District fires back at Daystar

Coast Community College District filed a cross complaint against

Christian broadcaster Daystar Television Network Wednesday, and said

it would not halt the sale of KOCE-TV to its foundation.

Daystar filed a lawsuit against the college district last week

claiming it did not comply with state law when it agreed to sell the

station to its fundraising arm.

Daystar’s attorney said that the district should have named his

client, and not the KOCE-TV Foundation, as the highest responsible

bidder. The network filed a writ of mandate asking the courts to

overturn the district’s decision and name it as the new buyer. The

California Education Code states that community college districts may

sell property “for cash” and must sell to the highest responsible

bidder.

“We are denying we have done anything wrong and are asking the

court to decide that we did things right,” Milford Dahl, attorney for

the Coast Community College District.

If the court decides in favor of Daystar, the district will ask to

rebid it or keep it, Dahl said.

Daystar is asking that Judge Dave Thompson be excused because he

used to work under Dahl.

Daystar attorney Richard Sherman could not be reached for comment.

The dispute arose because Daystar believes its $25.1-million bid

should have beat out the foundation’s offer of $8 million in cash and

$24 million over a long-term note. Those terms have since changed to

$8 million cash and $17.5 million, interest free, over 30 years.

Financial Board seeks more duties

The city’s finance board wants to broaden its scope of duties to

include reviewing all proposed city services and fees.

Its members also want to review the way that the city generates

and collects revenue.

The City Council postponed making a decision on the board’s

request Monday night and agreed instead to continue discussions at a

future workshop.

The Finance Board was created in 1993 to advise the City Council

and staff on issues related to the city’s finance. Each year, the

board prepares an annual report for the council, in which it reviews

the city’s fiscal policies, debt management, capital improvement

plans, long term financial plans, new revenue sources and proposed

legislation that impacts the city’s finances.

City officials were pleased with the decision to postpone

discussion.

“Being able to continue discussion and having that as an outcome

is really good because we can flush out just what it is that the

board wants in more detail,” said Clay Martin, the city’s director of

administrative services. Councilman Dave Sullivan supported members

of the finance board in their request.

“Basically, some of these items the finance board is looking to do

is to evaluate how things have gone in the past,” Sullivan said.

“Personally, I think that’s a wonderful idea. If any procedures have

been amiss, we should learn from our mistakes or we’ll be repeating

them.”

Discussions will resume at an upcoming study session.

Oak View receives thousands of books

Oak View Elementary School students will have more books than they

can read by Monday.

That’s when the Rotary Club of Huntington Beach and the Sunrise

Rotary Club will present 2,000 books to kindergarten through

third-grade students.

The donation is part of a Los Angeles Times-sponsored program

Reading by 9 that was kicked off three years ago.

Last year, 2,000 books were donated to Perry Elementary School.

The year before, 2,350 books went to Oak View Elementary School.

Organizers turned their attention back to Oak View as its students

are most in need.

“It really has the greatest need,” said Dale Dunn, community

service chairman of the Rotary Club of Huntington Beach. “It’s almost

entirely Spanish speaking. “They’re stressing reading as a second

language quite heavily there.”

The program’s goal is to have children reading by the age of 9.

“It’s helpful for the whole neighborhood and the schools really

appreciate it,” Dunn said.

The books will be presented at a ceremony at 8 a.m. Monday at the

Oak View Elementary School. For more information, call (714)

846-4982.

Sewer work closes streets in southeast

Several streets are closed to all traffic as the Orange County

Sanitation District completes a massive sewer line installation

project.

Banning Avenue will be closed to traffic between Marblehead Lane

and Tide Lane to Bushard Street.

Bushard Street will also be closed from Banning Avenue to Drumbeat

Drive and from Adams Avenue to Cornwall Drive.

Traffic coming from Adams Avenue can enter Huntington Beach via

Gloucester Lane and Derbyshire Lane.

Rambler, Landfall and Mokihana drives will be also be closed at

Bushard.

The closures and detours will remain in place until the end of the

month.

For more information, call the Orange County Sanitation District

hotline at (714) 378-2965.