CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP: Saturday ‘blackout’ sought

Lights out! That will be the call to the community this Saturday night.

Laguna Beach Mayor Jane Egly asked at the March 18 council meeting that residents turn off lights and non-essential appliances from 8 to 9 p.m. Saturday to honor Earth Day by saving energy and reducing light leakage into the sky.

Councilwoman Toni Iseman said that 8 p.m. on daylight saving time might not be dark enough to achieve the full effect of blackout. So Egly suggested that two hours of darkness would cover the city’s obligation to the planet.

Laguna Beach is a designated Earth Trustee City.

Also at the meeting, Endangered Planet Foundation Art Director Nick Hernandez read a letter to the council from Earth Society Foundation President Tom C. Dowd, commending Laguna Beach for its stand and for collaborating with the planet foundation to support Earth Days during the vernal and autumnal equinoxes and the summer and winter solstices and for designating Laguna as an Earth Trustee City.

— Barbara Diamond

‘Last call’ held for Cedar Creek

Cedar Creek Restaurant at the Lumberyard Mall, 384 Forest Ave., closed for good after 19 years on March 22 with a “last call” party.

The Ayres family operate three other Cedar Creek restaurants, in San Juan Capistrano, Brea and Laguna Niguel.

After the operators declined to renew their lease, it was taken over by Laguna residents Cary and Suzanne Redfearn, who plan to open a new restaurant to be called The Lumberyard this spring.

The new restaurant will offer casual, family dining.

Top of the World to ‘Meet the Mayor’

The Top of the World Neighborhood Assn. will hold its annual “Meet the Mayor” event on Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. The event, where neighbors will be able to meet and provide input to Laguna Beach Mayor Jane Egly, will be held at the home of Chris and Dinah Brazelton at 2891 Chateau Way.

Amateur radio license exams this Sunday

The Laguna Beach Emergency Communications Team Volunteer Examiners will proctor and give exams for all FCC amateur radio license classes at the Laguna Relief and Resource Center, 3305 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday.

Exams will given for Technician, General and Extra class licenses. It is not necessary to register in advance. Information about the exam is available on the group’s website, at www.LagunaBeachRACES.org

The Laguna Beach Emergency Communications Team is a citizen volunteer unit of the Laguna Beach Police Department, and is an affiliate with the Orange County Sheriff’s OCRACES group.

For information about joining the team or becoming an amateur radio operator, contact John Kountz, Chief Radio Officer, Laguna Beach Emergency Communications Team, KE6GFF@ LagunaBeachRACES.org or by phone at (949) 494-8783.

Boom cause heads to L.A.’s Century City

Save the Boom organizers are planning a march at noon Tuesday at the AIG Tower in Century City, home of AIG, whose senior officer, Steven Udvar-Hazy, is planning to redevelop the iconic gay bar the Boom Boom Room, and its adjacent Coast Inn.

AIG is a large insurance conglomerate at 1999 Avenue of the Stars.

Save the Boom founder Fred Karger, of Laguna Beach, is hoping that pressure brought to bear on the corporation will induce Udvar-Hazy, one of the world’s wealthiest men, to donate the former bar to a nonprofit and keep it intact.

Motor pools are being organized to the demonstration from Laguna Beach. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call 9949) 494-4750.