy Eucharist 

10:00 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Choir, 

Nursery & Church School 

THURSDAYS: 

10:00 a.m. Healing Service 

and Holy Eucharist



Senior Spotlight by Mo Kelly 

Senior Club members Bob Sanchez, Ana Alvarenga, David Sanchez at back 

with Alicia Fabris at center, and Margaret Irish and Youlin Lan seated. 


Senior Club 

The Fullerton Senior Club 

Annual Meeting/Luncheon/2012 

Elections and Installation of 

Officers took place Friday, Dec. 2, 

at the Fullerton Community 

Center’s temporary location at St. 

Mary’s Church in the Parish Hall. 

Special guests were City 

Councilmen Bruce Whitaker and 

Pat McKinley (who popped in and 

out due to other commitments. He 

was selected mayor pro tem at the 

city council meeting on Dec. 6). 

Entertainment was provided by 

the ever popular musician, singer 

and comedian, Mr. Ron Allen, who 

loves to perform for us. We were 

thrilled to see former six-time Past 

President, Dick Waltz. He traveled 

by train all the way from Manteca, 

CA to join in the festivities and see 

everyone again. We sure do miss 

him and want to thank him for his 

loyalty and continued support. 

Everyone had a great time topped 

off by great “green” door prizes. 

Fun things happen at the 

Fullerton Senior Center. Come visit 

Mon. through Thurs. 7:30am to 

4pm and 6:30pm to 9pm (evening 

hours vary) and Fri. 7:30am to 

3pm. Call 714-738-6305 for more 

info. 

Above: Councilmember Bruce 

Whitaker (standing third from left) visits 

with new club officers and boardmembers 

Dennis Hittle, Mort Tandy, 

Doug Gilmour, Sandra Orosco, Elen 

Hanley, and Anita Torres. (Camera shy 

Phyllis Levin, Mary Neumann and 

George Tsuda not pictured) 

Below: Friends Richard Padilla and 

Elaine Holguin enjoyed the festivities. 

Elk Teen of the Month Sean Muleady with his 11-year-old brother, mom and dad 

with Elks members including President Butch Rock and sponsor Rod Propst 

at a recent dinner event honoring the incredible young man. 

by Wil Cruz 

Elks Club Teen of the Month Sean Muleady 

Fullerton Elks Lodge Teenager of the Month 

for December, Sean Muleady, 16, was introduced 

to lodge members by Rod Propst. Sean’s 

parents Bob and Sandy, and his 11-year-old 

brother Daniel were also present. 

Elk member Rod Propst, a past scoutmaster 

and troop committee chairman, (also the City 

of Fullerton’s Airport Manager) sponsored 

Sean. Anyone in the community can submit a 

nomination for Teenager of the Month to 

Steve Vartanian and his committee for consideration. 

Sean was presented a nice framed certificate 

and tickets to the Elk’s Brunch on the 2nd 

Sunday of each month by Elk President 

Charles “Butch” Rock. Other Elk members 

also presented him with gift certificates for 

himself and his guests. Before the presentation 

the family was treated to a steak dinner. 

Sean introduced his parents and his brother 

and told a bit about himself. 

Sean attends Troy High School 

where his favorite subjects are science 

and calculus. He has a GPA of 4.71 

and he is considering several options 

of which college to attend. In his 

spare time he is a member of the Science 

Olympiad at Troy High in Forestry and Music 

Events. 

He has played the piano since age 5 and likes 

classical, rag, and jazz music. 

Sean is an active member of Boy Scout 

Troop 97 where he earned his Eagle Badge last 

year completing a project to build a stand to 

hold memorial wreaths at a local cemetery. 

Recently, he was able to attend the 

International Boy Scout Jamboree in Sweden, 

which he said was the experience of a lifetime. 

He is also a member of the Order of the 

Arrow for exceptional and outstanding Boy 

Scouts. He spent a week in West Virginia 

with the Order of the Arrow working on a 

project to build a 25-mile mountain trail for 

biking enthusiasts. 

Some of his highlighted accomplishments 

have been to hike 75 miles to the top of the 

highest mountain in the continental USA, Mt. 

Whitney. He is also an active FAST swimmer 

at Independence Park. 

