His Iranian grandma told him stories. Now Kiyash Monsef’s written ‘Once There Was’

• April 13, 2023

When Kiyash Monsef was a child, his grandmother, who had come to the United States from Iran, would tell him stories that began with the phrase, “Yeki bud, yeki nabud” – an invocation that translates as “once was, once wasn’t.”

On a recent video call, the San Francisco Bay Area-based author talked about the phrase and its impact upon his first novel, fittingly titled “Once There Was.”

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“When I was a little kid, that phrase by itself, regardless of what came after it, that phrase would kind of blow my mind,” Monsef says of the traditional opening to Persian fairy tales. “It was this almost existential tone. Is it or isn’t it?”

He adds, “It’s an amazing place to receive a story because you’re open to anything at that point.”

That’s the feeling that Monsef wanted to bring to his debut novel. In “Once There Was,” Marjan is a seemingly ordinary California teenager who, following the death of her father, inherits his veterinary office and learns that the family’s legacy is quite extraordinary.

With her father gone, she’s tasked with healing creatures thought to exist only in fairy tales while trying to solve the mystery of her dad’s death. Throughout the novel, Monsef has interspersed short stories in the style of fairy tales, each of which will guide Marjan as she encounters a new challenge. 

Nearly a decade ago, Monsef began writing a series of connected short stories about fantastic creatures. The first was about a griffon, which at that point he viewed as a “heraldic, very classic sign of British nobility.”

But as he began his research, he learned that the oldest representation of this creature was found on a rug in a cave that, while not located in the Iran of today, was within the lands of the Iranic people.

“Then you come a little bit more recent and you start to see griffons are stone statues and ornaments all over ancient Persia,” he explains. “The Greeks took it from there and they brought this idea of this creature to Greece and then from there it’s become this Western heraldic symbol.”

That wasn’t the only connection that Monsef uncovered while researching the book.

“I started to discover that a lot of these creatures that are very iconic within Western lore and mythology have these origins that either come from Ancient Persia or traveled through Ancient Persia,” he says. 

In one of Monsef’s short stories, “The Falconer and the Shah,” a falconer with the ability to heal creatures from all over the world explains to the Shah, “It is fortunate that our borders touch so many others. It is fortunate that the greatest roads in the world run through the heart of our land.”

It’s a line that speaks to the meeting point of the many cultures that existed in the region and intersected with each other, even going back to antiquity. 

“I’ve been doing a fair amount of research about these really old stories that inspired the stories that I wrote and are inspiring things that I’m writing now,” says Monsef. “At a certain point, the origins get very muddled because there was so much interplay between these different cultures, what was going on in India and what was going on in Iran. Everything has been passed back and forth in that region for a long time.”

As Monsef saw the growing connections to Iran in his research, the overarching story within “Once There Was” began to take shape.

“I started to approach this idea that maybe I do have a story to tell about the experience of growing up in America with American culture inputs and social inputs, but having this other side to my upbringing that I wasn’t sure how to integrate into my identity for a very long time,” he explains. 

Fittingly, the short stories that are woven into the plot of “Once There Was” are presented as fairy tales passed down to Marjan by her father, who was born in Iran. 

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Much like tales told throughout human history, Monsef’s stories also relay greater messages about society and caring for the world around us, all of which also reflect the book’s major plot points. 

“I wrote this over a long period of time. I would say that I definitely put my heart into it, in terms of my feelings about the world,” says Monsef. 

And without spoiling a plot that’s full of twists, there are some parallels to contemporary issues.

“There’s a villain who has a monomaniacal belief that he can solve the world’s problems, no matter what the cost,” says Monsef. “There are also a metaphor about accumulation of wealth and resources and what the consequences of that might be.”

Currently, Monsef is writing a follow-up to “Once There Was,” which he says will have many of the same characters and is set in the same world.

“I have hesitated to call it a sequel, though it does take place after this one,” he says. “I’m trying to write something that’s self-contained because I personally have a hard time sticking with series. I think that readers deserve to have a complete experience with the story with every book that they read, so that’s what I’m trying to do.”

​ Orange County Register 

Healthy, productive Anthony Davis is key to Lakers’ playoff success

• April 13, 2023

One glance at him on the basketball court and you just know Anthony Davis was born to play the game, and play it well. His arms seem to extend to the heavens. His legs carry him with the speed and certainty of a much smaller man. He can beat opponents inside and outside.

