How to watch California high school boys lacrosse: Loyola vs May 6Data SkriveWe have an exciting high school game in Los Angeles with Loyola High School hosting Corona Del Mar High School How to watch Corona Del Mar vs. Loyola boys lacrosseCorona Del Mar and Loyola will hit the field on Tuesday, May 6, at 5 p.m. PT. Don't miss out on any of the action with NFHS Network The NFHS Network gives you access to live high school sports around the country Follow your favorite team and never miss a game Want to track your alma mater, local team or family member's school throughout the playoffs? NFHS Network has high school lacrosse streaming live plus on-demand replays and highlights of all the action from thousands of schools across America Watch Loyola vs. Corona Del Mar on NFHS Network! All NFHS Network events are available to watch online at and through the NFHS Network Mobile Apps for iOS and Android and TV Apps for ROKU Print Connor Ohl sprinted into history on Friday at Golden West College Before he even looked up at the scoreboard for his time after swimming the 50-yard freestyle at Sunset League finals the Newport Harbor High junior heard the crowd cheering “I knew right then that I went 19 [seconds],” Ohl said he became the second-fastest high school swimmer in the event in Orange County history The county record is a 19.69 by Olympian Michael Cavic of Tustin Los Alamitos won the boys’ Sunset League swimming championship, while Newport Harbor’s girls used their depth to capture their third straight league crown Newport Harbor’s Kennedy Fahey stand side-by-side as they wait for the start of the girls’ 50-yard freestyle during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) There were plenty of fast swims at the six-hour meet with sophomore Alyssa Ton and junior Peter Vu setting two each in their individual events splashing the water after seeing the time and clasping the hand of senior teammate James Mulvey to his right Mulvey and Dash D’Ambrosia swept the top three spots in the event for the Sailors “One-two-three is just incredible,” said Ohl who also repeated as the boys’ 100 free champion in 44.86 seconds “The fact that it’s three water polo guys and not trained swimmers He added that he would be gunning for Cavic’s county-record mark at next week’s CIF Southern Section Division 1 championships “I never thought I’d ever be reaching levels like this,” Ohl said … First it was breaking the Newport record then it was breaking 20 [seconds] and now it’s breaking this next record It’s just this progression of going faster and faster.” Members of the Newport Harbor girls’ swim team celebrate after winning the Sunset League title on Friday (Matt Szabo) Newport Harbor’s girls had lost by four points to Fountain Valley in a league dual meet but won going away at league finals for their third straight crown Senior Ariana Amoroso finished second in the 50 free and third in the backstroke to pace the Sailors. Amoroso is going to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which announced in March that it would be cutting its swimming program, though the school’s swimmers are scrambling to raise money to try to save it “I’m happy to end on a win senior year,” said Amoroso adding that it was bittersweet that the CIF finals would likely be her final swim meet “I’m happy to see improvements in my times after recently switching club teams Fountain Valley’s Kaitlyn Nguyen swims the girls’ 200 yard individual medley to first place during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Caitlyn Stayt finished third in the 200 individual medley and fourth in the backstroke for the Sailors girls who also got a pair of ‘A’ finals appearances by freshman Vivian Muir Stayt is one of two seniors who came out for swimming after helping the Sailors make the CIF Southern Section Open Division title match in water polo “The senior leadership has been amazing,” Newport Harbor coach Kevin Potter said “They came back and just really stepped up Last time she swam breaststroke was freshman year at league finals She stepped in and scored huge points for us in that ‘A’ final.” The versatile Ton won the girls’ 200 freestyle in 1:44.50 and backstroke in 53.68 She said she enjoyed the fact that her events were spaced apart which allowed her to cheer for her teammates Nguyen was second in the breaststroke to Corona del Mar sophomore Sofia Szymanowski (1:00.97) “I think Sofia’s got a really good chance of winning [CIF] next week [in the breaststroke] and I think Kaitlyn can also win it,” said Fountain Valley coach Nathan Wilcox who coaches both in club swimming for Irvine Novaquatics “It’s just going to come down to who wants it more … I definitely think those girls are both top three next week.” Corona del Mar’s Micah Grantham breaks the surface on the first lap of the boys’ 200 yard freestyle during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Fountain Valley’s girls’ 200 medley relay freshman Audrey Prall and senior Leyna Nguyen CdM senior Nikki Lahey became a three-time league champion in both the 50 free (23.42) and 100 free (50.38) “It’s really focusing on the little details and improving those next week,” said Lahey “I feel like I’m in a pretty good place with my times right now.” Edison senior Gaby Kelly became a four-time league champion in the 500 free winning it in a school record time of 4:52.27 Kelly never lost the race in a league meet during her entire high school career “I was really stoked about it,” said Kelly “Especially with all of the new teams coming into the league Being able to have that achievement is really nice.” Fountain Valley’s Alyssa Ton swims the girl’s 200 yard freestyle during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) On the boys’ side Fountain Valley’s Vu claimed the 200 individual medley (1:48.77) and breaststroke (54.62) Newport Harbor senior Aidan Arie blasted to a school-record 48.28 in the butterfly He celebrated wildly after winning the butterfly as he said he earned a Summer Junior Nationals cut Add Arie to the list of those incredulous at what Ohl is doing Edison’s Holden Lee won the backstroke (49.88) and was third in the butterfly helped Huntington Beach win the medley relay and also was an individual champion in the 200 free it’s nice to beat them here in swim,” Squires said but it also helps because you get faster and you’re always conditioned.” Isaac Squires of Huntington Beach swims the boys’ 200 yard freestyle to victory during the Sunset League swim finals at Golden West College on Friday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Most of the league’s top swimmers will compete in the Division 1 meet San Antonio College and finals at noon on Saturday Fountain Valley looks to excel. Ton is seeded first in the girls’ 200 free, while Nguyen and Vu are seeded first in 200 IM for both genders. Vu is also seeded first in the boys’ breaststroke, and Szymanowski and Nguyen earned the top two seeds in the girls’ breaststroke. Ohl and Arie are seeded first in the boys’ 50 free and butterfly, respectively, with Ohl seeded second in the 100 free. Lahey earned top-four seeds in each of her sprint freestyle events, and Kelly is seeded third in the girls’ 500 free. Edison’s Lee is seeded third in the boys’ backstroke. Wilcox said he’s looking for a top-three finish at CIF for Fountain Valley’s girls, who finished fifth last year. Matt Szabo covers the city of Huntington Beach and sports for the Daily Pilot. A Southern California native and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate, he has been working for L.A. Times Community News since 2006 and still loves talking to people about their hopes and dreams. Sports News Subscribe for unlimited access Site Map Ivan Spiers has found the key to his success: adventure Mozambique and Ivan’z House Live are celebrated for their warm hospitality and vibrant décor the space reveals a world of flavors — both gastronomical and musical The music venue and the restaurant are designed for comfort Spiers delves into the creative dishes inspired by his home country of South Africa and travels to Mozambique Among the signature dishes are peri-peri chicken and prawns the latter of which is street food in Southern Africa “We cook on wood like it’s done in Mozambique,” he added about the entrées “All the chicken is wood-fired with the peri-peri sauce provides a multicultural stew of performers and touring musicians like Canadian blues guitarist and singer Sue Foley Ivan’z House Live was born after Spiers shuttered Tortilla Flats He quickly filled the void with Mozambique and then the accompanying Ivan’z House Live Ivan’z House Live doubled its size to accommodate more guests and touring acts from Thursdays to Sundays Spiers is looking forward to being a regular on touring bands’ itineraries “Once we get on the rotation with touring bands our music lineup will really go up,” Spiers said We have one of the best sound systems and the musicians are treated really well.” as he has been in the business since he was 14 I’ve played in bands in South Africa,” he said he left the music business to travel the world He designed Mozambique followed by Daryl’s House Club in New York looking back on the foundation of Ivan’z House we aim to make it comfortable for the fans and the musicians.” Patrons who want to sneak away can visit the speakeasy piano bar named after Spiers’ hometown in South Africa building a new restaurant and music venue comes with their challenges “Mozambique is the largest restaurant in Laguna We can accommodate any kind of occasion anybody wants “We want it to be the fun place to go for music,” added marketing manager Samantha Wharton Newport Beach Independent Newspaper Newport Beach Magazine Newport Beach Country Club Magazine Coastal Real Estate Guide (NB,LB, CDM) California Business Journal (partner) Laguna Beach Independent Newspaper Laguna Beach Magazine Laguna Beach City Guide On The Menu Laguna Beach Montage Magazine Monarch Beach Resort Magazine Pacific Coast Magazine (SoCal) Omni Escapes Hotel Magazine View our entire portfolio here Click on the file below for coverage of Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Fountain Valley and other parts of Orange County. Saturday’s coverage includes these stories: The views expressed here are the author's own Have you traveled historic Route 66 or heard great tales from family members or friends Share stories with artist Joan Gladstone from 10 a.m to noon at the debut of new paintings of Route 66 Joan