Victoria McGinnis: Living a life of symmetry

WRITTEN BY: Samantha Washer

Photos by: Mary Hurlbut

There is a symmetry to Victoria McGinnis’ life. With two homes and two careers, she seems to like things in pairs. But it goes even further than that. Her two careers, though seemingly different, are actually quite similar, at least the way McGinnis approaches them. She has found her place both on center stage as a performer and behind the scenes as an editor/director/producer. The performing part seems to have been pre-ordained; the other speaks to her resourcefulness.

A performer from the start

As a native New Yorker, McGinnis began performing with her father, a big band drummer and orchestra leader, at the age of three. “It was at the Riverboat Room, a posh supper club in the Empire State Building. He had given me the direction, ‘After you finish singing the song, I will gently squeeze your hand and that is your cue to leave the stage.’  Well, I finished the song, he squeezed my hand, but I made like I didn’t notice. He kept squeezing my hand. I looked up at him and he saw in my eyes the way I felt, how much I loved being there. He then turned to the audience and said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, we have a bit of a problem, my daughter doesn’t want to get off stage!’ The audience roared! I loved it!” she recalls. The two began regularly performing as a duo when she was 16. 

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Victoria McGinnis, singer, editor, producer, director and Laguna Beach resident

A graduate of Fordham University, McGinnis studied theater. “I was always in front,” she explains. Center stage is someplace she feels very comfortable. Her introduction to the behind-the-scenes world arrived after she graduated.

Being nice wins her a ticket to the mailroom

 McGinnis says she took a job at a production company doing voice-overs. One day she got a strange request. “They asked me, ‘Can you sit in our mailroom and handle the mail?’ The mailroom person had quit.” Not jumping at the chance to sit in the mailroom, McGinnis says she reminded them she was their voice-over person. “Why did you ask me?” she remembers questioning. “They said, ‘Because you’re nice,’” she recalls with a hint of exasperation.

A poor candy selection is a motivator

Once in the mailroom, McGinnis says, “I was bored. They had a bad vending machine, bad candy. So I started researching vending machines.” She says she found machines that were better and cheaper. The office manager was all for it. 

In her enthusiasm for securing better snack food for herself and co-workers, McGinnis says she decided to take charge. “I sent out a global voice mail asking what kind of candy and stuff people wanted in the vending machines. It went to everyone, the head of the company…everyone. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed do that,” she says ruefully. The office manager was stricken. “She was telling me, ‘You can’t do that! You might get fired.’ I was scared to death!” remembers McGinnis. 

Her quest for better candy pays off

 Later that day, just like in the movies, she saw the head of the company heading her way. This, she assumed, was not going to be good. He approached her, “Are you Victoria in the mailroom?” She says she remembers feeling pretty confident that she was going to be fired on the spot. Instead, she recalls, “He shakes my hand and passes me a slip of paper with a big smile on his face and says, ‘I’ll take M&M’s.’“ After that people started hiring me as a production coordinator,” she says with a laugh.

Editing is an “aha moment”

She didn’t stay a production coordinator for long. An editor at the production company she worked for invited her to watch him edit one of his projects. “It was an ‘aha’ moment. Editing images together is so much like putting two notes together. I couldn’t get enough of it,” she says. In six months after watching and learning, she was hired as an editor. “I was with that company for four years,” she says. She has since added producer and director to her resume, in addition to editor.

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Victoria McGinnis in her element at GG’s Bistro

Victoria’s bicoastal aspirations began in 1997 when McGinnis came to Laguna Beach for the first time after her father passed away. Not only had she lost her father, she had lost the other half of her act. Obviously, it was a very emotional time. A friend, sensing McGinnis’ need to get out of New York, invited her to Laguna Beach.  “New Yorkers think southern California is all just LA,” laughs McGinnis. Her friend convinced her, “’It’s better than LA!’” 

Finding Laguna at the right time

On the drive home from John Wayne Airport, McGinnis says it was nighttime. They drove through the canyon, down Broadway where, ahead of her in the distance, she saw nothing but blackness. Questioning her friend about this strange phenomenon, she was told it was the ocean. “What?!” McGinnis says, recounting her surprise. “I didn’t realize it was right next to the ocean!” If timing is everything, then the timing was right for McGinnis to find Laguna. “It was an amazing week for me to find this town – so lovely, liberal and open.” So she started to seriously consider living here, as well as NYC.

In 2003 she made that a reality and got an apartment in town. She maintained that same apartment until she bought a home here two and a half years ago. She explains she used to divide her time seven months in New York and five months in Laguna. Since the home purchase, however, that ratio has shifted to favor more time in Laguna.  Her partner, Tori Johnston, is a 20-year Laguna resident originally from Scotland. “She had four daughters when I met her so now together we have four daughters. All Laguna Beach girls,” says McGinnis proudly.  

Putting down roots in Laguna inspires a desire to get involved

Since becoming a homeowner, McGinnis says a newfound desire to get more involved in the community promoted her and Johnston to become Board members of Chhahari, a local non-profit that runs an orphanage in Nepal. To hear McGinnis talk about the kids who reside there, whom she hasn’t met personally and only knows through the videos she edits from other people’s footage, is to hear a woman passionate about this cause. “I feel like I need to meet them,” she says emphatically. She and Johnston are looking to do just that in 2019. McGinnis proudly tells me their eldest daughter has already been there.

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Victoria McGinnis is an exceptional multi-tasker, singing and playing percussion

Laguna is becoming her own personal musical

For now, McGinnis is more than content to perform her standing Wednesday night gig at GG’s Bistro in addition to performing regularly at the Sawdust Festival, and other gigs around the southland. “I’ve been at the Sawdust a lot and I love it! There is such anonymity in New York. It can be very lonely. Here, in Laguna, it’s amazing for me. So many people walk by and wave. And at GG’s, with the great locals…There are nights where everybody’s singing ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’…It’s how I’ve wanted to live my life. You walk down the street and everybody’s singing.”

A father’s words ring true

Apparently, her father, who never visited the west coast, was right when he told her, “Dolly, (he called her Dolly) you belong in southern California. You love the sunshine. That’s where you should be.” And while she is by no means relinquishing her New York ties, she says now home is where her house and family are. “I feel like I’m finally a local. I feel like I’m really settling, really enjoying things.”

