Measure MB parcel tax renewal nears approval  

by Mark McDermott  Ongoing vote tallies have brought Measure MB to the brink of approval, but the margin remains so thin that its passage is still uncertain.  The ballot measure, a $225 annual parcel tax that would provide $2.5 million in revenue for the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, was just shy of the two-thirds…

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ELECTION 2024: Measure MB election results are too close to call 

by Mark McDermott  Measure MB, the proposed renewal of the local parcel tax meant to stave off teacher layoffs, finished election night just below the required two-thirds vote total for approval. But hope was very much still alive among the ballot measure’s supporters because several batches of votes have yet to be counted.  Campaign co-chairs…

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EDUCATION: School board authorizes up to 38 employee layoffs 

by Mark McDermott  The Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Education authorized the layoffs of as many as 38 employees, including 33 teachers, at its February 28 meeting. Twenty of those layoffs were hoped to be rescinded if the Measure MB parcel tax was successful at the March 5 election. Trustees expressed sadness and…

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EDUCATION: Measure MB parcel tax extension goes to a vote

by Mark McDermott  Tyler Morant saw something he’d never seen before shortly after arriving in Manhattan Beach 14 years ago. As he works on behalf of the Yes on MB campaign, that image often comes to mind. It was a large group of kids, accompanied by a few parents, walking to Grandview Elementary School together…

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Manhattan Beach outdoor dining proposal would extend sidewalks 

by Mark McDermott  A permanent plan for outdoor dining was presented to the City Council last week that would extend sidewalks in the downtown and North Manhattan Beach business districts. But the plan arrived without a price tag, and the Council deferred making a decision until City staff can provide a cost estimate.  “I want…

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Mira Costa Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame seeks nominations 

by Mark McDermott  The list is unlike any you will see elsewhere. It includes surfers, Olympian volleyball players, CEOs, writers, actors, a punk rocker, an asteroid hunter, a U.S. Army brigadier general, an Ivy League linebacker, and an array of influential educators.  The Mira Costa High School Hall of Fame is only a little more…

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Mission Accomplished: Bill Brand did what he came to do. But his final message was that the fight for the Redondo waterfront is not over

by Mark McDermott Mayor Bill Brand knew the finish line was approaching. He’d had a frank conversation with a palliative care doctor not long after being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer in both his brain and lungs. Brand was an engineer and thought like one, both in his unlikely political career and in his approach…

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LAW ENFORCEMENT: K9 Koa retires after  an illustrious career

    Online only K9 Koa and his handler Officer Dave Gibbons working together in a police dog competition.      by Mark McDermott  Manhattan Beach Police Department Officer Dave Gibbons experienced the most eerily quiet work week he’s had in seven years two weeks ago.  Not a single bark emanated from his patrol car.…

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POLICE BEAT: Bruce’s Beach plaque is stolen for its bronze 

by Liz Mullen The Manhattan Beach Police Department does not believe the theft of a bronze plaque at Bruce’s Beach Park was hate crime or racially-motivated, but rather part of a wave of bronze being stolen from cemeteries and monuments all over the greater Los Angeles area. The Bruce’s Beach Park plaque was stolen sometime…

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INFRASTRUCTURE: Stormwater drain ballot measure narrowly passes

by Mark McDermott  A ballot measure that will steeply increase storm drain utility fees was approved by Manhattan Beach property owners in a mail-in election. The votes were tallied earlier this week and results officially announced late Tuesday, with the ballot measure earning 52.65% approval versus 47.35% against.  “The support for the storm drain measure…

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