The annual Santa Tour is slated to begin at 8 a.m. with Santa Claus getting ferried via OCFA Engine 23 from the Villa Park Towne Centre. City Manager Lori Sassoon said the engine will make 27 pre-determined stops throughout the city.

“At each stop, Santa comes of the truck and sits on a chair and children are encouraged to tell him their wishes,” Sassoon said.

Children – and parents – are also able to take pictures with Santa Claus and children receive a candy cane. Each stop lasts between five and 15 minutes.

The tour was shortened from 36 stops in 2009 to 27 stops in 2010 and the route changed to ensure the tour would be finished before sunset. Sassoon said the route is the same as last year.

“People appreciate consistency,” she said.

To see the route map and timeline are available on the city’s website, click HERE.

More Villa Park stories:

Santa Tour returning to Villa Park is a post from: Orange City Watch

For the first time, every retail store at The Outlets at Orange is opening at 12:01 a.m. Friday. Last year, 17 stores in the outdoor mall opened at midnight – or earlier.

Blake Windal, the mall’s general manager, said retailers were enthused about opening early for Black Friday.

“They all wanted to open at midnight,” Windal said. “Many of them had been trying to open early for a long time.”

In all, there are about 100 stores in the outdoor mall.

“We’re the only Orange County center to be open at midnight,” Windal said.

The Old Navy store is getting a jump on other stores. The trendy clothing store will remain open through Thanksgiving and Friday, Windal said.

“They debated on closing early and re-opening on Thanksgiving,” he said. “But as of now, they’ll be open all day Thanksgiving and all day Black Friday.”

Additionally, Dave & Busters and Café Tu Tu Tango will open early and serve breakfast wraps to hungry shoppers, Windal said.

National retail electronics chain Best Buy is opening all of its stores – including the two in Orange – at midnight.

By 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, the location at 3741 W. Chapman Ave. had about 15 tents of customers waiting in line. Will Torres of Santa Ana was the first in line at the store at 3741 W. Chapman Ave. at 9 a.m. on Monday.

Torres, 21, said he and a friend will switch off camping out through the week when Torres goes to work at his job at an auto parts store.

“My boss thinks it’s crazy,” Torres said. “It’s worth it for a 42-inch TV for $200. I’m tired of the little TVs.”

Brandon Flora, a customer solutions manager at the Orange store, said customers arrived a couple of days earlier than in past years.

Flora said that advertising deals in advance could have contributed to the early rush of customers.

“Everyone is looking for a deal,” Flora said. “And we welcome them.”

Adan Zuniga, 20, and his three friends arrived outside the Orange store just before noon on Tuesday. Zuniga, who lives in Orange, said he and his friends plan on taking shifts to go eat with their families on Thanksgiving.

“And we’ll bring back some leftovers,” he said.

None of the campers were concerned about a forecast of rain for Thursday. “The rain is not going to stop you,” Zuniga said. “Maybe people will leave or just stay home.”

More West Orange stories:

Stores, shoppers get jump on Black Friday is a post from: Orange City Watch

– Gene Knutzen, Orange

A. Mr. Orange wishes he could report that an Olympic-sized pool has been installed in place of the school’s softball field (which used to be the home of the El Modena High School softball team), but he can’t.

Office manager Grace Morris says the construction you noticed is related to a parking lot project.

The softball field was relocated to the north side of the school, Morris said. And the parking lot was expanded and a student drop-off area was installed.

“Parents can pull in and drop their students off without having to stop on Virage Street,” Morris said. “It is much safer.”

Q. Can we ever do the “name bricks” around the Plaza again? I would like to add my grandchildren and make money for our city.

– Erin Walstead, Orange

A. The bricks were made available for purchase around the city’s 100-year anniversary. Residents could buy personalized bricks, which were installed around the edge of the Plaza.

While the city could use the extra funds in its coffers, Mayor Carolyn Cavecche said there would a couple of factors to consider, including the cost of tearing up concrete to install new bricks, and laying new cement.

Cavecche said she has asked the Public Works Department to look into the possibility. Mr. Orange will update you when he can.

Q. Is there a schedule to repair the roads in the Belmont Estates Development?

– Mel Savage, Orange

A. Mr. Savage contends that certain streets in the development are cracked and in need of slurry sealing.

City spokesman Paul Sitkoff said a field review by the city’s Public Works Department has shown that the streets are in fair to good condition.

“There is no plan to do any roadwork in that area in the immediate future,” Sitkoff said. “The city will continue to monitor the situation, and if it becomes necessary, will make repairs as necessary.”

