COMMUNITY SERVICES
Earth Day Beach Clean Up - Please join the Beach Maintenance Operation Division and Simple Green in the city’s annual Earth Day Beach Clean-up on Saturday, April 24. Beginning at 9:00 a.m., volunteers may pick up gloves and plastic bags. Parking is free. Clean up will take place on the north side of the pier. Please call 536-5614 for more information.
Wines of the World - The Huntington Beach Art Center will host the second annual Wines of the World wine tasting sponsored by the Global Network on Saturday, April 17, from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. The tasting will feature international wines and hors d’oeuvres from Gregorio’s Catering. The evening will include informal networking and sharing of international business and travel experiences. The Art Center’s current exhibition, Beyond Craft: Paul Soldner, will be open for viewing in the galleries. Admission is $20 per person, and reservations are required by April 14. Call the Art Center for information at (714) 374-1650.
Live at the Center - Jazz at the Center presents a recital by internationally known baritone Richard Taylor on Sunday, April 18, from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m. Performing classical and operatic selections in an intimate, cabaret-style setting, Richard will feature choices from composers Anderson, Rossini, Verdi, Mendelssohn, Schubert, and Gershwin. From opera to art songs, musical theater to spirituals, the artistry of Taylor will delight you! General admission is $20 per person, $15 for Art Center members. Please call (714) 374-1650 for information and reservations. The concert is made possible by the generous support of the Boeing Company.
Imagination Celebration - Imagination Celebration, a countywide arts education festival, will feature a photography and multi-media exhibition at the Huntington Beach Art Center. A reception will be held on Sunday, April 18, from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. The works were created by students of all ages from grades K-12. Admission is free and open to the public. Call the Art Center for more information.
Council on Aging - Council on Aging Senior Team (C.O.A.S.T.) Volunteer Andrew Gemmel was recently honored at the Spirit of Volunteerism Awards at the Disneyland Hotel on April 7. Andrew donates generous amounts of his time to Huntington Beach Senior Services. In 2003, Andrew donated a total of 350 hours! Andrew drives for the Transportation Program, delivers Meals to the Home, and escorts seniors on tours for the travel department. Despite his own weekly volunteer commitments, Andrew willingly substitutes for these departments when they are in need. Andrew is a “go-to” volunteer! The seniors on Andrew’s Meals to the Home route eagerly look forward to his weekly visits, and the transportation team would willingly accept 10 more volunteers just like Andrew.
Easter Hunt – A great time was had by all at the Huntington Beach Easter Hunt on Saturday, April 10. This event was co-sponsored by the city of Huntington Beach and the Huntington Beach Kiwanis Club. Each year draws a larger crowd. This year, there were about 5,500 people in attendance. Children up to the age of nine collected 1,300 lbs. of candy. A variety of games was available at no charge, and around 2,000 prizes were awarded. Displays from Police, Fire, Public Works, and MEA provided all with extra things to do and see. Free child identification and musical entertainment were also provided.
Youth In Government Day 2004 - On April 1, approximately 130 students and 100 city staff participated in this year’s Youth In Government Day. Huntington Beach, Marina, Edison, and Ocean View High Schools sent students to City Hall to learn more about their local government in action. Each department had a special agenda for the students, and the mock Council meeting was enjoyable with lively participation by mock Council Members as well as student citizens in the audience. The students and staff were treated to a delightful lunch donated by the Market Broiler and Margaritaville Restaurants. Guest speaker, Shawn McCraney, inspired the students with his topic on doing the work to get ahead. Prizes were awarded for Youth of the Year, Speech, and Art Contests. This was the first Youth In Government Day that was entirely paid for with donations received by the Huntington Beach Youth Board.
Marine Safety - Spring Break has arrived, and a new crop of potential lifeguards is in training. Easter sunrise services were conducted in Pier Plaza. Marine Safety statistics for April 5 through April 11 were as follows: Attendance - 120,523; Public Contacts - 5,115; Rescues - 15; Preventative Actions - 883; Law Enforcement Contacts - 485; Medical Aids - 18; Wildlife Calls – 1.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Applications - All applicants requesting funds for fiscal year 2004/2005 have made presentations before the Citizens Participation Advisory Board (CPAB). CPAB will begin its deliberations on funding allocations on Thursday, May 6, at 7:00 p.m., in Meeting Room B-8 at the Huntington Beach Civic Center. CPAB and staff will present recommendations to the City Council in August for submittal to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Fire at K-Mart - Emergency fire units from Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley responded to a fire on April 6, at approximately 5:17 p.m., at the K-Mart store located at 19101 Magnolia Avenue. There was only minor damage to the west side of the roof with an estimated dollar loss of $5,000. The fire resulted when roofing contractor employees welded some metal flashing on the roof, which ignited wood beams under the roofing materials. There were no injuries from the fire; however, the store had to be closed for a couple of hours until the roof was deemed safe by a Building Department safety inspector.
House Fire - Emergency fire units from Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley were dispatched to a reported structure fire on April 7, at approximately 6:00 p.m. The fire was located in a bedroom of a two-story house located on Beam Circle. Twenty-five firefighters fought the blaze for 15 minutes to get it under control. The contents of the bedroom were a total loss, with additional smoke and heat damage caused to the rest of the upstairs portion of the house. One individual was escorted to a local hospital for medical evaluation and was released. The total dollar loss to the property is estimated at approximately $150,000. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Babies Don’t Wait - A pregnant woman was experiencing some back pain for about an hour but suddenly her water broke. She called 911, and when the Paramedics arrived they transported her to Fountain Valley Regional Hospital. As they parked the ambulance and started wheeling her out, she screamed, “The baby is coming!” Firefighter Paramedic Chad Stewart delivered the baby in the hallway of the waiting room of the hospital. The baby’s umbilical cord was wrapped around its neck, but it was quickly removed. He was a healthy six-pound boy.
PUBLIC WORKS
Storm Water Pump Station Forebay Cleaning - The Public Works Utilities Division Wastewater Section recently completed the cleaning of 12 of the city’s 15 storm water pump station forebays. A forebay is essentially a large pit, 20 to 30 feet deep that collects storm water and runoff before it is pumped to either the sanitary sewer system or to drainage channels. Trash racks keep large debris from being pumped into these systems, but significant amounts of small debris and sediment collect in the forebay. The project, which was accomplished by contract, removed over 500 tons of debris from the stations. Funding was provided through Proposition 13, which was approved for safe drinking water, water quality, flood protection, and water reliability projects throughout the state. Under this program, $4 million was appropriated to the city of Huntington Beach to support projects that will address coastal nonpoint sources pollution. This cleaning process addressed one area of compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act through National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.
Weekly Report Archive
Apr 06, 2004
Mar 30, 2004
Mar 23, 2004
Mar 16, 2004
Mar 09, 2004
Mar 02, 2004
Feb 24, 2004
Feb 17, 2004
Feb 10, 2004
Feb 03, 2004
Jan 27, 2004
Jan 20, 2004
Jan 13, 2004
Jan 06, 2004
Dec 30, 2003
Dec 23, 2003
Dec 16, 2003
Dec 09, 2003
Dec 02, 2003
