TORRANCE TRIBUNE September 1, 2016 Page 5 Dodgers Attempt to Take NL West By Adam Serrao Before last Sunday’s game against the Chicago Cubs, the Dodgers had 72 victories to their name and held a two game lead in the National League West over their rivals, the San Francisco Giants. Though that sounds like a nice stat, and is certainly better than being in second place, 72 wins was the least of any divisional leader in the league. The Dodgers, though, aren’t concerned about records. They are only concerned with being the best team in the league when it comes to the end of “By overcoming San Francisco in the standings and attempting to run away with the NL West, the Dodgers are one giant step closer to their ultimate World Series goal.” October. By overcoming San Francisco in the standings and attempting to run away with the NL West, the Dodgers are one giant step closer to their ultimate World Series goal. People always just seem to expect the Dodgers to win on a yearly basis, perhaps because of their payroll, or perhaps because the talent on the team is actually just that good. No matter the reason, though, the Dodgers are living up to those expectations this year and doing so against all odds. Take into account the fact that Clayton Kershaw - perhaps one of the best pitchers Major League Baseball has ever seen - has not thrown a pitch for the team since June 26. At the time of Kershaw’s departure due to an injury to his back, the Dodgers were 41-36 and looking up at the Giants in the standings, trailing their bitter rivals by eight games. Before last Sunday’s game, the team was 72-57 and held a two game lead in the standings over San Francisco. How does a team lose its best player and improve by 10 games in the standings? Despite not having Kershaw, the Dodgers have still gotten great pitching performances, especially out of their bullpen, and timely hitting. Rich Hill finally made his debut for L.A. and pitched six scoreless innings of baseball against the Giants to help extend the team’s lead in the standings. Kenta Maeda has been his usual solid self as well, but even Scott Kazmir has put together a couple of solid outings and Julio Urias looks to be reaching his future All-Star potential much sooner than expected. Then there’s the bullpen. Kenley Jansen isn’t necessarily unhittable, but he’s pretty close to it. With 39 saves on the season (behind only Jeurys Familia of the New York Mets) and a 1.86 ERA (dating back to last Sunday), Jansen may be the league’s best overall closer. All in all, the Dodgers, as a team, have a 3.78 team ERA, good enough for sixth best in the Major Leagues. Maybe the main reason the Dodgers have been so good lately has to do with the play of Corey Seager, who’s making a strong case for Most Valuable Player and will certainly get this year’s Rookie of the Year Award, leads the team in batting average (.322), on base percentage (.377), and hits. To go with that, he’s also contributed 22 home runs and 61 RBIs. Justin Turner has also been a beast at the plate, knocking in 24 home runs and 74 RBIs. Adrian Gonzalez has been his usual self as well, batting near the .300’s with 15 home runs and 73 RBIs. Together with excellent pitching, the Dodgers proficiency at the plate on offense has gotten them to the top of the National League West standings and in front of the Giants for a playoff spot. Through it all, the team’s journey has been rather improbable. The Dodgers began the year with 10 players on the disabled list. When Brett Anderson landed back on the DL, he was the fifth player to land on the list twice this season. The Dodgers have had seven pitchers make the disabled list and a total of 27 players. An amount matched only by the 2012 Red Sox who finished the year in fifth place in the American League East. Despite all of the injuries, the Dodgers pressed on. They pressed on with a rookie head coach in his first year in a management role with the team. They pressed on and overcame a six game deficit in the NL West at the time of this year’s All-Star break. The Dodgers only figure to get healthier and with the arrival of Hill to the pitching staff, combined with Kershaw’s hopeful and eventual return, could get a major boost to the team’s talent. Add to that the September call-ups and rookies like Jose De Leon that could potentially come in, relieve some pitchers and make an immediate impact. Though the Dodgers only held a slight two game lead in the standings dating back to last Sunday, they certainly look to be in a good position. The Chicago Cubs may be the game’s best team record-wise, but the Dodgers just beat them two out of three games as well. If the team can somehow stay healthy and play out the last month of the season like they’ve been playing, they may just have enough to send Vin Scully off with a World Series ring. • Up and Adam Saxons Lose Opener in Final Seconds By Adam Serrao The time has finally come. High School football is back, at last. Last Friday night, the North High Saxons strapped on their pads to get things kicked off as the first team from the city of Torrance to step foot on the field. In their first game without last year’s Player of the Year, Mique Juarez, the Saxons looked good. Going up against the Banning Pilots, North and new starting quarterback Glenn Searcy tied the game at 12 apiece with just less than two minutes remaining. Unfortunately for the Saxons, their defense fell apart in the final seconds. With just 13 seconds remaining in the game, Banning quarterback Myles Porter connected with wide receiver Angel Mendez for an 11-yard touchdown. The Score put the Pilots ahead for good, crushing North’s hope for an opening game win. A new era of North High football began with the Saxons keeping the game close throughout its entirety against a Banning football team that figures to be competing with Narbonne for the Marine League title this year. North was unfortunately without its head coach Todd Croce for the game because of what was an administrative matter according to school principal, Ron Richardson. Despite his absence, the Saxons were able to stay in the game in the first half. Banning got the scoring started first. With six points in the first quarter to take an early 6-0 lead. The Pilots were able to expand their advantage to 12-0 when Porter scampered for a 4-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Just before the half, North responded. Searcy led his team on an impressive drive with time running out, capping things off with 