Seasons Greetings

Kudos to the residents of the south end of Sparkler Drive for their coordinated holiday light display!

I thought it was impressive several years back, when 4 adjacent homes had come together to decorate their garages with light. This year, I see the whole building is aglow!


December is one of my favorite months at Seabridge, a time when we once again see our neighbors who seem to have gone into hibernation. I thought this year's boat parade was especially good.

In HOA news, I believe there is still a board meeting this coming Tuesday, December 16th. Last I heard, parking rules are slated for approval. I have unfortunately been able to attend the past few, and no one else has given me news from the meetings. Hopefully I'll be able to attend this one, so I'll be back to providing highlights from the meetings.

Best wishes to all of Seabridge for very happy holidays!

Quakes and Parking

Where were you during the Big One? While we can't predict the answer to that question, most of us will be able to recall where we were at 10AM today, the time of the Great Southern California Shakeout, a simulated drill for a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas fault.

We in Seabridge would be well-served to use this opportunity to reflect on our own preparedness. How are we with supplies on hand? Do we know how to turn off our gas? How is you insurance coverage?

Beyond that, maybe it's time to get together more as neighbors - do we know who lives near us who might need assistance? Do we know how we'd be able to work together in a recovery?

Even if you miss the drill, it's still a great opportunity to take some time to better prepare.

Also, don't forget the special meeting tonight to discuss possible changes to the parking rules. I understand it's at 6PM in the clubhouse.

Songs from a Cave and Other Selected Poems: (1995-1999)

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I have been meaning to write about this for some time. We now have another published author at Seabridge. Resident Gerald T. Olson of Tempe Drive has self-published his book of poetry, Songs from a Cave and Other Selected Poems: (1995-1999).

The book is a delight on its own, but those of you who know Jerry will benefit all the more, as you can see his personality directly in his work. This poem tells you what you're in for with the book:

Transubstantiation

A book as wafer,
This is my mind.
This is my imagination.
Take a look.
It’s a remembrance of life.

Be sure to check it out. Jerry joins other Seabridge authors like Vicki Hogue, Marti Davis, Andrea Diem, and Steve Nakamoto We are fortunate to have such talent in our community!

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Community Garage Sale

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A community-wide garage sale is planned for Saturday, July 26th. Set up will begin at 7, with the sale opened to the public 8AM - 12PM. Please watch for further information, and begin rounding up your old treasures!

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Summer is Here!

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We can hardly complain here in Huntington Beach, since nice weather stays with us virtually year-round. But it's still nice to have summer here, with all the fun activities that go with it.

The Orange County Register has a nice feature on kayaking in Huntington Harbour. Might be time to take mine out for a nice paddle!

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A Bit of Pasta Heaven on Earth

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Downtown Long Beach is at the edge of Seabridge Territory, but neighbor Debby and I just had a dining experience there that was too amazing not to write about.

Pâtes Fraîches means "fresh pasta" in French - and that perfectly describes the essence of the restaurant: fresh, artisan pasta with a french flair. It's located just east of downtown Long Beach, at 1st and Elm, in an area that's seeing a lot of redevelopment. As it's situated on the corner, it has two full walls of windows that let in a lot of light. The back wall is a colorful mosaic of tiles based on a french textile. And the focal point of the restaurant is the 10-person communal table in the center. You can almost imagine that the people surrounding you are family.

But it's the food that was the highlight of the experience. The herb salad tasted like it came right from the garden, with a mix of flavors that blended perfectly. I had a whole-wheat fusilli with fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, while Debby had a wonderful salmon and asparagus on top of barley cavatelle shells. All the pasta is made fresh daily by the restaurant. Neither of us could pass up dessert, so we shared the chocolate mousse and pear clafoutis. In the true French tradition, the meal satisfied without stuffing us silly, and it didn't take a big hit on the wallet, either.

I would totally recommend it for a new and different casual dining experience - and it's only 25 minutes away. Pâtes Fraîches is located at 400 East Elm in Long Beach. 562-437-2222.

Do you have any dining recommendations to share? Write about them in the comments!

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Candidate Applications Due Today

Just a reminder that if you are considering being a candidate for the board of directors - or if you know of a good candidate - the forms are due to Cardinal today. I have copies if you need one.

We all benefit when we have choices to make come election time. Last year we didn't have enough people interested in serving. I hope that this year we'll have a good group of people willing to help the community. Participating on the board of directors is a great way to have a say in what's going on around Seabridge.

Ahh, Sweet Victory!

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Congratulations are in order for Seabridge resident Christa Schubert, who placed 1st in her age group in the Newport Beach Triathlon last Sunday!

