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Greetings from Huntington Beach

  • Update on the Charter Review Process

    Number of comments: 0

    By Mark Bixby



    The commission showed some amenability to my proposal to reduce the number of petition signatures for initiative/referend um/recall by 25%, but opted to refer the matter to staff for investigation into what other cities have done re tweaking their signature requirements. This will be coming back to the [...]

    Posted: November 09, 2009, 8:24pm EST
    by Joe Shaw
  • Jan Vandersloot Dies: "He was the heart and soul of the environmental movement in Orange County."

    Number of comments: 0
    Jan D. Vandersloot, MD, passed away yesterday. He was a great champion of the environment, the California Coast, and particularly Bolsa Chica. To say he will be missed would miss the mark, because there is a huge void where he once stood in the world. We are obliged to work [...]
    Posted: November 06, 2009, 11:08pm EST
    by Joe Shaw
  • HB Centennial Beach Party

    Number of comments: 0
    4955_800
    The Surfaris "Spend the day enjoying your beautiful, backyard beach with other Huntington Beach residents. Listen to live surf music from Dean Torrence and Friends, the Surfaries, the Chantays, and Sportin' Woodies. There will also be food, kite flying, merchandise vendors, and games. Stay for the evening'" [...]
    Posted: October 04, 2009, 6:39pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Moving time for HB Pier businesses

    Number of comments: 0
    0608_450 Click on an image for a larger view in a new window The plan to put permanent structures for vendors on the pier took a big step forward today with the removal of the current [...]
    Posted: October 01, 2009, 10:50pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Save Our Strays 10th Annual Breakfast Best Ever

    Number of comments: 0
    IMG_2342 The Save Our Strays "10th Annual Pancake Breakfast in the Park" proved to be the biggest and best ever. If you were able to attend, it was obvious from the crowd, the vendors and the fabulous raffle that this was something very special.

    We raised almost $4000 [...]
    Posted: September 20, 2009, 7:04pm EDT
    by Joe Shaw
  • Surfboards In the Sand '09

    Number of comments: 2
    Surfboardsinthesand

    Click on image for a larger view in a new window

    On September 19, 2009, surfers and ocean enthusiasts planted their surfboards in the sand for an historic photo opportunity photographed by Transworld SURF Magazine.

    Rip Curl's Surfboards in the Sand offered a unique opportunity for individuals and [...]

    Posted: September 19, 2009, 5:11pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Red tide rising?

    Number of comments: 0
    0522_600

    Click on an image for a larger view
    in a new window What appears to be large brown smudges in the waters near the pier (top picture) become thicker and more red to the north. Somewhere probably around Seal Beach, there was a significant [...]
    Posted: September 17, 2009, 8:41am EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Still hangin' out

    Number of comments: 0
    0497 A young brown pelican started perching on the railing of the pier months ago and from all appearances has no intention of letting the kids, photographers or anyone else make any difference. Quite the crowd pleaser - afterall, how often can you get almost close enough to [...]
    Posted: September 16, 2009, 10:16pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Civil War Days in H.B. Central Park

    Number of comments: 0
    3376_600
    Click on image for a larger view in a new window

    Huntington Beach Historical Society's Civil War Days continues on Sunday, 6 September, with 2 recreation battles at 11:00 and 2:00. Be generous with the sunscreen, bring a hat and leave the dogs at home - the [...]

    Posted: September 05, 2009, 4:06pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Firin' in HB

    Number of comments: 1
    Winterinaugust
    Click on image for a larger view in a new window

    Storms in the southern tropics have been throwing a lot of energy our way. After some pretty long stretches of puny surf, things are finally picking up. On Friday evening, the size and roughness of the [...]

    Posted: August 27, 2009, 7:45pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Sounds of Summer

    Number of comments: 0
    Ukeorchestra
    Click on image for a larger view in a new window

    Some 30+ ukelele players were gathered at Pier Plaza Friday evening. I don't know who organized this, whether it's a regular thing, or much else other than their rendition of "Little Deuce Coupe" was enjoyable. ' [...]

    Posted: August 27, 2009, 7:39pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Lunch by the pier

    Number of comments: 1
    0492 Seals and sea lions fascinate visitors to the H.B. Pier and this one was no exception as it dove and surfaced over and again just north of the pier. Unlike similar "displays" of aquatic antics, the water was very clear and you could see why he/she [...]
    Posted: August 23, 2009, 5:56pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Quite a catch!

    Number of comments: 0
    0489 This thresher shark is one of the largest I've seen brought in on the pier in my 3+ years here. I wanted to wait for the person who caught it to back off, but his feet actually give you some idea of it's size - 4' [...]
    Posted: August 20, 2009, 2:11pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Desal Proposal Hits Snags in Huntington Beach

    Number of comments: 1

    Press release from Residents for Responsible Desalination:

    Poseidon Resources proposal to construct an ocean desalination facility in Huntington Beach has just run into new potential obstacles.

