Dwyer drops out of council race
-- Jose Paul Corona
City Council candidate J. Devin Dwyer withdrew from the race for
the City Council Monday.
Dwyer’s wife, Linda, 39, had an emergency Caesarean section last
week and it was discovered that she was suffering from toxemia, a
lethargic condition sometimes caused by the procedure.
She delivered the couple’s first child a baby girl, Sophia, who
despite having a heart murmur is doing well, Dwyer said.
Dwyer, who was scheduled to take part in a candidate forum
sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the American Assn. of
University Women, did not attend because of the medical emergency.
“I’m disappointed, I thought I had some good ideas, but my family
is more important at this point,” he said.
Linda and Sophia Dwyer are still in the hospital and are expected
to be released soon, he said.
Surf City’s fire services will remain city-run
The City Council decided at a special study session Monday night
not to consider the option of contracting for fire department
services with the Orange County Fire Authority.
The proposal, which was brought forward by Fire Chief Michael
Dolder, was rejected 4 to 2 by council members who said they were
happy with the existing service and voted against preparing a
detailed request for proposal, which would have cost about $36,000.
Dolder prepared the proposal in response to firefighters’ concerns
about possible cutbacks in fire department staffing levels because of
the city’s current budget crunch.
“I think we have an exemplary fire department,” Councilman Ralph
Bauer said. “There doesn’t seem to be any rationale as to why we
should go forward with this.”
Several council members said they would be reluctant to see
control of services leave the city.
“The benefits seem to be negligible,” Councilman Peter Green said.
The council members’ direct contact with Dolder wasn’t something
that they wanted to lose.
“I feel I can call someone immediately and get the problem
addressed,” Councilwoman Grace Winchell said. “I’m really in favor of
not taking any action.”
Mayor Debbie Cook and Councilwoman Pam Julien Houchen were the
only two members of the council to vote for the proposal.
Councilwoman Connie Boardman was not present at the meeting.
Businesses help by adopting storm drains
Three local businesses have donated $2,240 to help keep the city’s
storm drains clean as part of the Adopt-a-Storm drain program.
Hurricanes Bar & Grill, Huntington Beach Transmissions and
Fisherman’s Hardware are taking part in the program, which was
adopted by the City Council on May 20 and is based on the
Adopt-A-Highway program.
The program helps raise money to help local governments pay for
water pollution prevention efforts such as storm drain cleaning and
litter control through business sponsorships.
Businesses who take part in the program receive signs that are
posted in high traffic areas, which announce their participation in
the program. The signs also encourage people not to dump litter into
the storm drains because they lead directly into the ocean.
City’s south beach RV campground open
The city’s recreational vehicle campground is open and ready for
visitors. The abbreviated camping season started on Oct. 1 and will
run through the middle of December or until the South Beach Phase II
improvement project begins.
Reservations for camping for October and November are being taken
after Dec. 1, camping will be available on a first come, first served
basis. For more information, please call (714) 536-5280.
Sewage spills soil Huntington Harbour
County health regulators ordered sections of Huntington Harbour
closed Saturday after a moderately-sized sewage spill soiled three
swimming areas.
The environmental health division of the Orange County Health Care
Agency ordered the closures Saturday morning, after 5,000 gallons of
raw sewage spilled into storm drains that feed into the Bolsa Chica
Channel and then into the harbor.
The agency ordered closures for Sunset Aquatic Marina, Peter’s
Landing and Portofino Cove Marina, agency spokeswoman Monica Mazur
said. The closures were announced at 11 a.m. Saturday.
By Tuesday, the agency reopened the areas for swimming and diving.
Water samples collected at the locations showed that bacteria levels
had returned to acceptable levels, Mazur said.
The spill was caused by a blockage in the private sewage line at
Harbor Breeze Apartments, which are in the 4800 block of Heil Ave.
Several residents reported seeing the spill Friday evening, Mazur
said, but did not report it. City fire units arrived at the complex
Saturday morning.
The cause of the spill is still not known, Mazur said. However,
the spill could have been prevented if the property’s owner had
routed the building’s plumbing on a regular basis, Mazur said.
“Virtually every sewage spill is preventable with maintenance,”
Mazur said. “And if someone had reported it earlier, the city crew
could have been out there Friday night.”
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