Library

The Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot went to the library and talked to children who were about to participate in the library's Story Time, asking them the question, 'What do you like about the library, do you have a favorite book and what do you like about Story Time?' "I like books like Miss Spider and I like Story Time." MILA KELLAM, 3 "The Little Mermaid video and fireman books." KYLE SHAW "I like the arts and crafts at Story Time." ABY JAEGER, 4 "I like Story Time because it's fun. I like watching the stories, I like Jungle Book."

HOW I READ IT Well, here we go again -- the anticipation, fun, fear, depression, anxiety, love, anger, joy, plus every other human emotion we've inherited since our ancestors became fully upright and walking hominids. No, I'm not talking about having a baby; it's experiencing all these emotions that make the holiday season a very special time of year and create so many lifetime memories. And the library can enhance this season's celebrations in many ways.

Barbara Diamond Laguna Beach Library has a bunch of new friends. TV weatherman Fritz Coleman and more than 50 nationally known authors have helped the Friends of the Library raise funds to cover the loss of state revenue due to the budget crisis. Coleman was the guest speaker Saturday at the annual Friends membership dinner. The authors donated autographed books for a silent auction. "We made $1,200 just from the auction," said Martha Lydick, president of the Friends.

Kathryn A. Turner is honored as she battles Lou Gehrig's disease.The Laguna Beach High School library, which had been nameless, will now have Kathryn A. Turner's name above its doors. In an emotional event which drew around 65 attendees, Thursday's naming ceremony at the high school offered thanks to a beloved community member. "I'm thrilled and humbled by this," Turner said. Turner, who has lived in Laguna Beach for over 31 years, has been serving on the Laguna Beach Unified School District for 11 years.

Marianna Hof Trish, an otherwise unidentified library patron, sheepishly admitted to me recently, "I read trash in the summer." Like so many of us hard-working folks, Trish says that in the summer she likes to read lighter fair. But no matter what one's reading tastes, beach bags are going to be bursting with good books this summer. The following is a sampling of the library's recently arrived new fiction treats ready to be grabbed, gobbled and relished.

Sing-along, crafts and learning about other cultures across globe highlight annual event.Holiday Night at the Library on Tuesday brought in a crowd of some 150 children and parents for an evening of fun and games -- and a little bit of education. To kick off the event, kids were treated to a multicultural performance by Georgette Baker, a professional entertainer who spoke and sang, in five different languages, of the ways people celebrate around the world. With guitar in hand, Baker moved in and out of costumes as freely as she moved between cultures.

The following is from the March 13 meeting of the Laguna Beach Unified School District Board of Trustees. Top of the World library to be renovated After a short discussion, the board unanimously approved the renovation of the Top of the World Elementary School library/media center, at a cost not to exceed $275,000. The renovation will include utility and data re-routing and reinstallation; floor removal and reconstruction; new lib- rary furniture and circulation desk; and carpeting.

Eliana Alcouloumre, 12, will have a fundraiser Monday at Studio DC Salon for a library at Lowery Elementary School in Donaldsonville, La. Studio DC will donate all the proceeds from appointments that day to accrue new books. Eliana wanted to perform an act of Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world, tied in some way to her love of reading, as part of her Bat Mitzvah celebration. Eliana adopted Lowery, a school in a small town that absorbed a significant number of displaced children from Hurricane Katrina, with 97% of the students currently living in poverty.

Doug Bowler The public library system is one of the truly positive contributors to a civilized society. It is the original commercial-free world wide information system for collecting, categorizing and storing information for teaching, learning and promoting the art of the written word. In our democracy, it provides uncensored divergent political, philosophical and religious ideas, both accepted and disputed by various persuasions of thought in a centralized academic environment for discussion and analysis.

If you're not from Laguna You don't know Bluebird Park. You can't know Bluebird Park. All the concerts in the park, Coming home right before dark. Tortoise sits beside the green grassy stage, The playground is open to even the old age. Fresh-smelling grass, ready to mow, People will eat as they wait for the show. Bluebird Park is one of Laguna's beautiful places, Because there you will see a lot of smiling faces. Bluebird Park has striking scenery, gorgeous plants, and more, With all of the swings, slides, and music, it's really a place to adore.

