There is no sweeter music than a World Golf Hall of Famer telling stories about fellow golf legends such as Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Gene Sarazen.

In this instance, the source of entertainment was Lanny Wadkins, guest of honor Tuesday, March 6 at the Toshiba Classic breakfast at Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, the kick-off to the PGA Tour Champions event at Newport Beach Country Club.

“Golf is the only sport is the world where you grow up and you can play with your heroes,” Wadkins told the ballroom audience. “We got to compete against our heroes. When I first came up (to the PGA Tour), I beat Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead and Jack Nicklaus. And, later, in my second round at the Masters, I played with Gene Sarazen.

“I played in the Masters with Gene Sarazen,” Wadkins repeated, seemingly still in disbelief that he was once paired with the 1920s and ’30s star who won seven major championships and is one of only five players – along with Hogan, Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tiger Woods – to win each of the four majors at least once for a career Grand Slam.

Jerry Lanston “Lanny” Wadkins Jr., who won 21 PGA Tour titles, including a PGA Championship in 1977 at Pebble Beach and The Players Championship in 1979, attended Wake Forest on a golf scholarship funded by Palmer, whom Wadkins later defeated by one shot for his first PGA Tour victory in 1972 at the Sahara Invitational.

He also got to play Hogan in a friendly skins game. The round was interrupted after about the 14th or 15th hole, Wadkins said, and they grumbled as they had to leave early. But a few days later a check for $4 arrived in the mail from Hogan, the payment for being down two skins.

“My secretary kept asking me when I’m going to cash it, but that check is (on display) in my Hall of Fame right now,” said Wadkins, who added that he had “two or three practice rounds with Snead” and was once paired with him in a PGA Tour event. Wadkins said they always played for skins during practice rounds.

Wadkins also said Hogan was always portrayed “as a tough guy,” but his wife, Penelope, felt Hogan was “almost bashful and shy.”

Wadkins said Hogan would probably not approve of the beards many players wear these days on the PGA Tour, and that perhaps there should be two separate tiers to the World Golf Hall of Fame, one for players such as Hogan, Snead and Nicklaus, and another for players like him and Tom Kite.

Wadkins did not play in the Toshiba Classic, but has worked as a television analyst for CBS and The Golf Channel for several years. He won the first PGA Tour Champions event in which he played in 2000, and began to divide his time between playing and television.

The PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 1972 and PGA Player of the Year in 1985, Wadkins was ranked in the top 10 of the Official Golf World Rankings for 86 weeks from the ranking’s debut in 1986 to 1988. He played for the United States in the Ryder Cup eight times, which is tied for third on the all-time appearances list, and was team captain in 1995.

Wadkins was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009 and introduced at the ceremony by friend and broadcaster Jim Nance, following the posthumous enshrinement for the 34th U.S. President, Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Newport Harbor has named Ross Sinclair as its girls water polo coach, replacing recently-retired Brian Melstrom, the Sunset League school announced Wednesday.

Sinclair remains the boys water polo coach at Newport Harbor, athletic director Jerry Murray said in an e-mail.

Melstrom led Newport Harbor to the CIF-SS Division 2 title — the Sailors’ Orange County record-tying sixth section crown — almost two weeks ago. He confirmed his retirement after three seasons on Sunday.

“Coach Sinclair brings a wealth of knowledge and coaching experience and is the perfect person to replace the retiring Coach Melstrom,” Murray said.

Sinclair has been the Newport Harbor boys coach the past three seasons, building one of the rising programs in Orange County.

He arrived at Newport Harbor — his alma mater — after a two-year run as the Corona del Mar’s girls coach. Corona del Mar reached the CIF-SS Division 1 semifinals in Sinclair’s final season.

Please send water polo news to Dan Albano at dalbano@scng.com or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter

Eight horses, including the gritty 7-year-old Hoppertunity, were entered Wednesday to run in Saturday’s $600,000 Grade I Santa Anita Handicap.

The Big ‘Cap, as it’s famously known, is part of a huge day of racing that also includes arguably the best Kentucky Derby prep in the nation to date and two other $400,000 Grade I stakes — the Kilroe Mile for older turf horses and the Triple Bend for sprinters.

It’s the $400,000 Grade II San Felipe Stakes, though, a race that has attracted Bolt d’Oro and McKinzie, 1-2 on many Kentucky Derby lists, that will attract a lot of attention around the country.

Bolt d’Oro, who has had trouble from the gate in his brief career, drew the No. 1 hole for the 1-1/16-mile race. McKinzie will start from the No. 4 post.

The Bob Baffert-trained Hoppertunity, one of only two Grade I winners in the Big ‘Cap along with Mubtaahij, another Baffert trainee, will make his 7-year-old debut Saturday. He’s won seven of 28 lifetime with seven seconds and five thirds for earnings of more than $4.3 million.

Hoppertunity might not always win, but the son of Any Given Saturday gives an honest effort every time out.

“He’s solid,” Baffert said earlier this year. “He’s right there every time.”

Mubtaahij has a winning effort at Santa Anita on his resume, having won the Grade I Awesome Again Stakes in September. He ran second behind two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome in the 2016 Dubai World Cup.

Hoppertunity drew the No. 5 post for the 1-1/4-mile Santa Anita Handicap and Mubhaatij will start from the outside spot in the eight-horse field.

“I don’t think post positions have a huge effect on the Big ‘Cap because there’s such a long run to the first turn,” former jockey Richard Migliore said on xbtv.com. “Post one is the only post that you have to have any concern for because you’re breaking in the chute and there’s a lot of empty space to the inside.

“We’ve seen horses at different times in the past take a step towards the inside. Horses tend to run to empty space. But honestly, I don’t think it’s going to really line up as much of a factor in this Big ‘Cap.”

Migliore does not see the rail as a hindrance for Bolt d’Oro despite the colt’s tendency to have problems leaving the gate.

“Some people would think post one would not be good for him, but I see it different,” he said. “He’s not between two horses, so he has a lot of inside space to work with. If he doesn’t break great, he’s not going to get pinched back or squeezed between two rivals. He’s got more space to work with.

