The Orange County Tribune Feb. 16, 2022

Covering Garden Grove Huntington Beach Stanton Westminster

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Printed in Garden Grove, California n orangecountytribune.com n Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022 n orangecountytribune@gmail.com

Bolsa Chica annexation study will proceed

By Zia Zografos Orange County Tribune

Plans for a possible annexation of the currently unincorporated Bolsa Chica State Ecological Reserve is under consideration.

The Huntington Beach City

Council on Tuesday night voted 6-1 with Councilmember Erik Peterson dissenting to update the Bolsa Chica annexation feasibility study, in which city staff will later return to the city council to further discuss pros and cons of an annexation.

Huntington Beach first prepared the feasibility study to annex the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in 2009, where it was later updated in 2013, and then came to a standstill in 2015. This was due to the council’s questioning regarding the logistics of annexing the wet-

lands.

Now, the feasibility study will be updated to reflect all relevant changes over the past decade.

Councilmember Dan Kalmick, who submitted the item, stated in his report that absorbing the Continued on page 2

Two Arrested In Garden Grove Murder Attempt Suspects are brothers, transients Two transients have been arrested by Garden Grove police for an attempted homicide shooting.

According to the GGPD, the incident took place on Sunday in the 11000 block of Trask Avenue, east of Euclid Street.

Arrested were Eric Joseph Hernandez, 23, and Michael Ryan Gregg, 31.

Both are said to frequent locations in Garden Grove.

On Sunday at about 8:50 p.m., GGPD officers were dispatched to that location in response to a report of a shooting.

Arriving officers found a male victim with gunshot wounds to his lower legs. He was taken to a local hospital Continued on page 2

Coronavirus numbers fall Despite small increases in some areas of Tuesday’s report on the coronavirus from the Orange County Health Care Agency, the overall trend suggests that the Confirmed new cases are “winter surge” fueled largely at 702, up modestly from by the Omicron variant is Continued on page 2 fading.

NEW HUNTINGTON BEACH POLICE CHIEF ERIC PARRA He’s a long-time resident of “Surf City” (Zia Zografos photo)

New “sheriff” is a local

By Zia Zografos Orange County Tribune

Huntington Beach’s newly-appointed police chief, Eric Parra, 57, has been a resident of “Surf City” for 30 years, commuting two and a half hours each way to his previous roles with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, including as a division chief.

After a stint as chief of police in Alhambra, he is now the “sheriff” in his own city. Parra has new plans for monitoring problems within Huntington Beach with the added

advantage of all his years as a resident.

Homelessness, police reform approaches, and managing downtown rowdiness are among the issues Parra felt can be tackled with a progressive and innovative angle.

“My first day on the job, we had a 65-year-old man shot in Sunset Beach,” said Parra. “I live so close, I stopped by the victim’s house, knocked on his door, and we had a conversation for a half hour where I was able to talk to him about his case and where it was going, and ask him Continued on page 4

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2 WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

Coronavirus “surge” starting to fade Continued from page 1

Monday’s four-day average of 690.5 and deaths are at 18, up from the four-day average of 12.5.

But both figures were far below the daily numbers of a week, or even several days ago.

Hospitalizations declined from 453 to 431 and the number of persons being treated for

COVID-19 in intensive care units fell from 89 to 77.

To date, Orange County has had 533,499 cases of coronavirus, of which 484,825 are considered recovered. The total of deaths is at 6,376.

Nationally, new cases – over a two-week period – are down by 66 percent, according to The New

York Times, and deaths have decreased by 6 percent.

In California, new cases are also down by 66 percent, but deaths are up by 26 percent, reports Los Angeles Times.

Bolsa Chica annexation study Continued from page 1

wetlands could add to the tourist attractions of Huntington Beach and could also complete the city’s corporate boundary, joining Sunset Beach and Brightwater.

