2014 Newsletters: CHRIS MACDONALD NEWS FEB. 14, 2014

Happy Valentine's Day to each of You.

It's a pleasure to write these Newsletters to keep you Informed on whats happening in Your Area.

Attention Hope View School Neighborhood Residents. This is a happy thing. My Neighbor's Ross and Rachel's Dog Kona went missing Tuesday Evening when Kona jumped their wall. They put fliers around the Neighborhood that said lost dog. Yesterday Afternoon Ross came to my House with Kona and said that Kona was found in Santa Ana, California on the lawn of a House there and thanks to the chip Kona was located and returned to It's Owner's.

I'd like to wish the following people a Very Happy Birthday. They are: Redondo Beach Mayor Steve Aspel, Shibue Couture Owner Jenny Buettner, Long Beach Realtor Linda Hunter and Long Beach Second District City Council Woman Suja Lowenthal.

The Huntington Beach Police Department has no new Items of mention.

The Huntington Beach Public Works Department Construction Manager Eric Charlonne Says: Beach Bluff Wall Repair Completed Replacement of a portion of retaining wall along the beach bluff area near 18th Street was recently completed. Approximately 100 lineal feet of retaining wall was replaced after a portion of the wall failed, likely due to corrosion of the internal rebar, after years of exposure to the marine environment.

Once the failure was discovered, City crews fenced off the area as a safety precaution. This allowed City staff time to analyze different options for replacement of the wall that were cost effective, could withstand the marine environment, and had minor impacts to the area. Based on this criteria, a retaining system utilizing concrete blocks, plastic geogrid, and fiberglass pins was selected. This method allowed for a quick construction process, making it cost effective and the materials used will resist the corrosive nature of the marine environment. In addition, the blocks also allow for plant establishment to drape down, softening the appearance of the wall, as well as serve as graffiti deterrent. The final product met all established criteria and will likely serve as a template for any future replacements.

The Drought of 2014 With the current drought conditions that we are experiencing throughout California, Governor Brown has asked that everyone voluntarily reduce their water use by 20%. Currently the snow pack levels in the Sierras are only at 12% of their normal levels and California's largest reservoirs, Shasta and Oroville, are only at 54% of their historical-average levels. We all need to do our part to help conserve our water.

In the City of Huntington Beach, we pump 70% of our water from our City wells and import 30 percent of our water from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Over the past 20 years, the Metropolitan Water District has invested more than $5 billion building reservoirs and water delivery infrastructure, as well as implementing other water storage programs. One example is Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet, which is a lifeline for Southern California in times of drought. The lake can hold enough water to meet the area's emergency and drought needs for six months and is an important component of the plan to provide a reliable supply of water to the 18 million people in Southern California.

We continue to encourage residents and businesses to use water as efficiently as possible year-round. Leaking toilets, faucets, and pipes waste water and money so making repairs when they occur is a water-saving measure saving up to 20 gallons per day. The Metropolitan Water District still offers rebates of $50 for the high-efficiency toilets (HET) that operate on 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf), using up to 20 percent less water than standard 1.6 gpf toilets. By replacing old, inefficient toilets, the average family can reduce water used for toilets by 20 to 60 percent (depending on the model that's installed)-that's nearly 13,000 gallons of water savings for your home every year! For a list of rebates, please check MWDOC's website at mwdoc.com/services/incentives.

Water-saving tips to help you be more efficient can be found at mwdoc.com/wue. For a great interactive tool to see how much water you are using at home, go to home-water-works.org/calculator. This tool will give you a report to see how much water you are using in comparison to an average home of comparable size in your area. It will also give some helpful ways in which to help you save water.

Free Rainwater Harvesting Class a Great Success On Sat. Feb. 8, the Water Conservation Section of the City's Utilities Division hosted a free rainwater harvesting class, where 160 rain barrels were sold. The rain barrels were sold at a discounted price of $85, but with a $75 rebate from MWD, the final cost was only $10. Each barrel holds 58 gallons of water that can be captured and put to use in your garden instead of creating urban runoff. Due to the popular response, we will likely host another class in April.

 
Here are some Events happening in Your Area:

Saturday:

More than 60 Vendors are at The Peters Landing Local Harvest Farmers Market at 16400 Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach from 9am to 2pm. Bring your kids to the petting zoo, ride the ponies, eat fresh foods, shop for crafts and arts. Listen to Live Entertainment. Some vendors Include: Winks Lobster Rolls, Olive Wood Pizza, Sunset Bay Candy Company, A Myriad Of Ideas, Stella Magnetica, Mumbi's Designs and much more. 

