The new Moss Street Beach Access was officially reopened to the public after a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, May 17.
After Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 102 on June 29, 2023, Sen. Dave Min got the ball rolling by securing the $1,225,000 needed to revamp the Moss Street Beach Access point. Assemblywoman Diane Dixon also supported it. Both were present at the ribbon cutting, along with Laguna Beach City Council and city staff.
The project aims to improve public beach access at the site. The city has removed the existing beach accessways and built new concrete pathways, stairways and bridge structures for better accessibility. The rehabilitation has also provided additional landing areas where the public can enjoy ocean views and Moss Cove’s coastline.
Other enhancements include the installation of bike racks and fresh landscaping consisting of a mix of native and drought-tolerant plants. The design combines colored concrete steps, board-formed concrete
Cove. Photo courtesy of the city of Laguna Beach retaining walls and black anodized aluminum handrails.
A new enclosed lifeguard tower has also been added to Moss Cove, which can accommodate one Marine Safety Department staff member.
Laguna Community Concert Band Celebrates All Things Americana with Back-to-Back Concerts
LOCAL MUSICIANS AND HIGH SCHOOL DANCERS COLLABORATE TO PAY PATRIOTIC TRIBUTE THROUGH JOINT PERFORMANCES
By Clara Beard | LB Indy
The Laguna Community Concert Band is getting as American as apple pie and ice cream with back-to-back concerts celebrating our nation’s spirit and musical story.
By LB Indy Staff
The Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach will honor Renae Hinchey as its 2024 Woman of the Year at a luncheon on Friday, June 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at its clubhouse, located at 286 St. Ann’s Drive, Laguna Beach.
“The Woman’s Club members nominate and then vote for a woman WOMAN’S CLUB, PAGE 18
An open-air Memorial Day concert at Main Beach will start things off, and a traditional concert named “Land That I Love” will take place at the Artists Theatre at Laguna Beach High School on Sunday, June 2, at 2 p.m. Both programs are built around patriotic tunes and classic Americana.
“One of our goals as a band is to bring the community together through our love of music,” Laguna Community Concert Band Director Mark
Lowery said. “These two concerts are a celebration of community, creativity, and shared history.”
The musical week begins with a patriotic concert on the Main Beach cobblestones on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27. The
, PAGE 12
Above: Laguna Beach City Council and city staff celebrate the reopening of Moss Street Beach Access on Friday, May 17, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Across: Members of Laguna Beach Marine Safety Departmemnt stand on the new lifeguard tower at Moss
Laguna Beach Seniors Board President Renae Hinchey will be awarded the distinction of Woman of the Year on June 14. Photo courtesy of Renae Hinchey
Hidden Laguna Gems Explored at
Clockwise from top left: Charm House Tour Docent Ruben Flores leads a tour through Blue Bell
Laguna’s Charm House Tour held on May 19; Debbie Young (second photo from left), Randy Bader (second photo from right) and Donna Grider (far right)
plaques by Village Laguna
Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach Announces Summer Camp Program
The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, which also serves Saddleback Valley, has announced its upcoming summer camp programs. These programs are tailored to provide safe, fun, and enriching experiences for children from June 17 through Aug. 16 in Laguna Beach and June 17 through Aug. 2 in Saddleback Valley.
With a steadfast commitment to nurturing every child’s inherent strengths, the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach offers a dynamic array of activities tailored to foster personal growth, social development, and a passion for lifelong learning at two convenient locations in Laguna Beach.
Participants will engage in exciting field trips that expand their horizons and ignite curiosity. Basketball showdowns promote teamwork, sportsmanship and healthy competition. Unforgettable adventures where friendships are forged and memories are made.
Additionally, specialty camps at Canyon Branch, such as Basketball
Town Crier
IN AND AROUND LAGUNA BEACH
Camp, Art Camp, Destination Innovation Science Camp, Skate Camp, and Action-Packed Adventure Camp (APAC) offer exciting opportunities for children to explore their interests and talents.
Action-Packed Adventure Camp (APAC) is a unique program featuring hikes, rock climbing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and an overnight camping trip at the Irvine Ranch Outdoor Education Center.
For more information visit bgclagunabeach.org or call (949)494-2535 to reserve a place.
American Legion and VFW to Conduct Memorial Day Ceremony
On Monday, May 27, the Laguna Beach American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars will conduct a Memorial Day ceremony in remembrance of comrades who died protecting our country in wars and conflicts. The ceremony will take place at Monument Point in Heisler Park at 11 a.m. The keynote speaker will be Carla Hogan, a Gold Star Mother. American Gold Star Mothers is a private nonprofit orga -
CRIER, PAGE 15
A ziplining camper takes part in one of the Boys & Girls Club’s Action-Packed Adventure Camps. Photo courtesy of the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach
Laguna Needs Affordable Housing
There’s no doubt in my mind that Laguna Beach needs affordable housing. According to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) from the state of California, Laguna Beach is required to construct 394 housing units, of which 277 must have varying degrees of affordability. The question then becomes where should these developments be locat-ed, and can the developers provide enough parking to avoid putting pressure on neighbor-hoods already struggling with this issue? A proposal has recently come forward to build 72 units (a mix of studios, 1-,2- and 3-bedroom units) at the Neighborhood Congregational Church on Glenneyre Street at St. Ann’s Drive. The proposal is for a four-story podium structure with 108 parking spaces on the lowest level. It was difficult for me to tell from the plans I saw if the parking was subterranean or above grade. The development will also in-clude a spiritual center.
So, 108 parking places for a 72-unit (129-bedroom) project leads me to believe that it is un-der-parked. Add in the existing church goers and the new spiritual center attendees, and things will start to get challenging. There is also the issue that many surrounding business-es previously leased space in the NCC parking lot to satisfy their Conditional Use Permits. The original CUP for the San Shi Go restaurant space mentioned using 19 spaces in the Neighborhood Congregational Church lot. The CUP for the Red Dragon restaurant re-quired 30 spaces to be leased from the NCC lot. The CUP for Hotel Seven4one required 20 spaces to be leased in the NCC lot. Didn’t the redo of the Holiday Inn also propose leasing space in the NCC lot? When those parking spaces are no longer available, where will those people park? What happens to the CUP’s for those businesses? I know this is early
days in the processing of this project, but I believe SB-4 allows for expedited permitting and some flexibility from zoning requirements. Things may move quicker than you’d think. I hope that Related California (the developers) and the Neighborhood Congregational Church will do the right thing and seek neighborhood feedback. I also hope that they will limit the size (both in number of units and height) of their project and, provide sufficient parking for all of their tenants and proposed additional uses. If done correctly, this could be a win-win for both Laguna and the neighborhood.
