Police Files

Local arrested in alleged $3.2 million sober living fraud scheme

Laguna Beach resident Steven Lomonaco was recently charged, along with four other Southern California defendants, with multiple felonies for allegedly preying on vulnerable substance abuse patients to defraud an insurance company out of millions.

A joint effort by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) and the California Department of Insurance shut down the alleged $3.2 million healthcare fraud ring led by Lomonaco, 61, Mahyar “Christian” Mohases, 37, of Santa Ana, Robert Williams, 41, of Murrieta, Nicholas Reeves, 42, of Aliso Viejo, and James Frageau, 29, of Temecula. The defendants have been charged with multiple felony counts including insurance fraud and money laundering in connection with the scheme.

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Courtesy of OCDA

Steven Lomonaco

Mohases, Frageau, Williams, and Reeves are accused of finding patients across the country who were seeking help for substance use recovery and flying them to California to enter treatment at Casa Bella International Inc., which was owned and operated by Lomonaco in Laguna Beach. Now permanently closed, the sober living facility was located at 31365 Monterey St.

 In order to obtain payment from the insurance company for these patients, Mohases, Frageau, Williams, and Reeves allegedly directed employees to fill out policies for the patients using false information.

They are accused of lying on the insurance applications, stating that patients lived in California, when in actuality the addresses were for employees or businesses related to the co-conspirators. Lomonaco allegedly paid the other co-conspirators upwards of $10,000 per patient who stayed enrolled in treatment for more than 30 days.

“Sober living homes are valuable resources designed to facilitate recovery and healing for patients battling potentially life-threating addiction issues,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. 

“Instead of helping these patients, these individuals [allegedly] preyed on extremely susceptible people and exploited their addictions for profit. Working closely with the California Department of Insurance, we are cracking down on these [alleged] criminals and their predatory operations in order to protect substance abuse patients from unknowingly being trafficked, as well as protect their loved ones, and insurance companies from these unscrupulous operators,” Spitzer said.

In order to pay the insurance premiums, the defendants are accused of developing a massive money laundering scheme in which they filtered money through nonprofit, StopB4UStart, by providing “donations” from Mohases, Frageau, Williams, and Reeves under their corporation, Nationwide Recovery. These “donations” would be cashed out, it is alleged, and the owner of StopB4UStart would receive cashier’s checks in specified amounts based on the information he received from one of the other co-conspirators. More than 800 checks in total were allegedly used to pay the insurance premiums on the fraudulent policies.

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Courtesy of Google

Laguna Beach-based sober living facility is now closed

Lomonaco has been charged with two counts of committing medical insurance fraud, one count of fraudulent written claim to an insurance company, one count of medical insurance fraud, and one enhancement for aggravated white collar crime over $200,000. He faces a maximum sentence of 8 years 4 months if convicted on all charges.

Mohases, Williams, Reeves, and Frageau have each been charged with two counts of committing medical insurance fraud, one count of fraudulent written claim to an insurance company, two counts of money laundering in excess of $150,000, four counts of money laundering, and one enhancement for aggravated white collar crime over $200,000. They each face a maximum sentence of 14 years if convicted on all charges.

“The heartless nature of these [alleged] crimes [is] appalling,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “These suspects [allegedly] trafficked vulnerable substance abuse patients to California just to make a quick buck from the insurance company, with no regard for their lives, health or recovery. Thanks to the efforts of Department of Insurance investigators, and our close work with District Attorney Todd Spitzer’s office, there is one less fraud ring preying on unsuspecting patients.”

Mohases has pled not guilty and is out on $250,000 bail. He is scheduled for a pre-trial on February 5. Reeves has pled not guilty also. He is out on $100,000 bail and is scheduled for a pre-trial on January 22 and a preliminary hearing on February 13. Frageau is out on $250,000 bail and is scheduled for a continued arraignment on February 7. Williams turned himself into Huntington Beach Police Department on January 15. No arraignment date has been scheduled for him yet.

Futher details about whether Williams and Lomonaco are in custody were not available as of press time.

According to the Manta website, Casa Bella Recovery was established in 1990 and had 10-19 employees. 

According to a November 23, 2019 story in dailydemocrat.com, parents of a 20-year-old former resident of Casa Bella who died two days into his stay filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Casa Bella and its staff. According to court documents obtained, a notice of judgment was entered in favor of Casa Bella and its staff on November 25, 2019.

The article states, “The wrongful death lawsuit filed by his parents lays the tragedy at the feet of the rehabs and their workers. It also apportions blame for the nurse who, they feel, rendered services that weren’t medically necessary, and with the oversight of a doctor who never saw him. At Casa Bella, Harrison was prescribed a lethal stew of drugs that depressed his breathing and killed him according to the suit.”

The psychologytoday.com website shows there are six sober living facilities in Laguna Beach and dozens in Orange County, especially along the coast. Together with LA County, the posh area has been dubbed “Rehab Riviera.” 

Editor’s Note: An arrest contains allegations that a suspect has committed a crime. Every suspect is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. 

  -By Suzie Harrison

Council’s Consent Calendar includes EIR Services for Digester demolition

By BARBARA DIAMOND

Tonight’s City Council Agenda will include staff recommendations to approve hiring a consulting firm to prepare an environmental impact report for the demolition of the Digester and to open the bidding on a contract to remove the accumulated sludge inside the building.

The recommendation is Item 7 on the Consent Calendar and will be approved by the council with no discussion unless “pulled” by a member of the council or the public. Members of the public have previously opposed the demolition.

“It’s dirty pool,” said historian Anne Frank. “I will try to let people know about this.”

It has been suggested that the Digester should be the art to fulfill the Art in Public Places requirement for the Village Entrance, rather than the sculpture proposed by the Arts Commission.

“The Digester is a marvelous reminder of the WPA [New Deal Agency that provided jobs for millions during the Great Depression] projects that could be used for a useful purpose,” said Dick Frank.

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

The Digester 

Staff is recommending approval of the services of Rincon Consultants Inc., which they believe will ensure the proposed EIR is in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act, an $82,566 purchase order, and up to $8,250 to cover unforeseen circumstances.

If approved, Rincon will prepare an initial study, circulate a Notice of Preparation, manage a pubic scoping session, and prepare and review required technical studies. As proposed, the EIR will include a detailed analysis of impacts to the air, hazards, hazardous material, cultural tribal resources, land use, and planning, greenhouse gas emissions, and noise.

Bidding will be reopened on a contract to remove the sludge in the Digester. A bid by Innovative Construction Services far exceeded the $60,000 estimate, staff explained. The company had failed to account for odor control and labor costs required to clean the Digester to an acceptable status that would meet air quality requirements.

Soccer coach and teacher Mike Thomas 

says it takes a village to build a team

Story by MARRIE STONE

Photos by Mary Hurlbut

Perhaps no man has better internalized the phrase “No man is an island,” than the man who grew up on the Isle of Man. Mike Thomas not only believes John Donne’s famous line, he’s assimilated it into his everyday life. It guides his career choices, informs the way he coaches on the field and teaches in his classroom, underlies how he raises his own three children, and governs how he allocates his very busy time. His life is lived for others. He not only acknowledges the importance of his community, but he makes daily decisions to actively support it.

Though born and raised on the other side of the world, in a climate and culture far different than Southern California’s sunny skies and palm trees, when Mike Thomas discovered Laguna in his mid-30s, he felt like he’d come home. He recognized our close-knit ties, appreciating how Laguna’s residents relied on each other, encouraged each other, and gave back to their town. “These are the kinds of people who go out of their way to help others,” Mike says. “Laguna is a small town with a big heart. People rally around those who need it, making opportunities accessible and affordable for those who deserve it. There are so many people quietly contributing in the background who never get recognized. That rings true with my own upbringing.”

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Mike Thomas at home on the LBHS soccer field

Mike brought with him all he’d learned from his homeland – a love of sports, a dedication to teaching and helping children develop their talents, and a commitment to his community. Those traits meshed well with our town, a place that needed his skills and offered up generation after generation of eager players.

Growing up Manx

In the center of the Irish Sea, sandwiched between Great Britain and Ireland, sits a rock 11 miles wide and 30 miles long (roughly the length of Catalina though twice as wide). The Isle of Man has been continuously inhabited since 6500 BC, and today is home to around 83,000 people. Famous for its annual Tourist Trophy motorcycle race – a roughly 38-mile race through the streets of the island, one of the most dangerous racing events in the world – and the Manx cat breed, the island is self-governing (though defense is provided by Britain and the Queen is their symbolic figurehead). UNESCO awarded the island Biosphere Reserve Status in 2016. It was the first national legislature in the world to award single women the right to vote in the 19th century, making it both insular and progressive. It’s also known for being a tax haven with a low-tax economy.

