Rob Saemann was a 15-year-old freshman at Lutheran High near his home in the middle class community of Leimert Park when he first visited Hermosa Beach with classmates in 1963 “We went body surfing at the Pier and peeked inside the Insomniac Coffee House I thought I had discovered a magical place and knew that day that’s where I wanted to someday live,” Saemann told a gathering of high school friends family and Hermosa Beach civic leaders Tuesday night The occasion was Saemann’s swearing in as Mayor of Hermosa Beach and I hope it will be for generations to come,” he told the packed City Council chambers After high school Saemann earned his contractors license and “with help from my wife Katie,” fulfilled his high school dream of living in Hermosa He served two years on the Hermosa Public Works Commission and 10 years on the Planning Commission before being elected to the City Council in 2022 “Oftentimes an issue comes before us on Council I remember dealing with a similar issue when I was on the Planning Commission,” Saeman said in an implied endorsement of council candidates who come up through the ranks of city commissions The Mayor’s gavel traditionally rotates among the five council members every nine months Councilmember Michael Detoy was named Mayor Pro Tem Saeman assumes the Mayor’s seat at a time when the council is faced with an agenda packed with urgent is the retirement of Police Chief Paul LeBaron and the appointment of Police Captain Landon Phillips as the new chief Saemann and Councilmembers learned of LeBaron’s retirement and Phillips’ appointment Wednesday morning during phone calls from City Manager Suja Lowenthal Other issues facing the council include a potential lawsuit over the city’s Short Term Vacation Rentals ban; a proposed five-story 50-foot high apartment house on Hermosa Avenue that is opposed by neighbors but exempt from the city’s 30-foot height limit; consideration of a new civics facilities center; and a council decision on whether to retain There’s nothing we can’t do if we work together.” and will resume his position as a councilmember Saemann praised Francois for his efforts to “run meetings in an appropriate manner Tuesday night’s meeting was adjourned in memory of Kathy Midstokke Midstokke served as City Clerk for two terms 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 LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio, a member-supported public media network. Why it matters: Citing last year’s Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson, Mayor Dean Francois said in a statement that the city has more enforcement options to make sure Hermosa Beach stays a "safe and sanitary environment" for everyone. He added that they’ll continue to help unhoused people seek shelter. Why now: The Hermosa Beach City Council voted to expand the ban during Tuesday’s meeting. The backstory: Camping was previously only banned on the beach, parks and the Strand walkway. Print Following the lead of several other Southern California cities the Hermosa Beach City Council voted Tuesday to adopt an anti-camping policy for all public areas in an attempt to keep the city a “safe and sanitary environment for all.” The new policy repeals the previous code, which banned camping only at parks and the beach. To address the homeless crisis, cities around Southern California recently have adopted policies banning camping in all public areas after last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows cities more authority to regulate homeless encampments. Since the decision, Long Beach, Indio, Palm Springs and other Southern California cities have adopted similar rules. The new ordinance in Hermosa Beach will work with a program implemented by the city meant to help anyone who is experiencing homelessness find shelter instead of sleeping at the beach or in parks, according to the city. California Fremont has invested generously in support services for homeless people local leaders decided it’s time to be less welcoming Breaking the new policy will result in a fine not exceeding $100 for the first violation $200 for the second and $500 for any additional violation Homeless advocates say that such policies drain city resources and that fines against camping on the streets make it harder for homeless people to afford housing “No community in the country has enough resources to serve everybody who’s experiencing homelessness,” Ann Oliva, chief executive of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, told NPR last year. Across most of Los Angeles County, the unsheltered homeless population is projected to continue declining for a second consecutive year, according to a recent report by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. The agency expects a decrease of 5% to 10% when a full statistical analysis is finished in the coming months. “The resulting final ordinance not only prohibits camping in all public places but also has more enforcement options to ensure Hermosa Beach remains a safe and sanitary environment for all,” Mayor Dean Francois said. Under the new law, the city manager may dismiss a citation upon the offender’s completion of a diversion program. Climate & Environment World & Nation Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map Hermosa Beach Mayor Dean Francois underscored his theme of “Connect Collaborate and Celebrate” by honoring resident volunteers and recognizing improved cooperation among his fellow councilmembers during his State of the City in the Community Theater on Thursday The Mayor also praised the city staff for the progress they made over the past year on long delayed projects including ADA improvements on the Greenbelt and renovations of park restrooms and the Clark Community Building Resident Debbie LeShane was honored for her arduous who disappeared on the Greek Island of Amorgos last June were recognized for gathering 50 tons of supplies for the Palisades and Altadena fire victims He also recognized Guidestone Church’s Brett Armstrong for his work on the effort Francois also thanked Saint Cross Pastor Pastor Rachel Nyback and downtown commercial property owner Peter Nolan for their assistance in the City’s housing element State certification The certification was required for the city to maintain control of its zoning.  Francois also cited progress on quality of living issues and programs to help house the homeless and stop public camping A Parks Master Plan that envisions a dog park more pickleball courts and swim programs utilizing neighboring cities’ pools was approved last year the Civic Facilities Group is expected to share its recommendations for a “revitalized” civic center that “preserves Hermosa charm LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio Why it matters: Citing last year’s Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v Mayor Dean Francois said in a statement that the city has more enforcement options to make sure Hermosa Beach stays a "safe and sanitary environment" for everyone He added that they’ll continue to help unhoused people seek shelter Why now: The Hermosa Beach City Council voted to expand the ban during Tuesday’s meeting The backstory: Camping was previously only banned on the beach A 50-foot tall residential building is proposed for Hermosa Beach Tony and Renardo Ferraro could not have anticipated alienating their long time neighbors when they planned tearing down their apartment fourplex in the 3400 block of Hermosa Avenue the Canada snowbirds have kept one unit vacant for visits.  Their plan was to replace the 70-year-old fourplex with a single family home more in keeping with the neighborhood.  The house to the south of their fourplex is a $6 million The north Hermosa neighborhood is zoned for apartments But people who can afford to buy 100 feet from the ocean can typically afford to forgo rental income and have often replaced the small apartment buildings with large single family homes Neighbors were supportive of the Ferraros’ initial plan But their support turned to dismay two weeks ago when they saw an orange construction notice on the fourplex’s garage door announcing plans for a five-unit 50-foot high apartment building with seven parking places.  The plan is almost double Hermosa’s 30-foot height limit and half of the onsite parking requirement The notice did not reference the Hermosa zoning code It referenced the “California Government Code.”  Neighbors contend the proposed apartment building is out of scale with the neighborhood and exacerbate the street parking shortage a dozen North Hermosa neighbors met to discuss how to derail the project which was scheduled for review at the Tuesday The city staff report recommended the Planning Commission approve the development Staff acknowledged the project is inconsistent with Hermosa’s General Plan for “height the Commission was legally bound to approve the project under the Builder’s Remedy provisions of the State Housing Accountability Act The Ferraros were able to invoke the Builder’s Remedy because the city did not have a certified General Plan Housing Element when the plans were submitted last June Hermosa’s Housing Element was certified two months later by the State Department of Community Housing and Development.  Plans submitted under the Builder’s Remedy are not subject to local zoning requirements The Ferraros did not willingly discard their plan for a single family residence in favor of the five-unit the change was dictated by State legislation aimed at addressing California’s two million unit housing shortage.  on local governments’ “excessive standards for housing development projects,” according to language in the Housing Accountability Act (AB 1893) the State Legislature has passed dozens of bills to force local governments to allow more housing to be built The Ferraros’ single family home plan was blocked by The Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330) SB 330 requires all new residential developments to have at least as many units as previously existed on the property the Ferraros could have submitted plans to build more than five units and build higher than 50 feet Height and density are only restricted by the building site Along Sepulveda Boulevard in Manhattan Beach developers have submitted plans for a seven story 48 unit condominium complex; and an 8 story 70 unit mixed residential/business development The Hermosa Beach Council Chambers were at its 60-seat capacity for Tuesday night’s Planning Commission review of the Ferraros’ apartment plan.  “We have a cautionary tale in the Redondo Esplanade,” Realtor Robb Stroyke told the Planning Commission during public comments.  “As a kid I saw one of the most beautiful stretches of the Santa Monica Bay destroyed by eight and 12 story apartments and condominiums that blocked the ocean views of all the cottages behind them Once you open the floodgates it’s going to destroy our community,” Stroyke said Because we missed a deadline with the State does that mean it’s open season for anyone to build whatever they desire I expect all of you to stand up and vote this thing down,” resident resident Gary Brown said Resident Anna Jung addressed her comments to the Ferraros “We have lived next to your house for 38 years… Ours is a single family house with an idyllic backyard with trees 50-foot tall building the depth of the property No more flowers to attract hummingbirds and turtle doves “We still have a few more good years to live in our house without concerns for our mental health  and parking hassles for our visitors,” the 79-year-old said but were easily identifiable in the audience They were the only ones who who remained quiet Everyone else cheered the parade of neighbors who asked the commission to deny the project who represented the Ferraros at the hearing “Whatever you think of the State’s effort to increase housing it’s clear this project qualifies for the Builder’s Remedy “The applicant could have proposed more units and a higher building He also argued there will be no more Builder’s Remedy projects in Hermosa because the city now has a certified Housing Element.  “This project does not open the floodgates,” he said Commissioner Pete Hoffman telegraphed his opinion when he observed at the end of the public comments “After reading the 40 comments we received I’ve found 90 percent to be opposed and 10 percent to be vehemently opposed.” The eight term commissioner and retired chair of the Loyola Marymount Department of Urban and Environmental Studies who had spoken during public comments about how Hermosa used to be when her family moved here in the 1940s Commissioner Greg McNally also expressed sympathy with opponents to the project McNally is president of the Hermosa Historical Society He was appointed to the commission last week Tuesday was his first planning commission meeting the insightfulness are incredible,” McNally said The commission voted unanimously to continue the hearing until May 20 and to direct staff to report back with updates on the evolving state legislation how the Coastal Commission will view the project and if the fire department in Hermosa can fight a fire atop a 50-foot high building City Attorney Patrick Donegan cautioned the commission they cannot avoid making a decision by continuances State law allows local governments a maximum of five meetings to decide on Builder’s Remedy projects project opponents disputed its attorney’s argument it did not set a precedent for future Builder’s Remedy projects Resident Nancy Schwappach,  who is also an attorney said developers could invoke the Builder’s Remedy if Hermosa’s Housing Element is found to be out of compliance during the State’s periodic reviews Resident Laura Pena pointed out that Hermosa’s Housing Element certification was based on the city satisfying its state-mandated housing allotment known as RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Allocation) of 558 new residential units by 2029 To identify locations for 558 new residential units Hermosa rezoned much of its commercial district for mixed use (residential and commercial) But since the rezoning was approved last year no commercial property owner has submitted a residential development proposal to the city John David said he considered a mixed residential/retail development for his downtown Pier Avenue property But he found the conditions imposed by the city onerous.  “Land Value Recapture” fees on residences built in the commercial district are $100/square foot if the residences are sold or leased at market value.  The city waives the fee if the residential units are rented or sold at rates “affordable” to low income renters or buyers.  The “affordable” option includes a 52 year deed restriction that maintains the low income rents.  If the property is sold the appreciation increase is split evenly between the property owner and the city as expressed by the council when it approved the program is the city is entitled to “recapture” the value it added to the commercial property by permitting residential development which is more valuable than commercial development David said he thinks the Land Value Recapture program will quash residential development in the commercial district Hermosa may be found to be out of compliance with its housing element inviting  “builder’s remedy” projects Hermosa’s Housing element is scheduled for review by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in 2026 So does this finally mean that the incompetent city manager will get sacked for failing to get the plans in early enough to be approved timely My digital easy reader will no longer allow me to read articles I am just sent to the comments and not to the article Same for me until today (3/26) when I was finally able to access the article There is also the e-zine edition that I was able to access since last Friday The same thing happened to me until today (3/26) and I was finally able to read the article and see all of the photos Before today I was able to access the article on the e-zine edition and also picked up a newspaper copy last Friday at The Copper Pot restaurant in SRB 2025 at 11:05 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The idea to start the Beach Football League came after its founders attended a professional beach volleyball tournament CA — While watching a beach volleyball tournament a few years ago Adam Cyril and ex-New England Patriot Tully Banta-Cain had a similar thought: "Man That idea took off after they hosted their first private beach football event at Hermosa Beach in 2021 they had over 120 athletes take part in their first-ever open tryout event at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire With momentum growing for the Beach Football League Cyril and Banta-Cain decided it was time to go bigger The Beach Football League will host four tryout events this year in anticipation of an inaugural 2026 season "We're really excited to bring the biggest sport in America and take it to a different terrain and make football accessible to kids in all social classes," Cyril told Patch "The ultimate goal is to have beach football be an Olympic sport." The tryouts for "the world's first-ever tackle football league on sand played at a professional level" will begin May 10 in Hermosa Beach Cyril and Banta-Cain will be looking for 20 to 40 players to make up the roster of the Hermosa Beach squad There will also be tryouts for East Coast teams New Jersey from June 7 to 8 and Hampton Beach The tryouts will consist of drills similar to the NFL Combine followed by a series of exhibition games they'll compete in the Beach Football League's Inaugural season in 2026 isn't just a chance for athletes to showcase their skills but for them to achieve their dreams of playing in professional sports "There's a lot of talented players that unfortunately go unnoticed," Cyril said "We're excited to provide them with another outlet to play professionally to provide for their families and make a career out of it." For eligibility rules and to register, click here Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Chefs Alice Mai and David LeFevre opened Attagirl on March 6 Chef David LeFevre has a history of bumping longtime staff into leadership roles at his Manhattan Beach restaurants LeFevre tapped Fishing With Dynamite chef de cuisine Alice Mai to take the helm at his new California Mediterranean restaurant Attagirl “Southern