Hunky Cowboy Santas
Our Thanks to the Boom Boom Room Co-Owner Patrick O'Loughlin (center) , Tim and the club's new managerMonday, December 11, 2006
Just a Few More ASF at the Boom Pics
Hunky Cowboy SantasOur Thanks to the Boom Boom Room Co-Owner Patrick O'Loughlin (center) , Tim and the club's new manager
Thursday, December 07, 2006
More Pictures from the ASF Party at the Boom
Smiles as Far As the Eye Could See
The Food Was Delicious
We All Put On Our Festive Attire
The people were all so friendly
The Boom Boom Was a Hit With Party Guests
ASF Staff Made Everyone Feel Welcome
Toasting in the SeasonASF Party at the Boom Pics
Here are some pics from the ASF Holiday Party at the Boom Boom Room Tuesday Night.
The Boom at Christmas
The Boom at ChristmasHunky Cowboy Santas Fulfill A Christmas Wish
Hunky Cowboy Santas Sing
Bodacious Appetizers!
Save the Boom Blogmaster James, ASF ED Alan Witchey ask hunky
Santas for their Christmas wish
ASF Volunteers Ensure Everyone Had a Good Time
Dancing the Night Away
Great Martinis!
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Must Read Article in the OC Register
I wanted to share an incredible column by Yvette Cabrera from today's (12/5/06) Orange County Register
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/columns/article_1373765.php .
It details the struggle we all face in coming out and the importance of our gathering places in that struggle. please share this column with others on your email list. if we are going to achieve equal rights we need to put "a face" on the gay community. thanks to yvette cabrera we have moved one step closer.
And a special thank you to michael sanchez for sharing his story.
fred karger
founder
www.savetheboom.com
full text of column follows:
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Supporters still aim to save bar
YVETTE CABRERA
Register columnist
ycabrera@ocregister.com
It was the mid-1980s, and Michael Sanchez hadn't told his friends or family that he was gay because he feared a backlash.
In fact, he went to great lengths to keep his secret, even dating friends of his sister, Lauren.
During summers spent vacationing in Newport Beach, Sanchez would hang out with friends until midnight and then leave alone to spend time at the one place where he felt safe coming out gay publicly: the Boom Boom Room in Laguna Beach.
"It gave me so much confidence and such a boost for my self-esteem," says Sanchez, 41, a Los Angeles resident. "It gave me a positive example of people who were successful, in solid relationships and dating, and it gave me a sense of what being gay really means."
So when Sanchez learned this past summer that the historic bar was set to close, he was shocked, saying it felt like he was losing a friend. The Coast Inn, in which the bar is located, had been sold in 2005, and the lease for the bar was not extended.
"It made me sad that it wasn't going to be there for other people, whether they are young and coming out, or for the gay community, which really loves that place," says Sanchez. "It's like losing a part of myself and that history."
Fortunately, the Boom Boom Room was given a 12-month reprieve this summer, when the new owners of the property extended its lease through September 2007, but the bar's supporters have not given up their fight to keep the Boom permanently open.
"It's the anchor in the neighborhood, so the ideal is to keep it the way it is – because it's not just another club or hotel, it's a landmark," says Laguna Beach resident Fred Karger, who founded Save The Boom to oppose the proposed demolition of the property.
The group has started a Web site and a blog, created a nonprofit to fundraise and alerted the media, resulting in news stories across the country.
They've collected signatures from supporters and so far have about 5,600, which they plan to deliver to the Laguna Beach City Council after the newly elected members are sworn in.
"We're hopeful that it will be around forever," says Karger, who describes it as the oldest gay bar in the western United States.
Karger began frequenting the Boom Boom Room in 1973 when he lived in Los Angeles and says he was drawn by the way the bar and Laguna Beach embraced same-sex couples long before it was acceptable to be gay.
For many, it became a symbol of gay and lesbian acceptance, a place where people could go without being judged or criticized.
"It was a place where we could go and be together and feel comfortable," says Sanchez. "I can't express how important that is especially for gay men. You're just always aware of everyone and everything around you, asking, 'Is someone going to say something?' "
Without the Boom Boom Room, Sanchez doesn't think he would have had the courage to tell his family and friends that he was gay, as he did in 1986 at age 21.
He vividly recalls a conversation he had at the bar with a patron named Jim, a psychotherapist who gave Sanchez advice about coming out of the closet.
"I was terrified, but he said, 'Be true to yourself. That's all you can do,' " says Sanchez. "It gave me the strength to understand that being gay is not wrong. There are so many other people who I met who were just like me and had gone through the same experience that I went through. Hearing their histories and life stories, it just made it easier for me when I had to tell my friends and family."
With the confidence he gained from his new friends, Sanchez says he first disclosed that he was gay to his sister Lauren, who today is a Los Angeles television news anchor for KCOP/13.
"Her first words were 'I love you no matter what,' " says Michael Sanchez, who serves as his sister's manager and recently became her son's godfather as well. "She has been my biggest supporter and my best friend ever since I came out. We were close before, but afterward we became even closer."
Like Karger, Sanchez wants the Boom Boom Room to be kept intact at the Coast Inn, but if not, hopes at the very least that it's moved to another location and preserved.
"I remember sitting at the bar, meeting new friends and feeling like 'I have a place to go.' You never knew what was going to happen, whether you would meet new friends or run into old friends," says Sanchez. "It was a sense of 'I belong here.' "
CONTACT US: Cabrera's opinions on local news appear every Tuesday and Thursday. She is a former metro reporter who has covered issues including immigration and higher education. Contact her at 714 -796-3649 or ycabrera@ocregister.com
http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/columns/article_1373765.php .
It details the struggle we all face in coming out and the importance of our gathering places in that struggle. please share this column with others on your email list. if we are going to achieve equal rights we need to put "a face" on the gay community. thanks to yvette cabrera we have moved one step closer.
And a special thank you to michael sanchez for sharing his story.
fred karger
founder
www.savetheboom.com
full text of column follows:
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Supporters still aim to save bar
YVETTE CABRERA
Register columnist
ycabrera@ocregister.com
It was the mid-1980s, and Michael Sanchez hadn't told his friends or family that he was gay because he feared a backlash.
In fact, he went to great lengths to keep his secret, even dating friends of his sister, Lauren.
During summers spent vacationing in Newport Beach, Sanchez would hang out with friends until midnight and then leave alone to spend time at the one place where he felt safe coming out gay publicly: the Boom Boom Room in Laguna Beach.
"It gave me so much confidence and such a boost for my self-esteem," says Sanchez, 41, a Los Angeles resident. "It gave me a positive example of people who were successful, in solid relationships and dating, and it gave me a sense of what being gay really means."
So when Sanchez learned this past summer that the historic bar was set to close, he was shocked, saying it felt like he was losing a friend. The Coast Inn, in which the bar is located, had been sold in 2005, and the lease for the bar was not extended.
"It made me sad that it wasn't going to be there for other people, whether they are young and coming out, or for the gay community, which really loves that place," says Sanchez. "It's like losing a part of myself and that history."
Fortunately, the Boom Boom Room was given a 12-month reprieve this summer, when the new owners of the property extended its lease through September 2007, but the bar's supporters have not given up their fight to keep the Boom permanently open.
"It's the anchor in the neighborhood, so the ideal is to keep it the way it is – because it's not just another club or hotel, it's a landmark," says Laguna Beach resident Fred Karger, who founded Save The Boom to oppose the proposed demolition of the property.
The group has started a Web site and a blog, created a nonprofit to fundraise and alerted the media, resulting in news stories across the country.
They've collected signatures from supporters and so far have about 5,600, which they plan to deliver to the Laguna Beach City Council after the newly elected members are sworn in.
"We're hopeful that it will be around forever," says Karger, who describes it as the oldest gay bar in the western United States.
Karger began frequenting the Boom Boom Room in 1973 when he lived in Los Angeles and says he was drawn by the way the bar and Laguna Beach embraced same-sex couples long before it was acceptable to be gay.
For many, it became a symbol of gay and lesbian acceptance, a place where people could go without being judged or criticized.
"It was a place where we could go and be together and feel comfortable," says Sanchez. "I can't express how important that is especially for gay men. You're just always aware of everyone and everything around you, asking, 'Is someone going to say something?' "
Without the Boom Boom Room, Sanchez doesn't think he would have had the courage to tell his family and friends that he was gay, as he did in 1986 at age 21.
He vividly recalls a conversation he had at the bar with a patron named Jim, a psychotherapist who gave Sanchez advice about coming out of the closet.
"I was terrified, but he said, 'Be true to yourself. That's all you can do,' " says Sanchez. "It gave me the strength to understand that being gay is not wrong. There are so many other people who I met who were just like me and had gone through the same experience that I went through. Hearing their histories and life stories, it just made it easier for me when I had to tell my friends and family."
With the confidence he gained from his new friends, Sanchez says he first disclosed that he was gay to his sister Lauren, who today is a Los Angeles television news anchor for KCOP/13.
"Her first words were 'I love you no matter what,' " says Michael Sanchez, who serves as his sister's manager and recently became her son's godfather as well. "She has been my biggest supporter and my best friend ever since I came out. We were close before, but afterward we became even closer."
Like Karger, Sanchez wants the Boom Boom Room to be kept intact at the Coast Inn, but if not, hopes at the very least that it's moved to another location and preserved.
"I remember sitting at the bar, meeting new friends and feeling like 'I have a place to go.' You never knew what was going to happen, whether you would meet new friends or run into old friends," says Sanchez. "It was a sense of 'I belong here.' "
CONTACT US: Cabrera's opinions on local news appear every Tuesday and Thursday. She is a former metro reporter who has covered issues including immigration and higher education. Contact her at 714 -796-3649 or ycabrera@ocregister.com
Monday, December 04, 2006
ASF Party at the Boom
Just wanted to give you the heads--up that this Tuesday, December 5th @ 6:30 pm there will be a fund raiser at the Boom Boom Room, 1401 S. Coast Highway to raise much needed funds for the AIDS Services Foundation Orange County. The cost is only $45.00 which will benefit the ASF Food Pantry.
The Boom is one of the sponsors of the event which goes to help this very worth cause.
Hope you can make it!
For more information and to RSVP call Mike @ ASF 949/809-8765
I checked with Liane Schuller, Zoning Administrator with the City of Laguna Beach last week, and there still has been nothing submitted or under discussion with the Zoning Division at this time regarding any new plans for the Coast Inn and the Boom Boom Room. We will keep you posted as the SAVE the BOOM!!! campaign kicks off 2007 with our new plans to SAVE the BOOM!!! forever!
Thanks to everyone for all of your help this year. And I hope that you will try and make the ASF Holiday Party on Tuesday.
The Boom is one of the sponsors of the event which goes to help this very worth cause.
Hope you can make it!
For more information and to RSVP call Mike @ ASF 949/809-8765
I checked with Liane Schuller, Zoning Administrator with the City of Laguna Beach last week, and there still has been nothing submitted or under discussion with the Zoning Division at this time regarding any new plans for the Coast Inn and the Boom Boom Room. We will keep you posted as the SAVE the BOOM!!! campaign kicks off 2007 with our new plans to SAVE the BOOM!!! forever!
Thanks to everyone for all of your help this year. And I hope that you will try and make the ASF Holiday Party on Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Even More Pictures
Even More Photos From This Past Weekend
Out front of the Boom Boom Room, Michael signing up a brand new voter.
With the help of Amy, another voter registering!
Ken interrupting his dinner to register with Jake. It appears that registering to vote may cause funny faces....
As night falls on Sunday after a successful weekend of this pilot voter registration program, SAVE the BOOM!!! treasurer, Shane on left, signature gatherer, Brian and founder Fred, taking a break.
