Former ECC civics professor offers neighborly diplomacy

by Garth Meyer Lance Widman helps South Bay residents resolve conflicts without law enforcement or other city involvement. “All from the corporate headquarters, which is my son’s old bedroom at home,” said Widman, who is in his 21st year as Executive Director of the South Bay Center for Dispute Resolution (SBCDR). The organization is most often called into action by city agencies such as police, code enforcement, animal control and prosecutor offices. Widman and colleague Andy Shelby, a retired Boeing human resources administrator and other mediators engage, talk to the parties involved and help facilitate an agreement. Their work continued during the height of the pandemic. “Things slowed, but they didn’t stop,” Widman said. The non-profit program contracts with four cities, down from five after Manhattan Beach bowed out last year: Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Lawndale and Torrance. Cities pay $150 fee per case. The longest mediation yet went on for eight months, concluding earlier this year. The dispute was over construction of a new home in Hermosa Beach, which shifted ground under a neighbors’ property. In the end, the neighbors got their walkway and wall rebuilt…

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