On Tuesday, the Garden Grove City Council moved forward unanimously on approving zoning and other changes needed to bring the Brandywine Homes project closer to construction on the site of Grace Baptist Church. A staple of Garden Grove’s spiritual life since the 1960s, the church has seen a decline and exodus of its congregation in recent years, as some members have moved to Texas and Tennessee, leaving the church with about 30 active members. Even though it has been approached by other developers to sell the entire property, Grace Baptist Church wants to continue its ministry and modernize its sanctuary. The church sees parting with a nearly 2-acre back lot as the best path toward achieving both. “This project is going to be good for the community, as well as the church,” Pastor Neal Pafford told the City Council. “It’s dilapidated. It needs help, and with that, we hope to bring in new families and continue to grow and to serve the community.” TimesOC An apartment home project at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in La Habra is the first of several housing developments the Diocese of Orange is planning in the county. Pafford mentioned the lot is mostly unused — save for cars sometimes seen spinning around doing doughnuts. An existing church storage building will be demolished to accommodate the subdivision. The two-story Craftsman-style townhomes will offer two-to-four bedroom floor plans. “We don’t have enough entry-level home ownership opportunities,” said Elizabeth Hansburg, executive director of People for Housing OC, told council members. “When young people are looking to buy their first home, they usually are looking at townhomes or condos. The days of folks buying a single-family home as their first housing unit or first home ownership opportunity, I’m afraid that those days have passed.” The project faced initial objections from nearby residents when it went before the city’s planning commission, but no speakers opposed it during Tuesday’s council meeting. Council members voted to ensure that construction would mitigate dust and noise concerns. “You’ve addressed our concerns,” Spencer Adamson, a homeowner who lives next to the church, told the council. “We’re not opposed to this project at all. We’re thinking it’ll be a fine addition to the neighborhood.’ By not seeking a density bonus, Councilman George Brietigam also claimed the church could have considered many more units with less parking at a higher sales price, but didn’t. “It’s a blessing that the church is going that extra mile for the community,” he said. “Twenty-six units — it’s fully parked — is not such a bad thing, especially on a lot.” “I’m going to have to find somewhere else to go do my doughnuts,” Brietigam quipped. News The project would put 44 affordable housing units and a spiritual center on the site of the church in Laguna Beach Grace Baptist Church is the latest Orange County congregation to consider housing The Diocese of Orange won approval from the La Habra City Council to build 21 apartment homes on an unused grass field behind its Our Lady of Guadalupe Church Redevelopment plans have been recently submitted to Laguna Beach to transform the Neighborhood Congregational Church into 44 units of affordable housing while building a new spiritual center on-site. Councilwoman Ariana Arestegui noted the importance of Garden Grove taking a diversified approach to housing, one that the Brandywine Homes project will contribute to. “It’s important for us, when we think about housing, that we also consider those first-time home buyers and allowing young people to have the opportunity to enter into home ownership,” she said. “This is exactly the type of project that would create those opportunities.” Gabriel San Román is a feature writer for TimesOC. He previously worked at OC Weekly – as a reporter, podcast producer and columnist – until the newspaper’s closing in late 2019. In 2023, San Román was part of the breaking news reporting team that was a Pulitzer finalist for its coverage of the Lunar New Year mass shooting in Monterey Park. He may or may not be the tallest Mexican in O.C. Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Fullerton players celebrate after Wednesday’s win over Garden Grove Katelynn Mathews and Analise Barrios combined to pitch a one-hitter to lead Fullerton High School’s softball team to an 11-0 victory over Garden Grove in a Golden Empire League game Wednesday afternoon at Fullerton snapped a two-game losing streak and improved their record to 13-6 overall The Argonauts lost for the first time in five games and fell to 8-9 and 1-1 Fullerton jumped on Garden Grove for seven runs in the first inning to build an insurmountable lead After Hayley Brock (Utah Valley University commit) walked to lead off the bottom of the first inning Malaya Majam-Finch (University of Oklahoma commit) and Abby Lee hit back-to back-to-back doubles to give the Indians a 3-0 lead Fullerton then took advantage of a few first inning Garden Grove errors and walks and then Emma Thorson capped off the rally with a two-run single that gave the Indians a 7-0 lead “We’ve gained confidence from playing a tough preseason schedule and our team plays hard and just doesn’t let up,” said Vera hit the first batter she faced in the first inning but then struck out the next three hitters The sophomore right hander struck out two more Argonauts batters in the second inning before giving way to sophomore Barrios Barrios struck out three and allowed only a fourth inning single to Taylor Dooley before the game was called after four and ½ innings due to the mercy rule and I was focused on hitting my spots,” said Mathews “Our dugout had high energy the whole game and we never let up and that was the difference.” Barrios said the team remains focused on each game “We stayed on top of our game and didn’t let up even when we got a big lead,” said Barrios a stolen base and scored two runs and Kaylyn Yi was on base three times scored twice and had a stolen base for Fullerton “A win like this gives us more confidence as we move further into league play,” said Vera Fullerton Coach Trevor Holton said he’s pleased with his squad “I like where we’re at right now; we haven’t let down and that’s something we talk to the girls about all of the time,” said Holton and we have played some very good competition in the preseason and it was good to see everybody get into the game today and contribute.” Garden Grove coach Roland Cortez said his team was a little intimidated but his players will learn from this experience “Our team was a little intimidated playing a team of this caliber but after a few innings we realized that we could compete with this team We’ll move past this game and gain confidence from it We’ll give them a better game at our place in a few weeks.” As the demand for skilled trade workers continues to rise experts warn of potential economic impacts if this shortage isn’t addressed.  