Missing 14-year-old girl found at Camp Pendleton; Marine taken into custody

• July 9, 2023

A 14-year-old girl who was reported missing in San Diego County last month is back home after she was found at Camp Pendleton, while a Marine has reportedly been taken into custody in the case, which is being investigated by human trafficking authorities.

The girl, who has not been identified because of her age, was reported missing by her grandmother on June 13, according to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff’s officials said the grandmother told them the girl, who had run away before but always returned home quickly, went missing on June 9.

The teen’s information was entered into multiple missing person databases, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Military police at Camp Pendleton located the girl on June 28 and informed the sheriff’s department. Detectives interviewed her and the family was offered services, authorities said.

“When a minor runs away, there is usually an underlining of trauma associated. Free counseling and social service programs to help the girl and her family to deal with trauma and personal issues are being offered,” Lt. Carpenter, a watch commander for the SCSD, told City News Service.

The girl, who is from Spring Valley in east San Diego County, was not hospitalized, but it was unclear if she sustained any physical injuries.

Since Camp Pendleton is federal property, Naval Criminal Investigative Services is handling the investigation. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force are supporting NCIS with the investigation, sheriff’s officials said.

On June 28, a Marine was taken into custody by military police on the base and questioned by NCIS personnel about his involvement with the girl, NBC7 reported.

“We can confirm that a Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 5, 1st Marine Logistics Group was taken into custody for questioning by Naval Criminal Investigative Services on June 28, 2023, as seen on social media July 2, 2023,” Captain Chuck Palmer of Camp Pendleton-based 1st Marine Logistics Group told the station.

He added that the Marine — who has not been identified — had not been charged as of Thursday, and remains in the custody of his command.

Meanwhile, the girl’s aunt, Casaundra Perez, told the station that her niece has learning disabilities and was sold to a Marine for sex. Perez posted a video to TikTok in which she said that her family was afraid of retaliation from the military and from the man she believes trafficked her niece.

“Out of respect for the investigative process, NCIS does not comment on, confirm details relating to, or confirm the existence of ongoing investigations,” the agency said in a statement.

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​ Orange County Register 

OC Fair 2023: What you need to know about tickets, parking and getting in

• July 9, 2023

The Ferris wheel stands tall, ready for riders; thousands of stuffed animals are waiting for the winners to take them home; you can almost smell the kettle corn.

It is time for the 2023 OC Fair, which opens at 11 a.m. on Friday, July 14, for its 23-day run at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

RELATED: 2023 OC Fair set to open with familiar favorites, new thrills

More than 1 million people are expected to visit the fair over the next four weeks, feeding their adrenaline needs on the midway, shopping for their next favorite gadget in the products buildings, taking delight in the sounds of crunching cars in the demolition derby and otherwise enjoying the vast selection of entertainment available.

Here is what you need to know to park, pay and get inside:

When and where is the 2023 OC Fair?

The 23-day OC Fair kicks off July 14 and continues through Aug. 13; it is closed Monday and Tuesdays.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and 11 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

The OC Fair & Event Center is at 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa; just off the 55 Freeway.

How much is admission?

General admission has increased slightly this year; entry now costs $13 on Wednesdays and Thursdays and $15 on Fridays and weekends.

Ages 60 and older pay $9 any day, as do those 6 to 12. Ages 5 and younger are free.

This is the key part: Admission is capped and tickets need to be purchased online ahead of time. Several days did sell out last year, so you will want to plan your trip. Dates with popular acts at the Pacific Amphitheatre and The Hangar tend to be among the days that sell out.

New this year is the Every Day Passport available for $60, which has no restrictions on what days or what time you can visit the fair. There are a limited number available.

What kind of discounts are available?

With the cap on daily admission at about 45,000 visitors, the fair is not offering the discounted and free ticket options it once did.

Tickets for shows at the Pacific Amphitheatre, The Hangar and Action Sports Arena do include free fair admission on the day of the show. And there is the $60 Every Day Passport for people who like to visit a lot.

Carnival tickets and unlimited ride wristbands are on sale at discounted rates online through July 13.

And on Thursdays from noon to 4 p.m. you can sample select fair foods for $4 each.

What items are you allowed to take into the OC Fair?

