Community Connection

Monthly Online Newsletter - August 2006

Election Information for November

The City Clerk reminds us of the upcoming General Municipal Election November 7, 2006.
 
Local offices open for this year’s election are four (4) City Council Members and the City Attorney.  Interested candidates can file their nomination papers and candidate’s statements beginning July 17, 2006 through August 11, 2006 in the City Clerk’s Office located on the 2nd floor of City Hall.   
 
The last day to register to vote in this election is October 23, 2006.  Citizens who will attain 18 years of age on or before November 7, 2006 may register to vote for this election.  If you have moved - you need to re-register.  Registration is offered in the City Clerk’s Office from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.  Voter registration is also available on the Orange County Registrar of Voters’ Website:  www.ocvote.com. 
 
Sample ballot pamphlets will be mailed from the Registrar’s Office in Santa Ana beginning approximately September 28, 2006 and completed around October 17, 2006.
 
The last day to apply for a regular Absentee Ballot is October 31, 2006.  Emergency Absentee Ballots are issued only from the Registrar of Voters’ Office on November 1 through November 7, 2006.  November 7, 2006 is Election Day.  Polls will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

For translated election materials in Chinese, Korean, Spanish or Vietnamese, please contact the Orange County Registrar of Voters at (714) 567-7600 or visit www.ocvote.com.

Clerk’s Office now offers photos for passports

The City of Huntington Beach Passport Acceptance Facility staff, located in the Office of the City Clerk on the 2nd floor of City Hall, is excited to announce that they now offer passport photograph services for members of the public who wish to complete the passport application process at one location.

For more information on this service, contact the City of Huntington Beach Passport Acceptance Facility at (714) 374-1600, or visit the facility at 2000 Main Street in Huntington Beach.

 

Huntington Beach to Host 2006 National Lifeguard Competition

Huntington Beach, the City that recently earned international acclaim for its Surf City USA® trademark, has been selected by the United States Lifeguard Association (USLA) as the location for the 2006 National Lifeguard Competition.  Scheduled for August 10th through the 13th, this year’s event is expected to draw more than 1,000 competitors from around the country for a series of running, swimming and boating competitions for both adults and junior lifeguards. 

“Huntington Beach is home to some of the best beaches and some of the best lifeguards in the world,” said Craig Lumb, this year’s event organizer and member of the Huntington State Beach Lifeguard Association.  “The west coast has typically dominated this competition, but the east coast is stepping up to the plate.  It will be interesting to see who takes the lead this year.”

The 2006 USLA National Lifeguard Championships will be promoted by ESPN Fox Sports News, which also plans to develop a televised special. The competition will be held at the Huntington State Beach, south of Beach Blvd. In addition to the beautiful beaches and wonderful weather Huntington Beach has to offer year round, the city is conveniently located near the Long Beach Aquarium, Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland. 

Held annually, the National Lifeguard Competition includes lifesaving organizations from all over the country.  Past competitions have been held in locations including Florida, Virginia, New Jersey and California. 

The United States Lifeguard Association (USLA) is a nonprofit, professional association of beach lifeguards and open water rescuers, and the primary representative to the International Life Saving Federation – the worldwide body of lifeguards. USLA is composed of more than 100 local chapters, nationwide. The goal of the organization is to reduce the incidence of death and injury in the aquatic environment through public education, national aquatic rescue standards, training programs, promotion of high levels of readiness, and other means.  Visit www.usla.org for more information.

Annual Distance Derby Run/Walk to Benefit Project Self-Sufficiency

On August 19, 2006, the City of Huntington Beach and Title Sponsor, Rainbow Disposal, will hold its 52nd Annual Distance Derby, the oldest run/walk in Orange County. The 10 mile run will begin at 7 a.m. at beautiful Pier Plaza and head south for 2.5 miles along the service road.  At 8:30 a.m. the 5 mile run/walk will begin followed by the Surf Kids Fun Run at 10 a.m.  The event takes place on a flat course with a spectacular view of the ocean!

Again in 2006, race proceeds will go to support Project Self-Sufficiency.  Project Self-Sufficiency (PS-S) is a city program that provides support for low-income, single parents and their children. 

To participate in the PS-S program, parents must be:  single, attend school/occupational skills training, live or work in Huntington Beach and be highly motivated to work toward achieving a career that will support their family.  Each year, Project Self-Sufficiency recognizes participants for their outstanding accomplishments at the annual “June Recognition Program.”   This year, PS-S will be recognizing 30 single parents for their achievements and will award more than $50,000 in educational scholarships.

