LONG BEACH — Sebastien Bourdais is 40, so when he heard he was going to be inducted into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame along with Will Power, he thought someone was trying to put him out to pasture.

That’s not the case at all, as Bourdais and Power on Thursday were the first active IndyCar drivers to be enshrined since the inception of the Walk of Fame in 2006.

“It’s weird,” he said, smiling. “Like, when they told me I was going to be inducted, I was like, ‘Man, did somebody say I retired or something?’ Because usually it comes after that.”

Not only is he not retired, he doesn’t expect to do that any time soon.

“No, no, I’m not,” said Bourdais, who will compete in this week’s NTT IndyCar main event at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. “That’s why I was like, ‘Are they sending me a message?’ ”

Bourdais, of France, currently competes for Dale Coyne Racing. He was the king in Long Beach, winning three consecutive Champ Car races from 2005-07.

Bourdais said the 11-turn, 1.968-mile temporary street course suits his driving style. Something else is responsible for his success here.

“I’ve got a good feeling around here for whatever reason,” said Bourdais, who won the Champ Car series championship four consecutive years starting in 2004. “It wasn’t the case the first years I came, but then I found something and I stick to that feeling and I try and reproduce it. When I feel like that, I know it’s going to be quick.”

Bourdais was 16th in his first Champ Car race here in 2003 and third in 2004. He is coming off a third-place finish at last weekend’s Honda Indy Grand Prix of Alabama.

Power, 38, isn’t anywhere near retirement, either. He recently told this newspaper he believes he is the quickest he’s ever been and that he has another five competitive years left in him.

Power, of Australia, won the Grand Prix of Long Beach in 2008 and 2012. The victory in 2008 was the final Champ Car race since the series merged with IndyCar that year.

As he stood on the dais about to address the crowd, Power noticed all the medallions of those enshrined before him embedded into the concrete off Pine Ave. outside the west end of the convention center.

“When I think about my first race here in Long Beach in 2006, it really was a dream come true to be racing in the iconic Long Beach Grand Prix,” said Power, of Team Penske. “It’s had a very long and rich history in IndyCar racing and Formula One racing.

“When I look at the names along this walk of fame, I never would have dreamed I would have been in among Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, Jimmy Vasser.”

Power remembered his ’08 win in two ways.

“It was a fantastic day, fantastic win,” he said. “It was kind of a sad day as well. It was the last race of Champ Car, so it was really exciting that the two U.S.-based open-wheel series – IndyCar and Champ Car – merged back together.

“And now we have, I would say, probably the most competitive open-wheel series in the world, most versatile.”

CASTRONEVES ENJOYING SPORTS CARS

Helio Castroneves is in his second year in the IMSA WeatherTech sports car series after 16 years in IndyCar. At 43, he might not be driving much longer, but it appears he is enjoying himself.

He acknowledged the change hasn’t been easy, though. He and co-driver Ricky Taylor finished a respectable seventh in the series in 2018, with one race victory.

“It’s a completely different way of, you know, strategy,” said Castroneves, who will compete in IMSA this week for Team Penske. “Different car, when you have the restricted vision; I’m used to an open cock-pit. And now it’s so closed with a windshield.

“But I’ll tell you, when you have a great teammate like I do with Ricky Taylor, it makes things so much better.”

Perhaps what Castroneves likes most is the challenge to do well at something new at this stage in his career.

“It’s very, very hard. But that’s why I like it. I want to change, I want to improve, I want to be better. Having a teammate like I have, it makes me better.”

Castroneves has won the Indianapolis 500 three times. However, he never won an IndyCar series title, finishing second four times.

Castroneves, though done as a full-time IndyCar driver, will suit up for Team Penske for the Indy 500 in May. A victory would make him only the fourth driver to win the prestigious race four times.

The others are Al Unser, Rick Mears and A.J. Foyt.

Self-employed workers and business owners are urging California lawmakers to expand a bill, allowing more gig workers to be exempted from employee status.

In a gathering early Thursday at the North Orange County Chamber of Commerce, representatives from both groups said they are seeking to include additional exemptions in Assembly Bill 5 — a move that would allow more independent contractors to retain their job flexibility.

Authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, the bill exempts doctors, insurance agents, securities brokers and direct sellers (Mary Kay, Amway, etc.) from adhering to a 2018 California Supreme Court ruling that redefines what an independent contractor is.

The ‘ABC’ criteria

Under the court’s “ABC” criteria, a person or business is considered an independent contractor only if (A) they are free from the control and direction of an employer; (B) the work they perform falls outside the employer’s core business; (C) they have their own independent business or trade beyond the job for which they were hired.

AB 5 cleared its first major hurdle last week when the Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment approved the measure, 5-0.

Those seeking an expansion of the legislation want a variety of other workers exempted, including architects, engineers, lawyers, real estate agents, therapists, accountants, barbers, hair stylists and others who have advanced degrees, are licensed by the state or simply want to remain independent contractors.

When contacted Thursday, Gonzalez’ office said discussions regarding AB 5 are ongoing.

Nearly 2 million Californians are self-employed

California is estimated to have nearly 2 million residents who choose to work as independent contractors, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and that doesn’t count people who supplement their income through online work.

It’s all about flexibility, according to Mariana Bellis, who works as a mobile hair stylist through an app-based company called Glamsquad. The service allows customers to request an on-site appointment wherever they are.

“When I worked in a salon environment it was extremely restrictive,” said Bellis, 50, who lives in Los Angeles. “I had to sit there from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. whether I had a client or not … you just hoped for the best.”

That changed when she began work as an independent contractor with Glamsquad.

“I’ve been doing this for about two years and I enjoy it a lot more,” she said. “I can work one day and then take the next couple days off if I want and I’m not tied to specific clients.”

Mohamma Azam, an independent driver for California Yellow Cab, feels the same way.

“I can choose what hours I want to work,” the 47-year-old Anaheim resident said. “My wife doesn’t know how to drive, so I have to take my son to school and pick him up later in the day to take him home. I like not having a boss telling me what to do and what time I have to be at work.”

