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LATEST UPDATE!

Dear Fellow Friends of the Parasol



photo copyright © 2004 Ron Saari


Much has been happening since last we dashed you a note: The Seal Beach
Planning Commission met on 19 May 2004, despite repeatedly confused signals
to the contrary, and 30 or so Friends attended to show their support for the Parasol
(Thanks, if you were one of them who came).

All of these Seal Beach body
meetings have time for public comment, so it is worthwhile to attend them, even
if the Parasol is not specifically on the agenda. The Planning Commission had
no knowledge of the Parasol situation until the Friends attended and spoke,
except (presumably) through the letters and petitions they have received, and
through the press coverage. (I continue to give further installment copies of
the petition ot the Seal Beach bodies as the numbers grow.)

The Commission
seemed dismissive and closed to the Friends' efforts, which shows how important it
is that we continue to bombard them with letters and signatures, as well as
media coverage, since they will probably make the final decision on whether the
Parasol is saved or not. The latest word is that the Parasol will not be on
their agenda officially for 6 weeks or more, but we need to watch this
closely. If you want to know what is happening in the future, in terms of meetings
and events, please do NOT rely on the newspapers, instead: check the notices
(and flyers) at the Parasol (I update them frequently), ask Dorothy at the
Parasol, or check this website (You can also check the
City of Seal Beach Agenda Website for possible Seal Beach meetings, but
that is often not very clear or specific.)

Please attend the appropriate
meetings as they are announced by the Friends and speak out during the "Public
Comment" portions -this is imperative for us to "Save the Parasol"--it takes a
chorus of many voices to be heard!

As for the media coverage, that's been amazing. The OC Register had a nice
spread on the 13th of May, The Long-Beach Press-Telegram ran an article about
the Parasol on the 18th of May (which, unfortunately, discouraged a number of
folks from attending the Planning Commission meeting on the 19th), The LA Times
did a big article for this last Sunday's edition, and since then, the Parasol
story has run on 2 radio news stations, and was on the Channel 7 news and
KOCE's "Real Orange" program Monday. Please consider mentioning this media
interest in any letters you write.

A big thanks to those of you who have sent letters to the editors to the
newspapers- this is how we'll keep the Parasol "in front" of people. If you
haven't yet written, please do so (just write one letter, and address it and send
it to all of the papers and to each of the Seal Beach bodies. If you need the
addresses, they are on the flyers I sent to you, on the updated flyers at the
Parasol's cash register and on the website.) As you have been seeing and
reading, the Parasol is definitely "big news", and the press coverage has brought
in lots more petition signers and patrons to the Parasol.

Also, for your
information: Mr. Bill Doane has now resigned from the Seal Beach City Council,
and Patti Campbell has gone off; one of the new Councilmen is Mr. Ray Ybaben,
and the other remains to be appointed. So, address your letters to the Seal
Beach City Council accordingly. Consider also sending a copy of your letter
to your Assemblymen, State Senator and Congressman, as well as to the Orange
County Supervisors. (The Parasol website has this information for the local
area, but please check that they are YOUR legislators for YOUR district. It's a
good idea, anyway, to write to the ones who have the Parasol in their district.)


All the best, keep "thinking pink"

The Friends of the Parasol Committee

PARASOL IN PERIL

Fans of the architectural landmark seek
a special designation in an effort to save the Seal Beach eatery

REMODEL?

The Parasol restaurant would be demolished under proposed renovations to the
Rossmoor Center that would make way for new shops, restaurants, banks and parking.


(PHOTO BY YGNACIO NANETTI, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER)

By JENNIFER KANNE
The Orange County Register

SEAL BEACH – Locals who love the Parasol's pink motif
and fried Monte Cristo sandwiches are protesting plans to raze
the restaurant as part of a proposed shopping-center remodel.

They point to its Googie architecture, a style popularized in the 1950s and 1960s,
as a reason why it merits preservation. Googie buildings are typically diners and bowling alleys with outer-space-inspired designs and colors such as orange and mint green,
which were intended to lure passing motorists.

About 4,500 people have signed a petition stating that the demolition of the Parasol
would "represent a great cultural, historic and aesthetic loss to our community."

"We've been coming here since it opened," said Robert Johnson, a Cypress resident who dines at the Parasol three times a week and favors the ham-and-egg breakfast.

Johnson's loyalty is echoed by dozens of residents who say the Parasol is an affordable, home-style option that has become a community landmark since its opening in 1967.
Its cheerful staff, original walnut-colored Formica counters and early-bird dinners make
it a favorite among residents of nearby Leisure World.

Owner Roy Hall, who started as a manager when the restaurant opened, said his lease
expires next year, but he would like to keep the restaurant just as it is.

The Parasol's 37-year history in Seal Beach

• 1967: Restaurant opens. A dreemburger costs 55¢, and a malt costs 35¢.

• 1977: Beer and wine sales begin.

• Mid-'80s: Gardenburger and vegetable soup are added to menu
because vegetarian items become popular.

• 1987: Major renovation. Closed down for weeks to re-do carpeting,
painting, chairs. New uniform designs for staff.

• 1999: Patio opens to accommodate customers who want to smoke.

• 2004: Shopping-center remodel that includes razing the Parasol is proposed.
A dreemburger costs $4.55, and a malt costs $3.25.

"I've thought many times of making changes, but I just couldn't see it," Hall said.
"After a while, you just say it's working the way it is. Don't touch it."

The proposed renovations to the Rossmoor Center call for the demolition of
the Parasol to make way for new shops, restaurants, banks and parking.

The building is not listed on any local or national registers of historical landmarks, but supporters would like to preserve it by getting it a special designation because of its architectural design and cultural value. Receiving a historical designation from the city or state would not necessarily protect it from demolition. Supporters are also hoping to
persuade property owner Century National Properties to keep the Parasol as it is.

Representatives of Century National Properties did not return calls to comment.

Waitress Connie Miller has been at the Parasol for 14 years and works alongside her mother, Glenda, on many shifts. Miller's grandmother also worked at the Parasol,
and her son fills in as a busboy.

"It just seemed like a natural flow of things," Miller said of her decision to start working at the Parasol. "We have great customers. They know us, and we know them."

Jean Hardie and Barbara Ingram were among the first patrons to sign the petition to preserve the Parasol. They have eaten breakfast there five days a week since Ingram's husband passed away about a year ago. Miller is their favorite waitress, and she serves them most days.
They wave to other regulars from their booth and linger over eggs and hash browns.

"It gets you up and dressed in the morning," Ingram said. "It's more like a family breakfast."

Gautham Thomas, 21, started coming to the Parasol while growing up in Rossmoor.
"It's a cool place," Thomas said, "It's original, and it's not a chain."

Preventing the Parasol from being razed may be difficult, said Associate City Planner Mac Cummins, because the plans comply with all of the city's zoning requirements.
Cummins noted that the city's responsibility is to assess the environmental impact of the project under the California Environmental Quality Act, which does not have specific
preservation guidelines that would apply to the Parasol.

Councilman John Larson, whose district includes the Parasol, said he would support a historical designation for the restaurant if community support grows.
He said he was surprised by the loyalty that the eatery has inspired.

"To me, it was a restaurant that was convenient, and apparently a lot of people went there," Larson said. "I didn't think many people went to it because it looked like an umbrella."

A sketch shows the proposed development for the Village at Rossmoor Center,
where the Parasol restaurant now stands  (City of Seal Beach)