After finding discarded life vests and gasoline canisters in the area, Laguna Beach police said surveillance cameras from nearby homes helped them to determine the incident involved human smuggling.

Laguna Beach Marine Safety, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and the US Coast Guard were reported to have searched the ocean for anyone in distress or injured, but no one was located.

After the vessel was towed to shore, US Customs and Border Protection took possession of it. Local authorities have turned over the investigation to the California Border Patrol and the US Coast Guard.

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The Laguna Art Museum was packed–standing room only, with friends and family who shared close-knit and fond memories of G. Ray Kerciu, a prolific and passionate artist and longtime Laguna Beach local who died Aug. 25, just shy of his 91st birthday.

Kerciu’s works were on display throughout the evening on Sept. 28, with one of his arguably most notable, “Never,” featured behind a Spanish guitarist softly playing classic rock.

More than 100 people poured into the room, all sharing anecdotes and stories that reflected Kerciu’s passion for life—and how he forever envisioned its improvement.

Speakers and friends mentioned Kerciu’s “sparkle” that touched and inspired many lives within his communities and classrooms.

“I got here in this position because of him today, and we all miss him…his sparkling eyes, his spirit,” said Julie Perlin Lee, executive director of Laguna Art Museum. “I’ll always carry a little bit of that spirit with him, and certainly, his spirit will always be here.”

After growing up in Detroit, Kerciu and his lifelong friend, Tom Skerrit joined the Air Force and the Korean War. He attended Michigan State University following his military service and pursued his masters at Cranbrook Academy of Art.

“One of the things that really stuck with him for the rest of his life was loading body packs,” said Mike McGee, friend and biographer. “That really influenced his life, and that gave him an attitude like, ‘I better take advantage of this life the best I can.’ And I think that’s what he did, and that was kind of manifested in a couple of ways. One of them was that he just had a joy and passion for life. He loved to have conversations. He loved to have relationships with people.”

Shortly after, Kerciu taught at the University of Mississippi from 1962 to 1963, the same year James Meredith, the university’s first Black student was admitted. Kerciu boldly stood up to racism during that time of civil unrest. His experiences inspired works of art that used the Confederate flag to make a pointed statement, and “jam it down the throats of racists,” his biography reads.

His “Mississippi” art series triggered his arrest and national attention; where while in jail, Kerciu received encouragement from Malcolm X and John Steinbeck.

Later that year, Kerciu taught at California State University, Fullerton, in 1963, where he helped build its art department and founded its printmaking area.

Through his insightfulness, combined with his ability to rally his communities, Kerciu helped lead the charge to save the Laguna Beach Art Museum in 1996, when a proposed merger with the Newport Harbor Art Museum threatened its future.

“You guys in this room helped to save the museum, and you helped him to be a better person and a better artist,” said Andrea Harris, artist and mentee to Kerciu. “He was a builder, and you guys were the building blocks of his hopes and dreams.”

After many continued to share stories of travels to Mexico, art and home projects, awards and other special memories, the crowd began to filter out to a sunny late afternoon where people still reminisced with smiles over the fondness the Laguna Beach community had for this prolific artist who will be greatly missed.

The post Remembering local visionary G. Ray Kerciu appeared first on Laguna Beach Local News.

“Now is an ideal time for Laguna Beach to join OCPA [Orange County Power Authority], whether independently or alongside several other cities considering membership. OCPA has proven its financial stability and successfully procures renewable energy for its ratepayers while offering cost-effective options. By partnering with OCPA, Laguna Beach can provide its residents and businesses access to cleaner energy and potential savings, furthering the city’s well-established commitment to environmental stewardship.”

So wrote Dr. Kathleen Treseder to me a few days ago. Treseder is a nationally prominent biologist and climate science professor at UC Irvine. This brilliant scientist and civic leader is also on the city of Irvine’s City Council and serves on the board of directors of the Orange County Power Authority. Our City Council should invite her to speak very soon to our staff, local officials and citizenry in Laguna Beach about Community Choice Aggregation/Energy (CCA/E). Readers, please join me in requesting this.

I was told by one of our council members last year that City Hall would be sponsoring lectures on this timely topic and related ones. So far, nothing has happened. Perhaps because of this, our city’s possible membership in OCPA has been postponed by at least a year because a one-year wait period is required after our council would apply for membership in the cleaner energy, non-profit consortium serving our county. Meanwhile, I’m pleased to say, the City of Fountain Valley has just successfully completed its first reading of a measure to join OCPA.