In response, the Garden Grove Unified School District unveiled the Skilled Trades Pathway at Rancho Alamitos High School during its Building Bright Futures event on Sept is set to launch in fall 2024 and will provide hands-on training in carpentry According to a 2020 Jobs for the Future report the need for skilled workers in sections like construction manufacturing and health sciences is critical for long-term economic growth Expanding trade education can help bridge the gap between student skills and labor market needs “We are excited that our new CTE program will meet the growing demand and opportunity for students interested in the skilled trades,” said Teri Rocco president of the Garden Grove Unified School District Board of Education “I have personally been advocating for a Skilled Trades pathway throughout my time on the board and it’s so exciting to see it come to fruition.” Supported by industry partners like the Western States Carpenters Union and North Orange County ROP the pathway will provide students with real-world skills and safety certifications needed to enter apprenticeships after high school While the program will initially be offered at Rancho Alamitos Garden Grove Unified plans to expand access district-wide through weekend and summer sessions The Building Bright Futures event also showcased the 14 existing career pathways displays and discussions with CTE students and teachers They highlighted the benefits of career technical education For more information about the district’s CTE pathway offerings, visit https://cte.ggusd.us. Official Instagram for the Orange County Department of Education | View the OCDE web policy at ocde.us/webpolicy Orange County Department of Education  Website publishing policyNon-discrimination policySocial media policy Thanks for visiting the OCDE Newsroom. Questions and story suggestions should be sent to communications@ocde.us If you’re a member of the media in need of information about the Orange County Department of Education, please email communications@ocde.us or call 714-966-4475 Print Garden Grove has become the latest city in Orange County to try to bolster its enforcement hand on homelessness by supporting a new camping ban Discussed during the Garden Grove City Council meeting on Tuesday the law seeks to prohibit camping on public property It also aims to curb homeless encampments from setting up within certain distances next to buildings The city would also be authorized to remove unattended or abandoned personal property from public spaces subject to a 90-day retrieval period A staff report cited a 49% increase in calls for police service related to homeless encampments since 2017 Police statistics contend that at least half of all petty crime and theft in Garden Grove is committed by people from encampments Council members stressed the city’s outreach efforts in presenting the ordinance as a balanced approach but we needed a stick,” said Councilman George Brietigam “The whole intent of it is for it to be used compassionately.” Garden Grove has taken a number of steps to address homelessness in the form of outreach efforts to partner with CalOptima for a street medicine pilot program that provides healthcare services for people living on the streets Anaheim and Costa Mesa have launched similar collaborative efforts Garden Grove worked with Be Well OC and Moving Forward for mental health and homeless outreach services The city also partnered with Fountain Valley and Westminster for the Central Cities Navigation Center, which opened earlier this year and offers 85 shelter beds by referral Brietigam claimed that Garden Grove’s comprehensive approach has led to a drastic drop in homelessness According to O.C.’s Point in Time homeless count this year 239 people in Garden Grove are experiencing homelessness with 163 of them unsheltered That’s down nearly 40% from the biennial tally’s report of 391 homeless people in 2022 but up by more than a dozen from the pre-pandemic count in 2019 Earlier this month, Anaheim moved forward with sweeping bans against people sleeping on sidewalks selling bike parts at parks or even smoking near bus stops A second vote to formally pass the laws is slated for Oct In August, Newport Beach expanded its anti-camping law to include people sleeping in their cars. The wave of enforcement measures follows the U.S. Supreme Court recent ruling that anti-camping laws are constitutionally protected without regard to available shelter bed space. Brooke Weitzman, executive director of the Elder Law & Disability Rights Center, told TimesOC that O.C. cities still have to consider legal protections, including the 4th Amendment prohibition on seizure or destruction of property, when passing homeless laws after the Supreme Court’s ruling. Garden Grove Police Chief Amir El-Farra insisted that officers tasked with enforcing a camping ban in the city would not be heavy handed in their approach. “We always lead through compassion and outreach,” he said. “If it arises to the level where we need to take enforcement action, we will do so.” Councilwoman Kim Nguyen-Peñaloza asked what could be done, if anything, about encampments along county and Caltrans property where Garden Grove has no jurisdiction. “When it’s county, the flood channels or the Caltrans area along the freeways, that can take days, weeks, months before it’s cleaned up and acted upon,” she said. “In that time frame, we have a lot of criminal activity occurring in these specific areas.” Garden Grove City Atty. Omar Sandoval noted that the proposed law wouldn’t be able to address those encampments directly. Jurisdictional gaps aside, all seven City Council members voted to approve the anti-camping law. A second, procedural vote to pass it into law is slated for a future council meeting. Once passed, the bans would take effect in 30 days. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. There’s Hanoi plaza, a compact center with its own ecosystem of pho, an herb shop, a vegetarian restaurant, fried chicken, a place to buy a mobile phone, a bakery and feng shui store. Travel & Experiences You could plan an entire day of eating here — and you should a salon that specializes in lashes and a restaurant that boasts stellar bun bo hue You could spend an entire week eating along this specific stretch of Bolsa Avenue I packed my cooler for leftovers and decided to try plus a tea shop and a market to visit in a single afternoon An order of salted egg yolk chicken wings from Mama Hieu’s in Westminster. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) The first time I had Mama Hieu’s it was outside of Nho Thi Le and her son Jimmy Le’s Garden Grove home After losing their restaurant jobs in March 2020 the two decided to start a small catering operation out of their backyard They mostly made large trays of the Vietnamese garlic butter chicken wings Nho Thi is known for at family gatherings the family has a restaurant in the Hanoi plaza with a small dining room I arrived just after opening to a line out the door and every seat taken I watched as dozens of cars pulled up to pick up large foil trays of chicken for various celebrations fish sauce and salted egg yolk at the restaurant garlic noodles and mounds of white rice garnished with fried onions The garlic wings were slick with melted butter and plentifully bestrewn with chopped garlic and green onion a formidable crunch created by combining cornstarch The spicy garlic wings started with a respectable amount of heat that built to an eye-watering climax as I stripped the last bits of meat from my second drumette Small threads of chopped red chiles clung to the bits of garlic trapped in the sticky glaze of the fish sauce wings with the familiar addictive funk of reduced fish sauce The salted egg yolk wings were almost completely sheathed in the bright yellow crumbles. The egg yolks bolstered the richness of the butter-covered wings, with a flavor that closely mimicked Parmesan cheese. I understand the urge to order the wings by the 100. A tower of bánh uớt at Quan Nhii in Westminster. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) Next, I drove one mile east to Quan Nhii, in the northeast corner of the Bolsa Mini Mall. I squeezed into one the parking spaces that felt about a foot too small, then put my name on the waitlist outside. It doesn’t matter what time you arrive, there will be a wait. Everyone at Quan Nhii orders one thing. On each table, there are towers of bánh uớt, presented as 10 pieces of steamed rice paper still warm from the steamer and splayed over colorful plates. You choose your protein and veggies, then spend the majority of your lunch building your own bánh cuốn with every imaginable combination of fillings and garnishes. Food host of the new ‘America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation,’ takes us on a four-hour three-stop Vietnamese food crawl around the San Fernando Valley and shows us the right way to eat pho The rice papers are firm and chewy as al dente pasta It took some work to not tear the wraps when dislodging them from the plates I looked around to see how diners at surrounding tables filled their wrappers A woman next to me seemed to make a sport out of packing as much into the thin paper as she could without it tearing The bò lúc lắc from Khởi Hưng Restaurant in Garden Grove. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) For my final restaurant stop, I headed northeast to Khởi Hưng Restaurant, in a strip mall with a parking situation that makes the Whole Foods lot in West Hollywood feel like a Thomas Cole painting in the form of bò lúc lắc and sizzling platters of rib eye The glaze on the bò lúc lắc is gravy-like and a tad sweet littered with bits of chopped garlic and heavy on the black pepper It may be my favorite iteration of the dish in the area A sizzling rib eye steak from Khởi Hưng Restaurant in Garden Grove (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times) My sizzling rib eye arrived in a pool of garlic butter that sputtered and spattered onto my forearms Soaked in the butter and tender enough to forgo my knife I vowed to never again return to a steakhouse chain that sounded like Naestro’s I opted for a baguette with my steak, with tomorrow’s leftover steak sandwich in mind. It was the kind you find at your favorite banh mi shop with a crust that shatters into an airy middle I tore off a piece and dunked it into the garlic butter now swimming with meat juice and grilled onions under the steak until tomorrow’s leftover steak sandwich turned into crumbs Sunright Tea Studios has a selection of fruit teas and boba teas and coffee. (Jennelle Fong) I frequent the San Gabriel Valley locations of this tea chain more than twice a week switching off between the classic brewed teas and one of the seasonal fruit flavors The name is a portmanteau for “Sunny” and “Right,” and the color scheme for each store is appropriately yellow and bright there’s a watermelon cooler with fresh watermelon craving the sensation of a slushy in the heat The man at the cash register took one look at the bag with its panda bear with flames shooting out of the eyeballs logo and the word “spicy!” written in bright yellow letters under three chile peppers across the front and told me to “watch your ass.” How to plan your own Westminster food crawl Mama Hieu’s, 9090 Bolsa Ave., Westminster, (714) 261-6110, mamahieusoc.com Quan Nhii, 9607 Bolsa Ave., Westminster, (657) 231-9063Khởi Hưng Restaurant, 10548 Westminster Ave., Garden Grove, (714) 636-3968Sunright Tea Studio, 13878 Brookhurst St., Garden Grove, (714) 591-5140, snrtea.com Hoa Binh Supermarket, 13922 Brookhurst St., Garden Grove, (714) 534-8899 Jenn Harris is a columnist for the Food section and host of “The Bucket List” show. She has a BA in literary journalism from UC Irvine and an MA in journalism from USC. Follow her @Jenn_Harris_. World & Nation Forty-four elementary schools in Orange County have that Distinguished look The California Distinguished Schools award is considered the state’s top honor for public schools recognizing campuses that demonstrate exceptional academic performance and efforts to close longstanding achievement gaps State Superintendent Tony Thurmond announced that 336 elementary schools across California had earned the distinction for 2025 about 13 percent are located here in Orange County including 10 schools from the Garden Grove Unified School District “To have 44 schools in Orange County recognized at the state level is a remarkable achievement,” Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr “It speaks to the strong partnerships between educators students and families in creating supportive campuses and high-performing school communities.” Schools can earn the designation in one of two ways based on results from the California School Dashboard A category for exceptional student performance highlights overall academic success while another category honors schools that have made significant progress in closing achievement gaps schools needed to test at least 95 percent of their students over the past two school years and meet high standards in areas such as English language arts “This year’s California Distinguished Schools celebration provides us with an opportunity to recognize the hard work of our elementary educators and school staff who help our students discover passions and experiences that will propel them,” Thurmond said in a statement Here are this year’s honorees from across Orange County: the California Distinguished Schools program alternates each year between elementary and secondary campuses with awardees holding the title for two years All of the schools will be formally celebrated during a statewide ceremony on May 30 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim To see the full list of 2025 honorees, visit the California Department of Education’s website Bento