Members of the Laguna Beach Garden Club joined forces with the Laguna Beach Beautification Council, Laguna Nursery, and the Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association to install a Sister Cities garden in Heisler Park.
The land was designated by the city in March 2009. The sister cities represented in the garden are Menton, France; San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; and St. Ives, England. Plants representative of those cities can be found in the new garden.
Laguna Creek or Laguna Ditch?
Local landscape architect Bob Borthwick will present ideas for restoring Laguna Canyon Creek and the entire creek corridor at the next Laguna Canyon Conservancy dinner meeting Monday, Dec. 1, at Tivoli Terrace restaurant on the Festival of Arts grounds.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Dinner tickets are $10 for members, $15 for non-members and may be paid at the door with prior reservations. Those wishing to attend should make reservations by calling Sharon Larimer at (949) 545-7669. Space is limited.
“All over the country, waterways are being restored with native plantings, wildlife enhancements, and water purification technology….often including trails and environmental education opportunities. We in Laguna should be doing no less,” Borthwick said.
Christy Describes Ranch Renovations
Business owner Mark Christy speaks to the Laguna Beach Exchange Club at 12:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Mandarin King Restaurant.
Christy, owner of both Hobie Sports and Tuvalu Home Furnishings on Forest Avenue, is a lifelong Laguna resident. He bought the Aliso Creek Inn from developers in June 2013.
Uncertainty clouds the project due to an appeal to the Coastal Commission, which has not set a hearing for its review.
RSVP to Jim Rue at 494-6684. Early reservations are encouraged.
Lunch and Shopping at the Woman’s Club
Tarnish Treasures, the Woman’s Club holiday luncheon, will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5 at 286 St. Ann’s Drive.
Proceeds will support community programs.
Tickets, $25-$35, can be purchased at: wclb.org using PayPal or by checks made out to The Woman’s Club. For more information call 949-497-1200.
New Members Needed on Development Oversight Panels
The City Council seeks applicants for one seat on the Planning Commission to complete the two-year term of council member elect Rob Zur Schmiede, which ends June 30, 2016. The term for the newly appointed member will begin on Jan. 1.
Members review and advise the council on development and land use.
Applications are due by 5 p.m., Tuesday Dec. 9. The appointment is to be made by the City Council on Dec. 16.
Three members and an alternate are also needed on the Board of Adjustment/Design Review Board.
Interviews and appointments will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 6 by the City Council. Applications are due by Tuesday, Dec. 30. The board acts on 15 items per meeting and board members are expected to visit the sites and review the plans prior to the bi-monthly meetings.
Applications for both are available from the city clerk or at the city’s web site, www.lagunabeachcity.net.
Public Invited to Historic Resources Inventory Update
The third public meeting of the city’s Heritage Committee and the historic consultant is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday Dec. 8, in the City Council Chambers at 505 Forest Avenue.
The historic consultant will present a recent field survey of the homes identified on the 1982 Historic Resources Inventory. The updated survey results and proposed property ratings will be discussed.
Work Begins on Utility Undergrounding in the Canyon
Southern California Edison will begin the process of undergrounding utilities along Laguna Canyon Road through the Big Bend area in January. The $3 million project is mostly funded by the utility along with $800,000 of city funds.
The first phase of the work will involve construction of underground conduit and vaults, then the underground utilities will be installed and connected to the properties along Laguna Canyon Road and the utility poles and wires will be removed.
However, the high voltage wires and poles that bring power into the substation on Laguna Canyon Road will remain in place.
Work will be suspended in summer and resume next September.
Assistance League Membership Grows
Twelve new members joined the Assistance League, allowing the organization to step up its activities.
Library Holds Book Sale
The Laguna Beach Library will sell books for children and young adults from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the bookshop at 363 Glenneyre St. on Friday, Dec. 5.
The Bookshop, run by Friends of the Library, also accepts books, CDs, movies, magazines and other media for re-sale at fantastic prices Donations are tax-deductible.
All proceeds from the book sale are used to fund the Children’s Library Literacy programs.
