Redondo Beach News 

Summit explores economic opportunities

By Peter B. Matuszak

Every city faces similar questions regarding how much development is necessary to preserve the quality of living their residents expect and demand. As costs for city services rise and neighboring cities develop new attractions to lure away tourism revenue, city officials find themselves pulled in many directions and courted by all sorts of economic development projects from private partners. In Redondo Beach, inevitably these interests focus on the waterfront.

It was fitting then that the second annual Redondo Beach Economic Development Summit took place at the Portofino Hotel in the Bayview conference room where attendees could gaze through picture windows at the marina and pier to the south.

On Nov. 2, more than 100 business leaders and government officials attended the morninglong program. The theme for the event printed on the programs and espoused from the podium was “Setting the Stage for Economic Development,” another title for the event might have read “The Status Quo: an Endangered Species.”

“Homeowners have a vested interest in the status quo, you have to respect that, but at the same time your town is going to change,” explained keynote speaker William Fulton. “The question is not, is your town going to change, the real question is, how is your town going to change.'”

Fulton, a New York Times best-selling author on urban planning and a City Council member in Ventura, Calif., presented a picture full of nuance and complication regarding urban planning. When discussing large revitalization plans to create new taxed revenue, Fulton warned that these victories are frequently temporary.

“These days you are not buying tax revenue, you are just renting,” said Fulton, referring to the common perspective that redevelopment to attract new tourism revenue is tantamount to buying new sales tax revenue. Fulton's speech encouraged the group to temper their ambitions with what he described as a “precious balance” between the need to generate more revenue in the city and preserving residents' cherished characteristics of their small towns.

His talk balanced out a day of presentations regarding the next steps for revitalizing Redondo Beach's waterfront assets such as the Pier and the Marina as well as developing a more salient brand for the city's image.

“When you look at our community, we have some great amenities, but there is always more you can do,” said Mayor Michael Gin in his opening remarks, “What are the ways we can make more of this jewel of our city?”

This led well into City Manager Bill Workman's introduction of the first panel, the Harbor Visioning group.

The panel consisted of Alex Banderman, Redondo Harbor commissioner, George Caravalho; Dana Point Harbor Development director; and Stan Wisniewski; Los Angeles County Beaches & Harbors director.

Banderman, also a member of the city's Water Quality Task Force, began by explaining long-term goals and immediate needs for cleaning up the shore as a first step to improving conditions in and around the harbor and pier.

“The entirety of Redondo Beach ends up right here, in the harbor,” said Banderman, referring to runoff water from the city that drains to the shore. The task force listed expanding street sweeping as well as patching leaky trash trucks and dumpsters as some of the immediate needs for improving water quality on the beaches and around the harbor. The water quality investigation also pointed to new methods of tracking red tides and simple aeration of the harbor to avoid the fish kills that wash tons of carcasses into the marina and onto the beaches.

Banderman then moved on to the findings from the Harbor and Pier Revitalization Working Group, which has met on a weekly basis for the past year. Among the group's recommendations were better branding, construction of a public access boat ramp, securing a visitor's center to serve the hospitality business, and completion of the Catalina Avenue/Torrance Boulevard landscaping projects.

Wisniewski and Caravalho then detailed L.A. County's ongoing redevelopment in Marina del Rey and the complete overhaul of Dana Point's marina respectively. Both projects began with taking back leases as they expired from private partners who managed the boat slips, restaurant and retail locations in their harbors. This enabled municipal organizations to expedite redevelopment. Both provided practical advice for pushing forward harbor revitalization and made obvious the competitive landscape in Southern California when it comes to attracting tourists.

“You're either getting better or you are getting worse, there's no status quo,” added Workman, as he moderated the panel.

Due to the length of the outstanding leases on Redondo Beach's marina and harbor areas, the city government will have to depend on private initiatives to catalyze any revitalization plans.

Not coincidentally, Alan Mackenzie, president of Mar Ventures, the private company that holds the lease on the marina, also presented initial plans that his firm has been preparing over the last five years for waterfront revitalization.

“The community needs to be proud of what's down here,” stated Mackenzie. “ We are working on a modern twist on the heyday of Redondo.”