Clark Collins, Laguna Beach
How Laguna Became the Big Lots of the Coast
You may have noticed in the last few years that Laguna Beach seems to have been taken over by thousands of cars on the weekend that don’t seem to fit here, literally. PCH has be-come one large parking lot of cars screeching, honking, and idling loudly at stop lights from Thalia to
LETTERS, PAGE 16
LAGUNA LOCALS LIST!
theIndyPoll
LAST WEEK’S QUESTION
Should Zoom participation at City Council meetings resume despite the potential for “Zoom bombing” interruptions?
- Yes 87.21% (75 votes) - No 12.79% (11 votes))
TOTAL VOTES: 86
THIS WEEK’S QUESTION
Should the city purchase Laguna Canyon Road from Caltrans?
- Yes - No
May 28 - Laguna Beach City Council Meeting at 5 p.m. May 29 - Administrative Design Review Meeting at 3 p.m.
Alex Rounaghi Mayor Pro Tem arounaghi@ lagunabeachcity.net
DESIGN REVIEW BOARD
SECOND AND FOURTH THURSDAYS, 5 PM
LOUIS WEIL: lweil@lagunabeachcity.net
KRISTINE THALMAN: kthalman@lagunabeachcity.net
DON SHERIDAN: dsheridan@lagunabeachcity.net
JESSICA GANNON: jgannon@lagunabeachcity.net
TOM GIBBS: tgibbs@lagunabeachcity.net
George Weiss Council member gweiss@lagunabeachcity.net
PLANNING COMMISSION
1ST AND 3RD WEDNESDAYS, 6 PM
STEVEN KELLENBERG, steve@kellenbergstudio.com
KEN SADLER: 616-0517, ken.sadler@cox.net
JORG DUBIN: 497-2618, jdubinart@cox.net
STEVE GOLDMAN: 203-554-2290, steveg415@ymail.com
SUSAN McLINTOCK WHITIN: 838-6317, whitinsusan@gmail.com
lagunabeachcity.net
OTHER ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES: REP. KATIE PORTER,, 1113 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. 202-225-2415 ASSEMBLYWOMAN DIANE DIXON, 19712 MacArthur Blvd. Ste. 150, Irvine, CA 92612. 949-251-0074 FIFTH DISTRICT SUPERVISOR KATRINA FOLEY, 333
MAILING ADDRESS: 900 Glenneyre St., Suite B Laguna Beach, CA 92651 Tel: 949-715-4100; Fax: 949 715-4106 www.lbindy.com
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CREATIVE &
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Tracy Powell
PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING
Scott Sanchez
OUR LETTER POLICY
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Letters strengthen community ties and provide a community forum open to all. Due to space constraints we ask letter writers to limit their topics to local concerns, make their submissions exclusive to the Indy alone and be of 400 words or less. Letters should be submitted by Tuesday, 5 p.m. They may be edited for clarity, length or appropriateness as needed. We decline to publish letters that we perceive as personal attacks, even of public figures. We strive for civil discourse over ideas and issues, not personalities. Letter writers must supply their name and contact information. Published letters will only use the writer’s name and city of residence. E-mail letters are preferred.
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The Village of Laguna Beach
Just Listed & In Escrow
556 Through Street, Laguna Beach
Just Listed | $2,222,222 | 2 BR, 1 BA
Approx. 961sf | Approx. 6,000sf Lot
Just moments away from Main Beach and the vibrant Village, this enchanting cottage epitomizes the quintessential Laguna Beach lifestyle. Warmth and character abound from the moment you enter the front porch. Web# LG24097363
Updated Cottage With Views
667 Glenneyre Street, Laguna Beach
$2,995,000 | 3 BR, 3 BA
Approx. 1,459sf | Approx. 2,825sf Lot
Located in the heart of Laguna Beach, this cottage offers a harmonious blend of historic charm and modern convenience as the residence has been meticulously renovated, preserving its timeless allure. Web# LG23147319
In Escrow
464 El Bosque, Laguna Beach
$4,250,000 | 3 BR, 2.5 BA
Approx. 1,903sf | Approx. 6,480sf Lot
Meander up the pathway to this enchanting 1933 home that was beautifully restored by Andra Miller with exquisite attention to detail while retaining its original character. Ideally situated on El Bosque in the heart of the Village of Laguna Beach. Web# LG23147319
By Sarah MoSko
Property is Not Insured Against Radiological Accidents at San Onofre
Many residents of Orange and San Diego counties were relieved when the nuclear power plant at San Onofre was permanently shut down in 2013. This naïve thinking, that the plant posed risks to people and property only while the reactors were operational, was challenged in the Register’s March 31
article by lead reporter Terri Sforza, in which two nuclear experts weighed in on the dangers of storing 3.6 million pounds of nuclear waste onsite at San Onofre.
The false hope in 2013 ignored the hazards of dry storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF), which contains some of the
most dangerous materials on earth. Used nuclear fuel is termed “spent” only because it can no longer sustain fission in a nuclear reactor. The decay products of nuclear fission, which must be stored safely once a plant is shuttered, are millions of times more deadly than the original uranium fuel.
Due to the federal government’s failure to construct a geologic repository as mandated by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, San Onofre is now a nuclear waste dump site for the foreseeable future. The waste is so highly radioactive that it requires remote handling and isolation for up to a million years. That alone is a cause for concern for all southern Californians.
Add to that the worrisome facts of how and where the waste is stored: adjacent to the shoreline, with sea level rise inevitable; in an earthquake/flood/ tsunami zone; in temporary thin-walled canisters susceptible to cracking; and in plain view, therefore vulnerable to terrorist attack.
Given that, like most states, California insurance policies for homes and commercial properties do not usually cover nuclear accidents of any type, home and business owners in southern California should invest in ensuring that San Onofre’s SNF is being secured as safely as humanly possible.
Like most homeowners, I failed to notice the Nuclear Hazards Clause in the exclusions section of my homeowner’s policy. In mine, the exclusion applies to “any nuclear reaction, radiation, or radioactive contamination, all whether controlled or uncontrolled or however caused or any consequences of any of these.”
This means zero insurance coverage for any radiologic-caused damage or contamination to anything within the property’s perimeter, including building structures, soil, and water. Nor are relocation costs covered if the property becomes uninhabitable.
This exclusion protects insurers from the obligation to honor impossibly huge payouts when large numbers of properties are impacted.
Nuclear power plant operators are also shielded from liability and compensation to the public in the event of a radioactive release through the 1957 Price-Anderson Act. This law limits the liability of individual commercial reactor owners to a defined amount ($500 million per site). It also explicitly caps at $16.1 billion, the total compensation available to the public for any radiological incident exceeding $500 million. That cap includes an industry-wide self-insurance program in which other commercial nuclear power sites chip in.
