Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Category Archives: Santa Ana

Templo Calvario Bidders’ Conference coming up on Jan. 20 in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, Housing, Latinos, Redevelopment, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Templo Calvario 2

Santa Ana’s Templo Calvario is inviting community stakeholders to join them to learn about applying for an exciting capacity building opportunity, funded by the Compassion Capital Fund (CCF), at the 2010 Bidders’ Conference.

Learn about the training, coaching, mentoring and sub-award funding available for capacity building. Grow in four (4) areas of capacity – Leadership Development, Organizational Development, Program Development, and Community Engagement Walk through the application process to participate in.

  • Learn about the training, coaching, mentoring and sub-award funding available for capacity building.
  • Grow in four (4) areas of capacity – Leadership Development, Organizational Development, Program Development, and Community Engagement.
  • Walk through the application process to participate in the Templo Calvario Community Development Corporation Desarollo LEARN project Continue reading→

Craig Hunter, a native of Santa Ana, wants to be our next Sheriff

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Crime, Orange County, Politics, Public Safety, Santa Ana 5 Comments

Craig Hunter

Anaheim Deputy Chief of Police Craig Hunter

There are three candidates running for Orange County Sheriff.  One of them is the appointed incumbent, Sandra Hutchens.  The others are Bill Hunt, a former Orange County Deputy Sheriff, and Craig Hunter, the Deputy Chief of the Anaheim Police Department.

Hunt ran against former O.C. Sheriff Mike Carona, who resigned as Sheriff after he was indicted last year.  Carona fired Hunt after the election, allegedly for badmouthing the Sheriff’s Department.  Hunt was the Chief of Police in the City of San Clemente, which contracts their police services from the O.C. Sheriff’s Department.  While most political speech is protected, Hunt lost his job because his comments were bad form for someone in his position, according to department insiders.

Hunter is not well known outside of Anaheim, but he is very well known in the law enforcement community.  Hunter was also one of several candidates who applied to replace Carona.  He came in fourth in that selection process.

Hunter was born and raised in the City of Santa Ana.  He graduated from Santa Ana High School and just this past December he was inducted into the Santa Ana College Hall of Fame, according to the Santa Ana College’s website.  He also earned a Masters in Criminal Justice, at Chapman University. Continue reading→

State Senator Lou Correa to host cash for college workshops in Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Anaheim, Education, Lou Correa, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Free cash for college

State Senator Lou Correa has begun outreach efforts to help Orange County High School Students apply for Cal Grants and Federal Financial Aid. The deadline to apply is March 2nd, 2010.

The District Office is hosting a series of 4 Cash for College workshops in Orange County: Thursday, January 21st at Santa Ana High School, Thursday, January 28th at Valley High School, Saturday, January 30th in Westminster, and Thursday, February 4th 2010 at Anaheim High School.

Students who attend will have the opportunity to win a $1000 scholarship just for attending! Please help us get the word out.  Click here to see the Santa Ana High School Flier.  Click here for the Valley High School flier. Continue reading→

New law to close loophole that allowed OCHSA to censor a student reporter

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, california, Civil Rights, Education, Literature, Orange County, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

State Senator Leland Yee

Remember the mini-scandal that surfaced when Sue Vaughn, the Principal at the Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA), interfered with the publishing of the school paper because she didn’t like something that a student reporter wrote about a school vendor?  That happened in September of last year.  You can read all about it by clicking here.

Vaughn picked on the wrong student.  The reporter’s mom turned out to be a media bigwig.  Now it appears that her mom had major political pull too.

On Tuesday, State Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) introduced “SB 438 in response to Orange County High School of the Arts’ insistence that administrators broke no laws when they halted printing of the student newspaper in September over objections to its content, according to an Orange County Register report, because the laws apply to public schools, not charter schools,” according to the OC Weekly. Continue reading→

Santa Ana’s 7th Illusion presents their 5th anniversary celebration and fundraiser

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Education, Entertainment, Latinos, music, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

School of Rock

7th Illusion invites you to the 5th Anniversary Celebration and Fundraiser.  7th Illusion educates teenagers in the music and arts fields.  Their programs are offered at low or not cost for low income families.

