Heroic astronaut Sally Ride honored at unveiling of her statue at Reagan museum

• July 5, 2023

A life-size statue of famed astronaut Sally Ride was unveiled at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Tuesday, July 4, inspiring the patriotic audience as Ride’s sister, Bear Ride, told the crowd, “Sally’s mission was not only ‘to space and back,’ but also to open young minds and hearts to the dedication that can make this planet of ours a better place for us all.”

The intricate bronze statue, now standing on the walkway of the Reagan Library’s Peace Through Strength pavilion, honors Ride’s legacy as the first U.S. woman in space. An astronaut and physicist, she made history in 1983 when she flew into space on the Challenger shuttle.

Bear Ride said that her sister “was a trailblazer and a hero. Here we are looking down on our old home in the San Fernando Valley and remembering and celebrating her.”

Bear Ride and other speakers said they were proud to have the statue in the Los Angeles area, because Sally Ride, who died in 2012 of pancreatic cancer, grew up in Van Nuys and Encino. More than a dozen of her family members and close friends attended the unveiling.

“Her groundbreaking contributions to physics, especially the field of astrophysics, are unparalleled,” said Steven Barber, a filmmaker and one of the organizers of the fundraising to create the statue. “She grew up right around the corner and her spirit is still here.”

President Reagan said on June 18, 1983, “Today marked the launching of the seventh space shuttle flight. This particular shuttle flight is unique in several respects. It’s the first space flight of an American woman — Dr. Sally Ride, another example of the great strides women have made in our country.”

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The Reagan Library hosted several Independence Day festivities in addition to the statue unveiling. Kids in red, white and blue outfits and patriotic face paint ran around on the library lawn, played carnival games and created paper craft projects. And if they got tired from jumping in the inflatable bounce castle or trying to win prizes at the ring toss, there was plenty to do to cool off, like listening to live music in the shade — or soaking their family members with water balloons.

Visitors guessed how many jelly beans — Reagan’s favorite candy — were in a display jar, and others posed with volunteers dressed as famous American historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Betsy Ross.

The event also featured several singers and musicians, including 14-year-old Alexis Silva who performed an original song titled “I think I can fly,” inspired by what Sally Ride’s legacy meant to her. The song ended with cheers from the friendly crowd. “It’s so great to be out here singing today and honoring (Sally Ride),” Silva said. “Happy Fourth of July.” 

​ Orange County Register 

Costa Mesa man dead in westside shooting

• July 5, 2023

Costa Mesa detectives are investigating a Monday night shooting that left an unnamed 38-year-old man dead on the city’s west side, police reported Tuesday, July 4.

The shooting occurred around 10:44 p.m. in an alley near the 2000 block of Pomona Avenue.

Officers arrived at the scene and found the Costa Mesa man on the sidewalk. He had been shot several times.

Paramedics transported the man to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana, where he died. His name was being withheld pending next-of-kin notification, police said.

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​ Orange County Register 

Lakers’ Max Christie looking to further showcase on-ball skills in summer league

• July 5, 2023

SACRAMENTO — Even as a second-year player, Lakers guard Max Christie has something to prove during summer league.

This was on display in the Lakers’ 107-90 Monday loss to the Miami Heat to tip off the six-team California Classic.

While the loss wasn’t a positive, Christie’s stat line was: 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting to go with six rebounds and four assists.

But even more encouraging for Christie’s long-term development – and as a potential consistent rotation piece for the Lakers’ main roster in 2023-24 – was not just what he did, but how he played.

“Always good to see a player in their second summer league, just their disposition on both ends of the floor,” Lakers summer league coach JD DuBois said. “Continuing to challenge him to defend and rebound. The offense will continue to take its steps as well.”

Christie, the No. 35 selection in the 2022 NBA draft, played with the poise of a former draft pick going through his second opportunity in the summer league circuit.

The most notable development he showed was offensively as a ball-handler and creator for himself and others in the halfcourt.

Christie had multiple drives where he used his improved handle to manipulate his defender, creating space to get inside the paint and finish or kick out to a teammate.

“It was something I was definitely working on over the summer,” Christie said. “Just being able to make plays for myself and others, being comfortable with the ball in my hands. I thought I did a good job of controlling my pace, controlling the tempo, finding guys and then creating for myself as well.”

Christie played under control and was decisive for all 32 minutes he played.

“It just comes down to experience,” Christie said. “I remember last year in summer league, definitely felt sped up. I wasn’t familiar with the game. I was sort of just trying to find my way out there.

