HBNA Newsletters - Hermosa Beach News for 2006

City officially welcomes new chief - Hermosa Beach officially welcomed new Police Chief Greg Savelli at an event held last weekend in front of City Hall. The ceremony attracted a vast array of community leaders, including City Manager Steve Burrell, City Attorney Mike Jenkins, Councilmen J.R. Reviczky and Kit Bobko, and Mayor Pete Tucker, among others. Savelli takes the reins of the department at a precarious time for the city. Several issues remain unresolved that could potentially cause great damage to the city's reputation and/or financial well-being. Foremost among them is a year-old investigation by the federal government stemming from the arrest of an off-duty LAPD officer in 2003. After the Los Angeles field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation last year, the case has since been transferred to the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department. A spokesperson with the DOJ would not comment on the investigation, except to say that the matter is still open. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3606.htm

Hermosa About Town - Show of hands - Hermosans are invited to leave their painted handprints on the walls outside the municipal skate park to mark the city’s 100th birthday next year. For $5 per kid and $10 per adult, people can come to the park 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, dip their hands in paint, leave an imprint on the walls and sign their names. Plans call for the handprints to remain up throughout 2007, gracing the walls along Ardmore Avenue and Pier Avenue. Proceeds will benefit Centennial events throughout next year. The event is sponsored by Hermosa Beach Kiwanis and the Hermosa Arts Foundation. Also on hand will be Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch and the HBPD, offering fingerprint identification for kids.

For more information call 318-0280, listen to the phone company recording, then hang up and dial 1-310-318-0280. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1305.htm

For more information, please contact Maureen Ferguson at 310-379-8890 or bchrunrmaureen@yahoo.com

For Public: Please visit www.Hermosa100.com or call the Community Center at 310-318-0247

City benefactor Schumacher leaves lasting legacy in H.B. - One of Hermosa Beach's leading figures died last week, leaving behind strong ties to the community and a lasting legacy that includes one of the city's main landmarks being named in his family's honor. Longtime Hermosa Beach resident David T. Schumacher died July 26 at the age of 86. He is most widely known for his work as an author, real estate magnate and philanthropist. His donation of $1 million to the city of Hermosa Beach helped fund the reconstruction of the Hermosa Beach Pier, which opened last November. In return, the city subsequently named the entrance to the pier “Schumacher Plaza” in honor of his brother, Paul. He is survived by his wife of 29 years, Margaret Schumacher. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3506.htm

‘Taste' event to benefit historical museum - Hermosa Beach may be known for its sandy beaches, volleyball tournaments and lively bar scene, but connoisseurs of the local food circuit may also soon rejoice at news of the arrival of “Taste at the Beach,” a fund-raising event sponsored by the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis Club. Taking place later this month, the event will allow people to partake in sampling some of the best dishes from a wide swath of the city's restaurants and wineries. The event is scheduled to last from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 20. It will be held directly outside of the Hermosa Beach Community Center. Participants are encouraged to wander through the Hermosa Beach Museum to soak up the city's history, while enjoying the food and wine. More than 14 restaurants have already signed on to participate in the event, offering up a wide variety of styles, including Italian, Mexican and American dishes. Tickets for the event are $50 per person and can be purchased online at www.hermosakiwanis.org/ or by phone at (310) 318-0171. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3606.htm

Regarding a New 8000 sq. ft. “Restaurant/Bar” with “On Sale” Alcohol License

Public Hearing for Stillwater Bistro at The Hermosa Beach Pavilion

Regarding An On-Sale Alcohol Conditional Use Permit

For More Information, Go To The Following Web Link:

Still Water Contemporary Bistro at The Hermosa Pavilion

City of Hermosa Beach Staff Recommended Action:

To approve said request.

Use of force backed, morale questioned - A consultant’s report generally backs Hermosa police officers on their use of force against suspects, but calls for some “refinements” to officer training. Use of force by officers has been criticized by some residents, and has led to a number of lawsuits against the department. The long-awaited report by consultant R.M. McCarthy and Associates also recommends changes or increased scrutiny in areas involving officers’ morale and their mistrust of police management, and the use of volunteer attorneys to prosecute misdemeanor crimes. On the question of force, the report, commissioned by city officials, expressed “concern” that the department’s use-of-force instructor, Officer John Sibbald, was involved in a “physical confrontation” with a civilian while off duty. Addressing morale, the report suggests adding two more management-level positions to the department, in part to address the “critical” issue of a “lack of trust” in the department by rank-and-file members of the Hermosa Beach Police Officers Association. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1205.htm

HB Council won't give any more to schools - The council denied a request by local resident Kristine Keegan to place an issue on the agenda. Keegan lobbied the council to help the Hermosa Beach School District by donating funds to avert any potential cuts in school programs. Councilman Sam Edgerton described any donation to the district as “robbing Paul to pay Peter, because it's all public funds.” He added, “We already pay for crossing guards, it's about $60,000 a year; that does come out of (the) general fund.” In addition, Edgerton pointed to an after-school center at South Park (used by the district rent-free) and the Wave, a transit service funded by the city that takes children from Hermosa View to South Park. “You look at those three things, they add up. So the city is already paying a significant sum to the school.” He concluded by stating, “I don't think it should be agendized. I don't think it comes at a good time either because I think this is more to do about Measure ‘J' than with anything else.” http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3406.htm

Man revived after collapsing in Hermosa Beach surf - Incident delayed start of International Surf Festival competition. He was in the wrong place at the right time. Minutes before the annual International Surf Festival was about to begin near the Hermosa Beach Pier early Saturday, some spectators saw a man walking along the surf, knee-deep in the water. When he fell face down into the water, they thought it was some kind of a prank. "At first they thought this guy was joking," said Terry Yamamoto, a captain with the Los Angeles County lifeguards. "Everyone thought, 'Oh, this clown.' All of a sudden, he wasn't moving." Stunned beachgoers watched as rescuers pulled the man out of the water. He quickly revived after lifeguards put an oxygen mask to his mouth. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2305.htm

