OCMA changes things up for summer

• June 26, 2023

Summer is heating up and the Orange County Museum of Arts has a cool option for those looking for something to do inside: A trio of new exhibits have opened in its galleries.

This is the museum’s first summer in its new $94 million home that opened at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in October. And visitors have been streaming through its doors since the opening – it welcomed its 100,000th guest in late February and just this month surpassed 200,000 people.

New to look at are exhibits “Alice Neel: Feels Like Home,” “Tony Lewis: CASUAL T,” and “Yu Ji: A Guest, A Host, A Ghost,” all curated by Courtenay Finn, OCMA’s chief curator. This is the first solo exhibition by Chinese artist Ji in an American museum.

“Feels Like Home” features more than 40 pieces by Neel, a 20th century American figurative painter.

“Alice Neel’s work reminds us that humans are imperfect, offering a poignant truthfulness about what relationships and emotions really look like,” Finn said. “Her work captures her own declaration that, ‘I paint to try to reveal the struggle, tragedy and joy of life.’”

The Lewis exhibit makes use of the museum’s Avenue of the Arts gallery, with its floor-to-ceiling windows that share the art with the community passing by.

The Costa Mesa museum has continued to refresh the “13 Women” exhibition it debuted with, now in its fourth variation, and Sanford Biggers’ bigger-than-life outdoor installation “Of many waters” will be on display through Aug. 13.

Admission to the museum is free and it has artist talks, family activities, art nights and more planned throughout the summer. Get information on hours and events at ocma.art.

Related links

How to spend a day at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts for less than $75
Here’s who’s behind 10 years of free admission at the Orange County Museum or Art
What’s inside the new OCMA? Art looking both at the past and future
Why the Orange County Museum of Art’s key donor stuck it out
OC Museum of Art’s new building to open with spotlight on its ’13 Women’ founders

​ Orange County Register 

Buena Park council to consider housing development to replace closed Sears

• June 26, 2023

A proposed mixed-use project, estimated to develop some 1,300 residential units on about 25 acres, is before the Buena Park City Council on Tuesday, June 27.

The proposal is to redevelop the property, on the corner of La Palma and Stanton avenues, that houses a vacant Sears and Sears Auto Center as well as surface parking lots into a mix of 1,176 apartments and 126 townhomes as well as nearly 3,000 parking spaces (bike and electric vehicle parking spots would also be available) and a publicly-accessible one-acre park.

Since the Sears department store shuttered, the space has been used for a farmer’s market, pumpkin patch, Christmas tree lot, Tesla vehicle storage and more, according to a staff report.

The Village at Buena Park — as it’s called by San Diego-based real estate investor Merlone Geier Partners, which acquired the property a few years ago — would be walkable to restaurants, shopping and entertainment.

It is adjacent to the Buena Park Downtown Mall and nearby Knott’s Berry Farm and Soak City.

Construction would be expected to take part in two phases, according to a planning staff report, with the first phase to take place between 2023 and 2025 and the next phase from 2024 to 2027.

The apartment complex, according to that report, would consist of five- to seven-story buildings with balconies and a contemporary architecture in an earth-toned color palette. The townhomes would rise three stories and include front patios on the ground level and balconies on the second, the report said.

Related links

Buena Park motel renovated into 57 affordable apartments
Developers propose 576 homes in Orange, some at the mall, others by hospital
Council set to vote on 380 apartments, new buildings to replace Brea Mall’s shuttered Sears wing

A website from Merlone Geier promoting the project and soliciting feedback says area traffic would not be impacted when compared to the existing allowed commercial use of the property.

The project is before the City Council on Tuesday without any recommendation from the city’s Planning Commission, where it got a 2-2 vote with two commissioners recommending approval, two recommending rejection, two absent from the vote and another abstaining.

The council will consider the proposed development, a zoning change from regional commercial to general mixed-use and a tentative tract map at its meeting.

Other malls are having to figure out what to do with their shuttered Sears, as well. Recently, the owner of the regional mall in Brea got city approval to build a five-story, 380-unit apartment complex along with new restaurants, shops and a fitness center.

The Buena Park City Council meeting can be attended in person at 6650 Beach Blvd., or it can be viewed online.

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​ Orange County Register 

Remembering radio’s John Felz, a stalwart of Southern California programming

• June 26, 2023

John Felz began his radio career in 1971, working in the mail room of KMPC (now KSPN, 710 AM). In the small world department, one of his colleagues in the mail room was future KMET (now KTWV, 94.7 FM) newscaster and personality Pat “Paraquat” Kelley, whose father Bob Kelley was the play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Rams.