Snacks and beverages in factory-sealed containers are allowed. Water bottles are allowed if factory sealed or empty when you get to the gate. No cans, glass or outside alcohol are permitted. No hard-sided coolers allowed. All belongings are subject to inspection before entering the fairgrounds.

Wagons and strollers are allowed and they are also available for rent.

Pets are not allowed though service animals as defined by the ADA are.

There is no smoking or vaping allowed during the fair, either inside buildings or outside around the fairgrounds.

Selfie sticks and drones are not welcome, nor are weapons.

What are the parking options?

Parking is $12 at the fairgrounds.

Use Gate 1 on Fair Drive, which is the main gate, for Uber/Lyft/taxi drop-off and pickup.

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​ Orange County Register 

2023 OC Fair set to open with familiar favorites, new thrills

• July 9, 2023

The 2023 OC Fair is set to open Friday, July 14, offering 23 days jam-packed with entertainment, games, shopping, wacky foods and thrilling rides.

More than 1 million people are expected to visit during the fair’s run through Aug. 13 – it is closed Mondays and Tuesdays – at the the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

Fair officials have elected to maintain a daily cap on attendance at 45,000 people – initially enforced as a pandemic protocol, they’ve said it created a better experience for all, with just a little more elbow room – so visitors are encouraged to plan ahead because some days will sell out, especially when there are popular shows at the Pacific Amphitheater and The Hangar.

Tickets need to be purchased online. But, for those folks who need more than one day of deep fried foods and nostalgic carnival games, the fair has brought back its passport option, which will provide admission any day of the fair with no restrictions.

RELATED: OC Fair 2023: What you need to know about tickets, parking and getting in

Speaking of fair nostalgia, one stop for many fairgoers is the Centennial Farm. Built in 1989, the farm was constructed with the intention of highlighting Southern California’s rich agriculture. It’s also home to goats, pigs and other farm animals.

When it’s not fair season, days on the farm are calm, but busy. Volunteers lead school tours and agriculture classes. Most days the farm is open for locals to walk around the grounds and learn about where their food comes from or take a peak at the animals.

But a different thrill of excitement fills the air at the Centennial Farm when the OC Fair rolls around.

“Good memories are created here,” Evy Young, director of agriculture programs at OC Fair & Events, said simply.

Pigs are a regular fan-favorite at the OC Fair, Young said, and this year attendees will be meeting some newborn piglets and possibly will even see some sows give birth.

FYI: There is a live pig cam you can check out anytime.

“We also highlight milking demonstrations and California dairy,” Young said. “California is the No. 1 dairy state in the nation. We borrow cows from Scott Brothers Dairy and we do three milking demos every day of the fair so people can actually see the cows getting milked. And we provide education to the public while they do that.”

OC Beekeepers, the UC Master Gardener Program, the California Rare Fruit Grower Society and other organizations hang out at the fair to share more gardening and agricultural lessons.

“The farm is where the love is,” Young said. “It’s a free aspect of the fair. Animal always make people smile.”

In the early days of the fair, before the farm was created, organizers would “would create little vignettes” and showcase some landscaping, but  “they started to see that a lot of the kids weren’t really in tune with what agriculture was and where their food came from,” Young said. “The impetus for starting the Centennial Farm is to be able to provide that education, so kids will remember that the food they buy at the grocery store, someone had to grow and raise that food. And hopefully there will be a better understanding and more respect for the environment.”

Michele Richards, CEO and president at the OC Fair & Events Center, said the Centennial Farm is a way for the public to get up close and personal with the importance of farming.

“I absolutely love watching people experience the fair,” Richards said. “I love seeing the expressions on their faces, especially little kids who maybe have never seen a pig or a cow up close. To see that for the first time, the wonder in their eyes, it’s such a special thing for me.”

Aside from all the activity happening at the farm, Richards said she is most excited for the carnival food that’ll be cooking once the fair opens.

“When you come to the fair, you have to give yourself permission for that one day to go crazy,” Richards said. “Set your your diet aside and just experience all the the wonderful flavors of the fair.”

And there are plenty of concoctions to bust a diet, from deep fried s’more on a stick to a bacon smoothie.

For the fair’s thrill-seekers there are two carnival areas, with one geared toward the kiddies. The main carnival midway will be packed with 40 rides including returning favorites Zipper, Crazy Coaster and Rocking Rodeo.

