Oh, Baby! Assistance League of Laguna Beach boosts infants with developmental disabilities
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, April 19. We are Carol Cormaci and Vince Nguyen bringing you this week’s TimesOC newsletter. Together we’ve aggregated the latest local news and events for you.
One of the most uplifting stories we encountered this week was written by our Daily Pilot colleague Andrew Turner, who was intrigued when he learned about the early intervention program established in 1976 by the Assistance League of Laguna Beach to help developmentally delayed infants, prenatal to age 1.
Along with photographer Don Leach, Turner recently caught a close-up look at the program in action during one of its weekly Wednesday meetings, which are held behind the chapter’s Thrift Shop on Glenneyre Street.
According to the Assistance League of Laguna Beach website, the early intervention program (also referred to by its acronym EIP) is the only one of its kind in our nation. Remarkably, this program is without any cost to the families involved. The organization brings in “a professional staff of occupational and physical therapists, developmental teachers and behavioral specialists [to] educate parents on how to exercise, stimulate, guide, play and care for their babies,” according to its site.
During the weekly sessions the participants are guided through a series of stations to help the babies learn fine, gross and sensory motor skills, Turner reports. Other stations focus on cognitive and social-emotional development, as well as how to eat.
“It is an environment without expectation,” Turner notes, “except the assurance that the children will reach developmental milestones at their own pace.”
One of the mothers Turner interviewed was a resident of Orange, Hazel Phillips, who said she’d been bringing her son, Scott, to the program since he was just 8 weeks old. Just 30 hours after his birth, the infant had suffered a stroke that led to a brain bleed. During the session attended by the reporter, Scott was learning how to roll from his back to his front.
“They don’t see age, they don’t see diagnosis, they just sort of look at where they’re at in life and then you’re able to kind of work on the same thing,” Phillips said of the EIP staff. “Not only do they give you individualized treatment when we’re there, they also give you homework, and they give emotional support to the parents to keep them motivated and encourage them to continue to really advocate for our children with regional centers and with any doctors that we might need.
“They’re just like a huge resource for us, and I think that ultimately they’ve allowed me to thrive, which allows Scott to thrive,” Phillips said to Turner.
It’s all made possible not only by the many volunteers associated with Assistance League of Laguna Beach but also by proceeds from its Thrift Shop, cash donations from supporters of the program and grants. The value of the program to each participating family is likely incalculable.
For more information contact allagunamembership@gmail.com or call (949) 494-6097.
MORE NEWS
— Newly unionized workers at the Medieval Times in Buena Park have been on strike since February, picketing at the dinner theater. According to this story in the Los Angeles Times, some customers have become fed up with protesters blocking the driveway. “On Thursday, several picketers were struck by a patron in a moving vehicle or were shoved by a second patron who got out of the passenger seat of the car, according to worker interviews and video footage of the altercation posted to social media,” report our Times colleagues Stephanie Brefijo and Suhuana Hussain.
— The former director of the Democratic Party of Orange County pleaded guilty Friday to charges of attempting to defraud one of her political consultancy firm’s clients, according to federal officials. Melahat Rafiei, 45, held a number of county leadership posts before stepping down from them in May 2022 during the fallout of a corruption investigation surrounding the proposed sale of Angel Stadium land in Anaheim, where she was accused of being complicit in the corruption. Rafiei faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.
— Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer is getting a $43,000 raise following approval by the Board of Supervisors last Wednesday. The pay bump increases his salary from $310,256.35 to $353,236. Including benefits, his overall compensation package would be valued at $531,477 annually. The raise puts Spitzer’s compensation on par with what San Diego County’s district attorney receives, according to county officials.
— An underwater oil pipeline that ruptured off the coast of Huntington Beach in 2021 and spilled thousands of gallons of crude into Orange County waters will be restarted. Houston-based Amplify Energy Co. said last week that federal regulators have approved restarting the 17.3-mile pipeline. Amplify said it began refilling the pipeline the weekend of April 8.