After a time, Felz was moved to the newsroom as an assistant, supporting the newsroom staff by sorting and compiling stories that came across the teletype machines from the various news services of the time, including the Associated Press and United Press International. His duties also included writing sports and weather reports for news anchors and station personalities such as Dick Whittinghill, Ira Cook, Johnny Grant, Gary Owens, Geoff Edwards, Johnny Magnus, Wink Martindale and Robert W. Morgan.

Eventually, he expanded into more programming elements both within the station and as part of the Golden West Broadcasters Radio Network — Golden West owned KMPC and the station was its flagship — which carried games for the California Angels, the Rams, and UCLA football and basketball. Felz was in charge of producing in-studio and in-stadium broadcasts for the network affiliates.

He moved on — and up — to hold positions in management, including Operations Director, Assistant Programmer, and producer for the morning show.

He left KMPC in 1995 and worked at a few stations, notably KRTH (101.1 FM), KIEV (now KRLA, 870 AM), and the Music of Your Life Radio Network.

Felz passed away on June 11th at the age of 78; no details on the cause of his death were released but friends say he had been having a series of health complications that most likely played a role. Friends and family will gather for a remembrance of his life on July 1st in Sherman Oaks.

Bebop Deluxe

No, not the band. After a year of preparations, KKJZ (88.1 FM) has launched a full-time bebop jazz sub-station, which can be heard online (look for the special button at jazzandblues.org) or on a digital HD radio tuner on 88.1 HD2.

While I am certainly not an expert, I do know that bebop is a style of jazz that’s generally fast tempo, uses many chord and even key changes, and a lot of improvisation. This came about due to a younger generation of jazz musicians pushing the creative boundaries of the genre in the early to mid-1940s. Unlike much of the music of the time, bebop was not intended as being danceable; instead, it was to be heard. Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis are among the influential bebop artists and composers.

Station consultant Saul Levine says that the music is being compiled by the KKJZ staff and directed by Jose Rizo. “We are fulfilling a need for jazz lovers, and we thank the California State University, Long Beach — owner of the station — for its support of our efforts.”

“We are doing this in honor of Chuck Miles and the great bebop music of the past,” he said.

Hayes Out

The rumors proved to be true … I had heard rumors from absolutely reliable sources that KABC (790 AM) programmer and market manager Drew Hayes had parted ways with the station and owner Cumulus Media, but I could not get confirmation from any of the players involved.

Turns out the rumors were true. AllAccess.Com confirmed that Hayes left the station earlier in June after many years with the station … this being his second stint.

Hayes has extensive experience in the format and in radio, having worked at WLS/Chicago, ESPN Radio and KABC itself for the last ten years in addition to his first time at the helm back in the late 1990s.

Where this takes the station is unknown. It has been years since KABC has been any type of force in the market, and conditions have gotten worse as owner Cumulus continues to shed costs .. and stations. I cannot even remember the last time I saw an ad for KABC … the last one I can remember featured Ken (Minyard) and Bob (Arthur) … meaning it was decades ago.

With all the choices for stations and non-radio entertainment, a marketing plan is imperative. KABC has not seemed to have one in a long time, and the results speak for themselves.

Richard Wagoner is a San Pedro freelance columnist covering radio in Southern California. Email [email protected].

Related links

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Remembering the late LA radio legend Jeff Baugh
One streaming radio station has stopped broadcasting. Try these alternatives
Remembering longtime UCLA announcer and radio host Chris Roberts
Radio has its share of annoyances, but here’s what I love about it

​ Orange County Register 

Sacramento Snapshot: California could create ‘inventory’ of cities’ greenhouse gas emissions

• June 26, 2023

Editor’s note: Sacramento Snapshot is a weekly series during the legislative session detailing what Orange County’s representatives in the Assembly and Senate are working on — from committee work to bill passages and more.

As cities like Irvine prep their climate action plans — their framework to help California achieve its climate goals — they rely on their own studies on where greenhouse gas emissions originate. And that’s if they’re able to conduct such a survey at all.

So legislators are working on an effort to create a uniform inventory of sorts for cities and counties to utilize in these plans and other climate efforts. The California Air Resources Board would, under Senate Bill 511, develop these inventories for cities and counties showing electrical and natural gas usage broken down by residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors.

