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Hermosa Beach News
for 2007
Top Stories on This Webpage: Starting January 11,
2007
- Read the full stories, just below:
HB About Town -
Upper Pier peer -
A
city-appointed subcommittee will hold its first hearing to study possible
improvements to upper Pier Avenue 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, in Room 12 of
the Hermosa Beach Community Center, located at the corner of Pier Avenue and
PCH. Interested members of the public are urged to attend. The
subcommittee consists of Councilmen Pete Tucker and Kit Bobko, Public Works
Commissioners Dan Marinelli and Janice Brittain, and Planning Commissioners
Ron Pizer and Peter Hoffman.
HB About Town -Hermosa
hands -
The Hermosa Beach Centennial
Committee announces one more chance for residents to place their
handprints, or children’s footprints, in colorful paint on the
wall outside the city skate park at Ardmore and Pier avenues.
The event, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 13, benefits yearlong
celebrations beginning the next day to mark Hermosa’s 100th
birthday. Donation is $5 per child and $10 per adult. For more
see
www.hermosa100.com/
The handprint event is sponsored by the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis,
the Hermosa Beach Arts Foundation and Hermosa Beach MOMS
Neighborhood Watch.
Centennial weekend -
The city’s initial centennial
celebrations will include a ribbon cutting for the expanded
Hermosa Beach Historical Society Museum 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan.
14, at 710 Pier Ave. Sunday festivities will include the
unveiling of a Centennial Children’s Mural designed by P.J Pauly
and Greg Leibert, and a State of the City address by Mayor Sam
Edgerton, 5 p.m. at the Beach House Inn. Sunday will be topped
off with the city’s big 100th Birthday Party 6:30 to 8:45 p.m.
on the Pier Plaza with music by Dean Torrance of Jan & Dean and
the Stonebridge Band, and fireworks “orchestrated to music” at
the pier.
HB Tree
lighting plus - Holiday
shoppers can also take advantage of the Chamber’s Holiday Open
House, which will encourage downtown shopping the same night as
the city’s Tree Lighting Ceremony, Thursday, Dec. 7. The
festivities begin at 5 p.m., and the merchants will greet
shoppers with food and beverages inside their storefronts until
9 p.m. Shoppers visiting the emporiums are eligible for raffle
prizes. Strolling carolers and the mainstay Hyperion Outfall
Serenaders will entertain on Pier and Hermosa Avenues, and a
Christmas elf on stilts will greet the children. The
lighting of the city’s 25-foot tall Christmas tree takes place
about 6 p.m. with a “special visitor arriving directly from the
North Pole” between 6 and 8 p.m. As a part of the
Chamber’s regular services for residents, free street maps,
information on local businesses, and a notary service are all
available weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After hours,
information is available on the website,
www.HBChamber.net/
Clock deal, Coke deal okayed -
The City
Council on Tuesday decided to place a 15-foot pedestal clock on
the Hermosa Avenue end of the Pier Plaza, rejecting an alternate
proposal to place the clock near the middle of the Plaza. The
council had once considered adding a concrete wall to accompany
the clock at the Hermosa Avenue end of the Plaza which would
potentially stop runaway vehicles. The wall plan was rejected
after negative reaction to the city’s erecting a plywood replica
of the wall.
In other
matters, Edgerton’s council colleagues rejected his proposal to
study the future effects of allowing residential condos to be
included in new mixed-use buildings on some properties zoned for
commercial uses. Edgerton cautioned that the charm of
Hermosa could slowly evaporate as longtime businesses such as
Mickey’s Deli or Martha’s restaurant could be replaced by
buildings with condos on the top floor.
Modern office-eatery building
okayed -
The green light has been given to a plan to replace two
decades-old buildings in the downtown area with a contemporary
building housing as many as 33 condo-style offices, a snack shop
and an upscale restaurant. The approval by the City
Council on Tuesday allows the 19,000 square-foot building to be
constructed, but a separate approval will be required before the
2,800 square-foot restaurant would be allowed to open. The
plans by locally-owned Cardinal Investments call for a
three-story building wrapped around a courtyard, replacing the
50-year-old Hermosa Beach Donuts building and the 30-year-old
Classic Burger building on Hermosa Avenue near 15th Street.
Hermosa officials eye court
appeal in height dispute -
Hermosa officials have filed papers to keep the door open for a
possible appeal in a courtroom dispute with a restaurant over
the city’s height limits for buildings. Officials said
they continue to seek a settlement with the Union Cattle Company
restaurant on Manhattan Avenue, but filed the papers to meet a
deadline, in case the City Council decides to appeal a Superior
Court judge’s ruling that favored the restaurant. The
judge ruled that Councilman Michael Keegan violated Hermosa’s
municipal code when he changed a vote he had cast, forcing Union
Cattle to lower a canopy over an outdoor balcony, which
allegedly violated the city’s height limit for buildings.
Keegan initially sided with a 3-2 City Council majority that
gave Union Cattle a one-time variance to the height rules on
March 8, 2005. The variance would have allowed the restaurant to
keep the canopy it had already built on top of a balcony high on
its western wall.
Fireworks and parties mark
centennial -
People’s painted pinkies point past 2006 -
As Hermosans prepare for a series
of centennial birthday parties throughout 2007, they will have
at least one more chance to mark the milestone by placing their
handprints in colorful paint on the walls outside the city skate
park. The fund-raising event 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov.
4 will afford residents another chance to join hundreds of
others whose colorful handprints — along with children’s
footprints – already grace the skate park’s “Centennial Wall” at
Pier and Ardmore avenues. Plans call for the handprints to
remain up throughout 2007.
Par-tay! - Showcase events to
honor the 2007 centennial include:
A Jan. 14 Pier Plaza concert by Dean Torrance of Jan and Dean,
with fireworks, marking the date of the city’s incorporation.
The early evening, family-friendly event will include a cake
cutting celebration, a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house
for the expanded Hermosa Beach Historical Society museum. Live
music will begin 6:30 p.m.; the 15-minute fireworks will begin
8:30 p.m. with live musical accompaniment, starting with a cover
of the Beatles’ song “Birthday.” City officials said shuttle
service to and from the $53,500 event will be provided.
Gym
opponents file papers, might try Supreme Court -
Opponents
of a Hermosa Valley School gymnasium have filed papers that could presage an
appeal to the California Supreme Court. The papers filed recently by
Citizens for Responsible School Expansion ask a state appeals court to
reconsider its rejection of a lawsuit by the group. Such papers must be filed if
the group intends to seek a hearing before the state’s high court, school
district officials said. CRSE members and a CRSE attorney were
unavailable before press time. The group is asking the appeals court to
reconsider its ruling that $13.6 million in voter-approved school bonds was
spent on the gym legally.
Hermosa shorts -
The 2nd Annual Hermosa Short Film Festival takes place tomorrow
through Saturday, with 50 independent films being premiered.
For those who can’t wait, there is a kick-off tonight at 5:30
p.m. with some of the best of the ‘04 Hermosa Shorts Festival
being shown, with a filmmaker mixer party following at Sangria
at 8 p.m. This will be an opportunity for the paparazzi and the
public to meet mano a mano with the filmmakers. Ed Asner and his
entourage are expected to show, since he is producing and
starring in two films, as well as musicians/actors from Tool and
Audio Slave. Friends of Film will host.
Bids for Valley school gym are nixed -
The city school board will wait until at least Sept. 19 to hire
a construction contractor for a planned gymnasium building with
classrooms, a library and a science lab at Hermosa Valley
School. The delay means that some portions of the project might
be sacrificed, Superintendent Sharon McClain said. She blamed
the delay upon a group opposing the gym, especially their
spokesman Jerry Compton, who called the criticism unfair.
HB Council
approves dance floor -
The Hermosa
Beach City Council Tuesday night voted to uphold a Planning
Commission decision to amend the Conditional Use Permit of Fat
Face Fenner's Fishack to alter its floor plan to allow for a
dance area that will increase occupancy inside the establishment
located on the pier plaza by 20 people. "I came in thinking
that this was going to be a lot bigger than it was, and now
after listening to all the facts and understanding all the
issues, I can support the motion," said Councilman Art Yoon.
