Posts by Kevin Cody
Hermosa Beach Voters reject sales tax increase Measure HB
by Kevin Cody Measure HB, a .75% sales tax increase meant to offset projected city budget shortfalls, was rejected by voters on Tuesday, by a margin of 3,199 (43%) to 4,269 (57%). The measure was supported by four of the five councilmembers, but opposed by five former councilmembers, among them Michael Keegan. Keegan served on…
Read MoreMeasure HV promises $27.8 million for Hermosa Valley School
by Kevin Cody Wednesday morning, preliminary voting results indicate Hermosa Valley School will get $6.8 million for classroom modernization, including two new science labs to be built next to the gym. Valley will also get $6.2 million for new athletic facilities, including a $3.9 million athletic field, and running track. The funds will come from…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Civic Center open house shows deficient work facilities
by Kevin Cody “Why do cops like donuts?” Hermosa Beach Police Chief Paul LeBarron asked the approximately 50 residents attending the Civic Center open house last Wednesday, October 24. The chief’s answer was more factoid than funny, but it was the evening’s most light-hearted moment. Answer: In decades past, cops on night shifts wrote their…
Read MoreLetters to the Editor 10-31-24
Be a true sport Dear ER: This must stop now. I’m talking about the scheduling of children’s sport activities on Sunday mornings between breakfast and noon, when they could just as well be scheduled after lunch. Those hours are just the hours we go to church as families. The lessons learned there help our families…
Read MoreLetters to the Editor 10-24-24
All politics is local Dear ER: Hermosa Beach Worse Than The Taliban? There has been discussion about a recent Hermosa Beach City Council meeting where [Council candidate] Elka Worner, on the eve of 9/11, suggested that Hermosa Beach’s government is worse than the Taliban. Worner saw fit to compare access to City officials and the…
Read MoreLetters to the Editor 10-17-24
Bottomless pockets Dear ER: Redondo Beach Measure FP sounds all fine and dandy. But can we upgrade our police and fire facilities without gouging property owners with another property tax levy? With an estimated assessment of $28.32 per $100,000 of valuation, that’s an extra $509.76 on property value at $1.5 million. I just got my…
Read MoreProsts ring out through Hermosa Beach Oktoberfest
German folk dancing, wiener dog races, and yodeling, stein hosting, and beer chugging contests, as well as craft beer consumption took over the streets of downtown Hermosa Beach Saturday and Sunday, September 2, and 29. The occasion was the second annual Local 90254 Oktoberfest, sponsored by the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Read MoreFriends surf for fun, funds at Jimmy Miller Surf Fiesta
by Kevin Cody photos by Steve Gaffney @stevegaffney Local surfers formed five-member teams to compete for bragging rights, and to raise funds for the Jimmy Miller Foundation last Saturday, in El Porto. Many of the participants were friends of Jimmy Miller, the foundation’s namesake, who succumbed to mental illness 20 years ago. Miller was a…
Read MoreSix Manhattan Beach Council candidates vie for three open seats
Manhattan Beach Council candidate Joe Franklin, Manhattan Beach Council candidate Brenda O’Leary, Manhattan Beach Council candidate Joe Marcy, Manhattan Beach Council candidate Steve Charelian, Manhattan Beach Council candidate Karen Komatinsky, and Manhattan Beach Council candidate Nina Tarnay.
Read MoreHermosa Beach Council Candidate Detoy takes a quiet approach
by Kevin Cody Prior to each council meeting, Councilmember Michael Detoy posts a summary of the council agenda on his social media platforms. During his rotation as mayor in 2022 Detoy held monthly “Conversations and Cleanups” throughout the city. His Mayor’s State of the City that year was not the traditional, mind numbing PowerPoint presentation…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Council Candidate Worner cites journalism work
by Kevin Cody At the start of the crowded November 5, 2024 Hermosa Beach city council race, Elka Worner had, arguably, the lowest name recognition of the five candidates. Though raised in Hermosa Beach, her work as a newspaper reporter, and television news producer, and being a single mom left little time for community involvement,…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Council candidate Sheil wants homeless helped
by Kevin Cody Brian Sheil pulled open his sports jacket to show he was wearing a black and white referee’s shirt when he introduced himself at a recent Hermosa Beach City Council Candidates Forum, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. “If you saw the last council meeting, you know the council needs a referee,” he…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Council candidate Keegan wants course change
by Kevin Cody One of the most intractable problems in city government, and not only in Hermosa, is agonizingly long city council meetings. Council candidate after council candidate has promised to end meetings by 10 p.m. only to fail. Hermosa Beach City Council candidate Michael Keegan, a 38-year resident, and founder of Manhattan Bread and…
Read MoreHermosa School Board candidate Shah stresses creativity
by Kevin Cody Vasudev “Dev” Shah grew up in Bombay, India. At 19, he received a scholarship to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He received his doctorate in mathematics and computer sciences at the University of California, Riverside. Shah currently oversees a $200 million website division of Amazon. He is running for one of…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Council Candidate Lange brings Hermosa ‘cred’
by Kevin Cody Shortly after being appointed to the Hermosa Beach Parks and Recreation Committee 10 years ago, Jani (pronounced Yani) Lange took on “re-envisioning” the Hermosa Beach Surfers Walk of Fame induction ceremony. He invited 40 leaders from the surf community to bring their ideas to a meeting in the Hermosa Council Chambers. The…
Read MoreLetters to the Editor 10-10-24
Taxes for bricks Dear ER: I’m a 27-year resident of Manhattan Beach, and I am in favor of Measure RLS for our public schools. RLS is a $200 million bond measure. Unlike parcel taxes, which fund teacher’s salaries, bond measures can only be used on “bricks and mortar,” such as school facilities. RLS replaces existing…
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