Islanders are hardy and self-sufficient, a necessity to survive their inclement weather. Getting off the island is no easy feat, requiring a four-hour ferry ride or a costly flight. Though there are five high schools and there are virtually no universities, so those who wish to pursue higher education must leave.

Mike’s island roots on his mother’s side stretch all the way back. Her family was one of the Isle of Man’s original inhabitants. She is a Kelly, from the 1908 song “Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?” about a Manx woman searching for her boyfriend in London. At age 85, Mike’s mother still resides there, though she’s independent and strong enough to visit her Orange County sons somewhat often.

Mike’s father, a housepainter by trade, hailed from Liverpool. The couple met on the island in their teens, after his father’s family relocated, and raised their three sons. Two of the three – Mike and his brother, Andy – now coach soccer in our town. 

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Andy and Mike on the soccer field

In 1997, while Andy was coaching the Laguna Beach High School team, Mike brought his team over from the Isle of Man to play against the Breakers. It was Thanksgiving and 80 degrees in Orange County, far different than the frigid temperatures and cutting wind that awaited him back home. While both brothers were in Laguna, their teams locked in competition, they learned their father had suddenly passed. “That really knocked me for a loop,” Mike says. “My dad was only 65. He’d just retired.” The event marked a turning point for Mike. He returned home and announced to the principal he was leaving to join Andy in California. He came to coach high school girls’ varsity in May of 1998 and has remained in the United States since.

A lifelong love of the game

Maybe not every English boy grows up wanting to become a soccer star. Maybe it’s only every other one. But the Thomas boys both did. “We played every sport under the sun,” says Mike. It was their mother’s way of keeping three boys out of trouble. “Cricket, squash, field hockey, badminton, and gymnastics.” Mike excelled in vaulting. “Soccer (or football) was our passion. Growing up in England, we all wanted to be professional soccer players. But being stuck on a rock in the middle of the Irish Sea made it difficult.”

Mike and Andy were so talented that they were able to travel with the sport. Mike made his way off the Isle of Man when he was 18 to attend college in the UK. He earned a scholarship to Carnegie School of Sport through Leeds Beckett University, the top school for a degree in physical education. Andy followed after him. “Education was always the top priority in my family,” he says. “Physical education was always a potential pathway there.” Mike earned his degree with honors and was quickly recruited to the Greek Island of Cypress to teach tennis at a local resort. “I didn’t manage to attend my own graduation because I’d already moved to teach,” he says. 

Soon he was recruited by a professional team in Cypress to play soccer. For the next several years, he bounced around Europe (even spending some years back at the Isle of Man), all the time teaching and coaching the sport he loved. 

The tradition he began in the mid-90s, bringing boys from the Isle to Laguna each year to compete, continues to this day. “Three coaches stay in our two-bedroom apartment with us, and maybe a few players,” Mike says. “It’s a great experience for these boys to come over. Not only have they never been to the United States, most have never been off the Isle of Man.”

In 2016, Mike and Andy established the Laguna Beach Chapter of the Pateadores soccer club (a Spanish slang term that means “kickers”), and both serve as Directors. Mike also recently began the Laguna Beach Football Club (LBFC). “I love that Laguna encourages you to do things and try things,” Mike says. “You’re never knocked down or put down. The town has given me opportunities to try things I never would have done otherwise.” Today, between the high school team and club soccer, Mike coaches at least five days a week. “To quote the famous line,” Mike says, “I’ll rest when I’m dead. I just want to keep busy trying things, doing things, and living life to the fullest.” 

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Mike demonstrating his footwork moves to the team

Manx meets Laguna

Mike scored his perfect match with his wife, Allison Thomas (nee Corradini), whom he calls “the love of his life.” Of course the two met over soccer (she was coaching the girls’ JV team) and, of course, they met in Laguna. Allison’s family has a long lineage here. Her parents ran the old toy store and her brother, Andrew, is known for his big beard and indie folk rock performances around town. 

Allison shares Mike’s strong ties to teaching, having worked for years with special education students and at the Presbyterian preschool in town, following in the footsteps of her father, who was also a teacher. Today she works for the school district. “Education is in our blood,” Mike says.

Mike and Allison have three children of their own – Keegan (16), Kayleigh (13), and Cami (who turns 11 this week) – all dedicated to soccer. Mike coaches his two daughters. “I’m sure they’ll get sick of me soon,” he smiles.

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Kayleigh, Allison, Mike, Keegan, and Cami at their second home – the soccer field

Teaching runs through the Thomas family’s blood

Mike has taught for 31 years. He’s spent the last seven at Laguna’s Anneliese Schools teaching 4th grade. “It’s a special place,” Mike says. “There aren’t many schools like that with amazing programs that allow us to educate rather than teaching to a test. We focus on creating good people and good humans who will become productive in society, teaching life skills and good humanistic qualities.”

Mike incorporates traditions from his own heritage, exposing his students to another culture through songs and stories. Of course he’s also brought soccer to the school, introducing competitive sports on campus. “It’s a small school, so we do very well,” he says.

Mike’s extensive background teaching in various California schools (including a special education classroom), a Florida school, and overseas makes him an ideal and beloved teacher. Once he laid eyes on the Manzanita campus, he knew he’d found his ideal spot. “Is this really a school?” he thought. “This is it. This is the place that could reignite my passion for teaching.” 

To receive is to give

Perhaps because Mike and Allison have been on the receiving end of Laguna’s generosity, it’s even more important to Mike to keep his focus on giving back. 

In 2013, shortly after moving to town, toxic mold struck their apartment, forcing them to move out. Nearly six years later, a serious but soon resolved medical issue befell one of his daughters. These events sent the Thomas family for a few unfortunate spins. But our residents united behind them, finding safe and affordable accommodations for the family in 2013, and contributing funds and meals during their daughter’s procedures last year.

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Kayleigh practicing her moves on the field

“That’s why I feel so strongly for this place,” Mike says. “I already knew Laguna was special, but the community rallied around our family and supported us. That’s the true heart of Laguna. People think this is a rich person’s playground. But this is like any community. There’s always a story behind the façade. It’s not what people see from the outside. I’ve realized, like the Isle of Man, Laguna is one of those hidden gems.”

Spending time with Mike makes it easy to fall in love with Laguna all over again. This time, not for the natural beauty or the storied history. Not for the town’s many creative spirits or ambitious intellectuals. But for how we rise when the cards are down. We become our better selves when life deals one of us a blow, realizing we’re all a piece of this continent, a part of the main. We seem to instinctively understand the bell tolls for all of us. 

“This place feels like the magnet that pulls me back,” Mike says. “It’s the people and the place and the community that do that. Wherever I am, I want to come back here.”

“No Man is an Island”

John Donne

No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe

is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as

well as any manner of thy friends or of thine

own were; any man’s death diminishes me,

because I am involved in mankind.

And therefore never send to know for whom

the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

For more information on supporting our local soccer teams by providing scholarship funds and other donations for talented players who can’t afford to participate, contact Mike at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

City employees, elected officials subject to conflict of interest statutes

By BARBARA DIAMOND

California’s Conflict of Interest Statutes are based on the belief that a public official cannot serve two masters simultaneously, and that the duties of public office demand the absolute loyalty and undivided, uncompromised allegiance of the individual that holds the office.

The city is obliged to provide an updated list of employees and elected officials required to file under the statutes every two years.

Laguna’s City Manager, City Attorney, City Treasurer, Deputy City Treasurer, and members of the City Council all are on the list.

Those officials have a mandated manner in which they must disqualify themselves from decisions made at a public meeting, including closed session decisions, and must publicly identify a conflict of interest, and leave the room before the item is discussed. 

A public official has a disqualifying conflict of interest in a governmental decision if it is foreseeable that the decision will have a financial impact on his or her personal finances or other financial interests. 

According to the ethics code, under those circumstances, there is a risk of biased decision-making that could sacrifice the public’s interest in favor of the official’s private financial interests. To avoid actual bias or the appearance of possible improprieties, the public official is prohibited from participating in the decision.

An official with a disqualifying conflict of interest may not make, participate in making, or use his or her position to influence a governmental decision. 

