Laguna Life

James Pribram

Laguna Beach or New York City? Honk, honk, beep, beep -- the only

thing missing was a couple of cuss words.

Traffic in this town is a nightmare. Yes, the free trolley rides from

one end of town to the other is a nice gesture, but I am sad to report

that it just isn’t enough.

I just drove through town and it took 20-something minutes to go two

miles, maybe three. Maybe you could just put in another stop light, or

maybe I just need a Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

OK, I guess it isn’t that bad. At least after sitting in traffic for

20-something minutes we can jump in the ocean. Well, that is if it isn’t

Aliso. It seems like every time I drive by, there are warning signs of

contaminated water. There is absolutely no worse feeling than driving by

Aliso on a beautiful day and seeing those ugly signs posted. I wonder

when the last time someone on the City Council went swimming? Come to

think of it, I wonder if they even go to the beach.

Maybe our gracious City Council can get the neighboring inland city

councils together and have the first annual “Day at the Beach Summer

Summit” and hammer out some ideas on how to combat our local ocean

pollution problems. I know you would get some great support from the

likes of Corky Smith and Roger Von Butow, along with plenty of other

Laguna Beach residents who care about our beloved ocean.

All right then, it’s on. Aug. 24? What do you say, it’s even a

Saturday? We could barbecue afterward. The Ocean says thank you very much

for your support, and we’ll see you there.

The Treasure Island Resort project is scheduled to be completed in

January 2003 and I am assuming this is only going to add to our traffic

and ocean pollution problems if we don’t take action in preventing it.

One way we can all help is by participating in the Adopt-A-Beach

Cleanup from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. For more information go to

www.Cleanwaternow.com or call the local Surfrider Chapter at 631-6273.

There’s free parking all day (except for Aliso -- isn’t that ironic).

Also there will be a Surfrider Meeting at 7 p.m. July 17 at Wells

Fargo Bank, 260 Ocean Ave., 3rd Floor. Margaux Thomas of the Laguna Beach

High Water Quality Testing Program will be the speaker.

Sounds like a great idea in getting the youth involved in the beach

activities of this town. Please do your part and I promise I will do mine

to keep our town the wonderful place that it is.

Peace.

* James Pribram is a Laguna Beach resident, professional surfer and

co-founder of “They Will Surf Again,” a nonprofit foundation assisting

people with spinal cord injuries. He was also a member of the Water

Quality Advisory Committee.