Victor Leipzig, a 40-year resident and former member of city council, gave his approval to reinitiate the feasibility study and also offered the support on behalf of two environmental organizations, Amigos De Bolsa Chica and the Sea & Sage Audubon Society.

“Both of those organizations do not wish to take a position at this

time as to annexation itself, but only the value of doing a study of its benefits so that the public can have the information necessary for the public and the city council to make an informed decision,” said Leipzig.

Community member Cathy Fikes wrote a strong disapproval in an email to the city, stating that the city council should not consider doing anything to the Bolsa Chica Wetlands as, “It is already massively ruined from the developments that have already taken over the bluffs and bean field.”

Two brothers are arrested Continued from page 1

and is in stable condition.

The investigation that followed indicated that the victim got into a fight with Gregg. After that altercation, Gregg allegedly returned with his brother, Hernandez, to confront the victim.

Police said that Hernandez fired “multiple shots” at the

The Tribune:

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victim, striking him three times.

Both suspects left the scene and were later arrested. The handgun used in the incident has not been found.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the GGPD at (714) 741-5824.

The Orange County Tribune is published on Wednesdays. Address is 9402 Luders Ave., Garden Grove, 92844.

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ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16, 2022 3

News&Views

Bolsa Row project goes before planners

By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune

Anti-Semitic flyers are condemned by HB mayor Huntington Beach Mayor Barbara Delgleize issued a statement Tuesday in response to complaints that a neighborhood in the city was the target of anti-Semitic “messaging and propaganda” this morning.

“I have been assured by our chief of police that the … police department is actively investigating this situation and the source of the flyers.”

While the HBPD believe the distribution of the flyers was “isolated to a very small area,” police are “taking it very seriously and following every lead.”

Delgleize wrote, “We have zero tolerance for hateful rhetoric or prejudice within our community.”

The city’s Human Relations Committee will be asked to work with the HBPD and county officials to look into the incident.

While expressions of bigotry are protected by the First Amendment to the U.S Constitution, they may be prosecuted under California law if intended to terrorize a person or group based on nationality, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or disability, or as an aggravating factor for punishment connected with a crime.

As of this writing, the contents of the flyers or the location of their distribution have not been made public.

Stabbing suspect arrested A 47-year-old transient was arrested Saturday morning at a supermarket in Westminster for allegedly stabbing a man.

According to Sgt. Eddie Esqueda of the WPD, the incident took place at the Stater Bros. market at 8522 Westminster Blvd. At around 8:57 a.m., officers were dispatched there to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon.

Officers found a victim who had been stabbed “multiple times” in the back, head and back. Orange County Fire Authority paramedics treated the victim and he was transported to an area hospital where he is expected to survive.

Accounts by witnesses led officers to a nearby Laundromat where a suspect – identified as Sang Van Phan, who has been frequenting Westminster – was arrested. The knife used in the stabbing was recovered.

When the Bolsa Row development was first proposed in Westminster in 2017, Donald Trump was a brand-new president and the Rams had recently left St. Louis to return to Los Angeles.

On Wednesday, the Westminster City Council will consider a series of actions to clear the way for the development of the longdelayed project.

The IP Westminster LLC is proposing to build a 149room hotel and a two-story 39,286-square foot retail building at 10000 and 10010

Bolsa Avenue (at the southeast corner of Brookhurst Street) in the Little Saigon area.

The project originally got its final approval in June 2018, but the applicant is asking for a development review, administration adjustment and conditional use permit amendment.

Changes in this version would include: • Subterranean parking structure • Elimination of the “Celebration Bridge” • the addition of a “sky lounge” on the hotel rooftop • “reductions in the quantity and size” of the electronic message boards

BOLSA ROW IN LITTLE SAIGON AREA As envisioned in original proposal

5-district map not on ballot When Westminster voters decide whether to approve eliminating the direct election of the mayor and change from four councilmember districts to five, there won’t be an accompanying map of the new council boundaries on the ballot.

