Police Files

Man reportedly tries to throw meth pipe on roof, instead lands next to LBPD officer

On Friday, March 15, at 7:21 p.m., an LBPD officer conducted a pedestrian stop on a male subject, later identified as Darren Gallagher, at the 200 block of Broadway Street. 

“While the officer was talking with the subject, Gallagher attempted to throw a glass object onto the roof of the Whole Foods store. The glass object did not land on the roof and fell next to Officer Meyer and Gallagher,” LBPD Spokesperson PIO Sgt Jim Cota said. “The object was found to be a methamphetamine pipe.” 

Darren Lawrence Gallagher, 50, of Costa Mesa, was arrested for possession of narcotic paraphernalia and destruction of evidence. 

“It was later found that Gallagher originally gave a fictitious name and was also charged with violation of giving a police officer a false name,” Sgt Cota said.

Bail was set at $15,500.

Sad song, violin and parts stolen valued at $53,500 

On Thursday, March 14, at 10:10 a.m., a report was taken at the LBPD station concerning a possible burglary from Stephen R. Davey Violins at 31662 South Coast Hwy. The reporting party said that about two to three weeks ago during the rainstorms, he noticed an antique violin and miscellaneous violin parts missing from his shop.

“The missing violin was valued at $50,000, which was on consignment,” Sgt Cota said. “The violin parts are valued at approximately $3,500.”

According to Sgt Cota, there is no surveillance video available and there are no witnesses to the crime.

The total loss is estimated at $53,500.

Paparazzi reportedly stalk Justin Bieber at Montage pool

On Saturday, March 16, at 11:26 a.m., LBPD received a report of paparazzi trespassing and stalking a VIP at the Montage, at the 30800 block of S Coast Highway.

According to police records, a “high priority VIP on the property in the pool area” was being stalked by paparazzi. The star-struck subjects reportedly took off running toward the celebrity. Once LBPD arrived, the subjects were advised not to come back on the property.

According to Sgt Cota, “It was Justin Bieber. The paparazzi were trying to get photos.”

-By Suzie Harrison

Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden to deliver keynote at 13th Annual Art Star Awards

The Laguna Beach Arts Alliance (LBAA) is excited to announce award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden as the honored guest speaker at the 13th Annual Art Star Awards. 

The exceptional event will be held on Sunday, April 7 at [seven-degrees] at 6 p.m. As the guest speaker, Marcia Gay will share stories about her successful and diverse career.

“With awards and accolades across the entire artistic spectrum, Marcia Gay Harden truly is an artists’ artist. We are honored and thrilled to have her as the 2019 guest speaker of Art Star Awards,” said LBAA Chair Rosemary Swimm.

Marcia Gay Harden has forged an incomparable body of work, transforming into each character she plays with the skill of a chameleon. Her critically lauded performances are myriad – from glamorous Ava Gardner in Sinatra, to artist Lee Krasner in Pollock (winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress), to the down-and-out Celeste in Mystic River (Oscar-nominated in the same category) – and her versatility has been praised in other films such as Millers Crossing, The First Wives Club, Meet Joe Black, Mona Lisa Smile, The Hoax and Used People.

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Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden will deliver keynote
at Art Star Awards on April 7

Marcia Gay Harden has chosen a life away from mainstream Hollywood, moving between independent and studio films, and between television and theatre. In 2011 she reprised the role she originated on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning play God of Carnage alongside the original cast with a tremendously successful stage run at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles. 

In 2009, it was her exceptional Broadway performance in this starring role that earned a Best Actress Tony Award. Her fellow-nominated stars in the play included James Gandolfini, Hope Davis, and Jeff Daniels. Harden also received an Outer Circle Critics Award for her performance, as well as nominations from the Drama Desk and Drama League. 

That same year, she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for her role in The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler.

Recently concluding a three-season run as Dr. Leanne Rorish in the CBS drama Code Black, for which she was nominated for a People’s Choice Award as Favorite Actress in a New TV Series, Harden also had a memorable arc on ABC’s hit drama How To Get Away With Murder. 

On the big screen she reprised her role as Christian Grey’s mother in Universal’s Fifty Shades Freed, following Fifty Shades of Grey, and Fifty Shades Darker, the trilogy grossing over $1.3 billion worldwide. 

Other recent films include the Paul Weitz comedy Grandma, starring alongside Lily Tomlin, and After Words, a romantic adventure shot on location in Costa Rica.

Adding author to her professional oeuvre, last spring Harden saw the publication of The Seasons of My Mother, A Memoir of Love, Family, and Flowers (Atria/Simon & Schuster), a poignant personal story which Publishers Weekly called a “graceful memoir.

Other nominations include a Tony nomination for Angels in America (for which she won the Drama Desk and Theatre World Awards), an Emmy nomination for her guest appearance on Law and Order: SVU, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for American Gun. In the Summer of 2017, she made her UK theatre debut starring at Alexandra in the Chichester Theatre Festival’s production of Sweet Bird of Youth.

