Proposed habitat in Heisler Park aims to support threatened migrating monarch butterflies
By SARA HALL
A proposed special habitat within a local park for North America’s arguably most beloved butterfly was presented at a city meeting this week.
The Recreation Committee heard and unanimously supported a proposal for a monarch butterfly garden in a small area at Heisler Park during their meeting Monday (June 7).
Plans ask for native milkweed to be planted to support the popular pollinators that migrate through the region.
“I’d be willing to do thumbs up [to this project] right now. It doesn’t sound invasive, it’s very usable, it’s very achievable,” said committee member Anna Cathleen Greiner. “Who could be against butterflies?”
“I just can’t imagine people not getting behind this,” agreed committee member Roger Kempler.
Volunteers hope to create a butterfly garden and conservation sanctuary for monarch butterflies in an approximately 200-square-foot area at the park, on a sloped space slightly east of the whale sculpture.
A pollinator garden would fit in nicely in the area, said Laura Ford, local resident and founder of Pollinator Protection Fund of Laguna Beach (a nonprofit formally organized last month), when she presented the idea on Monday.
The slightly sloped space was chosen because it already has irrigation, is in need of some more planting, and is a good location for interaction with the public, she explained.
“Laguna Beach has always been a leader in the arts and natural beauty, and this initiative is a great way to encourage a more supportive relationship with our environment through action and education,” Ford said. “Pollinators are of critical importance to our environment and, right now, the western monarchs are in urgent need of our help.”
Monarch butterflies’ current status warrants being listed as “endangered,” but is precluded by work on higher-priority listing actions, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced in December following an extensive, thorough review using a rigorous, transparent science-based process. With this decision, the monarch becomes a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act, and its status will be reviewed each year until it is no longer a candidate.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
A monarch butterfly in Laguna Beach
“While this work goes on, we are committed to our ongoing efforts with partners to conserve the monarch and its habitat at the local, regional, and national levels,” FWS Director Aurelia Skipwith said in a statement in December. “Our conservation goal is to improve monarch populations, and we encourage everyone to join the effort.”
The western population located in California declined from about 1.2 million in 1997 to fewer than 30,000 in 2019, according to FWS.
Just a few decades ago the monarchs had a vibrant habitat all along the California coast, Ford said on Monday, but recently there has been a very steep decline.
“They are seriously at great risk,” Ford said. “We must take action now to save the western monarch migration.”
Monarch butterflies, as a species, overwinter here on the local coastline, Ford said.
Each fall, monarchs migrate to central Mexico and some parts of the Southern California coast, where they overwinter in large clusters on trees. In spring, they return north and the females lay eggs on milkweeds, the only plant on which monarch larvae will feed.
The population that winters along the California coast hit a low of less than 2,000 butterflies last year, a 99.9 percent decline since the 1980s, according to The Xerces Society, a nonprofit environmental organization that focuses on the conservation of invertebrates.
“This critically low number follows two years with fewer than 30,000 butterflies – the previous record lows – indicating that the western monarch butterfly migration is nearing collapse,” a Xerces press release reads.
These dramatic numbers were revealed late last year after results from the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count were announced. The annual count assesses the number of monarch butterflies overwintering at groves of trees on the Pacific Coast of California and Northern Baja.
The primary drivers of decline are loss of overwintering, breeding, and migratory habitat in California, and pesticide use, according to Xerces officials.
“The pollinators, not only the monarchs but the bees and everything, it’s a crisis out there, it really is,” said committee Chair Michele Hall.
The Heisler Park garden will aim to raise awareness and educate the public, Ford explained. Signage is proposed in the garden that will provide information about the western monarch butterflies, their significance in California and the ecosystem, their life cycle, and what people can do to help protect the species.
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Courtesy of Laura Ford
Resident Laura Ford releases a monarch butterfly in Laguna Beach
The educational component is invaluable, Kempler said, considering how many people visit the popular park.
There’s been a lot of discussion about the negative impact of tourists, but this can be a positive influence, Hall said. Visitors to Heisler Park can learn about the decimated population of monarchs and how to create their own little habitat within the urban development of Orange County, she said.
“The signage is probably the most important thing because not only are we trying to create a habitat but we’re trying to educate people to go home and do this in their own back yards,” Hall said.
Hall and several other committee members noted their own plans for planting the native milkweed in their own gardens.
The focus at Heisler Park will be on California milkweed, which is a native plant and part of the pre-existing ecosystem, confirmed Michael Russell Ford, Laura Ford’s husband who supported the presentation on Monday.
Milkweed is the plant that will make the biggest difference, he said. It’s the one plant that monarch caterpillars can eat and adult butterflies lay their eggs upon.
Ford described the garden plan, created by landscape architect James Dockstader, that also suggests other possible nectar options to consider for the butterflies, including California poppy, golden yarrow, hollyhocks, island snapdragons, seaside daisies, and western redbud.
Laura Ford emphasized the importance of planting native California milkweed, as opposed to the more generic tropical milkweed (commonly found in commercial garden shops). Tropical milkweed works, but it needs to be significantly cut back in winter, otherwise it could transmit a debilitating parasite causing the monarchs to become ill and die.
The protozoan ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) can cause them to die as caterpillars or, during the chrysalis stage, the protozoan eats away at them and they emerge partially deformed, Ford explained during a phone interview on Tuesday with Stu News Laguna.
“It’s very sad to see,” Ford said.
One way to combat this is to really cut back tropical milkweed in winter (she suggested by October), or, the best way, is to plant California native milkweed in the first place.
There are also specific native California milkweeds that grows better in coastal areas, she added, which is what they’d use for Heisler Park.
In terms of resources, there would be minimal or zero cost to the city, Michael Russell Ford said. They are relying on private resource funding for the initial kickoff, including a GoFundMe campaign, backstopped by the Pollinator Protection Fund of Laguna Beach, and a volunteer effort. The total estimated cost of the project is $3,500.
“A lot of people in the community are very interested in the idea and supporting it,” he said.
Ongoing costs associated with the project would include general maintenance and upkeep of the plants and environment, as well as replacement of the milkweed if it gets too patchy.
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Rendering by James Dockstader/Courtesy of City of LB
The concept plan for a proposed garden habitat in Heisler Park, which aims to support monarch butterflies
Committee members also discussed expanding the program to other areas in the city.
As they work on this space at Heisler, there is an opportunity to explore a larger, scalable project to plan for more habitats throughout the city, Greiner noted.
“I look forward to the opportunity for learning some lessons and trying to scale that in a way that’s meaningful to the population…in terms of sustainability, not just limping along for the immediate short-term, but planning for some level of thriving and survivability,” Greiner said.
“That’s our dream,” Laura Ford replied. “To increase the scale of the awareness so we can protect these incredible creatures…They are iconic and phenomenal pollinators, and they are also very inspiring and beautiful, an all-around wonderful creature. And we want to support the whole ecosystem of pollinators because they are the basis of all life.”
Ford has native milkweed at her own home, along with a custom frame they made for the caterpillars, who have been feeding, entering the chrysalis stage, and hatching right on her balcony. Ford has been releasing the butterflies at the South Laguna Community Garden Park, setting number 13 free on Tuesday morning. They have about 20 remaining in their makeshift habitat.
One butterfly they released met a mate within five minutes, Ford said.
“It was very uplifting because that’s kind of the goal,” she said.
On Tuesday, Ford said she’s always loved butterflies and it was always a special occasion to see a monarch. She wants to do her part to help the population thrive again.
“My inspiration came straight from the heart,” Ford said.
It was wonderful to be met with such positivity and support for the proposal, she added.
“As a community if we can start planting milkweed we can establish a habitat for western monarchs,” Ford said, “and keep them along our coastline forevermore.”
Laguna’s Nelson Coates soars with In The Heights
By Diane Armitage
Yesterday (June 10), the movie adaptation of Lin Manual-Miranda’s blockbuster Broadway musical, In the Heights, debuted in theaters and online at HBO Max.
In the Heights was Miranda’s first big success on Broadway from 2008-2011. It was such a giant hit that the $10 million production had recouped every penny in just 10 months. Miranda is also the playwright/creator behind his more recent hit, Hamilton. (You’ll see him in a funny cameo in the Heights movie).
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Used with permission ©Warner Bros Studios
Debuting this weekend, the movie musical “In The Heights” spotlights the creative mind of Nelson Coates
The debut is particularly sweet for two reasons
First, In the Heights was supposed to debut in the spring of 2020, but COVID stopped it in its tracks. While this was a giant disappointment to everyone involved in the making of the film, most people would agree that the timing is even better now as we all begin to emerge – somewhat exhausted, tattered, and relieved – from a year that put the brakes on the entire world.
This movie is going to have so much more impact now than it would have had a year ago.
In The Heights is a particular triumph, though, as every single aspect of the “look and feel” of the movie features the unfathomably creative mind of our own Laguna Beach-based Nelson Coates.
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Courtesy of Jon Chu
Nelson Coates on set
After Nelson’s giant success as Production Designer of his over-the-top, gilded world of Crazy Rich Asians, that movie’s Director Jon Chu brought Nelson along into his next two projects, Apple’s Home Before Dark (fabulous series based on a true story) and the movie musical In The Heights.
