Long Beach Grand Prix has begun

Stay on our home page to see photos of the cars and the celebritites; Danica Patrick, Keanu Reeves, Al Unser Jr., Alex Trebec, Tim Daily and more…… http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatsupinsealbeach/

Crowley Lake Boat Inspection Warning

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has issued an alert for all boats entering Crowley Lake.  All boats will be thoroughly inspected to help prevent the spread of invasive mussels that can impact the fisher and damage boats and water systems. Boats showing signs of contamination with invasive mussels, or found to contain any water or debris that could harbor mussels will not be allowed to launch into Crowley Lake.  Boat inspections will be done at the Crowley Lake South Landing and in Bishop for the fishing season opening.

DON’T MOVE A MUSSEL! Help stop the spread of invasive mussels. Inspect boats and trailers thoroughly and remove any trash, mussels or aquatic weeds. Drain water from the motor, live-well, bilge and transom wells.  Wash boats, trailers and equipment with a pressurized power sprayer and hot water. Rinse live -wells, bilge and cooling systems with hot water.

Dry boats, motors, trailers and equipment in the hot sun for at least two weeks before using them again.  Look for mussels on your vehicle rear end, trailer hitch, rollers, anchor, dock lines, hull, axle, live wells, bilge and motor.

For more info go to www.ladwp.com/mussels

Too late to enter a car but…..

Yes it’s too late to enter a car in the 2009 Seal Beach Car Show but you may find one you want to buy this weekend at www.familyclassiccars.com and then you can drive to Seal Beach to visit one of the country’s premier shows.

 You can visit the cars on line or in person at 33033 Camino Capistrano in San Juan Capistrano on April the 18th and 19th.  Tel 496-3000. Their inventory includes a 67 corvette, 48 cadillac convertible and a 56 Nomad; as well as some older Ferraris and Alfas.

Oh yes, and you can also find a few classic cars listed in our classified ads.

Record Turn out for 35th Annual Race

The 35^th running, and walking, of the Seal Beach 5K/10K race was an outstanding success.  Approximately 4,000 contestants entered this year.

The annual race draws runners, joggers and walkers all participating for fun and health and all profits go to The Cancer Support Foundation. Parents and kids alike have been participating on this neighborhood course, through the city of Seal Beach for 34 years.

The little guys started out on a 1K “Fun Run” at 7:45, then the 5K/10K run at 8 and at 8:05 the 5K walk. All races started at First and Marina Drive but the 10K race then went down to Ocean and a left turn past the pier to Seal Beach Blvd and across Pacific Coast Hwy.  Up Seal Beach Blvd to Westminster Blvd. And left on Westminster to the San Gabriel river bed and back to Ocean Ave and finishing at the Pier.  The 5K Course went down Ocean to Seal Beach Blvd then to PCH and turned around and went back to Electric and merged onto Marina Drive to First St. to Ocean and the finish line at the pier.

 

First to Finish in the 10K was Fistum Tesfa of Chino who was almost two and half minutes in front second place Dwight Wilson of Huntington Beach. Some other  finishers of note were Will Stacey, six seconds behind Wilson and Stacey also was the entry who came the farthest to race.  Will is from Omaha.  Nathan Thomas of Seal Beach was the youngest finisher. Nathan is seven years old. Paul Simonian, of Claremont was the oldest finisher at 78. Paul just beat out Pat Kerns of Seal Beach who is 76. Must be that Claremont mountain air that helped Simonian beat our local guy.

Complete results are available at http://www.resultsbyprimetime.com/RESULTS%20PAGES/APRIL09/SEAL_09/seal_5k_overall_09.htm

Its only fair to mention the people and firms that sponsored this race. Without them it couldn’t have happened. They include: Energy Tubulars, Clean Energy, Edward and Daniel Wicorek D.D.S., Beach Dermatology-Steve Gamner M. D., Champion Chiropractic, Finbar’s, O’ Malley’s, Long Beach BMW, Scan Health Plan, Verizon, Mahe’, Dr. Michael Samuelson, Richards, Watson and Gershon-Attorneys, Seal Beach Urgent Care, Dr. Mark Janis M.D., Oaxaca and Ong D.D.S., Seal Beach Optometry, Farmer’s and Merchant’s Bank of Long Beach, Grace Community Church, Walt’s Wharf,  “The Bali Group” Chris Wing, and The Original Fish Company.