New chief calls for cooperation - Amid the pomp and circumstance of a full-dress ceremony, the city’s new police chief called for a “strong spirit of cooperation” between officers and residents of the city they patrol. Greg Savelli’s remarks came during the swearing-in ceremony on Saturday attended by top city officials, and by officers in dress uniform who stood in formation outside City Hall, chins up and arms straight at their sides. In a ceremony of unusual formality for Hermosa Beach, a police color guard raised the U.S. and California flags while Sgt. Raul Saldana, once a professional horn player, served as bugler. Then Savelli raised his right hand and promised to uphold the laws of the land. Savelli’s father Richard pinned the chief’s badge to his son’s chest, gave him a hug and kissed his cheek. An insignia was pinned to Savelli’s collar by one of his mentors, San Anselmo Police Chief Chuck Maynard. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1205.htm

Hermosa voters reject higher fees - City officials will have to find another way to balance their budget after their proposal fails. A pitch asking Hermosa Beach landowners to pay higher fees for street lighting and landscaping has fallen short, forcing city officials to find another way to bridge a $170,000 budget shortfall. About 52 percent of 2,867 mailed-in ballots turned down the formation of a supplemental assessment district. The votes were weighted based on type and size of property, as well as the proximity of street trees and lights. City staffers must now crunch numbers to find another way to pay for lighting and landscaping for the rest of the year, said City Manager Steve Burrell. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre2305.htm

HB School District will not put bond on November ballot - After making significant efforts to consider the placement of a new bond measure on the November ballot, officials with the Hermosa Beach School District declined to proceed with the matter and instead left the issue open for further study. Prior to the decision, trustees had called a special meeting on Aug. 2 to hear public comments and gauge voter interest in supporting a new bond measure. The meeting was followed later that week with the news that trustees would consider the matter at their next public meeting on Aug. 8. The meeting had originally been scheduled for Aug. 9, but was moved to the prior day on the advice of the School Board's attorneys. “The lawyers say it'll take a full day to pull the county filing together, so they'd like to have the resolution by the 8th,” said board Trustee Greg Breen. “So we put the bond on the agenda, and moved the meeting to Tuesday so that we could give the lawyers time to pull (the) county filings together in case we decided to go forward with a bond.” http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3406.htm

Latest Walk of Fame inductees honored - The induction ceremony for the Surfers' Walk of Fame took place last Sunday, drawing more than 80 people to the Hermosa Beach Pier to witness the city officially recognize some of the South Bay's most notable watermen. Along with the inductees, the event attracted a diverse assortment of figures ranging from the inductees' friends and family members to well-wishers from the general public. Several city leaders were also present at the event that day, including City Manager Steve Burrell and four members of the Hermosa Beach City Council - Sam Edgerton, Michael Keegan, J.R. Reviczky and Mayor Pete Tucker. After a member of the audience sang the national anthem, Tucker started the ceremony by asking everyone to join in a moment of silence for David Schumacher and Bill Meistrell, two of the area's leading figures who had recently died. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3506.htm

H.B. voters strike down supplemental assessment - Hermosa Beach property owners voted down a proposal to create a supplemental maintenance district, making any future decision by the City Council a moot point. An employee with the Hermosa Beach City Clerk's office confirmed the results by phone on July 26. Of 2,867 ballots received, approximately 52 percent voted against the district while 48 percent voted for the project, said Deputy City Clerk Jackie Drasco. The votes were weighted according to the potential assessment assigned to a parcel, ensuring that “property owners who pay a greater share of the assessment have a greater say in determining the outcome.” Votes from property owners voting against the measure had a weighted value of $35,756, while those in favor equaled $33,749. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3305.htm

HB City Council wrap - Restaurant appeal continued - The issue of whether to allow a Pier Avenue restaurant to extend its operating hours from midnight to 2 a.m. drew more than 30 people to the meeting, but the decision was put off until Sept. 26 after the applicant asked the council to continue the matter. The applicant, Mediterraneo Restaurant, made the request hoping to have the issue be heard by all five members of the council (Councilman Sam Edgerton was not present at the meeting). The newest member of the council, Kit Bobko, issued a veiled critique of Edgerton for his absence. “It will be my policy that, I think all these issues that come up that significantly impact someone's interests - be it financial, personal, property - deserve a full impartial hearing by a full five-member council,” said Bobko. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3305.htm

Hermosa Beach City Council - July 25, 2006, PUBLIC HEARINGS - TO COMMENCE AT 7:30 P.M.

City faces another police-related lawsuit - The Hermosa Beach Police Department had little time to celebrate a recent victory in federal court, as officials learned that yet another lawsuit was filed against the city, this time on behalf of an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. Samuel Marullo, a homicide detective with LAPD's Southeast Division, alleges in his complaint that Hermosa Beach police officers violated his civil rights and inappropriately arrested him on July 31, 2004. Marullo's attorney, Thomas Beck, is the same attorney who just recently represented 23-year-old Kenneth Agner with his complaint alleging Hermosa Beach police officers used excessive force in his arrest. According to a July 21 story in the Daily Breeze, jurors in Agner's case “rejected all but one of Agner's complaints.” Marullo's complaint names the city of Hermosa Beach, former police chief Mike Lavin, interim police chief David Barr and six other Hermosa Beach police officers as defendants. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3205.htm

HB bar plan a threat to public safety - This letter represents a plea that the Hermosa Beach Planning Commission and City Council exercise whatever influence they have to deny a permit for a 15,000-square-foot restaurant/bar at the Hermosa Pavilion. I currently own a business in Hermosa -- after 33 years in law enforcement for Los Angeles County. There was a time when I didn't think any city could have too many bars. What has happened to our little community shows me I was wrong. The proposed monster bar at the Pavilion is not planned to meet the needs of the Hermosa drinkers. If every resident drank, we'd still have plenty of bars. It's an effort to draw drinkers and their wallets from out of the area. Make no mistake, that effort will be successful. As a former gang investigator, I found that every unsavory element imaginable between here and Riverside would find his way to the 91 freeway and drive toward the sun. That would drop them right here, about six blocks north of the proposed mega-bar. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1105.htm

