Resort

Barbara Diamond Montage officials were told earlier this month to put the brakes on hotel employees using neighborhood streets as a parking lot. "I really feel let down on parking issues," resident Caroline Sadler said. "We were assured that employee parking would be taken care of on-site. Keep your promise to us." City Manager Ken Frank questioned the resort's overflow plan, required by the California Coastal Development Permit to provide 145 valet-system parking spaces.

Barbara Diamond The Laguna Beach Taxpayers Assn. dined at the Montage on Tuesday and digested the financial impact of the resort on Laguna. An estimated $5.1 million in local taxes and fees will be paid this year, according to a report prepared for the association by luncheon speaker John Mansour, vice president of Athens Group, developer partner of Montage Hotels and Resorts. Since opening in February 2003, the resort has produced $4.5 million in bed taxes.

Barbara Diamond Art works at Treasure Island Park and Montage resort were dedicated March 29. "The intention of the art was to honor the space, honor the community and give people a sense of who we are," Mayor Toni Iseman said. About 200 guests attended the ceremonies that began at the south end of the park where Linda Brunker's elegant sculpture of a woman emerging from the ocean depths, "Voyager," was installed in front of the parking structure.

Glori Fickling On the brink of a new year, it is a pleasure to report exciting new happenings at the Surf and Sand Resort, where a whopping $6.5 million renovation of the property is in the offing. Add to this, general manager Blaise Bartell has just announced the appointment at Splashes of food and beverage director, Gary Murray, in concert with executive chef, Matthew McClinn. A native of Scotland, the energetic Murray has impressive worldwide associations in the hotel industry.

A Los Angeles Police Department officer was convicted Monday for stealing from the Surf and Sand Resort in October 2011. Jeffry Paul Quinton, 47, of Anaheim Hills pleaded guilty to one felony count of grand theft and a felony count of commercial burglary, according to a Orange County District Attorney press release. Quinton was sentenced to 120 days in jail, three years formal probation and restitution. He starts his jail sentence on Oct. 12, District Attorney spokeswoman Farrah Emami said.

Greetings Laguna Beach from Punta Mita, Mexico, where I have been visiting for the past week. I’ve been staying at the St. Regis here, helping the resort develop a new program titled “Surf with a Pro,” set to launch this spring break. It will be offered to beginning through advanced surfers alike. Outside my window is a sparkling, crystal clear ocean with a slight offshore and a 2- to 3-foot peeling right. Not a soul or surfer in sight. However, I plan on changing that once I finish writing my column.

The Montage Resort & Spa in Laguna Beach was honored April 16 with the Employer Award, which is given annually by the California State Department of Rehabilitation for outreach and employment of disabled persons. Montage was nominated by Vocational Visions, its nonprofit association partner whose mission is to serve the vocational, economic and social potential of the disabled by placing them in jobs through their Direct Placement Program. James Bermingham, managing director of the Montage, said the award was a great credit to the success of the program, and how well the clients of Vocational Visions have integrated into the work environment at the resort.

Investigators are still trying to determine what drove a Mission Viejo woman to brandish a gun at bystanders near the Montage Resort & Spa, leading to a police-involved shooting that killed her and her husband April 22. Joni and Kevin Park, who were both in the real estate business, had rented a $2,200 per-night bungalow room at the Montage under a false name late the night before and paid in cash, police said. Kevin Park used the name "Alan," according to police logs from the incident.

The program for the American Assn. of University Women Literary Luncheon on Saturday at the Surf & Sand Resort will include information on women's suffrage. Money raised at the luncheon will help fund AAUW programs that help advance equality for women and girls in school and in the workplace. Funding includes sending two Thurston Middle School students to science camps annually, as well as presenting scholarships to graduating Laguna Beach High School girls and women returning to higher education.

Auri Inc., an upscale shoemaker once touted as one of America's most promising companies by Forbes, has shuttered its line of shoes to focus on licensing its technology to established luxury footwear brands. The company closed its North Laguna showroom and headquarters earlier this year as part of the move. "The costs associated with being a footwear brand are exorbitant," said founder Ori Rosenbaum. "It's overwhelming. " Rosenbaum, a Laguna Beach resident, cited the high costs associated with trade shows, samples, marketing materials, factories, inventory and being a public company.