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Covering Garden Grove Huntington Beach Stanton Westminster
Printed in Garden Grove, California n orangecountytribune.com n Wednesday, May 11, 2022 n orangecountytribune@gmail.com
n GARDEN GROVE CITY COUNCIL
5% Business Tax Rebate Plan Doesn’t Advance By Jim Tortolano Orange County Tribune
A proposal to offer a five percent business license tax rebate program suggested by Councilmember George Brietigam was shot down at Tuesday’s meeting of the Garden Grove City Council. The rebate would be intended to create an incentive to operate with “alternative” work schedules such as four working days of 10 hours, instead of the more traditional five days of eight hours each. It would be available to businesses that have 10 or more employees.
n NAVIGATION CENTER for Garden Grove? Some thoughts, page 3
The idea behind the program would be to reduce traffic and pollution as well as provide more free time for employees. If all of the eligible businesses took advantage of the proposed program it would mean $89,000 in annual lost revenue, according to a staff report. However, the council majority expressed skepticism, raising questions such as fairness to smaller businesses and the appropriateness of government in shaping Continued on page 2
Shooting, chase and an arrest
served as the city manager since March 18, 2019. He recently announced his resignation to accept the position of city manager in Laguna Hills. Bobadilla will step in as interim city manager on May 16, 2022 at a monthly salary of $15,481, until a permanent city manager is appointed or as otherwise determined by the city Continued on page 2
Continued on page 2
Bobadilla is appointed as the interim city manager Stanton’s Community Services Director Zenia Bobadilla will take on the position of interim city manager, due to the resignation of the current city manager, following a decision by the Stanton City Council Tuesday evening. Jarad L. Hildenbrand has
ARGONAUTS MAKE IT TO QUARTERFINALS Garden Grove High’s softball team defeated Sierra Vista 7-4 Tuesday afternoon in a Division 6 CIF-SS second round playoff game. More softball and baseball results in article on page 8 (Orange County Tribune photo by Jim Tortolano).
An incident that began with a shooting of a man early Saturday morning in Garden Grove turned into a high-speed chase that concluded with the arrest of a suspect in Riverside County. The victim is hospitalized in critical condition and the suspect has been booked into Orange County Jail in Santa Ana for attempted murder. According to Detective Sgt. Evan Beresford, the suspect is Ali Samoodi, 51, of Anaheim. The victim’s personal information is not being
n STANTON CITY COUNCIL
By Reagan Cisar Orange County Tribune
CELEBRATION ON THE DIAMOND
Corona cases in decline, but hospitalizations rise The latest report from the Orange County Health Care Agency shows a decline in confirmed new cases of coronavirus, but increases in deaths and hospitalization. OCHA’s update for Tuesday covers Friday through Monday, a total of four days. The latest count
of new cases is 1,728, which is an average of 432 per day. That compares to Friday’s report average of 460. However, deaths rose from two (average of 0.5) to eight (2.0). Hospitalizations went from 97 to 101, while the Continued on page 2
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2 WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
Interim city mgr. for Stanton picked Continued from page 1
council. Bobadilla, as community services director, has taken part in securing funding for the revitalization of the Norm Ross Sports Complex, which is currently covered in gopher holes and dead grass, with lighting fixtures permanently dark. California State Parks allocated $7.69 million to the project in December, and city officials say they plan to complete the project by March 2025, with a new multi-sport court, group picnic areas, a dog park, and community garden. Bobadilla held feedback sessions across Stanton and consulted with local nonprofit
organizations to assess the needs of the community. In other action, the council: • Approved a list of streets for repaving, funded through the State Transportation Fund. • Applied for a $56,000 grant from OCTA to purchase and install catch basin connector pipe screens to keep trash from reaching local waterways. • Gave the Finance Director of Stanton authority to execute Local Agency Investment Funds to improve the efficiency of current operations. • Increased funding for the Stanton Family Resource Center from $300,00 per year to $370,800, under the County of Orange Family and Communities Together Program.
