Crossroads of the West Gun Show returns to Orange County fairgrounds

• January 19, 2024

The Crossroads of the West Gun Show returns at the OC Fair & Event Center this weekend after a two-year hiatus during a legal battle with the state of California.

The gun show had been held at the fairgrounds since 1996, drawing thousands of people to the event center. Gun shows, including this one, were banned at the OC fairgrounds starting in 2022 under state laws authored by Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine. The first version affected just Orange County, a later expanded version affected all state properties, including state-owned fairgrounds.

A federal judge, however, blocked the state bans in October, saying California was violating the rights of gun sellers and possible buyers by prohibiting weapon purchases at the fairgrounds that can be bought legally at standard gun shops.

Min argues fairgrounds are supposed to be family friendly places.

“A gun show is anything but family-friendly,” Min said this week. “Why should the state be using state property for the distribution of guns that may likely lead to more gun violence in the communities where they’re sold?”

Min said California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who defended the laws in court, has appealed the ruling to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. While he’s confident the ruling will be overturned, Min said there may be another gun show or two before that happens.

OC Fair & Event Center spokesperson Terry Moore declined to comment due to the continuing litigation, but said there are more gun show dates anticipated throughout the year.

Between 2016 and 2021, the fairgrounds received about $2.6 million in rental revenue from the gun show, except in 2020 when events were canceled because of the pandemic, according to information provided by the event center.

Tracy Olcott, president of Crossroads of West, said it will be good to be back in Orange County this weekend.

“We’ve been doing shows here in Orange County since the early ’90s, so we’ve been doing it for a very long time and to be gone for two years, then to be able to come back and do the same thing we’ve done before is pretty amazing,” Olcott said. “There’s a lot of excitement here from the vendors and people who are buying tickets to come to the show.”

There’s a “strong need and desire” for gun shows in Orange County, Olcott said. “The people support it. We get tens of thousands of people here.

“I think it’s really important that people can come to the gun show and they’re able to talk about how they feel about their Second Amendment rights,” she said. “We use our First Amendment to come here and discuss things that are important to us. And it’s really fantastic for that kind of community that we have here.”

The show opens Friday, Jan. 19, and will run through Sunday, Jan. 21. Children ages 12 and younger can enter for free, those older have a $25 entrance fee.

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​ Orange County Register 

Tinted front windows are popular — and often illegal

• January 19, 2024

Q. Hello Mr. Honk Man: I just drove back from Santa Barbara and did an unofficial study on tinted windows. I thought it was illegal to have your front side windows tinted dark, so the driver cannot be seen. I would think the California Highway Patrol would hate that, given the times we’re in. My study found that 39 out of the 100 drivers that passed me (I stopped at 100 due to boredom) had their windows tinted so dark that I couldn’t see if anyone was driving. Why aren’t they ticketed?

–  Bob Bernal, San Clemente

A. Officer’s discretion.

Cops choose when they pull someone over. Maybe the officer is after those doing something more dangerous, such as speeding or driving drunk. Or maybe the number of illegally tinted windows out there overwhelms some of them – those violations are more plentiful than even the number of Honk fans.

Under the law, in California, the windshield and front side windows can’t have much tinting at all, and most vehicles likely got the allowance at the factory.

Sergio Rivera, a CHP officer and spokesman based out of Santa Ana, said he has a limit.

“If I can’t see male or female, if I’m not doing something else, I could make that stop,” he said.

Officers give warnings, fix-it tickets or, on occasion, full-blown citations.

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Q. I’m a disabled veteran with “DV” plates and have a decal transponder. Apparently the Riverside County toll agency didn’t get the memo about the DV exemption. I was charged for driving on the northbound 15 Express Lanes in November – a $2 charge for the short trip. I called the agency I got my transponder from and it said Riverside County doesn’t participate in the program. So what’s up, my friend?

– Mike Mann, Anaheim Hills

A. Mike, as you likely know, tollways in the state are linked by one aspect – they all use the same styles of transponders. But different governments oversee them, and Al Einstein would struggle grasping all of the different policies they operate under while tooling around.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, a state law kicked in that gave owners of certain license plates for veterans – such as those for Purple Heart recipients, former American prisoners of war, or disabled veterans – free passage on many, but not all, tollways in the Golden State.

Mike, you were on a tollway that doesn’t honor your plates, at least for now.

“The 91 Express Lanes and 15 Riverside Express Lanes have different discount policies for motorists who have special recognition plates including disabled veterans plates,” Ariel Alcon Tapia, a spokesman for the Riverside County Transportation Commission, told Honk.

