Latest news with #EasterEggHunt
Los Angeles Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Mailbag: Don't be fooled, Huntington Beach
Don't be fooled by the 'protect our kids' signs covering Huntington Beach. There is no porn in the library, no matter what the City Council is saying. There has never been porn in the library. Our chief of police would arrest the library staff if this were true. All the books have been positively reviewed by accredited sources. This is about controlling the library book collection. Council wants an one-sided collection reflecting their point of view — only. The 21 politically appointed review committee is just a way for our Council to get its foot in the door. They have yet to explain how refusing to allow residents to vote before Council can privatize our library protects children at all. This is just another attempt to ensure they can control the book collection should Measure A pass. The Council's fight against Measures A and B is all about limiting access. They will decide what books can and cannot be in the library. Recently, at the City's Easter Egg Hunt, our Council handed out fliers with illustrations taken from young adult books to prove there was 'porn' at the library. If our Council really cared about protecting children from seeing these images, why were they handing out these fliers at an event geared for children 10 years and younger? Young adult books are geared for young adults. These books are shelved within the adult section of the library. They are nowhere near the children's section. Young children had more chances of seeing these pictures on the fliers than they ever did while at the library. This is just political theater. All a ploy. Council's actions speak louder than signs or words. Don't vote away your rights. Let the parents choose what books are best for their children. Let residents have a say in what happens to their library. Vote 'yes' on Measure A and B by June 10. Barbara RichardsonHuntington Beach I would like to applaud all the writers to Mailbag on Sunday, April 27 who were concerned about the current Huntington Beach City Council. The latest horror of seeing their 'porn' political campaign poster near elementary schools is the last straw! I've become irate over the actions against the H.B. Library, which makes absolutely no sense because it is a beautiful facility that is doing a wonderful job for all the children and adults who have enjoyed the library for many years. It would be helpful if the City Council members got back to work on their real job, which should be improving the lives of people who live and work in Huntington Beach. Veronica AllenHuntington Beach Let us begin with one simple fact: It is illegal to have pornographic materials in the library. Still, signs from Chad Williams line every street in Huntington Beach that tell children about 'porn' in big bold red letters. Chad has done more to teach kids about porn in one day than the library has in 50 years. Good Job, Chad! Let's not forget Pat Burns, holding up a sign written like a first grader would create with crayons that says, 'I'm just a kid – Protect Me.' Hey Pat, maybe you can help protect kids by getting Chad to stop making signs. Anyone who thinks that the Huntington Beach City Council cannot possibly do anything more demeaning to our city only has to wait 10 minutes. This Council will find new ways to embarrass Huntington Beach in an effort to divide its citizens through actions like these signs. They lie to us because we let them. However, this rises to an entirely new level. Here's the truly hypocritical thing: Our City Council is raving that they want to protect children from material that, by their own judgment, is inappropriate for kids. They claim to protect these kids by exposing every single child to the very indecency they protest. It is wrong, and they are wrong for doing it. Let me be clear – the fault is not with the City Council; it is with us. Huntington Beach residents voted them in. We have enabled this kind of behavior. It is time for Huntington Beach to wake up and realize that the Council does not have our best interests at heart — they only represent themselves. This election is not simply about libraries. It is about our community, our neighborhood, our kids. It is a referendum on how we want our city to be governed — by reason or by fear mongering. Whether you are on the left or the right, it is time to stand up together and put an end to this type of playground bullying. Let us be the grownups in the room. Vote 'yes' on A and B. Larry HershHuntington Beach Like the late songwriter Cole Porter wrote in his 1934 song, 'I Get a Kick Out of You,' I got a kick from Patrice Apodada's write-up on penguins. Her descriptions of the various personalities and behavior of other animals in her article were nothing less than top-notch reading. For starters on penguins, she declares, 'penguins are awesome.' When talking about otters, she claims that some people say they are 'murderous psychopaths.' Pandas have the moniker of, 'lazy, arrogant jerks.' When describing dolphins which she used to believe they deserved the greatest admiration, now says that some of them treat female dolphins horribly bad. Sea lions whom she calls 'Blubber Blobs' show some questionable behavior like chasing surfers out of the water in Newport Beach. Poor sea lion, maybe he had an off day. But getting back to the penguins, she says