Loyola High student Braun Levi celebrated at Manhattan Beach paddleout
Several hundred friends and family members gathered at 1st Street in Manhattan Beach Sunday morning for a paddleout in celebration of the life of Braun Levi, the 18-year-old Loyola High star athlete and student who lost his life to an alleged drunk driver on May 4. But if the occasion for the gathering was tragic, […]
Mira Costa swim team makes history at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championships
by Mark McDermott The Mira Costa High School co-ed swim team, after an undefeated season in which the Mustangs claimed their fourth straight Bay League crown, secured a place in school history on Saturday. Competing at the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championships at San Antonio College, the girls team finished second and the boys […]
FINANCE: Skechers sells for $9.4 billion in a blockbuster deal
by Mark McDermott Skechers, the Manhattan Beach-based footwear company, has agreed to be acquired by 3G Capital, a Brazilian-based investment firm. The sale price is an estimated $9.4 billion, the largest shoe company buyout in history. Father and son founders Robert and Michael Greenberg, as well as their leadership team, will continue to manage the […]
TRAGEDY: Another teenager is killed on Sepulveda Boulevard
by Mark McDermott and Liz Mullen Braun Levi, an 18-year-old Loyola High School tennis star, was tragically killed by a suspected drunk driver while crossing Sepulveda Boulevard shortly after midnight Sunday. The accident occurred in the early hours of May 4 after Braun and three of his friends left a nearby gathering and went to […]
Marine mammals suffer worst crisis in recent history
by Mark McDermott The toxic algal bloom sickening and killing marine mammals up and down the Southern California coast is showing some of its most severe impacts in Manhattan Beach, where dozens of sea lions and dolphins have been found stranded on the beach since February. The Marine Mammal Care Center has been overtasked as […]
RESIDENTIAL OVERLAY DISTRICT: Developer defends North Sepulveda residential project
by Mark McDermott Matt Moore had no illusions he was going to win over the residents on Oak Avenue who oppose the seven-story, 40-unit multifamily residential project his family’s LLC is planning to build at 2301 North Sepulveda. But in mid-April, he introduced himself on Nextdoor anyway. His intention mainly was to make himself […]
MANHATTAN BEACH STATE OF THE CITY 2025
MANHATTAN BEACH PARKING: Rates, permits, citations will be increased, meters replaced
by Mark McDermott During the course of a six-hour meeting that ran til midnight, the Manhattan Beach City Council grappled with several matters, in particular the 432 fees the City charges for everything from block parties to solar permitting. But mainly, they talked about parking, in nearly every way possible. Under consideration were downtown parking […]
MB COSTA CHEER: Mira Costa Cheer wins first ever CIF state championship
by Mark McDermott The Mira Costa High School Cheer team made history earlier this year. They won the first-ever CIF state-level championship on February 1, triumphing over 21 other elite cheer teams competing in the invitational tournament. Coach Travis Neese said the team’s accomplishment was particularly meaningful because of its historical significance. “This was the […]
REAL ESTATE: Manhattan Beach purchases $13 million downtown propertyÂ
by Mark McDermott The City of Manhattan Beach has purchased the former U.S. Bank site, located in the middle of downtown adjacent to Von’s, for $13 million. The purchase was approved by the Council at its April 1 meeting and sale closed April 15. City Manager Talyn Mirzakhanian told the council the site’s location, both […]
HOUSING CRISIS: Manhattan City Council reluctantly adds state-imposed housing codes
by Mark McDermott Over the past month the City Council has twice deliberated over a set of five state-imposed code amendments that will streamline processes related to affordable housing projects, accessory dwelling units, Density Bonus waivers, and the easing of lot consolidation restrictions in order to encourage more residential building. The code-amending ordinances were a […]
MBUSD orchestras awarded top honors
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach Middle School and Mira Costa High School orchestras were honored last week for their performances at the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association music festival at Santa Ana High School. The Chamber Orchestra and String Ensemble from MBMS and the Philharmonic, Sinfonietta, Symphony, and Chamber Orchestras from Mira […]
CITY COUNCIL: Hyperion Outfall Serenaders honored, 50 years as City of MB’s official bandÂ
by Mark McDermott At the beginning of Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Mayor Amy Howorth recalled the moment she first heard the official band of Manhattan Beach. Twenty-eight years ago, the Howorth family had newly arrived in town. It was a Saturday morning in October, and Howorth was exhausted. She and her husband and two […]
OCEAN EMERGENCY: Dolphins, other marine wildlife suffering demonic acid poisoning
by Mark McDermott A toxic algal bloom in local ocean waters is causing a wave of sickness and death among dolphins, sea lions, and other marine wildlife. The event, also known as a red tide, is causing many of the animals to wash up in Manhattan Beach. Biologist Eric Martin, co-director of the Roundhouse Aquarium, […]
ALLISON BATH: Ercole’s bartender fights cancer with community’s helpÂ
by Mark McDermott Last October, when Allison Bath learned about her stage four cancer diagnosis, she was sitting at a booth in Ercole’s Bar & Grill. Bath has been a bartender at Erocle’s for the past 13 years. Surrounded by co-workers and patrons, she broke down in tears as she hung up the phone with […]
Big Waves, Big Screen, Bo Bridges goes bigtime at Cosm
by Mark McDermott It began, like so many harrowing adventures do, with a small group of party crashers. Action photographer Bo Bridges, who is based in Manhattan Beach but spans the globe for photo shoots, was in Salt Lake City for the 2023 NBA All-Star game. Bridges was at the event mainly for fun. His […]