Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Monthly Archives: January 2012

Groundbreaking at Santa Ana’s Station District development on Jan. 10

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Development, Entertainment, Housing, Santa Ana 4 Comments

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Friday January 6, 2012, 4:03 PM

Advisory: PRESS CONFERENCE ADVISORY Santa Ana Redevelopment Agency and Related California Break Ground on Station District

SANTA ANA, CA (January 6, 2012) – On Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 3:00 pm at the project site at 600 N. Lacy Street in Santa Ana (Corner of Lacy Street and Santa Ana Blvd), a groundbreaking ceremony will be attended by City Officials, community members, and other partners . The City of Santa Ana Redevelopment Agency and Related California, a real estate developer specializing in affordable and market rate multifamily and mixed-use residential properties in California, have started construction on 74 units of apartment homes for low-income families in the Lacy Neighborhood of the Santa Ana Station District. Continue reading→

Solorio promotes mortgage assistance programs

Posted on by Posted in Housing, Jose Solorio, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Assemblyman Solorio Wants Homeowners to Know Mortgage Assistance Programs are Still Available and
Have Expanded Eligibility

Recent updates to the $2 billion program expected to help more families remain in their homes

ANAHEIM – State Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) wants constituents to be aware that the “Keep Your Home California” program has expanded eligibility for homeowners struggling to remain in their homes.

“More people can avoid losing their homes with this additional assistance,” says Solorio. “Help is available for families receiving unemployment benefits, saddled with mortgages with high interest rates, or owing more on their mortgage than their home is worth.” Continue reading→

SAPD to be featured in Friday night’s episode of “America’s Most Wanted”

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Entertainment, Paul Walters, Public Safety 1 Comment

The Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) will be featured in this Friday night’s episode of “America’s Most Wanted,” hosted by John Walsh, on the Lifetime Network.

SAPD Chief Paul Walters said in an email that there will be two separate incidents involving the SAPD, in episode 6 of America’s Most Wanted. Continue reading→

Theatre Out teams with All Puppet Players to present Avenue Q musical

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Entertainment, LGBT, music, Plays, Santa Ana Leave a comment

THEATRE OUT TEAMS WITH ALL PUPPET PLAYERS TO PRESENT TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL “AVENUE Q”

Santa Ana, CA (1/04/2012) – Theatre Out, Orange County’s gay and lesbian theatre company, is pleased to partner with Orange County’s All Puppet Players to present the Tony Award-Winning musical AVENUE Q beginning January 13, 2012. Running through February 25, this imagintive musical combines humans and puppets in a completely adult send-up of childhood favorites such as The Muppets and Sesame Street.

AVENUE Q tells the story of Princeton, an eager recent college graduate, who, down on his luck but still optimistic, looks for a place to live in an apartment complex on Avenue Q. While looking for a job and his purpose in life, Princeton finds friends and love. Other denizens of the avenue include the reclusive, porn-addicted Trekkie Monster; the bright-eyed school teacher, Kate Monster; unusual roommates, Nicky and Rod; Lucy the Slut, fiances Brian and Christmas Eve and Gary Coleman (yes, THAT Gary Coleman). With a music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and a witty, heartfelt book by Jeff Whitty, AVENUE Q has been an audience favorite since it debuted Off-Broadway in 2003. Continue reading→

SAUSD schools suck again – why do the Trustees keep getting elected?

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Education, Politics, Santa Ana 27 Comments

How depressing.  The OC Weekly posted a number of articles featuring the worst Orange County elementary, middle and high schools.  The Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) dominated all three worst ten lists.  Now we know why SAUSD Trustee Audrey Noji sent her son to a high school in Irvine.

Noji was of course reelected last year, after her fellow Trustee, John Palacio (who maintains a second home in Arizona and is only here in CA on a part time basis) endorsed her.  Yes, he too was reelected. Continue reading→

Homicides decreased in Santa Ana 59% over the past year!

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, Miguel Pulido, Paul Walters, Public Safety, Santa Ana 17 Comments

According to Santa Ana’s Chief of Police and Acting City Manager, Paul Walters, the overall homicide totals from January 1st through December 31 decreased 59% from last year.  There were 29 homicides in 2010 and 12 in 2011.

In 2011, the number of gang related homicides decreased by 45%.   There were 11 gang-related homicides in 2010 and 6 in 2011.

In 2011, the number of non-specific homicides decreased by 66%.   There were 18 non-specific homicides in 2010 and 6 in 2011, during the same time period. Continue reading→

Back to Natives receives $5K grant from Ralphs for habitat restoration

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Green, Orange County, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana, Volunteer Leave a comment

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
CONTACT: REGINALD DURANT, DIRECTOR OF RESTORATION
BACK TO NATIVES RESTORATION, (949) 335-8655

BACK TO NATIVES RECEIVES $5,000 GRANT FROM RALPHS FOR VOLUNTEER HABITAT RESTORATION PROGRAM

IRVINE, Calif., January 4, 2012 – Back to Natives Restoration, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit public charity has received a $5,000 grant from Ralphs to support its Volunteer Habitat Restoration Program.

Back to Natives is collaborating with the City of Santa Ana at the Santiago Park Nature Reserve, where student volunteers will perform habitat quality monitoring, remove invasive plants and plant native plants. Volunteers will learn about the importance of biodiversity and habitat restoration as they perform meaningful community service to improve the Reserve for both wildlife and humans. Volunteer dates are listed on Back to Native’s website, www.backtonatives.org. Continue reading→

What to make of McCormicks & Schmick’s at the CityPlace closing?

