Archive for the ‘News’ Category

by Andrea Ruse

Hermosa Beach photographer David D’Angelo gathered our most fashionable BOB winners at Shade, this year’s returning Best Hotel winner, to show off why they are so popular. Voters showed us that when it comes to style, there are a few people and places they trust year after year.

Arnil Pabalan and Rodilyn Wooldridge from AR Salon proved again to be the best hair stylists on the beach. When it comes to bling, Colleen Berg’s unique, personalized designs again rang true with our readers. And voters once again recognized Spyder’s hip beach fashions, claiming this store as the top spot for men’s clothing. Readers did leave room for one newcomer, Manhattan Beach’s Katwalk, naming this trendy boutique Best Women’s Clothing Store.

When it comes to what is the Best of the Beach fashion, both style and loyalty endure.

Best Jewelry Store: Colleen Berg Jewelry

Colleen Berg puts emotion into her jewelry. Each piece she designs — including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, charms, cufflinks and pendants — has something memorable imprinted into it. Babies’ fingerprints, signatures from old letters, and even puppy paw prints make each Colleen Berg jewelry piece unique and personal. In addition to her “thumbprint” line, Berg also designs a regular fashion line of jeweled accessories.

“My jewelry is about celebrating everyone you love,” Berg said. “People who have passed away, people who are still with you. It’s also about capturing moments in time.”

Her designs have been featured in InStyle and Cat Fancy Magazines, KTLA, and Fox News’ Good Day L.A. Berg is also the official designer for the L.A. Kings Wives Club, for whom she creates necklaces with team colors.

Berg opened her Hermosa Beach store in 2001 and was inspired to create her personalized jewelry after her brother passed away.

“I had the idea of immortalizing his thumbprint for his children’s sake,” Berg said. Since then Berg has worked with thousands of families in the South Bay and beyond to create her meaningful jewelry.

Colleen Berg: 1312 Pacific Coast Hwy., HB

(310) 376-8518

secure.colleenberg.com

Runner-up: Seymour Jewelers, 1212 Hermosa Ave., HB

(310) 379-5401 www.seymourjewelers.com

Clients come all the way from throughout Southern California to have their hair cut and colored by Rodilyn Wooldridge, stylist and co-owner of A/R Salon in Hermosa Beach. But our readers in the South Bay are lucky enough to be right around the corner. Wooldridge sees her clients, whether near or far, as more than just customers.

“The difference here is that we’re really good friends with our clients,” Wooldridge said. “It’s about more than just cutting hair.”

Wooldridge graduated from Flavios Beauty School in Carson, CA in 1988 and has been styling South Bay heads of hair ever since. In 1999, she opened AR Salon with her brother, Arnil Pabalan.

A/R specializes in hair cuts for women, men, and children. They also offer Schwarzkopf haircolor technique, formal styling, and the CHI Transformation System. The Brazilian Blowout, a semi-permanent hair-straightening treatment, is one of the salon’s most popular services since it leaves hair silky smooth without the use of harsh chemicals. It’s also offered at about half the price of other salons, according to Wooldridge, which makes A/R not only the best, but also affordable.

A/R Salon: 1046 Hermosa Ave., HB

(310) 374-4896 southbaystylist.com

Runner-up: Arnil Pablana at AR Salon, 1046 Hermosa Ave., HB

(310) 374-4896 southbaystylist.com

Best Men’s Clothing Store: Spyder Surf

Sandals. Board shorts. T-shirts. Shoes. The staple of men’s beach cities apparel is captured best by Hermosa Beach’s two Spyder Surf shops, according to our readers.

Surf culture is the driving force behind the prevailing laid back style of South Bay men. The 28-year-old company carries the sweetest array of clothing, hoodies and hats, in addition to boards and other surf, skate and snow equipment.

“The products we carry make us stand out from other stores in the area,” said Gio Gulino, manager of the Hermosa Beach Pier Spyder. “We’re known for being a flagship store for a lot of smaller, unique brands.”

Brands like Insight, Ambission, locally-based Hippy Tree and Coastal City — a label created by a former Spyder manager — can all be found at the store. Shoppers can still find all the big brands too, including Billabong, Volcom, Hurley, Rip Curl, and Reef.

“Our customer service also really stands out,” Gulino added. “We try to know our customers by first name and really interact with them.”

