Notable this week: Santa Margarita won the championship of the top division in the Desert Holiday Classic. …  Mater Dei went 4-0 in its division of the Desert Holiday Classic. … Los Alamitos won the championship of the Diamond Division of The Classic at Damien tournament. … Huntington Beach makes its season debut in the Top 25 … Transfers who had to observe the sit-out period became eligible to play on Dec. 26.

BOYS BASKETBALL TOP 25

1. Santa Margarita 19-2: The Eagles won the championship of the top division in the Desert Holiday Classic. They also beat Roosevelt and Fairfax. They are home against St. John Bosco (11-4) in a Trinity League opener Friday.

Previous ranking: 1

2. Crean Lutheran 14-5: The Saints lost to Redondo Union in the semifinals of the Platinum Division in The Classic at Damien. They beat Cypress 72-60 in a Crestview League opener.

Previous ranking: 2

3. JSerra 13-8: The Lions lost to Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks in the championship game of the National Division of the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic.

Previous ranking: 3

4. Corona del Mar 16-1: The Sea Kings finished second in its division of the Desert Holiday Classic. They beat Fountain Valley 64-46 in a Sunset League game, the first loss of the season for the Barons.

Previous ranking: 4

5. Los Alamitos 8-6: The Griffins won the championship of the Diamond Division in The Classic at Damien. They beat Auburn of Washington 60-53 in the division final.

Previous ranking: 7

6. Canyon 11-6: The Comanches went 2-2 in the Diamond Division of The Classic at Damien, then beat Arizona’s No. 3-ranked team Brophy Prep.

Previous ranking: 5

7. Mater Dei 12-7: With their roster improved by recently eligible transfers, the Monarchs won their division of the Desert Holiday Classic.

Previous ranking: 10

8. Cypress 14-7: The Centurions won the championship of the Governors Division in the Torrey Pines Holiday Classic, and lost to Crean Lutheran in a Crestview League game.

Previous ranking: 6

9. Fairmont Prep 10-7: The Huskies went 2-2 in the Diamond Division of The Classic at Damien.

Previous ranking: 8

10. Orange Lutheran 14-5: The Lancers won the consolation championship in the Silver Division of The Classic at Damien.

Previous ranking: 11

11. Pacifica Christian 13-4

Previous ranking: 9

12. Tesoro 17-3

Previous ranking: 12

13. Servite 15-5

Previous ranking: 17

14. La Habra 15-4

Previous ranking: 14

15. El Dorado 16-3

Previous ranking: 13

16. Edison 14-3

Previous ranking: 15

17. Esperanza 18-1

Previous ranking: 16

18. Sonora 15-5

Previous ranking: 20

19. Fountain Valley 16-1

Previous ranking: 21

20. Newport Harbor 13-4

Previous ranking: 19

21. San Clemente 10-9

Previous ranking: 18

22. Huntington Beach 10-7

Previous ranking: Not ranked

23. Villa Park 12-9

Previous ranking: 24

24. Aliso Niguel 11-8

Previous ranking: 25

25. Woodbridge 12-6

Previous ranking: 23

Michael Echaves of Troy and Mark Nolan of Trabuco Hills will coach the North and South teams, respectively, in the annual Orange County all-star football game Jan. 31 at Newport Harbor High.

The Orange County North vs. South All-Star Football Classic is scheduled for 7 p.m., organizer Frank Albers confirmed.

Echaves and Nolan will coach the all-star teams for the first time.

This past season, Echaves guided Troy (10-2) to a second consecutive outright Iota League title. The Warriors lost in the CIF-SS Division 5 quarterfinals to eventual champion Rio Hondo Prep, which finished as the Division 2A runner-up in state.

Trabuco Hills went 4-6, including 1-4 in the Delta League, this past season. The Mustangs reached the CIF-SS Division 5 playoffs under Nolan in 2024.

The South has a 10-game winning streak in the all-star game.

The event is organized by non-profit Costa Mesa United and sponsored by the Chargers.

The second annual O.C. all-star girls flag football game will be played before the football game. The game is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Newport Harbor High.

Esperanza’s Jimmy Valverde and Newport Harbor’s Jason Guyser will coach the North and South, respectively, in the girls flag football game.

Earlier this year, as the political battle over Congressional redistricting brought California into the national spotlight, Facebook users were shown a curious series of ads.

The ads, from a straightforward-looking news site called the California Courier, often felt a lot like campaign commercials, linking to articles hammering Democrats in the state, including Gov. Gavin Newsom. Few punched in the other direction, toward Republicans. One said “California Democrats just rewrote their gerrymandering plan so voters will see their partisan map on the ballot this November.” Another called Proposition 50, which passed in November, “a scheme critics say is meant to undermine voter-approved protections and entrench one party rule in California.”

A reader who clicked through to the Courier’s website would find stories that largely align with a conservative view of the news, like a video of a child “riding a scooter through San Fran’s drug-ravaged streets,” or an anonymous piece that cites “confidential sources” cautioning against a “left-wing educator” running for a position with an Orange County school district.

