Christoph is a woman for all seasons

BARBARA DIAMOND

A radiant Ann Christoph heard an outpouring of affection and respect

June 2 at a sold-out luncheon in her honor at the Laguna Beach

Woman’s Club. Christoph is the club’s Woman of the Year.

Lee Winocur Field chaired the luncheon and paid tribute to

Christoph.

“For the past 30 years, our honoree has affected every facet of

life in this city -- as a planning commissioner, council members,

mayor, a member of (an early) Design Review Task Force and Vision

Laguna 2030, and author of the Landscape Resource document,” Winocur

Field said.

Since joining the firm of Lang and Wood in 1971 after earning her

Master’s degree in landscape architecture, and later in her own firm,

Christoph has designed projects in the Huntington Library Rose and

Shakespeare gardens, the Los Angeles County Arboretum, Scripps

College, UC Irvine, Riverside Unified School District, Unity Church

in Tustin and the Mission San Juan Education Center. Her public

projects can be seen in Dana Point, California highways 126 and 215,

Costa Mesa, Irvine Ranch, Laguna Woods, Newport Beach, San Clemente

and Los Angeles International Airport.

“But it is for her outstanding contributions to this town, for

which we honor [Christoph] today,” Winocur Field said.

Chrisoph helped to create Green Park in South Laguna, designed

Alta Laguna Park and the remodeling of Bluebird Park.

Asked by Winocur Field which was the most difficult of her

accomplishments, Christoph replied “having friends.”

“She explained that it wasn’t until she was in the 8th grade that

she even realized having friends was important,” Winocur Field said.

“Since she was raised on an isolated farm [in Wisconsin], she played

only with her siblings because other children lived too far away.”

When Christoph was 14, she set a goal of making friends. She found

four and they still stay in touch. Her closest friend is her high

school sweetheart, husband Alfredo Careago.

Landscape architect Bob Borthwick claimed her friendship from

1970, before Christoph moved to California. He had just graduated

from college and she was interning at the office where he was

working.

“We badgered the boss to do more pro bono work in the inner

cities,” Borthwick said. “I don’t think she realized how much pro

bono work she would end up doing.”

He recounted her early days with the venerated Fred Lang, when she

took on the task of formulating a specific plan for South Laguna, at

that time unincorporated.

When lots that had been identified as sites for a park were put up

for sale, Borthwick recalled that Christoph and Lang bought them to

save them from development, then later sold the lots to the county

for the purchase price -- and the park was built.

Christoph said she and Lang actually bought only one of the three

lots that later became the park.

Retiring chief of the county’s Harbors Beaches and Parks division

Eric Jessen, also a resident of South Laguna, told how he and

Christoph used to get into then-Supervisor Tom Riley’s face to save

open space.

Gentry said that as a member of the council, Christoph did her

homework, was fiercely nonpartisan, understood land planning, was

open to her constituency and paid great attention to detail, a

characteristic almost everyone who knows her acknowledges.

Gentry said he didn’t have to read detailed documents, because

Christoph was on the council and she read every word.

“She doesn’t give up,” former Planning Commissioner Barbara

Metzger said. “And nobody works harder.”

Village Laguna founder Arnold Hano called Christoph the gardener

and the guardian of Laguna.

“You [speakers] have exaggerated the good parts beyond

recognition,” Christoph said. “Everyone here has had a role in

keeping the community and its spirit alive.”

The woman of the year said among her personal heroes were her

mentor, Lang, Anne Campbell, who shared Woman of the Year honors with

Lois Solomon in 1999, and her mother, Marjorie Christoph-Allen,

seated at the head table. Also at the head table, Careaga;

Christoph’s sister-in-law Mollie Muniz and her cousin April Scholz.

“The luncheon ended on a real high note,” Anne Johnson said.

“Allison Tosti, who won the 50/50 drawing -- half to the winner and

half to the club for its renovation fund -- donated it to the relief

fund for landslide victims.”

* Send contributions for OUR LAGUNA to: Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, CA 92652, call (949) 494-4321 or fax (949)

494-8979.