Community Connection

Monthly Online Newsletter - November 2005

Dedication held for Peter Green Park

Peter Green Park was officially opened on October 22, 2005. Children, who could not wait to begin playing in the park, climbed on the playground equipment as a dedication ceremony was held, officially opening the park. The ceremony honored Peter Green's dedication to the community and celebrated the opening of a new city park. The overcast day could not stop the large crowd of Peter Green's admirers from coming out and honoring a man who has done so much for this community.

Peter Green is a World War II Navy Veteran of the South Pacific Theater of Operations. He has dedicated much of his life to civil service. He is a founding member and Past President of both the Amigos De Bolsa Chica and the Bolsa Chica Conservancy. Peter also served on the Huntington Beach City Council for 16 years and was appointed Mayor twice. During these terms he represented the City on numerous regional and state boards, commissions, and committees.

He retired from City Council in 2002, the same year his wife, Cathy, was elected to City Council. She was appointed Mayor in 2004, and is currently serving on Council.

Several members of Peter's family participated in the ceremony. Cathy's father, Right Reverend Thomas Clary, PhD, gave the invocation and blessing for the park and Cathy gave an introduction of the many VIP's that were in attendance. Their children and other family members were also in attendance.

Mayor Jill Hardy spoke of Peter's commitment to the City of Huntington Beach and of all his years of hard work. After Peter gave his thoughts and reflections on his years of service and the special meaning that this park holds for him, the ribbon was cut and Peter Green Park was officially open.

The park is located on Promenade Parkway and Seagate Drive in Huntington Beach. There is a wonderfully large playground area, tennis courts, beautiful lawns, and a covered picnic area.

Fire Station holds Open House

More than 2,000 people visited the eight city fire stations for Open House held on Saturday, October 15 in honor of National Fire Prevention Week.

Visitors toured the stations, received valuable safety information, and were treated to various refreshments, helmets and stick on badges. All of the stations had a variety of activities, including allowing visitors to shoot water out of the fire hoses. A good time was had by all.

On October 30th, we all changed our clocks to standard time, and the Huntington Beach Fire Department wants to remind you that it is not too late to change the batteries in your smoke detector.

The time change is an easy way to remember to do this important maintenance twice a year. Once you have changed the batteries, be sure to test the alarms.

This simple act cuts the risk of dying in a home fire nearly in half. Although smoke alarms are present in 95 percent of American homes, 20 percent do not work due to worn or missing batteries - this means nearly 19 million homes are at needless risk.

The peak time for home fire fatalities is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. when most families are sleeping. A working smoke alarm can often provide the critical extra seconds people need to get out safely.





Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce honors residents and city employees with Public Safety Awards

For the past 34 years, the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce has sponsored the Public Safety Awards for the City of Huntington Beach. Through the awards program, city employees and citizens in our wonderful community are recognized for their personal involvement in outstanding acts of public service.

There are three different categories of awards that received nominations from the different city departments.
The Award for Valor is recognition of city safety officers (Fire, Police or Marine Safety) for their acts of courage or bravery under hazardous circumstances and beyond the call of duty.
The Award of Merit is recognition of a city employee who has made an outstanding contribution to their department, to the city or who has provided outstanding or distinguished service that is exemplary in nature.
The Good Samaritan Award is recognition of a citizen or city employee who has performed an exemplary act that displays a willingness to take quick and decisive action where another's well-being is concerned, but without the involvement of extreme personal danger.

This year, 12 individuals were honored with different awards at the October 26, 2005 luncheon. Honorees were treated to a wonderful meal and were able to listen to an outstanding guest speaker -B. Chris Brewster- the President of the United Lifesaving Association. The luncheon was held at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort and the awards were announced by a representative of the department that nominated them.

