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Campaigns asked to wait a bit

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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