What a reader would not find is any disclosure of the Courier’s ownership or funding, including what appear to be ties to a network of conservative organizations in California that, according to one researcher, scaled up a series of right-leaning news sites in three other states just ahead of the 2024 election.

The Courier has money to spend. According to a review of the ad library maintained by Facebook’s owner, Meta, the outlet has spent more than $80,000 since 2021 promoting its stories on social issues and politics, potentially reaching tens of thousands of users on the platform each week.

Critics say the California outlet is part of a growing, nationwide ecosystem of innocuous-looking, cheaply-produced news publications that publish and advertise biased articles in an attempt to surreptitiously influence elections. They worry the practice could mislead voters and corrode trust in nonpartisan news providers.

“I think we are in an era where people are consuming so much content online without knowing the source of it,” said Max Read, who has studied the network apparently behind the Courier at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a nonprofit that works to counter political polarization. “And for well-funded organizations to contribute to that by disguising what they’re doing online just helps exacerbate that problem of people not trusting what they come across.”

At a glance, the Courier does not necessarily look right-leaning. A handful of stories seem like straight news echoing press releases, such as one announcing new affordable housing units. But even those that seem relatively neutral may have a right-leaning spin, like one describing speeding fines tied to income as a potential “woke penalty loophole.”

The outlet also shares a name with a 67-year-old California-based publication serving the Armenian diaspora. One of that Courier’s founders won acclaim from his peers for his tenure as dean of the University of Maryland’s journalism school.

When The Markup and CalMatters contacted the publisher of the Armenian Courier, he said he was unaware of the other site. He told a reporter he was opening it for the first time.

“I’m definitely not conservative,” said Harut Sassounian, who owns the Courier, where his regular editorials appear online and formerly in print. “The two publications have nothing in common. Neither politically nor ethnically nor anything like that.”

The Lincoln Media network

Although it lacks the pedigree of its Armenian twin, the right-leaning Courier has shown it is well-immersed in today’s social media. A video it made suggesting Newsom flip-flopped in his view of President Joe Biden’s mental acuity generated thousands of reactions.

The publication also shares some of the murky citation practices of contemporary social media. Almost all of the stories on the site are unattributed, or simply attributed to “the California Courier.”

A few, however, include author names. One of the named writers describes himself on social media as a “content creator” for the Lincoln Media Foundation, a conservative group, and links to Courier articles. Another shares a name with a Republican strategist based in Orange County, and a third lists a resume with conservative organizations in a short bio.

The Lincoln Media Foundation is tied to the Lincoln Club, a group based in Orange County that bills itself as “the oldest and largest conservative major donor organization in the state of California.” The club funnels anonymously-donated money to conservative candidates and causes.

The Lincoln Media Foundation’s Facebook page recently said it was “proud to present” a new documentary purporting to reveal “the untold truth about the Pacific Palisades fire,” the natural disaster that tore through the state this year and increased political pressure on Newsom.

One hour later, the Courier’s Facebook page promoted it as well, not mentioning the Lincoln Media Foundation but describing the documentary as “much anticipated.”

Neither the Lincoln Club, Lincoln Media, the California Courier, or the Courier writers responded to multiple requests for comment about the origins of the site, either through email, phone, or social media messages.

That silence, and the lack of information about ownership on the Courier’s website, comes despite the outlet’s chief goal, as outlined on its Facebook page.

“California Courier offers statewide and local news,” the page’s description reads. “Our mission is transparency.”

The Lincoln Club has previously been linked to “local” websites around the country, spreading stories with a distinctly conservative tint.

Last year, Read’s Institute for Strategic Dialogue, which tracks disinformation and extremism online, found a handful of such sites that noted deep in their privacy policies that they were projects from Lincoln Media. Those outlets had names like The Angeleno and the Keystone Courier, and stretched from California to Pennsylvania, although a resulting report didn’t name the Courier.

Many of the sites used Facebook and other social media tools to press a conservative agenda, the report found. Meta has rules against “coordinated inauthentic behavior” but it’s not clear whether Lincoln Media’s websites would cross that line.

‘Pink slime’ news

Researchers have taken to calling sites like those operated by Lincoln Media “pink slime” news, a name coined after a meat-industry additive. These sites don’t produce outright false news, like others, but they do not meet basic journalistic standards. That often means low-quality content and failing to disclose associations with outside organizations.

The sites generally aren’t designed to generate revenue, but to sway public opinion. The majority, according to researchers, lean toward a conservative agenda, and if the site’s stories gain traction on social media, they can travel widely. “If they place an ad well or if they just get the right pickup from the right influencer, these things don’t really have a limit on how far they can go,” Read said.

While it’s not clear how many sites the Lincoln Club might fund, it isn’t the only group that has used the strategy.

In 2020, the New York Times reported on Metric Media, a group that created nearly 1,300 sites around the country with names like Maine Business Daily and the Ann Arbor Times. At a glance, these could pass for simple local news operations. But the Times report found they took money from public relations firms and Republican operatives to produce stories beneficial to those groups, a massive journalistic red flag.