The vote was 3-1 with Michael Keegan voting against the motion,
stating that he would not vote for a request to amend a CUP from
a business owner who is reported by the city as currently being
in violation of it.
Precarious
Valley school gym project headed to court
-
The battle over plans for a gymnasium at Hermosa Valley School
is headed to court Aug. 19 as neighbors and other opponents try
to halt it. Meanwhile, the city school board continues to
grapple with tight-money obstacles that could force the gym to
be scrapped. “Things are looking pretty tense,” School Board
President Lance Widman said on Tuesday. Before the Aug. 19
court date the School Board had begun to ask prospective
contractors to freeze their current prices for building the gym
project until the California Coastal Commission reviews and
potentially approves the project about Aug. 10.
Cost of an ambulance ride shoots up -
The Hermosa Beach City Council
on Tuesday agreed to raise fees
for an emergency ambulance ride to $773, from the current rates
of $281 for residents and $561 for nonresidents. City Fire
Chief Russell Tingley said about 85 percent of Hermosans carry
health insurance that pays for ambulance trips, and council
members said people with “financial hardships” can make
arrangements with city officials if paying is difficult.
Assault with a Deadly Weapon with great bodily
injury: 1:13 am June 4, 2600 block of Hermosa Avenue.
Someone
hit the victim from behind in the back of the head while both were in the
bathroom at the North End Bar. The victim had gone into the bathroom to
confront a man the victim believed had inappropriately touched his girlfriend.
The man was leaving the bathroom when the victim was hit. The victim told
police the man did not hurt him and he did not know who had hit him. Paramedics
treated the victim for a laceration to the back of his head and released him.
Pipeline -
Velzy helped found modern Surfing in Hermosa.
I consider
Dale “the Hawk” Velzy to be the father of modern surfing. Dale was nicknamed
“the Hawk” because of his keen eye when shaping his famous surfboards. He
started surfing in 1936 when surfboards were made from solid redwood. They were
13 feet in length and weighed upward of 100 pounds. Dale changed surfing from a
fad with just a select few musclemen to the popular sport enjoyed by millions
today. Dale Velzy, 77, died last week from lung cancer.
HB Council nixes Wi-Fi again, moves on downtown noise -
A deadlocked City Council once again beat back a proposal to
spread a free wireless broadband internet signal throughout
Hermosa. The Council also firmed up a requirement for Pier
Plaza nightspots to close doors and windows while amplified
music is played inside, and added a requirement that no
amplified music may be heard 80 feet from an area business, even
if the doors and windows are closed. Council members noted that
residential neighbors and some other businesses have complained
about noisy Plaza nightspots.
HB Academic programs might get the ax. Hermosa school budget
-
Fearing grim news, the Hermosa Beach City School Board will soon
get its first clear-eyed look at the budget realities for the
next school year. Educators are warning that possible cuts
include the elimination of cherished music and science
programs. The School Board is scheduled to discuss money
matters again on June 15, before adopting a final budget for the
next school year on June 29. That will give state education
officials time to fully digest the governor’s “May revision” of
the California budget and pass along concrete funding
information – good or bad – to local school boards.
Police hope to nail thieves hitting salons in South Bay -
Group of suspects distracts proprietors or customers and takes
purses from nail salons. Five crimes occurred recently in
Hermosa Beach, Torrance and Redondo Beach, with as many as 10
reported previously.
Hermosa Beach
nail salon proprietor Cindy Nguyen said she thought something
was odd. The customer's toes were clean, even though she wore
flip-flops. It was as if the woman had just been to another
salon. And a couple of hours later, when Nguyen opened her
purse and found her wallet was gone, she realized her suspicions
were right.
Burglary suspect
arrested following dragnet -
The HBPD
arrested a man suspected in more than 30 South Bay vehicle
burglaries days after he slipped through a dragnet cast by
officers from three cities, police dogs and a helicopter. The
suspect, a 33-year-old Redondo Beach man, was booked into the
Hermosa Beach City Jail on suspicion of burglary and auto theft,
with bail set at $90,000, police said. The burglaries stretched
from just before Christmas to last week.
Hermosa Beach Arrests
hit an all-time high -
The year 2004
saw a record number of arrests in Hermosa -- 1,388 -- topping the old record of
1,315 set the year before. Those high-water marks go back at least to 1991.
HBPD 2004 Crime Statistics -
Show what crime categories have increased from 1998 thru 2004.
The Easy Reader – January 11, 2007
|
Hermosa Beach
HB About Town
Upper Pier peer -
A city-appointed
subcommittee will hold its first hearing to study possible improvements to
upper Pier Avenue 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18, in Room 12 of the Hermosa Beach
Community Center, located at the corner of Pier Avenue and PCH. Interested
members of the public are urged to attend.
The subcommittee consists of Councilmen Pete Tucker and Kit Bobko, Public
Works Commissioners Dan Marinelli and Janice Brittain, and Planning
Commissioners Ron Pizer and Peter Hoffman.
Sharkeez meeting - Officials of
the city and the fire department met with a private contractor on Tuesday to
discuss the somewhat delicate operations to demolish the fire-ravaged Baja
Sharkeez on the Pier Plaza, and to conduct an investigation into the cause
of the blaze.
The restaurant was gutted nine months ago by the worst Hermosa fire in
decades. Demolition of the building was delayed until November, when the
City Council cleared the way for owner Ron Newman to rebuild Sharkeez
without paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional
parking-related fees. The routine investigation into the cause of the fire
also was delayed, because some demolition will have to occur before
investigators can get to the spot where the fire is believed to have
started. The Tuesday meeting dealt in part with how to demolish the
building without harming the neighboring businesses, whose walls stand only
about six inches away.
Envelope of life - About a year
ago, a friend of local Realtor Betty Ryan suffered an accident, and when
people came to her aid she was unable to give them her pertinent medical
information, such as what medications she was taking.
Ryan saw a problem that needed addressing, and contacted former Manhattan
Councilwoman Jan Dennis about an “envelope of life” program she had
originated in that city. Dennis helped Ryan establish the program in
Hermosa, and now forms are available at the city firehouse so residents can
get special envelopes to place on or near the front doors of their homes
with their medical information inside.
More information can be found in a flier inserted in this issue of the Easy
Reader going to Hermosa homes. ER |
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The Easy Reader – January 4, 2007
|
Hermosa Beach
About
Town
Keegans honored -
The National Restaurant
Association on Tuesday presented the 2006 California Neighbor Award to
Manhattan Bread & Bagel, which is owned by Hermosa Councilman Michael Keegan
and his wife Lynn Olson, a Superior Court judge (see photo page 15).
Manhattan Bread was singled out for its programs that benefit local schools.
One such program, “Cookies and Cash,” has provided more than $25,000 to
local schools over the past 10 years. Manhattan Bread also supports the
American Cancer Association’s Relay for Life, Manhattan’s Hometown Fair, and
the schools’ PTO and PTA groups.
Jeff King, chairman of the California Restaurant Association, presented the
award at a ceremony in the Manhattan Beach City Council chambers, and
Manhattan Mayor Nick Tell presented a proclamation honoring Manhattan Bread
for maintaining a strong commitment to the community. Helen Duncan, CEO and
president of the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, also presented a
certificate of recognition to Manhattan Bread, a 15-year-old business
located at 1812 N. Sepulveda Blvd. The California Neighbor Award honors
restaurants that go “above and beyond” in their communities.
Hermosa hands - The Hermosa
Beach Centennial Committee announces one more chance for residents to place
their handprints, or children’s footprints, in colorful paint on the wall
outside the city skate park at Ardmore and Pier avenues. The event, 9 a.m.
to noon Saturday, Jan. 13, benefits yearlong celebrations beginning the next
day to mark Hermosa’s 100th birthday. Donation is $5 per child and $10 per
adult. For more see
www.hermosa100.com/
The handprint event is sponsored by the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis, the Hermosa
Beach Arts Foundation and Hermosa Beach MOMS Neighborhood Watch.
