Mayor proposes Rules of Decorum and Civility Policy

As a commitment to conducting the public’s business in an atmosphere of respect and civility, while implementing good governance practices and promoting transparency, the Laguna Beach City Council will consider a Rules of Decorum and Civility Policy at its upcoming regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept 17. 

“The proposed policy is intended to provide guidelines to ensure that an appropriate forum is provided for civil debate, discussion, exchanges, collaboration, and ultimately decisions on local governmental matters,” said Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen. “We welcome the passionate exchange of views between the public and City officials, as long the exchange is undertaken respectfully.”

Mayor Whalen and members of the City Council recognize the importance of providing a forum where the public is comfortable expressing their views and opinions in a respectful and civil manner. If implemented, the policy will establish the level of decorum and civility expected of City officials and the public in all official City correspondence and communications, including conduct at public meetings of the City Council, Boards, Commissions, and Committees. The policy proposes various remedies for failure to comply, such as reprimands and censure for City officials, removal from office of appointed officials and, if necessary, removal from public meetings if needed to maintain order.

“It is my sincere hope that with the standards of conduct spelled out in the policy these remedies will not be needed, but they will be implemented if required to ensure respectful forums for all to participate in public discourse,” Whalen said.

The proposed policy promotes mutual respect, civility, and orderly conduct among elected and appointed City officials, City staff, and members of the public and is not intended to deprive any person of his or her right to freedom of speech or expression. The City Council encourages positive communication and seeks public cooperation with this endeavor.

“We’re spending too much time attacking one another and not enough time resolving our broader issues and challenges,” Whalen said. “As a City Council, we will do our part to create an environment where no member of the public feels intimidated or disrespected and that allows for open and honest discourse undertaken with kindness and respect.”

-Press release from the City of Laguna Beach

Council okays activities at Bluebird Canyon Farms

By BARBARA DIAMOND

The City Council gave a green light at the September 10 meeting to activities at Bluebird Canyon Farms as recommended by the Planning Commission, but opposed by some neighbors and appealed to the council.

Classes and events were approved by the council for the hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. The council also approved the expansion of the apiary, which concerned some neighbors because of bee droppings and swarming. The expansion will be reviewed annually.

“At the Planning Commission hearing, people said educational things (the property owners) are doing at the farm are wonderful, but I don’t think many of them live in Bluebird Canyon,” said Carolyn Bent, one of the 10 speakers in opposition to some, if not all, of the proposed uses.

Noise was one of the primary complaints by opponents of the activities, which were approved by the Planning Commission and validated by the council. The topography of Bluebird Canyon creates an amphitheater effect in which even private conversations, not to mention group activities, can be overheard several houses away.

“I don’t want to live across the street from a restaurant,” said Dr. Tom Bent.

He was referring to the Farm to Table Dinners, which Bluebird Canyon Farms owner Scott Tenney said were the same as a dinner party at any canyon home.

“I don’t charge my guests $20,” said Bluebird Canyon resident Aaron Talarico, who filed the appeal.

Opponents of the dinners contended they were fundraisers.

Tenney advised the council that he has an acoustic (decibel) meter on the property.

“If it is too noisy [the city] needs to change the standard,” said Tenney.     

Nine members of the public spoke in support of the proposed activities.

Village Laguna supported the Planning Commission recommendations – putting Councilman Peter Blake in the unusual position of agreeing with the group.

“There could be 20 houses up there [instead of the farm],” said Village Laguna President Johanna Felder. “I wonder how the residents would feel about that?”

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Submitted photo

Council gave the green light to Bluebird Canyon Farms on Tuesday

The city staff also supported the commission’s approval, laying out its responses to the issues raised by the appellant in a 218-page rebuttal that included additional conditions recommended by the Laguna Beach Fire Department.

Approved department recommendations limit outdoor cooking during classes and events to the four terraced patios to the rear of the primary residence on the property at 1085 Bluebird Canyon Dr, unless other locations are approved by the fire department. 

Outdoor heating appliances and use of open flames, smoking, and outdoor candles are also restricted to the patios. 

A shovel, an operable hose, or fire extinguisher must be available within a weed-free 20 feet of the apiary, also stipulated by the fire department. 

Smokers must have a fire-resistant smoker plug installed to prevent embers from escaping and, when not in use, smokers must be stored in a non-combustible container with a secure lid.

Tenney countered concerns about fire danger, stating he had undergrounded all utilities on the property, had installed flood and erosion controls, including high pressure water mains, five hydrants, and fuel modification, and conducts fire drills.

Talarico suggested a general distrust that Tenney would stick to approved conditions because classes and events were conducted in the past that were not permitted by the business license for the property.

The property had, and has, a business license to operate as a farm, including raising non-invasive vegetable food products, fruit, and nut trees, horticultural specialties, and educational uses.

Planning Commissioners also approved a market garden, internships, workshops, meetings, lectures, and one large annual festival in addition to agricultural and educational classes. Tenney’s business license had not permitted classes and events.

Staff learned of the violations in 2017, at which time Tenney applied to the Planning Commission for a conditional use permit. 

“After two years of review, the (proposed) uses are all consistent with the zone,” said Tenney, 

The code violation was remedied by the council’s denial of the appeal. 

A conditional use permit is exactly that: it lays out conditions that must be observed. If not, the CUP may be revoked or amended after a review of complaints, according to Community Development Director Greg Pfost.

Council to start meetings an hour earlier

By BARBARA DIAMOND

The City Council will begin their meetings an hour earlier, starting September 17.

Lately, council meeting have lasted five, and some times more, hours to accommodate public comment and city business. The council, staff, and public do not like the late hours, particularly when a sensitive hearing comes late on the agenda. 

“We are proposing starting the meetings at 5 p.m.,” said City Manager John Pietig.

The idea is to conclude meetings by 11 p.m., without increasing the frequency of the meetings, which is problematic for working professionals on the council: Mayor Bob Whalen and Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow, both attorneys, and Councilman Peter Blake, owner of an art gallery.

However am earlier start also moves up the closed session meetings, generally heard an hour before the public meeting.

Generally, the council is scheduled to meet on the first and third Tuesday of the month. A third meeting has been added in some months to address special projects and hopefully to conclude significant planning department projects before Community Development Director Greg Pfost retires in July of 2020.

The projects include the ordinances for Historic Preservation, Short-Term Lodging, the Downtown Specific Plan, the Downtown Action Plan, and Major Remodel and Blufftop Setback regulations.

Exceptions and additions are made to the council calendar to avoid conflict with holidays, school activities, Election Day, city or county business attended by one or more council members, and special meetings.

Special meetings include the annual Council Retreat; joint meetings with the Laguna Beach Board of Education, Arts Commission, Planning Commission, and Design Review Board; City Council appointments to city committees, boards, and commissions; the Budget and Long-Term Financial Planning workshops.

Efforts to streamline the meetings, begun in 2017, included audible beeps to warn speakers that their time at the podium was running out or expired. The council can also reduce the amount of time given speakers from three minutes to two, or even less, minutes, depending on the number of speakers on an individual item.

Public comment is limited to a total of 30 minutes unless extended by the council for good cause.

Ideas proposed for streamlining, but never approved, included scheduling appeals from 3 to 5 p.m., tried and abandoned because of the difficulty for the public to attend due to work or family commitments.

Continuing the public comment period to the end of the regular agenda has been infrequently used. 

