Rob Lissner and Allen Sanford will open the California Surf Club in Redondo Beach South Bay native Allen Sanford has been in love with Redondo Beach since he first started surfing as a kid he said he has noticed “fewer and fewer places to hang out,” as well as a lack of changes to the waterfront he saw two vacant buildings – formerly a Ruby’s and a Chillers – and the idea “dawned on me” to create California Surf Club at the site is a members-only club and a public restaurant who are both also behind the annual BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach BeachLife has been about building community through music hospitality and coastal culture,” Lissner said in a statement We’re offering a space rooted in purpose and designed to unite people – not just for a night but a lifestyle.” The 22,000-square-foot adaptive reuse was designed by architect Stephen Jones of bettershelter Its features include a waterfront area with club-owned equipment such as kayaks Sanford called the project a “risk,” but one that was “worth taking.” “We will not be successful down here if more investment does not follow us,” he said “We hope to provide some inspiration for people to want to invest down here.” Sanford declined to provide exact investment figures for the club the California Surf Club already has 450 memberships signed There is currently a waitlist for prospective members Sanford said he wants to avoid overcrowding and “provide a cool experience.” He added that “we won’t know if that was the right number until after we open” and may add more members depending on how things go at first There is also a day rate available for non-members to use the club Sanford said he hopes the club encourages more investment in the area and that he is able to work with the city “to strategically develop” the area “We’re super stoked that everybody’s behind us,” Sanford said “I’m just a normal guy that likes to surf and go to the beach and my business hypothesis is that there are a lot of people like me.” Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab). Leave empty if the image is purely decorative. Great read! I run a blog that talks about current events in Pakistan and also reviews popular mobile games. Easy Reader News & Peninsula Magazine is your trusted source for hyperlocal news, events, and stories from the South Bay and Palos Verdes Peninsula. Proudly serving our community since 1970. Stay informed—get the top local stories delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to our newsletter today. © Copyright 2025, Easy Reader News & Peninsula Magizine. All rights reserved. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article Leaping as high as she could from her right-side position, the Redondo Union senior angled a crosscourt kill that clipped the top of the net and dropped into the open court to complete a 12-21, 21-14, 15-13 comeback for Jones and partner Kara Namimatsu to lift the Sea Hawks to a thrilling 3-2 dual victory over defending champion Mira Costa in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 beach volleyball final Saturday afternoon at Long Beach City College. The Bay League rivals had split the first four matches, with Redondo Union winning on the first two courts and Mira Costa prevailing on the last two, so the championship came down to Court 3, where Jones and Namimatsu were down 11-8 to the Mustangs tandem of Lily Sprague and Allyn Hilt before rallying back to take a 14-12 lead on an ace by Jones. Sprague’s spike landed on the baseline to stave off the first championship point, setting the stage for Jones’ heroics. “I told Kara let’s go out swinging … win or lose I’m going to be aggressive,” said the teary-eyed Jones, who is headed to San Diego State to play indoor volleyball. “I was really nervous and it wasn’t the best swing, it hit the tape, but all these girls mean so much to me and I wanted to win it for them.” It was only the second time Jones and Namimatsu had played together — the first being two days before in the semifinals. “We had an injury so we switched our lineup on the bus for JSerra and we just went with it,” Jones confessed. “Yesterday we served and passed to each other for about an hour and that helped.” “Our chemistry works well together and in the timeouts our coach told us to trust in each other, trust in your training,” added Namimatsu, a junior transfer from Bishop Montgomery and early USC beach volleyball commit. The result was practically a carbon copy of the Sea Hawks’ semifinal triumph, only that time it was Abby Zimmerman and Avery Junk winning 15-13 in the third set of the deciding match on Court 1. On Saturday, the pair swept Mira Costa’s top duo of Olga Nikolaeva and Simone Roslon, 21-17, 21-14. “This is a really big win for us and it’s really exciting to have all five matches going on at the same time,” said Zimmerman, an All-CIF junior outside hitter who is going to California for indoor. “Our coaches trusted me and Avery to go up against their best. It was just our day.” “We beat them earlier this year which gave us confidence that we could do it but we lost to them in the finals the last two years so we knew we had to play our best,” added Junk, a senior head to Florida State to play beach with twin sister Addy, who won 22-20, 20-17 on Court 2 with partner Leah Blair. Mira Costa juniors Audrey Flanagan and Anabelle Redaelli prevailed easily 21-11, 21-18 on Court 4 while sophomores Lerin Rosenthal and Sammy Nammack won 21-17, 25-23 on Court 5. On March 4, Redondo Union snapped Mira Costa’s 170-match winning streak spanning over a decade (the majority of them coming in Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League play before the CIF sanctioned beach volleyball). Mira Costa won the rematch 5-0 on March 26 and was poised for a three-peat. Saturday, however, belonged to the Sea Hawks. A similar scenario unfolded in the first dual Saturday morning and the ending was equally dramatic as Long Beach Poly’s Simone Millsap and Alyssa Luna overcame a match point on Court 4 to win the deciding set 17-15, with Millsap serving an ace to clinch the Jackrabbits’ 3-2 triumph over Anaheim Canyon in the inaugural Division 3 final. Long each Poly celebrates its 3-2 triumph over Anaheim Canyon in the Southern Section Division 3 girls’ beach volleyball final Saturday at Long Beach City College. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times) “My thought was ‘I need to get this in,’” Millsap said of her last serve against Canyon’s Erin Ly and Hannah Huang. “I just closed my eyes and envisioned it going to the left corner— and luckily it did.” Poly’s Aleeya Salima and Lindyn Foster pulled out a 13-21, 21-17, 15-11 win on Court 1 to level the score. “Going into the last set we knew it might come down to us and I think it was about 8-8 when we heard cheering and saw everyone running over to our court that we knew for sure,” Millsap said. “When a game’s going point by point, your goal is to get the last two,” said Luna, who was called up from JV to play with Millsap in the third round of the playoffs. “Our indoor team won CIF in November so this is extra special.” The second match of Saturday’s championship tripleheader pitted two Long Beach schools against each other and again it came down to Court 4, where Wilson sophomore Iyla Alvarado and junior Jane Morrison prevailed 21-19, 18-21, 15-11 over Millikan’s Mikayla Brumbelow and Johanna Swerdloff to secure the title for the Bruins. Moments later, Rams juniors Sophia Orbiso and Aubrey Greene pulled out a 21-17, 17-21, 21-19 win on Court 2 but by then Wilson had already clinched. Millikan was trying to avenge 3-2 and 4-1 losses in Moore League play. “It was 2-1 at that point, but I was like ‘we need to do this!,” Morrison said. “It helps having people there supporting me. Even though we’d beaten them twice this is the finals and we knew it could go either way.” “No matter what’s going on with the other matches, we want to win ours,” Alvarado added. “This is our second year playing together, we have good chemistry, we talk strategy and pride ourselves on being mentally stronger than the other team.” High School Sports California Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More LOS ANGELES — The 6th annual BeachLife Festival returns Friday right along the coast in Redondo Beach Sublime and Alanis Morissette are this year's headliners Kravitz is headlining the first night of the show on Friday followed by Sublime Saturday and Morissette on Sunday Other performers include Train, Aloe Blacc, Sugar Ray and The Beach Boys with actor John Stamos. The full lineup can be seen here.  The music festival will also feature local seafood from California Surf Club A post shared by BeachLife Festival (@beachlifefestival) Visitors to Bosque Redondo Memorial's Fiber Fair include various activities The annual fair highlights the ancient art of working with wool Bosque Redondo Memorial’s Fiber Fair returns to Fort Sumner Historic Site “Come see how our wooly wonders literally put the clothes on our backs,” the invitation reads The fair shows visitors how wool is processed from sheep to fabric Las Arañas Spinners and the Weavers Guild will offer live demonstrations and hands-on activities using sheared wool from the site’s flock of Navajo-Churro sheep at Bosque Redondo Memorial talked about the upcoming events which include a new outdoor interpretive trail that attendees can explore as a self-guided audio tour Asked if the trail is accessible for wheelchairs “The interpretive trail is a half-mile loop and is partially wheelchair accessible,” he said in an email “There are actually two different routes that a visitor can take outdoors The upper trail that takes visitors out to where the original fort was has partial fort wall recreations an ADA bathroom and Billy the Kid's death site The pathway is lined with outdoor benches and interpretive signs that briefly describe the history as well as the points of interest This pathway is mostly paved and is wheelchair accessible The lower trail takes visitors along the Pecos River and is an unpaved light walking trail lined with wooden benches and interpretive signs that describe the local wildlife and their use during the reservation period Both trails also have a companion audio tour that is accessible by either a QR code or a handheld audio device at the visitor center front desk.” The day’s festivities include stations for various activities Visitors will be able to participate in any of these activities at their leisure or they can wait for scheduled guided classes on wool carding The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Wonders on Wheels mobile museum will be onsite with a new exhibit featuring all eight New Mexico Historic Sites Los Luceros Historic Site and Taylor-Mesilla Historic Property They will also be doing a fiber bracelet-making activity for kids The Office of Archaeological Studies will also be at the event offering a wide variety of hands-on plant and animal fiber displays and activities such as demonstrations of how yucca and other natural material were used by Indigenous communities of New Mexico to make ropes workshops and food trucks provided by the Friends of Bosque Redondo Memorial Entry is free for children age 16 and younger New Mexico disabled veterans and members of Friends of Bosque Redondo Memorial and Museum of New Mexico Foundation For more information and the schedule of events, visit nmhistoricsites.org Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Lorea Peterson Redondo talks about her courses in business and education like any soon-to-be-graduate would: eager for what’s next Peterson is a dual-degree graduate student in the Wharton School and the Graduate School of Education who began her program in 2023 and will graduate in May her American grandfather and Mexican grandmother founded what is now the oldest English-speaking Montessori school in Mexico But Peterson initially chose to break from that tradition She studied cognitive science and business as an undergraduate at the University of California she worked at IBM and later joined a tech startup Yet it wasn’t long before she felt a deep pull to return and continue her family’s work in education “Living in the States and working in tech was incredibly formative,” Peterson recalls ‘This is a great challenge—I’m learning so much.’ But I needed that wake-up call to realize that education is my true passion The sense of purpose you feel when you wake up knowing your work is shaping lives—there’s nothing like it.” she returned home to build the schools’ institutional advancement department Feeling a need for further education in leadership she opted to enroll in Penn’s dual-degree program that weaves business and education “Penn does a remarkable job of bridging those two fields.” Peterson set out with four clear goals: to find mentorship and learn how to apply business strategy to educational transformation She found that and more. She’s been inspired by countless case studies and faculty, she says, including Michael Golden, founder and leader of Catalyst @ Penn GSE “Lorea brought a wealth of experience, insight, and enthusiasm to our class on the history of school reform in the United States,” says Zimmerman the Judy and Howard Berkowitz Professor in Education “She also taught me about Mexico—where she worked for a set of private schools—and about the fiscal dimensions of education I know exactly how lucky I am to have students like her.” Through her experience at both Penn GSE and Wharton she says one of the most rewarding parts has been learning from her peers “I’ve learned just as much from my classmates as I have from my professors Someone will share a story or offer a perspective that completely shifts how I understand a reading or concept ‘Wow—I hadn’t thought of it that way.’ That constant exchange of ideas that community of minds challenging and uplifting each other has been one of the most transformative aspects of these two years I came for the education—but I’m leaving most grateful for the people.” “I want to continue deepening my understanding of the education space—especially how technology is reshaping it,” Peterson Redondo explains I aspire to lead meaningful change in this field but I constantly ask myself: how do I root that change in the context of Mexico How can we reimagine traditional K–12 education and elevate it to meet the needs of the future Being in this incredibly privileged position I feel a deep responsibility to turn this knowledge into action My goal is to return home equipped to be a thoughtful She’s currently looking for a role in edtech in the U.S that can help her apply what she’s learned at Penn and continue to expand her skillset Her hope is that she can eventually share her knowledge to improve the lives of students and educators in not just Mexico the ambitious Dakar Greenbelt project seeks to create an extensive network of ecological infrastructure in and around the city to sustainably address environmental concerns and enhance urban life With support from David Gouverneur and Ellen Neises candidate Rob Levinthal in the Weitzman School of Design led two courses that included a field trip to Dakar that culminated in students presenting their visions for parts of the Greenbelt The new Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology boasts adaptable laboratory spaces to support the dynamic needs of pioneering research LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio Results are in from this month's Redondo Beach election The South Bay city elected a mayor and other representatives — and pulled off an experiment in ranked-choice voting Major indicators show that the process was simple for voters to navigate and that most voters — though not an overwhelming majority — seemed to approve of the new system Making ranked choice easy to understand depends heavily on voter education That was especially the case in Redondo Beach where municipal elections have been entirely vote-by-mail for several years — meaning no poll workers to assist voters in person Redondo Beach City Clerk Eleanor Manzano said her office mailed literature about the new process to each registered voter three times through the voting period and had staff meet with community groups and attend public events to make people aware of the change Some voters wrongly assumed their top choice should be ranked 6 instead of 1 voters weren’t sure whether they had to rank every single candidate in order to vote a voter’s top preference should be ranked 1 and they’re allowed to rank as few or as many candidates as they like.) The same exit poll found that 61% of surveyed voters favored ranked-choice voting while 25% disapproved and 13% had no opinion it’s a decidedly lower figure than the number of people who found the system easy to navigate Manzano said she encountered a “handful” of voters who disliked ranked-choice voting but didn’t give specific reasons why Overall turnout in the March 4 election was 22.7% — roughly the same as the last round of municipal elections in March 2023 (22.4%) Saving money was a big factor in the city's change there is no runoff election between the top two candidates Holding a runoff would normally cost Redondo Beach about $150,000 This was one of the reasons the City Council opted to explore alternative voting systems ultimately resulting in the adoption of ranked choice The city didn’t necessarily save money in the March 4 election since it had to redirect that savings into voter education Manzano budgeted about $100,000 for voter outreach as time goes on and voters adjust to the system there will be less need for that kind of spending on mass voter education City Council members first started exploring alternative voting methods in 2022 and sent a ballot measure to voters asking them to approve the use of ranked choice Voters passed it overwhelmingly in the March 2023 election with 77% of the vote PRIVACY POLICY | PRIVACY SETTINGS | | ADVERTISE | ACCESSIBILITY 2025 at 4:58 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Easter Sunday is right around the corner Do you know where you're toasting the holiday CA — Whether you're celebrating Easter Sunday with family Redondo Beach has several brunch options to consider While some restaurants will be closed for the holiday on April 20 plenty in Redondo Beach and Los Angeles County will be open there are plenty of family-friendly activities going on in and around the Redondo Beach area leading up to and on Easter No matter where you land this Easter Sunday be sure to book in advance — these eateries tend to fill up faster than a basket of chocolate eggs Here are the eateries serving brunch on April 20 this year: Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Five candidates vie for mayor of Redondo Beach in the March 4 election: the current appointed mayor and the founder of “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful” Mayor Jim Light was appointed last February to complete the term of the late Bill Brand Light’s close friend and longtime political compatriot He took the oath of office through fissures of emotion that evening he was asked by councilmembers if he would promise not to run for election.  it’s a critical time in the city,” Light said “With my experience with project management And I don’t see a mayoral candidate with the time or the background and experience to do what I’m doing at city hall to accelerate projects and keep things on track.” Did he feel blindsided by the questions that night there were things I could not have known being outside city hall.” Eight-year city councilman Nils Nehrenheim supported Light’s appointment.  seeking to take the next step to lead the city.  Redondo Beach has two-term limits for both city council and the mayor’s seat.  Light previously ran for city council in District One in 2005 and 2013 wanting to be more available to his wife and ailing father-in-law.    Mayoral candidate Georgette Gantner served on the Public Arts Commission for two terms founder of “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful,” has long advocated for the city’s plan to open two retail cannabis stores The two city councilmembers who voted against the appointment of Light – Paige Kaluderovic and Scott Behrendt – now endorse his candidacy “I did not think Jim Light to be a unifying positive force for north and south Redondo Beach,” Behrendt said giving both north and south the attention they deserve.” in his 20-plus years of activism to limit waterfront development before becoming mayor he and others cost the city unnecessary litigation and missed opportunities that could have led to a torn-down and cleaned-up AES power plant already.  The March 4 election marks the debut of ranked-choice voting in Redondo Beach for which residents may rank all five candidates If their top choice is eliminated in the counting their second-choice then slides in to help decide a winner.  Below are the five mayoral candidates’ answers to the same Easy Reader questionnaire sent to each I owned a successful talent payroll business I was a docent with South Bay Hands on Art for a decade Our Leadership Redondo group put together the 9-11 monument that sits in front of City Hall I was president of the Redondo Beach Art Group and produced their annual event “The Power of Art.” I really enjoy collaborating with people I moved here when there was a great change in my life my husband built our home while we raised our children who attended Redondo Beach schools.  I was inspired to run when I discovered who was running Redondo has been stuck in a rut for too long and I felt that it was time for a fresh start have shared original ideas and feel I can contribute I would like to help guide and complete projects in a timely manner maintaining good relationships with all parties Redondo Beach has a lot to look forward to: the November election brought the passage of [Measure] FP $93 million to build a new police facility renovate the annex and both fire departments and the city and Cultural Arts Commission have budgeted $450,000 for public art and overall beautification of the Artesia corridor between Aviation Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue.  As an artist and former Public Art Commissioner Perhaps the city might consider funding a childrens’ choir or theater company Of course,the AES property and Beach Cities Health District development need resolution the reconstruction of the North Branch Library was extremely well- done other city projects haven’t happened because they were not successfully negotiated Redondo Beach has remained developmentally stagnant the school district has allowed new construction on its properties with Kensington Measure S will provide $273 million to renovate old buildings in Redondo Beach schools  The worst city projects in Redondo Beach have been those that were blocked those that have failed because of a lack of communication I would like to think that I could do a better job enabling our city to move forward in a positive way that benefits the community.  In the early 1980s I went to SCROC (Southern California Regional Occupational Center) where I learned how to program computers (long before computers were popular); I got a great job as a programmer in Torrance which eliminated my need to go to college since I had a better paying job than most people out of college I then wrote a property management software program which by doing so I learned how property management worked so I then became more focused on property management got my real estate broker’s license and opened my own property management company…  I got on the Riviera Village Association (RVA) Since my company was in Riviera Village and the RVA worked with the city I eventually attended the Leadership Redondo program which got me very well-connected to city staff after which I then got onto the Public Works Commission later followed by city councilmember for District One in 2013 I moved to Redondo Beach in 2007 after my wife of 10-plus years up in Palos Verdes wanted a divorce I decided to get an apartment just a few minutes walk from my office; it was then I learned how awesome it was to live in Redondo Beach with the beach/restaurants/work just a short walk from where I lived and the people I met along the way were so friendly too Who are your campaign contributors?  