Jon Coupal: It wasn’t a great year for California taxpayers, but it wasn’t all bad

• October 21, 2023

The deadline for Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign or veto bills sent to him by the Legislature was last weekend. Two weeks ago, this column highlighted a couple of the worst bills to get out of both houses this year. Now seems like a good time to revisit those bills and let you know how California’s beleaguered taxpayers fared.

AB 28

Assembly Bill 28 imposes an excise tax in the amount of 11% of the gross receipts from the retail sale in this state of a firearm, firearm precursor part, and ammunition. The governor signed this bill.

In his signing message, the governor blamed “radical judge” for stripping “away our ability to keep people safe” and said this bill, and 22 other gun bills, would “make our communities and families safer.”

Keeping people safe is undoubtedly important but the governor would be wise to focus on our rising levels of crime rather than excessively taxing individuals wishing to exercise constitutional rights. 

AB 28 is estimated to generate $160 million annually in new taxes and, like most ineffective gun legislation, may not survive a legal challenge. 

AB 126

Assembly Bill 126 extends several existing and supposedly temporary “fees,” including vehicle registration and smog abatement fees to 2035. The governor signed this one without comment. That’s more than $214 million annually in higher vehicle related costs to taxpayers.

AB 1228 and SB 525

Assembly Bill 1228 raises the hourly minimum wage for fast food workers to $20. Senate Bill 525 raises the minimum wage for healthcare workers to $25. The governor signed them both.

In his signing statement, he said AB 1228 is “one step closer to fairer wages” and “giving hardworking fast-food workers a stronger voice and seat at the table.”

The fairest wage is whatever an employer and employee voluntarily agree to. This indirect tax is a government mandate that will raise costs on citizen taxpayers. Legislation like these two bills is why California’s cost of living is the highest in the nation.

AB 1256, AB 1385, AB 1679, SB 335 and SB 862

These bills raise the local transaction and use tax rate in Humboldt, Riverside, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Ventura and Santa Cruz counties. The only reason to increase the cap is to increase taxes. The governor signed all of them. Be on the lookout for tax hikes on the ballot in the next election if you live in those counties. 

SB 799

Senate Bill 799 makes workers who have been on strike for at least two weeks eligible for unemployment benefits. This radical bill was a bridge too far even in progressive California and, fortunately, Governor Newsom vetoed it.

In his veto message, the governor made clear that expanding “eligibility for UI benefits could increase California’s outstanding federal UI debt projected to be nearly $20 billion by the end of the year and could jeopardize California’s Benefit Cost Ratio add-on waiver application, significantly increasing taxes on employers.” He also noted that “the state is responsible for the interest payments on the federal UI loan and to date has paid $362.7 million in interest with another $302 million due this month.”

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In addition to the well-deserved veto of SB 799, Newsom actually signed a few bills that are favorable to taxpayers. AB 556, AB 1500 and SB 520 all made it through.

Assembly Bill 556 and 1500 gives folks who had their property destroyed in the Camp and Woolsey fires an additional three years to rebuild or move. Senate Bill 520 clarifies that the homeowners’ property tax exemption continues to apply if the taxpayer is not occupying their home because they are confined to a hospital or other care facility. That had become an issue because Prop. 19 requires the property be your primary residence if you want your child to inherit it without a property tax reassessment.

It wasn’t a great year for taxpayers, but it wasn’t all bad. The next Legislative session begins in December and taxpayers can expect more bad than good coming out of Sacramento.

Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association.

​ Orange County Register 

Pittsburgh Steelers at Rams: Who has the edge?

• October 21, 2023

STEELERS (3-2) at RAMS (3-3)

When: 1:05 p.m. Sunday

Where: SoFi Stadium

TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 226, 386

Line: Rams by 3

Notable injury designations

Steelers: OUT: TE Pat Freiermuth (hamstring)

Rams: OUT: RB Kyren Williams (ankle), DT Larrell Murchison (knee); QUESTIONABLE: LB Ernest Jones (knee), CB Derion Kendrick (personal), WR Ben Skowronek (Achilles)

What’s at stake? Both teams are currently in the playoff hunt, projected entering Sunday to earn wild-card berths. When you’re a fringe playoff contender, you can’t afford many losses to non-elite teams. Whoever loses this game may rue the result if the standings are still looking tight in Weeks 16-18.

Who’s better? The Rams. The Steelers’ offense has been a mess this year, with QB Kenny Pickett throwing five touchdowns to four interceptions, RB Najee Harris looking like a shell of himself and OC Matt Canada facing more questions than he appears to have answers for. Even without Williams, the Rams have the more balanced, effective unit. And though the Steelers’ defense may have more familiar names, from T.J. Watt to Minkah Fitzpatrick, the Rams are allowing 2.5 fewer points and 59.1 fewer yards per game.