There are three new rides, including Sling Shot, an experience that is exactly as it sounds. Riders will be strapped into a harness and rubber band-like cables are pulled back like a slingshot, shooting riders up into the air.

Tickets for playing the carnival games and unlimited ride wristbands are on sale at discounted rates online at ocfair.com through July 13.

If thrill rides are not your thing, let loose at one of the five stages that will feature free live entertainment – there is also roving entertainers. Karaoke with a live band returns this year and Mark Yuzuik, comedy hypnotist, is always popular.

Ticketed concerts – they include fair admission – at the Pacific Amphitheatre include a variety of genres. Smokey Robinson, Ramon Ayala, and Three Doors Down are among the many artists set to play during the fair. The Hangar has a full lineup of popular tribute bands and adrenaline junkies will be thrilled by the calendar at the Action Sports Arena with its mix of demolition derby, motorcycle racing and rodeo. Both venues also require a show ticket.

Catch a breather by walking through an exhibit of contest entries or doing some shopping.

The Art of Music Experience exhibit will showcase hand-painted reproductions of album covers, renderings of legendary musicians and neon signs. The exhibit is designed to celebrate the pre-digital legacy of record albums and get visitors to explore the creative process and impact of these works of art.

“The OC Fair is the largest gathering of community in Orange County all year long, so it’s a time and an opportunity for people to get their family and friends together to make memories,” Richards said. “Our theme this year is ‘Happy Together,’ so our hope is that everyone will come to the fair and just be happy together.”

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​ Orange County Register 

Laguna Woodstock: It’s been a long, strange trip

• July 9, 2023

By David Dearing

Correspondent

It’s been 15 years since the first Laguna Woods Baby Boomers’ Laguna Woodstock. We’re all still boomers, just a bit older and perhaps a bit creakier.

But let it be known that we can still rock.

As we have evolved over those 15 years, so has Laguna Woodstock. What makes people want to don their hippie attire and show up at Clubhouse 2 every year?

“It’s not only the music, but the whole ambience,” says Susie Swain, 65, co-chair of Laguna Woodstock 2023, who has been to seven of the Village music fests. “It is so much fun spending the day eating, drinking and dancing with old friends and meeting new friends.”

Co-chair Darlene Marvin, 68, whose first Laguna Woodstock was in 2019, is “impressed with the atmosphere and camaraderie of so many residents.”

“The bands that year were amazing,” she adds. “I danced day and night.”

Former Baby Boomers president and Woodstock organizer Kathy Gaskins has been to eight Laguna Woodstocks.

“It is a very fun happening, laid-back, fun to dress up, good memories each year build on the popularity,” she says.

Let’s take a look at how Laguna Woodstock has found its way to 2023, beginning with its inception in 2009 by Baby Boomers board members Barbara Harris, 74, and Allan Gorsky, 78.

Gorsky, who was at the original Woodstock in 1969, thought the weather was better here in 2009: “No rain, no mud, and CH 2 has toilet paper.”

That year there was only one band, mostly members of Close Enough.

The following year, Laguna Woodstock was billed as “a celebration of an event that defined a generation and the music that changed the world.” Music was provided by My Generation, again made up of musicians from Close Enough plus special guests. Tickets were $5, and festivalgoers got three hours of music.

In 2011, the fest grew slightly, adding the newly formed rock band The Village Midiots, made up entirely of Village residents. Music was provided for four hours, with the cost still only $5. Around 500 music fans showed up. Laguna Woodstock was catching on.

Woodstock 4 in 2012 saw little change, with music provided once again by My Generation and The Midiots. Around 500 folks danced from 4 to 8 p.m.

In 2013, $5 bought attendees a full six hours of music. Full Spectrum was added, a band that played locally and became a Boomers favorite. Also added was food catered by the 19 Restaurant so that rockers didn’t have to bring their own, although many did.

As the festival grew in size, so did the attendance. Exact figures are hard to find, but by this time, attendance was well over 500.

Three hours, four hours, six hours, Laguna Woodstock was growing fast.

Woodstock 6 in 2014 was scaled back a bit with only two bands performing, The Midiots and Love Saves the Day featuring Ruby K. Love Saves the Day has played almost every year since and has become the Boomers’ go-to band. Ruby does a mean Janis Joplin.

2015 was little changed, with just two bands. Tickets were still only $5 for three hours of nonstop rock.

But say goodbye to the last $5 Woodstock.

