Preparation in all aspects of her job is key the OSU Sports Medicine team has made that aspect of her job easy There’s even a group chat with other OSU Sports Medicine athletic trainers The players aren’t the only ones who must work to keep their emotions in check.  the two joined the rest of the team to meet fans and greet family and friends Print Local officials highlighted ongoing efforts to ensure Laguna Beach has enough water getting to hydrants so firefighters can do their jobs during a news conference Monday after returning from a visit to fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades Mayor Alex Rounaghi and City Manager Dave Kiff checked in with firefighters stationed in the Huntington Palisades neighborhood over the weekend before hosting a Zoom session with reporters They were joined by Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King and Laguna Beach County Water District General Manager Keith Van Der Maaten “I was just struck by how much it looks like Laguna Beach,” Kiff said of the community on the edge of the Palisades fire’s reach you could picture it being Skyline [Drive in Laguna Beach] Laguna officials addressed a variety of concerns raised in the wake of multiple fires that consumed large swaths of Los Angeles County Among these were reports that fire hydrants went dry as crews battled flames Los Angeles’ fire hydrants are supplied by three water tanks that each hold about one million gallons. Amid the fires, local water infrastructure faced four times its normal demand for 15 hours straight. As water ran low, it became difficult to maintain enough pressure in lines to pump against gravity into communities in the canyons. Former Los Angeles Department of Water General Manager Martin Adams told the Los Angeles Times the system was made to douse individual house fires, not meant to handle kind of massive blazes that have become increasingly common in California. By comparison, Laguna Beach’s current water infrastructure was designed with lessons of the 1993 Laguna Canyon Fire in mind, Van Der Maaten said. He noted that during that disaster, which scorched 16,684 acres and destroyed 366 homes, six of the reservoirs supplying the city at the time ran out of water. He and Rounaghi also highlighted progress on the Doheny desalination plant and plans to drill a new well in partnership with Newport Beach and Fountain Valley, further improving Laguna Beach’s water resiliency moving forward. Van Der Maaten said “right now we have ample supply,” and “we can rely on our pumps, our generators, to function they way they’re supposed to.” However he noted that no municipality’s water supply is limitless and “every water system at some point will run out of water.” Meanwhile in the face of climate change, devastating fires capable of pushing infrastructure to its limits are becoming part of what Rounaghi called a “new normal.” “We plan based on modeling,” Van Der Maaten said. “We have modeling that shows our system’s in good shape. It’s based on certain criteria. But I think the question coming out of this is do we need to increase that planning to more extreme situations?” Meanwhile, emergency response teams in Orange County are are closely monitoring conditions and responding immediately with as many resources as can be spared even on small hot spots. On Saturday, county and city firefighters stamped roughly 20 square feet of smoldering vegetation on the 31100 block of Coast Highway and responded to a patch of hot coals that may have been used as a warming fire near Soka University in Aliso Viejo. Crews stayed behind to make sure there were no lingering embers. Eric Licas covers Newport Beach for the Daily Pilot. He previously was a crime and public safety reporter and, before that, spent four years as a staff writer with the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. He has been on the ground to cover active wildfires, civil unrest and mass shootings. He was born in the Philippines, raised in the San Fernando Valley and is a Cal State Northridge alumnus. News Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map The Barça basketball team went down to a 95-92 defeat against La Laguna Tenerife in a game that went right down to the wire After keeping pace with the visitors for the entire first half the team from the Canary Islands opened up a gap late on Barça had the chance to send the game into overtime but Jabari Parker's effort bounced out Barça knew it wouldn't be easy in the Palau against the side that knocked them out of the Copa del Rey Tenerife came into the game in third place in the league and the visitors began the game focused kept pace and at the end of the first quarter the teams were locked together at 19-19 Tenerife's shooting took a dip and Joan Peñarroya's team forced their way back into the contest At half time the blaugranes held a slender lead at 40-39 An equal third quarter saw the team again inseparable as they went into the final period all square at 65-65 A poor beginning to the final quarter saw Barça fall 10 points behind after a period where Tenerife outscored them 14-3 The blaugranes clawed their way and at 95-92 Parker had a three pointer that could have taken the game into overtime but his effort bounced out to condemn Barça to defeat Parra (14) - starting five - Anderson (10) Doornekamp (13) - starting five - Kostadinov (0) The original capital of the Canary Islands went on to become the much-replicated blueprint for colonial Spanish cities across the Americas a fisherman’s town,” guide Jaime Muñoz scoffed referring to one of the two present-day capitals of the Canary Islands He presented a 500-year-old map of Tenerife and pointed to San Cristóbal de la Laguna which was around the same size as it is today; this the first European-style development on the island and the first Spanish colonial town without walls The usual fortifications were dispensed with in favour of a naturally defensive position in a valley hidden from would-be attackers arriving by sea has World Heritage status today; it allowed for a different way of building a town While the upper section was largely unplanned the lack of fortifications meant the lower town was able to be to built more strategically using a pioneering grid-style layout with wide streets wrapping a main square It would become the blueprint for future Spanish expansion replicated across its colonies in the Americas The town’s design and architecture is now familiar in cities ranging from Lima and Old Havana to Cartagena and Quito “People come here and say it is similar to these places It wasn’t just geography that shaped La Laguna; the Spanish took their influences from Africa referencing Moorish riads and geometric carvings in the architecture of the town ‘combin[es] Islamic and European elements’ Today’s visitors to La Laguna can savour cobbled streets that wrap four main squares lined with mansions shaded in hues of pastel and terracotta Its public buildings and cafés retain their hidden courtyards edged with carved balconies supported by pillars of hard-wearing dark pine with the soothing trickle of a fountain for company Read next: A guide to Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria You can get an aerial glimpse of the old town from the five-storey bell tower of the Church of the Immaculate Conception Many of the city’s mansion houses are also open to visitors; these include the 17th-century Casa Salazar a former bishop’s residence with a decorative exterior as well as the 18th-century Cayetano Gómez Felipe House Museum the one-time home of a notable Canarian collector Further suggestions can be gleaned from the tourist office which occupies the 17th-century Casa de los Capitanes Generales An hour’s drive from the popular resorts of the south coast, La Laguna is the sort of place that those involved in the recent overtourism protests in the Canaries would rather responsible travellers visit It also works well as a base of exploration for nearby Anaga Rural Park and can be easily combined with the lower-key northern resorts of Puerto de la Cruz and Garachico their windows lined with pastries stuffed with sweet potato and guava More local produce is piled high in the morning food market the island’s famous black potatoes and short bananas sit alongside peppercorns indicating the town’s wealthier homeowners – typically those who’d helped with the Spanish conquest of the Americas and been rewarded with land “Early tourism was seen as a positive because it started to redistribute wealth more equally,” Jaime explained The arrival of Tenerife’s first university also helped the city become a cultural hub and its abundance of independent galleries is one of many boons Among the more curious aspects of La Laguna is its name The ‘laguna’ refers to what UNESCO calls an ‘insalubrious lagoon’ around which the settlement was first formed having been drained in the 19th century to rid the streets of mosquitoes you can still people-watch beside a fountain in shady Plaza del Adelantado the founding square from which not only La Laguna evolved but also On the island, the MTSA tram runs between La Laguna and Santa Cruz (40 minutes). TITSA buses operate throughout Tenerife and are useful for exploring further Guide Jaime Muñoz of Feel Tenerife offers visits to La Laguna as part of wider tours by electric MPV Sign up to our newsletter for free with the Wanderlust Club Print The Laguna fire broke out about 9:40 a.m Thursday and was burning near Camarillo and the campus of Cal State Channel Islands The fire had burned nearly 94 acres and was 70% contained by Thursday night Evacuation orders for Cal State Channel Islands and University Glen were downgraded to warnings around noon Thursday Potrero Road remained closed, but Lewis Road had been reopened, according to Cal State Channel Islands. Camarillo Community Center at 1605 Burnley St. in Camarillo. Richard Winton is an investigative crime writer for the Los Angeles Times and part of the team that won the Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2011. Known as @lacrimes on Twitter, during almost 30 years at The Times he also has been part of the breaking news staff that won Pulitzers in 1998, 2004 and 2016. Sports Climate & Environment California The basketball Copa del Rey for 2025 will take place in Las Palmas and the draw took place this Tuesday with Barça set to face La Laguna Tenerife in the quarter-finals on Thursday 13 February at 9.30pm CET If the blaugranes make it through to the semi-finals they will face the winners of the tie between Unicaja Málaga and Joventut de Badalona on Saturday 15 at 3.30pm CET The other half of the draw sees Real Madrid take on BAXI Manresa and Dreamland Gran Canaria face Valencia Those quarter-finals will take place on Friday at 6.30pm CET and 9.30pm CET respectively with the winners meeting in the semi-final on Saturday at 9.30pm CET The final will take place on Sunday 16 at 8.00pm CET Print Winds and dry conditions across SoCal driving new fires hundreds of weary firefighters have battled multiple fires in the hills around Los Angeles and Ventura counties an early morning fire in the Sepulveda Pass that threatened Brentwood and Bel-Air and another that pushed into Ventura County farmland Thursday morning Print Mayor Bass says her brother lost his home in the Palisades fire It’s hit my family too,” Bass said at a meeting of the Pacific Palisades Community Council evacuated many times — this time didn’t get away.” Print Some Pasadena Unified schools reopen as students grapple with Eaton fire fallout Pasadena’s Willard Elementary School, closed since the Eaton fire, reopened Thursday. (Daniel Miller / Los Angeles Times) By Daniel Miller Moments after the morning bell rang Thursday the kindergartners at Pasadena’s Willard Elementary School — back in class for the first time since the Eaton fire roared through the area — were fully engaged in what 5-year-olds do best: play Four children were putting on a dinner party “Ice cream and tomato — yucky!” one girl told a classmate Print Firefighters battle Reche and Gibbel fires in Riverside County Fire crews responded to two new brush fires that ignited in Riverside County on Thursday afternoon as the region contended with another day of dry and dangerous fire weather by Reche Canyon Road and High Country Drive in Moreno Valley according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department Aerial and ground crews responded to the three-acre fire which was burning through light vegetation at a moderate rate Fire crews made quick progress battling the blaze They released all of the aircraft and canceled some of the ground resources around 5 p.m. Another brush fire ignited near State Street and Gibbel Road in Hemet at 4:40 p.m. according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Aerial and ground crews responded to the incident which was near the Hemet Ryan Airport and Diamond Valley Lake reservoir Aerial resources were able to use the reservoir to make quick and repeated water drops Forward progress on the blaze was stopped at 15 acres on Thursday evening Riverside County is part of a wide swath of Southern California under a red flag warning until 10 a.m Friday due to wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph and humidity rates of 5% or lower Light rainfall is forecast in the county over the weekend Print Some L.A fire victims are not getting claims advances as required by law Firefighters battle the Palisades fire on El Medio Avenue in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) By Laurence Darmiento Some policyholders who lost their homes in the Los Angeles fires are not getting claims advances that are due to them Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara alleged Thursday In response, Lara issued a bulletin reminding all California insurers that the law requires victims who have suffered total losses to get advance payments for their living expenses and loss of contents Print Spencer Pratt and DWP after losing home in Palisades fire The “Laguna Beach” and “The Hills” reality stars, who lost their home in the fire filed their lawsuit Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging inverse condemnation — a legal concept that gives property owners compensation for damage caused by public use along with more than 20 other property owners tenants and individuals who suffered as a result of the Palisades fire blamed the city and the utility’s operation of its water supply and related infrastructure for causing damage to their properties Print Milestone in search for fire victims: All those missing in Pacific Palisades accounted for In a milestone in the grim search for victims of the Jan the Los Angeles Police Department announced Thursday that all those reported missing in the Palisades fire within its jurisdiction had been accounted for The search is still underway for missing people in Malibu and in areas of Altadena ravaged by the Eaton fire The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Thursday that 22 people remained unaccounted for in the areas it patrols including 17 in the Eaton fire and five in the Palisades fire The overall death toll from the two fires stands at 28 Print Fast-moving Border 2 fire erupts in south San Diego County A fast-moving brush fire broke out Thursday afternoon within the Otay Mountain Wilderness area of San Diego County The Border 2 fire was reported around 2:30 p.m west of the neighborhood of Doghouse Junction and by Thursday night had burned about 600 acres and remained 0% contained There were about 200 fire personnel battling the fire with several helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft The blaze scorched about 2 acres near Gilman Drive and Via Alicante before firefighters halted its forward progress Evacuations that had been issued for nearby homes and an elementary school were lifted by late afternoon Print Brush fire breaks out along 405 Freeway in Seal Beach A small brush fire broke out Thursday afternoon along the northbound lanes of the 405 Freeway in Seal Beach snarling traffic and prompting lane closures Two lanes on the northbound 405 Freeway and the transition road from the 405 to the 605 Freeway were closed as firefighters worked in the area said California Highway Patrol Officer Duane Graham Firefighters were able to stop forward progress of the fire within 45 minutes It was not clear when the lanes would reopen Orange County fire officials did not have immediate details about the size of the blaze or how it started Print Worst of the fire weather danger will continue through Thursday A farmworker is pummeled by high winds blowing across the Oxnard Plain near a brush fire in the hills behind the campus of Cal State Channel Islands. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) By Rong-Gong Lin II Red flag warnings which warn of critical fire weather and rapid spread of fire should ignition occur are set to continue in much of Southern California through Friday morning The time of greatest danger will be through Thursday at 6 p.m. with the risk gradually lowering through Friday morning said National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Kittell Gusts over Los Angeles and Ventura counties could reach 25 mph to 40 mph over the course of Thursday night then will weaken to gusts between 15 and 30 mph for early Friday morning “The moral of the story is that the worst of it is through today [Thursday],” Kittell said “but there’ll still be some lingering winds that if a fire were to get started in one of those windier areas it could still cause an issue and grow fairly fast all the way into tomorrow [Friday] morning.” with relative humidity below 10% through that time period keeping the risk of fire spread significant Red flag warnings are set to end at 10 a.m Rain is forecast to start as early as Saturday and last as late as Monday night but the exact timing of the rain is uncertain Rain has the highest chance of falling between Saturday night and Sunday Long Beach and Santa Clarita could get three-fifths of an inch of rain while Thousand Oaks and Redondo Beach could get a little more than a half an inch of rain Rainfall could be higher or lower than anticipated depending on the path of the low-pressure system as it drops in Southern California — if it shifts to the west it could be wetter; if it shifts to the east But there is a 10% to 20% chance of thunderstorms across the region brief heavy rainfall at rates of half an inch an hour there is a 5% to 10% chance of damaging debris flow in recently burned areas in Los Angeles and Ventura counties There is also a moderate risk of small hail Snow levels could fall to an elevation of 3,500 to 4,500 feet above sea level There could be 5 to 10 inches of snow in the San Gabriel Mountains with a potential for 1 to 2 inches on the Tejon Pass also known as the Grapevine section of Interstate 5 Print Smoke advisory in place for areas near Hughes fire and warns that smoke is expected to most heavily affect areas “near and to the southwest” of the fire the Interstate 5 corridor near Castaic Lake and the San Gabriel Mountains Smoke could also affect the western L.A. County coast, “primarily west of Malibu,” according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District. In the days after the devastating wildfires air monitors recorded some of the highest levels of air pollution in recent years coinciding with a surge in hospital visits The district has also issued a windblown dust and ash advisory cautioning that blustery conditions could disperse ash from recent burn areas — including the Palisades and Eaton fires “Predicting where ash or soot from a fire will travel so it’s important for everyone to stay aware of the air quality in your area make plans and take action to protect your health and your family’s health,” said Dr Those at higher risk include children or older adults those who are pregnant and those who have lung/heart conditions or weakened immune systems Print Dangerous winds prompt Southern California Edison to shut off power to thousands of customers Print California banks and credit unions offer mortgage relief to fire victims credit unions and other financial companies The announcement follows a decision by five major banks last week to offer mortgage relief to the fire victims Print Rents rise as refugees from the fires squeeze into L.A.’s tight housing market a horrific situation gave way to what felt like an impossible task In an effort to find a semipermanent home while they rebuild, Cousineau estimated the couple toured about 10 houses over four or five days, with one house seeing at least 30 families stroll through in just 10 minutes. Under pressure, they offered to pay $250 more per month than the asking price on a Pasadena rental Print Laguna fire: Evacuations Print Hughes fire rages on firefighters make progress with both overnight Print California revamps its website for L.A William Harris, seen through a burned window, assesses the damage to his Altadena home on Jan. 9. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times) By Clara Harter The state unveiled its revamped fire relief website on Thursday offering a one-stop shop to help Los Angeles County firestorm survivors access vital services Fire victims can use the website to find information on how to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief replace documents and return to their homes safely It also offers assistance with accessing food and provides real-time updates via fire maps air quality information and road closure maps as well Print Rep Chu demands investigation into slow evacuations in Altadena Wearing protective gear search for keepsakes and valuables amid the rubble of their burned out home of 6 years on W as residents return to their burned out homes in Altadena Tuesday Schaben/Los Angeles Times) Rep Judy Chu has called for an independent investigation into why it took so long to evacuate parts of Altadena during the Jan A Times investigation reported earlier this week that residents of Altadena living west of Lake Avenue did not get evacuation warnings until many hours after the fire started All of the 17 confirmed deaths from the fire occurred in that part of Altadena Chu said in a statement she was “dismayed and deeply concerned that evacuation warnings and orders were significantly delayed.” and their families to ensure that these evacuation notification delays and failures are not repeated I urge Los Angeles County emergency officials to conduct an immediate independent investigation into the handling of these emergency notifications to examine the timeline of alerts and changes needed to be made to strengthen our systems to save lives Transparency and accountability are critical so that every community is treated equitably in future emergencies,” she added Print The Palisades fire burned their high school destroying his house on Iliff Street and reducing a good part of his school to rubble Jonathan Fuhrman pulled up to the kitchen table of his temporary Brentwood home “Here we go again,” said the Palisades Charter High School senior who spent most of middle school in virtual classes during the COVID-19 pandemic and started out high school wearing a mask and taking weekly coronavirus tests Print Sepulveda fire: Evacuations Print Fires and windstorms caused at least $350 million in damage to L.A recreation centers and a library that burned down which examined damage from the first four days of the fires was presented Wednesday to the City Council as part of a larger discussion on the impact of the emergency on the city budget Print California attorney general charges L.A.-area real estate agent with price gouging in wake of wildfires “May this announcement serve as a stern warning to those who would seek to further victimize those who have lost everything,” Bonta said in a release “DOJ is aggressively and relentlessly pursuing those who are trying to make a quick buck off someone else’s pain.” Print As the Hughes fire swells some residents gather near the flames to witness the spectacle A National Park Service fire ranger monitors the Hughes fire in Castaic on Wednesday afternoon. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times) By Jack Dolan As the sun began to set over Castaic Lake on Wednesday the hills to the north and east were engulfed in flames casting an eerie orange glow across the valley below The Hughes fire ignited earlier in the day north of Castaic and by evening had grown to more than 9,000 acres forcing the evacuation of about 31,000 people Print Fire in Bel-Air frays nerves as red flag weather is set to peak Thursday in Los Angeles across the freeway and a mile north from the Getty Center moved uphill amid wind gusts in the area that at one point reached 25 mph meteorologist with the National Weather Service Contributing to the fire conditions was extremely dry air; relative humidity was 3% to 8% Print I-5 reopens after fire closure A stretch of Interstate 5 in northern Los Angeles County that was closed because of the nearby Hughes fire reopened Wednesday evening according to the California Highway Patrol officials closed the freeway in both directions through the Grapevine with northbound lanes shut down at the interchange with Highway 126 and southbound traffic closed at Grapevine Road on the southern edge of Kern County we will reopen the freeway so that people can go back and forth again,” L.A County Sheriff Robert Luna said during a news conference 🚧Traffic Update🚧I-5 NB is now open!Closures that will remain in place will be as follows.I-5 NB to Parker Rd off RampI-5 NB to Lake Hughes Rd off RampParker RD/Ridge Rd EB from The Old RdLake Hughes Rd EB from The Old Rd pic.twitter.com/yxE60vHant Luna stressed that those who do not need to travel should still avoid the area if you want to go see what the firefighters are doing You are impacting the ingress and the egress of emergency vehicles Print ‘It’s hard to go to work when you’re worried your house could burn down.’ Fleeing flames in fire-weary SoCal Jonathan Hatami said he raced out of the Michael Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster and drove back to Santa Clarita where his children and hundreds of others were being evacuated from West Creek Academy as the sky overhead darkened with smoke everybody is kind of on edge,” said Hatami FC Barcelona are heading back early from the Canary Islands after crashing out of the Copa del Rey at the hands of La Laguna Tenerife. And that was despite a record-breaking start. A sensational Satoransky had got things moving for the Catalans as they amassed the highest ever first period tally in competition of 33 points. A wonderful score at the time, but looking back now it just adds to frustration that the team was unable to go on and get the full job done. There was little sign of any collapse in the second period either, as Barça maintained a consistently strong lead and led by 7 going in for the break.  Barça's cause was in no way helped by an injury to Punter, but the threes were going in and for much of the third period they were still commandingly ahead. But Tenerife were never too far behind, and there was always the threat that they might hit a decent run and get back into the match. And that's exactly what happened.  In the final period they started breathing down the blaugrana necks, and spurred by a partisan crowd in the Gran Canaria Arena, with six minutes to play they went ahead for the first time in the game. The momentum was with them now and they made it count. Unbelievably, they broke into a seven point lead, and Barça were left to wonder how on earth they let this one slip away.  La Laguna Tenerife: Kramer (7), Fitipaldo (15), Scrubb (9), Guerra (14), Doornekamp (9), Sastre (2), Shermadini (5), Abromaitis (5), Huertas (22) & Fernández (3)Barça: Satoransky (17), Punter (7), Parra (9), Parker (11), Fall (6), Juan Núñez (8), Hernangómez (4), Brizuela (7), Metu (9), Abrines (5) & Anderson (3) Referees: Emilio Pérez Pizarro, Carlos Cortés & Iyán González The Laguna Beach City Council adopted the new ordinance in March in response to complaints from residents in a senior living facility dubbed Vista Aliso who say the sound of pickleball matches at nearby Lang Park cause them severe anxiety and stress. Pickleball players at Lang Park will have to pony up about $100 each to switch to quieter paddles. If they fail to do so, the ordinance says, players can face a citation. Pickleball is similar to tennis except the court is smaller, the ball is plastic and perforated and the paddles are not as big as tennis rackets. The adoption of the new ordinance did not please everyone on both sides of the pickleball feud. Travel & Experiences New padel centers are cropping up around the county: Padel Up at Westfield Century City, Pura Padel L.A. in Sherman Oaks and at the courts at L.A. Galaxy Park in Carson. The council has already reduced the hours that pickleball can be played in the park and has built a fence around the park to block noise. “While I am supportive of this quiet paddle ordinance as a compromise, I support expanding the hours at Lang Park,” Laguna Beach Mayor Alex Rounaghi said in a statement to The Times. “Pickleball is a life-changing sport for so many that brings community together, and I’m committed to creating more recreational opportunities for our town.” Some seniors at Vista Aliso said the ordinance would not do enough to mitigate the noise issues, while members of the pickleball community said they are tired of the council giving the seniors so much favorable treatment. The law “will be ineffective,” said Susana Cruciana, a resident of Vista Aliso, who has argued the pickleball courts should be moved entirely. “They will continue to create a hostile environment,” she said. Pickleball players have yelled and insulted her for complaining about the noise, Cruciana said. “Allegations that I hate children, outdoor sports or laughter are ludicrous and false. Unlike general traffic noise or other park activities, the noise from pickleball is high-pitched and excessive,” she said. But pickleball players have volleyed back. “The pickleball players have acquiesced to losing days, spending 24k on new paddles. … I’m not quite sure what the gal behind me has acquiesced to,” said Hillary Caston, referring to one of the complaining Vista Aliso residents. Caston called on the council to bring back some of the play hours that pickleball players lost due to the complaints. The council closed the courts to pickleball on Mondays and reduced the hours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. A bluff collapsed in Laguna Beach on Friday morning sending private staircases crashing to the sand and prompting officials to cordon off a section of Thousand Steps Beach “I think we’ve come to the point where as pickleball players we’ve acquiesced enough … It’s time to recognize this is our community,” Caston said In the long term, City Councilmember Sue Kempf told the Orange County Register the council is considering moving the pickleball courts farther away from the senior living facility Battles over the noise from pickleball courts have raged from coast to coast as the game took off in popularity over the last decade. In 2020, 4.8 million people played the sport at least once, a 40% increase from just two years earlier. Lawsuits have been filed over the noise associated with the game all across the country. Researchers say that the sound of a solid pickleball being struck can be 25 decibels louder than the loudest tennis racket strike. “The medical effects of this are so profound and people don’t understand it, but it triggers a fight-or-flight response that triggers all kinds of stress hormones,” said Nalini Lasiewicz, who runs a nonprofit called Pickleball Noise Relief that has helped conduct studies on the harmful effects the sounds of pickleball can have on nearby residents. Lasiewicz testified last month at the City Council hearing about the quiet paddles, saying they did not do enough to address the harm to seniors. “Even when the players stop hitting, people who suffer from this syndrome continue to hear the noise even when it’s not happening,” she said. Noah Goldberg covers Los Angeles City Hall for the Los Angeles Times. He previously worked on its breaking news team and has also written an array of offbeat enterprise stories. Before joining The Times in 2022, Goldberg worked in New York City as the Brooklyn courts reporter for the New York Daily News and as the criminal justice reporter for the Brooklyn Eagle. He graduated from Vassar College. World & Nation Roughly 465,000 gallons of sewage spilled due to a break in a main sewer line near Laguna Niguel Regional Park the Orange County Health Care Agency and the Environmental Health Services said An undetermined portion of that sewage seeped into nearby beaches Although the sewer line breach has since been patched area beaches remained closed to activities that include swimming The waters will remain closed until conditions improve “I urge OC residents, visitors, and tourists to heed public health experts’ warnings and avoid the closed beaches in Laguna while the @ochealth tests water quality,” Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley posted on X The spill is the second to hit the county in as many months. In December, the coastal area around Salt Creek in Dana Point was closed after 3,375 gallons of sewage spilled into the sea. Then, too, a sewage line break was the culprit. Andrew J. Campa is a member of the Fast Break team at the Los Angeles Times, having previously covered the Eastside and San Gabriel Valley. Before, he worked at several medium and small daily newspapers and has covered education, sports and general news. He’s a proud University of Alabama (#RollTide), Cal State Fullerton and Pasadena City College alumnus. Print In light of the January wildfires that devastated the Los Angeles area Laguna Beach residents have been sounding the alarm with regard to a need to do more to protect the coastal community City officials have heard those growing concerns since the Palisades and Eaton fires the City Council took action to reestablish the wildfire mitigation and fire safety ad hoc committee appointing council members Sue Kempf and Bob Whalen as its representatives “We need to recognize that we’re all kind of in this together,” Kempf said “City government can’t do everything here to keep us safe We’re going to do every single thing we can but people are going to have to create defensible space around their homes they’re going to have to harden their homes and we’re probably going to take a very aggressive approach on this because this is a huge problem.” “We spent over $20 million of your money to make this community safer than it was in 2018, and it is definitely safer, but is it safe enough? No, it’s not safe enough,” Whalen said. “We know we have more to do. We know we have to keep going, and we will keep going.” Laguna Beach has implemented a number of programs to protect itself from wildfire Goat grazing has been part of fire mitigation efforts for nearly three decades “I think [in using the artificial intelligence] wildfire cameras we should cover our whole open space with them because you have to get to a fire within five minutes to really