Hermosa Beach News

HB City Council wrap

By Jennifer Evans

House parties - Hermosa Beach Mayor Sam Edgerton proposed a change in the municipal code that would allow residents to only request two permits per year per household for a house party at the April 10 City Council meeting.

According to the memorandum issued by Edgerton, the permits would allow parties such as weddings and graduation parties to go on until midnight. Permits would only be issued for Friday and Saturday nights, and each permit would require a $500 deposit. The party planners would forfeit their deposit if the police were called and had to close down the event after midnight. The person receiving the permit must be on-site during the event and be available should there be a reason to contact them.

The memorandum also states that the permit must be applied for at least one week before the event and the person must notify neighbors by posting a notice of the time and date the party will be held with a phone number of the host of the party.

The city manager and city attorney will review Edgerton's proposal and return with an ordinance to be placed on a future agenda.

Basketball courts - The City Council approved TruLine Surfacing to resurface the Edith Rodaway Park basketball courts. According to the staff report, the courts' pavement surface was recently sealed and overlaid with pavement fabric and new asphalt in preparation for the installation of the new basketball courts. The park's single basketball court will be replaced with two new basketball courts.

Centennial - A Centennial Celebration fund-raising report shows that the city has received $190,668 in donations, brick sales, and time capsule and merchandise sales. The city received $149,400 in donations, with its largest donation from American Express, which donated $50,000 toward entertainment. A $30,000 donation came from Pierce Promotions to be allocated toward the concert series. Brick sales made up $13,200 of the donations (bricks are sold for $100) and time capsule sales equaled $1,200 of the donation (a time capsule can be purchased for $200). Merchandise sales, such as T-shirts and sweatshirts, came out to $26,868. The report was received and filed by the City Council.

Increase in permit fee - The City Council adopted a resolution that will increase the Employee Parking Permit fee to $132 per year, limits the permits to 13 per business and restricts permit use to silver meters only.

Commission/Board positions - The city will advertise for two Parks, Recreation and Community Resources Commission members as well two Planning Commissioners and two Civil Service Board members. Current member seats will be expiring in the next couple of months leaving open seats on each of these commissions. One notice inviting all applicants for the board/commissions will be posted, with a filing deadline of June 4. The positions will be announced by City Council at the June 26 City Council meeting.

Hermosa Beach News

Fire chief to retire May 15 after 30-year career

By Jennifer Evans

Hermosa Beach Fire Chief Russell Tingley has been too busy to even think about how he will spend his time during his retirement.

He wasn't planning on retiring this year; however, due to a recent change in his benefit package offered by his previous employer, Tingley now is afforded the opportunity to retire a year earlier than expected.

Before joining the Hermosa Beach Fire Department in January 2000, Tingley served with the Upland Fire Department for 23 years, where he started as a reserve firefighter and left as a division chief.

A couple of weeks ago, March 26, the Upland City Council voted to hike retirement benefits for city employees effective 30 days after the vote. For Tingley, this means he is eligible for his benefits now rather than waiting another year.

In looking at his 30-year career, Tingley said that serving as chief for the Hermosa Beach Fire Department has been one of his greatest accomplishments. “This has definitely been the highlight of my career,” Tingley said. “All of the accomplishments that we have celebrated happened because of the men and women of this department.”

Some of those accomplishments include an agreement between neighboring departments, a training and personal development program as well as an ongoing staffing and employment study.

Tingley earned his master's degree in administration and also has his teaching credentials.

Before earning his master's degree, Tingley taught courses on hazardous materials at Chaffee College to earn money to pay for his master's program.

Tingley, who lives with his wife in Rancho Cucamonga, said he is not sure how he will spend his time come May 15 when he no longer has to go to work. “My wife is an eighth-grade special education teacher and she still has three years left before she can retire,” Tingley said. “I still have my credentials so teaching is a possibility, but I may just relax.”

Hermosa Beach City Manager Steve Burrell has started looking for an interim replacement for Tingley, and will soon start the search for a permanent fire chief.

Hermosa Beach News

HB City Council wrap

By Jennifer Evans

Sharkeez - Hermosa Beach City Councilman J.R. Reviczky pulled the Planning Commission meeting minutes from the consent calendar at the City Council's March 27 meeting, so that residents could speak about the commission's approval of the expansion of Sharkeez.

One resident said he was unhappy about the Planning Commission's decision to approve the added square footage of Sharkeez. However, several other residents, including an employee of Bank of America, which neighbors the bar, spoke in favor of the approved expansion.  “I often need a place where I can take my clients to lunch and Sharkeez is the place I go. Since it burned down, I don't know where to take them,” the Bank of America employee said.

Another Hermosa Beach resident echoed her sentiment. “My husband and I used to live in Manhattan Beach and we really saw the transformation of the town as it turned into a family community, and we see the same thing happening to this town. In fact, I have my 1-year-old daughter here tonight and I really think that Sharkeez adds a lot to the community. It's a place where we can have bridal showers and birthday parties, and we need that in our community,” she said.

Before too many more audience members took the microphone, Mayor Pro Tem Michael Keegan said that this was not a public hearing and that the council didn't need to hear any more cheerleaders for Sharkeez, adding that the decision was already made and that it wasn't necessary for any additional comments. Reviczky closed the discussion by stating that he is happy about the Planning Commission's decision and glad that the owner is willing to accept the conditions.

