Snow shovels in hand, Vermonters volunteer to clean up after epic floods

• July 12, 2023

By LISA RATHKE

ANDOVER, Vt. — Volunteers pulled out their snow shovels Wednesday to clear inches of mud after torrential rain and flooding inundated communities across Vermont, trapping people in homes, closing roadways and littering streets and businesses with debris.

The water drained off most streets in the state capital of Montpelier, where the swollen Winooski River flooded basements and ground floors, destroying merchandise and furniture across the picturesque downtown. Other communities cleaned up as well from historic floods that were more destructive than Tropical Storm Irene in many places. Dozens of roads remained closed, and thousands of homes and businesses are damaged.

But with people still being rescued, high water still blocking some roads and new flash flood warnings issued with more rain on the way, the crisis is far from over, according to state Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison.

“Vermonters, keep your guard up, and do not take chances,” she said.

Morrison said urban search and swift water rescue teams came to the aid of least 32 people and numerous animals Tuesday night in northern Vermont’s Lamoille County, bringing the total to more than 200 rescues since Sunday, and more than 100 evacuations.

Volunteers turned out in droves to help flooded businesses in Montpelier, a city of 8,000, shoveling mud, cleaning, and moving damaged items outside. “We’ve had so much enthusiasm for support for businesses downtown that most of the businesses have had to turn folks away,” said volunteer organizer Peter Walke.

Similar scenes played out in neighboring Barre and in Bridgewater, where the Ottauquechee River spilled its banks, and in Ludlow, where the Black River sent floodwaters surging into several restaurants co-owned by chef Andrew Molen. He said Sam’s Steakhouse is likely closed for good after the water inside reached nearly 7 feet (more than 2 meters) high.

“The only thing that’s probably gonna be salvageable is the silverware, and even then, after being in that muck for so long, you wash everything, do you really want to put that on the table? It’s pretty intense what happened,” Molen said.

Another of his restaurants, Mr. Darcy’s, had a couple feet of water inside, damaging the foundation. But Molen said he hasn’t focused on cleaning up yet, because the first order of business has been making sure local residents and first responders stay fed. His crew has been cooking at one of the restaurants that remains functional and using ATVs through standing water to bring the meals to a local community center.

Gov. Phil Scott toured the disaster areas with Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, whose teams began aerial and on-the-ground damage assessments a day after President Joe Biden declared an emergency and authorized federal disaster relief.

The total cost of the damage could be substantial. According to to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, even before these floods, this year has seen 12 confirmed weather/climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion in the United States.

“I think we all understand we are now living through the worst natural disaster to impact the state of Vermont since (the flood of) 1927,” U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders said. “What we are looking at now are thousands of homes and businesses which have been damaged, sometimes severely. We’re looking at roads and bridges, some of which have been wiped out and will need basic and fundamental repairs.” The 1927 floods killed dozens of people and caused widespread destruction.

Scott said floodwaters surpassed levels seen during Tropical Storm Irene, which killed six people in Vermont in August 2011, washing homes off their foundations and damaging or destroying more than 200 bridges and 500 miles (805 kilometers) of highway.

Atmospheric scientists say destructive flooding events happen more frequently now because clouds carry more water as the atmosphere warms, and the planet’s rising temperatures will only make it worse.

New York ‘s Hudson River Valley also was hit hard, along with towns in southwest New Hampshire and western Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey got a bird’s eye view in a helicopter ride to the small town of Williamsburg on Wednesday, where roads were washed out and some people had to be rescued from their homes. Even after two days of receding waters, the Connecticut River retained a muddy brown hue and farmland along the river remains saturated, she said.

Much of that water was carrying debris including entire trees, boulders and even vehicles south through Connecticut to Long Island Sound. Major waterways including the Connecticut River overflowed their banks, and were expected to crest Wednesday at up to 6 feet (2 meters) above flood stage, closing roads and riverside parks in multiple cities.

By mid-day Wednesday, all the rivers in Vermont had crested and water levels were receding, although at least one was 20 feet (6 meters) above normal, said Peter Banacos, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms, gusty winds and hail were forecast for Thursday and Friday in Vermont, but Banacos said they’ll blow through quickly enough that more flooding isn’t likely.

One death was blamed on the storm — a woman whose body was found after she was swept away in Fort Montgomery, New York.