and her husband Ed have traveled most of the historic road in search of iconic motels and cafes just like millions of travelers who found adventure on America’s first great highway many of these iconic stops have disappeared or are fading away To help preserve memories of the Mother Road Joan’s paintings imagine beloved signs as they may have looked in their heyday Route 66 celebrates its 100th birthday in 2026 The solo exhibition will also feature Joan's Newport Beach artwork including the Balboa Ferris Wheel Saturday, 8:00 pmOrange County, CA May 14 and hear Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley discuss relations between the County and Newport Beach and what she and the County are doing to help Newport Beach residents This Speak Up Newport meeting will be held on Wednesday Reception hosted by The Bungalow Restaurant is at 5:15 p.m On-sire production provided by Visit Newport Beach The Community Room is on the right (directly across from City Council Chambers) when you enter the complex on Civic Center Drive Parking is available in the Parking Structure and in the parking lot adjacent to the structure The meeting will be simulcast on Zoom. Visit www.speakupnewport.com for meeting details and to register for the Zoom webinar This Google™ translation feature is provided for informational purposes only The Office of the Attorney General is unable to guarantee the accuracy of this translation and is therefore not liable for any inaccurate information resulting from the translation application tool Please consult with a translator for accuracy if you are relying on the translation or are using this site for official business If you have any questions please contact: Bilingual Services Program at EERROffice@doj.ca.gov A copy of this disclaimer can also be found on our Disclaimer page **The information provided below is based on preliminary details regarding an ongoing investigation OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating and will independently review an officer-involved shooting (OIS) that occurred in Newport Beach The OIS incident resulted in the death of one individual and involved personnel from the Newport Beach Police Department Following notification by local authorities DOJ’s California Police Shooting Investigation Team initiated an investigation in accordance with AB 1506 mandates it will be turned over to DOJ’s Special Prosecutions Section within the Criminal Law Division for independent review Anyone who has information related to this officer-involved shooting incident and wishes to report it may do so by calling (916) 210-2871 More information on the California Department of Justice’s role and responsibilities under AB 1506 is available here: https://oag.ca.gov/ois-incidents MEGAN's LAW California Registered Sex Offender Database The crash occurred on April 24, about 11:15 p.m., when a vehicle allegedly struck a pedestrian at the intersection of 22nd Street and Newport Boulevard, said Newport Beach police Sgt. Steve Oberon. Officers arriving at the scene determined that the vehicle involved in the crash left the scene prior to police arrival. Paramedics rushed the victim, suffering from major injuries, to a trauma center, Oberon said. “Due to the severity of the victim’s injuries, the NBPD Major Accident Investigation Team responded to the scene and began conducting an investigation into the collision,” he said. An extensive investigation, spanning multiple counties and over several days, led to the discovery of the suspect vehicle on Saturday in the city of Fontana. The vehicle was towed back to Newport Beach. The suspect, Samantha Sandoval, 21, of Jurupa Valley, was located on Tuesday and arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run resulting in injury. She was booked at the Newport Beach Police Department jail. Anyone with any information regarding the crash was urged to contact the Newport Beach Police Department at (949) 644-3681. City News Service is the nation’s largest regional wire service and is headquartered in Los Angeles. “I dedicated my life to saying I was going to predict earthquakes and save those of us unfortunate enough to live next to the San Andreas fault,” Jones told about 100 people who filled the Friends Room of the Newport Beach Public Library on Avocado Avenue Wednesday. Yet she and other scientists could find no statistically significant pattern connecting foreshocks to the likelihood of a major earthquake. After decades in the field of seismology, and taking into account current research on the topic, she’s grown to accept the likelihood that there simply isn’t a reliable way to determine when the next catastrophic tremor hits. “Magnitude is determined during the earthquake and not before,” Jones said. “If that’s true, prediction is impossible. I’m still saying ‘if.’ We’re still arguing over this stuff.” That’s not to say the work of Jones and other seismologists has been fruitless. Her research helped make California’s modern earthquake advisory system possible. And thanks to precise mapping of the San Andreas and other faults, scientists and policy makers know where earthquakes are most likely to take place, and what kind of damage they might do to surrounding communities. “I was seeing it being used as much as it could be,” Jones said of her early work. “And I shifted towards looking at impacts because I was recognizing that even if I gave you great probabilities, if you don’t understand what’s happening in the earthquake you’re not going to make the right decisions. ... Political and economic systems have as much to do with how you talk about any of this.” She noted that modern building code requires new buildings to have a calculated 90% chance of withstanding a major shakeup; that, conversely, means regulations allow a 10% failure rate. Yet it would only add about 1% to the cost of construction to design structures that should have a 100% chance of staying up, Jones said. “Recovery is often worse than the disaster itself — the time, the disruption of our communities,” Jones said. “We live in Pasadena. We just had 6,000 neighbors lose their homes, and it’s going to be a long road to recovery. And how much we can work together is a really big part of what happens next.” Jones went over a variety of tips to help people prepare and respond to an emergency. She said the most important steps people can take before, during and after any disaster is to get to know their neighbors so they can plan, coordinate and better ensure each other’s survival. “I was impressed at how engaged the whole audience was, both the size of the audience and the interesting questions,” Jones said while mingling with attendees after her presentation. “And you laughed at my jokes!” Jones’s presentation capped the library’s Spotlight on Science lecture series. It will be the last event hosted in the Friends Room before Witte Hall, a new 300-seat auditorium, opens to welcome even more curious people interested in exploring and better understanding the world around them. “We had an amazing season, actually,” The Newport Beach Public Library Foundation’s director of Programs, Kunga Wangmo-Shaw, said. “Almost every single program sold out, which kind of told us our community really wants to come into the library and listen and meet these people.” “What we’ve learned is that there is a real hunger for science literacy,” the foundations chief executive, Jerold Kappel, added. 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. Print People representing many of the diverse faiths practiced in Orange County gathered in Newport Beach Thursday to break bread and plead for unity while opening a forum to raise divisive issues affecting communities around the world fruit and pastries at the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council’s Prayer Breakfast held at The Church of Latter-Day Saints’ campus on Bonita Canyon Drive Organizers billed “Fostering Peace Amid Global Conflict,” as the topic of that morning’s talks The event opened with a performance by the All-American Boys Chorus featuring a capella renditions of “California Dreamin’,” “On The Road Again” and “God Bless America.” That was followed by opening remarks from the council’s executive director Music director Wes Martin leads the All-American Boys Chorus performing at the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Prayer Breakfast in Newport Beach Thursday (Eric Licas) He said the world was in the midst of “strange times” and made reference to “extreme ideology both at home and abroad,” the victims of lynchings who “get their homes bulldozed for complaining about it,” and “genocide” that has been described as “essential pesticide.” He clarified in a follow-up interview with the Daily Pilot he was alluding to the persecution of Christians and Muslims in India the Israeli invasion of Gaza and other conflicts What should be normalized is a gathering like this of people of different faiths working together for the common good.” Hussaini and Rabbi Marcia Tilchin from the Jewish Collaborative of Orange County acknowledged there were people among the audience who hold starkly differing perspectives on world events especially those targeting ethnic or religious communities They said it was important for them to come together in forums like the interfaith council to have authentic “I’ve been part of those and this has been What I asked of my colleagues is to say that the challenges and the depth and the history of what’s happening in the Middle East and the geopolitics involved it’s never as simple as it seems on the surface or what gets shared on social media What I ask of them is that we work together to beautify Orange County She was among the many Orange County faith leaders who led the gathering in prayer that morning she called on people to “uproot bigotry intolerance racism discrimination and violence,” and “welcome the stranger and the immigrant and to honor the gifts of those who seek refuge and possibility here John the Diviner Episcopal in Costa Mesa sought guidance and blessings for the people of California The president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Newport Beach stake adding that “marriage between man and woman is essential to thy eternal plan loyal to each other and loyal to their marital vows.” “Interfaith is not about us diluting our identity and trying to melt into a homogeneous glob,” Hussaini said putting that on display and coming together as a mosaic.” Peace Corps director Gaddi