Union Cattle - Although the court ruled that the Union Cattle restaurant is allowed to create a permanent deck cover on the establishment's upper floor deck, Keegan pulled the item from the consent calendar to voice his opposition.

“I pulled this because I want to vote no on this item,” said Keegan.  The item is a conditional use permit amendment that allows for a permanent deck cover on the second floor deck and a seasonal tent on the upper floor not to exceed the 30-foot height limit at the restaurant, located at 1301 Manhattan Ave.

Walk of Fame plaque - Roger Bacon presented Rick Koenig, president of the Hermosa Beach Historical Society, with a look-alike version of the Surfer Walk of Fame plaque, which is displayed at the Hermosa Beach Pier. Bacon also handed out T-shirts to each councilman and announced that the T-shirts will be on sale at the July 29 Surfer Walk of Fame induction ceremony.

Workshop - The City Council announced that a workshop for apartment owners will be held April 19, from 9 a.m. to noon at City Hall. The local water district and Edison will speak about how to save energy. For more information, call (310) 543-3022.

Hermosa Beach – Crime Watch

VANDALISM. Someone allegedly keyed two vehicles that were parked in the 400 block of Pier Avenue. The incident occurred between 2 and 8:30 p.m. March 20. The owners of the vehicles both work at a Pier Avenue business, and believe the culprit may also work at the same business.

GRAND THEFT. An individual took a Trio cell phone/ PDA from someone he was sharing a cab with that he did not know. The suspect grabbed the cell phone out of the victim's hands and exited the vehicle. The incident occurred at 8 p.m. March 19 in the 1300 block of Hermosa Avenue.

BURGLARY. After locking the door to her house, a resident returned the next morning to find the door damaged from being forced open. The incident allegedly occurred in the 400 block of The Strand, between 9 p.m. March 20 and 7 a.m. March 21. Nothing was taken.

BURGLARY. After leaving a west-facing glass door unlocked, a resident returned to find someone had entered the property and taken several items. The incident allegedly occurred in the 600 block of Eighth Street between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. March 22. Several items were taken, including $1,000 worth of jewelry, $1,000 worth of silver and a $2,200 Dell laptop.

GRAND THEFT. Someone fled after leaving a supermarket without paying for a full cart of groceries. The incident occurred in the 700 block of Pier Avenue at 7:35 p.m. March 24. Supermarket employees observed an individual leaving the store with a cart full of groceries. After he noticed he was being followed, the suspect fled east on 16th Street, toward Pacific Coast Highway. Among the items recovered were sirloin steak, Ensure supplement drinks, diapers, toilet paper and rib-eye beef.

HB City Council wrap

By Chris Yang

Quimby fees - The Hermosa Beach City Council unanimously approved a resolution to increase the city's in-lieu park fees from $5,198 to $14,096 per housing unit. Also known as Quimby Fees, the city typically issues them to property owners that add density by building new housing units, such as a home, apartment or condominium.

“These fees are used exclusively to provide open space in the city - to acquire it, improve it,” said Community Development Director Sol Blumenfeld.  Councilman J.R. Reviczky added, “Most of our park improvements have been paid for out of this fund.”

Taxi rate hike - The council approved an increase in the current fare charged by taxis operating within Hermosa Beach from $2.20 flag drop and mile to $2.65 per flag drop and $2.45 per mile. The rate increase was urged by cab companies to help alleviate the recent increase in the cost of fuel and to match fares recently increased by the Los Angeles Department of Transportation.

Police Chief Greg Savelli presented the request, spoke briefly about the issue and urged the council to approve the fare increase. 

Mayor Sam Edgerton took the opportunity to voice his displeasure with the poor service of some of the city's franchise taxi companies. Edgerton also took issue with the location of one company's call center, which resides in St. George, Utah. “You don't have a local dispatch center 24 hours near the beach cities, that's the problem,” said Edgerton. “So the service stinks.”

Reviczky agreed.  “I've also been experiencing problems with service, particularly with pickup time,” said Reviczky.

A representative with South Bay Yellow Cab addressed the council and urged the city to enact the rate increase, but was met with a skeptical group of officials. Some council members urged the representative to put a portion of the company's fare revenues toward enforcing the city's ban against unauthorized taxis, also known as “bandit cabs.” The taxicab official balked.

“I would respectfully submit that the $1,100 we're paying a year per taxicab already pays for bandit enforcement,” he said.

Currently, Hermosa Beach authorizes four taxicab companies to operate within its boundaries - All Yellow Taxi, Bell Cab Company, South Bay Yellow Cab and United Independent Taxi. Any taxis operating within the city that are not currently franchisees risk citation by local law enforcement.

The item was eventually passed by a 3-2 vote and came after a motion to continue the matter failed. Edgerton and Reviczky voted against the motion.

Slurry seal amendment - The council unanimously approved a request to amend a contract worth approximately $356,333 to install “slurry seals” along various streets within Hermosa Beach.

Local officials initially awarded a contract to a company called Pavement Coatings Company on Nov. 14, 2006, to install a slurry seal along Aviation Boulevard and Prospect Avenue. That contract was worth approximately $148,000.

Then, in December, the council approved a request by local officials to perform additional slurry seal work on Hermosa and Monterey avenues at an estimated additional cost of $233,625. A staff report prepared at the time indicated that the additional work was requested to “show that we have committed to spending” approximately $233,987 of Prop. 42 funds, which had not yet been earmarked for a particular project. At the time, City Manager Steve Burrell urged the council to approve the additional work because, according to Burrell, the city would be more competitively positioned to receive disbursements of Prop. 1A funds, which were approved by the voters last November.

