Briefly In The News
Rollinger to hold campaign fundraiser
Mayor Pro Tem Verna Rollinger will hold a fundraiser for her reelection campaign from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the home of Laguna Beach school board President Betsy and Dr. Gary Jenkins, 1739 Alisos Ave.
Cost is $85 per person and includes wine, a light dinner and dessert, as well as a silent auction.
The Earth Day celebration also will include tours of the home’s special drought-tolerant gardens, which were designed by landscape artist Jeff Powers.
Fellow school board members Theresa O’Hare, Jan Vickers, Nancy Caruso, Lee Winocur Field, Ray Hiemstra, Carol Nilsen, Ginger Osborne, Chris Prelitz, Patricia Twitty and Carolyn Wood are also hosting the event.
“I’m inviting you to join me in this campaign to keep moving Laguna in the right direction,” Rollinger said in a news release. “There is still work to be done! I want to bring a more user-friendly, customer service attitude to City Hall, complete a greener Village Entrance project, help restore Laguna Beach’s financial strength and security, and keep providing resources to rebuild our sewer and water infrastructure.”
For more information, call Rollinger at (949) 494-9878 or visit https://www.vernarollinger.com.
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Interfaith Council hosts Prayer Breakfast
The Laguna Beach Interfaith Council is hosting its fifth annual Prayer Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. May 3 at Mission Hospital as part of the National Day of Prayer.
The free event is open to anyone. Donations will be accepted and will go to the Mission Hospital Foundation, a community service arm of the hospital. Mission Hospital is at 31872 Coast Hwy.
This year’s topic, Service is a Form of Prayer – Let it Begin with Me!, will feature two keynote speakers. Rev. Rosalind Russell of R Star Foundation and Joyce Hansen of Rising Star Outreach will touch on the qualities of volunteerism and honor several volunteers. That will be followed by the presentation of the Gratitude Award for Community Service, according to a news release.
The event will also have a special performance by the Latter Day Saint’s Children’s Choir, who will sing “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”
Those interested must RSVP to JackieRiegel1@gmail.com by April 23. For more information, contact Jackie Riegel at (949) 494-1449 or Ann Richardson at (949) 683-6242.
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Mayor to kick off reelection campaign
Mayor Jan Egly will kick off her reelection campaign from 4 to 6 p.m. May 6 at Madison Square and Garden Café, 320 N. Coast Hwy.
Cost is $35 per person and all are welcome.
According to a press release, “During her tenure, the city has negotiated realistic, long-term contracts with its employees, balanced the budget, and established special accounts to respond to natural disasters and economic down turns. Most recently the council adopted an extensive revision to the city’s General Plan that adds new tools for protecting Laguna’s neighborhoods, both residential and commercial, from inappropriate and/or out-of-scale development.”
For more information about the event, contact Egly at (949) 497-2027.
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Council for community service groups forms
A newly formed group in Laguna Beach has now met twice, most recently on April 11.
The Coordinating Council of Community Service Organizations of Laguna Beach was born in December, after the Laguna Beach Community Alliance Cause-Alike.
Representatives from area community groups plan to meet up on a regular basis to discuss their upcoming activities and community needs.
At April’s meeting, attendees included members from the Assistance League, Early Childhood and Family Services Division of the Boys & Girls Club, Susi Q Senior Center, Cross Cultural Council, Sally’s Fund, Friendship Shelter, Laguna Beach Interfaith Council, Healthy Laguna and the Laguna Beach Community Alliance.
The council will meet again at 9 a.m. May 9 at the Boys & Girls Club.
For more information, contact Jean Raun at (949) 494-2247 or jeanraun@gmail.com or Mary Dolphin at (949) 715-3473 or m.dolphin@cox.net.
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Republicans group names new president
The Laguna Beach Republicans have a new president: Michele Hall.
Hall will also serve as Orange County’s GOP chairwoman representing Laguna Beach, according to a news release.
“Republicans in our town have always been part of its libertarian and counter-cultural tradition,” Hall said in a prepared statement. “We are about personal responsibility and personal freedom. We stand for a balanced budget and living within our means at the local, state and federal level.”
Hall is a longtime Laguna Beach native. She attended Laguna Beach High School and UC Berkeley, where she earned a degree in conservation and resource studies.
She worked as executive director for United Laguna, and helped gain community support for the closure of the Treasure Island mobile home park and approval for the Montage, according to the release.
“Michele’s ability to understand the city’s political environment and her wealth of political savvy make her a perfect fit for this position,” Amy Kramer, outgoing president, said in a statement. “Additionally, her involvement with OC GOP will truly benefit Laguna Beach Republicans organization, planning and overall role in the upcoming 2012 elections.”
—Alisha Gomez and Kelly Parker