As evening approached the giant waves at the Wedge had began to diminish but that didn’t stop surfers from catching the last of the big waves in Newport Beach on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
From a new museum, a water park opening and graduations, to a lingering pandemic, a new war and fires, Orange County made it through another year.
JANUARY:
The year started with a sewage spill that officially canceled the annual Surf City Splash, a New Year’s Day tradition at the Huntington Beach Pier, but that didn’t dampen the spirit of beach-goers who donned costumes and got their feet wet. All while skaters were getting their last rides around the ice at an outdoor rink.
With palm trees on the beach as a backdrop, ice skaters make their way around the rink at the Surf City Winter Wonderland at Pier Plaza in Huntington Beach on a warm and sunny New Year’s Day on Saturday, January 1, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Two men, seen from Corona del Mar State Beach, walk along the west jetty near the Wedge at sunset in Newport Beach on Monday, January 17, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Children at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tustin play beneath a 1,400-square-foot mural painted on the side of their building by Santa Ana artist Brian Peterson, on Tuesday, February 1, 2022, in Tustin. The nearly year-long project, in partnership with the City of Tustin, was completed in late January with a week of painting in which six children are depicted wearing outfits of various professions. One child depicted is Aiden Leos, 6, at right, the young boy who was shot and killed while riding in the backseat of his mother’s car on the 55 freeway in an apparent act of road rage in May 2021. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Santa Ana Police Department and other city employees rush to grab a pop-up shade canopy that high winds blew across the intersection of Willits and Sullivan Streets in Santa Ana, coming to rest against a vehicle traveling eastbound on Willits Street on Saturday, January 22, 2022. The pop-up was one of many being used for the Willits & Sullivan Beautification Project celebration and sculpture unveiling event. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer leaves the water near the pier in Huntington Beach, CA on Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Winter storms have caused a variety of conditions along the coast. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
FEBRUARY:
While all the attention was on the Rams winning the Super Bowl by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals (yes, they went to Disneyland), down here in Orange County, Corona del Mar girls water polo earned its own championship by defeating Agoura 8-7 in the CIF-SS Division 1 championship.
Lunar New Year celebrations happened in Little Saigon, including the traditional firecracker celebration at the Asian Garden Mall and a mass at the Vietnamese Catholic Center with The Most Rev. Thanh Thai Nguyen in Santa Ana.
One of the Huntington Beach Police Department’s helicopters crashed in shallow waters in Newport Beach, killing Nicholas Vella, 44, who was an 18-year law enforcement veteran, with 14 years on the force in Huntington Beach. Another officer was pulled alive from the wreckage.
JoJo the duck gives an interview in front of a panel of judges during the Kids’ Pet Parade in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, February 19, 2022. The pet is owned by Judith Marquina. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates after the Rams defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the NFL Super Bowl LVI football game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, on Sunday, February 13, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
The Corona del Mar girls water polo team celebrates with their CIF-SS Division 1 championship plaque after defeating Agoura 8-7 at Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine on Saturday, February 19, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the Villa Park High School baseball team react to a ground ball hit in their direction during practice in Villa Park on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Olympic Silver medalist pairs skaters Brandon Frazier center, and Alexa Knierim, left, are greeted by a cheering crowd upon their arrival at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana on Monday, February 21, 2022 after competing in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
MARCH:
Spring isn’t the only thing that added color to the month, hundreds of people ran through multi-hued powder during The Color Run at Huntington State Beach. The Color Run is a 5K, untimed event. At each kilometer mark, runners are doused from head to toe in a different colored powder.
As far as color goes, blue and yellow also started to fill our view this month as landmarks around Southern California were illuminated to show support for Ukraine.
Down in Dana Point, the color of the day was gray as the Festival of Whales returned to the city.