“Providing an inventory gives local governments a roadmap on how to best reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet their climate goals,” said Sen. Catherine Blakespear, a Democrat who represents southern Orange County and is championing the legislation.

“This is something that makes a lot of sense if you’re trying to meet certain goals,” she said. “In order to meet the goal, you have to know where the emission is coming from in the first place.”

While cities are not required to come up with climate action plans, they are encouraged to. Cities do need to include climate adaptation and resilience strategies in their general plans, however.

California has a goal to reduce its emissions to 40% below its 1990 levels by 2030. This bill, proponents say, will help with that.

“While important actions have been taken and resources allocated at the state level, it is local communities and governments that are on the front lines of meeting the challenge,” the nonprofit CivicWell said in a recent letter in support of the bill that included Buena Park Councilmember Josse Trinidad Castaneda as a signatory. (Buena Park is listed as a registered supporter of the bill.)

“This bill … would provide critical data essential to the task of drafting the best (climate action plans) possible and making the best decisions on the application of available resources to benefit communities,” the letter said.

After seeing bipartisan support in the Senate, the bill last week cleared the Assembly Natural Resources Committee and heads to appropriations. And that’s where the catch might be.

The bill comes with an estimated $2.5 million needed in the 2024-25 fiscal year — and then similar amounts every five years — to offset the Air Resources Board’s total cost to implement the inventory.

Blakespear believes the price tag is a bit high because there are universities and other environmental organizations that could be consulted to help with the work. And similar work is already being done to compile the data, so it’s not starting from scratch.

“The biggest question is not whether it’s good policy but whether there’s money attached to it,” she said.

In other news

• A proposed constitutional amendment solidifying Californians’ right to join a union and negotiate with their employers cleared the Senate Labor, Public Employment and Retirement Committee last week. From Sen. Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, it would prohibit any ordinance or statute that could impede employees’ right to collective bargaining.

Umberg points to five states that have protections for collective bargaining rights in their constitutions (Hawaii, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey and New York) and says California should further ensure it will “counteract anti-union efforts on the local, state and federal level that threaten the progress workers have achieved that will undermine economic opportunity.”

Sens. Blakespear; Dave Min-D, Irvine; and Josh Newman, D-Fullerton; as well as Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, D-Fullerton, are co-authors.

• Sen. Janet Nguyen, R-Huntington Beach, implored the State Lands Commission last week to ensure the San Clemente Sand Replenishment Project can continue. A partnership between the city, the federal government and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was signed in May. The plan is to dredge some 250,000 cubic yards of sand from Oceanside to be placed on a 3,400-foot stretch of coast in San Clemente, filling in the beach about 50 feet out toward the sea from the shoreline.

• Survivors of forced and child marriages, donning white dresses and veils, rallied in front of the Capitol last week with the nonprofit Unchained At Last in an effort to end child marriage. California does not have a minimum age for marriage, according to the group.

A bill from Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Fremont, making it a misdemeanor for someone to knowingly and willingly sanction or arrange a marriage or domestic partnership between a minor and another person is before the Assembly.

But Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, D-Irvine, who spoke at the rally, said she plans to introduce legislation next year to end the practice as well.

“After years of progress in the fight to end child marriage, California is now one of only six states with no minimum age for marriage,” Petrie-Norris said. “That is shameful. It is long past time to right this wrong.”

Thank you @UnchainedAtLast for hosting a press conference in protest against forced child marriage. No child should ever be forced into a marriage they do not consent to. That is why I am committed to ending this human rights abuse in California. pic.twitter.com/amQTdb5wcE

— Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris (@AsmCottie) June 22, 2023

Staff writer Laylan Connelly contributed to this report.

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​ Orange County Register 

5 killed in fiery crash on 710 Freeway in Long Beach

• June 26, 2023

Five people were killed Monday morning, June 26, when a sedan crashed on the 710 Freeway and was struck by other vehicles and burst into flames.

The crash was reported at 4:12 a.m. on the northbound 710 at the transition to the southbound 91 Freeway, the California Highway Patrol said.

Five people were confirmed dead in the vehicle, CHP Officer Michael Nasir said.

The CHP issued a SigAlert shutting down all northbound lanes of the freeway in the crash zone for its investigation. The No. 1 freeway lane was reopened about 6 a.m., along with the transition road to the 91 Freeway, the CHP reported.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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​ Orange County Register 

Senior living: How to treat, prevent prostate issues, including cancer

• June 26, 2023

By Dr. Jennifer Liu,

Guest columnist

Prostate health is an important issue in aging men.