About 12 Vermont communities, including the state capital, were under a boil water alert, but at least they were reachable again after being marooned by high water. The American Red Cross of Northern New England supported shelters in Rutland, White River Junction and Barre, where the city auditorium had 58 evacuees Wednesday morning, compared to more than 200 on Tuesday.

Many people were passing through to recharge their phones and get something to eat, said John Montes, regional disaster officer. Red Cross volunteers from across the Northeast were helping with disaster assessment and handing out clean-up kits to homeowners ahead of the next rains.

This flooding was catastrophic for Bear Pond Books, a 50-year-old store in Montpelier, said co-owner Claire Benedict. Water about 3 1/2 feet deep ruined many books and fixtures. Staffers and volunteers piled waterlogged books outside the back and front doors on Wednesday.

“The floor was completely covered with soaked books this morning,” she said as they cleared out the mud. “It’s a big old mess.”

Ludlow Municipal Manager Brendan McNamara said his town also suffered catastrophic damage. The water treatment plant was out of commission, the main supermarket and roadway through town were closed, the Little League field and a new skate park were destroyed and he said he couldn’t begin to estimate how many houses and businesses were damaged.

“We just really took the brunt of the storm,” McNamara said. But he said his town will recover. ”Ludlow will be fine. People are coming together and taking care of each other.”

Associated Press contributors include Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; Pat Eaton-Robb in Hartford, Connecticut; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; and Mark Pratt, Michael Casey and Steve LeBlanc in Boston.

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Hoornstra: At MLB draft and among All-Stars, versatility stands out

• July 12, 2023

MLB’s All-Star Game and amateur draft brought to Seattle an unusual congregation of baseball players wearing suits and ties. Other than that, the two events have little in common.

Even the All-Stars no longer get to wear the jerseys of their current team on the field, while the Day 1 draft picks – many of whom, ironically, will never reach the major leagues – received a jersey shortly after their name was called.

Both events are orchestrated by the league itself. Since so many MLB personnel are in the same place at the same time for one event – Los Angeles a year ago, Seattle this week – it makes sense to hold both events during the same week. But this is a production-side concern.

Among consumers, combining the events presents an odd dichotomy. The All-Star Game is for casual fans. The draft is for hardcore fans. The overlapping portion of the Venn Diagram containing fans of both events is a mysterious place. If this is a place you happen to occupy, hang with me, because this column is for you.

Prior to the All-Star Game, one reporter asked the players which of their peers impressed them the most. Shohei Ohtani was the overwhelming choice. But who was Ohtani’s choice?

“Not just today, but overall, I feel like Mookie Betts really impresses me,” Ohtani said through his interpreter. “He’s so versatile – he can play the outfield, play the middle infield. So I think he’s very, very talented.”

Here in Southern California, those words ring a certain way. With almost everyone in T-Mobile Park attempting to recruit Ohtani to Seattle, it might hearten Dodgers fans to know their best player’s endorsement might carry above the cacophony.

Ohtani’s admiration for Betts also echoes a trend that appears to be trickling down into the draft.

Eight two-way players were drafted this week. According to MLB, that’s twice as many pitcher-hitters than in the previous four drafts combined. The Giants kicked off the spree when they took Bryce Eldridge with the 16th overall pick. With their last pick, the Dodgers outdid everyone by taking a two-sport player.

Riverside native DJ Uiagalelei has not pitched since he graduated from St. John Bosco High in Bellflower in 2019. Since then, he has played quarterback at Clemson, completed his undergraduate degree and transferred to Oregon State with two years of NCAA eligibility remaining.

Dodgers draft director Billy Gasparino said Uiagalelei has thrown “very little” since high school. Their plan is to find “creative ways (for Uiagalelei) to throw on the side of football, to start to build him for that chance for next spring.”

Convincing Uiagalelei to give up on his NFL dreams might be a longshot, but the Dodgers took at least four players whom Gasparino projects as multi-position utilitymen in MLB: Dylan Campbell (fourth round), Sam Mongelli (10th round), and Jordan Thompson (15th round).

A generation ago, the “utilityman” label was usually reserved for one of a few players on the major-league bench who did not hit well enough to displace the starter at any one position.

Now, within front offices, versatility is not merely some Ohtani-driven infatuation (although plenty are infatuated with Ohtani). It isn’t even the new market inefficiency, at least not in a way that has proven to be scalable. It’s a practical response to MLB’s insistence that every 26-man roster consist of 13 position players and 13 pitchers – unless one is talented enough to do both.

