Anaheim, California
Anaheim (pronounced / ˈænəhaɪm/) is a city in Orange County, California. As of January 1, 2010, the city population was about 353,643, slightly less than Santa Ana, making it the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States. The city anticipates that the population will surpass 400,000 by 2014 due to rapid development in its Platinum Triangle area as well as in Anaheim Hills. The Platinum Triangle is the fastest growing area in Orange County. Anaheim is the second most populous city in Orange County (after Santa Ana) and second largest in terms of land area (after Irvine), and is known for its theme parks, sports teams and convention center.Founded by fifty German families in 1857 and incorporated on February 10, 1870, Anaheim developed into an industrial center, producing electronics, aircraft parts and canned fruit. It is the site of the Disneyland Resort, a world-famous grouping of theme parks and hotels which opened in 1955, Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Honda Center and Anaheim Convention Center, the largest convention center on the West Coast. Its name is a blend of 'Ana', after the nearby Santa Ana River, and 'heim', a common German place name compound originally meaning 'home'.Anaheim's city limits stretch from Cypress in the west to the Riverside County line in the east and encompass a diverse collection of neighborhoods and communities. Anaheim Hills is a master-planned community located in the city's eastern stretches that is home to many sports stars and executives. Downtown Anaheim has three mixed-use historic districts, the largest of which is the Anaheim Colony, and is home to the Anaheim White House restaurant, featured in a February 2010 article referring to Anaheim as 'one of the top three places in America to find romance,' along with Santa Ana and Long Beach. The Anaheim Resort, a commercial district, includes Disneyland and numerous hotels and retail complexes. The Platinum Triangle, a neo-urban redevelopment district surrounding Angel Stadium, is planned to be populated with mixed-use streets and high-rises. Finally, The Canyon is an industrial district north of the 91 and east of the Orange Freeway.
History
The city of Anaheim was founded in 1857 by grape farmers and wine makers from Franconia in Bavaria. The first such settler was Daniel Kraemer. The colony was situated on 1,165 acres (4.71 km2).Settlers voted to call the community Annaheim, meaning Annahome or more longly 'Home by the Santa Anna River' in German. The name later was changed slightly, to Anaheim. To the Spanish-speaking neighbors, the settlement was known as Campo Alemán (Spanish for German Camp). The grape industry was destroyed in the 1880s by an insect pest. Other crops - walnuts, lemons and, of course oranges - soon filled the void, fruits and vegetables having become viable cash crops when the Los Angeles - Orange County region was connected to the continental railroad network in 1886.The famous Polish actress Helena Modjeska settled in Anaheim with her husband and various friends, among them Henryk Sienkiewicz, Julian Sypniewski and Łucjan Paprocki. While living in Anaheim, Helena Modjeska became good friends with Clementine Langenberger, the second wife of August Langenberger. Helena Street and Clementine Street are named after these two ladies, and the streets are located adjacent to each other as a symbol of the strong friendship which Helena Modjeska and Clementine Lagenberger shared. Modjeska Park in West Anaheim, is also named after Helena Modjeska.In the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan, at the height of its influence and popularity, decided to make Anaheim a 'model' Klan city. In 1924, the Klan secretly managed to get four of its members elected to the five-member Board of Trustees. Nine of the ten members of the police force were also Klansmen. The four Klan trustees served for nearly a year, until they were publicly exposed, and voted out in a recall election in which 95% of the population participated.During the first half of the 20th century, before Disneyland opened its doors to the public, Anaheim was a massive rural community inhabited by orange groves, and the landowners who farmed them. One of the landowners was a man by the name of Bennett Payne Baxter. He owned much land in northeast Anaheim that today is the location of Edison Park. He came up with many new ideas for irrigating orange groves