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After student Otto Warmbier’s death, U.S. weighs travel ban on North Korea

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By JOSH LEDERMAN

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is considering banning travel by U.S. citizens to North Korea, officials said Tuesday, as outrage grew over the death of American student Otto Warmbier and President Donald Trump declared it a “total disgrace.”

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who has the authority to cut off travel to North Korea with the stroke of the pen, has been weighing such a move since late April, when American teacher Tony Kim was detained in Pyongyang, a senior State Department official said. No ban is imminent, but deliberations gained new urgency after Warmbier’s death, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal diplomatic discussions.

FILE- In this June 13, 2017, file photo, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pauses while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was released by North Korea in a coma last week after almost a year and a half in captivity, died Monday, June 19, his family said. Tillerson says he extends his condolences to the family of Warmbier and offers his prayers as Warmbier's parents "enter a time of grief no parent should ever know." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) ORG XMIT: NYJK115
In this June 13 file photo, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson pauses while testifying on Capitol Hill in Washington before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Otto Warmbier, an American college student who was released by North Korea in a coma last week after almost a year and a half in captivity, died Monday, June 19, his family said. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)

From Capitol Hill to the White House, pressure mounted for a tough U.S. response, even as U.S. diplomats sought to protect others Americans from facing a similar fate. Three other U.S. citizens, including Kim, are still being held in North Korea.

“It’s a total disgrace what happened to Otto. That should never ever be allowed to happen,” Trump said in the Oval Office.

Suggesting former President Barack Obama bears some blame, Trump said “the result would have been a lot different” had Warmbier been brought home sooner. Obama’s office had no reaction, but his former aides have said he worked tirelessly to try to get Warmbier and other Americans released from North Korea.

Warmbier, 22, died Monday, June 19, in his home state of Ohio, his family said, just days after being released in a coma by North Korea. The former University of Virginia student had been visiting North Korea on a tour group when he was detained, sentenced to 15 years hard labor for subversion, and held for more than 17 months. The circumstances of his coma and death remain unclear.

Barring Americans from stepping foot in North Korea would mark the latest U.S. step to isolate the furtive, nuclear-armed nation, and protect U.S. citizens who may be allured by the prospect of traveling there. Nearly all Americans who have gone to North Korea have left without incident. But some have been seized and given draconian sentences for seemingly minor offenses.

The U.S. government strongly warns Americans against traveling to North Korea, but doesn’t prohibit it, despite other sanctions targeting the country. It’s unclear exactly how many Americans go to North Korea every year. Those who typically do travel from China, where tour groups market trips to adventure-seekers.

Some of those companies — including China-based Young Pioneer Tours, which took Warmbier to Pyongyang — have now stopped taking Americans. Other travel companies say they’re considering a similar restriction.

The U.S. and North Korea have no diplomatic relations. The U.S. has been pressing Pyongyang to halt its nuclear weapons development and urging China and other countries to starve the North of funding for the program. But on Tuesday, Trump suggested that strategy had failed.

“While I greatly appreciate the efforts of President Xi & China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “At least I know China tried!”

In Congress, Democrats and Republicans found rare bipartisan consensus in denouncing the North. Several senators said they were considering a travel ban. In the House, lawmakers lined up behind legislation from Rep. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, and Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican.
Under their proposal, the Treasury Department would be ordered to prohibit all financial transactions related to travel to North Korea by Americans, unless specifically authorized by a U.S. license. No licenses would be issued for tourism.

The Trump administration doesn’t need an act of Congress to bar Americans from traveling to North Korea.

Under existing law, all it would take is a designation by Tillerson — called a “geographic travel restriction” — to make all American passports invalid for travel to North Korea. To back up the designation, Tillerson could assert that Americans face “imminent danger” to their health or safety if they travel there, an easily defendable assertion in the wake of Warmbier’s death.

The U.S. doesn’t currently prohibit its passports from being used to travel to any countries, even though financial restrictions limit U.S. travel to Cuba and elsewhere. If a passport ban were placed on North Korea, an American who violated it could face a fine and up to 10 years in prison for a first offense.

Schiff said a new law was important to show Congress’ unity on North Korea, arguing that financial measures through the Treasury Department might be more effective than a passport ban because it would deter travel companies ferrying Americans.

“This has the merits of protecting Americans from going to a place of increasing danger, but also drying up one source of our currency for North Korea,” Schiff said in an interview.

Short of a total ban, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., proposed that prospective American travelers complete a form declaring they won’t hold the U.S. government responsible for what happens. He said the form would require Americans to affirm they’re aware of what’s transpired to other U.S. citizens, such as Warmbier, whom the senator said was “murdered” by the North.

“If people are that stupid that they still want to go to that country, then at least they assume the responsibility for their welfare,” McCain said.


Fullerton to create bicycle boulevard along 2-plus mile stretch of Wilshire Avenue

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A boulevard is being tailored to get Fullerton cyclists to major city hubs safely.

Expected to be completed late next year, a bicycle boulevard along Wilshire Avenue will offer those riding on two wheels an alternate route to the downtown corridor, the Transportation Center and Cal State Fullerton.

Now, cyclists often use busy Chapman and Commonwealth avenues, which see an average of 21,000 and 34,000 vehicle trips a day.

The boulevard, a 2.25-mile stretch of Wilshire from Woods Avenue to Acacia Avenue, will include roundabouts at 10 intersections, a new traffic light at another and enhanced street lighting throughout.

At a roundabout, drivers yield to cars circling the center island and exit at their desired street. Cyclists similarly follow the curve to their destination.

Santa Ana and Garden Grove have similar bike-friendly roads.

“A bike boulevard is a newer bike lane improvement project,” said Matt Foulkes, city planning manager. “We’re excited to be on the front edge of that as we work on Wilshire.”

The city received more than $2.2 million in grant funding for the project; its contribution will be north of $300,000.

On Tuesday, June 6, the City Council awarded a design contract to Harris & Associates, a Los Angeles firm with local street improvement experience. Designs are expected to be completed in November, with work tentatively scheduled to begin in May.

“We have a comprehensive network of on-street and off-street bike lanes, and people use them for a number of different reasons: exercise, transportation, etc.,” Foulkes said. “It’s going to be a really, really good connection point for a wide variety of folks to ride safely in Fullerton.”

To analyze traffic trends such as travel speed and volume, temporary circles and diverters were installed at five intersections along Wilshire in late 2015.

Over a six-month span, however, many drivers ignored the signage, instead going straight through the intersection or making u-turns, a report shows.

Still, fewer drivers used that stretch of Wilshire. And those who did drove at slower speeds.

Moreover, the boulevard saw an increase in cyclists, from an average of 90 a day to 131.

Based on the study, the city decided to extend the project west to Woods, adding a little less than one mile of roadway and five additional roundabouts.

The boulevard will be the city’s first.

“It’ll be exciting to take what we learn from Wilshire and apply it to other parts of town,” Foulkes said.

In addition to the new route, the city will spend about $79,000 to upgrade several streets with new bicycle lane striping, traffic signal bike detectors, signs and crosswalks.

More than 500 surfers form circle in Huntington Beach to set Guinness World Record

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  • A total of 511 surfers float on their boards and hold hands in the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    A total of 511 surfers float on their boards and hold hands in the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A stoked Barbara Delgleize, left, mayor of Huntington Beach, holds the certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records that states that 511 surfers created the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    A stoked Barbara Delgleize, left, mayor of Huntington Beach, holds the certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records that states that 511 surfers created the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The Orange County Sheriff boat sprays water into the air as the circle closes while some of 511 surfers float on their boards and hold hands in the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    The Orange County Sheriff boat sprays water into the air as the circle closes while some of 511 surfers float on their boards and hold hands in the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Some of the nearly 600 surfers cross Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach Tuesday morning as they head for the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Some of the nearly 600 surfers cross Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach Tuesday morning as they head for the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Pro surfers Courtney Conlogue, left, of Santa Ana and Brett Simpson of Huntington Beach pose for a photograph as they wait with nearly 600 surfers to make their way into the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Pro surfers Courtney Conlogue, left, of Santa Ana and Brett Simpson of Huntington Beach pose for a photograph as they wait with nearly 600 surfers to make their way into the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Some of the 511 surfers float on their boards and hold hands in the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Some of the 511 surfers float on their boards and hold hands in the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Some of the nearly 600 surfers cross Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach Tuesday morning as they head for the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Some of the nearly 600 surfers cross Pacific Coast Highway at Main Street in downtown Huntington Beach Tuesday morning as they head for the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • The circle begins to form as some of the 511 surfers float on their boards in the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    The circle begins to form as some of the 511 surfers float on their boards in the ocean to create the world’s largest paddle out “Circle of Honor” in Huntington Beach Tuesday morning, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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The idea seemed simple: get a few hundred surfers together to hold hands out in the water.

But then the big waves showed up, and some surfers struggled to make it past the break. Fog made it tough to see the surfers and a current kept pulling them dangerously close to the Huntington Beach pier and south toward Newport.

And the noodles – just forget the noodles.

In the end, though, they got it done – 511 surfers formed a circle, holding hands for one minute, to set a Guinness World Record for the largest recorded surf paddle-out.

“It definitely shows the resolve of a surfer to get something done,” said surfer Johnny Kahanu, president of the Hawaiian Surf Club of San Onofre. “I thought it was a great effort, a big effort. It was great to see the surf community come out together to pull it off.”

Some surfers and spectators didn’t think it was going to happen.

The morning’s festivities kicked off at 8 a.m. with a fog delay as an estimated 575 surfers gathered for a parade down Main Street. They were grouped in colors – black, red, green, blue and yellow – signifying the colors of the Olympic rings.

