No actual ground was broken at Tuesday’s groundbreaking event for the Navigation Center in Garden Grove but it was nevertheless a landmark in efforts to cope with the homelessness problem.
The Central Cities Navigation Center, which will serve not only Garden Grove but also Fountain Valley and Westminster, is located on West Street in an industrial area in the southeast of the city.
Officials from all three cities and from the County of Orange were present at
71
61
Wednesday: 71/61 partly cloudy
Thursday: 72/61 partly cloudy
Friday: 73/68 partly cloudy
Development Director Is Named for GG
Garden Grove City Manager Lisa Kim has named Niki Wetzel, a 26-year community development professional, as Garden Grove’s new community development director.
Currently serving as the deputy director of planning and building for the City of Anaheim, Wetzel begins her position with the City of Garden Grove on Monday, July 10.
Tuesday’s event.
“Today marks a new beginning nearly four years in the making,” said Garden Grove City Manager Lisa Kim, “which would not have been possible without the incredible partnerships of the tri-cities that were formed.”
The 85-bed center will provide more than just shelter. It’s a “wraparound facility” that will offer assistance in employment, mental health and dealing with substance abuse. There will be “dormitories” for males and females, some rooms for couples and even a pet facility.
LISA KIM Garden Grove City Mgr.
Providing shelter for the homeless allows cities to enforce anti-camping ordinances.
“Niki is a top-notch professional with the proven knowledge, experience, and drive needed to over-
NIKI WETZEL
see a very active department that provides several key services to our city and community. She will be a welcome addition to our talented city management team,” said Kim.
“I am honored and thrilled to have been selected as the next community development director
Continued on page 2
Korean Festival approved for GG Park on Oct. 12-15
On Tuesday night – with Mayor Steve Jones absent – the Garden Grove City Council voted 6-0 to grant a request from the Korean Festival Committee of Orange County to stage the festival at Garden Grove Park on Oct.
12-15.
All the costs of the event will be borne by the committee, including security.
The festival, which originated in Garden Grove, has had several locations and will have its first time at the city’s largest park this fall.
Also approved by the
Continued from page 1
council was a request for temporary closures of some city streets in West Garden Grove from the Honoring Our Fallen organization to hold an Independence Day-Freedom Parade on Saturday, July 1.
All costs will be borne by the organization.
The meeting also recognized two groups from Pacifica High
School. The PHS softball team won the CIF-SS Division 1 title, and the PHS Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps’ for its accomplishment at the NJROTC Nationals.
Additionally, the council approved the biennual budget for the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25 years.
The next council meeting will be on Tuesday, June 27.
Continued from page 1
for the City of Garden Grove. I look forward to serving Garden Grove’s residents, businesses, and community,” said Wetzel.
As Anaheim’s deputy director of planning and building since 2020, Wetzel has overseen historic and multi-billion-dollar projects for the city, such as the future OC Vibe mixed-use project surrounding the Honda Center, and the Disneyland Forward project that directs the future development of the Disneyland Resort. Wetzel also managed and mentored a staff of 25.
Wetzel began her professional career with the City of Laguna Niguel in 1995, followed by the City of Anaheim where she worked as a planner.
In 2004, she moved to the City of Rolling Hills Estates manag-
ing large development projects as a principal planner, until joining the city of Lake Forest in 2015. In 2018, she was promoted to assistant director of community development for Lake Forest, overseeing the planning and code enforcement divisions, before re-joining the City of Anaheim in 2020.
Wetzel holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Cal Poly Pomona where she was recognized as the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) Most Outstanding Graduate Student. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in communication and psychology from UC Santa Barbara, graduating with high honors. She and her husband have three adult children. She loves dogs and recently adopted two from local animal shelters. She is a registered yoga instructor and is passionate about promoting a healthy mind and body.
JIm Tortolano Editor and Publisher Marilyn Lewis Tortolano General ManagerThe 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.
Newsfolks are sometimes – not always without some justification – criticized for focusing so much on the negative in reporting.
But that’s because a) news is what’s a bit unusual, not the commonplace and b) people like to read about crime, crashes and catastrophes.
But we do take note of the good news. The 2023 Garden Grove Strawberry Festival is the second such event after the coronavirus pandemic and it seems to have been a home run.
The Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education honored 12 outstanding employees during its meeting on June 6.
The employees honored were the district’s nine nominees to the Orange County Department of Education’s 2023 Classified Employee of the Year program as well as the district’s three nominees for OCDE’s 2024 Teacher of the Year program.
“The 2023 Garden Grove Strawberry Festival exceeded my expectations and was a huge success,” said Andrea Palladino Perez, president of the Festival Association. “I am delighted and grateful to all the guests, including residents and out-oftown visitors, who attended our ‘Berry’ fun-filled event...until next year! I hope to see everyone again at the 2024 Garden Grove Strawberry Festival.”
We took note also of the great “melting pot” of ages, ethnic groups and lifestyles represented in the attendees. Diversity without division, I say.
Although some of his legal pursuits has been controversial – especially battling the State of California about regional housing needs assessments – Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates has been successful in winning for Surf City millions of dollars in his lawsuits against the state Department of Finance.
You don’t have to agree with all of his politics to see that he is a fierce combatant for what he feels are the best interests of the city. But don’t worry. As a newsfolk, I’ll be back being the usual carping critic soon.
A blaze Saturday morning in Midway City was quickly extinguished by Orange County Fire Authority crews.
According to the OCFA, it took place in a detached building from which flames were “extending” toward a house in the 14000 block of Adams St. (southeast
of Beach Boulevard and Hazard Avenue). Firefighter-paramedic personnel were dispatched at 6:48 a.m..
Crews were able to evacuate the home and there were no injuries. The fire was extinguished in 10 minutes; the cause was not immediately determined.
Two people were hospitalized after a roll-over crash Friday evening in Garden Grove.
According to Onscene.TV, the incident took place around 10 p.m. at the intersection of Erin Street and Mansor Avenue. That’s three blocks north of Westminster Avenue.
At the scene, Garden Grove police and the Orange County Fire Authority found two vehicles. One was a Toyota sport utility vehicle – on its side – and an Acura sedan with damage to its front end.
The condition of the people injured was not immediately known.
Want
at orangecountytribune@gmail.com.
The Orange County Tribune is published on Wednesday and Saturday.
We provide non-partisan news, opinion, arts and sports coverage of Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster.
It’s just that easy, and just that free.
Among the district nominees, Senior Programmer Analyst Manjit Charaia was one of nine classified employees from across Orange County to be named an Orange County Finalist and Alamitos Intermediate School Teacher Monique Becerra was one of 15 teachers from across all of Orange County to be named an Orange County Semifinalist.
“GGUSD is full of amazing educators and staff who share a commitment to putting students first,” said Board of Education Vice President Teri Rocco. “We are so proud of these exemplary employees who have truly left their mark on this district, our schools and countless students.”
GGUSD’s nominees for Orange County Classified Employee of the Year include:
• Jennifer Nishikawa, Secretary to the Superintendent
• Paul Kemp, Plant Supervisor at Los Amigos High School
• Renee Buckley, Food Services Lead at Jordan’s Adult Transition Program
• Lian Baker, Interpreter/Translator for the Office of Special Education and Student Services
• Giao Chu, Preschool Instructional Aide at Brookhurst Elementary School
• LaVern Broadnax, Campus
Former president Donald Trump pleaded “not guilty” to all 37 counts brought against him by the U.S. Department of Justice at his arraignment on Tuesday in Florida. The day took on the atmosphere of a political
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin (Shutterstock).
Russian President Vladimir Putin answered questions from journalists and bloggers on Tuesday for two hours, offering a optimistic appraisal of his nation’s invasion of Ukraine.
According to USA Today, Putin said that Ukrainian forces were sustaining heavy casualties and that Russian tanks were prevailing against Ukrainian armor, especially those vehicles from Germany
and the U.S. Also, he suggested that a quick way to end the war would be for the U.S. and NATO to stop supplying Ukraine with military equipment and supplies.
As many as 78 people drowned on Wednesday when their boat sank off the coast of Greece.
According to the Asso-
“Our children are the living messages we send to a world we will never see.”
– ElijahCummings
ciated Press, the Greek coast guard was able to rescue 104 people. The boat was carrying migrants and was believed to have left Libya, a country wracked with violence and poverty.