In 2016, the price doubled to $10, but so did the hours of hippie-shaking dance music provided by Woodstock Mud. The lead singer kept ’60s and ’70s dance tunes coming one after another. Rounding out the evening was the ever-popular Love Saves the Day. Laguna Woodstock was gaining steam, with nearly 700 attendees.

The format for 2017 was little changed as Woodstock Mud and Love Saves the Day were the headliners. The price of $10 could get rockers four hours of peace, love and music, as the flyer stated. And the crowds kept coming as expected.

On July 28, 2018, celebrants could begin setting up for the day at 7 a.m., and they certainly showed up even before then to try to lay claim to their favorite spot on the lawn in front of Clubhouse 2. Here was the plan for the day: Set up the canopy by 7 a.m., buy the wristband for $15 – up another $5 – at 8, spend the rest of the day dancing, eating and drinking.

More money, more music. Beginning at 2 p.m., The Village Folk entertained inside the clubhouse for an hour, followed by Dutch of Fiz on the patio. Next came crowd favorite Full Spectrum. They played for an hour and a half, yielding the stage to Love Saves the Day, who rocked for two full hours until 8:30. And 700 boomers danced until exhausted.

The “Aquarian Exposition,” as the original Woodstock in 1969 was billed, was at Max Yasgur’s farm in upstate New York.

Fast forward 50 years to 2019. The Boomers’ organizing committee, co-chaired by Diane Johanson and Nadine Asner, pulled out all the stops.

”It’s a wonderful experience to see so many people together in one place at one time for love, friendship, fun, and dancing. It’s worth all the work,” Johanson says.

Asner was at the original Woodstock. “It was an honor to chair and co-chair (Laguna) Woodstock on three occasions. The best part of those events was seeing the enjoyment and comradeship that it brought to the community which is what I experienced at Woodstock 1969.”

Here’s what $20 got concert-goers in 2019: music from 12:30 to 9 p.m. featuring back-patio local bands and outside bands. New that year were three bands: Santana Smooth (a Santana cover band), Fortunate Son (a Creedence cover), The Who Experience and local band The Woods Combo. Returning to lend their talents were Dutch of Fiz and The Village Folk.

But that’s not all wristbanders got. There was the Woodstock Cafe, the Woodstock Museum, vendors, crafts, face painting and Tarot reading, among other attractions. Word has it that over 1,000 people attended.

The next stop should be 2020, but Covid-19 interrupted the ever-growing experience.

In 2021, Laguna Woodstock was rocking once again, stronger than ever. Everywhere around the clubhouse, festivalgoers enjoyed ways to spend their Saturday. A cash bar, face painting, crafts, free ice cream and a free photo booth drew people’s attention.

Local favorites Band X, The Nomads and Rock of Ages played on the back patio. On the front patio, beginning at 3:30 p.m., American Made Band fired up the crowd for two hours. At 5:30, Southland Mega Groove took the stage for a rousing  two sets. Hardly giving tuckered-out, hippie-clad, happy-faced revelers time to catch their collective breaths, at 7:30, Love Saves the Day appeared onstage to close out the night. The $20 admission price was money well-spent!

Woodstock 2022 was a bargain as wristbands were only $13 and could be bought online. Henna artists were added to provide tattoos and other body art.

However, as always, music was the main draw, with The Nomads as the only local band, Lifetime Rockers added to the bill, and returning to wrap up the day’s merriment was once again Love Saves the Day.

Finally, Laguna Woodstock 2023 was spectacular. Organizers Marvin and Swain worked nearly a year putting the event together.

Hippies of all descriptions danced all day. Four bands made their debut: Tricia Freeman, Art of Sax, Southbound and Crossroads, and the popular Who Experience returned.

With all that Laguna Woodstock 2023 offered, admission was still a reasonable $20, less than the price of a concert or a decent meal out.

Woodstock certainly has evolved from its beginnings in 2009 – with two Boomers board members thinking the idea of celebrating the “Aquarian Exposition” was a good one – to 2023, with five bands and attendance well north of 1,000.

Thanks to all the volunteers who over the years brought us hippies another opportunity to feel the peace and love while dancing to the greatest music of a generation.