LAPD officer's suit says HB police falsely arrested him - Lawsuit alleges that ex-chief, others violated plaintiff's federal civil rights. On the heels of a federal court victory for Hermosa Beach police, another lawsuit has been filed against the department, and this time the plaintiff is a Los Angeles police officer. Samuel Marullo, a nine-year veteran based in the Los Angeles Police Department's Southwest Division, contends he was falsely arrested in 2004 on public intoxication charges after an incident on Pier Plaza. The lawsuit accuses officers of unprofessional conduct on the day of the arrest and in court. The lawsuit names former Hermosa Police Chief Michael Lavin, interim Chief David Barr and six officers as defendants. It alleges federal civil rights violations and indifference to police abuse by the city. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1905.htm

Jury OKs Hermosa officers' actions - All but one of the charges against city police in the July 4, 2003, arrest of Kenneth Agner are rejected. A jury on Tuesday almost entirely rejected a lawsuit that alleged Hermosa Beach police officers used excessive force during the July 4, 2003, arrest and pepper-spraying of a man on The Strand. The verdict came on the second full day of deliberations after a trial that stretched over two weeks stemming from a lawsuit filed by 23-year-old Kenneth Agner accusing the department and officers of civil rights violations, assault and battery, false arrest, infliction of emotional distress, and negligence. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1905.htm

Jury backs police in pepper spray suit - A federal jury has vindicated Hermosa police officers by rejecting almost every part of a civil rights lawsuit by a man who was pepper sprayed during an arrest three years ago on the Fourth of July, police said.
The five-man, three-woman jury deliberated for two days before unanimously rejecting Kenneth Agner’s claims of assault and battery, false arrest, negligence and filing a false police report. The jury split 7-1 in the favor of police on Agner’s claim of excessive force for the pepper spray, allowing his attorney Thomas Beck to continue pursuing that part of the lawsuit if he chooses. Beck was not immediately available for comment. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1205.htm

Sharkeez owner awaits go-ahead for restoration - Work on the Hermosa Beach nightspot is being held for decision on 50 percent rule. Proprietor hopes it's soon. But amid the booming music and bright lights of the center's bars and restaurants, Sharkeez -- the most popular of all -- is quiet and dark. About 2½ months after it was ravaged by an early-morning blaze, restoration still has not begun at the nightspot, chiefly because the city is still calculating how much of the structure is intact, officials said. How quickly -- and inexpensively-- owner Greg Newman can bring his bar back to the glory days of $5 million in annual sales hinges on the city's take on what is salvageable inside the wreckage at 52 Pier Ave., he said. Both a Police Department spokesman and Newman told the Daily Breeze in May that nothing of Sharkeez could be saved. A structural engineer from the owner's insurance company, however, recently concluded 55 percent of the building remained, Newman said. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1505.htm

Hermosa: Developer must provide free parking - City says members of 24-Hour Fitness didn't buy into Hermosa Pavilion's $1-per-hour charge, so it will have to drop the fee. The owner, Gene Shook, said the order violates state and federal constitutional regulations. It's a daily occurrence for Hermosa Beach residents like Kammi Howlett. Every day, she sees a driver park outside her 17th Street home, change into workout clothes and sprint across the highway to the Hermosa Pavilion's 24-Hour Fitness center. All that to save the dollar it would cost to park in the center's garage, Howlett said. "It's just really offensive," she said. "I don't feel like I want to be in my house. ... It is constant. It's 24 hours a day." http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1My%20Web/%20HBNA%20DailyBre1905.htm

Tuesday, 7/4/06 – Lyndon and The Strand – Rape - Very intoxicated female reported being raped on the Strand by unknown subject. Sorry no more info….

Pier Ave. traffic – All of Pier Ave. - The redesign of Pier Ave. had a huge negative impact on traffic and on the ability for Police/Fire to get around town. It frustrated beachgoers and residence who were trying to get through it.

Thursday, 7/6/06 – 700 Pier Ave. – Noise Compliant - Complaint about Club Saphire, Patrons very loud exiting/gathering in Vons lower lot. Police cleared people out without incident.

Saturday, 7/8/06 – Clark Stadium – Rape - 16 yr old female victim. Party at Clark Stadium Hall. She was dragged out and forced to oral cop and raped, no suspect information.

Two Armed Gunmen Conduct Robbery and Carjacking at the Von’s Parking Lot on July 4.

ARMED ROBBERY/CARJACKING. A customer of a local supermarket was the recent victim of an alleged robbery and carjacking. The incident allegedly occurred in the 700 block of Pier Avenue on July 4 at 1:57 a.m. As the victim was about to enter his vehicle to leave the establishment, two individuals brandishing revolvers allegedly approached him. One suspect then pointed his gun at the victim's stomach and said, “I don't want to hurt you Š give me all of your money and your car keys.” A second suspect then physically moved the victim and stated, “Stand over here.” The two individuals then entered the victim's 2001 Jeep Cherokee and drove away. A third suspect driving a white van followed the victim's vehicle out of the parking lot. The victim's wallet, ATM card, cell phone and checkbook were all taken. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept3205.htm

Man suffers multiple stab wounds in attack this past weekend on Ardmore Ave. near 4^th Street.

West L.A. man attacked over the weekend - 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 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. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2805.htm

Hermosa council approves merging lots - On a 2-1 vote, the Hermosa Beach City Council overturned an earlier decision by the Planning Commission and cleared the way for a merger of two lots on a street historically known for its larger parcels. The decision means that the two lots in the 700 block of Prospect Avenue will together have only one dwelling, despite a developer's plan to build two homes on them. A Cape Cod-style home has stood at the site for more than half a century. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1305.htm

Assault With a Deadly Weapon: 2:06 a.m. April 9, 00 block of Pier Avenue. Police arrested one man on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly hitting and kicking the victim, who was taken to a hospital for treatment. A second man, who may also have hit the victim, left with a third man.

Assault With a Deadly Weapon: 2:45 a.m. April 8, Ardmore Avenue and Fifth Street. A man who police said had an approximate 10-inch cut on his stomach said he was walking south on Fifth Street when a man walked up behind him, asked how he was and what was up, then stabbed him and fled. The man said he then walked to a hotel and called his girlfriend. The report noted that the victim was uncooperative and initially refused medical treatment.

