Subject: Laguna Beach

• Questions about the Montage Resort Killings in Laguna

  Initial media reports about Sunday's improbable double killing at a ritzy Laguna Beach resort didn't mention who did the killing. Call me jaded, but that's odd. Always pause when journalists fail to provide answers to the basics: Who? What? When? Where? How? In this case, the Who? and the How? were missing or wrong. Oops. Based on Sgt. Jason Kravetz, a Laguna Beach police spokesman, first reports in the Orange County Register suggested that a "wild . . . crazy" married couple may have perished

  April 23, 2007

• Laguna Beach Cops Justified in Resort Killings?

  Highly reliable law enforcement sources gave OC Weekly access to audio tape recordings from Sunday's police killing of two guests at the ritzy Laguna Beach Montage Resort & Spa. The audio reveals that the city's police officers repeatedly pleaded with Kevin and Joni Park to put down a gun they'd brought to their $2,200-a-night oceanfront bungalow. Both ignored the police orders. Oddly, the woman even asked officers to call police. The officers, who must have been spooked, told Joni that th

  April 26, 2007

• Monday's Haul

  Save our gay bar: Gay activists are reaching out to George Clooney and Brad Pitt, asking that the actors buy Laguna Beach's Boom Boom Room—which is on its way to becoming a boutique hotel. Darn it: The Daily Pilot just snagged itself a new managing editor. We're still turning over rocks for one over here. Stabbing suspect arrested: A suspect in a three-person slashing at Dana Point was arrested in Long Beach yesterday night, reports the Times. Paris checks in early: Scared and stripp

  June 4, 2007

• Pollock-esque Dinosaur

  It was purely an urge to reunite with my pal Gail Stahl that led me to the Art Walk in Laguna Beach on Thursday night. Although I was tired and hesitant, my friend-since-first-grade, Mike Michika and I piled into the car of my cousin and namesake, Billy Joe Agan - heading south along the 5 freeway to immerse ourselves in this Laguna Beach tradition. Gail and I embraced. We had arrived late of course, but just in time to scrounge up the last of the wine, delectable hotdog weenies and delicious

  June 8, 2007

• Freebie Festival

  Here's a cheap Monday date idea: The Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach is celebrating 75 years today, so admission (usually $7) is free. The event opens at 10 a.m. and closes its doors at 11:30 p.m. Over 140 local artists will have pieces on display. Festival of Arts / Pageant of the Masters 650 Laguna Canyon Road Laguna Beach, CA 92651

  August 13, 2007

• Photos: Sawdust Festival

  Finally got around to visiting the Sawdust Festival in Laguna Beach this afternoon. And boy, was there sawdust. And some 200 local artists in close quarters with all that sawdust. Click the photo for naked people made of wire, birdhouses christened by real birds, hand-soiling pottery, colorful 'shrooms and more: The festival ends on Sept. 2.

  August 21, 2007

• Wednesday's Headlines

  City pays hookers: to leave. La Habra plans to buy itself a strip club, reports the LAT. After trying to shut down the Taboo Gentlemen's Club for almost a decade, they've decided to put $5.2 million down to get the guy in charge and his gals to 'git. Boom Boom Room Doom? The co-owners of the iconic Laguna Beach gay bar tried everything to save it from being phased out by the new building owner. They asked George Clooney and Brad Pitt to intervene, they threw a pretty boy contest with minor cele

  August 22, 2007

• To Do Tonight - 11/12

  November 12, 2007

• To Do Tonight - 01/08

  FARMER’S MARKET, 4pm Why head to the grocery store when you can get fresh and locally grown products at this market? Brea Downtown on Birch St., Brea SURFCITY NIGHTS, 5pm Bring friends and family to take an evening stroll on Main Street and have a taste of local restaurants, sidewalk sales, farmer’s market, children’s activities, and live entertainment. Main Street Library, 525 Main St., Huntington Beach SQUARE DANCING, 7pm Featured every Tuesday night. Get your dance on! Cedarbrook Danc

