The Orange County Tribune April 8, 2023

Time Ran Out For TikTok in the City Hall

No action on recision of VABA honor

The Easter Bunny came to Westminster on Saturday, April 1 and will be returning this coming Saturday as part of a city celebration called “Bunny Hop.” The famous spring critter visited Bolsa Chica Park and Sigler Park (shown above) and will be hopping in at Tony Lam Park (10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.) and Westminster Park (1-2:30 p.m.) on Saturday, April 8 (today). In addition to photos with the bunny, there are crafts, treats, and egg hunt and activities. Stanton will also have its own Easter Egg Hunt today at Central Park, 10660 Western Ave. from 9-11 a.m. (Orange County Tribune photo).

Affordable housing rehab project on Tuesday agenda

Action to clear the way for an improved 78-unit affordable housing project goes before the Garden

n STANTON COUNCIL

A resolution approving the subdivision of a lot to allow for the development of two condominium units goes before the Stanton City Council

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Grove City Council when it meets on Tuesday.

The council will be asked to approve a preliminary award letter to New Tamerlane LLC to implement the substantial rehabilitation and “reset” of the project on Tamerlane Lane west of Harbor Boulevard and between Lampson and Chapman Avenues.

Garden Grove had been assisting the original Tamerlane Associates in assembling 15 multi-family properties. In 2022 that

By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune

Take that, Xi Jinping.

On Wednesday night the Westminster City Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution banning the downloading or use of TikTok and other apps “viewed as a security risk to city networks”

The staff report claims that Bytedance – which created Tik Tok – has a “known affiliation to the government of the People’s Republic of China” and that “China has a

history of amassing large amounts of data on their own citizens and those around the world including individuals in the United States.”

Xi Jinping is the president of the People’s Republic of China.

The report cites comments from FBI Director Christopher Wray in December 2022 saying that not only could the app collect data on its users, but also steer to those users “biased videos that could be geopolitically more favorable to China.”

Federal employees are banned from using TikTok on government-owned devices.

Any city employee with

Four coronavirus stats look very encouraging

All four major metrics used to track the status of the coronaviurus in Orange County are down this week, including two categories showing sharp declines.

According to the county health care agency, new cases reported for the period ending March 29

showed a total of 656, down from 666 the week before. Hospitalizations went to 87 from 110.

Deaths saw a major decrease to six from 21 and the number of people hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 went from 19

‘Super Mario Bros. is just okey dokey

Council: No TikTok in city hall

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a city-issued device such as a smart phone or tablet (iPad or similar device) will be prohibited from having or using such apps on those devices.

Community volunteers are not prohibited from having TikTok on their personal devices, but may not access city networks.

Also on the agenda was a request by Councilmembers Kimberly Ho and Carlos Manzo to rescind a certificate of recognition issued to the Vietnamese American Business Association by the council in February.

Ho said she objected to recognizing VABA because she felt it was not based in Westminster and accused the leadership of the

organization of being a “Communist sympathizer” and being a labor law violator.

Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen engaged in a heated exchange with Ho, saying “Shame on you!” for her criticism of VABA, which he credited with providing free masks during the coronavirus pandemic and for opposing hate crimes against Asian Americans.

Much of the meeting’s public comments were taken up by speakers commenting about the VABA recognition. The council eventually voted 3-2 in favor of a motion by the mayor to take no action on the item.

The next meeting of the city council will be on Wednesday, April 26 at 6 p.m.

Rehab of affordable housing

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organization sold the properties to New Tamerlane, and in order to modernize them, the new owner is seeking tax credit and a loan which would amount to $12.5 million for a term of 58 years.

New Tamerlane will be respon-

Stanton council

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sible for renovation, interiors and exteriors of all 15 buildings and 78 units. Work would include new paint, fixtures, flooring, etc.

According to a staff report, the new operators intend to add new amenities such as a playground and art.

Also on the agenda is a resolution of commendation to Rep. Lou Correa for his years of representing Garden Grove in Congress as part of the 46th District.

The council will meet at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Meeting Center, 11300 Stanford Ave. when it meets on Tuesday.

The project is located at 10572 Lexington St., southeast of Cerritos and Knott avenues.

