2007 YEAR IN REVIEW: Where we’ve been

Laguna’s Top 10 stories were covered in the Dec. 28 edition of the Coastline Pilot, but it wasn’t always the biggest headlines that gave us a complete picture. Here are some snapshots of what made 2007 special to us. Dates denote when the story was published.

  JANUARY

Jan. 5: Folks finally got a gander at the environmental impact report for the long-awaited Village Entrance project.

A 76-foot-long boat docked at 1000 Steps Beach to test its ability to navigate the shoreline in preparation for South Coast Water District’s repair of a tunnel that houses a sewer line.

Jan. 12: The city abided by the Coastal Commission opinion that a permit was needed to relocate the Third Street Cottages to Laguna Canyon.

Jan. 19: The city’s cold weather shelter was filled almost to capacity as temperatures dropped. Laguna is the only South County city that sponsors such a shelter, rotating through Laguna’s generous churches and operated by volunteers.

The life of author Theodore Taylor was celebrated at “Ben Brown’s.” Taylor, who had died in October 2006, was remembered for his books, his love of dogs and his passion for life.

Jan. 26: Representatives of nonprofit groups and the business community put their best feet forward at the 20th annual Leadership Luncheon at the Hotel Laguna, chaired by event founder Bobbi Cox.

  FEBRUARY

Feb. 2: Council’s goals for 2007 included bettering customer service at City Hall, employee relations and code enforcement.

Medical marijuana club closed after the city refused to license it.

Feb. 9: Global warning was a hot topic at the Feb. 6 council meeting. The council voted unanimously to support the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

South Coast Medical Center CEO Bruce Christian gave the hospital a clean bill of financial health, despite serious challenges still to be faced.

Feb. 16: Dinners were served at 23 homes, raising funds to provide food and lodging for folks striving to get their lives back on track during 60-day stays at Friendship Shelter.

Feb. 23: Plans to update the Lifeguard Headquarters at Main Beach were unveiled.

Booze was taken off the table at Riddle Field by an amendment to the city code which permits alcohol consumption with meals at city parks.

  MARCH

March 2: Rumors were circulating that Cedar Creek Inn would not renew its lease at the Lumberyard Mall. The Ayres family, who own the restaurant, declined to comment.

A Laguna Beach teenager and a woman in her 20s alleged at Hoag Hospital that they had been sexually assaulted on city beaches, the girl in South Laguna, the woman at Shaw’s Cove. Both claimed their assailants gave them pills.

March 9: Hundreds turned out March 3 for the 41st Annual Patriots Day Parade — some of them there to watch.

Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton attended a fundraising luncheon at a private home in Laguna. She was presented with a quilt handmade by students.

March 16: Laguna businesswoman Heidi Miller, owner of Tight Assets, reopened the international newsstand on Ocean Avenue. She said it was a community service.

The local foundation of the American Assn. of University Women’s annual Literary Luncheon featured two Laguna Beach authors — Joyce Weatherford and Judy Flynn.

March 23: The skirl of a bagpipe, a ponderous drumbeat and about 30 admirers escorted Earth Day founder John McConnell to City Hall, where he was honored by the City Council

Highly regarded educator Theodore Brunner died March 7 at his Laguna Beach home. He was 72.

March 30: The Laguna Beach Woman’s Club told Christ Chapel of Laguna, which had met at the clubhouse for more than 10 years, that it was time to find a new home.

Friends of Dr. Eugene R. Atherton announced a celebration of his life would be at St. Mary’s Guild Hall, followed by a procession to Main Beach, where his ashes were to be cast into the ocean. Atherton died Feb. 19. He was 80.

  APRIL

April 6: A 20-year-old Placentia man was convicted of trying to meet and have sex with a “12-year-old girl,” actually an adult participating in an Internet sex sting conducted by Laguna Beach police in cooperation with perverted-justice.com and county agencies.

April 13: Laguna surfers had a swell time, but lifeguards had their hands full as huge waves and strong currents pounded the city’s beaches. Lifeguards made 22 critical rescues, and contacted or issued warnings to 631 people.

April 20: Folks at odds with city-approved development projects began appealing directly to the California Coastal Commission for resolution of their disputes, by-passing city procedures. City Manager Ken Frank said it has become a statewide issue.

April 27: City employees and lifeguards got a raise: 6% the first year, and 5% for the following four years for City Hall and non-emergency personnel, and 5% for the next four years for hourly lifeguards.

  MAY

(Laguna Beach Heritage Month)

May 4: A suggestion by former Mayor Ann Christoph inspired some alternative thinking about the design for the Village Entrance parking structure.

The Laguna Beach Woman’s Club named Jean Raun the Woman of the Year.

May 11: Toxic algae in local waters was blamed for the death of nearly 50 sea lions in less than one month.

Bree Burgess Rosen received a standing ovation after her concert to benefit the Laguna Beach Woman’s Club.

May 18: Bill Sandlin was reelected Commander of the Laguna Beach American Legion Post. Dianne Connell was elected to serve her seventh year as president of the auxiliary.

A National Citizen Survey that compared 250 cities indicated that Laguna’s residents like living here, but aren’t happy about the traffic or finding a place to park.

May 25: Laguna Presbyterian Church donated its 80-year-old pine pews to a church that lost its pews in Hurricane Katrina. The removal of the pews is the starting of a $9-million renovation of the church.

Community activist Arthur Casebeer died May 20 in his Laguna Beach home. He was 97.

  JUNE

June 1: Assemblyman Chuck DeVore was the keynote speaker at the annual Memorial Day Ceremonies at Heisler Park.

The Orange County League of Conservation Voters named Laguna Canyon Foundation the Environmental Nonprofit of 2007.

June 8: “Laguna Treasure” and mother of former City Clerk Verna Rollinger, Dorothy “Betty” Swenson, died May 30. She was 89.

Memorial services were held for activist Mary Agnes Sparkuhl, who marched along side of Cesar Chavez. She was 87 when she died May 24.

June 15: Artist and teacher Roger Armstrong died June 7. He was 89.

The proposed city budget was reviewed by the council. Public attendance was sparse.

June 22: A group of environmentalists encouraged city officials to say “baa baa” to the herd of goats that crop fuel breaks that help to protect Laguna from wildfires.

The 2007 budget was approved.

June 29: Laguna’s amateur radio operators participated in the 75th annual International Field Day tests, a trial run for the city’s emergency plan.

The Homeless Task Force reported finding no silver bullet to cure all the problems, but did prescribe some interim treatment while research continues.

  JULY

July 6: The city withdrew its original proposal for permanent lifeguard towers on seven beaches and prepared to submit a revised plan. Two California Coastal Commissioners and Laguna Beach resident Sandra Siani had filed an appeal of the project as proposed by the city.

Caltrans agreed to remove a large, electronic sign on Laguna Canyon Road after residents complained about it and city officials determined it was installed without permits.

July 13: An estimated 1,000 people attended the Hometown Barbecue, hosted by the Chamber of Commerce July 5.

Twenty-three couples were married at city facilities 7-7-07, twice the usual number for a summer weekend. The date was seen as thrice lucky.

July 20: The life of the late Evelyn Munro was celebrated on Bastille Day by a diverse crowd that reflected her broad interests, including organizing Brownie troops and unions with equal élan.

The long-simmering Esslinger family feud that pitted father against son over control of the valuable Laguna Terrace Mobile Home Park was settled. No details were made public.

July 27: Mary Fegraus announced her retirement as executive director of the Laguna Canyon Foundation and turned over the reins to Laguna Beach native Meg Jones.

The City Council established new minimums for landscaped open space on new or major remodeling projects: 15% on a lot less than 2,500 square feet and up to 35% on lots of more than 14,500 square feet.

  AUGUST

Aug. 3: City Treasurer Laura Parisi went public with her campaign for more money and more time to do her job. The elected position has been a part-time job since 1979 and the council declined to make a change.

Aug. 10: The City Council added a proposal for a less intrusive parking structure to the Village Entrance draft environmental impact report.

Two Laguna Beach residents won awards at the Orange County Fair for their collections: Dan Thomas for his antique oil cans and Don Smith for his beer steins.

Aug. 17: A homeless man was found dead at the Laguna Beach Relief and Resource Center in Laguna Canyon Road. He apparently bled to death after cutting himself on a window he broke to gain entry.

The council awarded the $1.12 million contract for the reconstruction of a portion of the North Coast Interceptor to Steve Bubulo Construction.

Aug. 24: Each fiscal year, the city gives itself a pat on the back for the key accomplishments in the preceding 12 months. Among the 61 items listed: tentative approval of a $1.8 million state grant for the reconstruction of Heisler Park, installation of a new 911 dispatch system and continued progress on the Bluebird Canyon restoration project.

City officials learned the House of Representatives had passed the $20 billion Water Resources Development Act of 2007, which included authorization of $5 million for the stabilization, utility protection and environmental restoration of the creek, known as the SUPER Project.

President George W. Bush vetoed the bill, but Congress overturned it. Appropriation still has to be approved.

Aug. 31: Participants in the second Residential Guidelines Workshop were asked to define “Village Character” and set priorities for distinct neighborhoods.

The California Coastal Commission levied a $50,000 — possibly even a $70,000 — premium for privacy on a gated community beach. Three Arch Bay Homeowners Assn. will pay the price toward the renovation of the Brooks Street Beach, to which the public has access.

  SEPTEMBER

Sept. 7: The Exchange Club’s annual Labor Day Pancake Breakfast at Heisler Park celebrated the end of the summer tourist season.

Artistic new signs above the tide pools at Main Beach were designed to educate the public about the rules which protect the ocean environment.

Sept. 14: Museum officials announced their intention to improve the facility on Cliff Drive rather than move to the Civic Arts District, as had been discussed.

Chabad members dedicated a new Torah, commissioned by Kaveh Lahijani.

Sept. 21: The Laguna Board of Realtors’ 11th Annual Pet Parade and Chili Cook-Off was Sept. 9 at Tivoli Too.

Sept. 28: Former City Councilman Howard Dawson died Sept. 20 at South Coast Medical Center. He was 89.

Laguna was hit by the downturn in the housing market. City Manager Ken Frank said there had been a significant decline in Real Property reports, which are required when a house is sold.

  OCTOBER

Oct 5: A Caltrans study showed little change in the total vehicle trips in, out or through Laguna between 1995 and 2005, but drivers had a different perspective. Planning Commissioner Anne Johnson said drivers perceive traffic by how long they sit in it.

Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani wowed local Republicans in a closed circuit appearance, aired nationally.

Oct. 12: Laguna Beach County Water District customers were asked to voluntarily reduce their daily usage by 20 gallons per person. “We are facing some of the most significant challenges to our water supply in the last half-century,” said Renae Hinchey, general manage of the district.

Anthony D’Altorio, who dispensed medicine, comfort and smiles for more than 20 years at Bushard’s Pharmacy died Oct. 9. He was 65.

Oct. 19: Clean Water Now! founder Roger Butow charged that a new dumping site for sediment drained from Newport Bay is adversely affecting Laguna’s protected marine habitat.

Oct. 26: City officials redeployed the goat herd to crop fuel breaks where brush had not been cleared for 10 years, the action prompted by the fires raging throughout Southern California. The California Coastal Commission, which had advised the city that a permit would be needed to continue the grazing, was notified.

South Coast Medical Center provided free respiratory masks for people suffering from the smoke wafting from the fires.

  NOVEMBER

Nov. 2: City attorney Phillip Kohn rebutted allegations by persistent opponents of an approved project on Bay Drive that the City Council violated the Brown Act violations by conducting discussions prohibited and taking action beyond the scope of the published agenda.

Nov. 9: Midtown residents were given the opportunity to vote in the spring on whether they want to test a preferential parking program in their neighborhood that would limit nighttime parking to residents with permits and their guests. The Chamber of Commerce and the Laguna Beach Woman’s Club opposed the program.

A council subcommittee was appointed to investigate the expansion of the policy that discourages formula-based businesses downtown, prompted by the near-loss of a popular family-owned café, which raised local hackles. The Chamber of Commerce opposed the expansion.

Nov. 16: City officials took steps to cope with disasters, including a proposal to upgrade the city’s reverse 911 system, used to notify residents by a recorded phone message of imminent danger.

The council increased the fees from $2 an hour to $3 to park in the beach-close, city-owned lot on Broadway, but drivers will be able to pay with plastic. New fees started Tuesday.

Nov. 23: Neither supporters nor opponents of the revised plan for the Lifeguard Headquarters on Main Beach were willing to give an inch on the size. A proposed reduction in the size didn’t satisfy critics and some supporters wanted even more square footage. The council said bigger was better. However, the final decision will actually be up to the Coastal Commission, the city manager said.

Nov. 30: A French sister city was not adopted by the City Council, as proposed by then-Mayor Toni Iseman.

At least two of the council members were miffed they had not been aware Iseman was in touch with Menton, France, officials. Iseman, who later visited Menton with an ad hoc committee, is expected to make a formal pitch for sisterhood this month.

DECEMBER

Dec. 7: Mayor Pro Tem Jane Egly got a promotion. She was elected by the council to serve as mayor in the final year of her first term.

Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman was elected mayor pro tem. Both women will be up for reelection in 2008.

Laguna Beach Seniors Inc. asked for nominations for Legacy Awards, to be presented at the 2008 Legacy Ball set for March 14. The inaugural 2007 ball, at which Virginia Schott and Harry Lawrence were honored, raised about $25,000 for senior programs.

Dec. 14: Long-time Emerald Bay resident Mary Young died. She was 92.

Hospitality Night was a glittering success. Many thought it was the biggest crowd ever to attend.

Dec. 21: Retired U.S. Marine Sgt. Major James Law, one of Laguna’s most revered war veterans, slipped peacefully into his final posting Dec. 14. He was 87.

Two Laguna Beach men were among the 23 defendants charged with fraud in an FBI investigation of alleged multi-million dollar leasing scams, dubbed Operation Lease Fleece. Adam Zuckerman, 37, was identified as the owner of Brickbanc Capital in Costa Mesa. Jeff Greenough, 48, worked for Peniche in Orange County.

Dec. 28: Lots of headlines, as the year’s top 10 stories were reprised. Community Recovery Coordinator Bob Burnham was named Coastline Pilot Newsmaker of the Year.