GAINS & LOSSES

GAINS

Carrozzo takes helm

Fountain Valley City Councilman Guy Carrozzo took over as mayor this

week, dedicating his term to the nation’s veterans. “As I have become

older, I realized how important soldiers have been in preserving the

nation’s freedom,” he said. Carrozzo began his third term on the council

last year, after serving terms in 1990 and 1995.

Student club acceptance

Members of the Student Alliance Group at Fountain Valley High School say

they have won wide acceptance from students and administrators. Although

the group stirred up controversy when it first arose six years ago, they

now meet on campus on a weekly basis without incident. Student Alliance

Group President Kaeti Humphrey said the group’s purpose is to provide

students a safe haven to discuss issues surrounding sexuality without the

risk of harassment. She said the group has a core membership of 15 to 20

students, at least half of whom are straight.

Happy birthday Surf City

Huntington Beach celebrated its 90th birthday with the dedication of

wildlife murals at City Hall. The Huntington Beach Concert Band and the

Festival Ballet Co. entertained residents at the ceremony. But the main

event was the dedication of the ceramic tile murals, which represent an

integral part of the city’s history. Mounted on several walls at the

Civic Center, the murals depict native birds in their natural habitats.

One work shows a black-necked stilt standing in a wetland. Another

illustrates a pelican swooping down into ocean water teeming with fish.

LOSS

Homicide suspected

A woman found lying unconscious on a Huntington Beach street died last

week from a skull fracture. Bridgette Ballas, 29, of Huntington Beach,

was found by police at around 6:30 a.m. Nov. 27, lying in a street gutter

in the 900 block of Huntington Street. Paramedics immediately took Ballas

to Western Medical Center-Santa Ana, but she did not recover from her

injuries. Huntington Beach Police are treating her death as a homicide.