St. Irenaeus parishioners, Diocese of Orange parishioners, and community members who enjoy free musical entertainment are invited to come to the Fall Fiesta at St. Irenaeus Parish on September 16-17 and be entertained by a variety of different groups throughout the day and night. Fiesta Co-Chair Kyeli Roberts has arranged for the following groups to perform for each of the days. DJ Music will start at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, and at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. A variety of DJ Music will be played between group performances during all three days.
Friday, September 16, 2022
7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Line Dancing Instruction with Tina Michelle & The Rhinestone Cowgirls
8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Performance by Tina Michelle & Rhinestone Cowgirls, Country Western Songs.
Saturday, September 17, 2022
2:00 to 2:45 p.m. My Art, Kids Musical Group
3:15 to 4:00 p.m. Impact Dance Center, Kids Dance Group
5:00 to 7:00 p.m. 90’s Nation, a 90’s Band
8:00 to 10:00 p.m. Crowd Theory, an 80’s Band
Sunday, September 18, 2022
2:15 to 2:45 p.m. Grandeza Mexicana Dance Academy, Ballet Folklorico
4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Eclectic Groove, Classics to Current Hits
7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Shake, Rattle and Roll, Oldies, Country, and Rock and Roll
The groups will be performing on a stage on the grassy area near the children’s play equipment at St. Irenaeus. Come early to find a place to sit in front of the stage and enjoy all the entertainment while having your lunch or dinner at the Fiesta. There will be many things to eat and drink including hot dogs, hamburgers, wine, beer, and margaritas. Be sure to try the different kinds of international food that will be available such as Filipino lumpia or Vietnamese Pho, and other specialties.
There is a special Pancake Breakfast which is being prepared by H.O.P.E. from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall, only on Sunday, September 18, 2022. Pre-sale tickets for the Pancake Breakfast can be purchased at the patio area next to St. Irenaeus Church at the table where opportunity tickets, game tickets, and ride tickets are being sold before and after weekend masses before the Fiesta.
For more information, contact Fiesta Co-Chairs Kyeli Roberts or Daniel Rozak at e-mail, fi****@********ss.org or call Lisa Sambrano at the St. Irenaeus Parish Office at 714-826-0760.
Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) issued the following statement today regarding legislative action taken on his Senate Bill 361, which is aimed at preventing the collusion and corruption that nearly harmed Anaheim taxpayers in relation to the sale of Anaheim Stadium.
“I’m shocked and disappointed that the State Assembly sided with special interests in Orange County and California to essentially gut SB 361. The purpose of SB 361 was to further the intent of the Surplus Land Act by ensuring that future sales of public property reaped the highest value and provided additional housing. The Assembly amendments make a mockery of the seriousness of the needed strengthening of the law.
Despite assertions by both the author of the Surplus Lands Act (SLA), Assembly member Phil Ting, and the outrage of the people of Anaheim and the local elected delegation, the Assembly Appropriations Committee chose to narrow this bill to one city and remove the enforcement mechanism. The agencies and governments opposed to SB 361 threw every excuse in the book at the wall to try to find something that would stick in an attempt to stall this effort. This should speak volumes to the public about why we haven’t seen a major uptick in affordable housing and the ‘roadblocks’ instituted by local governments in this effort.
SB 361 now, as amended, does nothing to address the collusion in the Anaheim stadium sale. My constituents and those in similar localities across the state can rest assured that, if re-elected I will reintroduce a bill to address the problem illustrated by the attempted sale – the current law does little to protect taxpayers from the city colluding with a purchaser to short change the taxpayers.”
Recent events in Anaheim have shed light on unforeseen consequences within the SLA. In April of 2021, the California Department of Housing and Community Development sent the City of Anaheim a letter, warning that it could be in violation of the SLA and the law’s requirement to build affordable housing.
Despite this notification and the possibility of receiving a $96 million fine, the City of Anaheim continued to push the deal through. To accommodate the fine, City officials planned to simply transfer the $96 million from the $123 million for affordable housing that was already included within the stadium land deal – thereby negating the intended effects of the SLA’s fine enforcement mechanism.
SB 361 would’ve prohibited an agency from disposing of a parcel of land if it is not in compliance with California’s Surplus Lands Act. If there is a violation, under SB 361, the California Department of Housing and Community Development would have authority to require the local entity to rebid the sale. The measure would also require that the agency provide at least 14 days’ notice prior to the convening of a public session for the purpose of ratifying any proposed deal. Amendments hostilely inserted by the Assembly Appropriations Committee narrow the bill to apply only to the City of Anaheim and remove the enforcement mechanism at the heart of the legislation.
As a result of the amendments, Senator Umberg moved the bill to the Senate’s Inactive File, essentially stalling its progress in the Legislature for the year. The fact sheet for SB 361 is attached for additional information.
Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do and Seal Beach Mayor Joe Kalmick recently honored the Iconic Seal Beach Water Tower & its new owners, Historic Preservationists, Dr. Gregg and Mary DeNicola, in a special ceremony at the Anderson Street landmark next to Surfside.
“The DeNicolas have pledged to make this tower available to the public, who can vacation there and experience a unique piece of Orange County History,” said Supervisor Do, who presented a Proclamation. “The original tower was built in the 19th Century to service steam engines. It later provided water for area residents and in the 1980s was in danger of being removed. But a ‘Save Our Water Tower’ campaign saved it and it was bought independently and transformed into one of the most unique residences in the world.”
“The DeNicolas, the fourth owners, will be good stewards of this wonderful gateway to Seal Beach,” said Mayor Kalmick.
“They recognize the importance of maintaining this stunning, memorable structure,” said Seal Beach Artist Bill Anderson, whose watercolor of the tower hangs inside. “It’s wonderful they’re helping keep local history alive.”
“We think of it as a treasure, worth preserving,” said Mary DeNicola. “That’s the primary reason we purchased it. The 360-degree view from the top level is absolutely incredible. You can see the ocean, Catalina, Los Angeles, the Queen Mary & Long Beach, mountains and so much more. We love being here and look forward to sharing the unique experience.”
Gregg DeNicola has been a doctor for more than 35 years and his wife is a Nurse Practitioner. They own Caduceus Medical Group and Pretty Darn Quick Urgent Care Centers throughout Orange County.
The City of Los Alamitos invites all Juniors or Seniors attending Los Alamitos High School to apply for the new Los Alamitos Youth in Government Program launching September 2022. This free program will benefit students who want to be civically engaged within their community and learn about their local government.
Youth in Government student benefits include: looking great on college applications, leadership development, new and lasting friendships, community involvement with the opportunity to complete special projects at City events and programs, scholarship opportunities, educational professional workshops with City administrators, and a joint luncheon with the City of Los Alamitos Executive Team, Management Team, and City Council.
The application can be found at cityoflosalamitos.org/recreation and is live from September 1 – September 30. Following application submissions, interviews will be held the week of October 24 between 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. to determine participant roles. There are a limited number of positions available per year. Positions available fall under the following departments: City Council, Administration, Development Services, Finance, Police, Fire, and Recreation & Community Services. For more information regarding the program, please visit cityoflosalamitos.org/recreation.
As Orange County prepares to head into its November 8th general election, ENE has compiled a list of candidates that will be seen on the congressional, council, and school board ballots for the cities of Los Al, La Palma, Cypress, Seal beach, and the special district of Rossmoor.
Qualified Candidate List for the 2022 Municipal Election
Cypress
Mayor Paulo Morales and Council Member Jon Peat will be terming out this upcoming election, while appointed Council Member Scott Minikus will be re-running for his seat. Thus leaving three open seats on the Cypress Council.
Seven candidates will appear on this year’s ballot, including: David Burke, Bonnie Peat, Rachel Strong, Scott Minikus (current appointed council member), Terry Miller, Carrie Hayashida, and Helen Le.
Los Alamitos
For the Los Alamitos election, which is using a by-districts election system, seats for District 4 and 5 will be up for grabs this year. According to the official Los Alamitos website, Mayor Shelley Hasselbrink, current representative for District 4, will have no competition as she re-runs for her jurisdiction this November. Meanwhile, for District 5 the two qualified candidates will be Randy W. Hill and Emily Hibar. Current incumbent Mark Chirco will not be running for re-election this year (see related story).
La Palma
The city of La Palma will have two open seats this year. As of now, three candidates have qualified for the open positions including: Janet Keo Conklin, Jonathan Dinwiddie and Nitesh P. Patel (incumbent).
The city plans on moving to by-districts elections in 2024.
