New Year’s Eve: 20 events to ring in 2024 in Southern California

• December 20, 2023

It’s time to say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024.

And there are a lot of ways to do it this year, including upscale parties, fireworks shows, fancy dinners and even a pajama jam.

Here are just some of the ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Southern California.

Los Angeles County

Cozy Countdown: New Year’s Eve Pajama Jam

Get in your coziest pajamas and party like there’s no bedtime at the Portofino Hotel & Marina’s New Year’s Eve celebration. Besides everyone wearing their pajamas, the night will include live music and a midnight brunch, plus a champagne toast.

When: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Where: The Portofino Hotel & Marina, 260 Portofino Way, Redondo Beach

Tickets: $65. 310-421-4195 or hotelportofino.com

Fireworks at the Waterfront

The Downtown Long Beach Alliance is welcoming 2024 twice with two, free fireworks shows. The first will happen at 9 p.m. and the second at midnight. The best spots to watch will be from Rainbow Lagoon Park.

When: 9 p.m. and midnight

Where: The Waterfront at E. Shoreline Drive and The Promenade

Tickets: The event is free. Get more information at downtownlongbeach.org/event/nye-2024.

Gatsby’s Penthouse NYE

Get your flapper fashion on, slip into a slick zoot suit and travel back to the roaring ‘20s for this themed party that is sure to be the bee’s knees. The celebration will include DJs spinning all sorts of party music from EDM to Top 40s to hip-hop in multiple dance rooms. And don’t worry about prohibition anywhere here because the ticket price includes a four-hour open bar.

When: 9 p.m.- 2 a.m.

Where: Elevate Lounge, 811 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles

Tickets: Tickets start at $200. 323-604-6030 or vipnightlife.com.

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Grand Park’s NYELA

This is going to be one of the biggest celebrations around, with thousands of people expected to party at Grand Park. And it’s all free. The event will encompass six city blocks with a roster of all-women DJs spinning dance tunes, plus live musical acts on two stages. Expect food trucks, art installations and a midnight art show projected onto City Hall. Also expect to stay sober because no alcohol is allowed or will be sold at the all-ages event.

When:  8 p.m.

Where: 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles

Tickets: Free. For more information go to nyela.grandparkla.org.

NYE Live at The Lost Parrot Café

Welcome 2024 with lots of laughter at the Lost Parrot Café. The Pasadena venue will host two comedy shows on Dec. 31. The early set will be a family-friendly show, while the evening event will be more mature. The night is hosted by Titi Lee, an Emmy-nominated comedy writer who’s appeared on shows like “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

When: 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Where: 1929 Huntington Drive, South Pasadena

Tickets: $35 for general admission and $50 open bar for the early show; $50 general admission and $75 open bar for second show. 323-886-0703 or  tickettailor.com/events/losparrotlive.

New Year’s Eve Night Dive 

Party with the fishes and other sea creatures at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s New Year’s Eve Night Dive. The adults-only event will bring a live band to the Aquarium’s Great Hall while DJs will be spinning in the galleries. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase, although there is no word on whether there will be any seafood.

When: 8 p.m.- 1 a.m.

Where: Aquarium of the Pacific, 100 Aquarium Way, Long Beach

Tickets: $94.95 per person or $89.95 for Aquarium members. 562-590-3100 or aquariumofpacific.org.

Prohibition NYE

Union Station travels back in time to the roaring ‘20s for the 10th annual Prohibition NYE. The ‘20s theme party is a glitzy and glamorous affair that will include burlesque dancing, live jazz music, a DJ set from Chromeo and a bar serving themed cocktails and champagne.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Union Station, 800 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles.

Tickets: Starting at $195 at Prohibitionnye.com.

Queen Mary

After being closed for nearly three years, the Queen Mary is back and ringing in 2024 with a party aboard the ship. The adults-only celebration will include music throughout the vessel with Latin bands, EDM, pop, dueling piano battles, jazz trios performing throughout the night. And at 9 p.m. and midnight people will get a good view of the Long Beach waterfront fireworks show.

