Landslide emergency continues

A year ago yesterday, land 100 feet beneath Bluebird Canyon shifted ? and so did the lives of hundreds of Laguna Beach residents, as well as the city itself.

Flamingo Road fell about 20 feet and residents fled, as many were having their breakfast and just getting up and out for the day.

City emergency personnel responded swiftly, several neighborhoods were evacuated in an orderly manner and no lives were lost.

People banded together to help the afflicted, and those left homeless were provided with shelter. Most plan to rebuild when they have stable land on which to do so.

Over the past year, city officials have worked hard to repair the damage, make the hillside safe and restore Flamingo Road.

Donated funds have been funneled to those in need in an orderly and responsible manner, and no identified real need has gone unmet.

Laguna’s mayor, Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider, has been compared to New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who led that city so ably after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The response to the landslide was a shining moment for Laguna Beach, but it looks like a longer road ahead to complete restoration of the neighborhood and individual lives.

The city is still in a “state of emergency.”

Work to restore the landslide area and make it safe for rebuilding is slow. Landslide area homeowners learned a couple of weeks ago that soil movement has put a stumbling block in the way of completing repairs, which caused a bit of a panic among some.

City officials are certain that the shifting soil is just settling after all the earthwork. We hope so.

Bluebird Canyon residents need to “keep the faith” and know that the entire city is on their side and expert help is on the job.

Hopefully, by next June 1, we will see the beginnings of a return to normalcy in that afflicted neighborhood.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Is the city any better prepared for disaster a year after the landslide? 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.