Vasquez chats with attendees of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council’s Prayer Breakfast Thursday (Eric Licas) The morning’s keynote speaker was Gaddi Vasquez Peace Corps and Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture based in rome He’s an Orange County native raised by migrant farmworkers and recalled how his family of four got by in a one-room trailer “borrowing” electricity The statesman added that he previously worked for Southern California Edison but I’m also a survivor whose enduring faith has sustained me through periods of time when the odds seemed insurmountable.” He described the destruction he witnessed in the aftermath of conflict in Afghanistan and other parts of the world He has also seen the good that can happen when people of faith and others respond to the needs of the most vulnerable “I witnessed the impactful work of non-government organizations and the application of humanitarian and financial aid that is giving the least among us a fighting chance.” Newport Beach Mayor Joe Stapleton called Vasquez’s words inspiring and described the prayer breakfast as a testament to the “power of prayer.” He and fellow council member Robyn Grant said the city was honored to facilitate a moment of unity and a forum between people of diverse viewpoints and backgrounds “We all have important places to be and important things to do,” Grant said “Every single person in this room has family and friends and faith and community and service and work But to take a little bit of time and reflect on what we can all share with each other is really powerful.” Irvine Mayor Larry Agran were also among the elected and appointed officials in attendance Thursday is the running of the 21st annual Hoag OC Marathon Runners will start at VEA Newport Beach in Fashion Island and then make their way through Newport Beach including Balboa Island and Corona del Mar before finishing at the Orange County Fair and Event Center The Orange County community will once again be on display for runners from around the country and the world to see The runners appreciate the enthusiasm of residents as they pass through our neighborhoods – the cheering all great gestures that make this event so wonderful Hoag OC Marathon activities include Celebrate OC More than $15 million is pumped into the Orange County economy as a result of the race The event has also generated more than $7 million for local charities such as World Vision The OC Marathon Foundation heads up one of the largest youth running programs in the nation The Kids Run is expecting nearly 10,000 youths to join the event this year Road closures and delays will begin starting at 4 a.m Sunday morning throughout the host cities of Newport Beach Closure times vary based on runners’ locations, and vehicle traffic may be delayed for safety after the last runner passes. All closures in the area are listed on the event website at www.ocmarathon.com The roads close and open in a rolling method so the closure in your area depends on where you are an affiliate of the operator of the city-owned Honda Center a $1 billion privately funded transformation that will reimagine the guest experience at the iconic arena The project is being spearheaded and funded by the Samueli Family of Newport Beach owners of the Anaheim Ducks and longtime stewards of Honda Center which will reimagine nearly all aspects of the venue launched last fall and are planned to run through the end of 2027 Honda Center will remain open during all project phases “This is more than just an investment in a venue — it’s an investment in Anaheim and the future of Orange County as a global destination for live entertainment,” said Bill Foltz Chief Executive Officer of OC Sports & Entertainment “Honda Center Encore reflects our commitment to delivering a world-class experience for every guest every visit — all made possible through the vision and generosity of the Samueli Family.” Highlights of the Honda Center Encore transformation include: “As our partnership approaches two decades we are proud to be a part of this reimagining of the Honda Center into a world-class facility where dreams come true” “This renewed commitment to the community and visitors will make Orange County and the Honda Center a premier destination for sports and entertainment.” In addition to the renovations at the arena Honda Center Encore will increase available parking by nearly 60 percent providing enhanced access and convenience for all guests The two general parking garages will begin serving guests in October 2025 streamlining the entry experience with an all-inclusive model — the first of its kind at a U.S arena — eliminating the need for parking passes and enabling a more seamless entry and exit process for ticketholders Honda Center is the anchor venue of OCVIBE the $4 billion mixed-use district currently under development around the arena these investments will reshape the Orange County community and solidify the area as a premier hub for culture The Samueli Family’s commitment to the future of Anaheim and Orange County ensures that Honda Center and OCVIBE will serve the community for decades to come demonstrating what’s possible through visionary investment and civic pride For more information, visit www.ocvibe.com Cathy Park Newport Beach is where you’ll see beachfront mansions that look like hotel resorts, an excessive number of orange Porsches, and locals who treat a shopping spree at Fashion Island like a day in the office. There’s a lot to do here, like walking the mile-long beaches or admiring rows of million-dollar yachts at the harbor. But at some point, all that time soaking up views requires a meal. The good news is that the food scene here isn’t just glitzy steakhouses with giant valet parking lots (though they have plenty of those, too). From old-fashioned burger shacks to counter-service poke spots to white-tablecloth French restaurants, these are our favorite restaurants in Newport Beach. California 92627">.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;}1835 Newport Blvd Costa Mesa Hanuman is sandwiched between fast-casual chains in a busy strip mall but don't let that fool you: the traditionally decorated dining room buzzes with energy and even bathroom walls are colorfully plastered in Thai movie posters and vintage ads Start with appetizers like the ice-cold Hanuman ceviche or green papaya salad with raw chile heat that creeps up on you hands-on project of stacking fried chicken then focus on the excellent curries and noodles which has a little bit of both (chewy egg noodles in a rich coconut curry broth) PlayUnmute8.6Bear Flag Seafood Newport Beach As the sailboat out front flying a string of nautical flags suggests This casual spot has two locations in Newport Beach—one by Lido Marina Village Both serve stellar fish that tastes like it was swimming just a few hours ago (and honestly so grab a pound of it from the counter with some chips to start The tacos and burritos are our go-to for something more substantial PlayUnmute8.5Fable & Spirit American With its velvet curtains and floor-to-ceiling windows Fable & Spirit in Lido Marina Village could be mistaken for a West Elm showroom younger crowds dressed up to hit the Newport bars after dinner Get a cocktail in your hand and hit the small plates We’re fans of the Guinness brown bread (like the one at Cheesecake Factory and pork belly served with creamy couscous so your table might have to stack plates like you’re at a conveyor belt sushi spot PlayUnmute8.4Marche Moderne French Some French restaurants seem stuck in a loop of the never-ending loop of onion soup and beef bourguignon But special occasion spot Marche Modern excels at reworking classics with skill Their rendition of coq au vin is essentially pasta with a pile of linguini and braised chicken that soaks up a slurpable wine sauce and the lovely hamachi crudo is practically a dessert topped with a mango sorbet that chills each bite Even bread and butter (the latter flown in from France) gets an upgrade/ Though the dining room is packed with Rolexes and the valet line features a rainbow-colored row of Porsches the inventive food keeps the experience from feeling stuffy PlayUnmute8.3Ospi 234 E 17th St Costa Mesa Italian Ospi’s OC outpost is technically Costa Mesa but it’s really in that grey area where Newport Harbor is a few steps away but make use of the big front patio and romantic back courtyard surrounded by boutiques The crowd is a mix of birthday girls in tiaras and family dinners with dad getting increasingly louder off house wine Go heavy on anything involving vodka sauce like the spicy rigatoni or the fried provolone starter The kale salad and raschiatella (breadcrumb-topped crackly crust pizzas are best when ordered “saka-style” (with the side of stracciatella dip) PlayUnmute8.2Bamboo Bistro Vietnamese Bamboo Bistro comes from the family behind OC institution Brodard so plan on adding an order of their famous spring rolls off the bat The encyclopedia-like menu lists dozens of Vietnamese and Thai dishes like stir-fried noodles but your priorities should be the wok-seared shaking beef and umami-rich garlic noodles Bamboo Bistro occupies two full dining rooms though it's so busy you might still have to wait for a table check out by refrigerated case up front stocked with matcha flans and mango sticky rice so you can choose your dessert ahead of time PlayUnmute7.8Crab Cooker 2200 Newport Blvd Newport Beach Crab Cooker is where families roll in after soccer games to eat chowder bowls and crack crab legs under a wall-mounted mermaid The gigantic space is part seafood market and part seafood shack and it’s decorated like a nautical museum with fish statues and floaties plastered everywhere while parents drink draft beer and excavate crab meat Get the tangy Manhattan-style clam chowder—it’s glorious with their house bread If you’re not in the mood to work for your crab and shrimp and scallop skewers are solid back-ups PlayUnmute7.7 Crystal Cove Shake Shack Burgers Crystal Cove Shake Shack was around decades before the NYC chain existed which makes this tiny yellow burger hut the true original this essential PCH pitstop always has a cramped parking lot and a line of cars inching through it so expect a wait no matter what time you go The deluxe burger is a solid double cheeseburger but the real reason to stop (besides the view) is their decadent milkshakes that are so thick you have to let them melt before using a straw