Thanks to our Concert Series Sponsors – Alan Brawer at Verizon FIOS and Jim & Shana Klisanin at Baytown Realty.  Special thanks to O’Malley’s Brian Kyle for sponsoring The Elm Street Band last night.

As usual the blankets and chairs had filled Eisenhower Park by 7 a.m.  Needless to say the chairs weren’t filled until 5 p.m.  Some Seal Beacher’s brought their dinners and sandwiches and many others took care of their appetites at our local bistros.

As usual the event was packed happy people.  The 50/50 Opportunity Drawing sent one lucky attendee out to shop local with $700 cash.  The Chamber appreciates your support and those of us at What’s Up In Seal Beach thank the Chamber for all they do to keep our city the town that it is.

Lots of “downtown” areas  across our great country have unfortunately  turned into deserts since the rise of suburbs and the “big-box” stores; but because of our very active Chamber of Commerce and our very loyal citizens we’ve managed to not only save our downtown area but it has prospered. The summer band series, the Car Show, Christmas Parade and similar venues have allowed Seal Beach to maintain that way of life that some of us remember from our childhood and now our children and grandchildren can experience it themselves.  That doesn’t exist in many places in the U. S.

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 them out at sealbeachchamber.org. If you or any of  your business 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 contact George Banker at the address at the bottom of this page.

George Banker
Seal Beach Chamber – Director of Membership
562-842-6690
Pearce Consulting, Inc.

CITY TREASURER-

Quick Tip of the Week – Can Do! -Begin your interactions with customers positively! Make it a habit to always tell your customer what you CAN do for them first. Don’t start with what you can’t do.

COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT – Last Chance to View Rock Paper Salt-The solo art exhibit features the work of Christine Nguyen. Titled Rock Paper Salt it closes September 4. Step into a visually stunning world of color and light that the artist has created before it closes. Large scale photographs, cyanotypes, specially commissioned installation pieces and drawings from the different elements of this exhibit are certain to intrigue and delight you. Admission is free. For opening hours call 714. 374-1650 or visit www.huntingtonbeachartcenter.org

New Creative Art for Toddlers class at the HB Art Center – In this class little artists will explore and make art while learning and experiencing shapes, colors, lines, textures and anything their imaginations can envision. This is a parent- participation class to be held on Saturday, 10:15-11:00 am and 11:15 am-12 noon. The first class is September 25. Registration has already begun. You can register at the Huntington Beach Art Center or online at www.hbsands.org For more information call 714.374.1650

Sixth Annual Plein Air Festival – The Huntington Beach Art Center is proud to present the Sixth Annual Plein Air Painting Festival. Artists began painting scenic Huntington Beach on August 22 and will continue throughout the month of September. This year the festival will include two free painting workshops at Pier Plaza on Sunday, September 12 with artists Diana LoSchiavo and Pamela Panattoni. A special Painting in the Streets event will feature festival artists painting in downtown Huntington Beach on Main Street and The Strand on September 11 from 10:00 am-4:00 pm. The Huntington Beach Art Center Foundation invites you to enjoy a fine dining experience, Dining En Plein Air, in the Art Center galleries on September 23, from 6:30-9:30 pm. The festival culminates with an exhibition of work created during the festival that will be on display from September 25-October 2. An opening reception will be held on September 24, 6:00-9:00 pm. For full festival details call 714.374.1650

Huntington Beach Senior Services – Cardiofit for Seniors - Come join the new exercise class for seniors! Marianne Grossman will lead this exercise class geared towards older adults every Tuesday and Friday morning, 9:00 – 9:45 a.m. from September 14 to November 19. The class fee is $45.00. Walk-in registration for this great new class is being accepted now at the Michael E. Rodgers Seniors Center, 1706 Orange Avenue, Huntington Beach. For more information call 714-536-9387. Class Number 4816.401

Sunset Vista – Reservations for Sunset Vista began August 1 and the campground is selling out fast. Opening day is Friday, October 1. Weekends through November are sold out, as well as the week of Thanksgiving. New Year’s, and Martin Luther King Day in January 2011 are full.