Saturday & Sunday Only:

The Queen Mary's 21st Annual ScotsFestival Inspires Traditional Entertainment, Competition and Cuisine February 15 & 16

The ScotsFestival & International Highland Games XXI proudly honors the ship's heritage through classic food, traditional competition, and the "Rock Yer Kilt" Concert

LONG BEACH, Calif., (February 11, 2014) – The Queen Mary's rich history comes alive for the annual ScotsFestival & International Highland Games XXI. The two-day celebration unfolds February 15 – 16 and features traditional games, authentic food, beer, and whisky tastings. The beloved festival welcomes nearly seventy Scottish Clans and vendors to the Queen Mary, and presents the "Rock Yer Kilt" concert on Saturday, February 15. The tastes of Scotland awaken aboard The Queen Mary through a variety of classic traditional dishes. Queen Mary's own Chef Todd Henderson created a specialty menu that includes 500 pounds of Haggis, bangers and mash, fish and chips, and neeps and tatties. The Scottish cuisine continues with comforting, flavorful meat pies from Sunblest Foods and festivalgoers with a sweet tooth can enjoy shortbread offerings from Celtic Nook and Welsh Baker. Brown's English Toffee will also be on hand to serve up traditional Scottish treats.

Attendees with an affinity for fine spirits can indulge in whisky tastings that showcase a wide range of brands including The Macallen 12, The Macallan 15, Highland Park 15, Highland Park 18, and Cutty Sark Prohibition. Beer lovers are invited to sample from several brews that range from Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Red Chair NWPA, Chainbreaker White IPA, Black Butte Porter, and Obsidian Stout.

"Rock Yer Kilt" is a celebration of Scottish inspired sounds that ignite Saturday, February 15 at 5 p.m. in the Queen Salon and Royal Salon aboard the Queen Mary. The concert encourages guests to "tilt yer kilt" to the best in Celtic music and features headliner the 1916, known for their Celtic-rock style and lively performances. Also joining the lineup are Celtic Folk rockers, Sligo Rags, who earned a reputation for being one of the top acoustic acts in Southern California. Celtic fusion group Bad Haggis brings flair to the concert, playing through haunting arrangements and building into pop-like frenzies. Brick Top Blaggers round out the bill with their combination of Celtic Folk and punk rock. "Rock Yer Kilt" is open to all ages, with tickets starting at $15 in advance and $20 at the door. The weekend festivities kick off with the lively Grand Parade, and Address to the Haggis, will and feature the Royal Scottish Greys Cavalry courtesy of the War Horse Foundation and include Border Collie Sheep-herding. The Scottish Highland Games are a time honored Scottish tradition, and The Queen Mary's version will include the popular caber toss, sheaf throw, hammer throw, weights for distance, weight over bar and more. The WEE Highland Games and activities for the young Scots will take place daily at 11:30 a.m. on the Queen's Court. Traditional Highland dancing competitions will include the Highland Fling, the Sword Dance and the Scottish Lit begin daily at 8:30 a.m. in the Grand Salon. The competition will feature star Scottish dancer Kaylee Finnegan from Southern California who at the age of only 15 became the first American to win a Scottish Highland World Championship in the 21st century.

Tickets to ScotsFestival start at $8 online ($12 at the door) for guests age 4-11 and $18 online ($22 at the door) for guests age 12+. VIP tickets are available starting at $26 ($30 at the door) and include entrance to ScotsFestival and the Rock Yer Kilt concert entry (Saturday ticket only), access to a VIP shaded bar and a Souvenir Mug O' Beer. Hotel packages are also available. 

Sunday Only:

The Costa Mesa Historical Society Presents an Afternoon Lecture with Patrick Mitchell who is the Author of "Santa Ana Mountains, History, Habitat and Hikes." Patrick is also the Director of Natural History and Agricultural Programs at The Heritage Museum in Santa Ana, California. The free lecture starts at 2:30pm but you can come as early as 2pm to get your seats. Location: 1870 Anaheim Avenue in Costa Mesa. 

Monday:

The Huntington Beach Historical Society Presents a Presidents Day Event from 11am to 5pm at The Historic Newland House Museum - 19820 Beach Boulevard in Huntington Beach. It is free to the public. Come and tour The Oldest House in This City. Listen to President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address at Noon followed by Pulitzer Prize Nominee Author Craig MacDonald who is speaking on Yosemite's Unsung Hero. He'll have some of his Newest Books available before and after the Speech. 

Thank you very much for reading this Newsletter.

I appreciate any comments.

Sincerely, Chris MacDonald

Website: calcoasthomes.com

E-Mail: justlisted@yahoo.com