Also on a light agenda is a request for a municipal facility license agreement with Crown Castle Fiber LLC to remove a city-owned streetlight on Beach Boulevard and install a new streetlight with a cellular antenna with 5G “and the next generation wireless services.”

The council will meet in the City Hall at 7800 Katella Ave. at 6:30 p.m.

Coronavirus stats are encouraging

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To date, Orange County has had 8,064 deaths and 716,587 confirmed cases of the virus.

The Orange County Tribune

Wednesday & Saturday

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.

Maybe it’s time to go liberate that garage

If you drive along the typical suburban street in West Orange County, you may see a setting that looks a bit like a used car lot. All along the curbs – especially in the evening and on weekends – there are long strings of sedans, SUVs, trucks, even commercial vehicles parked .

The ongoing struggle on the Huntington Beach City Council over state housing mandates that many people believe represents “overrreach” by Sacramento raises a lot of questions. Is there a true housing shortage? Can it be solved by government action? Are everyone’s hands clean?

‘Fun in the Sun’ with GG parks

Garden Grove youth, ages 5 to 12, are invited to the 2023 “Fun in the Sun” Garden Grove Day Camp, a 9-week summer program filled with outdoor actvities and excursions.

The program runs Mondays through Fridays, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., June 12 through Aug. 11, at Edgar Park, located at 12781 Topaz Street. Camp registration begins on Monday, April 10 at ggcity.org/daycamp.

A complete listing of camp weeks, excursions, and fees follows:

• June 12-June 16, John’s Incredible Pizza (lunch included), $150

• June 19-June 23, Discovery Cube/Garden Grove Park, $150

• June 26-June 30, Knott’s Berry Farm (lunch included), $191

Retorts

Jim Tortolano

As I suggested above, the disappearance of on-street parking has become a symbol of how “overbuilding” can filter down to your street and mine.

But – as is usually true –there’s more than one side to this.

• The folks on your street who don’t live in the house they own rent out rooms as a business. Four bedrooms and four tenants, maybe more. Those vehicles start to spill out on the asphalt and in front of your place.

• The very traditional family –think “Waltons” – that consists of mom and dad, the kids and the grandparents means at least four and maybe more vehicles.

• Then there’s the status-oriented individual who wants to exhibit wealth by buying two or three cars, merrily polishing the fenders to show off his or her new Tesla, BMW or – in the case of the merely successful –

Awesome Eats At The Amarith Table

By John M. Borack Special to the Tribune

There is a new eatery in Garden Grove that takes the term “family restaurant” to the next level. It’s called Amarith Table, and it’s located on the site of the former Waterfront Café near Brookhurst and Garden Grove Blvd.

Owner Adam ––who manager Susie Amarith calls the “captain and visionary” of the new neighborhood restaurant –– has lived in Garden Grove with his wife Sana for more than 40 years and raised his family in the city. “He sets and defines ‘The Amarith Way,’” says Susie. “He has instilled in all of us the value of hard work and sincerity in everything we do.”

“All of us” includes several

Chow Lines

members of the Amarith family: in addition to Adam, Sana and Susie, you can find Linda, Hannah, David and Angel hard at work at the restaurant on most days, either serving customers or working behind the scenes. (Susie is also a longtime educator at the Garden Grove Unified School District.)

“We see our restaurants as an extension of some of our family traditions,” Adam explained. “We love cooking and gathering with friends and family over a meal.”

The Garden Grove location is the newest addition to the Amarith restaurant family; there are also locations in Orange and

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• July 3-July 7, Medieval Times (lunch included), $150

• July 10-July 14, AMC Theater/Dave & Buster’s, $178

• July 17-July 21, Disneyland, $240

• July 24-July 28, Aquarium of the Pacific, $165

• July 31-Aug. 4, Knott’s Soak City (lunch included), $179

• Aug. 7-Aug. 11, Boomers (lunch included), $177

Camp costs include weekly excursions, refreshments, a T-shirt, and participation in daily activities and games. Participants may sign up for the entire 9-week program or on a week-by-week basis.

On Friday, July 28, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Garden Grove Day Camp will host a special aftercamp event, “Kids Night Out, Parents Night Off.” Cost to participate is $15 per child.