“As you know, with the passage of the propositions in November there's going to be some extra money available,” said Burrell on Dec. 12. “A couple of the programs are actually competitive, but what they want to do is see how you've committed your Prop. 42 funds and you're actually spending money on things like this.”

Tuesday's decision effectively changes the contract to place Valley Drive as a candidate for a slurry seal in the place of Monterey Avenue. The work slated for Prospect Avenue and Aviation Boulevard is not expected to change.

Employee parking permits - In an effort to relieve parking in some of the city's residential areas, the council agreed to adjust the fees associated with the city's “Employee Parking Permit Program.” A vehicle with an employee permit is currently allowed to park in yellow metered areas and residential areas that are posted with one-hour parking restrictions for up to 72 hours.

“The reason I brought this forward is because a lot of residents feel that there's no place to park when they come at night,” said Councilman Peter Tucker.

To alleviate the problem, local officials requested that the council sign off on an increase in the price of the permits from $66 per year to $360 per year. Not willing to support a more than 500-percent increase, Councilman Michael Keegan instead offered a motion to double the current price to $132 per year.

“I think that 100 percent is a pretty severe increase, but it's better then the proposed change for the employee,” said Keegan. “I don't think it's that onerous.”

Reviczky refuted the idea, suggested by some opposed to the proposal, that the rate hike was enacted to raise funds for the city. “The problem is, is that we have businesses that may or may not be abusing the privileges of parking, and that kind of just says it, frankly,” he said.

Hermosa Beach News

City may look at webcasting meetings

By Chris Yang

Though Hermosa Beach was quick to embrace the Internet by offering free Wi-Fi access, the city has been slow to broadcast its meetings via the Web.

Also known as streaming video or webcasting, the service has quickly become the norm in governments at the state, federal and local levels. Just recently, the California Coastal Commission jumped on the bandwagon and broadcast one of its meetings on the Internet, the first time it has done so in the agency's 30-year history. Among local municipalities, five cities currently provide streaming video services to their residents - Carson, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Torrance and Rancho Palos Verdes.

“I'm very interested in doing that,” said Councilman J.R. Reviczky, of broadcasting meetings online. “I like what Torrance did.” He added that the item will appear on a future agenda, most likely sometime after May.

“Next year's budget,” he said. “There's no money in the budget for it this year. I'm going to prepare it for the budget (after the fiscal year ends).”

Reviczky described the current process of weeding through videotapes of old meetings as “cumbersome” and likes the idea of watching one particular item, which is possible online. “You can just go to the item in the agenda,” he said.

To broadcast municipal meetings on the Internet, most cities and agencies contract with outside companies. In doing so, the companies providing such a service would, depending on the situation, host the data, perform the live streaming video of meetings and manage the archival of past meetings. Though the benefits of such a service are quite apparent, the service is not inexpensive. Costs for a city looking to broadcast meetings could run as high as $24,000 per year, depending on how many meetings were broadcast each year.

Another alternative for cities contemplating such a decision would be to hire people to perform the work in-house. Of the cities currently incorporating streaming video content on their Web sites, each hired the San Francisco-based firm Granicus to webcast their meetings except for the city of Rancho Palos Verdes. It was able to provide its service through the city's relationship with a nonprofit organization known as Palos Verdes on the Net. PVNet subsidized some of the cost and provided most of the necessary equipment, allowing RPV to provide its residents with a similar service for roughly $9,000 per year. Though a decision to implement a streaming video system in-house would require technical expertise, the move could very well lead to significant cost savings should local officials undertake such an enterprise.

“It really depends on what you've got to start with,” said PVNet Director Ted Vegvari. He then listed some of the requirements of implementing a streaming video system without hiring an outside company.

“What are you going to store all the video on? Videos take a lot of disk space. If a city decided it was going to take it on, the city would have to set up a server that would store all the video content,” he said. “You need to have an Internet service. You have to have streaming video software setup on the server. You need a workstation for digitizing the video content to get it on the video server, and to do some minor editing of the content.”

In addition to whether to hire an outside company to implement the system and the cost of doing so, another factor that might affect any decision to broadcast meetings online is the city's young Wi-Fi system.

“Wi-Fi has limited bandwidth,” said Vegvari. “If you, all of a sudden, start broadcasting over the Wi-Fi, this could triple or quadruple your bandwidth requirements real fast.”

But instead of seeing this as an impediment to undertaking a citywide streaming video system, Vegvari viewed it as a reason to consider upgrading the existing Wi-Fi system, a proposal that stalled two years ago due to a lack of support on the City Council.

Reviczky would not be alone in supporting a move to broadcast meetings online. Jim Lissner, a well-known Hermosa Beach advocate of open government, famously raised the ire of some members of the School Board after he began videotaping board meetings for broadcast on the local cable access channel.

“I've been asking them to do that for a long time,” said Lissner. “I've mentioned it a number of times. We have staff members and business members who want to follow something in town.”

Hermosa Beach News

HB City Council wrap

By Chris Yang

Fireman's Fund grant - A grant that was recently awarded by the Fireman's Fund Insurance Company was accepted by the Hermosa Beach City Council at its Feb. 27 meeting. The award of $9,229 will help support an emergency preparedness program, and pay for activity and coloring books for Hermosa Beach students.

