Surf flicks becoming a staple

Paul Clinton

Like eager, early morning wave riders grabbing their boards to

take on a line of clean, peeling waves breaking offshore, surfers

turned out in excitement to watch a pair of surf-and-skate films last

week at the Mann Pierside Pavilion Downtown.

With their pulses picking up, they filed into the theater last

week to watch “Eyes to Sea” and “Good Time with Carey Hart.”

A group of local wave riders who formed Big Red Productions

launched the “Surf Theatre” series in November. They have been

bringing back a long-running tradition that died in 1989 when the old

Surf Theatre, once on 5th Street, was torn down.

For many years, beginning in the 1960s, eager surfers filed into

the Surf Theatre to watch their heroes catch curl after curl in

exotic locales like Australia, Bali and Hawaii.

A group led by 38-year-old Dave Carlos, founder of Big Red, first

showed “Burning the Map” on Nov. 14. Local surfer Timmy Turner, 21,

directed the surf adventure.

On Dec. 12, the group added a second installment, screening “The

Kill 6.”

The group continued its monthly tradition last week with Costa

Mesa surfer Todd Messick’s “Eyes to Sea: A North Shore Experience”

and “Corey Hart,” Jonny Vegas’ motocross spectacle.

A pair of films has been scheduled for Feb. 13, extending the run

of a series that has been growing in popularity. “Progression Freedom

Video,” a surf movie, and “All Girl Skate Jam” are on the marquee for

that day.

Oak View close to changing hands

City officials have pinned down a tentative agreement to hand over

operation of the Oak View Community Center to a nonprofit group,

paving the way for the deal to head to the City Council for final

approval.

The Community Services Commission, at a Wednesday meeting,

unanimously approved a contract with the Children’s Bureau to provide

programs at the center.

The bureau has been running a number of programs at the center

already, but had used city funds to pay for them.

In September, the bureau obtained a $5,000 grant from the Verizon

Foundation. Meanwhile, the city cut the center’s $140,000-per-year funding during budgetary cutbacks.

Striking a deal with the bureau should allow the counseling and

job-readiness programs to continue at the center, said Dave

Dominguez, the city’s manager of facilities, development and

concessions.

“We feel this is a good partnership,” he said.

As a condition of the transfer of duties, the commission imposed a

requirement on the nonprofit group to continue federal screening

requirements for hiring. The group must continue to perform

background checks on potential employees. Also, the city will

evaluate the bureau’s programs on an annual basis, Dominguez said.

“The commission asked a lot of questions about the group’s

history,” Dominguez said about the Wednesday hearing. “They have more

potential resources than the city.”

The city plans to continue with a proposal to build a $75,000

skate park at the center.

Before the nonprofit group can formally take over operations of

the center, the Public Works Commission and City Council must approve

the contract. The Public Works Commission is expected to consider it

later in the month.

Hearing set to tie up loose ends on banner suit

The anti-abortion group partly responsible for the repeal of Surf

City’s controversial ban on aerial advertising is now asking the city

to pay its legal tab.

The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform Inc., which sued the city Oct.

1, filed a motion in federal court last month asking for $33,000 in

attorneys fees, Deputy City Atty. Sarah Lazarus said. A hearing is

set for Feb. 10.

Group attorneys filed the measure with U.S. District Court Judge

Alicemarie H. Stotler, who threw the lawsuit out in December after

the city repealed the ban.

Mayor Connie Boardman proposed the ban in July; it was embraced by

her colleagues on a 5-2 vote on Sept. 16.

The law came under immediate fire by the anti-abortion group,

which uses the banners to promote its cause by showing graphic images

of aborted fetuses, and by the Federal Aviation Administration, which

ruled that the ban infringed on their oversight of federal airways.

After two months of furor, the council relented and, on Nov. 18,

repealed the law.

Improvements to city’s traffic lights on the way

The City Council has accepted a $400,000 state grant to install

additional battery backup systems for the city’s traffic signals.

These systems are already in place at 13 city intersections. The

grant, which comes from the California Energy Commission, would allow

the city to install them at 62 other locations.

The systems allow the signals to operate fully, or in flashing

mode, for up to two hours without outside electrical power.

In the event of a power failure, the signals will continue to

operate until power is restored or the battery is sapped.

The move would free up police from traffic-cop duty during outages

and lessen the confusion of motorists struggling to negotiate a busy

intersection with the signals out of operation.

By the end of the summer, 75 of the city’s 107 signals will have

this emergency-power protection.

The state energy commission’s grant will fund 70% of the project,

with the city chipping in the remaining 30%. The council accepted the

grant on Nov. 18.

City puts runoff-free cleaner into action

The city’s beach maintenance division has purchased a new power

scrubber machine that will be used to clean the Huntington Beach Pier

and the Main Promenade parking structure in an environmentally

friendly way.

The machine, which cost about $34,000, lays down a coat of soap

and water, scrubs down the surface and cleans up the residue. And it

does it all in one motion.

The technique prevents urban runoff -- including soapy film, dirt

and other waste -- from spilling into the gutters or ocean.

The scrubber arrived in mid-December, Operations Supervisor Larry

Neishi said.

Annual golf tournament ready to tee off

The Huntington Harbour Philharmonic Committee has scheduled its

annual fund-raiser golf tournament for March 10 at the Newport Beach

Country Club.

The tournament, now in its eighth year, raises money to fund the

group’s activities. Last year, it raised $27,000, money that was used

to provide free music education programs to Orange County students.

The event will feature a putting contest, longest drive contest,

an 18-hole tournament, two charity auctions, a barbecue lunch and an

awards dinner.

Highmark Funds is sponsoring the event, along with the committee.

Worthington Ford is offering a 2003 Ford Mustang convertible to the

winner of a hole-in-one contest.

The entry fee for the event is $250, or $150 for non-golfers.

The country club is at 1600 East Coast Highway in Newport Beach.