Posts by Dan Blackburn
Hermosa 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…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Council candidate Jackson wants more nimble city government
by Dan Blackburn “We’re a small city,” said Hermosa Beach council candidate Raymond Jackson this week, “and one would think we’d be more nimble in our ability to get things done. It’s a source of frustration for residents and business owners, alike.” Jackson said he wants “to try and help the city figure out where…
Read MoreCandidate Balik cites business and environmental experience
by Dan Blackburn It was time to “give back” to his community, Randy Balik said. So he became one of five candidates for an open seat on Hermosa Beach’s city council. Now, just weeks before the May 11, mail-in election, the long-time city resident and environmental scientist is taking some heat — unwarranted and misunderstood,…
Read MoreHermosa Beach council candidate Francois hopes to draw on long volunteer history
(Editor’s note: This is the first of five profiles of candidates for one open seat on the Hermosa Beach City Council, to be determined May 11 by a mail-in vote.) by Dan Blackburn At an early age, Dean Francois set a course in life designed to test his belief that government was both interesting…
Read MoreObagi makes good on Artesia campaign promise
by Dan Blackburn Newly elected Redondo Beach District 4 City Councilman Zein Obagi Jr. made good on his campaign promise to spur progress on the Artesia and Aviation Corridors Area Plan (AACAP) by voting to approve two AACP contracts during his first city council meeting Tuesday night. The agreements with Rincon Consultants Inc. total $137,556,…
Read MorePickleball noise puts city in a pickle with players, neighbors
by Dan Blackburn In the end, there was no quick resolution to a perceived problem posed by pickleball played on Kelly Courts in Hermosa Beach, despite efforts by city officials to measure and maybe mitigate the sounds of the game. Responding to what he described as “the ongoing resident complaints regarding noise impacts to those…
Read MoreHermosa Beach City Council Election Forum: Five candidates, 14 questions
by Dan Blackburn Five candidates vying for a single seat on the Hermosa Beach City Council squared off Wednesday in a debate more amicable than antagonistic, with each describing concepts and ambitions for the city’s future. Seeking to fill the post formerly occupied by Hany Fangary, who resigned in December, the five hopefuls discussed a…
Read MorePolice close down open garages, COVID kills crime
by Dan Blackburn That knock on the door in the dead of night just might be a Hermosa Beach police officer doing you a favor. Open garage doors and unlocked vehicles attract the attention of thieves, and now, as well, Hermosa Beach police officers working the graveyard shift. In an effort to reduce easy target…
Read MoreHermosa Beach City Council Forum: Wednesday, March 24, 7 p.m.
Candidates vying for the Hermosa Beach City Council seat vacated by Hany Fangary will participate in a Zoom forum on Wednesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. The forum is being hosted by Leadership Hermosa Beach and Easy Reader. To view the forum to to EasyReaderNews.com, or LeadershipHermosa.org. The candidates are Randy Balik, a contractor…
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