California is one of the five Mediterranean climates,” says LeFevre the framing of what you like to eat changes and veggie-forward dishes.” According to LeFevre and Mai brunch is slated to commence at Attagirl in the coming months featuring dishes like shakshuka; a Mediterranean spin on eggs Benedict with griddled focaccia and shaved speck; and a breakfast plate with a choice of bacon Ryla’s longtime general manager David Ruivo developed the cocktails for Attagirl which take inspiration from the Mediterranean menu The Amalfi Crush is a white sangria with limoncello while the Shark Repellant is a gin and tonic with grapefruit and coriander-infused Hayman’s Gin Attagirl sits one block away from Hermosa Beach pier and less than 100 feet from LeFevre and chef Ray Hayashi’s Japanese Taiwanese izakaya Ryla Although the two exist in close proximity to each other with Mai describing the Attagirl’s concept as “simple.” “Attagirl’s menu has things that we personally like to cook and eat,” says Mai “Making pastas is something I’ve always wanted to do It’s always amazing to work with Southern California produce since it’s so fresh and vibrant and plays well with what we’re trying to do.” 2025 at 5:02 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 Hermosa Beach has several brunch options to consider While some restaurants will be closed for the holiday on April 20 plenty in Hermosa Beach and Los Angeles County will be open there are plenty of family-friendly activities going on in and around the Hermosa 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: A lawsuit that contends Hermosa Beach’s ban on short term vacation rentals  in the coastal zone (1,000 feet east of the mean high tide) is unlawful has been filed by Hermosa resident Todd Koerner Koerner was issued a $2,500 fine for advertising a room in his Manhattan Avenue home as a short term vacation rental on Airbnb and VRBO last October Hermosa banned short term rentals (under 30 days) in 2016 Non conforming residences in commercial zones are exempt from the ban Manhattan Beach also passed a ban on short term rentals in the coastal zone in 2016 after losing a suit against the ban that went to the California Supreme Court in 2022 the attorney who prevailed in the case against Manhattan’s short term rental ban  (Keen v is representing Koerner in challenging Hermosa’s ban Angel told the Hermosa Beach Council during its Tuesday after listening for too long to their city attorney selling them on the hoax that their local police power somehow allowed them to enforce a categorical ban throughout coastal zone…without securing Coastal Commission approval.” Angel successfully appealed two short term rental citations issued to Hermosa property owners resulting in the city refunding $8,000 in fines But his appeal of the $2,500 citation issued to Koerner was denied by a city administrative hearing officer on February 6 “I know fighting citation after citation won’t stop city officials who feel unbound by rules of law they don’t like That’s why we filed a lawsuit on Friday,” Angel said at the conclusion of his address to the City Council Tuesday night’s council agenda listed a discussion about exempting owner occupied residences from the short term rental ban But the item was removed from the agenda at the start of the meeting Hermosa Beach City Attorney Patrick Donegan could not be reached for comment about Koerner’s lawsuit prior to press time Koerner’s suit asks the court to order his fine refunded and to prohibit the city from enforcing its short term rental ban in the coastal zone Hermosa’s coastal zone extends along the ocean The suit also asks the court to exempt from the ban short term rentals anywhere in the city that were rented prior to adoption of the 2016 ban The suit contends the city lacks authority to ban short term rentals in the coastal zone without Coastal Commission approval Hermosa retained Host Compliance last year to help identify illegal short term rentals and has been issuing 10 to 12 citations a month Hermosa Beach Councilmember Michael Keegan was expelled from an administrative hearing in the Hermosa Beach City Council Chambers by the hearing officer The hearing involved an appeal of a $2,500 short term vacation rental citation issued to Hermosa Avenue resident Todd Koerner “I went to the hearing because I wanted to learn more about Short Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) ‘I’m staying.’ She said she’d get someone to remove me Berg did not respond to a request for comment from Easy Reader Hermosa Beach City Attorney Patrick Donegan responded to a request for comment with an email sent by Public Information Officer Ryan Walker The email stated: “The Administrative Hearing Officer conducts hearings in the manner they deem appropriate the Hearing Officer made it clear the appeal hearing was not open to the public This is consistent with past City appeal hearings as well as standard practice for appeal hearings in other jurisdictions.”  Angel said his client had not requested a closed hearing “The issue is not whether excluding anyone … is ‘standard practice’ with the city The question is whether this so-called ‘standard practice’ is legal Nothing in the Hermosa Beach Municipal Code concerning appeals of administrative citations bars any third party from attending these appeal hearings let alone gives the city attorney the power or right to show a council member the door.” Keegan’s expulsion was the second time in recent months a councilmember has been asked to leave a city meeting in council chambers Councilmember Rob Saemann was asked to leave a Civic Facilities Community Advisory meeting in the Council Chambers last November “I refused to leave and stated I was there to observe and agreed not to participate I stayed quietly until it was over,” Saeman said of the meeting Angel argued the citation issued to his client for renting out a room in his house is illegal because the city’s ban on STVRs in the residential coastal zone is illegal A ban would require the city to have a Coastal Commission-approved Coastal Development Permit on behalf of two other clients cited for illegal STVRs in Hermosa’s coastal zone Angel prevailed and the city refunded the appellants’ $8,000 in fines City Attorney Donegan said in an email to Easy Reader Hermosa would continue to enforce its STVR ban “Hearing officers cannot invalidate or overturn duly adopted ordinances by the City the City will continue to enforce the short term rental ban as currently constituted.” Berg noted Koerner did not dispute violating the city code and that the issuance of the citation… “is deemed valid under the scope of these proceedings.” flouting state law — the Coastal Act — while enforcing an unlawful local STVR ban in the coastal zone.” ER Imposing a large fine on a property owner in Hermosa Beach for using his property as a short term rental is serious and attorney Frank Angel was successful in getting the fines removed He was successful in challenging Manhattan Beach’s similar conduct and with the same lawyer representing similarly situated property owners why would Hermosa Beach allow a hearing officer with no legal training or law license to preside over the hearing a cornerstone of the Hermosa Beach Little League died tragically  in a multi-car accident on Saturday Hector Alatorre and his family were the heart and soul of Clark Field They ran the snack stand with unmatched dedication and joy.  only to return the following morning at dawn to prepare his famous breakfast burritos for the 8 a.m He and  his family also owned  Hectors Tacos catering which serves countless families and organizations throughout the South Bay and tacos were a highlight of visits to Clark Field.  and nearly every parent who stepped onto Clark Field Whether from behind the grill or cheering from the stands His warm smile and positive energy embodied the spirit of Hermosa Beach Little League the Hermosa community rallied around his family raising more than $45,000 from 275 donations via a GoFundMe arranged by HBLL who have never experienced the loss of a friend or family member Hector’s passing marks the first time they’ve faced the profound sadness of losing someone they cared about.   Hector is survived by his wife Sol; his daughters As director of the Hermosa Surf Camp from 1991 to 2024 Vince Ray shared the stoke of surfing with more groms than anyone else in South Bay history Each summer over 400 kids attended his camp in front of the 10th Street lifeguard tower Kids learned not only to stand on a surfboard and some unconventional maneuvers like the coffin the cockroach and Ray’s signature model pose Ray further shared the stoke as Easy Reader’s Surfing Santa He made sure Santa was in perfect trim on an overhead wave for the photo that would appear on the cover of Easy Reader’s holiday issue “I don’t want people to think Santa is a kook,” Ray said in explaining why it was so important that the surf be good on the day of his Santa shoot.  at age 66,  after a brief fight with pancreatic cancer and lifelong friends gathered for a paddleout in his memory Katherine Bergstrom was among the last of the “Swedish Mafia,” which waged a 50-year battle to “Keep Hermosa Hermosa,” decades before the slogan was coined during the 2015 oil drilling debate Katherine Chappelear married into Hermosa’s “Swedish Mafia,” as the activist women were known when she married Bob “The Beach Captain” Bergstrom in 1959.  She was 22 when she saw him playing a ukulele on the beach under a palm frond shack at 21st Street Katherine Bergstrom and fellow members of the Swedish Mafia were committed to preserving the beach culture they and their men created Coralee Ebey and Barbara Guild led the effort to defeat a ballot measure that would have allowed Shell Oil to drill in Hermosa’s tidelands both Guild and Bergstrom would help stop oil drilling in Hermosa’s tidelands a second time as part of the 2015 Keep Hermosa Hermosa movement But the Swedish Mafia’s most impactful work was in restraining what they regarded as over-development Bergstrom and Ebey wrote a column for Easy Reader called “Auntie Density,” in which they outed apartment owners with bootleg apartments and convinced successive city councils to downzone R3 and R2 neighborhoods to R1 the “Swedish Mafia’s” efforts to decrease density in Hermosa threaten to be upended by laws newly passed in Sacramento to address the statewide housing shortage by increasing housing density Patricia Marie (Pat) Woolley was a teacher and artist in the Beach Cities for over six decades Born Patricia Marie Peu Duvallon on February 12 France,  the only child of a French father and an English mother on one of the last ships to leave for America with her mother Pat loved telling how she and a friend would ride their horses to school from Encino After a year of finishing school in Switzerland she studied French at the Sorbonne and art at the Académie Julian in Paris She then went to Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles where she excelled in illustration.  when both were young immigrants in California Pat and John moved back to the south of France where they raised chickens Pat and John decided to return to Southern California Their return to the US brought them new experiences including the ownership and management of the International House of Pancakes on PCH in Hermosa Beach.  Daughter Marie (Mimi) was born in 1964 a former Mayor of Hermosa Beach and long-time beloved teacher at Cal State Dominguez Hills They married in 1982 and shared a life of van camping Pat was widowed for a second time in 2006.  Pat taught art for children and adults through the Manhattan Beach Recreation Department She was an original Manhattan Beach “Old Hometown Fair” organizer,  volunteer Pat trained to be a docent at LA County Natural History Museum and did illustrations for the resident entomologist Pat was also the illustrator of the award-winning “Thrift Store Bears” series of children’s books She was a member of the Hermosa Beach Sister City organization and was instrumental in creating the paramedics program in Loreto Pat was an active member of the Hermosa Beach Women’s Club Pat Woolley Belasco at an opening for her art She was the glue binding an international and culturally diverse family and the loving grandmother of 10 grandchildren Pat was a devout Christian whose involvement in St Cross Episcopal Church in Hermosa Beach spanned six decades.   Patricia is survived by her three children and 10 grandchildren: Christopher Woolley of Jackson Hole WY (wife Jackie and children Amanda Paul Woolley of Singapore (wife Lindsey and children James Chandra) and Marie “Mimi” Woolley of Vence and selling automotive parts when his friend convinced him to get his real estate license He then joined Rosenkrantz’s Harbor Realty on Pier Avenue in Hermosa Beach.  but somehow I had seven sales and nine listings during my first month,” Goldstein told Beach Reporter editor Paul Silva in a 2013 interview a South Bay record that will never be broken Over the next four years he opened four more offices Real estate broker Ed Kaminski spoke at Goldstein’s memorial about what it meant to be a part of the Shorewood family.  well…we won’t go there,” Kaminski said.  He wanted to hear the word ‘yes’ as badly as an agent wants a yes on a Strand listing Shorewood veteran Fred Zuelich said at the memorial He guided us to wealth we never would have reached on our own “He did it by teaching us the work ethic of the ‘60s knowing there was always a yes around the corner Goldstein preferred not to hire veteran Realtors.  “I hired some experienced people and found I got their bodies but not their hearts and minds,” he told Silva in the 2013 interview “I learned I could take the right people off the street and train them When Goldstein and partner Larry Wolf sold the company in 2014 it had grown to seven offices and 350 Realtors It was the eighth largest real estate company He told me it was the biggest mistake of his life,” Shorewood veteran Audrey Judson said the buyer who promised Goldstein and Wolf he would preserve the family culture a group of Shorewood veterans founded Pacifica Properties Group “We were tired of the big companies trading Realtors like cattle,” said co-founder Karynne Thim “His big thing was to treat the agents fairly His daughter Suzanne preceded him in death Tom Gruzo was a criminally underappreciated artist — a talented bop pianist a dedicated single dad and a survivor – he regaled his Hermosa Beach neighbors on Palm Drive with tales of blowing up Soviet tanks with Molotov cocktails in Warsaw He taught piano to students all over the South Bay for years He had a weekly gig at the old version of Splash in Redondo Beach His eyes always naturally twinkled and sparkled He had a multitude of health disasters over those years The doctors and drugs nearly killed him several times with misdiagnosis and wrong  prescriptions He was an avid reader and researcher and figured out what was really going on – long story short he needed to change what he put into his body He toured with the late great Clifford Jordan the last great bop tenor sax player on the esteemed jazz label Blue Note He made $1,000 a gig as a sideman touring Japan and Europe with Clifford only to come back and play $50 gigs in cigar stores around LA.  Folks would hire this guy to transcribe works of classic jazz tunes by the likes of Monk and others – it looked like hieroglyphics He released only one album of originals, the highly regarded “Say When”  in 1987 on the New Winds label with LA jazz legends Bobby Shew on trumpet He self-released two albums of Standards (Standards Volume III & Volume IV) with his trio in 2003; Clarence Robinson on bass and Giovanni Nickens on drums He was a gifted luthier and technician who repaired countless guitars and vintage amplifiers for South Bay professional and amateur musicians passed away on February 12 from natural causes Pier Music quickly became a place where local musicians gathered to hang out It was a convenient stop to get a pack of strings or to hang a flier for upcoming gigs at The Lighthouse and Pier 52 He attended Seaside Elementary School and Calle Mayor Middle School He graduated from South High School in 1969 and then attended El Camino College His friends called him “Beatle Bob” because he could play any Beatles song you could name including being an electrician before settling into a life devoted solely to guitar and music He is survived by his brother Alan and his sister in-law Imelda his nephews Ryan and Keith and his niece Amanda Harold “Hal” Ormondroyd’s life was deeply rooted in Hermosa Beach where he resided in the family home built by his parents in the mid 1930s He attended elementary school in Hermosa Beach and obtained a master’s degree from UC Santa Barbara He also proudly served his country in the Coast Guard passed away on March 11 at the age of 93.  with deep-sea fishing and volleyball holding special places in his heart.  by one of her roommates at the Poop Deck on The Strand embarking on a journey of love that lasted an incredible 62 years Ormondroyd helped found the annual 17th Street Labor Day tournament The weekend began with neighborhood children parading on decorated bikes Ormondroyd found solace in simpler pleasures such as walking to the top of the street to watch the sunset and chat with some friendly faces.  His life was a testament to the beauty of simple joys and the power of community in his forever home Its 19,341-foot elevation makes it the highest mountain on the African continent the wind-chill factor was 29 degrees below zero The Manhattan Beach resident thought of the climb as the biggest challenge of his life The physical exam he took before going to Africa and whose results he did not learn until he returned Four years later he celebrated his cancer remission by joining an expedition with the Los Angeles Adventurers Club to climb Mt in the Caucasus Mountains in Southern Russia it is the highest mountain on the European continent Isley was a proud and enthusiastic member of the Adventurers Club which traces its founding to a meeting of President Teddy Rooselvelt and likeminded “gentlemen adventurers” at Joe’s restaurant in New York in 1912.  