New Santa Ana | Category Archives: Santa Ana

Check out DTSA’s restaurants at Savor Santa Ana on 10/16

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Entertainment, Food, Restaurants, Santa Ana 5 Comments

Savor Santa Ana

You’ve been reading about Downtown Santa Ana or maybe even checked out one or two new award-winning restaurants and venues. Coming this October, Savor Santa Ana lets you sample a rainbow of DTSA restaurants all in one glorious epicurean evening.

At Savor Santa Ana on Thursday, October 16 from 5:30 PM to 9 PM, pick up a booklet of 12 tasting tickets for $10. With your booklet and a route map in hand, you will be free to walk DTSA’s tree-lined brick sidewalks on a lovely autumn evening to exchange your tickets for your most-wanted food tastings at local eateries. Exchange tickets for local art and other goodies, too!

Start your Savor Santa Ana experience at the Ticket & Info Booth on Spurgeon Promenade (located on Spurgeon between 3rd and 4th Streets). There you can buy ticket booklets and pick up a route map. The Ticket booth opens at 5 PM on Thursday, October 16. Explore Downtown Santa Ana’s culinary and arts district on a night of tasting and experiences! Continue reading→

Rep. Sanchez endorses Solorio for the 34th State Senate District

Posted on September 21, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Democratic Party, Jose Solorio, Loretta Sanchez, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

For Immediate Release: September 19, 2014

For More Information Contact: Maria Unzueta – mobile: (657) 464-4742

CONGRESSWOMAN LORETTA SANCHEZ ISSUES ENDORSEMENT STATEMENT FOR JOSE SOLORIO IN STATE SENATE RACE

Congresswoman Sanchez Says She and Solorio Agree on Making College Access and Affordability a Priority

Santa Ana, CA – Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez issued a formal endorsement for Jose Solorio as her choice in the 34th State Senate District. Sanchez’s endorsement is key in the district which includes a large portion of Congresswoman Sanchez’s district. Congresswoman Sanchez’s district includes all or parts of Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Anaheim and Orange.

“I’m supporting Jose Solorio because we both believe in fighting to protect everyone’s right to a good education. Jose and I believe that higher education should be a real option for all students. As a State Assemblyman, he wrote laws to help eliminate price-gouging on school textbooks. He also fought to protect $35 million for local schools and championed efforts to cut college tuition up to 40% for middle-class families,” says Congresswoman Sanchez. “I recently introduced the ‘Middle Class Chance Act’ to combat increasing college costs by helping students pay for college with a strengthened Pell Grant.” Continue reading→

Why is SAUSD Trustee John Palacio hiding his contact info from the public?

Posted on September 20, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Education, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Only two of the elected members of the Santa Ana Unified School District’s Board of Education, Cecilia Iglesias and Rob Richardson, post their contact information on the district’s website.

Why is it that the rest of the Trustees, including longtime incumbent John Palacio, who is running this year for reelection, are hiding their contact information from the voters and residents of this city? Continue reading→

Santa Ana to participate in a County wide emergency alert test on 9/23

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Emergencies, Santa Ana Leave a comment

City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County

Community Alert: CITY OF SANTA ANA JOINS 23 CITIES IN COUNTY WIDE ALERT OC REGIONAL TEST

Santa Ana, CA (September 19, 2014) – City of Santa Ana residents and over two million other Orange County residents will receive a call, email or push notification on Tuesday, September 23 for a Countywide regional test of Alert OC – the County’s regional mass notification system. This is the fifth annual regional test of the system and will include 23 participating cities and the County’s unincorporated areas.

The AlertOC drill will be held in conjunction with national Preparedness Month and will replicate a large scale, multi-jurisdictional emergency requiring thousands of numbers to be called simultaneously across Orange County’s entire region. The phone message will notify residents that it is a test and urge all residents to prepare for real-life emergencies by registering their cell numbers, text numbers and e-mail addresses at AlertOC.com for the best chance to receive vital, timely information when away from home. Continue reading→

Executive sentenced for not paying taxes on $180M in fraudulent income

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, OCDA, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release: September 19, 2014

Case # 03HF1207

FORMER EXECUTIVE SENTENCED TO SEVEN YEARS IN PRISON AND RESTITUTION FOR FAILING TO PAY TAXES ON OVER $180 MILLION IN UNREPORTED INCOME FROM POWER PLANT REFURBISHING BUSINESS

*Co-defendant ex-wife has been convicted and sentenced in this case

SANTA ANA – A former executive was sentenced today to seven years in state prison for failing to pay taxes on over $180 million in unreported income from their power plant refurbishing business. Richard Engel, 70, pleaded guilty Dec. 16, 2011, to three felony counts of filing false personal tax returns and five felony counts failing to file tax returns for himself and his company. The defendant also admitted to sentencing enhancements for fraud in excess of $500,000 causing a loss in excess of $1 million. Engel will also be required to pay restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court.

