H.B., F.V. teachers chosen for county’s top 5

Two teachers from Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley school districts are among the five Orange County Teachers of the Year.

Fountain Valley School District’s Talbert Middle School science teacher John Wood and Huntington Beach City School District’s Peterson Elementary third-grade GATE teacher Deanna Lynn Zamiska were selected after a countywide search, said Orange County Department of Education Coordinator of Academic Events Sharon Nelson.

The best four K-12 teachers and one community college teacher are selected a year ahead, which makes them 2013′s teachers of the year.

The four K-12 teachers who were named will go on to compete at the state level in the California Teachers of the Year program, Nelson said.

The other teachers are Cypress College geology professor Victoria Ann Castle, Tustin Unified School District’s Beckman High School AP history teacher David Lawrence Goldenberg, and Tustin Unified School District’s Peters Canyon Elementary third-grade teacher Jennifer Kathleen Sandland.

—Mona Shadia, @MonaShadia, HB Independent

Two men killed in separate collisions in H.B.

Two men were killed and several people including an infant were injured in two separate Huntington Beach car crashes that happened within 24 hours of each other.

Abraham Perez, 30, was pronounced dead at the scene about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday after a collision at Bolsa Chica Street and Tasman Drive, Lt. Mitch O’Brien said. The driver of an orange 1973 Ford Bronco lost control, crossed over the center divider and hit Perez’s silver 2000 Honda Civic.

The 20-year-old Bronco driver, whose name has not been released, was in the car with her 7-month-old daughter. The woman was treated for minor injures, but the baby sustained severe injuries and remains in critical condition, according to police.

–Mona Shadia, @MonaShadia, HB Independent

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405 Freeway closed in both directions in Orange County

Both sides of the 405 Freeway in Orange County have been closed after power lines fell on several cars.

The incident occurred at Magnolia Street, near Huntington Beach and Westminster, and it’s unclear how long the freeway will be closed.

According to the CHP website, several vehicles were hit by the falling lines, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.

Vehicles were being diverted onto surface streets, and officials said the traffic was quickly backing up.

The CHP website said the freeway will be closed for at least 30 minutes.

–Los Angeles Times

Moms, this is your weekend

Regardless of whether your mother would rather imbibe a Bellini or inlay a bracelet, ourMother’s Dayguide has you covered. Read on for lots of area options:

Gimme Shelter

If your mother would rather spend time in a Home Goods store than in her own home, this is the option for you. The 13th annual Huntington Beach Home and Garden Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The day includes a tour of several picturesque local homes, a gourmet buffet lunch and dessert, and a Mother’s Day boutique at the Huntington Beach Art Center, 538 Main St.

The cost is $50. Proceeds benefit students and teachers of the Huntington Beach City School District. For more information, call (714) 378-1512 or hbef4kids.org.

Walk the talk

Moms who are more set on saving the world than salivating over brunch would love to walk with their loved ones in the annual Orange County Walk Like MADD 5K.

Once again starting at Huntington City Beach at Pacific Coast Highway and Beach Boulevard, the day’s opening ceremonies begin at 8:30 a.m. The paved walk begins at 9 a.m., with closing ceremonies at 11:30 a.m.

The family health and safety fair runs from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. It includes booths and activities, prizes and tributes to DUI victims. For more information, call (714) 838-6199 or walklikemadd.org.

–Candice Baker

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Thursday a big day for baseball in H.B.

Marina's Jack Westermeyer delivers a pitch against Edison during a game at Marina High School. (SCOTT SMELTZER)

It’s only fitting that the Sunset League baseball race— wild and wacky one all throughout — would come down to the final day of the regular season. All that’s riding on the outcome of Thursday games is a league championship, playoff berths and league seedings for the upcoming postseason.

On Tuesday, Marina stayed in contention for the Sunset title by edging visiting Huntington Beach, 5-4, Fountain Valley took a 6-1 decision from Newport Harbor and Los Alamitos kept its one-game lead and first-place standing by downing Edison, 8-2.

Thursday’s schedule has Edison at Los Alamitos, Fountain Valley at Newport Harbor, and Marina at Huntington, all at 3:15 p.m.

The title in the Golden West League also is up for grabs on the final day of the regular season Thursday, and Ocean View is in line for that top spot.

–Mike Sciacca, @MikeSciacca, HB Independent

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Seahawks, Oilers move on in boys’ volleyball

Ocean View players celebrate after defeating Valencia of Placentia, 3-1, in a first-round CIF Southern Section boys' volleyball match Tuesday. (KEVIN CHANG)

Opening night of the CIF Southern Section boys’ volleyball playoffs saw both Ocean View and Huntington Beach face early challenges Tuesday, but came on strong down the stretch to advance in postseason play.