have a chance of putting it out,” Mayor Alex Rounaghi said I was so nervous that there was going to be a fire that would start but I think technology is a key solution.” A helicopter water refilling tank has been installed along the fire road and a second tank is located at the water district property of El Morro Elementary School in North Laguna An interactive map detailing evacuation routes for specific neighborhoods is available through the city’s website A search for the word “evacuation” pulled up a list of 20 neighborhoods with information about their evacuation routes as well as helpful tips on types of evacuation orders and readiness for such situations About 30% of the city has yet to have its utility lines put underground, according to a city staff report, although several neighborhoods have recently agreed to become part of underground utility districts. “There isn’t going to be enough money to do everything we need to do,” Whalen said. “I, and our council at the time, pushed in 2018 to get a sales tax measure, went to the ballot, primarily for fire safety measures, [but it] did not pass. I think we’re going to have to have that conversation again as a community. Are we willing to spend a little bit more of our money to promote safety, preserve our homes, preserve our ability to get fire insurance? “It’s really not too much to say this is an emergency. We are in constant threat, and I think we can do more, and we need to do more.” Laguna Beach residents turned out en masse for a town hall meeting on the issues of insurance and wildfire on Tuesday Beyond restoring the ad hoc committee, the Laguna Beach City Council has also directed the committee members to work with the League of California Cities and state representatives as advocates for legislation that would exempt fuel modification, undergrounding and other wildfire measures from requirements of the Coastal Act and the California Environmental Quality Act. The subcommittee members will engage in community outreach and continue to exchange ideas with residents and other stakeholders, including neighboring cities and O.C. Parks, City Manager Dave Kiff said. Priority will be placed on what he called “fast efforts.” Those efforts could include limits on construction and parking during red flag days in an attempt to manage traffic and keep roads open. Kiff added that the city could have evacuation drill days and conduct a study into brush density with regard to fuel modification. “There’s a way to do fuel management in an environmentally sustainable way that supports our coastal sage scrub habitat, and we need to be looking at that,” said Councilwoman Hallie Jones, who added she will be sending a list of recommendations to Kiff to pass on to the committee. The few public speakers on the agenda item were all in support of the city ramping up its efforts with respect to wildfire mitigation and fire safety. Matt Lawson, a longtime resident, called on the city to better integrate into the discussion its emergency disaster preparedness committee, a body he previously served in the role of chairman. “We have done a great deal here, but nothing that you’re going to do tonight, nothing that the city has done in the last 100 years is going to much matter if we don’t get the fire prevention piece right,” Lawson added. Resident John Thomas commented that his family lost a house in the Palisades fire. He said they lived in the house, which they had kept as a rental, until moving to Laguna Beach. “We’re all vulnerable here, regardless of whether we think we’re safe,” Thomas said. “We all need to do everything that you’re talking about in terms of hardening our homes. … The similarities between the Palisades and Laguna are unsettling. They’re striking. Three ways in, three ways out, open space, ocean. … They needed an evacuation plan. You did one, which is great, but theirs didn’t work.” Andrew Turner is a sports reporter for the Daily Pilot. Before joining the Pilot in October 2016, he covered prep sports as a freelancer for the Orange County Register for four years. His work also has been used by the Associated Press and California Rubber Hockey Magazine. While attending Long Beach State, he wrote for the college newspaper, The Daily 49er. He graduated with bachelor’s degrees in journalism and history. (714) 966-4611 Print A Newport Beach teen’s fifth-grade science project evolved into an autonomous network of sensors that will help firefighters spot flames in rugged windswept Laguna Canyon before they can grow to threaten homes as part of a project launched earlier this week set up the first of about 30 solar-powered and AI-assisted monitoring stations that will be positioned along the 133 Highway corridor The rest should be deployed by September as part of a pilot program with the Orange County Fire Authority The solar-powered equipment uses infrared cameras and gas sensors that allow them to see things invisible to the human eye and detect a 1-foot patch of flames from up to 1,200 feet away Proprietary artificial intelligence technology trains them to differentiate fires from heat coming from vehicle exhaust They network with each other via Wi-Fi to create a constant web of surveillance in remote areas and automatically send alerts to firefighters at the earliest signs of a potential disaster “The reason why we specifically chose this area is because there’s a lot of dead brush that can easily catch fire,” Honary said. “There’s high voltage equipment. There’s a lot of .. There’s that long road where cars can collide and catch on fire which actually happens more often than you might expect.” Ryan Honary stands next to an automated early wildfire detection system he designed that will be deployed to help OCFA protect Laguna Canyon (Courtesy of Ryan Honary and Sensory AI) Laguna Canyon also acts as a funnel for Santa Ana winds which can reach speeds of over 30 miles per hour along the coastal vegetation-lined 133 Highway The shrubs and trees there can stoke small patches of embers into catastrophic blazes “Wildfires are kind of like cancer,” Honary said “When you catch them in the earlier stages they’re much easier to put out and deal with.” Honary was watching live footage of the 2018 Camp fire which damaged or destroyed almost 20,000 structures and resulted in 85 deaths in Butte County when he was struck by how similar the homes that burned were to those in his own community A desire to prevent such a tragedy from happening in Orange County and elsewhere inspired him to spend the next six years transforming a temperature sensor on a simple circuit board he designed for an elementary school project into a cutting-edge fire prevention system Honary created a startup called Sensory AI to further his efforts in 2021 Grant funding from the Irvine Ranch Conservancy as well as the encouragement of friends and family supported him as he developed and field-tested numerous prototypes He described the deployment of his brainchild in what is basically his own backyard as a “dream come true.” Knowing the system he created will watch out for his friends and family makes its graduation to real-world field testing especially meaningful “I definitely feel like there’s even more trust put into me because my platform is being trusted in helping protect the lives of not only me Wildfire prevention has been Sensory AI’s inspiration and focus for the past six years but may be just one of many potential uses for Honary’s platform He said there’s potential to modify it into an early detection system for oil spills landslides and other environmental concerns The junior balances development and management of his startup alongside hybrid classes at Stanford Online High School and Newport Harbor High After high school he intends to study environmental science while continuing to improve on the platform he created Honary described it as an example of “AI for good,” at a time when the technology’s potential impact on fields like art entertainment and more have raised fears of job loss and the algorithmic decline of originality in creative fields “I feel like it’s not fair to say all AI is bad just because there’s bad uses for it,” Honary said I don’t think people should automatically disregard AI.” Print Laguna Beach has long welcomed the holiday season with the lights and sounds of Hospitality Night the masses turned out to fill up on holiday cheer on the first Friday evening in December including the arrival of Santa Claus via a vehicle in the municipal fleet as well as the lighting of the Peppertree in a downtown parking lot Guests line up for La Playa Tamales at the Laguna Beach Presbyterian Church during Hospitality Night (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Councilwoman Sue Kempf was in the final days of her second term as mayor when she did the honors in leading the town in a countdown for the tree lighting ceremony Several children were invited on stage to participate in the countdown with Santa where he listened to the Christmas wishes of the children in attendance A surfer dude ornament on display at the Tuvalu store during Hospitality Night (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) A crowded Forest Avenue had vendors and live performances lining the street which was lit with large snowflakes hanging from trees along the sidewalk who was once known for attempting to steal Christmas Crowds fill the street as they walk along Forest Avenue during Hospitality Night in downtown Laguna Beach on Friday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Youth performances included those by Anneliese School and the Laguna Beach High School dance program and honors choir The Laguna Beach Community Band and JaZz Band also performed in the Peppertree Lot as did No Square Theater and a ukulele band A Santa Claus moves through the crowd on Forest Avenue on a people-mover device during Hospitality Night in Laguna Beach (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Local businesses held open house until 9 p.m which was put on by the city and the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce A family poses in front of the tree moments after the ceremonial lighting of the Peppertree in Laguna Beach. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) NewsLaguna Beach Andrew Turner Follow Us Print Laguna Beach city officials responding to the findings of a survey conducted last summer are looking for solutions to improve the local business climate The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce worked with a consultant to identify challenges and opportunities for the city’s businesses A survey open from July to August collected 389 responses from business and property owners 28 City Council study session were retail vacancies and parking requirements as barriers for prospective new businesses Kosmont’s report noted the city has 1.3 million square feet of retail space a number that has remained unchanged in the past six years Vacancy rates in those buildings, however, rose from 3.7% in 2022 to 8.3% at the time of the survey. A significant portion of the increase was attributed to the closure of the Gelson’s grocery store in South Laguna. Retail trends have shown a shift in consumer preference to shop online for a variety of goods, although the study found Laguna Beach performs well against other nearby coastal communities when it comes to sales per capita for its food and drinking establishments, as well as its clothing stores. City Manager Dave Kiff said the downtown area “needs a lot of help,” expressing disappointment in the empty storefronts. Mayor Pro Tem Mark Orgill offered up a suggestion, saying, “I would like to explore a vacancy ordinance to light a fire under some of our landlords that let these buildings go vacant for years and years.” In addition to rent climbing by 12% over the past three years to $62 per square foot, Laguna business operators said they were frustrated by regulatory restrictions. Zac Cornwell, the owner of Wigz Sandwich Shop, said that once he applied to open a business in 2020 it took him 27 months to get necessary approvals from the city and the county, and another six months to build out the shop. Laguna Beach city officials reestablished the wildfire mitigation and fire safety ad hoc committee after substantial community concern following the fires in the Los Angeles area. “I am what you guys want, what the town wants,” said Cornwell, describing the business as a fast-casual, outdoor dining option that caters to the locals. “Would I do this again? Not without a huge investor who wanted me to run their restaurant and be a part owner with them. It’s just too stressful. My entire future career, my family’s future was on the line of regulations here that I didn’t even understand when I got into it.” A call for additional public restrooms in South Laguna was made by another business owner, who said he ran a liquor store adjacent to the sandwich shop. Laguna Beach averaged approximately 136,800 weekly visitors to its downtown area over a recent 12-month period, which comes out to about 7.1 million visitors for the year. Kosmont representatives said they utilized anonymized mobile app data to come up with the figures. Roughly half of the survey’s respondents said they felt the business climate in the city had experienced a decline in the past few years. Only a quarter of responses said it had improved. Parking for customers and employees was a concern for 68% of those surveyed. “[The] parking code, we have to tackle that,” Councilman Bob Whalen said. “It’s a mess. … I think it’s just nonsensical in lots of ways. … There were a number of people concerned when we changed the parking standard downtown to three [spaces] per 1,000 [square feet], that it was going to be a disaster, it was going to be a food court and the roof was going to fall in. None of that’s happened. “I think we really need to be proactive in moving ahead with changes to the parking code that will assist businesses. ... I think it will assist some landlords, owners [in] improving their abilities if they have opportunities to expand a little bit without being hamstrung by parking.” you don’t fight the fire on the day it happens You fight it beforehand with diligent and constant prevention efforts This includes constant fuel modification of the native brush adjacent to our developed areas and the hardening of homes businesses and landscaping to become more fire-resistant Laguna Beach adopted a set of fire-resistant construction standards developed native brush fuel modification standards and greatly increased the amount of water stored at an elevation where only gravity is required to provide pressure to hydrants Our fuel modification efforts are moving too slowly The brush that surrounds and infiltrates our developed areas is no longer in its natural state It has become an overgrown source of limitless fuel that can burn entire neighborhoods to the ground Fire construction standards affect new construction Most of our existing structures do not meet these standards and there is no systemic effort to retrofit them A state that does not implement effective fuel modification efforts and effective fire-resistant construction standards for all structures is an uninsurable state An uninsurable California will soon become an economic basket case The writer is former president of the Laguna Beach County Water District and former chairperson of the Laguna Beach Design Review Board To the editor: Rick Caruso’s inflammatory comments critical of L.A.’s fire response and prevention do nothing to bring solace or provide any kind of support for victims They are the initial salvo for his next mayoral campaign Caruso provided private firefighters for his shopping mall in Pacific Palisades as the surrounding businesses burned He is showing the kind of leader he is — one who thinks about his own wants and needs To the editor: Several people are quoted as saying that poor brush clearance was among the reasons the Palisades fire and others have been so bad Although preventing huge firestorms is not as simple as implied elimination of brush can lead to other major problems Erosion and landslides that can result from “climate whiplash” also cause tremendous damage Without a decrease in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere we can expect more firestorms and more damaging atmospheric rivers Those who continue to publicly deny the global warming that is caused by burning fossil fuels should help pay for the recovery from this destruction This article is adapted from AQ’s special report on the 2024 U.S presidential election and its impact on Latin America at the height of his military campaign against Spanish colonial rule Simón Bolívar crossed a stretch of high-altitude grassland in Colombia known as the páramo utterly unprepared for the frigid temperatures and rough terrain Most of his men (and their horses) froze to death and were thrown into a lagoon This gorgeous if inhospitable landscape serves as the backdrop for Pablo Álvarez Mesa’s La laguna del soldado a poetic meditation on how nature subsumes human history La laguna del soldado presents beautiful images of the páramo along with sporadic voice-over narrations from locals and scientists Álvarez Mesa creates a contemplative mood that his film’s experimental structure sustains throughout the environmental and social stories we hear of the Colombian Andes begin to intertwine Long shots focusing on this curious-looking shrub—reminiscent of a giant artichoke or succulent—give way to a scientific explanation of the plant’s significance The frailejón belongs to the same family as the common sunflower and it