Laguna Beach Local News

Orange County Power Authority Invites Laguna Beach to Join "Now is an ideal time for Laguna Beach to join OCPA , whether independently or alongside several other cities considering membership. OCPA has proven its financial stability and successfully procures renewable energy for its ratepayers while offering cost-effective options. By partnering...

I appreciate the thoughtful work Neighborhood Congregational Church and Related California have done to put forward a reasonable plan for much-needed affordable housing that also respects the character of the surrounding neighborhood. Laguna Beach needs to do its fair share. I see that a community plaza and the new...

What I left out of my Laguna Canyon "Cross" Roads column in last week's paper was a discussion of the Protect and Connect Survey completed in June 2024. The survey was two-fold: an online questionnaire and what was described as outreach to various "pop-up groups" throughout the city. A total of...

By Nick Wyman Those of us fortunate enough to raise children in our idyllic beach town are especially grateful, knowing how rare the opportunity is. Laguna Beach holds a special charm that preserves a childhood sense of carefree wonder—something we all wish we could give our kids forever. Beyond the...

The Freedom to Choose I may have a brilliant new seminar idea. It will eliminate the tedious requirement of having to commit to self-honesty and the quest to progress through personal integrity. I will call it "Mediocrity Inc." A seminar experience to teach the art of underachieving. I can picture it now....

Myths and mendacity A few new local myths are being floated by the usual suspects. The logic and purported facts behind the myths are so absurd they are embarrassing. Let’s examine some, but let’s start with one number: six million. That is the supposed number of annual tourists descending upon Laguna...

By Jim Kelly, LBUSD board member  As our community navigates the upcoming school board elections, it’s crucial to look beyond the noise of criticism and consider the broader picture of our school district's success and ongoing improvement. Laguna Beach Unified School District represents a complex system of educators, librarians, counselors,...

Things That Aren’t Here Anymore By Hunter Fuentes and Jon Stordahl In 1995, PBS Los Angeles aired a three-part documentary called “Things That Aren’t Here Anymore,” hosted by Ralph Story. He had been a familiar presence on LA radio and TV for decades. Using film footage and interviews, he took a...

By Gene Felder Let’s examine the claims that Chris Quilter made in his Oct. 4 Indy column titled, “Bye George?” starting with information from this paper. The Laguna Beach Independent published a Dec. 11, 2021 letter to the editor, “Mayor Bob Whalen Has Learned Nothing from Brown Act Violation." In the letter, Orange...