So far the only funds deposited into my campaign account are from myself; I have a friend who donated $500 via the website but PayPal isn’t connecting correctly to the campaign account so that’s something I will work on when I have some time; my focus has been knocking on doors What led you to decide to run?   I had a lot of people request I run for mayor so that is what got me to decide to do it What would you like to do/focus on if you are elected?   I feel like Redondo Beach is the best city out there One of the nicest projects was the new pavers along the Esplanade as the very-wide sidewalk attracts a lot of people to walk along the Esplanade; also the city is very dog-friendly and from back in 2012 when I was knocking on doors to run for city council I learned that about 80% of Redondo Beach residents in District One have dogs so we also focused on adding pet dog stations along the Esplanade to make it easy for residents to pick-up after their pets and then also “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful” non-profit group got formed which has also focused on the Esplanade…  the Art Group added some mosaic art on the bollards so if you walk along the sidewalk you’ll get to see these nice things in addition to the view of the ocean I focus on positivity so won’t be able to provide a “worst” scenario I’m a graduate of the University of Kansas Over my 50-year career I’ve gained experience and the knowledge to help me serve Redondo I was an early-adopter of technology as a programmer analyst at Bell Labs I worked for national corporations in marketing I was CEO of international associations for 25 years whose mission was online safety and protection of children I worked with Senate and Congressional staff leading technology corporations and non-profits – all focused on online safety and security At both the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection and the International Foundation for Online Responsibility I in addition spearheaded the development and monitoring of policies and award-winning technology.   I’ve been working as a marketing consultant focused on senior health and services I moved to Redondo in 2007 because I wanted to live in a safe and beautiful beach community Since I traveled 30-60% of the time for work I wanted to live where I could be involved in its responsible growth I visited the Esplanade at sunset – it was enough to nudge me to make the move Current campaign contributors are local community I’ve been involved in the community since participating in Leadership Redondo Class of 2008 and founded “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful.” With my commitment to Redondo I’m an active participant in city council meetings and other community organizations I’ve seen Redondo’s economic and infrastructure decline and felt obligated to be more involved I got so frustrated with the disrespectful behavior of certain city councilmembers toward residents during meetings that I knew I needed to step up to bring civility and common sense back to the governing Economic development: I’m committed to a more business-friendly Redondo Beach that balances economic growth and jobs to ease the tax burden on homeowners (and renters) while keeping the small-town beach vibes South Bay Social District (Galleria) – once the largest contributor to Redondo’s revenue the city government has delayed important revitalization of this project; Artesia Blvd the city government has not taken substantive action to develop a solid plan establishing Artesia as a community hub for shopping and entertainment; AES – lack of due diligence by the city council on decisions regarding AES has resulted in expensive lawsuits and continuous deterioration of the site We need to take pragmatic steps before it is a bigger blight on our community; Redondo Pier – to reduce vacancies and increase revenue for the city the Pier requires more than expensive cosmetic repairs to draw more residents and visitors; Waterfront – council leadership and strong direction are needed to coordinate the relevant agencies involved to create both an attraction and revenue-generator waterfront Redondo Beach city council has a reputation in the South Bay for inefficiency and Brown Act violations which have led to numerous costly lawsuits for the city My leadership will provide more pragmatic and orderly meetings that not only follow regulations but reduce unnecessary litigation My mission is to increase efficiency and make some progress; lack of council member management experience limits wise action; disregard for the knowledge and recommendations of city staff creates delays; in-fighting between ‘reasonable growth’ vs ‘no-growth,’ city council factions undermine any practical decision-making Community Safety and Protection: I support maintaining Redondo’s fire department and of course our own police department – so important to our residents’ peace of mind I voted for Measure FP to fund the renovation of their facilities We need continued support for their community outreach programs such as Neighborhood Watch Happy and Sustainable Living: I’m committed to Redondo as an ideal place to live for residents of all ages I am committed to the principles of maintaining our Blue Zone City as a healthy community and to continued support for senior and recreation centers Best: there are a few good projects –  the BeachLife Festival city resources have been supplemented by resident groups and nonprofits: Leadership Redondo the city council’s delaying tactics and costly inaction have resulted in wasted opportunities:  AES waterfront development,  Artesia Blvd. Short answer: I am running for mayor because I care so much about our city and our quality of life.   I chose to live in Redondo Beach when the Air Force stationed me at L.A Air Force Base in 1989.  I fell in love with the community and left the Air Force so I could stay here I have been fighting for the quality of life of the residents and character of this city for 24 years – from “Heart of the City” in 2000 to Measure C and harbor revitalization We have turned the corner from two decades of stagnation and are gaining positive momentum across the city on more projects and issues than the city has ever tackled.   After my appointment as Mayor I have been in City Hall nearly every single day I was surprised to find my education and experience were valuable in helping staff And being retired from my professional career means I can dedicate the time needed to continue this trajectory After fighting for our quality of life for 24 years I just could not just walk away at this critical time when I can contribute so much Another contributing factor to my decision was the encouragement across the community.  The two councilmembers who voted against my appointment to mayor are now endorsing me.  So is the councilmember who questioned if I would run for mayor during the hearing in which I was appointed.  Despite being on opposite sides of legal battles the city attorney encouraged me to run and has endorsed me It became hard to say no to all those asking me to run What would you like to do/focus on if you are elected I would continue to prioritize and balance resident quality of life against other interests across all of the city I would continue and build the momentum of revitalization across the city without overdevelopment This would include revitalization of our city-owned parks and infrastructure and the expedient execution of the Measure FP bond for our public safety facilities [a new police station and two new fire stations].  It would also focus on economic revitalization of our business districts across the city.  I will work with the city manager to focus on economic development across the city as it is required for fiscal sustainability I have already worked up a strategy with the city manager to build up city staff capacity and expertise in acquisition I would focus on maintaining and improving public safety This would include replacing and refurbishing public safety facilities and infrastructure through Measure FP and state and federal grants;  prioritizing student safety such as crosswalk guards and campus protection and security; enhancing our award-winning homeless program; addressing evolving challenges such as e-bike safety and the proliferation of smoke shops and other undesirable businesses.  I would ensure the city is prepared to respond quickly and assertively to whatever happens in the bankruptcy proceedings at the AES site I would work to maximize wetlands and public parkland on the site I would also focus on eliminating the high power lines along 190th Street.  I would work outside our city to influence grants for our projects And I will continue to pursue the state bill I have drafted and other strategies that would protect our local control of zoning and project approvals I would focus on partnering with other government organizations businesses and non-profits to act as a force-multiplier in improving quality of life and preserve the character of our town.  I will strive to ensure unity and mutual respect on the council and across the community By truly hearing those with different perspectives we can often achieve a better outcome than if those perspectives were simply silenced or rejected.  I have the time to address each of these platform items And my education and professional experience enable me to be a heavy-lifter in bringing these objectives to reality rather than simply tasking staff and adding to their overflowing workloads My platform is much more detailed. Please visit www.jimlightformayor.com for my detailed platform I first moved to the city in 1989 when the Air Force stationed me at LA AFB in El Segundo I chose to live in Redondo Beach because of its unique seaside village character I got out of the Air Force and stayed.    Education:  I have a degree in aerospace engineering and a masters in business administration (MBA) specializing in leadership and strategy I have also become a certified California Naturalist Background and work and why they matter:  I grew up in rural Pennsylvania I applied for and won an Air Force ROTC scholarship at Penn State for a degree in aerospace engineering I served as an officer in the Air Force and worked space programs for most of the 13 years I served I worked in the aerospace industry for another 27 years until my retirement three years ago to building launch pads and related facilities to keeping satellite and launch-related facilities and services up and running In the Air Force I moved up from systems engineer I worked my way from program director to executive leadership and board membership in several start-up companies.  An example of my success:  I developed and executed the strategy for one company to grow from startup to over 400 people.   My education and experience in the Air Force and aerospace industry provide foundational experience and expertise for my role as mayor My education and 40 years of professional experience allow me to understand both the technical and administrative aspects of city projects and efforts and contract/project management of large government contracts as an Air Force officer and as a government contractor.  I have 40 years of experience with setting and executing successful vision and execution at levels from a system engineering level I have demonstrated proven success in effective leadership and delivering results I started on the executive committee for the local South Bay Surfrider Foundation chapter when Bill started South Bay Parkland Conservancy (SBPC) he asked me to be on the founding board of directors I have been on the board ever since and served as president twice I am very proud of the impact SBPC has had on our community in its 20 years – expanding habitat for the endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly reestablishing native plants at Wilderness Park and building Redondo’s first Community Garden.   