Matchup to watch: Rams WR Puka Nacua vs. Steelers CB Joey Porter Jr. Nacua, a fifth-round pick, and Porter, a second-rounder, have been among the two most successful rookies of the 2023 class through the first six weeks of the season. How much these two will line up against each other remains to be seen, because Rams receivers move all over the field. But it will be a good measuring stick for Nacua and Porter to see how they compare against the best of their rookie class.

Rams win if: … WR Cooper Kupp catches 12 or more passes and acts as a de facto run game for the Rams down their top two backs. … They protect the ball and commit no more than one turnover against a greedy Steelers defense that forced three in a Week 5 win over Baltimore. …

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Fantasy sleeper: RB Darrell Henderson is being promoted off the practice squad to the active roster after signing with the Rams just this week. But of all the Rams’ healthy RBs, he has the most experience in Sean McVay’s offense and McVay may turn to the familiar hand if the other backs start the game slowly.

Prediction: Rams 20, Steelers 13. Beat reporter’s record: 4-2 for the season; 4-2 against the spread.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County restaurants shut down by health inspectors (Oct. 12-19)

• October 21, 2023

Restaurants and other food vendors ordered to close and allowed to reopen by Orange County health inspectors from Oct. 12 to Oct. 19.

Pho Place, 511 S. Brookhurst St., Anaheim

Closed: Oct. 18
Reason: Cockroach infestation
Reopened: Oct. 19

Curry Hut, 1317 E. Chapman Ave., Fullerton

Closed: Oct. 17
Reason: None provided
Reopened: Oct. 17

D&D FireArt, 20501 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda

Closed: Oct. 16
Reason: Rodent infestation
Reopened: Oct. 18

Off The Boat Fish Grill, 194 E. Yorba Linda Blvd., Placentia

Closed: Oct. 14
Reason: Sewage overflow
Reopened: Oct. 15

Philly’s Best, 198 E. Yorba Linda Blvd., Placentia

Closed: Oct. 14
Reason: Sewage overflow
Reopened: Oct. 15

Mochinut, 9711 Bolsa Ave., Westminster

Closed: Oct. 13
Reason: Insufficient hot water
Reopened: Oct. 14

College Drive-In, 425 S. State College Blvd., Anaheim

Closed: Oct. 12
Reason: Rodent infestation
Reopened: Oct. 17

Yaki Tori, 6502 Westminster Blvd., Westminster

Closed: Oct. 12
Reason: Cockroach infestation

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This list is published weekly with closures since the previous week’s list. Status updates are published in the following week’s list. Source: OC Health Care Agency database.

​ Orange County Register 

Southern California surfers make 2024 World Tour

• October 21, 2023

Get ready to cheer on a wave of new Southern California surfers competing against the world’s best next year.

Several surfers from San Clemente and San Diego have made the cut for the 2024 World Surf League World Tour, a dream for up-and-coming athletes who have worked their entire lives to make it to the sport’s major leagues.

The crop of young surfers on both the men’s and women’s World Tour is a huge boost for mainland American surfing. The athletes will be battling against Brazilians, Australians, Hawaiians and others from around the globe through next year, trying to make a spot in the top five, meaning they would being in the WSL finals at Lower Trestles and could win the world championship title.

San Clemente boasts the most local surfers on the list, with Crosby Colapinto joining brother Griffin, who has been on the World Tour for five years, as well as Cole Houshmand, Sawyer Lindblad and Kade Matson.

San Diego also has three on the list, Encinitas surfers Jake Marshall and Alyssa Spencer are joining Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers, a teen who dominated on the elite tour last year.

There’s also Huntington Beach native Kanoa Igarashi, who surfs for Japan, as well as others who have transplanted to local waters, including current world champions Filipe Toledo, from Brazil, and Florida’s Caroline Marks, both who call San Clemente home these days.

Most of the California surfers earned their spots – and celebrated – this week in Brazil with results during the last Challenger Series contest, the Corona Saquarema Pro.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life, it’s been a goal of mine since I was little … I’m just happy to join my brother,” said Crosby Colapinto.

Colapinto said he’s most looking forward to going head-to-head with his big bro in a contest.

“I think it will be cool, we’ve talked about it our whole lives,” he said.

His parents, who now have two sons to cheer on, are “over the moon,” said the 22-year-old.