Marcia Gay Harden graduated from the University of Texas with a B.A. in Theatre and an MFA from the Graduate Acting program at New York University

To purchase tickets to attend the Art Star Awards, an evening of Hollywood glitz and glamour, Laguna Style, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Tickets are $100 each and include dinner as well as all the festivities.

The Laguna Beach Arts Alliance was established in 2002 as the result of an exciting partnership among more than 20 Laguna Beach organizations. The mission is to serve as an advocate for the arts, promote collaboration and networking among the arts organizations of Laguna Beach, and to serve as a united voice for the arts in the city.

Where’s Maggi – the answers!

Maggi threw down a tough one here. But it wasn’t too tough for Bernadette Murphy. She knew this art piece is located on the Coast Highway side of the Laguna Exchange shop.

Thanks for guessing Maggi’s whereabouts, and for sending in your answers! 

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“Open your heart and be”…this art piece is on the side of Laguna Exchange

Joseph and his talented technicolor cast wows the audience during matinee performance at LBHS

By DIANNE RUSSELL

Photos by Johanna Ellis

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is based on the story of Joseph from the Bible’s Book of Genesis. However, that’s where the similarity ends. Nowhere in the Book of Genesis does one encounter a Pharaoh/Elvis Presley impersonator, Joseph’s brother Reuben wearing a beret and dancing like a Beatnik, or the brothers wearing leis and rocking to Calypso music.

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Ensemble cast

Sunday’s performance at Laguna Beach High School (LBHS), while not “biblical” in terms of religious significance, was nevertheless “biblical” on the entertainment scale. Originally created by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, this production was masterfully brought to the stage by LBHS staff members Alexis Karol (Producer), Calena Marie DelPizzo-Howell (Hair and Makeup Design), and Peter Roche (Technical Director). Guest Director and Choreographer Paul Nygro, a professional theater veteran, is thrilled to be back at Artist’s Theatre, and Music Director Tim Nelson, a leading force in OC Theatre for 30 years, welcomes the opportunity to work with Alexis Karol. 

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Tanner Burton as Joseph and the narrators, (L-R) Claire Tigner, Rylee Bullington, and Zoe Waters 

Lexie LeFevre, a sophomore from Yorba Linda, who attended the performance said, “The play was great! The actors were spot-on when portraying the story, and amazing at bringing the right emotion to the audience!”

In a nutshell, the story unfolds – among his 12 sons, Joseph is most favored by his father who bestows on him a technicolor dream coat, his brothers are jealous, get rid of him (they think), but Joseph is taken to Egypt, becomes a slave, works his way up to running the household, but the Potiphar throws him in jail (mistakenly thinking he’s involved with his wife). 

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Nick Reardon as the Pharaoh

Soon after, his reputation for deciphering dreams brings him to be right-hand man for the Pharaoh. Meanwhile, Joseph’s family back home is struggling due to the famine, with his brothers regretting what they did to him, and they travel there to beg for supplies. In Egypt, the brothers request food, not realizing who he is. Joseph gives them sacks of food, but puts a golden cup in the one belonging to Benjamin, his youngest brother, whom he has never met. When the brothers attempt to depart, Joseph stops them, accusing them of theft. 

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Noah Novick, (middle) leads brothers in "Benjamin Calypso"

Each brother empties his sack and when the cup is found in Benjamin’s sack, Joseph accuses him of stealing. The other brothers beg Joseph to take them prisoner instead and let Benjamin go free. Ultimately, Joseph sees that his brothers have changed and reveals who he really is. Joseph sends for his father, the pair is reunited, and he wears his coat of many colors again. Granted, that’s a lot of territory to cover.

Bringing this story to life is a company of versatile and talented performers, many of whom interchange parts seamlessly. The company includes more than 50 LBHS student cast and crew members and 12 students from El Morro Elementary, Top of the World Elementary, and Thurston Middle School in the children’s choir. 

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Luka Salib as Beatnik brother – Reuben

Presented entirely in song, the story’s three narrators guide the audience on the journey. Rylee Bullington, Claire Tigner, and Zoe Waters do an excellent job. All of the players wonderfully populate the Artist Theatre’s stage. Tanner Burton does a fine job of portraying Joseph as the vulnerable dreamer who has lost his way. His final song, “Any Dream Will Do,” is one of his best. 

There are a few numbers that can’t help but be standouts. Nick Reardon as the Pharaoh “wannabe” Elvis, does an admirable impersonation and fully inhabits his character with “Poor, Poor Pharaoh & Song of the King.” Isadora Duskin-Feinberg brings the Potiphar’s wife to life with her seductive dance number. 

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Joseph, cast and the amazing technicolor coat

As brother Reuben, Luka Salib gives it his all in the number “Those Canaan Days,” both singing and dancing like a true ‘60s Beatnik. Noah Novick was also memorable for his “Benjamin Calypso” performance. Drew Fink as the Potiphar was great as well.

