4th of July Weekend Events

It’s hard to believe that June is already over and 4th of July weekend is upon us.  If you’re not hitting the road over the holiday weekend and are looking for local events or Fireworks shows we’ve complied a quick guide to some of the 4th of July around Seal Beach and Southern California.

Long Beach, Queen Mary 4th of July Weekend Spectacular – The weekend’s activities start on Friday at 7pm with a dance party aboard the Queen Mary sponsored by STAR 98.7.     Saturday brings more parties, street performers and a fireworks show at 9:00 pm sharp.   To find out more about the events click here.

Huntington Beach, HB 4th of July Celebration –  Starting with the 3 Day Pier Festival on Friday at 10pm, Huntington Beach will feature a parade, a 5k run/walk, street vendors and a Fireworks show on Saturday at 9:00 pm.  For more information click here.

Los Alamitos Fireworks Spectacular – Held at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos this July 4th event will feature a food court, a vendor fair, a Kids Fun zone and a WWII reenactment.    No alcohol but Dogs, RVs and Fireworks are permitted.    For more information click here.

Anaheim Disneyland 4th of July Concert in the Sky – The Disneyland Resort, in Anaheim, California, has scheduled not one, not two, but four performances of its Disney’s Celebrate America: A 4th of July Concert in the Sky fireworks spectacular for 2009. The showings will take the place of Disneyland’s nightly Magical fireworks show, which has an exclusive summer run, for those nights.   The special 4th of July fireworks will be performed on July 2, 3, 4, and 5. Each of the shows will start at approximately 9:25pm.

Pasadena Rose Bowl Americafest – 83rd Annual 4th of July Celebration at the Rose Bowl — Americafest presented by XBOX 360 on Saturday, July 4, 2009.   Five of the nation’s best Drum Corps units performing their field shows and music. Fireworks show producers, famously known as the fireworks ambassadors to the world, Pyro Spectaculars by Souza will be taking care of the night’s spectacular show.  For tickets visit Ticketmaster.com.

Hollywood Bowl July 4th Spectacular  –  Featuring John Fogerty (of Creedence) and the LA Philharmonic the Hollywood Bowl presents their annual fireworks and music showcase.   For ticket information visit the HollywoodBowl.com.

Here’s some kittens and cats you probably cannot adopt…..

     #1 –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6C-JgkpY18  

     #2- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wso13n4kHZ4

 …..However, don’t forget the Seal Beach Animal Shelter…which does not euthanize any animals! That  makes their overhead considerably higher than most pounds…It is truly a “shelter.”

Help them and you are helping the animals.

Please make any contribution you can to the Seal Beach Animal Shelter…and check out their cat collection.   Just a “cuddly” as those in the videos above/

Fishing on the Seal Beach Pier ….you may get lucky…and not catch any fish ?

A recent report (June  18) from  the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has declared all the “coastal’ waters between the Santa Monica Pier and the Seal Beach Pier, a “red” zone; but the coastal waters from Santa Monica to Ventura and from San Clemente to Seal Beach are considered “yellow” areas.

What’s the difference between yellow and red zones?  The simple explanation is that in the yellow zones you can eat certain fishes twice a week and not be overly concerned about the effect it will have on your health, especially if you are pregnant or nursing, or if you are a child.  In the red zones most probably shouldn’t eat any of those fish. 

The main reason for the contamination of the fish would appear to be an area off the coast of Palos Verdes peninsula that is contaminated with thousands of tons of chemicals that were carried there by the sewers from various Los Angeles County communities for many years. There were significant amounts of PCB’s and DDT include in those pipes. Right now the federal government is working on making it a “super site”  clean-up area and the best suggestion on the table (at this time) is to cover it up with other cleaner sediment and then gradually clean it over the next several decades.  Needless to say many environmental groups disagree with that scenario.

The fish that should be avoided are many.  White croaker leads the list also shovelnose guitar fish, sardines, yellow fin croaker and sardines.  Women younger than 45; women pregnant or nursing, and children younger than 17  should not eat topsmelt, barred sand bass, and barracuda that are caught in the red zone.  All of the above should limit how much California halibut, California scorpionshish, most rockfishes and kelp bass  and local sardines to one serving a week.

For a complete list of fishes and suggested restrictions go to: http://search.ca.gov/search?q=fish+near+seal+beach+pier&output=xml_no_dtd&site=ca_oehha&client=ca_oehha&proxystylesheet=ca_oehha

 Why should fish be eaten if they might contain chemical contaminants? Fish are a nutritious source of protein and heart-healthy “omega-3” fatty acids.  That is why the American Heart Association recommends that healthy adults eat at least two 

3-ounce cooked servings of fish each week.  Eating fish may also prevent other diseases and improve how the brain develops in the fetus and children.  To benefit most from fish consumption and avoid health risks from contaminated fish, it is important to eat fish that are low in contaminants and high in the unique “omega-3” fatty acids found in fish.  

