As the number of visitors to the island ebbs and flows, and regulations on the reopening of the economy change on a weekly basis, the business of ferrying people from the mainland to the town of Avalon has changed as well.
The island has been struggling financially as closures due to the coronavirus pandemic have shuttered tourism, its main source of revenue.
It’s unclear where the bales came from and the case remains under investigation by federal authorities.
“It’s not something that I ever thought we would do,” said Marine Sgt. Rebecca Beltran. “Getting out here to do this project, it opens up our eyes on our capabilities on what we’re able to do as a unit. So if we’re ever forward deployed, we know our capabilities and how long it may take us to do something, ie: lay an airstrip.”
About 70 troopers, flown in on helicopters to the Airport in the Sky, arrived Wednesday to help about 30 others who arrived last week to work on the 3,000-foot runway.
The repair operation will upgrade the airport and provide the Marines with a training base to prepare troops for deployment to repair airfields in foreign stations.
One person was moderately hurt and two had minor injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
That trip to Catalina—the one taken on any day that’s not your birthday—just got a tiny bit cheaper. The Catalina Express today announced it would be dropping its fares from $74.50 for adults to $72.00, along with slight drops in price round-the-board.
