What's Happening in Huntington Beach This Week

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So, question for you. Does hearing something like this actually change how you go into the water? Well, prevent you from going into the water this summer. And we're back with another episode of Unlocking Huntington Beach. What is going on? My name is Lane Stone, and we have another good one for you today. And today we're going to be talking about all kinds of things. We're going to be talking about how this summer is projected to be a sharky summer at the beach. We're going to be talking about another milestone, a hundred-year milestone happening in Huntington Beach. Pump tracks are back here in Huntington Beach, as well as Mendocino Farms in Pacific City, and some homeowners that are having some issues with potentially losing part of their backyard pool or in a couple instances, even part of their home. So there's a lot to discuss. Let's dive into it. And we're going to be starting off with the Huntington Beach High School Auditorium that turns 100 years old.

HBHS Auditorium Turns 100 Years Old

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Starting in 1926, the historic auditorium originally opened and it hosted thousands of performances, school events, and major moments in the community over the years. It's something that I've always remembered when I went to Huntington Beach High School. And I've seen plenty of performances there. And it's a really, really great performing arts center. This is actually pretty cool because I remember in 2006, I believe, when I was on the campus and I was a student at Honey to Beach High School. That's when the high school itself uh turned 100 years old. I believe the high school started in 1906. Uh, but then 20 years later, that means we had the performing arts program and the auditorium there. So that's really good. So, how important are places like this to the city's identity, especially when they've been around for a hundred years? I would say extremely important. I mean, think about all of the uh performances, the thousands of performances that have been uh at that auditorium over the years, how many kids' lives were changed and what directions and paths they their futures took because of what they learned and did at this particular auditorium and with these particular performances. And some of them still, and lots of them actually probably still having lifetime careers in performing arts. And it all has to do with the program that they have over at the Honey Two Beach High School and the auditorium. And think thanks to the auditorium and uh for turning 100 years, hopefully we can see another 100 years and beyond for that particular auditorium. All right, moving on to segment number two, and we are going to be talking about a sharky

Sharky Summer 2025: Shark Warning for HB Beaches

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summer. And a lot of it has to do with the weather and the water conditions, but uh experts are predicting what's being called, as I've been mentioning, a sharky summer along the Southern California coast due to unusually warm ocean temperatures. There's already been shark detections off of Huntington Beach and nearby areas earlier than usual this year. And so that means that the activity could potentially increase as we get closer to the summer. And researchers say uh warmer water is creating ideal conditions, especially for juvenile great white sharks that tend to stay in shallow coastal areas. So at the same time, scientists are emphasizing something important. Sharks are actually around more often than people realize, and attacks are still extremely rare. In many cases, they're right under people and nothing happens. But it's still something worth of noting that because we have warmer waters and because sharks are being detected earlier than usual in our season, it is predicted to be a sharky summer at Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, and other areas along the coast. So, question for you uh, does hearing something like this actually change how you go into the water? Will prevent you from going into the water this summer? Or are you just going to ignore it or not think about it? Because as you have already stated, uh shark attacks are extremely rare and they've been around for a while. So uh I'm, for one, going to be perfectly confident about going into the waters. And we have a lot of technology and a lot of eyes now, too, where we are being able to see uh sharks. Um, and now that we know that they're gonna be uh more prevalent in the summer, I'm sure there's gonna be more eyes out there on the water. Uh moving on to segment number three local homeowners are facing

