How Easy is it to Steal Spray Paint?

Section 594.1 of the California Penal Code makes it illegal to sell or furnish aerosol paint containers to anyone under the age of 18; and, requires proof of identity and age through drivers license or other government issued identification prior to sale.

Violation of these Sections is a crime which can result in prosecution and which is punishable by up to 6 months in jail and a fine of $1,000.00.

So I'm guessing that when Kragen Auto Parts on Grand Ave and Seventeenth leaves their spray paint display case unlocked and wide open making it easy for people of all ages easy to steal, then that's okay.

This photo was sent to me last night courtesy of el diablo blanco, one of our awesome readers.

French Park Home Tour Ticket Winner!

Congratulations to Eric Woods who won two free tickets ($50 value) after submitting the correct answers to the following questions about French Park.

1. Name three styles of homes that set the standards for French Park.
   Victorian, Craftsman Bungalow, and Neoclassical.
   


2. How many square blocks is the French Park Historic District (residential district)?
   Twenty square blocks.
   


3. Before being renamed French Park, what was the original name of the park?
   Flatiron District.
   

Thanks to all of those who entered the contest.
Don't forget the French Park Holiday Home Tour runs from December 8-9, starting at 10AM-4PM, rain or shine.

Santiago Street Loft's First Police Meeting

Next Thursday, December 6th at 6:30PM, the Santa Ana Police Department will be hosting a community meeting specifically for residents of the Santiago Street Lofts, and any surrounding neighborhood communities.

The meeting will cover topics such as what type of suspicious activities to look out for, whom to call in different emergencies, crime statistics within our vicinity, and a special presentation from the Santa Ana Graffiti Task Force. At the conclusion of their presentation, the officers will be available for a question and answer session.

The meeting will be taking place on the 5th floor in the Santa Ana Train Depot tower. Elevator access is available to the floor if needed.

This is not only a great chance to learn about the problems concerning our neighborhood, but a terrific opportunity to meet and greet with your neighbors as well as local law enforcement.

French Park Home Tour

Santa Ana is a city rich with historical enclaves that were partially consumed to make way for high-density apartment complexes, parking lots, and other breeding grounds for some of the problems that continue to plague this unique city. The French Park neighborhood is a prime example.

This small community with tree-lined streets is located just west of the Santiago Street Lofts. In it, you will find a rich mixture of antique homes built in the 1890’s into the 1920’s.

In the late 1970’s, an effort was put forth to preserve and restore Santa Ana's oldest historic neighborhood. In 1979, the Historic French Park Association was formed to solve community problems and to enhance and restore the historical features of the remaining original buildings. The French Park Historic District was formally established by the City Council in 1984.

Every couple of years, a small group of the homeowners living in French Park open up their doors to the public for the French Park Holiday Home Tour.

I had the opportunity to get a sneak peak of the house featured in the photo at the top. Let me tell you, as a big fan of the ambiance of the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland, I loved it!

The French Park Holiday Home Tour runs from December 8-9, starting at 10AM-4PM, rain or shine.

Tickets are $20 if you pre-order by December 1st, and $25 thereafter.

You can also purchase tickets through their website or by mailing in this form.

Courtesy of the HFPA Board of Directors, I have been given two free tickets to be given to the first person that can email me the correct answers to these questions.

1. Name three styles of homes that set the standards for French Park.


2. How many square blocks is the French Park Historic District (residential district)?


3. Before being renamed French Park, what was the original name of the park?

All of these answers can be easily found at the French Park website. Good Luck!

Santa Ana Housing Policy Meeting

The announcement on the city's website here.

The Orange Juice Blog also has this meeting posted as well.

All Are Welcome!
You are invited to be part of the comprehensive update to the Housing Element a key chapter of the City’s General Plan. Help in creating the housing policy and program goals for your community by attending one of the upcoming Community Workshops. The new 2008 Housing Element will create the vision for:

• Preserving neighborhood character


• Expanding housing opportunities for all lifestyles


• Addressing the present and future housing needs of the Santa Ana community

Workshop One
Wednesday November 28, 2007
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Santa Ana Senior Center
424 W. 3rd. St

Free parking will be available at the public parking garage at the corner of 3rd & Birch St.

Workshop Two
Saturday December 8, 2007
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Southwest Senior Center
2201 W. McFadden Ave

Activities for children will be provided at the Saturday Workshop

Thanks Eric for the early heads up on this meeting!