Out front of the Boom Boom Room, Michael signing up a brand new voter.
With the help of Amy, another voter registering!
Ken interrupting his dinner to register with Jake. It appears that registering to vote may cause funny faces....
As night falls on Sunday after a successful weekend of this pilot voter registration program, SAVE the BOOM!!! treasurer, Shane on left, signature gatherer, Brian and founder Fred, taking a break.
Monday, October 16, 2006
More Pictures from the Voter Registration Drive
at Woodys Saturday night. voter registration = fun!
and at the Boom Boom Room on Sunday -- 2 brand new voters registers with Jake:
across the street at the Koffee Klatch, a voter who recently moved is happy to
reregister with Jake and Brad:
meanwhile, back at Woodys this afternoon...Gay Voter Registration Central. Max with a happy couple, Brad and Jim:
as night falls at Woodys, Brian registering Don who recently moved, and just in time to vote in the November 7th election:
and finally SAVE the BOOM!!! Treasurer Shane, signs up a 2 stunning new voters at Woodys!
Thanks to one and all who made this first Gay Voter Registration Weekend Blitz a huge success!!! And special thanks to Joel Herzer and everyone at Woodys at the Beach for making this possible!!!
Voter Registration a Big Hit
The SAVE the BOOM!!! Team: Brad, Jake, Brian and Chris. Great job!!!
Gay Voter Registration Drive Off and Running
Weekend Blitz Underway -- 1 Down, 2 to Go...
LAGUNA BEACH, CA -- Dozens of new voters registered to vote last night in the first ever - gay and their friends - voter registration drive based out of Woodys at the Beach (http://www.woodysatthebeach.com/), 1305 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach.
The Registration Drive continues at Woodys: tonight, Saturday from 10:00 PM to 12:00 Midnight, followed by a 5-hour blitz tomorrow, Sunday from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Sunday will feature 5 for 5 -- 5 beers for $5.00 along with food and beverage specials and lots of SAVE the BOOM!!! workers signing up new voters.
"This is so gratifying to be able to provide this service to Laguna residents. Last night so many people were so appreciative that we were making it easy and convenient for them to register to vote for the all important November 7th election," said organizer Fred Karger, founder of SAVE the BOOM!!! (www.savetheboom.com).
"We will be out in force tonight and tomorrow at Woodys, the Boom Boom Room and the Koffee Klatch, come by for some fun and register to vote!!!!, concluded Karger.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Register-a-Rama
NEWS RELEASE Contact: Fred Karger (949)494-4750
October 9, 2006 Joel Herzer (949)376-8809
October 9, 2006 Joel Herzer (949)376-8809
GAY VOTER REGISTRATION WEEKEND BLITZ SET
WOODYS TO HOST WEEKEND LONG EVENT - OCTOBER 13th to 15th
LAGUNA BEACH, CA - Joel Herzer, Managing Partner of Woodys at the Beach (www.woodysatthebeach.com) announced today that Woodys will sponsor a weekend long Gay Voter Registration Drive at his famed restaurant and bar located at 1305 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach this coming weekend. The festivities will begin on Friday, October 13th and run thru Sunday, October 15th.
"It is so important that the Gay Community in Laguna Beach and our many friends all be registered to vote. We are going through so many political battles in our emerging civil rights campaign that each and every gay person should exercise his and her Constitutional Right and vote," said Herzer. "We will be pulling out all the stops at Woody's™ this weekend to make it fun and also accomplish our goal of registering as many new voters as possible."
There are city, county, state and federal candidates on the November 7th ballot and it is crucial that every gay voter participate in the election process. There are so many younger people in and around Laguna that we are targeting -- these are first time voters who will be voting for a long, long time. Additionally we will be registering and reregistering voters who have recently moved or just moved into town," he added.
"We are thrilled that Woodys is helping in such a huge way toward this first ever Gay Voter Registration Drive," said SAVE the BOOM!!! (www.savetheboom.com) founder, Fred Karger. "Joel Herzer has always been a leader in Laguna, and his help in our campaign to register gay voters and our friends is spectacular. He has lots of exciting things planned over the weekend and we will be there in force with many volunteers to help register new voters!"
The schedule for the Voter Registration Weekend Blitz will be published in a few days, but be sure that Friday, Saturday and Sunday there will be lots of excitement and good times at Woodys," concluded Karger.
Are YOU registered to vote?
Monday, October 02, 2006
Voter Registration Drive Kicks Off
See the press release we sent announcing our first ever voter registration drive.
SAVE the BOOM!!! Launches Gay Voter Registration Drive
First of Its Kind in Laguna Beach
LAGUNA BEACH, CA - The grassroots campaign that began 5 months ago to save Laguna Beach's landmark Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn kicked off a voter registration drive this past weekend in front of the Boom Boom Room. Volunteers Andrew Reynolds and Michael Aguirre began signing up new voters on Friday night and the effort will continue for the next 3 ½ weeks.
"This is a first gay voter registration drive in Laguna's history," said Fred Karger, founder of SAVE the BOOM!!! (www.savetheboom.com) "We hope that every gay voter who is not now registered to vote and all of our friends in town will register to vote in time for the November 7, 2006 election. We want to make sure that everyone will participate in this year's important election. The voter registration drive will continue through October 23, 2006, which is the cutoff for registering for this year's general election."
"We have federal, state and local candidates on the November ballot and it is so important that every gay person in Laguna Beach is registered to vote. This will be a bi-partisan effort and we plan on gathering as many new registrants as possible over the next 3 ½ weeks, with an on emphasis on registering first time voters," concluded Karger.
Bob Gentry, Co-chair of SAVE the BOOM!!! said, "I've been around Laguna politics for a long time and a gay specific voter registration drive has not been done before. We have been very successful over the past 30 years in activating the gay community, but there are so many new residents in Laguna and others whom have recently moved within the city that we need to seek them out and make sure that they are all registered to vote. The results of this year's City Council election on November 7th will determine the direction of Laguna Beach for the next two years and beyond. We hope to have a city council that will respond to the gay community and all our families, friends and supporters."
Bob Gentry was the first openly gay Mayor in the country in the 1980s. He was first elected to the Laguna Beach City Council in 1982 and served for 12 years. He served 3 terms as Mayor of Laguna during that period.
SAVE the BOOM!!! has recently concluded its summer-long petition drive and has gathered over 5,000 signatures in its attempt to save this historic property. Many volunteers and dozens of Laguna retailers participated in this petition drive. All of the petitions are being tabulated and will be broken down by gender, city, county, state and even the country of petition signers. All petitions will be turned in later next month to the Mayor and City Council of Laguna Beach for their consideration.
-30-
SAVE the BOOM!!! Launches Gay Voter Registration Drive
First of Its Kind in Laguna Beach
LAGUNA BEACH, CA - The grassroots campaign that began 5 months ago to save Laguna Beach's landmark Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn kicked off a voter registration drive this past weekend in front of the Boom Boom Room. Volunteers Andrew Reynolds and Michael Aguirre began signing up new voters on Friday night and the effort will continue for the next 3 ½ weeks.
"This is a first gay voter registration drive in Laguna's history," said Fred Karger, founder of SAVE the BOOM!!! (www.savetheboom.com) "We hope that every gay voter who is not now registered to vote and all of our friends in town will register to vote in time for the November 7, 2006 election. We want to make sure that everyone will participate in this year's important election. The voter registration drive will continue through October 23, 2006, which is the cutoff for registering for this year's general election."
"We have federal, state and local candidates on the November ballot and it is so important that every gay person in Laguna Beach is registered to vote. This will be a bi-partisan effort and we plan on gathering as many new registrants as possible over the next 3 ½ weeks, with an on emphasis on registering first time voters," concluded Karger.
Bob Gentry, Co-chair of SAVE the BOOM!!! said, "I've been around Laguna politics for a long time and a gay specific voter registration drive has not been done before. We have been very successful over the past 30 years in activating the gay community, but there are so many new residents in Laguna and others whom have recently moved within the city that we need to seek them out and make sure that they are all registered to vote. The results of this year's City Council election on November 7th will determine the direction of Laguna Beach for the next two years and beyond. We hope to have a city council that will respond to the gay community and all our families, friends and supporters."
Bob Gentry was the first openly gay Mayor in the country in the 1980s. He was first elected to the Laguna Beach City Council in 1982 and served for 12 years. He served 3 terms as Mayor of Laguna during that period.
SAVE the BOOM!!! has recently concluded its summer-long petition drive and has gathered over 5,000 signatures in its attempt to save this historic property. Many volunteers and dozens of Laguna retailers participated in this petition drive. All of the petitions are being tabulated and will be broken down by gender, city, county, state and even the country of petition signers. All petitions will be turned in later next month to the Mayor and City Council of Laguna Beach for their consideration.
-30-
Monday, September 18, 2006
News Release: Laguna Had a Gay Ol' Time on Labor Day Weekend
Laguna Beach Has Record Labor Gay Weekend
LAGUNA BEACH, CA - Laguna is back. In speaking to residents, visitors and gay and straight business owners in Laguna Beach the past two weeks, it is apparent that the 2006 three-day Labor Day Weekend broke all records.
"There has been a buzz here all summer," said Joel Herzer, owner of Woody's at the Beach, 1305 South Coast Highway, a predominantly gay Restaurant and Bar in Laguna Beach. "Business has really picked up over this past summer, and we just recorded a 25% increase in our sales and profit over last Labor Day. And Labor Day 2005 had been our biggest Labor Day Weekend since we opened our doors in 1998.
"Thanks to all of the attention that the Boom Boom Room has been getting throughout the summer, the whole town has really picked up. We are getting so many first time visitors to Laguna and our old customers are going out more often. It reminds me of when I first moved to Laguna Beach in the mid 80's. The gay vibe is definitely back in Laguna," stated Herzer.
The Boom Boom Room was recently given a second life thanks to building owner Steven Udvar-Hazy, who extended the landmark bar's lease for another year. The Boom was set to close on September 4th, but the extension will keep it open. It has been a gay bar in the same location for over 60 years, and is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the western United States.
The grassroots effort to SAVE the BOOM!!! began a petition drive Memorial Weekend and during the summer was successful in gathering over 5,000 signatures from residents and visitors alike. The petition urges the Laguna Beach City Council to help keep the Boom Boom Room and the Coast Inn permanently open as a gay bar and hotel.
"Laguna Beach is located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego," added Herzer. There are over half a million gay people living within a 60 mile radius of Laguna Beach. If only 1% of them came to Laguna for a weekend the City would be flush with cash and all the gay and straight businesses would really prosper. We need to actively go after this $15 billion a year gay travel market," concluded Herzer.
Joel can be reached at: 949/376-8809
-end-
LAGUNA BEACH, CA - Laguna is back. In speaking to residents, visitors and gay and straight business owners in Laguna Beach the past two weeks, it is apparent that the 2006 three-day Labor Day Weekend broke all records.
"There has been a buzz here all summer," said Joel Herzer, owner of Woody's at the Beach, 1305 South Coast Highway, a predominantly gay Restaurant and Bar in Laguna Beach. "Business has really picked up over this past summer, and we just recorded a 25% increase in our sales and profit over last Labor Day. And Labor Day 2005 had been our biggest Labor Day Weekend since we opened our doors in 1998.
"Thanks to all of the attention that the Boom Boom Room has been getting throughout the summer, the whole town has really picked up. We are getting so many first time visitors to Laguna and our old customers are going out more often. It reminds me of when I first moved to Laguna Beach in the mid 80's. The gay vibe is definitely back in Laguna," stated Herzer.
