The contest accepted photos taken between May 2024 and June 2025 in Laguna Beach’s Marine Protected Areas, which encompass the coves, cliffs and lagoons along most of the city’s six miles of coastline.

“We’re riding a wave of gratitude for everyone who dove into this year’s photo contest, from the talented photographers to the fabulous finned and flippered stars of theshow,” said Anne Girtz, a Bluebelt board member who runs the contest. “Every entry celebrating Laguna’s Marine Protected Areas overflowed with heart, color and deep love for our magical ocean world. These stunning snapshots don’t just capture beauty, they inspire awe, connection and a renewed commitment to protecting our ocean’s fragile brilliance.”

The contest awarded prizes in professional and amateur categories. Also, for the first time, it included a children’s under 13 category. The judges were Rich German, founder of Project O and an avid paddleboarder and photographer; marine scientist Julianne Steers; and filmmaker and ocean advocate Greg MacGillivray.

Bluebelt founders say the contest is not only a nod to the talent of photographers from Southern California and beyond but also a testament to the success of the preservation efforts of the state’s program of marine protected areas. The images are often used as examples to educate local government and state wildlife agencies about the success of the conservation efforts.

This year, in the amateur category, Kaelin Housewright of Los Angeles took first place; Michael Oakley of Long Beach received second place; and Yvonne Bellgardt of Pico Rivera won third place.

In the professional category, Craig Hatfield of Mission Viejo took first place; Noah Gilbert of Los Angeles came in second; and Jordan Manning of Dana Point won third place.

Hatfield, who took the “Heart Bubble” photo, said he found his image south of Main Beach near the Surf & Sand Hotel while he was in the water with a waterproof camera.

“At first, I did not notice the heart bubble that formed inside the wave,” he said. “I then noticed it at a later time and thought it was quite amazing. My son Chase noticed it looked like it says ‘LOV’ above the heart, and I was completely blown away.”

A fine art ocean and wave photographer, Hatfield said he developed his passion for photography in the water and the beauty of nature as a kid surfing at El Morro Beach. His favorite locations to shoot are along Laguna Beach’s shoreline and at Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point.

“I am a firm believer in the conservation of all beaches and especially Laguna Beach, which in my opinion is the most beautiful beach in all of California,” he said.

Each category also included several photographs that won honorable mentions.

“Having photographed the ocean around the world for the past 60 years, I have to say that the submissions to this contest were outstanding and I am so encouraged because the amateur submissions were, in my opinion, equal to those in the professional division,” Macgillivary said. “That says a lot of people love and respect our marine protected area and the gift that the ocean generously gives to us each day is super well appreciated.”

Top winners will receive cash prizes during an artist reception on Aug. 7, hosted by the Laguna College of Art & Design at its gallery on Ocean Avenue, during the city’s popular Thursday Art Walk. The photos will be displayed at the gallery from then until Aug. 17.

The group, which includes 500 Marines and sailors, is part of the Combat Logistics Battalion 15, 1st Marine Logistics, and has assumed “operational responsibilities” as Task Force Forge under Joint Task Force–Southern Border, Marine officials said on Monday, July 14.

That means they will provide critical engineering and logistical support under the presidential executive order issued Jan. 20, when President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border, directing the Department of Defense to help address the situation.

Following that order, 500 Marines also from Camp Pendleton deployed to San Diego and El Paso on Jan. 23. Those servicemembers were part of Task Force Sapper. Two of those Marines — Lance Cpl. Albert A. Aguilera, of Riverside, and Lance Cpl. Marcelino M. Gamino of Fresno — died in April when their vehicle crashed while in a convoy in New Mexico.

The new group of Marines trained “hands-on” with the Marines from Task Force Sapper for several weeks before preparing for the mission, Marine officials said.

“As part of its deployment, Task Force Forge will establish its presence eastward in the Yuma sector, bolstering (the) current support activities in the region,” officials said.

“Our mission is clear,” said Lt. Col. Colin Graham, commanding officer of Task Force Forge, in a statement, “support our federal partners and Joint Task Force-Southern Border, strengthen operational readiness, and support upholding the territorial integrity of our nation’s border with professionalism and precision.”

Vance, who served in the Marines, kept up well while encouraging the troops and reinforcing values of camaraderie and unit cohesion, base officials said. The hike, on Friday, July 11, was three miles, including climbing some hills while carrying a weighted backpack.

“It was a great experience for our Marines to meet and engage with the vice president of the United States, a former Marine,” said Col. Kwabena K. Gyimah. “It speaks to the unbreakable bond that all Marines, both past and present, share with each other. Vice President Vance imparted great insights and shared memorable personal stories with all. This was truly inspiring for our Marines, and we’re extremely grateful for this opportunity.”

He did the hike while his wife, Usha Vance, the country’s second lady, read to Blue Star families at an event center on base.

Later on Friday, the Vance family arrived by motorcade at the Disneyland Resort, and the family was spotted at Disneyland on Saturday morning surrounded by heavy security.

Demonstrators gathered on Harbor Boulevard near the theme park’s entrance on Friday evening and again on Saturday.

