Seal Beach “ain’t Bell!”

Not that any of us thought our town leaders were overcharging but this little snippet was sent to us by Jan Sledge, the Executive Assistant to City Manager Dave Carmany.   Always nice to have the information right out in front of the citizens before they even ask for it.

Per Jan: “Given the recent local and national coverage of the City of Bell, several cities are experiencing a significant increase in Public Records Act (PRA) requests for city council and executive management salary information.  In that regard, attached is an executive management salary table that was prepared for release by the City Clerk’s office in response to PRA requests of this nature.  In addition, the executive management salary table and all current MOUs were also uploaded to the City’s website under Human Resources with a link to “Labor Agreements.”  These documents are available online on the City’s website at the following link:

http://www.ci.seal-beach.ca.us/humanres/employopp.html.

Jan Sledge – Executive Assistant to City Manager

Another Blast on the Beach by “Nobody Cares”

Great time out on the beach last night. (Wed. July 28)   Tons of people turned out for another excellent show.  It certainly appeared that everyone there…including the band “Nobody Cares” … had a great time.  By the way they should change their name…the audience cared FOR THEM!

Don’t forget there will be 6 more concerts.  All on Wednesday evenings.

Thanks to our Concert Series Sponsors – Alan Brawer at Verizon FIOS and Jim & Shana Klisanin at Baytown Realty. Thanks to Alice Billman from Wellsprings Massage & Bodywork and Georgia Hollis the Appliance Diva for sponsoring the Nobody Cares concert.

The 50/50 Opportunity Drawing sent one lucky attendee home with $370 cash.  The Chamber appreciates your support.  Get your future tickets at the Seal Beach Chamber Booth as you walk in to your seats.

The Seal Beach Chamber of Commerce sponsors and promotes a ton of great events in the Seal Beach, Los Alamitos, Long Beach and Rossmoor areas.  Check us out at sealbeachchamber.org.  If you, your business or any of your contacts want to get involved in our great community, please let me know.

Hope you enjoy the attached photos!  Please forward to others who may enjoy the pictures.  If you want to see yourself or your friends in future pictures, just let me know at future chamber events.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/sharing/shareRedirectSwitchBoard.jsp?token=709853088803%3A1819696866&sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

Good to see you all last night and remember to call with any questions about the Chamber or email me, George Banker, at gbanker3@gmail.com

The Chamber would like to say THANK YOU for coming to the concerts, supporting our Summer Concert Series and making our community such a great place to live and work.  See you all around Seal Beach…… SHOP LOCAL!

Weapon’s Station Now on Facebook

The page is open to the public and will include information about wildlife refuge tours and other public events, special drills, exercises and tests of base siren and loudspeaker systems, and other non-sensitive command information of interest to the local community.

“Our goal is to provide timely updates on installation activities, and to give our community neighbors a better sense of some of the things that go on inside the fence line,” said base spokesman Gregg Smith.  “It is also intended as a way for community members to ask questions and provide feedback about base operations from their perspective.”

The command Facebook page can be found by searching Facebook under “Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach.”

Editor’s Note: Seal Beach and nearby communities are GREATLY REWARDED by the environmental efforts that are made by the base.  It may be the most “GREEN” military facility in the continental U.S. !

Photos of Wed Night Concert

To see George Banker’s photos go to: http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?sourceId=533754321803&cm_mmc=eMail-_-Share-_-Photos-_-Sharee

B P Not Responding in Seal Beach either!

Council got the BP stall in their most recent attempt to clean up the gas leak affecting the people of Bridgeport homeowners. Bridgeport residents were basicallyasking council “How long do we have to wait!”   Pretty much the same thing being asked by Congressman Waxman regarding the Gulf Coast spill.

Richard Sanchez, Director of O C’s Environmental Health dept seems to feel we are helpless to enforce quick action. he said there was an initial “correective action plan”  to clean up the contamination caused by the service station (ARCO) at 490 PCH but now there is another “revised” plan.  Will there be more revised plans?

Right now BP seems to be sayhing they’ll clean  up the dirt directly under the station but they are not responsible beyond the border against the petroleum giant.  ”

For a more complete coverage go to: http://www.oc180news.com/article/West_Orange_County_Features/Current_Interest/Seal_Beach_BPARCO_Gas_Station_Cleanup_OC_Environmental_Head_Says_No_More_Corrective_Action_Plans/18932

Legal Marijuana Coming to Long Beach – – – Good Chance If You’re 21?

Some pretty substantial changes may be happening to our adjacent neighbor.  The Long Beach City Council is considering a 5% tax on the sales of medical marijuana and a tax of seventy-five cents per square foot on the space used to grow it.

However, in the next election Proposition 19 is asking voters to decide on whether the sale of “weed” should be legalized for recreational use by those 21 and older. If that happens Long Beach is prepared to have some additional taxes.

On another matter Long Beach is considering restricting any kind of smoking on their numerous small parks.  (Long Beach has over 87 parks.)  Council member Suja Lowenthal has sponsored an ordinance to prohibit smokingin most of the parks included in that number.

Long Beach is also involved in land adjusting parcels with Seal Beach and Los Alamitos.  The Seal Beach adjustments woulde involve areas near Alamitos Bay and San Gabriel River.

For full story go to: http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_15441875?nclick_check=1

Fly to an island for lunch…are you crazy?

