Woodbridge softball team moves on to second round of CIF playoffs against Cerritos

Kaitlyn Lim’s one out RBI single in the bottom of the eighth propelled the Woodbridge softball team to a 7-6 victory over El Dorado in a CIF-SS Division 3 first round playoff game Thursday, May 18, at Bill Barber Park.

The Warriors (16-13) advance to round two and will play Cerritos Tuesday, May 23, at 3:15 p.m. at Bill Barber Park.

With the score tied, 6-6, in the bottom of the eighth, Ashlee Laver led off with a walk and was sacrificed to second by Dana Demo. Sofie Adams bunted for a base hit as Laver advanced to third and then was pinched run for by Taylor Wojciechowski.  Lim drilled a shot to left center – her third hit of the game – for the game winner.

“I wanted to hit the ball to the outfield, even if it was an out, to drive the run home,” said Lim, who smashed her eighth homer of the season in the first inning.

The Warriors got brilliant relief pitching from freshman Taylor Caudill who held the Golden Hawks (15-8-1) to one run over the final 5 and 1/3 innings.

El Dorado scored five times in the third to take a 5-2 lead.

“It definitely is nerve racking but once I got a few outs I settled down and get my confidence,” said Caudill, who added an RBI single in the first inning giving Woodbridge a 2-0 lead. “This is the first time I’ve been in this situation, so I focused on throwing strikes.”

Warriors coach Jerry Rose said his team didn’t panic.

“We’ve had comebacks like this all season and we didn’t panic,” said Rose. “The best part of this team is that they are all underclassmen. They took it pitch-by-pitch and executed.”

Woodbridge retook the lead, 6-5, after Sabrina Dallas was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the fourth. Amanda Vos’ RBI single tied the game at, 6-6, in the fifth inning.

Hannah Sasaki and Jo Michaels each had two hits apiece for the Warriors. Lim, who also had two assists from right field and nearly two others, scored two runs, as did Sasaki.

23.05.2017No comments
Improved OC bus routes see ridership increase, staff propose more reductions to boost overall system productivity

ORANGE — The Orange County Transportation Authority reallocated resources from lower- to higher-performing bus routes in two major service changes last year in an effort to reverse ridership declines – and it seems to be working for those bolstered lines.

While total average weekday ridership dropped 2.9 percent from March 2016 to March 2017, ridership on routes improved in June and October overhauls increased by 4.2 percent and 10.4 percent, respectively, according to an OCTA staff report presented to the board on Monday, May 22.

“Continued investment in productive routes appears to be helping stem the ridership declines,” the staff report states.

The OCTA board in 2015 endorsed the OC Bus 360 program aimed at drawing existing and new customers by reducing travel time and improving speeds for frequently used routes, particularly those in the county’s central core. Resources were taken from routes with fewer passengers, and some areas including parts of South County lost bus service.

“I think we’re beginning to make some good strides forward,” OCTA board member Al Murray said of the OC Bus 360 update.

OCTA’s fixed-route bus service in fiscal year 2014-15 had 47 million boardings – the lowest level since fiscal year 1996-97.

Regionally, ridership is also down on bus systems run by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Long Beach Transit, Riverside Transit, Omnitrans and the North County Transit District, among others.

Major factors contributing to ridership decline include falling gas prices, a rise in housing prices leading to households moving to the “exurbs,” declining immigration and post-recession employment changes, according to a recent UCLA presentation to OCTA.

Staff plan to continue the OC Bus 360 initiative through strategies such as instituting fixed-route changes and testing new technologies.

Separately, on Monday, the board received a staff proposal for bus service reductions during the regularly scheduled October service changes. While the majority of bus lines will see no change, 17 are slated for reduced service, 14 are scheduled to see improved service and six would see a fare increase.

The six lines identified for a fare increase are bus routes 212, 213, 216, 701, 721 and 794.

Staff will return in July with the final October service change proposal, for board approval.

23.05.2017No comments
Whicker: Ducks’ latest bid for Cup trip ‘not meant to be’

NASHVILLE — In this latest episode of the long war between Head and Brick Wall, the outcome stayed the same.

The Anaheim Ducks threw all of their guns at once at Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators, but it all exploded into space. They used up all their sweat equity in tying the score, 3-3, in the third period and even had a power play after that. But Nashville killed that off, and Colton Sissons got his third goal of the night, three seconds later, to key what became a 6-3 win in Game 6, ending the Western Conference Finals.

It was the third time in seven seasons that Nashville has eliminated the Ducks, but this was by far the most poignant.

It sent the Predators into their first Stanley Cup Final, to begin Monday against either Pittsburgh or Ottawa, and it frustrated a Ducks squad that had repeatedly proven they cared little about the depth of the holes they found themselves in.

In this game they had 41 shots on goal to Nashville’s 18 and finally found a way to subvert Rinne, who was brilliant when Nashville ousted the Ducks last year, and again in this first period.

