Let things slide; people come first

Once again, Laguna Beach has much to be thankful for. Despite a

horrific natural disaster and tens of millions in property damages,

no lives were lost on Wednesday morning when the earth collapsed at

Bluebird Canyon.

Despite claiming homes, vehicles and property, Bluebird Canyon

once again spared human lives, just as it did in 1978 when another

part of the canyon slid.

Residents acted quickly to escape a chaotic nightmare that could

have buried many. Their courage and strength under fire is truly

remarkable. And a little luck -- or a small miracle -- no doubt

played a part in guiding panicked men, women and children to safety.

And once again, as they did during the horrific 1993 fires,

Lagunans have come together to offer aid, assistance and, most

importantly, psychological support to their neighbors.

As slide victims and evacuees gathered at City Hall just hours

after the disaster, there was a calmness that belied the horrors of

the early morning. While some sought to lay blame for the massive

destruction at the feet of building officials and developers, those

who lost much were stoic.

As one woman said, “If you build a house on the edge, as I have,

you take a chance.”

Laguna Beach is rightly known as one of the most beautiful and

desirable places to live in the country, if not the world. News of

the shocking “disaster in paradise” was widely disseminated and has

generated an outpouring of concern from afar.

But in times of tragedy it is the response of those closest to us

that is most important.

Before the dust had settled and the earth had stopped moving,

funds were being raised and donations collected to help those who had

fled with nothing but the clothes on their backs -- some in slippers

and robes.

Volunteers stepped forward to offer shelter to people and pets.

There is the certainty that no identified need will be unmet.

The city is not just made up of the gorgeous vistas and charming

hideaways that make Bluebird Canyon a treasured spot. It is the

people who live in Laguna Beach that make this city what it is.