The Orange County Tribune April 15, 2023 Serving Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westmin

Tails of GG emotional rescue dogs

By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune

“We’re going to the dogs,” said Garden Grove City Councilwoman Stephanie Klopfenstein as she introduced the “Walk a Mile in My Paws” program Thursday evening that put the spotlight on the emotional support canines that have drawn lots of praise and head-pats in recent months.

The event was organized and hosted by the Garden Grove Neighborhood Association and held in the Community Meeting Center.

Front and center were three Garden Grove Police Officers – handlers of the dogs – and their four-legged sidekicks –Officer Derek Link (Nellie), Officer Pat Julienne

Top student artists, employees recognized

Winners of the “First Impressions” art exhibition will be recognized at Tuesday’s meeting of the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education.

Lorena Sanchez, assistant superintendent for K-12 educational services will present those honors.

Festival Parade Marshals Are Now Revealed

TV meteorologist and CHOC ‘dancing doctor’ will preside

Weather you’re ready or not, the 63rd Annual Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is right around the corner, and KTLA meteorologist and former Garden Grove resident Vera Jimenez will be the celebrity grand marshal for the festival parade.

The theme this year is “Celebrating Kindness,” and the theme grand marshal is Tony Adkins, the “Dancing Doctor” who is in the pediatric neurosurgery department at Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Orange.

Jimenez was born in Mexico and moved to California when she was 3. Most of her family still lives in Garden Grove. She attended Bolsa Grande High School and Santa Ana College.

Many of those artworks are on public display in the Village Green park at Euclid and Main streets in downtown Garden Grove. Also on the agenda for Tuesday night is the recognition of the employees of the month. Jason Bevacqua, assistant superin-

Continued on page 2

“It’s an honor to be part of this year’s Garden Grove Strawberry Festival,’ said Jimenez. “The festival has been such a special part of this community for over 60 years and the positive energy here is unlike anything else.”

Adkins said the event is “more than a festival, it’s an opportunity to celebrate the good in our com-

munity and bring people together.”

According to Andrea Perez, president of the Strawberry Festival Association, the parade is dedicated to Ric Lerma, a prominent Garden Grove resident and business owner who died in February.

OFFICER PAT JULIENNE (standing) and “partner” Misha (laying down on the job) at “Walk A Mile in My Paws” to raise awareness – and donations – for GGPD’s emotional

program (OC Tribune photo).

VERA JIMENEZ KTLA weather person

TONY ADKINS CHOC “Dancing Doctor”

GG’s emotional rescue dogs

Continued from page 1

(Misha) and Corporal Adam Zmija (Heart).

The gentle and affectionate dogs have proved useful in calming people, relieving moments of stress and even in opening communications between students and the dog handlers, who are also school resource officers serving GGUSD high schools (and other campuses) in Garden Grove.

was heartbreaking to be there,” but the dogs were successful in comforting survivors and family.

The Orange County Tribune Every Wednesday &

Emotional support dogs can also help police gather information that helps solve a crime or apprehend a suspect.

Victims and witnesses, once calmed by the presence of the dogs, can help those being questioned by police recall as much as 80 percent of what occurred.

In addition to mellowing out students – and school staff – in Garden Grove, the dogs and their handlers traveled to Uvalde, Texas to provide emotional support in the wake of the mass shooting at an elementary school that took the lives of 21 people, including 19 pupils.

“We were there the day after,” recalled Officer Julienne. “It

“And all they want is treats and love,” said Corporal Zmija. But there are some costs and none of it comes from the taxpayers’ pockets.

“No city money goes into this program,” said Officer Link. “All of it: food, medical care, equipment is paid for by donations.”

Saturday Grand marshals for parade are ...

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“Ric was the perfect example of our theme and we are happy to celebrate and honor his memory during our parade,” said Perez. The Festival is held over the Memorial Day weekend, May 26-29. The parade will be held on Saturday, May 27, starting at 10 a.m.

Top art students and employees at GGUSD meeting

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tendent for personnel services, will make the presentation. Additionally, there will be public hearings from three employee groups who are presenting their initial contract proposals to the board.

