El Porto posse: A surfer, a diver and a Realtor

The most powerful of the six back to back Northwest swells was forecast to hit Mavericks last Sunday, Jan 8. Three longtime El Porto friends, big wave surfer Bob Sievers, photographer Ken Pagliaro and boat captain Brooke Basse rearranged their lives to be there.
Manhattan Beach’s Mason Silva wins skateboarding’s top honor

“COVID turned into a blessing for me because there were no distractions.” by Donald Morrison Manhattan Beach skateboarder Mason Silva has been named Thrasher Magazine’s 2020 Skater of The Year. Skaters from across the globe spend all year performing for short videos, called “parts,” that they then submit to Thrasher Magazine for skating’s highest honor. […]
Manhattan Beach dominates best new 2020 South Bay Restaurants

While 2020 was not a good year financially for restaurants, it was creatively and qualitatively the equal of any in recent memory.
Tommy Lasorda, Skechers formed friendship bond in Manhattan Beach

Lasorda-Skechers bond formed Special Beach Cities friendship
Tommy Lasorda, who rivaled Yogi Berra for memorable baseball quotes, went to his rest last Thursday, leaving behind a quote readymade for his tombstone.:
I bleed Dodger blue and when I die, I’m going to the big Dodger in the sky.”
Manhattan Beach schools push back start date for in-person instruction
The reopening of in-person classroom instruction within the Manhattan Beach Unified School District and all area schools has been suspended due to the surge in COVID-19 cases occurring throughout Los Angeles County.
PUBLIC SAFETY: MBFD receives COVID vaccine

by Mark McDermott Members of the Manhattan Beach Fire Department in late December became among the first local first responders to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Firefighters and paramedics received doses of the Monderna vaccine. Acting battalion chief Dave Shenbaum said the vaccination came at a crucial time because the department has encountered a spike in […]
Manhattan Beach closes outdoor dining as COVID-19 cases surge

by Mark McDermott The City of Manhattan Beach on Sunday closed the outdoor dining decks it had taken over from restaurants in early December as a way to help the struggling local dining industry evade Los Angeles County health order restrictions and attract some semblance of business. The closure was announced late Saturday night […]
Surfboard with broken leash prompts crowd to call lifeguards

by Kevin Cody A surfboard that washed ashore with a broken leash in El Porto late Sunday afternoon prompted a concerned crowd watching the 10- to 20-foot surf to flag down a Los Angeles County Lifeguard truck. “The lifeguard truck just happened to be passing by. I had watched the driver close up his tower […]
Skechers fund contributes $680,000 to struggling Manhattan Beach restaurants; Supervisor Hahn starts grant program

by Mark McDermott The Skechers Restaurant COVID relief fund has raised $680,000 and disbursed 28 grants to restaurants in downtown and north Manhattan Beach. But Skechers president Michael Greenberg hopes that this is only the beginning of the effort. Greenberg, who headquartered his company in Manhattan Beach three decades ago after making the city his […]
Hermosa Beach downtown streets to make way for diners, bicyclists

Hermosa Beach downtown streets to make way for diners, bicyclists
Crowd thinning WNW swell hits South Bay over New Year’s weekend.

A board snapping, double overhead WNW swell hammered South Bay Beaches this weekend
Manhattan Beach, with record increase in COVID-19 cases, closes outdoor seating used for dining

The City of Manhattan Beach released the following press release Saturday night: As the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise in Manhattan Beach and across the County of Los Angeles, the City is closing outdoor seating spaces on public property, effective Sunday, January 3, at 10 p.m. Tables and chairs located in the […]
Manhattan Beach an improbable focal point for protests in 2020

The pandemic in Manhattan Beach was met with an uneasy mixture of community cooperation and outright defiance in a year in which the city’s conflicts would mirror the nation’s.
Beached party: Beach Cities Republican numbers tumble over Trump

What does the future hold for South Bay Republicans?
by Ryan McDonald When newly elected Congressman Steve Kuykendall arrived in Washington, D.C. in January 1999, the Palos Verdes Republican made a point of visiting Tom DeLay as soon as possible. DeLay, a Republican from the Houston area then entering his eighth term in the House of Representatives, had served as the majority whip since […]
LA County says Manhattan Beach is violating outdoor dining ban

by Mark McDermott The City of Manhattan Beach’s attempt to help local restaurants by repurposing outdoor dining decks into city-controlled, public seating has come under direct fire from Los Angeles County Health Officer Muntu Davis. Davis sent a letter to City Manager Bruce Moe that said the city’s repurposing of the dining decks “violates […]