Awards of Merit were given to three city employees. Jim Moore has worked for the City of Huntington Beach for 30 years. For more than three years, Jim has tirelessly worked on the search, selection, and implementation of a new Computer Aided Dispatch/Records Management System (CAD/RMS) product. Another honoree was Detective Thomas Gilligan. Detective Gilligan recently retired after being with the Huntington Beach Police Department since 1975. He established himself as one of the premier robbery investigators in the state. Sergeant Chris Filicicchia has been a member of the police department since 1979. Presently assigned as Supervisor of the Property Crimes Unit, Sergeant Filicicchia's duties were expanded to two other units because of budget reductions.

The Good Samaritan Award was presented to three men who rescued a man from drowning one day while they were surfing: Glendale Firefighter Aaron Rivera; County of Los Angeles Firefighter/ Paramedic Mike Monroe; and Glendale Firefighter/ Paramedic Craig Larsen. Mike and Aaron were surfing together in powerful 8-foot to 10-foot swells in Huntington Beach, when they noticed a man valiantly trying to keep another man afloat. The man was unconscious and not breathing. Aaron devised a rescue platform from the patient's surfboard, and Mike performed resuscitation. Once onshore, Craig Larsen also assisted in the rescue efforts by performing CPR. The three men were able to save the life of the 46-year-old man who had suffered a severe blunt force trauma and was not breathing.

Six city safety officers received Awards of Valor for facing extreme danger beyond the call of duty. When four friends were swept into a rip current near Tower #14 at Huntington City Beach, Marine Safety Officer Mike Bartlett responded. One swimmer made it to shore safely, and MSO Mike Bartlett swam out to each of the remaining three swimmers who were struggling to stay afloat. He instructed the first two victims to take hold of the rescue buoy for floatation, and managed to keep the third victim's head above water until additional help arrived.

Sergeant Gary Faust and Officer Zachary Pricer were called to an apartment complex because of a despondent woman threatening to commit suicide. The woman fired upon the officers and they returned fire, wounding the woman. They were able to talk to the woman and convince her into surrendering. Another recipient of an Award for Valor is Officer Derek Young, who, with several other officers responded to a violation of a restraining order and a domestic dispute, one of the most dangerous calls for a police officer to handle. The husband of the female victim was armed with a framing hammer and threw the hammer at the officers standing at the stairway. Officer Young shot the suspect as he was throwing the hammer, causing it to fall short, narrowly missing his fellow officers.

Firefighter/Paramedic Thorpe Logemann also received an Award for Valor for rescuing three family members who were clinging to a pier piling after being caught in a riptide on Thanksgiving night. The Fire Department was responding to a call, and Firefighter/Paramedic Logemann volunteered to rescue the individuals, swimming out to them in the cold, dark waters and bringing them ashore one at a time until all were safely on the beach.

While on vacation, Fire Engineer Randy Babbitt observed a motor home in a parking lot that was on fire. The family was unaware of the fire. Randy alerted them, and he and the owner of the motor home unsuccessfully attempted to put out the fire with fire extinguishers. Randy went into the fire and helped two girls escape. He then went back into the burning motor home to rescue Grandpa who was still gripping his walker that was tangled up on the furniture.

Honorees were joined by friends, family and community leaders to celebrate the unselfish acts of these city employees and residents at the October 26th Luncheon. "The Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce is proud to be able to sponsor the Public Safety Awards each year," stated Chamber President Joyce Riddell. "It is our privilege to honor such wonderful members of our community."

Teams from around the world compete in the World Junior Surfing Championships

The world's most prestigious junior surfing contest, the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships came to Huntington Beach in October. Teams from more than 27 countries and more than 250 athletes came to Surf City to compete in this competition, which was the largest junior event to date. The nine-day competition kicked off with the traditional "Sands of the World" ceremony at the Huntington Beach Pier.

The Huntington Beach High School marching band led the parade down the Pier. The teams, adorned in team uniforms, carried their nation's flag and paraded into the ceremony area. Some teams arrived with full squads of 12 surfers plus coaches, managers, translators and alternates, while others like the Dominican Republic, Germany, Guatemala and Ireland came with only one or two surfers to represent their country.

