Sponsored link and a Daft Punk bar gave good ol' rave energy From the minute I walked into Portola Music Festival on Pier 80 I could barely fire off a text message all weekend long It didn’t matter if I was on iMessage or trying to circumvent it by sending an SMS instead It didn’t matter if it was Saturday or Sunday poor cell service made texting damn near impossible for everyone who wasn’t behind the scenes I grew up going to warehouse raves and massives in the early aughts and this was standard operating procedure in those days, because we didn’t have cellphones to speak of. So who you went to the function with, is who you were there with the whole time. Running into people you knew was like a cherry on top, especially since we often traveled far outside of city limits to be there, so making new friends was a far more likely scenario than seeking out old ones. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Disclosure (@disclosure) I left in time to hear Jessie Ware play “Free Yourself,” grabbed drinks then settled into the first half of Jamie XX’s Pier Stage set I bolted back to the Ship Tent to see the surging Nia Archives and later caught a half hour hip-hop break with Deltron 3030 before eating dinner before walking past Rüfüs Du Sol on the Pier Stage and into the friendly confines of Four Tet’s closing dance party in the Warehouse Like… what else could a fan of this music want The layout also gave rise to better conceived themed activations like Bodega SF’s noodle and drinks lounge at the toll booths near the entrance; now a VIP area I ducked into the new Red Bull “Mile High Club” bar for a drink and caught a bit of Oakland DJ Shellheart; love seeing the locals out here I found the tucked away “Robot Bar”—a Daft Punk-themed pop-up bar except you’d only know it if you walked in It was a really sweet surprise with sneaky good themed cocktails and Random Access Memories on the speakers.   starting with the return of one at the Warehouse Stage that worked really well there was a large VIP area shared between the Crane Stage and Ship Tent where you could seamlessly slide into each stage’s VIP areas without exiting the checkpoint Everything just felt more connected and these well-designed stages with once-again improved sound at the foot of industrial cranes made us feel the music deeply above all else.  Where sound bleed was an annoyance from stage-to-stage in the past walking past each area gave an auditory glimpse into what was cracking And if there was one unifying musical theme it’s how the junglist sound was everywhere I came to the Crane Stage for Chase & Status to hear that elite old school drum and bass massive vibe thriving and Nia Archives showed herself to be the quintessential nu school junglist vocalist—a masterful balance of DJing and singing for the crowd in a sweaty emotional onslaught of damn near all of her fantastic debut LP Standing below the grand group of disco balls for Nia’s set at the Ship Tent was a moment I never wanted to end.  blistering drum and bass beats I heard everywhere else (even from Rebecca Black for a moment!) that warmed my cold happy-angry junglist heart and had me skipping about with a bass face just like how Four Tet and Floating Points—together to close out the fest two years ago and now playing their own sets at the Warehouse this year—built their sets on a foundation of jungle into full mastery of multiple dance music subgenres.  A perfectly timed headliner booking if there ever was one On the heels of their new album Hyperdrama (which might be their best since 2007’s Cross) the French duo hadn’t played San Francisco in five years and just tugged on every nostalgic heartstring imaginable Theirs was a set that both delighted the bloghaus era kids who worshiped Ed Banger Records in the late aughts and still systematically culled from all of their albums While the earlier material (“We Are Your Friends”!) still connects with more people the breadth of their catalog showed how what made that early sound stick and influence insurmountable pockets of electronic music cultures around the world As I was ending my weekend with Honey Dijon’s excellent queer Chicago house set in the Warehouse the feeling of truly getting lost in the music for two nights rushed over me I loved how I chose who I came to the fest with We drew the ones we found ourselves with into a special orbit for the weekend and those closest to us even closer With my digital communication ball and chain rendered a useless afterthought most of the time Portola’s biggest weakness made me get lost in the moment and surrender my inhibitions to the beat over and over again Sponsored link 48hills.org is the official publication of the non-profit San Francisco Progressive Media Center We are community supported journalism. Become a member. but we need you to help us beat the billionaires and fight for the soul of San Francisco by becoming a member or donating today We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Heath was born on Jan. 10, 1968 in Pinckneyville, a son to James D. "Jimmy" Chapman and... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Heath Allen Chapman created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Send comfort and support when it's needed most At $300, I'll be the first one to admit that this desk isn't necessarily cheap. But, when I think about how much time I spend at my desk, it's so worth it. After all, if you're spending the bulk of your week working, you might as well have a cute spot to tackle your to-do list. "Installation of a retaining wall system is an investment in creating more property square footage to build homes on." -Mike Stevenson, Geogrid Retaining Wall Systems, Inc. However, developing Portola Hills required converting the site from its natural state of valleys and steep hillsides into acres of construction-ready flat pads. A variety of Belgard Diamond Pro blocks engineered by Anchor Wall Systems as well as Belgard’s Vertica Virtual Joint (VJ) and Planter blocks were chosen to make up the expansive segmental retaining wall system that created the buildable space. To design and build the retaining wall, Baldwin & Sons chose to work with Geogrid Retaining Wall Systems, Inc., the largest segmental retaining wall installer in Southern California. Geogrid’s owner, Mike Stevenson, has more than 28 years of experience, including pioneering some retaining wall technologies. “Geogrid checked all the boxes in terms of the competency of their people, value-engineering, and the products they were going to use. Their previous projects and references also gave us a high comfort level,” says Jose Capati, vice president of land development for Baldwin & Sons. “They were very proactive and responsive from design stage to construction and we are happy with the result of the collaboration.” The vertical wall batter ratio was 8:1, meaning for every eight feet vertical the wall slanted backwards one foot. This allows an additional 66,5000 sq. ft. of useable land.Belgard Commercial “There’s not much flat land left in Southern