Spyder Surf: 65 Pier Ave., HB

(310) 374-2494

2461 Pacific Coast Hwy., HB

(310) 374-8276

www.spydersurf.com

Runner-up: Fernando’s, 1242 Hermosa Ave., HB

(310) 372-7906 www.fernandoshermosa.com

Best Hotel: Shade Hotel

Our readers went for luxury and beach-community style when asked to pick the best hotel from a variety of impressive hotels in the South Bay. Shade Hotel offers a relaxing respite during the day and a hip spot at which to mingle at night. Located in downtown Manhattan Beach’s cushy Metlox Center, guests don’t have very far to go for a shopping spree or a stroll on the beach.

Rooms feature two-person spa tubs, Tempur-Pedic beds, Mascioni linens, goose down duvets, balconies and “chromatherapy” lighting that can adjust from cool blue to hot red or anything in between.

The open-air Skydeck, a poolside retreat is perfect for swimsuits during the day and eveningwear after dark, is a guest favorite.

Certainly, locals love to troop to the Zinc Lounge with its distinctive wine and cocktail list, and a menu of “seasonable and reasonable” foods, presided over by executive chef Greg Hozinsky. Style magazine named Zinc one of those that “you won’t want to leave.”

The hotel has been named Best Luxury Hotel and Best Business Hotel by Citysearch, has made Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List for 2007, and has earned praise from the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and California Home & Design.

Shade Hotel: 1221 N. Valley Drive, MB

310-546-4995 shadehotel.com

Runner-up: Beach House Inn, 1300 The Strand, HB

(310) 324-3001 www.beach-house.com

Best Men’s Hair Salon

A/R Salon

If a client asks for a hair cut that Amil Pabalan knows won’t make them look their best, he lets them know.

“I tell the truth,” Pabalan said. “By being honest, you get people to stick with you.”

While readers voted Pabalan as the best men’s stylist, A/R Salon also offers haircuts for women and children. The salon specializes in Schwarzkopf haircolor technique, formal styling, Brazilian Blowout and the CHI Transformation System.

Pabalan graduated from Flavios Beauty School in Carson in 1988. Nine years after receiving his cosmetology license, he realized his passion and talent for cutting hair and opened A/R Salon with his sister Rodilyn Wooldridge in 1999.

Pabalan and his staff undergo continual education to keep clients up-to-date on the latest styles and trends.

A/R Salon: 1046 Hermosa Ave., HB

(310) 374-4896 southbaystylist.com

Runner-up: Floyd’s Barber Shop, 828 Pacific Coast Hwy., HB

(310) 372-3240 www.floydsbarbershop.com

Best Women’s Clothing Store

Katwalk

After shopping at Manhattan Beach boutique Katwalk, our readers feel like models ready to work the catwalk.

The boutique carries everything from stylish dresses to the good old basics, like jeans and cute tees, as well as accessories and shoes.

“We carry trendy, up-to-the minute clothing that is affordable and fun,” owner Kat Master said.

Katwalk is located near a dozen other boutiques around the Manhattan Beach Pier, fitting into its posh surroundings without requiring customers to break the bank.

“It looks more expensive than it is,” she said. “We are a high-end boutique with affordable prices.”

In addition to carrying the latest fashions, Katwalk’s employees are happy to help their customers — whether fashionistas or fashionably challenged — put pieces together to create the perfect look.

Locals who venture out of the South Bay bubble can also shop at Katwalk’s Westwood and Santa Barbara locations. They will also make online purchases available on their website next month.

Katwalk 312 Manhattan Beach Blvd., MB

(310) 798-7399 shopkatwalk.com

Runner-up: BKB, 1038 Hermosa Ave., HB

(310) 376-4416 www.shopbkb.com

Photography: David D’Angelo/Two Stray Dogs Art Director: Marco Ciappelli/Two Stray Dogs Set Producer: Jay Hurd/Two Stray Dogs Producer: Andrea Garst/Two Stray Dogs  Makeup: Erica Preus/Two Stray Dogs Models: Olya Milova, Jeremy Buck

Best Kid’s Party (tie): AdventurePlex

Parents can sit back and relax while AdventurePlex takes care of their child’s birthday party, from sending out invitations to loading the car with gifts to mailing thank you notes — and everything in between. “All you have to do is show up.”