Join The Online Google Group

Years ago when the wife and I first signed up on Lennar's Santiago Street Loft interest list, we anticipated by the time 60% of the entire build was completed, we would have a local coffee shop where all of our neighbors would run into each other and gossip.

Unfortunately, the "play" component of the "live, work, play" sales pitch has yet to be seen in our neck of the woods.

As a community, we have no meeting place where we can all come together and share ideas, until now…

Check out the Santiago Street Lofts Google Group!

Please come and join our members-only online discussion group where we can share ideas, concerns as well as upcoming events. There is even a section where users can upload files to share with other members.

You will first need to apply for membership before joining the group. This might be a small inconvenience, but it will help control the unwanted spam.

Currently, the discussion group is only open to those who live at the Santiago Street Lofts. When sending a membership application, please include your home address. This step is only for authentication and your information will not be given to anyone.

Please leave any suggestions or feedback on this post, or feel free to send me an email.

City Place's Success is Our Success

The OC Register tells of how the City Place development is starting to come to life with retail shops and restaurants.

"You could walk out your front door and inside of 180 seconds have a cup of coffee and buy your dinner," developer Bob Bisno said.

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant is already open. So is The Coffee Bean & Tea leaf cafe, and a Corner Bakery. A Mother's Market is coming soon, and so is a nail salon. Bisno is now working to attract a top-notch pizzeria.

Their success stories keep my hope alive for a one-day vibrant Logan/Rail District.

Who Enforces B&P Code 22435?

Like many of the residents here at the Santiago Street Lofts, I spend countless hours working downstairs in my home office. As my desk faces the sidewalk, I am privy to many interesting things that happen outside on a daily basis that makes for great stories among friends and family.

Several times a day, I hear the klickity-klank of shopping carts as they are pushed along on the sidewalk out front. Sometimes they are filled with groceries or kids, and other times I'll see someone who's pushing their entire existence contained in that cart as they rummage through the trash for recyclables.

As I watch these individuals through the looking glass, I recall my last Targhetto trip where as I was loading up the car, I saw a family pushing a shopping cart towards the yellow sensor at the end of the parking lot. Just before arriving at the yellow line that automatically triggers the front wheels to lock, the teenager pushing the cart put his foot on the lower portion of the carriage, causing the cart to "pop a wheelie" as he and his family continued down Grand Avenue. It was evident that he and his family had perfected this craft.

I asked myself how did this problem get out of hand in the first place? Cities like Milpitas uphold a strong ordinance that is strictly enforced. The first offense will cost you $100, the second violation in the same year, $200; any additional offenses that year will run you $500. This might sound a little harsh, but the fact is that the removal of a shopping cart without permission from the store is a crime (misdemeanor), it even says so right on it!


If you think the fine for individuals who remove shopping carts from the premises is harsh, read how the ordinance applies to store/business owners:

The local businesses have also been informed of this ordinance. They are required to comply by taking measures to prevent shopping cart removal and provide a cart retrieval plan that meets City approval/ or enter into a contract with a City designated cart retrieval service. Noncompliance from the business owners/managers is subject to a civil fine of $1,000.00 and an additional fine of $50.00 for each additional day of noncompliance.

While I don't expect Santa Ana's finest to cuff those who break this law, something needs to be done as shopping carts are deposited all over the city, including the Logan neighborhood in which we all live. Besides, it's stealing! Shopping carts cost stores anywhere from $125-$250 per cart to replace–and we all know that the stores always pass these costs back on to the consumers.

Although California Business and Professions Code 22435 states that the removal of a shopping cart from the property is a misdemeanor, nowhere does it state how the city can enforce this code, nor does it establish a specified fine amount to the offenders. In other words, cities can pick and choose whether they wish to enforce this code or not.

Yesterday, as I did my daily walk around the neighborhood, I made sure to first grab my trusty camera before walking the streets adjacent to the lofts. All of these photos were taken within minutes of each other. It seems that the largest and most expensive units (plan 4) are not only magnets for graffiti, but shopping carts as well.

The above cart was left on the corner of Santa Ana Boulevard and Poinsettia Street.

This cart was left next to the seldom-occupied Urban West unit located on the corner of Santa Ana Boulevard and Santiago Street.

