Mailbag: Housing homeless in the canyon is too risky

Our family has had our home in Laguna Beach since 1956 and been in the canyon area for the past 44 years. On June 5, we were awakened at 3:30 in the morning by thunderous pounding and knocking. We first thought it was an earthquake until we heard vulgar language and screaming.

My son answered the door and told this person, a woman, that she was trespassing on private property and had to leave. My son escorted the woman off the property as she continued yelling, spitting and smoking.

By then our neighbors had already heard the commotion and dialed 911. When police arrived, we requested that she be arrested for trespassing.

The police responded that they could not arrest her because she no longer was on property. We asked the officers if they knew this person?

“Yes, we’ve been called out three times for this individual tonight.”

“So, other neighbors have called?”

“No, we’ve been to the homeless shelter several times.”

“How did she get out?”

“They put her out.”

“So you’re telling us that the protocol for the homeless shelter is: if somebody really needs help at 3:30 in the morning, they release them into our residential neighborhoods in the middle of the night, unescorted?”

My wife and I went to a homeless shelter informative meeting. We learned that not only does the shelter send out problem homeless, but each night, when the shelter reaches capacity, the overflow is turned away to find shelter for themselves.

They are sleeping in our cars, trespassing, camping in the dry brush, starting open fires and smoking cigarettes. And in this extreme drought, we are all facing the risk of a catastrophic fire.

The proposed 41-unit complex for homeless and the existing temporary shelter cannot be in Laguna Canyon. The shelters need to be closer to facilities, fire stations and police. There are a lot of reasons why, but the main one is for the safety of Laguna Beach.

Lorraine Nichols

Laguna Beach

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I will continue to innovate

In just three months, our voters will determine who will lead Laguna Beach, making decisions that will direct the future of our town. I want to be your representative on the Laguna Beach City Council at this most important time. Public safety, traffic, land use, water quality, historic resources and a vibrant downtown will be affected by City Council decisions.

My record of creative solutions is evident. Look around at the free trolleys that take cars off our streets; they serve visitors and residents alike. Ridership has gone from less than 120,000 in 2000 to more than 593,000 in 2013. You see police aides directing traffic on busy weekends, keeping traffic flowing.

The Quiet Zone calms a neighborhood. We have noise and lighting ordinances to enhance our quality of life. I originated these solutions and encouraged the council to adopt them. I’m working to make it easier for us to underground our utilities and create safe bike lanes on Laguna Canyon Road. The unique nature of our business community is essential to Laguna. We can’t take it for granted.

I am running for re-election with a promise that I will continue listen and respond to resident concerns. It will take work to keep Laguna the treasure that it is. I have the experience and passion to protect our town and our residents. You can count on me.

Toni Iseman

Laguna Beach

The writer is the mayor of Laguna Beach.

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Save this sinking ship

The captain (Village Laguna) of the Titanic (Village Entrance) has finally found the iceberg (Digester), which should sink the project once and for all. The most valuable open space that could take Laguna Beach to new heights of urban development will now be the site of a “historic” outhouse. It should replace the tower at Main Beach as the Laguna Beach symbol.

I expect that once visitors see our use of downtown open space, they will want to return again and again to the “place that saved an outhouse.” (I would be remiss to not mention the further absurdity of saving a corrugated metal structure that if it was on private property would be condemned by the city and have to be torn down. I just couldn’t work it into the nautical theme.)

On the bright side, maybe someone will be creative enough to make a movie of our bold move to immortalize our rather sad history.

Speaking of achievements, when finished, will this City Council (The Shipbuilder) have a plaque made with their names on it to recognize the city’s great accomplishment of driving forward looking in the rear-view mirror? That would serve as a confirmation of the absurdity this project has reached.

Dennis Myers

Laguna Beach