Supervisor Coad visits Laguna

Barbara Diamond

Orange County Supervisor Cynthia Coad was the guest speaker at the

July 4 ceremonies hosted by the Laguna Beach post of the American Legion.

“You may wonder why a supervisor would come to our little town on the

Fourth of July,” said Post 222 Commander David Connell.

“At a Memorial Day ceremony, she spoke so movingly, we asked for a

copy of her speech and she volunteered to come and give the speech.”

She gets full marks for courage.

Laguna Beach is a hotbed of opposition to the construction of an

airport at the former U.S. Marine Corps Air Base at El Toro, which Coad

supported. She lost her seat on the board in the March election to

anti-airport candidate Chris Norby. Coad subsequently committed to

supporting the March majority who voted in favor of a great park instead

of an airport at the base, but recently rescinded that commitment.

Supervisor-elect Norby, whose brother Eric lives in Laguna Beach,

takes office in December.

“There was no mention of an airport in the speech,” said Post 222

Adjutant James Law.

A good thing, too, with Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman seated in the

audience. Kinsman is the city’s representative to the El Toro Reuse

Planning Authority, a coalition of South County cities organized to

thwart an airport. Coad stuck to the text of her Memorial Day speech when

she spoke in Laguna Beach.

“I am here to truly honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice,”

Coad said.

Their sacrifice, she said, allows us the freedom to make our dreams

come true. Coad’s speech included some family history. Her husband’s twin

brother was killed in World War II. His cousin came home a different

person in mind and body than the 19-year-old who had marched off to serve

his country. She concluded her speech by reciting the poem “In Flanders

Field,” bringing tears to the eyes of Madeleine Visca, and quotes from

Presidents Thomas Jefferson, John F. Kennedy and George W. Bush.

Coad’s speech was preceded by a ceremony called the Ringing of the

Bells, conducted by Walter L. Davis, dressed as a Revolutionary War

soldier.

“The ceremony starts in Philadelphia at 2 p.m. where they tap the

Liberty Bell,” said Davis, a past President of the Orange County chapter

of the Sons of the American Revolution.”

Each peal symbolizes one of the 13 original colonies whose

representative signed the Declaration of Independence.