The impressive cast worked together to bring this legendary story to the stage for a fun and engaging afternoon. Don’t miss the chance to see one of the remaining performances. (Friday, March 22 at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 23 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 24 at 2:30 p.m.)

For tickets, go to www.lbhs.booktix.com. Tickets are $22 for Premium, $17 for adults, and $12 for students. 

LBHS is located at 625 Park Ave.

Pink paradise

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Photo by Tom Berndt

Fuchsia to the max

Jazz Wednesdays ends the season on March 27 with an exciting lineup of performers

On March 27, Laguna Beach Live! closes out a superb Jazz Wednesdays Winter Series with an All-Star Tribute to Chet Baker and Peggy Lee featuring world-renowned trumpeter Bijon Watson, guest vocalist Lucy Woodward, and the Laguna Beach Live! All-Stars. 

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World-renowned trumpeter Bijon Watson

World-renowned trumpeter and Artistic Director of Jazz for Laguna Beach Live!, Bijon Watson leads the final concert of the 2019 Laguna Beach Live! Winter Jazz Series. 

Accompanied by the Laguna Beach Live All-Stars (Andy Langham – piano, Ben Shepherd – bass, Will Brahm – guitar, Jamey Tate – drums, Tom Luer – saxophone) and vocalist Lucy Woodward, the band will be performing a tribute to Chet Baker and Peggy Lee. Bijon and this stellar group of musicians will perform original arrangements and selections inspired by and made famous by Chet and Peggy. 

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Courtesy of Lucy Woodward Facebook/Eric Morgensen

Guest vocalist Lucy Woodward 

Limited tickets are available. To add your name to the waiting list, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The concert is from 6 - 8 p.m., with doors opening at 5. A full bar and buffet dinner menus are available for purchase starting at 5 p.m.

Jazz Wednesdays Winter 2019 has been held in the distinctive [seven-degrees] event facility. 

For more information, visit www.lagunabeachlive.org or call (949) 715-9713. 

[seven-degrees] is located at 891 Laguna Canyon Rd.

Coffee and vintage cars 

Photos by Mary Hurlbut

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Another Kind Café, site of Coffee and Cars

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Coffee and Cars is held every third Saturday of the month from 7 - 9 a.m.

Coffee is ready at 7 a.m.

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All vintage cars are welcome

LagunaTots is a hilarious show on what the next generation faces…with a serious edge

By STACIA STABLER

It was my first show at No Square Theatre, and from the moment I got there, I felt the excitement all around. Once we entered the theatre, smiling faces greeted us from every corner.

The show kicked off with an exciting entrance and performance, “Main Event,” led by Jonah Goldstein. Once the kids came out with the level of talent and passion that they did, I knew it was going to be a show our whole family would remember. 

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Lula Buckle shines in “YouTube Star” 

Kids today have serious things to worry about: dress codes, vaccinations, phones, lice, social media…this original musical parody portrays these things they are facing with hilarious results. 

The highlight of the show for me was “Fortnite,” led by Chase Benson and Mason Bruderer, an amusing dance and song written to “Sunglasses at Night” by Corey Hart, replaced with lyrics on the youth’s obsession with Fortnite.

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 “Fortnite” was a crowd favorite

“Adopt this Feline,” a skit on Laguna’s cat café Catmosphere, had me in tears from laughter. We had actually just been to the café that morning so it made it all the more relatable.

“Better Man,” a take on the Me Too Movement, set to Billy Joel’s “Piano Man,” highlighted the show’s second act.

No Square’s Youth Theatre Director Ella Wyatt wrote and directed the show (what a talent!), with additional lyrics by Rufino Cabang and some of the kids in the cast. Music direction for the show is by Susan Thoren. The show is choreographed by Ella with Rylee Bullington, a LagunaTots alumnus and senior at Laguna Beach High School. Rylee is featured in the high school’s current production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

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“Better Man” highlighted the second act

The talented cast of LagunaTots includes Katie Baker, Chase Benson, Tatum Brennan, Will Briggs, Mason Bruderer, Lula Buckle, Story Bullington, Quinn Butler, Elisa Camacho, Nicolas Camacho, Harlo Cozzens, Sarina Doshi-O’Neil, Chloe Flaherty, Anna Gabriel, Laird Garcia, Grace Gilchrist, Jonah Goldstein, Lila Goldstein, Kate Hennessy, Hadley Hunt, Piper Hunt, Hannah Kaiser, Lauren Kimball, Lydia Kimball, Marco Lapayese-Calderon, Jude Lifeset, Sienna Mason, Maris Morgan, Douglas Nottage, Chloe O’Kane, Karina Pitz, Nathan Ryan, Kate Storke, Allie Swellen, Lila Tacklind, and Leah Turner.

Shows will continue on Friday, March 22 at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 23 at 2 p.m., and Sunday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Go check it out and prepare to do some serious laughing. 

Tickets are $12 for kids (ages 12 and under) and $25 for adults. All seats are reserved, and this show always sells out. So plan ahead and get your tickets now at www.nosquare.org.

