The Orange County Tribune Dec. 22, 2021

Covering Garden Grove Huntington Beach Stanton Westminster

Non-partisan News Opinion Arts & Living Sports

Printed in Garden Grove, California n orangecountytribune.com n Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021 n orangecountytribune@gmail.com

GG man arrested in the fatal beating of woman An apparent domestic dispute turned deadly in Garden Grove on Saturday afternoon.

A woman is dead and a man is in custody on a charge of murder in an incident that took place in

the 13600 block of Glenhaven Drive, southwest of Trask Avenue and Euclid Street.

According to Detective Sgt. Evan Beresford of

MANUEL VEERMAN

HB council backs compromise with its city attorney

the GGPD, police were summoned at about 2:47 p.m. to an address on Glenhaven in reference to “a female in distress.”

While en route to

the location, word came that there was a fatality.

Officers discovered a woman with major trauma to her face and head area. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Issue to be continued to Jan. 18 At a long meeting that was – by turns – contentious and conciliatory, the Huntington Beach City Council continued a controversial proposal on legal advice to the first meeting in January.

The council voted 7-0 in favor of moving the issue into a closed session to iron out the process of how the council could direct City Attorney Michael Gates to hire an out-

side attorney to provide the council with a “second opinion” when desired.

After the council heard dozens of speakers and sometimes-testy exchanges between some councilmembers and Gates, the panel backed off on the agenda item that had suggested that the council could select “an outside legal firm that would directly report to and support the city council.”

The intent of the approved motion was to include Gates – who is elected directly by voters – in the process and not create a rival legal entity allied to the council.

There’s a history of some friction between the sometimes outspoken Gates and the council, one sharpened by the emergence of a new majority on the council since the 2020 municipal election.

Gates argued that such a separate legal advisory source was illegal and violated the city charter. “I am the sole legal voice of the city of Continued on page 2

DARIN LENYI, POLICE CHIEF Veteran lawmaker is Westminster top cop

POSITIVELY, HE’S HAPPY TO BE HERE

By Jim Tortolano

The stereotypes of police chiefs are often glum and dour. But Westminster’s new “top cop” is positively, well, positive.

“I absolutely love the people the people I work with and all my colleagues,” said Darin Lenyi, who assumed the job as chief of police on Nov. 1.

“Everyone seems extremely supportive.”

That said, Lenyi, 55, does not put on rosecolored glasses when he talked about the several challenges he faces as leader of the WPD. Three issues stood out to him.

“Stabilizing the department after a series of

Based on a description, officers quickly found suspect Manuel Martin Veerman, 55, in the area of Garden Grove Boulevard and Nelson Street.

He was taken into Continued on page 2

‘Winter surge’ covid stats hitting the OC The count of confirmed new coronavirus cases in Orange County surged in Tuesday’s report.

According to the county health care agency, the total jumps from Monday’s three-day average of 449 to 652 today. Deaths went from two to four and hospitalizations declined from 195 to 188.

The number of patients being treated for COVID-19 in intensive care units remained steady at 56 for the third consecutive day.

To date, Orange County has had 320,838 cases, of which 306,508 are considered recovered. The total number of deaths is at 5,857.

On the national level, The New York Times is reporting that – over a 14day period – new cases are averaging a 20 percent

Continued on page 2

Follow local news all week long at orangecountytribune.com

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2 WEDNESDAY, DEC. 22, 2021/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

New chief is positively happy to be here Continued from page 1

short-term and interim chiefs would be a big one,” he said, “and everything that goes along with that.”

The second big challenge is out of his hands. “Our budget is dependent on a tax measure,” he said, referring to Measure SS, a 1 percent city sales tax that is set to expire in December 2022. If voters don’t approve an extension, a deficit in the municipal budget of $17.2 million is projected for the fiscal year of 2023-24.

So far, the city council has defeated efforts to place an extension on the ballot.

Third is finding qualified candidates to serve on the police force, which has 89 sworn positions authorized, but only 74 are filled at present.

“It was always a difficult job,” said Lenyi, “but the scrutiny involved in wearing the badge now is second to none.”

Lenyi feels he’s a good choice to tackle those and

HB council Continued from page 1

Huntington Beach,” he said.

Mayor Barbara Delgleize said, “There are legal opinions on all sides.” She conceded that while the city attorney’s office usually provided appropriate service to the council, “we have seen a couple of cases where that has not happened.”

At the heart of the dispute is language in the city charter which most council members Tuesday night suggested was ambiguous or contradictory. In any case, Delgleize said, “The city charter is not written in stone.”