Plaza parking - A text amendment was passed allowing Pier Plaza establishments to forgo a requirement that any businesses with greater than a 1-to-1 floor area to building site ratio provide 25 percent of their parking on site. Instead, property owners that fall into this category could meet the city's parking requirements by purchasing 100 percent of the required parking through the city's in-lieu parking program.

Requirements depend on a building's usage and square footage. For example, restaurants in the downtown area require one space per 100 square feet.

Councilman Kit Bobko cautioned his colleagues that they should consider implementing the changes citywide as opposed to limiting them only to businesses on the plaza.

“Obviously there's this particular circumstance that has got all of our attention and has brought to light some of the infirmities in our code,” said Bobko. “I'm concerned that we're just legislating on behalf of west of Hermosa Avenue when I think that this is a problem that we might need to look at citywide.”

Bobko was referring to the property located at 52 Pier Ave., which closed after a fire tore through the building last May. The building's reconstruction has been slowed because of several technicalities in the zoning code related to the city's parking requirements.

Tuesday's decision is the second time the council has amended an ordinance to assist the owners of Sharkeez rebuild their business.

Councilman Michael Keegan countered that the city took away 󈬢 percent of the access to the property” when it closed the street to vehicular traffic. Keegan also stated that plaza businesses are not able to build subterranean parking because they are located at sea level, while other properties farther up Pier Avenue can.

Mayor Sam Edgerton also weighed in, favoring the text amendment.

“There's no reason to hold back someone's fire pile because, you know, we can't get our act around the whole thing at once,” said Edgerton. “It is so stupid that we don't do this.”

He added, “This is not an expansion issue ... I'm sure you could manipulate this issue, and not let people rebuild ... It's an issue of being allowed to build back what you had before ... I'm just sick and tired of looking at burned-out booths upside down in a rock pile.”

The vote was 4-0, noting the absence of Councilman J.R. Reviczky.

Passports - The council approved a request by city staff to apply to the U.S. Department of State to allow the City Clerk's office to become a “Passport Acceptance Facility.” The decision effectively allows local officials to apply to the federal government for permission to accept passport applications. Once receiving approval, local officials envision the program starting up sometime later this year.

No medical marijuana - An ordinance passed on April 25, 2006, prohibiting the establishment of medical marijuana for one year was extended until April 7, 2008. Prior to the ordinance, medical marijuana dispensaries could, according to the city's staff report, be permitted “if they met minimum parking and development standards.”

Hermosa Beach News

HB City Council wrap

By Chris Yang

Kathy Keane

Hermosa Beach's City Council meeting was adjourned in honor of Kathy Keane, who died earlier this week. Keane was a longtime resident of Hermosa Beach. She was married to Howard Fishman, a former candidate for City Council.

“She'll be greatly missed by all of us,” said Mayor Sam Edgerton at the Jan. 13 meeting.

Emergency Preparedness Commission

The council voted to approve the formation of an Emergency Preparedness Commission. Its goal is to assist residents in the event of a major catastrophe like an earthquake or fire.

“They would be our citizens group,” said City Manager Steve Burrell. “They would help us implement our emergency operations plan.”

The commission will consist of regular volunteer commissioners serving staggered four-year terms.

In-lieu park fees

The council voted unanimously to increase the city's “Quimby Fees.” The fees, also known as “in-lieu park fees,” are “intended to provide funds to cover the cost for acquiring open space property.” Developers have a choice, according to the city's staff report, of either providing the fee, or dedicating land in an amount equal to the average estimated fair market value of land zoned for open space. The decision effectively raised the city's in-lieu park fees from $5,198 per residential unit to $14,096 per residential unit. By doing so, the council declined to implement a recommendation by a consultant that the city increase its fees by roughly 500 percent to $25,483 per residential unit.

Burrell urged the council to consider increasing the fees to more accurately reflect current property values. “It's got to be reflected in the price of the land,” he said.

“This fee only applies to a new dwelling,” said Councilman J.R. Reviczky. “It's a one-time fee for additional units.”

Tuesday's decision was the first time the fees have been adjusted in 16 years.

Hermosa Beach News

1977: A 30-year look back

By Chris Yang

Of all the issues facing the city 30 years ago, none was as paramount as a decision by the Hermosa Beach City Council to purchase the Pier Avenue School. While controversial, the decision saved the site from outside developers by placing it under the auspices of City Hall, effectively guaranteeing future generations access to use the facility for recreational and educational purposes.

“I consider that to be one of the most important things that happened in my years on the City Council,” said former mayor and current School Board member Lance Widman. “Preserving the playgrounds as parks, and that facility as a community-serving center, that was one of the great things of eight years on the council.”

According to Widman, the city used funds from several different sources to meet the district's asking price of $650,000. It put up $400,000 using a variety of government agencies and agreed to pay $25,000 over the next 10 years with no interest.

“The city cobbled Community Development Block Grant money, revenue-sharing monies, and basically we put together state monies, federal monies, to purchase the site - without any property tax monies being used to purchase the site,” he said. “That was one of the things we're actually proud of.”

Prior to that time, the site was owned and operated by the Hermosa Beach School District as a junior high. It was originally built in 1920, and expanded in 1932 and again in 1936. But after enrollment plummeted in the mid-1970s, the district decided to close the school. It officially shut its doors in 1974.

George Schmeltzer served alongside Widman on the council during that period. According to Schmeltzer, the site itself had become run down and unusable. Following the transfer of ownership, local officials soon realized the site would require a substantial amount of work to renovate and refurbish the building from its then-current state of disrepair.

