City of Santa Ana Parks, Recreation and Community Services Agency at Santiago Nature Reserve Center Presents:
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Tag Archives: santiago park
Support the new Santa Ana People’s Garden mural, on June 18
The supporters of the Santa Ana People’s Garden are gathering to help Mural Artist Roberto Del Hoyo continue his legacy of beautifying our community. His work can be found several locations in Santa Ana; Memorial Park, El Salvador, Santiago Creek and now the Santa Ana People’s Garden.
Join the Santa Ana People’s Garden as they continue the flow of WALL ART in our community garden. The event will feature food, music, raffles, tour of the garden & opportunity to paint with Roberto Del Hoyo of www.idealwallarts.com.
They will also have the American Heart Association there to promote healthy hearts. Step up to get a free blood pressure test.
Also, they will have a few booths set up to educate the public on the purpose of growing your own food and learning about the local wildlife/native plants.
Click here to RSVP on Facebook.
Plots are available for rent. Call Ria Vigil at 949-293-8480 or email her by clicking here.
The event will be held at 2555 Santiago St., on the grounds of the First Congregational Church, in Santa Ana’s Park Santiago neighborhood.
Lawn bowling open house at Park Santiago today
Visit the Santa ana Lawn Bowling Club’s annual “Open House” on Saturday, May 7, from 10 am to 2 pm.
Come and learn how to lawn bowl. Free lessons, free use of a set of lawn bowls. It is a fun exercise, very inexpensive and fun for all age adults. Come to the greens in Santiago Park.
Park in the creek bed off of Memory Lane east of Main St just north of the Descovery Science Center. From 10 to 2 on Sat May 7th.
The Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Club was founded in 1938 on grounds belonging to the Santa Ana Parks Dept. The club is run by a board of directors and officers who are elected by the club membership. It is located at 510 East Memory Lane, Santa Ana in Santiago Park not far from the Westfield MainPlace Shopping Mall.
Bowling is on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and on special tournament days. Bowling times are Tuesdays and Thursdays May through Oct. at 4:00pm, Nov. through April at 1:00pm and at 9:00am on all Saturdays. Fun Day is the first Saturday of the month.
Yearly dues are $75. New members are allowed free use of bowls for up to four months, instruction, a locker (subject to availability) and a name badge. There is a $3 fee each time we bowl to cover incidental club expenses. The fee is higher on fun day and tournament days to cover the prize money given to the winners. In respect of tradition, bowlers wear the traditional “whites” on Fun Days, club tournament days and for special events. Membership in the Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Club also provides access to the other Lawn Bowling Clubs in the area. Many tournaments are held throughout the year at other clubs which are open to members of all of the Lawn Bowling Clubs.
National lawn bowling is governed by the United States Lawn Bowling Association which has its own officers and board and is divided into seven divisions which oversee lawn bowling at the local levels. The Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Club belongs to the Southwest Division (www.swlawnbowls.com). International tournaments are run by the World Bowls Board. Click on an image below to enter the respective web site.
Over one hundred volunteers show up to paint a new mural at Santiago Park
The City of Santa Ana sponsored a mural painting project today at Santiago Park. Over one hundred volunteers showed up – some from surrounding cities, according to Gerardo Mouet, the Director of the Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Agency.
Mouet worked hard on this project, raising money to pay for it and raising more money to feed his army of volunteers. Many of the teens who are part of the Santa Ana Library’s Teen Space were there today from as early as 6:30 a.m., to help set up.
Artist Roberto Del Hoyo was born and raised in Los Angeles. He received his bachelor degree in Studio Art with concentration in painting, from the California State University of Los Angeles. He then earned an MFA in public practice at the OTIS College of Art and Design.
Mouet asked Del Hoyo to come up with a design that reflected the natural surroundings at Santiago Park – and that linked to the theme of the Discovery Science Center, as the mural was painted in a walkway that goes under Main St., connecting the park to the Discovery Science Center.
Del Hoyo did so brilliantly. The mural features the California Wild Rose, which grows in the park. You can also make out the Santa Ana River and an abundance of river rocks – but take a close look. The rocks feature glyphs used by the native Tongva people who once lived in the region and were later dubbed the Gabrielinos, by the Spanish.
The mural also features native Eucalyptus leaves.
As you walk by the mural, from east to west, you will see it morph, just as you emerge from the walkway, to futuristic science themes, hinting at the Discovery Science Center.
Much of the mural is protected by steel bars. The entire painting will be coated with a clear coat that can be easily cleaned if it is tagged. Mouet hopes taggers will respect the mural as it was painted by local youth.
Del Hoyo has also painted a mural at Santa Ana’s El Salvador Park and he is slated to begin a mural at Memorial Park’s Bandstand, in February of this year.
