Revised Orange County Tribune June 22, 2022

Non-partisan News Opinion Arts & Living Sports

Covering Garden Grove Huntington Beach Stanton Westminster

Printed in Garden Grove, California n orangecountytribune.com n Wednesday, June 22, 2022 n orangecountytribune@gmail.com

n HUNTINGTON BEACH CITY COUNCIL

Changes In Charter On Voter’s Way AUSTIN BUTLER STARS AS “ELVIS” Anaheim native was “discovered” at the Orange County Fair (Warner Bros.)

OC native is the ‘new Elvis’

By Jake Coyle/AP Film Writer

On the day of Austin Butler’s final screen test for “Elvis,`` director Baz Luhrmann threw everything at him.

Butler had spent five months building up to that moment, workshopping the role with Luhrmann, doing hair and make-up tests, rehearsing the songs.

Against the odds, Butler had emerged as the unlikely favorite to land the role over more established names like Harry Styles, Miles Teller and Ansel Elgort.

But it wasn’t official yet.

And during the screen test, Luhrmann flipped the script. Some of the scenes Butler had prepped went out the win-

dow. In others, Luhrmann fed him lines from behind the camera. The one minute of “Suspicious Minds” that Butler was to perform in a Presley jumpsuit stretched to six.

“I got home and I really thought: ‘I don’t think I got that. I felt like my hands were tied behind my back,’’ Butler said in a recent interview.

Continued on page 2

Corona stats continue up-and-down Confirmed new cases of coronavirus in Orange County are down in Tuesday’s report from the county health care agency.

That result tracks with statewide and national counts.

The New York Times reports that – over a 14-day

period – new cases have declined by 3 percent across the U.S., although deaths have risen by 17 percent.

In California, new cases are down by 17 percent and deaths down 20 percent, reports Los Angeles Times.

According to the county health care agency, there were 3,587 new cases of COVID-19 in the fourday period covered by the report. That’s an average of 896.75 per day.

In the previous report, the daily average was Continued on page 4

Late meeting leads to delay on cannabis

By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune

It’s been said that the wheels of justice grind slowly; sometimes the vehicles of local government take their time arriving as well.

After a meeting of Hun-

tington Beach City Council that began in the early evening on Tuesday lasted until well past midnight into Wednesday morning finished with key actions moved to the next meeting on July 5.

The council decided on a 6-0 vote – with Councilmember Erik Peterson absent – to advance four potential amendments to the city charter for a decision at that next council session, and because of Continued on page 4

n GARDEN GROVE SCHOOL BOARD

New 2-story building is coming to GG High

By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune

Say goodbye to “PTown.”

That’s the student slang term for the set of portable classrooms huddled at the northeast corner of the Garden Grove High School campus.

At Tuesday’s meeting of the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education, a construction project contract for a twostory modular classroom building to replace the

GARDEN GROVE HIGH

portables was approved on a 3-0 vote.

Board members Terri Rocco and Walter Muneton were absent.

The new structure, similar to another two-story classroom building erectContinued on page 2

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2 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

The ‘new Elvis’ is from OC Continued from page 1

A week later in Los Angeles, the 30-year-old actor’s phone rang. Luhrmann was calling from Australia.

“I look at the phone and go, ‘OK, this is the moment,’’’ says Butler. “I pick up the phone and he was very dramatic and downcast. He goes, “Austin, I just wanted to be the first one to call you and say ... Are you ready to fly, Mr. Presley?’’’

When “Elvis’’ opens in theaters Friday, it will resurrect one of the most iconic figures in American music in the biggest, most bedazzled film to ever try to capture the King of Rock `n’ Roll. And it will propel Butler, a native of Anaheim best known to this point for playing Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood,’’ onto a far bigger stage.

Butler reportedly began his career when – as a preteen – he was walking around the Orange Country Fair in Costa Mesa when he was “discovered by a talent agent.

“It all feels sort of like this wonderful dream,’’ Butler said the morning after the film’s Cannes Film Festival premiere.

“I have to take moments to take a deep breath and say, ‘This is real life.’’’

