A new bourbon from a pre-Prohibition brand is based on a 160-year-old recipe. 
The vegetable-focused restaurant is pushing against dining trends with a more curated experience.
The cofounder of Def Jam Recordings on Tantris, his new yoga studio, and his path to longevity. 
The Sunseeker 76 Yacht and Predator 57 MKII continue the British builder’s streak of creating exciting designs inside fast hulls.
How Billy Reid’s personal obsession with an old pair of sneakers spawned a collaboration with K-Swiss.
Villa Park’s football team is soaking up the Hawaiian experience and bonding as it prepares to play Damien of Honolulu on Oahu on Friday.
And with visits to Sharks Cove and activities such as cliff jumping, it’s probably hard not to bond. If those don’t do the trick, there’s always the early-morning card games or a few other fun activities.
Villa Park coach Dusan Ancich said the team snorkeled at Sharks Cove and he posted on Twitter that the Spartans went cliff jumping. He’s also posted photos of S’mores being toasted on a bonfire, players swimming at the beach and playing cards.
Ancich hasn’t posted any photos of football activities on his Twitter account but like they say, when in Hawaii .. take a look starting with Sharks Cove
Snorkeling at Sharks Cove!@TvoTrack @KSalmons @VPSoftball @VPHSathletics pic.twitter.com/14ksvE1eCW
— Coach D. Ancich VP (@dancich) August 15, 2017
SPARTANS went cliff jumped today!
Life memories available!!!@ocvarsityguy @SteveFryer @vphsspirit @vpfootballupdts @coachloyola pic.twitter.com/X4NGeC6Ew6— Coach D. Ancich VP (@dancich) August 15, 2017
6:45am card games!
Fantastic environment!@Noah_Peterson8 @vphsspirit @VPSoftball @AnthonyShipton @cole_bach @vpfootballupdts pic.twitter.com/pS8Aa3wpkQ— Coach D. Ancich VP (@dancich) August 14, 2017
VP S’mores action!
Hawaii ready!@VPSoftball @vphsspirit @TvoTrack @VPHSathletics @KSalmons pic.twitter.com/HWl6uJtyem— Coach D. Ancich VP (@dancich) August 14, 2017
WHITTIER — Two weeks after terminating Whittier Christian Elementary School’s lease to use Maybrook Elementary School, officials at the Lowell Joint School District said they hope to find a replacement private school to operate the campus that served 288 students last year.
Meanwhile, the operator of the current school vows to stay put, possibly forcing an eviction.
The school board voted July 31 to terminate the lease and on Monday, it voted to encourage a new operator by promising to shield the newcomer from potential lawsuits.
Whittier Christian is scheduled to begin classes Aug. 24, but Lowell Superintendent Jim Coombs said the district is prepared to go to court to evict the school from the campus at 11700 Maybrook Ave. The district includes part of La Habra.
Once the campus — previously the site of a public elementary school — is available, Lowell has one possible candidate, Heights Christian Schools, in mind.
Heights Christian operates a junior high, one school for fifth- and sixth-graders, three elementary schools, and five preschools.
Claud Lamar, president and CEO for Heights Christian, told the board Monday his organization was interested in taking over the campus and asked Whittier Christian parents to call his district office in La Habra Heights.
“We understand that people have paid money,” Lamar said. “To those who have paid registration and to those who have paid tuition, we’ll waive tuition. As we hear from families, we’ll put together a class list.”
Lowell terminated the lease held by Calvary Baptist Church, which since July 1994 had rented the site for use as Whittier Christian Elementary School, for two reasons, Terry T. Tao, attorney for Lowell, said in an Aug. 1 notice of termination.
First, in July 2016, Calvary officials decided to get out of the school business as financial demands became too much and subleased the campus to Carnegie, Pastor John Ploog said.
However, the district’s lease with Calvary doesn’t allow for a sublease, Tao wrote.
Second, Carnegie planned to bring seventh- and eighth-graders onto campus, which also is forbidden under the contract, he wrote.
“This lease has been in place since (July 1994) and the board has made its standing practice to have elementary students only,” Coombs said.
Reached by phone Tuesday, James G. Schwartz, Carnegie’s attorney, denied his client was going to bring seventh- and eighth-graders onto the campus.
“We were hoping to fold (the students) in, but we were told we couldn’t do it,” he said.
However, district officials point to a letter emailed in March to parents saying the junior high would be moved to the Maybrook campus for the 2017-18 school year.
Coombs also said a number of Whittier Christian parents have told them seventh- and eighth-graders were on the Maybrook site during the summer for activities and other classes.
It looks like Lowell may have to go to court to regain control of its campus.
Carnegie “intends to remain at the Maybrook campus for the foreseeable future,” said Schwartz in an Aug. 8 letter to David Libman, attorney for Calvary. “What Carnegie will do, and what Calvary has agreed they do very well, is to continue to provide a high-achieving Christ-centered college preparatory education to each student in the school.”
