Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: What a $2.5 million grant and new honors mean for Laguna

You won't want to miss Chanukah Comedy Night with Sandy Hackett on the Laguna Beach Patch calendar

Patch AM Team's profile picture
Patch AM Team, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
Saturday December 20th Patch AM
Saturday December 20th Patch AM (Patch graphic)

Coffee in hand, Laguna Beach? We've got the latest town updates for you. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

  • What a $2.5 million grant and new honors mean for Laguna
  • How Laguna’s first Literary Festival will spotlight local writers and readers
  • What the new wildlife corridor could mean for Laguna Beach

Also on today's calendar: Chanukah Comedy Night with Sandy Hackett .

Find out what's happening in Laguna Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: Last night I had a dream. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Laguna Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Saturday: Fog, then some sun, with a high of 62 and low of 51 degrees.
  • Sunday: Foggy in the morning, temps: high: 66, low: 53.
  • Monday: Fog in the morning, with a high of 62 and low of 58 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Fair Game 121925 (stunewslaguna.com) — Laguna Beach Unified has honored Thurston teacher Randi Beckley and LBHS aide Thasa Zuziak as 2025 Employees of the Year, with a board recognition set for January 22. The city also secured a $2.5 million state grant for affordable housing, while local groups and new Mayor Mark Orgill are highlighted for their community leadership and holiday giving.
   

2. Inaugural Laguna Beach Literary Festival Announced (lagunabeachindy.com) — Laguna Beach will host its first-ever Literary Festival January 9–10, 2026, with events at Laguna Art Museum and the SusiQ Community Center. Funded by the City of Laguna Beach and local partners, the weekend features workshops, panels, a keynote, and a free public reception where local writers can showcase and sell their books to Laguna Beach readers.
   

3. OC Supervisors support Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor 121925 (stunewslaguna.com) — Orange County supervisors have formally backed the Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor, a major habitat link that includes open space in and around Laguna Beach. With Laguna Beach and Laguna Canyon Foundation already on board, the project aims to reconnect coastal wilderness to the Santa Ana Mountains, protecting more than 240 animal species and strengthening the region’s natural environment.
   

4. Orange County scores and player stats for Friday, Dec. 19 (ocregister.com) — Laguna Beach girls water polo fell 16–7 to Long Beach Wilson in Friday’s Bill Barnett Holiday Cup action, one of many Orange County high school results. The roundup lists boys soccer and girls water polo scores from across the county, including league and nonleague matchups that local fans may have missed.
   

📸 Around Laguna Beach

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Laguna Beach

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

📣 Laguna Beach Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

 

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Laguna Beach PatchAM possible:

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Report of police activity in Stanton, California.
    8:11AM on Dec 18: Police are at Pyles Elementary in Anaheim, blocking off access. (Nextdoor )
  • Xperience Restaurant Group posted a job opening for Bartender -Las Brisas in Laguna Beach. Apply here.
  • The Home Depot, Inc. posted a job opening for Pro Customer Service Sales in Laguna Niguel. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Laguna Beach here.

Ok Laguna Beach! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I dreamed I was swimming in a pool of orange soda, but it was just a Fanta-sea.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

More from Laguna Beach