‘We no longer have election night. We have election season’
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Nov. 9, and Election Day is, at last, in the rearview mirror. I’m Carol Cormaci, bringing you today’s TimesOC newsletter with the latest roundup of news and events.
So, while the big day is behind us, it will take some time to know the outcome of the election. Why so? Relying on helpful information gleaned from this article by L.A. Times staff writer Julia Wick, “Q&A: What to expect when you’re expecting election results,” I learned that the vast majority of California voters have embraced the 2021 law that made vote-by-mail permanent.
“Ballots postmarked by election day are also accepted for up to seven days in California. That means the total number of ballots cast won’t be certain until well into next week, making it difficult for experts to gauge how much results may shift in the days immediately after the election,” Wick explains.
“We no longer have election night. We have election season,” Mindy Romero, a political sociologist and director of the USC Center for Inclusive Democracy, told Wick.
The L.A. Times reported in one of its stories yesterday about voters scurrying about in the rain that the vote center at Library of the Canyons in Silverado was closed Tuesday. Local officials issued an evacuation order in the burn scar area left by the Bond fire, due to concerns about possible mudslides and other hazardous conditions caused by rainfall. The order was issued for 4 a.m. Tuesday through 7 a.m. today.
“We closed the location yesterday, and as of yesterday we had 130 voters that were able to cast their vote from that center,” Rosa Vizcarra, community program specialist for the Orange County Registrar of Voters, told The Times in a phone interview Tuesday morning. “It’s an evacuation order from the county. So people and us had to evacuate the zone.”
I dropped my ballot at my nearest post office one day in mid-October and on Oct. 19 received a text acknowledgement it had been received and counted. Yesterday’s inclement weather had zero effect on my ability to vote. I’m grateful for the ease of the process.
MORE NEWS
— Investigators seeking the identity of a possible homicide victim found nine years ago in Newport Beach learned he was of Chinese descent and released an artist’s rendering of his face Tuesday, hoping someone might recognize him. The man was found by fishermen in waters about a mile from the coast on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2013. Anyone who might be able to help investigators should call the department’s homicide bureau at (714) 647-7055 or send an email to coldcase@ocsheriff.gov. Tips can also be submitted anonymously with Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855) 847-6227 or occrimestoppers.org.
— Showers that began overnight across Orange County were expected to grow in intensity Wednesday afternoon, prompting the evacuation of residents living near areas scorched by wildfires in recent years. The storm passing over Southern California had dumped between .5 to 1.5 inches of rain on portions of coastal Orange County by 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to data from automated rain gauges shared by the National Weather Service.
— Orange County bus service resumed Monday and Tuesday amid a maintenance worker strike, according to a report by L.A. Times writers Laura Newberry and Salvador Hernandez. The picket lines were temporarily lifted to allow voters to get to the polls. A union official said if there is no contract agreement by today, the workers will probably hit the picket lines again, once again halting bus service.
— Several Newport Beach bay channels, closed over the weekend by a sewage spill, were reopened Monday afternoon following testing by the Orange County Health Care Agency. Swimmers, surfers and divers were allowed back in after a sewage spill that Orange County Sanitation District officials said was attributed to a forcemain leak.
— The cities of Fountain Valley, Garden Grove and Westminster have banded together to facilitate the creation of the Central Cities Navigation Center to serve the unhoused population. A $5.65-million parcel at 13871 West St. in Garden Grove has been identified for the development and operation of the navigation center. Plans include 85 shelter beds — 13 of which will be designated for use by Fountain Valley. Garden Grove, the purchasing entity, will have 50 beds, and Westminster will have 22 beds. The shelter will serve single adults and couples.
— Huntington Beach police are investigating a fatal crash that took place at 2:30 a.m. Monday on Beach Boulevard, when a Jeep Compass struck a pedestrian who was in the northbound lanes, just north of Slater Avenue, according to officials. The Jeep’s driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators, officials said. The victim was identified as 30-year-old Michael Klassen, of Laguna Niguel.
