Don Palabraz

{Fullerton’s Hunt Library / Photo cred: Matt Leslie}

A sizable homeless encampment near the closed down Hunt Branch Library in Fullerton will be cleared out by 3 p.m. today, the latest episode in a developing saga documented by the Fullerton Rag blog. The library, a gem of a design that came courtesy of renowned architect William L. Pereira, has definitely seen better days. First, its operating hours were reduced until it was only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the week. Then came its closure in late March after an emergency meeting of the Library Board of Trustees cited increasingly dangerous conditions. Just last week, the Fullerton city council voted to begin the process of leasing the property to Grace Ministries International, a massive Korean-American church compound adjacent to the Hunt. In between all of this, more and more homeless people began camping out near the train tracks around the bend of the library. Now, on short notice, Fullerton police plan to have the area fully cleared out today.

Read more on my latest OC Weekly Navel Gazing Blog post:

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2013/06/hunt_library_fullerton.php

{Sami Ode / Photo cred: Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times }

Another year is passing, and still no arrests have been made in the October 11, 1985 terrorist bombing in Santa Ana that killed Alex Odeh. The late Southern California Regional Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) had opened the door to his office that fateful morning when a pipe bomb exploded killing him. Sami Odeh, a tireless advocate in the name of justice for his deceased brother, died away a week ago today after suffering from a long-term illness. He had lived and worked in Orange as a real estate broker. “We regret that Sami Odeh never lived to see justice served,” the ADC said in a statement on his passing, “but we are hopeful that Alex’s case will be solved in the near future and justice will prevail.”

Read more on my latest OC Weekly Navel Gazing Blog post:

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2013/06/sami_odeh_alex_odeh.php

A week ago, the one and only Ms Krazie was vacationing in OC when she decided to set up an exclusive ‘meet and greet’ for local fans in the area. Pachuco Tattoo was the spot in Orange. One woman near the front of the line had gotten to the location from Riverside and arrived at around 1:30 p.m. The official start time of the event wasn’t until 5 p.m. Now that’s dedication! Hundreds of other fans lined up waiting for hours just to have a few minutes of time with the underground rapper! Ms Krazie stayed for hours too, taking pictures, signing posters, CDs and even a butt!

OC Weekly photographer Josue Rivas was on hand to capture it all. In case you missed it, check out our slideshow of forty pictures. Who knows? Maybe Rivas snapped a shot of you!

http://www.ocweekly.com/slideshow/ms-krazie-meet-and-greet

{Children and parents rally for Principal Baeza at Juarez Elementary}

Last night, Anaheim City School District (ACSD) board members sided with new Superintendent Linda Wagner’s decision to transfer Principal Roberto Baeza out of Benito Juarez Elementary, parent protests be damned! At the meeting, they also approved and announced a new hire for Juarez: current Mann Elementary Vice Principal Cecilia Román, with the supe touting her as a fluent Spanish speaker who has twenty years of experience working in the district–nevermind Baeza can also speakee Spanish, too! That didn’t sit well with Juarez parents. “I am pleading, begging, imploring you and do not want to cry, but please do not take [Baeza] from our children,” said Victoria Burns, one of the few parents who were able to speak during public comments prior to the announcement. “[He] is not done with Benito Juarez. We still need him.”

Her words failed to sway the board. “They gave lip service to the public,” Burns told the Weekly after the meeting. “They gave an opportunity to speak but it wasn’t really taken to heart or considered. The decision was already made.”

Read more on my latest OC Weekly Navel Gazing Blog post:

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2013/06/jose_moreno_anaheim_city.php