Laguna resident and photographer Allan Schoenherr

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 Orange County.”  This reader friendly text by a longtime Laguna Beach ecologist is a classic that is a “must” for anyone interested in the outdoors and the ecology of the region.

Intertidal Region”) completes the ecological transect by treating County sandy beach, rocky headland, and estuarine settings.   Clear illustrations show the diversity of bird beak lengths and shapes, foot design and color – greatly enhancing the reader’s ability to rapidly make bird identifications in estuarine and beach habitats.   The zonation within salt marshes and rocky shore communities is easily understood from attractive diagrams and good pictures.

The reference section includes 42 citations, forming a very good base from which to select additional readings or books relevant to county open space areas.  The four-page index and two-page list of illustrations are complete and make it easy to locate species accounts, habitats, or images of them.  Clear and well-chosen photographs are an unforgettable hallmark of this book. From a lovely picture of the UC Natural Reserve System’s San Joaquin Freshwater Marsh Reserve to facing full-page illustrations of sites with coastal sage draped on the county’s attractive foothills, the book is gem.  No one knows Orange County open spaces better than Allan Schoenherr, and he has again communicated his knowledge in a fabulous way!

I most strongly recommend this book for use by anyone interested in the county’s out-of-doors from naturalists to hikers and cyclists.  The book is very suitable for classroom use directed toward high school and college clienteles.  Although I have a copy, I’m buying several more to give to friends. “Wild and Beautiful” is a jewel, and is available at a modest price.  The non-profit publisher, Laguna Wilderness Press, describes the book as follows: “Explore the paths and trails of Southern California’s wildlife in reading Wild and Beautiful: A Natural History of the Open Spaces in Orange County, by Dr. Allan A. Schoenherr. Provided in this book is an abundance of illuminating information about what can be glimpsed from the creatures, plants, habitats, and landscapes that constitute the open spaces in Orange County. This book highlights an impressive array of information and photographs that creates a resource valuable to both the reader in the comfort of their home and the hiker ascending up the trail. You will be hard-pressed to find another book that is such a wonderful blend of incredible photography and informative material.”

Allan A. Schoenherr.  2011.  Laguna Wilderness Press.  Laguna Beach, California. $24.95

Peter A. Bowler is a senior lecturer in UC Irvine’s ecology and evolutionary biology department.

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 rocky outcroppings with other species of birds.  Almost solid black and slender with a distinctive prehistoric look, the Brandt’s cormorant is a fairly large bird reaching almost 36 inches in length.  Although certain individual birds have been known to live 18 years, the average lifespan is six years. Nesting in colonies on cliffs and offshore rocks, both sexes incubate the eggs and care for the young.

In Laguna, Brandt’s cormorants can often be seen flying low over the water, singly or in groups, with their distinctive lengthy neck, head and slender hooked bill fully extended in a straight line out from the body. Their carnivorous diet consists of a variety of fish but also includes some shrimp, crab and squid. When feeding, they can dive from up to 150 feet high to catch small fish near the surface, or swim to the sea floor at a depth up to 40 feet using their webbed feet for propulsion. Having little water-proofing oil on their feathers, Brandt’s cormorants float characteristically low in the water with only their head and neck showing. After feeding, they tend to seek high perches and spread their wings, which are thought to aid digestion and dry their feathers.

Climatic events like El Niño and La Niña, pollution, commercial fishing and human disturbance at its breeding grounds are the biggest threat to the species. Brandt’s cormorants can often be viewed on Seal Rock at Crescent Bay and at Bird Rock below Heisler Park or flying near the ocean surface in their distinctive low-slung style.  But view them from a distance; climbing on Seal Rock is prohibited and the Marine Safety Department often keep people off all the rocks for safety reasons.  In addition, Laguna was designated a bird sanctuary in 1978  and harassing birds is prohibited by law.