including a trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp and a 1,200 meter dive in Lake Baikal in Russia in the three-person deep submersible Mir I which director James Camon used in filming Titanic Isley subsequently edited and published a translation of Mir I captain Dr Anatoly Sagalevich’s  “Deep Voyages to Titanic and Beyond.”  Through out his adventurers of the past 20 years and was a world renowned expert and author on tillandsias commonly (and mistakenly) known as air plants He started selling tillandsias at the Rose Bowl swamp meet shortly after graduating from UCLA in 1970 He collected the tillandsias during climbs through the jungles of Central America and South America After establishing Tillandsia nurseries in Torrance and San Diego Rain Forest Flora became the only Tillandsia seller to grow the plants in the United States Consistent with his commitment to  traditional ways of exploration and business Isley was a fervent adherent to Traditional Catholicism He recently completed editing and publishing “The Reality of The Body and Blood of Christ in The Eucharist,” written in 1527 by Saint John Fisher.  Isley IV; daughters Kimberly Simich (John Ryan Simich) brothers Chris and Tom Isley (Desti Overpeck) and sister Mary McCulloch (David McCulloch) Donald Cormac Lagatree grew up in Redondo Beach play music (he taught himself to play the piano) speaking to his many friends in their native languages and to act and dance He was the piano-playing Noel Coward character in the Redondo Union High School production of “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” and a winsome tail-holding Cowardly Lion in the school’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.” During his last hours he couldn’t speak but made his wishes and wants known using a “Ouija Board.”   Patti Astor was the “Queen of the Scene” in New York City in the early 1980s according to ARTnews; and for the past decade a muse and mentor to the emerging Hermosa Beach art scene according to ShockBoxx gallery owner Mike Collins.  Astor passed away at her home in Hermosa Beach I can see her chillin’ in the clouds with Basquiat and Haring right now with the widest grin on her face,” friend and body artist Paul Roustan said of Astor Roustan recalled one day helping Astor clean out her Jeep Cherokee and finding original drawings by graffiti artists Keith Haring Haring’s “Untitled (for Cy Twombly,)” sold for $6.5 million in 2017 A Basquiat triptych exhibited at Astor’s East Village FUN Gallery in 1982 was priced at $36 million by the Christie’s auction house “At a time when few others believed in the value of graffiti art she staked a claim for it,  elevating a multiracial cast of artists in a white world that had not accepted them before her,” Alex Geenberger senior editor of ARTnews wrote in a remembrance of Astor white people; the art world was closed off and boring The success of the FUN Gallery was to open up the art world to everybody,” Astor said in a 2013 Bomb magazine In a 2018 interview with Easy Reader reporter Ryan McDonald Astor recalled the night Paul Simon attended the Basquiat opening at her gallery trailed by “kids from the neighborhood humming ‘Parsley Basquiat would be off in a corner fighting with his blonde girlfriend who called herself Madonna,” Astor recalled in a 2007 documentary about her FUN Gallery Collins met Astor at an exhibit at Harmony Yoga in Hermosa and was inspired by her stories to host a show at ShockBoxx in 2018 titled “FUN (in the sun).” The show featured recent art by local artists in the spirit of FUN Gallery eventually settling in Hermosa Beach after FUN Gallery closed in 1983 She starred with rapper Ice-T in the 1987 film “Get Tux’d,” directed by Anita Rosenberg.  and starred as Poodles in “Assault of the Killer Bimbos.” Chicago Sun Times critic Roger Egbert wrote of the film “It is the most simpleminded movie in many a moon The movie is so cheerfully dim-witted and the characters are so enthusiastically sleazoid that the film takes on a kind of awful charm.” Astor lived in the trailer park behind the former Big Boy’s and served as a docent at the Hermosa Historical Museum.  the museum premiered “Patti Astor’s True Story,” a 40 minute documentary about the FUN Gallery and the New York art scene in the early 1980s at the Historical Museum Insomniac Open Mic night (The Insomniac was a beatnik coffeehouse in Hermosa in the late 1960s.) “Fun is my weapon of choice,” she told her audience that night Asked in 2019 if competing against pet chain stores was a challenge “It’s a challenge for them to compete against us We own our property and our labor costs are low.” Siddiq’s wife Maria had owned Pet Mart in Hermosa Beach since 1975.  Maria passed away from cancer in 2020.  Siddiq came to the United States from Pakistan when he was 19 After working as a mechanic for the Air Force he bought the Texaco gas station on Aviation Boulevard in Hermosa Beach His son Dan said he frequented the pet store as a child resulting in Abu meeting Maria and the two of them marrying Maria was an immigrant business owner who moved to Hermosa in the early 1970s.  was born in Portugal and grew up in Mozambique before moving to Hermosa Beach They were killing all the native Portuguese,” Maria said in the 2019 interview Over the  subsequent four decades Pet Mart became a destination for pet supplies and pet conversation with the affable couple.  Pet Mart sold reptiles and its nearly 50 lighted aquariums were the South Bay’s only source of pet fish But Abu never gave up his love of auto mechanics The Pet Mart parking lot always had a dozen used cars Abu repaired Abu was also a popular fixture on the Hermosa Beach Strand where he met up with fellow walkers at 5 a.m Dorothy “Dottie” Miller (née Roberts) took up  skiing and other adventures at a time when that lifestyle was the nearly exclusive province of men who invited her to join him in a tandem surf contest over the upcoming Memorial Day weekend and settled on The Strand in Hermosa Beach Dottie Miller passed away peacefully on May 22 Though best known as the wife of her filmmaker husband independent person who first attracted him As a decades-long member of the Sandpipers service club her leadership and dedication were instrumental in the club’s fundraisers In the 1960s she chaired the annual Fashion Show she developed  another circle of friends.  Dottie also was a critical support person for husband’s ski film company Dottie returned to her passion for teaching in the Manhattan Beach School District and later worked in real estate development.  Dottie is survived by her children Chris (Dave Lucero) and Kurt (Alison) her grandchildren Jenna (Kyle De Jane) and Ryan grand niece Dionysius and her longtime companion Bill Winterhalter Victor “Vic” Manuel Silva passed away September 9 in the Hermosa Beach home where he lived for 55 years His early years in East Los Angeles were filled with poverty and illness who escaped the Mexican revolution by riding on top of a railroad box car to the U went blind before Vic was born and died when Vic was 2 There was no treatment for TB other than isolation so he was separated from his family for the next five years He returned to live with his mother in 1941 but a year later she tragically died of the disease he had survived He then lived with his grandmother in the Ramona Gardens housing projects.  Vic made the B football team and became a top high jumper He also wrote for the school paper and provided art for the yearbook Vic joined the National Guard while in high school and subsequently served in the Korean War as an infantry squad leader he was a sergeant responsible for leading men much older than him These skills landed him a job at Hughes Aircraft They were married in 1958 and had three children: Mike in 1961 and twins Mark and Paul in 1962.  The two divorced in 1965 and Vic was awarded custody of all three boys Vic managed to buy a home on Valley Park Avenue in Hermosa Beach in 1969 for $23,000 His graphic arts and leadership skills earned him a job at TRW where he worked for 36 years and became head of the video production department He was a founder of Manhattan Beach Youth Basketball and coached his sons while also serving as commissioner He attended every single event his sons took part in he would play 3-on-3 basketball at Live Oak Park Vic’s stern guidance and steadfast support resulted in three sons who achieved things he could never have imagined growing up as a “poor Mexican kid,” which is how he often described himself graduated from Top Gun training and Columbia Law School and became Chief of Staff at the Federal Reserve Bank before holding a series of high-level positions in the banking and corporate fields Paul attended UCLA and became editor of The Beach Reporter where he wrote a weekly column for decades and later moved into corporate communications Mark is still the shortest person to make the varsity basketball team at Mira Costa He also attended UCLA and went on to have a long and impactful career as a teacher and school principal.  Vic was deeply devoted to and proud of his 6 grandchildren He never passed up an opportunity to babysit He co-coached their basketball teams with his sons He was a fixture at Mira Costa basketball and volleyball games and theatre productions long after his own sons and their children graduated He served as the official scorer for Mira Costa and Redondo Union basketball teams Vic owned a series of dogs who provided him with less troublesome and very satisfying company The dogs on the block knew who walked past Vic’s house were bound to get a treat Some people think that Vic loved dogs more than people.  Vic is survived by his sons and their wives and Paul (Kim) as well as six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren Thelma Greenwald and her husband Richard bought the 17-room Seasprite Hotel Thelma told her husband she couldn’t  possibly show the rooms to guests because the carpets were so worn and the counters so badly burned by cigarettes she wouldn’t stay in the motel herself “as you’re leading the guests up the stairs ‘Isn’t that beautiful.’ They’ll never notice the carpets.” “I used to stand on the holes in the carpet and use picture frames to cover the burns on the counters,” she told Easy Reader in a 2004 interview the Sea Sprite was profitable enough for the couple to buy the 14-room Breakers Hotel on The Strand to the north of them Then they bought the 28-room Del Mar Hotel to the south of them.  she and her husband entertained the idea of remodeling their whose architecture suggested it was built in Bakersfield during the Dust Bowl years and trucked over the Grapevine “What’s stopped us is we have grandmothers who stayed with us when they were children who now bring their grandchildren We get thank you notes all the time for holding the prices down because otherwise our old guests couldn’t afford to vacation with their families at the beach,” she said I walk to the Mermaid every Friday for lunch with my lady friends,” she said She also walked to the Easy Reader office interview.   The couple contributed to countless community organizations and was named the Hermosa Beach Man and Woman of the Year in 1997 She dressed every day like she was going to a wedding They don’t make people like her and Richard anymore A light has gone out,” Rabbi Mintz said.  The couple’s extensive family included children Darrell Liz Powell and Roberta Perkins-Greenwald gave the couple 19 grandchildren and one great grandchild the singer and guitarist who wrote the 1970 hit “Ride Captain Ride” for his band Blues Image Pinera performed the song for many years during his volunteer performances at the annual Easy Reader Mama Liz Thanksgiving Dinner at the Hermosa Beach Kiwanis hall.  Pinera recalled in a Goldmine magazine interview shortly before his death “I went into the bathroom and locked the door,” Pinera said “I was in there for 10 to 15 minutes and all the words and melody came to me for ‘Ride Captain Ride.’ “It came at a good time because my parents were financially strapped I made enough money from that gold single to pay off my father and mother’s house,” he said Pinera continued touring across the United States until he was stopped by illness about two years ago James “Fats” Eick was born in Hermosa Beach Eick was a founding member of the Double Deuce Danglers After serving in the Air Force during the Vietnam War he participated in the  explosive growth of Silicon Valley Just six weeks after he cashed out and entered retirement at age 55,  a massive stock market crash wiped out the fortunes of many he had left behind It was just another example of his combination of grit California to surf the Santa Cruz coastline his loving wife of 40 years; his two sons; three grandchildren; his brother and best friend his son Kris describe him as the quintessential Hermosa Beach native The avid music lover frequented Saint-Rocke and Concerts in the Park and Concerts on the Beach and his favorite activities were beach volleyball with his family and friends and watching the Raiders win Patrick Raymond Kovac passed away August 8 and Mira Costa High School (Class of 1981) His proudest moment was becoming a father in 1993 to his son and found equal joy in watching his daughter Kovak began his work at Vasek Polak BMW in Hermosa Beach and later worked as the parts manager at  South Bay BMW He also donated his time to the Hermosa Beach Museum and Hermosa Beach Historical Foundation.  and sisters Angel Johnston and Katrina Deist-Zemar passed away peacefully at home in Hermosa Beach December 1 Known to family and friends as “Bubsy,” he moved to Hermosa Beach in 1955 and declared he would never live anywhere else He became a pillar of the South Bay community – a revered criminal defense attorney a husband and father of four, co-founder of the Labor Day volleyball tournament and a friend and supporter to everyone he met lived one of the great love stories the South Bay has known The Palms were married for 71 years before Noel’s passing in 2021 The Palms courtship began as teenagers in post WWII Santa Ana Sally took notice of the dashing tall track star but at first dismissed him because he liked math.  “Art and music and stuff like that was what I liked “I thought Noel was a brain because he liked it But the two ended up going steady for a while in high school they still possessed the sweet spark of high school sweethearts.  “He was a young innocent guy who just went along.”  and arrived in Manhattan Beach in 1960 when they bought a little 1,400 sq “My heart sank when I saw it because it was so small,” Sally said and that just seemed like so much money.”  Noel worked in the early Hi-Fi sound system industry and Sally was a stay-at-home mom until the kids got older then taught art in Redondo Schools and became a renowned muralist locally completing the beloved historical mural that graced Redondo’s Veteran’s Park bandshell She also designed stage sets for the Manhattan Beach Community Church for decades.  One of the secrets of the Palms’ enduring love story was their deep sense of community Noel served on the Manhattan Beach Board of Education for 16 years and both he and Sally were key players in the establishment of the South Bay Free Clinic.  “They were sort of the community warriors for the underserved,” said Brooke McIntyre Tuley the director of outreach and volunteers for the clinic now known as South Bay Family Health Care being around people like that —  who had such stature within the community and who could see things before anyone else could They created opportunities and surrounded themselves with people who they know could start to take charge I think maybe it’s the same quality they brought to their marriage: we are going to work through this.”  Sally Palm was 94 when she passed away last spring Her family described her as “the unexpected culprit behind most of the pranks in the Palm household” and noted that she identified with the Dylan Thomas verse rage against the dying of the light.” Sally herself wrote,  “Above all Dave “Big Wave” Holden ran cross country and track at Mira Costa High School and in college But his greatest passions however were surfing and volleyball He played volleyball in high school at Mira Costa Pepperdine and Cal State Dominquez Hills where his team won the NAIA National Championship He passed away in January from a combination of cancer and COVID He entered the draft thinking he was going to be a member of the Army track team he was put on a bus to Camp Pendleton and Marine Corp basic training he was reluctant to talk about many of the details he spent the next couple years sampling beers and playing beach volleyball Dave embarked on his career in aerospace beginning with Hughes Helicopters and eventually with Boeing hoodies and hats were popular throughout the South Bay Trina and Tootie and a large number of very good friends a two-term city councilman and longtime Redondo Beach waterfront “hyperactivist,” as deemed by Planning Commission member Rob Gaddis died after a five-year battle with lung cancer in February 13 months before the completion of his second term as mayor.  Southern California Edison permanently shutdown the AES Redondo Beach power plant a milestone that drove Brand for more than 20 years.  Brand first came to Redondo Beach in 1966 as an eight-year-old boy hanging out the window of his parents’ station wagon and spent most of his working life as a crew chief for American Airlines His focused turned to his own coastline in the early 2000s looking to defend it from what he thought was overdevelopment he gave me flight benefits,” said widow Diedre at his city memorial March 3 at RUHS auditorium She talked of his determination to pursue his causes who has worked for the city longer than Brand represented it and we’re forever grateful for it,” he said.  State Senator Ben Allen was last to speak at the memorial.   “It was a lot of work and a lot of fun,” Allen said Redondo Union High School alumnus and LAPD officer Austin Cronkrite died at age 29 on Dec 2023 after a three-month battle with a rare form of cancer.  Cronkrite was born and raised in Redondo Beach; Beryl Heights Elementary He went to El Camino College for mechanics and worked at Motor Trend before being accepted to the LAPD Academy great uncle and uncle as LAPD officers before him Judith Opdahl was selected from among 40 applicants as executive director of the Wellness Community (now the South Bay Cancer Support Community) in 1994 She was familiar with the organization’s services from her her own ordeal with fourth stage colo-rectal cancer only four years before she was offered the job “After about six weeks of aggressive treatment in and out of the hospital at UCLA I truly didn’t know whether I would live,” she said “I needed help to deal with all the remaining unknowns.” A friend referred her to The Wellness Community It was the best decision I made in my fight for recovery.”  