Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Orange County

Assemblyman Solorio urges residents to apply for earned income tax credits

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Jose Solorio, Orange County, Santa Ana, Taxes Leave a comment

For Immediate Release: February 29, 2012
For More Information Contact: Carol Chamberlain – office: (916) 319-2069, mobile: (916) 804-5355

Assemblyman Solorio Urges Residents to Apply For Earned Income Tax Credit if Eligible

“The sooner you file, the sooner you’ll get that refund,” he says.

SACRAMENTO – Assemblyman Jose Solorio (D-Anaheim) is encouraging working families with limited income to take advantage of free tax preparation and the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a government tax refund. The Earned Income Tax Credit, designed to help alleviate the tax burden of low and middle-income American families, often goes unclaimed by those who need it the most. Continue reading→

Was the SAUSD prepared for the arrest of a Godinez teacher, on sex charges?

Posted on by Posted in Courts, Crime, Education, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Youth Activities 24 Comments

UPDATE: The OC Register’s online article about this has some interesting comments, here.

Joseph Manuel Orduna, an Irvine resident and wrestling coach/teacher at the Santa Ana Unified School District’s (SAUSD) Godinez Fundamental High School, has been arrested and charged with “making sexually suggestive comments and inappropriately touching two female students.”  The SAPD and the OCDA are seeking the public’s help in identifying additional victims.

A running back, Orduna starred at the University of Nebraska before going on to play for the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts in the 1970s, according to Fox News.

FYI, this one hits close to home, as I have a son who is a sophomore at Godinez and another son who graduated from Godinez and is now at UCLA.  Godinez is a great school with top administrators and teachers – as such this case is a real shocker.  Continue reading→

Will sex tape prod force SAUSD Trustee Nadia Lockyer out of politics?

Posted on by Posted in 2010 Elections, california, Democratic Party, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, Women Leave a comment

Good grief.  Just when you thought the Nadia Lockyer affair and rehab scandal could not get any worse, a sex tape has allegedly emerged, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which reported that Nadia’s husband, California State Treasurer Bill Lockyer, “believed that the man, who has a history of arrests for alleged methamphetamine use, might make the tape public if forced to break off a romantic relationship with the supervisor.”

Bill accused Nadia’s “ex-lover” of beating her up after she met him at a motel.  “Stephen Chikhani (pictured above), the man Nadia Lockyer is accusing of attacking her, denied her account. He told the Oakland Tribune that the only truths were “that I have a record and that they were separated. … Pretty much everything else was made up by her husband.” The 35-year-old San Jose man has not been charged,” according to the Oakland Tribune, which refused to endorse Nadia when she ran for the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in 2010. Continue reading→

Get a free Metrolink pass to the Dana Point Festival of Whales on 3/3

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

The Dana Point Festival of Whales attracts nearly 100,000 visitors each year. With a parade, whale watching excursions, contests, a block party, shopping and more, the festival is a great way to celebrate the annual return of the migrating gray whales.

Join us in Orange for a FREE Metrolink ticket and more!

OCTA is kicking off the Festival of Whales with a celebration at the Orange Station on Saturday, March 3, 2012 at 8:30 a.m. The event will feature: Continue reading→

OC Lawmen open their football season in Santa Ana on March 10

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Entertainment, Orange County, Public Safety, Sports, Youth Activities Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contact: Katie Cover, OC Lawmen Football, Public Relations/Marketing Director
PO Box 10572, Westminster, CA 92685, 909-680-0155, Facebook – OC Lawmen

Lawmen open the season with some Heat…

Westminster, CA, February 22, 2012 – This season the OC Lawmen will open their season taking on the LA Heat in a full contact football game at the Santa Ana Bowl on March 10 at 3pm. Continue reading→

Get there greener – ride the bus with the ENC and the OCTA

Posted on by Posted in Energy, Entertainment, Environment, Nature, Newport Beach, OCTA, Orange County, Santa Ana, Transportation Leave a comment

GET THERE, GREENER – RIDE THE BUS WITH THE ENC AND OCTA

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., February 22, 2012 – As the cost of gas steadily rises throughout Orange County, reaching an average of $4.12 per gallon according to www.orangecountygasprices.com as of February 22, the Environmental Nature Center has partnered with the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) to put together a program focusing on greener alternatives to driving personal vehicles.