The achievement was especially meaningful for Christa, whose father recently passed away. Having just returned from that very trying time in Wisconsin, she thought that her training wasn't where it should have been. Thus, she never thought she was anywhere near 1st place. Christa reports that she kept looking for other women in her age group and had a sinking feeling that she was last place. Little did she know at the time that they were all behind her! She goes on to share:

"When I was with my dad in the hospital I showed him my finishers medal from the Huntington Beach marathon in February. I don't know how much he saw or heard, but it was something I was proud of and wanted to share with him. I did this race with him in my heart, and I know he was there with me every step of the way.

Congratulations, Christa! What may have been unimaginable before is now real. To all your competitors: "Look out now!"

Editor's Note: I like to publish stories about our neighbors and their achievements and interests. So I've created a new tag "neighbors" to help identify these - click on it for past examples. And if you know of other stories to share, please send them my way.

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Quorum

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quo·rum
Pronunciation: \ˈkwȯr-əm\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, quorum of justices of the peace, from Latin, of whom, genitive plural of qui who; from the wording of the commission formerly issued to justices of the peace
Date: 1602
1 : a select group
2 : the number (as a majority) of officers or members of a body that when duly assembled is legally competent to transact business
3 : a Mormon body comprising those in the same grade of priesthood

One of my major concerns with the proposed CC&R amendments is small in actual words, but big in impact. It has to do with changing the quorum required for votes of the membership in meetings from 50% to 25%. The stated intent behind it is that it's becoming more and more difficult to get quora in other HOAs. And given the attorney's explanation, I don't dispute that.

But does anyone else find it interesting that yesterday we get a letter reminding us to vote on the CC&Rs, and in effect establish a quorum for that vote? I'm fairly confident that the association will receive at least 67 votes. And if that's the case, then the process will actually have illustrated that a little reminder can go a long way. Why lower the bar, and the opportunity to include as many voices as possible in the most important decision we have - electing a board of directors - if we can take measures like this to help avoid quorum problems?

AB 1921 is a bill recently introduced in the California legislature that proposes a rewrite of the Davis-Stirling Act, the law that governs community associations. One of the changes proposed for it is a reduction in quorum to one-third of the voting power, unless the governing documents say otherwise. I honestly don't see why we'd want to lower ours below even the proposed state standard. And I still don't think we should lower it at all until we have demonstrated a problem that occurs consistently. Even should we not make quorum one time, reducing the quorum would seem a rash decision. Seabridge is not the same as other associations, and I think we should pride ourselves in the community participation we have rather than remove incentive for it.

It's unfortunate that this change is included in the proposed governing document amendments, as I do think the core changes to clarify maintenance responsibilities would be helpful. I'll be interesting in seeing if we get a quorum for the vote, and whether the changes pass. We'll know soon.

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Seabridge Beer!

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One of the great things about living in Southern California is that we have just about everything possible within reach - from Ethiopian restaurants to glow bowling, and just about everything in between.

One neat and unique place is located right here in Huntington Beach. It's Brewbakers brew-on-premises pub, where you can choose from 80 different recipes and brew a batch of your own beer in about 2 hours. 2 weeks later, it's available for you to bottle and enjoy.

A few weeks ago, a group of Seabridge neighbors decided to give it a shot, and I have to say, the results were impressive. Moreover, it provided a terrific venue for socializing and catching up with neighbors. You don't even need to brew something - they have plenty of house-brewed beers there, and fresh bread and pizza. Kids can make pretzels and rootbeer.

The process is easy: we started with a vat of heated water, and added our grain. It steeped for a while like a big teabag. We then boiled the resulting liquid and added our malts. A little while later, the hops and other flavorings went in, and finally the yeast. Then we sent it into a large keg, where it fermented for 2 weeks. As if we needed another excuse for a party, many of us returned while 2 dedicated souls bottled each of the 72 bottles as the rest of the folk enjoyed each other's company (and the beer itself!)

If you're interested in sampling the results, just let me know.

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Proposed Amendment and Restating of CC&Rs

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Today most homeowners received a big packet in the mailbox. It contains a proposal to amend & restate our CC&Rs to address several key issues that have arisen in the almost 30 years our association has been in existence (yes, we were incorporated in June of 1978!).

I believe most homeowners will agree that our CC&Rs were outdated. They were written in the early days of community-association living in California and didn't benefit from the lessons other communities learned over time. Homeowners have tried to modify the documents in the past several years, but by actually getting a proposal mailed out to homeowners for a secret ballot vote, this board has made it farther than any other group in the past, and for that they are to be commended.