— UC Irvine’s Basic Needs Hub opened in 2017 and has grown from a small staff into a full-fledged campus operation. The change called for a rebrand, and last week the hub was renamed the UCI Basic Needs Center. It’s focused on providing food, toiletries and other goods to students struggling with food inequity as part of the UC Global Food Initiative. According to Andrea Mora, the center’s director, the hub so far this year has served nearly 3,000 students.
— California’s Office of Emergency Services wants to use 15 acres of the state-owned Fairview Developmental Center in Costa Mesa to more quickly respond to regional disasters. The new center would include a 35,000-square-foot office building, a 20,000-foot warehouse with vehicle maintenance bay and space for life-sustaining commodities, such as meals, water and tarps for emergencies. The remainder of the acreage could potentially be redeveloped into housing or other uses compatible with city zoning, according to Costa Mesa officials.
— Assembly Bill 1035, currently working its way through the Legislature, proposes a rent increase cap of 5% statewide for mobile homes over the course of any 12-month period. It has the support of Huntington Beach mobile home owners concerned about potential rent hikes who have been seeking relief from city leaders for months. The legislation was introduced in February by state Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi (D-Torrance).
— The Orange County Water District’s Groundwater Replenishment System has been completed. It can provide up to 130 million gallons of water per day, enough to fill nearly 20 Olympic-sized pools and enough for a million people. The system, a joint project with the adjacent Orange County Sanitation District, is the world’s largest purification system for indirect potable reuse.
— The Newport Beach City Council has approved a $680,411 construction contract with International Line Builders, Inc. for traffic signal updates at three major points along Newport Coast Drive. The Corona-based company will replace aging infrastructure at Sage Hill, near Gas Recovery Systems and at Ridge Park Road. Crews are expected to replace poles, controller cabinets, equipment and wiring to maintain existing traffic signals and increase their reliability. Traffic is not expected to be significantly affected, and Newport Coast Drive will remain open.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND COURTS
— Joyce LaPointe is a 26-year veteran at the Costa Mesa Police Department, and during a private badge-pinning ceremony on April 9, Chief Ron Lawrence promoted her to deputy chief, making her the department’s second in command. The veteran became CMPD’s first female lieutenant in 2017 and then captain in 2020. LaPointe said building connections with the people she serves is what she has loved most about being a police officer during her tenure.
— Huntington Beach police arrested a 38-year-old man for allegedly stabbing another man at an extended-stay hotel and later discovered the suspect had an outstanding felony warrant related to previous drug charges. Glenn Richard Wright was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon following the April 12 incident. Orange County Superior Court records show Wright was previously arrested in 2022, and when he failed to appear in court, a warrant was issued for his arrest. The victim, who was hospitalized for his injuries, was reportedly in stable condition, according to HBPD.
— A 31-year-old Riverside man was arrested by Newport Beach police on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm from a moving vehicle. NBPD identified Tristen Skylar Parker as a suspect in the shooting. No injuries were reported.
— A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of a robbery in Irvine, police said Friday. The victim was walking home from the Quail Hill shopping center when two males robbed her at gunpoint. The suspects fled in a black car, but police were able to track down the teen through a stolen electronic device. The device was tracked in San Bernardino County where the teenager was arrested near a shopping center in Apple Valley. The suspect was booked into Orange County Juvenile Hall.
— A Buena Park man died Thursday following a solo traffic collision near Warner Avenue and Brightwater Drive in Huntington Beach. The man, who had been driving a motorcycle at a high rate of speed prior to the crash, was identified by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department as 38-year-old Luis Angel Gallo.
— A former controller for two Anaheim-based companies, Trilogy Plumbing and Matrix Management, was sentenced Monday to more than five years in federal prison for embezzling about $3 million, according to a City News Service report. Rosalba Meza, 48, of Dana Point, pleaded guilty Dec. 12 to embezzlement, cheating on her taxes and fraudulently applying for Paycheck Protection Program relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, prosecutors said.
