Posts by Dan Blackburn
Hermosa Beach Public Works director arrives from Santa Monica
by Dan Blackburn Joseph SanClemente, a former City of Santa Monica transportation planner, started his new job Tuesday as the city of Hermosa Beach’s public works director. SanClemente will supervise the city’s 26 planning department employees and earn an annual salary of $167,028 plus benefits. San Clemente replaces former public works director Marnell Gibson, who…
Read MoreRedondo wants Hermosa to pay back money for Herondo drain
by Dan Blackburn Hermosa Beach city officials are bracing for a lawsuit in a years-long spat over an unpaid bill allegedly owed to neighboring Redondo Beach. The lawsuit centers around a faltering flood control project. Ted Semaan, Redondo Beach’s public works director, sent a “notice of default” earlier this month to his Hermosa Beach counterpart,…
Read MoreHBPD at full strength with new recruits
by Dan Blackburn Higher pay and signing bonuses have attracted a new crop of Hermosa Beach police recruits, five of whom now have begun on-duty patrols with training officers. The five are Luis Pineda, who graduated from the Golden West Police Academy: and Keaton Dadigan, Stephanie DeAndrade, Kevin Jones,and Ryan McBride who graduated from the…
Read MoreHermosa council proposes relaxing parking requirements
by Dan Blackburn With little discussion and much expressed enthusiasm, the Hermosa Beach City Council unanimously approved first reading of an ordinance amending off-street parking in commercial zones that officials believe will enhance small business opportunities. Planning officials said the amendments were proposed after businesses suggested parking was a major impediment to redeveloping and attracting…
Read MoreCrossFit gym a $1 million ‘nuisance’ to Hermosa Beach
by Dan Blackburn Hermosa Beach residents have learned their contribution to the battle against a Cypress Avenue fitness gym has cost them more than $1.25 million. The city paid CrossFit Horsepower $950,000, authorized by the city council Tuesday; legal costs paid to City Attorney Michael Jenkins’ firm, Best, Best & Krieger, have so far added…
Read MoreHermosa taps out in match against CrossFit Horsepower
by Daniel Blackburn Hermosa Beach will be paying a cash settlement to owners of a now shuttered fitness gym following an agreement approved in closed session May 25 by the city council. Notice of the currently-confidential agreement was filed in federal court on June 15. The city’s amount to be paid to Jed Sanford and…
Read MoreParking deck dining and street reconfiguration good ‘til 2022
by Daniel Blackburn Outdoor dining, widely initiated during the pandemic, will be continued locally to the end of the current year, the Hermosa Beach City Council unanimously decided Tuesday. Related street lane reconfiguration in the downtown district on Pier Avenue and Hermosa Avenue also will be extended. Business owners and residents weighed in on the…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Mayor attacked after challenging litterer
by Daniel Blackburn Hermosa Beach Mayor Justin Massey was physically attacked Sunday evening by a man Massey chastised for littering. In an email to Easy Reader, Massey said he was walking with his family near Cypress Avenue and 8th Street around 7:30 p.m. when “I saw trash being thrown onto 8th Street from a parked…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Eviction ban extension plan
by Dan Blackburn An effort by city officials to balance the rights of commercial and residential landlords and their tenants during the pandemic recovery will be extended following Tuesday’s meeting of the Hermosa Beach City Council. The city’s existing commercial and residential eviction moratorium incorporates the state’s procedures for eviction protection, set to expire June…
Read MoreCouncilman Jackson ready for action after private swearing in ceremony
by Dan Blackburn Raymond Jackson, newly elected to the Hermosa Beach City Council, took his oath of office May 28 in a private ceremony he said was “entirely” his idea. The City Hall event was attended by family and few others, said Jackson. Several longtime city residents said they could not remember a similar ceremony…
Read MoreCITY COUNCIL: Armato holds up alcohol sales at H20 Hermosa hotel
by Dan Blackburn Brushing aside a wave of vocal local support, Hermosa Beach City Council member Stacey Armato single-handedly temporarily blocked an effort by boutique hotel H2O Hermosa to serve beer and wine to guests. Hotel officials sought an amendment to their business conditional use permit (CUP) to “provide onsite sale, service, and consumption of…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Schools superintendent’s rap recitation puts political correctness to test
by Dan Blackburn The law made him do it, said Jason Johnson, superintendent of the Hermosa Beach City School District, reflecting on his live reading during a board meeting last Wednesday of a rapper’s obscenity-laden lyrics into the public record. And he articulated the words of Carli B’s wildly-offensive “WAP” offering with nary a nuanced…
Read MoreJackson wins 5-candidate Hermosa City Council race [Updated]
by Dan Blackburn Raymond Jackson, a retired Army colonel, turned a lifetime of unique professional responsibilities Tuesday night into an easy win for an open seat on the Hermosa Beach City Council. While a limited number of ballots remain to be counted, Jackson outpaced four other candidates to replace Hany Fangary, who resigned in December…
Read MorePolice offer free gun locks while council contemplates gun safety
by Dan Blackburn Gun owners in Hermosa Beach can avail themselves of free, cable-style gun locks provided by the Hermosa Beach Police Department, Police Chief Paul LeBaron has announced. The locks would help gun owners to comply with a potential ordinance now under consideration by the City Council. The council has scheduled a public hearing…
Read MoreCandidate McNamara has app to engage residents in city issues
by Dan Blackburn Tara McNamara wants to make it easier for Hermosa Beach residents to participate in local government issues, and she has a plan to accomplish this if she wins the lone city council seat now up for grabs. The mail-in election, currently ongoing, concludes May 11. Five candidates seek the position vacated by…
Read MoreMusic to mix with salt air in downtown Hermosa
by Dan Blackburn Music will fill the air — at a reasonable level — to enhance local business and “lift spirits” after the Hermosa Beach City Council voted unanimously to temporarily lift restrictions on live and recorded music in both outdoor and indoor commercial settings. The ordinance, deemed an “urgency,” takes effect immediately. Music…
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