When: 8 p.m.-1 a.m.

Where: 1126 Queens Highway, Long Beach

Tickets: Tickets start at $169 per person at queenmary.com/tours/new-years-eve/.

Orange County

A Groovy New Year’s Eve

Comedian Rita Rudner continues her New Year’s tradition at the Laguna Playhouse with a night of comedy and groovy music. Rudner will perform and 20-minute set and things will get popping with Listen to the Seventies, a tribute band that performs songs from acts like Carole King, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac and other ‘70s stars. The night will be capped with a balloon drop, champagne and party favors.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Laguna Playhouse, 606 Canyon Road, Laguna Beach

Tickets: Tickets start at $105 at lagunaplayhouse.com.

First Night in Fullerton 

Ring in the New Year at this all-ages event with live music played across multiple stages, food and beverage options from local businesses, a family fun zone with games and activities and a fireworks extravaganza.

When: 7 p.m.-midnight

Where: Downtown Fullerton Plaza, 125 E. Wilshire Ave., Fullerton

Tickets: Free admission.

Huntington Beach: NYE Bar Crawl

Hit up 10 or more parties in one night with a NYE 2024 pup crawl ticket. Participants will receive a map of all participating downtown bars and nightclubs  and can bounce from venue to venue, each of which will be offering drink specials including NYE Pub Crawl welcome shots. Spots include Cruiser’s Bar, Wet Dog Tavern, 2nd Floor and Aloha Grill.

When: 8 p.m.-2 a.m.

Where: Various locations in Huntington Beach.

Tickets: $29-$39 at nasstive.com.

Diamonds & Pearls NYE Party

Dress to impress for the Balboa Bay Resort’s annual New Year’s Eve gala. This year’s event is taking place in the newly renovated Grand Ballroom and the theme is Diamonds & Pearls. So do your best to look like a million bucks during a night of dancing with the band Flashback Heart Attack.

When: 9 p.m.- 1 a.m.

Where: Balboa Bay Resort, 1221 West Coast Highway, Newport Beach

Tickets: Tickets start at $243.75 or $406 for a 7 p.m. NYE wine dinner that includes entrance to the ball. 949-645-5000 or balboabayresort.com

Iron Smoke Cocktail Speakeasy

Get a pre-NYE drink before heading somewhere to party or welcome 2024 with other fans of fancy cocktails at the JW Marriott’s Executive Lounge. That’s where a drink expert will create smoked cocktails personalized to each individual’s palate preferences on New Year’s Eve. Each drink connoisseur will get two craft cocktails and 45-minutes of personalized service from a bartender for the price of the ticket. Additional cocktails are available for purchase and are priced between $14 to $26.

When: 7 p.m. -1 a.m.

Where: JW Marriott, Anaheim Resort, 1775 S Clementine Street, Anaheim

Tickets: $65 at marriot.com.

Top of the V

Party 12 floors above the streets of Orange County and this rooftop bar for New Year’s Eve. Besides a DJ spinning tunes, partiers can enjoy an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, raffles and a midnight toast, plus the spectacular views from the rooftop.

When: 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Where: Top of the V, 1601 South Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim

Tickets: $300 at topoftheviv.com.

Winter Fest OC

The popular annual winter festival is celebrating New Year’s Eve twice with countdowns and fireworks displays at 6 p.m. and midnight. Besides the double countdowns, the celebration includes a holiday parade and tree lighting show as well as Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars tribute bands. It also includes all the regular Winter Fest fun stuff like snow play, ice tubing, bumper cars, carnival rides, games and ice skating.

Where: OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

When: 2 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Tickets: $29.99-$79.99 online; $50-$110 at the gate. winterfestoc.com.

Inland Empire

Noon Year’s Eve Party

Have a hoppy New Year at SweetFrog as the frozen yogurt shop throws a party for the kids with a noon countdown. On New Year’s Eve morning the kids can celebrate with a dance party, play games, eat snacks and pizza, have a yogurt and then mark the countdown to noon with noisemakers.

