Pitcher Park Perfect !

Members of Leadership Orange help landscape Pitcher Park, which will be featured Sunday on 'California's Gold.'

By COURTNEY BACALSO
Staff writer - OC Register

Tom Waters moved to Orange so he could grow rare fruit trees.

But he didn't learn about Pitcher Park, a passive park which features a garden similar to that of his own, until September when he joined Leadership Orange.

Waters and the 19 other members in the get-to-know-Orange class took on the half-acre park hidden by trees on the corner of Almond Street and Cambridge Avenue as its special project.

Friday, the group planted new flowers in the three flowerbeds in the park – marking the end of the special project.

They also replaced grape trellises, planted 15 donated trees and refurbished the Pitcher Family Museum.

Waters was also responsible for Huell Howser visiting the park and the city. The city and the park will be featured at 8 p.m. Sunday on "California's Gold."

"When I heard about this park, I just thought 'wow, this guy is just like me with all the weird fruit trees,'" Waters said laughing. "I just fell in love with it."

The property belonged to Henry and Grace Pitcher who had a son, Laurence. Laurence married Alice Clark in 1932. The property served as an urban farm where Laurence raised bees in the backyard as a hobby.

In 1992, Alice Pitcher, then a widow with no children, donated the property to the city. But with two conditions: it must remain as a passive park with the same trees the family planted years ago and the house must go.

The park features a variety of fruit trees, benches and tables to play chess on, the "honey house" with Laurence's honey processor, and a remake of the barn house.

Inside the barn are the Pitcher Family Museum and the City of Orange Fire Museum.

"This park does give a sense of how Orange used to be, said Councilwoman Tita Smith. "It's so wonderful, especially in the spring when the blossoms are so fragrant."

POLICE, COPPERS, The FUZZ!

So I almost forgot all about the Council meeting tonight, but tuned in time to watch the talk about the need for more cops in the City of Orange.

From what I have learned and wtaching a few meeting now, is that Mayor Cavecche is pushing to break the city's piggy bank by hiring a bunch of new police officers. I gather that the cost was well over 1 million dollars for the new cops.

an interesting fact that came during the talks is that, we here in teh City of Orange have over 160 police officers, thats a lot of them. Also, we learned that "The Block" sucks a big portion of the available police services down the drain.

Councilwoman Smith brought up a really point in regards to funding an officers, the overtime dollars is almost 2 million a year, and why don't they use the OT money and hire people, becuase that will cut the ot hours by being fully staffed.

Councilman Bilodeau, who has had his troubles with law enforcement and is still under investigation for his actions. He only agreed and felt that the City could use 4 addl officers and thanked Mayor Cavecche for bring this forward.

Councilman Dumitru, was also interested in finding a way to hire more cops, not a surprise...but what was a surprise, he asked to cut the City Council's budget in order to fund the new officers!

Counclman Murphy, only expressed concern for the budget and that there have been a number of good ideas brought forward.

Mayor Cavecche, talked about the budget and that the City could afford the addl officers and she even threaten her fellow electeds with, "I will not vote on the budget if there isn't more officers", then she also stated that she is interested in hiring 6 addl officers.

The City Manager wieghed in and shut the pocket book....and thank god right in time....

In the end, the item was asked to be studied by staff and bring back soluations.