Briefly In The News

Great Decisions groups begin

The 10th series of the Great Decisions Discussion Groups, sponsored by the Foreign Policy Assn., will begin Tuesday. These discussions occur nationwide. In Laguna, the program is offered by the League of Women Voters and the Social Action Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. These discussions provide in-depth knowledge of foreign policy issues. The venue will be the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 429 Cypress Drive, Laguna Beach.

Participants can choose to attend either an afternoon or evening session at 1:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. Meetings will occur on the first and third Tuesday of each month for eight sessions. Those interested in the afternoon session may call Bill Foster at (949) 494-7358. Call Jean Raun for the evening session at (949) 494-2247.

*

Coast Highway repairs at Crystal Cove

Caltrans will begin the construction of two earth retaining walls on southbound Pacific Coast Highway at Crystal Cove State Park on Monday.

Stormwater runoff has resulted in deterioration of the embankment, according to Caltrans. The retaining walls will be built to protect and stabilize the damaged and eroded embankment and prevent the loss of the roadway shoulder and bicycle lane.

The roadway shoulder and bicycle lane will be closed for approximately two-tenths of a mile from El Morro Beach to Morro Ridge Road during construction, and bicyclists are advised to share the No. 2 southbound lane during this time. No other closures will be in effect and vehicle traffic will not be impacted. Work hours will be from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday to Jan. 15, and from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning Jan. 17, Monday through Friday. This project is expected to be completed by the spring of 2012.

*

Antonia Adezio, president of the National Garden Conservancy, will speak and present a slide show on the topic, “Safeguarding America’s Most Exceptional Gardens” at the 9:30 a.m. Jan. 14 meeting of the Laguna Beach Garden Club.

With philanthropist Frank Cabot, Adezio helped to establish the Garden Conservancy in 1989 to safeguard the country’s most exceptional gardens. The 5,000-member organization is considered America’s foremost protector of landscape heritage.

The garden club meets at the Neighborhood Congregational Church, 340 St. Ann’s Drive, Laguna Beach. The meeting is free one-time for guests.

*

Library holds book sale

The Friends of the Library Book Shop will cut prices in half for all books, except art books, starting Monday through Jan. 15. The shop is beneath the Laguna Beach Library, 363 Glenneyre St.