Not all conflicts of interest prohibit a public official from lawfully participating in government decision:

--The Public Generally Exception 

A public official is not disqualified from a decision if the effect on the official’s interests is indistinguishable from the effect on the public. 

--Legally Required to Participate 

In certain rare circumstances, a public official may be randomly selected to take part in a decision if a quorum cannot be reached because too many officials are disqualified under the Act. 

Public officials are advised to seek legal advice on whether the exception applies in their case.

A full list of city employees and elected officials with filing responsibilities is available for review in tonight’s agenda on the city’s website at www.lagunabeachcity.net. 

A wild and woolly sky

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Just as a tree sheds its leaves, so does the sky let go of the day

Wild Taco’s wild ride

Story and photos by Diane Armitage

Bear Flag’s popular taqueria concept, Wild Taco, opened on Thursday, Jan 16 in the old Johnny Rocket’s space at the corner of Ocean and Coast Hwy. 

Interestingly, the opening was 362 days from the day the City of Laguna Beach granted the company access to begin renovating that space. 

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Newly opened Wild Taco marries clean contemporary with retro Laguna

“It’s definitely been a long time coming,” said Bear Flag’s Operations Manager Joe Klooster. “I guess you could say it makes the victory of opening that much sweeter.”

The renovation proved a stem-to-stern change-up, from grease traps to kitchen, and outdoor signage to booth cushions. 

“Our owner, Tom (Carson), grew up in Newport Beach and he’s always had a soft spot in his heart for Laguna,” added Klooster. “So, it might have been a longer wait than we had hoped, but it was all worth it. We’re here for the long haul and are embracing Laguna as our community. We love it here,” he said.

A sea-to-table concept

While unique in its shiny new look, Wild Taco is serving up the same popular menu its older sister first introduced in Newport Beach. 

Carson initially developed the Wild Taco concept as an alternative to fast food, especially for kids. He and business partner Scott Breneman own fishing boats that almost daily ply our coastal waters, ensuring a super-fresh catch, a sort of sea-to-table kind of concept.

The restaurant also serves grass-fed beef, chicken, and pork. 

Business as usual, right from the start

In its third full day of business, I popped in as soon as the doors opened. 

As a rule, I say it’s never proper to judge a restaurant’s fare in its first three weeks of business. No matter how many eons of experience they may have under their belts, a new restaurant “infant” is a personality all its own, and it takes a bit of time to settle everyone into a familiar routine. 

This “rule of thumb” didn’t seem to matter at Wild Taco. The staff was friendly, the managers talkative, the drinks frosty and cold, and the food quite delectable. Given that they’ve been fairly pounded with business from each day’s opening bell, they are handling their crowds with uncanny grace. 

Plenty of options

Breakfast items on the menu are not being served yet. Klooster figures they might need a month or two to feel firmly situated before adding it in. There are, however, plenty of options to choose from.

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The Wild Taco grill

Small bites range from their bestseller, (oddly) Chips, Guac and Salsa, to Shrimp Cocktail, Mini Quesadillas, and Oysters on the Half Shell. I decide to dive into the deep end with a Diablo BBQ Oyster for starters. It arrives grilled and nestled down in its own tiny pond of housemade Diablo sauce. The Diablo starts on a friendly note and warms to quite a crescendo. Fair warning to those readers who prefer “mild” salsa, but if you like the heat, this is the kitchen of your dreams. 

The three-page menu boasts salads, Baja bowls, and a variety of crafty burritos and nacho towers. I mosey past the enchiladas and a vast assortment of mix-and-match taco combos to land on the skillet dishes. 

I’ll eat anything in a skillet – breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’ll even order a dessert if it’s in a skillet. It’s an affinity I can only track to a possible past life as a rancher out on the plain; I don’t know why I love skillets. As far as I’m concerned, nothing goes wrong in a skillet.

My hopeless adoration is proven correct once again. 

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The Swordfish Skillet is one of several skillet offerings at Wild Taco

In just minutes, I’m served the Swordfish Skillet, tiny tendrils of steam still rising from the freshly grilled piece. It’s a large cut that fairly blankets the Spanish rice and grilled peppers below. A hearty dollop of black refried beans edges its way onto the skillet, while the Super Secret dippin’ sauce and street taco-sized flour tortillas can’t even find room. They settle for the table next to the skillet.

True to rumor, this is super-fresh fish. It’s perfectly grilled and seasoned, and I munch through almost half of the hearty fish serving before I remember that I can make street tacos with it, too. Street taco assemblage is the only arts and crafts project I’ve ever excelled at, so I’m happily busy for several more minutes. 

Margaritas of a saké kind

For the time being, Wild Taco serves up wine and beer. This, however, does not stop them from making inventive sangrias and mimosas, as well as margaritas made with Sabé, an infused saké. Laguna local and new manager Chad Abell tends bar while his servers tend to the crowds, and it’s a never-ending pour of draft beers, mimosas, and the saké margs. 

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Wild Taco GM Chad Abell shows off an infused saké for inventive margaritas

Locals at play

Within 25 minutes of the restaurant’s opening, the 49 seats filled around me. I recognize a few locals, and both Abell and Klooster say they’ve met more locals than tourists in their three-day run. “It’s great to see the locals’ interest in our place, and they’ve been very supportive,” said Klooster. “With our Bear Flag concept planned for the other side of Laguna, we’re really looking forward to a longtime, healthy relationship with the residents of Laguna Beach,” he said. 

Wild Taco opens at 11 a.m. seven days a week. It operates until 8 p.m. on Sunday and Monday, and until 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. 

The Bear Flag Fish Co. currently operates two restaurants of the same name in Crystal Cove and Huntington Beach. Their first Wild Taco restaurant resides in Newport Beach. Carson’s third concept, Circle Hook, is a shared business with boyhood fishing buddy Scott Breneman in Lido Marina Village. 

The bestselling author and blogger on The Best of Laguna Beach™, Diane Armitage is on an endless quest for the most imaginative adventures in Laguna’s restaurants, events, and lifestyle. Check out chef interviews, retail and restaurant news, and favorite events at www.TheBestofLagunaBeach.com and follow on Instagram @BestOfLagunaBeach (look for Diane’s smiling face).

Laguna Beach – A Look Back

Courtesy of Laguna Beach Historical Society

In the first two decades on the 20th century, a number of artists from the Midwest and East Coast found their way to a sleepy beach town much as metal would be pulled to a magnet. Names such as Frank Cuprien (whose studio we featured last week), William Wendt, Edgar Payne, Anna Hills, and Norman St. Clair would begin a collaboration that would cement Laguna Beach as the main artist colony of the Southern California coast, a reputation we have proudly claimed for over a century.

Twenty-five artists banded together to build the Laguna Beach Art Gallery, opening on July 27,1918. Using funds they raised by selling their art, they took over an abandoned town pavilion, fireproofed it, and made it the centerpiece of art in the city. Over 300 guests signed in the first day, and over 2,000 visited in the first month alone. Keep in mind downtown barely existed, and the population of the town was barely 1,000 residents. 

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The Laguna Beach Art Gallery, which opened in 1918

In this photo, free admission is advertised as well the proud announcement that the Gallery featured an “Exhibition of paintings by artists who have painted Laguna Beach.” The Gallery, next to what would become the Hotel Laguna on Coast Highway, exhibited oil and water paintings as well as some sculpture. Additionally, art classes became popular at the gathering place.

A month later, the same artists founded the Laguna Beach Art Association. Mr. Payne served as the main founder and president. The artists all shared a love of seascapes, rolling hills, sunsets, rustic cottages, and helped popularize the genre of plein air, inspired by the work of Homer Winslow on the East Coast in the late 19th century.

Not only were the artists forward thinking on their art, but they were also ahead of their time on the environment. Preaching conservation they helped protect their precious Laguna coastline and were integral in preventing development in what would become Heisler Park.

The Gallery eventually became the Laguna Art Museum, and Mr. Cuprien’s generous donation of his estate to the Association assisted in advancing their causes. We owe a debt of gratitude to these pioneering artists in establishing our town as the art colony it proudly is today. 

• • •

Laguna Beach Historical Society is located at 278 Ocean Ave. They are open Friday - Sunday from 1 - 4 p.m. For more information, call (949) 497-6834 or visit www.lagunabeachhistory.org.

