Orange County Register (Santa Ana, CA) articles from July 2006

Orange County Register (Santa Ana, CA) archives from July 2006

Time for Angels' Napoli to take 5.
July 1, 2006... Byline: Steve Bisheff ANAHEIM, Calif. _ If you didn't know it before, you began to realize it after his first home run rocketed on a line into the seats just inside the left-field foul pole. And you were sure of it five innings later,...

Angels defeat Dodgers.
July 1, 2006... Byline: Al Balderas ANAHEIM, Calif. _ The Dodgers didn't take long to start another losing streak in interleague play. Less than 24 hours after beating the Angels to end a run of 15 consecutive interleague road losses, the Dodgers...

Zidane, French captain, inspires upset of defending champion Brazil.
July 1, 2006... Byline: Scott M. Reid FRANKFURT, Germany _ The French impressionist Henri Matisse created "Jazz" at the age of 78, reinventing himself after intestinal cancer nearly killed him. "One must," Matisse said, "from time to time attempt...

Venture fund pumps cash into health-science and IT startups.
July 1, 2006... Byline: Jan Norman Jul. 1--The mere existence of OkapiVenture Capital LLC is remarkable. Yet if it's successful, this Laguna Beach investor in infant entrepreneurs just might be a catalyst in making Orange County a renowned center for...

State tells Laguna to close labor site.
July 1, 2006... Jul. 1--The Orange County Register CalTrans has ordered Laguna Beach to shut down its day-labor center, a move prompted by an anti-illegal immigration activist who discovered the location was state land without proper permits. However,...

Cabrera does the job for Angels.
July 2, 2006... Byline: Mark Whicker ANAHEIM, Calif. _ Nostalgic Anaheim fans want the shortstop with Adrian Monk's intuition. They want the guy who always stands where the grounder is hit, then hits the grounders where no one stands. They want the...

Angels blank Dodgers, 4-0.
July 2, 2006... Byline: Mark Saxon ANAHEIM, Calif. _ The Angels and Dodgers now can slip back into the relative comforts of their own division races, which is probably a good thing for everyone concerned. They turned interleague play into a comedy. ...

Determination drives voters in Tijuana.
July 2, 2006... Byline: Vic Jolly TIJUANA, Mexico _ Ruben Lemus Cortez hopes that in the not-too-distant future young people in Mexico will be able to stay home _ and not leave their families behind, as he did in his youth, to work in the United States....

Pressure immense for the semifinalists, all Cup underdogs.
July 2, 2006... Byline: Scott M. Reid BERLIN _ A World Cup that many expected to end in an Argentina-Brazil final took a decidedly Eurocentric turn over the weekend. Led by Germany's penalty-kick shootout upset of Argentina on Friday, and France's...

Checking out the competition.
July 2, 2006... Byline: Ellyn Pak Jul. 2--A store that caters to a primarily Hispanic neighborhood. A business to bequeath to children. The start of a new grocery store chain. Ten partners refinanced houses and pooled resources to realize those...

The Orange County Register, Calif., small business notebook column.
July 2, 2006... Byline: Jan Norman Jul. 2--WORKERS' COMPENSATION TOPS LIST OF SMALL-BUSINESS WOES: Workers' compensation insurance is the top concern for California small-business owners, according to Small Business California, a business lobbying group....

The Orange County Register, Calif., small business queries column.
July 2, 2006... Byline: Jan Norman Jul. 2--QUESTION: I know there's a whole industry out there to help Web sites come up higher in search engine results, but aren't there a few things that everyone can do to enhance their chances of customers finding them...

Professor reveals the secret lives of housekeepers.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jenifer B. McKim They scrub toilets and change people's dirty sheets. They arrive, work and depart sometimes without ever seeing their employers, leaving behind shining floors, polished tables and the scent of cleaning...