I still don’t know how Nelson became such a dear friend to me, but I feel especially privileged to be in this guy’s world. He’s like Willy Wonka, ever and always spinning incredible creations as he accesses nothing more than his “sheer imagination.”
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Photo by Diane Armitage
In 2019, Nelson Coates, far left, won the highest honor from the Art Director’s Guild for Production Design for the movie “Crazy Rich Asians.” He’s pictured here with Gary McCay, left, supervisor of the Director for the movie, and Diane Armitage.
I saw an advanced screening of Heights a couple weeks ago
As Nelson sat next to me, I…well…basically cried through the entire movie. Seeing his talent on the big screen is overwhelming.
Nelson is simply one of the most magnificent talents I’ve ever known. Everything he touches comes to life in such a unique and memorable way.
Production Designers play a crucial part
A Production Designer typically works with the Director and the Director of Photography. While this title may not sound like much, what Nelson creates as a Production Designer is…everything.
Nelson has created the look and feel of movies across the gamut, from rom-coms such as The Proposal (Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds) to feel-good movies such as The Big Miracle (Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski), and to dramas such as Flight (Denzel Washington), Secret in Their Eyes (Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman), Runaway Jury (John Cusack, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman), and most recently, The Morning Show’s second season.
The list of movies, series, and TV shows he’s touched is enormous.
Nelson scouts off-limits swimming pools and high rises and finds ways to negotiate their use in his movies. He creates entire towns on set in other towns that lie thousands of miles from where the purported city resides.
He turns monkey-infested grass shacks into palaces. His crew takes over city blocks of his choice, and he helps choose color and style of basically anything you see in the frame, directing one set creation after another.
Even the painted graffiti murals in In The Heights are done by his hand…he just gets up on scaffolding and goes to work.
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Courtesy of Nelson Coates
Nelson Coates hangs out in front of the bodega he created (from thin air) for the movie “In The Heights”
Nelson loves to work out puzzles and impossibilities. As an example, in the Heights movie, he discovered an ultra-modern brownstone and toiled for days to transform its interior into a grandmother’s homey apartment so that the lead actor (Usnavi) could walk from his home to the bodega.
Nelson welcomed the added work because this angle of the lead actor’s walk would better introduce the neighborhood cinematically with a backdrop view to the George Washington Bridge. (Of course, this is something we would all think about, right?)
His depth of detail is so intense that it takes multiple viewings of the same movie to try to catch all the many tiny touches and “Easter eggs” that serve as shout-outs to his closest friends, family, and mentors that he continues to honor along his path.
Acting on his great big dream
In The Heights is what I would consider Nelson’s greatest achievement to date. Of course, it will take the world by storm. But, even more importantly, it tells the story of how his decision brought this opportunity to his front door.
A theater talent himself, Nelson was a giant fan of the Heights Broadway musical. He told me it moved him to his core. He discovered that the theatrical production was being converted into a screenplay and he began to follow that path like a bloodhound dog.
The script was initially purchased by a now defunct production studio and was subsequently tied up in legal red tape. Once it was freed up, there was a mad rush by other studios to purchase the script. It finally landed at Warner Bros., and word eventually began circulating that Director John Chu (also a giant fan of the musical) was under consideration to be the director of the movie.
For Nelson – a longtime admirer of Jon Chu’s early work – this news was like winning the lottery.
Once he knew that Chu was attached to the In The Heights project, Nelson decided to get involved in any and all projects Chu was involved in. By securing a place on Chu’s team, Nelson hoped he could prove himself worthy of the In The Heights movie, even though he still had no idea when or if it would ever go into production.
Nelson told his agent to get him in front of any hiring entities for any project Chu was working on, and he began working on inside connections to assure the same. While Nelson continued to accept high-ranking films, he always kept a space open for the eventual Chu assignment.
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Courtesy of Nelson Coates
Nelson Coates, lower left, with Director Jon Chu, lower right, and the rest of the scouting crew on their first day of scouting for “In The Heights”
It was two years later that Nelson was chosen as Production Designer for Crazy Rich Asians (CRA). Even as CRA dropped into the August 2018 gate for its debut, no one ever dreamed it would take flight the way it did. It has since become the highest-grossing romantic comedy of the decade. The working partnership between Nelson and Chu proved golden.
And then…Chu chose Nelson for In The Heights.
Dream realized
There aren’t many people who take action on a big dream, especially when there are a significant number of intimidating “this has to happen first” events between you and the big dream’s achievement.
When Nelson made his decision 10 or so years ago, he wasn’t sure that the In The Heights movie would even be given a green light to be made, let alone that he would be in the selection pool for its production. He wasn’t sure he would ever secure a working position next to Jon Chu – at the time, he didn’t even know the man. He had no idea he would find himself in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur for months on end to bring a best-selling book to life on the big screen.
But he was willing to take the risk. He believed in his gifts. He gave every ounce of energy and creativity to Crazy Rich Asians and every other project he worked on.
And he always left space for that day when the call would come on In The Heights.
The entire In The Heights movie is about never giving up on your dreams. How fitting, then, that Nelson Coates achieved his own dream on the same streets he created…in the Heights.
Watch it: Theaters or at-home couches
HBO Max releases In the Heights on the same day as the theatrical release, today (June 11).
To help with sweeping ticket sales, get in early! The closest theaters to Laguna Beach featuring the film are:
Laguna Niguel’s Cinepolis (Ocean Ranch next to Chef Schwarz’s Hendrix)
Laguna Niguel’s Regency Theaters Director’s Cut (at Greenfield)
Fashion Island’s The Lot (inside mall)
Fashion Island’s Regal Edwards Big Newport (mall perimeter)
San Juan Capistrano Regency Theaters (downtown)
Aliso Viejo’s Regal Edwards (Town Center)
Mission Viejo’s Regal Edwards Kaleidoscope (Mission Viejo mall)
I’ll also be interviewing Nelson in the near future as part of my “Armitage Millionaires Club,” a monthly membership platform at www.DianeArmitage.com. Email or direct message me if you’d like to learn more.
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 https://thebestoflagunabeach.com/ and follow on Instagram @BestofLagunaBeach (look for Diane’s smiling face).
LBHS Class of 2021 Beach Walk
Photos by Scott Brashier
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Beach walk – crossing PCH to Main Beach
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Remembering the good times
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The act of throwing caps in the air is now widely known as a symbolic act to end a chapter of the graduate’s life. Congratulations Class of 2021!
For more photos by Scott Brashier, see slideshow below
The Mermaid Store offers a myriad of magical merchandise with ecology in mind
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
Mermaids – those half-human, half-fish sirens of the sea – are legendary sea creatures chronicled in maritime cultures since time immemorial. The ancient Greek epic poet Homer even wrote about them in The Odyssey.
The belief in mermaids may have arisen at the very dawn of our species. Magical female figures first appear in cave paintings in the late Paleolithic (Stone Age) period some 30,000 years ago.
Some non-believers call them “imaginary beings,” but who really knows?
Clearly, The Mermaid Store is no place for doubting Thomases, especially when surrounded by enchanting items such as mermaid tails (for pool swimming), mermaid costumes, jewelry, clothing, paintings, baking kits, shell sunglasses, beach sandals, and pretty much anything related to these beguiling water nymphs.
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The Mermaid Store owner Daniel Raczkowski
Daniel Raczkowski, owner of The Mermaid Store across from Main Beach, opened his unique shop in 2018, a year after he introduced his first Mermaid Store in Newport Beach at the ferry landing.
Laguna residents (and visitors) will be delighted to discover that the majority of merchandise in the shop is environmentally friendly. The preservation of our oceans is a topic that Raczkowski is passionate about and having mermaids as the focus of the store seems the perfect way to raise awareness of the importance of taking care of the place they call home.
“When visitors come in, we try to start a discussion about ecology and the environment and try to educate them. It might help change the issues we’re facing with pollution,” says Raczkowski.
What makes more sense than to pair mermaids with the preservation of our oceans, as after all, they are privy to the wonders of the sea.
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A world of wonder
Mermaids (and Mermen) draw the attention of all ages – young, old, men, and women – and the shop is the perfect place to educate kids on taking care of our planet from an early age.
“Europe is much more advanced than the U.S. in terms of ecology,” he says. “I was interested in carrying a lot of environmentally friendly items. As a result, I do my own research and buying.”
Originally from Lower Silesia in Poland, Raczkowski arrived in Orange County 12 years ago and fell in love with this area. Even though his family is still in Poland, he considers the friends he’s made here “family.”
An interior designer, Raczkowski attended the Interior Design Institute in Newport Beach, and continues to maintain his design business.
Products
Once he opened The Mermaid Store here in Laguna, he became acquainted with local artists and artisans and supports their work by featuring it in his shop. “I made some great connections with artists,” he says. “Most of the products I carry are eco-friendly and made locally.”
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All manner of undersea items
For example, The Sea Star Sparkle glitter sunscreen they feature is biodegradable, dissolves in two weeks, and contains no micro-plastic – which is usually present in glitter. Once washed off, the micro-plastic goes down the drain and into the ocean. The fish eat it and then we eat the fish – not a great scenario.
Raczkowski also carries a wide variety of products made from recycled materials. Not only are the 4 Ocean bracelets made from recycled materials, every bracelet purchased funds the removal of one pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines.