Recent rumors that the entire public comment period would be moved to the end of the agenda was met with opposition.

“I am here at 11:08 p.m. to make sure I am not speaking at 11: 08 p.m.,” said activist Michelle Monda.

The City Council Calendar and tentative Agendas for 2020 are available on the city website at www.lagunabeachcity.net.

Laguna remembers

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at Heisler Park

Police Files

Head-on traffic collision lands two in hospital

On Wednesday, Sept 11, at 10:08 p.m., LBPD officers responded to a head-on traffic collision with injuries on Laguna Canyon Road near Castle Road.

Officers arrived on scene and located two involved vehicles occupied by one driver each. 

According to LBPD Spokesperson PIO Sgt Jim Cota, “The male driver of one vehicle had moderate injuries, but was able to exit the vehicle under his own power. The female driver of the other involved vehicle had to be helped out of the vehicle. The female driver had no visible injuries but was complaining of pain to her head and back.”

Both parties were transported to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo.

Sgt Cota said, “Due to the investigation and a large amount of debris in the middle of the roadway, Laguna Canyon Road was shut down in both directions for approximately 1.5 hours.”

Nixle reports were issued at 10:22 p.m. and again at 11:25 p.m. regarding the road closure.

Man who assaulted family in Laguna pleads guilty, sentenced to four years in prison

On Tuesday, Sept 10, a 26-year-old San Bernardino man who violently threw a woman to the ground, snatched her purse, and assaulted her family as they tried to fight him off while in Laguna Beach, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four years in prison without incident, according to MyNewsLA.com.

James Michael Kelley pleaded guilty to felony second-degree robbery, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, reckless evading of a police officer, one count each of attempted kidnapping and false imprisonment, and a misdemeanor count of child annoyance, according to court records obtained by MyNewsLA.com.

“This is a terrific outcome to an unfortunate incident that occurred in our city. Once again, it is not worth it to commit crimes in Laguna Beach because you will get caught and ultimately arrested,” Sgt Cota said.

“Our police department is one of the best in the country and will not tolerate any type of criminal activity in Laguna Beach. The safety of our residents and visitors is paramount and we will continue to make that our highest priority,” Sgt Cota continued. 

According to police records, on Saturday, July 28, 2018, at 10:05 p.m., Kelley approached a family walking northbound at the 600 block of North Coast Highway, knocking the mother to the ground and taking her purse. 

Kelley also assaulted her son and husband, striking the teenage son with a black metal flashlight.

Soon after, when the husband chased him down, Kelley “struck [him] in the head with the flashlight, causing a large cut,” Sgt Cota said.

“Kelley then entered a white vehicle parked nearby and accelerated in reverse toward the husband and a nearby witness, before pulling the vehicle out onto South Coast Highway and fleeing northbound,” Sgt Cota said.

Shortly thereafter, an LBPD officer located Kelley’s vehicle in north Laguna Beach. The vehicle initially yielded for the officer. However, when the officer attempted to hold the suspect at gunpoint, Kelley again fled. 

A pursuit continued into Newport Beach. The Newport Beach Police Department assisted and placed spike strips on Coast Highway near Bayside Drive, deflating all four tires.

Kelley was taken into custody without incident. The weapon was located and one of the victim’s credit cards was also found in the vehicle. Kelley was booked for robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, and reckless evading of a police officer.

Sgt Cota added that the family was on vacation in Laguna Beach when tragedy struck.

Transient male arrested for assault, criminal threats, and intimidating a witness downtown

On Sunday, Sept 8, at 1:42 p.m., two LBPD officers responded to the area around Coast Hardware, at the 200 block of Broadway Street, for an alleged fight in progress. 

According to LBPD Spokesperson PIO Sgt Jim Cota, “Officers were advised that two homeless subjects and possibly a City Public Works employee were involved in some sort of altercation.”

An off-duty Cal Fire employee tried to break up the fight.

Sgt Cota said, “While doing so, one of the participants identified as homeless subject Timothy Libby swung and threatened the witness. The witness tried to gain compliance and told Libby he was going to call the police. Libby threatened the witness several time before and while he was on the phone with police dispatchers.”

Libby was immediately detained by officers and positively identified by the witness. 

Sgt Cota said, “Once he was in-custody, Libby continued to threaten the witness who was still close by. His threats included that he would hurt him, come after him, and ‘wait until I get out, I’ll get you.’ Due to the totality of the circumstances and threats of harming the witness, Timothy Michael Libby, 34, was taken into custody for [alleged] assault, criminal threats, and intimidating a witness.”

Bail was set at $50,000.

Summer canine curfew is over: dogs allowed back on city beaches through June 14, 2020

Starting this week and continuing through June 14, 2020, dogs are permitted to on city and county beaches during hours when beaches are open. 

Dogs are no longer restricted to the summer curfew hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The sole exception is Thousand Steps Beach, where dogs are never allowed. The county has banned dogs at Thousand Steps all day, year-round.

Emergency Operations Coordinator Jordan Villwock, “Dogs must be on a leash at all times and the leash must be no longer than 6 feet in length.” 

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Calling all canines, summer canine curfew lifted now through June 14, 2020

Jim Beres, LBPD Civilian Services Administrator added, “Dogs are never allowed off leash at any time on city beaches. They are allowed off leash at the Dog Park in Laguna Canyon, and they are allowed off leash on private property, provided it is fenced.”

According to www.visitlagunabeach.com, Laguna’s beaches are open year-round from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Except Aliso Beach, which is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Editor’s Note: An arrest contains allegations that a suspect has committed a crime. Every suspect is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

-By Suzie Harrison

Almost Full Harvest Moon

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Photo by Scott Brashier

The moon in all its glory on Thursday night

Barbara’s Column

Scholarship Foundation honors exceptional members 

By BARBARA DIAMOND

The Laguna Beach High School Scholarship Foundation on September 9 honored four community treasures – three of them past treasurers of the foundation

The late Morgan Odell, Linda Jahraus and Jan Henderson all kept the books for the foundation, starting when there wasn’t so much with which to work. Carol Hagedorn was the Laguna Beach High School secretary when the foundation was born in 1988.

All four honorees were elevated to Emeritus status in recognition of their exceptional contributions to the foundation and the students of Laguna Beach. The induction was hosted by the Emeritus Committee at the home of Betsy and Dr. Gary Jenkins.

“Preserving the history of the foundation and honoring exceptional people is the best thing we can do for the community,” said Diane Kloke, a member of the Emeritus Committee and a past president of the foundation.   

Morgan Odell

Emeritus Committee and foundation board member Eleanor Tiner introduced Odell’s induction. 

He was the foundation’s first treasurer and was honored posthumously. 

Odell was a retired businessman who wanted to be involved in the high school.

“We didn’t have much money, but we needed a treasurer and Morgan had enough financial background that he felt able to take on the task,” said Tiner. 

There was about $40,000 in the foundation account. 

Jan Fritsen, who was instrumental in acquiring scholarship funds even before the foundation was organized, worried the money might just disappear, Tiner said.

“The establishment of the foundation meant we had tax exempt status under the umbrella of the National Dollars for Scholars Program,” said Tiner. 

Odell visited every bank in town, investigating what they could do for the foundation before setting up an account.

“In those days, interest rates were extremely high compared to rates that are available today, so we were immediately making good return on our funds,” said Tiner.

