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Printed in Garden Grove, California n orangecountytribune.com n Wednesday, July 20, 2022 n orangecountytribune@gmail.com
A SIGN OF THE TIMES
n HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL
Hitting the Brakes on Cannabis
UPDATE: Gina Lockhart, 60, of Huntington Beach has been identified as the victim in the suspicious death investigation. ____________
The tax issue will go first By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune
Movement toward legalizing the retail sale and other commercial uses of cannabis products slowed at Tuesday’s meeting of the Huntington Beach City Council. What was at issue Tuesday was approval of resolutions to put cannabis sales – and taxes on them – before voters on the Nov. 8 ballot. However, many of the details proved contentious and all the council could agree on was to advance the idea of taxation. Even that was approved only on a 5-2 vote with Councilmember Erik Peterson and Mike Posey voting against it. Among the chief sticking points were “buffer zones” between cannabis uses – cultivation, manufacturing, retail sales for medicinal or recreational purposes – and other Continued on page 2
You won’t need a Google map or Waze to find your destination around downtown Garden Grove any more. Two new “wayfinding” signs have been installed in the area of Main Street and Garden Grove Boulevard. Other projects on the way for the city’s original central business district include an electrification program which will provide for illumination of trees along a stretch of Main south of Acacia Parkway, as well as permanent “parklets” for outdoor dining along that route. Funding comes from a grant through Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do’s office, with the City of Garden Grove, Garden Grove Community Foundation and Garden Grove Downtown Business Association involved in the planning and implementation.
New coronavirus cases in decline The number of daily new confirmed cases of coronavirus in Orange County has declined from one week ago. According to the county health care agency, the OC had 4,402 new cases in Tuesday’s report for an average of 1,105 per day over the four-day reporting period. That compares to last
Suspect, victim ID’d in killing
Tuesday’s report, which showed 5,172, an average of 1,293. From week to week, hospitalizations rose from 287 to 298, and deaths increased from 10 to 11. The use of intensive care units to treat COVID-19 patients has climbed from 30 to 45. To date, Orange County has had 625,100 con-
firmed cases, of which 589,302 are considered recovered. Deaths are at 7,181. Nationally, The New York Times is reporting that – over a 14-day period – new cases are up 20 percent, deaths are up 9 percent and hospitalizations up by 20 percent. In California, Los AngeContinued on page 2
The identity of a woman whose body was found buried at a Huntington Beach mobile home park has still not been determined, but a suspect has been arrested. According to the HBPD, Antonio Padilla, 34, was charged today (Tuesday) with the killing of the woman. He was originally held as a “person of interest” on Sunday, then formally arrested later. Police were called to the 7800 block of Slater Avenue (west of Beach Boulevard) on Saturday by residents complaining of an odor. The site was excavated and the women’s body was unearthed. Padilla, who is being held without bail, is facing a single count of murder.
n GARDEN GROVE SCHOOL BOARD
Sharing excess food with needy people Food issues are on the menu for Tuesday’s meeting of the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education. The board will consider food prices for students and adults for the 2022-2023 school year. No change is planned for the price – zero – to all GGUSD students under a federal universal meal service program. Continued on page 2
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2 WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
Cannabis tax vote advanced on 5-2 vote Continued from page 1
“sensitive” land uses, such aa schools, parks, youth centers. Some council members felt there had been too little public outreach on such issues. “As a resident I never liked being blind-sided,” said Councilmember Kim Carr. The level of taxation didn’t produce a consensus. It was argued
that placing too high of a tax on cannabis products would make it more expensive than illegal “black market” items. Possible tax rates range from 6 to 2 percent on various uses. “I think this train needs to be slowed down,” said Posey. Some of the same issues are expected to be taken up at the next council meeting on Aug. 8.
GGUSD and some free food Continued from page 1
However adults will see a 30cent increase for breakfast – from $2.70 to $3. The price of lunch for adults will rise by 50 cents from $4.50 to $5. Also on Tuesday, the board will consider renewal of a memorandum of understanding with Jamboree Housing Corporation
to recover “excess edible food” from GGUSD kitchens and make it available to Jamboree and Abound Food Care for the needy. So far, the program has recovered the equivalent of over 21,000 meals and diverted over 25,000 pounds from landfills.
OC stats on Murders at coronavirus 7-11’s linked Continued from page 1
les Times is reporting that – over a similar period – new cases are down 1 percent and deaths down 15 percent.
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. 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, Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce and the Online News Association.