A large shark balloon is held close to the ground due to high winds as it makes its way over the Island Way bridge in Dana Point Harbor during the Festival of Whales Parade in Dana Point on Saturday, March 5, 2022. The parade is part of the 51st annual Dana Point Festival of Whales. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Lauren Genger, a licensed veterinary technician, and Veterinarian Scott Weldy, work on an anesthetized mountain lion cub last year after he was struck by a car on the 241 toll road. The animal was injured too badly to be released back into the wild. He has since been placed at the Exotic Feline Breeding Compound’s Feline Conservation Center in Rosamond, Ca. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Window washers work on the upper floors of 400 Spectrum Center as buildings are reflected in the lower portion of the 20-story tower in Irvine, CA, on Thursday, March 31, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Huntington Beach Police Officers remove the flag from Officer Nicholas Vella’s casket on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Vella died in a helicopter crash on Feb. 19 off the waters in Newport Beach. He was an 18-year law enforcement veteran with 14 years on the force in Huntington Beach. Before joining Huntington Beach’s department he worked in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Exhausted Ukrainian families arrive in Tijuana on Wednesday, March 30, 2022. Many of them have traveled about a month to reach the Mexican border and will have to wait sometimes more than 24 hours before they are processed through the U.S. as asylum seekers. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Foothill students cheer after Mikey Mazurie (23) of Foothill scored in a game against Los Altos in the Division II championship game of the CIF Southern Regional boys basketball playoffs at Foothill High School in Santa Ana on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
ABT dancers Isabella Boylston and Calvin Royal III perform “Single Eye,” choreographed by Alonzo King during a rehearsal for the American Ballet Theatre’s production of “ABT Forward” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
APRIL:
While the Angels greeted a sell-out crowd at the Big A, they lost their home opener to the Houston Astros. The rest of the month went much better as the team closed out April in first place in the American League West.
The other professional sports team in OC, the Anaheim Ducks, announced the retirement of their team captain, Ryan Getzlaf, at the end of the season. He’s the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.
Also in Anaheim, costumed visitors to WonderCon greeted each other outside the convention center as the small version of Comic-Con returned.
Noah Rodriquez holds up a stuffed trout for Angel’s Mike Trout before Opening Day game against the Astros at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The “Disneyland Forever” fireworks are seen from Main Street U.S.A during the Return of the Spectaculars event at Disneylandin Anaheim on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A Snowy Plover, one of the 19 endangered and threatened plants and animals at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, uses its broken wing distraction display to try to lure potential predators away from a nest in a gravel RV parking lot on Thursday, April 21, 2022. Camp Pendleton recently received recognition for its conservation and environmental awareness as biologists on base work to keep the balance between warfighting exercises and environmental preservation. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ryan Getzlaf, left, of the Ducks embraces former Ducks star Teemu Selanne during the pre-game ceremonies to celebrate the career of Getzlaf, who is retiring after 17 seasons with the Anaheim franchise, during the final regular-season home game against the St. Louis Blues at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Sunday, April 24, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Aaron Kim, a senior at Valencia High School, is the 2022 Artist of the Year in instrumental music. Kim is shown at Chapman University in Orange on Sunday, April 10, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Nurse assistants Jon Sugiuchi, right, and Wendie Umanzar prepare a room at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Orange on April 14. California had 2,609 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units on Jan. 25 but just 141 on Monday, April 18 state data shows. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
MAY:
The month started with the Angels on a hot streak and runners racing along the coast during the O.C. Marathon. Sports were also winding up at the high schools as baseball and softball champions were crowned.
Despite a mostly cool month, the wind kicked up across Aliso Woods Canyon and moved the Coastal Fire into a Laguna Niguel neighborhood. Twenty homes burned, including a seven-bedroom estate on nearly half an acre that was one signature away from being sold. The house, overlooking Laguna Beach, boasted a two-level library, a “children’s wing,” and a “wellness wing to house your meditation room, gym, and very own Pilates studio with sauna and steam room.” The kitchen had been recently renovated before the home was listed for $9.89 million. Luckily, no one was injured.
Laguna Woods and Orange County were rocked when a gunman shot six people in a local church, killing one.
Families got their first look at the animal-less circus at “The Circus Vargas Express” show. The performances include; aerial tricks, balancing acts, the “Wheel of Death” act and more.