Rossmoor
Moving forward, the unincorporated city of Rossmoor will have two open seats in their at-large election this year. The four qualifying candidates running are: Jeffrey Rips (incumbent), Carol Churchill, Jo Shade, and Michael Maynard.
Seal Beach
Ten candidates are poised to run in this year’s Seal Beach municipal election. Using a by-district voting system, candidates will be running for three seats within districts 1, 3, and 5.
One incumbent, Joe Kalmick, will be re-running for district 1, along with candidates Gregg Barton, and Christopher DeSanto.
Qualifying candidates for district 3 include: Stephanie Wade, Lisa Landau, and Fred Macksound.
For district 5 the candidates are Mariann Klinger, Michael McGrorty, Nathan Steele, and Jonathan Rich.
Qualified Candidate List for 2022 School Board Elections
Los Alamitos Unified
Trustee Areas 1 and 3 will have open spots in this year’s school board election. Trustee area 1 incumbent, Marlys Davidson, will be re-running against parent/business owner Colin Edwards.
Meanwhile for Trustee area 3, incumbent Diana D. Hill will be running against Rona Goldberg.
Cypress School Board of Trustees
Open positions for Trustee Area B and C have yielded four qualifying candidates. The incumbent for Trustee Area B, Bonnie Peat, is not running for re-election. She is instead running for a seat on the Cypress City Council.
Candidates running for her seat in Trustee Area B include her husband Jon Peat, who is a current Cypress City Council Member, and Troy Tanaka, parent and landlord of Cypress.
For Trustee Area C the candidates include incumbent, Sandra Lee, and public health statistician, Kyle Chang.
Anaheim Union HS District
The upcoming November 2022 election will be the first election for AUHSD to use a new district-based strategy. No status as an incumbent will be given this year since all current trustees were elected at-large. Area 1 is the only section to yield candidates this year.
Qualifying runners for Trustee Area 1 include Linda Martinez, parent, Bill Joe Wright, high school teacher and Jessica Guerrero, education policy advisor.
After being questioned by a Council member Monday, the Los Alamitos Police Chief said this week that significant measures have been taken to ensure readiness and school safety as students returned to campuses in the city.
For the second meeting in a row, Los Alamitos Council member Ron Bates questioned Police Chief Michael Claborn about safety and preparedness measures taken to ensure school safety for the schools within, and near the city.
“Two questions,” said Bates,”the first, do we have all the high powered rifles readily available that we might need if there was a hostage type situation to be well equipped to engage the hostage taker if need be.”
“Pretty much every black and white police car in the city is going to be equipped with a shotgun and patrol rifle,” said Claborn. “So yes, we will be ready to shoot should that incident present itself,” he said.
“We do have all the high-powered rifles,” the Police Chief said, adding that in addition to the pry-bar, each patrol unit is being equipped with a patrol rifle and a shotgun. “We’re well equipped for any hostage situation,” said Claborn.
More specifically, Bates questioned whether the force had been prepared with special training on prying open blockaded doors. Reports of the Uvalde shooter being barricaded, some disputed, have made police aware of the need for officers, all officers, to learn basic techniques for prying doors open.
With a high school and middle schools located in the city, Claborn said “we are prepared for any threats in our city.”
With the issue of barricaded doors fresh on the mind since Uvalde, Claborn told Bates that the Orange County Fire Authority has taken steps to begin training all law enforcement personnel “in the region” with the skills necessary to pry doors open in active shooter situations.
Further, Claborn said the department has acquired and outfitted all units with Halligan Pry bars, a special tool with implements and edges designed to put leverage on barricaded doors to bust them open.
“They can be used for forced entry into a school if they have to,” said Claborn.
Moreover, he said the police force and other emergency units are planning an active shooter drill at McAuliffe Middle School. Though no date has yet been set, Claborn said it will be held on a weekend to minimize school disruptions.
In addition, said Claborn, the department has restored and fully funded a school resource officer that already has an office at Los Alamitos High School.
Claborn said he has met with Supt. Andrew Pulver, Ed.D, and more specifically, the police chief said he is coordinating with Los Al High School Principal Christiana Krauss and Assistant Superintendent for Safety and Student Services Dr. Jerry Friedmann to reinstall a school resource officer in the district.
He said the new school resource officer has indeed established a school resource office at the high school and will periodically visit all of the schools to amplify prevention and be ready to quickly react to any threats.
“My second question relates to what you’re doing, and how it relates to really trying to train to get ahead of the situation,” said Bates, questioning the gathering of intelligence for prevention.
“What I mean by that is, do we have any intelligence programs, anything that we’re working on a countywide basis that would kind of identify obviously, you know, we know that most of these people that are going over the top and shooting people are young males,” said Bates.
“Do we have anything that’s tracking social media that’s trying to identify these people ahead of time and getting in front of this,” he asked?
“The most important thing I can tell you is going to be our school resource officer,” said Claborn, “because if we can get our SRO in schools and establish those relationships, these are the types of relationships that can create leads to prevent this type of thing from happening,” he said.
In addition, he said the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center (OCIAC), which has received national recognition as an intelligence fusion center, will coordinate with the department and funnel any relevant information to the school resource officer.
He said OCIAC will provide terrorism liaison training and will provide active tracking of all critical events, nationally and locally, to the department and thus, the school resource officer.
“On a more local scale, OSIAC itself puts on terrorism liaison training, so that we can train all of our officers to be liaisons for acts of terrorism or things that they may see in the field to create leads … that they will then investigate,” he said.
“So it’s almost like two-way communication,” said Claborn.
Claborn said the department is also taking advantage of grants that provide specialized training to prepare for any school situation.
“Now on a larger scale as it relates to an active shooter response, the Urban Area Security Initiative branch puts out a three-dimensional active shooter course as well as a tactical emergency Casualty Care course which deals with traumatic injuries that can be sustained and how to treat those in the fields for patrol officers,” said Claborn.
“Both of those courses are being taught by the UASI grant,” the police chief said, “and we are in the process of getting every officer of the department trained in both of those. So those are things that are proactive measures that we’ve taken to try to get all the training we can here in the department,” he added.
In addition to the schools, Claborn said the department is beefing up safety because a major military installation, the Joint Forces Training Base, is also located within the city.
In other action, Mayor Shelley Hasselbrink and the Council honored the city’s finance team for being selected by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada to receive an award for the “Achievement of Excellence in Finance Reporting.”
“This is a big deal,” said Hasselbrink. She said officials with the government finance organization said the city’s finance team had demonstrated “full transparency” in reporting its financial position.
Finance Director Craig Koehler introduced the city’s recently expanded finance team, including Brandy Velleagas, accountant, Maria Benios, senior finance assistant, and John Mulderas, finance manager,
Koehler explained that the organization scrutinizes the city’s bookkeeping each year. “They go through grading criteria and generally note things we need to improve.”
“This is not a given thing, we have to earn it,” he said.
Finally, the city’s recreation department presented a list of upcoming events in September, including Serve Los Al on Sept. 16, OC Health Fair Sept. 17, Bikes & Bytes also on Sept. 17 (with cooperating restaurants), Family Day on Sept. 18 and a spokesperson said they are bringing back the popular Street Fair on Sept. 24.
More information about all of the events is available on the city’s website.
The Los Alamitos community, along with most of West Orange County, is mourning the loss of longtime music instructor Charles “Chuck” Wackerman, who passed away at his home in Seal Beach Saturday, Aug. 20.
He was 91-years-old.
ENE journalist David Nicholas Somlo had just recently profiled the prolific music instructor and we will present a more comprehensive story on Wackerman’s life and legacy next week.
Wackerman is survived by four children, Bob, John, Chad and Brooks, and six grandchildren.
With well over half a century spent providing musical inspiration to students K-12 in and around Orange County, Chuck Wackerman needs no introduction to Los Al Unified district residents.
His legendary musical education has, by now, touched thousands of lives by instilling in them a love for and strong work ethic around playing music.
Wackerman, who was a skilled musician in his own right, shared his musical insights with students along with superstars. For this legendary music instructor, it was truly all about the music.
Watch for a special report on the life and times of Chuck Wackerman in next week’s edition.
Former Mayor and member of the Los Alamitos City Council Mark Chirco, a popular incumbent in Los Alamitos has somewhat surprisingly decided to forego what would have been his final term on the city council.
Chirco formally announced Monday he will not run for re-election, saying in essence the city is now on a solid foundation and he has a young family at home.
Chirco was elected city-wide before the city agreed to carve out districts and had he run for re-election he would have been a candidate in District 4.
