Briefly In the News

Free downtown parking ends Monday

The free parking spots in the Laguna Canyon Road/Forest Avenue lot will no longer be available as of Monday. The free parking will resume Sept. 1, according to city officials.

Free public parking is available at South Coast Medical Center in South Laguna after 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday.

A summer parking permit for the Act V parking lot at 1900 Laguna Canyon Road can be purchased from the city Recreation Department for $20. The free summer trolleys and free bus service run from June 26 to Aug. 30.

Dog trainer offers free consult at shelter

The Laguna Beach Animal Shelter will present “Ask The Trainer — A Free Dog Training/Behavior Consultation” from 6:45 to 8 p.m. June 30 at the shelter, 20612 Laguna Canyon Road.

Ann Garland of Dog Speak Dog Training will answer many common questions about dog behavior and how to improve it. Dogs should not be brought to the consultation. To reserve a spot, call (949) 497-3552.

Blood drive planned at Presbyterian church

A Red Cross Blood Drive will take place at Laguna Presbyterian Church parlor, 415 Forest Ave., from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 28.

Donors must be in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds and not have donated blood within the last 56 days. Participants may enter a regional drawing for a $500 gas card, and all will receive a coupon for a free taco from Wahoo’s.

Marine mammal center seeks donors

The Pacific Marine Mammal Center is in the midst of one of its most challenging years ever, with several rescue calls each day, officials said. The facility has reached maximum capacity, with 97 rescued marine mammals at the site.

Most are sea lion pups, which take time to rehabilitate due to their small size and fragile condition. At a dollar a pound for fish, it is costing $475 to $500 a day to keep the rescuees fed, according to the center.

The center is asking for immediate help in the form of cash donations. A $25 donation will provide a whole week’s worth of food for one pup, and a $100 donation will support the entire intensive care recovery — food and medication — for a pup for one month. Donations can be made at www.pacificmmc.org.

Mammal Center benefit cruise is July 23

Pacific Marine Mammal Center’s summer fundraiser, “Sea Lion Sunset Cruise,” will be aboard the Endeavor yacht in Newport Beach from 6 to 9 p.m. July 23.

Tickets are $45 per person and include food, entertainment, and a three-hour cruise around Newport Harbor. A silent auction and raffle prizes will also be featured.

All proceeds go to benefit the seal and sea lion patients currently in recovery at Pacific Marine Mammal Center. For tickets, call (949) 494-3050 or visit at www.pacificmmc.org.

HAM radio station marks its 10th year

The public is invited to participate in an international amateur radio event June 27 and 28 with the Laguna Beach Emergency Communications Team, celebrating its 10th anniversary as station “N6L, Laguna Beach.”

The Field Day event — on the fire road between Top of the World and Moulton Meadows Park — highlights amateur radio’s ability to provide reliable communications when other systems fail. For details, contact John Kountz, chief radio officer of Laguna Beach Emergency Communications Team at (949) 494 8783.