# Last Santa Ana orange grove marked for development



## shesulsa (May 20, 2008)

Those of us old enough to remember driving past what seemed to be endless rows of orange trees just to get to Disneyland and the handful of us who remember the agriculture business while living in the OC might be melancholy at this news.



> Dwight Schroeder, 82, grew up just down the road from the Sexlinger's orange grove. "In the evening, you'd smell the orange blossoms all around," he said. "It was really kind of nice."
> 
> But Santa Ana was growing, and by the late 1970s, the rows of fruit trees had been replaced by rows of houses. Still, the Sexlinger grove held on &#150; passed from one generation to the next, still growing oranges.
> 
> ...



The beauty of that area is no more.  With this and the travesty of the Irvine Ranch development, fat cats have paved over more natural beauty than can be told.

*sigh*

A tip of the hat to the old OC I grew up in.


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## terryl965 (May 20, 2008)

You know Shesulsa I can remember driving and seing all those orange tree and wonder how was orange juice made. My father always took us to Disneyland and we always ate at Belisle restaurant on the coner orange and Katella. Thank you for the memory today.:asian:


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## 14 Kempo (May 20, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> Those of us old enough to remember driving past what seemed to be endless rows of orange trees just to get to Disneyland and the handful of us who remember the agriculture business while living in the OC might be melancholy at this news.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
I, too, grew up in Orange County. Lived there from 1959-2003. I remember all the orange groves, one after another. As they say, "Progress, intelligently planned" ... LOL ... we used to play in those orange groves. Oh yeah, and we used those orange groves to piss off alot of people too


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## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (May 20, 2008)

Also was in the OC from mid-seventies until 3 years ago. Amid the orange groves, strawberry fields, and bean fields of HB/FV area. I can remember when on the southbound 405 headed on field trips to O'Niel Park, the Fluor building was the last sign of civilization until you exited El Toro. In between? Orange groves.

Great places to chill as teens. Gone now. And the whole Ortega Hwy and Wagon Wheel area is all yuppie-fungus, too. Sickening, really.

D.


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## shesulsa (May 20, 2008)

My father and I worked for The Irvine Company for a while and they used to have Company Picks.  After they went through and got the creams of the crops they allowed TIC employees to come and load up with as much farm-fresh produce as they could carry - for free!

OH the corn! OH the strawberries! OH the green beans!  And the sight of the looming El Toro hangars in the distance.  Many a muddy Saturday we spent out there picking.

And now it's all gone.


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## 14 Kempo (May 20, 2008)

Well, those hangers are still there ... aren't they? I can't remember if I saw them last time I drove by ... LOL ... damn, I need to pay better attention.


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## shesulsa (May 20, 2008)

14 Kempo said:


> Well, those hangers are still there ... aren't they? I can't remember if I saw them last time I drove by ... LOL ... damn, I need to pay better attention.


It's been a while since I've been down there but I'm pretty sure they're still there too.  I just remember the illusion that they were jutting up into the sky from out the fields is all - crouched down, picking strawberries in agricultural acreage I remember thinking they were quite impressive.  Last I was in the area, most of that land had also been developed.


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## 14 Kempo (May 20, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> It's been a while since I've been down there but I'm pretty sure they're still there too. I just remember the illusion that they were jutting up into the sky from out the fields is all - crouched down, picking strawberries in agricultural acreage I remember thinking they were quite impressive. Last I was in the area, most of that land had also been developed.


 
Actually the base is gone, as I'm sure you know, but they hadn't started development as yet. The surrounding area, yes, definately. They are talking about a great park, but as far as I know, they still haven't started that. Did you live right there in the Irvine area? I was in Orange.


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## terryl965 (May 20, 2008)

I lived inFountain Valley and tought at Matre Die High school in Santa Anna.


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## shesulsa (May 20, 2008)

14 Kempo said:


> Actually the base is gone, as I'm sure you know, but they hadn't started development as yet. The surrounding area, yes, definately. They are talking about a great park, but as far as I know, they still haven't started that. Did you live right there in the Irvine area? I was in Orange.


I lived in Fountain Valley on Mt. Matterhorn St. near the corner of Lilac and Harbor Blvd. Lilac crosses Harbor between Edinger and McFadden on the North side of the Big K and the south side of Chris N Pitt's BBQ.


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## shesulsa (May 20, 2008)

terryl965 said:


> I lived inFountain Valley and tought at Matre Die High school in Santa Anna.


Terry, I went to Los Amigos.

