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Los Angeles Times
10-07-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Miracles for Kids provides beach respite for critically ill children, their families
It's a long trek from Beaumont to Newport Beach, but Shamikka Pollard wouldn't have it any other way. A family trip turned into a special day for her son Emari, 7, as Miracles For Kids launched its 14th annual Surf & Paddle Camp Thursday morning at the Newport Aquatic Center and the Newport Dunes. It was the first time at the beach for Emari, who was diagnosed with a rare blood disease, severe aplastic anema, in 2023. Less than 1,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with this disease each year. 'They had no groups, and even no resources,' Shamikka Pollard said. 'Because it wasn't cancer, there were no resources.' Emari's older sister, Emanii, was his bone marrow donor. He had to go through both chemotherapy and radiation. Emari, who is autistic, was all smiles Thursday, enjoying a floating playground at the dunes after he, along with other critically ill Miracles for Kids children, their families and volunteers, paddle across the Back Bay on large outrigger canoes. Shamikka said Emari was amazed by the sand and seashells. Looking at the bigger picture, she was appreciative that she eventually found the Irvine-based nonprofit. 'This is the only resource that we actually got help from,' she said. 'I was thankful for it, because they actually helped pay my car note for six months. That's the car that I depend on to get back and forth to the hospital, so that meant a lot, being that we were already limited on resources.' The Miracles for Kids summer camp is a three-part series designed to help the children enjoy summer and time outside. A second paddle camp will be held on July 17, while a surf camp will be held Aug. 8 at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach. The surf camp will be held in partnership with fellow nonprofit Waves of Impact. 'It's really a chance for the families to bond, for them to have kind of a normal day for the kids to enjoy being outside and with others,' said Saphhira Roberson, community programs director for Miracles for Kids. 'When they're in treatment, they're isolated, they can't be around others that much … We just want them to be able to have that sense of fun and normalcy in the summer.' Tom Swanecamp, Miracles for Kids board member, helped create the summer camp program 14 years ago and was in the midst of the action Thursday. The children were set to paddle back to the Newport Aquatic Center, where they ate lunch courtesy of Bracken's Kitchen before more extended playing time. Swanecamp noted that many of the Miracles for Kids families are financially challenged and even something many take for granted like going to the beach can be expensive, when factoring in transportation costs, sunblock, chairs, bathing suits and more. 'This is what kids should be doing in the summer, right?' he said. 'You don't have to look, you can close your eyes and hear the laughter and the communication. Kids laughing, parents laughing. It's pretty cool.' Shamikka Pollard would agree. It was her birthday Thursday, but seeing her son and other children enjoy themselves was the best present she could have received. She said her son had essentially been in a bubble for more than two years because he's immunocompromised. 'Being able to come out means everything,' she said.
Los Angeles Times
09-07-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Huntington Beach Planning Commission approves permits for new PCH homes
The Huntington Beach Planning Commission approved coastal development permits for 10 new homes on Pacific Coast Highway on Tuesday night. The vote was split 4-2, with Chairman Brian Thienes, Vice Chair Brett Bush and Commissioners Ken Babineau and Dominic McGee voting to move the project along. Commissioners Ann Palmer and Tracy Pellman voted against approving the permits. Irvine-based WJK Development Co. is the developer of the project, which would be built on individual lots on property at 1810 Pacific Coast Highway, between 18th and 19th streets. The site is a former oil/gas production facility. The 10 homes would each be three stories high, ranging from 3,420 square feet to 4,011 square feet, and would include garages. Four of the homes would include accessory dwelling units (ADUs). 'These fit more into the neighborhood than some kind of high-density development, which I think for the neighbors would be much more problematic and troublesome,' Babineau said. 'I like the project. I think it's well done and well thought out. I'm sympathetic, obviously, to people that have to live next to construction — I'm currently in that situation myself — but I think the alternative with high density, I don't think any of the current residents would be very happy with that, either.' A few neighbors attended the meeting to express their opposition to the project. John Mahood, who has been in his house on the first block of 18th Street for more than 30 years, said he plans to appeal Tuesday night's decision to the City Council. 'Our neighborhood has been developed, finished,' said Mahood, 71, adding that he considers his house to be his retirement home. 'We've been waiting on this last piece to get done. We actually put up with three years of mitigation on this property. It was two years with the oil company pulling wells, and now these people have been here for a year and a half ... We went along with this until we found out what we were getting.' He expressed concern that structures planned to be on rooftop decks, accessible via an elevator, would rise higher than the listed 35-foot building height. However, even with the rooftop 'doghouse,' as it is called, the project is consistent with the city's general plan and zoning designations, contract principal planner Wayne Carvalho said. Grant Keene, representing the developer, reiterated that the plans met all city codes and no variances were requested. 'As a builder, I'm up here, and I'm expected to have a set of codes that I go by,' Keene said. 'The comments I'm hearing are basically, you don't like the codes and those have to be changed, [but] this is what I was given. I'm building exactly to code. It's simple. I don't understand how there's a question at all related to that.' Neighbor Xavier Glasper, who also lives on the first block of 18th Street, said that developments keep getting bigger and bigger. 'They are trying to get every piece of profit that they can get out of this, at the neighborhood's expense,' Glasper said. Saying he thought the project could have been 'a lot more impactful, parking-wise and traffic-wise,' Bush voted in favor of it. 'I think this is a best use. It's going to look beautiful; I like the design,' he said. Palmer voted 'no,' arguing that the project consisted of four-story buildings, for all intents and purposes, with the additional structures on the rooftops. 'It's a lovely development, but I would have preferred to see just a little more concern to the character of Huntington Beach as it exists now,' she said.
