April brings sun and fun to Seal Beach. The 5/10K run was its usual success. Seal Beach and surrounding communities came together for a morning of fitness and fun. The proceeds will be given away to the community to promote physical fitness and other community projects. Thank you to all who volunteer to make the run successful.
Here are some things you may be interested in:
Cell phones most often do not go directly to our dispatch center.
Now that so many no longer have land line phones, it is very important to know that if you dial 911 from your cell phone you most likely will not be connected to our local Dispatch Center causing delays in service. In case of emergency, use a landline and dial 911, if possible. If it is not possible to use a land line, then you may call the Dispatch Center directly from your cell phone: 562-594-7232.
The Dispatch Center wrote, “We at West-Comm strongly recommend that the citizens of Seal Beach, Los Alamitos and Cypress store 562-594-7232 in their cell phone memory. Incoming calls on this line do not receive the same priority as 911 calls, which in this instance is not optimal, but it does ensure the caller is calling the appropriate call center…Currently, wireless 911 systems do not actively use the GPS location in smartphones to properly route incoming calls. This will be enabled in future updates to the 911 system, however, I do not currently have a date for that deployment.”
Pier Improvements
The City has begun pier improvements and the end of the pier is fenced off while these repairs are made. There are three projects in the Capital Improvement Program for the pier. Those projects are 1) Pier Decking, 2) Pier Utilities, & 3) Pier Structural Improvements.
Mary Wilson Library Truss Repair
The trusses that form the roof for the Mary Wilson Library were in need of repair. Those repairs were completed last week. The library was closed April 8 and reopened on April 13. The library is now open. When was the last time you visited? The library has a great used book shop on the premises operated by the Friends of the Library and the books are sold for very reasonable prices, many as low as 50 cents. Check it out.
Ocean Avenue Alleys
The Ocean Avenue Alleys are having water and sewer mains rehabilitated. The water and sewer funds are paying for replacement of the alley surface after the utilities are replaced. The construction of the first phase has begun and the first alley between Main and Eighth Street is now complete. The concrete was poured last week. If you have questions on the project, see the FAQ flyer on my website by clicking on this link: http://www.ellerydeaton.com/ocean-avenue-alley-construction or call Cesar Rangel, Project Manager at (562) 431-2527 ext. 1328.
Main Street Lighting Project
The Council unanimously voted to remove the existing, ineffective cobra headlights and replace them with “old fashioned” double headed lights that match our Pier lights. Materials are currently being ordered and the lights are scheduled to be put in after Labor Day when the busy summertime is over. Main Street will now be safer to walk, more charming to visit and beautiful to look at. The new lights will be both energy efficient and below the tree canopy making Main Street well lit while maintaining a dark sky. As we work toward being more “dark sky” aware, we will notice the stars reappearing.
Seal Beach Boulevard Bridge Widening
I hope you are finding ways to avoid the traffic going over the bridge. Once it is completed it will be very smooth going, but getting there is going to take time and patience. If you need any information on freeway closures or other information regarding the construction, please contact: Orange County Transit Authority at www.octa.net/westcounty or if you prefer, you can email: wccproject@octa.net.
Ellery Deaton is the Seal Beach City Councilwoman for District One, including Old Town and Surfside. She can be reached at (562) 743-4355. See her website at www.ellerydeaton.com.
