Heart attack killed bodysurfer

The 53-year-old man who died last week while bodysurfing off Main

Beach suffered a massive heart attack before lifeguards spotted him

floating face-up in the ocean, Deputy Cullen Ellingsburgh of the

Orange County coroner’s office said Tuesday.

Jerry Greene, a regular volunteer at the Canyon Club for the last

eight years, was a Vietnam veteran decorated with a silver star and

two purple hearts, Canyon Club manager Everett Smethurst said. He was

pronounced dead at South Coast Medical Center on July 16.

“Jerry was just a guy who cared a great deal about people,”

Smethurst said. “He worked countless hours as a volunteer, probably

about 80% of the time I’m here, and I’m here all the time. This place

misses him terribly already.”

Members of the club are trying to organize a memorial service for

Greene in the next two weeks. Greene lived with his younger sister in

Aliso Viejo, taking care of her when he wasn’t at the Canyon Club, a

12-step recovery center, Smethurst said.

“His sister here isn’t all that well. He has another sister in

Dallas we’re trying to track down and a brother that’s in jail, as

far as we know,” Smethurst said. “We’re functioning as Jerry’s family

to try to take care of him like he deserves.”

Barry Baker, also a volunteer at the Canyon Club, said Greene was

always willing to help people and was a great member of the

community. He said he was shocked by the news of Greene’s death.

“He went bodysurfing all the time,” Baker said. “He watched his

diet real close and exercised -- he seemed healthy. I don’t know what

else to say.”

Greene went to Vietnam when he was 17, Smethurst said. He was

discharged and spent more than two years in the hospital after an

exploding mortar shell lodged shrapnel in his legs. He couldn’t walk

for years after the injury, Smethurst said.

Smethurst said he expected to announce a date for Greene’s

memorial service soon, adding that it would definitely be at the

Canyon Club, 20456 Laguna Canyon Road.

“Like everything else, we’re taking Jerry’s passing one day at a

time,” Smethurst said.

-- Mike Swanson

Festival shows off wild side Saturday

Mutual of Omaha’s “Wild Kingdom,” which premiered on Jan. 6, 1963,

took viewers on an excursion to the far corners of the globe,

studying wild animals in their natural habitat. The Festival of Arts

is going one step farther this Saturday by bringing live exotic

animals up close and in person with their “Walk on the Wild Side”

event.

Chris Hoy, a Festival exhibitor for 20 years and renowned wildlife

artist, said he is looking forward to this third year for the event,

which will be from noon to 4 p.m. It’s something he enjoys doing for

Laguna residents and visitors.

This year, they will have a Bengal tiger, a serval cat from

Africa, a baby wallaby or “Joey,” a red fox, a kinkajou, a bear cat,

a 250-pound yellow boa constrictor, which will be returning from last

year, an alligator and others.

“The reason I wanted to do the event is that in 1979, I went to

Bandon, Ore. and held my first tiger at my aunt and uncle’s zoo, the

West Game Park,” Hoy said. “Ever since, I’ve been going all over the

world and have been able to get into the cage with all these rare and

exotic animals.”

He wants to bring that same experience to Laguna Beach. All the

animals featured have been hand-raised, Hoy said. Some have been used

in movies and television.

He said he was nervous doing this event at first because he

thought it would upset or disrupt the other festival artists, but

discovered that they enjoy it as much as the public does.

The sounds of a Caribbean steel drum band will be heard playing

live, a fitting soundtrack for the atmosphere, Hoy said.

Hoy said that the animals are just as curious about the people

looking at them as they are.

The Festival of Arts is at 650 Laguna Canyon Road. Laguna Beach

residents are always admitted free. The event is covered by Festival

admission. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors.

For information, call 494-1145 or go to www.foapom.com.

-- Suzie Harrison

Parking permits set to expire

Residential parking permits -- the purple stickers -- will expire

Thursday, but the police department won’t enforce expired stickers

until Sept. 1.

Applications for new permits, valid from Aug. 1, 2003, to July 31,

2004, were mailed to current permit holders this month. Residents who

haven’t received a renewal application can call (949) 497-0733 with

their name, Laguna Beach address and a daytime phone number to have

applications mailed to them.

The cost of one-year residential parking permits rose to $200, and

six-month permits will no longer be issued. The 400 block of Third

Street has been eliminated from the program.

Applications will be processed by mail or at the cashier counter

at City Hall, 505 Forest Ave. Proof of residence is required, and all

mail payments must be made by check.

For more information, call (949) 497-0733.

-- Mike Swanson

Event a collaborative one at Festival

Three local artistic talents will take part in a collaborative

event at 5:30 p.m. on the Festival of Arts grounds Monday. The

Hartfel Ballet will perform afterward.

The event, sponsored by the California Choreographers Dance

Festival and the Festival of Arts, combines the musical talents of

10-year-old flute prodigy Evren Ozan and local drum teacher and

musician Greg White with the dance interpretations of Kimberly Bixler

Leeds.

Entrance to the Festival of Arts is free to all Laguna Beach

residents.

-- Mike Swanson