Los Angeles Times
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- Los Angeles Times
Tesla sales continue to slide amid competition and backlash against Elon Musk
As Elon Musk scrambles to restore Tesla's reputation and deliver on promises of autonomous driving technology, vehicle sales for the company continued to fall last quarter. Tesla delivered 384,122 vehicles in the quarter through June, down 13% from 443,956 deliveries a year ago. The drop in deliveries is a result of increased competition, plateauing demand for electric vehicles and brand damage triggered by Musk's role in the Trump administration, experts said. Though Tesla remains the dominant force in the electric vehicle market, major manufacturers including Ford and Chevy have released their own electric vehicles. Startups such as Irvine-based Rivian have also cut into Tesla's market share. At the same time, demand growth for electric vehicles has flattened as the market becomes saturated, analysts said. In February, Tesla topped the list of brands that lost the most resale value year over year, according to Karl Brauer, an analyst with The price of a used Tesla Model S and Model Y each dropped by about 16% in February from a year earlier, he said. 'It could be that nobody wants to buy them anymore, or that there's a massive influx of them available, or both,' Brauer said in an interview in March. Rivian reported lower than expected production numbers on Wednesday, signaling trouble throughout the industry. The company assembled nearly 6,000 trucks, SUVs and delivery vans in the second quarter, falling short of Wall Street estimates of more than 11,300. Tesla's disappointing delivery numbers follow a bumpy first quarter, which saw a 71% drop in profits and 9% drop in revenue from a year earlier. Though Musk has stepped down from his position in government, helping lead the Department of Government Efficiency, his time in the White House alienated some of his liberal-leaning customers. Tesla drivers who were drawn to the environmental benefits of electric vehicles are growing embarrassed by their cars' association with Musk, The Times has reported. Several celebrities have ditched their Teslas as part of a public stand against the company. The brand damage spread outside the U.S. to Europe, where monthly sales in 32 countries fell nearly 50% in April. Tesla analyst Dan Ives predicted that 5% to 10% of the brand damage sustained during Musk's stint in the White House will be permanent. 'Tesla has become a political symbol around the world and that's not a good thing,' Ives said last month. Tesla is increasingly banking its future on self-driving technology and autonomous taxi operations. Last month, the company began selectively testing self-driving Model Y vehicles in Austin, Texas. According to claims Musk has made, Tesla drivers will one day be able to sleep in their car as it drives them across the country. Tesla's robotaxis will roam city streets, and humanoid robots dubbed Optimus will perform everyday tasks. 'Musk's top priority should be autonomy and robotics,' Ives said. 'With these technologies, I believe Tesla's market cap could reach $2 trillion.' The company is currently valued at $989 billion. Tesla shares have fallen more than 16% this year.
