CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP:Judge dismisses charge against KOCE

A U.S. District Court judge has dismissed a racketeering charge against KOCE-TV, the embattled Orange County public television station based in Huntington Beach that has been in court since it was sold to its own fundraising foundation in 2004.

When the Coast Community College District, which owned KOCE, sold it to the KOCE-TV Foundation, Christian broadcaster Daystar Television Network protested that its bid was higher. This May, an appellate court judge voided the sale.

Dallas-based Daystar had filed four federal complaints against KOCE-TV, including the racketeering charge. U.S. District Court Judge Cormac J. Carney last week dismissed that charge, according to court documents provided by KOCE-TV Foundation general counsel Ardelle St. George, who said all four charges were without merit.

“This is a big one, though. We were very pleased at the ruling,” she said.

No ruling has been issued on the other three charges. Daystar’s attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

Commission approves time-share condos

The California Coastal Commission approved Huntington Beach’s request for timeshare condominiums in downtown Huntington Beach. The Commission voted unanimously to allow a condominium hotel on a third site on the waterfront property and long-term timeshares on Pacific City’s upcoming hotel site.

Pacific City owner and developer Makar Properties Inc. received the approval for 14 units as timeshare condominiums. The waterfront property is expected to have about 210 units.

Land trust founders win awards

Bolsa Chica Land Trust founders Paul Horgan and Dick LeGrue won awards from the Huntington Beach Environmental Board for their work in protecting the wetlands in Huntington Beach. LeGrue’s award was posthumously accepted by his wife and former Huntington Beach Mayor Connie Boardman. Horgan is a past president of the Land Trust and has provided legal counsel to the trust for 14 years.

Horgan’s biggest achievement came in 1996, when he filed a lawsuit against the Coastal Commission on behalf of the trust. The lawsuit helped establish the “Bolsa Chica decision” that bars construction on wetlands. The lawsuit also helped establish the importance of protecting environmentally-sensitive habitat areas besides stopping plans to build 900 homes on the Bolsa Chica wetlands.

LeGrue was a member of the trust for 13 years and a board member until he died in 2006. He’s widely credited with the publication of a book of poetry about the Huntington Beach wetlands titled “Celebrate the Bolsa Chica” in 1999. LeGrue also edited and published the newsletter “Music from the Mesa” besides being actively involved with a Laguna Beach artist group. The group put together the Bolsa Chica Land Trust Plein Air Festival and Art Show.

Rotary Club hosts exchange students

The Rotary Club of Huntington Beach hosted 33 students from 17 countries as part of its third annual Rotary youth exchange. Local club member Wally Buchanan arranged for the kids to come down for a beach weekend on Oct. 14. Activities included football and other beach games, followed by marshmallow roasts in the evening. The students also received a yacht tour of Newport Harbor and hamburgers and hot dogs before returning to their Rotarian households. The students are staying with Rotarian families in California, from Paso Robles in the north to San Diego in the south. The students, who are from South America, Europe, Africa and Asia, will stay for a full school year.