Forest Avenue

Barbara Diamond City Manager Ken Frank invoked a seldom-used section of the city code Tuesday night that allowed work to begin Wednesday on the Forest Avenue street rehabilitation. Frank authorized a $281,935 contract because there was not a council majority that could vote on it at the meeting. State law barred Mayor Cheryl Kinsman and Councilman Wayne Baglin from voting because they own property within 500 feet of the project. Councilman Steve Dicterow, who could have voted and would have formed the required majority with council members Toni Iseman and Elizabeth Pearson, was absent.

A Forest Avenue commercial building that has struggled to keep its retail tenants may have its next incarnation as a real estate brokerage. After being rejected by the Planning Commission, the proposed realty office on the ground floor of Landmark Plaza in downtown Laguna Beach was on the verge of approval by the City Council Feb. 6, but the council voted to wait for a parking report and additions to conditions of approval before making a...

The city of Laguna Beach will celebrate cultural and musical diversity, de la maniere Français de la maniere Français . The Sister City Assn.?s second annual Fete de Musique, a festival that originated in France in 1982 and has since spread to many countries across the globe and has been dubbed ?world music day,? will take place from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday in downtown Laguna. Lisa Morrice, communications director for the association and a professional singer who works primarily with Gallimaufry Performing Arts, said the event will emulate the music celebration that takes place in Paris on June 21 each year.

The 44th annual Laguna Beach Patriots Day Parade will start at 11 a.m. Saturday from Laguna Beach High School on Park Avenue. The march will turn right on Glenneyre Street, then right on Forest Avenue, then left past City Hall. Between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., traffic will be heavily impacted in the downtown area due to road closures for the parade. Pacific Coast Highway and Laguna Canyon Road will be open, but several downtown streets will be closed. Motorists are advised to use alternative routes.

A number of streets in downtown Laguna Beach will be closed from 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m. Saturday for the Patriots Day Parade. Laguna Beach police are advising motorists to use alternate routes during parade hours. Pacific Coast Highway and Laguna Canyon Road will remain open during the parade, but traffic is expected to be heavily congested due to the surrounding street closures. Roads which will be closed or directly affected during the parade are: Park Avenue (between Wendt Terrace and South Coast Highway)

A car hit a bicyclist Sunday in downtown Laguna Beach. The collision occurred about 11 a.m. in the intersection of Beach Street and Forest Avenue. The boy suffered some minor "bumps," Laguna Beach police Sgt. Louise Callus wrote in an email. Parents of the boy were present and upset with the driver, who also called police. Police had no more information as of Monday morning. —Bryce Alderton

Expect a difficult day downtown on Wednesday. Asphalt repaving on upper Forest Avenue is scheduled and during resurfacing, Glenneyre Street will be closed between Forest and Park avenues and the left-hand turn from Broadway onto Forest Avenue will be closed. Pavement will be ground down 24 to 48 hours before repaving. All asphalt work will occur between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Trash collection will be before 7 a.m. Traffic congestion and delays are expected during.

Santa's coming to town for Hospitality Night Dec. 7 — and this year he won't be competing with a football game. The city and the Chamber of Commerce sponsor Hospitality Night, a highlight of the year in Laguna. Downtown Merchants will stay open late to dispense cheer to browsers and buyers. Music and comestibles will be provided by community groups. "Everybody in town will be coming down for the party and the city will be a sparkling sea of lights," chamber President Michael Kinsman said.

I read with great enthusiasm the council?s approved ?Third Thursday?s Hospitality Night,? and the closure of the west end of Forest Avenue(?Businesses to be bolstered,? March 27). This is a great beta test of how the city might look and function with a permanent pedestrian mall. This could become our de facto town square, a nexus for community interaction and celebration ? and a boon to downtown merchants. Just imagine how beautiful the block would look without the cars blocking the sight lines.

AREA 1 Cliff Drive: A caller reported a man smoked something out of a can in the 200 block at 9:47 a.m. Friday. Broadway Street: A caller reported a female transient standing in the middle of the street in the 300 block at 12:36 p.m. Saturday. * AREA 2 Laguna Canyon Road and the 73 Freeway: A caller reported a black Jeep Cherokee was going 100 mph at 4:54 p.m. Friday. * AREA 3 Park Avenue and Donna Drive: A caller reported a black Ford 150 truck had a smashed front windshield at 2:16 p.m. Friday.

A car hit a bicyclist Sunday in downtown Laguna Beach. The collision occurred about 11 a.m. in the intersection of Beach Street and Forest Avenue. The boy suffered some minor "bumps," Laguna Beach police Sgt. Louise Callus wrote in an email. Parents of the boy were present and upset with the driver, who also called police. Police had no more information as of Monday morning. —Bryce Alderton