James Michael Camp, who was serving a five-year federal sentence in an Arizona prison for issuing bomb threats to Disneyland when he was extradited to Orange County in April to answer to allegations involving rapes in the 1980s, agreed to a plea deal that would tack on six more years of prison time. Formal sentencing is scheduled for June 27 so statements can be collected from victims of the 59-year-old former Anaheim resident.

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Over the objections of the prosecutor, a judge in Fullerton ordered the release of a worker who'd been held in connection with two dry-ice bomb explosions at Disneyland last month.

Christian Isaiah Barnes, 22, of Long Beach, was released on his own recognizance Thursday.

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Workers United Local 50?

After a standoff dispute last week where police were called in, Executive Board President Sandi Ecklund is still working out of the Anaheim office of Local 50. Though Workers United, an affiliate of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), wasn't able to gain access to the facility, the union holds firm that it rightfully represents Disneyland Resort food service workers and that no disaffiliation has been properly made from it.

"The former officers of Local 50 have been removed from office after it was determined that they made decisions that jeopardized your future and that of the local," Workers United Secretary-Treasurer Edgar Romney says to the contrary in a statement made directly to service employees. He was onsite in Anaheim last week as an appointed Trustee for Local 50.

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See the update at the end of this post with Christian Barnes' not guilty plea and bail being halved.

ORIGINAL POST, MAY 30, 11:24 A.M.: The good news for Christian Isaiah Barnes, the Disneyland employee accused of setting off a dry-ice "bomb" in Toontown Tuesday, is his bail is expected to be cut in half.

The bad news is, even if the Long Beach 22-year-old can post a $500,000 bond, he's looking at up to six more years behind bars with a conviction.

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Two unions apparently squared off at the Anaheim office of Local 50 yesterday over who rightfully represents the 5,000 food service workers of the Disneyland Resort. A flyer distributed by Local 50 accuses the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) of attempting to take over the facility as well as bank account funds.

The finger was pointed at Edgar Romney of Workers United, an SEIU affiliate, who allegedly came to the 527 S. Harbor Blvd. office of Local 50 demanding the keys to the building as well as the names and personal information of union members so that they could be contacted. Alongside SEIU supporters, he was met by Sandi Ecklund and other Local 50 executive board members who denied them access to all that was being demanded.

The Anaheim Police Department was even called to intervene in the standoff.

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Well no one saw this one coming: just now, Anaheim police announced they have arrested a person they suspect of planting a water bottle filled with dry ice in a Toontown trash can that caused an explosion at Disneylad yesterday . But it wasn't a dumb teen, a terrorist, or even Judge Doom of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?infamy: it was one of Disneyland's own.

22-year-old Christian Barnes of Long Beach was arrested on suspicion of possessing a destructive device and is being held on $1 million bail. Mickey don't fuck around.

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Updated, with new info on the bottom...

ORIGINAL STORY, MAY 28, 6:04 P.M.: News is coming out of Disneyland right now that there was an explosion reported in the theme park's Toontown section, specifically from a trash can. Reports off of Twitter from people on the scene say that police are evacuating the area, and that fire crews are coming in. Photos from Twitter also show crowds leaving Disneyland in an orderly fashion.

More to come, no doubt...let's hope it's not something nefarious.

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Chuck Schmidt's recent Staten Island Advance story is about the 50th Anniversary of Tomorrowland DVD that documented the 2009 Disneyland event.

But the more interesting story Schmidt found involved the relationship between former Anaheim City Manager Keith Murdoch and Walt Disney and his theme park.

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Stephen who?

Boasting he was an heir and member of the famed family, Stephen Disney gave Disneyland passes to a nonprofit. For validation, all one needed to do was look at his driver's license and W-2 tax form from Disney.

The thing is, the license and W-2 are fakes, the Disneyland passes were stolen and Stephen Disney is really Stephen David Urquidez, according to authorities.

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Longtime readers know I"m a huge fan of legendary cartoonista Lalo Alcaraz because only he and he alone knows how to illustrate my pathetic love life. But what's also amazing about Lalo is like a fine queso, he only gets better as the years go on. Nearly 20 years ago, he busted onto the national spotlight with "Migra Mouse," his depiction of Mickey Mouse as a Border Patrol agent done in response to news that Disney had donated money to California governor Pete Wilson's reelection campaign.

Nowadays, Alcaraz is even faster. Yesterday, as digital Aztlán erupted in anger with news that Disney was trying to trademark "Dia de los Muertos" to sell a bunch of crap, Alcaraz went to the drawing board and created "Muerte Mouse," Mickey now a Godzilla-like skeleton destroying civilization. HILARIOUS!

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