Laguna Beach

This is, indeed, a city with a heart. After sustaining our own disaster just over three months ago, and mounting extraordinary efforts to help some dozen families left homeless, Lagunans are now leaping to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina. From children to adults, animal control workers to restaurateurs, locals are doing everything they can -- bake sales, concerts, even food convoys with portable kitchens -- to help those who lost not just their homes but their jobs, schools, and entire neighborhoods to this mega-disaster.

IRVINE - All season long, the La Cañada High boys' water polo team relied on a balanced offense, while Laguna Beach has leaned on its goal-scoring standout Nolan McConnell for offense. The Breakers' offensive strategy proved more effective when both teams met up in the Southern Section Division III semifinals at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine Wednesday. McConnell had a game-high five goals and drew double-teams all game, which opened things up for his teammates, in a 14-5 Laguna Beach victory.

The Daily Pilot asked young scientists at Harbor Day School, "What's the most fun part of Science Discoveries Camp?" "Just seeing the ocean and being able to be near it." ELISABETH SMITH, 9 Laguna Beach "Being able to dissect starfish. You don't get to go into the ocean and do that every day." TYLER GAETE, 8 Newport Beach "Looking at the plankton and the grunion eggs because you can see the heart beating in them." BRETT DONLAVEY, 9 Laguna Beach "Making the crystals."

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a partial list of places to worship in Laguna Beach. If you would like to list your church, temple or synagogue, send us your listing via fax to 494-8979 or e-mail to coastlinepilot @latimes.com. Please include the name of the place of worship, the address, phone number, service times and pastor or rabbi. CALVARY CHAPEL PACIFIC HILLS Friday Night Worship Service -- 7 p.m. at Lang Park Multi-purpose Room, Wesley Drive.

Caroline B. van Thillo, 87 Caroline B. van Thillo, a 49-year resident of Laguna Beach, died August 24. She was 87 years old. Born in Belgium on Dec. 27, 1917, she and her late husband, John van Thillo, came to America in 1954 with their four children, Marie Anne ("Marianne"), Marie Elizabeth ("Zus"), Jan and Willem ("Wim") and moved to Arcadia, California. In 1956, they moved to Laguna Beach. In 1960 Marie Helene ("Marlene") was added to the family.

Send AROUND TOWN items to the Coastline Pilot, P.O. Box 248, Laguna Beach, CA 92652; fax to (949) 494-8979; call (949) 494-4321 or e-mail o7coastlinepilot@latimes.com. f7Submissions must be received two weeks before publication. TODAY FLU SHOTS Wild Oats offers "all-natural" flu shots without preservatives. $25 per shot. 8 a.m. to noon; also Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the store, 283 Broadway. Information: (949) 376-7888. SATURDAY FALL BRUNCH The Laguna Beach United Methodist Church holds a "Fall Bountiful Brunch" with author Judy Hoyt Pettigrew.

Recently Mozambique Restaurant opened in Laguna Beach in the old Tortilla Flats location. Tortilla Flats had been closed for a few years, and we neighbors were looking forward to a nice business to improve the decaying building and parking lot. We were happy when Mozambique bought the building and began to fix it up. We were hopeful when they applied for their conditional use permit speaking of "community," a "family restaurant"...

The Laguna Beach Age Group Water Polo girls' under-14 teams went 2-1-1 at last weekend's Speedo Cup qualifying tournament in Laguna Beach. Laguna competed in a bracket that included Newport Beach, Los Alamitos, TRAP, SoCal and OC Split. OC Split won the tournament and qualified to compete at the Speedo Cup finals scheduled for mid-November in St. Louis, Mo. Laguna Beach 2, Newport Beach 2 Laguna, which couldn't capitalize on some early scoring opportunities, finally crashed the scoreboard when Jesse Holechek drilled in a goal three minutes into the game.

With success on two fields -- slow-pitch softball and computer sales -- Arbitech, LLC plans to leave its Laguna Beach facilities for a larger Irvine Spectrum area location. The expanding computer wholesaler, which started out in Laguna, has been sprouting since its birth five years ago, and has simply outgrown its space on the corner of Glenneyre and Thalia Streets. "Our intention all along was to grow the company," said Chief Operating Officer Josh McCarter.

