What’s disturbing this week?

LAGUNA LIFE

My family and I celebrated my father’s 101st birthday at the Hyatt

Regency in Newport Beach last Sunday. The food was great, and so was

the champagne.

Highlights included having to put him in a headlock to have a

picture taken with him. While my father continues to shrink, he still

loves to lace up his walking shoes and stroll through town. So

please, if you see him, wish him a happy 101st birthday.

In the disturbing news category of Laguna Beach: Are you joking?

Twenty-five cents for 10 minutes on a meter? I remember the good ol’

days, when Laguna was Laguna and the meters used to be covered for

two weeks during the holiday season. Where’s the spirit? I’m

surprised we still have Hospitality Night. Maybe the City Council can

begin charging residents for that, in our little town in which our

former mayor doubles as the city’s real estate agent? Sounds like

double-dipping to me.

This week’s top question: Are those proposed construction sticks I

see for the building of an house in the gully of Bluebird Canyon and

Glenneyre Street? Maybe this topic should go under the disturbing

news category as well? I may be wrong, but probably not. They want to

build a house on top of the Bluebird storm drain a few feet from

where there is an opening into it? Doesn’t sound like a childproof

home to me. I wonder who the real estate agent is?

In tidbits this week: The Surf Gallery had another great reception

and book signing last Saturday night for Jeff Divine, “Chasing

Rainbows, 1970-2002.” I recommend to anyone who has a love for the

ocean and surfing to go on down to the gallery and check it out. The

show runs until Jan. 5. The gallery is doing a fantastic job bringing

the surfing community together with its monthly receptions.

In other related news, the next Surf Rider meeting will not be

until Jan. 15 because of the holidays, but stay tuned for the next

update. Please send any related Laguna news or happenings to our

beloved paper. I will do my best to get it in my column but no

promises.

Till next week, Peace.

* JAMES PRIBRAM is a Laguna Beach resident, professional surfer

and co-founder of “They Will Surf Again,” a nonprofit foundation

assisting people with spinal cord injuries. He was also a member of

the Water Quality Advisory Committee.