HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW ABOUT 2008?

1. Jeffrey Woods was accused of what activity or activities at the time of the crash that killed 14-year-old Danny Oates?

A. Texting

B. Speeding

C. Being under the influence of drugs

D. All of the above

Answer: D. All of the above

The case of Jeffrey Woods, 21, who prosecutors say crashed into and killed a boy who was bicycling to school to pick up his class schedule in the summer of 2007, has begun to move forward.

A December grand jury report showed Woods was texting, speeding and under the influence of Xanax and Vicodin at the time of the crash.

Woods’ attorney has attempted to reach settlement offers with multiple judges since that time; the prosecution sent the trial to a grand jury this fall.

The defense attorney said his client was suffering a seizure at the time of the incident.

The next hearing will be in February.

2. What kind of birds were found with broken wings on Huntington Beach shores?

A. Sea Gulls

B. Least Terns

C. Pelicans

Answer: C. Pelicans

Eleven endangered pelicans were found with severe wing injuries at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington Beach between Sept. 15 and 17.

All but one of the pelicans died from having their wing bones snapped backward; the last pelican, which only suffered soft tissue injuries and a swollen left shoulder, was released back into the wild in October.

The perpetrator is still unknown.

There is still a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the attacks. Those with information are asked to call Special Agent Ed Newcomer of the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife at (310) 328-1516.

3. What area of Huntington Beach is the Ripcurl development slated for?

A. Bella Terra

B. Main Street

C. The Strand

Answer: A. Bella Terra

In November, the Huntington Beach City Council approved a controversial development next to Bella Terra that would put 385 luxury apartments above 10,000 square feet of retail.

Critics say the project — the densest in the city’s history — and other related projects along Edinger Avenue will bring pollution, crime and traffic to an area already plagued by aging infrastructure.

Developers and the city say the project will demonstrate “green” building techniques and revitalize an area of aging strip malls.

Despite an outpouring of opposition at the meeting, nearly every council member voted for the project.

4. Huntington Christian School and Brethren Christian School had their leases renewed for which two school sites?

A. Kettler and Gisler

B. Burke and Gisler

C. Burke and LeBard

Answer: B. Burke and Gisler

The Huntington Beach City School District voted in May to give a new 15-year lease, with possible renewals up to 30 years, to Huntington Christian School on the closed Burke Elementary site. Brethren Christian Junior and Senior High School has signed a lease that could last up to 35 years with renewals, according to the school, which rents out the former Gisler Elementary campus

The district is in negotiations for sale of the LeBard site to the city that will permit the fields to continue to be used by the community.

5. The national motto “In God We Trust” now appears on a sign in what Huntington Beach building?

A. City Council Chambers

B. Chamber of Commerce

C. Huntington Beach Police Department

Answer: A. City Council Chambers

A new sign was added to the Huntington Beach City Council chambers this summer.

The blue-and-white sign behind the dais, which also features the city logo, reads “In God We Trust,” the national motto.

The idea to design the sign garnered controversy this spring, and resulted in a split 4-2 council vote, opposed by then-Mayor Debbie Cook and Councilwoman Jill Hardy.

6. The City Council budget calls for $115,000 to plan and design a new skate park at which location?

A. Huntington Central Park

B. Bartlett Park

C. Worthy Park

Answer: C. Worthy Park

At the close of the summer, the City Council ruled to build a new skate park in Worthy Park to replace a park beside Huntington Beach High School that is being torn down to make way for a new stadium.

The park is across the street from the school. The Huntington Beach Union High School District offered $75,000 to the city if it could complete the park within three years, Councilman Keith Bohr said.

7. How many sets of Native American remains were reportedly found at the Bolsa Chica wetlands, now owned by Hearthside Homes?

A. 47

B. 174

C. 547

Answer: B. 174

Developer Hearthside Homes, which is building hundreds of luxury homes on the site of a former Native American village on the Bolsa Chica mesa, has spent the year trying to determine what to do with the vast quantities of artifacts found on the site, including 174 sets of human remains that are estimated to be 8,000 years old.

About half of the remains have already been reinterred. A state Native American commission ordered earlier this month that the remainder must be buried within the next two months. In the fall, the state Coastal Commission said its hands were tied when it was approached by activists seeking to stop the development.