“The building was in terrible, terrible shape,” said Schmeltzer. “It took quite a bit of an investment to bring it up to usability. It took quite a bit of work.”

Carol Reznichek was one of the trustees who handled the negotiations on behalf of the district at the time. She believes the decision was a benefit to the community, but remembers that the opposition mounted a campaign to recall her.

“It was quite a deal,” said Reznichek. “There was a lot of drama. People were very upset.” She recalled several questions from the community like, “What are you doing? Why are you selling properties?” Ultimately, she believes the decision was beneficial to both the city and the district. “Districts can't afford to keep lots of facilities open. It was really a hard decision.”

Schmeltzer agrees.

“I can tell it was the proper thing to do because everybody takes credit for it now,” said Schmeltzer. “It's hard to think of Hermosa Beach without those buildings. In Hermosa, those two acquisitions had (a) tremendous impact on the community.”

After a series of lengthy negotiations with the School Board, the council eventually approved the decision to purchase what is now known as the Community Center by a 4-1 vote in June 1977. The site was not officially dedicated by the city until March 1984. It has remained a city-owned property since that time.

Hermosa Beach News

Flashbacks

By Chris Yang

Thirty years ago this month, The Beach Reporter published its first edition. Here are some of the stories and events that made Hermosa Beach news in 1977.

The Hermosa Beach City Council briefly considered merging its fire department with Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach in an attempt to improve service and save money.

In a story appearing on March 3, 1977, Hermosa Beach's Fire Chief Cliff Fowler told the Los Angeles Times that he was “hoping the project goes and the sooner the better.”

According to the story, Fowler indicated that the department “has only five firemen on duty at any one time,” which he described as “cutting it thin” if two fires were to break out.

The three cities were already part of a mutual aid pact, otherwise known as “automatic aid.” The agreement, which is still active today, calls for one city to serve as a standby if a fire erupts in a “high loss” area.

* Hermosa Beach briefly considered switching from a general law city to a charter city, like its neighbor to the south - Redondo Beach. At the time, then-mayor Lance Widman told the Los Angeles Times that he had considered the idea “for a long time,” believing it would benefit the tiny beach town.

The move to a charter city would have allowed the city to elect a mayor separately from the council as opposed to having the position rotate among the City Council as it does now. A charter city would also allow residents to elect their City Council representatives by district.

* The Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce awarded its annual Man and Woman of the Year Award to Martin Demott and Selma Zavislan, respectively.

* City officials filed suit against the county of Los Angeles to protest the reappraisal of coastal property for the 1977-78 tax year. According to a story appearing in the Los Angeles Times, local officials claimed city property “had been unfairly reappraised more often than other parcels in the county.” The civil suit sought to “roll back to appraisals” from the previous tax year.

The city officially adopted a public nuisance law. Dubbed a “nuisance ordinance,” the council codified its distaste for unruly behavior by making it a misdemeanor to “urinate or defecate in a public place, in a place open to the public or exposed to public view or in a private place entered without consent of the owner.”

Hermosa Beach News

Incumbent, newcomer elected to BCHD board

By Dave Eisenstadt

Voters from the South Bay's trio of beach towns backed on-the-job experience during the balloting Tuesday for the Beach Cities Health District board, electing the one incumbent running and a doctor new to politics.

They went for experience when it came to races for the House of Representatives and state Assembly, returning Rep. Jane Harman and Assemblyman Ted Lieu.

For the Health District, board member Joanne Edgerton easily bested the crowded field of eight candidates, pulling in 28.7 percent of the vote. Noel Lee Chun, the medical doctor, pulled in a touch less than 19 percent of the vote.

Board President Pat Aust finished next with 18.6 percent. The results in this story were all final with all 96 precincts tallied.

For Congress, Harman, D-El Segundo, glided to victory in the 36th Congressional District she has held for all but two years since 1992.

Harman received 63 percent of the vote with all 399 precincts reporting. The district spans Torrance and the harbor area north to Venice.

Political newcomer Brian Gibson finished second with 32 percent of the vote.

Ted Lieu coasted as well, reeling in 59 percent of the vote. Republican Mary Jo Ford was second with 37 percent.

The one bit of intrigue to an otherwise sleepy race centered on Manhattan Beach native and School Board member Bill Eisen. Nine candidates appeared on the original ballot until Eisen stepped out of the race due to a likely conflict of interest.

Chun, an anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist who lives in Manhattan Beach, is the only physician in the field.

Aust, the former Redondo Beach fire chief, was appointed to his seat in February 2004.

Janice Michaud, a health plan adviser, was fourth, with 12.2 percent. Michaud, also a former nurse, was asked to run by the Libertarian Party.

Edgerton, now in her second term on the board, is the wife of Hermosa Beach City Councilman Sam Edgerton.

Some challengers criticized the Health District panel for replacing board members who quit midterm by appointing new members to fill out the remainder of the term, instead of just until the next scheduled election.

Hermosa Beach News

Man get 32 months for pot bust

By Chris Yang

A resident of Hermosa Beach was recently sentenced to 32 months in state prison after he pleaded no contest to a felony charge of cultivation of marijuana.

Justin Mark Albergate, 29, was arrested Aug. 22 by police officers after they discovered a sophisticated marijuana-growing operation at a residence he shared with his girlfriend, Sara J. Frank.

