As a loyal Huntington Beach resident and former Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau employee, I am sitting at my computer with the Rose Parade broadcast on, waiting to see Surf City’s float that celebrates the centennial in HB. I saw Tyson the skate dog, a former HB celeb, ride the dog food float. But between all the commercials, I have to keep switching off to other channels. There are lots of football games, and a Honeymooners marathon on WGN. As a Time Warner subscriber, I wasn’t sure if we’d lose some channels since the company’s last hour negotiations with Viacom were reportedly going south. As a result, I was already looking into bundling my Verizon services and adding their digital cable to my voice mail, phone and FIOS. What I didn’t like was the addition of new cable lines to all my TVs in the house. For this technological advancement we supposedly are experiencing, they sure haven’t created useful technologies to deal with the movement of signals. Installing yet another set of cable lines throughout my house is going to look really bad. The Time Warner sub-contractor that installed one set did a poor job and they look tacky.
Anita Brace graciously invited some of us to join her at her hotel room she booked well over half a year ago in Pasadena. The Ramada on Colorado Blvd. charged several hundred dollars per night for a AAA two diamond room, and they had a minimum stay of several nights, as well. Back in HB the sun is breaking through. My family tried to get some of the city officials to attend the polar splash at the pier. But they’re mostly in Pasadena this year, watching the float and parade revelry. This year is the 100 year birthday of Huntington Beach and the Rose Parade float with a surfing theme was part of the launch of a year of celebrating. Having lived in Huntington Beach 30 years, worked here to promote it as a tourist destination, served on the 4th of July parade board to celebrate its assets, and after donating hundreds of man hours to the city and its various non-profit organizations, I can happily say that it is really a great place to visit, and even better place to live! Happy Birthday, Huntington Beach!
January 1st, 2009 at 1:34 pm Just in–Mayor’s Trophy for most outstanding city, “Surf City USA,” City of Huntington Beach and Festival Artists. We saw the parade float, beauty queen and mayor Keith Bohr riding the HB wave in Pasadena. Billed as 8 and a half miles of uninterrupted beaches, this float and event were magnicifently displayed and best of all, privately funded. The Huntington Beach Conference and Visitors Bureau under the direction of Steve Bone chipped in money, with the major sponsor being his former employer, Robert Mayer Corp., owner of the two major resort hotels in Huntington Beach, the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa, and the Hilton Waterfront Resort. Thanks to these sponsors! It was well worth it, and hopefully we’ll see a repeat in the 4th of July Parade or again in the Rose Parade.