Major health complications can arise from prostate issues, including prostate cancer, decreased quality of life because of urinary symptoms, and even bladder infections that can cause hospitalizations and the inability to urinate. The average age of diagnosis for prostate cancer is the late 60s. Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, according to the American Cancer Society.

Jennifer Liu, M.D., co-chair Urologic Tumor Board at MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at LongBeach Medical Center. (Photo courtesy of MemorialCare)

The prostate may not be a big organ like the heart or lungs, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t play a crucial role in the functionality of male anatomy and its location can cause issues if something were to go wrong. The prostate gland is located just below the bladder and in front of the rectum. It wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder and out of the body, which means if problems arise near the prostate, it can affect urination.

The prostate can be prone to quite a few issues but the main three conditions, according to Harvard Health, are prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (or BPH for short) and prostate cancer. Each of these conditions can have serious health consequences if not treated in a timely manner.

And since June is Men’s Health Month, now is a good time to look at various prostate issues, as well as how to treat and prevent them.

Non-cancerous Conditions

Prostatitis refers to when a prostate is inflamed.

There are two types of prostatitis, acute and chronic. Acute prostatitis refers to the prostate gland becoming infected through a bacterial infection. Chronic prostatitis is when an ongoing infection occurs near the prostate gland through the urethra. Antibiotics, prescribed by your primary physician, are used to fight the infection.

BPH, meanwhile, refers to the excessive growth of the gland that usually occurs after the age of 50. BPH can cause a range of problems, such as the frequent urge to urinate, leaking and dribbling that causes a weak urine stream, and nighttime urination.

There are many medications to treat these issues but sometimes, surgery is a treatment option for BPH. Surgery occurs in cases where the medicine provided does not provide adequate results or medication intolerance related to side effects.

Prostate cancer

Prostate cancer occurs when there is an abnormal growth of cells around the prostate.

The cancer can appear just around the prostate itself or spread to more distant sites. Prostate cancer tends to spread slowly and rarely shows early signs, which makes it difficult to detect in early stages. Prostate cancer can spread to the lymph nodes of the pelvis and in some cases to the bones, signaling an advanced stage of prostate cancer.

The good news is that prostate cancer is highly treatable if caught early. That’s why routine health maintenance with your primary care physician is so important.

Prostate cancer symptoms

As the prostate gland expands with age, some symptoms may not be noticeable right away or may even be asymptomatic. It is important to consult your doctor right away if you are experiencing the following symptoms:

Frequent urge to urinate.
Blood in urine or semen.
Pain or burning urination.
Painful ejaculation.
Frequent pain or stiffness in lower back, hips, pelvic or rectal area or upper thigh.

Special testing can be done to determine if you are at risk for certain prostate health issues, such as prostate-specific antigen testing for prostate cancer. PSA testing is a blood test used primarily to screen for prostate cancer. The test measures how much prostate-specific antigen is found in your blood. For men ages 55 to 69, the decision to undergo periodic PSA-based screening for prostate cancer should be decided between you and your primary care physician.

Cancer treatment

Treating prostate cancer options include:

Surgery: The most common type of surgery is a robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. The surgeon takes out the whole prostate and some nearby tissues. Side effects may include loss of sexual function (impotence) or problems holding urine (incontinence).
Radiation therapy: This treatment uses high-energy x-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. There are two kinds of radiation therapy: External radiation therapy, which is beamed into the prostate from a machine outside the body; and internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy), which uses radioactive “seeds” that are placed in the prostate, into or near the tumor itself.
Active surveillance: In appropriately selected patients, observation of cancer is recommended with routine PSAs.

Preventing prostate cancer

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can reduce prostate-related health issues. Here are some things you can do to maintain a healthier prostate:

A healthy diet: Eat foods such as oily fish that are high -n omega-3 fatty acids, vegetables, and foods high in healthy fats, such as nuts, olives and avocados. Ask your physician about supplements that can help support you if you don’t have access to these types of food.
Regular exercise: Exercising can help maintain an ideal body weight, which can help boost your prostate health, including by reducing urinary tract symptoms that cause the prostate to enlarge. Studies show that sufficient physical movement can also reduce the risk of developing BPH while helping maintain body health.

Taking care of yourself is important and knowing what you can do to care for your health is equally as important. Do not hesitate to consult with your doctor right away if you feel something is wrong, as it is always best to talk with your physician to prevent further complications.

