Ukulele enthusiasts of all levels are invited to the Susi Q for a special musical experience. Laguna Beach Seniors will present “Jack & the Vox”on Saturday, March 9, from 4-7 p.m. for an exclusive ukulele workshop, followed by a concert at the Susi Q Senior Center, 380 Third Street.
Husband-wife-duo Victoria Vox and Jack Maher met at the Berklee College of Music. Vox is an award-winning songwriter best known for toting her ukulele around the world at festivals, clubs, and performing house concerts. Maher is leader of SoCal’s country-rock band, Feed the Kitty. Together, their musical style is Americana with a hint of jazz, blues, and pop.
The ukulele workshop, from 4-5 p.m. will be hands-on and will provide instruction in taking a simple tune with three chords and giving it a spin in many genres. Tickets for both the workshop and concert are $25. Concert tickets are $15. Light refreshments will be served, wine and beer for donation.
Reservations are required. Register by calling Christine Brewer at 949-715-8105 or email [email protected]. Parking is available in the Susi Q’s underground structure.
Woman’s Club to Host ‘Party for the Pantry’
The Woman’s Club invites the community to attend an evening to celebrate and support the Laguna Food Pantry on Saturday, March 9, from 6-9 p.m. This event will feature local musician Jason Feddy and his Mad Dogs Band.
“We are proud to support the Food Pantry and the good work it does to see that our unfortunate do not go hungry,” said Kitty Malcolm, Woman’s Club President.
“The roots of the Food Pantry go back to the terrible fires over 25 years ago,” said Ann Belyea, Executive Director of the Pantry. “Initially, it was part of a variety of groups that responded to the needs of our devastated community. At that time, we identified that there were others in town in addition to fire victims who needed food assistance.”
When asked how she became involved, Belyea said that she witnessed two Laguna families who suffered from personal tragedies, and as they rebuilt their lives, they were assisted by having food donated to their families by the Pantry.
“I was so impressed by the aide supplied that I signed on to help, and I have been involved ever since,” Belyea said.
The Pantry served 7,500 people last year. The majority are women and children. Over a third are Laguna Beach residents. Most of the families are suffering from an episodic event and move on. A volunteer staff of 125, most of whom are from Laguna Beach, manages and supports the operation.
A donation of $75 per person is requested to attend the event. There will be music, dancing and good food, and proceeds will support the Food Pantry. Food and side drinks will be provided by Habitat Food Caterers, and a no-host bar will also be available.
The Woman’s Club is located at 286 St. Ann’s Drive in Laguna Beach. For information or reservations, visit wclb.org/events.
Community Invited to Writers’ Spring Reading, Open Mic
On Saturday, March 9, from 3:30-5 p.m. at the Laguna Beach Public Library, the Third Street Writers will host a Spring Cleaning Reading & Open Mic. The event will feature some of the Third Street Writers’ favorite original stories and poems, followed by a public open mic session.
The event is free and open to the public. Writers are encouraged to bring an original written work to share from the genre of their choosing (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry). Pieces should not exceed three minutes. Light refreshments will be served.
Founded in 2015, the Third Street Writers is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to fostering the growth of the writing community in Laguna Beach through weekly workshops, reading events, and publication of its annual Beach Reads anthology.
For more information, contact Amy Dechary at [email protected] or visit thirdstreetwriters.org. You can also follow Third Street Writers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @thirdstreetwriters.
Garden Club Speaker Will Teach About Tomatoes
On Friday, March 8, the Laguna Beach Garden Club will host master gardener Julie Bawden-Davis, who will present information on various heirloom tomato favorites and the stories behind them, such as Abe Lincoln, Brandywine, Sweet Pea Currant, Mortgage Lifter and Aunt Ruby’s German Green. Bawden-Davis will also share planting, care and harvesting tips, including growing heirloom tomatoes in containers. There will be heirloom tomato plants and Julie’s Terrific Tomato Fertilizer for sale after the presentatio
Bawden-Davis is a bestselling garden writer and University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener, who since 1985 has written more than 2,500 articles. She lives, writes, and gardens indoors and out in Orange. For more information, visit www.JulieBawdenDavis.com.