— Sheila Marie Ritze, 42, of San Juan Capistrano, who helped her drug-trafficking friend kill a marijuana dealer who owed him money by taking the victim on her fishing boat off Dana Point Harbor to be beaten, shot and drowned, was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison, CNS reported Tuesday. She was convicted in April 2022 of second-degree murder and lying to investigators stemming from the killing of 44-year-old Tri “James” Dao on Oct. 14, 2019.
BUSINESS BUZZ
— Chicas Tacos, the concept from chef Eduardo Ruiz, has opened its first brick-and-mortar shop in Orange County at Rodeo 39 with fresh takes on tacos. Founded in 2016, Ruiz’s vision includes approachable food with authentic flavors, not necessarily presented in a traditional way. Along with familiar selections like tacos and burritos, Chicas Tacos offers an unexpected menu item: the OG Pizza.
— Bloomberg reported Monday that David’s Bridal filed for bankruptcy protection for the second time and could close all of its nearly 300 stores if it can’t find a buyer in the coming weeks. David’s, which reports it has 100,000 finished gowns on its way to stores and 30,000 in the sewing stages, said its doors are open, and the company will continue fulfilling all customer orders “without disruption or delay.” In Orange County, the retailer has stores in Brea and Costa Mesa.
— Disneyland’s Splash Mountain flume ride that features a five-story drop into a briar patch will entertain its last guests on May 30, the L.A. Times reports. It will be reimagined and reopened in 2024 as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure centered on the Walt Disney Co.’s 2009 animated work “The Princess and the Frog,” a fairy tale that featured the company’s first Black princess. In other Disneyland news, “Pride Nite” is coming to the theme park on June 13 and 15 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets for the dates will go on sale April 20 for $139. Pride Nite will include a dance party with characters in “special attire” and photo opportunities with “pride-themed backdrops,” Disneyland officials said.
LIFE & LEISURE
— The new Nature Garden in Bommer Canyon takes visitors on a journey through the history of the area, its ranching past and rich biodiversity. The small interpretive garden on a 1-acre plot was used for more than a century for cattle operations and has been restored with native plants and signs that detail the area’s history. It is reachable on foot by taking the Bommer Meadow Trail to the Nature Loop Trail and by car on Wilderness Access Days on the third Saturday of each month. For more information on the Bommer Canyon Preserve, including locations and hours, visit cityofirvine.org/parks-facilities/bommer-canyon-preserve.
— The annual OC Parks Summer Concert Series and Sunset Cinema film series returns in June. The twin series offers free live music and movie screenings at regional parks throughout Orange County, in a family-friendly setting with free parking, food and a beer and wine garden for those 21 and over. The summer concert series has 10 free outdoor concerts scheduled for Thursday evenings from 5 to 8 p.m starting June 22. The film series has 14 free movie screenings planned for Friday nights beginning June 9. A schedule of events for both series can be found on ocparks.com.
— Laguna Beach’s Festival of Arts will showcase the work of several new artists juried into its Fine Art Show for this summer in the Fresh Faces exhibit. The showcase opened Saturday and will run through June 1 at the foaSOUTH gallery located inside Active Culture, 1006 S. Coast Hwy. The range of mediums includes ceramics, drawing, mixed media, painting, photography and printmaking.
— Garden Grove resident Cindy Lee is very in tune with the National Day Calendar and has created National Bucket List Day, which will be celebrated for the first time on April 24. The day was awarded by National Day Calendar last August. The 57-year-old, who runs Surf City Aloha Marketing, believes in having different bucket lists, as well as paying it forward.
