Theme—‘Coming Home’
By Loreen Berlin
“For this year’s theme, I chose ‘Coming Home,’” said Mayor Art Brown.
Brown then described the many things “Coming Home” can mean.
It could be a deployed soldier, returning home from duty to their family. A homeless neighbor finding safe shelter and starting a new life. Coming home can even be as simple as children and their parents returning home after a hectic day of school and work, to share a moment around the dinner table.
Coming home can be returning to the place where you grew up, sharing it with your own children, to play at the same park that defined your childhood.
“How do I define home?” Brown continued. “It’s very simple; Buena Park. There is no other place my wife, Chris, and I would rather be.”
Buena Park is a master at presenting informative information in a fun and creative way with the “actors” being Councilmembers in various cameos throughout the video presentation.
And with that, City Manager Jim Vanderpool showed a video highlighting the accomplishments of 2018—“Coming Home.”
Some of the accomplishments include: May 2018 grand opening of Hampton Inn and Suites; Arte Home Project, 21 apartment units opening set for 2021; Hotel Stanford, former Best Inn, is slated for a 2020 completion; and The Source has new stores and restaurants opening each month, with great places to eat, shop and see a movie.
The Hilton Hotel is under construction and expected to be completed this summer. Grange Hall 39, with 16,000-square feet of dining hall, will be similar to the Anaheim Packing House; it’s located by the Krikorian Movie Theaters, set to open late summer or by early fall.
A new Cadillac dealership is moving forward in Buena Park on Auto Row and will take approximately a year. The Olson Indigowalk is a 54-townhome/condominium site that will see completion in 2011.
Knott’s Berry Farm’s Calico River Rapids is a new major renovation of Bigfoot Rapids that will debut this summer just in time for the hot weather. Visit Buena Park promotes tourism for the city and will hold a POW-WOW event in 2019.
As for some Capital Improvement projects—Council member Beth Swift, a former school teacher, talked about the Buena Park High School Bonds that will build a new $13 million stadium with additional track space and baseball and softball fields will be completed after the old stadium is torn down. There is also modernization of the performing arts theater and gymnasium, along with a new 50-meter pool that is to be constructed—funded by Measure I—approved by voters.
Kennedy High School Bond Measure improvements are thanks to Measure H, integrating technology into the English classrooms.
Phase 2 of the Silverado Trail that goes from Knott to Western avenues is a concrete and decomposed granite walkway. When complete, the trail will go all the way from Valley View Street to Stanton Avenue. The 8th Street Parquet is a small park that can include exercise equipment and landscaping along with the path.
Council member Connor Traut met up with some young people at Larwin Park, where the design is based on feedback from the public. It is two children’s play areas ages 2-5 and 5-12, intended to stimulate imagination and creativity. The park opened last July. Together, they practiced tossing the ball to each other. There is a shade structure, a barbecue and picnic benches.
The spotlight on new restaurants takes in Sup Noodle Bar, New Moon Restaurant, The Cauldron Spirits and Brews; they opened a year ago.
There is also Miss Shabu Restaurant and Sake Bar and Tacos La Calle.
Council member Sunny Park was out at the new 18,000-square-foot steel-framed fire station, which is home to 36 Orange County Fire Authority personnel. The $14 million for the project was provided by the General Fund, bond and insurance proceeds and opened last July with a ribbon cutting event.
The facility provides a comfortable living area for the firefighters.
Mayor Brown met with Susan Price from the County of Orange to discuss homelessness. Council started working with a strategic plan to address the ever-increasing homelessness issue back in 2016. Bright Paths was formed, creating a partnership between the city and the community. There are two officers dedicated to homelessness, working to help the homeless move off of the streets and into a Navigation Center being considered at Lincoln and Knott Avenues.
“Council’s intent is to be part of the solution to this crisis,” Brown said. “Over the past three years, 300 people have been placed into housing.”
The annual Cypress Americana Awards are coming up Saturday, Feb. 23. Chosen for Buena Park’s recipient is Gilbert Elementary School Teacher Leslee Milch, founder of “Read With Me,” a summer program at a city park for more than 20 years.
Some other special events coming up are the Love Buena Park Day, a day of service in the community; the 6th Annual Korean Arirang Festival, celebrating Korean heritage and culture through food and performances.
The Meet on Beach event is a first-time regional event from La Habra to Huntington Beach, with Buena Park and Anaheim hosting a two-mile open-streets event of bike, foot, scooter and skateboard traffic, similar to the Garden Grove open streets.
There’s more: the free annual summer concert series at Boisseranc Park and Buena Park Downtown, the Old Tyme Fall Festival, Elementary Art Show, Civic Theatre Under the Stars, Christmas Tree Lighting, High School Art Show, Children’s Arts Festival and Jazz Under the Stars. There is plenty to keep everyone busy and involved, so check with City Hall for dates and times and look at the city’s website to take part.
Visit www.buenapark.com or call 714-562-3500.
The State of the City Luncheon welcome was by Chief of Police Corey Sianez.
Presentation of the colors was by the Orange County Fire Authority Honor Guard, with the National Anthem sung by Caitlin McCann from Kennedy High School.