The ABC rules take away the flexibility independent contractors value so highly, and many say their income will take a hit. A 2017 Department of Labor survey found 79.1 percent of independent contractors preferred their current situation, while only 8.8 percent said they would rather have a traditional work arrangement.

Businesses saddled with more costs

The change also affects businesses. Employers that previously classified their workers as independent now have to cover medical benefits, workers compensation, payroll taxes and other costs for more employees.

The recent California Supreme Court ruling dates back to 2004 when Dynamex, a package and documents delivery company, converted its drivers to independent contractors in a move to save money.

A few months later, a group of drivers sued, claiming they performed the same basic tasks in the same manner as when they were employees but without the protections of the California labor code and wage orders, which regulate wages, hours and working conditions.

In April 2018, the court ruled in favor of the drivers. But it based its decision on the newly created ABC standards that had never been used in the state.

“I think AB 5 needs to be expanded to include a broader group of contractors,” said Theresa Harvey, president and CEO of the North Orange County Chamber of Commerce. “The gig economy benefits our overall economy in general.”

Harvey cited Uber Eats as an example. The online platform allows customers to order food from any restaurant and have it delivered to their door by an Uber driver. Restaurants benefit, she said, because it gives them a whole new source of revenue.

For those who weren’t yet born in the Vietnam War era, seeing a replica of the Washington, D.C., memorial to the tens of thousands of soldiers who died in the conflict can be an education beyond any classroom or textbook.

Twelve-year-old Ella Krival, who visited “The Wall That Heals” on display in Costa Mesa, said when she read about the war, the number of Americans killed seemed like just that – a number.

“When you see all the names on the wall, it seems like a lot more people who can’t live their lives and do normal things like have a family,” she said.

Ella and her family came from Carlsbad on Thursday, April 11, to see the three-quarter-scale model of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall, and thousands of others will likely travel from near and far to see it in Balearic Park before it gets packed up late Sunday, April 14.

The Vietnam War lasted from 1954 to 1975 and left more than 58,000 American servicemembers dead or missing. Their names are etched into the D.C. memorial and its replicas, but Julie Wilson, 62, of Costa Mesa, paid tribute to more than just them with her visit to Balearic Park.

“Such sadness, such a waste” of young, promising lives, she said, noting that still more American soldiers died later from the continuing effects of post-traumatic stress and exposure to Agent Orange.

“Even the ones not on the wall here were victims too,” she said.

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation maintains the wall and organizes its travels. The Freedom Committee of Orange County requested the Costa Mesa visit and lined up volunteers to set up the wall and serve as docents.

Committee President Scott Williams estimated between 20,000 and 30,000 people will stop by Balearic Park through the weekend to see the wall.

In bringing the memorial replica to Orange County, Williams and his fellow veterans are helping pass on the task of remembrance to younger generations, both figuratively and literally.

When Williams realized earlier this week that some of the vets who offered to assemble the display didn’t have the stamina to lift and move dozens of heavy panels, he put out a request for more help. About 70 somewhat younger folks showed up and pitched in, he said. Williams’ own granddaughters were on hand Thursday, offering to make pencil rubbings for anyone unable to stoop down or reach up to a loved one’s name.

Jerry “Doc” Spulecki, an Army medic who served in Vietnam, came from Lakewood to be a wall docent.

For him, it’s important to have a traveling version because plenty of people may never get to visit the original wall in Washington.

“The more that can get out to see it,” he said, “the better.”

If you go

When: The wall can be visited any time, day or night, until it closes at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 14.

Where: Balearic Park (also known as Estancia Park), 1975 Balearic Drive, Costa Mesa

Information: Two special events – an honor ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday and a closing ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday – are scheduled. More details are here.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Rory McIlroy finished up with a 73 Thursday and wondered why the first-round scores weren’t lower.

The explanation came a couple of hours later.

Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau hadn’t played yet.

Koepka, the reigning U.S. Open and PGA champion had that familiar cold stare and that unerring ball flight at the Masters, stomping through the back nine with five birdies and finishing at 6-under-par 66.

“It’s the best ball-striking round I’ve had at a major,” he said. “It’s not like I made a lot of putts today.”

But DeChambeau drew up alongside Koepka with birdies at 15 through 18 and two startling shots on 16 and 18.

His tee ball on 16 stopped a foot short of the pin and his approach on 18 rolled up to the cup and bounced off the pin.

“I guess I should have taken out the pin,” joked DeChambeau, who has been putting with the pin still in the hole this season.

That capped a 5-under back nine and placed him at 66, with two bogeys.

Three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson joined the spree with five birdies in his final seven holes for a 67, to get within a shot of Koepka and DeChambeau.

Ian Poulter had a precise 4-under 68 and joined Dustin Johnson in a tie for fourth.

Koepka has won three of the last six majors in which he has played. He missed the 2018 Masters with a wrist injury, but he has shown an aptitude for Augusta National, with finishes of 33rd, 22nd and 11th.

“I enjoy the big stage,” he said, “and I let a lot of things go during majors. I three-putted No. 8 today and in a regular event that would have driven me crazy. Today, I just said OK, whatever.”

He birdied the 12th through the 15th holes and was the only player who didn’t suffer a bogey.

So perhaps he wasn’t committing “self-sabotage” when he lost 24 pounds over the winter, an observation made by Brandel Chamblee of The Golf Channel.

Koepka admitted he had gone to extremes in workouts and diet, but has recovered the power, as he averaged 311 yards per drive Thursday.

“They used to say I was too big to play golf, now they say I’m too small,” Koepka said, shrugging. “I’m only worried about pleasing me.”

It was a surreal way to end a logjammed day. Mickelson, Koepka, DeChambeau, Johnson, Poulter, Kevin Kisner and Kiradech Aphibarnrat were a combined 26-under on the back nine, which, for the day, played .115 strokes per round harder than the front.

Tiger Woods briefly shared the lead at 3-under when he birdied 13 and 14. He missed a par putt on 17 to fall back to 2-under, which looked good for a while.

