A long ago look into space – or is it a future look?

When I was in high school we were told that the Griffith Observatory had a 20 inch telescope.  (I think it was 20″)  but they were building one at Palomar..and had already been working on it for years…that would be 100 inches.

As best I remember astronomers at that time spoke of other galaxies beyond our own Milky Way….but it was still somewhat hypothetical and certainly no one would ever have guessed more than 10,000 galaxies in a very tiny area of the heavens.

Some learned men and women estimated the age of the universe at 500 million years.  Some learned theologists disagreed. Some astronomers believed there were a few other galaxies; other than our Milky Way.

It was all cutting edge stuff in 1950-52 and my parents told me to take it with a grain of salt…

My guess is that in 2060 some teenager is going to go to his/her teacher and ask “How in the world could anyone learn much about the heavens with something as antique as the Hubble  telescope.”

Take a couple of minutes and look at this amazing video.  It makes one humble.

Go to: http://www.flixxy.com/hubble-ultra-deep-field-3d.htm

Take the Founder’s Day Challenge- – Today – -Don’t Wait!

Click on:  http://wp.me/pKe8y-00

THAT’S ALL YOU HAVE TO DO.

Take a look at everything this group has been working on for nearly a year!

This is going to be a wonderful month for our town and bring a lot of money to a wide range of services to help maintain our parks and facilities.  With the state budget getting tighter, we need your generosity more than ever.  Help us make Seal Beach of today just as sweet and as interesting a place to remember as the historic Seal Beach we’ve been celebrating in this blog.

Not only will you be getting a gourmet meal…you’ll have a great dance floor, a great band, and a great group of friends.  A WONDERFUL auction that will include:

-One week stay in a home in Hanalei Bay

-One week stay in an apartment in Hanalei Bay (Rates can be as high as $800 a night!)

http://www.gohawaii.com/kauai/regions-neighborhoods/north-shore/hanalei-town

-Two 3^rd row tickets to South Pacific on October 12 at the Orange County Performing Arts        Center-

(Rated best cast of play in 50 years!)

-Tickets to a Mighty Ducks game

-Mammoth Ski weekend getaway (sleeps 10, usually rents for $400)

-Classic Ukelele

-New golf clubs

-4 rounds of golf at Old Ranch Country Club

-Lessons with Golf Pros at Old Ranch and Navy Base courses

-Dinners and /lunches at local restaurants

-Hand quilted Hawaiian pillows

-Beautifully framed print of Seal Beach Pier by local artist Karen Mikkelson

-Dinner at Old Ranch Country Club

-Surfing lessons with MM Surfing

-Language lessons for travelers

-20 Baskets including with Taste of Seal Beach cards and gift certificates

Once again – – Click on:  http://wp.me/pKe8y-00

If your Dad criticizes your hair…look at how he looked in ’52!

From Michael Dobkins  and Seal Beach Founder’s Day

go to: http://wp.me/pKe8y-lV

Main Street in Seal Beach  has been a favorite subject for photographers throughout its 95 years of history.

Every Monday between now and the end of the Seal Beach Founders Celebration they will  be posting a different image of Main Street.  This week’s Main Street image comes to us from Alan Harbour.

A “Clean” Arrest for Local Cops

by Jan Sledge

Seal Beach police officers should be credited with this year’s “cleanest arrest” last Thursday morning, September 2nd.

Motorists reported a ‘road rage’ incident during the morning rush hour on Pacific Coast Highway wherein the offending driver was alleged to have tried to run down a pedestrian, a violent felony.  Seal Beach officers spotted the suspected driver and car and tried to stop it on Seal Beach Boulevard at PCH.

The driver refused to yield and the chase was on.  The low to moderate paced pursuit traveled through Seal Beach to the freeways, up into Long Beach and several of its neighborhoods; and, back down the I-405 to the freeway adjacent to the SBNWS.  The driver became boxed into the stopped traffic and surrendered peacefully after bringing his car to a stop in the middle of the freeway.  After exiting his car, Seal Beach officers ordered him to raise his arms and expose his waistband (a precaution against readily available firearms).

The driver went us one better!  He stood in the middle of the freeway and stripped naked.  The officers arrested him on a multitude of charges and transported him to the SBPD Detention Center without further incident.  The city is awaiting his lab tests to determine what drugs he may have used to cause his behavior.

Kudos to Corporal Mike Henderson and Officers Eric Tittle and Al Cabrera for a pursuit without injuries or property damage.

Jan Sledge, Executive Assistant to City Manager
City of Seal Beach – 211 Eighth Street, Seal Beach, CA 90740
(562) 431-2527 Ext. 1303

CENTRO C.H.A.’S 14TH ANNUAL NUESTRA IMAGEN AWARDS

Centro CHA stands for Long Beach Community  Hispanic Association.