Any additional possible compensation to the public for an
RECENT ACTIVITY
By Frank Aronoff | LB Indy
BREAKER SPORTS UPDATE
Knepper and Swanson Selected as Breaker’s Top Athletes for 2024 Laguna Beach High School recently announced the 18th annual athletic awards, giving the top honors to football‘s Ryner Swanson and girls aquatic’s Ava Knepper. Both completed outstanding four-year careers at Laguna and received top leaguecounty-CIF and national recognition. Swanson will continue his career at Brigham Young University, while Knepper will be at the University of Southern California.
2024 LBHS Athletic Awards
Coach of the Year: Katie Teets, girls water polo
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Elaina Seybold, basketball and lacrosse (one year); Sam Burchi, basketball and baseball
Rotary Award Winner: Riley Beason, cheer; Nick Rogers, football
Female Athlete of Character: Anoua Carrie, track and cross country
Male Athlete of Character: Ben Dawson, baseball
Female Athlete of the Year: Ava Knepper, water polo and swim
Male Athlete of the Year: Ryner Swanson, football, track
Laguna Concludes with Six Seasons in the Sunset
The 2023-24 sports season concluded Laguna’s 90th prep sports year, with the past six seasons in the top public school league in Orange County, facing seven other schools with an average enrollment more than two and a half times the size of Laguna Beach High School. Over the previous 84 years, Laguna has been a member of five different leagues, usually the smallest school. Hence, the Sunset affiliation was a situation the school hadn’t faced before, except this time, football was in a separate league affiliation (Golden West Conference) and the remaining sports were in their toughest setting ever.
Sunset League formed in 1937 as the top sports league for the county
By Mark D. CranTz
Sports/Schools
and Brigham
schools. The name was adopted on April 25, 1937 from 16 suggestions. The original members were Orange, Huntington Beach, Newport Harbor, Anaheim, Excelsior and Long Beach Jordan. Over the years, 25 different schools have been in the league, with Los Alamitos, Edison, Fountain Valley, Newport Harbor Marina and Fountain Valley being the traditional
six. Corona del Mar joined with Laguna in 2018 and will remain leaving seven schools going forward.
Over the past six seasons, 239 team titles were competed for, with some sports divided into the Surf and Wave leagues and a few kept in a single league format. Breakers won five Surf League titles, 14 Wave League titles and four Sunset League crowns.
The highly anticipated Laguna Beach girls’
Quarterback
each having clutch interceptions to boost the juniors to victory. Breakers football quarterback Jackson Kollock took the reigns as the powder puff coach. Photo courtesy of David Jumani
GUEST OPINION: PET PEEVES
Sock It to ‘Em
As usual, I was going on my morning walk. Why? I’m not sure. But I think it was all those gym classes that frightened me into it. I remember my gym teacher saying, “Crantz, you better move faster than that, or you’re dead by sixth grade.” Well, I moved alright and made it to seventh grade.
Here I am this morning with sixth grade well behind me and my
The five Surf crowns represented the top for the entire league in that sport/season. Three of the Wave League titles were actually the top overall for the entire conference. This took place in the cross country discipline, where all eight schools competed in the same race, with Laguna capturing the 2018 and 2019 boys cross county titles and the girls taking the 2019 cross country crown. The Surf League titles were boys basketball in 2021 and the four girls water polo titles (2019, 2020, 2021 and this season). Thanks to the Das brothers and Chase Shipp, the four Sunset League titles came from boys diving.
Next Season, Back to the Pacific Coast
The Pacific Coast Conference will be just as challenging with Northwood, University, Woodbridge, Portola, Irvine, Rosary Academy, Sage Hill and St Margaret’s. Some sports will be split into two leagues, Pacific Coast and Pacific Hills. Single-league sports will be under the Pacific Coast League banner. The Breakers were members of the Pacific Coast League for twenty seasons, from 1986 to 2006. The PCL is strong in lacrosse, tennis, swimming and golf.
The five Irvine schools averaged 2,250 in enrollment, while Rosary, Sage and St Margaret’s are similar to Laguna, with under 1,000 students each.
The Fall Leagues
Cross country: Cluster meet on Oct. 2 and League Finals Nov 6.
The Breakers are in the Pacific Hills League.
Boys: Laguna, Irvine, St Margaret’s, Sage Hill
Girls: Laguna, St Margaret’s, Sage Hill, Rosary
Flag football: Pacific Coast League play each school twice (St Margaret’sno team). The league includes Laguna, Northwood, University, Woodbridge, Portola, Irvine, Rosary Academy, and Sage Hill.
gym teacher dead. Not too far into my walk, I spy a shiny dime on the ground next to a parking meter. I’m not warmed up yet, and I think bending over to get a free dime could pull a muscle. Better to not tempt fate. I move along, hoping not to run into a quarter further along. I think back to more limber days. I’d just bounce right down to pick up a penny. Heck, back then, with a
penny, you could buy some candy. Now with inflation, I’m not sure if the penny hopped off the pavement and put itself in my pocket that I would keep it. Even if it was a dime or quarter, I think I would take evasive action to keep from pocketing it. Too much trouble requires too much muscle exertion.
CRANTZ, PAGE 18
JUNIORS CLAIM POWER PUFF FLAG FOOTBALL TITLE
powder puff flag football game took place last Friday, May 17, at Guyer Field. The juniors emerged victorious in a nail-biting performance against a solid senior squad.
Presley Jones led the juniors on offense, with Siena Jumani and Morgan Saunders
2024 Laguna Beach HS Athletes of the Year: USC-bound water polo star Ava Knepper
Young Football commit Ryner Swanson. Both athletes had stellar careers at Laguna, earning multiple All-County and All-CIF Honors. Photos courtesy of Laguna Athletics
GUEST OPINION:
Dematerialization On the Rise
By ruSS GerBer
Let’s try some word association. If I say messaging, you probably come back with instant messaging or texting. In the not-too-distant past, you might have said pencil and paper. If we went back to April 1860, when the Pony Express was the fastest letter delivery service ever, we likely would have heard that name mentioned with a bit of excitement. Talk about high-speed messaging: 1,800 miles in a breathtaking 10 days!
Speedy messaging was dependent on physical horsepower and man-hours. Instant messaging was out of the question unless the sender and receiver happened to be in the same room.
Those days are ancient history in large part because of dematerialization—having less or no reliance on physical substance. Without a willingness to dematerialize the concept of communication, we’d still be taking days rather than nanoseconds to
Concerts
PAGE 1
The Laguna Beach Community Concert Band performs at last year’s Memorial Day concert. Photo courtesy of
chat over long distances.