that they ooze charisma, are birds that can't fly and swim so fast they make Michael Phelps look like a snail trying to swim. And per Patrice, they are lovers, not fighters who stay true to their mates and are great parents. So any penguins who attended law school for penguins who specialize in divorces, would do well to find clients in other venues not happy with their current spouse. She ends up surmising her take on these flightless birds as 'penguin perfection.' It's too bad that the bulk of penguins are only found in cold weather. Here in Newport we see ample dolphins and too many sea lions, but never any penguins. Well, who knows, maybe if we have another ice age then there will be penguins on the beach. Bill SpitalnickNewport Beach If Measures A and B fail, extremists get a green light to gut our libraries, censor art and rewrite history. What's next — scrubbing slavery from textbooks? Silencing Jim Crow? Erasing civil rights? Ignoring veterans who fought abroad and faced hate at home? This isn't conservative. It's not patriotic. It's un-American. Dodger fans — be outraged. Trump pulled Jackie Robinson books from military libraries. Books about an American icon who faced racism with courage. When the Dodgers visited the White House, they should've handed him a Jackie jersey and asked: 'Why erase that story?' History isn't meant to be comfortable. It's meant to be told. Every chapter, every voice — preserved, not purged. This is not alarmist. Hitler didn't start with ovens. He started with books. First banned. Then burned. Then, people. Huntington Beach must not be the first domino. Stand up for truth. For our kids. For our country. Vote 'yes' on Measures A and B. Because if we don't protect history now, we may not have a future worth saving. Andrew EinhornHuntington Beach 'Mommy, what's porn?' my neighbor's little girl asked on her way to school. Her stimulus was the huge posters referring to pornography near her elementary school. There are 'porn' posters on public streets all over town thanks to Chad Williams, councilman and youth pastor. It is amazing that someone in these positions doesn't have the moral conscience to know this is plain wrong, if not criminal. It created very uncomfortable moments for parents and most certainly caused children with cellphones to search 'porn.' Imagine the chatter on the school playground this week. Was this Chad's intent? If not, Chad needs to remove all his posters and apologize to the parents and children of Huntington Beach. Nora Pedersen Huntington Beach NMUSD candidate support As a Costa Mesa parent, I strongly support Andrea McElroy for the NMUSD School Board. Andrea is the kind of leader our community needs – someone who represents the values of voters and families like mine. I want common-sense leaders who prioritize academic excellence and school safety, Andrea embodies these qualities. Recent shifts on the school board have influenced policies in ways that are deeply concerning to many of us. Andrea is the candidate I trust to join like-minded trustees in halting the behind-the-scenes push for progressive policies that don't align with our community's priorities. She will focus on what matters: ensuring our schools are safe and our students are set up for success. I urge my fellow voters to support Andrea McElroy for school board. Let's elect a leader who will put our students and families first. Tracy RathNewport Beach Change still needed for homeless advocacy It's Leigh the advocate once again, and I just saw on the Fullerton Police Department's Instagram their declaration of anti-camping by the homeless. I've been doing direct homeless outreach in Fullerton for more than 11 years. Let me remind you of pertinent things that this Fullerton declaration deliberately neglects to tell you. When homeless folks get 'camping in public' tickets, they lead to bench warrants, arrests and homeless court. The people do not have the money to pay for the tickets. This cycle from tickets to release from homeless court is chronic and cyclical. This has not changed in years. It's just a revolving door. So tell me how making camping in public illegal is fixing the problem? It's just more paperwork and busy work for the police. There are still no walk-up homeless shelters in Fullerton or in all of Orange County. It is a reservation system only. These reservations need to be made by the police or case management. They are very hard to get. The Fullerton HLO(S) only work shifts Monday through Friday, not at night, and not on weekends. Are they truly available as they could be to help the nearly 300 homeless folks in Fullerton? The last time I checked, homelessness does not stop at night and on weekends. Also, no one audits the police or case management for their so-called work. This declaration by the city is only for optics, once again. The Hope Center case management only works Monday through Friday and not on weekends. Again, this limits the possibilities of homeless folks accessing the shelters and ultimately into case management and housing. Even if you are homeless and on the waiting list — the list is huge — and people have been waiting for years to get connected to services and housing. During my outreach, I engage with these folks all the time. They report that case management is terrible or ghosts them. This is local government once again pretending to care but not caring at all. And need I remind you that six of Fullerton's police officers beat, tazzed, and smothered homeless man Kelly Thomas to death in July 2011. They want you to forget or think they have changed. They have not. Leigh WhiteCosta Mesa
