Some films are about perseverance in conquering mountains or oceans. Other films to be shown during the Coast Film & Music Festival show examples of humans making the world a better place through action.

The Laguna Beach festival, now in its fifth year, kicks off on Wednesday, Nov. 8, drawing film lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and environmental activists together for a five-day event that will showcase more than 70 films.

“It’s our saying: Come curious, leave inspired,” said Enich Harris, who along with Ben Warner founded the festival.

Though the festival doesn’t officially start until mid-week, San Clemente big-wave surfer Greg Long spoke with local elementary school kids on Monday, a way for the festival creators to give back to the community.

“These are the change makers – the kids in the school – of the future,” Harris said. “If we can inspire them and turn their little lights on, it’s a win for everyone.”

The festival is more than just films, with a lineup of music acts, inspirational and cultural change-maker speakers and a calendar of events aimed at exploring the coastal town’s natural landscape.

There is also a Do Good Village to inspire visitors of all ages to learn about causes and make changes in their daily lives.

There are also several guided outdoor experiences being held throughout Laguna Beach in conjunction with the festival, some requiring tickets, others free, though all require registration due to limited spaces available. There’s everything from kayaking off Fisherman’s Cove to mountain bike riding and yoga sessions.

Opening night will kick off at Hobie Surf Shop in Laguna Beach with the showing of “Wild Life,” which follows conservationist Kris Tompkins through the wild landscapes she has dedicated her life to protecting.

The remainder of the screenings will be held at the Festival of the Arts.

New this year is the Coast Summit presented by A New Earth Project from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m on Thursday. It will be a day of learning about conservation and social responsibility, organizers said.

The speakers range from environmental advocates to adventure athletes, including pro skier Amie Engerbretson, Surfrider Foundation CEO Chad Nelsen,  pro snowboarder and Protect Our Winters founder Jeremy Jones, pro big-wave surfers Kai Lenny and Ramon Navarro and more.

“We get all these incredible filmmakers and athletes and everyone together once a year,” Harris said. “We thought what a great opportunity … let’s add something new that has the potential to have a nice ripple effect in the world.”

Tickets for the Coast Summit are being sold separately, cost is $85 online or $115 at the door and includes lunch and a networking happy hour.

The featured films throughout the festival will range from outdoor pursuits, passion and preservation.

One of the bigger names is two-time world champion John John Florence’s film “Advice To My Younger Self,” following the pro surfer during a 3,000-mile sailing expedition with his brothers, where they encountered a massive storm in the middle of nowhere while on their 48-foot catamaran.

“Trilogy: New Wave” will have its world premiere on Friday night. The film follows three up-and-coming  surfers, including San Clemente’s Griffin Colapinto, as they travel to remote destinations searching for waves to rediscover the joy of surfing free from contest scores.

A Q & A will happen following the film with director Andrew Mackenzie, Hawaiian surfer Seth Moniz, filmmaker Taylor Steele, Colapinto and Harris, producer of the film.

Harris worked with legendary surf film maker Steele on the original “Trilogy” film released in 2007, which  featured Andy Irons, Taj Burrow and Joel Parkinson. While the new film pays homage to that original, it looks at the next generation coming up.

The Coast Student Film Program on Saturday morning will showcase short documentaries made by Orange County middle school and high school students.

The art of photography will also be celebrated on Saturday with The Surfer’s Journal photo editor Grant Ellis showcasing “A Lesson in Three Images,” an exploration of photography’s lasting impact on the culture and history of surfing and its place in a post-print landscape.

That night will also be the annual “Follow The Light” surf photography awards in honor of Larry “Flame” Moore.

On the final day, Sunday, Nov. 12, there will be a director’s preview of “Cities of the Future,” which shows an imagined future 50 years from now when cities are designed to be totally sustainable.

“Cities of the Future” is produced by Laguna Beach-based MacGillivray Freeman Films in association with the American Society of Civil Engineers.

More information or tickets, visit: coastfilmmusicfestival.com

The car pursuit came to an end near the intersection of Glengary Avenue and Whittier Boulevard around 6:45 p.m. Sunday.

The suspects exited the sedan and were detained nearby at the Travel Inn, according to Whittier police Lt. Sam Reed and a videographer at the scene.

Although it was initially reported as a kidnapping, Reed said that was not the case.

“There was no kidnapping,” Reed said. The man detained had a $10,000 misdemeanor warrant for his arrest, which had originated in Indiana for allegedly contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Detectives from Laguna Beach were en route to Whittier to arrest the two people, Reed said.

The relationship of the man and the woman was not disclosed.