Huntington Beach, having incorporated in 1904, is the only city in Orange County to have an elected city attorney, city clerk and city treasurer.

“I can’t believe we are having this discussion four days before Christmas,” said Councilmember Kim Carr.

The next council meeting is set for Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022.

other obstacles.

Originally from the Queens borough of New York City, his family moved to California in his youth. “From the first thing I remember, I was always interested in both the military and law enforcement,” he said. While working as a police officer, he served four years in the California State Military Reserve [now the California State Guard] working with the military police unit at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos.

He began his law enforcement path in his hometown of Placentia as a police Explorer in the early 1980s. From there he was a police cadet in Anaheim, and then started a 30-year-stint with the Laguna Beach Police Department. Before coming to Westminster, he was chief of police in Placentia.

Now, he’s involved in the All American City’s law enforcement needs. “I’m excited to be here,” he said.

“I think the challenges

that face Westminster are things I’m suited for and have experience with. I look forward to making Westminster a safer place to live and work. I’m proud to be part of the Westminster Police Department because it has so many fine members to work with.”

The Orange County Tribune is published on Wednesdays.

Address is 9402 Luders Ave., Garden Grove, 92844. E-mail is orangecountytribune@gmail.com.

Our website is 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.

Covid numbers up for Orange County Continued from page 1

increase, while deaths are up 3 percent. In California, cases are up 5 percent but deaths are down 13 percent over a similar period, according to Los Angeles Times.

Suspect arrested Continued from page 1

custody, questioned and booked into Orange County Jail in Santa Ana for murder.

Witnesses heard Veerman and the victim arguing inside the home before he left.

One witness then entered and found the victim and called police.

According to witnesses, Veerman and the victim had been in a “long-term relationship.”

The investigation is continuing.

The best in local news

ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, DEC. 22, 2021 3

News&Views GG stabbing victim slays his attacker Domestic dispute’s fatal conclusion A man was fatally shot Friday morning in Garden Grove after reportedly kicking in a door and confronted a man he had previously stabbed in a domestic violence incident.

According to Detective Sgt. Evan Beresford of the GGPD, the incident took place around 11 a.m. on Friday in the 11900 block of Sycamore, southwest of the intersection of Garden Grove and Harbor boulevards.

Arriving officers found a man face down on the staircase with apparent gunshot wounds. Upon further investigation, they found the victim of the earlier incident and his girlfriend.

The decedent reportedly forced

his way into the home and headed upstairs towards the victim, who fired several rounds from a pistol at him, hitting him. Paramedics arrived and attempted life-saving measures, but he died at the scene.

This incident is apparently the second act in a tragedy that began on Sunday, Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. at the same location. A man had suffered multiple stab wounds to his chest. He told police he was in the kitchen with his girlfriend when a man broke in through the back door and stabbed him several times in the chest after threatening to kill him.

The victim was able to escape and call police. He was taken to

CRIME SCENE AT FATAL INCIDENT Stabbing suspect shot by his victim in Garden Grove UCI Medical Center Orange for treatment. The suspect left the scene before police arrived.

Investigation by detectives indicated the deceased suspect was the former boyfriend of the victim’s girlfriend. They had several children in common and there was an active domestic

violence restraining order against the suspect barring him from going to that location and contacting his ex-girlfriend.

The names of the victim and suspect are being withheld.

Witnesses with information about the incident are asked to contact the GGPD at (714) 741-5818.

A different kind of guide for the new holiday season

MARINER CHEERLEADERS FORM UP “Adopt A Child” is an annual holiday event

Pacifica High students ‘adopt’ kids from GGUSD elementary schools The annual “Adopt A Child” event at Pacifica High School in Garden Grove on last Wednesday continued a 25-year (and more) tradition in which PHS seniors are paired up with kindergartners for a morning of gift giving, cookie decorating, games, and more.

The children hosted were from Clinton, Eisenhower, Hazard, Heritage, Simmons and Russell elementary schools. The event was held in the school’s new gymnasium, which was transformed into Santa’s Village.

Pacifica is part of the Garden Grove Unified School District, which serves most of Garden Grove and parts of Anaheim, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana and Westminster.

If you’re like most of us, you are hipdeep in the holiday season. Regardless of your spiritual affiliation, you are stuck in Christmasland for the next week or two, so you have to cope with the crowds, the traffic, the parties, the decorations, etc.

The same, of course, is true at our house.

We went out and got a huge tree which is now in the front room, decorated like the Moulin Rouge and listing a couple of degrees to starboard.

