Editor,
A keen irony did not escape notice as to reporter Jennifer Erickson’s tandem pieces on today’s intersection of the arts and government in Laguna Beach.
So, City Council opted to recruit a design firm to create plans for an inviting, landscaped pathway between F.O.A. and City Hall without noting scale, scope or budget? (“Design for Entrance Park Moves Ahead,” Feb. 7 edition) Interesting. More to come later.
The parallel piece dealt with Laguna’s own artisan – Create/Live/Work Project located in the Canyon and now stalled or worst, tabled indefinitely due general plan and Coastal Commission considerations (Artists’ Work/Live Project Stalled Again,” Feb. 7). Curious. More to come later.
Given Laguna Beach’s historic, vested interest in the arts, perhaps a public dialogue/debate two decades ago as to how the community and local government should proactively collaborate when addressing its artists in general. A mild agreement then could have set proper boundaries and useful options while in turn help these two current events along today.
To offer some candor here, the upshot of these conflicting stories relative to the arts and local government decisions or non-decisions is a blatant mixed message.
Nice catch Laguna Beach Independent. Your latest edition was an eye opening, informative read. Stay true to your masthead and do keep up the good work.
Duff Owens Wilmoth, San Juan Capistrano
