Laguna Beach

In 1966, John Griggs robbed a man of LSD at gunpoint, according to a former friend's testimony before a grand jury. The act dramatically changed Griggs' life. A week later, Glen Lynd testified in 1973 before the Orange County Grand Jury, Griggs experimented with the LSD, "threw away his gun and was running around hollering, 'This is it.' That's how it all began." Lynd in 1973 was describing the origins of the Laguna Beach-based Brotherhood of Eternal Love, which by then was alleged to be an international drug ring.

Laguna Dance Festival Where : Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach When : Thu.-Sun., 7.30 p.m.; Also Sun. at 2 p.m. Cost : $50, students $35. Info : (949) 715-5578; http://www.lagunadancefestival.org .

Their internationally recognized names sell music and movie tickets. They promote perfumes and presidents. But when it comes to selling their own houses, celebrities often find that their cachet doesn't pull in the cash. Actors Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell haven't found a buyer for their Malibu beach house, which comes with a raft of celeb-friendly amenities including a covered outdoor living room, a spa-like bath retreat and a meditation room. So the couple have nipped $3.5 million from last year's price, listing the Balinese-influenced oceanfront spread at $11.2 million.

Harry Lawrence, the globe-trotting former owner of an Asian art and antiques import shop in Laguna Beach whose contributions to civic improvements over the decades earned him the nickname Mr. Laguna, has died. He was 97. Lawrence died Sunday of kidney failure in Mission Hospital Laguna Beach, said his wife, Zahide. A resident of Laguna since 1947 — after he and his late first wife, Maxine, bought Warren Imports on South Coast Highway — Lawrence spent the ensuing decades as a major civic force in the picturesque seaside community.

He had wandered the world, selling butter in czarist Siberia, fighting in France during World War I, walking the Appalachian Trail with his dog -- and strolling down Colorado Boulevard, unofficially bringing up the rear of the Rose Parade one year. But when he got to Laguna Beach, Eiler Larsen was so captivated by it that he stayed and welcomed the rest of the world there. Laguna Beach returned the salute, naming him its official greeter.

Two-year-old Torrey Menne bolts from his front yard in tears when motorcycles thunder down Pacific Coast Highway on weekends. All day, Lyn Chevli hears the rumble of bulldozers and dump trucks at the Treasure Island construction site, sounds she and neighbors fear will only be replaced by the hum of tourist traffic once the five-star resort opens.

They both have been lifeguards since their teens. Now, Michael Gaughan and Jack Lincke find themselves in need of 60 of those rescue officers of the water. The two Orange County men recently formed a company called U.S. Ocean Safety to provide lifeguards to patrol 15 county-run beaches. "There's never been a call for this many lifeguards at one time before," said Lincke, 44.

While a friend looked on in horror, a 30-year-old woman was killed Sunday when a massive wave swept her off a rocky ledge and into the churning surf of an underwater cave at Three Arch Bay, authorities said. Powerful currents and a riptide forced Lynn Scollard of Huntington Beach under the water for more than an hour before firefighters and lifeguards were able to spot her body a short distance south of where she entered the water, Laguna Beach police said.

Expectations of a Christmas "love-in"--a Woodstock West--drew 25,000 people to Laguna Canyon 20 years ago this week. But when the love festival had became a weeklong party and guests still refused to leave, police donned riot gear, sang "Here Comes Santa Claus" and broke it up. Even in a community known for its tolerance, the event panicked city officials and some residents who feared the surge of people descending on the small city could cause a riot.

On their final night alive, Kevin and Joni Park checked into a bluff-top bungalow at one of the West Coast's toniest resorts packing a gun and a bag of ammunition. The Mission Viejo couple used a fake name, police said, and paid for their $2,200-a-night lodgings in cash. They brought piles of money and boxes of mysterious documents.

Concern over the safety of the San Onofre nuclear power plant is growing among Orange County cities closest to the facility, which has been shut down since January because of system failures. Officials in nearby San Clemente and Laguna Beach - both within 20 miles of the San Onofre facility - have registered their fears after significant wear was found on hundreds of tubes carrying radioactive water inside the plant's generators. Residents in the Orange County beach towns for years have lived with the twin-domed nuclear plant as a backdrop.