During her 25 years of years of leadership the Community grew from nine programs a month to more than 140 offered throughout the area including satellite locations in Harbor City She was named Redondo Beach Woman of the Year in 2014 Damon Howe of Redondo Beach and Daren Howe of Torrance Class of 1972 Redondo Union High School graduate and “Hot Rod Legend” Pat Porter died March 16 he found an early passion in cars – hot rods and classics.  He worked at brake and alignment shops as an adult and then founded Porter’s Alignment & Brake Service in Redondo Beach.  Porter worked on hot rods for friends and acquaintances both of which he drove as a frequent participant in the Friday night car shows at the former Ruby’s parking lot in Redondo Beach.   He was a 22-year member of the Centinela Valley Lodge Sons of Italy Former Porter’s Alignment employee Mario Arbor now owns and operates the shop Former Redondo Unified School District boardmember Arlene Staich died March 12 at age 81 A retired physics teacher at Mira Costa High School she served on the Redondo school board from 2003-11 and later on the district’s Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee “Arlene was extremely dedicated to the betterment of the students a current Beach Cities Health District boardmember who served with Staich on the school board Staich taught at Mira Costa High School beginning in the 1960s She took several years off after her children were born Staich coached Academic Decathlon and robotics and served as president of the teachers’ union she joined the board of the Southern California Regional Occupational Center (SOCAL ROC) Staich split time between Redondo Beach and Elk Rapids cleared it and built a summer home when Staich was a child Hector Alatorre and his family have been the heart and soul of Clark Field He and  his family also owned  Hectors Tacos catering business He was a professional skateboarder who became a triathlete Dave cherished his friendships within the skateboarding community and attended many local events honoring longtime skateboarders Another of his early passions was long-distance running He was a proud member of the Second Sole Running Club He completed the Hawaii Ironman three times He also played baseball and was a member of the Ercoles Sloths for many years Dave passed away peacefully on September 8 after a courageous six-year journey with cancer to adoptive parents Jeanne and Thomas Forrest He graduated from Mira Costa High School in 1977 and attended classes at El Camino College Dave began framing with John Lee Construction where he discovered his passion for building beautiful homes Dave’s ability to lead with calmness and grace More than a skilled professional in the construction industry Dave was known for bringing joy and laughter to every room he created and entered 1999 at the Neighborhood Church in Palos Verdes he began his proudest role as a father to identical twin daughters His daughters were the center of his world or cheering them on at every sports game.  a 2021 Redondo Union High School graduate and Cal Poly football player the only student in the 43-year history of the awards to do so “He was a great young man,” said Keith Ellison who was defensive coordinator during the three years Marco started on the defensive and offensive lines I can’t say enough good things about the type of young man he was He brought a lot of joy to a lot of people Marco was a food science major at Cal Poly and member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity He redshirted for the football team in 2021 and 2022 A pulmonary embolism is the result of a blood clot in an artery in the lung Marco was rushed to UCLA Medical Center in Westwood May 23 He was set to do an internship last summer with Symrise in Newport Beach “Live Like Keith” was a recurring theme at his celebration of life State and local prosecutors continue to file new price gouging charges against people accused of raising rents above legal limits in the aftermath of last month’s historically destructive fires in Los Angeles County California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a new criminal case against a landlord and a real estate agent for allegedly raising the rent on a Hermosa Beach home by 36% after the outbreak of the Palisades and Eaton fires County Superior Court against landlord Edward Kushins and agent Willie Baronet-Israel “The California Department of Justice remains focused on putting a stop to price gouging,” Bonta said in a news release “DOJ will continue relentlessly pursuing those who are trying to capitalize off of the chaos and pain of Southern California’s natural disaster.” LAist asked both defendants for comment on the charges who identified himself as Kushins’ attorney in a phone call “He did not intend to price gouge.” Robinson said Kushins would have no further comment at this time She said her company caters to “celebrity types that lease my properties short term two blocks to beach.” “We are a weird anomaly that specializes mostly in high end clients looking for short term stays due to job career situations,” Baronet-Israel told LAist “I lease to a lot of famous ball players and celebrities.” Baronet-Israel said she sent a letter to Newsom and other state officials arguing against provisions in the state’s price gouging law it read: “While I understand the intent behind the emergency measures is to address affordability and protect renters applying a one-size-fits-all policy to the luxury rental market has created a crisis for high-income residents and property owners alike These policies are driving affluent individuals out of California resulting in a loss of economic contributions to local businesses and communities.” Kushins and Baronet-Israel could each face a maximum fine of $10,000 and up to a year in jail Prosecutors said the latest charges were filed after they investigated complaints sent to the Department of Justice They said an Eaton Fire evacuee had sought to rent a Hermosa Beach home after Newsom’s emergency declaration Bonta said in addition to the charges filed so far his office has sent more than 700 warning letters to hotels and landlords about restrictions on price gouging The Hermosa Beach Museum – a small but mighty institution known for celebrating the city’s surf and beach culture – is closing in on a major milestone: national accreditation Officials said Sunday the museum is preparing for a pivotal site visit in August from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) the museum would join other powerhouse institutions like the Getty Accreditation is considered the gold standard in the museum world with just over 1,100 of the nation’s 35,000 museums having earned the designation “It was like Mira Costa deciding to play the Rams,” Board Member Pete Hoffman said of the decision to pursue accreditation five years ago Accreditation would elevate the museum’s stature and solidify its standing as the only AAM-accredited museum in the South Bay “We’re working diligently to prepare for that site visit in August,” said Museum President Greg McNally and board members gathered at the historic Bijou Theatre The Hermosa Beach Museum has already submitted a 90-page self-study and met staffing benchmarks The AAM representatives will assess the museum’s files “They want to make sure we fit the standards of an accredited museum,” said Museum Director Jamie Erickson serving the community and doing our due diligence to protect history.” Treasurer Dan Inskeep emphasized that the museum is on solid financial footing.  and not on the brink of disaster,” he said “We’re in a very good financial position.” Museum Vice President Jake Courtney addressed the crowd at the Bijou Theatre with a call for support so the museum could expand its staff and programs “You all chose to come here because the museum is important to you “We need to raise money so we can be a better museum We can do more and serve the greater community.” Longtime resident and museum donor Dorothy Courtney said the museum’s future rests in the hands of the community.  “We are so proud to be a part of this museum because of all the wonderful people who live here and have not only made the museum grow but made the city a very important mark in the history of our state,” she said Courtney said when she first came to the museum It already had people involved with it.”  this city had more exciting things in the South Bay than some of those other cities “Think about bringing other people to the museum and Torrance — so they can see and also be a part of this.” summed it up: “I wanted us to be recognized for the things that make us special — beach volleyball If the AAM grants accreditation later this year the Hermosa Beach Museum won’t just be preserving the past — it’ll be securing its future The city of Redondo Beach maintains it’s historical museum in Dominguez Park located in Central Redondo at 302 Flagler Lane Parking is free and just steps away from the museum Admission is free and the museum is open on Wednesday The museum is surrounded by the beautiful Heritage Court Both the museum and adjacent Morrell House are historical structures which were moved to their current locations in the 1990s between MB and RB; a special “hangout”… The Hermosa Beach Saint Patrick’s Day Parade celebrated its 29th anniversary in downtown Hermosa Beach on Saturday were remembered by being named Honorary Grand Marshals and Sandpipers Woman of the Year Liz Tyndorf was the Parade Grand Marshall the Hermosa Beach Little League Bark for a Park “It seemed like there were more participants than spectators,” quipped Mayor Dean Francois which almost didn’t happen because of financial concerns appeared to be the best attended since Cullen and Travers founded the parade in 1995 Please include this letter in this weeks ER The 38 Best Tacos in Los Angeles The Best Barbecue Restaurants in Los Angeles, According to Eater Editors The Best Places to Eat Near Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium, According to an Eater Editor Where to eat right now around the City of Angels Though the local dining scene has endured tremendous challenges in recent years the city’s spirit of breaking ground and exploring new cuisines and forms continues every month we narrow the field to those places that are drawing the most excitement focusing largely on restaurants that have only been open for six months or less When an Eater editor visits a new restaurant we share insider tips on what to expect and what’s worth ordering as well New this update: Santa Monica California Italian restaurant Cosetta cult-favorite South Korean dessert shop Cafe Knotted Chinatown’s new-school Chinese American restaurant Firstborn chef Mei Lin’s fine dining destination 88 Club and Mar Vista’s Beethoven Market have been added this month For even more of an insider’s perspective on how to eat well in Los Angeles, pick up our guidebook: The Eater Guide to Los Angeles. For restaurants that have established themselves as one of the city’s best, check out Eater LA’s Essential 38 Pasjoli chef Dave Beran has returned to a tasting menu-only format with Seline a spiritual successor to his previous Michelin-starred restaurant Dialogue Beran acknowledges Seline as the more complete fully thought-out effort that Dialogue helped establish a former chef de cuisine of Alinea and executive chef of Next tailors the ingredient mix to seasonal California offerings 14-course journey that includes roast squash and caviar-topped coffee custard sauce for dessert brooding room offers pops of color from controversial artist David Choe while the fully open kitchen lets one watch the action from start to finish The Best Splurge-Worthy Restaurants in Los Angeles Prolific South Bay chef David LeFevre and protege Alice Mai have finally opened their California Mediterranean restaurant Attagirl in the former Dia de Campo space in Hermosa Beach serving an expansive array of modern mezze Themed around the kinds of foods chefs like to eat every day of the week expect puffy focaccia rounds and plush pita scooping up spicy whipped feta or charred cucumber tzatziki Spaghetti alle vongole or spinach rigatoni will help scratch the pasta itch while most folks will opt for a variety of wood-grilled skewers like wild Mexican shrimp or rosemary-marinated beef tenderloin boisterous dining room segmented between tables all meant to accommodate a dedicated Hermosa crowd who have descended in droves since day one Korean dessert cafe and cream doughnut specialist Cafe Knotted has landed in the U.S for the first time with a location at the Westfield Century City Cafe Knotted serves a full lineup of its signature cream doughnuts in flavors like strawberries and cream Knotted offers a mega-thick gluten-free chocolate chip cookie and cream-topped lattes in flavors like chestnut tiramisu former two-Michelin-star restaurant Somni has opened in a new West Hollywood location under chef Aitor Zabala Somni occupies a cloistered set of buildings just north of Santa Monica Boulevard serving precise Spanish-inflected modernist tasting menus to a rounded duet of countertops The high-ceiling space acts as a theater of sorts to Zabala’s kitchen crew assembling dashi meringue fish topped with Astrea caviar or escabeche mussels dressed with borage flowers Expect every flavorful turn to be delightful especially for the sky-high $495 price that will inevitably feel justified after experiencing perhaps the most innovative meal in Los Angeles from tight little sports cars to adorable animated characters and this latest bakery that opened in late January is no exception Espresso &’s name is all forgiven once one takes a bite of the plush mou bread shaped like cubes and often stuffed with sweet and savory ingredients There’s one topped with frosting and flavored with cinnamon while the next one is cut into two squares and filled with garlicky pork slices The buttery French toast comes piping hot on a little cast iron skillet and a drizzle of honey provides the ideal sweet finish a wide array of coffee and matcha options are available to pair with the carb fest Given its popularity on social media already and the product has sold out well before its scheduled closing time So be prepared to wait for one of the hottest bakeries in Southern California The team behind Michelin-starred Kali just opened Koast a casual seafood spot along Melrose Avenue chef Kevin Meehan and Drew Langley continue their longtime partnership with their first new restaurant in nine years offering East Coast classics like chowder and fries tossed in Old Bay alongside a dry-aged cheeseburger Meehan hopes to offer a casual weeknight spot for neighbors to come in for a glass of wine and some clams or go all out with caviar and Champagne The main dining room leans into minimalism with rich blue banquettes balanced by medium-hued wood tables and concrete floors One of LA’s best Korean barbecue restaurants has moved into new digs on Western Avenue in Koreatown leaving behind its tight space on Olympic Boulevard The restaurant specializes in gopchang (pig’s intestines) and daechang (marinated beef intestines) alongside a lineup of high-quality cuts like rib-eye cap and marinated galbi The best way to try the house-specialty intestines is in the Chang Combo Get Into the Guts of LA Dining With 19 Delectable Offal Dishes Sri Lankan restaurant Kurrypinch has settled into a new location on Hollywood Boulevard This is the third iteration of Shaheen Ghazaly’s cult-favorite restaurant which previously operated out of locations in Van Nuys and Tarzana Ghazaly cooks his version of popular street food kottu roti (chopped roti with scrambled egg and curry seasonings) lamprais (basmati rice with eggplant and potato curry wrapped in banana leaves) and string hoppers (rice flour strands stir-fried with eggs Pair the dishes with a Sri Lankan take on a michelada with tamarind juice or an aligetapera drink with avocados is making her mark on Highland Park’s pastry scene with her new bakery Santa Canela which is right next door to vinyl bar Gold Line serves a lineup of Mexico City and LA-inspired treats like concha croissants bringing her own twists on classic pastries like kouign-amann with cajeta Santa Canela also serves a potato soyrizo croissant and a cured beef and kale chimichurri focaccia sandwich topped with fried chile güero The mid-century leaning interior was designed by Studio Lena’s Lena Kohl and features striking marble countertops and rich wood cabinets 2025 at 11:13 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}This year's event is presented by Riviera Mexican Cantina and will take place on April 29 at Hermosa Beach Pier from 6:30 a.m CA — The South Bay Surf Series is back this weekend with surfers of all ages taking on the waves at Hermosa Beach The South Bay Surf Series was created in 2010 to provide top-quality venues for young and older surfers to sharpen their skills and to bring together the local surf community, according to event organizers, South Bay Boardriders Club This year's event is presented by Riviera Mexican Cantina and will take place at Hermosa Beach Pier from 6:30 a.m There have already been four competitions this year including earlier this month at El Porto Beach in Manhattan Beach where more than 100 surfers competed in their respective divisions including several for competitors 18 and under and even a Legends category for those over 55 years old Contestants are scored based on their overall results of a contest and whoever accumulates the most points throughout the year is crowned as their division's champion With two more competitions left for the series Summer Williams currently leads the women's longboard division with nearly 2,800 points while Jiro Ikeda leads the open longboard division with 3,850 points Thelma and Richard Greenwald bought the 17-room Seasprite Hotel on the Strand in Hermosa Beach as an investment property in 1964 Richard and his twin brother Robert owned Del Amo Dodge Thelma Greenwald recalled in a 2004 Easy Reader interview she called her husband and told him she couldn’t  possibly show the rooms to guests because the carpets were so worn and the counters so badly burned by cigarettes she wouldn’t stay in the motel herself “Honey,” her car salesman husband told her I told Richard to hurry up and sell that car dealership I think with the two of us working at the hotel we could stop it from losing money,” Thelma recalled in the 2004 interview “I used to stand on the holes in the carpet and use picture frames to cover the burns on the counters,” she said When the Biltmore Hotel was demolished in 1968 displaced tenants rooms in the Breakers at below market rates We waited until they died or had to move to a home And God has certainly repaid us,” Thelma recalled Thelma Greenwald passed away recently on October 23 Rabbi Yossi Mintz met the Greenwalds when he arrived in the South Bay three decades ago.  