The Vic 2017 Skimboard championships

Photos by Scott Brashier

While thousands rallied at Main Beach this weekend, a much more mellow scene unfolded at Aliso Beach.

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Scott captures stunning colors and sweet moves on a sunny day at Aliso Beach

List of winners

Pro men: Blair Conklin

Men 30 -39: Brian Russick

40 and up: Paul Wade

9-11: Nelson Thompson

12-14: Zack Henderson

15-17: Timmy Vitella

18-21: Ethan Vinograd

22-24: Shane Webster

25-29: Simon Avedissian

Women’s Amateur: Amanda Fierro

Women’s Pro: Jordan Sitea

Dennis’ Tidbits

By DENNIS McTIGHE

August 22, 2017

Total eclipse of the sun: there are no words (but here are a few)

I’m on the beach in a place called Lincoln City in Oregon located smack dab in the middle of totality of the solar eclipse. At 10:18 a.m., P.D.T. the skies went dark for two minutes and 12 seconds revealing not only Venus and Jupiter but some constellations as well. What an amazing event! The temp dropped about 15 degrees during totality and the wind blew from every direction. 

Now it’s calm and the skies are a dark blue as the sun emerges once again. Weather conditions were perfect as the marine layer remained well offshore. I heard that this coastal town gets pretty foggy in the summer but today we got lucky. Staying with an old surfing buddy and his wife who have a house here in Lincoln City so I didn’t have to deal with trying to find a hotel room as every place was totally booked way before this event. 

I’ve witnessed one other total eclipse in my life and that was in Cabo on July 11, 1991. Words can’t describe how truly awesome this was!

Aloha!

Partial eclipse of the sun, Laguna Beach, August 21

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Photo by Scott Brashier

The moon moves partly over the sun…

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Creating a crescent shape…

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Photo by Scott Brashier

Which makes for much pleasanter viewing for firefighters than Sunday’s crowd!

It’s Breakers time! Get ready for some football

The first Breakers home football game takes place this Friday, August 25 vs. Bolsa Grande. The Varsity team is coming off a great season last year where they made it to the Semi-Final CIF game.

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Photo by Scott Brashier

Last year was very successful for the Breakers Varsity team

Kick off is at 7 p.m. and to keep with tradition, food trucks will be at all home games again this season.  The home game schedule is as follows:

Friday, August 25 vs. Bolsa Grande

Friday, September 15 vs. Orange

Friday, September 22 vs. St. Margaret’s

Friday, October 13 vs. Costa Mesa (Homecoming)

Friday, October 27 vs. Estancia

See you there to cheer on the home team!

Kick up your heels at the Labor Weekend three-day dance event at the Boom Boom Room from Sept 2-4

Why celebrate the Labor Day holiday for only one day, when you can celebrate for the entire three-day weekend at a dance event presented by the Boom Boom Room?  Put on your dancing shoes and go to the Boom Boom Room on Sat, Sept 2 through Mon, Sept 4, from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m., where there will be different DJs each day.  

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Labor Day dance event at the Boom Boom Room

On Sat, the DJ will be Geoffrey Fox from OC, on Sun, Taj from San Diego, and on Mon, Dawna Montell from LA.

The three-day event will benefit OC Pride and HRC. The dance floor and the lower bar will be open.

The Boom Boom Room is located at 1401 S Coast Hwy.

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PMMC’s “Endless Summer Gala” celebrates dining, dancing, donating, and Ryan Hickman on Sept 10

In the beautiful setting of The Ranch LB, guests at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s “Endless Summer Gala” on Sun, Sept. 10, will have the opportunity to enjoy an evening of live and silent auctions, an elegant plated dinner, and the music of “Surf’s Up” the Beach Boys Tribute Band, while supporting the patients at PMMC. This annual event will take place from 4:30 – 8:30 p.m. 

Adding to the festivities, PMMC will honor eight-year-old Ryan’s Recycling CEO, Ryan Hickman, as Philanthropist of the Year. Ryan, who started his company when he was just three-and-a-half-years old, is known all around the world for his recycling efforts. He has recycled over 250,000 cans and bottles and donated almost five thousand dollars to PMMC over the years. 

“We feel very honored to have Ryan supporting PMMC. We realize that the real future of the planet lies in the hands of our children and Ryan’s passion for the environment is hugely influencing other youth on how they too, can make a difference,” said Executive Director Keith Matassa. 

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Ryan Hickman - Recycling King

The PMMC is proud to announce the following sponsors making this year’s event possible: Lisa Argyros and The Argyros Family Foundation, Erin J. Lastinger and the A. Gary Anderson Family Foundation, Barbara and Greg MacGillivray, Carla and Jeff Meberg, and Suzanne and Jim Mellor. They also offer a special thank you to Bruce Brown Films and Franklin Joseph Publishing for support. 

What better chance to honor Ryan, kick up your heels and dine on delicious cuisine, while at the same time helping the PMMC patients survive and thrive? There are currently 14 patients housed at the center, seven sea lions, five elephant seals, and two harbor seals.

Tickets are $300, and a table for 10 is $3,500. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.pacificmmc.org/gala17/gala-tickets

For assistance with your ticket purchase, and to view available sponsorships, contact Krysta Higuchi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 949-494-3050.

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Bestselling author T. Jefferson Parker appears at LBB on Aug 24 for discussion and book signing

On Thurs, Aug 24, at 6 p.m. Laguna Beach Books welcomes New York Times bestselling author and award winner T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Room of White Fire, for a talk, Q & A and signing. In this thriller, a resourceful private investigator uncovers layers of deception in his search for an escaped mental patient.

Roland Ford, the P.I., is good at finding people. But when he’s asked to locate Air Force veteran Clay Hickman, he realizes he’s been drawn into something deep and dark. What he doesn’t know is why a shroud of secrecy hangs over the disappearance.  What could Clay possibly know to make this search so desperate?

On Aug 24, T. Jefferson Parker talks about his novel The Room of White Fire

For Ford, what began as just a job, becomes a life-or-death obsession, pitting him against immensely powerful and treacherous people and forcing him to contend with chilling questions about truth, justice, and the American way.

