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 […]
The Downtown Report (Early May)
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 […]
Film Review: Pain and Glory Gets Two Hits
Two great talents combine their artistry to create a film rich in imagery and contemplative in tone. Spanish writer/director Pedro Almodovar, who dropped out of a seminary at nineteen, claims to have […]
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 […]
Fullerton Rotary Sponsors Face Shields for St. Jude Hospital
In a phone interview on April 5, Dan Ouweleen explained how Fullerton Rotary began making face shields for St. Jude Hospital staff and employees. Three weeks prior, the Rotary District Governor had […]
Grocery Delivery Options In and Around Fullerton
Grocery delivery/curbsite/pick-up experiences have been hit and miss – with it working for certain stores only on certain days. Since this is a situation that is changing daily ,this is an attempt […]
OC Healthcare Agency Recommends Face Coverings
According to the Orange County Healthcare Agency (OCHCA) as of April 10, Fullerton has had 31 confirmed cases of COVID-19 positive residents. This figure has grown steadily in the past two weeks […]
Assembly Member Sharon Quirk-Silva Hosts COVID-19 Teleconference
Local California State Assembly Member Sharon Quirk-Silva hosted a COVID-19 teleconference on April 2 to respond to questions submitted by constituents. 71 participants dialed in to hear answers to some of the […]
Impact of COVID-19 on City Revenues
City Manager Ken Domer gave a report on the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on city revenues (that is, funding for roads, parks, and other city services) at the April 7 Fullerton […]
What Social Distancing Means for Domestic Violence Survivors
“It’s been 3 weeks since I’ve left the house and I’m getting more scared for my life,” said a survivor of domestic violence to WTLC’s Helpline Advocate over the phone. “My boyfriend […]
Life During a Pandemic: Fullertonians Share Their Stories
During these difficult times, it becomes easy to focus just on the “big picture” stories of how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the country as a whole. But each of us has […]
The Downtown Report
Caravan of Hope It’s been tough and scary for all of us grown-ups but what about children? When our friends were forced to cancel their 3 year old’s birthday party, we organized […]
Placentia Clears Homeless Encampment, Opens Shelter
Placentia city workers cleared the long-standing homeless encampment under the overpass on Crowther Ave. on April 2. Two days prior, the city opened its first navigation center (homeless shelter with wraparound social […]
Film Review: “The Report” Gets Two Hits
The title of this film as it appears on the screen has a redacted word between THE and REPORT. We learn almost immediately that the inked-out word is TORTURE, and writer/director Scott […]
The Fullerton Museum Center is Closed for Now. Here Are Some Images of Their Current Exhibit.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Fullerton Museum Center is closed for now. The museum’s curator, Kelly Chidester, reached out to the Observer to share some images of the current exhibit, “Golden […]
Head Over to the Hidden Lakebed Hiking Trail
Because of the current Coronavirus crisis, I’ve been trying to distance myself from other people as much as possible. Even though my college classes are now online and I’ve been doing my […]
St. Jude Responds to Coronavirus
St. Jude Medical Center is taking steps to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus by implementing new screening protocols that include taking the temperature of anyone entering its hospital. Anticipating increased […]
