Let’s learn from Laguna Woods’ battle for its globe.
On April 30, 2007, in a lawsuit brought against Leisure World at Laguna Woods, the court ruled that Heidi Cortese’s company, Rossmoor Construction Company Inc., was the legal owner of the name “Leisure World” and the globe sculpture. By this time, the residents of Laguna Woods had already changed their name to Laguna Woods Village, to avoid having to pay for using the name “Leisure World.” As part of the lawsuit, Laguna Woods Village was forced to disassemble their globe on May 16, 2007.
A desperate effort was made to save the globe by appealing to county officials. The Orange County Historical Commission called the globe, “a historic object worthy of preservation,” but it was too late to save the globe. George Portlock, President of Golden Rain Foundation at Laguna Woods Village, commented, “I wish they had told us that before, then we wouldn’t be here. I’m sorry the attorneys didn’t follow through.”
That was six years ago. Heidi Cortese learned some costly lessons from her lawsuit against Leisure World at Laguna Woods. She spent a lot of time and money on the lawsuit and ended up with nothing.
• Leisure World at Laguna Woods did not want to pay Heidi Cortese $1,500/month for the use of the name “Leisure World” and the globe icon. They refused her offer and changed their name, which meant no more checks in the mail from realtors who had to pay her for using the name “Leisure World.”
• She won the lawsuit, but got some really bad press, by forcing a community to destroy a landmark which they cherished and which the Orange County Historical Commission had designated, “a historic object worthy of preservation.”
• The name “Leisure World” and the globe sculpture were reminders to the community of the part that her father, developer Ross Cortese, played in the founding of Laguna Woods. They are all gone, as a result of the lawsuit.
If Heidi Cortese were going to bring a lawsuit against Leisure World at Seal Beach, over the name and the globe, she would have done so by now. The last thing she wants to see is news stories with headlines like, “Cortese Orders Seal Beach Seniors To Pay Up Or Destroy Their World” or “Cortese Orders Seniors To Destroy A Historic Landmark,” along with pictures of seniors standing in front of the globe holding up signs like, “Save Our World.” It’s bad publicity for her company and the Leisure World brand.
There are some in Leisure World who want to change our name and destroy the globe because they are afraid of a lawsuit by Heidi Cortese. Let’s not destroy a historic landmark because of fear and speculation about what Heidi Cortese might do. We shouldn’t be afraid of Heidi Cortese. It’s Heidi Cortese who should be afraid of us.
We know how the Game of Globes is played, because we have seen it played out at Laguna Woods. If Heidi Cortese tells us that we have to pay her for the name “Leisure World,” then we change our name. If she tells us that we have to pay her, if we want to keep our globe, then we tell her she can have the globe.
I would hate to see the globe destroyed. Like the Parasol Building on Seal Beach Boulevard, which is currently occupied by Panera Bread, the globe is an important example of a style of Modern architecture, called Googie, which originated in Southern California. But we can’t allow Heidi Cortese to use the threat of destroying the globe to extort money from us.
Let’s learn from Laguna Woods’ experience and contact the Orange County Historical Commission. Have them evaluate the globe and ask them, if it is possible to grant it landmark status, so that it can not be destroyed.
Signe Merrifield is a resident of Seal Beach LeisureWorld’s Mutual 16.