ASSAULT / ATTACK. A man was reportedly assaulted by two men in the 1300 block of Manhattan Avenue April 1 around 2:06 a.m. The man told police he was with friends at a nearby restaurant and left around 2 a.m. to eat some food. The victim stayed behind outside the restaurant for unknown reasons and began to walk north on Manhattan Avenue. One of the suspects kicked the man in the face as he fell to the ground and continued to kick him in the head while he was motionless on the ground. The other suspect punched him in the face. The witness ran toward the scene and discovered that the victim was his friend. The suspects got back inside and drove away, and the victim was transported to a nearby hospital. Doctors said he suffered small fractures to his sinus area and also sustained a bump on the back of the head, some bruises and two black eyes.

ROBBERY. A man was reportedly confronted by a male juvenile and his friends in the 100 block of Hermosa Avenue March 24 at 11:56 p.m. The suspect confronted the man in a parking lot and asked, “Do you got a problem?” The suspect also bragged about being on parole and as he did, several of his friends began to encircle the victim. The victim, fearful of his safety, pushed backward and said he didn't have a problem with the suspect. More subjects, who were all dressed in black and appeared young, began to encircle him. The victim said he saw a shiny object and thought it was a knife. The suspect struck the victim along the jaw line with an open right palm and two other suspects began to punch him. He pushed his way through the group of subjects and made his way across the street to call 9-1-1. The subjects followed him into a deli. Once inside, the victim held up his phone to show them he was calling emergency services. The three subjects fled the store and stole the victim's skateboard. An officer detained three males in the 100 block of Beach Drive who matched the victim's description. The victim identified the subjects as those who hit him and stole his skateboard valued at $200, and they were placed under arrest.

Read the story is in the Official City of Hermosa Beach E-Newsletter for April.

The saddest rule of government - One of the maxims told to me about government when I was first elected to office was a simple, sad, and frustrating one: “You don’t get a crosswalk until a kid gets killed.” The accident that occurred on PCH two weeks ago, killing a teenage boy trying to cross the street, was tragic not just because it was likely preventable. It is tragic because the need for a signaled crosswalk at that intersection has been known for years. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1105.htm

HB City Council summary - Final notice - The council voted to authorize staff to send out final notices to all property owners in the Beach Drive under-grounding district who have not completed their private utility line conversions. The council's vote also directed staff to disconnect the overhead utility services to such properties that fail to complete the work within 30 days of receiving final notice. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2005.htm

HBPD is undergoing thorough review - Prompted in part by a string of lawsuits, the city has hired a decorated ex-lawman to do a thorough review of the Hermosa Beach Police Department’s policies and operations. City Manager Steve Burrell on Monday said “it was a good time” to take a close look at the department as it changes hands from retired Chief Mike Lavin to a replacement, who the city expects to select soon. In answer to a question, Burrell said the review also was partly prompted by lawsuits that allege excessive force and other improper actions by police. Burrell said other city departments have undergone similar reviews. The review was begun in January by San Clemente-based R.M. McCarthy & Associates. Burrell said he expects to receive a report from the consultant by about June. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead805.htm

Torrance man, 19, dies after jumping off the MB pier - A 19-year-old “thrill-seeker” jumped off the Manhattan Beach pier and died this past weekend, authorities said. Daniel James Barth of Torrance was with several friends when he decided to jump off the pier on April 9 at about 2:30 a.m., according to Sgt. Steve Tobias of the Manhattan Beach Police Department. After an intense six-hour search, Barth's body was found approximately 35 yards off the end of the pier in about 20 feet of water, face down, Tobias said. According to Barth's friends, Barth jumped off the pier and into the cold ocean waters for a thrill. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1705.htm

HB Council reverses commission decision not to merge lots - To merge or not to merge? That was the question the Hermosa Beach City Council voted on Tuesday night after hearing public testimony from handfuls of residents on the issue of whether or not to merge a property that comprises two lots along Prospect Avenue. In a 2-1 vote, the council voted to direct city staff to draft a resolution that reflects its vote to reverse a Planning Commission decision not to merge the lots at 726 Prospect Ave., and to move forward in the merging of the two parcels which was originally developed to accommodate a single-family home. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2005.htm

MySpace will add warnings - The Web site, which has 60 million members, plans to educate youths about the dangers of people targeting them for sexual purposes. Popular online social networking hub MySpace.com on Monday said it will begin displaying public service ads aimed at educating its users, many of them teens, about the dangers posed by sexual predators on the Internet.

Teen was fun-loving, precocious, adventurous - A 15-year-old Hermosan who was struck and killed in an intersection last week was a sweet-natured, precocious, adventurous young man who loved surfing and rock climbing, family members said. Ian Wright “was walking at nine months, and rock climbing at nine months and one day,” his mother Ellen Wright said. The teenager also was a “voracious reader” who loved history and mythology, and fantasy offerings such as “The Lord of the Rings.” Wright was crossing the six-lane highway going from east to west, within the painted crosswalk, and had cleared all but the final lane when he was struck by a southbound 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer driven by a 25-year-old West Covina woman, police said. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1105.htm

Police identify 3rd Manhattan Beach assault suspect - Warrant is issued for a woman in connection with beating of actor, friend in South Bay home. Two are in custody. A second suspect is in custody and a third has been identified in connection with the violent assault on an actor and his female companion in his Manhattan Beach home. Rolland Wormley, 20, of Bellflower was arrested March 22 on a parole violation and arraigned Wednesday in Torrance Superior Court on two counts each of attempted murder, robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1805.htm

7 Robberies in 10 days in the Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo - 3 Robberies in Hermosa Beach in 4 days - ROBBERY: 12:30 a.m. March 26, 28^th Court and Morningside Drive. Two men robbed the victims at knifepoint of a wallet and two cell phones. One was described as Latino, in his late teens, 5-foot-9, 150 pounds with a thin build, shaved head and goatee and wearing gray sweat shirt and blue jeans. The other was described as white, in his late teens, 6-foot-2, 170 pounds with a thin build, short dirty blonde hair and wearing a sweater and jeans. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2705.htm

HB School Board votes in new appointee to replace Wolin - Following a thorough public discussion, the Hermosa Beach School Board voted to appoint Lisa Claypoole to the open seat on the elected body at its March 29 meeting, filling a vacancy left by former member Linda Wolin. The School Board selected Claypoole over her two fellow candidates, Earl Keegan and Alison Suffet Diaz. All three submitted applications at the district office Friday, March 17, the last day in the filing deadline. “All three candidates were very strong, all three had very different strengths,” said Breen. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2005.htm

