Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Monthly Archives: December 2009

Santa Ana is the place to be on New Year’s Eve

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New Years at Geisha House in Santa Ana

Many of Santa Ana’s finest restaurants and organizations have announced their plans for New Year’s Eve.  Don’t wait too long to RSVP!

Let’s start with a look at what Geisha House will be offering on New Year’s Eve.  Geisha House is located at the CityPlace, in north Santa Ana, across from the MainPlace Mall.  For $250 you will get four tickets, including 3 mixers, an appetizer, four different sushi rolls, Edamame and an entire bottle of Absolut Vodka.  Geisha House will offer two other specials on New Year’s Eve, as per the graphic above.  To order a bottle package, contact Kevin McVearry. Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s Proof Bar celebrating New Year’s Eve with a big bash!

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Proof Bar New Year's Eve Party

Santa Ana’s Proof Bar is celebrating their 4th Annual Proof New Year’s Eve Bash this week on Dec. 31. Proof is located at 215 N. Broadway, in the Santa Ana Arts District.

Proof had this to say about their bash on their website, “We’re gearing up for a great New Year’s eve party here at Proof. It’s our favorite night of the year. Our time to give back to you with a great evening of proper pours and a celebration of what is to become for all of us. Come early and stay late. It is a time to be with “old” friends and make some “new” ones.  No other party in Orange County will compare.  Drink specials and so much more!! Last year baby new year himself appeared!!”

For discounted entry click here to send an email,  with RSVP in the subject line.

Sound Selectors for the evening: Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s Galaxy Concert Theater to host huge Latino New Year’s Eve bash

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La Desvelada

Santa Ana’s Galaxy Concert Theater is hosting what should prove to be the hottest Latino New Year’s Eve event in Orange County – the 7th Annual Super Estrella’s La Desvelada 2010 New Year’s Eve Bash, which will take place from 8 pm to 2 am.

During the past seven years La Desvelada has created some very memorable performances as well as a strong fan base following.  This has made La Desvelada, a New Year’s Eve tradition among the young and affluent latino community in Southern California.

Super Estrella’s fans know there are few experiences in life more entertaining than the pure energy and atmosphere from the production at La Desvelada, with dynamic artists such as Confetti, Balloons, Showgirls and V/DJ’s Luis, who will mix music videos as well as lead the celebration climax to the New Year’s Eve 2010 countdown. Continue reading→

Conference for Latino Entrepreneurs coming to Santa Ana on Jan. 30

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Conferencia Empresarios Latinos

The Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Small Business Administration (SBA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Orange County Board of Equalization (BOE), consulates of Mexico, El Salvador and Colombia, and various private enterprises engaged with the proper development of Hispanic businesses in Southern California invite you to attend the Latino Business Entrepreneurs Conference on January 30, 2010 from 8 am to 4 pm.  The conference will be held at Santa Ana’s Valley High School, which is located at 1801 S. Greenville St. 

The main objective of this conference is to benefit the Hispanic entrepreneur through workshops including Starting a Business, Improving an Established Business, and Having a Successful Entrepreneurial Attitude. These seminars will be taught by experts in various fields such as taxes, finance, licenses, insurance, marketing, advertising, planning, personal development, etc..

This is a FREE conference.  Click here to register.  Be advised that this conference will be offered in Spanish only. Continue reading→

Santa Ana residents get free admission to the Heritage Museum this Sunday

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The Heritage Museum of Orange County

The Heritage Museum of Orange County is giving free admission to Santa Ana residents this upcoming weekend on Sunday, January 3 from 11 am-3 pm.

The Heritage Museum of Orange County is one of the most interesting cultural and natural history centers in Southern California. The centerpiece of the museum, which covers nearly 12 acres in all, is a historic plaza featuring several buildings from the 1890s set amid extensive floral gardens and citrus groves. Among these is the Kellogg House, familiar to teachers and students throughout Orange County as a favorite field trip destination for nearly 25 years.

Their programming offers school children the opportunity to partake in innovative hands-on programs designed to encourage exploratory and imaginative learning. Dedicated to enhancing education, the museum has helped preserve, promote and restore the heritage of Orange County and the surrounding regions since 1985. Continue reading→

Is Mike Metzler on the way out of the Santa Ana Greater Business Alliance?

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Mike Metzler

One of our sources is reporting that the organization formerly known as the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce is going to be undergoing a change in leadership, perhaps as soon as January.

Mike Metzler has served as President and CEO of the Greater Santa Ana Business Alliance for many years.  I have lived in Santa Ana for over fifteen years and cannot remember a previous head of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce.

Metzler apparently is going to retire next year.  There have been rumors for over a year that the Board of Directors of his organization was unhappy with the direction they were going in.

Metzler’s executive staff has zero Latinos on it.  That is hard to believe in a city like Santa Ana, which has an overwhelmingly Latino populations.  His staff is also bereft of Asians or other minorities. Continue reading→

Is the City of Santa Ana’s anti-graffiti ordinance working?

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Graffiti at Park Santiago

Is the City of Santa Ana’s anti-grafitti ordinance working?  I walked from my house in the Park Santiago neighborhood this afternoon over to the Barnes and Noble bookstore on Main St., and you would not believe the amount of graffiti I saw en route!

The picture above shows some of this graffiti, over in Park Santiago, in the area that leads under Main St., to the Discovery Science Center.

It really does not seem like the new ordinance has done anything to stop our graffiti problem.

I predicted all along that it would fail.  Taggers are not afraid of jail time or fines.  And they do their work late at night or in the early morning when our Santa Ana Police Department is busy fighting other crimes. Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s Discovery Science Center offers Noon Year’s Eve for kids!