​ Orange County Register 

12 homes in Rolling Hills Estates evacuated after landslide causes instability

• July 9, 2023

A massive landslide has forced the evacuation of 12 homes on Peartree Lane next to a canyon in Rolling Hills Estates.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn confirmed the evacuations on Twitter, writing “I’m in Rolling Hills Estates where a major landslide has threatened multiple homes.”

Hahn said the Los Angeles County Fire Department ordered the evacuations.

It is hard to see in this photo, but there are homes here in Rolling Hills Estates that are physically leaning — like this garage— following the landslide. pic.twitter.com/JlBpbgMxay

— Janice Hahn (@SupJaniceHahn) July 9, 2023

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Lomita Station) were set to patrol the neighborhood “to ensure the evacuated homes are secure,” Hahn said on Twitter.

The supervisor’s tweets included several photos showing the instability of the homes.

“It is hard to see in this photo, but there are homes here in Rolling Hills Estates that are physically leaning — like this garage — following the landslide,” she tweeted. “Had the chance to speak to residents who are being evacuated. Everyone is safe but right now these homes are too unstable to enter. I’ve already spoken with our Public Works Director Mark Pastrella and (we) are offering the city and our residents our full support.”

Residents and authorities in the area noted the land shift at around 4 p.m. Saturday.

The residents were evacuated shortly afterward.

Electricity in the area has been turned off and utility crews made sure no gas or power lines were disrupted.

The American Red Cross is helping to find shelter for the evacuated families.

It is uncleared what caused the landslide.

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​ Orange County Register 

Alexander: Once again, Dodgers and Angels are headed in opposite directions

• July 9, 2023

LOS ANGELES — Just about three weeks ago, we noticed in This Space that the pecking order of SoCal baseball seemed to have flipped. The Angels were surging, with designs on the franchise’s first postseason berth since 2014, while the Dodgers were skidding.

Uh, maybe not.

That column came just before the Angels and Dodgers played two games in Anaheim. The Dodgers won both by 2-0 scores and little did we realize that would start a dramatic reversal in both teams’ fortunes.

The Dodgers came into that series after being embarrassingly swept by the San Francisco Giants at home, and those victories in Anaheim started a stretch of 12 victories in 17 games, including Saturday night’s resounding 10-5 victory over the Angels to also sweep the Dodger Stadium portion of the Freeway Series. So, despite a growing injured list, the indignity of losing two of three to lowly Kansas City last weekend and then an egregious blown lead against Pittsburgh on the Fourth of July, Saturday night’s victory kept the Dodgers a half-game behind Arizona in the NL West and gave them a two-game cushion in the wild-card chase.

But you want to discuss indignities?

The Angels’ season has tanked. They were eight games over .500 on June 18, 41-33 after winning in KC, and had a one-game cushion in the wild-card standings. But starting with that Tuesday night loss to the Dodgers on June 20 they’ve lost 14 of 19, and they go into the All-Star break 45-46 and 4½ games out of the third wild-card spot.

As noted a week ago, season-ruining cold spells are not new in Anaheim. Whether this one has more long-term ramifications will depend on whether General Manager Perry Minasian feels compelled to hoist the white flag between now and the Aug. 1 trade deadline and seriously listen to offers for Shohei Ohtani … who is pretty much the only reason to watch the Angels these days.

For example, the only suspense remaining in the ninth inning Saturday night was whether Ohtani could complete a cycle by doubling. He didn’t, but his fly ball scored the run that cut the Dodgers’ lead to 10-5. Small triumphs, you see.

Asked before the game to sum up this first half, Angels manager Phil Nevin said: “Inconsistent, but with the understanding that I know we have a darn good baseball team that can get hot at any time. I’m not even talking about when we get healthy. I just think we have plenty of players out here that are winning players. We got to play better, certainly. But I think at full strength, you saw us, we’re a playoff team, I mean, I don’t think it’s a question about that.

“… I think every team has a defining moment. And this might be something we look back at towards the end and this was the part of the season that turned us around. We went through some stuff and we were able to overcome it.”

Understand, Nevin has no choice. He has to portray optimism, because if the skipper betrays any sense of woe, why, look out below. Anyway, the hard decisions will be made at pay grades above his, and for all the caterwauling about trading Ohtani and the realization that Mike Trout might be out another eight weeks, they are still too close to a wild card spot for Minasian to be a seller.

The Angels’ first homestand after the All-Star break could influence most of those decisions: Three with Houston, three with the Yankees.

