The Orange County Tribune March 8, 2023

Split Decision On ADUs and Splitting Lots

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By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune

How the City of Huntington Beach would handle the issues of accessory dwelling units and lot splits in areas zoned for single family homes resulted in a split decision before the city council Tuesday night.

After the closed session that preceded the main portion of the meeting, City Attorney Michael Gates said that the council voted 7-0 to not sue the State of California on those mandates from Sac-

But as for the issue of an announcement that the city would no longer accept applications for ADUs and lot splits, the council voted 4-3 to take no action on a proposal by Councilmember Dan Kalmick.

He had asked the council to reverse that policy saying that refusing to consider the applications puts the city in conflict with state law. Instead the matter will come before the council again at its next meeting on March 21.

Most of Tuesday’s meeting was taken up with public comments about the second and final ap-

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The Fourth Annual Kathy Ladd Chili Cook-Off and Car Show was held Saturday at Eastgate Park in West Garden Grove, featuring 14 chili-cooking teams and a wide array of classic automobiles, some historic and some notorious. Josh Lindsay is shown stirring his brew, which features a ground brisket and bacon. Lindsay, a construction contractor who is also a member of the Garden Grove Planning Commission, said he cooked his chili for 14 hours the day before to achieve the right flavor. “This is a great community event,” he said. “I love this community.” (OC Tribune photo).

By Deepa Bharath Associated Press

The Rev. Megan Rohrer, who was elected as the first openly transgender bishop of one of the largest Christian denominations in the country in May 2021, has filed a lawsuit alleging that he

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The staff of The Orange County Tribune will be taking a break for a vacation/ planning session.

This means that the enewspaper version of The Tribune will not publish on March 11, 15, 18, and 23. We’ll return with the issue of March 26.

Also, our www.orangecountytribune.com website will likely not be updated during this interval, and will resume on or about March 24.

Selecting the date for the 2024 Tet Parade

Deciding on the date for the 2024 Tet Parade, as well as accounting for the cost of a special election and the costs associated with the now-defunct Quang Tri monument project top the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting of the Westminster City Council.

The parade, held in observance of the lunar new year, was organized by the

city this year, and planning begins for the next one. The dates being considered are Saturday, Feb. 10, the first day of the lunar new year, and Sunday, Feb. 11, the second day of the lunar new year. Presented for the council’s consideration are the pros and cons of he two dates, including issues of conflicts with other events,

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HUNT. BEACH CITY COUNCIL

REV. MEGAN ROHRER

Huntington Beach City Council

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proval of an ordinance that would require that the display of flags on city property be limited to government flags, as well as

the POW/MIA banner.

Most – but not all – of those who spoke under public comments expressed opposition to the ordinance on the grounds

Ex-bishop and Stanton church

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was forced out from his post after enduring several months of discrimination and harassment. The denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, declined comment, according to an email from spokesperson Candice Buchbinder.

Rohrer, of San Francisco, resigned in June as bishop of the ELCA’s Sierra Pacific Synod amid allegations of racism after he fired the pastor of a predominantly Latino, immigrant congregation in Stanton on the Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, for which the community had

planned elaborate festivities.

In his lawsuit filed last week in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Rohrer accuses the denomination of discriminating against him for being transgender and deliberately misgendering him and creating a “hostile work environment.” He is seeking monetary damages.

Rohrer said that he always felt the support of Lutherans in the pews, but not from the higher echelons of the national church.

On his first day as bishop, during a video call, Rohrer said he was misgendered and ridiculed for featuring drag queens at his ordination.

Westminster city council

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costs, participation, etc.

In a related matter, the council may appoint two of its members to the Ad Hoc Committee for the parade.

Also on Wednesday night, the council will receive reports on the estimated costs of the Quang Tri Monument Committee, which were placed at $77,143.01. The panel was tasked with planning for the proposed monument celebrating the 1972 retaking of the Quang Tri Citadel by South Vietnamese forces with American assistance during the Vietnam War.

Most of those costs are attributed to staff time.

That project has since been abandoned in the wake of disagreements over the location and content of the proposed project. Also tallied was the cost of the Measure C ballot measure, placed before voters in 2022 on the issue of whether the office of mayor be should be changed from direct election to being selected from among the five members of the council. The number of council districts would have

been increased from four to five. Measure C was rejected by voters and the cost was put at $144,237. Most of those costs are from the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

The council will meet in its chambers at 8200 Westminster Blvd. with a closed session at 4 p.m.and open session at 6 p.m.

that it represented a ban on the rainbow “gay pride” flag.

