BY LOREEN BERLIN: Mayor Steve Jones described a more lively Garden Grove and envisioned a booming future in his State of the City address last week at Embassy Suites Anaheim South Hotel.
BY LOREEN BERLIN: Mayor Steve Jones described a more lively Garden Grove and envisioned a booming future in his State of the City address last week at Embassy Suites Anaheim South Hotel.
"After several huge successful Open Streets events, numerous public art installations and the two-day High and Might Music Festival, it's becoming evident from those outside looking in, that we are fully committed to creating a more vibrant future for our city than anything we've experienced in the past," Jones said.
Included in Jones’ address were the following:
—The Valley View corridor in West Garden Grove will receive enhancement, with new dining and retail near the bowling alley;
— Little Saigon is thriving and expanding, transitioning into a cultural tourism area;
—The Grove Resort District is moving forward, capitalizing on the proximity to Disneyland's 27-million annual visitors;
—Central Garden Grove is preserving a vision of the city's earlier agricultural roots as some mansion-like and multi-generational housing units are being constructed;
—The Hispanic community, especially in the east part of town, continues to make economic and cultural contributions to the city;
—Historic Main Street is hosting large-scale community events, and some cottage industries and steel-craft businesses are emerging in the downtown area.
"Despite restrictive budgets and financial challenges that keep us doing more with less, our department directors work with staff to produce amazing results,” Jones said. “Public safety is the best example of this, with our police and fire departments providing a vital and heroic service to our community."
Willowick Golf Course is owned by the City of Garden Grove but located in Santa Ana. Together, the cities are exploring opportunities for the property, Jones said.
In West Garden Grove, Eastgate Park has a new walking trail of decomposed granite around the inside of the park along with new playground equipment and LED lighting on the basketball courts.
Infrastructure of cities is always a focus of officials.
"Garden Grove is determined to stay on-course to maintain the integrity of critical infrastructure and to proactively plan for the future, factoring in our increasing and changing population and mapping out how the future will impact basic services such as roadways, water quality, emergency preparedness and sustainability," said Jones. "Garden Grove is your market and the city is here to help guide you along by cutting through red tape, streamlining processes and facilitating any fresh new ideas you may have. We’re enthusiastic about making Garden Grove a better place to live, work and play now and in the years to come."
Jones noted the celebration of prominent figures in Vietnamese history within Little Saigon, which included the dedication of new street signs on Bolsa Avenue for Vietnam's former king and general from the 13th century Tran Dynasty, and street-renaming and a statue unveiling for Emperor Quang Trung at the Business Center parkway off of Euclid Street.
Jones said that in 2017 the Garden Grove Fire Department received 15,000 calls for help, maintaining quick response times. Firefighters from the department helped with the devastating Northern California wildfires and mudslides in Santa Barbara.
And he had high praise for the police.
"The Garden Grove Police Department is working successfully within the community to prevent crime," said Jones. "Feedback from a recent survey shows that nearly 90-percent of residents believe both fire and police departments are doing an excellent job and we're grateful residents see the work ethic and dedication of our fire and police."
A video was shown in which Congressman Lou Correa, Orange County Mayors Tom Tait, Miguel Pulido, Al Murray, Barbara Delgleize, former NFL quarterback Todd Marinovich and rock star Bradley Mayo appeared.
The State of the City Luncheon was hosted by the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce.