By Stefanie Dazio Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Prosecutors plan to charge a Los Angeles man in connection with three murders across Southern California as part of a deadly string of robberies last week at a half-dozen 7-Elevens and a doughnut shop. Investigators have linked Malik Patt, 20, to the fatal shooting of a homeless man in Los Angeles on July 9, as well as the July 11 deaths of a 7-Eleven clerk in Brea and a man who intervened in a robbery in a 7-Eleven parkContinued on page 6
OCTribune’s electronic paper is published on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
The best in local news The Orange County TRIBUNE
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2022 3
News&Views Stabbing suspect was shot and killed
TURNING 150 YEARS OLD IN SEPTEMBER The Westminster School District will celebrate its 150th anniversary on Sept. 29 at the district office on Cedarwood Street (OCT photo)
WSD will turn 150 years old this fall The Westminster School District will be celebrating its 150th anniversary on Thursday, Sept. 29. The event will be held at the WSD District Office, 14121 Cedarwood St. at 5 p.m. The district is one of the oldest public school systems in Orange County and California. It’s also known as the district that was the focus of the Mendez v. Westminster court case that ended legal segregation in California. Today the WSD is a K-8 system with around 10,000 students. It serves most of Westminster and parts of adjoining cities.
US Open of Surfing in H. Beach is back
The Vans US Open of Surfing is returning to Huntington Beach on July 30 to Aug. 6 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. What could be the world’s largest action sports festival will feature surfing, skateboarding and BMX competitions.
The suspect in a fatal stabbing on Wednesday morning in Westminster was fatally shot in a confrontation with a SWAT team on Friday. According to Commander Kevin MacCormack of the WPD, Trent William Milsap, 28, of Anaheim, was killed by officers of the West Orange County SWAT team. The victim in the stabbing that took place Wednesday at a gasoline station has been identified as Robert John East, 38, of San Dimas. According to the Westminster Police Department, the shooting occurred at an apartment in the 3300 block of Lincoln Avenue. There, Milsap “became con-
frontational,” according to a statement by the WPD. A K-9 was deployed and “an officer-involved shooting took place. No officers were injured, however, a police K-9 sustained a single gunshot wound that was not lifethreatening.” Milsap was taken to UCI Medical Center in Orange where he later died from his wounds. The victim has been identified as former professional race car driver Robert “Bobby” East. An investigation into the stabbing is still in process and the motive for the stabbing has not been determined. As is protocol, the shooting is Continued on page 4
Our Towns Olympians and world champions will be participating. The event is free to the public and is held south of the Huntington Beach Pier.
LQHS leaders went to Nashville, Tenn.
In late June, 10 students from La Quinta High School in Westminster competed at the HOSA-Future Health Professionals International Leadership Conference in Nashville, after placing in the top five at the state-level. Students competed in CPR/ First Aid, Community Emergency Response Teams and Forensics. Two students, Anna Le and Casey Tran, won second place overall in CPR. The students are part of the Biotechnology Career Pathway in the CTE Health Science and Medical Technology sector. Continued on page 4
GARAGE FIRE IN ROYAL PALM ON GARDEN GROVE
Garage fire in G. Grove knocked down by OCFA Crews from the Orange County Fire Authority needed only 20 minutes to knock down a fire in Garden Grove in the pre-dawn hours of Friday. According to the OCFA, the blaze was at a house in the 8400 block of Royal Palm Boulevard, a gated community southwest of
Orangewood Avenue and Gilbert Street. The call was received at 3:50 a.m. and firefighters were able to confine the fire to the garage. There were no injuries and the cause of the fire has not been determined.
4 WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
Our Towns: Students achieve, honored Continued from page 3
CTE teacher/HOSA Advisor Sarah Forguson led the group. La Quinta is part of the Garden Grove Unified School District, which serves most of Garden Grove and parts of other cities
Free developmental screening in Stanton
The City of Stanton is providing free developmental screenings for children up to 5 years old. The next session is Friday, July 22 at City Hall, 7800 Katella Ave., from 8:30 to11:30 a.m. Pre-Registration is not required. Screenings will cover fine and gross motor development, speech and language behavioral and emotional health, physical health, vision and dental. Call (714) 447-3301 for more information.
College, university honors for locals
The following students from our area have been honored by their colleges and universities. University of Utah (Salt Lake City) • Victor Nguyen of Westminster has earned a doctor of pharmacy degree • Alexander Tran of Westminster has earned a doctor of medicine • Julio Payan of Garden Grove has earned an educational specialist degree in educational psychology • Kimberly Willingham of Huntington Beach has earned a bachelor of sciences degree in health, society and policy • Jasmine Norman of Huntington Beach has earned a doctor of philosophy degree. Dickinson College (Carlisle, Penn.) • Sarah Jang, daughter of
Kritsada and Julie Jang of Garden Grove, has been named to the dean’s list for spring 2022. Spokane Falls (Wash.) Community College • Andrew Yeah of Garden Grove has been named to the dean’s list for the spring quarter of 2022. Submit items for “Our Towns” to orangecountytribune@gmail. com.
