UPFRONT PLACES | PERSPECTIVES | HAPPENINGS
Left : Linda O ’ Keefe ( center ), daughter of the late Officer Gordon French , who was recognized posthumously , with her husband , Tom O ’ Keefe ( left ), and police Chief Jeff Calvert ; right : honorees Sgt . David Gensemer , Cpl . Antonio Manzano , Community Services Officer Rosie Santana ( wearing medals ) and police K-9 Cooper , with City Council members and the police chief
HONORING HEROES
Bravery and teamwork were applauded when the Medal of Courage , a Lifesaving Award and other honors were bestowed on April 18 during the Laguna Beach Police Department ’ s Awards and Recognition Banquet , which highlighted outstanding contributions throughout 2023 . In all , 19 awards were given in 10 categories . Among the honors , the Medal of Courage went to Detective Ryan Radel , Officer Matthew Meyer and Sgt . William Downing . And a Lifesaving Medal was presented to Park Ranger James Kirk-Johnson , Officer Zach Oblea and Officer Danny Lopez . Cpl . Antonio Manzano was named Officer of the Year while Community Services Officer Rosie Santana , accompanied by loyal K-9 Cooper , was honored as Professional Staff Member of the Year and Sgt . David Gensemer was lauded as Supervisor of the Year . Crime Fighter Awards went to Officer Thomas Heib and Detective Tanner Flagstad . Also during the event , fallen Officer Gordon G . French was posthumously awarded the Police Cross , a symbol of his ultimate sacrifice made in the line of duty . To ensure that French ’ s service continues to be remembered and honored by all , his daughter , Linda O ’ Keefe , was there to accept a plaque on behalf of the police department . French was shot in 1953 while booking a suspect on forgery charges at the Laguna Beach City Jail . The suspect , who had not yet been searched , drew a concealed weapon and disarmed the officers . While attempting to flee , the suspect fired a shot as French tried to stop him from escaping . French was hit in the stomach and died on the way to Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach , the nearest hospital at that time . ( lagunabeachcity . net ) — Sharon Stello
Sacred Sessions
Seven monks from India returned to Laguna Beach on their Sacred Tibetan Arts Tour in April after a five-year hiatus . The Drepung Gomang monks , who are scholars from the oldest monastery in Tibet and direct disciples of the Dalai Lama , offered a glimpse into their culture while in town . They constructed a mandala made of fine multicolored sand on the grounds of the Sawdust Art Festival , performed blessings and sang their trichord chants to begin and end each day . They also presented “ pujas ,” which are stylized rituals that bring together music , prayer chanting and visualizations incorporating multitonal singing and Tibetan instruments . At the end of their 10-day visit , the monks held a mandala dissolution ceremony : After working all week to create the detailed design , they then swept the sand into a pile as a reminder of life ’ s impermanence . The public was invited to attend ; guests were given small packets of the sand while the rest was cast into the ocean at Main Beach as the monks chanted , accompanied by drums and cymbals . ( monksinlaguna . com ) — S . S . Community members watch as the monks create a mandala .
FROM TOP : COURTESY OF CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH ; BARBARA MCMURRAY
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