“I did everything I needed to do to post a good score,” Woods said. “My speed was good on the greens all day.”

It was the fifth time Woods had opened the Masters with a 70. In three of those years, he won.

Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos and UCLA shot 1-over 73. Aaron Wise, who went to Santiago High in Corona before he attended Oregon and became the NCAA individual champ, was leading in the early afternoon, but he finished bogey-double bogey-bogey and slumped to 75.

For a while, the leader was Justin Harding, a South African who played at Lamar University and is a Masters rookie. Despite a bogey on 18, he was at 3-under 69.

“I’ll take it and run if I can,” Harding said. “We’re not allowed to run here at Augusta.”

Two guys missed that memo.

Katie Lou Samuelson’s night began with being chosen by the Chicago Sky with the fourth overall pick in Wednesday’s 2019 WNBA draft. But the evening was just getting started.

Samuelson, the former Mater Dei High star and three-time Orange County Register player of the year,  was taken backstage after being selected by the Sky to watch a congratulatory video message from Larry Bird, one of her basketball idols.

She has worn jersey No. 33 since her high school days as a tribute to Bird.

Her reaction? Well … just watch:

That 3⃣3⃣ connection @33katielou was selected No. 4 overall pick by the @wnbachicagosky and received a surprise message from @nba legend Larry Bird pic.twitter.com/sxK1rm03jQ

— WNBA (@WNBA) April 11, 2019

Samuelson will join the professional ranks after leaving UConn as the fourth-leading scorer in the school’s rich women’s basketball history,  and No. 2 on the UConn all-time list of three-pointers made. In January, she surpassed the 2,000-point career mark, becoming only the 10th player in program history to reach the milestone. The 6-foot-3 Huntington Beach native is a three-time WBCA All-American, and helped lead the Huskies to the 2016 national championship. She was the Gatorade national high school player of the year as a senior at Mater Dei in 2015.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Katie Lou to the Chicago Sky family,” Sky General Manager and Head Coach James Wade said. “She is a winner – that goes unquestioned – and an incredibly smart, tough player. Katie Lou is someone who can not only play with everyone on our roster but will make everyone on our roster better.”

Samuelson is scheduled to join the Sky for the beginning of training camp on May 5. The team opens the 2019 regular season on May 25.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — The most unexpected score on Masters Thursday came from Mike Weir, the 48-year-old champion from 2003.

Weir hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation and put together a solid, even-par 72.

You might have wondered what happened to Weir, the left-hander who was a back-to-back winner at the PGA Tour event at Riviera and had eight Tour wins overall.

He played on the Tour only once last year and six times the previous year. Today he’s on the Web.com Tour, with the college kids and the hope merchants who are trying to get to where Weir used to be.

At Augusta Weir had not broken 76 since 2014, which was the only time he’s made the cut since 2010. He is ranked No. 1,765 in the world.

“I came here playing pretty well,” Weir said. “Oddly enough it’s my short game that’s been holding me back. I’ve had a couple of 66s on the Web.com Tour and then followed them up with 71 or 72.

“I have a new coach (Mark Blackburn) and I’m healthy. I still want to compete. There’s a long-distance bias in the game these days, so if you’re not long and you’re not hitting it solid, you’re in for a major struggle. I’m not saying I can get back into the top 10 in the world, but I think I can get pretty close to it.”

NEVER GETS OLD

Will Bernhard Langer someday shoot his age at Augusta National? Probably not, but the 61-year-old shot a 1-under 71, holing out a 40-foot chip for par on 18.

Langer, the dominant senior golfer of all time, has made the Masters cut four of the past six years and finished eighth in 2014 with a final-round 69. He won the tournament in 1985 and 1993.

BRUIN ON PROWL

UCLA’s Devon Bling had a Masters highlight before he officially teed it up. He had a hole-in-one on the seventh hole in the Par-3 Contest on Wednesday.

He wasn’t bad when the bell rang, either, managing an even-par 72 in the first round.

“My speed on the putts wasn’t bad, but I’m just not accustomed to a 4-foot putt breaking (the width of) a cup and a half,” Bling said.

He said he slept well Wednesday night despite the excitement of his ace. “My phone was blowing up pretty good, I couldn’t even unlock it,” he said.

THIS AND THAT

The hardest hole on the course in round one was the 18th, which gave up only one birdie, to Adam Scott. … The easiest was the par-5 13th, which played to a stroke average of 4.552. … Ian Poulter hit 16 of 18 greens and led the field with approaches that averaged only 26 feet, 8 inches from the hole. … DeChambeau’s nine birdies led the field. … Paul Casey, who shot 81, had none.

Alejandro Aranda came one step closer to realizing “American Idol” judge Katy Perry’s hunch.

During auditions, Perry singled out the 24-year-old dishwasher from Pomona as this season’s front-runner. And he hasn’t strayed from expectations.

This week, Aranda sang a duet with Ben Harper, whose family-owned Folk Music Center in Claremont was where he used to go to play guitars. Harper remembered Aranda’s playing. The two musicians, each singing and playing guitar, performed the song “There Will Be a Light” from Harper’s album with the Blind Boys of Alabama, and it wowed the judges.

Luke Bryan praised Aranda’s “quiet, gentle” character “that lets the music do all the talking for him.”

Perry called him her “emo homie.”

The self-taught vocalist advances to the Top 14 when live voting starts on Sunday, April 14.

American Idol

When: 8 p.m. Sunday, April 14, and Monday, April 15

Where: ABC

In an annual competition as old as some of the grandparents in attendance, who might have competed in the event, the 2019 Youth Track Meet of Champions, organized by the city of Newport Beach, is expected to feature between 400 and 500 children April 26 at Newport Harbor High.

A scroll down the track records on the website, newportbeachca.gov/sports, lists many names from yesteryear, including one of the oldest marks held by former basketball standout Jeff Fryer.

