Alright, we're back with another issue after almost two months, which prompts the follow-up:  a) What took you so long?  b) I didn't notice you were missing.

    Saw the annual Seal Beach 5K/10K last Saturday - a great event, well run, lots of fun for the 4,000+ runners.  The organizers did an fantastic job and should be very proud.  

    High school news -Los Al sports teams are having a strong Spring showing.  Boys baseball started strong, and despite a little stumble, they'll be in the thick of it down the stretch.  Boys volleyball and golf were atop the league going into spring break.  Griffin volleyballer Kevin Carroll has again been selected to the U.S. Junior National team.

    The OC Register ran a nice article on the passing of Lucy Woodward, the mother of Seal Beach's Sandy Kluwe (and grandmother of  Griffin, UCLA and now Minnesota Viking punter Chris Kluwe).  Woodward, an aerospace engineer, by profession, climbed the highest peaks in Asia, Africa, and South America.

   FALL SPORTS SIGNUP SEASON:  Spring is definitely in the air which obviously means it s time to sign up for Fall youth sports.   Los Al Pop Warner Football is already in the middle of their sign-up season.  Click here for more info.    AYSO, the biggest of all the athletic baby-sitting organizations, starts its annual sign-up frenzy on Sunday, April 29, and Friday Night Lights Flag Football will return for a second season, with signups officially beginning May 1.

The Los Al High Grad Night 2007 committee is always looking for volunteers.  Visit their website.

If you're interested in advertising, here's a list of our rates.  

The Los Al Boys volleyball team (currently ranked No. 4 in CIF Division I and Orange County) entered the spring break with a 2-0 Sunset League record, and an 11-2 overall mark.

Los Al's only losses this year came in shortened matches at the OC Championships when they fell to Santa Margarita, and then to Esperanza.  The latter match saw the Aztecs winning both games in overtime.

Esperanza, which went on to defeat Mater Dei for the championship, hosts the Griffins on April 17, then comes to Los Al-land on May 1.

Los Al has defeated Redondo Union, Long Beach Wilson (Press-Telegram recap here, OC Register recap here) -- both ranked teams), Millikan, Poly and Mission Viejo in its pre-season.

Hopkinson teacher Tere Fieldson (above center) is shown with five of her former kindergarten students who all now play for the Los Al High baseball team.   Fieldson threw out the first pitch at the team's home opener on March 21. (l-r, Cameron Tanseco, Geno DeAngelis, Mac Sullivan, Fieldson, Ryan Boufford, Logan Flagg)

PREP BASEBALL: Griffins fall to Edison and Esperanza after starting 3-0; play FV this week

After jumping out to a 3-0 start in Sunset League play, the Los Al Griffin baseball team dropped two games just before the the spring break to finish the first round of league play with a 3-2 mark.   

The Griffins dropped a 13-6 affair at Esperanza (Video highlights here, if you dare), just two days after a tough 6-5 loss to Edison.

Fortunately, they went into their spring break with some good thoughts after rebounding to defeat Torrance 5-0 in the third round of the Redondo Tournament (which takes place on consecutive Saturdays).  The win improved their overall record to 12-3.

The pre-season saw them go 8-1, including a third place finish in the Loara Tournament.  In their Sunset League opener, the Griffins routed Fountain Valley 18-2 on March 16.  Travis Garrett went 3 for 3, driving in six runs, and striking out four in just three innings of play.  They followed that up with a 10-2 win over Newport Harbor on Wednesday, March 21.  Before that game, Hopkinson School teacher Tere Fieldson threw out the first ball.  Five of the current Griffins were students in her kindergarten class during the 1994-95 school year.

Los Al resumes league play next week with the first of five home and home weeks.  On Wednesday they host Fountain Valley, and travel to the Barons site on Friday.

The Griffins Boys Golf team is off to one of its best starts in years, logging a 10-1 overall mark, and a 3-0 start in Sunset League play.

Los Al downed Esperanza 197-212 on March 29, with juniors Miles Cole and Jonathan Saunders posting 38s to take honors on the Par 36 Yorba Linda Country Club course.

The Griffins resume league play next week with home and home matches against Fountain Valley.

All of March was a good month for the Los Al linksters.  On March 5, senior Jeff Lewis shot six birdies and parring three others during a remarkable round of 30 in a 182-206 non-league win over Downey at El Dorado Park Golf Course.   Los Al coach John Haygood said the score was the lowest during his five years as coach.

   Both the Los Al High boys and girls lacrosse teams are making waves in the Orange County standings in their first Varsity seasons.
   The boys team is 5-2 overall.  After falling to Corona del Mar in their season opener, the Griffins ran off five wins -- including an 8-7 triple overtime thriller over Newport Harbor on March 21.  Their win streak ended March 31 when the Griffins fell to Avalon 11-9 in Catalina.
     C.J. Jacobs, who had four goals against Marina on March 23, and junior Adam Kingston have been the scoring leaders for Los Al, which resumes its season on Wednesday (April 11) by hosting Tustin at Laurel School at 4:15.  Two days later they host Avalon in a rematch.