For more information about Elk membership 

or events, or if you have a teen you would 

like to nominate for Teen of the Month, call 

(714) 879-7075.


The Fullerton Observer provides space for 

NEIGHBORS to advertise. To participate you 

must have a local phone number and be offering 

an item for sale, garage sales, reunions, 

home-based businesses or services, place to 

rent or buy, or help wanted, etc. Contractors 

must provide valid license. Editor reserves 

FOR SALE 

LARGE LADIES CLOTHING 

2X thru 5X Clothing, for sale, all in great 

condition, hardly worn, from $2 to $10 dollars. 

Call 714-525-8553 

BEAUTY & HEALTH 

AMWAY, ARTISTRY, NUTRILITE 

To buy Amway, Artistry, or Nutrilite 

products please call Jean 714-526-2460 

MAKEOVER & SKIN CARE 

I am an independent Beauty Consultant with 

Mary Kay Cosmetics and Skin Care. I am offering 

a complimentary makeover and skin care 

consultation for the Holidays and upcoming 

New Year! Please visit my website for my free 

gift. www.marykay.com/lisadaly or call me at 

(714)213-3711 

WANTED 

USED BAND INSTRUMENTS 

DO YOU HAVE A USED BAND INSTRU- 

MENT?? Ladera Vista student is collecting 

them for community charity project. We will 

pick up, any condition. In association with the 

Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation. Please call 

and leave a message for Zachary with your 

phone number at (714)447-3557. 

Balance & 

Change 

by Michelle Gottlieb Psy.D, MFT 

LOCAL ONLY CLASSIFIEDS 

Call 714-525-6402 

right to reject any ad. Sorry, we do not accept 

date ads, get rich schemes or financial ads of 

any sort. Call 714-525-6402 for details. $10 

for 50 words or less per issue. Payment is by 

checks only. Items to give away for free and 

lost and found item listings are printed for free 

as space allows. The Observer assumes no 

FDA.gov Nationwide Recalls 

Food 

•Gummy Bears; Sunrise has recalled 

Gummy Bears due to possible metal contamination. 

•Tejava Ice Tea; recalled by Crystal Geyser 

Water Co. due to presence of glass fragments. 

•See’s Candies recalled its almond clusters 

found to have undeclared peanuts. 

•Organic Celery Seed; recalled by 

Swanson and O Organics due to salmonella. 

•Arsenic in Apple Juice; FDA is considering 

new guidelines for levels of arsenic found 

in apple juice and other juices. 

•Craisins dried cranberries recalled by 

Ocean Spray due to presence of metal. 

•Canned Pumkin Giant Eagle recall product 

standards problem. Do not eat. 

•Noya Boyal & Munia Churi Dry Fish 

recalled by Four Star Import due to 

Colstridium botulism. 

•Various brands of Smoked Salmon, 

Celebrate the Holiday 

Your Way! 

There are many ways to celebrate the holidays. 

How do you want to celebrate? 

You can have quiet gatherings of family 

and friends or a big party. You can have a 

huge Christmas tree, lots of presents, put 

many lights up or decorate less lavishly and 

still enjoy the holiday. You can light the 

Chanukah menorah and spin a dreidel. 

You can create a feast at home, go out to 

dinner or volunteer in a soup kitchen. You 

can dress up in your fanciest clothes or relax 

in your most comfortable ones. 

The point is is that there is no “proper” 

way to celebrate the holidays. You may have 

FOR RENT 

1-BED APT. 

Beautiful, quiet 1-bed apartment for 1 

or 2 adults; secluded cul-de-sac off 

Valencia Mesa, close to St. Jude Hospital; 

full bath, dining area, nice large living 

room; clean, freshly painted, one space in 

covered garage, plus parking spot, access 

to washer/dryer; water/trash included. 

No pets, Non-smoking. $950. Call 714- 

726-1789 

CLASSES/TUTORING 

PIANO LESSONS 

Piano Lessons: Classical, Jazz and Pop. 

Masters of Music; Panz Conservatory and 

Indiana University Graduate. Telephone 

714-566-4607 or visit website 

www.hoangnguyen.net. 

PET CARE 

PET SITTING/DOG WALKING 

We are a professional and friendly petsitting 

and dog walking service. We take 

great care of your pets while you are away 

on vacation or at work. We also do 

overnight stays if needed. We have references. 