PEELINGS

•Thanks to readers’ requests, crime blotter entries are being listed by geographic areas, rather than by date. As previously mentioned, the crime map will not appear due to space considerations.

•As of press time, the Arco at 2437 E. Chapman Ave. and four other gas stations were selling regular unleaded gasoline at $3.69 a gallon – the least-expensive listed price in the city, according to OrangeCountyGasPrices.com.

Contact Mr. Orange at 714-796-3704 or askmrorange@ocregister.com

Ask Mr. Orange: What’s going on at Prospect Elementary? is a post from: Orange City Watch

During a lecture at Chapman University on Tuesday afternoon, Kennerly showed multiple photos of Richard Nixon, Ford, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, but just five that included Carter.

A student asked why there were so few of Carter and why Kennerly didn’t want to work as Carter’s photographer when he had worked under Ford.

“Two words: Jimmy Carter,” Kennerly quipped. “I didn’t like him. He beat my boss.”

Kennerly, 64, spoke to two history classes at the invitation of California TV icon Huell Howser, who had previously lectured at Chapman.

Kennerly spoke about his career, which included winning the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for feature photography for his work in Vietnam, as well as photographing every president since Nixon.

When approached by Ford to become the president’s personal photographer, Kennerly said he asked for all access to Ford, to report directly to the president and not be censored.

“He kind of looked at me, he smoked his pipe and he said ‘You don’t want Air Force One on the weekends?’” Kennerly said. “To go from the outside to the inside was … like Alice in Wonderland falling down the rabbit hole.”

After Ford was defeated by Carter, Kennerly shot for Time magazine, continuing his work in photographing presidents, including Obama.

“It’s hard to believe that one person could have taken all those photos,” Kennerly said. “And I was that one person.”

Pulitzer winner has photographed every president since Nixon is a post from: Orange City Watch

The City Council passed a law taking away the $690 monthly stipend, as well as health and retirement benefits from future councils. Council members will also lose their $60 monthly stipend for being directors on the Orange Redevelopment Agency.

When the last current council members are termed out in 2014, the city is expected to save about $146,000 annually.

City Attorney David DeBerry said the current council is prevented by state law from eliminating its benefits while in office. DeBerry said the law prevents sitting councils from either raising or lowering benefits.

“(But) council members can voluntarily decline any pay at any time,” DeBerry said.

Councilman Fred Whitaker declined compensation shortly after taking office last year. Whitaker said he felt the City Council needed to show good faith to employees during contract negotiations.

“I truly believe leaders have to lead by example,” Whitaker said. “If we’re asking employees to take millions (in pay cuts), why should we take anything?”

Many city councils in the county – like in neighboring Villa Park – do not pay themselves.

The city council passed the law unanimously at the Nov. 8 meeting. When the new law goes into effect, Orange, the sixth-largest city in the county in terms of population, will be the only city among the 10 largest to not compensate council members. Most, if not all, city council seats in the county, are part-time jobs.

For example, Fullerton Mayor F. Richard Jones receives $28,434 annually in salary and benefits. In Anaheim, the county’s largest city, council members receive an $18,000 stipend, which does not include a $7,800 auto allowance or varied benefits.

In Irvine, council members receive $10,560 in annual stipends, but Councilman Steven Choi and Councilwoman Beth Krom both have a total compensation of more than $37,000, including insurance premiums.

“I hope it is a signal that other cities should follow our lead,” Whitaker said. “I think there are very civic-minded people in this city who will run for council without compensation.”

Council cuts pay, pension and benefits for successors is a post from: Orange City Watch

The keynote speaker, retired Marine Corps Lt. Col. Thomas G. Stein, urged the crowd of about 150 to show support and gratitude by helping solve the problem of unemployment among former military.

“It is costing American taxpayers $750 million annually in unemployment benefits to unemployed veterans,” Stein, an Orange resident said.

“They put all at risk to protect us. We need to focus on our fair share to help our veterans.”

Stein suggested that residents contact state and federal representatives to ask for legislation helping veterans get re-trained, as well as find jobs. Additionally, Stein encouraged veterans to take advantage of available funds for college tuition.

“Education is one of the keys to success,” he said.

Among the honorees was Navy Reservist Glenn Ichikawa, an Orange resident who was introduced by Mayor Carolyn Cavecche.

Ichikawa returned from being deployed in Iraq and like many Orange residents currently serving abroad, had a banner in his honor hanging from a street light. Cavecche gave Ichikawa his banner.

“It is my hope that this is the first of many,” Cavecche said.

