Surf City

As if to show the political world isn't completely revolving around the Oct. 4 election to fill the 48th District congressional seat, state Sen. John Campbell has had his fingers in several other pies lately. He signed on as co-author of state Sen. Tom McClintock's constitutional amendment to blunt the effects of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on eminent domain. The ruling allows government entities to force the sale of private property for private development that officials believe will have public benefit.

I'm thrilled to be back. My first journalism job had its roots in Huntington Beach. I was living with my father at the time and former Huntington Beach Independent City Editor Tony Dodero was the first to answer my call for work. He ushered me in to meet the higher ups at Times Community News, and I got the job. After some time touring in the Southern California newspaper world, I returned to Huntington Beach, at the old office on Beach Boulevard, where I was a features editor and page designer.

Members from the Occupy Orange County movement told the Huntington Beach City Council on Monday that they're considering Surf City for their next stop. Three Occupy members spoke during the public comments portion of the meeting, saying they would like to work with the city and police to set up camp in Huntington Beach for the betterment of the city. One of the three speakers was 20-year-old Huntington Beach resident Jacob Zerba, who said he's invested a lot of his time in Occupy.

Hoag Health Center Huntington Beach, one of seven health centers overseen by Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, celebrated its 20th anniversary with an outdoor reception May 25. The center at 19582 Beach Blvd., which broke ground in May 1990, maintains a staff of 45 physicians in 16 specialties, including family practice, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery and internal medicine. "We have always been a part of this community, and we're grateful to the city of Huntington Beach for being our partner for the past 20 years," Richard Afable, the president and chief executive of Hoag Hospital, stated in a release.

"Cheaters." That's what Harmon Killebrew called the recently revealed Major League Baseball steroid users to a packed dinner crowd at SeaCliff Country Club last week at the KinderVision fundraiser. It was but one of many revealing, interesting moments in the evening. You may recall reading about KinderVision in this column two weeks ago. It is the national child safety education program dedicated to the protection of children from abduction and sexual exploitation. KinderVision plans to host an annual golf/dinner banquet in Huntington Beach, and if next year is anything like this, we're in for a treat.

The first joke Jeff Capri played on his future partner was a practical one. In the 1980s, when Bob Perkell was producing comedy shows in Southern California, he got a phone call raving about Capri. The voice on the phone, which claimed to be that of Capri's agent, David Gladstone, praised the comic's talent and urged Perkell to book him for a night. Perkell took the bait, and Capri, sure enough, put on a show that had the crowd in stitches. Two years later, the comedian finally revealed the truth: He had posed as his own agent to get the booking.

The Automobile Club of Southern California opened a second branch June 9 in Huntington Beach, making it the only city in the county to have two branches. The new office at 19810 Beach Blvd. is expected to serve 48,000 members in its 6,000-square-foot facility and employ 19 people. The branch provides insurance, travel and automotive services and sells discounted Regal Entertainment Group movie tickets. The office can also handle most Department of Motor Vehicles issues. There is already an office at 16160 Beach Blvd.

On May 10, the Huntington Beach Independent carried an article ( "Proposal uproots passion" on a magnificent eucalyptus tree at 1751 Main St. This tree is a true treasure that predates the city. The city has no business cutting it down. It should be preserved like the treasure it is. Dean Williams Huntington Beach * Fond memories of Mr. Atteberry Your article on Jim Atteberry brought back wonderful memories of the many years that I taught fifth grade at Eader Elementary School in the classroom next to his ( "An unlikely spotlight for teacher," City Lights, May 3)

The U.S. Open of Surfing is set to descend on Huntington Beach on Saturday — and with it, one of the largest tourist crowds of the year. To the city's beachfront hotels, that means reservations filling up by May or June. To drivers, it means gridlock around Pacific Coast Highway. To restaurants, it means a bonanza of potential customers. And to the city's Marketing and Visitors Bureau, it means just that: plenty of marketing and plenty of visitors. "It brings a lot more foot traffic to the community to spend dollars in the community, including staying in the hotels," said Steve Bone, the bureau's president.

Huntington Beach has been working on a plan to create an infrastructure for bicycles in the city, according to a report by city officials. A draft of the Bicycle Master Plan was posted on the city's website Wednesday, detailing the approaches it will take to improve riding conditions for bicyclists and further educate the public about sharing the road. "The city recognized the need and opportunity to serve bicyclists and bicycle communities in our city better than we currently do," said Bob Stachelski, Huntington Beach public works transportation manager.

