🌱 Community Pushback Halts Edison Park Reno + Jim Fire Update

Get on up, Huntington Beach; today is National Tartar Sauce Day! Here's everything you need to know to get this Friday started off right.

The City Council will reach out for input from the community. Also, containment of the Jim Fire is ongoing. Finally, a jury says HBPD officers didn’t use excessive force.

First, today's weather:

Some rain and a thunderstorm. High: 62 Low: 49.

Here are the top five stories in Huntington Beach today:

1. The reconfiguration of Edison Park on Hamilton and Magnolia is on hold. Citing “community pushback,” the City Council voted Monday to withdraw the plans. Opponents agreed that the space needs renovation, but felt that the developer was turning the park into “an overdone sports complex.” City staff will now reach out to the community for input. (OC Tribune)
2. Jim Fire update: As of Thursday afternoon, the Jim Fire is 15% contained. “Overnight, little fire activity was observed by the crew of firefighters that patrolled and monitored the fire perimeter while constructing containment lines.” However, HB residents are still seeing and smelling smoke. (Fox)
3. A Santa Ana jury decided Wednesday that HBPD officers who fatally shot “a man in front of a crowd at the Huntington Beach Sports Complex in 2017 did not use excessive force.” City Attorney Michael Gates said he was pleased with the outcome. Dale Galipo, “who filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Huntington Beach, seeking $20 million in damages” still felt “it was an excessive shooting and not a necessary shooting.” (OC Register/paywall, ABC)
4. Henry’s Ocean View Dining has morphed into Henry’s Coastal Cuisine, and a new chef means a new menu. We learned earlier this week that the post-pandemic vision is “a lively, yet refined dining experience that plays into the picturesque and captivating oceanfront setting for which Huntington Beach is known.” Starters include “Grilled Octopus with roasted forest mushrooms and potatoes with carrot-truffle vinaigrette; and Honey-Soy Marinated Hamachi Crudo.” (Great Taste)
5. Show up for volunteer day at the Monarch Nature Trail. Join like-minded nature lovers on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. as they “help restore this open-space wildlife habitat and trail, supporting Orange County's Monarch Butterfly population.” (HB News)

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Today in Huntington Beach:

• Rock-N-Roll Storytime at the Huntington Beach Public Library (11 AM)
• Friday Night Standup at The Amazing Comedy Theater (7 PM)
• Hamlet at Golden West College (7:30 PM)
• Hollywood Stones at Surf Dog's Sports Grill (8 PM)
• Jkyl & Hyde and Cyclops at The Circle OC (9 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Memorial Service honoring Officer Nicholas Vella will be held on Tuesday, March 8, beginning at 10:00 a.m. For those interested in viewing the service, it will be livestreamed on the City of Huntington Beach's YouTube channel. (Instagram)
• CALL FOR ARTISTS: Submissions are being accepted now by the Huntington Beach Art Center! Deadline: April 1, 2022 | 5pm IF THE SHOE FITS… The 2022 Judith Hendler Design Awards presented in partnership with the Huntington Beach Art Center. (Instagram)
• Huntington Beach Union High School District teachers are extremely passionate about helping students learn and excel not only inside, but also outside the classroom. (Facebook)
• An eagle-eyed Oak View neighbor found an EBT card on Newland and Warner on the sidewalk by the 7-Eleven. (Nextdoor)

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Alrighty, you're all caught up for today! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow with a new update.

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Best Fiends (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.