Call Lisa at 714-213-3711 or go to 

www.happypawspet-sitting.com 

Sable Lox, Sushi Fillets & Trim recalled by 

King & Prince Seafood and Trans-Ocean 

Products due to Listeria monocytogenes. 

•Yellow Fin Tuna Osamu Corp, Gardena, 

Product of Indonesia. Sample of ground meat 

revealed decomposition of product. 

Drugs 

•Nostrilla Nasal Decongestant recalled by 

Insight Pharmaceuticals due to bacteria 

Burkholderia cepacia. 

•Tylenol, Benadryl, Sudafed, & 

Sinutab: 41.6 million products recalled by 

McNeil Consumer Healthcare. 

Dog Food Recall 

Advanced Animal Nutrition recall of its 

dry Dog Power Dog Food; Procter & 

Gamble Iams Dry Dog Food; Cargill Animal 

Nutrition River Run, Marksman Dry Dog 

Food products recalled due to aflatoxin levels 

that were detected above the acceptable limit. 

some traditions that you always keep. But this 

year ask yourself: 

1) What do the holidays actually mean? 

2) Are the traditions I am keeping 

meaningful to me? 

3) How do I want to spend the holidays? 

4) Who do I want to spend the 

holidays with? 

5) How much money do I want to spend? 

Once you have figured out the answers to 

those questions, make your plans, include the 

people who are meaningful to you. Celebrate 

the holiday your way. Happy Holidays! 

Individual, Couple, 

& Family Therapy 

Michelle Gottlieb Psy.D, MFT 

305 N. Harbor Blvd., Ste 202, Fullerton, 

714-879-5868 ext. 5 

www.michellegottlieb.com 

liability for ads placed here. However, if you 

have a complaint or compliment about a service, 

please let us know at 714-525-6402. 

Call City Hall at 714-738-6531 to inquire 

about City of Fullerton business licenses. For 

contractor license verification go to 

www.cslb.ca.gov. Thank You! 

CAREGIVER 

CAREGIVER/ 

HOUSEKEEPER 

Caregiver, housekeeper, and 

companion with good references, 

and flexible hours available now. 

Call 714-773-5074. 

LANDSCAPING 

LANDSCAPING 

& GARDENING 

Lawn Maintenance, Tree 

Trimming & Removing, Hauling 

Jobs, Complete Sprinkler 

Installation and Repair, Fertilizing 

and new grass seeding and planting, 

Seasonal flower planting & 

maintenance. Planters. Call Jose 

Yepez (714) 737-5304 for free 

estimates. 

WINDOWS 

WINDOW WASHING 

All windows in your residence 

washed without streaks inside and 

out. All sills and tracks vacuumed 

and cleaned. Screens hand-washed. 

I use drop cloths and shoe covers to 

keep your house clean. References 

available upon request. Fullerton 

City License #554171. Call Patrick 

(714) 398-2692 for a Free 

Estimate. 

HELP WANTED 

City Recruitments 

•Senior Parks & Rec 

Specialist: Assists with supervision 

of nonregular staff; performs 

wide variety of duties 

related to organization, coordination 

and supervision and performs 

work as required. $12 to 

$15.50. Apply by 5pm, Dec. 

22, 2011. 

•Community Services 

Specialist: $10 to $11 per hour. 

Applications are accepted and 

filed for three months. 

•Community Services 

Instructor: $9 to $9.25 per 

hour. Applications are accepted 

and filed for three months. 

Go to 

www.cityoffullerton.com for 

listings and descriptions. 

VOLUNTEERS 

TAX PREP VOLUNTEERS 

The IRS & AARP is seeking 

volunteer tax preparers for 2012. 

Volunteers will receive free training 

in early January to help assist 

people in preparing their tax 

returns. Individuals with good 

computer skills are especially 

needed.More information on how 

to join the AARP Tax-Aide team 

can be found by calling 1-888- 

687-2277 or by visiting AARP’s 

Tax Aide website at 

www.aarp.org/taxaide. Or call 

Coordinator Vickie Wiles at 714- 

738-3341. 


REPAIR/REMODEL 

GOT REPAIRS? 