LBHS student organizes shoe drive to help Soles4Souls fight global poverty

Jessie Rose, a junior at Laguna Beach High School, has launched a shoe drive to collect 250 pairs of new or gently used shoes for Soles4Soul, a nonprofit social enterprise that creates sustainable jobs and provides relief through the distribution of shoes and clothing around the world. 

Founded in 2006, the organization has distributed more than 30 million pairs of new and used shoes in 127 countries, demonstrating that one person’s unwanted shoes can help provide meaningful opportunities for someone else in need in a developing country.

This is the second year Rose has organized the fundraiser; last year, she collected double her goal, around 500 pairs of shoes.

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Submitted photo

Jessie Rose has launched a shoe drive to collect 250 pairs of shoes – let’s help her triple her goal!

Every day, children are prevented from attending school and adults are unable to work due to lack of shoes. Walking becomes unbearable. A new pair of shoes provides relief in many developing nations around the globe, in times of disaster, and helps bridge the economic gap in the U.S. and Canada.

There are two drop-off locations: 2925 Mountain View Dr (Top of the World) or 645 St. Ann’s Dr (behind the high school baseball field) – please leave shoes at the bottom of the steps. 

For more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Rotary Club names LBHS Senior Laila Cruz as January’s Student of the Month

The Rotary Club of Laguna Beach is pleased to present Laguna Beach High School (LBHS) Senior Laila Cruz as January’s Student of the Month. Laila was selected by her Social Science teacher, Mr. Jun Shen. 

In addition to being an outstanding scholar, Laila has a long history of volunteering for school and community service programs. She has participated in Model United Nations for the past four years and is currently Secretary-General. Laila is a National Hispanic Merit Scholar. 

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Photo by Ward Blackburn

(L-R) Rotarian and LBHS Liaison Angela Shipp, Social Science teacher Mr. Jun Shen, Laila Cruz and her mother, Suzzette Cruz

Laila is also a camp counselor at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point where she runs whale watching tours. 

Additionally, she has played soccer for three years at LBHS, and to round out her talents, she plays bass clarinet in the LBHS wind ensemble. 

In the fall, Laila will be attending Columbia University, majoring in political science and economics. She looks forward to a career in the diplomatic field with the United Nations.

For more about The Rotary Club, go to www.lagunabeachrotary.org.

Where’s Maggi – the answers!

Maggi found quite a few people were onto her whereabouts with this one. It’s on the corner of Forest and Ocean, and many folks also knew that it’s at the Public Works building.

Meg Monahan knew, as did Beth Johnsen, Nancy Wade, Sandi Werthe, Charlie Ferrazzi, Claudia Redfern, Susan Wanstreet, Janet Bescoby, Mark Porterfield, and Steve Hoffman.

Thanks, all, for sending in your answers!

Look for Maggi’s next challenge coming up on Friday.    

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Nice little bench on the corner of Forest and Ocean Ave

Police Files (Cont.)

Kidnapping and assault suspect sought

Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigators are seeking the public’s help in identifying a suspect who assaulted and kidnapped a 22-year-old female victim in Aliso Viejo yesterday, January 21, at approximately 6 p.m.

The woman told deputies that while she was skateboarding at Woodfield Park in Aliso Viejo, an unknown man attempted to talk to her and then unexpectedly attacked her. He grabbed the victim who fought and screamed during the incident. The suspect threw the victim on the ground, dragged her into the bushes, and then fled in an unknown direction.

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Submitted photo

Authorities seek public’s help in identifying kidnapping and assault suspect

The victim described the suspect as a light-skinned black or Hispanic man in his 40s with dark hair, 6’0”, medium build, wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and possibly shorts.

If you have any information or may be able to help identify the suspect, contact the Special Victims Detail at (714) 647-7419. Anonymous information may be provided through Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.

Liquor thieves steal bounty of booze from local grocery store

On Friday, Jan 17, at approximately 9 p.m., LBPD officers were dispatched to Pavilions, 600 N Coast Hwy, in reference to an alleged theft that had just occurred. 

According to LBPD Spokesperson PIO Sgt Jim Cota, “The reporting party advised that two subjects, both described as black males, had stolen a large amount of liquor and had fled the location in two different vehicles.” 

Sgt Cota said, “The reporting party was unable to give a direction of travel or description of the vehicles at the time of call. The total loss was estimated to be over $1,000. Newport Beach PD had two similar incidents within an hour after our theft.”

Dennis’ Tidbits

By DENNIS McTIGHE 

January 21, 2020

McWeather celebrates an anniversary 

This installment from McWeather marks the beginning of year number eight with Stu News. It’s the longest I’ve ever kept a job. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like a job because I’m getting paid for having fun and still have as much fun as I did in January of 2012, if not more.

A recent poll revealed that 85 percent of adult men in the U.S. hate their jobs. I am part of that 15 percent (I’m not an adult yet) who love their careers. My folks used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grow up. In my case, they should’ve been asking what I wanted to do if I grow up. 

Sorry, Mom and Pop, that’s not gonna happen! Never lose your childish enthusiasm, never. Old age and treachery will never overcome youth and enthusiasm. I’m here for a good time, not a long time! By the way, Pop, you would’ve been 95 today, so happy birthday. I had a terrific Mom and Pop. It’s not their fault I’m messed up! I still miss them dearly.

Ideally in our younger years, we start thinking about finding a path in life, hopefully sooner than later, but it doesn’t always happen that way. At the tender age of four, we’re not even thinking about any path we might take in life, as we’re too busy being young kids. At four the only path I knew was the one to the beach. 

That all changed in early August of 1952 during a three-day stay at the Grand Canyon in Arizona where my Pop was on assignment for the popular monthly magazine called Arizona Highways. His job was to capture on camera the phases of a thunderstorm’s life span.

August is prime time for frequent dramatic weather, all part of the summer monsoon season that occurs every summer and is guaranteed like clockwork from roughly July 4th through around mid-September. In a busy season, the Desert Southwest will have a thunderstorm on the average of at least every other day. That region collects over 60 percent of its average annual rainfall in just a span of about ten weeks’ time. 

The afternoon of our arrival was pretty quiet, but that all changed by late morning of the second day. The radio weather forecast was for numerous thunderstorms throughout Arizona by mid-afternoon. Pop immediately began setting up his camera gear at the Canyon’s North Rim. When he was done setting up, he turned to me and said, “See those big cauliflower shaped clouds to our south? Well, in about an hour or so, things are going to get pretty wild around here, so you might get scared with all the lightning and thunder; so if you do, just run to the car and hang out with Mom, okay?” These storms are a lot stronger than the ones at home in Hollywood that only happen a couple of times a year, but those didn’t scare me in the least, in fact, I was quite infatuated with lightning and thunder right out the gate.

Sure enough, the first rumbles of thunder could be heard within an hour. The sky was getting darker by the minute as large forks of bright lightning emerged from the heavens. Huge drops of rain began sending everyone for cover. Except for me. Mom and Pop were close by yelling for me to get in the car. I was so transfixed I couldn’t move. I was yelling at the top of my lungs, “C’mon, show me what you’ve got!” 

This madness lasted about an hour, and I was bummed that it was over so soon. I wanted more! Being out in all of that power changed me forever. From that moment on, I wanted to know what made this happen and decided then and there I would be a weatherman and learn everything there is to know about the sky and the ocean. I’m still learning some 67 years later. I remember that day like it was yesterday, I swear. That’s how much of an impression it left on me. I found my path right after I turned five years old. 

On the way back to our home in Hollywood, I kept peppering my Pop with questions about all the dynamics of the atmosphere that made this event happen. Probably drove him crazy. He turned to Mom and said, “I think we created a monster!” You got that right, Pop!

See you on Friday, ALOHA

Somewhere out there

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Photo by Scott Brashier

“The beauty and mystery of the ocean, fills our lives with wonders, vast beyond our imagination” –M. L. Borges, “By The Sea”

Local Hans Rey screens film and discusses his career at fundraiser for Wheels 4 Life on Feb 24

Laguna Beach resident Hans Rey presents “An Evening with Hans Rey & TransHongKong Film Premiere,” a fundraiser for his nonprofit charity Wheels 4 Life, on Monday, Feb 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Ranch. One hundred percent of the ticket sales will benefit the charity. 

The event will include a one-hour talk by Rey about this career highlights, favorite trails, and adventures. It will be followed by the TransHongKong film premiere, and a Q&A with Rey and the filmmaker Cedric Tassan.

