News Release

SILB member participates in Best Buddies ride Doris McQuaid, a member of Soroptimist International of Laguna Beach, or SILB, and her husband rode their bikes 100 miles from Carmel to Hearst Castle last month in support of Best Buddies, an organization founded by the Shriver family to help those with emotional and developmental disabilities fit into society, a press release stated. SILB designed a special pink polka-dot jersey, specifically for this event, for McQuaid to wear.

An anti-bullying rally will take place from 5 to 6 p.m. Oct. 19 in Laguna Beach. The first People's March Against Bullying will start at Main Beach with participants marching to City Hall, where speakers will talk about the issue. Speakers are set to include Jonah Mowry, the 15-year-old who revealed his personal case of bullying on YouTube, and Victoria Mendez, a 15-year-old girl who is president of Cool 2 Be Kind, a student-run, anti-bullying club, according to a news release.

Volunteers clean up local beaches Teens and staff from the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach teamed with local James Pribram, Hearts of Montage, Zero Trash and One World One Ocean to clean up local beaches Sept. 15 as part the California Coastal Cleanup day, according to a news release. About 70 volunteers participated. They started at the Montage Laguna Beach resort and spread out to surrounding beaches. Teens recorded items that were cleaned up and mostly recyclable, which they will send in to the Ocean Conservancy to become part of the Ocean Trash Index, which shows how much trash is found along coasts all over the world, the release said.

The Police Department is holding a community informational meeting Oct. 3 to discuss the proposed social host ordinance. The department, led by Chief Paul Workman, will give a presentation and then allow public input and discussion about the ordinance. The ordinance has been a topic of discussion at City Council and in neighboring cities. If it passes, it would penalize adults for hosting gatherings during which alcohol or drugs are served to minors. The council recommends excluding prescribed medication.

Sawdust Art Festival does fashion The Sawdust Art Festival hosted its first fashion show last week, according to a news release. Sawdust participants and clothing and textiles designers Olivia Batchelder, Leila Ehdaie, Michelle Holt, Helen McNamara, Michelle Lance and Sue Winner presented their designs on the runway at the Greek stage. Next year, the festival plans to have a larger fashion show on the Main Entertainment Deck, the release said. Separately, the Festival announced new board members.

District has five new administrators Laguna Beach Unified School District announced its newest five administrators this week. Dean West is the new assistant superintendent of business services. He previously was the district's director of fiscal services. He also owns an accounting consulting business, according to a news release. Deni Christensen, assistant superintendent of instructional services, previously taught high school English and served as an assistant principal and a high school principal.

Join the city of Laguna Beach this weekend in welcoming back local Annika Dries, who helped the U.S. women's water polo team win a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. The community event will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Community Pool, 670 Park Ave. Admission is free, and residents should bring a bathing suit and towel. Mayor Jane Egly will be on hand to give Dries a proclamation from the City Council in honor of her achievements. Dries is a former standout of the Laguna Beach High School water polo team.

A 35-pound bobcat that is suspected of killing three or four cats in the Three Arch Bay area is still on the loose, according to a news release issued by the Laguna Beach Police Department. Animal Services officers responded to the area of #6 Vista Del Sol at 6:15 a.m. Tuesday after a report of another domestic cat being grabbed by the bobcat. They arrived to find the bobcat hiding underneath a car parked in the driveway, Lt. Jason Kravetz said. The bobcat, which showed no fear of humans, got away before it could be tranquilized, he said.