The board will meet in a study session on grading and student learning outcomes at 5 p.m.

The regular board meeting will start at 7 p.m. at 10331 Stanford Ave.

GGUSD serves most of Garden Grove and parts of Anaheim, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Stanton and Westminster.

Those donations are raised by the John Reynolds Youth Support Canine Foundation. At Thursday’s event there were plushie replicas of each of the three dogs, “baseball” cards featuring them, etc. for purchase to benefit the cause.

Lt. Reynolds was a popular, dog-centric GGPD police officer who died in 2021 at the age of 59. His widow, Jenna, operates the foundation. There was a raffle to raise more cash and lots of time for The Tail-Wagging Trio to make friends and get fussed over by the 35 or so people in attendance.

To donate to the program, go to www.jryouthsupportk9.org .

JIm Tortolano Editor and Publisher Marilyn Lewis Tortolano General Manager

The Orange County Tribune is published on Wednesdays and Saturdays with some exceptions. Address is 9402 Luders Ave., Garden Grove, 92844.

E-mail : orangecountytribune@gmail. com.

Website: www.orangecountytribune. com.

Phone: (714) 458-1860.

Established Aug. 6, 2016. All opinions expressed in The Tribune, unless otherwise stated, are those of the individual writer or artist and not necessarily those of The Tribune.

A member of The Associated Press, the Garden Grove Downtown Business Association and Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce.

Bow-wow! How did you get in such a mess?

Mark Twain once wrote that if Heaven were based on merit, dogs would go there and people would go somewhere else.

It’s an intriguing thought, underlined by the widening circle of virtuous services now being taken on by Human’s Best Friend.

Be wary of fake “cop” scams

What with so much robocalling and sophisticated computer manipulation of images and sounds, most of us are able to hit the “disconnect” button when an obviously fake message comes on your phone or in your e-mail.

But what if the voice or message comes from a law enforcement agency – or, more likely – a fake law enforcement “officer” ?

as Westminster police officers are calling, messaging and emailing potential victims with claims about an arrest warrant or citation that needs immediate attention, usually in the form of money to the scammer.

tacted by someone who asks you to send money (wire transfers, pre-paid cards, etc.) over the phone or by e-mail to pay a fine and make a warrant “disappear” it’s a scam and a crime.

Also, never give your bank account, credit card or personal information to anyone you do not trust.

Retorts

Jim

This is on my mind after Thursday’s “Walk a Mile in My Paws” event organized by the Garden Grove Downtown Business Association which featured the GGPD’s “emotional support dogs.”

Tortolano

Their “keepers” told of remarkable deeds done in comforting people in crisis or anxiety. This follows reading an article about how dentists are now employing such mutts in dental offices to calm patients who go under the drill or other nerve-racking inside the head procedures.

There are such dogs in hospitals, schools, airports and dozens of other venues. It’s wonderful and heart-warming. It looks like there’s no limit. So It got me thinking about other places where having a “support dog” could be of substantial benefit.

• Tax preparer’s offices. When your bookkeeper clears his or her throat before giving you the bottom line on your 1040, you know you will probably be weeping into the fur of a golden retriever shortly.

• Final exams. You may realize you’re not going to get into Harvard with test those results, but someone – a Dachshund –still thinks you hung the moon.

• Human Rescources: When you find out that the promotion

The Westminster Police Department is reporting that it is receiving information that scammers identifying themselves

To make their claims more credible, these con artists often use the names of real WPD officers, readily available in a variety of ways.

The WPD or any law enforcement agency will never ask you for any payment. If you are con-

Earth Day beach, park cleanup day is on April

It is time to celebrate Earth Day. Here’s a chance make the Huntington Beach coastline and a park a cleaner, happier place for humans, plants, and animals, and become part of the solution to pollution. The event is Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m.-noon for Coastal & Inner Coastal Cleanup Day.

This is a day when residents and beach-goers as a community gather to clean up the beach and park.

1. Choose the location you want to join

• Beach Location (21579 Pa-

22

cific Coast Hwy.)

