Mammal center gets $50,000

Young marine-life aficionados can expect to have new equipment at the

Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s classrooms. On Wednesday the group

announced it had received a $50,000 donation from the Newport

Beach-based Pacific Investment Management Company foundation.

The foundation is the charitable wing of the company, and

typically donates to groups focusing on youth education. Emily Wing,

a spokeswoman for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, said she accepted

the donation after the Newport group checked out their operation.

“They called and came by and asked us a few questions and asked us

if we could use a little money,” Wing said. A portion of the new cash

will likely be spent on new lab equipment, such as microscopes that

can link to a video screen and allow classrooms to see a miniature

world.

“Everybody can see what’s going on under the microscope,” Wing

said.

Some of the money will probably be spent on audio-visual equipment

and on decor that will give the students an underwater feel, like a

mural depicting life under the sea and kelp hanging from the ceiling,

Wing said.

Arnold Klein honored by UCLA

One of the co-founders of Laguna’s Art for AIDS benefit was

honored at UCLA on Monday when the school’s Division of Dermatology

announced the creation of the Arnold Klein, M.D. , Chair in

Dermatology.

Klein, a 25-year professor at UCLA, divides his time between

Laguna and Hancock Park.

He has written three books and more than 100 articles, and his

research paved the way for the cosmetic use of Botox, collagen and

Restylane -- a gel used to smooth skin wrinkles.

“I figured out the best injection sites and the way to use it

aesthetically,” Klein said.

The endowed chair, a faculty position dedicated to a specific area

of research, will be part of UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.

Klein said a professor has not yet been hired for the post, which

will focus on studying the immunology of the skin and will explore

how that knowledge can be applied to AIDS research.

“A lot of immunological research is based on the immunology of the

skin,” Klein said, noting there has been considerable study

surrounding leprosy and T-cells, white blood cells that are attacked

by HIV.

Klein started the UCLA Cosmetic Dermatology Clinic, the Arnold W.

Klein/Rose Tarlow Fund for Treatment of Women with Breast Cancer at

UCLA, and is a founding director of the American Foundation for AIDS

Research. He is also a trustee of the Laguna Art Museum, as well as a

director of the Hereditary Diseases Foundation, the Discovery Fund

for Eye Research and the Jennifer Jones Simon Foundation.

Groups seek donations of school supplies

The Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach and St. Vincent de Paul announced

plans to throw a party for low-income families with children

attending Laguna Beach schools.

The groups are seeking donations to help families defray the cost

of buying back-to-school clothes and supplies. The groups will

collect clothing, backpacks and basic school supplies. Donations will

be accepted from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 12 at the Woman’s Club of

Laguna Beach, 286 St. Ann’s Drive. Information: (949) 497-1200.

Unitarian Universalists plan events

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach has several

events scheduled for August. All events will begin at 10:30 a.m. and

will be held at the fellowship, 429 Cypress Drive.

For the first activity, the fellowship will host William Heard who

will deliver an address titled, “Faith Based Psychotherapy.” Heard

has had a private clinical psychology practice for 22 years, and also

teaches in the graduate department of Trinity College. The event will

be held Sunday.

The fellowship will also host a discussion with Benjamin J.

Hubbard, who recently met with scholars in the Middle East to

consider establishing comparative religion departments at Muslim

universities. Hubbard is the chair of Comparative Religion at Cal

State Fullerton. This event will be held on Aug. 8.

A classical guitar performance by Kevin Fitzpatrick, who has

performed professionally for 25 years, will be held on Aug. 15.

A discussion on prison reform will be held with guest speaker

Susan Bellonzi who will give a talk entitled, “In Everyone’s Best

Interest -- Changing Inmate Lives.” Bellonzi has 15 years experience

as manager of the Correctional Programs Unit for the Orange County

Sheriff’s Department. The event is set for Aug. 22.

In the month’s final event, author and professional counselor

Jerry Seiden will speak on “The Pervasiveness of Attention Deficit

Disorder and the Mishandling of Young People.” Seiden specializes in

the treatment of attention deficit disorder. This event will be held

on Aug. 29.

Center will hold driving course

The next classes in the 55-Alive Mature Driving Course will be

held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 at Lang Park, which is near South Coast Highway and Wesley Drive.

Students must attend both sessions, and the cost to attend will be

$10 paid for in a check written out to AARP. Enrollment will be open

through Sept. 7, and checks should be mailed to the Laguna Beach

Senior Center, 384 Legion St.

To enroll in the class, call the Laguna Beach Senior Center

coordinator at (949) 464-9535.