The council nevertheless voted 4-3 – as before – in favor.

On both the applications issue and the flag policy, the majority was Mayor Tony Strickland,

Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark and Councilmembers

Pat Burns and Casey McKeon, with Councilmembers Rhonda Bolton, Dan Kalmick and Natalie Moser in the minority.

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.

Son convicted of murder of mother in 2017 incident

An Anaheim man will be sentenced next month in the death of his mother in the aftermath of a brutal incident on May 23, 2017.

According to the APD, Seth White will be sentenced in April. He was convicted on Feb. 16 of second degree murder in the death of Karen White, 58.

The Gem Theatre’s 100 years of entertainment

If you can’t afford a DeLorean or other time machine, you can get a lot of the same effect by visiting the Gem Theatre on Main Street in downtown Garden Grove.

Opened in 1923 for vaudeville shows and silent films, the Gem has had its ups and downs over the century and now is a literal “gem” as a venue for high quality musical theater.

We saw a production of “Oklahoma!” there on Sunday, with performances that would rival that of Broadway. The music, the acting, lighting, singing and choreography, all would stand up to the scrutiny of all but the most elitist theater snobs.

The Gem was, for many years, the only movie theater in town. In fact, there were no other places to see flicks closer than downtown Anaheim

Retorts

Jim Tortolano

or Santa Ana until the 1950s.

When my family moved to Garden Grove in 1960, the Gem was best-known by me and other kids as a place for Saturday matinees. The White family, whose home was located directly north of the theater on what was then Euclid Street, programmed the place with slightly stale but nevertheless enjoyable kid-friendly movies.

My brother, sister and

I would walk there and stand in line with about 100 other kids to pay 25 cents each for a seat, buy some certainly nutritional snacks (I favored Jujubes at that time) and watch a series of Biblical movies, westerns and adventure tales.

“Tarzan,” “Ben Hur,” “Wagon Master, “Jason and the Argonauts,” “The Ten Commandments” exploded across the screen in the dark, firing our grammar school imaginations. So what if the venue was less than pristine? (Wags at the old Garden Grove Daily News on Century Boulevard called it “The Germ”). So what if your sneakers stuck to the floor?

The Gem would eventually fall on hard times as competition grew from other larger, more

Anaheim police say that officers responded to reports of screams from a woman and the sound of a fight inside a mobile home.

When they arrived, they found a female victim struggling to breathe and suffering from extensive head trauma. She was taken to a local hospital and placed on life support.

Patrol officers located her son, Seth, who was 18 at the time.They determined he was the suspect in his mother’s assault and placed him under arrest.

He confessed to detectives that he had attacked his mother with a baseball

bat after an argument.

On April 1, 2018, she succumbed to her injuries. She had been a corrections officer for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation assigned to the California Institute for Men in Chino.

She had worked for the department since November 1996.

Sgt. Eric Michaelsen led the investigation and was assisted by personnel from patrol, forensic detail and the rest of the homicide detail.

Beautiful homes in GG will be honored

The City of Garden Grove invites homeowners to start sprucing up their home’s front yards for Garden Grove Gems, a home beautification program that recognizes residents for their outstanding curb appeal efforts.

Residents can self-nominate their homes online from Monday, April 10 through Friday, April 28. Online voting will take place from Monday, May 8 to Sunday, May 21.

Winning homes will receive citywide recognition

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SETH ALLEN WHITE (APD photo)

THE GEM THEATRE (originally the Gem Theater) is 100 years old this year and is a major attraction in Garden Grove’s downtown area (OC Tribune photo)

NewsUpdate

two survivors, one was wounded in the leg.

Also in the news … Working from a copy of video footage supplied to him by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Fox News commentator Tucker Carlson has released an edited segment that attempts to refute that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was a violent, illegal act.

Sports: Vikes win a title

with an 84 percent chance of precipitation. The daytime high should be 59 with an overnight low of 56.

Saturday is predicted to have morning showers with a high of 66 and a low of 55.

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

COMBAT RAGES in Bakhmut area (Wikipedia).

Attackers in a ‘last stand’?

As the fighting around Bakhmut in the east of Ukraine rages on, the Ukrainian military is claiming that one of the most effective forces fighting for Russia is faltering.

