Briefly in Business

Business counseling offered Tuesdays

The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce will offer free counseling through SCORE, a nationwide agency that offers counseling to small businesses, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays at the Chamber, 363 Glenneyre St., Laguna Beach.

The next session is Tuesday. To make an appointment, call (949) 494-1018.

Tidepool DVD wins marketing award

The Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau received first place in the state for its “Tidepool Scene” DVD in the category of “Best Sustainable Tourism Messages in Advertising.” The award was given at the 2010 California Tourism Marketing Excellence Awards on June 8 in San Francisco during the 28th annual California Conference on Tourism.

The California Travel and Tourism Commission recognized a number of California destinations and attractions for excellence in successful, high-quality tourism advertising, marketing and public relations programs.

“We are thrilled to receive this award on a state level,” said Karyn Philippsen, president of the board of directors of the Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau.

“Our partnership with the Laguna Ocean Foundation and Barnstormer Productions made this educational DVD possible, and demonstrated the importance of keeping our tidepools pristine for generations to come,” said Judith Bijlani, executive director of the Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau.

The Bureau received an additional award when they placed second in the category of “Best Visitors Guide for California Destinations.”

A judging panel comprised of marketing professionals and industry experts selected a winner in each of 10 categories.

For more information, visit https://www.lagunabeachinfo.com.

Festival of Goddesses is June 26

The Festival of Goddesses is seeking vendors, sponsors and advertisers to participate in a day of celebration from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 26, at Bridge Hall, Neighborhood Congregational Church 340 St. Ann’s St., Laguna Beach. The event is designed to be a day of opening to the Goddess within by creating connections, exploring feminine dialogue, a fashion show, live auction and shopping while attended to by male servers. Tickets are on sale for $45 in advance at https://www.festivalofgoddesses.com. Space is limited to 150 people.

For more information contact Verlaine Crawford at (949) 422-7602 or crawford@cox.net.

Flag retirement offered

The Laguna Beach Exchange Club will be attending the California Hawaii Nevada District Exchange Convention in Irvine on June 25 to participate in a flag retirement ceremony. The retirement of worn out flags is a solemn occasion, during which the flag is cut into two pieces by cutting the Union from the Stripes. Then two fires are readied to receive the cloths, one for the blue field and the other for the stripes. Four symbolic pieces of wood are added:

Redwood for those who fought and died for this nation;

Oak for strength to carry the flag across the nation;

Cedar to protect and preserve the American way of life; and

Walnut to celebrate America’s rich soil and beauty and the brotherhood of the nation’s founders.

Anyone with torn or faded flags to provide a proper farewell may call (949) 494-4281 to arrange for a retirement.

The flag retirement is part of the Exchange Club’s Americanism program.