TransHongKong, Rey’s latest adventure production, will have its world premiere at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival two days prior to the event at The Ranch.

Wheels 4 Life is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity founded in 2005 and operated by Hans and Carmen Rey, with the goal of providing people in Third World countries with bikes for transportation. The organization’s mission states: “The gift of mobility can make all the difference to a person’s life and help them to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty.”

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Photo by Martin Bissig

Hans Rey (on left) with villagers in Kenya who received bikes from Wheels 4 Life

Rey says, “It was a way for us to give back, bicycles have been good to me and my career. People in developing countries often need the bikes for mobility to get to school, to receive or give healthcare, to go to the markets, to fetch water, etc. Bicycles can change lives. Our organization is very pure and effective – everybody works on a volunteer basis, and we have hardly any overhead. To date we have donated over 13,100 bicycles in 32 different countries.”

Wheels 4 Life works with volunteers in the field, local organizations and nonprofits, schools, community leaders, and health care clinics to help identify those people in genuine need of a bike. These people are those that live in both primitive and remote areas, with no access to, nor the means of affording, public transportation. The closest school, doctor, or work place might be as far as 10 to 20 miles away. 

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Photo by Martin Bissig

Hans Rey in Kenya with recipient of bike from Wheels 4 Life

Rey was born in Germany in 1966. This Swiss/American national now resides in Laguna Beach with his wife Carmen. Rey is considered the world’s leader in extreme mountain biking. He is a former Trials World Champion and inductee of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and is widely considered to be a pioneer of both the Mountain Bike Freeride movement and the Trials riding scene. As a professional rider and ambassador for the sport, he continues to travel the world and has thus far visited seventy different countries.

During the mid-nineties, Rey created the Hans Rey Adventure Team, visiting remote and extreme locations around the globe, often riding his bike where a bicycle had never been ridden before. In addition, he would seek out locations that were both historic and held some mystery, always capturing his exploits for the media.

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Photo by Carmen Rey/Bill Freeman

Hans Rey in Hong Kong for filming of “TransHongKong”

The Hans Rey Adventure Team was inspired by Rey’s desire to utilize his unique mountain biking talents and go outside the competitive arena and explore the world, capturing all the cultural and spiritual qualities of his destinations for the benefit of millions of TV, video, and publication viewers. Riding waterfalls in Jamaica, looking for pyramids and a dwarf tribe in China, amongst wild animals in Africa, in the footsteps of the Inca in Bolivia, searching for headhunters in Borneo – are just a few of Rey’s journeys with his adventure team.

Rey says of the fundraising event at The Ranch, “It will be an entertaining and inspiring evening for a good cause.” 

For more information about Hans Rey, go to www.hansrey.com. For more information on Wheels 4 Life, go to www.wheels4life.org.

To order tickets, click here. 

The Ranch is located at 31106 S Coast Hwy.

Mittens, a Blue Bell resident, turns 22 and is celebrated at her recent birthday pawty 

By LYNETTE BRASFIELD

As a testament to the wonderful care that the 50 or so cats housed by nonprofit Blue Bell for Foundation for Cats receive, one of their residents, Mittens, has just turned 22 years old, a great age for a cat. 

Last Saturday afternoon, volunteers came out in droves to celebrate the birthday of the “Babe of the Bunk Beds.” The venerable tabby sported a pink bib and was crowned in gold at her pawty, where she received many pettings.

As volunteer Lindsey Arnette points out, “Our beloved Mittens has lived in four different decades, two different centuries and two different millennia!” 

According to the magazine Catster, the first two years of a cat’s life are equivalent to 24 human years. Each year after that is the same as four human years. That makes Mittens a handy 104, no pawcity of years there. Most cats don’t live that long – the average cat (is there such a thing?) usually lives 18 years at most.

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Photo by Terri Karman

Mittens wears her years well

“Mittens is such a sweetie-pie!” says Blue Bell volunteer Pamela Knudsen. “She’s so very friendly and affectionate. I was at Blue Bell last Sunday and she came out of her little ‘cubby’ to say hello. She still has some spunk in her for her age though she struggles with a few age-related health issues.”

For a birthday treat, Mittens was taken out for a rare (but supervised) outing to stroll among the delightful Blue Bell Gardens that surround the sanctuary, catching sight of birds, butterflies, bees and lizards, and breathing in the smell of fecund soil and fluttery flowers. She must have wondered if she was already in heaven.

After her pawty, Mittens retired early to sleep and perchance to dream of the delights that might await her next year, when she turns 23, or 108 in human years. 

“It was definitely a great pawty! And there were tons of paw-purr-azzi!” says volunteer Terri Karman.

(I do wonder what it is about cat people and puns…!)

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Submitted photo

Blue Bell volunteers love to celebrate kitty milestones

Oh, and humans have a great opportunity in the near future to party also. On March 22 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Blue Bell Foundation for Cats will hold its annual Cat’s Meow Champagne Breakfast and Fundraiser at Seven7Seven in the Canyon. Cat-themed attire is encouraged but not required. There’ll be good food, great camaraderie, and amazing silent auction items. Don’t pawse, visit www.bluebellcats.org right now for tickets.

Blue Bell Foundation for Cats operates the Blue Bell Cat Sanctuary in the Canyon, where up to 50 cats, whose owners can no longer care for them due to death, illness, or relocation, enjoy lazy days and the loving attention of more than a dozen volunteers who pet and play with the purring kitties, and who also receive exceptional medical care and yummy food every day of their increasingly long lives.

Rumor mill is bunk: Alessa and Salerno Ristorante not going anywhere

By Diane Armitage

Chef Alessandro Pirozzi has been in the spotlight this week, thanks to a rumor mill that announced he would be closing both of his restaurants in Laguna Beach, Alessa and Salerno by Chef Pirozzi. 

And he wasn’t happy about it.

For the record, Chef Pirozzi has no intention of leaving or selling either of his two restaurants in the downtown corridor. 

When the rumor hit Facebook on Sunday night, I contacted Chef Pirozzi in Italy, where he’s recently flown to care for his mother. 

“It’s disturbing to have someone post information about my businesses, without any idea or right to start these rumors, when I’ve never been anything but fully committed to the town of Laguna Beach,” he texted. 

“Most of my employees have been with me since the year 2000. I’ve been telling them for years now that if we survive to 2020, I will do the unthinkable…I’ll personally cook for each of them and their wives/husbands/significant others at each location to thank them for being such a foundational part of my success.

“I don’t know,” said Pirozzi. “Maybe this seemed crazy to some employees, like a last curtain call to the best show in Laguna Beach! But this is not the case. Thriving 10 years as a restaurant in any place in the world is significant.

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Chef Allesandro Pirozzi attributes the success of his many restaurants, including two in Laguna Beach (Alessa and Salerno) to his staff

“My employees have been the bedrock of my success, and we all deserve this celebration. My job is to appreciate those people closest to me.”

Chef Pirozzi said he’s looking forward to serving his own servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff and that he’s already planned the “celebration menu” with lobster, house-made “Mamma’s lasagne,” prime ribs, and more. 

“Like my Nonna used to tell me, ‘Do good and forget about it…do better and everyone remembers it for life.’ This is what makes it worth it all.”

A no-term lease

Pirozzi noted that he has a “no-term” lease on Alessa in Laguna Beach until 2049. He plans to serve the same family recipes at both locations “until I’m dead…which, hopefully, will be well past 2049,” he added.

Pirozzi has two longtime homes in Newport Coast and Laguna Beach, a “perfect go-between” option for his Laguna and Corona del Mar restaurants. “We made a commitment to Laguna Beach and this Crystal Cove/Corona del Mar corridor many years ago for a reason. I chose these towns as mine,” he finished.

For more information on Salerno, located at 220 N Beach St, call (949) 497-2600.

For more information on Alessa, located at 234 Forest Ave, call (949) 497-8222.

The bestselling author and blogger on The Best of Laguna Beach™, Diane Armitage is on an endless quest for the most imaginative adventures in Laguna’s restaurants, events, and lifestyle. Check out chef interviews, retail and restaurant news, and favorite events at www.TheBestofLagunaBeach.com and follow on Instagram @BestOfLagunaBeach (look for Diane’s smiling face).