One problem when you stand 6-foot-10 and weigh more than 250 pounds, as Davis does, the body tends to break down under the stress of the game, of the constant running and jumping and twisting and turning and the relentless pressure from opponents just as big and strong.

When he’s healthy, all is right in the Lakers’ world.

When he’s not, well, it’s going to be a struggle.

Davis has been on the floor for each of the Lakers’ past 13 games, including their play-in tournament victory Tuesday over the Minnesota Timberwolves that sent them into a first-round matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies that begins Sunday afternoon. It’s his longest streak of games played this season.

He’s also played in 30 of the past 32 games, sitting out twice for the second game of back-to-backs.

His impact down the stretch has been enormous, as the Lakers stormed into the playoffs with victories in 10 of their past 12 games after starting the season with losses in 10 of their first 12 games. He averaged 26.2 points and 12.5 rebounds as the Lakers went 14-6 in games in March and April.

But it’s come at a price.

Davis soaks his feet in an enormous bucket of ice as he rests and recuperates while seated at his locker stall after each game, the better to ease the pain of what the Lakers officially describe as a “right foot stress injury.” LeBron James soaks his aching feet in a similar ice bucket at the next locker.

“We wanted to get this rest, let our bodies heal, recover,” Davis said after the Lakers rallied for a 108-102 overtime victory Tuesday over the Timberwolves. “I mean, we’ve been going at it in playoff mode since the All-Star break trying to get in. So, it’s good to have four days to recover, let our bodies heal, get some mental preparation for Memphis and go in kind of fresh on Sunday.”

The Lakers played eight games, winning all but one, during a 14-day span. Their connectedness has been obvious, despite occasional lapses that included falling behind the Timberwolves by as many as 15 points in the third quarter. But they meshed well when it mattered most in recent games.

They even managed to rebound after Davis’ ill-advised foul on Mike Conley’s 3-point attempt that resulted in Conley sinking three clutch free throws with 0.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter that sent the game to OT tied at 98-98. James later referred to it as a “brain fart” during a TV interview.

James joked that Davis’ foul and Conley’s free throws deprived teammate Dennis Schroder of the game-winning shot, off James’ assist, with 1.4 seconds remaining. A laughing Davis, standing nearby, offered a heartfelt apology to Schroder and James in front of the TNT camera.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham said the Lakers talked it over during the timeout before the five-minute overtime period began and quickly put it behind them. They went on to outscore the Timberwolves by 10-4 in OT, holding Minnesota to 2-for-8 shooting and forcing three turnovers.

“I think the biggest thing for us is our resiliency, fighting, being down in certain games and taking it one possession at a time, guys not getting frustrated, guys not arguing with each other, getting flustered, staying on that positive energy and manifesting like we were winning,” Davis said.

“We were going to win these games,” he added after Tuesday’s game. “Everybody plays that way, being in the moment, next-play mentality. It’s fun. We got to have fun with it. Guys are having fun, enjoying the moment and it’s showing on the court. So, obviously all that plays into chemistry, but not having as much practice time as we would like, just because it’s been full steam ahead since the All-Star. We’re finding ways to win basketball games and now we kind of get four days off and get a chance to practice and really lock in and prep and be even scarier.”

Can the Lakers keep it going? Can the seventh-seeded Lakers upset the second-seeded Grizzlies and become the first team from the play-in tournament to win a first-round playoff series and advance to the second round, where they would meet the winner of the Golden State-Sacramento series?

Some, but certainly not all of the burden will fall on Davis’ shoulders. He averaged 25.9 points, second behind James’ 28.9 points, plus a team-leading 12.5 rebounds in 56 games during the regular season. He had 24 points and 15 rebounds in 43 minutes Tuesday against Minnesota.

Ham said late Tuesday the Lakers can still do more to free Davis, to make him a greater and more valuable player offensively. Davis had back-to-back games with 38 points followed by a 40-point outburst during the first three games of a four-game road winning streak earlier this month.

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But he closed the regular season with modest outputs of 21 points against the Utah Jazz, 17 against the Clippers, 14 against the Phoenix Suns and 16 against the Jazz this past Sunday. He bounced back with a productive game against Minnesota despite suffering what Ham called “a stinger.”

Keeping him healthy and on the floor is only the first step.

“We’ve got to be able to move him around and that falls on my staff and I because, in the isolation, he’s going to get double-teamed,” Ham said. “So, trying to get him in more pick-and-rolls, more second shot actions, move him to different areas on the floor. Not so much on the side. Maybe more in the middle.

