Edward Pinchiff Huntington Beach City Council

Edward Pinchiff Huntington Beach City Council

With less than a week to election day, there is still time to support the Campaign to Elect Edward Pinchiff to the Huntington Beach City Council.  Here are just a few ways.

We kept a few yard signs in reserve – just send us an email with your address and we will drop one off at your house.

You can help spread the word about Edward Pinchiff by mentioning your support on social media, in an email to friends, and by talking to your neighbors.

It is not too late to make a donation.  This is a tight race and every dollar will help support our final push that will last until election day.

Finally, remember to vote on election day November 8.  Polls are open from 7 am to 8 pm.  Not sure of your polling location?  Find out where to vote in Huntington Beach at the website of the Orange County Registrar of Voters.

A vote for Edward Pinchiff is a vote Against High Density and for a City Council member who will Preserve our Parks, Beaches & Wetlands, will Listen to the Community, and will be a Watchdog of Taxpayer Dollars.  It is a vote for community driven decision making.

Ed believes in the power of our residents to shape our City and help our community prosper.  This campaign is about respecting the community, making sure your voice is heard, and working with the community to achieve your vision for Huntington Beach.

For more details on how to support the Campaign to Elect Edward Pinchiff to the Huntington Beach City Council, go to the Get Involved page of our website.

Huntington Beach Senior Saturday

Huntington Beach City Council candidate Edward Pinchiff talked to Huntington Beach Seniors at the annual Senior Saturday event at the HB Pier.

This event was put on by the Huntington Beach Council on Aging (HBCOA), a nonprofit serving the needs of seniors.  Mr. Pinchiff is Vice President of the HBCOA.

Huntington Beach has a population of nearly 200,000 of which about 14% are 65 years or older.  About 28% of the HB population is between 45 and 64 years old.  Many seniors live on a fixed income.

“At the end of the day, we must judge our City and ourselves by how we treat the most vulnerable people in our community including seniors,” said Edward Pinchiff.  “It is an honor serving the seniors in Huntington Beach.”

In addition to his activities as Vice President of the Huntington Beach Council on Aging, Mr. Pinchiff volunteers with Project SHIP an HB Fire Department program that inspects homes for fire safety and installs free fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors for seniors.  He is also a member of the Huntington Beach Elks which raises funds for programs serving military members, first responders, and children.

Edward Pinchiff has always been empathetic to the senior community in Huntington Beach.  Senior citizens told Mr. Pinchiff about their sense of uncertainty and vulnerability.  They expressed a number of concerns including the economy, healthcare, taxes, safety and security, community services, maintaining independence, scams directed at seniors, Social Security and Medicare, and financial exploitation.

Seniors are also feeling frustrated with what they see as an increasing lack of ethics and transparency in government and they would like to see government reforms.

Senior Saturday is the largest non-profit Senior Expo in Orange County.  Seniors from Huntington Beach and surrounding communities were provided an opportunity to learn more about organizations and businesses in Orange County that provide services to seniors.

Admission to the Huntington Beach Senior Saturday event is always free and this year seniors were treated to entertainment, prize drawings, and food.  Over 70 sponsors were present including senior living communities, health professionals, physical therapists, home health care specialists, elder law attorneys, and many more.

In addition to senior issues, Mr. Pinchiff talked with seniors about the services that are available to them in the City of Huntington Beach.  Huntington Beach offers a variety of senior services through the Senior Center in Central Park (18041 Goldenwest Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648, telephone 714-536-5600).

Visit the Senior Center for information and services related to recreation, education, nutrition, socialization, clubs and activities, physical fitness including the Hoag Health and Wellness Pavilion, care management, transportation, home delivered meals, social services, SeniorServ hot lunches, and other senior services.

Inside the Senior Center is also the Social Services Resource Center which can provide information on a variety of social services such as senior advocacy, emergency grocery certificates, mobility equipment lending service, daily care call program, friendly visitors, holiday meals, needs and strengths assessment, referrals to outside services, the Surf City Senior Providers Network, and much more.

Huntington Beach Senior Center

There are a variety of recreational classes available at the Huntington Beach Senior Center in Central Park including aerobics, arts & crafts, arthritis chair exercise, ballet, book club, bridge, computer instruction, CPR/AED, dance, drawing, drumming for health, education, fishing, health & fitness, hiking, languages, line dance, martial arts, painting, meditation, pilates, Tai Chi, tap, stretching, ukulele, yoga, zumba, and more.  Participants can register online at www.hbsands.org or in person at any HB community center.