Rabbi Mintz credited the Greenwalds with helping found the Jewish Community Center the Greenwalds donated money to the Jewish Community Center to build a commercial kitchen They also donated money to countless other community organizations The couple was named the Hermosa Beach Man and Woman of the Year in 1997 “The Hermosa Arts Foundation wanted to remodel the Hermosa Community Theater $120,000,” Hermosa building contractor Rick Koenig said The couple lived in Torrance until 1987 when their home burnt down “We were standing outside of the house we had lived in for 40 years thinking of all the things we had lost when a worker from the Red Cross asked us if we had a place to stay for the night That’s when I broke down and cried because I saw how truly blessed we were,” Thelma recalled That year they bought the house at the corner of 9th and The Strand Thelma said one of the reasons they wanted the house was to tear down the coiled barbed wire the owners had strung along the wall surrounding the house The home became a favorite party house for community gatherings Liz Powell and Roberta Perkins-Greenwald gave the couple 19 grandchildren and one great grandchild.  her family entertained the idea of remodeling their A room with a queen size bed and a sliding glass door overlooking the ocean was $99 a night She also walked to the Easy Reader office for the 2004 interview.   After the recent Pacific Palisades and Altadena fires “Real Time with Bill Maher” told viewers what every family should have in its emergency go-bag.  “My favorite item on that list,” satirist Maher quipped The people who do the work in LA will need a Spanish language station.” Hermosa Beach Emergency Management Coordinator Maurice “Mo” Wright agreed with Maher on the importance of an AM radio you’ll need a battery-powered radio to stay informed,” Wright said in a recent interview Another broader lesson from the recent fires is the importance of having two emergency go-bags One is for the house if shelter-in-place orders are given because of disasters such as a pandemic Wright said shelter-in-place supplies should be sufficient for four days for each member of the household Four days is the worst case scenario for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to reach disaster victims The second emergency go-bag is for the car in the event quick evacuation is required because of a fire Hermosa hasn’t had a serious quake in over 20 years But the Beach Cities are 26 times more likely to have a quake than elsewhere in the country Los Angeles County does not have a tsunami early warning system but residents can expect a three to 10 minute warning through AlertSouthBay.com A tsunami siren system is on the Hermosa capital improvements list but is not yet scheduled for implementation A car emergency go-bag is important because during an evacuation there may not be time to grab bulky essentials such as water because if the power is out credit card readers won’t work important documents and other items residents want to take from their homes during an evacuation should be easy to grab The emergency go-bags he bought his mother cost $120 but adequate go-bags are available for $40 residents should have an evacuation plan that includes two meeting place options for family members The city does not specify public evacuation locations in advance of disasters because it can’t know in advance what sites will be safe Wright joined the city as its emergency management coordinator a year ago He served in similar positions previously at Martin Luther King and MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center The 6-foot-8 coordinator compares his job to his first passion and then in Canada and with a traveling team in Mexico Basketball taught me you can have a talented team that loses and a not so talented team that wins and be prepared to help everyone else on the team do their jobs,” he said The best way for residents to help one another during an emergency is for themselves to be prepared and last month gave a presentation on Emergency Preparedness to the city council.  Residents can sign up for emergency alerts at AlertSouthBay.com. For an Emergency Supply List and other Emergency Preparedness Information, go to Hermosabeach.gov/our-government/city-manager/emergency-preparedness 2024 at 9:31 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Waters in LA County at nine different beaches didn't meet state standards for bacterial levels CA — Those looking to take a winter dip in the ocean may want to steer clear of some Los Angeles beaches as the County’s Public Health Department issued a bacteria advisory for nine beaches — including Hermosa Beach The department collects samples weekly from various sites year-round to test and monitor bacteria levels the division found the ocean water near the Herondo Street storm drain in Hermosa Beach exceeded state standards for bacterial levels Waters in the county at Topanga County Beach Santa Monica Beach and Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey also didn’t meet state standards The Department of Public Health discourages swimming in the water at the beach because it may cause illness The public may see warning signs displayed at the beach. To view a list of the locations, visit the Public Health Department’s website The list will be updated when conditions change and the water is found to be safe to swim 2025 at 1:47 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Hermosa Beach police will be focused on looking for distracted drivers through April CA — Hermosa 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 Hermosa 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,” Traffic Officer Dadigan 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 Hermosa 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 Authorities say drivers can take the following precautions to create a safer environment while in traffic: Hermosa Beach City Attorney Patrick Donegan signaled the city’s intention to fight a lawsuit challenging the city’s ban on Short Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) in the residential coastal zone (between the Greenbelt and the mean high tide) My position is the city’s STVR ordinance is valid and enforceable,” Donegan told the City Council at its Tuesday The City Attorney’s comment came during a council discussion about relaxing the city’s STVR ordinance in the residential coastal zone by allowing STVRs in owner occupied residences.  The lawsuit was filed March 7 by attorney Frank Angel on behalf of Hermosa Beach resident Todd Koerner whom the city fined $2,500 for advertising a room in his Manhattan Avenue home for rent as a short term rental Koerner’s appeal of the fine was denied by a Hermosa Beach administrative hearing officer Angel filed a similar suit against the City of Manhattan Beach who rented a STVR in Manhattan’s residential coastal zone Manhattan also banned STVRs in its residential coastal zone Angel prevailed in the lower courts on the basis that a Coastal Commission permit is required to regulate STVRs in the coastal zone City of Manhattan Beach to the Supreme Court Angel’s client was awarded approximately $150,000 in attorney fees and now collects approximately $1 million annually in Transient Occupancy Taxes from STVRs following Tuesday’s Hermosa council meeting he would suspend his suit if Hermosa suspends its STVR enforcement until it obtains a Coastal Commission permit for regulating STVRs is scheduled to begin in June in Los Angeles Superior Court Judge before Judge James C who issued the initial ruling against Manhattan Beach in the Keen STVR case Hermosa’s Council at its Tuesday night meeting also signaled its intention to fight the Koerner case by rejecting Councilmembers Michael Keegan’s and Dean Francois’s suggestion that STVRs be allowed in owner occupied residences on a trial basis Councilmember Raymond Jackson presented the case against relaxing STVR restrictions during  a 10 minute “We did not ban short term rentals outright allowing them in the commercial zones while preserving residential neighborhoods for long term housing,” Jackson said.  “The city has 148 potential short term rentals (in the coastal commercial zone)… yet only 20 are legally licensed according to the aggregate STVR website AirDNA.) “That’s 300 homes that could be rented by people who live …illegal short term rentals have drastically reduced affordable options making it even harder for those looking to put down roots in Hermosa Beach,” Jackson said.  “It’s time to get those 300 plus homes back on the long term rental market Hermosa Beach doesn’t need nor does it want more mini hotels scattered throughout our neighborhoods,” Jackson concluded “The council majority’s professed concern for affordable housing is a bit rich when it came to updating the city’s housing element fought the state’s demands for new and more diverse housing opportunities tooth and nail Hermosa Beach voters selected two veteran council members to fill the two open council seats on Tuesday Incumbent Michael Detoy was elected to a second consecutive term Preliminary results Wednesday morning showed Detoy Keegan Founded Manhattan Bread and Bagel and has worked in real estate development The five-candidate field also included businessman and Parks and Recreation Commissioner Jani Lange who finished third (2,726 votes/22%); former newspaper reporter and cable news producer Elka Worner who finished fourth (2,484 votes/20%); and entertainment production company  owner Brian Sheil said Wednesday morning she plans to remain active in local politics “It was a close race. I’d like to thank all of my supporters Sheils said he was satisfied with his first run for elective office and also plans to remain active in local politics Detoy was the only candidate to be endorsed by his four fellow council members a notable achievement because of the current council’s disharmony.  He was also the only candidate to support Tuesday’s Measure HB which would have increased Hermosa’s sales tax by .75 percent Worner wrote the Measure HB opposing ballot argument But Keegan said Tuesday night at his victory party that he is open to putting the sales tax increase back on the ballot in 2026 if the council first makes clear how the revenue increase would be spent.  Detoy and Keegan appear to disagree on several significant issues facing the city But Keegan said Tuesday night he looks forward to meeting with Detoy to find common ground and past council experiences will be an asset.”  “I’m Brown Act buddies with all of my colleagues,” Detoy added (The State Brown Act prohibits a majority of elected officials from discussing policies together in private But it allows a minority to discuss policies in private.) Detoy supports the city’s ban on Short Term Vacation Rentals in the Coastal Zone Keegan believes “the cat is out of the bag,” and that the ban is illegal Detoy voted in favor of retaining a consultant to facilitate community discussions on building or remodeling the civic center Keegan said Tuesday night he will look at the city-owned storage facility across from city hall if the city needs more office space.  Detoy has been supportive of City Manager Suja Lowenthal Keegan has criticized the city manager for adding staff Keegan cited the $400,000 recently spent on a parks master plan as an example of excessive spending on consultants Keegan said Tuesday night he looked forward to working with Detoy who has often been the swing vote on the council.  Detoy said during the campaign that he prides himself on impartiality and accessibility Keegan said Tuesday night his approach to serving residents is “standing in their shoes.”  Keegan will replace Councilmember Justin Massey Keegan reported the most funds raised among the candidates Of this $21,000 was a loan he made to his campaign.  The balance of Keegans funds came from $250 donations (The limit does not apply to loans a candidate gives to himself) a leader in the opposition to the sales tax increase on the November ballot mostly on postage and printing for mailers and lawn signs according to his most recent Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) filing Notable contributors included Fox and Farrow owner Seth Weiss; Hermosa Museum volunteer; Richard Resnichek; Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters; Hermosa School Board candidate Carol Kluthe (who was elected Tuesday night); and Firefighter Associations Political Action Committees from Long Beach Detoy reported expenditures of $12,518 for printing digital advertising and E-Fundraising Connections One of the most intractable problems in city government is agonizingly long city council meetings.  Council candidate after council candidate has promised to end meetings by 10 p.m Hermosa Beach City Council candidate Michael Keegan to break the curse of the bottomless meeting Put the “closed sessions” that start council meetings at the end of council meetings And put the public hearings at the top of the agenda Keegan reasons the council will move through the public hearings with less bloviating knowing they can’t adjourn until after they discuss pending litigation and personal matters in closed session Keegan said he is running for council because the city needs a “course correction,” despite his efforts at course correction costing him reelection in 2009 To Taxman Keegan” began flying up and down the beach Bacon’s Air Force was paid for by Ralph’s Shopping Center owner Roger Bacon (now the Trader Joe’s Shopping Center).  Keegan incurred Bacon’s wrath when he convinced CalTrans to untangle a Pacific Coast Highway  bottleneck in front of Bacon’s shopping center Bacon liked the bottleneck because it diverted frustrated commuters into his shopping center Keegan further antagonized Bacon by orchestrating his removal from the judges panel for the Surfer Walk of Fame The other judges had threatened to quit if Bacon wasn’t removed because he insisted on nominating nominees with questionable qualifications.  following the model of baseball and other sports Only those who had won the award could sit on the selection board The “course corrections” Keegan currently proposes are similarly disruptive.  which he said has increased by 35 percent over the past five years.  He would dismiss the $80,000-a-year city public information consultant which the current council is contemplating “The city can’t build a bathroom on time and within budget but it wants to take on a project 50 times as large,” he said single stall bathroom with two sinks at Sea View park cost approximately $750,000 included a single LED light powered by a 5-panel solar array he estimates to have cost $100,000 He would increase capital improvement spending which is $3 million adjusted for inflation,” he said the .75% sales tax increase on the November ballot he would put it back on the November 2026 ballot “I oppose it now because when the same measure lost in 2022 the council did nothing to assess why it lost And the council did nothing this year to say how they will spend it I’ll specify how it will be spent in 2026.” Keegan was a founder of Beach Cities Swimming competitive swim team that trains at Redondo High But he opposes partnering with Redondo to build a public pool at the former Aviation High School site.  “If Redondo builds the pool it will be required by law to allow Hermosa residents to use it Why should Hermosa residents pay for it if they don’t have to,’ he said “The cat’s out of the bag,” Keegan said of Short Term Vacation Rentals He believes Hermosa’s Short Term Vacation Rental ban will be overturned by the courts Manhattan Beach’s similar ban was overturned and now the city is earning $1 million annually from Short Term Vacation Rental transient occupancy taxes (bed taxes) You can’t change anything if you don’t have the background and experience to implement change Drivers departing downtown Hermosa Beach Friday night Approximately a dozen Hermosa Beach Police Officers conducted a DUI checkpoint on Pier Avenue that night midway along the six-block stretch between the downtown bars and restaurants The operation included six officers who stopped and questioned drivers a chase officer on a motorcycle who deterred drivers from fleeing officers who parked cars of drivers suspected of being impaired officers trained to conduct SFSTs (Standard Field Sobriety Tests) and one DRE officer (Drug Recognition Expert) from the Manhattan Beach Police Department.  Hermosa Community Services Officers lit the DUI checkpoint like a nighttime movie set with what resembled eight-foot tall Luci lights Hermosa has had a DUI checkpoint,” said Detective Garrett McDermott Garrett also secured the $80,000 California Office of Traffic Safety grant that funded the checkpoint and will fund a second DUI checkpoint later in the year The grant also helped fund “saturation patrols” over the past two months that have resulted in 26 DUI arrests in Hermosa.  and going all the way to the Super Bowl is when we see the most DUIs,” Hermosa Police Chief Paul LeBaron reported to the City Council at its January 28 meeting Detective McDermott had another explanation for the stepped up DUI enforcement “We’re fully staffed and there’s a lot of energy pumping through the department,” he said.  after moving to California to get away from the cold in Vermont He chose the South Bay because of fond memories of summer vacations with his grandparents Garrett described the DUI checkpoint as highly synchronized The six line officers looked at drivers’ licenses They also asked the drivers if they had medical conditions or were taking prescription drugs that might impair their driving.  