and shared his ideas with other landowners. He was not only successful, he helped other landowners and businesspeople succeed as well. Ben Baxter and other landowners helped to make Anaheim a thriving rural community before Disneyland changed the city forever. Today, a street runs along Edison Park which is named Baxter Street. Also during this time, Rudolph Boysen served as Anaheim's first Park Superintendent from 1921 to 1950. Boysen created a hybrid berry which Walter Knott later named the boysenberry, after Rudy Boysen. Boysen Park in East Anaheim was also named after him.The Disneyland theme park was constructed in Anaheim from July 16, 1954 to July 17, 1955, and opened to the public on July 18, 1955, and has since become Anaheim's largest tourist attraction. The location was formerly 160 acres (0.65 km2) of orange and walnut trees, some of which remain inside Disneyland property. Hotels and motels began to spread and residential districts soon followed, with increasing property values. In 2001, Disney's California Adventure, since renamed Disney California Adventure in 2010, the most expansive project in the theme park's history, opened to the public.In the late 20th century, Anaheim grew rapidly in population. Today, Anaheim has a diverse ethnic and racial composition.During the large expansion of the Disneyland resort in the 1990s, the city of Anaheim then recognized itself as a resort epicenter, thus creating the Anaheim Resort. It includes the Disneyland Resort, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Honda Center--home of the NHL Anaheim Ducks (formerly known as the 'Mighty Ducks'), and Angel Stadium, home to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The city has undergone a rigorous transformation in creating metropolitan beautification to attract tourism. In 2007, the city celebrated its sesquicentennial (150th anniversary) by opening the Anaheim Walk of Fame near the Harbor Boulevard entrance to the Disneyland Resort. The first star to be placed on the Anaheim Walk of Fame was Walt Disney, the man most responsible for making Anaheim the hugely popular tourist destination it is today.
City government
Under its city charter, Anaheim operates under a council-manager government. Legislative authority is vested in a city council of five nonpartisan members, who hire a professional city manager to oversee day-to-day operations. The mayor serves as the presiding officer of the city council in a first among equals role. All council seats are elected at large. Voters elect the mayor and four other members of the city council to serve four-year staggered terms. Elections for two council seats are held in years divisible by four while elections for the mayor and the two other council seats are held during the intervening even-numbered years. Under the city's term limits, an individual may serve a maximum of two terms as a city council member and two terms as the mayor.Mayor:Tom Tait(since 2010)
City Manager: Thomas J. Wood (since 2009)
City CouncilLorri Galloway (since 2004)
Harry Sidhu(since 2004)
Gail Eastman (since 2010)
Kris Murray (since 2010)
Emergency services
Fire protection is provided by the Anaheim Fire Department, Disneyland Resort has its own official Fire Department, though it does rely on the Anaheim Fire Department for support, and for Paramedic Services. Law enforcement is provided by the Anaheim Police Department. Ambulance service is provided by Care Ambulance Service.
Anaheim Public Utilities
Anaheim Public Utilities is the only municipal owned water and electric utility in Orange County, providing residential and business customers with water and electric services. The utility is regulated and governed locally by the City Council. A Public Utilities Board, made up of Anaheim residents, advises the City Council on major utility issues.
Federal, state and county representation
In the United States House of Representatives, Anaheim is split among three Congressional districts:40th, represented byEd Royce(R) since 1993
42nd, represented byGary Miller(R) since 1999
47th, represented byLoretta Sanchez(D) since 1997
In the California State Senate, Anaheim is split among three districts:29th, represented byBob Huff(R) since 2008
33rd, represented byMimi Walters(R) since 2008
34th, represented byLou Correa(D) since 2006
In the California State Assembly, Anaheim is split among six districts:60th, represented byCurt Hagman(R) since 2008