Centennial weekend - The city’s
initial centennial celebrations will include a ribbon cutting for the
expanded Hermosa Beach Historical Society Museum 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 14,
at 710 Pier Ave. Sunday festivities will include the unveiling of a
Centennial Children’s Mural designed by P.J Pauly and Greg Leibert, and a
State of the City address by Mayor Sam Edgerton, 5 p.m. at the Beach House
Inn. Sunday will be topped off with the city’s big 100th Birthday Party
6:30 to 8:45 p.m. on the Pier Plaza with music by Dean Torrance of Jan &
Dean and the Stonebridge Band, and fireworks “orchestrated to music” at the
pier.
Other events throughout the year will include an Aug. 5 Centennial Sunset
Concert and Fireworks show with live music beginning 6 p.m. In addition, a
number of regular annual events such as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and
Festival will carry the Centennial imprimatur. ER
School surfers get support –
High
school surf teams are getting a boost from local businesses Hennessey’s
Taverns, and Dive N’ Surf. Hennessey’s, which sponsors the Hennessey’s
International Paddleboard Series, has signed on as the title sponsor for the
high school surf league’s Hennessey Cup Team Championships, to be held
Saturday, Jan. 13 at the Hermosa Pier. On Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3 and
4, Dive N’ Surf and surfboard manufacture Surf Tech will make 50 Surf Tec
demo boards available for competitors in a high school and middle school
contest at the Hermosa Pier. ER
|
|
The Easy Reader – December 21, 2006
|
Hermosa Beach
About
Town
Ball drop -
Big Band 2000 will kick it
Guy Lombardo style 8 p.m. to midnight and Mayor Sam Edgerton will count down
to zero hour as Hermosa Beach rings in 2007 with a family-friendly New
Year’s Eve celebration on the Pier Plaza. New Year’s Eve falls on New Year’s
Eve, and the Pier Plaza is located on the Pier Plaza.
Centennial cents - The city has
raised about $142,000 to fund parties and events throughout 2007 to mark the
Hermosa Centennial.
The lion’s share, $128,000, has come from donations and sponsorships,
including:
• $50,000 from American Express
• $38,000 from Pierce Promotions connected to the city’s summer sunset
concert series
• $10,000 from Upstage Right Productions connected to the city’s summer
sunset concert series
• $10,000 from Innova Marketing connected to the city’s summer sunset
concert series
• $3,000 from Fiesta Hermosa beer garden proceeds and $750 from beer garden
tips
• $2,000 from the Hermosa Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau
• About $6,600 from passing the hat at the sunset concerts
• $500 from Planning Commissioner Janice Brittain
• $250 each from Blue 32, Christine Hollander/Epic Financial, Gary Wayland,
Hermosa Cyclery, Learned Lumber, Mediterraneo, Mermaid Restaurant, Rocky
Cola Café and Beach Travel.
In addition, organizers have raised $9,700 through the sale of bricks for
the Centennial Walkway at Noble Park, $600 through the sale of space in
centennial time capsules to be buried at a big Pier Plaza party Jan. 14, and
$4,600 in centennial merchandise such as T-shirts and caps.
For more information see the official centennial website,
www.Hermosa100.com/
Banner item - Businessman Roger
Bacon said city officials have lost or destroyed large banners that are
periodically placed above Pacific Coast Highway to advertise businesses and
raise money for nonprofit entities such as the Hermosa Beach Education
Foundation. Bacon, owner of the Ralph’s shopping center, has spearheaded the
banner project.
An office manager for the Body Glove wetsuit maker confirmed that the
company has asked the city to pay for a $1,100 banner which Body Glove
planned to have placed above PCH in a few weeks. The banner had been placed
above PCH at Second Street for a period about a year ago.
City officials said they put the banners up and take them down without
charging a fee, and have stored the banners at the city maintenance yard as
a courtesy. They said they believe the Body Glove banner already had been
retrieved from the city yard, and deny that they lost or destroyed it.
Public Works Superintendent Mike Flaherty said the city will begin sending
letters to businesses, asking them to retrieve their banners. Public Works
Director Rick Morgan said the city will stop storing the banners.
School money - Chevron has
donated $5,000 to the third- through fifth-grade science programs of the
Hermosa Beach City School District. The donation is an annual Chevron
tradition.
Baseball signups - Registration
has begun for the Hermosa 2007 Little League baseball, girls softball and
T-ball season. Discounted rates are available for registration before Dec.
31. Information and online registration is available at:
www.hermosabaseball.com/ or (310) 372-6916. ER |
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The Easy Reader – December 7, 2006
|
Hermosa Beach
About
Town
Tree lighting -
The city’s Tree Lighting
Ceremony is 6 to 8 p.m. today (Thursday, Dec. 7) on the Pier Plaza. The
lighting of the city’s 25-foot tall Christmas tree takes place about 6 p.m.
with a “special visitor arriving directly from the North Pole.” Meanwhile,
area merchants will greet shoppers with food and beverages inside their
storefronts until 9 p.m. Strolling carolers and the mainstay Hyperion
Outfall Serenaders will entertain on Pier and Hermosa Avenues, and a
Christmas elf on stilts will greet the children. The family event is among
Hermosa’s most popular.
Centennial swag - The tree
lighting party will also present an opportunity to buy official Hermosa
Centennial merchandise at a “full-fledged Centennial Store” on the Plaza,
next to a booth manned (that is, womaned) by the Woman’s Club of Hermosa
Beach. On sale will be caps, blankets, T-shirts, bags, flags and other items
marking Hermosa’s 100th birthday, coming up in about a month.
Christmas gala - The Southern
California Foundation for Children’s sixth annual Christmas Gala and Casino
Night takes place 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8, at Sangria Restaurant on the Pier
Plaza. It’s a semiformal evening with buffet dinner, open wine bar,
dancing, door prizes, raffle prizes, a casino featuring blackjack and Texas
hold ‘em, and a silent auction featuring weekend getaways and tickets to
Lakers, Clippers, Kings and Mighty Ducks games. Tickets are $50; see
www.SocalFC.org/ for details.
The foundation works to enhance the self-esteem and future of
underprivileged and at-risk youth throughout the Los Angeles area. The
foundation is currently working through fund-raising events and corporate
sponsorships to buy and deliver toys, electronics and other holiday gifts to
children ages 4-18.
Baja Santa - The Beach Cities
Toy Drive has received a record donation of $1,000 from Baja Sharkeez owner
Ron Newman. The 14th annual Toy Drive benefits kids through local
organizations such as 1736 House and the Richstone Center. Residents can
donate unwrapped toys at the Hermosa and Manhattan fire stations, and a huge
wrapping party will be Dec. 16 at Joslyn Community Center, 1601 Valley
Drive, Manhattan Beach. For information call Connie Sieber at (310)
372-4460.
More Santa - A silent auction
and mixer for the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, to
benefit the Beach Cities Toy Drive, takes place 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday
in the back room of the Mermaid Restaurant. Free buffet and cash bar comes
with admission of $10 or an unwrapped toy at the door.
Mariachi Mass - Our Lady of
Guadalupe Catholic Church will celebrate the feast day of its namesake on
Tuesday, Dec. 12, with a Mariachi Mass featuring the respected Monumental De
America Mariachis. A Spanish language Mariachi Mass will be held at 5 a.m.
and a bilingual Mariachi Mass will be held at 7 a.m. The church is located
at 320 Massey St. For information call (310) 372-7077.
School money - Chevron will
donate $5,000 to the third- through fifth-grade science programs in the
Hermosa Beach City School district. |
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The Easy Reader – November 30, 2006
|
Hermosa Beach
About
Town
Young at Art -
Kids are invited to paint
their own “holiday ornaments” 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Buona
Vita Restaurant next to Klade Gallery on the 400 block of Pier Avenue. A $5
recommended donation goes to the Hermosa Valley School “Young at Art”
program. A “Holiday Show” runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. the same day at Klade
Gallery. For more information call 310-374-0080.