T. Jefferson Parker is the bestselling author of numerous novels, including the Edgar Award winners California Girl and Silent Joe. Alongside Dick Francis and James Lee Burke, he is one of only three writers who has won the Edgar Award for Best Novel more than once. Parker lives with his family in So Cal.

Laguna Beach Books is located at 1200 So Coast Hwy, Ste. 105. For further information, call 949-494-4779 or go online to http://www.lagunabeachbooks.com/

Put your health back in balance with 7 steps to relieve neck & back pain

If you have been struggling with neck and back pain, and are longing to find a solution for lasting relief, this workshop on Tue Aug 29, at 6:30 p.m. is for you.There have been thousands healed and restored from these same challenges through the secrets we will share. We want to see the same for you at out workshop.

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Submitted Photo

Noah and Logan working on relieving any neck & back pain 

At this informative workshop, you will learn: What you can do for 10 minutes each day to improve neck and back health & prevent injury and degeneration, the secrets to postural restoration and why it is so important, what to never do after injuries if you want to maintain a healthy body, the top foods you can eat to decrease your proclivity to pain and why your symptoms aren’t going away easily and what can be done about it. 

Give us 90 minutes and we will give you the tools and advice you need to get out of pain for good!

To RSVP, call at 949-497-2553 or visit www.healthinbalance.com/events. Dinner will be provided at this interactive workshop and is located at 380 Glenneyre Suite G.

Art-To-Go Happy Hour sale will take place on Thurs, auction sell-out on Sunday

The Artists Fund at Festival of Arts will offer 20 percent-off list prices of its entire Art-To-Go collection during a happy hour sale on Thurs Aug 24, 5 – 8 p.m. A final, silent auction sell-out will be on Sun Aug 27, 5 – 8 p.m. Bid sheets will close starting at 7:45 p.m. Early bidding is recommended.

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Photo by Mike Tauber

Jonathan Hunt shows his skateboard wall art

The collection, themed The Art of Travel, features more than 50 originals donated by Festival exhibitors. New arrivals this week include jewelry by Linda Potichke, sepia toned photography by Robert Hansen, and paintings by Susan Cox, Greg LaRock, Mark Jacobucci, and Tom Swimm. Standouts include “Discovery”- a raku vessel by Richard Moren with a dichroic copper glaze, and Blue Globes, a set of wall sculptures from recycled plastics by Mariana Nelson.

One buyer will win a certificate for two-night stay at The Tides Inn in Laguna Beach. Proceeds from sales support artists suffering from injury, medical needs, disaster or unfortunate circumstances.

Festival of Arts is open 10 a.m. -11:30 p.m. through August 31. 650 Laguna Canyon Rd.

TheArtistsFund-FoA.org (949)612-1949.

Printmaker loves art and (she found out after 40 years) teaching, too

If there’s one thing Vinita Voogd loves as much as she loves art, it’s teaching art.

Her love of teaching was an exercise in self-discovery that took nearly 40 years and a move half way around the world to realize. But it didn’t take nearly as long for her to know exactly what she wanted to be.

“I don’t have the recollection but my mother says that I was telling everybody I was going to be an artist when I was quite young, maybe six years old,” said Voogd, who is currently showing her artwork at the Festival of Arts this summer for the 16th consecutive year. “Most of my family were bankers and engineers and business people, so I was the first artist in the family.”

Drawing for hours with her grandfather, “Dadu,” is what ignited her flame, and the fire was stoked during her years in school in her home country of India. After prep school, it was on to the College of Art, University of Delhi, where she says she had a “fantastic” education.

“It’s really prestigious, because they only take in 24 students a year,” Voogd said. “And those 24 are divided into three groups. So we always just had a class of eight with a professor. It was really nice.”

Voogd met her husband Martin, a native Californian who spent most of his life in Holland, when he was sent to India to do work as an engineer. They got married and decided to move to California, because Martin wanted to go to grad school.

It was an exciting move for Voogd, who had been to California just once before.

But soon Voogd found herself looking for a spark.

“My husband is an entrepreneur and he had started his business when he was in grad school, so I helped him with his business, and it was not so hard,” Voogd recalled. “It was easy, but it was boring, so that’s when I decided to take an art class, printmaking at UC Irvine.”

Printmaking soon became her passion.

“I started printmaking at UCI because they were close by and offered printmaking,” she said. “I didn’t know anybody here, so I got an amazing instructor (John Paul Jones). It was like learning painting from Picasso. It was the most famous printmaker teaching printmaking at UCI.”

“I was doing printmaking (during college in India) but not enough. I was mostly doing graphic arts, but some of my friends had classes in printmaking and I was always drawn to it and kept wanting to do more but never had the chance to take more printmaking classes. And so when I got here, I thought, oh here’s my chance to study more printmaking. So I enrolled in his class, and since I learned from him, I was completely hooked.”

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Submitted photo

Vinita Voogd at work

After finishing her studies under Jones at UCI, Voogd considered other mediums, but always came back to printmaking. Printmaking, though, is an expensive process.

“It’s very equipment oriented,” Voogd said. “You need to have a full studio, you need to have an etching press, which costs a lot of money, and you need space.”

Eager to resume printmaking, Voogd enrolled at Saddleback College, taking a printmaking class so she could use the school’s equipment. While attending Saddleback, Voogd met someone who would become another mentor — professor Bill Riley.

It was Riley who got Voogd to do something she never imagined she’d do — teach.

“I absolutely had no idea I would enjoy it, and I would be good at it,” Voogd said of teaching. “It was my mentor, Bill Riley at Saddleback. He was going on sabbatical in 2004 or 2005 and he asked me to teach his class while he was gone. It was such an honor that he would ask me.”

“I was thinking fast on my feet, thinking, ‘Oh I can’t say no to him, but I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know how much I would like this.’ But then I thought, well, I know the material, that’s not the problem. I was just worried that I might not like it. But on the first day of class, 10 minutes into it, it was the best time of life. I was thinking to myself, what have I missed, this is amazing. Teaching is really very rewarding, a very good experience for me. I really enjoy teaching.”

Teaching is in her blood now, something she can do whether she’s in a classroom or not. And that includes interacting with art lovers during the Festival of Arts.