“The city is in a great position now, we’re financially stable, we have an excellent team of employees, a new chief of police and great department leaders,” Chirco told the Council Monday.
Chirco has always made fiscal sustainability of the city his mission, serving for a very long period with Mayor Shelley Hasselbrink on the fiscal sustainability budget committee. Before the city passed Measure Y in 2020, the city’s fiscal outlook was “bleak.”
In addition, he said the city council “works together harmoniously.”
“This has been a tremendous honor for me,” Chirco said of his service to the city, adding though “I am not going to run for re-election.
“I am going to stick around,” he added, noting that he would work hard for the next few months until the new council takes office in 2023.
In addition, Chirco has never shied away from taking courageous positions on issues. Most notably, he is credited for guiding the city as mayor during the difficult days of the pandemic and calling for “an end to hate” in 2021 after a series of racial incidents.
“This is very disturbing,” he said at the time. “We have to commit ourselves to calling out all forms of discrimination against any race, any gender or any group of people,” said Chirco. “It is just wrong,” he said.
“We as a society must do more to embrace the fact that all of us are different,” he said. Chirco said he was encouraged by those who “called out these injustices for what they are.”
“Our differences need to be highlighted, celebrated and embraced,” said Chirco, “because that is what defines us as a nation and what makes our community such a special place to be a part of.”
Chirco served as Mayor in 2021 and according to the city’s website, like many others, he moved to Los Alamitos to take advantage of the Los Alamitos Unified School District system and of course, for the “small town charm.”
Chirco has an undergraduate degree from UCLA and a law degree from Georgetown University. He has been a practicing attorney for more than seventeen years and is employed as a corporate attorney.
Chirco began his service to the city as a member of the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Commission until he was unanimously appointed to the City Council in December, 2017, and elected to a four year term on the City Council in November, 2018.
In addition to serving on City Council, Mark has served on the Orange County Library Advisory Board, the Los Alamitos Budget Standing Committee, the City Manager Selection Committee, the Los Alamitos Zoning Code Update Committee, as a Trustee for the Orange County Mosquito Vector Control District, Director for the Orange County Sanitation District, and the League of California Cities – State Division, the City Selection Committee.
He currently serves as an alternate for the West Cities Policies Communication board of directors as well as on the Los Alamitos Budget Standing Committee. As a member of the Budget Standing Committee, Mark helped ensure a balanced budget for Los Alamitos for the 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 fiscal years. Mark was previously an AYSO coach/referee for four years and is a member of the Los Alamitos School PTA.
Speed, agility, control, and power are the hallmarks of the United States military top supersonic jets, and the best of the best of these advanced aircraft will be on full display at the 2022 Pacific Airshow.
This year’s Pacific Airshow is expected to take to the skies over Huntington Beach from Sept. 30 – Oct. 2, according to the organization.
Among the advanced aircraft include the U.S. Navy F-35C, the US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet “Rhino” and the Pacific Air Force (PACAF) F-16 Viper as well as the vital support and transport aircraft the U.S. Air Force C-17 and U.S. Air Force C-130J Hercules.
“Pacific Airshow is proud to showcase the advanced technology and aviation capabilities of these incredible machines, and more importantly, the talented and dedicated pilots who fly them and the ground crew who keep them operation at full capacity,” said Kevin Elliott, Airshow director and CEO of Code Four. “They are loud and make us proud.”
These are also the types of jets that take to the skies for the inaugural Pacific Airshow Gold Coast over Surfer’s Paradise Beach next Aug. 18 – 20, 2023.
Supersonic jets flying in the 2022 Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach include:
U.S. Navy F-35C
The F-35C is the first and world’s only long-range stealth strike fighter designed and built explicitly for Navy carrier operations. Its configuration, embedded sensors, internal fuel, and weapons capacity, aligned edges, and state of the art manufacturing processes all contribute to the F-35’s unique Very Low Observable stealth performance. This enables pilots to evade enemy detection and operate in anti-access and contested environments. The F-35 C can reach speeds of Mach 1.6 but pilot Lt. Joe “811” Calvi to maintain average speed of about 500 miles an hour over Huntington Beach.
U. S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet “Rhino”
F/A-18E/F Super Hornet entered fleet service in 1999, as the replacement for the F-14 Tomcat. The Super Hornet is the second major model upgrade since the inception of the F/A-18 aircraft program highly capable across the full mission spectrum: air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, air defense suppression and day/night precision strike. The F/A-18 Super Hornet can reach speeds more than Mach 1.8. The F/A – 18 Super Hornet will be flown by Lt. Garrett “Hana” Sherwood.
The PACAF F-16
Demonstration team operates from Misawa Air Base in Japan and promotes position relationships between the United States and nations across the Western Pacific. The team demonstrates the awesome power and maneuverability of the F-16 to the delight of aviation enthusiasts everywhere. Earlier this year the PACAF F-16 demo performed at the Japanese American Friendship Festival in Tokyo. Prior to joining the Air Force Thunderbirds pilot Capt. Jacob “Primo” Impellizzeri lead the PACAF F-16 demo team. The F-16 Viper demo is now piloted by Maj. Josiah “Sirius” Gaffney.
Powerful Support and Transport
While supersonic jets may take center stage, the workhorses of the military’s flying fleet are the transport aircraft that carry troops, supplies and fuels. This year’s Pacific Airshow will feature two of these powerful aircraft – the U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster and the U.S. Air Force C-130J Hercules.
U.S. Air Force C-17 The Mighty Moose
The C-17 West Coast Demo team showcases the airlift capabilities of The Might Moose. This aircraft is designed to airdrop 102 paratroopers with their accompanying equipment and boasts a maximum payload capacity of 85 tons. With a payload of 82 tons and full fuel tanks, the C-17 has a range of 2,400 miles with an impressive cruise speed of approximately 523 miles per hour. The design of this aircraft allows it to operate through small airfields and it’s capable of landing at Long Beach Airport’s shortest runway, 8R/26L which is 3,918 feet long. Maj. Doc Schumacher will be flying the C-17.
U.S. Air Force C-130J Hercules
The C-130J flying in the Pacific Airshow is from the 146th Airlift Wing at Channel Islands Air National Guard Base. It will be demonstrating the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) which can drop up to 3,000 gallons of fire retardant in less than 10 seconds across a quarter-mile line. The C-130J pilot is Capt. Cameron Sheppard
The first C-130J Hercules took flight in April 1996 and to date 500 have been built. This four-engine turboprop transport aircraft can carry helicopters, armored vehicles, troops, and supplies with a maximum payload of 21 tons. Compared to older C-130s, the J model climbs faster and higher, flies farther at a higher cruise speed, and takes off and lands in a shorter distance. The C-130J cruises at around 500 mph at 22,000 feet. Maj. Doc Schumacher will be flying the C-17.
These aircraft will take to the skies all three days of the Pacific Airshow. For more information and premium tickets, please visit www.pacificairshow.com, and follow Pacific Airshow on social media @pacificairshow.
Since its launch in 2016, Pacific Airshow has grown to become the largest airshow in the United States by attendance attracting millions of spectators to Southern California every fall. Spanning over three days, the Airshow features the best in military and civilian flight demonstrations from teams all over the world, including past performances by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, Royal Air Force Red Arrows, and Canadian Forces Snowbirds. The family-friendly weekend is lauded for its showcase of pop-culture featuring live music, premium ocean-front hospitality, VIP social events, STEM activities and more. Pacific Airshow has been recognized by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as the Civilian Airshow Site of the Year in both 2018 and 2019 and was named among the Top 5 Airshows by USA Today’s 10Best. The event has become the cornerstone of the fall calendar for residents and visitors from as far away as Europe and Asia while delivering a more than $105 million economic impact to the City of Huntington Beach alone and even broader economic benefits to the County of Orange and Southern California.
Now with its scheduled expansion to the Gold Coast of Australia in August of 2023, Pacific Airshow will become the largest airshow franchise in the world and the only airshow to host two international editions.
For more information, please visit www.pacificairshow.com, follow Pacific Airshow on social media @pacificairshow and download the mobile app from the app store.
A modern-day Mr. Rogers with hipster appeal, Joshua Holden and his puppet sidekick, Mr. Nicholas, are bringing their award-winning family production The Joshua Show to Segerstrom Center for the Arts. When Mr. Nicholas makes an unnerving self-discovery that causes him to spiral down a path of loneliness and hopeless despair, it’s up to Joshua and his cast of characters, including Larry the Lint and the Wonderbook, to show his best friend the joy in being yourself.
