COMMUNITY SERVICES
Senior Santa and Friends - Huntington Beach Senior Services is again helping this year to collect gifts for the Orange County Social Services and Health Care Agencies' Senior Santa and Friends program. This program provides holiday gifts and essentials to elderly and disabled clients in Orange County. Pink tags with gift ideas and collection boxes will be located on the 5th floor of City Hall, the Central Library, and at the Seniors' Outreach Building located at 1718 Orange Avenue. Donations of new, unwrapped items are welcome. Some gift ideas include sweat suits or jackets, socks or slippers, blankets, heaters, microwaves, cordless telephones, Ensure or Boost, and gift certificates for discount or grocery stores. Monetary donations and gift certificates can be hand delivered or interofficed to Michelle Yerke at the Outreach center. Gifts will be picked up on December 8. If you need more information, you may call Michelle Yerke at 374-1521.
DreamCatchers - In November, the DreamCatchers, an auxiliary of the Assistance League of Huntington Beach, donated $4,000 in grocery gift certificates to Huntington Beach Senior Services. The grocery gift certificate program is managed by social workers at Seniors' Outreach who provide the $25 gift certificates to very-low income clients to help them purchase food, medications, or household sundries they would otherwise be unable to afford. The DreamCatchers have been funding this program for several years, in addition to supplying extra food gift bags to seniors for the holidays.
The Huntington Beach Art Center - The Center presents The Friday Night Blues on November 17 from 7:30 - 10:00 p.m., featuring Mississippi bluesman Zac Harmon. Awarded "Best New Blues Artist" in 2006 from the Blues Foundation, Zac was also chosen as one of the 10 artists who represent the future of the blues. A story telling blues artist, Zac weaves a spell with charisma and style. Join us for an acoustic performance of guitar driven contemporary blues in an intimate cabaret style setting. General admission is $20; HBAC Members $15. Seating is limited, and reservations are suggested. Please call 374-1650 for information. The Art Center's music program is made possible in part by a generous grant from the Boeing Company.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
Strip Center Fire - On October 28, at 3:45 a.m., the Fire Department responded to a reported fire in a commercial building near the intersection of Beach Boulevard and Garfield Avenue. Arriving firefighters found a large fire burning in a building that contained several businesses including Kragen Auto Parts. Due to a major remodeling project, the entire front of the building had an unprotected plywood façade. The fire rapidly spread across the front of the building and threatened all of the businesses. A total of 60 firefighters from Huntington Beach, Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, and Orange County Fire Authority fought the fire. They were successful in limiting the spread of the fire, saving a majority of the individual businesses. Fire investigators determined that the fire started in an area that was being used as a construction office.
Halloween Fire - On Halloween night, the Fire Department responded to Woodland Drive to a house fire that had started in the garage and was spreading to the interior of the home. Earlier in the evening, the garage had been used as a Haunted House. The occupants were alerted to the danger by their neighbors, and they successfully evacuated the house prior to the Fire Department's arrival. Twenty-five firefighters brought the fire under control in five minutes, but it caused an estimated $100,000 damage to the home. Fortunately, there were no injuries. The exact cause is under investigation.
PUBLIC WORKS
Work on Warner Avenue - Three construction projects continue to require traffic control and lane closures on Warner Avenue. The storm drain project east of Beach Boulevard necessitates the closure of the bike lanes and, intermittently, traffic lanes. Once completed, this project will improve drainage and reduce potential flooding. Adjustments are made to traffic signals when possible; however, alternate routes are encouraged. Alternate streets include Talbert Avenue to the south and Heil Avenue to the north. The area will be impacted until the middle of December. The two sewer projects near Los Patos and Pacific Coast Highway will be impacting traffic in that area, also on Warner Avenue, until the summer of 2007.
Weekly Report Archive 2006