Readers share picnic favorites.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Cathy Thomas Old-fashioned family picnics can make beautiful memories. Sweet, sunny recollections of good times spent together. Tensions seem to fade away as bare feet meet grass or sand. Stories abound. Games commence. And...

It's a bird! It's a plane! It's an idiot!
July 3, 2006... Byline: Barry Koltnow Every neighborhood has its resident idiot. You know the kid. Thinks he's Superman. Jumps off his parents' roof in a cape. Walks around in a cast all summer. I was the resident idiot in my neighborhood. But it...

Castrated child molester seeks his freedom.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Larry Welborn SANTA ANA, Calif. _ Kevin Reilly, a twice-convicted child molester who has been in and out of prisons and mental hospitals for much of his adult life, didn't want to be a pedophile anymore, according to his attorney....

DVD set presents Chuck Berry at his best _ and his worst.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Ben Wener Whenever I delve into a bit of Rock 101 in this space via a spate of reissues, I sometimes fear that I'll come off as nothing more than a shill for the companies responsible for the lion's share of quality product. ...

Anaheim housing project stalls.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Sarah Tully Jul. 3--Anaheim City staff withdrew a plan for an affordable housing project after City Council members asked that larger units be added on the plot -- one of few open spaces in the city's center. Council members...

Jered Weaver stifles M's.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Mark Saxon SEATTLE _Mike Scioscia launched his major-league career catching one of the most exciting rookie pitchers the game has seen, Fernando Valenzuela. The Angels manager also caught a young Orel Hershiser. Yet he...

Even the best anglers get hooked by the sport.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Dave Strege SANTA ANA, Calif. _ The red-faced angler and his buddy entered Mammoth Hospital through a back door. If you had a baby trout hanging from your ear, you might want to avoid being seen, too. Actually, it wasn't a...

Let's not stress over longevity factors.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Jane Glenn Haas Ah, ladies, once again we are hoisted on the prongs of a dilemma. Do we encourage our daughters and granddaughters to pursue a career or marry early? Researchers say that children born to mothers who are...

O.C. is low-cost option for business.
July 3, 2006... Byline: Andrew Galvin Jul. 3--A study to be released today of taxes and fees paid by businesses in cities across the country finds that many Orange County cities are relatively low-cost places to do business. Of 27 Orange County cities...

Angels pound Mariners, 14-6.
July 4, 2006... Byline: Mark Saxon SEATTLE _ If Mike Scioscia mentions the word "depth" one more time, somebody's going to offer him the helm of a submarine. The skipper of the Angels' ship, which is suddenly bobbing along quite nicely in the past two...

Italy dodgers PKs with late surge to oust Germany.
July 4, 2006... Byline: Scott M. Reid DORTMUND, Germany _ Some time in the second half, the Italy and Germany World Cup semifinal seemed to take a turn toward a match that would be decided by a penalty kick shootout. "I started to think about...

Developer's ideas fill in Triangle chunk.
July 4, 2006... Byline: Sarah Tully Jul. 4--ANAHEIM -- A pedestrian bridge would link the Angel Stadium site with an office tower next to a park, condominiums and shops under a proposal to create the second-largest development in the Platinum Triangle....

Firm offers to test battlefield safety.
July 4, 2006... Byline: Kira Peikoff Jul. 4--Gregory Beck believes his Huntington Beach startup company could resolve the controversy over what kind of helmet best protects America's military -- if given the chance to prove it through scientific testing.....

Office rents rise during 2nd quarter.
July 4, 2006... Byline: Mathew Padilla Jul. 4--Office rents in Orange County spiked in the second quarter at the fastest pace in eight years. Landlords asked for an average of $2.47 per square foot per month, a 12.79 percent jump from second quarter...

Parents, teens advised to guard privacy on social Web sites.
July 5, 2006... Byline: Jennifer B. McKim Don't include personal information. Don't upload photos of yourself. Don't talk to strangers. These are some of the recommendations provided by the FBI to children using MySpace.com and other social networking...

