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Printed in Garden Grove, California n orangecountytribune.com n Saturday, June 18, 2022 n orangecountytribune@gmail.com
SYMPHONY IN THE PARK
n HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL
Cannabis Back on the Ballot This November? Charter changes may also be in Nov. 8 election
VIOLINIST AGNES GOTTSCHEWSKI of the String Quartet of the Pacific Symphony performing at Eastgate Park in West Garden Grove on Friday evening (Orange County Tribune photo by Jim Tortolano)
n WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL
Is this another partner for a West County homeless shelter? Another step forward in the creation of a shelter and services facility for the homeless could be taken Wednesday night by the Westminster City Council. On the agenda is a “memorandum of understand-
ing” with the cities of Garden Grove and Fountain Valley to explore the establishment of a “navigation center” that would serve the unsheltered of the three cities. The Garden Grove City Council approved the
Seek suspect in shooting of man in a Westminster alley A man was gunned down in an alley in Westminster Thursday afternoon. According to Commander Kevin McCormick of the WPD, police were called at 3:26 p.m. to the 13900 block of Cedar Street regarding a shooting. Arriving officers found a man lying down in an al-
ley west of Cedar Street. He had suffered what appeared to be gunshot wounds to the face and upper body. Paramedics from the Orange County Fire Authority responded and pronounced the man dead at the scene. He was identiContinued on page 4
MOU at its meeting last week, and the Fountain Valley City Council will take up the matter when it meets on Tuesday. Typically, a navigation center – such as one in operation now in Huntington Beach – includes not just beds and sanitary facilities for the homeless, but also mental and physical health resources and employment assistance. Having a shelter for the unhoused is considered crucial to addressing public concerns about the spread of homelessness and the problems that it causes. Generally speaking, it’s not illegal to be without a home and that such transients can’t be arrested and jailed unless
The City of Huntington Beach may be going back to voters in November to revisit the status of cannabis in Surf City, as the city council considers two such proposals next week. Additionally, the council is poised to ask voters on Nov. 8 to revise the city charter to change the offices of city attorney, city clerk and city treasurer from elected to appointed positions.
Those and other items will be considered at Tuesday’s meeting of the city council. There will be a closed session at 5 p.m. with the regular meeting scheduled to commence at 6 p.m. Measure A, which would have created a special sales tax on cannabis products, fell short before voters on June 7, winning about 64.5 percent “yes” Continued on page 2
More COVID cases but fewer deaths in Orange Co. Friday’s report on the status of the coronavirus pandemic in Orange County was a split decision: two metrics showed improvement and two showed the opposite.
According to the county health care agency, during the period of June 14 to 16, a total of 3,114 confirmed new coronavirus cases were reported. Continued on page 2
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2 SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
Cannabis, charter Corona numbers Continued from page 1
votes and not reaching the required two-thirds approval. The council on Tuesday will consider placing a measure on the Nov. 8 ballot that allows and regulates cannabis retailers and non-retailers for medical and recreational use in areas zoned for that use. Additionally, the council will consider a resolution placing a cannabis gen-
eral tax measure on the ballot as well. A general tax measure only requires a majority vote. The proposed tax would be for 6 percent in gross receipts earned by retailers and up to 1 percent on gross receipts on “all other cannabis business.” Tuesday’s meeting will be held in the Council Chambers, 2000 Main St. (at Yorktown Avenue).
Continued from page 1
That’s a daily average of 1,038, compared to the daily average of 903 reported on Tuesday. Deaths declined from eight to six and hospitalizations fell from 194 to 178. However, the use of intensive care units to treat COVID-19 rose from 19 to 23. To date, Orange County has had 589,234 cases of coronavirus, of which 558,849 are considered to be recovered. The death total is at 7,082. Nationally, The New York Times is reporting that – over a 14-day period – new cases are flat. Hospitalizations are up by 7 percent and deaths by 19 percent. In California, Los Angeles Times reports that new cases – over a similar period – are up 9 percent and deaths by 15 percent.
Navigation center plan Continued from page 1
there’s a place for them to reside, even on a temporary basis. No specific location has been identified, but at last week’s council meeting, Garden Grove officials referred to the industrial area northwest of Westminster Avenue and Harbor Boulevard as a possibility. Also on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting are resolutions amending compensation plans for several employee groups and a proposed policy governing the use of translators during public comments at council meetings.
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 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 , the Online News Association and the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce.
