The ‘fish problem’ is getting out of hand

JAMES PRIBRAM

Here we go again. Sometimes you just have to wonder what is going on

in this town of ours.

Does that sound familiar?

I was hoping that with this south wind that has been blowing for

the past couple of dayswould most certainly rid us of any remnants of

the fish epidemic we have been experiencing here.

But folks it’s still fishy out there. I’ve received numerous phone

calls and threats coming from individuals wanting to open numerous

Coffee Bean stores right across the street from me and a two story

Banana Republic store in my backyard. Classic stuff.

Rumor has it there’s another drug store going in Downtown -- on

top of the brand new one that just turned up seemingly over night a

couple of months ago. Well at least the word on the street is that

it’s a nice enough building so it can stay. Smell fishy?

Sure the big dogs can run amok, but what about the little dogs.

Take Andre’s pastries for instance -- located just off of South Coast

Highway -- locally owned and quietly tucked away in a little ally way

between Calliope and Mountain Road. Andre’s has that elusive Laguna

charm, not to mention great pastries. They design a stylish sign to

put outside on the sidewalk to greet would-be customers walking by.

Again, a stylish sign: a plastic baker fully outfitted in a classic

bakers outfit with scarf and hat. It was classic, I smiled every time

I drove past. So what happened? They tell them to take it down.

Typical.

Smell fishy?

Now the really fishy thing is that the city wants to renovate

Heisler Park, which is great and tremendously needed. However, it is

proposing a large Disneyland-style rock wall along the northern part

of the beach.

A Disneyland what?

Seriously, we have to do something quick about this fish thing,

it’s getting out of control.

Peace.