Residents Mia Davidson and Jan Sattler are year-round ocean swimmers and board members of Laguna Ocean Foundation, advocates for preserving the marine environment.  For more info: go to www.lagunaoceanfoundation.org

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 President Richard Nixon at the Western White House in San Clemente. Hellieson came to Laguna Beach in 1958 and had many friends over the years. He and his wife Dee Dee went to his birthplace, Holland, on their honeymoon and shared many good times together.

Henri and Dee Dee had a dear family. Dee Dee’s daughter Jadee and her husband Phill and two lovely grandchildren, Jason and Sarah.

One of Hellieson’s his favorite sayings was “you can tell a Dutchman, but you can’t tell him much”.

He will be missed.

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 skipping class.  A wrong answer will mean detention and having to write on the chalkboard 200 times the phrase, “Pet Peeves is a gas and makes me high with delight.”

An informed Indy columnist, who obviously went to all her chemistry classes, wrote that the CO2 levels or carbon dioxide is rising at an alarming rate. The CO2 levels surpassed 400 parts per million at the recording station on Mauna Loa, Hawaii.  I called Mauna Loa to confirm this finding but didn’t get an answer.  This is double reason for concern.  First, there must not be much to do in Mauna Loa, if one cannot find anything to do but measure CO2 levels.  Scientists are known worldwide to be the last group to invite over to a party because they aren’t wired for cocktail banter. “CO2 is up.”  “Heard that.” Second reason for concern, is that scientists who are not party animals and don’t talk much, have all the time in the world to eat all the little cocktail weenies.  Get pushy at the hors d’oeuvres table.  Remember scientists are just older high school nerds. You can take them.

The last time CO2 was this high in the atmosphere was during the Pleistocene era and was first reported by Larry King and his first wife for C news, which over the years morphed into CNN and eight wives.  Larry was asked what he remembered from the Pleistocene era and he said, “I felt a bit groggy, but remember being head over heels for a lass named Wilma, but she fell hard for my friend Fred Flintstone.”  When Larry heard that Fred was just a cartoon, he got animated and said, “Tell that to Wilma. Or check it out with my source, Popeye.  He’s am what he’s am.”

The Pleistocene era was 3 million years ago.  Things were different then.  February had 31 days and April, June, and November had none.  Every month was heralded as “Dinosaur Month.”  The favorite expression was, “You’re going to become a dinosaur.”  A phrase, that’s made it through the ages, and still resonates with Blackberry employees. According to Fritz Coleman, the first Channel Four Weatherman of any and all eras, husbands and wives were restricted to their caves because of inclement weather.  Husband: “Honey, I can’t go out today and hunt.  The weather is too bad.”  Wife: “If there’s no bacon, then there’s no makin’.  Out.  I want a divorce.  I get the cave and a lifetime of alimony.  A woman’s got to gather.”

Most alarming as witnessed by Coleman, was that the sea level was 33’ to 66’ higher.  That means that most of downtown Laguna was under water.  The environmental impact on parking spaces would be devastating.  Imagine not being able to park your submersible and support our local merchants.  So, I believe it’s time that I take the initiative.  We must recognize the harmful effects of too much CO2.

From now to eternity, I declare every day to be “Hold Your Breath Day.”  Join me Lagunans in an initiative to breath in and not out.  It’s important to go green.  Save the planet.

Mark is a transplant to Laguna from Chicago.  He occasionally writes the guest column “Pet Peeves.”  His recently deceased border collie, Pokey, is his muse and ghostwriter.

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

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 view as far as three and a third football fields away.

As I stood in South Laguna today half way up the hill, I could have demanded 36 trees chopped to the eight-foot limit. One application fee and one mediator picked by the city, and I could go after all the trees from my friend’s deck to the ocean under this new law. I would pay nothing and anyone not complying could have a lien put on their house to pay the bill.

This law is favoring a blue view over a green one.  It favors up hill houses over downhill.

Old growth trees have roots that protect us during rain storms, preserving ground water. This is important in a hillside community where mudslides have destroyed property. Trees create better air for us to breathe. They create shade so energy is not needed to run air conditioning. They create a sense of peace.