Teens, ages 13 to 17, interested in gaining leadership, problem solving and team building skills, while creating lasting friendships, are invited to become counselors-in-training during the

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HANNAH Amarith (left) and Susie Amarith at Amarith Table’s newest location in Garden Grove.

Names in the News

Area women of distinction are being honored

West Orange County “Women of Distinction” have been named. They are:

Stanton

Ashlyn Shoup, Beatriz Rodriguez, Dr. Korrine Kavanaugh, Erika Juarez Cruz, Erin Runon, Jenny Salcedo, Juanis Garcia, Kara Miles, Karen Oliver, Lee Wilkins, Lorena Flores, Mavis Ethans, Nina De La Torre, Sara Neil-Brandt, Sharon Chandler, Sophia Manuel and Tina Thomas.

70th Assembly District

Garden Grove: Dirissy Doan, Stephanie Klopfenstein, Lisa Kim, Maria Horton, Vy Hoang. Westminster: Terry Rains, Christine Cordon, Alexa Izuora. Huntington Beach: Linda Clark Morin, Cindy Rhodes and Lori Jones.

‘Fun in the Sun’ with GG parks programs

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2023 Garden Grove Day Camp.

Counselors-in-training participate in all activities and excursions for a fee of $60 per week, with the exception of the Disneyland excursion which is $110.

To apply, email danam@ggcity.org or visit the 1st floor recreation counter in City Hall, at 11222 Acacia Parkway, by Thursday, May 4.

For more information, visit ggcity.org/daycamp or call (714) 7415200.

Retorts: Behind Door Number Two is what?

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a Lexus.

All of this would not be a problem as long as people park their cars in the garage, and/or the driveway, as it could accommodate four vehicles. But how many people do you know that use their garage as a snug little home for their automobiles?

Chow Lines: Amarith

Fountain Valley, with another launching soon in Cypress (at the corner of Knott and Katella).

The Garden Grove restaurant, which opened last month, has special meaning for the Amarith family. “We wanted to open a restaurant in our hometown; we have a love for the community and the city,” said Susie.

The menu at Amarith Table is extensive and varied: you’ll find everything from American classics such as gourmet hamburgers and Italian favorites like pizza and spaghetti to Mexican (the shrimp and carne asada burrito is a must), Asian and Europeaninspired dishes.

“We have a broad menu so families can eat what they like,” Susie said. And if you’re in the mood for simply some dessert and perhaps a latte, Amarith is also a pie shoppe: their homemade apple, blueberry and banana cream pies are all delicious. (Your humble scribe has sampled them all.)

Everything at Amarith—from their entrees to their signature desserts— is scratch-made. “Scratch-made means the preparation of the food might take a bit more time and require more labor, but we feel this not only

makes the food taste better, but it also helps set us apart from other restaurants,” Susie said.

In addition, the restaurant stands out from the pack by sourcing all-natural ingredients and organic produce. Many of these ingredients come direct from the 80-acre Amarith family farm in Temecula, and there are no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives used in any of the dishes served at Amarith Table.

“We love healthy food, and we know how important it is to have good, healthy eating,” Susie said. “We promote that and make it available and affordable.” “It’s healthy AND good tasting,” added Adam.

Whether it’s everyday dining, special events or catering, the Amarith family takes great pride in their tasty food and their exemplary and attentive customer service. As Adam Amarith said, “Our goal is to be the community restaurant that brings people together over good food.”

“Amarith Farmhouse” is located at 12902 Brookhurst St, #C, Garden Grove. 92840. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (closed on Sundays). Phone: (714) 6368152. Website: www.amarithcafe.com .

It’s a pretty good bet that if you could magically raise all the garage doors in your street or neighborhood, you’d see the structures filled with anything but your Chevy or Toyota. American have so much stuff they love, it seems, we need to shelter it next to the water heater.

The solution to big problems can begin with small acts. Liberate your garage, Clean out – or sell – a lot of that stuff you don’t need or want anymore. Put up shelves along the walls to store some of the items you’ve been stacking on the concrete floor. It is time for spring cleaning, right?

Do that and you may find you don’t need to battle for curb space at all, and you’ll keep the sap and bird stuff off your VW or Hyundai.

It’s more work than complaining but you may find the end result more satisfying.