For the Dodgers, that means Mookie Betts is their right fielder against left-handed pitchers, and their second baseman or shortstop against right-handed pitchers. Betts’ versatility has allowed them to field a cromulent defense without injured utilityman Chris Taylor, just as Taylor’s versatility allowed them to survive the loss of super-utility player Kiké Hernandez three years ago in free agency.

Whether or not teams will prioritize versatility in the draft – pitcher/hitter, infielder/outfielder, or simply “athletes” – is no longer a question. Versatility is the name of the game. More than ever, being a positional specialist requires one (or more) especially elite tools. The question now is how well teams can develop these versatile defenders’ skill sets.

When it comes to pitcher/hitters, it’s a tough question to answer because the sample size is still so small. Eight two-way players might be a lot compared to previous drafts, but it’s only eight guys.

There’s only one Ohtani. There’s only one Michael Lorenzen, a player versatile enough to play the outfield and hit at league-replacement level over a span of several seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, but also start and relieve as a pitcher. Lorenzen, now the de facto ace of the Detroit Tigers’ rotation, appeared in his first All-Star game Tuesday.

This trend is still in its infancy. It’s just beginning to trickle down. But you can see a world in which, say, a decade from now, today’s draftees are tomorrow’s two-way All-Stars.

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Monster Beverage in Corona cleared to buy Bang Energy for $362 million

• July 12, 2023

By Jonathan Randles | Bloomberg

Monster Beverage Corp. in Corona won bankruptcy court approval to acquire former rival Bang Energy out of Chapter 11 for $362 million and settle litigation between the energy drink companies.

Judge Peter Russin said Wednesday he’d approve the settlement and sale — averting the shutdown of Bang Energy, which has faced an uncertain future after its board fired founder and former Chief Executive Officer Jack Owoc earlier this year.

SEE MORE: Monster Energy buys Oskar Blues, other CANarchy brands for $330M

The tie-up remains subject to additional customary closing conditions, lawyers said.

Judge Russin also said he’d approve a resolution to false advertising litigation against the maker of Bang Energy. Bang maker Vital Pharmaceuticals Inc. filed bankruptcy last October, months after a California jury awarded Monster $293 million over Bang’s “super creatine” branding on its products.

The deal nearly fell apart before the US Federal Trade Commission granted early termination of its antitrust review of the merger between Monster and Bang.

Bang lawyers said at earlier hearings that the company could shut down because it was running out of cash and argued its merger with Monster qualified for early termination under the so-called failing firm defense.

Monster Executive Vice President and Deputy General Counsel Paul Dechary said in a sworn statement the company has substantial resources to satisfy financial obligations under the Bang deal. Monster has a market capitalization of about $59 billion and cash and cash equivalents of about $3 billion, Dechary said.

The sale means Bang will survive bankruptcy, though the parent company has given notice that it could lay off 400 of its roughly 700 employees. A Bang lawyer said the notice was a precaution and Monster hasn’t determined what employees it will retain.

Owoc’s lawyer Jonathan Feldman criticized Bang lawyers for not having a more somber tone during Wednesday’s hearing in light of the potential job cuts.

Judge Russin said possible layoffs are unfortunate but that the sale will preserve at least 300 jobs and was the best option for Bang even if a sale of the energy drink maker to Monster “is a disaster” from Owoc’s point-of-view.

Owoc, meanwhile, has continued to challenge the direction of Vital’s Chapter 11 and attempted to remove from the bankruptcy case a Bang affiliate that owns a valuable Phoenix bottling facility, a request Judge Russin denied on Wednesday.

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127-year-old Anchor Brewing Co. to halt operations with tough economy, beer sales in decline

• July 12, 2023

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN | AP Business Writer

San Francisco’s 127-year-old Anchor Brewing Co. will shut down and liquidate after years of declining sales, citing tough economic conditions.

Anchor was a trailblazer in the U.S., brewing craft beers in the 1970s when most Americans were loyal to a handful of major brands. Its unique brewing techniques ignited demand beyond the city borders of San Francisco and it quickly became a sought-after prize by beer geeks everywhere.

In recent years, however, brewers have faced increasing difficulty turning a profit with a proliferation of canned cocktails, crafted drinks, spirits and wines dinging beer sales. Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic pressured brewers further.

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Last year, overall beer sales volume slid 3.1% in the U.S., according to the Brewers Association. Craft brewer sales volume ticked 0.1% higher during the period, but imports are rising.