“It’s an opportunity to teach,” she said. “Not many people know about printmaking. People know about painting, they know about sculpture, they can imagine how a sculpture was made. They can imagine how a painting was done. Or even how a piece of ceramics was done. But printmaking seems to be like this medium that is a surprise, or, how did you do this?

“Because printmaking can be done a hundred different ways. Every printmaker at the Festival you’ll see, they are printmakers but everybody’s work is completely different. Just within the medium of printmaking, there are hundreds of techniques, and somebody chooses one technique over the other, and they just push that and you have a whole new set of artwork that doesn’t look like anyone else’s.”

And among the printmakers at the Festival are six who have studied under Voogd, including three who are new to the Festival this year. The six include Jonathan Hunt, Mariko Ishii, Brandon Medrano, Anne Moore, Varsha Patel and Joy Vansell. Their artwork, as well as Voogd’s, is on display now through August 31.

“I felt like a proud mom, I was so happy,” Voogd said of learning of her students’ inclusion in the Festival. “I actually called my mentor (Riley) and said, ‘Now I know how you felt when we were having our successes’ and he would feel so happy. It was the same for me. I was very happy, very proud. They do all the work, I just show them the way. They do it on their own.”

G Ray Kerciu’s Historical Art Show proves timely after the events in Charlottesville

Nationally renowned artist G. Ray Kerciu opened his temporary Pop Up Art Show ‘Five Decades of Art’ to a big crowd in Laguna Beach last weekend. The exhibit, which runs until August 31, showcases artwork ranging from 1960s historical paintings supporting civil rights and anti-segregation to lithography, sculptures and more recent landscape paintings.

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Photo by Debra Oakland

G Ray Kerciu

Kerciu’s opening reception highlighted and discussed his painting Never, which caused controversy in 1963 during his exhibit at the University of Mississippi because of controversy over the depiction of the confederate flag (the word ‘never’ was superimposed over the flag). The painting drew attention again last weekend as the Charlottesville, Virginia events unfolded on the same day as the art show opening. 

During the tumultuous times in the 1960s, Kerciu was arrested over a violation of state law prohibiting desecration of the confederate flag – under circumstances that are now eerily reflected in recent events. 

Kerciu documented in his paintings what he experienced on campus during that period. Charges were later dropped, as chronicled in Kerciu’s book ‘Radical Retrospective’. This ushered in a period of intense media attention, and Kerciu was featured in publications such as Artnews, Artforum, Time Magazine and World Book Encyclopedia, raising awareness of his work in the art world.

In the years following, several other pieces of Kerciu’s art work became popular and are featured in selected public collections across the country today including the Art Institute of Chicago; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Michigan State University Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum; the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena; the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C., and locally at the Laguna Art Museum.

The Pop Up Art Show is still available for viewing by appointment at 2894 S Coast Hwy until August 31 by contacting 949-433-8712. The viewing includes discussions with the artist about his five decades of art and how it has evolved since his first historical paintings were featured. 

A venerated member of the community, G. Ray Kerciu has lived in Laguna Beach for more than fifty years. He is a past President of Laguna Art Museum. Surprisingly, this is his first solo exhibition in Laguna Beach. 

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Photo by Debra Oakland

Opening night crowd at G Ray Kerciu’s August art show

Kerciu rose to prominence in the art world in 1963 after his controversial solo exhibition at the University of Mississippi where Kerciu was arrested, and charged with violating a state law prohibiting desecration of the confederate flag.  

The following year Kerciu accepted a teaching post at what is now known as California State University, Fullerton where he taught until his retirement in 2002. He was also featured as a guest artist in prestigious print houses such as Tamarind in Los Angeles and the William Hayter Atelier in Paris. 

More than a decade after his retirement from teaching and fifty years after his whirlwind introduction into the art world, Kerciu remains committed to his art.

G. Ray Kerciu’s book Radical Perspective is available on Amazon.

Suzie’s ARTiculation

A mentorship program that really clicks, part 2

BY SUZIE HARRISON

I feel so blessed to cover the arts for Stu News. I feel even more blessed when I have the opportunity to cover a story like this one, about the Festival of Arts mentorship program with the young photographers in the Boys & Girls Club’ Photo Club. 

Watching budding photographers Sade, Alexy, Fatima, Joanna, Kimberly, and Alex being mentored by Laguna’s best at the Festival of Arts, I felt like I was seeing future Festival artists in the making. 

What a privilege to witness something so special, especially under the guidance of FOA photographer mentors, Tom Lamb, Jeff Rovner, Mitch Ridder, Jacques Garnier, Rick Ferncase, and Gar Cropser. 

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Photo by Alex I., 8,

Coin, Alex, 8: “The settings on the camera allowed me to get such a focused and sharp image of my professional and his coin. It’s one of the first photos I took, and I am so proud of it.”

LCAD alum Isaac Sanchez is the art specialist at the Boys & Girls’ and oversees their Photo Club. He and volunteer Mary Church, who was integral in starting the mentorship program, introduced the young photographers. 

“This is my photo club and I am really proud of these guys. And I am really stoked to see what you can get out of them, and see where they can go with it, because I really think that this group of kids we’ve got right now, they’ve got an eye for it,” Sanchez said. “I realized that as soon as I took them off automatic to manual. It just started coming natural. You can see it in some of the photos. I think it’s a great start of their age.”

The Photo Critique – learning from the best

The day started with a critique of the Club’s work with photos spread out on the table so the mentors could see them and provide constructive feedback. 

“Each of them kind of have a different feel to it and I think they did a good job as you can tell,” Sanchez said.

Immediately upon seeing their photography work, collective words of praise were heard from the mentors.

Sade kicked off the session.

“This one, we were focusing on portraits so we took a couple of models at the Boys & Girls Club and we took pictures of them,” Sade said. “And I took pictures of him because I like the lighting. I like how half of his face is dark and how half of his face is light.”

“What is the motivation for the light?” asked Ferncase. “Is that an actual source or is that a light simply for effect?” 

Sade said she liked the effect.

Sanchez asked Sade what she liked about it. He asked her for the word she had used when she described it to him earlier at the Club.

Sade said, “Dramatic. I like that it’s dramatic.”

“I think that is very beautiful. And there is so much emotion in his hand gesture and his eyes,” Rovner said, about a second photo Sade shared. 