• Reallocated a $2,500,000 funding commitment for the Riviera Motel acquisition from the American Rescue Plan Act Fund to the Housing Authority Fund, allowing the City to fund several other initially approved projects that are not part of the current ARPA budget. Additionally, the council discussed the homeless situation in Stanton and decided to conduct a self-assessment on the issue. They discussed the protection of public property, through parking laws and citations, as well as restarting the city’s business alliance to strengthen the effectiveness of security operations.
Shooting, freeway chase and arrest Continued from page 1
released at this time. At around 2:46 a.m. GGPD officers responded to a home in the 5300 block of Santa Barbara in West Grove on a report of a man being shot. Arriving officers found the man in the back bedroom of a home with a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to a local hospital where he remains in
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 Press and the Online News Association.
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critical condition. Witnesses at the scene identified the suspect and said he fled the scene in a rented U-Haul truck. It was also learned the suspect and victim had been in a “dating relationship.” The suspect vehicle was tracked to the city of Menifee in Riverside County. Police there spotted the vehicle and tried to make a high-risk vehicle stop, but the suspect refused to yield and led police, Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies and the California Highway Patrol on a high-speed pursuit for about 33 miles. It all came to a stop when the damaged truck, which had been involved in multiple collisions, came to a halt in the area of Cedar Avenue and Interstate 10. According to Sgt. Beresford, the suspect barricaded himself in the vehicle until a SWAT unit from the Riverside County Sheriff’s
GG city council Continued from page 1
business practices. The issue was dropped without the formality of a vote. The next scheduled meeting of the council is set for Tuesday, May 24.
Department responded and took him into custody. He hadn’t suffered any injuries and was taken to the GGPD facility, then booked at OCJ. Any witnesses with information about the incident are asked to call Detective Terra Ramirez at (714) 741-5839.
Coronavirus cases show fall; hospitalizations show increases Continued from page 1
use of intensive care units to treat COVID-19 patients stayed even at 17. To date, Orange County has had 557,388 cases of coronavirus, of which 541,929 are considered recovered. The death total is at 7,019. Nationally, The New York Times reports new cases up 49 percent and deaths up 2 percent, over a 14-day period. In California, according to Los Angeles Times, new cases have risen 56 percent, while deaths are down 23 percent over a similar interval.
The best in local news The Orange County TRIBUNE
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 3
News&Views n WESTMINSTER CITY COUNCIL
10 % raise for city employees is considered A pay raise of 10 percent for most municipal employees goes before the Westminster City Council when it meets on Wednesday. The “Memorandums of Understanding” between the city and the Westminster Municipal Employees Association and Westminster Police Officers Association, with conditions also covering certain other city employees, are on the agenda. Previous agreements expired on June 30, 2020. If approved, they would go into effect on July 2, 2022 and be effective through June 30, 2023. The salary increase is not retroactive and does not compound. In addition to the pay hike, employees will retain nine additional hours of floating holiday time. A $100 monthly increase toward the medical Continued on page 4
Anaheim man is arrested for homicide The victim and the suspect from Sunday’s homicide in Anaheim have been identified. According to the APD, the decedent is Amado Francisco Lopez-Martinez, 34, of Anaheim. His body was found inside a vehicle in the 1500 block of W. Ball Road in Anaheim around 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Exiting the same vehicle was Jorge Escamilia, 24, of Anaheim. Lopez-Martinez had suffered stab wounds. A knife was recovered at the scene and Escamilla was booked at the Anaheim City Jail on suspicion of murder in lieu of $1 million bail. Continued on page 4
HUNTINGTON BEACH NAVIGATION CENTER ON BEACH BOULEVARD This could be a model for Garden Grove as attempts to buy property for homeless shelter ran into a setback, the city council was told Tuesday night
Find a way toward navigation center The most interesting news that happened at Tuesday night’s Garden Grove City Council was about something that didn’t happen. At the conclusion of the session, City Manager Scott Stiles expressed his disappointment that he wasn’t able to bring before the council a plan to open a “navigation” center for the homeless. His remarks came after several councilmembers told their frustration with what seems to be a rising number of the unsheltered appearing on street corners, freeway off-ramps and commercial districts. Stiles cited the various efforts the city has made to address the problem, but noted that “the one missing piece is a navigation center.” No, that has nothing to do with sailing; it’s government-speak for a homeless center that also offers helping in guiding its “clients” into a better life. “We lost out on a property we were looking at,” he said, a disheartening turn of events after what he described as “exhausting” efforts.