I spoke with Dr. Treseder and other OCPA officials yesterday (Oct. 3) at the agency’s new headquarters in Irvine. The occasion was a celebration of about two years of the energy consortium’s work. Approximately 150 guests, including mayors, other officials in the county, and community activists attended. CEO Joe Mosca provided an inspiring overview of OCPA’s work. He mentioned its 175,000 customers. “Basic Choice” is one of three energy options offered; accordingly, OCPA procures for its customers at least 44 percent clean (non-fossil fuel-generated electricity) at a saving of 3 percent LOWER than Southern California Edison’s rates. In the aggregate, Basic Choice customers have saved $2.5 million in their electricity bills in recent years and have prevented 2 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. Mosca said that that was equivalent to removing 221,000 petroleum-fueled vehicles from the road.

Accolades for the agency have been pouring in. Here’s a sampler. For the second year in a row OCPA has been recognized as one of the nation’s top procurers of green energy by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Other recognitions include: an Environmental, Social, Governance Honoree (Orange County Business Council); Sustainability Advocate of the Year (Asian Business Association of Orange County); and OCPA CEO Joe Mosca has been recognized among the 125 Most Influential People in Orange County. And on and on.

The key point is that OCPA is in the vanguard of combatting climate change by procuring for customers affordable, cleaner energy. Much of California—reputedly, America’s most environmental state—is currently being powered by agencies like OCPA. This includes many cities in San Diego and Los Angeles counties. Orange County cities have been “the hole in the donut.” The good news is that Irvine, Fullerton, and Buena Park (with Fountain Valley in the queue) have wisely chosen Community Choice Aggregation/Energy to meet the challenges of a warming world.

Laguna Beach, long regarded as an environmental leader in Orange County, should get onboard with CCA/E, in effect, engage in “best practices,” as climate change-induced drought and wildfires repeatedly remind us to quickly move to renewables. Because municipalities greatly impact carbon emissions, please contact our City Council members and urge them to accept OCPA’s invitation to join.

Tom Osborne is an environmental historian who chaired the work group that wrote Laguna Beach’s Climate Protection Action Plan (2009). With his wife, Ginger, he co-leads the Laguna chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby. tomosborne@cox.net

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By Mark D. Crantz

It’s official. Drone fireworks are shot down. Incendiary fireworks are fired up for next year’s Fourth of July celebration. Residents expected this city council decision. Right before the vote, everybody ran to the other side of the room, turned their heads away and squinted their eyes in anticipation of city council lighting the fuse on fireworks that go BOOM!

Wait. Wet the tips of your fingers, we may have to reconsider putting out this fuse before it’s too late. According to an alert cat in between grooming, the city council has just approved buying a product made in China. That’s right. 96% of the bottle rockets, roman candles and other fireworks trace their origin to China. It was an embarrassing decision, second only to the time the city council took their ‘Make America Great Again” hats off and discovered the inside tag read ‘Made in China.”

The cat who alerted me to this dilemma has a fur ball of his own to cough up. He doesn’t want incendiary fireworks. Past celebrations have taken a toll on his health. The noise and smells have sent him into extensive therapy over the years. His owner has been supportive of his medical care because the owner wants his old, unfriendly, self centered cat back. This new fired up cat has become clingy and in need of attention. The owner shared his story. “It’s weird, really. My cat, Q-Tip, has radically changed due to past firework celebrations. The other day he pulled me to the beach and jumped into the water after a frisbee. My cat has changed into a dog.”

Other cat owners have told similar stories. Cats are taking on the personalities of dogs. They do their business all over the place, except in the litter box. Instead of curling up and purring, the affected cats bark at their owners. They’ve lost interest in catching mice and birds. On the other paw, dogs have been reported to have morphed into mice catchers who are proud to drop their hunted trophies at the feet of their owners and purr proud in delight.

A ‘Save Your Pet’s Identity’ has been organized to protect our furry loved ones from next year’s fireworks display. The group’s aim is to hopefully support the country’s newly elected orange tabby president, who promises to place prohibitive tariffs on incendiary fireworks. New hats have been ordered from China that read, “Make Pets Predictable Again.”

Crantz tells the Indy that the Harris camp also supports the ‘Make Pets Predictable Again’ campaign. They plan to pass a bill providing free pet insurance for all pet owning Americans. The bill will provide Americans with a list of PPO veterinarians, who will provide care to the pets and to the owners, as well. The switch from regular people doctors to veterinarians will save 700 trillion dollars over the next 700 trillion years. Bark and meow to that.

The post Opinion: Pet Peeves – Oohs and Aahs appeared first on Laguna Beach Local News.