Reservations for the spring of 2011 will begin December 1. The weekdays usually run about 50% capacity and can be a great time to relax and camp at the beach. Sunset Vista Campground is located within the Huntington City Beach parking lot, south of the pier. The facility is extremely popular with the RV community, due to its priceless views and close proximity to the downtown area. It is recommended that patrons check the city’s website at www.huntingtonbeachca.gov (under “Most Requested Pages”) as staff is constantly making and updating reservations.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – SCVNGR Promotion in Surf City USA®-To celebrate the launch of SCVNGR (www.SurfCityUSA.com/SCVNGR) in Huntington Beach, the Huntington Beach Marketing & Visitors Bureau is awarding Surf City USA® gift bags to the first 50 adventurous players who qualify for this game! It is the new interactive way to experience Surf City USA via your mobile phone. Playing is simple: Go places. Do challenges. Earn points! SCVNGR is played via a free iPhone/Android app. Two themed treks, the “Best of Huntington Beach Trek” and the “Surfin’ Surf City USA® Trek,” allow visitors to complete challenges throughout the City to earn points and the Surf City USA badge. For a limited time, the first 50 players to complete all 14 challenges in one of the two treks will win a Surf City USA nylon beach tote stuffed with a limited-edition Rip Curl t-shirt and information about Huntington Beach. SCVNGR is funded by Google Ventures and Highland Capital Partners. Visit www.scvngr.com to learn more or call 800-729-6232.

LIBRARY SERVICES DEPARTMENT- 2010 Summer Reading Program Wrap-Up

The Huntington Beach Library held three very successful Summer Reading Programs this year. The general theme was “water” and the children’s library really made a splash this summer with their fun program, “Make a Splash: Read!” An amazing 4,964 children signed up this year. More than 840 people attended the final two concerts on August 13 featuring Dave Kinnoin. Once again, the show was held in Central Park on the bandstand stage, which provided more space and shade to the excited crowd.            Huntington Beach teen patrons, aged 12-18, made some real waves with their program: “Make Waves at Your Library.” A record 445 teens signed up for the program and completed 1,268 hours of reading! Components of the program included a “Bingo Card”, a “Pirate Pizza Party”, and prizes like an annual beach pass. The Adult program “Water your Mind: Read”, registered 711 participants who completed 3,100 entries for the prize basket drawings – which means they read that many books! An impressive 35 book reviews were submitted. No doubt, as the summer winds down, the library’s readers will continue to excel into the fall!

PLANNING & BUILDING DEPARTMENT-Poseidon Update-The final Subsequent Environmental Impact Report (FSEIR) for the Poseidon Desalination facility has been posted to the Planning and Building Department website at http://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/Government/Departments/Planning/major/poseidon.cfm. The FSEIR contains changes to the Draft SEIR as well as responses to comments. The City Council is slated to consider certifying the FSEIR as adequate and complete at the September 7, 2010, meeting. For additional information, contact Ricky Ramos, Senior Planner, at (714) 536-5271.

PUBLIC WORKS – Slater Avenue Rehabilitation Project-The Slater Avenue Street Rehabilitation Project which began on August 3, 2010, is nearing completion. The project is located on Slater Avenue between Beach Boulevard and Newland Street. Improvements include replacement of existing pavement; limited concrete work to replace curb and gutter, sidewalk, curb access ramps, and cross gutters, installation of tree wells, and landscaping. Staff has been coordinating this work with Lake View Elementary School staff in order to minimize impacts on the school during construction. In addition, the contractor has been working six days a week to complete the project before the first day of school. Although the project will be substantially completed by September 8, the final paving of the street surface will remain and is scheduled for Saturday, September 11 to minimize major construction during school hours. Student safety is top priority and staff will continue working with the contractor to assure that the construction zone is safe and free of any obstructions.

Entry fee Includes Pink or Black “Keep It Clean” T-shirt, Water, Free Parking

EASY Route-  Jetty to Jetty 2.25 miles

For really ambitious participants, we will be conducting a beach cleanup on
this day and you are welcome to take a bag and pick up trash along the route.

Register online at www.saveourbeach.org

Your participation helps support Save Our Beach in our efforts to keep our beach beautiful and educate others how they can help.

(If you’re not registered by 9/4, cost is only $20 but will not include t-shirt
and children 12 & under are only $15)

Here’s what is up for grabs…in addition to how good you’ll feel after helping our town and our beach!