67th, represented byJim Silva(R) since 2006
68th, represented byAllan Mansoor(R) since 2010
69th, represented byJose Solorio(D) since 2006
71st, represented byJeff Miller(R) since 2008
72nd, represented byChris Norby(R) since 2010
On the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Anaheim is divided between two districts, with Anaheim Hills lying in the 3rd District and the remainder of Anaheim lying in the 4th District:3rd, represented byBill Campbellsince 2003
4th, represented byShawn Nelsonsince 2010
Geography
Anaheim is located at 33°50′10″N 117°53′23″W / 33.836165°N 117.889769°W / 33.836165; -117.889769. and is approximately 25 miles (40 km) south east of downtown Los AngelesAccording to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 130.7 km² (50.5 mi²). 126.8 km² (48.9 mi²) of it is land and 3.9 km² (1.5 mi²) of it (2.99%) is water.In the western portion of the city (not including Anaheim Hills), the major surface streets run east to west, starting with the northernmost, La Palma Avenue, Orangethorpe Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, Ball Road and Katella Avenue. The major surface streets running north-south, starting with the westernmost, are Knott Avenue, Beach Boulevard (SR 39), Magnolia Avenue, Brookhurst Street, Euclid Street, Harbor Boulevard, Anaheim Boulevard and State College Boulevard.The Santa Ana Freeway (I-5), the Orange Freeway (SR 57) and the Riverside Freeway (SR 91) all pass through Anaheim. The Costa Mesa Freeway (SR 55), and the Eastern Transportation Corridor (SR 241) also have short stretches within the city limits.Anaheim is served by rail by two major railroads, the Union Pacific Railroad and the BNSF Railway. In addition, Anaheim sees Amtrak California and Metrolink services and hosts a major regional train station in the Angel Stadium parking lot.The current federal Office of Management and Budget metropolitan designation for Anaheim and the Orange County Area is 'Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA'.The city recognizes several districts, including the Anaheim Resort (the area surrounding Disneyland), The Canyon (an industrial area north of the Riverside Freeway and east of the Orange Freeway) and the Platinum Triangle (the area surrounding Angel Stadium). Anaheim Hills also maintains a distinct identity.Downtown Anaheim is located in the heart of the Colonial District. Downtown is the administrative heart of the city where you find City Hall, Anaheim West Tower, Anaheim Police Headquarters, the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce and the Main Library. Anaheim Ice (formerly Disney Ice), the Downtown Anaheim Farmer's Market and the Center Street Promenade are also located in Downtown Anaheim. In the Fall of 2007, The Muzeo, the newest major museum in Orange County, opened its doors for the first time and is located next to Anaheim West Tower. Pearson Park is also located in Downtown Anaheim, and is named after Charles Pearson, who was Mayor of Anaheim during the time Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Anaheim. One of the major attractions located in Pearson Park is the Pearson Park Amphitheater. In the Colonial District just west of Downtown Anaheim is the Mother Colony House, which was built by George Hanson, the Founder of Anaheim. Today, it is Anaheim's and Orange County's oldest museum still open to the public. The Stoffel House is a Victorian Mansion located next door to the Mother Colony House. Originally the Victorian Home was occupied by the Stoffel Family, early pioneer residents of Anaheim. Today, this historic home is the local headquarters for the American Red Cross.
Economy
Anaheim's largest and most important industry is tourism. Its Anaheim Convention Center is home to many national conferences, and The Walt Disney Company is the city's largest employer. Many hotels, especially in the city's Resort district, serve theme park tourists and conventiongoers.The Anaheim Canyon business park makes up 63% of Anaheim's industrial space and is the largest industrial district in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon is also home to the second largest business park in Orange County. Anaheim Canyon houses 2,600 businesses, which employ over 50,000 workers.Several notable companies have corporate offices and/or headquarters within Anaheim.Anaheim Memorial Medical Center
AT&T
Banco Popular, a bank based inPuerto Rico, has a North American headquarters in Anaheim.