plays an outsize role in the water cycle of the páramo and beyond later releasing it into the soil through its roots The subterranean deposits it creates eventually give rise to rivers with the Eastern Plains,” a softspoken voice tells us referring to one of South America’s longest rivers and the famous plains that surround it “What we do here is clearly reflected there.” the frailejón has been known by another name to the Muiscas the plant holds strong associations with the sun which its later Spanish appellation failed to grasp when the FARC guerrilla group signed a peace accord with the government considerable parts of the páramo had been entirely inaccessible to everyday Colombians—and threats of fresh conflict there remain This state of affairs recalls Bolívar’s own failed projects of integration Though his independence campaign through the páramo ultimately succeeded his dreams of unity for Latin America in a single political community never did An interconnected ecosystem belies fragmented societies modern armed forces—these men and women span several centuries of clashing human history and yet they have all intersected with a natural constant in the páramo one that transcends any particular culture La laguna del soldado repeatedly builds off details of this kind—the páramo’s bats its fog—to collapse human time and the convulsions of our past The God of Colombia had taken possession of me Suddenly Time stood before me—in the shape of a venerable old man could recognize the primacy of the natural world over and above everything else Reading Time: 3 minutesAlvarado is a writer and former assistant editor at The Atlantic Americas Quarterly (AQ) is the premier publication on politics We are an independent publication of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas PUBLISHED BY AMERICAS SOCIETY/ COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS Print Laguna Beach Mayor Alex Rounaghi called for the replacement of above-ground power lines — which have been linked to the cause of past wildfires — with underground infrastructure to reduce the chances of sparks igniting Laguna Canyon during a news conference Monday When strong winds threaten to damage above-ground lines in remote areas filled with potentially flammable vegetation power companies may conduct what are known as public safety power shutoffs These can prevent lines from sparking a disaster at the expense of leaving neighborhoods without electricity for hours at a time City Manager Dave Kiff said Edison initiated two power shutoffs in Laguna Beach over the weekend due to high winds as firefighters continued to work to contain the flames that have ravaged Los Angeles County “When I ran in 2022, the number one issue I had on the top line of my platform was underground utilities,” Rounaghi said during Monday’s news conference. “... I do think this is top of mind for residents.” Rounaghi said awareness generated by the devastation wrought in L.A. County may help Laguna Beach generate the political will to move forward with such a project. He added that within several days, the city will learn whether it has been approved for a grant from the regulatory body overseeing the state’s grid, the California Public Utilities Commission, to help fund work on underground power lines in the canyon. The mayor also plans to bring the issue to the forefront of conversations with his counterparts from around the country and federal officials when he attends the United States Conference of Mayors’ winter meeting beginning on Friday. Print The roughly seven-mile stretch of Coast Highway in Laguna Beach is known worldwide for its postcard-perfect views and gateway to the city’s eclectic art and retail scene But it is also ground zero for drunk drivers Officials say Laguna Beach has had the highest number of DUI arrests per capita of any city of its size in California for at least two decades in part because it is a magnet for many tourists and visitors who drive in for the day While the city’s population is only about 22,000 Laguna Beach sees about 6.5 million visitors annually The situation has prompted Laguna Beach to embark on a new enforcement program that When a suspected DUI driver is arrested in the city the police department sends a letter to the business where the person had their last drink The hope is that the information will help owners and employees recognize possible patterns such as when patrons are leaving too drunk or act as a catalyst to retrain staff on signs of intoxication While the letter doesn’t include the driver’s name it has their blood alcohol content and the date Officials say it supplements other anti-DUI efforts, including checkpoints and efforts to help educate patrons to the dangers of getting behind the wheel drunk. Still, the police department was making a couple of hundred DUI arrests a year. “The data shows us this is a problem that we need to address and I think this is a really very innovative, collaborative and data-driven way of doing that,” said Mayor Alex Rounaghi. “Any time that we can save a life and prevent future deaths it’s important for us to do that.” Authorities hope the notification system will raise awareness among merchants and help them be more aware of when customers have had one too many. Laguna Beach residents have for months been pushing city officials to get a handle on what they call ‘destructive tourism’ that sweeps through the small beach town every summer “It’s not intended to be punitive because the business owners don’t know what they don’t know,” Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert said “So it’s an opportunity for them to look at whether there’s a pattern with certain bartenders overserving or do some additional education with not only their bartenders The proliferation of drunk drivers has been a persistent problem in beach communities across the state where tourists and residents frequently visit to imbibe at a swanky restaurant or a local bar just steps from the sand Huntington Beach got so fed up with drunk driving issues that it considered in 2010 publicly shaming arrestees by posting their names on Facebook The Laguna Beach Police Department, as seen on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. (Andrew Turner) In Laguna Beach, residents for years have complained about the noise and quality of life issues that stem from late-night visitors to the city’s watering holes. The city’s geography — nestled between two other beach cities with robust nightlife — and its concentration of more than 130 establishments make it a prime location for DUI arrests, police say. Sometimes the motorists have been drinking in town. Other times, they’re caught taking the picturesque drive along Coast Highway that connects Laguna Beach to other cities. Between January and Dec. 26, the police department has sent 75 letters to restaurants, bars and hotels both inside the city and elsewhere in Orange County, Calvert said. One letter, obtained by The Times that was sent to an establishment in Dana Point, explained the Alcoholic Beverages Control Department rules that note businesses “must monitor patrons alcohol consumption and avoid overserving individuals who show signs of intoxication.” “We encourage your establishment to review and reinforce policies and practices regarding alcohol service to prevent similar incidents in the future and uphold public safety,” the letter reads. Officers from the Brea Police Department shot and killed a man after they responded to calls of a possible drunk driver on Thanksgiving Day who owns several restaurants in Laguna Beach including Mozambique and Skyloft said the letters don’t fix the problem of drunk drivers “It’s bureaucracy and a waste of money and time,” he said often one person is buying drinks for a whole group But city officials and residents say something new needed to be done to help lessen DUIs Crime statistics provided by the police department show that most of the arrests in Laguna Beach stem from drugs or alcohol use. In 2022, the top three causes for arrests in the city were for DUI, drugs and disorderly conduct. In 2021, Laguna Beach police made 269 DUI arrests up from 247 a year earlier, according to the most recent data available from the California Office of Traffic Safety. In 2020, the city had 42 crashes that were alcohol related. In 2021 and 2022, there were 50 and 55 crashes, respectively, that were alcohol related, according to city data. It’s not just Laguna Beach that’s dealing with drunk driving. In 2019, Orange County made more than 11,100 DUI arrests, according to the most recent data available from the Department of Motor Vehicles. The number of drunk driving fatalities, which had dropped to 966 in California in 2019, surged statewide during the pandemic. In 2020, the number of fatal DUI crashes in California was 1,180. A year later, it jumped to 1,370. Meanwhile, driving under the influence arrests in the state declined from 124,141 in 2019 to just under 96,000 in 2020, according to a 2023 report by the California Office of Traffic Safety. A man suspected of drunk driving is facing criminal charges in a three-car crash that killed two girls That intersection has been the site of 32 collisions and one pedestrian fatality in a 10-year span who owns several businesses in Laguna Beach including a clothing store and newsstand applauded the effort to get a handle on instances of drunk driving in the city Miller has seen the aftermath of several crashes downtown, including one last year in which a motorist drove across Pacific Coast Highway and crashed into the boardwalk at Main Beach. The person was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to a Daily Pilot report. “People joke that we’re the DUI arrest capital of California, but for me, it’s not such a bad thing. It means that our police department is on top of things,” she said. “We’re watching out for — not only our residents — but the people that are passing through our town.” Largely focused on issues of adventure, environmental conservation and sustainability, those conversations returned to town on Nov. 14 at the Rivian South Coast Theater. A panel focused on balancing marine protection efforts with the needs of coastal communities addressed a situation that had come to life right outside the front door of Laguna residents. The Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve, which was established in January 2012, totals 6.72 miles and protects 4.4 miles of the local shoreline, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Chilean activist and big wave surfer Ramon Navarro makes a point to moderator Anupa Asokan, left, during the Coast Summit. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Marine reserves have the highest level of protection, as fishing and collecting are not allowed within those areas. The Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve is one of four consecutive marine protected areas that cover an estimated 14 miles of coastal habitat between Corona del Mar State Beach and Dana Point. Chad Nelsen, the chief executive of the Surfrider Foundation and a Laguna Beach native, looked back on his youth in the 1980s. “I was endlessly curious about what was going on out there, so I started free diving and scuba diving and fishing and spearfishing, and my buddies and I couldn’t really catch any fish,” Nelsen said. “We thought we were just bad at it. We talked to the older lifeguards, guys who had been around here in the ’50s and ’60s, and they just looked at us matter-of-factly and said, “It’s fished out.” Since the creation of the local marine reserve, Nelsen said the area is “unrecognizable” from when he was growing up. While important marine habitats are eyed by conservationists and fishermen alike, the panel indicated that a broad spectrum of the public can make a difference in their communities. The nine-day celebration includes 15 feature films, 53 shorts, musical performances, workshops, Q&A sessions and outdoor activities. Chugey Sepulveda, director of research and education at Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research, emphasized the need for consumers to consider where their fish is coming from. “For the consumer, I think that it’s really important that we look to our local resources and we try to get away from the mentality of ‘I want what I want when I want it.’ We need to be more receptive to what’s available.” Chilean activist and big wave surfer Ramon Navarro, Dr. Chugey Sepulveda (PIER), and filmmaker Keith Malloy, from left, make talking points during the Coast Summit on Nov. 14. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Keith Malloy, a film director and surfer that participated in the discussion, simplified the question of where a fish had been caught. “I think the most respectful way to eat meat or fish, if you’re going to do it, is actually taking the life yourself because you realize how sacred and special that is,” Malloy said. The festival, which ran from Nov. 9 through 17, included 15 feature screenings and 53 short films. The Festival of Arts, Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center, and Hobie Surf Shop were also venues during the nine-day event. A “Films on Forest Avenue” also debuted at the festival on Nov. 14, providing film screenings and live music on the promenade. Print Rain hits L.A amid worries of mudslides; Malibu schools shut and triggered the closure of Malibu’s public schools Monday due to dangerous road conditions There’s still concern about the potential for mudslides and rockslides in L.A a severe thunderstorm capable of producing waterspouts and hail was detected near Catalina Island Print Rain and snow finally break SoCal’s relentless dryness that fueled unprecedented fires Weather radar over Southern California at 8:22 p.m. Sunday. (National Weather Service) By Rong-Gong Lin II With thunderstorms emerging a flash flood warning has been issued for areas burned by the Franklin fire and a portion of the Palisades fire including Malibu and part of the Santa Monica Mountains flooding was reported along Pacific Coast Highway Print How much rain has fallen so far While the majority of the most severe flash flood and debris flow warnings expired by Monday morning across Los Angeles County officials said a chance for thunderstorms remained high through 10 a.m. which could bring brief but heavy downpours of rain and small hail remained under a flood watch until mid-morning Monday as the cold wet system continued to move through the region The possibility for isolated showers will remain across the L.A Rain totals as of early Monday showed that much of the region received significant rainfall, though amounts were still quite variable. Parts of Los Angeles received more than an inch and a half as of 4 a.m while other areas saw less than half an inch Porter Ranch had recorded the highest confirmed two-day rain total in L.A while Castaic had just clocked in 0.28 of an inch Many totals across the Southland had increased considerably from Sunday night Here are a few other rain totals for the region, as of 4 a.m. Monday Print How to sign up for debris removal if you lost your home in the Palisades or Eaton fires The government is coordinating the cleanup in two phases It’s free for residents and does not require homeowners to sign up Print Interstate 5 fully closed at the Grapevine due to snow Snow on Interstate 5 Sunday. (Caltrans) By Rong-Gong Lin II The Grapevine section of Interstate 5 was closed in both directions early Monday morning due to snow The closure took effect late Sunday night and persisted after midnight Monday. It was unclear when the Grapevine — which includes the Tejon Pass — would reopen, the California Department of Transportation said. The agency suggested using U.S. 101 as an alternate route between Los Angeles County and Central California “Crews working to clear snow,” Caltrans said “The closure will be in place for an unknown duration,” the California Highway Patrol said Caltrans also said a section of eastbound California 138 — in Los Angeles County’s high desert — was experiencing white-out conditions due to heavy flurries Caltrans said to avoid California 138 between the San Bernardino County line to the junction with California 18 Print Flood advisory issued in L.A Radar at 2:02 a.m. Monday. (National Weather Service) By Rong-Gong Lin II A flood advisory took effect for areas in and around Los Angeles County’s burned areas early Monday morning “Shallow debris flows consisting of mudslides and rockslides possible,” the weather service said of the areas affected by the flood advisories and that endured recent wildfires Minor flooding in low-lying areas is also expected elsewhere Flood advisories were in effect for the following regions: including the southern areas of the Eaton burn scar such as Altadena and Pasadena; and the 210 freeway corridor which includes the areas around Pacific Palisades and Malibu Print Video adds to scrutiny of Edison tower as possible site of origin of Eaton fire residents who live near the tower have shared videos and photos of large flames at the base of the structure in Eaton Canyon just as the fire was getting started after 6 p.m Print Heavy rain arrives in L.A Weather radar over Southern California at 1:08 p.m. Sunday. (National Weather Service) By Rong-Gong Lin II Heavier rain has arrived in Southern California and flood advisories were issued in parts of Los Angeles the National Weather Service issued a flood advisory Sunday afternoon for a swath of Los Angeles and the Sepulveda Pass — the area of the 405 freeway between Bel Air and Brentwood This includes areas burned in the Hurst fire