On the heels of college basketball’s NCAA championship game, it seems fitting that Fryer, who played professional basketball for more than nine years, remains in the Track Meet of Champions record book. From 1982, Fryer owns the meet’s all-time mark in the 14-and-under boys high jump at 5 feet, 5.5 inches.

After an outstanding basketball career at Corona del Mar High, Fryer enjoyed a celebrated time at Loyola Marymount, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament three straight seasons, including the Lions’ Cinderella runs in 1990 when they reached the Elite Eight. In the second round, Loyola Marymount shocked defending national champion Michigan, 149-115, as Fryer established an NCAA record with 11 3-pointers.

The Lions’ 1990 campaign was a national story after the tragedy of standout forward Hank Gathers, who collapsed on the court and died during a game in the West Coast Conference Tournament. Fryer and Bo Kimble spearheaded Loyola Marymount’s emotional run in the NCAA Tournament.

In his four-year career at Loyola Marymount, Fryer played in 112 games and scored 1,922 points – 1,089 of them coming from beyond the 3-point line. He ranks sixth all-time in scoring and holds seven of the nine 3-point records at LMU. In 2014, Fryer was inducted into the West Coast Conference Hall of Honor.

After college, Fryer played professionally in the U.S., Germany, Spain, Australia and Canada.

The oldest record in the Track Meet of Champions, which started in 1966, is held by Kevin Reeser in the 13U boys long jump at 16 feet, 2 inches from 1968.

For the girls, the oldest mark is Susan Kruse’s long jump of 15 feet, 5 inches in the 15U division from 1975.

Other notable records are owned by Jennifer Glueck from 1986, in which she clocked a 13.8 in the 13U 100 meters. She is tied with Christina Twicken, who posted a 13.8 in 2005. Glueck went to star in track and field and cross country for Newport Harbor under Coach Eric Tweit.

Danielle Scott, one of the area’s all-time great tennis players and a CdM product, is the 8U record holder in the softball throw from 1978 at 93 feet.

As a pro on the Women’s Tennis Association Tour in the 1990s, Scott was ranked as high as 75th in doubles and competed in the main draw in all four Grand Slams.

There are 16 divisions in the Track Meet of Champions, eight each in boys and girls, and registration closes for non-residents April 23. There is no registration for non-residents on the day of the meet. The cost for Newport Beach resident registration before April 12 is $10. It increases to $13 after that date.

The event is among the few city-sponsored youth track meets in Orange County. Athletes who finish in the top four in each division will advance to the Orange County Champions Meet in May. For more information, call 949-644-3151.

While it attracts millions of visitors annually, many Southern California residents will likely never make the pilgrimage to Rome to experience Michelangelo’s magnificent frescoes painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

But they can more easily find their way to the Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, where “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” will be on display through Jan.11.

The traveling exhibit features 34 of Michelangelo’s renowned Sistine Chapel frescoes, including the iconic “The Creation of Man,” in which God and Adam are reaching towards each other, their index fingers nearly touching.

The frescos have been digitally emblazoned on fabric panels to within centimeters of their actual size. They are displayed in the exhibit in roughly the same position as they are in the Sistine Chapel, either as walls or above as a ceiling.

“We wanted to bring a little bit of Rome to Orange  County,” Christ Cathedral Communication Director Tracey Kincaid said. “A lot of people don’t get to go to Rome to the Sistine Chapel to see this kind of art work. Not only that, when you go,  (the frescoes) are on the ceiling when you go there so you don’t get that up close interaction.”

The exhibit will coincide with the dedication of the renovated Christ Cathedral, formerly the  Crystal Cathedral, which is scheduled for July 17.

“We wanted to bring something here that was an addition to the cathedral, but for the world, because we are a destination for people,” Kincaid said.

Among the recreated frescos, which are depictions from Book of Genesis, are: “The Creation of Eve,”  “The Separation of Light From Darkness,” “The Drunkenness of Noah,” “The Temptation and Expulsion” and “The Great Flood.”

The exhibit, which has been displayed in museums, cathedrals and other venues throughout the United States, Europe and South America, is not intended to duplicate the Sistine Chapel, said Eric Leong, producer for Special Exhibitions, owners of the exhibit.

“We are just offering a different perspective and a different experience of seeing the art,” Leong said. “It’s not 60 feet away. You can take your time, study, and take photos if you want. You are not going to have a chance to see the art this close.

“We’re not saying it’s better or worse,” he said. “It’s just a different experience.”

The company does not promote the Sistine Chapel exhibit as a religious exhibit, Leong said. While the depictions are religious, the frescoes are to be appreciated as art.

Michelangelo completed the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling frescos on Nov. 1, 1512, culminating more than four years of work.

In 1536, Michelangelo was summoned by Pope Julius II to return to the chapel to redesign the alter wall.

The artist then spent five more years creating the “Last Judgement.”

Informational panels written in English and Spanish will be adjacent to every fresco and audio guides will be available for rent.

If you go

What: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition

Where: Christ Cathedral 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove; in the Cultural Center

Open: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Tickets: General admission is $18; seniors 62 and older/military/college students with ID are $12; children 7-18 years are $9

Information: sistineexhibit.com

Cacti aren’t exactly out of place in the desert, but a certain set of cacti created for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival are going to be a much better backdrop for an Instagram selfie.

“Colossal Cacti,” an installation designed by Office Kovacs (architects Andrew Kovacs and Erin Wright), consists of seven large, brightly-colored saguaro-like sculptures that range in size from 13-52 feet. Kovacs said that the sculptures form a sort of skyline on the festival grounds.

“We were looking at those types of cacti and just in terms of our design process, thinking about say the proportions of these and maybe imagining cacti at the size of architecture or the size of the building,” he said. “So it’s kind of imagining what they would be like if they were to become colossal.”

The sculptures are perhaps not the most accurate representations of saguaros. Rather than the normal curvature of a cactus, the sculptures have sharp, 90 degree angles and some unusual adornments.

“Each of them have a grid to kind of reference the spine of real cacti and these grids are made up of road reflectors,” Kovacs said. “So the road reflectors that you would normally have on the highway, sort of between lanes, we are sort of appropriating that object and kind of using it as a way to sort of pattern and sort of highlight the proportions of our large sculptures.”

