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“ Our Town , Our Paper ” lagunabeachindy . com JANUARY 6 , 2023 | Volume XX , Issue 1

By Skip Hellewell | Special to the LB Indy

Laguna Beach recently bought the former St . Catherine of Siena Parish School for $ 23 million . Many thought it seemed a reasonable price for 6.5 acres of coastal land with 39,500 square feet of school buildings . But that ’ s just the money part . Laguna Beach Indy columnist Skip Hellewell wondered about the human side of the story , did a little digging , and found not one , but two , parochial schools in Laguna , each with a lost story .

Checking with Nelda Stone at Laguna Library , I learned of Sacred Heart Convent School , built in 1927 , the year Laguna Beach incorporated . Located at 450 Glenneyre , the site of today ’ s Alice Court affordable housing , it was staffed by the Sisters of St . Dominis , based in Havana , Cuba . Besides schooling , the convent offered boarding for children and daycare for working moms . Dominican nuns from Cuba teaching and boarding kids in early Laguna ? It cries for a back story . Unfortunately , I found only this 1946 article in South Coast News , “ Convent Closed After Twelve Years Service .” The report offered little detail , only that the nuns were grateful for Laguna ’ s support and were returning to Havana , Cuba .

Eleven years later , Laguna got its second

By Clara Beard

In late December , the Laguna Beach High School Boys Basketball Team partnered with the City of Hope Cancer Center to host the first-ever blood donation drive at LBHS . More than 80 people registered to donate blood , maxing out the number of spots available in a single day

The Former St . Catherine of Siena Parish School sits on 6.5 acres and was recently purchased by the City of Laguna Beach for $ 23 million . Photo / LB Indy

Catholic school . The stimulus for St . Catherine ’ s School was the post-World War II “ baby boom ,” which in the 50s drove a wave of building under Cardinal McIntyre with twelve parish schools opening in Orange County , including St . Catherine ’ s . The 6.5-acre site above Coast Highway has a story . Part of the original 1883 Franklin

for blood donations . Almost those who registered , around 70 donated blood , which is believed to be a record high for a single day ’ s blood drive with City of Hope .

Many donors who came to the school designated their blood donation to City of Hope patient Arash Rounaghi , who is

Goff homestead , the 136-acre farm went through various hands until heiress Florence Dolph bought it in 1905 , later transferring it to her sister Blanche Dolph ’ s cleverly named Dolphin Company . In 1943 , Laguna doctor Paul Esslinger and

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LBHS , PAGE 14

Total police compensation package expected to put Laguna second in Orange County

By LB Indy Staff

The City of Laguna Beach has announced it has reached a tentative three-year labor agreement with the Laguna Beach Police Employees ’ Association ( LBPEA ). On Wednesday , LBPEA membership overwhelmingly voted in favor of the tentative agreement , which provides a compensation package to address issues of recruitment and retention of police officers . The agreement also offers incentives for professional growth and development in law enforcement .

“ At its core , this agreement is about supporting public safety , and we are pleased to offer the police officers and other employees in our police department a generous compensation package that reflects their level of dedication and commitment to this community ,” Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen said . “ I ’ d like

INSIDE

LBPD , PAGE 3

The Ultimate Real Estate Guide for Homebuyers & Owners in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach

H A P P Y 2 0 2 3 ! L A G U N A B E A C H C O U N T Y W A T E R D I S T R I C T