Stabbing suspect fatally shot by SWAT team Continued from page 3
being investigated by the Orange County District Attorney’s office and the Department of Justice.
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2022 5
Arts&Living
“42nd St.” is back as good as ever On stage at the Rose Center in Westminster By Thom deMartino Orange County Tribune
Hard times come, hard times go: but it is those dreams we desperately cling to that sustain us. The Rose Center Theater in Westminster harkens back to yesteryear with their new staging of the fan-favorite musical “42nd Street”, directed by Tim Nelson. At the height of the Great Depression, renowned director Julian Marsh (Chris Caputo) is casting for his brandnew musical, “Pretty Lady”: the rhythmic thunder of scores of tap shoes reverberate throughout the theater as actor Billy Lawlor (Trevin Stephenson) and myriad dancers rehearse, led by choreographer Andy Lee (Evan Martorana). After a disastrous first impression – and collision – with the irascible director at the rehearsal, aspiring dancer and Peggy Sawyer (Amanda Jean) is con-
SINGING, DANCING, LOVE, LAUGHTER “42nd St” is back at the Rose Center Theater in Westminster
Stage Review soled by show writer Maggie Jones (Kristin Henry), who invites her to lunch with a group of the dancers. The group are left speechless at the small town girl’s jaw-dropping dance skills and speak up on her behalf to Marsh when he witnesses part
of her impromptu performance. But the director has far bigger worries than a new addition to the enscmble: after losing his shirt in the crash of 1929, he’s put every penny into this production – but falling short, he has to rely on backing by the wealthy Abner Dillon (JD Rinde). Meaning he must also contend with the apple of Dil-
Great: HHHH lon’s eye, the fading prima donna Dorothy Brock (Barbara Hinrichsen) and her demands... as do Maggie and fellow show writer Bert Berry (Randall J. Goddard). Yet even she has her own worContinued on page 6
Roll out more summer fun with music, movies Summertime, and the entertainment is plenty. And in some cases, free. • Free Summer Concert, Eastgate Park in Garden Grove: Tijuana Dogs, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 21. • Free Summer Concert, CIvic Center Sunken Gardens in Westminster: Queen Nation, 6 p.m., Thursday, July 21. •Free Movie Under the Stars, Stanton Central Park, “Sing 2.” 7-9:30 p.m. Friday, July 22. • “The SpongeBob Musical” continues at Gem Theatre on Main Street in Garden Grove. Performances Thursday through Sunday (July 21-24). For tickets, go to www.thegemoc.com . • “42nd St.” continues at the Rose Center Theater in Westminster with performances Friday through Sunday (July 22 to 24). Go to www.rosecentertheater.com .
TIJUANA DOGS WILL BARK AT EASTGATE PARK It’s a free concert on Thursday evening
6 WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
“42nd St” dances back to Rose Center Theater Continued from page 5
ries, for though beau Abner is helping bankroll the show, unbeknownst to him her heart truthfully belongs to her old vaudeville partner, Pat Denning (Mark Wickham)... which leads her to misconstrue his kindness towards the hapless Peggy as affection. So many obstacles to overcome, and so little time... as the desperate director and neverwracked writers work to stave off one trainwreck of personalities after another, does the show even have a prayer of opening? This production of “42nd Street” is the latest iteration of the beloved musical at the Rose Center Theater, and sharp-eyed viewers may notice a few returning cast members from previous productions, such as Stephenson as the would-be Lothario Lawler and Caputo as the stymied director Marsh (who somehow brings to his performance even more poise and gravitas than in previous shows.)
Jean’s interpretation of aspiring dancer and Allentown native Peggy is as fresh as her performances are sharp, giving the character not only her homespun charm but also showcasing the actress’ undeniable dancing and singing talents. Other standout performances include Hinrichsen’s Dorothy Brock, so determined to control her circumstances, as said control slips from her grasp ... revealing the vulnerable woman beneath the diva’s polished exterior; Dannielle Green as the flirtatious and affable “Anytime” Annie; Henry’s compassionate and determined Maggie; and Wickham’s lovestruck Pat Denning, so enamored of his beloved, yet so uneasy with their circumstances. The ensemble as a whole is the heart and soul of the show: for as much color as the main characters bring to the show, the fuller, more vibrant tapestry is the innumerable dancing feet of the titular song, the spectacular cho-
reography, and the obvious love and painstaking care that director Tim Nelson and the cast have poured into this production. A tale of dreams, reality and the determination to bridge the two, full of memorable and beloved tunes, stellar dance numbers and resplendent vocal performances, this newest “42nd Street” is a show well worth revisiting.