No Square Theatre is located in Historic Legion Hall, 384 Legion St. It is a small venue and all seats are good.

Nine LBUSD teams advance to state competition in Destination Imagination® Tournament

Nine teams representing Laguna Beach High School, Thurston Middle School, and Top of the World Elementary from Laguna Beach Unified School District qualified to move on to the Destination Imagination (DI) state competition on April 6 in Clovis. 

Destination Imagination is an international, educational program that enhances the growth and learning students receive in the classroom. Teams of students, ranging from third grade through university level, solve one of six open-ended challenges in the fields of STEM, fine arts, and service learning and present their solutions at tournaments.

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The Brilliant Boom Bam Bananas (10th grade) placed 1st in the technical category at the senior level

Five LBUSD teams competed in the Technical Challenge: On Target. Their challenge was to design and build an aircraft that takes off, flies, and lands; design the aircraft to deliver a team-created payload, and to create and present a story about one or more characters exploring a remote place. 

Three teams competed in the Improvisational Challenge (Heads Up). The challenge asked them to research historical figures found on coins from around the world, create and present an improvisational skit that includes the historical figures in a tale, integrate an event that has an impact on the tale, present the skit in two parts changing between comedy and tragedy, and present the skit in two styles, changing from verbal to nonverbal.

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No Parents Required also placed first place in the technical category at the middle level

Finally, one team competed in the Scientific Challenge (Medical Mystery) where they were asked to research the human body and medical conditions that affect the human body, create and present a story about a medical mystery that affects a human character, design and build a representation that shows the medical mystery and at least one symptom, and present an action or scene that is shown from two or more perspectives at the same time.

 “We are so proud of the hard work and creativity of our teams and I am thrilled that Destination Imagination has expanded with an all-time record of nine teams from the Laguna Beach Unified School District,” said Ina Inouye Wu, one of the Destination Imagination club advisors at Thurston Middle School. “DI definitely fulfills a need in our students for creative problem-solving,” she concluded.

Supporters “take over” KX 93.5 airwaves for annual fund drive next week

KX 93.5, Laguna’s only FM radio station, invites local leaders and legends to take over its airwaves March 25 through 29. Guest hosts will DJ their own hour live on the air, with their own handpicked music and content, to raise money for our beloved community radio station.

“KX Takeover is such a special fundraiser for us because it shows us every year that our station thrives when our community bands together to support it,” said KX 93.5 General Manager Tyler Russell. “It means so much to us that Lagunans will take time out of their schedules to create passionate radio and fundraise on our behalf.” 

KX 93.5 is a throwback to classic days of radio, when DJs actually picked their own music and listeners expected a human connection and community involvement from their local station. To honor that, KX Takeover guest DJs will craft their own playlist and hour of storytelling, as they talk about how music and radio has impacted their lives. 

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KX Supporter Bobbi Cox – 2017 Silver Tongue Award Winner

KX Takeover is a friendly-but-stiff competition where the guest DJ that raises the most money receives the coveted “Silver Tongue Award.” Past winners include Larry Nokes, Rick Riess, Bobbi Cox, Clay Berryhill, and Awakening Code Radio hosts. 

Some of this year’s participants include City Council members Toni Iseman, Peter Blake, Sue Kempf, and Bob Whalen, musician Dylan Rouda, IMAX filmmaker Greg MacGillivray, surfer/entrepreneur Brandy Faber, local Brenden Hexberg, and designer/contractor Julie Laughton. 

Pledges can range from $20 to $20,000, and 100% of the proceeds generated during the fundraiser will assist the general operating budget of the station. By pledging $65 or more, listeners can become members of the radio station to receive annual benefits to ensure KX 93.5’s sustainability. When you make a donation online, you’ll be able to select which guest host you want it to count toward. 

If you value Laguna’s own radio station, as an alternative to corporate media, a source of independent views and thoughtfully crafted music shows, as a resource to be cherished and cared for, as a microphone into the very soul of Laguna, then please help keep us live on the air. Listen in and pledge during KX Takeover from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 25 - 29. 

Find the full schedule of shows and make your donation at www.KX935.com/kxtakeover. 

For more information, contact Monica Silva-McCusker at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Springtime bounty at Farmers’ Market

Photos by Mary Hurlbut

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Laguna Beach Farmers’ Market, a Saturday morning tradition (8 a.m. - noon)

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Held in the parking lot across the street from the Lumberyard Shopping Center
and next to City Hall

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Offers many organic fruits and vegetables

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Abundance of local products

LOCA invites public to murals tour on Thursday

LOCA Arts Education invites art lovers to join in a tour of the recently commissioned murals in the Laguna Beach Civic Art District this Thursday, March 21 from 4 - 5:30 p.m.

Participants will enjoy a docent-led walk along The Hive commercial center and Art-A-Fair properties, viewing and discussing the six painted murals that were installed during the center’s 2018 Summer of Color program, co-curated by Torrey Cook and Ben Rubin. Artists include Brett Crawford, Chad Hasegawg, Okuda, Beau Stanton, James Thistlewaite, and Faith XLVII. 