The best in local news for West Orange County The Orange County TRIBUNE
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2022 3
News&Views
Libraries are more than just books now I don’t have a bucket list; what I have is a shopping list. And it’s not for me, it’s for the community. Recently the City of Garden Grove held an open house to consider possible changes in the Civic Center area, all stemming from a plan to build a new, more modern – and bigger – police headquarters building. It’s not, we are told, just a matter of constructing a new “cop shop.” Things will likely be moved around and there may be opportunities to enhance the area beyond simply redesigning much of the Civic Center area to offer improvements for the community at large. In light of all this – and assuming there’s some cash available to do it – I have Jim Tortolano my nominee, which has always been high on my shopping list. A new (or remodeled) main library. The existing structure on Stanford Avenue opened in 1969, and when it opened, it was “state-of-theart.” A two-story structure complete with a meeting room, a large children’s library and a lovely fountain in front. I spent many an hour browsing the stacks, doing
Retorts
Continued on page 4
HAS NAVIGATION CENTER REDUCED HOMELESS CRISIS? This, other projects are credited with a 35 percemt reduction (City of HB photo)
HB homelessness effort is credited with 35% reduction The City of Huntington Beach’s ongoing efforts to address homelessness has led to a 35 percent decrease in unsheltered homeless individuals according to the recent “Point in Time Count” conducted by the County of Orange. The 35 percent drop
is in comparison to the previous Point in Time Count which was conducted in 2019. In 2019, a total of 289 unsheltered individuals were counted compared to 188 unsheltered individuals in 2022. “I am so proud of the progress Huntington Beach has made in help-
n GARDEN GROVE SCHOOL BOARD
Safety and more on the agenda for the GGUSD
GARDEN GROVE”S MAIN BRANCH LIBRARY Opened in 1969 and could use a refresh
A variety of topics ranging from school safety to student achievement are on the agenda for the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education meeting when it convenes on Tuesday. A study session will be held at 5 p.m. with topics of a safety update and the student board representative. In the wake of recent violence at public school campuses – including the shooting death of 21 people at a Texas school – area school districts have been reviewing and expanding plans for campus security. The regular school board meeting will begin at 7 p.m. Among the items for that portion of the meeting are: Continued on page 4
ing our city’s unsheltered homeless population. While there is still more work to be done, this decline is proof that we are on the right track and we are getting people the help and shelter that they need,” said Mayor Barbara Delgleize. The city has prioritized the development of a “system of care” to assist those individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of Huntington Beach; and link them to supportive services, shelter and housing. Those efforts and resources include, but are not limited to: 1) A Navigation Center with 174 beds serving as short-term shelter and other services; 2) BeWell in Huntington Beach, a mobile crisis response team for mental health crisis situations; 3) The Huntington Beach Homeless Task Force, an eight-member unit of the city police force.
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Retorts: Library would be money well-spent Continued from page 3
research and sometimes meeting people for study time in my high school and college days. Jim haunts bookstores and libraries like some people pub crawl. Books are my controlled substance and I can’t get enough. But as society has changed, so has the role of libraries. Fewer people are checking out books and such as electronic alternatives for information have emerged. Libraries have adapted by reinventing themselves as multifunction facilities. They have – mostly – cut back on books on shelves and added computers, printers, scanners, internet access, etc. They’ve served as galleries for art and local history and as meeting places where classes can be held. Free meals are made available during summer months there, courtesy of the school district. The uses are only limited by the creativity of the folks involved.
The library on Stanford Avenue is in need of modernization and/or replacement. Some genius built it halfway below the surface, right next to a system of ponds and brooks. Over the years, water has seeped into the building and caused no end of mischief on the lower level. Many areas of Garden Grove have high underground water tables, which requires special attention to that detail. Out front the once-gorgeous fountain has been dry for years, and plans to fill the space with beautiful landscaping have been on the “to-do list” for years.
Jim Tortolano’s “Retorts” column alternates with “Usually Reliable Sources.”
GGUSD board meets Tuesday Continued from page 3
• a public hearing on an initial contract proposal from the district’s supervisory (plant management) unit; • school plans for student achievement; • extension for proposals for fresh pizza from food services. The board meets at 10331 Stanford Ave., Garden Grove.
COVID-19 is up in deaths but deaths fall in Orange Co. Continued from page 1
fied initially only as a male 30 to 35 years old. His name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Witnesses at the scene told police the suspect vehicle was a 2010 to 2014 model purple sedan. It was last seen traveling westbound on Westminster Boulevard from Locust Street. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Detective M. Pierson at (714) 5483759 or Detective M. Lopez at (714) 548-3773. Callers can remain anonymous.
On the plus side, the surrounding grounds are gorgeous and colorful. The site has plenty of room to expand without cutting much into the open space. The library is operated by the county, but the building is owned by the City of Garden Grove. What could speak more eloquently to the City of Youth and Ambition’s desire to lead in the Information Age than to re-invest in a (modest) palace of learning in the heart of town?
Are you interested in placing advertising in The Orange County Tribune (print and website)? Call Jim at (714) 458-1860 for details.
2022 prep football schedules Continued from page 6
Friday, Sept. 2 against Orange Lutheran. The initial league game will be at Huntington Beach on Friday, Sept. 30. Pacifica: For the Mariners, the season commences on Friday, Aug. 19 when they play Orange at Fred Kelly Stadium for a nonleague contest. Empire League play will start on Friday, Sept. 30 hosting Valencia High of Placentia. According to the schedule, the
M’s don’t play a home game until Thursday, Sept. 22 when they take on Banning High of Wilmington at Bolsa Stadium. Westminster: The “city championship” contest against La Quinta High (also located in Westminster) will begin the 2022 campaign for the Lions on Friday, Aug. 26 hosting the Aztecs. League play begins on Friday, Oct. 14 hosting Ocean View High of Huntington Beach.
