New Playground Gear and Bike Racks; Lifeguard Tryouts; Artist Open Studios

From Laguna Beach City Manager John Pietig:

Planning Commission Workshop – The Planning Commission will be holding a public Workshop on Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers to discuss the upcoming Parking Management Plan for Downtown Laguna Beach and Laguna Canyon Road.

Main Beach Playground Equipment Replacement – Construction of the new playground equipment on the south side of Main Beach is well underway.  The main structure, which features a lifeguard tower theme, has been installed.  The playground is expected to open to the public in early March 2013.

2013 Seasonal Rookie and Ocean Lifeguard Tryouts – Tryouts will be held at Main Beach on Saturday, February 23, 2013. The physical testing portion will be conducted at the Main Beach Lifeguard White Tower.  Sign-in begins at 7:30 a.m. and candidates must be ready to enter the water promptly at 9:00 a.m. Exceptions or late arrivals cannot be accommodated. The City’s online application procedure must be completed and application submitted prior to the filing deadline: 4:00 p.m., Thursday, February 21, 2013. The Physical Testing and Training Waiver must also be completed and submitted prior to entering the water.  Please carefully follow the online application instructions located on the City of Laguna Beach Employment website page here.

“Green” Grant in Action - The Lift Station Lighting Retrofit Project using grant funding from the California Energy Commission will commence next week.  Big Sky Electric will be replacing approximately 70 energy-intensive fluorescent light fixtures located in ten lift stations with energy efficient T8 electronic ballast fixtures.  The work will take approximately two weeks to complete.

Friday Flicks at the Forum -- On Friday, March 1, 2013 at 7 p.m. the Arts Commission will present a free screening of the film “Searching for Sugar Man” at the Forum Theatre at the Festival of Arts grounds located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road.  “Searching for Sugar Man” tells the incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest '70s rock icon who never was. But a bootleg of his failed recording found its way into apartheid South Africa and, over the next two decades, he became a phenomenon. The film follows the story of two South African fans who set out to find out what really happened to their hero. This film recently won a BAFTA award and is an Oscar nomination for best documentary. This film is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 86 minutes. This program is funded by Laguna Beach residents Mark Porterfield and Steve Chadima.

Artist Open Studios -- On Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. will be the concluding Artist Open Studios. Participants can catch a free shuttle service from Act V, 1900 Laguna Canyon Road and take advantage of the free parking. A docent will guide participants through the studios of 34 artists along Laguna Canyon Road.  This program is funded by the lodging establishments and City of Laguna Beach. A map and list of participating artists is available by clicking here. 

Vegetation Abatement Time – This is the time of year when some residents may receive mailed reminders to trim vegetation to reduce fire hazards and to remove obstructions to street signs, street sweeping equipment, and visibility at intersections, all in the interest of public safety.

Bike Racks Installed – City staff recently worked with the Complete Streets Act Committee to identify locations around the City where bike racks could be installed. Over the past three months bike racks that can accommodate 28 or more bicycles were installed at 15 locations. Half of the bike racks are located at beach access areas and half are distributed among various parks and downtown locations.