Ethical or not, the strategy can be effective for lending credibility to a particular viewpoint. Kevin DeLuca, an assistant professor of political science at Yale University who has researched pink slime websites, conducted an experiment that showed subjects both real unbiased news sites and others produced by Metric Media.

Some subjects in the study were given a tip sheet that asked them to examine the sites closely, looking at whether they included information like credible mission pages and other details. But even with the tip sheet, the study subjects said in interviews that they didn’t strongly prefer the truly local over the manufactured sites.

DeLuca says these sites are now in place around the United States, and news consumers have little idea when they’re running into them. The problem may only get worse with the spread of generative AI, since that technology further reduces the cost of creating such sites.

Researchers who study these sites say it’s never been easier to produce them. Local news, for one, has faced a years-long financial crisis that’s wiped many once-robust operations off the map.

While it can’t be said whether any one publication uses AI-generated content, the wide availability of tools like ChatGPT, capable of producing at least a semblance of a passable news story, have also made it easier to build up such sites.

“It’s going to make these pink slime sites even harder for people to know that what they’re reading is not from a human source and not really local investigative journalism.” DeLuca said.

Sassounian, for his part, doesn’t think there’s any risk the two California Couriers would ever be confused with each other. He took over the paper in the 1980s, and his columns, which he describes as “hard-hitting editorials that defend the rights of the Armenian people worldwide,” have been translated into languages around the world.

“It’s not pleasant to have our name used by someone else,” Sassounian said. “I prefer that they don’t, but I don’t know what I can do about it.” 

It has been four long years since hungry denizens could take advantage of Newport Beach’s signature dining event, but the wait is over. Newport Beach Restaurant Week is officially returning this month.

Organized by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, the 11-day celebration kicks off on Thursday, Jan. 15 and runs through Sunday, Jan. 25. The event aims to reassert the coastal enclave’s reputation as a dining heavyweight, inviting patrons to tour the local scene through exclusive prix-fixe menus designed by some of the region’s most talented chefs.

The event will feature more than 40 participating eateries, from casual spots like Cappy’s Cafe to more upscale venues like Farmhouse at Roger’s Garden to new names like Luke’s Lobster.

ALSO READ: Avila’s El Ranchito Newport Beach celebrates 50 years — and counting

A few menu highlights include the Bungalow’s $60 three-course dinner with filet mignon, Chilean sea bass, lobster pot pie and more; Cappy’s Café’s $25 breakfast with mimosa and entree, or a $30 lunch with mimosa or draft beer; and Bayside Restaurant’s $60 dinner with braised short ribs, Ōra King salmon and Maryland-style crab cakes.

Other eateries include A Crystal Cove, Avila’s El Ranchito, CDM Restaurant, Five Crowns, Gelatissimo, Lighthouse, Louie’s by the Bay, Plums Cafe, the Beachcomber at Crystal Cove, the Winery Restaurant and Wine Bar, Whaler Newport Beach and Zay’z Artisanal Deli.

The culinary event is put on by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Newport Beach Restaurant Week, which started in 2007, stopped four years ago after the Newport Beach Restaurant Association Business Improvement District was dissolved. The Chamber of Commerce has since stepped in to reignite the two-week restaurant showcase.

“We’re excited to bring back Newport Beach Restaurant Week,” said Steve Rosansky, president and CEO of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, in a written release. “We have so many fine restaurants in the city that deserve to be showcased, and Restaurant Week is the perfect way to introduce diners to restaurants they might not have tried at price points that won’t break the bank or put a dent in your wallet.”

For more information, including menus and participating restaurants, visit restaurantweeknb.com.

There is no better time to honor White than today during the traditional New Year’s Day bowl games.

White volunteered to serve as an assistant coach at Newport Harbor High in 1989 and became a beloved member of Tar Ball family under former Sailors Coach Jeff Brinkley.

White was cheerful, kind, intelligent, courteous and quick-witted. It was easy to enjoy his company.

As a college student, I first met White as a cub reporter at the 1984 Rose Bowl Game when his Fighting Illini lost to UCLA, 45-9, as game MVP Rick Neuheisel, the Bruins’ redshirt senior quarterback, led UCLA to victory. It was my initial introduction to the national sports scene. White depicted a steadfast resilience and maintained a measure of humor even in defeat.

“The only highlight of the game for me was when the scoreboard went out, it eased the pain a little,” White said, referring to a prank by Cal Tech students who found a way to pull the plug on the Rose Bowl scoreboard during the game.

Five years later, while covering high school football, I spotted White again, this time on the sideline at Davidson Field.

Before his stretch as head coach of the Raiders in 1995 and ’96, White coached for the Sailors when his son, Matt, was an all-league receiver at Newport.

“In terms of schematics and X’s and O’s, Mike White was really the one that gave (our program) a big push over the edge with that,” said Brinkley, a member of the CIF Southern Section Hall of Fame who coached the Sailors for 32 years. “I was lucky enough to have him in 1989, and he’s been a friend all that time.”

White joked that Brinkley took “me off the streets while on the downside of my career.”

Brinkley often met with White at a local restaurant and picked his brain. They began diagramming plays on napkins. The Sailors went from 3-7 in 1988 to 9-3 and a CIF playoff berth in ’89, and used White’s offensive concepts throughout Brinkley’s career.