boxes with a meal, fruits, vegetables and a drink are set to be distributed for free to students who attend school and request them as a religious accommodation during the Islamic holy month, which begins on Friday. Observant Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until dusk during Ramadan until breaking their fast with meal called iftar. Students can pick up the meal kits starting on March 3 through March 28. The initiative came by way of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s approval of the California Department of Education’s waiver request to allow local school districts to distribute free meals from the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs for Muslim students to take home during Ramadan. “We’re always looking for opportunities to serve our students,” said Agnes Lally, director of food services at Garden Grove Unified. “We have a very diverse population here at the district. When this waiver became available, we wanted to make sure that we had this opportunity for our fasting students.” Garden Grove Unified completed and submitted an opt-in survey towards that end. Parents and students interested in the take-home meal kits must complete an online form and notify the district of how many days during the week they will be requesting them. “My staff will prepare the meal kits every day,” Lally said. “We’ll put together a bento box for breakfast and lunch with all the proper components. Before our staff goes home, they will deliver the meal kits to the school office.” The program has gained praise from the greater Los Angeles area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “This initiative exemplifies the values of understanding and respect that are crucial in educational settings, ensuring that all students, regardless of their background, feel supported,” said Hussam Ayloush, CAIR-LA’s executive director. “We hope that more school districts will take similar steps to ensure Muslim students feel seen and valued at school, not only during Ramadan but year-round.” The meal kits see to it that observing Ramadan at the district won’t come at the expense of breakfast and lunch that students otherwise would have eaten during any other time of the school year. “In our district, 81% of our students are socio-economically disadvantaged,” said Abby Broyles, a district spokeswoman. “Having free breakfast and lunch available during Ramadan, it’s a great service to ensure that those families still have access to free, nutritious meals.” On Thursday, the Anaheim Union High School District announced that it will also provide take-home meal kits to Muslim students during Ramadan. A 53-year-old man was killed after being struck by an SUV driven by a juvenile in a residential area of Garden Grove on Sunday evening According to Garden Grove Police Corporal John Yergler the crash occurred at approximately 6:20 p.m in the 10800 block of Chapman Avenue at Diane Street The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene The juvenile driver of the blue 2004 Toyota 4Runner remained at the site and cooperated with authorities Alcohol or drugs are not believed to have played a role in the crash If you have suffered injuries in a pedestrian accident due to someone else’s negligence, you have the right to seek justice and fair compensation. Our experienced pedestrian accident lawyers in Garden Grove are ready to guide you through the legal process and fight for the financial recovery you deserve At Arash Law, under the leadership of Arash Khorsandi, Esq., we focus on pedestrian accident cases, offering dedicated support for insurance claims and strong advocacy in court. With over $750 million secured for injured clients our firm is recognized as one of California’s leading personal injury law firms Being involved in a pedestrian accident can be overwhelming but taking the right steps can help protect your health follow these essential actions to safeguard your well-being and strengthen your claim: I HAD AN ACCIDENT Pedestrian injuries and fatalities remain a significant public safety issue in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 7,522 pedestrians were killed, and an estimated 67,000 were injured nationwide in 2022 These staggering numbers highlight the ongoing risk pedestrians face and the need for comprehensive safety measures Several key factors contribute to pedestrian accidents and comprehensive public education campaigns on road safety are crucial These measures not only aim to lower accident rates but also create safer environments for all road users In California, data from the Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) reveals that Garden Grove reported 52 pedestrian deaths or injuries in 2023 Six people were injured following a five-vehicle crash on the northbound 15 Freeway near Highway 138 in the Cajon Pass A bicyclist sustained serious injuries after being hit by a vehicle in Sacramento on Saturday evening According to the Sacramento Police Department and another woman and two children sustained injuries following a two-vehicle head-on crash in El Dorado Hills A motorcyclist was killed following a suspected DUI crash in Merced on Saturday afternoon Two young men were killed following a suspected DUI crash in Fresno on Friday night and two others sustained non-life-threatening injuries following a multi-vehicle collision in the Westlake community of Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon California’s Powerhouse Accident Lawyers With a consecutively proven track record Disclaimer: Not every one of our firm’s attorneys has received the recognitions stated here Visit the attorneys’ specific profile page under the ‘Our Firm’ tab for specific attorney recognitions (888) 488-1391 Do I Have A Case? Let’s Chat 2960 Wilshire Blvd.Los Angeles, CA 9001024hr Local Line: (213) 277-587824hr Local Line: (310) 277-7529Available by appointment only 333 University Ave. #200Sacramento, CA 9582524hr Local Line: (916) 414-9552Available by appointment only 505 Montgomery St. #1000San Francisco, CA 9411124hr Local Line: (415) 969-7799Available by appointment only 15233 Ventura Blvd. #500Sherman Oaks, CA 9140324hr Local Line: (818) 696-4440Available by appointment only 99 South Almaden Blvd. #600San Jose, CA 9511324hr Local Line: (408) 766-3161Available by appointment only 11801 Pierce St. #200Riverside, CA 9250524hr Local Line: (951) 530-4659Available by appointment only 8880 Rio San Diego Dr #800San Diego, CA 9210824hr Local Line: (619) 431-4840Available by appointment only 185 N. Hill Ave. #201Pasadena, CA 9110624hr Local Line: (626) 723-3933Available by appointment only This website is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice Please do not act or refrain from acting based on anything you read on this site Using this site or communicating with the law offices of arash khorsandi through this site does not form an attorney/Client relationship Copyright © 2025 The Law Office of Arash Khorsandi Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Accessibility | Careers WE’VE RECOVERED OVER $750 MILLION FOR OUR CLIENTS A middle school teacher from the Garden Grove Unified School District has been named a 2025 California Teacher of the Year finalist.  