Drivers were then asked to follow the officer’s index finger Drivers whose eyes jumped around moving side to side Drivers whose eyes showed redness when they looked up and down were also asked to step out as were drivers without licenses or whose licenses were suspended Their cars were driven to a police station parking lot and they were walked to a yard behind the police station At the station they were met by a team of officers trained in administering SFSTs (Standard Field Sobriety Tests) drivers were given the Romberg balancing test They were told to stand with their feet together close their eyes and tilt their heads back for 30 seconds.  they were asked to take nine steps forward the two tests show if the drivers can follow directions But an unwillingness to take the test does suggest the driver has been drinking might be asked to return to the police station for their cars the next day or 2% of the 457 drivers stopped at the Pier Avenue DUI checkpoint were arrested for driving under the influence Another 10 were cited for suspended or no licenses No drivers were arrested for drug impairment.  “Those nine drivers arrested for DUIs represent nine potential fatalities,” McDermott said.  Another reason for satisfaction with Friday’s DUI checkpoint is its evidence that DUI enforcement in Hermosa is having a deterrent effect By comparison to the 2% of drivers arrested at the Hermosa checkpoint for driving under the influence 8% of weekend evening drivers nationally have Blood Alcohol Concentrations (BAC) over the legal limit according to the Arizona State University Center for Problem-Oriented Policing The prize for best driver response to being asked about drinking that night was a woman who told Officer Dalton Blumenfield Mike Flaherty recalls a lifetime of service looking after the city’s streets if something went wrong in Hermosa Beach – sewer backups parking disputes – former Public Works Superintendent Mike Flaherty was the guy to call Flaherty worked for the city’s Public Works Department He and his crews enjoyed a well-earned reputation for problem solving and responsiveness shovels and men to do things,” he recalled.  Their orange shirts and well-stocked trucks made them a familiar sight “We were also the most  visible,” he said He shared tales of those busy days with a group of history buffs at Gitana Café late last month as part of the Hermosa Museum’s “Café Stories: Voices from Hermosa.” Flaherty told the group he moved from upstate New York to Hermosa on a whim tagging along with a new acquaintance from a local bar who like any two guys who met at a bar might do they headed straight to a local watering hole.  “My first stop in California was “The Mermaid,” he said “The guy I drove out with knew a waitress there and that was the reason we came to Hermosa Beach.” He described walking into the iconic dive bar on The Strand and seeing owner Quentin “Boots” Thelen perched on his corner seat “He had a cup of coffee and had just been served his first drink of the day,” Flaherty said Flaherty found a second-story apartment on The Strand for $125 a month “I was appointed to every department,” he said his first big job was preparing for the reopening of the Community Center The city had acquired the Art Deco building from the school district It had sat vacant for years and became home to some undesirable wildlife was getting rid of the rats,” Flaherty said He spent six years renovating the building before its grand opening in 1982 in a celebration headlined by singer Mel Torme Years later he was a vital resource for a group of residents building a museum at the Community Center “Building that museum would have been a lot more expensive and a lot more difficult show up kind of guy,” former Historical Society president Rick Koenig said “He’d show up in a city truck with his dog Jellybean riding shotgun and a jackhammer to blast up the concrete Flaherty said when he joined the Public Works department in the 1970s about half of the city yard employees either owned homes or rented in the city The head of Electrical bought a home for $17,000 “They ridiculed him…said it was way too much money,” Flaherty said.  When Flaherty retired only two public works employees lived in Hermosa Beach and city workers who hadn’t already bought a home were priced out of the market who spent his career looking after the city’s streets The city issued him one of its first two cell phones “I was tired of spending quarters at a telephone booth calling back when they paged me on my pager,” he said About seventy five percent of his calls were from people who wanted their neighbor to do something “It’s ‘get out of my parking space,’ or something like that.” “Have you talked to your neighbor?” Most of the time “Bottom line was I had a feel for resolving the problem He found it helpful to remain in the good graces of the Woman’s Club “I’m an honorary Woman’s Club member and honorary Garden Club member,” he said Flaherty had a hand in everything from converting lower Pier Avenue into a pedestrian zone to helping rebuild the pier and saving homes on The Strand after a massive sewage spill.  “I got down there within four or five minutes and saw a manhole cover that weighs 75 pounds floating in the air a foot off the street,” Flaherty said.  A pump failure in Manhattan Beach caused the high-pressure backup sending raw sewage into Hermosa streets and Strand homes He had to break through the doors of dozens of homes to drain the sewage that had seeped into their basements.  “It was the scariest moment I’ve ever had…because there was no end in sight.” Flaherty said it took him weeks to get in touch with some of the homeowners many of whom didn’t live on The Strand permanently.  When he wasn’t handling storm drains and sewers Flaherty had a role building and maintaining some of Hermosa’s most iconic monuments: the Vetter Windmill the Jarvis Memorial dedicated to the astronauts who died in the Challenger disaster “I think the closest to my heart is the Veterans Memorial,” said the former Marine who served in Vietnam.  His service to the community didn’t end with his retirement in 2010 He was involved in the city’s murals project served four terms as Public Works Commissioner and three as Planning Commissioner and is still the city’s go to guy when it comes to Public Works “I’m honored to say that I still get phone calls from city staff members,” he said “Do you have cards that say ‘sewer consultant?’ former Mayor Jim Rosenberger quipped Longtime Hermosa Beach resident Dorothy Courtney had another suggestion “I’m going to call Rome and talk to the Pope and see if he will canonize you as Saint Mike of Hermosa Beach,” she said Is "NORTH" The Best Surf Photography Book Ever Made? From Tubes To Turns, Jai Glindeman's Surfing is a Treat to Behold Gerry Lopez Goes Deep With Justin Jay On The Plug Podcast NewsAll NewsEventsBig Wave NewsWorld Surf LeagueEnvironmentalIndustryWave PoolsPosts List ‘He Was Such a Legend’: A Decade After His Death, Shawn “Barney” Barron’s Spirit Shines in Colorful Air Show Hawaiian Big Wave Icon Clyde Aikau Passes Away at 75 LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website who paved the way for modern day surfing in Hermosa then surfed their way up and down the California coast and over to Hawaii include: surfers and shapers Dale Velzy and Dewey Weber and legendary big-wave pioneer Greg Noll (originally from nextdoor Manhattan Beach) a collection of commemorative plaques lining the Hermosa Beach Pier in addition to a life-size statue for surfer and lifeguard Tim Kelly We’re unable to load this content right now View directly on Instagram Local South Bay newspaper, the Easy Reader first reported on the missing and damaged plaques “The missing plaques commemorates Bob Hogan a founder of the Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race inducted in 2009; and 2014 Pioneer inductees Becher Anderson “The two damaged plaques commemorate Spyder Surf founder Dennis Jarvis a 2015 inductee; and Lifeguard John “Merc” McFarlane communal surfing historical sites – like the feuding Surfers’ Hall of Fame and the Surfing Walk of Fame in Huntington Beach – the one in Hermosa Beach uses semi-precious metals It’s suspected that the plaques were pilfered for their monetary value an alloy which contains roughly 88% copper and 12% tin Just like electrical copper wiring pinched from households the market price for copper is about $3.70 per pound No reports have been made about potential suspects Don't miss another headline from SURFER! 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Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality surf videos Thank you for completing the form, here is your download: "+jQuery("body").attr("docName")+" Thank you for completing the form, here is the link to your on-demand webinar: On-Demand Webinar Link Police recruitment and retention have become two of the biggest challenges facing law enforcement today Agencies across the country struggle to attract qualified candidates and keep them engaged while leadership gaps and cultural stagnation exacerbate the issue But one department is proving that building a strong agency isn’t about flashy incentives or temporary hiring sprees — it’s about culture supported and set up for long-term success Chief Paul LeBaron took over the Hermosa Beach Police Department during one of the most challenging times in modern history: the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic a fractured internal culture and community mistrust he knew that traditional approaches wouldn’t cut it he prioritized sustainable leadership development employee empowerment and a bottom-up approach to innovation A key element of this transformation was the Leadership and Mentoring Program (LAMP) which has helped officers at every level refine their leadership skills and contribute to a culture of trust and accountability Chief Paul LeBaron was appointed as the Chief of Police for the Hermosa Beach Police Department on April 16 Before joining the Hermosa Beach Police Department he served the Long Beach Police Department in Los Angeles County Chief LeBaron is a graduate of California State University Long Beach with a degree in Communication Studies He earned his master’s degree in Management and Organizational Leadership from American Military University and a Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice from the University of Virginia He graduated from Sherman Block Leadership institute (SLI) Class #177 He is also an adjunct staff member at the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance and a faculty member at California State University Long Beach where he teaches classes in Criminal Justice Rick Poplin is a retired USAF Colonel and F-16 fighter pilot promoted to life-and-death leadership responsibilities on the world stage after 30 years as a military and commercial pilot Rick has a new mission as an executive coach Rick deployed to the Iraqi Combat theatre nine times as a F-16 Viper pilot and Mission Commander and commanded the only F-16 Squadron to operate from Al Asad Air Base National Guard Bureau Plans & Programs Directorate Rick was tasked with integrating the Air National Guard’s Future Years Defense Program into the Department of Defense’s $648 Billion annual budget Rick returned to flying the F-16 to command the 138th Operations Group and served at the Joint Force Headquarters in Oklahoma City flying in and training future aviators in the most elite fighting forces on the planet Rick retired from the F-16 and the United States Air Force Rate and review the Policing Matters podcastEnjoying the show? Please take a moment to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Contact the Policing Matters team at policingmatters@police1.com to share ideas Copyright © 2025 Lexipol. All rights reserved.Do Not Sell My Personal Information (KABC) -- An infant was taken into custody of child services after police say they found a gun and narcotics in a diaper bag in Hermosa Beach Newly-released body camera video shows the moments police stopped a car with no plates The male driver was taken into custody for several outstanding warrants Police found the diaper bag in question while searching the car Officers say there was a fully loaded gun and narcotics inside the bag the 2-month-old baby was safely placed in the custody of the Department of Children Services Creamy Boys co-owners Duncan Parsons and Joe Wedd opened their New Zealand style soft ice cream store in downtown Hermosa last December at the encouragement of Hermosa Beach Councilmember Mike Detoy Detoy had visited their temporary location in the soon to be demolished Goat Hill in Manhattan Beach The Chamber also recognized one of its oldest members with the presentation of its Best Bite Award to Martha’s restaurant.  “I’m proud to say Martha’s is celebrating its 40th anniversary,” partner Kevin Barry said He also thanked Hermosa councilmembers for helping restaurants by allowing outdoor dining Barry accepted the award on behalf of Martha’s staff who has worked at Martha’s since the day it opened Other recipients of the 2025 Best of Hermosa Awards were: Liz Tyndorf The disturbances have upset residents, prompting complaints to local police who have had little recourse because his speech is protected by the 1st Amendment and no victims came forward. On Thursday, Hermosa Beach police announced a resolution to the unusual community problem: The man was placed on a mental health hold that could keep him off the streets for 48 hours or longer. The man, who police declined to identify, was most recently spotted posting videos at the Hermosa Beach Pier, on nearby streets and in some cases inside businesses, approaching women, using “vulgar language and vulgar innuendos,” according to authorities. On Wednesday, the Hermosa Beach Police Department received numerous calls about a person who was live-streaming on Instagram from the Hermosa Beach Pier Plaza and Pier Avenue area around 1:45 p.m. “The videos that the person was live-streaming included offensive and frankly disgusting content,” said Hermosa Beach Police Chief Paul LeBaron. “This person was trying to seek reactions from passerbys and the community at large who saw the videos after they were posted.” When officers arrived at the pier the man was gone and no one identified themselves as a victim of any crime. A social media influencer involved in a deadly car crash after a party at Nobu Malibu on the Fourth of July has been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and DUI. The videos that the man posted online showed that he was trying to provoke a reaction, but “none of the videos depicted a crime that we were able to pursue without a victim who was being targeted,” LeBaron said. Around 3 p.m., the police department received another round of calls about a similar disturbance at the pier plaza. On Instagram, around the same time, the same man was shown live-streaming until someone apparently took his phone away and the live stream ended. It’s unclear who took the phone or what happened to it, however; officials are investigating the loss of the phone. Police said a group of citizens had surrounded the man at the pier plaza and responding officers were able to intervene. Once again, no victims came forward and the responding officers were not able to take any enforcement action. Early Thursday morning, the same man had an interaction with the Redondo Beach police and was taken to a hospital, where he is being held for a mental health evaluation. Mental health holds are typically for 48 hours but can be extended depending on the case, officials said. “If he does choose to come back to Hermosa Beach, our officers know who he is,” and can contact the mobile mental health and crisis response team, HB Cares, LeBaron said. The most recent risk assessment, outlined in maps published by the California Geological Survey, illustrate the devastation possible from extreme-but-realistic scenarios. The Redondo Beach and Manhattan Beach police departments have also had contact with the same man causing similar disturbances in their communities. “Their investigations have also shown that no crimes have been determined and no victims have stepped up to say there were crimes based on their interactions with this person,” LeBaron said. The police chief said he knows community members are frustrated that the man can’t be arrested for harassment. “The short answer is speech, even the vulgar and disgusting speech that this guy is using, is protected by our Constitution,” he said. “There is no actual crime of harassment, and if there were, we would certainly enforce it.” Based on the film interactions, if a victim came forward, the man could be investigated for fighting or provoking a fight, willfully and maliciously disturbing another person or uttering offensive words likely to provoke immediate violent reactions — all offenses that, police say, are citable misdemeanors and would not lead to jail time. Police are asking any victims approached by this man to contact them at (310) 318-0360. “What we really want to avoid, or encourage people to avoid, is this vigilante mentality that [the community] needs to take the law into their own hands,” LeBaron said. “It doesn’t help.” Karen Garcia is a reporter on the Fast Break Desk, the team that has a pulse on breaking news at the Los Angeles Times. She was previously a reporter on the Utility Journalism Team, which focused on service journalism. Her previous stints include reporting for the San Luis Obispo New Times and KCBX Central Coast Public Radio. Surfers checking the waves at 16th in Hermosa Beach Saturday morning instantly knew the meaning of the fluorescent red graffiti on the mouth of the storm drain whose runoff creates the sandbar that makes 16th Street worth checking every morning Everyone in the South Bay surf community knew him from seeing photos of him surfing in Hermosa when he was a pro and videos of him surfing in Hermosa when he became a filmmaker After being diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) in 2023 Browning embarked on a race to live as fully as the disease would allow