The centerpiece of the Mar Venture plans would be a boutique hotel, time-share condominiums and a conference center that could accommodate meetings of up to 500 people. The plans also include various public amenities aligned with the working group's recommendations such as a public access boat ramp and central meeting space.

Mackenzie showed initial renderings of the space and described how there were several planning options for limiting the height of the new buildings so not to disturb the view of the surrounding residents. None of the plans have been approved by the city. Mar Ventures will introduce initial plans and hold public hearings on the potential development next summer, which pushes their estimated time to apply for actual construction permits until December of 2007.

Despite the current momentum of the project, Mackenzie also warned that it all could come to a screeching halt if the approval processes were to change.

“No major investors will spend money to process these plans if it still needs to go to the voters,” stated Mackenzie. “ If the petition passes, we will cease planning until the outcome is known.” Mackenzie made this statement in reference to the current petition being circulated by the Building a Better Redondo group to put all major land use changes to a public vote. The estimated cost for the project would be in the area of $175 million and 90 percent of the funds would come from the private sector.

Also unveiled was a preliminary version of a new branding motto for the city. The statement compiled through surveys of residents and input from the Redondo Beach Roundtable by marketing consultant Lauren Schlau intended to form a unified message to appeal to visitors from outside Los Angeles County.

The proposed branding statement read as such:

“Redondo Beach is Los Angeles' authentic, refreshing, friendly, casual, laid back, and intimate beach escape. Set on scenic South Bay peninsula and providing panoramic views, visitors experience an accessible and complete seaside destination, with an array of fun restorative activities, from ocean wonders to cultural arts and shopping, all part of a genuine Southern California experience.”

This is still a first draft and needs to be approved by the City Council before it would become the official motto of Redondo Beach. To that effect, the paragraph was edited by group input shortly after its first reading. Members of the audience questioned the use of the word “peninsula” as misleading and unclear. Schlau agreed to remove it and to solicit more input through the Chamber of Commerce Web site.

Schlau also made clear that a branding statement such as this was not a tag line but rather a stakeholder-driven strategy.

“Developing your brand and developing your destination go hand in hand. Your brand is your destination, this is a very long and expensive process, I'm not going to lie to you,” said Schlau.

Les Guthrie, primary owner and operator of King Harbor, also attended the meeting but did not present to the group on any of the panels. He found the plans for the added public facilities encouraging but reserved some skepticism.

“We've tried for over 30 years to accomplish this and for some reason or another it's never happened,” said Guthrie. “We're a little cynical about it but maybe this time the right forces are aligned and great things can happen.”

Hermosa Beach News

Officials consider changes to PCH and Aviation

By Chris Yang

Stung by the recent defeat of the Pier Avenue striping project, local officials took a different approach when considering changes to another of the city's main thoroughfares, Pacific Coast Highway.

Public Works Director Rick Morgan appeared last Wednesday night before the Public Works Commission to offer ideas and solicit comments about a proposal to answer a “Call for Projects” issued by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Morgan's presentation included four main “improvements” for the busy intersection located at PCH and Aviation Boulevard:

*  installing a double left-turn lane for southbound traffic from PCH to Aviation

* installing a traffic signal control for northbound traffic turning right from PCH to Aviation

* increasing northbound traffic on PCH from two to three lanes, and

* increasing eastbound traffic from one to two lanes on Aviation Boulevard

During his comments, Morgan raised several other options, including slicing off a portion of the park so that westbound traffic could more easily turn right onto PCH and eliminating an entrance to the shopping center located at Aviation Boulevard.

But despite the seemingly inclusive and cautious approach adopted by local officials, the five residents attending last Wednesday's meeting declined to support any of the proposed suggestions. Objections ranged from an increase of traffic along Prospect Avenue to the looming development occurring in El Segundo to the South Bay Council of Governments.

Commissioner Michael Divirgilio also raised the possibility of traffic flowing from Aviation Boulevard onto Prospect Avenue, stating “I think that will be the biggest concern from this project.” Morgan stated an increase in traffic along Prospect Avenue had not occurred to him, but that it was a logical conclusion given that Aviation veers north shortly after running east for several blocks.