Students in Orange County started celebrating their graduations as the first batch of local schools said goodbye to their seniors.
Firefighters battle the Coastal Fire near the intersection of Vista Montemar and Coronado Pointe in Laguna Niguel, CA, on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A lone fire fighter takes on a house engulfed in flames in Laguna Niguel where 20 homes were destroyed and 11 others were damaged in the wind whipped Coastal Fire on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Matt Vogel reacts outside his parents destroyed home on Coronado Pointe after the Coastal fire burned about 20 homes in Laguna Niguel, CA. The fire was first reported just before 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, in Aliso Woods Canyon and quickly moved up steep terrain. The fire was held to about 200 acres on Thursday, May 12, 2022. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Homes are destroyed after the Coastal Fire moved through Laguna Niguel, CA, on Thursday, May 12, 2022. At least 20 homes were destroyed when the brush fire ripped through the coastal Orange County community. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Spectators watch a basketball player on the new purple and gold, basketball Dream Court in Pearson Park in Anaheim, on Tuesday, May 3, 2022. The court honors Kobe and Gianna Bryant, who tragically died in a 2020 helicopter crash. The butterfly sculpture by artist Brian Peterson, is of Gigi and Kobe sitting courtside at a game. The court and sculpture were funded by former WNBA player Nancy Lieberman’s charity and Vanessa Bryant’s Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Patrick Marinelli performs on the aerial straps during The Circus Vargas Express show at the Laguna Hills Mall in Laguna Hills on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The new City of Hope Orange County oncology center in Irvine started planting its Healing Garden on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Cancer patients, doctors and other guests help plant the colorful, drought-tolerant and soothing vegetation. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
With police crime tape still in place, Saul Bonilla, a facilities assistant at Geneva Presbyterian Church, arranges the bouquets of flowers at the growing memorial at Geneva Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, where one person was killed and five others were wounded, four of them critically, in a shooting at the church on Sunday, May 15, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A runner gets a faceful of color during The Color Run at Huntington State Beach in Huntington Beach on Saturday, March 19, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Fullerton Police Department Sgt. Eric Bridges waves to a child leaving Richman Elementary School in Fullerton, CA on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Fullerton police had an increased presence at schools a day after a gunman entered an elementary school in Texas and killed 19 students and two teachers. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register)
JUNE:
High schools around the county finished their educational year and sent thousands of young people into the world.
Protests erupted in the OC over abortion and gun rights. Planned Parenthood of Orange & San Bernardino Counties organized several concurrent protests including one at Main Beach in Laguna Beach. In Anaheim, March for Our Lives supporters protested gun violence during a march at Pearson Park.
After a two-year in-person hiatus, the Orange County Pride Parade came back in colorful fashion in downtown Santa Ana. After the morning parade, there was a festival to celebrate OC’s LGBTQ community including; concerts, community-building activities and art exhibits.
San Clemente High School graduates throw their caps into the air at the conclusion of their graduation ceremony at Thalassa Stadium in San Clemente on Thursday, June 2, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
San Clemente High School graduates run back to their seats after receiving their diplomas during their graduation ceremony at Thalassa Stadium in San Clemente on Thursday, June 2, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Huntington Beach players celebrate their 2-0 win over JSerra in the Division I 2022 CIF Regional Baseball Championship game at JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano on Saturday, June 4, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Emily Day, 11, works under the scenes of a gigantic flag as her troop carries it in the 27th annual Flag Day Parade in Anaheim on Sunday, June 12, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A man visits the Our Lady of La Vang Shrine at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA on Wednesday, June 22, 2022. The inaugural Marian Days celebration on July 1 and 2 is themed “With Mary, Giving Thanks to God”. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Ortega Highway winds its way through the Santa Ana Mountains near Ortega Falls in Riverside County CA, on Tuesday, June 14, 2022. Ortega Highway is among the most dangerous stretches in Southern California, especially for bikers. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Clara Whitcomb, 24, reacts as Baby Funk jumps out of her stroller while cruising through her Long Beach neighborhood on Wednesday, June 8, 2022. The bunny was not injured and was quickly back in the loving arms of Whitcomb. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Connie Williams celebrates her 110th birthday doing the jitterbug, her favorite genre of dance, with Gonzalo Lara of Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Anaheim on Sunday, June 26, 2022. Williams. “I will always remember this day,” he told her after the dance. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
JULY:
Independence Day started early as hundreds of beach-goers in Seal Beach lined the OC side of the San Gabriel River on July 3rd to watch fireworks explode of Alamitos Bay in Long Beach. Early the next morning thousands of people gathered along Main Street in Huntington Beach to partake in the largest Fourth of July celebration west of the Mississippi.
