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Where do you live? That's a complicated question for a California town with no street addresses

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1 year ago

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Where do you live? That's a complicated question for a California town with no street addresses


CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. — No one in this wealthy California community known for its white-sand beaches and storybook charm has a street address. But unlike the houses in Carmel-By-The-Sea, those days may soon be numbered.

After more than a century of address-free living, this seaside tourist destination where Clint Eastwood once presided as mayor is moving ahead with a plan to assign street numbers to homes and businesses.

Many long-time residents aren’t happy about it.

The city’s residents and visitors must navigate a woodsy, 1-square-mile (2.5-square-kilometer) landscape where houses, stores, restaurants and other buildings don’t have numbers. It’s even more difficult at night because the town has few street lights.

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When asked for their address, residents describe their homes’ color or style, nearby landmarks like cypress trees and fire hydrants or their location relative to the nearest cross street. Many houses have signs with whimsical names like Neverland, Dreamcatcher and Pinch Me or descriptors such as “San Antonio 3 SE of 9th.”

There is no mail delivery service, so residents must pick up up their mail at the U.S. post office, the only building with an official address.

But street addresses may finally be coming to this coastal city of 3,300 residents, about 120 miles (193 kilometers) south of San Francisco. In July, the city council voted 3-2 to move forward with a plan to issue street numbers.

“When emergency crews are responding, particularly at night, it’s very difficult to count houses in order to find the right house,” Councilmember Karen Ferlito said, noting the city has an aging population. “Sometimes they go to the wrong house and that wastes precious time.”

Residents complain that many government agencies and businesses require physical address for service. They say delivery and taxi drivers can’t find their homes and often drop off packages and food orders at the wrong house.

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“We’ve had flowers delivered that were useless. We’ve had fruit baskets delivered when my dad died that were six weeks old,” said Betty Kullas, who moved to Carmel 15 years ago. “Sometimes if you know it’s been delivered somewhere, you have to go out with a flashlight at night, going house to house to see if you can find it.”

Kullas said her husband’s $13,000 medication never arrived, and having it delivered to the post office won’t work because it requires refrigeration. It was a struggle to get water, electricity and cable service without a physical address.

But many don’t see the need for street addresses, even in modern times when people increasingly use their addresses to shop online and get important legal documents.

“I was born in Carmel 67 years ago. I grew up with no street addresses, and it’s just something you’re used to,” life-long resident Grant Johnson said outside the post office. “That’s one of the charms of Carmel. It’s one of the stories we get to tell.”

Those opposed include the mayor, who voted against the measure.

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“If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” Mayor Dave Potter said during an interview at his home. “I just don’t think it’s necessary. I mean, honestly, we’ve lived this way for 100 years. We don’t need them.”

The issue of street addresses has generated controversy in Carmel since its founding in 1916, often pitting business owners against residents intent on preserving the character, culture and village charm.

City officials passed an ordinance requiring house numbering in 1926, but preservation-minded residents fought back. Three years later, the city passed an ordinance to keep Carmel’s residential streets free of sidewalks, street lights, neon signs, high-rise buildings, mailboxes. It also prohibited street addresses.

In 1953, Carmel threatened to secede from California over proposed state legislation requiring house numbers. The bill didn’t pass.

The issue reemerged as a hot-button issue during the pandemic, when in-person interactions were curtailed and more residents wanted to have packages and meals delivered to their homes.

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Local law enforcement and fire officials spoke out in support of addresses at the July 9 council meeting, noting the lack of street numbers violates fire and building codes.

Potter dismissed the safety concerns, pointing out that local emergency service providers have detailed knowledge of the town and can respond within a few minutes.

Some longtime residents worry street numbers will take away from Carmel’s quaintness.

“I’ve lived here so long, I’ve kind of forgotten what it’s like to have mail delivered, so it doesn’t bother me,” resident Virginia Crapo said. “I think it’s more communal when you have to come down to the post office to get your mail because you can see your neighbors.”

Even after homes receive street addresses, the post office will remain open and there will be no delivery mail service to residences, Ferlito said.

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After the council vote, the city staff was directed to develop a numbering plan that must be approved by the U.S. Postal Service.

But the story isn’t over. In November, residents will vote for city councilmembers and a mayor who will determine the fate of whether to issue addresses to residents.

“This is a very political issue, and I don’t know what will happen after the election, but I hope that the new council will continue to stay the course,” said Councilmember Jeff Baron, who is running for mayor and voted for street addresses.

Others agree it’s time to join the modern world.

