Procession greets new year

Paul Clinton

Several hundred spiritually-minded folk are expected to christen

2003 at the Huntington Beach Pier Plaza on Sunday as part of the

annual Procession of Light.

The event, sponsored by the Greater Huntington Beach Interfaith

Council, which is in its fourth year, usually draws large crowds.

“This year’s procession will feature faith community leaders

offering prayers for peace and safety of families, the city and the

world,” said Debi Wheeler-Ure, the chairwoman of the community

committee organizing the event.

Beginning at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the event will feature live musical

performances, song and group prayer. Nancy Linder and the South Coast

Klezmer Band will join the Sts. Simon and Jude Church Youth Band for

a 30-minute musical prelude.

Then, at 3 p.m., city luminaries and leaders will lead prayers to

start the new year off on a spiritual note.

Mayor Connie Boardman, who will attend, said the event is a good

way to launch a new beginning.

“The value of this is celebration of the religious diversity in

this city,” Boardman said. “It’s a prayer service for all religious

groups.”

Former council members Ralph Bauer and Shirley Dettloff have also

pledged to attend, along with Police Chief Kenneth Small. Bauer and

Dettloff are founding members of the interfaith council.

Those who attend the ceremony will be able to submit a prayer on a

piece of paper, which will be added together.

Organizers will take the gathered prayers and put them in a fire

pit on the north side of the pier. A dove will be released, at that

time, with bagpipes playing in the background.

In past years, the event has featured prayers of different faiths.

This year, the program includes a nondenominational prayer.

“It’s totally different than it has been in the past,” Wheeler-Ure

said about the event. “It’s being presented a little differently this

year to show that we are united in our differences.”

Council rolls out carpet for new subcommittee

The City Council scheduled the first meeting of a new subcommittee

designed to address water quality and boating issues.

The first meeting of the Huntington Harbor Waterways Committee is

scheduled for 6 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Huntington Central Library.

Council members Debbie Cook, Cathy Green and Dave Sullivan are

scheduled to attend as liaisons. The committee is made up of

representatives of harbor homeowners associations, marinas, yacht

clubs and officials from the county, state and federal levels.

The committee will address water quality, dredging, sewage,

pollution, pier head violations, derelict vessels and dock permits.

The meeting is open to the public.

The committee is scheduled to meet every other Tuesday. Upcoming

meetings are on Feb. 18, March 4 and 18, April 1, 15 and 29, May 13

and 27 and June 10.

Hilton owners give hotel face-lift

The owners of the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, the Robert Mayer

Corp., are giving their 290-room hotel some cosmetic upgrades.

The hotel, which opened in 1990 and was renovated in 1998, is at

21100 Pacific Coast Highway.

Hilton owners are giving the hotel a new coat of paint and adding

new accent colors to the balcony railings.

The work is expected to be completed in the middle of January,

before the opening of the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and

Spa, which will be on an adjacent 15-acre parcel of beachfront land.

Robert Mayer also owns the Hyatt. Construction on the Hyatt began

almost two years ago.

City improves chlorine wells

The city’s Public Works Department has completed $1 million in

improvements to four chlorine injection wells.

The city has used chlorine to disinfect drinking water before

delivering it to homes and businesses for about 50 years.

New state regulations, however, forced the city to construct

systems that would prevent the accidental release of chlorine, which

can be hazardous in high doses.

During the project, the city’s contractor, Pascal & Ludwig

Constructors, installed what are known as “secondary containment

vessels” in the event of a chlorine spill.

The city also installed a canopy and crane structure at each well.