Transportation services include “Seniors on the Go” providing door-to-door service to medical appointments, shopping centers, the Senior Center, Rodgers Seniors Center and other locations within Huntington Beach.  Escorts are available for those needing extra assistance.  Transportation can be reached directly at (714) 374-1742.

SeniorServ provides a hot lunch Monday through Friday at 11:30 am with a recommended donation of $3 for those over 60 and a cost of $5 for those under 60.  The SeniorServ office can be reached at (714) 375-8404.

Volunteers with the home delivered meals program deliver 3 meals a day, Monday through Friday, to seniors who qualify under federal guidelines.  To qualify a person must be a Huntington Beach resident 60 years or older, homebound, nutritionally at risk, and unable to cook and shop.  Meals are a combination of fresh and frozen food which can be heated in a microwave or oven.

Care Managers at the Senior Center offer services to help older adults enhance life, develop long term plans, and age in place.  Services are offered to at-risk Huntington Beach residents aged 60 years and older who live independently in the community.  Care managers complete phone and in-home consultations to evaluate individual needs and link older adults with services including information, resources, education, mobility equipment, emergency food, and low cost personal emergency systems.

Huntington Beach Senior Center

The Hoag Health and Wellness Pavilion features a state-of-the-art 5,600 sq.ft. fitness center, group exercise room and dance room designed to meet the health and wellness needs of older adults living in and around Huntington Beach.

The fitness center offers a wide selection of cardiovascular, strength training, free weight and stretching equipment made by Star Trac and TechnoGym, as well as a variety of health screenings conducted by Hoag medical staff and partners.  Fitness Center Membership is $120 per year for ages 50 to 79, and $80 per year for ages 80 and older.  The Hoag Health and Wellness Pavilion can be reached directly at (714) 374-1578.

About HBCOA – The Huntington Beach Council on Aging is a non-profit organization that seeks to enhance the dignity and quality of life of Huntington Beach senior citizens.  The Huntington Beach Council on Aging seeks to accomplish this goal by creating awareness of the evolving needs of HB seniors and responding with resources for innovative services and programs.  For more info go to www.hbcoa.org and take a look at the monthly HBCOA Outlook on Active Aging Newsletter.

Huntington Beach 9/11 Memorial

It was an honor for Huntington Beach City Council candidate Edward Pinchiff to attend the Huntington Beach 9/11 Memorial Dedication on Patriots Day, September 11.

The 9/11 Memorial is dedicated to the first responders and victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania that killed 2,996 and brought down the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center.

The HB 9/11 Memorial has a pentagon shaped base with two slabs of black granite representing the twin towers set in a cement wall.  The words “We Will Never Forget” are set in brass letters contained on the cement wall between the two towers.  The monument includes a plate and a section of steel beam from the World Trade Center.  The base of the memorial has the names of the four airline flights lost in the attacks engraved on its sides.

“The Huntington Beach 9/11 Memorial serves as a testament to the courage and heroism of first responders as well as a remembrance of the victims,” said Edward Pinchiff.  “We will never forget.”

It was a very moving ceremony with speeches, a flyover by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Air Support Unit, the Orange County Fire Authority Pipes and Drums, singers from the Huntington Beach High School Academy for the Performing Arts, and police and fire honor guards.  The ceremony also included the posting of a flag that was flown at One World Trade Center.  Guests included police officers from New York.

Huntington Beach 911 Memorial Five Bells

The ceremony also saw the “Striking of the Four Fives.”  This is part of fire service tradition to honor fallen comrades.  The tradition originated with the Fire Department of New York City in the 1800s.

New York City Fire headquarters communicated with firehouses using a system of bell commands and telegraph.  Headquarters would transmit five bell strikes repeated four times when a firefighter died in the line of duty or when an important person died.

The Huntington Beach 9/11 Memorial contains a plaque discussing the memorial’s purposes: To Honor the Past including the fact that “countless acts of courage, bravery, unselfishness and love took place as people from all backgrounds risked their lives trying to save others;”  To Serve the Present the memorial “offers a place for remembrance and reflection;” To Secure the Future the memorial “offers a way for all of us to remember the events of that fateful day.”

Huntington Beach was connected with the 9/11 response when days after the attacks, the Huntington Beach Police Officers Association raised funds to assist their fellow officers in New York City.  Officers from Huntington Beach traveled to New York to present the funds and participated in recovery at Ground Zero.