Venture fund pumps cash into health-science and IT startups.
July 5, 2006... Byline: Jan Norman The mere existence of OkapiVenture Capital LLC is remarkable. Yet if it's successful, this Laguna Beach investor in infant entrepreneurs just might be a catalyst in making Orange County, Calif., a renowned center for...

Stem-cell center gets $10 million.
July 5, 2006... Byline: Gary Robbins Jul. 5--Famed Newport Beach bond trader Bill Gross is donating $10 million to UC Irvine to support human embryonic stem-cell research at a campus that's competing hard to become a mecca in the young and controversial...

Keeping her sales in good shape.
July 5, 2006... Byline: Yolanda Sanchez Jul. 5--CHALENE JOHNSON: --Age: 37 --Residence: Mission Viejo --Family: Husband -- Bret; children -- Brock, 9 and Cierra, 6 --Information: www.turbojam.com or www.turbokick.com As a child,...

Ultimate Frisbee enjoys worldwide popularity.
July 6, 2006... Byline: Dave Strege FULLERTON, Calif. _ With Montana-to-Rice precision, Zacharias Martinez floated several passes perfectly into the hands of Cameron Staff as he streaked into the end zone for scores. Joe Montana couldn't have done it...

Lippi ready to complete Italian opera.
July 6, 2006... Byline: Scott M. Reid DUISBURG, Germany _ Marcello Lippi didn't have time to join his team and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi in singing "O Sole Mio" after Italy's World Cup semifinal victory against Germany Tuesday night. Within...

Banco Popular North America opens West Coast headquarters.
July 6, 2006... Byline: Doris Benavides Jul. 6--Banco Popular's top officials are planning a major expansion in Southern California, hoping to have 100 branches by 2009. Acquisitions, community relations, and word of mouth are seen by executives as...

Where there's smoke, there's flavor.
July 6, 2006... Byline: Nancy Luna Jul. 6--Foot-long flames spew like mini-geysers from stainless steel barbecues manned by Michael Todd and David Biber as the duo demonstrate their grilling prowess to a crowd of hungry students. In the alley behind...

Huntington Beach window wars.
July 7, 2006... Byline: Hang Nguyen Jul. 7--Talk about persistence. For the past year, Etnies, the skateboard shoe brand, has wanted a window at retailer Jack's Surfboards during the U.S. Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach later this month. The...

Jered Weaver solid as Angels tip A's.
July 8, 2006... Byline: Al Balderas OAKLAND, Calif. _ Jered Weaver added the Oakland A's to his growing list of victims, holding them to two hits through seven innings in the Angels' 6-4 victory Saturday night at McAfee Coliseum. Weaver overcame some...

Lowe's funk continues as Giants pound Dodgers.
July 8, 2006... Byline: Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES _ A few weeks ago when he was rolling out quality starts every fifth day and his ERA had dipped to 2.70, Derek Lowe would have been justified in keeping his plans open for a possible trip to the All-Star...

Lava Man shows his heart at Gold Cup.
July 8, 2006... Byline: Steve Bisheff INGLEWOOD, Calif. _ This was the day Lava Man won more than just another rich race. This was the day he won over the public. This was the day he did it the hard way, flashing as much heart as ability. This...

France, Italy poised to add another chapter to World Cup lore.
July 8, 2006... Byline: Scott M. Reid BERLIN _ The cinders Jesse Owens tore through are covered by seven decades and a new royal blue oval. More than $300 million of recent renovations, however, have not buried Olympiastadion's ghosts. In the quiet of...

Angels three of four in Oakland, rise in West.
July 9, 2006... Byline: Al Balderas OAKLAND, Calif. _ If the Los Angeles Angels intended to send a message to the other teams in the AL West this past weekend, it came through loud and clear. Despite all of their early-season problems with a...

