The Orange County Tribune June 17, 2023

A Half-Cent Tax Increase Has Backers

Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen now says it is a ‘new era’

By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune

The last time the Westminster City Council came to grips with a looming catastrophic financial picture, the majority waited until the last possible moment to put a 1 cent sales tax on the ballot.

But this time, as Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen put it, “it’s a new era.”

The council, which has two new members – Amy Phan West and Namquan Nguyen – voted unanimously on Wednesday to continue the agenda item

on asking voters to support an additional halfcent tax to a council study session not only on the financial impact of a new tax, but how it would affect the city treasury for five, seven, and 10 year intervals.

“Nobody wants to raise taxes,” said the mayor, who had opposed the 1-cent Measure Y that voters approved in 2022.

“But this is the situation we’re in.”

West spoke of a 10-point plan that would consider seeking to balance the

House fire is stopped by OCFA

A house fire in Garden Grove on Thursday afternoon was knocked down in 26 minutes.

According to the Orange County Fire Authority – which provides fire and paramedic services for the city – the blaze was reported at 1:08 p.m. for the

Should city rule library content?

Should the Huntington Beach City Council tell the city’s libraries how to handle materials on sexuality?

The council will take up that potentially controversial action when it meets on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark is requesting that the council take action on the selection, display and circulation of

n HUNT. BEACH CITY COUNCIL

library books and other materials that are “obscene and or pornographic” and making them unavailable to minors.

Her request is to direct the city manager to return to the council in August with a proposed ordinance on that matter, with the city attorney evaluating

the materials “under the First Amendment.”

The second part of the request is to direct the city manager to “look into the process to part ways with the American Library Association.”

Van Der Mark’s request tracks with efforts in Florida and other states in which conservative

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fire in the 13900 block of Howard Street (north of Westminster Avenue and west of Euclid Street).

The fire began in a garage and extended into the attic of a house. Residents were evacuated and no injuries were reported. The cause is under investigation.

The number of confirmed new cases of coronavirus continues to decline in Orange County.

According to the county health agency, the weekly report for the period concluding on June 14, new cases were 304, down from 419 the week before

Westminster sales tax hike?

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budget with a combination of spending cuts and new revenue. She wanted to wait on a new tax until other alternatives were explored. “We have two years before we go into deficit,” she said. But Councilman Carlos Manzo pointed out that the city is currently taking money from reserves to balance the books.

“We’re in a deficit now. We shouldn’t be pulling from reserves now,” he said, citing staff reports stating that $3 million

this year and $6 million to $8 million the next year would be needed from the treasury to pay the bills. “What is the fix for this?” he asked.

Councilmember Kimberly Ho gave some background on how Westminster’s financial problems developed, noting how the end of redevelopment cost the city $35 million annually.

“We have not been able to bring back $35 million,” she said. “We should capture the halfcent.”

Control of H. Beach library

Continued from page 1

governors have attempted to remove or restrict access to information about homosexuality and “gender identity.”

To date, no federal court has classified such information as obscene or pornographic.

Also on the agenda is a request from Councilmembers Dan Malmick, Rhoda Bolton and Natalie Moser denouncing antiSemitism, white supremacy and ant-LGBTQ hate.”

Additionally, the council will take up a continued public hearing on the city budget for 202324.

There’s a special meeting of the council acting as the housing

authority at 4 p.m.., followed by the regular session at 6 p.m. The council meets in its chambers at 2000 Main St. (at Yorktown Avenue).

Coronavirus cases in decline reports OCHCA

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and 437 two weeks before. Deaths, however, continued to fluctuate at a modest level. The latest weekly tally is 12, up from eight the week before and 11 two weeks ago.

To-date, Orange County has had 722,846 reported cases of COVID-19 and 8,206 deaths out of a population of around 3.1 million people.

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Judge by the individual, not by the group

The incident earlier this week in a neighborhood in Huntington Beach has revived the charge that Surf City is a hot-bed of right-wing extremism not seen before since in Munich in the days of the mustachioed paperhanger.

Some wing-nuts distributed flyers complaining about the alleged connection between gay rights and Jewish people.