“We are a one-stop shop,” assistant manager Cindy Jarvis said. “We cater the party in-house and take care of the whole thing. And our customer service is above and beyond.”

The birthday child and friends enjoy a private themed party in the Adventure Room play structure with a personal host to keep the party rolling. An array of mazes, tunnels, outdoor rock climbing walls, complex ropes courses, an indoor gymnasium and spacious fitness room guarantees party-goers to have fun while getting fit. Parents have the option to customize their child’s party with magicians, theme characters, hula lessons, scavenger hunts, karaoke, sports, and inflatable obstacle course.

The structured environment makes for the most creative and safe experiences for kids in the South Bay to enjoy on their birthdays and every day.

Best Kids Party: My Gym

Throwing a kid’s birthday party at My Gym is so popular among our readers that parents book reservations four to six months in advance.

With locations in Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Torrance, the children’s fitness center tailors parties specifically to each child based on his/her age and needs. Music, dance, relays, games, special rides, gymnastics, and sports are incorporated into each themed party. Birthday goers enjoy private use of My Gym’s facilities and energetic employees run the whole show, from set-up to break-down and everything in between. 

“Nowhere else can you make the birthday child feels as good as then they come in for our parties,” said Alex Henao, director of the Manhattan Beach location. “The teachers bring excitement and energy and make them feel special.”

Birthday or no birthday, My Gym is also available for regular play every day for children aged six through 13. Programs are designed for kids to gain strength, balance, coordination, agility and flexibility, while developing social skills, confidence and self-esteem.

AdventurPlex: 1701 Marine Ave., MB. (310) 546-7708 www.adventureplex.org

My Gym: 1836 North Sepulveda Blvd., MB. (310) 796-1300.

1214 Beryl Street, RB. (310) 318-2288

3511 Pacific Coast Hwy., Torr, (310) 530-7200. www.my-gym.com  

Runner-up: Kid’s Concept 22844 Hawthorne Blvd., Torr. (310) 465-0075 www.kidconceptsusa.com

 Best Kids’ Boutique: Sol Baby

Our readers love to dress their babies up in the same cool, unique, funky fashions in which they dress themselves. Sol Baby offers trendy clothes for small peeps, or “babies with soul.”

The kid’s clothing boutique offers clothing for girls and boys aged zero to six, including tops, footwear, hats, bibs and leg wear. Rock ‘n’ roll tees and onesies are a big hit with their tiny clientele.

“I feel like the store embodies this town,” owner Gina Rothwell said. “It’s as edgy, funky, and unique as the people who live here.”

In 2006, Rothwell opened the shop with the philosophy of selling clothing that reflects a love of life and nature, peace on earth, music, and sun. She features small, up-and-coming designers to bring hard-to-come-by fashions to tots in the South Bay.

Sol Baby: 124 Pier Ave., HB. (310) 318-3960. www.sol-baby.com

Runner-up: Bella Beach, 227 Manhattan Beach Blvd., MB. (310) 529-5645. www.bellabeachkids.com

Best Park: Valley Park

Valley Park is a popular family gathering place, featuring clean restrooms, multiple drinking fountains, six barbecue pits, athletic fields and numerous tables and benches. The facility contains an amphitheater for live performances, including Shakespeare By The Sea’s performance of Julius Caesar on Wednesday, July 21 and Twelfth Night on Thursday, July 22.

“Valley Park is an obvious favorite because it has something for everyone,” Hermosa Mayor Michael DiVirgilio said. “Kids young and old love the playgrounds; dog lovers, soccer players and football players use the field; there are great basketball facilities; and the picnic tables and fire pit are favorite places for birthdays and weekend celebrations. It’s also been a great place for numerous South Bay children to learn to ride bikes, scooter, and skateboard on the extensive and well-maintained sidewalks. I’m proud that such a gem exists within our community.”

Valley Park: Valley Drive and Gould Avenue at 27th Street, Hermosa Beach. 310-318-0280

Runner-up: Polliwog Park corner of Redondo Avenue and Manhattan Beach Boulevard in Manhattan Beach. 310-802-5410

Hammerhead’s enthusiastic staff is what makes her camp successful, says co-founder Jamie Bateman.