Sele solid as Dodgers stop Giants.
July 9, 2006... Byline: Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES _ With each of Aaron Sele's effective starts for the Dodgers during the first half, there has been the unspoken expectation that it won't last. But there is still no sign of the expiration date on this...

Throwing workers a bone.
July 9, 2006... Byline: Robert Whitfield Jul. 9--Dr. Cheryl Thomas of Tustin adopted a puppy four and a half years ago. But when she discovered Shelby was half pit bull, Thomas realized the dog needed to be socialized to see strangers as friendly. So...

The Orange County Register, Calif., It's Your Business column.
July 9, 2006... Byline: Jan Norman Jul. 9--PICK A NAME PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER QUESTION: I'm going crazy trying to find the right name for the business I'm about to start. I don't want it to be plain, but I'm told not to get too creative either. What...

SBA reports $79.6 billion in contracts to small businesses.
July 9, 2006... Byline: Jan Norman Jul. 9--The federal government awarded a record high $79.6 billion in product and service contracts to small businesses in the 2005 fiscal year, according to a report from the U.S. Small Business Administration. ...

Separating once-greats and has-beens.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Ben Wener I've received more than my fair share of intelligent, well-reasoned letters lately, when I'm typically inundated with misspelled, punctuation-free reams of the brainless "what concert were you at?" variety. Half of...

`A Scanner Darkly'.(Movie review)
July 10, 2006... Byline: Craig Outhier Having plumbed the lighter side of narcotics in "Dazed and Confused" (1993), filmmaker Richard Linklater descends into a bleak netherworld of addiction and squalor in "A Scanner Darkly," his troubling, ticklishly...

The Last State: A trip to Kansas completes a nationwide journey.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Gary A. Warner Technically, I had been to Kansas. If I counted the night I was awakened by a porter on the Southwest Chief train when it broke down east of Topeka. I had to stumble maybe three steps in the dark to get on a bus,...

50, count `em, 50: Favorite memories from each of the United States.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Gary A. Warner I've lived more than 40 years in California. I had dinner and a night in a motel in Rhode Island. Pennsylvania got three years of my life. Indiana, a long afternoon. I've walked all over New York. I...

Hollywood's all about the perception.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Barry Koltnow This is baseball season, so let's make a baseball analogy. Let's say that you come up to bat in the first inning of a game and pop up to the catcher. Not a very good start, to be sure. There were great...

Meetings focus on day-labor center.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Laylan Connelly Jul. 10--LAGUNA BEACH -- The group that runs the day-labor site along Laguna Canyon Road will meet Tuesday night to discuss the possibility of moving to a different location within the city. "We don't know...

Demand helps goose gas prices.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Andrew Galvin Jul. 10--Gasoline prices are inching back up, driven by summer demand. The average price of a gallon of regular in California was $3.224 Monday, up from $3.189 a week earlier, according to the U.S. Energy...

2,255 O.C. companies get late tax notices.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Mary Ann Milbourn Jul. 10--Orange County is second worst in the state when it comes to overdue 2004 business tax filings. The state Franchise Tax Board sent out late tax notices to 2,255 Orange County companies in May and June....

Pixel-packing man.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Tamara Chuang Jul. 10--If you want the world's highest-resolution digital camera, you'd better get to know Richard "Dr. Dick" Bredthauer. The Dana Point resident fit 111 million pixels on a 4-by-4-inch chip, the most ever on a...

The Orange County Register, Calif., Gadgetress column.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Tamara Chuang Jul. 10--RestoreIT 7 software from Irvine-based FarStone Technology will take your computer to a happier time when it was working properly. This back-up software will even restore your computer's settings if Windows...

The Orange County Register, Calif., People's Portfolio column.
July 10, 2006... Byline: Colin Stewart Jul. 10--From creating electronic battle simulations to capturing images of a patient's beating heart, Orange County's innovative high-tech companies cover an impressive diversity of economic sectors. That's a...