Once assembled by the stage, each team crossed the stage, and two representatives from the team poured sands from their country's beach into a specially crafted box, to symbolize the unity and fraternal spirit of the gathering. Following the Sands of the World ceremony, spokespeople from the International Surfing Association (ISA), Surfing America, the City of Huntington Beach and other key sponsors and supporters shared speeches to welcome and thank the athletes and sponsors.

Mayor Jill Hardy received a special proclamation on behalf of Huntington Beach, presented by Surfing America, proclaiming Surf City USA Huntington Beach as the official home of the USA Surf Team.

City now offers AutoPay for utility bills

The City of Huntington Beach is now making paying for your municipal services much easier with the AutoPay Program. This free service is available to all Huntington Beach residents and will automatically pay your utility bill on time each month. AutoPay automatically withdraws funds from any personal, business, or checking account to pay your bill for the city's utility services.

Anyone who wishes to sign up for AutoPay can print out an application at http://www.surfcity-hb.org/announcements/auto_pay.cfm. After completing and signing the application, attach a "voided" check or a savings account withdrawal slip from your financial institution and send it back to the City of Huntington Beach to the address on the application. Please ensure that your utility account is current, with no credit balance when you apply.

After you have sent in your application, it may take between 30 to 45 days to process the application and to confirm your bank account. Continue to pay your statement normally until you see a message on page one of your statements that states that you are on the City's AutoPay program. You will not need to send a payment for that statement. After you see this message, the payments for current charges will automatically be taken from your account between 10 and 17 calendar days after the statement's date.

If you have any questions about the AutoPay Program, your statement, or to request an application, please call the City of Huntington Beach at (714) 536-5919 and press #9 on your touch-tone phone.

Tickets on sale for the Harbor Cruise

The Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee presents the 43rd annual Cruise of Lights- a 45 minute narrated boat tour through the sparkling waterways of Huntington Harbour, California. This year's theme is "Broadway Melodies" and more than 20,000 visitors will see thousands of lights on boats, docks and homes, plus incredible animation. The Cruise of Lights is often described as "The most spectacular light show on water". This year's dates are December 13 through December 23.

Prices are: Monday through Friday adults $12 and children $8 with cruise times 6 p.m., 7p.m., and 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday adults $14 and children $8 with cruise times at 5:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. There will be a special "Family Night" on December 15th with reduced prices- adults $10 and children $7.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please call the Huntington Harbour Philharmonic office at (714) 840-7542, fax (714) 840-7573, or visit us on the web at http://www.CruiseOfLights.org

Updated Passport Requirements for Travel to Mexico or Canada

The City of Huntington Beach, through the City Clerk's Office, has been designated as a United States Passport Acceptance Facility. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative will require all U.S. citizens, citizens of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, and citizens of Canada and Mexico to have a passport or other accepted secure document that establishes the bearer's identity and nationality to enter or re-enter the United States by January 1, 2008.

The Initiative will be rolled out in phases. The proposed timeline will be as follows:

December 31, 2006 - Requirement applied to all air and sea travel to Or from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, And Bermuda.

December 31, 2007- Requirement extended to all land border crossings as well as air and sea travel.

United States citizens can visit the State Department's travel website, Travel.state.gov, or call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 for the most current information. Visit the City Clerk's Office to apply or obtain forms, or call our Passport information line 714-374-1600.

Fourth of July Executive Boards seeks members

The Fourth of July Executive Board is currently seeking applicants. This board plans and conducts the City's Fourth of July Celebration, including the parade, gala, expo, and fireworks. In addition to assisting in the planning and execution of this event, a major emphasis of the board is fundraising in order to offset the costs of the City's parade and fireworks each year.

This is a working board, not an advisory board to the City Council. The board is interested in community members who are willing to "roll up their sleeves" and go to work to provide our community with a fantastic Fourth of July celebration.

Interested residents can call (714) 536-5486 to request an application. Applications are also available on the City's website www.surfcity-hb.org and by going to Residents/Forms. Applications will be accepted through the end of October.