in the Sylmar area and the Sunset fire in the Hollywood area Peak rain rates of 0.3 to 0.4 of an inch per hour are likely in these parts of Los Angeles County Impacts could include minor debris flow in recently burned areas and minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas A flood advisory was also issued in western Ventura County Sunday afternoon as well as a stretch of Santa Barbara County between Goleta and the El Capitan State Beach which includes Isla Vista and Santa Barbara Airport A flood advisory is issued when a weather event is expected to become a nuisance It’s a step above in severity from a flood watch A flood watch took effect at 10 a.m Monday for the burned areas of the Eaton fire in the Altadena and Pasadena areas; the Palisades and Franklin fires in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu areas; the Hughes fire around Lake Castaic; and the Bridge fire in San Gabriel Mountains west and southwest of Wrightwood Officials warned Sunday of an increasing risk for mudslides in Los Angeles County’s burn areas with a 10% to 20% chance of significant flash flooding and debris flows capable of damaging roads and homes in and around areas devastated by wildfires “The highest risk for debris flows would be after 4 p.m Print Wildfire took an Altadena man’s neighborhood and his Corvette dream Danny Robinson, who lost his home and car collection in the Eaton fire, returns to see what’s left of it all in Altadena on Thursday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) By Jeffrey Fleishman She was sleek as night wind a tuned-port motor with a factory four-speed Oh, man, said Danny Robinson, the things that 1986 Corvette might have done. He had been working on her for a while, ordered an ignition switch and was awaiting registration She was a wrench-turn away from being road ready a well-known tinkerer on Harriet Street in Altadena racing beneath the evening crows that flew westward above the San Gabriels Print Risk rises for mudslides around L.A County fire zones; prepare for worst-case scenario officials warned Sunday of an increasing risk of mudslides in Los Angeles County’s burn areas “This is the worst-case scenario to prepare for,” said Kristan Lund a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard Print Authorities caution against sifting through debris at fire-ravaged properties authorities are warning of the dangers of sifting through the toxic wreckage — especially without protective gear Hazardous items in the fire zones can include batteries, ammunition, propane tanks, pesticides, and cleaning products that can become unsafe when exposed to heat and fire. Harmful chemicals can be present in the ash in charred neighborhoods Print Video: As the Eaton fires approached this is how employees at a nursing home worked to save 45 patients (()=>{const e=document.getElementById("yt-img-npfdZ-A4c3M");e&&e.addEventListener("load",(t=>{t.target.naturalWidth<=120&&(e.parentNode.children[0].srcset=e.parentNode.children[1].srcset=e.src)}),{once:!0})})() On the night of January 7 As it closed in on Two Palms Care Center in Altadena employees grew concerned they’d have to evacuate the 45 patients the fire grew close and multiple employees drove to the facility to rescue the 45 patients Print Estimated cost of fire damage balloons to more than $250 billion Residents search for belongings in the remains of their burned-out homes in Altadena on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) By Roger Vincent As raging wildfires continue to torment Southern California estimates of the total economic loss have ballooned to more than $250 billion making it one of the most costly natural disasters in U.S Early estimates by AccuWeather and JP Morgan put the damage in the $50-billion range but the expected toll quickly rose to more than triple that amount as fires spread through neighborhoods in Altadena Print 8 tips to get started on post-fire paperwork (Los Angeles Times photo illustration; Photos via Adobe Stock) By Deborah Vankin With containment of the Palisades and Eaton fires improving some residents are now returning to their neighborhoods to sift through the rubble But the thousands of victims whose homes or businesses have burned down or been damaged are now facing a thicket of post-fire paperwork rental agreements or other temporary housing paperwork Print Worst of SoCal rainstorm set to hit Sunday and Monday Print Update on weekend fire containment numbers Print This reservoir was built to save Pacific Palisades Los Angeles had a reckoning over firefighting purchased helicopters and dispatched more crews to the Santa Monica Mountains To accommodate growth in Pacific Palisades they built a reservoir in Santa Ynez Canyon as well as a pumping station “to increase fire protection,” as the L.A Department of Water and Power’s then-chief water engineer Print Adam Carolla on evacuating his Malibu home exiting California and doing fire jokes: ‘Make sure it’s funny’ Comedian Adam Carolla performs at the Ice House Comedy Club on July 13 Schwartz / Getty Images) By Alex Distefano As devastating wildfires blaze through multiple pockets of L.A. they continue to take a toll on residents from all walks of life — including comedians whose job it is to make people laugh in these times of tragedy even as some have also been evacuated or lost their homes He also talked about his decision to leave California due to state policies and taxes Skelton: Natural disasters can destroy a politician’s carefully crafted career — or burnish it volunteers and firefighters in Altadena and helped distribute free meals to people burned out of their homes Print Trump vows to help rebuild devastation in L.A Trump said he was stunned by the devastation in L.A and vowed to work with local officials to rebuild and help victims “We have to work together to get this really worked out,” Trump said “I don’t think you can realize how...devastating it is until you see it.” Print The Surgeon General’s parting prescription (Los Angeles Times photo illustration; photo via Getty Images) By Rachel Kraus My first news of the Palisades fire came from a message in my neighborhood WhatsApp group I learned from my neighbors in Del Rey that a blaze had broken out in the hills — above the neighborhood I grew up in where my parents still live in our family home on the edge of the Palisades My own neighborhood of Del Rey was likely out of harm’s way Yet as we all learned how quickly the fire was spreading the neighborhood WhatsApp transformed into a mini resource center sharing tips for staying safe and volunteering spare bedrooms and ADUs A call for available deep freezer storage for an evacuee’s breast milk was met with offer upon offer Print His town burned in California’s most destructive fire The Camp fire destroyed Paradise, Calif., in 2018. Residents are rebuilding but still grappling with the trauma of losing homes and loved ones. The Camp fire scorched the earth on Fairview Drive. (Tomas Ovalle/For The Times) By Noah Haggerty Greg Bolin returned to his home in Paradise She had been watching news coverage of the firestorms in Los Angeles They don’t know where to go,” Bolin recalled her saying Print L.A fires have been forced to shut their facilities and dozens of sites were destroyed leaving scores of working families scrambling for care and dealing a blow to an already fragile sector in the region 37 child-care facilities were reported destroyed in the fires; 21 were child-care centers An additional 284 were non-operational because of ash according the California Department of Social Services Print ‘We were 100% alone’: Fire alerts came too late for some Altadena residents Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend: Print This Pacific Palisades resident lost his home to fire blocked off by military humvees and local police was roughly a mile from the remains of Harvilicz’s home on Mount Holyoke Avenue one of hundreds destroyed by the Palisades fire Print Edison says encampment found near area where Eaton fire started; critics doubt it sparked fire Investigators look over the site at the base of a tower on Jan. 17 where the Eaton fire may have originated. (Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times) By Salvador Hernandez Facing growing scrutiny over whether one of its transmission towers sparked the Eaton fire Southern California Edison this week said that an encampment was found roughly 300 yards downhill from the tower in Eaton Canyon Edison did not directly link the camp to a possible cause of the fire and attorneys who are suing the utility expressed deep skepticism that it was involved in the fire that burned more than 7,000 homes and killed 17 people Print New recovery center to open in Altadena to aid Eaton fire victims The Altadena Disaster Recovery Center will open Monday at 540 W Representatives from state and federal agencies will be present to assist anyone who experienced damage to a primary home personal property loss or other emergency related to the wildfires here’s how employees rescued 45 elderly and disabled patients These employees of Two Palms Care Center and sister facilities assisted in the evacuation of 45 patients. (Mark Potts / Los Angeles Times) By Steve Lopez Juana Rodriguez administrator of Two Palms Care Center in Altadena and then got an urgent call from her on-duty nurse home to 45 elderly and disabled patients ranging in age from mid-60s to 103 County leaders were entering the resistance era “Here is what I want all communities to know,” then-Sheriff Jim McDonnell told county supervisors in January 2017 “My deputies will not initiate any police activity nor arrest anyone based solely on their immigration status Print Risk of debris flow increases for recent burn areas of L.A There is now a 10% to 20% chance of significant debris flow for sensitive recently burned areas of L.A County; that’s up from an earlier estimate of 5% to 10% The chance of debris flows for other burn scars remains 5% to 10% Print Altadena residents feel forgotten as Trump tours Pacific Palisades fire devastation spoke with residents who had lost their homes and expressed shock at the level of devastation some residents watching those sober scenes hoped the staggering losses in their own community would not be forgotten Print Floods landslides are risks as fire-scarred Los Angeles girds for rain “The threat is high enough to prepare for the worst-case scenario,” the National Weather Service office in Oxnard said on social media Print News Analysis: Forget the California resistance: Newsom Democrats make nice with Trump amid crisis President Trump shared a warm embrace with Gov Gavin Newsom and appeared to pledge his support to Los Angeles as he stepped onto state soil Friday for the first time in his second term The president said he appreciated Newsom — whom he often publicly derides as “Newscum” — greeting him on the tarmac and promised to help “fix” damages in the fire-ravaged state Print Their restaurants survived the Eaton fire but without customers will they survive its aftermath Leo Bulgarini traveled through his leveled neighborhood past scorched houses and gutted businesses Print Visiting L.A Trump focuses on overhauling California water policy President Trump speaks with residents and others as he tours a fire-damaged area in Pacific Palisades on Friday. (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images) By Ian James During a visit to Los Angeles burn areas Friday President Trump sought to convince California officials that the state’s system of water management needs a dramatic overhaul Trump announced that he was set to approve an executive order “to open up the pumps and valves in the north.” Print Army Corps of Engineers surveys damage from Palisades the focus now shifts to clearing debris from the thousands of destroyed or heavily damaged homes an effort complicated by hazardous materials and toxic ash The process began Friday when a small convoy with the U.S Army Corps of Engineers surveyed a swath of charred properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu Print Trump surveys Pacific Palisades devastation President Trump walked through the ruins of Pacific Palisades on Friday shaking hands with firefighters and speaking to a handful of residents as he took in the devastation brought by firestorms that swept through L.A Leveled properties and charred trees were visible in the background as the president walked through a neighborhood of leveled homes Firefighters handed the president a white fire helmet adorned with the number 47 on the front and side Print Trump surveys Pacific Palisades devastation: ‘It’s incredible shaking hands with firefighters and speaking to a handful of residents as he took in the devastation wrought by firestorms that swept through L.A Leveled properties and charred trees were visible in the background as the president walked through a neighborhood of destroyed homes Firefighters handed him a white fire helmet with No Print Rain is finally coming to Southern California: What you need to know Southern California this weekend will get its first real rain of the winter Any moisture will help with the region’s parched, combustible landscape. Yet there is concern that the upcoming rain may provide only temporary relief a dry spell could return — raising serious questions about whether dangerous fire weather could return sooner than later Print Officials were warned of failing water system before Palisades fire As crews battled the blaze, attempting to extinguish flames that burned huge swaths of L.A. County and killed at least 11 people, some hydrants ran dry County’s evacuation alert system broke down during fires screeching alarms to cellphones across a large area — many local emergency management officers were wary of the technology In 2017, as the Tubbs fire engulfed Northern California’s wine country, officials in Sonoma and Napa counties decided against sending such mass wireless alerts worrying that they would cause county-wide gridlock and panic they relied on an older system that sent messages to a smaller number of landlines and cellphone numbers voluntarily submitted by residents Print Why water advisories are triggered after a fire emergency Eight water districts have issued do-not-use or do-not-drink advisories following the Palisades and Eaton fires Print With rain on the way Altadena and landslide-prone Rancho Palos Verdes Michael Gessl, 75, stands in the middle of his fire-damaged backyard in the Sunset Mesa neighborhood in Pacific Palisades on Jan. 14. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) By Hailey Branson-Potts Michael Gessl’s house survived the Palisades fire that destroyed much of his neighborhood Print The summer sun was just beginning to peek over the stately bluff-top homes that overlook Aliso Beach but Greg Viviani had already embarked on a most unpleasant scavenger hunt scanning the white sandy shore — a terrain he’s known since childhood snapping up the tiny yellow plastic piece with his trash picker Viviani identified the debris scattered along the shore as he found it: a new pair of Crocs an empty glass bottle of green apple flavored Smirnoff Ice Greg Viviani picks up trash in Laguna Beach (Hannah Fry / Los Angeles Times) His most unusual find Each item he grabbed was met with an exasperated sigh as he shoved it into a reusable bag to haul to the trash Just steps from the exclusive Montage Resort where an ocean view room costs upwards of $1,000 per night during the summer waste was overflowing from trash cans on Treasure Island beach A colony of seagulls battled over a Costco rotisserie chicken carcass Resort employees continued past the mess to set up white beach chairs and umbrellas on the sand for guests “You can clean it all up in one day and it’ll be covered with trash tomorrow.” Laguna Beach residents have for months been pushing city officials to get a handle on what they call “destructive tourism” that sweeps through the small beach town every summer. The crowds started to increase in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic when people itching to get outside flocked to the beach in search of a safer way to congregate Residents say it hasn’t slowed down much since Officials this month formed a committee dedicated to addressing visitor issues and launched an ad campaign on Google to target misbehaving tourists focus on residents’ most common complaints The Laguna Beach coastline looking north to Main Beach Park from Brooks Street shows the wall-to-wall crowds typical over the Fourth of July weekend Laguna Beach marine safety department executed more than 2,000 rescues in the high surf and high tides during the four-day holiday weekend (Don Leach / Daily Pilot) The crush of sightseers officials this year launched a pilot program to charge day-trippers a 5-euro (about $5.50) entry fee that authorities hope will discourage visitors from arriving on peak days Last month in the Spanish city of Barcelona protesters armed with water pistols marched through the city spraying tourists and yelling “go home.” Other coastal California cities are also seeing a surge in visitors as people living inland seek refuge from sweltering temperatures. But Laguna Beach’s geographic constraints, including few roads in and out of town and narrow beaches, exacerbate the problems, according to residents. They fear the issues will only worsen as summers get hotter. “I know we’re all very protective of our community, but we’re getting this everywhere, and I don’t think we can necessarily expect it to change because it gets hot inland and people just pour in here,” Mayor Sue Kempf said at a recent