The vast array of Sea Sparkles mermaid dolls are made by Aurora and are very much in demand. In 2018, Aurora World began transitioning its products into “Eco-Friendly” plush. The change began by using 100 percent biodegradable pellets (made from recycled materials).
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Mermaid dolls
All of their shipping boxes are made from recycled materials. Aurora is saving over 400,000,000 plastic bottles globally on an annual basis, contributing to a greener world by producing all of its plush using eco-friendly materials.
Local artists
Local artists Raczkowski features are: Custom jewelry made from recycled metal by Kate Mesta, Jeff Sherman – Sand mermaid, Alexader Peuchot – mermaid lips, Molly O’Meara – mermaid paintings, and Mario Sandoval’s mermaid paintings, mermaids crowns, and jewelry.
Even artist and ocean ecologist Wyland has some ocean-themed reusable bottles in the store.
“We also make our own soy candles,” Raczkowski says.
The Mermaid Store clothing designs are one of a kind. Popular items are the T-shirts that Raczkowski designs and has printed with various sayings.
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The amber jewelry is imported from Poland
Additionally, Raczkowski has collaborated with Lori Art and Designing 4 Hope foundation. All proceeds from the mermaid flip flops go to Designing Hope, which designs rooms for children with cancer.
As a note to mermaid fans – the demand for mermaid costumes is gearing up for Halloween, so if you are planning on dressing up as one, now is the time to order.
Staff
The Mermaid Store has two staff members, Jana and Jerica. “They are very loyal and I completely trust them,” says Raczkowski. “I tried to help support them as much as I could during the pandemic.”
“What I love most about working at The Mermaid Store are all the beautiful little/young girls that come in who want to be Mermaids,” says Jana. “Our customers are so happy and thrilled to experience The Mermaid Store.”
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Metal multi-use straws to replace plastic straws
Before the pandemic, there was a mermaid impersonator on site on occasion so visitors could interact with her. The store also furnished the mermaids for the Mermaid Brunch at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point (before the pandemic). Hopefully, at some point, they’ll be able to resume these events.
“The pandemic was a tough time,” says Raczkowski. “Both stores were closed. Thankfully, we had online sales, and I used social media to bring attention to the online store. My interior design business kept me afloat during the pandemic. I was considered essential and never had a day off.”
So, take the plunge into The Mermaid Store, a most captivating and bewitching shop. It’s like entering another world that you won’t want to soon leave.
The Mermaid Store is located at 210 N Coast Hwy.
They are open seven days a week from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
For more information, go to www.the-mermaid-store.com, call (949) 371-0444, and follow The Mermaid Store on Instagram and Facebook.
Council agenda includes city budget, South Laguna property acquisition, street performer ordinance
By SARA HALL
City Council has some interesting and noteworthy items on the agenda next week, including the city budget, an ordinance related to street performers, and acquisition of a property in South Laguna that could possibly replace a fire station.
Up first during the regular agenda on Tuesday (June 15) is the city budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The budget item includes a number of salaries, employee association agreements, and projects. Council previously provided feedback during a budget workshop on May 18.
With the suggested changes, the general fund budget is balanced with a 20 percent reserve of $13.7 million, according to the staff report. The proposed expenditures for 2021-22 are $73.94 million.
Some of the changes suggested during the budget workshop include: An increase to the business license administrative fee from $5 to $20 to offset the cost of outsourcing and automating the application and renewal process; $200,000 in contractual services for the police department for a leadership academy, professional development, and investigation services; and appropriating $1 million from the parking fund for fire station #4 property acquisition.
Also included in the budget is a donation from the Offield Family Foundation of $50,000 in 2021 and $50,000 in 2022 for improvements to Riddle Field. It’s also proposed to appropriate a matching contribution from the park in-lieu fund for both years.
The park in-lieu fund currently has a reserve of $500,000 for the South Laguna Community Garden, which is set to expire on June 30, unless extended by the council. Nearly two dozen residents wrote to council in support of funding the garden, and at least one opposed.
Staff is also recommending appropriating $20,000 from the housing in-lieu fund for a feasibility analysis of housing sites recommended by the Housing and Human Services Committee. An additional $10,000 is suggested for accessory dwelling unit outreach to help engage stakeholders and residents in coming up with solutions for affordable housing.
From the transportation infrastructure fund, staff is recommending $2.5 million be transferred to the wildfire mitigation and fire safety fund for the Laguna Canyon Road undergrounding and other medium and long-term goals approved as part of the Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Report.
Salary changes for the budget include restoring the salary increase of 2.5 percent for city employees that was given up last July to help lessen the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other requests include an additional $600,000 for ambulance services, $50,000 for a resident and business survey, $30,000 for outreach material for the Environmental Protection Plan, $36,000 for summer portable toilets in South Laguna, $250,000 for police department restrooms and city council lighting, and $100,000 for an assessment of solar panels at all city facilities.
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Courtesy of City of LB
City Council on Tuesday will consider acquiring 31727 Coast Hwy for future civic uses
Also during regular business, council will consider acquiring property in South Laguna for future civic uses, including possibly as a replacement for the neighborhood’s local fire station.
If approved, the action will authorize the city manager to enter into an agreement with Rincon Consultants Inc. in the amount of $89,199 to provide consulting services for the preparation of an initial study for the acquisition of 31727 Coast Hwy and for a possible Mitigated Negative Declaration, if determined to be appropriate.
Pursuant to council direction, the city has entered into escrow to acquire the property 31727 Coast Hwy, most recently occupied by Italian restaurant Ti Amo by il Barone. The city has offered $2.7 million and has three months to complete its due diligence.
Staff lists the need for the property as “future civic uses” in the report.
“While the city might ultimately determine to utilize the property for replacing fire station #4 and/or other public-serving amenities, a use decision will not be made until later and only in compliance with all applicable legal requirements,” the staff report reads.
The current #4 fire station is located at 31646 2nd Ave.
Staff also recommends transferring an appropriation of $37,000 from project savings in the 31526 and 31532 Coast Hwy (at the intersection of Catalina Avenue) environmental analysis project to this project.
Council also directed staff to cease efforts to obtain the other two South Laguna parcels, for which the city had previously offered $1.7 million and had entered into escrow with the owner last February.
“The decision to withdraw from the transaction was due primarily to a complication with the property ownership that prevented the person who signed the escrow documents to convey free and clear title,” the staff report explains.
Subsequent to the uncertain title issues surfacing, city staff learned about the availability of 31727 Coast Hwy property and determined that location was more suitable to develop civic uses.
Acquisition of the new property can be funded using the $1.7 million recovered from the withdrawal of the Catalina Avenue/PCH deal, another $1 million set aside from the parking fund in the proposed 2021-22 fiscal year budget, and $100,000 from the 2020-21 future facilities fund.
Another item on council’s agenda is an ordinance regarding street performers.
The proposed ordinance continues to allow street performances, however, if adopted, performers would be required to adhere to a set of conditions while performing regarding the time, place, and manner of performances within the public domain, including the Promenade on Forest.
“Street performers can provide a public amenity that enhances the character of the city,” the staff report reads. “As such, the city should seek to encourage such performances consistent with the overall public interest.”
The performers can sometimes create public safety problems, by impacting the ability of individuals to move safely on sidewalks, staff explains in the report.
Cognizant that street performers are engaged in First Amendment activities, staff is proposing the ordinance to ensure the safety of performers, their audience, and the general public, as well as to prevent interference with the ability of businesses to operate.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
A proposed ordinance will regulate street performers, including at the Promenade on Forest
A summary of the proposed ordinance:
--Performers are authorized to perform daily between the hours of 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.
--Street performers cannot perform within 10 feet of a bus stop, street corner, marked pedestrian crosswalk, business entrance and driveways, or residential entrance.
--A performer may not utilize an area that would reduce the sidewalk to less than four feet.
--A performer cannot build a stage or use any props that can cause bodily injury or create a fire hazard.
--Performances may not utilize any public benches, waste receptacles, or other street furniture.
Provisions listed would apply to all public areas within city limits, but not private property. Individuals or organizations wishing to perform on private property could be subject to sperate regulations, which could include obtaining a temporary use permit from the city.
The proposed ordinance also includes specific regulations for the performance deck at the Promenade on Forest.
“Since the closure of lower Forest Avenue and the creation of a pedestrian promenade, performers and nonprofit organizations have utilized the stage area and successfully provided ambient music and programming,” staff explain in the report.
Staff recommends a specific process for these individuals and groups to use the area.
Additional proposed regulations for the Promenade on Forest include:
--A city issued performance permit is required.
--The performance deck is available to nonprofit organizations Monday through Thursday between 4 and 9 p.m., and seven days per week between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. for individual performers.
--Nonprofit organization’s performance duration may not exceed four hours, while individual performers may not exceed three hours.
--A single nonprofit organization may not reserve the performance deck for more than 14 days per calendar year.
--The performance deck shall be available to individual street performers on a schedule determined by the city based on seasonality, business needs, and other city programming.
Violations would be considered infractions and subject to administrative fines and penalties.
Earlier in the Council meeting, during the consent calendar, City Council will consider contracts related to the Irvine Cove sewer lift station generator project, a pilot telecommuting program for employees, an update on the summer 2021 festival parking program, and a review of Zoom/in-person hybrid options for holding future City Council meetings.