But, if you have a boat, two jet skis and a foosball table in your garage and you’re happy with how that works out, fine.

However, don’t put all the blame on Gavin. Lord knows he’s done enough dumb things without taking all the blame for why you can’t park in front of your house all the time.

Jim Tortolano’s Retorts columns are now twice-weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays. He started writing them in 1969 as a high school journalist. Some of them, honest, aren’t so bad.

AMARITH Table’s asada steak & chimichurri.

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NewsUpdate

Federal judges contradict each other on abortion pill

Approval of the abortion drug mifepristone was stalled Friday when a federal judge in Texas signed an injunction to stay the Food and Drug Administration’s approval. According to the Associated Press, the drug has been in wide use in the U.S. since 2000.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling does not go into immediate effect and the FDA has seven days in which to appeal to a higher court.

The New York Times reports that a federal judge in Washington then issued a

ruling contrary to the Texas decision.

Justice Clarence Thomas, lavish trips

Responding to reports that he had taken lavish trips paid for by a wealthy Republi-

can donor without disclosing them, Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas replied that he had been advised that the trips were “personal” and did not need to be reported.

According to USA Today, new guidelines on financial disclosure for the federal judiciary are being developed and Thomas vowed to abide by them.

to United Press International.

Sports: Angels lose lead, home opener

The Los Angeles Angels lost 4-3 to the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2023 home opener in Anaheim Friday night. Mike Trout hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to give the team a 2-0 lead, but it wasn’t enough.

The Halos, however remain in first place in the AL West with a 4-3 record.

In Arizona, the Los Angeles Dodgers also lost, falling 6-3 to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Arizona. They also remain in first in the NL West with a 5-3 record.

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns 121-107.

Weather: Partly cloudy in the 70s

Also in the news …A Wall Street Journal reporter has been formally charged with espionage by the Russian government.

Evan Gershkovich has been ordered to stay in detention in Russia until May 29, according

Most other parts of the U.S. would love to have the West Orange County area’s forecast, although it might seem a little dull by our standards.

Saturday through Monday are expected to be partly cloudy, with daytime highs climbing from 70 to 75, with overnight lows in the 52 to 53-degree range.

CLARENCE THOMAS

‘Super Mario Bros.’ is okey, dokey

Not a lot of story here, but a big delight to eyes

By Jake Coyle AP Film Writer

A lot has changed in the three decades since “Super Mario Bros,” the very first video-game adaptation. A once widely derided genre is now a cash cow. “The Last of Us” is a massive success on HBO. Pokémon and “Uncharted” are box-office hits. With Sonic the Hedgehog already two movies in, Mario is playing catch up.

And “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which opens in theaters Wednesday, is a spirited and sprightly attempt to race to the front of the pack. A collaboration between legendary video-game designer and Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Illumination founder Chris Me-

Movie Review

ledandri (both producers), it’s a drastically more sincere effort to capture the fun and spirit of the Nintendo game.

And visually, it’s a dream. Directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic and their animators have rendered the Mario universe with cartoony splendor, matching the game’s ingenious simplicity with a more robust and equally delightful day-glo palate.

If part of the appeal of playing “Super Mario Bros.” and its many offshoots has always been to be immersed in such a sunny imaginary world - plus the bouncy earworm compositions of composer Koji Kondothe movie has successfully mirrored that mushroom-stomping pleasure. It makes you ... want to play Mario.

That’s because as nice as it is to look at “The Super Mario Bros.

Movie,” it’s not anywhere near as fun as it would be to play it. It’s a-him, Mario, but it’s no amasterpiece. The storyline is only a touch above the interstitial bits of plot you usually get between gameplay.

With the exception of Jack Black’s grandly lovesick Bowser (he’s part Phantom of the Opera, part Meatloaf-styled balladeer), there’s nothing here that deepens these characters beyond their usual 2-D adventures. Mario may be a modern-day Mickey Mouse but his kingdom is on the console.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” begins much like Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing”: in a Brooklyn pizza parlor. There Mario (Chris Pratt, passable despite the outcry) and Luigi (Charlie Day) are struggling to get their plumbing business off the ground. There are a few moments of stereotypical Italian life - pasta and a big family dinner - before the brothers’ attempt

Fair: HH

to fix a water main break drops them through a portal and into the fantasy realm of the game. (In future Brooklyn-set sequels, Mario will presumably combat waves of strollers and hipsters.)