From one perspective, this is not really an insult. Jews, having been oppressed and the victim of historically cruel treatment for over 2,000 years, have nevertheless been at the forefront of supporting the rights of the disadvantaged, including the civil rights movement of the 50s and 60s.

Anti-Semitic flyer distributed

Retorts Jim Tortolano

Includes attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, too

If people from a certain faith are leaders in advocating for equal rights for all Americans, that’s to their credit.

However, the pentagram – often associated with witches and Satanism – on the flyer underlines the flyer’s real intent.

There have always been bigots who try to breathe some life into long-discredited slurs against minority groups. And. yes, some of them may have a Huntington Beach address.

But while we condemn such applesauce, let’s remember that Huntington Beach is a city of about 200,000 people. There are liberals and there are conservatives. There are the open-hearted and the close-minded.

But judging by the group – as well as the race, religion or favorite band – is sloppy thinking. Take people, one at a time. Do that and bigotry of any kind would have no soil in which to grow … there being no manure, such as is contained in that flyer.

An anti-Semitic incident took place in Huntington Beach in which a color paper flyer was distributed to homes in the southeast area of the city on Wednesday morning.

The flyer carried the headline “Every Single Aspect of the LGBTQ+ Movement is Jewish.”

To the left of the headline is a

Star of David; to the right is a pentagram, often associated with Satanism, as well as an image of a devil.

Most of the flyer contained photos of gay and transgender activists with a blue Cross of David imposed on their foreheads.

“I am appalled to hear that a small number of unfortunate residents within one of our HB neighborhoods received hateful messaging and propaganda this morning,” said Mayor Tony Strickland in a statement.

“The messaging contained

Man with hatchet killed in confrontation with deputies

A hatchet-wielding suspect was fatally shot in Midway City by an Orange County Sheriff’s deputy or deputies in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday.

According to the OCSD, the incident took place in the 14000 block of Van Buren Street. Deputies were dispatched to that location at 4:54 a.m. regarding a report of vehicular vandalism and residential burglary. They located a suspect holding a hatchet standing on a sidewalk near a house. Deputies say the suspect – identified initially only as an Asian man –advanced toward them, still armed with the weapon and the shooting occurred.

Deputies and Orange County Fire Authority firefighter paramedics rendered aid but the suspect was declared deceased at the scene. The hatchet was recovered at the scene. The identity of the suspect is being withheld pending official notification and next-of-kin notification by the Orange County Coroner.

within these flyers is completely unacceptable and does not reflect the values or ideas we believe here in Huntington Beach.” He urged anyone with information about the incident to call the HBPD at (714) 9608811.

Kim Carr, who preceded Strickland as mayor, wrote in a tweet, “Huntington Mayor Strickland …have you seen this? This hate incident is another example of your failure to lead. We shouldn’t be surprised.”

HATCHET recovered at the scene (OCSD photo).

ANTI-SEMITIC flyer distributed in a Huntington Beach neighborhood this week.

Tornados and Storms Rip Southern USA

Severe weather, including tornadoes, hit areas of the south on Friday knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

According to USA Today, at least three people were killed and dozens more injured when a tornado stuck a small town in Texas.

Mobile home communities suffered some of the worst damage.

More extreme weather is forecast for the weekend with daytime highs expected to reach up to 110 or higher.

That is expected to be 15 to 25 degrees hotter for this time of year, according to the National Weather Service.

Pattern of discrimination in Minneapolis: report

TORNADOES ravaged three Southern states.

Nukes sent to Belarus

Tactical nuclear weapons have been sent to Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at an economic summit in St. Petersburg.

Great Thoughts

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill.

United Press International reports that Putin said the weapons were being sent to his nation’s ally as a ‘“deterrence measure” [against] all who think about Russia and its strategic defeat.”

Belarus, formerly part of the defunct Soviet Union, is located between Russia and Poland and north of Ukraine, which has been battling Russian invaders for over a year.

The weapons would only be used only “if the Russian state is “threatened,” said Putin.

Excessive force and unfair targeting of African Americans was the practice of the Minneapolis Police Department and the City of Minneapolis, a U.S. Justice Department investigation has concluded.

United Press International is reporting that

Attorney General Merrick Garland said there was “reasonable cause to believe … they engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct” that was unconstitutional.