In another defeat, the commission agreed with residents and opted to recommend making no changes at the current time. “Basically the commission recommended that we don't make the changes,” said Commissioner Janice Brittain. “We all said ‘no, leave it alone,' except for the southbound left-turn lane.” In that lane, Brittain stated that “sometimes people decide not to turn left into Starbucks and go straight to turn left onto Aviation.” She suggested placing plastic cones between the two turning points to prevent people from continuing to do so.

Morgan once again conceded defeat, acknowledging that he considered the exchange part of having an “open government” and that the commission would continue to act as a “sounding board” for his ideas.

It was Commissioner Robert Beste though, who may have produced the most newsworthy item of the meeting. According to Beste, Caltrans may be considering eliminating the parking lane along northbound and southbound Pacific Coast Highway in an attempt to improve the flow of traffic during rush hour. Morgan stated such a move would cause a “war” and that he would “fight” any attempt to decrease the amount of parking within city limits.

A spokesperson with Caltrans would neither confirm nor deny Beste's statement, but did offer comments on Morgan's potential proposal. “We understand the suggestions for these improvements have not been approved at this time, however if a consensus were reached in the future, Caltrans would continue to support any effort to improve mobility in the corridor,” said Public Information Officer Jeanne Bonfilio.

Hermosa Beach News

Change to zoning code to help Sharkeez owners to rebuild

By Chris Yang

A plan by Mayor Sam Edgerton to help the proprietors of Aloha Sharkeez eschew paying a sizable amount of the city's parking fees cleared a significant hurdle Tuesday night after the Planning Commission voted unanimously to proceed with amending the city's zoning code.

The text amendment, if approved, would effectively allow the bar's owners Greg and Ron Newman, to rebuild their business without conforming to the city's current code standards (height, setbacks, parking, etc.).

The issue of whether or not the rebuilt structure conforms to current code standards has stalled the reconstruction of the fire-damaged property primarily because of the city's parking requirements, which call for property owners to submit funds “in-lieu” of providing parking. The city imposes fees, which were recently raised from $12,500 to $28,500 per parking space, based upon a building's location and square footage.

Both Ron and Greg Newman appeared to speak in favor of passing the amendment Tuesday night, and sat through several hours of presentations and testimony before the commission considered the issue.

“Ever since I woke up that morning, it's like I've been in a nightmare,” said Ron Newman. “Then we received a letter from the city telling us ‘you've lost your rights.' Instead of the city helping us to rebuild, they've done just the opposite.”

Addressing the city's 50-percent rule, which allows an owner to rebuild without conforming if less than 50 percent of the structure is damaged, Newman stated, “We have 60 percent left.” He added that regulations in Hermosa Beach are the “worst” compared with other cities. Newman cited both Newport Beach (which carries a 90-percent rule on its books) and Manhattan Beach (also 50 percent) as an example of why the current code is “totally unfair” and “needs to be changed.”

Several other speakers rose to support the Newmans, including the owner of the Comedy and Magic Club Mike Lacey, Public Works Commissioner Janice Brittain and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Carla Merriman.

The commission ultimately agreed, voting to proceed by directing staff to return with a resolution that includes the amendment for approval.

“The intent of the ordinance is to maintain the current character of the city,” said Commissioner Ron Pizer.

Pizer then added two subparagraphs to the amendment, one to ensure the rebuilt structure maintains its existing parking plan prior to the calamity and two, to require additional parking requirements if the rebuilt structure is more expansive then the previous building. Both were included into the potential amendment, which is expected to return to the commission in November for approval.

Though the motion to proceed eventually passed, one minor discrepancy was not addressed Tuesday night. The city's staff report asserted that the City Council “felt that it was fair to apply the exemption provisions of the nonconforming ordinance currently applicable to residential property to commercial property.” But the council did no such thing. At its meeting on Sept. 12, Edgerton called for the council to place an item on a future agenda to “discuss and fully analyze” exempting owners of nonconforming commercial properties that are the “victim of a fire that occurs at their business.” The council did not officially weigh in on the question of whether nonconforming commercial properties should be “grandfathered” into the exemption clause in the case of a fire “which is not their own fault” or “their own doing.”

Hermosa Beach News

HB Police withdraw charges in controversial case

By Chris Yang

The Hermosa Beach Police Department all but acknowledged the arrest of a local mortgage broker was a mistake when it issued a press release last week indicating that no charges were filed in the case.

