It has been way too long since I posted here.
A few weeks ago, I witnessed an intense rescue off the 56st jetty in Newport. It was a combination rescue effort of NB lifeguards, NB medics and a few local surfers. The slow rescue happened in large surf washing over the jetty. A body surfer had washed up on the jetty and suffered a neck injury. Everyone did a great job to clear the injured guy off the jetty!
A lightning storm raged over Catalina Island on Sunday night. No rain in Newport, but what a light show, that lasted a few hours starting just after sunset.
After nearly 70 years at the “Fun Zone” Bay Arcade will close it’s doors this Sunday the 20th for the last time. Bay Arcade has been a fixture in the area treating many to fun times playing video games and ski ball. I went there last night to turn in my tickets….nearly 4k worth and play a few last games of ski ball. Most of the games have sold signs on them but there is a hand written note at the front counter that says the Bay Arcade signs are not for sale. I have heard that the signs were sold with the building and the new owner may convert them to display their business name. I sure hope that this does not happen. These signs (one on both sides of the building) are relics of the past and deserve to be preserved, housed in a museum or maintained in their original condition. I took a post card from my collection to the arcade last night to snap the below picture. If you look closely at the postcard, you can see the same exact sign, in the same exact spot, in the early 1950’s. Sad to see you go Bay Arcade…the “Fun Zone” just got a little less fun.
@ArcadeFire – Don’t mess with Veruca Salt, she wants Everything Now.
Newport Beach continues to level the sand in west Newport. There are several sand hills like this one slated for removal from the beach for use in another part of the city. It’s been a good place to watch the sunset. Also, the sand pipe was removed from the 56st jetty last week.
The central valley city of Lemoore has updated their city services sign. The sign now gives a nod to their most famous resident…the Kelly Slater Wave Pool.
The sand dredging of the Santa Ana River has been underway since September 2016 and is scheduled to run another month and half or so. In the last several days the project coordinators installed a sand pipe that reaches out onto the 56st jetty and into the lineup. Only time will tell if 56st surf will benefit from this sand movement. Fun Fact- since 1991, it has cost 533 million dollars to keep the lower Santa Ana River free of sand! Click HERE for more info on the project.
56st Sand Pipe
West Newport is set to receive all the accumulated sand that currently sits where the Pacific meets the Santa Ana River trail all the way up to Adams Street. It is a huge project and most of the sand will be sent through a pipe that runs down the beach in front of HQ and out into the ocean somewhere between 28th and 40th street. The project has started and will run thru April 2017. For more information on the project check out their website here. One head spinning fact listed on the site…..since 1991 it has cost 533 million dollars to keep the lower Santa Ana River clear of sand.
She did it. Hana was successful in completing the Catalina Channel swim in about 13 and half hours two weekends ago. Congratulations to her and her amazing effort. Below is some drone footage during the swim and the last few moments when she crawled up on shore!
This is just amazing!!! One of our friends, Hana Gosney, is attempting to swim from Catalina Island to Rancho Palos Verdes this Sunday September 4th, 2016. Hana is making the swim to raise money and awareness for the fight against internal melanoma cancer. The swim is over 20 miles (part at night) and she is doing it without a wet suit or swim fins but with a support boat and team. She is scheduled to swim up at Pelican Cove in Rancho Palos Verdes sometime Sunday afternoon. I’m hoping to be there when she completes her swim challenge. Best of luck Hana….all of us that gather here at HQ are behind you 100%
If you want to donate to her swim, check this link out please https://www.gofundme.com/t6wfus
More info on Catalina Channel Swimming Federation click here http://swimcatalina.com/
Well…..its been way to long since my last post here and for that I apologize. I just spent the last weekend enjoying back to back Dave Matthews Band concerts in Chula Vista and Irvine. As most know, 2016 marks the final season of shows at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater. It is so unfortunate that Orange County is losing it’s largest outdoor music amphitheater in order for them to build some really shitty houses on the spot. The thought of this is  just mind boggling. When Dave opened the show on Saturday night he mentioned this fact and the entire crowd yelled with boo’s. Anyway, a few hashtags have surfaced for people to voice their thoughts. #SaveLiveMusicInIrvine #SaveIrvineMeadows #SaveLiveMusicInOC.  It’s just a shame that no plans are in the works for a new amphitheater….especially with all the land at the so called Great Park. It may be sometime before Orange County is once again blessed with a dedicated music ampitheater for all to enjoy. That being said, thank you to Irvine Meadows for all the memories that were created there and good bye.
Last Saturday we attended the 2016 wooden boat show at the Balboa Yacht Club. They had some amazing old hand crafted wood boats on display, including John Wayne’s old boat, The Wild Goose.
The trees that surround the paid parking lot at 56st and Seashore Dr. are set to be cut down in the near future. The new development of 25 homes called Echo 56 is to blame. Somehow, they are only planning a few guest parking spots actually on the property of Echo 56 (I think less than 10). Once these are filled, all others will be forced to park on the streets surrounding the new homes. This includes the paid parking lot that many of these new homes tower over. So, the city is allowing the Echo 56 project to redevelop the paid parking lot which includes cutting down the surrounding trees. One thing to keep in mind, the old apartment building that once sat on this site had probably 100+ private parking spots…..We are in for a parking mess this summer!
The Santa Ana River puked all over the shoreline of Newport Beach last week during the first true flush of the river this year. You name it and it was deposited on the beach last week….shoes, shopping carts, plastics, yard debris, needles, shipping pallets, tires, spray paint cans and just about anything else that can make it down a storm drain.
Reported shark encounter with a surfer near Santa Ana River Jetties. Beach was still closed as of this morning with lifeguards making announcements over their loudspeakers. Also strange to note that all lifeguard towers were displaying the red flag after news of a shark in the water. The TV helicopters were above for a few hours as well. Over the past weekend I had a friend tell me he had seen a large fin out in front of HQ.
