Report of oil spill deemed not serious...

Report of oil spill deemed not serious

City officials closed the waters from Beach Boulevard to Seapoint

Avenue to swimmers and surfers for about an hour on Monday after

receiving reports of a possible oil spill.

Described as a 500-square-yard rainbow sheen about 200 yards off

the surf line at Seapoint Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, the Fire

Department said Tuesday that it wasn’t from an oil spill, but had

probably seeped from the ocean floor.

About 20 to 40 surfers were told to leave the water at around

12:30 p.m. Monday as a precautionary measure, Huntington Beach

community relations officer Laurie Payne said. The beaches were

re-opened at about 1:30 p.m. after the Coast Guard determined that

the sheen offered no immediate threat. A Coast Guard investigation

also determined that the product had been in open waters long enough

to become too diluted to clean up. None of the substance made it to

the shore.

City honors 21 at safety luncheon

Huntington Beach citizens, employees and safety officers were

honored Tuesday for providing services beyond the call of duty.

Police Chief Ken Small presented awards of merit to retired

detective Don Howell, who worked as a sex crimes investigator and is

now a reserve officer, and robbery detective Mike Nakama, who made

four recent arrests that resulted in what’s believed to be the

largest cash seizure in the history of the Police Department.

Fire Chief Duane Olson presented awards of good Samaritan to

firefighters Darrin Witt, Gary Finney, Berkeley Northrop and George

Shinrock; Marina High School teacher Andrew Bonsall and campus public

safety officer Scott Gruniesen; firefighter/paramedic Jeff White; and

Huntington Beach resident Liz Escamilla. Firefighter/paramedic Chad

Stewart received an award of valor.

Community Services Director Jim Engle presented an award of merit

to Specific Events Coordinator Naida Osline; awards of good Samaritan

to Seniors’ Outreach coordinators and volunteers Beverly Schulte,

Brandi Kelly-Contreras, Cathy Meschuck, Jan Gooder, Christine Cornell

and Pat Mullins; awards of valor to marine safety officer Steve

Reuter and lifeguard deckhand Brian McConnell; and an award of

heroism to avid Huntington Beach fisherman Albert Kim.

Surf City man arrested Monday

Costa Mesa police arrested a 58-year-old Huntington Beach man

Monday night after he reportedly threatened another man with a knife

and slashed one of his car tires after the men got into an argument

over a lane change, officials said.

Officials arrested Michael Charles Silverman and charged him with

misdemeanor vandalism, exhibiting a dangerous weapon, tampering with

a vehicle and making a criminal threat, said Lt. Dale Birney.

He said Silverman and the victim, a 41-year-old Costa Mesa

resident, pulled into the Orange Coast College parking lot in the

intersection of Fairview Road and Adams Avenue.

“They had a verbal altercation,” Birney said. “And then

[Silverman] pulled out knife and threatened the victim.”

He said Silverman used the knife to puncture one of the tires on

the victim’s vehicle. Costa Mesa police and OCC security officers

responded after Silverman himself called 911, Birney said.

“After talking to a couple of witnesses and the parties involved,

officers arrested Mr. Silverman,” he said.