CKE Restaurants, the parent company of the Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Green Burrito, and Red Burrito restaurant chains
General Dynamics
Kaiser Foundation
L-3 Communications
Pacific Sunwear
Sunny Delight
Targus, a computer peripheral manufacturer
Tenet Healthcare
Zyxel, maker of routers, switches and other networking products
Top employers
According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Crime
Anaheim ranks as one of the safest cities of its size in the nation. In 2003, Anaheim reported nine murders, 35% of the national average. Rape within the city is relatively low as well, but has been increasing, along with the national average. Robbery (410 reported incidents) and aggravated assault (824 incidents) rank among the highest violent crimes in the city, but robbery rates are still only half of the national average, and aggravated assaults are at 68% of the average. 1,971 burglaries were reported, as well as 6,708 thefts, 1,767 car thefts, and 654 car accidents. All three types of crime were below average. There were 43 cases of arson reported in 2003, 43% of the national average.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 345,556 people, 96,969 households, and 73,502 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,587.8/km² (6,842.7/mi²). There were 99,719 housing units at an average density of 786.7/km² (2,037.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 55% White, 3% Black or African American, 0.9% Native American, 12% Asian, 0.4% Pacific Islander, 24% from other races, and 5% from two or more races. 46% of the population were Hispanic or Latino.Of Anaheim's 96,969 households, 43.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.3% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.2% were non-families. 18.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.34 and the average family size was 3.75.In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 17.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.The median income household income was $47,122, and the median family income was $49,969. Males had a median income of $33,870 versus $28,837 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,266. About 10.4% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
As of May 2006, Anaheim is served by eight public school districts:Anaheim City School District
Anaheim Union High School District
Centralia School District
Magnolia School District
North Orange County Community College District
Orange Unified School District
Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
Savanna School District
Furthermore, Anaheim is home to 84 public schools :Elementary 46
Junior High 9
High School 14
Alternative Education 6
The City of Anaheim hosts one private university: Anaheim University.
Libraries
Anaheim has eight public library branches.
Transportation
The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) provides bus service for Anaheim with local and county-wide routes, and both the OCTA and the Los Angeles County Metro offer routes connecting Anaheim to Los Angeles County. The Anaheim Amtrak station serves both Amtrak and Metrolink rail lines, and the Anaheim Canyon Metrolink station serves Metrolink's IEOC Line.Anaheim is equidistant from both John Wayne Airport located 15 miles (24 km) and Long Beach Airport (15 Miles), but is also accessible from nearby Los Angeles International (30 Miles), and Ontario (35 Miles), airports.In addition to regional bus service, the not-for-profit Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) provides local shuttle service in the Disneyland Resort area serving local hotels and both the California Adventure and Disneyland theme parks, and Disney GOALS, operates daily free bus service for low-income youth in the central Anaheim area.Anaheim will also be the home to the ARTIC transportation center, which will connect bus, rail including the California High-Speed Rail Network and the proposed Anaheim Fixed-Guideway Transit Corridor.
Attractions
Adventure City
Anaheim GardenWalk, 440,000 s.f. of retail, dining and entertainment located in the Anaheim Resort
Anaheim Convention Center, Largest convention center on West Coast
Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Disneyland ResortDisneyland
Disney California Adventure
Downtown DisneyESPN Zone
House of Blues
The Grove of Anaheim, formerly the Sun Theater, formerly Tinseltown Studios
Honda Center, formerly the 'Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim'
Anaheim Ice, Public rink for 6,000+ skaters per week
American Sports Centers, Home of U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team
Anaheim Hills Golf Course
Dad Miller Golf Course
Oak Canyon Nature Center
MUZEO, Art Museum located in Downtown Anaheim
Anaheim/OC Walk of Stars
Current teams
NHLteam:Anaheim Ducks–2007 Stanley Cup Champions
MLBteam:Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim–2002 World SeriesChampions
Defunct teams
NLLteam:Anaheim Storm(Folded after 2004-2005 season due to low attendance)
TheNFL'sLos Angeles Ramsplayed in Anaheim from 1980 through 1994 before moving to their current home ofSt. Louis.
World Football Leagueteam: TheSouthern California Sunplayed atAnaheim Stadiumfrom 1974-1975.
Arena Football Leagueteam:Anaheim Piranhasplayed at the Arrowhead Pond from 1994 to 1997.
Roller Hockey Internationalteam:Anaheim Bullfrogsplayed in the RHI from 1993 to 1997 and 1999, winning theMurphy CupChampionship twice.
American Basketball Associationteam:Anaheim Amigosplayed at theAnaheim Convention Centerduring the 1967-68 Season, then moved toLos Angeles.
ABA2000team:Southern California Surfplayed at theAnaheim Convention Centerfrom 2001-2002.
NBADLteam:Anaheim Arsenalplayed at theAnaheim Convention Centerfrom 2006-2009. The team is moving toSpringfield, Massachusettsand being renamed for the 2009-2010 season.