A Laguna Beach woman who said she was only seeking a little privacy is now at risk of facing criminal charges if she doesn't trim a row of bushy trees behind her home. Maria Jones said she planted a dozen ficus trees behind her Ocean Way home to provide privacy for her two daughters and herself, but the city says that unless a portion of the trees — which stand about 14 feet tall — are trimmed down, the city will pursue criminal charges. The city said Jones was failing to comply with Laguna Beach's so-called hedge law, which would require her to trim the trees back to 6 feet, 7 inches — just a touch a taller than Kobe Bryant.

Dean Armentrout's problem clocks keep him awake at night. Some run fast. Some run slow, and some don't run at all. Repairs often mean cleaning and oiling the mechanism; balky escapements, missing parts and hidden friction points are trickier. Each day, walking into his shop in Laguna Beach, Armentrout sees his workbench cluttered with tools and the pieces of jobs he hasn't finished or figured out. In his hands, a clock is not so much an instrument for measuring time as a puzzle to be solved.

A castle in the sand at Laguna Beach Location: 770 Hillcrest Drive, Laguna Beach 92651 Size: Twelve units (plus four nonconforming units) from studio to three-bedroom penthouse. Main building, 15,000 square feet; accessory building, 3,300 square feet Published on: Nov. 21, 2010 Listed then at: $11.4 million Listed now at: $8.75 million Price reduced: 23% An artist's tranquil retreat in the Palisades Location: 1535 Umeo Road, Pacific Palisades 90272 Size: Main house, five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two half-baths, 6,627 square feet; guest apartment, one bedroom, one bathroom, about 650 square feet Published on: March 27 Listed then at: $10.9 million Relisted at: $9.45 million Price reduced: 13% —Lauren Beale

Laguna Beach will pop its cork at a new foodie event on March 10 that could unleash your inner Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. Laguna Beach Uncorked , an international wine and food festival, is the signature event of the March 8-11 Laguna Beach a la Carte , which includes cooking demonstrations, restaurant offers and more. Half the proceeds from Uncorked will benefit CHOC Children's Hospital .   Guests will receive complimentary parking, a commemorative wine glass and tastings from 25 wineries around the world including Axel (Chile)

Marriott and Enterprise took two of the top honors in an annual poll of travel agents on suppliers and destinations they prefer. Marriott won for best hotel and resort chain and Enterprise for best domestic car rental company. Royal Caribbean was the top pick for best overall cruise line and Southwest was chosen best domestic airline. The poll of 113,000 agents was done for the trade magazine, Vacation Agent  . . . . Thinking of hiking Half Dome this summer? Note that permits will be required to ascend using the safety cables, the most popular route.

Holly Hill House on Catalina Location: 718 Crescent Ave., Avalon 90704 Size: Five bedrooms and three bathrooms in 2,495 square feet Published on: Nov. 28 Listed then for: $7.5 million Sold for: $4 million last month Seamless mix of art, architecture Location: 2555 Altamar Drive, Laguna Beach 92651 Size: Five bedrooms and 61/2 bathrooms in 10,300 square feet Published on:...

Laguna Beach will pop its cork at a new foodie event on March 10 that could unleash your inner Bacchus, the Roman god of wine. Laguna Beach Uncorked , an international wine and food festival, is the signature event of the March 8-11 Laguna Beach a la Carte , which includes cooking demonstrations, restaurant offers and more. Half the proceeds from Uncorked will benefit CHOC Children's Hospital .   Guests will receive complimentary parking, a commemorative wine glass and tastings from 25 wineries around the world including Axel (Chile)

State wildlife officials cited a Riverside County man Sunday for allegedly poaching dozens of lobsters inside one of Southern California's new marine sanctuaries, in what authorities called the first major violation of fishing restrictions that took effect Jan. 1. The state Department of Fish and Game said Marbel A. Para, 30, of Romoland and a companion were diving off Laguna Beach shortly after midnight when wardens stopped them and found 47...

Spend enough time on a boat in Southern California and you'll see your fill of sea lions, dolphins and even the occasional whale. But a group of whale watchers this week were treated to a less common sight, crossing paths with a sea otter off the coast of Laguna Beach. The Dana Pride was on a whale-watching excursion Monday afternoon when the crew spotted one of the furry marine mammals lingering just outside some kelp a quarter-mile offshore. "His head came up and they said, 'Wow, that's a sea otter' and it just came up and watched our boat," said Donna Kalez, general manager of Dana Wharf Sportfishing.