Veterans need support at home, too is a post from: Orange City Watch

It has worked well. Except for one thing: We have a better place to show you what is going on in your neighborhood.

And that is at ocregister.com/orange – the Register’s Web site for Orange and Villa Park coverage.

The reason it is better is simple: That site has most of the Register’s coverage with direct ties to Orange and Villa Park. That includes crime, news that affects you, restaurant reviews, business news, politics and virtually everything else (You should continue to visit our sports sites to keep up on the local teams).

The Chapman journalists will continue with their fine work.  We will merge it with the other coverage on ocregister.com/orange. So we view this as super-charging your news niche.

Thank you.

Jim Radcliffe

Team Leader for north-central coverage of Orange County

714-704-3761

We are moving our coverage … is a post from: Orange City Watch

For the first time, the Rotary is hosting a game between the Harlem Ambassadors, a Globetrotter -like team made up of co-ed college students, and residents on May 1 in the Villa Park High School gym.

Ticket proceeds will go to the club’s fund for community projects like scholarships, leadership camps and grad-night fees.

After being approached by the Ambassadors, the club prepared to host the event.

“We don’t know how much money we’ll make, but we thought it would be a fun thing to bring to the community,” said Jay Applebaum, past president of the club.

The game will offer Lade Majic, a player from the University of Missouri who played professionally in Israel and who performs basketball stunts and a comedy act that incorporates the audience.

The first and third quarter will be a real game between the pros and locals like high school faculty and coaches. The second and fourth will be a comedy act where the audience can participate, Applebaum  said.

The Villa Park principal, Ed Howard, will also be refereeing the game.

The Ambassadors have played more than 200 shows and focus on fundraising for local nonprofit groups like Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis clubs. The group also performs for those in the military and their families, according to its Web site.

Tickets for students and seniors are $8 pre-sale and $10 at the door. General admission is $10, and $12 at the door. Kids under four are free.

For information and tickets contact Applebaum at jay.appleabaum@gmail.com.

– Amber Gonzales

More Villa Park stories:

Villa Park: Harlem Ambassadors to bring basketball, laughs to town is a post from: Orange City Watch

The assets held by Villa Park Cable Access TV are provided by the city, through taxpayer money, but transferring the money back to the city is taking longer than usual.

“This is an especially unusual case, because it’s all funded from the city,” said City Manager Lori Sassoon.

Generally, nonprofit funds are transferred to other nonprofit organizations. But the IRS allows the transfer to a city as well, according to Sassoon.

The switchover will save $40,000-plus, according to the city.

Since replacing the corporation’s board of directors with the City Council last month, several changes have been made.

“We have cut operating costs from about $2,300 per month to about $750 per month by staff assuming many responsibilities and by working with our fantastic student volunteers,” Sassoon wrote in an e-mail. “Our next step will be to make an investment in replacement equipment that is fully-functional and reliable.”

Any aspects of programming for viewers – local cable subscribers – will remain the same.

Sassoon does not know how long the process will take or when the Attorney General’s Office will give approval.

– Amber Gonzales

More Villa Park stories:

Villa Park: Attorneys working to transfer local TV funds is a post from: Orange City Watch

K.I.D.S. Musical Theater at St. John’s Lutheran School in Orange is
selling tickets for its spring musical, Seussical.

For the uninitiated, Seussical is musical mash-up production of
of classic stories by Dr. Seuss.  All your favorite Seuss characters collide in a tale starring Horton The Elephant, Cat in the Hat, Jo Jo, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie La Bird, Sour Kangaroo, The Wickersham Brothers, General Gengus Khan Schmitz, The Whos and the Jungle animals in the Jungle of Nool.

Like all Seuss stories, Seussical’s message of goodness and courage triumphs amid a spectacular setting of charismatic characters. In this show, children ages 8 to 18 from the community of Orange bring life to these enchanting characters.

The play is directed by Sam Cavanaugh. The choreographer is Rachel Pires of Orange and the musical director is James Post.

Here’s ticket information:

Show times: April 23, April 24, April 30 and May 1 at 7 p.m and April 24 and May 1 at 1 p.m.

Where: 154 S. Shaffer St. at St. John’s Lutheran School in Orange. Tickets: Cost $10 and can be obtained by contacting the KMT at: info@kidsmusicaltheater.com.

More info: K.M.T. is a musical theater group for all families in the community with children ages 8-18. Shows are held every fall and spring. Learn more at the K.M.T. website.

Orange youth group presents Seussical, The Musical is a post from: Orange City Watch