California, and there is a shortage of homes in Orange County, so installation of a retaining wall system is an investment in creating more property square footage to build homes on,” explains Stevenson. The project was broken into three phases: Portola Northwest, Portola Northeast, and Portola South. While the first two feature single-family homes, the last phase saw the construction of 313 single-family, 256 multi-family, and 58 affordable housing/mixed-use dwellings. Portola North West and Portola South are completed. Phase 1 of Portola North East is substantially completed and Phase 2 is currently being worked on as well, with completion scheduled for December 2023. Geogrid has an in-house design engineer, Matthew Merritt, P.E., of Red One Engineering, who exclusively designs the segmental retaining walls for their clients. For Portola Hills, the company designed and built walls comprising the entire perimeter of the project to develop “super pads,” acres of flat land for Baldwin to build on. Many of these walls reached up to 49-ft. tall and 1,000 ft. long. The installer on the proejct was Geogrid Retaining Wall Systems Inc., an innovative leader in the design/build of retaining walls located in Vista, Calif.Belgard Commercial “We were involved with each phase of the project early in the design process and that allowed us to collaborate with the owner, civil engineer, and geotechnical engineer on incorporating the various Belgard wall products into the project,” says Merritt. Weekly project meetings with the project management and engineering team also helped avoid issues during construction. Among the main concerns for the project initially, according to Capati, were the poor soil quality of the site and the weather.   “The wall batter is a ratio of vertical feet to horizontal feet, so 8:1 means for every eight feet vertical the wall slants backwards one foot so one foot of useable property is lost to the wall batter. The competition at 4:1 loses one foot every four feet of height, or two feet for every eight of height,” explains Merritt. Belgard’s Plantable system features an 8:1 batter.  He adds, “Using the various Belgard products provided the client with an additional 66,500 sq. ft. (1.5 acres) of usable land.” Oftentimes, the difference in wall batter may truly affect the usability of the small back yards of expensive California real estate.  Geogrid designed the plantable walls to go up 4 ft., then back 6 in., then repeated that to achieve the 8:1 batter. Providing plantable space every 4 ft. high, without compromising buildable space, made it likely the vegetation would grow to cover the walls in a shorter amount of time than they would cover an 8-ft. wall. All tall walls over 6-ft. high were plantable. “We worked with the civil engineer to incorporate the various wall batters into the grading plan and avoid conflicts with the geogrid reinforcement,” adds Merritt. Geogrid also worked with Sierra Building Products (the manufacturer of the Diamond Pro and Vertica VJ wall products) to develop a custom color block for the project, Belgard’s Toscana blend. The variegated block draws shades of browns and reds from the surrounding soils of the Santa Anas. While the plants were growing in, and after they suffered the effects of 2020’s drought and died off, the color and texture of the wall offered a beautiful façade on its own. “I have designed with Belgard wall products for over 10 years so I knew I could trust their block on such a large and critical project,” says Merritt. “We used the full line of Belgard products available to us to meet the needs of the owner and requirements of the City of Lake Forest. The result was great looking plantable and non-plantable walls that blend into the site, provide an excellent aesthetic and most importantly provide lasting confidence in their structural capabilities.”  “The fact that Belgard offers so many complementary products that we could use both as vertical and plantable walls was a huge asset,” says Stevenson. “We were installing more than 1,000 square feet of block a day and they were always timely with manufacturing and delivery.” In total, the project utilized Belgard’s Vertica, Vertica Pro Stone Cut Virtual Joint, Diamond Pro Stone Cut, Diamond Pro Stone Cut Virtual Joint, Vertica Cap 8-in., Vertica Cap 4-in. and Belgard Plantable Unit. Belgard's 18-in. wide by 8-in. tall retaining wall blocks with a combination of 4-in. and 8-in. tall caps included their Vertica, Vertica Pro Stone Cut Virtual Joint, Diamond Pro Stone Cut, Diamond Pro Stone Cut Virtual Joint, Vertica Cap 8-in., Vertica Cap 4-in., and the Belgard Plantable Unit.Belgard Commercial Now near completion, the Oaks at Portola Hills is a private, gated community atop a hillside offset by the beautiful, Toscana colored retaining walls. It features tree-lined streets and panoramic views. There are outdoor recreational spaces, including neighborhood parks, a five-acre public park and sports fields, and 1.5 miles of walking and hiking trails. “Everyone is very pleased with the walls’ functionality and how they enhanced the overall aesthetics of our development,” says Capati. Michael Vaughn is the Masonry Commercial Brand Manager at Oldcastle APG. LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio warm temperatures and Santa Ana winds are fueling the Bond Fire in Orange County Wednesday night at a home in the 29400 block of Silverado Canyon Road He said the fire had "significant potential for growth" and that even if residents didn't currently see smoke or hear sirens if they had any doubt they should evacuate "I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say 'well I just didn't realize the fire was gonna get there as quickly as it did'." Captain Thang Nguyen said that the current weather was a major cause "A big driving factor is that we have really low relative humidity which made the fuel pretty susceptible to burning so that's what we're dealing with," Nguyen said Mandatory: Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for.. Voluntary: Voluntary evacuation orders or evacuation warnings are in effect for.. A public information hotline has been activated so residents can call for more information and resources -- 714-628-7085 If it smells like a campfire outside and you're considering outdoor activities.. The mass amounts of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) burrow deep into your body spread through your bloodstream and can cause internal problems Elevated levels of PM2.5 from fires have been linked to increased rates of heart attacks Those with medical conditions like asthma and COPD could see their symptoms exacerbated and their likelihood of hospitalization increase Inland Orange County is under a red-flag warning until 10 p.m Saturday for extreme fire danger due to high winds and low relative humidity the fast moving Silverado Fire traversed across the same Loma Ridge that's now being threatened by the Bond Fire the Santiago Fire consumed nearly the entire area That's sort of good news — although not from an ecological