Santa Ana has been selected as the fourth safest city in the United States of America, by Forbes.
To find America’s 10 safest cities, Forbes looked at metropolises with populations above 250,000. They then ranked them by violent crime rates—the number of violent crimes (murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents in 2010, as reported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Continue reading
Alert: Street Closure for Water Main Tie-ins
Due to new water main construction, water shutdowns are scheduled from 12/21/2011 thru 12/22/11. The hours of the shutdown will be from 9 am to 3 pm and will affect the areas of Bristol at 5th and 6th Streets.
Anyone with issues or concerns is asked to call Santa Ana Public Works at 714-647-5690. Continue reading
Assemblyman Solorio (center) with the Solorio Scholars, Class of 2012
For Immediate Release: December 21, 2011
For More Information Contact: Carol Chamberlain – office: (916) 319-2069, mobile: (916) 804-5355
“Solorio Scholars” Awardees Celebrate End of College Application Process
Outstanding seniors received financial help and acquired additional writing skills for college application process
SANTA ANA – On a Saturday evening this holiday season, 25 outstanding high school seniors were recognized as “Solorio Scholars” at the Delhi Center in Santa Ana. The evening capped an intense college application season made easier for the Solorio Scholars through personalized help with their college applications and up to $250 for college application fees. The Solorio Scholars program was created in 2009 to inspire more high school students in central Orange County to apply for college. Continue reading
Assemblyman Solorio (center) joins (from left) Diamond Park Mutual Water Company President Jose Espinoza, Interim City Manager and Police Chief Paul Walters, Mayor Miguel Pulido, Public Works Director Raul Godinez and Santa Ana City Councilmember David Benavides at a groundbreaking ceremony in Diamond Park celebrating infrastructure improvements to bring clean drinking water to the neighborhood.
For Immediate Release: December 21, 2011
For More Information Contact: Carol Chamberlain – office: (916) 319-2069, mobile: (916) 804-5355
Construction to Improve Water Quality for Santa Ana’s Diamond Park Neighborhood Begins
Community leaders gather to launch long-awaited water pipeline improvements to Santa Ana’s Diamond Park neighborhood Continue reading
The historic First Baptist Church of Santa Ana is celebrating Christmas all throughout December. You can join them this Saturday, Dec. 24, for their annual Christmas Eve candlelight program, which includes a service featuring Rev. Andy Quient, and Christmas Carols by candlelight, starting at 6 pm, in the patio and the Fireside Room.
First Baptist Church of Santa Ana is located at 1010 West 17th St., near Flower St. Continue reading
Tuesday December 20, 2011, 6:22 PM
City of Santa Ana, Downtown Orange County
Community: City Council Approves 1st Reading of Ordinance on Re-Boundary of Council Wards
SANTA ANA, CA (December 20, 2011) – The City Council at its regularly scheduled City Council Meeting, held December 19, 2011, approved, by unanimous consent, the first reading of an ordinance that will change the City Council Ward Boundaries. The second reading of the ordinance is set for Tuesday, January 17th at 6 p.m. in the Council Chamber. The City Council directed the Clerk of the Council to educate members of the community about the process taken to develop the proposed boundaries. If interested, please contact the Clerk of the Council Office at 714-647-6520 thru Friday, January 13, 2012, to schedule a session during regular business hours. Attached for review is a map with the proposed and current boundary lines. Continue reading
Former Santa Ana Councilman Ted Moreno is defending the Fisher Park residents’ right to a messy creek
Former Santa Ana Councilman Ted Moreno has returned at long last from a self-imposed exile from local community affairs and politics. Moreno was drawn back into the fray by an article posted on this blog on Dec. 18, regarding the efforts by a handful of Santa Ana’s wealthier residents, in the Fisher Park neighborhood, to stop the Santiago Creek bike trail from being completed.
Moreno, was convicted of extortion and money-laundering in an alleged scheme to take control of the Santa Ana City Council and sentenced in February of 2001 to almost five years in prison, according to the L.A. Times. Many residents then and now felt that Moreno was entrapped and my old friend Lou Lopez, who was the first Latino elected to the Anaheim City Council, told me that the same FBI informant who entrapped Moreno, also tried to ensnare him. But Lopez, a retired police officer, ran the other way, while Moreno got caught. Continue reading
Past Intern of Project SELF Mentoring Internship for Low-Income Minority Teens Receives Full Ride to Georgetown University; Internship at White House
Crowell & Moring Intern Jonathan Espinoza sets example for future Project SELF participants
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jess Block, 909-706-8525 or jessblockpr@gmail.com
SANTA ANA, CA- Segerstrom High School senior Jonathan Espinoza was introduced to the legal professional field through the Project SELF (Summer Employment in Law Firm) program as a summer 2011 intern, an experience that has guided him toward the ultimate goal of earning a Juris Doctor. Jonathan has been awarded a summer 2012 internship at the White House and full ride offer to Georgetown University for fall of 2012. Continue reading
A new website of people who are against finishing the Santiago Creek bike trail, called the “Save Santiago Creek Alliance,” is purporting to represent resident’s of Santa Ana’s Casa de Santiago, Fisher Park, Floral Park, Morrison Park, Riverview, and West Floral Park neighborhoods – but not one name appears anywhere on the website. It is completely anonymous.