“We saw how it didn’t work out for him in the Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile) where he had an extremely wide trip throughout (after a poor break). I think the inside draw is ideal for him actually.”

Morning-line odds for the Big ‘Cap and San Felipe will become available at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Santa Anita morning-line maker Jon White.

Trainer Peter Eurton, who was given permission by the racing office to cross-enter Giant Expectations in the Big ‘Cap and Triple Bend, said he is still undecided about which race to choose.

Giant Expectations, who won the Grade II San Antonio Stakes on opening day at Santa Anita by 3-1/4 lengths and then finished ninth in the $16 Pegasus World Cup, has never won a race beyond 1-1/16 miles.

The 5-year-old son of Frost Giant drew the No. 3 hole in the Triple Bend and the No. 4 spot in the Big ‘Cap.

“They’re both great draws,” Eurton told xbtv.com.

Breeders’ Cup Sprint champion Roy H was not entered in the Triple Bend by trainer Peter Miller. If he was running, it would have made Eurton’s decision a lot easier.

“If (Roy H) was in it, we were going to scratch 100 percent,” he said. “Now we have to make an actual decision.”

Eurton said that decision will come Thursday or Friday.

World Approval, who won the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 4, was entered in the Kilroe Mile and figures to be the heavy post-time favorite.

Big ‘Cap lineup

The field for Saturday’s 81st running of the Santa Anita Handicap, listed in post-position order with jockeys:

1. Top of the Game, Kent Desormeaux

2. Prime Attraction, Tiago Pereira

3. Curlin Road, Tyler Baze

4. Giant Expectations, Corey Nakatani

5. Hoppertunity, Flavien Prat

6. Fear the Cowboy, Javier Castellano

7. Accelerate, Victor Espinoza

8. Mubtaahij, Mike Smith

Authorities on Wednesday, March 7, were investigating a possible threat made to Santa Margarita Catholic High School but said that there is no immediate danger to anyone on campus.

School officials closed the campus at 3 p.m. so that the Orange County Sheriff’s Department could investigate.

Sheriff’s officials did not immediately elaborate on details of the possible threat, but investigators “did not feel there was an immediate threat to anyone on campus,” OCSD spokeswoman Carrie Braun said.

The school’s boys basketball team was set to host Rancho Verde in the CIF State Boys Division 1 Basketball Championships, but that game has been postponed to 6 p.m. Thursday.

“The safety and security of our students, faculty and staff is our highest priority,” school officials said in an email to parents regarding the 3 p.m. closure of the campus. “In an abundance of caution, all after-school activities have been canceled. We are grateful for the quick response of our local law enforcement and are fully cooperating with authorities as they conduct their investigation.”

Officials said the front office at the school will remain open for any students who need to wait for a ride.

THE GAME: The Angels lost 4-2 on Wednesday afternoon in their first meeting of the spring against the Dodgers, a matchup of aces Garrett Richards and Clayton Kershaw. The Angels are 6-7 this spring.

PITCHING REPORT: Richards gave up one run in four innings, striking out seven. He retired 12 of the 14 batters he faced, with only a Joc Pederson single and a Logan Forsythe RBI double in between. He liberally threw his curveball, a pitch he’s trying to incorporate more this spring. A scout at the game said Richards, who also throws a fastball and slider, was throwing “three double-plus pitches at times most of the day. Very impressive.” … Right-hander Jim Johnson pitched a scoreless inning, with two strikeouts. … Left-hander John Lamb gave up three runs in his two innings. Lamb had not allowed a run in his previous two outings. … Blake Wood and Ian Krol also had multiple strikeouts in their one-inning appearances, as the Angels combined for 16 strikeouts.

HITTING REPORT: Ian Kinsler singled and walked. He has a .500 on-base percentage through his first five games. … Mike Trout had his first hit of the spring, a run-scoring line drive single to left. Trout is now 1 for 12. … Colin Walsh hit his third homer of the spring, tops on the team. A non-roster invite, Walsh is making a strong case for the final spot on the Angels’ bench. He is 8 for 19 this spring. “Colin is swinging the bat well from both sides of the plate,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He can play middle infield and third base. He’s having a good spring.” … Backup catcher René Rivera had two hits, improving to 8 for 17 this spring.

DEFENSE REPORT: Right fielder Zack Gibbons made a diving catch going toward the line, robbing Pederson of an extra-base hit.

UP NEXT: Angels (Tyler Skaggs) vs. A’s (Kendall Graveman), Thursday, noon PT, Hohokam Stadium, Fox Sports West/KLAA (830 AM)

EL SEGUNDO — There are losses, and there are those that can damage the soul of a team.

The Kings on Saturday had a game against the Chicago Blackhawks well in hand. But the Kings gave up four goals without a rebuttal over the final nine-plus minutes to lose 5-3.

With the Kings in a mean fight to make the postseason with just a month left in the regular season, they can ill-afford to lose two points they appeared to have in the bag. But there are 16 regular-season games left, so there is no time to cry over spilled milk.

“It’s the same as when you won one,” said defenseman Jake Muzzin, whose team hosts the Washington Capitals at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Staples Center. “You play a lot of hockey games in a season and whether you win or lose, you learn from it and you move on as fast as you can because there’s another one coming.

“We learn from it, we know what happened and we get ready for the next one.”

The four-goal barrage by Chicago began when the Blackhawks scored 2:16 into a four-minute power-play, courtesy of hooking and unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on defenseman Drew Doughty.

Muzzin makes sense, but fellow defenseman Alec Martinez admitted Saturday’s setback was not just any loss. In his mind, it was worse than if his team had been dominated from the outset.

“I mean, yeah, a loss is a loss,” Martinez said. “But I think losing in that fashion is a little bit more frustrating. Not to say that getting blown out isn’t frustrating. It’s just frustrating in a different way. I mean, I guess you just take it as a lesson learned.

