Serving
Wednesday
Garden Grove Huntington Beach Stanton Westminster
Dec. 12,2018
Print edition of the Orange CountyTribune
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HB, GG ARE ON LIST OF “SAFEST”
It’s over! Umberg is new state senator
Wallethub ranks 185 cities across the United States Garden Grove and Huntington Beach are among the top 15 safest large cities in the state, according to a survey done by Wallethub. com . The study ranked the top 150 largest cities in the categories of “home and community safety”(including crime), “natural disaster risk” (including danger of earthquakes, forest fires, hurricanes) and “financial safety” (including unemployment rates, poverty and bankruptcies). Also included were at least two of the most populated cities in the U.S., for a total of 182 studied. No California cities made the top 10 – earthquake and wild fire danger were a big negative – but Irvine was 30th nationally and first in the Golden State. The next highest-ranked Orange County city was Hun-
tington Beach (eighth in the state and 61st nationally). “Surf City” was 18th nationally for home and community safety, but 171st for risk of a natural disaster. Garden Grove was next as the 12th safest in California and 84th overall. “The Big Strawberry” was 35th for home and community safety, but the natural disaster risk rank was at 170th. Garden Grove was also noticed as one of the five cities nationally with the fewest law enforcement employees per capita. Also ranked were Anaheim (17th and 99th) and Santa Ana (22nd and 119th). The “safest” city in the survey was Columbia, Maryland; at the bottom is St. Louis. For more information, go to: https://wallethub.com/ edu/safest-cities-in-america/41926/
GEORGE BRIETIGAM is sworn in as the new District member of the Garden Grove City Council at Tuesday’s meeting. (OC Tribune photo).
Brietigam is sworn in as the new council member “I really didn’t even know I was going to be running until three days before the final A “new” Garden Grove City Council deadline for filing, “ he said. “And I wastwas seated Tuesday, with three incumbents ed a day waiting for my wife to decide if I starting new terms and a fourth member could run or not.” starting a four-year stint. Jones said serving as mayor was a “pasThe mayor serves for two years and sion” for him. “It’s certainly a thrill to be council members for four. a part of this city at this time Sworn in were Mayor Steve we’re going through with n GARDEN GROVE that Jones, Councilmembers Phat all the challenges and so many CITY COUNCIL Bui (District 4) and Thu-Ha opportunities,” he said. Nguyen (District 3) as well In 2019, the council will as newcomer George Brietigam, who will grapple with the issue of trying to hammer serve as the councilman representing Disout a contract agreement with the Orange trict 1, known as West Grove. County Fire Authority to take over fire and The council also said farewell to Kris paramedic services for the city, a move that Beard, the outgoing councilman who has been controversial. served from 2001 to 2018, most recently Additionally, the new council will take from District 1. on implementation of a 1-cent sales tax ap“It’s been the honor of my life to be a proved by voters on Nov. 6 that is expected councilman and as mayor pro tem for the to being in an additional $19 million anCity of Garden Grove,” said Beard, who nually to city coffers. The new tax doesn’t was presented with several honors includkick in until April 1. ing a “Beard” street sign. The next council meeting is set for Jan. Brietigam gave some insight into the 8, 2019. might-have-beens of the 2018 council race. By Jim Tortolano/OC Tribune
It’s over. The recount requested of the 34th state Senate race between incumbent Republican Janet Nguyen and Democratic challenger Tom Umberg ended Monday with no change in the official totals. Umberg, who was sworn in last week, kept his 3,089vote edge and finished with 135,062 votes to Nguyen’s 131,973, according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters. The Nguyen campaign requested a partial recount of certain districts in Santa Ana, but pulled the plug when there was no improvement in the ratio of votes. “No physical ballots were recounted,” reported the Registar’s office. The cost of the recount – billed to her campaign – was about $9,400. It was the first electoral defeat in the political career of Nguyen, who began as a member of the Garden Grove City Council, and then graduated to the Orange County Board of Supervisors and then the state Senate. It was the first political win for Umberg since he won an Assembly seat in 2004. The 34th District includes parts of Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Westminster and Long Beach.
Armed robbers sought in cell phone heist SYLVIA MENDEZ speaking to the Westminster City Council earlier this year (Tribune file photo).
New honors mulled for Mendez family A proposal to study the possibility of renaming a school or facility after the Mendez family – key figures in an historic civil rights case involving local schools – will go before the Westminster School District Board of Trustees when they meet on Thursday. The governing board of the WSD meets at the district office at 14121 Cedarwood Ave. at 7 p.m., following a closed session at 6 p.m. To be considered will
be the creation of a Citizens Advisory Committee to consider honoring the Mendezes. In 1943, 9-year-old Sylvia Mendez was denied admittance to the 17th Street School in Westminster by the WSD, and assigned instead to the Hoover School, where Mexican children were enrolled. At that time, four local school districts – El Modena, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and Westminster – made Continued next page
Three suspects are being sought in connection with the armed robbery of a cell phone store in Garden Grove Monday afternoon. According to Sgt. Juan Centeno of the GGPD, the incident occurred around 3:40 p.m. at the Metro PCS store at 12881 Haster St. Three male suspects
entered the store and asked about cell phones. One of them pulled a handgun from his waistband, showing it to the clerk, and returning it there. Two of the suspects entered the stockroom and took “a large amount” of cellphones, then opened the cash register and took currency, before fleeing on
foot. They were last seen walking southbound on Haster Street away from the store. Arriving officers checked the area and were unable to locate the suspects. The suspects are described as: • a male Hispanic, 20 to 25 years old, 6-feet tall,
180 lbs., wearing a black sweatshirt and jeans, white shoes and a backpack. The weapon he carried was a dark gray, large handgun, possibly a revolver. • a male Hispanic, 20-25 years old, 5-feet, 8-inches tall, 180 lbs, wearing a blue jacket and jeans and a baseball hat. Continued next page
Road rage incident leads to crash, arrests Two people were arrested early Saturday morning when a road rage incident turned into a shooting and a collision in Garden Grove. According to Sgt. Erick Leyva of the GGPD, the incident occurred around 1:20
a.m. in the area of Lampson Avenue and Harbor Boulevard. Arrested for assault with a deadly weapon were: • Juan Batalla-Olmedo, 19, of Santa Ana; • Pedro Montellana, 22,
of Westminster. Upon investigation, police believe the incident began on the Garden Grove Freeway. Two vehicles – a red 2007 Ford pickup truck and a white 2014 Hyundai sedan – were traveling west-
bound on the freeway and the occupants of the autos became involved in a “road rage” incident. During the altercation, the vehicles left the freeway and proceeded north onto
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