Yoga merger - Body Mind Soul
Yoga Studio, located at 934 Hermosa Ave., has announced it will merge with
YogaSofia, located down the street at 1332 Hermosa Ave., on Dec. 1.
“As commercial rents in the South Bay have increased over the last couple of
years, especially near the ocean, a need to fill space more efficiently
arises,” said Ben Fucanan, owner of Body Mind Soul.
“So, in a nutshell, our lease came due and our rent doubled. We had to cut
it in half, and this was the most obvious way to do it,” Fucanan said.
“Body Mind Soul is proud to have served the South Bay since 2002. While we
were initially sad at the prospect of closing the doors to our old space, we
have been pleasantly surprised by the joint enthusiasm of our members and
instructors about this event,” said Ginger Lewis, founder of Body Mind Soul.
Free yoga - The two merging
studios are sponsoring a “free yoga and welcome to BMS day” at YogaSofia
Studio on Saturday, Dec. 2, with advanced yoga at 8:15 a.m., intermediate
yoga at 10 a.m., and beginning yoga at 11:30 a.m. All classes will be free,
and organic food will be provided as well.
At 1 p.m., Ed Connaughton of Hermosa Chiropractic and Live Food Nutrition
will speak about “raw food cuisine.” At 1:30 p.m., Sangoma Drums will
perform African dance and drumming.
Parking for this event will be available behind Starbucks, directly across
from YogaSofia. For further information, contact Sofia Meyen at
310-798-0377.
HB Chamber of Christmas - The
Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau offers tips on how to
play Hermosa Claus when shopping for friends and loved ones. Gift ideas
pushed by Chamber Claus include:
• Chrome license plate frames featuring the phrase “Hermosa Means
Beautiful,” on sale for $10 a pop,
• Insulated coffee mugs with the Fiesta Hermosa street fair logo, priced at
$8,
• The paperback book Images of America: Hermosa Beach, priced at $20.
Proceeds from the book go to the Hermosa Beach Historic Museum expansion,
• The 2007 Hermosa Beach Centennial Calendar featuring images by Matt and
Laura Raymond, also for $20. Proceeds from the calendar benefit Project
Touch.
The gifts are available 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at the chamber offices,
1007 Hermosa Ave.
HB Tree lighting plus -
Holiday shoppers can also take advantage of the Chamber’s Holiday Open
House, which will encourage downtown shopping the same night as the city’s
Tree Lighting Ceremony, Thursday, Dec. 7.
The festivities begin at 5 p.m., and the merchants will greet shoppers with
food and beverages inside their storefronts until 9 p.m. Shoppers visiting
the emporiums are eligible for raffle prizes. Strolling carolers and the
mainstay Hyperion Outfall Serenaders will entertain on Pier and Hermosa
Avenues, and a Christmas elf on stilts will greet the children.
The lighting of the city’s 25-foot tall Christmas tree takes place about 6
p.m. with a “special visitor arriving directly from the North Pole” between
6 and 8 p.m.
As a part of the Chamber’s regular services for residents, free street maps,
information on local businesses, and a notary service are all available
weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After hours, information is available on the
website, www.HBChamber.net/
Come together later - The fifth
annual South Bay Family Beatlefest, starring South Bay mainstays John Brown
Band and Couchois Brothers Band, has been postponed. And no, it’s got
nothing to do with Yoko. Watch this space for details… ER |
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The Easy Reader – November 30, 2006
|
Hermosa Beach
Lanes
to be added to Pier in 30 days
The City Council on Tuesday
determined to restore upper Pier Avenue to its traditional four lanes in 30
days. Officials will perform traffic-count studies before and after the lane
re-striping to aid in a study of long-term improvements to the town’s main
drag.
A council majority voted 4-1 to reaffirm the decision it made Oct. 10 to
restore the avenue to four lanes, after gathering public input on a
temporary project that reduced the lanes to two.
At meetings of the council and the city Planning Commission, 40 residents
said they want four lanes, while 31 residents said they want two lanes.
However, city officials said a much larger blizzard of emails ran about 70
percent in favor of four lanes. ER |
|
The Easy Reader – November 23, 2006
|
Hermosa Beach
About
Town
Corrections -
A story in last week’s
edition incorrectly identified the concert for which city officials are
attempting to book legendary ex-Beach Boy Brian Wilson. City officials have
been negotiating to book him for an installment of the 2007 summer sunset
series.
Winning windows - Stained glass
artist Gary Kazanjian has been hard at work on two restaurant windows for
the Mission Inn, a historical landmark in Riverside that is known around the
world.
The 130-year-old inn covers a large city block with a hodgepodge of Spanish
and Asian architecture, catacomb walks, odd niches and chambers, and a
chapel with a massive 18th Century gold-leafed cedar altar from Mexico and
seven Tiffany stained glass windows.
The hotel contains the wedding beds of Richard and Pat Nixon, Ronald and
Nancy Reagan, and Bette Davis and her third husband, What’s-His-Name.
Kazanjian, the longest continuous business owner on Pier Avenue outside the
Bank of America, has custom pieces at homes throughout the South Bay and
beyond, including John Wayne’s former house in Orange County and a chapel in
Japan. His work has been featured on the Home & Garden Television network’s
Carol Duvall Show.
Christmas trees! - The Hermosa
Beach Kiwanis Club Christmas Tree Lot on Pier Avenue and PCH opens Nov. 24
for its 20th straight year. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday
through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Visitors to the lot choose from more than 2,000 premium trees and have fun
chatting with the warm, friendly Kiwani as they stroll among the splendid
Noble and Douglas firs, fragrant Rosemary and healthy live trees, colorful
wreaths, garlands and door swags, listening to Christmas carols and enjoying
the festive holiday spirit.
“It’s like going to a Christmas party, we sell fun and atmosphere. A lot of
our customers have such a great time they come back with their cameras year
after year,” said Yvonne Amarillas, who co-chairs the lot along with her
husband Paul.
The lot gets fresh shipments directly from the growers throughout the season
and all the trees can be fire-proofed and delivered directly to the
customer’s door. Master and Visa cards are accepted.
One hundred percent of the proceeds from the lot go back into the community,
supporting charities like Project Touch, Richstone Family Center, 1736
House, special needs populations, emergency relief, pediatric trauma,
numerous school projects and scholarships for disadvantaged kids.
“Better come early, last year we sold out way ahead of schedule,” said Pat
“The Tongue” Love, Kiwanis president.
Non-Scrooge parking - This week
through Dec. 25, decorative paper inserts will mark the faces of silver
meters at which City Claus offers three free hours of parking.
Centennial swag - Merchandise
bearing the city centennial logo is available for purchase. Items include
standard or fitted T-shirts, men’s and women’s tank tops and kids’ T-shirts
for $15, and caps for $20.
Downloadable order forms can be found at
www.hermosabch.org/ ER |
|
The Easy Reader – November 16, 2006
|
Hermosa Beach
Clock deal, Coke deal
okayed
by Robb Fulcher
The City Council on Tuesday
decided to place a 15-foot pedestal clock on the Hermosa Avenue end of the
Pier Plaza, rejecting an alternate proposal to place the clock near the
middle of the Plaza. The council had once considered adding a concrete wall
to accompany the clock at the Hermosa Avenue end of the Plaza which would
potentially stop runaway vehicles. The wall plan was rejected after negative
reaction to the city’s erecting a plywood replica of the wall.
Mayor Sam Edgerton and Councilman Michael Keegan argued unsuccessfully to
place the clock near the middle of the Plaza. Outside council chambers,
Edgerton predicted the clock would interfere with the Plaza’s wide open
look, just as the mock-up wall did. The $13,000 timepiece, made by the
Fancy Street Clock Company of Rock Island, Ill., was donated to the city by
the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis.
The council also authorized city officials to enter into a one-year,
revenue-producing deal with Coca Cola to place beverage machines at Hermosa
parks, City Hall and the nearby Community Center to help pay for events
planned for 2007’s year-long Hermosa Beach Centennial celebration.