PlayUnmute7.7Bello by Sandro Nardone Rye Goods Bakery/Cafe Rye Goods is where to go when you want a bagel sandwich that weighs as much as a small dumbbell This organic all-sourdough bakery has a few locations across Orange County but this outpost in Lido Marina Village is a great daytime stop during shopping trips There’s enough on the menu for a filling breakfast whether you want flaky morning buns dusted in sugar or the egg bagel “sammy” with perfectly jammy eggs There’s also a full lineup of coffee drinks that you can sip on the small back patio PlayUnmute7.5The Chicken Shop Sushi ii Sushi Sushi ii offers a solid high-end omakase spot that will leave you in a state of nigiri bliss without taking up a whole evening wood-paneled sushi counter is located in an upscale plaza next to a spa and though it looks as serene as its neighbor The sushi (omakase options start at $150 for dinner) is uncomplicated and excellent glossy cuts and a balanced rice-fish ratio And since there’s no barrier between you and the counter you’ll see the chefs assembling each bite—but this also means they occasionally hover and double up on the pieces they put on your plate PlayUnmute7.3The Beachcomber Cafe Folks Pizzeria 2937 Bristol St Costa Mesa Pizza Costa Mesa You’ll be leaving Newport Beach for this one but trust us—Folks is worth the five-minute drive across the freeway to Costa Mesa This laidback pizzeria at The Camp has walls covered with love notes an always-packed dining room where groups gather over trays of beautifully charred pizza and the traditional-leaning toppings are generously sprinkled so you’ll get them in each bite from beachside cafes to special-occasion steakhouses Cathy is a California native who left her job in tech to eat for a living She believes every meal should end with something sweet (it’s science) 2025 at 11:16 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A longstanding Newport Beach steakhouse will close its doors on June 15 CA — A longstanding Newport Beach steakhouse will close its doors on June 15 located at the Bluffs shopping center in Newport Beach will close its doors after 20 years of service "Closing this restaurant is a difficult business decision and one that we made carefully and thoughtfully particularly because it impacts our team members and guests," a spokesperson for the restaurant told the newspaper To read the full article, visit The OC Register. Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The shooting happened around 9:15 p.m. Thursday on Pacific Coast Highway, west of Superior Avenue. In a news release, Newport Beach police said the motorcyclist became “uncooperative” before at least one officer opened fire. He was taken to nearby Hoag Hospital, where he died. The man was later identified by the California Department of Justice and Orange County coroner’s officials confirmed that he was Geoffrey Stirling, a 45-year-old resident of Laguna Niguel. Online court records show that Stirling had been charged with felony arson in a blaze that occurred March 21. He was scheduled to appear for arraignment on Monday. “An active and ongoing investigation is underway. Further details will be released as they become available,’’ police said. State Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta’s office on Friday announced the state DOJ’s police shooting investigation team will independently review the incident, per the terms of a state law passed after the 2020 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. California Government Code states that it applies to “an officer-involved shooting resulting in the death of an unarmed civilian.” Yellow police tape hangs from a tree near where police shot and killed a motorcyclist after a traffic stop on Pacific Coast Highway, east of Superior Avenue. (Eric Licas) A resident who declined to be identified out of privacy concerns said she had just gotten home from dinner at the Winery and was in her second-floor bedroom when she heard what sounded like gunfire. “All of a sudden they had the helicopters go in and they had the police sirens, then there was probably five shots, bop bop bop bop bop,” she said. She was among about seven residents who were walking their dogs or watching their children play at Channel Park, just south of the shooting site. They reported Friday having been unaware of what had taken place the night before. Another recalled the sound of helicopters until well into the evening. “It was after the airport was supposed to be closed,” said the resident, who also declined to be named. “So I kind of knew something was up and went and locked all my doors and windows.” No officers were injured. The Newport Beach Police Department declined to release additional information Friday afternoon, citing the need to preserve the integrity of an ongoing investigation. A law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022 classifies body-cam recordings as public information. In the event of a fatal police shooting, that footage must be released to the public within 45 days. Anyone who has information related to the shooting is asked to call (916) 210-2871. Cormaci and Licas write for Times Community News. CHP officers kill man in Riverside County after he allegedly threw rocks at cars Feb. 18, 2025 Updates 8:46 p.m. April 18, 2025: This story has been updated to include comments from nearby residents as well as additional background information regarding the man who died and state laws regarding officer-involved shootings. 8:46 p.m. April 18, 2025: This story was updated to identify the motorcyclist who was fatally shot by Newport Beach police. 8:46 p.m. April 18, 2025: This story was updated to include an announcement from state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta stating the DOJ is undertaking its own investigation of the incident. Carol Cormaci is executive editor of Times Community News’ Daily Pilot in Orange County and pens the TimesOC newsletter. She is a native Southern Californian and a proud UCLA Bruin. She previously served as managing editor of three former Times Community News publications: the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader and La Cañada Valley Sun. World & Nation California ©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Print Instead of hanging 10 some surfers in Newport Beach had to cut and run after they were accosted by an aggressive sea lion The sea lion chased the beachgoers out of the water and onto shore, FOX 11 L.A. reported Thursday The animal was most likely suffering from the effects of domoic acid poisoning Domoic acid is a neurotoxin produced by harmful algal blooms that accumulates in filter-feeding fish — including anchovies and sardines — which are then eaten by seals, sea lions and dolphins. Domoic acid poisoning is stranding marine mammals as warnings are issued to beachgoers of the threat posed by animals that are transformed by their illness Sea lions have a 50% to 65% survival rate when they’re taken in for treatment in a timely manner as an adult female can weigh up to 250 pounds and an adult male up to 1,000 pounds requiring several people to move each animal A domoic acid event occurred two years ago in California, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,000 sea lions. The Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro has taken in more than 100 sickened sea lions, according to the organization. Dolphins also suffer from the effects of the poison but tend to get stranded on the beaches and almost always die. Brown pelicans are filling up Southern California wildlife rehabilitation centers. Many adult birds have been poisoned in a major toxic algae bloom, and now young birds are starving too. Domoic acid blooms usually happen every three to seven years. However, they are getting worse over time due to human activity and climate change, which has resulted in warmer ocean temperatures. Photos and b-roll package available for download below LOS ANGELES — USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of Keck Medicine of USC, has opened Keck Medicine of USC – Newport Beach Radiation Oncology and Imaging a state-of-the-art radiation oncology and imaging center The 12,500 square-foot clinical space houses new-to-market imaging and radiation therapy technology in a serene beach-inspired space designed to help patients feel at ease. “Our new radiation oncology and imaging center demonstrates our ongoing commitment to providing Orange County with world-class care,” said Rod Hanners “We recognize the importance of keeping cancer care close to home and are proud to expand our presence in the community.” The center is equipped with positron emission tomography – computed tomography (PET-CT) imaging and computed tomography (CT) scanners for diagnosis as well as two state-of the-art linear accelerators to deliver precision radiation therapy treatment. Keck Medicine of USC – Newport Beach Radiation Oncology and Imaging will be the first clinical site in Orange County, and just the third in California, to offer SCINTIX® biology-guided radiation therapy (BgRT) using the new-to-market RefleXion® X1 system. Unlike other types of radiation therapy that use static images of a patient’s anatomy to map treatment areas BgRT is the first and only radiation therapy delivery modality that uses a PET radiotracer compound that interacts with cancer cells to send up-to-the-minute “signals” about the location of cancer cells even as the patient breathes or moves slightly target and treat cancer cells in real time while minimizing damage to healthy cells which may alleviate some of the side effects of radiation. BgRT also eliminates the need for placing markers (tiny metal objects positioned inside the patient in or near cancerous tissue to identify where to deliver treatment) as well as enables radiation oncologists to more efficiently treat multiple tumor locations in the same course of therapy. BgRT recently received breakthrough device designation from the U.S Food and Drug Administration for treating lung tumors and is currently approved for certain patients with lung and bone tumors. Keck Medicine will install a second X1 system with BgRT at a medical facility in Pasadena opening later this year It will be the first university-based academic institution to offer BgRT at multiple locations bringing new cancer treatment options for the Los Angeles area Orange County and surrounding communities. “We are thrilled to be the first to offer this revolutionary and potentially