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Courtesy of LBHSSF

Plaque honoring Michele Leighton

Odell also organized a Finance Committee. Alex Alpert, who was recognized last year by the Emeritus Committee, was on Odell’s committee that he created to advise the board on how the money would be invested safely.

“We never lost any money,” said Tiner.

Odell also pioneered the process of how to write checks for scholarship winners for the foundation account and get the money to the colleges selected by the recipients. His system was similar to the one in use presently. 

“Morgan served five years as our foundation treasurer,” said Tiner.

Odell retired in 1993. He died in 2010. 

Linda Jahraus

Jahraus was the foundation’s second treasurer, taking over from Odell after only one year on the board. 

When asked why she volunteered or the board, Jahraus mentioned Jayne Berberian, the foundation’s second president, previously recognized by the Emeritus Committee, and Walt Lawson, then serving as a counselor with responsibilities for the scholarships. 

“Linda said her best memory about her role as treasurer was her ability to get the accounting onto a database, so she didn’t have to handwrite the checks that were sent to the colleges,” said Marsha Aronoff. 

Linda worked on the foundation’s investment policy along with the Investment Committee. 

Jahraus’ husband and their two daughters graduated from Laguna Beach High School. Jeff Jahraus played football at the school. Daughter Molly graduated from LBHS in 1996, attended college in New York, graduating summa cum laude in 2000. Her younger sister, Sally, graduated from the high school in 1998, from college in 2002, and then went to the Cordon Bleu Institute in London, focusing on pastry. She was pastry chef at Montage’s Studio for 10 years and is now pastry chef at the Marriott Camelback Inn in Phoenix. 

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Courtesy of LBHSSF

2019 Emeritus Recognition: (L-R) Linda Jahraus, Carol Hagedorn, and Jan Henderson (not pictured – Morgan Odell is deceased)

Jan Henderson

Kloke introduced Henderson, who followed Jahraus as treasurer in 1970 and kept the job for about 10 years, two of them during Kloke’s two years as president of the foundation board.

“She was inspired to become treasurer by Cathy Krinsky,” said Kloke. 

During her tenure as treasurer, Jan remembers the foundation’s assets “growing significantly larger.” She repeatedly met with Robin Hall and Walt Lawson (both still board members), and Bob and (past foundation President) Marge Earl. 

Henderson was the first certified public accountant to hold the position of foundation treasurer.

“Ever the professional, she presented reports with clear financial statements, and she took the time during meetings to explain assets, debit, endowments, and non-endowments,” said Kloke.

Henderson also introduced Quicken and other accounting procedures.

It was during Kloke’s presidency that the Thurston Funds, intended for an organization in Laguna that moved out of town and took the funds with it, were restored to Laguna. 

Odell had worked on the restoration, spurred by the information that the principal was being breached.

“Jan ably handled the addition of that large endowment,” said Kloke.

Carol Hagedorn

Hagedorn was the high school’s first Career Center Technician, but so much more, according to Emeritus Committee member Lawson.    

She began working at the high school in 1972 but took a break until Lawson called her to come back in the 1988-89 school year in which the foundation was born. 

Hagedorn’s assignments included paperwork, phone calls, preparation of letters, and typing needed to make the Honors Convocation happen.

“One giant task that Carol handled flawlessly was to complete the ‘Go For It Booklet’ each fall so that it could be passed out to seniors in January,” said Lawson. 

Another coup was the successful transition from one person running the Scholarship Program to dealing with all the 15-20 members on the board of directors as the foundation became entrenched.

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Courtesy of LBHSSF

Michele Leighton (holding plaque) with current LBHSSF directors on Tuesday at the Jenkins’ residence

“Carol has the necessary skills, the personal temperament, the patience, and the flexibility to make this happen in an extremely efficient manner,” said Lawson. “The adjustment period to the LGHSSF-type of organization that we anticipated never materialized, principally because Carol made the transition happen so seamlessly.”

Past inductees to Emeritus status Jayne Berberian and Pat Collison attended the event, which included dinner served after the meeting. 

Scholarship Board member and leader of the Helping Hands Committee Michele Leighton was honored in a separate ceremony. 

The September 9 meeting was the first for the foundation in the new school year. It was conducted by Kathi Tinkess, now in the second year of her presidency.

Board members are all volunteers. Mary Fegraus has served the longest. She joined the board in 1988. 

Besides the Emeritus Committee members, honorees, and host Jenkins, the board includes: Vice President Ketta Brown, Treasurer Robin Hall, Secretary Missy Palino, Frank Aronoff, Jonathon Cohen, Kristin Fast, Jeanne Harrell, Martha Jager, Barbara MacGillivray, Debbie Naude, Kari Nice,  Jackie Parker, Mark Powell, Kerry Rubel, Roshaunie Sirianni, Debra Steel, Andrea Stockert, Victoria Strombom, Jennifer Sweet, and Peggy Wolff.

Among the foundation’s myriad duties: 

--Providing a liaison between scholarship donors, LBHS, and students 

--Assisting the community in the establishment of new awards 

--Encouraging development of endowment funds to perpetuate existing awards 

--Establishing policies relating to the administration of the scholarship program 

--Providing oversight of managed funds 

--Managing the scholarship application process for LBHS graduating seniors

--Hosting annual Donor Reception 

--Hosting the annual Honors Convocation.

But wait – there’s more. You will find advance notice of all the fun and interesting stuff for visitors or residents to do in Laguna by reading StuNewsLaguna.com. Contributions are welcomed.

LBUSD reaffirms commitment to decreasing chronic absenteeism, down 50 percent in two years

Nationally, nearly 8 million students miss almost a month of school in excused and unexcused absences every year according to Data Matters. 

Each September, schools, city agencies, and others in the U.S. join a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the value of regular school attendance and focus on reducing chronic absenteeism in the new school year. 

In the Laguna Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), Goal 1 of the Local Control and Accountability plan is to “increase student academic achievement and social and emotional strength through collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication.” A key metric in measuring progress towards this goal is chronic absenteeism, due to the significant impact school attendance has on student learning outcomes. 

Chronic absenteeism is described as missing 10 percent of the school year – or about 18 days – for any reason, excused or unexcused. Research indicates that this is the point at which absenteeism begins to affect student performance.

In 2016-17, California identified chronic absenteeism as a metric in the state’s accountability system and provided schools and districts with the data to help guide improvement efforts.

This initial data identified that the LBUSD chronic absenteeism rate was higher than the state and county average, which prompted a systematic look at existing attendance processes and procedures districtwide to identify areas that needed more focused efforts. 

To help support the implementation of the district’s new processes and procedures, in 2017-18 the LBUSD Board of Education approved the addition of a second high school attendance specialist.

In recent years, LBUSD has taken data-driven steps to ensure that children are attending school more regularly. Using chronic absence data as a diagnostic tool, staff implemented a comprehensive three-tiered approach focused on prevention, early intervention, and intensive intervention. 

LBUSD’s prevention efforts focus on universal strategies to encourage good attendance for all students, including raising parent awareness, recognizing students for positive attendance, and data progress monitoring. District schools provide early intervention for students who need more support to avoid chronic absence, which includes systematic parent notification, staff outreach to families, and counseling if necessary.

 Finally, when needed, intensive intervention provides support for students facing the greatest challenges to getting to school in coordination with district and county attendance review boards. Using this approach, chronic absenteeism has dropped nearly 50 percent over the last two years. 