The paddle-out was the brainchild of Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum Executive Director Diana Dehm, as a way to show support for surfing making it into the Olympic Summer Games for the first time in 2020.

It was also to plant a seed: If Los Angeles gets the nod for the 2024 or 2028 Olympics, Huntington wants to be the host city for the surfing event.

Before the record-breaking attempt, there were speeches warning surfers about the incoming swell – with waves in the 4- to 6-foot range – and strong current. Rick “Rockin’ Fig” Fignetti gave a little insider tip for surfers to hug the pier pilings and use a channel to help make it past the breaking surf.

Two-time U.S. Open of Surfing champion Brett Simpson talked to the youth about what it takes to make a career of surfing.

“They’ve got the fire, I see them out there every day. That’s how I was … they just want to get better,” he said. “Just enjoy it and have some purpose of what you want to be, and set your goals. I’ve been blessed to have this long career and support from this city, which goes a long way.”

Santa Ana’s Courtney Conlogue, one of the world’s best female surfers, called the paddle-out “a big deal,” but stopped short of committing to try to represent the USA at the upcoming Olympics.

“It depends on where I’m at,” she said. “But I think the Olympics are going to be a great thing.”

Pastor Sumo Sato gave a blessing for conditions to cooperate before surfers hit the water.

“As we gather to break this record, we ask that you lift the fog and calm your seas and keep everyone safe as we go ahead and break this record,” he said.

Surfers then gathered on the sand and by groups of five – so they could be counted by Guinness representatives – went into the ocean. The process took longer than anyone anticipated, with early surfers having to sit in the water for hours waiting for the last group to make their way into the water.

“It was a great plan, but about halfway through it started to break down a little bit,” said Guinness World Record adjudicator Jimmy Coggins.  “I was a little concerned.”

Some surfers rode waves as they waited for the whole group to make it offshore. Others came back to shore, exhausted from the long paddle. Those who did form the circle kept drifting south toward Newport Beach.

“It was frustrating at times. There were so many people and the current was so bad,” said Garden Grove surfer and wetsuit maker Shane Jones. “Getting 500 people out in the water is crazy and getting everyone to link hands.”

And a plan to have hundreds of color-coordinated pool noodles keep surfers together in a circle didn’t work as envisioned, making the process confusing, and frustrating surfers as they sat out in the water trying to link up the strands of foam.

“It was getting a little scary. We finally had to bail out on the noodles, forget the noodles,” Fignetti said. “Let’s do it old-school style, let’s grab arms and do it. Everyone was starting to freak, (saying) ‘it’s taking too long.'”

Aaron Pai, owner of Huntington Surf and Sport, was one of the early surfers out in the water, sitting at the end of the pier for more than two hours.

“I think we set the record for the longest paddle-out too,” he joked. “There was a current out there, so we were fighting the current.”

But then, the surfers got in a groove and linked up. They held hands for a minute as a drone flew overhead, counting each surfer.

And it was official: They set the record.

Pai said it was great to see the surfers coming together for the cause. The event also served as a fundraiser for Huntington’s surf museum.

“To see all the community, all the old-time surfers and young surfers come together and hold hands, it was amazing,” he said.

Jennifer Guinaldo, a Huntington Beach surfer who paddled out with her husband and three children, couldn’t help but get emotional.

“I didn’t think it was going to happen. It was chaotic,” she said. “Once it did happen, we were all holding hands, it was just a swell of emotion. I was tearing up.”

Angels Notes: Bud Norris hits the DL with knee inflammation

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NEW YORK — The Angels lost another pitcher to the disabled list, although this one doesn’t appear to be serious.

Bud Norris, who had become the Angels’ closer, was placed on the DL with right knee inflammation, the same problem that caused him to come out of a game last month.

Manager Mike Scioscia said Norris’ knee acted up on him again Sunday. He underwent an MRI that showed no structural damage, Scioscia said, so the Angels are hoping he’ll just need to be out the minimum 10 days.

“A little shutdown and he’ll be ready to go,” Scioscia said.

The Angels recalled Mike Morin to take Norris’ roster spot.

While Norris is out, the Angels could turn to Cam Bedrosian as their closer, although Scioscia wouldn’t commit to that. Bedrosian was the closer in the first few weeks before he went on the disabled list with a strained groin, not to return until last weekend.

Huston Street also could be joining the Angels bullpen this week. Street pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings Monday for Triple-A Salt Lake City, his third outing of this rehab stint. Scioscia said the Angels haven’t decided if he’s ready now or needs one more outing.

TROUT UPDATE

Mike Trout did not end up joining the Angels in New York, instead traveling to his home in New Jersey to work out at a rehab facility there.

Scioscia said Trout was expected to begin taking dry swings for a few days. On Thursday, he will return to Southern California rather than joining the Angels over the weekend in Boston. Trout is expected to begin hitting off a tee and doing soft toss drills this weekend. Scioscia said the facilities at Fenway Park are limited, so Trout was better off working out in Southern California.

Meanwhile, Trout is still second among American League outfielders in the latest All-Star voting results, released Tuesday. With just over 2 million votes, Trout has just over double the total of fourth-place Michael Brantley, giving him a comfortable lead for one of the top three spots.

Although Trout is hurt and may not be able to play in the All-Star Game, he would still be designated as an All-Star if he is elected a starter. Online voting continues through next Thursday, June 29.

ALSO

The Angels will have to make a decision on Doug Fister by Wednesday. Fister, who signed last month, has the right to opt out of his Angels deal if he’s not added to the major league roster by Wednesday. Fister also could agree to continue pitching in the minors. …

Matt Shoemaker played catch Tuesday, his first time throwing since he came out of a game Wednesday with tightness in his forearm. Shoemaker said he feels better, but won’t have a true gauge until he throws with more intensity. He is hoping to pitch Sunday, but isn’t yet sure if he will be ready…

The Angels are nearing deals with high school outfielder Jacob Pearson, their third-round pick, and high school pitcher John Swanda, their fourth-round pick. They also signed sixth-round pick Jonah Todd, an outfielder who is already playing at rookie-level Orem. Last week the Angels signed their top two picks, Jo Adell and Griffin Canning.

Laguna Woods Third Mutual considers adopting common-area land-use policy

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Third Mutual passed a resolution to adopt a common-area land-use policy, that, if passed on second reading, would require a manor owner to get 67 percent approval from that manor’s community before ownership of any portion of common area can be transferred from the mutual to the manor owner.

The 67 percent written approval must come from the manor owner’s original mutual within Third – which contains 59 separate corporate homeowner associations – when it was initially Leisure World. President Rosemarie diLorenzo Dickins said this will make the voting process easier, since there will be fewer people to obtain a vote from opposed to the entire Third Mutual.

Manor owners have previously requested to make architectural extensions to their manors into common-area land.

“If somebody wants to say ‘This is so important to me, I want to get a vote of the community,’ they don’t have to get a vote of 6,000 manors,” diLorenzo Dickins said. “It’s their local community and we would totally be happy to work with them to get what they want, and we would be staying within the law.”

California Civil Code §4145 requires the 67 percent approval and requires the member to manage the common-area land they acquire, which must be generally inaccessible and not of general use to the community as a whole.

diLorenzo Dickins added that the smaller mutuals range from 200 to 500 people. Village Management Services Community Manager Lori Moss said residents can get a map from the VMS office showing where the original mutuals are located within Third.

The resolution was passed 8-0-1, with Director Annette Sabol-Soule abstaining. The resolution will be revisited in July after it satisfies a 30-day notification requirement.

Drone policy

Third passed a resolution to adopt an amended drone policy, after it was rescinded in April for the Golden Rain Foundation Security & Community Access Committee to review.

The policy states that drones are prohibited in the Village unless they are flown by VMS staff or an individual commissioned by VMS staff. Also, the drone operator will need to meet the standards of the Federal Aviation Administration, follow federal drone laws and submit a flight plan to be reviewed by security.

“(There will be) no personal drones and we heard from the residents on this, so that’s why we changed it,” Dickins said.

The resolution was passed 8-0-1, with Director Jules Zalon abstaining. The resolution will be revisited in July after it satisfies a 30-day notification requirement.

Resale report

The average resale price of a condo in Third Mutual in May was $412,681, up from $311,452 in May 2016. Resales year to date numbered 197, down from 198 during the same period in 2016. Sales volume in May was $18.1 million, up from $13.7 million in May 2016.

Sprint expanding in region, hiring hundreds

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Sprint is expanding its presence in Southern California with plans to add 78 new stores,  including eight in Orange County by the end of the year.

The company said the regional expansion would add more than 550 new jobs.

The new jobs include a combination of retail, operations and technical experts, Sprint said in a statement. The company counts more than 1,400 employees and operates more than 300 branded retail locations throughout Southern California.

Sprint told the Register the new stores in Orange County would add roughly 60 new positions. Cities getting new locations include Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Placentia, Rancho Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, Seal Beach and two in Santa Ana. The company did not provide specific addresses.

The company said it also is adding 41 stores in Los Angeles County (280 new jobs); 22 in Riverside/San Bernardino counties (155 jobs); and seven in San Diego County (55 jobs).

Sprint shares rebounded Tuesday after news broke in Germany indicating T-Mobile US Inc.’s parent company favors a merger of the two American wireless providers.

Deutsche Telekom AG, which controls T-Mobile, aims to maintain control of the combined company after an all-stock deal with Sprint, according to Handelsblatt, a German newspaper.

Sprint shares climbed nearly 2.7 percent to $8.14 Tuesday. They had dropped as much as 2.3 percent earlier in the day. T-Mobile fell less than 1 percent after earlier declining as much as 2 percent, closing at $63.98.

Bloomberg reported two weeks ago that Sprint and T-Mobile were considering an all-stock deal. Sprint and T-Mobile were also talking to other potential merger partners.