These projects have engaged literally thousands of Redondo residents we needed a non-profit to tackle overdevelopment issues in the town that was needed for efforts such as Measure DD And we won on two of those initiatives: Measures DD and C.   Service on City Committees and Commissions:  In 2008 and 2009 I was appointed to Mayor Mike Gin’s Citizens’ Growth Management and Traffic Committee I was appointed to the Harbor Commission and served on the commission until I was appointed mayor I served on the General Plan Advisory Committee until it was finished in January 2024.  One thing I learned through the large committees is that when people with diverse perspectives on issues truly listen to one another and in some cases the outcome is better than what any faction would have proposed on their own On all these I used my education and professional experience to “get my hands dirty” by actually drafting entire documents or contributing significant portions of the documents – these documents include the Harbor Amenities Plan and the Open Space and Conservation Element of our General Plan update.  I have made much more progress than I would have thought possible in just 10 months I was able to drive the first unanimous approval of the city budget in over a decade When a resident was threatened by a coyote I found the city could not act without an approved Coyote Management Plan So I consulted with state experts and drafted one.   I also authored the Wilderness Park Master Plan that is being used as a guide to prioritization of projects in the park Mayor Brand had intended that after the Harbor Amenities Plan was finalized the city would create a Harbor Commercial Plan that would dovetail with the Amenities Plan spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and delay progress for two years I drafted a Harbor Commercial Plan based on my 20 years of participation in the public processes in the harbor area.   This plan has been approved with recommendations by the Harbor Commission and will be coming to city council When I asked where the city was with getting funding for an Education Center at the Joe’s Crabshack site I found that all activity stalled once Mayor Brand’s health deteriorated I identified that the Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) was interested in building their facility on a new site and started discussions between the City and MMCC on building their new $25 million facility in our harbor.  Another task I tackled was filling commission vacancies on our commissions which had been neglected as Mayor Brand’s health declined that rather than just refill them I worked with staff to develop a more efficient and effective construct for the commissions was combining four commissions into one and eliminating or reassigning several boards I was concerned that Mayor Brand’s statewide initiative to protect local control of zoning and project approvals had been stalled for several years with no end in sight I briefed our state representatives on how the housing mandates were creating unsustainable fiscal impacts on housing-abundant cities such as Redondo.   They agreed to support a bill if I drafted it to exempt cities like Redondo from the housing mandates.  That first draft has come back from the state legislator’s attorneys and I am starting final coordination with our state legislators and I am building an advocacy briefing to take to Sacramento and to the governor’s office.     I never expected to be doing so much when I accepted the mayoral appointment.  It demonstrates that I am not just a talker or a tasker adding work to overburdened city staff applying my education and years of applicable experience  Because I made the decision to run late I have focused on my campaign and not fundraising I started focusing on fundraising.  My contributors are from people across the community – residents and those I have worked with in the community groups and projects I have worked through the years.    The worst city project in the last 10 years was easily the failed CenterCal mall project.  The project ignored residents violated state law and our own zoning laws will cost us well over $30 million that we will be paying on for decades to come and wasted over a decade of time that could have been spent revitalizing our pier and harbor without overdeveloping it The negative impacts continue to haunt us today.  the best city project in the past ten years is a four-way tie between the city’s homeless program the dining deck/sidewalk dining in Riviera Village Each of these represent major contributions to the community in totally different ways I was overwhelmingly elected to be a city councilmember in 2017 with over 20 years as a Junior Lifeguard instructor I’ve owned and operated a computer business for 25 years providing web services to a variety of clients which focused on our quality of life and produced development projects more in line with our community Working as a Lifeguard and a Junior Lifeguard instructor on our local beaches and beach lifestyle kept me living here and fighting to keep our beach town I do not take campaign contributions or endorsements from anyone who does business with the city such as leaseholders My campaign is powered by contributions from residents and businesses alike As a councilmember for the past eight years I have been extremely successful at finding solutions for issues that we have faced our pension debt was our fastest-rising cost year-over-year By paying off our pension debt for a low-interest bond we are saving over $100+ million over the bond’s life I led the implementation of online services and full transparency in our yearly budget Many of these solutions came from ideas spurned from the relationships I have created and fostered with elected officials outside of the city These success stories give me the energy and motivation to do even more for our city We can do big things and bring success to our city and they have inspired me to be a leader of our awesome little beach town My focus will be on preparing us for the World Cup and Olympics and executing the many infrastructure projects that we have planned Using the success that I have had in the Riviera Village as a model I see significant opportunities for growth in our Harbor I wanted to bring a startup mentality to the way our city was run That mentality brought us online permitting resulting in record revenues and a record number of construction permits being issued The best city project has been the King Harbor Amenities Plan This Plan included a location for the boat ramp which led to a unanimous city council approval and a subsequent design/build contract.  This was a first in the history of Redondo Beach This Plan also led to the utilization of the $10 million grant from the state to rebuild the Seaside Lagoon which also had its planning process completed because of the King Harbor Amenities Plan the Plan called for the revitalization of the International Boardwalk which had a major portion of the Plan completed this year with the new pavers on the boardwalk we can look back and see that the harbor waterfront retail project cost the city millions of dollars with a supposed partner that resorted to costly legal warfare against this community The outcome was something that this community has only recently healed from with the Harbor only now producing near-record revenue for the city with multiple public improvement projects coming online. ER I hope that any new leadership and for that matter old leadership takes some real leadership to solve the out of control illegal truck traffic traversing Palos Verdes Blvd totally impacting hundreds of residence Quality of Life Easy Reader News & Peninsula Magazine is your trusted source for hyperlocal news and stories from the South Bay and Palos Verdes Peninsula Stay informed—get the top local stories delivered straight to your inbox Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Legal Notices It’s a system in which voters get to pick multiple candidates for an office instead of just one Voters rank candidates in order of preference (first choice the candidate in last place gets eliminated and voters who chose that candidate as their first choice have their second-choice candidate counted instead Redondo Beach voters approved the use of ranked-choice voting in March 2023 and this is the first election in which it’s being used A mail-in-only election: Not only is Tuesday’s election introducing a new voting system but it’s being conducted entirely through vote-by-mail ballots but it'll be a while before they all arrive at the city clerk's office and get counted The city plans to release results March 13 — With the 2025 Homeless Count underway across Los Angeles County the city of Redondo Beach says it has a system for homelessness with proven results Redondo Beach became the first city in the South Bay to reach what it calls functional zero street homelessness which essentially means for every person who's falling into homelessness Reaching 18 years old is a milestone for Cash who's finally legally considered an adult now but he said he's never quite felt like a kid “My dad left me and my sister in my step mom when I was young and then my mom actually overdosed and passed away when I was in fourth grade," Cash explained as he rode his skateboard He said he never got into drugs or alcohol after what happened to his mom but did find himself riding with the wrong crowds trying to fit in and when he turned 16 his step mom and step dad no longer wanted him to live with them.  It's how he ended up at this pallet shelter in Redondo Beach Cash said he couch surfed with friends for as long as he could “The first couple days of being here was pretty hard," Cash said "Just because I've been misplaced so many times And I've always got that same sad feeling every time I get misplaced or I'm not with my family.” He said the first few days at the pallet shelter were filled with tears until he realized he finally felt support.  