“But now that I’ve got a full year of a full NBA season and even watching in the playoffs and seeing how guys play their games, I’m sort of in that position where I can execute that for myself. That was sort of shown [Monday]. I tried to keep my pace slow. Play at my pace, not let them speed me up. That’s something I’ve been working on.”

Christie also added muscle to his frame during the offseason.

Before summer league started, he estimated he weighed between 200-205 pounds, a significant uptick from the 190 pounds he was listed at for the 2022-23 season.

The extra weight should help him handle physicality better on both ends, making it easier to finish through contact at the rim and guard bigger guards/wings.

There were moments during Monday’s game where Christie was moved or knocked off his spot, but he overall held up well physically.

“He’s matured a lot in his body,” said forward Cole Swider. “He’s matured a lot in his game as well. He’s making a lot quicker decisions. He’s able to make that midrange jump shot. He’s able to shoot the 3. He’s able to beat guys off the dribble and use his body and finish over guys. And then defensively, he’s always been super solid. It’s been really great to see him progress over the past year.”

Most second-year players on standard roster contracts don’t play entire summer-league slates, so Christie may not play a full summer league schedule.

The Lakers play again Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs at Golden 1 Center before competing in the league-wide Summer League in Las Vegas, starting with a matchup against the Golden State Warriors Friday.

An area Christie said he can improve on during summer league is not passing up as many 3-pointers as he did Monday.

“I was trying to put it on the floor too much,” he said. “Not that I wasn’t confident in the 3, I’m just so used to putting pressure on the rim. That’s something I can improve on for sure.

“In terms of being more aggressive, that’s something I can definitely work on. I’ll let the game come to me. At the same time, I want to be sure I’m being the catalyst for the team because I feel like if I’m the catalyst, everybody will sort of follow and that’ll lead to more wins. Just trying to find that balance. That’s what summer league is for – seeing what you can improve on and taking it one step at a time.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Reject legislation that will increase costs, clog our courts, and enrich plaintiffs’ lawyers

• July 4, 2023

Plaintiffs’ lawyers are at it again. They are pushing for policies that will further drive up the cost of doing business in California and saddle our over-burdened courts with more unnecessary litigation. It should be no surprise these policies will make lawyers richer.

One of their favorite policy goals – to eliminate arbitration rights – is advancing through the Legislature, on the heels of AB 51, another anti-arbitration law, being struck down. Enacted by the California Legislature in 2019, AB 51 prohibited employers from requiring arbitration agreements as a condition of employment. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held in February of this year that AB 51 is preempted by the Federal Arbitration Action (FAA), which disallows state laws that restrict arbitration.

Arbitration allows workers, consumers, and businesses to resolve disputes without costly and time-consuming lawsuits. Instead of going to court, the parties meet in a less formal setting such as a conference room, and a neutral person, like a retired judge or a lawyer mutually selected by the parties, hears and decides the case.

The California Supreme Court has recognized that “arbitration has become an accepted and favored method of resolving disputes, praised by the courts as an expeditious and economical method of relieving overburdened civil calendars.” Madden v. Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, 17 Cal.3d 699, 706-707 (1976). Businesses often ask employees and consumers at the start of their relationship to agree that any disputes that arise will be resolved through arbitration.

Recent studies show that employees and consumers fare better with arbitration. Arbitration is faster and employees are three times more likely to win in arbitration than in court. Employees on average win twice as much in arbitration than in court, i.e., $520,630 versus $269,885. And consumers on average won more as well – over $10,000 more on average per case in arbitration rather than in court.

The group that benefits the least from arbitration are plaintiffs’ lawyers. The more that cases drag on in protracted, complex litigation, the higher their billable hours and attorneys’ fees awards.

This year, the plaintiffs’ lawyer lobby came up with a new approach to undermine arbitration. Authored by California Senator Scott Wiener, Senate Bill 365 proposes to eliminate automatic stays – a pause on a lawsuit from going forward – when the parties disagree over whether the case should go to arbitration. The reason for this is common sense. The point of arbitration is to avoid draining resources on court litigation, so if court litigation is allowed to go forward on a case that should go to arbitration, it undoes the benefits of arbitration and defeats the purpose of having an agreement to arbitrate.

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Just last week, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Coinbase, Inc. v. Bielski, held that federal district courts must grant stays of litigation while an appeal of a denial of arbitration is pending. Otherwise “many of the asserted benefits of arbitration (efficiency, less expense, less intrusive discovery, and the like) would be irretrievably lost.” (Coinbase, Inc. v. Bielski, 599 U.S. (2023).) The same rationale should apply to litigation in California courts.

