News

RELEASED: Restaurant Reopening Guidelines by Federal and State Authorities

As it looks like California will be opening sooner rather than later (a lot sooner, OC is submitting their request for approval today), these guidelines are important to understand and implement quickly for those who serve food and/or drink. Last week, California released new regulations for restaurants, which will largely apply to bars as well (along with inevitable additional regulations for …

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Gavin Newsom Orders Sick Patients to be Forced Into Nursing Homes

Yesterday, Orange County had its highest death rate yet– an eye-popping 10 patients dying when our normal tally is somewhere between zero and three.  What caused the surge?  Gavin Newsom issued an executive order just like the one that New York did under Governor Cuomo– an EO that actually forces nursing homes to take in people who are actively infected with …

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ABC Outdoor Application is Here– Apply Now!

As we reported yesterday, the ABC was ready to release the forms for outdoor dining (linked here). Today, they’ve done that, nearly a week ahead of schedule.  We suspect this is going to end up in bottlenecks so let’s cut to the chase: Tag a business owner or send this to them so they can fill out the form, here: …

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ABC to Allow Outdoor Dining and Alcohol Sales on Sidewalks, Parking Lots, Docks — (For a Fee)

The California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) is getting ready to make special COVID-only regulations to allow bars and restaurants to reopen. They have already suspended enforcement of the following legal prohibitions on a temporary basis: Returns of Alcoholic Beverages Retail-to-Retail Transactions Extension of Credit On-Sale Retailers Exercising Off-Sale Privileges Sales of Alcoholic Beverages To-Go Drive-Thru Windows for Off-Sale Transactions Hours of …

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Shamrock Announces Last Call

In a well-located bar with so many memories for so many people, the Shamrock announced that the impacts of government-forced closures for bars and restaurants for the last 9 weeks have forced it to shut its doors forever.  On Friday, May 15th, the pub announced the closure: Last call: It’s with a heavy heart and tears in our eyes we announce …

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Michelle Steel Backtracks on Reopening, Thunderbirds to Flyover OC at

  ORANGE COUNTY FLYOVER Keep an eye towards Irvine for a few minutes after 1:35pm today and again straight up just a few minutes before 2pm as the Thunderbirds fly over Newport Beach today.   MICHELLE STEEL BACKS DOWN, BACKS NEWSOM’S UNCONSTITUTIONAL ORDER AUTHORITY? OC Board of Supervisors Chair Michelle Steel is choosing now– of all times– to back off …

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The Boardwalks REOPEN!

Boardwalks reopen by Pete Wesner

This morning at approximately 8:30am, the boardwalk was being reopened by city workers. The boardwalk was originally closed by our City Manager, illegally, without a public vote, without public comment, without an agenda, and after a secret, unrecorded meeting, after our city council illegally abdicated their powers to her. We are happy to be bestowed some sense of normalcy. The …

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Can’t You Smell That Smell? That Smell that Surrounds You?

After a massive 2,000 diesel leak which apparently began from a generator at Mission Hospital Laguna Beach, which then drained into a gutter and then into a storm drain, and out to the ocean, beaches Totuava and Thousand Steps have closed. People reported strong odors from far and wide– so far we received reports from Anton Norac up in Bolsa Chica, with Ephraim S. …

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Will O’Neill Myth-busts All inaccuracies Relating to Newport and the Coronavirus

If you’ve ever been to a council meeting, you know how hard it can be to stay awake sometimes.  The droning on of technical details is only engaging numbers-people, like me.  But when things get turned upside down, there can be some epic smackdowns with numbers– most of these smackdowns fly over peoples heads because it just sounds like more …

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After Judge Demands Answers, Newsom Opens Newport Beach, Rouda Tries to take Credit

Closed Beach by Pete Wesner

Yesterday, all cities in OC– except Newport– were declared “Open for Recreation Only”  after a lawsuit filed by Councilman Kevin Muldoon sought to reopen the beaches from Governor Gavin Newsom’s unconstitutional order violating the 1st Amendment’s rights to peaceably assemble. Newport– which filed the exact same petitions to reopen as the other cities, and earlier than some of them– was …

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