On the other side, Bowser lords over a Koopa Troop army in scenes that can feel like the most surreal imitation yet of “Triumph of the Will.” But while shrinking or enlarging are possible on this other side of the green pipe, there’s never any mention of the possibility of lives being lost as Mario makes his way through mushroom patches and question-mark boxes.

His predicament is just as clear as in the game: He’s been separated from Luigi and he must help save Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) from being forced to wed Bowser.

“SUPER MARI0 BROS” appeals to game-players, young and “older” fans of the game (Universal Pictures).

‘Super Mario Bros.’ hits the big screen

Game logic often dictates Mario’s movements. The shells of the turtle-like Koopas can be slid around like ammo. And choosing a Mario Kart vehicle is just as difficult a decision.

Sometimes, the overlap is less consistent. An invincibility star is the most sought-after item in this adventure, greatly exaggerating its typical usefulness. Those things last for like 10 seconds.

None of this is likely to be enough for anyone to exclaim “Oh, yeah!” while hopping up and down and doffing their cap. But it is an hour and a half’s worth of superlative marketing that will whet your appetite for more Mario back home on the couch. If anything, the - as Mario would say - “okey dokey” “Super Mario Bros. Movie”

only reinforces the distance between two wholly different mediums. It may be game-on for video-game adaptations but the Mario main event is still back on Nintendo.

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” a Universal Pictures release, is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association for action and mild violence. Running time: 92 minutes.

Dermotologist accused of poisoning her husband

SANTA ANA(AP) – An Orange County dermatologist has been charged with poisoning her husband by pouring liquid drain cleaner into his tea, authorities said Wednesday.

Yue “Emily” Yu, a 45-year-old doctor from Irvine, was indicted by a grand jury on three felony counts of poisoning and one count of domestic battery with injury, the Orange County Dis-

trict Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Yu is scheduled to be arraigned on April 18. Her attorney, Scott Simmons, said she will plead not guilty.

Yu was arrested in August after her husband reported to police that he believed he was being poisoned. She was later released on bail.

Prosecutors said the man noticed a strange taste to his tea in April 2022 and installed cameras in the family’s kitchen, which captured video of Yu pouring a substance on three occasions from a bottle of drain cleaner into the tea.

The man collected samples of the tea that he gave to authorities, who confirmed the substance was consistent with drain cleaner.

A great play can come in a very small setting

The young baseball season always brings not just a desire to look forward to what may come, but also a yearning to gaze back at classic moments on the diamond.

Halos Stumble at Home

Blue Jays win, but Halos are still in 1st place

By Pete Zarustica Orange County Tribune

The first home game of the 2023 season seemed very familiar. Mike Trout, as usual, did great, and the Los Angeles Angels, as often, blew an early lead and lost 4-3 to the Toronto Blue Jays before 44,735 fans in Anaheim.

The good news is that the Halos remain tied for first place in the American League West, locked up with the Texas Rangers, with both teams 4-3.

Sports Retorts

Jim Tortolano

At a time when all teams can still dream about World Series glory in the fall we sometimes reflect on the deeds of the past that still stick in our memories, to which we compare what’s unfolding in front of us. What were the most amazing plays ever on the diamond? Was it the Vic Wertz catch by Willie Mays in the far deepest stretches of Cleveland Memorial Stadium in 1954? How about Babe Ruth “calling his shot” in hitting a home run against the Chicago Cubs in 1932?

More recent heroics would include a nearly-crippled Kirk Gibson homering for the Dodgers in the 1988 World Series against the Oakland A’s.

And, for the contrarians in the stands, how about “Marvelous” Marv Throneberry playing pathetic first base – whoops! – for the “Amazing” Mets of 1962 who, in losing 120 games, are considered to be the worst team in Major League Baseball history.

I’ve got a personal nomination that never made the papers or Sports Center. The main character qualifies only for the Hall of Fame in the category of Class Act.

It’s 1967 at Lampson (now Ralston) Intermediate School in Garden Grove. A very ordinary schoolboy event is taking place: a softball game in a physical education class.