He had breakfast with friends every week at Eat At Joes He thanked 15 pages of friends during his induction speech into the Hermosa Beach Surfers Walk of Fame last April He finished what he knew would be his last and hoped would be his best film “A Marble in the Jar,” about his close friend and World Surf League pro Tatiana Weston Webb.  knowing he had done all he could do in this life Condolences to all of Greg’s family and friends here in the South Bay and beyond I knew Greg only recently when we participated in a promo film for the South Bay Boardrider’s upcoming documentary I also ran into him at a Beachlife Festival and at Eat at Joe’s in RB his acceptance speech at his induction to the HB Surfer’s Walk of Fame was most touching and remarkable and will never be forgotten Greg was a huge asset to surf culture and epitomized Hermosa surfing We shared a few tall tales over breakfast and remembrances growing up here on the beach he was always grateful for this life and his connection to the ocean I had to keep pliers and wrenches scattered around to open things I couldn’t walk very far and I lost my balance easily I had trouble swallowing and drool sometimes this year my family doctor decided I try alternative treatment as Riluzole caused severe side effects I started on ALS/MND protocol from uine health centre which has made my coordination issues go away That was the biggest thing that convinced me I was on the right track Everything before that was just small improvements and was up and down at times but my right wrist and left shoulder are the slowest to improve we got the treatment from uinehealthcentre com This is a game changer for people with ALS Sending Love and Light to Greg Brwning and all who love him He was an inspiration to all in how he lived My sister’s husband had just passed away from ALS when I first learned about Greg I was so moved by the courage he had throughout his life and ALS He will live forever in the hearts of those he touched has implemented a new policy banning camping in all public areas The decision was made during a city council vote on Tuesday night Mayor Dean Francois highlighted the importance of a Supreme Court decision from last year which provided the city with the necessary tools and flexibility to enforce this prohibition effectively The new ordinance expands this ban to all public spaces ensuring Hermosa Beach remains a safe and sanitary environment for residents and visitors The city has also introduced a "care first" program which aims to assist individuals experiencing homelessness by encouraging them to seek shelter rather than sleep in public areas According to a news release any citations issued under this ordinance can be dismissed by the city manager if the individual completes a diversion program there is a cap on the number of citations that can be issued within a seven-day period to prevent excessive penalization The new policy reflects Hermosa Beach's commitment to balancing enforcement with compassion as it addresses public safety concerns while providing support to those in need Hermosa Beach City Manager Suja Lowenthal will have final say on the contents of city press releases City Council members will “refrain from direct contact with the media prior to City Council decisions,” and Council letters of support may be sent by the City Manager and the Mayor without council review under revisions to the city’s communications policy approved by the City Council at its Tuesday The update to the city’s Communication Plan and Protocols followed an hour and a half of what Mayor Dean Francois called “heated debate,” during which he twice banged his gavel to restore order “I think tomorrow’s press release is going to say ‘Council spent an hour on a communications plan that should have taken five minutes,’” Councilmember Raymond Jackson said an hour into the discussion The updated protocols were approved by Councilmembers Jackson “My abstention reflects my disapproval and signals that I don’t think it should have been considered in the first place… I believe it’s unnecessary and infringes upon the ability of elected officials to freely communicate with constituents and the press,” Francois said following the meeting.  Francois’ objections began with the staff report recommendation that city press releases be drafted by the city manager and the city public information officer “removing elected officials from the drafting process…”  Under the current policy the city manager collaborates with the mayor and mayor pro tem in drafting press releases The change was proposed to “prevent the perception of politicizing press releases by removing elected officials from the drafting process…” the staff proposal stated.  Francois argued the mayor and mayor pro tem should continue to have input on the press releases but agreed the city manager should have final editing rights.  Councilmembers Saemann and Detoy initially concurred with Francois “I don’t see why the mayor or the mayor pro tem or anybody needs to review the press releases,” Jackson said.  Councilmember Justin Massey proposed keeping the mayor and mayor pro tem involved in drafting press releases The compromise was agreed to by all but Francois Francois next expressed opposition to the staff recommendation that “City Councilmembers should refrain from direct contact with media prior to or following a City Council decision.” “We should be free to talk to the press unrestricted on an item ahead of time if we don’t divulge our position… we certainly should be encouraged to talk to the media and explain the reasons why we voted on something afterwards,” Francois said “We had an issue about parking meters recently where we voted 3 to 2 to begin [enforcement] at 8 in the morning instead of 10 A fellow council member and I were interviewed by the media and when it came back for a second reading the vote changed and our parking meters remained at 10 That’s the democratic process working to the fullest extent using our media to get [people] involved.” Councilmembers Detoy and Saemann agreed with the staff proposal that councilmembers shouldn’t talk to the media about upcoming council votes because their comments might indicate a predetermined bias But Detoy and Saemann agreed with Francois that after the council has voted on an issue councilmembers should be allowed to speak freely to the press.  “I looked up ‘refrain’ in Miriam and Webster….That’s a strong word “We have the First Amendment in this country….” “We have duly noticed meetings so the public can come down here and hear exactly how we feel about an issue “Allowing a council member to put a gloss on how they voted by calling up a reporter the next day and saying ‘Here’s what I really thought… It deprives everybody who comes to our meetings expecting to hear us articulate why we vote the way we do.” the majority agreed to delete the staff’s recommendation that councilmembers refrain from discussing past council votes with the media Francois’ third major objection to the staff’s proposal related to allowing Letters of Support on issues of community concern to be sent out by the city manager and mayor without review by the entire council.  “Every letter expressing Council support should be approved by the council or it just doesn’t get sent,” Francois argued A special council meeting could be called to review the letter if it needs to be sent before the next scheduled  meeding “If we get a request for a letter of support on legislation that’s being voted on before our next meeting it doesn’t make sense to call a special meeting [to review the letter] If the Mayor and the City Manager believe it’s consistent with council policy they can send the letter out,” Councilmember Saemann said The evening’s most heated exchanges were between councilmembers Jackson and two residents who voiced opposition to the proposed Communication Protocols Update a former Easy Reader reporter and candidate for City Council characterized the proposed revisions as “stifling dissent and allowing the city manager to control the narrative.” “I’ve been a reporter and television news producer for 25 years so I’m very concerned about your updated media policy,” she told the council “It’s really hard to get information from the city and I think this policy will make it even harder,” she said.  “When I worked as a reporter for Easy Reader I couldn’t talk directly to city officials I had to submit my questions in writing to the Public Information Officer Then I would get a response in writing from the Public Information Officer reporters sit down with city officials for interviews It’s better that way because we get the information directly from the source There’s back and forth for clarification.  “During my three years at the paper I never sat down once for a face-to-face interview with a city official and even the Taliban face to face when I covered the war in Afghanistan.  “I’ve actually had more interviews with the Taliban than I’ve had with our city manager,” Worner said your comments are absolutely reprehensible On the eve of 9-11 you have the audacity to stand up here and talk about the Taliban and our city manager They’ve published articles without checking with the city and without even giving the city ample opportunity to reply.” “I’d appreciate it if you would speak to the issues,” Mayor Francois interjected who equated our city manager to the Taliban… and that’s who she worked for.  “We are elected by the people,” Francois said “We should respect people’s positions.”  “she’s talking about it being easier to talk to the Taliban than someone in the city There’s not an organization in the free world that would let any reporter waltz into the office there is a protocol for a reporter to talk to somebody and then the city staff will either provide a statement or not But to say you were denied your opportunity to get information because you just can’t walk up to anybody Councilmember Saemann suggested to Jackson “Maybe you’re a little too upset to realize that Ms Worner is a citizen in Hermosa Beach and has the right to say what she wants to say at these meetings… It does no one any good to disparage anyone did you say anything to her when she was comparing your city manager our city manager to the Taliban?” Jackson asked “She did not compare the city manager to the Taliban,” Saeman answered Francois banged the gavel for the second time during Jackson’s comments to bring the discussion about Worner and the Taliban to an end Massey reopened the discussion about  Worner’s comments “She spent her career at Fox News and Fox Business Network repeatedly misquoted and misreported events they published two stories casting the city in a bad light that were inaccurate and that they hadn’t even consulted with the city on despite the city’s stated willingness to follow up and provide accurate information.” “If she worked for CNN,” Councilman Saemann asked,  “would you think everything would be all grand Massey and Jackson were similarly unappreciative of comments to the council by resident John Burry Burry told the council during public comments develop a solid crisis communications plan But this constant choreographing of agendas and narratives by the city manager is overbearing “Council members are trusted enough by voters to get elected We should trust them to use their own judgment as to whom they talk to.”  “I engaged in a public Facebook discussion with Councilmember Detoy just this weekend.  “I watched Councilmember Saemann present the Chamber of Commerce Infomercial last night on the tax measure say out loud that you spend too much money on consultants So I assume he’s going to have to sit on the naughty step for a bit and think about what he’s done.”  “This council does not work by cabinet responsibility It works by individual vote and majority,” Burry said where cabinet members traditionally support their government’s positions whether or not they agree with the positions.)  Massey responded to Burry’s comments shortly before the end end of the evening  “I just want to make one last comment about Mr “If you can come in here and you make personal attacks directed at particular staff and then you don’t have the nerve to sit through our response perhaps you ought to rethink your approach.”  Burry had left the council meeting before Massey’s admonishment Rachel VanLandingham has taught law at Southwestern Law School for the past 10 years Colonel was also president of the board of the National Institute of Military Justice (NIMJ) which meant frequent trips to Washington D.C. ranging from retaliatory strikes in the Middle East VanLandingam has written articles on military law for legal journals She has also been a commentator on  CNN After stepping down from the presidency of NIMJ last December Hermosa Beach Education Foundation President Carol Kluthe suggested Vanlandingham run for school board The two had met when their now teenage children were in kindergarten together Vanlandingham knew Kluthe planned to run this year and didn’t want to compete against her friend the two decided to run as a slate for the two open seats “We expected a crowded field and thought we could help each other win,” VanLandingham said Shaw is also on the Ed Foundation Board of Directors “We’re blessed to have three good candidates I don’t see much disagreement among us,” VanLandingham said She added that whoever loses this year can run again in two years VanLandingham is a member of the district’s Wellness Council which brings in speakers each month to discuss issues such as bullying she is known as “Miss Rachel” because of her years as a teacher’s aide is always a problem because of the daily attendance formula used by the state The State legislature is contemplating a bill that would change funding based on Average Daily Attendance to funding based on enrollment But that bill is not expected to be voted on until 2026 it’s important parents know that pulling kids out of school unnecessarily VanLandingham called Measure HV on the November 5 ballot a “no brainer.” The $28.7 million bond would fund improvements in classroom and athletic facilities “It’s unfortunate we have to fence the school But safety concerns is an issue that goes beyond our schools,” the Air Force Academy graduate said VanLandingham said she was at the movie theater with her seventh grade son when the screen went dark ‘Do you think it’s a shooter?’ When I was child I would just have thought the power went out.” She doesn’t any longer and has not allowed her sons to get e-bikes “I understand the desire to go fast on two wheels But I think we need mandatory safety measures,” said is currently developing a policy on cell phones on campus she favors prohibiting cell phone use on campus Newly elected Hermosa Beach Councilmember Michael Keegan was expelled from an administrative hearing in the Hermosa Beach City Council Chambers by the hearing officer The question is whether this so-called “standard practice” is legal I stayed quietly until it was over,” Saeman said of meeting flouting state law — the Coastal Act — while enforcing an unlawful local STVR ban in the coastal zone.” “The City of Hermosa and their officials incur significant liabilities under the Coastal Act and the Bill of Rights by collecting fines from property owners in the Hermosa Beach coastal zone under STVR regulations they know have no legal effect.”   Hermosa Beach currently has over 300 Short Term Vacation Rental ads on sites such as Vrbo and Airbnb according to the STVR analysis site AirDNA where STVRs are illegal under the Hermosa municipal code Brian Sheil pulled open his sports jacket to show he was wearing a black and white referee’s shirt when he introduced himself at a recent Hermosa Beach City Council Candidates Forum you know the council needs a referee,” he quipped because of the current council’s recent bickering which has forced  Mayor Dean Francois to wield the gavel to bring order to the dias “The people I work with in television are very passionate which has prepared me for serving on the council,” Sheil said He frequently performs at the Comedy and Magic Club But as he also quipped at the candidates forum “You’d have to tell a lot of jokes to buy a house in Hermosa Beach.”  Sheil has been a homeowner in Hermosa since 2003 provides sound production for BeachLife Music Festival Sheil has worked behind the scenes for dozens of local businesses Comedy and Magic Club’s Mike Lacy convinced Sheil to move to Hermosa from his native New Jersey in 1995 This year’s Hermosa city council race is Sheil’s first venture into local politics “I’m walking every day and find residents very engaged But I’m surprised at the behind the scenes political machines with candidates going from city commissions to council Endorsements were made before the debates,” Sheil said He added that he will not seek endorsements “I’m here to remind people the council works for the residents the proposed .75 percent sales tax increase on the November 5  ballot And he said he opposes the nearly $60,000 the city has spent promoting the sales tax increase “It’s disingenuous for the city to spend taxpayers money on mailers to convince taxpayers to pay more in taxes,” he said He admitted to having called a gang of Mira Costa High e-bikers a chapter of Hells Angels But it was during a show at Comedy and Magic.  There is no better feeling than making a room full of people laugh,” he said Sheil is more seriously concerned with Hermosa’s homeless whom he has gotten to know on a first name basis from singing and playing guitar at restaurants on Pier Plaza.  Sheil majored in music composition at Montclair University in New Jersey but its position is it can’t offer the services unless the homeless ask for them We aren’t doing them a favor by allowing them to sleep outside because the longer they are on the street the more their conditions deteriorate,” he said.  He favors what he said is the practice in neighboring cities of arresting the homeless when they commit misdemeanors and taking them to homeless shelters where they will get help Sheil also said he’d like the city to allow dogs on the beach south of Second Street At the start of Hermosa Beach City Council Candidates Forum Monday night at the Beach House Hotel candidate Brian Sheil pulled open his sports jacket to show he was wearing a black and white referee’s shirt you know what the council needs is a referee,” he quipped At the last council meeting Mayor Dean Francois twice felt compelled to bang the gavel to bring order to the dias.  