Now, the next step Usually piece.” might be finding a It will happen, and location for a less although it’s not the Reliable permanent “sprung” perfect solution, it structure such as is in Sources will be a big step in place in Huntington the right direction … Beach. navigation-wise. Most cities – frankly – have been slow to establish Still waving that homeless shelters for a variety bloody red shirt of reasons. In Huntington, three locations After the Civil War, were selected, all of which were Republicans used the effective hooted down by neighborhood tactic of “waving the bloody outrage. Money has also been shirt,” which meant blaming the a consideration, along with Democrats for the lives lost in the complications of such an the War Between the States. For operation. a generation after Appomattox, Under the law, being homeless is not illegal. In Orange County, this approach had some success in the political arena. a federal judge has held that Something similar continues you can’t arrest folks for being to happen in Orange County. transient unless you have a The wife of Ted Bui, a Fountain place to house them. Valley City Councilmember But even if you do, you can’t who is running for the 70th force them to take advantage Assembly District, is suing of the opportunity, as many of a Vietnamese-language them suffer from addictions and YouTube program for making mental illness and aren’t suited accusations of communist to following the rules of such a sympathies. shelter. Among the accusations Still, it’s good to know that leveled against Bui are that his Garden Grove is making an relatives wore some clothing effort to find the “missing Continued on page 4
4 WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
Pay raise for Westminster city employees? Continued from page 3
Family Plan only is also in the deal. A mechanism for adjusting the salaries of employees who are below the medians established through a compensation study is also included.
Also on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting is a review of the oral communications policy for city council meetings, as relates to the time allotted for speakers whose comments are translated into a language other than English.
The council will meet in person and via teleconference/web conference with a closed session at 5 p.m. and the open session at 7 p.m. The council chambers are located in the Civic Center, 8200 Westminster Blvd.
Usually Reliable: Navigation and red flags Continued from page 3
with red during the 2022 Tet Parade in Westminster and played “communist music.” This would be laughable if not for the potential effects. Why would a candidate for public office openly embrace communist symbols while trying to appeal to an electorate that is fiercely anti-communist? The cynical calculation, of course, is that some voters – especially elderly Vietnamese who do not read or speak English – might view these
videos and become convinced. We don’t know if Mr. Bui is a good candidate or not, but he’s almost certainly not a communist. We also are pretty certain that until this generation of Vietnamese-Americans stops trying to refight that lost cause,
some elections in the Little Saigons will be more about political smears than public service. “Usually Reliable Sources” alternates with Jim Tortolano’s “Retorts” column.
Homicide arrest in Anaheim Continued from page 3
time, nor is a possible motive for The relationship between the the crime. two is not being disclosed at this Anyone with information about Escamilla or his activities is urged to contact APD homicide detectives at (714) 321-3669.
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 5
Arts&Living
It’s a “Spamalot” of fun on the stage Monty Python’s spirit came alive at Golden West By Thom deMartino Orange County Tribune
And now, for something completely different. The madcap, irreverent comedy of the groundbreaking – slightly infamous -- British comedy troupe Monty Python comes to life at Golden West College in their new production of “Spamalot”. Directed by Martie Ramm and based on the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and liberally seasoned with references to some of the group’s most memorable sketches (such as “Spam”, “The Lumberjack Song”, “Sit On M--” – you know what? Let’s just skip that one), the zany musical tells the story of Arthur, King of the Britons (Steve De Forest)... only this leader doesn’t have much of a following, save for his trusty, long-suffering squire, Patsy (Whitney Ackerman.) In fact, his subjects don’t even know he’s their king. “Well, I didn’t vote for you”
THE IDEA OF ROYALTY GETS A RIBBING Steve DeForest stars as King Arthur in “Spamalot” at GWC (Greg Parks photo).
