News and events

Catalina Film Festival a Success

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Los Angeles, Misc., Visitor Guide  |  Comments are closed
eCatalina.com AVALON, CATALINA ISLAND - The Catalina Film Festival continues to grow and returned this year with and expanded festival featuring quality films. parties, bigger crowds and celebrity attendees. On Day 3 of the Catalina Film Festival, Patricia Arquette was honored with the Career Tribute Award before the West Coast Premiere of Best Man Down. Arquette graciously accepted her award, dedicating it to the generation of actors in her family and her daughters in attendance. On Day 4, rising young actress Bailee Madison was honored with the "Catalina Crest" award before the screening of her non-profit film, The Magic Bracelet. Continue Reading... ...
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Should Long Beach shell out $100K yearly to keep a one-room Catalina Island schoolhouse open?

Posted on by in California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Coastal Dweller Reference, Los Angeles, Misc., Orange County  |  Comments are closed
By Nadra Nittle - Press-Telegram The little red schoolhouse in Catalina Island’s tiny village of Two Harbors has kept its doors open since 1987, despite fluctuating enrollment. At its busiest, two dozen students have attended Two Harbors Elementary School, which has just one room. At its slowest a mere three students have attended. Today Two Harbors serves six students, an enrollment number that is too low to justify keeping it open, argues Karen McKay, a retired schoolteacher who worked at the nearby Avalon K-12 School until 2002. Both schools fall under the jurisdiction of the Long Beach Unified School District, and McKay said that school officials have not taken her views seriously. “My concern is that the school district is spending $100,000 a year on six students,” said McKay. “Keeping this school open is almost like a pet project.” Continue Reading... ...
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Island to Island Relay Raises Money to Fight Cancer

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Misc., Orange County, San Diego  |  Comments are closed
SUPConnect.com SANTA BARBARA, California - Giles Finlayson recently beat cancer. ·Now his life's work is to raise money for other people stricken with the horrible disease! You can help out in the cause in less than three weeks by participating in the Island to Island Waterman Relay! Saturday October 12th, 2013 will be the Island to Island Waterman relay!  It's a 28 mile relay for 14ft. stand up paddleboards, prone paddleboards and outrigger canoes made up of 3 people per team. Continue Reading... ...
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Video: Backpacking The Trans-Catalina Trail

Posted on by in All other recreation, Beach and Ocean Recreation, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Coastal Dweller Reference, Misc.  |  Comments are closed
laist.com The 37-mile Trans-Catalina trail opened in early 2009, affording hikers the chance to make the cross-island trek and take in some spectacular vistas. The trail goes as high as 1,752 feet in elevation in some spots, with the lowest point at a mere 10 feet, and includes a mixture of terrain from Class I to Class III (relatively flat and easy to some rough terrain, may be steep, difficult). Continue Reading... ...
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Boaters rescued in waters off coast of Baja, California

Posted on by in California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Coastal Dweller Reference, Long Beach, Misc., Orange County, San Diego  |  Comments are closed
ABC10 San Diego SAN DIEGO - A San Diego-based U.S. Coast Guard crew rescued three boaters from a sinking boat about four miles southwest of the Coronado Islands, off the coast of Baja California, authorities said. A commercial marine assistance company called the Coast Guard about 3:30 p.m. Sunday as the 19-foot bayliner was taking on water, which the on board pumps could not keep up with, Coast Guard officials said. The Mexican Navy also responded. Continue Reading......
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Schmidt Breaks 5 SUP Records, Raises Charity Donations

Posted on by in California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Coastal Dweller Reference, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Misc., Orange County, San Diego  |  Comments are closed
Posted by Peter Schelden (Editor) In seven days, Will Schmidt of Laguna Niguel broke five standup paddle records by touching the five inner Channel Islands before paddling back to Dana Point. Schmidt did it for the Wounded Warrior Project. He was particularly concerned about raising awareness for veterans like himself who have suffered from depression following their service. Continue Reading... ...
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Announcing New Coastkeeper Environmental Water Law Clinic at Whittier Law School

Posted on by in California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Misc., Orange County, San Diego  |  Comments are closed

Clinic Will Give Students Hands-On Experience Enforcing the Federal Clean Water Act

COSTA MESA, CA, Sep 24, 2013 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- To protect the quality of water in Southern California, law students and a non-profit environmental organization are now working together. Orange County Coastkeeper and Whittier Law School have joined forces to create the Coastkeeper Environmental Water Law Clinic at Whittier Law School.

Through the Coastkeeper Environmental Water Law Clinic, students will assist Coastkeeper to prepare for litigation using the federal Clean Water Act against polluters affecting water quality in Orange County and the Inland Empire. Whittier Law students will also help protect public access to waterways under the Coastal Act, taking an active role in following, monitoring and commenting on development projects that may affect regional waterways and public access.

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Gov. Brown signs California coastal conservation tax bill

Posted on by in California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Misc., Orange County, San Diego  |  Comments are closed
Wendy Lee with Mike Roe - 89.3 KPCC Gov. Jerry Brown announced Saturday that he'd signed a bill to add a checkbox on California state income returns to give charitable contributions to coastal conservation efforts. “The beauty and allure of California’s coast is unrivaled and this bill gives taxpayers a simple way to help keep it that way,” Brown said in a press release. The announcement coincided with California Coastal Cleanup Day, an annual volunteer event to clean up creeks, beaches and highways. “It’s important because we’re trying to keep the habitats clean, keep these spaces clean for animals and other people to use … we’re keeping trash out of the ocean,” said Edward Murphy, a secondary education manager with environmental group Heal the Bay. Continue Reading......
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US. Coast Guard: The first line of defense for coastal communities

Posted on by in California Coastal Notes of Interest, Catalina / Channel Islands, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Misc., Orange County, San Diego  |  Comments are closed
by Loralee Olejnik - SDnews.com A permanent fixture along North Harbor Drive since 1937, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Sector San Diego territory extends 200 nautical miles offshore and includes lakes running through Arizona and southern parts of Utah and Nevada. Five hundred active duty, reserve and civilian personnel serve with 600 auxiliary volunteers, providing around-the-clock coverage for the protection and preservation of San Diego’s coastline. At the helm is Capt. Sean Mahoney, Sector San Diego commander and captain of the port. Two years into his three-year term, Mahoney sat down with the San Diego Community Newspaper Group to discuss USCG operations and the critical function his organization serves in the beach community and throughout the region. Continue Reading......
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‘Whale Spotting’ App Seeks To Reduce Ship Strikes Off California Coast

Posted on by in Beach and Ocean Recreation, Boating, California Coastal Notes of Interest, Misc.  |  Comments are closed
CBS San Francisco SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) — Marine scientists looking for new ways to reduce the number of whales struck and killed off California’s coast by massive commercial ships have turned to a familiar tool: mobile devices. An app called “Whale Spotter” uses crowd-sourcing to gather data, allowing sailors, fishermen and marine scientists who spot whales to plot their location on an interactive map. The maps created could then be used by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and U.S. Coast Guard officials to recommend different vessel routes. Continue Reading......
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