In short, the 15 Express Lanes tollway is not covered by the new law.

“This means there is no discount program for disabled veterans or other special recognition plates,” Tapia said, in regard to the 15 Express Lanes. “However, Riverside (15) Express account holders with disabled veterans or special recognition license plates can register their account to receive toll-free travel on other eligible toll lanes throughout California such as the 91 Express Lanes.”

The commission could decide at some point to honor the special veteran plates if it chooses to do so.

The best way to determine if a tollway honors the plates is to call and ask its agency or search the website.

To ask Honk questions, reach him at [email protected]. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk

​ Orange County Register 

In year since Monterey Park mass shooting, California has passed a bevy of new gun laws

• January 19, 2024

More than 20 new gun safety laws were passed by California state legislators last year following mass shootings in Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay and elsewhere.

Those laws are designed to make it more difficult for potentially dangerous people to keep firearms, help trace perpetrators when one is used improperly and tax ammunition to fund school safety and gun violence intervention programs.

President Joe Biden unveils an executive order to curb gun violence on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 as he visits Monterey Park where a mass shooting on the Lunar New Year left 11 dead. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Advocates, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, say California is leading the nation on such reforms and its success is evidence that “gun safety laws work.”

“The data proves they save lives: California’s gun death rate is 43% lower than the rest of the nation,” Newsom said in September. “These new laws will make our communities and families safer.”

Tanya Schardt, senior counsel at Brady, a nonprofit advocating for gun safety, said the lower rate of gun-related deaths in California is the “result of deliberate, strategic interventions to set up a system of laws that work.”

“California did a lot last year with a really diverse package of bills,” Schardt said. “It’s a big step forward.”

Those bills include:

AB 28, from Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-Woodland Hills, imposed a tax on the sale of bullets, which is expected to raise $160 million annually for gun violence intervention programs.
AB 732, from Assemblymember Mike Fong, D-Monterey Park, increased the standards for surrendering firearms following criminal convictions and requires the Department of Justice and local agencies to address a backlog of individuals who may not have turned over their firearms.
SB 452, from Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, prohibits the sale of semiautomatic pistols without microstamping technology, which imprints a code on casings fired from the weapon, after Dec. 31, 2027.
SB 2, from Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-Pasadena, sets a minimum age of 21 for a concealed carry weapon license and restricts license holders from carrying those weapons in certain sensitive locations.
SB 241, from Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, requires gun dealers and their employees to complete annual training and certification related to the prevention of theft, fraud and illegal purchases.

In 2023, there were 42 mass shootings in the United States in which four or more people were killed, including four in California, according to a database compiled by USA Today, The Associated Press and Northeastern University. In California alone last year, 28 people were killed and 10 injured in mass shootings.

The deadliest of those shootings occurred on Jan. 21, 2023, during Monterey Park’s Lunar New Year celebration. A gunman wielding a semiautomatic handgun entered the Star Ballroom Dance Studio and opened fire on the crowd, killing 11 and injuring nine using a semiautomatic handgun. Two days later, a farm worker killed seven and wounded one at two mushroom farms in Half Moon Bay.

If SB 452 had been in place, the microstamping on the handgun used in Monterey Park would have allowed law enforcement to immediately identify the shooter, Schardt said.

Other bills, such as AB 28 and AB 1587, aim to prevent gun violence by developing programs to address the root causes and to flag suspicious behavior before a firearm is used, she said.

Last year, American Express, Mastercard and Visa faced pushback over plans to introduce a merchant code to track firearm purchases and flag suspicious behavior. While other states quickly passed laws to prevent the implementation of such a code due to privacy concerns, California took the opposite approach and made it mandatory for banks and credit cards starting Jan. 1.

“Financial institutions can now be a part of our efforts since they are in a unique position to flag buying patterns that no one else can,” stated Assemblymember Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, following the signing of his bill, AB 1587. “Merchant codes are already assigned to other retailers, and the gun industry should be included. Identifying large purchases of firearms and ammunition can be instrumental in helping California prevent tragedies and to save lives.”

California Senator Anthony Portantino (File photo by John McCoy, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Similar codes are used by law enforcement to identify potential human trafficking or fraud, according to Schardt.

Portantino, the state senator from Pasadena, said California’s policies are about “preventing the next tragedy.”

“The data is clear, California is safer than Mississippi or Texas, because of our policy,” Portantino said. “These are are public safety initiatives and we know they work.”

SB 2, the CCW law authored by Portantino, immediately faced legal challenges from gun rights advocates. A judge issued a preliminary injunction against the law, which was set to go into effect at the start of the year, after declaring parts of it unconstitutional in December.