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Photo by Sade M., 9,

Balance, Sade, 9: “It felt like she was struggling to balance on her feet, the rocks are smooth and she’s just strong enough to stay up, I love focusing on the little details.”

Joanna was up next. It was exciting to see everyone leaning in, getting close to the work, and being so engaged.

Joanna said of her subject, “We tried to put half of her face in the lighting and the other half on the dark side.”

“It’s got a nice kick. It’s like film lighting where you have your key light here, which looks like it’s motivated from a window and then you have this kick, which is sort of a warm source, as opposed to a cooler one, and it’s a really nice effect,” Ferncase said.

“I like the location. Often the photographers who have not had a lot of experience will put their subject right in the middle of the frame. And the fact that you placed her over there, it just offers a little visual excitement that you don’t get when the person is right there in the middle,” Cropser said.

Kimberly shared a shot that she thought worked well. “I like the angle of it and the background. It’s kind of blurry and it focuses on this part,” said Kimberly.

“I think it’s good because if you have to tell a story with a photograph, which I think was the assignment, I think that one does a very good job of it. And I like the fact that the main model was in the corner looking out toward the rest of them, which is talking about the eyes,” Garnier said. “See the eyes are pointing toward that negative space in the background. And I think that’s really important.”

Fatima talked about a piece she chose. “What I like about this picture is the camera, but I think it would be better if it was more visible,” Fatima said. 

Lamb suggested the idea of an assignment with a frame within a frame. 

“You could do that with mirrors or you could do that with the camera itself. You could have a mirror that’s reflecting everything backward too,” said Lamb.

Alexy talked about the photo she chose. “I actually adopted this photo. I thought it was cool because of the motion, like the way her hair is blowing that way. I would probably focus her face more, but I really like the motion.”

The mentors concurred, commenting how impressed they were with their work and talent, especially for their young age. 

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Photo by Kimberly O., 11,

Floral Composition, Kimberley, 11: “A tight restricted composition of a flower that shows off color and shape language.”

Tour of Art, viewing the mentor photographers’ work at their booths

The mentees were eager to see the work of their great mentors, imaging what it would be like to be a professional photographer exhibiting at the FOA. 

Jeff Rovner was first the first stop on the tour de talent. His 16-year-old daughter Haley was on hand for the day, volunteering as the model for the shoot that followed the tour. 

“I am a circus performer and my dad takes pictures of my circus. I am a hula hoop dancer,” said Haley, who is a member of Le PeTiT CiRqUe, a nonprofit group of youngsters who perform acrobatics and circus acts.

She is the source of inspiration for Rovner’s work. 

“I got a chance to travel with and be with the circus group during their rehearsals and their performances,” Rovner said. “These are portraits really, but they are portraits in action.” 

The group marveled at his work and were in awe of Haley’s talent, punctuating both with a resounding, “Wow!” They were very curious and asked a lot of questions, including about how he could get such a close-up view. 

“I did the shoot from 20 feet up, and I was on a great big crane that got me up to her height, so I could take a picture straight on. But she’s very high above the ground,” Rovner said. That ignited more wows.

Lamb showed his work, explaining that all his photos were taken from a helicopter.

“Look at this picture here, it’s an aerial photograph and someone said it looked like a drawing on a legal pad. But it’s really way up in the air. What else do you see there?” asked Lamb. 

One of them saw a bicycle, others saw a figure, a balloon, and a bowling pin.

“It’s amazing, it’s kind of like the ink blot test. You just don’t know,” said Lamb.

Ferncase’s work was next on the tour. 

“If your work is about depth of field my work is almost the opposite. I’ve taken the depth of field out of all of this. All this is about trying to eliminate the clutter and distractions from our lives,” Ferncase said. “Because I feel like we’re too busy all the time and we don’t focus on things well enough. So this is a message to myself to stop and smell the roses and focus. So I have chosen buildings around Orange County and Los Angeles. I’ve taken everything out of the photograph – blacked out everything that I didn’t think was important.”

“I like how it looks like it’s a sketch,” said Sade.

Ridder shared work that he’s exhibiting in the year’s Festival, photos he took in Cuba, a year and a half ago, when the country first started letting American tourists in.

“I shoot what is going on in the streets. It’s called street photography. I wanted to go down and take pictures before things kind of shift and change,” said Ridder. “So it’s taking pictures of the old buildings, some are 500 years old, a lot of old American cars, street vendors; there’s a lot of fun things to shoot.” 

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo by Joanna R., 11,

Tiny House, Joanna, 11: “I chose this photo because of how the small house feels real, and how it feels like a real place in a real time, even though it isn’t.”

He explained that his work is printed on canvas instead of paper to avoid reflection and glare and to make it more accessible and durable. 

When they visited Garnier’s booth he asked, “Can you tell me what makes these different than all the different photographs?” They answered that the photos are all black and white.

  “I used to shoot with infrared film for years. Now you can modify your camera. So what I wanted to do was take pictures of ordinary things in Orange County that I thought were interesting,” Garnier said. “So the filter does the work of making the leaves white. I like to juxtapose the nature with the things that were put there by people. I like to contrast textures and things like that.”

The young photographers were particularly taken with the bright and vibrant colors in Cropser’s landscapes. 

“Instead of just providing all the details, I would rather have you take a look at some the pictures and ask me some of the questions of how they speak to you,” said Cropser.

Sade said she liked the way the sun was coming down.

“Because I am interested in having vibrant colors, look at the dimensional field. I want the sun low,” Cropser said. “In terms of light, people say all the time how do you get those vibrant colors. So it really goes back to the time of day. And the sun’s position.” His wife Geraldine was present too, she was a great source of information for the inquisitive group. 

Strike a pose – model shoot with Haley

After being inspired by seeing the work of their mentors, the Club members couldn’t wait to start shooting their own masterpieces. They put the straps of their newly donated Rebel Canon cameras around their neck, while carefully holding them with both hands.

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo by Alexy T., 10,

Secrets, Alexy, 10: “I liked this photo, mainly because of how the wall draws your eye to the model, but because she’s so whimsical, as if she has a secret to tell. She knows something about you, and you don’t even know it yet.”

Lamb asked the group to think about how they wanted Haley to pose, telling them it was their job to give her direction. It was obvious that they were having a blast shooting Haley in myriad poses and places. 