standpoint — because grasses and some of the heavier fuels have likely been cleared out there are also hills around Irvine Lake that haven't burned since the 1990s and parts of Silverado Canyon that haven't burned in more than a century harder to extinguish fuels are likely present 2020 at a home in the 29400 block of Silverado Canyon Road and quickly spread to nearby vegetation For the latest information straight from local emergency officials check the following websites and social media accounts: We fact check everything and rely only on information from credible sources (think: fire government officials and reporters on the ground) we make mistakes and/or initial reports turn out to be wrong we strive to bring you the most accurate information in real time and will update this story as new information becomes available Jacob Margolis and Elina Shatkin contributed reporting Ryan Chu (left) and Devin Daniel led Portola to a victory Saturday Portola High School’s boys basketball team held off a late charge by Trabuco Hills to capture a 63-56 victory in the final game of the Mariko Memorial Classic at Portola Saturday The Bulldogs (7-2 overall) finished 3-1 in the tournament “When both teams are working as hard as they were and both teams are able to drive that kick is out there sometimes and that’s kind of today’s game,” said Portola Coach Brian Smith “There are a lot of three’s being shot and our guys are confident We’ve been giving guys a lot of green lights to shoot we were able to knock some down tonight.” Ryan Chu led Portola with 23 points and five 3-pointers Devin Daniel had 19 points and three 3-pointers “They needed it because they’ve both been in kind of a shooting slumps the last couple of weeks so to be able to get some shots knocked down today was important for us,” Smith said Portola’s only loss in the tournament was to Tesoro I was happy with the way we responded after the game with Tesoro because we put a lot of energy into that game yesterday and Tesoro is just a great team and we followed up with another great team in Trabuco Hills,” Smith said We always joke it’s always going to come down to two possessions and tonight was no different.” Portola jumped out to a 13-3 lead in the opening minutes mainly on 3-pointers But Trabuco Hills regrouped and led 16-15 after one quarter Portola had a 31-26 lead at halftime and extended the lead to 15 points midway through the third quarter However Trabuco Hills (5-3) battled back and cut the lead to 56-54 on a 3-pointer by Matt Mowers with 4:10 left But the Bulldogs Kim hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to 61-54 with 2:30 left and held on for the win Jack Warnick 13 points and Colin Duckens 10 points to lead Trabuco Hills Coach Sean Sullens team went 2-2 in the tournament Below is a running digest on Orange County’s wildfires and school closures, with newer stories posted at the top. For official information on local fires, evacuations and road closures, be sure to follow the Orange County Fire Authority on Twitter Here’s the latest on the Bond Fire as of Saturday morning: As usual, follow the Orange County Fire Authority’s official Twitter feed for the latest fire updates local firefighters continue to make progress on the Bond Fire that has consumed 6,400 acres in the Silverado Canyon area of Orange County According to an update Friday morning from the Orange County Fire Authority all roads are re-opened except for Santiago Canyon Road and evacuation orders have been lifted in Lake Forest mandatory evacuation orders still remain for Silverado Canyon areas While continuing to keep a close watch on air quality and smoke conditions most Orange County school districts impacted by local fires — including the Irvine Saddleback Valley and Tustin unified school districts — plan to return to regular hybrid learning schedules for Monday which has injured two firefighters and ravaged at least 7,200 acres While local campuses don’t appear to be threatened by the wildfire extremely poor air quality and evacuation orders have disrupted the operations of a handful of surrounding districts Here’s the latest on school closures and modified schedules for Friday All Irvine Unified School District campuses will remain closed on Friday Officials said students who normally receive in-person instruction will participate in distance learning Students will continue with 100 percent distance learning on Friday District officials said school-specific information will be provided to families by site principals Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills elementary schools will remain closed on Friday with no distance learning or hybrid classes. The following schools will provide distance learning for all students: possible power outages and continued evacuations all schools in the Tustin Unified School District will continue with distance learning on Friday Check back with us for updates, and be sure to follow the Orange County Fire Authority’s Twitter feed for the latest information Saddleback Valley and Tustin unified school districts announced school closures and temporary shifts to distance learning on Thursday in response to the rapidly growing Bond Fire Approximately 500 firefighters are fighting the blaze which broke out Wednesday night in Silverado Canyon and has since burned more than 7,000 acres Here’s a look at its impacts on local school districts: Irvine Unified School District officials said the entire city was experiencing poor air quality compromising HVAC systems that have been bringing in outside air as a COVID-19 safety measure all IUSD schools will be closed Thursday and students who receive in-person instruction will temporarily transition to distance learning the Newport-Mesa Unified School District announced that all schools will transition to distance learning on Thursday District leaders are continuing to monitor smoke in the area and will update the community on any new developments Based on the current conditions and evacuation orders Saddleback Valley has announced that Foothill Ranch Portola Hills and Trabuco elementary schools will be closed on Thursday the following schools will offer distance learning: The El Toro High parking lot will be used as an evacuation center for the City of Lake Forest District officials said all TUSD classes will be offered via distance learning on Thursday possible power outages and regional evacuation orders impacting district employees a fire that started in Silverado Canyon has consumed thousands of acres prompting mandatory evacuations and school closures compromising HVAC systems that bring in outside air as a COVID-19 safety protocol The Bond Fire has been growing rapidly since breaking out at about 10:15 on Wednesday night according to the Orange County Fire Authority and based on predictive modeling it has the potential to reach more populated areas Mandatory evacuations have been issued for the Modjeska along with Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills West of El Toro and North of the 241 Toll Road Voluntary evacuations have