Covering Garden Grove Huntington Beach Stanton Westminster
Non-partisan News Opinion Arts & Living Sports
Printed in Garden Grove, California n orangecountytribune.com n Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 n orangecountytribune@gmail.com
Motorcycle vs. A Truck Results in Fatal Crash
THE CAVALIERS ARE THE CHAMPS
Collision at Chapman and Knott A 56-year-old Garden Grove man was killed after the motorcycle on which he was riding collided with a pickup truck Tuesday night. According to Officer Dan Mihalik of the GGPD, the incident took place around 8:25 p.m. in the intersection of Chapman Avenue and Knott Street. After a preliminary investigation, police believe that the motorcycle was traveling eastbound on Chapman Avenue through the intersection of Knott
Street when it collided with the pickup truck, which was turning left to southbound Knott Street. The motorcyclist suffered severe injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by Orange County Fire Authority paramedics. Neither drugs nor alcohol are believed to have been a factor in the accident. Anyone with information about this collision is urged to call Officer Mihalik at (714) 741-5925.
New coronavirus cases decline, but there’s a blip The count of new coronavirus cases in Orange County dropped sharply in Tuesday’s report, but don’t celebrate yet. According to the county health care agency, new cases fell from Monday’s three-day average of 948.3 to 309 today, but the OCHCA cautions that the count “may be lower than expected” due to problems with the state coronavirus reporting system. Deaths increased from Monday’s three-day average of 9.3 cases to 25 on Tuesday. Hospitalizations ticked down from 620 to 619 and the number of patients being treated for COVID-19 rose slightly to 125 from 123.
SANTIAGO BOYS AND GIRLS TEAMS BOTH TOOK FIRST And now the CIF-SS basketball playoffs start this week. For an account of how the boys’ title was won, and the playoff brackets and matchups, see our coverage on pages 7 and 8.
n GARDEN GROVE CITY CITY COUNCIL
Pedestrian In-person meetings is killed in coming to the council? HB collision The next meeting of the Garden Grove
City Council may well be in person. At Tuesday’s teleconference session of the council, the council on a 5-2 vote adopted a resolution authorizing – but not requiring – the use of teleconferencing to hold its meetings. Councilmembers Phat Bui (District 4) and George Brietigam (District 1) voted no, partly in light of the decision announced this week by the California Department of Public Health to no longer require vaccinated Californians to wear masks in most indoor public settings, effective Feb. 16.
A car vs. pedestrian accident has claimed the life of a woman in Huntington Beach. According to HBPD Public Information Officer Jennifer Carey, the incident took place Tuesday before 6:30 p.m. on Beach Boulevard, north of Heil Avenue. Police found that the walker was deceased in the roadway after being struck by a 2004 Toyota Corolla. The driver, a 76-year-old woman, remained at the
Continued on page 2
Continued on page 2
For breaking news and sports all week long, go to www.orangecountytribune.com
2 WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
Federal funds pave way along Cerritos By Reagan Cisar Orange County Tribune
A portion of Cerritos Avenue, between Knott Avenue and Beach Boulevard, will be repaved with federal funds, following a vote of approval by the Stanton City Council Tuesday evening. According to Public Works Director Joe Ames, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act allocate federal funds to transportation projects. Stanton is expected to receive $200,000, and if funding is awarded in a timely fashion, the project on Cerritos Avenue “might occur in mid-2023 as part of a larger scope of work,” he said. The council voted unanimously to approve: • A resolution granting Stanton’s Public Works Director authority to execute funding agreements necessary to implement federal and/or statefunded transportation projects, per California Department of Transportation requirements. • The renewal of authorization for virtual public meetings due to COVID-19.