◦ Near Zacks Too, Free Parking with mention of event

• Bartlett Park (19822 Beach Blvd.)

◦ Behind Mothers Market, Free Parking

2. Register here: https://forms. gle/d6utPwDjytWN55jt8

3. Print, complete the waiver, and bring with you to the cleanup (one waiver per volunteer required)

4. Gather the supplies that you will need to bring with you (think reusable)

Continued on page 6 ‘Eucalyptus’

In Garden Grove’s rural days, many a farm or orchard was ringed by eucalyptus trees to serve as a windbreak.

It’s likely been a while since anybody planted a new, real eucalyptus tree in town, but a fake one may be on its way.

If you do receive such a call or message, call the WPD nonemergency line at (714) 5483212.

EUCALYPYUS TREE, a real one, not a cell tower.

At the April 20 meeting of the Garden Grove Planning Commission, there will be a public hearing on a request for a conditional use permit for the construction and operation of a 60-foot tall wireless telecom-

HUNTINGTON STATE BEACH needs love as well.

munications facility disguised as a eucalyptus tree at the northeast corner of Lampson Avenue and 9th Street.

Also on the agenda is a request for a conditional use permit to operate a new billiard/pool hall at an existing building at 10882B Westminster Avenue.

The commission meets at 7 p.m. in the Community Meeting Center, 10331 Stanford Ave.

NewsUpdate

Legal tangle on abortion pill goes to Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday stepped into the tangled legal thicket of abortion drugs by leaving in place – for five days – the status quo on the federal government’s rules on the pills.

According to the Associated Press, Associate Justice Samuel Alito issued the stay. The matter began on April 7 when U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk blocked the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone. However, a federal appeals court modified that action and the matter now goes to

the high court.

The New York Times reports that the pause will preserve the “broad availability” of the pill while the issue is being settled. The Biden administration has made an emergency request to uphold the FDA’s approval.

At present, abortion pills

are widely used and probably exceeds the number of surgical procedures for termination of pregnancy.

Guardman is arrested in secret document leak

Jack Teixeira, 21, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, has been charged with illegal possessing and disclosing classified national security documents.

According to United Press International, he was arrested by FBI agents on Thursday.

If convicted, he faces a federal prison sentence of up to 10 years.

The leaked documents were found on a computer gaming site and reportedly included “sensitive” information about the war in Ukraine and other secret military information, the federal Justice Department alleges.

Retorts: Other uses for support dogs in our lives

Continued from page 3

you were expecting went to the boss’ idiot nephew (or niece), the presence of a German Shepherd keeps you from going medieval on the copy machine.

•Endless phone conversations: We all know someone who traps you into listening to a agonizingly detailed tail of woe to the point where you wish Alexander Graham Bell had never been born, so you give your Australian Shepherd a signal and he/she begins a piercing and mournful howl that allows you to exit the call with “The dog’s upset about something. Let me call you back.” And don’t.

The ways that dogs can help people are endless. As for cats, well, their perspective is “If dogs get into Heaven, I’d rather not go.”

Jim Tortolano’s Retorts column appears Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Biden concludes visit to his roots in Ireland

President Joe Biden concluded his trip to Ireland on Friday, according to USA Today. “Being here does feel like coming home– it really does,” he said in remarks in County Mayo, where his greatgreat-grandfather lived before leaving for the U.S. His audience there was estimated at 27,000 people, who called him “Cousin Joe.”

Weather: Sun’s big cameo

After all these cloudy days, the sun will make a brief appearance on Saturday in the West Orange County area. The forecast is for a daytime high of 73 and an overnight low of 53. Partly cloudy conditions should return on Sunday and Monday, with highs of 73 and 69.

Huntington Bch. city council meet has been cancelled

What if they gave a city council meeting and not enough people showed up?

Not enough members of the council, that is.

Due to the lack of a quorum, the Tuesday, April 18 meeting of the Huntington Beach City Council has been cancelled, according to the city clerk’s office.

A public hearing scheduled for that meeting on an action plan for Federal Community Block Grants and related matters will be moved to the Tuesday, May 2 meeting.