According to The New York Times, a spokesman for the defenders, said “This is their last stand,” referring to the Wagner Group of mercenaries.

Many soldiers in the Wagner Group are convicted criminals released from prison to take part in the invasion of Ukraine, and have suffered heavy casualties.

But the defenders have suffered heavy losses as well, and the

outcome of the battle remains undecided.

Two of four kidnapped have been killed

Two of the four Americans kidnapped by a drug cartel in Mexico are dead.

According to the Associated Press, the four were take away in a pickup truck and taken to various locations in the Matamores area.

They were found Tuesday. The two dead have been identified as Shaeed Woodard, 34, and Latavia Burgess, mid 20s. Of the

The Marina High School girls’ basketball team defeated San Pedro High Tuesday night 51-43 for the CIF SoCal Division V title.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 112-103 and the Anaheim Ducks lost 5-2 to the Seattle Kraken.

Weather: Clouds for days

The West Orange County area may get a bit of rain toward the weekend.

The forecast for Wednesday is for partly cloudy skies on Wednesday and Thursday, with daily highs at 61 and 68, and overnight lows at 46 and 52. Rain is expected on Friday

“Fortune” Not Fortunate-Ate

Good cast and more but ends up a disappointment

By Jocelyn Noveck AP National Writer

So what the heck is in the shiny alligator briefcase?

That essential question lingers over much - too much - of the running time of “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,” Guy Ritchie’s stylish but ultimately frustratingly half-baked spy caper. Everyone wants the $10 billion contents of the briefcase, but we don’t know exactly who’s selling, who’s buying and most importantly, what’s in there.

Not to stretch a metaphor, but this shiny case rather ends up becoming one for the movie itself: made of the finest materials – for example, crowd-pleasing cast members Aubrey Plaza and Hugh Grant – and hinting at sophistication and panache, while ending up as something of a head-scratcher.

Of course, for some, especially fans of Jason Statham, it will likely be enough just watching this Ritchie favorite practice his well-honed talent for handto-hand combat, casually dispatching a cascade of bad guys in leather jackets as the titular Orson Fortune, a perpetually annoyed, phobia-plagued, expensive wine- loving private contractor.

But it seems that Ritchie, who both co-wrote and directed, is going for something more sophisticated here. The first hint: That title. Perhaps you weren’t familiar with the French term “ruse de guerre”? Well, it signifies a ruse of war, or stratagem of war, or plan or scheme ... exactly what Fortune and his team need to counter the shady arms dealers, tech moguls and familiar rivals all seeking to recover

Movie Review

The Handle, which is what they call that elusive thing everyone’s fighting over.

We begin with Nathan (Cary Elwes), posh and pretty annoyed himself. The head of a covert spy agency, Nathan has been summoned by the government in London (why the graphics team felt it was necessary to specify “London, ENGLAND” is not clear) to head up a team.

Why, he asks, is official intelligence not handling this? “Ah, ruse de guerre, Nathan” he’s told - meaning this job needs an extra je-ne-sais-quoi.

Enter Fortune (Statham), who’s vacationing in Morocco when he’s told he has about two minutes to accept his new mission. He’s given two helpers, or “footmen”: Sarah (Plaza) and J.J. (Bugzy Malone).

The latter is good with weapons, and Sarah is a tech whiz, seemingly able to hack into any-

thing. The ever watchable Plaza, with her trademark flat delivery and expertly doled out sass, is a highlight of this cast, in the only substantial female role.

Like most of the characters, though, hers is barely fleshed out. It’s also unfortunate that she’s called upon to be sexy and seductive, as if this is simply the lot of any woman in an action thriller. Can’t we just have a talented female tech wizard?

In any case, the team’s initial target is billionaire arms dealer Greg Simmonds (Grant, reuniting with Ritchie from “The Gentlemen”), who is brokering the deal. Before they show up at his glittering charity event in Cannes, though, their luxury jet makes a detour to Hollywood, to pick up their “invitation”: Danny Francesco, an action movie star that Simmonds is obsessed with.

Danny is a willing accomplice – well, not really, but he’s blackmailed with compromising information about his sex life.

Fair: HH

His job is to “play” himself and befriend Simmonds so the team can get to the dealer’s phone. Orson will play Danny’s manager, and Sarah the girlfriend - a convenient reason to get Plaza dolled up in a series of slinky outfits with up-to-there slits.