“We recognize the importance and historic significance of Anchor to San Francisco and to the craft brewing industry, but the impacts of the pandemic, inflation, especially in San Francisco, and a highly competitive market left the company with no option but to make this sad decision to cease operations,” said brewery spokesperson Sam Singer in a written statement Wednesday.

The beer economy: Corona, Modelo raising beer prices over glass shortage, inflation

Anchor Brewing had teetered near insolvency before and in the 1960s it was acquired by a Stanford University grad, Fritz Maytag. Maytag implemented new brewing practices such as dry hopping, and began bottling the beer in 1971, according to the brewer.

By the mid 1970s Anchor Brewing had assembled a solid portfolio of respected brews including Anchor Porter, Liberty Ale, Old Foghorn Barleywine Ale, and its first annual Christmas Ale, which became a holiday tradition in locales far from San Francisco.

Jeff Alworth, author of The Beer Bible, said in a blog post Wednesday that Maytag “sparked a revival in small-scale brewing” that would transform the industry and give the emerging craft brewing industry its ethos and attitude.

“He had this approach to beer, which was, ‘We’re going to use traditional ingredients and we’re going to use traditional methods and we’re going to be defiant as we do it and we’re going to be hyper-local,’” Alworth said. “It served as a blueprint.”

Anchor Brewing was sold to the Japanese brewer Sapporo in 2017 and it’s decided to discontinue the brand.

Anchor said that it made repeated efforts over the past year to find buyers for the brewery and its brands, but that it was unable to find one. The company said that it is still possible that a buyer will come forward as part of the liquidation process.

Anchor recently announced that it would limit sales of its beers to California and that it would cut production of its Anchor Christmas Ale in an effort to cut costs.

The company has stopped brewing and will continue packaging and distributing the beer on hand while available through around the end of the month.

The brewer is giving employees a 60-day notice and plans to provide transition support and separation packages.

“Anchor has invested great passion and significant resources into the company,” Singer said. “Unfortunately, today’s economic pressures have made the business no longer sustainable, and we had to make the heartbreaking decision to cease operations.”

Anchor Public Taps will remain open to sell what inventory remains, including a small batch of 2023 Anchor Christmas Ale.

The batch was brewed prior to the company’s decision to cancel the nationwide release.

AP reporter Janie Har contributed from San Francisco.

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Ducks sign No. 2 draft pick Leo Carlsson to 3-year, entry-level deal

• July 12, 2023

The Ducks took care of another important piece of summer business, signing Swedish center Leo Carlsson to a three-year, entry-level contract, announcing the deal Wednesday.

Carlsson, 18, was the No. 2 overall pick at NHL draft last month in Nashville and the contract has an average annual value of $950,000, per CapFriendly.

This means that the top three draft picks in 2023 have all signed entry-level contracts as Carlsson follows No. 1 Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks and No. 3 Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Carlsson, who took part in last week’s development camp with the Ducks, will be at training camp in September. The upside of his situation is there are multiple options for his continued development – he could play this upcoming season in Anaheim, in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls or even return to Sweden for another run with his SHL team, Orebro HK.

The Ducks have made it clear they aren’t going to rush Carlsson into the NHL prematurely. He is their highest draft pick since taking Bobby Ryan at No. 2 in 2005.

“He wants to give it his best shot,” assistant general manager Martin Madden said in an interview with the Orange County Register in June.

“He wants to come in and try to earn a spot, but we’re taking a long-term view of this and we want to put him in a position where he’ll be successful. Uncomfortable but successful.

“The point is he wants to be an NHL player and he’s going to have the summer to fight for an NHL job.”

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Former Huntington Beach mayor, police chief accused of having ‘hatred’ toward annual air show

• July 12, 2023

The former Huntington Beach mayor and police chief are accused in a lawsuit of halting the Pacific Airshow during an oil spill because of their alleged personal animosity toward the operator.

The accusations in an updated complaint are the latest developments in an ongoing legal battle involving the air show. While the city has settled for nearly $5 million with the show’s operator, Pacific Airshow is still suing former Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr for her role in canceling the last day of the 2021 event.

The lawsuit alleges that during a meeting on Oct. 2, 2021, to discuss the show, former Huntington Beach Police Chief Julian Harvey and Carr “expressed their personal feelings of hatred” for Pacific Airshow.

Harvey suggested canceling the event to “screw” Pacific Airshow, and then Carr said she would do so, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that Harvey’s “personal animosity” for the air show stemmed from its attempt to book rapper Ludacris for its concert accompanying the show. Harvey, who is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, declined to comment for this story.