The price for South Coast Collection was reported by a news division of Newport Beach-based Green Street.

The buyer was Baltimore-based Continental Realty Corp.

“South Coast Collection is the only shopping venue of its kind in an extensive, high net worth trade area,” stated Josh Dinstein, a senior vice president at CRC. “The asset’s institutional quality and strong value-add potential, plus its location in the heart of Orange County, make SoCo the perfect acquisition for our entry into the southern California marketplace.”

The 292,000-square-foot retail center sits on 20 acres not far from IKEA and the new Anduril headquarters in the previous LA Times printing plant. The shopping center is known for its high-end home furnishing brands and the dining hub known as The Mix.

Tenants at 3303-3323 Hyland Ave. include COCO Republic, Design Within Reach, Roche Bobois, Pirch and Paul Mitchell the School, Natuzzi Italia and Room & Board. Restaurants include Arc Food and Libations, Butcher’s House, Greenleaf Kitchen & Cocktails, Moulin, Paragon and Portola Coffee.

In 2015, the White Plains, New York-based Rockwood bought the 405 freeway-adjacent property from Burnham Ward Properties for $120 million . Joel Mayer, a managing director at Rockwood, said at the time that the firm was looking forward “to enhancing the property to create an environment that is among the preeminent lifestyle centers in Southern California.”

Burnham USA Equities, a sister company to the developer of the property, Burnham Ward Properties, was managing the center for Rockwood and also will run it for the new owner.

Eastdil Secured LLC represented Rockwood Capital in the sale.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct the seller of SoCo.

More small apartments trade hands

The investor thirst for small apartment complexes continues in Orange County.

In recent weeks, a beach-adjacent building with eight apartments in Laguna Beach sold for $3.075 million or $384,375 per studio unit, according to CBRE.

The 66-year-old apartment building at 525 Catalina is a few blocks from Laguna’s Main Beach and downtown village. Built in 1957, the two-story, 3,388-square-foot complex is made up of eight studio units.

CBRE said it was the first time the property has been available for sale in “over five decades.”

To the north in Garden Grove, CBRE also sold a 10-unit property at 11821 Stuart Drive for $2.875 million or $287,500 per unit.

It was another first-time sale for the property since it was built back in 1958.

The two-story, 8,601-square-foot building completed in 1958 has a mix of three one-bedroom and seven two-bedroom units. The building comes with a community pool, on-site laundry and garage parking.

The previous owner had recently completed improvements to the property that included new paint, a new sprinkler system, updated gas lines and new garage doors.

The new owner could increase rents by 25% for “an approximate cap rate of 6.25% through a renovation plan.” said Andrew Boukather, a senior associate at CBRE.

The CBRE team represented the unidentified seller and buyer, both of whom live in Orange County.

Buchanan breaks into Northern California with storage buy

Newport Beach-based Buchanan Street Partners recently bought a self-storage facility in Auburn for $21 million.

The 116,500-square-foot facility includes 825 self-storage units and 40 RV parking spaces.

The purchase marked the fourth self-storage property Buchanan has bought in California in recent years.

“The Auburn transaction represented a unique opportunity for us to acquire a high-quality stabilized self-storage property near replacement cost and with plenty of upside potential through professional third-party property management,” said Feerooz Yacoobi, a vice president at the firm.  “I’m excited for Buchanan Street to break into the northern California market.”

On the move

Donald “Don” Kennedy is the president of the American Land Title Association for the 2023-2024 year. He is a Santa Ana local and the managing director for First American Title Insurance Co.’s Agency Division. Kennedy is a third-generation ALTA president, following his father’s, Parker S. Kennedy, presidency in 1993-1994 and his grandfather’s, Donald P. Kennedy, presidency in 1983-1984.

Newport Beach-based The Saywitz Co. has made two new hires. Ariana Bolin is the new director of support services, assisting executives as well as marketing, communications and back-office operations. Sabrina O’Brien is working in client relations, helping the company’s commercial and multifamily management operations.

Milestones

MVE + Partners, an architecture, planning, and interior firm based in Irvine, received three awards from the American Institute of Architects from both the Orange County (AIAOC) and Utah chapters for its work on three different projects.

Those projects included the Mandarin Oriental Residences in Beverly Hills (Best Multifamily Mixed-Use Development), and Silo Park and Post District Residences in Salt Lake City (Best Multifamily Mixed-Use Development and Merit Award, respectively).

The awards come as the firm approaches its 50th anniversary in 2024.

