Final election numbers are in

The Orange County Registrar of Voters closed the book Monday on

the 2002 election.

Only 361 votes separated top council vote-getter Toni Iseman from

fourth-place finisher Melissa O’Neal. Elizabeth Pearson outdrew

incumbent Steven Dicterow by a mere five votes to finish second.

Certified as winners: Iseman, with 5,157 votes; Pearson, with

5,023; and Dicterow, with 5,018. O’Neal finished her first campaign

for the council with 4,796 votes.

A total of 6,640 voters went to the precincts. Another 2,655 voted

by absentee ballot.

All told, 19,994 votes were cast by 9,295 voters. That averages

out to about two council votes per voter. Three seats were open.

Only 55.9% of the city’s registered voters turned out for the

election, 40% of them at the precincts.

The best turnout was 75% of the registered voters in precinct

44123. But it only has four registered voters.

Iseman came in first at 11 of the city’s 25 precincts and tied for

first with O’Neal at two others.

Pearson won the most votes at six precincts and tied for first

with Dicterow at one. Dicterow got the most votes in one precinct.

O’Neal took top honors at precincts in Top of the World, Bluebird

Canyon and Laguna Canyon.

-- Barbara Diamond

Winds put Red Flag patrol on alert

Santa Ana winds swept through Laguna Beach, sending leaves and

tree branches airborne and members of the Red Flag Patrol into action

Monday through Wednesday.

“We were on alert last week, but the winds never got big,” said

David Horne, founder of the Greater Laguna Coast Fire Safe Council.

“But [Monday] it came out of the blue. This wasn’t forecast.”

When winds reached speeds of 20 miles per hour and humidity levels

dipped down below 10%, red flags were flown by businesses around town

and a total of 15 patrols were dispatched.

“We are on the case,” Horne said. “We had a great response from

our people.”

Patrols did not report any suspicious activity or fires.

Holidays and hospitality are here

Downtown trees are aglow. Holiday palettes have been hung with

care. Santa’s on his way.

Holidays are here again.

Folks will start gathering at City Hall well before 6 p.m. Dec. 6,

when Santa is due to arrive to kick off Hospitality Night, the city’s

biggest and best party. It’s so Laguna.

The incoming mayor, scheduled to be elected by the City Council

Tuesday, will arrive with Santa and participate in the lighting of

the venerable pepper tree in front of City Hall.

Santa will then proceed on foot to his house on the corner of

Glenneyre Street and Forest Avenue.

Children are invited to follow him for private visits to make

their Christmas wishes known and to have their pictures taken with

Santa.

Miss Linda and her puppets and the Fairy Lady will be there to

make the wait more fun for the children.

Entertainment at City Hall will include a performance at 5:30 p.m.

by the Thurston Middle School Band and caroling at 6 p.m. by St.

Catherine’s Children’s Choir.

The Laguna Presbyterian Church will host a bell choir concert and

sing-along at 5 p.m. and a craft bazaar and open house at the church,

415 Forest Ave.

Place your orders early at the La Playa Center’s tamale booth,

which will be on Forest Avenue by the church. Latecomers face

disappointment. The tamales sell out every year, although the ladies

have increased their production.

Stores on Forest and Ocean avenues will be open until 9:30 p.m.,

dispensing refreshments and offering folks an opportunity to browse

and shop.

The Downtown basin will be closed to vehicular traffic from about

5:45 to 6:15 p.m. Forest Avenue will be closed to vehicles until 9:30

p.m. from Third Street to the highway.

Parking will be restricted on the avenue.

After Hospitality Night, Santa’s House will remain open until Dec.

24. His bag of goodies has a whole store of treats.

-- Barbara Diamond

Holidays heralded by 12th Winter Fantasy

Even the Grinch smiles when the Winter Fantasy Festival comes to

town.

The 12th annual art and crafts show and sale opened Nov. 23 on the

Sawdust Festival Grounds. It is the gateway to the holidays for

shoppers who are seeking an alternative to malls and cookie-cutter

gifts.

The booths are as much a part of the show as the contents inside.

Each year the participants vie for decorating honors.

Judging the booths is an opening day tradition.

Ket Youngstead’s showcase for her handmade clothing took top

honors for 2002.

Jeweler Karen Joy’s booth came in second, followed by the booth

decorated by sculpture James Coch. Glass and mixed-media artist

Madeline Smith was awarded honorary mention.

Judges included Suzie Harrison, Laguna Coastline Pilot arts and

events writer; Linda Dietrich and Pat Kollenda, arts commissioners,

Mary McDowell of the Los Angeles Times and Louis Pradetto, an Inland

Empire reporter.

Trees decorated by community groups also were judged.

The Laguna Beach PTA Council’s entry won first place. Girl Scout

Troupe 575’s tree came in second. Girl Scout Troupe 2012 was awarded

third place and the Festival of Arts tree received honorable mention.

Eleven trees were entered this year.

Winter Fantasy will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through

Saturday, Dec. 7, 8, 14 and 15, at the Sawdust Festival Grounds, 935

Laguna Canyon Frontage Road.

Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children 6 to 12 and free for

children under 6.

For more information, call 494-3030.

-- Barbara Diamond