In May, Jordanna Jahn of Irvine Intermediate School in Garden Grove was honored as one of six Orange County Teachers of the Year State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond also recognized the English and world history teacher among a select group of finalists for the state’s premiere teaching award “I am humbled to be selected as a finalist for the California Teacher of the Year program,” Jahn said “It’s truly been an honor to represent Garden Grove Unified School District throughout this process.” The news came as Thurmond formally announced this year’s five California Teachers of the Year for 2025 Top honors went to Matthew Winheim from Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy in the Palmdale Unified School District; Kristen LoPrell from Grossmont High School in the Grossmont Union High School District; Robert Mauger of Corona High School in the Corona-Norco Unified School District; Nicholas Westfall of Alexander Hamilton Senior High School in the Los Angeles Unified School District; and Arby Jean Wolkov from William Howard Taft Charter High School also in the Los Angeles Unified School District “These remarkable teachers have a lasting impact on their students equipping them with the skills needed for success,” Thurmond said “They serve as an inspiration and exemplify the exceptional work happening in California schools.” As we shared in her county Teacher of the Year profile Jahn stands out for her exceptional dedication to fostering a supportive and engaging classroom environment she approaches each lesson with compassion and encouragement striving to create a sense of community where her seventh-grade students feel seen I feel passionate about the work we are doing in the district,” she said “I believe that building a strong classroom community through relationships is an essential component of our daily instruction and is fundamental to making a difference in our student’s lives.” Beyond her role teaching English and world history Jahn advises the drama club and supports Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports initiatives She has also coordinated the Scholars in Training program offering crucial support to students who face academic challenges or need extra encouragement “We applaud Jordanna on earning this prestigious recognition as one of the best educators in California,” Garden Grove school board president Teri Rocco said Tuesday “This well-deserved recognition is a testament to the dedication she gives each and every day to motivate and support her students equipping them with both the academic and personal skills for lifelong success.”    Jahn promotes community engagement through a student-led campus recycling program and an annual schoolwide sock drive for people experiencing homelessness she helps students develop a sense of civic responsibility while addressing community needs The other finalists for California Teacher of the Year are Jesse Braun from Beverly Vista Middle School in the Beverly Hills Unified School District; Courtney Franz of Holly Avenue Elementary School in the Arcadia Unified School District; Mackenzie Levine of Perry Elementary School in the San Diego Unified School District; Erica Lundy of Welby Way Charter Elementary and Gifted-High Ability School in the Los Angeles Unified School District; and Susan Wilkinson from Marindale School which is part of the Marin County Office of Education Presented by the California Department of Education and supported by the California Teachers of the Year Foundation the state Teachers of the Year Program began in 1972 to honor exceptional educators and inspire future generations to join the teaching profession The program boasts a rigorous selection process with county offices of education nominating standout teachers evaluates teaching techniques and classroom environments and conducts interviews to determine the finalists before selecting the state’s top educators Orange County had five California Teachers of the Year WAVY.com VBPD: Attempted home invasion in Garden Grove Court A local farm needs help picking their strawberries the city of Virginia Beach experienced a tragedy when police officers Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese were shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop A dispatcher who was working that night spoke with 10 On Your Side about the moment the call came in A Chesapeake family is thanking the community after getting support following a house fire last month dispatchers received reports of a house on fire off of Country Mill Run Road at approximately 12:10 p.m Moyock Fire Department and Navy Regional also responded to help with water supply and fire extinguishment two recent child drownings in Chesapeake remind all of us that water safety should be top of mind A bill concerning Flock cameras and the data they hold was just signed into law by Virginia Gov The law is meant to regulate the data and add restrictions How loved ones spend their last days in Medicare and Medicaid supported facilities is top of mind for local members of Congress who represents voters in Virginia's first congressional district said he went through this with his parents Newport News police responded to a home on Cedar Avenue and found a toddler unconscious on a mattress with paramedics arriving soon after and pronouncing him dead before medical efforts could be made Zai-Twond Perry was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and felony child abuse the father's side of the family of 20-month-old Khaza Lindsay-Holliday has been in an uphill battle to get answers about what happened to him a time to raise awareness about the system and how it helps children across the country the Department of Homeland Security's deadline for Real ID is Wednesday Secretary Kristi Noem says the enhanced form of identification for boarding flights and accessing federal buildings and installations will reduce fraud and make the country safer Today quietly marks an important anniversary for Orange County — and the Orange County Department of Education On March 11, 1889, California Gov. Robert Waterman signed a bill that paved the way for Orange County to split from Los Angeles County and become its own separate political entity The change officially took effect the following August Though it would be another 88 years before the Orange County Department of Education would become an independent agency the nascent county government was staffed with personnel dedicated to supporting the educational needs of local students who was Orange County’s first superintendent of schools from 1889 through 1902 California’s public school system dates four