Real estate transactions, leases and new projects, industry hires, new ventures and upcoming events are compiled from press releases by contributing writer Karen Levin. Submit items and high-resolution photos via email to Business Editor Samantha Gowen at sgowen@scng.com. Please allow at least a week for publication. All items are subject to editing for clarity and length.

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  A fireplace anchors the living room. (Photo by Amplify Real Estate Marketing)

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  The kitchen. (Photo by Amplify Real Estate Marketing)

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  The primary bedroom. (Photo by Amplify Real Estate Marketing)

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  Office space. (Photo by Amplify Real Estate Marketing)

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  The primary bathroom. (Photo by Amplify Real Estate Marketing)

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  Inside the one-car garage. (Photo by Amplify Real Estate Marketing)

A Laguna Beach storybook-style cottage once owned by the late artist Virginia Woolley, a co-founder of the annual juried Festival of Arts, is on the market for $4.35 million.

The list price is more than double the $2.075 million paid by the current owner in August 2022 but reflects what the listing describes as a “comprehensive and creative remodel.”

Spanning 1,256 square feet, the house features three bedrooms and three bathrooms, including a Jack and Jill bathroom connecting the two downstairs bedrooms.

Co-listing agent Nick Hooper of Compass said the current owners have “masterfully kept the historic feel while updating for living today.”

Designed to optimize space and natural light, the interior boasts custom glass doors and original stained glass.

The great room, which combines the living and dining areas and has a window seat, features a vaulted wood-beamed ceiling and a fireplace as its focal point. The ceiling and walls are white except for the archways and walls of the primary living space, which are lined with brickwork of different shades.

A dining area leads into the kitchen, updated with contrasting black stone countertops and stainless-steel appliances.

Up the narrow staircase lies the primary bedroom. It has an attached deck with ocean views, a vintage soaking tub in the ensuite bathroom and closet space.

There’s also a small office area.

Outside, pruned hedges and an arbor enclose the front patio and garden area for entertaining.

A one-car garage with tiled flooring and finished walls rounds out the offering.

The property is on the city’s historic registry with a build date of 1930. According to Senior Planner Chris Dominguez, it is pending approval for a Mills Act contract from the City Council later this month.

Mike Johnson of Compass shares the listing.

Woolley hailed from the American South. She studied art in Chicago and Paris in the early 20th century. In 1923, she left Atlanta and settled in Laguna Beach, where she taught outdoor art classes and served as the curator at the Art Gallery. She helped launch the Festival of Arts in 1932 and participated actively until her death. She died in February 1971 at 86.

The 90 pieces on display are housed in huge cases and have QR codes attached explaining more about the artwork and the 60 artists who created them. The codes also direct people to websites for the famed art show and the Pageant of the Masters, both of which have a rich history in Laguna Beach and Southern California.

Festival officials said they wanted the greater traveling public to also become familiar with the shows and they hope the artwork inspires visitors to consider next year’s events as a destination when coming to the area.

“We thought the airport would create a diverse population for the exhibit,” said Tom Lamb, a photographer and member of the festival’s board. “Many people are used to seeing public art collections around the world. We figured many people arrive by air and sometimes may wonder, “What can I do here?”

The Festival of Arts, which has a 1,000-piece permanent collection, celebrated its 91st year this summer. Juried painters, sculptors, jewelers and mixed-media artists win slots each summer to set up booths and show off their art at the Festival of Arts grounds on Laguna Canyon Road.

This summer’s art show drew about a quarter of a million people, but Lamb said the numbers remain down compared to before the pandemic.

The exhibition at the airport includes early Laguna Beach artists such as Joseph Kleitsch and Edgar Payne and contemporary artists such as Stillman Sawyer and Thomas Waddelow.

It was curated by Pat Sparkuhl, an artist and longtime festival exhibitor. He was hired by the festival board to bring the collection up to date so it could be exhibited. It took about a year for him to get the show together.

“It’s very diverse and interesting,” Lamb said, encouraging people to take the time to walk through each of the three terminals. “It’s a huge opportunity for the festival to be given this show.”

Lamb said he’s been to the airport at least 15 times since the exhibit debuted. Each time, he found people fascinated by what they were seeing, he said.

Introducing himself, Lamb has asked people what they think, he said. Some told him they had been to the pageant and the festival previously and now want to go back. In one case, a woman asked about purchasing a piece. While nothing can be purchased from the collection, Lamb connected the woman with the artist.

While the pieces are on display near the gates, locals who still want to take a look before it closes Wednesday, Nov. 1, can take advantage of the airport’s OC Air Pass. The pass is available to anyone who wants to tour the show, but requires driver’s license identification and passing through TSA security. The pass is available at a kiosk in the airport’s baggage areas and is good for one-day access.