The visit to Camp Pendleton and Disneyland was part of a weekend trip to Southern California. There were no official public events planned and no fundraising events announced.

On Monday, July 14, a new 20,000-square-foot Hoag Health Center will open, giving deep South Orange County residents access to more specialty doctors, state-of-the-art technology and a one-of-a-kind “health lab” offering healthy living solutions from pilates to nutrition.

The facility includes an urgent care, primary care doctors and services for obstetrics, gynecology, orthopedics, radiology and sports medicine.

A community event Saturday, July 12, offered locals an opportunity to tour the facility and learn more about the services offered ahead of Monday’s opening. The center is Hoag’s 13th facility outside the hospital campuses in Newport Beach and Irvine.

The health center will help fill a void in the beach city and surrounding communities, along with other new facilities. MemorialCare Health System is building a walkable senior community with access to healthcare, including an urgent care facility, on the 6-acre property once home to the city’s hospital. Providence Health has also seen the wisdom of putting medical services in San Clemente and opened up a facility near the Shops of San Clemente that includes is a primary care clinic with urgent care.

Hoag President and CEO Robert Braithwaite described the county’s southernmost communities as a “health care desert,” adding that the region can also benefit from more specialized and targeted services in one place.

“There are about a million people south of the El Toro Y (in Lake Forest), there are certain geographic areas that do not have a lot of healthcare close to home and work,” Braithwaite said. “There’s also an opportunity to deliver a different type of health care in all of South Orange County, which fueled the decision to move Hoag services into South Orange County.”

“Most healthcare systems are defined by the sick care they provide,” he added. “So, Hoag made a commitment in 2018 where we really wanted to emphasize and integrate wellness services into the health portfolio. San Clemente is the perfect community; they love being active and are very mindful of their wellness. It’s the perfect place to drop in that integrated healthcare with all the wellness initiatives.”

“One of the biggest challenges,” Braithwaite said, per input from doctors and patients, is once a patient walks out with a diagnosis, they’re in a whole new world, often unguided.

“The health center bridges that moment which happens on every single doctor’s visit, whether you’re expecting or you have a single chronic disease,” he said. “The team that is in there, with the facility designed around it, will bridge that gap and get people on that wellness journey. Whether activating it from teaching, getting them to participate, helping them understand wearables and how to use those. The whole idea is to get them in, get them involved, let them learn under guidance. Physicians are right there too, and we found it’s just a far better engagement.”

Marcy Brown, senior vice president and COO at Hoag, said walking into the new center on Avenida Pico “doesn’t feel like a typical hospital health clinic.” The layout has an open and airy feel, with plenty of natural light and clean architectural lines. The entrance lobby aims for a spa-like ambiance.

Among the highlights and free to the community is the new Hoag Health Lab, which includes an exercise physiologist, dietitian, nutrition experts and a pilates instructor. The lab will offer those outside the health provider’s network a taste of Hoag’s services and care.

With the opening of the center, new physicians are joining the Hoag network and some who are already in the health system at other facilities will now work in San Clemente.

“We have physicians coming from the top academic medical health systems across the nation,” Brown said. “Because they can continue to do the research that they were able to do, launch clinical trials, and have fellowship programs here at Hoag. It’s very unique for a community hospital to have those aspects of health care.”

Ahead of the opening, Hoag offered a tour to city officials, including San Clemente Mayor Steve Knoblock.

“They have installed the latest and most up-to-date technology and skill sets at their new Pico facility,” he said. “We’re delighted they expanded their longstanding expertise in our community.”

The event on Friday, July 12 — coordinated by Blue Star Families and Walt Disney — is part of the “Books on Bases” program that is meant to show the active-duty families that they have a community to rely on and a nation that supports them, said Maggie Meza, executive director of the San Diego Chapter of the Blue Star Families nonprofit, a national organization that helps with services to address the challenges military families face.

Related: Vice President Vance heads to Orange County for some family time

The program included Vance — who used the opportunity to spotlight her own Summer Reading Challenge — Dudik and Disney volunteers.

The families got a surprise when “Stitch,” known as Disney’s alien creature, appeared. Kids lined up for pictures with him and later received books to take home.

The event also included arts and crafts, and the second lady, who is from San Diego, helped color, make friendship bracelets and decorate felt flags. Kids got to take home a copy of “Norman and the Smell of Adventure,” and there was a book fair for families to explore and leave with new reads to enjoy all summer.

“Thank you to the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton and to its partners for inviting me to join Blue Star Families in celebrating reading and creating memories,” Vance said to those at the event. “My family enjoyed sharing this special day of learning with other families.”

Among the parents at Friday’s reading was Rebekah McCoy, 32, and her five children: Anabelle, 11; Kennedy, 9; Molly, 6; Garrett,4 and Jack, 3. The siblings — plus Annabelle’s diabetic support dog, Mickey — were totally ready for the Disney-themed event and came dressed in costumes. McCoy wore a black and white Mickey sweater.

“It was a magical moment,” McCoy said, noting her strong ties to Disneyland while growing up in Brea. “Anything with Disney is magical. I love that they brought it to the military base because of how many people have children and either don’t go to Disney (or) never been to Disney.”

McCoy and her husband, a gunnery sergeant with the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, have moved six times in her husband’s 16-year career. Three times, they’ve been at Camp Pendleton.

She said events like this one help military families feel connected.

“My husband always says, I make my friends the last year I’m in a duty station,” McCoy said. “It’s so true because you go somewhere new and you’re like, do you want to reach out, and you’re just getting used to the area.”

Beyond the sense of belonging she felt today, she was also extremely grateful that Vance — who wore a flowery dress and brought her daughter with her — took the time to come to the base and visit the Marine and Navy families.

“For her to come to Camp Pendleton and read to our kids and interact with us, I think, was phenomenal,” she said, adding that on TV, people like the second lady always seem a world away. “It really meant a lot to all of us families. We’re not forgotten.”

“It brings tears to my eyes because a lot of times, as a military family, you go everywhere and don’t know anyone, and you feel forgotten, unseen, and unheard,” she said. “For her to see us, listen to us, and talk to us, it was absolutely phenomenal.”

Dudik, who is the Marine Corps Installations West chief of staff, said, “Today’s event with Blue Star Families and our valued partners at Disney is more than a celebration of reading — it’s a reminder of the importance of connection, learning, and joy in the lives of our children. We are deeply honored to welcome the second lady of the United States, whose presence underscores the nation’s enduring appreciation for the sacrifices military families make.

Meza, a military spouse who raised three children on U.S. bases during her husband’s service in the Marine Corps, said she did her best to make life “not so scary, but to show the benefits of it.” She said she relied on groups like Blue Star Families, which started in 2009, to give her children activities that would create a network for them.

“Our military children move so frequently,” she said. “Summer is a big season to be moving, and some are new to the community or have parents who have come off deployments or are deployed, so community events like this show support for our military families and show that we see them, hear them and are here to provide some free family fun and free things to do in the summer.”

Blue Star Families is the largest group nationwide serving military families. The group’s purpose is to connect Blue Star families to their own programming and to partnerships, such as the one held on base.

The group also conducts an annual military lifestyle survey, allowing families to share their opinions on the challenges and needs they face. With the results in hand, Meza said the group does its best to address those and bases its programs on those responses.

That includes trying to create family moments in the community — and free events, given concerns about the cost of living.

“We try to remove that isolated feeling military families have and show them that there is a community that cares,” Meza said.

Meza knows the challenges families face firsthand. She and her family moved 15 times in 25 years.

“I love him and I knew he loved our country, that was something I knew we were going to support and be 100% behind, ” she said of her husband, who served 32 years with his last post being at Camp Pendleton when he retired in 2019. “Every duty station I treated as an adventure, but there were tough times, and it was very isolating, especially when he was gone on deployments, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to be in Orange County this weekend for some family time, local officials said. Security personnel are working with Disneyland Resort Security in preparation for an upcoming guest visit, according to Disneyland officials.

Meanwhile, on the way home Friday, McCoy said her daughter Kennedy was still so enthralled by the festivities with the second lady that she broke out her new book — the same one Vance had read earlier — and read the story again to her siblings.

Recently held in Aliso Viejo, the inter-agency simulation organized by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department gamed out the scenario of a blaze in the fire-prone wildland and canyons that stretch between Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills and other neighboring South County cities. Lessons learned from wildfires that scorched local canyon communities in the recent past — the Coastal fire, the Aliso fire and the Bond fire — were pulled in and law enforcement personnel from Pasadena spoke about their experiences in the Eaton fire in January.

“Getting all parties into these rooms are critical,” said OCFA Division 5 Chief Mike Summers. “Wildfires impact all our communities differently and potentially very negatively. So, I think we all go in with the same mission in mind, that we all have a different role to play in that mission, whether it’s evacuation, care and shelter, fire suppression, traffic control, perimeter security, investigation or how we can support the city and the county.

“We’re all looking at it from different lenses.”

While individual departments and mutual aid partners routinely communicate and host trainings, these joint operation briefings organized by the Sheriff’s Department offer a focused examination of the coordination and collaboration needed to beat a wildfire that is spreading fast and threatening life and property. Within minutes, Monday’s fire in Bluebird Canyon, which officials believe was sparked by fireworks, had grown from a small 50-by-50-foot fire to 30-foot flames climbing the steep canyon walls toward homes. Within hours, combined multi-agency resources, including several strike teams, 186 personnel and six aircraft dumping more than 100,000 gallons of water and fire retardant, had stopped the blaze’s progress. Officials announced Wednesday that the 4.6-acre fire was completely contained and extinguished.

Resources outside Laguna Beach fire and police came from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Orange County Fire Authority, CalFire, Los Angeles County Fire and city fire departments from Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Orange. Irvine and Tustin police and CHP also assisted, as did Laguna Beach County Water District and the Community Emergency Response Team.

The recent training created a unified process for carrying out that response involving so many agencies, Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King said.  Instead of making plans on the fly as the fire burned, agencies had already planned out specifics for the smooth handling of communications, evacuation plans and resources that would need to be called in. With the recent training, Laguna Beach Police Capt. Mike Peters said, all the protocols were fresh in everybody’s mind on Monday when the fire started.