Both individuals were taken into custody shortly after officers with the Hermosa Beach Police Department responded to a neighbor's call alerting them to a potential domestic dispute between the couple.

According to a statement issued by press officer Sgt. Paul Wolcott, officers arrived at the couple's Fifth Street residence to discover Frank home alone. The officers subsequently entered the premises “because of the allegation of domestic violence,” and discovered a room that was “lined with foil,” “grow lights” and that included a “sophisticated carbon filter ventilation system.” The officers immediately placed Frank under arrest, charging her with cultivation of marijuana. Albergate was arrested later after several other officers conducted a search of the area.

Because the case involved a felony prosecution, the matter was handled by the county District Attorney's office. Albergate was not allowed to post bail because of the allegation involving his violation of parole.

Both Albergate and Frank were present at the Sept. 8 hearing in the Superior Court in Torrance. The two initially pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, but both changed their plea on the day of the court proceeding to avoid going to trial and risk facing a much stiffer penalty.

Had Albergate fought the charges, he faced a maximum sentence of six years in prison. By agreeing to the plea bargain, he received a sentence of 32 months.

Frank avoided a felony conviction by agreeing to plead no contest to a lesser charge of violating Section 11357 of the Health and Safety Code. She received two years of probation and 240 hours of community service.

This incident was not Albergate's first run-in with the law. In 1996, he also pleaded no contest to committing a robbery, also a felony offense. Typically, a no contest plea has the same legal effect as a guilty plea, but is not considered an admission of guilt.

Hermosa Beach News

H.B. couple busted for pot operation

By Chris Yang

While responding to a domestic disturbance report, Hermosa Beach police officers stumbled upon a sophisticated marijuana-growing operation earlier this week that resulted in the arrest of two individuals and the seizure of 25 marijuana plants.

Justin Mark Albergate, 29, and Sara Joy Frank, 29, both of Hermosa Beach, were taken into custody shortly after police officers received a call on the afternoon of Aug. 22 alerting them to a possible case of domestic violence.

Officers Don Jones and Bill Charles arrived at 41 Fifth St. to assess the situation. After coming into contact with Frank (who was alone at the time), Officers Jones and Charles entered the residence “because of the allegation of domestic violence” and quickly discovered a room specifically maintained for cultivating marijuana. The statement went on to indicate that the room's walls were “lined with foil,” “grow lights had been installed” and there was a “sophisticated carbon filter ventilation system in place.”

Frank was immediately arrested by the officers at the scene and charged with cultivation of marijuana.  After conducting a search of the area, Albergate was found and taken into custody by Sgt. Lance Heard and Detective Lance McColgan. Albergate was charged with cultivation of marijuana and a violation of parole.

A press officer with the Hermosa Beach Police Department provided more details about the bust in a follow-up phone call. While no estimate was given on the value of the seized plants, Sgt. Paul Wolcott explained how the contraband would be used as evidence. “Essentially what we do is take samples from them for evidentiary purposes, and then they're eventually destroyed,” said Wolcott.

Albergate was not allowed to post bail because of the allegation involving his violation of parole. Frank's bail was set at $30,000.

Hermosa Beach News

Fire Department frustrated by delays in Sharkeez investigation

By Chris Yang

In recent weeks, officials with the Hermosa Beach Fire Department have become increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress with the investigation into a fire that burned down one of the city's most popular bars, Aloha Sharkeez.

In a conversation earlier this week, the department's lead investigator, Capt. James Crawford, blamed bureaucratic delays within the city's Building Department for leaving arson investigators with little to show for their efforts.

“Well, the fire investigation has not been completed because of the holdup in the Building Department,” said Crawford. “It's all been held up.”

Shortly after the May 9 fire, investigators with the South Bay Arson Team entered the burned wreckage to begin an investigation, but officials soon halted their work due to the existence of asbestos-laden debris and the questionable nature of the structure's stability. One official with the Fire Department was quoted in the Daily Breeze as blaming the delay on “asbestos in a 400-square-foot acoustical ceiling in the area where the fire possibly originated.” In July, another spokesperson with the Fire Department told The Beach Reporter that investigators were “waiting for an asbestos report from the Building Department.”

But as of Monday, asbestos no longer appears to be an issue with the Fire Department. “Asbestos was not a major issue,” said Crawford. “Our concerns are mostly with the structure's stability. The investigation was not able to go any further until removal of (the) heavy equipment, and that has been put on hold.”

Regardless of the actual contents of the building hindering the investigation, the Fire Department has been waiting for weeks to have the debris removed and the site deemed suitable for the return of its arson investigators. But because the city has yet to inform the bar's owners, Greg and Ron Newman, how much of the site is salvageable, the owners have been reluctant to proceed with the demolition process, hoping to coordinate the department's investigation, the asbestos abatement and debris removal all at one time.

In a July 21 report, a senior building inspector with Hermosa Beach told the Daily Breeze that city officials were “calculating how much of the structure is intact,” so the Newmans would have a better idea of what could be rebuilt. The inspector also stated that if the city finds “half the original structure is intact,” the owners can rebuild the property “as it was” before May 9. The review process is based on photographs and building plans, which were submitted to the city in July.

But three weeks into the process, the matter has languished in the Building Department, leaving both the owners of the property and the Fire Department's investigators in the dark.

“I'm kind of in the dark about how this whole process works,” said Newman. “I don't know why everyone thought we were supposed to do the demolition.” Newman also conceded that an architect is currently working on plans for what will replace the charred wreckage. He added that no officials with the Fire Department had contacted him in recent weeks regarding the incident.

