MAILBAG: Sculpture vandalism calls for vigilance

The metal sculpture, “Industrial Mount,” installed at the Wells Fargo Bank was severely damaged over the weekend in an act of malicious mischief, apparently by late-hour Ocean Avenue revelers.

The sculpture is owned by the Festival of Arts and was installed by the Community Art Project. It is one of a number of important public art objects currently on display in Laguna. In view of the increasing activity at Ocean Avenue restaurants and bars, we believe it is time for a police officer to be on duty weekend nights to provide a calming effect in the area.

KEN ANDERSON

Laguna Beach

Editor’s note: Ken Anderson is a member of the board of Community Art Project.

? Neighbors sick of generators’ noise

South Coast Medical Center is making nearby residents sick!

Two “temporary” generators in the lower parking lot have been there for months, and make noise all day and, now, all night long. Recently, both of the generators have been replaced with noisier models, leading to many sleepless nights in neighborhoods all around the hospital.

Calls to the medical center now go unanswered. Perhaps they grew tired of breaking promises. The generators were supposed to be gone in May, then June, then early July, then July 18.

The generators are still there, and no one seems accountable for turning peace and quiet into constant noise and sleep deprivation.

MICHAEL SARRIS

Laguna Beach

? There’s a concrete difference

Editor’s Note: The following letter was in response to the online article “Nine injured in cement truck collision on Laguna Canyon Road,” posted July 21.

I am a registered professional engineer and also a member of the Laguna Beach Design Review Board. Not trying to be nitpicky here, but I’d like to see people starting to understand the distinction between cement and concrete. Cement is a powder, it is a component of concrete, along with water, sand and aggregate (usually gravel). Unless this truck was carrying a load of powdered cement, it was most likely a concrete mixing truck. If this was a concrete mixing truck it would be much heavier, making the accident that much more dangerous, and the cleanup more significant and time consuming. Anyway, typically one would refer to a concrete truck, a concrete wall or building, a concrete sidewalk, etc.

I know it is a common to intermix these two words, but there really is a difference. I still remember getting a real hard time as a freshman from my “Materials of Construction” professor in college when I referred to a “cement sidewalk.”

KEN SADLER

Laguna Beach

?

Veterans enjoyed evening at Pageant

Big thanks go to the board of the Festival of Arts and June Neptune of Tivoli Terrace restaurant for providing a wonderful evening for 100 veterans and their support staff on July 14. This year the Laguna Beach American Legion and VFW Posts invited veterans from Long Beach, Loma Linda and San Diego Veterans Hospitals and from the Barstow and Chula Vista Veterans Homes to attend the famous Pageant of the Masters and dinner at Tivoli Terrace. Our fellow veterans never fail to be amazed and appreciative of this special Laguna Beach hospitality.

Commander American Legion Post 222

BILL KREMER