KOCE to pick from 5 bids

Only five bidders remain in a list of parties hoping to purchase

public television station KOCE-TV, and the final bids will be

presented at the Coast Community College District Board of Trustees

Oct. 15 meeting.

The highest bids so far have come from two religious broadcasters;

Daystar Television and Trinity Broadcasting, who have both offered to

buy the public television station for $25 million cash -- more than

twice the amount offered by KOCE-TV’s foundation and sister station

KCET-TV, which joined forces to submit a $10,000 bid.

Other remaining bidders are religious broadcasters Almavision

Hispanic Network and LeSEA Broadcasting Corp. Four of the original

bidders -- private developer Frank Jao, San Diego-based PBS affiliate

KPBS, the Orange County Public Television Foundation and an unknown

private investor -- have all withdrawn their bids.

Coast Community College District officials are considering selling

the station, which has been broadcasting educational programs from

Golden West College in Huntington Beach for the last 30 years,

because of financial strains caused by state budget cuts. The station

costs the district more than $2 million every year, officials said.

The final list of bids will be presented at the meeting, said

public affairs director Erin Cohn.

“Our broker is working with all five of those remaining bidders,”

Cohn said. “The best and final offer from the remaining bidders will

be presented to the board.”

Last week, the district’s academic senate, which consults the

administration in professional and academic matters, recommended that

the station be sold to the highest bidder.

President of the academic senate Kevin Parker said he felt that

this type of sale would be in the student’s best interest.

“Our main concern is for the students,” Parker said. “[The

administration] cut over 500 classes, enrollment is down 11% and

frankly, after the first two weeks of school with 50 petitioners

trying to get three spots in a class, we felt something needs to be

done to help the students.”

Parker added that the administration is on the same page as the

academic senate.

“It’s a valuable asset, but one that costs the district money

every year,” Parker said.

But many remain committed to taking the station off the market.

Two Web sites, SaveKOCE.org and KOCEforsale.com have been created to

garner support for KOCE.

Janet English, a science teacher at Serrano Intermediate School in

Lake Forest and creator of SaveKOCE.org, stressed the importance of

saving the station.

“I’m finding that people don’t seem to understand that if it’s

sold, we’ll lose one of Orange County main media assets,” English

said.

She encouraged people who want to save the station from the market

to voice their opinions at the October meeting.

-- Jenny Marder

Senior Saturday event returns to Pier Plaza

If you’re going to grow old, Huntington Beach is the place to do

it.

At least that’s what Dale Dunn, president of the Huntington Beach

Council on Aging says.

The Senior Saturday Community Festival is gearing up to celebrate

its 15th anniversary this weekend.

“We have a great support system here and we want people to know

about it,” Dunn said.

The festival, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pier

Plaza in Downtown Huntington Beach is meant to raise awareness about

the many services that Surf City provides for its senior citizens.

Senior Saturday will feature about 50 vendor booths with

information about nursing facilities, senior living facilities,

support systems from local hospitals and other programs for seniors.

Muffins, fruit and coffee will be served for breakfast at a cost

of $2. For another $2, hot dogs and chips will be provided for lunch.

Free entertainment will be featured throughout the day.

Dunn is hoping to pull in about $12,000 from the event, he said.

All proceeds will go to the Michael E. Rodgers Senior Center, the

Council on Aging, Huntington Beach Senior Outreach and other senior

services in the city.

“We’re trying to create awareness,” Dunn said. “We’ll have prizes

people can sign up for, drawings, entertainment and musical groups.”

The Council on Aging has 10 transportation vans that cart seniors

from place to place. The city’s senior center offers classes like

bridge, dancing and yoga that are often packed.

“We have a tremendous use of our center and big plans to build a

new one,” Dunn said. “But we’re still several years away.”

For more information about the Senior Saturday Community Festival,

call the Michael E. Rodgers Senior Center at (714) 536-9387.

-- Jenny Marder

Gala fund-raiser for Junior Guard planned

They will have a new home by the summer of 2004, now all the

Junior Lifeguards need is equipment to fill it.

So, the Friends of the Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguards will

hold its first formal gala, “Building for Our Future” -- just one of

the activities of the fund-raising campaign.

The group hopes to raise $70,000 to equip the new building that

will be home of the Junior Lifeguard education and recreation

program. The goal for the entire fund-raising campaign is $750,000.

“We want this to be a world class learning facility,” said James

Staunton, director of Friends of the Junior Lifeguards. “This has

been a project for years -- now, it’s a realization of dreams.”

The gala will be a formal Hawaiian evening with the sounds of a

steel drum band humming through the background. A silent auction will

feature items such as custom sliding doors, a Honda ATV and a

surfboard and wetsuit. Auction items can be viewed in a catalog prior

to the event.

Seats are open to the public with limited seating. Tickets cost

$100 per person and $150 per couple. The evening starts at 7 p.m. on

Sept. 20 at the Waterfront Hilton in Huntington Beach.

“I want people to come and have a great time, meet with old

friends and visit with great dignitaries,” Staunton said.

The Junior Lifeguard was formed 40 years ago and serves about

1,000 youngsters each summer.

“We have an opportunity to teach kids, not just surfing and life

saving, but about our ecology, respect to the ocean and respect to

our elderly,” Staunton said. “I think this program will be a real

jewel for the city.”

For more information on the gala and fund-raising options call

(714) 375-5067 or log onto www.juniorguard.com

-- Danielle Lagana

RV campground may get funds

The California Department of Parks and Recreation recommended $4.4

million in federal funds be handed out to 32 cities and districts in

California.

Huntington Beach is slated to get $114,750 for the development of

a campground, site improvements of lighting and support facilities

for the Sunset Vista RV campground located inside the city beach

parking lot.

The Sunset Vista is usually open from October to March. Currently

under construction the Sunset Vista RV camp ground will re-open

October 2004.

-- Danielle Lagana

Sewer construction street closures

As sewer construction continues in Surf City the Orange County

Sanitation District has released a schedule of street closures and

tentative re-opening of the streets.

The intersection of Banning Avenue and Bushard Street is set to

open on Sept. 16.

Rambler Drive will be closed from Sept. 18 to Oct. 31 and Landfall

Drive will be closed Sept. 29 through Oct. 8. Rambler will remain

closed while Drumbeat Drive is worked on. Drumbeat should reopen Oct.

15 and work will begin on the Hamilton Avenue and Bushard

intersection. All work is expected to be finished and streets

reopened by the end of October.

-- Danielle Lagana