On Wednesday night, the city council voted 5-0 to skip adding the map, which is not required by law, according to the city attorney. Councilmember Kimberly Ho (District Three) said she opposed including the map because it would “confuse people.”

The city is in the process of redrawing its council districts to reflect changes in population, as is required after the 2020 census.

4 WEDNESDAY, FEB 16, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

Eric Parra, HB’s chief Continued from page 1

how he was doing. You can’t do that when you’re driving five hours out of your day.”

Although Parra’s experience in Alhambra has given him a taste of municipal policing, he stated that the transition to Huntington Beach has taken some adjusting. The most notable adjustment being staffing.

Going a department with 3500 people to a few hundred, Parra stated that smaller agencies must find different ways to tackle problems other than task forces. Instead, training and mentoring is provided to do a job with fewer people as well as employing the help from residents and businesses.

“And that becomes the success model that lives longer, because when the task force ends, they’re not involved anymore,” said Parra. “When we solve a problem by involving a member of the community, they stay.”

Parra recounted how he cannot travel a block down Main Street without being swamped by Huntington Beach residents. “I have to budget about an hour, because I will get stopped by so many people and we’ll just talk about issues in the city. And they’ll let me know what they are.”

According to Parra, having an exceptionally politically active community like those in Huntington Beach have been an asset when it comes to discovering problems.

The homeless crisis in particular continues to be one of the most pressing concerns that the community has been adamant about. This is especially so when dealing with homeless members residing in parks, Parra stated. “I can talk to the person, but if he’s not doing anything illegal, I’ll just offer him services … But – I can’t physically remove him, and people are getting frustrated by that.”

Parra’s team has recently assembled a list of homeless members that they receive the

most calls and complaints about.

“We’re talking about them every other week with homeless advisors, the H.O.P.E. team, the Department of Mental Health, and with clinicians so we can have a multi-jurisdictional approach to these folks,” said Parra. “It’s worked for me in the past, it’s just brand new here.”

Aside from restroom closures, lighting, and design reformations, Parra stated that innovative thinking is going to be necessary.

“It’s not a law enforcement problem, it’s a social problem that we have to work with our social service agencies on,” said Parra. “To get them the recovery services, the life skills, to get them to a point where they’re comfortable leaving the short-term housing, that is the very difficult part.” Advocating for new pilot programs to help deal with relapse and fears surrounding leaving the streets is among Parra’s desired approaches.

“How do you get them to mentally make the break that this isn’t the way you should be living? We don’t know if [pilot programs] are going to be successful, but as long as we have a reasonable basis for it, let’s try it. We’ll do it for 90, 180 days and measure it, tweak it, or start another one,” said Parra.

With an increased urge for police reform over the past few years, Parra weighed in on how he can improve the police department. Parra stated that his experience in taking part in negotiations for a federal civil rights case pertaining to force in Los Angeles gave him a perspective on how to reform.

Accountability is essential, and Huntington Beach is no exception.

“I think if anyone can say that nothing can be made better [about their police force] they’re not thinking in a way that’s reasonable or rational. Areas that I want to see improved is accountability,” said Parra.

“If we identify a deficiency,

I want that deficiency to be documented, to be noted, and I want it to be addressed.

In traditional organizations, someone would say ‘Oh that’s a problem but I fixed it.’ My question is, is that fix now reviewable so that anyone who comes to audit us can see each step? Did that fix have the desired outcome?”

Parra also gave his full support to a more family-friendly rebranding of Huntington Beach’s downtown, and alleged that restaurant owners are pushing for less rowdy “Main Street drama.” “…I’ve been talking to business owners and every one of them have told me ‘We want this place to be peaceful and we want families to come down here, therefore we’re changing the way we’re doing business,’” said Parra.

Parra stated that an app is currently in development that puts all of downtown’s restaurants and bars in contact with the police department, as a proactive approach to monitor excessive inebriation.

Even if bar owners, bartenders, and servers don’t request police interference, they can notify and give a description of such people who are acting dangerously.

