Happy Memorial Day!
May we never forget that freedom isn't free.
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Orange County Fire Authority | |
OCFA Battalion 1 Firefighter of the Year
Firefighter Blake Campbell has significantly involved himself with the organization this past year by being selected to the Technical Rescue Truck (TRT) program, Live Fire Cadre, and assisting with the Handcrew program. Blake has looked to improve himself and build on his core skill set, and by entering the TRT program, it has allowed him to take additional classes and work with new teammates on low frequency/high risk incidents. Recently Blake used his extensive experience and volunteered with the Handcrew program to help train new members in the Handcrew academy. This has led to Blake accepting an assignment with the crew as an Engine Boss of a module to help teach and mentor new crew firefighters. Blake brings a calm demeanor that is emphasized by confidence and competence. He is a role model to new members of the organization whether from the wildland side or the structural side. He is also involved with the cadet program on their drill night and takes pleasure to see each of these young members grow in their aspirations in becoming a firefighter. Blake positively represents the OCFA each day he comes to work in Battalion 1. He maintains a positive attitude towards those both internally and externally. We are proud to have Firefighter Blake Campbell as our Battalion 1 firefighter of the Year.
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Staff Attends Training for Backflow Testers
Our Water Services Supervisor and Water Operator attended the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Blackflow Testing Courses in Rancho Cucamonga from May 13 – 17, 2024. During the five days of training, staff learned about multiple types of backflow prevention devices, and other important information that will assist them in preparing for the hands-on and written examination that is to take place in June 2024. Once completed, staff will be officially certified backflow testers.
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Recreation and Community Services | |
Seal Beach Recreation Mobile App
The City of Seal Beach proudly introduces a game-changing mobile app to improve community engagement: Seal Beach Recreation. This app is designed to enhance the customer experience for both residents and visitors, offering a suite of intuitive features that bring the city’s many services to your fingertips.
What the App Offers:
o Ease of Access: Stay logged in to the app and register without opening a web browser to log in.
o Instant Class Registrations: Easily find and sign up for a variety classes for every age group.
o Tennis & Pickleball Court Reservations: Book your next court at the Seal Beach Tennis & Pickleball Center with real-time availability and reservation capabilities.
o Digital Pool Pass: Gain pool access with a digital pass directly from your phone, simplifying the your entry to the McGaugh Community Pool.
o Up-to-Date Notifications: Receive push notifications for the latest on events, programs, and any schedule or venue changes, ensuring you’re always in the know.
Here is a direct link for those who want to download this app on their mobile device: https://get.myfitapp.de/a/8249?p=6
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Monthly Usage
There are currently 1651 users registered for the Senior Transportation Program. The program is available for Seal Beach residents ages 60 years and older and consists of a pre-fixed shuttle route and Yellow Cab Taxi service. To register for the program, please visit www.sealbeachca.gov or contact the Recreation and Community Services Department at (562) 431-2527 X 1307.
There are currently 339 pickleball members and 84 tennis members at the Seal Beach Tennis and Pickleball Center. To sign up for a membership, please contact staff at the Center, or call (562) 598-8624 for more information.
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Senior Lunch Cafe'
The Seal Beach Lunch Program is provided by Meals on Wheels Orange County (OC) at the North Seal Beach Center located at 3333 St. Cloud Drive. The Dine-In Lunch Café takes place Monday - Friday from 11:00am- 12:00pm and is open to adults ages 60 years and older. A suggested donation for lunch is $3.00. For more information, please contact Nathan Caukin at (562) 431-2527 ext. 1307 or visit www.sealbeachca.gov/city-services/senior-services.
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Summer Kick Off: Picnic in the Park
The annual Summer Kickoff is back and getting a fresh twist! This year, we invite you to join us for a delightful Summer Picnic in the Park. This event will be held at Edison Park on June 15th, with the picnic starting at 11:00 AM. Edison Park is located in College Park West, at 99 College Park Drive.
