Reader-requested updates from my year in columns

Seems like a good time to check in and follow up on some of the stories readers found interesting this past year.

In September I wrote about a former Newport Beach resident, actress Danielle Kennedy, who landed a role in the Netflix hit series, “Narcos,” about drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. Readers found her “second act” story inspirational.

The retired Realtor/author/motivational speaker/mother/grandmother chose acting as her second career 10 years ago — then landed the role of Ambassador Noonan, the U.S. ambassador to Colombia in “Narcos.”

On Dec. 10, when the Golden Globe nominations were announced, Narcos was nominated for Best Television Drama, and Wagner Moura for Best Actor in a TV series, drama.

Dining with Kennedy days after the announcement, she was thrilled “Narcos” got the nominations.

Season two is slated to air in August.

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Garden Grove’s ambitious mayor

In May, Garden Grove Mayor and Orange County Fair Board member Bao Nguyen took me on a personal walking tour of Garden Grove’s Historic Main Street, saying he had big plans for the area and that “Reimagine Garden Grove” was the city’s new catch phrase.

Then in October, Nguyen asked voters to “reimagine” him as the candidate to replace Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Orange), who is stepping down to run for U.S. Senate.

Nguyen and I spent some time together at the OC Fair this past summer, discussing his plans as he weighed his options, so I wasn’t surprised by his announcement.

I also expected he’d probably have to resign his position on the OC Fair board as his campaign got rolling, which he did in a Nov. 9 letter to Gov. Jerry Brown.

It will be interesting to see if Nguyen can go all the way to Congress, and whom Brown will replace him with on the Fair Board. (Disclosure: My husband is a member of the Fair Board.)

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An eternal tribute to the Creans

December also brought some closure for the family of my former cooking show partner, John Crean.

This past week the family of John and Donna Crean finally got to place a headstone at their parents’ grave at the Christ Cathedral cemetery in Garden Grove, where John was laid to rest in 2007 and Donna in 2012.

Daughter Emily Vogler-Flynn told me prior to the Catholic Church taking over the former Crystal Cathedral, the Schuler family would not approve the headstone monument.

This past week the Crean family got their wish and a headstone saying, “The Eternal Village Crean,” with a picture of the couple’s iconic mansion, placed on the grave.

Granddaughter Kelly Crean posted a photo on Facebook of the headstone saying, she “got the ultimate Christmas present” and that her “grandparents would be beaming!”

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Legislative update for the homeless

Also this past week, I received a heartfelt email from a 67-year-old woman who asked if I’d find out what happened to Assembly Bill 718, which I’d written about in July.

The woman wrote she’d become homeless this past year and was now forced to live in her vehicle, adding that finding “suitable and sustainable shelter for seniors” was difficult.

Assembly Bill 718 would have basically paved the way for the homeless living in cars or other vehicles to park on city streets for an undetermined amount of time.

Critics said it could tie the hands of local governments.

In Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, for example, you can’t park a vehicle on the street for more than 72 hours.

When this column ran, I heard from readers who didn’t like the idea of having folks living in their neighborhoods in parked vehicles.

Many agreed opening parking lots of municipal buildings after hours and having security there was a good compromise.

So what happened to the bill?

In August it didn’t pass, but Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) asked for it be reconsidered, which it was.

In September it became inactive again.

As the Christmas weather chills, I think about the woman who wrote me.

The homeless issue is something cities like Costa Mesa are actively addressing, but we don’t see that effort in Newport Beach.

Maybe instead of the Newport council spending $300,000 on a study years later to find out why the Civic Center cost so much to build, the money would be better spent making an effort to help those in need.

BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at [email protected]. Listen to her weekly radio segment on “Sunday Brunch with Tom and Lynn” from 11 a.m. to noon on KOCI/101.5 FM.