Rob Lissner and Allen Sanford will open the California Surf Club in Redondo Beach South Bay native Allen Sanford has been in love with Redondo Beach since he first started surfing as a kid he said he has noticed “fewer and fewer places to hang out,” as well as a lack of changes to the waterfront he saw two vacant buildings – formerly a Ruby’s and a Chillers – and the idea “dawned on me” to create California Surf Club at the site is a members-only club and a public restaurant who are both also behind the annual BeachLife Festival in Redondo Beach BeachLife has been about building community through music hospitality and coastal culture,” Lissner said in a statement We’re offering a space rooted in purpose and designed to unite people – not just for a night but a lifestyle.” The 22,000-square-foot adaptive reuse was designed by architect Stephen Jones of bettershelter Its features include a waterfront area with club-owned equipment such as kayaks Sanford called the project a “risk,” but one that was “worth taking.” “We will not be successful down here if more investment does not follow us,” he said “We hope to provide some inspiration for people to want to invest down here.” Sanford declined to provide exact investment figures for the club the California Surf Club already has 450 memberships signed There is currently a waitlist for prospective members Sanford said he wants to avoid overcrowding and “provide a cool experience.” He added that “we won’t know if that was the right number until after we open” and may add more members depending on how things go at first There is also a day rate available for non-members to use the club Sanford said he hopes the club encourages more investment in the area and that he is able to work with the city “to strategically develop” the area “We’re super stoked that everybody’s behind us,” Sanford said “I’m just a normal guy that likes to surf and go to the beach and my business hypothesis is that there are a lot of people like me.” Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More LOS ANGELES — The 6th annual BeachLife Festival returns Friday right along the coast in Redondo Beach Sublime and Alanis Morissette are this year's headliners Kravitz is headlining the first night of the show on Friday followed by Sublime Saturday and Morissette on Sunday Other performers include Train, Aloe Blacc, Sugar Ray and The Beach Boys with actor John Stamos. The full lineup can be seen here.  The music festival will also feature local seafood from California Surf Club A post shared by BeachLife Festival (@beachlifefestival) This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page PRIVACY POLICY | PRIVACY SETTINGS | | ADVERTISE | ACCESSIBILITY Leaping as high as she could from her right-side position, the Redondo Union senior angled a crosscourt kill that clipped the top of the net and dropped into the open court to complete a 12-21, 21-14, 15-13 comeback for Jones and partner Kara Namimatsu to lift the Sea Hawks to a thrilling 3-2 dual victory over defending champion Mira Costa in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 beach volleyball final Saturday afternoon at Long Beach City College. The Bay League rivals had split the first four matches, with Redondo Union winning on the first two courts and Mira Costa prevailing on the last two, so the championship came down to Court 3, where Jones and Namimatsu were down 11-8 to the Mustangs tandem of Lily Sprague and Allyn Hilt before rallying back to take a 14-12 lead on an ace by Jones. Sprague’s spike landed on the baseline to stave off the first championship point, setting the stage for Jones’ heroics. “I told Kara let’s go out swinging … win or lose I’m going to be aggressive,” said the teary-eyed Jones, who is headed to San Diego State to play indoor volleyball. “I was really nervous and it wasn’t the best swing, it hit the tape, but all these girls mean so much to me and I wanted to win it for them.” It was only the second time Jones and Namimatsu had played together — the first being two days before in the semifinals. “We had an injury so we switched our lineup on the bus for JSerra and we just went with it,” Jones confessed. “Yesterday we served and passed to each other for about an hour and that helped.” “Our chemistry works well together and in the timeouts our coach told us to trust in each other, trust in your training,” added Namimatsu, a junior transfer from Bishop Montgomery and early USC beach volleyball commit. The result was practically a carbon copy of the Sea Hawks’ semifinal triumph, only that time it was Abby Zimmerman and Avery Junk winning 15-13 in the third set of the deciding match on Court 1. On Saturday, the pair swept Mira Costa’s top duo of Olga Nikolaeva and Simone Roslon, 21-17, 21-14. “This is a really big win for us and it’s really exciting to have all five matches going on at the same time,” said Zimmerman, an All-CIF junior outside hitter who is going to California for indoor. “Our coaches trusted me and Avery to go up against their best. It was just our day.” “We beat them earlier this year which gave us confidence that we could do it but we lost to them in the finals the last two years so we knew we had to play our best,” added Junk, a senior head to Florida State to play beach with twin sister Addy, who won 22-20, 20-17 on Court 2 with partner Leah Blair. Mira Costa juniors Audrey Flanagan and Anabelle Redaelli prevailed easily 21-11, 21-18 on Court 4 while sophomores Lerin Rosenthal and Sammy Nammack won 21-17, 25-23 on Court 5. On March 4, Redondo Union snapped Mira Costa’s 170-match winning streak spanning over a decade (the majority of them coming in Interscholastic Beach Volleyball League play before the CIF sanctioned beach volleyball). Mira Costa won the rematch 5-0 on March 26 and was poised for a three-peat. Saturday, however, belonged to the Sea Hawks. A similar scenario unfolded in the first dual Saturday morning and the ending was equally dramatic as Long Beach Poly’s Simone Millsap and Alyssa Luna overcame a match point on Court 4 to win the deciding set 17-15, with Millsap serving an ace to clinch the Jackrabbits’ 3-2 triumph over Anaheim Canyon in the inaugural Division 3 final. Long each Poly celebrates its 3-2 triumph over Anaheim Canyon in the Southern Section Division 3 girls’ beach volleyball final Saturday at Long Beach City College. (Steve Galluzzo / For The Times) “My thought was ‘I need to get this in,’” Millsap said of her last serve against Canyon’s Erin Ly and Hannah Huang. “I just closed my eyes and envisioned it going to the left corner— and luckily it did.” Poly’s Aleeya Salima and Lindyn Foster pulled out a 13-21, 21-17, 15-11 win on Court 1 to level the score. “Going into the last set we knew it might come down to us and I think it was about 8-8 when we heard cheering and saw everyone running over to our court that we knew for sure,” Millsap said. “When a game’s going point by point, your goal is to get the last two,” said Luna, who was called up from JV to play with Millsap in the third round of the playoffs. “Our indoor team won CIF in November so this is extra special.” The second match of Saturday’s championship tripleheader pitted two Long Beach schools against each other and again it came down to Court 4, where Wilson sophomore Iyla Alvarado and junior Jane Morrison prevailed 21-19, 18-21, 15-11 over Millikan’s Mikayla Brumbelow and Johanna Swerdloff to secure the title for the Bruins. Moments later, Rams juniors Sophia Orbiso and Aubrey Greene pulled out a 21-17, 17-21, 21-19 win on Court 2 but by then Wilson had already clinched. Millikan was trying to avenge 3-2 and 4-1 losses in Moore League play. “It was 2-1 at that point, but I was like ‘we need to do this!,” Morrison said. “It helps having people there supporting me. Even though we’d beaten them twice this is the finals and we knew it could go either way.” “No matter what’s going on with the other matches, we want to win ours,” Alvarado added. “This is our second year playing together, we have good chemistry, we talk strategy and pride ourselves on being mentally stronger than the other team.” High School Sports Subscribe for unlimited accessSite Map The Fox Den feels like a place where an older Don Draper would fit right in The Fox Den opened in early February 2025 at the southern edge of Redondo Beach offering beachgoers and locals a comfortable place to gather for easygoing drinks and vibes the owners of Hermosa Beach’s Fox and Farrow and the adjacent Underground Located in the former Pats II space the transformation into the Fox Den took two years to complete Weiss described Fox and Farrow to designer Sage Allard as the type of place Don Draper would call “spectacular” if he woke up in 2025 Allard took Weiss’s concept and ran with it with clusters of oversized round velvet chairs in between black leather seats that might have been in an airport back in Draper’s day The entryway walls are lined with fake fur a nod to the popularity of fur coats in the ’70s and Barbie dolls are affixed to the restroom doors House cocktails include an easy-drinking Gin Gypsy and Luxardo cherry into a drink reminiscent of a boozy push-pop; and The Han Solo such as a Hop Saint pale ale and El Segundo’s Mayberry IPA The wine selection offers sparkling choices some California Sauvignon Blancs and other white wines and a handful of Paso Robles and Central Coast reds With Fox and Farrow focused more on wine and Underground appealing to more of a late-night sports bar crowd the Fox Den’s thoughtful cocktail menu sets it apart from Weiss’s other establishments “The vibe is nice but not pretentious,” says Weiss Situated within walking distance of both the beach and other restaurants in Redondo Beach’s Riviera Village Weiss imagines the Fox Den can serve as a place to both start and end evenings — it’s easy to park and access a bevy of stellar restaurants that range in cuisine and price “This is an amazing neighborhood,” Weiss says and is located at 1312 Pacific Coast Highway Five candidates vie for mayor of Redondo Beach in the March 4 election: the current appointed mayor and the founder of “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful” Mayor Jim Light was appointed last February to complete the term of the late Bill Brand Light’s close friend and longtime political compatriot He took the oath of office through fissures of emotion that evening he was asked by councilmembers if he would promise not to run for election.  it’s a critical time in the city,” Light said “With my experience with project management And I don’t see a mayoral candidate with the time or the background and experience to do what I’m doing at city hall to accelerate projects and keep things on track.” Did he feel blindsided by the questions that night there were things I could not have known being outside city hall.” Eight-year city councilman Nils Nehrenheim supported Light’s appointment.  seeking to take the next step to lead the city.  Redondo Beach has two-term limits for both city council and the mayor’s seat.  Light previously ran for city council in District One in 2005 and 2013 wanting to be more available to his wife and ailing father-in-law.    Mayoral candidate Georgette Gantner served on the Public Arts Commission for two terms founder of “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful,” has long advocated for the city’s plan to open two retail cannabis stores The two city councilmembers who voted against the appointment of Light – Paige Kaluderovic and Scott Behrendt – now endorse his candidacy “I did not think Jim Light to be a unifying positive force for north and south Redondo Beach,” Behrendt said giving both north and south the attention they deserve.” in his 20-plus years of activism to limit waterfront development before becoming mayor he and others cost the city unnecessary litigation and missed opportunities that could have led to a torn-down and cleaned-up AES power plant already.  The March 4 election marks the debut of ranked-choice voting in Redondo Beach for which residents may rank all five candidates If their top choice is eliminated in the counting their second-choice then slides in to help decide a winner.  Below are the five mayoral candidates’ answers to the same Easy Reader questionnaire sent to each I owned a successful talent payroll business I was a docent with South Bay Hands on Art for a decade Our Leadership Redondo group put together the 9-11 monument that sits in front of City Hall I was president of the Redondo Beach Art Group and produced their annual event “The Power of Art.” I really enjoy collaborating with people I moved here when there was a great change in my life my husband built our home while we raised our children who attended Redondo Beach schools.  I was inspired to run when I discovered who was running Redondo has been stuck in a rut for too long and I felt that it was time for a fresh start have shared original ideas and feel I can contribute I would like to help guide and complete projects in a timely manner maintaining good relationships with all parties Redondo Beach has a lot to look forward to: the November election brought the passage of [Measure] FP $93 million to build a new police facility renovate the annex and both fire departments and the city and Cultural Arts Commission have budgeted $450,000 for public art and overall beautification of the Artesia corridor between Aviation Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue.  As an artist and former Public Art Commissioner Perhaps the city might consider funding a childrens’ choir or theater company Of course,the AES property and Beach Cities Health District development need resolution the reconstruction of the North Branch Library was extremely well- done other city projects haven’t happened because they were not successfully negotiated Redondo Beach has remained developmentally stagnant the school district has allowed new construction on its properties with Kensington Measure S will provide $273 million to renovate old buildings in Redondo Beach schools  The worst city projects in Redondo Beach have been those that were blocked those that have failed because of a lack of communication I would like to think that I could do a better job enabling our city to move forward in a positive way that benefits the community.  