Hermosa Beach Civic Center Advisory Group named, begins work
by Kevin Cody The newly formed Hermosa Beach Civic Facilities Community Advisory Group held its first meeting Monday night. Formation of the 12-member Advisory Group was approved by the City Council in February. Its assignment is to study options for a new, or renovated Hermosa Civic Center, to include the City Hall, the Police Station […]
Power politics: Gene Rodrigues, DOE Assistant Secretary of Electricity, pushes Biden-Harris clean air policy
by Kevin Cody “It’s not politics that is driving the transition to a clean energy economy. It’s the march of inevitability. It’s where the world is headed,” Gene Rodrigues said in March 2023, in his keynote address to the South Bay Cities Council of Governments Annual Assembly. During the talk, he described the United States’ […]
Veterans Memorial Sundial celebrated on 30th anniversary
photos by Kevin Cody
Measure HV promises $27.8 million for Hermosa Valley School
by Kevin Cody Wednesday morning, preliminary voting results indicate Hermosa Valley School will get $6.8 million for classroom modernization, including two new science labs to be built next to the gym. Valley will also get $6.2 million for new athletic facilities, including a $3.9 million athletic field, and running track. The funds will come from […]
Incumbent Detoy, former incumbent Keegan win back Hermosa Beach council seats
by Kevin Cody Hermosa Beach voters selected two veteran council members to fill the two open council seats on Tuesday. Incumbent Michael Detoy was elected to a second consecutive term. Michael Keegan was elected to a third, though not consecutive, term. Keegan was elected to the council in 2001, but was denied a third term […]
Kerri Walsh-Jennings, Jim Menges, Phil Stutzel recall love of the game at CBVA Hall of Fame inductions
by Kevin Cody This year’s California Beach Volleyball Association Hall of Fame honorees covered the spectrum of players who make up what emcee Jim Arico calls “The Tribe.” At one end was Kerri Walsh-Jennings. Her three Olympic gold medals, four FIVB Beach World Championships and seven Manhattan Beach Open championships make her the undisputed Greatest […]
Hermosa Beach Civic Center open house shows deficient work facilities
by Kevin Cody “Why do cops like donuts?” Hermosa Beach Police Chief Paul LeBarron asked the approximately 50 residents attending the Civic Center open house last Wednesday, October 24. The chief’s answer was more factoid than funny, but it was the evening’s most light-hearted moment. Answer: In decades past, cops on night shifts wrote their […]
Skechers Pier to Pier Walk seeds special needs programs
by Kevin Cody Skechers CEO Michael Greenberg stood on a stage with legendary welterweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard, and fitness trainer Brooke Burke at the foot of the Manhattan Beach pier Sunday morning. Surrounding the stage were 22,000 registrants for the 16th Annual Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship walk. “America’s Got Talent” singer Madison Taylor […]
Video show gives voice to five Hermosa Beach Council Candidates, and concerned citizens
by Kevin Cody Hermosa Beach politics entered the video era last week with the social media release of interviews with the five Hermosa Beach city council candidates on the November 5 ballot. The show’s airing came one week after Hermosa politics entered the video cartoon era with the social media release of two political cartoons. […]
Hermosa Beach Treasurer’s race pits incumbent Siemensma against financial advisor Pedersen [UPDATED]
by Kevin Cody Hermosa Beach City Treasurer Karen Siemensma maintains a low political profile, though her position has greater financial power than any single councilmember. During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Siemensma’s investment of the city’s $58.7 million portfolio generated $1.8 million in interest, making interest one of the city’s largest sources of revenue. Siemensma (formerly […]
Dueling cartoons battle in Hermosa Beach sales tax campaign [UPDATED]
by Kevin Cody Not since the guerilla war laser shows, and Russian propaganda-style posters of the divisive Measure O oil drilling campaign in 2015 has Hermosa Beach politics been as creative as it is for Measure HB. The .75% sales tax increase on the November 5 ballot was approved by a four to one vote […]
Friends surf for fun, funds at Jimmy Miller Surf Fiesta
by Kevin Cody photos by Steve Gaffney @stevegaffney Local surfers formed five-member teams to compete for bragging rights, and to raise funds for the Jimmy Miller Foundation last Saturday, in El Porto. Many of the participants were friends of Jimmy Miller, the foundation’s namesake, who succumbed to mental illness 20 years ago. Miller was a […]
Hermosa Beach School Board candidate VanLandingham teaches law
by Kevin Cody Rachel VanLandingham has taught law at Southwestern Law School for the past 10 years. Until recently, the retired Air Force Lt. Colonel was also president of the board of the National Institute of Military Justice (NIMJ), which meant frequent trips to Washington D.C., for testimony on issues of military law, ranging from […]
Hermosa Beach Council Candidate Detoy takes a quiet approach
by Kevin Cody Prior to each council meeting, Councilmember Michael Detoy posts a summary of the council agenda on his social media platforms. During his rotation as mayor in 2022 Detoy held monthly “Conversations and Cleanups” throughout the city. His Mayor’s State of the City that year was not the traditional, mind numbing PowerPoint presentation […]
Hermosa Beach Council Candidate Worner cites journalism work
by Kevin Cody At the start of the crowded November 5, 2024 Hermosa Beach city council race, Elka Worner had, arguably, the lowest name recognition of the five candidates. Though raised in Hermosa Beach, her work as a newspaper reporter, and television news producer, and being a single mom left little time for community involvement, […]
Hermosa School Board candidate Shah stresses creativity
by Kevin Cody Vasudev “Dev” Shah grew up in Bombay, India. At 19, he received a scholarship to attend Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He received his doctorate in mathematics and computer sciences at the University of California, Riverside. Shah currently oversees a $200 million website division of Amazon. He is running for one of […]