By far, Christmas shopping is the toughest thing to endure. There are too many people in too small a space (no matter how big the mall or store), not enough help, not enough time and – frequently – not enough patience.

So here are some holiday commerce tips that may speed your way toward a happier, or at least, more informed shopping experience.

Park near where the Sears used to be. America’s one-time shopping giant is now staggering in a complex marketplace. The term “Sears fashion” has become an oxymoron. So if you’re looking for a place to plunk your Trailblazer, consider the Sears part of the mall, or where it used to be. Vast expanses of asphalt near there.

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A different kind of look at holiday season Continued from page 3

Gift cards. These may seem impersonal, but stop and think – how often, as a gift recipient, have you ever gotten what you really wanted? Not that often, right?

Giving someone a gift card puts the power back in their hands. And what’s additionally cool is that you can buy, for example, cards for Nordstrom’s or Home Depot or Olive Garden right there in your

local Vons or Ralphs.

Decode the Language: Store clerks at this time of year are often “seasonal help” who may a) not be fully up-to-speed or b) resent having to work when all their friends are out shopping.

To put it another way, you may not be dealing with the varsity.

When I converse with these folks, I seem to get a familiar series of responses that have

another entire meaning.

When you ask, “Do you have any more of these in a different size?” they will answer, “All of our stock is out on the floor.” What they really mean is “I am in no mood to go running back and forth for you. My break is coming up.

Go away!”

When you ask, “I bought this here and it’s broken,” they might say “We can send it out to be repaired, but it has to go to Jupiter and you’ll get it back in six to 10 months.” What they really mean is “I’m a temp. Take your problems somewhere else. I’ll be gone in four days.”

When you ask, “How late is this store open,” they might say (accompanied by an eye roll) “Til 10 on weekdays and midnight on weekends.” Which means, “I am in living hell. I am hoping for a power outage.”

Knowing what the help is thinking is useful only because these sorts of answers are hints to find another salesperson, or another store. Things will only get worse from here.

Christmas cards. Don’t bother.

It’s now estimated that three billion people are on Facebook, and so it’s likely that everybody you know is still in touch with you. The volume of holiday paper greetings is in free fall, their absence in the postal system being more than compensated by the flood of unwanted catalogs and come-ons.

And be assured. Those Facebook messages are every bit as sincere and honest as those in the cards you used to send and receive.

Smirk not necessary.

Gatherings. As with automobiles, your mileage may vary. Holiday parties and such run the gamut from joyous to catastrophic. In my family, the joy of Christmas morning was usually followed by the dark cloud of grown-up reveling, which meant heavy clouds of tobacco smoke, copious amounts of liquor, and increasingly loud voices.

There’s something about decking the halls that can bring the most, uh, extreme aspects of a personality. Some folks get all emotional and misty and want to hug the farkle out of you. Others, emboldened by too many rum balls (and too much rum) start up with “You know, I’ve always wanted to Continued on page 6

ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, DEC. 22, 2021 5

Arts&Living We all need a dose of “Ted Lasso”

By Jim Tortolano In a world of flashy, high-concept, computer-generated entertainment, it’s difficult to stand out, to rise above the crowd and the noise.

So how do we account for the unparalleled success of the schmaltzy old-fashioned cheerfulness of “Ted Lasso,” which received a Buick-full – that’s 20 – Emmy nominations and won 10 statues?

No special effects to speak of.

No mega stars to attract the idle curious. No violence or gratuitous bed antics to titillate the sadly vicarious.

Aside from this Apple TV+ show’s many virtues – great scripts, a wonderful ensemble cast of real-seeming people and Jason Sudeikis’ stellar (but underplayed) performance as Lasso – there’s more to this success story, a lot more.

We live in an extraordinarily cynical and disillusioned time.

A big chunk of people have lost confidence in the news media, science, government, religion and just about anything else you can name.

Without a common reference point, anything can be true. The Other Side is no damn good, and they feel the same way about you.

Grumble. Fight. Insult. Accuse.

And yet, there’s a feeling out there, too, that maybe we have gone too far in choosing up sides and believing in next to nothing, especially as regards other human beings.

“Ted Lasso” appears on the cultural scene as the antidote for all that. In case you are not “Lasso-wise,” this is the story of a relentlessly upbeat American football coach hired to run an English soccer team. To make the logical climb even steeper, he has not Idea One about how soccer (what they call “football” Over There) is played, nor any Continued on page 6

CITRUS WORKERS IN ORANGE COUNTY IN 1930s ... A strike by pickers roiled the county’s signature agricultural product

A ‘guide’ along a narrow ‘people’s’ path in Orange Co. Somewhat ‘woke’ but interesting with useful history lessons

By Jim Tortolano I have to cock a skeptic’s eye at any book that put a modifier in the title.