“There’s a plethora of things we can do that we have in our treasure chest that we can try to allow the game to be a little easier and force the defense into compromising positions. Just got to go back and look at the film because they double-teamed on every angle on the baseline and on the dribble from the top, on the catch, when the pass was in the air.

“We’ve got to do our due diligence to see how we can best serve our player.”

​ Orange County Register 

Edison monthly bills could jump for many customers due to new state law

• April 13, 2023

Customers for California’s three major power companies — including PG&E ratepayers — can expect to see some big changes in their monthly electricity bills in the coming years as compliance with a new state law begins to unfold.

PG&E, Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric, the three major California utilities whose services include electricity, have filed a joint proposal with the state Public Utilities Commission that sketches out proposed changes in monthly bills.

At present, those bills are primarily based on how much electricity and gas customers consume.

A new proposal would add a fixed monthly charge that would be based on the household income levels of the respective customers.

The tradeoff: The three utilities are proposing a reduction of 33% in electricity rates, which means it’s possible that segment of the bill could be less expensive.

Put another way, customers would be able to reduce a portion of their bill if they can control their electricity usage.

“This proposal aims to help lower bills for those who need it most and improves billing transparency and predictability for all customers,” said Marlene Santos, PG&E’s chief customer officer.

The primary effect could be to help reduce monthly bills for low-income customers,  according to PG&E.

But the shift could mean jumps in monthly bills for some customers.

The changes would affect only those customers who receive electricity services from PG&E and its sibling power companies.

Here’s how the fixed charges would work in the PG&E service territory. The numbers are based on a four-person household:

Households earning less than $28,000 a year would pay a fixed charge of $15 a month on their electric bills.
Households with annual income from $28,000 to $69,000 would pay $30 a month.
Households earning from $69,000 to $180,000 would pay $51 a month.
Those with incomes above $180,000 would pay $92 a month.

“These are not new charges, but a restructuring of the components of providing and delivering power,” PG&E stated in a post in the Currents section of the utility’s website.

The monthly bills of the future would have two components: the fixed charge based on household income levels and the electricity charge at a reduced rate that would fluctuate based on monthly energy consumption.

PG&E says many customers would ultimately pay less for electricity — although the distinct possibility remains that an unknown and potentially significant number of more affluent customers might wind up with even higher electric bills.

“On average, low- and moderate-income customers would see lower bills,” PG&E stated in the Currents post. “Of those who have a bill increase, many would have a relatively small bill impact.”

It also appears that a formal effort will be made by state officials to confirm the household income declarations of utility ratepayers.

“The proposal recommends a qualified, independent state agency or third party be responsible for verifying customers’ total household incomes,” PG&E said in an emailed statement.

The state Public Utilities Commission will have to craft a final rate and billing structure for the three utilities. The PUC is due to make a final decision by July 2024.

Oakland-based PG&E hopes a new structure for calculating monthly electricity bills will help customers navigate a fast-changing energy landscape in California.

Utility customers statewide could feel a brutal financial squeeze as a result of California’s push to transition to a green energy state that depends more on electricity and less on natural gas. Plus, the state intends to phase out gasoline-powered vehicles in a shift to electric cars.

The big problem with PG&E bills, however, is that there’s no limit to how quickly they can rise, in the view of Mark Toney, executive director of The Utility Reform Network, a consumer group that’s also known as TURN.

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“The problem is the sky’s the limit for how much PG&E can request for electricity and gas rates, and the sky’s the limit for what the PUC can approve,” Toney said. “We need to limit rate increases to the annual consumer price index.”

​ Orange County Register 

Drought dwindles from 99% to less than 9% of California

• April 13, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Only remnants of California’s three-year drought remain after winter’s epic storms.

The U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday that areas of drought cover less than 9% of the state, down from more than 99% at the Oct. 1 start of the water year.

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Those areas, in the far north and southeast, are surrounded by areas of abnormal dryness amounting to just over 25% of the state.

California’s winter was marked by numerous atmospheric rivers that dumped enormous amounts of rain and blanketed mountains with an extraordinary snowpack.

​ Orange County Register 

Saddleback selects Paige Nobles as football coach

• April 13, 2023

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Saddleback recently hired a new football coach to lead the Roadrunners into a new phase for the program.

The Santa Ana Unified school has selected former Northwood head coach and Dana Hills assistant Paige Nobles as its coach. He replaces Glenn Campbell, who resigned after two seasons in January.

Nobles takes the reins at Saddleback as construction continues on a new stadium and field house. He anticipates the Roadrunners playing in the new stadium this fall.