GG council Continued from page 1
The next meeting of the council is set for Feb. 22. However, during discussion of the item, a willingness to resume in-person meetings emerged. “I think we have the sense of the council” to do that, said Mayor Steve Jones. Also on Tuesday night, the council adopted two ordinances raising the compensation for council members and the mayor. Under the new ordinances, council members will receive $1,312.34 per month, up from the current pay of $486.05, and the mayor will receive an additional $200 per month. The effective date is Jan. 1, 2023.
n STANTON CITY COUNCIL •Updates to the Housing Element for the 2021–2029 planning period with a general plan amendment that comprehensively considers potential hazards, including earthquakes, flooding, fire, emergency response, and climate resiliency. Councilmembers had nothing but praise for Housing Element updates, as Stanton is on track to reach Regional Housing Needs Allocation goals. “Things are looking up for Stanton,” said Councilmember Carol Warren. Additionally, the council introduced an ordinance regulating lot splitting under Senate Bill 9. The ordinance
would forbid lot splitting in sensitive, dangerous, or historic locations and impose limits on tree removal. Furthermore, the ordinance would require lots to be, at minimum, 2,400 square feet to split.
Pedestrian dies Continued from page 1
scene and cooperated with officers. It doesn’t appear that drugs or alcohol were a factor in the collision. Police believe the Toyota was traveling south on Beach and struck the pedestrian who was in the roadway – outside of the crosswalk – north of Heil Avenue. Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or events leading up to it is urged to contact HBPD traffic investigators at (714) 546-5670, (714) 536-5666 or (714) 536-5231.
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. A member of The Associated Press and the Online News Association.
The best in local news
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9, 2022 3
News&Views The ‘tiger’ roamed all over Little Saigon again The annual Tet Parade through the Little Saigon district of Westminster returned on Saturday after a year in which it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Featured were floats, vehicles, marchers and more along Bolsa Avenue between Magnolia Avenue and Bushard Street in a procession that lasted from 9 a.m. to noon. Among those on hand to celebrate the lunar new year – “The Year of the Tiger” – were public officials from the cities of Westminster and Garden Grove, as
well as representatives from the public school systems that serve the area. Organizations involved with the parade included the Vietnamese American Federation of Southern California, the Assembly of ARVN Overseas and the Coalition of South Vietnamese Veteran Associations. Observances were held at area schools as well. Dragon dancers and “tigers” paid visits to campuses and even to a meeting of the Garden Grobe Unified School District Board of Educaton.
GETTING INTO THE TET SPIRIT A new friend for the GGUSD Board of Education
Four or five council districts? Four or five? When Westminster voters go to the polls this November, will they be choosing councilmembers based on four districts or five? At Wednesday’s meeting of the city council, the top agenda item is whether to add a new map that defines five districts on the June 7 ballot. At that time voters will decide whether to eliminate the direct election of mayor and
return to the earlier practice of having that post chosen from among council members. In November, the city council voted 3-2 to place the question of mayor’s status before voters this June. At present, Westminster is in the process of defining the boundaries of its council districts to reflect any meaningful changes in Continued on page 4
GOT THAT URGE TO ROAM? Maybe satisfaction can be found nearer to home
The grass can be green at home, too, friends Don’t leave! This is the time of year, it seems, when a lot of leaders in our communities are moving on to – or at least trying to – what I call the “Bigger Better Deal.” That’s where you (or they) try to climb the ladder to higher position, more money and more status. Recently, Oliver Chi left his job as city manager of Huntington Beach to take the same job at Irvine after just two years in the job. In local politics, Garden Grove City Councilmember Diedre Thu-Ha Nguyen has announced her intention to run for the 70th Assembly District seat. She previously ran – without success – for the 72nd Assembly District seat in 2020. Another councilmember, Kim Nguyen, is seeking election to the Orange County Board of Supervisors for District 2. The list goes on and on. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to advance, to take on bigger and more interesting challenges. But aren’t there interesting and big challenges at “home”? Part of the problem is our term limit laws and rules that push office-holders to always be looking for the next opportunity. Can anyone say with a straight face that term limits have given us a clearly superior brand of politician? That aside, it seems to me that it takes time to master a task and become as able in your responsibilities as you need to be. Looking around Orange County in general and The Tribune’s coverage area of Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster, can we not find significant problems and opportunities that still deserve our attention? Continued on page 4