OK…so I’m flitting around the blogasphere looking for something interesting and find a story about the Santa Catalina Island Airport.  That got my attention because my pal is an avid fan of the place….and I’ve never been sure about the landing when I’ve flown there.

Any excuse will get my friend to the Airport in the Sky but this was about a couple of young women flying down during the week to have a $100 burger.  $100?… does that include the gas?

OK I’m all ears.

For the (almost) complete article go to:http://blogs.forbes.com/wheelsup/2010/06/26/avalon-airport-in-the-sky/#respond

…..and tell me what you think?

http://blogs.forbes.com/wheelsup/2010/06/26/avalon-airport-in-the-sky/#respond

County Real Estate Favors Buyers !

Supply and the number of distressed properties on the market, both continue to increase, while the number of new pending sales during the last 30 days (demand) fell again according to numbers run on June 10. 2010.

The inventory of active Orange County residential real estate on the market continued its relentless expansion for the two weeks ending June 10, 2010. Increasing by another 278 homes, or 2.8%, inventory was 10,117 as of June 10. As we have been reporting, inventory has steadily increased since the beginning of the year, when it hit a low of 7,293 units.

Demand, on the other hand, stopped keeping pace with the expanding inventory back in mid-April. Last year, movement in the supply/demand relationship favored sellers until it swung around in favor of buyers in mid-November.

for the complete story please go to: http://www.oc180news.com/article/West_Orange_County_Features/Real_Estate/Trends_in_Orange_County_Real_Estate_Continue_to_Favor_BuyersSupply_Distressed_Properties_up_Demand_DownBiweekly_Report/18863

. . . . And You Thought Bolsa Chica Was Saved ?

By Joe Shaw – Member Board of Directors of Bolsa Chica Land Trust

On April 27, the Huntington Beach Planning Commission approved The Ridge. Hearthside Homes’ 22-unit housing project proposed for an important natural and historic site at Bolsa Chica.

Approval required the commission to re-zone the site from parkland to residential. The land had been zoned as open space/parkland for nearly thirty years. The Commission voted 4-3 to change the zoning despite an abundance of evidence that the project is too close to environmentally sensitive habitat and will destroy a sacred Native American burial and ceremonial site. Voting in favor of the development were Janis Mantini, John Scandura. Fred Speaker. and Barbara Delgleize.

Commission Chairman Blair Farely vigorously tried to save the site from being rezoned. and he was joined by Elizabeth Shierr Burnett and Tom Livengood. Nearly sixty people attended the hearing. Speakers from the Bolsa Chica Land Trust and the Amigos de Bolsa Chica argued forcefully against the rezoning and presented a solid case for the Commission to either require an Environmental Impact Report or reject the rezoning outright. The Ridge property. along with the D.E. Goodell property (otherwise known as the Sacred Cogged Stone site). make up a portion of the Bolsa Chica known as the Bluffs. The Cogged Stone site was recently annexed by the City of Huntington Beach and has. in our view; been zoned for residential use without proper environmental review.

The Bluffs feature breathtaking views of the Bolsa Chica and the undeveloped Shea property known as the upper Bolsa Chica Wetlands. They are perilously close to environmentally sensitive habitat areas already under protection, and overlap “ORA 83” and “ORA 86” which are “1S onca y an cu ura y ” significant to Native Americans and to our understanding of the Bolsa Chica’s ancient peoples.

Because of the natural, archeological, and cultural importance of the Bluffs, the Land Trust is once again leading the fight to save areas of Bolsa Chica that others are willing to give up. If you want to be part of this effort, please donate to the Bolsa Chica Land Trust as we fight to Save the Bluffs! Joe Shaw has been a member of the Land Trust Board of Directors since 2009.

(Editor’s Note: “whats up in seal beach” considers the Bolsa Chica Bluffs and Wetlands an extremely important ecological site for all of Southern California.  We encourage our readers to take a walk over the new bridge at Warner Ave and PCH and you will immediately see what’s at stake.)

to

Local duo in Haiti Relief Program

Tyler Rootlieb, son of a justly proud Seal Beach father , Jerry Rootlieb, recently returned from a  humanitarian aid trip to Haiti.

The  boy laying across Tyler’s lap lost both his parents in the earthquake. Tyler and his good friend Jon Rose, both Laguna Beach residents were “hosted” by the Diana Jenkins/Sean Penn Haiti Relief Organization.  Rose was the originator of the “Waves for Water” charity established long before the Haiti earthquake and has become a good friend of Sean Penn.

Waves for Water, in conjunction with Penn’s organization has been giving out much needed water filtration systems to Haitian refugees.  Rose and Rootlieb left their jobs and families behind to help in what is considered one of the worst catastrophes in the history of North American continent. Worse than the BP oil spill.

Tyler Rootlieb is an employee of DNA Technologies and Jon Rose, is a world renowned surfer who, before he was twenty had traveled to Bali, The Philippines, England, Australia, France, South Africa, Japan India and Central and South America.  Both men agreed that they’d never seen a need as desperate as Haiti’s.

Rose is also the author of “When Life Hands You Lemons.” Both went to Haiti at their own dime and intend to go again.

Rootlieb pointed out that the hurricane season is coming to the Caribbean; everyone knows that.  The Haitian people are desperate for adequate shelters to be built. He asks that if you can donate even $20 you will be saving more than one life.

Go to: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/6591//p/salso/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=2085

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