Highs beat lows in 2004

The year 2004 is almost behind us. As always, it seems to have flown

by remarkably quickly. Still, the year’s highs and lows are easily

measured.

First, the highs.

The top of the list is the near conclusion to the battle to

preserve the Bolsa Chica. With landowner Hearthside Homes President

and Chief Executive Ray Pacini appearing amenable to the $65-million

agreement to sell the 103-acre lower portion of the mesa to the

California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the decades-old fight

that, understandably, many thought would never end, just might. Like

all those who have followed this story, we are not going to hold our

breath until the deal is sealed, but we do join everyone in hoping

that precious land will finally get the future it deserves.

A close second was the return of Fourth of July fireworks to the

beach. They had been missing from what is obviously the best, natural

location for about as long as the Bolsa Chica battle has been raging.

While there were some residents and city leaders worried about the

outcome, there turned out to be no cause for concern. People watched

the show and left the beach. No problems, no riots, just patriotic

feelings from the morning’s parade until the last flash of fireworks.

A third highlight can be chalked up to parental help. Threatened

teacher layoffs never happened thanks to Community for Class Size

Reduction, a group of parents who raised $205,000 to keep first- and

second-grade classes below 20 students. Even better: They are still

hard at work, which means our youngest students are in good hands.

Other top moments came courtesy of the U.S. Open of Surfing, the

Huntington Beach Open, Edison High School’s girls’ volleyball team’s

CIF victory and, at the end of the year, the Huntington Beach Pop

Warner Football Jr. Pee Wee Green Chargers finishing runner-up at the

national championships. Wow.

The lows all too often came from City Hall. The condo controversy

involving former mayor Pam Julien Houchen and the city’s troubles

with the sports complex justifiably added to resident concerns about

the fitness of city leaders. More than 100 residents are affected by

the illegal switch of apartments to condos. And there were a million

reasons to worry about the unfinished construction of what was

supposed to be a great park.

Concerns about the treatment of animals at the Orange County

Humane Society shelter were troubling and sad, though in the end

officials said conditions there were OK.

Perhaps we could go on. But the end of the year is not the time to

dwell on the troubles of the past 12 months, but to think about the

possibilities of the next dozen. Surf City may have its problems, but

far more meaningful and lasting are its triumphs, its charity, its

community. Those are the memories we will take from 2004.