Plastic Bags

"If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" -- Percy Bysshe Shelley "To be interested in the changing seasons is... a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring." -- George Santayana The calendar indicates that we still have five weeks to wait until the official beginning of spring (we have completed 56 days of winter as of today). Subtle signs of the change in the seasons are appearing throughout town. Deciduous trees, like the sycamore and crape myrtle, are beginning to bud under cloudless, blue skies, and Catharine's Mutabilis rose has already begun to display its bountiful blooms.

I remember the good old days, when Santa came to town and put plastic bags over the meters for two weeks. Yes. Two whole weeks of free meters. I can still hear the reindeer cheering and the Grinch stomping his feet and no, I am not referring to Ken Frank, our city manager. For years now the residents of Laguna Beach have been pleading with our beloved City Council to endorse and/or designate resident-only parking downtown. Now the city has designated 123 free parking spaces for residents, business owners, employees and, in keeping with the holiday spirit, why don’t we add old Santa himself, along with a fully staffed sled with reindeer.

?To be interested in the changing seasons is... a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.? ? George Santayana ?If winter comes, can spring be far behind?? ? Percy Bysshe Shelley The calendar indicates that we have about five weeks to wait until spring (we have completed 56 days of winter as of today). It has been almost two weeks since it last rained. Subtle signs of the season?s change are appearing. Deciduous trees, like the sycamore and Western Red Bud, are beginning to leaf out under mainly clear skies, and my Mom?

Three Laguna Beach residents were honored April 15 by the City Council for environmental contributions. Winter Bonnin, Derek Ostensen and Walker Reed were selected by the Environmental Committee for the annual award, which had the theme of Conservation this year. Bonnin, a Crystal Cove State Park interpreter, was nominated by park docent Susan Wilson for her dedication to the park’s five volunteer programs. For 10 years, Bonnin has managed these programs, which train docents to be naturalists, trail guides, tide pool educators and to staff the park’s facilities.

Steve Kawaratani "Avoid being impatient. Remember time brings roses." -- UNKNOWN "Patience buddy!" -- BAJA-INSPIRED EPITHET The calendar indicates that we still have about five weeks to wait until spring (we have completed 53 days of winter as of today). It has been almost two weeks since it last rained. Subtle signs that this may be a dry year are apparent. Deciduous trees are beginning to leaf out under sunny, clear skies and my mom's Iceberg roses have already begun to display bountiful blooms.

"To be interested in the changing seasons is ... a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring." -- George Santayana "If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" -- Percy Bysshe Shelley The calendar indicates that we still have six weeks to wait until the official start of spring (we have completed 41 days of winter as of today). Nearly three weeks have gone by since it last rained. Subtle signs of the change in the seasons are appearing throughout Laguna.

STEVE KAWARATANI "And in green underwood and cover Blossom by blossom the spring begins." --Algernon Charles Swinburne "A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age." --Robert Frost Spring is in the air in Laguna ... a time for green growth and blossoms. It is nearing the end of winter and words like dormant spray and bare root roses return to the horticultural lexicon until next year. Fertilize everything ... shrubs, trees, perennials and the lawn.

THE GARDEN FANATIC "Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit... Let them be your only diet drink and botanical medicines." -- HENRY DAVID THOREAU "Nothing is so beautiful as spring ... " -- GERARD MANLEY HOPKINS Spring is in the air in Laguna. It's a time for flowers and sunny days. It is the end of another mild winter and words like dormant spray and bare root roses leave our vocabulary until next January.

The holidays are a ritual that brings people together, but also generates a lot of waste. No matter what you celebrate I wish you the very best, and I invite you to take some easy steps to "green" your holidays this year. There are many sites working for a sustainable California starting with "Cal Recycle" from state Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery that has an ongoing effort to cut waste generation during these holidays. Their webpage is http://www.calrecycle.ca/gov . Every year 1 million extra tons of solid waste are generated in the U.S. per week from Thanksgiving to New Year's.

This week, local merchants gathered in the City Council Chambers to find out how they can comply with a proposed ban on single-use plastic bags in Laguna Beach. A year or so ago, food purveyors were similarly engaged in learning the ropes of the city's then-new Styrofoam prohibition. A "dark skies" ordinance is now being tinkered with at City Hall to end annoying lighting and save energy, and an effort to accommodate bicyclists within city limits is also in the works. What do all these initiatives have in common?