Week In Review

It was a big week at the Los Alamitos-Seal Beach Patch because it was our first one!

The losalamitos.patch.com launched Wednesday morning with a feature story about a Seal Beach designer whose handbags can be seen on the arms of celebrities and in the pages of fashion magazines. Cleobella, the bohemian chic brainchild of Angela O'Brien, is a label that was born from a surf adventure that took O'Brien and her husband to the furthest corners of the world. You can read all about it and see a slide show of O'Brien and her designs.

Patch also launched with an examination of upcoming changes to emergency response times in Rossmoor. In this, reporter David Lumb looks at how the upcoming loss of a backup patrol unit will affect the Orange County Sheriff Department's service and response times in Rossmoor. While there is a chance that emergency response times in the community could improve, many in town are uncomfortable with the change. Rossmoor and county leaders seem to be headed for yet another power struggle over local control.

Day one also saw aby D. Alan Clinton about Seal Beach's newest and only full-fledged record store, Left of the Dial Records. As the story asks, can vinyl make a comeback?

Another popular story on launch day was Kevin Hunter's on the Friday Night Lights Flag Football program. In case you didn't know about it, it's a fledgling youth sports program that has grown faster than its founders every imagined it could.

Computer guru Erik Dreyer-Goldman told you you need to know about holiday shopping online. And Natasha Umer gave readers a glimpse into unique perspective of Rossmoor artist , who helps those who are  grieving by painting portraits of their loved-ones who have passed away.

We also ran a from the family of Roy Charles Laird, who faces murder charges in the shooting death of his wife of 69-years. According to police and family, Laird was a devoted husband who suffered as he watched his wife struggle with dementia. Patch invites, you the reader to share your experiences with dementia and Alzheimer's as we explore the resources available to help the community deal with this devastating disease.

On Thursday Patch the community meeting in Rossmoor where residents sought assurance from the Southern California Gas Company that the deadly gas line explosion that rocked a Northern California community can't happen here. Many in the community left the meeting unsatisfied, and Patch will be sure to follow up.

On Friday, reporter David Lumb was back with a feature on Seal Beach environmentalist Kim Masoner, who is teaching anyone who will listen how to care for the local environment and to crochet blankets, yoga mats and bedrolls out of everything from trash bags to old T-shirts. Check out this , or there is still time to learn in-person. Rain or shine, Masoner will give a demonstration at today's Save Our Beach Clean-up at First and Ocean by River's End Cafe. The clean-up starts at 9 a.m. and the demonstration will take place at 10 a.m.

Food writer D. Alan Clinton was back on Friday with a on Los Alamitos' Shenandoah at the Arbor. If you haven't been there, you've surely seen it. It's the adorable cottage restaurant on Los Alamitos Boulevard near Ganahl Lumber.

 And last, but by no means least, the Griffins made an appearance on Patch every day this week. What can we say? Los Alamitos High School athletes know how to win, and sports reporter Ted Apodaca was there for every minute of it. The girls' soccer team 2-1 and the boy's basketball team went on a tear, overtaking and the Cerritos Gahr on Friday with a .