The Boom Boom Room was recently given a second life thanks to building owner Steven Udvar-Hazy, who extended the landmark bar's lease for another year. The Boom was set to close on September 4th, but the extension will keep it open. It has been a gay bar in the same location for over 60 years, and is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the western United States.
The grassroots effort to SAVE the BOOM!!! began a petition drive Memorial Weekend and during the summer was successful in gathering over 5,000 signatures from residents and visitors alike. The petition urges the Laguna Beach City Council to help keep the Boom Boom Room and the Coast Inn permanently open as a gay bar and hotel.
"Laguna Beach is located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego," added Herzer. There are over half a million gay people living within a 60 mile radius of Laguna Beach. If only 1% of them came to Laguna for a weekend the City would be flush with cash and all the gay and straight businesses would really prosper. We need to actively go after this $15 billion a year gay travel market," concluded Herzer.
Joel can be reached at: 949/376-8809
-end-
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
We're Still Here
This week has been quiet on the Save the Boom front, but news stories are still trickling in.
Here are two stores from San Francisco's leading gay newspaper, the Bay Are Reporter:
A story on our initial efforts and a story on our recent success.
And the September issue of DOT is still not online, but they did a great story:
http://www.dotnewsmagazine.com/oc.htm
and this from Coast Magazine:
ONCE GOING AND NOW STAYING
Last year, the South Coast Inn (Laguna Beach's second oldest hotel) and the famous Boom Boom Room was sold for $13 million to Beverly Hills billionaire Steven Udvar-Hazy, who reportedly planned to replace the inn and the popular Boom Boom Room with an 11-room boutique hotel and restaurant. Some locals feared that the loss of the Boom Boom Room “the oldest gay bar in the western U.S.“ was another sad sign that Laguna Beach's gay community is gradually shrinking.
However, Laguna Beach resident Fred Karger fought hard to keep the party going at the big Boom. He assembled volunteers, tried negotiating with the new owner, collected more than 4,000 signatures on a petition, and put together an informative website to help save this beloved bar. Luckily, it worked: the bar's current owners extend their lease for another year.
Housed inside the South Coast Inn (Laguna Beach's second-oldest hotel), the Boom Boom Room benefited from the flourishing coastal area. However, it didn't start out that way. The Boom Boom Room "then called The Seven Seas" opened in 1927 as a serviceman's bar. Starting in the late '70s, the historic club and bar became a center for the city's burgeoning gay community. Soon, with celebrities like Rock Hudson and Bette Midler stopping by, patrons both gay and straight were waiting hours just to get inside.
For more information, visit www.savetheboom.com.
JENN TANAKA
ALSO: We'll keep you posted on our efforts and the result of our petition drive. And as always, be sure to stop by the Boom for a drink or dinner.
Here are two stores from San Francisco's leading gay newspaper, the Bay Are Reporter:
A story on our initial efforts and a story on our recent success.
And the September issue of DOT is still not online, but they did a great story:
http://www.dotnewsmagazine.com/oc.htm
and this from Coast Magazine:
ONCE GOING AND NOW STAYING
Last year, the South Coast Inn (Laguna Beach's second oldest hotel) and the famous Boom Boom Room was sold for $13 million to Beverly Hills billionaire Steven Udvar-Hazy, who reportedly planned to replace the inn and the popular Boom Boom Room with an 11-room boutique hotel and restaurant. Some locals feared that the loss of the Boom Boom Room “the oldest gay bar in the western U.S.“ was another sad sign that Laguna Beach's gay community is gradually shrinking.
However, Laguna Beach resident Fred Karger fought hard to keep the party going at the big Boom. He assembled volunteers, tried negotiating with the new owner, collected more than 4,000 signatures on a petition, and put together an informative website to help save this beloved bar. Luckily, it worked: the bar's current owners extend their lease for another year.
Housed inside the South Coast Inn (Laguna Beach's second-oldest hotel), the Boom Boom Room benefited from the flourishing coastal area. However, it didn't start out that way. The Boom Boom Room "then called The Seven Seas" opened in 1927 as a serviceman's bar. Starting in the late '70s, the historic club and bar became a center for the city's burgeoning gay community. Soon, with celebrities like Rock Hudson and Bette Midler stopping by, patrons both gay and straight were waiting hours just to get inside.
For more information, visit www.savetheboom.com.
JENN TANAKA
ALSO: We'll keep you posted on our efforts and the result of our petition drive. And as always, be sure to stop by the Boom for a drink or dinner.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
And the Beat Goes On
I am back from my vacation and rested and ready to continue our quest to SAVE the BOOM!!!
There has been a lot going on the past several weeks.
We have surpassed our goal of collecting 5,000 signatures to SAVE the BOOM!!! Thanks to a great effort by volunteer coordinator, jeff delancy and the many volunteers who helped in this effort. We are still collecting signatures thru the Labor Day weekend, and would ask you to please send in any outstanding petitions to: SAVE the BOOM, 1278 Glenneyre, #20, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
We have received a large amount of press coverage on the good news that Mr. Udvar-Hazy has agreed to allow the historic coast inn and boom boom room to remain open for at least one more year. He renegotiated a one year lease extension with hotel and club operators, Patrick O'Loughlin and James Marchese.
Tthere was a big celebration at the boom last weekend. Here is the link to the photos and coverage of the party from the Orange County Register's Laguna Beach News Post on page 13:
And here are some other links to more coverage that we received.
The Advocate's story
and the lead editorial in Friday's Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot
And special thanks to Gregory Stevens who has been one of the best signature gatherers of this entire campaign. He has 7 petition clipboards in his salon and has had a SAVE the BOOM!!! banner up facing busy Pacific Coast Highway for the last month. Thank you gregory for all of your help!!!
And finally, we have been receiving several testimonials and this one was particularly moving from and an anonymous supporter:
"Thank you Fred!
The Boom has been my home away from home since January 1973. I had recently returned from Vietnam and was terrified at that time, all the time, inside. The home culture had changed and I was gay, a Viet vet and there was no place for me anywhere. I remember well that cold and rainy night I wandered in. I immediately felt warm as if I was with an old friend. The juke box was playing He's So Vain, then Tangerine and Green Eyes from the 40's, then a song by WAR. I realized that for the first time in my life I felt safe. A haven. There were pool tables in what is now the dance area and gold fish swimming under the glass on the bar. The guys all seem to know one another and with their flannel shirts and levi's were friendly, handsome and sexy. The seventies, the eighties, the nineties and beyond and I have never found anything quite like the Boom.
The people I have met there were not only from Laguna, but from big cities and small towns all over the world. I fell in love in the Boom in the 70's and it changed my life. I fell in love again there in the 80's during the time of AIDS and again it changed my life. I became an activist. We all did. I have never had as much fun, or learned as much, or had so many dreams come true, or my growth as a man as I have experienced in that sweet fine place.
Thanks again, Fred! I owe you one and big time! "
If you would like to share a boom memory(s), click on comments here in the blog and have at it.
That's it for now, except for a huge thank you to all who are helping in this campaign to protect our history and our future.
Fred
There has been a lot going on the past several weeks.
We have surpassed our goal of collecting 5,000 signatures to SAVE the BOOM!!! Thanks to a great effort by volunteer coordinator, jeff delancy and the many volunteers who helped in this effort. We are still collecting signatures thru the Labor Day weekend, and would ask you to please send in any outstanding petitions to: SAVE the BOOM, 1278 Glenneyre, #20, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
We have received a large amount of press coverage on the good news that Mr. Udvar-Hazy has agreed to allow the historic coast inn and boom boom room to remain open for at least one more year. He renegotiated a one year lease extension with hotel and club operators, Patrick O'Loughlin and James Marchese.
Tthere was a big celebration at the boom last weekend. Here is the link to the photos and coverage of the party from the Orange County Register's Laguna Beach News Post on page 13:
And here are some other links to more coverage that we received.
The Advocate's story
and the lead editorial in Friday's Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot
And special thanks to Gregory Stevens who has been one of the best signature gatherers of this entire campaign. He has 7 petition clipboards in his salon and has had a SAVE the BOOM!!! banner up facing busy Pacific Coast Highway for the last month. Thank you gregory for all of your help!!!
And finally, we have been receiving several testimonials and this one was particularly moving from and an anonymous supporter:
"Thank you Fred!
The Boom has been my home away from home since January 1973. I had recently returned from Vietnam and was terrified at that time, all the time, inside. The home culture had changed and I was gay, a Viet vet and there was no place for me anywhere. I remember well that cold and rainy night I wandered in. I immediately felt warm as if I was with an old friend. The juke box was playing He's So Vain, then Tangerine and Green Eyes from the 40's, then a song by WAR. I realized that for the first time in my life I felt safe. A haven. There were pool tables in what is now the dance area and gold fish swimming under the glass on the bar. The guys all seem to know one another and with their flannel shirts and levi's were friendly, handsome and sexy. The seventies, the eighties, the nineties and beyond and I have never found anything quite like the Boom.
The people I have met there were not only from Laguna, but from big cities and small towns all over the world. I fell in love in the Boom in the 70's and it changed my life. I fell in love again there in the 80's during the time of AIDS and again it changed my life. I became an activist. We all did. I have never had as much fun, or learned as much, or had so many dreams come true, or my growth as a man as I have experienced in that sweet fine place.
Thanks again, Fred! I owe you one and big time! "
If you would like to share a boom memory(s), click on comments here in the blog and have at it.
That's it for now, except for a huge thank you to all who are helping in this campaign to protect our history and our future.
Fred
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute Notes Success
From the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute:
Iconic gay bar slated to close granted reprieve
The Boom Boom Room, an iconic gay bar in Laguna Beach, Calif., threatened with closing, has gained an 11-month extension on its lease. The bar, a well-known gay hangout since the mid-1970s that's part of the Coast Inn, was scheduled to be razed to make way for an upscale hotel. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (8/18)
Iconic gay bar slated to close granted reprieve
The Boom Boom Room, an iconic gay bar in Laguna Beach, Calif., threatened with closing, has gained an 11-month extension on its lease. The bar, a well-known gay hangout since the mid-1970s that's part of the Coast Inn, was scheduled to be razed to make way for an upscale hotel. Los Angeles Times (free registration) (8/18)
Monday, August 21, 2006
The Advocate Reports the News
Thought that you would be intersted in this story from this week's Advocate, which is the largest national gay magazine:
August 18, 2006
Fabled Laguna Beach gay bar gets reprieve
Fabled gay bar the Boom Boom Room in Laguna Beach, Calif., where the likes of Rock Hudson, Paul Lynde, and Bette Midler once partied, has been saved from closure, at least for now. After it was purchased by a Beverly Hills businessman last year, the infamous Boom Boom Room was slated to close on September 4 to make way for an upscale hotel and restaurant on the South Coast Highway property.
But Patrick O'Laughlin and James Marchese, co-owners of the Boom Boom Room and the adjacent Coast Inn, came to terms with building owner Steven Udvar-Hazy on Wednesday to extend the bar's lease for one more year. "It's like Christmas in August," Fred Karger, who founded the group SAVE the BOOM!!! said in a statement. "This is the best possible news, and we are so grateful to Mr. Hazy for giving the oldest gay bar in the Western United States new life."
Karger, a retired Republican political consultant and former actor, gathered close to 5,000 signatures to persuade the city and new owner to keep the bar open. "It's a symbol for us.... This is history, and you don't erase history without a fight," Karger recently told the Los Angeles Times. "This is a battle for the heart and soul of gay life here."