The same is true for shopping, planning travel, conducting meetings, transferring funds, reading books, publishing books, attending classes, playing music, seeing faraway places, or instantly messaging with friends living there. In so many ways, we live with less and less matter to slow us down or hold us back.
The larger story is what’s happening to the human mind. We no longer routinely let our ability to conceptualize anything be tied to matter. The mind is getting dematerialized.
We see this played out in technological breakthroughs, yet for all the remarkable advances we see in technology, there is a point before the development appears when the thought of the developer(s) is open to a new model and fresh possibilities. Then, the breakthrough: a fresh idea pierces the old material sense of things, and advancement is underway.
Dematerialization and progress are happening across the spectrum of human experience.
Take health care, for example. How long did Western medicine think strictly in materialistic terms, treating the physical body as separate from the mind? That model has been somewhat dematerialized, and we commonly think of mind and body as a unit. Today, mind-body programs are found throughout medical schools.
For the sake of better health and better lives, it’s worth asking: does dematerialization stop there, with a conception of ourselves as a mix of inert matter and a mercurial mind? Are we assuming that’s the highest model? Are we assuming that’s the healthiest one to have?
The National Library of Medicine notes that until modern times, spirituality was often linked with health care. Today, they report that spiritual practices have been shown to improve health outcomes.
Is a spiritual model of health care unrealistic? Perhaps as much so as smartphones and texting would have seemed to a Pony Express rider. Old mind-models can be as entrenched and “normal” as they are restrictive. Higher models -- less material and more spiritual – expand the range of thought and open it to infinite possibilities.
The assumption should be that, in every aspect of life, we’ll keep seeking better thought models and that dematerialization frees us to have them. Mind and its ideas thrive in such freedom. So can better health and better lives.
Russ and his wife moved back home to Southern California after working in Boston as the media manager for the Christian Science church. With a background in publishing, most of his time is spent writing, reading, volunteering and grandparenting.
JaZz Band will kick off the show at 11 a.m., followed by the Concert Band at 12:30 p.m.
This year’s concert band selections include John Wasson’s “Land of Liberty” medley and several favorite American anthems and show tunes.
The June 2 program at the Artists Theatre, “Land That I Love,” features a blend of patriotic music and great American composers.
The first half of the concert will honor
our nation with beloved melodies such as “America the Beautiful” and “Shenandoah,” and includes an “Armed Forces Salute.” The second half of the program celebrates great American composers. Assistant director Jennifer Baker worked with Lowery to curate a program that includes a little something from every era, from a Big Band showcase and classic Western film themes to modern Disney blockbusters and toe-tapping highlights from the six-time
Street Beat
EXCERPTS FROM POLICE LOGS
Thursday, May 16
Bench warrant. Andre Jeremiah Dyas, 18, of Victorville was arrested on suspicion of a felony bench warrant. He was held without bail.
Friday, May 17
Bench warrant. Erik Parram, 35, of Inglewood was arrested on suspicion of an outstanding bench warrant and driving on a suspended license. He was held without bail.
Saturday, May 18
No arrests recorded
Sunday, May 19
No arrests recorded
Monday, May 20
Possessing a controlled substance, obstructing a peace officer and petty theft. Collin Mitchel Glass, 32, of Santa Ana was arrested on suspicion of three counts of possessing a controlled substance, obstructing a peace officer and petty theft of a bike. He was held without bail.
Bench warrant. Denise Joan Assad, 58, of Palos Verdes was arrested on suspicion of an outstanding bench warrant. She was held without bail. Carrying a concealed firearm. Nicholas James Glavas, 38, of Laguna was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle and two other misdemeanor charges. He was held on $30,000 bail.
Tuesday, May 21
Disorderly conduct. Roberto Carlos Sierra, 51, of Garberville was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct due to alcohol. He was held on $500 bail.
Trespassing. Edward Patrick Schillizzi, 68, of Laguna was arrested on suspicion of occupying property without consent. He was held without bail.
Bench warrant. Edwin Omar Rodriguez, 41, of Laguna was arrested on suspicion of a felony outside jurisdiction bench warrant. He was held without bail.
Wednesday, May 22
Academy Award-winning film, “La La Land.”
Laguna Beach High School dancers Eliana Merritt and Sam O’Neill will interpret songs at both concerts.
“Artistic collaborations with our local students are a key part of our mission,” said Baker, who also leads the band’s educational outreach. “We’re always delighted to see what they create, and we ‘re always looking for creative ways to include Laguna Beach students.”
Failure to register as an arsonist. Alexis Ariel Garbieh, 63, of Newport Beach was arrested on suspicion of failing to register as an arsonist. She was held on $500 bail.
Bench warrant. Armando Luquin Gerardo, 42, of Garden Grove was arrested on suspicion of an outstanding bench warrant. He was held without bail.
Laguna
LBCCB
GUEST OPINION:
Concerning City Hall
By MIChele MonDa
Zoom. What a wonderful addition to Laguna Beach residents’ ability to participate in local government. Parents with children, seniors who have trouble driving at night, and working residents could all participate using the Zoom option when they couldn’t physically attend a City Council meeting.
That ended on Feb. 13 when unidentified callers spewed hateful rhetoric during public comment. The council could not shut down the speakers due to First Amendment issues, so they shut down the meeting. The city has not allowed Zoom callers since, despite then-Interim
PAGE 8
incident at San Onofre or elsewhere would require an act of Congress.
Contrast that $16.1 billion cap to a 2019 white paper on the economic impact of a radiological release impacting a 50-mile radius around San Onofre which concluded “. . . about $13.4 trillion in gross regional product could be at risk over a 50-year time horizon.”
The particular risks of San Onofre’s dry waste storage system were addressed in Sforza’s article. Two engineers with lifelong careers in the nuclear industry expressed differing views on the most imminent threats. Paul Blanch, a nuclear industry consultant and safety advocate, prioritizes the risks of flooding from sea level rise, storm surges, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Per Sforza, “He’d feel a lot better if the dry storage system were hoisted another 20 feet in the air.”
Regarding the views of David Lochbaum, a nuclear engineer and safety advocate turned watchdog, Sforza wrote: “Lochbaum’s concerns center on the dry storage systems themselves…. Lochbaum would feel a lot better if more regular and rigorous inspections of dry storage systems and canisters were required.”
Though these experts might disagree on the most imminent risks, there is apparent agreement that the current
City Manager Sean Joyce stating that the city would adjust protocols so residents could discuss topics of city development through the platform.
At numerous Council meetings since, residents have repeatedly asked for the resumption of Zoom callers. They got no response from councilmembers. At the May 14 council meeting, after another plea from a resident, Councilmember Mark Orgill finally asked the city attorney if there was technology to verify people on Zoom. The City Attorney Megan Garibaldi replied no, nothing to prevent Zoom bombers. Stating that measures the city could take, such as preregistration, could run afoul of free speech requirements, she didn’t see a way to prevent Zoom bombing. In her opinion, it would require a change of state law.