Heather Bowling, the airport’s art curator, said about 1 million travelers come through the airport a month and have had an opportunity to see the collection. Responses, she said, have been very positive and she appreciates the variety that the festival’s exhibit has provided.

“People asked questions and will ask about the artists and origins of the work,” she said, adding that many locals have also taken the opportunity to visit with the air pass. “They can look at the art, watch planes and grab a bite. It’s interesting to be in the airport without the chaos of travel.”

Multiple consumer complaints alleged that Erin Lee McCarroll, who conducted business under Erin McCarroll Insurance Service, between June 2017 and November 2019 accepted premium payments and used the funds for her expenses. On Monday, McCarroll pled not guilty to 27 felony charges, including  grand theft and forgery, Orange County Superior Court records show.

An investigation by the Department of Insurance revealed that McCarroll allegedly failed to place insurance coverage for general liability policies and workers’  compensation insurance coverage, leaving at least 10 clients unaware they were vulnerable to uncovered claims and potential financial losses.

McCarroll reportedly deceived her clients by producing fake certificates of insurance, leading victims to believe they had successfully received the insurance policies they purchased from her, officials from the state agency said.

Notable this week: Undefeated Tustin breaks into the Top 10 for the first time this season after shutting out Pacifica 49-0. … San Clemente advances from No. 5 last week to No. 3. … Servite moves up to No. 4 after a 50-42 win over Santa Margarita. … Los Alamitos climbs to No. 7 and will face No. 9 Edison this week for the Sunset League championship.

1. Mater Dei 8-1 (75 points)

The Monarchs shook off a shutout loss to St. John Bocsco with an impressive 55-13 win over Orange Lutheran in Trinity League play. Senior running back Ajon Bryant rushed for 155 yards and two touchdowns and junior linebacker Nasir Wyatt had three sacks. Mater Dei is likely to be the No. 2 seed in Division 1 of the CIF-SS playoffs.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Orange Lutheran 5-4 (72)

The Lancers had the misfortune of being the team in Mater Dei’s way after the Monarchs lost to St. John Bosco. The Lancers, who play Bosco this week, are in third place in the Trinity League with a 2-2 league record.

Previous ranking: 2

3. San Clemente 8-1 (69)

The Tritons are 2-0 in the four-team South Coast League after last week’s 35-18 win over Capistrano Valley. Senior quarterback Dylan Mills turned in one of his better games, completing 16 of 19 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns, both to junior Cole Herlean.

Previous ranking: 5

4. Servite 5-4 (66)

Junior quarterback Leo Hannan threw for 343 yards and four touchdowns in a 50-42 win over Santa Margarita. Sophomore cornerback Tristin Ordaz had eight solo tackles and broke up two passes. Servite finishes the regular season facing JSerra at Cerritos College on Friday.

Previous ranking: 6

5. Santa Margarita 5-4 (62)

Sophomore Trent Mosley had 351 all-purpose yards, including 221 receiving yards, and made three solo tackles for the Eagles in their 50-42 loss to Servite. They play Mater Dei this week.

Previous ranking: 3

6. JSerra 4-5 (59)

The Lions lost to the No. 1 team in Calpreps’ state rankings, St. John Bosco, 42-20. JSerra is 1-3 in the Trinity League, with the victory against Orange Lutheran. The Lions probably need to beat Servite this week to get into the playoffs.

Previous ranking: 4

7. Los Alamitos 7-2 (57)

The Griffins scored 60 points for a school-record fourth time and for the third week in a row in a 63-13 league win over Huntington Beach. Los Alamitos plays Edison this week at Veterans Stadium in Long Beach to decide the Sunset League title. Both teams are 4-0 in the Sunset League.

Previous ranking: 8

8. Mission Viejo 6-3 (56)

Junior Dijon Lee Jr. scored a touchdown on an interception return and another TD on a pass reception in the Diablos’ 36-0 win over Tesoro in the South Coast League. Zachary Foeldi had two of Mission Viejo’s five interceptions.

Previous ranking: 7

9. Edison 6-3 (50)

The Chargers beat Fountain Valley 56-7 for their 19th consecutive win over the Barons. Junior Julius Gillick rushed for 158 yards and a touchdown on only eight carries, and freshman quarterback Sam Thomson threw three touchdown passes for the Chargers.

Previous ranking: 10

10. Tustin 9-0 (49)

The Tillers are the only undefeated team in Orange County. They beat Pacifica 49-0 last week to improve to 4-0 in the Empire League. Tustin rushed for 331 yards, led by Eimesse Essis, who ran for 112 yards and two touchdowns on six carries. The Tillers are home Friday against Cypress in a game for the Empire League title.