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Courtesy of The Hive

Enjoy LOCA’s docent-led tour of the Laguna Beach Civic Art District on Thursday

LOCA members are admitted free to all regular art club events. Guests and visitor admission is $20 per event. 

Advance registration is requested. To register, call (949) 363-4700 or visit the calendar page at www.locaarts.org. 

The event will take place at 891-777 Laguna Canyon Rd. Free parking is available at The Hive.

Guest Column

Fan Fall

By Arnold Silverman

I am getting either soft or senile. You can take your choice. My seeing a video celebrating the anniversary of NY Giant baseball fielder Bobby Thomson’s historic home run in the 1951 Dodger/Giant playoff at the Polo Grounds in NYC produced a “Niagara” effect on me like you would not believe. 

Where were you when that game was played? I was at Indian Town Gap, Pennsylvania. It was the last day of our basic training. We had received orders for our next assignment, and on that particular day were handing in the equipment and clothing we would not be taking with us.

I was feeling great about the future; others were not. This was the time of the Korean “conflict.” While many had been assigned to FECOM (Far East Command – read that Korea), I had been assigned to Ft. Holabird in Baltimore to commence training as a CIC (Counter Intelligence Corps) agent. I was enthused both with the potential glamour of the new experience (there was none) and the realization that I would not be appearing in the sights of some focused Chinese gentleman (my crystal ball was not functioning well at that time; I ended up as a forward observer for an 81 mm mortar platoon).

New York Giant fan for this playoff

On that particular day I was “chosen” to head up the clothing detail. We were to see that each man in our company handed in each of the aforementioned clothing items. As the classic army lineup passed our position, the items were thrown in a pile.  As you might imagine, that pile rose to quite a height very quickly. While building this pyramid of G.I. issue, our Zenith Transoceanic radio, a renowned receiver at the time, probably used in every U.S. infantry platoon worldwide even though with a battery pack it must have weighed over 20 lbs., blared the ball game.

For this playoff, I was a New York Giant fan. At that time in the New York City area, you had a few loyalty options. You could have been exclusively a Giant or a Yankee or a Dodger fan. Or you could have been both a Yankee and a Giant fan. However, you could not have been a Yankee and a Dodger fan because the Dodgers were socially unacceptable to bona fide Yankee fans, and you certainly could not have been both a Giant and a Dodger fan since both were National League teams. These two “denominations” had mutual dislike if not hatred (it still exists today in spite of their respective migrations). 

Courtesy of flannelofthemonth.com

Bobby Thomson - Shot heard around the world

There was not a “love ‘em both” feeling as seemed to be prevalent in San Francisco during the San Francisco Giant/Oakland “earthquake” Series. When either the Dodgers or the Giants played in a World Series, New York fans of the other rooted for the American League team no matter which one it was. New York City people took their loyalties very seriously.

Now, I am not describing “World Series and All Star Game only” followers. I mean the “die with ‘em, win or lose, every day” fans. I mean fans like humorist Jean Shepherd’s father whom Shepherd depicted sitting in his “own,” lonely section in the bleachers of Wrigley Field in the 1930’s watching the lowly Chicago White Sox week after week, year after year; hoping/praying somehow for the miracle of beating the Yankees; finding in those games a metaphor for his own loser life. These were fans whose first peek at the morning paper was at the box scores. I was one of those fans.

Yankees fan as kid

I rooted for the Yankees. When I was a kid in D.C., my heroes were the Yankees – Joe DiMaggio, Red Ruffing and Bill Dickey, Frankie Crosetti, Joe Gordon and the rest. Although Washington had its Senators (the ball club; not today’s “country” club), you did not seriously root for them. While over the years, they had some good players – Cecil Travis who could have played on any club including the Yankees (and did after the war), Buddy Lewis, George Case, who for years held the base stealing record, and a really solid, dependable pitcher, Emil Dutch Leonard, they were not in the Yankee’s class and I just did not feel a strong loyalty to them. For me it was the New York teams, but not the Dodgers. Why not the Dodgers?  I do not know. However, to this day I find myself rooting for any team the Dodgers play.

So there we were listening to the game while the clothing pile grew higher and higher. As each recruit came before us, we verified his returned items, and requested that he throw the items in the pile. As the game entered the end of the ninth inning, resigned to the Giant’s losing, my concentration moved to the assigned detail. I noticed that the clothing pyramid was starting to tilt to one side and that without some adjustment, the clothes would have fallen and scattered over the area. Anticipating the imminent arrival of some neatness-prone, safety-sensitive officer or noncom, I climbed to the top of the heap and reapportioned the garments so that they would not topple. As I commenced to straighten things, Mr. Thomson came to bat and the fine pitcher Dodger starter Ralph Branca strode to the mound in relief.

