The all volunteer-produced Fullerton Observer was started over 42 years ago by my parents, the late Ralph and Natalie Kennedy, and a group of friends including Roy and Irene Kobayashi, who are […]
Passing the Paper to a New Crew
The Coronavirus is Not the First Pandemic to Plague Our Planet
After reading a couple of recent articles in the Los Angeles Times and New York Times, I thought it was about time to turn to the past to see how a previous […]
Congratulations Graduates!
One major American rite of passage is graduating from high school. Graduation forms the capstone to thirteen years of K-12 education and until recently provided the amount of education required to get […]
Cannabis and Public Safety: a Q & A Session
The city of Fullerton hosted a virtual panel discussion on cannabis policy live-streamed on its Facebook page on May 14, featuring Police Chief Robert Dunn and Community and Economic Development Director Matt […]
Orange County Healthcare Agency Update
COVID-19 Statistics According to Orange County’s new Health Care Agency Director, Dr. Clayton Chau, Orange County is experiencing a slight uptick in numbers of COVID-19 infectious cases. Each day, the County’s Health […]
Mayor Fitzgerald Organizes Coalition of California Cities
Fullerton Mayor Jennifer Fitzgerald has announced the formation of The California Mayor Coalition (CMC) formed to advocate for federal money to help cities in our state caught short economically by the ongoing COVID-19 […]
The Downtown Report (Mid May edition)
Drive by Shooting With a camera, of course. Some of us are more cautious than others. This guy is staying on the cautious side, and with the unfortunate lack of shoppers and […]
In Preparing the Budget, City Faces Hard Choices
Fullerton’s City Treasurer gave a financial budget review report for fiscal year (FY) 2020-21 at the May 5 Fullerton City Council meeting, as the City prepares to create its new budget in […]
New Sculpture Garden at the Muckenthaler
As there is still uncertainty regarding when their art gallery will be able to reopen, the Muckenthaler Cultural Center is adding a sculpture garden on its lawn so people can still enjoy […]
Young Observers Send Support to Essential Workers
During this difficult time, while we try to avoid the virus by staying home, many essential workers have no choice but to keep working so that our community can continue to function. […]
Local Comic Shop Owner Pays it Forward to Elementary Schools
Fullerton elementary students picked up their lunches from school like usual last week and were left astonished when staff asked if they’d like a special addition to their meal: a complimentary comic […]
Virtual Town Hall with Representative Gil Cisneros
U.S. Representative Gil Cisneros (CA-39) held a virtual town hall via Zoom video conferencing for residents of Fullerton on May 7. This was part of a series of city-specific town halls he […]
Orange County COVID-19 Testing Network
The County of Orange has begun implementing a COVID-19 testing network, with locations offering FDA-authorized testing to Orange County residents who have symptoms of COVID-19. According to the County, there is no […]
Police-involved Shooting Under Investigation
A man was shot to death at or near the corner of Commonwealth Ave. and Lillie Ave. by Fullerton police on the evening of Sunday, May 3. The man, said to have […]
The Downtown Report (Early May)
Better Together A hot news tip came in from one of our readers so it needed to be checked out right away. OK, so it was just an excuse to get out […]
How Fullerton Benefitted from the New Deal
The current coronavirus catastrophe has necessitated government aid on a massive scale. The CARES Act was the largest economic relief package in American history at over $2 trillion. But this was not […]
United to End Homelessness Virtual Town Hall
There are 7000 people experiencing homelessness in Orange County, with about 2900 in shelters and 4000 unsheltered. On Thursday, April 30, OC United Way presented a webinar that was live-streamed on Facebook, […]
The Fullerton Police Department in the Time of Coronavirus
While many of us are staying safe sheltering at home, the Fullerton Police Department is keeping us and themselves safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Through strategic planning and deployment, Chief Robert Dunn […]
COVID-19 Updates from OC Health Care Agency
Orange County’s Healthcare Agency continues to update the public about their response to the COVID19 pandemic throughout the County. During live press updates over the past two weeks, County officials announced the […]
Town Hall with Chief Medical Officer of St. Jude Hospital
Assistant Professor of Infectious Disease at UCI School of Medicine Saahir Khan, MD, and Gastroenterologist and Chief Medical Officer for St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton Dr. Sajen Matthews, participated in a COVID-19 […]
Increase in Anti-Asian Hate Incidents and Crimes
In response to the increased number of hate crimes against Asian-American Pacific Islanders (AAPI), Congressman Gil Cisneros of California Congressional District 39 hosted a virtual town hall on April 27. He began […]
Mayor Hosts Virtual Town Hall
Fullerton’s Mayor Jennifer Fitzgerald held her first “Virtual Town Hall” via video feed from the mayor’s office in city hall on the morning of Monday, April 27. Characterizing the virtual method as […]
Admiring Neighborhood Flowers in Fullerton
The normal car-filled neighborhood streets of Fullerton are practically empty, except for the occasional delivery truck or postal service vehicle. This means that everyone is doing their part to stop the spread […]
City Enters Agreement with Water District for PFAS Treatment
Council voted 5-0 to approve a 30-year agreement with Orange County Water District (OCWD) which will provide funding for construction of PFAS (groundwater contaminant) treatment plants and a portion of ongoing operational […]
Hillcrest Park Duck Pond Improvements To Move Forward
Council voted 5-0 to move forward with the Hillcrest Park Duck Pond Improvements Project at their April 21 meeting. The funding, which had already been earmarked for the project before the COVID-19 […]
On Pandemics, Pork Chops, and Chicken Nuggets
I’ve wasted too much time lately combing the news for an answer to a crucial question about pandemics like Covid-19: Are they inevitable? Newscasters and the scientists, doctors and politicians they interview […]
‘Thank You Heroes’ Car Parade for St. Jude Workers
A group of local residents organized a “Thank You Heroes” Car Parade on Tuesday April 21 which drove past St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton, in appreciation of those on the front lines […]
Council Passes Resolution Requiring Face Coverings for Retail Businesses and Customers
On Tuesday, April 21 Fullerton City Council voted 3-2 to require both employees and customers of retail businesses to wear cloth face coverings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This was […]
Caravan of Love for Nurses at St. Jude Urgent Care
A group of Fullerton residents organized a car parade on Saturday April 18 to show their appreciation, support, and love to the nurses and medical workers at St. Jude Urgent Care in Fullerton. […]
How You Can Support Struggling Fullerton College Students
Most of our students struggled with food and income insecurity before the COVID-19 crisis hit. They worked multiple jobs and lived paycheck to paycheck while racking up debt as the income never […]
Peering at the Past of the Pierotti House
Where Yorba Linda Blvd. meets Bradford Avenue, close to the border of Fullerton and Placentia, there’s a house hidden from the street and the surrounding neighborhood behind fencing and high shrubs. A […]
Living History: Fullerton’s Historic Oak
In 1914, the senior class of Fullerton High School planted a young oak seedling in the center of the newly-constructed campus. Over time, the oak cast a larger shadow as its branches […]
City Lays Off 153 Part-Time Employees
In his weekly report, Fullerton City Manager Ken Domer announced that the city of Fullerton has laid off 153 part-time employees due to revenue shortages caused by the COVID-19 crisis: “The City […]
The Downtown Report (Mid April)
Most of you are settling in to the safe-at-home lifestyle for now, so getting information from the outside world has become more important than ever. I am also mired in my home […]
Families, Teachers, and Schools Cope with School Closures
Families, teachers, and schools in California and in states across the nation are having to establish new sets of standards and rules for distance learning since the schools from elementary through college […]
