Angels

NEWPORT BEACH — Sitting on an oversized plush chair in baseball legend Chuck Finley's Newport Beach home, actress Tawny Kitaen seems to be in a much different place than she was eight years ago. A soccer goal is visible in the backyard, and her daughter's art covers the refrigerator in the family home. Her adopted dog, Woody, nuzzles Kitaen as she talks about a new off-camera passion: helping others. A volunteer at Kathy's House, a shelter for at-risk women in San Juan Capistrano, and a member of the board of directors at Testimony Life Resources, an alternative counseling center, Kitaen appears to be a far cry from her role as the eccentric star of "The Surreal Life," or the woman battling a dependency on prescription pills on "Celebrity Rehab.

Former Angel Adam Kennedy was arrested Wednesday night in Newport Beach on suspicion of driving under the influence, a California Highway Patrol officer confirmed Thursday. Kennedy, a Riverside native who now plays second base for the Seattle Mariners, was pulled over by CHP on the northbound Corona del Mar (73) Freeway near MacArthur Boulevard about 9 p.m. He was then taken into custody and transported to Men's Central Jail in Santa Ana, the official confirmed. Kennedy was released at 6: 24 a.m. Thursday and is scheduled to appear in court Feb. 24, according to Orange County Sheriff's Department records.

Almost 100 of Brian "Bubba" Kapko's friends, and family gathered Saturday before the Angels game for a "Bub-A-Que" in memory of Kapko who was killed in a car accident Aug. 28, 2005. The Costa Mesa native, who was 19 when he died, was a big Angels fan, and soon after his death a group of his friends went to a game in his honor. In the Angels stadium parking lot before Saturday's game, everyone grubbed on ribs, chicken, cornbread and mashed potatoes from Newport Rib Company. Family members hope to make it an annual event.

"I think it is a little more exciting, because the Dodgers are in it too." RYAN TURRENTINE, 26 Newport Beach "Yeah, it is really exciting, because it came to the last series in the season." DOUG NEELY, 39 Newport Beach "It is always exciting to see the Angels make it to the playoffs." SERGIO RAYA, 42 Newport Beach "Everyday is a good day with the Angels. Everyday is exciting. The playoffs aren't the same if the Angels aren't in it. I love the playoffs."

The Orange County Fair was a little redder than usual Thursday when thousands of Angels fans showed up in jerseys to meet catchers Jeff Matthis Mathis and Mike Napoli, who were signing autographs from noon to 1 p.m. “It was great,” said 11-year-old Dillon Murphy of Newport Beach. “As a baseball player myself, it was nice to meet them.” Matthis and Napoli greeted about 500 fans, officials estimate. The line ?  stretched dozens of yards, then looped back again.

Laurie Leggio has two missions in life, and they can both be found on the back of the key chain she hands to unwitting strangers on the street. The message at the top of the pewter plate, which sports an illustration of an angel on the other side, reads, “An Angel at your door. Whatever door shall be opened may your Angel always be with you.” Leggio, a Costa Mesa Realtor, is in the angel business — or, at least, she’d like to be. Since 2002, she’s been producing prayer angel figurines, key chains and plaques and donating them for free.

NEWPORT BEACH - The Rangers defeated the Angels, 12-4 in Newport Harbor Baseball Association Bronco Division (ages 11-12)playoff action June 5. Rangers Tim Cramer and Andrew Skjonsby, who each had three hits, keyed the offense. Nathan Cramer and Blake Pinto added two hits apiece. Jayme Ohlhaver and Drew Harris provided solid defense, while pitcher Nathan Cramer kept the Angels off balance. In other NHBA Bronco action: Rangers 8, Padres 4 - Billy Munce smacked two home runs to lead the Rangers.

J.D. Dawn stole home after reaching base on an error for the game's lone run as the Angels defeated the Mariners, 1-0, to begin the Newport Beach Little League Majors Division season Feb. 28. The game was a rematch of last year's division championship, won by the Mariners, 4-0. Strong pitching and defense dominated the game. Jamie Heinecke and Nick Flamson combined on a four-hitter for the Angels while John Doering threw six innings of no-hit ball for the Mariners.

Chris Yemma Costa Mesa American Little Leaguer P.J. Maloney avoids labeling himself a leader, with his rationale being baseball is a team sport. Sometimes, though, it's tough to avoid the truth. The Angels' pitcher tossed a complete-game four-hitter and drove in two runs to lead the Majors division team to a 5-1 District 62 Tournament of Champions first-round victory over the Robinwood Astros Tuesday at Huntington Valley park. "I knew I could pitch the whole game if I started off good and didn't give up a lot of hits," said Maloney, 12. The Angels will face Fountain Valley's second seed in the quarterfinals at 9 a.m. Saturday at the same location.

Blake Thomsen singled in David Weiland with the game's only run and the Angels defeated the Dodgers, 1-0, in the Newport Beach Little League Majors National League championship game May 22. The Angels, who won their fourth straight playoff game, received a stellar effort from pitcher Jamie Heinecke, who extended his scoreless streak in the playoffs to 14 innings with the shutout. Right fielder Mikey Pawell threw out the potential tying run at the plate and Emil Peterson stopped a line drive in the third inning.