The press release was sent via e-mail on Friday, Sept. 29, the same day local resident Enrique Coello received a notice from the Los Angeles County Superior Court informing him that he no longer needed to appear in court because his case was dismissed.

The statement, which listed the chief of police as the contact person, is a tacit admission that department leaders do not agree with a decision by Officer Gaetano Lobue to place Coello under arrest on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 16. Lobue was responding to a noise complaint that was phoned in by one of Coello's neighbors.

According to the press release, a “management review” of Coello's arrest was conducted Monday, Sept. 18. The department subsequently determined that “the facts of this case did not include all of the necessary elements of the crimes alleged.” As a result, Police Chief Greg Savelli “directed” the report be sent to the city prosecutor with a recommendation that the case not be filed.

In addition, the department initiated an “administrative internal investigation” due to the submission of a personnel complaint by Coello's attorney, Thomas Beck. No indication was given when the investigation might be completed or whether the results would be made public. The statement added that “the investigation is a personnel matter and cannot be discussed at this time.”

In the complaint, Beck alleges that Lobue “falsified his arrest report to meet the elements of 647(f) knowing these details to be untrue.” The number 647(f) refers to a section of the Penal Code pertaining to public intoxication. According to the complaint, though Coello was arrested at his home, the police report filed by Lobue may have indicated otherwise. Beck writes that such a discrepancy “would constitute a felony violation” by the arresting officer. The complaint also points out that a recording of the incident may exist.

Despite the department's change of heart, Coello is not satisfied with recent developments. He considers the dismissal of his case a hollow victory and plans on pursuing legal action regardless of the outcome of the investigation.

“It's not over,” said Coello. “We need to do our own investigation. They are basically investigating themselves.”

Hermosa Beach – Crime Watch

VANDALISM. An individual allegedly entered the office of a restaurant in the 1300 block of Manhattan Avenue and urinated on a computer system. The incident allegedly occurred between 12:30 and 12:32 a.m. Oct. 14. An employee of the restaurant reportedly detained the individual until police could arrive. Upon being questioned by the police, the suspect allegedly stated, “I'd like to see the video of that.”

BURGLARY. Someone reportedly entered an apartment in the 1600 block of Ardmore Avenue between 11:15 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Oct. 12 and removed various items from the building. The victim allegedly returned at 3:15 p.m. to find pry marks on the wooden doorframe along with several items missing. The unknown suspect allegedly took jewelry (worth $4,000), a Canon Powershot digital camera and a Sony viewfinder.

BURGLARY. Someone reportedly entered a residence located in the 1200 block of Bonnie Brae Street to remove several pieces of jewelry. The incident allegedly took place between 11:20 a.m. and 8:40 p.m. Oct. 11. The victim reportedly arrived at home to find the downstairs master bedroom had been ransacked and several items taken.

FORGERY. Someone reportedly attempted to withdraw funds from a bank account using inaccurate information. The incident allegedly occurred at a pier plaza bank Oct. 12 at 3:45 p.m. After presenting a check and requesting $1,700 in cash, a teller at the bank reportedly noticed that the signatures on a deposit slip and check did not match those on a California ID and Visa debit card. After contacting the police, the teller made copies of the documents. The individual allegedly began to get nervous and requested the documents back from the teller.

VANDALISM. A vehicle parked on Pine Street was allegedly vandalized between 1 p.m. Oct. 8 and 2:40 p.m. Oct. 9. The vehicle's owner returned to find the right-front quarter panel, passenger door and truck bed had been keyed.

Hermosa Beach – Crime Watch

VANDALISM. Unknown suspects reportedly removed the Seventh Street sign from the intersection of Seventh Street and Hermosa Avenue between 8:50 and 8:59 p.m. Sept. 29. Someone allegedly saw four juveniles take the sign.

CAR BURGLARY. Someone allegedly entered a resident's unlocked vehicle and removed several items from the car between 11 p.m. Sept. 30 and 7:30 a.m. Oct. 1. The incident occurred in the 1200 block of Sixth Place. A Sirius car stereo, traffic gauge and two ATM cards were reportedly stolen.

BATTERY. A resident was allegedly the victim of a battery on Sept. 28 at approximately 2 p.m. The victim allegedly was engaged in a verbal argument with his roommate when he was struck in the face several times with both fists. The incident allegedly occurred in the 400 block of Herondo Street.

