In fall 2009, the US House of Representatives passed legislation that could protect over 110 million Americans that live near chemical plants. The Senate will consider this legislation this year.
In California, 344 chemical plants each put 10,000 people at risk, and over a dozen plants here in Los Angeles threaten over 27 million people. Safer alternatives exist, and 28 plants in our state have already converted to safer processes.
Join us in Torrance to hear about work being done in the Los Angeles area, California, and the US to manage toxic substances and transition to safer chemical practices. Learn more about how you can take action and get plugged into both local and national efforts.
When:
Sunday, March 21st at 1pm-3pm
Where:
Nakano Theater (3341 West Torrance Boulevard, Torrance, CA)
Who:
Diane Moss, Office of Congresswoman Jane Harman
Jenny Binstock, Greenpeace USA
Luis Cabrales, Coalition for Clean Air
Erica Kent, United Steel Workers 675
*Other speakers/panelists TBA
Please RSVP to jenny.binstock@greenpeace.org. Our forum will be relaxed, family- friendly, and open to all.
*For more information on Greenpeace efforts regarding chemical security legislation, visit their website here.
]]>State of the City Address
Hermosa Beach, California
March 4, 2010
Hermosa Beach Mayor Michael DiVirgillio delivered the eighth annual “State of the City Address” on March 4 to a crowd of over 50 people clustered into a conference room at The Beach House Inn. The Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce and Visitorʼs Bureau hosted this event. Almost all types of community members were represented, from educators to city officials to residents.
Hermosa Beach is small, only 1.3 square mile, and DiVirgillio opened his address with a challenge to this small town to become a leader within the Los Angeles South Bay Area.
The main point of his speech was that, despite threats and economic hardship, Hermosa is poised to become a leader and innovator for the Beach Cities because of its nimble economic situation and its close-knit community.
He spent the first part of his speech discussing the Hermosaʼs 12 year lawsuit with McPherson Oil Company. He announced that the city lost appellate court appeal, but that “if push comes to shove, we are going to fight this thing until the end.”
The lawsuit began in 1992 when the city violated a contract with McPherson about the right to drill on Valley Blvd., which runs through the center of town. DiVirgillio said he understands why that contract was breeched, and that the residents have a right to stand up for themselves. Moreover, he is hopeful, because the appellate court ordered that the case be heard in front of a jury, and that the subject of drilling safety be put on the table.
“The residents in the future will look back at these years – look back on this trial weʼve been going through for decades – and actually recognize that our community is better off for it,” he said. DiVirgillio estimates that Steve Burrell, the city manager, spends 20 to 40 percent of his time in the McPherson case, and expressed the need to solve the problem “smartly.”
He then moved on to discuss the School District, praising the dedicated parents, who raise at least 10 percent of the schools budget. He briefly described Project Forward, a new initiative to integrate city and school board efforts.
The Hermosa Beach city budget, he noted, has suffered similarly to all the other Beach Cities: revenue has decreases and costs have gone up. However, he also noted that since the recession struck, this fiscal year is the first year that Hermosa has seen a decrease in budgetary allowance. Hermosa is heavily residential, and therefore not dependent on sales tax. It is not highly impacted from the loss or gain of itʼs businesses.
In order to rectify this yearʼs decrease, DiVirgillio proposed several measures. He suggested the first ever property tax decrease, coupled with a hiring freeze in city employment, a fire department consolidation, an increase in grant requests, and a re-evaluation of the pension system.
He then spent the last half of his address discussing infrastructure and innovation. Hermosa Beach generates a lot of its annual income in grant money from other government agencies and has generated more than $ 2.5 million in stimulus packages.
DeVirgillio gave a special mention to the storm water infiltration system, in its trial phase currently. If the system can successfully filter storm drain run-off before it is dumped into the ocean, then it will be implemented in other cities as well.
He also mentioned the Police Volunteer Program, which allows community members to volunteer hours to help the police force manage less high-profile police “beets,” such as traffic control.
He praised the efforts of the Hermosa Mural Project, a brand new innovation. The project leaders are raising money to beautify the city with murals and paintings.
He then turned to the cityʼs environmental goals. He announced that City Council has set a goal of carbon neutrality. The Green Task force routinely offers advice and
policy change suggestions to city council about “going green.”
City Council will also launch it first Economic Development Project, an enterprise that will assess how to best stimulate the local economy and attract businesses that are
friendly to the environment. The city will favor new businesses that employ solar and wind power. “The idea is to watch our energy output rigorously and do everything we can to produce energy,” he said.
DeVirgillio concluded his “State of the City Address” with thanks and recognition to numerous service clubs and businesses. “It is a pleasure to be your mayor,” he concluded. “There is nothing that could make me more proud than being the mayor of Hermosa Beach.”
]]>Last Saturday, March 13th, the St. Patricks Day parade made it’s annual pilgrimage through the streets of Hermosa Beach. People of all ages lined both Pier avenue and Hermosa avenue to get a good view of the dancing jazzercisers, life guards, camouflaged trucks, Star Wars impersonators, leprechauns and more. Kids cheered, parents laughed and dog’s in costumes howled throughout the hour long parade.