====================

8 a.m. FREE Yoga for first 50 entries
(Yoga provided by Karen Kazanci)

9 a.m. start of walk

10 a.m. FREE Boot Camp for first 25 entries
(Boot Camp provided by www.fitnessworkx.com <http://www.fitnessworkx.com> )

FREE Kids Zone
(bounce house – temporary tattoos – face painting – buried treasures game – coloring contest)

FREE Mini Massage & Back Alignment 9 to 11
(Massage & Back Alignment provided by Champion Chiropractic)

Save Our Beach is a 501c3 non profit organization ID #35-2176382

Ole Surfing Mala Wharf

Ole was a wood shop teacher at Rancho Los Alamitos High School and he’d shape boards at night and on weekends.  He likes to reminisce …. in a low key way…”Aw you know…surfing was just becoming popular and you could sell a two by four as a surfboard.”

Ole is the 5th Hawaii builder to be inducted into the Surfboard Builder’s Hall of Fame…joining such as Duke Kahanamoku and Rabbit Kekai. He’s the oldest living board builder that’s still making boards.

Ole was one of  Hobie’s first shapers (if  not the first?) He still surfs the Maui reef almost everyday.  Not for too many waves ….. but every day. This writer is proud to say the Ole is his friend!

For the complete story see the August 13 issue of the Maui News

It will be celebrating the 95th Anniversary of Seal Beach and  Kim and Steve Masoner and Lynne Pranter Phipps will be co-Grand Marshalls.

They will represent two different times in our town’s history. Kim and Steve, the present and the Lynne Pranter Phipps family …the historic times of our town.

Kim and Steve Masoner

Kim Masoner and her husband, Steve founded ‘Save Our Beach’ and the effort has grown from a handful of local volunteers to a nonprofit organization with a mailing list of more than 12,000 people across Southern California. Kim explains, “We started “Save Our Beach” because we live along the ocean. It’s literally our backyard and we took  long walks and picked up trash along the way. We were often asked if we had any extra bags. People just wanted to help. So we started carrying extra trash bags on our walks. And then we decided if there is that much interest …we’ll just make it easier for them by conducting a beach cleanup on a monthly basis.

Kim said, “Then we added ‘California Coastal Day,’ where we have 3 locations AND we also added a monthly “Riverbed/Wetlands Cleanup.”  Masoner schedules beach cleanups normally on the third Saturday of every month, and also organizes impromptu cleanups after major storms.

Once a week, she hosts field trips for elementary school children from San Diego to Santa Monica. Students help clean up a local beach and also learn how to prevent trash from ending up on the sand. Save Our Beach’s work doesn’t stop at the shore. After each event, Masoner donates old tennis balls to the local animal shelter and washes clothing found on the beach to donate to the homeless.The Masoners have received more awards than we can print here for their efforts in cleaning up the coast for over 10 years.

Lynne Pranter Phipps

Regarding our other Grand Marshall, well her family has played an important part in “old” Seal Beach and “new” Seal Beach. Pretty much been on the scene for most of its 95 years.

Lynne Pranter Phipps’ great grandmother, Clara E. Boling Watts, lived in Tent City; grandmother; Jessie Reed was first woman mayor in Orange County when she became our Mayor.  She fought the legal gambling ordinance all her life. Founder of the Woman’s Club of Seal Beach in 1923 and proprietor of Tent City. Lynne’s mother, Norma Pranter, also lived in Tent City.  Tent City also had some wooden cottages and it was a resort for “summer people.” It was  between 12th and 14th streets and was popular between 1918 and 1938 .  Norma was president of the Woman’s Club of Seal Beach 1951 -52.

Lynne has a son and granddaughter living in the same building she lived in and it was , remodeled by her Great Grandmother and Grandfather.  It was a hone that  that was brought over from the Seal Beach Airport in 1944 when the navy moved in and now still sits on the property at 316 & 316 1/2 10th St. Her son, Lee, wife and Granddaughter, Haley, live there. 11 year old Haley is the sixth generation Seal Beacher.

How lucky we are to have a “ForeMother” and two outstanding young whippersnappers bringing all these kudos to our town’s 95th birthday.

Congratulations, Kim, Steve and Lynne!

