Laguna Beach Local News
Mary Rogers was named general manager of Montage Laguna Beach on May 21. Photo courtesy of Montage International
Montage Laguna Beach has tapped a 20-year luxury hospitality veteran to be its next general manager, according to a press release Friday.
Mary Rogers joins Montage Laguna Beach from Fontainebleau Miami Beach, where she was the first female general manager since the hotel opened in 1954. Rogers was hired by Fontainebleau as vice president of operations for rooms in 2009 and promoted to general manager in 2018.
“I am delighted to welcome Mary Rogers to Montage Laguna Beach,” said Jason Herthel, president and chief operating officer of Montage International, said in a prepared statement. “Mary’s extensive, ground-breaking background is nothing short of impressive, and we are honored to have her dynamic leadership at the helm of the resort’s executive team.”
Laguna Beach Local News
Alessa’s diners sit during the lunch hour on the Promenade at Forest Avenue on March 17, 2021. Photo by Daniel Langhorne
The Laguna Beach City Council unanimously approved a $376,990 contract on Tuesday for a consultant to design and pursue necessary approvals to make the Promenade a permanent fixture on Forest Avenue.
Although the idea of closing certain downtown streets to traffic has been kicked around at city hall since at least 2007, the economic fallout of a global pandemic prodded city officials into taking a chance on creating a pedestrian mall in the heart of Downtown Laguna. City staffers expect it could take until June 2022 to obtain needed entitlements, which would include a California Coastal Commission hearing.
Laguna Beach Local News
A Laguna Beach Trolley on Cliff Drive. Photo by Jody Tiongco.
Laguna Beach’s trolleys are set to start rolling again as early as June 25, more than a year after the pandemic forced city officials to park their public transit fleet.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, city leaders said restarting the trolleys is necessary to accommodate transportation for the millions of visitors expected to flood the town after a year of quarantine. Passengers will be able to park at free or relatively-low priced lots, hop on the trolleys, and ride to destinations like beaches and the festivals.