Help paint a mural by Roberto Del Hoyo at Santiago Park this Saturday
The City of Santa Ana is looking for volunteers to help at the Santiago Park Mural Painting Day and Celebration this Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Santiago Park is located at 2535 N. Main Street, in Santa Ana.
Muralist Roberto Del Hoyo is the artist previously commissioned by the Pepsi Refresh project that produced the beautiful El Salvador Park All Star mural last July. Painting of the mural is under the direction of the noted muralist Del Hoyo.
The dedication and ceremony and celebration start at 4 p.m., to 5 p.m.
The location of the mural project is adjacent to the Bike Trail under Main Street as you exit the park and approach the Discovery Science Center.
Contact Anthony Novella know if you have any questions, at (714) 571-4239.
Click here to see the event flyer.
Hula Hoop dance fitness class at Santiago Park on Oct. 23
Pixie Hoop Dance (which was in attendance at this year’s Park Santiago Summer Concert) is holding a Hoop Dance Fitness Class on Saturday, October 23rd at 4pm. The class will be held near the Lawn Bowling Entrance in Santiago Park by the big trees.
Class fee is $10.00 for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Contact Kasey with any questions or to RSVP (to ensure she has a hoop for you) to pixiehoopdance@gmail.com.
Reconnect Nature writing workshops in Santa Ana on Sep. 3 and 4
Reconnect Nature, the nature writing workshops, will take place in three specific areas of Santa Ana:
- 4-6pm Friday, Sept. 3
– downtown in Sasser Park (Santa Blvd. & Ross St.)
– with an uban nature walk through the courthouse lawn - 5-8pm Saturday, Sept. 4
– in the Santiago Park Nature Ampetheater (Memory Ln. & Main St.)
– with an indegious Nature ceremony & sunset viewing - 3-5pm Sunday, Sept. 5
– near Portola Park (Grand & Santa Clara)
– exploring the past present and future of our natural surroundings.
All ages are welcome, everyone is encouraged to attend all workshops or just one! Snacks and writing supplies will be provided.
If you need assistance with transportation please contact the project Reconnect Nature via email: reconnectnatureblog@gmail.com or call 714-881-2684.
How about building a skate park and a bmx field at the Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Center?
The director of the Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Agency, Gerardo Mouet, wants to use half of the current Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Center to make money by renting the area for weddings and the like. His department is broke and is trying desperately to come up with ways to increase funding.
I can understand that sentiment, but I think it is an awful idea. This is a unique, large space and we really need to think long and hard about how we can use it to most benefit our residents.
Lawn bowling clearly is a terrible use for this space. I recently spoke to a former Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Commissioner who informed me that at most perhaps two out of the 17 or so lawn bowlers who use the facility actually live here in Santa Ana. Most of them live in Anaheim, Garden Grove, Tustin and Fountain Valley.
Currently, the lawn bowling fields are locked up and unused a majority of the time. I am also told that the lawn bowlers have been trying to kill all the ground squirrels in the area. Not good.
It is past time to say adios to the lawn bowlers. If we are to locate the proposed City dog park at the current SAPD police dog training facility, I think we ought to think about using the lawn bowling area for a skate park on one side and a bmx field on the other side.
Paving over the grass would save our city a lot of water, and would reduce the amount of chemicals that are currently being used in that area.
Where would the money come from? I am told that a skate park designer lives over at the City Place, and he is willing to help us with this project. I believe this would be an ideal project to submit for federal CDBG grants – and we could also partner with existing non-profits.
Santa Ana is the youngest city in Orange County. Isn’t it time to do something great for our young people?
Now I am not naive. I expect push-back. Mouet lives in the Park Santiago Neighborhood. And he has expressed in the past that nothing will happen without consulting the Park Santiago Neighborhood Association. But why is that? They are not elected at large. They represent 1% of our neighborhood and their Board is not diverse.
Santiago Park is not just a neighborhood park. It is a huge park with a lot of distinct features and its is used by residents from all over our city. Mouet should consult with more than just a few busy bodies before making decisions about how this park is used.
Click here to contact the Santa Ana City Council. You can contact City Manager Dave Ream’s assistant, Mark Lawrence, at MLawrence@santa-ana.org.
Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Club having an Open House on May 8
I noticed the banner shown in the picture above, when I was walking my dog today, at Santiago Park. It would appear that the Santa Ana lawn Bowling Club is trying to promote their sport, even as the Santa Ana Parks and Recreation Agency and the Santa Ana City Council have been considering other uses for the Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Center.
The Club posted this notice on the City of Santa Ana’s Community Calendar: Continue reading
Santa Ana’s Police Department already has a dog park!
I didn’t like the idea of converting the Santa Ana Police Department’s (SAPD) police dog training center into a dog park for Santa Ana residents until I spoke today to a former City of Santa Ana employee, who shared with me the history of this beautiful, fenced in field.