O'Loughlin and Marchese bought the 24-room Coast Inn and the adjoining Boom Boom Room property for $2 million in 2000 but struggled to make it work as Laguna Beach's gay population dwindled. "At the time the demographics were there to support the place, but our experience shows that the demographics have shifted," O'Loughlin told the Times. "I saw a huge decline in the gay population—maybe 50%—and you didn't get more gays in to replenish it. This has become a place where the super-rich live."
O'Loughlin and Marchese sold the property last year for about $10 million to a group of investors who resold it a few months later for nearly $13 million to Udvar-Hazy, a Beverly Hills airplane-leasing mogul. Asked if there were any way he would keep the bar open after that, Udvar-Hazy seemed doubtful. "That's a hard question," he said. "A new hotel would be quite upscale, and I'm not sure from a development point of view that it is compatible with the Boom Boom Room."
But Karger is committed to saving "the Boom." "We look forward to keeping our SAVE the BOOM!!! campaign alive and hope during the next 12 months we can convince [Udvar-Hazy] that these landmark businesses should remain a vital part of Laguna Beach," he said. "This fight is essential to the gay community that live in and visit Laguna Beach. The historic Coast Inn and Boom Boom Room represent our past and our future." (The Advocate)
August 18, 2006
Fabled Laguna Beach gay bar gets reprieve
Fabled gay bar the Boom Boom Room in Laguna Beach, Calif., where the likes of Rock Hudson, Paul Lynde, and Bette Midler once partied, has been saved from closure, at least for now. After it was purchased by a Beverly Hills businessman last year, the infamous Boom Boom Room was slated to close on September 4 to make way for an upscale hotel and restaurant on the South Coast Highway property.
But Patrick O'Laughlin and James Marchese, co-owners of the Boom Boom Room and the adjacent Coast Inn, came to terms with building owner Steven Udvar-Hazy on Wednesday to extend the bar's lease for one more year. "It's like Christmas in August," Fred Karger, who founded the group SAVE the BOOM!!! said in a statement. "This is the best possible news, and we are so grateful to Mr. Hazy for giving the oldest gay bar in the Western United States new life."
Karger, a retired Republican political consultant and former actor, gathered close to 5,000 signatures to persuade the city and new owner to keep the bar open. "It's a symbol for us.... This is history, and you don't erase history without a fight," Karger recently told the Los Angeles Times. "This is a battle for the heart and soul of gay life here."
O'Loughlin and Marchese bought the 24-room Coast Inn and the adjoining Boom Boom Room property for $2 million in 2000 but struggled to make it work as Laguna Beach's gay population dwindled. "At the time the demographics were there to support the place, but our experience shows that the demographics have shifted," O'Loughlin told the Times. "I saw a huge decline in the gay population—maybe 50%—and you didn't get more gays in to replenish it. This has become a place where the super-rich live."
O'Loughlin and Marchese sold the property last year for about $10 million to a group of investors who resold it a few months later for nearly $13 million to Udvar-Hazy, a Beverly Hills airplane-leasing mogul. Asked if there were any way he would keep the bar open after that, Udvar-Hazy seemed doubtful. "That's a hard question," he said. "A new hotel would be quite upscale, and I'm not sure from a development point of view that it is compatible with the Boom Boom Room."
But Karger is committed to saving "the Boom." "We look forward to keeping our SAVE the BOOM!!! campaign alive and hope during the next 12 months we can convince [Udvar-Hazy] that these landmark businesses should remain a vital part of Laguna Beach," he said. "This fight is essential to the gay community that live in and visit Laguna Beach. The historic Coast Inn and Boom Boom Room represent our past and our future." (The Advocate)
Saturday, August 19, 2006
More Press Coverage on Save the Boom Success
There were three excellent stories in the news today that I thought I would pass on. Here are the links to the coverage.
Los Angeles Times
Laguna Beach Independent (PDF file)
Coastline Pilot
We are in the final push of our summer petition drive and are nearing our goal of 5,000 signatures. Please help us surpass this number. Simply go to our website www.savetheboom.com and click on "sign our petition" in the left hand column and print out a copy. Then sign in the top box and get four more friends, family members or co-workers to also sign to help SAVE the BOOM!!! Then mail it back to the address at the bottom of the petition. It is easy, will only take a few minutes and will greatly help in our effort to save this gay landmark for future generations.
Thank you for all of your support.
Los Angeles Times
Laguna Beach Independent (PDF file)
Coastline Pilot
We are in the final push of our summer petition drive and are nearing our goal of 5,000 signatures. Please help us surpass this number. Simply go to our website www.savetheboom.com and click on "sign our petition" in the left hand column and print out a copy. Then sign in the top box and get four more friends, family members or co-workers to also sign to help SAVE the BOOM!!! Then mail it back to the address at the bottom of the petition. It is easy, will only take a few minutes and will greatly help in our effort to save this gay landmark for future generations.
Thank you for all of your support.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Press Release: Boom Gets 11th Hour Reprieve
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Fred Karger, Founder 310/666-9119
Robert Gentry, Co-chair 808/923-4060
August 16, 2006
BOOM BOOM ROOM GETS 11th HOUR REPRIEVE
OWNERS SIGN 1 YEAR LEASE RENEWAL -- BOOM IS SAVED!!!
LAGUNA BEACH, CA -- The SAVE THE BOOM!!! organizers received word today that the landmark Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn will remain open for atleast another year.
Patrick O'Laughlin and James Marchese, co-owners of the Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn have come to terms with the building owner Steven Udvar-Hazy.
"It's like Christmas in August," stated SAVE the BOOM!!! founder, Fred Karger. " This is the best possible news and we are so grateful to Mr. Hazy for giving the oldest gay bar in the Western United States new life.
"We look forward to keeping our SAVE the BOOM!!! campaign alive, and hope during the next 12 months we can convince him that these landmark businesses should remain a vital part of Laguna Beach.
"We have gathered close to 5,000 signatures from Laguna Beach residents and visitors alike in the last 2 1/2 months to SAVE the BOOM!!!, and we think our message has been heard. We will turn these signatures into the City Council sometime after Labor Day and hope that the City leaders will help us in our crusade to SAVE the BOOM!!! forever. This fight is essential to the gay community that live in and visit Laguna Beach. The historic Coast Inn and Boom Boom Room represent out past and our future.
--end--
Contact: Fred Karger, Founder 310/666-9119
Robert Gentry, Co-chair 808/923-4060
August 16, 2006
BOOM BOOM ROOM GETS 11th HOUR REPRIEVE
OWNERS SIGN 1 YEAR LEASE RENEWAL -- BOOM IS SAVED!!!
LAGUNA BEACH, CA -- The SAVE THE BOOM!!! organizers received word today that the landmark Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn will remain open for atleast another year.
Patrick O'Laughlin and James Marchese, co-owners of the Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn have come to terms with the building owner Steven Udvar-Hazy.
"It's like Christmas in August," stated SAVE the BOOM!!! founder, Fred Karger. " This is the best possible news and we are so grateful to Mr. Hazy for giving the oldest gay bar in the Western United States new life.
"We look forward to keeping our SAVE the BOOM!!! campaign alive, and hope during the next 12 months we can convince him that these landmark businesses should remain a vital part of Laguna Beach.
"We have gathered close to 5,000 signatures from Laguna Beach residents and visitors alike in the last 2 1/2 months to SAVE the BOOM!!!, and we think our message has been heard. We will turn these signatures into the City Council sometime after Labor Day and hope that the City leaders will help us in our crusade to SAVE the BOOM!!! forever. This fight is essential to the gay community that live in and visit Laguna Beach. The historic Coast Inn and Boom Boom Room represent out past and our future.
--end--
The Boom is Saved!
Dear All -
Hard to beat this for great news! Our thanks go out to all who have helped out on
SAVE the BOOM!!! in order to make this possible. And a special thank you to mr. Steven Udvar-Hazy, the building owner for giving us a reprieve and allowing the landmark Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn in Laguna Beach to remain open for at least another year.
We will keep you posted as more announcements take place.
best regards,
fred karger
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Boom Boom Room to bop for 1 more year
The Laguna Beach gay bar's owner and operators agree on a lease extension.
By LAYLAN CONNELLY
THE REGISTER
LAGUNA BEACH - The Boom Boom Room will continue to boom for another year.
The popular gay bar appeared to be doomed after the beachfront property was sold in April 2005. It will remain open for at least 12 months after Boom Boom Room operators agreed to a lease extension Monday with the new owner, said Patrick O'Loughlin, the former owner who still runs the bar.
Throughout town, a group called "Save the Boom" has been reaching out for signatures during a petition drive to urge the new owner to keep the bar along with the Coast Inn's 24-room hotel as gay-friendly establishments.
The Boom Boom Room's heyday was in the '80s, when the bar became nationally known as one of the few places where homosexual men could let loose, said bar veteran Marty Vert, a Laguna Beach resident who started coming here about two decades ago in his early 20s.
"It was horrible. You kept a secret. You didn't know who to talk to," he said. "When you came here, it was almost like a suit of armor was removed."
The bar in recent years has been mixed with a straight clientele, many of whom showed up Aug. 9 for the popular "Dreamgirls Revue," a female-impersonation show where a group of men dresses up as celebrities such as Cher, Bette Midler and Jessica Rabbit.
"This is the place you can come – no matter if you're straight or gay – you come here to have fun," said Michelle Landley, who counted herself among the straight clientele.
In a back room, the impersonators slathered on the thick eyeliner and shadow, while the crowd filled into the bar area. The male bartenders stripped off their shirts at about 9:30 p.m., and soon the place was packed.
As Dolly Scott, 48, started working the crowd his long blonde curly wig flowing nearly down to his red-and-black sparkling mini skirt the place was bustling with laughter.
"How many newcomers do we have here?" Hands shot up in the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. "Sacrifice the virgins!" he said, strutting around the stage in his silver high-heel shoes.
The bar is one of Adam Forrester's favorite places to come, but the 27-year-old knows that, "Business is business," and he respects the former owners' reasons for selling.
"If the gay community wants to thrive here, they'll find another place to call home," he said.
O'Loughlin, who bought the property with James Marchese in 2000, said he was "pleased and honored" to continue running the Boom Boom Room. The two sold the property in 2005 to a group of investors, which in turn sold it to Steven Udvar-Hazy. Udvar-Hazy could not be reached for comment.
O'Loughlin received rights to the "Boom Boom Room" name and is searching for other locations in Southern California to start a new bar with a similar atmosphere after it closes next year.
"A lot of people might be upset it's closing," said Vert, a longtime friend of O'Loughlin. "I see it as an opportunity for a new era for the Boom Boom Room."
A farewell bash planned for Saturday is now being dubbed an encore party at the Boom Boom Room.
CONTACT US: 949-454-7356 or lconnelly@ocregister.com
Hard to beat this for great news! Our thanks go out to all who have helped out on
SAVE the BOOM!!! in order to make this possible. And a special thank you to mr. Steven Udvar-Hazy, the building owner for giving us a reprieve and allowing the landmark Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn in Laguna Beach to remain open for at least another year.
We will keep you posted as more announcements take place.
best regards,
fred karger
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Boom Boom Room to bop for 1 more year
The Laguna Beach gay bar's owner and operators agree on a lease extension.
By LAYLAN CONNELLY
THE REGISTER
LAGUNA BEACH - The Boom Boom Room will continue to boom for another year.
The popular gay bar appeared to be doomed after the beachfront property was sold in April 2005. It will remain open for at least 12 months after Boom Boom Room operators agreed to a lease extension Monday with the new owner, said Patrick O'Loughlin, the former owner who still runs the bar.
Throughout town, a group called "Save the Boom" has been reaching out for signatures during a petition drive to urge the new owner to keep the bar along with the Coast Inn's 24-room hotel as gay-friendly establishments.