Bare Bones Theatre offers two new play readings at Laguna Playhouse in Feb and March

Bare Bones Theatre will present two new play readings at the Laguna Playhouse Brick Room to usher in the new decade and new year. Curated by Lojo Simon, Bare Bones Theatre presents Dust by Nicole Oglesby on Monday, Feb 3 at 7:30 p.m., and Perfect by Jonathan Luskin on Monday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Lojo Simon is a playwright, dramaturg, and published writer of prose and poetry. During the term from 2018-2019, she served as one of Laguna’s Literary Laureates. Simon’s recent plays include Relic (Queens Theatre), Adoration of Dora (KOLT Run, Idiom Theatre, KCACTF/ATHE David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award), One Foot (Minneapolis Fringe, Salt Lake City Fringe), Controlled Burn (MonoMyth Theatre), Love All (OC-Centric New Play Festival), Albert Porter: Boy Explorer (Creede Repertory 2017 Young Audience Outreach Tour), and Nice & Slow (Old Miner Playwriting Award, Noorda Center for Children and Youth Tour). She is a three-time winner of the Laguna Beach Poetry Contest, a former writer for Laguna Beach Magazine, and former Literary Manager at Laguna Playhouse. 

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Lojo Simon, curator of Bare Bones Theatre

In the shadow of a dying Dust Bowl farm and a miraculous apricot tree, Dust by Nicole Oglesby follows three orphaned sisters as they fight to stay alive during the worst of the Depression. With little money and no real community, they struggle to find resilience in faith, love, and each other. Directed by Lojo Simon, the production features Lily Gibson, Rachel Rosenfeld, Veltria Roman, Erika Schindele, and Brent Schindele. There will be a post-play conversation about how we find resilience in difficult times, with John Becknell, PhD. 

Perfect by Jonathan Luskin explores the nature of disability and genetic enhancement and what parents will do to give their children the best advantages in life. The play is inspired by the discovery of CRISPR-Cas9, a faster, less expensive, more accurate DNA editing technology. Cast members include Joseph Kibler, Deb Conroy, Ava Burton, Ben Farrow, David Šášik, Sarah Levin, and Andy Clark.

Bare Bones play readings are held in the Brick Room at Laguna Playhouse, 580 Laguna Canyon Dr. The Brick Room is located just west of the main Playhouse entrance, down the stairs from the Box Office. Parking for the new venue is available in the Village Entrance city lot and the Playhouse lot, conveniently located near many pre-performance dining options. 

Tickets are $20 (plus a modest online ticketing fee) and are available at https://artwow.tix.com/. Limited $25 seating may be available at the door; however, readings usually sell out, so plan accordingly.

Mission Hospital’s youth alcohol and drug prevention campaign wins national award

Mission Hospital’s substance use prevention campaigns, Raising Healthy Teens and Strength in Numbers, were selected as the 2019 Silver Award winners of the National Berreth Award by the National Public Health Information Coalition. 

This public health effort is part of a comprehensive, multi-year effort to reduce teen substance use in South Orange County and a vital component of Mission Hospital’s larger commitment to improving the community through its Community Health Investment division. 

The campaign has a particular focus on Capistrano Valley, Laguna Beach, and San Clemente high schools. The campaign was recognized for excellence in shifting perceptions and inspiring healthy behavior change.

The campaign, developed and implemented with social-change marketing agency Civilian, delivers the unexpected message that despite prevailing perceptions of teen drinking as pervasive, the majority of teens are not drinking.

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Mission Hospital in Laguna Beach wins national awards for its youth alcohol and drug prevention campaign

The youth-oriented Strength in Numbers campaign and the adult-oriented Raising Healthy Teens campaign focus on engaging teens and parents through community outreach, geo-targeted online advertising, social media, and informational websites. 

Mission Hospital and Civilian conducted an extensive analysis of peer-reviewed research to identify the most effective strategies for reducing youth substance use. The research concluded that a social-normative approach – 

correcting the misperception that youth drinking is the “norm” – is the most effective way to change teen drinking behavior.

The strategy, messaging, and educational resources in each campaign are targeted to their specific audience; both use a social-normative approach to show students and parents that teenage alcohol and drug use is not “what every teen does.” The campaigns emphasize the fact that 82 percent of South Orange County high school students don’t drink alcohol. 

The statistic was based on past 30-day usage rates from the 2017-2018

California Healthy Kids Survey, an anonymous student survey. While the primary focus of the prevention effort was alcohol, marijuana and electronic cigarettes prevention messaging was also incorporated.

The campaign’s social-normative approach uses factual data to shift perceptions by showing that the vast majority of students at those schools choose not to drink alcohol. 

Furthermore, the campaign encourages parents to talk openly with their kids about the realities associated with alcohol and drug use as positive and engaged parents can have the greatest impact on teen’s healthy development.

More information about the award designation and the other recipients in this category can be found at www.nphic.org/ba19-win-hmnot4profit.

Mission Hospital Laguna Beach is located at  31872 Coast Hwy.

Laguna Presbyterian Church to host first Red Cross Blood Drive of 2020 on Jan 29

The community is invited to participate in a blood drive at Laguna Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, Jan 29 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. As organizer Sandy Grim states, “Every unit of blood collected may save up to three lives.”

To schedule an appointment, sign up at www.redcrossblood.org and use sponsor code “laguanp” or email Laura Rudd at the Red Cross at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

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Photo by Mary Hurlbut

Red Cross Blood Drive to be held at Laguna Presbyterian on Jan 29 

Appointments will have priority, but walk-ins are welcome from 11 a.m.  - 3 p.m. 

Donors are encouraged to complete a Rapid Pass on the morning of their donation to shorten the amount of time needed. Pre-registration expedites the process. 

Please remember to bring a photo ID or Red Cross Donor Card on the day of donation. 

Laguna Presbyterian Church is located at 415 Forest Ave.

Michael Gamerl to speak about homelessness at UUFLB on Sunday

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach (UUFLB) invites the public to hear guest speaker Michael Gamerl on Sunday, Jan 26 at 10:30 a.m.

Treasurer and Board Member of Friendship Shelter and the Alternative Sleeping Location (ASL) in Laguna Beach, Michael Gamerl will look at the new challenges, goals, and accomplishments in helping the local homeless population. 

The Friendship Shelter’s goal is to end homelessness, one person at a time, in South Orange County. Toward that end, it has added more than 80 units of Permanent Supportive Housing locally, with more units in development. 

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Michael Gameri will speak about homelessness at UUFLB on Sunday 

Last year, the ASL opened a daytime program and revised the number of homeless being served. In providing a full complement of services to the most vulnerable homeless people in our community, the programs follow the framework of three, evidence-based practices: housing first, then harm reduction, then recovery. 

Besides meals and a place to sleep, the ASL offers showers, clean laundry facilities, and case workers to connect homeless people with services and resources. In the past decade, the organization has worked to end homelessness for more than 10,000 people. 

Generally, each night more than 160 homeless and formerly homeless people sleep safe, warm, and cared for due to one of the programs offered by the Friendship Shelter and the ASL. 

For additional information about the event, contact Rachel Daniel at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (310) 714-2699. 

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

Laguna Community Concert Band presents special anniversary concert on Sunday

The Laguna Community Concert Band celebrates its 20th anniversary with a nostalgic “Thanks for the Memories” concert on Sunday, Jan 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is free. 

Music Director Mark Lowery will raise the curtain on Broadway favorites, international marches, and American classics at the Laguna Beach High School Artists Theatre.

The musical travelogue also includes “Pirates of the Caribbean” conducted by maestro Pete Fournier, “Salute to Bob Hope” led by Dr. Bill Nicholls, and a special guest will close the concert with John Philip Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

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Front (L-R): Tommy Bridges, Jay Kramer, and Sue White; Back (L-R): Shelli Alston, Lisa Morrice, and Dr. Bill Nicholls

Twenty years ago, Carol Reynolds, Theresa Marino, and Bill Nicholls met at Zinc Café, and the Laguna Community Concert Band was born. Nine members met in the Parks & Recreation Dance Studio. 

There are fond “memories” of Ray Lowery, father of the current Musical Director Mark Lowery, coaching Dennis White, one of the band’s first presidents. Now, the band, at 60 members strong, performs at major art venues throughout the community.

For more information, contact Roger Dennis, Community Liaison for Laguna Community Concert Band, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (949) 339-0113. 

Laguna Beach High School Artists Theatre is located at 625 Park Ave.

Tom and Gayle Joliet’s children’s book, Alani and the Giant Kelp Elf, gains wide praise and distribution

By LYNETTE BRASFIELD

Alani and the Giant Kelp Elf, recently published by Laguna Wilderness Press, is enjoying roaring success among young readers, and more and more retail outlets are stocking the impish book.