Across the diamond, the Dodgers have been able to compensate offensively, explosively so, for their patchwork starting rotation. They’ve averaged seven runs per game in their last 14, 5.5 per game all season, and have scored in double figures 10 times this season, including each of the last two games.

Mookie Betts is playing at an MVP level, and in 32 games since June 2 he has 13 homers, 29 RBIs, 29 runs scored and a .308 batting average. For the season he has 26 home runs – including his 10th leadoff homer of the season Saturday night, already a franchise record – along with 62 RBIs and a .965 OPS.

“I would have to say so,” Freddie Freeman said when asked if this was the best tear he’d seen Betts put together. “I can’t imagine, but I would have to go back and look at the 2018 season when he won (American League) MVP. I mean, that was a pretty special year, but it seems like every swing, he’s barrelling up the ball. Sometimes breaks can come at the wrong time. But I think Mookie found something in his swing and he’s been able to lock it in.”

Betts’ periodic stints at second base and shortstop have been just as impressive, and when I asked Dodgers manager Dave Roberts before Saturday night’s game if it were possible Betts could become a full-time infielder, he said after a pause: “There’s a possibility. I don’t want to box us in right now, but showing what he’s done, it’s given us some options, yeah.”

Among those options: Adding another outfielder with some pop before the trade deadline. But with so many pitchers injured, that would seem to be a secondary priority for baseball ops president Andrew Friedman and GM Brandon Gomes. The first priority has to be to add healthy, functional arms for the stretch run.

The Dodgers as a team are near the top in runs (494, fourth), home runs (149, second to Atlanta), RBIs (478, second to Texas) and team OPS (.785, third). They’ve had to slug to stay competitive with a pitching staff that has leaned on rookie starters Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan and Michael Grove and a bullpen that only now seems to have regained some efficiency but lost Daniel Hudson to injury, again, a few days ago.

But maybe they have another secret weapon. All teams like to believe they’re harmonious, but this one – significantly made over in the offseason with veteran additions and a batch of rookies on the roster – has come together quicker than most would anticipate.

That could be a benefit down the line. Remember, in the wake of last fall’s NL Division Series loss to San Diego, Roberts suggested that the Padres played with a little more urgency than his group of been-there, done-that veterans.

“I think in years past with the talent, there can be a little bit of, kind of – I wouldn’t say complacency, but you just know the talent is there,” Roberts said Saturday. “I do think that this club plays with urgency every night.”

How long does it take to determine how well a team can mesh? This one seemed to come together quickly.

“I think this is as cohesive as we’ve been since day one of spring training,” Roberts said.

The credit, Max Muncy said, should go to the new guys.

“I really had to give props to three people and that’s J-Hey, (Jason Heyward), Miggy Ro (Miguel Rojas) and (David) Peralta,” he said. “Just, you know, the attitude that they bring in this clubhouse and, you know, the way they like to have fun.

“You know, they came over here because they wanted to win. And, you know, they bought into our culture right away, and they’ve added as much as they can to it. And it’s been nothing but a blast.”

One team’s fun is another team’s misery. But the Dodgers and Angels at least have this in common: Both should be happy that there’s still another 2½ months left.

[email protected]

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​ Orange County Register 

Happy hippie dreams in Laguna Woods

• July 9, 2023

A trio in neo-hippie garb with tie-dye and fringe shimmied to the music, laughing and taking selfies.

One of them was Donna Valenti, who said she was a hippie back in the day but never made it to Woodstock, that iconic 1969 music festival in upstate New York.

“I actually lived in a cave in Maui for a while. All I wanted from life was to spread sunshine and make people happy,” she recalled of her time in 1973.

Valenti and her friends Bonnie Lodes and Nancy Waldowski were reinventing the ’60s at Laguna Woodstock, put on by the Laguna Woods Boomers Club on June 24 at Clubhouse 2.

The much anticipated annual party once again drew a joyous crowd – more than 1,000 by one estimate – dressed in hippie-inspired clothes, yards of hair in at least 40 shades of gray and, as a reminder that this is 2023 and not 1969, one set of long hot pink tresses.

A canopy city had sprung up on the lawn in front of the clubhouse, filled with revelers enjoying food, drink and whatever else they felt like consuming. Vendors selling tie-dye clothing, fancy soaps, jewelry, candles and more set up shop inside the building, and food booths were out back.