VANDALISM. Someone reportedly vandalized a car in the 1000 block of Monterey Boulevard between 6 p.m. Sept. 29 and 2:50 p.m. Oct. 1. After parking his vehicle at the above location, the victim allegedly returned to discover his car had two flat tires. Both air stems were allegedly broken off.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY. An unknown suspect allegedly gained entry into an apartment in the 400 block of Herondo Street between 1:30 and 4 p.m. Sept. 27. A resident reportedly left her apartment at approximately 1:30 p.m. When she returned, she allegedly discovered a pry mark near her front doorknob. A laptop computer and carrying case was reportedly taken from her apartment.

Hermosa Beach News

HB Police action draws fire

By Chris Yang

An incident on the morning of Saturday, Sept. 16, that resulted in the arrest of a mortgage broker is once again drawing attention to the conduct of the Hermosa Beach Police Department.

Enrique A. Coello lives in the 900 block of 18th Street in Hermosa Beach. While hosting several friends at his house late Friday night, police officers responding to a noise complaint appeared at Coello's residence and placed him under arrest at approximately 1:24 a.m. Despite being arrested at his residence, Coello was eventually charged with being drunk in public.

According to Coello, Officer Gaetano Lobue reportedly first approached his home through the rear entrance after unhooking a latched gate. Lobue then allegedly shined a flashlight through Coello's sliding glass door to get everyone's attention.

“There were five of us. He went through a latched gate and started flashing his light,” said Coello. Coello then allegedly instructed the officer to come around to the front door to have a discussion. “I opened the door, and he started yelling at us,” said Coello. “He would not leave. He was asking my guests to leave, so I called 9-1-1.” It was at this point that the officer allegedly placed Coello under arrest and subsequently transported him to the police station.

Lobue never indicated why he was being placed under arrest, said Coello. He also claims that while he was being transported to the police station, Lobue said, “No, you've lost your rights” and “I'm going to teach you to respect the cops.” While incarcerated, Coello alleges the officers “wouldn't even give me water” and did not give him an alcohol breath test.

Coello recently retained the counsel of attorney Thomas Beck, the same attorney who filed suit against the department on behalf of several other individuals (including an LAPD detective) who claimed civil rights violations. When reached for comment, Beck reiterated Coello's allegations. “His story is corroborated by four witnesses,” said Beck. “The cop felt his power was abused.” According to Beck, Coello and his friends were “in the pool” prior to Lobue's arrival. He plans on demanding the withdrawal of all criminal charges.

Not surprisingly, a press officer with the Hermosa Beach Police Department tells a much different story. “That was a case where one of our officers went to a loud party on the east end of town,” said Sgt. Paul Wolcott. “(After) contacting one of the residents, the officer felt he was intoxicated and needed to go to jail.” Wolcott added that the city prosecutor might already have settled the matter. “I've talked to my boss about it.”

If so, that would be news to Coello. He is scheduled to appear in court Oct. 18. “We are going to file a complaint,” said Coello. “It was complete humiliation.” Lobue was not available for comment.

In other matters, a sergeant with the Hermosa Beach Police Department may be facing misdemeanor criminal charges after an incident that occurred on Sept. 6. According to a report that appeared in the Daily Breeze Sept. 23, Sgt. Steve Endom “retaliated” against the son of a friend who had broken into Endom's home. Endom is accused of “vandalizing” the car of his friend's son while off duty.

When reached for comment on Tuesday, Torrance's Deputy City Attorney David Caceres stated that the matter is still pending. “As of right now, we're still waiting for the police report to come over so the case is still pending,” said Caceres.

Letters to the Editor

Thanks from committee

On behalf of the Centennial Committee, we would like to thank the community for embracing our fund-raising event and making a beautiful quilt of hands on the skate park wall this past Saturday.

Our centennial vision has always been to include the neighborhood and local organizations however we could to make Hermosa's birthday celebration a community effort. It was so much fun to see families, friends and neighbors come together and share in the festivities.

This is the first big community event in getting ready for Hermosa's 100th birthday and we have many people to thank who made this day such a success. The Kiwanis Club, Neighborhood MOMS, Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch, HBAF Supreme Paint, JOL Designs, the Hermosa Beach Police Department, all the volunteers who kept smiling, the Community Resources staff, and a special thanks to Mike Flaherty and his Public Works team who not only made sure our citizens were safe but the environment as well.