But Nashville’s quickness and opportunism flared up again when Sissons captured a puck, gave it up, watched Calle Jarnkrok get to it an instant before Corey Perry could, and went to the left side of the net.

Jarnkrok swung it in Sissons’ directions, and Sissons beat Jonathan Bernier, who was a  shaky  replacement for John Gibson (hamstring).

That happened with six minutes left, and Nashville picked up two empty-netters after that.

“They got more dirty goals in this series than we did,” Coach Randy Carlyle said.

He also lamented the fact that the Western finals began only two days after the Ducks had eliminated Edmonton in a seven-game second round.

“There has to be some consideration given to that,” Carlyle said. “It was a tough hand that was dealt to us. Had we started on that Saturday instead of that Friday, it might have made a difference.”

The Ducks fell behind 2-0 early but killed off a 5-minute major that Nick Ritchie earned by boarding, and bloodying, Victor Arvidsson. Ritchie also was ejected, which meant the Ducks were missing three significant wingers, counting Rickard Rakell and Patrick Eaves.

But that kill seemed to energize the Ducks, and their long comeback crested when Cam Fowler beat Rinne from near the Nashville blue line, as Corey Perry belabored Rinne in front of the net.

Then Roman Josi was given a delay penalty for flipping the puck over the boards. But the power play produced one shot, one offside, and nothing else.

“They did a good job boxing us out,” Carlyle said. “We couldn’t get bodies in front of Rinne like we wanted, and we let him see too many shots.”

Both teams had significant injuries, but the Predators’ replacements had more impact. Sissons was promoted to the first line when center Ryan Johansen was injured. The 23-year-old has had eight regular-season goals in the NHL. Now he has eight postseason goals, and his Wikipedia page had already been updated to characterize him as a “Canadian professional duck hunter” by game’s end.

“We were missing two 30-goal scorers,” Andrew Cogliano said, referring to Rakell and Eaves. “At the end of the day, they’re a good team but I don’t think they’re much better than us.

“You go from having a power play and maybe having a 5-on-3 to giving up a goal. Sometimes, in these games, it’s not meant to be. There’s no reason why it shouldn’t have gone our way tonight, really. We scored three goals and probably should have had five. You have that many shots and lose, it kicks you a little hard.”

With reflection, the onus will again fall on those who are best-equipped to bear it.

Ryan Kesler had no goals and one point in the series, although he had numerous looks in Game 6. When the locker room opened, he was still in full uniform, his head slumped and covered by a towel.

Getzlaf was active and visible but still got on the scoresheet only once in the six games, and that was a three-assist game.

Bernier, who was starting his first playoff game after 255 regular-season starts, was challenged to maintain a rhythm, because the puck was on the other end for so long. Nevertheless, he had chances to bail out the Ducks in outnumbered, open-ice situations and did not.

When it ended, Getzlaf called it the worst feeling in hockey, although most of his mates felt nothing by then, numbed by the undefeated Brick Wall.

23.05.2017No comments
Hey bu-ddy! ‘Encino Man’ turns 25 — but here’s where the ’90s comedy was really filmed

Twenty-five years ago, Sean Astin was no longer a Goonie but not yet a Hobbit, Pauly Shore had a burgeoning movie career on the heels of his popular MTV gig and Brendan Fraser was a few years off from fighting mummies.

"Encino Man" was released on May 22, 1992. (Courtesy Photo)
“Encino Man” was released on May 22, 1992. (Courtesy Photo)

They were also the stars of “Encino Man,” a cult classic teen comedy about uncool high school friends (Astin and Shore) who became cool after digging up a frozen caveman (Fraser).

As improbable as that all seems (not to mention Michael DeLuise as the film’s villainous jock), the movie, which was released 25 years ago May 22, wasn’t actually filmed in Encino.

However, the San Fernando Valley had plenty of representation in the film, which opened on Memorial Day weekend and ultimately grossed more than $40 million in the U.S., according to Box Office Mojo, despite being panned by critics.

Despite the movie being titled “Encino Man,” here’s where one of the most ‘90s films of them all was actually filmed.

1. Dave’s house – West Hills

Astin starred as the nerdy nice guy Dave Morgan, who was determined to get the cool kids to like him and win the heart of childhood crush Robyn Sweeney. How is he going to do this? By digging a pool for the prom after-party. That’s where he digs up a frozen caveman (Fraser), who he and his best friend Stoney (Shore) name Link and pass off as an exchange student from Estonia.

All of this supposedly happens at Dave’s home in Encino, but the house itself is actually in West Hills.

2. “Mega Mountain” – Six Flags Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita

One of the more memorable moments of the film that didn’t involve a choreographed prom dance scene (because that’s a requirement for ALL teen comedies), was when Stoney took Link to “Mega Mountain” to ride the “Vapor” in reverse. In real life, it was Six Flags Magic Mountain and the ride was the Viper, which still exists at the amusement park today.