When: 11 a.m.-noon

Where: SweetFrog, 12274 Palmdale Road, Victorville

Tickets: $15 per child, no cost for parent. sweetfrog.com.

New Year’s EVE Extravaganza

Dress up for an extravaganza in Ontario with a night of live music, DJ’s spinning dance tunes, party favors and a champagne toast. It may be a good way to make friends too since there will be assigned seating at tables for dinner, so unless you come with a group of 10 people to fill a table, be ready to mingle. Dinner is not included with admission.

When: 9:30 p.m.

Where: Ontario Airport Hotel & Conference Center, 700 North Haven Ave., Ontario

Tickets: $75-$150 at eventbrite.com.

New Year’s Eve Grape Drop

The grape drops again to welcome 2024 in Temecula. The annual New Year’s Eve Grape Drop will include live music, vendors, kid’s activities and an East Coast (9 p.m. ) and West Coast (midnight) countdown.

When: 6 p.m.-12:30 a.m.

Where: Temecula Civic Center Quad, 41000 Main Street, Temecula.

Tickets: Admission is free. temeculaca.gov.

NYE Torchlight Parade

Big Bear lights up on New Year’s Eve as more than 200 skiers and snowboarders with torches light up the night as they make their way down the mountain at Snow Summit. And expect a party at the bottom of the mountain too as a DJ spins tunes to welcome 2024.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Snow Summit, 880 Summit Blvd., Big Bear Lake

Tickets: Admission is free. bigbearmountainresort.com.

Redlands Orange Drop

The Annual New Year’s Eve Orange Drop returns to Redlands and is ready to welcome the new year, albeit a little earlier than usual this year. Described by the Redlands Chamber of Commerce website as simply “enormous,” the orange will drop at 9 p.m. instead of midnight, so more families can attend. But it’s still going to be a party with music, confetti cannon towers, food and dessert vendors.

When: 6-9 p.m.

Where: Citrus Ave., between Sixth and Eighth streets, Redlands

Tickets: Admission is free. redlandschamber.org/orangedrop/

​ Orange County Register 

Biden only has self to blame for bad polls

• December 20, 2023

President Joe Biden is reportedly quite bothered by his low approval ratings and polls showing him lagging former President Donald Trump, according to the Washington Post. While he demanded answers from his team, the president needs to look in the mirror and take responsibility for his failures and overreaches.

The Joe Biden who campaigned for president of the United States is quite different from the one Americans ultimately got in the White House.

Biden’s opening message to the American people as a candidate for president made clear he was running for president in order to restore normalcy.

“We are in the battle for the soul of this nation,” he said in a campaign video invoking the violence in Charlottesville.  “I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an aberrant moment in time. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation — who we are — and I cannot stand by and watch that happen.”

And so, after years of tumult under Trump, the American people voted clearly and decisively to elect Biden president of the United States.

But it didn’t take long for Biden to quickly take his mandate to restore normalcy and distort it into a mandate to remake America.

Soon after he was elected, Biden met with historians who encouraged him to take inspiration from Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lyndon Baines Johnson. And so he tried, with massive spending packages that poured limitless fuel on inflation, which has eroded the wealth of Americans and made life a lot harder for lower-income and middle-class Americans.

Beyond spending, Biden has also largely kept in place Trump’s anti-trade policies, namely, tariffs. According to the Tax Foundation, “We estimate the tariffs still in effect will reduce long-run GDP by 0.21 percent, wages by 0.14 percent, and employment by 166,000 full-time equivalent jobs.”  The costs of such policies add up and make life harder for ordinary Americans.

And Biden has prioritized what is in the best interest of Big Labor over the best interest of workers, with proposed crackdowns on independent contracting and the imposition of costly project labor agreements on federal construction projects.

The Biden administration has tried to spin “Bidenomics” as a win for the American people, but few Americans have fallen for such claims. According to newly released polling from Monmouth University, 68% of Americans disapprove of Biden’s approach to inflation and only 42% approve of his policies on jobs.