City Awarded StormReady

On October 3, 2005 the City of Huntington Beach was the first city in Orange County to be recognized as StormReady. StormReady is a National Weather Service program that requires applicants to meet the following criteria:

• Establish a 24-hour warning point and an Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
• Have redundant systems for receiving weather forecasts and warnings.
• Have a comprehensive system to warn the public that a threat exists.
• Promote the importance of public preparedness.
• Develop a formal hazardous weather plan.

Over the past eight months, the National Weather Services and the City's Emergency Services Coordinator Glorria Morrison have been meeting to identify deficiencies. The city had already met about 90% of the StormReady criteria. It was agreed that the City would add weather radios and electronic warning systems to the following four key sites:

• Police Department Watch Commander's Office
• Fire Department Battalion Chief Office
• Marine Safety Headquarters
• Emergency Operations Center (EOC)

The sirens located at the seven fire stations serve as the primary warning system to the public. If you hear the sirens sound (other than the last Friday of each month at 12 noon when they are tested), you should turn on your AM/FM radio and listen to the Emergency Alerting System.

The program required the Emergency Services staff visit the National Weather Service Office in San Diego to better understand how weather and warnings are created and issued. Then the National Weather Services visited the city to verify all systems and plans were in place.

Jim Purpura and Ed Clark from the National Weather Service and Steve Sellers from the Governor's Office of Emergency Services presented the recognition plaque and StormReady signs to Mayor Jill Hardy, Fire Chief Duane Olson and Emergency Services Coordinator Glorria Morrison.

The City has already started to work on becoming TsunamiReady and hopes to complete that program by the end of February 2006.

Automated Permit and PlanCheck Information Now Available

On October 20, 2005, the City of Huntington Beach Building & Safety Department deployed its Interactive Voice Recognition System (IVR). This system allows customers to schedule or cancel inspections by phone nearly 24 hrs/day, obtain Permit information, inspection status, and Plancheck status via phone or by fax. Future phases of the IVR will allow customers to obtain Code Enforcement, Entitlement, and Business License information via phone and fax.

Deployment of the IVR is part of Phase 1 of the CityView Permitting System, which now provides integrated parcel-based development-related information. This system was deployed on March 14, 2005 and provides databases which track, issue permits, invoice and collect fees, send automatic notifications for various departmental activities, including Planning entitlements, Special Event Permits, Sign Permits, Building Permits, Planchecks, and Inspections, Code Enforcement Cases, Business Licenses, Hotel taxes, Oil Well taxes, Fire Planchecks, and Public Works Planchecks & Inspections. All of these processes have been designed to integrate with the city's GIS system, which will be part of a later phase.

Information and operational brochures are available from the Dept. of Building & Safety, 3rd Floor - City Hall.

California Chef of the Year to speak at the Huntington Beach Library

On Thursday, November 17th, at 11:30 a.m., you are invited to join Friends of the Library for a luncheon with California Chef of the Year, Zov Karamardian. Zov is ranked #1 in the nation by the Television Food Network. She is the author of ZOV: Recipes and Memories from the Heart which blends "contemporary Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines and cultures inspired by favorite family recipes, her travel experiences and the people she enjoys cooking and eating with."

Praised as "The First Lady of Food" by OC Metro magazine, Zov has turned her home-based catering business into the award winning restaurant Zov's Bistro in Tustin. The popular chef also teaches sell-out cooking classes and volunteers to help feed the homeless. Pre-paid reservations are $15, and must be received by Monday, November 14th. Please mail checks payable to FOTL Luncheon to 7111 Talbert Avenue, H.B., CA 92648. For more information, please call 842-4481 ext. 2213 or press 7 at prompt.

Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau

Over the past two months, the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau has installed a new Board of Directors for 2005/2006, hired a new advertising agency and published their first Meeting Planners Guide. In addition, new sections have been added to the Bureau's website including promotional videos of Huntington Beach and an extensive media section designed for the press and the travel trade industry.

For updated information on the Surf City USA™ logo and the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau online visitor survey log onto The HB Pipeline at www.surfcity-hb.org under announcements.