Lila Omura is the city of Redondo Beach's homeless housing navigator She brought Cash to the shelter when she got a call from his counselor at Redondo Union High School She said she knew there wasn't much time to intervene “There's no way I could move him to a shelter in South Central LA And he is out of his community," she said Omura has spent years connecting with homeless people in hotspots around Redondo Beach but also serving as a confidant who they eventually learn to trust As she prepares for another homeless count to get a pulse on where the city stands in the crisis, Omura said having the flexibility as well as the pallet shelter to bring the population when they're ready It goes hand-in-hand with their homeless court It's a program that brings the justice system into the community to meet homeless people where they are “[My supervisors] helped create our own pallet shelter where they can stay in case management and eventually get housed," Omura explained I have clients that may have a background and if they work with the homeless court Cash said he feels confident that he won't become another statistic San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and LA4Assange&FreePress for our weekly Ceasefire NOW Rally in front of the SouthBay Galleria No Business Usual until a Ceasefire is called in Palestine Bring you signs and banners to amplify #Ceasefire CODEPINK is a non-profit charity with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in the United States Our Tax Identification Number is 26-2823386 The Fox Den feels like a place where an older Don Draper would fit right in The Fox Den opened in early February 2025 at the southern edge of Redondo Beach offering beachgoers and locals a comfortable place to gather for easygoing drinks and vibes the owners of Hermosa Beach’s Fox and Farrow and the adjacent Underground Located in the former Pats II space the transformation into the Fox Den took two years to complete Weiss described Fox and Farrow to designer Sage Allard as the type of place Don Draper would call “spectacular” if he woke up in 2025 Allard took Weiss’s concept and ran with it with clusters of oversized round velvet chairs in between black leather seats that might have been in an airport back in Draper’s day The entryway walls are lined with fake fur a nod to the popularity of fur coats in the ’70s and Barbie dolls are affixed to the restroom doors House cocktails include an easy-drinking Gin Gypsy and Luxardo cherry into a drink reminiscent of a boozy push-pop; and The Han Solo such as a Hop Saint pale ale and El Segundo’s Mayberry IPA The wine selection offers sparkling choices some California Sauvignon Blancs and other white wines and a handful of Paso Robles and Central Coast reds With Fox and Farrow focused more on wine and Underground appealing to more of a late-night sports bar crowd the Fox Den’s thoughtful cocktail menu sets it apart from Weiss’s other establishments “The vibe is nice but not pretentious,” says Weiss Situated within walking distance of both the beach and other restaurants in Redondo Beach’s Riviera Village Weiss imagines the Fox Den can serve as a place to both start and end evenings — it’s easy to park and access a bevy of stellar restaurants that range in cuisine and price “This is an amazing neighborhood,” Weiss says and is located at 1312 Pacific Coast Highway a two-and-a-half-acre park of native plants is coming to the land under the powerlines just up from the AES plant on the hill where city officials held a ceremony to mark the shutdown of the power plant on New Year’s Eve “I was ecstatic when I got the news yesterday,” said Mayor Jim Light who announced it at the city council meeting Tuesday night “We were bogged down in nitpicky design details.”  The city has a current five-year lease for the park acreage by the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and 190th Street.  no development will take place inside a 50-foot radius of the bases The pedestrian park will consist of a walking path and native plants – the ground landscaped to appear as it looked before European/American settlers arrived The list of plants was developed by South Bay Parkland Conservancy He and the late Mayor Bill Brand first proposed a park on the SCE ground 15 years ago in public comment at city council meetings “This is phase one of my vision for the area as a Green Belt to the Sea,” Light said The powerlines will remain in place for the foreseeable future without a formal AES request,” said Diane Castro The small park will go in just east and up the hill from the 51-acre power plant site Light and many others have sought to become parkland as well Development of the new 2.5-acre park – the cost partially-covered by a state grant – will now begin the city process to choose a contractor to build it. ER I guess that’s a thing of the past with Jim Light at the helm and while residents are still paying for those lawsuits he wants us to fund a park at the AES plant to realize his one and only “vision” for the City will get the contract to landscape the park with City money that goes through South Bay Parkland Conservancy (Jim Light founder and President) but the design was done long before I was Mayor And SCE has constraints on what you can do under their wires So other than the plant palette and how the path meandered (to meet ADA requirements) the city had little say SBPC will not get the construction contract The city will be putting out an RFP for a contractor who can do it all I have much more of a vision than a Greenbelt to the Sea, though I am not sure why you would dislike that one. Read the Wilderness Park Master Plan. Read the harbor Amenities Plan. Read the Pier and Harbor Commercial Plan. And look at my platform on http://www.jimlightformayor.com Why not remove all the AES industrial materials Both sides of the table want it gone: the community to remove the eye soar and the developers in hopes to develop a mix use property it will take years and if the community is lucky to have more greenery then we will have to pay for it So why not pay to clear the ugliness now instead of living with it 2025A police chase began at a DUI checkpoint in Redondo Beach and ended in gunfire in Hawthorne (KABC) -- A police chase began Friday night at a DUI checkpoint in Redondo Beach and ended in gunfire in Hawthorne the pursuit began when the suspect fled from the checkpoint Hawthorne police officers became involved during the chase according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department The location is near Hawthorne Memorial Park on El Segundo Boulevard and Prairie Avenue Authorities did not immediately release more details about the shooting including confirmation of who opened fire and whether anyone was injured Officials confirmed that the sheriff's Homicide Bureau was assisting in the investigation King Harbor Yacht Club’s annual Thursday night Twilight (sailboat) races season returned to the South Bay April 10 The weekly one-hour races continue through September.  the Trans-Harbor Spinnaker Series began for 2025 with 47 boats racing a 22-mile route between Marina Del Rey and King Harbor South Bay Parkland Conservancy will hold its annual Earth Day event Saturday featuring more than 20 local organizations and environmental groups for crafts and activities and live music from local high school performers.  a seminar on monarch butterflies and habitat restoration.  The Rotary Club of Redondo Beach held its “South Bay Film Festival,” Friday The event spotlighted old movies filmed locally as well as a contest for new shorts from student filmmakers “Welcome to the hopefully-first annual South Bay Film Festival,” said Michael Stark from the stage a then 11-year-old kid with other barefoot skateboarders in the 1965 short film “Skaterdater” – considered the first skateboarding movie – answered a few of Stark’s questions from the audience after the film showed.  “The surf wasn’t all that good all of the time so we started skateboarding,” Anderson said to Stark’s question of why they skated barefoot “What we were trying to do was become better surfers.”  Anderson was part of the kids’ Imperial Skateboard Club in Torrance “Skaterdater” won the Palme D’Or for Best Short Film at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival I’m still living a great life in the South Bay,” Anderson said.  Last week’s South Bay festival featured the 1990 movie “Men at Work,” filmed entirely in Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach Actor Geoff Blake was the evening’s special guest Rotary member Nancy Langdon co-chaired the event “It was just a real privilege to celebrate cinema of the South Bay and we hope to do it again,” she said.  the Redondo Beach Police Department is actively looking for drivers in violation of the state’s hands-free cell phone law during “Distracted Driving Awareness Month.” Drivers are prohibited in California from holding a phone or electronic communications device Violating the hands-free law for a second time within 36 months of a previous conviction means a point added to a driver’s record.  “Staying focused behind the wheel is something we can all do,” Redondo Beach Police Traffic Investigator Bijan Pirsaheli said “Distracted Driving Awareness Month is an important reminder that even a moment of inattention or a quick glance at a phone can lead to serious consequences stay alert and help us keep our roads safe.”  a total of 148 people were killed in distracted driving traffic crashes in California.  this is likely under-reported because law enforcement officers cannot always tell if distraction was a factor in a crash.  “A milestone day for former Redondo teacher” left out part of Esther Weber’s teaching background She taught grades first through sixth at Tulita Elementary in Redondo Beach for the last part of her career which spanned the ‘50s to the early ‘90s. ER 2025 at 1:07 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Jim Light is running for Redondo Beach Mayor (Courtesy of Jim LIght)REDONDO BEACH CA — Current Redondo Beach Mayor Jim Light is running for reelection in the city's general election on March 4 Light was appointed Mayor by the Redondo Beach City Council on Feb. 20, 2024 to serve the remainder of Mayor Bill Brand's term after he passed away Light has held many public offices including in the Citizens’ Growth Management and Traffic Committee Harbor Commission and General Plan Advisory Committee Learn more about Light and his goals for Redondo Beach: https://jimlightformayor.com/ Penn State – Aerospace Engineering on a USAF ROTC scholarship I have been fighting for resident Quality of Life and the character of our city for 24 years I gained insight I could not have known before The city is at a very critical time in its history So much is going on that City staff is overburdened There are once in a lifetime opportunities and threats lining up I have the time and the experience to help staff and the Council navigate this critical time After 24 years of dedication and commitment I care too much about the city to simply step down and walk away now What is the most pressing issue that Redondo Beach faces in your opinion and what do you intend to do about it if elected REVITALIZING WITHOUT OVERDEVELOPMENT - The most pressing issue facing the City and its residents today is revitalizing without overdevelopment We have finally turned the corner after two decades of stagnation and have gained momentum in revitalization but there are major threats to overcome as well State mandates are threatening the fiscal sustainability of the city Overdevelopment of housing overlayed on top of our business districts is net negative for our General Fund Revitalization of our harbor and other business districts without overdevelopment is critical to the budget as well we have the opportunity or threat presented by the bankruptcy proceedings on the AES property I support the statewide initiative by Our Neighborhood Voices to stop the state housing mandates they’ve yet to be able to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot I am working with state legislators on a bill that would exempt housing abundant cities like Redondo from the mandates based on objective criteria demonstrating density and diversity of housing I have been working with two non-profits to document the wetlands on the site and since being Mayor I have been participating in discussions and strategies related to the bankruptcy case That is one of the reasons our current City Attorney is endorsing me As to broader revitalization without overdevelopment – as a Harbor Commissioner I participated in the drafting of the Harbor Amenities Plan Former Mayor Brand always intended to develop a commercial strategy that would dovetail with the Amenities Plan but his illness prevented him from accomplishing that objective rather than waste the time and money for a consultant I drafted a commercial plan for the harbor and pier based on my 20 years of participation in public workshops and meetings on the area That plan has been through the Harbor Commission who heartily endorsed it with recommendations for minor changes It will be coming to the City Council next The plan would make up for the loss of Joe’s crab shack and theformer Samba’s and add about 75,000 square feet of commercial space plus a hotel on Pier Plaza I support the Aviation and Artesia Corridors Area Plan (AACAP) and intend to ensure it is incorporated into our General Plan update and then executed once it is official I will ensure the Cultural Arts Commission prioritizes the art program and monies targeted for Artesia Blvd I will advocate for a similar corridor plan on the PCH corridor I will support