“I don’t think street numbers will ruin the charm,” said part-time resident Bruce Edwards, who was picking up mail from his post office box. “I’m in favor of it because of delivery issues. Uber will work better. The ambulances will be able to find us when I have a heart attack. And my UPS driver will be able to deliver my books.”

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California

De La Salle vs. Santa Margarita: live score, updates, highlights from California’s Open Division state championship bowl | Sporting News

Published

19 hours ago

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December 14, 2025

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De La Salle vs. Santa Margarita: live score, updates, highlights from California’s Open Division state championship bowl | Sporting News


MISSION VIEJO, California, Dec. 13 — The No. 7/SN No. 15 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles ended a 14-year state championship drought Saturday night in a 47-13 romp past the No. 15/SN No. 25 De La Salle [Concord, CA] Spartans in California’s CIF Open Division state championship bowl.

While the win ended Santa Margarita’s drought, it prolonged De La Salle’s own dry spell in championship bowl games, extending the Spartan’s losing streak to eight games in these contests.

Santa Margarita is ranked as high as No. 4 in the country by three selectors (High School Football America, MaxPreps, and USA Today’s Super 25). In the High School Football America rankings, they’re ranked ahead of both the No. 1/SN No. 1 Buford [GA] Wolves and the No. 3/SN No. 5 Carrollton [GA] Trojans – two teams that will play for Georgia’s GHSA Class 6A championship on Tuesday night.

Whether the win over De La Salle can get the Eagles – who will finish the season with three losses at 11-3 – a share of the national title remains to be seen.

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De La Salle, meanwhile, ends its season at 12-1.

WATCH ON THE NFHS NETWORK: No. 7/SN No. 15 Santa Margarita [Rancho Santa Margarita, CA] Eagles vs. No. 15/SN No. 25 De La Salle [Concord, CA] Spartans

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Refresh for updates

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End of the fourth quarter: Santa Margarita 47, De La Salle 13

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SANTA MARGARITA 47, DE LA SALLE 13

Santa Margarita gets a pick six to put capper on this one.

 

 

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SANTA MARGARITA 41, DE LA SALLE 13

Johnson finds Gazzaniga for his second touchdown of the game. The tight end entered the game with two touchdown receptions all year, and he’s got two in the state title game.

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End of the third quarter: Santa Margarita 35, De La Salle 13

The first quarter is in the books, and it’s all Santa Margarita so far.

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SANTA MARGARITA 35, DE LA SALLE 13

De La Salle forces another turnover and converts it to points to give them a glimmer of hope that they can climb out of this deep hole.

 

 

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The third quarter is under way, and to make matters worse for De La Salle, Santa Margarita is on offense first.

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End of the second quarter: Santa Margarita 35, De La Salle 7

The first quarter is in the books, and it’s all Santa Margarita so far.

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Santa Margarita has been a different team offense since Mosley’s return around midseason. And they’re one half away from a state championship in Carson Palmer’s first year at the helm.

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SANTA MARGARITA 35, DE LA SALLE 7

Just over a minute to play in the first half, Mosley scores again on another short play, and then he adds the 2-point conversion. This feels like it’s over.

 

 

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SANTA MARGARITA 27, DE LA SALLE 7

It’s Duce plus a deuce. Santa Margarita marches right back down the field after the Spartans’ touchdown, and Duce Smith carries it in for another touchdown. And even with the score by De La Salle, Santa Margarita still has its biggest lead of the night after converting the 2-point conversion. It’s Johnson to Ryan Clark on the extra two.

 

 

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Santa Margarita into the red zone again.

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SANTA MARGARITA 19, DE LA SALLE 7

Helped along by the turnover and a couple of penalties, De La Salle’s offensive line shows some muscle in the trenches and they power their way down near the goal line where Jaden Jefferson carries it across. That felt like a must-score situation, and they get the touchdown. Now, can they stop Santa Margarita’s offense again?

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De La Salle gets its first real break. Mosley fumbles, and the Spartans pounce on it inside the Eagles’ 40. If they want to have any chance of staying in this game, they need to make the most of this short field.

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End of the first quarter: Santa Margarita 19, De La Salle 0

The first quarter is in the books, and it’s all Santa Margarita so far.

 

 

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SANTA MARGARITA 19, DE LA SALLE 0

Johnson finds Luke Gazzaniga on a wide-open post against a blown coverage. It’s too easy for the Eagles right now, and with their elite defense, it’s possible they’ve already scored enough to win this game.

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De La Salle with a quick three-and-out on offense, and they punt on a 4th-and-19. Mosley returns it inside De La Salle’s 35. This is already starting to look ugly.