They moved around to capture the best shot, exploring the right angle, some from overhead, others shot from the ground up. 

“It’s like we’re paparazzi,” they said laughing, loving every minute of it. 

Pairing up with the pros for photo adventures

Next, they were each paired up with a Festival mentor to explore what subjects they wanted to shoot.

Fatima paired up with Ferncase. He asked what she liked to photograph.

“I like shooting nature because it’s so green,” Fatima said. 

As she shot various trees, plants, and flowers, Ferncase suggested that succulents make nice pictures. He also stressed the importance of having the right light, pointing 

to various spots, from dappled to bright.

Sade ventured out with Ridder. She was mesmerized by Tom Swimm, as he was painting on the grounds. “I liked how he mixed the colors, how careful and how amazing his painting is,” she said.

“There’s really warm afternoon light, so he’s probably painting this just like he is starting that one,” Ridder said as they visited Swimm’s booth. “With the bright colors underneath and the darker colors over, that’s how he gets that feeling that it’s late afternoon, just before sunset. That’s what you want to think about with photography, think about quality of light.” 

Alexy scouted the grounds with Garnier. “We shot abstract shapes and lines, whatever we thought was interesting. I probably found the nature most interesting, there’s a lot of different colors and shapes around here,” Alexy said. “I like to shoot nature because it’s really beautiful. I love going out in nature to take pictures.” 

Joanne and Kimberly explored the grounds with Cropser. He said they talked about color and shadows and took pictures focusing on pieces with a lot of colors, pattern, and design. “We have some really neat perspectives,” Cropser said.

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo by Fatima R., 10,

Trash Horse, Fatima, 10: “This horse was beautiful, so seeing it beside trash was interesting, it felt very surreal. Like a statement.”

Tour of the Junior Art Exhibit

The young photographers enjoyed looking at work in the Junior Art Exhibit.

“Looking at the work, it looks like a trail to some place mysterious, Kimberly said of one entry. “I like the different colors it has and how in the distance it’s like a cooler blue color, so it looks like it might be cold over there.”

Sade pointed out to a piece and said, “I like the cool angles.”

Kimberly and Joanne both said, “My favorite part of today is when we walked around and started taking pictures of the paintings.”

Alexy agreed and said she liked the tips and skills she learned from the Festival mentors.

Before they left, the Photo Club members thanked their mentors profusely, glowing from their priceless experience. 

Some of the mentees said they would like to be professional photographers when they grow up. I believe with their talents they all can.

Until next time…so much exciting photography mentoring, so little time!

Take a look at more Jeff Rovner pics in this gallery…

Festival of Arts events, classes, music, Tues-Thurs

Daily Live Music Schedule

Dates: Now – Aug. 31, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Cost: Free with Festival admission

Upcoming:Tuesday, Aug 22: Chase Huna introduced by Steve Oliver (part of Rising Stars); Wednesday, Aug 23: True Willie and the Boys; Thursday, Aug 24: Brian Simpson (part of the Art, Jazz, Wine & Chocolate series).

Youth Arts Education Workshops

Dates/Times: Now – Aug 31

Mondays – Fridays, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.

Cost: $15+ fee, per child, per class

Bring out that creative spark in your young artist at the Youth Arts Classes this summer at the Festival of Arts. Kids will enjoy art classes taught by professional Festival artists in mixed media, jewelry making, collage and more. Meanwhile, parents will have free time to view the artwork on display throughout the Festival grounds. Festival artists will also share some of their creative techniques in a fun and friendly environment that will inspire your kids to come back every week. Open to children ages 5 –12.

Reservations required. For schedule and reservations, visit LagunaFestivalofArts.org.  

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Photo from Festival of Arts

Children ages 5 – 12 enjoy the fun of learning new art forms at the Festival

Rising Stars Music Series

Chase Huna introduced by Steve Oliver

Dates/Times: Now – Aug 29

Tuesdays, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Cost: Free with Festival admission

On Tuesday nights throughout the summer, the Festival of Arts’ roster of world-famous musicians and music aficionados introduce their favorite up and coming performers. Discover new talent on the Festival stage. This week features Chase Huna introduced by Steve Oliver.

“Art Talks & Tea” Series

“Art of the Pageant”

Dates/Times: Wednesday, Aug 23, 12 – 1 p.m.

Cost: Free with Festival Admission

This week’s topic is “Art of the Pageant.” Don’t miss this exciting Art Talk, as Pageant Director Dee Challis Davy explains the artistry behind the scenes of the Pageant of the Masters. This is one of several topics discussed at the Festival’s weekly Art Talks: A Lecture Series. Each Wednesday through Aug 27, Festival artists lead conversations about their medium, inspiration, and careers in this fascinating and stimulating series. 

Art, Jazz, Wine & Chocolate

Live Performance by Brian Simpson 

Dates/Time: Thursday, Aug 24, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Cost: $20 Wine and Chocolate pairings (21 and over) in addition to admission

Chocolate, wine, and all that jazz sweetens up the Festival of Arts this summer. On Thursday nights, indulge your senses at the “Art, Jazz, Wine and Chocolate” series. Sample a wide variety of wines expertly selected to complement and enhance the nuanced flavor of Xan Confections chocolates. The Festival’s casual and classy outdoor setting, together with the soulful sounds of jazz surrounded by fine art, creates an ideal evening for friends, sweethearts, and family. This week features a performance by Brian Simpson.

Concerts are free; Wine and Chocolate pairings (21 and over) are $20 in addition to Festival of Arts admission. Limited seating available in reserved section for an additional $25 per person by calling (800) 487-3378.

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Photo from Festival of Arts

Enjoy the sweet sounds of Brian Simpson at the FOA’s popular series

For a full schedule and reservations, visit LagunaFestivalofArts.org. The Festival of Arts, located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road, is open daily through Aug 31, 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. For more information about the exhibitors, events, and for tickets, please visit www.foapom.com or call 800-487-3378.

Sawdust Art Festival Event Calendar, 

Aug 22 to Aug 24

There is something new and different every day at the Sawdust Art Festival, ranging from special admission promotions, special events and entertainment.

With nine weeks of arts and crafts classes throughout the summer months, the Sawdust Art Festival is jam-packed with an incredible line-up of fun activities for creative minds of all ages.

