OUR LAGUNA: Lots of folks to be thankful for

Thanksgiving Day is over, but that’s no reason to stop giving thanks.

Being thankful for family, friends and good health is a given, but sometimes it is good to take a moment to think about all the other gifts that grace our lives.

I am ever thankful that Laguna had a niche for me, when I came here for a two-week winter vacation in 1980, and never left, except for short trips.

And I owe a big thank you to Laguna Beach Water District Commissioner Susan Trager, whose reference got me my first job on a community paper in town; and recently elected City Councilwoman Verna Rollinger who told me I had no choice but to continue to contribute local color to the Coastline when it was bought by the L.A. Times and I wasn’t sure I wanted to work again for a large newspaper — even indirectly.

And I owe thanks to all the different editors I have worked for who put up with my penchant for detail — which I felt the readers deserved, but which ate up space, not to mention time — deadlines are a bear, but without them I doubt I’d ever start a story, let alone finish one.

Military service moved a lot of people to Laguna.

Retired Fire Chief Eugene D’Isabella was stationed in El Toro and spent all his spare time here. He moved to Laguna permanently when he left the U.S. Marine Corps — there is no such thing as a “former” Marine, according to Retired Col. Charles Quilter III.

Quilter also informed me that when referring to the corps or individuals, Marine is always capitalized. The AP Stylebook concurs.

Speaking of the Quilters, I am so pleased that Ann and Charlie’s daughter Emily saw fit to put Grandma Wiz among the names on the founding donors’ wall at the Senior Center.

Grandma Wiz was the Quilter family’s endearing name for the late Elizabeth Quilter, with whom I shared an appreciation for the vital role that reporters play in providing information to the public.

Her sons donated a ton of money and Ann gave her time to the almost completed Suzi Q Senior Center, Liz’s nom de plume for her weekly column in the Coastline. I would have preferred Grandma Wiz. Way to go, Emily.

And boy, am I thankful that past seniors Presidents Pauline Walpin and Louise Buckley are on hand as the center readies for its grand opening.

“For a while it was dubious, but I am a positive person and I just knew with Elizabeth [center supporter Councilwoman Pearson] and all the others with me that we’d get there,” Buckley said.

And that’s another thing for which I am grateful.

At what other job — except maybe the city manager’s — would I be able to learn about such a diversity of subjects?

Over the years I have written about the city’s historical buildings and historic achievements, such as the acquisition of Laguna Canyon; the dreadful toll of AIDS and the response by the AIDS Services Foundation created by Al Roberts and Ken Jillson; and city budgets — let me tell you that was a chore because I don’t even balance my checkbook on a regular basis, which drives Cheryl Kinsman up the wall — the retired mayor pro tem’s daytime job is accounting.

I have turned out thousands of words about the art festivals, the artists and performers who give meaning to the city’s claim to be an art colony, and the Laguna Beach Unified School District.

Thanks to Bobbi Cox, I have learned about the many groups in town that provide services and support for the myriad needs of our community.

Cox founded and hosts the annual Leadership Luncheon every January at which group representatives voice their most important achievement of the previous year and their top goal for the New Year. It began in 1987.

“The original luncheon was part of a collaboration initiated by Hotel Laguna owner Claes Anderson to introduce Canadian off-season visitors to what made Laguna Beach special — a combination of business, government and service groups,” Cox said.

Those groups most certainly include the organizers of the annual Thanksgiving Potluck in Bluebird Park — can you say, Alice Graves? I am so thankful I had the privilege of knowing her.

This year’s potluck was at the Congregational Church because of the storm. Rain can be a mixed blessing — to be thankful for in this time of dire water shortages, but not when it brings down hills or floods our homes.

I have been able to write about the shortages and possible remedies, with a degree of accuracy, thanks to water district General Managers Renae Hinchey and Michael Dunbar — reliable sources are really something for which reporters give thanks.

The city can boast of a vast pool of experts that make my job, if not a cakewalk, surely spiced with expertise. It’s just a matter of understanding. Sometimes I have to ask City Attorney Philip Kohn for an interpretation and he does his best to translate “legalese” into English for dummies like me.

Hardly a day goes by that I am not thankful for the Friends of the Laguna Beach Library.

They run the bookshop where I get my weekly fix. How can I ever thank Magda Herlicska, who keeps track of the whodunits I especially like, and all the wonderful volunteer staff scheduled by Nancy Pearlman, including Nancy Joseph, Janet Pressman and the late Skip Leavitt, who also volunteered at the Chamber of Commerce.

“Skip died the day before Thanksgiving, but we were fortunate to have him for 20 years, sometimes twice a week,” said Rose Hancock, chamber executive director. “He was a Sande [St. John] volunteer at all of our events.”

St. John is a treasure for whom we are all thankful. Ditto June Neptune.

My personal treasure chest includes Marlene Dantzer, a holistic consultant for pets. Last year at this time, my kitten was at death’s door, ailing from only God knew what — the vet sure didn’t.

“Woo” saved him, I really believe as much by will power as the powders and potions she brought me on an almost daily basis for at about two months.

It seemed longer as I fed the kitten for weeks from an eyedropper every half hour.

She’d look him straight in the eyes and tell him he just couldn’t die after I put so much effort into saving him.

Today, Wink, short for Periwinkle Blue — named by Councilwoman Jane Egly for the color of his eyes — is healthy and playful, a blessing when my West Highland Terrier, Piper, died.

I was comforted by the sympathy extended to me by friends and wonderful people I didn’t even know, but my younger Westie, Scooter, was pulled out of the doldrums by Wink. They play tag and wrestle — it’s a sketch to watch — and smiles are always a reason to be thankful.

There’s lots more for which I give thanks, but as usual, I have run out of space.

OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, 92652; hand-deliver to Suite 22 in the Lumberyard, 384 Forest Ave.; call (949) 494-4321; fax (949) 494-8979 or e-mail [email protected]