Donations extend shelter

Homeless people needing shelter from cold and wet weather will be

able to count on another 18 nights at local sites, after the City

Council on Tuesday accepted a $4,390 donation to extend the shelter

program.

The city-sponsored Cold Weather Shelter program has operated since

1991. The program, this year is a collaboration between the

Methodist, Presbyterian and Neighborhood Congregational Churches and

the City. Each participant provides a site for one month, and

volunteers check in individuals seeking shelter as weather conditions

warrant.

From Nov. 27 to March 1, the shelter has been open 42 nights,

housing as many as 51 people.

The severe winter weather this season has exhausted a $10,000

community development block grant obtained from the County of Orange

to run the shelter program, and in response, members of the Laguna

Relief and Resource Center and the Cross Cultural Task Force decided

to raise money to keep the shelter open longer.

City to get back some funds taken by state

Laguna Beach will soon get back 90% of the $417,000 that was taken

out of the city’s budget last year by the state to help fill a

multi-billion-dollar budget deficit, according to City Manager

Kenneth Frank.

The state won’t be paying the money back directly, however. The

City Council authorized the sale of bonds at a discount to private

bondholders to recoup the funds. A total of 146 other local agencies

that were “raided” by the state also participated in the bond sale.

The city will receive $376,000 from the bond sale.

‘Only in Laguna’ benefit fashion show March 24

Laguna Board of Realtors and affiliates will host the sixth annual

“Only in Laguna” benefit luncheon fashion show from noon to 3 p.m.

March 24 at Tivoli Too!, 777 Laguna Canyon Road. This year’s proceeds

will benefit Sally’s Fund, No Square Theatre and Ocean Laguna.

Tickets are $35. For information, call (949) 497-2474.

Liberalism is topic of Open Gatherings salon

The topic for the next Open Gatherings salon set for Friday, March

25 at 7:30 p.m. is “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Liberals.”

The evening of conversation will take place at the Unitarian

Universalist Fellowship, 429 Cypress Drive.

Open Gatherings is a local “un-church” that draws together people

from all faiths and nonfaiths to explore topics of spirituality,

politics, relationships and personal ethics.

“Liberals have been pursued, hounded, and dismissed in the public

arena,” said the Rev. Dr. Tari Lennon, the discussion leader. “The

word ‘liberal’ is an epithet, thanks to the neoconservatives in power

who have taken a noble ideal, turned it on its ear and spun it as a

negative. It doesn’t have to be that way.”

Admission to the gathering is free; donations are welcome. Free

child care is provided for ages 4 and older. For more information,

call (949) 370-7040 or visit https://www.opengatherings.com.