Comments raised during a hearing Tuesday served to highlight key points of contention in a draft Laguna Beach view ordinance, such as balancing the right to a view with the pleasure of foliage, the perimeter allowed for a claim, and whether the date of purchase matters in determining view rights. Of a smaller crowd of [...]
Editor, What has happened to our City Council? They are cutting all the trees down! What happened to informing the public about these changes? What if the “view ordinance committee” gets their way? Then all the trees may be cut down, even in the public parks. Two of the members of this view ordinance committee [...]
Editor, Did I read correctly that the Council voted to authorize $50,000 for another study of the broken Blue and White City bus system? (“Debating Ways to Keep the Buses Rolling,” April 12 edition) And this is because the Council needs a “real expert” to tell them that the buses are empty most of the time [...]
“Don’t it always seem to go That you don’t know what you got till it’s gone They paved paradise and put up new sidewalks” –with apologies to Joni Mitchell There is one thing for certain. Everything eventually comes to an end. That certainty is particularly disquieting for me as the City Council has elected [...]
Editor, Would you mind letting the community of Laguna Beach know the next City Council meeting to discuss the downtown tree removal is April 23 at 6 p.m.? I understand the media will be there. It would be nice if the community knew of the opportunity to oppose the tree removal. Thank you. [...]
Whole Foods manager Richard Dinan was still talking to Laguna Beach police dispatchers, describing a shoplifter that had exited the store with more than $200 worth of groceries last week, when Detective Larry Bammer and a motorcycle officer showed up. Bammer, who was reassigned to foot patrol that day, was right around the corner from [...]
The village entrance project to beautify the area between Forest Avenue and the festivals and put in a parking structure has been on and off the table for so long that many have given up on it. “We have been romanced and courted for too long,” said George Nelson, owner of the downtown gift store [...]
Editor, I applaud the school board for not wasting more staff time, energy and resources defending its indefensible unilateral decision to end summer early. If not rescinded, that policy – falsely touted as a truancy prevention measure - would have triggered a boycott with 75 percent truancy on any school days in August. The school [...]
Laguna Beach faces a number of important planning decisions in the near future and residents should take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the process, City Manager John Pietig told members of the Laguna Canyon Conservancy on Monday. Pietig provided an overview of current and upcoming city projects, including development of a comprehensive strategy [...]
The Alternate Sleeping Location, which nightly houses about 45 homeless people in Laguna Canyon, will remain open during the daytime for a trial period of 10 weeks this summer thanks to a last-minute $30,000 allocation approved by the City Council earlier this month. After an audit revealed a general fund balance of $3.2 million more [...]
Editor, I have recently become interested at the process in which our city selects individuals for a committee. For example, let’s take the recently formed “View Equity Committee”. My understanding is these individuals were hand-selected by our mayor. It appears that they were not asked to fill out applications and explain why they were [...]
Editor, Village Entrance! How many studies does it take to satisfy the City Council? The Council ordered yet another study/plan for the beautification of our village entrance. As Mr. Dicterow just stated to make this issue his priority, so have all previous city councilmembers during the past few decades. Tens of thousands of dollars have [...]
Editor: Re: City Council Meeting of Jan. 15 Oh what a night and it was a sight to hear the plight of our tree blight that keeps an ocean view to a mere peek-a-boo. Hooray for Kelly Boyd who who stood up for me and you so that we can see that body of [...]
Jason, my teenage friend, I know you are dead and cannot read this letter, but I had to write it anyway. You just wanted to go drinking with your friends. Then you foolishly got behind the wheel and got yourself killed, and killed two innocents in the process. I am dreadfully sorry. But it did [...]
The City Council is accepting applications to fill an unexpired term on the Planning Commission, which will be vacated by City Council member elect Robert Whalen. The term extends to June 30. The council is also accepting applications from residents for an upcoming vacancy on the Board of Adjustment/Design Review Board. Applicants for both posts [...]
Police Use Taser to Subdue Assault Suspect
An assault involving three men escalated into a struggle with Laguna Beach police, who ultimately deployed a taser twice to subdue the younger combative suspect in the 300 block of Cozumel around 1:15 a.m. Friday, May 10, police said. Police ultimately arrested Laguna Beach resident Sergio Gabriel Borgognone, 51, for allegedly resisting arrest and his [...]