“We’ve had a good few days of practice, days of rest, to help with nagging things and kind of square up our game a little bit, what we see we need to correct. So again, you just learn from it, but as far as I’m concerned I’ve moved on and I’m focused on Washington tomorrow.”

The Kings had the day off Sunday, practiced Monday, held a strength and conditioning day Tuesday and practiced Wednesday.

Speaking of Washington, the Capitals took it on the chin Tuesday in Anaheim, falling 4-0 to the Ducks. With a record of 37-22-7 (81 points), Washington led the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference by one point over Pittsburgh and two over Philadelphia ahead of Wednesday’s slate of games, which included the Penguins at the Flyers.

It stands to reason the Capitals will be a bit peeved at their performance and try to take it out on the Kings.

“Yeah, I mean, they’re obviously a really good hockey club,” Martinez said. “But any team coming off a loss like that, they’re going to be pissed off and I know they’re going to come out and have an emotional start.”

That’s what the Kings need, Martinez said.

“We’ve gotta have an emotional start as well,” he said. “This is moving time this time of year. This is crunch time and we need points.”

Coach John Stevens said, angry or not, Washington is the real thing.

“Oh, I think they’re a good hockey team, regardless,” he said. “I think there are a lot of elements to their game you have to be aware of. But I think the second game of a trip, teams are probably a little more acclimated to the travel out here, so I think either way they’ll probably be a better team in Game 2 than they would be in Game 1.”

The Kings defeated the Capitals 5-2 on Nov. 30 at Washington.

Ice chips

The Kings (36-25-5, 77 points) are in fourth place in the Pacific Division, two points behind third-place San Jose and three behind second-place Anaheim. A third-place divisional finish guarantees a team a playoff berth. The Kings are tied with Colorado for the second and final wild-card spot. … After Thursday, the Kings host St. Louis at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Blues (35-26-5, 75 points) are two points out of that final wild-card spot.

The homeless people might be gone from the riverbed, but they remain a constant presence in Donald Dermit’s life.

Like other advocates, Dermit’s outreach hasn’t ended with the scattering of more than 700 people from the Santa Ana River Trail to dozens of motels or to shelters.

They might be driven by different motives — faith, social justice, personal reasons — but all seem determined to not let logistical challenges prevent them from staying engaged.

This is a crucial time, Dermit, a 58-year-old lay pastor from The Rock Church in Anaheim, said: “The next thing is to help get people into housing.”

On Wednesday, he visited Jean James, an 80-year-old woman who has late stage stomach cancer and emphysema. She had been sleeping in her minivan at a parking lot next to the north end of the tent encampments at Katella Avenue.  Dermit first met her in late February, the week of the scramble to identify people who qualified for a motel stay.

James, who is dying, wanted a peaceful place to spend what’s left of her life.  She had a Section 8 housing voucher but needed help finding a place to rent. Overwhelmed, she had put her head on Dermit’s shoulder and cried.

He spoke with county health care workers to get her into a motel room, and since then has been helping James in her search for a rental.

Dermit’s recent visit with her was emotional, causing him to step outside her door to cry. James is in a lot of pain and tired of the struggle in her life, Dermit said, adding that they prayed and she told him, “I’m ready to go.”

The day after the visit, she sent him a text that a cottage in San Clemente she had hoped to rent fell through. Dermit is now trying to get her into a complex for senior citizens in Santa Ana.

“To see a precious woman go through things like she’s going through, and to be all alone in this time of need, it’s hard.”

Eyes, ears and heart

In February, U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter brokered an agreement between the county and plaintiffs’ attorneys in a civil rights lawsuit that resulted in giving people at the riverbed temporary motel stays. Several advocates attended the court sessions to share their insights and concerns.

They took on the role of watchdogs as the mass exodus unfolded under the eye of Orange County sheriff’s deputies. They provided water and food to hundreds of people who stood in line for hours to get motel vouchers, and then took many of them to their motels.

Using Facebook groups, email and phone trees, they share information among themselves: Who was late in getting a food voucher and needs groceries? Who has medical needs? Who lost all but the clothes they were wearing? who has gone missing? They continue to show up at the meetings of city councils and the county Board of Supervisors, as they have for years, to argue for housing and other services.

Last week when Orange County United Way unveiled its public campaign to create a groundswell for building more permanent supportive housing for homeless people, they joined the breakfast gathering with public officials, business executives, nonprofit leaders and others.

Rebecca Kovacs-Stein, a real estate saleswoman who belongs to the activist group Housing is a Human Right, listened to the presentation and came away impressed but cautious.

“It’s a start,” said Kovacs-Stein, who also belongs to a civic group in Buena Park that focuses on wellness and safety. “But I think it’s important, too, not to forget the people with boots on the ground.”

True to those sentiments, she left clutching a fresh, black trash bag half filled with uneaten pastries to take to the homeless people at a Buena Park motel.

“Pastor Donald”

Known simply as “Pastor Donald,” Dermit knows that change is possible: About 10 years ago, the former real estate appraiser overcame his own struggles with drug abuse and homelessness. His transformation happened, he said, only because “I came to the Lord.”

Dermit lives off a pension and is not paid for his advocacy work.

Over the last few years, he nurtured relationships at the riverbed. He’d bring along trays of doughnuts — donated by S.C’s Coffee & Donuts in Anaheim — as sweet enticement to start conversations he hoped would end in more than a prayer.

He earned their trust by helping them secure identification cards and other documents they might need to rebuild their lives. He would steer them toward detox and rehab, emergency shelter programs, or reunite them with family. Along the way, he also built relationships with county agencies — to the point where Dermit was allowed to do the assessments that prioritize housing for the chronically homeless.

As the relocation of people from the riverbed unfolded, Dermit’s church paid for him to rent a 26-foot long U-Haul truck. He drove up and down the access road at the bike trail, initially taking people to recycling centers to cash in piles of scrap metal or to public storage facilities to stow belongings as they downsized.