A year ago, LBUSD’s rate dropped below the statewide average and will likely fall below the county average when that data is released later this fall. The chronic absenteeism rates for LBUSD schools and the district are listed in Figure 1 below, including the year-to-year changes. 

Submitted photo

Chronic Absenteeism at LBUSD has decreased

Improving school attendance is not a solo effort. While attendance improvements may begin in a single classroom, school, or district, the most effective and sustainable approaches are data-driven and supported by coordinated prevention and intervention.

These key ingredients of change have been instrumental in the success of students and schools in Laguna Beach and the surrounding areas the district serves. In 2019-2020, LBUSD will continue to focus on solidifying meaningful relationships critical to the success of its students.

Shredding the swells

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Photo by Chris Williams

Laguna surfer, 10-year-old Riley Belden

Results of multi-year wildlife camera study show worrying trend

Results of a multi-year study of activity in a wildlife corridor connecting the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park to the Cleveland National Forest are now available for public view. Since the late 1990s, progress has been made on completing the six-mile long corridor, aimed at providing safe animal movement through the urban landscape to adjacent conservation areas in Laguna and Inland hills. This study has been done to examine how well the existing corridor is working and to identify improvements for enhanced wildlife passage. 

Laguna Greenbelt, Inc., a local environmental organization, planned and executed the study, using 21 cameras to examine wildlife movements in the Coast to Cleveland Wildlife Corridor (also called the Irvine Wildlife Corridor and Orange County Wildlife Corridor). Data was collected by an army of dedicated volunteers over nearly two years.

The study cameras were motion-triggered and automatically took pictures and videos of animals as they passed by the cameras, day and night. The resulting data set contains thousands of photos and showed bobcats, coyotes, raccoons, rabbits, many smaller mammals, and even people. 

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Submitted photo

Study shows fewer animals in our fragmented urban landscape

After data collection, Kevin Clark, Director of Biological Services for the San Diego Natural History Museum, analyzed the findings and authored a report. He presented a summary of the report Wednesday, Sept 11 at the Coastal Greenbelt Authority meeting in the Laguna Woods Council Chambers, along with John Foley, Board Member at Laguna Greenbelt, Inc. and volunteer data collector for the project.

“Most camera studies are three to six months long, but this study has almost two years of data,” he said during the presentation. “I’m really impressed with what this group did.” 

Images revealed a variety of surprising trends, such as human use of the wildlife corridor that discouraged animal activity and a concerning lack of animals in places where they had previously been more plentiful. Mr. Clark also noted that compared to a study published in 2007 by USGS in the same area, the data show that fewer target species are now frequenting the areas near road crossings, indicating a worrying trend towards fewer animals in our fragmented urban landscape. 

The final section of the report gives a list of some low cost measures that can encourage the use of road crossings to a variety of animals. The full report can be found and downloaded free of charge here.

Coyote Grill howls its 30 years on Sept 24

Story by Diane Armitage

Photos from Coyote Grill

In late August of 1989, the Michael Keaton/Jack Nicholson version of Batman was setting $100 million records, “Good Thing” was topping the charts from the Fine Young Cannibals, and Kim Bryant was opening South Laguna’s Coyote Grill. 

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Coyote Grill, 1989

Neighborhood icon

Fast forward 30 years, and Coyote Grill has only grown in mega-popularity. It is a neighborhood icon as well as the primary traffic element I refer to whenever I’m directing someone to my Table Rock home. 

The Coyote crew is celebrating this month with a culmination party on Tuesday, Sept 24. 

Hundreds of people have already been participating in the restaurant’s raffle. Once patrons spend $10, they’re allowed to drop their name and phone number in the raffle box with hopes of winning Calamari Tacos for a year (my favorite tacos in all of Laguna Beach for a whole year!), free valet for six months, and a host of other gifts and specials. 

Patrons can participate in the raffle multiple times with each visit they make to the little neighborhood restaurant/bar before September 24. Winners will be drawn on the 24th after the party officially kicks off at 4 p.m.

The Sept 24th party will also welcome Casamigos Tequila (I can only hope George Clooney will come along), Mago Hot Sauce, and a photo booth. 

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years already,” says Co-Owner Desirée Gomez (Kim’s oldest daughter). “I started helping here as a hostess when I was 12, so it’s been a very fast-moving 18 years.”

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Kim Bryant

Kim Bryant took over the restaurant space from Cove restaurateurs in 1989. Prior, Bryant was an existing 9-year owner of Café Del Coyote in San Clemente (now the Pizza Port), but had found the enormous space taxing, and sought out a smaller footprint. He kept the San Clemente location open till 1993, and then focused all of his efforts on the SoLag location.

For several years, all four of Bryant’s kids worked at Coyote Grill. He left in 2001 for Hawaii, taking his oldest son, Justin, with him to operate a commercial kitchen there. That left Desirée, Jarrod, and Tiana to grow into their roles at the family-run Mexican restaurant.

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Familiar faces in the family and extended Coyote Grill family. From left, Bartender Stephen Morand (Desirée’s husband), Co-Owner Desirée Gomez, Maile Earlywine (Desirée’s daughter), Tiana Watson (sister), and Manager Radley Pilanca.

“We had been raised in the restaurant as kids, so it didn’t seem like such a giant thing to step into bigger roles here,” says Desirée. “Looking back now, though, I think: We were just kids!”

While regulars saw these mighty, mighty kids grow into ownership and operation of a viable business, they continued to enjoy a large Mexican-American menu that offered all their favorites. 

“We’ve only added about 6 or 7 items to the menu since Dad first put it in place,” says Desirée. “We can’t even do specials because everyone who comes here already knows what they want to eat.”

Last family member standing

Recent departures have seen her siblings and children head off to their own new worlds, which leaves Desirée the last family member standing. She doesn’t mind, though, as she has plenty of help from her extended family of chefs, cooks, bartenders, and servers that have been in play at Coyote Grill for 20 years or more. 

Any plans to shut this thing down and move on, too, I ask? 

“Once you hit 30 years, you can’t just call it quits,” says Desirée. 

(This is a relief to me. Where would all of us SoLag people go, for heaven’s sake? We would just wander our non-sidewalk streets with blank, sad faces.) 

“We still have to get our kids through school in Orange County, so we’re not going anywhere…at least not until our 40th celebration,” she adds. 

Coyote Grill is open seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to roughly 9 p.m.

The restaurant is located at 31621 Coast Hwy. For more information, call (949)499-4033.

The best-selling author and blogger on The Best of Laguna Beach™, Diane Armitage is on an endless quest for the most imaginative adventures in Laguna’s restaurants, events, and lifestyle. Check out chef interviews, retail and restaurant news, and favorite events at www.TheBestofLagunaBeach.com.

Where’s Maggi?

It looks like she was headed north…Do you know where Maggi spotted this compass rose? 

Send your answers in to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The location will be revealed in Tuesday’s edition, and we’ll let you know who got it right.

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Friday the 13th, frightful or fable? This one features first full moon in almost 20 years

By DIANNE RUSSELL

As far as I know, there isn’t a word for fear of alliteration, and obviously, I don’t suffer from it. But if you have paraskavedekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia – the fear of unlucky days – this is a bad day for you, even with the appearance of a unique celestial event.

For the first time in almost 20 years, a rare Harvest Moon will appear in the sky on a Friday the 13th. The last time the U.S. saw a full moon on Friday the 13th was Oct 13, 2000, and it won’t happen again until Aug 13, 2049. According to NASA, it’s called the Harvest Moon because it’s the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox.

