City celebrates 75th birthday

Suzie Harrison

Tomorrow Laguna Beach will celebrate its 75-year of incorporation, and

what better way to recognize its history then to give homage to Laguna’s

icon, the lifeguard tower.

The lifeguard tower is rich in history dating back to the 1920s.

The project has been in the works, beginning with the idea to restore

it by local historian Andy Alison a few years ago.

“This is becoming a celebration of life in Laguna Beach,” Alison said.

The celebration is thanks to the city, the Heritage Committee and the

Historical Society. The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. with the symbolic

ribbon cutting and rededication of the lifeguard tower by Mayor Wayne

Baglin.

Andy Alison and Craig Lockwood, a veteran Laguna Beach lifeguard, will

both speak about the history of Laguna Beach and the tower.

Lockwood is a lifeguard legend who wrote a story about the tower for

an Orange County magazine in 1967. Lockwood remembers when the tower was

refurbished extensively that summer.

In the story he cites his worries about the tower being torn down and

being replaced with a new, sleeker model and how unfortunate that day

would be.

“There will be a tear. I, for one, will shed it. The old days will be

gone forever,” he wrote in his article.

“I forecasted the future in 1967, but we changed our own future and

learned that you can turn stuff around, and you don’t have to accept it

because it seems inevitable,” he said.

Through the years, Laguna Beach has diligently been helping the tower

stand tall.

In the 1970s the portholes were filled in to modernize it, that change

was rediscovered by Marlo Bartels who has been key in the renovation

process.

The portholes were rediscovered while shaving the plaster off.

“It evolves and keeps changing but it always ties back into its

original roots,” Alison said.

As part of the most recent design, the original portholes have been

used.

A plaque will be dedicated that resembles its original style with a

red, white and blue Union Pacific Oil logo. Union Pacific originally

owned the tower before it was transferred to the beach from across the

street.

Mark Klosterman, chief of Marine Safety, has been ecstatic about the

transformation and sees it as a beacon to save more lives.

“We’re just really looking forward to it being a nice celebration.

What a great birthday present for Laguna Beach,” Klosterman said.

The public is invited to share in the celebration of Laguna’s 75-year

anniversary at Main Beach.