The injunction was stayed in early January and then reinstated days later. Litigation against the legislation is still pending, but Portantino said roughly 80% of the law is in effect now, including requirements for 16 hours of training and limitations on carrying firearms in certain locations, such as airports, government buildings and schools.

“It’s an issue that is going to continue to be contested,” Portantino said. “The attorney general is vigorously defending the integrity of SB 2.”

Portantino said he intends to continue to push for additional reforms in 2024. Another bill, SB 53, is working its way through the Legislature already. It would require firearms in homes to be stored in a Department of Justice-approved lock box or safe. Multiple violations could lead to a one-year ban on the purchase and possession of a firearm.

More than 76% of school shooters obtain guns from their homes, he said.

“If you’re going to be trusted with a weapon that kills people, you should be responsible,” he said. “And if you’re irresponsible, you should be held accountable.”

Assembly member Mike Fong (Photo contributed by Mike Fong)

Fong, the assemblymember from Monterey Park, brought forward two other gun safety bills last year. AB 733, which would have prohibited law enforcement agencies from selling firearms, faced opposition from police unions and ultimately was vetoed by Newsom. The other, AB 1638, which was signed into law, requires local agencies providing emergency response services to provide information in English and all languages spoken by 5% or more of the population.

The latter was brought forward in response to the shooting in Monterey Park last January, Fong said. Monterey Park has one of the largest percentages of Asian residents in Los Angeles County and many seniors in the community, who do not speak English, were unable to get quick and accurate information in the aftermath of the tragedy.

“They didn’t know if the shooter was still a threat,” Fong said.

Fong said he plans to continue to work with the Legislature’s Gun Violence Working Group to push forward more reforms in the future.

“In 2023, California made tremendous progress, but we always know there is more work to be done,” Fong said.

The shooting in Monterey Park led to movement at the federal level as well.

President Joe Biden, during a visit to Monterey Park, unveiled an executive order instructing the U.S. attorney general to ensure that gun dealers are conducting required background checks and to stop gun dealers from selling weapons if they have lost their federal licenses.

In September, Biden created the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, led by Vice President Kamala Harris, to coordinate nationwide efforts to prevent gun violence. At the time, Biden renewed a call to Congress to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to adopt a safe storage law and to implement universal background checks.

“I’m not going to be quiet until we get it done,” Biden said at the time.

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Anita horse racing consensus picks for Friday, January 19, 2024

• January 19, 2024

The consensus box of Santa Anita horse racing picks comes from handicappers Bob Mieszerski, Art Wilson, Terry Turrell and Eddie Wilson. Here are the picks for thoroughbred races on Friday, January 19, 2024.

Trouble viewing on mobile device? See consensus picks

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​ Orange County Register 

Cal State Fullerton can’t hold off UC Davis down stretch

• January 19, 2024

FULLERTON — The Cal State Fullerton men’s basketball team needs momentum if it hopes to climb out of the bottom tier of the Big West Conference standings, but a chance to begin that ascent slipped away in the final minutes on Thursday night.

Fullerton led for much of the second half and was ahead by one point with 1:24 left, but ultimately lost to UC Davis, 67-65, at Titan Gym, dropping the Titans to 8-10 overall and 1-5 in Big West play.

Max Jones led Fullerton with 18 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Tory San Antonio had 12 points and six rebounds. Beril Kabamba added 11 points and seven rebounds and Grayson Carper had 11 points and five rebounds.

Elijah Pepper had 27 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Aggies (11-7, 6-1), while Ty Johnson had 14 points (all in the second half) and four steals and Niko Rocak added 11 points. UC Davis has won seven of its past eight games.

The Titans led by as much as 11 points midway through the second half, and they withstood an initial UC Davis surge and still led 58-49 after a Jones 3-pointer with 5:44 left. But the Aggies followed with a 12-2 run to grab a 61-60 lead with 1:58 left.

Kabamba made a pair of free throws on the following possession to give the Titans their 62-61 advantage with 1:24 left. The teams then traded misses from 3-point range before Pepper hit a pair of free throws with 31 seconds left to put the Aggies back ahead.

The Aggies’ Leo DeBruhl then stole the ball from Jones and made two more free throws for a 65-62 lead with 22 seconds left. Fullerton’s Carper missed a 3-point attempt on the ensuing possession, but John Mikey Square grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled, making one of his two free throws to cut the margin to two points with 16 seconds left.

