Taking back the town at the pancake breakfast

This is a correction for people who do not live on Planet Laguna.

Locals, of course, will know that cast members of the Pageant of the

Masters pose for 90 seconds, not 90 minutes, as published last week

in this column.

Barbara Painter took the time to drop off a note to my house,

pointing out the error.

“Teehee!?” she wrote. “Barbara, you know better. 1 1/2 hours?? The

audience would leave in mass [sic].... See you at the Exchange Club

breakfast.”

The club’s annual Labor Day Pancake Breakfast is the local’s

celebration of the tourists’ end-of-summer exodus. More than 600

people attended. Every child received a prize.

“It’s a nice way to take back the town,” said Sonny Budd, who has

lived in Laguna for 67 years.

The breakfast has replaced the Oktoberfest that the club used to

present in the fall, according to club member Patrick Freeman.

“This is a must,” said Ann Weisbrod, who attended the breakfast

with her husband, Peter.

For Lu Campbell and other local artists, the breakfast marks the

end of festival season.

At the very least, it holds out hope for improvement in traffic

circulation and maybe even parking.

As always, the fire department staffed the grill. Chief Mike Macey

tapped firefighters John Luna, Thomas Padden, Michelle Barnet, Dan

Stefano and Dennis Marsh for pancake and sausage duty. They were

assisted by Marsh’s kids Sean, Eric and Shelley; guest chefs Mehdi

Zahedi from Copy & Print and Moji Bowakdar from Culinary Arts; and

volunteers recruited by Generalissimo Sande St. John.

Seen on the scene: club co-presidents Katy Moss and Zolita Scott,

members Joe Sovella, Sandi and Hal Werthe, Al Oligino, Bill Kinsey

and Dutch Vanderhoof; and the usual suspects, Carolyn Miller, Anne

Wood, Karin Godfrey, Bill Morris, Marion Rice, Doug Miller, Devon the

Balloon Man and Miss Linda from the Castle. Also on hand to give a

hand were Rose Hancock, Watermelon Fairy, Jessica DeStefano, Fruit

Fly Kathy Burns, A & D Music owner Rebecca Apodaca and her sidekick,

Helen Santillan, Bill Frey, Marion Rice and cash collector Donna

Macey.

Motorcycle officer Robert Van Gorder, who is sneaking up on 25

years of service to the city, stopped by for a quick pancake fix.

Planning commissioners Linda Dietrich and Norm Grossman settled for

coffee and conversation.

Mayor Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider brought Bailey, a shy

long-haired dachshund, to the breakfast. She had returned just the

day before from a trip to North Carolina, with pictures to prove she

really had milked cows while on a brief bucolic vacation.

Design Review Board member Steve Kawaratani stood in line while

his wife, Catharine Cooper, went for a run. Also in line: Bree

Burgess Rosen, Faye and Wayne Baglin, Bobbi Cox, John Campbell,

former Mayor Wayne Peterson and Susan Jacob, who heads the Coastal

Family Therapy Service.

“The Exchange Club visited our program at the Boys and Girls

Club,” said Jacob, who returned the favor by pouring coffee at the

breakfast.

Helen Conroy and Ellen Bartell bicycled from Irvine to the

breakfast.

“I heard about it from Katy Moss and all the charities she is

involved in,” said Conroy, Moss’s water-aerobic instructor.

The Exchange Club of Laguna Beach is a chapter of a national

organization committee to raising funds for the prevention of child

abuse. The club also donates money to local charities, recognizes

worthy community volunteers with the Book of Golden Deed award, funds

three scholarships and hosts annual banquets for outstanding

firefighters and police officers.

“We meet for lunch on Thursdays at the Hotel Laguna,” Sandi Werthe

said. “New members are welcomed.”

St. John wants to thank the Jolly Roger and Las Brisas for

donating all the food for the breakfast.

For more information, call (949) 494 6016.

Hats off

The mayor and the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library President

Martha Lydick are hosting a luncheon on Sept. 22 at Tivoli Terrace to

raise funds for the library.

“Women Who Lunch ... and Read” are invited to wear hats and

gloves. The mayor will award a prize for best hat.

However, participants o7must f7submit the titles of two books

they have read and be prepared to discuss them.

Seating is limited. Tickets are $50, payable to the Friends of the

Library and mailed to 1284 Coronado Drive, Laguna Beach, 92651.

For more information, call (949) 497-7053.

Team effort

City Hall is signing up participants for its team in the Laguna

Beach Relay for Life fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, set

for Sept. 16 and 17 at El Morro Elementary School.

City Clerk Martha Anderson, Fire Chief Mike Macey, Laguna Beach

County Water District General Manager Renee Hinchey and City

Treasurer Laura Parisi are co-chairs.

Macey and his wife, Donna, have signed up for the first lap.

Division Chief Jeff LaTendresse and his wife, Mindy, the Deputy City

Clerk, have signed up for the last lap at 6 p.m. on the 17th, for

which the city team is working on a theme.

City Councilwoman Jane Egly is committed to appear.

Cancer survivor ceremonies begin at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16. The

Survivor Lap begins at 7:30 p.m. The Survivor and Caregiver Tea will

begin at 2 p.m. the next day.

Among the teams that will accept members from the public and their

captains: Abe’s Babes, Leah Israelsky; Constant Velocity, Penny

Svenson; Feet to Beat, Gail Onodera; Friends and Family, Michelle

Struss; Friends for a Cure, Gema Linares; Hearts of Montage, Heidi

Baggott; Laguna Beach Community Clinic, Dr. Thomas Bent; Laguna Beach

Physical Therapy, Victoria Kratzat; Team Laguna, Karen Gonzalez;

Nathan’s Crew, Susan Lynch; Team Arthur Murray, Ramona Almquist; Team

for Life, Robin Main; Team Hope, Health, Happiness, Elaine Brasher;

Team Pace to Grace, John Allwood; Trevino Tribe, Danny, Patti and

Olivia Trevino; and Village Laguna, Doug Reilly.

For a complete list of participating teams or for more

information, visit the Laguna Beach Relay for Life Web site:

o7www.ascevents.orgrelayca lagunabeachf7.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652; hand-deliver to Suite 22 in the Lumberyard,

384 Forest Ave.; call (949) 494-4321 or fax (949) 494-8979.