Later I lived in Anaheim at Euclid and Ball, then in Huntington Beach and Midway City about a mile away from Golden West College. Also lived over by Golden West and Westminster ... you know, West Treces?


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## terryl965 (May 20, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> Terry, I went to Los Amigos.
> 
> Later I lived in Anaheim at Euclid and Ball, then in Huntington Beach and Midway City about a mile away from Golden West College. Also lived over by Golden West and Westminster ... you know, West Treces?


 
Yes You remember the Theatre that was on the corner of Harbor and Adams, and there was a Italian restaurant right behind it had the greatest Minestronie soup. I also tought at Huntington Beach high school and Marina high. Small world. Man I loved the Orange county fair and the Isreal fair too. The Santa Anna swap meet was great. I saw Aresmith and Guns and Roses at the Orange county convention theatre.


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## tellner (May 20, 2008)




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## 14 Kempo (May 20, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> I lived in Fountain Valley on Mt. Matterhorn St. near the corner of Lilac and Harbor Blvd. Lilac crosses Harbor between Edinger and McFadden on the North side of the Big K and the south side of Chris N Pitt's BBQ.


 
Yeah, I know the area ... not well, but know it. Were you a Fountain Valley HS gal?


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## 14 Kempo (May 20, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> Terry, I went to Los Amigos.
> 
> Later I lived in Anaheim at Euclid and Ball, then in Huntington Beach and Midway City about a mile away from Golden West College. Also lived over by Golden West and Westminster ... you know, West Treces?


 
Damn, I replied too quick. I don't think I was aware of Los Amigos. I stayed my whole childhood in Orange, didn't travel around. I am a Villa Park alumni.


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## zDom (May 20, 2008)

That is sad ...

I remember playing in orange groves  (Born at St. Joseph's Hospital in the city of Orange  )

Guess my grandparent's RV park may be the last place to see orange trees in Orange County?

http://www.orangeland.com/


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## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (May 20, 2008)

FVHS Grad, 1983. Seems odd, looking at how spread we are on the globe, to have so many on this site having come from that same base area.

The big hangars from the Tustin Avionics base are still up...visible from, like, a 16 lane stretch of the 5.

D.


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## shesulsa (May 20, 2008)

terryl965 said:


> Yes You remember the Theatre that was on the corner of Harbor and Adams, and there was a Italian restaurant right behind it had the greatest Minestronie soup. I also tought at Huntington Beach high school and Marina high. Small world. Man I loved the Orange county fair and the Isreal fair too. The Santa Anna swap meet was great. I saw Aresmith and Guns and Roses at the Orange county convention theatre.


Aw, the OC Fair was fun AND the swap meet! Do you remember the Chop Chop Man?

"New York
L.A.
Non-Stop
Back and forth, back and forth, keep on moving back and forth..."

:lol2:

AND!  ... heh heh heh ... _a-and_ ...  ... I saw The Red Hot Chili Peppers in Costa Mesa by the coast when they were a popular small-time band ... when they wore tube socks for stage apparrel! DAMN those were the days!!


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## shesulsa (May 20, 2008)

Kembudo-Kai Kempoka said:


> FVHS Grad, 1983. Seems odd, looking at how spread we are on the globe, to have so many on this site having come from that same base area.
> 
> The big hangars from the Tustin Avionics base are still up...visible from, like, a 16 lane stretch of the 5.
> 
> D.


Hey, I graduated in 83 also!  What Jr. Hi did you go to? (pm if you want)


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## Tames D (May 20, 2008)

Kembudo-Kai Kempoka said:


> Also was in the OC from mid-seventies until 3 years ago. Amid the orange groves, strawberry fields, and bean fields of HB/FV area. I can remember when on the southbound 405 headed on field trips to O'Niel Park, the Fluor building was the last sign of civilization until you exited El Toro. In between? Orange groves.
> 
> Great places to chill as teens. Gone now. And the whole Ortega Hwy and Wagon Wheel area is all yuppie-fungus, too. Sickening, really.
> 
> D.


Ahhhh O'neil Park. One of my favorite places...


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## Tames D (May 20, 2008)

terryl965 said:


> I lived inFountain Valley and tought at Matre Die High school in Santa Anna.


Spent alot of time at Mile Square Park with family picnics and things.


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## Tames D (May 20, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> Terry, I went to Los Amigos.
> 
> Later I lived in Anaheim at Euclid and Ball, then in Huntington Beach and Midway City about a mile away from Golden West College. Also lived over by Golden West and Westminster ... you know, West Treces?


