Flag Day Celebration

Join us for Flag Day on Saturday, June 14th on Center Street Promenade. Free Admission, Free Flags, Free Cake and Ice Cream, Downtown will have it all!

Gail Eastman Kick Off Event!

Here is something we all need to attend! Gail Eastman, one of the Colony's own, is running for City Council, and will be kicking off her campaign with a Fund Raiser at the GardenWalk Upper Terrace on Tuesday May 27. The event is from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm, and includes Jazz and Hor d'oeuvres. Participation is $150 per person and $250 per couple, Silver Sponsors are $500, Gold Sponsors are $1,000 and $1,600 (campaign limit) is Platinum Sponsor. Gail Eastman is one of the finest human beings I know, she has excellent leadership skills that will benefit every neighborhood in the City of Anaheim, and we need to support her campaign. RSVP NOW, as she needs to turn in final numbers for catering. Contact CJ Eastman at (714) 768-2925 or RSVP@gail2008.com to let them know you are coming! See you there!

Graffitti Help in Anaheim!

A very special thanks to William "Uncle Bill" Taormina, and Jerry Zomorodian, who are living proof that Anaheim businesses give back to the community! This just in from Keith Olesen, source of all wise and worldly info:

"As many of you know already the city, through Chief Welter and the APD, is holding a series of meetings with city managers and staff, residents, business owners, the police, and others to address the growing problem of graffiti. It was announced at the meeting yesterday by Bill Taormina, through his Clean City company, that for 60 days a portion of the downtown area will be the test site for a graffiti removal program. The area covered is bordered by Vermont on the south, Cypress on the north, East on the east, and Harbor on the west. Clean City will be responsible for graffiti removal in that area. Their goal is to have graffiti removed within 4 hours of their crew spotting it. We'll have more specific details before the start date next month regarding phone numbers for reporting graffiti and so forth, but the basic idea is that the 2 man crew will work in 2 four hour blocks each day Monday thru Friday. The morning will start by picking up graffiti locations reported and will immediately start paining over it (during this pilot program the Clean City crew will paint out graffiti, the city will still be responsible for locations that require sand blasting). The second 4 hours will be spent getting newly reported locations and painting out unreported graffiti that they spot. It's a test to see the feasibility of outsourcing some of the city's graffiti removal efforts and to try out some new ideas with regard to reporting, tracking, and removing graffiti. Clean City will make available all their data at the end of the program. Here's the amazing part: this is being done at no charge to city. Clean City purchased and outfitted a new truck (it's bright yellow so it isn't hard to spot) and is paying the 2 man crew to try this out. At the end of the meeting Jerry Zimordian (who owns the Arco station at Broadway and Anaheim Blvd and "Jerry's Corner" where Cafe Contigo is) stepped up and said he would supply all the gas for the truck during the 60 day pilot program. It's a seemingly neve! r ending problem and it's good to see some innovative thinking going into addressing it. More info as it becomes available. Keith"

Rumble and Rock on the Party Block!

Turns out Sam Morrison is part of an even bigger event!! Thanks to the Downtown Anaheim Association for the additional info!

FRIDAY, MAY 16, 2008A Motorcycle, Classic Car, Musical Extravaganza!Rockin’ Live Music from 5PM-10PM
5PM-7:15PM Butter (Janis Joplin/Classic Rock)
7:45PM-10PM The Sam Morrison Band (Classic Rock)
Proceeds will benefit One Breath Foundation and B.A.D. (Bikers Against Diabetes).Event includes street vendors, hot bands, tasty BBQ, taco/nacho bar, beer/wine/cocktails, accumulative 50/50 opportunity drawing, dancing + Much More!
Trophy for best motorcycle and classic car will be awarded.Kick start your weekend the 3rd Friday of each month, May through October.
Located at Center Street Promenade and Lemon Street For more information, call 714 956 3586 or visit www.downtownanaheim.com