Taken together with Biden’s tendency to aggravate political polarization and the abandoning of any pretense of working across the aisle, it’s no wonder Biden’s poll numbers are where they are.

Of course, polls are polls and we’re still a far way out from the election. Rather than trying to be a progressive, transformational president, Biden should stick to a more moderate, modest approach to the office.

​ Orange County Register 

Rose Parade 2024: Meet Naomi Stillitano, 105th Rose Queen, ready to welcome the new year in style

• December 20, 2023

A rush of shock and gratitude took over Naomi Stillitano as she was named the 105th Rose queen for the 2024 Rose Parade.

Stillitano, 17, was named the Rose queen at a coronation ceremony in late October, joining a revered list of royal Tournament of Roses ambassadors.

It was a dream come true, with a little nudge from mom.

“It’s every little girl’s dream to be a princess,” she said. “I really wanted to try out, and I honestly did forget about the Tournament of Roses because I was so busy with school, theater, and swimming, but my mom brought it up last year, and she was like, ‘you know, you’re getting to that age where you can apply to be on the Rose Court.’ And I was like, why not.”

Stillitano was born and raised in Italy, where she lived for seven years before moving to California. The big move was made during the winter, a season in which she was captivated by the Rose Parade – and the Rose Court.

The “why not” turned into a long process of interviewing alongside hundreds of other hopefuls for the Rose Court. And then came the day when she was named as part of the 2024 Rose Court.

“I went in there with the intention of having fun, meeting new people, meeting new friends, and getting the experience of being interviewed because that’s a life skill,” she said. “But I came out as a Rose Court member and I was so excited. It was an exciting moment, the best moment of my life.”

Then another memorable moment happened – she was named the 2024 Rose Queen.

“Again, (it’s) a moment that you will remember forever and it only happens once in your life,” Stillitano said. “It was an amazing moment and I’m really happy that the six princesses were there with me, too.”

What being the Rose Queen means to Stillitano is being a leader and taking charge. But she also  sees a role in making sure everyone – in the Rose Court or around her – feels “safe and good.”

Things have been busy for the teen and her peers.

The 2024 Rose Queen and the Rose Court attend numerous community and media functions, serving as ambassadors of the Tournament of Roses, the Pasadena community and the greater Los Angeles area.

Tournament of Roses President Alex Aghajanian crowns the 2024 Rose Queen Naomi Stillitano at the Tournament House in Pasadena on Friday, October 27, 2023. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Although at times it can get stressful, Stillitano said she was happy to be sharing the moment with the six other princesses on the Rose Court – Trinity Dela Cruz from Marshall Fundamental School, Olivia Bohanec from La Salle College Preparatory, Emmerson Tucker from Blair High School, Jessica Powell from Flintridge Preparatory, Mia Moore-Walker from Flintridge Preparatory, and Phoebe Ho from South Pasadena High School. And creating a strong bond with one another as well.

As a senior at Arcadia High School, Stillitano is the co-president of the Italian Culture Club, a dancer and actress with the Arcadia Stage Theater, and a swimmer on the Rose Bowl Swim Team.

“It’s an honor,” she said about representing Arcadia and her high school. “You don’t notice how big of a job this is until you see all the past pictures of the parade and the queens. It’s an honor.”

It’s quite a legacy to be part of. The first Rose queen was announced in 1905, and for more than 100 years, the Rose Queen and Court have symbolized the heart of the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.

Stillitano and the Court also personify cultures that define the Pasadena area, and exemplify character, service, and leadership qualities that the Tournament of Roses is looking for, according to officials.

But then there’s just life away from the roses.

Stillitano enjoys playing guitar and piano, singing, traveling, cooking, drawing, roller skating, and bike riding.

Naomi Stillitano of Arcadia High School reacts as her name is called as a member of the 2024 Tournament of Roses Royal Court at the Tournament House in Pasadena Monday, October 2, 2023. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

One of her biggest passions is fashion.

She said a love for fashion runs in her blood. She credits the influence of her mother’s fashionable style and her grandmother being a model.

