Mailbag: Give Hales praise, not criticism

Your characterization of Victoria Hales as “a thorn in the side of the Laguna Relief and Resource Coalition” (“A calling to feed the homeless,” Jan. 29) is inaccurate and embarrassing. As a member of LRRC’s board, I believe that Hales deserves our praise and gratitude.

She offers food, clothing and friendship to homeless men and women, for goodness’ sake. Those people are our clients.

She is quite possibly, however, a thorn in the side of the city, which wants to 1) move the homeless out of the parks and 2) discourage out-of-town homeless people from relocating to Laguna Beach.

Its first aim is wishful thinking, whether Hales cooks or not. Its second aim appears to be moot now that access to the ACT V homeless shelter is limited to locals only; I can’t imagine people coming here from other cities just for breakfast if they have no place to sleep.

The LRRC is in a precarious position.

While it wants to cooperate with the city, it can’t lose sight of its purpose, which is to advocate for the homeless in our community.

ANDY SIEGENFELD

Laguna Beach

Sawdust is hurting artist members

The Sawdust Festival’s president, Jim Stanaland, a five-year man in the festival, refers to his job of representing artists as being comparable to “herding cats,” a testament to his arrogance and the way things have changed for the worse.

It may be naïve for me to assume that hiring a cost-consuming, full-time general and an assistant general manager during these recessionary times when art is the first to be cut was why my job and our previous staff was so abruptly dismissed.

After all, the Sawdust has been running smoothly without these new job descriptions for 43 years. These salaries have taxed the artists by raising booth fees for exhibitors.

The Sawdust Festival needs a board of directors that has all of the artists’ interests in mind in a fair and equal manner at all times.

I have seen the shift in the way the show is governed after working there for nine years, and it saddens me how over-policed this beautiful “artists-run” show has become. I find this disheartening.

Maybe the current board of directors [should] reread the Sawdust Festival Charter.

Time for a CHANGE. The “cats” are paying attention.

JENNIFER TYE

Laguna Beach

Music Festival a delight

For anyone who missed the weeklong Laguna Beach Music Festival, try to make it next year. Paul Chihara brought amazing musicians to perform new compositions written just for the festival, featuring our own Greg MacGillivray’s “The Living Sea” as the inspiration. We had the beautiful, dramatic and extremely talented Claremont Trio. We were in an intimate setting “” the Arts Center “” that for many didn’t even involve a drive.

The tickets were affordable, and many of the events were free. As a snowbird Chicagoan, where we’re no stranger to classical music (but it can be costly and a hassle to get to), it’s such a thrill to have Laguna Beach Live! and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County present this level of performing arts on our doorstep.

DEBORAH ENGLE

Laguna Beach