The Laguna Beach Patriot’s Day Parade whose theme this year is Everyday Heroes will step off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 7 from Park Avenue at the high school and proceed down Glenneyre Street. It will then turn right at the public library and right again onto Forest Avenue, ending on Forest Avenue near city hall. The parade is staged on the high school football field, Legion Street, Park Avenue and the LBUSD parking lot. Some street closures can be expected in those areas.
This year’s Grand Marshal is Barbara Diamond, the Honored Patriot is Arnold Silverman, the Citizen of the Year is Sande St. John; Roxanna Ward is Artist of the Year, Jade Howson is Athlete of the Year and Laila Cruz and Nathan Solomon are the Junior Citizens of the Year. The essay contest winner is seventh grader Lili Bazargan and Diego Lapayese-Caleron LBHS class of 2021 won the design contest for the cover of the parade program. The parade features a hundred marching units including civic and veterans’ organizations, school bands, floats, vintage automobiles and novelty groups.
Bluebelt Photo Contest is Back
Amateur and professional photographers are invited to submit their work to the ninth annual Laguna Bluebelt photo contest. Entries can feature beach scenes, wave action, water sports and underwater mysteries. Judges for the contest include Tom Lamb, Patsee Ober, Mitch Ridder and Cliff Wasserman. They will select winners from professional and amateur categories followed by an on-line public vote of the “Best of the Rest”. To enter, visit: www.contest.lagunabluebelt.org and upload photos of Laguna’s marine protected areas through March 31.
“The contest captures the health of the ocean which is instrumental to a healthy ecocomy” contest organizer Jinger Wallace said.
Local Attorney Recognized for Work in Class Action Suit
Laguna Beach resident James Azadian was recognized by the Daily Journal, a legal trade publication, for his role in one of the top five appellate reversals in California in 2019.
Azadian led the appellate team representing Kia Motors in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in a nationwide class action involving fuel economy. The court’s decision in favor of Azadian’s client clarified the standards for nationwide class actions and the requirements imposed on trial courts when accepting a nationwide class action settlement.
Azadian serves as a board member for the Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach, president of the Laguna Beach High School PTA, and is parliamentarian of the Thurston Middle School PTA.
He was named a “Leader in the Law” by the Los Angeles Business Journal in 2019 and a Top 40 Under 40 Attorneys in California by the Daily Journal. Azadian was awarded the Chief Justice John Marshall Medal by the Supreme Court Historical Society for his excellence in appellate advocacy and his commitment to pro bono representation and the advancement of civic learning among youth. The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit recently honored Azadian with its Distinguished Service and Leadership Award.
Azadian earned a juris doctorate from the Pepperdine University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has also served as an adjunct professor at Pepperdine University School of Law, UCLA, Northwestern University School of Law, and USC.
Community Development Open House
Marc Wiener, director of community development invites architects, builders, contractors and the public to an open house from noon to 1 p.m. or from 4:30- 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11 at City Hall, 505 Forest Ave. The meeting is designed as a listening session to learn about the development process in Laguna Beach. For more information contact Marc Wiener at 949-497-0361 or [email protected].