4 WEDNESDAY, FEB 9, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
Retorts: They maybe no place like home Continued from page 3
The homelessness crisis is still not under control; only one of our four cities has a proper shelter. Precisely what to do with all the federal largess has not been ironed out. Some of our roadways are looking a little ragged and there are neighborhoods in all our
cities that you would not want to depict on a brochure for tourists. How will we adjust in the post-COVID world, if there is one? Has your work been finished? Are they no more hills to climb close to home? I’m not saying it’s a bad thing to have our local talent move up
to the Bigger Leagues. A good example is Janet Nguyen, who went from the Garden Grove City Council to the Orange County Board of Supervisors to the state legislature. It’s fair to say that even from Santa Ana or Sacramento, she has done more for Garden Grove – for instance – than any other county or state lawmaker we can think of. Others show up for the occasional ribboncutting or “feel good” photo op, but she kept close connections with her community and delivered on many issues. I wish good luck to our local leaders as they pursue their goals. They’re good people. But I hope that folks interested in public service would also consider the rewards of blooming where you’re planted, of staying the course and being around to craft the solutions at a level at which you have much more influence. Yes, there are more gaudy horizons to be seen. But there’s an old Cherokee expression that I find especially striking: “Wherever you are is the center of the universe.” Center of the universe. That seems like a pretty interesting and important place to be. Jim Tortolano’s “Retorts” column alternates with “Usually Reliable Sources.”
Westminster city council Continued from page 3
population revealed by the 2020 U.S. Census. If voters in June choose to eliminate the elected office of mayor that would mean there would be five council districts. If voters reject the change, the current number of four districts would be retained. Also on the agenda is the third public hearing on proposed draft district maps submitted.
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, FEB 9, 2022 5
Arts&Living
AMERICANS SAVE THE DAY IN SPACE, ONE MORE TIME But it’s a fun, well-paced popcorn movie that’s a good distraction from the pandemic blues
“Ice Age: Buck Wild” recycles the originals By Mark Kennedy AP Entertainment Writer
Movie Review
Some people might look up at the moon and admire its glowing and desolate beauty. Director Roland Emmerich apparently sees a constructed hollow orb that may have been built by aliens. Some of us will never gaze up at it the same after seeing his mind-blowing “Moonfall.’’ Emmerich’s latest is an absolutely bananas piece of bigbudget filmmaking, a sci-fi-, action- and disaster-thriller that gets more crazy by the minute. It makes “Independence Day’’ look like “Little Women.’’ ``My freaking brain just exploded,’’ says one character, and who can complain? “Moonfall’’ stars Halle Berry and Patrick Wilson as onetime astronauts who have to repair their strained friendship and save Earth when the moon gets unmoored from its orbit
and starts coming frighteningly closer to us, wreaking havoc. The film adds to these two gorgeous creatures the “Game of Thrones” actor John Bradley as a pudgy conspiracy whackadoodle with irritable bowel syndrome and a cat named Fuzz Aldrin who somehow also is pressed into saving the world. Emmerich directs a script he co-wrote with Harald Kloser and Spenser Cohen and it comes close to camp, recalling ‘90s disaster flicks like “Armageddon,’’ some high concept from “Interstellar,’’ some Emmerich DNA from “The Day After Tomorrow’’ and even call-backs to “2001: A Space Odyssey’’ and “Planet of the Apes.’’ This “Moonfall’’ has all the hallmarks of a traditional popcorn sci-fi film – the grim military officers a little too ready
with their nukes, a rag-tag group of heroes with their makeshift work-arounds, mathematical calculations made on the fly on a whiteboard and bombastic declarations like “I didn’t come this far to fail!’’ and “I want you to have a world you can grow up in.’’ This time, Emmerich has to make the moon – our placid, ever-spinning pockmarked companion _ into a menace and the filmmakers deliver: As it spins closer, the moon’s gravitational pull yanks up buildings and causes global tsunamis, called “gravity waves.’’ Chunks of moon rock shoot down like artillery fire. After a bit of a slow start, “Moonfall’’ gets absolutely trippy in the last third as it details a mind-blowing alternative history to mankind that spans millennia and distant planets and backs it all up with gorgeous, massive special effects. Logic is abandoned altogether but few
Good: H H H will care. “Everything we thought we knew about the universe has gone out the window,’’ someone says helpfully. While our trio of astronauts are in the heavens trying to save Earth to stirring music using old fashioned know-how, on the ground is lots of messy human stuff like looting, car chases and gunfire. For some reason, everybody wants to flee to Colorado for safety. There’s so much disaster here that it makes our little national health crisis these days look small and manageable. And maybe “Moonfall’’ can take our attention away from it for a few hours. “Moonfall,’’ is rated PG-13 for “violence, disaster action, strong language, and some drug use.’’
