20 lagunabeachindy . com JULY 26 , 2024
GUEST OPINION :
Musings on the Coast
BY MICHAEL RAY
I ’ m on vacation in Italy . I left Laguna on July 5 after watching this year ’ s July 4 celebration with drones . The show lasted seven minutes and featured lame images of dolphins , a Laguna lifeguard station and so on . It didn ’ t end with a bang ; it just ended . The whole thing was beyond boring and expensive . It cost some $ 74,000 , or roughly $ 10,500 per minute , twice as expensive as fireworks , and one-fifth as long . Whoopee . In Italy , the United States seems far away , randomly violent , unpredictable and populated by warring tribes-not the America they thought they knew .
My long-time partner , Kim Bowen , and I spent our first week here on a secret island recommended by a Laguna Cove Italian friend , Valentina , who told us how to get there . I won ’ t tell you the island ’ s name for the same reason I won ’ t tell the name of my secret Laguna Cove : to keep it secluded . The island is tiny , summer population maybe 3,000 , and composed mostly of steep granite cliffs emerging from the sea , blessedly unbuildable . The one town is also the port , man-made and probably 3,000 years old . It is about five blocks long , linear along the harbor , and full of restaurants , bars , and children darting among the adults , screaming with pleasure .
The harbor houses maybe 300 small boats , mostly for fishing , and although we had a car , we didn ’ t need it . There is only one road on the island , and the local taxis are vans and ubiquitous . The house we rented was a 10-minute walk from town and a five-minute walk to a great beach , which featured the usual European chaise lounges with food and beverage service and an American-style beach , like in Laguna . We went there almost every day . The water temperature was in the mid-70s and the sea was calm . There are few places to anchor a
RAY , PAGE 22
Laguna Beach Police Department Leads Multi-Agency Operation to Enhance Community Safety
On Saturday , July 20 , 2024 , the Laguna Beach Police Department spearheaded a collaborative effort involving multiple agencies to address various traffic violations affecting Orange County residents , including those in coastal communities like Laguna Beach . This operation-focused on tackling speed violations , excessive vehicle noise , modified emissions systems , and infractions related to E-Bikes and electric motorcycles . The initiative aims to mitigate safety concerns and enhance residents ’ quality of life .
A reading of “ Why Art Matters : The Bearable Lightness of Being ” by author Heidi Zuckerman was held in front of a packed Good Together House last Thursday , June 27 .
Zuckerman , the CEO and director of the Orange County Museum of Art , is a Laguna Beach resident whose home has been featured in Architectural Digest .
“ Why Art Matters ” is a book about art and thought which delves into the human condition . It is published by OCMA Books , the museum ’ s newly reestablished acclaimed publishing arm . Their focus is on innovative , affordable and limitededition works that champion the most pioneering artists and thinkers . Photo / Blake Draper
Presidential Democratic fundraiser in Laguna Beach postponed
By Clara Beard | LB Indy
The Biden campaign announced Tuesday that the Laguna Beach private fundraiser for the President ’ s re-election , scheduled for this Friday , July 26 , has been postponed following the recent news that the President has dropped out of the race . The private event is now said to center around Vice President Kamala Harris ’ campaign , now the presumed Democratic presidential nominee .
Carol Leslie Hamilton , a Beverly Hills lawyer who worked with the Biden Administration , told the Indy that the event is currently postponed , with no future date set in stone , as the Harris campaign reconfigures its campaign plans .
“ The campaign is figuring out what the new schedule is going to be and who ’ s going to where . It ’ s
Officers from Newport Beach , Huntington Beach , Costa Mesa , Santa Ana , Orange , Seal Beach , Orange County Sheriff ’ s Department , and the Bureau of Automotive Repair participated in Saturday ’ s enforcement effort . As a result :
198 vehicles were stopped , resulting in 237 violations issued .
67 citations were issued for loud exhaust and emissions violations . 46 citations were issued for speeding or exceeding 65 MPH
12 drivers were cited for driving
LBPD , PAGE 22
“ Local Author Launches New Book
going to take a little time to figure that out ,” Hamilton said . “ There are several events around the country that are being temporarily postponed and reevaluated in terms of the President ’ s time , and now the Vice President ’ s time . The campaigns are having to rework schedules because now we have a new candidate . Maybe the new candidate needs to go to places where perhaps she wasn ’ t going to go initially . Before , she was going as a supporter of the president , and now she ’ s going as a supporter of her own candidacy .”
Hamilton added she hopes the transition logistics between Biden and Harris ’ s campaign happen soon .
“ Hopefully that won ’ t take too long because we only have three and a half months left until the election ,” she said . “ It ’ s coming up quickly .”
GUEST OPINION : PET PEEVES
Leave It to Beaver 3 , A Trilogy
BY MARK D . CRANTZ
Recap ? No , skip the recap . Readers are advised to go to the online Indy and read Parts 1 and 2 . Exercise your eyeballs and support your community paper . It supports you .
Now that readers have been sufficiently tongue lashed … things were going swimmingly for the Beavers . A while after , maybe a little too long after Mrs . Beaver ’ s extensive cosmetic surgery , Mr . Beaver looked up and said , “ Oh , Michael Jackson , I just loved your “ Thriller ” album . Can I have an autograph ?” Mrs . Beaver gently removed her one white glove and slapped Mr . Beaver silly with it
That was just the start of the downward slide for Mr . Beaver , the only family member who had refused cosmetic surgery . His idea to change his lumber crew , the sea otters , into hard-working beavers was backfiring . They looked like beavers , but the production numbers confirmed the makeover was just skin deep . Mr . Beaver tried to pick up the slack by taking no work breaks or lunch to gnaw out particle board all by himself .
Things were polar opposite for the Beaver kids and their new dental implants . With their new megawatt smiles , they were winning over fans . The Beaver kids were named King and Queen of Homecoming . Fellow students were mesmerized by the angelic light of their smiles . Billy Beaver was named president of the student council . Sally Beaver climbed the social ladder and was named captain of the cheerleaders .
The awards and accolades rolled in . The school district recognized the Beavers as the rookie educational family of the year .
CRANTZ , PAGE 22