CITY ROUNDUP:Seniors get $1-a-year lease

With little comment, the Laguna Beach City Council approved July 17 a 55-year, $1-a-year lease with Laguna Beach Seniors, Inc., for their portion of the new center under construction on Third Street.

Besides the term and amount of the lease payment, key provisions included a stipulation that the city would pay for property casualty insurance, with the seniors responsible for insuring their own property and liability insurance, naming the city as additional insured. Seniors’ attorney Steve Gromet said he suggested the seniors use the same insurer as the city.

Other provisions:

The vote was 4-0. Councilwoman Cheryl Kinsman recused herself because she owns property within the noticing area, as required by state law.

A copy of the lease is available in the City Clerk’s office in City Hall.

Assisted-living facility to close in September

Laguna’s only assisted-living facility will close its doors in September, the owners have announced.

The facility, at 2130 S. Coast Highway, has been sold to an undisclosed party, and residents have been given notice that they must leave by Sept. 18.

Following is a written statement from the owners:

“The owners of Laguna Beach Senior Housing LLC have made a business decision to sell the property which is currently operated as a retirement community. Laguna Beach Senior Housing LLC has been operated by Oakdale Heights Management Corporation for the past year.

“All of the current residents at the retirement community are in the process of finding appropriate housing with the assistance of Oakdale Heights’ personnel.

“Oakdale Heights Management Corporation operates 24 senior-housing facilities across the country and is saddened by this news and wishes to offer thanks to the Laguna Beach community for their support during the past 12 months.

“Oakdale Heights has no information regarding new ownership or future use of the property at this time.”

For more information, visit www.oakdaleheights.com

Aliso Beach reopens after weekend sewage spill

Laguna’s Aliso Beach reopened Monday around noon after a July 20 sewage spill closed the beach all weekend, forcing the World Championship of Skimboarding, “The Vic,” to move to West Street Beach.

The spill, 1,000 gallons of raw sewage, came from a strip mall located at El Toro Road and Rockfield in Lake Forest, said Monica Mazur of the Orange County Health Department.

County health officials closed the beach within 300 feet north and south of Aliso Creek.

Officials tested the waters Saturday, and they were clean, Mazur said. But the beach remained closed because health authorities require two “clean” testings in order to reopen a closed beach.

On Monday, the second testing indicated safe bacteria levels in the water.

Dervan to receive National Medal of Science

Peter B. Dervan, the Bren Professor of Chemistry at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and a Laguna Beach resident, has been named one of eight recipients of the 2006 National Medal of Science.

The National Medal of Science is presented annually by the president. Dervan and the other seven recipients will receive their awards at the White House on July 27.

The National Medal of Science honors individuals for pioneering scientific research.

The National Science Foundation administers the award, which was established by Congress in 1959.

Dervan is a former chair of Caltech’s division of chemistry and chemical engineering, and studies the interface of chemistry and biology.

A native of Boston, Dervan earned his bachelor’s from Boston College in 1967, and his doctorate from Yale in 1972.

He was a postdoctoral fellow for a year at Stanford before arriving at Caltech as an assistant professor in 1973.

College accreditation renewed through 2015

The Western Assn. of Schools and Colleges has granted renewed accreditation status to Laguna College of Art & Design through 2015.

The commission cited the high quality of the college’s liberal arts program as a unique example among professional colleges, with particular emphasis on its English and writing skills program and senior Capstone classes, according to college officials.

“Laguna Beach should be especially proud that it has an accredited, four-year college in its community,” college President Dennis Power said.

“We will not rest on our laurels. Look for new areas of expertise, such as the Game Art major to be launched this fall.”

The commission also found the college’s integration of technology into the curriculum and its impact on academic culture to be exemplary, college officials said.