7-yard run that cut the Banning lead in half, making it 12-6 at the break. The third quarter moved along slowly and saw both teams’ muster some good defense after the halftime break. Neither team was able to score in the quarter, but the fourth and final quarter of play would provide enough fireworks to make up for each one that came before it. As time in the fourth quarter wound down, both teams continued to score the ball. With the score still at 12-6 in favor of Banning, Searcy took over for the Saxons. Searcy choreographed a drive that culminated in a 17-yard touchdown pass to K’lon Benson. The touchdown strike tied the game at 12 apiece with less than two minutes remaining in the game. North would miss the ensuing extra point that could have given them a one point lead. Porter and his Banning team didn’t rest easy knowing that overtime was steadily approaching. Porter led his team down the field as seconds ticked off of the clock. After converting a clutch fourth down play to keep the drive alive, Porter would find his receiver in the back of the end zone. Mendez caught the pass and with less than 15 seconds remaining on the clock, put a dash into the hopes of North High winning the game. “That was just a great job of a senior keeping his poise,” Banning coach John Aponte explained of Porter. “He understood the situation and pretty much willed us to victory.” Porter finished the day going 13 of 25 for 101 yards and an interception. Searcy had an impressive outing for the Saxons in his first start ever, going 13 of 25 for 167 yards and an interception. Though North kept it close, the reason for the team’s ultimate loss was their inability to get anything going on the ground. In the second half, the Saxons only ran the ball a total of five times. Saxons assistant Don Broussard filled in for head coach Todd Croce while he was absent. Broussard sees his team as young, but full of potential. “You could see the green on us,” Broussard said. “We’re still looking a little young, a little fresh, but I also see a high ceiling. I see some potential.” The Saxons and their potential will have to wait one more week to attempt to gain their first win. Now at 0-1 on the season, North will host Aliso Niguel, a team that won their first game of the season against Jordan by a final score of 43-33. With a new starting quarterback at the helm, new offensive weapons on the field, and a completely new style of play, North will need experience before they start reeling off wins. Luckily for the Saxons, they’ll get their head coach back next week and still have four weeks left until league play begins. If the young members of this North High football team can shake off the early season butterflies and get some much needed practice on the field, they may be able to start getting hot at just the right time this season. • City Council from front page adequate working conditions. The work listed and recommended was: “a mechanical cleaning procedure will be implemented to break up, loosen, and dislodge material clogging the well screen, gravel envelope and near-well zone,” states the staff report. “This cleaning process shall be conducted throughout the entire wetted portion of the well screen using the well jet process to provide powerful and effective breakup of clogging materials upon the well screen and thing the near-well zone without causing damage to the well.” In addition, the well will be submitted to a three-phase chemical treatment process in order breakdown any materials causing congestion in the well liner, the original well screen, gravel envelope and near-well zone. The city received three bids from firms highly experienced in rehabilitating water wells and the inspection of work process, including: Wood Rodgers, Inc., Geoscience Support Services Inc. [$203,775] and Hydro Resources West Inc. [$317,500]. The cleaning process will include: “1) a mixture of hydrochloric acid and corrosion inhibitor to break-down and digest corrosion byproducts and mineral scale, 2) a mixture of biodispersant and surfactant to break down and remove biofilm, residual drilling fluids, and suspended clay materials, and 3) downhole neutralization of treatment chemicals using sodium bicarbonate,” concludes the staff report. In addition to being the lowest bid, Wood Rodgers has specific knowledge of the well’s repair requirements, along with a long resume highlighting its experience with similar well restoration projects. “The current cost differentials between pumping water from our groundwater wells compared to importing water is an approximate saving of $500 per acre foot, which amounts to savings of over $1 million per year,” concluded Berndt. “Once contract is approved and we can get the contractor started, he can complete the work within two to three weeks.” • PUBLIC NOTICES Order to Show Cause for Change of Name Case No. NS032461 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: La Trina Rena Phillips for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner La Trina Rena Phillips filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: La Trina Rena Phillips to Dymin Dilaurentis The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: Date: 9/14/16, Time: 8:30AM., Dept.: 26 The address of the court is: 275 Magnolia Avenue Long Beach, CA 90802 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Torrance Tribune Date: August 3, 2016 SHERRI R. CARTER Judge of the Superior Court Torrance Tribune Pub. 8/25, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15/16 HT-25250 Order to Show Cause for Change of Name Case No. YS028933 Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles Petition of: Veronica Alejandra Velasquez for Change of Name TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS: Petitioner Veronica Alejandra Velasquez filed a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: Veronica Alejandra Velasquez to Veronica Alejandra Briones Velasquez The Court orders that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. Notice of Hearing: Date: 10-28-16, Time: 8:30AM., Dept.: M The address of the court is: 825 Maple Avenue Torrance, CA 90503 A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks prior to the date set for hearing on the petition in the following newspaper of general circulation, printed in this county: Torrance Tribune Date: August 22, 2016 STEVEN R. VAN SICKLEN Judge of the Superior Court Torrance Tribune Pub. 8/25, 9/1, 9/8, 9/15/16 HT-25253
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