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Briefly In The News

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Sea lion back in good health for holidays

An adult female sea lion that has been rehabilitated at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center for the past two months has been released back into the ocean just in time for the holidays, according to the center.

Cyclone, 3, came to the center in October after suffering a dangerous bite on her lower back from a great white shark, according to a news release from the center. She was released back into the water Dec. 4.

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“Cyclone is extremely lucky to be alive,” Animal Care Director Michele Hunter said in a statement. “We weren’t sure if she would ever be able to use her hind quarters again, but she has shown tremendous strength and progress through her rehabilitation.”

The animal weighed just 63 pounds on arrival, but reached the healthy weight of 115 pounds.

“We are so proud of the recovery Cyclone has made. Watching her improve each day has been an inspiration to all of the volunteers that work so hard to help her along,” longtime volunteer JoAnn Smith said in a statement. “It’s the perfect holiday gift to us!”

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Mammal center board member honored

Pacific Marine Mammal Center board member and UC Irvine civil and environmental engineering professor Bill Cooper has been elected as a 2011 fellow of the American Assn. for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Also head of UCI’s Urban Water Research Center, he was honored for distinguished interdisciplinary contributions in environmental photochemistry and free-radical chemistry in nature systems and in water treatment, according to a news release.

Cooper said the election has special significance for him: The world’s largest general scientific society, AAAS publishes the journal Science, which ran his first paper in 1967, when he was an undergraduate at Pennsylvania’s Allegheny College. Cooper will be officially welcomed Feb. 18 in Vancouver at the AAAS annual meeting.

The mammal center is at 20612 Laguna Canyon Road. For more information, call (949) 494-3050 or visit https://www.pacificmmc.org.

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Weekly update from the city manager

•The city Laguna Beach implemented an enhanced permitting system Dec. 12. Some delays may occur in processing submittals, including payments, while adjusting to the new system.

•The California Office of Administrative Law approved the South Coast Marine Protected Area regulations on Dec. 8. The designations are slated to go into effect Jan. 1. To see the Office of Administrative Law document, visit https://tinyurl.com/7uzqsah.

•The work to stabilize the slope and protect the public sewer line in the easement at 1280 Bluebird Canyon Drive is underway. The construction is expected to be complete by mid-February.

•Next week, a third 1,150-gallon propane storage tank will be installed at the City’s Corporation Yard on Laguna Canyon Road. Ridership on our fleet of propane Festival Trolleys has increased 55% since the Corporation Yard was designed more than five years ago, and propane usage has increased accordingly. Last summer, tanker truck deliveries of propane were needed on a daily basis. The new tank will fit in between the two existing tanks so that the footprint of the fueling station will not be changed and no parking spaces will be lost. The new tank is provided at no charge by the city’s propane supplier.

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No holiday changes to trash pickup schedule

Waste Management will provide normal trash and recycling pickup service on the regularly scheduled day for both the week of Christmas Day and the week of New Year’s Day.

“Since Christmas Day and New Year’s fall on weekends, there will be no service delays during those weeks,” Chrystal Denning of Waste Management of Orange County said in a prepared statement. “We wish our loyal customers a safe and happy holiday season.”

Waste Management will collect and recycle Christmas trees from Monday through Jan. 13 on the regular collection day. Trees taller than 6 feet must be cut in half. Residents need to remove all decorations including tinsel, lights, ornaments and tree stands, and place the tree at the curb.

Residents can also recycle their Christmas tree by cutting it up and placing it in the green waste cart. Flocked trees will be collected but cannot be recycled.

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Bridge substitutes needed at senior center

The Ganell Baker Round Robin Bridge Tournament is seeking substitutes, male or female, to play during its current six-month session.

Bridge players meet at 11:30 a.m. on the first and third Tuesday of each month in the game room of the Susi Q Senior Center. Players will go 24 hands with their same partner.

Experienced and novice players are welcome.

Those interested in being on the substitute list can call (949) 494-9626 or (949) 494-9538.

—Jamie Rowe and Kelly Parker

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