Staff writer Hannah Madans and Bloomberg contributed to this report.

 

ROASTED MISSION FIGS WITH OLIVE OIL, HONEY AND THYME

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Along with stone fruit, the arrival of fresh figs in the marketplace signals summertime. I love figs’ honey-filled flavor and flower-petal aroma. Roasting Mission figs with herbs, spices and a pinch of salt turns them into an inviting warm dessert. Serve roasted figs with yogurt, crème fraiche or mascarpone. Accompany with crisp cookies if you like.
When buying figs, a soft texture indicates the fruit is ready. Don’t be concerned about small slits or tears in the skin if the fig has a fresh aroma. Fresh figs are delicate; handle them gently.

ROASTED MISSION FIGS WITH OLIVE OIL, HONEY AND THYME

Yield: 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
12 to 16 plump Mission figs, see cook’s notes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or butter)
2 tablespoons honey
A few pinches of sugar
A tiny pinch of coarse salt
3 whole cloves
5 sprigs fresh thyme
Optional: a few whole star anise
For serving: crème fraiche, or Greek yogurt, or mascarpone
Optional for serving: crisp cookies

Cook’s notes
Mission figs are generally available from July through October, although some have begun to appear in markets already. They have thick, deep purple (almost black) skin with pinkish-brown flesh and tiny pale seeds.

PROCEDURE

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse figs and pat dry. Cut off stems and cut most in half, leaving some whole. Place in baking dish that is large enough to leave a little room between the fruit. Pour over the olive oil and drizzle with honey. Scatter a little sugar and some salt. Tuck in cloves, star anise (if using) and thyme.

2. Bake until sauce is bubbling and fruit is heated through, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with a drizzle of crème fraiche, a spoonful of good yogurt, or mascarpone.

Source: “In My Kitchen: A Collection of New and Favorite Vegetarian Recipes” by Deborah Madison (Ten Speed, $32.50)

Woodbridge workshop puts spotlight on technical theater skills

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As many students embark on a leisurely three-month summer break, 30 from three high schools in the Irvine Unified School District are gathering in a dark auditorium at Woodbridge High to learn the ins and outs of the technical side of producing theater.

  • Erin Giblin, a field project coordinator for Electronic Theatre Controls, leads a workshop at Woodbridge High on how to work the lighting equipment. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Erin Giblin, a field project coordinator for Electronic Theatre Controls, leads a workshop at Woodbridge High on how to work the lighting equipment. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Erin Giblin, a field project coordinator for Electronic Theatre Controls, helps students during a workshop on how to work the lighting equipment. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Erin Giblin, a field project coordinator for Electronic Theatre Controls, helps students during a workshop on how to work the lighting equipment. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Erin Giblin, a field project coordinator for Electronic Theatre Controls, leads a workshop at Woodbridge High on how to work the lighting equipment. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Erin Giblin, a field project coordinator for Electronic Theatre Controls, leads a workshop at Woodbridge High on how to work the lighting equipment. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Students learn how to use a lighting control board during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Students learn how to use a lighting control board during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Students learn how to use a lighting control board during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Students learn how to use a lighting control board during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Matthew Telles, 16, right, reacts after seeing the results of his team’s programming during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High on how to use a lighting control board. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Matthew Telles, 16, right, reacts after seeing the results of his team’s programming during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High on how to use a lighting control board. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • David Moise, 16, works an ETC control board during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    David Moise, 16, works an ETC control board during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Irvine High drama teacher Kyle Chittenden, center, helps students during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High on how to use lighting control boards. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Irvine High drama teacher Kyle Chittenden, center, helps students during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High on how to use lighting control boards. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Sloan Beard, 17, listens during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High on using lighting control boards. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Sloan Beard, 17, listens during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High on using lighting control boards. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Amir Fanei, 17, asks Erin Giblin, a field project coordinator for Electronic Theatre Controls, a question during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High on using lighting control boards. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Amir Fanei, 17, asks Erin Giblin, a field project coordinator for Electronic Theatre Controls, a question during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High on using lighting control boards. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Erin Giblin, center, a field project coordinator for Electronic Theatre Controls, gives a lesson on tilt and pan during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Erin Giblin, center, a field project coordinator for Electronic Theatre Controls, gives a lesson on tilt and pan during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Students get hands-on experience working a lighting control board during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Students get hands-on experience working a lighting control board during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • A laptop displays student work as Erin Giblin, right, gives a lesson. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    A laptop displays student work as Erin Giblin, right, gives a lesson. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Miguel Vargas “tilts” as Erin Giblin, center, leads a lesson on tilt and pan during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Miguel Vargas “tilts” as Erin Giblin, center, leads a lesson on tilt and pan during a summer workshop at Woodbridge High. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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For the fifth year, Woodbridge theater instructor Cassandra Gaona is leading the class, which is offered through the district’s regional occupational program, or ROP, and is the first of its kind in the district to teach advanced technical theater skills at the high school level.

The boot camp course is a passion project for Gaona, who has seen alumni from the program advance to fields in art and education at the university level.

“(In 2012), I felt a need as a teacher to incorporate technical theater because, throughout the school year, we often work on the content of a play or musical and not on the production as much or the individual skill areas. I noticed that it would be great to pause and create this course,” Gaona said.

The class is open to students from IUSD along with neighboring districts in Orange County.

Helping Gaona teach the students about lighting is Erin Giblin, a field project coordinator at Electronic Theatre Controls, which loaned seven light boards to the three-week program.

“The reason that we all go to the theater is to be surprised and feel that kind of magic,” said Giblin. “So for the students, working with the light boards is a great way for them to get tools in their hands so that they feel like they’re doing something magical.”

Teaching alongside Gaona and Giblin is Woodbridge alum Mitchel Simoncini, who went on to pursue technical theater at Cal State Fullerton.

“I wish I had taken this program (before) going into college because I feel like I would’ve been able to do so much more high-level things at the university level,” Simoncini said.

For most of the students involved, like Woodbridge sophomore Miguel Vargas, 15, this is the first time they are branching outside of acting and singing in their school’s theatrical productions.

“Usually, I will audition for a play because I am interested in acting. For the musicals, I want to be involved, but since I can’t sing, and I’ve always been interested in what the tech side was like, I volunteered (to do tech),” Vargas said. “When it came (time for the) actual shows, I was told I was going to be in charge of the lighting cues. After the show, I talked to Ms. Gaona about my interest (in learning more about lighting) and she asked me to come to the summer camp.”

Recent Irvine High graduate Jordan Fox, 18,  took the ROP class for the first time in 2016.

“This program encompasses all aspects of theater,” Fox said. “This week we’re doing lighting, next week we’re doing sound, and then makeup and set design. It incorporates everything so that you’re not uncomfortable when you go back to your respective high school and you are faced with that task.

“(It) definitely sparked the fire for me,” said Fox, who will pursue a bachelor’s degree in technical direction at USC. “It invigorated a passion that I didn’t know was there. Before this (class), my family and I were interested in having me pursue business and sports, and now its all drama.”

Said Vargas: “My passion is acting; that’s what I want to do. But I feel like in theater, we shouldn’t just stick to one thing and shouldn’t be afraid of taking risks, because initially, I was really scared of tech.”

 

CONTACT VARSITY ARTS: 714-796-2258 or varsityarts@ocregister.com


Divided Costa Mesa council approves $163.2 million budget amid pension-debt concerns

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COSTA MESA A divided City Council approved a final version of the city’s $163.2 million budget that includes such priorities as the Lions Park project, public safety and overseeing the city’s group and sober-living homes..

The budget for fiscal year 2017-18 is around $18.6 million more than the current one.

The council approved the budget on a 3-2 vote Tuesday, June 20, with Jim Righeimer and Allan Mansoor dissenting.

“This budget is frugal but functional,” Mayor Katrina Foley said. “It’s fiscally sound and based on good conservative principals.”

Righeimer and Mansoor said the city needed to try and pay down its rising pension debt, which was estimated at $246 million in 2015.

“When we hire an employee here, we hire them for 60 years — the 30 years they work with us and 30 years or so that they’re on a pension,” Righeimer said. “We have to quit thinking we’re an employment agency.”

The city is expected to save around $820,000 by making larger payments to the California Public Employees Retirement System.

The general fund makes up the largest portion of the budget, with most of it going toward public safety. A $3.2 million transfer from general fund reserves to the city’s self-insurance fund will bring the fund’s net balance to zero, officials said.

Councilwoman Sandra Genis said she would support the budget “with reservations,” voicing concerns about its positive revenue projections, which had increased by $564,087 since the council reviewed a preliminary budget in May.

Sales tax revenue is expected to dip $1.03 million, according to a staff report.

New revenue sources included in the budget are from voter-approved Measure X, which allows medical marijuana businesses to open in an industrial zone west of Harbor Boulevard and north of the I-405 freeway.

Those businesses will each pay around $49,000 to obtain the necessary permits to open. None have opened so far.

The city will incur savings through a council decision in April to give the Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Department the responsibility of providing local ambulance transportation services.

Also included in the budget is $125,000 to fund a state employee to serve as a group-home inspector in Costa Mesa.

“This will significantly assist the city of Costa Mesa with group-home inspections related to state-licensed facilities,” City Manager Tom Hatch said.

Another $100,000 was agreed upon for improvements to the Costa Mesa Tennis Center.

Several public speakers complained of overcrowding at the Costa Mesa Skate Park and asked the council to provide funding for its expansion or to build another one.

Some argued that prioritizing the park made sense given the robust action sports culture in the city.

The council directed city staffers to see if funds earmarked for other projects could be used for the skate park and also to look into a possible public-private partnership.

The city has set aside about $700,000 for designs for possibly expanding the park, Hatch said.