With live music, tap dancing, physical comedy, and multiple styles of puppetry, this whimsical show is sure to bring out everyone’s joyful side. Come discover why Joshua Holden was named one of “20 Theatre Workers You Should Know” by “American Theatre” magazine.
Joshua was on the Broadway national tour of AVENUE Q, the Lead Puppeteer in Peter Pan 360 (ThreeSixty Entertainment), and garnered an Arts Impulse award as well as an IRNE nomination for “Best Actor In a Musical” as Bill Snibson in Me & My Girl (Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston). He worked with international street artist Banksy on his controversial piece Sirens of the Lambs. A proud Massachusetts native and an alumnus of the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, he earned a B.F.A. in Acting from The Chicago College of Performing Arts, Roosevelt University.
The 10 a.m. Saturday September 24th performance of “The Joshua Show” will be a sensory friendly/relaxed performance. To give everyone in our community the opportunity to experience the joy of attending a live performance, we present a series of sensory-friendly/relaxed performances as part of our Family Series. These shows are designed specifically for those with sensory sensitivity to enjoy with their families. The 1:00pm Sunday September 25th performance of “The Joshua Show” will be ASL interpreted.
Tickets for “The Joshua Show” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts are $20 and are on sale now. They are available online at scfta.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. Group discounts for groups of 10 or more are available at (714) 755-0236. The Center offers many services for patrons with disabilities including removable wheelchair locations, binoculars and assistive listening devices. To learn more visit scfta.org/accessibilityinformation.
Segerstrom Center brings the best of professional youth performance to Orange County through the Family Series. Artists from around the world perform shows that are produced specifically for family audiences. Family Series includes both the Discovery Series, designed for children ages 4 to 8 and featuring five shows, as well as the Explorer Series, featuring three shows and geared for children ages 8 and older. Performances range from popular family titles, like Tutti Frutti’s Ugly Duckling to musicians, like Grammy winners The Okee Dokee Brothers, to innovative science performances, like Look Out! Science is Coming!
All performances include one hour of free, fun activities for families to enjoy together before the show. The Center offers these enriching experiences to provide young people and their families with opportunities to play together creatively, explore the themes and content of the performances and connect with other patrons at the Center. Pre-show activities have included puppet making, drum circles, conducting lessons, and even a silent disco!
Lisa Sambrano, Executive Assistant at St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in Cypress, has been gathering many interesting donations that will be available as part of Silent Auctions at the St. Irenaeus Fall Fiesta on the weekend of September 16-18, 2022. Community members are invited to come to the Fiesta on the church grounds at 5201Evergreen Avenue and
consider bidding on some, or all, of the items.
New items for the Silent Auction this year include “Swag Bags” from all the local Catholic High Schools, including Mater Dei High School, Servite High School, Rosary Academy, Saint Joseph High School, and St. John Bosco High School. “Swag Bags,” in Australia, referred to a traveler’s bundle containing personal belongings. A slang version of “swag,” meant plunder, booty, money, or valuables. The Swag Bag donations from the high schools may include logo merchandise such as a backpack, hat, t-shirts, pullover shirt, water bottle, car stickers, drink holder, pompoms, etc. Bidders can choose which school’s Swag Bag of items, or decorated Swag Basket, they will bid on.
Parents of students who attend St. Joseph High School and St. John Bosco High School might be especially interested in placing Silent Auction bids to win the donation of $1,000 off their school’s tuition for one student at each school for the 2023-2024 school year.
Sports enthusiasts will also be able to bid on memorabilia from the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, John Elway, Troy Aikman, and Magic Johnson. There will also be an opportunity to bid on a special NASCAR driving experience.
The Fall Fiesta Committee has partnered with a company that will be sending some Star Wars Memorabilia to auction off. The details of these items are not known at this time, so interested parties are asked to come to the Fiesta and check out whatever Star Wars items are sent.
Lisa Sambrano is still collecting donations for the Silent Auctions, so if any individuals or businesses would like to donate items for the Silent Auctions, please contact Lisa Sambrano at ls*******@********ss.org or call St. Irenaeus Church office at 714-826-0760.
Come to the Fall Fiesta at St. Irenaeus Church during the following Fiesta Hours:
Friday, September 16, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 17, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 18, 2022, from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Honoring Our Fallen nonprofit has announced its annual 2022 Golden Boot Awards Gala with this year’s Special Guest Dennis Quaid and many families of our nations fallen military.
Our “A Hero Remembered…Never Dies” formal event will be a night to remember our nation’s fallenand honor those who selflessly serve them and the families they leave behind, Laura Herzog, the organization’s founder in a press release.
Each guest will enjoy an evening of dinner, live entertainment, dancing, and special “Golden Boot Award” presentation. The “Golden Boot Award” is awarded to individuals, businesses, and organizations that have gone above and beyond assisting Honoring Our Fallen in our service to the children and families of our nations fallen.
She said the event proceeds will support programs and services for families of our nations fallen. While there is nothing, we can do to bring back their loved ones, she said, “we can do a lot towards bringing comfort to the families here at home by providing a community of support at their doorstep.”
More information about Honoring Our Fallen is available at www.honoringourfallen.org to get
involved and sponsor and or volunteer for call Laura Herzog at 714-904-0253.
The Cypress Chamber of Commerce will welcome Cypress Mayor Paulo Morales to our September Networking Breakfast. Our event will be held Tuesday, September 13th at the Residence Inn by Marriott at 4931 Katella Avenue, Cypress/Los Alamitos starting at 7:30 a.m. and will follow all current protocols for attendee safety. Mayor Morales, who is set to end his term on the Cypress city council at the end of 2022, will share a “look back” on his busy and productive eight years on the Cypress City Council. He will also share a preview of his upcoming State if the City Address planned for October.
The mayor is also expected to highlight the numerous city-wide activities that are planned in Cypress for the month of October including the Cypress Community Festival & Business Expo, Cypress 5k/10k Run, The Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast & the regional Women’s Conference. Paulo Morales has been serving on the Cypress City Council since December of 2014 and was re-elected in 2018. This is his second one-year term as Mayor of Cypress. Prior to his council service Paulo had a long and distinguished career serving the City of Cypress on the Cypress Police Department.
In addition, each breakfast attendee will have an opportunity to stand to introduce themselves and share a little about their business before the program begins.
Reservations are highly recommended to secure your spot for the monthly breakfasts and can be made here. Cost of the breakfast is $25.00. Early Bird Registration is $20.00. Attendees are also encouraged to bring door prizes to promote their product or service. The program will include time for live networking, self-introductions, breakfast, our guest speaker and a question and answer session.
The Chamber breakfasts, which are open to the public, are held on the second Tuesday of every month. Space will be limited. To assure your seat, pre-register on the chamber website: https://www.cypresschamber.org/events/details/september-networking-breakfast-2022-2644
Samantha Attwood and Art Levitt have officially joined the Aquarium of the Pacific’s Board of Directors. Attwood is the worldwide head of Amazon’s Devices Technology Licensing Business Development Team and contributes to new sustainability and energy initiatives across Amazon. Levitt has headed businesses in the media, hospitality, and entertainment.
“Attwood’s experience in tech, sustainability, and conservation and Levitt’s experience in media, hospitality, and entertainment will contribute new perspectives and expertise to the Aquarium’s Board. Both of these new board members come with valuable and relevant experience that will help enhance the Aquarium’s programs,” Aquarium Board Chair Ed Feo said. “Their knowledge and leadership will also help us plan strategically and increase our impact as we approach our twenty-fifth anniversary.”
Samantha Atwood, Courtesy photo
Attwood previously worked with Amazon Web Services’ energy team to negotiate renewable energy access in international regions. Prior to Amazon, Attwood worked as a researcher for The Nature Conservancy, with a focus on Endangered Species Act efficacy and agricultural system sustainability. She holds a bachelor’s degree in ecology and evolutionary biology from Yale University and an MBA in enterprise management and sustainability from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Attwood is also a founding member of the #RelistWolves campaign—a grassroots coalition of conservationists, environmental nonprofit organizations, wildlife advocates, and scientists committed to raising public awareness about wolves’ importance as ecosystem guardians and advocating to restore their protections under the Endangered Species Act. The Aquarium has long worked to dispel myths about sharks. Wolves, another apex predator, face similar misconceptions, and Attwood is passionate about the power of education to help people to view them with respect rather than fear. She is also a board member of Wolves of the Rockies and an advisory group member for the University of California, Los Angeles’ Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.
