CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP:Ex-mayors to be feted at lunch

Outgoing Laguna Beach Mayors Steve Dicterow and Elizabeth Schneider will be honored by the community at a special luncheon event at the Woman’s Club on Friday, Feb. 2. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. and lunch and the program will begin at noon.

During 2006, the duties of mayor were shared by Dicterow and Schneider.

Dicterow, who joins Bob Gentry and Neil Fitzpatrick as one of only three recent council members to serve three terms, chose not to run for a fourth term — but has hinted that his political life in town might not be over. Schneider was elected to her second term in November 2006.

Laguna Beach mayors serve the city both officially and ceremonially.

Advance reservations are essential. Checks made out to the Woman’s Club for $20 per person should be sent to the Woman’s Club, 286 St. Ann’s Drive, Laguna Beach, CA., 92651.

City Council seeks committee applicants

The City Council is accepting applications for the following committees: Parking, Traffic, and Circulation Committee (2); Recreation Committee (3); and Housing & Human Services Committee (1).

Interviews will be conducted by the City Council at their regular meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 505 Forest Ave. All applicants will be interviewed.

Committees generally meet once a month.

Residents of Laguna Beach who are interested in applying are required to submit an application that is available in the City Clerk’s office or on line at the City’s web site, www.lagunabeachcity.net

The application must be filed with the City Clerk by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 6. Applications filed after the deadline will not be accepted. For more information, call Martha Anderson, (949) 497-0705.

Second session added for Byzantine icons talk

Historian Wayne Roosa will give two illustrated talks on artistic/religious icons of the Byzantine world — at 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Sunday — in the parlor of Laguna Presbyterian Church, on the corner of Forest Avenue and Second Street in Laguna Beach.

Roosa, returning to Laguna Presbyterian for the fourth time by popular request, will talk about icons during the morning sessions. A second session was added due to an expected high level of interest.

From 7 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, he’ll discuss illuminated manuscripts, explaining the interconnected roles of art and liturgy in ancient artistic treasures.

The J. Paul Getty Museum is exhibiting icons from Sinai.

Roosa is a recognized art historian, author, and Bethel University teacher.

The public is invited to the free lectures. For more information, contact Kathy Sizer, (949) 494-7555

Brunch set for Patriots Day Parade honorees

The community is invited to attend the Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade Honorees Brunch, on Sunday, February 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Tivoli Terrace, Festival of Arts Grounds.

Honorees for the March 3 parade are:

Grand Marshal Joan Irvine Smith;

Patriot of the Year Lawrence A. Smith, a World War II veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps;

Citizen of the Year Bree Burgess Rosen of No Square Theatre; and

Junior Citizens, Laguna Beach High seniors Mary Elizabeth Trout and Marshall Thomas.

Cost of the brunch is $20 per person. For information or reservations, call Sandi at (949) 494-6016.

Environmental reports forum scheduled Monday

An informational forum on the topic “How to Read an Environmental Impact Report” will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday in the Laguna Beach City Council Chamber, 505 Forest Ave.

The forum is being presented as a community service by the Laguna Beach Unit of the League of Women Voters, the Ocean Laguna Foundation, and the local chapter of the Surfrider Foundation.

All members of the public are invited to attend. The goal of the forum is to provide community members with basic information about the process so they will be better able to understand, critique and comment on Environmental Impact Reports.

Ed Almanza, a local professional, will speak. Handouts and refreshments will be provided.

For more information, call (949) 494-9928.

Village Entrance topic at dinner

The latest plans for the Village Entrance proposed to be built next to City Hall and across from the Festival of Arts will be revealed at the Laguna Canyon Conservancy monthly dinner meeting Monday, Feb. 5.

Alan Pullman, project manager for Studio One Eleven, an architectural firm in Long Beach that is the prime consultant for the Village Entrance, will give a power point presentation on the proposed project.

He will be assisted by Laguna resident Bob Borthwick, representing Borthwick Guy Bettenhausen, Inc., who is part of the design team.

Conservancy dinner meetings are held at Tivoli Terrace, 650 Laguna Canyon Rd., and are open to the public. No host bar opens at 6 p.m., with dinner served around 6:40 p.m., followed by the program.

Dinner tickets are $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers and may be paid at the door with prior reservations.

To reserve a spot, call Ed Drollinger at (949) 494-6465. Leave name, phone number, and number of reservations.

Signed copies of local book available

Autographed copies of Joan Irvine Smith’s new book, “A California Woman’s Story,” are available at the Laguna Beach Historical Society.

Smith will be Grand Marshall of the Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade.

The Historical Society received the books due to the generosity of Richard J. O’Neill, of the pioneering family which owned two of the original Mexican Ranchos — the Santa Margarita Ranch and Rancho Mission Viejo Y La Paz.

“This book includes an abundance of color photographs of key people, places and events which have greatly influenced our wonderful coastal communities,” said Historical Society President Kimberly Stuart.

“Those making a $100 donation to the Historical Society will receive an autographed copy of the book which is sure to enrich their understanding and appreciation of our local history.”

The Historical Society’s home, the 1920s Murphy-Smith Bungalow, 278 Ocean Ave., is open to the public at no charge every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.

Fourteen aerial photographs from 1941, covering all of Laguna Beach — in sections from Three Arch Bay to and including Emerald Bay — were recently added.

Volunteers are needed to greet visitors to the Murphy-Smith Bungalow and those interested should call (949) 939-7257.

To join the Laguna Beach Historical Society, send $15 per individual, $25 per household or $50 per business/organization to 278 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach, CA 92651. More information on the Society and Laguna history is at LagunaHistory.org.