“We are working to turn that rowdy mainstream culture around,” said Parra. “[The app] has all the bars and restaurants on it… They can take a picture of a person, if that’s appropriate, or just text and say that they have someone causing a problem here. It lets other bars know if that person comes up to their doors, they’ll know to turn them away.”

Despite the pressure of maintaining a destination city like Huntington Beach, Parra stated that he is happiest when he can see the changes he has requested take shape on the city streets.

“Conversely, I’m also able to see what is not being done,” said Parra. “I’m going to use all the resources to my ability to see progress, so that anyone in the world will want to come here.”

ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, FEB 16, 2022 5

Arts&Living

ANOTHER ROMANTIC COMEDY BASED ON A SILLY PREMISE And yet, Jennifer Lopez comes across well. Owen Wilson comes along for the ride.

J Lo glows in “Marry Me,” movie doesn’t

By Lindsay Bahr AP Film Writer

Movie Review

Jennifer Lopez is very good at being very famous.

That might sound more like a circumstance and not a rarified skill, but that’s just because she’d never let you see the work behind it. The same goes for her competence as a romantic comedy heroine.

She might not always get the best material, but her rom-com charm is undeniable and even underrated 25 years after her breakout in “Selena.’’

The only time we as a culture seem to consider a performance of hers especially noteworthy is when she’s in something more “serious’’ (see: “Out of Sight,’’ “Hustlers’’).

It’s what makes “Marry Me,’’ her new rom-com in theaters and on Peacock TV Friday, so inspired. It allows her to lean into her utterly singular experience as a very, very famous person

within the construct of her best genre. Though it says something that she, as pop star Kat Valdez, is the most believable part of the whole endeavor, a glossy and better-than-average fantasy about the pros of arranged marriage.

Now, “Marry Me’’ is not really pulling the curtain back on any

dark secrets of celebrity, but it does play into Lopez’s hopeless romantic persona within the confines of a PG-13 rating.

Her Kat is a Lady Gaga-esque singer who has had some bad luck in the romance department, at least one divorce and one 48hour marriage.

She’s supposed to marry Bastian (played by Colombian pop star Maluma) live in front of 20 million people as they perform

Fair: H H their hit single “Marry Me,’’ but right before she goes out on stage, draped in jewels, she (along with the rest of the world) sees a video of her intended cheating on her.

Still, she’s already got the dress and the venue, so she looks out in the audience, spots Continued on page 6

Plants are starting to edge out beef

By Annie Mehl Telegraph Herald

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – Although vegetarian or even vegan options at area grocery stores or on restaurant menus are not usually as prevalent as items like hamburgers or steaks, businesses and grocers said they are continuing to expand their

BEYOND BEEF BURGERS Surge in plant-based options

meatless products as the push for plant-based diets continues to grow.

“We have seen a rather large increase in customers adding plant-based proteins to their diets over the past year,’’ said Tina Potthoff, senior vice president of communications at Hy-Vee. “This category does Continued on page 6

6 WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

Jennifer Lopez stars in “Marry Me” rom-com Continued from page 5

Owen Wilson’s Charlie, and picks him to marry. It is the most movie rom-com set up that’s ever existed, and this is a movie that wears its love for the genre on its sleeve with knowing references to everything from “Pretty Woman’’ to “Notting Hill.’’

Though she doesn’t know it when she picks him, thankfully for Kat, Charlie is just a nice single dad to a sweet 13-yearold with a cool Brooklyn loft, a dog and a job as a high school math teacher. His baggage is minimal, his divorce amiable, he doesn’t have a dark side and his flaws are ... unexplored.

Is there eventual, inevitable, connection believable? No, not remotely. But you go along for the ride because Wilson is charming as a hangdog type and does enough with very little.