The lawsuit also cites unnamed witnesses that accused Carr of being “giddy” at the prospect of using the oil spill to boost her political aspirations.

Carr said she was shocked by the allegations made by the air show, of which Kevin Elliott, the CEO of Code Four, an event management company, is president.

“The accusations by Kevin Elliott are completely false,” said Carr. “I find them outrageous … completely stunning.”

Pacific Airshow sued Huntington Beach and Carr in October for losses it incurred after the third and final day of the 2021 airshow was canceled. The city’s settlement didn’t include Carr.

Huntington Beach and Pacific Airshow agreed to a settlement that city leaders announced in May. The city agreed to pay the air show operator nearly $5 million, plus revoke some fees. Huntington Beach could pay $2 million more if the city recovers additional money through its lawsuit against Amplify Energy Corp., the company that owns the pipeline that leaked.

The oil spill ended up being about 25,000 gallons and closed beaches and fishing along much of the Orange County coast for weeks.

Related links

First day of Pacific Airshow brings high-flying action above Huntington Beach
Here’s what it looks like to fly with the planes in the Pacific Airshow
Major oil spill closes OC beaches, kills wildlife in Huntington Beach
A year later, the Huntington Beach oil spill still is being felt

Suoo Lee, an attorney representing Pacific Airshow, said there should have been a public hearing held with all the interested groups to make a decision about the air show, but that wasn’t done.

“Mayor Carr acted personally without consulting the proper agencies and other relevant parties to unilaterally make the decision to cancel the air show,” Lee said.

Carr said the city had no choice but to cancel the last day of the air show for public safety reasons, adding that the decision to shut it down was made by a group of people, including representatives for the U.S. Coast Guard, the fire department, the police department, the Orange County Health Care Agency and more.

“The city didn’t do anything wrong. We had an environmental crisis on our hands,” she said.

The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages from Carr, who left the City Council last year after losing her state Senate race.

In a 2021 interview following the air show’s cancellation, Elliott said he found out on the night of Oct. 2, 2021, about the decision. The air show was scheduled to take place Oct. 1-3.

“I very much care about the environment. That always has to take precedence,” Elliott said then. “One of the things that makes the air show so special is our beautiful coastline, and we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do to protect it.”

There’s been much outside interest in the city’s decision to settle with the Pacific Airshow, with critics questioning why the city agreed to settle and pay up to $7 million.

Two former city officials sued to prevent the city from paying the settlement, and another resident filed a lawsuit demanding the city release a full copy of the agreement. Both cases will appear in court later this month.

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Swanson: Jacob Wilson, Roc Riggio give MLB draft a distinct Thousand Oaks vibe

• July 12, 2023

California is ripe with almonds and pistachios, strawberries and ballplayers – 2,439 major-leaguers among them, more than have been plucked from anywhere else on the planet, according to baseball-almanac.com.

So let’s savor the unmistakable Southern California flavor in these recent MLB amateur drafts, including this week’s. Oakland picked Jacob Wilson No. 6 overall (a bargain) Sunday and Roc Riggio was selected a day later, in the fourth round by the New York Yankees (they probably liked that he won’t wilt in high heat).

Up and down recent draft boards, area guys pepper the list. Including a couple more now growing on the A’s farm: Max Muncy (that’s Maxwell Price Muncy, from California, not the Dodgers’ Maxwell Steven Muncy, from Texas) went in the first round in 2021, and right-handed pitcher Vince Reilly in the 18th round last year.

If you’re detecting a strong, oaky note in this particular bushel of prospects, you’re 1,000% right: That’s just Thousand Oaks High’s recent bounty.

Those guys all are products of the Lancers’ championship program, which produced one of the best teams Southern California News Group sportswriter Tarek Fattal has covered in his eight years on the prep beat. They’re teammates who grew and thrived together, with their community’s support as sustenance.

Riggio – the 5-foot-9 second baseman whose big hits and big personality made him a favorite of Oklahoma State fans – grew up “in a cage,” dad Jayme Riggio said, waiting not even a beat to clarify: “A batting cage!”

Specifically, the batting cage Jayme built for himself before Roc was born. The cage that Jayme opened up to the neighborhood – “just pick up the balls and don’t let the dogs get out!” – bringing around bigger kids who helped show Roc how to hit it on a rope.