   The Griffin girls have put together a 4-2-1 mark.  On March 29, the Los Al gals pummeled Tustin 16-3, with Francie Crowell and Shaina Denny leading the scoring parade with five goals apiece.  Also getting their name in the scorebook were Kristin Robbins (1 goal, 2 assists), Lindsey Schmidt-Beck (2 goals), Ashley Actkinson and Megan Baikie (each with a goal and assist), Kelsey Thorn (2 assists), Cathy Soukup (1 goal), and Tracy Paulson and Shelley Smith (each garnering an assist).
    Two days earlier, they rallied from a 2-1 halftime deficit to thump Foothill 7-3.  Shaina Denny led the scoring with three goals.

After enduring a sometimes frustrating non-league season, the Los Al High softball team ended March by downing San Clemente and Valencia to win the championship of the Savannah Tournament, then began April by splitting games with Elsinore (won 5-3) and Hart (lost 2-0) in the Woodbridge Tournament this past Saturday.

With the wins, the lady Griffins (shown above with their Savannah championship trophy) improved their record to 9-5.  Los Al opens Sunset League play this week with a pair of games against Fountain  Valley.

Wheeler, an all-CIF player who hit .467 last season, suffered an ACL sprain at the season-opening Tournament of Champions in Bullhead City, Arizona, where the Griffins went 2-3 against very tough competrition.

Back home they swept a double-header from Sonora, with Mawn belting a grand slam in the first game, and Britney Spalding homered in the second game, then followed that up with Savanna Tourney wins over Troy and El Rancho.

After splitting a twin bill with Gahr on March 29, Los Al took care of business at the finals of the Savannah tourney two days later, with Anna Cahn pitching both games to get the wins and the tourney's MVP award.

Cahn picthed six shutout innings in the win over Elsinore on Saturday, then went the distance in the 2-0 loss to Hart.  

Cahn, the team's top pitcher, is also its leading hitter with a .424 average, followed by Mawn (.361) and Stephanie Tingle (.344).

Los Al athletes once again took home a lot of trophies and certificates in the post-season awards arena.

Clint Amberry and Cameron Jones both made the OC Register's All-County boys Basketball second team, and coach Russ May was named Coach of the Year.  All three earned All-CIF Division I-A honors, with Amberry and Jones being named to the first team, May repeating as the Division I-A Coach of the Year, and junior Corbin Moore getting in on some second team action.  Amberry and Jones also shared Sunset League Player of the Year honors, while Moore and Dillon Ratleff made the second team.

Casey Bay and Lauren Bennett were both named to the OC Register's All-Orange County Girls Soccer first team.    Bay, the Sunset League's Player of the Year, also made the All-CIF Division I first team while Bennett, the Sunset League's Defensive Player of the Year, earned 2^nd team honors.  Fellow seniors Taylor Cole and Ginger Sossaman were both first team all-league and made All-CIF third team.  Bay scored a goal in the CIF All-Star game played at La Mirada High last month.  Other Griffins on the all-league team were Katie Ikuta, Greer Wilke and Tori Rocke (first team) and Jazmyne Bacani, Melanie Green, and Katie Suits (second team).

On the boys side, junior Wes Feigner made first team All-CIF Division I, Kevin Venegas was on the CIF second team, and senior Zac Rothman was named to the Register's All-OC second team. 

In Girls Water Polo, Sarah Brady made the first team All-CIF Division I squad while Kaylee Miller earned second team honors.

Wrestler Panos Papadopoulos made the Register's first team in the heavyweight class.

Huber (shown right) has been an assistant with the Griffin boys program for last three years (and is currently an assistant on the boys varsity).  He assisted Munoz on the girls side last season.

During his three-year term as Griffin coach, Munoz led the team to two CIF-Southern Section titles and two state championships.  (Los Al won its first CIF title in 2002, a year before Munoz arrived, and its first state championship in 2003 when he was a first-year assistant coach). 

   There is lots of news re: local alumni but only so much space, so let's get in what we can...

    Former Griffin pitcher Stacey Nelson (shown right), now a sophomore at the University of Florida, has been named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week. Nelson, who earned the honor after outstanding performances against Florida International, Princeton and Georgia last week, is now 16-7 on the season, with six shutouts, and a 1.18 ERA.
     The honor caps a strong early season for the Rossmoor native.  Nelson ended Alabama's 25-game win-streak a few weeks ago, and got the save when the Gators handed No. 1 Tennessee its first loss of the season.

     On the soccer alumni front, Jon Bornstein, who played for the US National soccer team in wins over Denmark and Mexico, strained MCL knee ligaments and missed six weeks of action and two US National team games.  Bornstein did start in Chivas USA's MLS opener on Satrurday night, a 2-0 win over the new Toronto squad.    