6 WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
Hard-working Cavaliers win the Grove League title Continued from page 7
New Year’s Day. There’s no days off,” he said. “It pays off like this. The Cavaliers finish league play 9-1 and 19-9 overall. Bolsa is 7-3 and 14-9. Santiago jumped out to a big first half lead, but the Matadors battled back to cut the lead to 29-26 at halftime. Early in the third period, Bolsa knotted the score, stayed close and were within one point when the purple and white started firing from the outside. Paul Soriano hit three treys at end of the third quarter and the first part of the fourth and a tight game turned into an eight-point Santiago advantage (45-37) with 6:38 to play. Xavier Ojeda’s three at the 5:30 mark put the home team up by 11. “We’re a decent three-point shooting team when we get hot,” said Morehouse. The remainder of the game wound down into a parade of fouls and free throws and the
visitors never got closer than 10 points. Aaron Gomez had 18 points for Santiago, followed by Soriano with 17 and Xavier Ojeda with 16. Bolsa was led by Tri Ly with 15, followed by Tommy Pham
with eight and Filliah Tauaivale with seven. The next step for the hard-workin’ Cavs is the CIF-SS playoffs. How does Morehouse see that unfolding? “It’ll be tough,” he said. “Our division is tough for the play-
offs. Hopefully we can win in the first round, but we’re going to get a really tough opponent.” Until then, you can probably bet they’ll be lots of tough practices and more hard work.
‘February Frenzy’ for high school hoops Continued from page 7
Here are the pairings as announced by the CIF-SS at midday today (Tuesday). Two boys’ local teams are seeded: Edison second in Division 2A and La Quinta second in Division 5A. BOYS Division 2A • Edison (24-4) has a bye Division 2AA • Trabuco Hills (13-11) at Marina (18-9) Division 3A • Yucaipa (15-10) at Orangewood Academy (21-6) Division 4A • Chadwick (12-6) at Western (14-9) Division 4AA • Fullerton (13-14) at Santiago
The Rams vs. the Bengals Continued from page 7
McPherson (2). The fifth-round draft choice – no, Cincinnati did not bungle a pick on a kicker here – the kid has hit all 12 of his field goals, including four in the wild-card round, then winners at Tennessee and Kansas City. Kevin Huber (10) did not have a particularly strong season, but he’s a veteran who has kicked in the postseason before. LA’s Matt Gay (8) is steady enough, and he also has two straight winning field goals in the playoffs. Johnny Hekker (6) has been one of the league’s best punters for a decade, and is a threat on fake punts. Neither team scares you on kick returns.
(19-9) • Golden Valley (11-9) at Garden Grove (17-8) Division 5A • Duarte (5-10) at La Quinta (16-10). Division 5AA • Calvary Baptist (11-9) at Bolsa Grande (14-9) GIRLS Open Division • Orangewood is in Pool B and will open on Saturday at Centennial of Corona. Next will be a game on Wednesday at Sierra Canyon before completing pool play hosting Bishop Montgomery on Saturday, Feb. 19. The winner of each pool advances to the finals on Saturday, Feb. 26. Division 3A • Westminster (12-9) at Bassett (10-13) • Edison (9-18) at Rowland (17-8) Division 3AA • Claremont (20-8) at Santiago (18-8) Division 5A • Orange (9-9) at Calvary Chapel/Downey (10-18) • Los Amigos (7-18) at Savanna (14-6) • Geffen Academy (9-5) at Magnolia (12-12) Division 5AA • Laguna Beach (17-10) at Loara (11-11).
