Posts by Mark McDermott

by Mark McDermott  The Manhattan Beach Board of Education will appoint a trustee to replace Jason Boxer, who resigned from the board on January 12 after serving two years of a four-year term.  The board received a report at last Wednesday’s meeting from its legal counsel, attorney Jay Fernow, regarding its options for filling the…

by Mark McDermott  Project Verandas, a 79-unit residential development proposed on Rosecrans Avenue, was approved by the City Council in a special meeting last Thursday. The council approved the project in a 3-2 vote after rejecting it in another 3-2 vote last October. Project Verandas includes six low-income units, which under a state law intended…

by Mark McDermott Jason Boxer has resigned from the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Trustees. Boxer stepped down on January 12 and issued a statement through MBUSD the following day.  “I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to have served on the MBUSD Board of Education. I will miss my fellow Board colleagues…

by Mark McDermott  The Manhattan Beach City Council on Tuesday night, in a unanimous vote, ordered the removal of the temporary outdoor dining decks that were allowed in order to help restaurants survive earlier pandemic restrictions.  The decks must be taken down within 10 days of the end of the State of California’s State of…

The Manhattan Beach Unified School District is hosting its Annual Kindergarten Information Day to help incoming and new families for the 2023-2024 school year with the transition to kindergarten. The program will take place Saturday, January 21, at Pacific Elementary School from 9 to 11 a.m. and is open to all families with a focus…

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on Tuesday announced that three Manhattan Beach Unified School District elementary schools are among the 356 elementary schools statewide selected for the prestigious 2023 California Distinguished Schools award by the California Department of Education (CDE). The schools to receive this year’s recognition are Pacific, Pennekamp, and  Meadows Elementary. …

by Mark McDermott  The City Council will reconsider its rejection of Project Verandas at a special meeting on January 19.  City planning manager Tayln Mirzakhanian announced the meeting this week in an email to residents who have signed up for updates on Project Verandas, a 79-unit apartment building proposed on Rosecrans just above Highland Avenue.…

by Mark McDermott The Bruce family last week announced its intention to sell the beachfront property that historically was Bruce’s Beach resort back to the County of Los Angeles for $20 million.   The family will sell the land, located along the Strand at 26th and 27th streets in Manhattan Beach, instead of receiving $413,000 a…

by Mark McDermott  In the months before the November election in Manhattan Beach, the word that came up most frequently in forums and campaign literature was “divisiveness.”  The word referred to a cultural divide that has emerged in Manhattan Beach, one that mirrors a national chasm in which opposing parties don’t just disagree over political…

by Mark McDermott  Manhattan Beach Police Department Chief Rachel Johnson told concerned residents at Tuesday’s City Council meeting that the department has increased patrols, particularly over the holidays, in the wake of a recent spike in property crimes. But the council and the chief rejected the idea of hiring a private armed security firm to…

by Mark McDermott  David Lesser and Amy Howorth were sworn in to the City Council Tuesday night after outgoing councilmembers Suzanne Hadley and Hildy Stern were feted, and said their farewells.  The ceremony, along with the swearing in of three school board trustees  Wednesday night, capped off a tumultuous election season in Manhattan Beach, in…

Holiday fireworks The annual Skechers Manhattan Beach Holiday Fireworks Show is set for Sunday, Dec. 11. Fireworks will launch from the Manhattan Beach Pier at 7 p.m., but festivities get underway much earlier. The Mira Costa Choir Carolers will be singing all over downtown from 3:30 p.m. ‘til 6:30 p.m., a Santa float arrives for…