Art Levitt Courtesy photo
Levitt served as chief of staff of the Dalio Foundation Inc., where he managed initiatives in microfinance, oceanographic work, and marine conservation. His other previous positions include CEO of the Nielsen Company’s Media Sync Platform, venture partner at Jerusalem Venture Partners, founding CEO of Fandango, Inc., president of Disney Regional Entertainment, and president and CEO of Hard Rock Cafe, International.
As vice president of resorts and special projects for The Walt Disney World Company, Levitt oversaw the operation of the Walt Disney World’s Resort’s nightlife and entertainment complex, Pleasure Island, as well as The Disney Village Marketplace and the Disney Village Resort and Disney Vacation Club. Prior, he served as vice president of corporate projects for The Walt Disney Company.
Levitt earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a marine science focus from Southampton College and completed the program for management development from Harvard University. He also serves on the board of Reefcheck.org, an organization dedicated to saving the reef ecosystem through community science.
The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is a community gathering place where diverse cultures and the arts are celebrated and where important challenges facing our planet are explored. The Aquarium is dedicated to conserving and building nature and nature’s services by building the interactions between and among peoples. Home to more than 12,000 animals, Aquarium exhibits include Babies!, Coral Reefs: Nature’s Underwater Cities, Pacific Visions, and Shark Lagoon. Beyond its animal exhibits, the Aquarium offers educational programs for people of all ages, including First Wednesdays featuring guest speakers. The Aquarium offers memberships with unlimited FREE admission for 12 months and other special benefits. To make a donation to help support the Aquarium, please visit pacific.to/donate.
To visit, advance reservations are required for everyone and can be made at aquariumofpacific.org or by calling (562) 590-3100. The Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach, CA 90802.
Malachi Nelson, a current senior at Los Alamitos High School, has made his mark in the Los Alamitos and Southern California area through his football, faith, and how he views the world around him.
Throughout Nelson’s time at Los Alamitos High School, he has garnered fame and attention; following his first sports scholarship in middle school, it was clear that the footballer’s future was bright.
Nelson’s teammates remark on his optimistic attitude addressing whatever setback his teammates may encounter on and off the field with a level head, outstanding problem-solving ability, and understanding of how to make the best of any scenario due to his remarkable leadership talents.
As he begins what is expected to be a season of ultra-high visibility, one of the nation’s top quarterback prospects took a moment to reflect on what it all means to him.
“I really just want to make a difference for my team and community while I’m still [at Los Al],” Nelson said following a 41-0 win against Garces Memorial High School on Friday.
Although the game against Garces Memorial was Nelson’s first official game of his senior year, both offense and defense performed admirably despite the strong inland California heat wave. Nelson claims that he would not be where he is now without the help of God and the support of his family and teammates. Nelson addresses how he hopes to make a positive impression on viewers and anyone else watching who wants to pursue sports as a career by working hard, being dedicated, and overcoming adversity.
“Inspiring people in the stands is what I like to do,” Nelson said. Following his spectacular performance on Friday, Nelson was quickly besieged by loving admirers eager to meet with him or pose for a quick photo with the budding star. Although football has played a significant role in Nelson’s early success, he believes that staying focused on his goals is what will propel him to a star-studded career as he approaches college and, ultimately, the NFL draft after graduation.
At the age of eighteen, Nelson already appears to be on the verge of becoming a brilliant professional football player. As he completes his senior year of high school, the young man exhibits a level of maturity beyond his years, and his commitment to hard work will inevitably pay off as his career develops.
By Malini Nagpal, BC-DMT, Ph.D.
For the Event-News Enterprise
On August 19, 2021 at 1:06 p.m., the City of Cypress City Hall published a Facebook post regarding the lawsuit against the city for an alleged violation of the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). Unfortunately, the post read more as propaganda than as unbiased information, and it contained a number of misleading statements, including,
“First and foremost, the City has received no evidence supporting such a claim and therefore we emphatically disagree that a violation exists.”
“Cypress may not be the only city sued by this firm, but we stand out as one of few cities to stand up and refuse to abandon our at-large voting system without evidence. Time and again, the complainants have failed to provide us with details or evidence of the alleged violation. Contrary to what is alleged, our review of the claim revealed undeniable trends of Asian American voters successfully making their voices heard in Cypress’ at-large elections.”
“Beyond analyzing our voting trends, we contacted the community after receiving the initial complaint letter—we conducted a survey and hosted a series of public forums throughout the City—both in person and online. The message was loud and clear— residents like the at-large election system and the opportunity to vote for all five council members.”
“If a legal proceeding produces evidence of a CVRA violation, we assure you that we will be the first ones eager to find a solution that meets state law as well as the needs of our unique City. Until then, the disenfranchisement of our residents is not an option that we believe is fair or reasonable.
Our city should base its final decision on a bedrock of facts, evidence, and transparency. We will not strip voters of the opportunity to elect the entire City Council without evidence of violation of state law and are ready to stand up for Cypress!”
I am writing this to place the lawsuit and the city’s recent statements in context. The city’s claim of being inclusive and respecting diversity – of economic status, neurodiversity, ethnicity, heritage, LQBTQIA, and abilities – is evanescent at best.
During the July 12, 2021 City Council meeting, many Cypress residents voiced that it behooves the City Council to select Carrie Katsumata Hayashida in the vacant city council position (previously held by Stacy Berry), as she had come in 3rd in the 2020 election. Some residents also voiced support for the city to hold a special election. However, City Council Member Morales had firmly noted that 16,050 (69.17%) residents of Cypress voted to pass Measure P whereby, they (people) entrusted the City Council to fill a vacant position by appointment. Next, four of four city council members, including the Mayor, voted to fill this position via an appointment process. Following this decision, on Aug. 23, 2021, the Cypress City Council appointed Scott Minikus to fill the vacant council member position.
Although the City may have saved approximately $200K-$250K by not holding a special election, a special election would have given the residents of Cypress a voice. Cypress City has approximately $171 million and an additional $11 million coming from federal funding. Spending $200k-$250k on a special election would have been worth it to ensure that every voice, including the voice of 2/3 of the non-white residents was heard and counted. At that time, I had no idea the lack of depth the city’s management and governance structure have about the makeup and experience of its diverse community.
After being passed over during the appointment process, Carrie Katsumata Hayashida reached out to attorney Kevin Shenkman regarding district elections in Cypress (see Carrie Katsumata Hayashida’s April 21, 2022 op-ed/letter). It is inferred from her op-ed that she reached out to Kevin Shenkman prior to Mr. Shenkman sending the initial demand letter to the City of Cypress alleging a CVRA violation and asking the city to voluntarily change from at-large to by-district elections. It is my understanding that in her anticipation to run for city council in the upcoming November 2022 election, Carrie Katsumata Hayashida has shifted her mind and is now in opposition of district voting. At which point, I and Katie Shapiro agreed to be the plaintiff(s) along with the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project.
Since the September 17, 2021 letter alleging CVRA violation, a lot has unfolded in Cypress that clearly demonstrates that our city governance and city management has very little knowledge of the Asian American Community in Cypress let alone the city’s diversity – socioeconomic statuses, heritage, ethnicities, LGBTQIA as well as neurodiversity. Although there are many examples of their lack of knowledge, in the interest of print space, I will only mention a few:
During the second oral communications period at the November 22, 2021 City council meeting, the then Mayor Jon Peat corrected a public commenter named Sara Rohani. Mayor Peat stated “I do wish to correct the misstatement which she made that we have never had a member of the AAPI community on the council. I believe Dr. Prakash Narain and Lydia Sondhi were both part of the Indian community and have been elected to our council. So that was not a correct statement.”
Peat’s statement was incorrect for two reasons. Dr. Lydia Sondhi herself is not from Asian American Pacific Island (AAPI) community. Rather, she is married to a person from South Asian descent, Jay Sondhi. Additionally, Jay Sondhi, who is a member of the AAPI community, ran twice for Cypress City Council – 2012 and 2014 – and lost both times. Such factually inaccurate statements clearly show that the City Council has an inadequate awareness of its own history, let alone the heritage of the previous Cypress City Council members and, by extension, the city’s Asian American residents. During the Jan, 24, 2022 City Council meeting, I raised this issue and clarified the fact regarding Dr. Lydia Sondhi’s heritage and Jay Sondhi’s electoral record. Yet, the Cypress City Council as well as city management seems to conveniently overlook these facts.
Even after this correction, the response letter sent on March 21, 2022 by the City Attorney Fred Galante to Attorney Kevin Shenkman by Cypress City Attorney incorrectly states:
“The only specifics in your letter identifies one Asian Council candidate’s unsuccessful bid for a seat on the Council. This ignores the above trend, but more importantly, overlooks the fact that the City has had a history of Asian American candidates being elected to the City Council. In 1998 and again 2002, Lydia Sondhi was elected to the City Council. Also, in 2006 and again 2010, Dr. Prakash Narain was elected to the City Council.”
