Andy's Updates shares news about all aspects of the Anaheim community. Thanks for tuning in!
This week's issue includes:
- COVID-19 update
- Tree lighting
- Holiday lights contest
- Redistricting
- Be our next poet laureate
- Be ready for anything
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COVID-19: cases stable, watching omicron |
COVID-19 cases in Anaheim and Orange County remain stable as we join the world in tracking the new omicron variant and determining what it might mean for our city.
As of now, there are no known omicron cases in Anaheim or Orange County. As with anywhere, it is likely there are cases here yet to be detected.
About 20 percent of all positive test results in OC undergo variant sequencing, creating an extrapolative sample that provides insight into the impact and extent of variants.
While omicron is likely here, what impact it will have is unclear, as we’ve seen other variants come and go.
Delta and delta plus continue to dominate cases here. In 2020 and into 2021, epsilon, which originated here in California, led local cases. We’ve also seen, literally, a Greek alphabet of variants including alpha, gamma, iota and lambda, most of which have been non-factors for us.
Omicron’s mutations are noteworthy. But we don’t know if it will become a driver of new cases here yet.
As always, the best defense against any variant of the virus is full vaccination, including boosters. Vaccines and boosters have been proven to greatly reduce the risk of infection and are even more effective against severe illness.
There are and will be breakthrough omicron cases among the vaccinated, including California’s first cases in San Francisco and Los Angeles. But if delta is any guide, the risk to the unvaccinated will be multiple times higher.
You can get vaccinations, boosters and child shots at Anaheim’s testing and vaccination sites.
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It's that time of year when the streets of Anaheim are aglow with beautiful holiday lights and decorations.
There are so many great decorators out there spreading holiday cheer, and we want to recognize them!
Anaheim Beautiful has teamed up with Anaheim Public Utilities for this year's holiday lights contest, and nominations are open now through Dec.13.
Awards will be given out for homes, apartments or businesses in each City Council district, for 100 percent LED light displays and Miss Anaheim Beautiful’s Choice, along with a number of other categories.
New this year will be recognition of gold star award-winning properties, where families have demonstrated years of creativity and passion.
We'll post them, along with this year's winners, on our online holiday lights map so you can enjoy a lights tour of the city with your family this holiday season.
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Nutcracker Christmas Tree Lighting |
Holiday cheer is back this year!
Join us for the 27th annual Nutcracker Christmas Tree Lighting & Holiday Village in downtown Anaheim this Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Get gifts for everyone on your list at the holiday shopping village, featuring local vendors and crafters. Enjoy fun activities such as the Candy Canine Costume Contest and photos with Santa.
And, of course, get in the spirit with the tree lighting ceremony at 6 p.m.
It all takes place on Center Street Promenade. Admission is free with free parking available.
Find more information here.
Heading to the celebration or doing something of your own this Saturday? Tag us on Instagram at @city_of_anaheim and we'll share it!
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Redistricting: fourth public hearing, draft maps |
Anaheim will host its fourth public hearing on the redistricting process on Jan. 11, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chamber at City Hall, 200 S. Anaheim Blvd.
We hosted community meetings throughout November and December to present and gather input on the draft district maps submitted by the public, as well as those developed by the city's demographer.
The City Council had an initial discussion about the draft maps at the third public hearing on Nov. 2. You can view draft maps online using our interactive tool here.
The public is invited to continue to submit comments and even draw their own draft district map ahead of the Jan. 11 public hearing, when the council will have another discussion about proposed district lines.
Please submit your comments or maps by Dec. 30 to have them considered at the January hearing.
A fifth public hearing will be held on Feb. 1, 2022. The City Council will adopt the final district map by April 2022.
Head over to AnaheimRedistricting.org to submit comments or draft maps, find details on how the redistricting process works, sign up for updates and learn how to get involved.
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We're looking for our next poet laureate!
The poet laureate is Anaheim's literary ambassador, helping to inspire appreciation of poetry and the arts in the city. The volunteer position is for a two-year term from 2022-2024.
Anaheim was the first city in Orange County to have a poet laureate and one of only a handful in California, including Los Angeles, Fresno and Santa Barbara.
A poet laureate serves as the official poet for a city, county, state, or nation. The tradition goes back centuries. In America, the precursor to our nation’s poet laureate today dates back to 1937.
To be eligible for consideration as Anaheim’s poet laureate, applicants must be a published poet, have strong ties to the city for the past five years, be at least 21 years old and be able to give public poetry readings.
Anaheim’s poet laureate holds free workshops at Anaheim Public Libraries, leads poetry readings at city events and heads up community gatherings that promote poetry, literature and the arts.
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We're used to perfect sunny days here in Southern California, but it seems that weather is now becoming a bigger factor in our day-to-day lives.
We saw that firsthand this Thanksgiving weekend, when strong winds knocked out power to several neighborhoods, downed trees and caused debris to fall in our yards and on the roads.
Anaheim Public Utilities provides reliable, cost effective electric service focused on customers.
While we never want to see outages, we can rest easy knowing that crews are ready to respond and address outages when they happen as quickly and efficiently as possible, while doing so in a safe manner.
As much as we prepare, weather and other issues can stretch beyond our control, as we saw last week. Severe wind or rain, vehicles crashing into utility equipment and even curious critters can cause power interruptions without notice.
That's why we're always ready to handle issues as they arise. And it's also a great idea for you to take some simple measures to be ready for an outage in your home.
Check out some helpful tips here.
For those with medical or other necessary equipment, we offer rebates on portable devices to help you during outages.
Sign up for outage updates, find our real-time outage map and more from Anaheim Public Utilities here.
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