“Saddleback is going through some exciting changes,” Nobles said. “It’s going to be an amazing stadium.”

The new facility could be a boost to a program has had a tough time producing wins in recent years. Under Campbell, the team went a combined 5-15 the past two seasons after not playing during the coronavirus-shortened spring season in 2021.

The Roadrunners went winless in league in 2022, 2021 and 2019.

“If my players buy into the process and know the first year will be tough,” Nobles said, “(and) they believe and play as a team, we will surprise some teams and we will keep climbing to achieve our goals.”

Nobles was surprised when he was fired at Northwood in the fall of 2020 during the pandemic. After guiding the Timberwolves to an 8-3 record and trip to the playoffs in his first season, he said the school decided to go in a “different direction” while he was guiding the team through modified conditioning and skills training.

Nobles was an assistant the past three seasons at Dana Hills.

Northwood captured consecutive CIF-SS championships in 2021 and 2022 and finished as a runner-up in the state championships.

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“I was very excited and happy when Northwood won their first CIF title because that was my freshman class,” Nobles said. “Then winning back-to-back was icing on the cake. I have nothing but great respect for the Northwood coaches who made that happen.”

Saddleback is part of an Orange Coast League that is undergoing others changes.

St. Margaret’s is now led by former Corona del Mar coach Dan O’Shea. Santa Ana’s new coach is Rory Schoonmaker, who replaced veteran Charlie TeGantvoort, now at Marina. Defending league champion Orange had several standout players transfer to other schools this offseason.

Nobles joined Northwood in 2018 after a long stretch as an assistant at Laguna Beach.

Please send football news to Dan Albano at [email protected] or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter

​ Orange County Register 

After calls to resign, Sen. Dianne Feinstein seeks temporary Judiciary replacement

• April 13, 2023

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD | AP Political Writer

LOS ANGELES — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who has faced calls to resign from fellow Democrats, asked Wednesday to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee while she recovers from illness that has kept her away from Washington for weeks.

Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress at 89, said in a statement that her recovery from a case of shingles she disclosed in early March had been delayed because of complications. She provided no date for her return and said she had requested that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ask the Senate to allow another Democratic senator to serve in her committee seat until she was able to return.

“I intend to return as soon as possible once my medical team advises that it’s safe for me to travel,” Feinstein said. “In the meantime, I remain committed to the job and will continue to work from home in San Francisco.”

Feinstein’s lengthy absence has caused increasing anxiety within her party because it has threatened Democratic efforts to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominees for federal courts in a narrowly divided chamber. Her decision to seek a committee stand-in during her recovery came shortly after two House Democrats called on her to resign after her extended absence from Washington.

Feinstein has faced questions in recent years about her cognitive health and memory, though she has defended her effectiveness representing a state that is home to nearly 40 million people.

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California Rep. Ro Khanna, one of two Democratic House members who called Wednesday for Feinstein to resign, said in a statement: “This is a moment of crisis for women’s rights and voting rights. It’s unacceptable to have Sen. Feinstein miss vote after vote to confirm judges who will uphold reproductive rights.”

Khanna, a California progressive, wrote on Twitter that Feinstein should step aside. She announced in February that she would not seek reelection in 2024, opening up her seat for the first time in over 30 years.

“We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty,” wrote Khanna, who has endorsed the Senate campaign of Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee. “While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties.”

Not long afterward, Democratic Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota tweeted that he agreed with Khanna.

Feinstein, he wrote, “is a remarkable American whose contributions to our country are immeasurable. But I believe it’s now a dereliction of duty to remain in the Senate and a dereliction of duty for those who agree to remain quiet.”

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday from Ireland, where President Joe Biden was visiting, that Biden and first lady Jill Biden “wish Senator Feinstein the very best and a speedy recovery.” She said Biden is “deeply appreciative of her support” for his judicial nominees and “respects and appreciates her commitment to public service.”

Already, Democratic Reps. Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff have launched Senate campaigns to succeed Feinstein.

If Feinstein decides to step down during her term, it would be up to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to fill the vacancy, potentially reordering the highly competitive race. Newsom said in 2021 that he would nominate a Black woman to fill the seat if Feinstein were to step aside.

Lee is Black, and becoming the incumbent could be a decisive advantage in the contest, but it’s not known if Newsom would consider Lee, given her candidacy. Porter and Schiff are white.

Newsom declined through a spokesperson to comment on Khanna’s statement.