If you're a poet, write to me and show it.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Jane Glenn Haas Here we go _ again. About to read your stuff _ again. Never enough _ again. Verses 'bout age and time. Rules the same _ again. Pithy in what you say _ again. Witty and fey _ again. ...

New shade of vodka clearly aimed at women.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Cindy Arora Vodka has found its feminine side with the creation of Pinky Vodka by Los Angeles-based beverage company Liquidity Brands. Pinky was created by a group of Scandinavian tasters who wondered, "What does pink taste...

AL rallies past NL in All-Star Game.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Mark Whicker PITTSBURGH _ The National League was fine after 26 outs, but then it felt the weight of All-Star Game history and happenstance. From the nothingness of two outs and nobody on in the ninth Tuesday night, the...

Canseco's striking out on a different stage these days.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Steve Bisheff FULLERTON, Calif. _ The best baseball players in the world were in a loud, sold-out Pittsburgh ballpark Tuesday night, playing in a showcase game on national television. Jose Canseco was in Fullerton, in a cozy...

Despite blemishes, baseball on the popular track.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Mark Whicker PITTSBURGH _ On the night of June 22, Philadelphia pitcher Brett Myers and his wife, Kim, walked from a Boston bar to their hotel. The Boston police pick up the action from there. Kim Myers told the officers...

Affordable to whom?
July 11, 2006... Byline: Andrew Galvin Jul. 11--The residents of Cape Ann, a Huntington Beach housing tract, seem to have the good life. Their two- and three-story, New England-style homes, featuring front porches and picket fences, are set in a quiet...

Regional economy is seen as solid.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Andrew Galvin Jul. 11--Orange County should post job growth of 1.4 percent in 2006, better than Los Angeles County but trailing the Riverside-San Bernardino area and Ventura and San Diego counties among its Southern California...

How to calculate the resale prices of affordable homes.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Andrew Galvin Jul. 11--When the owner of an affordable housing unit in Huntington Beach wants to sell, the city calculates the maximum resale price by using a formula. The formula sets the price by first figuring out how much...

Chao says workers must continue to build skills.
July 11, 2006... Byline: Andrew Galvin Jul. 11--ANAHEIM -- U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao came Tuesday to Orange County -- a vibrant economy that employs a broad mix of people, from highly educated professionals to unskilled service workers -- to talk...

Dodgers confident about second half of season.
July 12, 2006... Byline: Bill Plunkett After the Dodgers reached the All-Star break with a victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, a TV crew was trolling the Dodgers' clubhouse asking players how they felt about the team's position in the NL West...

Pacific Sun plans to expand Anaheim offices.
July 12, 2006... Byline: Hang Nguyen Jul. 12--Growing retailer Pacific Sunwear of California is buying land near its 4-year-old Anaheim headquarters to build additional office space, the company said Wednesday at an investor conference. Because the...

Help for health care coverage.
July 12, 2006... Byline: Courtney Perkes Jul. 12--The last time Rebecca tried to end her life, she swallowed handfuls of the anti-depressants intended to rescue her from despair. Medication doesn't entirely ease depression for the 55-year-old hospital...

Schedule, at least, in Angels' favor.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Mark Saxon ANAHEIM, Calif. _ About 10 days ago, Mike Scioscia was musing on one of his favorite topics: his disdain for the out-of-town scoreboard and the standings printed the next morning in daily newspapers. Scioscia doesn't...

Kazmir's just living a dream.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Mark Whicker Four years ago he was preparing to pitch for the Brooklyn Cyclones, who play at Coney Island. Last weekend he pitched into the seventh inning against the Yankees and gave them two runs. The next day he flew...

Dodgers fall to Pujols and Cardinals in 14 innings.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Bill Plunkett ST. LOUIS _ You could see this coming like a barge up the nearby Mississippi River. Down to his last bullpen option, Dodgers manager Grady Little reached into his doghouse and called upon left-hander Odalis Perez...

