Over $450K in Scholarships Awarded to LBHS Students at Honors Convocation
By Frank Aronoff | LB Indy
For the 77th year, scholarships were awarded to Laguna Beach High School’s graduating seniors in the annual honors convocation held Friday night, May 31, at the library courtyard on the high school campus. The scholarships totaled $461,350 and have a significant impact on the lives of LBHS students, providing them with the opportunity to pursue their higher
education goals. There were 140 donors who stepped up to provide the 303 grants to this year’s graduates. The event also honored Ketta Brown, who has given exceptional service to Laguna’s educational community, including eleven years as an active member of the scholarship foundation.
Jennifer Sweet, president of the Scholarship Foundation, said she was
Surf & Sand Resort Partners with Friends of Hortense Miller Garden to Restore Historic Home
By Clara Beard
| LB Indy
Surf & Sand Resort has collaborated with Friends of Hortense Miller Garden to breathe new life into the iconic Mid-Century Modern home of Hortense Miller, allocating resources to repair and repaint this historic landmark.
Originally gifted to the City in 1976, the Hortense Miller Garden has long served as a cherished oasis for residents and visitors alike.
honored to serve and proud of the Class of 2024.
“The Honors Convocation was a wonderful celebration of their accomplishments,” Sweet said. “Thank you to all the donors and directors who made it possible.”
The Laguna Beach High School
SCHOLARSHIPS, PAGE 22
Public Works Receive Top Honors for Bluebird Canyon Widening Project
Laguna Beach Public Works Department recently received the American Society of Civil Engineers 2023 Outstanding Small Project Award for the Bluebird Canyon Drive Evacuation Route Widening project, completed in the fall of 2023.
Bluebird Canyon Drive, located east of Oriole Drive to Rancho Laguna Road, was widened to provide sufficient emergency ingress and egress for the neighborhood, which is located within a high fire hazard severity zone. Other improvements included drainage, landscaping, pedestrian safety enhancements and the removal of six utility poles in the canyon. Senior Project Manager Pierre Sawaya and Assistant Director of Public Works Tom Perez, who oversaw design and construction, accepted the award on Thursday, May 30.
After a recent public Open House, Laguna Beach City Councilmember Mark Orgill noted areas of the building in need of attention, which then caught the notice of Joanna Bear, general manager at Surf & Sand Resort who reached out to help.
Together, Bear and Orgill explored ways Surf & Sand Resort could be involved with the community while providing employment opportunities for resort staff during its current renovation period.
“I approached Councilmember Orgill to discuss ways in which Surf & Sand Resort could contribute to the local community and keep our dedicated employees engaged,” Bear said. “We are deeply committed to serving as responsible stewards of our heritage and are honored to support the restoration of the Hortense Miller Home.”
HISTORIC HOME, PAGE 22
Above: Finley Brown was the recipient of the $4,000 Dick Metz Surf Foundation Scholarship. Left: Winners of the Rotary Club Awards. Mary Hurlbut/Laguna Beach Scholarship Foundation
Members of Public Works accept an award for Bluebird Canyon widening project. Photo/City of Laguna Beach
$5,000 – $9,999
$3,000 – $4,999
A2 Energy Partners Angels Baseball Foundation
$1,000 – $2,999
Arrow&Branch crankbrothers
DiGiovanni Orthodontics
Elaine Brashier – Meital Taub
Luxury Group|LIVEL Real Estate
Enhanced Dermatology of Orange County
Farmers & Merchants Bank
Farmhouse Inn
HeBe Skin Health
Up to $999
230 Forest Avenue Restaurant Active Culture
Akers Law
All England Soccer Academy AMENAH Anaheim Ducks Aquarium
Tim Bina
Brady Schwartz Legal
Hueston Hennigan LLP
Heidi Cleveland –Douglas Elliman
Kendall Clark –
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
Kristine Flynn –
Mike Johnson Group|Compass
Laguna Beach Dojo
Laguna Presbyterian Church
LaJoya Sayulita
Mahlia Rittenhouse –The Smith Group|Coldwell Banker
Kinser Orthodontics
Whittier Trust Foundation
Marc Weisberg Photography
Martin Hennessy –
Gary Boisen Group|Compass
Material Productions
Mike Johnson –
Mike Johnson Group|Compass
Pam Levin –
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services
Pendry Newport Beach
Rock Martin Custom Jewelry
Caribbean Earth Skills & Mt. Victory Camp
ROOTS The Beauty Underground
Spark Scientific (Bodybuzz)
Surf & Sand Resort
The Hardware House Kitchen
Tuvalu Home
Walley Wellness LLC
Whiskey Hounds
Wine Gallery
LBHS Students Showcase Emergency Response Skills in Mock Disaster Drill at Guyer Stadium
By LB Indy Staff
Laguna Beach High School students demonstrated their skills in a simulated mass casualty incident (MCI) simulation on Wednesday, May 29 at the school’s Guyer Stadium.
During the exercise, students enrolled in the Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways for Emergency Response and Theatre collaborated to reenact a scenario involving a power transformer
explosion at the stadium.
Theatre students applied their makeup and costuming skills to authentically portray victims with varied injuries while showcasing their ability to simulate medical conditions that evolved based on the emergency treatment they received.
On the other hand, Emergency Response students engaged in search and rescue operations, victim triage, and emergency medical treatment. Their performance was evaluated by
the Laguna Beach Police and Fire Departments, which assessed the appropriateness of the treatment given to the simulated injuries.
The drill, observed by both departments and program instructors, included real-time scenarios like crowd control, transporting victims, and handling of “live” power lines to create a realistic training environment. The event was part of the student’s preparation for the National EMT
Registry Exam, the final step in their journey to becoming certified Emergency Medical Technicians.
The MCI drill not only tested practical skills but also served as a culminating demonstration of their year-long training in the CTE pathways. Approximately 35 Emergency Response and Theatre Pathways students participated, with additional support from students enrolled in Medical Core Honors who assisted in triage zones.
Emergency response students took part in search and rescue operations, victim triage and emergency medical treatment during a mock disaster drill at the high school last Wednesday. Photos/LBUSD
June at the Susi Q: Learn Ukulele Tom Joliet, Laguna Beach’s popular ukulele instructor, will be offering both beginning and intermediate classes in person at the Susi Q this June and July.
No prior music knowledge is needed for the beginning class.
Starting with ground zero basics, by the end of nine week’s participants will have been introduced to 13 chords, five strum patterns and over 35 songs.
The beginning class takes place between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. from Thursday, June 20 to Aug. 29, with a break from July 4. Fee is $70. Students should bring a 3-ring binder to class to start collecting songs and worksheets.
Joliet’s Intermediate Uke Techniques class will take place on the same days from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Attendees in the intermediate class must be able to play all the “EZ Dozen plus 2” chords. The workshop focuses on advanced strumming techniques, finger-picking, and playing chord melodies.
Visit thesusiq.org, click on classes/ events and registration and scroll down to the link to register.
Tune Up Your Core at the Susi Q
Leslie Davis is back in person in Studio 1 teaching her kinesiology-based workout, Leslie’s Co-ed Stretch & Strengthen Workout, founded on the Harris Method.
“The workout that I teach was developed by Ian Harris to keep injured ballet dancers exercising, who had been injured during performances at his Philadelphia ballet company,” Davis explained. “[This approach strengthens the ligaments around every joint in your body, increasing circulation to speed healing from any injury.
“This is a chance] to pursue a healthy lifestyle and friendships in a low impact heart-healthy class.”
Davis welcomes everybody to try the class one time for free to see if this class is a good fit for their physical ability.
Participants should bring a towel, mat, a pair of 2-or 3-pound hand weights and water. The Susi Q is located at 380 Third Street, Laguna Beach.
Town Crier
IN AND AROUND LAGUNA BEACH
Call Christine Brewer at 949-7158105 to sign up or register by visiting www.thesusiq.org and clicking on classes/events and registration. Scroll down to find the direct registration link.
Visit thesusiq.org to review the ongoing programs that Susi Q offers, from ukulele lessons, to standing yoga, to bridge and mahjong classes, not to mention support groups and clubs for special interest groups ranging from genealogy to current affairs to books and so much more. The Susi Q’s Care Management Department (now the Dorene Cares Office) provides free consultation, education and practical resources for vulnerable seniors, enabling them to stay safe, informed, and independent.
South Laguna Community Garden Park Summer Youth Program
The South Laguna Community Garden Park is offering a Children’s Summer Youth Program each Wednesday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. from the week of June 16 to the week of Aug. 11. The first session will be Wednesday, June 19, beginning at 9:30 a.m. If you’re looking for an opportunity to teach your children general gardening skills, grow their knowledge of our earth, or simply get them active and outdoors, this program would be a great fit. Through weekly meetings, children will be
able to interact with each other while participating in fun, garden-related projects.
Local high school student and former SLCGP Children’s Garden member Roya Goldstein will lead the sessions and share her knowledge of the ten-plus years she has spent in the Garden. SLCGP Assistant Director, Carly Sciacca will also be present at the meetings. This program is best suited for children between the ages of five to eight. Parents or guardians will be asked to accompany their child and are welcome to join in the family-friendly activities. Sessions will be held at the South Laguna Community Garden Park, 31610 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651, near the lower-level stage. For the nine meetings, there will be a $50 cost to cover supplies and gardening tools. To reserve a spot email Goldstein at lagunayouthgarden@gmail.com.
Upcoming Episcopal Church Women Community Fundraising Concerts
A series of community fundraiser concerts and events this summer is planned on the ocean-view terrace behind St. Mary’s at 428 Park Ave. in Laguna. The Episcopal Church Women (ECW) is opening the series on Saturday, June 15 at 5:30 p.m. with keyboardist/vocalist, Jawn Star, who has performed worldwide for audiences including the President and
Vice President of the United States, their families and Albert Einstein Jr. who called Jawn Star, “the Musical Genius.” Following that, local favorite Jason Feddy will perform on July 20, then Reggie Christian with Lewis Cervante and Bill Schley on Aug. 17. Shauna McFadden and Bob Gunn will round out the concerts on Sept. 14. Dinner boxes from GG’s Bistro and Noonerz are available by preorder.
The ECW group, made up of volunteers, will donate all proceeds to local charities such as the Community Clinic, Friendship Shelter, Sally’s Fund, Waymaker’s Youth Shelter, and the Susi Q Community Center, among others (17 this year!). For complete information and to buy tickets, go to ecwstmaryslb.org.
Celebrate the Bluebelt and Win a Prize
The 13th Annual Laguna Bluebelt Photo Contest continues to accept entries until June 22. Photo Contest winners in professional and amateur categories will receive cash prizes and be exhibited at the Laguna Beach College of Art and Design Gallery following an Artist Reception on Aug. 1 at 6 p.m. Find more information at contest.lagunabluebelt.org
The widely popular photo contest celebrates how residents and visitors experience and enjoy Laguna Beach’s
CRIER, PAGE 22
Leslie Davis’s coed strength training class at the Susi Q. Photo/Susi Q
LBHS Scholarship Foundation Great for Local Youth
The Laguna Beach High School Scholarship Foundation (LBHSSF) awarded 128 graduating seniors at Laguna Beach High School over $465,000 plus a $200,000 naval reserve officers training corps scholarship on Friday.
The Laguna Beach High School Scholarship Foundation started in 1947, over 70 years ago, by the combined efforts of the community volunteers of the Board of Directors and Laguna Beach High School faculty and generous donors.
Thank you to the donors and the foundation’s board of directors for doing such an excellent job of developing the resources to provide scholarship assistance to these exceptional graduating seniors who will be attending two—or four-year colleges or vocational schools.
Scholarships are awarded for academic achievement, athletic endeavors, financial need, good citizenship, leadership, personal courage, the arts, music, school spirit, community service and more.
We are so lucky to live in Laguna Beach and have such generous patrons.
Jim Kelly, Laguna Beach
Juggling Too Many Balls
I am astounded at the number of major infrastructure projects the City Council currently has under consideration. In my 30 plus years of living here, I cannot recall our council directing city staff (plus myriad external consultants) down so many different and large-scale exploratory trajectories. Can they really believe that our small community can absorb the potential takeover of 6 plus miles of Coast Highway, plus ownership and revamping of 2.5 miles of SR 133; on top of building a new fire station, expanding the utilization of the recently purchased Community & Recreation Center, and assessing
CITY HALL MEETINGS:
the feasibility of two low-income housing developments? The planning, financial burden, potential liability, and staffing requirements associated with these projects represent a hefty investment.
If after 3 plus years of studying designs for a little block-long Promenade we still have no resolution, one must wonder how much benefit will come from having so many significant projects on the table at any given time.
Marilyn Coll, Laguna Beach
Laguna Deserves World-Class Cellular Coverage
This past Monday, I attended my last meeting as a member of the Emergency/Disaster Preparedness Committee (EDPC). With the city council cutting back the size of the volunteer committees, I felt that after more than ten years, it was time to step aside and let some of the newer members continue the important work of keeping Laguna Beach safe. It has been a privilege to contribute to this important part of our community,
LETTERS, PAGE 16
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THIS WEEK’S QUESTION
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- Yes - No
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June 10 -Recreation Committee at 6 p.m.
June 11 - Laguna Beach City Council Meeting at 5 p.m.
George Weiss Council member gweiss@lagunabeachcity.net
lagunabeachcity.net
DESIGN REVIEW BOARD
SECOND AND FOURTH THURSDAYS, 5 PM
LOUIS WEIL: lweil@lagunabeachcity.net
KRISTINE THALMAN: kthalman@lagunabeachcity.net
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TOM GIBBS: tgibbs@lagunabeachcity.net
PLANNING COMMISSION
1ST AND 3RD WEDNESDAYS, 6 PM
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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,
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GUEST OPINION: DEAR SUSI Q
Here to Listen if You’re Grieving
By Lynette BrasfieLd
My father died of a heart attack in 1965 at the age of 39. I was nine years old. My parents had divorced the year before, and my sister and I were sent to a boarding school hundreds of miles away from our home. I had written him an angry letter, blaming him for the separation, unfairly, as it would later turn out. That was the last he heard from me. To this day (and I’m 68), I feel the agony of knowing that he died not knowing I loved him. At my graduation, at my wedding, and upon the birth of my two sons, I felt deep sadness that he wasn’t present. I continue to miss the parent
I hardly knew, reliving, even to this day, happy memories of the times we cooked dinner together (okay, baked beans on toast…!), read The Wind in the Willows and set off sparklers on his birthday, which was also Guy Fawkes Day.
But my dad’s death, though premature, was at least in the natural order of things, a parent dying before their offspring. I cannot begin to imagine the terrible pain of losing a child at any age – or to miscarriage –and the emotions that must go with that loss every day for the rest of one’s life.
Grief, of course, takes many forms. Losing an adult child brings with it a particularly complicated kind of grief for older parents whose lives have been deeply intertwined with those of their sons or daughters, often for decades.
That’s why, beginning in June, Susi Q will offer a weekly “Between the Tears” Child Loss Support Group for Seniors, led by facilitator Basia Mosinski, MA. The group is intended to be a safe place for older adults to process the many feelings that accompany parental bereavement. It will meet on Thursdays from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at no cost to participants.
“While there’s obviously never a good time to lose a child, adults who have experienced close relationships over the years with their grown-up children are confronted with the loss of long-time shared experiences and a friendship that has evolved over time,” Mosinski explained to me. “With seniors, this bereavement can bring up other losses and sometimes leads to isolation as the parent retreats into depression.
“I understood this first-hand when I lost my stepson,” Mosinski added. “I decided to walk away from a career in the arts and turn to psychology as a way to understand grieving on a deeper level and to help others going through similar experiences.”
Basia later lost her own son when he was in his forties.
“Understanding grief processes in some depth didn’t necessarily prepare me. I had to put myself together again piece by piece, like Humpty Dumpty,” she said. “But I found that there was so much wisdom to be shared in a group, such as ways to get through anniversaries and holidays. Sometimes, just listening can help.”
Based on her own experience, Mosinski strongly believes that support groups are important in
helping the bereaved find ways to cope – impossible though it might initially seem – often simply by providing a safe space to share stories or shed tears without any pressure to talk.
“Sometimes people feel like they’re literally losing their minds. Every individual deals with grief differently, of course, but being with others who have experienced similar losses can bring some comfort. Learning from parents who have survived the greatest tragedy of their lives and helping the newest grievers gives purpose to many of the participants.”
“Between the Tears” will be offered weekly as an open-ended group, with no requirement to commit to a set number of sessions.
“The idea is to offer a place to breathe, not to add stress,” Mosinski says.
Given my father’s early death, I’ve always emphasized to my sons that they need to take care of their hearts –in every sense of the word – but I held my breath as they reached the age of 39, somehow fearing that history would repeat itself. It hasn’t, thank God. Because I just can’t imagine
Street Beat
EXCERPTS FROM POLICE LOGS
Thursday, May 30
Hit and run, driving with wanton disregard to avoid a police officer, DUI. Luis Martin Mendez Bueno, 33, of Long Beach was arrested on suspicion of driving over the dividing line, driving while on a suspended
license, DUI, hit and run causing property damage, driving the wrong way to elude a pursuing officer and evading a peace officer with wanton disregard. He was held without bail.
Friday, May 31
Bench warrant. Faith Veronica Ellis, 60, was arrested on suspicion of an outstanding bench warrant. She was held without bail.
DUI. A 19-year-old Mission Viejo man was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. He was held on $5,000 bail.
Saturday, June 1
DUI. A 48-year-old Silverado man was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. He was held on $2,500 bail.
DUI. A 28-year-old Banning woman was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. She was held on $2,500 bail.
Violating a court order. Jack Edward Cox, 56, of Mission Viejo was arrested on suspicion of violating a court order to prevent domestic violence. He was held without bail.
Bench warrant, DUI. Casey Ryan Mulder, 36, of Newport Beach was arrested on suspicion of an
outstanding bench warrant, drunk driving and blowing on or over 0.08 percent blood alcohol levels. He was held without bail.
DUI. A 28-year-old Newport Beach man was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and blowing on or over 0.08 percent blood alcohol levels. He was held on $5,000 bail.
Sunday, June 2
No arrests reported.
Monday, June 3
Under the influence. Joseph Gabriel Alcocer, 35, of Santa Maria was arrested on suspicion of using and or being under the influence of a controlled substance. He was held without bail.
Bench warrant. Raphael Rodriguez, 50, was arrested on suspicion of a felony bench warrant and throwing burning material. He was held without bail.
Tuesday, June 4
Bench warrant. Gregory William Peterson, 74, of Port Orange, Florida was arrested on suspicion of an outstanding bench warrant. He was held without bail.
Disorderly conduct. Sean Alexander Baity, 45, of Los Angeles was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct. He was held on $500 bail.
Bench warrant. Joshua Wade Smith, 43 was arrested on suspicion of an outstanding bench warrant. He was held without bail.
Wednesday, June 5
Bench warrant. Sabrina Marie Perrin, 34, of Huntington Beach was arrested on suspicion of an outstanding bench warrant. She was held without bail.
Marc Frank Zavala, 50, of Laguna Beach was arrested on suspicion of camping/sleeping in a public area, disorderly conduct, loitering and obstructing a police officer. He was held without bail.
Violating civil rights by threat or force, battery. Sheldon Morgan Payne, 38, of Fallbrook was arrested on suspicion of violating civil rights by force or threat and battery on person. He was held on $500 bail.
Susi Q
PAGE 8
losing them or a grandchild. I just can’t.
If the unthinkable has happened to you or someone you know, Susi Q is here to help as best we can, even if simply to listen.
For more details or to join the group, please contact Susi Q’s Director of Care Management, Martha Hernandez, LCSW, at marthah@thesusiq.org or 949-715-8104. The Susi Q Senior Center is located at 380 Third Street, Laguna Beach. Parking is free.
GUEST OPINION: THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE
Making a Better Broth
By hunter fuentes
We all know the old expression that “too many cooks spoil the broth.” That came to mind on a recent visit to the Neighborhood Congregational Church compound. There is great architecture here, and clearly more than one cook in the kitchen. Sadly, the resulting “broth” may be in peril.
This year’s Heritage Month Trolley Tour focused on the work of Aubrey St. Clair and one of the tour stops was the Neighborhood Congregational Church. The church started in the 1940s as a small group of faithful clustered around a dynamic young cleric named Dr. Philip Gregory. Church services were first held in the Art Gallery until sufficient money could be raised to build a permanent home. In 1949, Dr. Gregory commissioned Aubrey St. Clair to design a significant complex on Glenneyre at St. Anns for his growing flock. St. Clair drew plans for a large, two-story structure that included a spacious parish hall with a unique beamed ceiling, a wood-paneled library centered on a fireplace, Sunday School classrooms, a full-sized kitchen, offices and storage space. This building is very English in both appearance and ambience. The South Coast News reported that the cornerstone was laid on Sunday, Aug. 13, 1950. The parish hall served as both a social gathering place and the primary worship space for the next dozen years.
During our research of the property, we visited the site and toured the parish hall. Church staff surprised us with the original blueprints of the complex, drawn in St. Clair’s distinctive hand. Imagine our surprise when we unrolled the yellowed sheets and saw that the plans were more expansive than previously thought. St. Clair had included a proposed church building to be added later. The church was to sit opposite the parish hall, separated by a small cloister. Like the parish hall, this would have been a very English structure, looking more suited to the coast of Cornwall than California. It was, however, never built and that’s a shame.
By 1961, the congregation had
By Jon stordahL
raised sufficient funds to add the missing church building. St. Clair was in the final year of his long, illustrious career. His proposed design for the church structure was still there, the plans drawn up years earlier and the blueprints in the hands of the church leadership. Instead, the well-known architectural firm Blurock Partnership was retained to design a more modern structure that now sits on the corner of the property. This building has a beauty of its own but is clearly the work of another cook. It seems out-ofplace next to the parish hall.
So what happened? We initially suspected that the decision not to build the St. Clair design was because Reverend Gregory was no longer the rector. By 1959, he was serving as the interim pastor at Hollywood Congregational Church. However, we located a July 9, 1962 Orange County Register article that included a photo of Reverend Gregory at the groundbreaking ceremony for the new church building, indicating tacit support for the new design. The 1950s were a time of great change in cultural tastes, including architecture. Perhaps the St. Clair design was far too traditional for contemporary sensibilities. Something very similar happened to St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Park Avenue. In that particular case, the original church was torn down, and the current A-frame 1958 contemporary structure was erected in its place.
Both the St. Clair and the Blurock structures are at risk of demolition. The leadership of the Neighborhood Congregational Church is exploring the opportunity of constructing much needed housing on the large, but under-utilized property. While this possibility is in the very earliest phase of discussion, one idea worth exploring is to save the upper floor of the parish hall and incorporate it into the future design as a community room or the worship space the church has indicated it would like. That could be a win-win for preservation and affordable housing. It would require compromise and collaboration.
GUEST OPINION:
Honarkar Stops Measure Q Light
By Gene feLder
The following is not the Laguna Residents First board’s position, but mine.
Laguna Residents First is a grassroots organization formed to preserve Laguna’s quality of life and give voters a say in development. Its supporters collected 2,679 signatures, and its ballot initiative
Measure Q was on the Nov. 8, 2022 ballot. The City Council voted 3-0 on July 19, 2022 on a resolution opposing Measure Q. In addition, the City Council was encouraged to craft an opposing ballot initiative. The result was that Ordinance 1675 was approved on Aug. 16, 2022, by a vote of 3 to 2 (Whalen, Kempf & Iseman for, with Blake and Weiss against).
This ordinance states that a building cannot be longer than 125 feet, but then states that “Longer building lengths may be approved by the Planning Commission.”
Not so good, but it might curtail rooftop decks on new buildings as it included, “No element of a new building shall exceed thirty-six feet in height, including but not limited to rooftop elevators, equipment, furniture, and other design features”.
Not addressing parking or intensification of use, we thought Ordinance 1675 was “Measure Q Light” and unacceptable as the public could not vote to overturn when the council did not enforce the law, namely parking requirements. However, local businessman and investor Mo Honarkar moved
successfully to stop it by gathering sufficient signatures to qualify for referendum to repeal the enactment of the ordinance.
It’s tough to fight City Hall even when, by law, they are to remain impartial. Former City Attorney Phil Kohn had the duty to write an impartial analysis for Measure Q, but what he wrote was false and misleading in the Voter Information Pamphlet.
This included “A majority of the ‘Laguna Beach Electorate’ (commonly defined as the total number of registered voters) voting ‘yes’ is required to approve a project.”
This caused quite a distraction, and instead of us using time to explain the initiative, we were bombarded with questions about the word “electorate.”
It is difficult to understand how a city attorney could write such a statement. We all know that propositions and measures do not require a majority vote of all registered voters but rather a majority of those actually voting. His research should have quickly disclosed that such an
interpretation has never been upheld by the California courts. The California Attorney General opined definitively on a similarly-phrased initiative in 1983, construing the 1978 Proposition 13 “is also in accord with the almost universal rule that, “where the requirement is that the issue by approved by a prescribed majority of the qualified voters of the municipality, or other language of similar import, the decision usually hold that a vote of the majority of all the qualified voters is not required but only the requisite majority of the qualified voters voting at the election.”
The Attorney General also noted that the United States Supreme Court adopted the interpretation in Carroll County v. Smith (1884) when interpreting a provision that required “two-thirds of the qualified voters of such county,” to “require only two-thirds of those voting, not two-thirds of the registered voters.”
The City did not stop there. The city clerk determined that the post office was a polling place, making us move our Measure Q outreach
GUEST OPINION:
Great Expectations
By russ GerBer
A teacher friend of mine told the true story of a fellow teacher, new to the school, who was recognized by her colleagues for outstanding student achievement. Going into the semester, expectations were generally low for the students she’d been assigned to teach, but the students showed a surprising turnaround by the end of the school term.
At the end of the semester, there was dinner for the teachers, and she was asked to tell her colleagues her secret. How was it her students had such a high grade-point average? She
was surprised at the recognition and confessed that she might have had a little help.
Before the semester began, she was in the administration office and noticed on a desk a list with her students’ names on it. Next to each of their names, she saw their IQ scores and was impressed with how high they were. There was no secret to her method, she said. She simply taught them fully confident they would do well and wasn’t surprised at the outcome.
Following dinner, she was approached by one of the school administrators, who quietly took the teacher aside to tell her something about the list she saw. The numbers next to their names weren’t IQ scores. They were newly assigned locker numbers.
Chalk it up to the power of expectations, which is the subtitle of Chris Berdik’s book, “Mind Over Mind.” Berdik, an experienced journalist who has covered psychology and neuroscience, examines how our expectations can change everything and cause us to rethink our most cherished beliefs about education, sports, criminal justice and health.
Berdik takes readers from centuries-old history to modern-day research on imagination, mesmerism, animal magnetism, belief, willpower, placebos and nocebos.
“They’re not one and the same,” he writes, “but they reflect the mind’s habit of jumping to conclusions and the surprising power these conclusions wield.”
He told me that where this radically affects our lives is with health.
“The intersection of expectations and health is one of the most fascinating things I researched for the book.”
Health professionals, health researchers, and the public at large are paying close attention to the relationship of expectations to health. It’s no longer a question of if there’s a relationship, but how close is it?
A large body of placebo and nocebo research suggests there’s a direct correlation. Being hopeful can improve health outcomes, while hopelessness has the reverse effect. Fear of sickness can be a health hazard to the one who’s afraid, while an expectation of well-being can bring relief. The fact is, Berdik notes, “our real world is in many ways an expected world.”
So then, what frames our expectations? Much of it is from everyday education, what we commonly pick up in today’s media environment as to what’s to be expected in our lives.
If that constant flow of information is relentlessly worrisome or discouraging, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with fear and powerlessness, which form an unhealthy mental state. “Ignorant that the human mind governs the body, its phenomenon,” wrote mental treatment advocate Mary Baker Eddy. “The invalid may unwittingly add more fear to the mental reservoir already overflowing with that emotion.”
Health and happiness thrive in a peaceful, confident mentality, which may explain why meditation and prayer are listed in prescriptions and national surveys as health-promoting practices. Stress levels are reduced, body functions improve, and the human system returns to normal— much better side effects than we’re accustomed to seeing.
This suggests that we’re less helpless when it comes to governing
GERBER, PAGE 20
FREE COMPOSTING WORKSHOP FOR LAGUNA BEACH RESIDENTS
GUEST OPINION:
Concerning City Council
By MicheLe Monda
How do Laguna residents ensure that Laguna will maintain its smalltown charm? That charm brings millions of visitors annually to Laguna, but it’s also the reason most people have moved here. We are unique, and the World Atlas even counts Laguna as one of the eight most walkable towns in Southern California.
Measure Q (MQ) was an attempt by residents to keep Laguna Laguna. It was about capping building height at 36 feet, limiting lot combinations, and requiring new development to provide adequate parking instead of making
residents foot the bill. Research shows that building parking structures and widening highways just creates induced demand. It doesn’t fix our parking problem.
The City Council majority, along with their deep-pocket developer allies and the Chamber of Commerce, spent over $275,000 to defeat MQ. To ensure defeat, this council majority also came up with Ordinance 1675, a much watered-down version of the goals of MQ. 1675 caps building height at 36 feet, no lot mergers greater than 15,000 sq. ft. within 500 feet of the Downtown Specific Plan, design standards for all buildings 15,000 sq. ft or larger (which can be manipulated) and a limited ability to obtain variances. No mention of parking requirements because the council majority was and still is angling for resident funded parking structures.
Ordinance 1675 passed Aug. 16, 2022, 3-2 with Iseman and Weiss abstaining, and was implemented on Aug. 29, 2022 just before residents voted on Measure Q. On Aug. 26, 2024 a successful referendum to repeal this ordinance was sponsored by developer and signature collector Mo Honarker. This effectively forced the city to
refrain from implementing 1675. The first chance to put this to a vote of the people would have been this election, Nov. 5, 2024.
However, City Council decided on May 28 to repeal Ordinance 1675 making the referendum vote a moot issue. The council majority (actually, the only three councilmembers in the room) voted this down. Why?
According to City Attorney Garibaldi, this ordinance could potentially violate SB330, a new state housing law. There is also the possibility that Mo Honarker would sue. She stated that if it was voted for by residents, it could only be revised or amended by another vote of residents to comply with SB330. If a lawsuit was filed, wouldn’t the judge simply order removal of the section violating state law? But repealing Ordinance 1675 means that another closely related ordinance can not be voted on for one year.
Supporters of Q recognize that this is still just window dressing and that Ordinance 1675 was just a way for the council majority to say they were concerned about the look of Laguna and were doing something about it. Yet Ordinance 1675 explicitly enabled buildings of any size as long
as they were variegated- but decided at the discretion of the Planning Commission. Developers got around the 36-foot height limit, which Village Laguna fought so hard for, by calling the decks and umbrellas “temporary.” Despite having these same provisions for many years in our building code –it was even included in the Vision 2030 plan done in 2001 - developers have used these loopholes. This is exactly why Measure Q came about – because it had teeth and would have held everyone accountable if the provisions weren’t followed.
Councilmembers Kempf, Whalen and Rounaghi all voiced their approval for the provisions of Ordinance 1675. Rounaghi wants them as part of the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update and not as a stand-alone ordinance. If it’s included as part of the zoning code, presumably, it would not have to wait a year to be implemented since it’s not a stand-alone ordinance. The question is: How serious are these three Councilmembers about making these provisions ironclad in our building codes? Will they agree to strengthen the wording so that the provisions
Sports/Schools
By Frank Aronoff | LB Indy
BREAKER
SPORTS UPDATE
SPRING SPORT HONORS
Here is the balance of the varsity team awards for Spring 2024.
GIRLS LACROSSE – Best Season Ever
ALL-SUNSET LEAGUE: 1st Team: Ruby Sampson
2nd Team: Summer DiMaggio and Tess Smialowicz
Team Awards:
Varsity
Most Valuable Player: Ruby Samson
Most Valuable Player: Tess Smialowicz
Offensive MVP: Summer DiMaggio
Defensive MVP: Alice Mitsuka
GB Machine: Piper Halpern
Most Improved: Rachel Jolley
Coaches Award: Cailin Mulvaney
Grit & Hustle: Julia Winton
Lax IQ: Anna Sundquist
Junior Varsity
Most Valuable Player: Harper Hunt
Offensive MVP: Jude Lifeset
Defensive MVP: Adelaide Valeri
Grit & Hustle: Skylar DiMaggio
GB Machine: Keating Cummings
Coaches Award: Eloise Hunt
SWIMMING/DIVING
ALL-CIF (D-2): Chase Shipp –Diving Champion
ALL-SUNSET LEAGUE: Chase Shipp – Diving
ALL-SUNSET WAVE LEAGUE: Ava Knepper (50 & 100 Free)
2024 Team Awards
Varsity Girls: Most Improved: Sophia Billy; 3D: Daniela Suh; Character: Emmy Hensley; MVP: Ava Knepper
Varsity Boys:
Most Improved: Dane Seybold; 3D: Nicolai Grombchevsky; Character: George Houldsworth; MVP: Finn Leverty
Boys Diving: MVP: Chase Shipp
Lower Levels:
JV Girls: Most Improved: Rosie Rogers, 3D: Iza Zembruski, Character: Liv Taub
JV Boys: Most Improved: Max Jakle, 3D: Charlie Miller, Character: Xander Sarkis
Open Girls: Most Improved: Brighton Welch; Character: Yael Goodman
Open Boys: Most Improved: Felix Hayes; 3D: Caedman Welch; Character: Bence White
BOYS TENNIS
2024 Team Awards (90th Season)
Most Valuable Player: Luke Jolley
Most Improved Player: Matthew Lawsky
Best Doubles Team: Owen Britt and Lucas Silverman
Most Dedicated Player: Ocean Papa Coach’s Award: Chris Herkins
Next week will be the 2024 football schedule and updates.
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.
11
One of France’s most important churches is the Cathedral at Chartres. Built upon the ruins of several earlier iterations, construction on the current church began in the mid-1100s and was completed in the mid-1200s. Its most striking feature is the asymmetry of its two towers. The south tower, completed around 1150, is the more austere of the two. The spire on the north tower, designed by architect Jean Texier, was added in the 1500s and is a far more ornate example of Flamboyant Gothic. The cathedral is a
UNESCO World Heritage site. In that case, several cooks made a tasty broth. Maybe we can do the same. Hunter is a Laguna Beach resident and founder of Historic Laguna (historiclaguna.com). Jon has lived in Laguna for over 20 years. He is a retired history teacher and member of the Laguna Beach Heritage Committee. You can reach Hunter and Jon at jon@ historiclaguna.com and hunter@ historiclaguna.com.
GREEN LAGUNA.
and it was quite educational seeing how the city, state and federal government come together for public safety.
As a former telecommunications executive, I’ve been passionate about improving the city’s communications network. It will not surprise many that our local cellular network is lacking despite our worldwide reputation as a beautiful beach paradise. During more than a decade on the committee, I’ve attended dozens of city meetings to support better cellular coverage. Despite my efforts, our coverage is arguably worse than it was ten years ago. This impacts not just emergency services, but residents’ quality of life. It’s also costly since many residents will have to pay for expensive cable or fiber internet instead of utilizing cheaper wireless internet.
Watching projects get stalled has given me two ideas for how the city can prioritize cellular.
First, the city would benefit by assigning a staffer to oversee local wireless projects. Currently, community development distributes cellular projects to different team members on a case -by- case basis, like every other project, and there’s no central cellular project tracking. If a project is pushed
OBITUARY
back and the carriers or their reps are asked to provide additional information or perform additional testing, the city will not follow up. Everyone is very busy, and as a small city, Laguna Beach may not be top of mind for the carriers. An overseer focused just on cellular projects can proactively nudge the carriers, which will surely speed things up.
Secondly, the city should reconsider its Municipal Code restrictions for cell tower deployment. The code unnecessarily impedes local cellular development. For example, the ordinance blocks any equipment within 100 feet of a residential building and within 100 feet of a public park. This effectively blocks lower-powered small cells designed to fill small dead spots.
Years of stalled and failed communication upgrade projects have likely scared carriers away. If the city adopts a more friendly approach to cellular projects, and lets the carriers know it’s “open for business,” we can start making progress towards giving residents the world- class communications network they deserve.
Many thanks for the opportunity to influence change.
Tim
Templeton, Laguna Beach
In loving memory of a remarkable man: Jack Ervin Camp, Jr.
With heavy hearts but cherished memories, we bid farewell to Jack Ervin Camp Jr., a man with an infectious smile and an adventurous spirit who charmed everyone he met. Jack passed away peacefully on April 16, 2024, surrounded by loved ones. Born in August 1939, Jack moved frequently between San Diego and New Hampshire during his father’s Navy service. He eventually graduated from Hoover High School in San Diego in 1958, where he was voted Mr. Friendly. He married his girlfriend, Barbara, and they had a daughter, Wendy. After their divorce, Jack was drafted into the Army and chose to serve a four-year term in Germany. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Denni, with whom he would later have three more
GUEST OPINION: GREEN LIGHT
Forward-Thinking Laguna and the Home Electrification Fair
By toM osBorne
On the evening of May 29, the Laguna chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), with major help from the City of Laguna Beach, staged the Home Electrification Fair (HEF). The event, held at Rivian’s South Coast Center, made a statement: Laguna Beach, like its bigger sibling Irvine, is forwardthinking, especially when it comes to the climate crisis.
Our current city manager, mayor, city council, school district, and citizenry attest to this forward-thinking regularly, as does Laguna Art Museum’s “Art & Nature” program. The Laguna Beach Independent may be the county’s only
local newspaper with a designated environmental column. Rivian’s tony South Coast Center in the heart of our town enhances Laguna’s environmental credentials even more.
For me, the clearest, most compelling evocation of this forward environmental thinking is the Laguna 2030 Report (2000), prepared by more than 2,000 community leaders. In the fifty years our family has lived here, I cannot think of a more impressive group of visionary thinkers and doers in our town. Kathy Krinsky, Neil Fitzpatrick, Elizabeth Pearson, Toni Iseman, and other practical dreamers laid out a vision and plan for Laguna’s foreseeable future. The HEF falls totally within that Report’s stated commitment to “weave environmental sustainability throughout the fabric of Laguna Beach life and encourage surrounding communities to do the same.”
The HEF linked environmental sustainability to public health by highlighting the need to swap out our gas appliances for electrical ones as soon as practicable. Featured speaker Peter Marsh, a professional home energy consultant, noted that gas stoves pollute our indoor air with nitrogen
daughters: Emily, Jessica and Sarah.
After his military service, Jack and Denni married and settled in Laguna Beach, where he would live for the next 35 years. Jack graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and advanced in his career as an urban planner, eventually becoming a partner at Langdon Wilson, a prominent architecture firm.
After Denni and Jack divorced, Jack stayed close to his daughters in Laguna Beach, living with his girlfriend Lynn on Catalina Street, who became his wife. Upon retiring from Langdon Wilson, he started his own consulting firm, Urban Design Camp (UDC), which took him around the world.
In his later years, Jack moved to Idyllwild, Calif. where he enjoyed daily walks, ziplining, and discussing politics with friends. In his final years, he cherished time with his girlfriend Sanga, his daughters, and his grandchildren.
Jack Camp was friendly, adventurous, charming, creative, and loved by all. His ability to forge long-lasting relationships was deeply admired. His memory will live on in our hearts and inspire future generations to live with his spirit.
oxide, nitrogen dioxide, benzene, and carbon monoxide. So what? According to a recent Stanford study, gas stoves are responsible for 12 percent of all childhood asthma cases and other respiratory ailments in the United States. Moreover, he pointed out that induction (electric) ranges boil water faster than gas, are safer in that you can touch without burning yourself, and the heat is more precision-controlled digitally.
Similarly, Marsh explained the superiority of electric vehicles over those with internal combustion engines, heat pumps over gas-powered heaters and air conditioners, and the advantages of electric water heaters over gas-powered ones. After his presentation, Marsh fielded questions from the audience. Next, brief presentations were made, and tables were staffed by representatives from Quit Carbon, OC Goes Solar, Southern California Edison, Switch Is On, and Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
The nearly 130 attendees overwhelmingly praised the HEF. City Manager Dave Kiff said, “It was heartening to see so many Lagunans at the Fair (including long-time friends of ours) interested in solar, induction, and other ways to move towards greater electrification and less day-to-day use of fossil fuels. Having the Fair in association with Rivian made it extra special – it was my first time visiting the theater after the renovation, and it’s
a perfect space to think about a future where we impact the climate less and less.”
“I congratulate our local chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby on a very successful and informative Home Electrification Fair,” said Mayor Sue Kempf. “The first such event in Laguna Beach. Now it is time for all of us to step up and electrify our homes.”
Laguna landscape architect Bob Borthwick and his wife Vicki opined: “We have solar panels on our house and an electric car but had not yet made plans for replacing our water heater or home heating. Your program was very helpful in encouraging us all away from fossil fuels and towards a cleaner planet.
“Former San Juan Capistrano Mayor and CCL leader Larry Kramer declared: “The HEF exceeded my expectations. The speakers were great. The Rivian venue could not have been better. Most of all, I was impressed that Laguna’s mayor spoke and with all the actions the city was taking to address climate change.”
Other attendees from Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, and San Clemente echoed the views just shared. The event was one more shining moment in Laguna’s efforts to steward the environment and exemplify its forwardthinking, green leadership in Orange County.
Tom Osborne co-leads, with his wife Ginger, the Laguna chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.
Susi Q Announces New Marketing and Communications Director
Q
By LB Indy Staff
The Susi Q has selected Lynette Brasfield as its new marketing and communications director, following the retirement of Jo Ann Ekblad, who held the position for nine years. Brasfield has worked with the nonprofit as its publicist for three years and is now responsible for strategic communications planning and implementation of the broad range of Susi Q’s outreach efforts.
In addition, Brasfield will work with the Susi Q team to bring in new programming designed to provide older adults with the support they
need to age in place, as well as fresh entertainment, educational and informational offerings.
“Lynette has done a great job increasing awareness of the Susi Q in the community these past few years,” said Nadia Babayi, executive director of Laguna Beach Seniors, aka the Susi Q. “We are confident that with the support of our seasoned programming/event manager, Christine Brewer, and our wonderful staff, the Susi Q will continue to provide programming at the highest level to benefit the community.”
Brasfield said she was delighted to take on new responsibilities; however, she is also aware of the big shoes she would need to fill following Jo Ann Ekblad’s retirement.
“I love the staff at the Susi Q and will miss Jo. She did a fantastic job putting together vital communitybuilding programs and many exciting offerings, from opera to jazz concerts and more,” Brasfield said. “I hope to build on her legacy going forward.”
Brasfield said what excites her most about the Susi Q is that it’s not “your grandmother’s senior center.”
“Instead of creating a silo where seniors only interact with each
DIRECTOR, PAGE 21
Ghiasi Designs aims to furnish clients with ‘extraordinary’ interiors
Arash Ghiasi of Ghiasi Designs offers residential and commercial interior design services as well as bespoke furniture and accessories.
Ghiasi Designs is a furnishings and interior design business run by 24-year industry veteran Arash Ghiasi.
“Over the past three decades, I’ve owned a clothing store, multiple home furnishings stores as well as an art gallery,” Ghiasi said. “This experience has enabled me to have a great understanding of trends as well as what products and services clients will love and appreciate for years to come.”
Ghiasi was asked the following questions to find out more.
Q. How did your business start?
A. I was formerly in the fashion business as a stylist and clothier with a knack for making people and places look great. I was going through a life transition and was moving out of my residence.
I figured I was starting a new chapter in life so I would sell a lot of the furnishings, and as I did that and I sold most of the awesome furnishings that I had accrued, I thought to myself, “What if I can help others do the same thing?” Next thing you know I had placed an ad in the paper that stated, “I can help you sell your unwanted furniture.”
The phone started to ring off the hook, and next thing you know, from a garage I transitioned into my first consignment shop and gradually started to bring in new furniture. Within two years, I was in one of the top malls in the United States.
Q. What is your mission?
A. I strive to inspire people and show them how to transform their ordinary places to extraordinary homes and businesses. In 24 years’ experience in the industry, I’ve come to find most people have an idea what they like but don’t know how to bring it all together.
Q. What services do you offer?
A. I offer residential and commercial interior design services as well as provide bespoke furniture and accessories. Interior design consulting services provide recommendations for furniture, accessories, paint coolers, flooring, cabinets and just about everything aesthetically needed to create a cohesive and stunning environment. This service also provides my clients with related links where they can purchase the items and implement them into their home or business. You can call this the gold package.
Turnkey design services are for clients who don’t have the time or desire to deal with any aspect of the project. So I offer complete solutions from beginning to the end. You can call this the platinum package.
Bespoke furniture services provide solutions to accommodate clients’ specific style, needs and measurements for their space. We offer in-home consulting in which we can bring fabrics to our clients’ home, take measurements and show them a variety of bespoke options.
Q. What makes Ghiasi Designs unique compared with similar businesses?
A. My vast experience in this industry, passion for design and ability to help my clients see the vision for their home or business enable me to get more done in less time. Time is our most precious commodity, so I don’t believe in stretching out projects to accumulate hourly rates. I offer easy-to-understand services catering to my clients’ needs. The process and experience should be fun, creative, effective and simple.
Q. What’s new with the business that you want everyone to know about?
A. I’m now launching my online store highlighting some of my designs.
Ghiasi Designs typically is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and on Saturdays, depending on clients’ schedules. For more information, visit ghiasidesigns.com, call (949) 995-3577 or email ghiasidesigns@gmail.com. ADVERTORIAL SPOTLIGHT
Lynette Brasfield is the Susi Q’s new marketing and communications director.
Photo/Susi
GUEST OPINION: WISDOM WORKOUT
Your True Colors
By susan VeLasquez
Has your ability to shine become a bit tarnished? Are you settling for a muted, toned-down version of your imagined self? Have you lost your vibrancy and zest for living and can’t remember where you misplaced it?
Knowing where you are is the first step in making new decisions. Self-honesty might not be sexy, but it is crucial to your sanity.
Most of us make decisions based on what we like or don’t like. If we like something, we go after it, and
we try to avoid what we don’t like.
The “I like it/I don’t like it” approach will keep you stuck in a small, predictable life that can easily become stagnant and rigid. Why? The only way you know beforehand what you like or don’t like is if you have already had a similar experience. Therefore, making your decisions based solely on your personal likes or dislikes stops life’s flow.
Nothing new can find you. You will stop the wonder and delight that comes through unanticipated experiences of synchronicity.
The true gifts of the universe come wrapped in light and love. Openness and acceptance of new experiences require trust in the basic goodness of yourself and the basic goodness of your life.
So, the first part of the formula to broaden your self-assessment is to decide if you are ready to transform what isn’t working.
If your answer is yes, here is the next question. Are you willing to create a life that works? Wanting what isn’t working to go away is one part, and being willing to create what does work requires another yes.
Everyone wants a life that works. Many people wish, dream, long for, grasp at, demand, command, lust after, and suffer over their current situations.
What works is to commit your will, your willingness, and your willpower to live your life to the fullest. Will you soften your heart, open your mind, uplift your spirit, un-numb, defrost and live life as though you’ve never been hurt? It isn’t necessary to know how to do that at this point.
If your answer is yes, continue. If your answer is no, ask a few more questions. Who are you blaming or resenting because they hurt you deeply? Are you lost? Are you drowning, going down for the third time, and still unwilling or unable to call out for help?
Are you so disappointed that you won’t let your heart and soul fully participate again? Did you squelch your hurt feelings, cut off your tears and cut short your grief, and now your “sad” is stuck and really mad? Are you waiting for someone else to read your mind, figure you out, fix it and make it all better? Are you lusting after perfection and won’t accept anything less
because you are acting spoiled and emotionally immature? Are you holding an unrealistic picture of what a successful life is?
If you are willing to answer any of these questions sincerely, you might be able to get unstuck and start moving again. Remember, no one ever feels 100% able when confronting hard situations. Lighten up on yourself. Ask for guidance, internal and external, take the first steps, and let go of having to have all the answers right now.
Be willing to ask for inner inspiration about what the right action is for you today, at this moment. Open to external help by asking for what you need, even though it is uncomfortable.
Your intuitive guidance can soothe and smooth the journey if you allow yourself to let go, let down, and do whatever is necessary to become ready, willing, and able to learn new ways to thrive.
Susan has been a local since 1986 and is the author of Beyond Intellect: Journey into the Wisdom of Your Intuitive Mind. susanvelasquez.com.
Accolades include top honors from Hermes Creative Awards, American Advertising Federation Orange County, The Telly Awards and more
By LB Indy Staff
Visit Laguna Beach’s recent release of its docuseries and podcast, “From Radical Origins,” has garnered significant acclaim, securing several prestigious awards for its compelling storytelling and captivating exploration of Laguna Beach’s rich history.
These top honors for excellence in media include the Hermes Creative Platinum Award in the category of Electronic Media/ Social Media/ Interactive Media/ Video, Documentary for “Reef Madness” and the AAF OC (American Advertising Federation Orange County) Gold Award in the Branded Content & Entertainment for Online/Interactive category.
Produced by Schiefer Chopshop, From Radical Origins is a sevenepisode series that delves deep into the vibrant tapestry of Laguna Beach, highlighting the pivotal moments, influential figures and transformative movements that have shaped the city into the iconic cultural hub
table. The police threatened to arrest Measure Q volunteers working a table between City Hall and the Farmers’ Market. I guess it was nice that our volunteers refused to move and the police did back down.
News to us was, in the May 24, 2024 Indy, Doug Vogel revealed “As the former treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce and member of the board … 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 approval and that the members should have been notified that their dues and contributions were going to be spent this way.”
Monda
PAGE 14
are followed and not sidestepped by developers? It’s easy to say you approve of weak guidelines, but if you are really serious about maintaining the feel of Laguna, then these provisions must be foolproof.
It is the residents’ hope that the council majority will, in fact, include this in the Comprehensive Zoning Code Update, eliminate the loopholes and make it a real tiger, not just a paper tiger.
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.
At the May 28, 2024 meeting, Whalen, Rounaghi, and Kempf voted to repeal Ordinance 1675. But I supported putting Ordinance 1675 on the ballot. For no other reason than rooftop decks are really an additional building floor blocking the views of others. I think that the restrictions on the visibility of the umbrellas and equipment in Ordinance 1675 should have been kept. So, I supported putting it on the ballot and letting the citizens, those voting decide. You know, let Laguna vote.
Gene Felder is Treasurer of Laguna Residents First and the Laguna Canyon Conservancy, President of the Top of the World Neighborhood Association, and is Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley’s appointee as an alternate member of the Coastal Greenbelt Authority which oversees the Laguna Coast and Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Parks. Gene served on the Board of Directors of the Laguna Beach Historical Society from 2001 to 2014, serving as President from 2001 to 2006. He is co-author, with Foster J. Eubanks, of the 2013 book “Laguna Beach, Then & Now.”
Gerber
PAGE 12
our health than we may have believed. Granted, not everyone agrees on the pivotal role of consciousness in health or on what benefits prayer and meditation can bring to bear on one’s mental state. But if it’s true that we get what we expect, it’s in our best interest to raise our expectations.
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.
Scholarships
PAGE 1
Scholarship Foundation is a 501(C)(3) organization. The board is comprised of community members who donate their time, energy, and professional expertise. LBHSSF is most grateful to the scholarship donors, the Faculty Selection Committee, and the High School Scholarship Coordinator for their continued partnership in making this a collaborative community effort. Individual scholarships may be established with a minimum annual award of $1,000. For those who would like to donate but do not wish to establish an individual scholarship, the Breaker Opportunity Fund accepts all donations to provide scholarships to Laguna Beach graduating seniors to help ease the financial burden of their post-high school education without an ongoing financial commitment. The Faculty Scholarship Committee selects recipients from seniors who are applying for the regular scholarships administered by the Foundation.
To learn more about the organization, contact scholarships@ lbhssf.org. Make donation checks payable to LBHSSSF and mail them to P.O. Box 1569, Laguna Beach, Calif. 92652.
Historic Home
PAGE 1
In response to Orgill’s suggestion, Surf & Sand Resort rallied a team of skilled painters and maintenance staff to undertake the restoration work. Over the past week, three professional painters have scraped, sanded, and painted the historic home overlooking Boat Canyon.
Bob Borthwick, a Friends of Hortense Miller Garden board member, expressed his gratitude for the support received.
“I honestly thought that the offer was too good to be true,” he said. “This is truly a miracle.”
Director PAGE 17
other, our programs, while focused primarily on serving the needs of older adults and retirees in the community, are increasingly attractive to all ages,” she said.
“At the same time, our Lifelong Laguna program and Care Management department provide vital services to vulnerable seniors. I am thrilled to join the team in my expanded role,” she added.
Brasfield is a published novelist, writing instructor, former managing editor of Stu News Laguna, and former public relations executive at Nelson Communications Group and Hill and Knowlton. She lives in Laguna Beach with her husband, Bill, and black cat, Boris.
Brasfield can be reached at LynetteB@thesusiq.org.
Susi Q offers many ongoing programs from ukulele lessons, to standing yoga, to bridge and mahjong classes. The center also has multiple support groups and clubs for special interest groups ranging from genealogy to current affairs to books and so much more. The Susi Q’s Care Management Department (now the Dorene Cares Office) provides free consultation, education and practical resources for vulnerable seniors, enabling them to stay safe, informed and independent. The Susi Q is located at 380 Third Street, Laguna Beach.
Visit Laguna
PAGE 19
it is today. Each episode offers a unique perspective on the city’s evolution, celebrating the dynamic artists, activists, entrepreneurs and visionaries who have left an indelible mark on Laguna Beach’s identity.
“We are incredibly proud of From Radical Origins and the recognition it has received,” said Rachel O’Neill-Cusey, President and CEO of Visit Laguna Beach.
“This series embodies the spirit of our community and showcases the passion, creativity and resilience that define Laguna Beach. It is an honor to see our work celebrated on such a prestigious stage.”
The series features diverse stories, ranging from the grassroots activism of surfers fighting for public beach access in “Reef Madness” to the rebellious spirit of local artists who founded the legendary Sawdust Festival in “Long Live the Rejects.”
Visit Laguna Beach anticipates that From Radical Origins will be recognized with additional accolades this year and has been entered into the Crested Butte Film Festival, Raindance Film Festival, Seattle Film Festival and U.S. Travel’s ESTO awards, among others.
To view and listen to the From Radical Origins docuseries visit: visitlagunabeach.com/radicalorigins
Local Tennis Star Reaches Finals at 43rd Woody Hunt Junior Tourney
By Clara Beard | LB Indy Staff
Laguna
Beach
High School
sophomore Tane Rice and his partner
Paxton Au of Manhattan Beach recently competed in the 43rd annual Woody Hunt Junior Tournament Boys 16s, reaching the finals of this prestigious tennis event.
Rice and Au lost 7:9 in last Sunday’s final against the #2 seeds Trevor Nguyen of Westminster and Alexander Tolmachev Nguyen of San
7/13 FAST TIMES
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
8/2 Beach Boy AL JARDINE
CUBENSIS
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8/4 u kulele s Tar : TAIMANE & Her Trio
8/9 BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY
8/10 THE BUSBOYS
8/11 THE JAMES KELLY BAND
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
8/31 MICK ADAMS & THE STONES 9/1 MIDGE URE 9/7 SOUTHERN ROCK THROWDOWN ( l ynyrd s kynyrd , B ad C
) 9/12 GRAHAM BONNET P erforming r ain B ow , msg & a l C
ra ZZ 9/13 RICHIE KOTZEN with Mark Daly 9/14 JOURNEY USA (J ourney T ri B u T e )
9/15 BENISE: Fiesta! 9/19 THE MAN IN BLACK (J ohnny C ash T ri B u T e ) 9/22 JANE MONHEIT 9/25 ANA POPOVIC 9/27 DAVE MASON 10/3 ZEBRA 10/4 MIRAGE ( f lee T wood m a C T ri B u T e )
10/5 KIMBERLY PERRY (of The Band Perry) 10/6 DAVE HAUSE 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
Diego at the Kramer Club at Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. Rice also made it through to the quarterfinals in singles, winning against the 5 and 9 seeds. Rice is an LBHShonor student and hopes to play collegiate tennis. He’s also the regional president of Second Serve, a community service organization that collects and distributes used tennis equipment to Title I schools and local Boys & Girls Clubs.
11/2 VENICE 11/3 THE WINEHOUSE EXPERIENCE ( a my w inehouse T ri B u T e ) 11/8 COMMON SENSE 11/9 TYRONE WELLS 11/13 JOHN HIATT
11/15 RONSTADT REVIVAL 11/16 JOSHUA RADIN & RON POPE 11/22 SPACE ODDITY ( d avid B owie T ri B u T e ) 11/23 RUFUS WAINWRIGHT 11/26 LEONID & FRIENDS (C
11/27 BEATLES VS STONES
11/29 THE PLATTERS 11/30 LEE ROCKER of the Stray Cats
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12/4 LIVINGSTON TAYLOR and
Tane Rice (right) and Paxton Au claim second place at the 43rd annual Woody Hunt Junior Tournament. Photo/Gabriella Rice
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) – the only citywide MPA in California dedicated to sea life recovery. The contest invites entries to include photos from the beach to the deep ocean.
This year’s photo contest coincides with KelpFest 2024 on Worlds Ocean Day, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Main Beach.
Contest judges include marine scientist Julianne Steers, Project O Founder Rich German and conservation photographer and videographer Kate Vylet.
More Ways to Celebrate the Ocean
The Rivian South Coast Theater is hosting a special program produced by The MY HERO Project, for this year’s World Oceans Day celebration. The event takes place June 8 at 6:30 p.m.
MY HERO has an inspiring lineup of ocean-minded short films, speakers and musical entertainment planned for the evening.
Wendy Milette, Director of The MY HERO International Film Festival, will present the 2024 Sylvia Earle
GUEST OPINION: PET PEEVES
Buying Time
By MarK d. crantz
My wife loves jewelry. Me, not so much. From kings and queens to Al and Peggy Bundy, the line is clearly marked. Women love jewelry and men join flash robs to get it.
Years ago, I bought an engagement ring for my soon-to-be wife. The jewelry store was a place in Chicago that everybody went to. The mayor, fire chief, Cubs players, Bears players, county commissioners even the mob guys knew it was the place to get a clean diamond at a little bit more than it fell off the truck. During my purchase, I got to talk to the store’s owner. He was a dead ringer for my dead grandfather, except he was alive and breathing. I asked him, “Are
diamonds a good investment?” He answered, “No, son. They just buy you some time.”
I was taken aback by his brutal honesty. There’s not a lot of it out there in the commerce world. Everybody is pitching something. From baristas asking for 25% tips to pour a $5 cup of coffee to the cable company that walks you through the cable repair by phone and then requires you to go to the cable store for parts by car and then embeds it in the cable bill like they came to your driveway. The gamesmanship is everywhere. A business associate once suggested that if you go down the street with a quarter in your pocket and still have it at the end of the day, then it’s been a great day. It never happened to me. My business associate got my quarter.
The Laguna Art Museum recently held an event that gave interested residents an appraisal of their jewelry. Interested parties were limited to five pieces for inspection. It was called “The What’s It Worth” event.
I asked my wife if she would like to get some of her jewelry appraised? She looked at me, as though, I suggested a full day at the dentist. “No. I don’t
Ocean Conservation Award. The annual award comes with cash prizes of $2,000 and is sponsored by the MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation’s One World One Ocean Campaign.
Nancy Caruso, founder of the nonprofit Get Inspired, will be a guest speaker. A MY HERO short film that showcases her work as “the Kelp Lady” will be screened at the event. Caruso and Laguna environmental filmmaker Rich German, founder of Project O, will be presented with
Ocean Hero Awards.
This family-friendly event is free, but capacity is limited. Register at the Rivian South Coast Theater website to reserve your tickets.
From Gaza to the White House –can trust ever be rebuilt?
A global panel of journalists from the Pulitzer Prize-winning Christian Science Monitor discusses “The Trust Factor: From America to the Middle East”
The free event – with a robust audience question-and-answer welcome – will be held Thursday, June 27, at 7:30 p.m. at the Newport Beach Civic Center Community Room 100 Civic Center Drive at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 27. Reservations are required: Email the name and contact information of each attendee to csmonitorevent@gmail.com.
care what it’s worth. The sentimental value is immeasurable.” I sputtered, “Are you telling me that I could have purchased costume jewelry and you would have loved it as much?” My wife sighed, “No. You’re twisting up what I’m saying.” I looked at her lost. “Untangle the twist up. Give it to me straight.” My wife smiles and says, “The expensive jewelry just bought you more time. And time’s up. I need a bigger diamond engagement ring.”
“Okay then,” I said. “We’ll go get the present engagement ring appraised at a jewelry store and trade it in for a new bigger one. My wife winced. “No can do. I’ll keep my present engagement ring and make it into a necklace. There’s no trading in the old investment for a new one. That’s tricky math. If you loved me, you’d know this.”
We didn’t go to the LAM event. I was appraised at home of my rights and duties, as a husband. Love is grand. And another grand. And another grand.
Crantz tells the Indy that he’s made plans to join more flash robs. Don’t tell the police department.
Bringing global experience with the trust factor, the panel includes Mark Sappenfield, editor-in-chief of the Monitor, who has covered India and Afghanistan and is now based in Berlin. Marshall Ingwerson, former Monitor editor-in-chief, who covered the White House and Russia, now lives in Laguna Beach.
Francine Kiefer, Los Angeles bureau chief, who covered the White House, Congress and Germany. Taylor Luck, based in Amman Jordan, is the Monitor’s Arab world correspondent. Explore their work in the “Rebuilding Trust” project here: CSMonitor.com/ trust. For more information, contact Christine Negley csmonitorevent@ gmail.com or chnegley@aol.com or 312-330-6855.
Catmosphere Adoption Event
On Saturday, June 15 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Catmosphere Laguna cats and kittens will be featured for adoption at the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter, 20612 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. For details contact Catmosphere Laguna Foundation at 949/619-6369 or teamfeline@catmospherelaguna. com. Future Adoption Event dates continue monthly throughout 2024.
of events and I enormously grateful to Meital and her entire team. Brilliant!
