Latest Headlines on OCRegister.com
[x] Close
Orange City Watch ~ A blog about the city of Orange

Old Towne: Firefighters are helping to spark some love

November 21st, 2009, 8:22 am by Chapman University blogger

dscn0227This Fire Department is creating sparks.

The Orange Fire Department is participating in the Spark of Love Toy Drive through the year, said Ed Engler, deputy fire marshal.

Spark of Love is a holiday toy drive that distributes donated gifts to needy children throughout the community. Gifts are needed, especially in this economy.

“Gift-giving was strong last year in spite of the economy. There are probably more needy people than in years past to give the gifts to,” Engler said.

Anyone can drop off a new, unwrapped gift at any fire station in the county. Dropping off gifts past Christmas is OK, as they will be used for distribution later.

ABC-TV is a main partner along with CVS Pharmacy stores. Volunteers from the Orange Park Acres Trailblazers help along with grade-school and junior-high children from the Orange Park Acres community, Engler said.

“We came up with the idea of getting the kids involved – they’re learning about how to help other people who are less fortunate,” he said.

Read the rest of this entry »

Old Towne: Food Drive at District Lounge

November 20th, 2009, 9:52 am by EUGENE W. FIELDS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

districtThe District Lounge is hosting a food drive from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22 at its location, 223 W. Chapman Ave.

The event includes live music and $1 tacos.

Patrons are asked to donate non-perishable foods, personal items and blankets.

Proceeds and donations from the event will benefit the Friendly Center of Orange.

Information: 714-602-8999

Old Towne: Chapman University’s newspaper disappears

November 19th, 2009, 4:30 pm by EUGENE W. FIELDS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

chapmanApproximately 2,200 copies of the Chapman University student newspaper disappeared before student staffers had a chance to distribute the weekly.

Amber Gonzales, editor of The Panther, said the printing cost is about $1,400 and this week’s issue of the paper won’t be reprinted.

“We really can’t afford it,” Gonzales said. “There’s a PDF version on the Web.”

The shipment of newspapers was delivered in bundles at about 10:30 a.m. Monday on campus, and Gonzales said she went out and grabbed a bundle for archival purposes.

“Our distribution guy went out at 11:30 a.m. and when he went out, they were gone,” Gonzales said. “I drove around, and I didn’t see any of the newspapers.”

Susan Paterno, the director of the journalism program at Chapman, said this is the third incident of newspapers disappearing at the campus in five years.

Gonzales said she didn’t know why the newspapers had been taken. She planned to report the papers’ disappearance to Orange police.

Read the rest of this entry »

Villa Park: Santa Tour coming to town

November 19th, 2009, 1:30 pm by EUGENE W. FIELDS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

santaThe annual Santa Tour is from 8 a.m. to 5:12 p.m. on Saturday, Dec 5.

The tour begins at the intersection of Smokewood Drive and Alta Drive and will make 36 stops ranging from 10 to 15 minutes.

A complete map and list of stops along the route is available on the city website.

Information: 714-998-1500

Citywide: This week in foreclosures

November 19th, 2009, 10:15 am by EUGENE W. FIELDS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

foreclosureThese Orange and Villa Park homes or parcels are on default on loans and scheduled to go to auction according to legal notices printed Nov. 19.

Address: 18682 E. Rosenau Drive

Amount: $1,038,485.31

Sales date: Dec. 2

Time: 10 a.m.

Auction location: Placentia Civic Center

Information: 714-573-1965

TS#: CA0847642

++++

Address: 1409 E. Mayfair Ave.

Amount: $570,851.47

Sales date: Dec. 2

Time: 10 a.m.

Auction location: Placentia Civic Center

Information: 714-573-1965

TS#: CA0843168

++++

Read the rest of this entry »

Old Towne: Judge denies ACLU’s attempt to block gang injunction

November 18th, 2009, 4:31 pm by Andrew Galvin
Hector Villagra, left, and Belinda Escobosa Helzer are ACLU attorneys working on the case.

ACLU attorneys Hector Villagra and Belinda Escobosa Helzer.

A federal judge denied a request by the American Civil Liberties Union to block a gang injunction aimed at breaking up an Orange street gang.

U.S. District Judge Valerie Baker Fairbank denied the ACLU’s motion for a preliminary injunction, writing that the “relief sought is not appropriate.”

The ACLU filed its federal suit in September, challenging a gang injunction obtained in state court by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office as an “egregious abuse of government power.”

The state court injunction targets the Orange Varrio Cypress gang, prohibiting some 80 alleged members from associating with one other, wearing gang clothing or being out after 10 p.m.

Fairbank’s ruling “leaves us in a position where the residents of Orange are safer, because we can continue to enforce the gang injunction against the Orange Varrio Cypress gang, and we’re pleased about that,” said John Anderson, assistant district attorney for gang injunctions.

The injunction is effective in a “safety zone” of 3.78 square miles that is in three chunks – two largely in Old Towne and a third in West Orange.

Hector Villagra, an ACLU lawyer, said the motion was denied Tuesday on technical grounds and that the group would consider submitting a reworked request.

Read the rest of this entry »

Villa Park: City gets new mayor

November 18th, 2009, 11:47 am by EUGENE W. FIELDS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

mac1New mayor: Councilman W. “Bill” Mac Aloney was selected mayor and Councilman Rich Ulmer as mayor pro tem, during the City Council’s installation and reorganization meeting Tuesday night.

The mayor and mayor pro tem are selected by the council to serve a one-year term.

This is the second mayoral stint for Mac Aloney, who served on council from 2000 to 2004 and returned after a four-year absence in November of 2008.

Information: visit villapark.org.