Scottish Sun
01-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Inside Rangers-daft tycoon's £1.8m mansion – it's got its own football pitch, pool & GOLF COURSE
The £1.8million property has also got a bar, entertainment room, guests annex and sauna BEAR PIT Inside Rangers-daft tycoon's £1.8m mansion – it's got its own football pitch, pool & GOLF COURSE Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RANGERS-daft rail tycoon Alan McLeish is flogging his swanky country pad for a jaw-dropping £1.8million. The self-made QTS mogul, 65, dubbed one of Scotland's richest men, has listed Bogside House near Monkton, Ayrshire following the end of his marriage to ex-wife Phyllis. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 12 Alan McLeish 12 Bogside House is described as "one-of-a-kind" 12 The pad has its own football pitch, golf course and swimming pool The luxury pad - which the couple purchased in 2014 for £872,000 - comes complete with a floodlit 4G sports pitch, nine-hole golf course, indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room, and gym. Inside there's a swanky bar and a custom-built entertainment and karaoke room. Outside there's an outdoor TV in the courtyard and a fire pit as well as a separate two-bedroom annex for guests, all set within lush private grounds. McLeish's love for the Ibrox side is evident in some of the pictures as framed Rangers jerseys adorn some of the walls inside the home. The property, which is being listed by Ayr and Irvine-based estate agents, Donald Ross Residential, is described as "one-of-a-kind". The listing says: "Bogside House is a truly exceptional lifestyle estate, offering a rare combination of luxury, privacy, and recreation across approximately 11 acres of immaculately landscaped grounds. "Whether unwinding in the games room, entertaining in the conservatory with built-in fire pit table, or strolling through the tranquil gardens, every element of Bogside House is crafted for luxury living and effortless entertaining. "This is a one-of-a-kind sanctuary, a rare offering in the marketplace, defined by its scale, versatility, and exclusivity." McLeish started his business Quality Tree Surgeons (QTS) back in 1991 after borrowing £300 from his mum to buy a chainsaw. Since then he turned QTS into a rail empire, eventually selling it for a whopping £80million in 2018. This house has appeared on dozens of hit TV shows - but would YOU recognise it? McLeish spent years throwing millions into his beloved Rangers FC and QTS sponsored rivals Kilmarnock for 10 years. McLeish, 65, and ex Phyllis settled their divorce last year for less than £125,000 - a fraction of the £16.5million Phyllis, a boss at Kilmarnock FC, had been initially asking for. 12 The walls are adorned by framed Rangers tops Credit: Donald Ross 12 The home has a swanky bar and entertainment area 12 The impressive hallway in the house has two staircases 12 The property boasts an indoor pool and jacuzzi 12 The rail tycoon's property is spread over 11 acres 12 The house is on the market for a cool £1.8million The exes were locked in a courtroom standoff for three years before reaching a deal. As part of the settlement Alan kept the Monkton mansion and agreed to cover half the value of two luxury homes in Spain. Alan's daughter Jennifer McLeish put her own luxury home on the market last year following a spate of firebombing attacks. In January 2023, thugs left vulgar sexual insults trashing Mcleish on walls in central Bothwell. Maniacs also drove a motor to her front gate before setting it ablaze and fleeing. The fire spread to the fence of McLeish's neighbour at the time, former Celtic star Leigh Griffiths. The attacks are understood to be linked to a fall-out between Mcleish's partner Brian McIlear and a known- Glasgow hood. In Hamilton, a wall in the David Lloyd gym car park was daubed with personal insults aimed at Jennifer. 12 The impressive property even boasts a sauna, as well as a gym, pool and steam room 12 The new owners will be able to relax in the steam room
Los Angeles Times
30-06-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Irvine's Five Point Holdings Acquires Hearthstone Residential for $59.25 Million
Irvine-based Five Point Holdings agreed to acquire a 75% stake in Hearthstone Residential Holdings LLC from Hearthstone Inc. and The Mark and Lynn Porath 2000 Trust for $59.25 million. Five Point agreed to pay $56.25 million in cash and up to $3 million in stock. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the third quarter. 'Hearthstone has built an impressive track record over more than three decades, consistently delivering value through changing market conditions, and we are very excited to bring this exceptional platform and talented team into Five Point,' said Dan Hedigan, chief executive and president of Five Point, in a statement. Hearthstone was founded in 1992 and is focused on managing institutional capital in residential for-sale housing. Its business consists of a land banking program that provides capital to public homebuilders, a joint venture financing program, and advisory services for real estate investors and financial institutions. It has over $2.6 billion in assets under management and has funded more than 173,000 homes and lots, totaling approximately $21 billion in investments in connection with approximately 750 transactions. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP acted as legal advisor for Five Point Holdings. Alston & Bird LLP acted as legal advisor for Hearthstone Inc. and Hearthstone Residential Holdings LLC. Information for this article was sourced from Five Point Holdings.