Yet again, even after being corrected during the January 24, 2022 meeting, the city continued to point to Lydia Sondhi as an example of successful Asian American candidates, which Sondhi herself corrected in a comment to the Voice of OC.
To assert that a person is from any particular ethnic community or background solely based on the ‘name’ or worse yet who they are ‘married to’ in itself reeks of bias.
In addition, since the initial letter alleging a CVRA violation, the City Council voted, for the second time, against creating a policy allowing flags to be raised that would demonstrate support for LGBTQ and American Asian Pacific Islander community. Further, they also refused to recognize February as Black History Month.
The city’s response to hateful, racist flyers distributed in February, 2022 that targeted our Jewish residents was also insufficient. Rather than decry the blatant racism or express support for the Jewish community, the city issued a dismissive statement that downplayed the incident, stating that,
“Cypress is a diverse, welcoming community that is inclusive of all types of religions, races, genders, backgrounds, and beliefs which is what makes Cypress such a great place to live, work, and play. We take any form of hate, threats, or discrimination seriously and hope community members continue to be supportive and understanding of one another. Please contact the Cypress Police Department if you’ve experienced or witnessed any negative events. #StaySafe. “
Frankly, this is dismissive and an active attempt to denigrate the severity of the racist incidence. If we had single member district representation, the Council Member representing the area where these racist flyers were distributed could have strongly advocated for the community that he/she/they represent. Instead, right now we have Council Members who simply want to ‘keep it the way it is.’
This systematic method of ‘keeping it the way it is’ bleeds directly into how the city plans, negotiates, executes city development projects e.g. “Pay to Play” Lexington park/soccer sports complex, various service contracts e.g. Valley Vista Services, affordable housing initiative, and one of the worst things to unfold in our city, the negative impact to residents that live north of Lincoln due to the City Maintenance Yard being used as trash transfer site. Single Member Districting would afford representation to every neighborhood in Cypress as well as for people from all socioeconomic status, ethnicity, communities, and abilities. The voices of all five City Council members would carry the same weight.
To make matters worse, at the May 23, 2022 council meeting, the City Manager Mr. Grant and a Council Member both admonished and yelled at the public speaking in support for the proposal to provide transcription of meetings for people who experience hearing loss. Of note is that this is not the first time the council members and city management have gotten unhinged. Over the past year, the male council members have frequently displayed overt contempt for a fellow female council member and more specifically towards the only woman of color.
During this same meeting Council Member Minikus placed forth a Diversity Proclamation. The proclamation entirely omits the LGBTQIA+ community and ignores many aspects of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative. Just one example is the use of the word ‘other’. By using ‘other’, the council is endorsing the phenomenon of othering whereby individuals are defined and labeled as not fitting in. By othering, the council is essentially saying it is an “us vs. them” situation, saying that “they are not like me” or “they are not one of us.” Link to the Diversity Proclamation https://destinyhosted.com/cypredocs/2022/CCREG/20220523_196/1806_220509.1_Diversity_and_Inclusion_Proclamation.pdf
The City also asserts that “The message was loud and clear–residents like the at-large elections.” Based on what? Poorly attended public forums and a survey in which the same person could vote over and over again? On a response of about 150 people that was fairly evenly divided in a city of 50,000? The perplexing part is not only this; it is also that the council voted to not hold an at-large-election to fill the vacant council member position so that they can save approximately $200k-$250k. Conversely, they are now willing to spend millions to fight a lawsuit to keep an at-large-election process. If the council believes at-large-election is fair, then why did they not hold that to fill the vacant council member position in July/August of 2021? Why leverage Measure P as an excuse to appoint a person of their choice rather than give the residents a voice to vote?
Based on my experience with the Cypress City Council and the City Management and witnessing all that has unfolded over the past year, I support single member districting. Aside from the fact that Cypress should be in compliance with California Voting Rights Act (CVRA), districting would allow the city governance to more intimately represent people from all socioeconomic status (low, middle, high, and anywhere in between). The voices of all five city council members would carry the same weight, which has been missing from City of Cypress governance for quite a while. The City’s governance should be representing the people that make up the city.
I ask again, what is the Council and the City afraid of?
Playing in the shadow of baseball’s most hallowed ground, near the MLB Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, an unheralded group of local 12-year-olds showed the world how to win.
By committing themselves to a total team effort, the upstart SoCal Hawks surprised 56 other teams from around the USA and Canada to play themselves into a league of their own.
On July 22, the SoCal Hawks became champions of Week 8 of the five-day All-Star Village 12 and under tournament, creating their own field of dreams.
“It was mind-blowing,” said coach Matt Hammond. “There were 57 teams, and we knew they were good,” he said, adding that “and we were not one of the favorites.”
While their four-day Cinderella run will remain legendary in the anuals of tournament play, the way the Hawks won and how they got there makes for a story suitable for a Hallmark movie.
“What’s most rewarding as a coach,” said Hammond, “was that when we won this championship, we were not the most talented team, but as I told our boys, ‘we were the best team.’”
Hammond said the players banded together in 2021 after COVID began to break. He’s coached some of these boys for five years and knew they were seeking to play ball again.
Even then, in 2021, the players knew they wanted to make the trip to the All-Star Village this year.
Hammond said his players are mostly from Los Alamitos and Cypress, yet there are also a couple of players from Garden Grove and Long Beach.
Courtesy photo The team opens a lemonade stand in Rossmoor to raise money for the trip. (L-R) Drew Mapanao, Derek Chastain, Carson Hammond, Hud Pease
This tournament is not the Little League World Series, he said, which is also played near Cooperstown, but a well-known event that draws teams and players from around the world.
To get there, however, could cost about $20,000 for the team, etc., so they began raising money. They did chores and created old-fashioned lemonade stands and other activities to raise their goal of $20,000.
Hammond said Rossmoor was one of the places where they opened a lemonade stand to begin raising money.
“At one point, a dad walked up [to the lemonade stand] and when he found out why we were raising money, he told the boys about his trip to Cooperstown with his son five years ago.”
“He gave the boys a $100 bill and walked off,” said Hammond.
As it turned out, the boys ended up raising $23,000 with lemonade stands and selling snacks, so last month the SoCal Hawks and their families headed across the country to Cooperstown.
Courtesy photo Logan Hall (C) and LJ Smith (P) mid game
Once in the All-Star Village, players are housed in little cabins with bunks near Oneonta, N.Y., near Cooperstown, where they stay for a week, the coach said.
Hammond said the boys consider the excursion a baseball camp of sorts, and there are several activities besides baseball, including swimming in a pool shaped as a baseball glove and trading pins with other players.
Hammond said he and the other coaches, including Ben Stepanoff, Morgan Beck and Geoff Hall, all knew the team had heart, but he said they also knew the Hawks were simply not the most talented team in the tourney.
Yet, he said, they created a secret weapon.
“Our whole goal, all year, was preaching teamwork, teamwork, teamwork,” said Hammond. “This is not a team of one individual, but a team. If one player strikes out or makes an error, the next person will pick you up.”
That’s exactly what happened. According to the notes of Vicky Hammond, the coach’s wife, here’s how their amazing run went down.
Week 8 of the tournament featured 57 teams from across the United States and Canada. The SoCal Hawks, made up of players from Los Alamitos, Garden Grove, Cypress and Long Beach, went 5-1-1 in pool play, including a 4-3 win against the Rough Riders of Orange County on a grand slam walk-off by Logan Hall. The come-from-behind win earned the team the 12th seed heading into the championship rounds.
Courtesy photo Derek Chastain slides back to first in Hawks semifinal win versus the Bombers.
Elimination brackets began with a 10-2 win over the Rawlings Toledo (Ohio) Tigers who had previously granted the Hawks their only loss in the early rounds. The victory advanced the Hawks into the final day of competition, which began early on July 22 as the team defeated the Jackson Bears of Ohio 6-4 in the Round of 16.
Those wins were followed by a 4-1 win over a local rival, the OC Hawks of Placentia, Calif. Tyler Kaufman threw six innings and tallied thirteen strikeouts, while Jackson Beck led with a solo home run to propel the team into the semifinals.
Despite a national tournament field, it was an all-California showcase in the Final Four. With L. J. Smith on the mound, the SoCal Hawks shocked the SoCal Bombers Black with a 21-6 semifinal win. The victory featured eighteen Hawks hits, including home runs by Kaufman and Jett Jenkins, and doubles by Hud Pease and Justin Hall.
