Hospitality Night missing hospitality Fewer and fewer...

Hospitality Night missing hospitality

Fewer and fewer merchants provide food and drink during

Hospitality Night in appreciation for local patronage and civic

pride. Save for a few user-friendly businesses like those in the old

Lumber Yard, Areo and Morgan Stanley, the vast majority use the night

just to extend daytime working hours.

For those, Hospitality Night is a means to enhance their bottom

line and everything is business to those greedy merchants who best

belong in a nearby mall. But this is Laguna and we take the idea of

community very seriously. This traditional night was intended to

annually bring together the locals and the businessmen in a spirit of

holiday celebration, not crass consumerism. It was seen as a

contributing factor to the Village’s special personality.

Now, the Philistines have turned Hospitality Night into another

marketing device. Forest Avenue has taken one more step toward

becoming a cold-hearted strip mall. And the Village quickens its pace

into becoming an extinct species.

GENE COOPER

Laguna Beach

Yes Delino, chain stores are the way

Cheers to Ken Delino for his recent writings about Subway and

really letting ol’ Arnold Hano have it.

I support Delino’s views. After all, what has lame Village Laguna

or Arnold ever done for Laguna’s Downtown character? All that quaint,

historic architecture? So antiquated, so irrelevant in the new world

order. I am with Delino. We need a new model in town and Banana

Republic, Starbucks, Chico’s and Quiksilver are shining examples.

Sleek, streamlined, efficient moneymakers. To heck with all those mom

and pops who decry corporate competition, they should jump on the

corporate bandwagon with the rest of us.

Like Delino I am shocked that Laguna isn’t begging Subway to put

in a flagship store on Broadway. Their yellow and brown color scheme,

ultra-processed foods and homogenous atmosphere are the pinnacle of

franchise excellence. I’ve always hated how Diedrich’s tried to

“fit-in” to the Laguna Village by creating an artsy, bohemian feel to

it.

I am with Delino -- Laguna needs as many franchise stores like

Subway as possible. Like he said, “well-known franchise stores draw

customers who then patronize nearby independents.” This is exactly

why we need to put a Borders next to Latitude 33, a Noah’s Bagels

next to Shirley’s and an El Torito next to Javier’s.

Next, let’s get to work on all that ugly cottage architecture on

streets like Oak, Calliope and Graceland. Chain stores walk hand in

hand with tract homes in such franchise-familiar cities as Aliso

Viejo and Irvine, so accordingly the homogenization of our Downtown

should coincide with homogenization of our homes. Perhaps Shea Homes

or the Irvine Company could do the mass-remodel.

Lead us onward, Delino. I will be your right-hand lemming as we

march toward the future.

JIM JOHNSON

Laguna Beach

Be a voice in the future of our coast

From Wednesday to Friday the California Coastal Commission will be

meeting in Laguna Beach at the Montage Hotel. The Coastal Commission

meets monthly at locations up and down the coast of the state to make

important decisions on coastal development, beach access and

shoreline hazards.

What makes this meeting particularly relevant to the citizens of

Laguna Beach is that Laguna Beach Councilwoman Toni Iseman sits on

this important decision-making body and also a very important

decision regarding the development of the Dana Point Headlands is on

the docket for Thursday, Jan. 15.

The Dana Point Headlands and Strands beach below it represent one

of the last undeveloped coastal open spaces in Orange County; a place

that many Laguna Beach citizens treasure for its wide-open beach,

great surf and scenic views. This decades-long and contentious

development effort will permanently change this coastal landmark.

Unfortunately, it also threatens endangered habitats and the beach.

While we understand the rights of the property owner to develop the

land and recognize that the plans for this project have come a long

way toward benefiting the local community and protecting the

headlands habitat, it still has the potential to cause this eroding

beach to disappear and clearly violates the California Coastal Act --

the law of our coast.

I encourage the citizens of Laguna Beach to attend this important

meeting occurring in our home town and also to urge Iseman to defend

the Coastal Act, to protect our beaches and coastal habitats and to

uphold her reputation as a civic leader who values the protection of

our coastal environment.

CHAD NELSEN

Surfrider Foundation

* Editor’s note: For contact information to ask about the meeting,

call the Coastline Pilot at (949) 4949-4321 or e-mail

[email protected].

Has anyone seen Irv or Norma?

I am attempting to contact persons who may have known Irv and/or

Norma Riley when they lived in Laguna Beach. They were my husband’s

great-aunt and great-uncle. We were in Laguna Beach over Christmas

and the trip brought so much nostalgia for my husband. We went and

looked at the Rileys’ home (429 Shadow Road). I have heard that it

used to be known as Johnson Street, but Norma petitioned the City

Council to change the name.

Irv was a pianist and played at the Presbyterian Church. I

understand he was also active in the Pageant of the Masters.

If there is anyone who remembers them and could share their

memories with me I would be most grateful. Thank you.

ALANA LENNIE

Office Manager

Lennie Literary Agency

and Author’s Attorneys

* Editor’s note: If you have information about Irv or Norma Riley,

contact the Coastline Pilot at (949) 494-4321 or e-mail

[email protected].

Thank you, Presbyterian Church

This is to show appreciation and give thanks to the Presbyterian

Church of Laguna Beach for providing their Tankersley Hall to the

Laguna Community Concert Band for rehearsals while the band’s usual

rehearsal room at the high school was being remodeled. Thanks again.

NIKO THERIS

Laguna Beach

The Coastline Pilot is eager to run your letters. If your letter

does not appear, it may be because of space restrictions, and the

letter will likely appear next week. If you would like to submit a

letter, write to us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA 92652; fax us

at (949) 494-8979; or send e-mail to [email protected].

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verification purposes only.