At the June 2006 program, Project Self -Sufficiency will proudly recognize Mark for his accomplishments in the program.  Mark is a single father of a daughter, Annabella, and has been in the PS-S program for almost 2.5 years. 

Mark is also in the AGS Honor Society.  He has struggled with paying the rent, making sure his daughter had adequate child-care, food, and other necessities, just like so many other parents.  But this June, Mark is receiving his AA degree from Golden West College.  He has plans to transfer to a 4- year college and work towards his BA.  “It has been tough,” he says but PS-S has helped me and I am in my final semester at GWC and will receive my AA in May of 2006.  I know that this dream would not have come true if it wasn’t for the PS-S Foundation, Golden West College, Susan Edwards and the awesome community we live in…. Huntington Beach!  Thank you everyone!”  Mark is a real success story and we are very proud of his accomplishments.

There are also many opportunities for businesses and non-profit organizations to become involved in this fabulous community event.  If you are interested in being an event sponsor or a volunteer, please contact the Huntington Beach Community Services Department at 536-5486, or to register for the event, visit www.active.com

Huck Finn Fishing Derby to be held at the Pier

Children need to get their fishing poles ready because the Huntington Beach Huck Finn Fishing Derby and Costume Contest will be held on the Pier on Saturday, August 12.  This event, which goes from 9:30 a.m. to noon, is free. 

Children 15 years of age and under can dress up and must bring their own pole and tackle.  A grand prize for the largest fish caught will be awarded, along with many other prizes, including awards for the best dressed Huck Finn and Becky Thatcher.  Some of the prizes this year include bikes, fishing poles, fishing passes, and gift certificates.

Last year, more than 325 children participated in the event, making it the biggest event ever in the history of the fishing derby and this year is expected to be just as popular. 

The event is sponsored by the City of Huntington Beach Community Services Department and will be hosted by Cliff Johnson, the owner and operator of Let’s Go Fishing, and by Western Fishing & Boating Radio.  Major participating organizations include: Sports Chalet, Ruby’s, Big Fish Tackle, Carl’s JR. Restaurants, Huntington Beach Fishing & Recreation Club, the cities of Huntington Beach and Seal Beach, and Surf City Store.

In order to participate this year, children 15 years of age and under can register for free at the Pier from 8 to 9:15 a.m. on the morning of Saturday, August 27. For additional information, please call Dottie Hughes, Community Services, at (714) 536-5262.

Human Relations Task Force Vacancy

The City of Huntington Beach would like to announce that it has one vacancy on the City’s Human Relations Task Force.  The mission of the Huntington Beach Human Relations Task Force is to promote and celebrate diversity in our community through education and understanding.  The Task Force works towards achieving its mission by sponsoring annual community events, dialogues, and educational field trips for middle school students. 

Applicants must be residents of Huntington Beach and be available to attend meetings the first Tuesday evening of every month.   The current vacancy is for a term ending December 31, 2009. 

For more information regarding this volunteer position, contact Elaine Kuhnke, Community Services, at (714) 374-5307 or ekuhnke@surfcity-hb.org.   Applications may be downloaded from the City’s website at surfcity-hb.org.  The application due date is August 4, 2006 or until filled.

Council on Aging to host Senior Saturday 2006

The Huntington Beach Council on Aging is proud to announce its 18th Annual “Senior Saturday Community Festival,” to be held at Pier Plaza in downtown Huntington Beach, on September 9, 2006, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.

Approximately 70 sponsor booths will be at the event offering information, products and services geared toward seniors. This is an excellent opportunity for seniors and their families to spend an afternoon by the Pier while gathering pertinent information amid a festive atmosphere.

In addition to the sponsor booths, there will be a $2 breakfast, $2 lunch, and free entertainment throughout the day.

Pier Plaza is located adjacent to the Huntington Beach Pier at the intersection of Main St. and Pacific Coast Highway.

The Council on Aging is a non-profit organization that supports programs and services for Huntington Beach Seniors through the Michael E. Rodgers Seniors’ Center and the Huntington Beach Senior Outreach.

For more information, please call the Michael E. Rodgers Seniors’ Center at (714) 536-9387.

August Food Drive

During the month of August, the City of Huntington Beach is sponsoring its 6th Annual Citywide Food Drive in support of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.  The Food Bank serves 396 member charities in Orange County who, in turn, feed more than 220,000 needy individuals each month.