Here’s the pitch: soccer playoffs, too
The game the rest of the world calls “football” is having its winter CIF-SS playoff tournament as well. Most prominent among area teams is the Huntington Beach
boys’ team, which is 14-2-5, the Wave League champion and the number four seed in Division 1. First round boys action will start on Friday; girls on Saturday. All games will be played at 3 p.m. unless other arrangements are made. BOYS Division 1 • Millikan (11-6-6) at Huntington Beach (14-2-5) • Edison (9-7-3) at Villa Park (18-4-1) Division 2 • Westminster (8-7-3) at Lynwood (13-5-2) Division 3 • El Segundo (6-7) at Santiago (12-4-5) • Esperanza (7-7-3) at Los Amigos (13-3-1) • Garden Grove (12-6-1) at Chaparral (9-0-6) Division 4 • Loara (8-11-1) at Santa Fe (57-2) in Wild Card Game C on Wednesday. The winner will be at Los Osos (14-1-2) on Friday. GIRLS Division 1 • Huntington Beach (14-6-3) at Santiago/Corona (18-1-3) • Edison (13-8-2) at Claremont (19-0-1) • Pacifica (8-4-3) at Moorpark (11-5-1) Division 3 • Ocean View (9-6-2) at La Serna (14-9-2) Division 5 • Bolsa Grande (14-2) at Covina (9-4-4) • Chadwick (8-4-2) at Santiago (5-6-2) in Wild Card Game D on Thursday. Division 6 • Sage Hill (7-5-4) at Los Amigos (12-5) in Wild Card Game C on Thursday. The winner visits Anaheim (13-6) on Saturday.
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9, 2022 7
Two teams, two paths to the Super Bowl Continued from page 8
Of course, Burrow has been just as impactful. He went 2-71 in a rookie season cut short by a knee injury and made a sensational return, as accurate as any passer in the league. Cool as they come – yes, Joe Cool – he had 34 touchdown passes, and in the Bengals’ three postseason victories after having none since 1991, Burrow has gone 75 for 109 for 842 yards and four TDs, showing scrambling skills as well.
The key for LA to slow down that combination lies with the pass rush; Cincinnati allowed a league-high 51 sacks during the season, 12 more in the postseason. So unanimous AllPro DT Aaron Donald (99), LB Leonard Floyd (54) and revitalized Von Miller (40), the MVP of the 2016 Super Bowl, must be negated somewhat. If the Bengals’ offensive line, from tackles Jonah Williams (73) and Isaiah Prince (71) to center Trey Hopkins (66) to guards Quinton Spain (67) and the rotation of Hakeem Adeniji (77) and rookie Jackson Carman (79) don’t step up, Burrow will go down a bunch. If he gets the protection that has been missing too often, Chase’s matchups with All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey (5) could be epic. But Ramsey won’t always be on Chase, who can break free on any route, and he also has some potent partners in WRs Tyler Boyd (83) and Tee Higgins (85), their battles with the remainder of the secondary could be significant. In his seventh pro season, TE C.J. Uzomah (87) has emerged as a threat, but he damaged a knee last week and his status is uncertain. RB Joe Mixon (28), who ranked third with 1,205 rushing yards, can wear down defenses, but the Rams ranked sixth against the rush.
WHEN THE RAMS HAVE THE BALL:
Like with the trades that brought Miller and Ramsey on defense, the Rams have bolstered their offense immeasurably in recent years. They solidified left tackle five seasons back with Andrew Whitworth (77), who remains a stud at age 40. Much more recently came QB Matthew Stafford (9), RB Sony Michel (25) and WR Odell Beckham Jr. (3). All of have been key contributors, though Stafford is by far the biggest upgrade.