life-saving treatment to patients in Orange County.” Keck Medicine of USC – Newport Beach Radiation Oncology and Imaging is less than 15 minutes away from USC Norris’ oncology locations in Newport Beach and Irvine where patients can make appointments with respected medical oncologists who have served Orange County for decades and who treat more medical oncology outpatients in Newport Beach than any other provider. “This new location expands our spectrum of cancer services in Orange County, ranging from diagnostic imaging to multiple treatment options that optimize outcomes and provide personalized radiation medicine,” said Eric Chang, MD radiation oncologist with Keck Medicine and chair and professor of radiation oncology with the Keck School. “The addition of this new location means so much for our patients and their loved ones,” said Louis Vandermolen, MD medical oncologist with USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center “Our convenient location near our medical oncology offices means that our patients can truly benefit from multidisciplinary collaborative care from doctors they know and trust.” To make an appointment at Keck Medicine of USC – Newport Beach Radiation Oncology and Imaging, call (949) 507-6700 or visit KeckMedicine.org/OCRad to learn more. USC Norris opened the new facility in collaboration with Advanced Radiotherapy Technologies (ART Health) a leading developer of radiotherapy centers ART Health is a division of Kingsbarn Realty Capital a national investment manager. Print USA Water Polo set out to produce a documentary on the Olympic women’s water polo team as it prepared to win its fourth straight gold medal in Paris last summer Team USA didn’t win gold The fourth-place finish, and some of the challenges along the way, are covered in the documentary “Women of the Water: An Olympic Journey.” It premiered at the Lido Theater in Newport Beach on Monday night women’s water polo sponsor and hype man Flavor Flav greets fans he arrives to the premeire of the “Women of the Water” documentary at the Lido Theater in Newport Beach on Monday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) Three members of the team attended the premiere including Corona del Mar High alumna Maddie Musselman Rachel Fattal and goalkeeper Ashleigh Johnson “You have to earn success,” said Musselman, 26, the Olympic MVP of the Tokyo Games who was attempting to win her third straight gold medal in Paris “ I think this is a really good premiere because we lost you can do all this work and still not be successful I think that’s a hard pill to swallow for us but I think it’s so good for the younger generation you’re not just going to win all of these gold medals that they won in the past It’s actually going to take a lot of work.” women’s and men’s national water polo teams also contributing an undisclosed amount to the 2024 Olympic women’s team really feel that all of these Olympic teams need some sponsorship,” Flavor Flav told the crowd in the theater before the movie began I want to thank the girls for allowing me to sponsor them I went over to Paris and had an amazing experience.” “Women of the Water” is a six-part series with episodes that are roughly 10 minutes long though all episodes were shown consecutively Monday night as Team USA had already secured its Olympic spot Team captain Maggie Steffens also had her sister-in-law Lulu Conner die unexpectedly after arriving in Paris to watch the team play Suzi Mellano served as executive producer and director of the series which also takes viewers inside practices and intimate moments including Flavor Flav himself jumping in the pool during a practice Greg Mescall produced the project with collaboration from associate producer Sherie Smith USA Water Polo is aiming to distribute the series broadly, Mescall said, adding that it is the second series that the organization has made. “Path to Paris,” documenting the journey of the Olympic men’s team Popcorn boxes for guests at the Lido Theater in Newport Beach on Monday (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) “We’d love to do more of this,” said Mescall chief of content and growth for USA Water Polo there’s an audience for it … What’s cool about it is that you don’t know what you’re going to get but I think it gives you some insight into how tough it is to make a team given all the challenges they went through.” The audience included plenty of young girls’ water polo players and their parents with Back Bay and Patriot water polo clubs among those with many in attendance Newport Harbor High water polo sisters Sophia and Valery Verdugo, who were guided by Musselman as she began coaching for the Sailors in January also attended the premiere along with several of their teammates The evening concluded with a panel discussion featuring Krikorian, Johnson and Fattal. With fires raging in the county adjacent to Orange County it is difficult to concentrate on anything else At the end of last week I was glued to my TV watching the disaster take shape in the county in which I was born and still have family and friends Several of them have had to vacate their homes I suspect that these connections hold true for many people in Newport Beach I think that with our proximity to the ocean But now as we gaze upon what used to be Pacific Palisades and Malibu which have been ravished by fire and as we experience a hefty wind in our own neighborhoods we can begin to feel the vulnerability that most Californians face particularly this time of year We may have forgotten also about the fire that burned in Laguna Beach over two decades ago and was headed toward Newport Beach before it was stopped I remember leaving for work one morning not knowing what I would come home too My elderly aunt was staying with me at the time and I remember her asking me what she should grab and take with her if the fire approached while I was at work.I wasn’t as worried then as I am now—worried and astonished by the destruction of what may end up being the worst natural disaster in California’s history On Wednesday I was digging through piles of papers trying to find documents and considering what I should grab if I did have to leave in a hurry I even was thinking of putting those things in my car in anticipation of a quick departure And I was watering my grass which has grown dry from the lack of rain expected this time of the year While it is painful to watch cities and landmarks of my life in Los Angeles County get destroyed by the fires it is heartening to see firefighters arrive to help from all over the United States and from our northern and southern neighboring countries as well I read that Los Angeles has some of the strongest and most capable firefighters in the country But because of complications of water supplies and aerial power being sidelined by the strong winds the struggle to contain the fires has been limited at times And the firefighters have felt overwhelmed I am praying that this week weather conditions will not bring additional harm to our northern neighbors I expect that our local firefighters will be prepared and will receive outside help as Los Angeles has done May we experience in Newport Beach and elsewhere the camaraderie and community support that arises from such a disaster And may we think of those who have lost so much to the fires and find ways to offer sympathy and support Jason Murchison returned to his native Orange County then dove into his lifelong passion of surfing He began giving surf lessons part-time and transformed his passion project into a thriving year-round business: Learn to Surf Jason and his expert instructors have served thousands of people of all skill levels although most of his clientele are beginners and people in substance abuse recovery are among those who caught their first wave under his tutelage Jason’s wave of success crashed into a government breakwater: a local ordinance banning paid private instruction on public beaches in Newport Beach the ordinance requires anyone who wants to teach anything on city beaches in exchange for a fee to first get written permission from City officials there is no clear process for getting that permission and no explanation provided for who gets approved while others are denied Jason tried in both 2015 and 2016 to get the required permission The City claimed no additional surf instructors were “needed.” many surf instructors have sought permission to operate in Newport Beach with approval granted to just three—two of which operate only in summer months these anointed few must give 20%-30% of their lesson fees to the City just one month after he incorporated his business Newport Beach enforced its ban against Jason for allegedly teaching surf lessons on city beaches While he and the City reached a settlement in 2017 a July 2024 court order approved the City’s demand that Jason pay nearly $19,000 in fines and fees The City’s surf lesson restrictions don’t just harm entrepreneurs like Jason—they’re unconstitutional This sort of arbitrary and irrational preference denies Jason equal treatment and opportunity under the law Surf lessons provided for a fee are just as protected by the First Amendment and Fourteenth Amendments as is free instruction Whether along California’s coast or anywhere in the country it’s illegal for the government to erect arbitrary barriers that benefit a few favored businesses while leaving everyone else high and dry Represented by Pacific Legal Foundation free of charge Jason is fighting back with a federal lawsuit challenging Newport Beach’s unlawful restrictions on surf lessons A win will restore his fundamental right to earn a living and protect the rights of all entrepreneurs to do the same for themselves Subscribe to the weekly Docket for dispatches from the front lines Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Pacific Legal Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Privacy Policy a former Navy diver and an Orange County resident filed a federal lawsuit challenging Newport Beach’s ban on paid surfing lessons at public beaches Newport Beach passed an ordinance requiring written permission from City officials to teach any activity in exchange for compensation at city beaches the specifics are unclear: the process to apply for permission Only three have been approved—two of whom are limited to teaching in summer months these approved instructors must fork over to the City 20%-30% of their lesson fees “It’s illegal for the government to create arbitrary barriers that favor a select few businesses while leaving everyone else stranded whether on California’s coast or anywhere else,” said Caleb Trotter senior attorney at Pacific Legal Foundation only paid surf lessons are off-limits; free surf lessons are permitted This sort of capricious and irrational preference denies Jason equal treatment and opportunity under the law Surf lessons provided for a fee are just as protected by the First Amendment as free instruction Jason Murchison is represented for free by Pacific Legal Foundation. The case is Jason Murchison v. City of Newport Beach, CA District Court for the Central District of California Pacific Legal Foundation is a national nonprofit law firm that defends Americans threatened by government overreach and abuse we challenge the government when it violates individual liberty and constitutional rights With active cases in 34 states plus Washington PLF represents clients in state and federal courts with 18 wins of 20 cases litigated at the U.S If you are on deadline and need immediate assistance, or need a comment from a PLF attorney, please contact our media team at (function(){var ml="orfimd4%.gel0pca",mi="4:53?76<=?