HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem Submitted by Council Member Brenden - Recognition for F f \ \
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City of Huntington Beach
File #: 18-187 MEETING DATE: 7/16/2018
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBMITTED TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
SUBMITTED BY: Patrick Brenden, City Council Member
Subiect:
Item Submitted by Council Member Brenden - Recognition for Father Christian Mondor and
Pastor Sumo Sato
Statement of Issue:
With the recent passing of Father Christian Mondor and Pastor Blaine "Sumo" Sato, known to many
as the surfing Padre and the surfing Pastor, Huntington Beach lost two of its most highly respected
religious leaders. Each of these beloved watermen revered the ocean, and in the surf, found divine
inspiration. Both men spent many years in Huntington Beach providing spiritual leadership, bringing
the community together through their healing and hopeful words, inspiring all of us to simply love
and respect one another.
In recognition of their contributions to our community, I propose that a public memorial be
established to honor Father Christian and Pastor Sumo. Further, I believe that it would be most
appropriate to engage the local surfing community as well as the followers of these men, in deciding
where and how best to honor them. Among the possibilities that should be considered is a bronze
plaque to be installed on Tower Zero on the pier.
Recommended Action:
Direct the Community Services Commission to work with the surfing community and the followers of
Father Christian and Pastor Sumo to develop a proposal for a public memorial honoring these two
men. Return to City Council within 90 days to present the proposal.
Xc: Fred Wilson, City Manager
Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, Assistant City Manager
Robin Estanislau, City Clerk
Michael Gates, City Attorney
City of Huntington Beach Page 1 of 1 Printed on 7/11/2018
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City Council Interoffice Communication
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Patrick Brenden, City Council Member
DATE: July 16, 2018
SUBJECT: CITY COUNCIL MEMBER ITEM FOR THE JULY 16, 2018, CITY COUNCIL
MEETING — RECOGNITION FOR FATHER CHRISTIAN MONDOR AND
PASTOR SUMO SATO
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
With the recent passing of Father Christian Mondor and Pastor Blaine "Sumo" Sato, known to
many as the surfing Padre and the surfing Pastor, Huntington Beach lost two of its most highly
respected religious leaders. Each of these beloved watermen revered the ocean, and in the surf,
found divine inspiration. Both men spent many years in Huntington Beach providing spiritual
leadership, bringing the community together through their healing and hopeful words, inspiring all
of us to simply love and respect one another.
In recognition of their contributions to our community, I propose that a public memorial be
established to honor Father Christian and Pastor Sumo. Further, I believe that it would be most
appropriate to engage the local surfing community, as well as the followers of these men, in
deciding where and how best to honor them. Among the possibilities that should be considered is
a bronze plaque to be installed on Tower Zero on the pier.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Direct the Community Services Commission to work with the surfing community and the followers
of Father Christian and Pastor Sumo to develop a proposal for a public memorial honoring these
two men. Return to City Council within 90 days to present the proposal.
Xc: Fred A. Wilson, City Manager
Lori Ann Farrell Harrison, Assistant City Manager
Robin Estanislau, City Clerk
Michael Gates, City Attorney
Esparza, Patty
From: Estanislau, Robin
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2018 6:40 AM
To: Esparza, Patty; Switzer, Donna
Subject: Fwd: Supplemental Communication for the Huntington Beach City Council's Meeting on July
16, 2018
Attachments: Copy of Copy of Untitled document(3).pdf; ATT00001.1htm
Supplemental Communication
Sent from my Wad
Begin forwarded message:
From: Amory Hanson<amory.hanson20l6Ag_mail.com>
Date: July 16, 2018 at 2:07:50 AM PDT
To: Robin Estanislau<Robin.EstanislauAsurfcity-hb.org>
Subject: Supplemental Communication for the Huntington Beach City Council's Meeting
on July 16,2018
Dear Madam Clerk:
I am enclosing a Supplemental Communication to the Huntington Beach City Council
regarding Item 31 on the agenda for the Huntington Beach City Council's Meeting on July 16,
2018.
Please ensure this supplemental communication is forwarded to the Mayor of Huntington Beach,
the members of the Huntington Beach City Council, the City Manager of Huntington Beach, and
the City Clerk of Huntington Beach. Please also ensure that this supplemental communication is
considered part of the public record for the Huntington Beach City Council's Meeting on July 16,
2018.
Sincerely Yours,
Mr. Amory Hanson
SUPPLEMENTAL
COMMUNICATION
Meeting Date: - /� - Z
Agenda Item No.,
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Mr. Amory Hanson
8102 Ellis Avenue
Apartment 121
Huntington Beach CA 92646
The Honorable
Michael Posey
Mayor of Huntington Beach
2000 Main Street
Huntington Beach CA 92648
Dear Mister Mayor:
I am writing to express my present opposition to Item 31, Councilman Patrick Brenden's motion
to instruct the Huntington Beach Community Services Commission to consider creating a
public memorial in memory of Father Christian Mondor and Reverend Sumo Sato.