Huntington Beach 9/11 Memorial

On September 10, 2011, the FDNY and the Port Authority Police Department of New York and New Jersey presented Huntington Beach with two pieces of steel from Ground Zero.

At this presentation, the Huntington Beach Police Officers Foundation and the Huntington Beach Firefighters Association pledged to build a fitting memorial in Huntington Beach that incorporated those pieces of hallowed steel to commemorate the loss of life and recognize the sacrifices made on that fateful day.

The Building to Remember – 9/11 Memorial Committee was formed with the goal of designing the memorial, raising private funding for construction, and overseeing the building.   The Huntington Beach 9/11 Memorial Committee worked for 5 years  to bring this project to fruition.

The 9/11 Memorial is located near the entrance to the Huntington Beach City Council Chambers.

Sunset Beach

Huntington Beach City Council candidate Edward Pinchiff talked to Sunset Beach residents at the September meeting of the Sunset Beach Community Association.

Sunset Beach is a unique beachfront community established in 1905 and further developed as a result of the 1920 discovery of oil in the Huntington Beach Oil Field.  Sunset Beach was annexed by Huntington Beach in 2011.

Sunset Beach is a small tight-knit community that takes pride in its beauty, serenity and unique character.  Many residents were concerned about the annexation fearing that their community’s identity and concerns would be lost in the larger city of Huntington Beach.

“When Sunset Beach was annexed, the Huntington Beach City Council promised residents that Sunset Beach would retain its quaint and unique character.” said Edward Pinchiff.  “As your City Council member, I will make sure that Huntington Beach keeps that promise.”

Community concerns in Sunset Beach include parking, beach rules, the greenbelt, taxes, housing and business regulation, development and land use rules, lifeguard services, approval of the Local Coastal Program Amendment by the California Coastal Commission, and other issues.

Edward Pinchiff, Chairman of the Huntington Beach Planning Commission, has been working for years to protect the unique small town character of Sunset Beach.  He has served as the liaison to the Sunset Beach Area Committee, regularly reviews the monthly agendas and minutes of the local Sunset Beach Community Association, and monitors progress of the Local Coastal Program Amendment.  He has also been a frequent attendee of Sunset Beach community meetings and events.

“I understand your issues and concerns,” Mr. Pinchiff told Sunset Beach residents.  “Your concerns are my concerns.”

At the time of the annexation in 2011, Sunset Beach Community Association President Mike VanVoorhis commented “Change is scary, but life in Sunset Beach should stay pretty much as it’s been.”  Edward Pinchiff intends to make sure of that.

For example, in July of 2015, Huntington Beach was considering a full “high-density” re-zoning of the Don The Beachcomber and Peter’s Landing areas as part of updating the Huntington Beach General Plan.  Sunset Beach area residents opposed the re-zoning fearing it would change the quality of life and character of Sunset Beach.  At a joint City Council / Planning Commission meeting, Edward Pinchiff spoke against the re-zoning which was defeated.

Sunset Beach Post Office

Sunset Beach features one of the widest beaches in southern California.  Running parallel to the beach, from the north of town to the southern edge is the Green Belt, a bucolic 14 acre park on which residents walk their dogs and celebrate Mother’s Day with the historic Sunset Beach Art Festival, sponsored by Las Damas.  Southeast of Sunset Beach is Bolsa Chica State Beach.  To the east is the community of Huntington Harbour.

Sunset Beach does not have residential mail delivery.  Instead, residents pick up their mail at post office boxes in the centrally located post office or at private post office boxes located on 22nd Street.  Sunset Beach is served by the Sunset Beach Sanitary District and by the Huntington Beach Police Department.

Sunset Beach residents are civic minded and the town boasts three long term associations – the Sunset Beach Community Association (SBCA), the Sunset Beach Woman’s Club, and Las Damas, a woman’s philanthropic organization.

Annual events in Sunset Beach include the Art Festival, Pancake Breakfast, Disaster Preparedness, Rock Concert, Chili Cook-Off, Children’s Halloween Party, Firehouse Ball and “Yot” Parade.

In connection with the Sunset Beach annexation, the City of Huntington Beach and the County of Orange entered into a pre-annexation agreement on November 15, 2010 (see Sunset Beach Annexation Agreement).  The City of Huntington Beach has taken on responsibility for managing Sunset Beach despite delays in approval of the Local Coastal Program Amendment by the California Coastal Commission.

Edward Pinchiff Supports Drug Awareness in Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach City Council candidate Edward Pinchiff was pleased to participate in a recent HB Pier walk to raise awareness of drug overdose.