Wild Rivers, a summertime favorite that kept visitors cool for more than 25 years before closing down in 2011, returned – this time at its new location in Irvine’s Great Park. The first visitors were able to enjoy many — but not all — of the attractions.
Over in Costa Mesa, the OC Fair returned with its 23-day annual fair, this year themed “Feel the Sunshine”. The fair folks expected to welcome more than 1 million people looking to binge on adrenaline on the midway, find the latest must-have in the products buildings and take in a concert.
It’s smooth sailing for thee Wild Rivers enthusiasts on the water park’s Bora Bora Boomerango ride on Sunday, July 10, 2022 in Irvine during a soft opening. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Actress Scarlett Abinante heads up Main Street during The 118th Huntington Beach 4th of July Parade in Huntington Beach, CA, on Monday, July 4, 2022. It’s the largest 4th of July celebration west of the Mississippi River.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shohei Ohtani (17) of the Angels pitches against the Astros during a game at Angel Stadium in Anaheim on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Shelley Baird, right, of Oceanside is joined by others to take photos Pumpkin Pie, a llama at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on Sunday, July 17, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Performers make their way past fairgoers during the first day of the OC Fair on Friday, July 15, 2022 in Costa Mesa. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Kristin Ringard dresses as Greek water gods during the first day of Comic-Con in San Diego, CA, on July 21, 2022.(Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
As evening approached the giant waves at the Wedge had begun to diminish but that didn’t stop surfers from catching the last of the big waves in Newport Beach on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
AUGUST:
August meant the end of summer camps and students heading back to school. In Huntington Beach, Camp Silver Gan Israel, a Jewish day camp, wrapped up its 50th year serving 250 kids a week in a place Rabbi Sender Engel, calls, “a place where happy kids are Jewisher and Jewish kids are happier.”
At the beach, thousands gathered to watch the year’s biggest surfing competition, the Vans US Open of Surfing where competitors not only ride the waves but hang out with fans along the shore. Along with the new inductees to the Surfing Walk of Fame on Main Street in Huntington Beach.
Emma Marquis gets a kiss from her mom Delfina Padilla during the first day of class at Hansen Elementary School in Anaheim, CA on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Pali counselor, Shivers, keeps an eye on campers from atop a scaffold as the former college diver teaches them Hollywood Stunts in Running Springs on Tuesday, August 9, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
James Foster of the BMX Stunt Masters sails through the air while performing a stunt off the ramp during Rancho Santa Margarita’s first-ever Bike Rodeo in the parking lot of the Bell Tower Regional Community Center Rancho in Rancho Santa Margarita on Sunday, August 7, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Workers with HSG, a window cleaning and servicing company, get busy on some of the 10,000 window panes at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA on Friday, August 12, 2022. The job will take several weeks to finish. The windows were last cleaned before the cathedral’s opening in 2019. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Marines salute as the American flag is lowered to half-staff during a remembrance service at Park Semper Fi in San Clemente, CA on Friday, August 26, 2022. The event honored the 13 service members who were killed in a bombing at the Kabul, Afghanistan airport a year earlier during the U.S. withdrawal. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A competitor hangs on to a steer as he flies through the air after sliding off his horse during the Steer Wrestling event at the 20th anniversary Rancho Mission Viejo Rodeo held at the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park on San Juan Capistrano Saturday, August 27, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Mobile Operations Manager Parsia Jahanbani prepares a dose of the monkeypox vaccine at Families Together of Orange County in Tustin, CA on Tuesday, August 16, 2022. The Jynneos vaccine consists of two doses administered 28 days apart. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
SEPTEMBER:
After marching down Huntington Beach’s Main Street proudly waving their country flags, about 250 surfers came together to mix the grains from their local beaches during the “Sands of the World” opening ceremony of the ISA World Surfing Games. It is the first time the event has been held in Surf City since 2006.
