Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Monthly Archives: August 2012

Dave Gibbons’ Newsong Church gets a second chance to minister in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Andy Quient, Arts and Culture, Churches and Religion, Dave Gibbons, Santa Ana 13 Comments

The artists at Downtown Santa Ana’s Santora Building have no idea what they missed out on when they rejected the proposed purchase of that building by the Newsong Church.  I found out today that they missed out on more than they could have imagined.

A few weeks ago I approached Pastor Andy Quient, my minister at Santa Ana’s First Baptist Church – a historic congregation that first met in 1872.  I knew that Newsong’s minister, Dave Gibbons, had expressed a desire to minister in Santa Ana.  I had a feeling that he still felt the same way.  Quient’s challenge at First Baptist has been filling a church that has lost many of its parishioners over time. Continue reading→

69th A.D. candidate Tom Daly accused of sexual harassment

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Anaheim, Crime, Democratic Party, Orange County, Tom Daly 9 Comments

On July 10 of this year I posted an article on this blog entitled “Shouldn’t Daly be investigated for Bustamante-like behavior.”  Today it hit the fan for Daly, as “County officials are moving to hire a law firm to check into a host of sexual harassment and corruption allegations against County Clerk-Recorder Tom Daly, who is currently the frontrunner to become Orange County’s next State Assemblyman for the 69th District,” according to the Voice of OC.

The letter alleges that Daly has handed out promotions and engaged in inappropriate behavior with at least four female workers at the Clerk Recorders’ Office, which it refers to as “ Tommy’s Girls or Tommy’s Angels.” Continue reading→

Solorio doesn’t back minorities but he wants insurance companies to do so

Posted on by Posted in Business, california, Jose Solorio Leave a comment

Solorio is a big fan of white male politicians

Assemblyman Jose Solorio wants to force insurance companies in California to buy services from minority owned businesses. He sent out a press release today announcing that “AB 53, authored by State Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim), has passed the Legislature and awaits the Governor’s signature. The legislation would encourage California’s insurance industry to consider diversity when entering into procurement contracts.”

The release also indicated that “Specifically, AB 53 requires major California insurers to file a report with the Insurance Commissioner regarding their outreach and procurement practices involving businesses owned by women, minorities, and disabled veterans.” Continue reading→

Free 2012 Summer Sensation Concert today at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Charities, Entertainment, Health and Medical, music Leave a comment

Don’t miss today’s 2012 Summer Sensation Concert at the Yost Theater, in Downtown Santa Ana, from noon to 5 pm.  Learn about local resources available to the youth of Santa ana as you enjoy a day of live entertainment! Support local youth talent!

Learn about the resources some of your local organizations provide to youth including Latino Health Access, The Center OC, KidWorks and Building Healthy Communities.

Organized by youth from: YEN, YETA, CORE and Teen Space.  For more info: Barbara 714-878-1658,  Barbara@kidworksonline.org.

FREE FOOD FREE MUSIC FREE RESOURCES! Continue reading→

The O.C. Health Care Agency covered up an E. coli outbreak this April

Posted on by Posted in Food, Health and Medical, Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Shawn Nelson Leave a comment

“Sometime in April, nine customers at an Orange County restaurant got sick after eating lettuce laced with Escherichia coli, the deadly, dreaded bacterium better known as E. coli. The lettuce came from Amazing Coachella Inc. of Coachella, and their poisoned product also struck eaters in Canada, where the outbreak was a national story. The OC restaurant was the only other culprit; it closed for a couple of days, then opened, and that was that,” according to the OC Weekly.

Here’s the kicker – the Orange County Health Care Agency, which inspects restaurants and oversees food safety in Orange County, never “never revealed it to the public when the outbreak occurred, and it doesn’t want you to know about it—now or ever.” Continue reading→

Public assistance sought by SAPD to I.D. check-cashing robbery suspects

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana Police Department Advisory: Request public assistance in identifying cash checking robbery suspects-VIDEO AVAILABLE

Since July 2011, seven Orange County check cashing stores have been robbed just before the store opens for the day. Once employees arrive and enter the secured area, two to three suspects drop from a hole in the ceiling they previously cut. In some cases, a handgun was seen. The suspects are described as Black males in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Continue reading→

Free adult basic education classes start at RSCCD on 8/27

Posted on by Posted in Education, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Contacts: Judy Iannaccone, Director, Communications, Phone: (714) 480-7503, e-mail: iannaccone_judy@rsccd.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 22, 2012

Adult Basic Education Classes Are Rewarding, Flexible, And Free!

