High-Steppin’ Fickling to Lead Parade

Author Gloria Fickling, also known for kicking up her heels on dance floors, will serve as grand marshal of the 2018 Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade, organizers announced last week.

Other honorees include Honored Patriot George Ciampa, Citizen of the Year Heidi Miller, and Junior Citizens Marisa Schatz and Joey Ravenna.

Others to be singled out for recognition in the March event include the Laguna Art Museum, the Laguna Beach Water Polo Foundation and girls Junior Olympics champions.

Tickets are on sale for the Sunday, Feb. 4, honoree brunch beginning at 11:15 a.m. at Tivoli Terrace, 650 Laguna Canyon Rd. Tickets are $30 and reservations should be made by Jan. 22.

Further info: contact Sandi Werthe at 949- 494-6016 or [email protected].

 

 

Christmas Party Benefits Toys for Tots

The Saloon in The Peppertree Lane, 446 S. Coast Highway, will host their 14^th annual Christmas party from 5:30 to 9:30 Monday, Dec. 18, a benefit for the Marine’s Toys for Tots campaign.

The cost of admission is one unwrapped new toy and will be exchanged for a ticket to an opportunity drawing to win gift certificates and other raffle prizes. The most needed gifts are those for teens. The evening will also feature hors d’oeuvres, drink specials and an appearance by Santa Claus himself.

Penguin Patrons Beef Up Pantry

The Penguin Cafe will donate one-third of its receipts Saturday, Dec. 16, to the Laguna Food Pantry. Takeout orders are included and advance pie orders to be picked up on Friday, Dec. 15 will also go towards the donation.

Throughout December, Penguin customers who bring nonperishable food donations to the restaurant at 981 S. Coasat Highway will receive 10 percent off their dining tab.

“We love that the Laguna Food Pantry provides free groceries to anyone who needs them, and we wanted to contribute to that,” said Sabrina McMurray, who with her husband Michael has owned the modest 40-seat café since 2001.

 

Pop-Up Market Opens

The Fullest, an online magazine, will host a pop-up holiday market from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17, at Seven Degrees, 891 Laguna Canyon Rd.

Food, drinks, slippers, clothing and beauty products from 29 brands will be offered, according to Fullest’s founder, Nikki Bostwick.

 

Red Cross Issues its Gift Request

Blood donations tend to decline in December, but demand for blood remains steady.

Donors can make an appointment to give a donation in nearby communities by visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-733-2767.

 

Little League Field Closed

Riddle Field, in Boat Canyon Park in North Laguna, will be closed for annual maintenance and turf renovations until Jan. 29, the city manager’s update says.

Questions: call Alexis Braun, senior recreation supervisor at 949 497-0762.

 

Partnership Takes Aim at Alzheimer’s and Gender

A new initiative led by former California First Lady Maria Shriver in alliance with a UC Irvine research center aims to determine why more women than men develop Alzheimer’s disease.

“This is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and until a treatment is found, the disease is on track to continue to disproportionately affect women, Dr. Joshua Grill, co-director of the UC Irvine institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, says in a statement.

Shriver established the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement to launch women-based research. “Women are at the epicenter of the Alzheimer’s crisis. That’s why we must be at the heart of the solution,” she says in an announcement.

The institute, recognized for work on disorders of the brain, particularly those that are age-related, receives funding from the National Institute on Aging and the California Department of Public Health.

 

 

Invitation to Family Fun

The Laguna Beach Parents Club invites new members to join their many activities for kids and parents in 2018.

Membership is $60 for the year.

Contact Andrea Ballesteros for more information: 949 690-5159.