The Boom Boom Room's heyday was in the '80s, when the bar became nationally known as one of the few places where homosexual men could let loose, said bar veteran Marty Vert, a Laguna Beach resident who started coming here about two decades ago in his early 20s.
"It was horrible. You kept a secret. You didn't know who to talk to," he said. "When you came here, it was almost like a suit of armor was removed."
The bar in recent years has been mixed with a straight clientele, many of whom showed up Aug. 9 for the popular "Dreamgirls Revue," a female-impersonation show where a group of men dresses up as celebrities such as Cher, Bette Midler and Jessica Rabbit.
"This is the place you can come – no matter if you're straight or gay – you come here to have fun," said Michelle Landley, who counted herself among the straight clientele.
In a back room, the impersonators slathered on the thick eyeliner and shadow, while the crowd filled into the bar area. The male bartenders stripped off their shirts at about 9:30 p.m., and soon the place was packed.
As Dolly Scott, 48, started working the crowd his long blonde curly wig flowing nearly down to his red-and-black sparkling mini skirt the place was bustling with laughter.
"How many newcomers do we have here?" Hands shot up in the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. "Sacrifice the virgins!" he said, strutting around the stage in his silver high-heel shoes.
The bar is one of Adam Forrester's favorite places to come, but the 27-year-old knows that, "Business is business," and he respects the former owners' reasons for selling.
"If the gay community wants to thrive here, they'll find another place to call home," he said.
O'Loughlin, who bought the property with James Marchese in 2000, said he was "pleased and honored" to continue running the Boom Boom Room. The two sold the property in 2005 to a group of investors, which in turn sold it to Steven Udvar-Hazy. Udvar-Hazy could not be reached for comment.
O'Loughlin received rights to the "Boom Boom Room" name and is searching for other locations in Southern California to start a new bar with a similar atmosphere after it closes next year.
"A lot of people might be upset it's closing," said Vert, a longtime friend of O'Loughlin. "I see it as an opportunity for a new era for the Boom Boom Room."
A farewell bash planned for Saturday is now being dubbed an encore party at the Boom Boom Room.
CONTACT US: 949-454-7356 or lconnelly@ocregister.com
Saturday, August 12, 2006
LA Times Profiles Plight of the Boom
Last Call Nears at the Boom Boom Room
The landmark gay bar's potential closing symbolizes the gradual shrinking of Laguna Beach's gay community. The property's owner has upscale plans.
By David Kelly, Times Staff Writer
August 12, 2006 (See the full article with pictures)
By midnight the drag queens were at it full throttle, strutting about in billowy blond wigs, faces caked with rouge and offering up ample "cleavage" for those generous or inebriated enough to slip in a few bucks.
Women yelped joyfully as taut, leggy guys dressed like Celine Dion and Cher belted out anthems on stage.
Elsewhere in the bar, dozens of men huddled close while others slung an arm around their partner. Women preened, and buff men exchanged smoldering stares.
There are swankier bars in Laguna Beach, maybe more glamorous people, but where else in Orange County can gays, lesbians, housewives, Democrats, Republicans and drag queens drink and dance under four disco balls in the middle of the week?
"This is the heart of the gay community," said Richard Barry, struggling to be heard over the din. "The other gay bars are starting points, but this is where we end up."
Not for long.
The fabled Boom Boom Room is slated to close early next month to make way for an upscale hotel and restaurant on the South Coast Highway property.
The aging building with the enormous bar, the place where Rock Hudson and Paul Lynde once partied, where a guy could inhale a martini beside a big fish tank and check out the bronzed surfers coming off the beach, seems headed for extinction.
The news has been met with anger and despair by those who see more than just a bar closing. For them, it symbolizes the gradual shrinking of Laguna Beach's gay community thanks largely to skyrocketing housing prices.
And they say that as their lifestyles have become more mainstream, gays and lesbians no longer need the protection of their own enclaves and are moving to less expensive suburbs like everyone else.
"Laguna, like West Hollywood, is becoming de-ghettoized," said Kirk Luetkehans, a doctor from Los Angeles, sitting at the bar of the Boom Boom. "It's a double-edged sword. You don't have to look over your shoulder as much, but part of me misses the community the way it was."
Some are trying to save the bar. Fred Karger, a retired Republican political consultant and former actor, is gathering signatures to persuade the city and new owner to keep it open. "It's a symbol for us…. This is history, and you don't erase history without a fight," he said. "This is a battle for the heart and soul of gay life here."
Patrick O'Loughlin and Steve Marchese bought the 24-room Coast Inn and the adjoining Boom Boom Room property for $2 million in 2000 but struggled to make it work as the town's gay population dwindled.
"At the time, the demographics were there to support the place, but our experience shows that the demographics have shifted," said O'Loughlin. "I saw a huge decline in the gay population — maybe 50% — and you didn't get more gays in to replenish it. This has become a place where the super-rich live."
The number of gays residing in Laguna Beach is not easy to estimate. The 2000 census of Laguna Beach lists 310 same-sex couples among the city's 23,727 residents. But gay residents deem this figure too low because it doesn't take into account those not in relationships.
O'Loughlin and Marchese sold the property last year for about $10 million to a group of investors who resold it a few months later for nearly $13 million to Steven Udvar-Hazy, a Beverly Hills airplane-leasing mogul.
O'Loughlin and Marchese are negotiating to extend the bar's lease nine or 10 months after the current one expires Sept. 4.
Asked if there were any way he would keep the bar open after that, Udvar-Hazy seemed doubtful. "That's a hard question," he said. "A new hotel would be quite upscale, and I'm not sure from a development point of view that it is compatible with the Boom Boom Room."
Udvar-Hazy said high commercial rents in Laguna Beach require owners to operate pricy businesses or fail. "We will go upscale, whatever we do, and, whoever can afford it, we welcome them, gay and non-gay," he said.
Gays began arriving in Laguna Beach during the early 1900s when there was an influx of artists drawn to its white beaches, picturesque coves, eucalyptus groves and azure waters. A few lived in seaside cottages built in the 1880s, some of which still stand.
The Coast Inn was built in 1927 by John "Pappy" Smith. His granddaughter, Carolyn Burris, said he got the idea for a restaurant and bar — which is now the Boom Boom Room — from a tropical island-themed eatery in Long Beach.
"He built it and named it the Seven Seas," she said. "He had fish tanks so you could drink and watch the fish."
The Seven Seas was frequented by families and the military. The name Boom Boom Room, Burris said, came from sailors and Marines who used the term as slang for sex. Another patron said it was from the sound of jungle drums, an idea in keeping with the island genre.
After the Smith family sold the bar to Sidney Bryant in the mid-1970s, the new atmosphere quickly attracted large gay crowds from around Southern California. Lines formed down the street. Celebrities such as Hudson, Lynde, Bette Midler and Martha Raye dropped in.
Then came AIDS, which thinned the ranks of the regulars.
"There was a freeness and lack of inhibition there," recalled Jeannie Mallarian, a former Boom Boom waitress. "I quit counting the AIDS victims after 192. I went to a lot of funerals. I quit crying after a while."
The community carried on. Robert Gentry became the nation's first openly gay mayor, eventually serving three terms between 1982 and 1994. Now splitting his time between Hawaii and Rancho Mirage, Gentry, 67, sees a far more affluent city where gay influence is waning.
"We have seen a change, one that started with the AIDS pandemic," he said. "There are people who want to see less gay people here. I haven't seen the city take a stand on domestic partnerships. Ten years ago we would have been the first to stand up for it. We would have sent representatives to Sacramento."
The potential demise of the Boom Boom Room, he said, is another step in the decline of gay life in the city.
"The Boom is a taproot to the gay community in Southern California," Gentry said. "It has a great deal of symbolism, a great deal of history and is an icon for the city because Laguna Beach would not be where it is today if it weren't for the gay community."
Gentry said he expected the exodus of gays to Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City and the suburbs to continue.
"These other cities will reach out and pick up the slack," he said. "There are tons of people from Laguna in Palm Springs now. I am saddened by the change, but I understand it."
Joel Herzel, owner of Woody's at the Beach, a smaller, more upscale gay bar and restaurant in town, said the city would regret losing the Boom Boom Room.
"I don't want Laguna to become like Newport. I don't want it to lose its charm," he said. "People look at the bar and say, 'It's only a bar,' but it's a place that people want; it is part of their lives. It's our past and our future. Assimilation is a great thing, but there is something to be said about knowing who you are."
Fred Karger, 56, who has lived in the city for 10 years, has assembled volunteers, collected more than 4,000 signatures on a petition, talked to the new owner and put together a website (www.savetheboom.com) dedicated to keeping the bar open.
"This is the gayest place in Orange County," he said. "I remember the first time I came here. I fell in love with the place. The Boom Boom Room was in this magical town full of upbeat, attractive, interesting people."
Karger said city officials should help save the Boom Boom Room. "They could use their bully pulpit," he said.
Mayor Steve Dicterow said he would be happy to speak to the new owner, but that's about it. "I do see the Boom Boom Room as important, but I'm fearful of city involvement because I believe in property rights," he said.
Regulars at the bar disagree about what it all means. Some see the scheduled closure as the end of an era; others view it as another storm to weather.
"Laguna Beach doesn't need another bed-and-breakfast or magnificent restaurant," said Bob Wilson, 69, an ex-merchant marine officer who has been a patron since 1978. "I have traveled the world, and you hear about this place in Amsterdam, Hong Kong — wherever you go. For me, after so many years, it's home. And now, something you could count on is gone."
Al Roberts disagreed. "I don't think gays need the protection Laguna offered years ago," he said. "I think it would be great if it stayed, but I wouldn't pressure the property owner. For some people the bar is their life, but it's not mine."
Late into the night, as sea breezes bathed the sweaty club, the drag queens began wrapping up their act. "We only have six more shows left and then we are done here!" one shouted.
The exuberant women with their dollar bills, the bare-chested barmen, the vamping transvestites, the occasional straight guy trolling for the occasional straight girl — they all quieted a bit as the reality sank in.
Happy Laguna, it seemed, would soon be less gay.
The landmark gay bar's potential closing symbolizes the gradual shrinking of Laguna Beach's gay community. The property's owner has upscale plans.
By David Kelly, Times Staff Writer
August 12, 2006 (See the full article with pictures)
By midnight the drag queens were at it full throttle, strutting about in billowy blond wigs, faces caked with rouge and offering up ample "cleavage" for those generous or inebriated enough to slip in a few bucks.
Women yelped joyfully as taut, leggy guys dressed like Celine Dion and Cher belted out anthems on stage.
Elsewhere in the bar, dozens of men huddled close while others slung an arm around their partner. Women preened, and buff men exchanged smoldering stares.
There are swankier bars in Laguna Beach, maybe more glamorous people, but where else in Orange County can gays, lesbians, housewives, Democrats, Republicans and drag queens drink and dance under four disco balls in the middle of the week?
"This is the heart of the gay community," said Richard Barry, struggling to be heard over the din. "The other gay bars are starting points, but this is where we end up."
Not for long.
The fabled Boom Boom Room is slated to close early next month to make way for an upscale hotel and restaurant on the South Coast Highway property.
The aging building with the enormous bar, the place where Rock Hudson and Paul Lynde once partied, where a guy could inhale a martini beside a big fish tank and check out the bronzed surfers coming off the beach, seems headed for extinction.
The news has been met with anger and despair by those who see more than just a bar closing. For them, it symbolizes the gradual shrinking of Laguna Beach's gay community thanks largely to skyrocketing housing prices.
And they say that as their lifestyles have become more mainstream, gays and lesbians no longer need the protection of their own enclaves and are moving to less expensive suburbs like everyone else.