The fiscal year begins July 1.

Boy killed by log in surf as Tropical Storm Cindy churns in Gulf

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By KEVIN McGILL

NEW ORLEANS  — Baldwin County Sheriff’s Capt. Stephen Arthur said witnesses reported the 10-year-old boy from Missouri was standing outside a condominium in Fort Morgan when the log, carried in by a large wave, struck him. Arthur said the youth was vacationing with his family from the St. Louis area and that relatives and emergency workers tried to revive him. He wasn’t immediately identified.

It was the first known fatality from Cindy. The storm formed Tuesday and was expected to make landfall some time late Wednesday or early Thursday near the Louisiana-Texas line. The worst weather was on the east side of the storm. It included drenching rains that posed flash flood threats, strong tidal surges, waterspouts and reports of possible tornadoes.

  • A wooden structure is embedded in backstop of a baseball field in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Wednesday, June 21, 2017. A line of severe weather from Tropical Storm Cindy battered this northwest Florida community early Wednesday morning. [Devon Ravine/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)

    A wooden structure is embedded in backstop of a baseball field in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Wednesday, June 21, 2017. A line of severe weather from Tropical Storm Cindy battered this northwest Florida community early Wednesday morning. [Devon Ravine/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)

  • Gulf Power employees repair a power pole that snapped, Wednesday, June 21, 2017, in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. A line of severe weather from Tropical Storm Cindy battered this northwest Florida community early Wednesday morning. (Devon Ravine/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)

    Gulf Power employees repair a power pole that snapped, Wednesday, June 21, 2017, in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. A line of severe weather from Tropical Storm Cindy battered this northwest Florida community early Wednesday morning. (Devon Ravine/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)

  • An unidentified man looks at a truck that was crushed by a falling tree in Fort Walton Beach, Florida on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. This Florida panhandle community was hit by a wave of severe weather Wednesday morning as Tropical Storm Cindy churns through the Gulf of Mexico. (Tom Mclaughlin/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)

    An unidentified man looks at a truck that was crushed by a falling tree in Fort Walton Beach, Florida on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. This Florida panhandle community was hit by a wave of severe weather Wednesday morning as Tropical Storm Cindy churns through the Gulf of Mexico. (Tom Mclaughlin/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)

  • A Destin Beach Safety truck drives past tourists as it patrols the shoreline along Destin, Fla., on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Tropical Storm Cindy has churned up the Gulf of Mexico, causing dangerous surf and closing beaches along the Florida panhandle. (Annie Blanks/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)

    A Destin Beach Safety truck drives past tourists as it patrols the shoreline along Destin, Fla., on Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Tropical Storm Cindy has churned up the Gulf of Mexico, causing dangerous surf and closing beaches along the Florida panhandle. (Annie Blanks/Northwest Florida Daily News via AP)

  • Tricia Hayes records images of unusually large waves created by Tropical Storm Cindy on Bolivar Peninsula, Texas, Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the State Operations Center to raise its readiness level. He also activated four Texas Task Force 1 boat squads and two Texas Military Department vehicles squads of five vehicles each to respond to any weather-related emergencies. (Guiseppe Barranco/The Beaumont Enterprise via AP)

    Tricia Hayes records images of unusually large waves created by Tropical Storm Cindy on Bolivar Peninsula, Texas, Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the State Operations Center to raise its readiness level. He also activated four Texas Task Force 1 boat squads and two Texas Military Department vehicles squads of five vehicles each to respond to any weather-related emergencies. (Guiseppe Barranco/The Beaumont Enterprise via AP)

  • Sydney Schultz takes photos of waves crashing next to Rollover Pass as Tropical Storm Cindy approaches the coast Wednesday, June 21, 2017 on the Bolivar Peninsula. (Michael Ciaglo /Houston Chronicle via AP)

    Sydney Schultz takes photos of waves crashing next to Rollover Pass as Tropical Storm Cindy approaches the coast Wednesday, June 21, 2017 on the Bolivar Peninsula. (Michael Ciaglo /Houston Chronicle via AP)

  • Volunteers put out sand bags due to the arrival of Tropical Storm Cindy in Lafitte, La., Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Tropical Storm Cindy sent drenching rain bands over the north Gulf Coast on Wednesday, swamping low-lying coastal roads and pushing a waterspout ashore in one beachfront community as residents from east Texas to the Florida Panhandle warily eyed the storm’s slow crawl toward land. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    Volunteers put out sand bags due to the arrival of Tropical Storm Cindy in Lafitte, La., Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Tropical Storm Cindy sent drenching rain bands over the north Gulf Coast on Wednesday, swamping low-lying coastal roads and pushing a waterspout ashore in one beachfront community as residents from east Texas to the Florida Panhandle warily eyed the storm’s slow crawl toward land. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

  • Esther Martens walk through a flooded roadway to get to her car in the West End section of New Orleans, Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Tropical Storm Cindy formed Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico, hovering south of Louisiana as it churned tides and spun bands of heavy, potentially flooding rain onto the central and eastern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

    Esther Martens walk through a flooded roadway to get to her car in the West End section of New Orleans, Wednesday, June 21, 2017. Tropical Storm Cindy formed Tuesday in the Gulf of Mexico, hovering south of Louisiana as it churned tides and spun bands of heavy, potentially flooding rain onto the central and eastern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

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The White House said President Donald Trump was briefed on the storm Wednesday by Homeland Security Adviser Tom Bossert.

Also Wednesday, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency, like his Alabama counterpart a day earlier. He was among authorities stressing that the storm’s danger wasn’t limited to the coast.

In Knoxville, Tennessee, the power-generating Tennessee Valley Authority, said it was drawing down water levels on nine lakes it controls along the Tennessee River and its tributaries in Tennessee, Alabama and Kentucky, anticipating heavy runoff from Cindy’s rains once the storm moves inland. The TVA manages 49 dams to regulate water, provide power and help control downstream flooding.

The storm was centered Wednesday afternoon about 135 miles  south of Lake Charles, Louisiana and had top sustained winds of 50 mph. A tropical storm warning was in effect along the coast from San Luis Pass, Texas, to the mouth of the Mississippi River.

On the Mississippi coast, a waterspout came ashore in Biloxi early Wednesday. Harrison County Emergency Management Director Rupert Lacy said there were no injuries but fences, trees and power lines were damaged. In coastal Mississippi, some areas received up to 9 inches (230 millimeters) of rain. Forecasters issued tornado warnings at various times during the day.

“There’s still a long stretch of tropical moisture coming across the Gulf of Mexico,” said Alek Krautmann of the National Weather Service in Slidell, Louisiana. “We still think there’s a heavy rain potential really through Thursday night and early Friday.”

There were widespread reports of street and road flooding along the Gulf Coast as far east as Florida, where the National Park Service reported the bridge closed between Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach. One emergency official reported a passing storm cell downed trees and caused other damage in the Fort Walton Beach area of the Florida Panhandle.

“We were saturated before this even started … I’m a bit concerned about what the next 24 hours will bring,” real estate broker John Rickman in Pensacola said.

In Alabama, streets were flooded and beaches were closed on the barrier island of Dauphin Island. Some roads were covered with water in the seafood village of Bayou La Batre, but Becca Caldemeyer still managed to get to her bait shop at the city dock. If only there were more customers, she said.

“It’s pretty quiet,” Caldemeyer said by phone from Rough Water Bait and Tackle. “Nobody can cast a shrimp out in this kind of wind.”

Forecasters expected rain totaling 6 to 9 inches  with up to 15 inches possible in some spots in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle. East Texas rain totals were expected to be from 3 to 6 inches.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the State Operations Center to raise its readiness level. He also activated four Texas Task Force 1 boat squads and two Texas Military Department vehicles squads of five vehicles each for weather-related emergencies.

The Louisiana National Guard dispatched high water vehicles and helicopters into flood-prone areas. The state said the Federal Emergency Management Agency also was moving 125,000 meals and 200,000 liters of water into Louisiana. And workers on Grand Isle, Louisiana’s barrier island community south of New Orleans, reinforced a rock levee protecting the island’s vulnerable west side.

“All arms of the state’s emergency preparedness and response apparatus are taking Tropical Storm Cindy seriously, and we are calling on all Louisianans throughout the state to do so as well,” Edwards said in a statement.

2017 OC Pride festival heads to Santa Ana – here’s what you need to know if you’re going

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  • Kunda F. Couture spins down the Orange County Pride ÒLive Your Life!Ó parade in downtown Santa Ana on Saturday. Manny Muro who is running for Mr. Gay Pride, is at left. ///ADDITIONAL INFO: – Photo by MINDY SCHAUER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER – shot: 062516 SantaAna.OCPRide Orange County Pride Festival is back. The new organizers expect 10,000 to 15,000 people to attend the event. At some point during the festivities, they will have a moment of silence for the Orlando shooting victims. Also a ÒLive Your Life!Ó one-mile parade.

    Kunda F. Couture spins down the Orange County Pride ÒLive Your Life!Ó parade in downtown Santa Ana on Saturday. Manny Muro who is running for Mr. Gay Pride, is at left. ///ADDITIONAL INFO: – Photo by MINDY SCHAUER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER – shot: 062516 SantaAna.OCPRide Orange County Pride Festival is back. The new organizers expect 10,000 to 15,000 people to attend the event. At some point during the festivities, they will have a moment of silence for the Orlando shooting victims. Also a ÒLive Your Life!Ó one-mile parade.

  • Bubbly Manny Muro who is running for Mr. Gay Pride, takes part in the parade down Main Street in Santa Ana on Saturday. ///ADDITIONAL INFO: – Photo by MINDY SCHAUER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER – shot: 062516 SantaAna.OCPRide Orange County Pride Festival is back. The new organizers expect 10,000 to 15,000 people to attend the event. At some point during the festivities, they will have a moment of silence for the Orlando shooting victims. Also a ÒLive Your Life!Ó one-mile parade.

