BRIEFLY IN BUSINESS

City to help light streets for holidays

The city of Laguna Beach will contribute $35,000 to holiday lights this year, the same as last year, City Manager Ken Frank reported in the Sept. 26 Friday Update. “I will probably be recommending an increase for the 2009 season,” he said.

The Chamber of Commerce and the Visitors and Conference Bureau are working together to enhance the lighting of trees during the holiday season, he added.

This year the lights will be converted to longer-lasting, energy-efficient LED bulbs, and there will be slightly more lights in the Main Beach area.

Homeless will be topic at Business Club

Representatives of Friendship Shelter will discuss employing and mentoring for the homeless at the Oct. 16 meeting of the Laguna Beach Business Club.

Dawn Price, the organization’s new executive director and Rick Scott, Project Ready manager, will speak about building employment opportunities for the homeless.

Project Ready! (Relapse prevention, Employment development, Affordable housing, Determined by You!) was launched in July to help equip shelter residents and graduates for long-term success.

Project Ready! also establishes an alumni network, to provide mutual support and inspiration, and mentorship opportunities. Start-up funding has been provided by a HUD grant and two generous private donations.

Scott, a resident of Laguna Beach, earned his degree in psychology at Pepperdine University and has worked with many nonprofit organizations serving at-risk youth and the homeless, and also at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Los Angeles County. During a 13-year teaching career in Laguna Beach, he coached varsity boys’ and girls’ water polo and swim teams.

Price, who joined the organization in September, was previously with Ronald McDonald House in South Texas, Planned Parenthood of Iowa and Drake University.

The public is invited to the meeting at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the Hotel Laguna, Catalina Room. Admission is $25, which includes buffet breakfast. RSVP to Josh Wolff at (949) 769-3600 or [email protected].

Curves offers breast self-exam kits

Curves of Laguna Beach will be offering the Liv Aid breast self-exam kit during October Breast Cancer Awareness Month to help women become more comfortable performing monthly at-home exams.

Nonmembers can get a free Liv Aid when they come in to the fitness center for a demonstration of CurvesSmart, a new, personal coaching system customized for each member. The program provides moment-to-moment feedback and progress reports detailing, among other things, how many calories were burned during a workout.

In addition, to help Liv Aid recipients remember to do self-exams, they can sign up to receive monthly e-mail alerts from Olivia Newton-John, who has partnered with Curves to help promote breast cancer awareness.

“Curves has always been an advocate of breast cancer awareness, but now we’re taking it a step further and helping the women in our community exercise good breast health,” said Mary Krueger, owner of Curves of Laguna Beach, at 1100 S. Coast Hwy. “We’re proud to be part of a company whose goal is to put the Liv Aid into a million women’s hands this October.”

For more information on Curves of Laguna Beach, or about how women can get a free Liv Aid breast self-exam kit, contact Mary Krueger at (949) 494-9676.