Shot heard around the world

For the first time in the game, I felt some tension and excitement. You could hear that tension and hope in the Giants’ announcer Russ Hodges’ voice. You could also hear his fear as Branca blew the first pitch past Thomson. And then it happened.  Thomson hit the next pitch into history, Hodges went insane, called it the shot heard around the world, and I broke my arm.

As Hodges screamed the home run call, I leaped joyfully in the air, bounced off the cushion of clothing into the air again and, landing on my arm, fell the eight feet to the ground below. I was so overwhelmed; I did not know it was broken until the next day.  One of the medics placed it in a splint. Our captain gave me a choice of staying on the base for an extra week and risking my assignment to Holabird (with an excellent chance of being assigned to duty in Korea) or leaving that day. I was off that base in 15 minutes.

St Catherine students honored at Chapman Holocaust Art and Writing Contest Award Ceremony

Congratulations to St Catherine’s talented middle schoolers, Tessa Petro, Liam Lott, and Ben Brannock, who attended the Chapman University Holocaust Art and Writing Contest Award Ceremony last week. These students were honored among those who submitted work in poetry, prose, art, and film. Liam’s poem is “Fight On,” and Ben’s art piece is “Harry’s Memories.”

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Winners Tessa Petro, Liam Lott, and Ben Brannock

Megan Meihaus of St Catherine’s says, “Tessa’s poem, ‘Rise,’ was one out of six finalists (and more than 1,000 submissions). Our students had the opportunity to see first place winners share their writing, art, and videos. Everyone also heard a first-hand account from a Holocaust survivor, and were deeply honored to have Holocaust survivors present at the ceremony. In the picture, our students are holding their Holocaust Chronicle books they received at the ceremony as they stand in front of a piece of the Berlin Wall.”

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Tessa was one of six finalists for her poem “Rise”

According to Chapman University’s website, the intention of the contest was: Purposeful Telling: Through Memory to Action. Survivor and author Elie Wiesel wrote that “to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” Increasingly, as the decades passed and the survivors built new lives, they came to believe that testifying about their experiences was their obligation not only to the past but to the future. They realized that telling sustains memory while silence permits denial.

For more information on St Catherine School of Siena Parish School, go to www.stcathschool.org.

21st Annual John Gardiner Poetry Contest 

“Freeestyle” hosted by Laguna Beach Library

Laguna Beach Library’s 21st Annual John Gardiner Poetry Contest “Freeestyle” begins on Monday, April 1 and ends on Tuesday, April 30. Entries will be accepted during that time. All ages are welcome to enter, and winners in all categories receive prizes of $25 - $100 gift certificates. Applicants may submit up to three original poems (each poem must have a completed copy of the entry form). An entry form can be either picked up at the library’s circulation desk or requested via email to the branch email address at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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2018 reading

The contest is named after John Gardiner who was a beloved local poet and former Master of Ceremonies of the program. His good friend and fellow local poet Michael Sprake is the current MC of the annual public reading event. This year’s theme is “Freeestyle.”

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

John Gardiner

Library Assistant Heather Bradley says, “Last year, we had approximately 100 entries in six categories from preschool through adult, with the theme of Seascape Sonnets. The judges awarded 21 poems in those categories, and the winning poems were published in a booklet. The Friends of the Library sponsored $25 - $100 gift cards from Laguna Beach Books and other local vendors as prizes.” 

Traditionally, the winners are invited to a public reading of their poems on the first Saturday in June. The poetry contest is supported by the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library.

The LB Library is located at 363 Glenneyre St. For more information, call (949) 497-1733.

City officials to discuss fire safety at Village Laguna meeting on March 25

Village Laguna invites the community to the group’s monthly meeting on Monday, March 25 at 7 p.m., at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, to hear City staff discuss how residents can be prepared for a fast-moving fire, and what innovative safety measures were learned from the experts at the Paradise disaster. All are welcome to attend.

A contingent of Laguna Beach city officials, including City Manager John Pietig, Mayor Bob Whelan, and Emergency Operations Coordinator Jordan Villwock made the journey to the town of Paradise, California, to witness the destruction caused by the Camp Fire last November.

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Laguna Beach City Manager John Pietig during recent tour of the fire-ravaged neighborhoods in Paradise

The topography of Paradise shares similarities with Laguna Beach. Our city has formed a Fire Safety Task Force to review Laguna’s emergency evacuation and response plans.

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach is located at 429 Cypress Dr.

For more information about Village Laguna, visit www.villagelaguna.org.

Laguna Beach Books presents author Ann Mah on April 7

On Sunday, April 7 at 4 p.m., Laguna Beach Books is pleased to welcome author Ann Mah. Ann will be discussing her most recent novel, The Lost Vintage. All are welcome and invited to join the discussion. 

To become one of only a few hundred certified wine experts in the world, Kate must pass the notoriously difficult Master of Wine examination. She’s failed twice before; her third attempt will be her last chance. 

