Susi Q Seeks New or Gently Used Treasures for May 6 Bargain Bonanza
Susi Q Senior Center will host its second annual Bargain Bonanza on Saturday, May 6, from 8 a.m. to noon.
Volunteer organizers seek new or gently used donations such as jewelry, tableware, purses, kitchenware, clocks, hats, seasonal items, scarves and vases. Apparel, furniture and oversized items will not be accepted.
Residents can donate items Monday, April 24 and 26, and Wednesday, May 1 and 3, from 8 a.m. to noon at the Susi Q Senior Center, 380 Third Street.
Proceeds from donated items will go toward purchasing bingo prizes for Laguna Beach seniors and support for the Laguna Beach High School Scholarship Fund for LBHS students. More information is available by contacting Shira Albo at [email protected] or (949) 715-8105.
Laguna Beach High School Alumni All Class Picnic
The LBHS Alumni Association will hold its annual all class picnic at Picnic Cove on Saturday, May 6, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The gathering takes place annually every first Saturday in May. $20/annual dues or donations are encouraged but not required. The association’s mission is to keep alumni connected and carry on the history of the high school. All dues and donations go towards scholarships to LBHS Seniors who are descendants of LBHS alumni. The board is pleased to invite all classes to the All Class picnic this year, Breakers and Artists. It’s a fun tradition and a way to connect with friends. Visit www.lagunabeachalumni.org or write to [email protected] with questions or communications. The Board President, Amanda Horton-Bergstrom, Class of 1993 may be reached at (949) 422-6122.
Village Laguna’s general meeting to feature author Dan Selmi
Village Laguna’s general meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 25 at 7 p.m., at the Susi Q and will feature Dan Selmi. Selmi will discuss his new book “Dawn at Mineral King Valley, The Sierra Club, The Disney Company, And The Rise of Environmental Law.” The book recounts the story behind the historic Mineral King Valley case, which reveals how the Sierra Club battled Disney’s ski resort development and launched a new environmental era in America. The story has special salience for Village Laguna because of Arnold Hano’s role in preventing the development of a ski resort at Mineral King and because it details a David and Goliathesque Supreme Court showdown involving the Sierra Club and Disney that set a revolutionary legal precedent for the era of environmental activism we live in today. Daniel P. Selmi was, until recently, the Fritz P. Burns Professor of Law at Loyola Law School. He is co-author of the “Land Use Regulation: Cases and Materials” casebook and co-author of State Environmental Law. He is co-editor of the most comprehensive treatise on California environmental and land use law, the six-volume California Environmental Law and Land Use Practice. Village Laguna invites everyone to attend this in-person event with light refreshments.
Free x ‘Sharpen Your Mind’ session at the Susi Q focuses on strategies to improve memory
Ben Allen, programs and educational specialist at Alzheimer’s Orange County, will be at the Susi Q on April 24, between 2 and 3 p.m., to discuss effective strategies to improve memory and maximize brain health.
Sharpen Your Mind: Memory Tips and Teasers is a fun and interactive session offered in-person at the center at 380 Third Street or online at no cost to participants.
Allen believes that keeping active is the single most important way to keep our minds active as we age. He has been a community educator for over 12 years, speaking to groups throughout Orange County on Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Those interested can register online at www.thesusiq.org and click on Classes and Registration. To RSVP by phone, call (949) 715-8105 or email [email protected].
Boys & Girls Club to celebrate 70 years with Platinum Jubilee
The Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a Platinum Jubilee on May 13.
The 22nd Art of Giving Gala fundraiser will take place at the Montage Laguna Beach Resort. Guests will enjoy dinner, a live 10-piece big band, and auction items. The gala marks the club’s largest and most important fundraising event of the year.
The club has experienced tremendous growth over the past three years. It has gone from serving 300 young people daily to over 3,000 and now provides daily programs during lunch and after school on all Laguna Beach Unified School District campuses.
More information is available by contacting Michelle Fortezzo at [email protected] or (949) 715-7584.
Laguna Art Museum April Events
April 22 – Earth Day Celebration: Storytime & Beach Cleanup with Project O
Join the Laguna Art Museum and Project O in celebration of Earth Day. Rich German, founder of Project O, will commence the celebration with story time by reading My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan, followed by a presentation and book signing by German and his book Blue Laguna, and wrapping up the day will be a beach cleanup. All supplies for the cleanup will be provided, but feel free to bring your own work gloves. Please wear appropriate clothes & shoes for beach cleanup.