Previous ranking: 11

11. San Juan Hills 8-1 (45)

Previous ranking: 9

12. Newport Harbor 4-5 (41)

Previous ranking: 12

13. Tesoro 5-4 (38)

Previous ranking: 13

14. Villa Park 8-1 (37)

Previous ranking: 16

15. Corona del Mar 4-5 (32)

Previous ranking: 14

16. Yorba Linda 6-3 (30)

Previous ranking: 15

17. Trabuco Hills 6-3 (29)

Previous ranking: 21

18. Cypress 6-3 (22)

Previous ranking: 17

19. Capistrano Valley 7-2 (20)

Previous ranking: 17

20. Western 8-1 (18)

Previous ranking: 19

21. Foothill 6-3 (14)

Previous ranking: 22

22. El Modena 5-4 (14)

Previous ranking: 20

23. El Dorado 4-5 (9)

Previous ranking: 22

24. La Habra 5-4 (6)

Previous ranking: 24

25. Laguna Beach 8-1 (4)

Previous ranking: 25

Also receiving votes: Crean Lutheran 6-3 (1)

About the poll: There are three voters in the weekly poll. Points are awarded for each spot in the poll. Starting with 25 points for a No. 1 ranking.

It falls on Nov. 1 and 2. And since it’s not about mourning but a celebration, Day of the Dead events usually include music, dancing and food. So to help you celebrate, here are Day of the Dead celebrations in the Southland.

Bowers Museum

When: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 5

Where: 2002 North Main St., Santa Ana

Cost: Free

Information: bowers.org

People can place photos of loved ones who have passed away on the community altar and listen to live musical performances including Mariachi Anacatlan and dance performances by Relampago del Cielo Grupo Folklorico. There will also be free samples of Mexican hot chocolate and tamales for sale.

City of Moreno Valley Day of the Dead

When: 6-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27

Where: Moreno Valley Civic Amphitheater, 14075 Frederick St, Moreno Valley.

Cost: Free

Information: moval.org

Get food and drinks from vendors and the Michelada Garden, then buy goods from local artists and artisans while viewing altar displays at this free annual event. There’s also live music from Mariachi Divas, and Savor: A Tribute to Santana.

Downtown Santa Monica

When: 2-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

Where: Third Street Promenade, 1351 Third St. Promenade, Santa Monica.

Cost: Free

Information: downtownsm.com

The Promenade in downtown Santa Monica will become an outdoor Day of the Dead festival with local performances by groups including Neiya Arts, Ballet Flor de Mayo, Grupo La Rosa, Folklor América and Poco Pocho. There will be colorful community altars and a Latinx pop-up market offering crafts, arts and treats. The larger-than-life La Catrina public art sculptures created by Los Angeles-based artist Ricardo Soltero will also be on view throughout the Promenade.

Forest Lawn

When: Noon- 3 p.m. at Forest Lawn’s Cypress, Covina Hills, and Glendale locations Oct. 29 and 3:30-6:30 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Cathedral City location

Where: 4471 Lincoln Ave., Cypress,  21300 Via Verde St., Covina, 1712 S Glendale Ave., Glendale and 69855 E, 69855 E Ramon Rd, Cathedral City

Cost: Free

Information: forestlawn.com/all-events

Check out folkloric dance and Mariachi performances, community altars, artwork, food trucks and 6-foot-tall Catrina sculptures at all locations. The Bob Baker Marionette company will have puppet performances at the Covina Hills, Cypress, and Glendale locations.

Grand Park

When: Daily through Nov. 2

Where: 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles

Cost: Free

Information: grandparkla.org

The downtown L.A. park’s celebration of  Day of the Dead started Oct. 21 and goes through Nov. 2. with a display of 19 professional altars and a community altar which honors the victims of gun violence in Monterey Park and those who perished in Maui’s wildfires.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery

When: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5 p.m.-midnight, Saturday, Oct. 28

Where: 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles

Cost: Tickets for daytime event start at $35, tickets for the night event start at $60

Information: ladayofthedead.com

This is a huge celebration that attracts thousands of people to the famous cemetery. The daytime event is for families with a busy Children’s Plaza, more than 150 Aztec dancers and performers on four stages and altars throughout the cemetery. At night it’s more adult oriented with dance music by Bomba Estereo, Nochenegra, a vinyl DJ performance  featuring DJ Mar and DJ El Keamo. Come dressed up in Day of the Dead outfits for both events.

LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes

When: Starts at noon, Sunday, Oct. 29

Where: 501 N. Main St., Los Angeles

Cost: Free

Information: lapca.org

The venue will offer lessons on historical and cultural significance of Day of the Dead traditions plus live music and dance and art workshops.

Laguna Art Museum

When: 11 a.m.-1 p.m., 3 p.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

Where: 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach

Cost: Museum admission is $12 for adults and $9 for students, seniors and military

Information: lagunaartmuseum.org

The Laguna Art Museum is inviting Self Help Graphics & Art to bring the group’s Barrio Mobile Art Studio to teach the art of screen printing. Participants will create handmade stencils with their own designs and silkscreen images onto tote bags in Dia De Los Muertos style.

Long Beach Dia De Los Muertos Parade

When: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Nov. 4

Where: Downtown Long Beach

Cost: Free

Information: longbeach.gov

Check out floats, cultural performances and music as the parade makes its way down Pine Avenue towards Rainbow Lagoon where it will culminate with an Arte y Ofrendas Festival.

Mercado La Paloma

When: Noon-4:30 p.m. Oct. 29

Where: 3655 Grand Ave., Los Angeles

Cost: Free

Information: mercadolapaloma.com

Celebrate Day of the Dead with Oaxacan singer Maria Reyna plus folklórico dances, altar exhibitions and story booths.

Riverside Day of the Dead

When: 1-10 p.m. Nov. 4

Where: Market Street between University Avenue and 14th Street

Cost: Free

Information: On Instagram at @riversidedayofthedead

Get here early because around 30,000 people are expected to attend the daylong street party along six blocks in downtown Riverside. The free celebration includes a display of altars, live music from several bands performing on two stages plus a car show, a lucha libre ring where wrestlers will battle it out throughout the day.

Self Help Graphics

When: Noon-3pm Oct. 28, and 3-8 p.m. Nov. 4

Where: East Los Angeles County Library, located at 4837 E Third St., Los Angeles for art workshops,  Civic Center Park, 4801 E. Third St., Los Angeles for celebration.

Cost: Free

Information: selfhelpgraphics.com

On Oct. 28 Self Help Graphics will offer free Día de los Muertos art workshops where participants will learn about and create traditional crafts to honor the dead. Then on Nov. 4 it’s 50th Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration at Civic Center Park. Dress up in Día de los Muertos fashion, There will be a mobile procession, altars by local artists and community members, artisan Muertos Marketplace, food by local vendors and live entertainment from the main stage.

Now that the young sea lions have a few months under their belts experts at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, the Marine Mammal Center Los Angeles and San Diego SeaWorld are betting the long hours of dedication from their care teams will pay off and the pups can make it to the ocean.

Historically, animals younger than 6 months raised in rescue facilities are placed in captivity, but these pups are showing they can hunt, capture and kill fish on their own.

This weekend, three sea lion pups born at PMMC and raised in the red barn along Laguna Canyon Road since early June will join three other pups at San Diego SeaWorld in preparation for their release.  PMMC’s pups, Raindrop, Miley and Kenny, were each born to mothers poisoned in the toxic bloom that began off Ventura County and spread during the summer into ocean waters off Los Angeles and Orange County.

Dr. Alissa Deming, PMMC’s head veterinarian, said while the bloom was likely the most devastating in recent times, she was thankful it began in late May, close to the full gestation terms for the pups. Often, spring blooms come when pups are not fully developed and their prognosis is dim.

Labor was induced in the mothers who were stranded on local beaches to stop the toxic exposure to the pups and to give the moms the best chance to survive. Deming and her staff held their breath, she said, hoping the pups wouldn’t present with seizures or other neurological conditions brought on by the poisoning.

The vet staff had wanted to keep the pups with their mothers, but the toxins made at least one dangerously aggressive.

So, Deming pulled the pups together and Rainbow, the most tranquil sea lion mom, stayed with her own Raindrop and became a surrogate for Miley and Kenny. The pups were able to nurse from her and get important nutrition from the milk that helps build their immune systems, the doctor said.

“We wanted the pups to be together like they are on the islands so they could learn from each other,” Deming said. “Sea lions learn from other babies. They hang out together and play when their moms leave them there and go out to fish. They hang out in little groups called posses and then go out and fish together.”

The center considered keeping the moms with the pups once they were recovering, Deming said, but decided because the breeding season for sea lions started in August, it made sense to release them.

“We wanted them to go out and meet a boy so they would have a pup for the next summer,” Deming said, adding that most sea lion moms are raising a newborn while carrying an enbryo. Female sea lions become sexually mature at 5 years old and, if all goes well, they continue to have a pup each year.