Second suspect in home attack arrested, two remain at large - The Manhattan Beach Police made one more arrest in a brutal home invasion robbery, leaving two of the four suspects still at large. A Manhattan Beach couple who had spent the evening at several bars in Hermosa Beach were followed home and then attacked by four suspects, two men and two women, in a home invasion-style robbery on March 2. The victims had spent much of the night with the two female suspects and on March 13, police released two photos of the women that were taken at one of the bars to the media. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2305.htm

HB School District moves ahead with naming program - In the hopes of producing auxiliary revenues for Hermosa Beach educational facilities and programs, school officials have begun the task of moving forward with a naming rights program. In recent years, School Board members have been in talks with both the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation and the Parent/ Teacher Organization about creating a program in which district buildings would be named after residents, organizations and/or businesses and corporations in exchange for a donation. The donation prices range from $10,000 (campus bench) to $1 million (the new gym). http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2205.htm

Underage drinking rises in California, report says - Drug use among teens has dipped nationwide, but underage drinking persists -- with jumps in California and Wisconsin, according to a study released Thursday. The report by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, based on interviews of 135,500 people, is the first to document state-by-state drug and alcohol use from 2002 to 2004. Among the youths ages 12 to 20, California drinkers rose from 24.7 percent to 26.3 percent. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1405.htm

HB About Town - Scrip for school - Hermosa Valley PTO has become one of the top earning groups in the recent “Vons 10 Percent Back to Schools Program.” PTO Co-Presidents Kristin Thomas and Robin Bosmajian and eScrip Group Coordinator Janice Adler presented store manager Dan Graves with a certificate of appreciation at Vons’ Hermosa store recently. Hermosa Valley PTO uses eScrip funds to help pay for classroom supplies, field trips, assemblies, teacher development programs, and other school-related activities. The eScrip program has generated more than $130 million in merchant contributions to schools and organizations across the country. For more information, email Janice Adler at:janiceadler@aol.com http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2005.htm

Valley and View scores on the rise in API base - Based on the 2005 base Academic Performance Index released this month by the California Department of Education, the Hermosa Beach School District once again performed above its target score of 800 based on a numeric index ranging from 200 to 1,000 points. “California schools continue to make solid academic gains,” stated Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction. “The API is a powerful tool to hold our schools accountable for progress. I encourage parents, students, educators and the public to review the API ranking for schools in their community.” http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2205.htm

Hermosa Beach hires 3rd party to review city police - Examination of police procedures began last month. The department is facing legal action from civilians and former employees. Plagued by lawsuits and strained by internal friction between line officers and managers, the Hermosa Beach Police Department is now under the microscope of a consultant hired by the city to do exactly that. City Manager Steve Burrell commissioned the third-party review of the Police Department's policies, procedures and practices, he said Monday. The review, which got under way last month, will delve into how the department works and what can be done to improve its functions. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1805.htm

“Taser” stun guns are purchased for HBPD officers - The City Council on Tuesday agreed to buy 20 “Taser” electro-shock stun guns to prevent injuries from altercations between police officers and suspects as well as to possibly reduce the number of damage claims against the city. Six of the small police department’s officers are currently off duty with injuries. The council also agreed to buy the first of 12 digital video cameras for police vehicles and to buy more hardware to store video footage from the jail and police station, in part to protect the department from lawsuits. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2005.htm

HB City Council summary - Community center - The Hermosa Beach City Council Tuesday night voted to award a construction contract to Torres Construction that will work on ADA upgrades to the Community Center. The city advertised for bids and received nine by its closing date of Feb. 9. Torres' bid matched that of another company, 2H Construction. The bid prices ranged from about $275,000 to $378,000. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2605.htm

South Bay sees an overall drop in crime of 9.1% - Police, however, attribute rise in robberies in 2005 to criminals who target a specific area or age group. Cell phones and MP3 players popularity blamed for fueling teen-on-teen crimes. Despite increases in homicides and robberies, crime in the South Bay and Harbor Area continued its downward spiral in 2005 thanks to large drops in burglaries, auto thefts and assaults. The year's 9.1 percent overall drop echoes a trend across the country, and helped to keep crime levels at about half what they were in 1995. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1805.htm

City hires consultant to study police operations - As a way to gain new insight on the practices, policies and procedures of the Hermosa Beach Police Department, City Manager Steve Burrell recently hired a consulting firm to study the public safety agency in an independent review that could take up to several months. The independent review of the Police Department is the first in Burrell's tenure, which began in 1994. Police Chief Mike Lavin recently retired while interim chief David Barr took over Lavin's duties in February. Barr will oversee the department until Burrell has made a decision on who will be the next police chief which is about a four-month process. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2605.htm

Police discover fraudulent check scam - Redondo Beach police discovered heaps of false identification at a Los Angeles woman's home, implicating her and another man in a fraudulent check scam involving the Los Angeles County Animal Control. Police originally arrested Heather Adams for passing fraudulent checks at the South Bay Galleria, according to Sgt. Peter Grimm. Police uncovered evidence at Adams' home on March 23 that suggests that she and Jesus Silva used copies of checks written to the L.A. County Animal Control to create false identification and counterfeit checks. Adams would then use the checks to buy things. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2705.htm

Boy, 15, killed crossing dangerous PCH crosswalk - A 15-year-old Hermosa Beach teenager was fatally struck by a car while riding a scooter across Pacific Coast Highway in a crosswalk at 16th Street last Thursday afternoon. According to Press Information Officer Paul Wolcott, Ian Wright was visiting The PetCare Company located on the east side of the busy thoroughfare just prior to the accident that occurred around 5 p.m. Wright was at the store playing with the puppies. He left and began to cross 16th Street on his Razor scooter. He was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2105.htm

It's end of the checkout line for HB Albertsons - The Albertsons supermarket on Pacific Coast Highway and Artesia Boulevard, which drew locals with its old-fashioned courtesy and laid-back feel, will close in April after serving the beach communities for nearly 50 years. The company said the decision was based on the performance of the store. The building, owned by Hope Chapel, will be used to expand church programs, said Dale Turner, church administrator and associate pastor. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1305.htm

