Posts by Dan Blackburn
Hermosa Beach to get pot vote, Tesla patrol car
by Dan Blackburn An initiative petition authorizing retail sales of cannabis products in Hermosa Beach has qualified for the Nov. 8 election. The initiative, sponsored by resident Colton Chacker, collected more than the required 1,650 signatures, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters. The city council recently formed an advisory committee to study…
Read MoreSurfer Alex Gray and mental therapist Kevin Sousa Zoom in on pandemic issues
Professional surfer Alex Gray and mental health therapist Kevin Sousa will lead a Zoom discussion Thursday evening, March 24, about substance abuse and other mental health problems triggered by the pandemic. Sousa is the program director and an ocean therapy clinician with the Jimmy Miller Memorial Foundation. The event is co-hosted by the Jimmy Miller…
Read MoreLocal Schools threatened by litigation as pandemic fades
by Dan Blackburn Carmel attorney Tracy Henderson has initiated legal action on behalf of Hermosa Beach parent Victoria Cannon, South Bay Parents Push Back and Santa Monica Malibu Parents United against four Southern California school districts, and various other government officials. Several Hermosa Beach residents have alleged that Henerson has also threatened legal action against…
Read MoreThe Hermosa Beach Greenbelt – Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance raises path misues conerns
by Dan Blackburn Three alternatives for resurfacing the Hermosa Beach Greenbelt from Pier Avenue to 11th Street are under consideration by city officials, seeking to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Earlier this month, the Public Works Commission spent three hours discussing the alternatives, before unanimously agreeing to send the proposals to the…
Read MoreBait bikes hook bike thieves, In Hermosa sting operation
by Dan Blackburn Thieves targeting Hermosa Beach bike owners might want to bypass the next shiny, expensive-looking cycle they come across. Police Chief Paul LeBaron is warning it might be a felony in waiting. The department recently made two arrests of alleged thieves who fell for a sting operation initiated by officers. The targeted e-bike…
Read MoreThe Hermosa Beach Chamber plans plan for future
by Dan Blackburn An in-person meeting of downtown Hermosa Beach business owners to plan for prospective growth will be held Wednesday, March 30. The event, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, will be held at a location to be determined, said chamber President, and CEO Jessica Accamando
Read MoreHermosa Beach Cannabis retail sales under review, ban lift may be on November ballot
by Dan Blackburn Hermosa Beach Police Chief Paul LeBaron said Monday, he is more concerned about the “business plan” of proposed retail marijuana dispensaries in the city than he is about potential crime and other social concerns. LeBaron made his comments to the city’s newly organized Cannabis Advisory Group Monday, a citizen committee seeking to…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Police Department Association blasts city for enforcing COVID protocols
by Dan Blackburn Two veteran Hermosa Beach police officers were placed on administrative leave last week for failure to comply with the city’s COVID-19 protocol, according to a post on the Police Officers Association’s Facebook page. The Feb. 24 post identifies the officers as Detective Wayne Lewis, a 21-year Hermosa veteran, and Officer Jonathan Cruz,…
Read MoreHermosa Beach School board members, employees legally threatened for COVID protocol
by Dan Blackburn A document threatening lawsuits, criminal charges, and heavy fines against school officials for enforcing COVID-19 protocols has been delivered to board members and others in the Hermosa Beach City School District. One of the officials, who declined to be identified, called the document “scary, but toothless.” The nine-page document, titled “Notice of…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Police tag e-bike taggers, cite parents
by Dan Blackburn Parents of three juveniles caught by Hermosa Beach police tagging a wall in the north end of the city last week were issued citations, along with their offspring, according to a report on the police department’s Facebook page. Residents saw the youngsters spray painting a wall in the late afternoon of Feb.…
Read MorePlanning commission roadblock stops Hermosa Beach Starbucks’ drive-through
by Dan Blackburn A Starbucks with a drive-through proposed for Second Street and Pacific Coast Hwy. in Hermosa Beach didn’t get much love Tuesday. The city’s Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny the controversial plan after hearing from hundreds of dissenting residents. Frank Kavanaugh, the owner of the property, was seeking a conditional use permit…
Read MoreRetail cannabis committee picked
by Dan Blackburn A citizens committee has been named to advise Hermosa Beach city officials about a pending attempt to legalize retail sales of cannabis in the city. Though legal in California, retail cannabis sales have been prohibited in the city since 2017 and now buyers have to go online to get the best CBD…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Residents hope to drive out drive-through Starbucks on Pacific Coast Hwy
by Dan Blackburn An application by a development company to construct what would be Hermosa Beach’s fourth Starbucks at Second Street and Pacific Coast Highway has aroused prospective neighbors, and set the stage for robust debate at a Feb. 15 meeting of the Planning Commission. Proponents seek approval for construction of a new building on…
Read MoreHermosa Beach new City Clerk Myra Maravilla
by Dan Blackburn Myra Maravilla has been named city clerk for Hermosa Beach, replacing Eddie Sarmiento, who took a job as Huntington Park’s city clerk in November. Maravilla most recently was a clerk specialist in Long Beach. She takes office this week, City Manager Suja Lowenthal said in a press release on Tuesday. Her starting…
Read MoreApple watch alerts police to injured Hermosa Beach bicyclist, Greg Fleming, but then it got confusing
by Dan Blackburn While Hermosa Beach resident Greg Fleming lay in a local hospital recently suffering a severe head injury, a controversy swirled around details of his situation. Fleming was riding an electric bicycle along 29th Street near Highland, in Hermosa Beach at about 1:30 a.m. on Jan. 22 when something happened. His Apple Watch…
Read MoreHemosa Beach Parking policy review exposes ‘Permitgate’ among auto owners
by Dan Blackburn Last year, 25 Hermosa Beach parking permits were issued to a single residential address. Another residential address received 14 permits. Annual vehicle permits are $40 for residents and $143 for employees. The permits allow vehicles to be parked at yellow painted meters adjacent to the downtown. Parking permit rates haven’t been raised…
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