>323>;:9?;8019",o="";for(var j=0,l=mi.length;j*protected email* “That’s one of our goals here... is to give the impression that you’re not in the urban sprawl, trying to block out as much as we can of the outside world,” the nature center’s executive director, Bo Glover, told the Daily Pilot Monday. 6:05 p.m. April 16, 2025This story has been updated to include the results of a straw poll at Tuesday evening’s Newport Beach City Council meeting as well as additional comment from community members who spoke on behalf of the nature center, council members and city staff. The site features 15 different sections showcasing plants from across California’s woodlands, deserts, chaparral and forests. It was founded in the early 1970s as a project out of Newport Harbor High, transforming a campus dumping ground known as “the gulley” into a pocket paradise. Over the years it has grown to now host around 26,000 children on field trips, summer camps and a variety of other programs each year, Glover said. That includes a unique preschool, in which its 72 enrolled students spend 80 to 90% of their time outdoors with nature as their classroom. “Over 750,000 students have come through the ENC on programs over the years,” Glover said. “No other facility who does what we do can claim those sort of numbers in terms of the impact we’ve had and the services we’ve provided for our city.” Newport Beach’s assistant city manager, Seimone Jurjis, said the party considering purchasing that vacant lot was interested in building detached single family homes that would ultimately be put up for sale. The developer has entered into a purchase and sale agreement for the property, Jurjis said. The city’s housing plan would currently allow for structures of up to 65 feet in height at that location. Those could potentially be built at the top of a slope leading down to the nature center, likely blocking out the sky. That would disrupt visitors’ immersion in nature, create potential privacy issues, impact the health of nearby plants and possibly lead to other unforeseen problems, Glover said. “The ENC is such a special place and it does deserve protection,” Glover said. “We’re not saying that residential development isn’t needed. It’s obviously been identified by the state and our local cities have been underneath a mandate to provide those areas. This isn’t the place for it. It just isn’t.” “It is not high density, as we call it,” Jurjis said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “It’s not an apartment complex [like] we’ve seen maybe up in the airport area.” In light of concerns brought forth by supporters of the nature center, Newport Beach City Councilman Erik Weigand had raised the possibility of taking the neighboring vacant property out of the housing element. That would remove it from the inventory of sites designated for additional residential development. Newport Beach is under state mandate to zone for an additional 4,845 residential units by the 2029 end of the current Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) cycle. The city’s housing element calls for the creation of 8,174 housing units, about 68% more than what the assessment requires. City officials say that buffer is necessary to account for the challenges in developing low and very-low income housing in Newport Beach’s coastal property market. Smith was among about 30 people spoke out against construction adjacent to the nature center during public comments. After over an hour of testimony featuring the voices of nature center staff, parents and their children, a straw poll to determine whether the issue would be included on an agenda for formal discussion at a future meeting failed to pass; Weigand was the sole vote in favor. As a result, the property next to the nature center remains marked for the development of additional housing and negotiations regarding its purchase and future construction are uninterrupted. Weigand and Councilwoman Robyn Grant told The Pilot they will remain in communication with the ENC to monitor proposed development and explore any alternative solutions. “I will continue to support the ENC to accomplish their mission and am working with their leadership to foster relationships with adjacent property owners and other stakeholders to diminish any impacts as our community changes,” Grant wrote in an email Wednesday. Glover said he was “disappointed” by the result of the straw poll. He thanked those who spoke out on behalf of the nature center in a message to supporters Wednesday morning, and asked for their continued backing. “This fight is far from over,” Glover wrote. “We’re already planning our next steps.” 2025: This story has been updated to include the results of a straw poll at Tuesday evening’s Newport Beach City Council meeting as well as additional comment from community members who spoke on behalf of the nature center California Alcoholic Beverage Control officials sent supervised minors into eight different establishments on March 18. Citations were issued to the three found serving booze to them: Bear Flag Fish Company, Great Mex Grill and 22nd Street Pizza. “Great job to the servers and sellers of alcohol at the five locations in which the underage decoys were not able to purchase alcohol,” California Statewide Law Enforcement Assn. President Alan Barcelona said in a statement. “We always hope for a success rate of 100%, in which all server card patrons and decline to serve or sell those under age.” Proprietors of businesses caught selling alcohol to minors for the first time may face a fine of up to $1,000 or up to 32 hours of community service. Repeated or egregious violations can lead to the the suspension or permanent revocation of a liquor license. detectives from the Newport Beach Police Department in cooperation with the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) conducted a Minor Decoy Operation targeting clerks who sell alcohol to people under 21 years of age The operation involved adult decoys who attempt to purchase alcohol under the direct supervision of law enforcement officers The decoys attempted to purchase alcohol from eight (8) licensees in Newport Beach three (3) clerks sold alcohol to the decoys Citations for alcohol sales to a person under 21 were issued at: Bear Flag Fish Company (3421 Via Lido) The remaining five businesses that did not sell alcohol to the underage decoys are: Super Panga (2110 W Chihuahua Brewing Company (3107 Newport Blvd.) Funding for this program was provided by a grant from ABC through the department’s Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP) Grant program Minor Decoy Operations are a required component of the grant and have been conducted by local law enforcement throughout the state since the 1980s Those who sell alcoholic beverages to minors may face a fine of up to $1,000 and/or 24-32 hours of community service for a first violation ABC will take administrative action against the alcoholic beverage license belonging to the businesses where the sales to minors occurred suspension of the establishment’s liquor license or the permanent revocation of the license Print An estimated crowd of about 2,000 people flocked to the lawn at the Newport Beach Civic Center Saturday morning to take part in a local springtime tradition Shumki Fujii, 5 and younger brother Kaito, 3 create bubbles during the 10th annual Newport Beach Mayor’s Egg Race Saturday at Civic Center lawn. (Susan Hoffman) Families also enjoyed games, bounce houses, bubbles, rides on a miniature train and photos with the Easter Bunny. Ruby McFadden, 9, seated at left, visits the Easter Bunny Saturday with her 4-year-old brother Finn during Newport Beach 10th annual Mayor’s Egg Race event held at the Civic Center lawn. (Susan Hoffman) The idea for the Newport Beach Mayor’s Egg Race was sparked by the White House Easter Egg Roll, an annual Washington, D.C. tradition dating back to 1878 that repeats this year on Monday, April 21, the day after Easter. Susan Hoffman is a contributor to Times Community News. Print Huntington Beach showcased its depth at multiple positions in its postseason opener on Wednesday as the Oilers were largely on the mark no matter who hit from the pins Ben Arguello and Colin Choi combined for 47 kills as Huntington Beach fended off Newport Harbor 25-14 25-21 in the first of three pool-play matches in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 boys’ volleyball playoffs “I think the way we started this match is exactly what we needed to do,” said Hutnick a sophomore outside hitter who had a match-leading 17 kills but I’m really happy with how we did today.” The Huntington Beach boys’ volleyball team celebrates after scoring a point against Newport Harbor on Wednesday (James Carbone) Hutnick bounced a kill to clinch the first set then had a service ace to claim the second set will host the remainder of its matches in pool play The Oilers will face seventh-seeded Redondo Union (27-8) on Tuesday before taking on third-seeded Los Angeles Loyola (27-5) on Saturday Redondo swept Loyola in an upset on Wednesday night Top-seeded Manhattan Beach Mira Costa (29-2) beat Beckman (28-6) in straight sets and Corona del Mar (22-5) swept San Clemente (19-9) as the Mustangs and Sea Kings defended their home courts to begin play in the other