Click on any picture of the Hermosa Beach St. Patricks Day Parade below to enlarge:
]]>At 2:00 pm on Sunday, March 21st residents of Manhattan Beach will stage a peaceful rally to demand that the Manhattan Beach City Council reopen Sand Dune Park to respectful exercise for all. The rally will be family-friendly and take place on the beach at 26th & The Strand.
Sand Dune Park, the most popular recreation area in Manhattan Beach, was locked off the dune by a chain link fence in August 2009 and has languished for over 6 months. In response to the open-ended closure, a grassroots group, Citizens for Outdoor Recreation and Exercise, (CORE) has formed to advocate for parks and healthy lifestyles within the city.
Since CORE’s formation, over 450 Manhattan Beach residents, including dozens of park neighbors, have signed its petition to reopen the park with reasonable restrictions to guard against overuse. In the same two months, over 2,000 people have joined the CORE Facebook group, a vivid demonstration of the immense popularity of Sand Dune Park with the public.
“Sand Dune Park is a beloved treasure of our city and an inspiration to outdoor enthusiasts young and old,” said Bill Hory, father of three and CORE’s President. “The vast majority of Manhattan Beach wants their leadership to find solutions to the overuse that occurs at peak periods. We came together to form CORE and free the dune when we realized we could not sit idly by and let peaceful exercise literally become a crime in our parks. We are holding this rally to demonstrate voter’s strong support for freeing the dune.”
“With diabetes, obesity, and heart disease at epidemic levels, it seems perverse to eliminate, rather than encourage, one of the community’s most effective places that motivate people to regularly exercise,” said Jeff Atkinson, former Olympian and Mira Costa graduate.
With over 13,000 residents per square mile, the South Bay beach community is the most densely populated area on the entire California coast. This area is also “park poor” with less then 3 acres of parkland per thousand residents – including the beaches. According to the Trust for Public Land, the national average is 16.2 acres.
The Sand Dune has a 40-year history of fun, healthy use by families and individuals. That use is consistent with the Manhattan Beach 1970 General Plan that stated this public park was to be used by all residents for recreational purposes. “I have personally received over 470 comments that express how important the Sand Dune is to local residents” says Bill Hory. “Moreover, many of these comments express how much people have loved the Sand Dune as children and now love it as parents, continuing the tradition for new generations,” Bill added.
“A policy of shutting down parks because we enjoy using them is extremely troubling to Manhattan residents,” says another CORE founder, Jake Rome. “We agree that peak usage needs to be reduced and have submitted numerous solutions to address overuse while allowing peaceful exercise for kids and adults,” Jake added.
“Bella Sera”, the local debut for Impress Entertainment was held on March 3rd atop Manhattan Beach Shade Hotel’s Sky Deck in sold-out event. The evening maintained a warm cocktail party atmosphere and comfortable vibe with sixteen hosts and hostesses facilitating introductions among the attendees. Guests began the evening with champagne toasts and passed hors d’oeuvres. An upscale dress code also proved to be a hit with ladies dressed to the nines and gentleman choosing jackets over more casual fare.
Attendees were invited through hosts, contacts, and networking for a more personal experience. “Everything I’ve heard has been positive; the level of class and comfort was really unmatched. When you bring that much quality into a single place the results are spectacular. We are moving forward with another in the works,” said organizer Reid Tomassi. “What really made the evening stand out was the cooperative effort of the hosts and hostesses; remarkable people from different professional backgrounds with sterling reputations – they connected everyone at the event.”
While Impress’ core business focuses on conceptual branding events for companies and non-profits, Bella Sera was a connectivity evening, “It was about bringing together good people and that was the premise behind it,” said Tomassi.
Bella Sera and Impress Entertainment can be found on Facebook.
]]>“It’s the economy stupid…” took new meaning Feb. 10th when South Bay Brokers hosted a guest panel which included author James Flanigan, Bank of Manhattan Chairman Kyle Ransford, and Dr. Mark Schniepp – Director of the California Economic Forecast. All pointed to the 2000’s as the decade that most would like to forget. From the overhyped debacle of Y2K, to the tragedy of 9/11, Frannie and Freddie’s absorption – barely noticed then by a traumatized nation – but now is seen as the footfalls of impending financial doom, Katrina’s devastation of 2005, to two wars still dragging on the economy and psyche of the country.
The question is always when will things get better – and nothing like a room full of real estate agents sitting on pins and needles waiting to see if the go-go days that ended abruptly in 2007 would return. The answer is “not quite YET”. While Schniepp delivered a factual analysis that the recession is over, the bloodletting was very real. LA County average home prices fell 41.8% of their lofty peak. Median homes prices in gentrified Manhattan Beach are 37% off the high. Unemployment rates cling to double digits stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the data that argues a recession is through.
This pairs with a very new model for both the mortgage and banking industry, as regulators stepped in attempting to prevent past abuse. Gone are the days when a mortgage broker called a sympathetic appraiser, knowing a property would appraise at the number – whatever that may be. Now, appraisers are hired by the lenders, and the leash is much shorter, pulled by a risk-adverse master. The result has left appraisers undershooting values, stopping many refinances dead in their tracks. The amount of lenders has dropped from 120 to 20 in one brokers experience. Many banks simply no longer exist.