Longtime Laguna Beach High School golf coach Sean Quigley suffered severe spinal cord injuries when he was hit by a vehicle while out cycling near his home in Laguna Niguel. According to a GoFundMe supporting the local coach and cyclist, Sean has undergone three surgeries since the collision late last month. Doctors say he has a 5% chance of regaining the function of his lower body.

“He currently is the golf coach at Laguna Beach High School for both boys’ and girls’ teams and has been for almost a decade,” the Gofundme reads. “Sean has been a mentor and leader for the young men and women he has coached over the years, with his main goal of building good human beings for the future. Sean is strong and he is fighting his hardest, but he really needs your love, prayers, and if possible, your financial support to give him the best odds.” Click here to view the full fundraiser.

LBBC October Speaker: Robert Boxberger

The Laguna Beach Business Club’s Oct. 17 speaker is Robert Boxberger, president of Experian, North America. Boxberger will discuss his enterprising career journey in leadership. The LBBC holds monthly breakfast meetings starting at 7:30 a.m. and hosts speakers who discuss topics valuable to achieving personal and professional success.

In addition to his corporate experience, Boxberger founded and scaled a successful startup, demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit and ability to drive value from concept to execution. His expertise spans digital transformation, fintech, and AI-driven solutions.

Club meetings begin with a buffet breakfast and brief networking roundtable. Meetings are hosted at Nirvana Kitchen + Pantry, 303 Broadway Street. Non-members are welcome. For more information about the LBBC or to register, visit lagunabeachbusinessclub.com or email Info@LagunaBeachBusinessClub.com.

Honoring the Dead: Fascinating insights into rituals around the world

Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, is a well-known tradition for honoring the dead. But what about Qing Ming in China? Viking burial customs? Or Nawia, the Slavic belief in the land of eternal happiness? Susi Q’s Director of Aging in Place Rickie Redman will lead a free discussion on Oct. 15 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. of dynamic multicultural practices around the world – and perhaps a new way of honoring your lost loved ones. Register online at thesusiq.org. To RSVP by phone, call Christine Brewer at 949-715-8105 or email christineb@thesusiq.org.

AAUW to host its annual Literary Luncheon at Dana Point Yacht Club

The American Association of University Women Laguna Beach Branch will hold its annual Literary Luncheon on Sunday, Oct. 20, at the Dana Point Yacht Club. The luncheon is the branch’s primary fundraiser, providing scholarships to deserving girls and women. Speakers at this year’s luncheon will be three California women authors: Belinda Huijuan Tang, “A Map for the Missing;” Mansi Shah, “A Good Indian Girl,” and Rufi Thorpe, “Margo’s Got Money Troubles.” Two scholarship recipients will also speak, discussing the scholarships’ impact on their lives. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. with a silent auction, a no-host bar, book sales, and a meet-and-greet book signing with the authors. To purchase tickets, visit lagunabeach-ca.aauw.net. For more info, email fblagunabeach@gmail.com.

Wildfires and You with Laguna Canyon Foundation

On Tuesday, Oct. 22, from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Susi Q, Laguna Canyon Foundation’s Deputy Director and Senior Director of Conservation Alan Kaufmann will share insights about fire behavior designed to keep homes safer. Kaufmann oversees LCF’s habitat restoration, fuel modification, land management and trail programs. He works on wildland fire, trail and weed management crews and researches the use of prescribed fire and mechanical thinning to restore ecosystems. Register online for the events at thesusiq.org. To RSVP by phone, call Christine Brewer at 949-715-8105 or email christineb@thesusiq.org.

Just Gather to offer Mind Shift Classes

Just Gather, a local nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental wellness and positive mindsets, is hosting a six-week workshop on achieving a permanent mind shift. Sign up for Gratitude 101 introduction classes, starting Oct. 19, by emailing michellehighberg@yahoo.com. Classes will be held at the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center, 235 Forest Avenue. Find out more by visiting @schoolofgratitudeoc and @justgatherwellness on Instagram.

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CROSS COUNTRY

The league cluster meet slated for Oct. 2 was cancelled due to heat and will not be rescheduled. The league finals will be on Nov. 6. For more information, visit lbxc.org for girls team info and lagunabeachcrosscountry.com for boys.

FLAG FOOTBALL (5-10, 3-8)

Laguna lost a pair of league contests recently dropping a 41-6 contest to league leader Woodbridge (16-6, 11-0) on Oct. 2 at the Warrior field and a 34-19 loss to Rosary Academy at Laguna on Oct. 7. Kayleigh Thomas was the standout against the Royals (14-8, 7-4) with nine catchers for 104 yards and a score. She also had a 50-yard interception return for a score.