    Bubbly Manny Muro who is running for Mr. Gay Pride, takes part in the parade down Main Street in Santa Ana on Saturday. ///ADDITIONAL INFO: – Photo by MINDY SCHAUER, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER – shot: 062516 SantaAna.OCPRide Orange County Pride Festival is back. The new organizers expect 10,000 to 15,000 people to attend the event. At some point during the festivities, they will have a moment of silence for the Orlando shooting victims. Also a ÒLive Your Life!Ó one-mile parade.

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Promoting themes of unity, solidarity and working “As One,” the OC Pride LGBT parade and festival will return to downtown Santa Ana on Saturday, June 24.

The day-long festival features live music and lectures, in addition to the crowning of the Mr., Ms. and Miss Gay Pride Orange County winners.

Last year’s parade drew more than 15,000 people. It was the first large gay pride event in Orange County in more than a decade.

Here’s what you need to know:

Parade: The parade begins at 11 a.m. at Washington and Main streets before moving south to Third Street. The float staging area is between Washington and 17th streets.

Tickets: To access the main stage and entertainment venues, guests must purchase tickets starting at $10 per person.

Entertainment: Festival headliners include drag performers Adore Delano and Katya, and singer-songwriter Dev. Speakers at the Frida Cinema include comedian Jaleesa Johnson and author Josh Sabarra.

Other events: Several Pride Week events are being held throughout Orange County in the days leading up to the festival. The film “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” will be screened at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 21 at the Frida Cinema in Santa Ana.

OC Pride weekend officially kicks off at 8 p.m. Friday, June 23, at the Tin Lizzie Saloon in Costa Mesa, 752 St. Clair St.

Tips for attendees: Parade watchers can park at multiple locations in downtown north of First Street and South of Santa Ana Boulevard. Park early to get a good spot along the parade route.

The parade route ends near downtown Santa Ana, which offers plenty of food options.

Restrooms are available at two locations, where Main Street intersects 15th Street and Santa Ana Boulevard.

Information: prideoc.com

 

Islamic State destroys iconic al-Nuri mosque in Mosul

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By BALINT SZLANKO

IRBIL, Iraq — The Islamic State group destroyed Mosul’s al-Nuri mosque and its iconic leaning minaret known as al-Hadba when fighters detonated explosives inside the structures Wednesday night, Iraq’s Ministry of Defense said.

The mosque — also known as Mosul’s Great Mosque — is where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared a so-called Islamic caliphate in 2014 shortly after the city was overrun by the militants and was seen as a key symbolic prize in the fight for Iraq’s second largest city. The minaret that leaned like Italy’s Tower of Pisa stood for more than 840 years.

This Sept. 25, 1998 file photo shows the tilting al-Hadba minaret in Mosul, Iraq. Iraq’s ministry of defense says IS destroyed the al-Nuri mosque in Mosul and the adjacent iconic leaning minaret when fighters detonated explosives inside the structures late Wednesday night on June 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Jassim Mohammed, File)
This Sept. 25, 1998 file photo shows the tilting al-Hadba minaret in Mosul, Iraq. Iraq’s ministry of defense says IS destroyed the al-Nuri mosque in Mosul and the adjacent iconic leaning minaret when fighters detonated explosives inside the structures late Wednesday night on June 21, 2017. (AP Photo/Jassim Mohammed, File)

In a statement posted online after the Ministry of Defense statement, IS claimed an airstrike carried out by the United States destroyed the mosque and minaret.

The U.S.-led coalition rejected the IS claim.

A coalition spokesman, U.S. Army Col. Ryan Dillon, told The Associated Press that coalition aerial surveillance confirmed the mosque was destroyed, but he said a U.S. strike was not the cause.

“We did not conduct strikes in that area at that time,” Dillon said.

IS fighters initially attempted to destroy the minaret in July 2014. The militants said the structure contradicted their fundamentalist interpretation of Islam, but Mosul residents converged on the area and formed a human chain to protect it. IS demolished dozens of historic and archaeological sites in and around Mosul, saying they promoted idolatry.

“This is a crime against the people of Mosul and all of Iraq, and is an example of why this brutal organization must be annihilated,” U.S. Maj. Gen. Joseph Martin, the commander of coalition ground forces in Iraq, said in a written statement.

“The responsibility of this devastation is laid firmly at the doorstep of ISIS,” he added, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

The mosque sat on the southern edge of the Old City, the last IS stronghold inside Mosul. Iraqi forces launched a push into the Old City earlier this week, but have made slow progress as the last IS fighters there are holed up with an estimated 100,000 civilians according to the United Nations.

Earlier this month Mosul residents reported IS fighters began sealing off the area around the mosque. Residents said IS fighters ordered families living in the area to evacuate in preparation for a final stand.

The fight to retake Mosul was launched more than eight months ago and has displaced more than 850,000 people. While Iraqi forces have experienced periods of swift gains, combat inside the city has been grueling and deadly for both Iraqi forces and civilians.
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Nurse made sure a dad in the hospital didn’t miss out celebrating his daughter’s Valencia High commencement

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For Todd Hill, not being able to attend his only daughter’s high school graduation was devastating, but the compassion of a nurse helped him feel like he was there.

Hill, 53, of Placentia was admitted to the intensive care unit at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center nearly a week before his daughter, Aislinn, was to receive her diploma on Thursday, June 15 from Valencia High School.

When one of his nurses, Denesha Bivens, found out he was going to miss the once-in-a-lifetime event, she set out to bring the ceremony to him.

Bivens, a nurse for 13 years with two daughters of her own, said she thou

ght about how she would feel if she couldn’t be at one of her daughters’ graduation.

“It just didn’t seem right that he wasn’t going to be present,” Bivens said. “I wanted him to be a part of it, and that he could have his own memory.”

  • Doctors, nurses and staff at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center went above and beyond to help Todd Hill, a patient in the intensive care unit, celebrate his daughter’s high school graduation from his hospital bed. (Courtesy of Deirdre Hill).

    Doctors, nurses and staff at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center went above and beyond to help Todd Hill, a patient in the intensive care unit, celebrate his daughter’s high school graduation from his hospital bed. (Courtesy of Deirdre Hill).

  • Denesha Bivens, an ICU nurse at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center, organized a graduation ceremony for one of her patients who was too sick to attend his only daughter’s high school graduation. (Courtesy of Deirdre Hill).

    Denesha Bivens, an ICU nurse at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center, organized a graduation ceremony for one of her patients who was too sick to attend his only daughter’s high school graduation. (Courtesy of Deirdre Hill).

  • Todd Hill was in the intensive care unit at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center when his only daughter, Aislinn, graduated from Valencia High School in Placentia. But when one of his nurses, Denesha Bivens, found out he was going to miss her graduation, she brought the ceremony to him. (Courtesy of Deirdre Hill).

    Todd Hill was in the intensive care unit at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center when his only daughter, Aislinn, graduated from Valencia High School in Placentia. But when one of his nurses, Denesha Bivens, found out he was going to miss her graduation, she brought the ceremony to him. (Courtesy of Deirdre Hill).

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With the blessing of Hill’s wife, Deirdre, and his daughter, Bivens embarked on a mission to organize a graduation ceremony in Hill’s hospital room. She reached out to the school’s ASB director to help with decorations for his room and arranged for a special surprise to be revealed when Aislinn walked across the stage. She also invited doctors, nurses and other staff who had a part in his care to the bedside ceremony.

The day of the graduation, Hill started to suspect something was going on when Bivens decorated his room with blue and yellow school T-shirts and balloons.

“I knew my daughter was coming by to see me before graduation, but the extent that Denesha, the staff and Kaiser went to make it really special was amazing,” Hill said.

When Aislinn walked into the intensive care unit wearing her cap and gown, she saw doctors, nurses and staff lined up outside her dad’s room with a smile on their face that “radiated pure joy.”

“The celebration that Denesha organized for us truly warmed our hearts,” Aislinn said. “The thought and care that she put into it, from playing of the graduation ceremony music, to the assembly of the entire staff, to the spread of celebratory treats, was beyond impressive. The most amazing part was the fact that she developed this idea on her own, instigated solely by her compassion and selflessness.”

Bivens said everyone was high-fiving each other and hugging.

“Usually the unit is filled with sadness,” she said, “but that day it was really happy.”

Deirdre Hill said the celebration ended up being much bigger than she expected. “What she did was just unbelievable.”

Hill watched a live stream of the graduation on a laptop from his hospital bed and got to see the other surprise orchestrated by Bivens.

After his daughter received her diploma, she unrolled a sign that said, ” I love you, Dad!”

“When she held up the sign I started crying,” Hill said. “It was so special that they allowed her to do that. I felt like I was participating in my daughter’s graduation. Watching that was icing on the cake.”

Hill was released from the intensive care unit on Father’s Day, but is still being treated for lung complications.  Hill said his daughter is a hard worker and is headed to the University of Portland in Oregon.

“I want to be there for everything whether it’s a graduation, an award, or any accomplishment,” Hill said. “I just want to be there for her.”

Congress hears sinister tale of Russia election meddling

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By RICHARD LARDNER and DEB RIECHMANN

WASHINGTON — A sinister portrait of Russia’s cyberattacks on the U.S. emerged Wednesday as current and former U.S. officials told Congress Moscow stockpiled stolen information and selectively disseminated it during the 2016 presidential campaign to undermine the American political process.

The Russians “used fake news and propaganda and they also used online amplifiers to spread the information to as many people as possible,” Bill Priestap, the FBI’s top counterintelligence official, told the Senate Intelligence committee.