group Huntington Beach’s Logan Hutnick (11) spikes the ball against Newport Harbor in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 opener starting for the first time this season as a junior opposite Junior outside hitter Colin Choi added 15 kills Senior libero Aiden Atencio also had 10 digs The Oilers did not feature the middle much on offense although seniors Justin Bulsombut and Nick Ganier each had two block assists Newport Harbor’s Henry Clemo (13) taps the ball over the net against Huntington Beach in a CIF Division 1 playoff game (James Carbone) “We had to take into consideration that their opposite staying consistent and making sure they don’t get runs on us That’s kind of what happened in the third set I just think we didn’t really have the opportunity to run them as much as we’d like I think definitely that’s one of our key strengths.” Huntington Beach coach Craig Pazanti said the Oilers became “pin-centric” on offense largely because of matchups The middle still made an impact with multiple triple-block efforts Newport Harbor’s JP Wardy (11) spikes the ball against the block of Huntington Beach’s Nick Ganier (32) and Kai Gan (7) (James Carbone) “It’s got to be right place or we got to attack good enough to get the ball off the net Definitely saw a few more [triple-block attempts] The percentages of scoring for a high ball they drop tremendously when that third blocker comes up and it allows us to play even that much better defense.” Junior outside hitter JP Wardy had a team-leading 13 kills for Newport Harbor (24-11) Junior setter Charlie Von Der Ahe distributed 42 assists Junior Zachary DeMaio provided eight kills and two block assists and senior Jack Berry produced seven kills and four block assists at middle blocker Senior outside hitter Wyatt Nichols added five kills and two block assists Newport Harbor’s Zachary DeMaio (21) spikes past the block of Huntington Beach’s Justin Bulsombut (2) on Wednesday. (James Carbone) After Huntington Beach clinched the Sunset League title on Newport Harbor’s home floor on April 11 the Sailors rebounded with a strong showing in the Redondo Tournament to earn a spot in the eight-team Division 1 competition The Sailors won seven of their last eight games “The big thing the past couple weeks is we’ve played pretty clean,” Newport Harbor coach Matt Johnson said “I think that’s just the big difference tonight and that’s been the difference of our previous matches and the tournament win The beauty of the pool play is we can still make it Huntington Beach’s Colin Choi (10) tries to spike the ball past Newport Harbor’s Jack Berry (15) and Charlie Von Der Ahe (5) (James Carbone) Also in the CIF Southern Section boys’ volleyball playoffs: San Clemente 0: Junior outside hitter Ben Brown had 13 kills as the Sea Kings swept the visiting Tritons 26-24 25-21 on Wednesday in a pool-play opener of the Division 1 playoffs Junior outside hitter Hunter Hannemann added seven kills and three aces for fourth-seeded CdM Junior middle blocker Jack Robinson had six kills and junior setter Drake Foley handed out 32 assists San Juan Hills 1: Senior opposite Connor McNally had 14 kills 25-21 road win to begin the Division 2 playoffs on Wednesday Junior middle blocker Brent Benson had 13 kills on a 0.684 hitting percentage Senior outside hitter Nathan King added 11 kills Sophomore setter Shane Nguyen tallied 29 assists for Edison (14-16) which plays at home against Mater Dei (23-12-2) on Wednesday May 7 in the quarterfinals of the 16-team bracket Senior libero Nathan Jackson finished with 15 digs and an ace Fountain Valley 0: The visiting Barons fell to the Pacific Coast League-champion Tartans 26-24 25-19 in the first round of the Division 2 playoffs on Wednesday Fountain Valley (21-11) was an at-large selection out of the Sunset League Sage Hill 3, Riverside Hillcrest 0: Senior outside hitter Jackson Cryst had 18 kills and five aces, as the Lightning earned a 25-18, 25-20, 25-16 win at home on Wednesday in the first round of the Division 4 bracket. Sage Hill (15-11) will go on the road to face Pasadena Poly (15-3) on Saturday at 4 p.m. Pacifica Christian Orange County 3, Cerritos 0: Senior Hudson Reynolds had 19 kills, three aces and two blocks to lead the host Tritons to a 25-15, 25-14, 25-21 win on Wednesday in the first round of the Division 6 playoffs. Junior Atticus Graham pounded out 12 kills to go with three aces and three blocks for Pacifica Christian (13-15), which will be at home to face Rancho Cucamonga (19-13) on Saturday. Junior Joaquin Rigdon contributed 28 assists and four blocks. Ocean View 3, Palmdale Aerospace Academy 1: Junior outside hitter Alex McCarrick had 15 kills to pace the top-seeded Seahawks in a 25-21, 18-25, 25-16, 25-13 win to open the Division 7 playoffs at home on Tuesday. Senior opposite An Nguyen produced a dozen kills for Ocean View (16-8), which placed second in the Orange Coast League behind Westminster. Ocean View remains home to face Lakewood (11-10) in the second round on Friday. The Lancers were straight-set winners over Camarillo Beacon Hill in the opening round. Carpinteria 3, Los Amigos 0: Senior Devin Lee had 15 kills and four aces, but the visiting Lobos lost 25-20, 26-24, 25-21 on Wednesday in a Division 8 playoff opener. Junior Andy Phan had nine blocks, and junior Gerardo Espinoza also had four aces for Los Amigos (6-12), which was the third-place finisher in the Grove League. Pasadena Marshall 3, Liberty Christian 0: Sophomore opposite Justin Morgan had six kills and nine digs, but the visiting Minutemen were swept 25-11, 25-16, 26-24 on Tuesday in the first round of the Division 9 bracket. Junior setter Caleb Santa dished out 23 assists for Liberty Christian (12-13), which finished in a tie for second place with Anaheim Acaciawood Academy in the Express League this season. 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 A $2,176,037.60, five-year contract with Seattle-based BRINC Drones Inc. was unanimously approved as part of the meeting’s consent calendar. It includes the purchase of a total of seven drones, the charging stations and software necessary to operate and maintain them as well as the cost of obtaining approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and other startup expenses. Six of the new aircraft are a model BRINC Drone that founder and chief executive Blake Resnick described as “the world’s first purpose built 911 response drone.” “It’s designed to take off from a citywide network of recharging stations and then hook into computer-aided dispatch,” Resnick said. “So the second someone calls 911, we grab that GPS coordinate and then we use it to automatically dispatch an aircraft to that location. So we can respond to 911 calls with this technology in tens of seconds.” The seventh drone is designed for crisis negotiations and other SWAT operations. It’s smaller and more maneuverable than the Responder model, so it’s capable of going in and out of buildings and other confined spaces. It’s equipped with night vision and thermal imaging technology and can use those sensors to create a 3D floor plan of any building it’s sent to in real time. BRINC Drone offered the city a 30% discount on the list price for its equipment and services, city staff wrote in a report. Their contract includes a provision to upgrade the police department’s drones to the company’s latest models in the third and fifth year of the agreement. The new Drones as First Responder program is the latest in ongoing efforts to incorporate tech into the police department. In addition to opening the Crime Information Center in January, the city completed the installation of 69 automated license plate readers in October. Those constantly monitor the roads and automatically alert officers if a suspicious vehicle is spotted. Print A nonprofit that helps first-generation college students prepare for university scored an ace with a charity pickleball event in Newport Beach that raised more than $95,000 That’s a record sum for the annual Pickleball for a Purpose event held April 3 at the Tennis Club at Newport Beach Country Club This is the fourth year it has been organized by nonprofit KidWorks Shelley Ashen and Keri Olson finished on top in the event’s competition But the big winners were students from under-resourced communities in central Santa Ana served by a variety of services offered by KidWorks “We thank our generous supporters for helping to ensure that our deserving students will continue to benefit from robust college and career programs,” said David Benavides KidWorks’ chief executive and executive director and mentorship programs are designed to prepare first-generation low-income students on their journey towards college and career success.” Participants in this year’s KidWorks Pickleball for a Purpose Event in Newport Beach pose for a photo (Courtesy of KidWorks) Teacher Jayme Acosta and her husband The organization started out hosting Bible clubs and mentorship groups; three years later it opened a community center to serve as a safe community space for youth KidsWork frequently recruits local college students to aid in its mission providing opportunities to give back to their neighborhood The Santa Ana nonprofit also runs a preschool in addition to multiple community centers and academic programs 100% of high school seniors aided by the organization have graduated high school on time and gone on to pursue higher education Print Regulars at the Spaghetti Bender came from all walks of life including a former pro baseball player who often sought special treatment because of his celebrity status the athlete’s business was no more important than that of any other local who has come in to unwind after work propose to their fiance or even just settle on a reliable lovingly prepared plate of lasagna because they ran out of time to make dinner at home “I would never put up with his s—,” Hoskinson said of the sports celebrity “And he would come in and try to bluster his way in in front of all these people The restaurant on PCH has been serving Italian comfort food for over 55 years and Hoskinson said it has been an honor to feed and welcome people who make up the fabric of Newport Beach and surrounding communities It thrived for decades without ever spending a penny on advertising many were shocked when owners announced their decision to close the doors for good in a Facebook post on Feb Owner Michael Hoskinson talks about the closure of the Spaghetti Bender Italian restaurant