2018 EARLY APRIL 2018 Text & Photos by Mike Ritto [email protected]
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COMMUNITY Fullerton bsCeALErNDAvR Peage 1r 3-15 O EAR FULLERTON’S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS • Est.1978 (printed on 20% recycled paper) • Y 40 #6 • EARLY APRIL 2018 Submissions: [email protected] • Contact: (714) 525-6402 • Read Online at : www.fullertonobserver.com FOX Theater Update by Jane Rands NUFF Community Meeting on the Status of the Fox Theatre There is heightened awareness of the Fox Theatre as the city has been actively planning the “Fox Block” project on the city owned parcels surrounding the down - town theater since entering into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Pelican Communities in June of 2016. Pelican’s principal, Dick Hamm, pre - sented four proposals for the Fox Block at a Study Session in August 2017. In December 2017 the City Council selected one of the four plans as guidance for Pelican to prepare the plan and cost esti - mate for a 3-level parking structure for 200 or more cars on the existing surface parking lot east of the Fox. Pelican will also prepare negotiations to build a 3- story mixed use project on the “triangle lot” on the northeast corner of Harbor and Ellis and a mixed use or office only project on the “Pomona lot” on the north - Hillcrest Fountain: “I was minding my own business and walking out of my office, when what did my west corner of Pomona and Chapman. wondering eyes behold,--the fountain in Hillcrest Park was working! Seriously, I did not think it would happen in my lifetime, With so much effort going into the Fox Block one cannot help but wonder, and it was glorious!!!” - PHOTO BY JAN FLORY See page 6 for update on the park. “What about the Fox Theater itself?” continued on page 7 Chamber 39th District Candidate Forum by Jane Rands About 300 people attended the voted for the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of Tran criticized the tax reform for being Congressional Candidate Forum on 2017” though all agreed that the cap on inequitable with three of every two dollars 7 . A 7 S March 29, 2018 at the Fullerton state and local tax deductions is harmful in the tax cut going to multinational cor - D . 5 C I D 1 U A Community Center. The North Orange to the district residents. Despite her sup - porations and wealthy individuals as E . N P T D O O E County Chamber of Commerce hosted port for the reform, Ms. Kim stated that pointed out by Mr. Thorburn. Jammal R R N T G A O R the event moderated by Rick Reiff, Editor the middle-class tax cuts should have been and Thorburn also based their opposition T A S D I E T E L N S At Large for the Orange County Business made permanent like the corporate tax on the $1.5 trillion budget deficit that will M R L A O P R T U Journal . Of the seventeen candidates on cuts. She, Mr. Nelson, and Mr. Huff, result because of the tax cut. Additionally, P E S F P the June 5 Primary Ballot for California despite his disapproval, agreed that the Mr. Jammal opposed the reform because Congressional District 39 (CD39), three corporate tax cuts were needed for corpo - it took away the tax incentive for purchas - Republican and three Democrat candi - rations to repatriate their earnings and ing health insurance, a crucial component dates participated. Invited, but failing to stimulate the economy. of the Affordable Care Act. show, was Cisneros. Other candidates Mr. Jammal, Mr. Thorburn, and Dr. Continued on page 10 were not invited. Republican former State Senator Bob Huff, Democratic Clean Energy OPPOSITION FROM CITIES AND RESIDENTS PLAGUE Businessman Sam Jammal, Republican T ATTEMPT TO BUILD HOMELESS SHELTERS IN OC former State Assemblyperson Young Kim, N E L Republican Orange County Supervisor In the early March issue of the Observer , On March 17th, as the 30-day vouchers L D we reported that, following the eviction of neared their end, U.S. District Judge A Shawn Nelson, Democratic Nonprofit I C S 2 E Advisor and Businessman Andy hundreds of homeless individuals from David O. Carter called a federal court S E 0 R I the Santa Ana riverbed encampment, the conference to discuss next steps for hous - E 4 Thorburn, and Democratic Pediatrician R T V 6 R OC Health Care Agency and the non- ing the county’s homeless. At this meet - - Dr. Mai Khan Tran answered questions R T E E 5 V profit City Net provided 30-day motel ing, the judge discussed plans to house S related to business. N 2 D B E 5 vouchers for 697 people, as part of a not just those evicted from the riverbed, A - R O 2017 Tax Reform 4 court-ordered