The Citizen
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Equestrian centre hosts annual jump show
Honeydew — To kick off the Easter season, the Honeydew Equestrian Centre (HEC) hosted an exciting show jumping event on April 13 for their riders to ease off the competition jitters and enjoy a fun day of doing the sport they so dearly love. The day was filled with bright colours, big smiles, and enthusiastic equestrians enjoying quality time with their beloved horses. Family and friends gathered to cheer on the riders, who competed in a variety of classes – from simple poles on the ground to more challenging jumps, making the event accessible to all levels of experience. ALSO READ: Equestrian team gallops to success HEC stable manager Martinique van der Westhuizen explained that the jump show is hosted annually to allow the riders to just have fun with their peers and family members present. 'Around this time, some of the riders are competing in the Kyalami Park Club and the South African National Equestrian Schools Association leagues, which come with a lot of pressure,' Martinique adds. This event was primarily a way of allowing them to relax and be in their zone. 'More fun festivities continued with our mounted Easter Egg Hunt on Good Friday.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
New York Post
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
President Trump and Melania share PDA moment as they board Marine One for Pope Francis' funeral
President Trump and first lady Melania shared a rare PDA moment as they departed the White House Friday for Pope Francis' funeral, photos show. The president wrapped his arms around his wife of 20 years while they walked to Marine One kicking off their trip to the Vatican, where they will join dozens of other heads of state to pay their final respects to the late pope. 4 President Trump and first lady Melania Trump head to Marine One. Getty Images Advertisement 4 The first couple is departing to Italy for Pope Francis' funeral Pool/ABACA/Shutterstock It's a notable public appearance for Melania, who's largely remained out of the limelight during her husband's second presidential term, leading to some speculation about the couple's relationship — despite Melania expressing genuine love for Trump in her book last year. She made a public appearance at the White House's annual Easter Egg Hunt this week, but has been splitting time between Washington, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach and New York City, where their son Barron is in his freshman year at NYU. Advertisement 4 President Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk to Marine One. AP 4 Trump speaks with reporters outside the White House. AP The couple is expected to return to the US as soon as Saturday night after the funeral.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro says Trump called him about arson attack: 'Very gracious'
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said Tuesday that President Donald Trump called him over the weekend to discuss the arson attack on the governor's mansion a week before. Shapiro said Trump called him Saturday morning and that the president was "very gracious." The governor said he did not answer Trump's call and let it go to voicemail because he did not recognize the number the president was calling from. "I appreciated that the president called me," Shapiro told reporters at the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the governor's residence in Harrisburg. "I actually didn't take his call because it came from his cellphone and I didn't have that number in my phone, so I didn't know who it was. As soon as I heard his message, I called him right back." Suspect's 911 Call Released After Arson At Pa Governor's Mansion That Appeared To Be Fueled By War In Gaza Shapiro said he spoke with Trump for about 15 minutes about various topics, including the arson attack and how his wife and children were doing following the fire incident. Read On The Fox News App "He was very gracious," Shapiro said. "He asked how Lori and the kids were doing. [We] talked for a couple of minutes about what transpired at the residence, and then we talked for maybe the next 15 minutes or so about a whole host of other topics." "Obviously, I'm not going to get into our private conversation, but he's attuned to the issues that are important to me," the governor continued. "I, of course, know the issues that are important to him, and we agreed to stay in touch going forward." Shapiro told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an interview recorded late last week and aired Sunday that Trump had not called him after the April 13 attack on his residence. The governor said at the time that he had heard from Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. Trump said last week when asked if he knew of the attacker's motive that he had not heard about one. He also said that the suspect "was not a fan of Trump." Suspected Pennsylvania Arsonist May Have Been Motivated By War In Gaza: Police "He's probably just a whack job. And certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen," Trump said at the time. Cody Balmer, 38, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism and related offenses for allegedly setting fire to Shapiro's residence last week. Balmer has reportedly admitted in multiple instances that he was motivated by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and what Shapiro, who is Jewish, "wants to do to the Palestinian people." "Governor Josh Shapiro needs to know that Cody Balmer will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people," Balmer allegedly told a dispatcher in a 911 call after the attack. "He needs to leave my family alone. He needs to get his eyes off of my daughters. And he needs to stop having my friends killed." "You all know where to find me. I'm not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done," he added. A warrant details Balmer's interview with state troopers in which he allegedly admitted to "harboring hatred towards" Shapiro. Balmer also reportedly admitted to a trooper that he was responsible for the arson attack and said he planned to attack Shapiro with his hammer if he were to find the governor in the mansion. Surveillance video described in a warrant allegedly shows Balmer breaking a window at the governor's residence before throwing "an incendiary device" inside. According to the warrant, Balmer then broke another window, entered the residence and deployed another incendiary device before he "approached the dining room exit." The warrant also says a woman — seemingly identified as Balmer's "ex-paramour" — said he confessed to the attack and asked her to call police to turn him article source: Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro says Trump called him about arson attack: 'Very gracious'
Fox News
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Pennsylvania Gov. Shapiro says Trump called him about arson attack: 'Very gracious'
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, said Tuesday that President Donald Trump called him over the weekend to discuss the arson attack on the governor's mansion a week before. Shapiro said Trump called him Saturday morning and that the president was "very gracious." The governor said he did not answer Trump's call and let it go to voicemail because he did not recognize the number the president was calling from. "I appreciated that the president called me," Shapiro told reporters at the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the governor's residence in Harrisburg. "I actually didn't take his call because it came from his cellphone and I didn't have that number in my phone, so I didn't know who it was. As soon as I heard his message, I called him right back." Shapiro said he spoke with Trump for about 15 minutes about various topics, including the arson attack and how his wife and children were doing following the fire incident. "He was very gracious," Shapiro said. "He asked how Lori and the kids were doing. [We] talked for a couple of minutes about what transpired at the residence, and then we talked for maybe the next 15 minutes or so about a whole host of other topics." "Obviously, I'm not going to get into our private conversation, but he's attuned to the issues that are important to me," the governor continued. "I, of course, know the issues that are important to him, and we agreed to stay in touch going forward." Shapiro told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in an interview recorded late last week and aired Sunday that Trump had not called him after the April 13 attack on his residence. The governor said at the time that he had heard from Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel. Trump said last week when asked if he knew of the attacker's motive that he had not heard about one. He also said that the suspect "was not a fan of Trump." "He's probably just a whack job. And certainly a thing like that cannot be allowed to happen," Trump said at the time. Cody Balmer, 38, is charged with attempted murder, aggravated arson, burglary, terrorism and related offenses for allegedly setting fire to Shapiro's residence last week. Balmer has reportedly admitted in multiple instances that he was motivated by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and what Shapiro, who is Jewish, "wants to do to the Palestinian people." "Governor Josh Shapiro needs to know that Cody Balmer will not take part in his plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people," Balmer allegedly told a dispatcher in a 911 call after the attack. "He needs to leave my family alone. He needs to get his eyes off of my daughters. And he needs to stop having my friends killed." "You all know where to find me. I'm not hiding, and I will confess to everything that I had done," he added. A warrant details Balmer's interview with state troopers in which he allegedly admitted to "harboring hatred towards" Shapiro. Balmer also reportedly admitted to a trooper that he was responsible for the arson attack and said he planned to attack Shapiro with his hammer if he were to find the governor in the mansion. Surveillance video described in a warrant allegedly shows Balmer breaking a window at the governor's residence before throwing "an incendiary device" inside. According to the warrant, Balmer then broke another window, entered the residence and deployed another incendiary device before he "approached the dining room exit." The warrant also says a woman — seemingly identified as Balmer's "ex-paramour" — said he confessed to the attack and asked her to call police to turn him in.
