Side Notes

Scholarship essay contest

The Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Ladies Auxiliary are collecting

essays for its 1999-2000 Voice of Democracy Scholarship Contest. The

contest is open to high school students who would like to express their

opinions about America and their commitment to our future. Local,

district, state and national scholarship awards are available. The theme

is “America’s Role for the Next Century.” The deadline is Nov. 1, 1999.

Each contestant’s entry must be a 3-5 minute essay wrtten then recorded

on audio cassette tape. Junior high students are invited to participate

in the Youth Essay Contest. This year’s theme is “How Should We Honor

America’s Veterans?” Essays should be no longer than 400 typewritten

words. 968-5223. E-mail vfwpost9557@juno.com.

New medical center

Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center and physician Jamie B. Lewis, M.D.

have opened the newest Memorial Prompt Care & Family Medicine facility at

Five Points in Huntington Beach, 18561 Beach Blvd. Orange Coast Memorial

Medical Center is a nonprofit, 230-bed general acute care hospital that

offers a wide range of specialty services.

Costa Mesa GOP women to meet

The Costa Mesa Republican Women Federated will hold their general meeting

at 10:30 a.m. today at the home of Beth White, 10131 Jon Day Drive in

Huntington Beach. Special guests will be James Joseph Sieves. For more

information call (714) 962-5398.

Short wave connection

The American Shortwave Listener’s club will hold its November meeting

from noon to 4 p.m. Nov. 6, at 16182 Ballad Lane, Huntington Beach. The

subject will be Ecuador volcano alert frequencies. For more information,

call (714) 846-1685.

For Sunday readers

The Fountain Valley Library is now open Sundays from 12-5 p.m.

Human Relations Task Force

The Huntington Beach Human Relations Task Force will staff a booth at the

Downtown farmers market on Friday afternoons, through October. The Task

Force is a city committee formed in April 1997 following two separate

incidents involving hate crimes in the city. The mission of the Task

Force is to promote and celebrate diversity in our community through

education and understanding.

Catellus teams with Junior Lifeguards

Catellus Residential Group has volunteered to help the city’s Junior

Lifeguards organization with its fund-raising program, including raising

money for the Lifeguard’s new beach-based headquarters. Catellus is the

planner and developer of the Summerlane community in Huntington Beach.

Singing in the shower

Huntington Beach residents Bob and Gail Quinn donated nearly $1,000 to

the Pacific Coast Civic Light Opera, based at Golden West College. The

Quinns, owners of Tile and Plumbing Gallery, hosted the Great American

Charity Shower Sing in August. The Quinns paid for the event fee, awards.

Shower construction costs and maintenance. Candace Gamboa, a 10-year-old

from Costa Mesa, won the $100 prize given by ACF, a water purification

company.

Firefighters honored

The Huntington Beach Fire Department recently received the Life Safety

Achievement Award for 1998 from the Residential Fire Safety Institute.

The award is given for prevention activities that reduce the number of

lives lost in residential fires. The fire department recorded zero fire

deaths in 1998.

Tax rate changes

The state Board of Equalization recently adopted Rule 905, which changes

the tax rate of the newly deregulated, privately owned electric

generation plants. Huntington Beach will now receive about 20% of the tax

assessed on the property owned by AES, at the corner of Newland Street

and Pacific Coast Highway. The old rate was 1.3% of the property tax when

the plant was owned by Southern California Edison, a regulated utility.

The city expects to receive about $180,000 in annual property taxes,

which will be used to provide public safety services, fill potholes,

refurbish aging streets, and other services paid for out of the general

fund.

Funny money

On Nov. 12th, the Huntington Harbour Republican Women Federated will hold

Fund Raising Follies -- honoring military veterans and the law

enforcement Community, at 7 p.m. at the Meadowlark Country Club in

Huntington Beach. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher will be a special guest. Master

of Ceremonies will be state Senate GOP Leader Ross Johnson. For more

information, call Emily Sanford at (714) 964-7712.

Volunteers needed

The Fountain Valley Library is seeking adult volunteers to help at the

library on Sundays. Detail-oriented people are need to shelve books, fill

book requests and turn on computers and equipment every Sunday for two to

three hours during the next six to 12 months. For more information, call

or visit the library’s information desk.