In the early 1980s I went to SCROC (Southern California Regional Occupational Center) where I learned how to program computers (long before computers were popular); I got a great job as a programmer in Torrance which eliminated my need to go to college since I had a better paying job than most people out of college I then wrote a property management software program which by doing so I learned how property management worked so I then became more focused on property management got my real estate broker’s license and opened my own property management company…  I got on the Riviera Village Association (RVA) Since my company was in Riviera Village and the RVA worked with the city I eventually attended the Leadership Redondo program which got me very well-connected to city staff after which I then got onto the Public Works Commission later followed by city councilmember for District One in 2013 I moved to Redondo Beach in 2007 after my wife of 10-plus years up in Palos Verdes wanted a divorce I decided to get an apartment just a few minutes walk from my office; it was then I learned how awesome it was to live in Redondo Beach with the beach/restaurants/work just a short walk from where I lived and the people I met along the way were so friendly too Who are your campaign contributors?  So far the only funds deposited into my campaign account are from myself; I have a friend who donated $500 via the website but PayPal isn’t connecting correctly to the campaign account so that’s something I will work on when I have some time; my focus has been knocking on doors What led you to decide to run?   I had a lot of people request I run for mayor so that is what got me to decide to do it What would you like to do/focus on if you are elected?   I feel like Redondo Beach is the best city out there One of the nicest projects was the new pavers along the Esplanade as the very-wide sidewalk attracts a lot of people to walk along the Esplanade; also the city is very dog-friendly and from back in 2012 when I was knocking on doors to run for city council I learned that about 80% of Redondo Beach residents in District One have dogs so we also focused on adding pet dog stations along the Esplanade to make it easy for residents to pick-up after their pets and then also “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful” non-profit group got formed which has also focused on the Esplanade…  the Art Group added some mosaic art on the bollards so if you walk along the sidewalk you’ll get to see these nice things in addition to the view of the ocean I focus on positivity so won’t be able to provide a “worst” scenario I’m a graduate of the University of Kansas Over my 50-year career I’ve gained experience and the knowledge to help me serve Redondo I was an early-adopter of technology as a programmer analyst at Bell Labs I worked for national corporations in marketing I was CEO of international associations for 25 years whose mission was online safety and protection of children I worked with Senate and Congressional staff leading technology corporations and non-profits – all focused on online safety and security At both the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection and the International Foundation for Online Responsibility I in addition spearheaded the development and monitoring of policies and award-winning technology.   I’ve been working as a marketing consultant focused on senior health and services I moved to Redondo in 2007 because I wanted to live in a safe and beautiful beach community Since I traveled 30-60% of the time for work I wanted to live where I could be involved in its responsible growth I visited the Esplanade at sunset – it was enough to nudge me to make the move Current campaign contributors are local community I’ve been involved in the community since participating in Leadership Redondo Class of 2008 and founded “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful.” With my commitment to Redondo I’m an active participant in city council meetings and other community organizations I’ve seen Redondo’s economic and infrastructure decline and felt obligated to be more involved I got so frustrated with the disrespectful behavior of certain city councilmembers toward residents during meetings that I knew I needed to step up to bring civility and common sense back to the governing Economic development: I’m committed to a more business-friendly Redondo Beach that balances economic growth and jobs to ease the tax burden on homeowners (and renters) while keeping the small-town beach vibes South Bay Social District (Galleria) – once the largest contributor to Redondo’s revenue the city government has delayed important revitalization of this project; Artesia Blvd the city government has not taken substantive action to develop a solid plan establishing Artesia as a community hub for shopping and entertainment; AES – lack of due diligence by the city council on decisions regarding AES has resulted in expensive lawsuits and continuous deterioration of the site We need to take pragmatic steps before it is a bigger blight on our community; Redondo Pier – to reduce vacancies and increase revenue for the city the Pier requires more than expensive cosmetic repairs to draw more residents and visitors; Waterfront – council leadership and strong direction are needed to coordinate the relevant agencies involved to create both an attraction and revenue-generator waterfront Redondo Beach city council has a reputation in the South Bay for inefficiency and Brown Act violations which have led to numerous costly lawsuits for the city My leadership will provide more pragmatic and orderly meetings that not only follow regulations but reduce unnecessary litigation My mission is to increase efficiency and make some progress; lack of council member management experience limits wise action; disregard for the knowledge and recommendations of city staff creates delays; in-fighting between ‘reasonable growth’ vs ‘no-growth,’ city council factions undermine any practical decision-making Community Safety and Protection: I support maintaining Redondo’s fire department and of course our own police department – so important to our residents’ peace of mind I voted for Measure FP to fund the renovation of their facilities We need continued support for their community outreach programs such as Neighborhood Watch Happy and Sustainable Living: I’m committed to Redondo as an ideal place to live for residents of all ages I am committed to the principles of maintaining our Blue Zone City as a healthy community and to continued support for senior and recreation centers Best: there are a few good projects –  the BeachLife Festival city resources have been supplemented by resident groups and nonprofits: Leadership Redondo the city council’s delaying tactics and costly inaction have resulted in wasted opportunities:  AES waterfront development,  Artesia Blvd. Short answer: I am running for mayor because I care so much about our city and our quality of life.   I chose to live in Redondo Beach when the Air Force stationed me at L.A Air Force Base in 1989.  I fell in love with the community and left the Air Force so I could stay here I have been fighting for the quality of life of the residents and character of this city for 24 years – from “Heart of the City” in 2000 to Measure C and harbor revitalization We have turned the corner from two decades of stagnation and are gaining positive momentum across the city on more projects and issues than the city has ever tackled.   After my appointment as Mayor I have been in City Hall nearly every single day I was surprised to find my education and experience were valuable in helping staff And being retired from my professional career means I can dedicate the time needed to continue this trajectory After fighting for our quality of life for 24 years I just could not just walk away at this critical time when I can contribute so much Another contributing factor to my decision was the encouragement across the community.  The two councilmembers who voted against my appointment to mayor are now endorsing me.  So is the councilmember who questioned if I would run for mayor during the hearing in which I was appointed.  Despite being on opposite sides of legal battles the city attorney encouraged me to run and has endorsed me It became hard to say no to all those asking me to run What would you like to do/focus on if you are elected I would continue to prioritize and balance resident quality of life against other interests across all of the city I would continue and build the momentum of revitalization across the city without overdevelopment This would include revitalization of our city-owned parks and infrastructure and the expedient execution of the Measure FP bond for our public safety facilities [a new police station and two new fire stations].  It would also focus on economic revitalization of our business districts across the city.  I will work with the city manager to focus on economic development across the city as it is required for fiscal sustainability I have already worked up a strategy with the city manager to build up city staff capacity and expertise in acquisition I would focus on maintaining and improving public safety This would include replacing and refurbishing public safety facilities and infrastructure through Measure FP and state and federal grants;  prioritizing student safety such as crosswalk guards and campus protection and security; enhancing our award-winning homeless program; addressing evolving challenges such as e-bike safety and the proliferation of smoke shops and other undesirable businesses.  I would ensure the city is prepared to respond quickly and assertively to whatever happens in the bankruptcy proceedings at the AES site I would work to maximize wetlands and public parkland on the site I would also focus on eliminating the high power lines along 190th Street.  I would work outside our city to influence grants for our projects And I will continue to pursue the state bill I have drafted and other strategies that would protect our local control of zoning and project approvals I would focus on partnering with other government organizations businesses and non-profits to act as a force-multiplier in improving quality of life and preserve the character of our town.  I will strive to ensure unity and mutual respect on the council and across the community By truly hearing those with different perspectives we can often achieve a better outcome than if those perspectives were simply silenced or rejected.  I have the time to address each of these platform items And my education and professional experience enable me to be a heavy-lifter in bringing these objectives to reality rather than simply tasking staff and adding to their overflowing workloads My platform is much more detailed. Please visit www.jimlightformayor.com for my detailed platform I first moved to the city in 1989 when the Air Force stationed me at LA AFB in El Segundo I chose to live in Redondo Beach because of its unique seaside village character I got out of the Air Force and stayed.    Education:  I have a degree in aerospace engineering and a masters in business administration (MBA) specializing in leadership and strategy I have also become a certified California Naturalist Background and work and why they matter:  I grew up in rural Pennsylvania I applied for and won an Air Force ROTC scholarship at Penn State for a degree in aerospace engineering I served as an officer in the Air Force and worked space programs for most of the 13 years I served I worked in the aerospace industry for another 27 years until my retirement three years ago to building launch pads and related facilities to keeping satellite and launch-related facilities and services up and running In the Air Force I moved up from systems engineer I worked my way from program director to executive leadership and board membership in several start-up companies.  An example of my success:  I developed and executed the strategy for one company to grow from startup to over 400 people.   My education and experience in the Air Force and aerospace industry provide foundational experience and expertise for my role as mayor My education and 40 years of professional experience allow me to understand both the technical and administrative aspects of city projects and efforts and contract/project management of large government contracts as an Air Force officer and as a government contractor.  I have 40 years of experience with setting and executing successful vision and execution at levels from a system engineering level I have demonstrated proven success in effective leadership and delivering results I started on the executive committee for the local South Bay Surfrider Foundation chapter when Bill started South Bay Parkland Conservancy (SBPC) he asked me to be on the founding board of directors I have been on the board ever since and served as president twice I am very proud of the impact SBPC has had on our community in its 20 years – expanding habitat for the endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly reestablishing native plants at Wilderness Park and building Redondo’s first Community Garden.   These projects have engaged literally thousands of Redondo residents we needed a non-profit to tackle overdevelopment issues in the town that was needed for efforts such as Measure DD And we won on two of those initiatives: Measures DD and C.   Service on City Committees and Commissions:  In 2008 and 2009 I was appointed to Mayor Mike Gin’s Citizens’ Growth Management and Traffic Committee I was appointed to the Harbor Commission and served on the commission until I was appointed mayor I served on the General Plan Advisory Committee until it was finished in January 2024.  