Politicians rise or fall on disaster response. The LA County fires are Gavin Newsom’s big test

• February 22, 2025

Gov. Gavin Newsom has become a familiar sight around Los Angeles County since the firestorm that swept through the region last month, leveling neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

In the first days of the disaster, he was spotted touring the wreckage. In the weeks after, he launched a recovery initiative with celebrity friends and greeted President Donald Trump on the tarmac at LAX.

Even local officials have taken notice.

“I want to thank our governor, who has been here from day one. I’ve seen you more in the last month than I think…well, I won’t even go there,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said last week at a press conference in Altadena, as Newsom chuckled and nodded behind her.

Facing what is expected to be one of the costliest natural disasters in the country’s history — the type of crisis that not only tests a politician, but can redefine one — Newsom has leaned all the way in, effectively becoming the governor of Los Angeles.

He lived and worked from the city almost nonstop for the first three weeks after the fires broke out in early January, while executive orders and announcements managing the response have continued daily since he returned to Sacramento. Even his podcast “Politickin’,” co-hosted by football star Marshawn Lynch, has featured two fire-related episodes, including a “town hall” where Newsom answered questions from survivors of the disaster.

And the governor, who was once poised to lead the renewed Democratic resistance to Trump, has essentially disengaged from the outrage over the chaotic start of the president’s second term as he lobbies for federal disaster aid for Los Angeles. Aside from standard notifications about appointments and proclamations and a few statements on major events, Newsom’s office has barely issued a press release unrelated to the Los Angeles fires for more than a month — a level of singular focus unmatched in his governorship, with the exception of the early COVID pandemic.

At the press conference in Altadena, organized to tout a new phase of debris removal, Newsom called it “an extended period of engagement” with Los Angeles to facilitate its recovery “in unprecedented, record-breaking speed.”

“We’re not dictating the design. We’re not dictating the rebuild. But we want to make it easier,” he said.

Newsom’s deep involvement is sensible, and perhaps necessary, for a situation as complex, expensive and politically fraught as this one; the damage sprawls across communities that fall under different local governments, and whether California receives federal assistance, and under what conditions, remains unclear.

But the fervor with which he has taken ownership over the response to a regional disaster also suggests a politician aware of how the Los Angeles fires is a crucial moment in his gubernatorial legacy — and his next step. This may be the biggest spotlight left for Newsom, who has been floated as a leading contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary despite a steadily declining job approval rating among Californians, before he terms out of office in less than two years.

“People do turn to leadership, state or federal, when all hell is breaking loose,” said Jim Newton, a longtime journalist who wrote a biography of former Gov. Jerry Brown and now teaches at UCLA. “It’s a time when you can really seal the affections of people by seeming to be there for them.”

Newsom’s office turned down requests to speak with the governor about his approach. But Bob Salladay, his senior advisor for communications, insisted that Newsom and his staff are not contemplating his legacy as they navigate the response to the fires.

“That’s for other people. I guarantee he doesn’t think about that,” Salladay said. “He’s doing his job.”

All eyes on Los Angeles

The job took a turn on Jan. 7, when hurricane-force winds ignited a series of fires around Los Angeles, killing at least 29 people and destroying more than 16,000 structures.

Already in Southern California for an event with then-President Joe Biden that was ultimately scrapped, Newsom made it to the fire zone within hours, Salladay said, “and when it became very quickly clear that this was one of the worst disasters in California history, we stayed.”

“Just being down there and seeing the level of devastation, it was clear that this was something that was going to take all of his time,” he said.

Newsom remained in Los Angeles for 15 of the next 25 days, according to Salladay, living out of a hotel and working from a satellite governor’s office at the Ronald Reagan State Building downtown. Morning briefing calls about the fires brought together every agency in his administration, and nearly two dozen cabinet secretaries and high-level staff joined Newsom in Los Angeles at various points, including a rapid response team focused on combating, in the media and online, what Salladay called “the flood of misinformation” about the fires.

That allowed the governor’s team to work faster as it developed the state’s response to the crisis. Salladay said conversations with residents, firefighters, FEMA officials and others on the ground brought in more information that directly shaped policy, such as an executive order on predatory real estate speculators that came from concerns raised by leaders in Altadena.

“There was a lot of anxiety that you pick up that you wouldn’t pick up if you were in Sacramento,” he said. “It’s adding a whole new layer of speed and efficiency.”

Republican state legislators have criticized Newsom’s response for not prioritizing vegetation management and they have tried to connect the fires to his forestry policies that they have long characterized as inadequate. But the governor so far appears to be shouldering little blame for the disaster, especially as local officials embrace his presence.

Barger, a Republican whose nonpartisan supervisorial district includes Altadena, praised Newsom for being highly involved and available from day one. She told CalMatters in an interview that she appreciated how he has given just as much attention to Altadena as the much-wealthier Pacific Palisades, including by meeting with employees of the nearby NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory who lost their homes, and by signing one of his executive orders at a local church.

“Those types of visits mean a lot to the community,” she said. “I don’t like lazy, and this governor has shown that he’s not lazy.”

