The Orange County Tribune March 4, 2023

Challenge To State Housing Law on Agenda

MICHAELANGELO might have appreciated the picturesque cloud formations that dominated the sky above this Garden Grove neighborhood on Friday. Mostly cloudy conditions are predicted in the West Orange County area this weekend (Orange County Tribune photo).

Six teens arrested in ‘hate crime’ incident

By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune

Six teenage boys were arrested Friday on robbery, assault and hate crime charges in West-

Corona stats hit a plateau

The status of the coronavirus infections in Orange County seemed to have reached a plateau of sorts.

According to the latest available statistics from the county health care agency, during the period from Feb. 23 to March 1,

minster in connection with an incident that took place in February.

According to Commander Kevin McCormick of the WPD, five of those arrested were from Westminster and aged in range from 15 to 17. The sixth was a 15-year-old Garden Grove resident.

The incident took place on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 21 at Gillespie Park, 9801 McFadden Ave. (near Brookhurst Street).

After learning about a fight at the park, the WPD school resource officer contacted the 15-yearold victim, a resident of

The issue of the City of Huntington Beach’s legal battles against several state housing laws will come before the city council when it meets on Tuesday.

At its Feb. 21 meeting the council majority voted to direct City Attorney Michael Gates to take legal action against state laws requiring cities to permit the construction of acces-

sory dwelling units in areas zoned for single family homes, and lot splits in which the owner of a house can divide his or her lot into two homes, or two duplexes, under a law known as Senate Bill 9.

On the very next day, the city’s community development department announced it would no longer accept new applications for ADUs or SB 9 projects “until any legal challenges are resolved.”

Councilmember Dan Kalmick, who voted against the decision at the Feb. 21 meeting, wants

Continued on page 2

A special meeting of the Stanton City Council will be held on Tuesday for the purpose of making appointments to the city’s various commissions and committee. The council will consider appointments to:

• parks, recreation and community services commission: five vacancies;

• planning commission:

three vacancies;

• public safety committee.

The commissions and committee members serve in an advisory capacity to the city council and are generally unpaid.

An interview will be conducted with each applicant and appointments made by councilmembers

6 arrested for ‘hate crime’

Continued from page 1

Westminster, and learned he had been “jumped” in the park by about 10 youths who thought he was filming them with his cellular phone.

The suspects hit and kicked the victim repeatedly in the head, face and torso “while yelling racial slurs” at him. He sustained minor scrapes on his face as a result of the attack.

An investigation resulted in the arrest of the six for the attack and the theft of the victim’s cell phone. Three of the suspects will be transported to

Orange County Juvenile Hall on robbery, assault and hate crime charges; the other three will be released to their parents.

The investigation is ongoing until the remaining suspects are identified.

“The Westminster Police Department does not tolerate hate crimes and will investigate them vigorously until the suspects are brought to justice,” said Chief Darin Lenyi.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to call School Resource Officer Omar Ayala-Campos of the WPD at (714) 548-3772.

Hunt. Beach City Council

Continued from page 1

the council to revisit the issue, as refusing to consider the applications puts the city in conflict with state law.

remove the rainbow “gay pride” flag.

That banner was flown at City Hall during June (“Gay Pride Month”) for the previous two years.

The meeting will be held in the council chambers in the Civic Center, 2000 Main St. (at Yorktown Avenue) with the study/ closed session at 4 p.m. and the regular business meeting at 6 p.m.

Coronavirus stats hit plateau

Continued from page 1

the number of confirmed new cases was at 1,314.

That compares to the Feb. 16 count of 1,426, the Feb. 9 count of 1,443 and the Feb. 2 count of 1,440.

Deaths rose this week to 21 from 15. Hospitalizations increased to 177 from 170, but the number of people being treated for COVID-19 in intensive care units has declined to 19 from 26.

To date, according to the OCHCA, Orange County has had

Stanton City Council

Continued from page 1

Also on agenda for Tuesday night will be the second reading and final approval of a controversial proposed ordinance banning nearly all but government flags from being displayed on city property, a move believed by opponents to be an effort to and the mayor.

The council will meet in City Hall, 7800 Katella Ave. at 6 p.m.

712,571 confirmed cases and 7,957 deaths.

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.

HB to receive $25 million from state

This week the Orange County Superior Court issued a final ruling in favor of the City of Huntington Beach in a high profile lawsuit – the City of Huntington Beach v. State of California, Department of Finance.

The city attorney’s Office sought reimbursement of a previous redevelopment loan, known as the “Waterfront Loan” in the amount of $22.4 million, plus interest, equating to approximately $25 million.

