Huntington Beach Happenings
by: Chris MacDonald
Posted: November 11, 2019
HUNTINGTON BEACH...A very Happy Birthday to Huntington Beach Kiwanis Club Member Sandy McGrath.
Huntington Beach Police Department Chief Robert Handy's Executive Assistant Ingrid Ono Said: Please join us in congratulating Lateral Police Officer Taylor Davoren, who was sworn in Monday, 11/4/19, at the Huntington Beach Police Department. Officer Davoren comes to us from the San Diego PD, and is excited to start work here in our community. Welcome Taylor!
Now that we have entered the month of November, you know what that means...Movember! For those of you who might not know what this is, it means our officers will be looking a lot more hairy over the next few months as they throw their razors aside for a month for a good cause. Many of them will be growing mustaches, goatees or beards during the month of November to help raise awareness for prostate cancer. The rules are pretty simple – to grow a mustache officers must donate $25, $50 for a goatee, and $100 for a beard. Each participant will be allowed to grow their facial hair after providing proof of a donation to pcf.org. So let the scruffiness begin, and help us support men's health awareness!
Huntington Beach Public Works Department Employee Kirsty Bacon Said: Street Sweeping and Trash Collection Schedule - Street Sweeping and Trash Collection will be on regular schedule for the week of November 11thru 15. There will be no delay due to the Veteran's Day holiday. Reminder: To avoid a missed trash pick-up, set your trash and recycling carts out by 7:00 a.m. on trash day. Route schedules are subject to change at any time. If you have questions about the holiday maintenance schedule, please contact the Public Works Maintenance Division at 714-960-8861. Please note that City Offices will be closed Monday, November 11, 2019.
From Huntington Beach City Councilman Patrick Brenden... City Council meeting highlights from November 4th:
No Study Session; meeting convened at 6pm.
Council received a donation of $150,000 from the Friends of the Library and offered generous praise for their excellent work over the years, during which time they have contributed more than $3 million to the Central Library operations.
City Treasurer Alisa Backstrum presented third quarter investment report showing that the City has achieved higher than anticipated earnings on its investments; 42% fiscal year to date (July 1 – Sept 30).
Council approved two lease agreements for Surf City Store and Kite Connection, concessionaires located on the pier.
Council approved a request from the County of Orange to locate Ballot Drop Boxes at the Civic Center and the Main Street Library. This new voting process will go into effect in 2020, eliminating the long standing tradition of neighborhood voting centers. Voters will be able to vote my mail or by dropping off ballots at these two locations (or other locations throughout Orange County).
Council authorized the reclassification of the vacant Human Resources Director position to a new Director of Organizational Learning and Engagement position which will be filled by a lateral transfer of Marie Knight from her current position as Director of Community Services. In a related action, Council authorized the promotion of Chris Slama to Director of Community Services.
Council approved a new lease with the Let's Go Fishing concession on the Pier, providing for a six-month term plus six additional one-month extensions (by mutual consent). Over the coming months, Staff will conduct discussions with the Council and the Community to develop a vision for the future of this particular space on the Pier.
Council approved the execution of an Acquisition Loan Agreement with Beach Housing Partners LP (Jamboree Housing) for up to $3 million. This loan will allow for acquisition of the land located generally at Beach and Main, behind Allen Tire and Denny's, for use in developing affordable housing for a senior living project. The loan is forgivable at the end of a 55-year affordable housing covenant period.
Council authorized the City to submit a plan to the California Department of Housing and Community Development to address our shortfall of zoning to accommodate our RHNA requirements. This action will activate a 60-day public comment period while HCD considers the proposal. If HCD approves the plan, City Council will need to adopt the plan in order for it to go into effect. Under this plan, seven selected sites in or near Beach Boulevard would be placed in an overlay zone that allows for by-right development, but honoring almost all of the terms of the 2015 Amendments that were implemented with the Beach Edinger Corridor Specific Plan.
The next meeting of the City Council is scheduled for Monday, November 18th, with study session beginning at 4pm and regular Council meeting at 6pm. Council meetings are held in the Council Chambers in the lower level at City Hall.
Huntington Beach Director of Library Services Stephanie Beverage Said: The Friends of the Huntington Beach Library is a remarkable group, and their support for the Library has been amazing over the past 40 years. Without their support and assistance, our Library wouldn't be the remarkable place that it is today.