    In a letter dated July 15th, 2009, to Poseidon Resources, Lt. Governor John Garamendi, who sits on the State Lands Commission and Ocean Protection Council, expressed concerns and opposition [...]

    Posted: August 16, 2009, 11:52am EDT
    by Joe Shaw
  • H.B. Lifeguards to the rescue

    Number of comments: 1
    20090808_9999_209

     I can only imagine how many people are saved each summer by the Huntington Beach Lifeguards. Lots.

    But unless something really dramatic happens, these incidents hardly ever make the news. However, when the lifeguard at Tower 2 this afternoon lept into the water to bring someone back to shore, I [...]

    Posted: August 09, 2009, 10:59pm EDT
    by Chris Jepsen
  • Surf's Up for Rohrabacher and......Barney Frank???

    Number of comments: 0

    Yes.

    The surfing Congressman has invited Congressman Barney Frank and his partner, a surfing enthusiast, to Huntington Beach and the Franks accepted.

    Says Politico:

    “We have them set up at surfers hotel,” says Rohrabacher, joking that Frank “will probably have to lie on the beach like a whale while the rest of us [...]

    Posted: August 06, 2009, 6:36am EDT
    by Joe Shaw
  • Sources: "Beach Center Station" Post Office Will Close

    Number of comments: 2

    The Main Street Post Office is closing and that the city is attempting to get a price from the USPS in order to purchase it, sources say.

    [...]
    Posted: July 30, 2009, 7:52pm EDT
    by Joe Shaw
  • Rumors About Downtown Post Office

    Number of comments: 2
    Downtownpo

    Rumors abound on the closing of the downtown Huntington Beach Post Office. City officials say they have heard nothing of this yet. It would be a shame to lose this old thing built in 1936. Hope we can find a way to keep it.







    Huntington Beach historian Chris Jepsen writes [...]

    Posted: July 29, 2009, 6:25pm EDT
    by Joe Shaw
  • U.S. Open crowds can make anyone irritable

    Number of comments: 1
    20090727_9999_4

    I thought some of you might enjoy this photo I took at the pier recently.

    [...]
    Posted: July 29, 2009, 11:40pm EDT
    by Chris Jepsen
  • If (as ...

    Number of comments: 1
    CIMG1403

    If (as the friends of overdevelopment claim) the park around the Main Street Branch Library is not a park, then why does the Parks Dept. have a list of "Park Regulations" posted there?

    I suppose it doesn't matter. If developers want to build another monstrosity like "The Strand" on' [...]

    Posted: July 12, 2009, 10:41pm EDT
    by Chris Jepsen
  • Moron of the Year?

    Number of comments: 1

    I saw this woman (face altered for privacy) recently on Warner heading toward Algonquin - going more than 50-55 mph for several miles, with her dog almost getting blown from the car about a dozen times. Someone shot this from my car - at a red light at Bolsa Chica [...]

    Posted: May 30, 2009, 9:21pm EDT
    by HB
  • Greetings from H.B - now go away

    Number of comments: 1
    Demonstration

    A small group of demonstrators lined up along PCH just south of Pier Plaza on Saturday afternoon to express their position on the immigration issue. Being a believer in free speech, I do my best to accept that other people do not always share my positions [...]

    Posted: April 25, 2009, 5:40pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Earth Day at Rainbow Disposal

    Number of comments: 0
    Edrd001 Click on images for a larger view in a new window It was bright and sunny at the Earth Day Celebration at the main Rainbow Disposal site on Nichols Street in Huntington Beach. Activities and displays included household hazardous waste collection, free shred-while-you-watch [...]
    Posted: April 19, 2009, 4:20pm EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Huntington Beach Centennial Earth Week Events - HB Environmental Lectures

    Number of comments: 1

    Join former Huntington Beach Mayor Connie Boardman, a professor of biology at Cerritos College on April 14 - 16 for the HB Centeniial Environmental Authors' Talk Series to be held in the evenings at the Wetlands/Wildlife Care Center on PCH & Newland.

    April 14, 15 and 16 - 7:30 PM Environmental Talks at the' [...]

    Posted: April 12, 2009, 6:08pm EDT
    by Joe Shaw
  • Everybody likes to watch a good surfing competition

    Number of comments: 0
    Nssa_20090405_01 Conditions were a little inconsistent, but there were some good waves for competitors in the NSSA finals on Sunday. The good weather brought out a lot of spectators. Click on an image to see a larger view in a new window [...]
    Posted: April 07, 2009, 8:46am EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Nature on HB Pier

    Number of comments: 0
    Crabpot HB Crab PotA Different Perspective on Grooming Click on images for a larger view in a new window It can be fun to walk out to the end of the pier and see what flew in, came up in a net or is swimming around [...]
    Posted: April 01, 2009, 9:26am EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Castle Owner Fights City and a Bear (and Neighbors)

    Number of comments: 0

    From the Huntington Homes blog:

    Now Menaldi is wrangling with city officials over a wall outside his “castle,’ along Magnolia Street at Bermuda Drive. He didn’t like the city’s light-colored cinder blocks and has covered the wall over with stucco and paint. And some animal heads and crests.