Posted on by Posted in Business, Restaurants, Santa Ana 14 Comments

The McCormick & Schmick’s restaurant at Santa Ana’s CityPlace has been closed down, according to the O.C. Register, after the company was purchased by the Landry’s company – which owns a bunch of restaurants including what is left of Claimjumpers.

When the CityPlace opened up I was very critical of their tenant mix.  It seemed too high-end for Santa Ana.  Granted the CityPlace, which is across from the MainPlace Mall, is near Santa Ana’s most affluent neighborhoods – Floral Park and Park Santiago, but the CityPlace is ringed by senior homes and high density apartments (in Orange). Continue reading→

Save the Sexlinger Orchard demonstration set for this Sat., Jan. 7

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Development, Entertainment, Nature, Orange County, Parks and Recreation 3 Comments

DEMONSTRATION THIS SATURDAY

January 7, 2012 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm

Come on out to our first demo of 2012. We continue to connect with lots of folks in support of preserving the Sexlinger Orange Orchard. Come on by to say hello, sign our petition or, leave a message to the Santa Ana Planning Department and City Council on a paper “orange.” We will have the signed oranges with your message attached to “trees” as a representation of our “orchard of support” to keep this orchard alive and well. Together we can stop the development project that has been proposed to the city of Santa Ana by TAVA Development Company and the owners of the orchard, Concordia University Irvine and Orange Lutheran High School. Continue reading→

John Wayne Airport served 705,465 passengers in November, 2011

Posted on by Posted in Airplanes, Orange County, Santa Ana, Transportation Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 3, 2012
Contact: Jenny Wedge , (949) 252-5182 (office), jwedge@ocair.com

JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT POSTS NOVEMBER 2011 STATISTICS

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Airline passenger traffic at John Wayne Airport increased in November 2011 as compared to November 2010. In November 2011, the Airport served 705,465 passengers, an increase of 2.1% when compared to the 690,859 passenger traffic count of November 2010. Continue reading→

Boys and Girls Club tackles high school grad rates in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Education, Santa Ana, Volunteer, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Boys & Girls Club of Santa Ana Press Release

Boys & Girls Club of Santa Ana Tackles High School Graduation Rates in Santa Ana

University of Phoenix Foundation Encourages Youth to Be Great and Graduate with National Education Initiative

Santa Ana, CA, January 2012- One in three youth in the United States fails to graduate each year. Additionally, one in two African American and Hispanic children, fall short of high school graduation. At the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Ana, we are working hard to combat these unsettling statistics through implementation of the BE GREAT: Graduate program, funded by University of Phoenix Foundation. As part of the program, Santa Ana youth will be set on the right track to high school graduation. Continue reading→

Santa Ana to shut down water for Bristol and 5th St. area on Wed., Jan. 4

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, public works, Santa Ana, Water Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County
Tuesday January 3, 2012, 5:42 PM

Alert: Water Shut Down for Bristol & Fifth Streets Area

Beginning Wednesday, January 4, 2012, between the hours of 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, water services will be shut down for the area of Bristol & Fifth Streets. This will allow crews to transfer water service to a new water main. Continue reading→

Introducing the new OC Politics blog

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Blogs, Elections, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana 11 Comments

Yes its true – I launched a new Orange County political blog on New Year’s Day.  I am calling it the “Orange County Politics Blog.”

As many of you may know, I started Orange County’s first political blog, the Orange Juice, back in 2003.  It became Orange County’s top political blog and I believe that one of the reasons for that was our dedication to being an alternative to the red and blue blogs in the O.C.   Continue reading→

Our 2011 Santa Ana Man and Woman of the Year are Espinoza and Cisneros

Posted on by Posted in Latino Leaders, Santa Ana, Women, Youth Activities 4 Comments

Our readers have spoken!  They voted for the Orange County Register’s O.C. Latino Link Editor, Theresa Cisneros, as our 2011 Santa Ana Woman of the Year, and they also selected Santa Ana Youth Commissioner Jonathan Espinoza as our 2011 Santa Ana Man of the Year.  Congratulations to both of these great contributors to Santa Ana!

Cisneros beat Santa Ana Council Woman Michele Martinez, who is currently running to replace Assemblyman Jose Solorio in the 69th Assembly District, and Jackie Cordova, the co-owner, along with her husband Rudy, of Calacas on 4th Street and the new Calacas Cafe.  Santa Ana Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, O.C. Sheriff Sandra Hutchens, and U.S. Rep. Loretta Sanchez were also in the running. Continue reading→

Join Back to Natives and restore nature in the New Year, at Santiago Park

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Entertainment, Health and Medical, Nature, Orange County, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Habitat Restoration at Santiago Park Nature Reserve, on 1/28/12, 9AM to 12PM

Do some good in the New Year with Back to Natives! Come assist us in restoring habitat for animals at the Santiago Park Nature Reserve in Santa Ana. We meet at the Reserve once a month to remove weeds, cast native seed and plant native plants (depending on the season). Bring gloves, sunscreen, a re-usable water bottle filled with water, hat, and closed toed shoes.  RSVP: volunteer@backtonatives.org. Continue reading→