A lot goes into Hospitality Night As...

A lot goes into Hospitality Night

As president of the Chamber of Commerce and one of the many

volunteers who put in many hours to make Hospitality Night a success

for the hundreds of families who enjoyed the festivities in our

Downtown, I object very strongly to Gene Cooper’s letter complaining

about the lack of free food and drink, “crass commercialism” and

“greedy merchants.” (“Hospitality Night missing hospitality,”

Coastline Pilot, Jan. 9)

I doubt that the hundreds of families who brought children

Downtown that night share Cooper’s view. The members of the Chamber

of Commerce and the city contribute many hours and tens of thousands

of dollars to decorate the Downtown with lights, bring in Santa,

close off the streets, schedule musicians and make all the other

arrangements to make this night enjoyable. The tree lighting alone

costs $35,000.

This year, some 60 merchants provided more than $4,200 in free

merchandise to support an opportunity drawing that costs nothing

except a visit to participating stores. Many families picked up

application forms and had fun as if they were on a scavenger hunt.

The Chamber of Commerce published and distributed a new directory and

map of the Downtown showing not only the location of all the stores

but also the library, City Hall, restrooms, parking lots, banks and

everything else in the Downtown.

The families I talked to that night were cheerful and grateful to

have a ready reference for themselves and their visitors. Next year,

the chamber will seek the participation of more community groups to

make Hospitality Night even more of a community event.

Operating a business in Downtown is not as lucrative as Cooper

seems to think. As a former Downtown business owner who knows most of

the others by their first names, I assure you that most owners work

long hours for modest incomes. Closing streets for Hospitality Night,

bike races and the Patriot’s Day Parade is not necessarily profitable

for many of them, yet they support these events through their sense

of civic duty.

The resident patronage Cooper alludes to is not as prevalent as it

could be, and many merchants are finding it necessary to appeal more

and more to tourists. And that is why the merchants and the Chamber

of Commerce support Locals Nite and other community events to

introduce more residents to the fine shopping opportunities in our

Downtown.

If Cooper truly supports a sense of Laguna’s “community ... and

special personality” then I invite him and other like-minded Lagunans

to join me in foregoing as many shopping trips as possible to the

inland malls and to buy as much as possible from local merchants.

In response to the letter of Jim Johnson insinuating that I

support a massive influx of chain stores, (“Yes Delino, chain stores

are the way,” Coastline Pilot Jan. 9) the Chamber of Commerce

recognizes and supports the unique village atmosphere of our

Downtown. However, as in other historical downtowns such as

Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterrey, and Santa Barbara, a smattering of

chain stores with appropriate village design helps bring residents to

the Downtown and attracts customers to nearby unique and independent

stores.

We need to remember that if we are going to preserve our village,

we need to keep it prosperous.

KEN DELINO

President, Laguna Beach

Chamber of Commerce

Taking an exception to chain stores

Downtown is important (rents kill it), but sales- and bed-tax wise

on North and South Coast Highway is the major income for our city.

One major area in particular that has the Laguna charm is the

famed Art Center shops -- since 1937. In 1948, I helped restart the

Chamber of Commerce and it was dedicated to beautify, clean and

enhance our cultural image which in turn lends itself to good

business.

It took years but billboard and sign clutter were done away with,

the Main Beach Park was created (from a mess), Forest Avenue and

alleys behind were redesigned in keeping with the village atmosphere,

parking lots and structures as well as parks were created, yet where

is the sales tax income from Downtown?

As a resident since 1946, a many-time chamber board member and

twice past president, I still think what is good for the entire

community is good for business. We are so fortunate that we have our

God-given hills, ocean and weather for not only our taxpayers, but

for the lucrative tourists who arrive from around the entire country

and are good for our business.

HARRY J. LAWRENCE

Laguna Beach

Leave Montage Resort alone already

I was utterly astonished by the article in the Coastline Pilot

regarding the “parking problem” at the Montage. (“Montage has 60 days

to fix parking,” Jan. 9)

Despite being one of its closest neighbors, I was blissfully

unaware that a problem serious enough to involve our entire City

Council existed right under my nose. I drive by the Montage several

times a day and yet I failed to notice the “ugly” overflow parking

lot on the Coast Highway. I didn’t even know that the lot was on

leased land that was not owned by the Montage. Perhaps I was so

distracted by the view corridors that my perceptive abilities were

impaired. I think not. The real reason that I failed to notice the

“problem” is because there really isn’t a problem at all.

Parking around the Montage is not any different than parking on

Forest Avenue or any other street in the city. I think what’s really

going on here is a continuation of the fight to prevent the

development of the Montage in the first place. This, of course, makes

no sense whatsoever, but this is characteristic of the special

interest groups like Village Laguna who overwhelm Laguna Beach

politics with their incessant braying.

The fat lady has sung. Elvis has left the building. The Montage

and the new park are positive additions to our community. The City

Council and the Coastal Commission (Toni Iseman) should stop making

it difficult for them to run their business just to appease the

whiners. Don’t you have anything important to work on?

DENNIS R. MORIN

Laguna Beach

One solution to parking problem

Re: “What should the Montage Resort and Spa do about parking?”

(Coastline Pilot, Jan. 9)

I guess I’m naive, but I still don’t understand why the parking

situation wasn’t addressed prior to construction of the resort.

I do find it very offensive to drive past and see both sides of

Coast Highway lined bumper to bumper with parked cars. It’s pretty

ugly.

I think the Montage should give up a portion of its hotel rooms or

conference areas and build a parking structure on site to accommodate

all guests and employees.

NOELLE VON BARGEN

Laguna Beach

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