That conclusion was drawn from the Justice Department’s investigation into the death

The death penalty for the killer in 11 of synagogue?

A Pittsburgh jury on Friday found Robert Bowers, 50, guilty of attacking a synagogue and killing 11 congregants in November 2018.

The guilty verdict means that he could be given the death penalty for his actions, according to the Associated Press.

Bower, a confirmed antiSemite who hated Jews,

was convicted of all of the 63 criminal counts lodged against him, including hate crimes resulting in death and obstruction of freedom of religion resulting in death.

The penalty phase of the trial is scheduled to start on June 26 and could take several weeks to complete.

of George Floyd, 46, in 2020 while in MPD custody.

His death prompted demonstrations and unrest as well as discussion about police practices across the nation.

Sunbathers. time to shine

Sunbathers rejoice … sort of. The forecast for our West Orange County area for Saturday is for the daytime high to hit 80 and 62 overnight. The skies will be partly cloudy, though, through Monday. Sunday should cool off to 74 (61) and Monday to 72 (59). Tuesday will warm a bit to 76 (59) under sunny skies.

THE INTERSECTION of Chicago and E. 38th Street in Minneapolis where George Floyd was fatally injured in 2020 (Wikipedia)

‘Flash’ Moves Back to the Future

Lots of action, but some humor, too in superhero flick

By Jocelyn Noveck AP National Writer

“It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature,” went a famous ‘70s commercial catchphrase. But we learn in “The Flash” - the much awaited, long gestated new DC Studios offering - that it’s Father Time one musn’t cross. Because trying to change the past can really mess you up when you get back to the future and realize you’ve inadvertently changed that, too.

But of course, we already knew that. We learned it from Marty McFly, immortalized by Eric Stoltz in “Back to the Future.” Relax! Of course it was Michael J. Fox, though Stoltz was initially cast in the role. But in

Movie Review

“The Flash,” Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) realizes just how badly he’s messed up the space-time continuum when he arrives back from changing the past – just one teensy little thing, really – and learns that in his current world, Fox never replaced Stoltz. “I’ve destroyed the universe,” he frets in a laugh-out- loud moment. If only the whole film, directed by Andy Muschietti and written by Christina Hodson, felt this breezily clever and entertaining. Alas, the final act bogs down in what feels like an endless, generic CGI battle and a kitchensink resolution that leaves one feeling just a little exhausted and somewhat confused.

We first meet Barry - Miller, whose naturally jittery energy is an excellent fit here - on the way to his job at a forensics lab, stopping to order breakfast. But then he gets a call from Alfred -

yes, you know the one - needing his help in an imminent disaster. Barry turns into his red-suited alter-ego but desperately needs calories for fuel, begging a bystander for her candy bar.

Soon, in a rescue scene that’s audacious but also a little absurd, Barry is saving falling newborn babies from a collapsing hospital while desperately eating snacks. He also saves a maternity nurse - then suggests she seek the help of a mental health professional to cope with the trauma, noting “the Justice League is not very good at that yet.”

And now we must take a moment to consider the elephant in the room. Because it sure seems the movie wants us to.

If you’ve been reading about Miller lately, you know about the talented actor’s offscreen troubles. They’ve apologized for past behavior and said they’re undergoing mental health treatment.

So it hardly seems the line to

Good: HHH

the nurse is a coincidence, even if much of the trouble emerged during lengthy post-production. Could this be a subtle plea for empathy, so we can then appreciate what is, certainly, a compelling performance from Miller as not one, but two lead characters (why two? We’re getting to that. )

In any case, that line also sets a tone for many self-referential quips and sequences in a film that seems to thrive on, well, referring to itself and its roots. In this, the first standalone “Flash” film, the lineage of past Batmans, Supermans and associated characters is evoked early and often through surprise cameos. At one moment it feels like we’re watching an Oscar memorial reel; it garnered reverential applause at the screening I attended.

EZRA MILLER stars as two Flashes in the time-traveling sci-fi adventure “The Flash’ (Warner Bros.)

‘Flash’ has much action, some humor

But back to the plot: Barry needs food, but what really powers him is the tragic murder of his mother (Maribel Verdu) in their home when he was a boy. Even worse, his father (Ron Livingston) is imprisoned - unjustly - for the crime.

