Veterans

For Tyson Wahl, the suitcase is always half full. Ever the optimist, the seven-year Major Soccer League veteran is thankful to have experienced his dream of playing professional soccer. But playing now for his third different team in eight months, the fourth franchise of his career, he admits that logistics can sometimes be his least-forgiving opponent. "My fiancée and I have gotten pretty good at packing up boxes and moving around," said Wahl, a reserve defender for the Colorado Rapids, who acquired him in a trade on July 13. Wahl came to Colorado from the Montreal Impact, who traded for him in November, following three seasons with the Seattle Sounders.

During this Fourth of July remembrance week, it is important to acknowledge that our freedom often comes at a very high price. That price, of course, is the sacrifice of loved ones serving military missions far from their homes, and putting their lives on the line every day so those of us not in harm's way can share the 4th of July holiday with family and friends. Recently in Costa Mesa at Vanguard University, a much more serious dedication in advance of the Fourth of of July celebration honored America's veterans with the creation of a "Courtyard of Honor.

Their friends and memories may be slipping away, but World War II veterans could still count on their neighbors Monday. Hundreds saluted local service members at Costa Mesa's Harbor Lawn-Mt. Olive Memorial Park and Mortuary. Speakers at the 58th annual Memorial Day services focused on the attack on Pearl Harbor, where thousands of Americans died, and the few remaining from that war's generation. They were there to support people like Bus Cornelius, 90, who buried 14 of his company mates after fighting in North Africa.

The Orange County Fair Board has promoted Jerome Hoban, vice president of operations, to the fairgrounds chief executive officer. Hoban, 38, will take over as interim CEO for Steven Beazley on Tuesday. He will take over the position permanently pending a background check. UPDATE: [This version clarifies that the position is an interim one for now.] "What I liked about Jerome is he has institutional knowledge of the fair history," said Fair Board member Stan Tkaczyk.

Dan Huston, a Laguna Beach resident, community advocate and World War II veteran, has died. He was 90. As an active member of the Freedom Committee of Orange County, a group of veterans from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars, Huston was a frequent and lively speaker at Laguna and Newport-Mesa Unified schools and community events. He died at Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach on March 15, eight days shy of his 91st birthday and hours before he was scheduled to share his war experiences with students at Corona del Mar high school.

George Ciampa remembers crossing the English Channel to the shores of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, then waiting to disembark his ship. "There was 4,000 ships out there," he said. "You could see ships getting hit, bodies and debris in the water, and you're waiting for your turn to get off. You're hearing the shells zooming overhead. " When the 18-year-old finally got onto a small landing craft to take him to the beach, the scene was frantic. He had a rifle, but his job was to pick up the dead.

Sit 'n Sleep and the California Department of Veterans Affairs have teamed up to provide veterans with jobs at Southern California stores, the mattress retailer announced this week. Stores in Costa Mesa, Santa Ana, Anaheim and Laguna Hills will be among the locations hiring clerical, sales and warehouse positions, according to a news release. In all, about 50 positions will be filled by veterans across Southern California. "We strive to give back to the veterans who have given so much for us and help provide a job to return to after so bravely serving our country," said Larry Miller, chairman and executive officer of the Gardena-based Sit 'n Sleep.

Pictures of delicate blossoms, children innocently kissing and elaborately gowned women grace the walls of Ivan Eugene "Danny" Dan's Costa Mesa home. The framed pictures, bursting with color and romance, are not as they first appear. Rather than oil paints and brush strokes, the nuanced shading and detail that form the images are from tightly interwoven threads from countless skillfully placed needlepoint stitches. Perhaps even more astonishing to those unfamiliar with Dan, a retired operator of a Newport Beach automotive detailing and wax business, is that he is the artist.

The Costa Mesa Police Department has selected a captain to fill a position left vacant for more than a year. Lt. Allen Huggins was chosen from six internal candidates, according to Police Chief Tom Gazsi. He will share second-in-command duties with the department's other captain, Les Gogerty. Huggins is a 25-year veteran of the force. He will be leaving his position in the Professional Standards Unit, which deals with internal affairs, Gazsi said. Huggins' promotion takes effect Sunday, as will other changes, Lt. Bryan Glass announced Thursday.

If a suspect were to take off on foot in a 26.2-mile pursuit, Paul Sarris would likely be able to catch him. The 34-year-old patrol officer for the Newport Beach Police Department won the Surf City USA Marathon in Huntington Beach, beating last year's winner by nearly five minutes at  2:30:09 in his first-ever marathon-length race. Update: This adds Paul Sarris' time. Sarris, an Aliso Viejo resident and nine-year veteran of the Newport force, competed for the University of Iowa.