TimesOC: Controversial board challenges Newsom in court
Good morning and welcome to the TimesOC newsletter.
It’s Friday, Dec. 3. I’m Ben Brazil, bringing you the latest roundup of Orange County news and events.
The Orange County Board of Education doesn’t have much power, but it sure makes a lot of noise.
The mostly right-wing board recently filed a legal complaint challenging Gov. Gavin Newsom’s state of emergency. As my colleague Gabriel San Román pointed out this week, this is the second time in months that the board has tried to put an end to the pandemic-related order, which includes mask mandates for K-12 students.
In August, the California Supreme Court declined to hear the board’s previous petition. But the board is back at it again, this time filing in Orange County Superior Court, which doesn’t have the state court’s authority to decline cases, San Román wrote.
“This case is not about vaccine or mask mandates or any other specific policy measures,” said Scott Street, an attorney for the board. “It seeks to restore the normal process of governance and to ensure transparency and accountability in the political process, things that have been lacking during the past two years.”
The recent lawsuit contends that Newsom violated the California Emergency Services Act when he reopened the state in June but didn’t end the state of emergency.
“One thing is clear, the governor has a duty to terminate the state of emergency at the ‘earliest possible moment that conditions warrant,’” the suit says.
Newsom extended parts of the emergency order last month in case of potential future surges of COVID-19.
Now, the world is bracing to find out how crippling the Omicron variant will be. Omicron, which just arrived in California, was classified as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization, San Román wrote.
Keeping all of this in mind, it’s important to note that the O.C. Board of Education doesn’t determine much of anything for Orange County schools. Board members, who are elected to four-year terms, approve charter schools and hear interdistrict transfer and expulsion appeals.
The board also approves the annual budget of the Orange County Department of Education, which is distinct from the board.
MORE NEWS
A man who allegedly shot and killed four people in Orange earlier this year was committed to a state mental facility this week after a judge found him to be mentally unfit to stand trial. Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez had been shot in the head by officers during the mass shooting. One of the victims was a 9-year-old boy. “It doesn’t feel right. It’s a terrible injustice,” the boy’s father said this week. “What does that say? That people can go around killing other people and then pretend that they don’t understand, so people will say, ‘Oh, he’s crazy. We can’t send him to prison.’”
When Anaheim police officers fatally shot a Santa Ana city councilman’s cousin in September, it wasn’t the first time some of them have been involved in deadly shootings. Body camera footage revealed that the officers mistook an empty water bottle in a black bag for a gun when they shot and killed Brandon Lopez, the cousin of Councilman Johnathan Hernandez.
In response to angry neighbors who complain of trash and noise, Newport Beach this week decided to tighten restrictions on short-term rentals. The city will now have a maximum of 1,550 short-term lodging permits and require a minimum stay of two nights, my colleague Lilly Nguyen reported.
Vandals caused thousands of dollars worth of damage this week to a model train depot in Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park. But a county supervisor decided to step up to the rescue with $15,000 worth of donations to fix the damages. The Orange County Model Engineers and other officials are looking for community members to help with the rebuild. My colleague Sara Cardine has the story.
LIFE AND LEISURE
One of the most memorable events of the holiday season in Orange County is returning Sunday for the 25th year. Huntington Beach’s “Light a Light of Love” will feature the lighting of more than 80 6-foot-tall snowflakes along the pier and Main Street. Proceeds from the event will go toward the Huntington Beach Youth Shelter.
You can get your tamale fix this holiday season in Old Town Placentia, where the city is celebrating the 27th year of its annual tamale festival. Thousands of people flock to the city each December to take part in the beloved tradition. Organizers are excited for a return to normalcy this season after the pandemic forced last year’s festival to only offer curbside pickup.
Brazilian churros are coming to South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. What, you may ask, is the difference between a Brazilian churro and those hailing from Mexico or Cuba? My colleague Sarah Mosqueda uncovered that the difference lies in the cakeyness of the inner dough. Brazilian churros are also usually stuffed with a rich caramel called doce de leite. “I hope our guests really get to taste a different take on what a street food churro can taste like,” said Nicolas Silva, a Brazilian native and co-founder of Churriño Gourmet Churros & Gelato.
The Irvine Fine Art Center is featuring the exhibition “Manos,” which reflects on what we do with our hands to nourish. One of the two artists featured, José Flores Nava, examines connections through his work between the undocumented community and the products of their labor.
SPORTS
As the MLB goes into a lockout with its players union, the Angels are stills searching for an answer to their pitching woes. So far this offseason, the team has acquired two high-upside starters, a middle reliever and resigned a dominant closer. But, with the lockout halting free agency, it could complicate the team’s ability to round out its roster.
Here’s Reporter Jack Harris with more on the MLB lockout. It triggered the first league stoppage in 26 years.
OPINION
As the football powerhouse Mater Dei has faced scrutiny over a new lawsuit, columnist Gustavo Arellano stepped into the conversation this week, criticizing the school and Orange County Catholic diocese for their inaction. Filed last week, the legal complaint alleges that the team engages in a hazing ritual that left one player with a traumatic brain injury.
Stay in Touch
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