Orange County Grand Jury seeking applicants

During the next few months, the Orange County Superior Court will be recruiting citizens who are interested in applying for the Grand Jury Service. This is a good opportunity for someone who is interested in observing government firsthand. Serving on the Orange County Grand Jury will provide you with the opportunity to promote sound government, make public recommendations for improvements, and to become involved in benefiting the citizens of Orange County.

The California Grand Jury system is unique in its function and selection process compared to other juries, including petit and trial juries and federal grand juries. Each county is required by law to impanel a body of 23 or 19 members, depending on county population. This body is mandated to investigate and report on both criminal and civil matters within the county. The Grand Jury term is for one year, working four to five days a week. Additionally, attendance at some evening and weekend meetings may be required. Jurors are provided with meeting facilities and adjacent parking, as well as $50 per day, not to exceed $250 per week.

Reimbursement for the mileage to and from meetings is allowed at the regular county rate. Applications may be obtained at any Orange County Superior Court Justice Center or by calling the Grand Jury Hotline at (714) 834-6747, or on the Grand Jury's website: www.ocgrandjury.org. The recruitment period is from October 1, 2005 through January 13, 2006.

In an effort to have an excellent pool of applicants, representative of a cross section of the county, some Superior Court Judges and Grand Jurors are going out to speak in the community. If you would like a speaker from the Grand Jury to make a presentation to your organization, please call (714) 834-3456.

Managing stormwater during the rainy season

The rainy season is back and that means it's time for umbrellas, raincoats, and the first flush. The first flush is the first significant rainfall after a long period of dry weather. This rain flushes months of accumulated pollutants such as litter, lawn clippings, pesticides, motor oil, and pet waster from impervious surfaces such as rooftops, driveways, parking lots, and roadways down storm drains. By preparing for the rain, you can help reduce stormwater pollution and improve the health of our creeks, rivers, bays, and ocean.

• Maintain your landscape. By preserving existing vegetation and putting in plants, you can control runoff and reduce pollution in our waterways. Runoff slows down and loses much of its force when it reaches vegetation.
• Adjust your lawn-watering schedule to reflect the rainy season. During the rainy season, landscaped areas need less water. A heavy rainfall can eliminate the need for watering for up to two weeks. Therefore, increase the number of days between watering, reduce the amount of time sprinklers are operating, or use the rain-delay feature before and during rainy weather. When you avoid unnecessary watering, more rain can soak into your landscape and less runs off into the storm drain.
• Remove debris from gutters. Leaves may have collected in the rain gutters along your roof over the summer. Remove this debris and place it in a green waste container and direct your downspouts to drain onto your lawn or plant beds where water will soak into the soil.
• Attempt to prevent erosion on your property. Examine your property carefully and be aware of the slope, drainage patterns and soil types. To help prevent erosion you can: plant grass seed or other vegetation before the rain falls, apply netting and straw mulch on steep slopes, incorporate existing native vegetation into your landscape, and minimize impervious surfaces such as concrete and asphalt on your property and maximize the absorption capacity of your land through vegetation.
• Do not rake or blow leaves, clippings or pruning waste into the street, gutter or storm drain. Instead dispose of waste by composting, hauling it to a permitted landfill, or as green waste through your city's recycling program.
• Follow directions on pesticides and fertilizer, (measure, do not estimate amounts) and do not use if rain is predicted with 48 hours. Take unwanted pesticides to a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center to be recycled. For locations and hours of Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers call 714-834-6752 or visit www.oclandfills.com.

Do your part! Remember, the Ocean Begins at Your Front Door. For more information about what you can do to prevent water pollution or to report a water pollution problem, contact the City of Huntington Beach's Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program at (714) 536-5431.

New Exhibit at the Huntington Beach Art Center

The Huntington Beach Art Center is presenting a group exhibition featuring the work of artists from the United Kingdom. Over thirty-five artworks from installation to painting to sculpture to works on paper are part of the exhibition. The seven artists represented in the multimedia exhibition all live and work in the United States, some 'just visiting', as they maintain studios in the UK. The artists are: Jane Callister, David French, Vicky Hanrahan, Max Presneill, Gordon Senior, Graham Stewart, and Eleanor Wood.