When she suddenly finds herself without a job and with the test a few months away, she travels to Burgundy to spend the fall at the vineyard estate that has belonged to her family for generations. There she can bolster her shaky knowledge of Burgundian vintages and reconnect with her cousin Nico and his wife, Heather, who now oversee day-to-day management of the grapes. The one person Kate hopes to avoid is Jean-Luc, a talented young winemaker and her first love.

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Ann Mah will discuss her most recent novel, “The Lost Vintage,” on April 7 at Laguna Beach Books

At the vineyard house, Kate is happy to help her cousin clean out the enormous basement that is filled with generations of discarded and forgotten belongings. Deep inside the cellar, behind a large armoire, she discovers a hidden room containing a cot, some Resistance pamphlets, and an enormous cache of valuable wine. 

Piqued by the secret space, Kate begins to dig into her family’s history – a search that takes her back to the dark days of World War II and introduces her to a relative she never knew existed, a great–half aunt who was a teenager during the Nazi occupation.

As she learns more about her family, the line between resistance and collaboration blurs, driving Kate to find the answers to two crucial questions: who, exactly, did her family aid during the difficult years of the war? And what happened to six valuable bottles of wine that seem to be missing from the cellar’s collection?

Ann Mah is a food and travel writer based in Paris and Washington DC. She is the author of the food memoir Mastering the Art of French Eating, and a novel, Kitchen Chinese. She regularly contributes to the New York Times’ Travel section and she has written for Condé Nast Traveler, Vogue.com, BonAppetit.com, Washingtonian magazine, and other media outlets.

For more information, call (949) 494-4779 or visit www.lagunabeachbooks.com. 

Laguna Beach Books is located at 1200 South Coast Hwy.

Suicide prevention forum at Laguna Presbyterian

April 1

The community is invited to attend a free public forum to discuss ways to prevent suicide at the upcoming Suicide Prevention Forum at Laguna Presbyterian Church. The April 1 presentation will include up-to-date research on this preventable cause of death in America.

“Participants in ‘Talk Saves Lives’ will learn common risk factors for suicide, how to spot warning signs in others, and how to keep ourselves, loved ones and others in the community safe,” Theresa Keegan, Laguna Presbyterian Communications Coordinator, said.

There will be time for a question and answer session, as well as an opportunity to develop plans moving forward, both individually and as a community.

Laguna Presbyterian Church is pleased to host The American Federation for Suicide Prevention, Orange County Chapter by presenting this talk on April 1 at 7 p.m., in the community room off the church patio, at 415 Forest Ave. All are invited to attend for free; no RSVP is needed.

For more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., call (949) 494-7555, or visit www.lagunapreschurch.org.

Real Talk Laguna Beach presents community discussion on building resilience

The community is invited to join Real Talk Laguna Beach on March 27 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at the Susi Q for a discussion on the importance and strength of resilience. Resilience can effectively manage our health in the midst of life’s inevitable changes. 

Dr. Elsie Beach, a licensed Clinical Psychologist with a specialty in abuse and trauma, will be the event facilitator. She has experience working in correctional facilities, child advocacy centers, trauma centers, impatient hospital settings, and community mental health centers. 

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Join Real Talk for a community discussion on resilience at Susi Q

Dr. Beach is currently working on a book about resilience and parenting as a way to combine her professional expertise with her current interests, being a stay-at-home mom. She also speaks on the topic of resilience to share with parents and the community evidence-based, research supported approaches to effectively managing our mental health in the midst of life’s challenges. 

The event is free and seating is limited. To RSVP, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Susi Q is located at 380 Third St.

Bel Canto to perform at LBUMC on March 24

Bel Canto, the women’s choir from Azusa Pacific University, will perform during the 10 a.m. worship service at Laguna Beach United Methodist Church on Sunday, March 24. The choir, led by David Hughes, DMA, sang at the church two years ago to great acclaim. 

Caterina Paton, a member of Bel Canto and LBUMC, is one of twenty singers who will travel to Indonesia, including Bali, in May. This is APU’s first mission trip to Indonesia. 

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Submitted photo

Bel Canto enjoying a snow day before heading to Indonesia in May

“We’re putting on some large concerts, but also getting to participate in some worship services,” says Caterina. “Everyone is excited to get to know and learn about a new culture.” 

Following the service and the performance, a Polynesian Luncheon, complete with BBQ Chicken, will be held in Healton Hall at the church. Everyone is welcome. 

For more information, contact the church at (949) 499-3088 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

LBUMC is located at 21632 Wesley Dr.

LOCA invites community to Birthday Bash featuring Mike Trout jersey and a trip to San Francisco

LOCA Arts Education invites the public to its Birthday Bash fundraising party on Sunday, March 24 from 4 - 7 p.m., at Bridge Hall at Neighborhood Congregational Church. “Major donors are coming forward – and we are truly thankful for their support,” said event Chair Pat O’Brien. “Let’s all celebrate together!”

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A signed jersey by Mike Trout is among auction items at the LOCA Birthday Bash

Baseball fans will rally to bid on a jersey, hand signed by Mike Trout, a 7-time Major League Baseball All Star, winner of the 2014 and 2016 Most Valuable Player award, and 6-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award. 