Barger — who said she began using her hands more when she spoke after spending so much time with Newsom — was most complimentary of the governor for setting aside partisan politics to work with Trump on securing disaster aid.

“He showed that he’s truly a statesman,” she said.

Newsom has kept his public focus almost exclusively on the Los Angeles fires: He has signed 19 executive orders since the start of the disaster, including extending tax filing deadlines, creating tenant protections for survivors, allowing students to attend school outside of their districts and suspending permitting requirements for homeowners trying to rebuild. He is also sponsoring legislation, something he only rarely does, that would provide the accrued interest on insurance payments for lost or damaged property to homeowners rather than their lenders. His cabinet secretary, Ann Patterson, is slated to transition in the coming months to a senior counselor role overseeing recovery efforts.

The governor is still returning regularly to Los Angeles, including to sign a $2.5 billion aid package into law and to launch LA Rises, a partnership with the private sector to support rebuilding.

Because of early threats by Trump to withhold or condition federal assistance for Los Angeles, advocating for disaster aid has become another primary endeavor. When the White House excluded Newsom from the president’s brief visit to the fire zone last month, he showed up to the airport for Trump’s arrival to secure an audience anyway. Newsom then traveled to Washington, D.C., in early February, where he reportedly became the first Democrat to meet with Trump in the Oval Office in his second term.

And it’s all being collected on his official website, on a continuously updated page headlined: “Here are all the actions Governor Newsom has taken in response to the Los Angeles fires.”

The message is not subtle — Newsom is in charge of this crisis and he’s got it under control — but it may be what Californians are looking for at this tender moment.

Leslie Goodman, who was then-Gov. Pete Wilson’s deputy chief of staff for communications during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, said it’s important for politicians to go to a disaster to demonstrate both compassion and leadership — “to say, ‘I’m here, I care, I see you, I understand the amount of damage that’s been done and I’m doing something about it.’”

“It’s a delicate balance, between wanting to both show that you care and share the pain of those that are suffering, and then also being able to demonstrate urgency in being to fix the problem and not overstepping in your promises,” she said.

When disasters define political legacies

Disasters can be metamorphic moments for politicians, transforming their public perception and raising or sinking their fortunes.

Rudy Giuliani earned the moniker “America’s mayor” as he led New York through the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, came to be seen as a bipartisan powerhouse for working with then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, on the response to Superstorm Sandy in 2012. But the goodwill ultimately proved fleeting for both Giuliani and Christie, who were spectacularly unsuccessful in later campaigns for the Republican presidential nomination built on their handling of those crises. (At the time, then Sen. Joe Biden quipped that every sentence out of Giuliani’s mouth contained “a noun, a verb and 9/11.”)

Bungled responses seem to have a more lasting impact on a legacy. Democratic Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco did not run for re-election in 2007, as she faced harsh criticism for the difficult recovery from Hurricane Katrina.

Even a politicians’ absence from a crisis can have fallout. When the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles erupted in riots in 1965, then-Gov. Pat Brown was on vacation in Greece; the chaos is often regarded as a significant factor in his loss the following year as he sought a third term. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass now faces a similar blowback, because she had to rush home from Ghana, where she was attending the new president’s inauguration on behalf of the Biden administration, to deal with the recent fires.

Former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos initially received plaudits for his firm handling of the massive destruction from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, but voters eventually grew frustrated with many of his decisions about rebuilding the city and unexpectedly ousted him from office two years later. Nothing damaged Agnos more than his indulgence of a sprawling homeless encampment across from City Hall, sarcastically dubbed “Camp Agnos,” which grew after the earthquake destroyed many of the city’s residential hotels, and which the mayor refused to dismantle until the residents had somewhere else to go.

“I knew it was hurting me badly, but frankly, I did not want to promote myself or take care of myself politically at the expense of poor people. So I paid the price,” Agnos said in an interview. Voters “focused on the negativity of the human damage rather than the improvements and the other things that were so appealing to them in the immediate aftermath.”

Agnos — who recalled getting booed when he showed up late to a public meeting with residents of the heavily-damaged Marina neighborhood because a briefing with then-Gov. George Deukmejian ran long — said people want to feel that their own needs are being taken care of after a disaster. That poses the most serious challenge for Newsom in owning the recovery from the Los Angeles fires.

“People are impatient to get back in their homes and restore normalcy in their lives,” Agnos said. “If he doesn’t do it in the next year, he’s toast.”

Newsom himself already knows the dynamics well. His aggressive response to the COVID pandemic in early 2020 made him a national hero to many Democrats frustrated about Trump’s blithe dismissal of the virus. And that sentiment carried him through a subsequent recall election, which was fueled in part by his attendance at a birthday dinner for a lobbyist friend in violation of his own pandemic guidelines.

But this is a different flavor of crisis than COVID, said the journalist Newton. While his lockdown orders and other public health measures may have inspired an intellectual and political allegiance to Newsom among many Californians, it did not seem to create a more profound connection. “There’s a polish about him that resists it,” Newton said.

The Los Angeles fires, by contrast, have a “roll-up-your-sleeves, get-to-the-victims feeling” that was not present in the pandemic, Newton said, which gives the governor an opportunity for a response that “grips people in the heart.”