Collection barrels for canned food and nonperishable food items have been placed at the following locations throughout the city:

· City Hall - 1st, 4th, & 5th floors

· City Gym and Pool - 1600 Palm Ave.

· City Yard - 17371 Gothard St.

· Moorhouse Lifeguard Headquarters - 103 PCH

· Utilities Division - 19001 Huntington St.

· Edison Com. Center - 21377 Magnolia Ave.

· Murdy Community Center - 7000 Norma Dr.

· Central Library - 7111 Talbert Ave.

· Fire Station #5 - 530 Lake Street

· Main Street Library - 525 Main St.

With your help, we can make this food drive a great success.  Please direct any questions to Cathy Fikes at 536-5203.

Civil War Reenactment to take place at Central Park

Huntington Beach Central Park will be transformed into a battle ground between the North and the South in September, when Huntington Beach Historical Society presents Civil War Days. 

This two-day event, which is free to the public, will be held during Labor Day weekend, on September 2 and 3. 

Civil War Days will be held in Central Park, which is located behind the Library, between Gothard and Goldenwest, and between Talbert and Slater, and will give visitors a look into life in the 1800’s.

There will be costumed actors, music, food, weapons demonstrations, battle reenactments, scenes of the camp life of a soldier, and Sutlers selling their wares to visitors. This event, which will be fun for the whole family, will also help to benefit the Huntington Beach Historical Society.

The camp will be open to the public on Saturday, September 2 at 10 a.m., with the first battle beginning at 1:30 p.m. and the second battle at 4 p.m., followed by a twilight concert.  There will also be a Living History Weapons Demonstration at 2:30 p.m. 

Sunday, September 3 will begin with Church services at 8 a.m., and camp will open at 9 a.m. The first battle will begin at 11 a.m. and the second battle will begin at 2 p.m.  The Living History Weapons Demonstration will be held at noon. 

For more information on Civil War Days, please call Kelly at (714) 969-8928 or email Hbhistory@aol.com. 

Bringing dogs is not recommended because of the loud noise.

Huntington Beach Lifeguards filmed for Water Search and Rescue Training Film

The National Terrorism Preparedness Institute chose Huntington Beach and our Marine Safety Services to feature in one of their latest training videos, and sent a crew down to the beach last month to film them in action.  The National Terrorism Preparedness Institute (NTPI) is an organization that is dedicated to providing education and training for our nation in terrorism awareness, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. 

As part of their program, NTPI records training and safety videos and presents them on ComNET, a recurring television broadcast program offering terrorism related awareness information for the Nation’s civilian and military emergency response. 

For a feature on Water Search and Rescue, NTPI chose to come to Huntington Beach to explore the specialized training and rescue services of our Marine Safety Services and to demonstrate how it has become a leading agency and an international lifesaving model. 

A crew spent a few days with Surf City’s Marine Safety Officers, filming the new Lifeguard Headquarters, and following the guards as they demonstrated the resources they use as they provide public safety through a variety of functions and responsibilities.  The crew filmed the guards demonstrating how they would respond to a variety of rescue incidents utilizing resources such as wave runners, ATV’s, and the Lifeguard Headquarters command center.

The Huntington Beach Marine Safety Operation provides public safety for both residents and visitors. Lifeguards patrol the 3.5-mile shoreline from dawn to dusk, every day of the year.  Daily staffing levels vary from five Marine Safety Officers in October through April, to as many as 65 lifeguards in the summer. During the fall and spring seasons, staffing levels vary, based on attendance and weather conditions.

Water Search and Rescue requires highly skilled Marine Safety Staff who are experts in aquatic rescue and incident command.  They need to be equipped to respond to a variety of rescue incidents, including terrorism.  NTPI selected the Marine Safety Officers of Huntington Beach as the model of exceptional training and rescue services for their program.  We can be proud to have them working year-round keeping our beaches and water safe.

The show that NTPI filmed will be used for training purposes for other agencies and cities throughout the country. The program will be available for the public on the Internet.  NTPI requests that viewers register to view the program online at http://terrorism.spcollege.edu.  Additional information regarding ComNET can be found on the NTPI Website by clicking on ComNET, or by calling (877) 257-3182.  This program will air on the Internet on August 23 from 2 to 3 p.m., and then will be available on the website.

Huntington Beach Public Library-Children’s Library Upcoming Events

The Central Library offers a variety of programs and activities for children!  In addition to participating in weekly storytimes and crafts, kids can visit the Children’s Department for computer and Internet access.  Visit our website at www.hbpl.org for a listing of our regularly scheduled storytimes.