been issued for the following areas: As usual, follow the Orange County Fire Authority’s official Twitter feed for the latest updates Here’s the latest on the Silverado and Blue Ridge fires, courtesy of the Orange County Fire Authority’s official Twitter feed All evacuation orders have been lifted and most school districts are back on their regular schedules The Saddleback Valley Unified School District announced Thursday that the Foothill Ranch Elementary campus remains closed today with all students participating in distance learning Local fire crews continue to make progress on the two wildfires that prompted major evacuations and school closures this week The Silverado Fire that started east of Irvine is now 40 percent contained after burning 13,390 acres which says more than 1,200 firefighters continue to battle the blaze is at 30 percent containment after consuming 14,334 acres OCFA reports that 1,051 personnel are on the scene and all evacuation orders have been lifted More resources and information are available at tinyurl.com/OCEVAC Most Orange County school districts impacted by local fires — including the Orange Placentia-Yorba Linda and Tustin unified school districts — announced a return to their regular schedules for Thursday Here’s our latest rundown of school closures and plans for instruction on Thursday This list will be updated as new information becomes available. For the latest information on the fires and evacuation areas, please follow the Orange County Fire Authority on Twitter The Orange County Fire Authority reported Wednesday that crews had contained 25 percent of the perimeter of the Silverado Fire east of Irvine and 16 percent of the Blue Ridge Fire near Yorba Linda the Blue Ridge Fire had consumed 14,334 acres and damaged seven damaged structures including one that was completely destroyed The Silverado Fire was holding at 13,354 acres with no structures damaged More than 1,300 firefighters are working both fires which prompted school closures throughout Orange County Many Orange County school districts continue to be affected by the Silverado and Blue Ridge fires in Irvine While some districts have been able to keep their campuses open others have opted for non-instructional days or distance learning Here’s the latest rundown of school closures and plans for instruction on Wednesday This list will be updated as new information becomes available. For the latest information on the fires and evacuation areas, please follow the Orange County Fire Authority on Twitter.  Brea Olinda and Orange unified school districts have announced that out of an abundance of caution Brea Olinda child care services and grab-and-go lunches will also be cancelled for all students Orange Unified will offer grab-and-go meals on Wednesday at each school site between noon and 2 p.m In an email sent Tuesday to families and community members “Although the high winds have subsided our maintenance crews are working diligently to clear outside debris and conduct site safety checks before students return to campus.” Both districts plan to update families with additional information by Wednesday afternoon Saddleback Valley Unified School District announced Tuesday that 15 of its schools will participate in 100 percent distance learning due to the Silverado Fire and poor air quality The following campuses are closed: Del Lago Elementary The Silverado Fire has burned 11,199 acres putting more communities in danger of being evacuated as last reported by the Orange County Fire Authority Due to poor air quality and intermittent power outages caused by local fires that continues to blaze in Orange County Orange and Laguna Beach unified school districts are requiring that all students stay home on Tuesday Brad Mason announced in a message on Monday evening that the district’s childcare program will also be closed grab-and-go meal service will still be available for families in need “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you and your family but we are prioritizing the health and safety of our students and staff,” Dr “We will continue to provide updates as they become available.” In support of families and staff impacted by the Blue Ridge Fire the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District declared an emergency non-instructional day for all students on Tuesday Superintendent Greg Plutko noted mandatory evacuations in eastern Yorba Linda and “significantly poor air quality” throughout the area in a message posted on the district’s website child care and all other districtwide activities will be cancelled “out of an abundance of caution,” he said But grab-and-go meal service will still be available from 11 a.m Tuesday at Esperanza and El Dorado high schools “Thank you for your partnership and support of our entire PYLUSD community,” Plutko wrote “We will continue to keep you informed as we have updates.” With many of its families and staff impacted by the Silverado Fire the Tustin Unified School District announced it would close all schools including those offering distance learning taken “out of an abundance of caution,” will continue until further notice All school-related activities and childcare facilities at TUSD school sites will also be temporarily suspended Neighboring Irvine Unified made a similar announcement earlier in the day “The Tustin Unified School District is committed to the safety of our students and staff and we are working closely with fire and police agencies,” spokesman Mark Eliot said For more information, visit the Tustin Unified School District website or follow the district’s social media posts on Twitter An additional fire in the Yorba Linda area has prompted evacuations The Blue Ridge Fire was initially burning in the area of Green River Road near the Green River Golf course and the 91 Freeway but has now spread to neighborhoods in Yorba Linda Evacuation orders were issued for Yorba Linda neighborhoods north of the 91 Freeway east of Gypsum Canyon including Bryant Ranch Elementary school according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department The Placentia Yorba Linda School District issued a statement on Monday afternoon saying that students who had returned for in-person instruction are being bused to nearby Esperanza High School the OC Sheriff’s Department is not recommending any additional school closures or evacuations at this time With the Silverado Fire at zero percent containment the Irvine Unified School District announced that all of its campuses will be closed on Tuesday Officials said there will be no online instruction either adding that Southern California Edison has informed the district that several areas may be without power for periods of time Irvine’s Maintenance and Operations team plans to check and clean campus HVAC systems and filters along with classroom air purification systems University and Woodbridge high schools will be used as temporary shelters for those displaced by the fire staff and families is our top priority,” the district said in a statement “Please know that we understand