Beach Cities surge in COVID-19 cases among unvaccinated continues
by Mark McDermott The Beach Cities, despite their relatively high vaccination rates, are experiencing a surge of COVID-19 infections, resulting from the combination of the extremely contagious Delta variant and lingering unvaccinated populations. The last week saw increases in new COVID-19 cases in Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach that brought each city […]
BUDGET 2021-22: City emerges from pandemic with strong finances
by Mark McDermott Perhaps no event rang truer to recently retired City Controller Henry Mitzner’s most famed City Hall axiom than the adopted 2021-22 fiscal year budget, which projects the City of Manhattan Beach emerging from an economically devastating time with its economic health somehow better than ever. “When it’s bad out there, it’s good […]
Juneteenth has special resonance at Bruce’s Beach
by Nadia Bidarian and Mark McDermott A Bob Marley medley performance, a drum circle led by percussionist Curtis Byrd, speeches by Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn and State Senator Steven Bradford, and three food trucks were among the highlights of the Juneteenth celebration at Bruce’s Beach Park on Saturday. Though Juneteenth celebrates the freeing […]
Manhattan Beach History Advisory Board’s report on Bruce’s Beach approved
by Mark McDermott No definitive history exists of what occurred a century ago at Bruce’s Beach, specifically regarding the City of Manhattan Beach’s racially motivated dispossession of oceanfront land, owned by Willa and Charles Bruce and six other African American families. But the City Council on Tuesday night accepted a report on those events compiled […]
What happened at Bruce’s Beach
Charles and Willa Bruce made a stand that continues to reverberate a century later by Mark McDermott Second of three parts On June 17, 1912, Willa and Charles Bruce opened Bruce’s Beach resort. It was a modest operation located on a sparsely populated stretch of beach in an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County. […]
Michael Lang named chief of the Manhattan Beach Fire Department
The City of Manhattan Beach Thursday morning announced the appointment of Michael Lang as its new fire chief. “I am humbled and honored to be trusted with the responsibility of leading the Manhattan Beach Fire Department,” said Chief Lang. “I am grateful for the support of the City Manager and City Council and their confidence […]
New Scout House will help bring generations together in Manhattan Beach
Social isolation went mainstream during the pandemic, when normally hypersocial young children and teens joined the oldest among us in the house-bound doldrums. Such isolation, as we now all know, has a cost. Several studies have found that social isolation increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes, bringing risk levels normally associated […]
Manhttan Beach Bruce’s Beach legislation heads to the Senate floor
by Mark McDermott Legislation intended to pave the way for the return of Bruce’s Beach to descendents of the family who owned the beachside parcel a century ago has cleared another significant hurdle, and will now go to the State of California Senate Floor for a vote. SB 796, a bill introduced by Senator Steven […]
BeachLife lineup to feature Jane’s Addiction, Counting Crows
by Mark McDermott BeachLife will arrive back with a bang. The festival, which takes place September 10 to 12 in Redondo Beach’s King Harbor, will launch that Friday with a night of rock music headlined by Jane’s Addiction, the seminal Southern California band led by Perry Ferrell and Dave Navarro that was part of the […]
Four-story hotel approved on Sepulveda Boulevard in Manhattan Beach
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach City Council on Tuesday night unanimously approved a proposed four-story, 161-room, 81,771 square foot hotel and an accompanying 14,500 square foot office and retail building on the former El Torito site along Sepulveda Boulevard. The hotel takes advantage of “Sepulveda overlay” zoning, enacted in 2019, that allows a height […]
BeachLife music festival to return to Redondo Beach in September
by Mark McDermott The BeachLife Festival, twice delayed due to the pandemic after a stunning inaugural success in 2019, announced its return to Redondo Beach’s King Harbor this September 10 through 12. “With cautious optimism, and eyes wide open, we have begun the massive process of rebuilding BeachLife — both because we are ready to […]
Manhattan Beach City Council rejects apology regarding Bruce’s Beach
by Mark McDermott Nearly three hours of public testimony had already occurred at Tuesday night’s Manhattan Beach City Council meeting before councilmembers took up the question of whether or not to issue an apology to the Bruce family and other Black families displaced by the City from their beachfront homes a century ago. Several more […]
Manhattan Beach artist Latch Key Kid releases a song about Bruce’s Beach
Local musician Gavin Heaney, aka Latch Key Kid, grew up next to Bruce’s Beach and still writes and records his music a few blocks away. “I never knew that whole time that this injustice had been done right in my own neighborhood. No one has ever talked about it until recently,” Heaney said. “It is […]
Candidates amicable, but differences expressed in first debate
by Dan Blackburn Five candidates vying for a single seat on the Hermosa Beach City Council squared off last Wednesday in a debate more amicable than antagonistic, with each describing concepts and ambitions for the city’s future. Seeking to fill the post formerly occupied by Hany Fangary, who resigned in December, the five hopefuls discussed […]
Manhattan Beach Unified School District will fully reopen schools for in-person instruction
by Mark McDermott The Manhattan Beach Unified School District will fully reopen classrooms on all of its campuses for in-person instruction by April 19 after negotiations with its teachers’ union were successfully completed this week. All elementary, middle, and high school students will be invited to return for five days a week in-person instruction. Superintendent […]
New Mira Costa Athletic Complex hosts return of MCHS athletes
The $39 million Mira Costa High School Athletic Complex was unveiled last Monday, albeit virtually, with the Manhattan Beach Unified School District’s release of a video tour of the sparkling new 79,000 square foot facility. The video was produced by Mira Costa students and featured several student-athletes as tour guides through the beautiful but empty […]