Travel lovers may enjoy a visit-to-San Francisco package, including a travel voucher and 2-night stay at The Donatello Hotel, in a walk-able location among the theater district, fabulous restaurants, and Museum of Modern Art. 

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Submitted photo

Contestants are wanted for LOCA’s cakewalk contest, pictured is Ruben Flores at the 2018 Birthday Bash

Partygoers will enjoy great food and wine, fun games for grownups including a musical cakewalk, and music by South Laguna Garden Band. Proceeds support LOCA’s award winning programs serving people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities throughout Laguna Beach. 

Tickets are $50 each or $180 for a party of four. 

For more information, visit www.locaarts.org or call (949) 363-4700.

Neighborhood Church is located at 340 Saint Ann’s Drive and has free on-site parking.

Susi Q’s Legacy Ball celebrating 10 years on April 14 at [seven-degrees]

Susi Q Senior Center will host its 10-year anniversary celebration at the Hang Ten Laguna Legacy Ball on Sunday, April 14 from 5 to 9 p.m. 

Under a setting sun, where the canyon meets the breaking surf, the community is invited to join Susi Q for an epic evening of fun at [seven-degrees]. 

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Join Susi Q for their 10-year anniversary celebration

Susi Q’s mission is to work together to enhance the lives of seniors through programs, services, and advocacy that promote independence, wellness, and community.

Tickets are on sale now. To purchase tickets, call Christine Brewer at (949) 715-8105 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

To learn more and purchase tickets online, visit www.thesusiq.org. 

[seven-degrees] is located at 891 Laguna Canyon Rd.

Laguna Beach Books proudly welcomes Laguna local and author Virginia Mason on March 31

On Sunday, March 31 at 4 p.m., Laguna Beach Books is pleased to welcome Laguna local Virginia Mason. Virginia will be discussing her new book, Make the Sky Blue.

In the early ‘70s, husbands had jobs outside the home and wives had jobs at home. Sally and Ken Lansing and their baby Tiger live in a rural area, and Beth and Laurence Wellcroft in a wealthy subdivision with Beth’s mother and her black caregiver, Verna. 

Adultery by Ken and an unplanned pregnancy upend Sally’s life. Beth’s miscarriages and inability to conceive and her mother’s deteriorating health challenge Beth. A Thanksgiving surprise for Verna with son Jeff propels the two women to take a trip to the Sierra to visit Sally’s friends. Laurence, meanwhile, travels to China on business and has an adventure. Living during the rural to suburban transition and the beginning of feminism bring Sally and Beth closer together.

Laguna local Virginia Mason will speak at Laguna Beach books on March 31

Sally phones Beth about Tiger and about her husband, Ken, having an affair. Beth phones Sally over infertility and her mother’s Alzheimer’s. These two women, different in age and background, forge a friendship of mutual solace. Their friendship shows how women’s friendships are necessarily life changing and life affirming.

Sally Mason is a Midwesterner by birth, a California transplant by luck, a mother of four, happily out of the nest. She grew up on Lake Michigan and was a merchant with two other female partners in a small business for 25 years. 

Mason now lives by the Pacific Ocean in a beautiful place with many friends and a loving family. She writes something every day called Snapthots that goes out to a list of family and friends. She writes because it keeps her happier than any creative pursuit. She was an art major in college and remains creative in art and craft but she is passionate about her writing.

For more information, call (949) 494-4779 or visit www.lagunabeachbooks.com. 

Laguna Beach Books is located at 1200 South Coast Hwy.

Saint Catherine of Siena Parish School announces New Family Scholarship opportunity

Saint Catherine of Siena School is offering a New Family Scholarship in order to provide all families in the Laguna area with the opportunity to attend a Catholic School. The scholarship deadline is April 30, 2019. 

Saint Catherine of Siena Parish School is a small, close-knit, friendly community that offers a rigorous academic program in a faith-based environment. From Transitional Kindergarten to a high school preparatory Middle School, Saint Catherine offers a unique atmosphere where small class sizes allow students to shine.

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Photo courtesy of Instagram

Students enjoying a day in the life at Saint Catherine of Siena Parish School

New Family Scholarship qualifications include: 

--Must be a new family of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish School in the 2019-2020 school year

--Enrollment must be completed and payments submitted by April 30

New Family Scholarship program details:

--A new family has the opportunity to receive a 2-year scholarship for all students enrolled

--Scholarships awarded are based on the first year and second year of enrollment

First year scholarship award:

--First student receives $2,500 off of tuition

--Additional students in family will receive $3,000 off of tuition. 

Second year scholarship award:

--First student receives $1,500 off of tuition

--Additional students in family will receive $2,000 off of tuition

New families may also qualify for the Tuition Assistance Program. 

For more information and to apply, visit www.stcathschool.org or call (949) 494-7339. For additional questions, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Saint Catherine of Siena Parish School is located at 30516 South Coast Hwy.