ORANGE : 14 Groups Get Grants From Street Fair

Organizers of the Orange International Street Fair gave more than $41,000 in grants to 14 civic groups for uses ranging from a police dog to the community choir.

Representatives of the nonprofit groups collected their checks earlier this week when the City Council approved the disbursements.

More than 400,000 people visited the three-day fair at the Old Towne circle last year, said organizer Marshall Feduk. The fair committee funded the grants with profits from fees that organizations paid to rent space for fair booths.

The 28-member fair committee wrote its largest check to Yorba Middle School for $35,000 worth of computers and software. Orange High School athletes won the next-highest grant of $8,900 for new clocks, timers and touch pads for the pool.

But the most popular grantee at the meeting was Toby, the new “K-9” police dog, whose handler brought him to the meeting to pick up a check for $7,989. The 2-year-old animal replaced the police dog Rudy, who had to be retired for medical reasons in January.

Police Chief John R. Robertson said Rudy’s departure came midyear in the budget process. “We hadn’t budgeted for a new dog, so we stepped out into the community and the street fair (committee) stepped up and we are very grateful,” he said.

The committee gave another $5,000 to the summer youth and latchkey program at the Orange Friendly Center. The Lions Club was granted $500 to buy glasses for needy children, while the Orange Community Choir received $1,000.