Many suffer from friggatriskaidekaphobia

However, this extraordinary occurrence may be of little solace to a large number of folks.

Experts say that friggatriskaidekaphobia affects 17-21 million people and estimate that businesses, especially airlines, suffer from severe losses on Friday the 13th. Some people are so paralyzed with superstition that they also refuse to buy a house, or act on a hot stock tip.

“It’s been estimated that in the U.S., $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do,” said the late Donald Dossey, who was also the founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, N.C.

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Photo by Scott Brashier

Look for the Harvest Moon tonight, the first time it’s appeared on a Friday the 13th since the year 2000

Triskaidekaphobia, or the fear of the number 13, is even more widespread. So much so that many high-rise buildings, hotels, and hospitals skip the 13th floor, and many airports do not have gates numbered 13. Other ominous associations: A witches coven consists of 13 members; Tarot Card number 13 is the Death Card, depicting the Grim Reaper; there are 13 steps leading to the gallows, 13 knots in a hangman’s noose, and the guillotine blade falls 13 feet.

 In many parts of the world, having 13 people at the dinner table is considered bad luck. Some think that particular association came from the bible, as there is a biblical reference to 13 as an unlucky number. Judas, the apostle said to have betrayed Jesus, was the 13th guest at the Last Supper. (As per nationalgeographic.com).

Origins

Very little is known about the origins of the day’s notoriety. Some historians believe that the superstitions surrounding it arose in the late 19th century. The first documented mention of the day can be found in a biography of Italian composer Gioachino Rossini, who died on a Friday the 13th. Also, in ancient Rome, witches reportedly gathered in groups of 12. The 13th was believed to be the devil.

Speak of the devil

This day spawned many disturbing but fruitful endeavors. The commercially successful Friday the 13th enterprise includes 12 horror movies, a television series, and several books that focus on curses and superstitions. Even though the films and the television series consistently received negative reviews from critics, they have a huge following. The mask worn by the key character in the films, Jason Voorhees, is one of the most known images in popular culture.

Strange coincidences also shadow this cursed day. Legendary horror writer William Peter Blatty, who penned The Exorcist, passed away on Friday the 13th of January 2017. If that wasn’t tragic enough, the news followed the death – on the same day – of the Catholic priest who inspired the iconic horror story.

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Photo by Lynette Brasfield

Black cats don’t want to scare people, they’re too busy reading (Boris the

Biblio-feline)

There are numerous well-known superstitions identified with Friday the 13th. Fear of black cats is number one. “Don’t let a black cat cross your path,” the saying goes. Not only are they supposedly a sign of bad luck, but in folklore, black cats can be witches in disguise. 

Also beware of:

--Mirrors: If you break a mirror, kiss seven years of luck goodbye. 

--Ladders: Walking under a ladder is bad luck – or a bad choice – nothing good can come of it.

--Salt: If you spill salt, you’re supposed to throw it over your shoulder to avoid getting bad luck. 

--Purses: You should never leave your purse on the floor if you want to avoid bad luck, but where else is there to put it in a restaurant?

--6.66: If a bill totals $6.66, or you receive that much change, you should either buy something else or leave a penny from your change to avoid bad luck. 

--Umbrellas: Opening an umbrella indoors is said to bring bad luck. (Didn’t we all know this one.)

--Cutting your hair: If you cut your hair on Friday the 13th, legend says someone in your family will die. 

--Funerals: If a funeral procession passes you on Friday the 13th, you will be the next to die.

--Cemeteries: To avoid bad luck when passing a cemetery, hold your breath until you see a black or brown dog. This could be a tricky one.

How often do they happen?

On average, there is a Friday the 13th once every 212.35 days. We have two Friday the 13ths in 2019 – today and December 13 – because 2019 is a common year (not a leap year) that started on a Tuesday. Whenever a common year of 365 days starts on a Tuesday, it’s inevitable that the months of September and December will start on a Sunday, and that means the 13th will be on a Friday. That sounds unnecessarily complicated.

All years have at least one but can never have more than three. The longest we can go without seeing a Friday the 13th is 14 months.

According to www.timeanddate.com, the superstitions associated with this day are more fable than frightful, and there is very little evidence to show that Friday the 13th is indeed an unlucky day. Many studies have shown that Friday the 13th has little or no effect on events like accidents, hospital visits, and natural disasters.

But try to tell that to someone with paraskavedekatriaphobia or triskaidekaphobia, and unfortunately, it’s only 13 weeks until the next Friday the 13th.

With two Rouda amendments, House passes Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act

This week Rep. Harley Rouda (CA-48) voted to pass H.R. 1941, a bill that bans new drilling off the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts and Straits of Florida. The bill passed with two amendments authored by Congressman Rouda.

Said Rouda, “California is home to more than 800 miles of coastline, and its coastal economies annually generate hundreds of billions of dollars in wages nationally and nearly $2 trillion in GDP. A disaster could put at risk nearly 746,000 West Coast jobs and $53 billion in GDP that relies on healthy ocean ecosystems and a clean marine environment.”

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Rep. Harley Rouda voted to pass a bill that bans new drilling of the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts and Straits of Florida 

“Offshore drilling disasters impact more than just coastal communities – it impacts future generations of Americans. Citizens deserve to know which companies are drilling off our shores, the locations of their facilities, and the safety and state of their operations.”

--Amendment 1:  Makes public the inspection information and payments into the “Ocean Energy Safety Fund,” required by H.R. 1941.

--Amendment 2: Adds a provision to the bill that would require the Department of Commerce to complete an economic impact study of potential damage related to offshore drilling.

PTA Coffee Talk presents “Back to School Report” on Sept 18

On Wednesday, Sept 18, from 8:30 to 10:15 a.m., PTA Coffee Talk will feature a “Back to School Report” presentation at Laguna Beach City Hall. 

LBUSD Superintendent Dr. Jason Viloria and district staff will update the community on the strengths of our schools, progress that has been made, and expectations for the future. The event will highlight key goals and initiatives for the 2019-2020 school year, including ongoing continuous improvement efforts, the goal to foster and sustain strong relationships, and the focus of “Every student, every day.”

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Submitted photo

Dr. Jason Viloria, Superintendent of LBUSD

To RSVP, visit www.ptacoffeetalk.org. The talk is free to PTA members or a $10 donation. 

City Hall is located at 505 Forest Ave.

City’s summer volleyball classes end with anticipation for next session in October

Summer’s not over until the city volleyball classes are over! And…now they’re over. Saturday marked the final session in the 10-week long summer beach volleyball city classes offered through Laguna’s Community Services and the eagerly awaited final class tournaments for the intermediate and advanced players. 

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Volleyball finalists Jolee Patterson, Boris Piskun, Neil Olson, and Kevin Crawford

Jolee Patterson and Kevin Crawford outlasted Neil Olson and Boris Piskun in one final and Jay Eskandarian and Kelly Scott Kunkle battled to a hard-fought win over Antoine “Tony” Sourialle and Clint Lager in the other. 

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Submitted photo

Finalists Clint Lager, Tony Sourialle, Kelly Scott Kunkle, and Jay Eskandarian

Really cheesy prizes were awarded, and everyone retired to the White House for a cold one. The next session starts up again on October 5 and runs through mid-December.