Rock and Roll, Kids Art, Greek Food, Madame Modjeska's Arden

Right here in our little neck of the woods, the Sam Morrison band will be playing Rumble and Rock on the Party Block, Center Street Promenade, Friday, May 16 from 7 pm to 10 pm. In addition to their southern fired rock style, Sam Morrison band boasts the finest drummer in the Southland, Bart Robley. Hmm, seems a bit prejudicial there CW....yep. Bart rocks, and he's teaching my drummer-boy teen to rock, and I am really looking forward to this event. Hope to see y'all there. www.myspace.com/thesammorrisonband

CHILDREN"S ART FESTIVAL THIS SATURDAY

And then it's back to Center Street Promenade Saturday, for the 16th Annual Children's Art Festival. This FREE event, hosted by the Anaheim Arts Council, provides kids with the opportunity to unleash their creative sides, with arts, crafts, music, dance, storytelling, puppets, a great time for kids! The event runs 9 am to 3 pm Saturday May 17. Admission to the Muzeo for the Cheech Marin Chicano Arts exhibit will be available at a discounted price.

ST JOHN'S GREEK FESTIVAL FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY

...and as if Andrea Manes is not busy enough coordinating the Children's Festival, she is also managing the Greek Festival, the all tme ultimate ouzo-fest of the year! St. John the Baptist Church, 405 N. Dale. Park at the WalMart parking lot at the "Buena Park Downtown" (which marketing genius came up with that name?) and shuttle over to the event. Friday May 16 3 pm to 10 pm, Saturday May 17 12 noon to 10 pm, and Sunday May 18 12 noon to 10 pm. www.ocgreekfest.com

MADAME MODJESKA'S HOME, ARDEN BUS TOUR MAY 31

Seats are now available for a bus trip to Madame Helena Modjeska's Stanford White designed home in the Modjeska Canyon. $25 includes transportation on a luxury bus, and admission to the tour of the estate. Purchase a catered box lunch from AHS for $5, or bring your own, as the group will stop at Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary for lunch before returning to Anaheim. Contact Helen Myers at (714) 774-2077 for reservations, seating is limited!

VINTAGE SALE, WAND BBQ , HERITAGE HOME SAVED

MULTI-FAMILY YARD SALE IN HISTORIC ANAHEIM SATURDAY MAY 10 8 am to 4pm

703 N. Lemon (shown here, just north of Pearson Park) is the starting point for a multi-family sale spanning several blocks of the Anaheim Colony Historic District. Start here for maps to other homes in the area participating in the sale, including 2 antique dealers clearing out their wares! NO EARLY BIRDS please!

WAND BBQ

Also this weekend, the West Anaheim Neighborhood Development Council is hosting their Annual WAND BBQ, Saturday, May 10 from 10 am to 4 pm. This FREE event is at Twila Reed Park, 3100 W. Orange. For more info contact Judithann Gollette at (714) 827-6818.

HERITAGE HOME SAVED FROM DEMOLITION!

Rather fun that my first blog post celebrates a victory. Today's OC Register reports that Anaheim City Council voted to relocate a cottage slated for the wrecking ball. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/city-anaheim-historical-2036328-move-hobson

While the reported graciously gives credit to the Anaheim Historical Society (where I serve as President, because sleep is highly over-rated) I have to say that the developer blew off AHS requests for proper documentation and preservation efforts, until the Anaheim Neighborhood Association (ANA) and a City staffer new to preservation became involved. So thanks to all who rocked the boat! Sadly, the SHPO office in Sacramento had signed off on the loss of the house, without the proper documentation, leaving it up to local officials to determine its fate. Nope, Anaheim does not have any Municipal Code that prevents developers from tearing down heritage homes. Not even in the City's 3 historic districts. What is the line from POTC? "They're considered more like guidelines than actual rules"....

If you have not heard of ANA before, they are a PAC that has existed for decades, the brave pioneers who curbed the demolition of historic Anaheim under Project Alpha. Lament the loss of our historic downtown? It was supposed to be worse! If you enjoy living in or visiting the 3 historic districts, thank ANA, because they were scheduled to be next on the demolition circuit! Check out ANA at the website, http://anaheimneighborhoodassociation.com/ and take a look at the fundraiser they are hosting. Yep, involved there too.