In the interest of full disclosure, I do not drink coffee. Never got the taste for it, although I love the scent. What I do like is to sit at a comfy café chatting with friends, reading or writing. I enjoy the energy of human connection, the occasional eavesdrop on conversation, and the warmth of [...]
Thirty-three years ago, when my first-born was a newborn, my husband and I, at that time living in New York City, were considering a move to suburban Connecticut. He had accepted a position in Bridgeport, on Long Island Sound, on the northeast corner of Fairfield County, so we mapped a radius of roughly 30 minutes [...]
When I relocated to Laguna Beach nearly seven years ago, the embers of battle between the various factions within the city’s populace and the developers of the Montage resort, were still smoldering. Having not lived through that war, I saw only the outcome: a stunning resort on a gorgeous beach with a lovely park where [...]
I took a stroll through Laguna this past Saturday, merely for the sake of enjoying the balmy day, and the pleasure of watching families together doing the same. A stroll is by definition without purpose and I had no mission, only window shopping, which is always fun in town. I’ve never done the black Friday [...]
This is a message to the many people in Laguna Beach who knew and cared about Danita Crivello and who mourn her passing. In the general culture of grief, only the immediate family – parents, children and grandchildren, spouses and siblings – are sanctioned as mourners. The second tier of friends and colleagues stand behind [...]
Laguna is known for the arts. Fine arts. We also have a lot of good music, compliments of Laguna Beach Live, and fabulous dance, via Laguna Dance Festival. But I’m a wordsmith and I find myself often in search of literary arts that are harder to find. Yes, there are hundreds of book groups. Yes, [...]
I ran into Michael Beanan the other day. Michael is one of the founders of the Laguna Bluebelt Coalition, a force behind the marine life protected area along Laguna’s shoreline, and one of the most animated, compassionate, committed environmentalist I’ve ever met. He reminded me that water represents 70% of our natural world. I checked. [...]
I was away a couple of weeks and returned just after Labor Day to discover that the season had changed even before the autumn equinox. Ah yes, I remember: off-season. Pageant and festival doors are closed and the throngs are gone. Back to school. Back to work. Back to wherever they came from. And the [...]
I attended the “Pageant of the Masters” the other night. The best of the six I’ve seen. And the silence of the vast crowd in the midst of these stunning larger-than-life facsimiles and the soundtrack of a pitch-perfect orchestra once again struck me. Silent they were, but not still. Despite pre-show announcements and staff [...]
Poetry month came and went with typically little fanfare and all but true poetry lovers neglect this ancient literary form. More often we miss the poetry in our midst. After all, every breathtaking blue sky or the morning marine layer hugging the coastline like a low flying cloud, that too is poetry. Poetry is the [...]
In Search of Space I’m thinking of starting a discussion group on the subject of creativity. I attended one at another arts community recently and believe that Laguna has the resources and interest, although finding a location is the challenge. At the onset, we might have only a small crowd. Galleries like DeBilzan and Peter [...]
Classics Meet Modernists I’m visiting a friend in North Carolina where the trees are tall and blindingly green and weekend gardeners scurry like ants to remove the last bits of mulch and signs of winter. Back in Laguna Beach, spring seems a foregone conclusion. Summer is what occupies the minds of most Lagunans as plans [...]
Culture in a Coffee Cup Writing is a solitary act so I often work at a café. I frequent several, taking comfort in the white noise of conversation and the familiarity of alternative living rooms. The café culture, perfected by Europeans and promulgated by Starbucks, is integral to social interaction. We chat with friends [...]
Can We Talk? We are surrounded by art. Galleries line the streets. Laguna Art Museum sits on the hill as if presiding over its flock. Laguna College of Art & Design exhorts budding artists to go forth and make art. Summer festivals attract huge crowds. Arts groups dole out funding and awards and classes [...]
Where Blue Meets Green There are times when going back in time perpetuates the future; perhaps one concept that progressives and conservatives might agree on. Now and then. New Year’s Day, Laguna Beach will become the first city in California to be ringed by blue and green belts. A line only on a [...]
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 [...]
