Plenty to say about Woman of the Year

Barbara Diamond

The Laguna Beach Woman of the Year said she didn’t know what to say

about the honor.

That’ll be the day -- when Carolyn Wood is speechless. But for

once, she wasn’t limited to three minutes, as she is at the council

meetings that she routinely attends to correct, admonish, remind and

prod the council members.

“This is kind of an unbelievable situation,” said Wood, who

received a standing ovation at a luncheon held recently in her honor

by the Laguna Beach Women’s Club. “Thank you all for coming here and

for your comments. I know I drive a lot of people crazy, but I mean

well. “

Wood, who has been President of the Laguna Canyon Conservancy

since 1988, is admired for her persistence, attention to detail,

encyclopedic files and ability to find the information she doesn’t

have. Representatives of groups inside and outside of Laguna paid

their respects at the luncheon.

“She is the one person who can call me at the office when I am

raving and say, ‘Drop everything you are doing and do (this) for me

and then she tells me what to ask for and what to look and in what

document to look,” Harry Huggins said.

Huggins is planner and acquisitions coordinator for the county’s

Harbors, Beaches and Parks Public Facilities and Resources

Department, a just one of the many organizations that has benefited

from Wood’s support.

“There are so many people here from so many boards that do so much

for Laguna,” said Veronica Nice, installed that day as the new

president of the Women’s Club.

Eric Jessen, chief of Harbors Beaches and Parks was among the

people who praised Wood.

“The conservancy has yet to name her as a “Laguna Treasure,”

Jessen said. “Your day is coming. The county salutes you.”

Laguna Greenbelt Inc. President Elisabeth Brown said she couldn’t

remember when she met Wood, but the first project they worked on

together was Carma Sandling, a proposed development that was

eventually acquired by the city as open space.

“She had this great idea about putting together a notebook.” Brown

said. “By 2 a.m., the notebook was mostly together. I was exhausted.

Carolyn said ‘just a few more points.’

“The Coastal Commission ignored us completely. It was a lousy

meeting, but that didn’t stop Carolyn and eventually we got the

parcel. If anyone deserves Woman of the Year, it’s Carolyn.”

Laguna Canyon Foundation Executive Director Mary Fegraus goes back

more than 20 years with Wood.

“What a dauntless character,” Fegraus said. “She never stops.

Every time she walks into our office with a gleam in her eye, we know

she is going to launch into something. This is what makes Laguna,

Laguna.”

Many of the speakers at the luncheon alluded to Wood’s extensive

files.

“We can’t ever let her house burn down, the whole history of the

town would go,” Fegraus said.

Wood’s concern that no one would show up for a luncheon in her

honor proved unfounded.

Close to 100 people attended, including Wood’s husband Andrew;

their son, Robert and granddaughter, April; Wood’s aunt, Joan

Martins; her baby sister, Alma Louise Roberts; and her brother in

law, Ronnie Roberts, who gave the invocation.

Players sought for bridge group

The Round Robin Bridge Group, sponsored by the Women’s Club of

Laguna Beach, is seeking players to join its bi-monthly group for its

next four-month session starting in July.

The group plays on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at

the Women’s Club, 286 St. Ann’s Drive.

Men and women are welcome as singles or with a partner.

For information, call Ganell Baker 494-0050.

Elementary Chess Tournament today

The second annual Laguna Beach Elementary Chess Tournament is set

for 6 to 9 p.m. today at El Morro Elementary School in the

multi-purpose room.

Children in first through fifth grade are welcome to enter. The

fee is $20 at the door. It includes strategy lessons, trophies, pizza

and soda.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information, call Mary Bader, 494-3429.

Renaissance Club promotes Friendship Shelter

The Renaissance Club held its second reception on June 7 to help

guests learn about the Friendship Shelter. The event was held at the

Tuscan-style villa of John O’Neill and Jim Palmer.

The Friendship Shelter has been helping homeless people rebuild

their lives for 15 years. Members of the club pledge to donate $1,000

per year for five years toward the Shelter’s expenses.

Since its inception in 2000, the Renaissance Club has raised more

than $250,000.

During the reception Jill Edwards, chairman of the board, awarded

certificates of appreciation to two generous challenge donors, Judy

and Keith Swain and Maya and Tom Redwitz of the Lain Luxury Group.

For more information about the shelter, go to

www.friendshipshelter.org.

Surfrider meeting set for June 19

The June meeting of the Laguna Beach Chapter of Surfrider

Foundation will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 19, at Wells

Fargo Bank, 260 Ocean Ave.

The meeting will feature a presentation by Friends of the Sea Lion

Marine Mammal Center who will describe their sea lion rescue program,

the current epidemic of domoic acid poisoning and what the public can

do to help.

Surfrider Foundation will join with Clean Water Now! to sponsor a

Beach Cleanup at Main Beach in Laguna and also at Aliso Beach from 9

a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 12. There will be free parking (Main

Beach location only) and free Surfrider T-shirts for all

participants. For more information, call Rick Wilson at 492-8170.

Triathlon to Laguna raises $153,000

Members of a real estate investment bank based in Newport Beach

finished presented a $153,000 check to the United Way at the

reception in Hotel Laguna after finishing a fund-raising triathlon at

Main Beach June 6.

The event began in Big Bear Lake. Each member of the 40-person

firm competed at least a portion of the 2.4-mile swim, the 112-mile

bike ride or the 26.2-mile marathon. Every member ran the last mile

together.

“We have struck upon an excellent balance of making a significant

contribution to the local community while offering our employees an

important team-building experience,” said Robert Brunswick, president

of Buchanan Street Partners and former Laguna Beach lifeguard. “I’m

very proud of what these dedicated people have accomplished.”

Brunswick was the first of six to dive into Big Bear Lake at 6

a.m. and one of five to complete the entire icy swim. None wore

wetsuits.

The firm formed the Buchanan Street Foundation three years ago to

promote awareness and raise funds for children’s charities near

Newport Beach, Los Angeles and San Francisco, the three communities

where the company has an office.

This year’s contributions nearly tripled the first year’s take,

Director of Marketing Randy Hall said.

The United Way will distribute the $153,000 to Success by 6, Santa

Ana’s Olive Crest, TrinityKids Care in Los Angeles and Edgewood

Center for Children and Families in San Francisco, the oldest

children’s charity in the Western U.S.

Employees raised funds through a grass-roots campaign of

collecting donations from clients, members of the financial

community, friends and family as well as donating from their own

pockets, Hall said.

Vision Laguna implementation to begin

The first meeting of the Vision Laguna implementation committee

will be 7:30 p.m. June 18 in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 505

Forest Ave.

The meeting is to start the process to ensure the timely adoption

of the most important of the goals and actions recommended in the

Vision Laguna final report.

The implementation process will be co-chaired by Planning

Commissioners Anne Johnson and Norm Grossman.

Each of the eight primary strategy elements has been assigned to a

group to lead the efforts to identify the implementation

requirements.

As with all meeting involving the Vision Laguna process, the

public is invited to attend.

Water district provides nozzles to conserve

Laguna Beach County Water District and South Coast Water District

are giving away free water efficient garden hose nozzles to customers

in Laguna Beach.

Stop by the Water District office and present your water bill.

The Laguna Beach County Water District is at 306 Third Street. The

South Coast Water District is at 31592 West Street, South Laguna.

One per household, while supplies last.