Dennis’ Tidbits 

By DENNIS McTIGHE 

September 13, 2019

End of summer brings superb weather

There’s only a little over a week remaining for summer 2019, yet the nicest weather and warmest water of the year have finally arrived for Laguna’s real summer. There’s been minimal marine layer, allowing air temps to warm to slightly above normal readings, and local ocean temps are at their warmest levels of the year with 72-75 degree reading across Orange County beaches. 

There’s also been plenty of fun zone surf this month. Nothing big, but thanks to a couple of tropical pulses and a steady Southern Hemisphere pulse, there have been plenty of waist to head-high days with generally decent surface conditions to make up for a slack summer – for the most part. A new tropical depression off Southern Mexico should become a tropical storm soon and its name will be Kiko.

Here in 2019, the National Hurricane Center is using the same names that were used during the epic El Nino summer of 1983, which was in my view the second best summer, second only to 1972. We almost made it through the entire alphabet, wrapping that banner season with Hurricane Winnie in early December. 

Nearly every named tropical system that year affected our surf and even our weather on some occasions. On top of that there were some really strong swells from the Southern Hemisphere, so green flag days were at a minimum all the way from June through November that year. June gloom happened only four days and ocean temps that summer averaged a most inviting 72.8 degrees with several days up as high as 76 degrees in parts of August and September. 

Thunderstorm activity saw eight days of thunderstorms here in Laguna thanks to a very busy summer monsoon season. Outer bands from several tropical storms made it all the way to halfway up the Baja peninsula as a result of arguably the strongest El Nino of the 20th Century.

The ever persistent Japanese or Humboldt Current that usually runs the show off Baja with cold water was shoved aside by Senor El Nino, allowing ocean temps to soar to nearly 80 degrees. That’s unusual in a place where in non-El Nino years it’s a burly 55-60 degrees, so storms shift to the west or die quickly when they encounter that huge pocket of cold water. 

In 1983 a multitude of storms held it together as they passed under Baja’s tip and some of them even took their path in a more northerly direction. They reached full wave potential for south-facing beaches from Point Conception all the way down the west coast of the Baja Peninsula – especially at a newly discovered south swell spot called San Juanico, better known as Scorpion Bay, a fast, excellent shaped righthander with perfect walls for 200 yards or more. The place was first discovered in 1970 by Malibu local talents J. Riddle and Allen Sarlo. They were traveling the west side of the peninsula in search of waves when they accidentally stumbled on this perfect Point Break-like wave about a hundred miles up the coast from the tip. 

In August of 1972, Tidbits drove down there in his old 1966 VW bug and proceeded to be greeted with overhead to double overhead perfect barrels the whole time he was there, which was a whole week. Since that epic spot was barely on the map at that time, there were only four of us in the water the entire stay. We caught it early and perfect pending 6-8 hours each day in the water. I was only 25 at the time, so I had a full tank, but my arms were like noodles at the end of each day. What a wonderful trip that was! 

Have a great weekend, ALOHA!

Sun falls into the sea

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Photo by Scott Brashier

Twilight delight…Just one more wave 

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Photo by Scott Brashier

Slowly comes the night, devouring the magic light…Selene

The business of arts is flourishing at Laguna Beach art festivals

By Shari Battle and Sharbie Higuchi

The summer arts scene in Laguna Beach is a model for what’s possible when the public and private sector collaborate with nonprofits to help sustain the city’s artistic economic engine. Visitor and resident spending at the festivals generates approximately $2 million annually in local and state revenue and supports 500 artists and employment for more than 615 positions. 

Any art lover knows that a lot goes on behind the scenes to make any exhibit or work stand out. Here in Laguna, one of the festivals’ main private sector sponsors for more than ten years has been Bank of America, which recognizes that the arts matter as important economic and cultural drivers for Southern California. 

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Festival of Arts 2019

The bank has provided nearly a half-million dollars to support the Laguna Art-A-Fair, Festival of Arts, Sawdust Art Festival, and the Passports to the Arts program. The grants have made it possible for the festivals to subsidize a portion of the summer city’s trolley services and remote parking areas expenses, to market Passports to the Arts to residents and visitors, and expand artistic programs.

Last year alone, the trolley ridership exceeded 850,000, and the remote lots ensure ample parking options during the peak tourism season.

Bank of America grants also enable each festival to redirect funds from their operating budgets towards artistic uses to expand their summer arts education programs, both hands-on art projects and artist demonstrations. This affords new art educational opportunities, events, and awareness that drive community spending and economic impact.

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Visitors view exhibits at 2019 Festival of the Arts

For just $29, the Passport to the Arts offered unlimited admission all summer long to each of the three festivals affording Passport patrons access to more than 500 artists, 300 hands-on art workshops, and dozens of special events and one-time free parking in the ACT V parking lot. Grant funding for expanded marketing efforts has increased demand for the Passport and ultimately helps to increase consumer spending at the festivals and at other city businesses.

With partners like Bank of America, the business of arts is flourishing at Laguna Beach’s art festivals.

Shari Battle is Senior Vice President, Orange County Market Manager for Bank of America, and Sharbie Higuchi is Marketing and Public Relations Director for the Festival of Arts.

Guest Column

How serving others can help heal you, if you are feeling broken!

By Dr. Vidya Reddy

Hello, and welcome to the Happiness Corner. This week I’d like to share how you might not be as broken as you think: serving others as an aid in healing. 

In today’s fast-paced world, it can be more difficult than ever to remain connected with our spiritual sides. In fact, the struggle is so real that multimillionaire entrepreneurs often end up going to spiritual retreats, where they can turn off their devices and get back in touch with the beauty of nature and get back to their true selves, their spiritual selves. 

The problem is that not all of us have that kind of money, and even if we did, we might not be able to take that much time off work or leave the kids. But the good news is that there are alternatives to going on a retreat, most of which don’t cost a penny and which any of us can instantly make a part of our day-to-day lives. 

For example, there’s the concept of random acts of kindness, in which you do something nice for someone with no expectation of reward. Perhaps you could give an extra tip to a barista or buy a colleague the book they won’t stop talking about or pay the bill for the car behind you in the drive through. 

It is often said that generous people have more to give. Whether that’s true or not, it’s a concept that’s worth embracing, because it turns out that being generous with your time and money can make a big difference to your spiritual well-being as a whole. 

Healing your spiritual wounds

Spiritual wounds happen for a reason, and it’s the way that we deal with them that helps to define you as a person. Often, the solution to these spiritual wounds is to accept them and to come to terms with them by serving others. For example, if you’ve struggled with an addiction and come out the other side, you could serve others going through similar problems by volunteering to speak at rehabilitation programs about your successful struggle. 

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Photo by Johnny Antezana

Dr. Vidya Reddy

The help that you offer to people could vary widely depending upon your area of expertise. For example, if you’re a writer then perhaps you could offer to help kids from underprivileged backgrounds do their college essays online. If you have teaching experience, you could help unemployed people to learn new skills and to turn their lives around.

Another key part of the healing process is time. It heals all wounds, if only slowly, so don’t be afraid to give yourself some time to get better. Find ways to make the time pass, even if that’s by browsing online articles or listening to podcasts. If you would like more information, techniques, and inspirational topics, please refer to my podcast: https://naturally-happy.com/podcast/. And of course, one obvious way of passing the time while serving others is to volunteer your time for a charity or a local community organization.

