CITY MASCOT FROM DISNEY SHOWS CHARACTER TRAIT

Your question made me smile. But I think it might make Andy a little sad that you don t know him. Who is Andy, you ask? Andy Anaheim, the mascot you re clearly referring to. He had his heyday in the 1950s and 60s and faded away by the 1980s, replaced by a more modern, some said more dignified, logo. But if you ask me, there was nothing more dignified and fun than the forever-smiling face of Andy Anaheim. And in recent years, he s been experiencing a sort of renaissance thanks to the Anaheim Historical Society. Andy was a gift from Walt Disney - drawn by a Disney cartoonist in the early 1950s just as Disney was building his amusement park and about to transform Anaheim from a relatively sleepy suburb to an international tourist destination. The A-shaped cartoon was the property of the Chamber of Commerce and appeared on everything from travel brochures to city utility bills (Mr. Anaheim remembers Andy Anaheim on trophies and ribbons awarded through then he was a kid). In 2011, the Historical Society officially reintroduced Andy at one of its events, a push led by former Disney designers Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily. Since then, Andy has made several appearances downtown, was featured on a float in last year s Halloween Parade and even has his own Facebook page. For me, Andy brings back a lot of fun childhood memories. I m glad to see his smiling, silly face back in Anaheim. Q. I was thinking, with the recent earthquakes and the fire up in the Glendora area, isn't there some kind of text-alert system the city (Anaheim) has to notify residents in emergency situations? How do I get that? -Thom Johnson, Anaheim A. Yes, Thorn. There is such a system called Anaheim Alert. It was set up several years ago to notify those who live or work in Anaheim of urgent or emergency situations. You can sign up to have alerts sent to a home or work email account or to any wireless device such as a cell phone or pager. The alerts would be used such as the earthquake or brush-fire scenarios you mentioned, but they can also keep you alert of any road closures or need to shelter in place if, for instance, there were a nearby chemical spill or search for a police suspect. Here s an example of a recent alert: (Jan. IO) Eastbound La Palma between Tustin and Kraemer will be closed for approximately three hours due to a traffic collision. Please plan accordingly. There is no charge to sign up for the service, although standard text-message rates may apply when sen