 Exposure to high levels of DDTs in the workplace or in accidental poisonings has been shown to affect the nervous system.  Studies in animals confirm these effects.  Like methylmercury and PCBs, lower levels of DDTs may affect the development of the nervous system in the fetus or children. DDTs may also affect reproduction. PCBs and DDTs have also been found to cause cancer in some animal studies.  As a result, the

state of California and the United States Environmental Protection Agency say that PCBs and DDTs probably can cause cancer in humans.   

Long Beach Gets The “Boot!”

If you read the recent articles about parking tickets and/or work or live in a parking congested area  in Long Beach then you know that parking tickets are a part of life in some areas.  

If you’re one of the people that have multiple unpaid tickets in your glovebox or an expired registration you better pay what’s due before you get the boot!

Per an article published in the Press Telegram, the City of Long Beach will be launching a vehicle booting program for residents who have more than 5 unpaid parking tickets or an expired vehicle registration.   Not sure what a boot is?  It’s a wheel locking mechanism that will disable your car until you pay the bill.

Read the full article at: http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_12660828

Dipsomaniacs and neighbors struggle in The Shore

Whoops!  Seems like all that moola brought to the city coffers by Belmont Shore bar patrons may not be enough to make up for their disturbances.

Neighbors in what is arguably Long Beach’s number one ritzy community complain of a little too much revelry late at night.  

They want more cops on the beat to keep the tavern patrons from using  their lawns as latrines and other late night sleep distractions.

For the complete story :   http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-belmont-shore14-2009jun14,0,2101875.story 

FDA Alert

On June 19, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned consumers not to eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that causes foodborne illness).

What’s up in Huntington Beach

Chili Cook Off this Saturday June 20 —Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads !

The 2nd annual Chili at the Beach in Downtown Huntington Beach will be held on Saturday, June 20th presented by the Huntington Beach Downtown Business Improvement District.  Activities include a chili-cook off on Saturday, a competition benefiting CHOC Hospital, prizes, children’s activities, entertainment, and Father’s Day Specials on Sunday!  Saturday the event is open from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Overnight Family Campout

Come enjoy a weekend full of outdoor fun.  Families are invited to come and enjoy activities, music, food, and crafts in Central Park.  Ten foot by ten foot spaces are available for reservation.  The cost is $10 per space and $10 per person, which includes dinner, snacks and breakfast.  This is a chance for families to have a low-cost camping experience and to play together in an outdoor atmosphere.  Check in will begin on July 11 at 12 noon and the event will end at 11:00 a.m. on July 12.  Pre-registration is required and space is limited.  For more information and reservations, call 714-536-5486.

The H B Children’s Library hits a home run with its 100 year Centennial Summer Reading Program!

Join  the Children’s Department for a special Summer Reading Program to celebrate the City’s 100 year Birthday.

Between June 23 and August 14, children between the ages of 2-12 can sign up and “read around the bases” for the “Home Run Readers: Celebrate 100 years of Reading” program, sponsored this year by Angels Baseball and the Beach Pit BBQ.

Register at the Central Library or at any of our four branch libraries, and earn a visit prize and raffle ticket for each weekly visit.  You can even earn special “base” prizes!

Raffle prizes for the Home Run Readers program include 4 tickets to an Angels game on August 25, Disneyland tickets, and lots more! For ages 13 and up, the theme is “Express Yourself @ your Library”.  Additional support comes from the Friends of the Children’s Library and local merchants who have generously donated great food coupons and other prizes to be handed out during weekly visits.

Registration is open June 23 through August 14.

Good News for the “Bird Farm”

The C-17 is still Flying and it looks like there will be more to come for this almost endangered species!

The Administration had been sending mixed signals to us on the fate of our “Big Bird.”
-In March the President supported continued production for the Boeing C-17.
-In April Secretary Gates wanted to cut production and spoke strongly that
would happen.

Now it looks like congress, and Californian solons have spoken and the chances are pretty good we’ll keep making the C-17 going at the Long Beach Boeing plant. That means a total of 5,000 jobs one third of which are Orange County residents.
We usually are not supporters of “pork barrel” projects. (Nobody likes “pork” unless it is their “pork”) but  there was no doubt that additional aircraft were needed https://www.whatsupinsealbeach.com/index.php?s=c-17 but Gates wanted to increase production of the Lockheed C-5,  a 40 year old design that did not compare with the phenomenal results our medical personnel have been having in removing battlefield casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan using the C-17s.

We hope they won’t change their mind again.  This plane has come along to go to  the battlefields just in time.  We shouldn’t change horses when we have a winner!
For complete info go to OCR at  http://sciencedude.freedomblogging.com/2009/06/13/boeing-deal-would-extend-jobs-for-1500-oc-workers/36095/

Here Come The Developers Again!

The old power plant site on First street and to the San Gabriel River is  one of few possible sites left in California for an ocean-front hotel.