“Whatever he does next, or whatever his obituary looks like, I think I’d want to be seen as having a real connection to the people of California,” Newton said. “People only care about beginnings and endings, and you can get away with anything in the middle.”

Pete Wilson’s playbook: the ‘subtle win’

The most direct comparison may be to Wilson in the wake of the 6.7-magnitude Northridge earthquake, which rocked Los Angeles in January 1994. The then-governor spent more than a month in the badly-damaged city, former aides recall, surveying the wreckage, giving daily briefings to the public and overseeing recovery efforts, including a repair and reopening of freeways that was lauded for its speed.

Goodman, who had recently started as Wilson’s communications chief, was already in Los Angeles preparing for a crime summit and remembers being thrown out of bed in the middle of the night by the shaking. The hotel where she was staying was later condemned.

For the next 10 days, she said, the governor’s office operated out of a local Marriott. Wilson flew to Los Angeles after securing a federal emergency declaration and he was joined by his cabinet secretaries, who began working from Los Angeles so that they could coordinate more closely with their local counterparts, without downed communications or bureaucracy getting in the way.

“Each crisis has its own texture because of the nature of the damage,” Goodman said. “It was really important that everybody in the room was collaborating and, if not, that (the governor) was there to sort it out.”

Getting dozens of debilitated hospitals fully operational again became a major undertaking, and state health and human services agency officials traveled to medical centers around the region for weeks to assess their damage, deliver paperwork and handle other emergency requests. Tyler Mason, who was an assistant secretary of health and human services, said he once had to take cover from an aftershock while visiting Olive View hospital in Sylmar.

He credited Wilson’s local government experience, as a former mayor of San Diego, for propelling his forceful, detailed response to the disaster — an approach that he saw echoed by Newsom, a former mayor of San Francisco, with the Los Angeles fires.

“There was just this prone instinct to getting close to the services that people need in a crisis,” Mason said. “It’s those genes, those innate genes, in those guys.”

Wilson emerged from Northridge the sparkling image of a decisive leader, helping to turn around his weak job approval rating and launching him to a comeback re-election victory that November.

Yet 30 years later, the earthquake is notably rarely mentioned in reflections on Wilson’s career. He is now far more associated with championing the controversial Proposition 187, a ballot measure to withhold public services from immigrants living in California illegally.

“Legacies can be seen differently in different time frames,” Goodman said. “The social issues always supersede managerial excellence.”

Mason noted that, while Wilson may not be remembered for rebuilding highways and reopening hospitals, he is at least not known for screwing up the Northridge recovery:

“That may be the subtle win.”

​ Orange County Register 

How presidents shaped commercial real estate

• February 22, 2025

As I penned this column, we were celebrating Presidents’ Day, a winter holiday originally meant to honor Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays but now mostly a day off from work and school.

When I was a kid, February was a rapid-fire month of celebrations: Lincoln’s birthday on the 12th, Valentine’s Day on the 14th, and Washington’s birthday on the 22nd. Over time, two of these events have merged into one, but this year, a well-placed Friday-to-Monday stretch created a four-day weekend for many local school kids.

Reflecting on presidential legacies got me thinking. Beyond politics, what decisions have truly shaped the commercial real estate landscape? From massive land acquisitions to economic policies that influenced leasing, investing, and development, presidential decisions have had a lasting impact on how, where, and why commercial real estate thrives.

So, in honor of U.S. presidents, here are 10 of the most influential moves that changed our industry forever.

Louisiana Purchase (1803)

With one signature, Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the United States, opening vast territories to expansion. This set the stage for land speculation, western development, and the eventual rise of cities that became hubs for commerce and industry. Imagine what CRE looked like before places like St. Louis, Denver, and New Orleans became economic powerhouses.

Panama Canal (1914)

Championed by Theodore Roosevelt, the canal cut transit time between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, revolutionizing global trade and transformed U.S. port cities into industrial and logistics hubs.

Today’s industrial real estate boom — think massive distribution centers near ports — owes much to this early infrastructure investment.

Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act (1930)

Passed under President Hoover, this protectionist tariff worsened the Great Depression by stifling trade.

The ripple effects devastated commercial real estate, as businesses closed, industrial demand plummeted and office vacancies soared.

A lesson learned: real estate is highly sensitive to trade policy and economic shifts.

Small Business Administration (1953)

By providing federally backed loans to small businesses, the SBA made it easier for entrepreneurs to buy office and industrial spaces.

Countless shopping centers, strip malls and local office buildings have been filled by SBA-assisted businesses over the years, fueling demand for small-bay industrial, retail, and professional space.

Nixon opens China (1972)

When Richard Nixon re-established diplomatic and trade relations with China, the move triggered decades of economic transformation.

Factories in the U.S. closed as manufacturing shifted overseas, reshaping industrial real estate.

Warehouse and logistics space replaced manufacturing plants, and West Coast port cities like Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Seattle became critical import hubs.

Reagan’s 1986 Tax Reform Act

This landmark tax overhaul eliminated many real estate tax shelters and changed depreciation rules, altering how investors approached CRE.

