Another town hall meeting is in the books!
About 60 neighbors attended our third town hall meeting this month to learn about public safety in Anaheim. City staff from our Police Department, Code Enforcement and the City Manager's Office gave informative presentations.
Thank you to city staff for your assistance and to residents for being active in our community. And many thanks to St. Anthony Claret for graciously hosting our meeting.
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Last month, El Nopal graciously hosted our Tacos with a Council Member event.
Our guest speaker was Grace Stepter, Anaheim's Housing Authority Manager, who fielded questions on the city's various housing programs.
A sincere thank you my fellow residents for attending and to El Nopal, one of District 5's delicious eateries!
I hope to see everyone at the next event.
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We honored those who have served at the annual Veteran’s Day Ceremony at the Veterans Memorial Monument last week.
It was humbling to honor all those who have served in the military and those who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms.
We also celebrated the Marine Corps 244th birthday with a ceremonial slicing of a cake, the first pieces for the oldest and youngest Marines in attendance.
It’s great to see the wonderful turnout for such an important community event!
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Trunk or Treating in District 5
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I had a wonderful time at handing out candy and Halloween pencils at various District 5 churches for their Trunk or Treat Events.
Thank you to Ambassador Church, St. Anthony Claret and Anaheim First Church of the Nazarene for hosting a safe and fun event for the kids.
Each event also had games, tons of family friendly activities and, of course, a nice selection of candy.
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Senior Safety Net
I have good news to share for Anaheim's seniors!
We are moving forward with a new program to provide much-needed help to seniors who struggle with the high cost of housing.
Last month, I worked with Mayor Harry Sidhu and the City Council to pass what we call the Senior Safety Net program.
The program is targeted for senior citizens facing a financial hardship due to unforeseen circumstances such as a medical condition, dramatic rent increase or other circumstances.
The pilot program will include $645,000 in federal housing grant funds for senior assistance. Stay tuned for more details in the coming months.
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Mayor's Prayer Breakfast
I joined Mayor Harry Sidhu and my Council colleagues at the annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast at the Convention Center last month.
I was happy to see that Reborn Cabinets, a District 5 business, was the main program sponsor again this year.
This event is always an opportunity to hear inspirational music and listen to a motivational speaker.
This year’s Keynote Speaker was Andy Puzder, the past chief executive of Carl Karcher Enterprises.
He spoke about how Carl and Margaret Karcher, my childhood neighbors, started with $326 and built an international company employing thousands of people worldwide. A true example of the American Dream.
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Improving the Neighborhood
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The Balsam-Curtis neighborhood is looking bright after our recent neighborhood cleanup. Anaheim’s Community Services Department provided tools and materials and Superior Services, our graffiti abatement contractor, was on hand to help.
Many hands make light work and the result was a tidier and safer neighborhood. Several neighborhood residents and their kids pitched in as well!
Thank you Rotary Club, Anaheim Beautiful, Community Services and Superior for working together to support our neighborhoods
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Anaheim's Public Works teams took quick action this month to remove extensive graffiti from the Lewis Street underpass pump building.
If you see graffiti in your neighborhood, you can help us get rid of it quickly. We can all use the My Anaheim app to report graffiti, trash, streetlight problems and general mischief.
You will get an almost immediate confirmation of your issue and will receive a follow up once the work is completed
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Northgate Bus Stop
The bus stop in front of Northgate Market on State College had become home to a homeless encampment and I heard concerns from several neighbors about the situation there.
Anaheim Police's Homeless Outreach Team was able to work with the couple that had been living here and got them to accept services.
Then our Public Works crews went in and cleaned and sanitized the bus stop. They also cleaned and sanitized the bus stop across the street.
I would like to thank my neighbors who have been an extra set of eyes and ears for the community. Thanks to APD, City Net and Public Works for their persistence in addressing this location.
Please continue to report concerns to my office or the My Anaheim app. Your input truly helps!
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A New Park for District 5
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Jacaranda Park is now open in the Platinum Triangle!
We celebrated the completion of District 5’s 10th park this month. Named for the twenty beautiful purple blooming trees that were planted there, the park also includes District 5’s first dog park.
Tucked off of Gene Autry Way on Union Street, this 1.1 acre park includes a half basketball court, bocce ball, a shade structure, picnic tables, a BBQ and exercise equipment. The dog park includes areas for small and large dogs, plus agility equipment.
Thanks to developer JPI for including this park as part of its new housing development Jefferson Edge.
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St. Anthony Claret Anniversary
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St. Anthony Claret’s church celebrated its 64th anniversary in Anaheim. The church held a dance and banquet followed by a procession through Anna Drive and a special celebratory mass.
It was a great turnout of the community in support of their church. Thank you Pastor Fr. Bill Cao for organizing this annual celebration.
Fun fact: My godparents, Joseph and Dorothy Huarte, donated the land for the church and school in the early 1950s. As a youngster, I ran around the orange groves with the Huarte kids before the church was built.
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Congratulations to the newest members of Anaheim’s Community Emergency Response Team, or CERT!
The CERT program involves seven three-hour classes that cover basic assessment, triage, first aid, establishing a line of command, how to work as a team and most importantly, the mindset of being an emergency responder.
I was honored to hand out the course completion certificates.
When disaster strikes, CERT volunteers will be a key resource to help their neighbors as professional rescue agencies may be days away.
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The Be Well Orange County Regional Wellness Campus broke ground last month, promising to bring a world-class system of mental healthcare to Orange County.
Be Well, a public-private partnership, demonstrates commitment, capacity and compassion to serve those with mental health issues.
Mental illness is a highly personal and important issue that needs to be addressed. The county of Orange, CalOptima, Hoag, Kaiser Permanente, Memorial Care, Providence St. Joseph Health are all part of the partnership that is making this project happen.
Mental illness is a serious, growing concern in our communities.
This first of three facilities is located at 265 S. Anita Drive in Orange.
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Upcoming Meetings
- Nov. 19 at 5 p.m. City Council Meeting
- Dec. 3 at 5 p.m. City Council Meeting
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Paid for by Faessel for City Council 2020
FPPC ID No. 1396020
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