In support of SB 365, the proponents allege that businesses are filing appeals to create delay, but this overlooks a business reality. Businesses want to resolve disputes quickly; the longer cases fester, including in conflicts over arbitration, the higher the costs they incur. They will appeal a denial to arbitrate, however, if required to protect and defend their important right to arbitrate.

At a time when our state is under extreme economic pressure, SB 365, if enacted, will waste resources. The wide use of arbitration agreements in California creates the potential for significant caseload increases for our clogged courts, as every lawsuit is allowed to go forward, even while the question of arbitration remains pending. The state will also be on the hook for significant costs if SB 365 is challenged in court as preempted by the FAA like AB 51, which was litigated for over three years.

We strongly urge our state leaders to reject SB 365.

Kyla Christoffersen Powell is president and CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California, a source of expertise in legal reform and advocacy for almost half a century.

​ Orange County Register 

Recipe: Have a lot of summer squash? Try making this salad

• July 4, 2023

This time of year, summer gardens and farmers markets yield an abundance of squash, primarily yellow crookneck, and zucchini. Here’s a delicious salad that uses both varieties raw, cut into 3/8-inch dice.

Olives make a great garnish for this colorful mix. Their salty brininess adds an appealing contrast. Olives with their pits still in place taste better than pitted, but if using the unpitted beauties, be sure to put them off to the side rather than atop each serving so guests have a better visual clue that they aren’t pitted.

For a vegetarian version, omit the salami.

Summer Squash Orzo Salad

Yield: 6 servings

1 teaspoon salt

8 ounces orzo (rice-shaped pasta)

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium yellow crookneck squash, trimmed, cut in 3/8-inch dice

2 medium zucchini squash, trimmed, cut in 3/8-inch dice

1/2 large red onion, cut in 1/4inch dice

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, cut into 3/8-inch dice

1 cup grape tomatoes or cherry, halved lengthwise

Minced zest of 1 lemon (colored portion of peel)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley

4 cups washed fresh baby spinach or mixed baby greens

1 ounce salami, cut in 1/8-inch dice

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/2 cup drained olives, such as kalamata or Niçoise

Optional garnish: Microgreens

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring large pot of water to boil on high heat. Add 1 teaspoon salt and orzo; cook until al dente. Drain, refresh with cold water. Drain and toss with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil. Set aside.

2. Place squash, red onion, bell pepper and tomatoes in large bowl. Gently toss. In small bowl or 4-cup measuring cup with handle, combine zest, juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper and parsley. Stir to thoroughly combine. Pour on vegetables and toss. Add orzo and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning.

3. Divide spinach between 6 small plates. Top with vegetable-orzo mixture. Sprinkle each serving with diced salami and crumble feta on top. Place a small pile of olives off to the side of each salad. If desired, scatter some microgreens (tiny immature greens) on top of salad.

Source: “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce” by Cathy Thomas (Wiley)

Cooking question? Contact Cathy Thomas at [email protected]

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​ Orange County Register 

Community input needed to name new Santa Ana parks

• July 4, 2023

The city wants help from community members to name two new parks coming to Santa Ana.

One project at Standard and McFadden avenues is adding a park with a playground, an area for skateboarding, a basketball court, picnic tables, and a grassy area for lounging and picnicking. The park is expected to open to the public this October.

Residents can submit their name ideas in an online forum or vote for one of the pre-submitted options: Cornerstone Park, Gerardo Mouet Park or Hibiscus Park. Mouet served many years as Santa Ana’s parks and recreation director.

A rendering of the proposed dog park. Santa Ana dog owners, along with their pets, met with city officials in Santa Ana to discuss an undeveloped portion of Centennial Park. They are talking about building the city’s first dog park on Saturday September 7, 2022.(Photos by Karen Tapia, Contributing Photographer)

The second project needing a name will be a dog play space in Centennial Park. The city is remaking 4.6 acres of Centennial into a dog park that will have separate areas for large dogs, smaller dogs, and older and disabled dogs. Pets will also be able to enjoy a water play area to splash around in and a separate wash station. A new recreational area will include a walking path, bench seats and picnic tables.