Tom and Gayle Joliet, longtime Lagunans, are beyond thrilled with the response. They collaborated on writing the story and both drew pencil sketches. Gayle created the watercolor paintings from the drawings.

“Our neighbor, Susan Weidhaas, bought almost 20 books to give to her 4-year-old son Max’s classmates,” the Joliets say. “The best part is hearing that Max asked for it to be read to him nine times in one day!”

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Max Weidhaas asked for the book to be read to him nine times in one day

In the story, Kelfie and his Kelp Elf Clan need help. Their underseas home, the giant kelp forest off the coast of Laguna Beach, is being destroyed by over-fishing and pollution. 

Can their human friend, Alani, help them find a solution so they won’t have to leave their homes forever? 

Hint: Yes! But to find out how she helps the Clan, kids will need to read the book.

“We felt it was important to educate kids about the Laguna Bluebelt and Greenbelt and the fact that they can make a difference to the health of our land and sea,” the Joliets say. “There are no children’s books about Laguna. So we decided to write one!”

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Chrissie Booth and students: “Chrissie’s Corner” pre-school in San Clemente

Young Lila Davey recently read Alani and the Giant Kelp Elf, and she has this to say: “I thought it was an amazing book. It combines a wonderful story with information convincing readers to help the ocean. My favorite part is when Alani is looking out at the ocean and night. I love this part because the picture is so pretty and it gives me the feeling that everything is going to be OK. 

“I would most like to be Ali the cat because she gets to see everything and I love cats. All in all Alani and the Giant Kelp Elf is a wonderful book.”

The 64-page book, which took three years to complete, was inspired in part by South Laguna Community Garden Park’s “giant elf,” a much-loved shrub that changes appearance with the seasons, while all the year gazing upon visitors with large blue eyes. (The Joliets have been on Garden Park's governing committee for 10 years.)

The Joliets are thrilled that retail outlets including Laguna Beach Books, Laguna Nursery, Coast Hardware, Little Freebirds, Laguna Art Supply, Art for the Soul, Hobie Surf Shop, and San Clemente’s Beach Town Books are carrying the book.

But what thrills them the most are the positive comments they’re getting from kids.

“One grandmother reported that her 3-year-old granddaughter insisted on taking the book to bed with her! That’s what we like to hear,” say the talented Joliets.

Laguna Wilderness Press is a nonprofit dedicated to publishing books about the presence, preservation, and importance of wilderness environment. It was a perfect fit for the Joliets’ vision.

Tickets on sale for Friendship Shelter’s Rock the Cause on Feb 12

Tickets are on sale now for the annual Rock for the Cause event to benefit Friendship Shelter on Wednesday, Feb 12 from 6 - 10 p.m. 

Each ticket will include entry into the event, two hosted drinks, and appetizers. Additionally, Mozambique is generously donating 20 percent of all food and beverage sales back to Friendship Shelter. 

Hosted by Marshall Ininns, Shaena Stabler, and Mozambique, Rock for the Cause is a fun, raucous event to benefit Friendship Shelter’s work ending homelessness in south Orange County. “I always look forward to this event!” says Dawn Price, Friendship Shelter Executive Director. “Rock for the Cause brings our community together to have a great time while listening to amazing live music and supporting our work ending homelessness.” 

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Photo by Aga Stuchlik

Bob Mister and Friendship Shelter Board Members Shaena Stabler and Marshall Innins at past Rock for the Cause event

Legendary Grammy-nominated musician Frank Simes will provide live entertainment for the evening. Simes is the current musical director and lead guitarist for Roger Daltrey and Don Felder and has recorded and performed with various rock stars including Mick Jagger, Don Henley, and Stevie Nicks. 

Friendship Shelter was founded in 1988 and provides a full complement of services for the most vulnerable homeless people in our community. The organization operates two shelter programs based in Laguna Beach, and a housing program throughout south Orange County. The goal for each person who walks through the doors of a Friendship Shelter program is always to find the most appropriate permanent housing solution to meet their individual needs. 

Tickets start at $75 and are available on Friendship Shelter’s website at www.friendshipshelter.org/events. 

For more information on Friendship Shelter’s programs and services, visit www.friendshipshelter.org. 

Mozambique is located at 1740 South Coast Hwy.

Live! at the Museum features bassoon and cello duo on Feb 13 

On Thursday, Feb 13, bassoon and cello duo Lavender Bass will perform a concert at Laguna Art Museum, presented in partnership with Laguna Beach Live!. Admission is free. Advance tickets are recommended.

Bassoonist Christin Phelps Webb is a freelance chamber and orchestral musician based in Los Angeles and has been a member of several popular ensembles including Orion Winds, Ceora Winds, and the New Chamber Ensemble. 

Webb maintains a private teaching studio, conducts clinics and master classes, and will soon publish several of her chamber music arrangements. She holds degrees in music performance from Indiana University and the Peabody Conservatory, and has also studied at the University of Southern California.

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Cellist Jeness Johnson will be featured on Feb 13 at Live at the Museum! with bassoonist Christin Phelps Webb (not pictured)

Cellist Jeness Johnson is a Los Angeles-based soloist and recording artist and has performed worldwide including in concert halls including Severance Hall, Lincoln Center, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Teatro Sociale in Como, Italy. She attended the Pacific Music Festival, Spoleto Music Festival, National Repertory Orchestra, Meadowmount School of Music, and is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

For tickets, visit www.lagunaartmuseum.org or call (949) 494-8971 x203.

Catmosphere Laguna Foundation invites cat-themed entries for its annual Kit-Lit Writing Contest and new Fe/Line Art Contest 

Catmosphere Laguna, a nonprofit cat rescue and cat café, is inviting entries for its annual Kit-Lit Writing Contest and newly launched Fe/Line Art Contest. All genres of writing and art are welcome, though Kit-Lit entries should be fewer than 750 words and all entries must be cat-themed.

“We think it’s categorically the most fun contest around, and all for a good claws!” says Gail Landau, founder of the nonprofit Catmosphere Laguna Foundation (and a prolific punster).

Categories are as follows: 12 years and under; ages 13 – 18; and 18 years and over. There’s no entry fee. A range of fabulous prizes will be announced soon. 

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Photo by Jeff Rovner

Theodore is a fan of great literature

Rebecca Lyles, grammarian extraordinaire, author of the book From the Errors of Others, and a writer for Lagunatics, will judge the Kit-Lit entries.

Joan Gladstone, artist and Laguna College of Art + Design (LCAD) Trustee, will judge the Fe/Line Art Contest.

Kit-Lit entries can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and art entries either mailed or dropped off at Catmosphere Laguna, 381 Forest Ave, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. 

The deadline for entries is February 21, with winners announced on March 3. A Winners’ Celebration will be held later in March, the exact date to be determined. 

Winning entries will also be read and displayed at the Blue Bell Foundation’s Cats’ Meow Champagne Brunch on March 22.

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Photo by Jeff Rovner

Theodore doesn’t pretend to know much about art, but he knows what he likes: Jeff Rovner’s work, as exhibited last year at the FOA

Catmosphere Laguna provides a warm, loving setting for rescue cats as they wait to be adopted. Visitors are asked to pay $22 an hour for adults and $12 an hour for kids ages 6-17 to hang out with the up-to-16 cats in residence at any given time. The money underwrites the housing of the cats and the cost of food, litter, toys, spaying, shots, and other veterinary costs as they await their “furrever” homes.

“Visiting the cat lounge is a great way for cat-lovers to enjoy playing with our kitties and at the same time contribute to the welfare of rescue cats, even when they aren’t in a position to adopt one themselves,” Landau says. “It helps socialize the cats, too.”

Catmosphere Laguna also offers tasty toasts and salads in the café section, which has a glass wall through which the cats can be viewed at no charge. 

A visit will leave you feeling just fe/line!

For more information, go to www.catmospherelaguna.com.

LAM presents Auction Tour with Malcom Warner and Julia Friedman on Jan 30

On Thursday, Jan 30 at 6 p.m., Laguna Art Museum Executive Director Malcolm Warner and art historian Julia Friedman will give a walk-through tour of LAM’s California Cool Art Auction. The event is free with museum admission, although advance tickets are recommended.

The California Cool Art Auction features works by over 100 important California artists for competitive bidding. Proceeds from the event support Laguna Art Museum’s mission of collecting and preserving California art, providing critically acclaimed exhibitions, and enhancing art education.

