Is HB City Council risking mixing politics, business?

Is this the other shoe on the “Rainbow Flag” controversy”?

The new conservative majority on the Huntington Beach City Council voted on Feb. 7 to ask the city attorney to draw up an ordinance on flag display on city property that essentially would ban the “rainbow” flag of the LGBTQ community.

On Tuesday, the council took its first official vote on the ordinance. It was approved 4-3 and it will come back to the council for final approval at its next meeting.

The first “shot across the bow” of this policy came from the Blue Shield of California Foundation which sent a letter to the council mentioning that it had cancelled its meeting scheduled at the

Huntington Beach Hilton in protest.

Usually Reliable Sources

The implication is that if the council doesn’t back off on this issue, the city will lose business from organizations and businesses angry about the policy. It’s happened in other cities and states. We shall see.

Here’s the starting gun …

It’s February 2023 and campaigning for the 2024 elections is already underway. At issue is the First District seat on the Orange County Board of

Continued on page 4

Newport Honors Hbpd Hero

An early morning fire Saturday at a two-story apartment complex in Stanton drew 75 firefighters from several different agencies to battle the blaze.

According to the Orange County Fire Authority, which provides fire and paramedic services for Stanton, Garden Grove, Westminster and other cities, the fire was reported at 12:22 a.m. in the 8300 block of Chapman Avenue (between Beach Boulevard and Dale Street).

The three-alarm fire summoned firefighting units from Anaheim Fire and Rescue and Fountain Valley Fire Department as well as OCFA.

The fire spread from the attic of one unit and above other apartments through the common attic. Thick smoke filled the street and arriving firefighters saw smoke coming out of the attic from multiple sides.

Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies evacuated residents while firefighters attacked the fire from inside the building as well as on the roof, containing the flames to

Continued on page 7