Stage Review muses a salty old woman to the exasperated monarch. Desperately failing in explaining his kingly right to rule to the pair of mud-encrusted peasants Dennis (Jeff Lowe) and his
mother (Jay Harbison), Arthur’s patience wears thin: for he is on a quest to find the greatest knights in the realm to sit at his very-roundish table. But it’s not going well – so he’ll just have to take what he can get. Knighting Dennis as “Sir Galahad.” the king gathers the
Great: HHHH brave Sir Lancelot (Matthew Villescas), the not-so-brave Sir Robin (Mark Torres) and the stately Sir Bedevere (a quickContinued on page 6
Summer movies are back with a boom By Lindsey Bahr AP Film Writer
This summer at the movies, Tom Cruise is back in the cockpit behind those iconic aviators. Doctors Grant, Sattler and Ian Malcolm are returning for another round with the dinosaurs. Natalie Portman is picking up Thor’s hammer. And Jordan Peele is poised to terrify us with the unknown. Again. Hollywood is bringing out some of its biggest and most reliable players for the 2022 sum-
mer movie season, which unofficially kicks off this weekend with the help of Marvel and Disney’s ``Doctor Strange and the Multitverse of Madness’’ and runs through the end of August. Studios and exhibitors are still making up for losses incurred during the pandemic, adjusting to new ways of doing business, including shortened release windows, competition from streaming and the need to feed their own services, and wondering if moviegoing will ever return to pre-pandemic levels.
TIM CRUISE Though the pandemic lingers on, there is optimism in the air. “We’re still waiting for older audiences to come back,’’ said
Jim Orr, the head of domestic distribution for Universal Pictures. “But it really feels like we’ve turned a corner.’’ Last week, studio executives and movie stars schmoozed with theater owners and exhibitors at a convention in Las Vegas, hyping films that they promise will get audiences back to the movie theaters week after week. Expectations are particularly high for ``Top Gun: Maverick,’’ which Paramount Pictures will release on May 27 after two Continued on page 6
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‘Spamalot” on stage at Golden West College Continued from page 5
changing Jay Harbison) to travel to Camelot, collecting an array of eccentric would-be knights along the way. But when the misfits’ ribald reveries at the casino-like castle are divinely interrupted by the voice of God (courtesy of Python alumnus Eric Idle) commanding them to seek the legendary Holy Grail, Arthur and his men embark upon their sacred mission -- and you don’t need a soothsayer to predict the hysterical results. The search is on, over hill and dale, through wood and shrubbery -- will the King and his knights find their Grail, or face the nasty, sharp, pointy teeth of doom? Recent events remind us that value of comedy in uncertain times cannot be overstated. More and more viewers are returning to theaters to make up for nearly two years of lost time, and local Orange County venues are wasting no time themselves
in welcoming audiences back and offering up a colorful variety of plays and musicals to entertain theatergoers. “Spamalot” draws upon not just the best of the film and the troupe’s surreal comedy stylings, but takes time to develop more peripheral characters as well: Ackerman’s dutiful Patsy, faithful to a fault; distressed, melody-prone Prince Herbert and “Not Dead Fred” (both played by the charming and quite lively Jarrett Guthrie); and Torres’ fainthearted Sir
Robin, nursing his budding dreams of stardom. (The Black Knight, however – played by Tyler Fewell – remains equally surly and reality-challenged.) But the most shining example is that of the Lady of the Lake, a footnote in the original but now fully realized in all her bombastic glory by the ebullient Kalinda Gray: with some of the most standout – and funny – performances of the show, her character is a breath of fresh air for those Python devotees who know the film so exhaustively
that they could recite it in their sleep. De Forest as King Arthur has arguably the most challenging task – playing the straight man, anchoring the whole irreverent enterprise, all the while embroiled in lunatic hijinx: and anchor it he does, with style and poise. With a stellar ensemble, captivating choreography and unusual and striking musical numbers, that was the glory that was “Spamalot.”