council meeting. “It’s a problem.” will discourage visitors from arriving on peak days and make the city more livable for residents Laguna Beach has been a popular destination for decades, with its iconic rocky coastline, scenic coves and artsy village atmosphere. In the mid-2000s, people descended on the city hoping to experience some of the same picturesque locations they saw on the reality TV show “Laguna Beach: The Real OC.” Social media has only accelerated the city’s popularity as an upscale slice of paradise visitors post stunning photographs of crystal-blue waves and a shoreline that looks like the cover of a California postcard Beach goers enjoy cooling off at Main Beach in Laguna Beach Schaben/Los Angeles Times) Tourism has long been an economic engine in Laguna Beach which sees about 6 million visitors annually But residents say the challenges have begun to outweigh the benefits mostly because not everyone is clear about the rules at the beach they’ve witnessed people wading into the water in the tidepools a sensitive habitat that’s home to a variety of sea life Jinger Wallace, co-founder of the Laguna Bluebelt Coalition said the city needs additional enforcement personnel and tidepool educators to help protect sensitive habitats “It’s a privilege and responsibility to protect Laguna’s sea life after decades of overfishing and pollution,” she said careless damage to tidepools and unnecessary discharges of urban runoff .. each one of us has a responsibility to solve these challenges.” A couple dance while filming a social media video as others explore the Victoria Beach Pirate Tower in Laguna Beach Schaben/Los Angeles Times) For months Laguna locals have lined up at City Council meetings urging officials to do something to address the challenges brought by daytrippers Many have urged staff to write more tickets for illegal activity littering and bringing pop-up canopy tents taller or wider than 6 feet onto the sand The influx of visitors is also taxing resources. The number of ocean rescues since Memorial Day is up 400% compared to last year, officials said. Lifeguards pulled 2,200 people from the water over the Fourth of July weekend. The tension between residents and visitors in Laguna Beach has reached a boiling point. In July, a homeowner was filmed in a TikTok video screaming at a group of beachgoers at Victoria Beach. “Get f— moving,” the woman screamed at the group, which included a child, as she unspooled rope to cordon off a section of sand. “I’m not joking around! It’s not harassment on the beach, it’s harassment in my whole property. Get out of here! Now!” The 1976 California Coastal Act gives residents a fundamental right to the state’s beaches But the public doesn’t have the right to all of the sand The California Coastal Commission sent a notice of violation to the homeowner — and her neighbor — this month which are considered unpermitted development The notice also stated that unoccupied beach furniture in the public access easement created the “incorrect impression that the entire area surrounding the obstructions is private property without public access.” Many residents were quick to distance themselves from the viral video saying that they’re not trying to restrict access to the coast “The beach is for everybody,” Viviani said “But we want people to respect the community and help out We can all make it more beautiful so it’ll last for generations to come.” Seagulls take advantage of overflowing trash cans on Treasure Island beach in Laguna Beach (Hannah Fry / Los Angeles Times) On a recent Sunday afternoon temperatures were in the 80s in Laguna Beach and the parking lot at Aliso Beach was jammed and traffic spilled out onto Coast Highway Some abandoned the lot and left their cars in red zones along Coast Highway Traffic leading into and out of the city was bumper to bumper Laguna Beach woman who was filmed yelling at beachgoers to get off ‘her property,’ reportedly targeted by California Coastal Commission. Joanne McMahon spent years taking her children over a pedestrian bridge that leads from her neighborhood to the beach. Last time she stepped onto the sand at Aliso Beach, she was overwhelmed by the crowd. Nearly every inch of shore was taken. She stopped going, she said. “I feel like we’re promoting tourism to the point of just over impact. Why do we need to continue to promote this for visitors? We can’t handle what we’ve got now,” she said. McMahon, who has lived in Laguna Beach since the late 1980s, said she watches people race down Coast Highway, making illegal U-turns in the middle of the highway and speeding out in front of traffic. “It’s a slice of heaven,” she said, “and it’s getting really crappy.” the newest addition to Avi Brosh's Palisociety portfolio will expand its footprint this year with the opening of its fourth signature hotel a 41-room coastal inn steps from the sandy shores of some of Southern California's most renowned beaches in the heart of the creative and idyllic community of Laguna Beach which debuted with two signature hotels in Carmel-by-the-Sea California in July 2023 and added Le Petit Pali Brentwood in Los Angeles in November 2024 is a new upscale bed & breakfast concept from Brosh and team and exceptional locations for today's well-traveled and discerning guest Le Petit Pali has been featured in The Financial Times Perched on Laguna Beach's famed Coast Highway at the southern end of the town's winding oceanside footprint Le Petit Pali Laguna Beach is a two-story hideaway with 41 king and suite rooms an intimate guest lobby and a central pool area nestled among soaring palm trees all just steps from Treasure Island Beach and Goff Cove two of the area's most revered beachfront destinations Every Le Petit Pali Laguna Beach guest room has been designed in classic Le Petit Pali style by Avi Brosh and team bringing to mind a European-inspired sensibility with layered textures and patterns a weathered coastal palette of muted blues and greys Guest rooms are equipped with Diptyque bath amenities GRIND espresso machines and a generously curated mini bar featuring locally sourced items Antipodes bottled water and Baci chocolates are offered in-room upon arrival Guests will enjoy a daily complimentary champagne continental breakfast featuring locally made fresh pastries green juice and perfectly cooked 8-minute eggs Homemade cookies are delivered to guest rooms in the late evening and daily food and drink service features a menu of notable regional wines cocktails and beer alongside small bites and locally sourced provisions,as well as weekly programming inspired by local Laguna favorites Hotel website Brand OwnerPalisociety Family members carry the body of Widman Alexander Tax Chinic The journey of Rossanna and Widman began in the Guatemalan village of San Juan La Laguna where they met when he bought the tortillas she was selling for lunch It ended in the murky waters of the Rio Grande The couple drowned as they tried to wade across the notorious part of the river that links Piedras Negras just two among the hundreds of people who lose their lives trying to cross into the U.S relatives collected Widman’s casket from Guatemala City and carried it back along the winding highland roads to his hometown of Yepocapa in a white Mitsubishi van and then to his final resting place Dozens of community members filed through the streets to mourn the popular 26-year-old election campaigning about immigration and the salvos about who is doing what to secure the border are far away the story is simply that of two of their young who left to seek a better life and earn some money in "El Norte" and came back in boxes in the back of a van “She wanted to be a chef but we didn’t have the money for her to study,” said Francisca I didn’t want her to leave but she insisted that five years would give her and Alex the opportunity to raise money to build their own house and open a restaurant here.” respectful and volunteered at the local church After leaving school he began working in construction taking pride in doing finish work and seeing each project come together Although the number of people apprehended by U.S Border Patrol attempting to cross has declined in recent months increased security on the U.S.-Mexican border in recent years has pushed migrants to take increasingly perilous routes which assists migrants on the Mexican side of the border says it rescued 450 people whose lives were in danger during the first seven months of 2024 and recovered 34 bodies who paid coyotes to take them across Mexico the three approached the river at Piedras Negras carrying their belongings accompanied by a coyote and two other migrants Rossanna was the last of the group to enter the water according to a Reuters photographer who was at the scene It soon became clear the current was strong and the group lost their footing and returned to the Mexican side National Guard officer arrived on the opposite bank and shouted at them in Spanish through a megaphone to return as they reached the center they lost their footing Alfredo and the two other migrants managed to climb out of the river onto the Mexican bank while the coyote was pulled out almost dead and revived by a rescuer night was falling and first responders were on the scene a woman from Colombia who attempted the crossing separately was rescued after grabbing hold of a stick held by a police officer Widman’s father Onofre was desperately trying to reach his son “Tell me you’re OK.” “Please call me.” His calls went unanswered Rossanna’s body was found the next day on the Mexican side of the river Alfredo identified his daughter and then returned to his home in Guatemala Her body was returned to her family several weeks later Now Alfredo - who faces years of debt to work off the cost of the doomed trip to the U.S Hageo will grow up to know his older sister only from her photo - smiling and dressed in colorful local clothing - that hangs in the family home the frame that holds his photo on the mantelpiece is turned backwards Additional reporting: Maria Alejandra Cardona and Andrea Godinez News | July 10, 2024 | By: a company specializing in irrigation systems has been awarded the project to modernize the irrigation systems of the La Laguna Irrigation Community The entire irrigation area is located in the municipalities of Baeza and Mancha Real (Jaén) on the left bank of the Guadalquivir River and north of the A-316 road which is the entire area between Arroyo Vil and Torres River The project includes three reservoirs for the storage of 1.8 Hm3 of water for which Sotrafa’s ALVATECH 5002 geomembrane has been chosen as the waterproofing solution The irrigable area is 1,209.50 ha of olive groves with localized drip irrigation corresponding to around 274 community members With this project to update the irrigation community de La Laguna with new water storage for the irrigation of its olive groves that avoids the main and essential use of the wetland of the natural park It would also allow an independence in the distribution and storage of water between both environments to allow the volumes of water available in the seasons where is where more rainfall is concentrated and therefore is when there is more water available in the river The aim is also to adapt and modernize the water transport pipelines to the different storage points by means of new pipe layouts to the planned reservoirs and the pressurized piping of the main canal or irrigation channel For the storage of approximately 1.8 Hm3 of water three reservoirs are proposed to guarantee the environmental viability of the existing Laguna Grande to allow a desirable autonomy in the irrigation of the olive trees of the irrigation community The solution chosen for this waterproofing is ALVATECH 5002 geomembrane a total of 185,000 m2 of geomembrane was installed on a 250 geotextile One of the main reasons for choosing the ALVATECH 5002 geomembrane is the 7.5 m width of the rolls which translates into shorter installation time and reduced costs Another major advantage of this width is fewer welds and therefore less risk of leaks and less time for testing together with the excellent mechanical properties of SOTRAFA’s ALVATECH 5002 geomembrane and RICAMPO’s extensive experience in this type of project has resulted in a successful project to modernize the irrigation facilities for the La Laguna Irrigation Community Information courtesy of Sotrafa. Learn more about Sotrafa here GeoManitoba 2025 paper submission deadline extended to May 14 Geo-Institute 2026 award nominations open RENOLIT building new geomembrane plant in India Registration now open for Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 Webinar – Geomembranes for Produced Water and Brine Containment – May 13 Register for GMA Spring Lobby Days Geosynthetics Magazine is a publication of the Advanced Textiles Association Copyright © 2025 Advanced Textiles Association Terms of ServicePrivacy Policy the halal eatery prepares for a grand reopening once again Mint will welcome diners back to its remodeled dining room with a complimentary glass of nonalcoholic champagne Located at 25381 Alicia Pkwy, Unit C in Laguna Hills, Mint is a sister concept to Michelin-recognized Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen in Fullerton and SHOR Bazaar in Hawaiian Gardens, led by head chef Jamil Hosseini, under the direction of chef Imran Ali Mookhi. “The family started Mint in 2016, and it was just a small mom and pop restaurant until we took over the space next door,” said Mookhi. “So we expanded it. Then in 2020 we opened Khan Saab, and we were blessed that Khan Saab became so successful. We decided to remodel Mint and bring it to that level as well.” Jewel tones, metallic fixtures and velour seating have been added to the interior of Mint Desi Craft Cuisine. (Courtesy of Mint Desi Craft Cuisine) The dining room was remodeled, but just a couple weeks ahead of the reopening, firefighters responded to reports of smoke on the early morning of May 5 coming from an electrical fire that had broken out in Mint’s kitchen. “It was sad because the whole family was attached to the restaurant because that was the first one. We also never had to deal with anything like this in the past,” said Mookhi. The team placed staff at their sister concepts and focused on rebuilding Mint. “The whole process took about three years to get it done with the city, with the fire inspection and the insurance and all that,” said Mookhi. Mint has been soft-open since the holidays, allowing the staff to get back into the swing of dinner service. Cast-iron baked bandar buns served with mango chutney at Mint Desi Craft Cuisine in Laguna Hills. (Courtesy of Mint Desi Craft Cuisine) The menu features halal Indian and Pakistani dishes, all intended for family-style dining. Classics like masala rub French-cut lamb chops and traditional curries like chicken tikka masala are popular. Creative appetizers include bandar buns, popover-like buns baked in a cast-iron pot and served with a sweet and spicy mango chutney. The restaurant group has also become known for its biryani, a mixed rice dish that can be made with chicken, goat, lamb or beef. Mint also uses charred market vegetables and Thai chilles to make a vegetable biryani. Goat karahi is also a favorite, with the braised meat served in a traditional karahi wok bubbling in spiced tomato sauce and fried chilies when it arrives at the table. “It’s incredibly gratifying to reopen Mint finally,” Hosseini said in statement. “These past few years have certainly brought a few setbacks, but the community’s excitement and encouragement have made all the hard work worthwhile.” The original design has been redone with jewel tones, wood accents and velour seating. Leather directors’ chairs face a rustic brick wall where black-and-white Bollywood movies are projected. Also in keeping with the halal tradition, Mint has an alcohol-free bar program led by mixologist Ahmad Hosseini. Diners can order imported 0.0% craft brews and nonalcoholic mimosas in flavors like lychee, mango and blood orange. Hosseini has developed a craft cocktail menu with thoughtful beverages like a “Falsa-tini” made with Grewia asiatica pulp or a “Honey Dew Me” with honeydew melon, Seedlip Garden 108, basil and lime that drinks like a midori sour. A nonalcoholic “falsa-tini” at Mint made with Grewia asiatica pulp and black salt. (Courtesy of Mint Desi Craft Cuisine) “The nonalcoholic bar was such a hit for us at Khan Saab we decided to extend that to Shor and Mint,” said Mookhi. On the evening of the grand reopening, 10% of the proceeds will benefit NAMI Orange County, a local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “We’re eager to welcome former regulars and new guests back into our space,” Hosseini said. Mookhi is eager as well, since the reopening of Mint means he can focus on the restaurant group’s next opening: Kabana in Huntington Beach. “The concept at Kabana it is a little different than what we have done at the other three restaurants. It is more of comfort Pakistani food,” Mookhi said. Kabana, slated to open later this year, will be a quick-serve-style eatery with a nonalcoholic bar, a chai tasting experience and hookah. Sarah Mosqueda covers Orange County food, art and culture for TimesOC. She most recently worked as a staff writer in Food for the Los Angeles Times. She also has several years of experience in the restaurant industry, including as a proprietor. Mosqueda earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Cal State Fullerton. TimesOC Hector Guzman Jr. of Costa Mesa was charged Tuesday with single felony counts each of rape, attempted