We are about to become Cameo Shores, denuded in a Stepford controlled tree environment so that people on the hill can sit in their home and look at a blue ocean they can’t hear or smell or feel. A 20 minute walk gets anyone in Laguna to the sand with a completely unobstructed view.

Under the new law the city will tell me what kind of tree I’m allowed to plant in my own yard. They will tell me who can cut it.  And how often it must be cut.  Any up hill neighbor with a gripe over three football fields away can activate that process.

Picture that distance. No tree is safe. You say we won’t be that unreasonable. I say, “but the law will demand that the city enforce it.”

Maybe you have a tree 10 feet away you would like trimmed in your neighbor’s yard.  The current law makes you pay half the price of the trimming. It lets a team of design review board members look at the property and weigh the tree advantages and a shared view of trees and ocean. It is enough.

If you care, it is time to get involved. E-mail Bob Whalen, one of our newest city council members, simply say, “Save Our Trees. Stop this ordinance.”  bobwhalen1@gmail.com

Let the 100 highly organized anti-tree group know we hope they move to Newport or Huntington where trees aren’t there to offend them.

Marni Magda, Laguna Beach

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 vegetation must be managed to avoid wrongfully allowing it to block a neighbor’s views. We oppose limiting by any qualifier a property owner’s right to access remedies under the view ordinance process.

Following are our objectives for a fair, enforceable and effective ordinance:

Views take precedence over vegetation. The ordinance as envisioned by Mayor Boyd is to give property owners the right to a view, which takes precedence over the right to grow vegetation. Trees are wonderful aesthetically, for shade, privacy and bird habitat, but once the vegetation grows above the roofline of a property, that vegetation is deemed secondary to impacted views.

The ordinance must be enforceable and designed to survive legal challenges.

The ordinance should be available to all property owners. The date an applicant purchased their property should not be barrier to the view restoration process. It penalizes property owners who had no prior enforceable ordinance to rely on. Restoration shall have no date baseline or statute of limitations. Restricting any property owner relief through the ordinance is discriminatory and unfair.

Factors for determining “Significant View Obstruction” should be un-weighted.  The ordinance should not attempt to rank or weight factors setting “significance” of the obstruction since these are highly site specific.

View area should include all view-obstructed areas. The ordinance should entitle relief from view obstruction in all viewing areas, not simply a “primary view area”. Different viewing areas from a property may require multiple restorative actions.

Views include ocean, coastline, islands, canyons, hillsides and mountains, city lights and various natural and manmade landmarks – all of these, near and far, are worthy of protection.

Distance from view obstruction is irrelevant. If a view is being obstructed, the ordinance should be available to all property owners and not limited by an arbitrary distance.

The vegetation owner should pay for compliance. If a property owner is unable to privately negotiate or mediate a solution with the vegetation owner, the property owner should only pay a reasonable and affordable one-time application and inspection fee.            If the view permit is issued, the vegetation owner should pay all costs of compliance, including a refund of the applicant’s fees.

Heritage Trees do not take precedence over view rights. Registration of a tree as a Heritage Tree should not provide a means of circumventing the view ordinance.

City-owned or maintained trees should also be subject to the same view ordinance rules and procedures.

Under the ordinance, views from commercial properties and vacant lots shall be given the same access to a restoration process as views from residential properties.

We urge the View Equity Committee to revise the draft ordinance to include these features.

Steve Caporaso, Jeff Thornton, Doug Cortez, Wayne Phelps, Marianne Blume, Greg Gilroy

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 Equity Committee meetings and I wish to stress the importance of keeping our large trees, whether they be downtown or in our neighborhoods.  Lacing and trimming is more appropriate than chopping down our mature trees as we were witness to in the downtown area two weeks ago.

