BRIEFLY IN THE NEWS

-- Eron Ben-Yehuda and Angelique Flores

The third whale in a month was buried at Sunset Beach on Saturday.

The California gray washed ashore in the morning. A bulldozer in the

afternoon dug up sand near Anderson Street, which marked the final

resting place for the 27-foot mammal, said Api Weinert, assistant

director for U.S. Ocean Safety.

Two whales of similar size were buried nearby April 6. One was found by

5th Street; the other near the entrance to Huntington Harbour, he said.

Sunset Beach usually buries one whale or possibly two in a year, he said.

To have three in a month is unusual, he said.

The causes for their deaths are under investigation. One of the whales

found earlier was tangled in a fishing net; the others could have died

from hunger, he said.

The second annual Pier Plaza Presents concert series begins May 13 with

West African music.The free performances run eight weekends, through

October. Shows begin at 1 p.m. Saturdays and noon Sundays, ending around

4 p.m.The plaza is by the pier at the corner of Main Street and Pacific

Coast Highway.The following are the musical acts scheduled this year: May

13 Nze Eugene de Coque and the Igebe Band International. (West African

high life) May 14 Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra (swing) June 17 Billy K

and the Starliners (rockabilly) / West Coast Pinups (honky tonk) June 18

Gypsy Soul (Celtic folk/rock) July 15 Robert Kyle (Brazilian jazz) /

Sombra Quieta (rumba flamenco/Latin jazz) July 16 Barrelhouse and Janiva

Magness Band (blue-eyed soul) Aug. 19 Havan Sound (Cuban timba) /

Orquesta La Palabra (Afro-Cuban salsa) Aug. 20 Reggae Cowboys (reggae)

Sept. 23 Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys (Western swing) Sept. 24

Hooligans (Irish pub band) Sept. 30 Laura Coyle (folk soloist) and Larry

Horne and Small Change (blues) Oct. 1 Jazztronauts and Dale Fielder

(both jazz) Oct. 7 Burns and Toth Company (jazzgrass) / 2nd Avenue

Klezmer Ensemble (Jewish Eastern European) Oct. 8 DJ Naamdi Moweta and

Soukous Stars (Soukous) Oct. 21 Kid Ramos Band (West Coast jump) Oct. 22

Asleep At the Wheel (Western swing)For more information, call 536-5486.

Boeing employee wins logo contest

Howard Ong of Boeing won the Huntington Beach Fourth of July Parade’s

logo competition. His design, featuring a wave-shaped flag breaking on

the beach with the Huntington Beach Municipal Pier in the background,

will grace all parade and Fourth of July celebration materials. The

“Parade 2000 -- Celebrating the Century “ design was selected from around

30 entries. Ong, a longtime graphic artist and illustrator, has worked

for Boeing for 10 years.

Lamothe makes cut in talent contest

Nicole Lamothe of Huntington Beach won the first round in the o7

NextBigStar.com f7 contest.

The 19-year-old performer competed in the Internet talent contest against

five other singers in the pop singing and dance category for females.

Lamothe sent in a videotape of her performance that Web surfers could

download and then vote for.

Lamothe won the first round, which will take her to the quarterfinals. If

she wins the quarterfinals, Lamothe will compete in the semifinals. The

finals will take place in 11 weeks and culminate in a $10,000 cash prize

for the winner.