Hermosa Beach: About Town – August 18, 2010
Arrest made
Police arrested a 30-year-old Encino man after he allegedly threatened to use emailed photos and information against a female victim if she refused to have sex with him. Hermosa Beach Police detectives covertly arranged to meet with the man through a social networking website, and arrested him on suspicion of attempted rape using fear and duress. Authorities also searched the man’s home and seized illegal and prescription drugs for sales purposes, Detective Mick Gaglia said. His bail was set at $185,000, and he was released after posting bond.
Burglary stopped
The incident began about 6 p.m. when a resident returned to his home on Fourth court near Hermosa Avenue to find some of his electronic and computer items sitting inside a backpack. He called Hermosa police who found a man and five male juveniles in the resident’s garage. The man, later identified as a 24-year-old from Lawndale, dashed off through the neighborhood, Officer Robert Higgins said. With the help of officers from Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and El Segundo, use of a police dog and a Hawthorne Police Department helicopter, Hermosa police found their suspect hiding between two houses, wearing clothing stolen from a nearby home, Higgins said. The man was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail and the youths were booked and released to their parents. Police urged anyone with information to call Detective Sibbald at 310-318-0341.
City salaries
In the wake of increased attention to the salaries of public officials in California, the City of Hermosa Beach has posted the salaries of the City Council and other officials on the website hermosabch.org. “We are proud of our record as a city that protects the public’s funds while fairly compensating its staff and elected leaders,” said Mayor Michael DiVirgilio. “In the past, we have consistently provided compensation information, and it has been distributed to local media outlets. Providing it online puts the information just a mouse-click away for the public and further demonstrates the transparency and accountability of the City of Hermosa Beach.” The posting follows media reports of excessive compensation for officials in the City of Bell in south Los Angeles County. Hermosa’s comprehensive posting lists pay for City Council members, $530 per month, and the salaries of all city staff. The city’s staff has not had an across-the-board salary increase in the past two years, because of the lean economy, city officials said. The City Council had no increase between 1986, when its compensation was first established, and 2007. In 2007, the compensation was increased from $300 to $530 a month. Officials said that is about $70 less than the council could have received under state laws that use cities’ population to regulate the compensation. “These salary records demonstrate the commitment of the City Council and the City of Hermosa Beach to protect the public’s trust and ensure the city’s staff is adequately compensated for the outstanding service it provides to our residents,” DiVirgilio said. A link to the salary list can be found near the top of the hermosabch.org home page.
CodeRed plus
The city is launching an effort to expand its CodeRed database to provide more residents and businesses with high-speed notification of communitywide emergencies and matters such as road closures, announced Mayor Michael DiVirgilio. The three-year-old CodeRed system makes it possible for officials to rapidly contact residents and businesses registered for the service. Residents and business owners who haven’t signed up will soon receive automated calls asking them to register their phone numbers with CodeRed. “Thanks to CodeRed, we were able to notify local residents and businesses about a missing child and a senior citizen with Alzheimer’s who had wandered off,” DiVirgilio said. “Both were found quickly and returned to safety.” The system also has alerted residents about an approaching waterspout off the coast and to raise community awareness for earthquake disaster preparedness in the annual Great California Shake-Out. For more see hermosabch.org or call 310-318-0239.
Friends for Life
A special evening to benefit the Peter Zippi Fund for Animals begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28 at Club 705, located at 705 Pier Ave. The Zippi Fund sponsors medical treatment, shelter, and adoptions for lost and homeless animals. For more contact Kim Kenson at 310-403-8191 or kimkenson@yahoo.com. ER