What to Expect:
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BBQ: Savory barbecue hosted by the Seal Beach Lions Club
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Games and Relay Races: Compete with your friends and neighbors!
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Activities and Crafts: Get creative with our craft stations.
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Face Painting and Balloon Animals: Let your imagination run wild!
Bring your picnic blankets, sunscreen, and dancing shoes! It’s going to be a day of community, laughter, and celebration.
For more information and updates, call Recreation and Community Services at
(562) 431-2527 ext 1307, email communityservices@sealbeachca.gov, or visit our website at https://sealbeachca.gov.
We look forward to celebrating with you at Edison Park on June 15th!
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Spikeball at the Beach
Spikeball at the Beach is back this Summer and will be held at 8th Street Beach on June 1st, July 6th, and August 3rd, from 10:00am to 11:30am. Players (13+ years) can learn how to play the game, meet other players, or practice their skills with this growing sport.
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Staff Engagement Team (SET) | |
Sunday, Staff Pickleball Fun Day
On Sunday, May 19th, the Staff Engagement Team (SET) held their monthly Staff Pickleball meetup at the Seal Beach Tennis & Pickleball Center, from 8am – 10am. Staff joined and played with other members at the Center. This activity helps the Staff Engagement Team achieve one of their main goals, which is promoting Health and Wellness. The other goals of the SET are to boost staff morale, develop inter/intra-departmental relations, get staff involved with the Seal Beach community, and to encourage professional development.
Thank you to former Mayor and Council Member, Mike Varipapa and the Seal Beach Pickleball Association for their partnership.
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Highlights
At the May 13, 2024, City Council meeting, the City Council:
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Proclaimed the week of April 21-27 as “National Volunteer Week” and encouraged all residents to honor and thank the volunteers whose dedication strengthens the community’s connections.
- Recognized former Police Chaplain Don Shoemaker on his retirement after 23 years of service with the Seal Beach Police Department.
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Paving Projects
Two paving projects have been recently underway in the College Park East neighborhood. The first project is on a stretch of Almond Avenue, which was funded by OCTA through the I-405 widening project. This project’s purpose is to repave areas of Almond Avenue that were impacted by underground utility work and the Almond Avenue wall relocation. The second project is the City’s annual local road repaving project. Both projects included minimal concrete repairs, curb ramp upgrades for ADA compliance and a grind and overlay pavement resurfacing.
The annual local road repaving project encompassed several roads in College Park East that were selected utilizing the City’s Pavement Management Plan. This plan is updated biennially and is an asset that assists the City in selecting roadways to resurface. It analyzes the City’s roadway pavement conditions along with the City’s available funding for paving and helps select paving projects over a 7-year period that both provide optimal and cost-effective pavement resurfacing.
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These projects are usually divided into three categories.
• Preventative maintenance projects (slurry seals) for roadways still in good condition. This inexpensive treatment helps roads that are in good condition to stay that way.
• Repaving projects (grind and overlay) for roads in fair to poor condition. This paving method is much more expensive than a slurry seal, however the long-term benefit of a repaving usually provides a roadway with 10-20 additional years of good condition.
• Full Rehabilitation projects (full depth rehabilitation). These are very expensive projects for roads that are generally in very poor condition. They are very expensive and due to that expense, a limited number of roads or even just portions of one road may be rehabilitated every couple of years.
The local paving in College Park East was a grind and overlay that included all or parts of 12 streets and cul-de-sacs encompassing over 1.5 miles of roadway.
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Maintenance and Trail Shut Down - Boeing
In preparation for a future 10-inch valve replacement at the Boeing facility, staff completed a trial shut down at night to minimize impact to the community. This trial shut down will allow for easier replacement between the old and new valve.
In addition, staff completed maintenance actions such as vault maintenance and inspection at the North Gate Vault near Leisure World.
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Fire Hydrant Valve Located
To enable access to a fire hydrant valve that was uncovered, staff quickly removed hedges, graded the area, and poured a concrete pad around the existing valve can. This will ensure easy access when maintenance is needed.