Unified Grocers Issues Allergy Alert

COMMERCE, CA – April 1, 2009 — Unified Grocers is recalling six Mariegold Baking bread products  (units) because they may contain undeclared milk and soy.  People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk or soy may run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products.

Mariegold Baking breads are distributed by Unified Grocers and other distributors to select independently-owned and operated retail grocery stores in Southern California, Nevada and Arizona.

All code dates prior to Apr. 09, 2009 are affected by this recall. The product’s code date can be found on the plastic tab that is used to “close” the bag.

      Mariegold Baking 9 Grain bread – 32 oz (UPC# 0-25202-78031)                                                      

      Mariegold Baking Wheat Bread/16 oz (UPC# 0-25202-10202)24 oz (UPC# 0-25202-78012)

      Mariegold Baking White Bread -16 oz (UPC# 0-25202-10201), 24 oz (UPC# 0-25202-78011)          and 32 oz (UPC# 0-25202-78034)

The recall was initiated after it was discovered that certain Mariegold Baking breads were distributed in packaging that omitted milk and soy from the ingredient statement.  Products that bear code dates of Apr. 09, 2009 or later are not affected by this recall.

No illnesses have been reported to date. Consumers who have purchased these products are urged to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.  Consumers with questions should contact Joe Falvey, Senior Vice President, Unified Grocers at 323-264-5200 ext. 8480 (M-F 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PDT).

Sand Car Group Fined $600,000

Sand Car Association pays $600,000 for illegal vehicle sales

Penalties apply to 37 manufacturers 

 

SACRAMENTO – Last month the California Air Resources Board fined a consortium of sand car sellers $600,000 for its members’ illegal engine and vehicle sales between 2006 and 2008.

ARB investigators found that illegal engines and vehicles were being sold in California by several sand car manufacturers. The penalties from this case apply to 37 members of the newly formed association that were selling uncertified products.

“Industries that cater to off-road enthusiasts must also consider their product’s impact on the environment,” said ARB Chairman Mary D. Nichols. “Uncontrolled emissions from these vehicles add to California’s already serious smog problems.”

As a result of the investigation, most major sand car manufacturers and some engine suppliers located in California formed the Sand Car Association. to ensure that its members build compliant products. The association’s formation has resulted in industry self-enforcement and California certification of three engines for use in sand cars.

For a complete list of the 37 manufacturers included in the settlement go to http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/scalist.pdf.

ARB is still investigating other sand car manufacturers that are producing and selling illegal non-California certified vehicles. 

Sand cars are off-road vehicles popular at state and federal recreation areas like Pismo Beach and Glamis Dunes. The Department of Motor Vehicles can revoke registrations of illegal vehicles; therefore, it is important that dealers and purchasers ensure that the vehicles are legal in California.

Clean vehicle engines cut smog-forming emissions and improve fuel economy and reduce harmful greenhouse gases. 

The Air Resources Board is a department of the California Environmental Protection Agency. ARB’s mission is to promote and protect public health, welfare, and ecological resources through effective reduction of air pollutants while recognizing and considering effects on the economy. The ARB oversees all air pollution control efforts in California to attain and maintain health based air quality standards.

Free Boston Flights On Jet Blue

Join the travel frenzy! Take two trips to/from Boston and any of the Western cities listed below and they will give you a certificate good for a free* flight to anywhere we jet.

* Denver, CO
* Las Vegas, NV
* Long Beach, CA
* Oakland, CA
* San Diego, CA
* San Francisco, CA ( service begins May 1)
* Seattle, WA
*Go jetblue.com for additional information.
(We weren’t able to find out if this includes their partnering flights to Ireland.)
There are some timing restrictions that you should also check on at jetblue.com

Sierra Club Hike in Huntington Beach

The Orange County Sierra Club sponsors the “Shipley Nature Center to the Beach” Walking Tour on Saturday, April 4.
In conjunction with Centennial Earth Month. You’ll walk a moderately paced 7 mile hike with almost no gain in Huntington Beach as the city celebrates ‘Earth Month”.  Meet 9 am at the picnic shelter near the café called “Breakfast in the Park” near the lake in Huntington Central Park.  You can take the bus to the park or park your car at the corner of Lakeview Dr. and Central Park Dr.  We will hike through an urban forest to the beach and over the bridge to the new ocean inlet to a rest stop.  Bring water, lunch and sturdy shoes.  Rain cancels.  Leaders Stephanie and Ed Pacheco