The council agenda is available online here. The closed session begins at 5 p.m., and the regular meeting at 6 p.m.
To participate via Zoom, you may click here from your computer or smart phone. You may also call (669) 900-9128 and wait for instructions. The Webinar ID is 97603440658#. If you have issues getting into the Zoom meeting or raising your virtual hand to comment, you may text the city clerk at (310) 722-5051.
The meeting can be watched live on Cox channel 852 or on the city’s website at www.lagunabeachcity.net/agendas.
You may speak in person in Council Chambers by entering the chambers through the rear door, speak on your subject of interest, and immediately exit through the front door. A face covering must be worn while in the chambers, including while speaking.
Comments may be submitted on any agenda item or on any item not on the agenda in writing via mail to the City Clerk at: 505 Forest Ave, Laguna Beach, CA, 92651, by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or by using this interactive form: www.lagunabeachcity.net/comment. Email your comments to the City Clerk no later than 3 p.m. on June 14 (the day before the City Council meeting) in order for your comments to be submitted to the members of the City Council the day prior the meeting, which provides them sufficient time to review the comments.
You may continue to provide written comments up to 12 p.m. on June 15 (the day of the meeting). While these comments will be provided to the City Council at 2 p.m. on June 15, council members may not have sufficient time to review them prior to the meeting.
“Art in Public Places” – Boy and Dog by Ruth Peabody
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
This is the fourteenth in our weekly series featuring Art in Public Places. Since there are over 100 pieces of public art scattered throughout Laguna, it will take a while to cover them all.
The art you see around Laguna Beach is the result of two city programs: “Public Art and Murals” and “Art in Public Places.” The goals of the Public Art and Murals and Art in Public Places (adopted in 1986) initiatives are to create diverse art installations of the highest quality that will, over decades, reflect the city itself and its citizens, and improve the quality of life; and to be a source of pride to all Laguna Beach residents.
Installed in 1933, Boy and Dog is said to be the oldest public art installation in Laguna. Created by Ruth Peabody, the bronze statue with its green patina sits at the corner of Upper Cliff Drive and Pacific Coast Highway at a tiny park called Jahraus Park.
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“Boy and Dog” – Oldest public art installation in Laguna
The park is named after Elmer Jahraus who came to Laguna in 1903. He was involved with many artists’ projects until 1927, the year the city incorporated.
According to an article in Stu News (in 2018), the late Richard Jahraus used to say he was [the model for] the boy at age three years old. He claimed he was teased unmercifully about his sculpted bare backside.
The statue celebrates Elmer Jahraus’ commitments to Laguna Beach. Most people who pass by it are enchanted by its presence.
In 2008, it was lovingly restored by artist Cheryl Ekstrom before she passed away, and the replacement of the boy’s arm was funded in part by Laguna Beach resident Mark Porterfield.
It was rededicated in April of 2009 after a three-month restoration, which included a new base, plumbing, a dog water basin, and plants as part of the process.
In 2018, local bronze sculptor George Stripling was hired by the city to remove an undetermined liquid that was sloshed onto it.
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The late Richard Jahraus used to say he was [the model for] the boy at age three years old
Ruth Eaton was born in Highland Park, Illinois, on March 30, 1893. Her earliest art instruction was under her mother, Eleanor Colburn, who was an accomplished artist. She then became a student at the Art Institute of Chicago. Ruth married Hugh Kingman Peabody in 1918 in New Hampshire where the couple remained for five years.
In 1923, the couple, accompanied by her mother, moved to Laguna, where mother and daughter embraced the culture of the Laguna Beach art colony, each becoming active members of the Laguna Beach Art Association. The two artists shared a home studio, and although their early work is similar in style, they each created a distinct body of work, with Ruth working in both painting and sculpture.
A respected art instructor at Laguna Beach High School, Ruth became a private instructor as well. During her career, she created sculpture and painted portraits, landscapes, and still lifes, in a post-impressionist style, working in both oil and in watercolor.
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“Boy and Dog” – rededicated in 2009
Ruth and her mother were two of the city’s earliest, most prominent artists and helped make Laguna famous in the art world.
Her work during this period may have been influenced by composition and color theories of fellow Laguna Beach Art Association artist Fredrick John de St. Vrain Schwankovsky. In 1939, the Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego presented Ruth’s abstractions in a solo exhibition, the first show of its kind by a regional artist. Later, she returned to a more representational style in her paintings.
In 1932, she was included in the California Arts & Architecture directory of state-wide artists.
The Boy and Dog sculpture, created by Peabody for Sophie Kerr, in memory of a daughter and her love of animals, was among the artist’s most distinguished achievements.
Ruth Eaton Peabody passed away on October 22, 1966, in Laguna Beach.
For a map of Art in Public Places (not every piece is listed), click here.
To apply for the Arts in Public Places program, click here.
LBHS 2021 graduates celebrate
Photos by Mary Hurlbut
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Paddle out and BBQ party at Aliso Beach
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Grads circle around for a celebration
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Signing yearbooks at Bluebird Park on June 8
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Saying goodbye to LBHS friends
For more photos by Mary Hurlbut, see slideshow below
14th Annual Fête de la Musique to fill streets of Laguna Beach with music, fanfare on June 19
On Saturday, June 19, the streets of downtown Laguna Beach will be filled with music and much fanfare when the 14th Annual Laguna Beach Fête de la Musique presented by the Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association (LBSCA) returns. Originating in France in the 1980s, the Fête de la Musique, also known as the International Day of Music, celebrates the beginning of summer and the close affiliation Laguna Beach has with its sister city, Menton, France. The day’s events are free, and promote the lively arts through music by a variety of musicians, singers, and performers.
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Photos courtesy of LBSCA
Returning Fête favorites Angie and Gabe will belt out their crowd favorite tunes near Greeter’s Corner
The day’s festivities start at 11 a.m. on the Main Beach Cobblestones with the Laguna Community Jazz Band playing its swing/jazz sets. This 15-piece band and two vocalists will ignite the crowd until 1 p.m.
From 1-1:20 p.m., the lively Opening Ceremony kicks off with the U.S. national anthem sung by Laguna tenor Rick Weber and the French national anthem (“La Marseillaise”) by singer Lisa Morrice. Adding to the festivities will be welcoming speeches by Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen; Sergio Prince, representing Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett; and Karyn Philippsen, founding president of the Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association.
Additional performances continuing throughout the day at Main Beach include the six-member Agave Bros. band with Amanda Reid from 1:20-3 p.m.; JJ and the Habibis, Laguna Beach belly dancers from 3-3:20 p.m.; and The CoverUps, an 80s cover band in costume, from 3:20-5 p.m. The Closing Ceremony culminates the day from 5-5:10 p.m.
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Chanteuse April Walsh will be singing on the front steps of 2bella Boutique
Concurrently, starting at 1:30 p.m., there are performances at a variety of locations throughout the streets of downtown Laguna and up to the HIP District. Over the years, most of the performers are returnees from previous Fêtes. Two of the Fête’s longest-serving entertainers are Lenelle Hamil and April Walsh. Counting last year’s virtual-only Fête, at which each of them performed, Hamil will be singing in her ninth consecutive Fête and Walsh in her 10th.
Hamil is performing out front of Moulin Bistro and Walsh at 2bella Boutique, both in the 200 block of Forest Avenue. Hamil is a singer/songwriter/guitarist who performs many of her own songs, while Walsh is a true chanteuse, singing French café songs along with American classics. Both have distinguished themselves with their loyalty and consistency.
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Catch singer/songwriter/guitarist Lenelle Hamil in front of Moulin Bistro
Here are just some of the noteworthy places to stop by as you wander throughout the village:
--Greeter’s Corner Restaurant (Main Beach) will once again host Angie and Gabe, who hail from Mentone, Calif., near San Bernardino. Gabe, who is in his 80s, charms his audience with his Frank Sinatra tunes, as does Angie with her renditions of songs by several different women, including Patsy Cline, complete with a fringed buckskin jacket.
--Carmelita’s is a new venue for Fête and will be hosting performers in the courtyard for the enjoyment of restaurant patrons at 217 Broadway.
--Grace Gallery, a new high-end art gallery with a photogenic collection, will host Keith Comer, singer/guitarist at 347 S Coast Hwy.
--Free People, the new clothing shop on the Promenade, will have Laguna tenor Rick Weber performing in their space at 225 Forest.
--Dawson Cole will host opera singer Sheryl Lynn Smith in their sculpture garden as well as violinist Raven at their front entrance on Glenneyre.
For those wanting to take a relaxing break, all the new outdoor dining venues will be providing the perfect respite for an alfresco meal or thirst quencher.
The Laguna Beach Fête de la Musique is grateful for the continued collaboration with the City of Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce, Visit Laguna Beach, and Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett.
COVID guidelines will be strictly observed.
Save the date for next year’s Fête de la Musique, taking place Saturday, June 18, 2022.
For more information about Fête de la Musique and the Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association, visit www.lagunabeachsistercities.com.
Where’s Maggi?
Maggi throws down this challenge…Where is this? (Hint: not where you might think).
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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Laguna Beach Rotary Club names Ceese Djerf as Student of the Month for June
As the final selection of the school year for Laguna Beach Rotary Club’s Student of the Month, the club has chosen Ceese Djerf to receive the award.
