NFL draft: UCLA RB Zach Charbonnet selected by Seahawks in 2nd round

• April 29, 2023

UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet is headed to Seattle after being drafted by the Seahawks in the second round of the NFL draft (52nd overall) on Friday.

The 6-foot-, 214-pound Charbonnet rushed for 2,496 yards and 27 touchdowns in his two seasons (22 games) with the Bruins, after transferring from Michigan following the 2020 season. With 397 carries at UCLA, he had just two fumbles (losing one).

He’s the fourth running back drafted in as many years under the guidance of position coach DeShaun Foster.

Charbonnet has also displayed his ability as a receiver out of the backfield, completing 61 catches for 518 yards.

At the NFL combine, Charbonnet showed off his athleticism – running a 4.53 40-yard dash, posting a 37-inch vertical leap, a 10-2 broad jump and 18 bench press repetitions.

“I’m going to be the hardest worker in the building and do whatever I can to be the best player,” Charbonnet said after his on-campus pro day in March. “I’m excited.”

Charbonnet was confident in how the draft process worked out for him. He said he and his coaches made the decision not to compete in any all-star games after the season concluded.

More to come on this story.

​ Orange County Register 

Montana latest to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors

• April 29, 2023

By Amy Beth Hanson | Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. — Montana became the latest state to ban or restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender kids Friday when its Republican governor signed legislation that exiled transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr told fellow lawmakers would leave “blood” on their hands.

Montana is one of at least 15 states with laws to ban such care despite protests from the families of transgender youth that the care is essential.

Debate over Montana’s bill drew national attention after Republicans punished Zephyr for her remarks, saying her words were personally offensive. House Speaker Matt Regier refused to let Zephyr speak on the House floor until she apologized. She has not.

Zephyr decried the bill’s signing, saying “it is unconscionable to deprive Montanans of the care that we need.”

“I know that this is an unconstitutional bill. It is as cruel as it is unconstitutional. And it will go down in the courts,” Zephyr said. To trans youth she added: “There’s an understandable inclination towards despair in these moments, but know that we are going to win and until then, lean on community, because we will have one another’s backs.”

On Monday, Zephyr had stood defiantly on the House floor with her microphone raised as protesters shouted “Let her speak,” disrupting House proceedings for at least 30 minutes. Zephyr was then banned from the House and its gallery and voted on bills from a bench in the hallway outside the House on Thursday and Friday.

Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Montana have said they would file a court challenge against the ban, which is set to take effect on Oct. 1, starting a five-month clock in which Montana youth can try to find a way to work around the ban or to transition off of hormone treatment.

“This bill is an overly broad blanket ban that takes decisions that should be made by families and physicians and puts them in the hands of politicians,” the Montana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics has said.

Gov. Greg Gianforte signaled his willingness to sign the bill on April 17 when he offered some amendments to make it clear that public funds could not be used to pay for hormone blockers, cross-sex hormones or surgical procedures.

The bill “protects Montana children from permanent, life-altering medical procedures until they are adults, mature enough to make such serious decisions,” Gianforte wrote in his letter accompanying the amendments.

Debate over the amendments led Zephyr to admonish supporters the following day. House Majority Leader Sue Vinton said Zephyr’s language was “entirely inappropriate, disrespectful and uncalled for.”

The Montana Freedom Caucus deliberately misgendered Zephyr, using male pronouns in a letter saying she should be censured. After Monday’s protest, the caucus said she should be further disciplined.

Under the new law, health professionals who provide care banned by the measure could have their medical licenses suspended for at least a year. They could also be sued in the 25 years following a banned procedure if a patient suffers physical, psychological, emotional or physiological harm. Physicians could not hold malpractice insurance against such lawsuits. The law also prohibits public property and employees from being involved in gender-affirming treatment.

During hours of emotional committee hearings, opponents testified that hormone treatments, and in some cases, surgery, are evidence-based care, supported by numerous medical associations and can be life-saving for someone with gender dysphoria — the clinically significant distress or impairment caused by feeling that one’s gender identity does not match one’s biological sex.