On Thursday, March 1 at 6 p.m., the ENC will host its “Getting there, Greener” program, alongside OCTA representatives, in an effort to get people out of their cars and onto a bus, train, bicycle, or into a ridesharing program. Continue reading→

2012 Orange County Green Fair coming to Santa Ana on May 17

Posted on by Posted in Business, Energy, Entertainment, Green, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 21, 2012

Contact: Jessica Good, 714.834.2722 office, Jessica.Good@ocwr.ocgov.com

Registration Underway for Sponsorship and Exhibitor Opportunities at the 2012 OC Green Fair

(Santa Ana, CA) – Orange County businesses interested in building their eco-friendly brandswhile networking and promoting to an anticipated crowd of 3,000 OC Green Fair attendees can register now as event sponsors or exhibitors. Continue reading→

Updated: Supervisor Nguyen using her CalOptima seat to raise campaign funds

Posted on by Posted in 2012 Elections, Health and Medical, Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

UPDATE: Supervisor Janet Nguyen may be up to her old tricks again.  In the past she has used anonymous surrogates to do her dirty work, including buying URLs similar to those used by her political opponents, and redirecting them to nasty sites.  Now an anonymous letter has been sent to the CalOptima board of directors Thursday accuses two board members — Chairman Ed Kacic and Mary Anne Foo — of improprieties, allegations both strongly denied, according to the Voice of OC.  And it turns out that Kacis is only trying to help the community:

Kacic, president of the Irvine Health Foundation, said his organization belongs to the Managed System of Care, a group that includes the CEOs of all Orange County hospitals, the county Health Care Agency, the Veterans Administration, CalOptima, clinics, major medical groups and business interests.

Continue reading→

Anti Santiago Creek bike trail NIMBYs caught on film!

Posted on by Posted in Bicycles, Nature, Neighborhood Associations, Orange County, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana 7 Comments

The pathetic NIMBY’s who oppose completing the Santiago Creek bike trail have been caught on film and the results are hilarious.  What is not funny is their insistence on forcing bicyclists onto dangerous city streets instead of finishing the segment of the Santiago Creek bike trail that extends briefly through the Floral Park and Fisher Park portion of the creek.

Check out the video above and let us know what you think!  And click here to find out more about what you can do to help us finish the bike trail!

O.C. Supervisors appoint new Clerk of the Board

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 14, 2012
Contact: Howard Sutter, 714.834.6203,office, Howard.Sutter@ocgov.com

Supervisors Appoint New Clerk of the Board

(Santa Ana, CA) — The Orange County Board of Supervisors has appointed Susan D. Novak to serve as Clerk of the Board effective February 10, 2012.

Ms. Novak has served as Chief Deputy Clerk of the Board of Supervisors since 1997 and has been serving as Interim Clerk of the Board since the retirement of DarleneBloom. “Susan has the knowledge and experience needed to lead this importantoffice and the Board looks forward to working with her in this new capacity,” said Chairman John M.W. Moorlach, Second District Supervisor. Continue reading→

O.C. Supervisors appoint Frank Ospino to be the County Public Defender

Posted on by Posted in Courts, Crime, Lawyers, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 14, 2012
Contact: Howard Sutter, 714.834.6203 office, Howard.Sutter@ocgov.com

New Public Defender Appointed by the Board of Supervisors

(Santa Ana, CA) — The Orange County Board of Supervisors has appointed Frank Ospino to serve as the County’s Public Defender. His appointment to the positionwas effective January 27, 2012.Ospino has served the County as Interim Public Defender since August of 2011. Hehas held the progressive positions of Deputy Public Defender, Senior Deputy PublicDefender, Assistant Public Defender, and Senior Assistant Public Defender over the course of his 24-year career with the department. Continue reading→