decades earlier It was established in 1849 through the first state Constitution which called for an officer to oversee schools within the state’s boundaries Marvin served that role as California’s first superintendent he and his successors built the foundation of a modern school system with the help of the Legislature and the public Superintendent Greeley’s annual report from 1890 indicates a combined enrollment of 3,426 students There were a total of 32 schoolhouses in Orange County and annual expenditures for the entire county were less than $65,000 Male teachers earned a monthly salary of $83.24 while their female counterparts earned just $68.83 per month Santa Ana was listed as the county’s largest school district with 965 students that year San Juan Capistrano earns the title of the oldest district in Orange County having operated as one of five original Los Angeles County school districts in 1850 members of the Orange County Board of Education were appointed by the county Board of Supervisors who pursued first-rate administrators or teachers for the posts According to “100 Years of Public Education in Orange County,” authored by Merton E the first county boards administered both written and oral exams as a basis for student promotions They also provided examinations for elementary and high school teachers’ certificates In Superintendent Greeley’s final annual report he noted the “prosperous condition” of Orange County schools “The standard for qualification of teachers has been raised each year and a better quality of work is the result,” he wrote “Nearly seventy-five percent of our teachers have received special training and are active The work in all districts has been characterized by an unusual degree of interest.” OCDE introduced a new roadmap for advancing educational excellence in Orange County the initiative is designed to build upon OCDE’s strong foundation and establish a unified vision for the future guiding the department’s efforts to support students Details on the plan can be found at https://ocde.us/Superintendent/Pages/strategic-plan.aspx A version of this story originally ran in 2022 Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions Search autocomplete is currently not responding the City unveiled "The Garden Grove" sculpture to the community The sculpture is located within Generations Park at Boys Ranch The Cultural Arts Advisory Board chose Dallas artist Jessica Bell’s sculpture design as the winning entry from the many incredible submissions the City received for the new sculpture Bell’s sculpture includes three 10-foot-tall green branches of leaves there are several blue sculptural rocks for people to sit on with solar lights spotlighting the sculpture at night that create small rays of light on the sitting area The sculpture is located in the rock circle (sometimes referred to as “Bedford Stonehenge”) near the lake pavilion within Generations Park at Boys Ranch the City held a naming contest for the new sculpture The Bedford community was able to select their favorite choice from three potential options: Forged Oasis was announced during the sculpture's unveiling ceremony on October 14 Jessica Bell said she was inspired by the graceful form of the Texas Fern tree and her design is meant to capture the essence of nature and organic forms within Generations Park at Boys Ranch.  The rock sculptures are crafted from composite decking material while the leaf canopy is constructed from perforated metal.  City of Bedford2000 Forest Ridge DriveBedford, TX 76021Phone: 817-952-2100 Santa Ana running back Carlos Guerrero carries the ball as Garden Grove defenders Quentin Pacelli (4) and Evan Torres (3) pursue during the first quarter Friday night For Santa Ana High’s football coach Luis Cruz and running back Carlos Guerrero Friday’s night 20-19 non-league win at Garden Grove will be a game they’ll never forget Cruz earned his first win as a head coach and Guerrero set a career-high with 265 yards rushing and tied a career-high with three touchdowns The Saints (1-2) have defeated the Argonauts in four of their last five meetings “Carlos is a kid who works year-round; he’s the first kid in the weight room and the last kid out,” said Cruz who was on the Santa Ana coaching staff for the last four year before getting promoted this year and he missed his sophomore year with a broken collar bone but we have a lot of mistakes to fix and they’re fixable I’m happy with the win and happy that everyone contributed.” Guerrero was the workhorse for the Saints as he carried the ball 21 times in the second half After Santa Ana fell behind 13-7 in the third quarter Guerrero rallied the Saints by scoring two touchdowns on runs of 24 and six yards to put Santa Ana up 20-13 after three quarters.  “The wide receivers made great blocks down field and the O-line was awesome; it feels amazing to win this game,” said Guerrero Trailing 20-13 midway through the fourth quarter Garden Grove went on a nine-play 57-yard scoring drive Sophomore quarterback Calvin Keovphan capped the march by tossing a four-yard TD pass to Aaron Payan with 6:23 to play a fumbled snap on the extra point prevented Garden Grove from tying the score and they trailed 20-19 The Saints countered with a 10-play time-consuming drive but Guerrero was stopped short of a first down on a fourth down run The Argonauts took over possession at their 37-yard line with 1:08 remaining but Keovphan’s fourth-down pass was intercepted by Erick Ugalde to secure the win Santa Ana sophomore defensive lineman Troy Alvarez also played a huge role in the Saints victory Alvarez had a key interception to foil an Argonauts drive deep in Santa Ana territory in the second quarter He also had a crippling sack on Garden Grove’s final possession of the game “Carlos (Guerrero) set the tone on offense for us and that inspired the defense,” said Alvarez “We know we can still have a great season.” The Saints broke on top on the games’ opening possession Guerrero displayed his speed and flashy cutback skills en route to a 66-yard TD run on the third play of the game Garden Grove had several golden scoring opportunities in the second quarter as the Saints began three series in Santa Ana territory The Argonauts first opportunity came up empty when a fourth down pass fell incomplete in the end zone A second opportunity came up short as well midway through the quarter the Argonauts drove to the Saints 10-yard line Garden Grove finally broke through when Keovphan completed a 14-yard TD pass over the middle to Quentin Pacelli with seven seconds remaining in the half to tie the game at 7-7 at intermission Keovphan threw three TD passes in the game and Pacelli had 72 yards rushing The Argonauts (1-2) took the second half kickoff and marched 61 yards in three plays to take a 13-7 lead Aaron Payan caught a short pass over the middle and outran the Saints secondary 55 yards down the sidelines for a touchdown Payan caught three passes