Posts by Special Contributor
It’s complicated, officials say of South Bay homeless count
by Graham Galusha A 46 percent increase in the number of homeless in the South Bay (Service Planning Area 8) over last year was reported by the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) in June. The statistic was based on a homeless count conducted by volunteers in late January. The volunteers found 6,476 South Bay…
Read MoreMoon Jam band and artist showcase benefits G.L.A.D
by Sofia Williams Moon Jam, a 9-hour showcase featuring 10 young bands, and work by a dozen young artists, was hosted on Saturday, July 29, by the South Bay Young Artist Society at Resin Art Gallery in Hermosa Beach. Moon Jam also included young vendors selling tote bags, jewelry, T-shirts, and art. Admission and refreshments…
Read MoreMusic Review: Sunset Club shines out west
by Sofia Williams On a sunny Sunday afternoon, I sat down at King Harbor Yacht Club to speak with Taft Buckley and James Pacchiana, lead singer and drummer, respectively, of Sunset Club, a Nashville-based band that is bringing their music to the South Bay this summer. Sunset Club began when Buckley and Pacchiana first met…
Read MoreMBPD adds a new K-9 unit
by Sofia Williams The Manhattan Beach Police Department has added a new K-9 unit to its ranks: Officer Brian Cobian and K-9 Troy, a 2 1/2 year-old Dutch Shepherd from Holland. Officer Cobian and K-9 Troy joined MBPD’s ranks as a K-9 unit just three weeks ago, but Cobian has been working for MBPD since…
Read MoreNorthrop Grumman challenges interns to fight worldwide fires
by Sofia Williams Northrop Grumman interns were challenged to spot and extinguish fires around the world during the aerospace company’s annual summer intern Global Summit on Sunday, July 23 at Mira Costa’s Waller Stadium. Interns had eight minutes to respond to fires, represented by orange tarps on small structures scattered across the stadium’s football field.…
Read MoreMcNeil was leading PV activist
by Karen Russo Long time Palos Verdes Peninsula activist Jane McNeil passed away on June 28, just a few days short of her 90th birthday. McNeil helped found Las Candalistas, and the Walk on the Wild Side, and was a recipient of the Anchor Award for her work as president of the Blind Children’s Center.…
Read MoreThe Bard is back, but which bard
by Bill Beverly In the summer of 1970, there occurred the unusual opportunity to attend three performances of an infrequently performed play by William Shakespeare, “A Winter’s Tale,” during one theater season: an event as rare as the Transit of Venus. The story of King Leontes of Sicily and his suspicions of infidelity between his…
Read MoreEDUCATION: MBUSD approves 2023-24 budget
by Alana Reyes The word “uncertainty” reverberated through the room like a broken record at the last two Manhattan Beach Unified School District Board of Education meetings as district leaders discussed the district’s proposed 2023-24 budget. The MBUSD Board of Education voted to approve a budget on June 22, despite the uncertainties expected to sustain…
Read MoreTed Lieu Youth Advisory Council proposes Congress regulate AI
by Graham Galusha Congressman Ted Lieu’s Youth Advisory Council recently concluded its year long term with an annual Youth Town Hall. The council, established in 2018, provides a platform for adolescent constituents across the 33rd Congressional District to gain insight into the governing process and influence legislative policy. The council began convening monthly in September…
Read MoreMusic takes front of stage at YAS Moon Jam at Resin Art
by Sofia Williams The South Bay Young Artist Society (YAS) will host Moon Jam on Saturday, July 29 at Resin Art Gallery in Hermosa Beach to showcase local young artists and musicians. Moon Jam is a nine-hour-long music and art festival featuring bands from throughout the South Bay. According to YAS co-founder Gwyn Dowdee, the…
Read MoreManhattan, PV players among top finishers in Jr AVP Nationals
by Wrigley Zbyszewski Nearly 800 beach volleyball players, 18 and under, competed in the Junior AVP Nationals and US Beach Club tournaments last week. The competition coincided with the AVP Hermosa Beach Open, and reflected beach volleyball’s growing popularity, said Jeff Conover, AVP’s Senior Director of Sport and Competition. “We had 378 teams this year,”…
Read MoreSaint Rocke shows locals love with Poppy Harlo on Sunday
by Will Watson The newly reopened Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach re-establishes its commitment to supporting local bands by presenting Poppy Harlo on Sunday, July 16. The band has performed widely in the South Bay, including an appearance at BeachLife in May. With roots in 90’s grunge, they have a heavy sound and catchy lyrics. …
Read MoreBeach Culture: LA County paints over revered volleyball ‘Orange Court’ in Manhattan Beach
by Wrigley Zbyszewski The local volleyball community and the County of Los Angeles are at odds over the color orange. Over the past year, two scenes have replayed several times at the volleyball court at Marine Street in Manhattan Beach. In one, a County truck pulls up, and workers get out and paint the volleyball…
Read MoreCity celebrates first community food garden
by Alana Reyes After countless petitions, proposals and campaigns, South Bay Parkland Conservancy celebrated the grand opening of Redondo Beach’s first community garden June 21 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Alta Vista Park. The garden’s launch came one year after the city council approved the project, modeling itself after similar projects in Hermosa Beach, Torrance…
Read MoreMB Historical museum hosts Catalina Classic history talk
by Sofia Williams Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race Director Francziska Steagall presented a history of the race to the Manhattan Beach Historical Society at its Saturday, June 24 meeting. Steagall noted that local land traditions receive widespread attention, but “there’s so much going on in the ocean that people don’t know about.” The first Catalina to…
Read MoreHermosa Ironman half century to be remembered in photos
by Sofia Williams The 50th anniversary of the Hermosa Beach Ironman is to be commemorated in a book by South Bay photographer Chris Miller, featuring coverage by fellow South Bay photographers. This Friday, June 30, the Hermosa Beach Museum will host a 50th Anniversary retrospective of the Hermosa Ironman, starting at 6 p.m. Hermosa Ironman…
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