Rotarians understand the importance of our community’s youth. Guided by this understanding the membership established a student recognition program –
one that recognizes achievement, leadership, and helps to support high school students in their transition to higher education. Every month the Rotary Club selects a student of the month (SOM). All SOMs receive a $500 scholarship.
Ceese was born in the Ukraine and became a U.S. Citizen when her parents adopted her at 16 months of age.
“I have lived in Chicago and Laguna Beach,” says Ceese. “My interests include aviation and dance, especially modern and classic ballet. I like dancing, going to the library, and scrapbooking.”
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Ceese Djerf receives Student of the Month honors from the Laguna Beach Rotary Club for June
Her activities include Vocational Education field trips, indoor and outdoor exercising, and preparing presentations on her school computer. Ceese participated in Vocational Education and dance all four years of her high school career.
As for extracurricular activities, Ceese says, “I enjoy community events like Coffee with a Cop, Tip a Cop, Bike Rodeos, Winter Fest, the Sawdust Festival, and the Pageant of the Masters.” She also has a large collection of books at home.
After graduation, she plans to start the Adult Transition Program at Capistrano Unified in San Juan Capistrano, including classes at Saddleback Community College. “I look forward to this opportunity to learn, develop social skills, and meet new people,” Ceese says.
She is hoping that her interests in aviation, libraries, and dance will lead to career opportunities.
“Being selected as a Laguna Beach Rotary Student of the Month is a special honor,” says Cleese. “I appreciate the generosity shown to me. Thank you.”
“Ten Boys Who Care” deliver 612 pounds of food to Laguna Food Pantry
This past Sunday, “Ten Boys Who Care” delivered a whopping 612 pounds of much-needed food to the Laguna Food Pantry. The “Ten Boys Who Care” organization began in 2013, intending to raise monies each year to award two Laguna Beach High School graduating seniors with scholarships totaling $2,300. The student-athletes selected, one male and one female, exemplified good sportsmanship and positively impacted those around them.
The boys participate in fundraising events throughout the year, focusing on community service and goodwill. The group consists of current LBHS juniors –
most have been members since eighth grade.
During a three-week period, the boys reached out to friends, relatives, and neighbors for donations. The results were amazing as they collected 612 pounds of food.
“Ten Boys Who Care 2.0” are the predecessors to the original ten boys who graduated from LBHS in 2020. This new group took over in their eighth grade year and now they are rising juniors.
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Members (L-R): Ben Neufeld, Nico Cambruzzi, Noah Liao, Coleman Judd, Brandon Yee, Luke Meisberger, and Taylor Towe. Not pictured: Will Goodwin, Jake Lund, and Miles Freeman.
“We look forward to doing more for our community like the food drive we just had,” says member Taylor Towe. “It feels so good to know we are helping others less fortunate.”
“Since joining the group, we have had the opportunity to give back to our community and senior athletes by raising over $4,800,” says member Luke Meisberger. “This allowed us to give scholarships to four amazing Laguna Beach graduates! It is rewarding to be able to give back to the community.”
For the most part, they have given the scholarship awards but due to the pandemic last year into this year, they had been unable to do more within the community. They just began meeting up again and brainstorming what events they want to create or participate in to help others. Their first thought was holding a food drive to donate to the Laguna Food Pantry.
“The biggest fundraiser we have every year has been the annual garage sale. The last one we were able to have was pre-pandemic and it raised $1,700,” says Vickie Vela. “Unfortunately due to COVID-19, we have been unable to raise money for the annual scholarships. We will be coming up with other ways for raising the scholarship for 2022 graduates.”
In addition, this year they are collaborating with another organization to help to reach other community students in need of school bags and supplies.
They always welcome donations and appreciate the community’s support.
Please send checks to: Ten Boys Who Care c/o Terri Meisberger, 668 N Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA, 92651.
For more information, go to: www.tenboyswhocare.org/home.html.
Guest Column
“Love is a lifetime experience…It never ends.”
By Steve Kawaratani
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Thanksgiving 2019
My mom, Bessie, has never complained about her life interrupted as a girl and then a young woman during the challenges of the Great Depression and the daily tedium of life in the Japanese-American internment camps. The lessons she learned during this period of quiescence are fortifying her efforts to remain present today.
As a founding member of the Greatest Generation, Mom partnered with her husband, Pete, in creating her dream life – building from the ground up a successful family business, raising three children, participating in the Laguna experience, and of course, from my perspective, preparing heavenly meals well into her nineties.
What Mom really liked were our iconic, cross-country trips with the five of us in a Buick Estate station wagon; she plotted and planned our summer and winter vacations with AAA maps and guides, the Sunset Magazine, and the LA Times Travel Section as her guides. During a period spanning three decades, we drove through 45 states and six Canadian provinces, highlighted with experiencing most of America’s Great Cities, National Parks, and three World Fairs.
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Romneya coulteri – Matilija Poppy or Mom’s fried egg flower
We took a family road trip late spring a number of years ago, through Ojai toward Matilija Canyon. Mom remarked how the native poppy flowers looked just like fried eggs. And so they do; the Matilija Poppy, Romneya coulteri, is one of the showiest and easy-to-grow California native. They are often called fried egg plants due to their large white blossom and yellow center. Matilija Poppies grow naturally in the coastal mountains and valleys of Southern California into Baja California.
The Matilija Poppy grows best in a location that is in full sun, however, don’t plant near less competitive species, as a mature plant is invasive and can grow to eight feet tall and wide. Withhold summer water to keep plant growth in check, cut the stems nearly to ground level in the fall, and new shoots will appear after the first winter rain. This plant is a great addition to your garden if you have the space.
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Mother’s Day 2021
I promised Mom a lifetime ago that I would always take care of her. I meant it when I was eight years old; I mean it even more today. She’ll be attaining her 100th birthday tomorrow, a remarkable achievement for a remarkable woman. Happy Birthday, Mom, and I love you!
Steve Kawaratani has been a local guy for seven decades and likes to garden and drive the Baja peninsula. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (949) 494-5141.
Editor’s Note: Steve’s Mom Bessie passed away yesterday, June 10th, before publication of this column.
Laguna Craft Guild returns to Main Beach Cobblestones again this Sunday
The Laguna Craft Guild will return to the Main Beach Cobblestones this Sunday, June 13 from 9 a.m. to dusk. Laguna’s longest-running downtown art fair will feature a dozen or more artists exhibiting their works.
The following artists will be in attendance: Rachel Goberman, Cliff Wassmann, Robert Jones, Muffin Spencer-Devlin, Linda Ames, Mary Ann Guerra, Gregory Lincoln, Debra Covern, Nancy Bernstein, Tatyana Zen, Michael Phillips, Jeff Lavinsky, and Melissa Renee.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Artisans on display, 2019
Although the location has changed over the years, the Laguna Craft Guild continues an over four-decade tradition of setting up their fine arts and crafts on the Main Beach Cobblestones. It began in the early 1970s as a way for local artists and makers to sell their work.
The group’s current home is on the Cobblestones next to The Greeter’s Corner Restaurant on 14 Sundays a year.
For more information about Laguna Craft Guild, go to www.lagunacraftguild.org.
Guest Column
From Laguna with Love: Yoga, tacos, and beach walks
By Sara Nuss-Galles
My husband and I had long enjoyed Laguna Beach when we stopped off on vacations between Los Angeles and San Diego. But suddenly, our far-fetched dream came true, and we were moving from the East Coast to Southern California – a huge move, geographically, socially, and emotionally. My husband got a great job at a local university and a fabulous well-lit studio to boot. Nothing quickens an artist’s heart and sweetens any deal like a great studio. He was thrilled and flew out to start the new semester in August of 2004.
As to me, once the initial euphoria ebbed, I recall feeling like I was facing terra incognita. I began making lists. Positives: I love the beach and the ocean and enjoy wading up to my ankles; after Chicago and East Coast winters I was finished with snow, ice storms, scraping car windows, digging for the newspaper, and wearing socks and a muffler to bed. Negatives: I knew just a few people in SoCal; I had no job and my writing contacts were with local outlets back East; I was the one staying behind in Madison, N.J., to sort through 24 years of stuff in our 200-plus-year Revolutionary-era house, barn, basement, attic, and garage. Did I mention we were collectors? Some might say hoarders, but I wouldn’t go that far. I was sorting, tossing, and donating carloads of books, collectibles, long-outgrown children’s clothes, games, rejected cat toys, and litter boxes. I posted on Ebay and held several yard sales.
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The author and her husband Arie Galles
I had a monster job to handle and felt swamped. That said, I tried to be the good spouse and realize that my husband also had a lot to deal with. He was living in a motel in Lake Forest that reminded him of scenes in Barton Fink, the Coen brothers’ movie. That was not a good thing. And he had to prove himself daily to students, faculty, and administration. Loath as I am to say it, mine was the bigger job.
I finally came out for a conjugal visit on December 24, 2004. I arrived late in the evening at John Wayne Airport and my husband picked me up in his rental car. I was hungry, grouchy, and tired.
“Is there food in the Bates Motel room fridge?” I asked.
“Oops,” was the answer. “I was really busy and forgot.”
I was not pleased. My good cheer at being with my beloved was being sorely challenged by my baser needs. A restaurant open on Christmas Eve? I was not hopeful.