Fullerton was forced to foul and Pepper made two more free throws (he finished 10 for 10 from the line) to make it a two-possession game with 10 seconds left. Carper missed another 3-point try and San Antonio made a layup to close the scoring as the Aggies held on.

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Both sides made each other work to get good shots. UC Davis held the Titans to 38% shooting from the field and forced 15 Titans turnovers that led to 16 points on the other end for the Aggies. Fullerton held the visitors to 34.7% shooting, including a 5-for-23 showing from behind the arc, but the Aggies were strong from the free-throw line (28 for 33), where they outscored the Titans by 10 points.

UC Davis led 9-4 early, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Kabamba and Carper gave Fullerton a 17-15 lead. San Antonio, Carper and Jones added 3-pointers as the Titans opened a 30-25 advantage, then Carper hit one more just before the break as Fullerton took a 36-25 lead into halftime.

Jones hit another 3-pointer early in the second half and DJ Brewton found Carper for a transition layup to give the Titans a 46-35 advantage with 13:09 left. Kabamba found San Antonio for a 3-pointer and Square added a layup to give Fullerton its 53-42 advantage with 9:19 left.

UP NEXT

Fullerton plays at UC Santa Barbara (11-6, 4-3) on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Second-place UC Davis hosts first-place UC Irvine (13-5, 6-0) on Saturday at 2 p.m.

​ Orange County Register 

Aliso Niguel girls soccer has major breakthrough with win over San Juan Hills

• January 19, 2024

ALISO VIEJO — It would be an understatement to say that the Aliso Niguel girls soccer team has struggled against San Juan Hills over the past decade.

The Wolverines reversed their fortune and beat San Juan Hills 2-1 in a crucial South Coast League game Thursday at Aliso Niguel High.

It was the first win for Aliso Niguel (5-5-2, 2-1) over the Stallions (7-5-1, 2-2) since 2008.

“That’s amazing. I had no idea,” Aliso Niguel coach Marco Spaccini said after the victory. “That makes it even better. It was a great night.”

Aliso Niguel beats San Juan Hills 2-1. Aliso is now in 2nd place in the South Coast League. Goals by Taryn Raibon and Alaina Villa. First win for Aliso over San Juan Hills since 2008 @ocvarsity @ocvarsityguy @SouthOCsports @latsondheimer @alisoathletics pic.twitter.com/Zw4PgeX8hX

— Michael Huntley (@mikehuntley63) January 19, 2024

The win put Aliso Niguel in second place in the South Coast League standings behind undefeated Capistrano Valley, which beat the Wolverines 1-0 on Jan. 9.

“This league is one of the most competitive leagues around,” Spaccini said. “We decided to not put any pressure on the girls and take things game by game. Winning league is always our goal, but we are building a culture and giving new life to this program. That is our main focus.”

Aliso Niguel struck first with a goal from Maryland commit Taryn Raibon in the third minute of the game. It was the first time Aliso Niguel had scored against San Juan Hills in seven games dating back to 2020.

“I was really trying to be in attack mode,” Raibon said. “I used my body and once I got towards the corner I took a shot towards the other side of the goal and was really happy to score.”

In the 12th minute of the game. Raibon was dribbling near the corner when the San Juan Hills defender was whistled for a foul.

Alaina Villa took the free kick from close to the corner and made a spectacular goal over the head of the San Juan Hills goalkeeper to give the Wolverines a 2-0 lead.

“We hope to get a couple of free kicks every game because I think this is her third goal on free kicks this season,” Spaccini said of Villa. “That was a crazy shot. She’s really good.”

San Juan Hills scored just before the half on a goal from UC San Diego signee Eva Anderson in the 36th minute. Anderson has played for the Puerto Rico national team.

“At halftime we spent a lot of time talking about how to contain her,” Spaccini said of Anderson. “She has an amazing left foot and is physical and quick.”

Both defenses and goalkeepers played well in the second half and avoided multiple scoring opportunities.

Freshman goalkeeper Addison Rudel had a pair of late saves to secure the win for Aliso Niguel, and the defense of Emily Trapp, Kailiey King and Brooklyn Lira Greenwood was effective in the game’s final minutes.

“I thought they played really well,” Raibon said. “They were really compact and were in the right defensive mindset.”

Elena Harshman had four saves for San Juan Hills, all in the second half. Aliso Niguel had six shot attempts compared to three for the Stallions.

San Juan Hills will host Tesoro in a league game Tuesday. The Stallions beat Tesoro 5-0 on Jan. 9.

Aliso Niguel will play on the road against Tesoro on Saturday.