Kovacs said that because of the height of the sculptures he hopes they will create some shaded areas for people to lounge as the festival temperature rises.

This is Kovacs and Wright’s first art installation at the festival and while most of the work for the installation has been done within the past year, Kovacs has been building a relationship with festival organizers over the past several.

He said he first met with Raffi Lehrer, associate art director for the festival, four years ago and got to show Lehrer some of his work then. Kovacs and Lehrer reconnected two years ago when Kovacs had work on display at the Chicago Architecture Biennial.

About a year ago, Kovacs came out to Coachella to see the large installations being built and not long after he and Wright began submitting proposals to the festival.

There are a few different interactions the architect said he hopes people will have with the sculptures when they pass by them.

“I think if they become more interested in architecture, and the built environment, and say the role architecture and design can play in the world, I think that’s a great outcome,” he said. “I think if it can provide someone with shade or rest during the festival at kind of like a function level, that’s a great outcome. I think if it provides a great backdrop for people to take images of themselves, that’s also a great outcome.”

Even if people just find the cacti interesting as they walk by, Kovacs is happy with that, too.

“That’s the reaction I hope for is that someone walks by and says ‘Oh, that’s cool,’” he said. “For me that’s a success then.”

The Los Angeles Lakers have the 2018-19 NBA season in the rear view mirror after making another change.

While 16 teams are preparing for their respective playoff openers this weekend, the Lakers will start a coaching search.

After three seasons, the organization decided to part ways from coach Luke Walton. While the move was expected, reactions started to pour in on social media about where purple and gold can go from here.

Reaction:

Want to thank Luke and the rest of the coaching staff for allowing me to be me from day 1 they say opportunity is everything in the league and they gave me that right from the jump. https://t.co/CcvHJRr7TH

— kuz (@kylekuzma) April 12, 2019

I saw it coming lol I would say anyone but Ty Lue

— P (@BAULAPARRANTES) April 12, 2019

Ty Lue, who won a championship as a player in 2001, is reportedly the top candidate for the coaching vacancy. Lue coached LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers to a NBA Championship in 2016.

Monty Williams, who spent five years as the New Orleans Pelicans’ coach, is also considered as a coaching candidate.

The Monty Williams candidacy is a serious one with the Lakers, league sources tell ESPN. He has history with LeBron James as a Team USA assistant and a successful run w/ Pelicans as a head coach. Ty Lue checks the boxes too: ex-Laker, championship coach, LeBron James-approved.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 12, 2019

I like Luke Walton, but he wasn’t a good match with the Lakers or with LeBron.

— Charles Fracchia (@cfrac22) April 13, 2019

Damn Luke Walton gone now smh

— B (@If_ItAint_B) April 12, 2019

Yes Luke Walton is gon!!!!

— @danadaneNthangz (@frelow_dana) April 12, 2019

I believe the lakers squad made luke Walton look bad. The laker players are so unconsistent smh

— Ral (@_RRal4) April 12, 2019

Since the Lakers fired Luke Walton, per NBA rules, that makes LeBron both the president and the head coach.

— Rodney (@weavr) April 12, 2019

Walton could land on his feet with Sacramento Kings.

Kings GM Vlade Divac fired coach Dave Joerger Thursday.

Make of it what you may, but Dave Joerger and Luke Walton share identical 98-148 records over the last three seasons. If nothing else an amusing coincidence. #Kings pic.twitter.com/35CP04hNsm

— Joe Musso (@MooseOnAir) April 13, 2019

Will Luke Walton be headed to the Sacramento Kings? https://t.co/x6KS6ZaZOT

— Dean Pickering (@deanpickering) April 13, 2019

Kings gonna make the playoffs with Luke Walton lol

— DickInBae_Mutumbo (@505suthrnguido) April 13, 2019

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait…the Kings fired their HC for Luke Walton? WILD!!!

— Devin Shaw (@DevinShaw4) April 13, 2019

An Orange County Superior Court judge has denied attorneys for a Newport Beach surgeon and his girlfriend, who are accused of drugging and raping seven women, access to internal correspondence from prosecutors.

The defense request came amid months worth of pretrial jockeying over hundreds, potentially more than a thousand, videos collected from Grant William Robicheaux and Cerissa Laura Riley that prosecutors initially alleged might contain footage of the couple having sex with intoxicated women.

Robicheaux and Riley have denied the charges, contending that no non-consensual sexual contact occurred.

Attorneys for the couple have alleged in court filings that references to the videos during several September press conferences by then-District Attorney Tony Rackauckas led to widespread attention for the case, tainting the jury pool.

“Such attention resulted in a virtually unprecedented amount of national and international attention, which very quickly led the world to label, vilify and convict Robicheaux and Riley as record-setting rapists, before one piece of testimony had ever been heard,” their attorneys wrote in a court filing earlier this year.

During a confusing back and forth with reporters at one of the September press conference, Rackauckas responded to a question regarding how many videos of different victims prosecutors had in their possession by saying “many,” then, when asked a followup question about whether it was “more than a thousand,” saying “I think so.”

Whether Rackauckas was referring to the number of videos or victims was unclear from that exchange, although prosecutors later noted that they didn’t know how many potential victims there were.

Weeks after the press conferences, prosecutors acknowledged in court that they had only looked at a fraction of the footage, their efforts slowed by the possibility that some of the electronic evidence belonging to Robicheaux, an orthopedic surgeon, could potentially be covered by doctor-patient confidentiality.

In a recent court filing, prosecutors argued that by requesting internal communications regarding the videos, the defense attorneys were not seeking material that would exonerate their clients, but instead were taking part in a “fishing expedition.”

“Defendants have made claims for which they have no evidence other than a poorly worded answer to a question at a press conference, which was later corrected on many occasions,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Lockhart wrote.

In a written ruling released this week denying the defense attorneys’ requests for the internal communication, Judge Gregory Jones referred to comments made during the press conference as “unfortunate prosecutorial hyperbole.”