If you're a homeowner, I suggest we go to the homeowner-only section of the website to hear your comments.

UPDATE 3/9/08 7:45 AM. Please be sure to read Julian's comment below, including the link to more info and an electronic copy of the CC&Rs on the Seabridge website.

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Get To Know Your "Spinning Triangle"

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This picture isn't quite how our water meters look, but it's close enough. Your water meter is located in the front of your unit, between the street and the building. You lift up a little plate, and when you wipe off all the muck, you'll see the dial. Note the little triangle. It should not be spinning when all the water in your house is off. If it is, you've got some investigation to do...

Registered users may click here to read the full story. If you're a homeowner but not registered, feel free to contact me for access.

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Three Cups of Tea

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I wrote a post a few weeks back regarding the HB Reads One Book program, and the chosen book, Three Cups of Tea. Now that I've actually complete the book, I can say that it's truly worth reading.

So, this is just a reminder to anyone who's interested that the author, Greg Mortenson, will be speaking at Huntington Beach High School at 7PM this evening. Even if you haven't read the book, I think you'll find the guy's story fascinating, and if you ever plan to read it, I think it would give you a great background.

And maybe I'm out of line in my expectations for the event, but if you read the story of how the event went in another community, I think we're going to see a ton of people there. I heard Tuesday night that the entire HB city council plans to attend. More background info here.

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Bolsa Chica in Bloom

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I went with a neighbor to Bolsa Chica today and was amazed that she had not spent much time in this area before. I shouldn't have been, however, as I had never set foot there myself until about a year and a half ago. We've got this great preserve literally in our backyard, but oftentimes we just zoom past it on PCH.

If you haven't been there lately, the winter rains are giving us a great display of wildflowers, and the place is literally jumping with wildlife. Go check it out! For those of you unable to make it, here are a few pictures, taken just today.

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Seabridge Reads One Book?

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No, no, I'm not proposing a formal program for our little community*, but since we are also residents of Huntington Beach, I thought people might be interested in the "Huntington Beach Reads One Book" program. The first book chosen is Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. I had heard about it, but my interest was piqued when one of our own residents coincidentally sent out an e-mail praising the book. So I thought it might be worthwhile to give the book some additional attention. And who knows, if enough Seabridge residents decide to read it, maybe it is indeed worth getting together locally to discuss it. So, if you plan on giving it a read, let us know in the comments below.

If anyone would like to go meet the author at Huntington Beach High School on February 21st, I am happy to drive others. Should you need a copy of the book, Barnes & Noble at Bella Terra is donating a portion of proceeds from books sold this week to the HB Reads program (voucher needed).

*while I didn't set out with the idea of promoting a local book program, I was reminded that one of our residents had the idea of starting a local book club last summer. If you are interested in doing such a thing, please use the comments below to share your interest.

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Right Place, Right Time?

Something told me that I should go outside for a walk when that last round of showers rolled through...

The Floating Mountain

One of the great things about the recent storm is the beautiful snow left in our mountains. I'm hoping that daybreak tomorrow brings some good views. But for now, here's a pretty cool picture, taken this evening, of the nearby naval base, with the mountain seeming to "float" above the sky.

Shortcut to the Main Channel

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I read about this back in the summer, but it took me a full four months before I finally checked it out for myself today. There is a public promenade available along the main channel right at the end of Countess:

"A sidewalk to the sea was established at Portofino Circle with a gate near the Portofino Cove condominiums this week. The gate is unlocked at sunrise and locked at dusk.

The California Coastal Conservancy has contracted with Coastkeeper to manage public access to this area. Public access was closed previously due to management issues."

You can enter on the right side of the condo building, over near the Portofino docks. The access is clearly marked, and you can walk all along the length of the channel, right up to Mother's Beach in Seabridge Park. The benches facing out to the harbour entrance are really nice - a great, and convenient, place to take in the sunset.

9, 10, 11, 12..

I'm afraid we may just need to settle for 8 days of Christmas. Try as I might, I can't seem to come up with these higher numbers!

In other news, did you notice that it rained last night? That's enough for me for now! In this most recent storm, rainfall totals varied across the county, but according to the Register, we received just about one inch between 5PM Friday and 9:15AM today. Even better for us, the Sierras are getting a lot of snowpack.

Seven Ghosts A-Dancing

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On the seventh day of Christmas
my true love gave to me
Seven ghosts a-dancin'
Six bears a-boatin'
Five points of light
Four lighted trees,
Three crazy creatures,
Two cool dogs
And a rainbow over Seabridge.

Happy New Year!.

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