forcible oral copulation and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury. Guzman did not enter a plea at his arraignment in the jail courtroom in Santa Ana Tuesday and the hearing was rescheduled for Feb. 21 in the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach. Sheriff’s deputies were called just before 9 p.m. Jan. 25 to a business in the 25000 block of La Paz Road in Laguna Hills regarding a sexual assault, sheriff’s deputies said. A woman said she was sexually assaulted by a customer earlier in the day, deputies said. City News Service is the nation’s largest regional wire service and is headquartered in Los Angeles. The incident occurred at 1,000 Steps Beach at about 7:15 a.m., Laguna Beach officials reported in a social media post, which refers to the area as 9th Street Beach. A portion of the private walkway that snakes along the cliff side had collapsed, as seen in photos shared online. About 500 cubic yards of earth came crashing down in the landslide, Laguna Beach officials said. No homes were damaged and no injuries were reported. “This was a significant bluff collapse, and we responded with an abundance of caution to ensure no one was in harm’s way,” Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King said. “Luckily no one was hurt and while there is no immediate danger, it’s important for everyone to stay clear of the closed area while assessments continue.” Residents of three nearby homes were evacuated as a precaution. They have been allowed to return to their homes, and city officials say there is no threat to surrounding properties. A geologist will be assigned to further evaluate the stability of the bluff. The beach is home to a reef break known for producing consistently rideable waves at all stages of the tide and year-round. It’s practically walled off by sandstone cliffs that extend past the shoreline to the north. Print The otherworldly looking sea creature that washed up near Laguna Niguel was actually a fairly common fish the moray eel.The eel’s teeth point backward making it hard for anything it has bitten to break free a terrifying set of jaws and a corpse-like pallor If you guessed the titular villain in Ridley Scott’s 1979 horror film But a version of the creature that inspired Scott’s “Alien” also washed ashore over the weekend near Laguna Niguel “It’s giving me nightmares,” wrote a Reddit user on Saturday, posting a picture of what appeared to be a dead moray eel on the beach. The creature’s jaws were open, exposing its many teeth. Moray eels are common in Southern California, and they’ve washed ashore multiple times in the past, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Tim Daly. “It looks like it might be a little bleached from being dead,” Daly said of the latest visitor from Planet Moray. The usual hue of the living version is greenish-brown, according to John Ugoretz, pelagic fisheries and ecosystem program manager for the department. A group of kayakers and snorkelers came across a rare deep-sea oarfish floating in the waters off San Diego California moray eels live in coral reefs from Point Conception in Santa Barbara County to southern Baja California in Mexico Instead of having gill covers like most other fish moray eels breathe by opening and closing their mouths appearing as if they’re gasping for breath “I think this one drew people’s people’s attention because of the way the teeth and head look on the moray eel and the fact that it was bleached out,” Ugoretz said of the online post The moray eel has a double row of pointed teeth that angle backward The moray’s sharp teeth are coated in bacteria, so their bites can be not only painful but cause infection, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The creature doesn’t tend to bite, however, unless scared or disturbed. © 2025 EmCan Media - Hosted By canaryfone The Junta de Hermandades y Cofradías of San Cristóbal de La Laguna (The Board of Brotherhoods and Confraternities) has been awarded the prestigious ‘Tenerife Nordeste 2025’ prize by the Centre for Tourism Initiatives of Northeast Tenerife in recognition of its contribution to the city’s Holy Week (Easter) celebrations The award highlights the council’s unwavering commitment and the collective efforts of the many brotherhoods that bring La Laguna’s Semana Santa to life each year with splendour the city's Tourism Department publicly congratulated the Junta acknowledging its vital role in preserving one of the Canary Islands’ most cherished religious and cultural events “La Laguna’s Holy Week would be unimaginable without the tireless work of the Brotherhood Council and the dedication of every confraternity,” said Estefanía Díaz La Laguna has become a destination that offers a unique experience each year where faith thousands of people gather in the city’s historic centre — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — as well as in surrounding neighbourhoods and villages to witness processions featuring centuries-old statues and elaborately crafted floats are admired not only for their spiritual meaning but also for their artistic and cultural significance and flawless coordination of each procession noting that they are the result of months of careful preparation by devoted members Each step and detail reflect the passion and dedication of those involved The local council said that awards like this play a crucial role in bringing visibility to the often quiet yet essential work of those who help keep La Laguna’s traditions alive — efforts that continue to shape the identity and soul of the city Print Birds of a feather stick together Whether you take it in the literal sense or stretch that meaning to some extent there is much of that adage at play in the artistry in front of Laguna Beach City Hall A pair of bronze crows — each approximately 6 feet tall and 1,000 pounds — have been on the building’s lawn for about a week The sculptures will remain there into September as part of the city’s temporary public art program the creative who brought the birds to town and he has been known to feed them himself The temporary public art installation “An Attempted Murder,” at Laguna Beach City Hall (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) “I’ve got a little group of them that would follow me around,” Champion said Between an affection for crows and an interest in art is merging pieces of his past with a full career in the rearview mirror Champion has been a regular contributor to the artistic works at Burning Man It was there that he introduced an installation in 2016 known as “Murder,” which featured five large resin crows A group of at least three crows is referred to as a murder giving rise to the title of “An Attempted Murder” for the current work on display in Laguna Beach The bronze sculptures in “An Attempted Murder” have a black patina applied to better resemble the likeness of crows (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) The bronze birds will become available at the end of their stay Champion said he will sell them for $300,000 for the pair “[Laguna Beach] seems like a nice place down there “I’d really like it to stay there permanently I’d rather have it in public view so that people can enjoy it but I’m not opposed to selling it to a private collector.” Champion attended art school for a year out of high school but the life of a starving artist wasn’t one he could embrace one still with tools but also creative freedom Artist Jack Champion worked in construction before leaning into his creative side in retirement (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) “During construction it taught me a lot of things about assembling things “I created furniture and stuff when I was in construction I can do what I want now.’ I started doing art Champion introduced oversized elephant sculptures to Burning Man in 2022 The 30-foot elephants were referred to collectively as “Homage au Dalí,” an attempt to recreate the 1948 painting “Los Elefantes” by Salvador Dalí The desert provides a “perfect landscape” to have the mundane stand out … it looks almost identical to what Salvador Dalí was painting in that picture “I tried to bring out aspects of the painting into my project You could see in the distance in the painting there’s like a Greek temple that’s way far off in the distance I made a Greek temple there that housed the generator that powered the lights “I also made a giant picture frame to enclose it to see how many people would pick up on that that they were in this painting and they could impose themselves in it by stepping into the painting.” Artist Jack Champion has had his work showcased at Burning Man. (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) NewsLaguna Beach Andrew Turner Follow Us Español Português info@caf.com Tlf. +58 (212) 209-2111 The La Laguna Council's Department of Works and Infrastructure, in coordination with the Public Safety Department, have successfully demolished and removed a large boulder that had fallen onto a path in Valle Tabares during the storms. The rockfall occurred on Tuesday afternoon due to the intense rainfall that affected the entire area. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but the incident disrupted traffic at the junction for the El Rosarito and Carpintero roads. Ángel Chinea, the councillor in charge of the project, explained that "technical inspections were carried out in the area over the past few days to assess the road's condition and the stability of the adjoining slope. This was to ensure there was no risk of further landslides and that the operation could be carried out with maximum safety." The removal started yesterday, Thursday, by breaking the boulder into smaller, more manageable pieces to make it easier to move. The next phase, scheduled for today, Friday, will focus on repairing the road, which sustained damage from the boulder's impact and weight when it fell. The Local Police of La Laguna played a crucial role in the process, working alongside the Works and Infrastructure team to cordon off the affected area, implement signage, divert traffic, and prevent any accidents as vehicles passed through the site on Tuesday. This incident is part of a series of emergency responses following this week's heavy rains. Earlier interventions included two flooded homes on Calle La Hornera and managing overflowed drains in areas such as Los Baldíos, Los Andenes, and Las Chumberas. The severe weather also caused damage to the road surface in Calle Tijarafe and major avenues like Los Majuelos, El Paso, and Libertad, which have since been repaired. Print Dr is facing two felony counts of battery with serious bodily injury months after he reached a $6-million settlement with three dozen former patients A criminal complaint filed in Orange County Superior Court in July offered very few details on the alleged crimes but referenced Mowlavi using “surgical tools” during the commission of the felonies, which prosecutors say occurred in July and August 2021. The two victims are not named in the criminal complaint, but a police report obtained by The Times details allegations made by several former patients, including those who sought treatment from Mowlavi in the summer of 2021. The criminal complaint states that Mowlavi “took advantage of a position of trust and confidence.” Mowlavi pleaded not guilty last week to both charges. His attorney could not immediately be reached for comment. Arian Mowlavi has reached a $6-million settlement with three dozen former patients The board accusation details Mowlavi’s alleged interactions with four patients in 2020 and 2021. One woman, identified in the accusation as Patient C, sought out Mowlavi’s services in June 2021 for areas of her body that included her abdomen, thighs, back, buttocks and hips. During her initial consultation she was told to disrobe and Mowlavi examined her without a female chaperon in the room and without wearing gloves, according to the accusation. At one point, the accusation alleges that Mowlavi had Patient C’s bare buttocks up against his chest as he sat on a stool while demonstrating what the results of the procedure would be post-surgery. While being examined, Mowlavi allegedly called the woman “girlfriend” and “babe” and told her he would make her look “hot” and “snatched,” according to the accusation. Another patient, identified in the accusation as Patient D, was interested in a Brazilian Butt Lift, but during an examination the day before her scheduled surgery, Mowlavi recommended that she also get high-definition liposuction, a pubic skin resection and a mini-tummy tuck. Cristian Perez Latorre is charged with assault and battery accused of harmful surgery without a proper license in 2021 the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said Mowlavi allegedly reached his arms around the patient and manipulated her lower abdominal skin to show her what post-surgery results would look like During the process he used a crude word for vagina Mowlavi brought another prospective patient into the room where Patient D was lying undressed and told her to “flex” her abs The accusation states that Mowlavi never returned to examine her The action by the medical board is the second it has taken against Mowlavi it filed an accusation that he committed gross negligence aided the unlicensed practice of medicine and overstated the number of procedures he’d performed In September 2022, the board suspended Mowlavi’s license for 90 days and placed him on probation for 10 years, documents show. In a series of malpractice lawsuits settled this spring by Mowlavi, more than 30 patients alleged that he unnecessarily forced them to be nude for an examination, made inappropriate comments about their bodies, touched them without consent, pressured them to have more expensive procedures and in some cases bungled their surgeries. Patients said in court documents that they were left with unsightly and unexpected scars and infections following surgery. aiming to curb migration to the Canary Islands and counter Russia's influence in the Sahel region.Diaby who once dreamed of becoming a soldier but faced opposition from his father now works as an interpreter at a migrant reception centre he trained as a gardener and unsuccessfully tried to pass a military academy admission exam.The young Malian said that what African countries needed most was support from Europe to generate jobs and provide training for young people.Reporting by Corina Pons and Borja Suarez; Editing by David Latona and Ros Russell Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Print Good morning Here’s what you need to know to start your day California’s heat wave has continued into another week and there are few escapes from the oppressive temperatures. Beaches with their cool breezes and cooler water always beckon But here’s the problem with the beach: Most of us can’t afford to live there! In fact there are 210 million-dollar cities in California (cities where the average home costs $1,000,000) and most of them are on the coast conflict between those who call the beach home and those who travel to the beach is inevitable Especially in Laguna Beach. L.A. Times Reporter Hannah Fry went to Laguna to check in on its summer of discontent as locals organize against the issues caused by an onslaught of tourists The number of tourists has barely fallen since then It’s not the only beach town in California seeing this wave of tourists but locals say its unique geography (few roads in and out) makes it particularly difficult to manage Local opposition to tourism has become more organized Officials in Laguna Beach formed a committee to address issues with visitors The city also launched an ad campaign targeting misbehaving tourists that focuses on curtailing litter Residents had been demanding the city take on overtourism for months lining up at City Council meetings and begging staff to issue more tickets for illegal activity such as public drinking littering and setting up beach tents that are too tall Tensions between visitors and residents reached a boiling point on TikTok A homeowner was recorded in a July TikTok video screaming at a group of beachgoers (which included a child) as she used rope to cordon off a section of Victoria Beach The issue here: The 1976 California Coastal Act gives residents a right to the state’s beaches. But that right extends only to “the beach seaward of the mean high tide line.” That means the wet or damp sand area of a beach is open to the public. It’s unclear whether the homeowner in the TikTok is on wet or dry sand. Conflicts between tourists and residents aren’t unique to Laguna Beach, or even California Let’s start close by: If you look hard enough, you can find a similarly themed video on TikTok from a Malibu beach. A tourist records a sign that reads, “This beach is on private lots. Trespassers will be prosecuted.” The sign appears to be on wet sand, which is technically public. Farther away, Venice, Italy, has started a program to charge day-trippers an entry fee for the city, hoping to discourage visits on peak days. And in Barcelona, protesters marched through the Spanish city spraying tourists with water pistols. The Intuit Dome Plaza in Inglewood on Aug (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) The Intuit Dome opens today New polls show Dems winning in California Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here. Cherry County Rodeo in Valentine Nebraska. (Hailey Branson-Potts/Los Angeles Times) In Tim Walz’s rural hometown, his Democratic politics are an awkward fit Tim Walz speaks of his Nebraska hometown with affection and pride Will his small town roots