“The defense contends, and it appears the people concede, the subject statements by Rackauckas were incorrect,” the judge wrote. “Will Rogers is credited with the famous quote ‘Never miss a good chance to shut up.’”

The couple’s attorneys have indicated they ultimately plan to file a motion requesting the case against the pair be dismissed due to outrageous government conduct.

Coachella Valley artist Sofia Enriquez has long been interested in both fashion and art and her first-ever installation at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, “Mismo,” blends the two with ease.

In “Mismo,” Enriquez has taken paisleys — the kind of swirling, swoopy pattern you might see on a tie or someone’s sofa — and blown them up big as three dimensional sculptures which double as murals. The paisleys are 14-18 feet high and arranged in a circular format. One of the murals sits in the center of the circular area at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on a pedestal.

Enriquez said the piece is about feminism and equality.

“It’s called ‘the same’ so I kind of tried to make something that a lot of people have worn into something big and put in people’s faces that like, ‘Hey, we are all the same,’” she said. “We’re all in the same place, we’re all in the same life. Like all our lives are different, but we’re all in this time period together.”

Each of the murals has its own color scheme. Enriquez said one of the murals, darker with more muted colors, is meant to symbolize someone who is more introverted; another with basic primary colors is meant to symbolize someone who is always ready and not afraid to talk; and yet another with light pastel colors is meant to represent someone innocent.

“And then I have one that’s kind of darker, that’s more earth tone, cause we all know people like that, that are into earth tones only,” Enriquez said, with laugh.

Enriquez drew a lot of inspiration from her personal life.

“I kind of got a lot of my ideas from my family and what the women and the men wear — It’s something that both genders or no gender wear a lot, either working or not working, or it’s in a nice upholstery in someone’s home or something,” she said. “It’s something that I see a lot in my life so I kind of wanted to show that it transcends through gender and through age.”

In addition to the installation itself, Enriquez will have what she calls a performance component where four to six models will wear clothing items she’s had custom made from 4-7 p.m. each of the three days of both weekends.

Though Enriquez has worked for Coachella Art Studios for five years, this is the first time she’s had a piece on the field.

“I think it’s probably the greatest feeling ever,” she said. “It feels fake. Like, it does, it feels like, ‘What?’ I don’t know, I’ve just been working really hard for something like this to happen and it happened and it’s just, like, ‘Woah, that was fast.’ It’s very validating.”

She said she hopes her work is well-received.

“I just hope people take a lot of pictures with them, and try to find that speaks to them the most,” she said. “I think that would be really cool, just to find the colors and the symbols that you’re more comfortable with which is something really fun to discover in terms of identity.”

PLAYA VISTA — Where were you when you heard DeMarcus Cousins was joining Golden State?

Remember? On July 2, a day after Lebron James agreed to join the Lakers, the two-time defending champion Warriors sent a seismic jolt through the basketball world when they reached an agreement with the four-time All-Star center.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers said he remembers clearly how he reacted when he heard about the signing.

“I didn’t overreact like everyone else; I thought, ‘Good for DeMarcus,’ ” Rivers said. “Honestly, I thought it was great for him. I thought the Warriors were the right team to sign him, you know, because they could wait for him (to return from a torn Achilles tendon).

“Listen,” Rivers continued, “… he would’ve had a huge pay day and he tore his Achilles. And the nice side of me, ’cause it’s in the summer, was thinking like, ‘Good. This’ll give him a chance to get right.’ ”

That was then, of course.

Now Rivers’ upstart Clippers will have to contend with a fifth All-Star in the Warriors’ starting lineup when the teams meet in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, beginning Saturday night in Oakland.

#Warriors’ DeMarcus Cousins on not seeing a double-team tonight vs. the #Clippers – “This is a first in my entire basketball career. I definitely can get used to this.” pic.twitter.com/mpmy9YOnFu

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) January 19, 2019

Cousins made his Golden State debut with 14 points and much fanfare against the Clippers on Jan. 18 at Staples Center. Entering his first postseason action this weekend, the 6-foot-11 center has played 30 games with the Warriors, averaging 16.3 points and collecting 8.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have thought that because now we’re playing them,” Rivers joked. “They’re better (with him). He’s a great player.”

WELCOME BACK, DOC

Despite last season’s valiant effort, the injury-plagued Clippers just missed making the playoffs, snapping Rivers’ postseason appearance streak at 10.

“Yeah, it was awful,” Rivers said Friday before the Clippers held their only full practice prior to Saturday night’s series opener at Oracle Arena in Oakland. “It was awful not being in the playoffs.”

He said it was tough to watch the postseason go on without him – even if he sort of remained involved, behind the scenes.

“I felt like I was coaching in the playoffs,” Rivers said. “I got a lot of calls during the playoffs last year because a lot of my coaches were still in it. Honestly, it was no fun. I got one call and it was right after a game – I’m not gonna say the team or the coach – but he said, ‘What do you think about that?’ And I said, ‘Honestly, I wasn’t even watching the game. I can’t help you. I’ll go back and watch it later.’

“This time, I’m in it and I can probably get some information from some of them.”

PLAYA VISTA — Somewhere between David’s upset over Goliath and Denver’s shocking first-round takedown of the top-seeded Seattle SuperSonics in 1994, that’s where you’d file a Clippers first-round series victory over the Golden State Warriors.

“I think it’s bigger honestly (than 1994); Golden State is one of the greatest teams ever to be assembled,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said before practice Friday.

Still, “someone’s gonna beat them,” Rivers said. “It’s gonna happen. Either it’s gonna be another team or they’ll implode themselves, but I just know 10 years from now, they’ll not still be winning. Someone’s gonna do it.

“You gotta go in thinking it’s us.”

The Clippers will take their first crack at an upset of epic proportions on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series at Oracle Arena, where they’ll be greeted by the top-seeded Golden State Warriors. After finishing the regular season a relatively mortal 57-25, Golden State begins the playoffs as the odds-on favorite to win its fourth NBA title in five seasons.