The community will have more opportunities to contribute their handprints to the wall. Please look for the Centennial Corner in the paper as well as reference our Web site, www.Hermosa100.com, for updates on all programs and events.

Maureen Ferguson, Laura Raymond, Co-Chairs, Centennial Committee, Hermosa Beach

Homeowners exemptions

Are you a Hermosa Beach resident utility bill payer, either renter or homeowner, and at least 62 years old? If so, you are not supposed to be paying the city's 6 percent utility tax on your phone, cable, fiber-optic, gas, electric or water bills. A one-time application to be removed from this tax can be made to the city finance department. You can amend this application later if a utility is added, etc.

Also, if you are a homeowner, at least 62 years old, you can apply annually for a refund of a portion of the street lighting assessment on your property tax bill.

The above have nothing to do with your financial state and apply only to your principal Hermosa Beach residence.

These savings are also available for those younger than 62 years of age who are permanently disabled and have a total household income of less than $9,000 per year.

Call the city's finance office Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at (310) 318-0225 for the simple procedure to follow for any of the above. Save yourself perhaps $100 or more per year and if you feel the city needs your money, by all means donate the savings to your favorite city charity or school. However, don't pay taxes you are not supposed to be paying.

Make a note to save this money or a reminder if you are nearing 62 years of age.

Howard Longacre, Hermosa Beach

Inspiration

Over the last few weeks, our city has lost giants: Roger Creighton and Jack Belasco. They both served as mayors and council members but, more, they each made contribution to our city a lifelong passion. There is no way anyone can properly memorialize these men and I will leave that impossible task to this publication, the readers and, most importantly, to all those blessed to know them.

One reason why I was inspired to serve was the example of those who served in office before me. Both Creighton and Belasco leave legacies that can be measured in tangible works all around our city but the most valuable one to me was that they gave generously of themselves and, by their lifetime of service, inspired all others to do the same.

Our city was made far better for their contributions and their lasting example.

Art Yoon, Hermosa Beach

Hermosa Beach News

HB Local becomes city's first female firefighter

By Chris Yang

The Hermosa Beach Fire Department hired two new firefighters this week, including the organization's first female firefighter. Aushley Baker-Wilhite and Scott Durkin, both Hermosa Beach residents, will be sworn in Thursday morning at a ceremony held at the Fire Department's Pier Avenue location.

Fire Chief Russell Tingley praised the new hires in a phone conversation earlier this week.

“There's a few things about these individuals that make them special for us,” said Tingley. “We hired them from our firefighter reserve program instead of hiring them from outside (the department), which is new to us.” He added, “Both are Hermosa Beach residents. They both graduated from the local El Camino College Fire Academy - and of course Aushley is our first full-time female firefighter.”

The new hires will then enroll in paramedic school, a process that lasts approximately six months, said Tingley. He added that the new firefighters filled vacancies and do not represent new positions within the Fire Department.

Baker-Wilhite previously served as a reserve firefighter and emergency medical technician in the Santa Paula Fire Department in Ventura County. In March, she was named the Female Emergency Responder of the Year by the American Red Cross Society of Ventura County.

Baker-Wilhite graduated from Redondo Union High School and later received her associate degree from El Camino College. She then attended El Camino's Fire Academy, a 10-week program. The new position is her first full-time job as a firefighter. Her first shift with the Fire Department was Wednesday. Durkin's first official day of work fell on the fifth anniversary of Sept. 11.

The swearing-in ceremony will be held at 9 a.m. on the “apparatus floor” of the Fire Department's Pier Avenue headquarters.

Crime Watch – Hermosa Beach

VANDALISM. A woman allegedly entered a business in the 1100 block of Hermosa Avenue Sept. 9 at 6:19 p.m. After entering the bathroom, she allegedly could not open the door and kicked it open to get out. The owner of the business informed her she would have to pay for the damages. The woman then provided the owner with the phone number of another person who refused to comply with the owner's request.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY. A couple living on 34th Street allegedly returned to their home after a morning jog to find several of their possessions missing. The incident reportedly occurred Sept. 9 between 6:45 and 7:30 a.m. The victims informed police that they regularly left their house unlocked during the morning hours when jogging.