OC Sewer Easement Is Taking HB Homeowners' Backyards

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property loss. Now, this one is kind of crazy, and and I've been uh watching a lot of this um in the news and reading a lot of this in the news, and it's impacting a lot of people right here in Huntington Beach. But more than two dozen homeowners are at risk of losing portions of their properties. And I mentioned on the earlier video, it's things like backyards, uh, pools, and uh in some cases, some parts of the homes. Uh, the issue comes from a decades-old sewer easement that runs through these properties, and the Orange County Sanitation District says they need access and are reclaiming about 30 feet from each property. So some demolition has already started and residents say they feel blindsided, especially because many believe the easement only allowed access in emergencies, not full removal of structures, including, and like we said, in some parts, parts of the home. Uh so some homeowners have agreed to settlements while others are now suing uh and pushing back. The district says the work is necessary to protect infrastructure and prevent future issues. But for residents, this is a major and emotional disruption. Uh, so this is also a really good reminder when you are purchasing a home or maybe you are a current homeowner in Huntington Beach, review that TATA report or ask, you know what, leave a comment and maybe we can help you get some sort of property profile or something and be able to read up on uh what you have going on. But read those easements, read what the city has access to. Uh I, for one, have an electrical box in my backyard and the city has an easement to come over there and work on it, and and they do. So it's something that you need to be aware of. And it sounds like a lot of these homeowners were aware of this particular easement, but they weren't aware of how uh like uh obtrusive, like how much it could potentially impact, like 30 feet into their backyards, 30 feet uh going into some of their pools, destroying some of their pools, destroying some parts of their homes. Like that was probably more of a shock, but it's still nice to know what type of easements uh are uh on your particular title report attached to your home. So something to think about there and uh really feel for uh some of the residents there in Huntington Beach that are losing parts of their their backyard. And in some cases, I can't keep saying I can't believe I keep saying this, but homes that's crazy. Uh segment four, what's happening in

Mendocino Farms Opens at Pacific City Huntington Beach

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Huntington Beach? And one of uh I love what this particular restaurant, and there's one on Adams right now, but they're moving to uh Pacific City and finally opening Mendocino Farms, opening up Pacific City on May 7th. They're taking over that lemonade location there. I love their sandwiches. Uh so I think that uh it's a great location. You're gonna have, you know, where that lemonade is, you're gonna have ocean views there. You're gonna have uh lots of shops after you eat or before you eat around there. Um, so I'm for one personally excited about it. I enjoyed lemonade as well. So I'm hoping that Mendocino Farms is a location that can stay. I know they're investing lots and lots of money and resources into making it uh a truly a great location there at Pacific City. So I'm excited to go check it out and I hope that you guys do as well. And uh now another little event that's happening, quick one, a Surf City Nights

Surf City Nights Public Works Event on Main Street

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public works event. So the Public Works Department, they're gonna be hosting an event at the Surf City Nights there on Main Street on uh Tuesdays. But uh the Tuesday that they're gonna be there is May 12th at 5 p.m. And there will be equipment displays, demos, games, and a chance to meet the team that keeps the city running. So if you want to uh find uh cool demos, play some games, take a look at how take meet the team that keeps the city running, uh, and is a public works event there at Surf City Nights, May 12th. That would be the place to check it out. And in case you didn't know, it's kind of interesting as well. So as we're filming this, we are in April, and this is the Distracted Driving Awareness Month. So HBPD is reminding us and reminding drivers not to use their phones while driving, even at red lights, is technically illegal. So there's fines involved and repeat offenses can add points to your record. Uh, distracted driving continues to be one of the biggest safety concerns in California. So HBPD is trying to remind us to stay safe, to not use our phones, uh, and

HBPD Distracted Driving Awareness Crackdown

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be distracted drivers. And then I want to finish off with the last segment. Pump tracks are back in Huntington Beach for the season. The first pump track is going to be at Edison Park. And what is a pump track? A pump track is something, is a course that's set up to where you don't have to pedal or you don't have to push. And it's designed with like bumps and turns to where you can just continuously go around in a loop without having to pedal

Pump Tracks Return to Edison Park HB

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or push. And this looks like a ton of fun. And so if you have kids that want to get their scooter or their bike or something out there and enjoy the pump track, I definitely encourage you guys to go check it out. And I believe it's going to be moving to various parks throughout the rest of the spring and summer. So make sure you take a look at that. And I'll keep you updated on this channel as well as to where they're going to go next. So to stay updated on things like the pump track and news happening in Huntington Beach and to want to watch some of our interviews when we're interviewing some really great local business owners here in Huntington

Follow Unlocking Huntington Beach

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Beach. Make sure you are liking and subscribing this video and channel. If you're watching it on YouTube, um that we are unlocking Huntington Beach. Now, if you want to follow us on social media like Instagram, you can find us at UnlockingHB, my personal Instagram at Lane N O C. So there's really a lot of opportunities for you to make sure you're following and liking the show. We're also on all the podcast channels, too. So if you listen to your podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or YouTube or even Amazon or Audible, I believe we're on them all. So you have zero excuses. So wherever you're watching, we're going to be there. Just search Unlocking Huntington Beach and on social media, search at unlocking HB. And I'll leave you with something that I leave you with every single week. Do good. Huntington Beach deserves it. And I'll see you on the next one.