In 2002, Don Bales took 50 clear plastic Solo cups and using a small soldering iron, burned holes and used the melted plastic to connect the adjacent cup. He continued in this […]
Yale Loop ‘Sparkle Balls’ Brighten the Holiday Season
Redistricting Advisory Commission to Hold Public Hearing December 15
Fullerton’s Redistricting Advisory Commission will hold their first public hearing on December 15 at 6:30pm at Fullerton City Hall (303 West Commonwealth Ave). The Commission, which is responsible for advising City Council […]
DTSC accepting public comments on proposed McColl Superfund site agreement
California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has issued a Notice of Partial Consent Decree (CD) advising the public that DTSC has entered into an agreement with Shell Oil, Chevron, and Atlantic […]
Council majority ignores policy in choosing new Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem
Ignoring established policy, City council voted 3-2 (Zahra and Silva “no”) to select Fred Jung as the new Mayor and Bruce Whitaker as Mayor Pro Tem at their December 7 meeting. Each […]
Fullerton trash pickup on hold as workers strike
Four hundred sanitation employees went on strike beginning December 9, citing unfair employment practices by Republic Services, causing a delay in trash and recycling services for Fullerton and other surrounding cities. Teamsters […]
COO of OC Power Authority Unexpectedly Resigns
Less than a year into her position, the Chief Operating Officer of the Orange County Power Authority abruptly resigned last week following reports of a conflict between herself and OCPA CEO Brian […]
5 Honored at Women’s Leadership Forum
Event founder and Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva hosted the 17th Annual Fullerton Women’s Leadership Forum along with former Fullerton City Councilmember Pam Keller and the Women’s Club of Fullerton (WCOF) at the Community […]
Downtown art and furniture store gets reprieve
Mexican art and furniture store Blanquel Popular Art, at risk in September of being replaced by an alcohol enterprise, has been reprieved. The property owner’s application for a conditional use permit (CUP) […]
Whitaker meets with residents in parking lot on last night as Mayor
Last night Mayor Bruce Whitaker spoke to about 50 Fullerton residents from mostly District 1 and District 2 who had gathered under the lights shining down on the empty parking stalls in […]
Amid affordability crisis, City to host housing study session
The city of Fullerton will host a study session on December 8 regarding the recently-released Housing Element, an important document that outlines both how the City has done in achieving its stated […]
El Cajon Trail Provides Green Space in Yorba Linda
Recently, there’s been talk about a proposed greenbelt trail along a stretch of abandoned Union Pacific right-of-way in south Fullerton. An example of what such a trail might look like and how […]
WTLC re-opens its doors
Long a hidden resource in Fullerton, the Woman’s Transitional Living Center (WTLC) recently re-opened their doors to the public. Beginning in 1976, a converted hospital across the street from Rutabegorz restaurant on […]
The Downtown Report: Early December Edition
A look back to a look forward Everyone here at The Observer hopes every one of you had a memorable reunion of sorts at Thanksgiving, and that you feel optimistic as we […]
Young Observers: Early December Edition
As of last week, over 5 million people worldwide have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic started about 2 years ago. Many, including children, have suffered from the loss of loved ones […]
Fox Theater brings on fundraising professional as Executive Director
As the final plans for the next phase of the Fox’s rehabilitation work their way through the City’s approval process, the board members of the Fullerton Historic Theatre Foundation (FHTF) are already […]
COVID-19 Updates
New COVID Variant prompts travel restrictions Following the discovery of a new COVID-19 variant (Omicron) in South Africa, President Biden announced travel restrictions from eight African countries on November 26. The World […]
Police Officer Association tells City Council to stop the cuts
Mayor Pro Tem Nick Dunlap spoke at the November 16 City Council meeting about a mass text that was sent out by the Fullerton Police Officers Association (FPOA), the union that represents […]
Motorcyclist dies in fatal traffic collision