Gift builds O.C. arts center.
July 13, 2006... Byline: Richard Chang Jul. 13--COSTA MESA -- The Orange County Performing Arts Center is getting a jolt of cash and momentum as the opening of its $200 million expansion is only about two months away. The General and Mrs. William Lyon...

Lackey extends scoreless pitching streak as Angels blank Devil Rays.
July 14, 2006... Byline: Mark Saxon ANAHEIM, Calif. _ John Lackey has never won 20 games in a season. In fact, he has never won 15. He wasn't considered for the All-Star team. He didn't get a call when people were getting Team USA ready for the World...

Maddon returns to the scene of his Angelic days.
July 14, 2006... Byline: Mark Whicker ANAHEIM, Calif. _ Joe Maddon got to the ballpark at 1 p.m., just to get all the how-ya-been's out of the way. It was barely enough time. Troy Percival was waiting in the Tampa Bay clubhouse, just outside...

Carpenter shuts down Dodgers, who are struggling at the plate.
July 14, 2006... Byline: Bill Plunkett ST. LOUIS _ The National Weather Service has issued a "dangerous heat warning" for the St. Louis area this weekend, advising residents to curtail outdoor activities. That might explain the way the Dodgers' hitters...

Gateway plans S. Dakota site to expand its U.S. support.
July 14, 2006... Byline: Tamara Chuang Jul. 14--In an ongoing effort to revamp customer service, Gateway Inc. said Thursday it would open a new support center in South Dakota, where the Irvine computer company employs about 900. The new facility, in an...

Desalination permit pursued.
July 14, 2006... Byline: Jennifer Muir Jul. 14--Developers of a proposed $250 million seawater desalination plant in Huntington Beach are expected to meet with a state water-quality agency today to discuss their application for a permit to discharge the...

Handshake sealed supplier's future.(Company overview)
July 14, 2006... Byline: Nancy Luna Jul. 14--Bill Moore founded a beef supply firm in 1947 to serve Los Angeles area restaurants and hotels. At first, Golden State Foods experienced modest success -- until Moore hooked up nearly a decade later with an...

Dodgers fall to Cardinals.
July 15, 2006... Byline: Bill Plunkett ST. LOUIS _ Stifling, oppressive, energy-sapping _ and then there is the weather. For three days since the All-Star break, those adjectives have applied to the playing conditions here and the St. Louis Cardinals'...

Angels rout the Devil Rays.
July 15, 2006... Byline: Al Balderas ANAHEIM, Calif. _ Vladimir Guerrero hit a grand slam and Mike Napoli added a home run to lead the Angels to a 9-2 victory over the Tampa Devil Ray on Saturday night at Angel Stadium. The victory was the Angels' 10th...

Mosley defeats Vargas by TKO in sixth round.
July 15, 2006... Byline: Carlos Arias LAS VEGAS _ There was no way for Fernando Vargas to spin this one. Shane Mosley made sure of that. Mosley officially tamed "El Feroz" by stopping him in the sixth round of their rematch Saturday night in front...

Ameriquest eliminates more jobs.
July 15, 2006... Byline: Andrew Galvin Jul. 15--Ameriquest Mortgage Co., the Orange-based lender, and its affiliates completed another round of layoffs this week. Chris Orlando, a company spokesman, declined to specify the number of employees who lost...

Kendrick helps Angels stop Devil Rays, 7-5.
July 16, 2006... Byline: Mark Saxon ANAHEIM, Calif. _ For 3 { months, Howie Kendrick was defined more by adjectives in Baseball America than by anything he did to help the Angels. At a certain point, prospects have to become players or they become...

Dodgers swept out of St. Louis, fade to .500.
July 16, 2006... Byline: Bill Plunkett ST. LOUIS _ It's not the heat _ it's the futility. The Los Angeles Dodgers staggered out of humidity's summer home having been swept in four games by the St. Louis Cardinals. Their record melted down to .500 with...