The relief that was supposed to come from in the form of loan modifications also hasn’t materialized. Not surprisingly, lenders didn’t respond to the crush of folks eager to wipe away the financial devastation of a devalued property. Unable to flat out reject the pleas for help, lenders did the next best thing, ignoring the need for additional staff, most loan modifications sit neglected with insufficient personnel to even process the formidable paperwork. This left the same companies, originally quite eager for bailout funds, tripping over each other to return the funds or risk really having to account for the bailout spending. Uneager to show their face in the ugly lights that come at the proverbial 2 a.m. of a congressional hearing, look to see major players paying back their parachutes quickly.
This is felt very dramatically in the beach communities where the median home prices for both Hermosa and Manhattan are in the 1.3 mil range. Well beyond the reach of a conforming mortgage which tops out at $417,000 – enough to buy a palace in many places in the country, but won’t even touch the bottom of the barrel at the beach. Even the brand new middle tier jumbo conforming clocking in up to $729,750 fails to buy the dirt of a beach market offering. But jumbo loans are an endangered species of the brave new mortgage industry. They are offered almost grudgingly, with down payments of nearly 30%, and lenders hoping to further sour the taste with shorter term 5-10 year ARM’s squeezing what used to be a long term relationship into a large front loaded transaction into a bandaid designed to be ripped off as quickly as possible. Only Tony Soprano collecting monthly payments could make the terms less attractive.
But as columnist James Flanigan said, California enjoys a Shangri-La type-setting combining weather, with a location as the Western Gem of the US, but the Eastern Jewel of the Pacific Rim. That location being prized to two very different cultures only leads to the amount of people wanting to chase the dream. And with that desire comes the promise and hope that riches will return, and in the background ears crane to hear the beginning strains of “Happy Days are Here Again…”
]]>* Supports the education of Los Angeles area school children
* Helps to upgrade the beloved local landmark – the “jewel of Manhattan Beach”
* Creates positive association with the local environment
* Provides visibility to 100k + visitors a year
Fundraising Event – Save The Date
Please join the LMB 2010 team to help raise money and celebrate the jewel of Manhattan Beach, the Roundhouse Aquarium.
Wednesday March 24th, 2010
6:30 – 9pm
853 10th Street – Manhattan Beach
For ticket information, visit their website here
2012 Manhattan Beach Centennial
The Manhattan Beach City Council is forming a Centennial Celebration Committee, to be led by Mayor Pro Tem Richard Montgomery and Councilmember Nick Tell, with the purpose of planning the City’s 100th Anniversary Celebration for the year 2012. The Centennial will be an extraordinary milestone and we are looking for residents who would like to help plan the events to mark the year of celebration!
This committee will be responsible for developing the plan for major Centennial events, recommending the plan to the City Council, coordinating participation by all interested groups and individuals, budgeting, organizing event sponsorship, marketing the celebration…and, having fun along the way!
The City Council will appoint a 10-member committee based on a review of submitted applications. In order to promote diversity in participation, current Board and Commission members will not be eligible for selection. Please note that although the committee will form the core work group for the Centennial, ideas and input will be sought and welcomed by all.
If you are interested in participating on the committee, or know someone that would be, please check out the application (Word). Applications are due to the City by March 5th at 5:00 PM and may be returned by email, regular mail, fax or in-person. For more information, please contact:
Lindy Coe-Juell
Assistant to the City Manager
1400 Highland Avenue
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 802-5054 (phone); (310) 802-5051 (fax)
Love INC (In the Name of Christ) announces its 20th Annual Dinner on Saturday, March 6th, 6:00 PM. The dinner will be held at Journey of Faith Church, 1243 Artesia Blvd., Manhattan Beach. Get ready to laugh with comedian Paul Aldrich and his hilarious observations and musical impressions. It’s pure comedy that rocks! Paul has performed on Showtime, at The Improv, World Youth Day and Comic Belief Tour, to name a few.
Guests may bid on Silent Auction items including a Marriott Getaway which includes golf, Lakers, Dodgers, Comedy & Magic Club tickets, a Sony Studios Tour and much more.
The funraiser dinner benefits the non-profit organization that helps to bridge the gap between helping hands and people in need in our community, giving a hand up, not a hand out.
Reservations are $40 per person. Credit cards are accepted. Anyone interested in attending should call Cecilia at 310-831-5683 x104 or send an email to info at loveincsb.org.
Checks should be made payable to Love INC and mailed to PO Box 6442,
San Pedro, CA 90734.
Hope to see you there!
]]>Brent has been shooting photographs of the people, places and events across the South Bay for years. His slideshow consisted of concert/music, AVP, local volleyball tournaments, surfing and waves, local faces, non-profit events and more. Guest were treated to free appetizers and Primo Lager swag.
To see some of the images on display during the party or to learn more about Brent Broza and his photography, check out his website here.
Click on any picture below to enlarge:
