TimesOC: Coast Guard learned of oil sheen, possibility of a spill, on Friday night
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Good morning and welcome to the TimesOC newsletter.
It’s Wednesday, Oct. 6. I’m John Canalis, bringing you the latest roundup of Orange County news and events.
This is one of those weeks when one story, albeit told from multiple angles and with great depth by our reporters, editors and visual journalists, dominates the news. The devastating oil spill off our coastline continues to captivate the attention of everyone from elected officials to surfers. (And it’s even brought some normally divided Democrats and Republicans together in what is now a bluish-reddish county.)
New details are emerging on so many fronts:
• The Coast Guard became aware of the oil sheen Friday evening but didn’t dive the site — or notify the public — until the next morning, when it confirmed that it was indeed a spill. The Guard explained that reports of oil sheens are highly common and rarely evidence of a major leak, thus it employed prudence in alerting the public.
• Needless to say, elected officials and others were highly critical, saying they — and the public — should have learned sooner. They also pointed to satellite photos suggesting evidence of a slick.
• The cause of the offshore disaster remains under investigation, but one theory — a ship lay anchor and ruptured the pipeline — is the frontrunner.
• Just like he has with the state’s countless wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared the spill a state emergency.
• Protecting and cleaning wildlife became a key part of the clean-up effort. The images of oil-covered sea fowl and other creatures were as horrifying as you’d expect and reminiscent of so many prior tragedies.
• The oil spill, like global warming, served as a reminder of fossil fuels’ environmental harm.
• There are also questions about the owner of the oil operation. As we reported, the operator emerged from bankruptcy four years ago and has a history of violations.
• Questions about how this episode stacks up against U.S. history’s worst, such as the Exxon Valdez, were also posed — and answered by our team. Though the Orange County episode was devastating, its 144,000 gallons (so far) pales when compared with the Valdez or the worst of the worst, 2010’s Deep Water Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Words can only say so much about this disaster. Please take a moment to review the photos by Daily Pilot photo editor Raul Roa, who turned his lens on the disaster.
MORE NEWS
Orange County is still ‘mother ship’ for GOP money, but shift from red to purple accelerates. “Experts say the long-term trend for O.C. leans blue, with the politicization of the pandemic accelerating movement away from the Republican Party,” writes reporter Hannah Fry. The GOP’s response to the pandemic is leading some to vote Democratic, according to the report, but O.C. can still go either way.
‘We’re all in this together’: Local legislators join forces in wake of Orange County oil spill. Needless to say, Democrats and Republicans found something they could agree on this week: demanding accountability for the spill.
LIFE AND LEISURE
With the help of a new oven, Anaheim’s Focaccia Boi continues to rise. “A pink industrial mixer stands against a peg board, where pans, tools and mixer attachments hang in neat rows,” writes TimesOC reporter Sarah Mosqueda. “Stainless steel wire racks with loaves of focaccia bread line one side of the wall and stacks of 50-pound bags of King Arthur special patent flour line the other. This is where Derek Bracho makes crispy-cornered Detroit-style focaccia-bread pizzas for his business, Focaccia Boi.” I gain 5 pounds every time I read one of Mosqueda’s food pieces. And I mean that in a good way.
Jesus, drugs and rock ’n’ roll: How an O.C. hippie church birthed contemporary Christian music. “The birth of contemporary Christian rock and pop music in America can in part be traced to a vision received by a 17-year-old runaway from Costa Mesa named Lonnie Frisbee,” writes Randall Roberts. “After stripping naked and taking LSD in 1967 near Tahquitz Falls outside of Palm Springs, the young man called to God.” Just try and stop reading now.
SPORTS
Commentary: Another mediocre Angels season is met mostly by shrugs. Why? Because it was expected the Dodgers are in an exciting one-game playoff game Wednesday night while O.C.’s team, the Angels, finished under .500 again. “In Anaheim, right down the street from the happiest place on Earth, rests one of the saddest,” writes former Times sports editor Bill Dwyre. Ouch. And I say this as an Angel fan.
High school football in California is better than ever. For evidence of that, read Times preps master Eric Sondheimer’s take on the recent match-up between Mater Dei and St. John Bosco. Spoiler alert: The Monarchs pulled out another win.
OPINION
Editorial: Huntington Beach shore is covered in oil. Our editorial board is understandably upset about the recent oil spill and sees it as emblematic of the nation’s dependence on dino juice. The board is calling for an end to offshore drilling.
Stay in Touch
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