The New York Times reports that estimates of those on board the ship are from 400 to 750 people.
It’s the latest in a long series of tragedies in which conditions have become so severe that
thousands of people from north African countries have risked their lives in an attempt to reach what they hope is a better life in a European nation. The number of migrants coming into southern Europe has become a political issue and prompted nativist movements that claim the refugees from across the Mediterranean Sea threaten national unity and are a financial burden to the host countries they reach.
The pressure is on to add two more members to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as a bulwark against possible future Russian military aggression.
The New York Times is reporting that talks are underway between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other NATO nations about allowing Sweden to join the alliance.
Any new NATO members must be confirmed by a unanimous vote of the entire group.
Also being discussed is admitting Ukraine, but only after its current war is concluded.
NATO’s basic policy is that an attack on one is an attack on all. Membership is insurance against Russian aggression.
campaign event, according to the Associated Press. Hundreds of supporters rallied outside the courthouse and after the arraignment, he shook hands with admirers, took a moment of prayer and fired off promises to have President Joe Biden prosecuted if elected. He called the government’s legal actions “a heinous abuse of power.” Trump’s legal problems are formidable, but it appears it hasn’t hurt him in his quest for a third Republican presidential nomination. The average of recent polls showed him with 52.7 percent among Republican voters followed by Ron deSantis with 22 percent.
If you can wait all the way to Saturday, you’ll have sunny skies and warm temperatures in our West Orange County area.
But until then, the forecasts are for partly cloudy skies and daytime highs in the low 70s. Wednesday is 71, Thursday is 72 and Friday 73 and then Saturday is 76 with an overnight low of 62.
There were many stressful things about making “The Flash” and getting it to theaters. It was shot in the middle of a pandemic. There was isolation from friends and family for the 138-day shoot. There were A-list schedules to coordinate for cameos. There was a star in Ezra Miller who, after it wrapped, made headlines for legal run-ins amid a mental health crisis. And behind it all, a studio undergoing leadership changes and rethinking the whole DC Comics strategy. But first, they had to figure out how to transport a two-ton Batmobile from Los Angeles to the U.K. amid a worldwide shortage of shipping containers in 2021. This was not just any Batmo-
bile, mind you. It was one of the originals from the Tim Burton movies that was needed for the grand return of Michael Keaton’s caped crusader after 30 years - a major production that also involved building, from scratch, a life-size replica of the Batcave.
Director Andy Muschietti and his sister, producer Barbara Muschietti, waited nervously for its arrival worried whether it would make it in time or just be stuck in the middle of the ocean. They breathed a sigh of relief when it made it ashore, briefly celebrated and moved on to the next problem: how to get it into the Batcave at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden. Ultimately it involved a loading it onto a modified airport cargo truck that was lifted 20 feet in the air and “gently rolled” onto set.
“Everything came with a little adventure,” Barbara Muschietti said with a laugh in a recent interview with The Associated Press.
It’s an apt if intentionally understated description of get-
ting “The Flash’’ into theaters on June 16. Movie versions of the lightning quick comic book character have been in various stages of development since the late 1980s.
One scenario had Ryan Reynolds starring and David S. Goyer directing; another had George Miller setting the stage for spinoffs and standalones with Adam Brody.
Then in 2014, things started taking shape as Warner Bros. plotted out a shared universe of DC Comics films, including a standalone Flash starring Miller as Barry Allen, who would first appear in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Suicide Squad” and “Justice League.’’
But even that wasn’t so straightforward, with disagreements over tone and scheduling conflicts making things complicated. Several writers and directors cycled in and out of developing “The Flash,” including Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Seth Grahame-Smith, Rick Famuyiwa, Robert Zemeckis and John Francis Daley and Jonathan
Goldstein, and release dates were pushed back. Ezra Miller even worked on their own treatment of a script.
The Muschiettis were finishing “It Chapter Two” when the studio approached them about “The Flash.” They didn’t concern themselves with the messy, marathon development history - they just wanted to figure out if this was worth several years of their life. In the story, Andy Muschietti found a compelling emotional core: The relationship between Barry Allen and his mother, who was killed when he was a child and whom he wants to go back in time to save. “Back to the Future, “ which is referenced quite a bit in “The Flash,” was one of their favorite movies, too. They were in.