Fullerton Police Officers responded to reports of a traffic collision involving a motorcycle and an automobile that occurred on Friday November 26 at Bradford Avenue and Quartz Lane. Upon arrival, officers located […]
Redistricting: What to expect this time
Commentary In the previous Observer I mentioned that the principal lesson to be learned from the original City Council district drawing exercise in 2015-16 is that public input, even where there is […]
City to own nearly half of Coyote Hills as open space
As a result of State grant funding, Fullerton will purchase from property owner Chevron and their housing subsidiary Pacific Coast Homes (PCH) nearly half of the 510-acre West Coyote Hills as a […]
Council votes to fund homeless shelter for 6 months
Fullerton’s Navigation Center (homeless shelter with social services), which opened in 2020 and recently closed to Fullerton’s homeless due to a lack of funding, will see at least six more months of […]
Fullerton Police assist in apprehending auto parts thief suspect
A neighbor of the owner of a Ford Excursion saw two suspects cutting a catalytic converter from the car in Anaheim on November 17, at 6:40am. The owner of the Ford exited […]
Residents Encouraged to Give Input on Fullerton’s Urban Forest
Fullerton has been awarded a CalFire Urban and Community Forestry Grant in the amount of $377,000 for the purpose of improving the City’s urban forest. This project will enable Fullerton to conduct […]
Chevron caps pipelines under Fullerton neighborhoods
Chevron has been seen cleaning and capping some pipelines running under neighborhoods in Fullerton. The encroachment permit for excavating within public rights-of-way was approved back in July. According to Public Works Director […]
Fullerton Heritage presents Local Landmark 89: Harry G. Maxwell House
In July 1919, the Fullerton Chamber of Commerce, along with other local organizations, adopted resolutions designating the “Spanish style” as the preferred architectural style in the City. An early important developer, Harry […]
Estrella Family Fashions Zoot Suits at El Pachuco
Opening its doors for business in 1978, El Pachuco Zoot Suits, located at 801 South Harbor Boulevard, has always been a family business. Phyllis Estrella, who was born, raised, and married in […]
Police seek information in attempted homicide
Fullerton police are seeking suspects and witnesses in what they describe as an attempted homicide that took place around 10pm on Monday, November 15 in the area of 200 East Amerige Ave. […]
The Downtown Report: Mid-November Edition
Central Business District (CBD) It’s hard to imagine all these years later being the new guy now, the too-young-to-know-anything guy in Downtown Fullerton in the 80s. I quickly learned from other business […]
Young Observers: Mid-November Edition
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. The idea of being grateful differs for each person. Besides the usual food, family and friends, here are some of the fascinating reasons Fullerton teens are […]
Fullerton continues to invest in fossil fuels
While many communities and businesses (even some oil and gas giants) are investing in renewable energy and divesting from oil and gas, the city of Fullerton purchased a new investment of $600,000 […]
City Redistricting: the politics behind the process
Vince Buck is CSUF Professor Emeritus, Political Science Fullerton City Councilmembers have all been elected by district only since December 2020. The districts were first created in 2016, but now that the […]
Korean War Memorial Unveiled
Hundreds of residents, veterans, families, visitors from Korea, and local leaders dedicated the new Orange County Korean War Memorial, located at Hillcrest Park in Fullerton on Veteran’s Day, November 11. “Today we […]
Council seeks alternatives for proposed south Fullerton trail
A proposed trail in south Fullerton along an abandoned railroad right-of-way became the focus of heated discussion and raised questions of conflicts of interest during the November 2 Council meeting. Back in […]
Fullerton Heritage Presents: Local Landmark – Russell House
Constructed in 1903, the impressive Colonial Revival home at 516 West Amerige Avenue was originally situated in the 100 block of West Commonwealth Avenue and then moved to its current location in […]
Gertie and Ernst
My father grew up in Germany in the Nazi time; our family is Jewish. My grandparents brought their family to the United States in 1935. However, many family members were left behind […]