The purpose of the walk was also to acknowledge the grief felt by families and friends and remember those who have met with death or permanent injury as a result of drug overdose.

The United States is in the midst of a drug overdose epidemic.  Deaths from drug overdose are up among both men and women, all races, and nearly all ages.

More than three out of five drug overdose deaths involve an opioid (heroin, morphine, hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl).  Overdose deaths from opioids, including prescription opioids and heroin, have nearly quadrupled since 1999.  In the U.S., overdoses involving opioids kill more than 28,000 annually.  Over half of those deaths are from prescription opioids.

“Drug overdose deaths are rising particularly with opioids which are extremely addictive.  The results are tragic both for users as well as the families who must deal with the death of a loved one to drug overdose,” said Edward Pinchiff.  “Heroin in particular is taking our children at ever younger ages.”

Heroin addiction has become much more of a problem because of the connection with illegal prescription drugs.  Users often start with prescription drugs, such as Oxycodone (the actual drug contained in OxyContin brand pills), which they can easily purchase for $20 to $60.  They become addicted to the prescription drugs and then begin looking for cheaper alternatives to maintain the high.

Users then find out that heroin offers a similar type of high that is more intense and cheaper.  They buy a bag of heroin for $3 to $10 and typically start off snorting the drug.  Within a month, they are injecting the drug.

The transition to heroin has also accelerated due to an unintended consequence to a reformulation of OxyContin.  The makers of OxyContin changed the formula in 2010 to make it harder to crush or dissolve the tablet.  The goal was to discourage users from snorting or injecting the drug.  Users found ways around the reformulation, but many simply moved to heroin as the easier drug to use and still get the same sort of high.

What is the likelihood that your child may be abusing prescription drugs?  The current California Student Survey (CSS) sponsored by the California Attorney General’s Office found that 37% of 9th grade students and 50% of 11th grade students reported using illicit / illegal drugs or diverted prescription drugs at least once in their lifetime.  The prescription drugs used most frequently are prescription painkillers such as Oxycontin or Vicodin.  Yes, your child is at risk.

What Should I Look for as a Parent

As a parent, we need to understand what to look for.  Do not presume that your child is immune.  Heroin is easy to get and you must be watchful.

Go through your child’s room and trash.  Heroin is often smoked or snorted, in which case you are looking for tinfoil, empty pen capsules, and rolled up dollar bills.  Heroin can also be injected, so you are also looking for needles.

The heroin itself is typically in a black tar form that looks similar to asphalt or a dried-up raisin.  Heroin is often wrapped in a balloon or a plastic wrapper.

For more about what to look for as a parent, read the article Ten Signs Your Teen May Be Using Drugs courtesy of Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, California.

When parents and families are facing a child’s drug addiction, it often seems there is nowhere to turn.  There are resources available but they can be difficult to find.  Here is a list of resources for parents of Orange County teens struggling with drug addiction – Teen Drug Addiction Resources.

Huntington Beach Mayor Jim Katapodis

Huntington Beach, CA, August 26, 2016 (Press Release) – The Campaign to Elect Edward Pinchiff to the Huntington Beach City Council is pleased to announce that Huntington Beach Mayor Jim Katapodis is endorsing and supporting Edward Pinchiff for City Council.  Mr. Pinchiff is running for one of three HB City Council seats up for election this November.

“Ed is smart, articulate, a strong advocate for the community and will bring fresh ideas and accountability to City Hall,” said HB Mayor Katapodis.  “When I decided not to run for re-election due to my new job responsibilities in Sacramento, I turned to Ed and asked him to fill my spot on the City Council. Edward Pinchiff will keep our City safe and he is the right choice for Huntington Beach City Council.  I urge everyone to vote for him.”

Edward Pinchiff is currently Chairman of the Huntington Beach Planning Commission and has fought to retain the local character of Huntington Beach.

“Ed understands the community’s vision for Huntington Beach and he will work with the residents to achieve that vision,” said HB Mayor Katapodis.

Mr. Pinchiff is an active volunteer in the community, a business attorney, and Vice President of the Huntington Beach Council on Aging serving local seniors.  He is also a member of the Huntington Beach Elks serving local military members, first responders, and children.

“As your City Council member, I will make sure that the voice of the HB community is heard.  I believe in the power of our residents to shape our City and help our community prosper.  Together, we will make Huntington Beach a safe and prosperous place to live, work, and visit,” said Edward Pinchiff.