"Laguna, like West Hollywood, is becoming de-ghettoized," said Kirk Luetkehans, a doctor from Los Angeles, sitting at the bar of the Boom Boom. "It's a double-edged sword. You don't have to look over your shoulder as much, but part of me misses the community the way it was."
Some are trying to save the bar. Fred Karger, a retired Republican political consultant and former actor, is gathering signatures to persuade the city and new owner to keep it open. "It's a symbol for us…. This is history, and you don't erase history without a fight," he said. "This is a battle for the heart and soul of gay life here."
Patrick O'Loughlin and Steve Marchese bought the 24-room Coast Inn and the adjoining Boom Boom Room property for $2 million in 2000 but struggled to make it work as the town's gay population dwindled.
"At the time, the demographics were there to support the place, but our experience shows that the demographics have shifted," said O'Loughlin. "I saw a huge decline in the gay population — maybe 50% — and you didn't get more gays in to replenish it. This has become a place where the super-rich live."
The number of gays residing in Laguna Beach is not easy to estimate. The 2000 census of Laguna Beach lists 310 same-sex couples among the city's 23,727 residents. But gay residents deem this figure too low because it doesn't take into account those not in relationships.
O'Loughlin and Marchese sold the property last year for about $10 million to a group of investors who resold it a few months later for nearly $13 million to Steven Udvar-Hazy, a Beverly Hills airplane-leasing mogul.
O'Loughlin and Marchese are negotiating to extend the bar's lease nine or 10 months after the current one expires Sept. 4.
Asked if there were any way he would keep the bar open after that, Udvar-Hazy seemed doubtful. "That's a hard question," he said. "A new hotel would be quite upscale, and I'm not sure from a development point of view that it is compatible with the Boom Boom Room."
Udvar-Hazy said high commercial rents in Laguna Beach require owners to operate pricy businesses or fail. "We will go upscale, whatever we do, and, whoever can afford it, we welcome them, gay and non-gay," he said.
Gays began arriving in Laguna Beach during the early 1900s when there was an influx of artists drawn to its white beaches, picturesque coves, eucalyptus groves and azure waters. A few lived in seaside cottages built in the 1880s, some of which still stand.
The Coast Inn was built in 1927 by John "Pappy" Smith. His granddaughter, Carolyn Burris, said he got the idea for a restaurant and bar — which is now the Boom Boom Room — from a tropical island-themed eatery in Long Beach.
"He built it and named it the Seven Seas," she said. "He had fish tanks so you could drink and watch the fish."
The Seven Seas was frequented by families and the military. The name Boom Boom Room, Burris said, came from sailors and Marines who used the term as slang for sex. Another patron said it was from the sound of jungle drums, an idea in keeping with the island genre.
After the Smith family sold the bar to Sidney Bryant in the mid-1970s, the new atmosphere quickly attracted large gay crowds from around Southern California. Lines formed down the street. Celebrities such as Hudson, Lynde, Bette Midler and Martha Raye dropped in.
Then came AIDS, which thinned the ranks of the regulars.
"There was a freeness and lack of inhibition there," recalled Jeannie Mallarian, a former Boom Boom waitress. "I quit counting the AIDS victims after 192. I went to a lot of funerals. I quit crying after a while."
The community carried on. Robert Gentry became the nation's first openly gay mayor, eventually serving three terms between 1982 and 1994. Now splitting his time between Hawaii and Rancho Mirage, Gentry, 67, sees a far more affluent city where gay influence is waning.
"We have seen a change, one that started with the AIDS pandemic," he said. "There are people who want to see less gay people here. I haven't seen the city take a stand on domestic partnerships. Ten years ago we would have been the first to stand up for it. We would have sent representatives to Sacramento."
The potential demise of the Boom Boom Room, he said, is another step in the decline of gay life in the city.
"The Boom is a taproot to the gay community in Southern California," Gentry said. "It has a great deal of symbolism, a great deal of history and is an icon for the city because Laguna Beach would not be where it is today if it weren't for the gay community."
Gentry said he expected the exodus of gays to Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Cathedral City and the suburbs to continue.
"These other cities will reach out and pick up the slack," he said. "There are tons of people from Laguna in Palm Springs now. I am saddened by the change, but I understand it."
Joel Herzel, owner of Woody's at the Beach, a smaller, more upscale gay bar and restaurant in town, said the city would regret losing the Boom Boom Room.
"I don't want Laguna to become like Newport. I don't want it to lose its charm," he said. "People look at the bar and say, 'It's only a bar,' but it's a place that people want; it is part of their lives. It's our past and our future. Assimilation is a great thing, but there is something to be said about knowing who you are."
Fred Karger, 56, who has lived in the city for 10 years, has assembled volunteers, collected more than 4,000 signatures on a petition, talked to the new owner and put together a website (www.savetheboom.com) dedicated to keeping the bar open.
"This is the gayest place in Orange County," he said. "I remember the first time I came here. I fell in love with the place. The Boom Boom Room was in this magical town full of upbeat, attractive, interesting people."
Karger said city officials should help save the Boom Boom Room. "They could use their bully pulpit," he said.
Mayor Steve Dicterow said he would be happy to speak to the new owner, but that's about it. "I do see the Boom Boom Room as important, but I'm fearful of city involvement because I believe in property rights," he said.
Regulars at the bar disagree about what it all means. Some see the scheduled closure as the end of an era; others view it as another storm to weather.
"Laguna Beach doesn't need another bed-and-breakfast or magnificent restaurant," said Bob Wilson, 69, an ex-merchant marine officer who has been a patron since 1978. "I have traveled the world, and you hear about this place in Amsterdam, Hong Kong — wherever you go. For me, after so many years, it's home. And now, something you could count on is gone."
Al Roberts disagreed. "I don't think gays need the protection Laguna offered years ago," he said. "I think it would be great if it stayed, but I wouldn't pressure the property owner. For some people the bar is their life, but it's not mine."
Late into the night, as sea breezes bathed the sweaty club, the drag queens began wrapping up their act. "We only have six more shows left and then we are done here!" one shouted.
The exuberant women with their dollar bills, the bare-chested barmen, the vamping transvestites, the occasional straight guy trolling for the occasional straight girl — they all quieted a bit as the reality sank in.
Happy Laguna, it seemed, would soon be less gay.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
DOT Magazine Highlights Save the Boom Efforts
• o.c. spotlight •
Locals Attempt to Save the Boom
By Tonette Shepherd
After much innuendo, it is now fact that the Boom Boom Room will be closing its doors forever, and if you have not had the opportunity to make memories at the oldest continuously operating gay club in the Western United States, time is running out. As reported in the July issue of dot Newsmagazine, the famed establishment will close on Labor Day, but committed “boomers” are going out of their way to save the historical treasure.
(See the rest of the article here)
Locals Attempt to Save the Boom
By Tonette Shepherd
After much innuendo, it is now fact that the Boom Boom Room will be closing its doors forever, and if you have not had the opportunity to make memories at the oldest continuously operating gay club in the Western United States, time is running out. As reported in the July issue of dot Newsmagazine, the famed establishment will close on Labor Day, but committed “boomers” are going out of their way to save the historical treasure.
(See the rest of the article here)
Monday, August 07, 2006
Weekend Update August 7
PETITION DRIVE TOPS 4,000 SIGNATURES
As reported in the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot, we have crossed the 4,000 mark on our petition drive! Volunteer coordinator Jeff Delancy was out and about this past weekend all around town and spent Saturday morning at Laguna's popular farmers market where he received huge support and lots of signatures from many shoppers.
We are in the final month of our signature gathering effort. If you have not signed a petition yet or would like to help gather some signatures on your own, simply go to our website www.savetheboom.com and click on "sign our petition" and print out your very own own copy. Sign the top line and get up to four more signers who also want to save the historic Coast Inn and Boom Boom Room and mail it back to the address on the bottom of the petition. It will greatly help in our efforts.
SAVING THE BOOM IN THE WINDY CITY
Dave Mawer called Saturday to report that he was wearing his bright yellow SAVE the BOOM!!! t-shirt in Chicago and was greeted by throngs of supporters asking "what was going on with the Boom?" and "How can we help?" looks like the campaign is spreading its wings around the country. That along with expanded press coverage in Washington, DC, Houston, San Francisco and San Diego is truly making this a national effort.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
News on the Boom
Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot -
August 6, 2006
CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP:
LA councilman joins Boom fight
Los Angeles' first openly gay city councilman, Bill Rosendahl, has joined the effort to preserve the Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn in Laguna Beach, Save the Boom founder Fred Karger said.
The Save the Boom effort has obtained more than 4,000 signatures on petitions, Karger said. The goal is 5,000 signatures.
Rosendahl joins former Laguna City councilman and three-time mayor Robert F. Gentry as co-chair.
"I am hopeful that we can help create a public private partnership with the city, the property owner and the gay community to preserve not only this building but gay life in Laguna Beach," Gentry said.
"I have been going to Laguna Beach since 1981," Rosendahl said. "I want to continue to come back to the Laguna I know and love just as I have been doing for the past 25 years. This club and hotel are an integral part of the community, and they should be there for future generations.
"The Boom Boom Room is steeped in history. It is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the western United States and is viewed as a landmark by the gay community. It must be preserved. I hope that Laguna Beach City leaders will help us in our campaign to Save the Boom," Rosendahl said. advertisement
Gentry, who served on the Laguna city council from 1982 to 1994, was one of the first openly gay mayors in the United States.
The Save the Boom campaign was launched June 1. For more information, visit www.savetheboom.com.
_________________________________________________
Additionally, the Laguna Beach Independent ran a story on Bill Rosendahl joining the campaign. You can find a link to the PDF story on their web site here:
LA Councilman Is In On the BOOM
August 6, 2006
CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP:
LA councilman joins Boom fight
Los Angeles' first openly gay city councilman, Bill Rosendahl, has joined the effort to preserve the Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn in Laguna Beach, Save the Boom founder Fred Karger said.
The Save the Boom effort has obtained more than 4,000 signatures on petitions, Karger said. The goal is 5,000 signatures.
Rosendahl joins former Laguna City councilman and three-time mayor Robert F. Gentry as co-chair.
"I am hopeful that we can help create a public private partnership with the city, the property owner and the gay community to preserve not only this building but gay life in Laguna Beach," Gentry said.
"I have been going to Laguna Beach since 1981," Rosendahl said. "I want to continue to come back to the Laguna I know and love just as I have been doing for the past 25 years. This club and hotel are an integral part of the community, and they should be there for future generations.
"The Boom Boom Room is steeped in history. It is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the western United States and is viewed as a landmark by the gay community. It must be preserved. I hope that Laguna Beach City leaders will help us in our campaign to Save the Boom," Rosendahl said. advertisement
Gentry, who served on the Laguna city council from 1982 to 1994, was one of the first openly gay mayors in the United States.
The Save the Boom campaign was launched June 1. For more information, visit www.savetheboom.com.
_________________________________________________
Additionally, the Laguna Beach Independent ran a story on Bill Rosendahl joining the campaign. You can find a link to the PDF story on their web site here:
LA Councilman Is In On the BOOM
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
LA City Councilman to Serve as Co-Chair (Press Release)
Los Angeles City Councilman to Serve as Co-Chair of SAVE the BOOM!!! Campaign
Bill Rosendahl Joins Robert Gentry in Top Spots
LAGUNA BEACH, CA - Respected Los Angeles City Councilman, Bill Rosendahl today joined the grassroots citizens effort to preserve the historic Boom Boom Room and Coast Inn in Laguna Beach, was announced today by SAVE the BOOM!!! Founder, Fred Karger.