Father Mondor was a Pastor Emeritus at Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church, 20444
Magnolia Street, Huntington Beach, California. Reverend Sato was the Pastor at the H2O
Community Church, 411 Olive Avenue.
I greatly respected Father Mondor. In fact, I attended Father Mondor's Funeral at Saints Simon
and Jude Catholic Church, 20444 Magnolia Street, Huntington Beach, California.
I also greatly respected Reverend Sato. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend Reverend Sato's
Funeral, as I had to attend a meeting with an individual I was considering hiring as my Private
Secretary. This Meeting had already been scheduled by the time Reverend Sato's Obituary was
published in the Huntington Beach Wave. However, I did give a donation in memory of
Reverend Sato to the Cornerstone Church, 4905 East La Palma Avenue, Anaheim, California.
However, I do not believe a joint memorial is an appropriate way to honor Father Mondor and
Reverend Sato. While they both were clergymen, associated with the surfing community, and
were great men, those similarities do not erase the fact that they are 2 different men.
In 1956, President Dwight David Eisenhower I appointed Judge William Joseph Brennan Jr. to
succeed Justice Sherman Minton as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. In 1967,
President Lyndon Johnson appointed Judge Thurgood Marshall Sr. to the Supreme Court of the
United States to succeed Justice Thomas Campbell Clark 1. Justices Brennan and Marshall had
quite similar views, and by the time of Justice Brennan's retirement in 1990, Justices Brennan
and Marshall were frequently the only two justices who expressed these views in dissenting
opinions. Due to their similar viewpoints, Justices Brennan and Marshall would sometimes be
jokingly referred to by their law clerks as"Justice Brennan-Marshall", as if they were 1 man
with a double-barrelled surname.
Mr. Amory Hanson
8102 Ellis Avenue
Apartment 121
Huntington Beach CA 92646
Yet when the time came for Justices Brennan and Marshall to be recognized , two different
memorials were created for Justices Brennan and Marshall. The Hudson County Courthouse, 595
Newark Avenue, Jersey City,New Jersey, was named after Justice Brennan. The Baltimore
International Airport, 7035 Elm Road, Linthicum, Maryland,was named after Justice Marshall.
Similarly, I believe Father Mondor and Reverend Sato should be honored with seperate
memorials. They may have many similarities, but they were both great men, and the should both
be honored in great ways.
I would also note that Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church is creating a Plaza that will be
named after Father Mondor.
Senator Barbara Boxer, a Former Senator from California who served 4 terms in the United
States Senate, once said"We are all different. Yet we are all God's Children."Father Mondor
and Reverend Sato were certainly sons of God, and they should both be recognized for their
accomplishments with 2 different, but great, memorials.
I thank the Mayor and the members of the Huntington Beach City Council for listening to my
concerns. In Summary, I recommend a No Vote on Item 31, but strongly encourage Councilman
Brenden to bring forward 2 seperate items at a later meeting of The Huntington Beach City
Council. The first item should be a motion to instruct the Huntington Beach Community
Services Commission to consider creating a public memorial in memory of Father Mondor. The
other item should be a motion to instruct the Huntington Beach Community Services
Commission to consider creating a public memorial in memory of Reverend Sato.
Sincerely Yours,
Mr. Amory Hanson
Mr. Amory Hanson
8102 Ellis Avenue
Apartment 121
Huntington Beach CA 92646
CC: The Honorable Erik H. Peterson
CC: The Honorable Patrick Brenden
CC: The Honorable Barbara Delgleize
CC: The Honorable Jill Hardy
CC: The Honorable William C. O'Connell
CC: The Honorable Lyn Semeta
CC: Mr. Fred A. Wilson
CC: The Honorable Robin Estanislau
1 1
Public Memorial Reco
Father Christian Mondor
and
Pastor Sumo Sato
Father Christian Mondor
- "The Surfing Padre"
- Helped found the Greater Huntington Beach
Interfaith Council Awl
- Started the Blessing of the Waves
__ i." �r - ■ q
1 1
Pastor Blaine "Sumo" Sato
- "The Surfing Pastor"
- Marine Safety Lifeguard Chaplain 1
- Led the H2O Church
- Inducted - Surfers' Hall of Fame 2016 1
J
A Fitting Public Memorial
- On/near the Pier or Pier Plaza area
- Bronze plaque on Tower Zero
- Fundraising campaign - donations
- Blessing of the Waves - September 9th
low—the ocean can bring people
of all f . .to ether..."
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mnry:Fnrher Chris Nan Mo -April 1. -April SS,2p
Memnry:Pasar Sumo S - e 0,I961- ch 11,ID
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7/20/2018
Recommended Action
"Direct the Community Services Commission to work with the Greater Huntington
Beach Interfaith Council and the surfing community to develop a proposal for a
public memorial honoring Father Christian Mondor and Pastor Sumo Sato.
Return to City Council within 90 days to present the proposal."
. . . The oceans can bring people of all faiths together. . .
- Father Christian Mondor