Parents of transgender children testified that the bill infringed on their parental rights to seek medical care for their children.

Opponents also noted that treatments such as puberty-blockers and breast-reduction surgery would still be legal for minors who are not suffering from gender dysphoria, a difference they argue is unconstitutional.

In the letter to legislative leaders accompanying his proposed amendments, Gianforte said he met with transgender residents, understands that their struggles are real and said Montanans who struggle with gender identity deserve love, compassion and respect.

“That’s not what trans Montanans need from you,” Zephyr said as the House considered his amendments. “We need access to the medical care that saves our lives.”

This was the second legislative session in which Sen. John Fuller brought the bill to ban gender-affirming care for transgender children. In 2021, when he was a member of the House, he brought a bill to ban surgical and hormone treatments for transgender children, which was voted down. He brought a second bill to ban surgical treatments which was also rejected. He was successful in 2021 in passing a bill to ban transgender females from participating in girls and women’s sports. The part of the bill that applied to colleges was ruled unconstitutional.

​ Orange County Register 

Then and Now: Photos of Casa Romantica show damage caused by landside

• April 29, 2023

After Thursday’s landslide, Casa Romantica and several condominium units farther down the hillside were red-tagged, which means they were declared unsuitable for occupation. The number of residents who were displaced is not clear at this time.

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San Clemente officials closely monitoring slope beneath historic Casa Romantica
4 apartment buildings in San Clemente are red tagged due to landslide
Federal officials get up-close look at coastal erosion threats to key rail line
Landslides raise concern, warning for coastal blufftop living
San Clemente landslide after rains triggers federal emergency declaration

​ Orange County Register 

Stagecoach 2023: Country music fans, performers brave the heat and cut loose during Day 1

• April 29, 2023

It was already 100 degrees by the time the gates opened for the three-day Stagecoach Country Music Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio at noon on Friday, April 28.

While cowboy hats, denim and country music were the familiar sights and sounds, the festival has a new layout this year. The scorching heat had fans walking in slowly, navigating the fresh territory and in carrying lawn chairs as they searched for the perfect view of the expanded Mane Stage, where the headliners — Luke Bryan, Kane Brown and Chris Stapleton —will perform throughout the weekend.

But the heat didn’t stop the party. Even a few Mane Stage performers braved the elements and sweating off their makeup to hang out with fans in the Shein Saloon activation early in the day. “Just About Over You” singer Priscilla Block helped guests pick out accessories for their outfits and said she was loving her first time at Stagecoach.

“It’s wild and I wish I would have come as a fan prior,” she said. “Everyone is so excited and it’s country music and we’re in the desert … it’s just a whole vibe.”

“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” and “America’s Sweetheart” singer-songwriter Elle King, who played the Palomino at Stagecoach back in 2017, said she’s just happy they let her back in the gates.

“I consider it a real honor,” she said of graduating to Mane Stage status in 2023. She was also in the Shein Saloon, doing Cowboy Karaoke with some lucky fans who were hanging out and getting custom cowboy hats and bandanas made. They got a little taste of what was to come as she belted out her 2015 hit “Ex’s & Oh’s” karaoke-style.

“Thank God that was the song,” she said with a laugh. “It’s the only one I know the words to and they still had the lyrics up there for me!”

Outside the air-conditioned saloon, fans made their way into the event and up to the Mane Stage, pausing to enjoy the cool mist coming from misters wrapped around palm trees that worked overtime to bring them some relief. Many found spots to spread out blankets on the dead, hay-like grass that was once lush and green during its sister event that happened over the past two weekends, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Elsa and Wyatt Parker of Burbank have been coming to the festival for five years and said they were fine with the head, noting that it’s now expected of the festival weekend.

“I have to make sure I bring bottles of sunscreen every time,” Elsa said. “It only lasts from the car to the gate, then I got to reapply again by the time I get to the gate because we sweat it off.”

And for sister duo and longtime Stagecoach veterans Laura and Marie Wilkonson, the heat is “the worst it’s ever been.”