after 55 years of operation in Newport Beach (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) After the announcement patrons immediately proceeded to book every reservation available through the restaurant’s final night of dinner service Hoskinson has been fielding 30 to 100 calls and emails a day from longtime customers struggling to come to terms with the fact that the local fixture is going away for good “People have been panicking that they can’t get a reservation and I’m having to sweet talk them off the ledge a little bit,” Hoskinson said It’s like people are going through the five stages of grief A combination of factors led to the decision to close the Spaghetti Bender Inflation in recent years has driven up the cost of ingredients and so staying in the restaurant industry is “tougher than I’ve ever seen it before,” Hoskinson said many of the staff working at the restaurant today have been there for decades and Hoskinson described them as the soul of the establishment Many key members of their team are at or near retirement age and without them the restaurant simply wouldn’t be the same prepares for a busy night at the Spaghetti Bender (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) The closure comes three years after the death of the Spaghetti Bender’s founder Several longtime employees were named as beneficiaries in her will Joyce Hoskinson was the driving force behind the restaurant working as a property developer by day and overseeing dinner service in the evenings admits that he simply cannot devote himself to it the same way she did Joyce Hoskinson had been helping her parents run several other restaurants when she got the idea to open her own in the summer of 1969 The single mother’s ambition was something of an anomaly as she went through 20 banks seeking a loan at a time when the idea of a young woman starting her own business was practically unthinkable On one occasion she was chased out of a meeting by a lecherous banker who tried to make physical advances on her The restaurant struggled in its first year until a glowing newspaper review turned things around They developed a loyal base of customers made up largely of families Michael Hoskinson as well as longtime manager Britta Pulliam both met their spouses while working shifts at the restaurant Chef Alphonso “Al” Gomez owner Michael Hoskinson and Britta Pulliam stand with a picture of Papa Lorenzo Pasini the inspiration for his daughter’s restaurant (Don Leach / Staff Photographer) The family has been overwhelmed by a recent outpouring of stories requests for their secret salad dressing recipe and to please squeeze in just one more party of two It pains them to deny customers who have sustained them for over five decades Pulliam and the restaurant’s head chef of over 40 years want to ensure that the last meals they serve are remembered as some of their best “I want everyone who has dinner here to have a wonderful last meal a great memory and not have us running around sweating with food running an hour late,” Hoskinson said It’s unclear what will happen to the white stucco-walled building with a Spanish-tiled roof on PCH Hoskinson still owns the property and has had several offers from businesses interested in moving into the location He’s not in a hurry to part with it and was closely vetting interested parties in hopes of finding someone who will also somehow nourish the community To the cheers of an estimated 200 attendees — including city council members; fire department leadership; veteran Newport fire fighters from as far back as 1953; immediate neighbors; Lido House Hotel owner Bob Olson plus some of his management and staﬀ — a lone Caterpillar tractor with extended shovel began the dramatic demolition of 70-year-old Fire Station #2 Lido House Hotel will build five new cottages on the property for which Olson and the city “have signed a long-term lease,” said Mayor Joe Stapleton Fire Chief Jeﬀ Boyles reminisced that when he first arrived at the station as a paramedic intern “I couldn’t believe how old and a bit of a dog the fire station was We used to joke that if we tented the building it would kill all the termites who were holding it up.” And because of those legendary termites with accompanying dry rot Boyles jokingly oﬀered to “save Olson some money and just burn it down.” we have enough equipment here to do it ourselves.” we’re giving it the respect it deserves for serving our community for so long We will celebrate this fire station in Lido House Hotel with the artifacts from this property that has been such a tremendous asset to this community.” “This has been five years coming,” shared Mayor Stapleton adding that it is a true benefit to the city Stapleton explained that because of the size and configuration of the lot there were not a lot of options for development of the property So “Expanding Lido House made perfect sense along with possible restaurant concepts; and there will be additional metered public parking in a heavily impacted area,” he said city staﬀ and prior council members for making this happen.” The crowd lingered for snacks and beverages along with congratulations and reminiscences There may have been a few tears shed as well The move is similar to how the city handled the muck scooped up when the Rhine Channel was dredged in 2013. But Long Beach had no use for more sediment a few years later, when Newport Beach officials working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were planning the following round of dredging. In 2021, the City Council approved the construction of a contained aquatic disposal facility (CAD) in Newport Harbor. That would have entailed digging a 47-foot deep hole underwater between Lido Isle and Bay Island to hold roughly 191,000 cubic yards of sediment and then burying it. A rendering of what the proposed confined aquatic dredged disposal site will look like. (Courtesy of the city of Newport Beach) The sediment has been described as nontoxic by city officials. But it has tested positive for trace amounts of mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), the pesticide dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT) and other chemicals. The project drew resistance from local environmental groups, who note that it could impact the habitats of sea turtles and other protected species. A lawsuit filed by Orange County Coastkeeper put it on hold in 2022 “while the Corps considers revisiting its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses and Endangered Species Act (ESA) analyses, including whether consultation under the ESA is appropriate.” A green sea turtle at Living Coast Discovery Center in 2022. The sea creatures are among protected species known to inhabit Newport Harbor. (Courtesy of Living Coast Discovery Center) Plans for the CAD stalled. In the meantime, Long Beach approved plans to extend one of the piers at their port, creating a use for sediment from Newport Beach. The two cities began working out a deal in early 2024, and the Corps characterized the pier extension as a viable, preferred option. On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to move forward with the plan as part of the meeting’s consent calendar. “I just want to give a lot of credit to our staff,” Mayor Joe Stapleton said Tuesday, singling out Chris Miller, the public works manager, Dave Webb, the public works director and the city’s harbormaster, Paul Blank. “You guys put yeoman’s effort into this; way to carry this. A lot of community support went into this.” Print It’s practically a miracle the building that used to serve as Newport Beach Fire’s Peninsula Station #2 on 32nd Street and Via Oporto was still standing by the time Chief Jeff Boyles started his career there as a paramedic intern in the late ’90s He and other firefighters used to say “the termites and the dry rot are holding it up.” how old and how big of a dump this fire station was,” he told about 70 people gathered outside of the building Monday afternoon The crowd included Mayor Joe Stapleton and other members of the City Council as well as current and former firefighters like Todd Knipp who helped renovate the structure over the years He spent 30 years with Newport Beach Fire before retiring in 2015 Knipp fondly remembered adding the third floor expansion over the station’s garage and converting one of its rooms into a women’s restroom in 1999 to accommodate the department’s first female firefighter As they strolled through the vacant building’s cramped the two of them reminisced about family-style meals interrupted by the ring of alarms summoning them to an emergency “It was the quintessential Newport Beach Fire Department experience,” Knipp said You were out having doughnuts at the pier at 5 o’ clock in the morning because you’d be up all night.” Newport Beach Fire Engineer Erin Alexander and retired firefighter Todd Knipp tour the station they used to be based out of before its demolition Monday (Eric Licas) The station was built in 1953 and used to house just four firefighters running two engines He joined Newport Beach Fire at the age of 21 in 1958 and got sent out on a call during his first day on the job ‘You’re driving that truck,’” Kiddie recalled The number of firefighters living at the station more than doubled by the time Knipp and Alexander were working there. But it has been vacant since the department moved operations to a new facility about a quarter of a mile away in 2022 The defunct station opened its doors one last time to let firefighters and members of the community sign its walls before its demolition They cheered as the arm of a bulldozer punched through the upper floor walls Knipp and others once helped erect Retired Newport Beach Firefighter Todd Knipp shakes hands with Chief Jeff Boyles at the fire station they used to be based out of before its demolition Monday (Eric Licas) An expansion of the neighboring Lido House hotel will be built in its place That project includes the enlargement of three existing guest rooms and the addition of five new cottages as well as a greenhouse sitting room The development will add space for new restaurant concepts as well as much needed parking He added that the hotel’s growth will likely lead to additional revenue for the city via the transit occupancy tax Meanwhile, the city expects to begin the demolition and renovation of Fire Station 1 and the adjacent Balboa Branch Library by the fourth quarter of this year That upgrade is expected to cost about $18 million