Special Upcoming Events for August 2006:

2006 Summer Reading Program
Last chance to sign up is August 5!!
Children’s Department at the Central Library, and all branches-FREE        
Tuesday, June 27, 2006 – Friday, August 25, 2006
Come sign up for the Summer Reading Program before August 5, 2006.  Children between the ages of 2 and 12 can participate.  They can get prizes for visiting the library!  

Rudy’s Radical Science

Tabby Storytime Theatre- $3 per child $5 per adult
Wednesday, August 2, 2006 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Watch dry ice turn milk into ice cream within seconds!  See different chemicals change color right before your eyes!  Come to this special summer program to learn how science can be both fun and amazing. Tickets go on sale July 13, 2006.  Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended! 

Family Evening Pajama Storytime
Tabby Storytime Theater- FREE
Thursday, August 10, 2006 7:00 PM

Come celebrate summer with stories, songs, puppets and more!  Wear your pajamas and bring your teddy bear.  Refreshments provided by the National Charity League.

KIDSGUIDE SUMMER CHALLENGE GRAND PRIZE CELEBRATION

Library Theater- FREE
Friday, August 18, 2006 1:00-3:00 PM

Kidsguide magazine is holding a celebration at the library to award grand prizes to their Summer Challenge winners.  Reservations are required to attend.  Call (562) 799-0140 for more details and to sign up. Web site: www.kidsguide.info.          

Adventure Playground Provides Hours of Fun This Summer 

Every summer, the kids in Huntington Beach are given the opportunity to play as children once played in the days of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.  This summer, Adventure Playground provided children with a wonderful playing experience complete with forts, rafts on a small pond, rope bridges, a tire zip line, and a great mud slide.  Adventure Playground is held every year at Central Park and is sponsored by the City of Huntington Beach Community Service Department. This adventure, best suited for children from ages six to twelve-years-old, provided a great day of fun for many.  

A helpful staff ensured that children always had a fun and safe experience.  Many parents brought towels or chairs to watch, although they were encouraged to participate. Children had their turns using a pole to navigate a raft through the pond, crossing the rope bridge, or riding on the tire zip line.  Because the rafts are one of the most popular attractions, a limited number of children are allowed in the pond at one time and the sessions are timed so everyone will get a turn.  

Periodically throughout the day, the mud slide, a favorite for many of the kids, opened up, and they eagerly awaited their turn to ride down into the muddy pool at the bottom of the slide.  For those who weren’t ready to get wet and muddy, Adventure Playground also had several forts where children used hammers and saws to practice their building skills.

Children wore tennis shoes and were prepared to get dirty.  Many families bring a lunch and enjoy the day at Adventure Playground, which is open from mid-June to mid-August, every summer. For more information and group reservations, call (714) 842-7442.  A small fee of $3 per child is charged.  Adventure Playground is held at the Huntington Beach Central Park between Gothard and Goldenwest Streets.  Enter from the Central Library parking lot.

RV Permits Available Online

Obtaining an RV Permit is now much easier, and can be done without difficulty from the comfort of your own home.  Now, the permit application can be filled out online on the City’s website.  One of the huge benefits of filling out your permit application online is that you will quickly receive your permit number and also will be able to login at any time to see all your permit information.  This online permit system also calculates how many days of permit use you have left for any given month.

The Huntington Beach City Municipal Code authorizes the Chief of Police to issue no-cost temporary Recreational Vehicle/Oversized Vehicle parking permits providing the permits are obtained by a resident prior to the date and time the vehicle is parked.

Recreational Vehicles are defined as: Recreational Vehicles over twenty (20) feet in length, unattached boat trailers or unattached personal watercraft trailers. Parking permits are only allowed on public streets or highways in a residential district. Permit holders are required to temporarily move their recreational vehicles on scheduled street sweeping dates and comply with the street sweeping ordinance.
Most residents will want to request a 24-hour permit. Up to sixteen (16) of the 24-hour RV parking permits are allowed per resident per month. No more than eight (8) parking days can be linked together consecutively. The maximum number of permits a resident can use in a year is 100.  Permits are limited to the area in front of the residence or in reasonable proximity when the front of the residence is not available. Permit holders are required to temporarily move their recreational vehicles on scheduled street sweeping dates and comply with the street sweeping ordinance. Additional types of permits are also available online: medical, daily use, and construction. Information on these permits are also available on the online application.
To fill out an online application, simply go to the city’s website, www.surfcity-hb.org, and go to “Residents,” then “City Services,” and then “RV Parking Permits.”  There, it is easy to fill out your information and to request a permit for any time and date.  You are able to request multiple permits, using this system, as long as you stay within the guidelines of the Municipal Code.  Then, you will be able to login to the system and easily keep track of all of your permits.