Sure, the Rams made the 2019 Super Bowl with Jared Goff, but Stafford, finishing his 13th pro season, is a class above. After languishing in Detroit for a dozen years, he’s been a main cog in the Rams getting this far. No one is better against the blitz than Stafford, and while he can make some head-scratching throws and turn over the ball, he also makes some head-shaking passes that put you in awe. And, like Burrow, he has one of the league’s best targets in unanimous All-Pro WR Cooper Kupp (10). Opponents could put all 11 defenders on the guy and he’d still get free, as his triple crown of receiving shows: 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 TDs. He’s been just as unstoppable in the playoffs, and this could be a major mismatch. Bengals CBs Eli Apple (20), Chidobe Awuzie (22), Mike Hilton (21) and Tre Flowers (33) will be tests big time. Cincinnati is stronger at safety with Vonn Bell (24), whose pick of Patrick Mahomes set up the winning field goal for the AFC title, and Jessie Bates III (30). The entire bunch also must account for Beckham, who seems to be re-energized in LA, and Van Jefferson (12). Michel and Cam Akers (23), who came back quickly from a torn Achilles tendon, share backfield duties, but this is a throw-first team operating behind standouts such as Whitworth. The 16-year veteran figures to be challenged by Cincinnati’s top pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson (91), and DE Sam Hubbard (94), who was terrific against the Chiefs. The Bengals don’t have a linebacker in Miller’s class, but Logan Wilson (55) and Germaine Pratt (57) have made some key plays in the postseason.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
It’s all about rookie Evan Continued on page 6
8 WEDNESDAY, FEB. 9. 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
TheSportsPage
Hard-working Cavs earned a GG League title Santiago boys’ outlasted Bolsa for the crown By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune
WHO WILL BE CELEBRATING ON SUNDAY? Super Bowls can be unpredictable (Rams photo)
Two Paths to One Super Bowl Champ Rams and Bengals will clash on Sunday To our readers: In lieu of our usual “Sports Week” column by Pete Zaristica, we present this in-depth look at Sunday’s Super Bowl clash between the Rams and the Bengals. By Barry Wilner AP Pro Football Writer
Across both the Super Bowl rosters, there is a great divide. The Rams are the team loaded with veterans and the Bengals are the new kids on the block. Los Angeles has the star power, which figures with Hollywood next door. Cincinnati has a bunch of relative no-names outside of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Bengals coach Zac Taylor worked for Rams boss Sean McVay – even though Taylor is more than two years older.
Both teams were No. 4 seeds after winning their divisions, so there are some similarities. It might be the differences that, well, make the difference on Sunday at SoFi Stadium. Oh, yeah, that happens to be the Rams’ new home.
In the split-second world of sports, there are good bounces and bad ones, and luck is about 50-50. So why do some teams do so well, year-in and year-out? “I think we are the hardest working team in the league,” said Matt Morehouse, coach of the Santiago High boys’ basketball team Thursday night after the Cavaliers defeated Bolsa Grande 62-50 to win the Garden Grove League title for the third time in four seasons. “We practice every day, we practice on Thanksgiving Day, we practice on Christmas Eve, we practice New Year’s Eve, Continued on page 6
‘Feb Frenzy’ for prep hoops You could call it “February Frenzy.” This is when Southern California high schools hold the CIF-SS basketball playoff tournaments for boys’ and girls’ teams. School squads from The Tribune’s coverage area of Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster will have the first round on Friday for boys and Saturday for girls. Games will tip off at 7 p.m. Continued on page 6
WHEN THE BENGALS HAVE THE BALL:
Burrow (9) and Chase (1) are the Dynamic Duo for Cincinnati. They were at LSU and nothing changed when Chase, who sat out the 2020 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was chosen fifth overall in last April’s draft. His effect has been immense, scoring 13 times on 81 receptions for 1,455 yards in the regular season. Continued on page 7
AARON GOMEZ OF SANTIAGO FAST BREAKS He scored 18 points in the Cavaliers’ win