This award for $25 million will be returned by the State to the Huntington Beach taxpayers and is in addition to the $5.2 million that the city won last year in the same case.

The $25 million is owed by the state to the City of Huntington Beach from the Waterfront Loan Redevelopment Project.

This obligation to reimburse the City stems from a 1988 Agreement between the Former Redevelopment Agency and the City of Huntington Beach for the sale of real property within the “Main-Pier Project Area.”

“This is a great win for Huntington Beach and I am very proud of the leadership and legal acumen that Mr. Michael Gates and his team has demonstrated,” said Mayor Tony Strickland. “I appreciate Mr. Gates’s willingness to fight the fights that other cities don’t. He is a real asset to Huntington Beach and the taxpayers should be proud.”

In the decision, the Court wrote, “the Agreement contains an obligation to pay, and DOF should have treated it as an enforceable obligation when the Successor Agency submitted its Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule 17-18… the Petition after remand is granted, and a writ of mandate shall issue directing DOF to treat the Waterfront Loan on the Successor Agency’s ROPS 17-18 as an enforceable obligation.”

Man, 44, dies after car hits concrete wall

A 44-year-old Los Alamitos man is dead after the vehicle in which he was driving struck a concrete wall in Westminster late Tuesday night.

The man has been identified as Jace A. Remington.

Vietnamese language teachers honored for accomplishments

The Union of Overseas Vietnamese Language Schools hosted a recognition gala on Saturday, Feb. 25 to honor over 500 Vietnamese Language Teachers and community leaders from across the nation.

Twenty Garden Grove Unified School District employees from both K-6 and 7-12 levels were honored for their ongoing dedication and commitment to fostering students’ language proficiency and cross-cultural understanding. GGUSD Trustee Lan Nguyen helped coordinate the event.

Improve access for disabled

Our Towns

The City of Stanton is in the process of updating its Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) self-evaluation and transition plan. The accessibility plan provides a comprehensive plan for accessibility for persons with disabilities to city facilities, programs, services, activities and events. Your comments and opinions are important to us and will provide valuable information regarding how the city can better serve persons with disabilities.

To take the survey and learn more, visit StantonCA.gov/ ADASurvey or send an email/call Han Sol Yoo, Associate Engineer, with your comments and suggestions without completing a survey: Han Sol Yoo, Associate Engineer Phone: (714) 890-4204

Email: HYoo@StantonCA.gov

National Merit Schools from Edison High

Adam Vo, Wyatt Bellinger and Logan Kaylani of Edison High School in Huntington Beach have been named finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships. These Edison students are in the top 3 percent of all the test-takers.

According to Commander Kevin MacCormick of the WPD, the crash occurred around 10:22 p.m. in the area of Bolsa Chica Road and Rancho Road. Arriving officers found the vehicle with the sole occupant dead at the scene, as determined by the Orange County Fire Authority. There were no other vehicles involved and the cause of the crash is unknown.

Anyone who may have witnessed the accident is asked to call Sgt. Anil Adam of the WPD Traffic Division at (714) 548377

No more fines at Hunt. Beach public libraries

In November 2022, the Huntington Beach City Council approved the removal of late fines for Huntington Beach Public Libraries.

Effective immediately, HBPL patrons will no longer accrue fines on overdue items, and all past overdue fines have been removed.

This continues a trend of userfriendly changes in library policies over the past decade, including removing non-resident card fees, adding teen cards, and eliminating charges for media items. Through this change, more of the community members will be able to access the library. It’s hoped many library enthusiasts return without fear of fines.

Library materials will still

VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE teachers gather, including 20 from GGUSD. Lan Nguyen is seating in green at center in front row (GGUSD photo).

NewsUpdate

He was invited by Ukraine’s top prosecutor.

Also in the news … The lesion that was removed from President Joe Biden’s chest last month was cancerous, but no more treatment is required, said his doctor on Friday.

Sports: Lakers, Clips lose

No library fines

Continued from page 3 have those familiar due dates. Most items will automatically renew on their due date if the item is not on hold and the item has not exceeded three renewals.

SNOWED-IN CABINS at Yosemite (NPS photo).

Winter storm strands many

Orange County maybe be comfortable with the mildly cool weather that greets us as we go into March, but large areas of California are up to their knees in snow, slush and disorder.

According to The New York Times, winter storm warnings are in effect from Saturday morning through Monday morning in northern parts of the state. The higher the elevation, the deeper the snow, in some cases up to four feet.