When: Thursday, September 16 from 6pm-9pm
Where: The Grand Hotel, 4101 E. Willow St., in Long Beach
What: This year’s Nuestra Imagen Awards theme is “Getting Involved: Our Families, Our Community, Our City.”

Extraordinary community leaders will be recognized for their service and excellence in corporate community giving, higher education service, public safety service, community leadership and public service, and public health and youth development services. There  is also a special humanitarian award and presentation for Lifetime Dedication to Fighting Indifference, Intolerance, & Injustice in Long Beach.

Why: At  $75 per person, guests will enjoy an evening filled with cultural music traditional food, and the opportunity to celebrate Hispanic Heritage and network with community  leaders, businesses, and government leaders throughout Long Beach. A special auction will also take place where individuals and businesses can help fund an internship for underprivileged high school students and/or college undergraduates to gain occupational work- readiness skills and receive a meaningful paid work experience.

ABOUT INTERVAL HOUSE
Interval House is a nationally recognized nonprofit domestic violence program offering shelter and comprehensive supportive services to Greater Long Beach and Orange County communities since 1979. Over the last 30 years, Interval House has worked tirelessly to develop innovative programs that have been recognized with over 400 local, regional and national awards, including three Presidential Awards, two Governor’s Awards, and the U.S. Department of Justice Award citing Interval House as a “model” program to the nation. Interval House is unique in the nation for providing comprehensive services in 67 different languages, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including: 24-hour crisis hotlines; emergency shelters and transitional housing; community service centers; counseling; legal, health, children’s and youth programs; leadership development; economic self-sufficiency; and community education.

To learn more about Centro C H A go to:  http://www.centrocha.org/

L.B.’s Interval House Receives Excellence Award!

by Thyda Duong
INTERVAL HOUSE RECEIVES PUBLIC HEALTH EXCELLENCE AWARD
To be Honored At Centro CHA’s 14th Annual Nuestra Imagen Awards

LONG BEACH, Calif – Interval House Crisis Shelters and Centers for Victims of Domestic Violence will be honored with Centro C.H.A.’s 2010 Health Communities Public Health Excellence Award during it’s 14th Annual Nuestra Imagen Awards Dinner on September 16. The “Image Awards” celebrates extraordinary community  leaders who have made outstanding  contributions to improve the public health, safety and quality of life for diverse youth and families in the City of Long Beach.

“We are extremely honored to receive the Nuestra Imagen Award from Centro C.H.A., an outstanding organization that has, itself, demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to improving our community,” said Interval House Executive Director Carol Williams, a Long Beach native and nationally recognized domestic violence pioneer.

“We have long admired Centro C.H.A. for its success and dedication to enriching the lives of underserved Latino youth and families through both social and economic empowerment,” Williams added. “It is a mission that we, at Interval House, hold close to our hearts, as we have always been guided by a philosophy of inclusion and empowerment. This unique approach has helped our clients blossom into our community and our nation’s foremost cultural leaders.”

Founded in 1979, Interval House is the largest comprehensive domestic violence program serving the City of Long Beach and Orange County. Interval House’s history is characterized by a tireless commitment to pioneering innovative programs and services on behalf of culturally and ethnically diverse communities, serving as a critical lifeline to underserved victims in crisis. Interval House started the nation’s first and largest comprehensive Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern, Slavic, and African American Interfaith programs for victims of domestic violence. In 1988, Interval House received the U.S. Department of Justice Award for its groundbreaking Interval House Amnesty program, which legalized nearly 2,000 individuals who were dual victims of domestic violence and financial fraud. Another tribute to Interval House’s commitment to culturally underserved communities is its overwhelming success as an early pioneer with political asylum and Violence Against Women’s Act citizenship petitions.

Interval House’s specialization in serving culturally diverse victims will culminate in this, its 30th year of award-winning service, by founding the International Institute Against Violence, which will serve as a premier forum for dialogue about violence against women. Scheduled to launch in 2011, the Institute will convene world renowned experts to provide leadership on issues of violence against women through multicultural seminars, speaker’s forums, and conferences throughout the year.

For more information about Interval House or to make a donation, please call (562) 594-9492 or visit www.intervalhouse.org http://www.intervalhouse.org .

Coming Events for September and October

Mark Your Calendar:

• City Council Meetings:  September 13th and October 11th.
  