The Laguna Beach Garden Club meets on the second Friday of every month, September through May, at the Laguna Presbyterian Church, 415 Forest Avenue in Laguna Beach. Social time begins at 9:30 a.m., and the general meeting starts at 10 a.m. The public is welcome; there is no charge for guests on their first visit. For more information on the garden club, visitwww.lagunabeachgardenclub.org.
Friday Flicks at the Forum
On March 1, Friday Flicks continues with The Gospel According to André (2017) at the Forum Theater, located at the Festival of Arts grounds, 650 Laguna Canyon Road. The film is an emotional and intimate portrait of influential fashionista André Leon Talley and is rated PG-13. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the film screening starts at 7 p.m. The event is free and is funded by Laguna Beach residents Mark Porterfield and Steve Chadima. For more information, email [email protected].
City to Test Emergency Alert System
The city of Laguna Beach will be testing its recently acquired Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system simultaneously with its Downtown Outdoor Warning System on Wednesday, March 6, at 3 p.m.
In the event of a real emergency, both systems can be activated to provide lifesaving instructions to residents and visitors. The systems may be utilized for all hazards or disasters where immediate action from the public is necessary.
The WEA system is similar to the Amber Alert system, in which you will hear a loud tone on your phone along with receiving a text message which will state: “Laguna Beach Emergency Alert TEST. No action is required.” This text message will be sent to all cell phones within the city of Laguna Beach. The text message will include a link to the city’s website with a survey where residents and visitors can provide feedback. Visit the city’s website for more details at www.lagunabeachcity.net.
Arbor Day Celebration Set for March 8
The city’s second Arbor Day (and first year as a Tree City USA) celebration will be held at Main Beach Park (cobblestone area) on Friday, March 8, from 3-5 p.m. The tree planting ceremony will start at 4:30 p.m. The event will feature activities and crafts for kids, live music, tree experts, garden clubs and organizations, and giveaways. Visit the city’s website at www.lagunabeachcity.net for more information or contact Liz Avila, Senior Public Works Analyst/Solid Waste Program Coordinator, at [email protected] or 949-497-0344.
The city has been recognized as a first-year Tree City USA Community by the Arbor Day Foundation for 2018. The city achieved the recognition by meeting the required core standards of sound urban forestry management: maintaining a tree board or department/division responsible for tree care, having a community tree ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
Tickets on Sale for Gate & Garden Tour
The Laguna Beach Gate & Garden Tour, a major fundraiser of the Laguna Beach Garden Club, takes place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, May 3. This year’s docent-led walking tour features gardens in a private gated community. The event also includes artisanal margaritas and Mexican fare, free refreshments, plein air painters in several gardens, and a raffle of prizes from local artists and businesses.
The festivities begin at Arabella Historic Cottages, 506 North Coast Highway, and continue until 4 p.m. Buses will continuously shuttle tour-goers from Arabella Laguna to the first garden and back at the end of the walking route. Proceeds benefit school gardens, local scholarships and community projects. Tickets, $60, are available at lagunabeachgardentour.org.
Boys & Girls Club Gala on the Horizon
Under the Sea, the 19thannual Art of Giving Gala benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, at the Montage Laguna Beach, 30801 South Coast Highway. The event will feature dinner, live music and a live auction. Sponsorship opportunities, which include ocean view rooms, ads in the program, and tables for up to 12, are available from $5,000 to $20,000. Individual admission is $500. For more information, visit bgclagunabeach.org.
Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel Raises Funds for Veterans
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel recently announced that since 2013, the resort has raised a total of $1.5 million for The Veterans Initiative of Canine Companions for Independence, a nonprofit that provides assistance dogs for veterans with disabilities. Proceeds from the hotel’s Yappy Hour, a monthly canine and companion cocktail party (returning May 16), and the Diamond Ball Gala, which took place from 2014 to 2016, have enabled the resort to aid Canine Companions in serving nearly 300 veterans, with 24 active teams from the Southwest region. The average cost to train a Canine Companions service dog is $50,000.