Making the trek from Santa Ana to attend Stagecoach has been a tradition for the family since 2012, and they can’t recall the last time the sun beamed so severely.

“Honestly, you kind of know what you’re getting yourself into every year when stepping into Stagecoach,” Marie said. “The heat is like the price you pay to see great country acts.”

Yet, the two add it might affect who they may see throughout the day since some stages, such as the Mane Stage, don’t have many shaded areas for people to cool down.

“That’s the hardest part of coming, sometimes the heat just forces you to sit down for hours.,” Marie said.

Madison Amoth, who flew in from Idaho a day before the festivities began, said that the heat is something she’s enjoying considering the grueling winter her state has endured.

“For me, I can take the heat,” she said while waiting in line at a lemonade stand. “I’m enjoying it because back where I live, we used to pray for this kind of weather. I’m not saying it’s easy to be in this kind of heat at a festival, but I’m grateful and just so excited to see Tyler Childers and Chris Stapleton.”

Returning attractions at the Yee-Haw include Nikki Lane’s Stage Stop Marketplace and the Compton Cowboys, a group of ten Black horseback riders whose small ranch is one of the very last in a formerly semi-rural area of Compton.

DJ and producer Diplo, who is also hosting Late Night in Palomino on Sunday, has curated the Honky Tonk for the very first time and is bringing prominent EDM artists like Girl Talk, Dillon Francis, Lost Frequencies, Cheat Codes and more to that stage.

Alexander Colman of San Diego said he isn’t surprised to see more EDM acts at Stagecoach.

“I tell people all the time that it brings different music together even though it’s a country festival,” Coleman said. “I think you’ll be surprised how much of an overlap of different music you’ll find out here.”

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri is also back with his barbecue setup over at the expanded Guy Fieri’s Stagecoach Smokehouse, which will include cooking demos with pitmasters and performers including ZZ Top, Jon Pardi, Old Dominion and more scheduled throughout the weekend.

New features at Stagecoach include the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch from the popular TV series “Yellowstone,” which offers plenty of photo opportunities and yard games. The festival also debuted the 1 Million Strong Wellness Retreat, which allows fans to relax, recharge and enjoy non-alcoholic drinks with other sober attendees.

For hundreds of attendees, RV camping is the true way to experience Stagecoach as they can set up camp just outside the festival gates and get the party started early with their neighbors.

San Diego resident Laurisa Galeazzi said she feels right at home in the campgrounds.

“For us, RV camping means meeting new people and making new friends, some of which we plan to meet up with later this evening for Stapleton,” Galeazzi said of plotting out their festival strategy, which includes seeing Sunday headliner Chris Stapleton.

“We couldn’t say no to coming to see (him) perform,” she added. “We actually won tickets for Stagecoach last year from our local radio station, and it was our first time coming. We loved it so much we had to come back, regardless of whether we had to pay.”

Stagecoach continues on Saturday, April 29 with headliner Kane Brown and sets from Old Dominion, ZZ Top, Gabby Barrett, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Bryan Adams, Niko Moon, Keb’ Mo’ and others. Sunday, April 30 is topped by Stapleton along with Brooks & Dunn, Tyler Childers, Turnpike Troubadours, Parker McCollum, Lainey Wilson, Ryan Bingham and more.

Stagecoach is also streaming all the performances on the Mane Stage live on Amazon Prime throughout the weekend.

(Kelli Skye Fadroski also contributed to this story). 

More Stagecoach Country Music Festival news

Stagecoach 2023: How to livestream the country music festival from home

Stagecoach 2023: Brooks & Dunn return to the desert and they’re ready to party 

Stagecoach 2023: Everything you need to know about the country music fest 

Stagecoach 2023: Guy Fieri’s barbecue, sushi and lots of drinks on the menu 

Stagecoach 2023: When to see Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Chris Stapleton and more 

Stagecoach 2023: See who will be grilling with Guy Fieri

Stagecoach 2023: Girl Talk, Dillon Francis, Lost Frequencies hit the Honky Tonk 

Stagecoach 2023: Trixie Mattel, Nelly and Diplo host Late Night in Palomino 

Stagecoach 2023: Luke Bryan, Kane Brown and Chris Stapleton will headline the country fest in Indio 

​ Orange County Register 

NFL draft: Rams take TCU’s Steve Avila to help rebuild offensive line

• April 29, 2023

TARZANA, Calif. — The Rams looked to address their porous offensive line by selecting TCU guard Steve Avila in the second round with the 36th overall pick of the NFL draft on Friday night.

