Anneliese’s School wants $1M to fix flood damages

A basketball court at Anneliese Willowbrook School was covered with mud by the recent flooding in Laguna Canyon. (KENT TREPTOW, Coastline Pilot / January 4, 2011)

Anneliese’s Schools wants to raise $1 million to repair severe flood damage that occurred at the Willowbrook Campus in Laguna Canyon during the recent storms.

This is the estimated cost to rebuild classrooms, the sports field, learning garden and property landscaping, Director of Operations Elise Higley said.

“Nine classrooms including the computer lab and newly installed educational kitchen have been decimated,” Higley said. “The repairs consist of water remediation, electrical wiring, demolition, drywall, tiling, flooring, fencing and grading.

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Detective of the heart

Holly Morrell runs Heartfelt Cardiac Projects, a nonprofit that provides cardiac screening for a nominal donation. (KENT TREPTOW, Coastline Pilot / December 30, 2010)

Nearly two years ago, a seemingly healthy 21-year-old signed up for cardiac screening at the Heartfelt Cardiac clinic in Laguna, as part of a requirement on his physical examination to become an overseas missionary. To his surprise, the tests revealed a large hole in his heart, a condition that would call for immediate medical attention and open-heart surgery.

“He was diagnosed with atrial septal defect, a potentially life threatening disease,” said Holly Morrell, founder of the Heartfelt Cardiac Projects, a nonprofit that aims to save lives from sudden cardiac death through early detection, education and increased public awareness. “Because of the early detection, he is able to do his missionary work abroad and live a happy, healthy life.”

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Have a delicious and fun start to 2011

The Marine Room will rock in the New Year with the Tricia Freeman Band from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Dec. 31. (December 23, 2010)

Jan. 1 marks the fresh start of a new year: a time to shake old dirty habits, implement new and favorable ones, and move one step closer toward becoming your best self. But before it’s time to break out that self-improvement checklist, treat yourself to one last evening of overindulgence and misbehaving on the town.

On New Year’s Eve, several restaurants and bars in Laguna Beach will offer fancy holiday cuisine, copious amounts of bubbly and festive cocktails, and live music to help you rock in the New Year. So grab your loved ones and toast to last year’s achievements, fulfilling new dreams, and best of all — each other.

Happy 2011!

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Happy holiday windows

Rosalee Gelston looks at her storefront Christmas display at Thee Foxes Trot, the winner of the window display contest. (DON LEACH, Coastline Pilot / December 16, 2010)

The ballots are in, and the grand prize for the 2010 Holiday Window Contest goes to Thee Foxes Trot, at 260 Forest Ave.

Created by the store’s owner, Rosalie Gelston, and her creative visual merchandising team, the window display of holiday wreaths, silver pines, polar bears, snow globes and holiday merchandise brings a little winter wonderland to Laguna Beach.

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Yogurt topped with art

Active Culture is a new yogurt shop and art gallery in Laguna Beach. (KENT TREPTOW, Coastline Pilot / December 9, 2010)

A new coffee and yogurt bar that caters to health nuts recently opened in Laguna Beach.

Located at 1006 S. Coast Hwy. in the old Video Works building, Active Culture Yogurt and Health Bar is the first in town to offer USDA-certified frozen yogurt, smoothies and shakes, an owner said.

“We wanted to promote a clean, active lifestyle and saw a need for it in this health-oriented community,” said Faye Clapp, who co-owns the bar with her sister-in-law and fellow Laguna resident Jennifer Clapp.

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Student’s film a lifesaver

Ireland Smith stands with some her puppies in her home. Smith has made a short film about rescuing cats and dogs. (DON LEACH, Coastline Pilot / December 9, 2010)

A talented young art student is using the power of film to rescue shelter dogs.

Ireland Smith, a fifth-grader at Top of the World Elementary, recently won second place for her film, “Together We Can: Help Homeless Animals,” in the third-to-fifth-grade film division of the PTA Reflections program.

The art education enhancement program provides opportunities for students to discover and experience a variety of different art forms including literature, photography and visual arts, musical composition, dance choreography and film production, while receiving positive recognition for their efforts.

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Stringing music, life together

Jameson Burt is working on an album with Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles and another full-length solo EP. He said he hopes to release another album in early 2011. (ASHLEY BREEDING, Daily Pilot / December 9, 2010)

Jameson Burt’s love for music emerged at the age of 12 when his dad, an avid rock fan and hobby guitar player, placed a 1960-something Yamaha acoustic in his hands and encouraged him to start playing.

“My desire to be in a band with some kids on my block is what really got me into it,” he laughs. “We played instrumental garbage slop. We were terrible.”

The singer-songwriter has come a long way since then, singing backup with the popular “melodic rock” band Ecco Ecco, formerly Steve Carson Band, with whom he’s released a couple of records, and captivating audiences on solo tours along the West Coast and in New York City with his raw, powerful voice and magnetic stage presence.

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Debuting first cookbook

Dagmarette Yen makes a marzipan roll in her kitchen in preparation for Friday's Hospitality Night book release event. (DON LEACH, Coastline Pilot / December 2, 2010)

As a small child, Dagmarette Yen remembers sitting on the kitchen countertop, diligently watching her mother whip up Danish holiday recipes that had been passed on through her family for generations, eager to get her little hands dirty.

“Cooking and baking together is a Danish tradition, so I think it was just in me,” the Laguna native and pastry chef said as she joyfully spread melted chocolate over a Marzipan roll. “Christmas is an especially festive time of year, when everyone looks forward to comforting food during the cold, dark winters.”

Having traveled to Denmark and celebrated a traditional Christmas with her relatives for many years, Yen said the custom taught her the value of tradition and how a memorable meal can bring a family together.

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Parents divided on football safety

Parents of football players at Laguna Beach High School are divided about whether the program is safe.

At a time when the threat of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a potentially fatal bacterium, on high school football fields and in locker rooms has been in the news, some parents are worried about allegations of a lack of precautions being taken to protect student players.

Others defend the athletic department and say the district is taking all of the proper safety measures.

Denise De La Torre, football booster treasurer and mother of a junior lineman, recently presented her concerns to the Laguna Beach Unified School District after allegedly witnessing football players being put back into play with injuries, and after her own son contracted staph after being cleared to play with a misdiagnosed injury.

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A romantic comedy of errors

One of Shakespeare’s greatest comedies about love, madness and mistaken identity is coming to the Laguna Beach High Artists Theatre for the first time in over a decade.

“Twelfth Night,” the story of shipwrecked twins who each think the other has died and are washed ashore to start anew in the town of Illyria, is full of plot twists, romantic triangles and humorous anachronisms.

“With an ‘Arabian Nights’ design and feel, we want the audience to be transported to another time and place, but see characters deal with common situations we recognize today,” said co-director Amanda Saunders of the colorful adaptation she created with head drama teacher, Mark Dressler.

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