Around Town: ‘Safe Beach Day’ website launched for Huntington Beach residents, visitors

The city of Huntington Beach has launched a new website, Safe Beach Day, to provide real-time beach condition information for city beaches and Sunset Beach.

Safe Beach Day is a digital dashboard that provides Huntington Beach residents and visitors with details on aquatic risk, wave height, water temperature, stingray activity and more.

The Huntington Beach Fire Department’s Marine Safety Division worked with Watchtower Solutions to be the first city in the United States to unveil this tool. While it is built to be a resource for beachgoers, it also aids in directing staff resources and response.

The city plans to add beach parking conditions and capacity to the site soon, as well as Huntington Harbour beach conditions.

NMUSD Cloud Campus enrollment information session planned

The Newport-Mesa Unified School District is hosting an informational session and is gathering interest for enrollment for the upcoming school year on its Cloud Campus, which instructs grades TK through 12. The virtual information session will be held through Zoom on Wednesday, March 9 and begin at 5 p.m.

For more information, visit web.nmusd.us/virtualschool and email cloudcampus@nmusd.us or call at (949) 515-6690.

Huntington Beach City School District hires assistant superintendent

The Huntington Beach City School District has hired Robert Miller as its assistant superintendent of human resources.

Miller has 27 years of experience in education, serving most recently in the same role for the Capistrano Unified School District. He is also a former middle school principal in the Ocean View School District and started his career as a teacher in HBCSD, at Sowers Middle School.

“Huntington Beach City School District is an incredible organization with dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to improve outcomes for children,” Miller said in a statement. “I am honored to have been selected as assistant superintendent of human resources, and look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders to achieve the district’s mission to support the academic and personal development of every student.”

Miller has a bachelor’s degree in history from Cal State Long Beach and a masters of arts in educational administration from Alliant International University.

The Board of Trustees approved Miller’s hiring at its Jan. 25 meeting, and he will start his new position on March 1. Patricia Hager, who has held the position since 2015, is retiring at the end of this month.

Huntington Beach to host blood drive March 5

Huntington Beach, in collaboration with UC Irvine Health, is hosting a blood drive at City Hall on Saturday, March 5.

The blood drive will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Due to COVID-19 protocols, an appointment to donate is required.

The American Red Cross declared a national blood crisis during the pandemic, with a 10% overall decline in blood donation. The most requested blood type is Type O.

“Your Health Matters OC” webinar set for Feb. 22

The Orange County Health Care Agency will host a talk show on YouTube called “Your Health Matters OC” that will feature healthcare professionals from within the county agency and in the community at large to talk about a variety of health topics.

Members of the public are encouraged to view the webcast and submit questions in advance by emailing yourhealthmatters@ochca.com.

To view the webcast online Tuesday, Feb. 22, beginning at 6 p.m., visit youtu.be/_NBJDiPJmh4.

Exer Urgent Care opening in Costa Mesa

Exer Urgent Care will open its third Orange County location when it expands into Costa Mesa next month. Emergency room-trained doctors and other medical personnel will staff the facility.

Located at 235 E. 17th Street, Exer Costa Mesa will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with the last patient registered at 8:30 p.m.

The opening celebration is set for 8:30 to 9:39 a.m. on Wednesday, March 2.

O.C. Sanitation District names new director of operations

Riaz Moinuddin, a resident of Huntington Beach, has been named the director of operations and maintenance for the Orange County Sanitation District, where he will take on the responsibility of overseeing and managing the 24-hour operations and maintenance of the regional sewer facilities throughout Orange County.

Moinuddin, who has been with the Sanitation District for 18 years, most recently served as the engineering manager for its maintenance team.

“Riaz distinguished himself with his technical background, managerial experience and leadership qualities. He has been instrumental in improving the reliability and resilience of the treatment plants and we are excited to have him in his new role,” General Manager Jim Herberg stated in a news release issued by the Fountain Valley office on Wednesday.

Moinuddin holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois and a Control System Engineer professional license from the California Department of Consumer Affairs. He and his wife have raised three children in Huntington Beach and have recently welcomed their first granddaughter.

It’s time to plant tomatoes

Tomatomania! is back at Roger’s Gardens in Corona del Mar starting Friday and running through March 5. This is the 11th year the gardens have hosted the tomato plant sale.

More than 250 varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomato plants will be available in addition to over 100 varieties of peppers.

For more information, visit rogersgardens.com/pages/tomatomania.

— Daily Pilot Staff