Jury gives electronic voting thumbs up The...

Jury gives electronic voting thumbs up

The Orange County Grand Jury reported Wednesday that voters were

generally satisfied with the electronic voting systems used during

the November election.

The panel interviewed more than 900 voters on Election Day and

during the early voting period that began in October, according to

the report. Voters were asked to rank their satisfaction with the

eSlate voting process on a scale of one to 10, and responses to

questions asking if voters were satisfied with the new equipment,

voting instructions and poll workers’ helpfulness averaged in the

eights and nines.

The grand jury reported multiple methods to vote using paper

ballots slowed down the voting process and that tallies of electronic

votes were ready hours after polls closed, while 22 days elapsed

before paper ballots were fully counted.

Jilted groom to tell his story at Sage Hill

Former Newport Beach resident Franz Wisner, whose fiancee left him

at the altar two weeks before their wedding, held his wedding

reception anyway and then took his pre-paid honeymoon to Costa Rica

with his brother, Kurt Wisner.

Their two-week vacation turned into a two-year “travel odyssey,”

and ended with the publishing of their book, “Honeymoon with my

Brother.”

A motion picture version of the book is already in the works with

Sony’s Columbia Pictures. Written by Franz with photographs by Kurt,

the story offers insight into how the brothers’ travel changed both

their pasts and their futures, as well as comical anecdotes about the

various places they visited.

The Wisner brothers will share their tales at Sage Hill School at

7 p.m. tonight, 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast. Tickets are

$5 for students and $10 for adults. For more information, call (949)

219-1395.

Workplace civil rights debate is tonight

The Anti-Defamation League of Orange County and Long Beach along

with Whittier Law School will host a civil rights debate titled

“Crosses and Kippot: Religious Accommodation in the Workplace.” Dave

Kong, state director of Atheists of America will debate employment

and education discrimination attorney Karen Meyers.

The debate will be at 7:15 p.m. tonight in Room 8 at Whittier Law

School, 3333 Harbor Blvd., Costa Mesa. For more information, call

Susan Molk of the Anti-Defamation League at (714) 979-4733.

Disaster loans up to $200k are available

Local homeowners are eligible for up to $200,000 in disaster loans

if their property was damaged during the recent storms.

The Small Business Assn. declared Orange County a disaster area,

clearing the way for low-interest federal loans, Newport Beach Fire

Department officials said.

Homeowners may apply for up to $200,000 to repair or replace

damaged or destroyed property. Homeowners and renters are eligible

for up to $40,000 to fix personal property.

Business owners may also apply for the loans.

The loans are available to those who suffered storm-related damage

between Dec. 27, 2004 and Jan. 11, 2005. Applications must be

received by April 19.

For more information, call (800) 488-5323 or log on to

https://www.sba.gov/disaster.