3. “Encino High School” – Los Angeles Mission College in Sylmar

Even though the movie wasn’t filmed in Encino proper, another San Fernardino Valley neighborhood, Sylmar, was the home of the interior shots for the movie on a soundstage. And since this is a high school comedy, there had to be a high school. Nearby Los Angeles Mission College stood in as Encino High, where Link quickly became the cool kid on campus, despite being more than 40,000 years old.

4. “California Museum of Anthropology” – La Brea Tar Pits and Museum in Los Angeles

Remember the part where Link goes on the field trip, sees the evolution of man and freaks out? Yeah, that happened at one of Los Angeles’ favorite landmarks, the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits.

“Encino Man” is available on Amazon Video, iTunes and Google Play, so you can wheez the juice and get to watching, bu-ddy.

23.05.2017No comments
Bridget Foley’s Diary: Valentino’s Piccioli Finds His Place

Pierpaolo Piccioli takes a carpe diem approach to travel. On a short trip to New York City in March, he hit the Boom Boom Room, Katz’s Deli, The Red Rooster, Minton’s (its facade anyway; it was closed) and Il Buco. And that was just the first day, between afternoon touchdown at John F. Kennedy airport and lights out at the Crosby Street Hotel.
The primary purpose of his two-and-a-half-day visit was scouting; Piccioli was seeking a location for today’s Valentino cruise show. Despite his packed official schedule, Piccioli worked in plenty of extracurricular stops. “I love being everywhere,” he says. It didn’t hurt that his traveling companion, Valentino’s worldwide communications director, Francesca Leoni, lived and worked in New York for several years, keeps an apartment here and is a full-on Gotham-o-phile — a highly knowledgeable one, at that. They checked out the Boom Boom Room as a venue for tonight’s postshow party, and everywhere else, just for fun: Minton’s and The Red Rooster (for its music and a drink) because Leoni loves Harlem and Katz’s Deli, for its “When Harry Met Sally” “I’ll have what she’s having” kitsch. As for Il Buco — well, you have to eat. And when you see Mick Jagger post-pasta,

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Parsons Class of 2017 BFA Fashion Show

The New School’s Parsons School of Design held its 69th student fashion show for its 2017 fashion BFA graduates Monday at Pier 60. Of the roughly 320 graduates, 32 were selected to show looks from their thesis collection in front of family, friends, fellow students and press, as well as members of the jury who select which students can present on the runway.
A broad range of aesthetics were represented. Jeremyn Lee explored his Chinese-American heritage through feminized sportswear; In Nei Hoi examined metamorphosis in a series of white pieces that ranged from knits to elaborate floral embroidery, while Chia Lee showcased finely detailed textile work.
Burak Cakmak, dean of Parsons School of Fashion, noted that a common thread among this class of graduates “is seeing that gender is disappearing in some ways,” Cakmak said. “You see some of the garments being on both men and women, and even when we talk to the students, it’s not just the one person but everybody in the class is really about having a different idea of gender and identity. It’s very much reflected in their collections. It’s much more experimental, pushing boundaries but not necessary typical concepts about what a male versus a female looks like.”
Cakmak

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Gagosian to Exhibit Peter Marino’s Bronze Boxes in London

Architect Peter Marino — who fills his New York offices and far-flung residential and retail projects with paintings and sculptures — is getting even closer to the art world.
Gagosian is to represent Marino, who has gained a following for sculpted bronze boxes, and mount an inaugural exhibition at its London branch next month.
“Fire and Water,” slated to open on June 25 at the Davies Street gallery, is to display a new series of boxes with gilded, silvered and blackened patinas.
Gagosian represents few other architects, including Frank Gehry, putting Marino in elite company. He, meanwhile, is an avid collector of Renaissance bronzes, sculptures by Les Lalanne and Robert Mapplethorpe photos.
His cabinet-sized bronze boxes can take up to a year to produce and are functional for storage — some with doors; others with drawers. They are manufactured in France by Ateliers Saint-Jacques and boast surface designs resembling water ripples, dragon scales or rough stone.

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Theory Names Siddhartha Shukla Chief Merchandising Officer

CHANGES AT THEORY: Siddhartha Shukla has been named chief merchandising officer at Theory, a new post. Most recently he was chief marketing officer. He will be responsible for product strategy and merchandising for Theory worldwide. Shukla will continue to work alongside chief executive officer Andrew Rosen on the overall vision and positioning of the brand and will collaborate with the company’s creative directors to ensure consistent alignment.
Succeeding Shukla as chief marketing officer is J.D. Ostrow. He will work with Rosen and Shukla to strategize the marketing and communication of the Theory brand worldwide. Most recently, Ostrow was senior vice president of engagement marketing for Burberry, based in London. Ostrow will oversee all marketing, communications, creative services, customer engagement and analytics.
In other news, Martin Andersson has been named creative director for men’s wear. He succeeds Ben Stubbington who left the company. Andersson was previously head of men’s wear design at Cos, a division of H&M. Earlier he was a designer at Aquascutum and Hackett, also in London, and was the founder and creative director of an eponymous apparel brand.

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23.05.2017No comments