how stressful this time is and we are committed to supporting our IUSD community.” The OC Health Care Agency on Monday warned that smoke from the fire may pose a health danger to Orange County residents especially those in certain high-risk groups “Everyone should take precautions to stay cool and drink plenty of water to reduce health risks related to the heat and wildfire smoke,” County Health Officer Dr “Additional precautions are especially needed for older adults those with preexisting medical conditions like heart or lung disease Officials advised residents to avoid vigorous activity and drink extra water to help filter out potentially harmful particles The HCA says to seek medical attention if you have symptoms such as chest pain More than a dozen Irvine schools dismissed students on Monday as firefighters continued to battle the wind-driven Silverado Fire Canyon View and Santiago Hills elementary schools in the Irvine Unified School District asked families to pick up their children in the morning the Irvine Police Department suggested evacuations between the 5 Freeway and Irvine Boulevard leading to student dismissals for IUSD’s Brywood Cypress Village and Woodbury elementary schools along with Cadence Park and Beacon Park K-8 schools middle and high schools were not in session Hicks Canyon and Myford elementary students were picked up by their families Orchard Hills students were transported to Beckman High School for dismissal Santa Ana Unified Superintendent Jerry Almendarez cautioned that students there could also experience disruptions in their distance learning as some of the district’s staff members live in areas impacted by evacuation orders The vegetation fire began at 6:47 a.m. near Santiago Canyon Road and Silverado Canyon Road, according to the City of Irvine’s website which responded with ground and air support said flames rapidly grew from 10 acres to more than 2,000 acres “The fire started in Silverado Canyon and helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft are on the way,” Irvine Mayor Christina Shea said Monday morning “The wind is making it move very quickly.” officials reported that the wildfire had jumped State Route 241 and nearby structures were threatened Approximately 60,000 residents were ordered to evacuate communities in northeast Irvine as 150 firefighting units worked to slow the brush fire Two firefighters were later critically injured the 241 Corridor was closed between Portola Parkway and Jamboree Road and from Chapman Avenue to the 91 Freeway Santiago Canyon Road was closed between Live Oak Canyon Road and the 241 Parents are advised to check the Irvine Unified School District Twitter and Facebook pages for updates related to school closures Official Instagram for the Orange County Department of Education | View the OCDE web policy at ocde.us/webpolicy Orange County Department of Education  Website publishing policyNon-discrimination policySocial media policy Thanks for visiting the OCDE Newsroom. Questions and story suggestions should be sent to communications@ocde.us If you’re a member of the media in need of information about the Orange County Department of Education, please email communications@ocde.us or call 714-966-4475 2023 at 6:54 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A Portola Hills home decorated for the holidays CA —Voting is now live for the 2021 Holiday Lights Contest As residents of Lake Forest have hauled out the holly Vote for your favorite holiday display in the holiday light contest Click here for Google maps tour and see all of the entries to view in person Start your holiday tour at the Lake Forest City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive, and follow the Lake Forest Holiday Lights Map: 2021 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Cameron Goods of Irvine tries to break the tackle of Portola’s Kamran Jahromi after all the hype and the build-up during the week a high school football game does not live up to it Friday night’s Pacific Hills League Showdown between Irvine and Portola in front of a big crowd which packed both sides of the Portola stadium Irvine captured the coveted Dennis Toohey Fence Post Trophy for the first time since 2013 Irvine staged a fourth-quarter rally to win 21-17 and remain undefeated on the season and earn at least a share of the league title 2-0) are aiming to cap a perfect regular season when they host Laguna Hills (7-2 Laguna Hills is still in the hunt for first place and a playoff berth too To read a full game story with lots of photos, please click here. Portola Coach Peter Abe described the contest as a “game of inches.” “It came down to five or six plays,” he said we have one or two more touchdowns on the board You got to capitalize on opportunities when you get them and we didn’t But I couldn’t be more proud of our guys effort “It’s definitely been a long week but I think our guys definitely did our community proud and they did their families proud and the program proud I’m so excited for the future of the program to see where we can take this thing because there is so much talent and we got so much support from our community our admin and we look forward to seeing this continue to grow “This is the fourth year of varsity and we’re already capable of putting up performances like this against the best team in our league.” Irvine is hoping to win the outright league title with a win over Laguna Hills But if Laguna Hills were to upset Irvine Friday and Dana Hills defeats Portola three teams would wind up 2-1 and there would be a coin flip to determine the top two automatic qualifiers in the CIF playoffs Teams who have .500 records or better can advance as at-large entries “We’re going in to look for a win,” said Irvine Coach Tom Ricci we’re going to play them tough.” Portola’s secondary has had some big games and Friday night the Bulldogs had interceptions by Samuel Sandoval Talapatra’s interception was a 65-yard return for a touchdown which put Portola ahead 10-0 Irvine’s outstanding running back Cameron Goods said one of his goals this season besides helping his team win the league title was to get some attention from college coaches It looks like he’s getting that as Goods confirmed after Friday’s game he’s been offered to play at Whittier College 0-2) can still advance to the CIF playoffs He’s hoping his team can defeat Dana Hills and Irvine can top Laguna Hills which would leave Portola Dana Hills and Laguna Hills tied for second place A three-way coin flip would determine the second automatic CIF berth 1-1) could advance as at-large teams with better than .500 records if they don’t earn one of the top two spots For more photos from Friday’s game, please click here. the rolling hills of Portola Springs were home to the Acjachemen people a tribe whose legacy is deeply intertwined with the region This heritage was recently honored with a series of interpretive panels that tell their story placed throughout Portola Springs Community Park point out the locations of their ancient village and trade routes “My hope is that