On the front patio, partygoers rocked to the music of five bands over nearly eight hours, dancing to favorite songs from the ’60s and ’70s.

Elliot and Sharon Freedman had been to at least 12 Laguna Woodstocks, they said.

A music aficionado, Elliot Freedman said he’s been to more than 1,000 concerts since high school. He didn’t make it to the original Woodstock, he said, but he went to that other iconic 1969 festival, the one in California.

“I was at Altamont for the Rolling Stones concert. Grace Slick was singing when those shots were fired,” he recalled, his voice drifting off into the surrounding din.

Steven Hall almost made it to Woodstock in ’69, he said, but he faced time restrictions imposed by the Army. He was stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey, after serving in Vietnam from 1967-68.

“My buddies and I had heard about Woodstock and wanted to go, but we had to work,” he recalled. “We figured that even if we left on Saturday, we couldn’t be back by Monday and would have been considered AWOL.”

But Hall has made up for having missed out. “This is my sixth or seventh Woodstock in the Village. I like the nostalgia, and this is a gathering of a tribe – everyone is in a good mood.”

Nadine Asner did make it to the real deal. Her parents had a vacation home in the Catskills, not too far from Max Yasgur’s farm where the 1969 festival was held, so the high schooler was allowed to go.

“We were socially conscious then – that whole era galvanized a generation,” Asner said. “Over that weekend in Woodstock, I saw more than I had ever seen in my life. When the rains came, everyone helped everyone out. People shared everything – food, drugs, there were babies born. Everything had a happy spirit.

“My only regret was getting there and missing Jimi Hendrix.”

But at Laguna Woodstock, Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” brought the rockers to the dance floor. Songs by Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Who – all of whom played at the original Woodstock – filled the air for a party fueled by nostalgia and filled with good vibes.

Perhaps Hal and Shari Horne summed up the day best.

“I feel like I woke up in a twilight zone,” Shari Horne said. “Like I had fallen asleep in 1969, and when I woke up, everyone was much older.”

​ Orange County Register 

Don’t let pols duck public meetings

• July 9, 2023

Government officials often seem far removed from the realities of the world as it is. With Senate Bill 544, introduced by Democratic Sen. John Laird of Monterey, state lawmakers are seeking to institutionalize this separation between the government and the governed.

According to the author’s justifications for the bill, the crux of SB 544 is to codify COVID-era orders from Gov. Gavin Newsom  “allowing state boards and commissions the opportunity to continue holding virtual meetings without being required to list the private addresses of each remote member, or providing public access to private locations.”

While anyone can understand the utility of virtual meetings — and the value in allowing members of the general public to register their comments and feedback remotely — government officials should have to face the public they claim to serve.

A coalition of good government, civil liberties and press groups have joined together in opposition to Senate Bill 544 on these same grounds.

“We oppose this bill because it would forever remove the longstanding requirement that public meetings be held in public places where the public can petition their leaders and other government officials face to face,” reads a letter signed by groups as wide ranging as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and the California News Publishers Association.

Not having to face the public might be convenient for government officials, but governments exist to serve the public and public meetings exist to allow the public to interact and engage with those who ostensibly serve them.

This might be shocking to many in government, to be sure, but that’s how things are supposed to work in this country and in this state.

The coalition against Senate Bill 544 suggests very practical amendments that could make the bill viable, “To address these issues, we seek amendments requiring a physical quorum of members in one location open to the public, with other members of the body being able to join remotely, potentially on a rotating basis; guardrails around technology disruptions and public comment; and a requirement that the body provide the public with both call and video access, to ensure as much transparency as possible.”

Proponents of SB 544 argue the bill is necessary to “increase transparency and promote public participation in state governments by expanding the pool of candidates interested in serving.”

Well, if candidates are interested in serving on state boards and commissions, they should be willing to accept that serving the public generally entails going to public meetings. But even on this point, the proposed amendments from the coalition would allow people who for whatever reason can’t attend to attend, so long as a physical quorum is established.

While many working professionals have indeed gotten comfortable with just Zooming in or phoning in to meetings, government officials have obligations to the public that they should fulfill regardless of how inconvenient it is. After all, no one is forced into so-called public service.

The amendments should be incorporated into the bill. If they aren’t, the bill should be defeated.

​ Orange County Register