Avila played every position except left tackle during his five seasons with the Horned Frogs, earning consensus All-America honors at left guard as a redshirt senior in 2022.

A key piece up front during TCU’s unexpected run to the College Football Playoff title game, which it lost to Georgia, Avila did not allow a sack during his last two seasons in college.

The Rams struggled with injuries on the offensive line all last season, a major reason for their dismal defense of their Super Bowl title.

The Rams did not have a first-round pick because of its January 2021 trade with Detroit for quarterback Matthew Stafford, who directed the win in Super Bowl LVI in their home stadium.

More to come on this story

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Friday, April 28

• April 29, 2023

Support our high school sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribe now

Scores and stats from Orange County games on Friday, April 28

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

FRIDAY’S SCORES

BASEBALL

SAN JOAQUIN LEAGUE

Capistrano Valley Christian 23, Calvary Chapel/Downey 0

OLYMPIC LEAGUE

Whittier Christian 7, Valley Christian 2

NONLEAGUE

Edison 6, Mission Viejo 5

Canyon 10, Pacifica 8

Fullerton 8, Bishop Amat 7

SOFTBALL

NONLEAGUE

Sunny Hills 12, Calvary Chapel 2

Fountain Valley 5, Foothill 2

Laguna Beach 3, Corona del Mar 2

Chino Hills 13, Villa Park 9

​ Orange County Register 

Disneyland memorializes Make-A-Wish relationship with coveted window dedication

• April 29, 2023

An often overlooked element of Disneyland’s old-town Americana buildings along Main Street, U.S.A. are the windows dedicated to, according to Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock, “those who were instrumental in bringing Disneyland to life.”

On Friday, during an early morning ceremony, three more windows were dedicated to commemorate the company’s longtime connection with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The windows are above the Disney Wish Lounge, which Potrock called “a private place for select families to rest and recharge at Disneyland.”

One window is dedicated specifically to Make-A-Wish and “all the wish kids past, present and future.” It’s the first nonprofit to get the Main Street, U.S.A. honor.

The others memorialize Chris Greicius, whose mother, Linda Pauling, started Make-A-Wish after Greicius died of leukemia, and Frank “Bopsy” Salazar, the first official Wish recipient in 1981.

Salazar’s window reads, “Disney Magical Wish Makers Society, Founder” recognizing him as the first person to get a wish from the foundation. Greicius’ window is emblazoned with a shield that says, “Department of Hopes & Dreams Enforcement” to commemorate his love of the police.

Greicius was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 4. Through the efforts of family friends he was able to realize his dream of being a cop for a day, including a ride in a police helicopter, on April 29, 1980. He died shortly after.

“There’s more kids, let’s go find them,” Pauling said of her desire to help other sick children have a similar uplifting experience. She had $37.76 that she put in a bank account and created Make-A-WIsh.

A mutual doctor introduced Pauling to Salazar, who also had leukemia, and his mother, Octaviana Trujillo.

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Behind Disneyland’s window dressing
12 fun things you may not know about Disneyland
Facing death, she got her Make-a-Wish from Disney; 23 years later, she’ll help grant other kids’ wishes

Just like Disneyland was built in a year, so was the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Twelve months later, Pauling was able to grant Salazar’s wish – the first Make-A-Wish event – for a trip to Disneyland.

Standing next to the Main Street windows on Friday, Trujillo talked about how the permanent recognition “is going to inspire so many others to be part of Disneyland and Make-A-Wish.”

“To see these windows is unbelievable. It’s exciting,” she said, adding, “Am I really here or is this a dream.”

Friday’s dedication, on the eve of World Wish Day, marks the 43rd anniversary of Greicius’ day as a cop.