Directed by Kat Coiro, who did the pilot for the brilliant “Girls5Eva,’’ and written by “Mindy Project’’ alum Harper Dill and “Catwoman’’ screenwriter John Rogers, “Marry Me’’ feels like an early aughts creation, right down to Kat’s corduroy newsboy caps, back when studios used to regularly spend more than $20 million on the genre.

It breezes along thanks to its cast, including Sarah Silverman doing some heavy comedic lifting as Charlie’s co-worker; John Bradley, of “Game of Thrones’’ fame, who is a nice presence as Kat’s manager

Collin; and Michelle Buteau as a very Hollywood assistant.

There’s some hilariously obvious product placement and also a few celebrity cameos, from Hoda Kotb to Jimmy Fallon (whose show is somehow always on in the background and whose alter-ego is noticeably meaner than his real life persona). How James Corden isn’t in this might be the biggest mystery of all.

But “Marry Me’’ hangs on Lopez who is as glowing and glamorous as ever. Lopez, as they say, understood the assignment.

“Marry Me,’’ a Universal Pictures and Peacock TV release, in theaters and streaming Friday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Plant-based options are gaining Continued from page 5

not appear to be a food trend but rather a lifestyle choice.’’

Potthoff said Hy-Vee’s demand for meat substitutes has doubled in the past year. During the past decade, meatless options like Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat have popped up in fast food restaurants, while similar options have emerged at grocery stores.

Hy-Vee carries a handful of meat substitute brands but continues to expand its options as more become available, Potthoff told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald.

Beyond Meat first launched in 2009 and is based out of Los Angeles. Since its start, the company has continued to grow.

Leslie Shalabi, co-founder of Convivium Urban Farmstead in Dubuque, said when she opened her restaurant she wanted to make sure it was as inclusive as possible. For her, that meant ensuring she had not only vegetarian options but also vegan.

“I wanted to make sure to be as inclusive as possible and that was one of the ways that we did that,’’ she said.

Shalabi said her restaurant makes veggie burgers and other plantbased protein alternatives. Through the years, she has seen the push for meatless food choices grow in the area.

“I think many more people are seeing the benefits of limiting meat intake,’’ she said. ``It doesn’t mean necessarily that they are full vegetarians. I just think people are seeing meatless Mondays and are just cutting back for both health and environmental reasons as well.’’

Dede Livingston, owner of Durty Gurts in Galena, Ill., said she has been serving the same meatless burger for 14 years. For her restaurant, it’s not vegetarian options that she has seen a demand for but gluten free.

ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16, 2022 7

No-sweat Argonauts win the close ones Continued from page 8

tent.

The visiting Grizzlies led nearly the entire game going into the closing moments. But the Argos were surging and ended up outscoring the visitors 19-11 in the fourth.

Trailing by one with seconds to play, Miguel Ortega found a lane inside and scored what ended up being the winning basket with 2.6 seconds on the clock.

But the drama doesn’t end there.

Golden Valley inbounded the ball and a Grizzly launched a long prayer shot as the buzzer sounded … and it went in. The visitors burst into cheers and yells, but, wait!

The officials waved the basket off. The refs had whistled for a time-out, thinking that Grizzly coach Chris Printz had called for one.

Printz argued that no, he hadn’t, it was all a misunderstanding, but the decision stood and Ortega’s basket proved to be the last word.

Ortega, who Girard calls “the best player in North Orange County,” finished with 14 points. Gabe Garcia added 10 and Landon Mendoza had eight points, six of them in the last quarter.

Golden Valley was led by John Miller with 16 points. Mark Hamilton, Jr. had 12.

The Grizzlies, fourth-place team from the Foothill League, finish the season at 11-11.

The Argonauts, now 18-8, advancemto the second round on Tuesday against Alhambra

Was a mostly Super Bowl Continued from page 8

• The first Bengals’ touchdown should have been disallowed.

