Businesses on display at expo

Barbara Diamond

The Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce presented the 10th annual

Community Expo Tuesday night at Tivoli Too.

“We had twice as many participants as last year,” chamber

Executive Director Verlaine Crawford said.

Representatives of service organizations, retail businesses, the

arts, crafters and Costco, which is a member of the chamber, were

among the participants.

“It has everything,” said South County Bank spokeswoman Anne

Morris, former chamber executive director.

Festival of Arts exhibitors Patricia Whiteside Phillips and Mada

Leach staffed the Laguna Outreach Community Artists and Community Art

Project table.

“We had to choose between this and the festival’s annual meeting

[held at the same time, across Laguna Canyon Road,” Whiteside said.

CAP has already issued a save-the-date heads-up for the New Year.

The group has reserved Feb. 26 for a “fun-raiser” and art auction.

Craft Guild member Debra Coreen displayed some of her jewelry and

the “Laguna Beach shirt,” for which she designed the fabric. The

guild has a show scheduled for Sunday.

The city also had a table, staffed by Community Services Director

Pat Barry and Michael Phillips -- no relation to Whiteside Phillips.

Contractor Al Oligino participated for the first time.

“When I heard about it, I called the chamber and they said there

was only one table left; so I figured it must be good and I took it,”

Oligino said.

The Laguna Beach School District set out literature about SEED, an

acronym for Social and Emotional Education and Development. SEED

stemmed from the district’s “Quest for Excellence” initiative.

SEED will host an open house from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday at

True Colors Studio, 2825 Laguna Canyon Road.

True Colors participated in the expo and also provided

entertainment, along with the Laguna School of Music, Gallimaufry, No

Square Theatre and the Ken Garcia Band.

Results of the Board of Directors election are in. Incumbents

Catherine Wilkinson, Chris Lange, Ron Hyrchuk and Len Weinstein were

re-elected. Newcomer Chris Lutz filled a vacancy.

Rounding out the board are outgoing President Ken Delino, Cathy

Conway, Veronica Nice, Michelle Clarke, Bob Dietrich, Timothy Dillon,

Gerry Foster, Dennis Myers, Dave Sanford, Shaun Tabor, Tom Simpson

and first Vice President Dennis Junka -- in line for the presidency.

NEW WINERY

A Canadian transplant moved south to open the first winery in

Laguna Beach.

Vintner Marlowe Huber opened the Laguna Canyon Winery on Sunday.

“I married an Orange County girl and we’ve spent the last two

years building the winery here,” Huber said, in between pouring

tastes at the Business Expo, Wednesday.

Huber is no novice to the wine business. He spent 10 years making

and selling wine in British Columbia, in business with his brother.

Huber recently returned from a trip to the Northern California

wine region, where he buys some of the grapes crushed and pressed

here. He also imports grapes from Canada and Italy.

Winemaster Gianni Semiari also is imported from Italy, where he

earned his master’s degree in wine science in Milan.

The wines are stored in oak barrels, which can be tapped for

tastings at the winery.

Wines include two whites, Italian Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio;

three reds, Italians Rosso Veronese, Merlot and Nebbiolo; and a late

harvest Sauvignon Blanc for dessert.

Huber also is organizing a wine club, with discounts on sales at

the winery or on-line, wine-purchase programs of two, six or 12

bottles a month; 12 or 24 bottles every other month; and invitations

to special events at the winery.

Visit the winery at 2133 Laguna Canyon Road, opposite the Wyland

Studio. For more information, visit web site https://www.LagunaCanyon

Winery.com or call (949) 714-9463 -- numerical for wine.

HOW TIME FLIES

Hardly seems possible, but it’s been almost a year since Diane

Shirley opened the Dutch Door in the Lumberyard Mall.

Shirley will celebrate the store’s first anniversary from noon to

4 p.m., Sunday, one day early.

The Dutch Door stocks an ever-changing array of gifts, baby

clothes and furniture, home decor items, antique pieces and

reproductions.

Shirley gained experience in retail, working for McCalla’s

Pharmacy for almost 10 years before it closed. Teresa Nall, who also

worked at the pharmacy, and Shirley’s daughter, April, staff the

shop.

The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday;

closes an hour earlier on Saturdays and is open from noon to 4 p.m.,

Sundays.

For more information, call (949) 497-7899.

Animal Crackers in the Aliso Creek Shopping Center has a new

owner.

“I am the happiest person in the world,” said longtime Laguna

Beach resident Gina Kantzabedian, who took over the shop Nov. 1.

The first thing the first-time shop owner did was to extend the

store hours, in response to customers’ requests. .

“We will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., six days a week, and from

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays,” Kantzabedian said. “Starting right

after Thanksgiving, we will be open until 8 p.m. for the holidays.”

Ed Booth will continue as head groomer, with Bob Patterson

specializing in bath and brush and Frank Zernola shampooing. New

staff includes Nicole Seigel, assistant manager, and her brother

Chris, dog walker and counter attendant.

The store stocks a full line of pet products and food.

For more information, call (949) 494-1988.

* DOING BUSINESS is a periodic feature of the Laguna Beach

Coastline Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Mail to Barbara Diamond,

P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, 92652; fax to (949) 494-8979;

hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22; or call (949) 494-4321.