While he said the Russians had conducted covert operations targeting past American elections, the internet “has allowed Russia to do so much more” than before. But, he added, the “scale and aggressiveness” was different this time, with the primary goal being to sow discord and aid the candidacy of Republican Donald Trump, the eventual winner.

Russia’s actions did not change the final election count, they said, but warned that Moscow’s efforts will likely continue.

“I believe the Russians will absolutely try to continue to conduct influence operations in the U.S.,” which will include cyberattacks, Priestap said.

Jeanette Manfra, Homeland Security undersecretary for cybersecurity, said there is evidence that 21 state election systems were targeted, but she told the Senate intelligence committee she couldn’t disclose the identities of the states because that was up to the states. Last September, DHS told The Associated Press that hackers believed to be Russian agents had targeted voter registration systems in more than 20 states.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson from the Obama administration told the House Intelligence committee that Moscow’s high-tech intrusion did not change ballots, the final count or the reporting of election results.

Johnson described the steps he took once he learned of the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, his fears about an attack on the election itself and his rationale for designating U.S. election systems, including polling places and voter registration databases, as critical infrastructure in early January, two weeks before Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“In 2016 the Russian government, at the direction of (President) Vladimir Putin himself, orchestrated cyberattacks on our nation for the purpose of influencing our election — plain and simple,” Johnson said.

Johnson described his discussions with state election officials about ensuring the integrity of the voting process. He said 33 states and 36 cities and counties used his department’s tools to scan for potential vulnerabilities.

He also said he contacted The Associated Press, which counts votes, and its CEO, Gary Pruitt.
“Prior to Election Day, I also personally reviewed with the CEO of The Associated Press its long-standing election-day reporting process, including the redundancies and safeguards in its systems,” Johnson said.

And while Johnson said Russia did not “through any cyber intrusion alter ballots, ballot counts or reporting of election results,” he said he was “not in a position to know whether the successful Russian government-directed hacks of the DNC and elsewhere did in fact alter public opinion and thereby alter the outcome of the presidential election.”

Johnson also said he was not happy that he learned well after the fact that the DNC’s computer systems had been hacked. He said he became aware of the compromise “sometime in 2016,” and that when he pressed his staff on whether the DHS had been sufficiently proactive to help identify the intruders and patch vulnerabilities, the answer wasn’t reassuring.

“The FBI and the DNC had been in contact with each other months before about the intrusion, and the DNC did not feel it needed” Homeland Security’s assistance at that time.

He also said he wasn’t aware that the FBI had opened a counterintelligence investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials. But he said former FBI Director James Comey would not have undertaken such a probe lightly and without a basis for doing so.

Johnson was homeland security chief for the Democratic president from December 2013 to January 2017.

The Senate committee was hearing from officials at DHS and the FBI’s counterintelligence division. Special counsel Robert Mueller is conducting an inquiry into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian officials.

Trump has decried the investigations as witch hunts and has rejected the assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia’s hacking and disinformation campaign was intended to aid his candidacy.

Johnson’s designation of U.S. election systems as critical infrastructure was aimed at providing more federal cybersecurity assistance to state and local governments.

Johnson announced the shift on the same day as the release of a declassified U.S. intelligence report that said Putin “ordered” an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election. That report said Russian intelligence services had “obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple U.S. state or local electoral boards.”

None of the systems targeted or compromised was involved in vote tallying, the report said, and there was no indication Russia’s prying changed vote counts in key states.

But Johnson’s decision triggered an outcry from state and federal election organization officials. They complained that Johnson’s department failed to respond to questions and concerns they had about the designation before the change was made.

American elections are highly decentralized. Voters cast ballots in roughly 185,000 precincts spread over 9,000 jurisdictions during the 2016 presidential election. Elections are also subject to rigorous and elaborate rules that govern how and what equipment is used.
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Anaheim bookkeeper pleads guilty to embezzling more than $1.4 million

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SANTA ANA – An Anaheim bookkeeper has admitted to embezzling more than $1.4 million from a pair of law firms.

Shawna Renee Barretto, 43, pleaded guilty this week to more than 50 felonies, including those for computer-access fraud, falsifying records, grand theft, identity theft and theft from an elder, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.

The embezzlements occurred from 2005 to 2012, when Barretto was working for two unidentified law firms as a bookkeeper and office manager.

Prosecutors said Barretto made payments to her personal credit cards and opened credit card accounts under the names of the law firms she was working for. She hid the payments through false entries in accounting records, prosecutors added.

Barretto used the money for personal expenses, including private school tuition for her children and membership at a golf club.

Irvine police investigators were alerted in May 2012 after another law firm employee reviewing bank records discovered financial discrepancies.

Shawna Barreto’s husband, Roberto Nilo Barretto, initially faced criminal charges tied to the embezzlement. Those charges were dismissed in 2015, court records show.

Barretto is scheduled to return to court for sentencing in February. She faces up to 32 years in state prison.


Planning Commission meets next week on smaller Brea Place project

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A revised proposal for the mixed-use Brea Place project, with 94 units shaved off the housing component, will be considered by the Planning Commission on Tuesday, June 27.

During a lengthy April 25 meeting, commissioners asked Hines, the Texas-based development company, to return with a new proposal reducing the number of apartments. The project also proposes retail space and a 146-room business class hotel.

Under the new proposal the developer would reduce the number of apartment units from 747 to 653.

The Planning Commission had asked  the developer to get down to at least 690.

All five commissioners voiced concerns about the project’s density, particularly toward the north end of the property adjacent to residences. The height of the building proposed at that end has been be dropped from five stories to four.

Plans for the southern end of the project, adjacent to the Brea Mall and Brea Marketplace, were adjusted slightly. Now proposed are 16,900 square feet of commercial space, 424 units in a five-story building and a 146-room Marriott hotel.

The project requires Planning Commission approval, but does not have to go before the City Council, though it could be appealed later to the council.

The Planning Commission meets at 7 p.m.

San Clemente news briefs: Road changes, falconry, movie in the park, gold-medal beers, and more

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Councilman wants to assure residents on highway

As a $2.4 million reconfiguration of El Camino Real approaches an expected mid-July completion, city officials are seeking to reassure skeptical residents that it is a sound design.

A landscaped, protected two-way bikeway on the coastal side of the road is expected to become an extension of San Clemente’s popular coastal trail. But the project has stirred some concerns, and Councilman Chris Hamm raised the topic at the June 20 City Council meeting after having met with several dozen residents four days earlier.

Some points he made:

• The city is not eliminating a right-turn lane onto Camino Capistrano, as some residents feared.

• There will be a traffic lane and a right-turn lane, with a bicycle lane between them.

• There will be substantial room for cars to approach in the right-turn lane, the equivalent of 21 car lengths.

• The right-turn lane works – Hamm said he’s already done it in a long firetruck.

• The temporary 35 mph speed limit during construction will likely return to 45 mph when work is done in July, but a speed survey will need to confirm an appropriate limit.

• The bicycle and pedestrian-friendly design is based on state law – California’s Complete Streets Act – which requires cities to design streets and street upgrades to move bicycles and pedestrians as safely and efficiently as cars.

• A reason for including striped bike lanes on the road, in addition to a protected two-way bikeway off to the side, is because cyclists legally can choose to ride on the road but must stay in a striped bike lane – if one exists – otherwise, they can use the full traffic lane.

• A curb extension into the road will shorten the pedestrian crossing distance and the pedestrian signal phase at Camino Capistrano, meaning a longer green-light phase for cars on the highway.

“Hopefully when it’s done we’ll have a much better product than we have now,” Hamm said, “and we’ll be able to bicycle-ride all the way from State Park to the harbor.”

Lori Prichard makes a pitch for using predators to harmlessly convince pigeons to vacate the San Clemente Pier to find another nesting place. (Photo by Fred Swegles; Orange County Register/SCNG)
Lori Prichard makes a pitch for using predators to harmlessly convince pigeons to vacate the San Clemente Pier to find another nesting place. (Photo by Fred Swegles; Orange County Register/SCNG)

New idea for shooing pigeons from pier?

The City Council, which is prepared to spend $375,000 to install barriers beneath the San Clemente Pier to stop pigeons from nesting there, may have a new idea in the works.

Lori Prichard of Long Beach attended a June 20 council meeting to offer her licensed falconry services “to intimidate and scare off nuisance birds.”

The city proposes to net the undercarriage of the pier from land to Lifeguard Tower Zero to stop pigeon droppings from polluting the ocean in the surf zone. The pier this year was rated the second-most polluted bathing beach in California by the nonprofit Heal the Bay.

Prichard suggested that netting would be a short-term fix as birds would find a way to adapt. Predators are trained to intimidate the pigeons but will return to the falconer without attacking, and the public enjoys watching, Prichard said.

Pigeons, stressed, choose not to return, Prichard said. She said she works at Redondo Beach Pier in coop with the city and local businesses.

She was accompanied by one of her birds, Wally, an owl that she said isn’t used in pigeon abatement. She uses hawks and falcons.

The City Council took her contact information and is interested in learning more.

Family-friendly movie in the park

San Clemente’s recreation program invites the public to a free screening of the family-friendly film “Sing “at 8 p.m. Friday, June 23, at San Gorgonio Park, 2916 Via San Gorgonio.

As a warm-up for the movie, the city recreation staff will offer a 7:30 p.m. karaoke contest. Questions? Call 949-361-8264.

An evening for artists at the Casa

Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens offers “Painting in the Gardens,” a “sip and paint” class to be held at 6 p.m. Friday, June 23, at the cultural center, 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente.

It’s in collaboration with the Casa’s summer exhibit, two gallery rooms filled with hanging floral arrangements designed by London artist Rebecca Louise Law.