“We all got very excited about the prospect of having Michael Keaton come back after 30 years of not knowing what Batman was up to,” Andy Muschietti said. “The multiverse allowed this to happen and combine the existing characters, the existing
Continued on page 6
universe, with something that seemed to have been buried in the past.”
They told Keaton, who jogged to their lunch meeting in Brentwood, they wouldn’t be able to do the film without him. They wanted to find his Bruce Wayne in a place people wouldn’t expect. By the end of lunch, Keaton had agreed and jogged off.
“I didn’t want him to be sitting near the fireplace, like staring out of a glass of whiskey,” Andy Muschietti said. “I knew he was going to transform back into Batman so I needed him to be in a place that made that transformation possible in the tradition of a reluctant hero.”
Keaton’s Batman was also due to make a return in the standalone “Batgirl” movie which was ultimately shelved close to completion.
“The Flash” has other nostalgic nods, including an army of cameos best left unspoiled, that helps set the stage for a “universe reboot.” While making the film, big leadership changes were afoot at Warner Bros. and, specifically, DC Studios, where new co-chairs and CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran were tasked with plotting the future of the DC Universe characters, from Superman to Batman. That new vision won’t officially begin until Gunn’s new Superman in 2025, but he’s also said that “The Flash,” though technically from a previous regime, “resets the entire DC universe.”
But then during the extensive post-production on “The Flash,” star Ezra Miller, also started making headlines for a string of arrests and reports of erratic behavior last year. They were arrested twice last year
in Hawaii, including for disorderly conduct and harassment at a karaoke bar. In January, they pleaded guilty to a charge stemming from a break-in and theft of alcohol at a neighbor’s home in Vermont. They avoided jail time but paid a $500 fine and got a year of probation, agreeing to abide by a number of conditions including continued mental health treatment.
Though some questioned whether “The Flash” should be shelved, the studio remained committed to releasing it on June 16 even without their star on the promotional circuit.
“We’re in contact with them. They love the movie. They support the movie. And they’re taking their treatment very seriously,” said Barbara Muschietti of Miller. “We want everybody to see this. It’s great and it’s special. And it has all our hearts and guts.”
While early hyperbole abounded with people like Gunn calling it one of the best superhero movies he’d ever seen, reviews have indeed been mostly very positive with lots of praise for Miller’s dual roles.
The Pacifica High softball team that won the CIF-SS Division 1 title also swept the top individual honors.
Brynne Nally, a junior pitcher, was named Player of the Year and the champion coach is the Mariners’ Tony Arduino.
Other athletes from our West Orange County area are:
• Division 1: Zoe Prystajko (Huntington Beach), Delaina Ma’ae (Pacifica)
• Division 2: Anaya Togia (Marina)
• Division 5: Mackenzie King (Ocean View)
• Division 6: Victoria Perez (Orangewood).
But that’s not all. The Los Angeles Times has its own All-Star softball team, and it includes Mariner outfielder Ma’ae and utility player Zoe Prysyajko of Huntington Beach. The Times’ Coach of the Year is Pacifica’s Tony Arduino.
And he has plenty to be happy about in addition to piloting the M’s to the CIF-SS Division 1
title.
His top two players – pitcher Nally and Ma’ae– are juniors. That might make the Mariners odds-on favorites to win the 2024 title.
Meanwhile, MaxPreps.com’s final national rankings have
PHS eighth in the nation, second only to Hollister among California teams.
And taking a look at the 2023 College Softball World Series starting today (Wednesday), two local schools are represented in Shelbi Ortiz (Huntington Beach) for Utah and Alyssa Brito (Pacifica) for Oklahoma.
Continued from page 8
Having won eight of their last 10 games, the Halos are now 4.5 games out of first and just one game out of second. More than that, they’re one game out of a wild card spot.
On Tuesday, the Rangers moved into a 3-1 lead early on the strength of a two-run home run by Nathaniel Lowe and a single
shot by Corey Seager. But the Halos struck back with a tworun homer by Hunter Renfroe in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. The matter was finally settled with three runs in the top of the ninth, during which Zach Neto hit a two-run round-tripper.
Jaime Barria made the start, lasting 4.1 innings. He was touched for seven hits and three
earned runs. He struck out two batters and walked one.