Determined to find sustenance, we drove to Laguna, winding down Laguna Canyon Road. The streets were quiet. And then it appeared, a beacon of light and hospitality. We’d never been to Romeo Cucina, but it looked inviting, and most important, it was open.
We were greeted like family, seated and warmed with a drink and their amazing hearth-baked bread and piquant olive tapenade. We munched, we drank, and gradually we relaxed and remembered how good it was to be together. We ordered salad and pastas, ate every morsel, and swabbed our plates with the crispy bread.
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Photo by Dennis Piszkiewicz
Romeo Cucina
Our server was friendly and attentive and, somehow, we shared our story – new job, cross-country flight, motel, no food, and my anxiety of all the newness. She and my husband began speaking Italian and connected about food, family, and pasta. We paid the check and were about to leave when she came back with a gift.
“Buon Natale,” she said, handing us a loaf of their bread, a container of tapenade, and some butter for our morning repast.
“Grazie mille,” we answered, touched and grateful.
Very soon we moved out of the motel, settling ourselves and our two cats into a rental condo near Victoria Beach. No more long, narrow motel corridors or strange comings-and-goings night and day. My husband spent a lot of time at work. I read, I walked the beaches, did some writing for distant clients, joined a yoga class at the pre-Susi Q Recreation Center – and I made a friend. She and I made a weekly post-yoga ritual of taco tasting across town. La Sirena on Mermaid Street soon became my favorite. The cats settled in, old friends came out to visit, and we made new friends through the university and the art scene.
Was it the crispy bread, the tapenade, and the kind server in my time of need? Or perhaps it was the Victoria Beach walks, the relaxed atmosphere of eateries like Romeo Cucina, La Sirena, and Laguna Thai by the Sea? I’m pretty sure it was all of those. I began to be at home.
Sara Nuss-Galles’ writing has appeared in The New York Times, the LA Times, and Lilith, among others, and she was honored to be a guest columnist on National Public Radio’s Marketplace.
Organized by the Laguna-based nonprofit Third Street Writers, “From Laguna with Love” features personal stories (anecdotes of up to 200 words and longer pieces up to 750 words) and photographs that celebrate only-in-Laguna moments and experiences, whether they’re funny, sad, insightful, or simply a reflection of daily interactions.
If you or someone you know has a Laguna experience to share, you can submit your story or photo to: https://thirdstreetwriters.submittable.com/submit.
Questions? Contact Amy Dechary at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Celebrate re-emergence by wearing yellow for community photo on June 15 at City Hall
Tuesday, June 15 will be a yellow-letter day in Laguna. That is when people in town officially will be able to re-emerge from COVID-19 restrictions and celebrate their post-pandemic lives.
With these thoughts in mind, Mayor Pro Tem Sue Kempf and longtime resident Denny Freidenrich are inviting friends and neighbors to turn out for a community photo at 10 a.m. in front of City Hall.
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(L-R) Cort and Diane Kloke, KX FM Development Director Jayne Herring, and Denny Freidenrich
“Everyone who has been fully vaccinated is welcome,” Kempf says. “Please wear something yellow – like a hat, shirt, blouse, skirt or pants – or bring yellow flowers,” she adds.
For his part, Freidenrich notes, “Many people have been traumatized by the events of the last sixteen months. They either know someone who contracted COVID, lost family members to the virus, or suffered financial losses.”
“Tuesday’s community photo will be a great way to reconnect with old friends and look ahead to the future,” Diane Kloke says.
If you would like to participate in the community photo, please call (949) 338-5071.
Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund receives generous grant from FOA Foundation
The Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund (SAEF), which reaches out with art endeavors for underserved populations, recently received a generous grant from the nonprofit FOA Foundation.
“We are truly grateful for the generous Festival of Arts Foundation grant, which assists us in providing art classes to the military and their families,” says Hodel McCrae, chair of SAEF. “In years past we provided in-person sessions at the Sawdust Art Festival grounds.
“These classes included extra materials for them to continue with their art projects, and information about how to create their own online business, no matter where they were stationed.”
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A military family works on an art project
“We also partnered with Project Access and KDF Communities to provide art experiences to at-risk and/or low-income children from Santa Ana’s Warwick Center as well as American Family Housing (AFH).”
This past year, however, given COVID restrictions, SAEF had to find new ways to teach their classes. The trustees came up with the idea of workshop to-go kits, which, it turns out, have allowed them to reach hundreds more folks.
“In our Art To-Go kits, we provide all the materials necessary to create the piece as well as instructions, either written or accessible in a video online,” McCrae explains. “Through this experience we have been able to reach a much higher number of students.
“The kits are created by professional local artists and have given them, too, a much-needed income opportunity during the pandemic.”
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Kits are packed for delivery to American Family Housing
Kits have included Paint Pour, Watercolor Painting, Macramé, Acrylic Painting, Screen Printing, and other mediums.
“As we look forward, I am sure we will be incorporating these kits along with in-person classes – a creative approach inspired by the pandemic,” McCrae adds.
The Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund is a philanthropic effort that supports education of the public about the arts while providing hands-on experience to underserved populations. In recent years, SAEF has partnered with various organizations to fund classes for at-risk students, seniors, military spouses, and homeless populations in rehabilitation and recovery.
For more information on SAEF, go to www.sawdustartfestival.org/about/sawdust-art-enrichment-fund.
Dennis’ Tidbits
By DENNIS McTIGHE
June 11, 2021
Longing for El Nino
More on historic Hurricane Guillermo from 1997: On August 18, 1997, Hurricane Guillermo (William) was still a very dangerous Category 4 with winds of 135 mph setting aim at Hawaii’s Big Island. At this point Bill was a mere 250 miles ESE of Hilo as hurricane warnings were posted on the Big Island and hurricane watches went up on the other islands. Everyone was squirming heavily as the El Nino-fueled waters surrounding the Islands were a very hurricane-friendly 83 degrees, roughly six degrees above normal.
Then a miracle happened. Later on that evening Bill took a sharp turn to the right in a matter of hours, and was now heading almost due north, and he was speeding up, now at the rate of 16 mph. By the very next morning he was 250 miles NE of Hawaii maintaining his movement to the north. Outside of huge swells and some rain squalls from Bill’s outer bands with a few gusty winds up to 35 mph, the Islands really dodged a bullet in a big way! A major catastrophic event was averted thanks to a last-minute sharp right turn from the Big Bully from Mexico.
Guillermo continued his journey northward for several days and on August 24 he was located about 2,000 miles due west of San Diego, still a high-end Category 2 system, thanks to that huge pool of El Nino-warmed waters that far north. He remained a hurricane until August 21 when he became extra-tropical at 43 degrees north latitude or about 1,800 miles west of the Southern Oregon coast, but he wasn’t done just yet. On August 27 he joined forces with a deep low pressure that was dropping southward from the Aleutian Islands, way early for a North Pacific deep trough. The central pressure in this double-barreled system was 967 millibars, that strength more typical of November or early December, not late August. Four days later after its eastward journey, the storm made landfall in Central Oregon with winds of 65 mph and torrential rains that dropped in excess of a half foot along parts of the coast.
Meanwhile, all of California was treated to a way-out-of-season, super early double overhead northwest ground swell from, you guessed it, former Hurricane Guillermo, which went full circle having blessed our shores with not only a super south but a freak powerful northwest swell, all the product of the same storm! I’ve never seen anything like it! Rincon, normally a winter break, was off the charts with endless 8- to 10-foot giant peelers all the way from Indicators to the inside Cove, a distance of 300 yards of absolute perfection, plus the water was 75 friggin’ degrees as it was early September. Normally we’re surfing the Queen of the coast in full 4-3 wetsuits. What a storm and what a summer! That’s why we call El Nino our friend!
The 1997 hurricane season saw a record four hurricanes that made it all the way up to Category 5 status with sustained winds of 157 mph or higher. There was Guillermo, Linda, Nora, and Patricia. The last time the Eastern Pacific had even one Category 5 was back in 2014 with Marie. It’s been that long. See y’all next Tuesday and have a great weekend!
ALOHA!
Laguna Art Museum presents in-person Film Night on Thursday, June 17
On Thursday, June 17 at 6 p.m., Laguna Art Museum will present an in-person Film Night featuring 20th Century Women. In this film, three women in Santa Barbara share in the upbringing of a teenage boy at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion.
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“20th Century Women” will be featured at LAM Film Night on Thursday, June 17
In 1979 Santa Barbara, Dorothea Fields is a determined single mother in her mid-50s who is raising her adolescent son, Jamie, at a moment brimming with cultural change and rebellion. Dorothea enlists the help of two younger women – Abbie, a free-spirited punk artist living as a boarder in the Fields’ home, and Julie, a savvy and provocative teenage neighbor – to help with Jamie’s upbringing.
20th Century Women premiered at the New York Film Festival in 2016. It was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards – Best Motion Picture and Best Actress for Annette Bening – as well as Best Original Screenplay at the 89th Academy Awards.
Tickets are included with museum admission. Advance tickets are recommended.
To purchase tickets and for more information, visit www.lagunaartmuseum.org/events/film-night-20th-century-women.
Guest Column
There are three kinds of people: Who are you?
By Dr. Vidya Reddy
There are three kinds of people…this is a vast generalization, but just go with me for a minute: The Stone-Hearted. The Half-Hearted. And the Full-Hearted.