“You’re an actor. Act!” she orders Danny (a sweetly amusing Josh Hartnett).

Grant is, as usual, a lively presence, especially as a villain – a role he’s come to relish in recent years. Alas, though the actor is obviously having loads of fun, he’s been given funnier and/or more villainous material in other roles (he’s nowhere near as menacing as he was, for example, as the doctor in “The Undoing”). His cockney arms dealer is yet another half-realized character, but Grant in any character role is still a winning proposition.

JASON STATHAM and Aubrey Plaza star in “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,” an actionpacked caper film, that disappoints (Lionsgate).

‘Operation Fortune’ not a lucky flick

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It’s an odd paradox that this movie feels both high-minded and also at times frustratingly pedestrian. Speaking of paradoxes, Plaza’s Sarah has a funny moment where she soulfully tells a minion of Simmonds, admiring the art collection he’s

curated, that “I’m interested in the paradox of dualistic motivation.” She’s just making it up, killing time, but the line, like that sleek briefcase, seems emblematic of a movie that aspires to sophistication yet in the end, doesn’t yield too much substance.

“Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre,” a Lionsgate release, has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America “for language and violence.” Running time: 114 minutes. MPAA definition of R: Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

A century of the Gem Theater in GG

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modern movie palaces. It closed in 1971 with the promise of “Open Soon!” on the weathered marquee.

Even though shuttered, the place was too beloved and of such historic and sentimental value that tearing it down was unthinkable. The City of Garden Grove, along with some

visionary and hard-charging residents, stepped up and acquired the place, renovated it and it reopened in 1979 as a live theater.

A companion 550-seat outdoor amphitheater was built next door, and is now the Garden Amp. The Gem survived some changes in management, a fire, and the coronavirus. Under

the management of Nicole Cassesso and Damien Lorton, the Gem is probably the most outstanding local live theater in the county. Performances are frequently sold out and reviews are full of adulation.

There are lots of good reasons to go to the Gem. For me, or anyone who munched popcorn while watching Samson pull down the temple or Tarzan swing through the jungle, it’s a trip back to a simpler and memorable time.

Seeking out some beautiful homes in Garden Grove

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with homeowners invited to an awards reception hosted by the Garden Grove City Council.

The home that receives the highest number of votes, along with a second-place runner up, will be determined for each district.

All winners will be announced during the week of May 29, 2023 through the city’s website, social media platforms, and local media.

For more information and program guidelines, visit ggcity.org/gems or call (714) 7415200.

For

Prep Sports Results

Tuesday, March 7 (softball)

Bolsa Grande 23, Orange 9

Los Amigos at Western

Rio Hondo Prep 13, La Quinta 3

Rancho Alamitos at Trabuco Hills

Westminster at Santiago

Pacifica at El Modena

Orangewood at Crean Lutheran

Oxford 11, Magnolia 1

Edison 10, Newport Harbor 0 (five innings)

Marina 2, Huntington Beach 1

Marina Viking girls had a great winter season

Baseball

• Division 1: Huntington Beach (ninth).

• Division 6: Garden Grove (sixth)

• Division 7: Bolsa Grande (received votes).

Softball

• Division 1: Pacifica (10th)

• Division 2: Marina (first)

• Division 4: Edison (sixth)

• Division 5: Ocean View (received votes).

• Division 7: Los Amigos (eighth).

Boys’ tennis

• Division 2: Edison (sixth)

• Division 4: Rancho Alamitos (fifth)

• Division 5: Garden Grove (received votes)

Girls’ lacrosse

• Divisions 1/2: Edison (second)

• Division 3: Huntington Beach (ninth).

Gavin Lux’s very bad luck

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a couple of steps before his right knee buckled, he stumbled forward and fell to the ground. He said he felt something pop and his leg went numb.

“I think my cleat got kind of stuck into the ground a little bit and straightened out a little funky, and bowed out. ... Freak thing. I don’t even think it’s really avoidable,” Lux said. “In hindsight, probably should have just took the throw to the nose and worn it.”

The Dodgers’ first-round pick in the 2016 amateur draft, Lux played nine games at shortstop last season while hitting .276 with six homers and 42 RBIs in 129 games, most at second base and some in left field. He led the NL with seven triples.

Turner left as a free agent for Philadelphia this winter. That came after Corey Seager left the Dodgers the previous offseason and signed with Texas.