Then when reality hit that there was no more time to linger, Dermit, like other advocates, put in 12-hour days and longer helping homeless people resettle. He took them to the motels, to stay with family or friends, to detox and to shelters. The one thing he refused to do: leave them somewhere else to pitch a tent.

“I don’t want to add to the problem and drop them off with their stuff back into the streets.”

Walking the walk

For two years, Keith Reed, an independent construction contractor, and his wife, Ashley, led a team of volunteers from their church, Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa. As the director of the church’s Santa Ana riverbed ministry, Reed, 53, brought food and other necessities to people and steered them to such organizations as Teen Challenge and Orange County Rescue Mission, along with county services.

“Our ministry is to reach out to the last, the least, and the lost,” Reed said. “That’s pretty much the homeless.”

Now, he is trying to win the trust of motel operators to let him hold barbecues in their courtyards and perhaps an Easter morning service. In the meantime, he’s brought food, clothing and hygiene products from his church’s personal pantry to the motels.

Reed also did something that critics of those who help the homeless often issue as a challenge: He took a homeless man into his home.

Reed offered a room a few weeks ago to Bruce Bishop, an iron worker who lost his union card because of a DUI and works odd jobs. Bishop, 58, hopes the stability that Reed has provided will help him regain his union standing.

“Keith’s a  good guy,” Bishop said. “He told me I’m his favorite non-believer. I told him, what a coincidence, you’re my favorite bible thumper.”

A gas leak in Newport Beach on Thursday,March 9, led to the closure of a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway for at least an hour.

The leak was first reported a little before 2 p.m., prompting the Newport Beach Police Department to close the highway between Tustin Avenue and Dover Drive.

While police handled traffic control, the Newport Beach Fire Department was combing the area to locate the leak. As of 3 p.m., the leak had not yet been located, but police said the search was focused on a nearby shopping center.

More information is expected soon.

MESA, Ariz. — Andrelton Simmons will go for a precautionary MRI exam Thursday night after straining his shoulder diving for a ball during the Angels’ 7-3 loss to the Oakland A’s.

“I think as he came out of the game and left here, he gave us a feeling he’s fine,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “We’re definitely going to be cautious.”

The Angels’ Gold Glove shortstop dove to his right and rolled over on his shoulder trying to get a ground ball in the fifth inning. He left the game and was examined by the Angels medical staff, which initially determined that “everything looks like it’s intact,” Scioscia said.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is moving to dismiss gang injunctions aimed at suspected members of rival crews in two of Placentia’s oldest neighborhoods, saying the court orders are no longer needed.

Prosecutors say the move to dismiss the high-profile Placentia gang injunctions was driven by an “unprecedented” drop in violent, gang-related crime in the city.

“The OCDA asked to dismiss these two injunctions today, because we achieved what we were seeking, which was to dismantle the activities of these gangs,” District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said in a statement.

Critics of the injunctions contend the move was actually a result of what they described as the DA’s Office’s inability to prove the alleged gang backgrounds of those targeted by the court orders.

“If gang crime has dropped, even though no one was ever put on the injunction, it shows that gang injunctions are unnecessary,” said Sean Garcia-Leys, a staff attorney with the Urban Peace Institute, which helped those named in their legal defense.

It is the first time that Orange County prosecutors have requested the dismissal of a high-profile gang injunction.

In Placentia, nearly 50 people were accused of being affiliated with the rival Plas and La Jolla street gangs. If approved by a judge, those named in the injunctions would have been barred from associating with other identified gang members, showing gangs signs or wearing gang clothes, among other restrictions, in the injunction areas. Violating an injunction can lead to up to six months in jail.

The two Placentia injunctions combined covered a little more than a mile of largely residential neighborhoods, including apartments and single-family homes, a shopping plaza, two public schools and parks.

Prosecutors, when filing for the Placentia injunctions in 2015, pointed to dozens of drug and guns sales, at least nine robberies and more than 20 assaults in the injunction areas over five years, as well as numerous incidents of tagging, intimidation and reported shootings.

Now, the DA’s Office says, gang-related crime in Placentia has dropped to an “unprecedented low.” Prosecutors said that for the year ending in December, there were no reported robberies, shootings from vehicles, assaults with a deadly weapon, or possession-of-a-firearm arrests in the injunction areas.

A judge in 2015 gave preliminary approval to the Placentia injunctions themselves, but allowed those named in the injunctions who denied having gang ties time to fight their inclusion in the court orders. The court wrangling over adding those individuals to the injunctions was ongoing.

Gang injunctions in California, including the first dozen in Orange County, were historically approved with little debate. That has changed in recent years after activists battled against them in such places as Orange and Santa Barbara.

“It takes people saying, ‘No, this is wrong, we are going to fight this,’ ” said Theresa Smith, a Placentia resident and activist who is executive director off the Law Enforcement Accountability Network. “It shows the power of people.”

A judge still must sign off on dismissing the Placentia injunctions, but that is usually a formality.

When U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke kicked off 2018 with a proposal to vastly expand the availability of the Outer Continental Shelf for future oil and gas development, fears immediately surfaced that the few platforms dotting Orange County’s coast for decades would soon be joined by legions more.

Indeed, Sec. Zinke’s draft proposal for 2019 – 2024 includes plans to study and receive input on seven potential new lease sales off the Southern California coast. Whether or not any of these leases may occur in federal waters off Orange County’s pristine shores isn’t clear.

What is clear is that American energy independence is not dependent on the exploitation of Orange County’s coast. Orange County Business Council and Orange County Coastkeeper encourage the Department of the Interior to remove from consideration any new federal-water leases off of the county’s shores.

Let’s look at the facts. The great strides this country has made in nearing energy independence occurred during numerous, prolonged periods when federal offshore drilling bans were in place. Not a single new lease to explore and develop federal waters in the Pacific Region (the entire U.S. coast from Mexico to Canada) has been sold by the Department of the Interior since 1984. Not one. And yet, thanks to the revolution in domestic energy sources and renewable energy technology, the U.S. is on track to be energy independent by 2020.