“It put quick communication and reaction at the forefront,” Peters said.

“The timing was perfect,” he added. “We had just discussed wildfires in the canyons between us and our jurisdictional partners. And just as we prescribed in that meeting how they would flow in with assistance, that’s exactly how it happened. Within 20 minutes, we had units from several agencies, and within an hour, we had more units.

“If this had gone on longer, we would have had more personnel to throw at this,” he said. “We had the best outcome possible because of the quickness of the response.”

Summers, who was running operations on Monday, said he has participated in prior tabletop exercises and that relationship building with the people on the other side of the badges is a vital component gained from the meetings.

“When we have the joint exercises, it gives us the opportunity to network and get to know each other, exchange numbers and emails, so that when we go to the incidents, it’s not, ‘Who are you, but how are you,’” he said. “That corridor where the fire occurred, we routinely run multiple resources in those areas for remote rescues, and coordinate helicopters to find lost or missing hikers. Having those relationships in place prior to these incidents, along with the joint tabletop exercise, really helped foster trust and communication.

“We understood the resources that would be needed to quickly suppress that incident,” he said.

The next tabletop session is planned in Yorba Linda this month and will include city managers, elected officials and other notable partners, officials said.

On Wednesday, after the fire was declared out, Laguna Beach Mayor Alex Rounaghi praised the teamwork of those who responded and said he’d received a lot of feedback from thankful and relieved residents.

“Wildfire preparedness is truly a team sport,” he said. “Monday’s fire proved that. I’m proud of the seamless coordination between our city departments, local water districts, OCFA, mutual aid partners and most of all our courageous firefighters and first responders. Fires don’t respect our city limits, water district boundaries or layers of government, so our response can’t either.”

Coincidentally, hours after the fire was declared out, King on Wednesday was meeting with consultants who are assessing Laguna Beach’s threats and putting together a fire protection plan and another tabletop exercise. The review is courtesy of a grant from the International Fire Association of Chiefs recognizing the area’s high fire risk. The grant is helping the city develop a community wildfire protection plan.

While King said he is pleased with the success battling Monday’s fire, he warns that the community needs to remain vigilant.

“The fire went well and everybody is grateful,” he said. “It was good to test the system and the system worked.”

But King emphasized that the conditions also played a huge role in the positive outcome.

“It’s not fire season, these weren’t Santa Ana winds. The conditions are going to get worse, we’re going to face wind events and it would have been so tremendously different if that fire was backed by Santa Ana winds,” he said. “Everything was truly working in our favor. It was 3 mph to 5 mph winds on shore, all the resources were available. Like the tabletop,  this was putting some reality to it and testing it. But conditions can be so much worse and the resources can be strained.

“The challenge is still there, the risk is still there.”

That interest in the everyday storytelling is exactly what resonated with Diane Challis Davy, longtime director of the famed Pageant of the Master, the annual summer show in Laguna Beach that recreates artwork as tableau vivants, or living pictures.

Challis Davy is incorporating five of the Hilbert-collected paintings in the pageant’s show this summer, themed “Gold Coast: Treasures of California,” which opened over the weekend.

The show is set up as a road trip through storied California museums and also includes pieces from the nearby Laguna Art Museum, the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the J. Paul Getty Museum and the Broad Museum in Los Angeles, the Arden Helena Modjeska Historic House and Gardens in Modjeska Canyon, the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and the UC Irvine Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art. Dana Point’s Waterman’s Plaza is also referenced.

Along with paintings, the pageant’s living pictures recreate sculptures and other masterpieces.

With this show, Challis Davy said she hopes patrons will take inspiration this summer and visit some of the featured places.

“We are bombarded by images and images on screen and even reproductions, but it is a very different experience to stand in front of a painting and see the brushstrokes and see how the painting has aged,” Challis Davy said. “You get a connection with the artists being present and seeing the art up close.”

On Wednesday, July 9, in a first-time-ever for the pageant, Hilbert, a Newport Beach resident, will appear as himself in one of his own collected pieces: Bradford J. Salamon’s oil painting, “Monday at the Crab Cooker.” The painting catches a moment at the iconic Balboa Peninsula restaurant, where Hilbert, Salamon and artist Gordon McClelland discuss plans for the future museum.

The pageant and the Hilbert Museum announced their collaboration earlier this summer during an event at the Orange space where Challis Davy and Hilbert spoke about their passions for getting people to appreciate and enjoy great California art.

A major factor of the Hilbert Museum’s public appeal, he said, was an idea from his late wife, Janet Hilbert, that its collection features artwork that tells the story of everyday life.

“It was my wife’s idea to have people in the painting,” he said. “‘When people are in the painting, ‘It’s more interesting,’ she said.”

And now becoming part of the story, “is pretty cool,” he said. “It’s a rare thing for a person to pose in the painting as themselves.”

“It will be fun, they’re going to be putting makeup on me, I’ve never had makeup applied,” he added. “It’s going to be a lot of laughs. It will be an indelible memory for the rest of my life.”

Challis Davy, who picked the Crab Cooker painting without knowing it was Hilbert in it, said her idea to collaborate with the Hilbert started more than a year ago when she saw social media posts from the couple about the art collections they owned and loaned out to museums for exhibit. So, when Challis Davy learned of an invitation from Hilbert, she jumped at it.

“He gave me a personal tour, as he’s famous for,” she said, referring to the regular Thursday tours Hilbert conducts at the Orange museum. “What really connected with me was the fact that he collects the work of artists I was very familiar with. Artists like Phil Dike and Roger Koontz, some of whom my dad showed at his gallery here in Laguna. I just loved seeing he had purchased and put in this permanent collection, all these works I was familiar with. It really resonated with me.”

Challis Davy said she selected the five pieces to fit into this year’s theme. Once she realized “Monday at the Crab Cooker” depicted Hilbert, she said she loved it even more for the way it fit into the “storytelling theme.”

“It’s kind of like showing the beginning of the saga of the creation of the museum,” she said.

Hilbert, who founded the museum in 2016, said he can still recall sitting with his two friends and talking about the museum. A waitress snapped the photo that Salamon later used to paint the image.

Challis Davy selected two other local Orange County scenes that appear in Act II; they are also Salamon oils.

“Seal Beach Nighthawks,” an oil painting of people at a beach concession stand, coincidentally also in the Hilbert collection, and “Marine Room,” which captures a scene from the Laguna Beach tavern.

The last painting was created for the show.

“I thought there are these two cool local OC hangouts and I need to have a third,” Challis Davy said. “That’s when we decided we’d ask Bradford if he’d like to paint a third piece having to do with a bar or restaurant. I gave him a choice: it could be the Swallows Inn, the Sandpiper or the Marine Room.”

Challis Davy had to convince the Festival of Arts to commission the piece and it is now on exhibit on the festival grounds. The huge 74-inch painting has a tremendous amount of detail and is a shout-out to the historic Ocean Avenue bar, famous for not selling food.

Salamon had until March to finish the piece so the pageant staff could start working on its set. Challis Davy said that there have only been five art pieces commissioned and shown in the show.

“Theatrically speaking, when you’re doing comedy or skits or things, the magic number is three,” she explained. “To cap off the story, I needed a painting that was really fun. Bradford came up with the whole composition himself. He did a detailed drawing and he went off and painted it without any interference from us. And came up with this great canvas.”

Beyond the novelty of his appearance in the living picture, Hilbert said he is flattered that his museum is included among other notable, longtime institutions, especially the Norton Simon Museum, a favorite of he and his wife. The museum celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The pageant includes a bronze “Little Dancer” by Edgar Degas and two of the artist’s pastels, “Dancers in Pink” and “Dancers in the Wings,” from the museum’s collection.

Challis Davy said it doesn’t surprise her that the Hilberts admired the Pasadena museum.

“Norton Simon, his collection is very personal,” she said. “He had a passion for Degas. Hilbert has a passion for Southern California art, storytelling, and works of art with people. That’s why it’s such a good fit for Pageant of Masters because we focus on storytelling, and it’s all about artworks with people, so it’s a perfect fit.”

The Pageant of the Masters runs through Aug. 29; get more information and tickets at foapom.com.

It’s a sound, she said, that she’s come to appreciate because it makes her feel safe.

The feeling isn’t universal.

About 4,000 Army National Guard troops have been training at the Los Alamitos base since June 8, when they were federalized — over the objection of Gov. Gavin Newsom — on orders from President Donald Trump.

The troops were called in after thousands of people protested Trump’s immigration policies in general and Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles and Santa Ana specifically. About 700 infantry Marines also were mobilized in Los Angeles as a way to protect federal buildings during the protests. They are being housed at the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station.

The federal deployment of troops on U.S. soil has raised multiple questions — including whether the Trump administration would seek to employ emergency powers under the Insurrection Act. It also prompted more protests, including criticism for potentially escalating tensions and violating established protocols.

But, in Los Alamitos, the troop presence hasn’t been a bother for the surrounding community, Hasselbrink said. Most troop activity has been confined to the two-square-mile area, keeping traffic and other potential hassles to a minimum.

“The feedback is very positive,” said Hasselbrink, who lives in a Los Alamitos neighborhood known as “Carrier Row,” with streets named after famous vessels such as the USS Lexington, the USS Saratoga and the USS Midway.

“We realize we’re in a military town.”

For now, public access to the base has been closed due to “force protection posture,” and the base, like all other U.S. installations, is on high-security due to the recent airstrikes in Iran. That status has limited interactions between the base and the community, and it meant that the base’s usual Fourth of July fireworks show was a livestream event, not a public one.

But the holiday also marked a moment when those who aren’t thrilled with the federalization of the National Guard, or the use of U.S. military to control Americans on American soil, made their presence known. Dozens of people turned out on the Fourth for a protest just outside the base’s main gate, on Lexington.

Many of the protesters chanted “Question your orders,” said Robert Winter, a photographer and longtime resident of Cypress. He said he came by the event at Los Alamitos — and has gone to other protests — to give balance to what he sees as a “lack of coverage” about anti-military protests by the mainstream media.