appeal to rural voters How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. A movie still from “Apocalypse Now.” (United Artists) “Apocalypse Now,” directed by Francis Ford Coppola, opened in theaters around the U.S. on Aug. 15, 1979. The acclaimed Vietnam War film starred Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall and Dennis Hopper. Read The Times’ revisit of the film from 2010 multiplatform editor and Saturday reporterChristian Orozco Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com. Karim Doumar is head of newsletters at the Los Angeles Times. He joined in 2022. He was previously deputy newsletter editor at ProPublica. Puerto Plata—Two weeks after the downpours that have affected this Atlantic region began to fall dozens of families are still prevented from leaving their homes because they are flooded These are residents of the La Ciénaga and La Laguna sectors in the Cabarete tourist district in Sosúa He said this situation keeps families on tenterhooks indicating that “if there are new rains Zarzuela said that around 4,500 people reside in La Cienega He added that Public Works sent a crane on Wednesday to try to drain the waters but it was in vain because the currents were joined underground Local December 28 He quantified that at least 10,000 families are suffering the aftermath of the rains on the coast of Cabarete and that they have received assistance from the GoveGovernmentough the Social Plan of the Presidency said that he has remained vigilant in the face of the possibility of new rains and that it merits helping vulnerable families in the territories above Cruz said that since the beginning of last week when it began to rain intensely in Cabarete it was necessary to remove families from their homes and house them in the homes of relatives and friends who reside in safe areas The narrow streets of both neighborhoods are flooded by water so when residents try to leave their homes whose owners do not charge them for the service He indicated that they only accept a contribution if it comes from someone who wants to do it out of gratitude one of the young people who provides service to those affected who has lived in La Ciénaga for more than 20 years said that the floods destroyed her home but that she has survived thanks to the government’s medical aid the head of the family with three minor children hopes that the ruling party will continue to help him because “it was not easy to spend Christmas Eve with my family having dinner standing up and with the water up to my waist because our house is under water.” He lives in the La Laguna neighborhood of Cabarete community member María Hernández showed spiritual faith when talking to journalists about the situation caused by the rain “we must accept what God has sent us through the rains and nature because we will connect divine blessings in abundance.” Other people said they fear the consequences of stagnant water because it could cause illness in residents Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Economy North Coast Local Sports Health DominicanToday.com - The Dominican Republic News Source in English Av. Abraham Lincoln N° 452 Local 220B, Plaza La Francesa, Piantini, Santo Domingo You don't have permission to access the page you requested. What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed. On Monday, though, lifeguards found something they don’t usually see on the sand: an abandoned, broken-down panga-style vessel stocked with life jackets and fuel cans. Authorities believe the boat was used to smuggle migrants across the border. The morning shift of lifeguards discovered the boat when they arrived around 6:20 a.m. “It was a 24-foot single outboard vessel that ran aground and capsized,” said Kai Bond, chief of Laguna Beach Marine Safety. There was “no sign of anyone associated with the boat,” Bond said. Lifeguards searched the beach and the water and saw “no signs of distress.” It took officials about six hours to remove the crumbling watercraft from the beach, he said. Steven Day, a local resident, was among the first to spot the boat in the morning. The beach has been especially crowded this summer after being “blown up by social media,” he said. The day before the landing, the beach had hosted a volleyball tournament and was swarmed with people. It was empty when he saw the boat early Monday morning. Customs and Border Patrol were notified of the abandoned watercraft at the beach agency spokesperson Gerrelaine Alcordo said in a statement The agents found “12 life jackets and 10 fuel cans onboard the vessel,” Alcordo said The vessel was seized for suspected violations of the federal law that prohibits bringing noncitizens into the country outside of designated ports of entry, Alcordo said. Boat landings by migrant smuggling operations are not uncommon along California’s southern coast though Victoria Beach is not a typical arrival spot It’s been an eventful summer in Laguna Beach. Increased tourism has brought trash, traffic and frayed tempers to the community; residents say crowds began to overwhelm the city at the beginning of the pandemic and haven’t eased up since In a viral TikTok video posted in July, a homeowner yelled at a family at Victoria Beach, telling them that they were on her private property as they tried to enjoy the beach. “Get f— moving,” the woman yelled at the family, which included a child. “Get out of here. Now!” Terry Castleman is a data reporter on the Fast Break Desk covering breaking news. In 2020, he was named alongside his colleagues as a Pulitzer Prize finalist in explanatory reporting. Previously, he worked at the New York Times and volunteered as a first responder for refugees arriving on the shores of Lesvos. Print If someone tramps across the well-manicured grass in front of your home you would be fully within your rights to tell them to get off your lawn But yelling at someone to get off your property when it’s a public beach That could bring down the wrath of the California Coastal Commission A woman who was filmed yelling at beachgoers at Laguna Beach recently to get off “my property” has received a letter from the California Coastal Commission instructing her to stop blocking access to a public stretch of the sand The 1976 California Coastal Act protects the public’s access to the state’s beaches. Under the law, people have the right to use the beach as far as the mean high tide line, which is generally considered to be the wet or damp sand area of the beach. Oceanfront homeowners can’t legally stop people from planting their umbrellas and blankets on that sand. According to the Coastal Commission’s website, the commission can impose administrative penalties of up to $11,250 a day for each violation of the law’s public access provisions A TikTok video filmed July 19 shows the woman yelling at a group of people: “I’m not joking around bringing out rope to cordon off a section of sand resulting in the group of people getting up to leave She continues to shout at them as they depart Last week, the California Coastal Commission sent the woman a citation, saying that she was “was verbally harassing those beachgoers,” according to KCAL. Lifestyle We visited more than 200 miles of coastline, picking through hundreds of beaches to name the 50 best from San Diego to Santa Barbara. We prioritized ease of use and special amenities — like volleyball courts, camping, surf conditions and views. The ropes shown in the video blocking off a portion of the sand near the woman’s home are also not legal and must be removed by September, the commission’s letter to the woman states, according to the TV station. She was given until Aug. 16 to respond to the notice of violations, KCAL reported. A spokesperson for the California Coastal Commission confirmed that they sent the letter to the homeowner but declined to share it with The Times until the agency gets a response. The La Laguna Council has announced the closure of all coastal bathing areas in the municipality due to hazardous sea conditions. The closure includes the final remaining open facility, Pool Number One in Bajamar, effectively shutting down all coastal swimming areas in the region of Tenerife. As a result, access to Bajamar, Punta del Hidalgo, Jover, and La Barranquera is now strictly prohibited. Red flags have been raised at all these locations to indicate the danger. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) has updated its weather alerts for the Canary Islands as of Thursday, 13th March, issuing warnings for coastal phenomena across La Palma, El Hierro, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura. In Tenerife, a yellow warning is in place for the northern coast and the metropolitan area from 8:00am onwards. Additionally, the Canary Islands Government has declared a pre-alert for adverse coastal conditions across the archipelago. In Tenerife, this applies to the north-western and northern coastline under the provisions of the Canary Islands’ Specific Emergency Plan for Adverse Meteorological Phenomena (PEFMA). According to maritime forecasts, north-westerly winds of force 5–6 (29–49 km/h) are expected today, Thursday, with rough to very rough seas and areas of heavy swell. Waves are expected to reach between 2.5 and 4.5 metres. For tomorrow, Friday, 14th March, wind speeds are expected to drop to force 4 (20–28 km/h), shifting to a northerly direction in the late afternoon and evening. The intensity of the swell will gradually decrease, with waves ranging from 2 to 3.5 metres. Authorities are urging the public to exercise extreme caution and to strictly adhere to all prohibition signs in coastal areas of the municipality. Garrett Snyder & Jess Basser Sanders A charming seaside resort town that just so happened to have its own reality show for a few years Southern California stereotypes run rampant (see: pomeranians in sweaters investment bros that wear board shorts and flip-flops year-round) But if you think that means the only noteworthy restaurants in town are expensive tourist traps and lackluster cafes that isn't the case—there's way more great food here than MTV might have led you to believe Laguna Beach 92651">.css-56eu0z{width:1em;height:1em;display:inline-block;line-height:1em;-webkit-flex-shrink:0;-ms-flex-negative:0;flex-shrink:0;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray100);vertical-align:middle;fill:currentColor;}31732 Coast Hwy Los Angeles Saying a restaurant feels like a house party is a total cliche this indoor-outdoor spot in South Laguna is filled with young beach-bum couples sharing natural wine and bobbing their heads to ‘70s funk There’s an impromptu bar in the back and seat-yourself tables strewn throughout the cottage’s nooks and crannies—people don’t so much dine here as they do post up in a corner and eat Ordering at the front counter can be a little confusing and any of the vegetable-heavy small plates like sweet potato with dill chimichurri or burnt broccolini with pickled shallots Make sure to hit the quirky retro cocktail room next door (previously home to a Swiss engineering office) for a mezcal Bee’s Knees on the way out 8.1Nick's Laguna BeachAmerican Laguna Beach Nick’s is the crown jewel of the Laguna Beach world But not because of Michelin stars or a seven-course tasting menu featuring baby quail eggs and celery foam This casual restaurant is the ultimate Laguna go-to because it’s one of the most crowd-pleasing restaurants you’ll ever encounter You will also encounter ridiculous wait times zero reservation availability (unless you book many weeks in advance) and the greatest prime rib sandwich of all time 8.0Selanne Steak TavernSteaks Find yourself in Laguna with the need to impress someone, or at least the need to eat a very thick ribeye? Selanne Steak Tavern is your best option for both scenarios. Owned by a former Anaheim Ducks star, this classic "fancy steakhouse in a remodeled historic house" is the place to throw down on giant lobsters Save it for a special occasion (or when someone else is paying) 7.9Broadway By Amar SantanaThe Royal HawaiianPolynesian Originally opened in 1947, Royal Hawaiian is a historic tiki bar that recently underwent a full makeover by the people behind Yamashiro in Hollywood The interior alone is like stepping into a tropical time-warp: pufferfish lamps and more bamboo torches than an episode of Survivor But even if you’re not someone who collects aloha shirts the solid food and delicious tropical cocktails make this one of the most fun spots for a night out in Laguna Kick things off with a pupu platter and a flaming Chief Lapu Lapu and see where the currents take you 7.8The Taco Stand699 S Coast Hwy Los Angeles Tacos Finding great tacos in Laguna Beach is like getting a rental car on Christmas Day: your options are going to be limited a mini-chain from San Diego that does Tijuana-style tacos filled with grilled asada and al pastor from the spit The dining room can get crowded during peak hours but don’t let that stop you from taking advantage of their fully loaded salsa bar 7.8Rebel Omakase361 Forest Ave Los Angeles Sushi Given the growing number of hedge-fund dudes purchasing mansions in Laguna there’s bound to be at least one high-end omakase sushi spot in town and the good news is it lives up to its special occasion price: $260 for 20-ish courses except with fish flown in from Japan instead of hot stones and essential oils It’s run by a Peruvian chef trained in Tokyo who mixes in fun twists like wasabi sorbet and a sashimi-style riff on shrimp chowder book the shortened lunch omakase for $160—there’s less caviar and truffles 7.7 Grazie Grazie Pizzeria610 N Coast Hwy Laguna Beach Pizza Grazie Grazie is a casual Neapolitan-style pizza shop just north of downtown that serves our favorite pies in Laguna as long as you don’t expect Naples-level ambiance to go with it (the dining area is your basic fast-casual setup) We appreciate that the high-quality toppings are kept simple or the ricotta-topped bianco verde with pistachio pesto and honey Grab a pint of lemon raspberry gelato for later 7.6Rye Goods384 Forest Ave #4 Los Angeles Bakery/Cafe Rye Goods is a bakery and cafe with a few locations around Orange County and is best known for heirloom sourdough loaves and putting tasty farmers market-y things on toast The Laguna Beach location is inside the Lumberyard Mall a woodsy shopping plaza that strongly resembles the village of Beauty and the Beast or just a nice chocolate croissant and a flat white while you browse at the nearby boutiques filled with crystal sculptures and large oil paintings Rye Goods is also a good low-commitment evening option with natural wines by the glass and simple dishes like potato-leek soup and a roasted veggie sandwich 7.6SeabutterPenguin CafeDiner One of Laguna Beach’s great charms is that it is somehow home to both a Tommy Bahama restaurant and old-school beach town holdouts like Penguin Cafe (Let’s be clear: you’re not allowed to go to the Tommy Bahama restaurant It doesn’t matter how good those ahi tuna tacos are.) This place has been open for over 40 years and while it’s not much more than a diner counter and a few booths so come here for a classic American breakfast of corned beef hash and french toast 7.5Oliver's Osteria853 Laguna Canyon Rd Laguna Beach Italian There are as many mediocre Italian restaurants in Laguna as there are poorly parked Range Rovers tucked in the hills a short drive up from the beach The staff is made up of Italian men who will sell you on beef carpaccio or housemade tagliatelle with bolognese like they were new sports cars Skip the unremarkable entrees and stick to the excellent pasta like the spaghetti pomodoro over burrata cream but the move is grabbing a table in the cozy back dining room and ending the evening with tiramisu and chianti 7.4Carmelita'sMexican but there’s a law that every fancy Mexican restaurant in Laguna must serve seafood enchiladas gooey crab-filled ones at Carmelita’s are the best in town Located right across the street from Main Beach this OC mini-chain is our preferred choice for when we just want a spicy mango margarita Order those enchiladas and some queso fundido (served in a casserole dish) and stake out a patio table just before sunset 7.4Saigon BeachVietnamese The grilled pork banh mi from Saigon Beach might be the greatest sandwich to pick up pre-beach in Laguna but that’s not the only reason we’re fans of this casual family-run Vietnamese spot right off PCH they serve creative dishes like cilantro-colored “420 rice” with shredded jackfruit and a juicy pho baguette dip stuffed with shaved brisket but there’s a shaded patio out front and a short beer and wine list if you decide to dine in 7.3Lost Pier CafeDriftwood Kitchen619 Sleepy Hollow Ln Laguna Beach If you’re dead set on dining so close to the ocean you can see sand crabs Driftwood Kitchen is the best option in town for a sit-down meal with beachfront views vaguely Cape Cod-ish dining room is quite literally perched over the sand (“Any closer and you’d have to swim” is the restaurant’s tagline) and the food meets the assignment: upscale but not ridiculously overpriced You can certainly splurge on a surf-and-turf dinner at sunset but we prefer the house burger and a Bloody Mary during their daily brunch Where to eat and drink when you're done with the theme parks From Cambodian classics to modern Mexican spots and a brunch worth the long drive—these are the best restaurants in San Diego Garrett is a lifelong Californian who's covered the LA dining scene as a writer/editor since 2012 He'll drive any distance for great food Melbourne-native Jess has been writing about LA restaurants since 2012