The agreement will call for the beverage giant to donate $25,000 to the
centennial effort. In return Coke will install vending machines with Dasani
bottled water at Valley and South parks, and machines with varieties of soft
drinks, water, fruit juice, energy drinks and iced tea at City Hall and the
Community Center’s tennis courts and interior courtyard. The city will also
get 41 cents per beverage sold from the vending machines, perhaps as much as
$20,000 over the year. The agreement will expire after one year, at which
time the City Council could decide to renew it.
In other matters, Edgerton’s council colleagues rejected his proposal to
study the future effects of allowing residential condos to be included in
new mixed-use buildings on some properties zoned for commercial uses.
Edgerton cautioned that the charm of Hermosa could slowly evaporate as
longtime businesses such as Mickey’s Deli or Martha’s restaurant could be
replaced by buildings with condos on the top floor. “Remember the Second
Street Café?” he asked his fellow council members, referring to a longtime
eatery at Second and Hermosa Avenue that is being replaced by an
office-and-condo development.
Edgerton’s colleagues said parking restrictions would prevent a large
turnover of standalone businesses into mixed-use condos, and said market
forces would determine what types of buildings will eventually replace the
older ones now standing. The commercial zones in question cover mostly
freestanding businesses away from the downtown. Local Realtor Betty Ryan
and David Kissinger of the South Bay Association of Realtors both told the
council that Edgerton’s concerns were misplaced. ER |
|
The Easy Reader – October 26, 2006
|
Hermosa Beach
Modern office-eatery
building okayed
by Robb Fulcher
|
A rendering by Shop architects shows the building set to replace the
Classic Burger and Hermosa Beach Donuts eateries on Hermosa Avenue. |
The green light has been
given to a plan to replace two decades-old buildings in the downtown area
with a contemporary building housing as many as 33 condo-style offices, a
snack shop and an upscale restaurant.
The approval by the City Council on Tuesday allows the 19,000 square-foot
building to be constructed, but a separate approval will be required before
the 2,800 square-foot restaurant would be allowed to open.
The plans by locally-owned Cardinal Investments call for a three-story
building wrapped around a courtyard, replacing the 50-year-old Hermosa Beach
Donuts building and the 30-year-old Classic Burger building on Hermosa
Avenue near 15th Street.
Fifteenth Street resident Roy Casey expressed concern that a restaurant open
at night, coupled with a courtyard, could add to neighborhood noise, and
that another downtown-area restaurant could become a “nightclub.”
Council members assured Casey that a restaurant operator would face public
hearings before the Council and the city Planning Commission before getting
permission to open.
Cardinal partner Mike Flaherty, a Hermosa Avenue resident, said after the
council meeting that the group wants the restaurant closed at midnight,
courtyard seating cut off at 10 p.m., and wants no dance floor, cover charge
or live entertainment at the eatery. He said Cardinal wants those conditions
to be formally imposed by the city, and included in legal covenants with the
eventual restaurant operator.
Flaherty said he hopes the restaurant will attract a clientele older and
quieter than the college-age crowds that frequent many downtown
establishments at night.
(He is not the same Mike Flaherty who serves as public works superintendent
for the city of Hermosa Beach.)
The building’s offices will be sold to their occupants rather than leased,
and will be laid out in three stories wrapped around the courtyard. Each
office will be just over 400 square feet, most with ocean views down 15th
Street and 15th Court, Flaherty said.
City planners have praised a recent trend toward condo-style office
development, saying the daytime office use will help offset a night-owl
trend prompted by numerous successful bars and restaurants. City officials
say the owner-occupants of the offices will go to there in the daytime,
boosting stores’ and restaurants’ daylight customer base, and leave by
night, when increased auto traffic would be less welcome.
Cardinal’s plans call for a beach-contemporary building with large amounts
of glass and natural wood, designed to fit in with existing Hermosa
architecture. The ground-level courtyard will be repeated on the second and
third floors, allowing passersby to look up “though the building” to the
sky, he said. The building will not exceed the city’s height limit, Flaherty
said.
The building is being designed by the highly regarded Shop architects of New
York with help from Hermosa architect Larry Peha to keep the look
Hermosa-friendly and help guide the project through the city planning
process.
The building will feature storage space for surfboards and bicycles, men’s
and women’s lockers and showers, and a 34-space subterranean parking garage
with an entrance on 15th Street. Office owners will use the garage during
the day and restaurant patrons would use it at night, Flaherty said.
Other condo-office projects under way include a 53-unit development on Pier
Avenue to replace the old “200 Building," a three-story office monolith that
has been torn down, and a 16-unit development at Second Street and Pacific
Coast Highway. ER |
|
The Easy Reader – October 26, 2006
|
Hermosa Beach
Hermosa officials eye court
appeal in height dispute
by Robb Fulcher
Hermosa officials have
filed papers to keep the door open for a possible appeal in a courtroom
dispute with a restaurant over the city’s height limits for buildings.
Officials said they continue to seek a settlement with the Union Cattle
Company restaurant on Manhattan Avenue, but filed the papers to meet a
deadline, in case the City Council decides to appeal a Superior Court
judge’s ruling that favored the restaurant.
The judge ruled that Councilman Michael Keegan violated Hermosa’s municipal
code when he changed a vote he had cast, forcing Union Cattle to lower a
canopy over an outdoor balcony, which allegedly violated the city’s height
limit for buildings.
Keegan initially sided with a 3-2 City Council majority that gave Union
Cattle a one-time variance to the height rules on March 8, 2005. The
variance would have allowed the restaurant to keep the canopy it had already
built on top of a balcony high on its western wall.
Two weeks later Keegan announced that he wanted to reconsider his vote. The
council took up the matter again, reopened a public hearing into the height
variance, then held a second vote on May 10, 2005. This time Keegan cast the
deciding vote against the restaurant, shooting down the canopy by a 3-2
margin.
Keegan said he changed his mind after determining that the height variance
sought by Union Cattle was not a “substantial property right enjoyed by
neighboring properties” and should not be granted under the city code
governing such variances. Philia Five Group, the partnership that owns the
Union Cattle Company, filed a lawsuit in September 2005 claiming that Keegan
violated the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code when he changed his vote. A
council member cannot cast a vote and then take it back unless he or she
formally moves to reconsider the vote on the same day it was taken, the
lawsuit contended.
Superior Court Judge Bob Hight agreed, ordering the city to grant the height
variance and allow the restaurant to rebuild the canopy.
City Attorney Michael Jenkins argued unsuccessfully that under the city
code, the initial vote by Keegan and the rest of the council was not final,
because it was not accompanied by routine written “findings” spelling out
the reasons for the council’s decision.
The judge ruled that findings read into the record orally by then-Councilman
Art Yoon sufficed to finalize the first vote by Keegan and the rest of the
council. ER |
|
The Easy Reader – October 19, 2006
|
Hermosa Beach
Fireworks and parties mark
centennial
by Robb Fulcher
People’s painted pinkies point past 2006
As Hermosans prepare for a series of centennial birthday parties throughout
2007, they will have at least one more chance to mark the milestone by
placing their handprints in colorful paint on the walls outside the city
skate park.
The fund-raising event 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 4 will afford residents
another chance to join hundreds of others whose colorful handprints — along
with children’s footprints – already grace the skate park’s “Centennial
Wall” at Pier and Ardmore avenues.
Plans call for the handprints to remain up throughout 2007.
Par-tay!
Showcase events to honor the 2007 centennial include:
• A Jan. 14 Pier Plaza concert by Dean Torrance of Jan and Dean, with
fireworks, marking the date of the city’s incorporation. The early evening,
family-friendly event will include a cake cutting celebration, a ribbon
cutting ceremony and open house for the expanded Hermosa Beach Historical
Society museum. Live music will begin 6:30 p.m.; the 15-minute fireworks
will begin 8:30 p.m. with live musical accompaniment, starting with a cover
of the Beatles’ song “Birthday.” City officials said shuttle service to and
from the $53,500 event will be provided.