Once the moms were released, feeding the pups became harder, Deming said.

“We tried to stay hands-off and no talking around them, but we had to tube-feed them,” she said. “It did take a lot of effort to make sure they were putting on the weight and eating at night.”

A high-fat content formula did the trick and the babies grew plumper. Then, totally uncommon when working with sea lion pups, Deming kicked up the efforts and tried to feed them with cut-up herring.

“To eat fish, the pups would pick up tiny fish pieces to suckle and once in a while, they would swallow,” she said. “After three weeks, they were diving in the pool like big sea lions.”

All the while, the veterinarians at the region’s rescue centers were discussing what would give the pups their best chance at going to the ocean. Dr. Lauren Palmer from the Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles and veterinarians at SeaWorld also had young pups from the algae bloom.

They decided the PMMC pups, three more at SeaWorld and six at MMCLA could be a sample set to see if a new rehab plan could work.

“A lot of credit goes to Dr. Palmer,” Deming said, “she’s recognized how many pups have stranded and then got back to the point you can’t see a difference between them and other sea lions.”

On Friday night, PMMC held a farewell party for the pups before they headed this weekend to SeaWorld and Deming said she’s excited by what they will learn with more exposure to other sea lions their age.

PMMC is also about ready to move operations to a temporary spot by the city’s dog park while it undergoes a $14 million expansion, so keeping the pups would have been hard.

“SeaWorld will be good for them,” Deming said. “They will be exposed to the other pups and even older sea lions. They’ll learn something isn’t good behavior and they’ll adjust and become polite little sea lions.”

Matt Schuiteman, a zoological specialist with SeaWorld’s rescue team, said he also looks forward to their arrival and seeing their progress. They will join one pup born at the facility and two rescued from the beach.

“PMMC did a wonderful job in getting their animals on fish so quickly,” he said. “We were blown away with their success.”

Schuiteman said his seal lions were bottle-fed and only recently have they tried fish. While all have shown an interest in hunting the fish in water and then catching and killing them, the difficulty has been getting them to swallow the fish.

“The swallowing action is the toughest thing to do,” he said. “It extends muscle action and they need to trust it’s food. Getting that large fish in is a pretty big deal.”

His goal is to get their pups eating before they meet up with the PMMC pups. One, named 23 and found on the beach as a premature pup, has made the biggest strides in trying to eat fish. She, Schuiteman said, will be the ambassador to meet the PMMC pups first, who he imagines might be a little scared in the new facility.

“Having the ambassador is great; they’ll have a new animal in their own size to check out,” he said. “If that’s a positive interaction, it’s a sign they’ll do well. Sea lions are naturally sociable animals. If there is aggression, we’ll find a different way to interact.”

Once the pups are introduced, they will go into a large area with a pool, a playground environment with slides and other enrichment toys to help them progress. Mostly, he said, the key is to keep hands-off and let them develop their sea lion personalities.

The rescue teams are optimistic about the pups’ planned release back to the Channel Islands – with satellite tags attached.

SeaWorld released three young pups in May – with help from Palmer at MMCLA – and according to data from their satellite tags, Schuiteman said they’re doing well. The two girls have stayed together and traveled to San Francisco Bay and back; the boy has foraged out on his own a bit, hunting for territory and exploring.

“We followed LA’s lead on that,” he said. “They showed you can have success.”

Deming added that the timing to improve new pup rehab is critical because the number of toxic blooms appears to be increasing.

“We want to know their success,” she said. “That will be critical in helping manage future blooms and we’ll know if it’s the right decision. If they were euthanized right when they were born, we would never know.”

It was late February and six or seven men dressed in white suits, some carrying packs with a liquid, were spraying on the hillside just about 100 feet above. Thinking something “wasn’t right,” Wallace, wearing flip-flops, climbed up and asked what they were doing.

They were spraying, she learned, to get rid of invasive plants as part of the city’s efforts to safeguard against fire risk.

That put Wallace on a mission to convince city officials to eradicate the use of the weedkiller Roundup, which she worries is toxic to residents and the environment.

Roundup contains the herbicide glyphosate; it was developed decades ago by Monsanto, which was bought in 2018 by Bayer. Glyphosate is classified as a probable human carcinogen by the World Health Organization, though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says its findings are the herbicide is not likely carcinogenic to humans when used as directed. Debate and legal challenges have gone on for years.

Bayer has said it would replace glyphosate in Roundup for residential use beginning in 2023.

“Bayer stands fully behind our glyphosate-based products, which have been used safely and successfully around the world for 50 years,” said Kyel Richard, a company spokesperson, in a statement.