BIKE THEFT. A resident in the 100 block of Lyndon Street allegedly discovered two bicycles were missing from his garage. The incident allegedly occurred Sept. 9 at approximately 8:30 p.m.

MAIL THEFT. Unknown persons allegedly pried open a locked mailbox in the 200 block of Manhattan Avenue and removed an unknown amount of mail. The incident allegedly occurred between 7:30 a.m. Sept. 5 and 12:30 a.m. Sept. 6.

Letters to the Editor

Thanks for apprehending thief

I just wanted to send a note of thanks to the Hermosa Beach Police Department and a Hermosa Beach citizen for apprehending the person who broke into our vehicle and stole the stereo. Not only was the thief caught, but the goods were returned as well. Officer Bill Charles did a great job in terms of explaining what happened and how the thief was apprehended, mainly due to an alert citizen who heard the thief breaking into another car in another part of town and the subsequent quick response of the HBPD. This just reinforces the notion that a combination of good citizen awareness working with the local emergency response teams is the best way to reduce the problem's ultimate effect, whether it is manifested by man or nature.

Paul Pease, Hermosa Beach

Hermosa Beach News

St. Cross readies for 100th anniversary

By Chris Yang

To commemorate its 100-year anniversary, Hermosa Beach's oldest church is hosting two events on the second weekend of September to celebrate the milestone.

Known as St. Cross by-the-Sea, the church's origins date back to the year 1906, when local residents held the area's first nondenominational service at what used to be the town's old post office on the northwest corner of Hermosa and Pier avenues.

Over the next six months, local postmistress Sarah Alice Beane and Father Charles DeGarmo, vicar of the Christ Episcopal Church in Redondo Beach, continued to hold gatherings every Sunday until the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles established St. Cross by-the-Sea on Sept. 13, 1906.

Pamela Barnes is a member of the St. Cross History Committee and provided details about the church's history in a phone conversation earlier this week.

“The first church was built in 1909,” said Barnes. “It was at 14th Street and Manhattan Avenue.”

According to Barnes, it opened July 11, 1909, and served the congregation until the church's current location was built on Monterey Boulevard in the 1950s. The building on Monterey Boulevard was completed on March 16, 1952, said Barnes.

“The first service there was on Christmas Eve. Three bishops officiated the service of dedication on Jan. 25, 1953 - Francis Eric Boy, Donald J. Campbell and Robert B. Gooden.”

Barnes also paid homage to Beane and DeGarmo, whom she referred to as the church's “founders.”

“Sarah Alice Beane was a Presbyterian, but that didn't really matter,” said Barnes. “She just wanted a place where the children could attend Sunday school and learn the Bible.”

Carol Reznichek is a member of St. Cross' centennial committee and provided more details about the festivities planned for later this month.

“It's our 100th birthday, (so) we're having events,” said Reznichek.

The first event is being held Friday, Sept. 15, from 7 to 10 p.m. A flier posted on the St. Cross Web site describes the “Centennial Soiree” as an “adult evening” of “food, entertainment and fellowship.”

“We're going to have a Cirque de Soleil-type act, and then we're going to have steel-drum sounds, kind of like down in Belize,” said Reznichek (St. Cross has a sister church in Selena, Belize). “On the 17th, which is traditionally Holy Cross day, we're going to do a festival Eucharist.”

Following the Sunday services, St. Cross is holding the second event, a “Family BBQ Bash,” from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Titled ? Years of Ministry,” the events are the second centennial celebration this year for the church. In March, approximately 100 people gathered at the Hermosa Pier to honor the first gathering that took place 100 years earlier.

A $20 donation is suggested for the Centennial Soiree. Tickets are being sold for the barbecue at $5 per person or $10 per family. For more information or to make reservations, call (310) 376-8989.

Hermosa Beach News

Former councilman, activist Roger Creighton, 1938-2006

By Chris Yang

Activist, longtime Hermosa Beach resident and former city councilman Roger Creighton died last week at the age of 68.

Creighton took his own life sometime last week and was found at his home late Thursday night by his son Dane. News of Creighton's suicide spread quickly through the city after details of the incident were made public.