— A man found not guilty by way of insanity in the 2019 homicide of his mother in Laguna Beach was committed to a mental institution on Friday. Per the recommendations of psychologists appointed by both prosecutors and public defenders, a judge found that Matthew Bryson McDonald, 37, must receive treatment regardless of his volition as an inpatient with the California Department of State Hospitals. His commitment will last for an indefinite amount of time, pending an annual review.
LIFE & LEISURE
— Headquartered in Irvine, Girl Scouts of Orange County provides programs, activities and leadership skills for some 15,000 Scouts in 1,200 troops countywide. Now, thanks to a $2.8-million commitment from noted philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the nonprofit is supercharging its mission by expanding to serve more girls in more local communities. Leaders of the organization were informed they were among 29 councils of the national organization personally selected by Scott to receive a portion of the total $84.5 million in funding.
— More than three decades after its formation, Laguna Canyon Foundation held its first gala last month, and the local nonprofit organization reported it raised more than $115,000 from the event. The gala, which boasted the theme “Glammin’ in the Canyon,” was held on Oct. 21 at the Massen Greene House and the Berns Canyon Preserve. Formed in 1990, the foundation has focused in recent years on conservation of the 22,000 acres of open space around Laguna Beach, and it has partnered with the city on fuel modification efforts.
SPORTS
— The Newport Harbor High School football team (7-4) rolled to a 43-17 win over visiting Valencia on Friday in a Division 4 first-round playoff game at Davidson Field.
— Outstanding catchers, coming out of Santa Margarita Catholic High School baseball program who are expected to sign letters of intent today are spotlighted in L.A. Times columnist Eric Sondheimer’s piece this week. “The Eagles have three catchers from the class of 2023 who could become major leaguers. The fact Blake Balsz (UCLA), Luke Lavin (Stanford) and Bryce Humphry (San Francisco) all arrived as freshmen and stuck it out competing for four years, with each earning a college scholarship at the catcher position is rare,” he writes.
— And there are no fewer than 10 JSerra baseball players who are signing letters of intent today too, Sondheimer writes in a separate piece. Class of 2023 players set to sign and their future college homes are: Trent Caraway, Oregon State; Brandon Chang, Brown; JJ Hollis, UC Santa Barbara; Lou Fujiwara, Washington; Andrew Lamb, USC; Dillon Martin, Claremont McKenna; Jonathan Mendez, UC Santa Barbara; Brodie Purcell, USC; Ben Reimers, Stanford; Dominic Smaldino, Cal.
CALENDAR THIS
— The Holiday Gift Faire at Sherman Gardens in Corona del Mar takes place this Thursday, Nov. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Guests enjoy free garden admission all day. More on this event in the words of Bev Morgan, Sherman spokesperson: “Our volunteers bake homemade Christmas cookies, and we offer free coffee and cookies all day. The Sowers group of volunteers sell their beautiful handmade holiday items and donate their time and materials with all proceeds from sales going to the gardens. Sherman senior horticulturist Carol Younger orders seasonal plants for sale, and Christmas music plays throughout the Tea Garden.” Sounds inviting, no? Sherman Library & Gardens is located at 2647 E. Coast Highway.
— “Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play,” a dark comedy by Anne Washburn and presented by the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts, will be staged at the Huntington Beach High School Theater on Nov. 10, 12, 13, 17 and 18, with showtimes for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale at hbapa.org/see.
— A Veterans Day Celebration and Car Show will be held Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Veterans Sports Park, 1645 Valencia Ave., Tustin. Cars from the Marconi Automotive Museum will be featured. A ceremony to honor local veterans will be held at 11 a.m. Refreshments can be found at the event’s beer garden and food trucks. All proceeds from beer sales will go to the Tustin Police Officers Assn. The event is hosted by the Tustin City Council and Parks and Recreation Department.
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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