Throughout the festival, a wide variety of classes are offered from our expert professionals, many of which are exhibitors, ready to teach you tips and techniques to enhance your crafts. Some of Sawdust’s most popular offerings will get your hands dirty and your jaws dropping to the ground. Parents and their kids often find themselves behind the pottery wheel creating memories and works of art that last a lifetime. For a full list of summer classes, visit: www.sawdustartfestival.org/festival-classes.

Tuesdays: Art Alive, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Art Alive is a relaxed atmosphere event where artists can interact with the audience however they choose or simply get in the zone and let their work speak for itself.

Tuesdays: Tropical Tuesdays, 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Festival-goers can enjoy the sounds and drinks (including specialty Hawaiian beer) of the islands at the Sawdust Saloon every Tuesday.

Wednesdays: Sip, Walk & Talk, 3 and 7 p.m.; Last chance to enjoy this fun guided experience around the beautiful Sawdust grounds.

Take an insider’s guided tour around the grounds, while enjoying a complimentary wine tasting. Visitors will gain insights into Sawdust legend and lore while exploring unique art presentations from a variety of artists. Free with summer admission.

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Photo from Sawdust Festival

Enjoy complimentary wine tasting, a guided tour and artist demonstrations

Wednesdays: Preschool Art Morning, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Preschool Art Morning offers art and fun for little ones. Designed for children ages 2 and up, these budding artists will be able to learn basic art skills and explore an array of art mediums. 

Thursdays: Arts and Craft Evening Classes

Every Thursday, Sawdust Art Classes (SAC) hosts Arts and Crafts classes for all skill levels. Starting at $45 a person, participants will learn screen-printing, painting, jewelry-making and pottery; and those 21 and over can simultaneously sip local “craft” wine and beer. Times vary.

Daily Art Classes:

Daily: Ceramic Center, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 – 9 p.m., Throw A Pot: One-on-one instruction at the potter’s wheel for all ages, Cost: Free with admission to take home as greenware, $10 to glaze, fire and pick up; $18 to glaze, fire and ship to your home.

Daily: Children’s Art Spot, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 1 – 3 p.m., & 3:30 – 5:30 p.m.Classes are for kids ages 4+. Art fun for the little ones. *Free with admission, although most are complimentary, some classes and workshops may require a materials fee.

Daily: Studio One, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., 1 – 3 p.m. & 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. Painting, printmaking, collages and a wide variety of art workshops for visitors ages 7 to adult. Cost: Free with admission.

Daily Live Music Schedule, 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. 

Free with Festival admission

Enjoy live entertainment at three outdoor stages, the Tavern, Grill, and Main Deck, on the festival grounds. Musical acts of all genres, roving entertainment, and much more are on schedule to perform during our festival.

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo from Sawdust Festival

Enjoy live entertainment daily on three stages at the Sawdust

Tuesday, Aug 22: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. George Lawton, Roaming; 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.,Danny Maika, Tavern &Fawn Fahie, Grill; 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Little Big Band, Main Deck; 4:30 – 9 p.m., Ken Garcia Duo, Tavern; 5 – 9:30 p.m., Woodstock Mud, Main Deck.

Wednesday, Aug 23: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.,John Troy & Bob Hawkins,Tavern, 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Kelly Fitzgerald Band, Main Deck; 4:30 – 9 p.m., Dub Rock Duo, Tavern & Bryan Leicher, Grill; 5 – 9:30 p.m.; Cali Sol, Main Deck.

Thursday, Aug 24: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. George Lawton, Roaming; 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.,Poul Pedersen, Tavern; 11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m., Superlark, Main Deck; 4:30 – 9 p.m., George Butts Duo, Tavern & Kevin Miso - Solo, Grill; 5 – 9:30 p.m., Blues Offenders, Main Deck.

The Sawdust Art Festival is open daily from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. through Sept 3. Tickets are Adults: $9, Senior 65+: $7, Children ages 6-12: $4, Children ages 5 & under: free, $18 Summer Season Pass, $24 Summer & Winter Annual Pass. Laguna Beach residents get free admission on Mondays and Thursdays after 5 p.m., and the first Friday of the month, all day, with photo I.D. For more information on these and upcoming programs, visit the Sawdust Art Festival at www.sawdustartfestival.org or call 494-3030. The Sawdust is located at 935 Laguna Canyon Road.

Art-A-Fair offers more than art: artist workshops, live musical entertainment, and more

Art-A-Fair Summer Workshops and Events Calendar

Tues, Aug 22 to Thurs, Aug 24

Live music schedule for this week

Thursday, Aug 24, 4 – 7 p.m., Liam Wayne

Click on photo for a larger image

Photo by Laguna Art-A-Fair

Enjoy the beautiful Laguna Art-A-Fair grounds, art, and the many art workshops

Purchase as many or as few sessions as you like. Class size is limited to six students, must be 16 years or older, and all supplies are included. Workshop sessions are $45/4hrs (a.m. & p.m. sessions), or $30/2hrs (morning session only). Hours are 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., and 1:15 – 3:15 p.m. daily. 

Contact: 494-4514, or visit www.art-a-fair.com, for a full schedule  

Tuesdays, now – Aug 29, Patrick & Christine Sullivan - Jewelry

Jewelry Workshop: Subject matter includes necklaces, bracelets, pins and earrings. Topics: Design, Wire wrapping, Wire forming, Hammering techniques.

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Photo by the artist

Enjoy learning how to paint beautiful acrylic works with Carol Heiman-Greene

Thursdays, now – Aug 31, Carol Heiman-Greene – Acrylic

Acrylic Workshop: Subject matter will cover realism in nature and wildlife. Topics: Rules of composition, Basic rendering, Working & Glazing with acrylic paint, Defining the light source, and Bounced light. 

Laguna Art-A-Fair runs daily through Sept 3. For more information about Laguna Art-A-Fair artists, workshops, events, and to purchase event tickets, please call 494-4514 or visit http://art-a-fair.com/. Season Pass for adults $8, $6 for seniors (65+), military and students, and children 12 and under are free. The one time ticket price allows for free entry during the entire summer festival season. Art-A-Fair is located at 777 Laguna Canyon Road.