“If you want to know someone’s secret vice, just listen to what they say they are most loudly opposed.”

‘Renfield’ Has Some Bite, Humor

Comedy, crime and camp animate this unique film

By Jake Coyle AP Film Writer

In 1988’s “Vampire’s Kiss,” he played a New York literary agent who thought he was an immortal bloodsucker. His bugeyed performance was essentially the birth of the over-the-top, kabuki-inflected mythology of Cage.

Years later, it would launch a thousand memes - a kind of digital version of becoming undead. Thirty-five years later with “Renfield,” Cage is finally playing the genuine article, complete with bloodthirsty fangs and a dapper velvet smoking jacket. Casting Cage, our grandest of ghouls, as Dracula is so predestined that it almost risks being too on the nose.

The good news is that, no, he’s perfect as Dracula. The bad news is that Cage’s Dracula is only a supporting role here, making “Renfield” more of a tasty mor-

Movie Review

sel than a satisfying feast.

That’s no discredit to Nicholas Hoult, who plays Bram Stoker’s devoted henchman to Dracula in Chris McKay’s “Renfield,” which opens in theaters Friday.

The film, penned by Ryan Ridley, fashions Robert Montague Renfield less as Dracula’s doting, “yes Master” lackey than a distinctive and sensitive person – or kinda person; his supernatural powers are sustained, for some reason, by eating bugs – in his own right. “Renfield,” a fast and loose horror-comedy splattered top to bottom with blood, is about Renfield trying to break free of Dracula’s fearsome sway – “a destructive relationship” as Renfield describes in a self-help group.

It’s a nifty enough idea (Robert Kirkman gets a story by credit) that the filmmakers have wisely chosen not to over complicate. Even though “Renfield” features a monster with growing desires for world domination and an alarming number of exploding human heads, the stakes are low in this Dracula spinoff. The tone

is antic and blood-splattery, slotting in closer to a gory, middleof-the- road “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” episode than, say, the wittier “What We Do in the Shadows.’’

Vampires have been in vogue for some time, but usually in more extrapolated interpretations with greater sympathies for vampires – elegant, sexy or childlike – as worldly outsiders. Edging closer to Dracula, himself, has been rarer, and it’s probably a sign of the lesser, shlocky ambitions of “Renfield” that he still remains off to the side. But whenever Cage’s Prince of Darkness is around, the movie has a bite.

Good: HHH

Cage, returning to major studio territory after an often thrilling, sometimes befuddling decade in indie pastures, is, as always, fully prepared for the moment. The actor, long a devoted fan of F.W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu,” channels some of the classic interpretations of Dracula – including Bela Lugosi, over whom Cage is superimposed in an early flashback taken from 1931’s “Dracula” – while animating the character with his own comic, campy rhythm.

It may be worth the price of admission to see Cage’s Dracula let out a brief “Woo!” while awakening to a new sense of himself as a god.

Yet “Renfield” oddly gravitates away from tapping this rich vein to instead consume the New Orleans-set film with not just R.M.’s bid for personal freedom but a busy plot involving a local crime family and police corruption. Awkwafina co-stars as Rebecca Quincy, an honest traffic cop who wants to

NICHOLAS CAGE is a very vamp vampire in “Renfield,” but he’s not the main character.

NICHOLAS HOULT is rthe real star of “Renfield.”

Dracula’s big comeback in ‘Renfield’

avenge her father’s death and bring justice to the Lobo family, a drug-dealing gang led by the matriarch Ella (Shohreh Aghdashloo), with her less sharp son, Teddy (Ben Schwartz), among the lieutenants.

It’s easy to see the purpose in some of this: Bring in some funny people to populate the backdrop for Renfield’s attempted succession from Dracula duties (which consist mostly of bringing him fresh corpses, preferably of more innocent blood).

Awkwafina is a welcome presence with her own comedy chops. But by trying to amp things up, McKay, the director of “The Tomorrow War” and “The Lego Batman Movie,” loses what ought to have been the film’s focus.

Still, “Renfield” is enjoyable enough in a disposable sort of

way. A lack of self-seriousness is a quality to be appreciated in any movie like this.

