CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP:Adopt-a-Beach cleanup date set

Clean Water Now! Coalition is holding its first “Adopt-A-Beach” cleanup of the 2007 cycle on Saturday, March 24, from 9 a.m. to noon as part of a nationwide effort, “The Great American Cleanup.”

The Clean Water Now! Coalition has partnered with Waste Management to become official members of the “Proud Communities” program administered by the state nonprofit corporation Keep California Beautiful.

On March 24, three sites will be the focus of cleanup efforts:

Gloves, bags and information will be provided, along with free parking all day at the beach locations.

For more information, visit www.cleanwaternow.com or call Roger Butow, (949) 280-2225.

Pepper tree holding its own

The 125-year-old pepper tree in front of Laguna Beach City Hall is in relatively good health despite its age, City Manager Ken Frank said.

The tree harkens to the origins of Laguna Beach, having been planted by pioneering homesteader George Rogers in 1881 when the family moved into their newly built home where City Hall now stands.

The tree is the centerpiece of the city’s holiday celebration.

Each year the city hires an arborist to inspect the pepper tree and to recommend actions to preserve its health.

“Despite predictions made 10 years ago that the tree will die soon, it is still with us and is in relatively good condition,” Frank said.

The tree has been trimmed over the last decade to improve its health and appearance.

Relay for Life teams forming

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life will take place from 7 p.m. April 20 to 7 p.m. April 21 at El Morro Elementary School, 8681 No. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach.

Relay For Life is a 24-hour event in honor of those who have survived cancer and in memory of those who have not.

Participants run or walk in two-hour increments around the school track to raise funds to help fight cancer.

Teams of families, friends and co-workers are forming. For more information, call (949) 567-0611 or visit www.cancer.org.

Citizens to be surveyed on services

Over the next couple of weeks, 1,200 randomly selected residents will receive a survey requesting their assistance with evaluating local services, City Manager Ken Frank announced March 9.

“The information provided will help us identify opportunities to improve city services and the manner in which they are provided,” Frank said.

Third Dawkins book video slated for March 22

The third monthly viewing of evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins’ DVD presentation of his books will take place at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 22, in the community meeting room on the third floor of the Wells Fargo Bank building, 260 Ocean Ave., Laguna Beach.

This video was recorded as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series given by the Skeptics Society at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in 2004.

In this video, Dawkins presents his most expansive work yet, “The Ancestor’s Tale,” a comprehensive look at evolution in the field.

Loosely based on Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales,” “The Ancestor’s Tale” looks back through 4 billion years of life on earth to argue that evolution does not progress linearly.

“The Ancestor’s Tale” is a survey of the latest thinking on biology and a history of all living things.

The following month, April 26, the question-and answer-period that followed the readings will be shown.

Admission and parking are free.

The program is sponsored by Atheists United of Los Angeles and hosted by Laguna Beach resident Niko Theris. For more information, call Theris at (949) 494-7443.

Boyd to speak at Taxpayers Assn. meeting

The Laguna Beach Taxpayers Assn. is planning its annual luncheon meeting at noon Thursday, April 19, at the Aliso Creek Inn, 31106 So. Coast Highway.

City Councilman Kelly Boyd will be the keynote speaker, discussing his second term on the City Council — decades after his first.

The cost is $40 per person. To reserve a ticket, contact Martha Lydick at (949) 497-7053, or via e-mail at mlydick1@cox.net.