Consider that, utility-scale solar and wind energy generation is projected to double by 2020, according to the latest issue of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Energy Infrastructure Update. This would bring us even closer to a goal of 100 percent clean renewable energy. While America imported 65 percent of its daily oil demand in 2005, reliance on foreign energy imports is estimated to drop to 11 percent by 2020.

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush issued an executive order banning new federal offshore leasing through 2000. President Clinton extended Bush’s moratorium an additional 12 years. And while President George W. Bush rescinded his father’s original ban in 2008, President Obama issued new executive orders placing vast swaths of the Outer Continental Shelf off limits to oil and gas exploration. Nevertheless, America’s greatest energy independence gains took place during the Obama administration.

We can’t afford to jeopardize this vital economic engine nor the pristine marine environment and clean waters that support it by welcoming new offshore leases in Orange County.

We know that carbon-based energy is still a significant driver of the U.S. economy and will remain necessary as we advance toward clean energy independence. The good news is we’re well on the way to meeting our own energy needs because of breathtaking innovations in renewable energy technologies and reasonable regulations that ensure that carbon-based energy’s continued role in our economy does not come at the expense of the environment. And so we can now glimpse a future American economy whose GDP is ever more fueled by clean energy.

That we’re made it as far as we have with more than 30 years of federal offshore drilling bans in place suggests Orange County’s coastline isn’t critical to America’s energy independence and should not be part of any future plans for new federal oil and gas leases.

Lucy Dunn is president and CEO of Orange County Business Council. Garry Brown is CEO of Orange County Coastkeeper.

DENVER — Frank Vogel and his players clamored for a do-over. Turns out, the Orlando Magic should have gotten one.

The NBA acknowledged on Thursday that it was the incorrect call to award a jump ball at center court with six-tenths of a second remaining in the Lakers’ 108-107 win over Orlando at Staples Center on Wednesday after the clock started prematurely on the Magic’s final play.

The league’s “Last Two Minute Report” said that Orlando “should have retained possession on the sideline at the nearest spot” because “the ball was still in the air when the clock expired.” The NBA automatically reviews all calls made in the final two minutes of a game that is within three points at any point during that time.

Had the Lakers touched the ball before the buzzer sounded, the ruling would have been correct. After the game, lead referee Bill Spooner told a pool reporter that the ruling was made by the league’s replay center in Secaucus, N.J.

“Went well for us, helped us get a win,” Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma said. “Kind of really saved us.”

Afterward, Vogel said the decision “kills any chance of us tying the game up and winning the game.

“I would think that you give the ball back to the team that had it,” he added, “but they ruled that since the ball was in the air, it was a jump ball.”

The Lakers (29-35) took the lead on a pair of free throws by Brook Lopez with 0.6 showing on the clock. It was a narrow escape for the Lakers after the Magic scored eight straight points over the final two minutes to overcome a seven-point disadvantage and seize a 107-106 lead on a driving layup by Aaron Gordon with five seconds remaining.

KUZ SETTLING IN

If there was one silver lining when Brandon Ingram went down with a pulled groin last week in Miami, it was that there was a natural replacement to step into the starting position.

Just one problem: Kyle Kuzma had never really played small forward; or, in the vernacular of X’s and O’s, the “three.”

“It’s a little different. I still think sometimes I’m playing ‘four,’” Kuzma said Wednesday, after his third straight start at small forward. “I just go to one spot, I snap out of it and (go to) the new spot. Our offense is interchangeable in a sense so (the key is) just knowing where you’ve got to be.”

Despite a lanky frame and strong ball-handling skills, Kuzma has always slotted in as a power forward who can stretch the floor for the Lakers. His first 21 starts this season were, ostensibly, as a big man.

Wednesday marked his breakout performance in a designated perimeter role. He scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds, while handling his defensive responsibilities. Luke Walton said earlier this week that the biggest challenge for Kuzma in his new job is adjusting to the defensive end.

“Now instead of calling out those coverages and being the man playing the help side and recovering on your own, you’ve got to jump into the ball handler,” Walton said. “You’ve got to fight over screens. Then you’re the one telling the big when to get back. Everything changes from the ‘three’ to the ‘four.’”

Kuzma has embraced the transition, going so far as to call it fun.

“It’s really a challenge to really guard people,” Kuzma said. “I’m more locked in defensively because I’ve never really guarded threes before now.”

ISAIAH FOR 3

When the Lakers acquired Isaiah Thomas from the Cavs at the trade deadline, all of his preferred jersey numbers were gone. No. 2, which he wore in college, belongs to Lonzo Ball; 22, from his Sacramento days, was retired for Gail Goodrich; his Boston number, 4, was on the back of Alex Caruso; and 3, which he sported in Cleveland and Phoenix, had been claimed a year earlier by Corey Brewer.

So, for his first 10 games with the Lakers, Thomas wore No. 7. The team’s decision to waive Brewer last week, however, created an opening. The team announced on Thursday that for the final 18 games of the season, Thomas will wear No. 3.

When it comes to cornerbacks, the Rams’ offseason intentions seem clear, at least thus far. They’re making lower-risk moves that could pay off nicely, even if they don’t hit on all of them.

The latest gamble took place Thursday, when the Rams signed veteran cornerback Sam Shields off the shelf. Shields, once well-regarded as a corner for the Green Bay Packers, hasn’t played since the 2016 season opener, when he suffered the fifth known concussion of his career.

The Packers released Shields in Jan. 2017 and he went unsigned for all of last season. News stories this week indicated that Shields wanted to return to the NFL and that he had scheduled meetings with teams such as the Cleveland Browns and Rams, who didn’t wait long to make a move. Shields indicated, in an interview this week, that he would leave football for good if he suffered another concussion.

Terms of the signing were not immediately known, but presumably, the Rams won’t pay much in order to give a second chance to the 30-year-old Shields, who could play a big role in their new-look secondary.