It’s with this apprehension that I take up “A People’s Guide to Orange County,” a new work from the University of California Press.

Authored by Elaine Lewinnek, Gustavo Arellano and Thuy Vo Dang, this is as much a history as it is a guide, and is politically akin to Howard Zinn’s “A People’ History of the United States.”

This trio of authors does an excellent job of shining light on places and incidents not well known in the story of the county most famous for being the home of Disneyland, the longsuffering Angels baseball team and its status as a fast-fading conservative stronghold.

If you can overlook the “woke”

selectivity of this guide, there is a lot to enjoy and admire here. The writing is crisp and it uncovers some possibilities previously unknown to the general public.

Where there nuclear weapons in Garden Grove? (Maybe). Was there a Chinatown in Orange County that was literally burned to the ground by panicked whites? (Assuredly). Was the OC a ground zero of the “punk rock” scene – including wannabes?

(Surprisingly, yes).

Here’s a place to learn about the county’s hidden history and the sometimes-violent undercurrents of the OC’s former status as a citrus capital.

However, the selectivity of the topics betrays the bias of the collection. As with Zinn’s work, the use of term “people’s” really means those people of specific sociopolitical bent that emphasizes a narrative of evil white people and oppressed minorities (racial, sexual and musical).

There’s no more complexity or nuance in “people’s” histories than in the “patriot” prefixed books from Fox News types in which white America is blameless and perfect, our history having proceeded from one morally pure triumph to another.

Still, considering the paucity of serious literature about Orange County, this “People’s Guide” is a valuable addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in a complete – if not completely even-handed – picture of the OC.

6 WEDNESDAY, DEC. 22, 2021/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

The wit and wisdom of “Ted Lasso” and crew Comtinued from page 5

of the terminology of the sport or uniquely British aspects of the English language.

After stiff initial resistance from fans and players, Lasso’s enthusiasm and subtle knowledge of human nature begins to win folks over, and his team begins to win games.

The incessant yelling and complaining of too many coaches’ parallels our cultural and political world. Do you have to be loud and obnoxious to be heard? Do you have to demonize your rivals to compete successfully, on the “pitch” or in the wider arena of ideas?

“Lasso” makes the opposite case.

In one of the seminal moments of the show, Ted is matched up

against an obnoxious billionaire in a darts contest. The overconfident moneybags looks on smirking as Ted issues a gentle monologue as he takes aim at the board.

“All my life, people have underestimated me,” he says.

He notes that they were judgmental but never curious. “If they had been curious,” Ted says, “they would have asked questions, like ‘have you played much darts?’ “ At that point Ted buries a dart dead center in the bullseye.

This show has hit the bull’s-eye not only in entertainment but also as a wise commentary on our angry society. Stop judging. Be curious. And, maybe, be a little bit quieter and kinder. In today’s rude landscape, that stands out.

“TED LASSO” is about more than soccer ...

Humor, philosophy and culture clashes

A HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OF OUR READERS!

ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, DEC. 22, 2021 7

Husband and wife arrested in fatal hit/run

IDENTIFICATION SOUGHT OF TWO SUSPECTS IN SMASH-AND-GRAB ROBBERIES Incident took place at Walmart in Westminster back in November

Public help sought in smash/grab heists The public’s help in being sought in identifying two suspects wanted in a smash-and-grab robbery that took place at a

Walmart store in November in Westminster.

According to the Westminster Police Department, the incident took place on Nov. 30 at 1:19 p.m. at 13331 Beach Blvd.

The suspects are described as: • a male Black in his 20s wearing a black shirt and pants with a red stripe down the side and black shoes; • a male Hispanic in his 20s wearing a black jacket, white shirt, jeans and a white face mask.

The suspects smashed a display case and removed Nest doorbell

cameras, Nest thermostats and Arlo doorbell cameras with a total value of $889.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the WPD at (714) 8983315x4659 or send an e-mail to asanchez@westminster-ca.gov .

The Orange County Tribune covers Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster

A husband-and-wife couple was arrested Sunday evening in a reported fatal hit-and-run incident in Huntington Beach between a sport utility vehicle and a pedestrian.

According to Jennifer Carey, public information officer for the HBPD, the accident took place before 6:41 p.m. near Pacific Coast Highway and 24th Street.