 

Beach camp: Hammerhead Beach Camp

Jamie Bateman tells job applicants Hammerhead Beach camp, “If you’re not the cheerleader type, this isn’t the camp for you.” The enthusiasm she expects of her camp counselors is communicated to the kids, ages four to 13 who have made the camp a beach tradition for the past 14 years. Many of the counselors are Mira Costa High students. The camp offers water activities including Boogie boarding, and body surfing, sand games, and arts and crafts.  For kids interested in developing their water skills the camp offers a workout and swim Guard Prep program modeled after the Junior Lifeguard program. No swim test is required to attend the camp. But water safety is insured by counselors who form a horse shoe-shaped cordon around the campers in the water. The camp meets weekdays at 6th Street in Manhattan Beach. Morning, afternoon and all day sessions run from June 28 through August. 27.

Hammerhead Beach Camp: (310) 676-7503. www.hammerheadbeachcamp.com

Best BartenderRico De’Alba, Shellback Tavern
By Deb L.
Rico De’Alba, 32, has been working for Shellback Tavern owner Bob Beverly since he was 12 years old. Over the 20-year stint he has become one of the most well-known faces in the South Bay bar biz. He says he gets great joy from making every customer feel like part of the family. Recently a woman who had been here on vacation called after she got home to North Carolina to tell the owner what a great employee Rico is, that he made her and her daughter feel welcome so far from home. When asked about something people don’t know about him, he says, “Probably that I am married with two young daughters, because I am here working all the time!” His goal is to some day own his own bar so he can spend more time with his family – by having them work there too.
Rico De’Alba: Shellback Tavern, 116 Manhattan Beach Blvd., MB. 310-376-7857. www.shellbacktavern.com
Runner-up: Ron Ciulei, North End, HB.

Happy Hour
Shellback TavernWhere better to find the best happy hour than at the best neighborhood bar with the best bartender in the South Bay? From 3-6 p.m., Monday-Friday, munch on half-priced appetizers (those famous beer battered chicken tenders and hot wings are the most popular), and wash it down with $2.75 domestic bottled beers, $3.23 well drinks, $4 domestic draught beers and $5.50 import draughts. Drink specials continue until 7 p.m. Watch the sunset over the sea and feel like a local even if you aren’t one.
Shellback Tavern: 116 Manhattan Beach Blvd., MB. 310-376-7857. www.shellbacktavern.com
Runner-up: Sharkeez, 3801 Highland Ave., MB. 310-545-6563. 52 Pier Ave., HB. 310-318-0004. Sharkeez.net

Neighborhood Bar
Shellback TavernThe Shellback Surf Tavern has been a locals’ neighborhood hangout since the ‘20s. Originally located on the pier and known as the Silver Spray Café, the bar later moved to its current location as the Knothole. Though the name and owners have changed over the years, it has remained a South Bay tradition. The Shellback is owned and operated by lifelong Manhattan Beach resident Bob Beverly with the assistance of longtime manager Rico De’Alba. With a friendly staff made up of local residents and a classic collection of beach people as its clientele, the Shellback has endured while the world around it changes.
Shellback Tavern: 116 Manhattan Beach Blvd., MB. 310-376-7857. www.shellbacktavern.com
Runner-up: North End, 2626 Hermosa Ave., HB. 310-379-5379.

Best Margarita/Tequila bar
Mucho Ultima MexicanaSince opening in November 2007, Mucho Ultima Mexicana has amassed over 185 different tequilas to suite all taste and levels of tequila drinkers. The margarita menu offers several varieties like the “Traditional” made with Herradura Silver and fresh lime juice just like at cantinas in Mexico. “The Mucho Margarita” and “El Dorado Classico” are made with Mucho’s homemade margarita mix. For those who like to experiment with their tequila, try the “El Fuego” made with muddled jalapeno to give it a little heat or the “Fresco Pepino” made with English Hothouse Cucumber which is cool and refreshing. If you prefer fruity margaritas, Mucho offers Passion Fruit, Pineapple, and Pomegranate all made with fresh fruits and purees. Cinco de Mucho happy hour has great appetizers like BBQ Shrimp Tacos, Chicken Quesadilla, Carnitas Sliders, Mucho Margarita, house wines, bottle and draught beer for $5 at 5 p.m. Sunday – Thursday and runs until 6:30pm. No matter your flavor, Mucho will provide you with a margarita to match.
Mucho Ultima: 903 Manhattan Ave., MB. (310) 374-4422. www.muchomb.com
Runner up: Pancho’s, 3615 Highland Ave., MB. (310) 545-6670.