Be part of the Bolsa Chica Project at www.bolsachicalandtrust.org

A Night in San Francisco for $1

Spend a night in San Francisco for $1? Here’s spring travel special that’s hard to believe. The “world famous” Orchard Hotel at 665 Bush Street in San Francisco if offering an April Fools special rate of one dollar  a night for the entire month of April!  The normal rate is $175 a night.  http://www.theorchardhotels.com/
What’s the catch?  (There’s always a catch right? ) Well in this case its not much of a catch.  You can only book on line and it can only be booked on line beginning at 10 a.m. on April 1, 2009.  It’s a great hotel and a great town for a spring get-away.
How do you get there on the cheap?  Well Jet Blue Airliines also has a spring special and you can fly from Long Beach to San Francisco for as little as $48 each way. If you haven’t flown out of Long Beach Airport you are in for a big surprise.  Long Beach airport is the best metropolitan airport in the USA. Easy access, short lines, no long waits and plenty of parking.  You don’t have to be there an hour and a half early for a flight either.
Now no one really needs to ask what do you do when you get to San Francisco but just in case you have a visitor from outer Mongolia you can start him off with these spots-The John Muir Woods, Fisherman’s Wharf,  Scoma’s Restaurant, Tiburon Ferry (ride past Alcatraz), The Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts, Old First Concerts on Sacramento St. ( Chamber music, Jazz, Classical and avant-garde), Martini’s were made famous at the Clift Hotel,  Irish Coffee was invented (so the San Franciscan’s say ) at the Buena Vista Café…just a cable-car ride from downtown), The Japanese Garden in Golden Gate Park, (circa 1900 and rebuilt after WW II) and oysters on the half-shell with the natives, not at the wharf but on top of Russian Hill.  If none of that peeks your interest drop a line and we’ll send you more sites.

USC’s Mark Sanchez getting lots of NFL looks

This week the NFL is meeting in at the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort and getting a lot of criticism for staying at such a high priced venue during tough economic times.  This reporter says leave them alone.  If staying in plush digs puts the money men (read owners) to push through rule changes that will protect their gladiators from life crippling injuries I say let them stay at the St. Regis all summer.

Some of the rules adopted include:

1. Initial force of a blindside block can’t be delivered by a helmet, a forearm or shoulder to an opponent’s head.    A blindside block will bring a 15-yard penalty. (Long overdue!)
2. First contact to the head of a defenseless receiver also will draw a 15-yard penalty.
3. No blocking wedge of more than two players on kickoffs.
4. Kicking teams can’t have more than five players crowded together to capture an onside kick.

Rodney Harrison, New England Safety, has already come out and criticized the above changes as making the game too soft.  We have to remember that Rodney’s job is to deliver such hits…not receive them. Think that might change his mind?

Two weeks ago I met with an NFL running back, who didn’t want to be identified. He retired after 12 years in the league.  We were discussing the current economic crisis and someone at the table suggested that he didn’t have to worry because of the NFL’s generous retirement plan.  He laughed. “That money won’t be available to me for another 15 years and when it is I probably won’t be around to collect it?”   The next obvious question was “why not?”  “Check it out” he said. “Very few of us are still alive.  Those of you who refer to yourself as a ‘working stiff’  have a considerably longer lifespan than an NFL player.”

Rose Bowl MVP, USC’s Mark Sanchez  is expected to be a high draft pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Sanchez had an outstanding showing at the “Combine” earlier this year and is at home in Orange County waiting for the April NFL draft.  Rumors are flying about who is ‘courting” him. Pretty good sources said that his week he was visited by represeentatives of Denver,  Redskins, 49ers, Jets and Steelers.  Two of the group of prospective employers tested him on his ability to study the playbook and he passed with colors.

Several of his USC teammates also expected to be high draft picks including linebackers Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga. Both are on the Steelers charts as well as several other clubs.

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