“The governor is not calling on her to resign,” the spokesman, Anthony York, said in an email.

Before the calls for her resignation, Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, acknowledged in remarks to CNN that Feinstein’s absence has slowed down their push to confirm nominees in the closely divided panel.

“I can’t consider nominees in these circumstances because a tie vote is a losing vote in committee,” Durbin said.

Feinstein has had a groundbreaking political career and shattered gender barriers from San Francisco’s City Hall to the corridors of Capitol Hill.

She was the first woman to serve as president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the 1970s and the first female mayor of San Francisco. She ascended to that post after the November 1978 assassinations of then-Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk by a former supervisor, Dan White. Feinstein found Milk’s body.

In the Senate, she was the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first woman to serve as the Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat. She gained a reputation as a pragmatic centrist who left a mark on political battles over issues ranging from reproductive rights to environmental protection.

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​ Orange County Register 

Photos: Wind and rain pound South Florida, major flooding closes roads, airport

• April 13, 2023

Strong winds and rain pounded South Florida with major flooding closing roads and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

After several days of torrential rain, cars plow through a flooded 14th Avenue in Hollywood on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (Mike Stocker/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Traffic to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is rerouted on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. The airport is closed to all flights until at least noon Thursday, April 13, 2023. (Carline Jean/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Broward Sheriff’s deputies direct traffic away from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which has closed to all flights and traffic until further notice, on Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (Carline Jean/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Charles Ready of All County Towing rescues Abby Mercado from high flood waters in the Edgewood neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale south of State Road 84 just north of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday, April 13, 2023. South Florida was drenched by rain Wednesday causing major flooding and closing the airport. (Joe Cavaretta/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Abandoned cars are scattered like toys on Broward Boulevard near Northeast Third Avenue in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Thursday. South Florida was deluged by rain in recent days that caused severe flooding. (Joe Cavaretta/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Flooding lingers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday. Fort Lauderdale issued a state of emergency as flood conditions continued through many areas. Over 25 inches of rain fell in South Florida since Monday causing widespread flooding. (Joe Cavaretta/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
People try and save valuables, wading through high flood waters in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood south of State Road 84 near of SW 9th Ave. on Thursday, April 13, 2023. South Florida was drenched by rain Wednesday causing major flooding. (Joe Cavaretta/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
A woman wades through high floodwaters on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale south of State Road 84 near of SW Ninth Ave. South Florida was drenched by three days of rain that caused severe flooding. (Joe Cavaretta/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Flooding lingers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday after heavy rain pounded South Florida a day earlier. (Joe Cavaretta/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Flooding lingers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday after heavy rain pounded South Florida a day earlier. (Joe Cavaretta/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
Stranded passengers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Thursday. (Joe Cavaretta/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
A school crossing guard helps people cross the street in the pouring rain at Dania Elementary School on Wednesday. Strong winds and rain have been pounding South Florida but are predicted to clear by the weekend. (Mike Stocker/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)
A solitary runner braves the elements on Fort Lauderdale beach on Wednesday. Strong winds and rain have been pounding South Florida but are predicted to clear by the weekend. (Joe Cavaretta/TNS/South Florida Sun-Sentinel)

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Embed from Getty Images

​ Orange County Register 

‘Credible threat’ prompts evacuation at California state Capitol

• April 13, 2023

By TRÂN NGUYỄN

SACRAMENTO — A “credible threat” forced California’s Assembly to cancel their Thursday session while senators evacuated to work in a new location, officials said.

State senators and their staff members were notified about the threat involving the building in an email from Senate Secretary Erika Contreras.

“The California Highway Patrol has notified the Senate of a threat they consider to be credible involving the Capitol,” Contreras wrote. “The CHP and security partners are present in higher numbers in the Capitol area, and are alert of the situation.”

The Assembly canceled its session, said John Ferrera, chief of staff for Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. Staffers were told to “remain situationally aware and report any suspicious activity,” said a memo from Chief Administrative Officer Lia Lopez.

The California Highway Patrol, which serves as the state police, did not provide more details when reached by The Associated Press.

At the Capitol on Thursday business appeared to go on as usual, with a rally taking place outside and people walking around the park that surrounds the building. Members of the public were still allowed to enter the building and a group of schoolchildren was taking a tour.

Contreras said the session has been moved to another state building nearby. The session, set to start at 9 a.m., was delayed by 45 minutes. She instructed staff who had not yet arrived at work to stay home and told those already in their offices to remain in place.

Photographer Rich Pedroncelli contributed.

​ Orange County Register