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/SATURDAY JUNE 18, 2022 5
Two teams, two playoff chases Continued from page 6
– according to baseball analyst nerds – 33-33 – and solidly not only in second in the ALW but just two games back of a wild card spot. Even despite losing 17 of their last 20 games, they’re just six games out. Much of that took place while Mike Trout was going through an epic slump – at one stretch going 0-for-26 at the plate – and new star Taylor Ward sidelined with injuries. Yes the Angels are probably
in too much of a hole to dream of division title, but a playoff berth, maybe As for the Dodgers, they’ve lost one of their best pitchers in Walker Buehler, and – maybe cause of too much prosperity – some of their edge. Perhaps the ignominious fall into second place will put some steam back in their stride. Pride, as much, as salaries, motivates a lot of these guys in the Blue Crew. So, the overall conclusion here is that as the Good Book says, “the loser now shall be later to win.” These teams have the talent; maybe all they need is a few good bounces.
6 SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
The Sports Page
Sports Spotlight
Warriors at the top, where they plan to stay for a while By Tim Reynolds AP Basketball Writer
The goal was enormous: Return to the NBA’s mountaintop. And now with that monumental task complete, the NBA champion Golden State Warriors already have a new target: staying up there for a while. The victory cigars hadn’t been extinguished after the title-clinching win in Boston, the last celebratory bottles of Moet & Chandon hadn’t been emptied, and the topic – can the Warriors win it again next season? – was already coming up. They have been installed by FanDuel Sportsbook as the favorites for the 2023 NBA title, and with Finals MVP Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all back it would be foolish to think that their chance at a fifth championship in nine years isn’t very real. “It still has not been proven, that when we’re whole, that anybody can stop it,’’ Green said. That’s true, and that’s why it makes sense for the Warriors to carry the burden of being favorites into next season. They know what it takes; they have as many championships in the last eight seasons – four – as the rest of the league combined. The last run that was better than this was put together by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, winning six in an eight-year span of the 1990’s. Warriors coach Steve Kerr – now a nine-time champion – played for the Bulls for some of that run, and has led Golden State to all four of these titles. “They are all unique. They are all special,’’ Kerr said. “I think this one may have been the most unlikely just from the standpoint of where we’ve been the last couple years. A lot of unknowns.’’ Indeed, there were questions. The Warriors answered them all. No, the core wasn’t too old. Yes, Thompson would come back from more than 900 days on the sidelines with injuries. And absolutely, Curry can still be unstoppable in the biggest moments. They took that core and fortified it with a new group of talent. Among those on that list: 27-yearold Andrew Wiggins, the 2014 No. 1 pick who has come into his own and was nothing less than a star in the NBA Finals; Jordan Poole, who turns 23 this weekend and will celebrate as a champion who has blossomed after facing off against Curry in practice all the time; and Jonathan Kuminga, the 19-year-old who got into 86 games and is raved about by teammates. “And we ain’t done,” Thompson said.
MIKE TROUT’S SLUMP IS OVER .... He could lead the Halos to a wild card spot this season
Two Teams, Two Races Angels, Dodgers have very different missions By David Arthur Orange County Tribune
It may seem like a dream now, but it was less than a month ago when some fans could plausibly dream of an October when both area MLB teams – the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers – could still be chasing World Series glory. Now, midway through June, that seems awfully unlikely. Each team has hit a skid; the Angels
more dramatically than the Dodgers, but both have tumbled. With losses on Friday, the Angels
are in third place in the American League West and the Dodgers – barely – in second place in the National League West. And yet, it’s still too early for fans to put those hopes away. The Halos have hit an extraordinary stretch of not hitting in the right situations. And despite that, they’ve scored 278 runs, exactly the same as they’ve yielded. With a just a biscuit of good fortune, they should be Continued on page 5
Prep football is not that far off Summer’s not officially started yet and it’s time to start looking ahead to the start of high school football in August. We are starting to roll out key details to the published schedules, team by team, over the next few weeks. Please note that these are subject to change between now and kickoffs. Garden Grove: The Argonauts, defending co-champs of the Big Four League, will open on the road on Friday, Aug. 26, visiting Artesia High School in a non-league contest. League
play will start on Friday, Oct. 14 when the red-and-white visits Segerstrom High of Santa Ana. Noteworthy about this schedule is that the Argos have not scheduled any games against former Garden Grove League rivals such as Rancho Alamitos or Pacifica. Edison: The Chargers start the season on Thursday, Aug. 11, visiting Millikan High in Long Beach. The big nonleague game will be a home contest on Continued on page 5