Today's top stories from behind the Orange Curtain:
Janet Nguyen Must Wait -- OCR and LAT
Supervisors delay confirmation after legal challenge is filed.
Editorial: Wait A Little Longer -- OCR
Court may decide which Nguyen won.
Editorial: A Sober Option -- OCR
Breath-test device linked to auto ignition might actually do some good
Firms Treat State, Local Officials Before Transit Funding Vote -- LAT
The decision on allocating $4.5 billion will be made today.
Santa Ana School To Close -- OCR
Santa Ana Unified trustees vote to shut Grant Elementary as part $15.6 million in budget cuts.
School District Trustees Look For Ways To Cut -- LAT
Santa Ana Unified School District board members discussed how to cut $21 million in spending for the upcoming school year but hadn't completed their work during a meeting that continued late into the evening Tuesday.
Park Site Beats City Hall -- OCR and DP
Newport Beach council votes to reserve open land near library for park and build headquarters elsewhere.
Great Park Transit Routes Laid Out -- OCR
City planners and consultants envision visitors traveling around the Great Park by trolleys, buses or monorail, and have laid out plans for four options for the City Council to consider for a mass transit system.
Villa Park Decides Against Pryaer Before Council Meetings -- OCR
Majority argues invocations would be divisive and inappropriate.
Garden Grove Drops Theme Park Contract -- OCR
Garden Grove officials say there was no evidence of financial backing or progress in developing a movie studio partnership.
Irvine Bans Smoking In Parks -- OCR
A growing number of California towns snuff out the use of tobacco outdoors.
OC Wants More Road Funds -- OCR
County officials demand a share of state transportation bond money they'd consider adequate.
HB Transit Study Gains Momentum -- OCR
An idea to build a transit line stretching from Disneyland to Huntington Beach got a $250,000 boost Monday from the Orange County Transportation Authority.
Op-Ed: Newport Center Park - Keep The Promise -- DP
With all the attention given to the so-called Ficker Plan to build City Hall at Newport Center Park, I feel compelled to share a concept that the City Hall Building Committee, of which I am a member, is analyzing.
District leader Offs New Idea -- DP
Chuck Hinman, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District's assistant superintendent of secondary education, pitched a new program to the school board on Monday — and he was quick to stress that it wouldn't be abandoned next year.
Teen Testifies In OC Molestation Trial -- LAT
He says a former aide to Rep. Rohrabacher acknowledged the illegality of the sex they allegedly had three times.
The Chilly Specter Of An Accused Pervert -- OC Weekly
Scott Moxely reports on the Jeff Nielsen trial.
Frank Mickadeit: Accuser In Nielsen Case Has Disability -- OCR
Frank continues reporting on the Jeff Nielsen case.
Santa Margarita High School Principal Resigns -- LAT
Brother Lawrence Monroe, placed on leave last month for not reporting concerns about a teacher's behavior, says it's time for 'a less hectic pace.'
Minuteman Court Ruling Date Is Set -- LAT
A judge weighs an argument by the group's co-founder that a vote to oust him from the board was invalid.
She Swears The Constitution Is On Her Side -- LAT
A Riverside woman, cited over foul language at John Wayne Airport, says the law is vague and stifles free speech.
Santa Ana Approves High-Rise -- OCR
The city's Planning Commission has given the green light to a proposal to lure high-rise residential development to a swath of land between two freeways on Santa Ana's eastern end.
Regarding the Villa Park City Council's decision not to open their meetings with a prayer because it would be " divisive and inappropriate," :
It is interesting to note that the most Red Republican city in Orange County, Villa Park, turns down prayer while the most Democratic City in Orange County, Santa Ana, has opened their city council meetings with prayer for as long as I can remember. And without divisiveness.
A wag might reflect that Democrats need more help from the Almighty but I think we're all in this Ark together. Given that 2/3 of Red County cities open with some form of non-denominational service, what's with the reddest of the reds Jubal?
Posted by: Bladerunner | February 28, 2007 at 11:07 AM
A sad commentary. Following is today's prayer in the US House of Representatives.
02/28/2007
Reverend Tyrone Skinner
Metropolitan Baptist Church
Altadena, California
Dear gracious God our Savior,
We spend these moments reverencing you as we invoke your presence in this place so that sound judicious decisions will be made that will benefit our democracy. We admit our shortcomings and our need for your guidance in all that is done in this place. We seek your face to address racism, classism, sexism, and other discriminations that divide us and seek to devour the very core of our democracy. We lift especially the victims of Katrina and other natural disasters in our country that they may find peace and resolution to the quest for placement that should be theirs.
Finally, we pray for our troops who fight for the cause of democracy in Iraq. We know you will not allow their fighting to be in vain. Thank you for hearing our prayer, and we now listen for your voice to direct our paths.
In the name of him who has been given all power, Amen
Posted by: larry gilbert | February 28, 2007 at 05:13 PM
When's the election suit going to be heard?
Posted by: SoCo Gal | February 28, 2007 at 05:17 PM