“My mom, she gave me her first Vogue magazine when I was 13 and it was my first Vogue magazine, too,” she said. “I’ve been collecting Vogue magazines ever since, and I just fell in love with fashion.”

Stillitano’s sense of style stood out at the Tournament of Roses ceremony announcing the Rose Court. Standing on the front step, she wore a monochromatic brown suit, with leather pants and a fitted blazer.

She said her mother, Nerida Gonzalez, gave her the idea to wear pants instead of a dress to her first interview. Stillitano said she wore pink pants and a suit jacket and kept up with the trend for all her interviews.

“You can be a powerful woman and still wear a suit and be feminine,” she said. “We just tried to keep the suit thing going and that’s how I ended up with the leather pants, because I also love rock music too, and all types of music, so the leather pants kind of flowed into that rock type of style,” she said about her look on the Rose Court ceremony day on Oct. 2.

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Rose Parade 2024: James Burton, Sean Ardoin, Amanda Shaw to lead mid-parade performance
2024 Rose Parade Royal Court announced by Tournament of Roses
Naomi Stillitano of Arcadia is crowned 2024 Rose Queen

Stillitano wants some day to create her own fashion brand. She plans to study fashion design and marketing at either the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Milano Fashion Institute, Pasadena City College, or USC.

The Rose Queen is looking forward to getting ready for the parade on New Year’s Day, when she and her fellow princesses will be prepping at 1 a.m., with music such as Travis Scott and Drake playing in the background.

“We’re all gonna be so tired but energetic at the same time, because we’re anxious for the parade to start,” she said. “That little moment is going to be such a good bonding moment for all of us, and again that moment only happens once, so I’m gonna try to take it all in and enjoy the moment.”

Her hopes for the new year? For all her friends on the Rose Court to get into the colleges they want, and to accomplish their goals.

“I’m just excited to go into the new year being the Rose Queen and being on the court,” she said. “It’s been a great journey… and I’m excited to go into the new year with these girls.”

WHO: 2024 Rose Queen Naomi Stillitano

AGE: 17

HOMETOWN: Arcadia

WHAT SHE LIKES: Guitar and piano, singing, traveling, cooking, drawing, roller skating, and bike riding, fashion, swimming, dancing, acting

​ Orange County Register 

How the Beatles podcasters of ‘Nothing Is Real’ see recent Fab Four releases

• December 20, 2023

Last month, a British band topped the U.K. charts with its new single, reaching number 2 in America, behind only Taylor Swift; they also landed two albums in Billboard’s Top 20.

That’s a decent showing for a band that broke up 50 years ago.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, once again, The Beatles are back. The new song, “Now and Then,” and the expanded Red and Blue greatest hits albums join a world that has seen at least three dozen podcasts, a never-ending library of books, the latest a biography of the band’s roadie Mal Evans that runs nearly 600 pages, along with a parade of documentary programs like “McCartney 3,2,1,” and, most notably, Peter Jackson’s revelatory “Get Back.”

Meanwhile, in Ireland, two diehard fans, Steven Cockcroft and Jason Carty, could arguably be described as the Beatles of Beatles podcasters.

After winning the 2018 “Beatle Brain of Ireland” quiz, they launched “Nothing is Real,” their own podcast for all things John, Paul, George and Ringo. Since then, they’ve had three million downloads in the last three years, won PodBible’s 2022 Music Podcast of the Year Award and, Cockcroft says, “inexplicably,” were a No.1 music podcast recommendation in the New York Times this summer.

The duo recently sold out live shows in Belfast, Dublin and London’s West End and were called on to host this year’s “Beatle Brain of Ireland” showdown. (“People complained the questions were too hard,” Cockcroft says.) Additionally, their four-part radio documentary about the band’s Irish roots, commissioned by BBC Northern Ireland, was just nominated for an Irish Radio Award.

Cockcroft and Carty spoke by video recently about the forever fascination with the Fab Four and how it is evolving.