Santa Ana man convicted of breaking, entering and masturbating

Posted on by Posted in Courts, Crime, Garden Grove, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana 5 Comments

MAN CONVICTED OF BREAKING INTO HOME AND MASTURBATING IN FRONT OF GRANDMOTHER AND TWO YOUNG GRANDDAUGHTERS

SANTA ANA – A man was convicted today of breaking into the home of a grandmother and her two grandchildren, masturbating in front of the three victims. Ozro Robert Lee, 46, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count each of first degree residential burglary of an inhabited dwelling, indecent exposure after unlawful entry, and two felony counts of child annoyance after trespass, and a sentencing enhancement allegation for non-accomplice present during a residential burglary was found true. He faces a maximum sentence of eight years in state prison at his sentencing April 6, 2012, at 8:30 a.m.in Department C-37, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At approximately 8:00 p.m. on April 15, 2011, Lee broke into a Garden Grove home by prying at the front door using a screw driver or tool. Two little girls, ages 6 and 8 years old, were inside the home with their 59-year-old grandmother, Jane Doe. Continue reading→

O.C.D.A. gang prevention program will give away Chivas USA soccer tickets

Posted on by Posted in Gangs, Orange County, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Sports, Youth Activities 1 Comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release
For Immediate Release: February 9, 2012

1,200 STUDENTS SCORE CHANCE TO EARN CHIVAS USA SOCCER TICKETS IN KICKOFF OF GANG PREVENTION INCENTIVE PROGRAM

*800 students were surprised at school assemblies today; 400 others were hand-picked from 38 schools

ORANGE COUNTY – Chivas USA will sponsor more than 1,200 elementary and middle school students with an incentive to earn free tickets to a Chivas USA game in an ongoing effort to keep kids in school and out of gangs.

Chivas USA has teamed up with Orange County law enforcement in the Orange County Gang Reduction and Intervention Partnership (OC GRIP), which aims to prevent juveniles from being victims of or participants in gang crimes by identifying at-risk youth, increasing school attendance, and decreasing gang activity. Continue reading→

B-17 Flying Fortress “Fuddy Duddy” to fly at the Lyon Air Museum on 2/11

Posted on by Posted in Airplanes, Entertainment, Historical, Military, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

UPDATE: This flight has been canceled due to mechanical problems, according to the Lyon Air Museum’s Facebook page.

LYON AIR MUSEUM B-17 FLYING FORTRESS ‘FUDDY DUDDY’ IN ‘HISTORY TAKES FLIGHT’ EVENT FEB. 11

Iconic WW II Long-Range Heavy Bomber Aircraft at John Wayne Airport

SANTA ANA, Calif., January 23, 2012—World War II comes to life on Sat., Feb. 11 at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport when the biggest, most powerful bird in Lyon Air Museum’s collection – the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “Fuddy Duddy” – roars into the air as part of the Museum’s “History Takes Flight” program.

“Our ‘History Takes Flight’ events enable us to share with the public some of the amazing aircraft made famous during the titanic global struggle for freedom that was World War II,” said Mark Foster, president of Lyon Air Museum, a premier Southern California showcase for vintage WWII era aircraft and automobiles. Continue reading→

Pre-Superbowl exotic cars and cockpits meet at the Lyon Air Museum

Posted on by Posted in Airplanes, Cars, Education, Entertainment, Historical, Military, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Exotic Cars & Cockpits Pre-Superbowl Meet

Trying to figure out something to do before the big game? How about stopping by the Lyon Air Museum for our Exotic Cars & Cockpits Pre-Superbowl Meet event. We will have a line up of Porches, Lamborghinis, Ferraris and other exotic cars in the parking lot, as well as Hitler’s Mercedes, vintage aircraft and other great civilian and military automobiles inside the museum!

When: February 5th,10:00am-11:30am Continue reading→