Today’s the big day, the celebration of our country’s 237th birthday. Want to watch some nifty fireworks, find some other fun Fourth of July activity or see how your neighbors are spending the day?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA
SEE PAGES 5, 6 FILE PHOTO: PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE REGISTER
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SHE WAS A WITNESS TO INFAMY Dolores Lunde, 84, of Yorba Linda was reading the Sunday funnies before the Pearl Harbor attack. BY DANIEL LANGHORNE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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olores Benitez Lunde will always remember the chubby cheeks and pilot goggles of the Japanese kamikaze pilot who flew over her neighborhood in Aiea, Hawaii. U.S. Navy ships in Pearl Harbor were already on fire when the 12year-old was walking to her aunt and uncle’s house when a Japanese pilot flew by so low she could see his face. “He was just trying to keep that plane from going into the ground,” Lunde said. There were more ships in the harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, than she had ever seen. Lunde is spending this Independence Day with her husband at their friends’ house, much like millions of Americans. Although she didn’t know anyone who died at Pearl Harbor, Lunde believes the holiday is a
KEVIN LARA, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dolores Lunde was only 1 2 years old when she witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
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Construction to begin this month on two more railroad overpasses BY LOUIS CASIANO JR. ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Construction of two overpasses above the railroad tracks at Tustin/ Rose Drive and Orangethorpe Avenue is slated to begin this month. The effort to alleviate traffic is part of the OC Bridges program and is projected to be completed by fall 2016. During the first six months, construction crews will relocate utility lines and build bypass
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roads and temporary noiseblanket walls. Projects that began last year for Placentia Avenue and Kraemer Boulevard are halfway complete. The program is meant to separate railroad tracks and car traffic. The Orange County Transportation Authority said nearly 70 trains travel daily along the BNSF rail line through the region. The number is expected to increase 45 percent by 2030, blocking intersec-
tions every 10 minutes if the improvements are not made. Transportation authority spokeswoman Laura Scheper said traffic will be affected. “We don’t anticipate closures due to the bypass roads that are being built,” she said. “However, the lanes on both projects will be reduced intermittently throughout construction.”
Yorba Linda gets new city manager BY KELLIE MEJDRICH AND DANIEL LANGHORNE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Aliso Viejo City Manager Mark Pulone will leave his job for the same position in Yorba Linda. Yorba Linda officials said Pulone, 47, will start on Aug. 5, overseeing municipal day-to-day operations. He leaves Aliso Viejo after almost eight years. “It’s definitely bittersweet,” Pulone said last week. “I loved every minute I’ve been in Aliso Viejo. I’ve developed a number of
strong relationships with folks in the community and on the City Council and staff, and it’s difficult to leave. “I think it’s a great opportunity for me. There’s Pulone some challenging projects that are in play at Yorba Linda, and I look forward to the challenges of working with the staff, council and community in
seeing those projects through.” The Yorba Linda council expects Pulone to tackle major city issues immediately, Councilman Craig Young said. Chief among them is ensuring that development of the commercial town center near Yorba Linda Boulevard and Imperial Highway happens as quickly as possible. Redevelopment troubles and other issues have tied S E E P U LO N E ● PA G E 2