The surprising, eighth-seeded Clippers (48-34) have yet to win a title, but those within the organization, with its ambitions of landing star free-agents this summer and competing for championships soon, believe every additional step now is taking them in the right direction.

This season has already been a success, which the Clippers acknowledge, even if they’d rather not focus on that right now.

“You want to push that out of your mind,” said starting forward Danilo Gallinari, who will make his first playoff appearance since 2012, when he played for the Denver Nuggets. “You get to this point and it doesn’t make any sense to get to the playoffs and just lose in the first round and then you’re out. You want to be focused, you want to win, you want to go to the end. That’s the reason why you make it to the playoffs.

“It’s great to be here and of course nobody thought that we could be here but now we here, we want to play.”

Business trip to the Bay. pic.twitter.com/yQAbYg3BeE

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 12, 2019

The teams’ play, in some respects, is relatively even.

They’re two of the league’s top scoring squads. The Warriors rank second in the NBA with an average of 117.7 points per game, not all that far in front of the Clippers’ fifth-ranked 115.1 – figures that reflect the fact that both teams are top eight or better in key shooting categories.

Golden State shoots 47.1 percent from the field, the best in the league. The Clippers make 49.1 percent of their shots, seventh in the NBA.

From behind the arc, the Clippers make their shots at a 38.8 percent clip (second); the Warriors hit 3s at 38.5 percent rate (third). And from the free-throw line, the Warriors are 80.1 percent shooters (fifth) and the Clippers are 79.2 percent foul shooters (eighth).

They also rebound at a similar rate: Golden State grabs 46.2 boards per game and the Clippers get 45.5 per contest. They even turn over the ball about equally often, with the Warriors losing it 14.3 times per game and the Clippers 14.5.

Still, in key ways, the Warriors have Goliath-esque advantages. Take their ball movement, for example; it’s the best.

The Warriors average 29.4 assists per game, No. 1 in the league. The Clippers’ 24 assists per game ranks 18th.

And so the Clippers will be tasked with trying to interrupt the Warriors’ wicked transition game.

“Listen, they do what they do and they do it well,” Rivers said. “We have to try to guard it as hard as we can guard it. We have to be as physical as we can be without losing who we are and losing our principles.”

They’ll pick their poison, preferring for center DeMarcus Cousins and forward Draymond Green to get looks at the basket before sharpshooters Steph Curry, Klay Thompson or Kevin Durant.

“I don’t think we need an analytical staff to tell you that if Steph, Klay and Durant are taking the bulk of the shots, it’s probably not gonna turn out well for you,” Rivers said. “Anytime you can limit any one of those three from taking a shot, it’s a good thing.”

The Clippers will do their best to respond to Golden State’s inevitable scoring barrages with runs of their own: “The game of basketball is a game of runs, that’s all it is,” Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell said. “It’s about who’s run can go the longest.”

Rivers said his gladly overworked coaching staff has spotted some things that could benefit the Clippers in their labored evaluation of the teams’ four meetings this year (the last three of which were won by the Warriors).

“Of course,” Rivers said. “Same with them. I’m sure they see things they’re gonna try to take advantage of.”

The key, Clippers rookie point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said, sounding wise beyond his 20 years, will be hanging tough.

“They’re obviously really talented and they come at you for 48 minutes,” he said. “So (it’s about) withstanding their talent level and their energy level for 40 minutes.”

Happy Coachella! We’re out at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and here’s who we’re seeing on stage Friday, April 12, 2019.

This gallery will be updated as we see more artists on Friday.

If you want more festival news and coverage delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Festival Pass newsletter.

More than two weeks after Orange County and Adelanto officials said they were getting out of the immigrant detention business, the fate of some 2,500 people still held in prison-like facilities remains unclear.

Though federal immigration officials declined comment Friday, they indicated last month that detainees in Orange County and Adelanto could be sent out of California.

Because such relocation could affect thousands of families in the region – separating immigrant parents and spouses from their loved ones, and from their lawyers – the continued uncertainty is generating frustration and fear in the community. Some detainee families and supporters plan to hold a rally Saturday outside the Theo Lacy jail in Orange to draw public attention to the situation.

“The biggest concern we have is what’s going to happen to people detained? Our hope is that ICE will free them,” said Santa Ana resident Jose Servin, spokesman for the California Immigrant Youth Justice Alliance.

In Orange County, as the Sheriff’s Department winds down its contract to hold immigrant detainees, the U.S. Customs and Enforcement Agency has stopped transferring detainees into the Theo Lacy and James A. Musick jails, Sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Braun said Friday.

The number of civilian immigrant detainees in Orange County jails has steadily decreased since March 27, when Sheriff Don Barnes announced that his agency will end its contract with ICE on Aug. 1. In March, the jails held an average of 703 detainees per day. This month, Braun said the average has been 593 a day, dropping from 651 on April 1 to 545 on Friday.

It’s unclear whether any detainees have been transferred elsewhere or released on bond. It’s also unclear where new detainees who would have been detained in Orange County have been sent instead.

“Movement happens all the times with detainees. We don’t know if that movement happened because of the announcement. We just know we’re not being brought detainees for long-term holding,” said Braun, who referred most questions to federal immigration officials.

ICE officials declined to answer questions but instead provided statements they’ve released in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, the city of Adelanto soon may revisit its recent move to pull out of its contract with ICE and a private company that owns and runs the state’s largest immigrant detention center in town.

On March 27, Adelanto City Manager Jessie Flores wrote ICE and The GEO Group, a private company that owns and runs the immigrant detention center in town, that the city was ending its role in a contract with the two agencies. As it stands, the plan is to end the contracts within 120 days.

But during a council meeting this week, Adelanto Councilwoman Stevevonna Evans asked the city attorney if Adelanto can rescind Flores’ letters and bring the issue back to the council for a public hearing. Evans said the matter is “better suited for a council decision.” Fellow Councilman Gerardo Hernandez agreed. City attorney Victor Ponto said he would come back at a future meeting with an answer to their request.