Reward offered in fatal hit and run crash of Mira Costa student - The family of the Mira Costa junior who was killed in what authorities say could be a road rage incident last December is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. “Unfortunately nothing will ever bring closure to the situation,” said the slain teenager's mother, Kelly Rigby-Hyde. “There are good and bad days. This is something you never think is going to happen to you or your family.” On Dec. 2, 2005, at about 10:50 p.m., Casie Hyde, who was driving a BMW, and her boyfriend, Mike Archuletta, a passenger in the car, hit a telephone pole in the 2700 block of Manhattan Beach Boulevard in Redondo Beach. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1805.htm

Weight loss gives meth an edge with female teens - "I had lost so much weight by prom," says one recovering South Bay addict. "I was so happy with how I looked and the attention I was getting." Zorana was a senior at Torrance's North High School the first time she tried methamphetamine. A frequent churchgoer, she had managed to stay away from alcohol and marijuana since experimenting with them in middle school. But the winter of 2003, after returning from a holiday vacation with her family, the 17-year-old, who asked that her last name be withheld for this story, noticed there was something different about her friends at school. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1405.htm

Torrance still sizing up RV options - Torrance's simmering debate over whether to restrict on-street parking for RVs and other oversized vehicles resumes tonight at City Hall. It's been four weeks since the City Council last took up the issue in a session brimming with recreational vehicle owners and critics of the boxy travel barges. In the end, council members decided they needed more information and more time for public testimony. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1205.htm

Investigators sneak bomb materials across borders - Congressional investigators posing as businessmen were able to carry enough radioactive material across the borders from Mexico and Canada to potentially make two radiation-spewing bombs, according to a report that will be released Tuesday. While radiation monitors at the two borders detected the material, the investigators used easily faked documents to dupe border security officers into believing it was for legitimate purposes. The investigators had purchased the radioactive material over the phone without providing any documentation of their identities or its potential use. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1705.htm

PCH and 16th Street traffic signal comes too late - I park on Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach to go to the 24-Hour Fitness gym because I refuse to pay a parking fee on top of a gym membership fee. I use the crosswalk at 16th Street and PCH to get to the gym, and many times I wondered what it would take to get a traffic signal installed there. Many cars do not stop -- even if the vehicle in the next lane has stopped to wait for a pedestrian. Instead, they race through, narrowly missing people. It's amazing. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/HBNApix/HB%2016th%20St%20PCH%205.htm

Suspect in home invasion turns herself in to police - A suspect in the recent home invasion robbery turned herself over to Manhattan Beach Police after investigators released photos of two of the suspects to local media. After calling Manhattan Beach police several times, Edna Decembra Monrreal, 27, arrived at the temporary Peck Avenue Manhattan Beach Police station on March 16, accompanied by several family members, and turned herself in, Capt. Randy Leaf said. Monrreal was arraigned Monday and pleaded not guilty. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1805.htm

Hermosa Beach teen killed by car was 'a sensitive soul' - Ian Wright's family talks of his life and dreams and forgives the driver in Thursday's crosswalk accident. Family donates 15-year-old's organs. "He always wanted to help people." His small bedroom is just the way he left it before leaving for the gym: forlorn-looking stuffed animals on the top bunk, a bean bag chair covered with video game remote controls, shelves teeming with books and action figures. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1405.htm

Three candidates vying for open seat on board - Hoping to fill a soon-to-be-vacant seat on the Hermosa Beach School Board, three residents submitted applications with the district office last Friday for consideration of an appointment voted on by the elected body. Earl Keegan, Lisa Claypoole and Alison Suffet Diaz filed their applications and will await the board's vote that could happen later this month or early April. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept2005.htm

Hermosa Beach teen dies after being hit by car - Ian Wright, 15, was hit while crossing Pacific Coast Highway on a scooter. Hermosa Beach police are investigating the accident but have not determined who's at fault. A 15-year-old Hermosa Beach boy was struck and fatally injured as he tried to cross what some consider a dangerous stretch of Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach, police said Friday. Ian Wright, who had been playing with puppies at a pet store just moments before he was hit, was taken off life support and died Friday night at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1205.htm

Suspect in Manhattan Beach home invasion denies guilt - One of two women suspected of meeting a Manhattan Beach actor and his girlfriend at a club and setting them up for a violent home-invasion robbery is in custody, charged with attempted murder and five other felonies, authorities said Tuesday. Edna Decembra Monrreal, 27, of Los Angeles turned herself in to police Thursday, three days after a photograph of her taken from a surveillance camera was released to the media, according to a statement issued by the Manhattan Beach Police Department. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1805.htm

MB is surveying residents about undergrounding project - Six of 14 utility districts have already voted on the expensive project, but City Council will ask for opinions from seven that have not. Manhattan Beach residents will get one more chance to express their opinions for or against burying utility lines. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1205.htm

MB Council to send undergrounding booklets to residents - The Manhattan Beach City Council attempted to tackle several key issues surrounding utility undergrounding at its March 21 meeting, voting to send every property owner a fact booklet about the controversial public works project. Along with approving a fact booklet, the City Council also approved sending out a survey to property owners located in several of the proposed utility undergrounding districts. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1805.htm

Hermosa Beach – About Town – HB Neighborhood Watch – A formal Neighborhood Watch has been established by Kelly Kovac-Reedy, Nancy Amato and Tracy Hopkins of Hermosa in conjunction with the city Police Department and City Manager Steve Burrell. The three women, calling themselves Hermosa Beach MOMS, started selling disaster kits as a fundraiser for the local PTO.

Following the hurricanes in the Gulf Coast, Hermosa Beach MOMS took to heart the message of experts who said communication is a key component in surviving a disaster. Because they are also concerned about local crime, the Neighborhood Watch system drew their attention.

They met with Manhattan Beach’s Neighborhood Watch and Hermosa officials and began holding planning meetings to develop Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch. Hermosa Beach MOMS are looking for people to sigh up as block captains, maintain telephone and email “trees” for their blocks, pass along crime information, and hold crime prevention meetings.