In an interview this week with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Shields was asked about his recovery and said, “Have you ever rode a bike before when you was young, and then you just do it again? It’s basically just like that, just like riding a bike. And you know, of course the fatigue and all that, that comes with it. But man, shoot, I feel great. No headaches, none of those things going on. Everything has been going the way it’s supposed to be going.”

In his most-productive season, in 2013, Shields matched his career high with four interceptions and also had a career-high 51 tackles. Shields made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and won a Super Bowl ring as a rookie and a part-time starter in 2010.

The Rams have been active at cornerback. Last month, they traded two draft picks to Kansas City for cornerback Marcus Peters, a former first-round draft pick who had a history of discipline issues in college and in the NFL.

Rams cornerback Kayvon Webster is recovering from surgery to repair a torn Achilles, and his availability for the start of the season remains unknown. Trumaine Johnson, the Rams’ top cornerback last season, and nickelback Nickell Robey-Coleman are set to become unrestricted free agents next week, although the Rams might attempt to retain both players.

Shields, if healthy, certainly would fit into that mix, along with less-experienced cornerbacks such as Troy Hill and Kevin Peterson. Shields, who went undrafted out of the University of Miami in 2010, has recorded 18 interceptions in 80 regular-season games, all with the Packers.

The risk is clear. Shields’ concussion history, and the fact that he will have spent almost two full years away from football, makes it far from certain that he can return to productivity, but given the Rams’ uncertainty at cornerback, they likely consider it a low-risk chance worth a shot.

Also uncertain is Shields’ status for the start of the 2018 season. Last September, the NFL suspended Shields for two games after a 2016 incident in which he was charged with marijuana possession.

Shields pleaded no contest and was punished by the league, but it wasn’t immediately known whether that suspension would carry over, given that Shields wasn’t on an NFL roster last season.

Laguna Woods Village held its first Health Fair and Expo, drawing about 350 residents to Clubhouse Seven on Tuesday, March 7. The event included presentations on hiring a caregiver, safety and scams, aging happily, medical marijuana, nutrition, longevity, naturally reversing type II diabetes and four fitness demonstrations.

Experts also provided health screenings and educational seminars.

“Health and wellness is essential to enjoying the retirement years, and the Recreation and Special Events Department strives to find new and exciting events and classes to encourage lifelong fitness and wellbeing,” Brian Gruner, the department’s director, said.

Among the vendors distributing information were Commit 2 be Fit, Bud & Bloom Marijuana Collective, Humana Insurance, Ultima, and doTERRA.

Residents seeking hands-on fitness could participate in instructor-led yoga and circuit training classes.

THE GAME: The Angels lost to the A’s 7-3 on Thursday afternoon in Mesa, Ariz., with the teams using most of the players who will be in the lineup when they meet again for the season-opening series in Oakland. The Angels have lost three in a row and five of seven to fall to 6-8.

PITCHING REPORT: Left-hander Tyler Skaggs gave up two runs, including one that scored after he was finished with his 3-2/3 innings. Skaggs struck out four. Skaggs said he’s been happy with the progress of a changeup he’s trying to add to his fastball and curve this spring. “I can be a two-pitch pitcher, but I can only go so far doing that,” he said. “I need to make a cognizant effort to throw it, even if I’m not throwing it for a strike. Just keep throwing it to show these guys. I’ve thrown against (two) AL West teams. I need to put it in their head that I have it.” Skaggs’ last two starts have been against the Seattle Mariners and A’s. After a likely intrasquad start on the Angels’ off day next week, Skaggs would be in line to face the Texas Rangers on March 18… Right-hander Keynan Middleton, who entered with the Angels leading 3-2, gave up four runs in an inning. He had not allowed a run in any of his first three innings. … Left-hander Jose Alvarez struck out the side in a scoreless inning. He has not allowed a run in four innings this spring. … Right-hander Noe Ramirez allowed the A’s to steal three bases in the seventh inning. Catcher Juan Graterol made perfect throws on two of them. … Right-hander Felix Peña pitched a scoreless inning. He has not allowed a run in five innings, with seven strikeouts.

HITTING REPORT: Ian Kinsler walked and doubled and scored two more runs. He’s 4 for 11 with five walks this spring. Kinsler also aggressively took third on a ground ball to third baseman Sheldon Neuse, breaking from second after Neuse threw the ball and beating the relay back across the diamond. Kinsler then scored on a bloop single. … Luis Valbuena attempted to bunt for a hit for the second time this spring, but this time pitcher Kendall Graveman threw him out. Valbuena said he’s going to try to bunt for a few more hits this year when teams shift against him. … The Angels scored three runs in 2-2/3 innings against Graveman, who is likely to be the A’s opening day starter against the Angels.

DEFENSE REPORT: Catcher Martin Maldonado nailed Marcus Semien trying to steal second in the first inning. … Mike Trout made a lunging catch in the gap in right-center field. He also had to leap for a line drive.

UP NEXT: Angels (Matt Shoemaker) vs. Cubs (Jon Lester), Friday, noon PT,  Sloan Park, Fox Sports West/KLAA (830 AM). The Angels will also have a squad face the Tijuana Toros of the Mexican League in an exhibition at Tempe Diablo Stadium, with Shohei Ohtani starting. That game, which starts at 11 a.m. PT, will not be televised in the United States.

Anaheim’s acting police chief on Thursday, March 8, said his officers followed proper procedures and showed “great restraint in their application of force” during a confrontation last week that left a suspect hospitalized.

At a press conference he called to address public criticism of how the March 2 incident was handled, Acting Chief Julian Harvey defended his officers’ actions while expanding on details of what officials have said transpired that night.

“The narrative that is currently being pushed out by certain individuals on social media regarding this incident is inaccurate and must be corrected,” Harvey said.

Just after midnight on March 2, officers were dispatched to a house in the 1300 block South East Gates Street after a report of a suspicious male in the area. Harvey told reporters that a woman was frantic in describing how a suspect had tried to enter the house and break into the family’s cars.