The city attorney is not a technology expert. Why did Orgill ask her about this? Why did she respond instead of deferring to a real expert?
Yet the matter was settled without expert opinion when Orgill said he didn’t want to bring it back until there was a foolproof way to prevent it, and Mayor Sue Kempf agreed. End of topic. End of Zoom.
But other cities have done just that,
including cities that experienced Zoom bombing. Los Angeles, San Diego, Long Beach, Irvine, Costa Mesa and San Juan Capistrano, to name just a few. How are they managing, and yet little ol’ Laguna can’t? Some do use preregistration to verify residency. Apparently, they haven’t run afoul of free speech. Some, like Irvine, don’t ask for anything. Forms are emailed or completed online and require either an agenda item or public comment be declared. San Juan Capistrano just has you call in. One way to verify is via the voter registration file – Laguna’s has approximately 19,000 names. The requestor could also email an ID verifying their residency or a utility bill. This happens all the time. Laguna Beach could adjust protocols as the former interim city manager suggested and reinstate Zoom. We can enforce our decorum policy as other cities have as another tool.
This week, The Independent poll asked residents “Should Zoom participation at City Council resume despite the potential for “Zoom bombing” interruptions?” At press time, with 85 respondents, overwhelmingly 88% of respondents said yes, and 11 percent said no.
So why is the City Council majority unwilling to let residents participate via Zoom? Councilmember Alex Rounaghi stated at a City Council meeting that he wants to curb public speaking because it takes away from the time the council has to discuss really important matters. What’s more important than listening to the people who elected them and “carrying out the people’s business?” This is just another example of the City Council majority not listening, literally, to what residents want.
Just like with the Promenade Project Team request that residents be included on it, the City Council majority just shuts residents down. During the pandemic we found that Zoom was very useful to enable public participation. Other cities have Zoom, why not Laguna?
Please write to the City Council, come to future Council meetings, and demand that they bring back Zoom.
Michèle is a 21-year Laguna resident and actively follows Laguna politics. She is the Treasurer of Laguna Beach Sister Cities and is involved with the local arts scene. She can be reached at Michelemonda3@gmail.com.
system for SNF storage at San Onofre is faulty, that radiological accidents are possible, and that both people and property are at risk. Many local nuclear safety advocates also want the thin-wall canisters replaced with more robust and fully inspectable thick-wall casks, as used throughout much of the rest of the world.
Despite controversy over the very best solution(s), there is widespread agreement that Southern California Edison, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and possibly the State of California need to take quick and decisive action to better protect people and property.
Also contained in the exclusions section of home and commercial property insurance policies is a similar War Clause. This suggest that a radiological accident at San Onofre caused by an act of terrorism could leave home and business owners doubly out of luck.
Sarah Mosko is an environmental journalist and psychologist living in Laguna Beach with a background in basic science research. She is passionate about caring for the environment and writes about contemporary environmental problems and solutions.
The outlined dry nuclear waste canister storage area at San Onofre sits next to the tsunami wall and the encroaching ocean. Photo courtesy of Southern California Edison
High surf breaching the sea wall at San Onfore. Photo/Gary Headrick
Mosko
nization of American mothers who lost sons or daughters in service of the United States Armed Forces. Music will begin at 10:30 a.m. The public is invited to come early, as seating is limited.
During the ceremony, many organizations place floral offerings on the Heisler Park Memorial Monument. Please ensure your organization’s name is attached for those who wish to send or bring floral arrangements. Flower deliveries are suggested to be made by 9:30 a.m. Those who intend to send or bring floral arrangements, please call Sandi Werthe at 949-494-6016. No glass containers. For more information, contact Richard Moore at (949) 637-4437.
Circus Bella presents its 15th Annual Circus in the Parks Season
On Saturday, June 8, San Francisco-based Circus Bella will perform two free shows at 1 and 3 p.m. at Bluebird Park, 772 Cress Street, Laguna Beach. The show is for children of all ages and includes live music by Rob Reich and the six-piece Circus Bella All-Star Band. Audiences are encouraged to bring picnic blankets and small folding chairs to all locations. More information can be found at circusbella. org.
Art-To-Go is Head-To-Toe Opening Reception June 6 at City Hall
Those who like art and fashion will love “Head to Toe,” the 2024 Art-To-Go exhibition presented by The Artists Fund at the Festival of Arts. A preview show runs June 3 through June 13 at Laguna Beach City Hall. A free public reception is June 6, from 6 to 7 p.m.
“City Hall is a great starting place for First Thursdays Art Walk” said Rick Graves, The Artists Fund president. “Many artists will be in attendance.”
More than 35 originals by Festival exhibitors will be displayed. The theme references to fashion, as seen in several pieces, but many artists expanded on their interpretation of “Head-To-Toe.” Examples include “Diamonds are Forever,” an abstract glass wall sculpture by Lynleigh Love, and a sea anemone by photographer Sharon Williams.
The reception will include live music by Felisha Dunne and refreshments. It is presented in collaboration with the City of Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Department, 505 Forest Avenue. For more information, visit TheArtistsFund-foa. org.
Corky Smith Paddle Out and Celebration of Life June 1
Come celebrate the life of Corky
Smith, aka Christian Briggs Morris Smith, on Saturday, June 1, at Brooks Street Beach at noon. Smith was a Brooks St. Surfing Classic Champion and June 1 marks the opening of the waiting period for the 58th Annual Brooks St. Surfing Classic.
At 1 p.m., the celebration of Smith’s life continues at the Sandpiper, aka the Dirty Bird. Share stories and a beverage with all those who knew this Laguna legend. Smith and his wife Linda met at the Sandpiper. Headbands in honor of Smith are encouraged at both the paddle out and at the Bird. You can either make your own like Corky did or can find one on Amazon.
No Square Theatre’s Dogfight
Musical Extended Through June 1
After sold out audiences in its opening weekend, No Square Theatre’s Dogfight musical has been extended through June 1. As reviewed by The Orange Curtain Review, “Even musical skeptics may want to attend this rendition of Dogfight. No Square Theatre manages to create an elaborate, engaging, and wildly funny show that is well worth the audience’s time.”
This hauntingly beautiful musical, by Pasek and Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman, Dear Evan Hansen) and Peter Duchan, was praised by countless critics and nominated for numerous awards, winning the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical. Based on the 1991 Warner Brothers film, Dogfight takes audiences on a romantic and heartbreaking theatrical journey set in the 1960s that stays with you long after the performance.