Hermosa Beach MOMS will be available to answer questions at a booth on the Pier Plaza during the annual Hermosa Beach St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Parade and festival on Saturday.

St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival returns to town - It's that time of year again when people all over the country pull out their green clothing and drink the day away in honor of St. Patrick - the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick's Day, a religious feast observed by Ireland for thousands of years, celebrates the anniversary of the widely popular saint who lived a somewhat mysterious life and is believed to have died March 17, 460 A.D. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1605.htm

Emergency? HB MOMS group has it covered in Hermosa Beach - There was no Neighborhood Watch, so three women took matters into their own hands. Police say passion will keep their cause alive. If Hurricane Katrina sowed a positive seed somewhere along its path of destruction, it probably sprouted in the hearts of three Hermosa Beach moms. Nancy Amato, Tracy Hopkins and Kelly Kovac-Reedy have jump-started the city's Neighborhood Watch program, which disbanded several years ago. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1805.htm

Police link pair to home invasion in Manhattan Beach - Two women suspected of meeting a Manhattan Beach actor in a bar and setting him up for a home invasion beating and robbery were sought for questioning Monday. Police released two apparent surveillance shots of the women in a bar but declined to say where they obtained the photographs. The pictures were released Monday in the hope someone can identify them. The crime occurred shortly after 5 a.m. March 2 at actor J. Kevin Scannell's home in the 600 block of Valley Drive.

HB Residents say ‘no' to undergrounding district - In an overwhelming victory, property owners near and around Bonnie Brae Avenue voted against forming an assessment district to underground their utility lines that would have cost on average around $33,000 following a public hearing at the Hermosa Beach City Council meeting Tuesday night. Among the 183 ballots cast, 151 (nearly 84 percent) were “no” votes to form the district while 32 (about 16 percent) were “yes” votes. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1505.htm

Four HB City Council candidates will run in June race - Following a nearly month long filing period, four Hermosa Beach residents have tossed in their name as one of the candidates for a special City Council race slated in June that will fill one open seat on the five-member body. Patrick “Kit” Bobko, Janice Brittain, Jeff Duclos and Jeff Maxwell will all be running in the June election. All of the candidates with the exception of Brittain participated in the November election. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1405.htm

Former Mira Costa student, 27, succumbs to injuries - Mira Costa High School graduate Ashlyn Dyer died due to injuries sustained when she was struck by a hit-and-run driver March 2 in San Francisco. She was 27. Dyer died on March 12 with friends and family by her side. Although there were early signs of improvement, it became apparent from tests that she had sustained severe and irreversible brain damage caused by lack of oxygen, states a Web page post created to keep friends and family apprised of Dyer's condition. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1705.htm

Police searching for suspects in beating - Manhattan Beach Police released pictures of two female suspects who were involved in a recent home invasion robbery that left the victims severely beaten. Four suspects, the two women and two unidentified men, were involved in the attack and authorities are hoping that someone will recognize the women and contact the authorities, said Sgt. Steve Tobias. The victims, Kevin Scannell, 54, and Sheila Becker, 43, of Redondo Beach, met the two women while at a bar in Hermosa Beach Wednesday night, March 1. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1205.htm

HB City Council summary - Firefighter salaries - The Hermosa Beach City Council Tuesday night voted to approve a pay raise for the Hermosa Beach Firefighters Association after the city and the bargaining unit reached an impasse in wages, hours and working conditions with the group. The council, in a 4-1 vote with Councilman Michael Keegan dissenting, voted to approve a 5-percent raise retroactively applied from Nov. 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, at which time both parties will return to the bargaining table. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1505.htm

HB voters ditch utility project - Bonnie Brae residents reject plan to underground wires, saying they can't justify the ballooning costs. Residents of the Bonnie Brae neighborhood in Hermosa Beach gave an emphatic "no" to burying utility wires underground, voting overwhelmingly against the pricey project. Of the 183 ballots received, nearly 84 percent voted against and only 16 percent favored the undergrounding. Balloting was weighted based on the size of an owner's property. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1205.htm

Man posing as police officer fondles woman in El Segundo - A man posing as a police officer conducting a traffic stop in El Segundo fondled a woman and said her problem would go away if she engaged in a sex act with him, police said Monday. The woman was sitting in her parked car at 11:45 p.m. Saturday in the 100 block of Maple Avenue when another car pulled behind her, police said. Leaving the headlights on, a man walked up to the woman's window and told her he had seen her weaving while driving down the street, El Segundo police Lt. Walt Krumbach said. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1305.htm

Plaza El Segundo slated to open in November - With concerns about traffic congestion assuaged for now and with solid backing by local governments, El Segundo's expansive shopping center with its array of corporate chain stores, boutiques and restaurants is slated to open in November. “It will be our first major retail center in El Segundo,” said City Councilman Carl Jacobson. “The sales tax (revenue) is definitely needed and it's convenient for the residents.” http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1605.htm

Locals moms create Watch - In the hopes of better preparing Hermosa Beach residents in the event of a disaster, emergency or major crime, three local mothers have organized a Neighborhood Watch effort that they hope will involve the entire city. Kelly Kovac-Reedy, Nancy Amato and Tracy Hopkins, with the assistance of the Hermosa Beach Police Department and City Manager Steve Burrell, have established the program and hope to recruit 100 street block captains in time for the start of the city's centennial celebration in January 2007. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1205.htm

Delaney HB rape case dismissed - Motion is granted after the prosecutor says the Manhattan Beach teacher accused of sexual assault in Hermosa Beach would not be retried. Two trials and nearly three years passed before a visibly relieved Aran Delaney was able to walk out of a courtroom Friday without facing the possibility of prison time for an alleged sexual assault in Hermosa Beach. Following a second mistrial that ended last month, a prosecutor indicated she would not retry Delaney for rape and sodomy, and a judge granted the defense's motion to dismiss. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1805.htm

Police search for suspects in brutal home invasion crime - A Manhattan Beach couple who had spent the evening at several bars in Hermosa Beach were followed home and then attacked by multiple suspects in a home invasion-style robbery. On March 2 at about 5:10 a.m. after the suspects fled the scene, Manhattan Beach Police received an emergency phone call from one of the victims, according to Manhattan Beach Police Sgt. Steve Tobias. When police arrived at the scene, a home in the 600 block of Valley Drive, they found 54-year-old Kevin Scannell, an actor, and a 43-year-old female, both of whom were the victims of severe beatings by blunt objects. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1205.htm