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​ Orange County Register 

Long Beach State uses dominant start to beat Hawaii

• January 19, 2024

LONG BEACH — A near-perfect first half was more than enough for the Long Beach State men’s basketball team on Thursday night.

LBSU shot 75% from the field with 14 assists and just one turnover before halftime while producing a defensive effort to match the explosive offense in a 79-71 victory over Hawaii at the Walter Pyramid.

The teams traded baskets in the early minutes of the game, then Long Beach (12-7 overall, 4-3 Big West) broke the game open with an 11-0 run sparked by an AJ George basket and a Jadon Jones 3-pointer.

Sizzling shooting (18 for 24 from the field) helped Long Beach run away from the visitors. LBSU led by as much as 21 points in the first half, while holding the Warriors to 32.3% shooting (10 for 31) and just 22 points until the final minute of the half.

Hawaii (10-8, 2-4) got a bit of a lift in the second half, going 11 for 14 from the free-throw line in the final 20 minutes to cut into the Long Beach lead, but the Warriors never truly threatened and trailed by double digits until the final minute.

Marcus Tsohonis had 20 points on 8-for-15 shooting to pace Long Beach, while Jones scored 19, going 8 for 8 from the field and making a trio of 3-pointers to pass Mike Caffey for fifth on LBSU’s career list (178). He added four steals. Lassina Traore had 13 points and six rebounds, and Aboubacar Traore (no relation) added 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.

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Justin McKoy had 22 points to lead Hawaii. Juan Munoz added 12 points and Bernardo da Silva had 11.

Long Beach gets its first bye of the conference season this weekend, then hosts first-place UC Irvine next Thursday (Jan. 25) at 7 p.m.

​ Orange County Register 

Buena Park basketball point guard Hannah Fuentes injured in loss to Ontario Christian

• January 19, 2024

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BUENA PARK — Buena Park’s girls basketball team encountered a physical and emotional setback in the opening minutes of its showdown against visiting Ontario Christian on Thursday.

Early in the first quarter, starting point guard Hannah Fuentes suffered an apparent knee injury after falling awkwardly on a jump shot near the elbow of the key. The junior received medical care and was taken off the court on a stretcher, her teammates walking closely by her side.

Buena Park then turned its attention back to the daunting matchup with Ontario Christian and Kaleena Smith.

The star freshman guard proved too much. She scored 45 points and added 10 assists to lead the Knights to a 98-69 victory in a clash of teams on the CIF-SS Open Division watch list.

Smith delivered an array of spectacular shots and assists — including 19 points in the third period — but a major storyline for Buena Park was the loss of Fuentes with 5:30 left in the first quarter.

“It broke all our hearts. It was bad,” said Buena Park junior Gloria Barrera, a club teammate with Fuentes on Cal Storm. “We just fought for her. She’s been putting in the hard work and she was ready for this. And just to see that happen, it was just heartbreaking.”

Buena Park (13-8), ranked fifth in CIF-SS Division 2AA, led 11-4 in the first quarter before Ontario Christian’s full-court pressure and explosive offense became too much.

The Coyotes also struggled with foul trouble in the first half as the Knights took a 48-38 lead.

Buena Park received a boost in the third period from Mya Barnes, trimming its deficit to 57-51. But Smith seized control by making four of her seven 3-pointers in the frame, including one to at the buzzer.

Buena Park coach DeAnthony Wiley praised Smith but his heart was with Fuentes.

“I felt we would have had a shot (with Fuentes),” he said. “Tough way to start. Mentally, it’s tough to bring the kids back. Even me. It’s still tough. She’s probably done for this season.”

Wiley found positives in his team’s fight, which included double-doubles from Barrera (20 points, 12 rebounds) and Alana White (16 points, 11 rebounds). Barnes added all 13 of her points in the second half.

“I’m proud of these kids,” he said. “To me, this proves that we can go win a title by the way we play.”

Smith entered averaging almost 35 points for Ontario Christian (18-3), ranked third in Division 1.

A heckler called her “overrated” during one of her foul shots in the first half but dominated. She made 7 of 9 shots from the floor in the third period.

“That doesn’t really affect me because I know who I am and I know who I’m going to be and I’ve worked hard for a reason,” Smith said of the heckler.

Smith played both guard spots, scoring on shifty drives, floaters and perimeter shots. She racked up steals and broke down defenses for easy assists to teammates.

“She can do it all,” Ontario Christian coach Matt Tumambing said of Smith. “She’s someone that I like to call a generational-type player. Just her feel for the game.”

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​ Orange County Register