This set up the team for a chance to win, but to do so, they would have to navigate through an impossible path that would involve four victories in a single day.
“And you know, to relive my last day, we had to win four games, and we were underdogs in three of them,” said Coach Hammond.
The evening championship game matched the SoCal Hawks against the Whittier Bandits in a live-streamed match-up with bleachers full of fellow players and fans.
While the Bandits struck first with an early solo home run, the Hawks stormed back to knock out four home runs of their own thanks to Logan Hall, Drew Mapanao and another two by Kaufman.
In total, the Hawks tallied twelve hits, with singles from Carson Hammond, Landon Stepanoff, Jenkins, Pease, Smith and Derek Chastain. Stepanoff pitched a complete game allowing only seven hits and tallying six strikeouts.
The final score, Hawks 7, Bandits 2, and the Cinderella team SoCal Hawks proudly took their place at home plate at Patton Field in Cooperstown as they were named Champions with a trophy nearly as tall as some of the 12-year-old players.
“It’s not only that we won,” said Hammond, “it was the way we won. Every single player on our team contributed to our victories,” he said.
“The fact that you know, everybody contributed, player one through eleven was quite frankly, what made it the most rewarding,” he said.
Not only that, but Coach Hammond said the team’s sportsmanship brought them pride as well.
Hammond said one of the Hawks hit a screaming line drive between third and shortstop which was miraculously caught by the opposing 3rd baseman.
“Our kid did not mope,” the coach said, “but he actually ran onto the field and gave the opposing player a high-five,” said Hammond, “which was pretty cool.”
The miraculous run of the Hawks was not lost on All-Star Tournament Director John McIlwain.
“I had no idea who the Hawks were when you arrived,” McIlwain said. “I heard nothing from you, your parents, or your coaches while you were here, but I will never forget you now,” he announced.
Nor was the victory lost on the players, all of whom are now back in middle school.
“When I went to Cooperstown, it was awesome,” said Grand Slam slugger Logan Hall.
Coach Hammond calls timeout and offers a word of encouragement. Courtesy photo
“Meeting all the teams from different states was probably one of the best things there. Camel City was a team from North Carolina, and we became really good friends. They were really big supporters in the championship,” the Oak Middle School 8th grader said.
“The teamwork was really good. We were supportive of each other and did really well. Whenever someone would hit a homer, everyone would get super excited for the hitter, regardless of the score,” he said.
For Drew Mapanao, a 7th grader at Oak, “Cooperstown was a dream come true.”
“My ABSOLUTE most favorite thing about Cooperstown was hanging out with my teammates,” said Mapanao.
“Together, we made memories we will never forget. We watched the MLB Home Run Derby in our bunks, played video games together, and played wiffle ball, cap baseball, and football. We slept in the same room for six nights and ate all of our meals together,” said.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I wish I could relive every second of that week. I will never forget Cooperstown,” he said.
Tyler Kaufman, another middle schooler, said “we played some hard teams, and we weren’t sure we would win. Then, we just played better than we ever have before. Cooperstown is a memory I will never forget. It was amazing.”
When these 12-year-olds remember Cooperstown, it seems the impression of the experience will leave them with a memory of what they did together, as a team.
Stories of shared success, crediting others, and humble championships seem rare today. But for a team whose coaches insisted on “teamwork, teamwork, teamwork,” the trophy seems well earned.
What they accomplished together in 2022 will perhaps last longer than the shining glow on the huge, gleaming trophy they brought home from Cooperstown. Not only was it a validation of a dream, but also a demonstration of a community that believed enough in them to donate a significant sum to get them to Cooperstown in the first place.
While the gleam of their championship trophy will perhaps one-day fade, the memories, and lessons about life they took home from their shared experience could indeed last a lifetime.
Residents in Cypress have a bone to pick with the city regarding Valley Vista Services, and it’s not just about contract extensions and elevated rates.
In a series of interviews with residents living near the city’s Public Works yard, they want to know why is the public city maintenance yard being used as a private trash companies dump site?
Back in early 2021, residents believed that no direct tip transfer station would occur in the city yard after the proposal for Valley Vista to build one was thrown out due to significant residential pushback, prompting council to decline the deal.
“We thought they killed it, we thought it was done,” said Tim Yerian, a resident of Cypress whose home backs up in direct proximity to the city yard.
Fast forward to 2022, Yerian stands beside himself in confusion and disappointment.
It’s 9 a.m. and his house rattles while the sounds of industrial trash machinery drown out any chance of morning tranquility on Grindlay Street. He steps outside to see Valley Vista trash trucks hovering over his fence as he watches unauthorized waste be dumped into the city maintenance yard.
“As City council members, you’re allowing this yard to become a small solid waste transfer station,” wrote Yerian to the City Council, who claims his lifestyle has been severely impacted by daily Valley Vista activity at the city yard.
Trucks dumping trash inside city yard. Courtesy photo
Yerian and his neighbors who border the maintenance facility have been trying to get an answer to for years, while enduring trash odor, industrial noise, debris, contamination, mental and physical distress, and council negligence.
Other neighbors to the facility echo Yerian’s concerns.
“It has been and still is a battle to get them into compliance,” said Albert Van Meter, who has resided near the maintenance yard for twenty years.
Van Meter and other residents who live on Grindlay Street report that to a varying yet destructive degree, the city and VVS have been proceeding with the trash transfer site regardless of previous agreements.
Residences surround the Cypress City yard as residents complain about health effects of activity, yet city refuses to respond. Courtesy photo
Almost daily, residents close to the city yard are disrupted by their house shaking along with significant industrial noise while Valley Vista trucks unload city garbage and organic waste into the maintenance yard bins—intended to be a lot for storage of parking equipment, signs, traffic barriers and other city infrastructure.
Debby Oriez, who cares for her 92-year-old mother and is neighbors with Yerian, says her mother, who has dementia, believes the noise and rattling is caused by an earthquake every morning.
“Every time they do a loud drop [of trash disposal] my mom doesn’t understand. She thinks it’s an earthquake, and it is very stressful,” said Oriez.
Speculated to last anywhere between the hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the noise and house rattling are not the only complaints Cypress citizens on Grindlay St. have reported.
Environmental contamination from debris and dust flying into the neighborhood has allegedly created health and safety hazards for the residents.
Van Meter, who lives across from Yerian, says the accumulation of dust that consistently blankets their yard and solar panels has given his wife, Tara, “years of allergies”.
The maintenance yard directly touches five homes; however, its impacts expand further into homes across the street. Oriez, Yerian, and Van Meter have lived on the street for decades, some even before the maintenance yard was built.
When I bought this house years ago, they never mentioned that we were going to be living near a dump,” said Van Meter, who has also complained that the dump has brought rat and vermin issues onto his property.
Residents also report that the range of nuisances from the site has lowered the value of their homes, allegedly causing homeowners on the street to sell their property.
Meanwhile, dust and contamination levels, along with the physical and mental distress that came along with living nearby the site, are what Oriez says contributed to her late father, Robert Oriez’s death.
“It moved up to his lungs. I believe for no doubt it contributed to my dad’s death. The stress factor with him, the stress factor with everybody, it’s just unbelievable,” he said.
With a background in construction, Oriez said her father fought endlessly with the city to get the site removed so this wouldn’t be what they ended up with.
“It was a constant fight with them. My dad fought for years and years and years, because he knew all the [alleged] laws that they were breaking,” said Oriez.
Based on city code, trash dumping, collecting, or transferring is not listed as authorized land use for the city yard, which is zoned as public/semi-public property.
When the joint venture transfer site with Valley Vista was proposed two years ago, citizen opposition mainly stemmed from aspects of the proposal that highlighted a private company’s gain at the expense of vulnerable community members.
The letter states:
“VVS proposes to install a direct-tip transfer facility at the Yard to eliminate daily trash truck trips to the landfill and recycling center. The direct-tip transfer facility would allow trash trucks to dump waste at the Yard, which would then be hauled to the appropriate facility. VVS estimates seven 53-foot long trailers would be hauled to/from the Yard each weekday. VVS believes this approach would reduce wear and tear on its trash truck fleet and City streets.”
Due to revenue hits from COVID-19 and the collapse of the recyclable market, Valley Vista initiated the proposal—which included a 15-year contract extension and CNG fueling station in addition to the site— to make up for economic delays.
King Elementary School, a Title 1 school, an affordable housing complex, Tara Village, and citizens belonging to protected classes all reside close to the maintenance yard.