And Hoult manages to be remarkably sweet while at the same time using human limbs to decapitate other victims.

Some of the best scenes are of him sitting in on a support group meeting to talk through toxic relationships. (Brandon Scott Jones, who plays the group’s

leader, is quite good.) But “Renfield” never lets Cage really sink his teeth into the movie, leaving us still hungry for more.

Beach, park clean-up day

Continued from page 3

• 3 or 5 gallon buckets are ideal

• Reusable gloves, the one for gardening or doing the dishes work well

• Reusable water bottles are always good to have

• Don’t forget to wear comfort-

Continued from page 6 For

able shoes, a hat and sunscreen, 5. As always, use public transportation, walk, bike, or carpool to the cleanup.

For questions, please contact Michelle Galvez at michelle. galvez@surfcity-hb.org or call (714)375-8445.

“Renfield,’’ a Universal Pictures release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout and some drug use. Running time: 93 minutes. Continued on page 7

LQ over Cavs, 6-1; Oilers fall in Boras South final

La Quinta High’s softball team won a crucial Garden Grove League game Friday over Santiago 6-1, setting up what could be the key league game on Monday.

Ella Magga had three hits for the Aztecs, including a triple. She scored two runs and drove in one run, in addition to playing solid defense at second base. Nevaeh Gomez singled

and tripled and pitched seven innings, yielding no earned runs. She struck out seven batters and gave up two hits.

Karen Dam had three hits, two RBI’s and a stolen base. Hilary Huynh added two hits and two runs scored.

With the win, the Aztecs are 5-0 in GGL play and 9-4 overall. The Cavaliers are 7-6 and 5-1. Monday’s game will shift to the Santiago diamond. A win by La Quinta would give the blue-and gold a two-game lead with four contests left on the schedule.

At JSerra High, Huntington

Beach High’s baseball team built an early five-run lead but was overtaken by Notre Dame of Thousand Oaks, 8-6, in the championship game of the prestigious Boras Classic South.

The defeat snaps a 15-game winning streak for the Oilers (17-7). They’ll be back in Sunset Surf League action in Wednesday facing Fountain Valley, the last team to defeat them before Friday’s loss.

In Empire League baseball, Pacifica (18-2) defeated Tustin 4-3 on Friday to remain in a tie with Cypress for the league lead. Both are 6-0 in league play and will collide on April 25 and 27.

Garden Grove High’s baseball team nearly overcame a sevenrun deficit with six late runs, but lost 7-6 to Segerstrom in a Golden West League clash. The Argonauts (13-8 overall) are 2-4 in league play.

Prep Sports Scores

Friday, April 14 (baseball) Notre Dame 8, H. Beach 6 Pacifica 4, Tustin 3 St. John Bosco 5, Ocean View 0 Segerstrom 7, Garden Grove 6

Friday, April 14 (softball) Huntington Beach 1, Sutter 0 La Quinta 6, Santiago 1 Garden Grove 8, Godinez 5

Thursday, April 13 (baseball) Huntington Beach 4, Aquinas 1 Edison 4, Marina 1 Anaheim 14, Western 0 Santiago 6, Loara 2

Thursday, April 13 (softball) Pacifica 11, Valencia 0 Santiago 19, Bolsa Grande 0 Hunt. Beach 12, Righetti 1 Report prep sports scores to: orangecountytribune@gmail.com

Halos fumble it in Fenway Park with lapses in defense, at plate

Comtinued from page 8

remain in second place in the American League West, a game behind the Texas Rangers (8-5). Outhitting the other team – in this case, 11 to 3 – is usually a formula for success, but not this time. Anthony Rendon had three hits and one RBI, while Hunter Renfroe doubled in two runs for

the Orange County team to grab a first inning 2-0 lead.

The teams meet again on Saturday with Tyler Anderson (1-0) making the start.

The series will run through Sunday, and then it’s off to New York for a three-game series against the Yankees, Tuesday through Thursday.

vs. SF Giants

box,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Freeman. “Obviously, it goes without saying that’s the best at-bat we’ve had this year and what it did for the

dugout, the team, we just kind of fed off that momentum.