We do it all - Handyman services, 

kitchen/bath remodel, carpentry, interior 

& exterior jobs, drywall, painting, plumbing, 

vinyl, ceramic & wood laminate 

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Chapman Ave. #175, Fullerton 92831. 

Insured. City License #127977 

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call 714-738-8189 

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Skilled electrician and Fullerton native 

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Heating & A/C repair, minor 

plumbing, and other handyman services. 

Owner-operated within the unlicensed 

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CAREER 

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Call 1-888-823-7458, 8am-8pm, Mon- 

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EVERY 

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CERTIFIED 

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Rain or Shine 

8am to 1pm 

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Know Where Your Food 

Comes From!

Page 20 FULLERTON OBSERVER MID DECEMBER 2011 

A Success Story by Diane Nielen 

In the world of environmentally sensitive 

issues it’s almost unheard of for oil 

extraction to be presented in a positive 

narrative, but I have that kind of a tale to 

share with you today. 

But first of all, what do you know about 

wetlands? Well, the word is sort of a giveaway. 

Right – we’re talking about land 

that is wet. Virtually all the time. Usually 

wetlands are found along the coastal 

boundaries of countries where the tidal 

rise and fall of ocean water keeps the soil 

saturated. So what is there to see in the 

way of vegetation? Not much. Most 

plants do not want to have their feet 

always wet. Only about two dozen species 

survive in wetlands and height is not one 

of their attributes. Most common are 

cordgrass, eel grass and pickleweed. 

Wetlands have always been 

scarce, just a series of little 

pockets along the coastline. 

But even as early as 1900 they 

started disappearing. 

Development was swallowing 

them up. In fact, in Orange 

County there are now only four 

tidal salt marshes including my 

topic, Bolsa Chica Ecological 

Reserve. All four together 

occupy just a few square miles 

out of about 800 in our county. 

And they deserve and need all 

the help and protection they 

can get. Why? Because they 

are essential and richly productive natural 

habitats. They harbor an extremely high 

density of living creatures. In fact, they’ve 

been called “the big urban centers of animal 

life.” And they have a higher species 

diversity than any place else in our county. 

To have value for wildlife, these precious 

pockets have to have “bridges” to 

other habitats to facilitate the animals’ 

migratory instincts. These include 

stretches of land and the ocean water 

which floods in at high tide as well as the 

sky for winged visitors. Birds that are our 

seasonal guests might have come southward 

from the Arctic tundra (a breeding 

ground 3,000 miles north of us) and/or be 

headed onward to the Salton Sea or a 

neotropical rainforest. 

The Bolsa Chica Reserve begins just 

south of Huntington Harbor and is 

inland across Pacific Coast Highway from 

the Bolsa Chica State Beach. The first of 

its four distinct chapters of existence was 

the Native American Indian Era. It lasted 

thousands of years and those residents 

lived primarily on shellfish they collected. 

How do we know? Because large middens 

of discarded shells have been found. The 

second chapter was the Spanish Era. 

Explorers more than 200 years ago had 

land grants that our government recognizes. 

This was followed by the Mexican 

Era which started around 1810. These 

residents were primarily cattle ranchers. 

Which brings us to the past century, the 

American Era. Farmers converted freshwater 

marshes into farms by draining 

them, plowing up the land and building 

levees. Hunters were impressed by the 

wealth of ducks and geese that arrived seasonally 

and many areas were taken over by 

gun clubs. They overdid it, killing as 

many as possible. Then oil was discovered 

in 1920. Land was leased 

to Standard Oil and later 

Signal Oil for drilling. 

During World War II the 

demand for oil was 

extremely high. By 1945 

the salt marsh had been 

cut into cells to accommodate 

oil wells. It was 

drained and levees were 

built to keep out the tidal 

waters. 

All along the coast 

urban development was 

the final straw, the coup 

de grace, which was swallowing 

up the wetlands. Thousands of 

acres vanished. It’s hard to even believe 

that areas like Long Beach were ever wetlands. 

It is distressing how little is left. 

BUT because of the oil wells in operation 

Bolsa Chica suffered to the least extent. 

The valuable fuel was still being pumped 

out, ironically saving the area from 

becoming a community of 5,000 homes 

and another marina. 