Longtime Newport Harbor strength and conditioning guru Tony Ciarelli, also a defensive coordinator on Brinkley’s football coaching staff and a noted throws coach in track and field, said he was honored to coach alongside White.

“I was fortunate enough to be able to coach with Mike,” Ciarelli said. “He was a great coach and a better human being.

“He was in between head coaching jobs at Cal and Illinois – Mike was the only head coach to win the Pac 8 and the Big 10 – along with a stint with the San Francisco 49ers. He moved to Newport and his son Matt became one of our receivers,” Ciarelli remembered. “He asked Jeff, our head coach, if he could help us out. I was the receiver coach, so I was able to be a sponge daily at practice. It was one of those special moments when you are a coach to be able to pick the brains of a true coaching genius. It was one of those special turning points that happen in a career. I appreciate the opportunity to have been able to know Mike. He will be missed; my condolences to Matt and the White family.”

White guided the Golden Bears to a share of the Pac 8 title in 1975, led the Illini to their first Rose Bowl in 20 years in the 1983 season and coached the Raiders in their first two seasons upon their return to Oakland after leaving Los Angeles.

White coached in the NFL for 17 years, including as an assistant for the 49ers and served on Dick Vermeil’s staff with the St. Louis Rams when they won the Super Bowl following the 1999 season.

White was a long-standing member of the board of directors for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which honors college football’s defensive best in character and performance at The Pacific Club in Newport Beach.

Richard Dunn, a longtime sportswriter, writes the Dunn Deal column regularly for The Orange County Register’s weekly, The Coastal Current North.

Sprinkles Cupcakes, founded in 2005 in Beverly Hills, abruptly moved to close all of its locations on New Year’s Eve 2025. The cupcake chain launched by Candace Nelson touted luxuriously made sweets. She sold the chain to a private equity firm in 2013 for undisclosed terms. (File photo: H. Lorren Au Jr. / The Orange County Register)

A customer watches as a “cupcake associate” serves Sprinkles Cupcakes in Beverly Hills in 2006. Twenty years after the cupcake chain was launched, it closed all shops abruptly on New Year’s Eve 2025. (File photo: H. Lorren Au Jr. / The Orange County Register)

Sprinkles Cupcakes, founded in 2005 in Beverly Hills, abruptly moved to close all of its locations on New Year’s Eve 2025. The cupcake chain launched by Candace Nelson touted luxuriously made sweets. She sold the chain to a private equity firm in 2013 for undisclosed terms. (Photo courtesy of Sprinkles Cupcakes)

Screenshot

Courtesy of Sprinkles Cupcakes

Shortly after Sprinkles announced the release of a “Game of Thrones” LTO (limited-time-only) cupcake, pre-orders soared like an angry dragon. They will only be available Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19. Seen here, GOT cupcakes and other flavors sporting house heraldry symbols from the show. (Courtesy of Sprinkles)

Sprinkles Cupcakes founder Candace Nelson will be a judge on “Sugar Rush” a competitive cooking show on Netflix debuting July 13. (Courtesy of Candace Nelson)

Sprinkles Cupcakes founder Candace Nelson, second from left, will be a judge on “Sugar Rush” a competitive cooking show on Netflix debuting July 13. (Courtesy of Netflix)

Sprinkles Cupcakes founder Candace Nelson, second from right, will be a judge on “Sugar Rush” a competitive cooking show on Netflix debuting July 13. (Courtesy of Netflix)

Sprinkles Cupcakes, a chain of scratch-made gourmet cupcakes, cookies and cakes that got its start in Beverly Hills and was later bought by a private equity giant, is closing all stores on Wednesday, Dec. 31.

“A few days ago, I learned that Sprinkles Cupcakes, the company I started in 2005, and then sold to private equity in 2012, will be closing its bakery doors today,” founder Candace Nelson — an investment banker turned baker — said Wednesday in an Instagram video post.

Nelson opened the first Sprinkles in 2005 in Beverly Hills.

The chain, which was bought by investment firm KarpReilly LLC, operated 21 stores and 25 ATMs that dispensed fresh cupcakes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in California, Florida, Nevada, Texas, Utah and Washington, D.C.

While a spokesperson with KarpReilly, the Greenwich, Connecticut-based private equity owner was not available for comment, a Sprinkles spokesperson confirmed in a statement to the Southern California News Group that upcoming orders will not be fulfilled, and that the company will be “canceling affected orders prior to closure” on Dec. 31.

“After careful and thoughtful consideration, we’ve made the very difficult decision to transition away from operating company-owned Sprinkles bakeries,” the spokesperson said. “As a result, our company-owned locations will be closing, with our final day of service scheduled for Dec. 31.”

This “decision was not made lightly,” and “we truly appreciate your understanding,” the spokesperson said.

On opening day 20 years ago, Nelson sold 200 cupcakes in two hours, attracting celebrity devotees including Tyra Banks and Barbra Streisand. Nelson’s concept pioneered an explosion of specialty dessert and haute cupcake shops in Southern California.