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Pothole and Concrete Road Work
Staff recently repaved a damaged alleyway located off 4th Street and Ocean Avenue that provides access to the beach and several residential garages. Public Works first cleaned the area of any access debris and continued with asphalt hot patching. Once the cracking and potholed areas were smoothed over, it was confirmed safe for drivers and the community to navigate the alleyway and to use as an access to the beach path.
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Suicide Prevention Training
In partnership with Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services, the City of Seal Beach hosted a free General Adult Suicide Prevention Training as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. Participants received information and resources and also created cards for the Orange County Health Care Agency Office of Suicide Prevention Hope Card Project, which provides cards to those in the community needing support. Do you need behavioral health services and do not know where to start? You may call OCHCA OC Links at (855) 625-4657 to speak with a “Navigator” who’s been specially trained to guide you to the exact behavioral health resources that will help you most. In case of a mental health emergency, please call 9-8-8. If you are experiencing a life threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1.
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Congratulations, Carlin!
Congrats to Carlin Thompson, Intern in the City Manager’s Office, on his recent commissioning to Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army!
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Seal Beach Police Department | |
McGaugh Honorary Service Awards
Police Facility Dog Yosa, accompanied by COP Team Officer Rael-Brook, made a special appearance at the McGaugh Elementary School Honorary Service Award presentation. During the event, Yosa not only provided emotional support and joy to the attendees but also demonstrated the important role of facility dogs in community engagement. After the presentation, Yosa and Officer Rael-Brook visited several classrooms, where they interacted with students, answered questions about police work, and educated the children on the benefits of having a facility dog in the police department. The visit aimed to build positive relationships between the police and the young members of the community, fostering a sense of trust and safety.
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The Briefing Room
- May is Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Month. Officers from the Seal Beach Police Department with funds from the Office of Traffic and Safety (OTS), did directed enforcement to address bicycle and pedestrian safety. Over 30 contacts were made, 16 citations issued to bicyclists, and several people educated on the rules of the road as a bicyclist.
- Officers, along with Detectives, responded to a robbery that took place at the
7-11 store located at 1200 Pacific Coast Highway. After a complete investigation, the suspects were located and arrested without incident.
- The Community Oriented Policing (COP) Team recently hosted an educational and engaging tour of the Seal Beach Police Station for a local Cub Scout troop. The scouts were given a comprehensive look at the daily operations of the police department. The tour included visits to key areas such as the dispatch center, holding cells, and the officers' workspaces. The scouts also had the opportunity to meet and ask questions of various members of the police department, including patrol officers and detectives. This initiative was part of the department's ongoing efforts to foster community involvement and educate young residents about the importance of law enforcement in maintaining public safety.
- Captain Nicholas recently represented the Seal Beach Police Department at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new crime lab educational center at Fullerton College. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to provide students with hands-on training and education in forensic science and criminal investigation techniques. During the event, Captain Nicholas highlighted the significance of such educational centers in preparing the next generation of law enforcement professionals. He also engaged with faculty, students, and other law enforcement officials, emphasizing the importance of collaboration between educational institutions and police departments in advancing the field of forensic science and enhancing crime-solving capabilities.
- Seal Beach officers made several arrests from the Target and Rossmoor Center related to Organized Retail Crime. 11 people were arrested related to grand theft from retailers, possession of a stolen vehicle, and possession of burglary tools.
- The Marine Safety Division recently conducted a CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) refresher class for the Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) of the Seal Beach Police Department. This crucial training session aimed to update the volunteers on the latest CPR techniques and protocols, ensuring they are well-prepared to respond to emergency situations. The class included both theoretical instruction and practical exercises, allowing the VIPS to practice their skills under the guidance of experienced Marine Safety personnel. By providing this refresher course, the Seal Beach Police Department reinforced its commitment to equipping its volunteers with the necessary skills to support the community effectively and enhance public safety.
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City of Seal Beach
211 Eighth Street
Seal Beach, CA 90740
(562) 431-2527
sealbeachca.gov
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