Briefly In the News

Candlelight vigil planned at Festival of Arts

The Festival of Arts will hold a candlelight vigil at 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Festival of Arts center green in remembrance of artists, leaders and colleagues who have passed away this year.

The vigil will honor Festival artists Brian Day, Vincent Farrell, Robert McDowell Gentry, Mia Krantz, James Nussbaum, Suzanne Pitts and Tat Shinno; Festival staff members Lowell E. Harris and Mary Post Young; Pageant sculptor Lyle Brooks; and longtime former Festival of Arts board member and civic leader David Young. The public is welcome to attend. The Festival of Arts will offer free admission onto the grounds after 8:30 p.m.

Additional services include a memorial in the Irvine Bowl for Lyle Brooks at 10 a.m. Thursday and a memorial service for Young at Tivoli Terrace on the Festival of Arts grounds at 10 a.m. July 27. For more information, call (949) 494-1145. The Festival grounds are at 650 Laguna Canyon Road.

Woman’s Club holding food drive July 31

The Laguna Beach Woman’s Club is asking the community to bring groceries to the clubhouse for needy Laguna Beach families between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. July 31.

“Sande St.John, Woman’s Club resource chair and community activist, has advised our board of directors that some families in Laguna Beach need food,” said Anne Johnson, club spokeswoman.

“Additional new requests for aid, primarily for food, have challenged existing community resources,” St.John said. “The present economic crunch has made already bad situations worse for some families.”

Club members will be at the site, 286 St. Ann’s Drive, to receive donations and transport them to distribution sites. Perishables or supplies in glass containers will not be accepted. For more information, call (949) 497-1200.

Library closing for three months for upgrade

The Laguna Beach Library will close between Aug. 17 and Nov. 16, City Manager Ken Frank said in the July 10 Weekly Update to city staff.

The facility will be renovated with new carpet, painting and electrical improvements during the three-month construction project.

Property values increase 4% in Laguna Beach

Property values in Laguna Beach have increased 4%, even as they declined as much as 6% in other areas, according to the most recent property assessment, Frank stated.

“Laguna Beach has by far the fewest numbers of houses that did not receive an increase in assessed value,” Frank wrote. “This reflects a stable occupancy base coupled with reasonably stable prices compared to what’s happening in other communities.”

Rotary Club meetings now at Aliso Creek Inn

After 70 years at the Hotel Laguna, the Laguna Beach Rotary Club has moved its noon Friday meetings to the Aliso Creek Inn & Lodge, according to Rotary member Rosalind Russell.

“We are one of two service clubs remaining in Laguna,” Russell said. “We work locally and globally to fight poverty, eradicate polio and our goal is to furnish all countries with fresh water within the next 15 years.”

Mayor hands out benefit event checks

Mayor Kelly Boyd called on Aggie Doherty to help him present checks at the July 7 City Council meeting to nonprofit organizations that were the beneficiaries of his annual fundraising golf tournament.

Checks for $1,500 were accepted by Barbara Hakalo for the Laguna Beach Community Clinic, Chris Quilter for the Susi Q Senior Center, Mary Ferguson for the Marine Mammal Center and Don Crevier for the Boys & Girls Club. Ed Sauls did not attend the meeting and the check for the Laguna Beach Resource and Relief Center will be presented later.

The single biggest check went to the Laguna Beach Golf Team: $4,000 to be divided between the boys’ and girls’ teams.