The Stone-Hearted…are subconsciously driven by their unhealed wounds – as many of us can be, but Stone-Hearteds aren’t fully aware that they’re in pain. They tend to cling to that pain; they build walls and weapons out of their pain. It’s all very…painful. Cynicism is like a pleasure sport for them.
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Photo by Johnny Antezana
Dr. Vidya Reddy
Note to Full-Hearted change makers: The Stone-Hearted people are going to require tolerance – which is different from acceptance. You’re going to have to look at them and remember that we’re all from the same source – this will help you have compassion for the pain that they’re in that they don’t even know they’re in, and also help you see how to lessen the pain that they cause.
Not all people are changeable, and the Stone-Hearteds can be viciously stubborn. In terms of an inclusive vision and better way of doing things, Stone-Hearteds need to know what’s in it for them. Don’t burn yourself out going to war with them. Pick your battles and free your energy up for peace-keeping missions.
The Half-Hearted…want a better life, but they don’t really want to give up their comforts or familiar ideologies. They love the cozy status quo, consumption is a hobby, and they definitely want things to go “back to normal.”
Note to Full-Hearted change-makers: everyone awakens at their own pace, the machinations of karma and soul work are a mystery – so we go easy on the judgment, but hold the space for change. Half-Hearted is still half-engaged. So keep the faith, have lots of engaged conversation – hold up on the guilt trips, pull back on the preaching – and instead role model the heck outta your morals and ideals.
The Full-Hearted…Hi, hello, you Full-Hearted change leader. You can see the beautiful ideal and you know you’re a part of its unfolding. You’re answering the call to lead.
Heads up: “To whom much is given, much is expected.” The Full-Hearted are going to have to pick up some slack. More love, more patience – we’ll have to turn the other cheek more often. That’s more than alright. When you turn the other check, you can see into the future.
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Photo by Kavita Reddy
Move upward to higher ideals
We are more compassionate because it’s in our nature. We let the upheaval move us upward to higher ideals. We will not be contorted by resentment or checks ‘n balances of who worked for what, and is entitled to which, and what’s even. That’s more than alright. When your heart is open, everybody’s in.
We may not reap the rewards of our steadfast love. Might die before the work is done, might go unnoticed and materially unrewarded. That’s more than alright. The point is to generate more love and we know that it’s all accounted for by the ledger of soul.
Full-Hearteds are leading, creating, and building – even if the others don’t join in immediately. We don’t wait, we embody. We’re going to preach, model, elect, give, donate, sing, create, and give some more. We are uniting and inviting. Unity consciousness is our favorite.
There will be disheartening times and near crushing despair. There will be resistance. And the Full-Hearteds will be thinking, “Really? Did you not live through the era-revolution-year with the rest of humanity?” That’s more than alright. We breathe deep into our devotion, and we carry on to run for city council, reform our kids’ school curriculum, and lead our companies to pour profits back into the community. We garden. We rest. We pray and plan – together.
Did I mention that there will be resistance? It could come from places we didn’t expect it. Our favorite aunt, or our business partner, or the friend we thought we knew for sure. That’s more than alright. Love assesses everything from common ground.
The Full-Hearteds will be called crazy, idealistic, rebellious, too soft, too New Age, irrational, impractical, so angry, disloyal, righteous, moralistic, idealistic, unrealistic, unreasonable…and (gasp!)…utopian. It won’t be the first time; it will not be the last. That’s more than alright. This moment was made for the Full-Hearteds to let love rule. We see the beautiful ideal and we know that we’re all a part of its unfolding.
As a thought exercise, I’ve learned a lot of things over the past few months and feel compelled to share them with you in the spirit of robust helpfulness. If you would like more information, techniques, and meditation based on Life Lessons, please refer to my blog: https://naturally-happy.com/blog/.
In Peace, Love and Gratitude.
‘Til next time.
Dr. Vidya Reddy, ND, AMS, DAC, CLC
LBUSD announces Director of Assessment and Accountability
The Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Education voted Tuesday (June 8) unanimously to approve the appointment of Dr. Elisabeth “Betsy” Kannenberg as Director of Assessment and Accountability. Dr. Kannenberg was selected from a candidate pool of highly qualified applicants.
Originally from Alexandria, Virginia, Dr. Elisabeth Kannenberg moved to California in 2001, where she began her career in public education. She served as a special education and intervention teacher, new teacher mentor, and summer administrator in Solana Beach School District prior to joining the leadership team in San Marcos Unified School District in 2012. Since that me, Dr. Kannenberg has worked as an elementary assistant principal, principal, and Instructional Services Director, overseeing state and federal programs, Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) development, parent engagement, and expanded learning opportunities. She is also an associate faculty member at the University of Arizona Global Campus, where she teaches graduate courses in education. She and her husband, Brian, are the parents of two school-aged children, Chase and Olivia.
Dr. Kannenberg is excited to become part of the Laguna Beach Unified School District team and support LBUSD educators and community members in ensuring each student gains the knowledge, experience, world perspectives, and skills needed to become lifelong learners and producers in a competitive and interconnected world.
Dr. Kannenberg earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from James Madison University, a master’s degree in special education from National University, and a doctorate degree in administrative for teaching and learning leadership from Walden University, Minnesota.
“The aspects I admire most about Laguna Beach Unified are the clear, unwavering focus on student learning, emphasis on meeting the needs of the whole child, and focus on the learner experience,” said Dr. Kannenberg. “As an educator, my greatest passion lies in maximizing educational opportunities for all students. I believe in the transformational power of public education and am invested in the critical work we do within our schools to empower learners and inspire possibilities.”
“We are excited to have Dr. Kannenberg join the LBUSD team as she brings a wealth of experience as a teacher, site leader, and district office administrator,” said Dr. Viloria, Superintendent of Schools. “Over the last several years, schools have been tasked with managing larger and more complex data. Dr. Kannenberg’s experience in this area will help us maintain and improve upon our ongoing continuous improvement efforts.”
Under the direction and supervision of the Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services, the Director of Assessment and Accountability guides school administrators and teachers through processes to apply data to educational strategies and programs to improve student learning – including interpretation of data, reflection on instructional practice and programs, development of planned actions to improve student learning, monitoring implementation of planned actions, and performing other related work as required.
Dr. Kannenberg will start as the Director of Assessment and Accountability on July 1, 2021.
COVID-19: One new case and no deaths reported in Laguna Beach this past week
Stu News Laguna is now reporting COVID-19 numbers on a weekly basis, as reported by the OC Health Care Agency.
This week, June 4-10, there has been one new case in Laguna Beach, bringing the overall totals to 878 cases reported to date and seven total deaths.
During the past week, the county reported a total of 223 new cases, raising the total to 255,570 to date. The death totals for the county were 22 for the week, bringing the overall total number of deaths to 5,092.
As of yesterday, June 10, Orange County has performed a cumulative of 3,993,911 tests to date. There are 53 current cases of hospitalized patients in Orange County, of which 14 are in ICU.
For questions about the data presented by the County, call (714) 834-2000 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
To view the County’s data dashboard, click here.
COVID-19 numbers are updated weekly by Stu News Laguna in Friday’s new edition.
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Data courtesy of OC Health Care Agency
LBUSD COVID-19 Dashboard
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Courtesy of LBUSD
For more information and to access the dashboard, visit www.lbusd.org/resources/covid19/covid-19-reporting
Junior Explorers Program returns to The Ranch at Laguna Beach
The Ranch at Laguna Beach has announced the return of its Junior Explorers Program, which provides immersive activities in nature for kids each summer. The program will operate from June 16 to August 28 and allows young guests ages 6-12 to roam around the unique terrain of Laguna Beach, and dive into the surrounding nature with exciting excursions, games, crafts, and more.
Junior Explorers is offered Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Ranch at Laguna Beach. Each day features its own theme and adventures, with corresponding activities designed to spark kids’ interest in the Great Outdoors. Each day ends with outdoor games and lunch.
Camp enrollment is available at $75 per child per day and limited to the first 15 guests who sign up to ensure an enriching and hands-on experience for each participant. Reservation priority will be given to resort guests. The daily itinerary for Junior Explorers is as follows:
Wednesdays are Garden Party days. Kids begin the adventure at The Ranch’s historical Scout Camp. Explorers will visit with Farmer Leo for a lesson on planting, germination, harvesting, and composting, ending with an artistic session where they will create their own seed jars to take home.
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Submitted photo
Kids learn about nature and have fun at the same time
On Thursday, there is an Artists Summit. Children craft their own nature journals and practice sketching in plein air. Explorers will learn different techniques such as shading and brush strokes, critique different kinds of art at the resort, and learn about the many artistic influences in Laguna Beach.
On Fridays, the kids learn about Canyon Creatures. Campers go on a nature hike, where they uncover traces of wildlife and make their own clay casts of their favorite animal tracks to take home. Children will learn about the history of Laguna Beach canyons dating back to the Native American tribes to the bandits and Thurstons.
Saturdays bring an Aviation Adventure. Hawks and owls greet kids on an interactive class with Orange County Birds of Prey Center. Explorers will learn about raptors and rehabilitation, build owls out of pinecones, and end camp with a final round of games and lunch.