Jason Carty (L) and Steven Cockroft (R) are the hosts of the Beatles podcast Nothing Is Real. (Photo credit: Chris Floyd / Courtesy of Nothing Is Real))

Q. What do you think of the recently release “new” Beatles song, “Now and Then”?

Cockcroft: I don’t think it is the greatest song in the world, but I don’t think it has to be. It’s enough that it exists.

I didn’t think it was a good idea initially because I’d heard the work tape and didn’t think there was much of a song. But Jason always says Paul McCartney has this superpower where he can hear the finished record in his head – the drum and bass part and the string section. So I wonder if in 1995, Paul had in his head something that no one else could hear – it was clearly unfinished business for him and who am I to tell Paul McCartney he can’t scratch his itch?

Carty: The older I get, the less precious I get about these kinds of things. I’m happy for there to be one more Beatles song instead of one less Beatles song. John Lennon’s voice is in popular culture again, and that’s important. And if you heard the original tape, Paul has taken bits out and changed the song. So it is Lennon-McCartney in that sense.

Q. What about the video for the song?

Cockcroft: I greatly admire Peter Jackson for what he’s done with the audio. I initially thought the video was terrible: while it’s quite funny the first time John Lennon is dancing around while the orchestra plays, by the third time, it’s a little irritating. But the last 40 seconds where it spools back from 1969 all the way to them as children really packed a punch and was incredibly moving.

Carty: I like the video, and that it’s kind of silly. It’s not portentous, there’s not the message that “The Beatles are so important.” And it is spreading through the culture and I think that was part of the plan.

Q. The Beatles obviously remain immensely popular but how much did Peter Jackson’s “Get Back” change the equation?

Carty: “Get Back” was a total game-changer. It reseeded the Beatles for a younger audience. For a younger generation, it changed the Beatles from historical figures – the Shakespeares of pop music – into something more human and more real. You’re seeing the offshoot of that with “Now and Then”: there’s a huge number of younger people from about 17 to 25 in the Beatles social media space, on Tiktok, YouTube and Twitter. “Now and Then” is a big deal for young people who weren’t wedded to rock classicism.

Cockcroft: We are part of the older generation who want a physical product, but Apple is turning away from us and focusing their attention on younger people who want who want new mixes and are listening on different platforms through different speakers. Initially, I was quite resentful of that, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that we’re not the market that Apple is chasing.

Carty: You need to make the band relevant. Starting with “Get Back,” The Beatles moved into the space where Queen, Elton John and ABBA have been – an old band, but also a living band with a story. Queen had the Freddie Mercury movie, Elton had his movie and hits with Dua Lipa, ABBA had their musical and movie. Obviously, there are whole genres of music that are more relevant and the whole Taylor Swift phenomenon. But if you kind of look at top streaming artists the Beatles have been moving up.

Q. McCartney has produced five Top 10 solo albums in the last 20 years. What impact does that, and his touring, have on the band’s continued relevance?

Carty: Paul is a brand ambassador and this run has been phenomenally impressive. The Beatles would still be relevant, but we won’t really know until we’re in the post-Paul McCartney universe, which is hopefully a long way off.

Q. Part one of “Tune In,” Mark Lewisohn’s biography [which is nearly 1,000 pages long, covering only through 1962] came out a decade ago. Whenever the second volume arrives, will it be received differently in this post-“Get Back” era or is it still for die-hards only?

Cockcroft: The second volume will do better because the first one was about what their grandparents were doing and what they had for their breakfast as kids but this will be dealing with their actual career and people will be fascinated by that. And it’s coming into an environment in which people are much more interested and there’s a much broader interest in the Beatles.

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Q. I was originally going to ask if the expanded Red and Blue albums seemed like a money grab and the bottom of the barrel – unlike, say, the “Sgt. Pepper” or “Revolver” reissues, there aren’t different takes or radically different mixes – but after what you’ve said, I’m wondering if it’s actually a savvy way to stoke interest in the Beatles among younger listeners.

Carty: These albums are a Spotify playlist essentially, but it’s using the Red and Blue albums, which is good branding. Steven and I can go into a store and see those famous covers and get all excited again. But now there’s a 75-song playlist for the “Get Back” kids to stream songs like “Dear Prudence” and other songs.

