This past weekend the Stevenson Ranch Community Association (HOA) held a revival of the holiday event that had been done years ago. In fact, the community has not had a holiday celebration event since at least December of 2000. The event stopped back then because of a lack of volunteers in the community.

The last seven or eight years there were a few community volunteers that made sure that the lights went up on the large evergreen tree across from the waterfall on Stevenson Ranch Parkway and that the Menorah was in stalled nearby. So it is actually great to see new volunteers take on this endeavor and resurrect what had been a bit of a tradition in the community. The organizer for this year’s event was the HOA President Greg Waugh.

What was troubling though about this year’s event was that there was a blatant refusal to install the Menorah. In the past the Menorah was always part of the community holiday celebration. The Menorah along with the Christmas lights on the large tree represented essentially the two major religions in the Stevenson Ranch community.

What I have a hard time understanding is why? It is hard to understand why Mr. Waugh so arrogantly refused to include the Menorah in the event. After all Hanukkah, the festival of lights is celebrated by quite a number of Jewish families in the community. There is already a community Menorah and it would just need to be setup and plugged in.

So what was the underlying motivation to so adamantly refuse to allow the Menorah to part of a community holiday celebration? Was it just an outsized ego kicking in, misguided authority, that he could say no just because he thought he could or is there something more going on below the surface.

I personally ask if the Menorah was being put up and the response was a flat out “no”. It was not a very nice “no” at that either. When I pressed the issue and said that the Menorah had been a part of the communities decorations for more than a decade that argument feel on deaf ears. All Greg Waugh said was, “Well, times are changing!

What does that mean “times are changing”? Is there some kind of new edict that a segment of the community does not count anymore or that the HOA will no longer recognize and include some of its members?

Let’s get real for a moment. Many years ago, back in the 1990′s, some HOA members got together to discuss what the policy would be for the community holiday decorations. It was a mix of local religious leaders and residents with a mix of religious backgrounds.

Those residents had a very thoughtful discussion on what should be included in the community holiday decorations and celebrations. The large tree strung with lights was no doubt a traditional symbol of Christmas and the Menorah the traditional symbol of Hanukkah. Since those are the holidays observed by a large portion of the community it seemed to make sense. And if there were other holidays that a resident celebrated and wanted recognition than those would be discussed as they came up.

It just so happens that one year a resident wanted a decoration placed for the Muslim celebration of Ramadan. Not a problem, we just asked that resident to volunteer in being a part of identifying the proper decoration and helping to install it.

That is an example of tolerance and inclusion in the community and something that our HOA should not only be striving for but also openly welcoming. There is no reason to indignantly dig in ones heels just “because” and refuse the inclusion of all community members. Especially when it comes to including members of the community in an event that is essentially being paid for with those same member’s funds.

Excluding anyone in the HOA community from participating in an HOA funded event is not only wrong it is discrimination. That is not what the Stevenson Ranch community is about nor should it be tolerated from anyone. We need leadership at the HOA that is inclusive, tolerate and respectful of its members.

If you are as outraged as I am about the exclusion of the Menorah from the Stevenson Ranch holiday celebration than please voice your opinion. Take a moment and call Euclid Management, the Stevenson Ranch HOA management company, at 661-294-5270 and make your voice heard. As a community we deserve better!!

Dave Bossert

Commentary

Dave Bossert is a community volunteer who serves on a number of boards and councils. His commentaries represent his own opinions and not necessarily the views of any organization he may be affiliated with or those of the West Ranch Beacon.