What’s real and what’s fake in the exaggerated land of the much-imitated Elvis hasn’t always been easy to discern.

JIm Tortolano Editor and Publisher Marilyn Lewis Tortolano General Manager 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 Pres, Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce and the Online News Association.

“Elvis,’’ which Luhrmann co-scripted, doesn’t take a standard biopic view of Presley but tells his story through Presley’s infamous manager, Col. Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), a former carnival barker who guided Presley to stardom but exploited and manipulated him until Presley’s death in 1977.

Parker narrates the tale, adding a dimension about the nature of show business and performance.

“Baz in the very first meeting said, ‘Look, this is a story about two people. There would have never been an Elvis without a Col. Tom Parker, and, in his own mind, there would have never been a Col. Tom Parker without Elvis,’’ says Hanks. “As soon as he said that, I thought, “Well, this is going to be new turf, and Continued on page 4

A new bldg. for GGHS Continued from page 1

ed on campus in the early 2000s, will replace 24 classrooms in portables now in place and will yield enough space to restore up to 50 parking spots or four outdoor basketball courts.

According to board president Bob Harden, rising enrollment at GGHS is making the move necessary. The “landlocked” campus is full, and “there’s nowhere to go but up.”

Board member Lan Nguyen asked why a permanent structure wouldn’t be preferable.

Rick Nakano, assistant superintendent for business services, said “It is permanent,” although constructed in a modular format and will have “a very long useful life” in addition to being less expensive than other construction methods.

The price of the project is $4,550,931.

The next meeting of the GGUSD board is Tuesday, July 19. GGUSD is a K-12 district serving most of Garden Grove as well as parts of Anaheim, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Santa Ana, Stanton and Westminster.

The OCTribune’s electronic newspaper comes out on Wednesdays.

The best in local news The Orange County TRIBUNE

ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022 3

News&Views n GARDEN GROVE PLANNING COMMISSION

n WESTMINSTER COUNCIL

Deal for joint navigation ctr. on the agenda

Big industrial building wins final approval What would be one of the largest industrial buildings in the city was approved by the Garden Grove Planning Commission on June 16.

On a 5-0 vote (with commission chair John Ramirez and vice chair Josh Lindsay absent), the planners gave their OK to a site plan, variance and lot line adjustment to the project on the west side of Pala Drive and Industry Street, north of Acacia Avenue and south of Lampson Avenue.

Continued on page 4

Cycle accident victim in SA is identified A 67-year-old man fatally injured when he was struck by a car while riding a bicycle Saturday morning in Santa Ana has been identified.

The Orange County Coroner’s office says the man is John Story. No city of residence has been provided.

According to the SAPD, the incident took place around 8:30 a.m. at the intersection of Bristol Street and Edinger Avenue. The bicyclist was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police believe the cyclist was riding southbound on Bristol through the intersection with Edinger when he was hit by a vehicle traveling westbound on Edinger. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

There are no indications that speed or intoxication were a factor in the collision. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Cpl. W. Hadley at (714) 245-8216.

GASOLINE PRICES EASE OFF But are still historially high all across the county (Shutterstock).

Gas pains ease a little in West OC Still suffering from “sticker shock” every time you fill up your Chevy or Toyota?

Some gasoline service stations charge more than others, some well over six bucks per gallon, and some considerably less.

Based on numbers collected by Gas Buddy (orangecountygasprices.com), here are some of the lowest (and highest) prices for the regular grade of gasoline in the West Orange County area of Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster.

First the lowest: • $5.79: Costco in Bella Terra (Center Avenue) in Huntington Beach.

• $5.85: Costco in Garden Grove (Garden Grove GASOLINE PRICES ON MAY 11 Boulevard and Taft Street).

The highest noted on Monday in the area are: • $6.79: Mobil at Beach Boulevard and Edinger Avenue in Huntington Beach. Cash.

• $6.67: Shell at Edinger Avenue and Edwards Street in Huntington Beach.

Continued on page 4

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 understanding” 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 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 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 are resolutions amending compensation plans for employee groups and a policy governing the use of translators during public comments at council meetings.

4 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

Huntington Beach charter changes?