“Wish granting clearly embedded in our DNA,” Potrock said as he talked of the long list of employees who volunteer to help grant wishes. In the past 40 years, Disney has become the largest wish granter in the world, fulfilling nearly 150,000 wishes from all parts of the company.

The park’s new Wish lounge was designed in partnership with Disney Animation and its theme draws from the soon-to-be released animated musical, “Wish.”

More than four decades later, Pauling is still involved with fundraising for the foundation, saying jokingly, “I make people cry and they give us money.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Newport to Ensenada race gets underway with light winds

• April 29, 2023

When the Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race launched in 1948, it was called the “Just for Fun” race.

“It still is just for fun,” said Newport Ocean Sailing Association Commodore Mary Bacon as the 75th sailing of the famed race got underway Friday. “I don’t know of another race that is as fun as this, especially being an international race. There’s something for everybody.”

This year’s 125-mile race has about 140 boats racing ranging from small 30-foot recreational cruisers to 80-foot multi-million-dollar yachts and they are sailing either of two courses – one that goes to San Diego and around the Coronado Islands, and the other to Ensenada, Mexico. A mini race to Dana Point was eliminated this year.

Spectators lined the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach at 11 a.m. Friday to watch the start of the race, marveling at the boats getting set to sail south toward their destination. With light winds to start the race in and in the forecast through Saturday,  it’s not expected to be a record-breaking year.

Many of the boats hail from Southern California harbors, but nine different states are represented and there are even crews from Canada and Mexico that joined this year’s race.

Boaters spent the past week getting their vessels ready and loading up food and drinks for the overnight journey, said Bacon.

“Let the circus begin,” she said.

It’s the camaraderie that makes it special, the excitement and the passion for being out on the water during such an iconic race, Bacon said.

The Newport Ocean Sailing Association was founded in August 1947, “a post-World War II dream of recognizing local sailors” and opening up boating to Mexico, with Ensenada selected as the destination of NOSA’s first long-distance ocean race.

The event started before many of the nearby harbors existed, just as yacht clubs were starting to form and as the sport of sailing was growing along the coast.

The race is a draw for serious competitors who aim to break records and casual cruisers joining for the party element, lured by the margaritas and beers that flow at the finish line.

While the Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race has a festive vibe, it’s also a serious contest to win bragging right among boaters.

“It’s always a new adventure, based on the friends and family you’re with – and certainly based on the weather,” Bacon said.

This year’s mild conditions paled in comparison to last year’s record-breaking, whipping winds that were clocked at upward 30 knots. “They were flying,” Bacon said.

NOSA Staff Commodore Bills Gibbs and crew last year took home the best time with Wahoo, his Schionning 1400 catamaran.

In 2021, it was Jerry Fiat’s Farrier 32 SRX Taniwha that was the big winner.

Taniwha sat out last year’s race, but Long Beach sailor Peter Sangmeister, 21, had a game plan for the trimaran this year –  to dart out quickly from the start line and go way offshore to find wind.

“We’re looking to finish first in line,” he said. “It’s one of the fastest boats in Southern California and we’re hoping we’ve put together a team of some pretty good people.”

The trimaran is 32 feet, not big, “but it’s very fast.”

Sangmeister comes from a long line of sailors and is a third generation Newport-to-Ensenada racer. His grandfather Peter Tong, 82, has done the event a handful of times and his father, John, 60, will be on a different boat, Rock N Roll, competing in a separate category.

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Sangmeister did the race in 2016 with his father, but they didn’t quite make it to the finish line. The boat broke just as they reached the boarder and they had to turn around, he said.

One of the exciting parts of the race is the number of boats. The shorter race course makes it more accessible than the longer Newport Harbor to Cabo San Lucas race or the Transpacific Yacht Race, which goes from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

“This is a more mellow race, which I think is a big attraction,” Sangmeister said Friday. “But it is an international race, one of the shortest you can do in the world. I’m praying for a bit more wind and I think everyone will have a bit more fun.”

To track the boats in real time, go to nosa.org

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​ Orange County Register