Calvary officials have said they will not fight the termination of the lease and in fact have canceled its agreement with Carnegie and support the eviction, Ploog said.
Lowell’s problems with Carnegie began last spring when the school didn’t pay the nearly $20,000 monthly rent for April, May and June, Coombs said. The rent was eventually paid with interest and fees.
Whittier Christian Elementary School is not related to Whittier Christian High School.
Homebuilder The New Home Co. is creating its first 55-plus age restricted community in Orange County to Brea.
The Agave community within the La Floresta neighborhood will hold 80 single-story flats ranging from from 1,379-to-1,726 square feet in size with up to three bedrooms plus a den; two baths; and a deck. Prices are expected to start in the mid-$600,000 range.
A sales office opens Saturday, Aug. 19, with a formal grand opening planned for October.
The new homes come as first-half homebuying in Brea outpaced countywide sales activity. Sales in Brea rose as 310 residences sold through June vs. 272 in the six months ended in June 2016, according to CoreLogic. That’s a gain of 14 percent vs. 2.2 percent countywide.
Neighborhood trends in Brea from the CoreLogic report …
Brea ZIP code 92821 — 234 homes sold in the latest period vs. 218 eight years ago. That’s a sales gain of 7.3 percent. Median selling price of $637,500 vs. $ 630,000 in ’08, a gain of 1.2 percent.
Brea ZIP 92823 — 76 homes sold in the latest period vs. 54 eight years ago. That’s a sales gain of 40.7 percent. Median of $717,500 vs. $ 688,750 in ’08, a gain of 4.2 percent.
Here are six countywide trends to ponder, first half 2017 vs. first half 2016 …
1. Prices rose in 70 of 83 Orange County ZIPs. Sales rose in 50 of the 83.
2. In the 27 least expensive ZIPs — median price at $597,500 and below -– 5,258 homes sold. That’s up 0.8 percent.
3. In the 27 priciest ZIPs — median price of $755,000-plus -– 6,431 homes sold. That’s up 5.7 percent.
4. In nine ZIPs with medians above $1 million, sales totaled 1,256 homes, up 7.8 percent.
5. In 16 beach-close ZIPs, 3,158 homes sold, up 3.27 percent.
6. There were 10 ZIPs with median prices under $500,000 with total sales of 1,799 homes. A year ago, 18 ZIPs had medians under $500,000 with 2,793 sales.
DID YOU SEE? It’s been 10 years since Orange County’s housing bubble … or … Half of us rent: L.A.-Orange County homeownership rate 2nd lowest in U.S.
DEL MAR — Arrogate, who turned in a lackluster effort in his most recent start after four consecutive scintillating victories, drew post No. 8 and was installed as the even-money morning-line favorite Tuesday night when entries were announced for the 27th edition of the $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
The Saturday race appears, on paper, to be a three-horse contest between Arrogate, Collected (5-2) and Accelerate (3-1). The other five runners in the eight-horse lineup were assigned morning-line odds of 15-1 or better by Del Mar oddsmaker Russ Hudak.
Trainer Bob Baffert, while optimistic, acknowledged he might be a little more anxious than normal heading into the 1¼-mile Pacific Classic, Arrogate’s first race since he finished an inexplicable fourth – beaten by 15¼ lengths – in the Grade II San Diego Handicap at Del Mar on July 22.
That effort followed Grade I victories in the Travers Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic, Pegasus World Cup and Dubai World Cup, a string of wins that catapulted the 4-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song to atop the career earnings list in North America with a $17.1 million bankroll.
Arrogate went postward in the San Diego Handicap, his first race in four months, as the overwhelming 1-20 favorite. He was so highly regarded, there was $1.2 million bet to show on the world’s top-ranked horse after a Dubai World Cup performance that saw him overcome a terrible start and win the world’s second-richest race.
“One thing’s for certain, I don’t think we’re going to see a million-two bet to show on him (Saturday),” Baffert said. “That’s the only thing I know for sure. I feel for those guys, but it happens.”
Baffert wasn’t even going to run Arrogate in the San Diego Handicap, thinking he was going to bring the colt into the Pacific Classic on workouts alone. When he checked out OK after the race, the Hall of Fame trainer second-guessed himself, believing maybe he didn’t have Arrogate cranked up enough for the race.
“But Del Mar, you gotta be ready,” he said. “Everytime you run, you better be ready or somebody’s gonna step up.”
It was Accelerate who stepped up in a big way in the San Diego Handicap, going gate-to-wire while posting an 8½-length victory at odds of 7-1. The 4-year-old Lookin At Lucky colt is unbeaten in three tries at Del Mar and has won four of 12 overall for $607,480 in earnings.
