Campaigns asked to wait a bit
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The Huntington Beach City Council is asking candidates for political
office to wait an extra month before putting up signs declaring their
candidacy for City Council.
In a 6 to 1 decision with Cathy Green voting against, the council
opted to allow signs to be posted 45 days before the election,
typically the middle of September, for elections that fall on the
first Tuesday in November.
In the past, signs were allowed to be posted 75 days before the
election and many residents complained that the sheer number of signs
was getting out of control, said Councilman Keith Bohr, who
introduced the proposal.
With 16 candidates in the 2002 contest and 18 in 2004, political
signage can take on a life of its own, with crowded public streets
covered with signs of all sizes. Storm activity can also batter the
signage and leave intersections strewn with debris.
Candidate Norm “Firecracker” Westwell said he opposes the new
ordinance as a restriction of political expression.
“As City Council members, you were elected to uphold the
Constitution, and that includes the 1st Amendment in the Bill of
Rights,” he said.
The signs even the playing field for candidates that can’t spend a
lot of money, Westwell said, by allowing them to reach out to the
public.
Mayor Cathy Green also opposed the ordinance after she was told by
City Atty. Jennifer McGrath that it might not be enforceable in
court.
“It’s a constitutional rights issue,” said McGrath, who said that
current case law protects citizens that want to post political signs
on their private property, but doesn’t necessarily protect signs of
any kind on the public right of way.
Bohr said he was confident most of the candidates would police
themselves and follow the local ordinance.
Crew shows off paddling skills
The Huntington Beach Longboard Crew is hosting its annual paddle
race around the Huntington Beach Pier Saturday at 8 a.m.
The race is a friendly, casual event put on by the surf club each
year. Medals will be awarded to the first six finishers. It is free
to the public, but a $5 donation would be appreciated to help pay
expenses.
The Huntington Beach Longboard Crew is also open to everyone of
all ages.
Club meetings are held every second Wednesday of the month at 7:15
p.m. at Mario’s Restaurant in the Five Points Center on Beach Blvd.
For more information, check out https://www.hblongboardcrew.org.
Parade staking
out rules revised
The short lived tradition of waiting until midnight to stake out a
spot along Main Street to get a place to watch the Independence Day
parade has been fined tuned a little.
For two years, dozens of residents living along the north end of
Main Street have waited until the first stroke of midnight on July 2
to stake out a place on the grass for viewing of the Fourth of July
parade. Using duct tape, chalk and even police ribbon, the residents
mark off their viewing spots for each year’s parade route. By early
morning, every inch of grass and cement along the parade route is
spoken for.
“At the stroke of midnight, we would have dozens of people running
across the street into the center median,” Chief Ken Small said.
Before the midnight deadline was set, there was no law in place,
and residents would begin staking out spots as early as they could.
The new law doesn’t allow residents to begin staking out property
until 9 a.m. on July 3 and city staff will remove spots that were
staked before.
The new ordinance also bans the use of tape on public property to
stake out a spot and the city is encouraging residents to instead use
chalk.
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