Immigrant-rights advocates fear that if the city of Adelanto isn’t involved in the contract, then GEO could work directly with ICE, possibly expanding the number of people who can be held in what is now a nearly 2,000-bed facility. Stevevonna said that was the stated goal of GEO owner George Zoley, who asked the city to end its role in the contract so he could expand the facility. Zoley, whose company owns detention centers across the country, has declined comment.

The Adelanto ICE Processing Center, meanwhile, appears to be taking in new detainees, according to several attorneys and immigrant-rights advocates.

“From what we see, new detainees continue to arrive. To me that indicates there are plans to continue operations. If there were plans to close, I don’t think there would be new people arriving,” said Patricia Ortiz, director of the Esperanza Imigrant Rights Project, a non-profit legal program of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles.

In Orange County, the sheriff said his department chose to end its contract so it could better focus on mental health issues for the remaining inmate population. The department is updating existing housing at the Central Jail Complex in Santa Ana and building a new Musick facility near Irvine.

Sameer Ahmed, an attorney with the ACLU of Southern California, believes other factors were at play.

“The Orange County Sheriff’s decision was made because of the years of advocacy by community and legal groups uncovering the deplorable conditions at the Orange County jails,” Ahmed wrote in an email. “(T)he Sheriff feared liability from both pending and future lawsuits.”

LAGUNA BEACH — Robert Stewart Sant, a Laguna Beach High School lacrosse coach, has been arrested on suspicion of inappropriate touching of three girls on his team.

Sant, 37, of Irvine, was arrested Tuesday, April 9, on three counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child, said Laguna Beach police Sgt. Jim Cota. Sant posted $100,000 bail.

The incidents were first reported to Cpl. Cornelius Ashton, the Laguna Beach Police Department’s school resource officer at Laguna Beach High School.

“Ashton was advised that their Laguna Beach High School lacrosse coach inappropriately touched them in non-intimate areas on their bodies,” Cota said. “The most recent incident happened on a school bus on April 4 on the way home from a lacrosse game.”

Sant, who was in his first season as lacrosse head coach, is no longer employed by Laguna Beach Unified School District, effective April 5, said Leisa Winston, assistant superintendent.

The district is cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation, Winston said.

Saxophone master Kenny G made a surprise appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Saturday, April 13.

• Related:  Twitter is in shock after DJ Snake brings out Selena Gomez, Ozuna and Cardi B

The musician played a saxophone solo alongside Hawthorne singer Cuco during Chon’s Mojave tent set. Those in attendance took the opportunity to take video and photo of the virtuoso.

Those tones @kennyg @CHONofficial pic.twitter.com/PXOqas0Gy1

— Coachella (@coachella) April 13, 2019

This was amazing

— DT (@WithoutAnAnchor) April 13, 2019

Even Goldenvoice, the company who puts together the festival hoped to catch the Chon and Kenny G. collaboration. Unfortunately, the band finished before the Coachella’s Twitter post.

Is @kennyg in @CHONofficial now? https://t.co/OJuHPGUmNq

— goldenvoice (@goldenvoice) April 13, 2019

The band Chon posted a teaser photo of their special guest and their set time.

So @kennyg is in CHON now. See u at 12:40 at the Mojave stage @coachella pic.twitter.com/ci0bLbPvWk

— CHON (@CHONofficial) April 13, 2019

@CHONofficial and @kennyg on stage together? Some babies will be made in that #Coachella crowd

— Randy Milian (@rmilian5) April 13, 2019

View this post on Instagram

Yea, get it Kenny!

A post shared by Rebecca Stevens (@shmebecca) on Apr 13, 2019 at 1:08pm PDT

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Nature must be a powerful matriarch. Even Augusta National defers to her power.

The club felt forced to drastically move up the schedule for the Masters Tournament’s fourth round Sunday.

Players will be grouped in threesomes and will begin their rounds on both No. 1 and No. 10. The round will begin at 7:30 EDT, (4:30, PDT) and the final group tees off at 9:20 a.m. EDT (6:20 PDT).

The high probability of violent thunderstorms, predicted to arrive mid-afternoon Sunday, forced the Masters’ hand. The round will be telecast live by CBS.

There was talk of postponing the round altogether and playing on Monday, which is expected to be dry and cool. The Masters has an uncanny record of dodging such inconveniences. Not since Seve Ballesteros won in 1983 has the tournament been pushed to Monday.

“I think it’s great,” said Tony Finau, who will be in that final group after his Saturday 64 got him to 11-under-par. “I was in the last group at the U.S. Open last year. You have to wait so long to play. It felt like the longest day of my life.”

AMATEUR HOUR

Four amateurs made the Masters cut, the most since 1999. The leader is Viktor Hovland, a Norwegian who plays at Oklahoma State and won the U..S. Amateur last year. He is at 2-under-par.

Takumi Kanaya of Hiroshima, Japan is one stroke behind him and shot 68 on Saturday. Then come Alvaro Ortiz of Mexico and the U. of Arkansas at one-over-par and UCLA’s Devon Bling at 2-over. Bling, from Ridgecrest, has shot 74-73-71.

TRADITION CONTINUES

Even with the compliant conditions, one amazing tradition continues.

No player ever has shot four rounds in the 60s at the Masters, a tournament that began in 1934.

Justin Harding and Adam Scott had a chance after the first two rounds, but Harding shot 70 on Saturday after two 69s, and Scott could only manage a 72 after his opening rounds of 69-68.

Patrick Reed beat 70 in his first three rounds last year and shot 71 on Sunday in his winning effort.

THIS AND THAT

The average score on Saturday was 70.769 with 19 players breaking 70. The record low round was on Sunday last year (70.491)….Of the past five winners, only Danny Willett did not have at least a share of the lead after 54 holes….Francesco Molinari has now scrambled successfully 14 of 14 times….Xander Schauffele leads the field with 18 birdies….Tiger Woods, Webb Simpson, Justin Thomas and Emiliano Grillo led the field Saturday by reaching 16 greens in regulation.