The trees we live among are much more than beautiful. They do serious work and provide many benefits. The larger the tree, the more it helps to settle out, trap and hold particulate pollutants (car fumes, dust, ash, pollen and smoke) that can damage human lungs. These trees absorb CO₂ and other dangerous gases and, in turn, replenish the atmosphere with oxygen.  Think of our summer traffic!

We are fortunate; our good neighbors lace their trees every two years.  The birds that live in these trees, the rustle of their leaves, the subtle stirring of the wind and the tree movement indicating the fog is lifting, all bring life to our home. We love the definition and summer shade these trees give us as we look through them to the ocean. The Greenbelt and the Bluebelt surrounds us.  This is Laguna.

Laurence P. Nokes is chairman of the View Equity Committee. It is very important for us to weigh in on this issue so please let Larry Nokes know you are in support of views with trees. He can be reached at 949-376-3500 or email him at www.nokesquinn.com.

Charlotte and Alex Masarik, Laguna Beach

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 more trees in downtown Los Angeles and the founder of Los Angeles Beautiful. However, her influence reached throughout southern California. Her husband’s family had been in the diary business, and this history is interesting in itself and may be accessed on the Internet.

The trees were having a hard time surviving the smog of downtown Los Angeles during the ‘50s and most all broad leaf evergreen trees suffered.  The only survivor was the ficus due to its leathery leaf and extensive and invasive root growth. The options were limited but Mrs. Knudsen pushed the ficus for all downtown communities without consideration of the damage it could inflict.

Those making decisions in Laguna Beach at the time accepted the ficus as a good selection for the downtown area without knowing of the damage it would cause. This was due to uninformed staff and the belief in Mrs. Knudsen.

By this time the issue of smog was of less of a concern, however, in Laguna Beach it was never as much a problem due to the onshore and offshore winds.

It should never have been planted. One should look at the Point Loma Association in the San Diego area and learn from this organization that has pioneered community beautification for decades.

While Mrs. Knudsen did much good, this tree should not have been on her list of recommendations for planting in downtown environments.

Alberto F. Trevino, Laguna Beach

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  a  new  city  committee,  the  View  Ordinance  Committee,  that  seems  hell-bent  on giving  any  homeowner  the  “right”  to  an  unobstructed  ocean  view  as  they  define  it,  jeopardizing trees  throughout  the  city  on  private  property  or  public  (think  Heisler  Park)  even going  back  to before  the  current  owner  bought  the  property  and  extending  as  far  as  their  eye  can see.

This committee  is  being  bird-dogged  by  a  self-made  “view  preservation”  group. They have their advocates on the appointed city committee. Chris Toy, for one, insists, “It is undeniable that there is a hierarchy of view over trees. If you put  more  restrictions  in  the  ordinance  (about  saving  vegetation)  you  take  away the power  of  the  city  to  restore  views.”  When did  the  city  get  into  the  business  of  “restoring  views”?

There’s a  reason  no  other  coastal  city  in  Orange  County,  including  Newport  Beach,  offers residents  such  “view  protection”  and  that  is  lawsuits.  This  committee  had  to  go  all the way  to Rancho  Palos  Verdes  to  find  another  community  with  a  View  Protection  Ordinance,  and  even that  doesn’t  seem  to  provide  enough  “protection”  to  these  committee  members since  it  limits jurisdiction  to  1,000  feet  of  the  residence.  Many want there to be no limit at all.  And no date in the past that constitutes the “view” that was “lost”.

When  did  we  decide  that  an  individual homeowner  had  a  guaranteed  “right”  to  an  unobstructed  view? And since when are important city committee members handpicked by the mayor without having to go through any application process or produce any qualifications other than their antipathy for trees?

Anyone who speaks on behalf of the value of trees is openly mocked or ridiculed. This is a real failing of committee chair Larry Nokes. If people cannot express an opinion at a public meeting without intimidation or harassment, it’s no wonder the committee is only hearing from one side of the issue. The entire make-up and mandate of this committee is suspect.

The City Council, not just the mayor, needs to look closely at the makeup and presumed purpose of this important city committee before it’s foregone conclusions become the law.