Even in Southern California, there’s been danger, with rescues needed for people trapped in the San Bernardino Mountains where snowfall piled up to 10 feet.

Some people – especially

tourists in the Big Bear resort area – are snowed in without enough food, water or medicine. It’s difficult to flee down to lower and warmer climes, with roads impassable.

AG Merrick pays a visit to Ukraine

Following in the train tracks of President Joe Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland made an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Friday, meeting with government officials there and seeking to reassure that American support for their battle against Russian invaders was strong, according to United Press International.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost 110-102 to the Minnesota Timberwolves despite 38 points by Anthony Davis.

The Los Angeles Clippers lost 128-127 to the Kings in Sacramento.

Anaheim Ducks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 at Honda Center (see details page 7).

Weather: Clouds for days

Our fluffy airborne friends –clouds – will be with us in the West Orange County area for a while.

The forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies on Saturday with a daytime high of 60 and an overnight low of 48. Sunday will be similar with a high of 60 and a low of 46. Monday becomes partly cloudy with a high of 61 and a low of 43.

Tuesday brings mostly sunny skies with a high of 62 and a low of 43.

Once an item has reached its maximum due date, or it is on hold for another patron, it must be returned for other patrons to enjoy. Patrons can choose to receive overdue messages by email, text, or phone.

‘Creed III’ is a Knockout Movie

No Rocky Balboa this time, but still very entertaining

By Lindsey Bahr AP Film Writer

It must be a daunting prospect to pick up a franchise on the third movie. Add in the pressure of following filmmakers like Ryan Coogler and Steven Caple Jr. in your directorial debut that you’re also starring in and it’s enough to make you wonder what on earth Michael B. Jordan was thinking.

But “Creed III,” in theaters nationwide Friday, is a new start for Adonis Creed. He’s finally out of the shadow of his father Apollo and Rocky Balboa, whose legacy loomed large over the first two films (Sylvester Stallone decided “Creed II” would be his last). With Rocky out of the way, and the younger Creed solidly in place as the best in the world, the franchise can breathe a little and grow. Enter the Dame (not that kind of dame).

This one is in the form of Jonathan Majors, an old buddy from their teenage years in a group home in the early 2000s. Dame, or Damian Anderson, is a bit older than Creed. He’s the one who’s boxing in the underground matches at night.

The young Creed (Thaddeus J. Mixon), a little awkward, a little too eager to please and a little too ready for trouble, is the one carrying water (and bags and gloves) and helping him strategize. There is a palpable menace established early on with these two - an unequal power and age dynamic, sure, but also the implication that Dame (Spence Moore II) is more than willing to play dirty. He carries a gun. He fixes games. And he has a hold on young Adonis. The flashback ends with a violent altercation outside a convenience store. Dame goes away. Creed becomes Creed.

Movie Review

This flashback is important but does get the film off to a bit of a slow start, jumping forward chronologically to Creed’s last fight and then to his present- day retirement life – a luxurious and tranquil existence in the Hollywood Hills in a modernist mansion with his daughter Amara (Mila Davis Kent) and wife Bianca (Tessa Thompson), who has given up singing mostly to produce hit records.

Life is nice for the obscenely rich in LA: The clothes are expensive, the cars are price upon request, the house always spotless and the staff unseen (save for a chef in one scene). At the gym run by Duke (Wood Harris), he’s trying to mentor the next generation of champions.

Then Dame re-appears and the movies gets its urgency back. His old pal was locked up for 18 years after that incident and is freshly out of prison, wanting to pick up

his life and his boxing aspirations where he left off. Creed is pleasant but guarded; for much of the film he acts like an aloof celebrity, hyper conscious of not letting anyone in too close and compartmentalizing the uglier aspects of his past.

Still, he takes him out to lunch and offers to help him in any way he can. This is both the right thing to do and also a huge mistake.“Creed III” is, among other things, about what happens when men don’t talk about their feelings (and ignore Duke’s advice).

At times, it also feels more like a thriller than a sports film as you watch Dame infiltrate Creed’s world. It’s always Creed’s idea, there’s always an invitation, but Dame’s sudden omnipresence starts to feel unavoidable and ominous.

Dame has a bit of Eve Harrington in him, but also a very real, very relatable chip on his shoulder for the time he lost. In another movie, he could very well be the under-

Good: HHH

dog we’re rooting for - some of the audience may be rooting for him even so.

Lurking behind everything is the madness that comes from not being able to do what you were born to do. It’s something athletes grapple with earlier than most other professionals.