Fall Classes Start on August 27

(Santa Ana)—Broadening your horizons and improving your employability have never been easier. Rancho Santiago Community College District (RSCCD) provides continuing education programs through Santa Ana and Santiago Canyon Colleges that are free, non-credit and nearby. Courses have flexible hours with an open/entry, open/exit policy and an abundance of services so adult learners can reach their goals. Programs include adult basic education, citizenship, English as a Second Language (ESL), high school completion, general education development (GED), business and vocational skills. Continue reading→

Hero2Hired mobile job store for veterans in O.C. on 8/23-24

Posted on by Posted in Jobs, Military, Orange County Leave a comment

PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WHAT: JOBS FOR VETERANS – H2H, HERO2HIRE MOBILE JOB STORE, www.H2H.jobs, https://www.facebook.com/H2H.Jobs

WHEN: 23 & 24 AUGUST 2012

-THURSDAY, 23 August: 10AM to 5PM (1000-1700hrs)
-FRIDAY, 24 August: 8AM to 11AM (0800-1100hrs) Continue reading→

Tony de los Reyes: Border Theory to debut at Grand Central Art Center on 9/1

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Entertainment, Latinos, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WHEN: September 1 – November 14, 2012
HOURS: Tu-Th, Sun, 11 am – 4 pm, Fri – Sat, 11 – 4 pm
RECEPTION: Saturday, September 1, 7 – 10 pm

Tony de los Reyes: Border Theory

September 2012, Santa Ana – Grand Central Art Center presents Tony de los Reyes: Border Theory, the debut of the artist’s new series of rigorous, visually tactile paintings that contemplate abstraction as the foundation of both color field painting and the establishment of the US-Mexico border. In works that are both optically vivid as well as quietly provocative, Border Theory posits that the inclinations behind border-making and the aesthetic principles of abstraction are powered by the same habitual pursuit of spatial order. Continue reading→

Santa Ana keeps all investigations of alleged bad cops secret

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Crime, David Benavides, Public Safety, Santa Ana 1 Comment

According to the Orange County Register, “the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights, introduced in 1976, was intended to protect cops from overzealous investigations. Since its passage into California law,  it has protected officers from much more.”  A 2009 Orange County Register investigation found that the law has often been a safety net for bad cops.

The Register asked a number of cities for information about the “total number of internal affairs  investigations conducted against sworn officers that were conducted internally versus externally.”  Several cities complied and provided that information to the Register, including La Habra, Seal Beach, Tustin, Huntington Beach, Placentia, Los Alamitos, Irvine, Garden Grove,  Fountain Valley,  Cypress,  Costa Mesa,  Brea and Anaheim.

What about the City of Santa Ana?  Unfortunately Santa Ana took the position that all such investigations are secret. Continue reading→

Santa Ana announces addition of 22 new park acres!

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Parks and Recreation, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Vince Sarmiento 1 Comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community: Santa Ana City Council Announces Improvement in Acres of Recreational Space

SANTA ANA, CA (August 20, 2012) – For the last twenty years, Santa Ana has had .9-acres of recreational open space for every 1,000 residents. In the last five years, the City has made great strides in planning and building new recreational open space opportunities, which are projected to add 22 new acres to the City’s park system. At the August 20th Council meeting, the City Council announced that the new open space ratio will be 1.48-acres per 1,000 residents. Continue reading→

Garage Sale to benefit students set for 8/25 at the Yost Theater

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Education, Entertainment, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Career College of California is hosting a Garage Sale to raise money for their Student Relief Fund. It is set for August 25th from 8:30am to 12:00pm in front of the Yost Theater at 3rd Street between Bush and Spurgeon.

The Garage Sale will feature brand new clothing from Volcom, GNC, Robert August, Electric Chair, Rockin Fig, and much more.  Discounts up to 75%! Continue reading→

O.C. Deputies paid more than SAPD police officers are

Posted on by Posted in Crime, Labor, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana’s police officers are not among the highest paid cops in Orange County, according to a new study commissioned by The Association of California Cities of Orange County.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which provides service to a dozen cities as well as the unincorporated areas of the county, came in number two on a list ranking O.C.’s police departments — in order of total compensation, according to the O.C. Register.  The top base monthly salary for sheriff’s deputies was $7,308, with total comp of $13,968.

The top base monthly salary for Santa Ana’s cops is $7,039 per month and their total compensation comes to $12,348. Continue reading→

$9 million for new O.C. bike trails, but not on Santiago Creek’s trail

Posted on by Posted in Bicycles, Nature, Orange County, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana 22 Comments

“More than $9 million of federal dollars will be spent to add 28 crucial miles of bike lanes and trails in Orange County, an effort to better connect the region’s bikeway system,” according to the O.C. Register.

That is great news, and Santa Ana will draw some benefit from this expenditure, with new bikeways along 1st St., Chestnut Ave. and Newhope St., and new bike crossings along the Maple Bike Trail.

However there will be no money to complete the Santiago Creek bike trail, which abruptly ends after you pass the MainPlace Mall/5 Fwy. overpass.  Read more about that here and here.   Continue reading→

Thanks to Robert Allen we have a chance to boot SAUSD Trustee Rob Richardson!

Posted on by Posted in Carlos Bustamante, Education, Elections, Orange County, Rob Richardson, Robert Allen, Santa Ana, SAUSD Leave a comment

A surprise candidate filed for the SAUSD School Board at the last minute – a “customer service administrator” named Robert Allen.  I have no idea who he is, and I don’t care – the fact is that his presence on the ballot gives us a chance at long last to boot to SAUSD Trustee Rob Richardson.

Richardson recently told the O.C. Register that he is okay with 20% of our schools having API scores under 700.  That alone is reason to get rid of Richardson – but consider that Richardson engineered an illegal 33% pay raise, as an Orange County administrator, that the Board of Supervisors revoked last year, according to the Voice of OC.  They also took away Richardson’s County car. Continue reading→