“Leading health regulators around the world have repeatedly concluded that our glyphosate-based products can be used safely as directed,” Richard said. “Glyphosate-based herbicides are among the most thoroughly studied products of their kind, which is a major reason why farmers and others around the world continue to rely on these products to control problematic weeds.”

Roundup has been used for years by the city, said Mayor Bob Whalen, more recently in South Laguna starting in January. The effort is part of a wide-ranging fire management plan rolled out by the city starting in 2019 with blessings from the California Coastal Commission.

The city contracts with Nature’s Image Inc. to conduct the spraying for the fuel modification efforts and with the Laguna Canyon Foundation to monitor that environmentally sensitive animals and plants are protected – for example its biologists flagged the Big-Leaved Crownbeard and Coulter’s Matilija Poppy, considered threatened in the state, to be avoided. Around them, any weed removal was done by hand, said Jacky Cordero, interim executive director of the foundation.

Hand crews and goats also help eliminate unwanted vegetation to curb fire hazards.

Wallace and others in South Laguna concerned by spraying seen along hillsides, community streets and popular trail areas met with foundation and city officials in February and April, urging the spray be stopped.

“They wanted to assure us that spraying the Roundup is fine and that they had permits to do it,” Wallace said. “Lots of people came.”

But the residents left feeling they weren’t getting their message across, Wallace said. “We felt endangered and we wanted it stopped.”

Ramin Pejan, who also lives nearby and is a senior attorney for Earth Justice, said he noticed the crews out along the Valido Trail, a popular neighborhood hiking path that leads to a lookout on Aliso Peak and to other trails managed by OC Parks. He said there had been no signage telling people about the spraying.

“The day before they were spraying, we were literally eating sour grass — an edible plant,” he said of an outing with his children. “If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have known.”

He said that city and foundation officials agreed during the meeting with the community that “they messed up with the noticing.” Also it was discovered the city had not gotten the necessary permits from OC Parks, according to a recent report from the California Environmental Protection Agency in response to complaints filed.

Wallace, Pejan and a handful of other residents have since gathered signatures on a petition demanding the “adoption of alternative, non-toxic methods for weed control on public land.” More than 1,100 people have signed online at Change.org and 350 signed in person.

“It’s hard to find people who don’t know about Roundup,” Wallace said. “Ninety percent of the people we asked said, ‘Roundup, let me sign.’”

“People in South Laguna love the environment and look at the hillsides and realize the precious habitat that surrounds us.”

Recently, the concerned residents presented their information to a meeting of the city’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, which voted to recommend to the City Council that it ban all chemical pesticides, rodenticides and herbicides citywide.

The city of Irvine banned the use of Roundup in 2017.

In 2020, the Laguna Beach council banned the use of anticoagulant pesticides – they cause rodents to bleed internally – on all city properties. 

Committee member Judie Mancuso said the city of Malibu’s Earth Friendly Management Policy would be a great guideline for the city to use in developing its own policies for using alternatives to chemical products. Mancuso was instrumental with former Councilmember Steve Dicterow on the anticoagulant ban and has history with successfully championing legislation to protect animals.

“We are losing species like we’ve never lost them before,” Mancuso said. “Land mammals, birds, marine mammals. You think you’re killing plants, but it kills everything in the food chain and it causes cancer.”

“People have to do something at the local level,” she said. “We can’t wait to make it national and global.”

Since the residents’ uproar earlier this year, the Fire Department has improved its public notification process, Whalen said. “They’re giving property owners adjacent to the trail the right to opt-out and say, ‘We don’t want anything sprayed on our property.’”

And, Whalen said though the council has been told the spraying is the best option for fuel modification, “that’s not to say there aren’t alternatives.”

“Clearly, there is a lot to discuss,” Whalen said.

Jeremy Frimond, assistant to the city manager, said the residents’ concern “has the staff’s full attention” and that the discussion has a clear timeline to get to the council. The next scheduled spraying is in January.

“Let’s look at it and make sure each community is comfortable with it,” he said, adding that the chemical is only sprayed in specific locations in a targeted application. “Some people in some neighborhoods are more comfortable with it. South Laguna’s message, ‘We’re not comfortable,’ is received. We’re not dismissing their concerns.”

“We’re trying to evolve and go to the next steps,” he said.

Pejan said he hopes the concerned residents can convince the council to act before more spraying is done.

He points out Bayer had settled more than 100,000 claims for around $11 billion by May 2022.

“If it’s 100% safe,” why the big judgements, he said. “When you make decisions, you should be rather safe than sorry. If there is an alternative, you should use it.”