“42nd Street”, Amanda Jean, Chris Caputo and Barbara Hinrichsen star in this classic musical tale of the trials and tribulations to reach stardom. Now playing through July 24 at the Westminster Rose Center Theater, 14140 All American Way, Westminster 92683. Tickets available online at rosecentertheater.com.
West Division Murders at race are over 7-11s linked Continued from page 8
Continued from page 2
The Dodgers will resume play on Thursday, opening a fourgame series at home against the third place San Francisco Giants. The Angels will be on the road Friday in Atlanta beginning a three-game series against the Braves.
ing lot in Santa Ana. Three other people were shot and wounded in the July 11 violence, one of whom remained gravely injured Monday, according to Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. Patt faces a slew of charges, including murder, attempted murder, robbery and carjacking. If convicted, his case could result in the death penalty or a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Spitzer on Monday called the violence among the “cruelest, most inhumane crimes I've ever seen'' in his time in law enforcement. The July 11 robberies occurred within five hours in San Bernardino, Orange and Riverside counties, setting off an intensive manhunt that resulted in the arrests of the two men in Los Angeles on Friday. Authorities say Jason Payne, 44, was Patt's neighbor and accomplice but was not involved in the killings. Both men are being held in jail and were expected to be arraigned Tuesday. It was not immediately clear whether they had attorneys who could speak on their behalf. Police originally believed the spate of robberies at the convenience stories on July 11, or 7/11, might be linked to the day when the national 7-Eleven brand celebrates its anniversary. It was the chain's 95th year, and stores gave out free Slurpee drinks.
Advertise in The Orange County Tribune (print and website). You can reach many thousands of customers for pennies. Call Jim at (714) 4581860 for details. OCT: Now Wednesday and Saturday.
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2022 7
The “American-ness” of Angels’ Shohei Ohtani Continued from page 8
is the best baseball player in the history of the game just because of what he did last year and this year. You could argue that he deserves to be MVP every year as a top-10 hitter and top-10 pitcher.’’ No argument from Astros manager and AL All-Star manager
Dusty Baker, for whom Ohtani will lead off as the designated hitter in Tuesday night’s AllStar Game. “He’s not just an All-Star, he’s a megastar,`` Baker said. Whiting is the author of the bestselling book “You Gotta Have Wa,’’ which looks at Japanese culture through the prism of sports. Another book, “The Samurai Way of Baseball,’’ follows the career of Ichiro, who was Japan’s most famous player until he retired in 2019. It was also titled ``The Meaning of Ichiro.’’ Ohtani came up in Japan’s
highly regimented baseball system at Hanamaki Higashi High School in largely rural Iwate prefecture in northeastern Japan. Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi attended the same high school a bit earlier. As a teenager, Ohtani constructed an 81-box development chart detailing his goals. The step-bystep process is well known in Japan, and so is Ohtani’s own chart. He lists baseball areas for improvement, but also the mental and personal side. He specifies, among other things, that to improve he needs to read books, clean the room, improve the slider, get the fastball up in the 100 mph range _ and be trustworthy. “Ohtani was raised in this Japanese, martial arts-inspired training system where you join a baseball team and you play year-round. It’s not a seasonal thing like the States,” said Whiting, who has lived on and off for 60 years in Japan. “Ichiro in his first year in high school was probably the best player on the team, but he couldn’t play. He had to do the laundry and cook the meals. He’d get up in the middle of night and practice his swing. The same thing with Ohtani. He was cleaning toilets in high school during his first year.’’ This is not that unusual. Public schools in Japan have limited cleaning staffs, so students do it to learn discipline and humility. Ichiro had an edge, often defying the conventions of Japanese culture. The Japanese phrase “deru kugi wa utareru’’ captures him: “The nail that sticks up gets hammered down.’’ Ohtani appears to be the opposite – polite, soft-spoken and discreet, a player whose only focus seems to be baseball. There are few reports about any social life. “The guy is totally committed,’’ Whiting said. ``It’s not too much to call him a modern-day warrior monk.’’ “In high school there are countless, endless practices and development of spirit and teamwork and self-sacrifice,’’ Whiting added. “That’s the essence of the martial arts. It’s the essence of Japanese life. You