As you and 900 jillion other people saw during the broadcast, Bengals’ receiver Tee Higgins disposed of the Rams’ Jalen Ramsey – who was providing close coverage – by grabbing his facemask, twisting the helmet and thereby getting open for a 75-yard touchdown. Otherwise, it’s a 23-13 Rams win, in all likelihood.

• Some folks have proclaimed the halftime show the “greatest ever,” but we beg to differ. The set – intend to evoke images of Compton from which a certain type of rap and hip-hop music emerged – was indeed innovative and creative. But the rapid-fire and sometimes muttering delivery of the singing, totally regarding any attempt at enunciation left the vast majority of us mystified about what was being said/sung. It reminds one of the lines from William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” referring to “a tale … full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

• Before the game started, there were beautiful renditions of “America The Beautiful” by Jhene Aiko (who is an Asian American) and “The Star Spangled Banner” by Mickey Guyton (who is African American). However, the broadcasters had them mixed up and even ran Aiko’s name superimposed over an image of Guyton.

• File this last one under: “What Have You Done For Me Lately?”

ESPN immediately ranked the league’s teams for 2022 and somewhat disrespected the two teams who actually made it to the Super Bowl. That network has the Kansas City Chiefs in first, followed by the Buffalo Bills in second and the champion Rams in third.

Fourth were the Green Bay Packers and in fifth were the Bengals, who came within 75 seconds of becoming the “world” champs.

For Bolts fans, the Chargers are placed 11th, suggesting that Justin Herbert – still young and very talented – won’t continue to improve.

Oh, well, that’s what you get when you have 24 hours to fill and no action to show.

Pete Zarustica writes “Sports Week.”

8 WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16. 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

TheSportsPage

SportsWeek

It Was Super Except For ...

If you didn’t watch Sunday’s Super Bowl LVI contest between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, you are a member of one of the the smallest minority groups in America.

In case you were unable to turn on the TV, the Rams won the Big Game by a score of 23-20 for the first time as a L.A. team, and brought an NFL title home to Southern California for the third time in over 70 years.

There were many highlights to the game, especially the Rams’ stirring fourth quarter drive, capped by memorable performances by quarterback Matthew Stanford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

A drive that lasted almost five minutes and covered 79 yards was punctuated by a “must-have” seven-yard run by Kupp on a fourth and one, and capped by Stafford’s 1-yard scoring pass to Kupp that essentially won the game.

But there were lowlights, too.

Continued on page 7

MIGUEL WAS A MAN ON A MISSION Miguel Ortega led his team in scoring and got the winning basket in Garden Grove High’s 50-49 over Golden Valley on Friday night in CIF-SS action (Tribune photo)

No-sweat Argos win the close ones

By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune

A REALLY BIG CATCH Cooper Kupp came through in the Super Bowl (Rams photo)

Trailing by eight points in the fourth quarter?

No problem.

Other team sinks a miracle three as time runs out (apparently)– I say, “apparently” – to win the game?

No sweat.

“I’m not worried in close games,” said Brian Girard, coach of the Garden Grove High boys’ basketball team after the Argonauts rallied to win a 50-49 lastminute first round CIF-SS Division 4AA game against Golden Valley of Santa Clarita on Friday night in the Grove gym.

Indeed, all season long, Grove – champions of the Golden West League – has thrived on tight contests, winning by one or two points, or in overtime.

But this one could have put a cardiologist into the medical Continued on page 7

Tuesday night hoops scores Five of seven local high school boys’ basketball teams won their second round CIFSS games on Tuesday night and will advance to the quarterfinals on Friday.

In Division 2AA, Marina lost 75-58 to Foothill, but in 2A play Edison bested Elsinore 75-57.

At the 3A level, Orangewood Academy defeated Camarillo 63-47.

Garden Grove beat Alhambra 70-58 in a 4AA contest, led

by Miguel Ortega’s 27 points.

Western edged Cate 48-47 in a 4A contest and in 5A, La Quinta defeated Buckley 5147.

In a 5AA matchup, Bolsa Grande fell to Northview 5435.