EDITORIAL

A quick read through the pages of last week’s Independent showcased an

important, heartening fact about Huntington Beach: A lot of little, good

things go on here.

There is Christine Polomsky, a first-grade teacher at Huntington

Seacliff Elementary School. She was honored by Project Tomorrow as one of

five outstanding science teachers in the county for creating a science

resource center for her students.

There is the four-person math team from Mesa View Middle School,

studying hard for their competition. The quartet of sixth-graders --

Chris Murphy, Piero Remedios, Kelly Self and Garret Shinn -- are setting

themselves for long-term success by learning how to handle pressure, not

to mention how to figure out those logic problems that can cause so much

trouble later in life.

There is Nanci Williams, who many of you probably know through your

visits to the children’s wing of the Huntington Beach Central Library.

She’s spent years helping children find one of life’s great loves: the

love of reading.

There are people like Mike Harris, pastor of Calvary Chapel Beach

Side, who led a group in prayer outside City Hall during last week’s

National Day of Prayer. Their collective service for and in the community

is invaluable in what it teaches and who it helps.

Finally, there are the people who care enough about issues to take the

time to write to our Community Forum page. Last week, much of it was

about the city dog park. In the past it’s been the the Bolsa Chica,

Downtown development, clean water and more.

This week and next, it will be another fresh topic. Their interest in

the community is at the heart of what makes Surf City vibrant and strong.

Often, we look to the big issues -- both good and bad -- as the map to

how our city is doing. But, really, it’s these little things that truly

matter, that change people and that make this city better.