Arriving officers found a 66-yearold man whose injuries indicated he had been struck by a motor vehicle. The man was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the automobile had fled the scene.

As the field investigation progressed, officers were approached by Kimberly Burch, 39, of Surfside. She told them she was the driver of the 2017 gray Jeep Grand Cherokee that fatally struck the pedestrian.

After she was arrested, it was determined by police that it was actually her husband – Daniel Burch, 47, also of Surfside – who had been driving and drove away.

He was also placed under arrest.

It’s unknown whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the collision.

The preliminary investigation indicated that the pedestrian was in the roadway near PCH and 24th when the Jeep struck him while going south on Pacific Coast Highway.

Anyone who may have witnessed the accident or events leading up to it is asked to call HBPD traffic investigators at (714) 536-5670 or (714) 536-5231.

Are you interested in placing advertising in The Orange County Tribune (print and website)?

Call Jim at (714) 4581860 for details.

8 WEDNESDAY, DEC. 22, 2021/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

TheSportsPage Goff’s big present, Chargers’ big mistakes You could make a pretty good argument that one of the best things that Jared Goff ever did for the Los Angeles Rams came after he left the Los Angeles Rams.

Mr. Goff, who was shuffled off to Detroit after a couple of disappointing seasons here, became the field general for a Lions team that was winless through 10 games. But they have since warmed up and won two of three, the last one being the victory that should make Rams’ fans send a “thank you” card up to Michigan.

Playing like the guy the Rams thought they had drafted, Goff passed for 216 yards and two touchdowns with zero interceptions as the Lions upset the Arizona Cardinals 30-12 on Sunday.

That dropped the Cards’ record to 10-4. The Rams, therefore, at 9-4 can knot up the NFC West race with a win on Tuesday (a coronavirus-inspired schedule change) against the Seattle Seahawks (5-8).

The Rams got a lucky break with Detroit’s unexpected win, but the Los Angeles Chargers got their hearts’ broken in Thursday’s 3428 overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Playing against future Hall of Famer Patrick Mahomes, the Chargers rallied from a 10-0 deficit and scored what could have been the winning touchdown on a pass from Justin Herbert to Keenan Allen with a little over five minutes left in the fourth quarter.

But that was too much time as the Chiefs tied it at 28-all on a Mahomes to Travis Kelce TD pass with just 17 seconds to go.

In overtime, Mahomes again hooked up with Kelce, this time for 34 yards and the game-

line.”

In the NHL, the situation is a little more complex with 16 qualifiers.

The top three teams in each division qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs, along with the next two highest-placed finishers in each conference, regardless of division.

The Ducks (tied for first in the NHL Pacific) are in good shape, but not the Kings, who are fifth in the Pacific but 10th in the conference. The boys from Staples Center did help their cause on Sunday with a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Washington Capitols on the road.

Sports Calendar for the coming week

JUSTIN HERBERT PLAYED SMART VS. KC ... but maybe the Chargers’ coach wasn’t so wise

Keeping an eye on the playoff picture winning TD. The loss was all the more … bitter? perplexing? … because Chargers’ head coach Brandon Staley thrice passed up chip-shot field goal tries in order to go for it on fourth down and failed.

Given another chance, would Staley have done it differently?

“That’s the way we’re gonna play around here,” he said. “When we have a quarterback like ours and an offense like ours, that’s the way we’re going to play.”

The Chargers will get another chance on Sunday in Houston against the Texans (3-11).

Maybe they’ll kick the field goal there.

Crippled by injuries and perhaps by a lack of determined defense, the Lakers and the Clippers are mired in the middle of the NBA Pacific Division and in danger of missing the playoffs.

The Clips are 16-14 and are sixth in the Western Conference.

The Lakers are just a half-game worse at 16-15, but it’s a big half-game because that places them in seventh place. The top eight teams in each conference make the post-season, making the LA teams just a couple of losses away from dropping below “the

• Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday • Los Angeles Chargers at Houston Texans on Sunday • Los Angeles Lakers host the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, then the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday.

• Los Angeles Clippers visit the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, and then host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

• Los Angeles Kings will visit the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday and the Arizona Coyotes next Monday (Dec. 27).

• Anaheim Ducks’ games scheduled on Monday in Edmonton and Tuesday in Calgary have been postponed because of COVID-19 concerns.

The Point After: “Some things are just out of control that we can’t control,” said the Lakers’ Carmelo Anthony after a 115110 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

“Sports Week” will take next week off because of the holidays and be back on Jan. 5, 2022.