No Square Theatre, last year’s winner of Laguna Beach Arts Alliance’s Best Arts Program for its 30th Anniversary production of local favorite Lagunatics, is in Historic Legion Hall, 384 Legion Street, Laguna Beach, two blocks south of Laguna Beach High School. The high school has ample free parking. Seating is extremely limited, and the theatre has enjoyed a long run of sold-out events, so tickets must be purchased in advance. Drinks and refreshments are available for purchase. Visit the website at nosquare.org for additional information on events, auditions, and classes and to purchase tickets.
GARY HOEY
6/14 AMBROSIA 6/15 CHEST FEVER (T
6/16 ELVIN
6/21 DESPERADO (
6/22 DESPERADO (
6/23 JUSTIN HAYWARD
6/28 THE BACON BROTHERS
6/29 SKELETON CREW (G raT eful d ead T
7/3 IAN MOORE 7/5 WALTER MICHAELS BAND
7/6 SHINE ON (P ink
7/12 YYNOT ( r ush T
7/13 FAST TIMES - T
7/14 THE CREAM OF CLAPTON BAND feat. Will Johns & Noah East
7/19 THE 5TH DIMENSION
7/20 Y&T
7/25 THE RAT PACK
7/26 KEN GARCIA
7/27 BOB SCHNEIDER 7/28 BOBBY GRAY 8/1 CASH’D OUT (J ohnny C ash T ribu T e ) 8/2 Beach Boy AL JARDINE 8/3 CUBENSIS (G raT eful d ead T ribu T e )
8/9 BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY 8/17 PIANO MEN: GENERATIONS
8/23 SUPER DIAMOND 8/24 SUPER DIAMOND 8/27 TAB BENOIT & ANDERS OSBORNE with Special Guest JD SIMO 8/29 THE PETTY BREAKERS
8/30 GLENN HUGHES - Deep Purple Set - 50 T h anniversary of b urn 8/31 MICK ADAMS & THE STONES 9/1 MIDGE URE 9/7 SOUTHERN ROCK THROWDOWN ( l ynyrd s kynyrd , b ad C o ., ZZ T o P T ribu T es ) 9/12 GRAHAM BONNET P erformin G r ainbo W , ms G & a l C aT ra ZZ 9/14 JOURNEY USA (J ourney T ribu T e ) 9/15 BENISE: Fiesta! 9/19 THE MAN IN BLACK (J ohnny C ash T ribu T e ) 9/22 JANE MONHEIT 9/25 ANA POPOVIC 9/27 DAVE MASON 10/3 ZEBRA 10/4 MIRAGE ( f lee TW ood m a C T ribu T e ) 10/5 KIMBERLY PERRY (of The Band Perry) 10/10 HENRY KAPONO 10/11 HENRY KAPONO 10/16 JIMMIE VAUGHAN 10/18 GARY PUCKETT & THE UNION GAP 10/20 THE YOUNG DUBLINERS 10/31 OINGO BOINGO FORMER MEMBERS UNTOUCHABLES 11/1 OINGO BOINGO FORMER MEMBERS UNTOUCHABLES 11/3 THE WINEHOUSE EXPERIENCE ( a my W inehouse T ribu T e ) 11/8 COMMON SENSE 11/9 TYRONE WELLS 11/15 RONSTADT REVIVAL 11/16 JOSHUA RADIN & RON POPE 11/22 SPACE ODDITY ( d avid b o W ie T ribu T e ) 11/23 RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
Broadway. No, it wasn’t always like this. This happened during COVID when peo-ple wanted something to do in quarantine, and Laguna Beach became the cheapest deal around. Now, millions flock to Laguna from the Inland Empire in search of free park-ing, free beaches, and a mecca of gelato and ice cream parlors. Businesses have not been helped by this and this is not a demographic that spends money.
So what did the city do? They put their focus into creating a promenade that helps no one, parklets removing further parking, and now are considering a sales tax and other measures to pay for their blank check spending and shortfalls in revenue. Even worse, they got the so-called business and tourism institutions to help them do it. Yep, I am talking about Visit La-guna and the Chamber of Commerce.
As the former treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce and member of the board, I can tell you with certainty that this is the case. I can also attest to the fact that $20,000 was spent of membership funds towards fighting the Measure Q initiative without my knowledge or ap-proval, and that the members should have been notified that their dues and contributions were going to be spent this way.
For the last year, I have shared concerns about dozens of businesses closing down in the city and lack of enforcement of parking as cars park for days without receiving tickets. In fact, while it wasn’t reported to the community, a car sat in front of business-es on Forest for almost five days with a dead body in it. I requested and have analyzed the parking citation and parking meter records, and it appears we are losing tens of thousands of dollars a month in parking revenue and yet the city appears to have hired a pollster to get your opinions on city spending and sales taxes before they drop it on you. Ask yourself, why are businesses closing down or leaving, and what has the city done to actually help businesses? What has our tourism and Chamber done to help and protect businesses? And, how are the BID dollars being utilized to help businesses? We are losing out on capturing revenue; the city hasn’t proposed new forms of revenue and in-stead is thinking of ways to tax you more.
But hey, you have a really sexy village entrance at the tune of $12 million and a promenade on the way for millions more. Let’s throw in a parking garage for the golden calf trifecta.
Doug Vogel, Laguna Beach
GUEST OPINION: GREEN LIGHT
Answering the Call of the Pacific
By ToM oSBorne
Jet-lagged and besotted by the enchantments of distant Pacific isles, I just returned from two weeks of voyaging with National GeographicLindblad expeditions to Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. This was my wife Ginger’s and my tenth voyage to parts of the Pacific Basin. Since childhood, the Pacific World has had a firm hold on me. Swashbuckling pirates, Polynesian canoers, Euro-American mariners, whalers, missionaries, sandalwood and China traders, a grandfather who served in the South Pacific in WWII, surfers—all have been swirling in my head for as long as I can remember.
The haunting sounds of “Bali Hai,” from Oscar and Hammerstein’s famed musical “South Pacific,” have rarely been far from my imagination. My travels, teaching, and writings reflect my fixation on all things Pacific. When I put a conch shell to my ear, “Bali Hai” calls to me.
Among Lagunans, I’m probably not alone in this. Greg and Barbara MacGillivray and family have documented and produced several acclaimed IMAX Pacific-themed films. Former Laguna mayor Bob Gentry relocated to Hawai’i. Local letter-writer Howard Hills, I’m told by
my friend and City Councilmember George Weiss, has expertise on Micronesia, where he met and married his wife. My neighborhood is home to several Lagunans who have surfed and sailed extensively throughout the Indo-Pacific world.
The call of the Pacific, I must add up front, is not only a siren song of allurement to an idyllic island world. That call is also for help to stave off the ravages of climate change-induced sea level rise, ocean warming and coral reef bleaching. I’ll return to this matter shortly.
Our just-completed expedition, which began with a flight from LAX to Nadi in Fiji, took us aboard the ship Orion from Lautoka, Fiji to Owaraha in the Solomon Islands, some two weeks later. Most, if not all, of that time, we were voyaging in the Coral Sea. Cultural specialists gave lectures to our forty or so passengers on the transpacific migrations that led to the peopling of Melanesia 50,000 to 100,000 years ago by migrants from far away Africa. One of these cultural specialists aboard the Orion was Tua Pittman, a Polynesian master navigator from the Cook Islands. He gave a detailed talk on the so-called Star Map, developed by Micronesian and Polynesian voyagers in ancient times. He and other onboard cultural specialists discredited the recent notion of a few scholars, like Andrew Sharp, that ancient indigenous voyagers discovered the Pacific’s archipelagos by accident. Instead, celestial navigation coupled with currents, cloud formations, and bird sightings made possible the early voyaging to insular lands scattered across the world’s largest ocean. Pittman cited renowned maritime archeologist and historian James P. Delgado for the view that Polynesian
pre-compass and pre-sextant navigators were arguably among the best maritime explorers in history. By the time we voyaged to Guadalcanal, I was reading William Doyle’s book titled PT 109 and viewing inscriptions in the National Museum on the ferocious WW II battle between U.S. and Japanese forces there. A photograph and chronicle recounted a twentysomething torpedo patrol boat commander who won the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and Purple Heart for valor and injuries sustained while helping his crew survive when a Japanese destroyer bisected their boat on August 1-2, 1943. The commander swam four miles at nighttime in shark-infested waters with a badly burned crewman on his back until the two and nine others reached a coral-covered beach that tore their bare feet to shreds. The rescuer-boat commander was John F. Kennedy. His men adored him and sensed that “Jack” may be on his way to the White House.
Besides the National Museum, our group visited the National Parliament building on Guadalcanal. The Melanesian docent described his government, after which I asked how the Solomon Islands government was dealing with climate change-induced sea level rise. He said sea walls were no longer enough; his government was now considering how to relocate residents elsewhere throughout the region. Pacific islanders are calling on the carbon-polluting nations to seriously cut emissions now. The islanders’ climate travails are fast becoming our own.
Tom Osborne co-leads the Laguna chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby with his wife, Ginger. tomosborne@cox.net
Laguna Beach Residents Weigh In on Facilities Master Plan
By LB Indy Staff
Laguna Beach recently announced its first phase of developing a comprehensive Facilities Master Plan (FMP) and held its first public workshop to gather residents’ input during the first of several community meetings, on Thursday, May 16, at the Susi Q Center.
The Facilities Master Plan is a comprehensive approach to improve a wide range of critical facilities, including the Laguna Beach Library, fire and police stations, Marine Safety stations, art facilities and parking lots, spanning a total area of 288,000 square feet.
By evaluating current and future needs, the city’s plan aims to lay a foundation for bettering city services, administration and community programs.
“As our city continues to evolve, it’s essential that we proactively plan for the future to ensure that our facilities can effectively support the needs of our residents
and community,” said Mayor Sue Kempf. “The Facilities Master Plan will provide a roadmap for strategic development and investment, helping us to create a vibrant and sustainable environment for all.”
This kick-off meeting focused on the Laguna Beach Library, Laguna Beach Animal Shelter, Festival of Arts complex, the Laguna Playhouse and the city’s key recreation facilities. It gave residents the chance to talk with city staff and consultant project team representatives, discuss specific topics and locations considered in the plan and share their feedback and ideas.
After noting feedback from residents, city staff will compile a summary that will be posted on lagunabeachcity.net. for public review.
Upcoming meeting dates will also be posted on the project website. Residents may also email feedback to fmp@lagunabeachcity.net.
City representatives met with residents during an evening of public meetings at the Laguna Beach Community and Susi Q Center last week, holding four back-toback sessions to gather initial impressions and ideas for a Facilities Master Plan that has just started development. Photo courtesy of the city of Laguna Beach
GUEST OPINION: WISDOM WORKOUT
The Art of Creating Intimacy
By SuSan VelaSquez
In our fast-paced society, we have come to expect that everything, including intimacy, can be created instantly. As a result, it can be confusing to determine what level of openness about our personal lives is appropriate for the establishment and continued health of our interpersonal relationships.
With the advent of the internet, e-mail connections are easily made, copious amounts of information are available, and sometimes a new acquaintance can appear to be a relationship match based solely on one source of information.
Intuition is called our sixth sense. It actually is the ability to synthesize information from our five senses to establish a deeper information stream.
When we meet another person faceto-face, our eyes take them in. We hear the unspoken deeper messages. We sense their energy and the essence of who they really are. Underneath the surface banter that we all use to begin the process of connection or rejection, a tremendous amount of information is readily available if we allow ourselves to attune to it.
I often get calls from women who have entered into a relationship and become intimately involved, solely because they have corresponded back and forth through e-mail and phone calls, each time becoming more and more open without having any information about the other person from their other senses. I think it is worthwhile to remember that what we communicate to others about ourselves and what they tell us is only a small portion of what is true or relevant.
Being open and self-revealing is a crucial ingredient in the process of building trust with another. No openness, no trust. Too much openness too soon violates selftrust. Runaway openness can leave you unsafe and vulnerable to manipulation. It invites others into your inner life before they have been qualified as respectable or honorable enough to be let in.
Openness is a skill that is crucial and a deciding factor in our success or failure in relationships.
Our awareness of ourselves can be divided into two levels. The first level is what we are aware of about ourselves and can share quite easily with little or no discomfort.
What sits below this level is more sensitive information. We could call this information ‘what I am aware of about myself that makes me more exposed and vulnerable to you as a result of sharing this; therefore, I will be somewhat uncomfortable. This is the level that is best managed by your knowledge about yourself and your intuitive sensing of another. When you are willing to take full responsibility for your openness, you can use your sharing to establish meaningful, substantial, authentic relationships with others.
This under-the-surface level is a two-edged sword. Our willingness to disclose our private selves is a supreme gift that can lead to timeless friendships and the sharing of life’s intimate treasures.
Sharing from this intimate storehouse also creates the experience of being out of control. Once we publish information, it is in the hands of the gods. This threatens our illusion
that we can control how others see us. In order to grow, we must learn to let go. When we risk exposing our deeper thoughts and feelings, we make room for new awareness to surface.
To the extent our emotions are stifled, we lead dwarfed and stunted lives. Our emotions are important to the quality of our lives because they help define what is most important to us.
Rather than dredging up deep, dark secrets and blurting them out before you are ready, you begin to learn the skill of information management by being respectful and patient with yourself about what you are willing to reveal.
Take calculated risks. Test the water. See whether you can trust the vulnerable areas of your life to another. Stretching our willingness to take responsibility to share on a deeper level increases our access to our own emotional richness and the opportunity to be known more fully by those significant others in our lives.
Susan has been writing and producing personal development seminars for over three decades and is the author of Beyond Intellect: Journey into the Wisdom of Your Intuitive Mind. Her website is beyondintellect. com.
• ROOFING REPLACEMENTS/REPAIRS
• BALCONY DECK STRUCTURAL RECONSTRUCTION
• ROOFING WATERPROOFING
• EXTENSIVE DRY ROT/TERMITE REPAIRS
• SHEET METAL FOR HARSH COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS
• IN DEPTH SPECIFICATION/STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
• INTERIOR DAMAGE REPAIRS
• BALCONY RAIL SYSTEM DESIGNS/GLASS/CABLE
• PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES
• DOOR & WINDOW REPLACEMENT
• STUCCO/PLASTER RECONSTRUCTION
• RAIN GUTTERS/CHIMNEY CAPS
• SKYLIGHTS/ATTIC VENTING SYSTEMS
Besides, too much change in your pockets weighs you down. Then the pants slip. “Hey, Crantz, your pants are riding low; you into hip hop? Love the look. I bet you can go potty fast by not having to pull the trousers down first. I’d still hang on to the medical alert necklace in case you pick up too much change and need to bend over to pull things up to hip-hop standards.”
One time near Woods Cove, I saw a small boy find a penny. He immediately put it in his mouth. I said, “Spit that out.” He looked at me. “I’m washing it.” I thought he’ll go far making dirty money clean. I persisted. “Give me that penny.” He shook his head no. I looked around for his parents. There weren’t any adults nearby. Now, I had to act like one. “The penny is going to make you sick.” He mumbled behind the wash, “Don’t care.” I was becoming frantic to pass this kid off to anyone. I blurted, “I’ll give you a dime for that penny.” He stopped washing for a second and mumbled, “A dime?”
“Yes, I’ll give you a dime if you spit out that penny and give it to me.” He gave me the hand signal for higher. “Higher? Oh, okay. A quarter it is.” I gave him the quarter, and he spit the penny hard into my right eye. Later, I found out he was on a field trip with the Boys & Girls Club, where they must have business classes. Then, like a bad penny, the kid came rolling back. He showed me the quarter and put it into his mouth. Signaled higher to me. I gave him a dollar. Before I knew it, I had the entire field trip putting quarters in their mouths and signaling higher. I quickly paid off the Boys & Girls Club and went to complain to the lifeguard. He signaled higher. I left to find a free beach.
My mother told me, “Find a penny, pick it up, and all day long, you’ll have good luck.” That made me realize that not picking up that
shiny dime cost me ten days of good luck. That’s why the expression “Stop on a dime” is so important. I was now at my walk’s halfway point. I nodded at the Main Beach pigeons. They nodded back like they knew me. I was heading back up the hill in front of ‘you still can’t get a room’ Hotel Laguna and ‘you don’t know which management to complain to about it.’ when I thought about one of my father’s favorite change stories. The little kids in his neighborhood were afraid to cross the railroad tracks to get to the candy store. At the railroad crossing were older teenage boys who would hold up the kids for money. The kids would say they had no money, but the teenagers made them turn out their pockets. The candy store change would fall out. Well, one day, the smallest kid got an idea. He split up his change and put it into his socks. The teenagers made the kids pull out their pockets. All the kids lost their money except the little one. But the teenagers had heard the jiggling and clanking from a ways off. They made the little guy jump up and down. “Where’s your money,” they asked him. “In my socks.” The teenagers said, “Yuck. Keep it. We don’t want your stinky money.”
I was almost back to the unpicked-up dime. Coming the other way was a woman I occasionally waved to. She stopped and picked up the dime. Oh well, finders keepers and all of that. She looks at the dime and puts it on top of the parking meter. I nod hello in passing and pick up the dime. I didn’t even have to bend over for it.
Now, that’s good luck.
Crantz tells the Indy that change is in the air. People prefer Bitcoin to regular change. There’s no bending over to get it.
Sports
PAGE 11
Girls golf: Pacific Hills League: Laguna, Irvine, Sage Hill, Rosary Girls tennis: Pacific Coast League –single-round play.
The league includes Laguna, Northwood, University, Woodbridge, Portola, Irvine, Rosary Academy, Sage Hill and St Margaret’s.
Boys water polo: Pacific Coast League, single-round play.
The league includes Laguna, Northwood, Sage Hill, Woodbridge, Portola, Irvine.
Have a note/question on Laguna sports/correction/update? E-mail Frank at Frank@twometer.net. Looking for the 2023-24 high school schedules and scores? Check Laguna Beach High School on the Max Preps website.
Woman’s Club
PAGE 1
from our community who has made a significant contribution in the community, either through philanthropic, civic, charitable or non-profit activities,” said Kitty Malcolm, president of the Woman’s Club. “This honor was first bestowed in 1995 to Sande St. John. Since then, there have been 27 annual honorees.”
Hinchey joined Susi Q’s Laguna Beach Seniors Board of Directors in 2018 and has served as its president for the past two years. During this time, diverse programs and activities have been added to the organization’s ongoing activities, increasing Susi Q’s visibility.
Renae, a dedicated member of the Woman’s Club for 24 years, has left an indelible mark on Laguna Beach and beyond. In 2008, she led the Woman’s Club as its board president and, later, became the first woman in Orange County to hold the position of general manager of a water district. From 2000 until her retirement in
2020, she was the general manager at Laguna Beach County Water District, where some of her accolades include securing the district’s groundwater rights and ensuring a reliable water supply for Laguna Beach. Tickets to this highly anticipated luncheon are $55 for Club members and $65 for non-members. The Woman’s Club urges guests to secure seats promptly, as this is a sell-out event, and seating is limited. RSVPs must be received by June 17 and can be dropped off in the mailbox at the clubhouse or conveniently paid online at wclb.org.
By Cheryl ProCaCCInI
it begins slowly finch overture. then burst! a sound bath of bird song
sweet whiff of sagebrush on a current of cold air chaparral’s perfume
pelicans glide low. perfect formation. riding lifts from breaking waves.
Cheryl is a resident of Laguna Beach and writes haiku poems inspired by the local flora and fauna around her. She is also a certified EMDR psychotherapist and the creator of Birdsong and the Eco-Wonders BirdsongTV.
enormously grateful to Meital and her entire team. Brilliant!