these panels will provide the Portola Springs community with a sense of what came before and what is still here,” Joyce Stanfield Perry cultural resource director for the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians ​Acjachemen Nation said at a ceremony attended by Native American leaders and community members And our ancestors used this land during the solstice celebration.” tribal leaders asked landowner Irvine Company to preserve the site setting aside 124 acres of rolling hills for trails a Native American garden and a Native American room in the adjoining community center The Acjachemen’s deep connection to this land is showcased by artifacts in the community center weapons and ceremonial sites reveal a culture that flourished in these foothills that are flush with natural springs and panoramic views from the ocean to the Santa Ana River “While our village has changed and is now Portola Springs,” Perry said this beautiful place we call home now has a common thread that holds us all together.” Subscribe to get the latest stories and community news from Irvine Standard delivered straight to your inbox The city’s Battle of the Bands – a contest between Irvine teens that doubles as a fundraiser – returned this … Creating floral art at Maivie is just one of four new creative experiences available at Irvine Spectrum Center More than 1,000 Orange County residents gathered in Irvine this spring to support the fight against food insecurity during the … In the 50 years that “Saturday Night Live” has poked fun at society the city of Irvine has gotten special … San Juan Hills girls basketball team won the opening tournament of the season last week San Juan Hills High School’s girls basketball team captured the championship at the Villa Park-Portola Kick-off Classic defeating Portola 56-48 Saturday night “We won the championship game against a good Portola team,” said Stallions Coach Paul Edwards Portola jumped out to an early 17-9 lead before San Juan Hills cut the lead to two points before halftime “Coming out the break we took an early 31-30 lead when Amanda Edwards buried a three to give us a two score lead and we would never trail again,” Edwards said Aryanna Hudson led San Juan Hills with 25 points while Amanda Edwards contributed 18 points Hudson was thet MVP of the tournament and Sydney Peterson was named to the all tournament team Portola was led by Moka Saiki with 28 points and Nina Saiki with eight points San Juan Hills returns to action in the Villa Park Holiday Classic on Monday Portola is competing in the Corona del Mar Classic this week and defeated Newport Harbor 59-7 Monday night Moka Saiki had 12 points to lead the Bulldogs Send basketball news to timburt@ocsportszone.com Queer feminist electro musician returns to SF—home of her hero Annie Sprinkle—for three shows this weekend Peaches exuded BDE (Big Dix Energy) out of the box.  That’s not to say courage came easy to the electronic artist and queer feminist artivist, famous for her fearless music videos and defiant stage shows, who recently lifted the curtain on her life in a brave new documentary entitled Teaches of Peaches standing up for herself can be the absolute pits “I don’t think I’m very good at it,” says Peaches Performing in musicals opposite future Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page or as part of folk trio Mermaid Cafe early in her career Toronto-born Merrill Nisker already had the seed of Peaches in her.  “I had a lot of unanswered questions about the way the world was on the outside and what you can and can’t do creatively and artistically.”  A cancer scare and a heavy breakup contributed to the restructuring of her life and identity.  it wasn’t that I needed permission,” says Peaches the beginning of Peaches was confrontational I became more confrontational because this feels right.” Berlin’s creative scene in the early 2000s aided by affordable rent and available recording and performance spaces afforded the artist the ability to easily collaborate Her freshly acquired Roland MC-505 Groovebox opened more doors for her by allowing her to incorporate other instruments and genres like riot grrrl It was the perfect storm to create the pro-sex feminist opus The Teaches of Peaches which found the artist shouting vocals about porn star-size tits “That album was a self-exploration of my sexuality and answering questions of what I can do with my sexuality and who I can be,” she says “Also thinking about all the music I listened to that I would sing along to and feel I was not the center of the song So I’m twisting that around and permitting myself to be the center of it and enjoy it.”  “The humor was also a new element,” adds Peaches “I found creative ways to express myself that were also bringing new cliches and building new languages when there wasn’t that kind of nonbinary language that is so prevalent today.”  While becoming a solo artist had its learning curve she is proud to have been a part of the electroclash movement with its queer edge After breaking through with The Teaches of Peaches, she headlined the all-women Electroclash 2002 tour “Electroclash was one of the first music genres that was women-run,” she says and Tracy + the Plastics—and it was super queer But it got the shaft because people didn’t know what to do with it They didn’t know what to do with me.” When the queer activist wanted to include a gay male smooch in her 2000 “Set It Off” video (which already featured two women kissing) enabling Christina Aguilera to break this ground first in her “Beautiful” video—one month later releasing four more spirituous albums that pushed the boundaries of gender and sexuality including 2003’s Fatherfucker (highlighted by “Shake Yer Dix”) 2006’s Impeach My Bush (featuring fan favorite “Boys Wanna Be Her”) it wasn’t about being the most popular or pleasing the music industry She is as uncompromising in other parts of her life When it came to baring all in the Teaches of Peaches documentary—she refused to draw viewers in via drama.  So directors Philipp Fussenegger and Judy Landkammer’s approach shifted to making an associative essay film detailing how Nisker became Peaches while spotlighting important themes in the artist’s work including body and sex positivity They accomplish this using never-before-seen archival videos, candid interviews with Peaches and longtime friends and collaborators Chilly Gonzalez, Shirley Manson it could have been a lot more stressful,” says Peaches “But if someone wants to make a documentary you have to ignore them respectfully and let them do their thing. Then they can get what they can get out of us I’m not interested in them getting some story to make it feel uncomfortable It was a good decision because … the focus became the celebration.” who noticed Peaches’ bodysuit costume reading “Thank God for abortion,” asked the singer on camera whether she is pro-choice because she had an abortion.  She quickly set him straight that one doesn’t need to have had an abortion—or even be a woman—to care about the fundamental right to choose what to do with one’s own body.  