Public land | Voice of OC

Garden Grove Today Could Hand Willowick Golf Course Over to Hotel Developer

Willowick Golf Course

By Brandon Pho | December 10, 2019

Garden Grove city officials today will decide whether one of the last remaining open green spaces in a working-class area will be handed to a for-profit developer for decades, despite an ongoing local court battle over whether city officials actually have the legal authority to do so.

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COMMUNITY OPINION »

Candidate Aitken Refused to Stand Up for the Community When It Mattered

Leaders Take a Position; Ashleigh Failed to Lead
Court: Dirtiest Election Trick In Decades By Developers In OC Supervisors Race Should Change Rules For Future Candidates

A three-decade veteran of California elections condemns the 11th hour mailer by developers for Don Wagner that falsely claims a former federal prosecutor who went after sexual predators protects rapists. He says it should spur stronger disclosure and content rules for election communications.

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

Downtown Santa Ana is home to the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) — but as popular and successful as it is, you won’t find many kids from Santa Ana enrolled at the prestigious charter school.

Why?

Santa Ana Unified found that it’s tied to admissions, diversity and fundraising practices at the school. OCSA officials disagree and have pushed back..

Carla Javier, arts education reporter for NPR-affiliate KPCC and its website, LAist.com, closely examined how what had been a 20-year-long cordial relationship went sour — and what that could mean as OCSA’s charter is set to expire on June 30.

Among her findings: While OCSA’s campus is scattered around Santa Ana’s Main Street, enrollment data show that less than 10% of its student body actually lives in Santa Ana.

What’s more, in a district where about 88% of Santa Ana students are considered economically disadvantaged, just 12% of OCSA’s students fall into that category. Latino enrollment in Santa Ana Unified schools tops 90%, but OCSA’s student body is less than a quarter Latino.

The demographics of the school aren’t in line with Orange County overall either, where 34% of the population and 49% of public school students identify as Latino.

You can read the full special report here.

INSIDE THE NEWSROOM »

OC Supervisor District 1 Debate Moderated by Voice of OC Publisher Norberto Santana, Jr.

Voice of OC Publisher Norberto Santana, Jr., continues to lead in the Orange County community in bringing election candidates and officials together with the public for a 21st century public square.

NORBERTO SANTANA, JR.

Santana: Top DA Spitzer Aide Gets $75K Settlement To Drop Corruption Allegations

Former Public Affairs Director Melanie Eustice was paid out a $75,000 settlement last fall after dropping her public contracting corruption claim against District Attorney Todd Spitzer and agreeing to silence. Eustice was one of Spitzer’s longest-serving aides.

Press Releases »

OC Democratic Voters Divided Between Progressive Sanders and Moderate Bloomberg, Chapman University Survey Finds
Judge Grants City of Costa Mesa’s Request to Halt Use of Fairview Developmental Center As COVID-19 Quarantine Facility
City of Costa Mesa Files Legal Action to Halt Use of Fairview Developmental Center As COVID-19 Quarantine Facility