Its’  almost 11 acres of undeveloped land on Seal Beach’s coast and its been up for sale for almlost a year with expectations that the buyer would turn the site into a small hotel, not unlike the Seal Beach Inn; The Inn was demolished three years ago to build five upscale homes, some of which we believe are still unsold.

The owner of the land is a Limited Liability Corporation called, Bay City Partners, LLC, and they put it up for sale less than a year ago and are asking $26.5 million for the I0.7-acre parcel.  Seems like a fair mark-up since they paid $4.5 million for it in 2003.

It has been empty for nearly 30 years.

Estimates on building a 150-room hotel at the site were in the $32 million range  last year,  about $215,000 per room, Hotels on the beach in Orange County have been selling for about $460,000 per room according to estimates in August of 2008.

It goes without saying that the city has been very conscious of how that very prominent piece of land would be developed . As long ago as 1996 they voted against cramming in a lot of single family residences on the site because of: destroying views of existing homes, creating additional impact on existing traffic,  and the costs of other services. (Taxes on R-1 property rarely covers  the cost of the services provided by the city.)

Nearby resident Joel Davidson led a group of citizens who campaigned against the two story homes blocking the view of  existing residents when Bay City brought a similar plan before the council in 2003.  At that time, Rocky Gentner, a partner in the Bay City group said Davidson’s view protection ended at his property line and implied that therefore his argument was moot there’s a nice, thoughtful developer.  (Coincidentally, Bay City LLC was a prominent supporter of the pro-three story faction in the 2008 election. Since the defeat of the three story supporters the fence around the power plant property has been lined w/heavy green tarp.  Was that to block the view of the jetty, the marina’s and the landscape west of first street…. in the hopes that we wouldn’t know what we were going to lose if they got their new subdivision approved.) 

In 1996, after extensive meetings and with input from the citizens of Seal Beach, the City Council approved zoning for the property that would allow a 150 room hotel or smaller but let it be known that the open space should be substantial (about 70% )  and citizens should have access to the green space created and they did not want gated communities.  The majority of the land, some of which runs next to the San Gabriel river, would remain available for public use and as open space.

The land originally sold in 2003 (or 2000?) for a reported $4.5 million dollars. Whether Bay City LLC  are the original buyers (after the power plant removal) or not we aren’t sure, however, and and all buyers after 1996, bought it with full knowledge of the city’s zoning requirements and the neighbor’s views.

The city zoned the land as they did, and when they did, so that any prospective buyers would know that 70% of the land was to be left as open space and the city wanted a 150 room (or less) hotel for increased revenues for Seal Beach;  a desire that is even more needed in 2009.

Why Bay City has not been able to sell the land in the last year is anyone’s guess.  One reason might be the $26 and half million price tag.  A hefty price even for Seal Beach. Less than a year ago the firm marketing the land said there were several hotel developers interested and they expected the land to be sold in four to six months. Now Bay City has now come to the city with a proposal for creating 56 lots and building 35 two story homes,  21 “casitas”,  (size not available at this time) and a 75 room hotel with spa, restaurant and pool. 

This proposal seems to be even more egregious than the proposal Bay City brought before the planning  department 6 years ago. 

 

Some advice for Bay City Partners –  You should keep one thing in mind….. The citizens of Seal Beach don’t want to turn our town into another Huntington Beach. We saw what happened there.

We’ve got something magical in this city and we won’t let personal avarice take it away.

Some advice for Seal Beach residents – Watch to see where Bay City ads and/or financially supported stories appear to support the project and remember who looked for dollars rather than supporting the community. 

FDA Alerts Patients to Pacemaker Recall

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting patients to the Class I recall of certain Medtronic Kappa and Sigma pacemakers. These devices may fail due to a separation of wires that connect the electronic circuit to other pacemaker components, such as the battery. 

Patients with malfunctioning pacemakers may experience a return of symptoms associated with abnormal heart rate, such as fainting or lightheadedness. In rare cases, pacemaker-dependent patients may experience serious injury or even death.

There are more than 1.7 million Kappa or Sigma pacemakers implanted in patients throughout the world. Of those, only about 21,000 pacemakers are affected by this recall, most of which have been implanted in patients for five years or longer.

Medtronic Inc. issued a letter to physicians alerting them to this problem on May 18. The company communicated with patients via letter on May 27. 

The affected pacemakers are Kappa Series 600/700/900 and Sigma Series 100/200/300. Patients with these models of Kappa and Sigma pacemakers should determine if their pacemaker is part of this recall by contacting Medtronic at 800-505-4636 or going to their Web site at http://www.KappaSigmaSNList.medtronic.com.

Patients who have these recalled pacemakers and those who are unsure if their pacemakers are affected should follow up with their primary care physician or cardiologist.

Through standard medical device reporting requirements, the FDA became aware of possible problems and worked with the company to address them. The FDA classified this voluntary recall as Class I, indicating reasonable probability that the use of the device will cause serious adverse health consequences or death.

For more information: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm165619.htm

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