Sheil’s line drew a laugh from the audience The forum was sponsored by the Hermosa Chamber of Commerce and focused on business issues Emcee and Chamber Board Member Lenny LaRocca asked each of the candidates the same questions Of the five candidates for the two open seats on the November 5 ballot “I moved here 15 years ago because I fell in love with the beach culture and knew this is where I wanted to raise my family,” the City of Riverside Fire Captain said begins with taking his two young children to school followed by coffee or a walk on the beach with his wife meeting with local businesses and community groups and coaching youth sports in the afternoon “The last five years have been the best years of my life,” Detoy said Candidate Jani Lange described himself as an independent business owner which I don’t hold against her even though I went to Redondo I went to El Camino College and Long Beach State But I tell people I graduated from the University of Hermosa Beach,” he said Candidate Brian Shiel said he is a 29 year resident and owner of an entertainment industry production company whose clients include America’s Funniest Home Videos and the BeachLife Music festival.  “Newspapers keep referring to me as a comedian But I don’t know how many jokes you would have to tell to afford a house in Hermosa Beach,” he said which has prepared me for serving on the council,” Sheil said.  Candidate Elka Worner said she has lived in Hermosa since second grade.  “I was in second grade when my family moved here from Germany I didn’t know how lucky I was until I went off to college you care about the environment and you’re very opinionated Worner began her career in journalism at United Press International (UPI) and recently retired after 25 years as a television news producer.  I have the time and energy to do this job 110 percent,” she said Candidate Michael Keegan served two terms on the Hermosa Council He began his career in commercial real estate and then opened five bakeries in the Los Angeles area Keegan participated in the forum over Zoom was unable to fully participate in the forum he emailed Easy Reader the following response to the question I served two terms on Hermosa Beach City Council I am against the current City Council and Managers plan to build a new city hall complex at a cost of over $125 million dollars I believe the City needs to live within its means and not raise taxes and fees on residents,” Keegan said “The City  must be more efficient and stop allowing city personnel to work from home We need a course correction in the management of our city.  I will use my experience to lead our City to finish more municipal work on time and on budget.” Candidates were asked their suggestions for improving business in Hermosa Several suggested streamlining the permit process for music and other outdoor events downtown Detoy noted that during COVID the city relaxed restrictions against outdoor events to support businesses We need to find a balance so live music doesn’t negatively impact the business next door We are doing a zoning update right now to find that balance We are doing this because the current council embraces live and frequently performs at downtown restaurants He proposed sidewalk sales and outdoor music Monday through Thursday “Invite bands to perform from local schools and music schools like Coast Music and School of Rock,” he said He also contended the Hermosa Beach Community Theater is underutilized and proposed more music performances and a distinguished speaker series at the theater Worner and Lange said the 2028 Olympics provide a unique opportunity for Hermosa to promote itself Both suggested the city hire a business liaison “I think the city needs a liaison to recruit new businesses El Segundo actually goes to Silicon Valley to recruit businesses,” Worner said El Segundo’s motto is “Where Big Ideas Take Off.” Lange cited his work as a Parks and Rec commissioner in bringing back Concerts on the Beach this past summer and bringing the Rams Event to Hermosa last April as examples of helping to stimulate business downtown.  because its music festival season and people go out of town,” he said “We need to find the balance between what the residents want I’m not opposed to having Rams and Kings events here But I want to make sure we don’t have events every single weekend.” “As a co-author of the city’s special events policy guide I am very mindful of that,” Lange responded “That’s why we put in ‘nothing’ weekends at the beginning and end of the summer.” “The downtown is a delicate ecosystem because we have business and residents right next to each other,” he added In addition to voting to fill two council seats in November Hermosa residents will be asked to vote on Measures HV The candidates were unanimous in their support of Measure HV measure HB would generate $3 million annually The city receives only 1% of the current 9.5% sales tax The rest of the current tax goes to the State and Los Angeles County another County agency could seek voter approval for the increase “because we need to do everything we can to give our businesses an edge and I don’t think adding a tax will help attract new businesses The city says it needs $3 million to fund police “I’m opposed because after a measure to increase sales taxes failed two years ago the council did nothing to analyze why that happened put it back on the ballot and now are spending money to promote it,” he said via Zoom “The city is using our tax money to produce advertising to get more of our tax money Detoy voted with the council majority to put Measure HB on the ballot He described it during the candidates forum as “a local control mechanism.” or have already approved a similar sales tax increase “Many of you in the room voted for Measure O The city had to pay $17.5 million to settle the oil lawsuit We are paying $750,000 a year on that debt until 2035 That’s money that is not going to our parks He added that the city’s contract with the Los Angeles County Fire Department is coming up for renewal and is likely to cost the city an additional $1.5 million annually smart spending and more communication with residents And we need to support our local businesses.” I have the inquisitiveness to get to the bottom of things so you can make good decisions about the issues that affect your lives.” “The City of Hermosa Beach and the City Council work for us I think we should bring back Friday (work days at City Hall).” It needs a friendly face on the city council During 10 years on the parks and rec commission I have led by example and have brought a lot of success to the community.” “I am the only candidate with both public and private sector experience I founded and ran multiple successful businesses The present council has three current and former government employees That is not representative of the voters of Hermosa Beach.  “We need people with experience in running successful enterprises We need to use experience to help make better decisions and stop wasting money,” Keegan said. Detoy spoke about his efforts as a councilmember to be responsive to residents and tried to make sure information is distributed in an accurate manner a single page on my social media page to increase communications If you go back over my five years on the city council you’ll find quality of life and public safety are my focuses I want to make sure my family is safe when I leave for the fire station I want to protect our small town culture and local economy I wish I was lucky enough to have grown up here,” Detoy said Two additional Hermosa Beach City Council forums are scheduled.  The Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Association (HBNA) will host a council candidates and city treasurer candidates forum on Thursday For more information visit HBNeighborhood.org The debate will be streamed live on the City of Hermosa Beach’s YouTube channel Leadership Hermosa Beach will  host a candidates forum on Thursday Questions for the candidates may be submitted at LeadershipHermosa.org after colliding with a commercial box truck at approximately 6:30 a.m at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and 21st Street in Hermosa Beach The identification of the motorcyclist has not been released and Artesia Boulevard on the north was closed in both directions until about 10:30 a.m. Police and Community Service Officers directed Pacific Coast Highway traffic to Prospect Avenue on the east and Ardmore Drive on the west If you lived in Hermosa Beach during the 1960s and 1970s you probably patronized these iconic local bars Hermosa,” a new exhibit unveiled on Sunday at the Hermosa Beach Museum celebrates these historic watering holes and the lasting impression they left on their patrons The display features mementos and photos from some of the most popular places in town where locals went to grab a drink and socialize “Bars used to be gathering places for people and see friends,” Museum Director and Curator Jamie Erickson said “That’s shifted a little bit now with the digital age but that doesn’t change the history that was ingrained into the walls of these places.” said his favorite local bar was the Lighthouse because of the incredible musicians who performed there but it’s still seminal for the whole music scene.” Longtime Hermosa Beach resident Rick Koenig said he often frequented the Mermaid on The Strand The exhibit featured a menu and photo of the bar and restaurant which is my way of saying it was as eclectic an establishment as you could possibly get,” Koenig said Koenig remembers when a Girl Scout made her way into the bar and approached the owner who was sitting on his bar stool by the entrance so he could keep an eye on the cash register would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies who created the city logo with her artist friend Joanne Purpus said she would go to the Mermaid after meetings of the city’s Improvement Commission “We’d sit in a booth in the back and drink,” she said.  Former Mayor Jim Rosenberger recalled being slightly inebriated on five-dollar pitcher night at the Poop Deck ‘Let’s go say goodbye to it.” Someone snapped a picture of Rosenberger and his pal waving goodbye to the sun which he still has today.  That image was not included in the exhibit Pat McAuley checked out the artifacts from Critter’s which he opened with partner Mike Bringhurst in 1971 “I was 24-years-old when I started the business,” he said “I worked as a schoolteacher in Los Angeles and then as a bartender on the night shift.” McAuley said his bar on the north end of town was “just like Cheers.” “You walked in and everyone knew your name,” he said “There were about 50 regulars within walking distance.” a favorite hangout for several Los Angeles Kings players who lived nearby They celebrated their Stanley Cup victory there.  Manhattan Beach Historical Society President Gary McAulay said the exhibit brought back memories of his time living in Hermosa Beach He was a regular at the Pitcher House which was just three blocks from his home “It was a short walk there and a long walk home,” he said McAulay said bars now are “super modern” and not as homey as they used to be “They gut the old bars and then hang pictures of them in the new bars,” he said Erickson said the exhibit memorialized Hermosa’s strong culture around favorite gathering places which no longer exist except in memories.  “It was an exhibit that sounded kind of fun and unexpected Not a lot of museums have room for more off-beat topics but Hermosa seems to be very supportive of that especially when it’s something near and dear to their hearts.”  Shortly after being appointed to the Hermosa Beach Parks and Recreation Committee 10 years ago Jani (pronounced Yani) Lange took on “re-envisioning” the Hermosa Beach Surfers Walk of Fame induction ceremony He invited 40 leaders from the surf community to bring their ideas to a meeting in the Hermosa Council Chambers The attendees included Walk of Fame inductees and judges surf club members and professional surfers the child of Latvian immigrants who fled the Soviet occupation during World War II watching Becker Surf’s parking lot in exchange for stickers he attended El Camino College and Long Beach State “I got my degree from the University of Hermosa Beach.” “What a lot of people don’t take into consideration is that the surf shop is as critical an institution for kids around here as school and what pro’s riding for what company – how to not be a kook You learn the etiquette and the DNA of the town,” Lange said in a 2011 Easy Reader interview Attendees at the Surfer Walk of Fame meeting included Spyder Surf co-owner Dennis Jarvis Hermosa Museum director Annie Seawright-Newton and the South Bay Boardriders contest director Matt Walls.  All of them hosted surf events in the spring Lange convinced them to host their events together creating the Surfer Walk of Fame weekend.  the surf community leaders agreed that on the Friday evening prior to the SWOF inductions the Historical Museum would host a reception for the inductees The museum has a collection of historic surfboards the SBBC would present its annual Big Wave Awards Saturday morning after the inductions on Pier Plaza Spyder Surf would hold its annual Spyder Surf Fest Sunday morning SBBC agreed to host a surf contest I organized a series of fractured events into the second largest surf event on the West Coast Surfing Open in Huntington Beach,” Lange said.  received video congratulations from around the world from people like pro freestyle surfer Rob Machado and 11-time world champion Kelly Slater,” Lange said Lange described his work with the Surfers Walk of Fame as illustrative of how his lifelong involvement in Hermosa activities including playing and then coaching youth sports has prepared him to serve on the City Council He currently coaches the Valley Middle School surf team was helping resurrect Hermosa’s Concert on the Beach last month The popular community event ended with COVID He enlisted Vox Productions’ Sean Sedlacek a Manhattan Beach resident who got his start staging the first Concerts on the Beach who booked the Concerts on the Beach during their glory years who went on to found the BeachLife Music Festival “I worked with those guys in my 20s when I was producing punk shows,” Lange recalled.  he also helped expand the city’s seniors programs That included the controversial 2016 decision to convert tennis courts to pickleball courts “was an older gentleman who had played professional tennis allowed him to stay on the court,” Lange said which helps explain his support for Measure HV As an independent rep for sports manufacturers “It’s death by 1,000 cuts for small businesses,” he said “Proponents say tourists will pay most of the tax increase But tourists only come to town for three months.” and appreciation for first responders were reinforced by a recent police ride-along with mostly routine stops like cars running stop signs Then we got a call about a hit and run that left ‘an e-biker down but still breathing,’ the dispatcher radioed.”  The dispatcher said the accident was at 6th Street and Ardmore Avenue “The officer gunned it with light flashing But when we got there  we didn’t find anybody Lange compared the current backlash against e-bikes to the backlash against skateboarders when he was growing up “We need to take a page out of the skateboarding book ‘Skateboarding is not a crime,’ the city recognized skateboards were here to stay Lange said he supports the city’s ban on short term vacation rentals for the same reasons he supports local businesses He wants to protect Hermosa’s beach culture for his kids The City of Hermosa Beach has refunded a $5,500 fine issued to the owner of the 28 unit  Vurpillat residential building on The Strand cited for violating the city’s ban on short term vacation rentals (STVRs) in residential zones The refund was issue after administrative hearing officer Steve Napolitano ruled the “City’s prohibition of STVRs in the Coastal Zone is invalid….” The Coastal Zone is property west of The Greenbelt representing about half of the 1.4 square mile city Napolitano based his ruling on the city’s failure to obtain approval for the ban from the Coastal Commission Napolitano is an attorney retained by the City to preside over administrative citation appeals He is also a Manhattan Beach City Councilmember and a judicial candidate on the November general election ballot for Los Angeles County Superior Court who represented Vurpillat owner Jay Mitchell Angel noted that last week another Strand resident who appealed a STVR fine was issued a refund Hermosa Beach Community Development Director Carrie Tai disagreed In response to a request for an interview about the ruling “The City will comply with the hearing officer’s decision to overturn the citation The City will also refund in full the administrative fine of $5,500 assessed to the Vurpillat’s owners.” Fines for STVRs that violate the city’s ban range from $5000 to $20,000 per day “The City will continue to enforce the short-term rental ban as currently constituted as the hearing officer’s decision applies solely to the appealed citation.” Tai disputed the basis of Napolitano’s ruling “The City is under no obligation to apply for a coastal development permit for generally applicable zoning ordinances.” “The City’s short-term vacation rental [ordinance] has already been challenged in court – and upheld,” Tai wrote.  the case Tai cites in support of Hermosa’s STVR ordinance is six years old and in the interim three published cases have upheld the Coastal Commission’s jurisdiction over short term vacation rentals Manhattan Beach banned STVRs in the coastal zone in 2016 an appellate court ruled Manhattan’s ban was illegal “The Coastal Act required the Commission’s approval of a CDP (Coastal Development Permit) or amendment waiver before the ban could be imposed.” “The City of Hermosa and their officials incur significant liabilities under the Coastal Act and the Bill of Rights by collecting fines from property owners in the Hermosa Beach coastal zone under STVR regulations they know have no legal effect.”   Hermosa Beach currently has approximately 200 Short Term Vacation Rental ads on sites such as Vrbo and Airbnb