One block north on Santiago Street and Civic Center Drive is where this cart filled with junk was deposited.

These two carts were parked on Civic Center Drive sitting right across the street from the previous cart.

The city has available a shopping cart pick-up service that is quite effective when used, but a phone call first needs to be placed as I've seen carts in certain parts of the city not move for weeks on end.

In a past town hall meeting hosted by our Council Member Michele Martinez, many residents including myself, brought up concerns about the continually growing problem of shopping carts that are loose on our streets.

I mentioned that the carts are not only an eyesore, but can be a road hazard as well. I cited a night when a friend came to visit me and as he exited the 5 south freeway to the Santa Ana Boulevard off ramp, he had to quickly swerve to avoid five shopping carts that were deliberately placed across the road.

It was concluded from that meeting that the responsibility of the carts was ultimately that of the stores. Every store that provides shopping carts was responsible for ensuring the city that they would not run away. That town hall meeting was almost a year ago, and like the rest of Santa Ana's problems, not much seems to have happened by way of change.

And while we wait for the stores to implement their safeguards, shopping carts are making their way off parking lots on a daily basis, only to end up as another problem for the city of Santa Ana.

To have unsightly shopping carts removed from anywhere in the city, a pick-up service is available at (888) 233-2278. As of this posting, the five carts pictured have been reported.

Read more about the city of Milpitas and their ordinance here.

Here's a success story reported in the Sacramento Bee about how high-tech carts have helped curb their city's problem.

Train Depot Webcam

If you are really bored and happen to be sitting at the computer, this website hosts a webcam that overlooks the railroad tracks that cross Santa Ana Boulevard. The images update every 10 seconds and the quality is pretty bad, so don't say I didn't warn you.

This post probably doesn't help distance me from my seemingly "Big Brother" stance.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Hope you are all having a fantastic holiday.

Missed the Meeting? Bullet Points to the Rescue!

Last night's meeting progressed a little smoother than the OCCCO sponsored meeting that took place in late October at St. Joseph’s, but that’s not saying much. Here’s a brief recap.

The Good

• The Mayor lightly touched on a good point saying that while pedestrian and vehicle traffic is key, the future of Santa Ana is being a “Multi-Mobile” city (street cars, lightrail, etc.).


• The Renaissance Plan allows for residential zoning in downtown. Currently, only mixed-use residential is permitted.


• Having shops that stay open at night in the downtown area to resuscitate the nightlife. Downtown Santa Ana has a lot of potential to be a great 24-hour environment.


• The recognition of the need to attract stores into downtown Santa Ana that appeal to a broader spectrum of residents to spend our dollars in this city as opposed to others like Irvine and Tustin.


• Stefanos Polyzoides, an architect that the city hired as a consultant seems to really know what he’s talking about. Unfortunately, it looks as if he is going to have to handhold our council through every step of the way.
  

The Bad

• Most of the night was spent discussing parking issues such as converting surface parking into parking structures, opening private parking garages after hours, and the construction of new ones.


• Claudia Alvarez seemed overly concerned about the residents who currently live in low-income housing and expressed an interest in adding even more. While I can appreciate a champion for the “financially challenged”, Santa Ana needs to understand that one of the reasons why it’s in its current state is due to the abundance of low-income/high-density housing. Again, this could all be political rhetoric on her part being that she is up for re-election next year.


• Sadly, many of the residents who live here now will not enjoy the fruits of the Renaissance Project being that by the time of its completion, many will have moved on.


• Overall, to me, it really feels like Santa Ana is a city where the majority (lower-income) has the ears of the city council. Not once did I feel as if anyone sitting at that table was representing my needs or concerns.
  

The Ugly

• While I don’t fully understand the political mind, at times I was concerned with our mayor and his behavior during the meeting about this serious topic. When not cracking jokes to his fellow council members as the presenter spoke, or checking his cell phone several times like a 16-year-old “txting” fiend, the mayor just didn’t seem all there in my opinion.


• The brave souls who pioneered the downtown Artist Lofts as well as our community have no representation. The city seems to forget that we generate a lot of tax revenue and more developments like ours can only be beneficial for the city as a whole. No one ever said, “Hey, what are we doing to keep the residents who’ve already moved here in the past few years safe and stable? You know, when this project takes off, people are going to look to the current loft residents to gauge the success of future developments.”