Continued from page 1

the lateness of the hour, put off discussion and action on authorizing cannabis sales and a tax on such businesses as well.

All the proposed amendments would have to be approved by a vote of the public to become law.

Two of the four proposed amendments focused on “cleaning up” and updating antiquated language and procedures in a charter that dates back to the 1930s.

One attempts to clarify the relationship between the council and the city attorney, as there have been some conflicts in the

past.

Councilmember Rhonda Bolton spoke on why there were disagreements between the two.

“It’s because the charter lends itself to a couple of different interpretations,” she said.

The other proposed charter amendment would change the positions of city clerk and city treasurer from elected to appointed.

These proposals came from a city charter revision committee, and one recommendation not accepted by the council was changing the office of city attorney from elected to appointed.

Councilmembers wanted to

make it clear that a decision on city clerk and treasurer did not come from any dissatisfaction with the people in those positions.

“It’s really important to say to our amazing city clerk [Robin Estanislau] that you’re one in a million,” said Councilmember Kim Carr. “You do an exceptional job.”

Alisa Backstrom is city treasurer, which has evolved into “parttime job,” said council members at Tuesday’s meeting.

The last day to get the charter amendments on the ballot is Friday, Aug. 12. The public would have the last word on Nov. 8.

From Anaheim to Hollywood to Tupelo Continued from page 2

worthy of the Baz-maximalistconfetti-strewn style of moviemaking.’’’

And, like “The Great Gatsby’’ and “Moulin Rouge,’’ “Elvis’’ is indeed an extravagant, maxi-

malist Baz-styled blow-out. As you’d expect, it breezes through pivotal moments in the Mississippi-born Memphis singer’s life and a jukebox of songs.

But “Elvis’’ also offers a more youthful, rebellious portrait of

Gas pains ease ease a little in OC Continued from page 3

Across all of Orange County, the highest price was $6.99 a gallon at the Chevron station at McFadden Avenue and Village Way in Santa Ana. The cheapest was the Sinclair station at Commonwealth and Orange avenues in Fullerton (cash only).

As bad as that may look the average price of a gallon of gas in the OC is $6.34.9, down from $6.41.9 a week ago. The national average is $4.97.5

Planners OK big industrial bldg.

Continued from page 3

What’s planned is the demolition of a 65,880-square foot building at 12641 Industry St. and a 83,100-square foot structure at 12691 Pala Drive to build a new 148,284-square foot building in an industrial park zone in West Garden Grove.

Presley as a product of Black gospel music, a hip-shaking sex symbol in eyeliner and a progressive-minded nonconformist whose closely controlled career reflected cultural battles of then and now. Butler’s is an electric Elvis, not campy nostalgia act, with more Bowie in him than you might expect.

“I’m not here to tell the world that Elvis is a great person. I’ll tell you what he is for me,`` says Luhrmann. ``Everyone has their Elvis.’’

“My job generally is to take things that are considered either boring or old-fashioned or not relevant and shake off the rust, and recode them’’ says Luhrmann, maker of the modern-day “Romeo + Juliet.’’

“Not to change them, just to retranslate them so their value is once again present.’’

Coronavirus stats again up, down Continued from page 1

1,038 new cases. A week ago, the figure was 903.

Deaths rose from six to nine, but hospitalizations declined from 178 to 175. The use of intensive care units to treat coronavirus patients stayed even at 23.

To date, Orange County has had 592,821 cases, of which 562,008 are considered recovered. The death total is at 7,091.

ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022 5

Arts&Living ‘Good Luck, Leo Grande’ full of charm Emma Thompson reveals a lot in this romantic comedy

By Lindsey Bahr AP Film Writer

Female desire is not a topic that gets a lot of space in mainstream Hollywood movies. And the desire of women north of 45? Well, that’s been almost exclusively the province of Nancy Meyers, Meryl Streep and Diane Keaton.

There have been others, sure, but it’s often either played for humor or scrubbed and sanitized of anything remotely carnal.

Usually it’s some horrifyingly infantilized combination of both. It’s as though someone decided that audiences couldn’t possibly bear to watch a woman of menopause age acting or even feeling sexual and few have dared to challenge that notion.