The news of the chain’s closure hit the founder hard.

“Just to say that out loud is completely surreal. Even though I sold the company over a decade ago, I still have such a personal connection to it, and this isn’t how I thought the story would go. I thought Sprinkles would keep growing and be around forever,” Nelson said. “I thought it was going to be my legacy. It’s hard to describe how I’m feeling right now. But one thing is for sure, I’m incredibly grateful for all of the joy our cupcakes brought to millions of people over the years.”

KarpReilly has a portfolio of 44 companies listed on its website and invests in small to mid-size consumer growth companies. Some of those businesses include Newport Beach-based California Fish Grill, San Diego-based Burger Lounge and downtown-Los Angeles-based women’s clothing brand Christy Dawn. Sprinkle Cupcakes was no longer listed as a current investment.

In 2007, the private equity firm acquired a majority position of Irvine-based Habit Burger Grill before taking it public in 2014, later selling in 2020 to Yum! Brands, the parent of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

KarpReilly manages funds and affiliates with capital commitments in excess of $800 million.

The closures come nearly three years after Sprinkles announced a new franchising strategy.

Dan Mesches, the former Sprinkles president and CEO who ran the chain from January 2017 to July 2024, told Nation’s Restaurant News nearly three years ago that the business had plans to grow to over 100 U.S. franchise locations and 100 international locations by 2026.

In August 2024, Mesches left Sprinkles to lead Swensons Drive-In Restaurants, an Akron, Ohio-based chain of nostalgic, 1950s-style drive-in restaurants known for made-to-order burgers.

“I have so many amazing Sprinkles memories, which I plan to share over the next few weeks as I process this news,” Nelson said. “I built this company as a point of joy and connection.”

Over the years, Sprinkles was sold out of a cupcake truck and its proprietary mixes from more than 250 Williams-Sonoma stores throughout the United States and Canada. In 2012, the company debuted its cupcake ATM, dubbed as the world’s first such device.

Sprinkles also sold its bakery goods at Disneyland in Anaheim and through ATMs, such as those on the campus of the USC and the Little Italy neighborhood in San Diego. In Southern California, Sprinkles had stores in Beverly Hills, downtown Los Angeles, Irvine, La Jolla, Manhattan Beach, Newport Beach and The Grove shopping complex in the Beverly Grove area of Los Angeles.

The cupcakes were made fresh in small batches throughout the day and contained no preservatives, trans fats or artificial flavors, according to the company.

As of Wednesday morning, Nelson’s announcement on Instagram had received more than 360 comments on her post and nearly 2,100 likes.

“I’m so sorry. Damn PE (private equity) really does know how to f… up a good thing,” wrote one commenter under the handle of codiesanchez.

“Wow! Candace!!! That must be very tough. I’m happy you sold the company when you did, but truly sorry the new team was not able to grow and thrive with your strong foundation: Truly the end of an important chapter for you,” wrote another poster, faith_wheeler7.  “May one door close so another may open.”

Another poster, tayywalkerr of San Diego, wrote that she was speechless over the news. “This is so hard to hear. These cupcakes were my obsession for years. Still my favorite cupcake ever. You built something so amazing & always brought joy to anyone I bought cupcakes for.”

King tides are a natural, predictable phenomenon that lets scientists and everyday marine enthusiasts marvel at the changing seascape that is vastly different in just a few hours. And with many friends, family and visitors in town, the tide pools that appear are an inexpensive way to get out and explore nature. Hopefully the rain cooperates.

“The king tides have the highest highs, and the lowest lows of the year,” said Christine Whitcraft, professor of biological sciences at Cal State Long Beach, noting that the highest and lowest tides will occur from Jan. 1 through Jan. 4.

King tides are caused when the sun, moon and Earth are aligned, creating a stronger-than-normal gravitational pull.

The drastic changing of tides — near 7 feet high in early morning hours and negative tides in the afternoon —  show “just how cool the ocean is,” she said.

Low tides offer a look as the ocean peels back to give people a glimpse at the critters and plant life usually underwater.

“I love it because suddenly, we can see all the subtidal areas now exposed,” Whitcraft said.

“Suddenly we are seeing the far edges of the tide pools, the oysters beds we have restored and some of the mudflats and eelgrass that are usually hidden,” she said. “I think because we’re not marine creatures, we don’t get access to that very often. This is really the hidden end of the world we’re getting to see on our terms.”

On the other side of the tidal swing, the highest tides of the year can show the “power of the ocean,” Whitcraft said.

From a more scientific perspective, the high tides help visualize what future sea level rise will likely look like, she said.

“When you combine them with any kind of weather — rain or wind or surf surge — it’s pretty dynamic,” she added.

Recent rains mean water levels in harbors are already higher, and there’s a chance of overspill during early-morning hours that could make a mess of Pacific Coast Highway in low-lying areas such as Sunset Beach.

From the ocean side, surf in the 3- to 4-foot range isn’t massive, but the combination of high tides could send ocean water into parking lots or flood streets and homes in areas such as Capistrano Beach and the Newport Peninsula.