Miguel Rojas is now expected to get the bulk of playing time at shortstop for the Dodgers, with Chris Taylor also an option. The 34-year-old Rojas was acquired from Miami in a January trade.

“Crush my rehab and try to be ready for 2024, when it rolls around,” Lux said. “It’s kind of all you can do.”

As for the Dodgers...

For

Through Tuesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers are 6-2, including a 2-2 tie with the Angels. They will next host the Seattle Mariners (5-6) in Glendale on Wednesday evening.

Vikings’ Spring Teams Battled at Top Level

Marina defeats

San Pedro for SoCal D-V title

Regardless of the outcomes, it’s been a pretty glorious winter for Marina High girls’ athletic teams.

The Vikings’ basketball team underlined all that with a 51-43 win over San Pedro High for the CIF SoCal Division V title on Tuesday night

Tiano To led the Vikes with 19 points and seven steals. Rylee Bradley had 14 points and four steals. Sydnie Smith had nine points and 10 rebounds.

It’s been a remarkable year for the Vikes. They had a bumpy time and at one point lost five in a row. However, they won three straight in the CIF-SS playoffs before falling 39-38 to Gahr in the Division 5AA title game.

In the SoCal regionals, the Vikings beat Lompoc and got revenge against

n AREA PREP SPORTS WRAP

Gahr by a 49-43 score and defeated South Hills 62-47 in the semifinal to set up the title game.

The Marina team will advance to the state championships.

The Marina girls’ soccer team lost by the narrowest of margins in the CIF SoCal Division III final on Saturday.

After Moorpark and the Vikings played to a 1-1 tie, the Musketeers won

11-10 in a shootout. Marina finished the season at 13-8-6 and was the Sunset Wave champion, and finished second in the CIF-SS Division 3 playoffs, losing 2-1 to Moorpark for the third time.

Spring CIF-SS polls honor 13

This week’s CIF-SS polls for spring sports have 13 local teams mentioned. Here they are, by sport.

Continued on page 7

Prep Sports Results

Tuesday, March 7 (baseball)

Bolsa Grande 6, Rancho Alamitos 4

Santiago at La Quinta

Loara 7, Los Amigos 5

Pacifica 4, Millikan 3

Anaheim 5, Garden Grove 3

Ayala at Ocean View

Westminster at Savanna

Fountain Valley 4, Huntington Beach 1

Calvary Chapel/Santa Ana 5, Orange 1

n PRO SPORTS WRAPUP

Gavin Lux’s very bad luck ... but wait till next year

By Stephen Hawkins AP Baseball Writer

Gavin Lux hasn’t seen the video of the injury that ended his chance of being the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting shortstop this season, and has no plans to watch it. Lux will miss the season with torn ligaments in his right knee after getting hurt running the bases in a spring training game. The 25-year-old came to camp as the top candidate to replace Trea Turner as the Dodgers’ primary shortstop.

“That’s one of the hardest parts,” Lux said, fighting back tears and leaning on crutches inside the team’s facility in Glendale, Arizona. “I think every baseball player’s dream is to play shortstop for the Los

Angeles Dodgers.”

Lux got hurt when running between second and third base against San Diego after a ground ball was hit to third. Soon after ducking to avoid a throw to second, he took

Continued on page 7

move forward but Ducks take a loss

Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers moved to within sight of a playoff spot on Tuesday, and the Anaheim Ducks couldn’t climb out of last place in the NHL Pacific Division. With a 112-103 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at home, the Lakers improved their record to 32-24 and moved to within a half-game of a post-season spot. Anthony Davis continued to shine with 30 points and 22 rebounds. Three other Lakers – Dennis Schroder, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves – scored 17 points.

The Ducks, on the other hand, lost 5-2 to the Seattle Kraken up north. The loss snapped a streak of five games in which the team scored at least one point. Seattle opened a 2-0 lead in the first period and extended it to a 4-1 lead. Scoring for the Ducks were Max Comtois and Trevor Zegras.

With the loss, Anaheim’s record fell to 21-35-8, good for 50 points and a tie for last in the division with the San Jose Sharks.

GAVIN LUX is out for the season with a knee injury.

MARINA HIGH School girls’ basketball team played for the CIF SoCal Division V title Tuesday against San Pedro HIgh School. (HBUHSD photo).

FOR SOFTBALL SCORES, SEE PAGE 7