After you have requested a permit, you will receive a permit number and you are in the system.  This is all you need; any police officer can now look up your license plate number and see that you have a permit for your recreational vehicle or trailer. The system also allows the police to easily monitor which vehicles are parked without permits and to issue citations. 

If you have any questions or comments please call (714) 536-5663, from Monday through Friday.

HB Tsunami Program on Discovery Channel

Huntington Beach will be one of a few worldwide cities featured on a Discovery Channel International show called “Could It Happen Here?”

The show will explore how six types of disasters throughout the world could cause catastrophic impact.  The segment featuring Huntington Beach and the Long Beach and Los Angeles Harbors will focus on the impact of a tsunami striking Southern California. 

Becker Entertainment, an Australian film company, was hired by the Discovery Channel to develop the hour-long documentary.  When its researchers were looking for a city that is on the leading edge of tsunami preparedness, Huntington Beach was recognized for having both a Tsunami Mitigation Plan and a Tsunami Response Plan in place.  In addition, these plans had been recently tested when the City hosted 14 public agencies from the City, the County and surrounding communities to conduct a Tsunami Exercise on May 4, 2006.  Along with its planning preparedness, Huntington Beach is recognized for its award-winning Fire Department-sponsored CERT program.  CERT works with the Fire Department to provide community education on all hazards that threaten the city.

On May 30, 2006, the Becker Entertainment crew visited Huntington Beach to tape its segment for the documentary.  Several facets of the City’s Emergency Operations were highlighted.  The crew interviewed Glorria Morrison, the Huntington Beach Emergency Services Coordinator, in the City’s Emergency Operations Center about the City’s response planning and preparation for various tsunami scenarios. Later, a simulation of a response to a tsunami warning was also filmed in the recently upgraded EOC. 

The film team then visited Pier Plaza, taping additional interview footage while HB’s dedicated CERT Team was shown handing out Tsunami Safety Rules.  (CERT members Carol Burtis, Peter and Virginia Petrelis, Dick White, and the film crew and equipment, pictured with Glorria Morrison and Brevyn Mettler of the HBFD Emergency Operations Center.)  

Marine Safety Lt. Greg Crow conducted a mock Tsunami Warning from the lifeguard tower.  Interviews about Huntington Beach’s Emergency Preparedness Program followed.

Local Geophysicist, Dr. Mark Legg, was interviewed about the threat of tsunamis along the Southern California coastline.  Also featured was writer Dr. Dennis Mileti, Professor at University of Colorado at Boulder and author of a leading textbook on hazard mitigation and creating disaster-resilient communities. 

In addition to the positive promotion of the City’s Emergency Management Program, the beaches were beautiful and it was an excellent opportunity to show off our Surf City paradise to the entire world.

“Could It Happen Here?” is scheduled to air on the Discovery Channel in November 2006.

Robert Dominguez Honored with the Mayor’s Award

On July 17, Robert “Bobby” Dominguez was honored as the City Attorney’s Office recipient of the Mayor’s Award. 

Bobby came to the City in 1999 after 25 years of service in law enforcement in the City of Los Angeles.  He is a jack-of-all-trades for the City Attorney’s Office. Bobby interfaces with other departments to gather documents and interviews witnesses on a variety of criminal and civil cases.  He is also an active member of the City’s Workplace Violence Committee of the Police Department Crisis Management Team.  Currently, he is working with the City’s Leadership Team on the upcoming management workshop.

Bobby was joined at the City Council meeting with his wife, mother, his colleagues from the City Attorney’s Office and all sorts of family members. 

 

For a complete listing of events in Huntington Beach, visit the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau Calendar at
www.surfcityevents.com

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August Television Schedule for Channel Three

Informational programming will be running on Channel 3 according to the following schedule: (Subject to change) Mondays from 9 am to noon, Wednesdays from 2 pm to 5 pm, Fridays from 6 pm to 9 pm, Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm. 

The Classic Arts programming runs Sundays 8am to noon and 7 pm to 11 pm; Mondays 2 pm to 6 pm; Tuesdays 5 pm to 7 pm; Wednesdays 8 am to noon; Thursdays 3 pm to 7 pm; Fridays 8 am to noon; and Saturdays 4 pm to 6 pm and 8 pm to 10 pm.