Mailbag: 45 years of fun in Laguna

For the past 45 years, I have been both a tourist and a long-term resident of Laguna Beach.

My husband and I have had almost daily strolls with our dog Chacha along the Main Beach boardwalk, taking in all the sights and sounds. We and the rest of our family also enjoy body-surfing the beautiful waves in the summer.

The grandkids play on the new playground structure when they’re not in the water or making sandcastles. My dog also loves the stroll. We meet many people, both tourists and locals, and a wonderful time is had by all. Nothing is more like Laguna Beach to me than this daily experience.

I am not particularly aware of drug use and leave this up to the local authorities. Our sampling of the nearby restaurants is also quite positive. We are looking forward to the new lifeguard facilities.

Summer and winter water safety personnel are always present and much appreciated, as well as the daily posting of water temperature and tides. We have great time. Come join us.

Laura Stallone

Laguna Beach

*

I was going to write you after David Hansen’s great article of some weeks ago on why Laguna “hates” tourists, but life took over. This week, though, I’m driven to send you applause for the “10 most overrated things in Laguna.” Excellent stuff.

I love Laguna Beach beyond words, and goodness knows, it’s been very good to me personally, but I can’t help but feel that the old fashioned, dull witted approach of some of our city fathers and business leaders could be our downfall going forward.

“California Riviera” my bum. We have the geography, but so much needs to be addressed in a modern, erudite way — perhaps (and I know this is not very American) learning from the experience of the actual Riviera and places like it before we can really live up to the name.

Thank you so much for Hansen’s writing. And to the paper that allows him to speak his mind.

Jason Feddy

Feddy is an Aliso Viejo resident and a DJ at Laguna Beach radio station KX 93.5.

*

There are solutions to Emerald Bay clogging

Thanks for your article in today’s Coastline Pilot regarding the contractors clogging Coast Highway every morning waiting to get into Emerald Bay.

I live in Emerald Bay and I totally agree with your observation. Dave, if you think there is a problem now, can you imagine what would happen if Emerald Bay succeeds in putting a signal on Coast Highway at the entrance?

Hopefully you aware that Emerald Bay is making an end run with the City Council to try to get it to waive the requirement for a coastal development permit? As Toni Iseman wisely pointed out at the Aug. 5 City Council meeting, “I just want the residents of Laguna to know this is back — like Freddy Krueger, it is back,” Iseman said (“Emerald bay eyes Laguna support, Coastline Pilot, Aug. 16).

Specifically regarding the contractor problem there are several easy solutions:

1. Emerald Bay has five other entrance/exits which contractors could use. Contractors could and should be issued transponders to enter and exit the gate closest to their construction site. Only one project is going on closest to the main gate entrance. All others are closer to another one of the available gates.

2. Contractor entry times could be staggered so everyone is not coming in at the same time.

3. The main gate could and should have entry only during peak hour traffic times with two guards handling incoming traffic more efficiently.

4. There are six “no stopping at any time” signs on northbound Coast Highway between Ledroit and the Main Gate. If the city gave contractors notice that those signs would be enforced and then ticketed the violators, I assure you that accommodations would be made to stop the clogging of Coast Highway.

Patty Collisson

Laguna beach

*

Public art in city is lacking

I appreciate you opening a dialogue about the downfalls of this wonderful little cultish beach community. I enjoyed the article.

I would love to add public art to that list, it is a great opportunity that is so missed. Public art is something that you bring children to, for them to wonder and marvel and the value of ideas.

We have montage decorations that are more tacky than the lack of ideas that brought them there in the first place.

Anyway, well done and thank you.

Jeff Peters

Laguna Beach

*

Laguna’s downtown is so disappointing

I’m not on Facebook and so can’t comment online (grrr) but I so agree with David Hansen’s article.

I walked from Woods Cove to downtown and back yesterday. It was one “chic” but impractical dress shop after another — no sizes over 10, hmph; one “chic” home knick-knack shop after another. The “art” galleries have become laughable. Presidents playing poker? Year after year? Seriously?

No beach bathroom facilities anywhere except downtown? That’s just cruel.

I too would take the trolley, if it arrived more promptly. And would it kill them to rig up a sunshade at the stops? Traffic is such that if I didn’t have parking privileges at a volunteer gig there, I’d never set foot downtown from mid-June to the end of August.

Twice this week when out walking I’ve seen parked cars with their bumpers on the ground, clearly having been knocked off by some careless passing driver. One on my own little residential street, one on Coast Highway.

Thanks for prompting a bit of a grumble, David. It’s the end of summer, we’re all touristed out. We’ve come home one too many times to find some stranger’s car parked in our spots. Strangers who when mildly asked not to park there again, were beyond rude.

Dinah Shields

Laguna Beach

*

Town would benefit from a pro-business makeover

Spot on, truthful, factually driven, and sad but true.