The Pacific Airshow roared to a start at the end of the month. The aerial performers came from near and far to wow the crowds. Among the pilots taking to the sky over the weekend was Matt Hall, a former top gun fighter pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force and reigning Red Bull Air Race World Champion.
Workers ride a lift to work on the power lines that pass through Talbert Park in Huntington Beach on Monday, September 19, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jefferson Malanay, dressed as Sora from Kingdom Hearts, takes a selfie with other cosplayers during the D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Filipe Toledo of San Clemente is carried along the beach after winning his first world championship, beating Italo Ferreira of Brazil, at the Rip Curl WSL Finals at Lower Trestles at San Onofre State Park in San Clemente on Thursday, September 8, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A U.S. Navy F-35C performs during the Pacific Airshow in Huntington Beach, CA, on Friday, September 30, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
OCTOBER:
In Costa Mesa, where the Segerstrom family once grew lima beans, the Orange County Museum of Art opened its new home at the $94 million, world-class building designed by global architectural firm Morphosis.
The Orange County Model Engineers unveiled the refurbished Hank Hornsveld Trestle along the 7.5-inch gauge railroad at Fairview Park in Costa Mesa. The trestle was originally built in 1991 and is part of over 5 miles of track at the Mackerel Flats and Goat Hill Junction Railroad.
The Orange County Museum of Art at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA, on Thursday, October 6, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Artist Hector Dionicio Mendoza’s cardboard critter stares down visitors during OCMA’s 24-hour grand-opening celebration in Costa Mesa on Sunday, October 9, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Andrea Lassakova of the Slovak Republic, formerly with the Mikhailovsky, pauses before performing during a rehearsal at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on Saturday, October 1, 2022. She will be performing with international dancers, including Russians who exited their country after the invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Several thousand protesters line the intersection of Jeffrey Road and Barranca Parkway surrounding Irvine Valley College on Friday afternoon, October 14, 2022. The demonstrators angered by the death of Mahsa Amini, rallied in solidarity with the people of Iran saying they want a regime change in Iran and want world leaders, including President Biden, who was speaking at IVC, to be more forceful in condemning the regime. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Aurora Raynore, 2, takes a moment to show Liberty some love while waiting to compete in the Baby Classic contest. She was at Silverado Days in Buena Park onSaturday, October 15, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A surfer runs to the surf as the sun sets near the Huntington Beach Pier in Huntington Beach on Thursday, October 27, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
NOVEMBER:
November started with a lottery passing $1.2 billion and ended with turkey and shopping. In between, there were high school sports championships, an election and a bus strike.
Election results around the county were a mixed bag as Orange County turns more purple. Democrats celebrated Rep. Katie Porter holding onto her seat in California’s 47th Congressional as Republicans cheered on Michelle Steel for keeping the 48th Congressional District.