FOOTBALL (6-0, 1-0)

Defense made plays as Laguna held on to a 7-6 win over a determined Northwood squad (5-1) last Friday night at the Irvine HS Stadium in a contest filled with suspense and drama expected in a showdown of undefeated teams. The host Timberwolves had dropped four straight meetings with Laguna giving up five touchdowns in each encounter and were not looking past the Breakers this year.

Jack Hooper took the opening kickoff 34 yards from the Breaker 10 to start the initial drive from Laguna 44-yard mark. The Breakers learned quickly that the Northwood defense would be stingy, and it took 11 plays to march 41 yards to the Northwood 15. Pass coverage was exceedingly tight as Laguna lost the possession on an end zone interception returned 27 yards into the field of play. The Breakers allowed only one net yard to the Timberwolves and forced a punt.

On Laguna’s second possession, Jackson Kollock learned how difficult passing would be with the exceptional Northwood secondary. Once again, the Timberwolves intercepted the ball, ending Laguna’s last first-quarter try.  In 14 plays, the confident hosts marched down to the Breaker 4-yard line, but their field goal attempt was wide right. Laguna took over possession and for it all on the third play as Kollock tossed a perfect pass deep to a well-covered Luke Jolley, who snagged the ball and avoided the defender for a 78-yard score. Jolley’s point after touchdown was perfect, and the Breakers would lead the rest of the game.

Northwood didn’t give up and marched 53 yards in 11 plays to score with less than a minute remaining in the half.

The Timberwolves point-after try failed as a trio of Laguna linemen (Leo Adjemian, Henry Rounaghi and Ollie Lyles pressured the Northwood to attempt, with Lyles getting a hand on the ball for the block.

Northwood got the ball to open the second half, but on their first play from scrimmage, Luke Jolley intercepted the pass and returned the ball to the Northwood 25-yard-line. Momentum seemed to be with Laguna, but the Timberwolves dug in, and Laguna was unable to take advantage, turning the ball over on downs.

Northwood’s two remaining possessions in the third period were short and uneventful, while Laguna had a good drive but not enough for a red-zone appearance.

The Timberwolves’s one fourth-quarter possession looked like it would give them the winning points as they drove 32 yards in five plays, with a 27-yard pass play providing the big pop. Laguna then stopped the next play for no gain with tackles by Henry Rounaghi, Leo Adjemian and Redmond Chesley. Northwood then tried two pass plays, one overthrown into the endzone and the other overthrown to the flat. The Timberwolves elected to try a 35-yard field goal, but the fumbled snap was improvised by the Northwood quarterback, who completed a pass on what appeared to be a leaping drive-saving play, but it was two yards short of the first down thanks to a quick tackle by Rounaghi. Kollock was patient on his subsequent pass completions and Chesley was unstoppable running as the Breakers ran out the lock on 12 consecutive plays, including four first downs to escape with the victory.

THIS WEEK: Oct. 11 Breakers vs. #159 Fountain Valley at 7 p.m. at Guyer Field

The Baron’s ranking is misleading as they played a tough schedule after beating Ocean View 49-6 to open the season. Losses were to #121 Esperanza, #100 Marina, #36 Tustin, and #38 Edison. Last week, they narrowly lost to #119 Orange 21-14. Breakers will face a team nearly a mirror image of their squad. Lucas Alexander is the quarterback, and Luke Taylor is the main target. Laguna has played the Barons only once – back in their opponent’s first season of competition in 1966 with a 26-6 Laguna win. For the past 50 seasons, Fountain Valley has been in the Sunset League for football.

NEXT WEEK: Oct. 18 at #98 Aliso Niguel at 7 p.m..

The Breakers’ last regular-season road game will be against the Wolverines (4-2), who lost their league opener 20-10 to Dana Hills (6-0). Aliso is a deep squad, and Laguna is beginning to show the season wear with its thin bench. The Breakers will be without starting linemen Charlie Kelly, Hudson Mills and Sam Boxberger for the rest of the season. Laguna is 0-5 with Aliso Niguel dating back to the first years of Aliso in the 1990s.

See the Cal Preps website for ratings, schedules, scores, etc. at calpreps.com. Game video highlights are posted on Max Preps at maxpreps.com/ca.

GIRLS GOLF (2-9, 0-)

Laguna dropped another league match on Oct. 3 at Ben Browns, losing to Rosary Academy 215-239.