That’s all to say that it is a small miracle that “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande,’’ a smart, nuanced and adamantly sex-positive film about a 55-year-old woman, exists.

In the film, written by Katy Brand and directed by Sophie

EMMA THOMPSON and Daryl McCormick in “Good Luck Leo Grande.”

Stage Review Hyde, Emma Thompson plays said woman. Nancy is a retired religion teacher and somewhat recent widow who hires a handsome young sex worker, the

Summer Concert Series in GG beginning this week The free Summer Concert Series in Garden Grove starts on Thursday, June 23 and continues on Thursdays through July.

Four artists – Huong Thuy, Hoang My An, Justin Nguyen and Carol Kim – will perform at Garden Grove Park in the initial concert this Thursday. All concerts will go from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays.

Following that will be: • Bruno & The Hooligans,” at Main Street/Downtown on June 30 • Blue Breeze Band, at Eastgate Park on July 7 • Yachty by Nature at Eastgate Park on July 14 • Tijuana Dogs at Eastgate Park on July 21 • Gold Rush Country at Eastgate Park on July 28.

“The Voice of Garden Grove” singing competition for local high school students is at 6 p.m. before concerts June 30 to July 28.

The concert series is sponsored by the Garden Grove Community Foundation and the City of Garden Grove.

titular Leo Grande (Daryl McCormack), for a night.

We’re introduced to the characters, essentially the only ones in the film, in a perfect, dialoguefree sequence right before they meet.

It tells you a lot about who they are and how they exist in the world, but not everything.

There’s basically 90 minutes of wide-ranging conversations to follow that will help flesh out that whole conundrum.

Nancy arrives at the tasteful hotel room armed with a sensible overnight roller bag, wearing a modest pencil skirt, matching blazer and floral blouse (her negligee is, hilariously, a not so different floral print).

She’s flustered and rumpled and nervous as she switches from her flats to heels and checks the minibar.

Leo, meanwhile, is a picture of youthful confidence and effortlessly put-together, as though he’s just stepped out of an advertisement for a trendy ecoconscious clothing startup.

Good: HHH Together they’re not much different: She starts questioning her choice, chalking it up to a fit of madness and wondering what it says about her. He, meanwhile, continues to be cool, calm, charming and armed with a perfect response to everything.

The main reason for this “fit of madness’’ is that Nancy has never had an orgasm. She doesn’t expect to get one from the session with Leo, but she’s found herself with a bit of freedom finally after following rules, both self and societally imposed, for her entire life and has a few things she’d like to do.

Nancy is deeply unsatisfied with her life, her body, her grown children (one is too boring, one is too wild) and her marriage. Repressed isn’t the right word, but perhaps unfulfilled is.

She can’t quite see or appreciate how lucky she is to have Continued on page 6

6 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

‘Leo Grande’ goes where few films have gone Continued from page 5

found Leo, who is patient and clever and not easy to write off.

This drives her a bit mad, too, having lived life according to a set of principles that she knows haven’t brought her happiness and are outdated but that she’s not quite ready to let go of yet.

And she will at various points over the next 90 minutes sabotage things.

Leo, both as a person and a character, is self-consciously styled as a bit of a fantasy. He’s there to be whatever his clients need him to be.

The film doesn’t go especially deep into the world of sex work, though there are some references to bad clients and how it can be more unsafe for women. It is, for the most part, a rose-colored glasses version of what it could be.

Thompson is truly better than ever and brings to life a complex and evolving person with humor, grace and a sharp edge.

McCormack, meanwhile, is a

star in the making.

And together, the two are magnetic in this wonderfully adult film that is funny, sad, awkward, empowering and illuminating.

The truth is, you don’t really know what audiences want if you’re not giving them the option. “It’s Complicated’’ and “Something’s Gotta Give’’ made almost $500 million at the box

office, after all. “Leo Grande,’’ in 2022, shouldn’t really be a revelation. And maybe it’s not, but I’m still celebrating.

“Good Luck to You, Le Grande,’’ a Searchlight Pictures release on Hulu Friday, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association.

Running time: 97 minutes.