• An Aug. 5 Centennial Sunset Concert and Fireworks show with live music
from 6 p.m. until sunset and fireworks about 8 p.m. Shuttle service will be
provided.
• A September Jazz Concert and Time Capsule ceremony with live music by the
Jazz Alumni including the Lighthouse All-Stars, the dedication of plaques
honoring Hermosa’s jazz greats on the Pier Plaza, and the burial of the
Centennial Time Capsule, containing items submitted by residents, also on
the Plaza.
• In addition, a number of regular annual events such as the St. Patrick’s
Day Parade and Festival will carry the Centennial imprimatur in 2007.
Party money
Donations and sponsorships totaling about $123,000 have been received to
fund centennial events, including:
• $50,000 from American Express
• $38,000 from Pierce Promotions connected to the city’s summer sunset
concert series
• $10,000 from Upstage Right Productions connected to the city’s summer
sunset concert series
• $10,000 from Innova Marketing connected to the city’s summer sunset
concert series
• $3,000 from Fiesta Hermosa beer garden proceeds and $750 from beer garden
tips
• $2,000 from the Hermosa Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau
• About $6,600 from passing the hat at the sunset concerts
• $250 each from Christine Hollander/Epic Financial, Gary Wayland, Hermosa
Cyclery, Learned Lumber, Mediterraneo, Mermaid Restaurant, Rocky Cola Café
and Beach Travel.
In addition, organizers have raised $5,700 through the sale of bricks for
the Centennial Walkway at Noble Park, $600 through the sale of space in
centennial time capsules to be buried, and $2,300 in centennial merchandise
such as T-shirts and caps.
More par-tay
Other planned events and ongoing efforts by the Centennial Committee
include:
• A Centennial Youth Mural to provide a visual welcome to the city during
2007, utilizing volunteer management and funds from Kiwanis and Hermosa Arts
Foundation. Once the Centennial year is complete, the mural panels can be
displayed in the Community Center.
• Handprints at the skate park, utilizing volunteer management and funds
from Kiwanis and Hermosa Arts Foundation.
• Centennial Brick Walkway, a fundraising effort that extends the Millennium
Walkway at Noble Park with names of Hermosans or their loved ones.
Sixty-three of the bricks have been sold. The bricks will be unveiled at the
Jan. 14 ceremony, but will continue to be available for purchase throughout
2007. About the end of the year a second unveiling ceremony will be held.
• An ongoing “100 Acts of Beautification” to create opportunities for
community members to participate in hands-on community service and to
highlight community service efforts that take place annually in Hermosa.
• Hermosa Beach Community Resources Director Lisa Lynn, working with the
Parks and Recreation Commission, has been encouraging producers of community
events to include a Centennial element in their plans. Examples already in
place include:
• Hermosa Centennial 5K and City Walk, April 14, including a Kids Run
Hermosa and a walk for seniors, with training opportunities beforehand.
• Great Autos of Yester Year, in May, featuring cars from each decade of the
Centennial.
Plans by Hermosa’s community groups include:
• The Sister City Association’s production of a Ballet Folklorico and Fiesta
Hermosa event on July 14 to celebrate the Centennial and the 40th
anniversary of the organization and its relationship with Loreto, Mexico.
• A centennial focus for the Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau’s 2007
Membership Directory, and the chamber’s support through sponsorship funds,
Beer Garden participation, and Memorial Day 2006 Fiesta booth space, table
and tent.
• The Kiwanis Club and Hermosa Arts Foundation are producing, managing and
funding the Centennial Youth Mural and Centennial Handprint Mural.
• The Hermosa Beach Library and Friends of the Library are proposing a
Hermosa Reads Program for 2007, highlighting a local author, including
discussion groups and presentations.
• The Centennial Website, Hermosa100.com, includes historical timeline
information developed by the late John Hales, an amateur historian who
became the town’s definitive chronicler, photographs provided by the
Historical Society, and an early history of Hermosa Beach written in 1933 by
local librarian Fern Rhein.
• The official Centennial Seal will be displayed on city vehicles, resident
parking permits and city recreation brochures.
Toiling away
Centennial Committee co-chairs Maureen Ferguson and Laura Raymond have spent
more than two years spearheading a sweeping Centennial effort, enlisting
volunteers and brainstorming ideas that led to the overall plan.
“Local citizens have donated hundreds of hours to lay the foundation and
ensure that there will be a yearlong celebration reflecting 100 years of
fun, sun, sand and good living,” Ferguson said.
Other mainstay contributors include:
• Public Works Commissioner Michael DiVirgilio, Chris Miller, Commissioner
Janice Brittain and Woman of the Year Susan Blaco, 100 Acts of
Beautification,
• Pepe Lobo, Hermosa100.com website,
• Prominent Kiwanian Dick McCurdy and Public Works Superintendent Mike
Flaherty, Handprint Wall and Hermosa mural project,
• Hermosa MOMS’ Kelly Kovac-Reedy, Handprint Wall and fingerprinting
initiative,
• Blaco again, Blood Drive and Centennial tie-in to St. Patrick's Day
Parade,
• Anne Kissel, Jenny Lee and Blaco, restaurant/bar liaison,
• Rick Koenig, Historical Society liaison,
• Councilman Pete Tucker, Centennial bricks,
• Mayor Sam Edgerton and incoming Kiwanis President Pat Love, Centennial
time capsule.
• Other members who have donated many planning and/or volunteer hours but
are not managing a project include Commissioner Christine Hollander,
Councilman Kit Bobko, Michelle Keegan, super-athlete Annie Seawright-Newton,
civic activist Kathy Bergstrom, Steve Frances, Pat Love, Jim Gierlich,
Colleen Kissinger, Jeff Murphy, Don Ponder and Carol Shakely-Parkman.
“Also integral to our success has been Lisa Lynn, Hermosa Beach Community
Resources director, who has helped us navigate successfully all the do's and
don'ts when planning events and fundraisers,” Ferguson said. She also
praised Lynn’s staff in the Hermosa Beach Community Resources Department.
The Centennial Committee was formed in December 2004 and was officially
recognized by the City in April 2005. ER |
|
The Easy Reader – October 12, 2006
|
Hermosa Beach
Gym opponents file papers,
might try Supreme Court
by Robb Fulcher
Opponents of a Hermosa
Valley School gymnasium have filed papers that could presage an appeal to
the California Supreme Court.
The papers filed recently by Citizens for Responsible School Expansion ask a
state appeals court to reconsider its rejection of a lawsuit by the group.
Such papers must be filed if the group intends to seek a hearing before the
state’s high court, school district officials said. CRSE members and a CRSE
attorney were unavailable before press time.
The group is asking the appeals court to reconsider its ruling that $13.6
million in voter-approved school bonds was spent on the gym legally.
CRSE had argued that the omission of the gym from a detailed list of
construction projects on the 2002 city ballot meant the $13.6 million could
not be spent on a gym. School board members have said the omission was an
oversight and point out that the gym was listed in ballot arguments for and
against the bond measure.
A Superior Court judge agreed with the school district, and a three-judge
panel on the appeals court upheld the Superior Court ruling, prompting the
CRSE’s latest filing.
The filing contends that the appeals court opinion “contains numerous
misstatements of fact, law, and contains arguments which were not briefed
and for which the parties were not given any advance notice.”
The lower court also has rejected separate CRSE contentions that the school
district failed to mitigate parking, traffic and noise from the gym project,
and improperly used $1.5 million from a specialized state fund for the
project.
Attorneys hired to fight the CRSE claims had billed the Hermosa Beach City
School District $138,062 and 29 cents as of last Wednesday, a frustrated
Superintendent Sharon McClain said. She reiterated her view that the money
from the district’s general fund would be better spent on academic programs.