The victim, described as a male in his mid-twenties, was found at the scene by people walking home.  At the time of this press release the victim was in surgery at Long Beach Memorial Hospital with severe head trauma.

The ensuing traffic collision investigation uncovered information indicating that the suspect vehicle may have been a mid-80’s Toyota.  The severity of the collision  indicates that the vehicle undoubtedly sustained considerable front-end damage as a result of the collision.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Seal Beach Police Department and ask for:

• Officer Craig Jones, Traffic Investigator:                        (562) 799-4100 x-1632
• Officer Joseph Garcia, Traffic Investigator:            (562) 799-4100 x-1649
• On-Duty Watch Commander:                                     (562) 799-4100 x-1115

Our police need your help in solving this accident!

Its fitting that there are four candidates vying for his District One seat.  District One encompasses Old Town and Surfside and rest assured that there are private interests at play that would like to have a friend in that  District One seat.

There are four people scheduled to challenge for Antos vacated seat: Elley Deaton,  Scott Levitt (son of Mike Levitt  - District Five Councilman) Robert Aguilar and Joe Kalmick.  Most likely there will be a run-off for the Old Town seat since its unlikely that any candidate will get more than 50% of the vote and if that happens there will another election in January.

The other two Council seats to be voted on are: District Three and District Five.  District Three encompasses Bridgeport, the Coves, the Hill and Herron Pointe.  Gordon Shanks is the present Councilman and Amalia Almasy is the challenger.  District Five has portions of Leisure World and Councilman Michael Levitt is being challenged by Anne Seifert.

Hold on to your hats folks…there may some fireworks near election time!

This has been a long battle against BP…but on  Thursday August 10 the Orange County Health Care Agency directed BP to get the process started….and its great news for the residents in the area who have been suffering from the leakage.

For the full story go to: http://www.oc180news.com/article/West_Orange_County_Features/Current_Interest/County_Issues_Seal_Beach_Gas_Station_Clean_Up_Directive_To_BPARCO_City_Manager_Calls_letter_Perfect/19003

FOXY LADY: ?Sexy, fashion-conscious blue-haired beauty, ?80’s, slim, 5′4′ (used to be 5′6′), ?searching for sharp-looking, sharp-dressing companion. ?Matching white shoes and ?belt a plus.

LONG-TERM COMMITMENT: ?Recent widow who has just buried fourth husband,?and am looking for someone to round out a six-unit plot. ?Dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath not a problem.

SERENITY NOW: ?I am into solitude, long walks, sunrises, the ocean, yoga and meditation. ?If you are the silent type, let’s get together, ?take our hearing aids out and enjoy quiet times.

WINNING SMILE: ?Active grandmother with original teeth seeking a dedicated flosser ?to share rare steaks, corn on the cob and caramel candy.

BEATLES OR STONES? ?I still like to rock, ?still like to cruise in my Camaro on Saturday nights and still like to play the guitar. ?If you were a groovy chick, or are now a groovy hen, ?let’s get together and listen to my eight-track tapes.

MEMORIES: ?I can usually remember Monday through Thursday. ?If you can remember Friday, Saturday and Sunday, let’s put our two heads together.

MINT CONDITION: ?Male, 1932, high mileage, good condition, some hair, ?many new parts including hip, knee, cornea, valves. ?Isn’t in running condition, but walks well.

Now there’s some people who should write for “What’s Up.”

Its behind CSULB but the only access is at the end of Palo Verde Rd.   Get off the 405 at Palo Verde and go south to the end.  There is a gated community and you just tell the guard you are going to the Rancho. Its about 10 minutes from Seal Beach.

Its a hidden treasure of Long Beach that I just found a few months ago. No entry fee and dedicated docents to tell you tall tales .

When you go there you can just take a tour of the gardens or you can visit the Rancho or do both.  The grounds are in spectacular conditions. Be sure and tell them that you want to see their box bamboo trees. If there is a little wind they will play you a soothing melody.

If you have a 1/2 hour it is a delightful garden to walk through.  Mostly cacti but some very interesting trees.  The two humungous trees in front of the home are ‘only’ 75/80 years old…..I’d have guessed several centuries.

For the complete story go to:
http://www.latimes.com/features/home/la-hm-rancho-alamitos-20100807,0,2914747.story