Too few at CaDance performance At our local high school theater, I attended two magnificent performances of the CaDance Festival performed by national, award-winning dancers. I'm still reeling from the beauty of it all. This was a rare opportunity for the residents of Laguna Beach, and what a shame the theater was less than half full. We sat third row center for $35. Would our residents rather go to New York City or Aspen, where I have seen them at triple the price?

LA CRESCENTA - While battling pain in both of his calves, Pavle Atanackovic seemingly needed to find another way to score. The Crescenta Valley High boys' soccer player used his head, lifting the Falcons to a first-round playoff victory. Atanackovic scored three goals on headers - including the match-winning tally three minutes into sudden-death overtime - to propel host Crescenta Valley to a 3-2 CIF Southern Section Division IV win against Laguna Beach on Thursday afternoon.

The following are previews of today's CIF Southern Section division playoff games involving local teams. BOYS' SOCCER St. Francis at Upland, 3 p.m.: The Golden Knights (7-8-8) will begin the Division I playoffs by making the 40-mile journey to Upland. St. Francis, which advanced to the quarterfinals last season, took third in the Mission League. Upland (13-6-2) captured the Baseline League championship. The winner of the St. Francis-Upland contest will meet Channel League champion Ventura or Agoura, which took third in the Marmonte League, in a second-round match Tuesday.

IRVINE - All season long, the La Cañada High boys' water polo team relied on a balanced offense, while Laguna Beach has leaned on its goal-scoring standout Nolan McConnell for offense. The Breakers' offensive strategy proved more effective when both teams met up in the Southern Section Division III semifinals at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine Wednesday. McConnell had a game-high five goals and drew double-teams all game, which opened things up for his teammates, in a 14-5 Laguna Beach victory.

SOUTHEAST GLENDALE — A common theme occurred during a Pacific League-opening match between Glendale High and Burroughs on Wednesday afternoon. Glendale and Burroughs played even in the early stages of each game before Burroughs used a big run in the middle to pull away with a 25-13, 25-16, 25-16 road victory. It’s something Burroughs Coach Joel Brinton and his counterpart, Taase Mose, certainly noticed. “Every game went the same exact way,” said Brinton, whose team improved to 8-5. “For those moments when we did pull away, our passing got better, and that led to our setting and hitting getting better.

LA CRESCENTA — Protecting a one-goal lead with 40 minutes to play didn’t figure to be an easy chore for the members of the Crescenta Valley High boys’ soccer team. At least that’s what Crescenta Valley first-year Coach Kiel McClung surmised. With the overwhelming possibility of Crescenta Valley having to defend against set plays, something it has had difficulties with all season, a nightmarish second half loomed and then became a reality. Crescenta Valley yielded four second-half goals and saw its season come to a stunning close Thursday afternoon in a 5-2 home loss against Laguna Hills in CIF Southern Section Division IV first-round match.

GLENDALE ? While making the bus ride from La Crescenta to Laguna Beach on Friday, the members of the Crescenta Valley High boys? volleyball team were eager. When the Falcons arrived inside the Laguna Beach High gymnasium prior to their CIF Southern Section Division II first-round match, they might have been a bit awe struck. Crescenta Valley saw its season conclude with a 25-9, 25-15, 25-21 loss to fifth-seeded Laguna Beach. ?We were fired up on the way down and we kind of thought we had a chance until we got there,?

GLENDALE — Having successfully managed to get through the ups and downs of the regular season, two local high school boys’ volleyball teams will now look to achieve additional success in the postseason. The way things have been going lately for Flintridge Prep Coach Sean Beattie and Crescenta Valley Coach John Nelson and their respective programs, both believe their teams are playing their best. It couldn’t have come at a more opportune time, as Flintridge Prep and Crescenta Valley will look to continue down that path after the CIF office unveiled its playoff pairings Monday morning.

GLENDALE — People with loved ones at Grand View Memorial Park are willing to do for free right now what the city of Glendale has failed to do with $107,800 in two months. That was the message Laguna Beach resident Lenore Devlin brought Tuesday to the City Council, as at least one city councilman lamented the city’s inaction at the cemetery. Devlin’s plan: to mobilize people in Glendale, her own community and Los Angeles County agencies to open the cemetery.