The suspect, later identified as 35-year-old Christopher Eisinger, dropped a large stick or pole when officers arrived and ran from a patrol sergeant. Soon, about four other officers, all of whom were wearing body cameras, joined in the foot chase.

Harvey said that at the 3000 block of West Ball Road, Eisinger tripped and fell backwards on his buttocks and officers were able to catch up with him. Eisinger resisted by kicking away from officers and moving his arms away.

“He tried to take an officer’s Taser and pulled another officer’s holster,” Harvey said. “Officers repeatedly told him he was under arrest and to stop resisting.”

He also showed signs of being under the influence of drugs, Harvey said.

“The officers used control holds, they used physical force during this contact,” Harvey said. “A preliminary review showed the officers did not employ a carotid restraint, did not deploy impact weapons, did not deploy a Taser or deliver any strikes to the suspect.”

Once Eisinger stopped yelling and became “less rigid” the officers handcuffed him and he lost consciousness. Paramedics were called; when they arrived he was in full cardiac arrest. They were able to resuscitate him and took him to a hospital where he was in stable condition.

On March 6, Anaheim police were notified that the Eisinger’s condition had worsened. He was suffering from face injuries and brain swelling, police said. The man was in serious condition and on a ventilator, Harvey said.

Harvey said he requested that the Orange County District Attorney’s Office investigate the incident based on Eisinger’s condition and injuries. Anaheim police is doing a parallel investigation.

“I have personally reviewed the body-worn camera footage from this incident,” Harvey said. “While the investigation is in its preliminary stages I can tell you today that our officers followed policy, showed great restraint in their application of force and handled this very challenging situation professionally.”

Harvey said the department would not be releasing the camera footage of the incident Thursday but that it would be in the future.

“We frankly don’t know how Mr. Eisinger obtained the injuries that he suffered but we hope that the investigations that are currently ongoing will determine what those causes were.”

Harvey said that though it is unclear if Eisinger sustained the injuries during the confrontation with Anaheim officers, he did not observe in the camera footage that the officers acted excessively to cause the man’s serious injuries.

Investigators are continuing to talk to people in the area who may have witnessed the encounter.

Eisinger, who was described as being a transient, had drug paraphernalia in his possession when he was detained. Anaheim police had not previously encountered Eisinger but he has had “numerous prior convictions” for resisting arrest, threatening an officer, battery on an officer, domestic violence and drug violations.

Harvey said that Eisinger had been arrested by another agency within the last two weeks and was also hospitalized after a confrontation with them. The investigation will also explore if previous injuries could have contributed to his present condition.

Matt Belden got the best birthday present he could ask for: his son moved.

With tubes still woven around his small body, 11-year-old Brayden Belden heard his father’s plea for him to move his arm, lifting it just slightly off the hospital bed. Each time his hand raised – his fingers still resting on a small stuffed animal – Matt Belden let out an ecstatic “yes!”

“Good job, pal,” Belden said.

A video of Brayden moving, which Belden posted privately to social media on Thursday, is a sign of hope for the stand-out Laguna Beach surfer who was in a life-threatening snowboarding accident in Bend, Oregon on Feb. 20.  His head injury was so severe, doctors put him in a medically induced coma.

Now Brayden is being weaned off the medication in an effort to bring him out of the coma, and “showing some good neurological signs,” his father wrote in an update on the GoFundMe page set up for his medical costs.

Brayden Belden is well known in the amateur surfing circuit.  Last year, he won the boys division in the Brooks St. Surfing Classic, a long-running community surf contest.

He ranked second in the 2016-17 season in Explorer Super Groms for the National Scholastic Surfing Association, a impressive showing for a first-year competitor, according to Janice Aragon, executive director for the National Scholastic Surfing Association.

Since his accident, the surf community has rallied to support the young surfer, raising nearly $170,000 for the GoFundMe campaign. Even 11-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater posted a link to the fundraising page, encouraging people to donate.

The moment when Brayden moved arrived just as his hope was being challenged, Belden wrote.

“The amazing news is our boy can hear me and his brain is telling his arm to move,” he wrote.

Another update Friday said Brayden went in for a tracheotomy, and the next goal is for him to be weaned off his ventilator and breathe on his own.

“This isn’t a race it’s a marathon and our boy will keep fighting to improve,” Belden wrote.

Tom Colicchio characterizes his role on “Top Chef” as both a judge and coach.

Speaking by phone on the morning after the Season 15 finale that saw Chicago chef Joe Flamm win, Colicchio said judging food, criticizing and offering constructive criticism is a careful balancing act.

“I can’t tell them what to do,” he said. “In telling them to do something, if they do it, then I’m kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. Typically, if I’m giving advice, it’s in the form of a question so they can take from that what they like. But it changes from season to season.

“Sometimes I feel that they need more encouragement,” he said.

This is what he had to say about this season’s competition:

What were this season’s chefs like?

I got a sense this season that they all could cook, but they weren’t very consistent. I also got a sense that the challenges and the game and everything was getting in their head and getting in the way.

When do you get a sense of who might win?

You can get a pretty good sense of the level that someone is working at, but the way we judge, if you make the worst dish, you go home. It’s not a cumulative event.

Usually what I can tell pretty soon is who’s probably not going to last long. It usually has to do with experience because coming up with a dish on the fly and executing it is really hard to do.

But it’s really hard to figure out who’s going to win.

Why did Joe Flamm win and not Adrienne Cheatham?

She put together nice dishes. It wasn’t a disaster. She didn’t fall apart. She cooked very good food.

His was better.

And quite frankly, man, for a lot of reasons I wanted her to win. If you follow me on Twitter, you know my politics.

But I can’t factor that in, I can’t. I have to be honest. And again, it was unanimous. There was no one out there who thought we should have done anything differently.

This was pretty straightforward.

How can “Top Chef” help a career?

Well, if you look at the amount of chefs coming through ‘Top Chef” and the chefs that are doing great stuff, it’s not the winners. There are plenty of people who didn’t win who are just amazing. They’re all doing great. Most of them have more restaurants than I do.