Summer movies are back with a boom Continued from page 5
years of pandemic postponements. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer says he never waivered in wanting to release ``Top Gun: Maverick’’ – a full-throttle action film made with extensive aerial photography, practical ef-
fects – exclusively in theaters. ``It’s the kind of movie that embraces the experience of going to the theater,’’ said Bruckheimer. Before the pandemic, the summer movie season could reliably produce over $4 billion in ticket
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sales, or about 40% of the year’s grosses according to Comscore. In 2020, that total plummeted to $176 million. Last year recovered some with $1.7 billion, but things were hardly back to normal_many chose to either delay releases further or employ hybrid day-and-date strategies. This summer, though some slates are slimmer than usual, everyone is refocusing on theatrical. The ticketing service Fandango surveyed more than 6,000 ticket-buyers recently and 83% said they planned to see three or more movies on the big screen this summer. Netflix last month also reported its first subscriber loss in ten years and expects to lose two million more this quarter. Adam Aron, the Chairman and CEO of AMC Theatres, the nation’s largest theater chain, is one who is particularly excited about the steady stream of blockbusters that will be coming to their theaters. He touted franchises like “Doctor Strange 2,’’ “Top Gun 2,’’ “Jurassic World: Dominion,’’ (June 10) and “Thor: Love and Thunder’’ (July 8), “new film concepts’’ like Jordan Peele’s “Nope’’ (July 22) and ``Elvis’’ (June 24) and family friendly offerings from “Lightyear’’ (June 17) to ``Minions: The Rise of Gru’’ (July 1). “It all depends on the movies. It’s always about the movies,’’ Bruckheimer said. “If there’s stuff people want to see, they’re going to show up.’’
ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE/WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022 7
There’s no room for spring football, now or ever Continued from page 8
be around today if it had stuck to the plan laid out by New Orleans businessman David Dixon, who believed there was a market for pro football in the spring and early summer. His vision led to a promising setup with plenty of NFL-caliber players. “I would say that four teams in our group could have competed on an NFL level,`` recalled Tom Banks, a longtime NFL center who played the first two seasons with the original Birmingham Stallions. “We had a lot of
good players and a lot of good coaches.'' Dixon envisioned a league with teams in major U.S. markets, playing in NFL-caliber stadiums, boosted by a national television contract but keeping costs under control with a salary cap-style mechanism. The Stallions were a team that largely stuck to that philosophy, assembling a roster that included Banks, running back Joe Cribbs, quarterback Cliff Stoudt and receiver Jim Smith. The USFL wasn't intended to be a direct challenger to the NFL like those that that came before it, such as the American Football League (which forced a merger with the NFL) and the World Football League (which failed miserably). But it could've worked -- especially given the state of Ameri-
can sports when the USFL debuted: • The NFL, while enormously popular, had not yet become the year-round behemoth it is today. • Major League Baseball had yet to expand to Phoenix, Denver or Tampa Bay, which all landed teams in the original USFL. • Michael Jordan's NBA debut was still a year away, and nearly half of the league's 23 teams failed to average even 10,000
fans a game in 1982-83. • The NHL was largely a regional operation, basically unknown outside the Northeast and Midwest and lacking a major TV deal. • The North American Soccer League was on its last legs and would fold in 1984. Major League Soccer didn't come along until 1996. In that setting, there was room for another football league. Not anymore.
The Great Western races Continued from page 8
significant accomplishments, the 28-year-old outfielder has blossomed into a real star … so far. He was recently chosen American League Player of the
Week. Ward batted .448 with 10 runs scored, two doubles, a triple, four home runs, 11 RBIs, two walks and a 1.000 slugging percentage over a seven-game stretch. In this era of stats-uber-all, Ward is kicking asterisk. He in OPS (on-base percentage, plus slugging percentage), OBA (on-base average) and BADIP (batting average on balls hit in play). He’s among the leaders (fourth) in WAR (wins above replacement) and the more conventional batting average (.364) in second. Ward is a catcher-turnedoutfielder and that may be the key behind his newfound success. “Getting out from behind the plate helped my offense explode,” Ward told the Los Angeles Times. “I could focus solely on my hitting.” Yes, we know that May stats may not mean October results, but for the time being … wow!