Alayna Votino and Yan Yee Cai from the Royals earned match co-medalist honors with each shooting a score of 40.

Sofia Carr posted Laguna’s low score of 42 (her lowest score of the season). Additional Breaker scores included Alani Sciacca’s 48, Spencer Anderson’s 48, Sienna Herdmann’s 52 and Olivia Vermilya’s 59.

BOYS SAND VOLLEYBALL (7-2, 3-2)

Laguna defeated Pacifica Christian/OC on Oct. 8 at Main Beach

#1 Kai Patchell / James Vermilya lost 17-21, 18-21 L

#2 Dylan Sweet / Perry Ribarich won 21-17, 21-11

#3 Luke Singer / John Tavey won 21-8, 21-19

#4 Ben Goodwin / Nico Lerum won 21-15, 21-17

#5 Grey Bulloch/ Leo Pardun won 21-19, 21-12

4 MAN  (Patchell, Vermilya, Sweet, Ribarch) won  28-20

Playoffs begin next week, with Laguna receiving a first-round bye in the  16-team league. Back on Sept. 27, Laguna held their 2nd Annual Pairs Championships at Main Beach.

Champs: Corona Del Mar #1 Team – Brogan Glenn/ Ben Brown  (Won 21-18, 21-18)

Second Place: Edison High School #1 Team – Nate Jackson/ Connor McNally

Third Place Team: Huntington Beach High School #1 Team – Asher Mitchell/ Logan Hutnick.

GIRLS TENNIS (2-5, 1-1)

Laguna Singles players picked up five set wins to help the Breakers edge Northwood on a set tie breakers 85/83 on Oct. 3 at the Laguna courts. Rebecca MacCallum won her sets 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 while Izzy Lobosco went 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 in her rounds. This past Tuesday, Laguna lost to the #1 OC team, Portola, 16-2, on the Bulldog’s courts. Rebecca MacCallum and the doubles team of Rachel Jolley/Chloe Balliet were the only set winners for Laguna.

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL (5-23, 3-3)

Despite their record, Laguna has entered the season’s final weeks and still in the hunt for a playoff spot.

Oct. 3 #294 Irvine 25-15, 25-22, 25-12

The Breakers used the entire 15-member squad and had no issues defeating Irvine (3-17, 0-7) in their final regular season home game. With a pre-game ceremony, the team also honored their two graduating seniors, Middles Sadie Holmes and Baylie Bina. For the Irvine match, Holmes led in kills (6) along with Ivy Bianchi. Jordan Flynn had four service aces, while Sienna Utge recorded three aces.

Oct. 7 lost to #218 Foothill 19-25, 24-26, 28-30

Laguna had leads of 22-18 in set two and 23-15 in set three but could not finish a loss at the Foothill gym. Sadie Holmes led the attack with six kills and four blocks.

Up next: Laguna must win one of the remaining two matches to advance to the playoffs. Division assignment will be based on the numerical rankings based on the current season results of all of the 532 teams with 282 squads gaining automatic placement based on their league finish. Depending on where the nine brackets break in the final rankings, a limited number of at-large spots may also exist. Playoff brackets will be released on Oct. 19 at 10 a.m. on cifss.org.

Final Two Regular Season Matches:

Oct. 10 at #80 St. Margaret’s (Breakers lost first meeting 12-25, 25-17, 18-25, 10-25)

Oct. 15 at #108 Northwood (Breakers won first meeting 15-25, 20-25, 25-16, 25-19, 15-11).

BOYS WATER POLO (10-10, 3-0)

The Breakers had no trouble overwhelming Woodbridge 19-8 at the Warrior’s pool. Gavin Goode had five goals with Dylan Williams and Max Sauers each scoring four. The victory over Woodbridge (16-4, 1-2) leaves three regular season league games remaining: Oct. 10. University (8-6, 0-3), Oct. 15. at Portola ( 8-11, 1-2) and Oct. 16.with Irvine (10-10, 2-2).  The league carnival tournament on October 21-13 will be a playoff to determine the SSCIF entries.

Also last week, Laguna lost to a good Long Beach Wilson squad 14-11 at the Belmont Plaza pool in Long Beach. Dylan Williams had five goals to lead Laguna.

Scoring leaders after 20 games: 72 – Dylan Willams, 46 – Max Sauers, 31 – Gavin Goode, 25 – Sam Skenderian, 15 – Lucas Rose, 14 – Dane Seybold, 11 – Zach Hornstein.

