Tunnel project getting attention

A Transportation Corridor Agency spokeswoman said Monday that the

agency has not taken a position on a proposed tunnel through the

Santa Ana Mountains between Orange and Riverside counties.

“We are not a lead agency,” spokeswoman Clare Climaco said.

Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman said she was first alerted to the

tunnel’s possible effect on Laguna at a John Moorlock conference for

treasures.

“The president of the TCA spoke at the meeting and said the tunnel

was a good idea and it would bring Riverside people straight to the

133 and make it easier for them to get to Laguna Beach,” Kinsman

said. “That sounded like support to me.”

Wally Kreutzen’s remarks prompted Kinsman to suggest that the city

should join the agency to have a voice in the tunnel discussions. The

council declined to go that far, but did appoint Kinsman and

Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson to investigate the potential effects

of the tunnel project on Laguna.

“Elizabeth and I met today with the tunnel people,” Kinsman told

the council on Tuesday. “Ken Frank also attended, and I think we made

some headway.”

Kinsman said the city representatives discussed options that could

lessen the impact of the proposed tunnel on Laguna Beach with Bill

Vardoulis, president of R.O.C. Link Inc., the nonprofit California

corporation that advocates the “TriTunnel Express.” She declined to

be more specific at this stage of the discussions.

“I feel Elizabeth and I were directed to investigate the possible

impacts and how the might be mitigated and to keep the council and

the community informed.”

-- Barbara Diamond

Class of 2003 invited to spiritual celebration

The Laguna Beach Interfaith Council will help put on a spiritual

celebration for the Laguna Beach High School class of 2003.

The baccalaureate address for families and friends of all faiths

will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on June 13 at Neighborhood

Congregational Church, 340 St. Ann’s Drive.

Refreshments will be served, no tickets are necessary.

Charity triathlon set to end in Laguna

Forty employees at a West Coast-based real estate investment bank

will finish a triathlon relay for charity today at Hotel Laguna after

a 2.4-mile icy swim in Big Bear Lake, a 112-mile bike ride and a

26.2-mile run.

For the third year, every member of the Buchanan Street Partners

will exercise for children’s charities in Orange County, Los Angeles

and San Francisco through its Buchanan Street Foundation. They expect

to raise $150,000 for United Way-affiliated charities in each area.

Randy Hall, Buchanan Street Partners director of marketing, called

the fund-raiser the firm’s biggest annual event. He said each member

of the firm will participate in a portion of one segment, with the

entire group running the final 1.2 miles.

“We have some real good athletes around here,” Hall said, “and

we’re all ready to go. This is such a great way to raise awareness

and funds for children, and it’s a heck of a workout.”

This year’s event will conclude with a finish line reception at

Hotel Laguna at 6 p.m..

For more information on the event, call Kristin Olson at (949)

219-1598.

-- Mike Swanson

Miss Linda’s Castle geared to entertain

Laguna Beach Recreation Department announces Miss Linda’s Castle’s

first annual recital. Performances will be held at 6 p.m. June 17 and

18 at the Laguna Beach High School Artist Theater. Tickets at the

door are $5.

Miss Linda’s Castle is designed to entertain children as young as

2 years old. Performers range in age of 3 to 9. They will dance tap,

ballet, jazz, hip-hop and hula and sing Broadway tunes.

For more information, call Linda Haylett at 376-9111.

Center in search of a new name

The Laguna Beach Senior Center is seeking a new name.

Group leaders are asking for one or two words that would be

fitting for the group. They’ve promised fabulous prizes for the

writer of the chosen name and have asked contributors to be “creative

and reflective.”

Send submissions to Laguna Beach Seniors Inc., 384 Legion St.,

Laguna Beach, CA 92651. Entries must be postmarked by midnight on

June 13.

Chamber offers the gift of Laguna

The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce has started a Gift

Certificate Program.

The gift certificate will allow the recipient to choose the

establishment of their choice from a list of participating merchants.

Every gift certificate will come with a list of the participating

member merchants to choose from.

The certificates will be accepted at chamber member businesses

throughout the area including retail shops, restaurants, grocery

stores and service businesses. The gift certificates come in $10, and

$25 increments and will be available for purchase 24 hours a day at

www.certifichecks.com, or by phone at (877) 770-GIFT (4438). They can

also be purchased at the chamber office, 357 Glenneyre St. or by

calling the chamber. They will soon be available on the Chamber’s Web

site, www.lagunabeachchamber.org.

For more information about Laguna Beach Chamber Gift Certificate

program, please call the Chamber of Commerce at (949) 494-1018, ext.

1.

Brochures designed to aid bus travel

Village Laguna has reissued the “Self-guided Tour Laguna by Bus”

brochures and the Heritage Committee’s “Heritage Walking Companion”

to the tour.

The bus tour brochure contains a brief outline of the city’s

history and maps of the city’s bus routes indicating points of

interest (public buildings, historic structures, parks) along the

way.

The companion piece, illustrated by Karen Wilson Turnbull, maps

and describes 30 houses from the city’s historic inventory and shows

how one can ride the bus to a neighborhood, get off and stroll past

the historic houses identified, and then, with a transfer, re-board

the bus to continue the tour.

Copies may be obtained on city buses and at the Recreation

Department.

MOMS Club raises $9,000 at tea event

Area seniors, artists, workers and immigrant families will

continue to receive free healthcare and medical education thanks to

the success of the fourth annual fund-raising tea and silent auction

hosted by the Laguna Beach MOMS Club, South Chapter.

More than $9,000 was raised for the Laguna Beach Community Clinic

at the event held May 18 at the Brio Tuscany Grille restaurant in

Corona Del Mar.

Attendees were treated to homemade tea sandwiches, scones and

cookies as they perused and bid on the more than 50 silent auction

items donated by local artists, restaurateurs, merchants and private

donors. The Laguna Beach Community Clinic is located Downtown and has

served its clients since 1970. The clinic provides nonemergency

medical and dental service to thousands of poor and uninsured

patients. Its clients are local immigrant workers, their children,

seniors, HIV-positive men and women, Laguna Beach’s self-employed

artists and others.

Boys and Girls Club looking for alumni

The Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach has planned its first

event to celebrate the kick-off of the “Come On Home” campaign to

establish a local alumni association.

The club has joined more than 2,800 clubs in the third year of a

nationwide campaign to find club alumni.

From 5 to 7:30 p.m. June 25, the club will host the first annual

club reunion at Hotel Laguna. For information, call (949) 494-9300.