CITYSCAPE ROUNDUP:H.B. seeks to dismiss lawsuit

The fight over who is the rightful owner of the “Surf City USA” trademark continued, with Huntington Beach filing a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought against it by two Santa Cruz surf shops. The motion, filed by the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau on Nov. 15, seeks to dismiss the lawsuit because of filing in an “improper venue” — in Santa Cruz instead of Huntington Beach or Southern California.

“In this case, the plaintiff took the easy way out and filed in his own backyard, in Santa Cruz,” said Richard Sybert of Gordon & Rees law firm, who is representing the Huntington Beach bureau. “But my client doesn’t have any contacts there and doesn’t do business there.”

A Bay-area law firm filed suit in October saying the “Surf City USA” trademark obtained by the Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau is invalid. The firm is also asking the California Superior Court to cancel the bureau’s pending trademark applications.

“It would be very disruptive and unnecessarily expensive for the bureau, a nonprofit entity, to be required to litigate this matter and defend ourselves in Northern California,” said Doug Traub, president and chief executive of the bureau.

In a federal trademark case, the defendant must live in the court district or a major part of the plaintiff’s claim or business should have taken place there, or the lawsuit cannot be filed there, the bureau stated in a news release.

“We didn’t file this lawsuit, and if these folks want to rip off our brand and then fight us about it, we say bring yourselves down to warm, sunny Surf City USA country so at least you can get a nice vacation for your efforts,” Traub added.

The bureau is seeking to transfer the suit closer to home if the case is not dismissed.

Dining out for Thanksgiving?

A free Thanksgiving dinner sound good? Tumbleweed’s Grill in Huntington Beach is offering that and more. The restaurant is set to have its annual Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at 21094 South Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach. No reservations are required and everyone is welcome. The restaurant is in the Rite Aid shopping center at Atlanta Avenue and Beach Boulevard. For more information, call (714) 960-2776 or (714) 317-9112.

If you’re looking for other places to pig out, here’s a list: Duke’s Huntington Beach is offering a Thanksgiving dinner for about $20 per person. The Longboard Pub and Restaurant on Main Street is offering a traditional turkey dinner for $10.95. At Centerfield’s Sports Bar and Grill on Beach Boulevard, which has 45 flat screens, you can get a turkey dinner for $8.

For something more upscale, the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa’s Californian restaurant has a turkey entrée for about $28 per person. The Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort is planning to host its annual Thanksgiving buffet in the Cielo Mare Ballroom for $80 for adults and $30 for children.

Collecting holiday gifts for area seniors

Huntington Beach Senior Services has begun collecting gifts to help county and city programs for seniors this holiday season. Some of the suggested gift items for disabled seniors include sweatsuits and jackets, fans, microwaves, cordless phones and slippers.

The senior services program is helping the Orange County Social Services and Health Care Agencies’ Senior Santa and Friends program.

Collection boxes are available on the fifth floor of City Hall, with pink tags for gift ideas. Boxes are also available in the Central Library and the Seniors’ Outreach building at 1718 Orange Ave. Gifts will be picked up on Dec. 8.

The program welcomes any new and unwrapped gift items. Cash and gift certificates can be given to Michelle Yerke, a social worker with the program. For more information, call (714) 374-1521.

Councilwoman Green to receive award

The Orange County United Way is set to honor Councilwoman Cathy Green with an Excellence in Child Care Planning award for her work in revising fees and processing requirements for family-owned child care centers in residential areas in the city.

Green will be honored by United Way’s Local Investment in Child Care project along with Chuck DeVore, state Assembly member.

Streamlining and clarifying the permitting process for child care centers in residential areas has helped the centers in their work, according to an agency news release.

The local child care project is the lead agency for a group of community organizations working to meet child care needs of working families.

Green will receive the award at an “Excellence in Child Care Planning Recognition” event at 11.30 a.m. Nov. 29 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort Hotel.