Tequila bar
Mucho Ultima Mexican If you like tequila, there are plenty of restaurants and bars in the South Bay that have a few – and the bartender will probably toss your choice into a Margarita. If you really appreciate fine tequila, though, you’ll drink it straight, and you’ll probably drink it at Mucho. This Manhattan Beach hotspot has boutique tequilas like Cazadores Anejo and Tequila Oro First Vintage that most people have never heard of, the ones that are hand-crafted and carefully aged. Bar manager Jim Martel compares tequilas to wines in their aging characteristics, and is happy to initiate newcomers in the art of tequila. There are excellent options at all price ranges, from El Tesoro and Don Eduardo $10 a shot to rarities like Don Julio Real at $50. Those who really know tequila, or really want to, will find that both the selection and the knowledge of the staff here are second to none.
Mucho Ultima Mexicana: 903 Manhattan Ave., MB. (310) 374-4422.
Runner up: Ortega 120, 1800 Pac. Coast. Hwy., (310) 792-4120.

Shade's Sub Zero martini features an ice shell. Photo by Brent Broza

Best Martini
Shade HotelZinc Lounge at Shade Hotel is a fusion of coastal living with LA nightlife. Cool, hip, comfortable, inviting with neo-modular furniture designed by Christopher Lowell. Zinc has perhaps the longest bar in the South Bay. One of the coolest features is the Sub Zero Martini served from a glass of ice; it’s truly the best way to enjoy a chilled martini. For happy hour, Get Your Fix for Six: Monday – Thursday, 4-7 p.m. $6 selected drinks and small plates. Benefit from no corkage fee on “Cellar Sundays” by bringing your treasured cellar wines to pair with the decadent small plates menu.
Zinc Lounge: Shade Hotel, 1221 N. Valley Dr., MB. (310) 546-4995. www.shadehotel.com
Runner up: Zane’s, 1150 Hermosa Ave. (at Pier), HB. (310) 374-7488.

Best Sports Bar
Shark’s CoveAlthough it’s a Pittsburgh Steelers bar, fans of the black and gold aren’t the only ones who flock to the warm atmosphere of Shark’s Cove and its 70-plus TV screens.
“On any given Sunday there will be more than 100 Steelers fans in here, but we can show about 17 different games at a time,” said bartender-manager Nick Ortega.
The crowds show up for college football and basketball, NBA games and other sports events as well.
“Another thing we pride ourselves on is being the Cheers of the South Bay, appealing to the locals,” Ortega said.
Owner Shane McColgan keeps the local touch in mind when he hires staff members, nurturing the “where everybody knows your name” vibe.
The Shark’s Cove in Manhattan, at 309 Manhattan Beach Blvd., boasts tons of TVs showing tons of sports as well.
Shark’s Cove: 1220 Hermosa Ave., HB. 310-798-3932
Runner-up: Sharkeez, 52 Pier Ave., Hermosa, 310-318-0004; and 3801 Highland Ave., Manhattan, 310-545-6563.
sharkeez.net.

by Mark McDermott

Trash collectors made a grisly discovery last week when a deceased newborn infant was found inside a trash can on the 700 block of Irena Avenue.

A subsequent police investigation led to the arrest of a 24-year-old former Redondo Beach resident, Jessie Canfield, who was arrested under suspicion of murder. The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office has thus far not pressed charges, pending a report from the Coroner’s Office that could up to two weeks.

The baby was found at about 9 a.m. on March 3 when a trash collector began emptying a 64-gallon can that was too heavy to lift. A Redondo Beach Police Department Crime Scene Investigation unit developed information by canvassing the neighborhood that led to Canfield’s arrest the next day at her current residence in Santa Barbara.

According to police, she had attended a party at a residence on Irena Ave. on the night of March 2. Evidence found at the residence – particularly, large amounts of blood – indicates she gave birth to the baby in a bedroom at the party. Canfield later told police that she was unaware she was pregnant.