Jane Callister is primarily known as a painter, but also works in a variety of other media to both expand the boundaries of, and the context for, her painting practice. Vicky Hanrahan is a painter and sculptor working with paper. Her wall sculptures are comprised of pieces of paper that have been cut, stained and then taped together to create flawless forms.

Max Presneill is a painter living and working in Los Angeles. Presneill's paintings refer to notions of desire through both personal relationships and oblique references to public domain (eg. Advertising - the situating of the subjective body in corporate space).

Gordon Senior is concerned with the issues to be found in nature. His work focuses on images of creatures - animals and birds as well as hand tools, vessels, journeys and mountains and clouds.

Graham Stewart has been making an ongoing series of paintings of the sea and sky since 1993. Sixteen of the paintings are exhibited at HBAC. The paintings are made throughout the year on the beaches and cliffs overlooking the Celtic Sea. Eleanor Wood's works on paper have an emphasis on the horizontal as referring to the appearance of writing, ancient scripts, and manuscript.

The Huntington Beach Art Center is a public/private partnership between the City of Huntington Beach and the Huntington Beach Art Center Foundation. During its ten years of operation, the Art Center has achieved a regional and national reputation for featuring the work of emerging artists from all backgrounds and viewpoints. For more information on exhibitions, programs, and gallery hours please call the Art Center at (714) 374-1650.

Disaster Preparedness Packets Distributed

In October, volunteers delivered more than 77,000 Disaster Preparedness information packets to every household in Huntington Beach.

After observing the response to Hurricane Katrina, Fire Chief Duane Olson decided that it was critical to get emergency preparedness information to every Huntington Beach resident. Residents need to understand that there are a limited number of fire and police personnel and equipment in the city. If a disaster strikes, Huntington Beach residents will be on their own until we can get mutual aid resources, from outside the impact area, into Huntington Beach.

Huntington Beach sits directly on the Newport-Inglewood Fault and would be heavily impacted by an earthquake on the San Andreas and San Joaquin Hills Fault. If an earthquake were to strike the Los Angeles basin, up to 17 million people could be impacted. It would be days before help could be provided to everyone in need. The Fire Department wants every family in the City to have a 72-hour Disaster Survival Pack. Resident should also have a kit ready to go in case you have to evacuate. If a hazardous chemical spill or for coastal residents, a tsunami incident happened, residents would need to evacuate away from the impact area.

If you have not received your information packet, you can pick one up at any of the eight fire stations in the city. If you are a gated community and need large quantities of the packets, pick them up at City Hall at the Emergency Operations Center located in the Lower Level.

Home for the Holidays Benefit Fundraiser

Soroptimist International of Huntington Beach will be holding their annual "Home for the Holidays" Benefit Fundraiser on Wednesday, December 7, 2005. The benefit, which includes dinner, entertainment, and live and silent auctions, will be held at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort.

Soroptimist International is an association of women participating in community and worldwide services to improve human rights and conditions for women and girls. The volunteer club has raised funds annually to support the Huntington Beach Community Clinic, Project Self-Sufficiency and other local charities for more than a decade while providing the community with its "kick-off" holiday shopping event.

Individual tickets for this event at $75 and corporate tables of ten are $700. Soroptimist International of Huntington Beach relies greatly upon the revenue it earns from their Annual Benefit Fundraiser so it may continue to make a difference in our community and the lives of women and girls.

For more information on this event, please contact Freda Matsuda, President at (714) 960-6899, or Maureen Sloan James, Fundraiser Chair at (714) 841-0036.