Richard Engel’s ex-wife Jolene Engel, 63, pleaded guilty Dec. 16, 2011, to one felony count of failure to file tax returns for her corporation and one felony count of failing to provide material information in a tax return. She was sentenced today to three years of informal probation and will also be subject to restitution in an amount to be determined. Continue reading→

Free admission to the Autumn Moon Festival at the Bowers Museum this weekend

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Arts and Culture, Asians, Entertainment, Santa Ana Leave a comment

MEDIA ADVISORY

WHAT: Free Admission to Autumn Moon Festival at Bowers Museum This Weekend

WHEN: Sat., Sept. 20 and Sun., Sept. 21 from 11am – 3:30 pm

WHERE: Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92706

COST: Free For All

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Continue reading→

Our City Council and School Board candidates forums should be televised!

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Civic Affairs, Education, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD 19 Comments

Santa Ana Council Candidates Forum

A Santa Ana City Council candidates forum was held this week and surprise barely anyone in the City of Santa Ana attended or even knew about it. Check out who did show up, as pictured above. Does that look like Santa Ana?

The reality is that unless we televise these forums they will have very little impact on the voters. And the shame of it is that both the City of Santa Ana and the Santa Ana Unified School District have vast internal public relations operations that include their own TV channels on local Cable and AT&T U-Verse.

So why aren’t the City Council candidates forums televised and why aren’t there any SAUSD School Board candidates forums? It all comes down to incumbent protection and that is just wrong.

If you want this to change then you are going to have to make some noise! Continue reading→

OC Human Relations Commission calls for humane treatment of immigrant children

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Central America, Civil Rights, immigration, Orange County, Santa Ana 1 Comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 18, 2014

CONTACT: Ken Inouye, Chair, 949-586-6640/Becky Esparza, Vice-Chair, 714-893-9834/Rusty Kennedy, CEO, 714-480-6585

Commission Calls for Humane Treatment and Protection of Central American Children

Concerns about the increasing number of Central American children detained and held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) came to a head this year with raucous demonstrations in Murrieta where ICE buses bringing these children from the border were blocked by demonstrators. ICE has for some time contracted with Orange County and other non-profit organizations to provide shelter for some of these unaccompanied minors seized at the border.

Commission Concerned About These Children Continue reading→

The OC Vector Control District wants to raise property taxes to pay for a museum exhibit

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Democratic Party, Disease, Health and Medical, Orange County, Orange County Vector Control District, Santa Ana Leave a comment

OC Vector Control District Hacks

The OC Vector Control District’s Trustees never tire of raising your property taxes!

From the OC Politics Blog

Today, the Orange County Vector Control District’s Board of Trustees “will consider contracting with the Discovery Science Center for a decade of exhibit space costing $1 million – averaging out to $100,000 a year,” according to the O.C. Register’s Watchdog.

Naturally, the OVCD’s staff is recommending a hike of about $1 a parcel that would bring in some $500,000 annually to pay for this exhibit. They want to raise our property taxes even though the OCVCD is awash in cash – they have a cushion of almost 70 percent of what it spends in a year.

As we suggested in a recent post, this is the epitome of a bloated County agency that really should be absorbed into the OC Health Care Agency – and all of their field spraying and extermination activities should be outsourced to contractors. This agency owes millions of dollars in unfunded pension and health benefit liabilities that we could avoid further via outsourcing! Continue reading→

City seeks public input to make walking and biking safer and easier in DTSA

Posted on September 18, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Bicycles, Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Planning, Public Safety, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Santa Ana DTSA and Transit Zone Complete Streets Plan

City of Santa Ana

Community Alert: City of Santa Ana Seeks Public Input with Plans to Make Walking and Bicycling Safer and Easier in Downtown Santa Ana

Public invited to attend 3-day design workshop on September 25-27

SANTA ANA, CA – Imagine downtown Santa Ana as a bicycle and pedestrian-friendly environment that encourages visitors and residents to park their cars and enjoy the city up close! That is the goal for Santa Ana city planners and a team of consultants who are embarking on development of the Downtown/Transit Zone Complete Streets Plan.

Complete Streets provide opportunities for increased physical activity by incorporating features that promote regular walking, bicycling and transit use into just about every street. A benefit that results from this approach would include improvements that make it easier and safer to travel between the Transportation Center and Downtown Santa Ana on foot, by bicycle or public transit. Continue reading→

Could Gilad Salmon become Santa Ana’s first Jewish City Councilman?

