Council’s trust in residents sparks new faith

DANETTE GOULET

Consider my faith in the City Council restored -- somewhat, anyway.

Allowing fireworks to be shot off a barge between the Hilton

Waterfront Beach Resort and the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort

& Spa on the Fourth of July was a sane and sensible decision.

My hope grew and waned in turn as I listened to council members on

Tuesday night question and comment on the proposed fireworks display

at the beach.

With each question to Police Chief Ken Small, my hope sank a

little lower. He said his men could handle it. That’s all we need to

know from him. Of course he’s against it; he’d rather not deal with

it. But that is part of what we pay him for.

When the issue of the effect on Downtown residents came up, I

wanted to scream. With the exception of a few, Downtown residents are

in favor of it. I know I’ll be up on my roof enjoying the show.

The flood of public comments supporting the event did not surprise

me. A majority of residents has always backed the idea and been

insulted that the council deemed the community too immature to handle

a display at the beach. But for the vote to swing from 4 to 3 against

to 5 to 2 in favor -- I wasn’t sure I was hearing properly. (OK,

actually “reading” the vote box properly, as I was at home watching

on TV.)

But it was true. The council -- for this year only -- has granted

the Fourth of July committee to raise money for a huge fireworks

extravaganza at the beach.

It’s about time. With all the other events held without fear of

riots, it was absurd to think an Independence Day fireworks display

would incite such behavior.

It will draw crowds, but that is what the city claims to want --

to be a tourist destination. Tourists will not come here to watch us

cower in our homes in fear of riots.

While I’m on the topic of Surf City as a tourist destination, I

would stray to an old issue that I have wanted to address but haven’t

had the chance to, if you would indulge me. That issue is the

council’s decision to deny MTV’s request to use Surf City as its

summer base of operations and film shows here. That was another poor

decision for a city that wants to draw tourists. Heaven forbid

Huntington’s wonderful beaches are seen on national television and

touted as the place to be. I can’t imagine how that might have

increased tourism.

Are we really so afraid of the youth of America? Should our next

moniker be senior village or century city?

City leaders need to decide if they really want Huntington to be a

tourist destination or not.

* DANETTE GOULET is the city editor. She can be reached at (714)

965-7170 or by e-mail at danette.goulet@latimes.com.