Gains & losses

GAINS

A SHINY NEW TRICYCLE

Fountain Valley police officers gave a shiny red tricycle to an

8-year-old Lara Startup, whose bike was stolen in June. Lara and her

twin, Andru, were adopted by Rebecca Startup from an orphanage in Romania

almost a decade ago. They both have cerebral palsy. Lara’s Utah Trike,

specially designed to stretch the muscles of cerebral palsy patients, was

parked by a tree in her frontyard the day it was stolen. Officer Trung

Nguyen took the report on the theft, and was so moved that he took it

upon himself to raise $800 to replace the tricycle.

WE, THE PEOPLE

Frustrated by the City Council’s seeming indifference to their concerns

about overdevelopment, a coalition of Downtown property owners and

tenants are proposing a switch to district representation on the City

Council. Currently, the seven council members can be chosen from any part

of town.

THIS OLD HOUSE?

The Peck family breathed a collective sigh of relief after the City

Council decided to spare its white Victorian home from the threat of

eminent domain. Joining in the celebration were owners and residents of

30 other homes and apartments near Pacific Coast Highway between 1st and

2nd streets, the area excluded from the city’s redevelopment plans by a

4-0 council vote.

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

Steve Gullage is fed up. That’s why the president of the Huntington Beach

Mobile Homeowners Assn. is suggesting the city create a limit to how much

the owners of the city’s 18 mobile home parks can charge their tenants.

The association represents 800 members -- many of whom are senior

citizens living on fixed incomes -- who pay an average rent of about $515

per month. Gullage said that’s more than 10% higher than park residents

in the rest of Orange County. Said Gullage: “Anything over $460 is not

affordable, and that’s for sure.”

LOSSES

NOT THE REAL THING

The company’s slogan may be “Always Coca-Cola,” but a resident never

expected two vending machines to pop up this month and spoil his home’s

ocean view. “I can’t even believe you can do this,” said Jim Smith, who

lives by 12th Street and Pacific Coast Highway, where city officials

installed the machines as part of an agreement with Coca-Cola, the city’s

official beverage. Since the corporate sponsorship went into effect in

February, the city has set up about 100 of the 150 beverage machines

agreed to under the 10-year deal that earns the city $300,000 annually.

NOT ON MY STREET

Feeling pressure from merchants, the city’s Downtown committee agreed to

consider moving the weekly farmers’ market and crafts fair away from

their shops. “All we are saying is, ‘Not in front of our stores,’ ”

explained Moe Kanoudi, owner of Main St. Eyewear. “We have nothing

against these people, but why don’t they go somewhere else?” Kanoudi said

Downtown businesses lose money when streets close down between 1 p.m. and

sunset every Friday to make room for the outdoor booths.