Posts by Ryan McDonald
Downtown Specific Plan approved for Manhattan Beach
The Manhattan Beach City Council approved the Downtown Specific Plan Tuesday night, capping years of work to protect the neighborhood’s charm, while changing some aspects of the plan’s final draft in deference to overwhelming concerns from residents that the it could encourage intensification in the area. The resulting document modifies various sections of the city’s…
Read MoreWith help from Hermosa Beach police, neighbors, musician can rock once again
Vance Mizzi had heard stories like this before: following a show, someone steals musician’s equipment; musician, distraught, calls police; police come and take report. Unfortunately, most of the stories he had heard had the same ending too: musician never sees stuff again. But Mizzi now has a chance to tell a different story. His customized…
Read MoreA passion for cookies lands in Hermosa Beach
When Katy Metoyer got a call from her mother one day two years ago, the urgency in her mom’s voice was more telling than her words. Metoyer’s dad, Barry Bolger, wasn’t feeling well. She immediately boarded a plane to their home in Las Vegas, and within 36 hours the rock of their family and one…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Police fight breast cancer with Pink Patch Project
The Hermosa Beach Police Department joined more than 80 other law enforcement agencies throughout Southern California earlier this week to celebrate raising money and public awareness about breast cancer through the Pink Patch Project. Throughout October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Hermosa and other participating agencies wore pink versions of their standard law enforcement uniform patch,…
Read MoreManhattan Beach refinances debt, eyes election results, nabs top credit grade
Like much of the country, Manhattan Beach Finance Director Bruce Moe was watching the election returns come in on the evening of Nov. 8. But the already surprising night held a bit of extra interest for him. The week before, Moe had made a presentation to the City Council about refinancing the city’s Marine…
Read MoreCommon ground: City Council vote looms on Manhattan Beach’s Downtown Specific Plan
The Hungry Mind opened its doors in 1991. Owner Kim Siehl began with a dream to bring a small independent bookstore to Manhattan Beach, but quickly realized that the margins would be difficult. So she decided to add a coffeehouse to the concept. She hired locals to man the shelves and espresso machines. She kept…
Read MoreAbout Town in Hermosa Beach
Library meeting The city will host a town hall to discuss the future of the Hermosa Beach library Wednesday night. The meeting is intended to gather input from residents about the future of the Los Angeles County Library branch located on Pier Avenue. It is more than 50 years old, opening in 1962 after relocating…
Read MoreIn wake of fatal Torrance police shooting, attorney and family seek ‘answers’
Attorneys for the family of a woman killed by Torrance Police officers last month are gathering information about the incident, attempting to piece together how and why she died. Michelle Lee Shirley, a 39-year-old San Diego resident, was shot and killed near Old Town Torrance in the afternoon of Oct. 31. Police say that officers…
Read MoreHermosa Beach to realign local elections
Citing dismal turnout figures in recent elections for local offices, the Hermosa Beach City Council voted Tuesday night to shift its local elections from odd years to even ones, bringing them into alignment with general elections for president and governor. The decision makes Hermosa the latest city to comply with SB 415, a California law…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Police Beat
Burglary suspect arrested One man is in custody and police are searching for another suspect wanted in connection with a pair of residential burglaries earlier this month, police said. Officers arrested Bryan Alexander Broaster on suspicion of burglary on Nov. 18, said Detective Sgt. Jaime Ramirez of the Hermosa Beach Police Department. Broaster, 24, was…
Read MoreSuspect leads Redondo Beach police on pursuit, crashes motorcycle in Hermosa Beach
An intoxicated man on a motorcycle led Redondo Beach police officers on a brief pursuit Friday night, before crashing the bike in South Hermosa, police said. The pursuit began about 7:30 p.m. when Redondo officers were summoned to a dispute in the 700 block of North Juanita Ave., said RBPD Lt. Fabian Saucedo. The nature…
Read MoreMira Costa students at last week’s Trump protest aim to ‘inspire’ change
by Parnia Mazhar The adults of America physically and verbally fought after hearing that Donald Trump was to be their new president. The students of Mira Costa High School chose to take a more peaceful approach when expressing their discontent. Through the sounds of cars honking and people cursing, around 100 Mira Costa High School…
Read MoreCongressman comes to Hermosa Beach to talk Trump and more
As the results started rolling in on Election Night, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) was deeply disappointed to see Donald Trump unexpectedly surge ahead and claim victory in the Electoral College. But while Lieu — who cruised to reelection on Nov. 8, nearly doubling the vote tally of his Republican opponent Kenneth Wright — intends to…
Read MoreManhattan Beach kicks off holiday season with tree lighting
Thousands of revelers descended on Manhattan Beach Wednesday night for the Annual Pier Lighting Ceremony. Santa pulled up his sleigh, and a long line of parents and children snaked through Metlox Plaza waiting to meet him. Children got balloon animals and hats from balloon artist Holly Daze, and a snow machine turned the area into…
Read MoreHermosa Beach Artist Collective hosts show, searches for a home
Fresh from a successful local art show at Harmony Yoga last year, Hermosa Beach artists Mike Collins and Rafael McMaster planned a follow-up a bit farther afield, in Lomita. It was not exactly the beginning of a hot streak. “We had maybe 200 people show up the Harmony show. The only people who showed up…
Read MoreDiver found dead near Manhattan Beach
A man who went missing while diving off Manhattan Beach was found dead Monday morning inside a pipe connected to the El Segundo power plant. Rescue workers from the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division, along with the U.S. Coast Guard and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, found the body at 10:38 a.m. in…
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