  January 8, 2008

• To Do This Weekend 8/15-8/17

  Air Supply, Friday 8:30 p.m. The Power of Love. The Grove of Anaheim 2200 E. Katella Ave. Anaheim, CA 92806 714-712-2750 '80s DJ, Saturday 10 p.m. Bust out the leg warmers The Royal Hawaiian 331 N. Coast Hwy. Laguna Beach, CA 92651 949-494-8001 Bernadette Peters with Orchestra, Saturday 8 p.m. Golden Globe and Tony Award-winning performer Bernadette Peters Cerritos Center 12700 Center Court Dr. Cerritos, CA 90703 800-300-4345 ‘Discovering Chimpanzees: The Remarkable World 
of Jane G

  August 15, 2008

• To Do This Weekend 8/29 - 9/1

  The Night Shift, Friday 11 p.m. Work it. Paradise 1800 E. Broadway Long Beach, CA 562-590-877 Ray Bush & the BBC Jazz Band, Friday 8 p.m. Jazz things up. THE OLDE SHIP PUB & RESTAURANT 1120 W. 17th St. Santa Ana, CA 714-550-6700 Team Tough Titties Breast Cancer Fundrasier, Saturday 9 p.m. Cocktail attire and good tunes. The Pike Bar & Grill 1836 E. Fourth St. Long Beach, CA 562-437-4453 Laguna Beach Peace Demonstration, Sunday 8 p.m. Demanding nonviolent solutions to conflict Main Beach PCH a

  August 29, 2008

• The Clip Your Church Doesn't Want You to Watch

  Movies get trailers, so why not books? The latest edition of Laguna Beach author Tim Leedom's The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You to Read, which the Weekly previewed here, is now being pimped via video. Leedom has advantage over most other authors when it comes to this kind of promotion. His day job is at Intellevision, a Laguna Beach company that does film and TV production work.

  October 27, 2008

• Martin Millard Not Just a Racialist, But a Homophobe

  The man who fancies himself the savior of Costa Mesa had this concluding couplet in his rambling reasoning to support Proposition 8: "On the other hand, it could be argued that if it is true that, as many gays now assert, homosexuality is genetic, then allowing gay marriage (and the normalization of homosexuality in society) will tend to have the effect of keeping gays from faking being straight and marrying people of the opposite sex and reproducing. Then, since they aren't reproducing the "ga

  October 28, 2008

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  July 20, 2006

• Sorrento Grille Liberated; Wilhelm Back at its Helm

  The Laguna Beach Independent reports that David Wilhelm -- who quit the Culinary Adventures empire he built from the success of his Laguna Beach restaurant, Sorrento Grille -- will be back at Sorrento's helm.  This time, he'll be working for its new owners: his old landlords, Laguna Beach residents Diane and Philo Smith.  The couple has bought Sorrento Grille, liberating it from Culinary Adventures. The relaunched restaurant will get Wilhelm's full attention as its sole "chef-operato

  December 11, 2008

• [Summer Guide] Different Brushstrokes This Summer at OC's Art Venues

  June 4, 2009

• What the Feds Giveth the State Taketh Away

  From Roger Butow, Laguna Beach's world renowned fighter of ca-ca (in all its forms):Where's the Relief Beef?Let's see, Congress is amenable to a $400 per year tax decrease for individual working slobs like me, about $1.10 per day. Meanwhile, this State is going to increase certain taxes so I'll be forced to pay more each day to cover budget deficits. Undoubtedly canceling each other out (probably worse here in California), where is the promised relief for those average American household income

  February 12, 2009

• More Amazing Than a Truck Stealing Itself in Laguna Beach

  It's been reported all over everywhere that Michael Otero's truck miraculously rolled itself out of a Laguna Beach convenience store parking space Sunday, gently turned into an adjacent lot and managed to land in an empty parking space without ever hitting another car. What hasn't been reported is the most miraculous part of this story: There was an open parking space in Laguna Beach?

