Sawdust Art Festival co-founder Dion Wright has much to celebrate in 2016 as the festival’s 50th season is underway and Wright will speak about its history at the Laguna Beach Business Club Thursday, July 21.
Club meetings commence at 7:30 a.m. at Hotel Laguna, 425 S. Coast Highway. Non-members are welcome.
For more info: call 949 455 0300 x218 or email [email protected].
Open Forum Focuses on Schooling
Join Mayor Steve Dicterow, school board incumbent Dee Perry and school board candidate Howard Hills Sunday, July 17, for an open forum about local schooling and strategies for educational success.
The forum will begin at 4 p.m. at the home of Emil and Michèle Monda, 3 Hillhaven Ranch Way, South Laguna.
RSVP to Michèle Monda at either [email protected] or
(949) 715-9215.
Street Closures Scheduled
Construction work on a storm drain along three connecting residential streets — Anita Street, Avalon Avenue and Seaview Street — between Catalina Street and Temple Terrace is to begin Monday, July 18.
Portions of streets will be closed and restricted to local access from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, says the city manager’s weekly report. Detours will be provided and minor traffic impacts can be anticipated.
After Labor Day, the second phase of the project will get underway west of Catalina. More info: contact Tom Sandefur at 949 497-0792.
The Ranch Looks to Fill Out Team
The Ranch at Laguna Beach, the historic hotel in Aliso Canyon that has undergone a major renovation over two years, is hiring and holding a job fair, Thursday, July 21, between 9-11 a.m., and 3-5 p.m., ahead of it’s slated hotel opening, Thursday, Sept. 1.
Jobs available include bellman, shuttle drivers, bartenders, and many more. Applicants are asked to bring their resume to 31106 Coast Highway.
For more info visit: theranchatlagunabeach.atsondemand.com.
Local Republicans Discuss Short Term Lodging
Laguna Beach Republicans plan their monthly meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, at Mozambique restaurant, 1740 S. Coast Highway.
Emil Monda, president of the group, will report on the successful effort to defeat adding a 1% sales-tax increase on the November ballot and continuing controversy over regulating short-term rentals.
“Come join us to stay up to date and get involved,” Monda said in an announcement.
Building Height Limits Under Discussion
Urban design consultant MIG will discuss its evaluation of building heights and plan for the Laguna Beach downtown Wednesday, July 20, during the Planning Commission’s regularly scheduled 6 p.m. meeting in City Hall, 505 Forest Ave.
An urban design-related memo prepared by MIG is available on the City’s project webpage under the MIG Deliverables.
More meetings are expected to review other topics including, parking and land use, as city officials seek public input in reshaping the downtown areas.
For more info: contact planner Wendy Jung at 949 497-0321
Trading Badges for Aprons
Police Department employees and Special Olympics athletes will be volunteering their time Saturday, July 23, to work alongside Ruby’s Diner restaurant staff to help raise money for the Special Olympics.
The Tip-A-Cop fundraiser takes place from noon to 5 p.m. at Ruby’s Diner, 30622 S. Coast Highway, in Laguna Beach.
Club Receives Award for Brain Gain
The Boys & Girls Club received $2,000 from the Rotary Club’s grants committee for its summer brain gain program.
The six-week program aims to keep brains stimulated during summer through discovery, creative expression and collaborative group work. Club staff will serve as mentors.
Clean Beaches Initiative Targets Doheny
Water quality at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point should be improved by a $10 million award announced last week by the State Water Resources Control Board to rebuild its aging sewer infrastructure.
At Doheny, visited by 1 million people annually, repairs will include replacing an aging sewer main and line, rehabilitating a sewer lift station and relining 10,000 linear feet of sewer pipe, says a statement from the state water regulator.
OC Fair Express Starts Service
Riders can board the OC Fair Express for non-stop service on weekends from nine spots around the county and buy $4 round-trip tickets in advance with a mobile app, the Orange County Transportation Authority announced this week.
The fair express begins Friday, July 15 and runs from noon to midnight on Fridays and from 10 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays and Sundays. From south-county locations, the bus will run every 40 minutes from the Irvine Metrolink station; Laguna Hills Transportation Center, 24282 Calle de los Caballeros; and the San Juan Capistrano Junipero Serra Park-and-Ride, at Interstate 5 Freeway and Junipero Serra Road.
Riders will receive a coupon valid for $3 admission to the fair.
For more info: visit www.octa.net/ocfairexpress.