The shift led to a market downturn in the late 1980s, followed by a new focus on long-term, sustainable investing strategies.

Investors learned that tax policy alone shouldn’t dictate real estate decisions.

Enterprise Zones (1980s to now)

Various presidents have championed enterprise zones, so called designated areas offering tax breaks and incentives to encourage business investment in struggling regions.

These policies, from Reagan’s initiatives to the Opportunity Zones under Trump, have fueled development in underutilized areas, sparking growth in commercial real estate.

The Affordable Care Act (2010)

While primarily a healthcare law, the act signed by President Barack Obama made a profound impact on commercial real estate.

The expansion of medical facilities, urgent care centers, and specialty clinics surged, increasing demand for medical office space.

Meanwhile, some businesses downsized their footprints in response to new insurance mandates. When selling real estate assets, a 3.8% tax was imposed as well.

Trump’s tariffs (2018 to now)

Trade wars with China and other nations led to increased manufacturing costs and supply chain disruptions.

However, these policies also triggered a renewed push for domestic production, fueling demand for industrial space and reshoring manufacturing facilities, a trend that continues today.

COVID lockdowns (2020, Trump & Biden)

Perhaps no recent event has reshaped commercial real estate more than the COVID-19 lockdowns.

Office vacancies skyrocketed as remote work took hold, retail faced massive upheavals, and industrial real estate boomed with e-commerce demand.

The long-term effects are still unfolding, but one thing is certain, CRE will never look the same again.

Presidents’ decisions don’t just influence policy, they reshape the very fabric of our cities, our businesses and the commercial real estate from which we operate. From land acquisitions to tax laws to trade policies, every move in Washington sends ripples through our industry.

Looking ahead, the question remains: What policy decisions today will shape the next era of commercial real estate? If history is any guide, the effects will be felt for decades to come.

Allen C. Buchanan, SIOR, is a principal with Lee & Associates Commercial Real Estate Services in Orange. He can be reached at [email protected] or 714.564.7104.

​ Orange County Register 

Gas or electric? Residents rebuilding in wildfire zones must check a box. Choice isn’t that simple.

• February 22, 2025

After losing their home in the Eaton fire, Martin Lo and his husband Bill Wentzel want to switch from natural gas to all-electric appliances when they rebuild on their property in Altadena.

“We think it’s good and in fact, crucial that in rebuilding so many homes, we eliminate gas lines and make appliances and HVAC electric-powered,” Lo said.

Michelle Taylor, whose 1925 home in Altadena’s Janes Village neighborhood also burned down, wants her gas range back when she rebuilds. “Gas makes a difference. For cooking, you want gas,” she said.

These two voices are examples of the re-emerging debate pitting natural gas vs. electric power that has catapulted itself into the rebuilding of up to 16,000 structures destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires on Jan. 7.

What’s better: Gas or electric?

On one hand, environmentally-minded groups and individuals say burning natural gas in homes produces carbon dioxide, adding to global climate change. And it’s wrong to continue damaging the climate, especially after fire storms that caused the disaster were fueled in part by a changing climate.

“We are the victims of climate change,” Lo said. “If we don’t do something about it, other effects of climate change would be even more disastrous.”

Taylor countered that electric power lines are being investigated as a possible cause of the Eaton fire that killed 17 people and burned down 9,413 structures, most of them homes. “Gas lines are not the problem in the fire,” she said.

Owners rebuilding have a choice

For homeowners trying to rebuild, the debate is up for discussion, but they have a choice.

In unincorporated Altadena, no power source is preferred. In the Palisades, part of the city of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass’s executive order grants property owners affected by the fires an exemption from a city ordinance that took effect in April 2023, requiring only electric power and no gas lines in any new buildings, with exceptions for restaurants and commercial.

The ordinance was passed to help the city reduce its emissions of climate-changing gases. Buildings in the city account for 43% of its greenhouse gases and the ordinance mentions the change to electric appliances will reduce the effects of climate change, namely rising temperatures, more severe wildfires and droughts.

The freedom given to affected residents in both areas allows rebuilding of a home “as it was.” Bass’s order exempts rebuilding according to the all-electric municipal code provision, known as Ordinance No. 187714 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. They can go all-electric if they want to, but that requirement was waived to expedite rebuilding, Bass has indicated.

Sara Trepanier, an ER physician whose circa 1990 home burned down in the Palisades fire, had a gas range and gas fireplace until wind-whipped flames leveled the home she moved into in June 2024. Builders she’s talked to want to exclude gas and go all electric, she said.

“I like gas. It is cheaper in the long run. Also, gas works when the power is out so you can still heat water, have a hot shower,” she said.

Denise Doyen, also getting ready to rebuild her home on a Palisades bluff, recognizes the benefits of electric power.

“We are going to go all electric. We are getting rid of gas,” she said, adding that without gas lines she will feel safer in an earthquake. She also says it will make insurance less expensive.

Induction stoves, upcoming rules

What about cooking with an electric, induction stovetop? This uses electromagnetic waves to heat up the pot without burning any fuels. “I have one in my Dad’s beach house and I’m fine with it. But I have friends who are chefs and they really like gas stoves,” Doyen said.

