LBindy_1.27.23 | Page 18

18 lagunabeachindy . com JANUARY 27 , 2023

St . Catherine

PAGE 1
gymnastics ,” Curran said . “ Then , of course , there ’ s potential for cultural arts programming for the stage area .”
The main building , or Building B , on the lot , will be transformed into a space for both city operations and community use . It is proposed that the first floor will be used for city administrative staff , including fire administration , and will include an employee lounge . The second floor will house a library , classrooms , and a kindergarten room .
The report proposes using the chapel as a wedding venue in the future and the lower building on the lot as rental spaces for City organizations and non-profits . The five-page plan also includes the addition of a mobile skate park that could be introduced as soon as spring 2023 .
City staff also recommended hiring a full-time recreation supervisor and maintenance worker to accommodate
the changes and reopening of the building .
The proposed plan received encouraging responses from the Laguna Canyon chapter of the Boys & Girls Club and Just Gather , a non-profit organization .
“ We have the need for gym space . We would love to be able to run a girls league at the same time as the boy ’ s league , but we don ’ t have the gym time for that ,” 20-year Boys and Girls Club employee Hans LaRoche said . “ I can see a lot of collaboration opportunities where we could partner up , like the mobile skate ramps . We talked about doing the same thing at the club , so a lot of things that we want to do also for the community . Being able to run dodgeball tournaments , activities in the gym , etc . Keep us in mind . We ’ d love to partner with the City .”
The proposed plan for St . Catherine received a positive response promising
for community members looking for space that this plan will provide . Still , concerns about the proposed increase in parking and the lack of community input stand in the way of widespread support .
“ I noticed the proposal to convert an existing field to some excess parking . There are some groups in town , flag football might be one , that might be lacking field space ,” Laguna resident Elizabeth Hanauer said . “ I think it ’ s great , this interim use , and I just want to remind everyone that this is a permanent need , so hopefully , when you plan for the long-term use of the site , keep in mind families and youth needs . I think this site is a great opportunity to develop some great things for the City .”
When it came to a vote , the plan passed 4-1 , with Councilmember George Weiss voting no .
“ I was here when we made the
decision to purchase the property , and I did not have any idea that there was going to be an interim use proposed by the City . I thought Council directed staff to the city manager ’ s offices to connect with the residents to find out what they wanted ,” Councilmember Weiss said . “ We need to have the people look at this place and organizations as well . I like the idea , but I think it ’ s premature ... I find this disrespectful to the community . You ’ re not even proposing these ideas until spring of 2023 . Adult drop-in basketball at 9 a . m .? I just don ’ t see that happening . All of this has to be organized and advertised , and you have to ask the community what they want . I think we should wait until March to do this .”
The City purchased the St . Catherine ’ s property in 2022 for $ 23 million with the support of Laguna ’ s residents and community members .
GUEST OPINION : WISDOM WORKOUT :

Does Your Attitude Need an Upgrade ?

By sUsAn mcneAL VeLAsQUeZ
Four ways we habitually approach our lives determine whether we operate as an energy drain or a vibrant participant in our day-to-day reality .
The essence of self-management is our ability to choose our attitudes and behaviors . You may define yourself as a ‘ make it happen ’ person . You face challenges daily and won ’ t give up until you have succeeded , no matter the cost .
Perhaps your natural way of approaching your daily challenges may be more cautious . Though you have many future dreams , you sometimes can ’ t seem to find the motivation to ‘ grab the brass ring ’ that appears to be the breakfast of champions who you have heard about all your life . You are sometimes left wondering why you can ’ t muster up the enthusiasm to fulfill your personal expectations .
Massive amounts of energy are expended daily as we each do our best to be responsible adults . The roller-coaster of good days , bad days , and memorable and mundane experiences continue as our norm .
It would be reasonable to assume that changing this dynamic would be complicated . I am going to share four ways of managing our emotional responses . Once you identify which ones have become silent partners with more influence than you ’ ve realized , you will be in a perfect position to reset your energetic response to work in your best interests . Four attitudes that influence our experience are resentment , guilt , regret and enthusiasm . Here is how they each impact our ability to accomplish what we set out to do .
When we don ’ t want to do something but suck it up and do it anyway because we have to , the companion emotion is resentment . Resentment is a power player and demands a lot of attention . The result is our energy level gets heavy . We do it , but our attitude lets everyone know how much we hate it . When we don ’ t want to do something but believe we should , we invite guilt to the party . Guilt is a passive player and manipulates us into believing that guilt is the price we must pay to continue to tell ourselves we are still good people .
When we want to do something but always have an excuse to push it into the future , we pile up massive regrets . “ I should have , could have , would have , if only ... but now it is too late . Life has passed me by , and I had so many dreams and plans . Poor me .” Regret brings its backpack and securely ties it to us to ensure we never get too happy .
The last attitude is enthusiasm . Enthusiasm in this context means that we invest the same energy to do what we want to do so that the endeavor flows easily . We choose to participate , and we fully embrace the decision .
Choose is the operative word . We use our right to choose whatever we take on . We don ’ t half-heartedly participate . We use our ability to fully commit our full intention and attention to what we have decided to do . The definition of enthusiasm is : Something causing a feeling of excitement and active interest .
The secret to harnessing enthusiasm is that the ‘ something causing a feeling of excitement and active interest ’ is your wholehearted willingness to take ownership of your most powerful possession , your sacred privilege to make each of your life decisions with a firm commitment to bring the highest and best contribution you can generate .
Susan is a longtime local . She has written for many incarnations of our hometown paper , from The Coastline in the 90s to The Laguna Beach Independent . She is so appreciative to be a part of our village network . susanvelasquez . com .

MARKET PLACE

PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS HERE ! CALL 949-715-4100
CLASSIFIED

King Tides Return to Laguna Beach

Beachgoers at Main Beach enjoy last Sunday ’ s king tides , which bring the highest high and lowest low tides of the year . Photo / Mitch Ridder
Experienced private caregiver , over 30 years working with seniors who wish to live in their homes independently rather than a care facility . I have a bachelor ’ s degree in Social Work and experience with exercise physiology . Please call Lynne Gabbard at 949-434-1645