Coastal Cleanup Day
The Laguna Beach Police Department, in partnership with the Laguna Ocean Foundation, will be hosting the first annual California Coastal Cleanup Day event at Main Beach near the basketball courts on Saturday, Sept. 21, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Coastal Cleanup Day is an international day of action to protect our oceans, watersheds, and wildlife from trash and debris. Tons of trash gets dumped on our coastal land every year. The garbage includes plastic bottles, plastic bags and packaging, food wrappers and cigarette butts—detracting from the natural beauty of the shore and harming wildlife. California Coastal Cleanup is part of an international campaign focused on keeping trash out of oceans, bays, rivers, and lakes.
To register for this free event, visit Coastkeeper Eventbrite online. Once on the website, click the green register button, and select Main Beach Laguna Beach as the location and enter the number of volunteers, then click register. Buckets, bags, and gloves for trash collection will be provided.
For further information, contact Community Services Officer Natasha Hernandez at 949-497-0382.
Police Department Offering Free Car Seat Inspections
The Laguna Beach Police Department, in partnership with “National Child Safety Passenger Week,” will be offering free car seat inspections to parents and caregivers in front of the police station, Friday, Sept. 20, and Friday, Sept. 27, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include instruction on finding the right car seat for children, as well as instruction on the correct installation of car seats. Interested participants are encouraged to schedule appointments for a free child safety seat inspection. The appointments are in 30-minute increments.
To reserve an appointment, contact Debi Jensen at 949-497-0396 or email her at [email protected].
Audition Call
The City of Laguna Beach is holding auditions for its first annual Adult Variety Talent Show on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Community & Susi Q Center, 380 Third Street. The show is harkening back to the era of magicians, barbershop quartets, harmonica players, tap dancers, mind readers, and illusionists. Auditions are open to amateur performers age 21 and older. The “Really Big Show” will be held on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m.
To register, visit www.lagunabeachcity.net/varietyshowor call 949-464-6645 for more information.
Pet Parade Returns
Laguna’s 23rd annual Pet Parade & Chili Cook-Off will be held from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, at seven 7 seven, 777 Laguna Canyon Road. Adult tickets are $10 and are available at the door. Kids under 16 are free. Pet registration (from 12-1 p.m.) is $10 per category. Proceeds benefit local charities for pets, the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter, and the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.
South Laguna Neighborhood Bus Route Realigned at Mission Hospital
Service to Mission Hospital via 3rd Avenue and Scenic Drive has been re-routed to Coast Highway. The bus stops on Scenic Drive have been eliminated and the bus stop on Coast Highway at 7th Street will now serve Mission Hospital. If you have any questions or concerns, contact Deputy Director of Public Works, Paula Faust, at [email protected] 949-497-0303.
Anita and Calliope Crosswalk Construction on Coast Highway
Construction is underway by Caltrans to install new high visibility crosswalks across Coast Highway at the intersections of Anita and Calliope Streets. The improvements include in-road warning light system and overhead flashing lights, which are activated by pedestrian push buttons at either side of the crosswalk. Work is expected to be completed by the end of December. For questions, contact the Caltrans Resident Engineer Gagandeep Sidhu at 949-279-8466.
SCE ConductingAerial Inspections of Electrical Equipment
Laguna Beach residents may see Southern California Edison aircraft on a regular basis over the next few months inspecting poles and equipment on poles as part of a comprehensive Wildfire Mitigation Plan intended to protect against and mitigate fire ignitions that may be associated with utility infrastructure. The company’s goal is to conduct aerial inspections with little to no disruption to residents. If you have any questions, contact SCE at 800-655-4555. Residents are also encouraged to update their contact information for timely updates by going to SCE.com/PSPS.
Water District Wins Award for Outreach
The California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) announced the 2019 winners of its Award for Excellence during a ceremony in San Diego on Thursday, Aug. 22. South Coast Water District (SCWD) took top honors at the Annual Conference in Public Outreach / Education – Small Agency. This award recognizes the development and implementation of programs that impact or educate a segment of the local community on issues relevant to the industry.
SCWD received the award in recognition of its work over the past two years on outreach regarding the Tunnel Stabilization & Sewer Pipeline Replacement Project (Tunnel Project). The Tunnel Project is a five-year, $100 million project to replace a two-mile, 65-year-old tunnel that currently houses a gravity sewer. The sewer provides wastewater service for the northern portion of Dana Point, homes along the west side of Coast Highway at Three Arch Bay, and in South Laguna. It is buried approximately 50 feet beneath the bluff from Three Arch Bay to Aliso Beach. The tunnel, located 20-30 feet from the edge of the cliffs and underneath multimillion dollar homes, sits right above the Pacific Ocean’s federally protected marine life habitat.
SCWD officials said in a statement that as a result of their communication with stakeholders, specific modifications were made to the Tunnel Project. “The District used an electric crane for the project. It was an added cost of approximately $500,000; however, it cut down considerably on the noise and possible health effects to residents and workers from running a diesel crane. Second, the District installed (at the neighbors’ request), a sliding gate to the site instead of the standard opening outward gate. An electric rail car system was installed within the tunnel. No diesel engines were used at the site. The electrical muck train compartments cut down on the dust emitted when transferring the dirt from the muck buckets to the trucks transporting the materials off-site. [SCWD] also camouflaged the air system to blend in with the environment and prevent it from being an eyesore. While initially costing the District extra time and money, the result of these changes benefited the project as a whole.”
To learn more about the project, visit scwd.org, or visit the project’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SouthLagunaTunnelProject. Board meeting agendas and reports for the tunnel are searchable on the SCWD website under “Meetings and Agendas.”
