Suzie HarrisonSummer, just saying the word conjures...

Suzie Harrison

Summer, just saying the word conjures pleasant images -- snapshots of

experiences flood the mind from getting out of school and running

down the halls after the last day of classes, to hanging out with

friends enjoying the long days. Even as one grows up -- summer seems

to bring out the more playful side.

For the grown-ups in Laguna summer plans include some relaxing and

some hard work.

Executive director of the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce Anne

Morris finds her joy in her own backyard.

“When I like to escape where I can just mellow out and relax, I

feel very calm working with the plants,” Morris said. “I love

gardening -- it’s the most relaxing thing I can do to unwind.”

She said she gets quite rejuvenated by the beauty created by

working on the plants.

Laguna Playhouse Executive director Richard Stein said he’d be

sticking around this summer because he has a busy plate of activities

coming up. “Harvey” will be performed at the Playhouse and their new

Monday Nights will begin with “Late Nite Catechism,” starting July

21.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to catch up on a few things at home,”

Stein said. “My wife and I remodeled our home more than a year ago.”

He expressed that he might get a little bit of breathing room

between shows and while things are at turbo speed he’ll spend the

morning at home doing a few things.

The owners of Woody’s at the Beach, Alford Harrison and Joel

Herzer, have big news.

“We’re opening another restaurant in Palm Springs, Wang’s in the

Desert,” Harrison said. “It’s going to be a Chinese restaurant -- it

used to be a big hangout for Bob Hope and other celebrities.”

“We’ll spend half of each week here and half in the desert,”

Harrison said. “It will open the end of September or first of October

-- we’re both excited.”

Assistant principal at Laguna Beach High School Jenny Salberg said

she’d be spending time with her kids and family and sleeping.

The Rev. Eamon O’Gorman at St. Catherine of Siena Church is going

the farthest away.

“Most of my summer will be taken with the renovation of the

church, which comes down on Sunday,” O’Gorman said. “I’ll also spend

two weeks in Ireland visiting my family.”

When she’s not working, gallery owner Diane DeBilzan enjoys

walking.

“I walk regularly, I enjoy walking by the beach with my dog,”

DeBilzan said. “The gallery takes up a lot of my time, so I’ll be

enjoying time there talking with people.”

Stephanie Marshall owner of the Dog Ranch Bed and Biscuit has been

a lifelong resident of Laguna Beach and knows summer is much too busy

of time to leave town.

“I’m going to set up an outdoor cabana for the dogs, painting with

the dogs and making plaster paw prints,” Marshall said. “I’ll be

building a bigger, better garden at home for all my animals, run on

the beach and learn photography.”

Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson plans on spending time entertaining

friends in Laguna Beach and exposing friends outside of town to

Laguna.

“On a semi-regular basis I’ll have a pre-Art Walk open house for

my friends in Orange County,” Pearson said.

Karyn Philippsen, who wears many hats in town as the sales

director for the Montage Resort and Spa, the public relations

director for the Playhouse and the president of the Laguna Beach

Visitors Bureau and Conference Center, said she’ll be trying to

relax.

“My thing is that I’m learning to turn things down and say no so I

can relax and get and get a tan when I have time.”

Mark Klosterman, who is the head of Marine Safety, like many

Lagunans is very busy in the summer, especially with the crowded

beaches.

“This time of year we’re running full staff and don’t take

vacations,” Klosterman said. “Our goal is to create a safe

environment -- almost a million people come to the beaches in Laguna

over the next 10 weeks. We’re going to focus on no drownings and make

it a real safe and enjoyable environment for all the locals and

tourists on the beaches.”