Protesters, according to Winter, were “quite informed” about the military’s historic role, and were frustrated by the current administration’s use of American troops on American soil.

“These folks were remembering Vietnam and the Nuremberg Trials and said they know there is a high chance of someone would give an order that is really bad,” Winter said, summing up what he heard from the protesters.

Though the protest was peaceful, Winter said a group apparently opposed to the protesters stood by and watched. He also said the protest drew dozens of supportive car honks and the odd middle-finger salute from passing motorists.

Another Cypress resident who came by during the protest — Roy Rausch, who founded the Los Alamitos Army Airfield Aviation Facebook group — noted that he hasn’t seen much discontent near the base.

What he has noticed, he said, is a massive setup of tents and other temporary structures built to house the thousands of guardsmen.

“This is the biggest presence I can remember. It’s built like a little city for the California troops,” said Rausch, who has lived the area for about 50 years.

“The amount of what they’ve put up to create the city seems like more than a 60-day thing to me.”

Last week, about 150 of those troops were pulled back into wildland firefighting duties as part of their full-time jobs as Task Force Rattlesnake, said Col. Brandon Hill, a spokesman for the California Military Department.

“Those personnel are currently redeploying back to their home of records and will be back with their hand crews as early as Monday,” he said. The teams are scattered throughout the state and are part of Cal Fire.

Los Alamitos Mayor Hasselbrink said she was told at the outset of the deployment that troops would be at the Los Alamitos base for a 60-day mission. But, she added, that time frame could be expanded or cut short.

And while the deployment in Los Alamitos is one of the biggest in decades, Hasselbrink said the biggest difference from weekend training rotations is its insularity. During normal training rotations guardsmen come and go off the base, with many grabbing lunch or making other purchases outside the base.

But under the rules of the current deployment, soldiers adhere strictly to a central mission under Army North Command’s Task Force 51, meaning they mostly stay on base.

The job of keeping 4,000 troops safe, sheltered — and entertained when they’re off duty — falls to Lt. Col. Dan Fox, commander of the base.

The temporary tent city includes an indoor mini-golf green, arcade games and pinball machines.

“I would have liked to have that when I deployed,” said Fox, a 24-year Army National Guard veteran.

When they get to use those facilities isn’t up to Fox but, instead, is determined by troop commanders that fall under Task Force 51, who are led by Gen. Scott Sherman.

“Their downtime is mission dependent,” Fox said, adding that soldiers spend their days training for various duties and grabbing chow during breaks.

Beyond their mission-oriented training, soldiers also spend time exercising on their own. Only after they’ve put in a full eight-hour shift are they allowed to hang out in the recreation tent.

Those eight-hour shifts aren’t standard 9-to-5 routines; Fox said soldiers come and go 24 hours a day.

The troop presence is “not overwhelming,” Fox said. Still, he’s been working with the community to avoid traffic disruptions and any other potential impact on locals.

So far, he said, the expanded troop presence hasn’t posted any logistical challenges and he hasn’t heard any community complaints.

“What (we’re) looking for is where there are any holes are in the plan,” Fox said. “Where do I need to ask for more resources? What things (do) we have here that aren’t as necessary?” If he knows those answers, Fox said, he “can prioritize.”

“If, in the future, we are called to do this again, I want to make sure all the lessons I got here, I transferred… so we can do this better next time,” he added.

“If the governor in the future calls and says, ‘Hey, Los Alamitos, we got a problem and we’re sending people to deal with it’ (I’ll be) better prepared.”

Or, he added, “if the Secretary of Defense, or the President, in the future says we need to do this again, that we’re ready to support.

“That’s what we’re here for, to make sure the soldiers are taken care of and supported to do whatever mission there is.”

• For the latest, see: 13-year-old arrested on suspicion of setting off fireworks that sparked Rancho fire in Laguna Beach

Forward progress of the Rancho fire was halted just after 5 p.m. at about 4 acres, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Sean Doran said.

“We’re making tremendous progress,” Doran said, adding the air attack helped slow the flames.

“It was a hard aerial assault (on the fire),” said Doran, who added mild winds were a factor in helping crews stop the fire.

No structure damage was reported,  Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King said.

King praised the OCFA and neighboring departments for helping with the fight to contain the fire.

“It was great we had air resources come in a few minutes,” King said. “But this is still a very dynamic situation… We’re asking people to not go to the fire and stay clear.”

As of around 4:45 p.m., about 100 homes had been evacuated in the Arch Beach Heights neighborhood after the fire broke out in Bluebird Canyon in an area that had recently been approved for fuel-reduction work by hand crews, Mayor Alex Rounaghi said.

Rounaghi added that by late afternoon five helicopters and one plane were making drops on the fire.

Click here for a map of the fire location.

La Mirada Street, Katella Street, Summit Drive and Baja Street were ordered evacuated. But by 7:34 p.m. evacuation orders were lifted, the city said.

A Care and Reception center had been set up at the Community & Susi Q Center, 380 3rd Street, the city said.

The fire started near the intersection of Morningside Drive and Rancho Laguna Road, north of Fernando Street Park.

