Editor, The steering committee of Citizens for View Preservation and Restoration has issued the attached position statement on the just released draft view ordinance. We strongly support Mayor Boyd’s initiative to create a view ordinance “with teeth in it”. However, we are concerned that the latest draft includes sections that will weaken the view ordinance. [...]
Editor, On Thursday, May 10 a ‘neighborhood’ meeting was held at Moulton Meadows Park. The meeting was called because Mayor Kelly Boyd, and Councilmen Steve Dicterow have been working tirelessly for months to finally get a skate park built here in Laguna Beach for our youth. They were able to get the renowned Tony Hawk [...]
Editor, Judging by the letters to the editor, public feedback to the city council and other community commentary, the decision to kill a dozen mature, healthy and beautiful trees may have been a mistake. If the ficus trees were buckling the sidewalks, the eucalyptus probably are too. Those could all come down also. Then change [...]
Editor, How many of us have parked on the north side of Laguna Canyon Road and crossed over to attend the Sawdust Festival despite signs warning us not to do so? So why do we make this perilous decision, especially at night? Because the nearest pedestrian walkway is waaaay too far!! Surely we can think [...]
Editor, May is National Bike Month, a perfect time for our community to recognize and celebrate all the benefits of bicycling. Bicycling keeps us healthy, carries us efficiently from point A to point B, saves us from high gas prices, and makes our air cleaner and our roads less congested. Bicycling is good for our [...]
Editor, I loved Susan Velasquez’ column today (“A Season for Change,” Arts, May 10 edition). Had my name, the band concert, the Laguna Tunes, the Healthy Girls Festival and all the news of each expressed so well. I think her writing is exquisite and I look forward to reading what she says and the way [...]
Editor, Well if there are no trees in downtown Laguna Beach, then it will definitely be hot this summer with no shade (unless the store fronts have canopies over the store front windows) and no breeze since the canyon acts as a block to the breeze. I visit Laguna Beach every two weeks on a Sunday and even [...]
Editor, How disappointing it is to see our council members decide to rush the cutting down of our beautiful ficus trees during the spring nesting season. They choose to ignore Lagunas as a bird sanctuary. I remember seeing dead baby birds on Third Street sidewalks when the city decided to heavily prune the ficus one [...]
Editor: (This letter was also addressed to council members and the city manager.) I am writing to express my shock and dismay about your recent decisions regarding our downtown. I have lived in Laguna for a long time, and I have an abiding and deep love for this town, its people and its character. I [...]
Editor, Very smart thinking all the way around by our city government. Butchering the trees that give our downtown its singular character right before summer. We may drive our tourists to another strip mall beach town, one with free parking. We may never have to build that village entrance. I love the new view 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, This past week I have been getting emails and seeing posts on Facebook, which are rabidly against the proposed skatepark in Moulton Meadows park. I am surprised to see such fear around what a skateboard-structure may bring. I honestly don’t see offering a skate-structure as any different as offering a basketball court, a tennis [...]
Editor, Laguna is a paradox of sorts. A landslide strikes Bluebird Canyon and the city unifies to help. People open their homes, they voluntarily inflict a tax on themselves, and, in the end, numerous homes are rebuilt on an area prone to landslides. Everyone is a hero. On the other hand, the same citizenry plants [...]
Editor, Since the ‘80s I have had an interest in preserving ocean views. I attended meetings in the ‘90s on this subject and watched in dismay as Village Laguna, led by Ann Christoph, orchestrated tactics to waylay this effort. Fear tactics included no trees, no birds, even an 8-year-old sobbing that “he would never experience [...]
Editor, People visit Laguna Beach for the art, yes, but mainly for the climate, the beach, and the waterfront hotels and restaurants that offer beautiful views. People choose to live in Laguna Beach for the climate, the quaint neighborhood feel and the eclectic styling, but especially for the views. You see, other ocean-hugging towns have [...]
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 [...]