$13.1 million HB school bond measure put on ballot - The Hermosa Beach school board says funds from tax and a building "naming-rights" campaign are needed for Valley School. The Hermosa Beach school board has voted unanimously to place a $13.1 million school bond measure on the June ballot, four years after a similar measure was approved, because a lawsuit and soaring costs have delayed construction and put the district's projects seriously over budget. The amount sought nearly matches a 2002 bond measure to fund new school district classrooms, and will be supplemented by a first-of-its-kind "naming rights" campaign that has the district selling opportunities for naming a building. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1905.htm

Commission approves events for city's centennial - The Hermosa Beach Parks and Recreation Commission Tuesday night voted 4-0 to approve three events slated for 2007 as part of the yearlong celebration of the city's 100th birthday that will being in January and most likely end in the fall, and several fund-raising efforts that will assist in paying for such affairs. The commission's vote serves as a recommendation to the City Council, which will review the matter at its meeting March 14. Commissioner Robert Bell was absent from Tuesday's meeting. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1505.htm

South Bay's June races shape up - Hermosa Beach: Four candidates filed to run for one Hermosa Beach City Council seat. They are Janice Brittain, a retired Los Angeles Unified School District adult school principal; attorney Patrick "Kit" Bobko; Jeff Duclos, a public relations consultant and college teacher; and Jeff Maxwell, owner of Palos Verdes Limousine. Duclos and Bobko finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in November's election. Maxwell finished seventh. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1905.htm

Plans are under way for the upgrading and renovation of Upper Pier Ave, Aviation Blvd and PCH.

Kite festival fun for the whole family - The Redondo Beach pier will host a festival this Sunday featuring kites, yo-yos and a flying 10-foot-tall bear. The 32nd annual Festival of the Kite will have something for everyone according to organizer Tom Fine. Visitors can come and watch an exhibition of sport kite ballet, participate in a yo-yo competition or just hang out and listen to live ethnic Peruvian music. The free event will also include a drum circle and an all-day kite contest for children. Prizes will be given out to the best handmade and highest flying kites. The festival begins at noon and lasts until 5 p.m. Fine said that different things will be happening all over the pier. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20BeachRept1605.htm

Details emerge about suspect in Manhattan Beach slaying - Hearing sheds light on the arrest of Herbert Gonzalez, held in connection with a housekeeper's death. A man arrested in connection with the death of a housekeeper, whose charred remains were found inside a burned-out Manhattan Beach apartment, was identified by a former relative as the suspect seen on surveillance camera videotape, a detective said Friday. During Herbert Gonzalez's preliminary hearing, some of the mystery surrounding the slaying of Libia Cabrera, 39, was lifted as investigators laid out how they came to suspect Gonzalez's involvement in the April 11 crime. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1705.htm

Sex and intoxication among women more common on spring break according to AMA poll - Alcohol and sex play a prominent and potentially dangerous role in spring break trips of college co-eds according to an American Medical Association (AMA) poll released today. Eighty-three percent of the respondents agreed spring break trips involve more or heavier drinking than occurs on college campuses and 74 percent said spring break trips result in increased sexual activity. The poll of college women and graduates, aged 17-35, was funded as part of the AMA's initiative to reduce high-risk drinking on college and university campuses. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1405.htm

3 sentenced to 6 years in prison each in OC sexual assault - The son of a former Orange County assistant sheriff and two friends were each sentenced Friday in Santa Ana to six years in prison for the videotaped sexual assault of an unconscious teenage girl. Superior Court Judge Francisco Briseno sentenced Gregory Haidl, 20, the son of former Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl, and co-defendants Kyle Nachreiner and Keith Spann, both 21, after four hours of emotional testimony from the victim, two of the three defendants and family members on both sides of the case. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1405.htm

FBI nets alleged sexual predator - An El Segundo engineer who used explicit language in extensive Internet chats with what he allegedly believed was a 12-year-old girl was charged Thursday with trying to entice her into sex acts. Daniel Ross Best, 52, was arrested Wednesday when he arrived at a West Los Angeles mall for a rendezvous, according to a complaint filed against him in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Best had no idea that "Melissa," a seventh-grader who sometimes talked of needing to do her homework, was actually an undercover FBI agent. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1305.htm

California Supreme Court eases sex offender standard - California's justices overturned state law requiring adults 21 years or older who are convicted of having oral sex with 16- and 17-year-olds to automatically register as a sex offender for life. The California Supreme Court, ruling 6-1, said the 1947 law was unconstitutional. The majority said that the law was too harsh or unfair because adults 21 or older who are convicted of having sex with minors ages 16 and 17 are not mandated to register as sex offenders. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1705.htm

AMA says: Girls, Go Mild - The American Medical Association is warning girls not to go wild during spring break. According to an American Medical Association survey, significant numbers of women reported drinking while on spring break, leading to sickness, blacking out and engaging in sex. All but confirming what goes on in those “Girls Gone Wild” videos, 83 percent of college women and graduates surveyed by the AMA said spring break involves heavier-than-usual drinking, and increased sexual activity. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1805.htm

Website Puts Crime Tracking on the Map - Interactive LAPD service allows residents to view recent crime data from throughout the city. Angelenos can play gumshoe Philip Marlowe and track crime patterns in their neighborhoods and throughout the city, thanks to a new, high-tech initiative from the Los Angeles Police Department. he LAPD's interactive crime mapping, which went up on the department's website late Wednesday, allows users to pinpoint by date and location specific crimes, including robbery, assault, rape and homicide, up to five miles from their own addresses — or anybody else's. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/1%20HBNA%20DailyBre1305.htm

For more information call 318-0280, listen to the phone company recording, then hang up and dial 1-310-318-0280. http://www.hbneighborhood.org/My%20Web/1%20HBNA%20EasyRead1305.htm

Hermosa Beach City Council - July 25, 2006, PUBLIC HEARINGS - TO COMMENCE AT 7:30 P.M.