UPDATE: The Garden Grove City Council approved the proposed moratorium on new mortuaries and crematoria at a special meeting Friday morning on a 4-0 vote. Councilman Steve Jones was on vacation. A […]
Moratorium on mortuaries OKd
Tax on medicinal marijuana defeated
By Jim Tortolano A proposal to impose a tax on medical marijuana was defeated at Tuesday night’s meeting of the Garden Grove City Council. Mayor Bao Nguyen’s motion to tax cannabis, perhaps […]
Pot, peace, prejudice and Pokemon
This is a week of great anxiety and light foolishness. Much of the nation is absorbed in reflection over whether recent shootings of and by police are tearing the country apart, while […]
The ghosts of military posts in OC
By Jim Tortolano The pivotal factor in Orange County’s transition from an agricultural region into a sprawling suburban metropolis was the effect of World War II and its aftermath. The great conflict […]
Floods, drought helped define OC
By Jim Tortolano We had a drought most of the year and dire warnings of a shriveled-up, parched land. Then come the predictions of an El Nino winter and much too much […]
Serra: Saint or sinner or both?
By Jim Tortolano Anyone who grew up in California got the story: Junipero Serra was one of the founding fathers of California. The Franciscan friar was a hero for establishing a chain […]
‘Son of Red Car’ coming in 2019?
By Jim Tortolano It’s been said that if you wait long enough, everything comes back into style. If all goes according to plan – and how often does that happen? – in […]
Today’s history smells pretty bad
A three-way collision in Huntington Beach. And no, that’s not the story of a car crash. This smashup involves efforts at historical preservation, environmental concerns and public education. Geographically, it occurs in […]
Ole Hanson’s haven by the sea
By Jim Tortolano At the far southeast edge of Orange County lies San Clemente, a city conceived and originally developed by a man from the far northwest of the United States. Once isolated from […]
Cows pave the path to prosperity
By Jim Tortolano The humble cow has had a big role in the history of Orange County. One former “cow town” that stubbornly fought to maintain its bovine heritage lost the battle […]