Whitcraft’s team is part of the California King Tides Project, an initiative of the California Coastal Commission that asks scientists and the public to photograph the impact of waves and rising groundwater on shorelines and nearby communities during king tides.

Photographing these extreme high tides brings attention to the impact of climate change and helps prepare for the future, organizers with the California King Tides Project said in a statement. “The images are used by climate researchers, as well as local and state officials, to validate sea level rise models and assess local vulnerabilities to erosion and flooding.”

The project is one of many similar citizen science efforts across the world to create a visual record of changing coastlines.

“We’re interested in monitoring sea level rise resilience along the coast,” Whitcraft said. “How do these systems respond to events like king tides and storm surge?”

One area they monitor is San Clemente, where water has been known to overtop railroads tracks. They also document areas that have natural resistance, such as plants and dunes, to see how those systems respond to seawater.

“It’s important to document the conditions for our coast to understand how they will be impacted, but also to design solutions,”  Whitcraft said.

At estuaries, such as Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad, Bolsa Chica in Huntington Beach and Colorado Lagoon in Long Beach, they monitor plant life and tidal gauges that have been left out to see how high the water reaches.

The public is advised to prioritize safety when taking king tides photos: Stay clear of waves and always be aware of the ocean. Give space to shore birds or other animals that may be further inland than usual during these extreme high tides.

The tides on Thursday will reach nearly 7 feet at about 6:30 a.m. and be at their lowest around 2 p.m.; on Friday, the high tide, which will now be more than 7 feet, is about 7:30 a.m. and low tide is about 3 p.m.; on Saturday, high tide will be about 8:15 a.m. and low tide around 3:30 p.m.; and on Sunday, high tide will be about 9 a.m., still more than 7 feet, and low tide will be about 4:22 p.m.

Some spots for exploring the tide pools are in Crystal Cove, along Laguna Beach’s rocky shoreline, such as Treasure Island, and the shore in Corona Del Mar.

There are several marine protected areas along the coastline, which prohibit removing animals, shells or rocks from tide pools; and experts encourage looking but not touching to preserve the ecosystems.

Submit your photos to coastal.ca.gov/kingtides

Richland Aesthetics opened its flagship medspa in Newport Beach. The location at 21165 Newport Coast Drive offers modern skincare with “a concierge-level patient experience.” The owner is Brandon Richland, a board certified plastic surgeon, seen here with his wife, Jessica Richland, vice president of the company. (Photo courtesy of Jim Kennedy Photographers)

Richland Aesthetics opened its flagship med spa in Newport Beach. The location at 21165 Newport Coast Drive offers modern skincare with “a concierge-level patient experience.” The owner is Brandon Richland, a board certified plastic surgeon. (Photo courtesy of Jim Kennedy Photographers)

Guests at the grand opening of Richland Aesthetics get a tour of the flagship med spa in Newport Beach. The location at 21165 Newport Coast Drive offers modern skincare with “a concierge-level patient experience.” The owner is Brandon Richland, a board certified plastic surgeon. (Photo courtesy of Jim Kennedy Photographers)

Richland Aesthetics opened its flagship medspa at 21165 Newport Coast Drive in Newport Beach. The owner is Brandon Richland, a board certified plastic surgeon, who says the boutique med spa offers a “concierge-level patient experience.” (Photo courtesy of Jim Kennedy Photographers)

Richland Aesthetics opened its flagship med spa in Newport Beach.

The location at 21165 Newport Coast Drive offers all the modern technology of skincare with “a concierge-level patient experience,” according to the company.

“Opening our fourth location and flagship in Newport Coast is incredibly meaningful to me,” said owner Brandon Richland, a board certified plastic surgeon. “This community represents elegance, excellence, and a commitment to living beautifully. These values mirror our mission at Richland Aesthetics.”

Some of the newly expanded offerings include injectables, medical aesthetics, laser and RF technologies, body contouring, office-based procedures (non–surgery center treatments), surgical consultations and pre- and post-operative appointments.

Richland also has locations in Fountain Valley, Woodland Hills and Las Vegas.

For more information, go to richlandmd.com.

Catch up on what’s new

The news cycle is a bit slow during the holidays, so let’s take a moment to review some of the bigger retail news we saw in Orange County in recent months.

Mitsuwa grocery store in Cypress

The Japanese grocer Mitsuwa Marketplace opened in November in Cypress, taking over a shuttered Office Depot. The Torrance-based supermarket, known for its abundance of Asian produce, pantry goods and fresh fish and meat, moved into the retail center at 4955 Katella Ave. It was the third of its kind for Orange County.

Savers opens in Orange

South County mall updates

The Shops at Mission Viejo, which has an expansion project ongoing, welcomed several new shops and eateries in October. They include the Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo, Sbarro, Iron King Mongolian BBQ, Jamba Juice and Mr. Inkwells Piercing Studio. A new wing coming to the mall’s southeast side will bring North Italia and Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar to an “open-air village.”

New to the Outlets at San Clemente just before the holiday shopping season were Gap Factory and Banana Republic Factory, European Exotic Cars, Vuori, based in San Diego, and Fabletics of El Segundo. Also new to the retail space is a Providence Urgent Care.

