Rancho Santa Margarita

The Friends of the Rancho Santa Margarita Library sold more than 1,000 books at their weekend book sale, netting about $1,300. Profits will help fund programs at the library.

There it was on the screen, tragic and terrifying, another senseless act of cowardice. This time in Boston. Like everyone else Monday, I was upset, angry and at a loss for words. So I called two people who have been through this before. Tom Frost of Rancho Santa Margarita, who lost his daughter Sept. 11, 2001. And Kevin Danni of Pasadena, who survived those same attacks in dramatic fashion. I'll start with Frost, who was at work Monday morning when his phone rang.

Chelsea Pines Inn is a gay-owned and -operated hotel in New York where everyone is always welcome. The location is amazing, but it's Jay, Tom and their staff that make it the only hotel we stay in when visiting Manhattan. Be sure to give Charlie, the inn's resident cat, a good head rub. Chelsea Pines Inn, 317 W. 14th St.; (888) 546-2700, http://www.chelseapinesinn.com . Standard rooms from $259 a night, depending on the season. Stephanie Sabin Rancho Santa Margarita

N ewhall Hart (0-0) at Rancho Santa Margarita Tesoro (1-0), 7 p.m. — Hart is ranked No. 1 in the Northern Division and has enjoyed a talent surge after struggling against top teams in recent years. Sophomore receiver Trent Irwin is a rising standout. The Indians intend to play two quarterbacks, sophomore Brady White and junior Connor Wingenroth. Tesoro returns 17 starters, led by veteran quarterback Matt Adam and hard-charging running back Nate Tago. The pick: Tesoro. Corona Centennial (0-0)

On in-line skates or on ice, Jonathon Blum absorbed every lesson hockey had to offer. Whether playing with friends near home in Rancho Santa Margarita or for the California Wave youth team, Blum smoothly handled every challenge. His creativity and hockey sense were powerful rebuttals to rivals who dismissed him as a harmless surfer boy because he didn't grow up skating on a frozen backyard rink. But nothing in hockey taught him how to face the loss of his twin sister, Ashley, in a 2004 house fire or his mother's cancer diagnosis.

Marcia and Richard Forsberg had the appearance of the perfect couple — holding hands, stealing kisses and still joking around after 39 years of marriage. The Rancho Santa Margarita couple met in a journalism class at Ventura College. She became a newspaper features writer and editor, while he went to work for a community college. They were active in their homeowners association and always seemed to be in a good mood. They were the kind of people who stayed in touch with old friends.

One of the largest sewage spills along the Southern California coastline in years has forced the closure of three miles of popular beaches and surf breaks in south Orange County. An underground sewage main in Rancho Santa Margarita ruptured Tuesday afternoon, sending an estimated 500,000 gallons of raw sewage gushing into a creek that empties into the ocean at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, officials said Thursday. Beaches from the breakwater at Dana Point Harbor to Capistrano Bay Community Beach could remain closed through the weekend, or until water quality test- ing meets state standards for two straight days, Orange County health officials said.

Taste Fausto Maculan's beautifully crafted blend of 55% Merlot and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and you'll be forgiven for guessing it's a $50 wine. Not. Astonishingly, this suave Bordeaux-style blend is less than $20. This 2007 from the Veneto is intense and focused, the leaner Cabernet well integrated with the fleshier, more voluptuous Merlot. Complex flavors are driven by dark sweet fruit. It's brilliant with roasts, braised or grilled meats. Personally, I like it with an arista or roast pork loin suffused with rosemary, sage and garlic.

Harry Welch says he's not afraid of challenges or hard work. "I relish it," he said. In 36 years of coaching, from Canyon Country to Orange County, the 64-year-old Welch knows how to produce winning football programs. But he'll be facing his biggest test yet after accepting the position of head coach at Santa Margarita today, putting him in the tough Trinity League and in the most competitive football division in California, the Pac-5. "The challenge is exciting," he said.

Wheels are turning Re "Shifting gears in L.A.," Opinion, Dec. 14 While living in Denmark for eight years, I owned a car for only about six months. Your article makes it sound as if Danes are flocking to their bikes out of a superior duty to the environment. This is not correct. Danish taxes on cars and fuel are simply prohibitive and the public-transit system is superb. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to choose a bike or public transit. In Denmark, I rode my bike to the train, then took a bus from the train to work.