Anne Cox, Laguna Beach

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 a couple of council members to take a difficult discussion head on. Thank you Steve and Kelly – great job. I hope that your fellow council members will follow your example with the same level of courage on other city issues.

Thanks to our neighbors for showing up. We should all get together more often.

Good job to the kids who spoke up. You all made a “brave choice” to speak in front of sometimes hostile crowd of adults.

To those adults who were rude to the kids, shame on you.  You know who you are.

To the kids, the best thing you can do to promote a skateboard park in Laguna is to be excellent “ambassadors” of your sport. By the way, stop signs mean stop for skateboarders as well as cars. The double yellow line also means you stay on the right side of the street just like those of us driving cars. Those of you who blow through the stop sign at Balboa and Nyes know who you are.

To the skateboard moms who drive the “chase car” down Nyes following your kids, you are not helping your children get a skateboard park by your irresponsible actions.

By the way, a skateboard park in Laguna is a great idea, just not in Moulton Meadows park. Wrong location for a lot of reasons. Steve – Big Bend is still a great option. I’ve watched in the last couple of weeks the city waste a great deal of money we don’t have install “native” landscaping there. A skateboard park is a much better use of this property. Another option is to locate it at the dog park. What could be better than dogs and kids? We just don’t need such a large area for dogs to poop and pee (I’m a cat person, where is our cat park anyway?).

Jim Van Dalfsen, Laguna Beach

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 and its organizers as well as the local businesses and residents who gave so generously to make the evening wildly successful.

Then this past Friday and Saturday, Evonne Kane and her remarkable team of volunteers produced the biggest and best Boutique Benefit in its seven-year history.  We feel deeply fortunate to have been one of the non-profits Evonne has chosen to support over the years. So many low-income people in our community have benefited from her kindness and dedication.

Finally, on Sunday afternoon, the United Methodist Church hosted the most beautiful concert on our behalf, featuring Sodalis, the church’s own piano quartet, as well as other talented young and young-at-heart members of the congregation. The overflow audience enjoyed passionate, humorous, spirited and spiritual performances.  To Doug and Cindy Williams, John Feeney, the incredible artists and the entire congregation, our heartfelt thanks.

All of us at the Laguna Food Pantry feel so fortunate to be members of a community with such open hearts.

Andy Siegenfeld, Laguna Beach

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, a bench in the master bath was covered in a real zebra skin and two chairs by the fireplace were upholstered in leather from another “wild” animal.

I was aghast, as were many other people who have attended this event that such materials were used.  This only emphasizes the lack of sensitivity and the lack of awareness about the senseless killing of animals just so that someone can flaunt their wealth or satisfy a whim or emphasize master of the house syndrome. Daily there are articles about how wild animals are disappearing, whether due to diminishing habitat or purposeful killing. Good examples of this are elephants for their tusks, rhinoceroses for their supposed medicinal properties and, well, you the reader can cite more. Ironically just last week an article pointed out how some Chinese were altering the physical appearances of fox, mink, rat and other flesh to make it look like lamb and selling to their own people.

I don’t understand this need to kill for such trivial purposes. The bobcat, native to Joshua Tree, are being caught in traps legally; their pelts were fetching $50 now they have skyrocketed to over $700 a pelt and are being sent overseas. Efforts to stop this has been tabled. These are extraordinary animals, as are all those that are being hunted worldwide. When will this madness end?

Ganka Brown, Laguna Beach

The Woman’s Club selected Peggy Thomas for its woman of the year award.

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 the Year for her generous and kind spirit coupled with a focused intellect that has brought a multitude of benefits to the community.

Thomas said she was “totally shocked” when she heard the news.

But to those who know her, the naming of Thomas as Woman of the Year is reason to celebrate.

“I think people like Peggie deserve more credit than we give them,” said Carol Reynolds, co-founder of the Laguna Community Concert Band and WOY in 2010. “When I heard I wanted to scream and cry. Peggie does everything quietly with dignity and it all gets done. And she always supports others. She is nice through and through.”

