Pioneer Families Lay Foundation of Aldeita Court
By Jane Petty Janz, Special to the Independent
The history of 422 North Coast Highway involves several of the families that came to Laguna very...
Podcasters Aim for Mainstream Success
By Suzie Harrison
Ascending a spiral staircase to the North Laguna Beach set, a cheering crowd goes wild for “The Duke Fightmaster Show,” a weekly...
La Casa Del Camino, Laguna’s First ‘Modern Hostelry’
By Anders Lasater, Special to the Independent
Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008, marked the 79th anniversary of the grand opening of the La Casa del Camino....
Inquiry Underway Over Diver’s Death
The county coroner’s office has yet to determine why a 42-year-old man died this past Monday, July 19, at one of Laguna Beach’s most...
Tales of the Watermen: Sun and Surf Take a Toll on Guards and Towers...
By Dale Ghere, Special to the Independent
The pros and cons of permanent lifeguard towers have become a subject of debate in recent months. I...
Still a Pit Stop for Presidential Hopefuls
BY SUZANNE DUNN
Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton stopped briefly last month.
So did one of her Democratic rivals, New Mexico’s governor, Bill Richardson.
Four years ago, so...
Don’t Overlook Arch Beach Heights When Looking for Laguna History
By Suzanne Dunn, Special to the Independent
When my realtor told me three years ago that my $1 million plus home was a great Laguna...
Shining a Spotlight on the Darkest of Subjects
Jessica Destefano, an artist often costumed as a fairy at community events, last month revived a more sober role that she performed for five...
Life in Laguna during ‘the War’
by Regina Hartley, Special to the Independent
The story of Bill Hartley begins in Ontario, Calif., where his father, William Hartley Sr., managed what became...
The Building that Babb Built
By Andy Hedden, Special to the Independent
The Babb Building, venerably situated on the corner of South Coast Highway and Thalia Street, was erected in...
Phoenix Rising: A Brief History of LCAD
By David Randel, Special to the Independent
This account of the school that became the Laguna College of Art & Design, prepared to honor its...
Striving to Keep Alive the Gay Vibe
Perhaps not as storied as New York’s Stonewall Inn, site of a 1969 police raid and uprising that sparked the modern gay rights movement,...
Airplane rides, movie extras and open hillsides
By Jennifer Erickson
Born in 1901, Blanche Smith, nee Clapp, grew up in Fresno where her father bought and restored farmhouses. She first came to...
Tales of The Tell: Part 2
By Mark Chamberlain, Special to the Indy
In the Spring of 1989, my partner Jerry Burchfield and I, with the help of scores of dedicated...