Couple named as finalists

Community volunteers Les and Marilyn Thomas were among 31 finalists

for the 2004 Service Excellence Awards named by the Orange County

Tourism Council.

Awards are given in eight categories of tourist businesses --

accommodations; arts and culture; attractions; restaurants; shopping

centers and retail; transportation; and visitor and convention

bureaus and chambers of commerce.

Eight winners will be announced at the seventh annual Tourism

Service Excellence Awards on April 6 at the Hyatt Regency Orange

County in Garden Grove.

The Thomas’, who live in Laguna Beach, volunteer with the Laguna

Beach Alliance for the Arts, Laguna Beach Arts Commission, Music in

the Park and the Police Department.

Nominees must have regular contact with visitors in the course of

their daily activities and must have contributed to enhancing Orange

County’s standing as a visitor destination within the previous year.

For more information, call (714) 278-7491 or e-mail

[email protected]

Bunny to attend

annual egg hunt

Children 9 and younger, and their parents, are invited to meet the

Easter Bunny and hunt for more than 1,000 Easter eggs and candy on

Sunday at the Laguna Beach High School baseball field.

Members of the Laguna Beach American Legion and Women’s Auxiliary

are sponsoring the event, which they have done for more than 50

years.

The hunt starts at 1 p.m., and the Easter Bunny will hop out for a

special appearance and be available for photos from noon to 12:30

p.m.

Church forming

study groups

Laguna Presbyterian Church will soon join more than 20,000 other

churches that have studied “The Purpose Driven Life,” Rick Warren’s

best-selling book.

Sign-ups are under way for small group meetings that will begin

after Easter. Except for the purchase of the book, there is no cost

to participate.

Groups will meet at a variety of times during days and evenings to

discuss questions like: “Why am I here?” and “What is the purpose of

my life?”

For general information, visit the church website at

www.lagunapreschurch.org.

To ask questions or sign up, e-mail:

[email protected] or call the church office between

8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. weekdays at (949) 494-7555.

Federal aid available

for storm damage

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency

Management Agency has announced that six California counties --

including Orange County -- are for federal disaster aid to help

residents recover from the severe storms, flooding, debris flows and

mudslides which occurred from Dec. 27 through Jan. 11.

FEMA grants can help pay for temporary housing, home repairs and

other serious disaster-related expenses not covered by insurance or

other aid programs.

To obtain aid, residents must register by May 15 -- from 8 a.m. to

6 p.m. daily -- through FEMA’s toll-free number, (800) 621-3362.

County supervisor to

address conservancy

The Laguna Canyon Conservancy will meet Monday, April 4 at Tivoli

Terrace, located on the Festival Grounds.

Supervisor Tom Wilson will be the special guest speaker, and

attendees can ask questions about projects in Laguna Beach and South

Orange County.

Tivoli Terrace opens at 6 p.m. The program follows dinner, which

is served about 6:45 p.m.

Laguna Canyon Conservancy dinner meetings are open to the public.

Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for nonmembers with prior

reservations.

Memberships may be paid at the door and are $10 per person, per

calendar year.

Since space may be limited, those planning to attend are urged to

make reservations early.

To reserve, call Ed or Kit Drollinger at (949) 494-6465. Leave

your name, phone number and number of reservations. The deadline to

reserve is April 2.