Huntington Beach City Historian Jerry Person Said: Remembering When:
A Veterans Day Parade
In just one week we'll be remembering those fallen men and women who served their country in the time of war and lost their lives fighting for freedom and justice and those still serving at home or some far off country. For many years cities across America honored these individials with a hometown parade down their main street whatever it be called. That tradition seems to be dieing out with the hippie era and continuing into today's protesters. But when my dad was a young man, one of the biggest events in his hometown of Hector, MN was the Veterans' Day Parade. Only in his time it was called the Armistice Day parade and he would recount of how many neighboring towns would be entered in it. It's sad that Huntington Beach isn't having a parade down Main Street. Yes there is the ceremony held at Pier Plaza, but that isn't quite the same as a full fledge parade with people lined up along the way, cheering as the veterans of past and present come marching proudly by in uniforms that for some are a bit tight around the middle.
This week we will remember a two-hour Veterans parade held in the city of Orange on Monday, November 12, 1923 that included not only veterans, but American historical events too. In that historic parade were over 80 floats alone and in that number were six from Huntington Beach and several several cars filled with Huntington Beach residents. The Huntington Beach Municipal Band was designated the official band for the parade. This week we'll remember those people who planned, build and participated in that historical event of long ago.
The boys and girls from our elementary school took time off to construct their prize-winning float, "The Mayflower Pact," with much help from the school faculty. Harry Holdridge was a big help in both designing the float and helping the students in building it. Helping Holdridge in this endeavor were Winnie Mae Mackey, Pearl Mackey, Elsie Chambers, H.C. Reid and Howard Morse. The students were loaned a large truck by the Standard Oil Co. to build their masterpiece on. These boys and girls spent many hours in painting the float to represent the ship that brought the Pilgrims to the New World. George Wardwell gave the students many helpful tips in painting and decorating that ship. As you can see this was by no means a small challenge for the students.
A costume committee was formed that included Pearl Mackey, Muriel Curtis, Barbara Parker, Irene Loose, Harriet Reynolds, Maxwell Williams, Virgil Johns and Oran Buck. The costumes were true to the period even including the wigs that were worn by the students in the parade. Some students depicted the Pilgrims watching the signing of the first constitutional document in the New World while others depicted the Pilgrims in prayer and some were dressed as sailors watching from the ship's rigging. Riding in the Mayflower were Robert Hinkle as Miles Standish and Virgil Johns as John Alden. Also riding were Edward Sommers, Douglas McAdams, Carl Whitefield, Roscoe Henley, Dean Wright, George Herron, Carlton Conrad, Elizabeth Wardwell, Frances Greathouse, Marie Terril, Juanita Wallace and Delitha Ellis as Priscilla. The many hours of work paid off for the Huntington Beach students as they took first prize in the parade, a big honor for the students and their school.
Our American Legion's float was built to resemble a World War I "Field Kitchen in France" and was built by the members of that organization that included Claude Fulwider, Grandville Dalzell, R.C. Reynolds and others. It depicted how our soldiers ate their meager meals and thinking that this could be their last one. The Huntington Beach Lions Club float "Early California" showed the hard life of the early pioneers to our state. James Morris chaired that committee and oversaw the construction of that beautiful float. Not to be out-done, our Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce entered an exact copy of Robert Fulton's steamboat The Claremont or as the chamber titled it, "Fulton's Folly" with its huge side paddle wheels, smokestack and deck. Much to the delight of the spectators who lined the parade route.
The Boys Scouts of Huntington Beach entered their float entitled "Lewis and Clark's Expedition" that included scouts dressed in fur coats and caps of the period. George Washington taking his oath as president of our great United States with an American eagle in the background was the float entered by the students of Huntington High and it won sixth place. The float depicted our first president and was constructed by the boys in the Manual Arts department and was painted by the girls and boys in the school's art department. Harold Riley assumed the role of George Washington with Virgil Elliott as Alexander Hamilton, Ernest Searom as Robert Livington and Allison Kenter as John Adams.
The Huntington Beach Camp Fire Girls rode in one of the most beautiful decorated cars in the parade. In one of the other one hundred cars entered in that parade was our mayor Richard Drew and our city council. As the parade neared it end, the spectators caught sight of Louis Gates in his spotless uniform leading the members of the Huntington Beach Municipal Band.
Of the 40,000 who attended that day were hundreds of our own citizens from Huntington Beach, who not only came to watch this wonderful event, but in their way, to remember all those who lost their lives in battle. In that parade when our first president passed by, their were no name calling or mud slinging, only respect for him and the office he represented, unfortunately not so today. If you have any questions e-mail Jerry at: hbnews@hbquik.com . You can also look at: Huntington Beach News .