— Tommy Martin is a longtime ambassador of Five Crowns in Corona del Mar, having spent more than 50 years taking care of guests at the landmark steakhouse restaurant. Now, after a recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis, he is being cared for by his community. A GoFundMe page has been set up by former Five Crowns’ employees to assist with the cost of his long-term care. Throughout April, the restaurant is matching $10 donations made by diners to Martin’s GoFundme campaign, and VIP members of the steakhouse can earn a $25 bonus reward with a donation.
SPORTS
— Mission Viejo High School was the site of the Orange County track and field championships over the weekend, and Corona del Mar High’s Ava Simos staked her claim to being the fastest girl in the county. Simos repeated as county champion in the 100-meter sprints (12.34 seconds) and winning the 200 (24.88). JSerra came out on top in the boys’ and girls’ track and field team results, ahead of second-place Mater Dei and third-place Beckman in the boys’ competition and runner-up Mission Viejo and third-place Santa Margarita in the girls’ events.
— 28-year-old New York Yankees fan Raymond Sbarra decided to draw Angels superstar Mike Trout every day during the Major League Baseball lockout last season. The drawings quickly went viral and portrayed Trout in different situations, often borrowing from pop culture — one of his most popular drawings was of the slugger portrayed in a “Die Hard” scene — and sometimes even portraying him as an actual trout. The collection became known as Lockout Art, and Sbarra started selling prints of his work as well as merchandise with his art on it as it gained popularity. “I don’t know how many he’s done, but we just keep seeing it,” Trout said.
— Dallas Eakins will not return as coach of the Anaheim Ducks following another losing season. Eakins, 56, was hired before the 2019-20 season after having coached the Ducks’ San Diego affiliate. The Ducks finished the season with a 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, their 13th defeat in a row. They finished last in the 32-team National Hockey League with a record of 23-47-12 and 58 points. Eakins’ coaching record in four seasons with the Ducks was 100-147-44.
— Attorneys for Shohei Ohtani have argued that the Angels superstar should be dismissed from a lawsuit alleging his endorsement of the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Ohtani and other celebrity defendants were sued last November in U.S. District Court in Miami, with the plaintiffs claiming FTX leveraged the endorsers to lure consumers into investing “billions of dollars into the deceptive FTX platform to keep the whole scheme afloat.” The suit claims the celebrity endorsers did not properly evaluate FTX and should thus share responsibility for an alleged $11 billion in damages.
CALENDAR THIS
— Orange County’s contemporary dance company Backhausdance will be performing a site-specific contemporary dance work inspired by a monthlong residency in Sherman Gardens. Two ticketed performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30. A limited number of tickets are available. For more information and tickets, visit thesherman.org or call (949) 673-2261.
— Pas de Deux Chapter of the Guilds of Segerstrom Center for the Arts and the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School will present Evening of Dance beginning at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 29 at the Judy Morr Theatre at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Pre-professional dancers will perform excerpts from “Don Quixote,” “Swan Lake,” “Coppelia,” “La Bayadere” and “Raymonda.” Buy tickets or donate to ABT Gillespie School here.
— The 15th annual Día de los Libros celebration will take place Saturday, April 29 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Santa Ana Main Library, 26 Civic Center Plaza. The event celebrates the importance of children, literacy and families with a special concert full of interactive songs, stories and movement by best-selling author of the original Pete the Cat books, Eric Litwin. The festivities will also include a book giveaway for children, a meet-and-greet and more.
— Select Metrolink services will be free across Southern California on Earth Day on Saturday, April 22. The rail service is also hosting a photo contest for a chance to win free rides for a year. Participants need to take the train and take a photo of their journey or favorite destination. The agency will select three winners to win a year’s worth of monthly passes to travel for free on the railway.
— Also on Earth Day, volunteers are still welcome to sign up for a joint community service day to work on 25 projects fulfilled in Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach, as we mentioned in last week’s newsletter. Most of the work is scheduled to be completed by noon Saturday. To view a list of available projects and sign up visit justserve.org.
KEEP IN TOUCH
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