Have a note on Laguna high school sports? Email Frank at frank@twometer.net. Looking for 2024-25 High School schedules and scores? Check Laguna Beach High School on the Max Preps website or the schedules tab on the athletics website at lbhs.lbusd.org/athletics/schedules. To get scores on the school site – select the sport and level, click year, and move the “show older events” toggle under the 2024-25 year.

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Herbert is the 2024 USA National Men’s Singles Champion, once again for Herbert as it is his sixth straight consecutive year for holding this distinguished title, a major feat in any sport.

Gallo is the 2024 USA National Women’s Singles Champion. Both bowlers competed for their titles in Milwaukee, Wisc., at the Bowls USA National Championships, Sept. 7 through 13, and were a part of the Southwest Division Bowls team from southern California.

The team also included three other star bowlers from Laguna Beach Lawn Bowling Club, they were Tom Richeson and Chris Dodd in the men’s pairs, who finished in third place, and Manya Urane in the women’s pairs finishing in sixth place.

On Oct. 3, fellow club members gathered at the lawn bowling club house on Cliff Drive to celebrate Herbert and Gallo’s successes, both personally, and for the club.

Laguna Beach Lawn Bowling Club is a members-only club and accepts membership from adults, 18 years and up, and introduces lawn bowling, and the first lesson free, with two additional lessons following joining. Laguna Beach Lawn Bowling Club is the largest lawn bowling club, by membership, in North America and will be the host club to next year’s USA Bowls National Lawn Bowling Championships in October 2025. Find out more about the club at lagunabeachlawnbowlingclub.com.

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More than 200 volunteers gathered on Oct. 5 to take part in the third annual Love Laguna citywide service project day.

After a morning kick-off at the Susi Q, volunteers spread out across Laguna to work on numerous different service projects from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Some of the projects included public garden beautifications; beach clean-ups; assembling Halloween treat bags and sorting food donations for Laguna Food Pantry; Boys and Girls Club refurbishments; preparing and serving brunch at the Friendship Shelter; serving the local youth shelter; beautification of the Laguna Day Worker Center; and a creative project at Glenwood.

Inspired by Love Our Cities and in partnership with this national organization, Love Laguna Beach is now in its third year of serving the community of Laguna Beach. Next year’s Love Laguna event will be held on Oct. 4. 2025.

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The plans to provide affordable housing on the property come after a state mandate assigning Laguna Beach the task of planning for and accommodating the development of 394 housing units over the next five years.

In partnership with developer Related California, the NCC aims to completely remodel its property to accommodate 51-55 one to two-bedroom units, a step back from the initially proposed 72 units, a spiritual center, a plaza, as well as other amenities.

Each residential unit is slated to have one parking space, while the church buildings, taking approximately 7,000 square feet, will have 35 parking spaces for the church and the public.

“The goal here is to replace an existing monument in the community with a new one for the future,” Related California Chair Bill Witte said in a media briefing.

The project design intends to use elevation changes around the site to blend into the surrounding neighborhood, a community plaza that extends Glenneyre Street, a two-story sanctuary space, a courtyard for privacy and buffer for neighbors, and a modern design for the spiritual center.

NCC Pastor Rod Echols said the idea behind the church providing affordable housing was created four years ago by its congregation. The hope is to stay as a church community onsite, offer community benefits on its land and be financially sustainable.

“Three years ago, the city identified the NCC site in the Laguna Beach Housing Element as a housing opportunity site,” Echols wrote in an email. “We began to explore this option more intently at that point. There were several steps to get to the point of the preliminary plans, including a comprehensive review of the options for the site, the selection of the developer, and most recently working with an architect to design the site. Throughout the multi-year process, there have been numerous votes of the NCC membership to approve the decisions we’ve made and bring us to where we are today.”

The preliminary plans come after several months of community meetings with immediate neighbors, parents of the Montessori School of Laguna Beach, El Mirador Community Association and Village Laguna to gather feedback and address concerns.

A preference for income-qualified people who work in Laguna Beach will be prioritized for affordable housing. A lottery system will be used to allocate the affordable housing units, prioritizing local preference households.

The project aims to provide affordable housing for households between 30% and 80% of the county median income – between $33,000 to $117,000 per year. The rent will range from $800 to $2,500.

“Our proposed development will help satisfy the city’s low-income mandates,” Witte said.

However, dropping the number of units from 72 to 55 is still not enough for some residents, who fear the project is too large for the area.

“The number of units per acre is tenement style,” resident Jacob Cherub said at Tuesday’s city council meeting. “We need our council and commissions to be involved with that process…because if we’re not careful, the project will rock the lives of the people in that neighborhood. It’s going to create a housing development with the kind of units that, unlike Alice Court, are going to be borderline unlivable.”