The annual Disneyland Christmas tree stands in Town Square at the foot of Main Street U.S.A. inside Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, November 11, 2022. This is the 25th year the ride has had a holiday overlay. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Friends of Fred Swegles splash the water and toss flowers during a memorial and paddle out for Swegles, a longtime south Orange County journalist and San Clemente resident, at the San Clemente Pier in San Clemente on Sunday, November 6, 2022. Swegles, 74, died Sunday, Oct. 23, due to complications from a brain tumor. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Four-year-old Wendy Xu hugs giant Teddy Bears at Winter Fest OC at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, CA on Friday, November 25, 2022. Winter Fest OC runs through January 1, 2023. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A runner dressed as a turkey is chased by chefs as they near the finish line during the 45th annual Dana Point Turkey Trot in Dana Point on Thursday, November 24, 2022. Nearly 10,000 runners took part in the annual Thanksgiving Day event. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Wylie Aitken, left, embraces his daughter, Ashleigh Aitken, a candidate for Anaheim mayor, after she arrived at a Democratic Party of Orange County election night party in Villa Park on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Head coach Bruce Rollinson of Mater Dei Monarchs holding his grandson’s hand listens as his players recite the alma mater as St. John Bosco defeated Mater Dei Monarchs 24-22 CIF-SS Division 1 championship game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday, November 26, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)
Officials raise a 30-by-60-foot American flag on a proposed cemetery site in Anaheim Hills, CA on Wednesday, November 30, 2022. The site is at Gypsum Canyon Road and the 91 freeway. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
DECEMBER:
The year closed out with cloudy skies and much needed rain.
At the end of the San Clemente Pier, Santa Claus visited with people and pets during the annual Sunsets with Santa. On the next day, people gathered around a 10-foot menorah during the “Chanukah on the Pier,” event hosted by Chabad of San Clemente.
We met La Quinta High School student James Nguyen, 17, who developed a cancer-detecting electric toothbrush and was a finalist for the Rise Challenge, a global competition that finds “brilliant people who need opportunity and supports them for life as they work to serve others,” according to their website.
Ships lit up harbors along the Orange County coast during boat parades, including the 60th annual Huntington Harbour Boat Parade.
Sylvia Mendez gets a kiss from her brother Phillip Mendez after the opening of the Mendez Tribute Monument Park in Westminster, CA on Thursday, December 1, 2022. The Mendez v. Westminster court case, brought by their father Gonzalo Mendez and four other families helped end segregation in California schools. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG
Ellie Hartzheim, 10, left, and her brother Isak, 7, of Brea enjoy the artificial snow at the annual Brea tree lighting at the Brea Civic & Cultural Center in Brea on Thursday, December 1, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Timothy Olivas and his daughter Xabrina celebrate a goal by Tim Weah for the United States at a watch party at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA on Monday, November 21, 2022. The World Cup match between the U.S.and Wales ended in a 1-1 draw. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Marines and sailors take part in the annual Steel Knight training exercise, on Monday, December 5, 2022 at Camp Pendleton. The drills simulate island warfare to prepare for potential future conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Sophia Carillo and her partner work on their dance moves at Betsy Ross Elementary School in Anaheim, CA on Wednesday, December 7, 2022. Students are meeting once a week with an instructor to learn five styles of dance. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
La Quinta High School student James Nguyen, 17, developed a cancer-detecting electric toothbrush and was a finalist for the Rise Challenge, a global competition that finds “brilliant people who need opportunity and supports them for life as they work to serve others,” according to their website. He is pictured at La Quinta High School in Westminster on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains are lit up as the sun sets at the pier in Seal Beach, CA, on Tuesday, December 13, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of Chabad of San Clemente take a selfie after sunset during the “Chanukah on the Pier,” event at the end of the San Clemente pier in San Clemente on Sunday, December 18, 2022. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jeff Gritchen started his career working for the American Red Cross as a disaster relief photographer 1989. In 1994 he started working for the company that would eventually become the Southern California News Group -- first at The Orange County Register, then the Long Beach Press-Telegram, then back to Orange County. Gritchen has covered everything from the large Cambodian community in Long Beach to a few NBA Championships and a World Series. In 2005 he covered the destruction of the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. In 2008 he traveled to Southeast Asia to document a rural Cambodian girl as she traveled to the U.S. for life-altering heart surgery. In 2016 he traveled to China to document the opening of Disney’s newest theme park in Shanghai. He has won numerous state and national awards, including an international NPPA Best of Photojournalism award. Gritchen served as the Director of Region 10 of the National Press Photographer Association from 1999 to 2005. He attended California State University, Fullerton, where he graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in Photo Communication. He likes to hike, bike and spend time with his family.
