CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP:City ponders centennial events

The City Council has taken its first step to start planning celebrations for the city of Huntington Beach’s centennial, which is in 2009.

Community Relations Officer Laurie Payne told council members at a study session on Monday that several cities — Newport Beach, Long Beach and Las Vegas — recently celebrated centennials, providing plenty of good examples. Huntington Beach could commission a float in the Rose Parade; publish a calendar or magazine; have a rotating exhibit; throw a centennial gala; or even bury a time capsule, among other ideas.

“We should make sure everything already occurring has a centennial theme,” Payne added.

Council members voted to have staff draw up membership lists for a committee that would plan the festivities and help look for donors. Some committee members could come from the Chamber of Commerce, Conference and Visitors Bureau, past mayors, the Historic Resources Board, the Downtown Business Improvement District, the Huntington Beach Restaurant Assn., the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith Council and various service clubs, according to staff recommendations.

Members of the public interested in offering feedback and ideas on the centennial may e-mail [email protected].

MADD honors police officers

More than a dozen uniformed police officers gathered in the City Council chambers on Monday to receive annual honors from the Orange County chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Gail Butler, the organization’s executive director, presented 13 plaques to city officers, each of whom arrested at least 25 people on suspicion of drunk driving in the last year. Altogether, they were responsible for more than 800 DUI arrests.

Huntington Beach police Capt. Bill Stuart, who assisted in the presentation, offered some praise of his own for MADD, saying the organization changed the way law enforcement saw driving under the influence.

“When I was getting started, unless you were assigned a specific detail to go after drunk drivers, it was kind of looked down upon,” he said. “But it’s a violent crime, and people get killed or injured.”

Stuart noted that Officer Dale Shields, a dedicated DUI enforcement officer who racked up 233 arrests last year, once made 10 arrests in a single shift.

Still, he added, “Going out and arresting these people is only part of it. They have to be in court, many times on their day off, or at difficult hours because they work nights.”

The department arrested 1,435 people for DUI last year. Police also reported that 141 people were injured by drunk drivers and seven were killed.

Police department presents awards

Huntington Beach police officers gathered Wednesday morning in the department’s training room for their annual Employee Awards Breakfast.

Award winners were chosen by Police Chief Kenneth Small after preliminary recommendation by a selection committee that contained a cross-section of department employees, according to a department news release.

The Medal of Courage went to Officer Brian Knorr. The Uniformed Officer of the Year was Officer Ed Clair. Officer Shawn Randell was New Officer of the Year. Non-Uniformed officer of the Year was Sgt. Aaron Smith. Civilian Employee of the Year was information technician Darrin Dixon. Supervisor of the Year was Crewleader Craig Hunter.

Golf tournament April 28

The City of Huntington Beach Community Services Department is having its 19th annual golf tournament, which is open to all men and women regardless of handicap. It will be held on Saturday, April 28, at Meadowlark Golf Course, 16782 Graham St.

Space is limited, and the last day to sign up is April 1. The registration fee is $80. All participants will receive a food coupon, a golf shirt, a cart, tee prizes and green fees. For more information, call (714) 536-5486.