Laguna Beach Friends of the Library Assn. officials have been up in arms about the terms of a licensing agreement dictated by the Orange County Public Library. The library support group rebelled against terms they said originally stipulated that all money raised by the Friends for the local branch had to be turned over to the county system. A Dec. 12 letter warned that they would be ousted at the end of January from the book store the group has operated for more than two decades if the agreement was not signed by Dec. 31. Association officials have asked Orange County Fifth District Supervisor Pat Bates to intervene, according to Martha Lydick, longtime president of the local Friends organization.

Most people would find the idea of turning a red and silver Coke can into Fanta Orange daunting, if not impossible. Not, John Abrams. He had magic on his side. "What if we use a little holiday magic to change the molecular structure of that Coke?" Abrams asked the crowd. Abrams, the Christmas Entertainer, put on a holiday-themed magic show on Wednesday for the Friends of the Library-sponsored Winter Family Night at the Laguna Beach Public Library. The night featured a family-friendly magic show, crafts, snacks and even a visit from a gingerbread man. "We like to be thought of as a community center," said branch manager Jon Gilliom.

Laguna College of Art & Design has a new library, a new exhibit, two new curriculum tracks and 23 new students to start the New Year. "Enrollment for the spring semester is 440 full-time students from 23 states and 18 countries," LCAD President Jonathan Burke told the City Council at the Jan. 24 meeting. The semester started Jan. 16. Entertainment Illustration is being offered in the illustration major, which focuses on storyboarding, visual development for live-action television, film and animation, environmental design for performance venues and theme parks, and digital matte painting for live-action film and animation.

When a homeless man was accused of fondling himself in the Laguna Beach Public Library, the ensuing outcry was less about the alleged behavior than about the pornography the man was viewing on the Internet at the time. Some people had never realized before the November incident that libraries, originally intended as great institutions of public edification through books, could be used these days as sources for viewing porn. Others were all too aware of the issue because they had seen, in this library and others, library computers regularly used for decidedly unlofty pursuits, even when there were children around who could easily see the screens.

A Lake Forest man was in federal court Thursday after being arrested in an Aliso Viejo library for allegedly viewing child pornography on a public computer. David Lavern Paine, 68, was detained Wednesday after witnesses and library officials reported the incident to Orange County Sheriff deputies. Officers arrived at the scene soon after the call and allegedly found Paine at a computer, viewing child pornography. According to the criminal complaint filed against him, Paine tried to lock the screen when confronted by deputies but later told them he had been viewing "nude women, young girls, bestiality and Russian nudists.

A 46-year-old man was put under citizen's arrest at the Laguna Beach Public Library on Saturday afternoon after police received a report that he was masturbating and watching pornography on a library computer. Joseph Clarence Cormier II, of Laguna Beach, was arrested for lewd conduct and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, according to Lt. Jason Kravetz. A man went to the police station to make a report and said he noticed Cormier touching himself and saw pornography on the screen.

Writers are not always the most articulate speakers, but the two featured authors at the Friends of the Library annual dinner at Aliso Creek Inn on Oct. 27 are graced with both talents. Ed Kaufman , author of "From Monks to Mountain Gorillas," and Phil Doran , who wrote "The Reluctant Tuscan," are local treasures. Kaufman's book covers parents' and kids' rites of passage, both literally and figuratively, gleaned from almost 10 years of traveling with his wife, Karen , and their son Adam , the youngest of Kaufman's three sons.

The "Ladies Who Lunch and Read" topped off the annual Friends of the Laguna Beach Library fundraiser Tuesday at Sapphire with awards for the prettiest hats worn by supporters. Kathleen Lechner won first prize. She wore one of her mother's hats in honor of Mother's Day. Second prize went to school member Betsy Jenkins, wearing a side-brimmed blue and green silk "garden party" hat from Duet on Forest Avenue. Librarian Jenny Gasset was awarded third prize for the floral fascinator she made herself.

 The Laguna Beach Historical Society will be presenting a program Monday, April 19th “ View and Discuss Historic Laguna Beach Photographs from the Orange County Public Library" by Historical Society Board Members Eric Jessen & Gene Felder. The program is from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and will be held at the Laguna Beach City Hall Council Chambers, 505 Forest Avenue. The public is invited and there is no charge.  City Engineer Steve May sent the Historical Society a photo of the 1926 opening of Coast Highway that we had never seen before.

The refurbished Laguna Beach Library reopened Monday without fanfare — or a fence. New carpeting, paint, lighting and climate control have freshened the library, which had been closed since mid-August for the $266,000 renovation. “It is just beautiful,” said Martha Lydick, president of the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library, which contributed more than half of the funding for the project. “The lighting is clever and decorative — but you can see to read.