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D-backs bite Dodgers, who stay in first place

By David Arthur Orange County Tribune

Yes, baseball fans, there are more teams in the National League than the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers have played the D-backs six times out of eight in this young 2023 season, and the guys from the desert showed they can play with the defending NL West champs, defeating them 6-3 in Phoenix.

Despite the loss, the Blue Crew remained in the division lead at 5-3 because Arizona and San Diego are 4-4.

The Dodgers sent future Hall of Fame Clayton Kershaw (1-1)

to the mound and he didn’t have his best night, giving up seven hits and four runs in six innings. He struck out four batters and walked two, but was touched for two home runs.

LAD led 3-1 mostly on the strength of home runs by Chris Taylor and James Outman, but

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Lakers burn Suns, 121-107

Despite an off-night by their two stars, the Los Angeles Lakers rallied Friday night and defeated the Phoenix Suns 121-107 at home.

The win improved the teams’ record to 42-39 and boosted the chances of bypassing the play-in process and advancing directly into the regular playoffs.

LeBron James scored 16 points and Anthony Davis had 14, but D’Angelo Russell added 24, Austin Reaves had 22 and Malik Beasley 21.

With the win, the Lakers

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MIKE TROUT hit a monster home run in the first inning of the Angels home opener on Friday night, but that 2-0 lead wasn’t enough in a 4-3 loss to Toronto (Angels photo).

It was a too-familiar game for the Angels

Continued from page 8

Trout slammed a pitch 441 feet into the stands in the first inning, pushing him to having driven in 900 runs over his career and giving the home team a 2-0 lead. He’s hitting .348 in the young season.

Trout was joined in the hitting highlights by Shohei Ohtani who had two hits and raised

his average to .320. But those were the only three hits the team could get all night,

The Angels led 3-1 through the sixth inning when the bullpen –familiarly – yielded three runs

on three hits, including a tworun homer by Bo Bichette that essentially decided the game. All that wasted a strong performance by Halo starter Patrick Sandoval, who worked six in-

nings and gave up six hits and one run. He struck out two batters and walked one.

The Angels will continue the series with the Blue Jays (5-3) on Saturday and Sunday.

Ohtani made history with new rule errors

SEATTLE (AP) - Shohei Ohtani was called for pitch clock violations on the mound and at the plate Wednesday, as the Los Angeles Angels’ twoway star made more major league history.

“Part of this rule, when we first

put it in, there were some pitchers that were taking advantage of it and quick-pitching some hitters,” Angels manager Phil Nevin said. “(Max) Scherzer did it in spring training, and they’re just trying to get away from that. In no way is Shohei trying to do that. It’s just his set position is a little different than most and I was trying to explain to (umpire) Pat (Hoberg) what he does.”

Nevin said Hoberg told them that while the pitcher can throw whenever he wants once the clock is in the final 8 seconds,

before that the batter has to signal that he’s ready in the box. Ohtani was flagged again in the top of the sixth before his at-bat Comtinued on page 10

LA Lakers win

Comtinued from page 8

are in eighth place in the NBA Western Conference, but just a game out of sixth place. The top six teams in each conference advance to the playoffs.

The Lakers are next in action Sunday hosting the Utah Jazz.

It was a diamond of a play

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One team is ahead 10-0 in the final inning, but what makes this contest worth noting is that the pitcher, Dan Bell, is throwing a perfect game. If you’ve ever played that variation on baseball, you know how hard it is in slow-pitch – where you are practically inviting the hitter to swing at a fast delivery – to keep the other team from reaching base via a hit, a walk or an error.

The “wild card” in this tale is that My Team (the one winning) was one player short. As was the common practice in such circumstances, one player from the Other Team volunteered (or was conscripted) into playing catcher. In this case it was Mike Wineman. With only minutes left before the bell would end the game, the batter – whose name is lost in the mists of middle school mythology – managed to boink off a low little ground ball that crawled just a foot or two past the plate.

Mike’s team rose in excitement. Clearly their comrade would let that doinker just rest

there in the beat-up grass, giving the underdogs the satisfaction of at least breaking up a “perfect game.”

That’s what we all expected, but our temporary backstop had a permanent regard for the integrity of the sport. Faster than Will Smith (the current allstar Dodger catcher), he lunged forward, threw an off-balance just-in-time strike to the first baseman. Out!

