Donald L Bone

In your March 20 Q&A with the Rev. Wiley S. Drake of the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, he said, "Children are threatened because one-third of all the registered sex offenders in the state live in and around the Anaheim-Buena Park area." We believe it is important that accurate information reach the public regarding that statement. Information obtained from the state of California, Department of Justice, as of March 1, 1996, reveals the following: Within California, there are 62,833 registered sex offenders.

In your March 20 Q&A with the Rev. Wiley S. Drake of the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, he said, "Children are threatened because one-third of all the registered sex offenders in the state live in and around the Anaheim-Buena Park area." We believe it is important that accurate information reach the public regarding that statement. Information obtained from the state of California, Department of Justice, as of March 1, 1996, reveals the following: Within California, there are 62,833 registered sex offenders.

In response to "Dueling Spray Cans: Graffiti Artists in Showdown on Furniture Warehouse Wall," Part B, Jan. 6: As one of many property owners in Los Angeles waging an ongoing battle against graffiti, I am tired of articles elevating graffiti to the status of art, or popular culture. The vast majority of "spray-can artists" are nothing of the kind--they are gang members marking their turf and challenging rival gangs. And the graffito is just the tip of the iceberg--it incites more serious crimes.

In response to "Dueling Spray Cans: Graffiti Artists in Showdown on Furniture Warehouse Wall," Part B, Jan. 6: As one of many property owners in Los Angeles waging an ongoing battle against graffiti, I am tired of articles elevating graffiti to the status of art, or popular culture. The vast majority of "spray-can artists" are nothing of the kind--they are gang members marking their turf and challenging rival gangs. And the graffito is just the tip of the iceberg--it incites more serious crimes.

Homeowners in Buena Park will now have a chance to make improvements to single-family homes with the assistance of low-interest loans available through the city. Just over 100 of the one-time-only loans for up to $20,000 each are available to qualified homeowners in the city on a first-come, first-served basis. And up to $30,000 is available to those residents hoping to build room additions to relieve overcrowding in their homes.

Voters will get the chance to meet candidates for City Council at a forum tonight at the Buena Park Civic Center. The forum, sponsored by the Buena Park Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters of North Orange County, will begin at 7 p.m. Five candidates are running for two seats in the Nov. 3 election. Incumbents are Donald L. Bone, 49, a painting contractor, and Don R. Griffin, 61, an architect and planner.

After a lengthy dispute with area residents, Alloy Die Casting has been granted permission to build a $4-million building at 6560 Caballero Ave. Mayor Donald L. Bone praised Alloy representatives and residents of the nearby Poet housing development for reaching compromises involving building height, landscaping and operating hours. "I'm very proud of the way this situation has been handled by all parties," Bone said.

The City Council this week endorsed plans to bring urban rail service to the city. In a unanimous decision, the council supported the Orange County Transportation Authority's rail master plan, which would link several cities by increasing bus and rail service. Under the plan, Buena Park is being considered to receive both commuter and urban rail systems providing access throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties.

After several months of deliberations, the City Council this week gave initial approval to an ordinance which restricts placement of temporary signs, including real estate signs. The first reading of the ordinance was adopted despite concerns that it would prohibit local groups from announcing community events. "I have a real problem with this," said Mayor Donald L. Bone, who cast the only dissenting vote. The ordinance would prohibit banners larger than 6 square feet in public areas.

Art Brown has been chosen by his colleagues on the City Council to serve as mayor for the coming year. Brown, 59, was elected to the council in 1990, at the onset of the recession in Southern California. For Buena Park, recovery has been slow, with the city facing a budget deficit this fiscal year that officials say could run as high as $2 million. "I seem to get the prize of going into really horrendous times," Brown quipped as took the gavel Monday night.

Programs that improve playgrounds and provide clothes to the homeless will receive federal money awarded to the city, but the City Council held off a decision to fund expansion of a popular program that seeks to improve deteriorating neighborhoods. The city received $1.1 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds, but council members declined to award the $150,000 the Neighborhood Improvement Task Force had requested.

The mayor soon will begin recruiting for an ad hoc committee of what one councilman called "top-echelon money people" to review the city's investment policy. "I see it as a round-robin wide-open discussion where an exchange of ideas can occur," Councilman Donald L. Bone said. "We should hear other people's views."