Huntington Beach Public Library events for children

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 or call the Children's Library Services at (714) 375-5107. Special Upcoming Events for November and December 2005:

The Nutcracker Ballet Library Theater
Performed by Ballet Etudes
December 14 - 4 and 7 p.m.
December 15 - 7 p.m.
Tickets: $3/Children $5/Adults
The Huntington Beach Public Library proudly brings The Nutcracker to the Library Theater with a special production designed with young children in mind. This forty-five minute production by the well-known Ballet Etudes company delights children of all ages and gets everyone in the Christmas spirit. Bring the whole family and start a holiday tradition. Advance ticket purchase is highly recommended!

Christmas TreeTrimming Party December 3 - 11 a.m.
Tickets: $3 each child
Children of all ages are welcome to come and decorate their very own Christmas ornaments to either hang on the library tree or take home!

Everyone invited to free Stellar Brass Concert

One of the United States Air Force Academy's band, Stellar Brass, will be performing in a free concert at 7 p.m. on Monday, November 14 at the First Christian Church, located at 1207 Main Street in Huntington Beach.

Stellar Brass is an imaginative brass quintet with percussion that is one of ten performing groups that make up the 76-member United States Air Force Academy Band.

This concert is being presented by the City and the Fourth of July Committee to thank sponsors and the community for their generous support of the Fourth of July parade and festivities.

For more information on this event, please call Karen at (714) 964-2801.

Environmental Board Award Recipients 2005

This year's Environmental Board Award Recipients were honored at the October 17th City Council Meeting. The recipients were recognized for their outstanding efforts to preserve, conserve and protect the community environmental resources, as well as educate the citizens of Huntington Beach on environmental matters. Ray Hiemstra, the Environmental Board Chair, presented awards to the following recipients:

Cartridge World Huntington Beach
Cartridge World is making a difference in Huntington Beach, both through their core business of refilling printer cartridges for reuse rather than disposal and by assisting local schools and educating students on recycling issues. Shirley Dettloff - Shirley has a long history of environmental activism in the city of Huntington Beach. Her activities include leading roles in the Amigos de Bolsa Chica, two terms on the Huntington Beach City Council, Mayor of the City of Huntington Beach and membership on the California Coastal Commission.
Gary Gorman -As Executive Director of the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy, Gary has worked endless hours preserving Huntington Beach wetlands. Claire Grozinger - Claire is a volunteer for the Bolsa Chica Conservancy and has run their water quality monitoring program for years.
Evan Henry - Evan has been an active member of the Huntington Beach environmental community through his work and as a Member of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust including serving as president from 2000 to 2004.
Kim and Thierry Kolpin - As founders of the Bolsa Chica Stewards, the restoration team of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, the Kolpin's work is evident in the thriving coastal sage scrub habitat that has been restored on the Bolsa Chica Mesa.
Jean Nagy - Jean has been an active advocate for the Huntington Beach environment for years. As a leader of the Huntington Beach Tree society she has been a force in the greening of our city through many tree panting programs.

Brian R. Parker - Brian Parker's lifestyle and home are models for environmental responsibility in Huntington Beach. He and his family reduce, reuse, and recycle as part of their daily routine and encourage others to do the same.
Simple Green - In addition to marketing an environmentally friendly product, Simple Green runs an Adopt-A-Beach Program that sponsors seventeen non-profit groups to maintain a section of Huntington Beach, for five-months during the winter.

Linda Wolfe- Linda has been a volunteer with the Bolsa Chica Land Trust since 1997 and has supervised the "Miracles on the Marsh" elementary school education program since 2003.

Students in grades Kindergarten through 12th invited to compete in contest

South Coast Air Quality Management District is having a Color My World With Healthy Air Calendar Contest. They are looking for bright-colored artwork showing a world that is healthy with clean air, including a few words describing what the picture is about. The words can be in English or Spanish. You can also create artwork that illustrates why air pollution is bad, and why we need to keep our air clean.

Twelve winners will be selected, one for each month for the 2006 calendar. Winners will get a $50 gift check. One grand prize winner will be selected for the cover. He or she will win a $100 gift check and a free bike. Entries are due by November 11, 2005 so go to the South Coast Air Quality Management District's website www.aqmd.gov and print out an entry form as soon as possible.

