By Peter A. Bowler Allan Schoenherr, author of “A Natural History of California”, has done it again! In an elegant, magnificently illustrated treatment of Orange County open spaces, Schoenherr has brought forward basic ecological principles, applied them to local communities and habitats, and produced a superb guide to the “natural history of open spaces of [...]
By Mia Davidson and Jan Sattler Laguna Beach supports a large number of resident bird species and one of the more distinctive species sighted is the Brandt’s cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus). Found only in North America, Brandt’s cormorants are marine birds that are mostly permanent residents of the Pacific coast and congregate in colonies on [...]
March 28, 1923 – May 14, 2013 Henri Hellieson had a long and happy life. He had a marvelous deep voice and was a fabulous singer. He sang at several of the church choirs, not to mention any piano bar that was available. He was a chef for many years, including cooking for former [...]
By Mark D. Crantz Laguna Beach. Another perfect day in Paradise, but oh no, there’s CO2. For those readers not familiar with these elements in the periodic table, I want to know where you were instead of chemistry class in high school. Be careful with your answer because there’s no statute of limitation on [...]
Editor, I’ll believe the city wants to do the right thing on protecting our views when they bury our power poles first. What ever happened to the idea that trees are also beautiful? Jon Chance, Laguna Beach
Editor, Not since the 36-foot height limit was challenged years ago has such a sweeping change to the nature of Laguna Beach been about to become law. Under the current draft of the tree ordinance on the city site as of May 21, anyone can ask for trees to be removed that block their ocean [...]
Editor: The Citizens for View Preservation and Restoration (CVPR) has reviewed the view ordinance issued by the View Equity Committee on May 10, 2013. More about CVPR can be found at www.lagunaviews.net We believe “Views are irreplaceable, where trees and vegetation can be managed to protect our views.” We value our trees, but recognize that [...]
Editor: Catherine Cooper’s column, “A Question of Sustainability, “ May 17 edition, on CO2 levels being close to surpassing the 400 ppm at the recording station on Mauna Loa, is a reminder of the horrendous damage we are doing to our environment whether it be Hawaii or Laguna Beach. I have been attending the View [...]
Editor: I thought that some background on the trees planted in our downtown area might be of some interest to you and your readers. Not sure if anyone “alive” knows some of the background. Decades ago a major force in Los Angeles was a women named Mrs. Valley Knudsen. She was a supporter of planting [...]
Editor, Several years ago, Buena Park’s City Council decided to remove a whole street of beautiful old jacranda trees because their roots were affecting the sidewalk. I remember thinking, “Thank God I don’t live in a city where they would cut down old trees to maintain flat sidewalks.” Little did I know that I did live in such a city. Now we have [...]
Editor: Last Thursday night, a meeting was held at Moulton Meadows Park to discuss the possibility of locating a skateboard park there (“Residents Object to Skateboard Park,” May 17 edition). Some personal observations: Kudos to Steve Dicterow and Kelly Boyd for calling this gathering. A great example of democracy in action and the courage of [...]
Editor, 2013 has been an exciting year for the Laguna Food Pantry, and the month of May has produced much of that excitement. On May 10 at its Taste of Charity gala, the Laguna Board of Realtors honored our organization as one of this year’s recipients. Our board and volunteers are so grateful to LBR [...]
Editor, I write this is to comment on the story about the House of Design fundraiser for the Philharmonic Society and the designer of the master bedroom – Veldhuis (“Local Designers Add Their Mark to House of Design,” May 17 edition). The throw on the bed and the pillows were made of real fox fur, [...]
By Robin Pierson, Special to the Independent Calm in demeanor, clear in vision and strong in her devotion to children’s education, Peggie Thomas acts with a quiet efficiency that the limelight often misses. But not this year. Thanks to an overwhelming number of votes, the Laguna Beach Woman’s Club named this unsung heroine Woman of [...]
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 [...]
