The Fullerton Observer Takes Wing(s)

FFFF has learned that despite a City ban on unauthorized publications on City-owned premises, the Fullerton Observer still had a distribution rack at the Wings Café at the Fullerton Airport.

Not anymore, we’ve heard.

It appears that somebody has decided to enforce the ban, and perhaps lease language forbidding this sort of display/dissemination.

While some may mourn the removal of a partisan, bumbling, and innuendo-filled excuse for news, the FFFF Executive Board of Governors do not. After all, our news publication – an honest, educative, and entertaining was blocked from public premises last spring.

Caption This Picture

Things must have really gotten bad for the scofflaws over at Les Amis. One might assume that they’ve resorted to selling their furniture in the public right of way in order to pay all the back rent they owe the City of Fullerton for their use of a closed off sidewalk but I’m at a loss for words here so help me caption these pictures.

The best I could come up with is “Les Amis in the Flea Market Business”, can you do better?

Flea Market or public right away?

City of Fullerton Adopts Urgency Ordinance to Crack Down on Illegal Fireworks with Increased Fines and Zero-Tolerance Enforcement

FULLERTON, CA. – In a strong show of commitment to community safety and quality of life, the Fullerton City Council has adopted an urgency ordinance to immediately strengthen the City’s regulations on illegal fireworks. The urgency ordinance establishes significantly increased fines and enforces a zero-tolerance policy aimed at stopping the use and possession of illegal fireworks throughout the city.

The Council’s swift action reflects its determination to protect Fullerton neighborhoods from the threats posed by illegal fireworks, including fires, injuries, property damage, and disruptions to residents, pets, and those with sensory sensitivities.

Effective immediately, the updated ordinance includes the following penalties:

  • $3,000 fine for the first offense
  • $5,000 fine for the second offense
  • $7,000 fine for third and subsequent offenses

To ensure accountability, the ordinance also includes:

  • Parental liability: Parents or guardians of minors who use illegal fireworks will be cited.
  • Property owner responsibility: Owners who permit or fail to prevent the use or sale of dangerous fireworks on or adjacent to their property will be held accountable.

The City is taking a proactive enforcement approach this year, with:

  • Increased patrols throughout neighborhoods
  • Targeted response to resident-submitted complaints and tips

“This urgency ordinance makes it clear that illegal fireworks have no place in our community,” said Mayor Fred Jung. “The City Council stands united in protecting the safety, peace, and well-being of our residents.”

Residents are reminded that only Safe and Sane fireworks purchased from licensed vendors within Fullerton are permitted—and only on July 4th from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM on private property. All other fireworks—including aerial, explosive, or erratic types—are strictly prohibited under state and local law.

To mark the holiday in a safe and spirited way, the community is invited to attend Fullerton’s 4th of July Celebration in the Downtown Plaza from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, featuring live music, family-friendly activities, food vendors, and a 20-minute professional fireworks display to cap off the evening.

The City urges everyone to celebrate responsibly and respectfully. Violators will face immediate and significant penalties.

To report illegal fireworks, call the Fullerton Police Department’s non-emergency line at (714) 738-3165 or email ReportFireworks@fullertonpd.org.

For more information on fireworks regulations, safety guidelines, and holiday events, visit:
www.cityoffullerton.com/fireworks

The “Dr.” Charles and Zahra Clown Show – REPOSTED

Few things rival the spectacle of two so called “doctors” confidently speaking from, well, less-than-expert territory.

During last night’s (6-3-25) Fullerton City Council meeting, George A. Bushala raised a pressing question: Why did Councilwoman Shanna Charles’ husband, Andre, receive $4,000 from the marijuana union lobby, UFCW, during the 2024 District 4 election? The answer may be connected to the lobbying group’s substantial $60,000 investment, yes, a staggering SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS aimed at securing the failed election of pro-marijuana candidate Vivian “Cannabis Kitty” Jaramillo to the Fullerton City Council.

The Fullerton City Council Leak: A Breach of Trust and Brown Act Violation

Three days ago, the Fullerton City Council convened an emergency meeting, but their discussions were swiftly undermined when confidential information about the upcoming departure of City Manager Eric Levitt was leaked. This breach of confidentiality sparked serious concerns about ethical conduct and legal compliance, with council members Ahmad Zhara and Shawna Charles under suspicion.

The Brown Act, which ensures the transparency of local legislative bodies, was violated, eroding public trust. The leak is suspected to have come from Ahmad Zara and/or Shawna Charles, who have personal ties to individuals at the Fullerton Observer. This raises concerns about transparency, an issue that both council members frequently discuss but consistently fail to uphold.

This incident highlights the need for greater accountability and transparency within the Fullerton City Council, namely Zhara and Charles, including stricter enforcement of confidentiality, training on ethical conduct, and clear consequences for violations. The public deserves representatives who uphold the highest standards of integrity and professionalism.

WE GET MAIL

“Dear Deputy O.C.D.A. Heather Heslep-Morrissey,

This email and the attached letter are a follow-up to your correspondence dated April 9, 2025, regarding my request to further investigate the Scott Markowitz scandal. Less than a year ago, Mr. Markowitz was caught and arrested by the O.C.D.A. for perjury and falsifying a government document, specifically his nomination papers for the November 2024 election for a City Council seat in District 4.

As stated in your letter, the new evidence I am providing proves that Mr. Markowitz did not act alone in his attempt to defraud the voters in the November 8, 2024, election. Based on the new facts contained in the attached letter, it is clear that a conspiracy to suborn perjury was in effect.

Please review the contents of my attached letter (below) and let me know what additional information you may need from me to assist the DA in prosecuting the accomplice to Mr. Markowitz’s scheme to suborn perjury and defraud the voters of Fullerton, District 4.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Aaruni Thakur

Elevators to Nowhere – The Rising Cost Hits Fullerton Directly

Here’s the final (for now) installment of the series by our Friend “Fullerton Engineer” documenting the sad history of the project to add a couple of elevators to the existing tower/bridge structure at the DepotRemarkably, none of our elected representatives seems the least bit curious about the downward trajectory of this project, or the ultimate tap into our Facility Capital Repair Fund, a fund that was never intended to pay for new construction, particularly for projects never needed in the first place.  

The best way of avoiding embarrassing information is not to ask embarrassing questions. It’s not their money.

It may have been expensive, but it sure was unnecessary…

It took over five years, but the astonishingly high cost of an elevator addition project at the Fullerton train station finally hit Fullerton taxpayers directly in 2017.

The project that the public never asked for and doesn’t need was initiated based not on necessisity, but on the availability of money from Sacramento; and later, OCTA came to the funding rescue. But the delays piled up – year after year, and OCTA would no longer pay the bill. So in March, the City Engineer, Don Hoppe, came hat in hand and asked the Fullerton taxpayers for money. Lots of it. Here’s the staff report.

Notice how the various and diverse issues are all thrown together into a single sum – $600,000. We see added cost for the railroad flagging for some unexplained reason; the curiosity of “unforeseen” utilities on a well-developed site; an unknown amount to pay for the escalated cost of the elevator subcontractor; and finally, an unspecified amount to cover “additional assistant (sic) in contract administration” a nebulous term, but a category clearly meant to cover the ongoing cost of someone in the Public Works department.  The final item is particularly ironic given the amounts already contracted with private companies for construction support and management on this very small project.

The simple fact that these items are lumped together can only be explained by an attempt to obfuscate the nature and trues costs of the ongoing delay. And those delay costs are increasing even now, as the project seems to have stalled again.

— Fullerton Engineer