SEPTEMBER

• League of California Cities Annual Conference:  Wednesday, September 15  – Friday, September 17, San Diego Convention Center
  

• Planning Commission Meeting:  Wednesday, September 15th – 7:30 p.m., Council Chambers
  

• Bob Eagle Memorial Plaque Dedication:  Saturday, September 18th –        1:00 p.m., Eisenhower Park
  

• 13th-17th Street Neighborhood Follow-up Meeting:  Monday,          September 20th, 7:00 p.m., City Council Chambers
  

• Mayors Consortium Meeting:  Wednesday, September 22nd, 1:30 p.m., JFTB – Office of Brigadier General Jones
  

• Recreation & Parks Commission Meeting:  Wednesday, September 22nd, 6:00 p.m., Council Chambers
  

• SBTV3 Candidates’ Forum:  Thursday, September 23rd, 7:30 p.m. (live broadcast)
  

OCTOBER

• Founders Day Dinner Dance:  Saturday, October 2nd, 6:00 p.m., Old Ranch Country Club
  

• Founders Day Tennis Mixer:  Wednesday, October 6th, 6:30 p.m., Seal Beach Tennis Center
  

• Founders Day Golf Tournament & Dinner:  Thursday, October 7th, 1:00 p.m., Bixby Village Golf Course
  

• Founders Day Concert by the Pier (sponsored by the Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce):  Saturday, October 9th, 4:00-6:00 p.m.
  

• Founders Day Main Street Sidewalk Sale:  Saturday, October 9th and Sunday, October 10th
  

• Founders Day Greenbelt Festival & Parade:  Sunday, October 10th, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  

• Free Electronic-Waste Recycling Event:  Saturday, October 23rd, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., End of Adolfo Lopez Drive
  

• Seal Beach Historical Slide Show:  Wednesday, October 27th, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Marina Community Center
  

Jan Sledge, Executive Assistant to City Manager 562-431-2527 Ext 1303

Special Security Unit, 300 strong, coming to Seal Beach

Navy to Commission New Security Unit at Seal Beach on September 11, 2010

SEAL BEACH, Calif. – The Navy will commission the newest Maritime Expeditionary Squadron, MSRON-11, during a ceremony 1 p.m. on Sept. 11 at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach.

Capt. Gary R. Buchanan is the commanding officer of MSRON-11.  The squadron consists of approximately 300 officers, chief petty officers and enlisted Sailors.

MSRON-11 will be home ported at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach as a member of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

MSRON-11 is a specialized security unit that provides anti-terrorism and force protection from local harbors to foreign ports.  They operate in high-density, multi-threat environments utilizing advanced communications, boats, sensors and security measures to protect and defend seaward approaches, waterways and high-value assets.

MSRONs, formerly known as Mobile Security Squadrons (MSS), were established in the wake of terrorist attacks abroad, in particular the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole (DDG 67). MSRONs provide rapidly deployable point defense personnel and assets for force protection and anti-terrorism operations in support of fleet commanders.

Guest Speaker for the commissioning will be  Vice Commander of Naval Surface Forces, Rear Adm. Michael Shatynski.

The event is not open to the public.

GREAT old photos of Seal Beach from Founder’s Day

Wow…and Wow again!

The Seal Beach Founder’s Day website is fantastic. As is the blog of  Michael Dobkins! It includes a group of old photographs,silent movies of the Pacific & Electric Red Car Service training film.  (“Hey conductor help all the ladies…not just the pretty ones!”) and tons of old photos of  the beginning of our town.

Mike Dobkins has the most extensive collection of Seal Beach photos that Libby Applegate, one of the people who created Founder’s Day said she’d ever seen.  Dobkins is also on the publicity committee for the upcoming 95th Birthday celebration (Oct 10, 2010)

Today’s post answers the  question, “what do The Beatles, the Memphis Belle B-17 Flying Fortress, and Clancy’s Saloon have in common?”

Go to  http://sbfoundersday.wordpress.com/author/sbfoundersday/ or http://sbfoundersday.wordpress.com/

You will see tags for  1948, 1949, 1950, 1951, Clancy’s Saloon, Mamie’s, Seal Beach, Seal Beach Pharmacy and much, much more.

This blog is a link from the founder’s website (built by Alison Cotter a member of the publicity committee.)   More people are following Mike’s blog because he has up to date information for Seal Beach Founder’s Day.  They are alsoon  on Facebook and Twitter.

They are presenting a slide show at the Marina Community Center on Wednesday evening, October 27, 7:30 – 9:30 PM.  Admission is FREE

Since last Friday, the site has posted two images of the Seal Beach Pharmacy that once occupied the current storefront of Clancy’s Saloon at 111 Main Street.    While researching for a future  post, Libby Applegate stumbled across a matchbook cover for another business that once ran at the same location.  If you were in the mood for better bar-b-q, cocktails, and shuffleboard, Mamie’s was the place to go in the late forties and early fifties.