The San Clemente surfers are part of a group called “2 Percent Surf” being mentored by former World Tour surfer Kolohe Andino and Griffin Colapinto, all supporting each other during successes and tough times.

“Our crew is just something special. Everyone is our crew is working to better themselves, every day,” Crosby Colapinto said. “We’re just have a good energy.”

Fellow San Clemente surfer and friend Houshmand had already clinched his spot on next year’s tour with his stellar results from earlier events. When word of him making the cut came during the U.S. Open of Surfing, friends and family mobbed him on the beach to celebrate.

San Clemente surfer Lindblad, who won the US Open of Surfing earlier this year, was next to celebrate after learning she made the cut.

Lindblad said it was “a pretty crazy feeling,” a belated present with the young surfer just celebrating her 18th birthday last month.

“I’ve been working toward this my whole life, it’s just a dream come true,” she said. “I think it will be a lot of learning. I’m just really excited to be there. I’m excited to surf the bigger waves, get more comfortable.”

Lindblad said surfing with the other up-and-coming San Clemente athletes has helped get her “fired up to surf my hardest.”

“There’s so many good people coming out of my home town in San Clemente,” she said.

Matson had to wait a few days when the Saquarema Pro was put on hold to know if he would qualify. But on Saturday, Oct. 21, it became official.

It’s a huge moment for the surfer, who had suffered a major back injury last year that required surgery and months of out of the water to heal, not knowing if he’d be able to compete again.

Oceanside’s Simmers joined the World Tour last year and made it to the WSL Final 5 in September for a chance for a world title.

Fellow San Diego-area surfer Spencer narrowly missed her chance to join the tour last year, but this year had enough points to make the list.

“This has been my longtime dream since I started surfing, to be on tour,” Spencer said in a WSL interview. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs these last couple of years. I’ve been so close, like within one or two spots these past three years, so that’s been the hardest thing to overcome. Every year people ask, ‘Is this going to be the year?’ and I was just tired of hearing it, so it’s such a relief to finally make it happen.”

Marshall is returning to the elite level after being cut from the World Tour at the mid-way point earlier this year.

“Just getting to see a bunch of my fellow Americans make it on tour has been extra special and cool,” he said. “It feels great and I’m super excited.”

All the Southern California surfers grew up competing at Lower Trestles, earning USA Surfing and National Scholastic Surfing Association national championships through the years – meaning they have had many years to train on the wave where next year’s world title will be decided.

If any one of them is successful, they will be the first California surfer to earn a world championship since Santa Barbara surfers Tom Curran in 1990 and Kim Mearing in 1984.

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​ Orange County Register 

Rare northern right whale dolphin without dorsal fin spotted off Dana Point

• October 21, 2023

A deckhand aboard a Dana Point whale watching charter boat named the Hoku Nai’a was in the middle of describing traits of the common dolphins when he stopped cold and announced the sighting of a rare northern right whale dolphin swimming in their midst.

The unusual sighting on Thursday, Oct. 19, was about five miles off the coast of Dana Point, where the water is about 1,200 feet to 2,000 feet deep.

Caitlyn Nieblas, a biologist and photographer aboard the Capt. Dave Dolphin and Whale Watching vessel, described the sighting as a first for herself, adding, “They don’t come this far south.”

The dolphin, described as small and slender with no dorsal fin, is typically seen in the cold water of the northwest. They are often mistaken for fur seals because of their dark color and acrobatic nature. Typically, they swim in a group of 100 to 200 animals.

But Thursday’s spotting by Stumpf was a lone dolphin swimming with common dolphins. Though it was a foggy morning, Nieblas said the animal was clearly visible, especially because it popped up right by the boat. She used her GoPro to get underwater shots and Stumpf used a drone to film the dolphin from above.

“It looked weird swimming with the others, but it had a really cute face,” Nieblas said. “We sped up and matched its speed and I could see it from the deck of the boat.”

Nieblas said the boat carrying the enthusiastic passengers stayed with the unusual dolphin for about 15 to 20 minutes before letting other charter boats nearby take a peek.

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Rare, pure white Risso’s dolphin ‘a show-stopper’ with pod off Southern California
About 100 rare (for Orange County) Risso’s dolphins spotted playing in water off Dana Point
VIDEO: Patches, the famed West Coast dolphin, reappears for a record 4 days off Orange County
Dana Point named first Whale Heritage Site in North America
Dana Point festival celebrates gray whales, helps people want to protect the ocean

“Some people didn’t get how rare it was,” Nieblas said, “but then I showed them the pictures on my GoPro, and they saw how cute its face was, and they were excited.”