Wilson – the athletic, can’t-miss 21-year-old Grand Canyon infielder who struck out just 12 times in 492 plate appearances in the past two collegiate seasons – had his former major league All-Star dad to lean on. But then so did Roc and so many other local ballplayers for whom Jack Wilson was Coach Jack.

A long-tenured Pittsburgh Pirate, Jack learned a lot in his 12-year career as a big-league infielder. He’s been generous sharing that intel as a coach, including on the travel ball circuit, at Thousand Oaks High – and at his home, too.

In his yard one summer, he set up Roc in front of a FungoMan machine and left the kid out there fielding ground balls alone for hours at a time, wondering all the while if Coach Jack was ever going to come outside and do some coaching. He did, eventually. But not until Roc could say he’d fielded 10,000 grounders out there – which feels like a twist on the 10,000-hour rule that says you need to dedicate that much time to master a skill.

Maybe for ballplayers it’s more like a million-swing rule? Because that’s probably how many Roc had made by the time he was 10, by Jayme’s estimation.

From listening to Jack and Jayme reminisce this week, their sons’ dedication wasn’t because of pressure they put on, but because of how much those kids loved the game.

Yankees 4th round pick Roc Riggio is kind of a WHOLE vibe tbh pic.twitter.com/cLIJUeZ3ne

— Fireside Yankees (@FiresideYankees) July 10, 2023

“The first place he learned to walk around was in my batting cage, dragging a bat,” Jayme said of Roc, who plays with joy that can border on irreverence, a combination, Dad said, of a grinder like Pete Rose and a let-the-kids-play entertainer like Ken Griffey Jr.

“Baseball was in his blood,” said Jack of Jacob, who spent time as a little kid at his dad’s office, sometimes taking batting practice at those big-league ballparks and even hitting some home runs – from the outfield, 5 feet from the fence. “It’s what he was always doing, always hitting, always throwing, his entire life.”

Coach-player, father-son!@TheMayorsOffice sits down with @GCU_Baseball coach Jack Wilson and son Jacob Wilson, one of the top prospects in the upcoming @MLBDraft. #FathersDay pic.twitter.com/iFKGLj7RIW

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 18, 2023

They brought that energy and effort to Thousand Oaks.

Riggio rewrote school records, with 12 home runs, 45 walks and 52 runs as a senior. And although Jacob had graduated by 2021, when the Lancers won the Southern Section Division 2 championship, he was part of the 2020 team that won all eight of its games before COVID interrupted. That was a jumping off point for what would become a Ventura County-record 31-game winning streak (covering a 744-day span!).

Impressive tallies, but the mindset within that group – which also featured catcher Charlie Saum, who plays for Stanford – also stuck with Grant Rodriguez, a younger infielder who’ll play at Westmont College next year.

As a sophomore, Rodriguez got to play a couple tournaments with the varsity squad and spent his time picking the stars’ brains. He remembers those future professionals – who pushed each other then and remain in touch now, comparing notes and cheering each other on – were always game to answer.

But what’s more: “They didn’t care about the final score,” Rodriguez said. “They just wanted to work hard and play their best.”

Exactly, said Coach Jack: “Our practices were tough. Probably the hardest-working group I had … there was always another box to be checked. Flush whatever happened the day before – and it was usually wins – and focus on what we had to do to get better.

“I got a glimpse of what they could be when they were in high school,” Jack added. “And now everybody else is seeing what we had too.”

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Young wizards make potions and friends at magical camp

• July 12, 2023

Young wizards got the chance to hone their skills during the week-log Harry Potter camp in Anaheim.

It wasn’t the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but campers practiced some of the same skills from the books and movies.

“I like that (at camp) you can make potions and a wand and you get to experience all the fun,” Audrey Holm from the Hufflepuff house said after making her magic potion.

At the arts table, students painted and decorated magic wands while another station made the potions — basically slime.

Everyone participated in Quidditch — the ball and hoop game Harry Potter and his friends play while riding on broomsticks — passing the ball with only one hand as the other held an imaginary broomstick.

More than 130 kids enrolled in the camp that is put on by Anaheim at the Oak Creek Nature Center.

Nine themed camps, including Star Wars, Outdoor Survival and Pirate Week, are offered at this site.

Camps fill up fast and are sold out for this summer.

The center also offers free, public events. Nature Nights on Wednesdays through Aug. 9 and Discover Nature family hikes on Saturdays are two such offerings.

More info on the City of Anaheim camps and programs can be found here.

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