One thing I learned through the large committees is that when people with diverse perspectives on issues truly listen to one another and in some cases the outcome is better than what any faction would have proposed on their own On all these I used my education and professional experience to “get my hands dirty” by actually drafting entire documents or contributing significant portions of the documents – these documents include the Harbor Amenities Plan and the Open Space and Conservation Element of our General Plan update.  I have made much more progress than I would have thought possible in just 10 months I was able to drive the first unanimous approval of the city budget in over a decade When a resident was threatened by a coyote I found the city could not act without an approved Coyote Management Plan So I consulted with state experts and drafted one.   I also authored the Wilderness Park Master Plan that is being used as a guide to prioritization of projects in the park Mayor Brand had intended that after the Harbor Amenities Plan was finalized the city would create a Harbor Commercial Plan that would dovetail with the Amenities Plan spend hundreds of thousands of dollars and delay progress for two years I drafted a Harbor Commercial Plan based on my 20 years of participation in the public processes in the harbor area.   This plan has been approved with recommendations by the Harbor Commission and will be coming to city council When I asked where the city was with getting funding for an Education Center at the Joe’s Crabshack site I found that all activity stalled once Mayor Brand’s health deteriorated I identified that the Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) was interested in building their facility on a new site and started discussions between the City and MMCC on building their new $25 million facility in our harbor.  Another task I tackled was filling commission vacancies on our commissions which had been neglected as Mayor Brand’s health declined that rather than just refill them I worked with staff to develop a more efficient and effective construct for the commissions was combining four commissions into one and eliminating or reassigning several boards I was concerned that Mayor Brand’s statewide initiative to protect local control of zoning and project approvals had been stalled for several years with no end in sight I briefed our state representatives on how the housing mandates were creating unsustainable fiscal impacts on housing-abundant cities such as Redondo.   They agreed to support a bill if I drafted it to exempt cities like Redondo from the housing mandates.  That first draft has come back from the state legislator’s attorneys and I am starting final coordination with our state legislators and I am building an advocacy briefing to take to Sacramento and to the governor’s office.     I never expected to be doing so much when I accepted the mayoral appointment.  It demonstrates that I am not just a talker or a tasker adding work to overburdened city staff applying my education and years of applicable experience  Because I made the decision to run late I have focused on my campaign and not fundraising I started focusing on fundraising.  My contributors are from people across the community – residents and those I have worked with in the community groups and projects I have worked through the years.    The worst city project in the last 10 years was easily the failed CenterCal mall project.  The project ignored residents violated state law and our own zoning laws will cost us well over $30 million that we will be paying on for decades to come and wasted over a decade of time that could have been spent revitalizing our pier and harbor without overdeveloping it The negative impacts continue to haunt us today.  the best city project in the past ten years is a four-way tie between the city’s homeless program the dining deck/sidewalk dining in Riviera Village Each of these represent major contributions to the community in totally different ways I was overwhelmingly elected to be a city councilmember in 2017 with over 20 years as a Junior Lifeguard instructor I’ve owned and operated a computer business for 25 years providing web services to a variety of clients which focused on our quality of life and produced development projects more in line with our community Working as a Lifeguard and a Junior Lifeguard instructor on our local beaches and beach lifestyle kept me living here and fighting to keep our beach town I do not take campaign contributions or endorsements from anyone who does business with the city such as leaseholders My campaign is powered by contributions from residents and businesses alike As a councilmember for the past eight years I have been extremely successful at finding solutions for issues that we have faced our pension debt was our fastest-rising cost year-over-year By paying off our pension debt for a low-interest bond we are saving over $100+ million over the bond’s life I led the implementation of online services and full transparency in our yearly budget Many of these solutions came from ideas spurned from the relationships I have created and fostered with elected officials outside of the city These success stories give me the energy and motivation to do even more for our city We can do big things and bring success to our city and they have inspired me to be a leader of our awesome little beach town My focus will be on preparing us for the World Cup and Olympics and executing the many infrastructure projects that we have planned Using the success that I have had in the Riviera Village as a model I see significant opportunities for growth in our Harbor I wanted to bring a startup mentality to the way our city was run That mentality brought us online permitting resulting in record revenues and a record number of construction permits being issued The best city project has been the King Harbor Amenities Plan This Plan included a location for the boat ramp which led to a unanimous city council approval and a subsequent design/build contract.  This was a first in the history of Redondo Beach This Plan also led to the utilization of the $10 million grant from the state to rebuild the Seaside Lagoon which also had its planning process completed because of the King Harbor Amenities Plan the Plan called for the revitalization of the International Boardwalk which had a major portion of the Plan completed this year with the new pavers on the boardwalk we can look back and see that the harbor waterfront retail project cost the city millions of dollars with a supposed partner that resorted to costly legal warfare against this community The outcome was something that this community has only recently healed from with the Harbor only now producing near-record revenue for the city with multiple public improvement projects coming online. ER I hope that any new leadership and for that matter old leadership takes some real leadership to solve the out of control illegal truck traffic traversing Palos Verdes Blvd totally impacting hundreds of residence Quality of Life Easy Reader News & Peninsula Magazine is your trusted source for hyperlocal news and stories from the South Bay and Palos Verdes Peninsula Stay informed—get the top local stories delivered straight to your inbox Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Legal Notices LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio Results are in from this month's Redondo Beach election The South Bay city elected a mayor and other representatives — and pulled off an experiment in ranked-choice voting Major indicators show that the process was simple for voters to navigate and that most voters — though not an overwhelming majority — seemed to approve of the new system Making ranked choice easy to understand depends heavily on voter education That was especially the case in Redondo Beach where municipal elections have been entirely vote-by-mail for several years — meaning no poll workers to assist voters in person Redondo Beach City Clerk Eleanor Manzano said her office mailed literature about the new process to each registered voter three times through the voting period and had staff meet with community groups and attend public events to make people aware of the change Some voters wrongly assumed their top choice should be ranked 6 instead of 1 voters weren’t sure whether they had to rank every single candidate in order to vote a voter’s top preference should be ranked 1 and they’re allowed to rank as few or as many candidates as they like.) The same exit poll found that 61% of surveyed voters favored ranked-choice voting while 25% disapproved and 13% had no opinion it’s a decidedly lower figure than the number of people who found the system easy to navigate Manzano said she encountered a “handful” of voters who disliked ranked-choice voting but didn’t give specific reasons why Overall turnout in the March 4 election was 22.7% — roughly the same as the last round of municipal elections in March 2023 (22.4%) Saving money was a big factor in the city's change there is no runoff election between the top two candidates Holding a runoff would normally cost Redondo Beach about $150,000 This was one of the reasons the City Council opted to explore alternative voting systems ultimately resulting in the adoption of ranked choice The city didn’t necessarily save money in the March 4 election since it had to redirect that savings into voter education Manzano budgeted about $100,000 for voter outreach as time goes on and voters adjust to the system there will be less need for that kind of spending on mass voter education City Council members first started exploring alternative voting methods in 2022 and sent a ballot measure to voters asking them to approve the use of ranked choice Voters passed it overwhelmingly in the March 2023 election with 77% of the vote 2025 at 4:58 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Easter Sunday is right around the corner Do you know where you're toasting the holiday CA — Whether you're celebrating Easter Sunday with family Redondo Beach has several brunch options to consider While some restaurants will be closed for the holiday on April 20 plenty in Redondo Beach and Los Angeles County will be open there are plenty of family-friendly activities going on in and around the Redondo Beach area leading up to and on Easter No matter where you land this Easter Sunday be sure to book in advance — these eateries tend to fill up faster than a basket of chocolate eggs Here are the eateries serving brunch on April 20 this year: Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. The new Redondo Beach city attorney is in place who was sworn in April 1 to replace five-term city attorney Mike Webb has already extended a conditional offer to her own replacement as quality of life prosecutor the transition has been seamless,” she said “I have been working extra hours on weekends and nights to make sure everything gets done in a timely manner.” Ford worked for Webb for more than 10 years was as a volunteer for almost two years at the L.A Her boss was eventual Redondo Beach city prosecutor Melanie Chavira “All I wanted to do was become a prosecutor,” Ford said.  She lived with her parents in Carson and got the early work experience She had known what she wanted to do since sixth-grade mock trial when Ford’s mother came home from a parent/teacher conference about her first-grade daughter “Your teacher said you are so bossy,” she said.  She now leads a Redondo Beach office of two assigned city attorneys – one civil one criminal – two senior deputies for each and the quality of life (crimes) prosecutor Lawsuits currently in play for the city include subjects such as the future of the AES power plant site and an appeal of a judge’s ruling that exempts charter cities like Redondo Beach from State Bill(s) 9 and 10 – about local control of housing construction.  She was a philosophy & rhetoric major at Berkeley ‘the study of argumentation.’ ‘That sounds great.” Ford named her favorite philosophers as Emmanuel Kant which she participated in through high school “Prosecutor was always my first choice,” she said She became Redondo Beach quality of life prosecutor in 2016 “I am proud of everything I have accomplished,” Ford said City departments and the city manager have been great to work with.” ER — With the 2025 Homeless Count underway across Los Angeles County the city of Redondo Beach says it has a system for homelessness with proven results Redondo Beach became the first city in the South Bay to reach what it calls functional zero street homelessness which essentially means for every person who's falling into homelessness Reaching 18 years old is a milestone for Cash who's finally legally considered an adult now but he said he's never quite felt like a kid “My dad left me and my sister in my step mom when I was young and then my mom actually overdosed and passed away when I was in fourth grade," Cash explained as he rode his skateboard He said he never got into drugs or alcohol after what happened to his mom but did find himself riding with the wrong crowds trying to fit in and when he turned 16 his step mom and step dad no longer wanted him to live with them.  It's how he ended up at this pallet shelter in Redondo Beach Cash said he couch surfed with friends for as long as he could “The first couple days of being here was pretty hard," Cash said "Just because I've been misplaced so many times And I've always got that same sad feeling every time I get misplaced or I'm not with my family.” He said the first few days at the pallet shelter were filled with tears until he realized he finally felt support.  