Learn about CERT, the Community Emergency Response Team, this Thurs at 6 p.m. at the Susi Q

Ever wonder what’s up when you see people in green and yellow vests milling about the Susi Q in the multi-purpose room or maybe even filling sandbags in the parking garage? Usually they will be members of the Laguna Beach Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) learning or practicing their skills.

Click on photo for a larger image

Submitted photo

Laguna CERT members help staff information booths during weekend activities

Now nearly 300 strong, the CERT program was introduced here just a little more than five years ago and now provides trained volunteers to assist with things like crowd control, staffing information centers, alerting residents and visitors to fire danger on Red Flag days, searching for a missing person or providing wildlife alerts to neighborhoods when called out by the Emergency Operations Coordinator.

Learn more about this group – what it is and how it benefits residents and businesses in the city at a quick, 30-minute program.

The informational meeting, presented by a CERT board member, will take place on Thurs, Aug 24 from 6 - 6:30 p.m. at the Laguna Beach Community & Susi Q Center. 

RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Walk-ins are also welcome based on space availability.)

Residents also can sign up for the next CERT class that will begin Sept 5 on the city website at www.lagunabeachcity.net Click on Recreation Classes. If you need assistance with registration, call (949) 464-6645.

Police Beat Primer

Compiled by Alli Rael

Police Beat derives from information in the log maintained at the front counter by the Laguna Beach Police Department and required under CA Government Code Section 6254 (f). The press does not have access to written police reports.

Information in the police department log is deemed reliable and StuNewsLaguna is not responsible for mistakes made available as public record by
the Laguna Beach Police Department.

Parents with children in school may contact 949-497-1615 to request that their names be omitted from Police Beat. The decision of StuNewsLaguna is final.

Any person arrested is innocent until found guilty in a court of law.

Abbreviations sometimes used in Police Beat

647f – Public Intoxication; DUI – Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs; NFA – No fixed address; RP – Reporting/Responsible Party; UTL – Unable to locate

DUI Arrests

Aimal Ata, 21, Corona – Saturday, August 19

John Reinhardt, 61, Laguna Beach – Saturday

Caleb Ibarra, 32, Laguna Hills – Saturday

Nicholas Pachyn V, 21, Aliso Viejo – Saturday

Philip Avila, 46, Laguna Niguel – Saturday

Mark Mamay, 40, Tustin – Saturday

Marquet Donaldson, 34, Oceanside – Saturday

Brandon Canino, 22, Foothill Ranch – Friday, August 18 Traffic Crash

John Hamel, 47, Corona Del Mar – Friday

Michelle Callaghan, 40, Irvine – Thursday, August 17 Cell Caller

Incident Reports

Sunday, August 20

Arrests for Being Drunk in Public

Jennifer Jackson, 32, Aliso Viejo 

Forest Avenue | 400 Block | Warrant 

3:52 a.m. Brian Szafran, 47, no fixed address, was arrested on an outstanding Harbor Court warrant. 

Coast Hwy | 31700 Block | Warrant 

1:49 a.m. Salvador Munoz-Fuentes, 25, Anaheim, was arrested for a Central Court warrant for possession of a controlled substance.

N. Coast Hwy | 100 Block | Warrant 

12:26 a.m. Derrick Lee Hanford, 31, Rancho Cucamonga, was arrested on a LA County Sheriff’s Department warrant. 

Saturday, August 19

Cliff Drive | 1200 Block | Drugs, Warrant

11:08 p.m. Shane Hardin, 42, no fixed address, was arrested for a Harbor Court warrant. He was also charged with possession of a controlled substance. 

Laguna Canyon Road | 20600 Block | Trespassing

9:35 p.m. Shelby Lynn Summers, 28, no fixed address, was arrested for trespassing with $500 bail. 

Laguna Canyon Road | 20600 Block | Possession of Stolen Property

5:49 p.m. Brian Mason, 40, Laguna Beach, was arrested for possession of stolen property. Bail was $500. 

Skyline Drive | 1200 Block | Petty Theft

11 a.m. Miscellaneous mail and packages were stolen. 

Myrtle Street & N. Coast Hwy | Traffic Crash

8:48 a.m. A collision between a vehicle and motorcycle resulted in injuries and lane closures until about 2 p.m. No further information was available at time of press. 

Friday, August 18

Arrests for Being Drunk in Public

Bradford Sturtevant, 53, Laguna Beach

North City Limits | Drugs

7:33 p.m. A vehicle search resulted in the arrest of Gene Koss, 47, San Pedro, for possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. 

Forest Avenue | 300 Block | Petty Theft

12:42 p.m. At least 7 custom parking signs were taken overnight. 

Pacific Vista | Grand Theft

12:19 p.m. A $2,500 ring was taken from a home. Possible suspects were named. 

N. Coast Hwy | 500 Block | Vandalism 

9:49 a.m. A car window was egged. 

N. Coast Hwy | 600 Block | Burglary, Vehicle 

9:38 a.m. An unknown suspect entered a locked vehicle and took the victim’s prescription glasses and laptop. 

2nd Avenue | 31600 Block | Grand Theft 

7:44 a.m. An estimated $1,200 worth of clothing was stolen while the RP was in the process of moving. 

S. Coast Hwy | 100 Block | Battery 

7:05 a.m. Neilesh Bhikhu Chauhan, 46, no fixed address, was arrested for battery after throwing something at the victim. 

Thursday, August 17

Arrests for Being Drunk in Public

Traevon Miller, 23, Aliso Viejo

Brian Szafran, 47, no fixed address

La Mirada Street | 800 Block | Theft from a Vehicle

2:53 p.m. Beats headphones were taken from an unlocked car that was parked in a garage. 

Laguna Canyon Road | 20600 Block | Warrant

8:44 a.m. William Thoos, 47, Midway City, was arrested on an outstanding warrant from Santa Barbara County. 

Wave Street & N. Coast Hwy | Drugs, Unlicensed Driver 

1:53 a.m. During a traffic stop, Jairo Albarran, 27, Santa Ana, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and for driving without a license. 

Wednesday, August 16

Fairview Street | 200 Block | Fraud

3:03 p.m. A suspect is using the RP’s credit cards. 

Virginia Way & 8th Avenue | Vandalism

12:04 p.m. Someone poured gasoline onto the base of a eucalyptus tree.