The decision to build all-electric homes and in particular, states, cities and counties placing bans on gas stoves, have caused waves of dissent, as the state moves closer to that inevitability. Starting January 2026, the state building code will encourage the use of electric appliances in new homes.

For example, the stringent codes will boost use of heat pumps as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These are appliances powered by electricity that can warm or cool a building and act as a furnace and an air conditioner. Similarly, homes can replace gas-powered water heaters with electric ones.

In May, the South Coast Air Quality Management District will hold a public hearing on proposed new rules that will result in heat pumps as replacements of residential furnaces and water heaters. The transition will take 2-5 years and will take place when the gas-fired units break down and need replacing.

If fully implemented, the rules would cut down on NOx or oxides of nitrogen, a component of smog. The agency estimates these rules will prevent: 4,000 premature deaths; 16,000 cases of asthma and 4,000 emergency room visits.

President Donald Trump has pushed back against bans on gas stoves, saying for the last two years he would prevent Democratic efforts to limit gas-powered appliances.

Over 75 million U.S. households use natural gas for at least one appliance, mostly for home or water heat, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

After tragedy, time for change?

The Sierra Club Angeles Chapter has spoken out at community meetings, saying residents should incorporate only electric power into rebuilding blueprints and not default to the older, more polluting way.

“We know this is a local tragedy, and people are suffering. But we think of this as exactly the moment that can safeguard us from future disasters,” said Morgan Goodwin, director of the club’s Angeles Chapter.

He said it’s easier to incorporate heat pumps for HVAC systems, electric water heaters and induction stoves when building from scratch, in comparison to retrofitting an existing house. Rebuilders can also add solar panels to roofs and outside wall batteries as part of the construction, he said.

“It is very easy to construct homes that don’t use any fossil fuel appliances, by not putting in gas lines. It is easier to install these when you build a home (from scratch),” he said.

Some builders estimate savings of $8,000 for not running gas lines into a new home.

Legislative pressures

Two state legislators, state Sen. Henry Stern, C-Calabasas, and state Sen. Ben Allen, D-El Segundo, have written a joint letter to the California Public Utilities Commission, asking the agency to slow down Southern California Gas Co.’s restoration of gas lines and explore all-electric construction.

“These choices can lead to long-term energy savings for families, as well as help reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” the senators wrote.

They said gas demand is anticipated to be lower in the burned areas due to more people choosing to go all-electric, and future state building code restrictions coming in less than a year. Also, lowered demand and the heavy cost of rebuilding gas lines could result in “further dramatic rate hikes,” they wrote.

Instead, the two Democratic legislators want the CPUC to consider instructing SoCalGas and Southern California Edison to provide electric appliances to surviving buildings as a temporary service in lieu of gas. This could speed up recovery without existing businesses having to wait for new gas lines to be repaired or rebuilt.

The senators also asked the CPUC to investigate the role and risks posed by gas services within high-fire areas. “Our concern about the system’s fire safety is amplified by our awareness that gas lines cannot be instantaneously de-energized,” they wrote.

Meanwhile, SoCalGas has restored gas service to 14,000 customers in both fire areas as of Feb. 14. These are businesses and homes in the fire zones still habitable or not red-tagged, said Brian Haas, SoCalGas spokesman.

For homes burned out, it is up to the property owner to ask SoCalGas to work on returning service upon rebuilding, he said.

“SoCalGas has completed its assessments, validating the safety and integrity of our infrastructure. Since most of SoCalGas’ infrastructure in the fire-affected areas is underground, it remains undamaged by the fires and safe to continue serving customers as they return to their homes and businesses.” posted the agency on its website.

Electrifiers as examples?

For George Vine, electric space heating, air conditioning, and water heating made both economic and environmental sense. He has electrified two homes.

In his home in La Cañada Flintridge built in 1966, he replaced the gas furnace in the attic with an electric heat pump that creates heat and air conditioning. “It heats the house and also cools the house so you only need one piece of machinery and it runs on electricity,” he said.

He also put in a new duct system, an extra cost, an electric water heater, and an electric clothes dryer. He put in solar panels to run everything in the house, including the charging of two electric vehicles. The total investment was $35,000, he said.

Savings were in the utility bills. For the whole year, his electric bill was $350, he said.

After he sold that home, he bought a home in Thousand Oaks built in 1996 where he currently lives. And he has just finished retrofitting that home, including adding solar power and wall batteries to power the house at night.

“I wanted to help the environment and do everything I could possibly do to reduce my carbon footprint,” Vines said. “It also reduced my expenses by $700 to $800 a month — a nice addition.”

​ Orange County Register 

Pacifica Christian boys basketball team outlasts Centennial in Division 2AA double-overtime thriller

• February 22, 2025

CORONA — Isaiah Rogers shouldered the blame.

After fouling out in double overtime, Rogers missed the final minutes as Centennial’s boys basketball team lost 84-80 to Pacifica Christian-Orange County on Friday night in a CIF Southern Section Division 2AA semifinal game.