Talk about your great baseball races ... October dreams are blooming all across the National League West. The Dodgers (20-9), as usual, are on top, but all five teams in the NLW have winning records and even the last-place Colorado Rockies are only 4.5 games out of first. However, the Blue Crew (riding a six-game winning streak) is being chased most closely by the San Diego Padres (20-11). If that matchup stays vital, they won’t be able to settle matters until they meet in late June.
8 WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2022/ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
TheSportsPage
There’s no room for spring football now, or ever again Sports landcape is just too cluttered By Paul Newberry AP Sports Columnist
Pro football in the springtime. An idea that once had so much promise. Now, no matter how many of these leagues keep popping up, there's little chance of carving out even a tiny niche on the American sports scene. Give it up, USFL. Ditto for you, XFL. This isn't the 1980s anymore. A revived United States Football League – borrowing the moniker and team nicknames from a league that went out of business 36 years ago – launched last month with all regular-season games being played in Birmingham, Alabama. USFL, The Sequel is following a familiar for-
mula for spring football in recent years: a bunch of unknown players, sloppy play and games played in front of mostly empty seats. Sadly, this watereddown version of the USFL has done little more than rekindle memories (at least for those of us old enough to remember) of the last upstart league in a major American sport that actually had a chance to make it. The original USFL, which played for three seasons beginning in 1983, was a concept that made a whole lot of sense, only to be undone by the hubris of owners such as future President Donald Trump, who saw the fledgling organization mainly as a conduit to the NFL. The league might still Continued on page 7
Five locals advance in CIF-SS playoffs Area high school baseball and softball teams posted five wins in CIFSS second round playoffs games on Tuesday and advanced to the quarterfinals on Thursday and Friday. In Division 1 softball, Pacifica edged South High of Torrance 2-1 on the Mariners’ diamond. In Division 6, Garden Grove outslugged Sierra Vista, 7-4.
Baseball action saw Huntington Beach slam Bishop Amat 13-1 in a Division 1 contest. In Division 2 play, Pacifica defeated Sierra Canyon 5-2. Orange beat Burroughs High 7-2 in D-5 play. Los Amigos, the topranked team in Division 7 baseball was upset, losing 7-4 to Big Bear, Santiago beat Lennox Academy by the score of 3-0 in D-7 play.
A BREAkTHOUGH YEAR FOR WARD, ANGELS? Taylor Ward (holding AL Player of the Week trophy) and Angels field manager Joe Maddon (Angels photo).
Great Western Race, Great Improvements Both Western Divisions could be horse races in 2022, and Angels have some thoroughbreds now Horse race fans certainly appreciated the recent Kentucky Derby in which Rich Strike – an 80-1 long shot – won run for the roses at Churchill Downs. As the saying goes, “It’s differences of opinion that make for horse races.” A horse race of a different color, or colors, is shaping up for LAOC baseball teams, a gallop that could bring new intensity to fans … especially for those of us south of Coyote Creek*. As the new week begins, the Los Angeles Angels are making the last few seasons seem like a bad dream. With a strong offense and newlyeffective pitching, the Halos are atop the American League West at 21-11 (as of Tuesday’s games). They lead the surging Houston Astros (19-11) by a game. The fellas from Texas are
SportsWeek on an eight-game winning streak and are the hottest team in the AL. The temptation to look ahead to a possible showdown is strong but by the time the two teams meet again it’ll be July (July 12-14 to be exact, at the Big A). In the meantime the Halos have a big series going against a strong Tampa Bay team in Anaheim. The Rays are in second place in the AL East, behind the New York Yankees the Yankees. Of the surprising developments for the Angels this season, the foremost has to be the rise of Taylor Ward. Formerly a part-timer with no Continued on page 7