What is interesting about this matchbook cover is the illustration of the buxom babe preparing to go fishing by charmingly asking us if we’ll bait her hook.  The signature reads “PETTY,” who was George Petty, a well-known cheesecake artist working in the Albert Vargas style.  He did a series of pin-ups called “The Petty Girls” for Esquire magazine from 1933-1956.  His glamorous gals were reproduced extensively as nose art on American World War II airplanes, including the famous “Memphis Belle” that was featured in a wartime documentary and feature film.  You can find an image of a Petty Girl in the crowd on the album cover for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.  And between 1948 and 1951, George Petty drew five sets of girlie matchbook covers for the Monarch Match Company in San Jose to be used on business matchbooks across the country, including Seal Beach’s very own Mamie’s.

One of the fascinating things about local history is how even minor ephemera like a matchbook cover can lead you far away from your original subject.

To learn more about George Petty, visit The Pin-Up Files or view more samples of his artwork at the American Art Archives.

Be sure to check back each week for more historical photos and stories of Seal Beach.

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Lifeguard Memories…..from Anaheim Landing to Main Beach

Story by Libby Appelgate and Andy Seymour.

Earl Whittington was the only lifeguard in Seal Beach from  the 1920s until the early ’40s!

During those years, most of the swimming activity was centered At Anaheim Landing. Swimmers were protected from the currents of outgoing tides by a bouy line that enclosed the swimming area.

The Red Car line that ran down Electric Ave crossed by trestle over Anaheim Landing on its run to Newport Beach. By 1944 Whittington was relocated to a lifeguard station at 10th Street, equipped with a rescue dory when the navy moved in.

The Seymour family lived year round in a cottage at Anaheim Landing.   Andy Seymour describes the further evolution of life guarding in Seal Beach. “From 1948 to 1950 John Wright headed the department, he was followed by Lloyd Murray from 1951 to 1955.”   In l953 Andy Seymour moved up to Lifeguard Captain and held it until 1983 when Tim Dorsey assumed command.

During four of those summers – –  at the request of the City Manager – – Seymour also served as Recreation Director. During the off season Seymour was a high school teacher. Andy  concluded his teaching career as a high school principal in the Palos Verdes school district in 1992. After retiring from teaching Seymour returned for a second tour of duty with the city as Director of Parks, Beaches, and Recreation.

Seymour recounts a most unexpected life-guarding experience that occurred during his senior year in high school. Police Chief Lee Howard called his house early one winter morning. He said he would be by to pick up young Seymour in a few minutes. They drove quickly to the beach, opened the lifeguard tower and pulled the dory to the water line. The Chief said, “On the other side of the pier.” – nothing more. Dutifully, Seymour rowed to that location where he discovered a body floating in the water – a suicide victim. He tried unsuccessfully to lift the body into the dory. As a last resort, he tied a line to the body and rowed ashore feeling somewhat disrespectful as the morning pier walkers watched from the railing. Thus began a  summer experience with the Seal Beach Lifeguard Department that lasted 30 years.

Initially it was the local young men who applied for the summer lifeguard positions: Rich Chew, Tim and Dan Dorsey, Bob Polis, Paul Chafe, Chi Kredell, Harry Schurch, Tim McElrath, Jack and Mike Haley, (Jack was the first World Surfing Champion and the first to “shoot” the HB Pier!) Lisa Gonzales (Seal Beach’s first female lifeguard) et al. Over the years the turn-out for the lifeguard test grew to 40-50 applicants and included headline swimmers from CSULB and local high schools.

From the single tower at 10th Street, the department gradually grew to include seven towers on the main beach, two towers in Surfside, a tower and PA on the pier, and a headquarters station in the 8th Street parking lot. Three jeeps were in service each day as well as a 28 foot, twin screw rescue boat.

Their week-end crowds topped 15,000 and they recorded some 400 rescues each summer in the late 1970s. During that thirty year period only two drownings occurred – one, a heart attack victim, and a second, a swimmer in the unpatrolled San Gabriel River channel.

Don’t forget Seal Beach’s 95th Birthday Dinner/Dance on Saturday, October 2 at the Old Ranch Country Club, 3001 Lampson Ave., Seal Beach at 6 p.m.and bring all your friends. Meet Andy and his wife, Mary Privett Seymour.  Casual dress or in the style of your favorite Seal Beach era and prepare for the time of your life dancing to the music of The Emperors, a classic rock band.  A live auction will be held and all proceeds will go to “Save Our Pool”.  $75 Advance ticket sales – Call Gwen Forsythe at 562 598-9044

We are also planning a “Kids-whose-parents-are-going-to the-dance” party at Marina park if enough are interested.   It will probably cost about $20- $25 ? Games,  food, movies and fun activities from 5:30 p.m. to 10. With qualified supervision.

Parents, if you think you would be interested please contact Tim Kelsey, tkelsey@ci.seal-beach.ca.us or Carla Watson, carlawatson@verizon.net

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