New Santa Ana | Tag Archives: Orange County

Occupy Orange County to target our courts on Friday, Jan. 20

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Occupy Orange County, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana Leave a comment

Just when we thought the Occupy movement in Orange County was dead, or at least on its way out, it is back. Apparently there is going to me a national protest at over 200 courthouses on Jan. 20 (the press release is below), including Santa Ana, the Orange County seat, which has federal and state courts, as well as a federal appeal court.

Occupy’s main beef this time is a U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down those provisions of the McCain–Feingold Act that prohibited all corporations, both for-profit and not-for-profit, and unions from broadcasting “electioneering communications. Continue reading→

Back to Natives receives $7K grant from O.C. Community Foundation

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Art Pedroza Posted in Charities, Green, Nature, Orange County, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana Leave a comment

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
CONTACT: REGINALD DURANT, DIRECTOR OF RESTORATION, (949) 335-8655
BACK TO NATIVES RESTORATION

BACK TO NATIVES RECEIVES $7,000 GRANT FROM ORANGE COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR VOLUNTEER HABITAT RESTORATION PROGRAM

IRVINE, Calif., January 10, 2012 – Back to Natives Restoration, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit public charity has received a $7,000 grant from the Orange County Community Foundation (www.oc-cf.org) to support its Volunteer Habitat Restoration Program.

Back to Natives is collaborating with the City of Santa Ana at the Santiago Park Nature Reserve, where student volunteers will perform habitat quality monitoring, remove invasive plants and plant native plants. Volunteers will learn about the importance of biodiversity and habitat restoration as they perform meaningful community service to improve the Reserve for both wildlife and humans. Volunteer dates are listed on Back to Native’s website, www.backtonatives.org. Continue reading→

SAUSD schools suck again – why do the Trustees keep getting elected?

Posted on January 5, 2012 by Art Pedroza Posted in 2012 Elections, Democratic Party, Education, Politics, Santa Ana 27 Comments

How depressing. The OC Weekly posted a number of articles featuring the worst Orange County elementary, middle and high schools. The Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) dominated all three worst ten lists. Now we know why SAUSD Trustee Audrey Noji sent her son to a high school in Irvine.

Noji was of course reelected last year, after her fellow Trustee, John Palacio (who maintains a second home in Arizona and is only here in CA on a part time basis) endorsed her. Yes, he too was reelected. Continue reading→

Back to Natives receives $5K grant from Ralphs for habitat restoration

Posted on January 4, 2012 by Art Pedroza Posted in Charities, Green, Orange County, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana, Volunteer Leave a comment

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
CONTACT: REGINALD DURANT, DIRECTOR OF RESTORATION
BACK TO NATIVES RESTORATION, (949) 335-8655

BACK TO NATIVES RECEIVES $5,000 GRANT FROM RALPHS FOR VOLUNTEER HABITAT RESTORATION PROGRAM

IRVINE, Calif., January 4, 2012 – Back to Natives Restoration, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit public charity has received a $5,000 grant from Ralphs to support its Volunteer Habitat Restoration Program.

O.C. Auditor-Controller releases new O.C. Citizens’ Report

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

DAVID E. SUNDSTROM, CPA AUDITOR-CONTROLLER

PRESS RELEASEFor Immediate Release: December 28, 2011

For further information contact: David Sundstrom, 714.834.2456

“Orange County Auditor-Controller David SundstromReleases the OC Citizens’ Report”

(Santa Ana, CA) – The Auditor-Controller’s office has just released its Annual OC Citizens’ Report. This is the eighth year the report has been published. The County has received the prestigious Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Reporting for the past seven years from the Government Finance OfficersAssociation. This report presents financial highlights for the County of Orange, California for the fiscal year(FY) ended June 30, 2011 and provides a high-level summary of information contained in the County’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). Continue reading→

Javi’s Restaurant opens at John Wayne Airport

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Airplanes, Business, Food, Orange County, Restaurants, Santa Ana Leave a comment

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 27, 2011

Contact: Jenny Wedge, (949) 252-5182 (office), jwedge@ocair.com

JAVI’S RESTAURANT OPENS IN JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Long-time favorite dining destination for local and Orange County visitors, Javier’s, in partnership with HMSHost, has opened their new concept restaurant Javi’s at John Wayne Airport. Javi’s is located in the new Terminal C Marketplace area, adjacent to gates 13 and 14. Continue reading→

Have Orange County’s politicians forgotten the homeless?

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Charities, Churches and Religion, Civic Affairs, homeless, Orange County, Santa Ana 3 Comments

It has been getting quite cold at night. Of course most of us are sheltered from the cold. We live in heated homes with warm beds and snug pajamas. But as comfortable as most of us in Orange County are, there are many who suffer in the elements. They are the homeless and those of us who live in Santa Ana know more than those in, say Irvine, what a problem this is – as so many of the homeless gather in our Civic Plaza every day.

Dwight Smith, a longtime advocate for the homeless, who is part of the Catholic Worker organization, recently contacted the members of Santa Ana Occupy, to bring them up to speed on the dire straits faced by the homeless. Unfortunately, asking an angry mob to actually work constructively with our elected and appointed officials is not exactly an idea that will bear fruit, but Smith is right – something must be done.

Here is Smith’s letter to Santa Ana Occupy: Continue reading→

Carlos Bustamante named as one of the top 100 worst bosses in America

Posted on December 22, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Business, Carlos Bustamante, Politics, Republican Party, Santa Ana 1 Comment

eBossWatch just published the 2011 America’s Worst Bosses list, and Santa Ana Councilman Carlos Bustamante, who quit a high-paying job as a middle manager at the County of Orange this year after being accused of sexual harassment, was named as one of the 100 worst bosses in America. To date, the 2011 America’s Worst Bosses have cost their employers over $145 million in monetary damages and lawsuit settlement payments.

