Happy Monday Central Orange County-ans! Now that Dry Jan is over, it seems that we are going to have a decidedly Wet Feb. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday, so we can count on 6 more weeks of winter. We hope your New Year’s fitness routine is sticking around for the long haul as we transition into 2nd Winter with Valentine’s Day and Ski Week on the horizon.

In today’s Buzz:

• Laguna Can’t Catch a Break

• Turns Out Those Weren’t Fireworks

• Surf City Race Results

• This Week’s Agenda

Let’s dive in!

Jon Dougher, Back Bay Buzz

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED?

Landslide Closes Thousand Steps Beach

It would seem that Laguna Beach just cant catch a break. Last month they had hundreds of thousands of gallons of sewage leaking into their coastal waters and this past weekend a landslide caused closures at Thousand Steps beach. The incident, which occurred on Friday, caused significant damage to the pathway leading to the beach. In response, authorities have closed both the beach and the surrounding area to ensure public safety while crews conduct repairs and assessments. The timeline for reopening remains uncertain as officials work to restore safe access. We are aware that Laguna Beach is not in fact in Newport beach or Costa Mesa however we thought it was local enough to cover in this local newsletter, mmkay?

Police Chase Ends on NB Pier Early Saturday

Listen, we don’t really report on crime here at BBB, but we just wanted to make sure that you knew that for all of the Karens lovely people on Nextdoor and Neighbors that think the fireworks are actually gunshots, well sometimes they turn out to be right. Early Saturday morning, Santa Ana police concluded a chase on the Newport Beach Pier that began in Santa Ana (surprise). The suspect, Jose Velasquez, was wanted for a murder that occurred in Menifee (again, surprise). After an attempted traffic stop in Santa Ana, the suspect fled the scene causing the police to pursue him all the way down the 55 freeway to the end of the Newport pier. The police killed un-alived the suspect immediately as he exited the vehicle. *Removes aviator sunglasses* guess the tide went out …and so did he.

Surf City Marathon Winners

We are so tickled that the Surf City Marathon chose the end of Dry Jan to rub their athleticism in our faces as we attempted to secure a much needed (and well deserved) mimosa on Sunday morning. In the 29th Surf City Marathon held Sunday in Huntington Beach, 32-year-old Antoine Puglisi, a French native residing in Los Angeles and a second-grade teacher, secured his first marathon victory with a time of 2 hours, 31 minutes, and 22 seconds. We’re not even runners and we know thats f a s t. He finished 46 seconds ahead of Apple Valley's Zach Eustance. On the women's side, 36-year-old Stefanie Cullingford from Temecula claimed the title, completing the course in 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 27 seconds. This victory comes just over a year after her win at the Carlsbad Marathon in January 2024. The event also honored Huntington Beach Fire Department personnel for their bravery in combating recent wildfires, with race director Julie Coleman expressing gratitude for their unwavering commitment to protecting others.

EVENTS COMING UP!

Certified Farmers Market - OC Fairgrounds - THU Feb 6th - 9am-1pm

Costa Mesa Farmers Market - Paseo 17 - FRI Feb 7th 9am-1pm

PLAN AHEAD:

• 🕯️ Galentine’s Candle-Making and Cookie Decorating - Seaside Gallery - Feb 8th 1-3pm and Feb 13th 5:30p-7:30p - More Info

• Spread The Love - The Camp - Wed Feb 12th - Enjoy live music by Violette Rain throughout the day while you try our complimentary activities and workshops like floral arranging with FLR and custom heart wreath making with Odd Art by Donna, take a photo with our backdrop by Sol Create, try delicious Mocktails by Hi Lo Liquor, take the love home with your own bag of wildflower seeds, and more - Tickets

• Galentine’s Bouquet and Necklace Making - Milligram Coffee+Kitchen - Thurs Feb 13th 4p-7pm - More Info

• 🖌️ VALENTINE’S DAY CERAMIC PAINTING WORKSHOP - The Lab - Feb 14th 2pm - RSVP Here

• 🐶 Paws and Paint - Paint your favorite fur-ever friend while sipping on something (Wild Goose has added great mocktails to the menu, so dry jan is no excuse) - Wild Goose Tavern - Tues Feb 11th - RSVP by 2/8 by emailing: [email protected]

• 🎸 Sam Outlaw - The Wayfarer - Tuesday Feb 19th - 8pm-11pm - Tickets

WEATHER

Monday

52🌡️ 63 I ☁️ I 0% Rain I 8mph 🌬️ 

Tuesday

52 🌡️ 61 I ⛅️ I 0% Rain I 7mph 🌬️ 

Wednesday

54 🌡️ 62 I 🌧️ I 60% Rain I 9mph 🌬️ 

Thursday

54 🌡️ 61 I ☁️ I 0% Rain I 8mph 🌬️ 

Water temp = 57º

FAMILY FRIENDLY

• Newport Beach Lego Wednesday - Mariners Library - Wed Feb 5th 3pm - More Info

LIVE MUSIC 

Tuesday

• Singer Songwriter Night - The Harp Inn - 7pm

Wednesday

• Victoria Bailey with Parker Smith and Emilee Morrison - The Wayfarer - 8pm-11pm - Tickets

Thursday

• Pines of Rome - Segerstrom Center - 8pm - Tickets

• Sunset Serenaders with Plastic Nancy - The Wayfarer - 8pm-11pm - Tickets

Thanks!

Please ignore any typos, we were just making sure you were paying attention.