     Former Griffin basketball player Rob Brooks got a good taste of the NCAA basketball spotlight in his role manager of the USC basketball team.

   Renzo Maggi had another good weekend for the Loyola Marymount tennis team, winning both his singles and doubles matches against Cal Poly.

   With National Cup competition is just a couple weeks away, local club soccer teams are starting to take their tune-up tournament action quite seriously.

The Infinity U14 team (Jessica Heller, Seal Beach/LAHS) won the Las Vegas Showcase in early March.

   The Los Alamitos Soccer Club Vikings Boys Under 12 team has been invited to play at the Region F US Club Soccer National Cup to be held in June 23 - 26, 2007, in North Carolina.  This season, the Vikings have won championships at six tournaments, including the Anaheim Holiday Classic, and Irvine Winter Classic.  They also reached the finals of the Coast Soccer League's inaugural California Cup.
     The Los Alamitos Soccer Club now has ten teams, with players from Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, Seal Beach and the surrounding areas.  More information can be found at their website at  www.losalamitossoccerclub.com.

   The Long Beach Soccer Club Girls Black U12 team reached the Round of 16 at State Cup competition before falling to eventual finalist FRAM. 
   The LB 12s (local players include Shelby Riphagen, Rossmoor) won the Celtic Cup  in late January, surviving temperatures in the 20s. The LB girls scored with four minutes left to down Las Vegas Neusport in the championship match.

Another local hockey hotshot wunderkind, 14-year old Rocco Grimaldi (of Rossmoor, but currently playing in Michigan) had a nice article written about him in the NARCh (roller hockey) website.  Grimaldi also played a key role in helping his Little Caesar's team to the Michigan State bantam Championship last week.

CHAD DORECK:  Just days before his dreams of being the next Danny Zuko on Broadway were ended on "Grease: You're the One that I Want," when he was voted off , Chad Doreck (shown right)  got a rousing ovation from students at his alma mater, the Orange County High School of the Arts, once located in Los Alamitos but now in Santa Ana..

On the beauty contest front... 19-year old Maryam Ahmadina of Rossmoor was crowned Miss Seal Beach (Apr. 1, 2007)

SCHOOL NEWS:  Interviews to start soon; 20-member panel appointed to participate in interview process to replace Carol Hart

OTHER SCHOOL RELATED ARTICLES

Concert raises 12gs for LAHS and McAuliffe Jazz Bands.  (Mar. 16, 2007) 

Laurel School gets compliments from local citizen  (Mar. 20, 2007)

JFTB hosts cadet drill corps event  (OC Register, Mar. 13, 2007)

The Rossmoor Homeowners Association kicked off a campaign last Thursday to build awareness and support for the proposal to make this unincorporated community into an independent city.
   This comes a week after RCSD representatives filed a notice saying they're going to circulate a petition to residents that would allow them to vote on incorporation.
   Last January, LAFCO, the Local Agency Formation Commission, placed Rossmoor in Los Alamitos' sphere of influence. The decision is not binding.  LAFCO is periodically required to make a report, and since Seal Beach's City Hall is 5 miles away, and the Los Alamitos city hall is, well, across the street, it only made sense to once again put us in Los Al's sphere of influence.
   Historically, incorporation's had a tough road to travel in Rossmoor.  It was derailed in 1957, 1960, and 1966.  Los Alamitos initiated annexation efforts in 1972 and 1977 which also went nowhere with Rossmoor voters.
    The RHA's recent survey of community residents can be viewed here, as can the very complete study of the Rossmoor Governance Options.

KESKY SPICES UP ROSSMOOR CHILI COOK OFF

Local contractor Eddie Kesky came away as the big winner at the Rossmoor Chili Cook-off held on St. Patrick's Day at Rush Park. 
   Kesky and his Spice Girls highlighted the event, (incriminating photos of which can be seen here) the third of the Rossmoor 50th Anniversary celebration which continues this month with a pancake breakfast, and hits full swing on May 5th with a 5K race, a parade and all-day celebration at Rush Park.

Chili cookoff in Rossmoor  (OC Register, March 18, 2007)

Trash talking in Rossmoor.  (OC register, March 14, 2007)

   Catharine Seipp, who grew up in the Los Alamitos area, and became a nationally known media critic, died of lung cancer at age 49,  even though she herself was a non-smoker.  The LA Times, one of her favorite targets in the 1990s, gave her a nice obit.
    Seipp who evolved from a young liberal to outspoken conservative commentator, wrote numerous columns and blogs which were well-read and parsed within the media community, prompting even the New York York Times to carry an obituary on her. 
    Even in death, Seipp was controversial. Just hours before her passing, an article appeared in a blog under her name, in which called her years of journalism a "shoddy," "despicable" and "irresponsible" career as a "fourth-rate hack."  The work was found by friends to be the work of a relentless long-time detractor. 
    A longer, more personal profile (written in 2002) can be seen at lukeford.net.

Jack Petersen -- ex WWII soldier, settled in Seal Beach and owned three gas stations