see it in the corporations, in the school systems. He grew up in a culture where there was a lot of discipline.`` A game in 1896 in Yokohama between Japanese and Americans stands out in local history. Japan won 29-4, and many of the players were from Samurai families. The result was frontpage news in Japan. Whiting quotes Japanese historian Kyushi Yamato: ``Foreigners could not hope to understand the emotional impact of this victory, but it helped Japan, struggling toward modernization, after centuries of isolation, overcome a tremendous inferiority complex it felt toward the more industrially advanced West.’’ Ema Ryan Yamazaki, in collaboration with Japan’s NHK television, directed a 90-minute film several years ago about Japan’s annual high school baseball championship, which is known as Koshien. The film is titled”`Koshien: Japan’s Field of Dreams.’’ ESPN aired it in 2020, and Yamazaki included a brief interview with Ohtani. “Koshien is like our World Series,’’ Ohtani said. ``Except that it’s a single-elimination, so one loss and it’s over.’’ The film features long interviews with Hiroshi Sasaki, Ohtani’s high school coach who gets some credit for nurturing Ohtani, as does Hideki Kuriyama, who coached him at the Japanese professional team Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. His parents were both athletes in their own right: Toru, a semipro baseball player, and Kayoko, accomplished at badminton. Sasaki is fond of Bonsai, the Japanese practice of growing miniature trees in pots. In the film, Sasaki talks about the difficulty of raising Bonsai, the need to remove wires that guide the branches and the duty to eventually put the plants in larger pots. He seems to be talking about Ohtani. “I didn’t create Ohtani, he was incredible from the beginning,’’ Sasaki said in the film. ``But I do think about how many pitchers I may have killed before him by my poor coaching.”
8 WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
TheSportsPage
The “American-ness” of Ohtani Is he the greatest player of all time in baseball history? By Stephen Wade AP Sports Writer
TOKYO (AP) – Shohei Ohtani is doing things no other player has ever done, a point of pride for Japanese like Fumihiro Fujisawa. Fujisawa is the president of the Association of American Baseball Research – similar in Japan to SABR, the Society for American Baseball Research. So he knows the numbers. But he has trouble recognizing Ohtani, who is built like a tight end in American football. “In the last five years his body has become bigger and stronger. We see that he’s become an American – not a Japanese,’’ Fujisawa said. There have been physical changes, added maturity and cultural adaptations. But make no mistake, Ohtani is ``Made In Japan’’ – 100% – with roots deep in the Japanese countryside. American Robert Whiting, who has written bestsellers about baseball in Japan, views Ohtani as the result of 150 years of baseball evolution. An American professor in Tokyo
HE PITCHES, HE HITS, HE EVEN STEALS BASES As Shohei Ohtani goes along, he gets even better in 1872 introduced the game, which is known in Japanese as “yakyu”or “field ball.” Ohtani follows two other milestone players – pitcher Hideo Nomo, who joined the Dodgers in 1995, and Ichiro Suzuki, who has more than 3,000 hits and is likely headed to Cooperstown when he becomes eligible in 2025. But there were always quali-
fiers with those two, and with others. When Nomo excelled, some dismissed him as only a pitcher. Japanese could pitch – they were technically proficient – but couldn’t make it as position players. Then Ichiro came along. Well, he could hit but not for power. Now comes Ohtani. He pitches, he has power and he’s one player, not two. No asterisks or
Let’s face it; West Division races are over By Pete Zarustica Orange County Tribune
Mathematically, it’s far too early to call the races in the West Divisions of Major League Baseball over. Realistically, they’ve been over for weeks. The Los Angeles Dodgers are 60-30 and 10 games ahead of the San Diego Padres in the National League West, roll-
ing along with nine wins in 10 games as big league ball pauses for the All-Star break. The Los Angeles Angels are 39-53 and mired in fourth place in the AL West, 20.5 games out of first and 10.5 games back of a wild card spot. Their record isn’t quite as damning as the direction in which they are traveling. Going into the break they had lost four in a row and nine of 12.
Even more heart-breaking is the contrast between how the team started and where it stands now. The Halos roared out of the starting gate with a 27-17 record and were dueling the Astros for first. Since then they’ve won 12 games and lost 36. The only way they could hope to beat the Astros now would be in a darts match. Continued on page 6
footnotes needed. “Ohtani can defeat Americans on their own terms, or the Latin Americans for that matter,’’ Whiting told the AP. “I mean, he’s bigger than most of them. He’s stronger than most of them, plus he’s pitching every five days and he’s hitting at the top of the order every day. You can make the argument that Ohtani Continued on page 7