Fourth proves serene

Lauren Vane

The barbecues in Heisler Park were claimed by early morning, and

nearly every square of sand at Main Beach was occupied before noon.

It was Fourth of July in Laguna, and the town population seemed to

balloon several times its size.

With increased staffing from police, fire and marine safety

departments, the city was equipped to handle anything the day might

bring. Fortunately, the holiday went off without a hitch.

As sun-seekers hit the beach, lifeguards faced a challenging day.

Marine safety employed 10 extra lifeguards and extended patrol hours,

Marine Safety Chief Mark Klosterman said.

Hwever, it was a smooth holiday, Klosterman said. Lifeguards

received the least amount of medical aid calls they’ve seen on a

Fourth of July holiday in a long time.

“The crowd seemed very cooperative, and everything went well,”

Klosterman said.

The calm surf played a key role in safety on the busy holiday,

Klosterman said. Lifeguards did respond to several incidents where

individuals had been stung by sting rays in the water, Klosterman

said.

The police department also increased staffing to deal with the

crowds, but it, too, recorded the holiday as being relatively low

maintenance.

Police made only 10 arrests over the holiday weekend and received

a nominal amount of calls regarding the use of illegal fireworks,

Cpt. Danell Adamssaid.

“Always when we have a successful holiday like that, it certainly

makes them easier to continue -- it’s when people choose to violate

the rules and standards that fireworks shows get shut down or

diminished greatly,” Adams said.

The fire department reported no firework-related fires or

accidents.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Should Laguna Beach have a bigger Fourth of July fireworks

display? Write us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA, 92652, e-mail us

at coastlinepilot@latimes.com or fax us at 494-8979. Please give your

name and tell us your home address and phone number for verification

purposes only.