    Read the rest here.

    [...]
    Posted: March 26, 2009, 10:50am EDT
    by Joe Shaw
  • A new local attraction

    Number of comments: 2
    Newlocal02
    Click on the image for a larger view in a new window. Watching pelicans dive in the waters around the pier is always fun, but when one comes up to roost on the railing, it definitely draws attention. A young bird has taken to [...]
    Posted: March 17, 2009, 10:43am EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Much of Huntington Beach Will Be Under Water in 2100, According to Report

    Number of comments: 3

    The Pacific Institute's new study paints a dire picture for California's coast according to the LA Times:

    "Immediate action is needed," said Linda Adams, secretary for environmental protection. "It will cost significantly less to combat climate change than it will to maintain a business-as-usual approach."

    Few topics are likely to be [...]

    Posted: March 12, 2009, 4:20am EDT
    by Joe Shaw
  • Cruisin' in HB

    Number of comments: 1

    Huntington Beachcruiser Meet returns to the streets and pier area of Huntington Beach on March 21 and 22. Cars of all kinds, bands and more make for great time. Here's a video I put together at last year's event.

    [...]
    Posted: March 08, 2009, 9:49am EDT
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Local historical events and programs

    Number of comments: 0
    GAR flag raising, HB 1905

    Diane Ryan's first History of Huntington Beach class started this week and is full. If enough people sign up, the city's Adult School will offer another 5 week course, April 22 to May 20, on Wednesdays, 1:30-3:30pm. To register, call the Adult [...]

    Posted: March 06, 2009, 9:44am EST
    by Chris Jepsen
  • A different kind of Kite Party

    Number of comments: 2
    20090305_001
    Click on the image for a larger view in a new window Winds in the 10-15 mph range brought out the kite surfers north of the pier. There were anywhere from 12 to 18 kites in the air during the time I watched. [...]
    Posted: March 06, 2009, 7:16am EST
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Poor Economy Boosts Lifeguard Tryouts

    Number of comments: 0

    From the LA Times:

    Steve Bentley's last stint in the lifeguard chair was more than two decades ago. But on Sunday, the out-of-work purchasing agent pounded sand alongside the usual gaggle of bronzed teenagers, taking the chilly seawater plunge for the annual Huntington Beach city lifeguard tryout.



    In this down economy, 43-year-old Bentley could use the [...]
    Posted: March 02, 2009, 9:05pm EST
    by Joe Shaw
  • A gathering of stars - HB style

    Number of comments: 0
    Gatheringofstars
    Click on the image for a larger image in a new window Ok, so it's not the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, but at least it's colorful.

    When they scraped the growth off the pylons last year, looking under the pier was pretty boring. But with new residents proliferating, [...]

    Posted: February 25, 2009, 6:50pm EST
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Huntington Beach Scoutmaster to Meet President

    Number of comments: 0

    From Today@UCI:

    It’s the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.

    Yet UCI undergraduate Ruben Hipolito can be forgiven if he wasn’t quite prepared for last month’s phone call from Boy Scouts of America headquarters saying he’d been chosen from among 3.5 million scouts nationwide to represent the organization before the U.S. president and Congress.

    “I was so surprised [...]

    Posted: February 24, 2009, 10:52am EST
    by Joe Shaw
  • Lucky No. 7

    Number of comments: 0
    Kite Party 7 will take place by the Huntington Beach Pier on February 28 and March 1. See the Kite Connection for more information.

    Here's some video I shot at last year's party.

    [...]
    Posted: February 22, 2009, 12:03pm EST
    by Andy Schmidt
  • It's not all just surf and sand

    Number of comments: 0
    There are a number of beach cleanups scheduled in the area for Saturday, February 28.

    Ocean Minded - North side of the HB Pier
    Save Our Beach - Seal Beach
    Newport Beach Surfrider Chapter - HB State Beach near Brookhurst [...]

    Posted: February 22, 2009, 11:57am EST
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Surf's Up!

    Number of comments: 0
    20090220_006
    Click on the image for a larger view in a new window Friday's swell brought chest-high to overhead waves to the pier area. Decent water temperatures (56 degrees in February is decent, right?) and a sunny day (finally) with little to no wind brought out lots of surfers. [...]
    Posted: February 20, 2009, 7:16pm EST
    by Andy Schmidt
  • Happy 100th Birthday, Huntington Beach!