It’s about my perspective and how I can help broaden the perspective.” the artist encouraged Fussenegger to leave the scene in the film with the hope that it could be a teaching moment for audiences who has been working on her first full-length record in a decade says staying true to herself remains a regular priority you’re going to be very unhappy singing and performing things you don’t feel comfortable with.” The artist is eager to bring back her stage show to San Francisco where she last appeared with LCD Soundsystem for two NYE shows in 2023.  “I always felt extremely welcome there,” she says. “It’s a beautiful city and I’ve had some beautiful times there. And, of course, one of my biggest heroes, Annie Sprinkle Peaches is also excited to see the many fans she won over by being unapologetically herself.  Some have even told her that she inspired them to come out “So I think maybe I’m an inspiration and then they can go I’ve inspired this person to be this.’ And now it’s inspiring me Boiler Room Portola Pe-Party w/ Club Heat (Tove Lo & SG Lewis), Peaches, JPEGMAFIA, Fcukers + Snow Strippers Sep. 27, SVN West, SF. Tickets and more info here HARD X GAY W/ PEACHES AND CHICKS ON SPEED Sat/28, 10pm, Regency Ballroom, SF. Tickets and more info here PORTOLA 2024 Sep. 28-29, Pier 80, SF. Tickets and more info here Portola players celebrate after winning the Sunny Hills Showcase Portola’s High School’s girls basketball team is off to a fast start with a 10-2 overall record and capped the week by winning the Sunny Hills Showcase won the title Saturday defeating Santa Margarita 42-38 “The Sunny Hills Showcase provided an opportunity for us to improve as a team playing four tough games against talented and well coached teams,” Barham said “We escaped in overtime vs Downey withstood a second half comeback by Clovis East and handled tough OC teams Sonora and Santa Margarita to win the championship.” who averaged 16 points and six assists per game to earn tournament MVP honors “Our defense was anchored by senior Kalynne Abraham Mendez who has taken on all of our toughest defensive assignments all season,” Barham said “Sophomore Kara Niho continued to shoot the ball well for us averaging over 10 points per game for the tournament while fellow sophomore Amelia Booth provided an interior presence averaging over 12 rebounds per game. “ we’re back at an event we look forward to each year the Christina Mauser Memorial Tournament at Edison,” Barham said “Our tough league schedule begins on Jan Send girls basketball news to timburt@ocsportszone.com  Portola Coach Brian Smith talks to his players during a timeout last season Portola and Woodbridge high schools in Irvine will be the site of the 2nd annual Mariko Memorial Boys Classic beginning Monday “The tournament is named after the grandparents of one of our players in our program They were big supporters of the program and obviously their grandson we thought it would be a nice gesture to name the tournament after them.” Troy Leigber of Laguna Hills picks up yards against Beckman Portola and Dana Hills players earned top honors on the first Pacific Hills all-league football teams announced on Thursday The three teams shared the league championship after an abbreviated spring season NOTE: The Pacific Hills League is part of the Pacific Coast Conference. Click here for the all-league team from the Pacific Valley League. she has covered domestic politics and spearheaded the Campus Culture vertical Jenni joined Newsweek in 2018 from Independent Journal Review and has worked as a fiction author publishing her first novel Sentenced to Life in 2015 She is a graduate of the University of Arizona You can get in touch with Jenni by emailing j.fink@newsweek.com.  either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content A fast-moving wildfire in Southern California that grew to more than 2,000 acres in a matter of hours is forcing people from their homes was under a red flag warning when the Bond Fire broke out late Wednesday night and hundreds of people are now under mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders The fire began as a structure fire in Silverado Canyon but extended into nearby vegetation A red flag warning indicates that weather conditions are ripe for fires spreading and dry vegetation acts as fuel for the flames the Orange County Fire Authority warned area residents early Thursday morning that they should be prepared to leave quickly and more than 240 firefighters were working to save property and lives Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills west of El Toro and north of 241 Toll Road were under a mandatory evacuation order Lake Forest from the 241 Toll Road along Bake Parkway to Musick north to the Irvine Border—and from 241 Toll Road North to Bake to Foothill Ranch Community Park—were under a voluntary evacuation warning "Please prepare now to leave," the Orange County Fire Authority said Compounding the problem for people in the fire's path is the coronavirus crisis communities open up shelters and temporary lodging for people who are displaced because of a wildfire but Orange County wasn't offering congregate shelters because of the pandemic the Orange County Fire Authority "strongly encouraged" residents leaving their homes to "seek safety with family/friends or in a hotel." A Red Cross evacuation point was set up at 8405 East Chapman Avenue Along with those who were forced from their homes tens of thousands of Southern California homes were without power on Thursday morning Southern California Edison cut power to nearly 35,000 customers to reduce the risk of the fire spreading and San Diego Gas & Electric cut power to another 24,000 customers The wildfire was zero percent contained on Thursday morning The National Weather Service warned that Santa Ana winds could exacerbate fires into the weekend Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Since the launch of our latest spring 22′ collection we’ve seen so many great moments of how you’ve styled your pieces everywhere from in the kitchen to the bedroom We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite styling moments from our community on Instagram so scroll through for some inspiration and shop each look Have a Target styling vignette you want to share? Be sure to tag us via @studiomcgee for a change to be featured Via @home_by_two Via @alittle.inbetween Via @house.of.agate Via @house_collected Via @homegrownhattons Via @mcafeehomeliving Via @rambler_on_lea Via @the_evergreen_house Via @bottlesnbellinis Via @something_target Via @kowalskiscountry Via @workyourcloset LAGUNA HILLS 1: Portola beat Laguna Hills 2-1 Wednesday in a Pacific Coast League game Junior Dylan Durazo got his first start of the season and went five innings allowing one run on one hit to earn the victory at Laguna Hills Senior Aidan Russell came in and threw two shutout innings to earn the save for the Bulldogs With two outs in the bottom of the seventh junior left fielder Ian Shih threw out the tying run at the plate to