Laguna must keep South Coast Medical Writer...

Laguna must keep South Coast Medical

Writer Dan Huston (“Earthquake changes are ridiculous,” Coastline

Pilot, Aug. 29) is right on the mark when he writes of mandating an

unneeded and expensive retrofit of the South Coast Medical Center

building to withstand an 8.0 earthquake.

Many local people are very unhappy about this decision. It seems

like a case of urgency versus the very remote possibility. I prefer

to regard the opinion of the latter.

Have you seen a recent screening on the Discovery Channel of the

possibility of a giant wave as tall as a skyscraper that would engulf

the East Coast of the U.S.? Well, I haven’t heard of the government

moving any personnel in Washington D.C. farther inland yet. Do you

think those concerned inspectors have insurance against the

possibility of a meteorite hitting them while walking?

PETER BOGDANOV

Laguna Beach

I am not good at writing letters ... but please do not close South

Coast Medical Center.

My husband, Wayne, may have lived when he died in 1958 if we had

had a hospital.

After that I worked with all the people to get a hospital. We did

get a good one -- South Coast Medical Center.

BERNICE COLLIER

Laguna Beach

Future of festivals looks bright

I am very confident about the future of Laguna Beach’s Festival of

Arts and Pageant of the Masters. There are many dedicated volunteers,

staff and exhibiting artists who believe in the summer “show.”

ROGER FOLK

25-year exhibitor

Newport Beach

I feel very confident about the future of the festival and

pageant. Laguna has a rich history of community activism and

independent spirit. Artists also tend to have these qualities and are

not afraid to speak their minds.

There are too many people that care about this show -- as

witnessed by the hundreds of volunteers needed for the pageant alone

every summer -- to let it fail.

BRENDA MADISON

Laguna Beach

Some concern about future of festivals

I am worried, extremely worried -- but feeling much better to know

that Steve Brezzo has resigned. I will be relieved, and my confidence

restored, when Bruce Rasner is voted out and a new board,

representing the interests of the artists and Laguna Beach, has been

elected.

The practices of the majority of the current board, under the

presidency of Bruce Rasner -- and in particular, his coercion of the

festival into engaging Steve Brezzo, and the unproductive policies

and practices which they instituted -- have caused me great concern,

because it seemed that the festival was being taken in exactly the

opposite direction of what I believed was in its best interests.

The resignation of Brezzo, and the cancellation of his outrageous

salary is the first step toward restoring the festival to fiscal,

municipal and “spiritual” health. The ouster in the upcoming election

of Bruce Rasner, hopefully followed by other board members devoted to

him and his foolish policies, will complete that restoration.

It is almost as though we are at the end of a five year “reign of

terror” which commenced when Sherri Butterfield shanghaied the

festival. We thought that the recall of Butterfield and her board

would be sufficient to restore the festival and pageant to its center

in Laguna Beach. We were wrong, it was only the first step. Hopefully

that process is being completed now and all of our confidence in the

Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters can be fully restored,

for now and the future.

GENE GRATZ

Laguna Beach

I am worried about the Festival of Arts!

I think the current board majority is tone deaf about what their

constituents want. They believe that by throwing money at problems

and building large buildings (a new theater, larger office space and

a museum / gallery were in the plans they were pushing) will solve

all their problems.

The only thing they will accomplish is to cause the Festival of

Arts to go bankrupt. They think they should cater to an elitist

audience. This is way out of touch with the long expansive tradition

of the Festival of Arts. The artists want to see people from all

walks of life there -- not just high end professional white color

workers and their friends. This summer, $8 glasses of cheap wine and

$10 sandwiches of uneven quality fell flat at Zov’s. Most of the

volunteers (500-plus) who make up the cast and crew at the pageant

plus the artists did not partake in the food except at Tivolli

Terrace. No more fun snacks with friends at Ruby’s with frozen yogurt

or French fries -- both $2 or less -- after working the evening show.

Nobody was buying the expensive food so the total income was less

than if the board hadn’t kicked out Ruby’s. This 70-year festival,

one of the most successful outdoor summer art shows with a great

evening event, simply needs to get back to basics. Make the pageant

work and give the artists the freedom to sell their art without all

the prohibitions and rules that that cripple the current show

participants of competing with the other two shows in town. There are

too many control freaks at the top of the heap now who by their own

words don’t want to listen to a bunch of uninformed artists opinions.

We are not going very far into the 21st Century with this kind of

attitude. Lest we forget, this show was started by artists on the

beach more than 70 years ago.

Too bad that Bruce Rasner, Diane Reardon, John Campbell and Bob

Dietrich don’t understand the tradition of the show and the needs of

the participants. Things will not get better until their terms expire

and they go on to other adventures.