and continue the efforts of the City to expand city parking along Artesia and in Riviera Village as parking is one of the impediments to the long-term health of these business districts the harbor department and economic development department were consolidated into the Waterfront and Economic Development Department but it was cut to three staff (actually to two staff for a while) and with all the projects in the harbor none of the staff have time to dedicate to economic development elsewhere in the city I will push to ensure that with a fourth person being added now that at least one employee is dedicated to retaining key current businesses and attracting businesses that will buoy up other businesses and increase city revenues I have found that due to attrition city staff has lost strong acquisition and expeditiously moving all our critical city projects forward I have worked with the City Manager to ensure that as we fill current vacancies the City targets candidates who are strong in these areas I am working with the City Manager and Pepperdine to create a custom training curriculum for our existing staff in these critical areas The City executes revitalization more quickly and staff build their resumes for future growth What are the major differences between you and the other candidates What issues are close to your heart and how will you address them if elected What is the best advice anyone has ever shared with you my teacher was trying to prop up a cardboard mounted poster for a lesson I kept getting up and wedging it back up with blackboard erasers and other nearby objects That simple phrase has stayed with me ever since That statement is behind my 24-year fight to preserve and enhance our quality of life and character of the city through the wins and losses We simply do not value the impact of our educators and mentors enough I have other examples of the impacts of teachers and mentors but this one was foundational to everything after That is why I am so committed to including students in our city government and partnering with our great school district. What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions I think it telling that the two Councilmembers who voted against my appointment to Mayor are now endorsing me the Councilmember who questioned if I were going to run for Mayor is also endorsing my run for Mayor City Attorney Mike Webb and I were on the opposite side of two lawsuits I believe my dedication to the position; my accomplishments during the past 11 months; my balanced and respectful approach to working with the Council and those with different perspectives on issues; and my application of my training and professional experience to moving issues and project forward have won over many who were skeptical of how I would operate as Mayor (CNS) -- A person suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound Sunday morning in Redondo Beach Sunday to a reported shooting in the 2700 block of Vanderbilt Lane located a person suffering from a gunshot wound Terrence Stevens of the Redondo Beach Police Department Paramedics transported the victim to a hospital "Detectives are actively investigating the incident Preliminary findings suggest that this was an isolated event," he said "There is no known ongoing threat to the public." Redondo Beach police urged anyone with information about the shooting to call them at 310-379-2477, ext. 3652. Callers who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or send tips to lacrimestoppers.org The House Judiciary Committee has advanced a measure that seeks to add aggravating factors for jurors to consider when deciding whether to hand down a death penalty sentence The committee passed the bill 20-0 and it will now head to the House floor Miami Republican Rep. Mike Redondo introduced legislation (HB 693) that would require jurors to consider certain aggravating factors in capital crimes cases which include whether the crime was committed during a school event or activity “The purpose of HB 693 is to expressly include an additional aggravating factor which essentially would allow the jury to include that if the capital crime was committed essentially in a place where more than one person was gathered for either a school activity religious activity or public government meeting that would be an express aggravating factor that the jury can consider,” Redondo said Orlando Democratic Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis asked Redondo to define what would constitute a religious activity “It’s not something that is expressly defined; that’s something that the jury would consider based on the circumstances that are presented in the case,” Redondo said in his response “I’ve had some questions about that there are clear examples where that would apply God forbid there’s a school shooting that takes place in a school or some type of shooting or other capital felony that occurs within a church Redondo noted that the bill would require at least eight jurors out of 12 to agree to hand down a death sentence before it can be done further adding that a prayer group or bible study group held in a private home or on non-church grounds would be a religious activity and could be considered by a jury as an aggravating factor Joe Harmon, representing the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops telling the committee that a life sentence would be a harsh enough punishment “We agree that these terrible and tragic crimes are gravely evil we agree also that the state has a duty to punish offenders and protect society,” Harmon said we oppose the bill because it expands the death penalty there’s good reason to doubt the deterrence effect when we have seen in so many cases the perpetrator is a deeply disturbed individual who intends to die in the act.” Harmon noted that some executions have not been successful and that it would cost the state more than a life sentence “We urge that death is not a good tool of justice in our society life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is already a severe punishment which also protects the public,” Harmon said “In Florida the practice of the death penalty has involved the state in erroneous convictions and it costs the state far more than life imprisonment the dignity of the human person is not lost even after the commission of grave evil.” the scene of a deadly school shooting in 2018 by an ex-student that left 17 people dead supported the bill and recounted how he thought the jury in the case “got it wrong.” “I’m a graduate of Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School I was there the day of the shooting within about 30 minutes I was on the City Commission in Coral Springs at the time about half of the student body comes from my city,” Daley said … As I sat there and watched the verdict come back for the shooter in the Douglas case The fact that he’ll get to live out his life in a jail cell when 17 lives were taken viciously One reason we don’t create numbers to number people..and the dangers that they bring to the country folks This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL © Copyright by Extensive-Enterprises 2025. All rights reserved. STAFF LOGIN LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. The Redondo Beach Unified School District is asking voters to approve a property tax increase to fund $278 million in renovation and repair projects. At least 55% of voters need to approve Measure S for it to pass. Official title on the ballot: Redondo Beach School Repair/Student Safety Measure. A "yes" vote means: The district can borrow $278 million to construct new buildings, repair and renovate existing public schools. A "no" vote means: The district cannot borrow $278 million to construct new buildings, repair and renovate existing public schools. The Redondo Beach Unified School District serves about 9,500 students across 15 schools. RBUSD is seeking bond funding to repair and replace leaky roofs, deteriorating plumbing and sewer systems, outdated heating and cooling systems, portable classrooms, upgrade classrooms and technology, and make security improvements. A bond is basically a loan that a school district takes out, and which property owners in that school district pay back through property taxes. If at least 55% of voters approve Measure S, the Redondo Beach Unified School District can issue up to $278 million in bonds to finance specific school facilities projects. The district told LAist in a survey that the top three priorities are: "The average age of Redondo Beach USD schools is over 70 years old," wrote Deputy Superintendent Annette Alpern. "Older facilities are impacting student instruction." The district estimates the bond would cost property owners that live within the school district's boundaries an average of $29.95 per $100,000 of assessed value each year. There’s also a possibility that Redondo Beach schools could get additional state funding if Prop. 2 passes. Districts cannot spend bond money on employee salaries and are required to commission independent audits of bond spending. If the state and local measures fail, the need for funding will remain. When California voters approved the creation of the lottery, the law required 34 cents of every dollar to fund education. In 2010 lawmakers changed the rules giving the lottery the mandate to “maximize” funding for education. Critics of bonds often say the cost to property owners is too high and question why school districts with declining enrollment need money for construction when they’re serving fewer students. “We think bond financing has its place, but it should be judicious because it raises property taxes at the local level,” said Susan Shelley, HJTA’s vice president of communications. The Association has not taken a position on specific local bonds other than LAUSD’s $9 billion Measure US (no) and on Prop. 2 (also no). Shelley said voters weighing school bonds should carefully consider how the school spent previous bond funding and the plans for future projects. “You should have confidence that the priorities are right,” Shelley said. “And if they're not, say no and make [the district] come back to you with a better plan.” No individual or group submitted an argument opposing the bond to the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder. State law lays out several accountability measures for local school district bonds, including: While districts identify projects that could benefit from improvements, that list is not a guarantee of which projects will be funded. There are often years of community meetings, design, and permitting between the passage of a bond and the start of construction, though minor renovation projects could be completed sooner. A bond is basically a loan. 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Print Good morning Here’s what you need to know to start your day Redondo Beach marked an achievement recently as the South Bay Cities Council of Governments declared the local municipality had achieved “functional zero” for homelessness in the first six months of 2024 Broadly, that means the services in place to get people off the streets are helping a greater number of people than are entering homelessness in the city of nearly 68,000 people But the official term has a more specific definition (more on that below) The milestone is noteworthy, as Times senior writer Doug Smith recently reported. the city … has dropped from 11th to 51st among [Los Angeles] county’s 56 cities that had homeless people,” Doug wrote citing a newsroom analysis of homeless count data Doug notes that the South Bay Cities Council of Governments’ declaration is “an informal claim.” Redondo Beach’s key metric differs from the one developed by the national nonprofit Community Solutions through its Built for Zero program designed to indicate “that homelessness is measurably rare and brief for a population.” A bike path in Redondo Beach photographed on March 26, 2020. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) According to the group, reaching functional zero “means that the number of people experiencing homelessness at any time does not exceed the community’s proven record of housing at least that many people in a month.” Built for Zero measures success by how many unhoused people enter some form of permanent housing rather than temporary solutions like shelter beds The South Bay Cities Council of Governments consulted with Beth Sandor “It requires a city to move people off the streets into shelter or housing in a median of 90 days and to have more people leaving homelessness than falling into it.” Redondo Beach has had success in getting unsheltered people off the streets but not changing everyone’s status from unhoused to housed It’s an important distinction to make as local state and federal governments pour billions into reducing the homelessness crisis But even with that broader definition, the city is making clear progress in reducing unsheltered homelessness in California, where roughly half of all unsheltered people in the U.S. live A report from State Auditor Grant Parks back in April found that most unsheltered people in the state placed into temporary housing — overwhelmingly emergency shelters — do not move on to permanent housing Officials began laying the groundwork even before the local “functional zero” goal was set in 2022 That included a concerted move away from petty-crime arrests in the form of a monthly homeless court “The city built a village of 20 tiny homes leased five rooms in a single room occupancy hotel formed relationships with the home sharing nonprofit SHARE Collaborative Housing and low-income housing provider Soul Housing,” Doug explained state and federal grants and donations from service providers The city now leases 18 SRO units and is adding 25 tiny homes.” But the act of getting someone off the street isn’t a result solely of city policy or funds; it also requires compassionate tenacious face-to-face work by a group of housing navigators Doug followed one of them, Lila Omura, as she reached out to people sleeping outside and tried to connect them with services. You can read more about her tireless effort in Doug’s story Lila Omura, left, shares a light moment with Vietnam veteran Wesley Hesson, 78, who she found living homeless in Veterans Park in Redondo Beach on Oct. 15. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) If functional zero sounds familiar, that may be because I wrote about it earlier this year Kern County and its largest city Bakersfield achieved that milestone in early 2020 But in that case they met the Built for Zero standard meaning people were exiting homelessness and finding permanent housing at an equal or greater rate than those entering homelessness But Kern County’s success didn’t last long, thanks in part to housing costs, shifting city leadership and a global pandemic. Still it showed what’s possible when local or regional programs are able to match the need with the right data, resources and a focus on permanent housing. “There are excellent programs providing excellent services that people need,” Sandor told me in an interview last year. “The question is: Is all of that work adding up to fewer people experiencing homelessness this month than last month?” Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) at the Republican National Convention in July Gaetz resigned from Congress on Wednesday after President-elect Trump nominated him for attorney general (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Trump nominated Matt Gaetz as his attorney general Here’s the latest on the incoming Trump administration Why did some homes survive the Mountain fire and others perished Los Angeles hopes to transform wastewater into clean drinking water for about 250,000 people public schools will also include smart watches Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here. (Courtesy of Zhang Shumei) China’s queer influencers thrive despite growing censorship. Amid China’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights queer influencers are using creative strategies subtle hashtags and coded language to stay one step ahead of social media censors and provide much-needed support to the community How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. jewelry and other handcrafted wares during the winter season at the holiday markets in Los Angeles (Los Angeles Times photo illustration; photo credit: Heather Levine Theo Moreno writes: “It will be 60 years old this coming summer but Bob Dylan’s song ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ still knocks me over with its brave statement of self every time I hear it it is a masterpiece by the wordsmith supreme of our time It never fails to give me a dose of courage Feel free to email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com and your response might be included in the newsletter this week Nancy Pelosi won election as leader of the House Democratic minority on Nov becoming the first woman to head a party in either chamber of Congress “After the vote, Pelosi basked in the gender precedent Democrats had just set,” Times reporter Nick Anderson wrote at the time “As a reporter attempted to break into her remarks with a question she cut him off gleefully: ‘I’m not finished yet Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com. we are discussing the madness that occurred at the Ft Lauderdale Pro Swim Ledecky’s world record in the 800 free proves that age is seemingly just a number for her but it also makes the Rio 2016 swim she beat out more memorable Marchand has a few areas of improvement to work on if he hopes to return to his Paris form at the World Championships this summer in Singapore having tight battles in both the 200 and 400 IM but ultimately touching 2nd in both Cal Bear and Mexican swimmer Humberto Najera took down a pair of national records in the men’s backstroke events March 24th, 2025 News A former high school swim coach in California has been arrested for burglary in Ada County Sean Masi, 22, was arrested by Idaho State Police on March 21 on three counts of commercial burglary – 1st offense He was booked at Ada County and was released on bond Masi previously worked as an assistant swim coach at Redondo Union High School (RUHS) in Redondo Beach, Calif., and was fired in May 2023 shortly after raising a SafeSport concern about a fellow assistant coach on the Redondo swim team staff Masi filed a Labor lawsuit against the Redondo Beach Unified School District in March 2024 The case was then moved to federal court and was officially dismissed with prejudice in December who also worked as an assistant coach with the Surfside Swim Team in California previously attended El Camino College in Torrance and transferred to Boise State for the 2023-24 academic year He is currently listed as a member of the Boise State Student Philanthropy Board Masi also worked as the coach of the Boise State club swim team during the 2023-24 season three counts of commercial burglary as a first-time offense are each considered a misdemeanor Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Look up The Arbiter article- he was fired from ASBSU after just weeks he doesn’t do anything that he says he did If his lips are moving – he’s LYING he will be a Dateline special in the next few years Got it so one thing erases all the good things a person has done Fyi…certain jobs do their due diligence to ensure linkedin info is accurate The fact that so many people at Redondo still supported/believed him beyond his firing and agreed with his badmouthing and victim playing…you have no idea the bs he spread and the effect it had on the school/team/families/swimmers The swimmers tried to support SM and the school threatened them Also the other teams in the area fired their coaches with questionable past behavior because of him when a federal court dismisses a case with prejudice More from James SutherlandSee All Subscribe to our newsletter and receive our latest updates 2025 at 12:46 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Countywide there are some 400 participating restaurants representing 30 global cuisines Redondo Beach: The region's twice-annual Dine LA Restaurant Week returned Friday with special menus — and prices — at hundreds of local restaurants over the next 15 days The lineup includes five eateries in Redondo Beach offering special prix fixe lunch and/or dinner menus at a range of price points from $15 to $65+ “You can get anything from tacos to Thai food to a Michelin-rated meal,” Stacey Sun executive director of Dine LA told the Los Angeles Daily News “Dine LA provides a way for people to explore new neighborhoods and go to that restaurant that’s always been on your list.” As the region recovers from the recent wildfires Dine LA producer LA Tourism will donate $5 to the American Red Cross for each reservation made through the Dine LA website This season's event features five Redondo Beach restaurants with options from Pizza to Vietnamese food: For a full list of participating restaurants, their menus and to make reservations, visit Dine LA's website. MYNORTHWEST NEWS (Photo courtesy of Salty’s Seafood Grills) BY FRANK SUMRALL The property housing the once-iconic, now-shuttered waterfront restaurant, Salty’s Seafood Grills at Redondo Beach the property is being sold by Salty’s Seafood Grills Waterfront for $7.9 million More PNW-based food: Beacon Hill eatery among NY Times’ 50 best US restaurants of 2024 which has stood as a community landmark from 1928 until it closed its doors in 2020 was known for having some of the best views of the Olympic Mountains where diners can enjoy a front-row seat to the changing tides vibrant sunsets and the occasional sailboat drifting by,” real estate firm Kidder Mathews stated regarding the property the view of the mountains adds a breathtaking backdrop to the dining experience.” The restaurant closed its doors in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic Despite promises that the closure was temporary More store closures in WA: Walgreens to close 1,200 U.S. stores Additional details about the property can be found in a PDF version of a brochure here Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here 2025 at 12:20 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}According to the South Coast Air Quality Management District the wildfires blazing through multiple areas are producing damaging smoke that can cause burning eyes Eaton and Hurst fires ravage Los Angeles County health officials warned Redondo Beach residents about unhealthy air quality caused by smoke According to the South Coast Air Quality Management District People with respiratory or heart conditions children and the elderly are at higher risk and could experience more severe effects such as difficulty breathing Wildfire smoke is a mixture of small particles gases and water vapor and can pose health risks “Predicting where ash or soot from a fire will travel so it's important for everyone to stay aware of the air quality in your area and take action to protect your health and your family's health," said Muntu Davis and those with heart or lung conditions or weakened immune systems.” As of Wednesday morning multiple fires were decimating LA County from the coast to Pasadena two people have been killed and tens of thousands of people have been evacuated 2025 at 12:46 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Redondo Beach police will be focused on looking for distracted drivers through April CA — Redondo Beach police will be focused on looking for signs of distracted driving across the city throughout April according to a public service announcement by the department April is considered Distracted Driving Awareness Month according to the Redondo Beach Police Department a month-long campaign aimed at educating people about the dangers of checking your phone adjusting the radio or eating while driving "Staying focused behind the wheel is something we