for 65 yards and two TDs in the game Argonauts first year head coach Matthew LemMon said his team will rebound “Our team knows they are capable of playing better,” said LemMon Friday’s game starting time was moved back to 7:30 p.m Garden Grove starters Christian Mendoza (knee) and Malikai Beatty (broken collar bone) were not able to play due to injuries suffered last week Santa Ana had zero returning starters on offense this season and only two returning starters on defense providing additional means of addressing its unhoused situation the City Council learned during a meeting this month The Central Cities Navigation Center a partnership between the cities of Fountain Valley opened on June 12 in an industrial area at 13871 West St An 18,166-square-foot facility with 85 beds the center has the capacity to expand to 100 beds Fountain Valley has access to 13 beds for its homeless population while Westminster has an allocation of 22 beds Fountain Valley has seen an intake of 24 individuals at the navigation center since it opened with a dozen people currently residing at the facility 17 from representatives from Volunteers of America Fountain Valley’s contracted homeless outreach and engagement service provider The current inhabitants of the Fountain Valley’s allocated beds include seven single men there were 82 individuals from the three collaborating cities staying at the shelter as of mid-December The center is equipped with dorms to accommodate 55 men It is a referral-only facility restricted to adults Those taken in by the shelter can stay for up to four months Vice Mayor Jim Cunneen called the shelter a “phenomenal place” in describing the amenities and wondered how it might be marketed to those deciding whether they were willing to go I want to go there,’” said Eric Richardson director of housing for Volunteers of America ‘We don’t want you to stay there.’ We want you to like it Cunneen asked the providers how the neighboring community had received the shelter The Central Cities Navigation Center which provides shelter beds to the unhoused communities of Fountain Valley (File Photo) “Nobody wants a shelter in their area,” said Daniel Torres it’s always the no walk-off policy that has made the shelter a lot better not allowing people to hang around and loiter around the shelter Torres added that many of the services offered are coming onto the site including physical and mental health services and local faith groups we want the services to come onto the site because sometimes if we send out the clients out to the field they might not make it to the destination,” Torres said “One of the biggest goals that we have in the site is trying to get them connected to more income.” City Net helped facilitate getting 13 unhoused people off the street in Fountain Valley with referrals being placed in the Central Cities Navigation Center and the Yale Navigation Center A collaborative effort between City Net and local law enforcement is seeing the latter refer potential clients for services police are being notified so that applicable ordinances and laws can be upheld Andres Hernandez, City Net’s program supervisor for Orange County, added that the outreach service and law enforcement began working more closely together after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Grants Pass ruling that allowed cities to enforce laws against homeless encampments. “Overall, a lot of clients have been really receptive to this partnership,” Hernandez said. “Those that haven’t, well, they’ve been assisted by Fountain Valley [police] to make a better decision on their current whereabouts or activities.” From July through November, City Net carried out 425 client interactions in Fountain Valley, leading to 37 street exits to a shelter and two into permanent housing, according to data presented to the City Council. “I know that when we first started, we got off to a bit of a rough start, and I think that over the last 90 days or so, we’ve seen some real traction and some improvements,” Councilman Glenn Grandis said in addressing City Net. “... It took a while for us to really get going, but we’re doing it now. Definitely improvements, and we see it out on the street, and the most important thing is that we’re providing services to people in need.” Andrew Turner is a sports reporter for the Daily Pilot. Before joining the Pilot in October 2016, he covered prep sports as a freelancer for the Orange County Register for four years. His work also has been used by the Associated Press and California Rubber Hockey Magazine. While attending Long Beach State, he wrote for the college newspaper, The Daily 49er. He graduated with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and history. (714) 966-4611 Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: COVID-19 Resources. Read more! Matthias Academy’s Olivia Haddad (14) and Marianne Urena (22) leap to block a shot as they play Rialto during the CIF Championship volleyball game Matthews Academy girls volleyball team continues to make history with its long playoff run for the 2024 season they’re adding to a history-making run in the CIF post season After four consecutive victories in the CIF-SS D9 playoffs the team ran into a very hot Rialto team in the championship The Warriors came into the title game two players short which included top player junior outside hitter Vera Vasquez all runner ups from the CIF title matches are invited to continue their season in the CIF State Regional playoffs Pius was in the first D5 CIF State playoff in school history with a 3-0 sweep over No Leading the way for PMA (17-18) was Vasquez (3 Aces Junior middle blocker Stephanie Zesati had five kills and four aces while junior setter Olivia Haddad had 20 assists “The magic that is there with this group is phenomenal,” said PMA coach Arial Guzman-Avila “It (the state win) felt really good and affirmed what we knew we could do The first set was the most competitive of the three “If we could put that (CIF D9 Championship loss) behind us and it was a lot to overcome losing two players to start the championship match.” That groove came as the Warriors were down “Stephanie (Zesati) had some big plays on the net and had a couple of blocks later in the opening set,” Guzman added but Garden Grove came back and tied the set The six-point comeback by Rialto was all in PMA mistakes “We didn’t look back again just like the first set,” Guzman said “Eva (Godoy – junior opposite) had some good balls and we won a couple of the long rally points.” Vasquez had a kill at a sharp angle to win the set Garden Grove was a little more erratic and trying to play catch up they had a couple of aces and Zesati and Boone had some really big kills A Garden Grove player made a big play on a diving ball but on the return by the Warriors with a touch block it rolled across the tape and the Argonauts couldn’t make the play and the match was history especially coming off of (the