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DSC

So you are set for New Year’s Eve.  What about the kids?  Santa Ana’s Discovery Science Center will be celebrating “Noon Year’s Eve 2009,” on December 31, from 10 am to 3 pm.

Why should grown-ups have all the fun? Ring in the New Year early on Dec 31 as we celebrate with a countdown, ginger ale toast, music, activities and a balloon drop at 12:00pm and 2:00pm! Free with paid admission and open to all ages!

Activities will include: Continue reading→

No Christmas for Smiley playing for free at the Yost Theater on Sunday

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No Christmas for Smiley

Teatro Actores de Santa Ana proudly presents “No Christmas for Smiley,” a new  play by Louie Olivos, Jr.  It is a Christmas story, with classical holiday music – and with Santa Claus!

“In this play, Santa receives a letter from a 10-year-old boy who asks for the miracle of having his killed brother back for one more Christmas,” according to the O.C. Register.  The play has an anti-gang message.

No Christmas for Smiley is playing tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 27th, At the Yost Theater, located at 307 Spurgeon, in Santa Ana, at 3 pm.  FREE  ADMISSION! Continue reading→

Visit the free Kwanzaa Family Festival today at the Bowers Museum, in Santa Ana

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Kwanzaaa

Come visit the free Kwanzaa Family Festival today, December 26, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, at Santa Ana’s Bowers Museum.

Celebrate this African-American holiday honoring family, community, and culture. Bring the entire family for music, storytelling, dance, food, and art. Sponsored by the African Cultural Arts Council and the Nicholas Endowment.

The museum is located at 2002 N. Main St., in Santa Ana. Click here for more information.  And click here to learn more about Kwanzaa. Continue reading→

Ring in the New Year with music by the Eagles, at Santa Ana’s O.C. Pavilion

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Hotel California

Are you looking for an interesting way to spend New Year’s Eve?  Santa Ana’s O.C. Pavilion Performing Arts Theater is offering an opportunity to spend the evening listening to music by the Eagles, performed by the tribute band Hotel California.  Tickets range from $25 to $40.

Hotel California reproduces the sound of the Eagles studio recordings while recreating a classic sound that transcends the boundaries of Rock, R&B, and Country, performing The Eagles mega-hits such as “Take it Easy” “Heartache Tonight” and “Hotel California” as well as newer releases, “Get Over It” and “Love will Keep Us Alive.” Continue reading→

This is the last week to see the Holiday Projection Project in Downtown Santa Ana

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This Saturday, Dec. 26, is your last chance to see the groundbreaking Holiday Projection in Downtown Santa Ana, from 7 pm to 10 pm.

Downtown Incorporated invites you to experience a visual journey through imagination, distorted perception, and holiday ambiance. Using unique animation modules and multiple high-powered projectors the facade of the historic Spurgeon Building will be illuminated in a spectacle of seasonal inspired extreme light and shadow morphing the existing architecture. Motion Graphics Presented by Matik Musical Accompaniments.  Produced by Chris Alfaro and The Definiens.  Project Projection performances continue Thursday – Saturday evenings from 7-9pm through December 27th. Continue reading→

Overall crime in Santa Ana down, but the city leads in homicides

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SAPD

The FBI issued their latest violent crime report – and the findings were a bit of a mixed bag for Santa Ana, which is the County Seat here in Orange County.

On the plus side, “Anaheim, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Orange and Santa Ana all reported a decrease in violent crime during the first six months of the year,” according to the O.C. Register.

After a year of turmoil in Irvine, between the City Council and their police union, they held on to the lowest violent crime figure in the County, but violent crime went up in Irvine by 42%.  No other city had such a vast increase in violent crime.

Violent crime went up in Costa Mesa and Fullerton too.  In fact it went up by 40% in Fullerton.  Continue reading→

A night out at McCormick & Schmick’s in Santa Ana

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Lobster at McCormick and Schmick's

The McCormick & Schmick’s restaurant located at the CityPlace in Santa Ana has picked up a lot of business over the last year.  They have in fact hosted four functions this year with over 100 people, in their meeting rooms. 

I met two friends to McCormick’s tonight for dinner.  We arrived about a half hour early and took a seat in their bar area, at a table for four.  We were still trying to figure out our drink orders when our hostess mentioned that her manager was going to bring over a lobster, and she handed us each a slip of paper to write down our guess as to the weight of the lobster.

The lobster appeared to be gigantic.  The General Manager, Larry Sherman, brought it over to us on a big platter.  We took turns eyeballing it and then we each decided to submit different guesses.  Kerry wrote down three pounds, two ounces.  I wrote down two pounds, fourteen ounces.  And Jay wrote down two pounds, eight ounces.

We sipped our Mojitos while we waited to find out if we had guessed correctly.  The lobster ended up weighing in at two pounds, twelve ounces.  Jay had the closest tally without surpassing the actual vote.  Hurrah!  Sherman was happy to transfer it to our dinner table, where we devoured it as our appetizer.  It was paired with asparagus and roasted red potatoes and served with melted butter.  Delicious!  But the night was just beginning. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Councilman Sal Tinajero has cut his water usage by over 50%!

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Sal Tinajero

Santa Ana Councilman Sal Tinajero is a champion at water conservation

The Santa Ana City Council is going to be revising landscaping codes this Monday, to include water efficient landscaping, at their last meeting this Monday evening, according to the City of Santa Ana’s website.

Many cities are allowing home owners to use alternative landscaping that wastes less water.

With that in mind, shocking news emerged over at the O.C. Register this weekend, as they published the amount of water used by local elected officials in Orange County.  It turns out many of these officials are big-time water wasters! Continue reading→