LEFT BANK: The Santa Ana Unified School...

LEFT BANK: The Santa Ana Unified School District has been forced to jump banks--and countries. Sanwa Bank Limited of Japan recently declined to renew its credit agreement with the district, citing a change in corporate policy. So the district has now turned to the Banque Nationale de Paris. . . . Which led board member Tom Chaffee to quip just before the agreement with the French bank was signed: “Let’s hope they don’t get CNN over there and find out about Orange County.” Meaning the bankruptcy.

CITY LIMITS: It was 13 years ago that the people of tiny La Palma voted to set a limit of two terms for its elected officials. The courts shot them down, since La Palma was a general-law city, not a charter city. But starting this year, general-law cities--there are 25 in Orange County--can set term limits. So which city set things in motion first? La Palma, of course. Its council has voted to hold a spring referendum on the issue. Laguna Niguel has quickly followed with the same plan.

STOOD UP: As a public service, Fullerton Mayor Chris Norby has started holding weekly chats with residents. So how did the first one go last Sunday? . . . Nobody showed. Undeterred, the 46-year-old council veteran says he will continue to appear at Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant every Sunday from 7 to 8 p.m.--in case someone wants to chat about city problems or offer suggestions. . . . Says the mayor: “It’s a lot easier than writing to me or getting ahold of me by phone.”

DONOR SEARCH: Angel coach Rod Carew’s search for a bone marrow donor for his daughter has moved beyond the United States. A family friend has encouraged the Hall of Famer to seek help in Toronto. Its ethnically diverse population might include a biracial donor who could help save the life of Michelle Carew, who is stricken with leukemia. . . . “Toronto has not only been a melting pot, but it has been full of big hearts,” the friend, Rose Rosa told the Toronto Globe and Mail.