This project has been identified as a priority by the city, officials said, and is in the early stages of development while funding is being identified. Some pre-selected name options are Bark Park at Centennial Park, Happy Tails at Centennial Park, Perros al Lado del Río en Centennial Park, Puskas Memorial Dog Park, and Tail Trails at Centennial Park. Puskas was a former police dog in the Santa Ana department.

If you want to suggest your own names for the parks, some guidelines the city has include names could reference distinct geographic, environmental or development features in the immediate area, reference the history of the subject site or its immediate area, or identify a notable community member, which could include officials, but not anyone who currently holds any such position.

The deadline to make suggestions or cast votes for names for both parks is July 14 and can be done at at santa-ana.org/help-us-name-our-parks. They will be reviewed at the next Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission on July 27.

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​ Orange County Register 

Orange starts off Independence Day celebrations with July 3 fireworks

• July 4, 2023

The city of Orange kicked off the holiday this week with a bang.

The city has a tradition of kick-starting the celebration of American Independence with a fireworks show for the community on July 3. Crowds turned out at Grijalva Park for entertainment and the sky show.

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​ Orange County Register 

Beach Boys deliver Fourth of July ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ at Hollywood Bowl

• July 4, 2023

Is there anything more quintessentially SoCal than the Beach Boys at the Hollywood Bowl?

It’s indeed the perfect pairing of two of Los Angeles’ most notable music icons — which is why fans were so excited when it was announced that the heroes from Hawthorne would be playing three nights, July 2-4, at the 101-year-old venue.

The run adds to the lengthy history between the two entities, dating back to the first time the group played the Bowl, in 1963. Head Beach Boy Mike Love dubbed the 60-year stretch nothing short of a “miracle” during the band’s highly enjoyable concert on Monday night (July 3).

The band was at the Bowl as part of this year’s July Fourth Fireworks Spectacular — one of Los Angeles’ most beloved summertime traditions — and, as such, was joined onstage by the mighty Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, conducted in joyful fashion by Thomas Wilkins.

. @TheBeachBoys deliver hit after hit at @HollywoodBowl pic.twitter.com/zPZFWbU9DH

— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) July 4, 2023

The Beach Boys were also joined by actor and occasional band member John Stamos, who is still best known for playing Jesse Katsopolis on the ABC sitcom “Full House.”

“Because of the (writers) strike, I think he is more available to us than usual,” Love said of Stamos.

The TV star certainly earned his keep onstage, splitting his time between playing guitar and banging on a drum kit (both of which were done up in red, white and blue) as he worked hard to engage the crowd and cheer on his fellow musicians. He even sang lead vocals on one song — “Forever” (from the 1970 Beach Boys’ album “Sunflower”).

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The group sounded brilliant, especially with the accompaniment of the full orchestra, as it opened the show with “Do It Again” from 1969’s “20/20” and then raced even further back in time for the title track off the 1962 debut album “Surfin’ Safari.”

“Disney Girls (1957)” was a definite highlight, featuring sweetly nostalgic lead vocals from Bruce Johnston and providing plenty of space for the orchestra’s string section to softly soar. The second half of the show featured a flurry of top-tier fan favorites, with the group at one point stringing together “God Only Knows,” “Sloop John B,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “California Girls,” “Barbara Ann” and “Help Me, Rhonda” — aka, a half dozen of the best pop-rock songs ever written — without ever really pausing to take much of a breath.

The group closed the main set with the masterpiece “Good Vibrations” and then left the stage so that the symphony could provide a patriotic soundtrack for the brilliant overhead fireworks show. Then, as the rocket’s red glare faded from our eyes, the Beach Boys returned to serve up one more dish of “Fun, Fun, Fun.”

Fireworks and “Fun, Fun, Fun” as the legendary @TheBeachBoys celebrate Fourth of July at @HollywoodBowl pic.twitter.com/wXaGOnkF5E

— Jim Harrington (@jimthecritic) July 4, 2023

Setlist:

1. “Do It Again”

2. “Surfin’ Safari”

3. “Catch a Wave”

4. “Surfin’ U.S.A.”

5. “Surfer Girl”

6.”Don’t Worry Baby”

7. “Little Deuce Coupe”

8. “I Get Around”

9. “Be True to Your School”

10. “Getcha Back”

11. “Darlin’”

12. “Disney Girls (1957)”

13. “Forever”

14. “God Only Knows”

15. “Sloop John B”

16. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”

17. “California Girls”

18. “Barbara Ann”

19. “Help Me, Rhonda”

20. “Kokomo”

21. “Good Vibrations”

Encore

22. “Fun, Fun, Fun”

​ Orange County Register