Mailbag: Candidate has shown she can do the job
During this campaign, I was surprised to learn that many people don’t know who Michele Hall is or what she’s done for this community.
When her maiden name Oliver comes up, she then becomes more recognizable, especially with alumni. It’s not because her actions aren’t meaningful, newsworthy endeavors or haven’t warranted the media’s attention or sparked personal discussion.
As director of United Laguna she increased membership by 300% and was instrumental in bringing the Montage to Laguna by championing the entitlement process. The destination resort, which shares space with a public park, generates millions in bed-tax and has proven to be an indisputable win-win for the city.
As president of the Laguna Beach GOP, Hall took a stand against Village Laguna. Among much criticism, she held her ground for what she knew was right. Her tenacity paid off and the entrance project was ultimately defeated.
Michele is not about the singular “I.” She has always been and continues to be about the collective “we.” She is uncharacteristically humble for a candidate embroiled in a heated campaign and does not take credit where credit is actually due.
Other than City Hall bureaucracy, not a lot of training is required in order for her take a position on City Council: She collaborates well with others, has been a director and member of a board, leads groups effectively, brings ground-breaking, multi-million dollar projects to fruition, gives back, listens well and can do a yoga bow pose with grace and fortitude.
She is a tour de force who wants us all to win. She has calculable experience with things that are important to Laguna — water conservation, property rights, real estate, children, art, education, homeless, philanthropy and business. She infuses a fresh perspective of what is necessary for creating an indelible positive future.
I’ve had the pleasure of friendship with Michele since third grade when we met at Aliso Elementary and our friendship continued through Thurston Middle School and LBHS.
She is godmother to my daughter Chiara, whose father died when she was 15 months old. Michele was my first and only choice to be mom for my child should something happen to me. I trust her judgment, value her accomplishments personally and professionally, decision-making ability and unwavering love for Laguna. That’s why she’s my only vote for City Council.
Lisa (Babik) Berman
Laguna Beach
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Candidates should support residents and businesses
If you are on the fence as to whom to vote for in our City Council race this letter may help you decide.
A phrase being repeated by our business leaders is “let’s get things done.” Here are same past examples. In the early 1970s a 5 to 0 Republican City Council decided to change the zoning for beachfront land starting at the south end of Main Beach and marching 13 blocks toward San Diego to Bluebird Canyon. The council’s goal was to rezone this land to allow 10 story hotels.
The goal was to make money for developers, hotel owners and City Hall. At that time there was no village voice in existence. A group of people got together. They did not want their town to look or feel like Miami, Honolulu, New York City, etc. This group of residents asked the council to stop with the high rising of Laguna. That council said we are here to “get things done,” we will not stop. So the residents started getting voters to sign a recall petition, and from this action we were able to get a 36-foot height limit into our General Plan.
In this same time period, the business community begin talking about building a sea wall to enable the construction of a Dana Point style marina off of Main Beach. In 2013 our current “let’s get things done” City Council, except Councilwoman Toni Iseman, decided the downtown needed a four-story parking garage built at our farmers market. Residents started to suggest to the current council that this 500-space car park priced at $40 plus million was an unwanted, unneeded, boondoggle.
The council’s response was “we want to get things done.” This council changed their vote only after a massive tidal wave of “oh my God you must be kidding”. I believe that Toni Iseman and Robert Zur Schmiede are the more apt to balance the needs of both residents and the business community.
Michael Hoag
Laguna Beach
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Iseman is the right choice
After reading all the many responses by the candidates for the City Council and listening at the forums, Councilwoman Toni Iseman was the only one who gave answers that showed an understanding of the issues. She should be returned to the council.
John Selecky
Laguna Beach
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Besides me, vote for these two
I am running for school board of the Laguna Beach Unified School District. Voters can vote for three of the four candidates. In the campaign, voters have asked me which of the other candidates I support. The other two candidates I will vote for are Ketta Brown and Dee Perry, and I hope all will join me in voting 1, 2 and 4 on Tuesday.
Ketta is an experienced and effective board member with a strong public finance background and extensive connections within our school district. Dee is a former Laguna Beach teacher and parent of a child who has attended our schools.
I do not support the fourth candidate. She has no past connection to our schools and is not, in my opinion, informed about our district. She has always had her school-age kids enrolled in private school. That is her right, but I and others are concerned about a candidate who is running for a public school board who purposely is not involved in the schools she wants to govern.
I have been advised by those familiar with the mathematics of voting not to write this letter. They say that I should not publicly encourage voting for the three obviously qualified candidates, but rather just to work to ensure my own election. But it’s extremely important to take a stand in favor of qualified candidates and against an unqualified, disconnected candidate with an unknown agenda. I stand for communication and openness and I’m starting now.
I encourage all voters to carefully investigate the candidates and their positions and vote for those who have demonstrated a healthy approach to our future and have in the past demonstrated their commitment to our students and schools prior to declaring for office.
Carol Normandin
Laguna Beach
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