When reached by phone, officials with the Building Department referred all questions to the director of Community Development, Sol Blumenfeld. Blumenfeld did not respond by press time after several attempts were made to reach him by phone.

Crawford suspects financial concerns surrounding the demolition process have become an issue. “Who's going to foot the bill?” said Crawford. “I think Mr. Newman is waiting to hear from the city.” He added, “There's never been a case like this. I've been here 20 years. It's a little frustrating.”

In certain circumstances, investigators with the Fire Department are able to pursue obtaining a search warrant to continue their work. The request must be routed through a court and typically occurs when an owner has denied the Fire Department entrance to his or her property. Crawford stated this particular investigation has not yet taken that turn. “We're trying to move forward in a cooperative manner,” he said.

At least one owner of a neighboring establishment was not overly concerned with the property's slow reconstruction. “As far as we know, we're in limbo looking at it,” said Patrick Malloy's owner Fred Hahn. “We take things day to day here.”

Hermosa Beach News

Man crashes car into Marina following evasion

By Drew Holland

A man drove a blue sport utility vehicle through a railing and into the Redondo Beach Marina last Friday after evading police.

Police fished the driver out of the water and took him to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, according to Sgt. Paul Wolcott of the Hermosa Beach Police Department.

Police first spotted the man driving west on Herondo Street at 7:20 a.m. A traffic officer noticed that one of the vehicle's front tires had blown out, and tried to pull the driver over.

The driver failed to stop, turned left onto Harbor Drive, then right onto Yacht Club Way.

“He wasn't going fast at all,” said Wolcott.

The driver continued on the road that runs parallel to the break wall.

“Then he makes a sudden left-hand turn, crashing through the guard rail and driving into the water,” Wolcott said

The driver swam out of the partially submerged vehicle and was taken into custody at about 7:30 a.m.

Police called a large tow truck to hoist the vehicle out of the water.

“I can tell you this, the car is trashed,” Wolcott said.

Wolcott said the event was straightforward, but unusual.

“This is not something that happens on a regular basis.”

Hermosa Beach – Crime Watch

DEADLY WEAPON ASSAULT. Someone riding a bike on The Strand was allegedly shot with a pellet from an Airsoft pellet gun July 12 at 5:08 p.m. The victim was riding with his friend northbound in the 200 block of The Strand when his friend realized someone standing in the vicinity had shot something at the victim. The suspect did not know the victim, who was not injured by the incident.

VEHICLE BURGLARY. A vehicle parked in the garage of an apartment complex in the 400 block of Herondo Street was allegedly burglarized on July 12, at an unspecified time. A cell phone, sunglasses, and yoga bag worth approximately $100 were reportedly stolen from the vehicle.

VEHICLE BURGLARY. Several items were reportedly stolen from a vehicle parked in the 1700 block of Monterey Boulevard between 7 p.m. July 14 and 10 a.m. July 15. The victim's California Drivers' License, a handicap placard and the vehicle's stereo were reportedly stolen.

VANDALISM. Someone reportedly smashed a victim's car windshield between 9:50 and 11:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 15. The vehicle was parked in the lower parking lot located at 702 Pier Ave.

BATTERY. On Sunday, July 16, at 12:46 a.m., several individuals were involved in an incident at a Pier Plaza establishment that led the citation of two people for misdemeanor battery. As a woman danced with two of her friends in the establishment, a man approached them on the dance floor and asked the woman to dance. After she refused, words were exchanged between the two parties. Each party claims to be the victim of an assault.

Hermosa Beach News

Three council candidates boycott forum

By Dave Eisenstadt

Three of the four candidates who battled for the City Council seat filled after Tuesday's voting touched off a pre-election day dustup when all but one skipped a televised political forum hours before it began.

The surprising move by a trio of political challengers - rejecting an election-eve appearance before voters - turned what was slated as a candidates' forum into a discussion between an office-seeker and the audience.

The Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Association organized the event, which was planned as the watchdog group's first political forum. Candidates Patrick “Kit” Bobko, who was declared the winner of Tuesday's election, Jeff Maxwell and Jeff Duclos told the association they would not attend via e-mails sent some six hours before the broadcast.

Janice Brittain, an education administrator, was the sole attendee.

Al Benson, head of the neighborhood association, said he was puzzled by the timing of the withdrawal - and that it wasn't one or two candidates skipping the event but three of four. Benson ran and lost for a council seat last November.

“They gave me six hours notice,” Benson said. “They have the right not to show up at the forum but if they really have problems, they could have given me a call.”

The neighborhood association is best known for its efforts to highlight what they see as problems resulting from a too-raucous lower Pier Avenue scene. The group contends crime, especially violent incidents, has shot up with the increasing popularity of the bar-laden strip.

The candidates, however, complained the event was less a political forum for those vying for office than a platform for the group.

Bobko said his schedule was just too packed on that day to attend the forum and downplayed the notion that the three candidates acted together to undercut the event.

“To be perfectly frank, that was not the case,” said Bobko. “As much fun as these forums are, I have other things to do and simply can't get to everything all the time.”

Bobko noted that he and the other candidates already participated in three similar forums. They were sponsored by the League of Women Voters, Leadership Hermosa and the Chamber of Commerce.