One only needs to travel to Carmel by the Sea to look for a relevant comparable to see what we could be — a classy but down to earth town as well, nestled on a special beach and coastline.

Carmel is something Laguna can’t help but envy. There is truly quality shopping, art, jewelry, restaurants and at the same time darling shops with personality — even the coffee shops are well done. While it is still a place for anyone to just walk around and enjoy the scent of the sea and beach without spending an arm and a leg.

We are “low rent” in comparison, yet, our beach, coastline, neighboring communities, desirability as a tourist destination and weather (even this summer) are far more extraordinary than Carmel across the board.

How can that be?

Leadership, as usual.

Yes, we could be so much more than a Carmel if we had the appropriate leadership.

But we haven’t, don’t and won’t.

What a shame we aren’t making the most of the gift we reside in and are responsible for.

Frankly, it feels almost irresponsible not to live up to our potential.

Imagine what a $65 million pro-business “makeover” might do for our economy, our town, our reputation.

Instead we are arguing about what? A kind of parking garage visitor’s entrance? Huh? Yea, let’s mortgage our future for that, sounds like it will really make our town stellar again.

Brent Martini

Laguna Beach

*

So much to love about Laguna Beach

Granted our nine restaurants on or near the beach are either too expensive for many, serve medium quality food or even in some high end cases are constantly changing chefs and/or are in bankruptcy, but why not take a meal to the numerous picnic tables at Treasure Island Park, Heisler Park or the lawn at Crescent Bay Park.

I have never inhaled crack fumes on our Main Beach boardwalk and I think our marijuana laws are ridiculous but I have inhaled a spirit of openness with people from all over the world: funny T-shirts, friendly dogs, great pick-up basketball games and volleyball courts with lots of action.

I believe many beach stairways need improvement before we build a 500 car parking structure, especially at Mountain Avenue, where it would be great to have a flagpole in the Garden of Peace and Love flying the rainbow flag.

Emerald Bay will eventually get a traffic signal. The one at El Morro Elementary School took decades to install. Perhaps Emerald Bay should install a small, permanent kiosk 50 feet behind the guard house with a computer and phone to allow a second morning guard to check in service and construction vehicles.

The wilderness parks in Laguna Canyon gates should be open until sunset, but Orange County is broke. The no-fishing ban is another example of the Laguna Beach City Council’s “no” mentality coming from 30-plus years of a city manager called king, and at times a council out of touch, just as it is with the Village Entrance fiasco.

Albertsons clerks laugh when I pull out a Albertsons’ plastic bag from the three I carry in my back pocket to avoid using plastic bags and be charged for them.

Hard to believe Laguna once had a 24-hour Denny’s, which could have been saved as a architectural icon, and that the city allows the former Boom Boom - Coast Inn building to rent its rooms but refuses to request the owner to operate the Boom Boom bar, dance floor and restaurant which was a vital, public service for visitors and residents alike.

As for dancing, friends go to the White House and the Sandpiper but the tattered rainbow flag and mismanagement of the Bounce leaves a lot to be desired.

Laguna’s 65 public art pieces, street banners, fabulous beaches, open spirit, somewhat low profile police, great marine safety department, unusual gardens, 20-plus canyons, skateboarders, trees, raccoons, skunks, birds, coyotes, deer, snakes, lizards, dogs, cats and people make this one of the most unusual places in the world.

I am not a fan of Thomas Kinkaid either, but does he make us the Knott’s Berry Farm of the art world? You be the judge.

Viva Laguna!

Roger Carter

Laguna Beach

*

We’re smart enough to vote

I feel that I must voice my feelings concerning the Village Entrance project.

When you are talking about a multi million-dollar project — the final and true cost is still unknown — that will place our city in debt for 25 years and take five years to complete, I believe it shouldn’t be left to the discretion of the five members of the City Council.

We have two bipartisan members, Mayor Kelly Boyd and Councilwoman Toni Iseman, who believe, as I do, that this issue needs to be put to a citywide vote.

The last time I looked, our resident were well-educated, well-informed and quite able to make intelligent decisions on important matters.

Whether it is voted up or down, let the voting residents of Laguna Beach decide.

Regumbah Connolly

Laguna Beach

*

The city just received a $50,000 parking study that concluded we could have the functional equivalent of 200-400 parking spaces in the downtown where they are needed and at a very low cost.

It doesn’t make sense to build a $65 million parking structure given this reasonable, sensible, economical alternative that better meets our needs. We can’t have both.

By the way, the scare tactic that we will be overrun by tourists as a result of homes being built in Irvine, is just that — a scare tactic. Aliso Viejo built 20,000 homes much closer to Laguna. How would you characterize their summer impact? Did we build them a $65 million project?

If the City Council is not afraid to ask the voters if they want this project, they should let Laguna Vote.

Verna Rollinger

Laguna Beach

*

*