An injury at 23 could take you out when you’re just getting started and in this film Creed, Dame and Bianca are having similar existential crises – though Dame’s desperation is the driving force behind everything that happens.

Jordan and his filmmaking team craft two particularly stunning matches full of suspense, drama and slow motion sweat beads flying through the air.

These are only lessened by the cheesy, unhelpful announcers spouting cliches and no actually helpful exposition or explanation outside the ring. And ultimately,

MICHAEL B. JORDAN stars in “Creed III,” a continuation of the “Rocky” franchise which dates all the way back to 1976 (MGM).

“Creed III” is a knockout of a movie

Continued from page 5

it’s a promising debut for the 36-year-old, who shows here that he’ll never let his own star ego get in the way of a film: Majors steals the show, and Jordan is there to capture it.

There’s a comforting but predictable rhythm to a boxing franchise like Rocky and now Creed.

The movies must keep justifying themselves, inventing new challenges that make them all feel different enough. But most essentially boil down to the same framework: You have to knock the champion down to a believable underdog again. While there is a case to be made for the final fight to, let’s just say, go a differ-

ent way than it does, “Creed III” is still a knockout.

“Creed III,” an MGM release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for, “Violence, some strong language and intense sports action.” Running Time: 116 minutes. MPA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned.

The most affordable EVs for 2023

(AP) The push for new, appealing electric vehicles has gained considerable momentum recently. The next few years will see a rollout of EVs in every popular automotive segment, increasing competition and decreasing prices. At the moment, however, all-electric vehicle development costs remain high and most new

additions are priced well above equivalent gas-powered models. That means the list of economical EVs isn’t yet extensive, but it does include a handful of cars starting under $40,000. Edmunds has assembled a roster of five affordable options for 2023 sorted by price. Some of these models will further qualify for

federal tax credits that now require American assembly and parts sourcing.

The Chevrolet Bolt EV isn’t perfect, with a firm ride and smallish cargo area, but it is now the least expensive electric vehicle for 2023 thanks to a huge price cut. We also proved the Bolt EV can travel 278 miles on a single charge, besting its EPA- estimated range by 19 miles. If the hatchback body isn’t appealing, Chevy also offers an SUV-like version, the Bolt EUV, that has more interior room. Bolt models purchased before March ends should qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit. Starting price: $27,495

We like the Nissan Leaf for its quiet, comfortable ride and many standard features. Fast charging won’t always be possible thanks to the Leaf’s less popular port design. The entrylevel S trim is limited to just 149 miles of range too. But Edmunds’ real-world test of the SV Plus model that has a bigger battery resulted in a useful 237 miles. Nissan Leaf models purchased before March ends should qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit. Starting price: $29,135

Shoppers should also be aware that Cooper SE is pretty limited in range. Its EPA- quoted 114-mile range is quite a bit less than some competitors, although Edmunds managed to get 150 miles from it in realworld driving. If space and distance aren’t major constraints, the Cooper SE’s daily driving entertainment might make it all worth it. Starting price: $35,220 Downsides include a tight back seat and a lack of availability in all 50 states.

Shohei “satisfied” with first Halo outing; off to the WBC

His mound opponent on Tuesday was Shintaro Fujinami, a 28-year-old right-hander who signed a $3.25 million, one-year contract after 10 seasons with the Central League’s Hanshin Tigers.

The duo hadn’t faced each other

since Ohtani played for the Pacific League’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

Ohtani, because he wasn’t batting in the game, said he didn’t see much of Fujinami on the mound.

Fujinami, who went two innings, was paying attention to his mound opponent, he said.

“I know Japanese fans were looking forward to us pitching against each other,’’ Fujinami said through a translator. ‘’I thought it was good entertainment (for them).’’

n PRO SPORTS WRAPUP

Lakers, Clippers lose but Ducks win and climb up

Friday night was a fright night for the Los Angeles-area NBA teams.

Both suffered losses with implications for their playoff prospects.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost 110-102 to the Minnesota Timberwolves at home, keeping them (30-33) from rising to 10th place in the Western Conference and a potential spot in the postseason.

Anthony Davis had a monster night, scoring 38 points for the home team, including four three-pointers. He added five rebounds and two assists. But the next highest Laker scorer was Malik Beasley with 15 points. The Wolves (33-32) were more balanced, with five players scoring in double figures.

Up north in Sacramento, the

Los Angeles Clippers suffered another narrow loss, falling 128127 to the Kings. Paul George scored 28 and Russell Westbrook 27, but it wasn’t enough as the Clips (33-33) lost their fifth straight game and dropped them into eighth place in the Western Conference.