Hey, we might have been 'almost' neighbors. My first house was at Magnolia and La Palma in Anaheim. Man that was a long time ago, 1979.


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## shesulsa (May 20, 2008)

QUI-GON said:


> Hey, we might have been 'almost' neighbors. My first house was at Magnolia and La Palma in Anaheim. Man that was a long time ago, 1979.


Dude, I worked right in that area! Was around there a LOT!



QUI-GON said:


> Spent alot of time at Mile Square Park with family picnics and things.



Ah yes, Mile Square - where bodies were found under small walkway bridges and in sand bunkers on the golf course, local residents drunk tequila and fought with knives, babies ran into traffic on Warner or Brookhurst ... but you could still find some nice spots to chow.


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## Tames D (May 20, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> Dude, I worked right in that area! Was around there a LOT!
> 
> 
> 
> Ah yes, Mile Square - *where bodies were found under small walkway bridges and in sand bunkers on the golf course, local residents drunk tequila and fought with knives*, babies ran into traffic on Warner or Brookhurst ... but you could still find some nice spots to chow.


Where else could you shoot a round of golf and a gangbanger at the same time?


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## shesulsa (May 21, 2008)

QUI-GON said:


> Where else could you shoot a round of golf and a gangbanger at the same time?


:lfao:

And oh the variety! LOL!


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## terryl965 (May 21, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> Aw, the OC Fair was fun AND the swap meet! Do you remember the Chop Chop Man?
> 
> "New York
> L.A.
> ...


 
I saw them as well with a young lady she took and said they where the best.

I miss Kaplans deli, man they had great bagels, everytime I went to South coast plaza had to get a dozen or so.


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## terryl965 (May 21, 2008)

Speaking of mile sqaure park remember frisbie golf. God I love that game.


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## 14 Kempo (May 21, 2008)

terryl965 said:


> I saw them as well with a young lady she took and said they where the best.
> 
> I miss Kaplans deli, man they had great bagels, everytime I went to South coast plaza had to get a dozen or so.


 
Kaplans ... LOL ... I've been there a few times. Yes, they were good.


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## 14 Kempo (May 21, 2008)

terryl965 said:


> Speaking of mile sqaure park remember frisbie golf. God I love that game.


 
I remember the game, however, I've never played it.


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## shesulsa (May 21, 2008)

Aw man! Kaplans! and Frisbee Golf!  



I'm feeling old now ....


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## terryl965 (May 21, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> Aw man! Kaplans! and Frisbee Golf!
> 
> 
> 
> I'm feeling old now ....


 
I guess than I am old because I have been feeling that forever now 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




.


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## shesulsa (May 21, 2008)

Back to oranges, tho ...  ....

Last summer my family went on a ride at California Adventure - can't remember the name - but you go into a building and sit on suspended seats which take you off the ground.  In front is an enormous screen showing areal views of California scenery - you feel like you're flying over these various areas.  Accompanying the movie is the odor you'd expect to receive in these locations and even a fine, light mist when "flying" over water.

One sequence was the orange groves with the scent of orange.  

:lookie:

It was a very _Soylent Green_ moment.


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## terryl965 (May 21, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> Back to oranges, tho ...  ....
> 
> Last summer my family went on a ride at California Adventure - can't remember the name - but you go into a building and sit on suspended seats which take you off the ground. In front is an enormous screen showing areal views of California scenery - you feel like you're flying over these various areas. Accompanying the movie is the odor you'd expect to receive in these locations and even a fine, light mist when "flying" over water.
> 
> ...


 
Shesulsa was it of today or more of the past, it sounds wonderful. matbe when we visit this summer I need to take the family there.


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## CoryKS (May 21, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> Back to oranges, tho ...  ....
> 
> Last summer my family went on a ride at California Adventure - can't remember the name - but you go into a building and sit on suspended seats which take you off the ground. In front is an enormous screen showing areal views of California scenery - you feel like you're flying over these various areas. Accompanying the movie is the odor you'd expect to receive in these locations and even a fine, light mist when "flying" over water.
> 
> ...


 
The ride is called "Soarin' over California". They have an identical ride in Orlando, but it's just called "Soarin'".  My son liked to pretend he was kicking the golfers as he flew by.


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## 14 Kempo (May 21, 2008)

shesulsa said:


> It was a very _Soylent Green_ moment.


 
Another memory from the past ... LOL


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## terryl965 (May 21, 2008)

14 Kempo said:


> Another memory from the past ... LOL


 
Yes man the past is catching up to all of us, we need to move over so progress can continue and destroy all the beauty that once was.


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