19 California managers were named among the nation’s worst bosses: Continue reading→

Richardson loses his 33 percent pay hike, despite Nguyen’s support

Posted on December 13, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Janet Nguyen, Orange County, Politics, Santa Ana, SAUSD, Shawn Nelson 1 Comment

My favorite O.C. Supervisor, Shawn Nelson, took action at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting, making a motion that a series of raises – which were doled out to just about every top executive in the CEO’s office – be rescinded, according to the Voice of OC. The action means a demotion and rescinding of a 33 percent pay hike for Assistant CEO Rob Richardson.

Richardson is also a Trustee on the Santa Ana Unified School District’s Board of Education. He is up for reelection next year. He will have a heck of a time explaining to the voters in Santa Ana why he deserved a 33 percent pay hike in the first place. He is also thought to be the one who brought disgraced Santa Ana Council Member Carlos Bustamante to the County of Orange. Bustamante resigned a few months ago when he was charged with sexual harassment. Bustamante was also in line to lose raises but he lost his job instead, after resigning. Continue reading→

Outsourcing to the Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo may be a bad idea after all

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Charities, Fiscal Sustainability, Orange County, Parks and Recreation, Santa Ana 32 Comments

A membership renewal drive for the Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo had revenues of $15,279, of which the organization got $2,433, or less than 16 percent,” according to the O.C. Register.

The Friends of the Santa Ana Zoo offered up a lame excuse that the fee was paid to a company that helped them get renewal memberships.

Cathi Decker, the executive director of the Friends of Santa Ana Zoo, said that they use Comnet, a membership telemarketing company that most Association of Zoos and Aquariums organizations use for membership renewals. Continue reading→

Santa Ana could save over $10,500,000 annually with switch to O.C. Fire

Posted on December 4, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Civic Affairs, Fires, Orange County, Santa Ana 4 Comments

The City of Santa Ana could save over ten million dollars a year by signing on with the Orange County Fire Authority, according to a proposal submitted to our city manager by OCFA Fire Chief Keith Richter.

According to the proposal, “OCFA will be offering a Division Chief position to the current Santa Ana Fire Chief, who will be instrumental in the transition process for the City. The Division Chief provides a level of local control for the City Council and staff by participation on relevant public safety committees, participation at city staff meetings and attendance at city council meetings. The option also includes the transition of 192 sworn personnel and 141 non-sworn personnel*.” Continue reading→

County of Orange to open Armory Emergency Shelters on Dec. 1

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Charities, Fullerton, homeless, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

The County of Orange has announced the opening of the Armory Emergency Shelter Program, which provides up to 400 beds for homeless families and individuals, on Dec. 1, 2011.

The homeless are also provided with a warm shower, a nutritious meal, a safe and warm place to sleep, warm clothes, a wide variety of services and a friendly and safe atmosphere.

The shelters will be located at the National Guard Armories in Fullerton and Santa Ana. The Santa Ana location will not however open until Dec. 3. But transportation will be provided from Santa Ana to Fullerton, starting on Dec. 1. Continue reading→

Orange County Worlds AIDS Day events to run from Nov. 29 – Dec. 1

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Health and Medical, LGBT, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

County of Orange, Health Care Agency
PRESS RELEASE, For Immediate Release: November 29, 2011
Contact: Deanne Thompson, 714-834-2178, dthompson@ochca.com
“Getting to Zero” – December 1st is World AIDS Day

(Santa Ana) – December 1st is World AIDS Day, an international day of reflection to remember those who have died and those who are living with HIV or AIDS (HIV disease). World AIDS Day 2011 is about “Getting to Zero”: Zero New HIV Infections, Zero Discrimination and Zero AIDS Related Deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 33.4 million people are living today with HIV disease, including over 1.2 million people in the United States. One in five (21%) of those people living with HIV is unaware of their infection (CDC, 2010). Continue reading→

O.C. D.A. receives award for stopping fraudulent massage school transcripts

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Courts, Crime, Education, Massage, Orange County, Santa Ana Leave a comment

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PRESS RELEASE

TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney
Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408, Cell: 714-292-2718
Farrah Emami, Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405, Cell: 714-323-4486

OCDA TONY RACKAUCKAS RECEIVES ‘2011 HEROES OF THE PROFESSION’ AWARD FOR HIS EFFORT IN PASSING ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING LEGISLATION

SANTA ANA – The Orange County District Attorney (OCDA) Tony Rackauckas was awarded today, along with California State Senator Lou Correa and the California Massage Therapy Council, the 2011 Heroes of the Profession award by Massage Today for their support and effort in passing California Senate Bill (SB) 285, the anti-human trafficking legislation that makes it a misdemeanor to sell fraudulent and false massage school transcripts. Continue reading→

Cofiroute USA launches consulting division to assist public toll road agencies

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Art Pedroza Posted in Orange County, Santa Ana, Transportation Leave a comment

November 21, 2011

Cofiroute USA Launches Consulting Division To Assist Public Agencies, Contractors, Others In Developing New Toll Roads, Converting HOV Lanes

State, Federal budget constraints resulting in more plans involving public-private partnerships to spur construction, relieve congestion

(IRVINE, Calif.) – Cofiroute USA, which first revolutionized the automation of toll roads in the United States with the 91 Express Lanes in Orange County, California, has launched a new consulting division to work with public agencies, contractors and others in developing plans for new toll roads or converting existing high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes. Continue reading→