World Team Tennis: TheAnaheim Orangesplayed in 1978.
Continental Indoor Soccer LeagueTeam: TheAnaheim Splash, played from 1994 to 1997.
Court battle against the Angels
On January 3, 2005, Angels Baseball LP, the ownership group for the Anaheim Angels, announced that it would change the name of the club to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Arturo Moreno believed Team spokesmen pointed out that from its inception, the Angels had been granted territorial rights by Major League Baseball to the counties of Los Angeles, Ventura, Riverside, and San Bernardino in addition to Orange County. The new owner knew the name would help him market the team to the entire Southern California region rather than just Orange County. The 'of Anaheim' was included in the official name to comply with a provision of the team's lease at Angel Stadium which requires that 'Anaheim' be included in the team's name.Mayor Curt Pringle and other city officials countered that the name change violated the spirit of the lease clause, even if it were in technical compliance. They argued that a name change was a major bargaining chip in negotiations between the city and Disney Baseball Enterprises, Inc., then the ownership group for the Angels. They further argued that the city would never have agreed to the new lease without the name change, because the new lease required that the city partially fund the stadium's renovation but provided very little revenue for the city. Anaheim sued Angels Baseball LP in Orange County Superior Court, and a jury trial was completed in early February 2006, resulting in a victory for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim franchise.Anaheim appealed the court decision with the California Court of Appeal in May 2006. The case was tied up in the Appeals Court for over two years. In December 2008, the Appeals Court upheld the February 2006 Decision and ruled in favor of The Angels Organization. In January 2009, The Anaheim City Council voted not to appeal the court case any further, bringing an end to the four year legal dispute between the City of Anaheim and the Angels Organization.
Disney vs. SunCal vs. Anaheim
In March 2007 the Disney corporation filed a lawsuit against the City of Anaheim after the city approved a developer's plan to construct 1,500 homes in the Resort Area, a 2.2-square-mile (5.7 km2) district surrounding the Disneyland Park. Disney claims that the city breached a contract signed between the city and Resort Area businesses in 1994 banning any housing to be constructed within the Resort Area thereby reserving all land in the 2.2-square-mile (5.7 km2) district for tourism and commercial uses. By voting 3-2 to approve the housing development in April, the city of Anaheim thereby violated the terms of the contract.In response, Disney, Mayor Curt Pringle, and Council member Harry Sidhu formed a coalition called 'Save Our Anaheim Resort' with the objective of overturning the zoning allowance thereby keeping the initial plan for the Resort Area intact. The highly successful group boasted support from several local politicians, many building trade unions, the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, the Anaheim Police Department, and the Anaheim Fire Department, as well as 97% of all businesses within the Resort Area. The group collected 21,000 petitions, 9,000 more than needed, to overturn the council's decision to rezone the area with the option of either the council turning the decision over or the city hold an election to vote on the initiative.In response, Council member Lorri Galloway, Council member Bob Hernandez, SunCal, and some local affordable housing advocates came together to form a group known as 'The Coalition to Protect and Defend Anaheim'. Their objective was to keep the rezoning approved by the council as legitimate, and stop the so-called 'Disney Takeover'.At the August 21, 2007 city council meeting, the council voted 4-1 to place the zoning decision on the June 3, 2008 ballot (Ms. Galloway voted against). This referendum would have overturned the zoning change on the 26 acres (110,000 m2) of land SunCal wanted to build on. On November 27, 2007 the City Council rescinded the decision on a 3-2 vote and cancelled the zoning change, thereby eliminating the need for the referendum.The next day, August 22, 2007 had the Save Our Anaheim Resort group submit 31,348 signatures for verification for an Initiative that would require that any zoning change in the entire Anaheim Resort District for other than commercial and tourist related uses to be approved by the voters. This Initiative was placed on the June 3, 2008 ballot, and is separate from the referendum. On March 4, 2008, the city council revisited the Initiative and decided to adopt the measure outright by a 3-2 vote, saving about $250,000 in election costs, since the measure no longer needs to be on the ballot. In October 2007, SunCal defaulted on a payment for the property in question. SunCal has also pulled funding for this legal suit. Then in November 2007, The Frank Family, owners of the Mobile Home Park land in dispute, filed a counter suit against SunCal for their failure to make the required payment in October 2007.