MPA Definition of R: Restrict-

Should baseball go ‘Bananas’ and try to be a bit more fun?

Continued from page 5

tion of toilet seats hangs on the wall, bins are filled with wigs of all shapes, sizes and colors, and Cole shuffles quickly through a row of costumes that have no rhyme or reason, everything from French maids to sharks.

When he recruits players to the Bananas, their personalities are just as important as their skills.

“It’s not for everybody,’’ said pitcher Blake McGehee, who recently transferred from Ole Miss to Louisiana-Lafayette.

“But once you get here, you kind of adapt to it. It’s just the culture around here. If you come in and you’re not that outgoing, you’re not a performer, you change quickly.``

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ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022 7

Do Bananas point the way for baseball’s future?

Continued from page 8

hopping on top of the dugout to lead the crowd in song.

Oh yeah, there’s also a reallife baseball game amid all the shenanigans. (The Bananas, for what it’s worth, went into the weekend with the league’s best record at 12-4).

“I am so excited,’’ said Frances Squyres, who traveled from Los Angeles to attend her first

Bananas game. ``It looks like just one big party – that also has baseball going on.`` With apologies to Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper and the World Series-winning Atlanta Braves, the Bananas might just be the baseball’s most compelling story.

That’s no laughing matter.

Sure, some of the more overthe-top skits might be a bit much for the big leagues, and it’s hard to envision a way for stars such as Ohtani or Harper to have the sort of up-close interactions that are possible in a college summer league.

But there are surely some lessons to be gleaned from a team

that is bucking the trend of baseball struggling to attract new fans and having so many young people view it as an outof-touch relic favored by their grandparents.

“I definitely think if this was put on in MLB, it would help the game grow,’’ said Jestin Jones, a right-hander pitcher who plays collegiately at St. Leo. “This little town of Savannah, there’s more people coming here almost than to MLB games.`` Indeed, Savannah has sold out every game at ancient Grayson Stadium since its founding in 2016, when it joined a league that essentially allows college players to stay in shape during their offseason.

The Bananas’ antics have brought nationwide attention, fans pouring in from more than 30 states (and even other countries) on any given night, and a waiting list for tickets that Cole claims has reached 50,000.

“We’re not in the baseball business. We’re in the entertain-

ment business,’’ Cole said from beneath his yellow bowler hat, which goes well with his yellow tuxedo.

“We can never be the best baseball team in the world. We’re not major league. But could we be the most fun team in the world?

That’s what I wanted to attack.’’

He attacks it with a fast-talking gusto befitting a natural-born salesman-slash-carnival barker who counts P.T. Barnum, Walt Disney, Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil among his inspirations.

Every nook of Grayson Stadium’s aging walls provide an opportunity to bemuse – and move merchandise.

A nondescript closet on the concourse was turned into the “World’s Smallest Bookstore’’ (Occupancy: 1), selling titles written by Cole and his wife, Emily.

A storage room off the home clubhouse was transformed into a prop closet, where a collecContinued on page 6

Grid games for BG, Marina, Western, La Quinta this ‘fall’ Summer’s barely begun, but autumn – as now defined by the start of the high school football season – starts earlier than ever.

So we now present the second part of our glimpse at the schedules for teams serving the communities of Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Stanton and Westminster.

As always, these details are subject to change between now and kickoffs.

Bolsa Grande: A home game will open the season for the Matadors. They’ll host Workman High on Friday, Aug. 19.

Garden Grove League action opens on Friday, Sept. 23 when the Mats visit Santiago High at Monsoor Stadium.

Marina: For the Vikings, the opener is against Newport Harbor at home (Boswell Field) on Thursday, Aug. 25. Big Four League play starts on Thursday, Oct. 13 hosting Katella.

Western: The Pioneers will open the 2022 campaign on Friday, Aug. 19 at Chino High.

The first home game of the sea-

son will be on Thursday, Sept. 1 hosting Cypress. Orange League action starts on Friday, Sept. 30 visiting Century High of Santa Ana. La Quinta: The Aztecs play Westminster High for the “City Championship” on Friday, Aug. 26 at Boswell Field. The first home game is on Friday, Sept.