Lila Omura is the city of Redondo Beach's homeless housing navigator She brought Cash to the shelter when she got a call from his counselor at Redondo Union High School She said she knew there wasn't much time to intervene “There's no way I could move him to a shelter in South Central LA And he is out of his community," she said Omura has spent years connecting with homeless people in hotspots around Redondo Beach but also serving as a confidant who they eventually learn to trust As she prepares for another homeless count to get a pulse on where the city stands in the crisis, Omura said having the flexibility as well as the pallet shelter to bring the population when they're ready It goes hand-in-hand with their homeless court It's a program that brings the justice system into the community to meet homeless people where they are “[My supervisors] helped create our own pallet shelter where they can stay in case management and eventually get housed," Omura explained I have clients that may have a background and if they work with the homeless court Cash said he feels confident that he won't become another statistic Redondo Beach Treasurer Eugene Solomon has called for action from the city council to “stop delaying” revenue-producing programs.  “Hope is not a plan,” he said from the podium at the Jan “… At least discuss the (programs).” “You talk about being a business-friendly town Solomon later explained to Easy Reader that he was referring to city budget discussions last spring mainly about Transit Occupancy Tax (T.O.T.) as it relates to the city’s short-term rental ban “We only speak about these things during budget discussion in June,” he said and how it interfaces with short-term rentals.” He would like to see more attention to the subject “Either register and license the short-term rentals and collect Transit Occupancy Tax outside the Coastal Zone or start enforcing the short-term rental ban,” Solomon said He noted an estimated 150 short-term rentals in the city who offered a service to the city last June to license the rentals Short-term rentals are enforced on a by-complaint basis.  Transit Occupancy Tax (hotel room tax) in Redondo Beach is set at 12% the city council considered raising it to 14% The city council would need to vote to put it on the ballot Mayor Jim Light responded to Solomon’s council remarks earlier this week in an interview he could have sat down with us,” Light told Easy Reader … I’d like to know further what he thinks we’re not doing and what he wants us to do.” The mayor said he went back and watched video of the council’s budget discussions last year “I’m going to schedule a time to sit down with Eugene to go through what he has in mind Then I’ll sit down with the city manager,” Light said “My goal is to bring attention to these issues,” said Solomon “That there’s potential revenue there for the city.” ER It’s a system in which voters get to pick multiple candidates for an office instead of just one Voters rank candidates in order of preference (first choice the candidate in last place gets eliminated and voters who chose that candidate as their first choice have their second-choice candidate counted instead Redondo Beach voters approved the use of ranked-choice voting in March 2023 and this is the first election in which it’s being used A mail-in-only election: Not only is Tuesday’s election introducing a new voting system but it’s being conducted entirely through vote-by-mail ballots but it'll be a while before they all arrive at the city clerk's office and get counted The city plans to release results March 13 a two-and-a-half-acre park of native plants is coming to the land under the powerlines just up from the AES plant on the hill where city officials held a ceremony to mark the shutdown of the power plant on New Year’s Eve “I was ecstatic when I got the news yesterday,” said Mayor Jim Light who announced it at the city council meeting Tuesday night “We were bogged down in nitpicky design details.”  The city has a current five-year lease for the park acreage by the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and 190th Street.  no development will take place inside a 50-foot radius of the bases The pedestrian park will consist of a walking path and native plants – the ground landscaped to appear as it looked before European/American settlers arrived The list of plants was developed by South Bay Parkland Conservancy He and the late Mayor Bill Brand first proposed a park on the SCE ground 15 years ago in public comment at city council meetings “This is phase one of my vision for the area as a Green Belt to the Sea,” Light said The powerlines will remain in place for the foreseeable future without a formal AES request,” said Diane Castro The small park will go in just east and up the hill from the 51-acre power plant site Light and many others have sought to become parkland as well Development of the new 2.5-acre park – the cost partially-covered by a state grant – will now begin the city process to choose a contractor to build it. ER I guess that’s a thing of the past with Jim Light at the helm and while residents are still paying for those lawsuits he wants us to fund a park at the AES plant to realize his one and only “vision” for the City will get the contract to landscape the park with City money that goes through South Bay Parkland Conservancy (Jim Light founder and President) but the design was done long before I was Mayor And SCE has constraints on what you can do under their wires So other than the plant palette and how the path meandered (to meet ADA requirements) the city had little say SBPC will not get the construction contract The city will be putting out an RFP for a contractor who can do it all I have much more of a vision than a Greenbelt to the Sea, though I am not sure why you would dislike that one. Read the Wilderness Park Master Plan. Read the harbor Amenities Plan. Read the Pier and Harbor Commercial Plan. And look at my platform on http://www.jimlightformayor.com Why not remove all the AES industrial materials Both sides of the table want it gone: the community to remove the eye soar and the developers in hopes to develop a mix use property it will take years and if the community is lucky to have more greenery then we will have to pay for it So why not pay to clear the ugliness now instead of living with it San Pedro Neighbors for Peace and LA4Assange&FreePress for our weekly Ceasefire NOW Rally in front of the SouthBay Galleria No Business Usual until a Ceasefire is called in Palestine Bring you signs and banners to amplify #Ceasefire CODEPINK is a non-profit charity with 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in the United States Our Tax Identification Number is 26-2823386 Mike Webb has spent half his life at Redondo Beach City Hall he spent the first season of “Law and Order” talking back to the T.V “It’s a definite life change,” Webb said of leaving City Hall April 1.  to defeat the application to build a new power plant at the AES site and to feel good about where he would be leaving the city’s Enhanced Response to Homelessness.  Webb started with the City of Redondo Beach on March 1 never worked in private practice – always a prosecutor we were the first suburban city to get a judge to issue a gang injunction – against a multi-generational gang in 1996 – we had the most successful fake chop-shop sting in California history…” he said talking about a 10-month mock-second hand store on Artesia Blvd and undercover operation in a van that drew 96 arrests all of the accused convicted of felonies by Goddard’s office.  The operation had undercover Redondo Beach police officers using decoy luggage at LAX to catch a baggage handler stealing from travelers; also people in car dealerships offering to sell master keys for certain models.  the Redondo city attorney’s office created a local agency to combat terrorism creative things that most cities our size can’t do,” Webb said.  after playing football at U.C.-Santa Barbara Goddard was in the Naval Reserve and when he would go on leave he first ran for city attorney upon Goddard’s retirement.  Webb named as a career highlight the long-sought shutdown of the AES power plant on Dec along with his six years working on the city’s homelessness project.  Webb had always known an active power plant in Redondo Beach.  “I was very happy that (the late) Mayor Brand lived to see it shut down We had to explore every avenue to show the energy wasn’t needed here.” His work on behalf of the homeless was unexpected “It’s not something I even saw myself doing but one of the most rewarding parts of my career,” Webb  said Changes he made as city attorney included adding the quality of life prosecutor (Joy (Ford’s job before being elected to succeed Webb as city attorney) and increased case filings it doesn’t matter how many arrests police make if prosecutors don’t (prosecute),” Webb said “Many in city hall see public safety as just police and fire.”  As far as the hardest projects he has worked on “We have tremendous success when the city council all agrees I may agree with one councilperson one time and they see it as playing favorites,” he said I had half of the council rooting for me to lose one and the other half wanting me to lose the other.” Former Mayor Steve Aspel would call Webb “The last Boy Scout.” “I think that’s what this job should be,” said Webb To take a couple of months to recharge my batteries CenterCal – the proposed $400 million public-private revamp of the waterfront – was another source of that stress I was happy we were able to resolve it (in a way that) both CenterCal and the city were okay with it shows the challenges of government planning something on a large scale,” he said The matter concluded in 2023 with the city paying $2 million to settle five lawsuits “I’m happy that it all ended successfully for the city,” Webb said he created a domestic violence advocate program in 1997 He started his career as a clerk in the district attorney’s office in Orange County then worked as a deputy city prosecutor in Hawthorne.  He ran for Congress in 1998 as a Republican “Undefeated Since 1992” – when the school disbanded its football program “You were fighting for the good; or fighting for what the mayor and council thought was best for the community,” he said “A lot of prosecutors leave for defense work Webb went to the former Aviation High School for one year before his  family moved to Santa Barbara He went to law school thinking about corporate law But in the D.A.’s office in Orange County he was hooked Webb and wife Deann’s children range in age from 23-32.  Half went to a Catholic school in San Pedro The Redondo Beach city attorney’s office includes three civil lawyers three prosecutors and the quality of life prosecutor The quality of life unit was created four years ago in coordination with former police chief Keith Kauffman (when he moved money from his budget to allow for it) “Working with Mike has always been amazing “I hear a lot of complaints from women and minority lawyers He does everything he can to make sure we get promoted the city attorney’s office became all women but Webb “I always hire the best person for the job It’s just been the people we’ve interviewed.”  “I hope to emulate Mike’s temperament Webb finished moving out of his office Tuesday – a space that has been slated for an update for 20 years Until now; the office will be a worksite for four weeks before Ford moves in On Tuesday night, Mike Webb drove away from the city attorney’s parking spot for the last time “And I was able to sleep in Wednesday,” he said.  Response: Webb’s thoughts on 2025 city election  during the campaign to succeed Mike Webb as city attorney candidate Steve Colin asserted that Webb’s office hires too many outside lawyers to work on city cases; that it should all be done in-house “We don’t control what lawsuits the city is involved in,” Webb said “We could cut outside counsel and just not oppose AES building another plant or SB9 (dividing residential lots) We could have the state decide when our elections are It shows (Colin) doesn’t know what our caseload is Most every item that appears on a city council agenda passes through the city attorney’s office Webb noted that the Redondo city attorney’s office lost a litigation paralegal in the mist of the 2008-10 recession and just got it back in this year’s budget “We’ve hired for the position and have already started the process to assign more litigation in-house,” he said.  who had been on opposite sides of lawsuits when Light was a resident activist Light suggested then that city staff were trying to control the city agenda.  “I think it’s been eye-opening for both of us,” Webb said of the past year in which Light served as appointed mayor after the death of Bill Brand he works as hard as any elected official I’ve seen in my time here It’s been a surprising turn of events for everyone I think a lot of assumptions he had made about city staff turned out not to be true Suspended by the State Bar last year for two acts of “moral turpitude” for failure to distribute $515,000 to a former client Obagi later entered a Deferred Prosecution Agreement on a related matter “That doesn’t involve his conduct as a councilmember My support was based on his exemplary performance as a councilmember,” Webb said He pointed to a vote to expand the homeless pallet shelter after some in his district were opposed to the pallet shelter opening there in the first place Obagi said at the time that he could always find another job but someone he met at the pallet shelter could not find another place to live “I incredibly admire that showing of political courage to do the right thing,” Webb said Few public servants receive the recognition they truly deserve government officials—often unable to respond due to legal constraints—are frequently at a disadvantage in the court of public opinion Mike Webb has consistently led with integrity and honor Redondo Beach was fortunate to have a public servant whose leadership stood head and shoulders above the rest shaping the direction of the entire South Bay I hope he takes pride in his legacy as he sees the continued success of the programs and initiatives he helped create A change in county permitting for beach events has led to a threat of legal action to keep Church on the Beach in its spot every Sunday The matter arose last fall when Church on the Beach filed for new permits as an offshoot of King’s Harbor Church which first began the Redondo Beach sand services in 2007 Pastor Jason Fentye was informed that permitting rules had changed The Sunday worship previously had not been charged a fee The new policy limits it to six events per year and the four other Sundays charged at $250 the church service will not be allowed on Redondo Beach Church on the Beach has an advocate in the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) County Beaches & Harbors alleging religious discrimination “While the Department cannot comment specifically on threatened litigation our permitting process is designed to ensure equitable beach access for everyone,” said Nicole Mooradian and generally prohibit ticketed events that block public access those who reserve space on public beaches for larger gatherings are required to pay permitting fees that help cover the cost of beach maintenance including cleaning restrooms and removing trash after such events so that the general public may continue to enjoy the beach.” about not giving anyone special treatment,” Mooradian said noting requests the department has received such as from WWE to set up a pro wrestling arena on the beach another group wanting to hold a polo match in the sand brand activations and private parties; all of which would restrict public access “We’re just trying to keep the beach enjoyable for everyone.” Mooradian also noted that activities such as summer camps and surf lessons reserve beach space in a competitive bid process to obtain a paid license The ACLJ’s letter claims a breach of constitutional rights by the new L.A County policy which “singles out religious groups for discriminatory treatment in the rules about the use of public beaches.” Church on the Beach draws more than a hundred people each week The outreach says they cater to people who have had negative or uncomfortable experiences in church buildings Church on the Beach appeals to people who may not otherwise set foot in a traditional church The Department of Beaches and Harbors no longer issues yearly permits and will now limit Church on the Beach to holding events at Dockweiller State Beach Mother’s Beach and Will Rogers State Beach “I can’t comment on why those beaches were chosen,” Mooradian said County has issued a temporary permit to King’s Harbor Church for a six-month extension at Redondo Beach The ACLJ sent its letter to Beaches and Harbors on behalf of Church on the Beach County immediately cease from discriminating against Church on the Beach for its religious activity and instead immediately agree to allow the church to continue meeting pursuant to generally applicable L.A Church on the Beach was created as a separate entity to King’s Harbor Church The group assembles just down the slope from Miramar Park near the edge of Torrance Beach Church on the Beach does not obstruct traffic the Strand is unaffected and room is left in front and behind the group for others to pass by on the beach during services “Church on the Beach is committed to not causing any disruption in the community,” the letter reads It explains that once it was set up as an independent entity last fall of Beaches and Harbors to start the permit process for 2025 He was told that in October the county began a new policy not to issue yearly permits “We’re currently in the process of revising our policy because of high demand from religious and other groups,” Mooradian said People would have surf contests every week if they could Surf contests are restricted to specific beaches (that the county manages).” Will Rogers State Beach – the latter two under an agreement with the state El Segundo Beach is not managed by the county Mooradian noted that the only events now that the department does not charge for permits are beach cleanups Efforts to reach a representative of Church on the Beach for this article by presstime were unsuccessful 2025 at 1:07 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Jim Light is running for Redondo Beach Mayor (Courtesy of Jim LIght)REDONDO BEACH CA — Current Redondo Beach Mayor Jim Light is running for reelection in the city's general election on March 4 Light was appointed Mayor by the Redondo Beach City Council on Feb. 20, 2024 to serve the remainder of Mayor Bill Brand's term after he passed away Light has held many public offices including in the Citizens’ Growth Management and Traffic Committee Harbor Commission and General Plan Advisory Committee Learn more about Light and his goals for Redondo Beach: https://jimlightformayor.com/ Penn State – Aerospace Engineering on a USAF ROTC scholarship I have been fighting for resident Quality of Life and the character of our city for 24 years I gained insight I could not have known before The city is at a very critical time in its history So much is going on that City staff is overburdened There are once in a lifetime opportunities and threats lining up I have the time and the experience to help staff and the Council navigate this critical time After 24 years of dedication and commitment I care too much about the city to simply step down and walk away now What is the most pressing issue that Redondo Beach faces in your opinion and what do you intend to do about it if elected REVITALIZING WITHOUT OVERDEVELOPMENT - The most pressing issue facing the City and its residents today is revitalizing without overdevelopment We have finally turned the corner after two decades of stagnation and have gained momentum in revitalization but there are major threats to overcome as well State mandates are threatening the fiscal sustainability of the city Overdevelopment of housing overlayed on top of our business districts is net negative for our General Fund Revitalization of our harbor and other business districts without overdevelopment is critical to the budget as well we have the opportunity or threat presented by the bankruptcy proceedings on the AES property I support the statewide initiative by Our Neighborhood Voices to stop the state housing mandates they’ve yet to be able to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot I am working with state legislators on a bill that would exempt housing abundant cities like Redondo from the mandates based on objective criteria demonstrating density and diversity of housing I have been working with two non-profits to document the wetlands on the site and since being Mayor I have been participating in discussions and strategies related to the bankruptcy case That is one of the reasons our current City Attorney is endorsing me As to broader revitalization without overdevelopment – as a Harbor Commissioner I participated in the drafting of the Harbor Amenities Plan Former Mayor Brand always intended to develop a commercial strategy that would dovetail with the Amenities Plan but his illness prevented him from accomplishing that objective rather than waste the time and money for a consultant I drafted a commercial plan for the harbor and pier based on my 20 years of participation in public workshops and meetings on the area That plan has been through the Harbor Commission who heartily endorsed it with recommendations for minor changes It will be coming to the City Council next The plan would make up for the loss of Joe’s crab shack and theformer Samba’s and add about 75,000 square feet of commercial space plus a hotel on Pier Plaza I support the Aviation and Artesia Corridors Area Plan (AACAP) and intend to ensure it is incorporated into our General Plan update and then executed once it is official I will ensure the Cultural Arts Commission prioritizes the art program and monies targeted for Artesia Blvd I will advocate for a similar corridor plan on the PCH corridor I will support and continue the efforts of the City to expand city parking along Artesia and in Riviera Village as parking is one of the impediments to the long-term health of these business districts the harbor department and economic development department were consolidated into the Waterfront and Economic Development Department but it was cut to three staff (actually to two staff for a while) and with all the projects in the harbor none of the staff have time to dedicate to economic development elsewhere in the city I will push to ensure that with a fourth person being added now that at least one employee is dedicated to retaining key current businesses and attracting businesses that will buoy up other businesses and increase city revenues I have found that due to attrition city staff has lost strong acquisition and expeditiously moving all our critical city projects forward I have worked with the City Manager to ensure that as we fill current vacancies the City targets candidates who are strong in these areas I am working with the City Manager and Pepperdine to create a custom training curriculum for our existing staff in these critical areas The City executes revitalization more quickly and staff build their resumes for future growth What are the major differences between you and the other candidates What issues are close to your heart and how will you address them if elected What is the best advice anyone has ever shared with you my teacher was trying to prop up a cardboard mounted poster for a lesson I kept getting up and wedging it back up with blackboard erasers and other nearby objects That simple phrase has stayed with me ever since That statement is behind my 24-year fight to preserve and enhance our quality of life and character of the city through the wins and losses We simply do not value the impact of our educators and mentors enough I have other examples of the impacts of teachers and mentors but this one was foundational to everything after That is why I am so committed to including students in our city government and partnering with our great school district. What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions I think it telling that the two Councilmembers who voted against my appointment to Mayor are now endorsing me the Councilmember who questioned if I were going to run for Mayor is also endorsing my run for Mayor City Attorney Mike Webb and I were on the opposite side of two lawsuits I believe my dedication to the position; my accomplishments during the past 11 months; my balanced and respectful approach to working with the Council and those with different perspectives on issues; and my application of my training and professional experience to moving issues and project forward have won over many who were skeptical of how I would operate as Mayor The Redondo Beach Unified School District is asking voters to approve a property tax increase to fund $278 million in renovation and repair projects At least 55% of voters need to approve Measure S for it to pass Official title on the ballot: Redondo Beach School Repair/Student Safety Measure A "yes" vote means: The district can borrow $278 million to construct new buildings repair and renovate existing public schools A "no" vote means: The district cannot borrow $278 million to construct new buildings The Redondo Beach Unified School District serves about 9,500 students across 15 schools RBUSD is seeking bond funding to repair and replace leaky roofs A bond is basically a loan that a school district takes out and which property owners in that school district pay back through property taxes If at least 55% of voters approve Measure S the Redondo Beach Unified School District can issue up to $278 million in bonds to finance specific school facilities projects The district told LAist in a survey that the top three priorities are: "The average age of Redondo Beach USD schools is over 70 years old," wrote Deputy Superintendent Annette Alpern "Older facilities are impacting student instruction." The district estimates the bond would cost property owners that live within the school district's boundaries an average of $29.95 per $100,000 of assessed value each year There’s also a possibility that Redondo Beach schools could get additional state funding if Prop Districts cannot spend bond money on employee salaries and are required to commission independent audits of bond spending When California voters approved the creation of the lottery the law required 34 cents of every dollar to fund education In 2010 lawmakers changed the rules giving the lottery the mandate to “maximize” funding for education Critics of bonds often say the cost to property owners is too high and question why school districts with declining enrollment need money for construction when they’re serving fewer students but it should be judicious because it raises property taxes at the local level,” said Susan Shelley The Association has not taken a position on specific local bonds other than LAUSD’s $9 billion Measure US (no) and on Prop Shelley said voters weighing school bonds should carefully consider how the school spent previous bond funding and the plans for future projects “You should have confidence that the priorities are right,” Shelley said say no and make [the district] come back to you with a better plan.” No individual or group submitted an argument opposing the bond to the L.A State law lays out several accountability measures for local school district bonds While districts identify projects that could benefit from improvements that list is not a guarantee of which projects will be funded There are often years of community meetings and permitting between the passage of a bond and the start of construction though minor renovation projects could be completed sooner The bond authorized by Measure S would be paid back — with interest — through local property taxes Member support made these voter guides possible Our election coverage is focused on you: helping you understand the results of these races and their impact on our everyday lives you need a source of trusted reporting that will hold those in power to account and shine a light on issues important to our communities LAist reporting and voting guides are here for you But we need to hear from you now with your support to know that this work we’re doing is important We cannot do this essential work without your help We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you At a time when the need for local journalism has never been greater Member support — your support — is what will sustain a free press in Southern California