The NCC will likely apply for state funding for the affordable housing component and then submit the full project package for city approval in November. If approved and funding secured, the project will begin construction in mid-2026.

More details on NCC’s preliminary affordable housing plans can be found at nccproject.org.

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Villa Rockledge, a Laguna Beach historical landmark, is showing signs of deterioration and vandalism, according to a letter to the city council from Anne Caenn, president of Village Laguna.

The letter surmises the destruction saying the estate’s interiors have been stripped, historic windows are broken or boarded up and people are tagging the property causing architectural damage.

“It’s rather shocking what’s transpired over there,” said Councilmember Bob Whalen. “I would like to ask staff to look into…what the whole range of remedies would be for the city to exercise, including criminal…federal [laws] involved.”

Matt Schneider, assistant director of Community Development, said they have been working with the owner and have had an active case for several weeks to determine illegal construction. Villa Rockledge’s owner has boarded up the windows and placed “No Trespassing” signs.

“We went out late last week and weren’t able to access the site because the gates to the walkway and driveway are locked, but we’re working to schedule an appointment to walk the site with both code and building staff and make an assessment if there was any illegal construction and vandalism,” said Scheider.

Sitting on more than half an acre, the ocean-front Mediterranean mission-style property sits perched on a cliff between Moss Point and Victoria Beach and includes a five-bedroom home and four guest villas.

Riverside’s historic hotel Mission Inn architect Arthur Benton and Frank Miller, real estate developer of the Mission Inn and a major influence on California’s architectural character, worked together to develop this unique estate. Miller purchased the property in 1887 and built the estate for his second wife, Marion, between 1918 and 1922, which includes rustic stone towers, ocean-front balconies with curved walkways and lush landscaping.

Villa Rockledge, once known as “Mariona,” was approved by California’s Mills Act to be sold sale for $27 million through Compass and was listed in early 2020.

The city is asking residents who have security cameras in the area to share footage with the police department to find out who is vandalizing the property.

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A higher percentage of new artists achieved significant financial success in their first year, highlighting the festival’s role in promoting emerging talent. Visitors also enjoyed the addition of the new onsite restaurant that enhanced the overall festival experience with its delightful cuisine.

“Our 2024 season was truly exceptional,” said Kim Brandon, marketing vice president of Laguna Art-A-Fair. “Not only did we see substantial growth in sales and artist participation, but we also fostered a supportive community where artists uplift each other. It’s inspiring to witness new artists thriving in their first year. We’re more than just an art festival; we’re a family.”

Laguna Art-A-Fair has opened its applications for the 2025 season. The show invites artists from all over the world to submit their work and plans to “develop a support program specifically designed for out-of-state and international artists to make participation more seamless and rewarding.”

“Last year saw a record number of artists vying for a booth, and we expect an even better turnout this year due to the success Laguna Art-A-Fair enjoyed this past summer,” said Robert Ross, president of the board of directors of Laguna Art-A-Fair.

The post Laguna Art-A-Fair reports successful season, opens 2025 Call-to-Artists appeared first on Laguna Beach Local News.

“I am committed to LBUSD and want to continue working as a governing board member. I grew up in a teaching family and have strong beliefs in the value of public education, which serves to educate all students who enroll,” Vickers said. I know my years of experience have taught me the importance of working as a member of the team – five board members working in unity with the superintendent towards mutually set goals through a shared vision.”

Vickers, who is the current board president, was first elected to serve in November 2000 and since then has been re-elected five times: 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020.

Vickers has lived in Laguna Beach since 1964 and has a bachelor’s in studio art from UC Irvine. She is credentialed to teach all levels with a specialist in early childhood. After leaving college, Vickers was a Festival of Arts exhibitor before becoming a preschool director, where she discovered how much she enjoyed teaching children. That start in education eventually led Vickers to a district leadership position.

Some of the board accomplishments that stand out to Vickers during her tenure include collaborating with the city on shared use of school facilities, continued increase in course offerings at the high school, and expanding opportunities through college and career awareness with career technical education pathways and community college classes. Vicker is also proud of the district’s partnership with the Laguna Art Museum and Laguna College of Art and Design.

“More recently, I’m excited about our robust support systems for students, families and staff dealing with all aspects of social, emotional and mental health,” she added. “Also, our expansion of transitional kindergarten and starting a preschool. We have a goal to be carbon neutral by 2030. Adding to that, I’m proud of our green school recognition and teaching gardens. Those are just a few.”