Bolsa Chica Land Trust calendar

The Bolsa Chica Land Trust is pleased to announce that the 2006 edition of their "Wings over Bolsa" calendar is now available for purchase. Featuring the work of local photographers, all of the stunning pictures were taken at Bolsa Chica. This year, the calendar has gone beyond its traditional subject matter of birds with a month devoted to butterflies. Proceeds from the calendar help with the Land Trust's preservation and restoration efforts at Bolsa Chica.

The cost is $10 each plus shipping, or five for $39.95 plus shipping. They can be ordered by calling (714) 846-1001, by emailing the Land Trust at bclt@bolsachicalandtrust.org, or by using the order form at www.bolsachicalandtrust.org. Calendars can also be purchased in person at the Land Trust office in Huntington Beach (call ahead).

Veterans Day Ceremony to be held at Pier Plaza

A Veterans Day Ceremony will be held at Pier Plaza on Friday, November 11 at 11 a.m. The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Jewish War Veterans will host the ceremony. The ceremony includes a flag raising, rifle salute, and the playing of taps. Local Assemblymen, Congressmen, and the Mayor of Huntington Beach will officiate.

Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day, commemorating the end of fighting during World War I, which led to the official end of the war seven months later. Fighting ceased when an armistice, a temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day on the eleventh month: November 11.

Armistice Day was originally intended to honor veterans of World War I, however in 1954, after fighting in World War II and the Korean War, the name was changed to Veterans Day. The day is a celebration to honor all of America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Veterans Day Ceremony to be held at Pier Plaza

"Journeys to the Past, On-Stage", is a California Indian presentation that shows the beauty of the Native American culture and ignites others to explore and discover the treasures of their own heritage. This unique program takes the audience on a journey into the lifestyle of the California Indian, in particular the Acjachemen Nation that flourished in Orange County hundreds of years before the Spanish influx. Jacque Nunez, Master Indian Storyteller shares a variety of cultural experiences through stories and songs, her people's indigenous tools, instruments, games and clothing. She includes how American Indians preserve their culture today by participating in Intertribal PowWows. The audience views traditional dances and even get the chance to participate. Everyone leaves with a wonderful understanding of "environmentalism" and what is meant to be "keepers of the earth".

A special family presentation will be offered at 7 pm on December 7th at the Central Library and Cultural Center Theatre. The cost is $8.00 at the door. For more information visit the

Main Street Library Volunteers hold Annual Holiday Book Sale

Get a start on your holiday shopping at the Library Volunteers Annual Holiday Book Sale. The sale will be held at the Main Street Branch Library from Saturday, December 3 through Saturday, December 17. There will be half-priced days from Thursday, December 15 through Saturday, December 17. All proceeds benefit the Main Street Branch Library.

October Mayor's Award goes to Assistant Project Manager

Facilities Coordinator Renee Brown and Theater Media Technician Mark Pearce were presented the Mayor's award for October. They were selected, as a team, because of their quality customer service and ability to foster the library's rentals program, which generated over $400,000 last fiscal year. Both Renee and Mark work together to make sure all the details are addressed.

Renee and Mark often adjusted their hours to meet the demand, such as coming in on weekends, staying late after hours or coming to work at 4 AM to get ready for events. Renee and Mark are competent, personal and positive employees. Mayor Jill Hardy and Library Director Ron Hayden presented the award to Renee and Mark at the October 17 City Council meeting. Family and Library staff members joined them for a group photo.

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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November Television Schedule for Channel Three

Community Bulletin Board	All Day, Everyday
City Council Meetings	November 7 @ 6:00 pm Rebroadcast November 8 @ 10am & Nov 9 at 7:00 pm
	November 21 @ 6:00 pm Rebroadcast Nov. 22 @ 10 am & Nov. 23 @ 7:00 pm
Planning Commission Broadcasts	November 8 @ 7 pm Rebroadcast Nov 10 @ 7:00 pm

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 6pm to 9pm, Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm