Boeing under investigation

Boeing Co. is under investigation for allegations that two former

employees stole documents from competitor Lockheed Martin Corp. and

used them to win a government contract to build and launch rockets.

The aerospace company could be barred from future launches of its

Delta IV rocket for the Air Force, Air Force spokeswoman Valerie

Burkes said.

The two employees accused of stealing the documents, one a former

Lockheed Martin employee as well, have been fired.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin are the foremost rocket companies in

the United States. In the 1990s, the two were in a fierce rivalry to

win the right to launch rockets for the Evolved Expendable Launch

Vehicle Program, a U.S. Air Force program that launches rockets to

put national defense satellites in orbit.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin were selected from four competitors to

participate in the manufacturing and development phase of the of the

program in December 1996.

In 1998, the Air Force chose Boeing’s Delta IV rocket over

Lockheed Martin’s Atlas V. The Air Force awarded Boeing $1.38 billion

for 19 Delta IV launches, making Boeing the primary maker of rockets

for the program.

The Boeing plant in Huntington Beach is involved in program

management, engineering, design and mission support for the Delta IV

rocket program.

Now, the Justice Department and the Air Force are working to

determine whether Boeing illegally obtained information from Lockheed

Martin while competing for the launches.

“The Justice Department is trying to go back in time to determine

if Boeing did get a hold of this information and whether that tipped

the scales unfairly during the competition phase of the preliminary

stage of the program,” said Robert Villanueva, a spokesman for

Boeing.

Bryan Sierra, a spokesman from the Justice Department, declined to

comment on the investigations.

To date, the Air Force has awarded Boeing 22 launches for its

program. The other five went to Lockheed Martin.

Air Force officials say they are not at liberty to discuss

allegations while the inquiry is underway.

However, a statement issued by Burkes reads, “Our inquiry will be

thorough and complete and has the potential to lead to debarment [of

Boeing in the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program] and/or other

remedies.”

Boeing could be ineligible for other Air Force contracts, Burkes

said.

“I don’t know what the remedies are going to be from the outcome

of the investigation,” Villanueva said. “We’re hoping everything’s

going to be cleared up. We do acknowledge that there’s an

investigation going on, and during this time, we’re continuing with

the launch schedule.”

Boeing has two more Delta IV launches scheduled for 2003, to make

three for the year.

“We’re hoping that our launch awards won’t be affected,”

Villanueva said.

Orange Coast River Park gains momentum

A 20-year-old plan to create a 1,000-acre park that would run the

length of the Santa Ana River through three cities has been gaining

momentum.

Supporters of the proposed Orange Coast River Park, envisioned as

a sprawling collection of nature reserves, restored wetlands and

trails, gathered Friday to celebrate recent victories and drum up

support for the project.

If the vision is realized, hikers, runners and mountain bikers

could move from one city to the next along interconnecting trails

that would wind through the parklands.

City and state officials joined local environmentalists Friday in

celebrating the announcement that the Huntington Beach Wetlands

Conservancy has been awarded $1.2 million in state funds from

Proposition 40, a state parks bond measure approved last year, to

help purchase 45 acres along Huntington’s coastline.

“We’re making progress,” said Gary Gorman, president of the

Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy. “The pieces are finally coming

together after all these years, and it’s a testament to perseverance

if nothing else.”

Lawmakers also stressed to the crowd at the city’s new resort that

the push must continue.

“I need your help to bring home the message,” said Assemblyman Lou

Correa (D-Santa Ana), who authored a bill to create a Santa Ana River

Conservancy, similar to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, that

could tap state bond money to buy land for a parks. “This is not a

Democrat or a Republican issue. It’s about the quality of life for

Orange County in the future.”

Assemblyman Tom Harman, who co-authored the bill, joined his

colleague from across the aisle in congratulating the group’s efforts

and offered promises of continued support.

The proposed Orange Coast River Park would begin at the mouth of

the Santa Ana River and wind its way back to the far outskirts of

Fairview Park in Costa Mesa.

In a county that has the least park space per capita in all of

California, according to Correa, said this would rival San

Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

The event was sponsored by the Friends of Harbors, Beaches and

Parks, formed in 1997 to promote parks and wildlife preserves in

Orange County.

Surf City named best surfing spot in U.S.

In a country renowned for its dazzling coastlines and beautiful

island getaways, Surf City was chosen by America Online Travel as one

of the 10 best beach destinations in the United States.

Huntington Beach was awarded the “best for surfing” title. Some

other spots that earned titles were Kailua Beach Park in Oahu, Hawaii

for best for sightseeing, Hamoa Beach in Maui, Hawaii for best for

natural beauty and Ocracoke Island, N.C. for best village/town

respectively.

The honor is one many would agree with and one of the reasons Surf

City is the site of the U.S. Open of Surfing each summer, though the

waves are better in the winter.

“It’s a secret that we hope the whole world will soon know about,”

said Doug Traub, president and CEO of the Huntington Beach Conference

and Visitors Bureau. “This is one in a series in ongoing recognitions

that Huntington Beach has received.”

Surf City is not only about surfing though, Traub said.

“That’s just one of the things that Huntington Beach is about,” he

said. “It’s a great all-round family beach too. We want not only

surfers, we want everyone.”

Other beaches listed as “bests beaches” were Kalalau Beach in

Kauai, Hawaii, Sanibel Island in Florida, East Hampton Main Beach in

New York, Santa Cruz in California, Long Island Beach in New Jersey

and St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in Florida.

To access the list, log on to aol.com and type in the keyword

“best beaches.”

Rubber ducks will take the plunge

Thousands of rubber ducks will be launched into the ocean this

weekend at the 11th annual Duck-A-Thon.

The event, which benefits the Huntington Beach Community Clinic,

will be at the Huntington Beach Pier from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday

and Sunday.

Participants purchase rubber duckies ahead of time for $10, toss

them to freedom and watch them race on the surf back to shore. Surfer

duckies, sold last year to commemorate the event’s 10th anniversary,

were so popular that they are back this year for one last ride. The

yellow fellows, mounted on surf boards, are available in two sizes,

$20 for the small and $125 for corporate ducks. Corporate ducks may

have their company logo placed on the board. There is also the

mayor’s race, in which Surf City lost the crown last year.

There will be live musical entertainment all day long, food booths

and children’s activities such as face painting and duck dip.

Attendance is free. To purchase ducks, call Pat Davis at (714)

374-1951 or log on to www.duck-a-thon.org.

Surfing museum to honor ex-director

The International Surfing Museum will hold a ceremony on Saturday

to celebrate the life of former director, Earl Beasley, who passed

away May 2.

The ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. followed by A social with his

wife, Ann Beasley, and family, will be held from noon to 3 p.m. The

museum is at 411 Olive Ave. in Huntington Beach. For more

information, call (714) 960-3483.

-- compiled by Jenny Marder