Barry, desperate to prove his father innocent, suddenly discovers a way to go back in time (technical details are sparse, but it partly involves running REALLY fast) and comes up with a grander idea still.

What if he could go back and prevent the whole sequence of events that led to his mother’s death? His friend and current Batman (the Ben Affleck version) tells him what a bad idea this is.

But Barry goes back anyway and makes a change, and what

do you know - oops! - a younger Barry shows up (you may have seen them both in the trailer.) And now, for reasons too tough to explain within our word limit, Barry senior is potentially stuck in the wrong universe, with Barry junior.

What’s more, villainous General Zod (Michael Shannon) has returned, threatening total destruction. The Barrys need help. That’s how we find them with Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne, analyzing a pack of spaghetti.

It’s Keaton, having a fine time in his return as a graying, reluctant superhero, who explains the whole multiverse thing, showing with a deft manipulation of pasta strands how the past can’t change without the future changing. It all ends up with a gaggle of crazy spaghetti drowning under a shower of to-

mato sauce: a hot mess.

And we haven’t had time to mention Supergirl – newcomer Sasha Calle, who doesn’t get much to do before the battling starts, but at least provides some minimal female presence. Kiersey Clemons as a vague love interest has even less to do.

At one point in this 184-minute drama, I started wondering if I was seeing a bunch of disco balls trying to destroy each other. But maybe this was a moment of sensory overload.

Is a sequel in the offing, if the stars align offscreen as well? They’d have to come up with even more cameos, more surprises.

Speaking of surprise: it’s probably never a good idea to leave while the credits are still rolling. But again, we already knew that.

“The Flash,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release, has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America “for sequences of violence and action, some strong language and partial nudity.” Running time: 184 minutes.

Herbert’s contract negotiation issue

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Players reporting to training camp, but not taking part in practices - called a “holdin” - has been an increasingly common occurrence throughout the league the past couple of seasons so that they aren’t fined for each day they did not report to camp.

Safety Derwin James was an observer for the first three weeks of camp last season before signing a four-year extension worth $76.5 million that made him the NFL’s highestpaid safety.

Coach Brandon Staley sup-

ported James’ stance last year, but didn’t seem eager to consider a scenario where his franchise quarterback might do the same thing.

“I think you know, that’s just, hypothetical. We know who Justin is, just like we knew who Darwin was,” Staley said. “I know that Justin is gonna be ready to go.’’

Herbert has not played in a preseason game, but the Chargers hired Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator and are putting in a new system. Any hurdles during the installation process in training camp is something that all parties would like to avoid.

“The role of the quarterback is to be out there for his team and to do everything he can to put that team in a position to win. I understand that responsibility,’’ Herbert said.

While Herbert’s contract situation remains unresolved, running back Austin Ekeler answered questions about agreeing to an additional $1.75

Shohei will stay with the

Halos

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game behind the Halos.

And pull back the focus: if the Angels were in the AL Central, they’d be four games in first ahead of the Twins.

They are doing well at the box office, home (averaging 32,133) and away (30,533) and those numbers will rise in the second half of the season as the races heat up.

Finally, this is home. I think he likes it here and feels comfortable. It’s a West Coast (nice weather; closest by plane to Japan) team with a big fan base … one that would revolt if Arte Moreno would let The Big Sho go without a major effort.

Remember the curse of the Bambino! The fans of the guys in Anaheim with the red jerseys don’t want their team to suffer like the Red Sox did.

million in incentives for the final year of his deal.

Ekeler is in the final season of a four-year deal worth $24.5 million. He received permission to seek a trade after both sides could not agree on a contract extension.

“I was in an opportunity to try to capture some more value after the year that I came off of. Just what’s been happening with the atmosphere around the running back market it’s been

pretty tough,” Ekeler said. “I am thankful for the way it played out because the Chargers did right and gave me something in the middle, some type of incentive.”

Ekeler led the league with 18 touchdowns from scrimmage last season and became the fifth running back in league history with at least 100 receptions. His 107 catches were tied for second most by a running back in a season. He also rushed for 915 yards, including a pair of 100-yard games.

Angels defeat Kansas City Royals

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only second place in the American League West but also for an American League wild card playoff spot.