A fee of $35 for the class includes materials and a glass of wine. Call 949-498-2139 or visit casaromantica.org.

Recycle your motor oil

The Orange County Used Oil Recycling program, a wing of the county’s environmental health division, is teaming up with AutoZone in San Clemente this week to host an event from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 24.

If you turn in a used oil filter for recycling at AutoZone, 717 N. El Camino Real during the event, you can receive a comparable new oil filter for free. There is a limit of two per household.

Questions? Call the store at 949-369-5841.

Talk can help seniors deal with ageism

The public is invited to a free talk offering senior citizens advice on how to deal with negative attitudes, language and expectations about growing older and ageism.

San Clemente Village, a local nonprofit that offers programs to help people 55 years or older remain in their homes as they grow older, is sponsoring the talk at 10 a.m. July 8 at the Center for Spiritual Living, 1201 Puerta del Sol, San Clemente.

To register for the free event, visit scvillage.org or call 949-441-1348.

Three San Clemente beers earn awards

Two beers produced in San Clemente have earned gold medals and a third beer received a silver medal at 2017 brewing festivals, Left Coast Brewing Co. announced in a news release.

A beer titled Good Morning San Clemente – a Scottish export ale blended with Brazilian Cerrado coffee from Zebra House Coffee in San Clemente – took home gold in the coffee beer category at the San Diego International Beer Competition.

McGarvey’s Scottish Ale, produced for Oggi’s Pizza, won a gold medal in its category at the Los Angeles International Beer Competition.

Del Mar St., a Dortmunder-style export lager, won silver in the Dortmunder German Style Oktober-Fest category at the Los Angeles International Beer Competition.

“These awards inspire us to keep doing what we love,” said Tommy Hadjis, general manager at Left Coast, in a statement.

The brewery said its beers have won more than 30 awards since it opened in 2004 at 1245 Puerta del Sol in the Talega Business Park. See leftcoastbrewing.com.

Council to issue appointments

The City Council will hold special meetings June 26-27, at 4 p.m. each day at City Hall, to interview applicants for city commissions and committees and issue appointments.

Planning Commission: Six people have applied for four seats.

Human Affairs Committee: Five people for four seats.

Golf Course Committee: Five for four seats.

Beaches, Parks & Recreation Commission: Eight for four seats.

Investment Advisory Committee: Four for four seats.

Coastal Advisory Committee: Three for two seats.

The next regular City Council meeting will be at 6 p.m. July 18. The council will not meet July 4.

Aliso, Woods Canyon Wilderness Park have new signs thanks to Laguna Hills Eagle Scout

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  • Titus Toro leans on one of the 10 sign posts he and fellow scouts installed in the Aliso and Woods Canyon Wilderness Park last summer. (Courtesy of Charles Toro)

    Titus Toro leans on one of the 10 sign posts he and fellow scouts installed in the Aliso and Woods Canyon Wilderness Park last summer. (Courtesy of Charles Toro)

  • Titus Toro, second from left, stands with Boy Scout leaders who interviewed him before awarding him an Eagle rank certificate. Toro installed 10 signs that will be used to updated hikers on trail closures at the Aliso and Canyons Wilderness Park. (Courtesy of Charles Toro)

    Titus Toro, second from left, stands with Boy Scout leaders who interviewed him before awarding him an Eagle rank certificate. Toro installed 10 signs that will be used to updated hikers on trail closures at the Aliso and Canyons Wilderness Park. (Courtesy of Charles Toro)

  • The signs have hinges that open and close. Titus Toro, a Laguna Hills resident, installed 10 signs with the help of fellow scouts and friends at Aliso and Woods Canyon Wilderness Park, last summer. (Courtesy of Charles Toro)

    The signs have hinges that open and close. Titus Toro, a Laguna Hills resident, installed 10 signs with the help of fellow scouts and friends at Aliso and Woods Canyon Wilderness Park, last summer. (Courtesy of Charles Toro)

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ALISO VIEJO Getting updates on trail closures and and updates on safety concerns in the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park is easier than ever thanks to 10 update signs, installed by Titus Toro, who earned the rank of Eagle Scout with the completion of his project in Summer 2016.

Toro, a Laguna Hills resident and a member of Boy Scout Troop 316, officially achieved the ranking of Eagle Scout, March 1.

Toro, along with other boys from his troop, other scouts and his friends, worked with OC Rangers to determine the location of the 10 signs. Then, they dug holes, primed the posts with paint solvent and used quick drying cement to install them.

Each post is five feet long and includes hinges to open and close. Rangers have the ability to replace and install the appropriate sign into the sign frame.

The signs update trail users on conditions and whether or not the trail is open for use.

Richard Schaffer, a resource specialist with OC Community Resources, sent Toro a letter in July 2016, thanking him for his time spent on the project.

“These signs truly help park staff enforce park closures due to safety and preservation concerns,” the letter said. “The new signs are a vast improvement over the flimsy, portable, plastic A-fram signs we previously used.”

Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park boasts approximately 4,500 acres between the cities of Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel and Laguna Beach.

After 18 years for a crime Guy Miles says he didn’t commit, freedom tastes sweet

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Guy Miles, imprisoned more than 18 years for a Fullerton bank robbery he says he didn’t commit, is a free man.

With the help of the California Innocence Project, Miles, 50, struck a plea deal with Orange County prosecutors Tuesday that allowed his imminent release with time served. He originally was sentenced to 75 years to life. Miles said at the time of his conviction, in 1999, that he was in Las Vegas at the time of the robbery, a contention he has not dropped.

Miles was released late Tuesday from Theo Lacy Jail in Orange. He embraced one of the Innocence Project attorneys who helped him and grinned widely as he left the facility. He changed from his jail garb into a shirt that read, “XONR8.”

His lawyer, Justin Brooks, said: “An 18-year nightmare is over.” Miles was tearful as he thanked his lawyers and said he wasn’t bitter about his time behind bars.

“The support has been unwavering from day one,” Miles said. “All these people never wavered from day one.”

Miles headed from the jail to his mother’s home in Carson to surprise her and his father.

“I wanted to see a happy smile on their faces,” he said.

“My mind is all over the place right now,” Miles said when he arrived in Carson to greet his parents and many relatives and supporters. “Everybody’s here, that’s what it’s all about.”

  • Guy Miles hugs attorney Raquel Cohen of the California Innocence Project after he was released from Theo Lacy prison today in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Guy Miles hugs attorney Raquel Cohen of the California Innocence Project after he was released from Theo Lacy prison today in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Guy Miles hugs his parents Mabel and Charles after surprising them at their home in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles was released Tuesday after serving over 18 years in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Guy Miles hugs his parents Mabel and Charles after surprising them at their home in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles was released Tuesday after serving over 18 years in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Guy Miles celebrates as he walks out of the Theo Lacy detention facility with Justin Brooks, Director of the California Innocence Project, in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles was released Tuesday after serving over 18 years in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Guy Miles celebrates as he walks out of the Theo Lacy detention facility with Justin Brooks, Director of the California Innocence Project, in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles was released Tuesday after serving over 18 years in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Guy Miles smiles after walking out of the Theo Lacy detention facility next to Justin Brooks, Director of the California Innocence Project, after he was released after 18 years in prison for a robbery he says he didn’t commit, in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Guy Miles smiles after walking out of the Theo Lacy detention facility next to Justin Brooks, Director of the California Innocence Project, after he was released after 18 years in prison for a robbery he says he didn’t commit, in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Guy Miles hugs his mother Mabel after surprising his parents at their home in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles served over 18 years for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Guy Miles hugs his mother Mabel after surprising his parents at their home in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles served over 18 years for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • With tears in her eyes, attorney Alissa Bjerkhoel hugs Charles Miles while celebrating the release of his son Guy at their home in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Guy Miles served over 18 years for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    With tears in her eyes, attorney Alissa Bjerkhoel hugs Charles Miles while celebrating the release of his son Guy at their home in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Guy Miles served over 18 years for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Guy Miles face-time’s with a relative as he celebrates with family at their home in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles was released Tuesday after serving over 18 years in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Guy Miles face-time’s with a relative as he celebrates with family at their home in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles was released Tuesday after serving over 18 years in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Guy Miles hugs his grand-niece Kayla, 11, as his niece Danielle reacts, at right, at his parents’ home in Carson, CA Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles was released Tuesday after serving over 18 years in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Guy Miles hugs his grand-niece Kayla, 11, as his niece Danielle reacts, at right, at his parents’ home in Carson, CA Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles was released Tuesday after serving over 18 years in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Guy Miles celebrates with Justin Brooks, Director of the California Innocence Project, after he was released from the Theo Lacy detention facility in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Guy Miles celebrates with Justin Brooks, Director of the California Innocence Project, after he was released from the Theo Lacy detention facility in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Students from the California Western School of Law wait for Guy Miles to be released from the Theo Lacy detention facility in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Students from the California Western School of Law wait for Guy Miles to be released from the Theo Lacy detention facility in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Charles Miles talks with he media after his son Guy, at right, was released from the Theo Lacy detention facility after 18 years in prison for a robbery he says he didn’t commit, in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Charles Miles talks with he media after his son Guy, at right, was released from the Theo Lacy detention facility after 18 years in prison for a robbery he says he didn’t commit, in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Guy Miles hugs his mother Mabel after surprising his parents at their home in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles served over 18 years for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Guy Miles hugs his mother Mabel after surprising his parents at their home in Carson, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Miles served over 18 years for a crime he says he didn’t commit. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Attorney Raquel Cohen of the California Innocence Project, center, cries as Guy Miles is released from Theo Lacy prison in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. She surrounded by students from the California Western School of Law. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Attorney Raquel Cohen of the California Innocence Project, center, cries as Guy Miles is released from Theo Lacy prison in Orange, CA on Tuesday, June 20, 2017. She surrounded by students from the California Western School of Law. (Photo by Kevin Sullivan, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Democratic House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan talks to reporters after adjournment of a second special session on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, in Olympia, Wash. Lawmakers will need a third special session to complete their work on a new two-year state budget. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte) ORG XMIT: RPRL102

    Democratic House Majority Leader Pat Sullivan talks to reporters after adjournment of a second special session on Wednesday, June 21, 2017, in Olympia, Wash. Lawmakers will need a third special session to complete their work on a new two-year state budget. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte) ORG XMIT: RPRL102

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Some of the younger relatives had never met Miles, but there were plenty of hugs, selfies and tears.