Jimmy Herget (1-2) got the win in relief, and Carlos Estevez got his 18th save, retiring the last two batters.
Reid Detmers (1-5) will get the start Wednesday for the Angels. The Rangers will counter with former Angel Andrew Heaney (4-4).
Continued from page 8
Trout and Shohei Ohtani, but not much else. This year, finally, there’s more talent spread throughout the batting order like Hunter Renfro (11 home runs), Brandon Drury (10) and Gio Urshela (.300).
Continued from page 8
Safety Assistant at Santiago High School
• John Gras, Cabinet Maker
• Manjit Charaia, Senior Programmer Analyst
• David Valdez, School Bus Driver
GGUSD’s nominees for Orange County Teacher of the Year include:
• Meghan Fusillo, sixth grade teacher at Paine Elementary School
• Rolando Nunez, sixth grade dual immersion teacher at Monroe Elementary Language Academy
• Monique Becerra, English Language Arts and Journalism teacher at Alamitos Intermediate School.
Carlos Estevez is looking the best, as opposing batters are hitting .194 against him. If he keeps that up and finds a compadre or two in the bullpen, it could be a very nice season. They might even do better than the Dodgers.
Want a free subscription to the e-paper version of The Orange County Tribune, the best local news operation around?
Send us an e-mail at orangecountytribune@gmail. com.
The Orange County Tribune is published on Wednesday and Saturday.
We provide non-partisan news, opinion, arts and sports coverage of Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster.
It’s just that easy, and just that free.
Now, here’s something you don’t see every day.
Could this be the start of a pennant race?
Putting the Los Angeles Angels in the sentence with mention of a struggle for a division or league title might seem a little unusual, but after two games against the division-leading Texas Rangers, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched.
Jim Tortolano
The Los Angeles Angels and the Los Angeles Dodgers are roughly equal in the standings. Starting the week, the Halos had 36 wins and the Blue Crew 37. Historically, it hasn’t often been that close. Since 1961, when the (major league) Angels came into the Los Angeles area market, the Dodgers have won five World Series rings and the Angels one. The last winning record for the Dodgers was, uh, last year. As for the Orange County team, there hasn’t been a
finish above .500 since 2015. Of course, things haven’t always been all bad for the Halos. From 2002 to 2014, the Angels won a World Series, an American League pennant and six AL West titles. So what was the difference between then and now?
Two things stand out: depth and relief pitching. The Angels had lights-out closers in Troy Percival and Francisco (K-Rod) Rodriguez. If the Angels had a lead going into the eighth or ninth innings, fans could light up (metaphorically) a victory cigar because they knew they were just a few strikes away lighting up the Halo.
The other thing recent Angel teams have lacked is depth. Aside, perhaps, from Vladimir Guerrero, the teams of that era didn’t have superstars. But they had solid hitting up and down the lineup with Tim Salmon, Troy Glaus, Garrett Anderson and Torri Hunter, etc.
Recent Angels’ teams have two future Hall-of Famers in Mike
On Tuesday the Halos defeated the Rangers 7-3, winning the second game of the four-game series in Arlington. With the win, the Angels are 38-31.
They’re still in third place in the American League West, but are rapidly closing in on the two teams ahead of them, the first place Rangers and the second place Houston Astros.
Continued on page 7
As the Arizona Diamondbacks step on the gas and win six games in a row, the Los Angeles Dodgers needed a win on Tuesday night to keep from fading further into the division-leaders’ rear view mirrors.
They got it with a 5-1 win at home over the Chicago White Sox. They did it with a solid start by Tony Gonsolin (4-1) and home runs by Will Smith
and David Peralta.
That victory put the Blue Crew at 37-29, four games back of the D-backs and 2.5 games ahead of the surging San Francisco Giants (35-32), who are in third in the National League West.
Gonsolin pitched six scoreless innings, giving up just two hits. He struck out six and walked two as his ERA declined to 1.93. Smith led a four-run first inning with a two-run shot, followed by a similar blow by Peralta. Jason Heyward batted 2-for-3 with
two runs scored on the night.
On Wednesday, the Dodgers will send Clayton Kershaw (8-4) to the mound as they try to make it two wins in a row.
