MEETINGS: Wednesday’s meeting of the Westminster City Council, where city leaders will consider a retirement agreement with ousted City Manager Mitch Waller, is the major civic event this week. Many government bodies are taking much of July and August off, in deference to vacation schedules.
The Westminster council will meet at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 8200 Westminster Blvd.
ALSO: Tuesday is National Night Out in Garden Grove. For the 24th year, 11 different neighborhoods will host evening gatherings, from 5 to 8:30 p.m., to promote crime prevention, communication with police officers, and neighborhood camaraderie. Last year, 37 million people in over 15,000 cities across the nation participated in National Night Out activities. To find a gathering in your neighborhood or obtain additional information, call (714) 741-5760.
LOOKING AHEAD: Coming to Garden Grove’s Main Street Aug. 17-19 in the Indie Film Festival, returning for a second year to the Big Strawberry.
A wide variety of independent films will be screened at restaurants and other locations in the city’s historic central business district. The Journal is helping to sponsor the event. We’ll have more details in Thursday’s paper.
Dan Haren
ANGELS: Over the years, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have had some terrific door-slamming bullpens. Right now, though, the Halos’ relievers are looking more like arsonists than firefighters.
The Angels lost a 2-1 lead in the late going Monday and suffered a 4-2 defeat to the Chicago White Sox in the Windy City. It was the Angels’ fourth loss in five games, three of those setbacks coming when they couldn’t hold a lead.
Dan Haren pitched well for the Angels, leaving the game after six innings with the score tied at 1, but things went downhill from there, with the winning blow coming on a two-run pinch hit home run by A.J. Pierynzynski in the seventh inning.
Coming into the game, the Angels’ bullpen had allowed 20 earned runs in its previous 19 1/3 innings for an ERA of 9.31, all during the road trip that started with Texas six games ago.
“It’s the trickle-down effect,” said Haren. “Our starting pitching really hasn’t gotten that deep into the games. If we get into the seventh innings and shorten the game, it’s big for the bullpen. We’ve been leaving a lot of outs for them. They’re pretty worn down.”
The loss dropped the Angels’ record to 58-51, still in third place in the American League West and six games out of the lead. Perhaps as important, the Halos are a half-game out of “first” in the crowded race for the two “wild card” spots available this year.
Today (Monday) the Angels will continue their road trip with the start of a three-game series in Oakland. Thursday will be a travel day, and the Halos will be back in Anaheim Friday to start a home stand against the Seattle Mariners.
MOVIES: The top Hollywood releases out this weekend are an action thriller and a comedy.
“The Bourne Legacy” is a continuation of movies based on the espionage series by Robert Ludlum. The first three in the series started Matt Damon, and now Jeremy Renner takes over as a different, though similar superspy. It’s rated PG-13 and stars Renner, Ed Norton and Rachel Weisz.
Also coming out Friday is “The Campaign,” starring Will Farrell and Zach Galifianakis. It’s the R-rated story of a North Carolina congressman who commits a major gaffe and the naïve opponent recruited to run against him.
THEATER: “Venus and Adonis,” as staged by Shakespeare Orange County in Prague earlier this year, will be at the Festival Amphitheatre on Main Street in Garden Grove Friday and Saturday only.
CONCERTS: Another free dose of music at Eastgate Park in West Garden Grove on Thursday. This one is a double-header featuring a face-off between two cover bands, Abbey Road (Beatles) and Jumpin’ Jack Flash (Rolling Stones), accompanied by the Pacifica High School String Quartet. The show starts at 6:30 p.m.