Giving it your all 

Let’s face it, when you’re struggling with spiritual wounds, one of the best things that you can do is to keep yourself busy and to find something to take your mind off things. Giving your all while helping others is a great investment of your time and a good way to spread some joy in the world while simultaneously giving your spiritual wounds some time to heal. 

And whether you believe in it or not, karma is a real thing in our society. That’s why so many people advocate the concept of “paying it forward,” which is similar to the idea of random acts of kindness. When you’re a positive person who goes out of their way to lend a helping hand to others, nice things happen to you. One of my favorite ways of paying it forward is cooking meals for our aging neighbors. 

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Photo by Pieter Baetens

Pay it forward by cooking meals

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand why. We all like to spend time with people who inspire us and lift us up, and we’ll go out of our way to help people who’ve helped us in the past. At the same time, some people have the perception that you can’t help other people if you feel broken yourself, but nothing could be further from the truth. And besides: you might not be as broken as you think.

Conclusion

Spiritual wounds can be caused by a variety of different situations in life and they can happen regardless of our religious beliefs. You don’t have to belong to a specific religion to take advantage of these tips, and in fact, there’s no need to be religious at all. Every single one of us can benefit from taking care of our spiritual well-being. 

The truth is that we owe it to ourselves. Taking care of our spiritual well-being is a precursor to taking care of our mental health and our physical well-being. The good news is that the tips in this column should help you to get started, and it’s a process that you’ll get better at over time. It is said that practice makes perfect for a reason. 

So go ahead and start healing your spiritual wounds today by finding someone you can help. After all, what’s the worst that could happen? Even in the unlikely situation that it doesn’t help you, it’ll help someone else. And you might just feel a lot better as a result of it! 

In Peace, Love and Gratitude. 

‘Til next time. 

Dr.Vidya Reddy, ND, AMS, DAC, CLC 

www.Naturally-Happy.com

Laguna Beach youths join global climate movement and hold strike on Friday, Sept 20

There continues to be a growing youth movement of climate strikes across the globe. Last year, Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old Swedish girl, held a strike every Friday for 26 weeks. Her message for urgent climate action is simple: “Imagine what we could all do together, if you wanted to.”

In response to that plea, in February, Laguna Beach families worked together to raise their children’s voices and create more awareness locally by holding a strike, and Naz Mir reported that her two boys, Zen and Keanu, became part of it.

There will be another gathering, and everyone is invited to be part of the strike on Friday, Sept 20 at 7:30 a.m. at Main Beach. 

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Submitted photo

Zen and Keanu Mir at February 2019 strike

Naz says, “We will be striking again on Friday, Sept 20th, with the rest of the country and the world, in advance of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York. We are striking to bring more awareness to the climate crisis we currently face, as well as a call to action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

“The severe weather extremes impact us globally and locally. As a coastal community, we are impacted by rising sea levels; record-breaking sea surface temperatures, which affect our marine ecosystem; and extreme weather, including periods of drought, heat, and excessive rain.”

Wave glitter

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Photo by Scott Brashier

The water shimmers like tiny diamonds

South Laguna Community Garden Park celebrates 10 years of garden magic

The South Laguna Community Garden Park – with its abundance of flowers, butterflies, vegetables, and herbs – is a magical place. To celebrate The Garden Park’s 10-year anniversary, the group is hosting a farm to table style dinner from 5 - 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept 28. 

The Garden Park, at 31610 Coast Hwy at Eagle Rock Way, will be the setting for this casually elegant event with musical entertainment and silent auction.

Chefs Leo Goldsmith and Tiffani Tincher will prepare a four-course meal featuring locally grown foods of the season.

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Submitted photo

“Laguna Garden” painting by Michael Obermeyer was created for this event and will be available in the silent auction

With the permission of the property owner, beginning in 2009, devoted garden volunteers, through the South Laguna Civic Association, have been creating and operating the South Laguna Community Garden Park. The Garden Park continues to be cared for by the gardeners while it provides opportunities to grow vegetables and flowers in family plots. 

It is open to the public every day as a park. Visitors enjoy strolling among the plots, eating their lunch or just relaxing and enjoying the garden overlook. It is a center of community life. Educational workshops and community events are offered throughout the year. 

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Farm to table style dinner on Saturday, Sept 28 

This event celebrates the Garden Park’s success at bringing the Laguna Beach community together while producing beauty and promoting healthy living. Funds raised will support the Garden Park and with donors’ help, the Garden Park will be a permanent part of our city’s beautification and recreational offerings.

To reserve a seat, go to www.southlaguna.org/garden/event.

Original rock band Skylla performs tonight at Mozambique

Local rock band Skylla, led by longtime Laguna Beach resident Greg Trimarche, will be performing tonight, Friday, Sept 13, at Mozambique starting at 9 p.m. 

It all started in New York City, when a teenager with rock star dreams caught the music bug. It was then that Greg Trimarche first attended rock concerts at the famed Madison Square Garden.

“I was really exposed to the music industry in a significant way as a teenager, and I always wanted to be involved in it,” says Trimarche. Little did Greg know it would be nearly four decades later that he would form the band Skylla, which in June 2019 released their debut studio album, “Grey Sky.”

Feeling inspired by the new energy the band brought to the songs, Greg went from initially having around six originals under his belt, to writing another 20 songs after the band had formed. It was then, in June 2018, that Skylla decided to enter the recording studio. 

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Submitted photo

Local rock band Skylla releases debut album 

Now with plenty of original songs to work with, and with a full band behind him, Greg and company decided it was time to go on the record. According to Greg, “We started at Clay Berryhill’s studio in Laguna Beach, which was a wonderful experience. Clay was great and the facility was excellent. It was a life changing experience for me to get into a studio and start recording a record with all of these incredibly talented musicians – Billy, Jay, Stoke and Todd.”

Skylla’s debut album “Grey Sky” is out now and available on most digital platforms as of July 2019, with limited hard copies also available. The band continues to perform around the Laguna Beach area, with more gigs planned in the near future. You can visit Skylla’s band page on Facebook for updates on upcoming shows here.

Skylla is: Greg Trimarche, vocals/guitar; Jelani Jones, vocals/keys; Billy Sherman, vocals/guitar; Stokely Molineaux, bass/vocals; Todd Wolf, drums. Harold Todd occasionally appears on saxophone and flute. 

For inquiries, contact band manager Tony Cox at (949) 289-6684.

Two rabbits are taking over Pet of the Week

This week there are two rabbits that are making headlines. These two rabbits do not have names yet, but are a bonded couple. They’re both one year old; the male is neutered and the female is spayed. They were both found abandoned in a nearby park, and are looking for a new place to call home. While it is not expected that they go together, they do make the best pair. Nancy Goodwin, shelter director, is hoping to have them adopted as soon as they can. She is hoping that whoever adopts them, will pick out special names for the loving pair.

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Take home two rabbits that are a bonded couple and help name them

The Laguna Beach Animal Shelter adoption procedures are designed to make sure that both the potential family and the animal adopted are in the very best situation possible. Due to their approach to adoption, the shelter’s return rate is five percent as compared to the national return rate of 50 percent.

The LB Animal Shelter is located at 20612 Laguna Canyon Rd. For information on adoption procedures, call (949) 497-3552 or go to www.puplagunabeach.org/our-pets.php.

Misfit moon

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Photo by Scott Brashier

The degree to which the moon is visible during the day is closely linked to its phase. During full moon, the moon is opposite the sun in the sky. In other phases, it may be more visible in daylight because it is closer to the sun.