Arte Moreno, the epitome of what fans hope for in an owner, spent the offseason making dramatic moves to improve the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. He signed Albert Pujols, the best hitter in baseball, to a $250 million 10-year contract in free agency. He signed C.J. Wilson, Fountain Valley product and the best available pitcher in free agency, to another rich contract. Then he engineered a trade at the weakest hitting position on the roster for Chris Ianetta, a significant improvement at the catching position.

COSTA MESA — It was back to business for the Orange Coast College baseball team on Sunday. And, as has been the case during a monumental 2012 season, business is booming for the Pirates. The No. 1-ranked team in the state, which is also ranked atop one national poll, hammered Los Angeles Valley, 9-1, to complete a best-of-three sweep in the Southern California Regional held Saturday and Sunday at OCC. The Pirates needed extra innings to prevail, 6-5, on Saturday, when they lost a 4-0 lead in the ninth and fell behind in the 10th, before rallying for the walk-off triumph.

Angels right fielder Torii Hunter got a surprise visit at his Newport Coast home Wednesday not from an overzealous fan, but from police. The Angels star said on his verified Twitter account that he was in his house when the alarm went off, and within 20 minutes he was visited by Newport Beach police. Hunter wrote that when he went outside, police drew their guns. "The cops that were here today had there guns drawn but pointed downward in for safety [sic]," Hunter tweeted.

Thirty years ago, a good Indian meal in Orange County was hard to come by. "When we opened in 1982, there were no Indian restaurants in Orange County at that time," said Arun Puri, who owns Royal Khyber Fine Indian Cuisine at South Coast Plaza Village with his wife, Urmil Puri. Almost as a hobby - and to save commuting time - Arun Puri opened an Indian eatery on Jamboree Road and Bristol Street. It would later move to a smaller space near the Costa Mesa-Santa Ana border across from South Coast Plaza, at the invitation of the Segerstrom family.

The Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea are the South Korean people's roving goodwill ambassadors. On Wednesday night, before a sold-out Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa, the 32 members of the troupe's present-day generation of child performers brought their message of peace to Orange County, delighting their audience with a performance that featured a repertoire of Korean folk dances. During the two-hour show, the children - mostly girls ranging from 9 to 15 years old - changed in and out of an array of brilliantly colored costumes.

Dorothy V. Fischer Fischer, Dorothy Veronica of Newport Beach died at age 92 on February 10, 2012. She was born in New York City on November 6, 1919 to Daniel and Ruth O'Leary.  She grew up in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn with her older sister Ruth.  In elementary school, she won an all-city essay contest and was presented a medal by the mayor on New York City Hall steps. She worked her way through college and, in 1942, graduated from Hunter College, where she majored in English and was president of her sorority Alpha Delta Pi.  Attending a tea dance for soldiers in May 1942 at the Hotel New Yorker, she met the love of her life, Russell Fischer.   They married in July 1942 and she put on her signature silver cuff bracelet inscribed “Russ and Dot, One Forever” which she wore her entire life.  When Russ was sent overseas, she worked for the Signal Corps.

HUNTINGTON BEACH - Scott McCall is no stranger to the water. The 30-year-old grew up in Huntington Beach. He learned to swim at Pacific Sands Cabana Club with his sisters, Jayme and Megan. But McCall always wanted to surf. He received special lessons at the Surf's Up for Down Syndrome event Friday. McCall was one of several potential surfers with Down syndrome learning from pros and experts near the Huntington Beach Pier. Former Angels announcer Rex Hudler's Team Up for Down Syndrome, in conjunction with the International Surfing Museum, put on the inaugural event, which also featured live and silent auctions, as well as a banquet at Sandy's Beach Grill.

LOS ANGELES — Newport-Mesa Unified Supt. Jeffrey Hubbard testified Wednesday that racy emails sent between him and a subordinate when he ran the school district in Beverly Hills had nothing to do with why he increased that subordinate's car allowance and gave her a bonus. Karen Anne Christiansen was a top performer, and he and members of the school board believed she deserved more money, he testified on the witness stand in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Prosecutors have alleged that the attention Hubbard received in a "special relationship" with Christiansen, then Beverly Hills Unified's facilities director, led him to enhance her car allowance and give her bonuses without the legally required school board approval.

Happy New Year! Kosher Claus has returned to his secret lair until next Christmas/Chanukah season, the decorations are coming down, but there are plenty of inspirational memories from the year of sports in 2011. The New Year affords the opportunity to review our mistakes and triumphs and resolve to be better people in the days to come. Sports has always had the power to trigger positive imitative values and model outstanding behavioral qualities — and this year had its shining examples.

There is a theory that God created the concept of time so everything wouldn't happen at once, but the dizzying pace of announcements regarding the Southern California sports scene last week defied that principle. A series of events altered the landscape dramatically and should provide enhanced thrills for local sports fans. Arte Moreno, owner of the Angels, has demonstrated his passion for winning and concern for the fans throughout his tenure. The two-year absence of MVP candidate first baseman Kendry Morales contributed to a power drain this past season that enabled the Rangers to take their second straight title.