BRIEFLY IN BUSINESS

Chamber Spirit awards Saturday

The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce will present its 2007 Spirit of Laguna Awards at a gala dinner event from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Tivoli, Too!, 777 Laguna Canyon Rd. The chamber’s 2007 Board of Directors will also be installed.

Nominees for Premier Business of the Year are: Festival of the Arts; South Coast Medical Center; and Waste Management.

Nominees for Small Business of the Year are: South County Bank; La Casa del Camino; and A La Carte Gourmet.

Tickets are $40 per person, including hosted wine and hors d’oeuvres, dinner and entertainment.

For ticket information, visit, www.lagunabeachchamber.org or call (949) 494-1018.

Mar Vista home up for sale at $22M

A Mar Vista Avenue property that drew heated opposition from neighborhood activists has been listed on the Multiple Listing Service at $22 million.

The property is described as having a lot size of 6.9 acres.

The single-family residence was approved on 12 acres, eight of which are designated as open space.

The home has seven bedrooms and a total of 17,000 square feet of living space, according to the listing. Current property taxes on the unit are at $15,241.

The MLS description by realtor Mark Whitehead reads as follows: “Truly spectacular one-of-a-kind custom estate with unobstructed and panoramic views. This totally unique property with cascading waterfalls, huge view and entertaining decks, and amazing views from most rooms will surely captivate, surrounded by parkland ensures total privacy here.”

Despite its high price, the Mar Vista property is only the sixth-most-expensive property in Laguna Beach. A 6-bedroom, nearly 12,000-square-foot residence still under construction at 171 Emerald Bay takes the top spot at $33.9 million.

Seminar for financial professionals

Attorney Mark E. Powell will present a free seminar for financial professionals at the main branch of the Boys & Girls’ Clubs of Laguna Beach from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 8.

The presentation will address the use of real estate as a charitable gift and is sponsored by Wright Ford Young & Co. Attendees can earn one hour CE Credit; however, reservations are required. To make a reservation, call Pamela Estes at (949) 494-2535, ext. 103, or contact her via e-mail at pame@bgclaguna.org. A continental breakfast is included.

Financial professionals are invited to learn more about how they can help their clients enjoy and possibly benefit from making a meaningful gift of real estate to their charity of choice.

Powell’s practice is concentrated in tax, trust and estate matters, with an emphasis on charitable planning, estate planning, trust and probate administration, and estate and gift taxation.

He serves on the Endowment Committee of the Boys & Girls’ Clubs of Laguna Beach and also chairs the Planned Giving Committee of the American Heart Assn. (OC), and the Vestry and Education Committee of St. Mary’s Church in Laguna Beach.

Andersen to discuss hotel business

Claes Andersen — proprietor of Hotel Laguna, Claes Restaurant, Terrace Cafe and the Lounge — will speak to the Laguna Beach Business Club at 7:30 a.m., Thursday, Feb. 15, at the Hotel Laguna, 425 So. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach.

Andersen, a former general manager at Westwood Plaza Hotel, purchased the Hotel Laguna in 1985.

He is the past president of the Danish Club in Los Angeles; past board member of the European Chamber of Commerce, California; past vice president of the Danish Olympic Committee; founder and past president of the Laguna Beach Hospitality Association (now the Visitors and Conference Bureau).

Currently, Andersen serves on the board of trustees of Laguna Playhouse and the president’s club of the Laguna Art Museum. He has won many awards, including General Manager of the Year, 1978-1984; Southern California Restaurant Writers Gold, 1988-2004; Chaine des Rotisseurs, Gold Medal; Humanitarian of the Year, awarded by the Southern California Restaurant Writers, 1993; and was recognized as a Laguna Beach Visionary in 2003.

He and his wife of 25 years, Georgia, are active participants and fundraisers for School Power. The Andersens reside in Laguna Beach and have two children.

Andersen’s talk will cover the Hotel Laguna, the hotel management business and the hotel’s extensive wine collection.

Visitors are welcome and reservations are required. A $20 buffet breakfast will be served. For more information and reservations, call Steve Ewing, president of the Laguna Beach Business Club, at (949) 497-4275 or e-mail steve@ewingdesigngroup.com.