“I wasn’t on the floor to help my team at the end. I’ve got to be smarter than that,” Rogers said.

The 6-foot-3 shooting junior guard had a team-high 27 points, but it wasn’t enough as Centennial (17-17) lost for just the second time at home this season.

“We showed some incredible fight and toughness to even send it to a second overtime, and then I had to figure out a lineup because everyone was fouling out,” Centennial coach Josh Giles said.

Junior C.J. Richardson made three 3-pointers to force the second overtime, and finished with 22 points in the loss for the Huskies.

“Definitely a crazy game,” Giles said. “Unfortunate for us.”

Rogers was 2 of 3 from beyond the arc in the first quarter as Centennial jumped out to a 20-8 lead.

Centennial junior forward Jaidyn Smith got into foul trouble in the second quarter, and Pacifica Christian got hot from deep to close the gap. Solomon Huang was 2 for 2 and both Michael Noel and Donovan Hogan hit 3s as the Tritons made it 36-34 at halftime.

“I feel like we lost the game in the second quarter, ” Giles said. “Smith, who is incredibly important to us, picked up his second foul and we had to take him out.”

E.J. Spillman took over after halftime, banging inside for 10 points as Pacifica Christian pulled ahead 50-48 to end the third quarter.

The lead changed hands three times in the fourth, and Noel sank a 3 from the corner off an inbounds play to tie the game at 63-63 and send it to overtime.

“We always seem to fight back and I reminded them, ‘You guys are tough. You have grit and you’ve been here before. Keep doing what they’re doing and eventually they’ll miss a few shots,’” Pacifica Christian coach Jeff Berokoff said.

Hudson Reynolds helped Pacifica Christian sprint out to a 73-66 in the first overtime before Rogers fouled out, and then Richardson suddenly could not miss. The Huskies point guard hit twice from deep before his game-tying 3 from the wing with 3.2 seconds left fell in to make 75-75 and force a second overtime.

“We went down and C.J., somehow, made his third incredible 3 in a row to try to save us,” Giles said.

Spillman, who was 9 of 22 from the field and 15 of 19 from the free-throw line, made six free throws and had eight of his game-high 33 points in overtime to help Pacifica Christian seal the win.

“He’s a load, and at the high school level he’s really, really hard to guard,” Giles said. “He causes so many problems because you’re not used to having to guard the post that aggressively from the guard position.”

Reynolds added 19 points, seven rebounds three assists, two steals and a block for Pacifica Christian (23-7), which has won nine consecutive games and advances to play Fairmont Prep in the championship game Friday, Feb. 28 or Saturday, March 1 at a site and time to be determined.

The semifinal-round appearance earns Centennial a spot in the upcoming CIF State playoffs.

​ Orange County Register 

Boys basketball semifinals: Pacifica Christian wins 2OT battle with Centennial; Irvine falls in OT

• February 22, 2025

EJ Spillman had a triple-double for Pacifica Christian in its double-overtime win over Centennial of Corona, 84-80, in the CIF-SS Division 2AA semifinals Friday at Centennial High.

Pacifica Christian (23-7) will play San Joaquin League rival Fairmont Prep in the championship game next week. The Tritons beat Fairmont Prep 67-55 on Jan. 28 but lost the first matchup on Jan. 18.

Spillman had 33 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Friday’s win. The senior scored seven of the team’s nine points in the second overtime and made 5 of 6 free throws in the period.

Pacifica Christian had to overcome a slow start against Centennial (17-17). The Tritons trailed by 15 points early in the second quarter, but had pulled within 36-34 at halftime.

The Tritons trailed 61-58 with 1:10 remaining in regulation when Hudson Reynolds made a putback layup to cut the deficit to one.

Centennial answered with two free throws on the other end. Michael Noel made a game-tying 3-pointer with 8.3 seconds left, which ultimately sent the game to overtime.

Pacifica Christian led in the first overtime but missed four consecutive free throws that could have put the game out of reach for Centennial. CJ Richardson of Centennial made a game-tying 3-pointer with 2.4 seconds left in the first overtime.

Spillman scored seven consecutive points for Pacifica Christian in the second overtime and Joaquin Rigdon made two free throws at the end of the game.

Reynolds had a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Noel had 11 points and Logan Stewart added eight points with 10 rebounds.

In Division 2A

St. Bonaventure 66, Irvine 60, OT: Irvine’s historic 22-game winning streak came to an end Friday in an overtime loss to St. Bonaventure at Ventura High.

The Vaqueros had not lost since Dec. 6, when they fell to Corona del Mar by one point in the Diablo Inferno tournament.

Irvine (29-3) led 31-26 at halftime but trailed by two entering the fourth quarter. The Vaqueros trailed by six points midway through the fourth quarter but rallied back to tie the game with 1:20 remaining in regulation.

Ali Dal made two free throws to give Irvine a 58-56 lead with 26.2 seconds left in regulation. St. Bonaventure scored on the other end and Irvine turned the ball over with 4.6 seconds left to send the game into overtime tied at 58.

St. Bonaventure played tenacious defense in overtime to hold Irvine to just two points.

