Boeing plant celebrates 40th

Boeing’s Huntington Beach plant, one of the longest running

operational space facilities, will turn 40 on Friday.

The event is a tremendous milestone for the site, Boeing spokesman

Scott Pilon said.

The plant, originally called the Space Systems Center, was opened

Nov. 14, 1963, by Douglas Aircraft and dedicated by former President

Lyndon B. Johnson. It was originally intended to develop missiles in

space. Over the years, it has grown to include several other

aerospace programs, including the Delta Rocket Program and a top

secret U.S. Air Force project called the Manned Orbiting Laboratory,

and countless research and technology development programs.

“It was different from other plants when it was built,” Boeing

historian Pat McGinnis said. “It wasn’t built like a bomber factory,

it was built like a college campus.”

The plant’s biggest claim to fame at its inception was its

involvement with the Apollo 11 spacecraft, which sent the first human

beings to the moon. The upper stage of Apollo 11 was built at the

Huntington Beach plant, McGinnis said.

“Its history and past with the space system is great, and now it’s

branching out into more interesting things,” Boeing spokesman Erik

Simonsen said. “Now, we have army systems, future combat systems and

activities other than spacecraft. So it’s an exciting place to be

with all of these activities.”

An open house will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for all

employees and their families.

“We’ve had so many people join us here in the last five years from

El Segundo, Anaheim, Seal Beach and Long Beach,” Boeing’s Community

Involvement Coordinator Teri Cocco said. “We’d like to have them show

their family where their new work place is.”

Southern barbecue joint to open Downtown

A barbecue restaurant that specializes in pulled pork sandwiches

with coleslaw has set its sights on Huntington Beach.

Co-owners Larry Kowalsky and Les Draper are hoping to open the

doors to Orange County’s first Smokin’ Mo’s Barbecue on Jan. 6.

The southern-style restaurant, known for its award-winning sauces

and ribs, will be at 301 Main St., in a slot at Plaza Almaria

formerly occupied by a bagel shop.

City officials say that the shop is one more step in the city’s

goal to revitalize Downtown.

“We see it as a nice addition to an already good mix of

restaurants Downtown,” Business Development Manager Jim Lamb said.

“It fits a different niche than places that are already down there.

And the existing company already has successful stores, so it’s a

tried and true project.”

The company has three other restaurants in California -- in San

Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach and Chico.

“We make our own beans, potato salad and coleslaw,” Draper said.

Everything is made fresh daily, and everything is smoked on the

premises. It’s a real unique and affordable restaurant.”

The menu will also include barbecue pork ribs and shredded pork,

chicken and beef sandwiches.

Draper and Kowalski visited 90 restaurants in the deep south as

they were designing the menu for Smokin’ Mo’s. The restaurant shares

the corrugated steel interior and authentic southern recipes of their

favorite barbecue joints.

“Barbecue is almost like a religion in the South,” Draper said.

“We took that religion and brought it back to California.”

Ice skating opening by pier for the holidays

It’s Rockefeller Center Surf City-style. Huntington’s first

beachfront ice rink will celebrate its grand opening on Dec. 2 at

Pier Plaza.

The ice rink will serve as an anchor to a lot of other things

going on for the holidays at the pier, said Naida Osline, special

events supervisor for the city.

The Huntington Youth Shelter will decorate the pier and the area

around the ice rink for the holidays.

“It almost sounds like an insane idea to put an ice rink by the

beach, and that’s what captures the imagination in a way,” Osline

said. “It’s odd but appealing at the same time.”

The 40-by-80-foot ice rink will be open every day from Nov. 22 to

Jan. 19. Its hours will be from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through

Thursday and from 10 a.m. to midnight. Friday and Saturday. The cost

will be $10 for adults and $7 for children. Skate rentals will be

$3.50.

The rink will fund itself through skate rentals and sign up fees.

“It won’t be draining the budget at all,” Osline said. “We’re

hoping it brings more business Downtown, too.”

The grand opening event will include a six-course dinner prepared

by chefs from Duke’s, Chimayo’s at the Beach, the Inka Grill, Spark

Woodfire Grill, Waterfront Hilton and Hurricanes Bar and Grill.

Dessert will be provided by Lucci’s Deli and Restaurant.

Wine will be supplied by Covey Run, Alice White and Dunnewood

Vineyards, and beer will be supplied by BJ’s Pizza and Grill.

“There’s no money in the budget, so we’re covering the costs to

help get this put in,” said Ron McLin, president of the Huntington

Beach Restaurant Assn. “It’s a six- to eight-course dinner, and

people will get to skate for free for the day.”

Tickets are $100 per person. and Seatings will be at 6 and 7:30

p.m. Dec. 2. Seats are limited. Proceeds from the event will go

toward the Huntington Beach Youth Shelter and the ice rink.

For information about the ice skating party, contact the

Huntington Beach Conference and Visitor’s Bureau at (714) 969-3492.

For reservations or information about the ice rink, call (800)

975-1885.

OCTA to discuss 405 Freeway improvements

The Orange County Transportation Authority will hold an open house

on Tuesday at the Huntington Beach Central Library to discuss plans

for the San Diego Freeway.

Traffic experts are conducting a study of the corridor of the San

Diego Freeway that stretches from the Corona Del Mar Freeway to the

San Gabriel River Freeway.

Representatives will be on hand at the event to discuss current

travel conditions as well as projected traffic increases and plans to

incorporate future growth.

Improvements could include adding freeway lanes, upgraded traffic

signals and adding a high speed rail service or improved bus service.

The open house will be from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the

Huntington Beach Central Library, at 7111 Talbert Ave., between

Goldenwest and Gothard streets.

For more information, call (714) 560-5334.

Restaurants giving locals a night out every week

Surf City residents will pay less for dinner than out-of-towners

every Tuesday night this winter at sprinkling of local restaurants.

Conceived by the Huntington Beach Restaurants Assn., “Locals Night

Out” aims to offer a good deal to locals while helping to stimulate

neighborhood eateries during a slow winter season.

The event is part of the restaurant association’s Shop, Play and

Dine campaign, which strives to educate residents on the importance

of spending their money locally.

Starting Tuesday, many Surf City restaurants will join forces to

offer 20% to 40% discounts to local residents. Restaurants involved

include Aloha Grill, Arriba, Beach Cafe, B.J.’s Pizza & Grill,

Chimayos at the Beach, Crabby’s Boat House, Duke’s, Gallaghers,

Hurricanes, Inka Grill, Lucci’s Restaurant, Momo’s Margarita & Taco

Bar, Pet Mallory’s Surf City Sunset Grille at the Hyatt, Ruby Palace

Chinese Cuisine, and Longboards.

Huntington Beach residents will be asked to show a valid driver’s

license.

Conservancy honors former state official

Robert C. Hight, the outgoing director of the California

Department of Fish and Game, was named by the Bolsa Chica Conservancy

as this year’s Conservator of the Year.

The ceremony for the newly appointed Sacramento Superior Court

judge was held Nov. 6 at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort.

Hight has played a pivotal role in pushing for state acquisition

of 880 acres of wetlands at Bolsa Chica.

The state’s Department of Fish and Game is one of the largest

state government departments, committed to conserving the

California’s natural resources.

Hight served as executive officer of the California Lands

Commission before being appointed to the Department of Fish and Game.

There, he managed more than 6 million acres of sovereign and school

lands.