For years the vacant Taco Bell at Ninth Street and Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach was known to harbor squatters and troublemakers, and things haven't gotten much better since it has been torn down. The fast-food joint was demolished in March, but the debris was left behind. And though the property is now fenced off, the public nuisances persist. Huntington Beach resident Dave Reese, 35, has lived in Surf City for the last 12 years. He lives in one of the homes behind the lot and has seen trouble come and go. "When you have a rundown building or a place that looks trashy, it just kind of attracts that type of activity," he said.

Huntington Beach will be the site where several youth softball teams will converge to take part in the sixth annual Surf City Classic All-Star tournament hosted by South Huntington Beach Fastpitch Softball. The tournament, which starts at 4:30 p.m. Friday and concludes Sunday with championship game action also at 4:30 p.m., will include 77 age-group teams from throughout Southern California. Teams vying for division titles will come from South and North Huntington Beach leagues, Fountain Valley, Cerritos, La Canada, Laguna Niguel, LB Heartwell, Murietta Valley, Navajo, North Shore, Peninsula, Rancho Trabuco, San Pedro, Sierra Madre, Temecula Valley and Torrance.

State and city representatives from around California will congregate at one of Huntington Beach's fire rings Sunday afternoon to send a "clear message" to air-quality regulators that they're here to stay. From 3 to 6 p.m. at the fire rings off Newland Street and Pacific Coast Highway, Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) has invited California dignitaries and the Huntington Beach community to join him in a round of s'mores and hot dogs in an effort to raise awareness about the South Coast Air Quality District's proposal to ban fire pits in Orange and Los Angeles counties.

For 29 years Huntington Beach police have gained a lot of satisfaction from running 120 miles through the middle of nowhere. Police agencies from around the world participate annually in the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay, which this year took place April 13. The footrace begins in the town best known for the world's tallest, but now-defunct, thermometer and ends in Las Vegas. This time participants ran in near triple-digit weather, surrounded by the desert with rugged hills in the distance while running as high as 5,500 feet above sea level.

Josiah Whitesinger had a look of determination on his face as he wiped his goggles clean before his paintball match. Whitesinger, who traveled from Chinle, Ariz., with his family, stood in the pit area focusing on preparing for his matches Saturday morning, ignoring the sounds of double triggers slapping the frames of guns and paintballs hitting inflatable barriers. Along with hundreds of other professional paintballers, the 12-year-old participated in the National Professional Paintball League Surf City Open, now in its 11th year.

They all share a love of film making and for one night during the fourth annual Surf City Student Film Festival, Huntington Beach Union High School students can showcase their work for the masses. There are around 20 7-minute films submitted by students from most of the high schools in the district, each with the hopes of earning a cash prize, said Susan West, Academy of the Performing Arts business supervisor. Screenings of the films will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at Huntington Beach Union High School District Auditorium and Bell Tower on the HBHS campus at 1905 Main St. Tickets will be sold at the door for $10. The genre of the short films range from comedies to dramas and documentaries, West said.

The first joke Jeff Capri played on his future partner was a practical one. In the 1980s, when Bob Perkell was producing comedy shows in Southern California, he got a phone call raving about Capri. The voice on the phone, which claimed to be that of Capri's agent, David Gladstone, praised the comic's talent and urged Perkell to book him for a night. Perkell took the bait, and Capri, sure enough, put on a show that had the crowd in stitches. Two years later, the comedian finally revealed the truth: He had posed as his own agent to get the booking.

For some, the 17th annual Surf City Marathon is just another stop on their race tour. But for others, like Lina Fichera, it's something they've been waiting to cross off their bucket list. Fichera, 49, survived coma and a prognosis of never being able to walk again and now, on Feb. 3, she will attempt her second half-marathon, something she never thought possible. Fichera moved back to Huntington Beach this month after living in Connecticut and, most recently, Jacksonville, Fla. for the past three years.

Thank you for publishing your recent article, "OCTA kills proposed 19th Street Bridge," acknowledging the role of former Huntington Beach Mayor Don Hansen in the successful removal of the proposed Banning/19th Street Bridge from the Orange County Master Plan of Arterial Highways. With their vote, the OCTA Board of Directors has ended this issue. Due to term limits, former Huntington Beach Mayor Don Hansen is no longer eligible to serve on the OCTA Board. The mayors of Orange County's Second District have chosen me to be named to the vacancy on the OCTA Board of Directors.