• The mayor stated that the council would need to take their workbooks home and “do their homework” and digest what was heard tonight. Everything that was said tonight is a regurgitation of what has been said many times before in previous discussions. City discussion of the Renaissance Project will reconvene early next year, and most assuredly be drawn out to be part of the mayor’s re-election campaign.


• While I may not have all of the answers and sometimes might seem hypercritical, it is apparent now that we are the minority in Santa Ana and we need to speak louder to have our voices heard.

Doug Irving from the OC Register was also in attendance.
Read his article about the meeting here.

Less Talk, More Development Please

Sorry about the late notice folks, turns out that there's a Renaissance meeting tonight down at City Hall. If you recall, the last Renaissance meeting held at St. Joseph's Hall was an unorganized mess, and still to this day, I feel really bad for dragging people down and having them hear that many of the locals just want more low to super-low income housing. Maybe they should consider moving to Irvine?

So if you are interested and have the time, the meeting starts at 6PM in the first-floor conference room at City Hall, 20 Civic Center Plaza. The meeting is open to the public but will not be televised. Too bad, because all of the good television shows are now in reruns, thanks to corporate greed.

Like Flies to a Rotting Carcass

The local taggers now smell blood after the events of this last Sunday. Open season has now begun on the Santiago Street Lofts.


Last night at 10:50PM, two hoodlums made their mark on the Urban West loft, the unit on the Southwest corner of Santiago Street and Santa Ana Boulevard.

While one stood as a lookout on the North side of the street, the other, with a can of white spray paint in hand, tagged the usual garbage tag that can be seen all over town.

A call was placed into SAPD at 10:51PM, but by the time officers arrived on the scene at 11PM, the vandals were long gone. Being that no one actually lives in the nicest unit in our complex (which also helps make that unit an easy mark too), no police report could be filed because there was no victim to come forward.

Some may ask why I make such a big deal about graffiti. Other than being a firm believer in the broken window theory (or etched window theory in our case), graffiti is the gateway for more serious crimes. Next comes petty theft like something goes missing from your garage or I don't know, like a plasma television being stolen. Oh wait.
After that will come the burglary of an actual residence and not a model home, then armed assault and robbery are shortly to follow.

Think I'm crazy or a little paranoid, perhaps. But in Santa Ana, you can never let your guard down.

A call was placed into Keystone Pacific's emergency hot line as of this morning informing them of what happened last night. Hopefully this recent vandalism incident will be cleaned up by the end of the day as requested to the operator.

Should Santa Ana Impose a (Harsh) Curfew?

Many feel that the idea of a curfew violates constitutional rights and that the government has no right to dictate how parents raise their children. Several youth-rights discussion groups feel that curfews drive the wedge between teens and authority figures even deeper.

When I was a teenager, the thought of a curfew angered my peers and myself. Not because we thought it was unconstitutional or questioned the possible social ramifications a curfew could cause, we just didn't like anyone telling us what we could and couldn't do.

I personally think that Santa Ana needs to impose and enforce a curfew to help alleviate some of the issues plaguing the city. Not to say that all teens are out causing trouble when the sun goes down, but honestly, are adults the ones lurking around the city and vandalizing at night?

And no, I don't think that parents should be told how to raise their kids, but at the same time, what kind of parent lets their kid run loose in the neighborhood when the street lights have been on for hours? There isn't much for adults to do in the city of Santa Ana after hours, so why are there so many kids out late on school nights?

Many parents aren't home at night being that they work two jobs to support their families. By no means do I imply that this makes for bad parenting, but it does afford their kids the opportunity to wreak havoc in the city.

Santa Ana is fighting a lot of uphill battles and doesn't seem to be winning them anytime soon. Tougher measures are needed to help the city get a grasp on its many problems.

Take the poll and post your comments!

Montebello's Spray Can Cams

The LA Times reports that the city of Montebello plans to install 120 cameras city-wide that begin recording when triggered by the sound emitted from aerosol spray cans. The high-tech cameras then notify the police department as they record the activity.

Interesting, but I'm sure that etching will most likely have a sharp increase as a result of this.

Model Home Break-In

Last Thursday, November 8, Santa Ana CSI answered a burglary call in one of the model homes. Turns out that the thief/thieves were able to enter the garage door by breaking a glass pane at the top of the door, unlock the security latch, and headed straight for the plasma television on the second floor. Pretty clever if you ask me.