“It’s not a surprise that he put together that at-bat, and it was good to see us kind of follow that up.”

Comtinued from page 8

Winning has its fans, but losing is more relaxing

Angel miscues let the Red Sox grab a victory

By Pete Zarustica Orange County Tribune

Sports Retorts

Jim Tortolano

All good things, goes the saying, must come to an end. Well, actually, that is good. Searching for a story behind pitch clocks and guessing where Shohei will play next year, followers of baseball have been gushing over the Tampa Bay Rays’13-game winning streak that started on Opening Day. It was a modern record, but the string snapped Friday when the Toronto Blue Jays brought them down to earth, 6-3. Now, don’t misunderstand me. I like winning as much as the next fellow, and being an Angels’ fan since the days of Bill Rigney and Jim Fregosi, I definitely have been on a thin diet of that.

But, you know, losing has a quality all its own.

Winning may build your confidence, but it can also nurture arrogance and over-confidence. Losing teaches you humility and a kind of wistful optimism, as in “Wait until next year!”

Winning can be nerve-wracking. People start asking you, “How long do you you think the string can last?” and start searching for leaks in your lifeboat. If you have real noticeable success, you start worrying, “Am I gonna be the one who messes it up?”

And when the inevitable descent from perfection comes about, those questions start to all sound like “I knew it wouldn’t last.”

Keep your 13-game winning streaks. I like winning two out of three or four out of six. It’s more sustainable and easier on the blood pressure.

Jim once played on a basketball team that won only one game all season. No pressure at all!

FREDDIE FREEMAN had an epic at-bat on Wednesday that sparked a Dodger win. He’s off to a good start in 2023, hitting .333 with three RBIs and 12 runs scored (AP photo).

Freeman’s tenacious

at bat sparked a win

To our readers: The Los Angeles Dodgers’ scheduled game on Friday in Chicago was rained out. It’ll be made up with a split double-header on Saturday. Here’s an account of an epic atbat from Wednesday’s win over the Giants.

By Janie McCauley AP Baseball Writer

SAN FRANCSICO (AP) –

Freddie Freeman provided the plate appearance of the yearso far for a Los Angeles Dodgers team searching to establish an identity in 2023.

Freeman fouled off nine straight pitches, Nos. 6 through 14, during a dramatic, 15-pitch, basesloaded walk that sparked a big comeback against the rival San Francisco Giants.

“Everyone was going nuts. That was a good time,’’ teammate Max Muncy said. Muncy hit a three-run homer and a solo shot to finish the three-game set with

four homers and 11 RBIs, leading Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers to a 10-5 win Wednesday night.

Kershaw (2-1) allowed two earned runs and five hits over six innings, hanging tough until the Dodgers started slugging. He struck out four and walked two to help them take two of three in the series.

Los Angeles rallied in the fifth on four straight walks against Taylor Rogers (0- 1), with Freeman drawing that free pass to bring home Trayce Thompson for the go-ahead run.

“I’ve just never seen a guy who doesn’t give away an at-bat and he’s relentless in the batter’s

After losing four straight to the surging Tampa Bay Rays, the Boston Red Sox were starving for a win.

The Los Angeles Angels came into Fenway Park on Friday and set the table for a 5-3 victory for the home team. They committed three errors, hit two Boston batters, added a wild pitch and a passed ball.

For the BoSox, the dessert was that the Halos got just one hit in the 14 times they had a runner in scoring position.

The loss in the first game of the three-game series dropped the Angels’ record to 7-6. They

Continued on page 7

Last place Ducks cut coach loose

To the surprise of practically no one, the Anaheim Ducks on Friday fired head coach Dallas Eakins after a 5-3 loss to the rival Los Angeles Kings landed them in the absolute bottom of the National Hockey League.

The Orange County team finished the 2022-23 season with 23 wins, 47 losses and 12 overtime losses, or – if you prefer – 59 losses. The team missed the playoffs for the fifth straight season. His overall coaching record for Anaheim was 100147-44, and he was 136201-58 overall.