I did get an email today from a fellow named Ronald E Salem. He claims to be the “interim director” of this mysterious anonymous organization, but his name is not to be found on their website. I did find his Facebook page. This guy is definitely part of the 1%. His profile picture (see above) shows him piloting a yacht. Nice. He appears to be a psychologist with a family counseling practice based in Glendora.
It is terribly dishonest for these people to use the word “Alliance” in their name, given that the major proponents of finishing the Santiago Creek bike trail are the Santiago Creek Greenway Alliance. Continue reading
I finally got around to reading the Santa Ana Zoo’s press release regarding the cancellation of their elephant rides. Wow. Zoo officials showed absolutely no remorse at all in a release that stated that the rides are ending not because of the allegations of abuse of the elephants (see the shocking video above), by the company, Have Trunk Will Travel, that provided the pachyderms,and not because of PETA’s ongoing protest of the rides, but rather because of a “recent safety policy change by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).”
In fact Santa Ana Zoo Director Kent Yamaguchi told the L.A. Times that “I still think elephant rides are an amazing way for people to learn about the animals through hands-on contact.” Bull! They were all about charging ridiculous prices – at least $5 per ride! How many working families in Santa Ana could even afford that in the first place? The elephant rides always were a fundraising scheme for the Santa Ana Zoo. Trying to say that they were about education is simply ridiculous. What the heck can you learn from a two minute five dollar ride on an elephant? Continue reading
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: David Valentin, Chief of Police, (714) 558-5829
Santa Ana Unified School District Police Department Welcomes New District Safety Officers
SANTA ANA, CA – December 15, 2011- During a hiring ceremony on Thursday, December 15, 2011, the Santa Ana Unified School District Police Department welcomed three new District Safety Officers. The newest members will join a team of 35 civilian District Safety Officers who proudly and professionally serve the students, staff and entire SAUSD community. Continue reading
What has gotten into Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez? She used to be somewhat fiscally conservative but lately she has really lost it. For example, she testified in Congress this week that we need high speed rail – and her “evidence” was that she used to have to wait up to 45 minutes to take off in private jets, before she was in Congress. And her kicker was talking about the shutdown of part of the 60 Freeway, after a gasoline tanker burned up and damaged an overpass.
Here’s the question – how would high speed rail fix any of this? The biggest downside is the cost of building it but beyond that rail has a limitation that airplanes don’t have – it travels only from point A to point B. You can fly from John Wayne Airport virtually anywhere of note. A high speed rail line that goes from Orange County to Sacramento will eventually get you to Northern California, but what if you wanted to go to Las Vegas? Or Phoenix? You would be out of luck – and even worse, as a taxpayer you would still be stuck subsidizing the rail line. Continue reading
**MEDIA ALERT**
December 15, 2011
CONTACT: Don Han, (714) 796-8361, don@ochumanrelations.org
Call for Nominations: Orange County Heroes Wanted
Seeking Those Who Take a Stand for Civil Rights, Diversity, Safe and Inclusive Schools and Community-Oriented Policing
What: OC Human Relations is seeking nominations of individuals, law enforcement, schools, and community organizations that have made lasting contributions to human relations in Orange County to be honored at Awards 41 on May 10, 2012 at the City National Grove of Anaheim. Continue reading
PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 16, 2011
Contact: Adrienne Watson, 317-430-4611 / adrienne.e.watson@gmail.com
SANCHEZ REVEALS 2011 HOLIDAY CARD TO FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS
Washington, DC — Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez is proud to unveil her 2011 Holiday Card. The famous card was sent electronically to Loretta’s friends and supporters, who for the first time were able to vote for the theme of the card. Thousands of ballots were marked online and voters chose by an overwhelming percentage to be surprised. Continue reading
When Santa Ana’s gay bar, Velvet Lounge, was granted a C.U.P. (Conditional Use Permit) by the City of Santa Ana’s Planning Agency, they got most of what they asked for – except that they were forbidden from engaging in “adult entertainment.” Well, judging from the pictures on their website, it looks like they might be violating their C.U.P. – regularly. Take a look for yourself – the pictures below tell the story better than I can: Continue reading