Posts by Mark McDermott
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…
Read MoreCITY COUNCIL: City will launch a non-profit to fundraise for Begg pool
by Mark McDermott The LoveMB Foundation had a messy birth at Tuesday night’s Manhattan Beach City Council meeting, but by night’s end, the City’s own non-profit was alive and kicking — very specifically, as it turned out, towards a new Begg Pool. An ad hoc committee that grew out of discussion betweens the Council and…
Read MoreThe Orca Hunt: A mysterious pod of killer whales feeds off the PV Coast
by Mark McDermott The word spread frantically among whale watchers on the afternoon of January 2. The orcas were back. A pod of 10 orcas had first appeared off the Palos Verdes coast on December 11. They were not usual visitors. The pod, which included two mothers who appeared to be leading the group, and…
Read MoreLAW 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.…
Read MorePOLICE 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…
Read MoreINFRASTRUCTURE: 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…
Read MoreHOME SALES: Local real estate market continued an historical drop in 2023
by Mark McDermott Manhattan Beach home sales sharply declined in 2023, dropping from 322 sales in 2022 to 253 last year, while median sale price also dropped from $3.1 to $2.8 million. The decrease in sales, based on sales data reported to the Multiple Listing Service database, continues a precipitous two-year drop from 518 sales…
Read MoreCITY COUNCIL: Juneteenth will be celebrated at Bruce’s Beach and Polliwog Park
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach City Council Tuesday night unanimously agreed to host a celebration of the new federal holiday, Juneteenth, with a June 19 gathering at Bruce’s Beach Park and larger festivities at Polliwog Park on June 22. Juneteenth, officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, celebrates the final enforcement of the Emancipation…
Read MoreGraves will serve another term as MBUSD president
by Mark McDermott Cathey Graves, the president of the Manhattan Beach Board of Education, has been reelected by her board colleagues to serve another one year term at the helm of the district. The position generally rotates to the vice president of the board. But Jen Fenton, who served as vice president the last year,…
Read MoreMeasure MB parcel tax renewal campaign launches
by Mark McDermott The campaign to extend the Measure MB parcel tax originally passed by voters in 2018 kicked off last Friday when its ballot argument was filed with the LA County Registrar’s office. The Committee for the Renewal of Measure MB – Yes on MB, made a statement even beyond the content of its…
Read MoreEDUCATION: MBUSD may lay off dozens of employees in coming years
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach Unified School District will need to lay off as many as 60 employees over the next two years due to an anticipated cut to the district’s already drastically lower-than-average state funding. MBUSD Deputy Superintendent Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard gave the Board of Education an interim budget report at last week’s meeting…
Read MoreAlex Gray goes BIG
by Mark McDermott Two years ago, Alex Gray found himself at a crossroads. His 22 year professional surfing career had recently come to a close, and like everyone else, he’d just endured the dark first year of the pandemic. For Gray, this had meant no surf trips, and closed local beaches — keeping him from…
Read MorePolice warn of fake Police Officers Association scam
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach Police Department is warning residents that if they receive a fundraising call from MBPD’s Police Officers Association, they should hang up and alert actual police. MBPD does indeed have a POA but that organization never fundraises by phone. MBPD Officer Jessica Borello said the calls are a scam in…
Read MoreCITY COUNCIL: Mira Costa students argue for Juneteenth event
by Mark McDermott The City Council deferred a decision Tuesday night on whether to go ahead with a Juneteenth event at Bruce’s Beach Park, but expressed support for a small celebration of the new national holiday at the park and a larger, festival-like gathering at Polliwog Park on June 22. Juneteenth, officially known as Juneteenth…
Read MoreEDUCATION: MBUSD administrator investigated after teacher complaints
by Mark McDermott Manhattan Beach Unified School District Assistant Superintendent Tom Stekol is being investigated by an independent third-party firm hired by the district after over 80 teachers filed complaints that allege threatening and verbally abusive behavior by Stekol, who heads the district’s Human Resources Department. The Manhattan Beach Unified Teachers Association also presented the…
Read MoreEDUCATION: MBUSD parcel tax heads to ballot
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Education moved unanimously last week to propose a ballot measure that would extend the $225 parcel tax approved by voters in 2018. That parcel tax, called Measure MB, generates $2.5 million annually and expires next June. The new parcel tax, as yet not officially…
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