7th Illusion is an alternative rock and music school Located in Orange County For more information, call Joél Hernández at (714) 483-7393.

Event Information: Continue reading→

Foreclosure assistance seminar coming to Santa Ana on Feb. 11

Posted on by Posted in Banking, Housing, Real Estate, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Foreclosure Assistance

A community counseling and foreclosure assistance seminar will be held in Santa Ana on Feb. 11, at Calvary Church, located at 1010 N. Tustin Avenue.

HUD-Approved housing counseling agencies, lenders and non-profit legal counselors will be on-site to assist you for free.

Session 1 – English: 2:30pm to 4:30pm (Registration Begins at 2:00pm)
Session 2 – Spanish: 5:30pm to 7:30pm (Registration Begins at 5:00pm)

What to Bring: Continue reading→

Santa Ana Business Bank sold to a bank holding company in Los Angeles

Posted on by Posted in Banking, Business, Civic Affairs, Santa Ana 4 Comments

The Directors of the Santa Ana Business Bank will now have more time on their hands for other activities

The Santa Ana Business Bank celebrated their grand opening on Nov. 29, 2007.  Yesterday, the O.C. Register reported that “Santa Ana Business Bank will be acquired by Grandpoint Capital Inc., a bank holding company in Los Angeles, for an estimated $6 million.”

The idea behind this bank was positive, but from the start the bank was mired in controversy.  And local blogs questioned whether the bank’s directors had chosen a good time to open their enterprise.

By 2008, the U.S. economy was crashing, and money to lend became hard to come by.  And local businesses weren’t looking for cash.  Many were looking for the exit.  And the Santa Ana Business Bank shares dropped from $10 to $4.40, according to online reports.  Currently they are valued at $3.50, according to NASDAQ.

It didn’t help that there were reports that the bank’s president had a chauffered Escalade.  And that the main investor in the bank, George Pla, had apparent conflicts of interest given that a Santa Ana Councilman, Carlos Bustamante, was on the bank’s board, as were several Santa Ana City Commissioners.  Continue reading→

Councilwoman Michele Martinez seeking support for 3rd Nutrition and Fitness Fair

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Health and Medical, Michele Martinez, Santa Ana, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Santa Ana Nutrition Fitness Fair

Santa Ana Councilwoman Michele Martinez is working on her 3rd Nutrition and Fitness Fair.  You can see the flier for the 2nd Fair, which took place in 2008, in the graphic above.

Martinez is asking those who “have any ideas” to please email her at councilwomanmartinez@gmail.com.

Martinez is also looking for organizations that might be interested in participating, or wanting to volunteer. Continue reading→

Former State Senator Dunn asks Supervisors to adopt lobbying reforms

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

Joe Dunn and Orange Juice blogger Paul Lucas

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 12, 2010

CONTACT: Carina Franck-Pantone (714) 675-3653

Senator Joe Dunn (ret.) to OC Board of Supervisors: Adopt Lobbying Reforms!
Joe Dunn Plans to Gather Citizen Signatures after Supervisors Refuse to Agendize Proposed
Lobbyist Registration & Activity Disclosure Reforms

SANTA ANA, CA – After the Orange County Board of Supervisors failed to agendize proposed reforms requiring lobbyists to register and report on their activities to influence county government on matters of public interest, Senator Joe Dunn (ret.) spoke during Public Comments, noting he filed a notice to circulate a petition before the voters. Confident taxpayers want County government to operate with transparency and accountability, Dunn plans to lead an effort to gather the nearly 73,000 signatures required to place the reforms on the November 2010 ballot. Continue reading→

City of Santa Ana seeks resident input regarding use of federal grant funds

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Federal Government, homeless, Housing, Public Safety, Santa Ana, Seniors, Youth Activities Leave a comment

Santa Ana City Logo

The City of Santa Ana is currently in the process of developing a new Consolidated Plan for the use of federal grant funds for the fiscal years 2010/11-2014/15.

The Consolidated Plan will be used to establish goals and spending priorities based upon the priority needs of Santa Ana’s low- to moderate- income residents for the following four U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG); HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME); Emergency Shelter Grant (ESG); and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA.)