Dr. Jennifer Liu is a diplomate of the American Board of Urology and specializes in the treatment of urologic cancers, urinary incontinence and dysfunction, sexual dysfunction and kidney stones. She is one of the few surgeons at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center with advanced training and a fellowship in the use of the da Vinci® Surgical System.

​ Orange County Register 

What real estate slump? May was hot for Southern California property jobs

• June 26, 2023

The “Looking Glass” ponders economic and real estate trends through two distinct lenses: the optimist’s “glass half-full” and the pessimist’s “glass half-empty.”

Buzz: Real estate’s share of Southern California employment was 10% in May, but the industry’s hiring equaled 26% of all new jobs for the month.

Source: My trusty spreadsheet looked at state figures on property-linked employment in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

Debate: When will rising interest rates chill the local market for real estate jobs?

Glass half-full

May was a warming month for real estate hiring as well as the weather – which means a boost for outdoor work.

Southern California real estate bosses added 6,200 jobs in May – 77% faster than the seasonal norm – to 802,700. In pre-pandemic 2015-19, an average 3,500 jobs were added in May.

Meanwhile, across Southern California’s other industries, the 7.23 million workers were a 17,900 improvement in a month.

Local real estate’s outsized chunk of hiring can be tied to key property niches …

Construction: May’s big story was the 373,300 construction workers in various trades, up 5,200 for the month vs. an average May in 2015-19 with 2,660 jobs added.

Real estate services: 78,000 people were handling transactions in May, up 300 for the month vs. May’s average of 240.

Building services: 120,400 jobs in commercial property operations in May were up 900 for the month vs. May’s average of 240. Employment in this sector is up 3,800 over 12 months or a 3.3% gain. Workers returning to offices boosts this sector.

Building supplies: 53,600 sellers of equipment and materials – up 400 for the month vs. May’s average of 80.

And geographically speaking, two local markets were on the upswing …

Orange County: 230,000 real estate jobs – up 2,200 for the month vs. average May’s 1,260. Up 2,900 over 12 months, or a 1.3% one-year gain.

Inland Empire: 187,400 real estate jobs – up 4,100 for the month vs. average May’s 860. Up 3,300 over 12 months, or a 1.8% one-year gain.

Glass half-empty

Real estate work’s yearly growth looks sluggish.

Bosses in the four counties added only 3,000 positions over 12 months, a mere 0.4% gain. Compare that to non-real estate jobs – up 157,000 over 12 months, or 2.2% growth.

In the past year …

Construction jobs grew only by 500, or a 0.1% gain. That’s a warning signal.
Real estate services added 700 jobs or a 0.9% gain. High interest rates worry house hunters.
Building supply work fell 800, or a 1.5% drop – another hint that construction may be cooling.

And lending remains a mess with 177,400 local folks in various credit work – a drop of 600 for the month and off 1,200 over 12 months, or a 0.7% dip. It’s clearly the real estate jobs laggard, hammered by lofty mortgage rates. This niche remains 13,300 jobs below pre-pandemic levels.

Plus, Los Angeles County’s real estate work shrank – its 385,300 jobs were off 100 for the month vs. average May’s 1,380 increase. And L.A.’s off 3,200 over 12 months, a 0.8% one-year drop.

Bottom line

May’s swift hiring pace for real estate could be the industry playing catch-up to the surprisingly resilient job growth across the region. Not to mention, it’s likely real estate’s awakening from the slumber of project delays caused by a wet winter and spring.

But lethargic hiring by property bosses over 12 months is one cost of the past year’s steep jump in financing costs. The Federal Reserve’s attempts to cool an overheated U.S. economy with pricier money have chilled real estate’s job growth.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at [email protected]

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​ Orange County Register 

Brush fire stopped at 5 acres near 91 Freeway in Corona

• June 26, 2023

A wildfire burned about five acres along the hillside south of the 91 Freeway in Corona before firefighters were able to stop its progress on Sunday evening, June 25, authorities said.

The fire broke out just after 9 p.m. near Star Ranch, west of Green River Road, burning around four to five acres, according to the Corona Fire Department. Crews from neighboring agencies including Cal Fire/Riverside, Anaheim Fire & Rescue and the Orange County Fire Authority were assisting with the blaze.

As of 10:20 p.m., firefighters had stopped the fire’s forward progress and were working to contain the blaze, authorities said.

No structures were threatened and no evacuations or injuries had been reported as of 10:30 p.m. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

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​ Orange County Register