If you don't do so already, I would highly suggest locking the door that leads from your first floor to your garage. Those crooks sure went through a lot of work for a tv that wasn't even 1080p!

Scratchitti: It Sounds as Stupid as the Act

Sunday nights seem to be the night best night to go tagging. I can’t think of a better way to ruin someone’s week than to start his or her Monday off with some good old-fashioned vandalism.


Sometime last night after 9PM, the glass panes on the roll-up doors on multiple units facing Santa Ana Boulevard were etched. This morning, an Officer came out and after having to be asked to, took down a report (Case Number:07-43666).

Unfortunately people, we are alone in this battle. The City and Police are too busy with the many other problems that plague our City. When it comes to vandalism on our roll-up doors, the Association leaves that problem to the homeowner to fix. When any graffiti isn’t removed quickly enough, the neighborhood soon becomes subject to the Broken Window Theory. Santa Ana proves this theory as fact in my eyes.

So what can we do to try to prevent future vandalism?

• Keeping a light on doesn’t hurt. Giving the illusion of human presence could deter potential vandals.


• Look out the window every now and then. If you see something suspicious, call the Police.


• Go outside and walk around. 9PM on Sunday nights and our community looks like a ghost town.


• If you see graffiti, clean it up. Don’t expect someone else to do it.


• When taggers see graffiti stick around for a few days, they know it will be worth their time to come visit your area.


• Consider investing in products like Vandal Shield that acts as a sacrificial layer in the event of an etching.
  


• Enlist in the Ben Dayhoe Neighborhood Patrol Academy. If you can swing a sack of doorknobs, you’re in. You get a free sack, but you gotta supply your own knobs.

Perhaps at our next Association meeting, we should look into having the glass panes included in what the Association insures. I know for sure I, as well as many other residents would sleep better at night if that were the case.

On a side note, myself and a few other residents recently noticed three or four Hispanic teenagers hanging around the community as of late. They like to ride their bikes throughout the complex as well as after-hours in the Waterline parking lot, the building adjacent to the models (you know, the models that were also recently broken into). Coincidence? Perhaps. But it's never a bad idea to be aware of your surroundings.

Note: Please be respectful when posting your thoughts. I only mention race in this topic to help those who keep their eyes and ears open informed, not to start a race discussion. If the kids seen riding their bikes around the complex were Black, White or Asian, I would still use their race to fit their description. Everyone today is ultra-sensitive when it comes to race and there's always someone ready to pull the race card. Let's not forget that race is always a question asked by the Police when used to describe suspicious individual(s).

Thank you.

Neighbors on NPR

Susan Valot of Southern California Public Radio recently visited our community to speak with some of the residents about daily life here and asks if our close proximity to the train depot has changed our commuting habits.

Check out her article here.

How The Lacy Neighborhood Fell From Grace

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Ray Lirette, Senior Residential Construction Specialist for the City of Santa Ana. Twice a week, Ray walks our nearby neighborhoods and inspects parcels the city purchased in recent years to ensure that the lots stay litter/graffiti/crack head-free as these former homes await their fate.

Curious and concerned about the status of these vacant lots, I phoned Ray in hopes of getting some answers, or even better, the remaining units demolished. Mr. Lirette caught me off guard when he picked up the phone with his polite demeanor and his genuine courtesy–it was unlike anything I had experienced at the city level before. I expressed my interest in the neighborhood and asked if I could accompany him on his next walk. Without hesitation, Ray welcomed me along.

As we walked the back streets of Santa Ana, Ray explained that contrary to popular belief, the city not once forced out any of the former residents. Instead, homeowners who expressed interest in selling their homes were made fair offers by the city of Santa Ana, in hopes of rejuvenating the depressed neighborhood with the now debunked Centerline Light Rail project.

I asked Ray how this neighborhood became a blight. “People just stopped caring,” he replied. Ray went on to tell me that once the homeowners began to rent out their properties, the neighborhood began to steadily decline. In addition, the overdose of high-density apartment complexes didn't do much to help the neighborhood either (at this point in the conversation, we were stepping over a soiled mattress left to rot on the sidewalk).

Ray noted that all of the homes the city acquires are first offered to the Historical Society where they would be updated, preserved and possibly relocated. Unfortunately, the Historical Society doesn’t have the deepest pockets so they are usually counting on the city to foot the bill in these endeavors.

