Another cyclist killed, another ghost bike memorial set in place
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Sept. 21, the final gasp of summer as the autumn equinox arrives at 6:04 p.m. Pacific Time tomorrow. I’m Carol Cormaci, bringing you today’s TimesOC newsletter with the latest roundup of news and events.
Dozens of the late Randy Cintron’s friends and relatives gathered Sunday along Bayview Trail in Newport Beach, one week after he died from injuries sustained when his bike was struck by a hit-and-run driver.
A pair of bystanders who attempted to care for the Costa Mesa resident before paramedics arrived on the day of the crash were also in attendance to pay their respects at a “ghost bike” memorial.
Cintron’s demise on Sept. 11 was one of the news items I linked to in a newsletter last week, so the name might seem familiar to you.
It disturbs me whenever we learn of another smash-up between a car or truck and someone on foot, or, as in Cintron’s case, riding a bicycle. The outcome — often death of the more vulnerable pedestrians or cyclists — is too often followed by a news release from the police stating that it was a hit-and-run.
That appears to have been the case in Cintron’s death: the driver, a 36-year-old Anaheim woman, allegedly took off but was arrested less than 2 miles away from the scene of the crash.
In this business one can, regrettably, get inured to news of violent death. We take down the notes, we write up the stories, we push them through our editorial system and they are published. Then we’re on to the next news story.
But there are the times when we are stopped still in our emotional tracks, no matter how harried our workday might be. That happened to me on Monday when I studied a series of photos of people placing flowers at a makeshift tribute to the 43-year-old Cintron, complete with one of the now familiar memorial bikes that have been painted white to designate a cyclist has been mowed down and is no longer alive to enjoy another ride.
Flowers, candles and photos were left at the Cintron memorial alongside Jamboree Road on Sunday, a shrine that is expected to remain in place for about three weeks, according to the story by my colleague Eric Licas. Hugs were shared during the brief gathering as the memorial took shape, Licas reported, and some tears were shed. Understandably. It was just another needless death. So sad.
MORE NEWS
— A Laguna Beach water quality department project plans to replace an aging sewer lift station at Anita Street and improve coastal access there. The work will force the removal of a mural created from tile, glass and handmade ceramics near the top of the beach access stairway. Francesca Zobek’s “Water Wall” has illustrated the ocean and marine life on a low wall adjacent to the Pacific Ocean in Laguna Beach since 2005.
— A bat found last week near the pickleball courts at the Fountain Valley Tennis Center tested positive for rabies, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency. The bat was found at about 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday. County health officials are calling for residents to be alert and avoid contact with all bats, which are commonly identified every year in Orange County.
— The son of a former cast member of “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” Josh Waring — who was once
convicted of a 2016 shooting in Costa Mesa — pleaded guilty Monday to drug charges and was immediately sentenced to two years in prison. The 33-year-old Waring was given credit for 106 days in custody.
— Providence Mission Hospital on Monday announced a three-part plan for a major, $712-million expansion that will include a 100-bed patient tower, along with new medical centers in Rancho Mission Viejo and San Clemente, according to City News Service. An exact timeline for the project was not immediately announced.
LIFE & LEISURE
— Huntington Beach residents Dom Jones and Richard Kuo are contestants in the 34th season of the reality show “The Amazing Race,” which launches tonight on CBS and is set in Germany. This is the first time in the show’s history that the starting point is outside of the United States. Jones and Kuo, who became engaged after filming ended, are among 12 teams competing for the $1-million first-place prize.
— The MagicBand+, a wristband that contains microchip technology, will debut for the first time at Disneyland Resort this fall. The wristband will allow guests access to the park, skip long lines and “pulse and glow to the beat of the nighttime light shows,” according to my colleague Hugo Martín. The price for the band at the Anaheim park wasn’t disclosed, but at Walt Disney World in Orlando they cost $45.
SPORTS
— Should the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani or Yankees star Aaron Judge be named the American League’s Most Valuable Player this season? Locals have good reason to pull for Ohtani. For a very recent example of his prowess, L.A. Times sportswriter Bill Shaikin points out that Ohtani pretty much won Saturday’s 2-1 game against the Mariners by himself when he “scored one run, drove in one run and allowed no runs.” As Shaikin writes, while comparing the two outstanding athletes, “Ohtani can do this in any given start. No one else can. Ohtani is 28. He can keep this up.” If 30-year-old Judge ends the season with a strong finish and “keeps the Yankees from complete collapse,” Shaikin thinks he could claim 2022 MVP honors. “But the suggestion that there is just one worthy candidate is puffery that disrespects both of them,” Shaikin concludes.
— At 14, Dakota Lam, a member of the Fountain Valley High School golf team, suffered a nearly fatal stroke and still is dealing with its aftereffects two years later, but she remains one of the team’s most consistent players. The story of the teen’s remarkable perseverance can be found here.
— In hard-fought gridiron action Friday night, the Edison High School Chargers beat the San Clemente High Tritons, 21-16. The Chargers remained unbeaten at 5-0 headed into their bye week and handed the Tritons (4-1) their first loss of the season. It’s Edison’s first 5-0 start since the 2009 team, which had an undefeated regular season and advanced to the Pac-5 Division championship game.
CALENDAR THIS
— On Saturday, Oct. 1, the Diego Sepulveda Adobe in Costa Mesa, a preserved early 19th-century building constructed under the aegis of Mission San Juan Capistrano to serve as a waystation, will be reopening to the public as a museum after two years. Hours for the grand celebration are noon to 4 p.m. The adobe is in Estancia Park, 1900 Adams Ave.
— Orange Coast College’s Planetarium has introduced a new lecture series featuring guests discussing topics related to astronomy and space science, the first installment of which takes place this Friday at 6 p.m. UCLA astronomer Dr. Abhimat Gautam will talk about his work on a project that identified a supermassive black hole in the center of the Milky Way and won the 2020 Nobel Prize in physics. The lecture series is free, but guests are encouraged to obtain tickets beforehand by going online here. OCC is located at 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.
— To mark Rail Safety Week, special free events for the whole family are planned this weekend, Sept. 24 and 25, at the Fullerton Train Museum, 200 E. Santa Fe Ave., Fullerton. Hours Saturday are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information visit fullertontrainmuseum.org.
KEEP IN TOUCH
If you have a memory or story about Orange County, I would love to read and share it in this space. Please try to keep your submission to 100 words or less and include your name and current city of residence.
I’d appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C., or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com.
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