"I have been going to Laguna Beach since 1981," stated Rosendahl, "I want to continue to come back to the Laguna I know and love just as I have been doing for the past 25 years. This club and hotel are an integral part of the community and they should be there for future generations."
"The Boom Boom Room is steeped in history. It is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the western United States and is viewed as a landmark by the gay community. It must be preserved!"
"I am honored to do whatever I can to help in this campaign. Laguna has always been a special place to me for a lot of reasons. It is known worldwide as a wonderful, compassionate city that has embraced diversity for over 100 years. I hope that Laguna Beach City leaders will help us in our campaign to SAVE the BOOM!!!"
Bill Rosendahl is the first openly gay man elected to the Los Angles City Council and is currently the only openly gay elected official in the city of Los Angeles - see photo attachment. He is serving in his first term and was elected in 2005. Bill Rosendahl joins former Laguna Beach City Councilman and 3 time Mayor, Robert F. Genty as Co-chair of this effort.
"I am so pleased to serve with Bill Rosendahl," said Bob Gentry. "He is a bold, courageous and decisive leader and I am honored to serve side by side with him to help preserve this landmark. I am hopeful that we can help create a public private partnership with the city, the property owner and the gay community to preserve not only this building but gay life in Laguna Beach."
Bob Gentry served on the Laguna Beach City Council from 1982 to 1994 and was the first openly gay Mayor in the United States.
Weekend Update from July 24
We have had another busy weekend out campaigning in Laguna Beach to SAVE the BOOM!!! Just about every night this week under the supervision of volunteer coordinator, Jeff Delancy signature gatherers have been in front of the boom boom room, woodys, coast liquor, the koffee klatch and main street.
We had tables set up on Saturday in north Laguna at pavilions and at ralphs supermarkets. unfortunately we hit some unpleasantness at pavilions. some very hateful remarks were directed at jeff followed by an individual heaving his coffee at him out of his speeding car. we have been hitting pockets of homophobia throughout laguna with some comments and rude behavior, but never anything like this. jeff was shaken up, but said that for this one individual there were hundreds of positive comments and lots enthusiasm for the SAVE the BOOM!!! throughout the day.
Blogs
on a brighter note, many blogs and regional gay newspapers have started to pick up our story and are spreading the word of our effort to save this gay landmark. not to be outdone, we have launched our own blog on the new and improved SAVE the BOOM!!! website. check it out:
http://savetheboom.blogspot.com/
Letters to the Editor
and there were some excellent letters to the editor in last friday's Laguna Beach Independent. here is the link to page A4. they are entitled "raise the boom" by c. bjork and "laguna beach a gay and lesbian friendly place" by roger carter (no relation).
http://www.lagunabeachindependent.com/INDY_ASEC_071406.pdf
if you would like to write a letter to the editor to help the cause, just go to our new and improved website and click on "write a letter to the editor." it will explain how to go about this. keep your letter short and sweet and make sure you include your name and phone number. lots of papers like to call and confirm with the writer after they receive the letter.
Petition Drive
The petition drive is going extremely well and we are proud to announce that we have over 3,000 signatures on hand from laguna residents and visitors alike. the awareness and interest has really soared and it is very gratifying to see the community get behind this effort.
Share Your Boom Memory
I had the pleasure of meeting two incredible women at the boom a few weeks ago who were so happy to sign our petition, here's why:
"On a warm late summer day in September 1999, we had our wedding ceremony outdoors on the back deck of the Coast Inn. It was a beautiful day with lots of people down on the beach enjoying the ocean. Our wedding video is filled with sounds of the waves crashing on the beach.
"We had a wonderful ceremony with lots of music. Some of our friends and family members contributed their voices and their piano, flute, and harp for the occasion.
The music ranged from hymns to show tunes. We even sang a song to each other as we were lighting our candle - From This Moment.
"Since there were beautiful flowers surrounding the deck, we didn't even need to bring in any flowers for the ceremony -- that was a blessing since neither one of us is gifted at floral arranging. The Boom Boom/Coast Inn chef prepared all the hors d'oeuvres for our 50 guests. Besides our guests, there were many other folks who stopped on the beach to listen to our music, or who watched the ceremony form the upper decks above!
"We will always remember that day when we said our vows before our family and friends. We are committed to a long and lasting relationship. Thank you BoomBoom and Coast Inn."
Shauna and Shanna
and if you have any stories, photos, comments, etc., that you would like to see on our blog, please send them to me by return email and we will try to put them on our site.
thank you so much to all who are helping on this campaign to SAVE the BOOM!!!
best regards, fred karger
We had tables set up on Saturday in north Laguna at pavilions and at ralphs supermarkets. unfortunately we hit some unpleasantness at pavilions. some very hateful remarks were directed at jeff followed by an individual heaving his coffee at him out of his speeding car. we have been hitting pockets of homophobia throughout laguna with some comments and rude behavior, but never anything like this. jeff was shaken up, but said that for this one individual there were hundreds of positive comments and lots enthusiasm for the SAVE the BOOM!!! throughout the day.
Blogs
on a brighter note, many blogs and regional gay newspapers have started to pick up our story and are spreading the word of our effort to save this gay landmark. not to be outdone, we have launched our own blog on the new and improved SAVE the BOOM!!! website. check it out:
http://savetheboom.blogspot.com/
Letters to the Editor
and there were some excellent letters to the editor in last friday's Laguna Beach Independent. here is the link to page A4. they are entitled "raise the boom" by c. bjork and "laguna beach a gay and lesbian friendly place" by roger carter (no relation).
http://www.lagunabeachindependent.com/INDY_ASEC_071406.pdf
if you would like to write a letter to the editor to help the cause, just go to our new and improved website and click on "write a letter to the editor." it will explain how to go about this. keep your letter short and sweet and make sure you include your name and phone number. lots of papers like to call and confirm with the writer after they receive the letter.
Petition Drive
The petition drive is going extremely well and we are proud to announce that we have over 3,000 signatures on hand from laguna residents and visitors alike. the awareness and interest has really soared and it is very gratifying to see the community get behind this effort.
Share Your Boom Memory
I had the pleasure of meeting two incredible women at the boom a few weeks ago who were so happy to sign our petition, here's why:
"On a warm late summer day in September 1999, we had our wedding ceremony outdoors on the back deck of the Coast Inn. It was a beautiful day with lots of people down on the beach enjoying the ocean. Our wedding video is filled with sounds of the waves crashing on the beach.
"We had a wonderful ceremony with lots of music. Some of our friends and family members contributed their voices and their piano, flute, and harp for the occasion.
The music ranged from hymns to show tunes. We even sang a song to each other as we were lighting our candle - From This Moment.
"Since there were beautiful flowers surrounding the deck, we didn't even need to bring in any flowers for the ceremony -- that was a blessing since neither one of us is gifted at floral arranging. The Boom Boom/Coast Inn chef prepared all the hors d'oeuvres for our 50 guests. Besides our guests, there were many other folks who stopped on the beach to listen to our music, or who watched the ceremony form the upper decks above!
"We will always remember that day when we said our vows before our family and friends. We are committed to a long and lasting relationship. Thank you BoomBoom and Coast Inn."
Shauna and Shanna
and if you have any stories, photos, comments, etc., that you would like to see on our blog, please send them to me by return email and we will try to put them on our site.
thank you so much to all who are helping on this campaign to SAVE the BOOM!!!
best regards, fred karger
Monday, July 10, 2006
Another busy weekend
had another busy -- all be it shorter -- weekend in laguna beach. new volunteer coordinator jeff delancy started working full time on the campaign to SAVE the BOOM!!!his first recruit, kandis along with jeff spent much of the weekend gathering signatures on our petitions. they set up a table in front of the sawdust festival and then moved over to the pageant of the masters and the festival of arts across the street.
there were lots of lagunans and visitors alike and there certainly was quite a bit of awareness of the cause. most people were very friendly and happy to sign. we are now getting the ol' "I've already signed...at albertsons last week," or "you got me at the beach over the 4th of july!" so it looks like we are covering the bases in town.
we received some more excelent press coverage in the Laguna News--Post and the Laguna Independent last week. here is the story from the News-post on Bob Gentry:
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Success!
The SaveTheBoom campaign was out in full force over the holiday weekend. Check out these photos!
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Laguna is back!
well, as the loooooong independence weekend winds down wanted to take a moment to update you on a busy and extremely successful holiday weekend in laguna beach.
Independence Weekend Petition Drive
we had a tremendous response from volunteers taking clipboards with SAVE the BOOM!!! petitions all over town. since it was a hot weekend throughout southern california we hit the beaches with tables and clipboards and got lots of enthusiastic signers -- both laguna residents as well as visitors. several people asked to take petitions with them to go get signatures on their own. it is amazing that the awareness and optimism have really increased over just the last couple of weeks.
over the four days we covered the busy downtown area walking and stationed in front of johnny rockets at the corner of pacific coast highway and forest. and we set up SAVE the BOOM!!! tables in front of albertsons and ralphs supermarkets. additionally, we had some volunteers walking their own neighborhoods and had great success at the boom boom room each night. I have not seen as busy a fourth of july weekend in many many years. it looks like laguna is back!
Friday, June 30, 2006
Prepping for the 4th
well, the fourth of july long holiday weekend is upon us and these are the four days we are targeting to hit laguna beach with our petitions to SAVE the BOOM!!!
please try and volunteer 1 or 2 hours (there are 96 hours making up this long weekend!) to help us get signatures. we will be setting up tables at different times throughout the weekend at the 3 large supermarkets in town, pavilions, ralphs and albertsons. we hope to have a pair of volunteers at the tables outside these storers.
additionally, we will be hitting the beaches, downtown, and walking door to door in some of the neighborhoods.
please come by my place to pick up your clipboard, pen, petitions, materials and a Free www.savetheboom.com cool t-shirt (FREE to all petition drive volunteers).
refreshments will be served. and we will have plenty of cape cods on hand in support of a similar effort that occurred in provincetown, massachusetts last summer that was successful in keeping the boatslip hotel and bar from being torn down by a chicago developer and replaced by condos.
the petition drive has really picked up steam the past couple of weeks, but we want to make a big push over the weekend when lagunans will be out and about and there will be lots of visitors in town as well.
thank you very much for your help to SAVE the BOOM!!!
please try and volunteer 1 or 2 hours (there are 96 hours making up this long weekend!) to help us get signatures. we will be setting up tables at different times throughout the weekend at the 3 large supermarkets in town, pavilions, ralphs and albertsons. we hope to have a pair of volunteers at the tables outside these storers.
additionally, we will be hitting the beaches, downtown, and walking door to door in some of the neighborhoods.
please come by my place to pick up your clipboard, pen, petitions, materials and a Free www.savetheboom.com cool t-shirt (FREE to all petition drive volunteers).
refreshments will be served. and we will have plenty of cape cods on hand in support of a similar effort that occurred in provincetown, massachusetts last summer that was successful in keeping the boatslip hotel and bar from being torn down by a chicago developer and replaced by condos.
the petition drive has really picked up steam the past couple of weeks, but we want to make a big push over the weekend when lagunans will be out and about and there will be lots of visitors in town as well.
thank you very much for your help to SAVE the BOOM!!!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Press Release: Gentry Joins Effort
Former Mayor Robert Gentry to Serve as Co-chair of SAVE the BOOM!!!Coming Out of Retirement to Lead Effort to Fight for Laguna’s Gay History and Future Urges Community to Come Together
LAGUNA BEACH, CA – Robert F. Gentry who served for 12 years on the Laguna Beach City Council including three terms as Mayor from 1982 to 1994 will become Co-chair of the grassroots citizen’s effort recently launched to save Laguna’s historic Coast Inn and Boom Boom Room. These two establishments are the cornerstone of Laguna’s gay life, and the Boom Boom Room is arguably the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the Western United States.