An interesting incentive to restore this neighborhood were rehab loans that the City offered to homeowners over the past couple of years where they could borrow up to $75,000 with 0% deferred interest for 30 years. Sad to say, there were very few takers on this more than generous offer.

We continued our walk and Ray pointed out that some of the more dilapidated homes were not yet city owned, but that of owners who have long since moved away. Other lots were more complicated cases where the property was trusted to family members who are either deceased or unable to be reached, making acquisition attempts on the city's end all the more difficult.

One of the last lots we visited was 801 E Santa Ana Boulevard, located just west of the Tobin Steel. This lot was unique, but also a sign of things to come as the adjacent lot is currently being leased to Lennar as they continue the Santiago Street Loft development. With steel beams scattered carelessly on the lot, as well as a loveseat tossed over a seven-foot chain link fence, Ray noted that this lot in particular is the responsibility of Lennar and its current state was unacceptable.

An hour and a half after first shaking hands with Ray, the walk had come full circle. I felt a little better about the neighborhood and my hope for a better Santa Ana was strengthened having spoken with Ray.

Before heading back home, I backtracked to the corner where Brown Street turns into 6th Street for a few last shots. As I stood on the corner gazing upon the dilapidated neighborhood, a wave of sadness came over me as I imagined how proud and prestigious this neighborhood once was.

Unfortunately, the pseudo-nostalgic journey was quickly interrupted as a "low low" with an ultra-loud exhaust blaring Mariachi flew right by me–but not before giving me the all-to-frequent “check out this Pendejo” stare-down from the young driver and passengers.

Below is a map of the boarded homes we toured that are scheduled to be relocated or demolished.


View Larger Map

Feeling Abandoned

For the last three weeks, this eyesore has been sitting on Poinsettia Street while at night attracting taggers that use it as a canvas.

Last night I walked over to write down the license plate of this truck to report it to Santa Ana Parking Enforcement, where hopefully they could have it removed.

Turns out that what I thought would be the easiest part of having this truck removed was a frustrating experience that made me question why no one bothered calling to have it removed.

To place a complaint about a vehicle, you first need to dial (714) 245-8200, listen to an answering machine while weaving through prompts with multiple options (including pressing #1 for English which irritates many). My first try resulted in me getting hung up on where I thought I was going to be leaving a message.

I immediately called back (having written down the sequence to bypass the prompts made this call go a little faster) and instead of being hung up on, I was transferred to a general operator. There, that person listened to the minimal amount of words before transferring me to another department.

Here, another operator took my call and information, but not without telling me that I should be calling another number, which turned out to be the original number that I dialed in this call! The operator then said that she would be transferring my call to that department. She did so, and I was once again listening to a dial tone.

Normally I don't call Santa Ana Police Dispatch for non-emergencies, but this was getting ridiculous. I explained my reason for the call only to again be told I wasn't calling the right department. I asked the operator if he could just transfer me into the mailbox so I can leave my message and get on with my day. He did so, but no one ever picked up after three minutes of ringing.

I took a deep breath and once again, dialed the number for Parking Enforcement. #1 for English, #2 to report an abandoned car on public property, #0 to leave a message–I've got it down now. Surprisingly, instead of leaving a message on an answering machine (that may or may not be listened to), a very polite Officer picked up the phone and took my call.

After four attempts and thirty minutes, my good deed for the day was done. Too bad the truck will most likely be staying there for another 72 hours. Santa Ana Police must first try all avenues in contacting the mothertrucker before they can have it towed. Ugh.

Halloween is over...

..but my bowl of chocolate delights is still full. This Halloween, our second here at the lofts, was yet another disappointing milestone with only one trick-or-treater (same number as last year).

I say milestone because to me, Halloween marks the beginning of the end of the year. Only when Halloween has come and gone, after seeing all the kiddies in their great costumes, will I finally accept the fact that Christmas is just around the corner (even though some stores have had Christmas merchandise ready as early as September).

With the void left from this lackluster All Hallows Eve, I know that I can always count on la dia de los muertos festivities happening this weekend to fill my appetite for the spooky and supernatural.

Here are some events going on this weekend if you too feel that Halloween 2007 was a bust.

Fiesta Market Place

Bowers Museum

and of course, down at the Santora, even though their site makes no mention of it.