  February 12, 2009

• TONIGHT: Donavon Frankenreiter and Gary Jules at The Coach House

  Laguna Beach's masterfully mellow Donavon Frankenreiter is poised to chill folks out for two consecutive nights at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, tonight and tomorrow. Check out our review of his latest release here. Opening up is Gary Jules, known best for his totally depressing cover of "Mad World" by Tears for Fears, made famous by Donnie Darko and Gears of War commercials, two things that you wouldn't necessarily would have a ton to do with each other. Sadly, both shows are sold out

  February 12, 2009

• Hiking

  June 4, 2009

• Slideshows: Cradle of Filth @ the Grove of Anaheim, Donavon Frankenreiter & Gary Jules @ the Coach House

  A couple noteworthy shows took place last night, and we had photogs at both of them. Fever Dragon checked out British metal vets Cradle of Filth at the Grove of Anaheim, take a look at pictures of lead singer Dani Filth (above) and more, including opening band Satyricon here. Keith May was down south at the Coach House, taking pics at the sold out show with Laguna Beach's Donavon Frankenreiter and opening act Gary Jules. Those images? Here!

  February 13, 2009

• Watch Out for That Tree on Next Critical Mass Ride

  Critical Mass, the bicycle-awareness movement that has swept the world and at least one corner of Laguna Beach, holds its March ride Sunday, and they've sent along this photo to promote it. That's actually me on my bike after I wrote something snarky about a previous Critical Mass effort. I now know how Washington felt having wooden teeth.Anyway, the community-wide, drop-in bike ride begins with a social at Scandia Bakery, 248 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach, at 8 a.m. An hour later, bikes push off fr

  March 20, 2009

• Laguna Beach Independent Sold; LA CityBeat Folds

  Laguna Beach Independent city editor Andrea Adelson reports today the company behind 18-month-old Laguna Beach Magazine has agreed in principle to acquire the publication "at a time of financial difficulty for the weekly newspaper." Firebrand Media LLC will consolidate the Indy's operations with other titles and create advertising opportunities with its range of publications, which also includes the village's visitor guide and soon-to-launch Newport Beach Magazine and an in-house magazine for

  March 27, 2009

• Edgy and Eggy

  October 30, 2008

• Fare Thee Well

  July 3, 2008

• [Special Screenings] Local Showings of 'Gunnin' for That #1 Spot,' More

  June 12, 2008

• [Summer Guide] Beach Do's & Dont's

  June 12, 2008

• How New Developments in Laguna Beach Will (and Won't) Deal With the Pollution in Aliso Creek

  May 29, 2008

• [Special Screenings] Locals Showings of 'Bonneville,' 'Transformers,' More

  March 20, 2008

• How Robert Zilliott's alcohol-monitoring anklet led to a painful run-in with Laguna Beach cops

  February 14, 2008

• It's a Living

  Laughter Yoga coach

  January 11, 2007

• Room Service

  Questions about the Montage Resort killings in Laguna
  

  April 26, 2007

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  November 2, 2006

• Hey, You!

  Fighting Irish

  October 5, 2006

• Everything Must Go

  Mike Lohrman puts Underdog to sleep

  September 28, 2006

• Locals Only

  It's (Not) All Greek to Me: Epsilons, Self-titled CD (Retard Disco)
  

  July 20, 2006

• Hey, You!

  Pee'd Off

  June 1, 2006

• This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

  January 5, 2006

• To Do Tonight - 5/7

  Art Walk Pre-event, 5-6 p.m.Need something to do before walking around Laguna Beach's first Thursday art walk, sipping wine and conversing with local hipsters? Lucky for you, the city of Laguna Beach is presenting: "Boy and Dog" by Ruth Peabody, a re-dedication of Laguna Beach's oldest piece of public art. Located at Jahraus Park across from Laguna Art Museum.Laguna Art Museum, 307 Cliff Dr., Laguna Beach, CA; 949-494-8971Bone Thugs & Mo Thugs, 8 p.m.Bone Thugs in Harmony may have been the

  May 7, 2009

• To Do Tonight - 5/14

  A "Taste For Charity" and Silent Art Auction, 5 p.m.Tastes by top restaurants, silent auction of art from local galleries and a live auction with raffle prizes! This charitable gathering has it all. Proceeds benefit the Community Clinic, 1st Thursdays Art Walk, Sally's Fund, CSP Youth Shelter, Woman's Club of Laguna Beach, No Square Theatre, and two Laguna Beach High School Scholarships.Tivoli Too, 777 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach, CA; 949-494-9650 Sgt. Pepper's Dueling Pia