His father, Charles Miles, said “we’ve been praying … We don’t have money, but we have God.”

“We didn’t give up. We never stopped praying,” added his mother Mabel.

In January, an appellate court overturned Miles’ conviction, pointing to new evidence that supported his claim of innocence and to evidence of misconduct by an Orange County prosecutor.

The circumstances of Miles’ plea is somewhat unclear.

His lawyers say Miles was allowed to make what is called a “West” plea, meaning he did not admit guilt but did not contest the charges of second-degree robbery, a move that allows him to get out of prison. Prosecutors, on the other hand, said late Tuesday that Miles pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge John Conley, and that they chose not to retry him so victims in the case wouldn’t have to “relive” the crime.

“This is not a story of an innocent man who got his freedom but one of a guilty man who finally accepted responsibility but was granted some mercy,” said an unsigned statement from the district attorney’s office.

Miles’ lawyers see it differently.

“We would have liked him to be exonerated, but our mission is to get innocent people out of prison,” said Justin Brooks, an attorney with the San Diego-based Innocence Project.

He pointed out that the West plea deal did not require Miles to offer details of the crime to the court or take responsibility for it, and that the plea is not an admission of guilt.

“This is the kind of day we live for.”

A court clerk said Wednesday that both sides are right. The official record will be listed as “guilty,” but because of the West-plea agreement, Miles — unlike others who plead “guilty” — does not have to admit culpability for the crime.

For 15 years, Brooks and his team have argued that Miles was the victim of mistaken identity by eyewitnesses in the June 1998 robbery. Two men stormed the office of Fidelity Financial in Fullerton, while a getaway driver waited outside. At least two witnesses continue to stick by their identification that Miles was one of the robbers.

But three prison inmates have confessed to the crime since his conviction in 1999, saying Miles had nothing to do with it. And at least 10 people are supporting Miles’ story that he was in Las Vegas at the time of the robbery.

The Fourth District Court of Appeal in January overturned Miles’ conviction based on the new evidence. One justice, Eileen C. Moore, wrote in an addendum in that ruling, saying there is a “strong likelihood” that Miles is factually innocent and that prosecutors and police acted improperly to win the case.

The addendum referred to evidence that a prosecutor showed a mug shot of Miles to a witness, during a break in the trial, an act described by Moore as a photo line-up “with one photo.”

“I believe there were significant problems with the eyewitness identifications, including suggestive photographic lineups and improper prosecutorial tactics, which resulted in Miles’ conviction,” Moore wrote.

Miles plans to reconnect with friends and get his license back as he moves forward.

“I did 19 years in jail … I’m with family now. There’s no use getting bitter.”

Staff Writer Scott Schwebke contributed to this report.

Meet the man who’s visited Disneyland 2,000 days in a row

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  • Jeff Reitz takes a selfie with the Mad Hatter and Alice after telling them of his feat of going to Disneyland for 2,000 days in a row in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Jeff Reitz takes a selfie with the Mad Hatter and Alice after telling them of his feat of going to Disneyland for 2,000 days in a row in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Jeff Reitz rides on the Mad Tea Party with his girlfriend Karen Bell at Disneyland in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Reitz has gone to the park everyday for 2,000 consecutive days. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Jeff Reitz rides on the Mad Tea Party with his girlfriend Karen Bell at Disneyland in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Reitz has gone to the park everyday for 2,000 consecutive days. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Jeff Reitz wears a pin announcing his 2,000th day in a row of attending Disneyland in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Reitz has gone to the park everyday since January 1, 2012. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Jeff Reitz wears a pin announcing his 2,000th day in a row of attending Disneyland in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Reitz has gone to the park everyday since January 1, 2012. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Jeff Reitz shows his Disneyland annual pass to enter the park for the 2,000th consecutive day in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Originally planning on going everyday for one year, Reitz has not stopped coming to the park daily since January 1, 2012. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Jeff Reitz shows his Disneyland annual pass to enter the park for the 2,000th consecutive day in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Originally planning on going everyday for one year, Reitz has not stopped coming to the park daily since January 1, 2012. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Jeff Reitz rides his favorite Disneyland attraction, the Matterhorn, with his girlfriend Karen Bell, while visiting the park for the 2,000th consecutive day in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Originally planning on going everyday for one year, Reitz has not stopped coming to the park everyday since January 1, 2012. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Jeff Reitz rides his favorite Disneyland attraction, the Matterhorn, with his girlfriend Karen Bell, while visiting the park for the 2,000th consecutive day in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Originally planning on going everyday for one year, Reitz has not stopped coming to the park everyday since January 1, 2012. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Jeff Reitz rides on the Mad Tea Party with his girlfriend Karen Bell at Disneyland in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Reitz has gone to the park everyday for 2,000 consecutive days. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Jeff Reitz rides on the Mad Tea Party with his girlfriend Karen Bell at Disneyland in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Reitz has gone to the park everyday for 2,000 consecutive days. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Jeff Reitz shows his Disneyland annual pass and parking pass as he enters the park for the 2,000th consecutive day in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Jeff Reitz shows his Disneyland annual pass and parking pass as he enters the park for the 2,000th consecutive day in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Jeff Reitz walks with his girlfriend Karen Bell down Disneyland’s Main Street in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Reitz has gone to the park everyday for 2,000 consecutive days. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Jeff Reitz walks with his girlfriend Karen Bell down Disneyland’s Main Street in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Reitz has gone to the park everyday for 2,000 consecutive days. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Jeff Reitz poses in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle while visiting the park for the 2,000th consecutive day in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Originally planning on going everyday for one year, Reitz has not stopped coming to the park everyday since January 1, 2012. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Jeff Reitz poses in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle while visiting the park for the 2,000th consecutive day in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Originally planning on going everyday for one year, Reitz has not stopped coming to the park everyday since January 1, 2012. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

  • Jeff Reitz rides his favorite Disneyland attraction, the Matterhorn, while visiting the park for the 2,000th consecutive day in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Originally planning on going everyday for one year, Reitz has not stopped coming to the park daily since January 1, 2012. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

    Jeff Reitz rides his favorite Disneyland attraction, the Matterhorn, while visiting the park for the 2,000th consecutive day in Anaheim, on Thursday, June 22, 2017. Originally planning on going everyday for one year, Reitz has not stopped coming to the park daily since January 1, 2012. (Photo by Nick Agro, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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It started as something to do in 2012 – visit Disneyland every day. Now, more than five years later, Jeff Reitz, 44, of Huntington Beach, has passed through the Magic Kingdom’s turnstiles everyday since for 2,000 days in a row.

“It was something to do to keep things fun,” Reitz said Thursday morning, June 22, after walking through Sleeping Beauty Castle.

His repeated visits have made him a bit of a celebrity; several television stations were there Thursday morning to record his 2,000th trip through the turnstile.

Back in 2012, Reitz was going every day with his friend Tonya Mickesh of Lake Forest. Both were unemployed at the time, and used the daily visits as a way to keep their spirits up.

Later that year, Reitz landed a job at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System, and Mickesh found employment too. After succeeding at going everyday that entire leap year, they were rewarded by the park with a night in the Disneyland Dream Suite. Since then, the couple has gone their separate ways.

But Reitz kept going, and in 2014 he hit the 1,000-days-in-a-row mark.

“It’s become a living breathing thing along the way,” the annual passholder said.

He still visits daily, sometimes alone and sometimes with current girlfriend Karen Bell of Costa Mesa. Because of his job, his weekday visits are frequently in the late afternoons and evenings. On weekends, his visit times can vary.

Reitz, a veteran of the Air Force, has memories of the theme park from when he was 2 years old and rode the Matterhorn – still his favorite attraction.

“I have memories of riding it with my mom and holding onto my blankie,” he said.

“I love sitting in the front row, holding the handle and leaning into the turns.”

None of the attractions bother Reitz, whether it’s riding in a boat going through “it’s a small world,” or flying up and down on “Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout!”

“There’s nothing I would turn away from, I’m looking forward to checking out the new dance show for kids at Disney Junior in Disney California Adventure,” Reitz said.

Along the way he’s met many celebrities, and tried the food at nearly every restaurant saying, “Pizza Port is my go to place. I love going there for the pasta and the soft drinks.”

He’s made many friends at the park, including a number of its cast members (what Disneyland calls its employees) and other regular visitors to the park. Many times he says he’ll just walk around or find a place to sit and watch people while listening to the area music.

There is a specific routine for his daily visits: He always parks in the Mickey & Friends parking structure and has kept every parking ticket from every day. He always enters Disneyland first, before going across the Esplanade to visit Disney California Adventure. He posts several photos daily through social media too.

Thanks to the many visits, he has advice for other, less regular, visitors; such as using the Disneyland app on their smart phones to keep up with wait times and ride closures, and to use Fastpasses for the really popular attractions.

“The number one thing I tell people is to bring your patience. With the summer time crowds and the heat I tell people to relax and have fun.”

He admitted he does not know when he will stop going every day.

“My current pass is good until January of 2018, then we’ll see.”

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