Ryan Hickman of Ryan’s Recycling appears at Beach Cleanup at Main Beach on Saturday

Everyone is invited to come down and meet Ryan Hickman of Ryan’s Recycling Company, the 10-year-old global recycling advocate, at the Beach Cleanup on Saturday, Sept 14 from 7 - 9 a.m. at Main Beach.

Attendees will learn why recycling the right way is so important. The Today Show will be filming the event, so all are welcome to come join the cleanup and clean up Laguna Beach with Ryan.

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Ryan at Pacific Marine Mammal Center

Donuts, drinks, gloves, and buckets will be provided at the event, as well as lots of awesome raffle items after the event.

The event is sponsored by Sand Cloud, K’ya, Hobie Sports, Surf and Sand, Unger, PMMC, Rock Road Cyclery, Just, The Printery, and the Wyland Foundation.

For more information about Ryan’s Recycling, go to www.ryansrecycling.com.

Upcoming Laguna Art Museum Gala promises glitz and fun all in one

Story by Diane Armitage

Last Friday, Laguna Art Museum (LAM) Executive Director Malcolm Warner offered me a rare walking tour of the museum. 

Since his arrival at LAM in 2012, the man has been so busy that I’ve only seen bits of him from afar, either walking briskly from here to there or playing gracious host to packs of interested art lovers.

Proud Papa (and with good reason)

As we wander the Museum’s various exhibits, the proud papa emerges. 

Noting the Museum’s generous benefactors and fabulous board, Warner points to a number of significant improvements and expansive exhibits. Last year, many large improvements were made in preparation for the Museum’s centennial celebration, but the happy churn of “new” and “better” continues without pause. 

Two of my favorite additions are nods to the Museum’s historical roots. Last year, the Museum added paneling and viewing benches in the Steele Gallery that echoed the original design and placement of the same in 1935.

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Photo by Diane Armitage

LAM Executive Director stands at William Wendt’s tile

And, with help from architect Anders Lasater, the “basement” is now a stunning gallery with the original flooring uncovered and polished to honor the long-ago carved names of original donors. It only takes a bit of a hunt to find the two stone slabs bearing the names of the museum’s 1929 co-founders, Anna Hills and William Wendt. 

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Photo by Diane Armitage

William Wendt’s was the original co-founder of the Laguna Art Museum

The Laguna Art Museum has come a long way since its 1929 founding. At that time, the next closest art museum was the San Diego Museum of Art, established in 1926. Today, even with more than two dozen art museums in Orange County and L.A., the Laguna Art Museum continues to shine as a rare coastal gem. 

Gala Returns to Festival Grounds on Sept 21

LAM’s history and future is being celebrated again on Saturday, Sept 21, when the Laguna Art Museum Gala takes place at the Festival of Arts grounds. Some individual and table tickets are still available at the click here. 

“Last year for our Centennial celebration, we moved our gala to the Festival of Arts, and it was so spectacular that we simply had to return this year,” says Warner.

One of Warner’s best memories of last year’s event was the surprise comedic act from KNBC’s Weatherman Fritz Coleman. Popular demand has the man returning again this year as Co-Master of Ceremonies with fellow KNBC Anchor Chuck Henry.

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Festival of the Arts

“You know, you don’t really see a lot of personality when weather people are doing their thing on TV,” says Warner in his droll English accent. “Fritz got up on stage and it was like being at a stand-up comedy act. He was hilarious.”

Quick Highlights

This year’s gala is so packed with fun details that I’ll be doing a “Part 2” on this grand event, but in brief mention: 

--The Gala will be honoring Jane and Joe Hanauer. In my next article, Warner tells me what he personally appreciates most about these longtime Laguna favorites. 

--The Wendt Award will be going to renowned artist and great supporter of LAM Lita Albuquerque. Lita will also be doing an “installation performance” with her daughter, Jasmine. 

--During dinner, the event’s background music is a curated collection from none other than Warner. In “Part 2” of this series, I’ll give you a peek into this groovy dude’s playlist. 

--One of my all-time favorites, Chef Craig Strong of Ocean at Main, is returning this year to serve dinner to the 300 guests. Upcoming, a peek into that menu, too. 

--This year’s swag bag contents have both Director of Advancement Bernadette Clemens and Events Manager Sara Gale grinning. I’ll fill you in on one of their favorite additions next. 

--Only three live auction items will be in play, one of which has Warner feeling a bit “nervy.” I’ll explain in “Part 2.”

--All said, the LAM Gala is a decadent, fun event that truly supports one of the best things we have going in this city of ours. 

The best-selling author and blogger on The Best of Laguna Beach, Diane Armitage is on an endless quest for the most imaginative adventures in Laguna’s restaurants, events, and lifestyle. Check out chef interviews, retail and restaurant news, and favorite events at www.TheBestofLagunaBeach.com.

City to host “Open for Business Workshop” on Sept 19

The next “Open for Business” workshop will be hosted by the City of Laguna Beach on Thursday, Sept 19 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Laguna Beach Community Center.

Workshop participants will include Planning Commissioners, representatives from the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce, and Anthony Viera, Associate City Planner for the City of Laguna Beach.

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Courtesy of Nirvana Grille 

Local restaurant Nirvana Grille is thriving in downtown Laguna Beach

“These meetings are an excellent way for prospective businesses to get an overview of our City’s processes,” states Planning Commissioner Susan Whitin.

As a result of the workshops last year, several new businesses came to Laguna Beach, and others are planned for the future. 

For more information, contact Anthony Viera, Associate Planner at (949) 497-0398 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

The Laguna Beach Community Center is located at 380 Third St. 

LB Business Club presents Rene Shaffer and Tomi Miller of Laguna Coffee Company for September Speaker Series 

The Laguna Beach Business Club is proud to announce Rene Shaffer and Tomi Miller, owners of Laguna Coffee Company, as speakers at the club’s September 19 meeting. 

The LBBC holds a breakfast meeting the third Thursday each month at 7:30 a.m. and hosts speakers that discuss topics valuable to achieving success in one’s personal and professional lives.

Rene and Tomi will speak about the path that lead them from working in an Arizona-based coffee shop to ownership of Laguna Beach Coffee Company, and how they’ve created a coffee house that brings the community together.

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Laguna Coffee Company owners Rene Shaffer and Tomi Miller will speak at LB Business Cub’s September 19 meeting 

Rene and Tomi started their coffee careers at a coffee shop in Gilbert, Ariz. They bring a combined 24 years of experience in the coffee industry to Laguna Coffee Company, where they worked for several years before becoming owners in October 2018. 

They’ve taken their knowledge of the coffee business, passion for people, and love of the Laguna Beach community to create a warm and inviting vibe by offering friendly service and the best fresh roasted coffee in town.

The LBBC is a group of local business professionals and entrepreneurs. The club meets monthly to discuss current events, business opportunities, and share insights within the context of our community and our lives. The club’s goal is to build and maintain relationships with local professionals and businesses that its members are proud to recommend to clients and friends. 

Club meetings begin with a buffet breakfast and brief networking roundtable. Meetings are hosted at Seven7Seven. Non-members are welcome! The non-member guest fee is $30, payable in cash or check (payable to the Laguna Beach Business Club) the day of the meeting. 

For more information about the LBBC or to register to attend a meeting, visit www.lagunabeachbusinessclub.com or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

 Seven7Seven is located at 777 Laguna Canyon Rd.