In accepting the leadership role in the campaign to SAVE the BOOM!!!, Gentry stated, “I am pleased and proud to join the efforts of Lagunan's and visitors alike in saving the historic Boom Boom Room from demolition and redevelopment.”
In an open letter to the community released today entitled “Save the Boom Boom Room: A Laguna Beach necessity!” Gentry stated that, “scores of gay men and women have helped to define Laguna Beach as an art colony, a sea side resort, a charming old world village, an open and affirming culture. It is now time for the community to come together again and save an important symbol, The Boom Boom Room and the historic Coast Inn. By expressing the community's value in saving this important historical business and structure, the community is affirming its respect for and tie to the gay community. Nothing could be more important at this point in time.”
SAVE the BOOM!!! Founder Fred Karger, said that, “we are thrilled to have someone so respected in Laguna Beach come on board in a major way. Bob Gentry was one of the early leaders in gay civil rights in the nation and to have him help head-up this campaign is a major boost to our efforts. He had tremendous success in saving many other things for Laguna during his 12 years on the City Council. His experience, contacts, leadership and dedication will be invaluable.
Among Gentry’s many firsts was becoming the first openly gay mayor in the United States.
Here is Bob Gentry’s Open Letter:
Save the Boom Boom Room: A Laguna Beach necessity!
I am pleased and proud to join the efforts of Lagunan's and visitors alike in saving the historic Boom Boom Room from demolition and redevelopment.
Why? For the past several decades the people of Laguna Beach, along with their neighbors and visitors have saved a number of important community assets. Here are a few examples. While serving 12 years on the Laguna Beach City Council, and as the Mayor of the City, we were successful in saving Sycamore Hills from massive development. Laguna Canyon was then threatened with the development of 10,000 homes and the ensuing traffic. The people of Laguna Beach saved the canyon by voicing their opposition to its demise and taxing themselves to purchase the property as open space. This action followed the historic saving of our coastline in the 70's from high rise development. The horrible pandemic of HIV/AIDS devastated the City of Laguna Beach, and the people again stepped forward to save the lives of many residents and visitors by establishing the only local AIDS Task Force in the County. That effort educated hundreds of citizens, and saved many lives. The giant oil and gas industries petitioned the federal government to permit oil and gas exploration off the coast of Laguna Beach. Again, the people spoke against this horrible development, and the outer continental shelf off of Laguna Beach is now immune from exploration. We saved the beautiful coastline, again.
So, now we are faced with another saving opportunity. Every community has its "tap roots" into history, tradition, and identity. One primary tap root for Laguna Beach is the gay community. Scores of gay men and women have helped to define Laguna Beach as an art colony, a sea side resort, a charming old world village, an open and affirming culture. It is now time for the community to come together again and save an important symbol, The Boom Boom Room and the historic Coast Inn. By expressing the community's value in saving this important historical business and structure, the community is affirming its respect for and tie to the gay community. Nothing could be more important at this point in time. Yes, this is private property and a private business. But it has the symbolism so important to the definition of Laguna Beach. Expressing ones desire to save this symbol sends a powerful message to our elected and appointed officials. This expression assists them in finding ways to keep Laguna Beach an important international destination resort, a creative enclave on the Orange Coast, and a community who truly cares about its history and all of its residents.
Get involved, sign the petition, and let's again save Laguna Beach!
Sunday, June 25, 2006
More front-page coverage
here is the link to dan beighley's story from friday's Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot.
http://www.coastlinepilot.com/front/story/48882p-74578c.html
another great front page story. mr. hazy can be a hero to the community if he is willing to extend the lease for the hotel and the boom. city officials have confirmed that mr. hazy has not submitted any plans to the city yet, so any renovation will be a long way off. let's hope he does the right thing and keeps the boom open while he proceeds with his planning.
will keep you posted.
and don't forget to help out this weekend for a couple of hours by taking a petition around and getting signatures to help SAVE the BOOM!!! -- more on that later.
http://www.coastlinepilot.com/front/story/48882p-74578c.html
another great front page story. mr. hazy can be a hero to the community if he is willing to extend the lease for the hotel and the boom. city officials have confirmed that mr. hazy has not submitted any plans to the city yet, so any renovation will be a long way off. let's hope he does the right thing and keeps the boom open while he proceeds with his planning.
will keep you posted.
and don't forget to help out this weekend for a couple of hours by taking a petition around and getting signatures to help SAVE the BOOM!!! -- more on that later.
Sunday, June 11, 2006
More coverage from Dana Miller
this write-up is from dana miller's column in the current issue of IN Los Angeles Magazine:
Not long ago I wrote of a friend with a plan. A dear, elegant gent named Fred Karger is on a mission with intense passion to save the Boom Boom Room in Laguna. It has been sold to a straight guy for millions and apparently the guy's concept is an upscale bed & breakfast with a swell restaurant. Fred is tenacious, if nothing else. He has just launched his new Web site, filled with action items including a petition. Check it out at savetheboom.com. Good luck Fred!
thank you, dana!
Saturday's Signature Gathering
yesterday if you were grocery shopping at ralphs market in laguna beach you would have seen a card table, signs, candy, two enthusiastic signature gatherers and some excitement from the customers (and yes, a giant piñata). at several points there was a line to sign the SAVE the BOOM!!! petition.
to get your own petition, simply go to http://savetheboom.com/ and print one out for yourself. they are fun and easy to use. sign the top box and get four more signatures from your friends and family and mail in to the address at the bottom of the petition: 1278 Glenneyre, #20, laguna beach, ca 92651
Independence Weekend Petition Drive
and we are planning a big Independence Weekend Petition Blitz in laguna from friday, june 30th through tuesday, july 4th. please let me know via return email if you would like to volunteer anytime throughout the weekend and include your phone number.
thank you very much and remember: SAVE the BOOM!!!
Not long ago I wrote of a friend with a plan. A dear, elegant gent named Fred Karger is on a mission with intense passion to save the Boom Boom Room in Laguna. It has been sold to a straight guy for millions and apparently the guy's concept is an upscale bed & breakfast with a swell restaurant. Fred is tenacious, if nothing else. He has just launched his new Web site, filled with action items including a petition. Check it out at savetheboom.com. Good luck Fred!
thank you, dana!
Saturday's Signature Gathering
yesterday if you were grocery shopping at ralphs market in laguna beach you would have seen a card table, signs, candy, two enthusiastic signature gatherers and some excitement from the customers (and yes, a giant piñata). at several points there was a line to sign the SAVE the BOOM!!! petition.to get your own petition, simply go to http://savetheboom.com/ and print one out for yourself. they are fun and easy to use. sign the top box and get four more signatures from your friends and family and mail in to the address at the bottom of the petition: 1278 Glenneyre, #20, laguna beach, ca 92651
Independence Weekend Petition Drive
and we are planning a big Independence Weekend Petition Blitz in laguna from friday, june 30th through tuesday, july 4th. please let me know via return email if you would like to volunteer anytime throughout the weekend and include your phone number.
thank you very much and remember: SAVE the BOOM!!!
Saturday, June 03, 2006
The word is spreading
yesterday's Laguna Beach Independent ran a front page story on SAVE the BOOM!!! it's the lead story and is continued on page 8. just scroll down to p 8 to see the rest of the story.
Here's a PDF version.
have already gotten a lot good feedback.
Here's a PDF version.
have already gotten a lot good feedback.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Press Release: Petition Drive Launches
Petition Drive Kicks Off Today to SAVE the BOOM!!!
LAGUNA BEACH – the grassroots campaign to save the endangered Boom Boom Room and Historic Coast Inn (1401 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach CA 92651) launched its petition drive today with a goal of gathering 5,000 signatures by Labor Day. “June 1st is the start of the Hurricane season on the East Coast, but this will be the Laguna Hurricane Season,” stated
Fred Karger, founder of Save the Boom!!! http://www.savetheboom.com/
“I spoke to the organizer of a similar effort in Provincetown, MA. Last summer they collected 3,500 signatures to stop a Chicago developer from tearing down the Boatslip and building condominiums in its place. We want to get more signatures than they did and hope to have the same results,” stated Karger. The Boatslip is a mostly gay hotel and bar in Provincetown, MA, a popular beach resort on the tip of Cape Cod.
We want to show the City leaders of Laguna Beach that the residents of Laguna, as well as visitors to our city want to keep the Boom Boom Room and the Coast Inn gay. The Boom Boom Room is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the Western United States.
The Coast Inn was sold last fall to Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, a Beverly Hills Billionaire for a reported $13 million. He also purchased the properties across the street for another $12 million. Udvar-Hazy is the 125th richest American on the Forbes list, worth an estimated $2.5 billion.
SAVE the BOOM!!! was started in March of 2006 with the goal of preserving the second oldest hotel in Laguna Beach built in 1929 and the Boom Boom Room which dates back to the 1960’s.
LAGUNA BEACH – the grassroots campaign to save the endangered Boom Boom Room and Historic Coast Inn (1401 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach CA 92651) launched its petition drive today with a goal of gathering 5,000 signatures by Labor Day. “June 1st is the start of the Hurricane season on the East Coast, but this will be the Laguna Hurricane Season,” stated
Fred Karger, founder of Save the Boom!!! http://www.savetheboom.com/
“I spoke to the organizer of a similar effort in Provincetown, MA. Last summer they collected 3,500 signatures to stop a Chicago developer from tearing down the Boatslip and building condominiums in its place. We want to get more signatures than they did and hope to have the same results,” stated Karger. The Boatslip is a mostly gay hotel and bar in Provincetown, MA, a popular beach resort on the tip of Cape Cod.
We want to show the City leaders of Laguna Beach that the residents of Laguna, as well as visitors to our city want to keep the Boom Boom Room and the Coast Inn gay. The Boom Boom Room is the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the Western United States.
The Coast Inn was sold last fall to Steven F. Udvar-Hazy, a Beverly Hills Billionaire for a reported $13 million. He also purchased the properties across the street for another $12 million. Udvar-Hazy is the 125th richest American on the Forbes list, worth an estimated $2.5 billion.
SAVE the BOOM!!! was started in March of 2006 with the goal of preserving the second oldest hotel in Laguna Beach built in 1929 and the Boom Boom Room which dates back to the 1960’s.
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Coverage in IN Magazine
dana miller's column in the current issue of In Magazine discusses the Boom (starting in the fourth paragraph). it's the first coverage in the gay press on the sale of the boom boom room. dana even asks to hear what people, so feel free to send him a quick email re your thoughts on the possible demise of this 70 year tradition.
ps also attached the LA Times story from last fall on the sale. gives some of the history.
will keep you updated as the campaign progresses.
ps also attached the LA Times story from last fall on the sale. gives some of the history.
will keep you updated as the campaign progresses.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
The Laguna Tradition is at risk
dear friends -- as you may have already heard, the Boom Boom Room and the Coast Inn have been sold. the new owner, steven udvar-hazy, wants to end the 70 + year reign of this historic place and turn it into a straight boutique hotel and restaurant. he has also purchased all the property across the street to the north where the liquor store and gay mart are located as well as the ocean front house to their west. he hopes to build a shopping center there with stores, restaurants and galleries and an underground parking structure.
check out the james pribram column from this week's laguna beach coastline pilot. the battle begins!
we definitely need to fight this and can be successful! if you want to help out or
have any thoughts on the demise of the boom and all the new development let me know.
thanks very much.
check out the james pribram column from this week's laguna beach coastline pilot. the battle begins!
we definitely need to fight this and can be successful! if you want to help out or
have any thoughts on the demise of the boom and all the new development let me know.
thanks very much.
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