“The fire is progressing rapidly up the hillside and is currently threatening homes,”  King said shortly after the fire broke out as ground crews set up for structure defense.

Maryann Minck and her husband Mike have lived in Laguna Beach since 2003 and Maryann said the fire left her feeling terrified.

She was in Laguna Canyon when she received a call from Mike telling her there was smoke in the backyard and “there is a problem, don’t come home.”

Their son, Ellis Minck, 16 was also driving through Laguna Canyon from water polo training at El Toro High School.

“My friend called me and said there’s a fire by your house,” Ellis said. “At the corner of Cress and Temple Terrace, I saw a cloud of smoke. Fire trucks were screaming down the canyon and cutting through the median.”

Ellis and his mother later met up with Mike and waited for the all clear.

Longtime residents Alan and his wife Rosalie, who live near where the fire broke out at La Mirada and Summit, raced out out with only their dog, Benny Buttons, a cockapoo; and very personal treasures. They asked that their last name not be published for security reasons.

“I didn’t see anything but I saw people running,” said Rosalie. “My dog started barking and then I got the order. We were lucky we left right away. There were a few cars and it only got backed up toward the bottom.”

“It’s a haunting experience,” said Alan. “In January after the LA fires we packed up everything, but now it was too close for comfort knowing it was just two blocks away. You have to be focused on what’s most critical. That means your family, your animal’s life.

“I ran without even taking my computer,” he said. “The only thing I grabbed is my Tallis bag. And in it is a special note from my mother before she died.”

Gridlock conditions were reported on southbound and northbound Coast Highway to the west of the fire, with emergency personnel trying to squeeze through the jammed traffic. Trolleys full of passengers were stuck and all vehicles traveling southbound on Coast at the Montage resort were being turned around at Montage Resort Drive.

Coast Highway was temporarily closed while crews worked on the fire, but later reopened.

Rancho Laguna/Bluebird Canyon, 1190 Morningside Drive and the Fire Road in both directions remain closed as of about 7:20 p.m., the city said.

With many roads temporarily closed,  many evacuees were staging at the former Gelson’s market site across from the Montage Resort.

Among the people there was Joshua Hanna, a Laguna Beach resident and Community Emergency Response Team member who as an Uber driver was picking up orders. He ran over to Laguna Beach police officers offering to help direct traffic as Coast Highway became even more gridlocked.

Crime scene tape was seen in the area along with what appeared to be fireworks mortar on the ground and Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert said fireworks are suspected as the cause of the fire. All fireworks are illegal in Laguna Beach. No arrests or citations were immediately announced in relation to the fire.

A man nearby said that just before the fire was reported, he heard a loud boom like that of a firework.

“I heard a boom around 1:55 (p.m.), it sounded like an M80. I got up, I went and checked, I saw three kids riding their e-bikes down the hill,” said Roger Robleto, who was house-sitting at a residence at the neighborhood corner where the fire started.

He said he saw faint smoke from the front window of the house. But when he checked the outdoor patio area, he saw a “bellow” of white smoke and went to check it out.

“I walked out to the middle of the street and that’s when I saw the big smoke and the fire. It was raging at that point … It sounded like a dragon,” said Robleto.

The fire broke out in 68-degree weather, with relative humidity around 80% and winds of 4-6 mph with gusts of 10-13 mph, the National Weather Service said.

City News Service and staff photographer Jeff Gritchen contributed to this story.

The top deck of the 332,000-square-foot structure — the first landside construction — required additional engineering and structural reinforcement so it could also be used as a gathering venue for special events.

Ward envisions big-screen TVs set up to show some of the locally held 2028 Olympic competitions and viewing parties for the harbor’s much-loved Christmas boat parade.

“The experience of the (renovated harbor) starts at the parking structure,” he said during a recent tour, pointing out some of its unique amenities, including a massive open-air skylight over the central walkway and ventilation along all sides of the building that lets in ocean breezes.

The 984-space structure, which opens to the public at 7 a.m. Thursday, July 3, sits at the entrance to the harbor along an improved and widened Harbor Way. Surrounded by mature trees, including pines, sycamores and a 60-year-old pink melaleuca transplanted from elsewhere on the harbor property, the building blends into the natural topography.

The structure’s lower level features 93 spaces dedicated to boater parking, providing easy access to the marina. In the same location, boaters can store their gear in lockers and there is a corral for setting up their dock carts and gear. There is also dedicated parking for Dana Wharf Sportfishing and Whale Watching patrons, and for travelers bound for the Catalina Express.

Smart parking technology and car counters will help drivers find available stalls.  From the valet area, a pedestrian walkway leads visitors to the heart of the harbor’s shops and restaurants area, which Ward said will span 120,000 square feet. The area also includes plazas and gathering spaces, seating and public artwork.

The parking structure is the first land-side development for the Dana Point Harbor renovation, which covers the 62-acre marina recreational area. The project is being done by Dana Point Harbor Partners, a team of three Newport Beach developers who in 2018 secured a 66-year lease for the harbor from the OC Board of Supervisors.