end the game Senior second basemen Kensay Sato went 2 for 4 and drove in Portola’s only runs on a two-run double in the top of the fifth inning Portola (4-19) and Laguna Hills (16-7) meet Thursday in Portola’s season finale at Portola High School Laguna Hills is currently in third place and headed for the CIF playoffs UNIVERSITY 2: The Timbewolves won the Pacific Coast League game on a walk-off single by Cal Euper Darren Shorter got the victory for Northwood (16-6) University’s Bobby Bangs had a no-hitter going into the sixth inning Beckett Kretter was 2 for 3 with two stolen bases for University (5-17) WOODBRIDGE 1, BECKMAN 0: The Warriors clinched the outright Pacific Coast League title. Click here for photos and a game story. Most Orange County high school teams will be in newly reconfigured conferences and leagues for the 2024-25 athletic season starting in August One of the conferences greatly affected is the Pacific Coast it has been a conference for some sports such as football and volleyball and a league for others such as baseball shared with OC Sports Zone by Sage Hill Athletic Director Megan Cid Separately, OC football squads will be grouped in conferences, except for the Trinity League which remains the same. Other sports will be included in conferences based on their most recent league finishes in a plan that aims to establish competitive equity. There will be some adjustments. New teams added to the mix are Laguna Beach, St. Margaret’s and former Trinity League member Rosary (for girls sports only). Rosary is an all girls academy in Fullerton. St. Margaret’s, which moves from the Orange Coast League, does not field teams in some sports so will not be included in the configuration of some leagues. Beckman is no longer part of the Pacific Coast Conference after being a competitive member for many years. Beckman will be in the Coast View Athletic Association with South County schools. “We will be in the Sea View League for most sports, but some will go directly to the South Coast League,” said Athletic Director Steve Fischel. Beckman, which is located in Irvine and part of the Tustin Unified School District, has been especially strong in boys volleyball, baseball and softball. Laguna Hills also moves out of the Pacific Coast Conference. Girls and boys sports will vary. For instance, baseball teams will be one league while softball squads will be divided into two, noted Woodbridge Athletic Director Rick Gibson. Gibson added that leagues will be adjusted each year. “The last place finisher for the Pacific Coast moves to the Pacific Hills and the first place finisher from the Pacific Hills moves to the Pacific Coast,” he said. “The overall alignment will only last for two years.” Laguna Beach 16.82, Irvine 10.33, Portola 9.77, Northwood 7.31, University 6.71, Sage Hill 4.99 and Woodbridge 1.41. (Single round, plus carousel tournament end of season) University 24.7, Portola 22.03, Sage Hill 19.18, Northwood 19.07, Woodbridge 18.65, Laguna Beach 16.23, St. Margaret’s 11.99, Irvine 11.07, Rosary 10.89. (Single round plus league individuals tourney) Pacific Coast League: Northwood 2.502, St. Margaret’s 2.056, Irvine 1.586, Rosary 1.537 and Laguna Beach 1.297. Pacific Hills League: Woodbridge 1.225, Portola 0.6, University 0.4 and Sage Hill -0.047 Pacific Coast League: Northwood 0.63, Sage Hill 4.3, St. Margaret’s 4.53 and Woodbridge 5.286. Pacific Hills League: University 5.4, Portola 6.51, Irvine 8.4, Laguna Beach 16.81 and Rosary 17.5. Pacific Coast League: Woodbridge, Northwood, University, Portola, Irvine, Rosary, Laguna Beach and Sage Hill. Pacific Coast League: Portola, Northwood, University and Woodbridge. Pacific Hills League: Irvine, Laguna Beach, St. Margaret’s and Sage Hill. (Two league meets, preview/cluster meets and finals) Pacific Coast League: Portola, Northwood, University, Woodbridge and Irvine. Pacific Hills League: Laguna Beach, Rosary, St. Margaret’s and Sage Hill. Pacific Coast League: Sage Hill 16.73, Portola 15.04, Rosary 13.95, St. Margaret’s 13.23 and Woodbridge 12.63. Pacific Hills League: Northwood 10.94, Irvine 10.93, Laguna Beach 9.07 and University 9.05. Pacific Coast League: Woodbridge 3.769, Northwood 3.148, University 2.739, Portola 2.289, Irvine 2.175, Laguna Beach 1.878, St. Margaret’s 1.821 and Sage Hill 0.33. Pacific Coast League: Woodbridge 13.6, Northwood 13.43, Sage Hill 12.1, Laguna Beach 11.52, St. Margaret’s 11.38, Irvine 11, Portola 9.65 and University 9.54. Pacific Coast League: Rosary 5.131, Woodbridge 5.112, Northwood 3.948, University 3.881 and Laguna Beach 3.821 Pacific Hills League: Portola 2.7, Sage Hill 1.789, Irvine 1.489 and St. Margaret’s 0.697. Pacific Coast League: Woodbridge 8.96, Woodbridge 7.12, Irvine 6.85, University 6.45, Portola 6.25, Northwood 5.86 and Rosary 5.64. Pacific Coast League: Laguna Beach, Woodbridge, University, Northwood, Irvine, Portola and Rosary. Pacific Coast League: Laguna Beach, Woodbridge, University, Northwood, Irvine and Portola. Note: Athletic directors are waiting for more info to determine conference breakdowns. St. Margaret’s 12.51, University 4.22, Woodbridge 4.08, Laguna Beach 1.75, Northwood 1.16, Portola 0.37, Rosary -2.74, Irvine -13.18 and Sage Hill 19.58. University 38.71, Portola 28.14, Woodbridge 26.96, Sage Hill 22.78, Northwood 18.39, Irvine 13.47, St. Margaret’s 12.76 and Laguna Beach 10.76. Woodbridge 646.8, Northwood 590.7, Laguna Beach 548.3, Irvine 458, University 440.97, Portola 399.6, St. Margaret’s 392.05 and Sage Hill 328.75 Rosary 10.96, Woodbridge 9.63, Irvine 8.39, Northwood 7.69, Portola -5.2 and University -8.44. St. Margaret’s, University, Northwood, Woodbridge, Irvine, Portola and Laguna Hills. Northwood 3.2, Portola 2.77, St. Margaret’s 2.98, Irvine 3.6, Sage Hill 4.02, University 4.1, Woodbridge 4.94 and Laguna Beach 7.82. Northwood 21.32, Laguna Beach 23.46, Portola 20.31, St. Margaret’s 24.64, University 21.16, Irvine 17.87, Woodbridge 20.42 and Sage Hill 16.07. Laguna Beach, Irvine, Sage Hill and St. Margaret’s. Northwood, Portola, University, Woodbridge, Irvine, Rosary, Laguna Beach, St. Margaret’s and Sage Hill. Northwood, Portola, University, Woodbridge, Irvine, Laguna Beach, St. Margaret’s and Sage Hill. Portola, Woodbridge, Northwood, University, Irvine, Laguna Beach, St. Margaret’s, Sage Hill and Rosary. Northwood 124.41, Woodbridge 112.91, Portola 109.8, University 108.7, Sage Hill 95.38, Irvine 91.94, Laguna Beach 80.33 and St. Margaret’s (ranking not available). —Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com but I’ve already caught a glimpse of a few products that have been set out early in my local store so you may want to log on to Target.com in the wee hours of the morning on Sept 13 (or make an early visit to your local store) if your heart is absolutely set on any of these items Read the commentsFiled in:Decor & AccessoriesDecorating The home you love starts here The home you love starts here Apartment TherapyThe wordmark for the Apartment Therapy brand.More From Us By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.