Barnes & Noble opens in Brea and Orange

Barnes & Noble opened Nov. 5 at the Brea Plaza shopping center, taking the place of a former Carter’s baby clothing store at 439 S. Associated Road. The plaza is also home to Mother’s Market & Kitchen, Total Wine, Chick-fil-A and Chipotle. The bookseller also opened its newest store in Orange, switching from its previous location off Main Street across the street from MainPlace Mall to the former Van’s Skate Park at the Outlets at Orange. B&N also opened at the District at Tustin Legacy shopping center.

Outlets at Orange

Speaking of the mall formerly (and fondly) called “The Block,” the open-air center off the 22 freeway added a host of new merchants in recent weeks. They include Moida, the Korean-beauty brand, Tenshoppe, an LA-based women’s fashion brand, Noi Noa, a jewelry charm bar, Chocolate Bash, offering crepes, waffles and chocolate-dipped treats, the shoe maker Skechers and a remodeled Vans.

Goodwill opens in Foothill Ranch

Goodwill of Orange County opened its 25th retail store and donation center in late November in Foothill Ranch. The 20,000-square-foot space at Foothill Ranch Towne Centre takes the place of a shuttered 99 Cents Only Store. In the longterm future, the shopping center is also getting a new Costco, which will replace the shuttered movie theater complex.

Trader Joe’s opens 2nd store in Costa Mesa

The quirky Southern California grocer opened the doors of its second grocery store in Costa Mesa on Dec. 11. Store 290 at 2170 Harbor Blvd. claimed part of a shuttered 99 Cents Only Store.

Westminster Mall closes, ending an era for community 

When the JCPenney closed, local residents knew the final curtain call was coming for the beleaguered Westminster Mall. By late October, the mall was shuttered with longtime employees hosting a goodbye party in the mostly vacant space. Staff photographer Jeff Gritchen told the story best. The mall’s closure was a personal loss for him and many others who made lifelong memories sauntering the retail space. “In the end, Westminster Mall became an empty shell of itself. Lawlessness echoed the deserted wings of the shopping center – that is, if you consider mall cops as “the law,” Gritchen wrote.

H Mart opens its largest California store in Westminster

H Mart went big in 2025, opening a 70,000-square-foot supermarket and food hall Aug. 7 in Westminster. The Korean grocery store took the place of a shuttered Vons Pavilions at the Pavilions Place shopping center on Beach Boulevard. The sprawling H Mart, its biggest in California, features 11 restaurants in a food hall, similar in size and concept to Mercado González in Costa Mesa.

Tokyo Central opens supermarket, sushi restaurant in Irvine

Tokyo Central opened its long-awaited Irvine supermarket in late July at the bustling Heritage Plaza shopping center at 14120 Culver Drive. The 18,000-square-foot Tokyo Central is the third location in Orange County for the chain owned by Marukai Corp. Its parent company, Pan Pacific International Holdings, also owns the popular Don Quijote brand (nickname Donki) in Japan and Gelson’s Market, which it acquired in 2021.

On the move

Keegan M. Bell is the new executive director of philanthropy at The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast. He will work on the club’s fundraising strategy, donor engagement and philanthropic partnerships. Most recently, bell was executive vice president of the Irvine Public Schools Foundation, and before that, he led development and fundraising efforts at The Wooden Floor and MemorialCare.

Zain Kazmi has risen to the role of associate at the law firm McGlinchey in Irvine. He first worked for the firm as a paralegal before becoming a licensed attorney. Zain represents clients in civil and commercial litigation and has worked on both sides of personal injury cases, including matters involving catastrophic injury, traumatic brain injury and wrongful death.

On board

Jim Boyle and Trish Scarborough recently joined the board at Families Forward. Boyle is vice president of the Management Services Organization at Hoag Clinic. He oversees operations in population health, care management, pharmacy services, claims and member engagement. Scarborough, a retired educator and community philanthropist, returned to the board after a hiatus and is notably still the organization’s longest-serving board member. The nonprofit Families Forward is focused on helping local families who are facing a housing crisis.

Status Update is compiled and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.

The buyer was MGR Real Estate in Ontario. The seller, who was not identified, was represented by Newmark.

The sprawling complex at 750, 770, 790 and 840 The City Drive spans 394,000 square feet on 14.1 acres

“The property’s high-quality construction, diverse tenant mix, and strategic location make it highly attractive to investors seeking stability and long-term growth in a supply-constrained market,” said Tony Hermosillo, vice president of MGR, in a statement.

Michael G. Rademaker, founder and chief executive of MGR, said he plans to maintain current operations, while enhancing the tenant mix, and making “selective improvements.”

In May, MGR Real Estate acquired the decommissioned, 269-acre Vellano Country Club golf course in Chino Hills. Terms of that acquisition were not disclosed by the brokerage, which said it would update the clubhouse currently leased to Wedgewood Weddings.

Irvine airport property sells for $9.2 million

A 26,481-square-foot creative office building in the Irvine Airport submarket sold in early December for $9.2 million, according to NAI Capital Commercial.