Cockcroft: I regard the Red and Blue albums as part of the canon, so I don’t like the tinkering with the setlist. I’d have preferred a new compilation. It’s like how I find some new mixes jarring – I enjoy the ones I grew up with – and was initially quite resentful. But now I accept these mixes and these albums are not for me. A friend asked: Is it more important to protect the holy texts or to get the message out there? If you think of it in those terms, it’s more important to get the message out there.

​ Orange County Register 

JSerra students make it snow for younger grades

• December 20, 2023

JSerra Catholic High School students know the cold truth about how much fun a snow day can be, so they fundraised and arranged for a snow storm at a school in Costa Mesa.

On Tuesday, St. John the Baptist Catholic School students threw snowballs and sledded down mounds of snow. Several JSerra students watched the fun from the side, they had their own snow day, an annual tradition on campus, last week.

Along with fundraising for the extra snow day, the JSerra students also put together boxes of gifts, food and other supplies for 82 military families from the Twentynine Palms Marine Base as part of the school’s Operation Christmas Love initiative.

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​ Orange County Register 

Whackos on the left, whackos on the right

• December 20, 2023

When I was in high school, my late mother was a receptionist in a dentist’s office.

Over her desk was a poster that said, “If you ignore your teeth, they’ll go away.”

It’s true. You don’t have to shoot your teeth to get rid of them, or have a car accident, or be punched in the mouth by some guy who says you were “looking at” his girlfriend. All you have to do is ignore your teeth, and they will dwindle to rotted stumps before falling out of your mouth.

This is how whackos took over America. We ignored them, but instead of rotting, they grew.

The crisis on America’s southern border was studiously ignored by most Americans for decades, and now the issue is so painful and throbbing that it belongs to the whackos. The right-wing whackos want a tin wall you could punch a can opener through. The left-wing whackos think you’re a citizen if you sneak into the country.

Every issue abandoned by sensible people becomes the property of our drifting population of the whacked-out. The one thing whackos never do is forget to vote. They’d vote every day if they could. They love lawn signs and T-shirts, caps and slogans, riots of all kinds and “debating the issues,” and most of them are crazier than a clown college on acid.

How do they get that way?

I don’t know. One day, your realtor neighbor Becky is middle-classing her way through life, selling houses and binge-watching reality television, and six months later she’s insisting that vaccines make you a gay Communist. Either that, or she’s become a self-proclaimed witch who thinks white men should be neutered.

Either way, Becky votes.

When I was younger, most people didn’t pay much attention to guns. Some people had guns, some didn’t, so we didn’t think about it, and we endeavored to pass laws keeping criminals from getting hold of firearms.

The whackos ran screaming into that gap. They bought 47 guns apiece and went to work on their state rep. until they got a new law passed that said you could buy a cruise missile within two hours of being released from the local mental health facility.

I personally stopped thinking about abortion once it became legal and widely practiced.

“You’re not getting the cork into that bottle,” I said. “It’s law now, and women are too used to having that right.”

I was so wrong I could have been a state rep. While the rest of us were ignoring abortion, the whackos were pushing, pushing, pushing until abortion rights were gone. Some of the states are getting that right back because normal people are scared enough to vote. Still, most of the abortion debate is dominated by people who think abortion services should be offered for free during 7th grade study hall and people who think you shouldn’t be able to get an abortion if your Uncle Elmo rapes you and you’re pregnant with twins.

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Talk radio is the same way. Once normal people abandoned talk radio in favor of a rap station airing songs about big butts, the whackos ran into talk radio, which is now dominated by people who think gay people are freaks and people who think traditional woman-lovers like me are patriarchal rapists.

We’ve got a presidential election coming (and I know you guys with foam on your mouths wish we had one every day). As in the last election, the trick is going to be turning back the whackos. In the last presidential season, we did just that, spurning weird old commie Bernie Sanders and trampling fascist Donald Trump in favor of vanilla-flavored Joe Biden. Biden was and is the anti-whacko candidate.

