Michael Beck

It has been one year since Mission Hospital became your new neighbor in Laguna Beach. Time has flown by since we moved in last July, and I wanted to take this opportunity to share our progress and our vision for the future. I also want thank those of you who have shared your experiences with me, introduced yourselves and taken the time to speak with us about your healthcare needs and opinions. Without your open feedback, navigating through this first year successfully would not have been possible.

Karger holds presidential fundraiser Fred Karger, who has declared himself a Republican candidate for president, is planning a fundraiser at his Laguna Beach home. "I'm the first openly gay presidential candidate in history," Karger said. Karger was recently interviewed by famed British journalist David Frost about his candidacy. For the past year, Karger has been in New Hampshire, Iowa and other states mounting his campaign. The fundraiser, featuring special guest actor Rib Hillis, will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. June 18 at 155 McAulay Place, Laguna Beach.

Among the many viewing pleasures of the fabulous holiday weekend was the extraordinary array of watersports gracing our pristine waters. Kayaking, swimming, diving, boating, and that most pandemic of water sports — stand-up paddleboarding. There was a panoply of healthy, eco-friendly, noiseless activities that reminded us of the amazing bluebelt playground we call home. And all of it was enhanced by warm, clean, clear water and our ubiquitous, resplendent golden kelp beds. Monet couldn't have painted it better.

Waste Management's Michelle Clark may not be ready to quit her daytime job for a gig as a stand-up comic, but she sure knows how to get laughs. Clark served as mistress of ceremonies at the Chamber of Commerce Spirit Awards and 96th annual board installation, held Jan. 25 at Tivoli Too, and she had the audience in snickers, if not stitches. Ganahl Lumber Sales Manager Jerry Perez played straight man for Clark's off-the-cuff commentary about the nominees and anyone else who came into the line of sight.

It seems that most folks are not interested in Mission Hospital’s efforts to engage the community in a dialogue to help determine and prioritize citywide health and quality-of-life needs in town. Fewer than 15 community members attended the Laguna Beach Community Benefit Plan meeting Feb. 18 at Mission Hospital Laguna Beach. “The entire community was not well represented,” said former Mayor Ann Christoph , who attended on behalf of herself and the South Laguna Civic Assn.

Mission Hospital Laguna Beach officials went “above and beyond” the attorney general’s requirement for a 15-member Community Advisory Council, appointing 24 people to a body that will meet privately to discuss hospital issues, hospital Vice President for Operations Michael Beck said Tuesday at a hospital forum. Members of the South Laguna Civic Assn. took Beck to task over who was and was not appointed to the committee — and the fact that meetings are private — at the monthly Neighbor Forum sponsored by the hospital.

Six neighbors of Mission Hospital Laguna Beach are asking for $15 million in damages to compensate them for longtime activities they claim jeopardize their health and property values. Will H. Gardenswartz, L. Reuben Gibney, Tawny Escobar, Judy Metez, Mike Blanchard and Anthony Sarris filed the complaint Oct. 9 against Mission and its parent St. Joseph Health System and as many as 50 unnamed defendants. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and injunctive relieve on their behalf and on the behalf of other residents living within a 1,500-foot radius of the hospital, which Mission acquired about three months ago. “No one in this lawsuit is opposed to a hospital,” Gardenswartz said.

The Laguna Beach business community got a chance to meet newly elected Assemblyman Don Wagner at the Chamber of Commerce's installation dinner and Spirit of Laguna awards ceremony last week at Tivoli Too. Wagner, an Irvine Republican, replaced Chuck DeVore, who was termed out in the 70th District. "It's worse than you think," Wagner said of his first two weeks in the Capitol. "It [the Legislature] is thoroughly dysfunctional, but it is beginning to take hold that it can't be business as usual.

The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce may be 95 years old, but officials are celebrating its anniversary as a rebirth. A new board was officially installed Jan. 27, but the group had already been at work to revitalize the chamber. "At our board retreat, it was clear that this group wants to have a different chamber than what you have seen in the past," said President Michael Kinsman. "This board is dedicated to a positive change in the chamber direction. Our new executive director, Kristine Thalman, has already moved us forward on many fronts.