A campaign website has been established at www.edwardpinchiff.com where visitors can learn more about Edward Pinchiff, and get involved in the campaign.

You can help the campaign to elect Edward Pinchiff by making a donation, hosting a meet and greet, inviting Edward to appear at your event, displaying a sign, walking precincts, and by generally spreading the word about Edward Pinchiff such as by talking to your friends and neighbors or by linking to the campaign website from your Facebook page, blog, or other website.

Bolsa Chica Wetlands Huntington Beach

Edward Pinchiff was honored to attend the Bolsa Chica Wetlands Inlet 10th Anniversary Celebration.  On August 24, 2006, a new tidal inlet was opened linking the ocean with the Bolsa Chica Lowlands Restoration Project area.  The last time ocean water flowed over those parts of the Bolsa Chica Wetlands it was 1899.  The tidal inlet reinvigorated the wetland ecosystem which serves as a fish nursery habitat and a critical stop for migrating shorebirds.

“The Bolsa Chica Wetlands are an important part of the local ecosystem and must be preserved,” said Edward Pinchiff.  “The creation of the tidal inlet was an impressive accomplishment by dedicated individuals and groups including state and federal agencies as well as local nature conservancy nonprofits, all of whom should be congratulated.”

See more photos from the Bolsa Chica Wetlands Inlet 10th Anniversary Celebration.

The biological benefits of the daily tidal influence include, among others, thriving eel grass meadows providing a fish breeding habitat as well as mud flats which host an invertebrate community that is a food source to migrating, wintering and breeding birds.

The Bolsa Chica Wetlands project is one of the largest wetland restoration projects to be constructed in Southern California.  The wetlands are surrounded by the City of Huntington Beach.  The creation of the tidal inlet restored tidal influence to approximately 370 acres of wetland habitat.  The project also improved muted tidal circulation to 200 acres, retained 120 acres of seasonal pond habitat, and reserved 252 acres for future full tidal restoration when oil field operations terminate.  Most of the area had been isolated from the Pacific Ocean for over 100 years and has been used for oil production the past 65 years.

Creation of the tidal inlet was a complex project involving recreation of a tidal channel, stabilization with short jetties, dredging a tidal basin, installing a French drain and pump system, forming upland islands, building a bridge on Pacific Coast Highway and an oil field access bridge to span the new tidal channel, and setting aside an endowment for ongoing operation and maintenance.

For more about the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, see the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Wikipedia page.

Huntington Beach, CA, August 20, 2016 (Press Release) – The Campaign to Elect Edward Pinchiff to the Huntington Beach City Council is pleased to announce that Edward Pinchiff is officially a candidate.  Mr. Pinchiff successfully filed nomination papers qualifying him to be placed on the November 2016 ballot.

When asked about his candidacy, Edward Pinchiff said,

I am not a career politician.  I am in this race for my family and yours.  It’s about ensuring that our community remains a safe place to live and retains its small town beach charm.

As your City Council member, I will make sure that the voice of the HB community is heard.  I will also insist on protection of your tax dollars.

I believe in the power of our residents to shape our City and help our community prosper.  I ask for your vote.

The City of Huntington Beach is governed by a seven member part-time City Council.  The City Council sets the policies and laws under which the City operates.  This includes creating laws, approving the City’s budget, and establishing goals & priorities.

Huntington Beach City Council meetings are held the first and third Monday of the month.  The meetings are televised live on local cable television channel 3 and can be watched from the City’s website.  Past meeting videos and minutes are also available at the City’s website.

Edward Pinchiff Huntington Beach Planning Commission Chairman

Edward Pinchiff currently serves as your Huntington Beach Planning Commission Chairman where he has fought to retain the local character of Huntington Beach.

“We are not LA or Santa Monica.  We are Surf City USA,” said Mr. Pinchiff.

Mr. Pinchiff is an active volunteer in the community and currently Vice President of the Huntington Beach Council on Aging serving local seniors.  He is also a member of the Huntington Beach Elks serving local military members, first responders, and children.

Mr. Pinchiff is a business attorney with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Pepperdine University as well as a Juris Doctorate Degree from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.

A campaign website has been established at www.edwardpinchiff.com where visitors can learn more about Edward Pinchiff, and get involved in the campaign.

You can help the campaign to elect Edward Pinchiff  by making a donation, hosting a meet and greet, inviting Edward to appear at your event, displaying a sign, walking precincts, and by generally spreading the word about Edward Pinchiff such as by talking to your friends and neighbors or by linking to the campaign website from your Facebook page, blog, or other website.