The buyer was listed as Bluetree Management LLC, according to PropertyShark.com records.

The two-story building at 18012 Cowan was built in 1985 before being renovated in 2020, according to NAI. It features subterranean parking and office space with exposed ceilings, an open-concept kitchen and an elevator serving the subterranean parking garage to the first and second floors.

The property also has four second-floor outdoor patios.

“This asset is a rare find in the highly competitive Irvine Airport submarket …,” said John Manion, an executive vice president at NAI.

The building is situated off Red Hill and Main Street, offering close proximity to John Wayne Airport and retail centers, the 405, 73, and 55 freeways.

On the move

Kristi Allen, executive vice president of hotels at Ensemble in Long Beach, is the new chairwoman of the California Hotel & Lodging Association for 2026. She will lead a 33-member board representing California’s $18 billion hotel industry and its more than 235,000 employees statewide. At Ensemble, Allen oversees a growing hospitality portfolio generating more than $200 million in annual revenue. She is also a past board member of the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau and former chair of Downtown Long Beach Alliance.

Maurice Nieman recently joined NAI Capital Commercial’s Investment Services Group as executive managing director in the Orange County office. He has at least 35 years of real estate and executive experience, specializing in single-tenant, multi-tenant, and net leased investment sales. Previously, Nieman was executive managing director at Savills North America.

Ian Diaz, Tyler Gebauer and Sean Harlow all recently joined SRS Real Estate Partners in Newport Beach. Diaz and Gebauer were hired as vice presidents and Harlow as an associate. All three were previously with Marcus & Millichap. Diaz and Gebauer will focus on industrial real estate transactions in the region. Harlow will specialize in commercial investment and leasing.

HIG collects nearly $30K for Movember

Hanley Investment Group Real Estate Advisors raised $29,252 during its 15th annual Movember fundraising campaign.

Themed “Mo’ments in Time,” the fundraiser challenges team members to grow their mustaches with contributors urging them along.

Since 2011, HIG says it has raised a combined $429,092 for Movember. The charity is focused on improving men’s health by funding education and research for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health.

Ed Hanley, HIG president of Hanley Investment Group, lost his father to prostate cancer in 2009, making the annual campaign a deeply personal commitment.

“Raising nearly $30,000 this year is a powerful reminder of the impact we can make together,” he said.

For more on the firm’s fundraising campaign, go to us.movember.com/team/2234814

The real estate roundup is compiled from news releases and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos via email to  sgowen@scng.com . Please allow at least a week for publication. All items are subject to editing for clarity and length.

The state commission is tasked with overseeing local management of areas of submerged land known as tidelands, which includes the Newport Harbor, and recently decided the city’s review of fees for using the moorings “did not violate generally accepted appraisal principles” and can be used to set new rates for the approximately 800 offshore moorings.

Boaters in the harbor, some of whom face increases as much as 400% under the city’s plan, raised concerns with the state commission over the independent appraisal the Harbor Commission used when it decided in early 2024 to set higher price ranges.

City officials say the increased fees are needed to cover harbor maintenance costs.

The city’s proposed fee increases weren’t set to affect the built-in piers at homes, an issue that mooring holders raised from the beginning.

And the state commission agreed, with a staff report saying that the fees for piers appear significantly below market rates and “should be evaluated to ensure that the tideland fund is being appropriately compensated.”

The commission’s staff laid out a series of recommendations, which city officials said they are now taking a look at. Another recommendation is related to implementing programs to help with mooring affordability.

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, chair of the commission, said a person shouldn’t have to be of “great means” to spend time on a boat in California.

“There’s plenty of coastline to access, and it bothers me that rates are driven by supply constraints,” she said. “Anyone living on a boat who doesn’t have the financial means to pay, prioritize those folks so that no one will lose their livelihood.”

She said it is now up to the city to “take our report and come up with a plan. We will participate in it until they finalize it.”

And the commissioners said the city could be held in violation if it doesn’t make some changes.

“The city takes the State Lands Commission’s report seriously, and we will comply fully with the recommendations,” said John Pope, the city’s spokesman, adding there is no specific timeline, though the commission suggested getting it handled within the next six months and ideally even earlier.

Pope confirmed that since the former city plan was never implemented, the city will move forward under the State Lands recommendation.

When it was setting the increased rates, City Council members agreed that those with existing permits would be grandfathered for their lifetimes.

Existing mooring permit holders would be able to privately transfer that permit once by Aug. 21, 2028, under the approved plan. No further transfers would be allowed after that date, and in the future, when a permit holder is done with their mooring, the holding reverts to the city.

The city’s long-term goal is that moorings be owned, managed and maintained through a city-licensed program, with higher rates set. Mooring permits have long been a commodity privately traded and sold for often large amounts of money.

“Mooring holders have been advocating for reasonable rates for self-installed and self-maintained moorings in Newport, and it’s a shame the city couldn’t have kept the issue focused on maintaining reasonable rates,” said Anne Stenton, president of the Newport Beach Mooring Association.

Mooring holders are now unclear what the rates are going to be, she added. “We look forward to seeing how the city will address these concerns and ensure equitable treatment for all.”