According to my friend, the area used to be a public park, until the SAPD convinced the City Council to let them have it. They promised at the time to share the field with the public. However, you can see in the pictures above that the field is gated and locked.
I have never seen the police using the field. My friend says they hardly ever use it. And he says that the Chief of Police, Paul Walters, often brings his own dogs to the field on Saturday mornings. The field is, essentially, a private dog park for Chief Walters. Continue reading
Did you know that there are 220 registered sex offenders living in Santa Ana?
There are 220 registered sex offenders living in Santa Ana!
I have never looked at the Megan’s Law website until tonight, and I was shocked to find out that 220 registered sex offenders live here in Santa Ana, according to this link. In fact, 31 of them live in my zip code (92706).
The good news is that it could be worse. Anaheim has 270 registered sex offenders. Long Beach has 672 registered sex offenders. Oakland has 593 registered sex offenders. And San Diego has 933 registered sex offenders. All of those cities are comparable in population with Santa Ana.
Nevertheless, this explains at least partially why we have had such a problem with perverts lurking at Santiago Park! You may recall that a recent undercover operation by the Santa Ana Police Department resulted in the arrest of nine men who were lurking at Santiago Park. Continue reading
Santa Ana Parks and Rec Director Mouet improving service despite budget crisis
Make no mistake about it – the City of Santa Ana is flat broke. “City departments from police to parks have once again begun searching their budgets for places to cut as the city stares down a shortfall of as much as $25 million,” according to the O.C. Register.
With that in mind, I met today with Gerardo Mouet, the Director of Santa Ana’s Parks, Recreation and Community Servces Agency, which includes the Santa Ana Zoo and the Santa Ana Public Library. We met to discuss my proposal for a dog park at Santiago Park, but ended up talking about a wide range of issues.
First the good news. Mouet is a very creative administrator, with many years of experience at City Hall. He even served as a deputy to City Manager Dave Ream. So Mouet is not without resources and he has done a lot to improve service to our residents even as he as slashed his agency’s budget to the bone.
Now the bad news. Mouet’s department is down to 77 full time employees. In the year 2004, his department had 142 full time employees! What this means is that his department spends $49 per capita, while cities of comparable size, such as Oakland, spend anywhere from $68 to $102 per capita. And Oakland still employs 204 full time workers in their parks and recreation department. Continue reading
Dog parks in Irvine and Costa Mesa are a huge success!
I visited Costa Mesa’s Bark Park on Saturday, this weekend, and also visited the Irvine Central Bark Park. My goal was to find out how these facilities work, and whether or not folks are using them. As my readers know, I am proposed turning the little-used Lawn Bolwing Center, in Santa Ana’s Santiago Park, into our own dog park.
I found that the two parks had some similarities and a few differences.
Both parks were hopping with dogs and their owners. Just as I figured, the dog park concept is HUGE. There is a lot of demand. I spoke to dog owners at both parks. They all indicated that they use the facility regularly. Some of them come there daily! I also asked all of them if they ever heard of lawn bowling. Only one retired fellow had ever heard of it, out of some forty people that I spoke to.
Costa Mesa’s park is run by a community non-profit organization. It opened in 1994. Here is the rundown from their website: Continue reading
Is lawn bowling still relevant to the people of Santa Ana?
When I suggested that we replace the Dale Griggs Lawn Bowling Center, located at Santa Ana’s Santiago Park, I had no idea what the sport of lawn bowling was all about. But I had an idea that the lawn bowlers were not from Santa Ana.
Don’t ask by the way who Dale Griggs is. I tried to find out. I suspect he was a past elected official. There is almost no information about him available on the Internet. But his name still lingers at Santiago Park.
Yesterday I took my dog for a walk – and brought my camera. As you can see in the slide show above, these folks don’t appear to be from Santa Ana. One of the cars, which had a lawn bowler license plate, even had a City of Fountain Valley sticker on it.
Here is what the Santa Ana Lawn Bowling Club has to say about themselves and their sport, on their website: Continue reading
City of Santa Ana agrees to clean up graffiti at Santiago Park
I recieved an email response today from Gerardo Mouet, the Director of Parks and Recreation in Santa Ana, regarding my complaint about the explosion of graffiti at Santiago Park.
Here is an excerpt from Mouet’s email:
Thank you for your email. I am glad the Parks and Recreation staff were able to clear the brush to help deter the lewd conduct. I will direct staff to coordinate with the Public Works Agency, who is responsible for graffiti removal, and remove the graffiti at Santiago Park as soon as possible. Also, staff will work on solving the issue of the pools of water you point out.
Thank you Mr. Mouet! Continue reading