The period bell went off to the accompaniment of the verbal abuse – some of it not printable here – piled on Mike for not tanking despite the sure knowledge that his teammates would regard him as a diamond Benedict Arnold.

There’s a lot I don’t remember about eighth grade, including some of my French and just about all of my math. But I can still see in my mind’s eye the most amazing play I ever saw with a bat and a ball, one in which the right thing to do counted more than anything else.

Prep Sport Scores

Friday, April 7 (baseball)

Estancia 2, Orange 1

La Quinta 10, Santiago 5

Loara 9, Los Amigos 4

Bolsa Grande 9, Rancho Al. 1

Katella 6, Westminster 5

Friday, April 7 (softball)

Los Alamitos 8, Edison 1

Hunt. Beach 9, Marina 4

Estancia 13, Orange 6

Ocean View 4, Garden Grove 3

Thursday, April 6 (baseball)

Pacifica 2, Crean Lutheran 1

Hunt. Beach 10, CDM 8

Thursday, April 6 (softball)

Santiago 18, Los Amigos 0

Kennedy 2, Pacifica 1

Edison 4, Marina 2

Hunt. Beach 14, CDM 4

Westminster 7, Godinez 4

Wednesday, April 5 (baseball)

Canyon 7, Edison 1

Savanna 9, Western 8

Mater Dei 3, Ocean View 1

Wednesday, April 5 (softball)

La Quinta 15, Bolsa Grande 0

Santiago 19, Los Amigos 0

Loara 18, Rancho Al. 12

Pacifica 18, Crean Lutheran 3

Ocean View 12, Katella 7

Garden Grove 3, Westminster 2

Calvary Chapel/SA 9, Orange 2

Saxons beat Lobos 9-4 to gain a slim lead in Grove baseball race

In Sunset League softball, Los Al stays on top by beating Edison 8-1

In a baseball race more crowded than a Tokyo subway car, the Loara Saxons defeated the Los Amigos Lobos 9-4 to take a half-game lead in the Garden Grove League on Friday.

Loara is now 5-2 in GGL play, followed by LA (5-3) in second, Bolsa Grande (4-3) in third and La Quinta and Santiago tied for fourth at 4-4. Only Rancho Alamitos is out of the picture with a 1-7 mark.

The Saxons will close out the GGL schedule with games on April 25 are 27 against Bolsa, while Los Amigos closes out with a pair against La Quinta on those same dates.

Katella protected its share of first place in the Golden West League with a 6-5 win over Westminster. However, the re-

Dodgers lose but stay in 1st place

Continued from page 8

that wasn’t enough as the Dbacks rallied for two runs each in the sixth and eighth innings. The win went to Drey Jameson (2-0) in relief.

The Dodgers were outhit 10 to 5, and none of them got more than one hit.

This seemingly never-ending series against Arizona will continue with games Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Ohtani made strange history

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against Mariners reliever Matt Brash. Players have 30 seconds to resume play between batters.

The MVP of Japan’s victory in the World Baseball Classic became the first player to be called for clock violations as a pitcher and hitter, but said he understands the rules.

“I had a chance to talk to the umpires after the game, and it cleared things up,” Ohtani said.

“So, I know what I need to do, and the adjustments I need to do. It should be fine.”

Ohtani earned his first win of the season and drove in a run in the Angels’ 4-3 victory.

sult of the game between Garden Grove and Ocean View wasn’t in at our deadline. A win by the Seahawks would put them ahead of the Knights with a 4-1 mark compared to Katella’s 3-1.

The two leaders will probably duke it out for the GWL title in the final two games of the regular season on April 25 and 27.

In softball action on Friday, Los Alamitos remained on top in the Sunset League with an 8-1 win over Edison. The Grif-

fins are now 6-0 in league and 16-2 overall.

Huntington Beach remained in the hunt with a 9-4 win over a good Marina team. The Oilers are 7-1 (14-4). The Vikings are in third at 5-3 and 17-6.

Huntington suffered its only league loss to Marina 2-1 in March. The orange-and-black have two more chances to catch and possibly pass Los Al on April 18 and 24, bur the Griffs are riding a nine-game winning streak.