can all do,” Redondo Beach Police Traffic Investigator Bijan Pirsaheli said “Distracted Driving Awareness Month is an important reminder that even a moment of inattention or a quick glance at the phone can lead to serious consequences Distracted driving is not only risky; it is deadly stay alert and help us keep our roads safe.” In California, it is illegal to hold a phone or electronic device while driving, even when stopped at a red light, according to the Redondo Beach Police Department. Drivers caught violating the law may be fined $20 for a first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense, according to California law Police recommend drivers take the following precautions to create a safer environment while in traffic: Why did Redondo Beach adopt ranked choice voting Ballots are tallied by counting votes in “rounds,” incorporating voters’ second- and third-choice picks until a winner gets more than 50% of the vote There’s no need for a separate runoff election which means cities save money and election seasons are shorter Redondo Beach voters approved the use of ranked choice voting in 2023 Exit polls showed that 83% of voters found the process easy to navigate and turnout was consistent with the city’s last round of municipal elections in 2023 About 61% of surveyed voters said they liked ranked choice voting while 25% said they disliked it and 13% had no opinion Why it matters: A growing number of cities and states are considering ranked choice voting The more data we have about its use and whether voters like it the better we can gauge whether this voting system is worth trying to find out who was elected in Redondo Beach 2025 at 10:00 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}As the 2025 General Municipal Election nears here's all you need to know about what's on your ballot in Redondo Beach CA — Redondo Beach's 2025 General Municipal Election will take place on Tuesday and residents will weigh in on a variety of races and measures Redondo Beach became the first city in Los Angeles County to adopt ranked choice voting Redondo Beach Voters passed a measure to adopt instant runoff voting and the City Council chose to use ranked choice voting for the 2025 election Ranked choice voting will be used to elect the Mayor Ranked choice voting will not be used in the elections for the Board of Education Instead of choosing just one candidate in each race voters will be able to rank up to six candidates officials only look at voters' first choices and if a candidate has enough votes the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated Voters who ranked the eliminated candidate first would have their votes go to their next choice The process continues until a candidate has more than half of the votes There are five candidates running for Mayor of Redondo Beach, including current Mayor Jim Light. Light was appointed Mayor by the Redondo Beach City Council on Feb. 20, 2024 to serve the remainder of Mayor Bill Brand's term after he died Light's challengers include current District 1 council member Nils Nehrenheim small business owners Joan Irvine and Jeff Ginsburg and writer/artist Georgette Gantner To read each candidate's statement or qualifications, visit the city's website. See also: Redondo Beach residents living in the first City Council district will choose between three candidates: Darin King Redondo Beach residents living in the second City Council district will choose between two candidates: Chadwick Castle and Louis Burke In Redondo Beach's fourth City Council district voters will choose between incumbent candidate Zein Obagi voters will choose between Senior Deputy City Prosecutor Joy Ford and Senior Trial Attorney Steve Colin There are three open seats on the Redondo Beach Unified School District Board of Education with three candidates running Dan Elder and Rachel Nemeth are all candidates in the School Board race Here is the official language of Measure RB as it appears on the ballot for the March 4 general election: The Redondo Beach General Municipal Election is a vote by mail only election Residents should have received their vote by mail packets and ballots and must drop them into ballot boxes at various locations throughout the city by 8 p.m Redondo Beach residents can find 24-hour access vote-by-mail ballot boxes at the following locations: Ballots may be dropped into the ballot box at the City Clerk's Office at 415 Diamond St. Not sure if you’re registered to vote, or need to change your address? You can find out here and make any changes you may need, as well. Redondo Beach residents need to register to vote by Feb Early election returns indicate the city of Redondo Beach will be getting a new police station and two new fire stations after voters approved Measure FP by a 71% margin Nov A major school facilities bond also passed and voters turned back a Beach Cities Health District bond which would have torn down the former South Bay Hospital and funded other work at its Redondo Beach campus Measure RB was approved – to amend the city charter to strengthen local land use decision-making  – and Measure SD to remove the ban on compensation for school board members who were paid $250 per month for expenses before the city charter language against it was brought to light last year.               Measure FP’s margin exceeded the required two-thirds threshold The bond provides $93 million to fund the new stations very happy for the students of Redondo Beach and super-grateful to the community for their continued support,” said Raymur Flinn Redondo Unified School District board president. “Now the hard work begins and forming a citizen’s bond oversight committee.” Early returns showed voter turnout for the measures ranged from 49% to 53% of Redondo’s 48,935 registered voters as of right now,” said City Clerk Eleanor Manzano Wednesday morning “All of the ballots dropped off in the boxes have not been counted.” Measure SD’s approval follows a series of discussions by the school board on the matter The board voted to end its pay last year and subsequently put this bond before voters.  “I think we can stop talking about this and move on it was so a board can receive health benefits,” she said referring to a question of whether the charter language prevented that “(Now) they can receive what any school boardmember can receive in the state of California.”   The board will have to decide whether or not to reinstate the payments.  Measure BC would have funded the demolition of the former South Bay Hospital as well as build open space and a parking lot on the BCHD campus Since BC was so small financially compared to the other bonds the voters sent a message to BCHD that even if inexpensive they disagreed with taxpayers funding allcove and tearing down the hospital building I wonder if BCHD will bother to listen to the voters Print Can any team defeat No We’ll find out this week as the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be held in Southern Section Division 1 Edison will take the first chance against Mira Costa in the quarterfinals on Tuesday The other matchups have Santa Margarita facing Los Alamitos Redondo Union taking on San Marcos and San Juan Hills playing JSerra 12 high school teams featured in GameChanger ad, including Millikan, Orange Lutheran, St. Joseph, Ontario Christian, Corona, SO Notre Dame, Calabasas. https://t.co/iCr6UnkgN7 Redondo Union has the only win against Mira Costa this season The championships will be Saturday at Long Beach City College Beach Volleyball: 2025 @CIFLACS Playoff Bracket For Friday's Team Championships Is Live. #1 Venice, #2 Chatsworth, #3 Taft & #4 San Pedro Were Top 4 Seeds. Play Begins 11am At Santa Monica Beach. pic.twitter.com/EHltAvre95 The City Section will hold its beach championships on Friday at Santa Monica State Beach. Venice is seeded No. 1 in the 16-team field. This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com. Eric Sondheimer is the prep sports columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He has been honored seven times by the California Prep Sportswriters Assn. for best prep sports column. Espresso & bakes squared milk bread loaves and serves Caffe Luxxe coffee drinks in the South Bay If you buy something from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy Bread, Espresso & opened its first American outpost on January 30 in Redondo Beach and pastries with Caffe Luxxe-fueled coffee drinks First opened in Tokyo’s chic Omotesando neighborhood in 2009 the bakery expanded to 37 locations across Japan on the popularity of its mou a buttery loaf made of milk bread shaped into a satisfying cube The mou is sold as a larger loaf or baked into smaller sizes that are then split into sandwiches stuffed with various fillings like tuna and cheese Espresso &’s arrival in the South Bay could mark the start of a greater movement of Japanese bakery and coffee chains into the U.S Espresso &’s pillowy dough gets used for a frosting-topped cinnamon roll shaped into chocolate powder or matcha-topped buns or laden with butter for a piping hot French toast served in a cast iron skillet Sandwiches include honey ham with potato salad Those wanting a more complete breakfast situation can order a plate that brings together hot toast The chain brought its executive chef Sakurai Tadatsugu to Los Angeles to oversee the opening and ensure the same quality one would expect to find in Japan The chef tells Eater he uses a blend of Canadian flours to create a soft The ground floor space, located along Pacific Coast Highway and a stone’s throw from the very popular French bakery Sweet Wheat can accommodate 32 diners and features a minimalist concrete interior lined with traditional Japanese wooden structures for shelving A small outdoor patio looks out to the ocean Espresso & in Japan typically accompanies the neighborhood or city at the end this location may eventually be called Bread 2024A man was killed and a woman was left injured after a fiery crash in which a car crashed into a light pole in Redondo Beach.REDONDO BEACH (KABC) -- A man was killed and a woman was left injured after a fiery crash in which a car crashed into a light pole in Redondo Beach Wednesday near Palos Verdes Boulevard and South Catalina Avenue Both the man and the woman were in the car when they crashed into a light pole Firefighters worked quickly to extinguish the fire The adult woman was taken to the hospital with only minor injuries An investigation is now underway to determine what may have caused the crash Despite their early exit in the 2024 MLS Cup playoffs, Inter Miami put together a masterful regular season in which they earned a record 74 points in 34 matches The Supporters' Shield winners finished atop the MLS standings and Redondo claims they could translate their success to the English top-flight "Europa League position," Redondo responded backing the Herons for a fifth (or possibly sixth) place finish Redondo's claim is actually not so bold on paper. Tottenham Hotspur finished fifth in the 2023–24 Premier League with 66 points in 38 matches The Herons' 2024 finish saw them with eight more points while playing four less games the Premier League is the most competitive league in the world For the Herons to jump into the top half of the table against English competition they would need Lionel Messi to put together a Ballon d'Or-worthy campaign Perhaps an even bolder claim came when Redondo said Paris Saint-Germain would only manage a second-place finish in MLS, behind Inter Miami. He also asserted that Manchester United would finish first in Serie A Redondo is gearing up for Inter Miami's first MLS campaign under new head coach The Herons are still in search of their first ever MLS Cup and have postseason redemption on the mind ahead of the 2025 season AMANDA LANGELLAmanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated Soccer freelance writer covering the European game and international competitions. 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