Enrollment in the Junior Explorers program includes lunch, a Junior Explorer backpack, reusable water bottle, T-shirt, and scout patches. Masks or face coverings are optional as of June 15.
For more information or to inquire about a booking, please contact (949) 499-2271 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
For more information on The Ranch at Laguna Beach, visit www.ranchlb.com.
Retrospective at Forest & Ocean Gallery celebrates artist Sacha Tebó
By DIANNE RUSSELL
Sacha Tebó – also known as Sacha Thébaud – a Caribbean-American encaustic painter, sculptor, architect-engineer, urban planner, furniture designer, environmentalist, and beekeeper – was a man before his time or perhaps a man for all-time.
Master artist Tebó’s retrospective is being held through the end of July at Forest & Ocean Gallery. This in-memoriam exhibit is presented by his daughter, Laguna Beach resident Fabiola Thébaud Kinder, who he often visited throughout the years. Tebó had always been drawn to the sea and enjoyed watching the surfers and pelicans diving along the coast of Laguna and Dana Point, as an inspiration to his art. His last show on mainland U.S. was in Laguna Beach in 2003 before passing of pancreatic cancer in the Dominican Republic the following year.
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Submitted photo
Sacha Tebó – also known as Sacha Thébaud – as a young man
In his 20s, his art toured Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Hamburg, and Amsterdam. In an artistic career spanning nearly fifty years, his work has been exhibited internationally throughout museums and galleries in Europe, North, Central, and South America, and most frequently throughout the Caribbean islands.
Since his passing, Tebó works have been exhibited in St. Croix, Solana Beach, Irvine, New York, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and now in Laguna Beach.
“This exhibit is dedicated to both my mother and father,” says Fabiola. “We are holding it now because May 26 was the 17th anniversary of my father’s passing. The pieces are from our collections. There is positive energy here, and it’s a good place to reconnect with his work. Our mother, who recently moved to Orange County, was his muse. He painted her a lot.”
Fabiola’s brother Francisco “Kiko” Thébaud, who flew over from Boston, is also an architect, and like his father, is environmentally conscious. He’s working on building with sustainable, power efficient, and fire-retardant insulation.
Falling in love with wax
Sacha Tebó was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on January 22, 1934, and raised in Montreal, Canada. At the age of five, Tebó became fascinated with all aspects of wax crayons, a gift from his Dutch uncle. In his youth, Tebó watched his oral surgeon father emboss and incise metal sheets into bas reliefs as a form of dexterity exercise. During his teen and young adult years, he painted and incised bronze and copper reliefs for the family’s holiday cards.
Then in the mid-1950s, he delved into making cutout and relief sculptures from oil barrels and large metal sheets, as well as incising in encaustics, a technique surviving thousands of years since Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiquity, in which pigment-infused beeswax adds a tactile quality (encaustic painting). Tebó was then encouraged to pursue his studies in architectural engineering.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Kiko and Fabiola
“He loved the smell and feel of wax,” says Fabiola, “and raised his own bees for the wax he used in his work. The lines in the wax are very dynamic, and the colors most often rich and bold.”
“The lines are very dynamic, the colors bold,” Kiko explains. “He painted on a clean wax sheet, by drawing a line – an incision – into the wax. It was very precise, pure, and purposeful like a surgeon’s incision but on canvas. He incised personal styled pictographs, ‘hieroglyphic symbolism’ on both canvas and metal sculpture. Like shorthand or hieroglyphics, he developed his own language as a narrative to tell a story,” says Kiko. “It’s representative of hermetic symbolism – access to a secret language of sages.”
Encaustic becomes specialty
This difficult medium of encaustic became Tebó’s specialty, and he created a unique artistic style which covered a myriad of spiritual, mythological, and metaphorical aspects of the Caribbean region: indigenous subjects; figures of men and women; metaphysical creatures; buildings and villages; flora and fauna from the sea; natural forms; horses, bikes, kites, rhythm, and movement, all in dynamic lines with rich, texturized colors.
Hermetic symbolism and synchronicity
Edward J. Sullivan, professor and scholar of Latin American Art, wrote of Tebó’s work in an article “Hermetic Symbols for Universal Language” while teaching at NYU.
Referencing the discovery of ancient images that might be defined as abstract images of which the original meanings are veiled, he says, “Much of the work of Sacha Tebó, and particularly his most recent pieces, embody precisely this element of hermetic mysticism expressed with a strong reverence for the power of the eloquent line. Highly personal forces of the spiritual world, he often embodied in specific forms, both animal and human. The artist’s manipulation and appropriation of the inhabitants of the animal kingdom are among the most fascinating principles of his work…His art is a simulacrum of his own work of spiritual convictions.”
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Paintings cover the period from his early work (1963) to later work (2003) – sculpture “Anacaona” (heroine of the island) represents genocide of indigenous people on Hispaniola after arrival of Christopher Columbus. Her left wing depicts the arrival of the ships and horses, and her right wing depicts the indigenous islanders.
Sullivan continues, “As can be gleaned from his art, Tebó believes in what could be designated as the ‘synchronicity’ of earthy existence, the interconnectedness of our lives with those of other people and other beings, the inevitable correlations between the world of the senses (that of perceived reality) and the more intangible, incorporeal atmosphere of the sublime.”
Tebó especially loved trees. “To him, trees were sacred entities,” Fabiola says. “In Haiti, which has been heavily deforested, he created installations and ovens made of clay and discarded tires to influence people not to cut down trees. He was environmentally conscious and used scrap metal in all his sculptures.”
“My father was a prolific artist,” says Fabiola.
“Known for his appropriate use of colors,” says Kiko, “he used complementary colors and developed his own theories on colors. Different cultures have different relationships with different colors and where he traveled influenced the colors he used in painting.”
Lines define his art
However, the lines seem to be the defining element of Tebó’s art.
“Despite Thébaud’s vivid colors, it is more in his use of lines that his works take form,” says Haitian Art Critic Gerald Alexis in his book Peintres Haitiens. He also wrote a book about Tebó titled Pour que Vive La Ligne (That the Line Might Live).
Tebó started exhibiting in the U.S. in 1958. After earning a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering in Haiti, a grant took Tebó to the École Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris to hone his architectural skills and where he worked alongside Bauhaus minimalist architects Marcel Breuer, Luigi Nervi, and Bernard Zerhfuss on L’Arche de la Defense. He also interviewed with Le Corbusier, who offered him a position to work on what was to become the first planned city in India, named Chandigarh. He turned it down, and instead married Rona Roy in Dothan, Alabama, and returned to Haiti to start an architectural practice.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
(L-R) Owner of Forest & Ocean Gallery Ludo Leideritz, Kiko, and Fabiola
His art caught momentum early on in his artistic career when in 1963, he participated alongside American artists Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Larry Rivers, and California artists James Jarvaise and John Paul Jones among others in an itinerant group exhibition called Art de America y España.
Tebó left his native Haiti during the political agitation of 1963 and settled in Coral Gables, Florida, with his wife and children. In 1965, he resided in the U.S. Virgin Islands and established an architectural firm. He became a U.S. citizen in the 1970s.
In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a shift in his painting, and he began doing commissions and public installations.
Universality
“His paintings were a diary of his experiences in different cultures. Yet with the importance of seeing Caribbean in the Cosmos,” say Fabiola. “Call the influence part of his narrative – an ongoing discourse with – but not exclusive to one culture. With that, he was able to incorporate a style that resonates with humanity. This exhibit presents his work with renewed insight and energy.”
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
A celebration of their father’s work
“His work could be called Caribbean Contemporary, but his paintings went to a higher and more universal level,” Kiko adds. “In the 90s, his incisions or lines became more informal. There were more lines, and he used different sizes and shapes of spatulas.”
It’s easy to imagine this visual – as described, “He mostly painted outdoors under a blue sky, the sun’s rays casting warmth upon his encaustics with his canvases leaning against a cluster of palm trees or floating on the tranquil turquoise waters of a sandy cove.”
To experience the mystery and beauty of Tébo’s work, don’t miss this retrospective – each one has a story to tell if you just read between the lines.
On July 18 from 3-5 p.m., Laguna Beach Sister Cities is hosting an event at the gallery and Fabiola will be present to speak a bit about the exhibit. It is a paid event, and tickets may be purchased online at www.lagunabeachsistercities.com.
Forest & Ocean Gallery is located at 480 Ocean Ave.
For more information on the gallery, go to www.forestoceangallery.com or call (949) 371-3313.
Meet Pet of the Week Sparky
Sparky is currently taking over Pet of the Week. He is a one-year-old border collie mix who is neutered. Sparky is very active, and needs a secure 6-foot fence wherever he lives. He loves being around other dogs, and looks forward to exploring the outdoors every day. Nancy Goodwin, shelter director, is hoping to have Sparky adopted as soon as possible.
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Sparky is a great companion to bring on your next adventure
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 its 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.
Police Beat Primer
Compiled by Suzie Harrison
Police Beat derives from information in the daily police and arrest logs published on the City of Laguna Beach’s website and required under CA Government Code Section 6254 (f). Additional information is obtained through communication with the Laguna Beach Police Department’s Public Information Officer.
Information in the logs is deemed reliable and Stu News Laguna is not responsible for any mistakes made available as public record by the Laguna Beach Police Department.
Any person arrested is innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
