Briefly In the News

Health care reform meeting is Sept. 12

Michael Hiltzik, business columnist for the Los Angeles Times, will speak at a Town Meeting on Health Care at 9 a.m. Sept. 12 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 429 Cypress Drive. The meeting, organized by the League of Women Voters, will also feature Joe Dunn, chief executive of the California Medical Assn.

Dunn will speak about the way the delivery of health care is treated in the proposed legislation. Hiltzik will discuss the proposed legislation from a financial point of view, and answer questions about how reform would affect health care consumers’ pocketbooks.

Conservancy to host parks director

Mark Denny, director of OC Parks (formerly Orange County Harbors, Beaches and Parks), will be the keynote speaker at the Sept. 14 meeting of the Laguna Canyon Conservancy, at 6 p.m. at Tivoli Terrace, 650 Laguna Canyon Road.

Conservancy meetings are normally the first Monday of the month, but this one had to be moved due to Labor Day. Meetings are open to the public. Dinner tickets are $10 for members, $15 for nonmembers.

Those planning to attend must call in their reservation by Sept. 12 to (949) 494-6465.

Pet owners, chili-makers invited to cook-off

Pets and chili cooks will compete for attention — and awards — at the Laguna Board of Realtors 13th annual Chili Cook-Off and Pet Parade from noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 13 at Tivoli Too, 777 Laguna Canyon Road.

Aspiring and professional chili chefs are being invited to submit recipes and samples of their fiery concoctions for review at the event by a panel of local judges.

Pet owners can compete for awards in six different categories: Most Handsome, Prettiest Female, Most Talented, Cutest Baby Pet (12 months or younger), Best Costume, and Most Gorgeous Senior (10 years and older). The day ends with all the pets strutting their stuff in the pet parade.

The event will raise funds for the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter, Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Bluebell Cat Foundation and Pet Rescue Center.

Chili participants can reserve a booth for $50. Vendor booths are $100 and pet contestants are $10 per pet per category. Registration on event day from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Call the Laguna Board of Realtors, (949) 497-2474, or pick up forms at 939 Glenneyre St.

Garden Club speaker to discuss all-year color

The Laguna Beach Garden Club presents ornamental horticulturist and landscape designer Annie Hall speaking on the topic “Year Round Color” at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 11 at the Neighborhood Congregational Church, 340 St. Ann’s Drive.

Hall, an instructor at Saddleback College in the landscape design and horticulture department, will share her garden design techniques for obtaining year-round color, especially in Cottage and Perennial-style gardens.

The social gathering starts at 9:30 a.m. with the plant and garden boutique, then a business meeting at 10 a.m. and Hall at 10:30 a.m.

The meeting is free one time for guests. For more information, visit www.lagunabeachgardenclub.org.