Sandoval pitched seven shutout innings, giving up just four hits. He struck out six batters and walked four.

At the bat, Shohei Ohtani, Hunter Renfroe and Brandon Drury each doubled. Drury

ended up 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Renfroe was 2-for-4. Ohtani extended his hitting streak to 13 games. He singled, walked twice and scored a run.

The Angels scored solo runs in the first, sixth and seven innings. Hoping to keep their hot hand toasty, the Halos will play in Kansas City again on Saturday with Griffin Canning (5-2) getting the start for the Angels.

Hard-luck Dodgers lose in the 11th

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the Giants rallied with five runs to take a late 5-4 lead, but the Dodgers tied it in the bottom of the ninth. Brandon Crawford

and Austin Slater singled in runs in the 11th.

The game wasted the efforts of Emmet Sheehan, who pitched six no-hit innings, striking out three batters and walking two. James Outman was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in.

Now 39-31 and in second place in the National League West, the Dodgers will try again on Saturday with Bobby Miller (3-0) making the start.

Why Shohei is not going away from Angels

Aside from trotting around the bases on one of his frequent and prodigious home runs, Angels’ two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is not going anywhere.

No, The Big Sho is not a close personal friend of mine; we do not frequent the same karaoke bars. But it’s my conclusion that the future Hall of Famer is not leaving the Halos any time soon, this year or next.

Sports Retorts

Jim Tortolano

Firstly there’s no way they are going to deal him to other MLB teams, especially to an American League squad which could use such a new acquisition to beat

up on the Halos. The trade deadline, by the way, is August 1. Secondly, the Angels want to sign Shohei for 2024 and thereafter, and there will be a better chance of retaining him as a free agent if he’s already in their clubhouse than playing for the Colorado Rockies.

Thirdly (is there such a term?), Ohtani is getting what he all along says he wants: “to play for a winning team.” The recent string of eight wins in 10 games and taking three of four from the division-leading Texas Rangers underlines the growing feeling among fans and especially the players that the team is on the right path.

Fourthly, the bar here is relatively low, considering the long stretch of the Halos missing the post-season. As of this writing, the Angels are just one game back in the wild card race.

They’d be doing much better if the AL East wasn’t stocked with strong teams like Tampa Bay, Baltimore and the Yankees, not to mention Toronto, one half-

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Will Herbert Be A Hold-Out or In?

And how about pre-season action?

By Joe Reedy AP Sports Writer

COSTA MESA (AP) – Justin

Herbert hopes he doesn’t have to answer questions about a contract extension much longer.

However, the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback did hint that missing practices is a possibility if a deal isn’t reached by the start of training camp.

Talks between the Chargers and Herbert’s agents remain ongoing. Los Angeles is expected to begin training camp on July 26.

“It’s something that we’ll address when the time comes, but I guess we’ll see,” Herbert said on Wednesday as the Chargers completed offseason workouts with the final day of their mandatory minicamp.

Herbert and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow are likely to cash in before the start of the regular season. Both quarterbacks, who were selected in the 2020 draft, could eclipse the five-year extensions Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts ($255 million, $179.3 million guaranteed) and Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson ($260 million, $185 guaranteed) signed earlier this year.

Herbert is second in the league in completions (1,316), third in passing yards (14,089) and sixth in TD passes (102) the past three seasons.

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n BASEBALL

Red-hot Angels shut out the KC Royals, 3-0

By Pete Zarustica Orange County Tribune

The hottest team in Major League Baseball – the Los Angeles Angels – burned the Kansas City Royals 3-0 on Friday night, continuing a triumphant road trip.

A strong pitching performance from Patrick Sandoval (4-6) and a bunch of doubles propelled the Halos (40-32) into a virtual tie – just one point short – for not

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Dodgers have tough day at Chavez Ravine

By David Arthur Orange County Tribune

The Los Angeles Dodgers had a rough day on Friday, losing 7-5 in 11 innings to the San Francisco Giants before a protest against the team’s gay “Pride” event took the focus off baseball.

Trailing 4-0 after five innings,

Continued on page 7

JUSTIN HERBERT led the Los Angeles Chargers to the NFL playoffs in 2022 and are expected to do as well or better in 2023 (Chargers photo)