Letters to the Editor

TCA Should be Abolished, Toll Roads Freed Orange County taxpayers need a break. The TCA is a for-profit agency. But they have yet to be able to do that, even after accepting a bailout of over $1 billion dollars from OC taxpayers. The money we all work hard for should have gone...

The liquor store on South Coast Highway across from Coyote Grill and next to Papa’s Tacos has lovely, friendly new owners. It is now called The Abbey, and you will be greeted by owners Lisa and Troy or James when you enter. Remember when it was Arch Bay Liquor back in the...

I continue to be made aware of community concerns regarding student’s stress levels and social and emotional needs from parents, community leaders, district employees and students. Yet I hear little regarding the calendar start date as the cause. Subjects including marijuana and...

Its’s great that City Council candidates like Judie Mancuso and others are reaching out to knowledgeable locals for sustainable solutions to ocean pollution. As a first step, let’s upcycle Laguna Beach’s 1.67 million gallons per day of wasted wastewater...

At the end of the first City Council candidate forum on Sept. 6, Councilman Rob Zur Schmiede remarked the city of Laguna Beach has already adopted a Complete Streets Policy. Public remarks like this placate a parting audience and spread disinformation; worse, the remark leads...

My husband and I are both graduates of LBHS, and our three children are the third generation to go through the district as my mother-in-law graduated from LBHS. Our family, and our family foundation, has been a supporter of the district over the past decades. Laguna Beach is a...

Preparation for future events is common behavior. The more certain we are of something that will occur, the more rigorous our planning and preparation. We know we have to go to work or get the kids to school or soccer practice or the dinner with friends…the list goes on and on…so...

How many residents of Laguna Beach actually believe that they have been put first? Among other catchy campaign messages, “Residents First” is turning out to be the latest buzz phrase for those vying to serve as one of our city council members in 2018. This “specialness” tagline...

I suppose that it is not too surprising that a coalition of the big downtown Laguna landlords have teamed together to create a special interest PAC called “Liberate Laguna,” or that their little logo seems to be reassuring us that the sun will still rise in the east, even if our...

Editor, The city’s approved Village Entrance plan, which is ready for groundbreaking next week, results in a loss of 110 existing parking spaces at the entry of the Festival of Arts. Why wasn’t the California Coastal Commission and the FOA Board concerned about the city’s planned...

Editor, Spending too much time in traffic jams on Laguna Canyon Road makes you think that there must be a better way to manage the traffic flow to and from Laguna Beach, using Laguna Canyon Road. This is my solution: Build a (four-lane) tunnel connecting Phillips Street (or just...

Editor, Let’s say I offered you a deal. In exchange for $5 million per year for 25 years, I’ll agree to reduce a possible risk to you which occurs less than 2 percent of the time. You would probably say, that’s no deal, that’s a rip off! And you’d be right. Well that is what the...

Editor, I love the Sawdust Festival. This is the second year I have had a season pass for $20. The  wonderful cool breezes, water wheel, water falls, outstanding artists and craftspeople, plus the great music on three stages, tasty food and grog make every visit sensational. The...

Editor, With so many candidates vying for the available seats in November, it is very difficult to scrutinize them all. Recalling the 11th hour revelations that rocked the Council campaigns in both 2014 and 2016, it would be a service to voters and a nod to transparency for each...

Dear Editor, I am writing from England regarding a Laguna Hills High School 2005 class ring, which I believe was found in Laguna Beach at some point in the past. Below is the same text I sent to the principal of Laguna Hills High School, who is now circulating the story through...

  Dear Editor, Thanks, Jim Utt. After reading your latest column, “I’m 70 and I Have to Do What?” I didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. See, I’m turning 70 in two weeks. Guess that means I better start reading the DMV handbook now. My license...

Dear Editor, In response to last week’s school board meeting and calendar proposal, I agree, students’ voices should be considered. I applaud the students and encourage more opportunities for participation, but also for exposure to broader perspectives on issues. As a parent...

Dear Editor, With scorching heat and raging wildfires in the west and torrential downpours and massive flooding in the east, global warming is not just about a gentle sea rise any more. These tragic consequences of dumping greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, call for drastic...

Editor: Here we go again. Will we ever get some relief? Will our city keep asking for tax increases every two years? Will they keep using public safety as the carrot? The utility undergrounding and fire safety measure is disingenuous. It’s got nothing to do with fire danger. It’s...

Editor, “Our lives begin and end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” –Martin Luther King Jr. This is why NFL players taking a knee during the National Anthem is so important. Social change occurs when the haves become a voice for the have-nots....

Dear Editor, With scorching heat and raging wildfires in the west and torrential downpours and massive flooding in the east, global warming is not just about a gentle sea rise any more. These tragic consequences of dumping greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, call for drastic...

Editor: Here’s one more reason to oppose the city’s proposed 12.9 percent sales tax increase in November. Look at the City Council’s approval last week of the $11.1 million Village Entrance, at 30 percent over budget. Council members Rob Zur Schmiede and Toni Iseman, both up for...

Editor: Many of you probably received the newsletter from Congressman Dana Rohrabacher in the mail in the last week or so. I was completely flabbergasted when I saw a section highlighting Dana’s work in “defending the planet,” mainly because Mr. Rohrabacher is not known to be a...

Editor: I would like to report that the recently finished Agate Street stairs already has a broken railing. One of the most important pieces of railing—the last piece to the ocean where you can pull yourself up on the stairs if the sand is low—is already broken and missing. Also,...

Dear Editor, This is a commentary from a 56-year Laguna resident about the city’s plan to spend taxpayer money on the beautification of the current roundabout located at the Catalina/Los Robles/Camino Del Mar intersection. As a member of the city’s now-defunct...