Notable natives and residents
Jennifer Warnes, Oscar-winning singer of 'I Had The Time Of My Life' fromDirty Dancing.
Kenneth Michael Trentadue
Joseph M. Acaba-NASAastronaut
Amanda Babin- 4th-placer onCycle 7ofAmerica's Next Top Model
Michelle Babin- 5th-placer onCycle 7ofAmerica's Next Top Model
Angela Perez Baraquio, formerMiss America(2001)
Larry Beckett-poetand songwriter
Moon Bloodgood-actress
Rudolph Boysen-horticulturistwho created theboysenberry
Jeff Buckley-singer-songwriterandguitarist
Tim Buckley- singer-songwriter, experimentalvocalist, andmusician
Austin Butler- actor
Rod Carew- former Major League Baseball player
Carlos Cavazo- former guitarist for theheavy metal,glam metalandhard rockbandQuiet Riot
Milorad Čavić-Serbianswimmer
Rosalind Chao- actress
Lou Correa- politician andCalifornia State Legislator
Don Davis-film scorecomposer,conductor, andorchestrator
Reuben Droughns- National Football League player
Eden Espinosa- singer andstageactress
Jim Fassel- former NFL head coach
Jeff Feagles- Former National Football League player
Daniel Fells- National Football League player
Jim Fielder-bassistforrockgroupBlood, Sweat & Tears
Jorge Flores- professionalsoccerplayer
Lori Harrigan- Olympicsoftball player
Bobby Hatfield- singer, one half of themusicalduothe Righteous Brothers
John Huarte- former National Football League player
Tommy John- former Major League Baseball player
CarlandMargaret Karcher- founders of theCarl's Jr.hamburger chain
Frankie Kazarian-professional wrestler[citation needed]
Samuel Kraemer- rancher, oilman, and businessman[citation needed]
Thomas H. Kuchel-United States SenatorandRepublican Partywhip
Mark Langston- former Major League Baseball player
Crystal Lewis- Singer
Rob Liefeld-comic bookwriter, illustrator, and publisher
Mike Lockwood- professional wrestler, best known as Crash Holly
Chris Manderino- National Football League player
Donnie Moore- former Major League Baseball player
Bill Murphy- Major League Baseball player
Naomi Nari Nam-figure skater
Connie Needham- actress
Augie Nieto- entrepreneur and founder of theamyotrophic lateral sclerosischarity Augie's Quest
No Doubt-Grammy Award-winning rock group
Brian Noble- former National Football League player
Chuck Norris- actor
Curt Pringle- politician,Mayor of Anaheim, andSpeaker of the California State Assembly
Alyson Reed- dancer and actress
Linda Sánchez-U.S. Congresswoman
Loretta Sanchez- U.S. Congresswoman
Stacey Q-synthpopanddance-popsinger, dancer, and actress
Steve Scarsone- former Major League Baseball player
John F. Seymour-United States SenatorandMayor of Anaheim
Dana Schoenfield- 1972 Olympic Games Silver Medalist in Swimming
Harry Sidhu- politician and AnaheimCity Councilman
Steve Soto-punkmusician and bassist forAgent OrangeandThe Adolescents[citation needed]
Gwen Stefani- singer, songwriter,fashion designer, and frontwoman of the rock bandNo Doubt
Tairrie B- formerrapperand lateralternative metalfrontwoman forTura SatanaandMy Ruin[citation needed]
Lisa Tucker- singer and finalist on thefifth seasonofAmerican Idol
Milo Ventimiglia- actor
Jaret Wright- former Major League Baseball player
Stephen Hillenburg- creator of Spongebob Squarepants
Sister cities
Chuncheon,South Korea
Mito,Japan
Vitoria-Gasteiz,Spain
Orlando, Florida(althoughWalt Disney Worldis officially located in the city ofLake Buena Vista,FL)