9 against Costa Mesa High at Bolsa Stadium.

The first Garden Grove League game for the blue and gold is on Friday, Sept. 30 visiting the Loara Saxon.s

Rustlers vs.

Chapman U. Continued from page 8

day, Oct. 29 at San Bernardino Valley College.

The final home game of the season is set for Saturday, Nov. 5 at noon. The regular season closes out on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Fullerton College.

8 WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE

TheSportsPage

Baseball Goes ‘Bananas’ Here’s how to put some life into a stiff sport

By Paul Newberry AP Sports Columnist

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – More than 90 minutes before the first pitch, it’s already clear this isn’t just any ol’ baseball game.

The crowd queued up outside the main gate slowly begins to part, clearing the way for a pep band to guide the home team – adorned in bright yellow uniforms – through a rollicking, high-fiving gauntlet.

Once the players reach the concourse outside historic Grayson Stadium, they break into a hastily choreographed dance routine accompanied by the tune “Hey! Baby.”

Welcome to Banana Land, home to baseball’s most outrageous – and entertaining – team.

The Savannah Bananas.

When you’re done chuckling about that nickname, we’ll get to a more serious issue: This amateur team in the little-known Coastal Plain League could be at least part of the cure for what ails the national pastime.

THE SAVANNAH BANANAS are one of the weirdest (and most successful) baseball teams considering its size.

“You guys ready to have some fun?’’ Bananas owner Jesse Cole, decked out in yellow from head to toe, asked a group of fans on their way into the ballpark for a recent game. “Enjoy the show.’’

It’s not typical for a community college to play a university team in football, but here it is.

On Friday, Aug. 26, the Golden West College Rustlers of Huntington Beach will open the season by visiting Chapman University in Orange for a 1 p.m. game.

Next, the green-and-gold will host rival Orange Coast College on Saturday, Sept. 3 at noon, and then host Palomar on Saturday, Sept.

10 at noon. The first road game will be on Saturday, Sept. 17 at Bakersfield College. Then it’s back home again on Saturday, Sept. 24 hosting Riverside City College at noon.

Four games will follow in October, with games on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Long Beach City College, a home game on Saturday, Oct. 15 against Southwestern College at noon and at Saddleback College on Saturday, Oct. 22. The Rustlers will be on the road again on Satur-

What a show it is!

There’s the Banana Baby, an infant who is presented to the crowd like Simba in the ``The Lion King,`` lifted toward the sky by a parent while the entire team kneels in reverence around home plate.

There’s the Banana ‘Nanas, the senior citizen dance team.

There’s Maceo, a choreographer who doubles as the team’s breakdancing coach (his tortured convulsions in the first-base box to Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball’’ were a personal favorite).

There’s strutting, preening walks to the plate by the Savannah hitters, a breach of baseball etiquette that would draw an immediate beaning in the big leagues but is an accepted part of the show in Banana Land.

There’s the players strolling through the stands between almost every half-inning – doling out roses, tossing T-shirts and

Continued on page 7

Continued on page 7

GWC Rustler football team to open against Chapman U.

SportsWeek

Ohtani’s big night wasted in 12-11 loss Shohei Ohtani had an MVP night Tuesday with two home runs and seven runs batted it in, but it wasn’t enough as the Los Angeles Angels lost 12-11 to the Kansas City Royals in Anaheim.

The Halos trailed 10-7 in the bottom of the ninth when Ohtani launched his second homer of the night, scoring three runs and sending the game into extra innings.

However, the Royals scored twice in the 11th inning and the Angels just once. The loss put the Orange County team’s record at 33-38 third place in the American League West.

Freddie Freeman drove in five runs with a triple, a double and a walk as the Los Angeles Dodgers (41-25) beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 in the Queen City Tuesday night.

Trea Turner was 4-of-5 and Will Smith 2 of 4 with two RBIs. The Blue Crew got outstanding pitching from starter Tony Consolin (9-0), who worked five innings, giving up three hits and two runs. He struck out four batters and walked one.

LAD remains in first place in the National League West with a 41-25 mark, a few percentage points ahead of the San Diego Padres (43-27).