Green grant
The City of Hermosa Beach has secured a $410,000 grant from the state’s Strategic Growth Council to create a comprehensive, long-term plan to eventually eliminate the city’s carbon footprint, Mayor Jeff Duclos announced.
“Winning this grant will enable the city to create a needed legal framework to guide and sustain us in making the transformative changes necessary to fulfill the city’s commitment to be carbon neutral,” Duclos said.
The city will hire experts to update Hermosa’s general plan and its coastal land use plan to create a “comprehensive blueprint for sustainability and a low carbon future.”
Hermosa was one of the first cities in Los Angeles County to pledge to become carbon neutral, and was the firstSouth Bay cityto sign onto a worldwide “cool cities” pledge.
“Our long-term goal is to eliminate our carbon footprint because it’s good for the environment, it’s good for our budget and it’s good for our quality of life,” said Councilman Michael DiVirgilio, who was serving as mayor at the time of the pledge.
“This is an exciting new stage in the city’s commitment to address climate change and my thanks go out to city planners Ken Robertson and Pam Townsend for their tireless efforts in securing this grant,” Duclos said. “A special ‘thank you’ must also be given to Councilman Michael DiVirgilio for his leadership during his tenure as mayor in moving the grant application, as well as the goal of carbon neutrality, forward.”
The grant will fund efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses, create a “comprehensive vision linking sustainability with economic vitality,” craft strategies to protect against the sea levels rising, protect the watershed and marine environment, and “engage the public through education and information.”
Book sale
The third Saturday of the month is coming up May 19, and Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library will hold a sale of used books, VHS tapes and DVDs 9 a.m. to noon, at the Friends’ bookstore on1309 Bard St., a half-block west of the local library.
“We appreciate all the donations we have been receiving, and it’s for your benefit that you come and check us out,” the Friends said. “Our prices can’t be beat — 25 cents for most paperbacks and 50 cents for most hardcover books.”
Call 310-379-8475 or see hbfol.org.