Put it on the signs. “Don’t let the whackos win.” Don’t specify a political party. They’re on both sides.

To find out more about Marc Dion, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com. Dion’s latest book, a collection of his best columns, is called “Mean Old Liberal.” It is available in paperback from Amazon.com and for Nook, Kindle, and iBooks.

​ Orange County Register 

Long Beach State crushes CSDH to close nonconference play

• December 20, 2023

LONG BEACH — Jadon Jones scored a game-high 23 points as Long Beach State scored triple-digits and finished with 21 assists in a 107-78 victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Tuesday night at the Walter Pyramid.

Long Beach (8-4) squared off with CSDH for the first time in more than 20 years, and the result was predictable.

Even though the Toros have been ranked as high as No. 16 in the NCAA Division II rankings this season, they were never likely to be able to hang with LBSU for very long.

The score was tied at 9-all when a 3-pointer from Jones sparked an 11-2 run for Long Beach and the rout was on. The LBSU starters saw plenty of minutes in the first half, and that translated to a 62-42 halftime lead for the hosts.

The rest of the roster had plenty of time to shine in the second half, as every Long Beach player who checked in logged at least five minutes (10 players logged at least 13 minutes) and all but one player scored three points or more.

Lassina Traore had 14 points and 10 rebounds for Long Beach, while Amari Stroud got his third start of the season and had a career-high 13 points. Marcus Tsohonis scored 12 and Isa Silva had eight points with a team-high five assists. Jones, who shot 6 for 9 from the field (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and 8 for 9 from the free-throw line, added five rebounds.

Maddox Monson matched his career-high with five points and Jason Hart Jr. set his with eight.

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Long Beach, which shot 50% from the field and 32 for 38 from the free-throw line, had a 27-11 advantage in points off turnovers, a 40-28 margin in points in the paint, 21-10 on second-chance points and 17-4 on fast-break points.

Jeremy Dent-Smith had 21 points (6 for 12 shooting), six rebounds and four assists to pace CSDH, which shot 39.7% from the field and shot 17 fewer free throws than Long Beach. Jacob Washington added 13 points and six rebounds, Jordan Hilstock had 13 points and five rebounds and DJ Guest had 11 points and five rebounds.

LBSU now gets a brief break before its Big West Conference opener against Cal State Fullerton next Thursday (Dec. 28) at Titan Gym.

​ Orange County Register 

Anze Kopitar, Kings tame Sharks for another road win

• December 20, 2023

By ERIC HE The Associated Press

SAN JOSE — Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist as the Kings beat the San Jose Sharks, 4-1, on Tuesday night.

The Kings improved to 13-1-1 on the road, the best mark in the NHL. Trevor Moore got his team-leading 15th goal, Alex Laferriere also scored and Trevor Lewis added an empty-netter. Kevin Fiala had two assists.

David Rittich made 14 saves in his Kings debut and nearly completed the shutout. The veteran goalie was called up from the AHL after backup Pheonix Copley was placed on long-term injured reserve on Sunday.

The Kings took a 3-0 lead in the second period with goals 67 seconds apart by Moore and Laferriere. Moore’s goal came on a breakaway at 4:07, set up by a spinning pass from Fiala in the neutral zone. Laferriere then tipped in a shot from the point by Jordan Spence.

Kaapo Kahkonen made 35 saves for the Sharks, who dropped their third straight. San Jose had won six of its past eight home games.

Jacob MacDonald scored for the Sharks with just more than a minute left.

Kopitar got his 13th of the season on the power play late in the first to give the Kings a 1-0 lead. The captain found an opening at the side of the net after a shot by Fiala deflected behind the goal. With Kahkonen out of position, Arthur Kaliyev quickly found Kopitar, who tapped in the puck before Kahkonen could recover from the other side.

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Anthony Duclair returned to the Sharks’ lineup after he was a healthy scratch Sunday at Colorado for the first time since the 2022 playoffs.

UP NEXT

The Kings host the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register