​ Orange County Register 

Pups born to mothers poisoned by algae bloom head to SeaWorld to join pup posse and then ocean

• October 21, 2023

This summer’s poisonous algae bloom that sickened and killed hundreds of sea lions and dolphins off Southern California left behind a crop of young pups at local marine mammal rescue centers.

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.”

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Harbor seal rescued and rehabbed in Laguna Beach travels to new home in Niagara Falls
Fur seal saved by Newport Beach workers is recuperating at PMMC
4 sea lions released back to wild as 5 more are rescued
A Laguna Beach harbor seal rescued at just hours old gets forever home in New York aquarium
50 years, 10,000 rescues make Laguna Beach’s marine mammal center ocean health experts

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.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Teen surf phenom Simmers, of Oceanside, named “Rookie of the Year”

• October 21, 2023

Oceanside’s Caitlin Simmers earned a spot on the coveted World Tour and spent the year surfing against the best of the best.

She dominated against more experienced surfers, with strong enough results to have a shot at a world title.

Not to mention the 18-year-old surf phenom landed on Team USA and will compete at the 2024 Olympics.

With those feats, it’s no surprise Simmers was named “Rookie of the Year” by the World Surf League.

While she wasn’t able to clinch the world title during September’s finals at Lower Trestles in north San Diego County, she put the surf world on notice that she’s a contender. If Simmers is able to claim a championship in coming years, she’ll be the only other San Diego surfer since Debbie Beacham, of La Jolla, in 1982, to claim the prestigious title.

“I don’t know if it’s soaked in yet,” Simmer said while on a rare stint home a few weeks ago.  “It still doesn’t feel real.”

Simmers’ love for the sea came from childhood beach trips to Oceanside with her parents and younger brother Timothy, first starting off on a bodyboard before graduating to a surfboard, she said.

“They didn’t really force anything to happen, we were just always at the beach,” Simmers said.

It was her sibling rivalry with her brother, just one year younger, that helped light her fire, she said.

“That’s probably part of the reason I’m so competitive, because of my brother. We always competed and wanted to be better than each other,” she said. “Even today, he’s so good at surfing and pushes me. I want to be better than my brother.”

Simmers was about 11 when she started entering competitions, she said.

“The first contest I did, I made one heat. I lost the second one, but I really was so happy I made the first heat,” she said. “I definitely fell in love with competing then for the first time. I just started doing competitions and then it worked out for me. It was never what I needed to do. I loved to do it, so I kept doing it.”

She never had dreams of making the world tour, or aspirations to be a world champion, she admitted.

“It was never like, I don’t know, my like one destiny or whatever. I just really liked to do it,” said Simmers, also an avid skateboarder.

Her love for skateboarding translated onto the waves in competition and soon she was winning – a lot.

It was in 2018 that the surf world took notice. She was named the National Scholastic Surfing Association’s Rookie of the Year and earned a national title.

In 2019, she became a key member of Team USA, earning gold in the under 16-division at the ISA World Junior Surfing Championships in Huntington Beach.

Caitlin Simmers takes first place in the girls under 16 division during the ISA World Junior Surfing championships in Huntington Beach on Sunday, November 4, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Then, she started entering pro contests on the WSL Qualifying Series, the minor leagues of the sport, and there, too, dominated at events. In 2021, at just 15, she won the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach alongside San Clemente’s Griffin Colapinto, a mega surf event considered the world’s largest action-sports contest.

Her results were so strong she earned a spot at age 16 onto the prestigious 2022 World Tour to compete against the sport’s best women, some who have been on the tour since she was a toddler.

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But she did something only one other surfer,  Australian Taj Burrow in 1997, has done: She passed.

“I guess I just did that so I could enjoy being at home. I wanted to make a surf movie (which she edited) and focus on being a better surfer, just enjoy being at home with my friends and family before I sacrificed my life to competitive surfing,” Simmers said. “I guess that was the reason. I just don’t think I was ready. I still don’t think I’m ready.”

This year, she was ready for the elite level.

In March, she won the Rip Curl Portugal Pro and later the Rio Pro. She earned second place at the Tahiti Pro, all results that allowed her to secure her spot in the WSL finals.

“It’s been a long year, but also a really fast year. It’s weird thinking back on it. I wasn’t expecting to do this,” she said. “It wasn’t even really in my head. It doesn’t feel real. I’m just thankful surfing has taken me here.”

She’s earned fans that span generations, appealing not just to the youngsters with similar surf dreams, but older surfers excited to see the new wave of female surfers dominating in competition.

When four-time world champion Lisa Andersen met Simmers for the first time in September, she greeted the youngster with a gushing compliment.