You don’t have to win.

Now, the show definitely gives them a showcase. I think what the show does is it makes it easier for them to raise money to try to open up a restaurant, or if there’s a job opening, someone will say “Hey! This person has exposure” and they think that the exposure would turn into additional PR for them. Yeah, but you’ve still got to perform.

You still have to be a good chef.

You can’t hide behind the PR thing. It doesn’t last very long and there’s plenty of chefs without naming names who were on the show, and were funny and were characters, and they did pretty well. But they haven’t gone on to do very much.

Do you stay in touch with any of the chefs who have come through “Top Chef?”

Not really, partly because a while ago I stopped the culinary tour. I don’t do a bunch of festivals, and that’s where we all see each other. After a while you get tired of the road.

The only one I keep up with is Harold Dieterle from Season One. We occasionally fish together but that’s it.

During the finale, all of the judges were wearing Planned Parenthood lapel pins. Refresh our memories: What was going on at the time you were filming this?

Oh, that was June. Planned Parenthood was under attack, and women, in general, were under attack. Padma (Lakshmi) actually had been working with Planned Parenthood, and she had the pins. She asked if we would wear them. Of course, I’m a supporter. So that’s why we did it obviously not knowing it was going to be International Women’s Day when it aired, but that worked out nicely.

Some people are afraid to show their politics because they don’t want it to affect their career.

Still?

Are you not bothered by the backlash?

Listen, I think it’s everyone’s right in a democracy to speak out, and I think that people actually respect you for it. I also think that in a democracy that people should get involved. People should understand the issues and get out and vote and participate in our democracy. It’s something that I try to teach my children. It’s just the way I prefer to live. Are people going to say I’m not going to his restaurant because I’m not a Trump supporter? Fine. Are they going to my restaurant anyway? Probably not. I think being critical of our elected leaders is part of the democratic process.

Getting back to “Top Chef.” Do you still enjoy being a judge?

“I actually look forward to it. It’s like going to summer camp. You’re gone for five or six weeks. You go to a different location. I play guitar and there’s a bunch of musicians in the crew so we get together and play. I lead a very different lifestyle on the set than I do at home.

At home, I have my wife and kids, and I go home most nights and have dinner with my family.

There, I’m going out and having dinner with friends. So that’s fun. Also, the bonus for me doing the show is I get to meet a lot of young talent that I probably wouldn’t get to meet unless I get out to their restaurant, which I don’t do as much as I used to. So it’s a great way to meet upcoming talent and see what’s out there.

So yeah, as long as we keep making the show, I’ll be there.

THE GAME: With most of their everyday players getting the day off, the Angels lost 6-1 to the Chicago Cubs on Friday afternoon in Mesa, Ariz. It was the Angels’ fourth straight loss.

PITCHING REPORT: Matt Shoemaker gave up six runs on eight hits in 3-2/3 innings in his third start of the spring. “If you look at the results it wasn’t a good day, but I took a lot of positives out of it,” Shoemaker said on the Angels broadcast. “In the second inning, I made some good pitches and got some ground balls. A lot of them were hits.” Shoemaker added that his slider and his splitter are behind, as they usually are this time of spring, but they “are coming along.” … Right-hander Blake Parker pitched a perfect inning, with two strikeouts. Parker, who had struggled in his first two outings of the spring, has now posted scoreless innings in each of his last two. … Right-hander Cam Bedrosian worked around two hits in a scoreless inning. He has not allowed a run in three innings.

HITTING REPORT: The Angels managed just four hits, one apiece from Eric Young Jr., Zack Gibbons, Kaleb Cowart and Michael Hermosillo.

DEFENSE REPORT: Hermosillo, playing center field, threw out a runner at the plate.

UP NEXT: Angels (Andrew Heaney) vs. Giants (Tyler Beede), Saturday, noon PT,  Tempe Diablo Stadium, Fox Sports West/KLAA (830 AM). Angels (Parker Bridwell) vs. Giants (Andrew Suarez), Saturday, noon PT, Scottsdale Stadium. No TV or radio in Southern California.

Ten years ago this week, San Francisco required restaurants to list nutritional information on menus. Before the year was over, California became the first state to follow suit. The policy became national in December 2016.

One of the main reasons California has pushed for nutritional labeling is the rising rate of obesity, linked to many health problems.

National obesity rates

For 50 states and the District of Columbia

Obesity in California

The portion of California’s population considered obese went from 9.9 percent in 1990 to 25 percent in 2016, leveling off since 2010.

Here is a how obesity rates map out across all 58 California counties.

New national standards

Studies show that about one-third of the food Americans eat is from restaurants. The trend that California began in requiring restaurant chains with 20 or more establishments to include caloric counts for food on menus will become a national policy in May. Many restaurants have already included the information.

Where you will see calorie labeling:

• Meals at sit-down restaurants
• Foods purchased at drive-through windows
• Takeout food, such as pizza
• Foods, such as made-to-order sandwiches, ordered from a menu or menu board at a grocery store or delicatessen
• Foods you serve yourself from a salad or hot food bar at a restaurant or grocery store
• A muffin at a bakery or coffee shop
• Popcorn purchased at a movie theater or amusement park
• A scoop of ice cream, milkshake or sundae from an ice cream store

Foods in covered vending machines also will have to carry calorie labeling that can be viewed before purchase, subject to certain exceptions.

New labels

New nutrition labels may go into effect in July for businesses with more than $10 million in annual food sales. There is a proposed extension for the compliance date that the FDA has not ruled on.

Serving size changes
One of the biggest differences in the new label is more realistically reflecting modern serving sizes. A pint of ice cream might say four servings on the old label, but the new label will say three.

Packaging
Packaging size affects how much people eat and drink. The new label will make both 12- and 20-ounce bottles one serving, since people typically drink the whole amount in one sitting.

You can see the USDA’s recommendations for daily caloric intake here.

Sources: National Institutes of Health, USDA, FDA, Trust for America’s Health, California Department of Public Health