While Thomas and her husband, John, have no children, Thomas’ career, both as an educational researcher, and in the classroom, has made a substantial impact on countless students.

In 1999 Thomas, along with Diane Krasner and Pat Jamieson, came up with an idea for an afterschool-tutoring program, The Learning Club, TLC. It was and continues to be one of the school’s most successful programs, said Joanne Culverhouse, the high school principal who started in the district at El Morro Elementary.

By wisely matching adult mentors with recommended students – for the

entire school year – kids not only get academic help, but the carefully constructed program also often gives students a much needed adult role model.

“The kids would see their person and they would just light up, jump into their arms,” Culverhouse recalled. The mentors, she said, were “not just teaching a student to read, but giving them a sense of self worth.”

It’s Thomas’ “quiet leadership, organizational skills and attention to detail,” Culverhouse said, that makes the program work and made her, as principal, “just want to please Peggie, knock down the hurdles and clear the path for her.”

Born in Detroit, Mich., to a dentist and a stay at home mother, Thomas contracted polio when she was 10 years old, missing the massive distribution of the Salk vaccine by just two years. The crippling disease is in Thomas’ distant past, but polio left its mark, said friend Barbara Antonacci. “She used something that could have been a detriment to her and turned it a positive.”

In the late 1960s when Thomas was attending the University of Michigan, she found her passion and her soul mate. While working at the school’s Institute for Social Research, exploring how busing designed to desegregate school districts and low income housing effected students’ school performance, “I got the research bug,” Thomas said. She went on to get a master’s degree in the social psychology of education. She also met John, her first serious boyfriend. The pair will celebrate their 45^th anniversary this summer.

In 1972 John’s work in real estate development catapulted the couple to southern California where Thomas landed her dream job at the Rand Corporation. As a researcher at the Santa Monica think tank, Thomas designed and directed policy research in education, social programs and energy, while earning a Ph.D. in public policy analysis.

During her 18 years at Rand, Thomas examined social concerns facing educators, such as anti-smoking campaigns aimed at teens and the financial impact of federal law requiring school districts to mainstream special needs students.

“It was the best job I could ever have hoped for,” Thomas said.

The couple lived in Pacific Palisades but John’s work too often found him driving south.

While John says he could have lived in the drafty 1920s beach cottage overlooking south Laguna’s Secret Cove, he succumbed to his wife’s nudging and eight years ago the old house was remodeled into an elegant, oceanfront contemporary.

Since moving to Laguna in 1989, Thomas’ focus has been volunteering. “I feel like I should give back to the community. I just think that’s something you should do with your life.”

As an adult literacy tutor in the Orange County Library program, Thomas said she gained an appreciation for the struggles and strategies of non-literate adults. As a board member for ARK, a nonprofit organization that provides services for foster families caring for abused children, Thomas raised thousands of dollars in grant monies.

For more than a decade, as part of the America Association of University Women’s Help-A-Child project, she volunteered in local classrooms. Thomas was part of the AAUW group that supported Tech Trek, which tries to instill enthusiasm for math and science by sending seventh- grade girls to summer science camps.

“Education is basically my love,” Thomas said.

Along with continuing to shepherd El Morro’s TLC program, Thomas has held numerous board posts in both AAUW and the Woman’s Club.

“She doesn’t do it for attention, but for intention, a bigger purpose,” said Susan McNeal Velasquez, a personal development trainer, columnist and author. “She is very high minded and she makes people comfortable. She is a high-level relationship person. Peggie is like a warm hug.”

A luncheon honoring Peggie Thomas will be held at the Woman’s Club on Friday, June 14, from 11:30-1:30. Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non- members. Checks should be sent to the Woman’s Club, 286 St. Ann’s Drive, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 by June 10. For further information, call 949.494.8821.

Laguna resident Robin Pierson writes about local initiatives.