O.C. Plaza, Black history, Bob Johnson, etc.

Remember my post, last March, about Orange County Plaza in Garden Grove? Me neither. But it garnered 23 comments. Just in time for the anniversary of that inexplicably popular post, alert reader Mike sent me the photo above. He writes, "During my countless hours of web surfing I ran across [this] Orange County Plaza photo from 1963. ...We are looking east on Chapman toward Brookhurst." Thanks for sharing this great image, Mike!
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Bob Johnson will discuss Orange County Black history in at the next meeting of the Orange County Historical Society, this Thursday, March 12, 7:30pm, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 2400 N. Canal St., in Orange. Bob has been active in Fair Housing and other civil rights issues in O.C. since the 1960s. He has been researching local black history for many years, and has just completed a book with Charlene Riggins entitled, A Different Shade of Orange: Voices of Orange County, California, Black Pioneers. The book is published by and available through CSUF's Center for Oral & Public History. To learn more about Bob and his book before attending see the recent article about him in the O.C. Register.
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I was concerned about the historic Wintersburg Japanese Presbyterian Church complex after reading that Rainbow Disposal Co. was bringing expansion plans to the city tonight. But it turns out that tonight's item was for a different parcel of property. The Notice of Preparation/Draft Environmental Impact Report for the historic properties will probably be released this summer, with a hearing scheduled at the end of 2009 or in early 2010. Thanks to Phil, Donna, Michael, and everyone else who's keeping an eye on this issue.