Still, Bobko, the two others who cancelled and Brittain briefly met the night before and discussed withdrawing from the forum. Bobko said the group discussed the matter but stressed that it was chitchat rather than guerilla political tactics.

“While it's clear we didn't show up, it wasn't a concerted effort,” Bobko said. “What we're talking about is someone taking personal offense.”

While Duclos declined to return telephone messages seeking comment, Brittain said weightier issues were at play.

“Bottom line, I gave my word and I live up to my word,” she said. “It's the integrity of it - as a council person you have to deal with all audiences.”

Brittain and others, however, said the group's material was freighted with its point of view and too detailed for the occasion.

“It was like a term paper,” she said.

Benson said the group misread his intent and short-shrifted pressing issues.

“I'm disappointed that they had this little powwow on this issue and made a collective decision behind my back,” he said. “I'm worried about crime - and they don't want to answer those questions.”

Of the candidates involved, Brittain was the only one on Tuesday's ballot who did not run last November.

The seat opened when the election's winner, Howard Fishman, declined the post when his wife became ill.

In that contest, Councilman J.R. Reviczky triumphed with Duclos finishing fourth, Bobko fifth and Maxwell seventh among a field of 10 candidates vying for three council seats.

Hermosa Beach - Crime Watch

NARCOTICS TO A MINOR. A man was reportedly arrested in the 2500 block of Pacific Coast Highway after police discovered opened bottles of alcohol and what appeared to be cocaine in his possession which was allegedly given to a 17-year-old girl the evening of April 13. Police responded to a medical emergency and entered what is assumed to be a hotel room. The girl was standing at the foot of the bed and the suspect was standing next to her to try and keep her from falling over. Officers noticed that her pupils were dilated and a small amount of blood appeared around her lips. She appeared to be in a daze. The suspect told police that she had been drinking vodka and said she was a friend of his daughter's whom he was going to be taking home soon. He told police she was 17. He said he booked the room and allowed the girl to use it when he was away. The man also admitted to leaving open bottles of vodka and Southern Comfort in the room with her, and said she had lied to her parents about her whereabouts. Officers noticed that the man was sweating profusely and asked him if he was in possession of any narcotics to which he said that he had cocaine in his pocket. Police retrieved a small vial that contained white powder. Paramedics treated the girl who appeared to be suffering from a cocaine overdose.

Hermosa Beach News

West L.A. man attacked over the weekend (4/13)

By Whitney Youngs

According to his account reported to police, a West Los Angeles man was stabbed several times by another man in Hermosa Beach while walking to his girlfriend's house in south Redondo Beach early Saturday morning.

The victim, Jon Crush, said he was walking to the residence from the pier plaza around 2:30 a.m. when a man walked up from behind him and demanded his wallet.

Crush said he was walking south on Ardmore when the man approached him between Second Street and where Fourth Street would cross Ardmore. Crush said he heard the man and moved over to one side of the sidewalk to let him pass. Crush said the man pulled his jacket over his head and stabbed him on the side near the rib cage. He said he fought with the man until he fled the scene without any of Crush's property.

After the incident, Crush said he then called his girlfriend who picked him up on Pacific Coast Highway to take him to the hospital. She in the meantime had called 9-1-1 and police responded.

“She pulled over to wave to police to tell them that I was stabbed and she was taking me to the hospital, and the police would not let us proceed,” Crush said. “They tried to get me to sit down in an uncomfortable position when I had a gash in my side.”

According to Press Information Officer Paul Wolcott, police were called to the scene and officers detained Crush there to determine the situation.

“Paramedics responded and attempted to treat the victim,” stated Wolcott. “The officer has an obligation to determine if a crime occurred, if the person he is contacting is a victim or a suspect. If he is a victim, where is the suspect? If he is a suspect, where is his victim? The officers have to make these determinations. The paramedics are obligated to treat once they are on scene. Apparently, the victim was very uncooperative.”

Crush said he sustained a cut on the left side of his body near his rib cage that required 11 stitches, a wound on his left hand that required seven stitches and a wound on his right elbow that also required seven stitches.

Crush, 33, said the police handled the situation in his opinion “very poorly” and is now in the process of filing a formal complaint.

“The officer actually threatened to arrest me if I did not get back into the ambulance because I wanted to go to the hospital right away,” said Crush. “Once I was in the back of the ambulance, my girlfriend didn't even have a chance to speak with me about the extent of my injuries because when she picked me up she was on the phone with 9-1-1. They wouldn't let her come and check on me, say anything to me and actually threatened to take her to jail if she persisted to make eye contact with me. I felt like no one was really interested in my wishes to obtain professional medical care at a hospital.”

According to Wolcott, Crush was intoxicated and did not cooperate with officers in their investigation.

“When the paramedics are trying to treat a patient, they need to concentrate on their work and should not have to deal with the distraction of someone attempting to interfere with the treatment of the victim,” added Wolcott. “He was transported to the hospital by the paramedics. Sometimes, due to the level of intoxication, people aren't able to make rational decisions.”

Crush has walked the route several times and knows others who walk the area at night.

“There are definitely people targeting such areas where it is dark and near the jogging path, not a real high-traffic area,” said Crush. “I will not walk again by myself. I hate to think that people aren't safe walking around Hermosa Beach at night.”

Wolcott said the police have seen no rise in stabbings or muggings; and also stated that officers do patrol such areas like Valley Drive, Ardmore Avenue and dark alleyways outside the downtown during the hours of 2 and 3 a.m.

Hermosa Beach – Crime watch