It has been calculated that along our 

coastline at least 75% of what were salt 

marshes have disappeared. By 1970 

urbanization seemed inevitable at Bolsa 

Chica also. Signal Landmark bought the 

land with the intention of real estate 

developing. But in 1972 something historic 

occurred: the Coastal Act became 

law. The California Coastal Commission 

was now in the mix. The rules of the 

game changed. The populace had an 

important ally in their quest to preserve, 

protect and restore this area. 

By 1976 the League of Women Voters 

and the Sierra Club had become very 

To have value 

for wildlife, these 

precious pockets 

have to have 

“bridges” to 

other habitats 

to facilitate 

the animals’ 

migratory 

instincts. 

active in the issue. A support group, 

named Amigos de Bolsa Chica, was 

formed. And in 1990 the Bolsa Chica 

Conservancy came into being. It took 

decades of lobbying to secure the future of 

the wetlands. The property had to be purchased. 

$65,000,000 came from mitigation 

funds which the Ports of Los Angeles 

and Long Beach had to provide to offset 

habitat destruction caused by their expansion. 

The largest wetland restoration in 

Southern California history began – to 

recreate and rehabilitate nearly 600 acres 

of marine and wetland habitats. All 

together the Bolsa Chica inlet project cost 

is $151,000,000. This includes cleaning 

contaminated soil and building nesting 

mounds and breeding areas for threatened 

birds. The most dramatic event occurred 

just five years ago. It was way back in 

1899 that the natural inlet which was 

where the Pacific Coast Highway and 

Warner Avenue met had been plugged by 

hunters. Then the inland basin was no 

longer tidal. It was diked to create duck 

ponds. Now in 2006 a new ocean inlet 

was created which runs underneath PCH. 

For the first time in over a hundred years 

salt water was returning to the basin. But 

to maintain this inlet it must be dredged 

to remove accumulated sediment every 

two years. 

What a gift to the wildlife! The restored 

territory is mostly off-limits to the public 

but there are elevated walkways from 

which you have splendid views of the 

water-blessed basin. If you come at high 

tide it will seem lake-like. Millions of gallons 

of salt water come and go daily. At 

low tide you can spy the buffet of offerings 

that bring in the birds as well as other 

creatures. And along the boardwalks is 

informative signage that enriches your 

viewing. 

Birding is a primary motivation for 

those who visit Bolsa Chica. Nearly half 

the varieties of birds found in the United 

States have been seen in Huntington 

Beach. In the past decade 321 species 

have been sighted. The show varies from 

month to month but the winter season 

which brings in the migrants is the richest. 

You could possibly see 70 species in 

one day. Most notable are a few that are 

considered endangered. These include 

Belding’s Savannah Sparrow which is 

exclusively found here, the California 

Least Tern, and the Light-footed Clapper 

Rail. 

A fringe benefit of the inlet creation is 

that surfing adjacent to it has been 

improved. The depositing of sand offshore 

changed the size and angle of the 

waves and now the “break” there has been 

called one of the best in the area. 

Everyone wins. 

The Bolsa Chica Reserve is the area on 

the east side of Pacific Coast Highway 

between Warner and Seapoint in the city 

of Huntington Beach. You can visit every 

day from sunrise to sunset. Also there is 

an Interpretive Center at 3842 Warner 

Avenue which is open daily between 9:00 

A.M. and 4:00 P.M. If that parking lot is 

full there is another free one just for 

Reserve visitors one mile 

south, also on the east 

side of PCH. 

Website www.amigosdebolsachica.org 

offers 

you a wealth of useful 

information which is 

worthwhile consulting if 

you are contemplating 

an outing to this unique 

reserve. There is a concise 

history of the site 

which will take you 

from pre-history all the 

way up to 2006. Check 

out the entries of 

Frequently Asked 

Questions. And you can review tour 

options which would surely enhance your 

stay. The first Saturday of each month 

there are free tours offered starting 

between 9:00 and 10:30 A.M. And the 

last Saturday of every month a bird talk 

and nature walk commences at 9:00 in the 

morning. In addition there are four other 

types of tours which can be arranged as 

private outings at a nominal cost. Also 

worthy is the site www.bolsachica.org 

offering additional information and tours. 

Do visit. This area is definitely for the 

birds.

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