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Democratic Party, Gilad Salmon, Liberals, Michele Martinez, Mirna Velasquez, Politics, Rene Gomez, Republican Party, Santa Ana 8 Comments

Gilad Salmon

Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez has reason to worry as she prepares for her reelection campaign in the upcoming November General Election. But from what I hear she is not overly concerned about Mirna Velasquez, who appears to be her top challenger. No, Martinez is losing sleep over a candidate most Santa Ana residents have never heard of. His name is Gilad Salmon.

Salmon’s Facebook page says he grew up in Anaheim Hills but it also says he worked at a Jewish Community Foundation in San Francisco. Salmon is not running much of a campaign for Ward 2 but he might benefit from a three way vote split by the Latino candidates, which include Martinez, Velasquez and a fellow named Rene Gomez. Continue reading→

Man convicted of shooting a customer at Panaderia La Chapina

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Crime, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Israel Pena Lopez

Orange County District Attorney Press Release

For Immediate Release: September 17, 2014

Case # 10CF3188

MAN CONVICTED OF SHOOTING-MURDER OF VICTIM PREPARING COFFEE IN BAKERY

SANTA ANA – A man was convicted today of the shooting-murder of a victim in a Santa Ana bakery while the victim was preparing a cup of coffee. Israel Pena Lopez, 38, Santa Ana, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, and a sentencing enhancement for the personal discharge of a firearm causing death. He faces a maximum sentence of 75 years to life in state prison at his sentencing Oct. 10, 2014, in Department C-30, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Co-defendant Frankie Esteban Giraldo, 32, Santa Ana, was charged with murder but was found not guilty in this case.

At approximately 7:40 p.m. on Oct. 13, 2010, Lopez and Giraldo drove in separate vehicles to Panaderia La Chapina bakery on Edinger Avenue in Santa Ana. Lopez parked in a marked stall in front of the bakery and Giraldo drove through the parking lot before parking on a side street. The defendants got out of their vehicles and met outside the bakery. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Mayoral and City Council candidates forum set for Sep. 17

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, Civic Affairs, Entertainment, Politics, Santa Ana 3 Comments

Vote

PRESS RELASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Connie Hamilton, Connect-to-Council, 714.745.1692, connect-to-council@earthlink.net

COLLABORATION BETWEEN LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS TO HOST A FORUM AND DEBATE FOR THE SANTA ANA VOTERS

Santa Ana, CA, –Com-Link, Connect-to-Council, NeighborWorks Orange County, and the Santa Ana Register will collaborate in hosting a debate and forum with Santa Ana Mayoral and City Council candidates on Wednesday, September 17th 2014 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Rancho Santiago Community College District Building, 2323 N Broadway Ave. Santa Ana CA 92706.

“The residents of Santa Ana gave us excellent feedback on the Candidates’ Debate we presented for the 2012 election and we felt that the 2014 Candidates Debate is just as important. Teaming up with Com-Link, NeighborWorks Orange County and the OC Register gives us even more resources and experience to bring the most informative forum possible to the residents of Santa Ana”, explains Connie Hamilton, Connect-to-Council’s Chairperson. Continue reading→

Republican who once promoted Prop. 187 is now backing Roman Reyna for Mayor

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2014 Elections, David Benavides, irvine, Lupe Moreno, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Republican Party, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 18 Comments

Rosario Marin and her GOP pals

Rosario Marin, who worked for Gov. Wilson during the Prop. 187 campaign, is now promoting Roman Reyna

Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Monday that repeals unenforceable provisions of Proposition 187, the two-decade-old measure that sought to withhold public services from immigrants in the country illegally, according to the L.A. Times.

Ironically Santa Ana Councilman Roman Reyna announced today that Rosario Marin, a Republican who served as President George W. Bush’s U.S. Treasurer, would be the keynote speaker at a Reyna for Mayor campaign reception on Sep. 23. Marin worked as Governor Pete Wilson’s chief of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Developmental Services starting in 1996 and in 1997, she was named deputy director of Govern Wilson’s Office of Community Relations. In that position Marin had to defend the administration’s support for Prop. 187, according to Wikipedia. Continue reading→

McFadden Intermediate to celebrate 50th anniversary on 9/18

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Art Pedroza Posted in Education, Entertainment, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Youth Activities Leave a comment

McFadden 50th Web

Contact: Deidra Powell, Chief Communications Officer
(714) 558-5555 Office/(714) 673-4995 Mobile
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 16, 2014

Media Advisory: Calling all McFadden Intermediate Alumni, Former Teachers and Staff Members for McFadden’s 50th Anniversary Celebration

McFadden Intermediate School turns 50 years old this year, and to celebrate the school’s rich tradition and success, a Back to School Kickoff Mixer will be held at 4:00 p.m. this Thursday, September 18, 2014, in the school’s quad area, located at 2701 South Raitt Street in Santa Ana. Continue reading→