ER |
|
The Easy Reader – August 25, 2005
Hermosa
shorts
A great story is where you find it: The Hermosa
Beach Short Film Festival
by Michelle Steinbroner
The
2nd Annual Hermosa Short Film Festival takes place tomorrow through Saturday,
with 50 independent films being premiered. For those who can’t wait, there is a
kick-off tonight at 5:30 p.m. with some of the best of the ‘04 Hermosa Shorts
Festival being shown, with a filmmaker mixer party following at Sangria at 8
p.m. This will be an opportunity for the paparazzi and the public to meet mano a
mano with the filmmakers. Ed Asner and his entourage are expected to show, since
he is producing and starring in two films, as well as musicians/actors from Tool
and Audio Slave. Friends of Film will host.
Creative director Tom Kearny describes this event as experienced filmmakers
doing their own thing without studio interference; made from the heart, with
blood, sweat and yes, credit cards. Technical director Greg Watts says that last
year’s event went without a hitch. Event strategist and film commissioner Jeri
Reeder has designed each party as a feast of festivity, fun and la dolce vita.
The paramount film on Friday will be a feature film about Pier Avenue’s
historical landmark, The Lighthouse. It contains vintage film footage of jazz
artists in action from the 1950s onward. It screens at 5 p.m. in the Hermosa
Beach Playhouse and will be followed by two blocks of short films and then a
tribute to The Lighthouse. Immediately afterwards will be a ‘50s style Hollywood
party that takes place in the theater courtyard. Food will be supplied by The
Lighthouse, with wine courtesy of Fat Bastard and beer courtesy of Budweiser. On
hand will be a Frank Sinatra look- and sound-alike crooner. Tickets, $10.
On Saturday morning from 10 until noon the committee will host a free kids block
at the skateboard park on Pier and Ardmore. There will be a pro skateboarder
demo to teach tricks, followed by a pizza party from noon to 1, and then the
premiere of Grom, an action-packed film about daring snowboarders.
Screenwriter John Rainey will teach a workshop from 2 to 5 p.m. on
screenwriting, character development, and storyline advancement. It’s suitable
to those who are new to the game or established. It will be followed by “How to
Light a Set,” a workshop from 3 to 5 p.m. by Dave Navarro, owner of Dream
Lighting. At 4 p.m., a “Hands on Production” workshop, given by Thomas Gurch,
will teach the fundamentals of setting up shots, working with top of the line
equipment, and getting the right shot.
Short films will be rolling from 3 to 10 p.m. The festival committee is excited
to preview Sleeping Dogs Lie, starring Ed Asner, plus a variety of films that
represent the gamut of the emotional psyche (Deliverance: The Musical) and the
collision of fate and freewill in an L.A. rainstorm (Shelter). Winners for top
film awards will be announced at 10 p.m., and someone will receive an ET
surfboard as the grand prize. The final wrap party will follow the awards
ceremony with a Polynesian luau from 10 p.m. until midnight. It’ll feature the
Polynesian dance troupe Fire Poi, dancers, and spin master UGO. Food will be
supplied by Mediterraneano, wine by Fat Bastard, and Brew by Bud. Tickets, $10
while they last.
The film committee wants to thank Project Touch, a local organization that helps
troubled youth. These kids will be helping the event as ushers, waiters, and
general help. The Hermosa Short Film Festival is sponsored by the Hermosa Arts
Foundation, Charles Schwab, Disco Metro, Budweiser and some high profile forward
thinking local businesses. Day pass tickets, $10 general; $5 students, seniors
(films and workshops); all access day pass, $20 general; $15 students, seniors
(films, workshops, after party); all access all weekend pass, $30 general; $25
students, seniors (films, workshops, after parties). For other packages and
party information, 406-1960 ext. 1987.
The Easy
Reader – July 28, 2005
Bids for
Valley school gym are nixed
by Robb Fulcher
The city school board will
wait until at least Sept. 19 to hire a construction contractor for a planned
gymnasium building with classrooms, a library and a science lab at Hermosa
Valley School. The delay means that some portions of the project might be
sacrificed, Superintendent Sharon McClain said. She blamed the delay upon a
group opposing the gym, especially their spokesman Jerry Compton, who called the
criticism unfair.
With construction prices continuing to rise and the school district’s building
fund remaining the same, the School Board last week voted in closed session to
reject the price bids they had received from prospective contractors and let the
bids expire. “The board has ordered the superintendent not to accept bids for
the construction project,” School Board President Lance Widman announced when he
and his colleagues returned to the regular, open portion of last Wednesday’s
meeting. “That is the action we took in closed session.” (School boards
typically discuss price bids from competing private companies behind closed
doors, as state law allows.)
In an interview, McClain said the district could begin seeking fresh price bids
for the gym project no earlier than Aug. 19, if the project wins approval from
the California Coastal Commission about Aug. 10, and a judge rules in favor of
the school district at an injunction hearing Aug. 19. The School Board would
not be able to actually hire a contractor until at least a month later, about
Sept. 19 at the earliest, McClain said. Board President Lance Widman said “if
all the planets align” and the project clears the Coastal Commission and
courtroom hurdles, he believes the gym project could still go forward with every
element intact.
Holdups? - McClain said gym
opponents, especially neighboring property owner Compton, slowed the project
throughout its lengthy planning phases, prompting educators to spend additional
time on matters such as selecting a specific location for the gym. Without the
opposition, McClain said, the school district could have applied for and
received Coastal Commission approval months ago, and would be overseeing actual
construction by now. “The lawsuit was threatened over two years ago,” she said.
Compton said he simply tried to hold educators to their word. For instance,
during the campaign for school bonds to pay for the gym, proponents said they
would try to buy land adjoining the school and build the gym there. Later they
said adjoining land could not be purchased, and Compton said some of the
planning discussions rightly focused upon issues of adjoining land. “If Sharon
is blaming me for them doing due diligence, I’m happy to be blamed for that,” he
said.
If educators run out of money to build the gym they will use Compton’s group as
a scapegoat, he said. Compton said McClain appeared to foreshadow such a
strategy at the School Board meeting, when she followed Widman’s announcement
about the construction delay by turning to the Board and saying, “I’d like you
to know that the district is aggressively fighting this lawsuit. Our unchanging
opinion is that the lawsuit is without merit.” “They don’t have enough money,”
he said. “We have not cost them one day.”
The opponents’ lawsuit claims that the school district failed to properly
address the gym’s effects on parking, traffic and noise in the neighborhood, and
that school bond money approved by voters cannot legally be spent to build the
gym. The gym building as planned would stand 34 feet tall and cover about
26,000 square feet near the southwest corner of the campus on Valley Drive. ER
The Beach Reporter – July 28, 2005
Hermosa Beach News
HB Council approves dance
floor (7/28)
By Whitney
Youngs
The
Hermosa Beach City Council Tuesday night voted to uphold a Planning Commission
decision to amend the Conditional Use Permit of Fat Face Fenner's Fishack to
alter its floor plan to allow for a dance area that will increase occupancy
inside the establishment located on the pier plaza by 20 people. "I came in
thinking that this was going to be a lot bigger than it was, and now after
listening to all the facts and understanding all the issues, I can support the
motion," said Councilman Art Yoon. The vote was 3-1 with Michael Keegan voting
against the motion, stating that he would not vote for a request to amend a CUP
from a business owner who is reported by the city as currently being in
violation of it.
According to the city's Community Development Department, the owners of the
Fishack were required to conduct and submit an acoustical study if they decided
to host live entertainment, which they have, but have yet to complete the study.
Councilman Sam Edgerton, who arrived at the meeting late, was unable to discuss
or vote on the matter since he was not present to hear public testimony. "I
cannot support the motion because they are not in compliance with their CUP.
Otherwise why do we bother placing all of the regulations which are not supposed
be enforced but rather adhered to?" said Keegan.
According to the Community Development Department, the restaurant "...will
continue to provide live entertainment ... Also, the conditions include a
requirement that the applicant prepare a new acoustic study pursuant to current
noise ordinance requirements and implement any recommendations of the study in
the building," states its staff report. "An acoustical study was required in
1999 only if amplified live entertainment is provided," stated Community
Development Director Sol Blumenfeld. "However, no such study has been submitted
pursuant this condition and live entertainment has occurred from time to time at
the business."