BILL AGEE

Laguna Beach

There is always a threat to [the festival’s] existence by whomever

the current or future board may be. Success comes from not ruining a

winning recipe and not trying to move, sell off, gut or puff up the

show for ego or greed. Keep it small and sincere as it has been. No

more hasty decisions ever would also be nice.

Financially I think the city should help pay for some of the

changes required for up-keep, construction and safety as it is their

property being improved by a mostly volunteer oriented organization

renting it. The time is right to give back even more than just a

better lease to the Festival of Arts with some financial backing.

TERRY THORNSLEY

22 year exhibitor

Laguna Beach

I am an professional artist and lecturer. This was my second year

as an exhibitor at the [Festival of Arts]. Having moved here from

Germany and not being aware how anything connects politically and

artistically I went into it with an open mind.

The analysis for the two exhibits is as follows:

It was well organized with pockets of positive and enthusiastic

people;

There was minimal art literacy level per visitor compared to other

exhibits that I participate in nationally;

There was personal interest groups in leadership as well as in

artists;

There was a focus on showmanship;

And the psyche of the exhibit appears fractured and the spirit

gone dormant

Nevertheless some extremely rare and genuine people are sharing in

this exhibit.

Artistically and intellectually the dialogue with most artists was

my favorite and I am thankful for that. It seems to me that it all

has to do with the fact that there is a structure already in place

that has two different currents running through it, with emphasis on

the pageant.

If that is the direction this show is going, the art will more and

more become a backdrop for people to stroll around in while waiting

for the pageant to begin.

We artists believe in creativity and dedicate our lives to it.

That deserves to be honored and needs to be respected.

MICHA VON DORING

Laguna Beach

Of course we’re concerned, not worried or confident.

At this point the need to know what each candidate for the

festival board has in mind for the future of the festival and Pageant

of the Masters is of the most importance.

Also, what sort of eatery is considered. Perhaps the

locally-operated simple foods that were offered before Ruby’s would

again be more of what the locals prefer. Many members of the Festival

of Arts do not know they are eligible to vote!

RALPH AND NANCY TARZIAN

Laguna Beach

What the festival is all about

Well that festival season is over and as an artist I have to tell

you, it was rough. However, I wanted to share with you the best part

of it for me. One evening I had an engaging conversation with a

9-year-od boy who confessed he didn’t “get” my abstract paintings.

We spent about 10 minutes looking at them together, seeing how the

shapes repeated themselves and colors responded to other colors and

how although each painting had similar shapes and colors, each had

its own feeling. He really got it, it was a magic moment for me. This

is what our festival can and should be about.

One of our artists, Steve Dahlberg passed away this summer. He was

a great guy and is very much missed. This is what he wrote about his

art: “To harness my imagination, couple it with the skills that I

have learned, apply it to the materials of wood, stone and metal,

knead it, push it, pull it ... beg it, threaten it, love it, to

constantly go in new and wonderful directions ... ah yes ... that’s

how I pay the rent.”

Well said, Steven. In this fast-paced world, artists do something

crazy: we make art.

David Young likes to constantly remind us that the function of the

Festival of Arts is to promote the arts in Laguna Beach. We have a

great art community here. It is vibrant and alive. This year’s

festival had more than 20 new exciting artists, more arrive each

year. The arts are a resource as wonderful and unique to Laguna as

our beaches. Lets not take them, or our artists for granted.

HEDY BUZAN WILLIAMSON

Laguna Beach

Kudos to great Laguna business

It is important that businesses -- especially local ones -- be

commended for excellence.

After a minor fender-bender, I took my car to three Laguna Beach

auto body shops and received three very different estimates. The

lowest estimate (and the least amount of repair time quoted) was by

Athey Auto Body. I chose them.

Upon completion the workmanship was excellent and the customer

service superb. They even provided free touch-up service on a

completely unrelated repair! I heartily recommend them to fellow

residents.

ROBERT C. MOHR

Laguna Beach

What’s needed is more parking

I just returned from going around and around looking for a parking

place so I could get to my dentist appointment. -- I was late.

Please, City Council, build a parking structure. There are several

good locations available. One I know was offered to the city years

ago and they turned it down.

I’m always reading in the local papers about what the city can do

to bring tourists and locals into the shopping area -- a parking

place would be nice.

Let’s get over spending thousands of dollars on artwork for

Downtown and use the money to relieve congestion, air pollution and

nerves for all of us.

C.L. ROY

Laguna Beach

The Coastline Pilot is eager to run your letters. If your letter

does not appear, it may be because of space restrictions, and the

letter will likely appear next week. If you would like to submit a

letter, write to us at P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA 92652; fax us

at 494-8979; or send e-mail to [email protected]. Please

give your name and include your hometown and phone number, for

verification purposes only.