so please be here for us now with a donation to power our trusted local reporting Step up right now and make the choice to give Because that’s exactly what it is — a choice If readers do not choose to step up and donate the future of fact-based news in Southern California will not be as strong LAist will remain a voice you know and trust 2025A police chase began at a DUI checkpoint in Redondo Beach and ended in gunfire in Hawthorne (KABC) -- A police chase began Friday night at a DUI checkpoint in Redondo Beach and ended in gunfire in Hawthorne the pursuit began when the suspect fled from the checkpoint Hawthorne police officers became involved during the chase according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department The location is near Hawthorne Memorial Park on El Segundo Boulevard and Prairie Avenue Authorities did not immediately release more details about the shooting including confirmation of who opened fire and whether anyone was injured Officials confirmed that the sheriff's Homicide Bureau was assisting in the investigation 2025 at 7:38 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A man walks his dog on the edge of the Los Angeles River CA — The most powerful storm of the season is barrelling toward Los Angeles prompting city and county leaders to issue a widespread flood watch and evacuation orders and warnings for communities afflicted by recent wildfires All of Los Angeles County is on flood watch from Wednesday evening to Thursday evening as the storm is expected to drop as much as four inches of rain in some parts of the Los Angeles "The time period of greatest concern is overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning Rainfall amounts are predicted to be from 1-2 inches on the coasts and valleys and 2-4 inches in the foothills and mountain areas," Los Angeles Emergency Management Department warned especially if you are in an area impacted by the recent wildfires." Residents living in the burn areas of the Eaton Sunset and Hurst fires are particularly susceptible to flooding and mudslides and should be prepared to evacuate the Los Angeles Fire Department officials warned The evacuation orders will be in effect from 7 a.m Residents under evacuation orders and high risk areas will be visited at home by Los Angeles Police Department officers Residents in the evacuation warning zones may choose to leave preemptively or be prepared to leave on a moment's notice Fire officials said the following burn areas were "especially susceptible to heavy rain": Sunset Fire: East and south of Runyon Canyon; Hurst Fire: Olive Lane in the Oakridge Mobile Home Park; Caltrans will close a segment of Pacific Coast Highway to residents and businesses in burn scar areas at noon Wednesday Army Corps of Engineers contractors will be allowed to pass It's not yet clear when PCH will reopen to residents and businesses Caltrans and other officials will reassess the situation Thursday to determine if the highway can reopen to residents and businesses with passes by Friday for morning commute LA County Public Works crews have prepared debris basins and reinforced drainage systems to reduce flood risk particularly in recent burn areas including Eaton the storm could still bring moderate debris and mudflows to burn areas potentially blocking streets and threatening structures depending on their location and the local terrain," the department said LA County Public Works has activated 24/7 storm patrols and remains fully mobilized," officials added County's Mudflow Advice Hotline can be reached at 800-933-0930 the county advised residents to visit READY.LACounty.gov rainfall was expected to range from one-third to two-thirds of an inch from the coast to the mountains with local amounts exceeding one inch in the mountains A cold front will move over the area overnight Wednesday into early Thursday "Lighter precipitation will develop on Wednesday with the most likely time for more widespread and heavier precipitation with the cold front for late Wednesday night into Thursday morning," the NWS said This system will also likely be the biggest snow maker of the season with 1 to 2 feet of snow forecast for higher elevations "Steady rain will turn to showers Thursday The snow levels will drop to around 3,000 ft and a few inches of snow is possible over the Grapevine and other lower elevations passes," the NWS said gusty southwest to west winds will develop Wednesday night and continue through Thursday night with daytime highs dropping to around 60 degrees in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday and Wednesday and around 55 on Thursday and Friday Overnight lows will generally be in the 40s and lower 50s but will drop into the 30s on Thursday and Friday in the mountains and the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valley A weaker storm system moving inland to the north on Friday could keep some showers going into Friday night things dry out and warm up for the weekend The Los Angeles Emergency Management Department urges residents to prepare ahead of time by: City News Service contributed to this report 2025 at 12:46 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Redondo Beach police will be focused on looking for distracted drivers through April CA — Redondo Beach police will be focused on looking for signs of distracted driving across the city throughout April according to a public service announcement by the department April is considered Distracted Driving Awareness Month according to the Redondo Beach Police Department a month-long campaign aimed at educating people about the dangers of checking your phone adjusting the radio or eating while driving "Staying focused behind the wheel is something we can all do,” Redondo Beach Police Traffic Investigator Bijan Pirsaheli said “Distracted Driving Awareness Month is an important reminder that even a moment of inattention or a quick glance at the phone can lead to serious consequences Distracted driving is not only risky; it is deadly stay alert and help us keep our roads safe.” In California, it is illegal to hold a phone or electronic device while driving, even when stopped at a red light, according to the Redondo Beach Police Department. Drivers caught violating the law may be fined $20 for a first offense and $50 for each subsequent offense, according to California law Police recommend drivers take the following precautions to create a safer environment while in traffic: Jim Light is the next mayor of Redondo Beach Joy Ford is the next city attorney and Brad Waller the next District One city councilman Chadwick Castle will represent District Two and Zein Obagi Final unofficial election results were announced at 2 p.m who was appointed mayor a year ago after the death of Bill Brand defeating City Councilman Nils Nehrenheim by a margin of 5,927 votes to 4,052 “I’m still digesting,” Light said at city hall after the announcement “I’m thankful for everyone’s support and honored to serve another four years as mayor.” Four rounds of ranked-choice voting – making its debut in Redondo Beach this year – helped Light reach the 50% + 1 margin to win the election over Nehrenheim and three other challengers Waller narrowly slipped by Rolf Strutzenberg for the District One city council seat Castle beat Louis Burke 1,556 to 516 and Obagi Ford won the city attorney’s seat 8,224 votes to 2,502 for Steve Colin All ballot measures passed by wide margins 2025 at 10:00 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}As the 2025 General Municipal Election nears here's all you need to know about what's on your ballot in Redondo Beach CA — Redondo Beach's 2025 General Municipal Election will take place on Tuesday and residents will weigh in on a variety of races and measures Redondo Beach became the first city in Los Angeles County to adopt ranked choice voting Redondo Beach Voters passed a measure to adopt instant runoff voting and the City Council chose to use ranked choice voting for the 2025 election Ranked choice voting will be used to elect the Mayor Ranked choice voting will not be used in the elections for the Board of Education Instead of choosing just one candidate in each race voters will be able to rank up to six candidates officials only look at voters' first choices and if a candidate has enough votes the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated Voters who ranked the eliminated candidate first would have their votes go to their next choice The process continues until a candidate has more than half of the votes There are five candidates running for Mayor of Redondo Beach, including current Mayor Jim Light. Light was appointed Mayor by the Redondo Beach City Council on Feb. 20, 2024 to serve the remainder of Mayor Bill Brand's term after he died Light's challengers include current District 1 council member Nils Nehrenheim small business owners Joan Irvine and Jeff Ginsburg and writer/artist Georgette Gantner To read each candidate's statement or qualifications, visit the city's website. See also: Redondo Beach residents living in the first City Council district will choose between three candidates: Darin King Redondo Beach residents living in the second City Council district will choose between two candidates: Chadwick Castle and Louis Burke In Redondo Beach's fourth City Council district voters will choose between incumbent candidate Zein Obagi voters will choose between Senior Deputy City Prosecutor Joy Ford and Senior Trial Attorney Steve Colin There are three open seats on the Redondo Beach Unified School District Board of Education with three candidates running Dan Elder and Rachel Nemeth are all candidates in the School Board race Here is the official language of Measure RB as it appears on the ballot for the March 4 general election: The Redondo Beach General Municipal Election is a vote by mail only election Residents should have received their vote by mail packets and ballots and must drop them into ballot boxes at various locations throughout the city by 8 p.m Redondo Beach residents can find 24-hour access vote-by-mail ballot boxes at the following locations: Ballots may be dropped into the ballot box at the City Clerk's Office at 415 Diamond St. Not sure if you’re registered to vote, or need to change your address? You can find out here and make any changes you may need, as well. Redondo Beach residents need to register to vote by Feb Print Good morning Here’s what you need to know to start your day Redondo Beach marked an achievement recently as the South Bay Cities Council of Governments declared the local municipality had achieved “functional zero” for homelessness in the first six months of 2024 Broadly, that means the services in place to get people off the streets are helping a greater number of people than are entering homelessness in the city of nearly 68,000 people But the official term has a more specific definition (more on that below) The milestone is noteworthy, as Times senior writer Doug Smith recently reported. the city … has dropped from 11th to 51st among [Los Angeles] county’s 56 cities that had homeless people,” Doug wrote citing a newsroom analysis of homeless count data Doug notes that the South Bay Cities Council of Governments’ declaration is “an informal claim.” Redondo Beach’s key metric differs from the one developed by the national nonprofit Community Solutions through its Built for Zero program designed to indicate “that homelessness is measurably rare and brief for a population.” A bike path in Redondo Beach photographed on March 26, 2020. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) According to the group, reaching functional zero “means that the number of people experiencing homelessness at any time does not exceed the community’s proven record of housing at least that many people in a month.” Built for Zero measures success by how many unhoused people enter some form of permanent housing rather than temporary solutions like shelter beds The South Bay Cities Council of Governments consulted with Beth Sandor “It requires a city to move people off the streets into shelter or housing in a median of 90 days and to have more people leaving homelessness than falling into it.” Redondo Beach has had success in getting unsheltered people off the streets but not changing everyone’s status from unhoused to housed It’s an important distinction to make as local state and federal governments pour billions into reducing the homelessness crisis But even with that broader definition, the city is making clear progress in reducing unsheltered homelessness in California, where roughly half of all unsheltered people in the U.S. live A report from State Auditor Grant Parks back in April found that most unsheltered people in the state placed into temporary housing — overwhelmingly emergency shelters — do not move on to permanent housing Officials began laying the groundwork even before the local “functional zero” goal was set in 2022 That included a concerted move away from petty-crime arrests in the form of a monthly homeless court “The city built a village of 20 tiny homes leased five rooms in a single room occupancy hotel formed relationships with the home sharing nonprofit SHARE Collaborative Housing and low-income housing provider Soul Housing,” Doug explained state and federal grants and donations from service providers The city now leases 18 SRO units and is adding 25 tiny homes.” But the act of getting someone off the street isn’t a result solely of city policy or funds; it also requires compassionate tenacious face-to-face work by a group of housing navigators Doug followed one of them, Lila Omura, as she reached out to people sleeping outside and tried to connect them with services. You can read more about her tireless effort in Doug’s story Lila Omura, left, shares a light moment with Vietnam veteran Wesley Hesson, 78, who she found living homeless in Veterans Park in Redondo Beach on Oct. 15. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) If functional zero sounds familiar, that may be because I wrote about it earlier this year Kern County and its largest city Bakersfield achieved that milestone in early 2020 But in that case they met the Built for Zero standard meaning people were exiting homelessness and finding permanent housing at an equal or greater rate than those entering homelessness But Kern County’s success didn’t last long, thanks in part to housing costs, shifting city leadership and a global pandemic. Still it showed what’s possible when local or regional programs are able to match the need with the right data, resources and a focus on permanent housing. “There are excellent programs providing excellent services that people need,” Sandor told me in an interview last year. “The question is: Is all of that work adding up to fewer people experiencing homelessness this month than last month?” Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) at the Republican National Convention in July Gaetz resigned from Congress on Wednesday after President-elect Trump nominated him for attorney general (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Trump nominated Matt Gaetz as his attorney general Here’s the latest on the incoming Trump administration Why did some homes survive the Mountain fire and others perished Los Angeles hopes to transform wastewater into clean drinking water for about 250,000 people public schools will also include smart watches Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here. (Courtesy of Zhang Shumei) China’s queer influencers thrive despite growing censorship. Amid China’s crackdown on LGBTQ+ rights queer influencers are using creative strategies subtle hashtags and coded language to stay one step ahead of social media censors and provide much-needed support to the community How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. jewelry and other handcrafted wares during the winter season at the holiday markets in Los Angeles (Los Angeles Times photo illustration; photo credit: Heather Levine Theo Moreno writes: “It will be 60 years old this coming summer but Bob Dylan’s song ‘Like A Rolling Stone’ still knocks me over with its brave statement of self every time I hear it it is a masterpiece by the wordsmith supreme of our time It never fails to give me a dose of courage Feel free to email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com and your response might be included in the newsletter this week Nancy Pelosi won election as leader of the House Democratic minority on Nov becoming the first woman to head a party in either chamber of Congress “After the vote, Pelosi basked in the gender precedent Democrats had just set,” Times reporter Nick Anderson wrote at the time “As a reporter attempted to break into her remarks with a question she cut him off gleefully: ‘I’m not finished yet Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com. California Politics Climate & Environment 2025 at 9:49 am PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The South Bay Parkland Conservancy has been working to help preserve public land and restore habitats for the last 20 years ((Courtesy of South Bay Parkland Conservancy))REDONDO BEACH CA — The annual Earth Day event at Hopkins Wilderness Park in Redondo Beach returns this year with several activities aimed at educating the public about giving back through habitat restoration The free event hosted by the non-profit group, South Bay Parkland Conservancy is set to take place on April 19 from 9 a.m and local environmental groups presenting initiatives on how to give back to wildlife SBPC's vice president of rewilding projects We've had students come down and you see the light bulb come on over their heads." The SBPC will be using Lil Vegerie, a local restaurant that is 100% plant-based and "very environmentally friendly," for their celebratory lunch, with tickets available for purchase here The volunteer-based non-profit began in 2004 with a commitment to trying to save public land their focus evolved to include habitat restoration "We want to rewild the community one habitat at a time," Montgomery said "We envision ourselves as catalysts to inspire empower and enable people to be community stewards." “Functional Zero” means the amount of homeless people placed in housing (interim or permanent) is higher than the number who become homeless in a six-month period The South Bay Cities Council of Governments deemed last week that Redondo Beach has reached the mark It is the first city in Los Angeles County to do so – according to the SBCCOG’s parameters in partnership with local governments and the state is stepping up and showing what is possible when we all work together to address homelessness,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement 30 at the Redondo Beach historic library to mark the achievement State Senator Ben Allen praised the city and called the homeless efforts a moral issue County Supervisor Holly Mitchell gave her congratulations and set her sights higher The designation also requires a city’s homeless median time on the streets be less than 90 days.  The South Bay Cities Council of Government’s (SBCCOG) Functional Zero pilot program sets a benchmark of accountability based on data collected and analyzed weekly by staff the SCCOG recorded 65 homeless people in Redondo Beach and an outflow of 66 – meaning those moved into housing down from a peak of 261 seven years ago.  Cities participating in the SBCCOG program meet weekly with the Homeless Services group Interventions are discussed for specific people without homes Hermosa Beach and Torrance signed up in October to be the next cities to participate “One year to three years,” said Ronson Chu on the time frame needed for them to reach Functional Zero “I hope it doesn’t take any longer than that.” Chu designed a framework to closely examine local homeless information “to evaluate resource investments and opportunities.” If a city stays at Functional Zero for six months for about a year now; since last October,” Chu said “We wanted to make sure the data was correct and being sustained.”  The city started its Enhanced Homelessness Response in 2017 when the late Mayor Bill Brand asked City Attorney Mike Webb to lead it the city hired Lila Omurra as homeless housing navigator 20-room supportive housing project held its grand opening in a former motel on Pacific Coast Highway.  They threw the kitchen sink at the problem,” Chu said Now looking to keep their Functional Zero status the city will add 25 units to the pallet shelter paid for by $800,000 from Supervisor Mitchell’s office and partially from a $1.3 million investment from Health Net insurance.  Health Net will also fund the Redondo launch of a mobile alternative crisis response program which sends a mental health clinician out to people with behavioral health emergencies an on-the-street advocate who is not a mental health clinician “Within a very short period of time we can hit Functional Zero for this entire county We can do that,” Supervisor Mitchell told the crowd at the historic library He told the crowd a total of about 75,000 homeless people are in Los Angeles County He said if you take out Los Angeles and Long Beach it leaves an average of 120 people per city.  He applied the same point to the individual neighborhoods in Los Angeles and Long Beach which are overseen by neighborhood councils Speakers at the historic library last week also thanked previous Redondo Beach city councilmembers Christian Horvath and Laura Emdee for their work in the early days of the city’s homeless response.  City attorney Webb received a standing ovation a special award for leading the way on homelessness in the South Bay “Much of this is changing our attitudes toward the homeless It’s the rare crisis that’s not treated like a crisis,” Webb told the crowd we can always take care of it tomorrow; and that’s not fair to our unhoused neighbors.”  Manhattan Beach and Torrance now signed on an SCCOG case manager will evaluate data from each city.  we can know what exactly a city needs,” Chu said The SBCCOG is made up of 16 cities in the South Bay region “I want all (remaining) 15 cities to be part of (the Functional Zero pilot) — but we’d need to hire two data analysts,” Chu said Is there enough money to do what all needs to be done “We don’t spend money as efficiently as we could Functional zero will hopefully wake people up in that you can’t just go at this from the county level We have a by-names list; when you have that level of detail South Bay Cities Council of Governments is a joint-powers agency which collectively works on the common interests of its cities in areas such as productivity and quality of life. ER Ronson Chu’s background includes 15 years in corporate finance His last job in the business was in Century City a company that does test marketing for film studios “The ending is the most important thing to get right in what determines if an audience will recommend a movie to others,” Chu said he sat in a ballroom and heard a speech by Gavin Newsom I’m asking for your time.’ That really spoke to me,” Chu said working on its Los Angeles Homeless Connect — Weekend to End Homelessness Chu left his corporate finance career to volunteer for a year with the Inner-City Law Center.  “I knew right away I wanted to end homelessness in Los Angeles,” he said “I wanted to use what I knew from finance to do this; how to invest money wisely how to manage logistical operations to fix problems.” His first job after the volunteer year was with the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office in its homeless court program.  He and his family live in North Redondo Beach “I’m just excited to bring this SCCOG model to our other cities to get all of them to Functional Zero in five years,” Chu said “I want to work myself out of a job as soon as possible.” Chu intends to focus next on workforce housing – units tied to the median income of a region so its essential workers can afford to live in the city they work in. ER —————————– Early election returns indicate the city of Redondo Beach will be getting a new police station and two new fire stations after voters approved Measure FP by a 71% margin Nov A major school facilities bond also passed and voters turned back a Beach Cities Health District bond which would have torn down the former South Bay Hospital and funded other work at its Redondo Beach campus Measure RB was approved – to amend the city charter to strengthen local land use decision-making  – and Measure SD to remove the ban on compensation for school board members who were paid $250 per month for expenses before the city charter language against it was brought to light last year.               Measure FP’s margin exceeded the required two-thirds threshold The bond provides $93 million to fund the new stations very happy for the students of Redondo Beach and super-grateful to the community for their continued support,” said Raymur Flinn Redondo Unified School District board president. “Now the hard work begins and forming a citizen’s bond oversight committee.” Early returns showed voter turnout for the measures ranged from 49% to 53% of Redondo’s 48,935 registered voters as of right now,” said City Clerk Eleanor Manzano Wednesday morning “All of the ballots dropped off in the boxes have not been counted.” Measure SD’s approval follows a series of discussions by the school board on the matter The board voted to end its pay last year and subsequently put this bond before voters.  “I think we can stop talking about this and move on it was so a board can receive health benefits,” she said referring to a question of whether the charter language prevented that “(Now) they can receive what any school boardmember can receive in the state of California.”   The board will have to decide whether or not to reinstate the payments.  Measure BC would have funded the demolition of the former South Bay Hospital as well as build open space and a parking lot on the BCHD campus Since BC was so small financially compared to the other bonds the voters sent a message to BCHD that even if inexpensive they disagreed with taxpayers funding allcove and tearing down the hospital building I wonder if BCHD will bother to listen to the voters The future of the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center was discussed Tuesday by the city council for a building which lost $570,864 last year considered a promising result after two “terrible years” coming off the height of the pandemic the new Redondo Beach cultural arts manager and longtime technical director of the Arts Center highlighting a recent upgrade to its sound system to make it state of the art.  fixes to the 20-year-old air conditioning system “The cushions are half as thick as they used to be,” Meyer said Another desired improvement would be restoration of the faded Indian slate tiles on the building’s exterior – which began as a dark gray/black and have become a light gray.  presented city staff recommendations to improve the 1,457-seat theater’s bottom line.  The list included adapting the theater to be able to show full-scale movies – to tap possible studio rentals for premieres and film festivals – parking lot events such as a farmer’s market; increasing rental fees for the first time since 2018; sponsorships such as seating endowments or naming rights; and renting out the theater for non-entertainment events like wedding receptions.  The Performing Arts Center operates on a rental-only basis which city staff recommends it continue to do “We (rent) the theater to clients who sell tickets.”  City Manager Mike Witzansky noted that the Arts Center has historically cost the city between $500,000-$700,000 each year in net loss What is self-sustaining from this?” said Mayor Jim Light.  