But Baffert is tossing that race out.
“I’m not even thinking about that,” he said. “We’re just thinking about this week. Think positive. Get out of the gate. He needs to get his legs under him, though. He can’t be sitting back there … none of this Dubai (stuff). He wants to be running, he wants to be rolling.”
“Sometimes, a loss like that is good … sometimes everybody can get a little bit too thinking they’re invincible.”
Arrogate was stabled at Santa Anita when he returned from Dubai, another factor Baffert believes might have played a part in the horse’s first loss in eight races.
“I think he looks better now,” Baffert said. “It was really hot at Santa Anita and he didn’t like the heat. I feel confident that he should run well. That’s all we can ask for.”
Another Baffert colt, Collected, will be making his first start since a 14-length victory in the Grade III Precisionist Stakes at Santa Anita on June 24, a race where Accelerate finished third. The 4-year-old son of City Zip has won seven of 10 lifetime for earnings of $660,500. He’s never raced at Del Mar.
Trainers Doug O’Neill and John Sadler both entered two horses in the Pacific Classic – Donworth and Curlin Road for O’Neill and Accelerate and Hard Aces for Sadler.
Donworth is 15-1 on the morning line, and Curlin Road, who comes in off a nose victory in the Grade III Cougar II Handicap at Del Mar on July 26, is 20-1. He’s one for five at Del Mar.
A CLASSIC LINEUP
The field, in post position order, for Saturday’s $1 million Pacific Classic at Del Mar, including jockeys and morning-line odds:
1. Royal Albert Hall, Corey Nakatani, 30-1
2. Collected, Martin Garcia, 5-2
3. Accelerate, Victor Espinoza, 3-1
4. Sorry Erik, Kent Desormeaux, 30-1
5. Hard Aces, Santiago Gonzalez, 20-1
6. Donworth, Mario Gutierrez, 15-1
7. Curlin Road, Flavien Prat, 20-1
8. Arrogate, Mike Smith, even-money
Note: The Pacific Classic will be televised live by NBCSN from 5-6 p.m.
SANTA ANA – The additional 173 U.S. Marshals Service inmates that Santa Ana agreed to house temporarily at Santa Ana Jail will generate about as much revenue as the facility lost from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s recent contract termination.
On a 6-1 vote, the City Council on Tuesday, Aug. 15, approved an appropriations adjustment recognizing $10,217,316 for 10 months of additional jail operations-related revenue in the fiscal year 2017-18. The jail contract that ICE terminated in May represented a roughly $11-million-a-year loss for the city.
“We just had a surprise end-of-the-year loss with the (ICE) federal agency, so this effectively plugs that hole back in at least for two years,” said Councilman Jose Solorio, adding that the new contract moves the city “forward in terms of what we do with our jail because it is an asset.”
Council members have been divided on the future of the 20-year-old jail that has long been operating at a loss but on Aug. 1, with the exception of Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez, they voted in favor of accepting 173 more U.S. Marshal’s Service inmates for two years while a detention facility in Los Angeles undergoes renovation.
Martinez, the lone dissenter, did not comment on the dais Tuesday. On multiple occasions, she has said the city should get out of the jail business.
The council Tuesday increased the jail operations budget by $5,924,910 in order to accommodate the larger inmate population. The adjustment includes funding for 13 additional full-time and 25 part-time positions at the jail, overtime and meal, laundry and contract services costs.
“The addition of these positions will return staffing closer to the fiscal year 2015-16 levels when the jail had a higher average daily population. In contrast, the fiscal year 2016-17 staffing levels reflected the decrease in Immigrations and Customs Enforcement inmate population,” the city staff report states.
Council members on Tuesday also adopted a resolution amending the jail’s operations budget to include the 13 full-time correctional officer positions – 10 correctional officers, two supervisors and one manager – and continue housing operations through June 30, 2018.
“This has nothing to do with the previous tenant (ICE), but what it does is it will help for at least two years to have a tenant there in place that can give us time to assess what we plan to do with the jail,” Councilman Vicente Sarmiento said.
The 173 Marshals Service inmates being transferred in “also puts us a lot closer to 100 percent occupancy, which would make the numbers even stronger,” said Mayor Miguel Pulido, who has continued to advocate for running the facility as a jail.
Under the Marshals Service agreement, an estimated 138 inmates would arrive on or after Sept. 1, followed by 35 over the next few months, according to the staff report. The federal agency will pay $105 per inmate per day, consistent with terms of its existing contract with the city.
Tuesday’s vote included putting $4,292,406 toward the reserve appropriation for deficit reduction.
Vanir Construction Management Inc., the firm Santa Ana hired to produce a jail reuse study, reported August 1 that the assessment is about 35 percent complete. The study is expected to recommend detention uses, as well as other options for the building, such as a mental-health facility.