“Our team battled when we were down six in the fourth,” Irvine coach Harry Meussner said. “Credit to St. Bonaventure for making a few more plays than us. I’m proud of our team for a historic season and run.”

Dal led Irvine with 17 points. Cooper Stearns had 16 points and Holden Stearns added 15.

Irvine won the Pacific Coast League season which was the team’s first league championship since 1991. The Vaqueros qualified for the CIF State playoffs.

​ Orange County Register 

Saddleback boys basketball falls in 5A semifinals when Arroyo sinks shot at the buzzer

• February 22, 2025

SANTA ANA — The Saddleback boys basketball team was dealt a crushing loss Friday by Arroyo in the CIF-SS Division 5A semifinals at Saddleback High School.

Kamren Dorantes hit a jump shot from just inside the 3-point line with fractions of a second left in the contest to lift the Knights to a 60-58 victory.

Arroyo (16-11) will take on Rosemead in the championship game on Feb. 28 or March 1 at a site to be determined.

The Panthers defeated South El Monte, 44-33, in the other Division 5 semifinal Friday.

With the score tied, 58-58, Arroyo missed a chance to take the lead, giving the Roadrunners (14-14) possession with 17.5 seconds remaining.

The Roadrunners missed their first shot and missed a putback attempt, giving the ball back to the Knights with 2.2 seconds left.

Arroyo inbounded the ball and made a quick pass to Dorantes, who was well guarded by Chris Trotter when he put up the winning shot.

“We couldn’t knock down shots at the end,” said Trotter, who scored all 17 of the Roadrunners’ points in the fourth and finished with a game-high 28. “We couldn’t box out the whole game and that cost us at the end.”

Saddleback had a two-point lead going into the fourth and early in the period the Knights’ Johhny Vargas hit a 3-pointer to make the score 45-45.

Trotter answered with a 3-pointer to put the Roadrunners back up.

Dorantes scored to get the Knights to within a point, when Trotter answered again, this time hitting a pair of free throws at get Saddleback’s lead up to three with 3 minutes, 30 seconds remaining.

The teams traded baskets again when Vargas and Dorantes hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions, with a miss in between by Saddleback, giving the Knights a three-point lead with 1:20 remaining.

Trotter tied the score with a pair of free throws, but the Roadrunners came up empty on their final possession, setting the stage for the game-winning shot.

“I think from our end, I think once we got it across, I would have liked to slow it up a little bit,” Saddleback coach Christopher Emaguna said of the Roadrunners’ final possession. “I tried to call a timeout, couldn’t get it. And our guys felt like they had an open shot and took it. Just wish we could have pulled it out and got it to our 3-point shooters.”

During a timeout prior to the game winning shot, Knights coach Oscar Lopez said the play was drawn up specifically for Dorantes.

“We took a timeout. We drew that play up for him,” Lopez said. “We wanted it to be a free throw, but you know, the defender did a good job of stretching him out a little bit. He took the three. He was anxious all game, but he settled down at the end and took the big shot.”

​ Orange County Register 

David Abisogun powers Fairmont Prep boys basketball past Riverside Poly in Division 2AA semifinals

• February 22, 2025

ANAHEIM — Fairmont Prep’s boys basketball team earned some redemption and its place in the CIF-SS Division 2A championship game by following “Baby Giannis” one more time Friday.

The Huskies united with forward David Abisogun to defeat Riverside Poly 53-45 in the Division 2AA semifinals at Fairmont Prep.

In advancing to the finals against San Joaquin League rival Pacifica Christian next week, Fairmont Prep (21-9) dispatched an opponent that beat the Huskies 61-47 in the first round of the Division 1 playoffs last season.

In that loss, the 6-foot-9 Abisogun — who is nicknamed “Baby Giannis” after NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo — suffered a knee injury.

The junior responded this time with a game-high 16 points, six rebounds, three blocked shot and three assists despite missing time with foul trouble and a brief cramp. He had a rebound-dunk early in the second quarter.

“It’s a big thing that we’re in the finals,” said Abisogun, who helped Fairmont Prep reach the finals for the first time since it beat Pacifica Christian for the Division 4AA title in 2019.

“Losing to Riverside Poly last year, we weren’t fully healthy, so we lost to them by a couple of points. But we were up before I went down and got injured. If not, it would have been an easy game for us. But we got the win tonight.”

Abisogun scored nine points in the first quarter to spark a strong start for the Huskies. But as the game progressed and the score tightened, he contributed with his passing, defense and rebounding.

A prime example of Abisogun’s impact was his offensive board early in the fourth quarter. With Fairmont Prep leading 39-38, he soared for an offensive rebound and quickly fired the ball back out to the perimeter. Guard Oliver Jones caught the ball and passed across the court to guard Marcus Fernandez for  3-pointer.

“It’s a team game,” Abisogun said. “if you want to be a great player, you got to do everything. You got to play with your teammates. Share the ball.”

“He’s a great teammate,” Fairmont Prep coach Joedy Gardner said of Abisogun, who has offers from UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine.

Riverside Poly (22-10) hung tough in the fourth period and trailed 44-40 when Fairmont Prep guard Leroy Davis sank a 3-pointer with 1:32 left.