According to the US census, demographics for the immediate area located in the city’s North end include a split majority of Asian and Hispanic residents and medium to lower-income homes.
“The city council has done more than enough to meet the needs of Valley Vista. This proposal is going too far. The residents in the area of the City yard have enough challenges. Please don’t do this to them,” signed Cypress resident George Pardon in one of the many letters of proposal rejection addressed to the city.
Tim’s late father, Bob Yerian, a decorated World War II veteran, was living with Tim when the proposal was being debated. In a video created by his family, the 97-year-old veteran pleaded to Cypress residents and council to stop the city from dumping trash near his backyard.
“I fought for you, and I hope you will fight for me,” said Bob Yerian, who passed a year later.
Since his passing, Tim has proceeded his advocacy efforts trash dumping as it has continued throughout the year.
Having lived on the street since 1972, Yerian who is retired, has been a persistent voice on behalf of the neighborhood regarding the alleged violations Valley Vista has brought.
Serving as an unofficial neighborhood Valley Vista watch man, Yerian consistently gathers photo and video evidence of the trash dumping and often spearheads neighborhood meetings to discuss the issue.
“The neighborhood has been really good at getting gatherings together to discuss what we should do,” said Van Meter.
Overall, the blatant disadvantage residents on Grindlay St have when it comes to fighting against the city contributes to a larger narrative regarding systemic power play between citizens and government structures.
“The citizens themselves, they don’t have enough [time and money] to do all the research and things to prove it. The city council knows that,” said Oriez regarding the advantage of resources the city has over residents in the area.
Yerian, along with other involved Cypress residents, currently awaits a response from the city regarding their recent complaints and questions.
Local activists have since joined the fight alleging city ordinances and regulations do not allow what’s going on at the Cypress city yard.
In addition, the ENE has left messages for Public Works Director Doug Dancs that thus far, have been unanswered.
In the meantime, Yerian said he will continue his efforts involve his neighbors in the fight to halt the dumping.
Moreover, the long-time resident says he also plans to keep them informed as they continue to seek answers from a local government that seems to favor trash haulers over the safety concerns of their neighborhood.
Arron Myers had a big smile on his face as he arrived at Los Alamitos High School for the first day of the 2022-23 school year.
“I’m nervous … he’s excited,” Arron’s mother, Natasha Myers said with a smile after seeing her oldest child walk onto the LAHS campus for the first time on August 15.
Last year Arron was at Mayfair Middle School in Bellflower, she said. This year the avid dancer decided to come to LAHS to pursue performing arts. The freshman is going to be in the school’s award-winning show choir. “I just want success for my baby,” Myers said, sharing a feeling most parents know well, and added, “This is the right place for him.”
Los Alamitos Unified School District Superintendent Andrew Pulver, Ed.D, greeted Arron and his family on campus, snapping photos of Arron and his mother and grandmother, to capture the start of his Griffin experience.
“We’re thrilled to welcome our students and families to the new year,” Pulver said in an interview.
The first day started with music at LAHS as the school’s band played for students entering campus. ASB members handed out donuts. Some LAHS staff members wore t-shirts that read, “Start with Hello.” LAHS Principal Christiana Kraus was one of them. She said the shirts were to ensure all students felt welcome. “We thought it was a perfect way to start the year,” Kraus said.
Students at Los Alamitos High School travel up and down the “grand staircase” of the new $67 million STEM building which opened to students for the first time on August 15. Photo by Jeannette Andruss
LAHS is one of the dozens of campuses in Orange County where school is back in session. Seven of the other Los Al USD campuses in Rossmoor, Los Alamitos and Seal Beach also welcomed students back on August 15. Weaver Elementary school started on August 3. The 2022-23 school year is now underway for more than half of the school districts in O.C. while three school districts don’t begin until September.
As Spotlight Schools reported last week, the school year starts with a relaxation of rules regarding Covid-19. On August 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention unveiled new guidelines which include dropping the recommendation that students exposed to a Covid-19 positive person test to stay in class.
In response to the new CDC guidance, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in part of a statement: “While COVID continues to evolve, so has our understanding of the science and what it takes to return to school safely.” The California Department of Public Health has not altered its latest Covid-19 recommendations for schools which were released on June 30 and include keeping masks optional on campus.
It isn’t just Covid-19 that school administrators are preparing for. The monkeypox virus, which Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over, is also on the radar for some educators. According to the Voice of OC, the Santa Ana Unified School District trained staff and administrators to spot monkeypox symptoms and has monkeypox tests available upon request.
STEM BUILDING OPENS TO STUDENTS FOR FIRST TIME
The Los Alamitos USD is starting the year with a brand new $67 million STEM building at LAHS which opened to students for the first time on Monday.
Before, and after, the bell rang at 8:30 a.m., students were searching for their classes in the brand-new three-story structure, sometimes stopping to ask for directions. The gleaming modern building boasting a total of 30 classrooms and labs for math, biology, chemistry and more was built using bond funds.
The new $67 million STEM building at Los Al High School. Photo by Jeannette Andruss.
“It’s a beautiful environment to provide such a state-of-the-art education to our students,” Principal Kraus said. She expressed gratitude to the community for their support in approving the 2018 Measure G that financed the STEM building.
Kraus said some students were chatting about how excited they were to have a class in the new building, even bragging if they had more than one.
Biology teacher Henry Awad was thrilled with his new classroom on the building’s second floor. “This room is amazing,” he enthused, noting the sunshine that poured into the lab through large windows.
It’s a big upgrade from the windowless “dungeon” Awad described as his old classroom. In fact, Awad shared that his former classroom was the exact same one he once occupied as a student years ago.
“I feel very blessed and I’m very excited for the kids,” Awad said in an interview as he waited for his first class of students to arrive.
Meanwhile, Awad’s wife, Shereen Awad, a chemistry teacher at the high school, already had students in her brand-new lab right across the hall. And down on the first floor of the STEM building, teacher Martin Valenzuela was setting up the new state-of-the-art robotics lab.
While the classrooms were ready for teachers and students on August 15, some parts of the building were not fully operational yet. That includes areas that will house administrative offices, a media center and the career center which are still being worked on including the installation of furniture, equipment and cabinets, painting and some finishing touches.
C.J. Knowland, the district’s point person on construction of the STEM building, is confident everything will be ready in time for next week’s Open House on August 24. That’s when the public is invited to tour the new STEM building at 6:15p.m. Knowland said work would continue to be done daily on the STEM building from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. after the standard school day ends.
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A popular Past Commander of the Los Alamitos American Legion Post 716 has died.
“It is with a heavy heart, that I am publicly announcing, that the American Legion Post 716, in Los Alamitos has lost a Jr. Past Commander, Vincent “Woody” Collins,” said Post Commander Ernie Rodriquez.
“Woody is the perfect example of the phrase…Freedom is not Free,” he said.
Commander Woody served as a Soldier in Vietnam, where he narrowly escaped with his life.
He received the Bronze Star, and earned many other medals and citations, related to his valor and honorable service, during his tours of duty with the United States Army.
One of the things that he did not ask for, was his exposure to the defoliant, Agent Orange during his service in the U.S. military.
According to Rodriquez, Collins fought the effects of that exposure though out his life.
“I don’t know too many people that can survive as well as he did, with only, a little more than one-third of a lung left from the cancers that he battled,” the Commander said.
The VA did their best, but it wasn’t good enough.
“Woody finally lost his bout on the 27th of July at his daughter’s home in Shreveport, Louisiana,” said Rodriquez.
Military Honors will be rendered, and his Life Celebrated, at the American Legion Post 716 on Sunday the 28th of August at 2 p.m., he said. The public is welcome to attend. Please RSVP at 562-430-6033.
He was a former Army Officer with a Bronze medal. He was a 100% service related Vietnam Veteran. He was also the Commander of the American Legion post 716 for three consecutive years. Woody loved to fish, socialize with people and help others. He had the biggest heart, is loved and will be missed by so many.
Woody is preceded in death by, his granddaughter, Kayla Christine Cabrera.
He is survived by his daughters, Mary Collins Akin, Christina Collins Holten, Christy Fernandez; grandsons, Adolfo Vincent Cabrera, Woody Olivierio Cabrera; grandchildren, Leslie Renee Cabrera, Trenton Denney; and great-grandson, Aksel Kaine Addison.
A Celebration of Life and Memorial Service, in Mr. Collins honor will be held at 2:00 PM, Sunday, August 28th, within his beloved American Legion Post 716, in Los Alamitos, CA.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hillcrestblanchardchapel.com for the Collins family.