April 29 at 7 p.m. – Artist Spotlight: Shepard Fairey
Join the Laguna Art Museum for a special opportunity to hear Shepard Fairey talk about his artistic practice—in conversation with curator and writer Pedro Alonzo. Together they will discuss the evolution of Fairey’s practice over the past 30 years, including his multiple roles as artist, influencer and disruptor. Over the past 30 years, Fairey has established himself as a leading figure in Southern California—and globally—in art, fashion, the urban landscape, and politics. This conversation will address Fairey’s iconic and impactful visual vocabulary, as seen in the exhibition Facing the Giant—Three Decades of Dissent: Shepard Fairey, currently on view at Laguna Art Museum well as his impact in public art the world over.
April 30 at 2 p.m. – My Hero: The Art of Healing
Unlock the healing power of creativity with MY HERO and the Laguna Art Museum. Included with museum admission, guests will enjoy art, poetry, music, dance and short films to celebrate the art of healing. MY HERO is a nonprofit, educational project that empowers people of all ages to realize their potential to effect change in the world.
Earth Day Ocean Conservation Mural Coming to Laguna Beach
Due to unforeseen production delays, PangeaSeed Foundation is now bringing the first-ever Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans mural to Laguna Beach April 30 to May 10. Spearheaded by ocean activist Chase Offield of the Offield Family Foundation and mission-aligned with Laguna Beach’s trailblazing commitment to marine conservation, this project will help drive bold change and ignite positive action for our oceans through the power of public art. The 1,090-square-foot mural depicting the Pacific Sea Nettle transforming into plastic debris will be painted by renowned South African contemporary artist Sonny Behan. A species of jellyfish native to Southern Californian waters, the imagery will represent the dire threat of marine plastic pollution to ocean health and biodiversity while simultaneously serving as a beautiful and meaningful landmark for the Laguna Beach community and visitors alike. While there will no longer be a formal unveiling event, we encourage the public to stop by during production to see the artist’s progress and watch a large-scale mural come to life in real-time. PangeaSeed Foundation is partnered with Project O on the Earth Day beach cleanup on April 22 at Main Beach from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Broadway Luminary in Laguna Beach for One Night Only
Want to learn how Mariah, Whitney and RuPaul inspired “Kinky Boots”‘ Dragtastic Costumes? If you love Broadway Theatre and have always wanted a look backstage, No Square Theatre is proud to present an intimate, one-hour conversation with Tony award-winning costume designer Gregg Barnes followed by a Q&A. One night only, Monday, April 24, No Square Theatre, 384 Legion St., from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Enjoy this engaging discussion with a multiple Tony-Award winning costume designer where you can sip wine and learn about the sumptuous art of theatrical costuming from a guy who will share the creative spirit of the stage, the inspiration he finds for designing and the creative process that wins awards and can launch a career in any industry.
The third in the Wisdom of the Master calendar, No Square Theatre offers Laguna Beach an intimate series of conversations with Theater Luminaries. Monday’s guest Gregg’s Broadway credits include Pretty Woman, Mean Girls, Tuck Everlasting, Something Rotten!, Aladdin, Kinky Boots, Some Like It Hot and many more. Small audience, conversational setting. Tickets are available at www.nosquare.org and complimentary tickets are available to the first 10 to log on after reading this news.
Earth Day Celebration at Laguna Beach United Methodist Church
All are welcome to celebrate Earth Day at Laguna Beach United Methodist Church this coming Saturday, April 22, at 3 p.m. The free event will include a Blessing of the Animals.
“Celebrating and honoring the pets in our lives and our community is a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day and honor God’s amazing creation,” said Mary Scifres, pastor at LBUMC.
Pastor Mary and her spouse, B.J. Beu, and the church’s musicians will offer a short ceremony for Blessing of the Animals at 3 p.m., followed by individual blessings for each animal present. “Bring your pet, your pets, or even a photo of your beloved furry friend for this special day to honor and celebrate the gifts pets bring to our lives,” Pastor Mary said.
Laguna Beach United Methodist Church is located at 21632 Wesley Drive. Information: lbumc.org.
Shakespeare Reading Circle at the Susi Q will feature Macbeth
To misquote Shakespeare, “By the pricking of our thumbs/Something awesome this way comes” – namely, five weeks of fun for frustrated would-be thespians (or anyone, really) who would like the opportunity to inhabit the scheming characters in the bard’s Macbeth, otherwise known as the Scottish play.
Their dreams can come true by joining Olivia Rall’s Shakespeare Reading Circle, scheduled for five consecutive sessions at the Susi Q beginning on Friday, April 28, from 12 to 1:30 p.m., and ending on May 26. The class is free, however, limited to 18 participants.
Register online at www.thesusiq.org and click on Classes. To RSVP by phone, call 949-715-8105, or email [email protected].
For more information on The Susi Q, the portal to access the best of Laguna’s community resources, visit www.thesusiq.org.
The Susi Q is located at 380 Third Street in downtown Laguna Beach.
