EDITORIAL:Good news comes in twos

Two good things happened last week in Laguna: Laguna Beach High School got its coveted “Distinguished School” designation and the Old Pottery Place held its grand opening.

The high school honor, given by the state Department of Education, is especially gratifying for a school that has come under the sometimes-unflattering spotlight of the MTV reality show and its voyeuristic fan base.

Some in the community are worried that MTV is destroying the city’s reputation as a mecca of fine art and culture, and turning it tawdry.

Every time a “Laguna Beach” alum (meaning the show) gets into trouble, the city’s name — and especially the high school’s — is essentially dragged through the media mud.

The recent case of a former student and cast member who was sentenced to jail for an alleged racially-charged assault is just the latest in a string of incidents that have made many locals cringe.

This “Distinguished School” recognition should dispel some of those concerns for Lagunans and for the world.

Principal Don Austin is to be commended for bringing a down-to-earth, back-to-basics quality to the high school, which has some of the most talented and creative students and faculty anywhere.

It’s high time the school got due recognition for its strengths — not just its notoriety.

We hope the school can also go on to achieve Blue Ribbon status on a national scale. Wouldn’t that show the world that the local high school is about more than rich kids and out-of-control behavior?

As for the Old Pottery Place, after two years of careful planning and construction, and historic-minded reconstruction, it has arrived looking even better than imagined — a marvelous place for locals and visitors to gather and enjoy the “fine arts” that put Laguna Beach on the map in the first place.

The place is absolutely jumping with diners and customers, and its success is a given.

Congratulations to all for a job well done!