Local News in Brief : Boat Race Promoter Hired

You can never be too ready. Although it is not assured that the America’s Cup is coming to Long Beach, the City Council on Tuesday agreed to prepare for its arrival by giving the job of coordinating the boat race to the same corporation handling the city’s centennial celebration. At the request of Mayor Ernie Kell, the council assigned the task to International City Celebration Inc., which is developing and supervising programs in connection with the city’s 100th birthday this year.

But before reaching a unanimous vote, several council members expressed concern that International City Celebration Inc. already has a big job to do and may not be able to handle another major project. Councilwoman Jan Hall suggested that the council specify that the corporation establish a separate arm and add employees to handle the extra job. Several other council members agreed. Kell said the promoters would separate the two tasks and do a good job.

All council members agreed that if the boat race indeed ends up in Long Beach waters, it would pour millions into the local economy and bring the city added prestige. “It’s going to be unbelievable,” Kell said.