Blumenfeld also noted that the establishment's other CUP violations are the use
of temporary banners or signs, and that its outside corridors are places where
people are allowed to drink which is not only a violation of a CUP, but also the
California Building Code and the Alcoholic Beverage Control. "I feel that the
Fishack is one of the few bars that is a true restaurant and bar," said resident
Barbara Ellman. "It serves food, good food, and it's the type of place the city
should want to keep down there."
In
late June, the commission, in a 3-2 vote, agreed to the modification under two
conditions, which are that the owners hire an expert to conduct an acoustical
sound study and another expert to complete a fire evacuation plan. Both
Commissioners Ron Pizer and Peter Hoffman voted against the amendment. Gary
Vincent, who is president of the Fishack, spoke on behalf of all the Fishack
owners. "We had the 3-2 vote primarily because two of the commissioners were
concerned about turning a restaurant into a bar. Let me tell you, on the
weekends, we keep our kitchen open up until midnight, sometimes even past
midnight," said Vincent. "I've got a business on the plaza with an increase of
occupancy due to an addition of a dance floor and I feel I am not asking for
anything that hasn't already been provided to businesses that have numerous
violations."
The
restaurant and bar, known as the South Bay home to Boston Red Sox and New
England Patriots fans, is split into two patron areas by the kitchen and its
preparation stations. It is located on the second floor in the smaller Loreto
Plaza on the north side of the plaza. The proposed location for the dance floor
will be at the restaurant's northerly section.
According to the staff report drafted by Senior Planner Ken Robertson, the
Planning Commission approved a CUP amendment to allow for on-sale alcohol, live
entertainment and extended hours for the site formerly known as Casablanca
restaurant in 1998. In 1999, the City Council granted a CUP amendment and
parking plan to allow for the expansion of the restaurant to the south.
According to the Uniform Building Code, a dance floor is considered an assembly
use, which is calculated at a higher occupancy load than dining uses. Based on
current plans, sit-down dining areas represent 75 percent of the northern
section of the restaurant and with the amendment it will represent less than 50
percent. The approved amendment is contingent upon the submission and approval
of both the fire evacuation plan and the acoustical study. Owners of the Fishack
will create the dance floor from about 10 or 11 p.m. to closing time by moving
several bar tables and stools out of the way.
"The proposed occupancy changes will impact the exit discharge from the
building, which must be evaluated by a qualified licensed design professional,"
wrote Robertson is his report. "Both the Fire Department and the Building
Division have reviewed the new seating and occupancy plan, and found there may
be potential problems with the current exiting configuration of the building and
the proposed new occupant load derived from the added assembly use." All
matters that go before any of the city commissions can be appealed at the City
Council level, which reserves final judgment.
The Easy
Reader – July 21, 2005
Precarious
Valley school gym project headed to court
by Robb Fulcher
The battle over plans for a
gymnasium at Hermosa Valley School is headed to court Aug. 19 as neighbors and
other opponents try to halt it. Meanwhile, the city school board continues to
grapple with tight-money obstacles that could force the gym to be scrapped.
“Things are looking pretty tense,” School Board President Lance Widman said on
Tuesday.
Before the Aug. 19 court date the School Board had begun to ask prospective
contractors to freeze their current prices for building the gym project until
the California Coastal Commission reviews and potentially approves the project
about Aug. 10. But the School Board might have to scrap that plan, Widman said,
and the board was scheduled to weigh that decision this week.
If the legal and regulatory hurdles facing the gym cause the School Board to
seek a new round of price bids from contractors, the contractors almost
certainly would ask higher prices, Widman said. Construction prices have been
rising sharply here and around California. Asked if the School Board could
still afford to build the gym after a fresh round of price bids, Widman said, “I
don’t know.”
Last month Sam Abrams, chairman of a committee overseeing Hermosa school bond
expenditures, also said the gym might have to be scrapped if fresh price bids
must be sought.
Talks stalled - Settlement talks
stalled after only one meeting between the School Board and Citizens for
Responsible School Expansion, a group made up mostly of school neighbors. Now
attorneys for the two sides are preparing to argue their cases before a Superior
Court judge.
If the gym opponents are granted an injunction, the project would be stalled
until a sweeping lawsuit against the project is resolved. Proponents of the gym
must keep that from happening if they are to remain on their already tenuous
schedule. “We want to get this in front of a judge as soon as possible,” said
Jerry Compton, spokesman for the gym opponents. He and his wife Suzy own a house
near the third-through-eighth grade school on Valley Drive. “The sooner we do
that the better for all parties.”
The lawsuit claims that the school district failed to properly address the gym’s
effects on parking, traffic and noise in the neighborhood, and that school bond
money approved by voters cannot legally be spent to build the gym. The building
planned by the school district would house a science lab, library and classrooms
as well as the gym, but the lawsuit targets only the gym portion. Widman blamed
the gym opponents for ending the settlement talks and described the opponents as
intransigent.
Compton denied that the gym opponents ended the settlement talks and said it was
the school district that would not budge. However, last month he said his group
was not planning to meet with school district officials a second time, while
district officials were saying they wanted a second meeting.
In interviews last week and this week, Compton said his group is willing to
return to the negotiating table before the lawsuit reaches the courtroom.
Following the lone settlement meeting, Widman said, an attorney for the gym
opponents made “nonnegotiable settlement demands” that the school district
relocate the planned gym from the southwest corner of the campus to a parking
lot on the southern boundary, eliminate after-hours use of the gym by non-school
groups, or scrap the gym.
Widman said building a gym on the parking lot would cost the school precious
parking spaces, and banning after-school uses of the gym by non-school groups
would violate a state law governing publicly funded facilities, Widman said.
Compton said those options were not presented as nonnegotiable demands. “Their
attorney asked ours if we would put together a list of things that we would
definitely settle on,” Compton said. The hastily prepared list was intended as a
starting point for further discussions, Compton said.
The school district started out with $15.6 million in local and state bonds for
the construction and for an overhaul of plumbing, electricity, safety features,
handicapped access, heating, air conditioning and technology-lab features at
Valley School and the K-2 Hermosa View School. Most of the money was spent on
the upgrades, which cost more than expected because of the rising construction
costs that have plagued projects across California. The gym building as planned
would stand 34 feet tall and cover 26,000 square feet. ER
The Easy
Reader - June 16, 2005
Cost of an ambulance ride
shoots up
by Robb Fulcher
The Hermosa Beach City Council on Tuesday agreed to raise
fees for an emergency ambulance ride to $773, from the current rates of $281 for
residents and $561 for nonresidents. City Fire Chief Russell Tingley said about
85 percent of Hermosans carry health insurance that pays for ambulance trips,
and council members said people with “financial hardships” can make arrangements
with city officials if paying is difficult.
Under the plan proposed by Tingley and approved by the council, city officials
also will hire a private company to take care of ambulance-related billing. The
two changes are designed to raise about $284,000 for the hiring of three
additional firefighters, a move Tingley’s rank and file has strongly urged. The
new hires would increase staffing by one firefighter per shift and allow the
Fire Department to operate one additional engine at any given time. However,
the council agreed to allow Tingley to wait a year to make the hires, to ensure
that the fee and billing changes do indeed raise the needed money.
With the vote, which was 4-1 with Councilman Art Yoon absent, the council
rejected a plea by the Hermosa Beach Firefighters Association to hire the
additional firefighters without delay. The association’s Aaron Marks told the
council that Tingley has been slow to respond to concerns such as staffing,
creating a “disconnect” between the association and Fire Department management.
Marks said that the plan approved by the council “does address many of the
concerns we have, but not the concern over staffing.” In January Tingley
received a vote of no confidence from his 18-member department, in part over the
staffing issue. ER
Assault,
Battery and Vandalism in Hermosa Beach neighborhoods.
The Daily Breeze -
June 15, 2005
Police Log -
Hermosa Beach</