asked why fees haven’t been raised in eight years Meyer said it was because operators were nervous coming off the bad years of the pandemic Staff will return to the council next month with estimates for the cost of an upgrade to show movies – and seek those studio rentals – along with more detail about potential capital improvements for city budget season this spring The city council had asked that staff look into the status of the theater as part of its 2024 strategic planning sessions. ER at or beyond their 30th year; and the owners since August are the third since Eat at Joe’s opened in Redondo Beach in 1969 Mescall and Eldridge met in El Segundo as bartenders 20 years ago and now own eight establishments in the South Bay “We have been buying up some local classics,” Mescall said.  after two years serving at Smith & Wollensky’s on New York City’s Upper East Side Mescall started in the business as a 14-year-old busboy “There’s no way of getting rid of me now in the South Bay,” he said.  He used to go to Eat at Joe’s for brunch before bartending shifts The previous owners were Alex & Michele Jordan “The reason we bought it is because we love it The 20 employees have all stayed for the new owners “We have rookies who have been here for 15 years,” Mescall said “We just want to continue the tradition at 400 Pacific Coast Highway.” the diner still features its John Wayne Special – what the man ate when he came in in the early ‘70s; a bed of potatoes The first place Mescall and Eldridge bought was the Torrance Tavern opening it nine years ago; then the Hula Hula Room the Bounty Room – both also in Torrance – Patty O’Brien’s on Aviation Boulevard “I figure if we are going to stay in the business doing it for ourselves would be a fun way to do it,” Mescall said we want to do really cool things and keep really cool things in the South Bay.” Alex and Michele Jordan sold the place after nearly 25 years They still own the Eat at Joe’s building and the land Joe (last name Filkosky) died in the mid-’90s and his children sold it to the Jordans Filkosky bought the space as an existing restaurant under a different name the Jordans were living in the San Fernando Valley in the ‘90s and Michele wanted to move (back) to the South Bay.  if I find a business I want to get involved in He previously worked as a general manager for a franchisee who owned multiple McDonald’s.  I just started (the new venture) from scratch When it came time for the Jordans to sell it “I picked him because I thought he was going to be the best operator Mescall and Eldridge have also signed a lease for the former Brews Hall location on the Hermosa Beach Pier for the place set to open next spring.  “Like a Disneyland ride for adults.” ER Michael DiGiorgio, 50, was charged with multiple counts of rape, sodomy and one count of murder last month by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. This marks the second time that he was charged in connection with assaults on women. In August 2020 he faced similar charges, which were dismissed but have been recently refiled with the addition of a murder charge. On Wednesday, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Susan DeWitt denied DiGiorgio’s request to be released on bail, finding that he continued a pattern of “extraordinarily dangerous” conduct after a previous case was dismissed. Prosecutors claim DiGiorgio continued to drug and sexually assault women at his home after the case was dismissed. The previous case against him was dismissed in 2021 due to a technicality regarding a search warrant of his electronic devices, court records show. Prosecutors intended to refile their case but waited more than three years. Prosecutors filed new sexual assault charges against ‘NCIS’ actor Gabriel Olds after three more women came forward, officials said. In between the two cases, prosecutors watched his home, reviewed the evidence and determined that a murder charge was warranted. He was arrested and charged for the second time on Oct. 16 after prosecutors reconsidered the facts surrounding the alleged crimes. Investigators also conducted surveillance of his home, which they reportedly witnessed young women leaving. During a search of his home, investigators found a clear vial that tested positive for a drug that could be used to anesthetize a person, Deputy Dist. Atty. Catherine Ann Mariano said in court on Wednesday. Prosecutors believe DiGiorgio also gave his victims fentanyl and investigators have identified six additional women who they say were sexually assaulted and recorded while unconscious. The crimes were allegedly committed between 2019 and November 2021 at DiGiorgio’s homes in Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach, according to authorities. According to court records, DiGiorgio is charged with the murder, rape by use of drugs and other charges of Jane Doe 1 on July 6, 2020. He’s also accused of selling or transporting a controlled substance on Nov. 28, 2021. SWAT officers were called in to help Long Beach police with a gunman whom authorities accuse of killing two people. DiGiorgio appeared in court handcuffed, his chest bare and his jail jumpsuit pulled down to his waist. He did not speak more than a few words with his defense attorney, Pat Carey, who said his client did not attempt to flee the state after his previous case was dismissed, suggesting that his client is not a flight risk. Mariano said that keeping DiGiorgio in custody is a public safety concern, because his previous arrest did not seem to deter him from allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting more victims. Carey declined to comment outside the courtroom and told the court he needs more time to review the evidence in the case. Additional charges could be added to the case, Mariano said, as the investigation continues to develop. Nathan Solis reports on breaking news with the Fast Break team at the Los Angeles Times. World & Nation (CNS) -- A person suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound Sunday morning in Redondo Beach Sunday to a reported shooting in the 2700 block of Vanderbilt Lane located a person suffering from a gunshot wound Terrence Stevens of the Redondo Beach Police Department Paramedics transported the victim to a hospital "Detectives are actively investigating the incident Preliminary findings suggest that this was an isolated event," he said "There is no known ongoing threat to the public." Redondo Beach police urged anyone with information about the shooting to call them at 310-379-2477, ext. 3652. Callers who wish to remain anonymous may call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or send tips to lacrimestoppers.org 2025 at 12:46 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Countywide there are some 400 participating restaurants representing 30 global cuisines Redondo Beach: The region's twice-annual Dine LA Restaurant Week returned Friday with special menus — and prices — at hundreds of local restaurants over the next 15 days The lineup includes five eateries in Redondo Beach offering special prix fixe lunch and/or dinner menus at a range of price points from $15 to $65+ “You can get anything from tacos to Thai food to a Michelin-rated meal,” Stacey Sun executive director of Dine LA told the Los Angeles Daily News “Dine LA provides a way for people to explore new neighborhoods and go to that restaurant that’s always been on your list.” As the region recovers from the recent wildfires Dine LA producer LA Tourism will donate $5 to the American Red Cross for each reservation made through the Dine LA website This season's event features five Redondo Beach restaurants with options from Pizza to Vietnamese food: For a full list of participating restaurants, their menus and to make reservations, visit Dine LA's website. One man died and five people were rescued at sea Sunday 3 when a charter boat overturned during a trip to disperse the ashes of a loved one in King Harbor The victim was named by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office as Fredrico Salguero with chopped waves and sun glare coming off of the water The Redondo Beach Fire Department’s rescue boat responded with three personnel on board The voice on the 911 call said people were stranded on a boat they needed help and they did not have much time The Redondo fire department boat went to the believed location as a Los Angeles County Lifeguard BayWatch rescue boat and a Lifeguard personal watercraft arrived from Marina Del Rey and Hermosa Beach.  They could not use binoculars because the water was too bouncy “It was like looking for a needle in a haystack Smith spotted what first appeared to be a buoy RBFD rescue swimmer Brad Godinez jumped in the water to ferry the victims to the rescue boat The five people were pulled in from the 26-foot MacGregor motorsailer One person from the boat was unaccounted for The RBFD crew left to take those rescued to land while four Baywatch Lifeguards rescue divers searched for the missing person One of the divers swam inside the overturned boat’s cabin to find an unresponsive male inside Among the rescued were the boat’s captain and his nine-year-old son but in my 35 years’ experience in this business I’ve never seen such a complex rescue at sea,” Butler said citing the eight-foot waves and general conditions The men and women rescued were in their 20s and 30s according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.  “I think the boat overturned so quickly that they were unable to don life jackets fast enough,” said Captain Pono Barnes Los Angeles County Fire Department.   What might have caused the boat to overturn never just one thing that causes it,” Barnes said.  A small-craft advisory was in effect at the time of the incident “We still need to interview everybody,” said Steve Di Jong “They may have made the 911 call after being in the water.” it is being investigated by the Sheriff’s Department.  “It’s our understanding it was licensed properly,” Di Jong said referring to Coast Guard investigators who are helping “The investigation is still ongoing,” he said. ER Michael DiGiorgio, 50, was charged with multiple counts of rape, sodomy and one count of murder, officials said. Many of the actions were carried out while the victims were drugged, authorities said, and it’s alleged that DiGiorgio caused great bodily injury to three of his victims. “I extend my deepest sympathy to the victims, whose lives have been irrevocably changed and the life lost by the alleged brutal acts of the offender,” Dist. Atty. George Gascón said in a statement. “Our office is committed to holding him accountable for the pain and trauma he has inflicted.” The crimes were allegedly committed between 2019 and November 2021 at DiGiorgio’s homes in Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach, according to authorities. According to court records, DiGiorgio is charged with the murder, rape by use of drugs and other charges of Jane Doe 1 on July 6, 2020. He’s also accused of selling or transporting a controlled substance on Nov. 28, 2021. Investigators with the district attorney’s Sex Crimes Division believe there may be more victims and encourages anyone with information about DiGiorgio to contact the Redondo Beach Police Department’s hotline at (714) 863-2859. According to jail records, he was arrested Thursday with no bail set. DiGiorgio is scheduled to appear in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Friday for his arraignment and faces a maximum life sentence in prison if convicted on the charges. In August 2020, DiGiorgio was charged with rape, sexual assault of a an intoxicated person and several offenses, according to court records. That case was dismissed the following year for lack of a speedy trial. The district attorney’s office in a statement said the office was unable to move forward with that case because the court granted “a motion to quash, resulting in the suppression of evidence to prove the People’s case.” 2025 at 12:21 pm PT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}So far this season Redondo Beach has gotten a total of about 2.99 inches of precipitation beginning on Oct CA — The biggest storm to hit Southern California this year drenched Redondo Beach and Los Angeles County this week Redondo Beach got a total of 1.36 inches of rain according to LA County Public Works Most of LA County’s coastline saw between 1 and 3 inches of rain during the storm this week The San Gabriel Valley saw between 2 to 5 inches and downtown LA set a record for rainfall at 2.87 inches of rain breaking a record of 2.71 inches set in 1954 Mount San Antonio in the San Gabriel Mountains logged the most rain in the county The Eaton fire burn scar area saw around 4 inches of rain and the Palisades fire burn scar area saw around 2 inches The recent storm brought a variety of dramatic weather conditions throughout the county including a major mudslide that swept up an SUV into the ocean and a collapsed roof at a Smart & Final in Azusa LA County beaches were put under a health advisory as high levels of bacteria are expected for at least 72 hours after significant rainfall “Bacteria levels can increase significantly during and after rainstorms as contaminants within the runoff enters the ocean,” according to the LA County Department of Public Health “Elevated bacteria levels in ocean water may cause illness Welcome, Mickeymickey@disney.comManage MyDisney AccountLog OutRedondo Beach warns drivers of parking meter scam involving fake QR codesSunday 2024The fraudulent QR codes were recently discovered on about 150 parking meters affixed next to the legitimate ParkMobile and PayByPhone labels.REDONDO BEACH (CNS) -- The city of Redondo Beach warned residents and visitors Saturday of a recent scam involving fake QR codes stuck to parking meters along the Esplanade and Riviera Village area The fraudulent QR codes were recently discovered on about 150 parking meters affixed next to the legitimate ParkMobile and PayByPhone labels The fake code directed motorists to a "paybyphone'' website that prompted them to input their location and payment information Redondo Beach police officers inspected all of the city's parking meters and removed the fake codes Anyone who feels they were defrauded was urged to call police at 310-379-2477 and file a report Anyone who received a parking citation after making a payment on the fake QR code Police also wanted to hear from anyone with information on the people believed responsible for the scam Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page.