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SANTA MARGARITA 13, DE LA SALLE 0

Trace Johnson finds Mosley with a short swing pass to the right side of the field, and the senior standout does his thing winding and weaving his way 34 yards through traffic before running over the final defender at the goal line. Again, the early feeling watching this is not good for De La Salle.

 

 

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Santa Margaria quickly approaching the red zone again.

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De La Salle puts together a good drive to get into position for a short field goal attempt. But it’s blocked by Santa Margarita, ending the scoring threat. If you’re a De La Salle fan, you’re encouraged by the offense being able to move against the Eagles. But combined with the defensive personal fouls on Santa Margarita’s first drive, you also get the feeling early that this could be a really tough night for the Spartans. It’s early, we’ll see how they rebound from the lost scoring opportunity.

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SANTA MARGARITA 7, DE LA SALLE 0

Helped along by a couple of personal foul penalties, Santa Margarita drives quickly on its first possession, scoring on a short run by Trent Mosley out of the Wildcat formation.

 

 

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Santa Margarita won the toss and deferred to the second half. De La Salle picks up one first down against this stout Eagles’ defense before being forced to punt.

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They’re under way in California! This is the final game of California’s high school football season.

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Coming soon!

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De La Salle vs. Santa Margarita start time

  • Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
  • Start time: 11 p.m. EST (8 p.m. PST local)

The game between De La Salle and Santa Margarita is being played at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California.

How can I watch De La Salle vs. Santa Margarita today?

MORE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFF HEADLINES

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California

Two girls, 9 and 11, awarded $31.5m after sister’s California torture death

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1 day ago

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December 13, 2025

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Two girls, 9 and 11, awarded .5m after sister’s California torture death


A lawsuit over the death of an 11-year-old California girl who was allegedly tortured and starved by her adoptive family reached a settlement on Friday totaling $31.5m from the city and county of San Diego as well as other groups.

The suit was brought on behalf of the two younger sisters of Arabella McCormack, who died in August 2022. The girls were ages six and seven at the time. Their adoptive mother, Leticia McCormack, and McCormack’s parents, Adella and Stanley Tom, are facing charges of murder, conspiracy, child abuse and torture. They pleaded not guilty to all charges, and their criminal case is ongoing.

Arabella McCormack. Photograph: San Diego county sheriff’s office

The lawsuit alleged a systemic failure across the city and several agencies and organizations to not report Arabella McCormack’s abuse.

The settlement includes $10m from the city of San Diego, $10m from San Diego county, $8.5m from the Pacific Coast Academy and $3m from the Rock church, the sisters’ attorney, Craig McClellan, said. The school oversaw Arabella McCormack’s home schooling, and her adoptive mother was an ordained elder at the church.

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“The amount is going to be enough to take care of the girls for the rest of the lives,” McClellan said. But it “isn’t going to be enough and never could be enough … to replace their sister, nor is it going to erase the memories of what they went through”.

The lawsuit said county social workers did not properly investigate abuse claims and two teachers at the Pacific Coast Academy failed to report the girl’s condition. It also said a San Diego police officer, a friend of the girl’s adoptive mother, gave the family a wooden paddle that they could use to hit their children.

San Diego sheriff’s deputies responded to a call of a child in distress at the McCormack home 30 August 2022. They found Arabella McCormack severely malnourished with bruises, authorities said. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

Her sisters are now nine and 11 and living with a foster mother. They are in good health and “doing pretty well considering all things”, McClellan said.



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California High School Wrestlers To Watch – FloWrestling

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2 days ago

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December 13, 2025

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California High School Wrestlers To Watch – FloWrestling


California consistently produces an incredible amount of high school wrestling talent. The current crop of high schoolers from The Golden State has piled up a massive collection of accolades and has major next-level potential. Here’s a look at some of the top wrestlers to watch this year in California. 

Michael Bernabe (Fresno) — Freshman, 106 pounds

Bernabe is one of the top freshmen in the country and is currently ranked second nationally at 106 pounds. Bernabe had a productive offseason, placing sixth in Fargo and third at the Super 32. He will be looking to run the table and win a California state title as a freshman, but it will not come easily. He will likely have #3 Luke Loren and #5 Thales Silva, both of whom are also incredible freshmen who finished fourth and fifth, respectively, at Super 32, as well as #4 Eli Mendoza. 

Rocklin Zinkin (Buchanan) — Senior, 120 pounds

Zinkin is one of the nation’s fastest-rising prospects. The two-time California state finalist won his first state championship last season at 113 pounds and followed that up with an eye-popping summer, finishing third at U17 World Team Trials, winning Fargo in the Junior division and looking incredible at Super 32 on his way to the 120-pound belt. Those showings propelled Zinkin from #100 on the 2026 Big Board up to #11. The Oklahoma State commit is currently ranked #2 in the country at 120 pounds and could have a showdown with two-time U17 World Champion Sammy Sanchez this season in his quest to close his career with a second state title. 