The City of Santa Ana is looking for input from local residents “to gain a better perspective on the critical needs in the community,” according to an email sent out by Scott Kuttner, a District Manager in the City’s Community Development Agency.

Kuttner states that ” By participating in the Federal Funding Needs Survey, you will help shape the creation of this important planning document. The survey will be available on-line until January 15, 2010.”

Click here to take the City of Santa Ana’s survey. Continue reading→

Santa Ana Station District community meetings coming up on Jan. 14 and 21

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Development, Real Estate, Redevelopment, Santa Ana 1 Comment

Station District MapThe City of Santa Ana is presenting two community meetings this month regarding the “Station District” development, on January 14th and 21st at 6:30 p.m., at St. Joseph Church, in their Parish Hall.

The meetings are about improvements proposed for the Santa Ana neighborhood located between the train station and civic center.

Station District Goals and Objectives:

  • Global Vision for The Station District
  • Enhancing Public Spaces and Streets
  • Linking Neighborhoods & Business with Public Transit
  • Providing Local Retail Services
  • Incorporating High Quality Architecture
  • Providing a Variety of Housing Types: For-Rent & For-Sale Homes with a Range of Affordability Continue reading→

Bowers Museum presents two events for teachers

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Education, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Bowers Museum Silk Road

The Silk Road Educator Workshop is coming up on Jan. 28

The Bowers Museum, located in Santa Ana, is presenting two events this month for teachers.  Click here to read their event flier.

DIALOGUE ON ARTS EDUCATION

Wednesday January 13, 2010 6:00pm-8:00pm

The Qualities of Quality: Understanding Excellence in Arts Education

Presenter: Steve Seidel Director of the Arts in Education Program, Harvard University Graduate School of Education; Senior Researcher, Project Zero Continue reading→

Trade in your old Christmas lights for free LED lights today

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Green, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Christmas Light Exchange

Santa Ana residents can trade in two strings of their old Christmas lights today for 2 strings of multicolor or white new energy efficient LED lights, at the Santa Ana Corporate Yard, located at 215 S. Center. St., in Santa Ana.  Click here for a map to the Corporate Yard.

Call (714) 647-5022 or click here to see the flier provided by the City of Santa Ana.  Click here for the Spanish flier.

The yard will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Bring a copy of your Edison bill or your driver’s license to prove residence.  Supplies of the LED lights are first come, first serve.  The lights are free while supplies last. Continue reading→

Supervisor Janet Nguyen wants to spend $350,000 on a Vietnam memorial

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

Vietnam War Memorial in Westminster

There is already a Vietnam War Memorial in Westminster.  Should the O.C. Supervisors spend $350K for another one in Midway City?

Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen, who represents Santa Ana, in the First Supervisorial District, is presenting a motion this Tuesday, at the O.C. Board of Supervisors’ meeting, to spend $350,000 on a historical memorial dedicated to American and Vietnamese history.  The memorial is to be located at the Roger Stanton Park in Midway City.

Is it a good idea to spend a third of a million dollars on a memorial during a recession?  Many Orange County workers are out of work due to the state budget crisis.  And thousands of Nguyen’s constituents are suffering as well.

There is a park shortage in Santa Ana.  Couldn’t the $350,000 be used to build a mini-park?  Santa Ana has more young people than any other city in Orange County.

How does spending so much on a memorial really serve the people of the First District? Continue reading→

Free concert featuring Cosmologic, at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah

Posted on by Posted in Arts and Culture, Churches and Religion, Entertainment, music, Santa Ana Leave a comment

In a rare OC (free) concert appearance, Cosmologic (Jason Robinson (sax), Michael Dessen (t.bone), Scott Walton (bass), Nathan Hubbard (drums)) will play at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah on January 17, 2010 (Sunday) at 6:30pm.

Cosmologic is one of the best music groups to come out of the West Coast in the last decade. They traverse the broad terrain of creative jazz and improvised music, integrating high-energy playing, intense introspection, rich grooves, open textures, and collective alchemy.

While profoundly dedicated to improvisation, Cosmologic also performs complex pieces that are composed by an individual member and then transformed through extensive group work. With nearly a decade of experience together, Cosmologic continues to extend their repertoire of original music, in an ongoing search for new ideas. Continue reading→