Malcolm Warner joined Laguna Art Museum as Executive Director in January 2012. Previously he was Deputy Director at the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas; Senior Curator of Paintings and Sculpture at the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven; and Curator of European Art at the San Diego Museum of Art.

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LAM presents walk-through tour of California Cool Art Auction on Jan 30

He was born in Aldershot (U.K.) and pursued both undergraduate and graduate studies at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London. He received his PhD from the Courtauld in 1985. His doctoral dissertation was on the British Pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais. He remains the leading authority on Millais and, as a long-term project, is preparing a catalogue raisonné of the artist’s works.

Julia Friedman is an art historian, critic, and curator based in Orange County. She began her art historical studies at the Hermitage Museum, in St. Petersburg, where she grew up. In 2005 she received a PhD in Art History from Brown University, and has since researched and taught in the U.S., U.K., and Japan. Her trans-disciplinary work on European Modernism, Russian emigration, and book art resulted in the illustrated monograph Beyond Symbolism and Surrealism: Alexei Remizov’s Synthetic Art, published by Northwestern University Press in 2011. 

In 2016 she completed a project based on the digital writings of Dave Hickey, editing Dust Bunnies and Wasted Words – two pendant volumes of the critic’s Facebook exchanges. She has been a regular contributor to Artforum, the Huffington Post, and the New Criterion. Her current research explores the tragicomic genesis of Wayne Thiebaud’s clown paintings. 

For questions or to purchase tickets by phone, call (949) 494-8971 x203.

Laguna Art Museum is located at 307 Cliff Dr. For more information, visit www.lagunaartmuseum.org.

La Vida Laguna launches free and fun “First Sundays e-bike rides”

La Vida Laguna will host “First Sundays e-bike rides” – fun, invigorating, and informative rides around Laguna’s official bike route – the first Sunday of the month, starting Sunday, Feb 2 from 10 a.m. to noon. The community events are free of charge.

Bring your own e-bike or borrow an electric bike from La Vida Laguna. The local outdoor adventure company wants to encourage residents to get out of their cars and onto bikes to make Laguna healthier, friendlier, and less congested. 

“Electric bike technology has vastly improved, with increased range, battery life, and speed. It’s like a cross between a bike and a motor scooter, only silent, with no carbon emissions. It’s a great, invigorating way to get around Laguna and experience its natural beauty, architecture, and points of interest,” says Doug Oyen, La Vida Laguna’s Chief Adventure Officer. “Now people can get up our hills and keep pace with traffic on our narrow streets, two of the things that inhibit traditional biking in town. Plus, they are so easy to park downtown.”

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Community invited to join La Vida Laguna for “First Sundays e-bike rides”

The community ride begins at La Vida Laguna’s headquarters at 1121 Glenneyre St (corner of Oak St). Electric bikes are offered on a first come, first-served basis, beginning at 9:30 a.m. La Vida has 12 bikes to loan, but suggests an optional donation to help defray maintenance costs and the guides. Riders need to be at least 16 years old and 5 feet tall.

“After a brief orientation on e-biking, the ride will head south on Glenneyre and loop through Bluebird Canyon, then back through town and onto Laguna’s only dedicated bike lane on Monterrey in North Laguna. We’ll stop at Pyne Castle, the Dartmoor trailhead (with a splendid view of the Hortense Miller Garden), Crescent Bay lookout, Heisler Park, and much more,” says Oyen.

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Electric bikes are a great way to get around Laguna and experience its beauty

Notably, this ride never goes on Coast Highway, proving it possible to ride from North Laguna to Nyes Place in South Laguna on bike-friendly streets. La Vida Laguna discourages anyone from riding on Coast Highway due to narrow shoulders and driver awareness concerns.

At the completion of the ride La Vida Laguna will host a reception at its headquarters with free snacks and beverages, all in an effort to build community through biking. 

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The tour will travel through Laguna and explore its landmarks

With increased popularity and demand, La Vida Laguna hopes to increase the frequency of community rides to weekly, and possibly add a sunset ride in the summer months. 

La Vida Laguna is a locally owned and operated outdoor adventure company offering surf, SUP, e-bike, and kayak tours and lessons since 2002, as well as corporate experiential training and teambuilding. Its motto is, “Happy Endorphin Making.”

For more Information, call Billy Fried at (949) 922-7729, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or visit www.lavidalaguna.com/communityride.

Health in Balance presents free Fresh Start Workshop on Wednesday

Are you ready for new beginnings? Are you tired of suffering from the same pain, depletion, and health challenges? Are you searching for solutions and renewed hope? If so, Health in Balance recommends the Fresh Start Workshop on Wednesday, Jan 22 at 6:30 p.m. 

As you are making the transition into the new year and new decade, it is the perfect time to reflect on the state of your health and set goals for your next chapter. 

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Health in Balance hosts free workshop on Wednesday 

At the Fresh Start Workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to utilize the knowledge and advice of Health in Balance’s doctors to create an attainable, effective action plan to achieve new health goals this season. Health in Balance’s staff will help you design a strategy to overcome obstacles in your way and move forward in victory. 

Discover your solution to overcome pain and health challenges at this free workshop. Health, vitality, and wellness await you!

Dinner is provided and attendance is free. Friends and family members are invited to join as well. 

RSVP at (949) 497-2553 or www.healthinbalance.com/events-1/fresh-start-workshop-jan-2020. 

Health in Balance is located at 330 Park Ave #3.

Village Laguna to screen Laguna and its Greenbelt at General Membership Meeting on Jan 27

On Monday, Jan 27 at 7 p.m., Village Laguna will screen the new documentary Laguna and its Greenbelt, produced by Ron Chilcote and Charles Michael Murray.

According to Village Laguna, the locally produced film documents “how our community confronted ten challenges to its legacy and character...a must-see for everyone.”

The filmmakers chronicle bookstore owner Jim Dilley’s vision, in 1968, of creating an open space greenbelt around Laguna, similar to those he admired in England, to separate and protect Laguna form encroaching urban sprawl, and it includes challenges such as Crystal Cove, the Bluebelt, and our designation as an Historic American Landscape.

“The film is particularly relevant, as Laguna continues to face similar challenges,” says Village Laguna.

The event takes place at the Laguna Beach Community & Susi Q Senior Center at 380 Third St. Refreshments will be served.

CAP presents second opportunity for hands-on event at gallery

Due to the enthusiasm and response to its first event, The CAP Gallery held a second event for its Artists’ Conversations/Demonstrations. Once again, attendees were able to experience pastels by creating their own piece of work, or by watching an artist at work.

Marie Tippets was adding finishing touches to a still life. Marie remarked, “There are always touches that an artist can find to add to a piece.” While doing this she discussed what she was doing as people looked on and asked questions. Something that Marie enjoys – sharing her knowledge and love of working in pastel.

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Marie Tippets (center, dark hair) explaining her technique

Lesli Bonanni was on hand with work tables and materials for people to create their own original piece. This allowed attendees another chance to see what pastels are about by physically working with them. Lesli’s approach is more intuitive, in reaction to the colors and how they move around on the paper. Her enthusiasm for her work shone as she explained her style of working in pastel.

Illuminating Elements is drawing to a close the end of this month. The rich colours and variety of styles will be just a memory after January 31. 

CAP’s mission is to increase the visibility and appreciation of Art and serve as a catalyst for art education. Ongoing exhibitions can be enjoyed at The CAP Gallery, in the unique Rotunda Gallery space located on the second floor of the Wells Fargo Building, 260 Ocean Ave. 

Visit www.caplaguna.org for information about ongoing or upcoming exhibits, to be added to the email list, or to become a member and supporter of CAP. CAP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by the member supporters, the Festival of Arts Foundation, the lodging establishments and the City of Laguna Beach.

A-paw-thetic

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Photo by Leonard J. Porto III

Nestor admits that some days, you just don’t want to get out of bed

Police Beat Primer

Compiled by Suzie Harrison

Police Beat derives from information in the daily police and arrest logs published on the City of Laguna Beach’s website and required under CA Government Code Section 6254 (f). Additional information is obtained through communication with the Laguna Beach Police Department’s Public Information Officer.

Information in the logs is deemed reliable and Stu News Laguna is not responsible for any mistakes made available as public record by the Laguna Beach Police Department.

Any person arrested is innocent until found guilty in a court of law.