After the Huskies’ lead grew to 49-40, the Bears answered with a 3-pointer by Chris Holland and an offensive putback by Carter Monks but were forced to foul to stop the clock down the stretch.

Fernandez and Davis finished with 13 and 11 points, respectively, and a combined five 3-pointers. Jones chipped in nine points, including five at the end of the half as the Huskies led 26-23. Center Bith Jack grabbed nine rebounds.

Holland, a senior, paced Riverside Poly with 15 points and a block against a breakaway layup in the third. Jrob Croy added 11 points.

“It was an extremely physical game,” said Riverside Poly coach Travis Showalter, whose team will compete in the SoCal regional. “I was proud of how our team competed.”

Pacifica Christian defeated Centennial 84-80 in double overtime.

Fairmont Prep and Pacifica Christian split two league games.

​ Orange County Register 

Los Alamitos boys basketball shows its strength in victory over Crean Lutheran in Division 1 semifinals

• February 22, 2025

LOS ALAMITOS – It was very much a typical game for the Los Alamitos boys basketball team.

The Griffins, as they have done so often this season, got significant and timely contributions from multiple players Friday with five Griffins scoring in double figures in their 82-57 win over Crean Lutheran in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinal playoff game at Los Alamitos High.

Los Alamitos (24-8) plays in the championship game against the winner of the other Division 1 semifinal, Santa Barbara vs. Mira Costa, that will be played Saturday at Mira Costa High. CIF-SS finals are next week — Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1.

The season is not over for Crean Lutheran (18-12). Both teams qualified for the CIF Southern California Regional playoffs when they advanced to the CIF-SS semifinals. The regional playoffs follow the CIF-SS championship games.

It will be Los Alamitos’ first CIF-SS boys basketball championship game since it won a CIF-SS title in 2007. The Griffins also won a CIF-SS championship in their only other Southern Section final, in ‘06.

Samori Guyness, a senior guard, scored a game-high 19 points for Los Alamitos, which will take a 10-game winning streak into the finals.

Griffins senior guard Wes Trevino scored 18 points with eight rebounds, and senior forward Trent Minter scored 13 points with 10 rebounds.

Senior guard Kendric Delaney scored 14 points. Junior forward Tyler Lopez came off of the bench to score 12 points with nine rebounds.

Los Alamitos coach Nathan Berger said Friday’s game was illustrative of the team’s balance.

“Everyone has their superstars,” Berger said, “and we don’t have the same level that everyone else does. What makes us special is those fifth, sixth, seventh guys that can come in and make plays. So those guys need to be as battle-tested as possible.”

Berger set up a challenging schedule for the Griffins, including putting them in the top division, Platinum Division, of the prestigious The Classic at Damien tournament, plus nonleague games against Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks, a CIF-SS Open Division playoff team.

“Playing the schedule wasn’t necessarily to win,” Berger said. “You want to win, obviously, I’m not saying that. But we went through that gauntlet so now those guys aren’t afraid of anything at this point.”

Freshman guard Jordan Ceballos led the Saints with 14 points and sophomore guard Caden Jones scored 10 points,

Crean Lutheran had a significant size advantage, with 6-9 junior Will Malual and 6-7 junior Jacob Majok around the basket. The Griffins had 6-6 senior Trent Minter in their starting five, and a couple of 6-3 and 6-4 players.

“We had to rebound,” Minter said. “That was the No. 1 key. We struggled in the past against big teams. We stepped up today … That says a lot about our guys, with guards coming back to help us.”

The Griffins held Majok to four points. Majok was Crean Lutheran’s top scorer, frequently surpassing 20 points this season.

Friday’s game was by far Los Alamitos’ most one-sided win of its playoff run. The Griffins opened with an 83-74 win over Vista Murrieta, beat Riverside Poly 58-56 in the second round and Rolling Hills Prep 56-54 in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

Los Alamitos took off on an 11-0 run in the first quarter for a 23-15 lead at the end of the quarter. Guyness and Trevino scored eight points each in the quarter.

Trevino scored six more points in the second quarter to lead the Griffins to a 40-28 halftime lead.

They did not let up. Los Alamitos outscored Crean Lutheran 25-14 in the third quarter in which Guyness and Lopez scored six points each. Guyness was on his way to a layup on a breakaway but collapsed and could not get the shot off. He was helped off of the court, walked around without any limp after the game and said he suffered no injury.

Los Alamitos took a 65-42 lead into the fourth quarter and grew the lead to 28 points as the Griffins continued to play crisp, efficient basketball. One one fourth-quarter possession they made six passes before Minter took, and made, a wide-open 3-point basket.

By then, and well before then, actually, Los Alamitos had secured its berth in its first CIF boys basketball championship game in 18 years.

Guyness said, “That’s what we’ve been working for and practicing for, is this moment.”

Los Alamitos was No. 4 and Crean Lutheran was No. 5 in latest Orange County rankings.

The CIF-SS finals will be eld at Edison High, Azusa Pacific University and Toyota Arena in Ontario. Specific information on the CIF-SS finals will be announced Monday morning.

​ Orange County Register