Lending a helping hand

Being a Boy Scout means being a good citizen and helping others in your community. To become an Eagle Scout, you have to take those qualities a step further and embark on a service project that demands leadership, responsibility and organization. For two aspiring Anaheim Eagle Scouts, that project meant keeping Anaheim Presbyterian Children's Center from shutting down its playground. A new state law set higher standards for private schools operating playgrounds. The stricter regulations, which came with a hefty pricetag, had to be met by Jan. 1. Had the school, part of First Presbyterian Church at 310 W. Broadway, paid for the new awning and shed necessary to meet the standards, it would have cost upwards of several thousand dollars. "This is so fantastic," said Kellie Lowe, center director. "This organization, under Judy's leadership, has been a total blessing to us because we could not financially afford it." Georgia "Judy" Arnold, an Eagle Scout adviser, heard about the school's needs through Chris Smith, 18, who was looking for just such a project. She took to setting it up for the boys: Kyle Williams, 14, and Smith. A third Scout, Allec Blanco, will soon begin renovating the school's bathroom as his project. Arnold, who became involved in the Boy Scouts organization eight years ago when her son joined Troop 120, said it's satisfying to see the boys mature and take on such responsibilities. "When he (my son) become an Eagle, I told him that once you finish it, those boys will start moving," she said. "And that's exactly what happened and that was four years ago." Williams and Smith got to work in the fall, raising money, seeking donations, organizing volunteers and setting up work days. Williams raised almost $600 and Smith garnered about $400 from car washes and garage sales. Freleaux is just one of the many who volunteered to help Boy Scout Kyle Williams with his Eagle Scout projections from Ganahi Lumber and building an awning for the play Home Depot, as well as securing food donations from Campbell's Donut Shop and Papa John's for the work days: ground and Smith was tasked with building the new shed. Council repeals 30-day limits on motel stays The City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved repealing 30-day stay limits on three motels in the city and adopted a resolution prohibiting future councils and other city bodies from passing similar restrictions. Executive Suites at 1850 W. Lincoln Ave., the Best Budget Motel at 420 S. Beach Blvd. and the Covered Wagon at 823 S. Beach Blvd. all operate under conditional use permits that require guests to move out after 30 days and bars them from spending more than 30 consecutive days at a motel in a 90-day period. "We've done everything we can to accommodate these people but it's been a tragedy these last couple of years because we've had to kick so many people out after 30 days," said Greg Parkin, owner of the Covered Wagon. While the council voted unanimously, Councilwoman Shirley McCracken suggested that without stay limits the city needs another method for enforcing codes at motels. "I think we need to find some other tools that insist that these places are safe places and clean places," she said. Mayor Curt Pringle said the limits only hurt poor families who lived in motels. "I don't believe that this city is doing anything by this action to reduce the requirements to have safe properties available through motels," he said. "I also don't believe there is any greater degree of safety provided by throwing people out after 30 days." The council's vote also directs the Planning Commission to go back and review the conditions imposed on those motels and change the zoning resolution