World Affairs Council Presents Saudi Prince; Santa Ana’s Ink Well

Keen sense of timing at the World Affairs Council of Orange County, which will offer a reminder that life goes on around the globe, even during the compelling-like-a-train-wreck U.S. presidential election. Expect that much, at a minimum, on the evening of Nov. 3 at the Resort at Pelican Hill, where Prince Turki al-Faisal of the House of Saud will address dinner guests. Al-Faisal is in charge of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, which looks to foster the late monarch’s “vision and expand knowledge on topics such as Islamic studies, politics, sociology and heritage,” according to its website. Sounds like there should be room for discussion on what all that means—and perhaps a chance to glean some insights on Saudi Aramco’s pending IPO, which could value the state-owned oil company at $2 trillion, and signals a basic change in the kingdom’s course. Visit worldaffairscouncil.org for more information … The political season in Irvine offers a dictionary definition of “embarrassment of riches,” but something worthwhile shines through with Courtney Santos, whose City Council run comes with a slogan—“Limited Government, Unlimited Community”— that’s a winner, no matter how the race goes … What’s in a name? Familiarity among voters if you happen to be Kimberly Clark, who’s running for a seat on the South OC Community District board … Word of another winner from Irvine comes by way of the Pacific Northwest, where Woodbridge High grad Connor Yap joined five teammates and a faculty adviser from the U. of Oregon’s Lundquist College of Business to work up a study on the effects of the Baby Boomer aging cycle, outshining entries from 78 other colleges and universities at the 2016 SAS Analytics Shootout Annual Student Competition. Yap and his mates hit the highway for last month’s annual SAS Analytics Conference at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, where they presented their project and then took a bow in front of a crowd of 1,000 potential employers … Yap should have been ready for the road trip—his mother, Leslie Yap, is editorial director of Auto Club Publications in Costa Mesa, and editor-in-chief of its mega-popular Westways title … Sullivan says: The South Coast Metro district has a shot at the best surf-and-turf combo in Southern California, now that the Water Grill is open just a short walk from the red-hot Vaca, which continues to live up to expectations … Check our front-page report on the first-ever distillery in Santa Ana if you want reason to raise a glass to the city. Need more reasons? Check the Oct.12 report on the front page of the L.A. Times, which focused chiefly on how Latino-American merchants in Santa Ana’s downtown are figuring their way forward amid the gentrification trend there. Or the New York Times from the following day, when a thoughtful piece about the growing influence of Latino-Americans in California viewed the subject through the lens of Santa Ana … The Source at Beach might be slow to come online as a fresh retail center for Buena Park and the rest of North OC, but you have to give the developer credit for making a mark that shows up prominently for passersby as far off as the 91 Freeway.