CIF title loss),” summoned up Guzman “It’s been an honor to be coaching this team especially with my dad (Chris Guzman – assistant coach) Not everyone can say they made it to a championship.” Highlighting the stats for the CIF Championship match were Haddad with three kills,10 assists and an ace and four players with two kills each – Leah Delgado Comments below are from the CIF Championship loss SR Libero: “Unfortunately we lost our game in three sets JR OH: “I got injured right before the game and I was contemplating everything and tears just started and this was everything that I ever wanted and what I dreamed about Copyright © 2023 The Downey Patriot Newspaper Palm Desert's Will Walz had the ball in his hand with one second left in a CIF-SS Division 5 semifinal playoff game Tuesday evening against the No "I just saw that left corner and I was like 'Let's go!' and I kind of just knew it was going in," Walz said Walz whistled a shot through a forest of arms and heads and into the top left corner of the net to give the Aztecs a remarkable win and send them to Saturday's CIF-SS championship game The 10-9 win over Garden Grove advances Palm Desert to its first final since it won the Division 6 title in 2013 They are the first boys' water polo team from the desert to play in a final since Rancho Mirage won a title in 2019 What every high school athlete dreams of," said Aztecs goalie Asher Gonsalves The championship game will be against Warren High School on Saturday at Mount San Antonio College in Walnut The matchGarden Grove came into Palm Desert as the top seed in Division 5 but the Aztecs have been playing their best water polo of the season at the right time The Aztecs flummoxed the visiting Argos and held a 4-2 lead at the break Palm Desert got a pair of first-period goals from Parker Finnell and goals by Eyden Arce and Walz in the second period The visitors quickly showed why they entered highly regarded they scored three quick goals to start the third period and take a 5-4 lead Calvin Kovaleff then scored a much-needed goal for the Aztecs to make it 5-5 and get their confidence back The Argos scored and then Walz scored to make it 6-6 before the Aztecs perhaps foreshadowed what was to come with some last-second magic in the third period from an unlikely source he advanced to mid-pool waiting to take the final shot with 1 second left With some visual distraction in front of the net provided by his teammates Gonsalves let one fly and it went in cleanly to the delight of the crowd A goal from the goalie at the third-period buzzer gave the Aztecs a 7-6 lead heading into the fourth It was 8-8 with under two minutes left when Nick Fash-Poma scored his first of the game for the Aztecs sneaking one past the Argos' goalie with 1:40 left to put Palm Desert up 9-8 It stayed that way until Garden Grove scored with 25 seconds left in the game to tie it at 9-9 that meant Palm Desert would get the last shot Gonsalves held the ball as the clock ticked down while his teammates got in position for a set play Gonsalves threw the ball to Walz who fought off a defensive player and whipped it toward the goal only to see it knocked down as the final buzzer rang Walz was impeded on his shot and the foul was called The Aztecs were given the ball back with one second left It would be Walz about 15 feet from the goal with defenders and teammates clogging up the goal-mouth The official motioned his arm to start the clock and Walz just let one rip toward the small opening he could see in the top left corner and the next sound everyone heard was the glorious "Thwap!" of the ball hitting the vinyl curtain in the back of the net that appropriately says "It's a great day to be an Aztec" on it The players erupted as Walz put a fist in the air while his teammates jumped on him disbelief and joy all around the pool deck but it was definitely the most special," Walz said if you'd have told me I'd be taking a team to the finals Assistant coach Pavol Valovic echoed Walz's comment about the defense really tough opponent," said Valovic who is coaching the team along with head coach Michelle Valovic and I just thought we were really locked in." "After that DEL loss (to Xavier Prep in the carousel final) but we just had that hope to get here and keep fighting So many hard games and this was one of them Welcome, Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog OutGarden Grove firefighters save kitten trapped in spare tireWednesday 2024Firefighters in Garden Grove rescued a kitten that became trapped in a spare tire.GARDEN GROVE (KABC) -- Firefighters in Garden Grove rescued a kitten that became trapped in a spare tire After initial attempts with soap and water failed firefighters used a saw to carefully cut through the metal One firefighter used a kitchen spoon to protect the kitten's head while another poured cold water on the tire to keep it cool The kitten was eventually freed and is now safe The aircraft component maker plans to double production capacity for F-35 fighter jet canopies at its Garden Grove facility GKN Aerospace’s expansion plans are in response to the continued demand for the F-35 Lighting II jet enabling us to provide the growing international F-35 fleet with the very latest transparencies technology,” Shawn Black president of GKN Aerospace’s Defense Airframe business GKN Aerospace is part of the Department of Defense’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Program which manages the jet production and development for the U.S Other defense contractors and suppliers in the program include BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman with Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor for aircraft production and Pratt & Whitney as the prime contractor for the jet’s engine The proposed cut is due to production interruptions, part shortages and increased technical risks encountered by Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney, the Government Accountability Office reported last month the agency found some of the F-35 canopies’ external coating had separated The F-35 jet is also DOD’s most expensive weapon system, the the GAO reported in April. Sustainment costs have increased 44% over the past five years, from $1.1 trillion in 2018 to $1.58 trillion in 2023, the GAO reported. Last month, the congressional agency said costs have now exceeded $2 trillion Moreover, the U.S. Navy, Army and Marine Corps plan to decrease their use of the fighter aircraft to cut operational costs Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts efforts to get ahead of China in clean energy and advanced technology manufacturing while also increasing supply chain control the Republican nominee focused on tariff hikes while the Democratic nominee talked of boosting clean energy production.  Subscribe to Manufacturing Dive for top news Want to share a company announcement with your peers The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines