Soldiers on their first deployment will receive 56 boxes of gifts and books collected by the professionals group of the Assistance League of Laguna Beach.
Military personnel who received the care package last year shared their reactions with their benefactors. USMC Major Jason S. Freeby wrote, “I wanted to thank you for the generous packages you sent out here. . . we appreciate your support and generosity.”
A soldier named Donnie wrote, “This morning as I trudged my way through the bitter cold to mail call, I never anticipated I would stumble upon a package of books. What better way to emancipate my thoughts from the rigors of combat…”
City Hall Announces Holiday Closures
City Hall will be closed for the Christmas holidays on Thursday and Friday, Dec. 25 and 26. It will also be closed on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 1 and 2.
Essential public safety services will still be operating.
Acting Zoning Administrator Wins the Permanent Job
Laguna local Nancy Balmer-Csira was appointed as the city’s zoning administrator, a position she filled since the retirement of Liane Schuller in February.
Balmer-Csira has worked in the city’s zoning division since 2003 when she was first hired as a consultant. She was appointed as a full-time senior planner in 2004 and a principal planner in 2007. She is a registered architect in California and will be working closely with architects, designers and the Design Review Board.
Charity Benefits on Hospitality Night
An impromptu dance party broke out on the deck and the street below Belo Blow Dry Bar, which raised $1,500 on Hospitality Night for Project Hope Alliance, an Orange County-based charity that helps homeless children.
Friends, family, and passerby’s enjoyed food, drink and music during a trunk show where all proceeds were donated to the charity, said salon owner Patricia Musselman, who expressed her gratitude to participants for helping some of the 28,000 homeless children in Orange County.
Veterans Announce Raffle Winners
Presiding judge of the Orange County Veterans Court, Joseph Perez, pulled the winning tickets for the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ annual fundraising raffle earlier this month.
Perez came to thank the vets of Post 5868 for their support of troubled veterans in the court’s rehabilitation program.
The winner of a night at Montage Laguna Beach was Daryl Weathers. Barbara Rowls won $500 in cash. A Disneyland package was won by Jean Law and dinner at the Laguna Steakhouse was won by Janie Matla.
Cary Marshall won four Pageant of the Masters tickets, Barbara Price won dinner at the Harbor Grill and Jim Wright won dinner at The Lumberyard. Janene Fretas won dinner at The Whitehouse Restaurant and a $25 gift certificate from Home Depot was won by Michael Sandro.