stipulation. Since that but also the large encampment at the O R E 1 All of the candidates except Ms. Kim time, much has happened regarding Santa Ana Civic Center. T 7 U H T and Mr. Nelson said they would not have C Orange County’s homeless population. continued on page 8 N I R O March For Our Lives Orange County by Jesse La Tour The daughter of a woman killed in the life should go to work, or to school, only Salon Meritage shooting in Seal Beach in to find themselves trapped in a bathroom On Saturday, March 24, thousands 2011 (in which 9 people were killed, the for safety as they listen to their friends gathered at Centennial Park in Santa Ana deadliest mass shooting in Orange being shot.” for the March for Our Lives, against gun County history) spoke tearfully of her A junior from Segerstrom High school violence and for sensible gun reform. This loss—and hopefully of the growing stu - explained how he and his family immi - was just one of hundreds of March for dent movement for change. grated to America, fleeing the violence of Our Lives events in cities across the nation Gordon Gallego, a survivor of the Salon their home country only to be stunned by 4 and the world. 3 Meritage shooting, also spoke through the Sandy Hook massacre, right here in 8 N Before the march, people gathered to 2 R 9 1 tears of that shattering experience. the U.S. O 5 E listen to students, teachers, and victims of A 0 “I lost my five co-workers, my family, “Why do the students, teachers, and T V 7 C gun violence share their stories and speak R R X two of which were my best friends,” parents—the future of America—have to N E out against the deadly succession of mass E O O Gallego recalled. “The sounds of screams go to school, to live our lives in constant L S B T shootings in America, against the lobby - R L B O and gunshots tore through the Salon as fear of being the next victim of a mass E P ing power of the NRA, and against politi - U L O Laura Webb begged for her life…Those shooting?” he asked. L F cians’ inaction to create meaningful policy U images will never go away. No one in their F change. continued on page 11 Page 2OBSERVER COMMUNITY OPINIONS CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 EARLY APRIL 2018 OUT OF MY MIND make it about your suburban mass shoot - ullerton ings. You reached out to those who suffer F by Jon Dobrer © 2018 gun deaths not 5 or 10 at a time, but bserver where death comes 1 or 2 at a time— O every day, every night and four times as The Fullerton Observer Community much every weekend. Newspaper, founded by Ralph and Natalie A March, A Moment, A Movement When the NRA cries Second Kennedy and a group of friends in 1978, is Amendment and the right to bear arms, staffed by local citizen volunteers who create, As a child of the 60s, now in my 70s, Cambodians surely recognized that we you cry First Amendment and the right to publish, and distribute the paper throughout I’ve been waiting for this moment. I’ve were bombing them.) freely assemble and petition your govern - our community. been sick unto death of sending thoughts I repeat my bona fides only for credibil - This venture is a not-for-profit one with all ment. Cite too the Fourteenth and prayers. I’ve been disturbed by the ity. This is important and I want the Amendment that promises that no ad and subscription revenues plowed back into lack of passion on our college campuses. young people to believe me: Change maintaining and improving our independent, American can be deprived of Life, Liberty non-partisan, non-sectarian community news - I’ve felt revulsion at the cravenness of so comes when we work for it, sacrifice for it, or Property without due process and equal paper. many politicians, so clearly beholden to fight for it and love each other for it. It protection of the law. Our purpose is to inform Fullerton residents the NRA. does not come easily or instantly. about the institutions and other societal forces You have a right to assemble, to march, When our children were slaughtered at There were certainly iconic tipping to petition your government. You have a which most impact their lives, so that they may Sandy Hook and we accomplished noth - points in the struggles to end the Vietnam be empowered to participate in constructive right, an obligation, to fight for your ways to keep and make these private and public ing, I thought that the struggle was over, War, to eliminate de Jure segregation and lives—and perhaps even the soul of the entities serve all residents in lawful, open, just, and America had surrendered both our the struggles for women’s rights and nation.