14 Stories
by Garth Meyer Five candidates vie for mayor of Redondo Beach in the March 4 election: the current appointed mayor, an eight-year city councilman, a former three-year councilman, a former arts commissioner, and the founder of “Keep the Esplanade Beautiful”. Mayor Jim Light was appointed last February, in a 3-2 vote, to complete the term […]
State Senator Ben Allen looks to the future as he nears the end of his third and final term representing Beach Cities by Garth Meyer Four years at Harvard, two years in Cambridge, two years at Berkeley, and a four hour-dinner with Bill Brand at Captain Kidd’s. All part of the education of State […]
by Mark McDermott On the surface, 2024 was a relatively quiet year in Manhattan Beach. Even town politics were unusually pacific. This was particularly surprising because the lack of drama came in an otherwise loud election year. A few years ago, divisiveness was the word local leaders were using to decry what appeared to be […]
by Kevin Cody Measure HB, a .75% sales tax increase meant to offset projected city budget shortfalls, was rejected by voters on Tuesday, by a margin of 3,199 (43%) to 4,269 (57%). The measure was supported by four of the five councilmembers, but opposed by five former councilmembers, among them Michael Keegan. Keegan served on […]
All politics is local Dear ER: Hermosa Beach Worse Than The Taliban? There has been discussion about a recent Hermosa Beach City Council meeting where [Council candidate] Elka Worner, on the eve of 9/11, suggested that Hermosa Beach’s government is worse than the Taliban. Worner saw fit to compare access to City officials and the […]
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. […]
Nehrenheim files statement of intent to run for mayor City Councilman Nils Nehrenheim has filed a Candidate Intent Statement Form to run for mayor next March, leading a list of five others who have submitted their interest to seek office. City Quality of Life Prosecutor Joy Abaquin Ford filed her intention to run for city […]
by Mark McDermott In 1990, Manhattan Beach was still a scruffy yet beautiful little beach town. But it was also rapidly changing in a manner that threatened to leave its middle class roots behind. Strand lot prices hit $1 million, and other signs of gentrification were arriving, including high-end shops and a proliferation of real […]
Fuel on Measure Dear ER: Redondo Councilmembers Zein Obagi and Todd Loewenstein are deliberately minimizing the average yearly property tax lien assessment on my home for the unknown cost of two new fire stations and a new police facility. Getting re-elected in March 2025 has entered their head space and they want voters to pass […]
by Paul Teetor Donald Trump loves to use sports metaphors when discussing politics and personalities. When his good pal Fox News host Sean Hannity asked him after the Presidential Debate on Tuesday night if he would accept Kamala Harris’s challenge to do another debate, Trump had a quick answer. “When two prize fighters have a […]
New fire stations could mean temporary, interim fire stations If a new Redondo Beach fire station, or two, come about, with a potential bond now under consideration by the city council, one thing to decide will be what to do during construction. Patrick Butler, Redondo Beach interim fire chief, has experience with this. He worked […]
by Mark McDermott Measure MB, the proposed renewal of the local parcel tax meant to stave off teacher layoffs, finished election night just below the required two-thirds vote total for approval. But hope was very much still alive among the ballot measure’s supporters because several batches of votes have yet to be counted. Campaign co-chairs […]