“I’m such a fan,” said Andersen, who revolutionized women’s surfing in the ’90s, an icon who was the inspiration for the surfwear brand Roxy.

“She’s incomparable, there’s no one who surfs like her,” Andersen said. “She’s her own, unique self.”

Simmers is often described by surf commentators as having a rock-star style, a nonchalant attitude that allows her to surf relaxed, yet fierce, drawing inspiration from her skateboarding and being comfortable both in bombing barrels and above the lip doing aerials.

When Simmers recently joined a gathering of young girls to give advice before having a surf session with the youngsters, she spoke with wisdom beyond her years.

“Be grateful. If you’re stressed about something, remember that you have the basics. You have a house and a home and family and people who love you,” she told them. “And that makes everything better.”

And one other piece of advice: Listen to your mom.

Simmers hasn’t quite settled into her fate as a role model, but is nonetheless soaking in the moment.

“It doesn’t feel like I should be, because I still don’t have anything figured out,” she said of being a mentor. “It’s really sick to see when a little girl comes up to me and thinks what I’m doing is cool – that’s what makes me keep doing it.”

Simmers is set to join Hawaii’s Carissa Moore and Florida’s Caroline Marks as a third competitor on Team USA for the Olympics at Teahupo’o, Tahiti, provisionally qualifying, awaiting official NOC nomination.

“We are incredibly proud of Caity’s outstanding performance in her rookie year. For her to win an event in her rookie year and finish fourth in the world is a fantastic achievement and cements her status as one of the best up-and-coming talents,” WSL Chief of Sport Jessi Miley-Dyer said. “She’s pushing the progression of women’s surfing both in and out of the jersey.

“Her journey inspires and sets a shining example for young surfers worldwide,” Miley-Dyer said, “and we look forward to witnessing her future successes.”

​ Orange County Register 

This is the time for gardeners to plant these vegetables, trees and ground cover

• October 21, 2023

5 things to do in the garden this week:

1. This is prime time for planting your fall vegetable garden. Plant the following vegetables from seed: bulb onions, shallots, leeks, chives, garlic, peas, radishes, beets, spinach, lettuce, chard, fava beans, celery, cabbage, kohlrabi and kale. This is also the time to transplant baby specimens of the following, many of which you will find in the nursery at this time or can receive through online vendors: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, parsley, and a large variety of herbs. 

2. When it comes to winter squash, whether you grew it for edible or decorative purposes, cut with two inches of stem when you harvest each squash. This will prevent deterioration during storage which would be a shame since these squash can stay fresh for up to six months. Before harvest, make sure the squash is fully ripe, which is indicated when the rind is hard enough to resist penetration by your fingernail. Winter squash got its name not from the season it’s harvested since that happens in the fall but rather from the fact that, at one time, people had so-called root cellars where they would store these squash – along with root crops such as potatoes and onions – throughout the winter.

3. At the website of Tree of Life Nursery (Californianativeplants.com) in San Juan Capistrano, there is a chart where native plants are associated with specific months of the year, based on when they flower. Thus, by planting the species recommended for each of the 12 months, you can have some native flowers blooming at all times. For October, certain species and cultivars of California lilac (Ceanothus) and monkeyflower (Mimulus), as well as western redbud (Cercis occidentalis) and Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii) are the monthly bloomers listed. Bear in mind that microclimate, soil type, sun exposure, and other factors can influence the bloom time of any plant.

4. This is the time to plant ground covers for refurbishing your soil, especially where you may have harvested abundant vegetable crops this summer and fall and wish to replenish the soil for spring planting. Choose from legumes such as clover, vetch, and fava beans which, after being plowed into the ground next spring – and allowing a month for decomposition – will add an abundance of nitrogen to the soil. And don’t forget lady or tansy leaf Phacelia (Phacelia tanacetifolia), a California native that is an excellent pollinator plant, grows quickly up to four feet and scavenges nitrogen and calcium for soil enrichment when it’s dug into the earth – as soon as six weeks after germination – prior to planting the crop of your choice. It has highly attractive purplish flowers as well.

5. Small trees make excellent focal points or accents in the garden and there is no better time to plant trees of any kind of tree than in the fall. Among the small trees you will want to consider are river birch (Betula occidentalis), a California native with highly attractive reddish bark, Little Gem Magnolia, Japanese maples (Acer palmatum), dwarf conifers, Chocolate Summer mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) with bronze foliage, smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) and, last but not least, Chinese fringe tree (Chionanthus retusus), a species only 20 feet tall at maturity that is covered with the most delightful wedding white, fragrant flowers each spring. 

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