Letters to the Editor

Editor, My family and I drove to Urth Caffe in Laguna Beach not because they were offering free coffee and desserts as part of a court settlement stemming from a law suit two years ago involving seven Muslim ladies who were dining at Urth Caffe and were asked to leave after they...

Editor, I’ve been meaning to write to you ever since I saw the street sign article in last Friday’s Indy “Signs Point the Way to Town’s History.” I thought it was a fascinating and beautifully written piece; way more extensive than I thought it would be. Your research into all of...

Editor, While the city is busy with its high priced consultants trying to figure out the best language to place on the November ballot to tax us for undergrounding, and councilmembers are busy meeting with local community groups to advocate for higher taxes, Caltrans, in...

Editor, We are the current owners of the house high up on Pearl Street that “…sadly has suffered the same fate as befell the Festival’s restaurant with no rescue in sight.” Apparently Mr. Gasparotti knows our house but has not seen it lately.  Although it...

Editor, Congratulations on another great Fete (11th). We marveled at the wide variety of people of all ages and ethnicities; the goodwill the city spreads during this event is incalculable! But the city should do a little by giving those musicians who play for free a one-day...

Editor, What is infuriating is this: they were artists sitting at a café that boasted farm to table food, in the heart of the canyon leading to Laguna Beach, and that most of their conversations were about nonconformity, when one of the female artists among them mentioned some...

Editor, I just read the short article “Finding Meaning,” by Skip Hellewell. It’s nice to see spirituality addressed here; something deeper and more hopeful where so much despair wins so much of our attention.   Boad Swanson, Laguna Niguel

Editor, There have been a lot of cheers on the several bills in Sacramento on reducing plastic pollution, among which AB 2379addresses the biggest but least-known problem. It requires clothing made from fabric that is composed of more than 50% synthetic material with a warning in...

Hello council members- In the past many months I have observed the excessive and unnecessary over-ticketing of the parking meters on that part of Aster Street near the Urth Caffe. These tickets involve the two mornings of street sweeping in this particular commercial district...

  In JJ Gasparotti’s June 1 Indy column, he says we owe Mr. Mo a debt of gratitude for his rescuing the restaurant at the FOA. I wonder if JJ suggests we should be grateful for Mr. Mo’s latest tripartite “vision” for Laguna Beach that can be found on the Laguna Creative...

I just read Billy Fried’s most recent contribution entitled The Senior Scam. While I found most of the article’s content relevant, I was completely taken aback and offended by Mr. Fried’s derogatory generalizations about Florida and its residents. First of all, I think it is...

In 1964 a new home development known as Park Avenue Laguna was built by Leslie Homes on Top-of-the-World. The homes were single and two story family homes, some with ocean views and all featured underground utilities, a two-car garage and private driveway. A 3-bedroom 2-bath...

One has to wonder how and why the TCA is so far off its course thinking they can become the planners for regional mobility after using Orange County residents as a piggy bank for the past 20 some years. The TCA was to build for only local area benefit. The TCA has collected...

Editor, Elections matter and whom we choose to elect as our representatives say a lot about who we are. Over the last year I have had the pleasure of getting to know each of the candidates for the 48th Congressional District, which is why I endorsed Dr. Hans Keirstead...

Editor: The city is deliberately misleading the public with the false concept of a one-cent tax. The city of Laguna Beach is asking for a 1% sales tax increase (from 7.75% to 8.75%) Saying one cent is at a minimum deceptive and can be misleading to a large majority of the...

Editor, So far, the debate avoids the primary issue of ultimate responsibility. We read about evacuation and fire hazards and then jump to the question of how much tax should we citizens agree to. But let’s look at a fundamental question. Who owns these wires and poles? If these...

Editor, The City Council voted for a ballot measure to fund undergrounding Edison utility lines without first addressing concerns expressed by a majority of residents. The newly formed resident advocacy group STOP made a factual presentation in opposition. Many speakers raised...

Editor, As we are all aware single use plastic straws are the one of our biggest environmental offenders. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found them to be consistently in the top five discarded items found on our shores. More than 500 million are used and...

Editor, What the city could not accomplish in 50 years, to enliven the village entrance, two businesses achieved within two months. This is the first time I feel that the city shows some art relevance with her newest public art. Meaning, Laguna falls in the realm where visitors...

  Editor, The city’s fear and fire campaign to underground utilities in Laguna Beach was not developed as a means of saving the residents from the next big disaster, but as a money grab to fund the city employee pension shortfall for years to come. Last year CalPERS lowered its...

Editor: The month of June is officially LGBTQ Heritage & Culture Month in Laguna Beach, as proclaimed by former Mayor Toni Iseman and the City Council over a year ago. It is the time of year when our wonderful city celebrates and honors the rich contributions of the gay...

Editor, I saw the article about the “art mural” on what was once Tivoli Too! A very romantic, elegant wedding venue. Looks great for a child’s playhouse or circus but many brides (including myself) are extremely mortified and upset. There are a ton of comments on Facebook...

Editor, Laguna is a close-knit community that supports creativity and art, that believes in protecting our natural resources, and offers unique opportunities that shape the life of its youth, but only because many of us have fought continuously to protect these unique qualities. ...

Editor, Last week I was working on a local whale watch vessel and noticed a shiny, colorful object floating on the ocean. An exotic marine creature? Not. It was a mylar foil balloon that had drifted from someone’s Mother’s Day celebration and made its way to the sea. And then I...

Editor, I wanted to thank you for publishing Skip Hellewell’s columns.  I have been a resident of Laguna Beach for most of my life (40 of my 50 years) and I think it is important to recognize the importance of religion in the lives of many of our residents and to highlight...