 |
|||||
|
City gets big check for Artesia
CALTRANS relinquishes control of Artesia Boulevard
by Mark McDermott
After 13 years of bumpy negotiations, Redondo Beach finally has secured control of its section of Artesia Boulevard, and the city has a crisp new check for $4,700,720 to spend on its hard-earned acquisition.
There were smiles all around as the long dispute between the city and CALTRANS formally ended at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Douglas Failing, the chief deputy district coordinator of the California Department of Transportation, presented a three-foot long cardboard check–longer than even his title–to Mayor Greg Hill.
"We have a very large check here," said Hill.
Hill thanked former councilman Bob Pinzler for his dogged pursuit of the issue. "Bob made a career out of this project," Hill wryly noted. "I want to thank you on behalf of the city."
Pinzler in turn thanked the office of State Senator Debra Bowen, and in particular his wife, Arlene, who in her role as Bowen’s assistant deputy helped revive the nearly dead negotiations. "This is one of those rare occasions you get to thank your wife," he said.
"We needed control of Artesia so we can make decisions, not only for the businesses, but for the people who live on Artesia Boulevard," Pinzler added.
The funds will be used for a multi-phased improvement project along Artesia, which will include resurfacing the street from Harper Avenue to Hawthorne Boulevard, parking enhancements, and the installation of left turn lights at selected intersections and new directional signs all along the route. Road repairs and resurfacing will not begin until the California Water Service Company has completed the installation of a new water main on the north side of the street in May of 2002.
Update on Homeland defense and city preparedness
The council received reports from members of the city’s public safety departments on their efforts to prepare for any terrorism-related emergencies that could be faced locally. Chief Donald Herr of the Redondo fire department stressed that members of the public should be wary of the many rumors circulating daily, but said that firefighters are receiving additional training in order to be prepared should incidents of biological, chemical, or other terrorism occur locally.
"We can no longer feel complacent about emergency preparedness," said Chief Herr. "September 11th showed that." Herr, who is the Emergency Preparation Coordinator for the fire department, said that its emergency plans are being reviewed and updated, and firefighters are conducting exercises in how to handle triage and move large numbers of people to public health facilities. He also said there are many steps that citizens can take to better prepare themselves in the event of an emergency. "A simple rule for emergency preparation: you need to be prepared to be on your own for 72 hours," he said.
This means having on hand food, water, and any medication that could be needed. "It’s as if you are going on a camping trip for three days," he explained.
Captain Steve Murdoch of the Redondo police said that the department has been working on many fronts to prepare itself in case of emergency. Even before the September 11 attacks, he noted, the department was deployed in a state of tactical preparedness because of security concerns at the Latino Grammy Awards. After the attack, the department placed motorcycle officers in strategic locations and sent out sent out additional patrol cars throughout the city. "Law enforcement is thought to be reactive," he said. "Your police department does not and will not take a reactive stance. We have taken a proactive stance."
Captain Murdoch said the department has tried to identify local Middle Eastern families and businesses and establish communication with them. This effort is being made in order to make risk assessments, he said, both to protect against hate crimes and to try and discern potential terrorist threats. He also noted that the department has enhanced lines of communication with other public safety agencies at the state and local level, in addition to its role in the South Bay task force working in co-ordination with the FBI.
Members of both departments suggested the public seek information on emergency preparation at their respective websites: www.redondo.org/police and www.redondo.org/fire. ER