April 12, 2005

COMMUNITY SERVICES

Egg Roll Sales Benefit Project Self-Sufficiency - The Project Self-Sufficiency Foundation members enjoyed a fabulous meal last week at Ruby Palace Restaurant on Beach Boulevard after their regular monthly meeting. The restaurant hosted a sit-down, duck dinner that included sizzling rice soup, scallops, shrimp and walnuts, chicken and asparagus, beef and mushrooms, wine, and dessert! At the end of the delicious meal, Ruby Palace owners presented the PS-S Foundation with a check for $1,200 for the restaurant's special egg roll sales' promotion during February. The PS-S Foundation was delighted.

Friday Nite Funtime Dances - There is a lot of fun to be had at the Friday Nite Funtime Dances. This Friday, April 15, developmentally disabled teens and adults can enjoy a fantastic DJ and rock and roll the night away at Edison Community Center. The doors open at 7:15 p.m., with no first entry after 8:00 p.m. The dance ends at 9:30 p.m., and the cost is $2 per person.

Digital Camera Class - Is that digital camera you got for Christmas still in the box? If so, it's time to get it out and learn how to use it. Take the one-day class at Murdy Community Center on Thursday, April 28. The cost is $40 for the three-hour class, which begins at 6:00 p.m.

Computers Made Easy Presentation - Rodgers Seniors' Center is proud to announce the opening of its new state-of-the-art computer lab and computer instructional courses made possible with funding from the Huntington Beach Council on Aging. Computers Made Easy is a presentation of the new computers, teachers, and classes that will be made available to Huntington Beach residents. This presentation will take place on Thursday, April 21, at 1:00 p.m. All adults and seniors are invited to come learn what computers can do for them, how easy they are to learn, and which classes would be best to take. Call 536-9387 for more information.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The Strand Project Featured - The February 2005 edition of Urban Land, the monthly magazine of the Urban Land Institute, has an article entitled "Refining Mixed Use." The article includes profiles on four, mixed-use projects from around the country, one of which is The Strand now under construction in downtown Huntington Beach. The article includes a rendering of the project looking from Walnut out to the ocean.

Waterfront Residential Sales - On March 31, the Redevelopment Agency received its first participation payment of $116,249 from the William Lyon Homes development. This project consists of 78 paseo condominium units. William Lyon Homes has met the threshold of $27,800,000 in sales, which triggered the Redevelopment Agency's entitlement to 15% of the sales proceeds on the remaining escrows.

FIRE DEPARTMENT

Good Samaritan Reports Fire - On April 6, at approximately 2:15 a.m., a Huntington Beach resident was walking her dog in the 700 block of Alabama Street when she observed a fire in a residence that was under construction. She attempted to wake the homeowners in the adjacent residences but was unsuccessful, so she ran to the Lake Street Fire Station a block away and reported the fire to the crews. Had the fire gone unnoticed, the structure most likely would have been destroyed and the other structures next door would have sustained considerable amount of damage. Due to this citizen's actions, fire crews were able to keep the damage to a minimum. She is to be commended for her quick thinking and initiative.

Unattended Candles Start Fire - On April 6, Firefighters responded to an apartment fire in the afternoon where they found a fire in the rear bedroom of a downstairs apartment. The apartment was in an eight-unit, two story building located on Memphis Avenue. Fire was lapping out of the downstairs window and starting to spread to an upstairs unit. A second alarm fire response was requested and assigned. A civilian at the scene was transported to the hospital, treated, and then released. All other occupants of the building were safely evacuated. The fire was contained to the bedroom where the fire began (in the lower apartment), with smoke damage to the remainder of the apartment. The estimated fire loss was $50,000, while the estimated property saved was $1.5 million. Approximately 26 fire personnel were involved in the incident. HBPD assisted at scene with crowd and traffic control. The cause of the fire was determined to be candles that had been left unattended.

Another Unattended Candle Ignites Apartment - The Huntington Beach Fire Department responded to an early morning apartment fire on April 5. Upon arrival, fire crews found a fully involved apartment fire in one of the units of a seven-unit apartment building located on Dunbar Lane. The resident was home at the time of the fire and escaped the apartment, which did not have a smoke detector, prior to arrival of fire crews. She was transported to the hospital where she was treated and released. All other occupants of the building were safely evacuated. The fire attack crews contained the fire to the apartment where the fire began, saving the other six units in the building. The value of the property saved is in excess of $1 million. There was $40,000 damage to the contents and $250,000 damage to the structure. A total of two alarms were dispatched to the incident (approximately 32 firefighters). In addition, two fire investigators and a building inspector responded to the scene. Four families in adjacent apartments were displaced and received relocation assistance from the Red Cross. The cause of the fire was a candle that was left burning while the resident fell asleep.

Fire Department Receives Grant - The Fire Department recently received $75,516 from the Department of Homeland Security's Fire Act Grant Program for the purchase of new firefighter turnout protective equipment. This funding, along with the required 30% matching amount of $32,364, will provide for the replacement of 93 sets of turnouts. All 131 firefighters are required to wear full turnouts on emergency responses. This is the second year in a row that the Fire Department has successfully obtained funding for equipment replacement through this competitive grant process.

POLICE DEPARMENT

HB 1 March Activity - March was a busy month for the Aero Unit. The officers assigned to the Aero Unit hosted a number of tours for community groups and schools. The officers assisted with several noteworthy calls during the month. They assisted with an assault in progress with a knife and located the suspect as he was leaving the area in a car. The officers coordinated ground units who stopped the car and arrested the suspect. They assisted with the location of a missing five-year-old by use of the PA system. A neighbor heard the announcement and called the police. During the month, the unit was responsible for responding to 543 calls for service and was first on scene 99% of the time. They assisted with 15 felony arrests, 37 misdemeanor arrests, and issued 38 traffic citations. They were also able to cancel ground units on 94 of the calls.

Citizens Assist with RV Education - HB residents belonging to a group calling themselves the "Sons of Beaches" have volunteered to assist the Police Department in educating the community on the new RV ordinance. They would assist by placing flyers on the windshields of vehicles parked in violation of the new ordinance. These residents also worked closely with the Police Department in writing the ordinance.

Outstanding Arrest - Members of the department's Investigation Unit and Special Investigation Unit joined forces with the Westminster and Irvine Police Departments to make arrests of two individuals who were on their way to commit a robbery at a restaurant in Huntington Beach. The officers had obtained information that these two individuals were going to commit a robbery of a restaurant in the city and began a surveillance of the two. They were stopped while on their way to commit the robbery and were taken into custody. It is believed the two were also responsible for two attempted robberies within the last week. Outstanding work by the investigators!

PUBLIC WORKS

New Development Engineer - Jim Wagner is the latest addition to the Engineering staff in Public Works. Jim started with the city on March 28 as an Associate Civil Engineer in the Development Section. Jim came to Huntington Beach after working for the city of South Gate as a Civil Engineer. Jim and his wife, Susanne, reside in the city of Huntington Beach with their two children. Please join us in welcoming Jim to our organization.

March Water Consumption - Conservation Tip of the Month: The switch to daylight savings time is the perfect time to check sprinkler systems and irrigation timers to make sure they are functioning properly for the warmer months to come.