COMMUNITY SERVICES
Book Club - How about a soup dinner and stimulating conversation with others who love good books? The Book Club class will meet on the second Wednesday of each month for four months: February 8 - May 10. If you are interested, sign up at Rodgers Seniors' Center. The fee is $30 with a $5 materials fee. Be sure to read "The Birth of Venus" by Sara Dunant before the first class meeting.
Tennis, Anyone? - For those who want more individual attention, private tennis lessons are available at Murdy and Edison Community Centers for all levels of players. Dates and times may be arranged with the instructor. The fee is $38 per one-hour session.
PC Buddy Club - The PC Buddy Club is a FREE social club for new and experienced computer users. The club meets the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month, from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m., at the Michael E. Rodgers Seniors' Center located at 1706 Orange Avenue. Experienced teachers who are able to answer your most troubling computer questions will moderate the club. Guest speakers will address a variety of topics current in the computer industry. Upcoming topics include:
| January 26 - | How Do I Backup My Computer? |
| February 9 - | What Is E-Bay? |
| February 23 - | Let's Decorate Your Computer's Desktop |
| March 9 - | What Is a Digital Camera? |
| March 23 - | How Do I Use a Search Engine? |
| April 13 - | How Do I Make a Desktop Shortcut? |
| April 27 - | What Is a Filename? |
| May 11 - | What Is the Windows Media Player? |
There is no pre-registration or membership required to attend the PC Buddy Club. Refreshments will be served. For more information, contact Rodgers Seniors' Center 536-9387.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Public Hearing on Community Needs - This meeting will be held on Thursday, February 2, at 7 p.m., in the gymnasium at the Oak View Community Center located at 17261 Oak Lane. All interested parties are encouraged to attend and comment on community needs, especially on allocation of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for the benefit of low and moderate-income residents. Members of the Citizen Participation Advisory Board will be conducting the meeting and will subsequently make recommendations to City Council on fund allocations. For more information, please call 536-5529.
Last Yorktown Habitat Home is Blessed - This past weekend, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County and Women Build, both part of international non-profit organizations dedicated to providing homeownership opportunities to lower income families, held the Site Blessing for the fourth and last of the Habitat for Humanity single-family homes on Yorktown Avenue. Guests had the opportunity to meet the Alvarados, the family for whom the home is being built, and all of the very special people who are donating their personal time and materials to the project. The home is a Women Build project--built predominantly by women volunteers. By the end of the day, the new home was framed!
PLANNING
Edinger Corridor Specific Plan Update - On January 24, a study session was held with the Planning Commission to provide a background and overview of the proposed Specific Plan. Ken Ryan of EDAW Consulting Firm gave the presentation. On January 26, the 30-day review period began for Environmental Assessment No. 06-01 (Mitigated Negative Declaration) related to General Plan Amendment No. 05-02, Zoning Map Amendment No. 05-02, and Zoning Text Amendment No. 05-04 for the adoption of the Edinger Corridor Specific Plan SP 14. These documents are available for review on the city's website http://www.surfcity-hb.org/CityDepartments/ED/current_projects/planning.cfm. On Thursday, February 9, a community meeting will be held at City Hall, in Lower Level Rooms B-7 & B-8, from 6 - 8 p.m. to provide an overview of the project to interested persons, property owners, and business owners. The second study session with the Planning Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14, at 5:15 p.m., in City Hall Lower Level Room B-8.
POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Huntington Beach Police Department Will Be Holding Its 25th Citizen Academy Starting February 28 - The Huntington Beach Police Department is proud to offer the Citizen Academy to local residents. Designed to increase the understanding of the Police Department, the academy is conducted over a 13-week period. Students will learn from department personnel who are experts in the areas of patrol and traffic operations, criminal law, narcotics, SWAT, K-9, AERO operations, and other fields. All students will participate in one ride-along during the academy. The Huntington Beach Police Department is seeking citizens throughout the community to participate in our Citizen Police Academy. Whether you live in the city or work in the city of Huntington Beach, your attendance is welcome. The only additional requirements are that you must be at least 18 years of age and pass a background check. All interested persons must complete an application. An eligibility list is then compiled, and students are assigned to the next available session. The deadline for the next class will be February 21. The February class will begin on the 28th and run to May 16. Class times will be from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. For more information or an application, contact: Officer Tim Martin: 375-5140 or email: tmartin@hbpd.org.
PUBLIC WORKS
High Groundwater Levels - Last winter's record rains were a welcome relief to water producers in Southern California. After several years of drought, these storms have allowed our groundwater basin, from where the city gets the majority of its potable water supply, to refill. Orange County Water District (OCWD), the local groundwater basin management agency, reports that the basin is full. However, with this good news for the water community comes some problems that have not been experienced in recent years. Several areas of the city are experiencing extremely high groundwater levels to the point that water is bubbling up, leaving ground saturated and water flowing down the streets to storm drains. In an effort to help alleviate the situation, the Public Works Utilities Division will begin switching over the city's water supply to 100% groundwater. This is contrary to normal winter operations, when the majority of the city's water demand is met with imported water delivered from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Utilities Division staff have met with representatives from OCWD and with concerned residents and will continue to monitor the issue.
Weekly Report Archive 2006
