Police Reform With Be Well OC + HS Logo Change? + Slow Response

Happy Saturday, people of Huntington Beach! Let's get you all caught up on what's happening locally to start today off on an informed note.

Be Well OC will now field mental health and similar calls to the PD. Also, Should the HB HS change its logo, mascot, and perhaps colors? Finally, one explanation why there was a slow response to the spill.

First, today's weather:

Areas of low clouds, then sun. High: 70 Low: 56.

Here are the top stories in Huntington Beach today:

1. Be Well OC is now helping with “non-emergency and non-medical, public assistance situations” that would have typically resulted in a HBPD response. These include mental health crises, addiction, welfare checks, family disputes, and suicidal ideation. Officials anticipate that this will result in about 15,000 calls the mobile crisis response team will now handle. (City of HB)
2. Huntington Beach High School is the home of the Oilers. The school’s logo is an oil derrick. The mascot is “Oil Man.” The school colors are orange and black. Now, there are questions whether the HS should make a change. “I think it’s significant that the high school maintains the oiler as its mascot, both because the school exists to serve young people–who are most imperiled by climate change—and because the school has been around for so long that a lot of the city’s history is invested in that particular institution,” says Jeremy Deaton, an alumnus. (Gizmodo)
3. Was a “thin crack” in the pipeline to blame for a slow response to the oil spill? Experts seem to favor an explanation that the size of the gash, 13 inches, might be why there was oil visible on the water Friday before operators noticed problems on Saturday. Also, the Rotterdam is no longer a vessel of interest in the investigation. However, there’s no word yet what dislodged a section of the pipeline by 105 feet. (AP)
4. The UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine operates the Oiled Wildlife Care Network. They are keeping a running total of the animals they are taking in. So far, they have recovered 35 animals; 25 were alive. Cormorants are mostly found dead. Western Grebe and Snowy Plover are found alive. There is no count of impact on fish, marine mammals, and plant life. (UC Davis)
5. Existing fishing and shellfish harvesting closures have expanded. They now reach from the West Jerry of Anaheim Bay to the southern border of the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. Fishing from the shoreline and boats are affected. (Southern California Spill Response)

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Today in Huntington Beach:

• Crossfit Surf City and Hardkour Performance presents the first annual:
  OHKTOBERFEST FITNESS COMPETITION, 21521 Surveyor Circle. (6 a.m.)
• Hoag Flu Shot Health Fair, 19582 Beach Boulevard. (7 a.m.)
• No Name MC Breakfast at Huntington Beach Church, 8121 Ellis Avenue. (8:30 a.m.)
• Dance Team Fundraiser (Pink 5K Walk) (Events) (10:00 a.m.)
• HB Lions Club/Robyne's Nest Pancake Breakfast, Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 9812 Hamilton Avenue. (11 a.m.)
• Taking the Chronic Out of Pain, Webinar. (1 p.m.) Teen Volunteer Seed Packing - Huntington Beach Public Library (1:00 p.m.)

Huntington Beach Patch Notebook

• Second Chance Pet Adoptions: See adoptable cats and kittens at Petco, 5961 Warner Avenue. On October 16, there is a virtual fundraiser and adoption day.

Feature your local business here in the Huntington Beach Daily for just $79 per month. Click here to learn more.

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday. I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with your next update! If you're loving these newsletters, consider inviting some of your friends and neighbors to follow along. You can send them this link to subscribe.

— Sylvia Cochran

About me: Sylvia Cochran works out of sunny Southern California and has been freelance writing full-time since 2005. Her SEO-optimized internet copy includes social media marketing projects and German to English business translations. She loves dogs, cats, books, plays Fishdom (don't judge), embraces social justice, and tries to live out Micah 6:8.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Huntington Beach Daily? You can reach me at huntingtonbeach-ca@patch.com.