Allen Sanford: BeachLife Ranch ‘just getting started’
by Garth Meyer “BeachLife Ranch” second edition is complete. “Just licking wounds,” said Co-founder Allen Sanford on Monday. “It was a super-successful but exhausting weekend. We put in our steps. I thought it went great. The first year people didn’t quite understand it, this time people were getting it, and our talent over-delivered.” Numbers show […]
Council says put light rail down Hawthorne Blvd.
by Garth Meyer The City of Redondo Beach made its position official last week on the proposed Metro light rail extension to Torrance: run it down Hawthorne Boulevard on an elevated track. The city council voted 4-0 to take the stance after much testimony Sept. 19. The decision came two days before Metro presented feedback […]
Planning commission appointments draw umbrage
by Garth Meyer Appointments to most of the city’s commissions were approved on a 4-1 vote Sept. 12, though some controversy accompanied the process. Councilmember Paige Kaluderovic cast the dissenting vote, for reasons related to accusations from members of the public that Mayor Brand ousted two previous planning commission members in 2021. In the current […]
911 dispatcher calls labor situation “dehumanizing”
by Garth Meyer Mia Halsell, a six-year Redondo Beach emergency dispatcher stepped to the podium Sept. 5 at the city council meeting during public comment. She said that, of the 23 people she and a colleague have trained, three remain on the job. She said 911 dispatchers in the city have been in a staffing […]
TRAVEL: Boulder, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain High for photography
Huge mountains, a creek that runs through town, a funky downtown with cool shops and cafes and historic buildings that date back to the 1800s, and for nostalgia buffs, an easy walk to the home shared by “Mork and Mindy” in the opening credits of the 1970s/80s TV series. There’s lots to photograph in […]
Redondo council lauds skate park, hours may expand
by Garth Meyer Open for four months now, the city skate park on the pier has become “very, very popular,” Police Chief Joe Hoffman told the City Council at its September 12 meeting. By council request, he presented a report on the status of the park, assisted by Lt. Corey King, making four recommendations. First […]
“Rad Dads” up security at Redondo school
by Garth Meyer Wearing yellow vests, walkie-talkies at their sides and whistles around their necks, they watch arrivals every morning at the school entrance for an hour and 15 minutes. “Rad Dads” is a new program to enhance security at Riviera Hall Lutheran School in Redondo Beach. This month, fathers of eighth-graders stand watch. In […]
TRAVEL: Prescott, AZ–the Old West Lives
Prescott, Arizona is just a seven hour drive from the South Bay bubble, and into another world. The old west lives on in Prescott, which was the original Arizona state capital in the 1800s, and a favorite haunting ground for the likes of Wyatt Earp and the Earp Bros., Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate. […]
Redondo council pauses on how to permit cannabis stores
by Garth Meyer A short-handed city council Tuesday voted to further explore the permitting process for retail marijuana stores in Redondo Beach. The vote included a directive to city staff to look into how to collect taxes on deliveries. After the council passed an ordinance last fall to allow two retail stores, delays ensued as […]
TRAVEL: Moab, Utah & Arches National Park
It will take about ten and a half hours to drive from the South Bay to get to Moab, but its so worth it. Leave the beach and you will enter an otherworld, a tiny small town in southeastern Utah, pop. 5,300, just down the road from Arches National Park. This is the place best […]
RBUSD I.T. – Unsung heroes of a school district
by Garth Meyer Would there be an R a B a U an S or a D today without an I and T? They deal with e-waste, registration day, new teacher orientation and solve problems at every school site. They crawl through roofs to replace conduit, re-wire and pull new fiber connections; all for a […]
TRAVEL: The awe-inspiring Monument Valley & Old West
There is a very special place on the Arizona/Utah border that is synonymous with the American West and should be visited by every photographer at least once. This giant landscape is tailor-made for mobile phone cameras and the ultra-wide angle lens. No fancy gear needed! It’s Monument Valley, part of the Navajo Nation, discovered by […]
Redondo park dedicated to interned Ito family
by Chrissa Olson Eighty-one years ago, Takao (Joe) Sakai told his daughter, Kimiko Ito, in a postcard, that he was going to jail. “Dear Kimiko,” he wrote. “I am leaving here this evening. Please be in good health.” Sakai, and subsequently his daughter, Kimiko Ito, and her future husband Tomo Ito, were among the more […]
Close vote on Redondo home design rules; further study
by Garth Meyer Residential design rules proved to be an elusive goal for the Redondo Beach city council Aug. 18, in a second public hearing on the subject, ending with a 3-2 vote to further study certain items. “If you want to be hated by your neighbors, tear down your house and build a monster […]
TRAVEL: Jackson Hole’s 5 Best Travel Photography spots
Jackson Hole, Wyoming is one of the most beautiful, yet pricey places you might consider visiting. It’s a popular spot for wealthy millionaires and billionaires to spend a few days in their second home during summers and ski seasons, as well as ordinary folks who love the skiing and national park touring. While winter is […]
Redondo opts back into League of California Cities
by Garth Meyer In a 3-2 vote, the City of Redondo Beach will rejoin the League of California Cities, after dropping out of it in March, ending more than 80 years of membership. The matter came back up after two new councilmembers were sworn-in in April. Jeff Kiernan, the League’s Southern California advocate, regional public […]