Q & A

Q: What was Orange like when you first moved here?

A: It was very small town then, but a lot of tracts were going in. Our tract was surrounded by orange groves, but within a year or two the groves started coming out. There really aren’t a lot of oranges left.

Traffic has changed, and the types of businesses have changed. Downtown used to be the hub of shopping. Now it’s antique stores and small boutiques, and the malls have taken over the main shopping.

Q: How has city government changed? How was it when you first moved in?

A: It was very small town. The five councilmen probably made all the decisions and had very little opposition. But people have learned to be vocal, they’ve learned that you can fight City Hall.

Q: Did you see the council respond?

A: Oh, yes, very much. One city manager used to say any time somebody sneezed, all five councilmen handed him a hanky. It’s pretty much true. They’re responsive to the voters. . . . I don’t think it’s always wise because there are a lot of people out there who don’t complain (but) who have just as much voting power. I think people are watching them closer now, and I think they’ll think twice before they spend tax dollars.

Q: Are you surprised that city government is still so male-dominated?

A: I’m very surprised, and I hope it changes. . . . I think it’s good to have a balance. I think it’s great that (Mayor Joanne Coontz) was elected, and I hope that other women try. . . . I think she softened the good ol’ boy approach.

Q: Are you concerned that the growing South County area might gain more clout than older cities like Orange?

A: I think they’re trying to use more power than they really have, and I’m worried about them. . . . They try to make decisions and leave Orange out. When they first started El Toro Reuse (Committee) they weren’t even going to include anybody but South (County) cities. Thank goodness our council got to some of the supervisors and said, ‘Wait a minute!’ The traffic, the Eastern Transportation Corridor has to go down there, and they’re fighting it like mad. We do like to drive to San Diego once in a while, and it would be nice to get there in a day. They think they’re the Beverly Hills of California. They’ve inflated their real estate values. I remember when El Toro was nothing but beans and oranges.