Gains & Losses

GAINS

VIOLENCE HAS SUBSIDED

It has been six months since a spate of gang violence claimed two lives

in the Oak View community, and police are largely responsible. Since the

killings in July, the Police Department has stepped up patrol efforts and

cracked down on gang involvement, hauling in youths who disobey court

orders to stay away from other gang members. “Most of their leaders are

in jail. But we try to stay on top of them to try to keep them from

growing,” Gang Unit Det. Gary Faust said.

WORLD AT THEIR FINGERTIPS

When Jinger Wallace heads to Europe this summer, she’ll be taking her

Huntington Beach High School social studies students with her -- well,

sort of. She has arranged to hold a summer session via the Internet.

She’ll conduct interviews with people she meets abroad and share those

conversations with her students, who will write reports on a country of

their choosing. “I’ve taken students to Europe, but only a few get to

go,” she said. “When the Internet came along, it was the ideal vehicle to

include the whole class in this type of activity.”

FOUNTAIN VALLEY CRIME DROPS

Like neighboring Surf City, Fountain Valley experienced a drop in crime

last year -- a 25.2% drop, in fact. “We’re proud, and we hope it

continues to drop,” Mayor Guy Carrozzo said. It makes the city’s slogan

-- “Fountain Valley, A Nice Place To Live” -- even more meaningful.

LOSSES

LOCAL BARS RUNNING AMOK

Police are saying Surf City’s bar scene is downright outrageous, with

reports of nudity and lewd acts that have forced temporary alcohol

license suspensions at two popular nightspots. HB Tropics just finished

serving their suspension, and Hurricane’s shut down its operations today

and will reopen after completing the suspension with a new outlook. The

owner said he hopes to draw a more upscale and family-oriented clientele.

OFF-ROADING ON THE MESA

When Bolsa Chica Land Trust members took Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Garden

Grove) on a tour of the mesa, they didn’t expect the quiet beauty of the

habitat to be pierced by the sound of trucks off-roading on the land. But

that’s what happened. The group spotted three trucks plowing through the

area. The group reported the illegal activity to authorities.