Ocean View improved to 16-4 by downing visiting Valencia of Placentia, 25-23, 21-25, 27-25, 25-14, in a Division 3 match. Huntington Beach scored a 24-26, 25-15, 25-19, 25-14 win over visiting Harvard-Westlake in a Division 1 opener.

Adam Wills had 39 kills and 31 digs for Golden West League-champion Ocean View. Also making big contributions were Elijah Nolasco with 45 digs, Ralph Cabiltes with five digs and 51 assists, and August Oda with nine kills.

Valencia was the No. 3 team from the Empire League.

“We played a well-rounded match and I am proud of our performance tonight,” Seahawks Coach Seth Cutrell said. “Valencia was a tough first-round opponent and they played a solid match. I knew that if would be loud and stayed positive, we could jump on Valencia and get an early lead. Even in game three, when Valencia made a late push and forced us to take a timeout (at 24-24), I knew we were still going to come out on top. Winning game three gave us the push we needed to finish them in game four.”

–Mike Sciacca, @MikeSciacca, HB Independent

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Young H.B. dancer wins at Spotlight Awards

Tyler Donatelli, 15, right, dances with Tara Gusman at the Southland Ballet Academy in Fountain Valley on Monday. (SCOTT SMELTZER)

The teacher has watched the pupil grow under a decade of tutelage.

Tyler Donatelli entered Salwa Rizkalla’s Southland Ballet Academy in Fountain Valley when the aspiring classical dancer from Huntington Beach was 4 years old.

“She has extreme talent,” said Rizkalla, who founded the academy at 9527 Garfield Ave. more than 30 years ago.

“You cannot tell early enough how the person will turn out, but Tyler possesses the qualities of a unique protégé …,” she added. “You can tell that she will be a professional — and a successful one.”

Now 15, Tyler just clinched a pair of back-to-back honors at the regional and national levels that can only put her an en pointe flutter of toe tips closer to her dream of becoming a professional ballet dancer.

On April 28 in Los Angeles, she won the first-place award in the ballet category at the 24th annual Music Center Spotlight Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

–Imran Vittachi, @ImranVittachi, HB Independent

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H.B. council amends zoning code for skate park

The Huntington Beach City Council voted Monday to amend the city’s zoning code, paving the way for a state-of-the-art Vans skate park.

Before VF Outdoor Inc., a subsidiary of Vans’ parent VF Corp, proposed opening and operating the skate park on 2.7 acres on Center Avenue near Gothard Street, the parcel had been designated for residential uses with an affordable housing component, part of which fulfilled state law requirement.

Now the city has to find somewhere else for the 175 affordable housing units.

Huntington Beach’s exclusive agreement more than a year ago with Vans to negotiate building the skate park upset Center Partners LLC, a developer that wanted to build a residential project on the site. That proposal was first initiated more than 20 years ago.

–Mona Shadia, @MonaShadia, HBIndependent

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H.B. Relay for Life represents hope

Supporters of Proposition 29, the tobacco tax initiative, hold signs of support during a rally that was part of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life at the Huntington Central Park. (STEVEN GEORGES)

Some came to Huntington Central Park from other parts of Orange County. Some drove for hours from places like Bakersfield. Some even came from out of state.

But they all came with a common goal in mind: beating cancer.

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life in Huntington Beach lasted from 11 a.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Sunday.

By noon Saturday, teams of participants sporting matching shirts filled the park, walking to raise funds for loved ones who either beat or are fighting cancer, or those who lost their lives to the disease.

There were also activities like dancing and singing, and a handful of tents were set up for those who planned on spending the night.

Kerrie Cabral, 34, joined her family and friends from Seattle. The family members, all wearing T-shirts that read “Anna’s Angels,” had planned on staying the night.

Cabral said this was her and her family’s way of supporting her aunt, who lost her battle with cancer, and supporting all those who are fighting or have fought the disease.

“This is our dedication to them,” she said. “Being tired, hot … is a small price to pay for those who are battling cancer.”

–Mona Shadia, @MonaShadia, HB Independent

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One dead after morning accident in H.B.

One person was killed in what appeared to be a head-on collision involving at least three vehicles Wednesday morning at Bolsa Chica Street and Tasman Drive in Huntington Beach, according to police.

Three other people, including an infant, were transported to local hospitals, said Lt. Mitch O’Brien. Their condition has not been released.

Police responded to a traffic accident at 7:31 a.m., and by 9:30 a.m. investigators were still at the site determining how the accident happened.

O’Brien would not say if the person killed was a Huntington Beach resident.

—Mona Shadia, @MonaShadia, HB Independent