Winners abound around town

BARBARA DIAMOND

Today half of South County and their dogs will flock to the malls to

begin holiday shopping. The Friday after Thanksgiving is

traditionally the biggest shopping day of the year.

But Laguna has its own tradition -- the Winter Fantasy, held on

the Sawdust Festival grounds at 935 Laguna Canyon Road.

Sure the malls have Santa Claus, but so does the Winter Fantasy,

plus a variety of entertainment that ranges from traditional carolers

to Heebie and Jeebie, from Laguna Tunes Chorus to Laguna Beach High

School teacher Gary Shapiro, who is appearing from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m.

today.

And what mall provides snow for the kids to play in while parents

browse for one-of-a-kind gifts created by 173 artists? Sustenance is

available at three cafes and one saloon.

The 14th annual Sawdust Festival’s Winter Fantasy has all that and

it’s displayed in booths that are as artistic as the wares inside.

In fact, competition is keen among the exhibitors for best booth

decorations, which are judged.

Ket Youngstead is the winner this year. Barbara Barnette came in

second, followed by the husband and wife team of D. Spence and Mary

Hurlbut. Honorable mentions went to festival newcomer Janice Kuhm and

veteran Dennis Junka.

Did we mention the trees?

Twelve community organizations vied for best-decorated tree. And

winner is ... everyone who goes to the festival, but the awards went

to Laguna Club for Kids, the Chamber of Commerce and the PTA Council.

Winter Fantasy is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., today, Saturday,

Sunday, Dec. 4, 5, 11 and 12. General admission is $4.50; children

6-12, $2; children 5 and under, free. Season passes are $5.50.

A BIG THANK YOU

Martha Anderson popped for a party Sunday at the Laguna Beach

Woman’s Club to thank supporters in her bid for City Clerk.

“Verna is a hard act to follow,” said Anderson, who spent five

years in on-the-job training as Deputy City Clerk to retiring Verna

Rollinger.

Anderson ran unopposed.

“Golly, it was such a hard fight,” Anderson joked.

In a city where partisan rifts cut deep and spread wide,

Anderson’s supporters ran the gamut -- from former Councilman Wayne

Peterson to Laguna Beach Democratic Club President Audrey Prosser,

from Lee Raymer to Lisa Stuart.

“I’d like to thank everyone individually, but I’m afraid I will

leave somebody out,” Anderson said. “I don’t do as well as Gene

Felder at that.”

(Felder is known for introducing practically everyone who attends

the monthly Laguna Canyon Conservancy dinners).

All donations not spent on Anderson’s campaign have been or will

be donated to charities.

“The next party I have, I am going to hire a meteorologist,”

Anderson said. “At the first one we were all fainting from the heat

and today we have had wind and rain”

Lynda Roth, who sings, plays keyboards, composes and has an Emmy

to her credit, performed at the party -- just as she had at

Anderson’s May kick-off fund-raiser May 2 in Gregg and Kathleen

Abel’s lush backyard.

Alex Bonnin, 4 and his younger brother, Zack, 3, were the youngest

supporters at the party. They are the sons of John and Winter Bonnin,

the Crystal Cove interpreter.

“We are delighted to be here,” she said.

Rollinger was a guest, and other faces would have been familiar to

frequent visitors to City Hall, even if they couldn’t put a name to

them.

Lynne Biscieglia works in the Community Services Department.

Jeanine Benton and Liane Schuller can be found weekdays helping

residents understand proposed development -- theirs or others -- and

the rules that apply.

Anderson has worked for the city for about 13 years, with time

spent in finance, personnel and zoning departments before taking over

the Deputy City Clerk’s job in 1999.

Get-togethers like Anderson’s party are an opportunity for a

reporter to pick up all kinds of tidbits.

Who knew that Gayle Waite only went into real estate because she

figured it would give her more time for her art?

Waite moved here from New York and opened an advertising agency.

Her first experience in local real estate was the purchase of a

duplex for herself.

“It was the best thing I ever did,” she said.

Who knew that Terry Smith and partner Peterson stopped going to

South Coast Repertory Theater because of the foul language in its

productions?

“We were walking out at intermission,” said Smith, who came to the

party directly from a performance of “Constant Star” at Laguna

Playhouse, which he rated highly.

Who knew that filmmakers have to take into account that other

languages take more words than English to say the same thing when

dubbing?

Greg MacGillivray knew.

“English is the most concise language,” said MacGillivray,

producer of Imax films. “We say the same things, but we use fewer

words.”

English speakers don’t say the pen of my aunt.

MacGillivray’s newest film, “Mystery of the Nile” will open Feb.

12 in Spain in both English and Spanish.

“Most countries play films in English and the local language,”

MacGillivray said. “So many Europeans speak English now and they love

to see films in their original language.”

He hires voice actors and translators for his films, which are

shown around the world.

“Mystery of the Nile will be shown in 60 theaters in the United

State, alone. San Diego will be the first venue, then to Los Angeles

and Irvine, probably by summer.

Filming took 4 1/2 months.

“The two who did the whole trip are my heroes,” MacGillivray said.

Jock Stalker of Stalker Fine Foods, who is in Paris for

Thanksgiving, is Anderson’s hero Stalker recommended caterer Bill

Cutler, who provided the ample hors d’oevres, including the

vegetables carved into flowers for the party.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call (949) 494-4321 or fax (949) 494-8979.