lagunabeachindy . com JULY 12 , 2024 19
GUEST OPINION :
Restore Our Town ’ s Fire Truck , Future Generations Will Thank Us
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When I saw our 1931 LBFD Seagrave classic at the Fourth of July celebration on Brooks Street , a mid-1950s memory came back , and I vividly recalled that very truck ’ s siren down on PCH . Then , the siren grew louder as it came our way . My brother and I ran out the old screen door to the front yard of my grandma Julia ’ s cottage on Hawthorne Road and stood in awe , watching that giant red fire engine climb the hill , roaring by us with siren blaring and red lights flashing . The driver saw us . With a stern gaze in our direction , he reached down and rang the bell so hard it made us cover our ears . He was telling us to stay on the curb as if we needed more warning signals . Then his facial expression gave way to a wave and a smirk at how totally entranced we were .
The fabled 1931 Seagrave was the first vehicle purchased by the city for the fire department and was in service until its retirement in 1962 . From then until 2013 , it served to bring Santa to Hospitality Night and
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many civic events .
When I heard restoration project supporters were taking the Seagrave Main Beach after the Brooks Street celebration was over , we followed it downtown to the cobblestone
Above : ( l to r ): Brooks Street Parade Master of Ceremonies Steve Cohn , Councilmember George Weiss , Brooks Street Parade Keynote Speaker Howard Hills and one of LBFD ’ s finest . Top right : Lura Hills with grandson Elden on running board of Davidson , N . C . restored fire truck in 2023 . Photos / Howard Hills plaza . Then another memory came back as I stood by the Seagrave , very near where I stood with my grandpa over 65 years ago on PCH , watching that shiny red fire truck go by like the Santa Fe train in San Juan Capistrano . There were still homes and commercial buildings where Main Beach Park is now . My grandpa took us for breakfast at Benton ’ s on the old boardwalk , and seeing what passed then as a monster truck fly by on a quiet early summer morning was a thrill I never forgot .
HILLS , PAGE 20
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Projects include :
Remodeling of Laguna Sands Condominiums , New Custom Home : 21542 Ocean Vista Dr , City of Laguna Beach – City Hall North , Public Works , Fire Stations 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , Police Station , Main Beach Life Guard Station , Laguna Beach Unified School District , Laguna Beach County Water District , Department of the Navy , City of Dana Point , City of Laguna Woods , Featured on ABC ’ s Extreme Makeover : Home Edition , and recognized in an Architectural Digest article for 310 Hawthorne Rd .
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