The goal for the renovation, which is 100% privately financed, is to make the very popular, now 54-year-old, harbor an even more sought-after destination in Orange County.

While building the parking structure, which broke ground last year, crews completed all of the underground utilities needed for the entire harbor renovation, Ward said, including utilities, water, sewer and electricity. The process took 12 months and included soil stabilization, new drainage, curbs, and gutters.

The threat of sea level rise also had to be factored in, requiring the project’s foundation to be elevated three and a half feet higher, said Ward, president of Burnham Ward Properties.

Underway since 2022, the new 2,245-slip marina is being developed by Bellwether Financial Group in phases. On Tuesday, July 1, the final slips in the West Cove were completed, said Joe Ueberroth, president of Bellwether. The $115 million project, where every dock will be named after a lantern, should be finished by the end of 2027, he said.

Work is still being completed on two phases in the East Cove, located in front of the commercial core area. This week, construction also starts on East Island. The island, which is located on the other side of the bridge, runs from the Aventura Sailing Association to the sheriff’s Harbor Patrol dock.

“We’re extremely pleased with the docks; we get rave reviews from our tenants,” Ueberroth said.

The final phase of the harbor’s upgrade, led by Bob Olson, president of RD Olson Development, includes two hotels. Just last week, Dana Point’s Planning Commission gave unanimous approval for the Dana House and the Surf Lodge, following the California Coastal Commission’s approval last year.

“The staff and Planning Commission were supportive of taking the lodging experience in the harbor to the next level,” Olson said. “The Marina Inn has seen its better days and it’s time to move into what modern lodging is all about.”

“The Dana House focus is really about the history of Dana Point, both the city and the harbor,” he added. “The Surf Lodge, considered a more affordable hotel, will be focused on the surf culture and history of surf culture in Dana Point, both before the harbor was built and today.”

Demolition of the Marina Inn is scheduled for early next year.

“We’d really like to be open for the Olympics,” Olson said. “Dana Point will have worldwide recognition for what we have in Dana Point as a community. It will be exciting.”

In August, construction fences will be installed around the Mariners Village area as work begins on the third phase, which includes the construction of seven new commercial buildings.

The landside is being developed in five phases. The parking structure and entrance road were the first two phases. Phase 3(Mariner’s Village, located between Dana Wharf and Casitas Way) and Phase 5 (expanding the parking lot and removing the buildings presently occupied by The Brig Restaurant and Harbor Pizza) will overlap.

Phase 3 is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Phase 4 (development in Dana Wharf) will get underway toward the end of 2026 and Phase 5 will likely start in mid-2027.

The phasing was planned to minimize disruption, Ward said. Some long-time businesses have closed, others have moved, but some are staying put and picking up vacant spots on Dana Wharf.

Those include Art Sea, Gift Chateau and Vintage Yacht Club. Frisby Cellars stayed on the wharf, but moved into a larger space at the former Waterman’s Restaurant. An outdoor patio and lounge area provides a newfound ambiance and the larger area gives Josh Frisby a better view and space. He now offers beers on tap, more food and an opportunity for private tastings and vintage releases. Harbor-favorites, including The Brig, Beach Harbor Pizza, Gemmell’s, Wind & Sea, Jon’s Fish Market, Proud Mary’s and Turks will remain open through phase three construction.

“We supported the people who wanted to stay,” Ward said, adding that others retired or were lost to attrition.

Among the newcomers are Coco Bloom, a new coffee vendor that has become popular at farmers’ markets, Ward said. It opened on Friday, June 26, in the corner next to Jon’s Fish Market.

Ward said there has been immense interest from businesses wanting to take advantage of the waterfront venue that the new harbor’s commercial core will provide.

“People are recognizing the value of prime waterfront real estate,” he said. “Tenants have been waiting a long time to come into this market. The combination of new architecture and opportunity for waterfront dining is attracting a lot of tenant concepts to our door.”

But, even with the new interest, Ward said his focus remains the “tried and true” success the harbor has already had, which leads him to embrace its existing DNA, including its longtime popularity with harbor walkers, its recreation opportunities on the water and whale watching.

“There’s a new synergy, everybody’s happy,” said Donna Kalez, who operates Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching. “It’s like we got a refresh. I give kudos to Bryon for recognizing that these places need to be full and for making the commercial core come alive again.”

Kalez and Bob Mardian, who opened Wind & Sea in 1972, just after Don Hansen, Kalez’s late father, established the whale watching charter business, cheered the opening of the new parking facility.

“I think it’s fantastic,” Mardian said. “It will be a great problem-solver.”

In addition to opening up more space, Mardian said, the new structure also means that the businesses still operating in the harbor will get some reprieve. Because the main entrance at Harbor Way has been shut down, the completion of the project means cars can pass through again.

“It’s been so hard for people to get to Wind & Sea, now it will dump people into our parking lot,” he said.

Mardian, who is closing his other longtime harbor restaurant, Harpoon Henry’s, on Aug. 10, also commended Ward for the design of the parking structure.

“It’s easy on the eye,” he said. “Big credit to the landlord for sparing no expense and getting all those mature trees. It looks like it’s been there a while.”