Watch Zinkin dominate in the Super 32 finals

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Samuel Sanchez (Esperanza) — Sophomore, 120 pounds

The #1 prospect in the Class of 2028 Big Board is the truth. After winning the U17 World Championships in 2024, Sanchez won a state title as a freshman last season at 106 pounds and then one-upped himself by going back-to-back with his second U17 World title at 51 kg this summer in Athens, helping lead Team USA to the team championship. Sanchez is so much fun to watch, and if we were to get a matchup between him and Zinkin, it could be one of the nation’s most anticipated high school matches of the season. 

Watch Sanchez win his second U17 World Championship

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Moses Mendoza (Gilroy) — Senior, 132 pounds

Mendoza is another Californian who has made big jumps heading into his senior campaign. The returning state champion for Daniel Cormier’s Gilroy High School team placed third at the state tournament in 2024. He has a lengthy list of freestyle accolades. The Michigan recruit defeated his former high school teammate, Isaiah Cortez, for the Fargo Junior freestyle title at 132 pounds this summer and won Super 32 in October. The nation’s second-ranked 132-pounder could have a big test in front of him for his second state title in #3 Ashton Besmer. 

Watch Mendoza win his Super 32 belt

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Ashton Besmer (Buchanan) — Senior, 132 pounds

Besmer put together an incredible run to make the U17 World Team at 60 kilograms, punctuated by a sweep of U17 World champion Paul Kenny in the best-of-three championship series. Besmer also notched wins against Moses Mendoza and Manuel Saldate on his way to a Doc B title last season before finishing third at the state tournament. The Army West Point commit has worked his way up to #3 in the national rankings at 132 pounds and could be looking at a rubber match with Mendoza this season. Last year in the Doc B semifinals, Besmer defeated Mendoza 22-15 in a crazy match, but just two weeks later Mendoza got his revenge in the Five Counties finals with a 16-1 tech fall in two periods. 

Watch Besmer defeat Saldate for the 2025 Doc B title

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Joseph Toscano (Buchanan) — Senior, 144 pounds

The third and final Buchanan wrestler on this list, Toscano is a three-time California state runner-up, He won a Doc B title as a freshman back in 2023, followed by two runner-up finishes, and has also been fourth at Super 32 the last two years. The Cornell commit is looking to get over the final hurdle on his way to a state championship, but it won’t be easy. Along the way,  Toscano could match up with the likes of #7 Ivan Arias and #17 Arseni Kikiniou. 

Arseni Kikiniou (Poway) — Junior, 144 pounds

Arseni Kikiniou is an interesting prospect and a guy to watch this season. Kikiniou’s father was a Greco-Roman World bronze medalist and Olympian for Belarus before their family moved to the United States, and his influence is evident in Arseni’s wrestling. Arseni claimed a bronze medal in Greco and a silver in freestyle at the U17 World Championships this summer. Arseni has placed second and fifth, respectively, in his first two state tournament appearances. He recently made his commitment to Cornell and will be making a big jump up in weight this season to 144 pounds. It’ll be intriguing to see if his international success translates to even more folkstyle success this season, especially with a possible showdown with future Cornell teammate Toscano on the horizon. 

Watch Kikiniou win his U17 Greco-Roman World bronze medal

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Mason Ontiveros (Pitman) — Senior, 175 pounds

Ontiveros has had an impressive 2025, finishing second at the state tournament, taking third at NHSCAs, and placing second in Fargo in the Junior division at 175 pounds. This has vaulted Ontiveros up to #6 in the country at the weight. Ontiveros is an Oklahoma recruit who will be looking to close out his career with a state title in what could be an interesting weight class in California. As it currently stands, we could see #7 Mario Carini, #9 Travis Grace, #12 Isai Fernandez and #14 Slava Shahbazyana, along with Ontiveros, all battling it out for the 175-pound California state championship this season.

Watch Ontivero’s win in the 2025 Fargo Junior semifinals

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Coby Merrill (JW North) — Senior, 285 pounds 

Coby Merrill is one of the most physical wrestlers in the country at any weight class. After state runner-up finishes as a freshman and sophomore, Merrill dominated the 285-pound field last season, finishing 48-0 with 44 falls. Merrill finished sixth at the U20 World Team Trials this summer and finished second in Fargo. The second-ranked heavyweight in the country is a heavy favorite to win his second state title this season. 





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