    Number of comments: 0
    HB100_3

    Tonight's ceremony at the pier marked the 100th anniversary of our city's incorporation.

    But the real story of the event was how many people showed up on a cold Monday night, in spite of a rainy forcast! Clearly, there's a strong public interest in local history in [...]

    Posted: February 18, 2009, 10:02pm EST
    by Chris Jepsen
  • More H.B. history

    Number of comments: 0
    HB1923

        These photos show Huntington Beach in the early 1920s - when the oil boom was in full swing. Within a month of striking oil, the City's population grew from 1,500 to 5,000 and the skyline filled with wooden derricks. Imagine what [...]

    Posted: February 16, 2009, 11:37pm EST
    by Chris Jepsen
  • Huntington Beach's centennial, Feb. 17th

    Number of comments: 3
    HB Council 1909

    A couple weeks ago, I stumbled across this unidentified photo in the Special Collections Dept. at UCI's library. My heart jumped and I knew immediately what I had in my hand. I'd seen the image only once before -- as a tiny, grainy, well-worn, [...]
    Posted: February 15, 2009, 11:19pm EST
    by Chris Jepsen
  • Ridiculous...

    Number of comments: 0

    In The Pipeline



    So my column in the Independent this weeks deals with the fact that while sign twirlers can no longer work on Beach Boulevard due to the fact that they present driving distractions, there are still plenty of dangerous scenarios regarding driving that are more dangerous than [...]
    Posted: February 13, 2009, 9:59am EST
    by HB
  • From the 'You Can't Make it Up" Department

    Number of comments: 0

    Huntington Beach crime: Man assaulted with beer can at 'white trash' themed party



    From the OC Register:

    A caller said while he was at a "white trash" themed party near East Adams Avenue and Huntington Street, another partygoer threw a beer can "as hard as he could" at the caller's head and he was [...]
    Posted: February 12, 2009, 9:06pm EST
    by Joe Shaw
  • "Steak House" Reaches Agreement with Police

    Number of comments: 0

    From the OC Register:

    City officials and the owner of a popular downtown steak house with a mechanical bull ride have reached an agreement about the restaurant's entertainment permit, which was revoked by police last year, officials said.

    This deal is being finalized at the same time the Planning Commission is' [...]

    Posted: February 09, 2009, 12:51pm EST
    by Joe Shaw
  • Another Defeat for Small Business

    Number of comments: 0

    LA Times weighs in on the human sign ordinance:

    Don't even think about hawking sub sandwiches or mattresses on a corner in Huntington Beach.



    The economic free fall wasn't enough to persuade Surf City officials to allow those ubiquitous sign spinners onto their sidewalks. The twirlers, many equipped with flashy moves or costumes, are [...]
    Posted: February 05, 2009, 7:00pm EST
    by Joe Shaw
  • Wetlands gone to the dogs, Idiot Edition

    Number of comments: 3

    Story from this morning



    "So I'm walking at the wetlands. I pass the usual people who defy signs and ride bikes, completely ignoring you if you point it out. People walking dogs along the new man-made mesa, technically wrong, but so many do it now that it's beyond comment. But then" [...]
    Posted: February 05, 2009, 9:44am EST
    by HB
  • Dem Bones, Dem Bones

    Number of comments: 0

    Battle over Native American bones found at Bolsa Chica goes on.

    From the OC Weekly:

    When the California Coastal Commission meets in Huntington Beach on Thursday, panelists will be staring into at least one familiar face: that of Chief Anthony Morales of the Gabrielino-Tongva Band of Mission Indians (pictured).

    While the commission deals with coastal development issues [...]

    Posted: February 04, 2009, 2:57pm EST
    by Joe Shaw
  • Kohl's Robbed By Masked Men

    Number of comments: 1

    Is it just me, or is this pretty shocking? Are armed robbers are so desperate as to go into a department store filled with customers and employees? Is this a sign of our times?

    From the OC Register:

    A crew of masked men robbed the Kohl's department store at Bella Terra mall [...]
    Posted: February 03, 2009, 5:14pm EST
    by Joe Shaw
  • No Human Signs in Surf City

    Number of comments: 0

    The City Council decided not to allow human signs in a new sign ordinance update voted on Monday night.

    From the OC Register:

    City Council members decided Monday night not to allow dancing chickens and spinning sandwich signs on city street corners, saying the advertisements would distract drivers.

    The Planning Commission had voted in favor [...]

    Posted: February 03, 2009, 5:10pm EST
    by Joe Shaw
  • HB Centennial Facebook Group

    Number of comments: 0
    HBcentennialRBGsmall copy

    I started a Facebook Group for people who are on Facebook and would like to get updates on what's going on. Click on the logo to go there.

    ' [...]
    Posted: January 30, 2009, 1:16pm EST
    by Joe Shaw

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Greetings from Huntington Beach

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