Laguna beaches fare well

Every beach in Laguna received an A’s in water quality on Heal the

Bay’s summer report card, released Tuesday, with 14 of 16 graded

beaches getting an A+.

Laguna’s closest neighbors, Dana Point and Newport Beach,

accounted for eight of the nine Fs given to Orange County beaches.

The other was in San Clemente.

“We’re as aggressive in educating the public on how they can help

keep beaches clean as any community I’ve seen all the way down to the

Mexican border,” Councilman Wayne Baglin said. “This wouldn’t happen

unless the public was responding to our attempts to educate.”

Baglin credited Lagunans for being willing to put their tax

dollars toward measures that help keep beaches clean and city staff

for keeping tabs on what residents are doing wrong and teaching them

how to do things right.

When the rains return, however, Baglin sees two beaches as major

targets for concern.

“I expect chronic problems at Aliso Creek and at Main Beach

because we get runoff that comes from the inland communities and our

own,” Baglin said. “Diversion devices only work in low-flow

situations, and when major storms hit, Band-Aids aren’t enough.”

The city will continue to send the message to residents that the

struggle to keep our beaches clean starts at your front door, and

Baglin said he hopes communities from Laguna Niguel to Mission Viejo

also start listening.

-- Mike Swanson

Get moving and eating for a good cause

Monday marks the 13th year for “A Moveable Feast,” a Laguna

Playhouse fund-raiser. The event showcases 12 Laguna restaurants and

invites participants to join a dining extravaganza in multiple

places. Last year’s event raised $50,000 with about 360 participants.

It begins with a pre-dinner reception starting at 5:30 p.m. at

[seven-degrees] with champagne and the opportunity to bid on silent

auction items, such as original art, vacation packages and fine

dining. Guests will enjoy a two course meal from a choice of

restaurants, including Five Feet, French 75, Partners Bistro,

Splashes, Sundried Tomato Cafe, 230 Forest, Villa Romana Trattoria,

The Cabana Beachside Bar and Grill, Cedar Creek Inn and Picayo

Cuisine of the Sun. To see the different menus, go to

https://www.lagunaplayhouse.org.

Dessert will follow at a reception back at [seven-degrees]

prepared by Laguna Culinary Arts. The reception will include jazz,

price drawings and the final auction bidding.

Tickets for “A Moveable Feast” are $125 per person with $75 tax

deductible. For information, call Laguna Playhouse at (949) 497-ARTS

or go online to https://www.lagunaplayhouse.org.

-- Suzie Harrison

Calvary Church hosting festival on Halloween

Calvary Evangelical Free Church will host a Halloween “Ball” at

Fellowship Hall.

There will be a Harvest Festival with refreshments, a square dance

exhibition and dancing.

The event for all ages will begin at 5 p.m. Oct. 31 with the

exhibition beginning at 6 p.m. at 486 Legion St.

For more information, call (949) 494-6191.

Historical look at the fire

The Laguna Beach Historical Society will host a program on the

Laguna wildfire of 1993.

Then-Mayor Lida Lenny and retired Fire Capt. Bing Boka will be

part of the program. Those attending will be given time to share

where they were on that day. The program will be videotaped and kept

in the historical society’s archive.

Photos or short videos can still be added to the program by

contacting the historical society’s president, Gene Felder, at (949)

295-4563 or at [email protected].

The event will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 24 in the

council chambers, 505 Forest Ave.

The program will be free, and the public is invited.

Get in the game

with fun activities

The Laguna Beach Recreation Department sponsors various pickup

games for adults at the gym at Laguna Beach High School. Former high

school and college players participate. Adults are invited to come

out and play Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon. $2 fee at the door.

Festival of Arts board candidates to speak

Village Laguna will host an event for candidates of the Festival

of Arts Board of Directors to speak.

The membership meeting will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 in the Wells

Fargo Community Room, 260 Ocean Ave.

The seven candidates vying for three open seats are Paul Goldie,

Richard Hawthorne, Anita Mangels, John Hoover, Bruce Rasner, Carolyn

Reynolds and David Young. They will be asked to share their

philosophy and vision for the future of the festival. The public is

invited, and refreshments will be served. For more information, call

(949) 499-4809.

Sunday event set to benefit Club for Kids

The Laguna Club for Kids will hold its second annual Open House

Gala, Silent Auction and Opportunity Drawing from 2 to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday.

The Opportunity Drawing will be for a new 2003 Mini Cooper.

The proceeds of the event will benefit those programs, including

scholarship funds, staff development and program enhancements

Tickets for the Opportunity Drawing are $100 and sold at the club,

the Coffee Pub, Prudential Realty, the UPS Store and Coast Highway

Laundry and Curves. For more information, call (949) 494-7630.

Public’s input needed for city’s cultural arts plan

The Laguna Beach Arts Commission and Cultural Arts Department are

working on updating a cultural arts plan for the city. The Arts

Commission is seeking help from the community to identify resources,

assess local needs and improve access to arts programs and art

education.

Questionnaires are available at the community services department,

online at https://www.lagunabeachcity.net or at the Farmer’s Market on

Saturday.

For information, call Sian Poeschl, arts manager, at (949)

497-0722.

Bink-A-Thon coming to Laguna Beach High

The Southern California Binky Patrol’s “Comforting Covers for

Kids” will host its eighth annual Bink-A-Thon on Oct. 25 at Laguna

Beach High School.

The Bink-A-Thon will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the high

school, at 625 Park Ave. Those who wish to donate funds or volunteer,

contact (949) 916-5926, or visit https://www.binkypatrol.org for more

information.

American Legion hall hosting USO show

Laguna Beach American Legion Post 222 will host its sixth annual

USO show from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Veterans Memorial Community

Center, 384 Legion St.

There will be a live USO show performed by Pete Jacobs and the

Wartime Radio Revue.

The public is welcome. Those with military uniforms are encouraged

to wear them. There will be prizes for the best dressed, civilian and

military.

There will be hamburgers, hot dogs and soft drinks like at real

USO shows. A $10 donation for adults and $5 for children 12 and

younger is requested.

Proceeds will be donated to American Legion-supported charities.

For more information, call (949) 376-6340. Reservations are

suggested.