  May 14, 2009

• Two OC Joints Make "Best Bars in America" List

  Some lucky bastards at Esquire have been trawling the US for the country's best bars. Their criteria?"If it's a dive, it's Christ-this-place-is-a-dive dive. If it's an Irish pub, it's not an 'Irish' pub. If it's a cocktail lounge, it's got some Tanqueray Ten and a bottle of good rye somewhere."Surprisingly, only two local bars ended up on the final list: the Sandpiper Lounge (aka the Dirty Bird) in Laguna Beach, which made the grade for its "stiff drinks and zero pretense", and the Beach Ball in

  May 14, 2009

• Watermarc Meets the High Standards of Laguna Beach Dining

  June 18, 2009

• Laguna Beach Settles Lawsuit Over Homeless Ordinance

  Laguna Beach agreed today to settle a lawsuit over the city's treatment of disabled homeless people, according to the ACLU of Southern California.   "Under the agreement, the city's police officers will not cite, arrest or harass people under state law simply for sleeping in public places, as long as there are no reasonable public health or safety concerns," states a just-released media advisory from the civil rights group. "The agreement also establishes a process for sealing, expungi

  June 25, 2009

• OC Cities Fail to Crack 10 Meanest List, Must Try Harder

  Photo by HulagwayBoxed in.No Orange County cities cracked the top 10 Meanest Cities list included in a report released today by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and the National Coalition for the Homeless. But Laguna Beach, Santa Ana (by way of Dana Point) and just-beyond-our-reach Long Beach were singled out for giving it a good try.According to "Homes Not Handcuffs: The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities," which researches laws and practices in 273 cities acros

  July 14, 2009

• Tonight: Metal Shakespeare Company

  ​Laguna Beach is in for one helluva show tonight as the Metal Shakespeare Company is bringing its blend of metal and (duh) Shakespeare to the Sandpiper. The group uses Willie's words and fake accents (they're from Portland) for a theatrical rock 'n' roll performance.I'd tell you more, but I'm sick and this is about all I can muster. Check the website for more info.

  July 27, 2009

• Ike Ticketmate Nixon Turns Up in Laguna Beach Historical Photos

  Courtesy of Laguna Beach Historical Society Richard Nixon whips up the crowd in front of Laguna Beach City Hall.San Clemente, Yorba Linda and even San Juan Capistrano get mentioned most when discussing places Richard Nixon haunted while in Orange County, but at least Laguna Beach has physical evidence that Dick made at least one swing through that town, too. Among the 472 photos the Laguna Beach Historical Society has just posted on its new website are two that were snapped in front

  August 4, 2009

• Showgazing: Oliver Jane, Dash Jacket at Blue Laguna

  Dash Jacket are in there somewhere. Maybe.​Checked out the Monday night acoustic shows at Blue Laguna in Laguna Beach last night. Well, they're supposed to be acoustic, at least, but like everything in life, things don't always work out the way you've planned.

  August 18, 2009

• Laguna Beach's French 75 Rises Above Its Confusing Corporate Past

  September 10, 2009

• French 75 Laguna (née 75 Laguna) Chef Now Cooking in SJC

  ​Mitch Gillan, who was, until recently, the chef at French 75 in Laguna Beach, has updated us on where he is now in a comment made on my review of the restaurant. The meal I reviewed, coincidentally, turned out to be one of the last meals he cooked there.

  October 6, 2009

• Racist OC Register Fustercluck of the Week: Laguna Edition

  Usually this column focuses on folks who hate Mexicans, immigrants, poor people, non-white people and "Third World peasants" who come to this country to build "clown houses"--yes, we're still scratching our heads about what the hell that means, although apparently it has something to do with Mexicans. But this week, we're taking a break to examine the reaction among Register readers to a local news story that ran earlier this week about two gentlemen in Laguna Beach who were arrested for committ

  September 4, 2009