The Anaheim Ducks were the sole winner on Friday night, beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 at Honda Center. Jakob Silfverberg scored what proved to be the winning goal as Ducks improved to 21-34-8 (50 points) and climbed out of last place in the NHL Pacific Division.

Pacifica tops the High 5 for area prep softball

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League may be Los Alamitos (2-1), a perennial power. The Vikes and Griffins will face off on March 15 and April 4.

Marina and Edison will meet on March 14 and April 6.

Ocean View and Garden Grove are 13-1 between them and seem likely to fight for the Golden West League crown.

League play starts on April 5 and the two rivals will meet on April 7 at the Argo diamond and again on April 24 at OVHS in the last GWL contest of the season.

Westminster (4-3) should be in the playoff mix as well.

In the Garden Grove League, no team has – so far – risen above the pack.

Conference play begins on March 21; co-favorites (so far) Los Amigos and La Quinta will meet on April 11 and 26.

THE VIKINGS KEEP ON RAIDING

Mariners 1st in Softball For West Orange

Marina, Grove, Ocean View, Chargers ranked

The Pacifica High School Mariner softball team tops The Tribune’s initial High 5 rankings for the spring 2023 season.

Marina High School’s girls’ soccer team will play Saturday in the CIF SoCal Division III Regional Championship, hosting Moorpark. The Vikes (13-7-6) won the Sunset Wave title, but lost in the CIF-SS Division III title game to the Musketeers (20-4) 2-1 in overtime. Marina will get a chance at payback in the 6 p.m. game. Meanwhile, the Vikings’ girls’ basketball team (19-15) will visit South Hills High (23-10) of West Covina in a CIF State Division V semifinal game on Saturday at 7 p.m. The winner will play the victor of the St. Monica-San Pedro game on Friday, March 10.(HBUHSD photo).

Shohei satisfied with first Halo outing; off to the WBC

By Jack Thompson Associated Press

MESA, Ariz. (AP) –Shohei Ohtani had no issues with his pitches or the new clock in his first spring training outing this year, his only one for the Los Angeles Angels before he joins Japan for the World Baseball Classic.

Ohtani pitched 2 1/3 hitless innings against Oakland on Tuesday, striking out two and walking two. The two-way star, beginning his last season before he can become a free agent, did not bat.

“It’s always good to get the first game under my belt,” Ohtani said through translator Ippei Mizu-

hara. “The main goal today was to feel out all my pitches. I felt pretty good with all of them.”

“I wanted to ease in. I’m satisfied,” he added.

Ohtani, 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 219 strikeouts last season, is slated to start the March 30 opener

at Oakland.

He reached 98 mph against the Athletics. He walked Jesús Aguilar in the second and got out of the inning when Liván Soto grounded into a double play. Ohtani walked his last batter, Ryan Noda, and Luke Murphy relieved.

Ohtani used PitchCom to help his tempo.

“I was calling my own pitches,” Ohtani said. “That was just today, I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Ohtani will head back to Japan to prepare for his nation’s WBC opener against China on March 9.

Continued on page 7

Although the M’s have a relatively modest record (3-2) compared to the teams ranked second through fourth with six and seven wins, it must be taken into account that they are a Division I team that plays a tougher schedule than many others in West Orange County.

Chief rivals for the Mariners in the Empire League are Crean Lutheran (2-0) and Cypress (4-1-1). League play starts on Tuesday, March 21 vs. Valencia, and Paci-

fica faces its first big EL test on March 23 against Crean.

The second-ranked MarinaVikings (7-0) are not only unbeaten but are nearly unscored-upon. They’ve given up just six runs and scored 46.

Although Edison (3-2) is our fifth-ranked High 5 team, the Vikes’ toughest opponent in the Sunset

Continued on page 7

Prep Sports Scores

Friday, March 3 (softball)

Westminster 7, La Quinta 1

Savanna 12, Rancho Alamitos 2

Santa Ana Valley 13, Loara 12

Edison 7, Aliso Niguel 3

Huntington Beach 13, Fountain Valley 0

Friday, March 3 (baseball)

Santiago 7, Bolsa Grande 3

Los Amigos at Rancho Alamitos

La Quinta at Loara

Garden Grove at Cabrillo

Pacifica 4, Ocean View 3

Narbonne 3, Marina 2

Edison 1, Capistrano Valley 0

Huntington Beach 6, Gahr 3

Orange 1, Artesia 0

SHOHEI OHTANI to pitch for Japan in the WBC.