Roux Creole Cuisine is hosting a fundraiser on Monday, Nov. 19 with the aim of funding the creation of the long-awaited life-size statue of Skipper Carrillo, Laguna baseball icon who is credited with coining the phrase, “Have a home run day.”

On Wednesday, Nov. 14, SchoolPower, the education foundation that supports Laguna Beach public schools, raised over $50,000 with the help of a special $20,000 matching contribution offered by Kari Nelson Ovens in dedication to her late husband, Kenny

The Cleo Last week’s Planning Commission meeting was a humdinger to a packed house. Well, it started out as a humdinger and slowly descended into the depths of tedium. The concept review of converting the closed dump formerly known as the Holiday Inn into a silk purse of a new...

Family Businesses Among the things that make Laguna unique are our family businesses. We’re not a town of corporate cookie-cutter storefronts; in Laguna, it’s about family ventures. It’s true we have Taco Bell and Jack’s, but those came in a...

Not So Random Thoughts This column is random-but-connected thoughts, beginning with: THE NATIONAL ELECTIONS We’re back to a two-party system. This means the Democrats will investigate all kinds of things, and Trump will have enemies other than...

Harley Rouda’s lead over Dana Rohrabacher in the 48th Congressional District election has grown in the week since the Associated Press projected the Laguna Beach businessman would be the first Democrat to take the seat that’s been solidly...

Local eye surgeon John Hovanesian of Harvard Eye Associates has received the nationally recognized Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America. “The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award is a truly prestigious...

Local nonprofit Tony’s Treehouseis conducting a food drive to benefit the Laguna Food Pantry in support of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness month. The group has already dropped off five boxes of canned foods, rice, oatmeal, pancake mix and...

Let Down The midterms are over. I feel let down. The donkeys won the House. The elephants won the Senate. The game ended in a tie. Nobody beat the spread and will continue to pay the vig to live in a house divided. Abraham Lincoln once said, “A house divided cannot stand.” I disagree. “A house...

Donald Ingwerson, a nationally noted education reformer who headed several big-city school districts including the 1.5-million-student Los Angeles County schools, died Nov. 4 at home in Laguna Beach. A depression-era Kansas farm boy who never thought about college until his high school baseball...

TheSawdust Festival Winter Fantasyfeatures 175 artists and makers, three stages of live music and entertainment, thousands of lights and decorations, glassblowing and art demos, art classes including hands-on pottery wheel, falling snow, photo-ops with Santa, outdoor eateries and saloon...

Neighborhood Church in Laguna Beach invites the public to create a hands-on, mosaic wall mural. Activity dates are Nov. 16-18 and 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Beginners aged 17 to adult are...

In view of the devastating loss of homes most recently, perhaps we should take a look at building homes other than the “stick” houses—that is, homes with framing made of pine 2×4’s. These...

I want to thank the Laguna Beach Fire Department, and especially Ray Lardie—he has removed an incredible amount of dry vegetation not only in public areas, but he has diligently worked with many...

The Woolsey Fire has displaced a reported 250,000 Southern Californians in the last few days. I wonder where these people will be on Thanksgiving? Clearly, many will not be in their homes....

In the aftermath of 2018’s general election, two transcendent local political realities remain. Toni Iseman, targeted for political elimination, was re-elected by a larger majority than her...

The recent devastating fires in LA/Ventura and Northern California should be a less-than-gentle reminder that residents of disaster-prone areas (like Laguna Beach and many others in California)...