Vickers says that one of her main objectives as a school board member is to share what is accurate and vital.

“I need to make sure people in the greater community do their due diligence and not take statements/statistics at face value,” Vickers said. “We teach our students to analyze and be critical thinkers, and we always need to do the same. Basically, my objective is to share the positive and the strength of our district.”

Over the 20 years Vickers has served on the board, she’s worked with nine superintendents and dozens of board members. Throughout her experiences, she said she’s grown to realize that despite different viewpoints, board leadership always has a common goal: its students.

“It is a challenge when we have controversial issues as board members hear different opinions and viewpoints,” Vickers said. “Often, there are more than two sides, and each feels they have the best solution/request. Board members must study, ask questions, and discuss while filtering all the public comments and then make the best decision for the students. There really isn’t any “I” in our team members. We each have one vote, and although we find ourselves in agreement in this district, more often than not, the majority does decide.”

As board member Kelly Osborne isn’t seeking another term, Vickers is the sole incumbent in the November school board election. Lauren Boeck, Margaret Warder, Sheri Morgan and Howard Hills are also campaigning for one of the two open school board seats.

The post Jan Vickers: Sharing district positivity appeared first on Laguna Beach Local News.

I write this on the eve of Hurricane Milton’s landfall. At last, not just NPR but other mainstream networks are discussing the real impacts of climate change. Hurricane Milton, dubbed the “storm of the century” for Florida, strikes me as merely an average storm in what is now an average year in our new climate reality. While Ashford, North Carolina, was recently mentioned as a “climate refuge,” the truth is stark—there are no real climate refuges. Every place will be impacted, albeit in different ways. Some locations will endure worse, but no area is immune.

For now, Laguna Beach may seem lucky, spared from the worst. But our community faces growing threats from rising sea levels, coastal erosion, and the increasing risk of wildfires. Europe, Asia, Antarctica, and beyond are no longer canaries in the coal mine—they are disasters in the making.

I urge everyone in Laguna Beach, whether you own a home or are a landlord, to abandon natural gas. It’s the least we can do to help the next generation face a crisis that is ultimately our responsibility. We may not control global forces, but we can take small steps locally to reduce our carbon footprint and ease the burden on those who come after us.

Bryn Mathieu, Laguna Beach

The post Letter: Is Laguna Beach a climate refuge? appeared first on Laguna Beach Local News.

As a resident of Laguna and a homeowner near the proposed site, I feel that the project team should be commended for incorporating input from the neighbors and finding a middle ground to bring down the unit count while ensuring the project is still viable. I look forward to seeing this project move forward.

Frank Marmolejo, Laguna Beach

The post Letter: NCC, Related California to be commended appeared first on Laguna Beach Local News.

A total of 2,672 people responded to the online survey.  In response to a question about key challenges when traveling along the corridor, an overwhelming 86% of respondents mentioned congestion. Of the 18% “other” category, congestion again headlined the list.

In a more open-ended part of the survey, respondents were asked for thoughts on how to improve the corridor. A total of 1,777 respondents offered suggestions, which were summarized into seven categories.  Maintaining Laguna’s character came first, while undergrounding utilities for safety and aesthetics appeared as number five.

Concepts, features and themes were presented to six pop-up locations, plus a business group and a community workshop. In total, 456 residents attended the sessions, with 131 (29%) using the “sticky dots” provided to express support for undergrounding. A cursory review of the 1,777 respondents to the open-ended question on how to improve the corridor suggests about the same 30% rate, which correlates with the item appearing as number five out of seven in the summary list.

The survey summary concluded that safety emerged as a priority, citing concerns about the dangerous conditions on the canyon road, specifically cars that speed when there’s no traffic. Many expressed concerns about cyclists and pedestrians that would be out of the proposed pathways.

The project cost was cited as the most identified concern. Residents want to know how the project will be funded, how Caltrans and the utility companies will be involved, and how the cost will affect them.

Somehow, from all this data, the summary report concludes that “in terms of preferences around initial project features shared with the community, overwhelming support was seen for undergrounding utilities, with few opposing.” With the ranking of undergrounding at five out of seven and the 30% response rate in the pop-up groups, I certainly didn’t read the detailed survey results that way.

In any future survey, information about what the project will cost and how it will be funded must be provided to respondents. Otherwise, the survey may provide an interesting wish list, but the results won’t provide a basis for informed decision-making.

Mary Locatelli, Laguna Beach

The post Letter: Survey not enough appeared first on Laguna Beach Local News.