“I guess that is possible,” said RBPD Lt. Joe Hoffman. “However, it’s very difficult to believe. We are talking about a full term baby here.”

Investigators estimated that the baby, a girl, weighed between six and seven pounds.

An attorney representing Canfield reiterated that her client was unaware of her pregnancy. Nina Marino, a lawyer with the Beverly Hills firm Kaplan and Marino, suggested that the Coroner’s report would clear Canfield of any murder charges.

“We expect the Coroner’s report to indicate that the child was stillborn,” Marino said. “My client is traumatized.”

Canfield, a 2004 graduate of Redondo Union High School, was released from police custody on March 5.

“Physically, she is fine,” Marino said. “She is taking antibiotics, and she’s recovering. You know, I think we can all sympathize with the trauma she has undergone.”

RBPD Sgt. Phil Keenan said that one message that police are trying to convey is that the Safe Surrender program is available to protect babies from being hurt or killed in cases of potential abandonment.

“Anyone can basically go to a hospital or a fire station and turn an infant in, and there are no questions asked,” Keenan said. “There are just no questions asked.”

Hoffman said that what the Coroner determines regarding the condition of the baby will likely be the deciding factor on whether charges are filed against Canfield. Even if the baby was stillborn, Hoffman said, disposing of the child in the trash was the wrong choice.

“There are programs in place,” Hoffman said. “In any event, this is just not the way to handle it.”

“It’s incredibly bizarre and very unfortunate,” Hoffman added. “It’s a tragic situation, not matter where it happens. But especially, in Redondo Beach, we are not used to dealing with major, high profile incidents like this, and so it really shocks the community when this happens.” ER

by Mark McDermott

The Redondo Beach Board of Education Tuesday night moved to lay off as as many as 24 elementary school teachers and eliminate eight other positions, including three high school teachers, a principal and an assistant principal.

In a unanimous vote, the board approved a recommendation authorizing that layoff notices be sent to teachers by March 15, the deadline required by state law for teachers who will not be rehired in the next school year. Additionally, the board also voted to lay off a school counselor and a teacher on special assignment.

“I think all of us here share a deep sense of regret as we pass this resolution,” said board president Todd Loewenstein. “I’ve said this before: my goal on this board is to save jobs. That is one thing I need to do, because I realize it impacts not just teachers and not just students, but a lot of families. And it impacts the community.”

The district, due to state funding reductions, is preparing to cut $3.6 million from its $65 million budget in the upcoming school year. After cutting more than $5 million during two rounds of state budget cuts last year, a school board that has prided itself on keeping cuts “out of the classroom” felt compelled to approve teacher layoff notices.

“What alternatives are there?” school board member Carl Clark asked at one point in the meeting.

Superintendent Steven Keller said the alternatives include contract negotiations with its employees, talks that are likely to include topics such as increased furlough days and possibly salary cuts. But ultimately, Keller said, few alternatives exist that would not impact RBUSD employees in some manner.

“Basically, I wish it was something just like turning off lights and not buying computers,” Keller said. “But when most of our business is personnel…that is where we are at. I wish I had a brilliant answer for you, but it just comes down to people.”

Assistant Superintendent Nancy Billinger said that 85 percent of the district’s budget was personnel costs, including 70 percent for teacher salaries and benefits.

“We are so limited in our options…These are horrible decisions to have to make, but when we really look at how big the number is, it’s daunting,” Billinger said.

The layoffs would save $2 million. The district had hoped to save another $1 million through an early retirement package offered to 70 teachers, although early indications are that not enough teachers accepted the incentivized offer to quite meet that target.

Elementary school teacher layoffs would likely be tied to increased class sizes. The district has prided itself on the lowest class sizes in the South Bay, with a ratio of 22.3 students for every teacher at the kindergarten through third grade level this year.

Jefferson Elementary kindergartner teacher Emily Butler, who identified herself as one of the teachers slated for layoff, asked the board to do whatever possible to protect class sizes. She said even a single year of increased class sizes could have a drastic impact on student learning.

“I know as an adult, when I’m doing the family budget, one year starts to feel like the next,” she said. “But to a five-year-old, every year matters so much…Please, impact the class sizes as little as possible.”

Tanya Ross, the parent of one of Ms. Butler’s kindergartners, said that she has three more kids who will be kindergartners in successive years. She said increased class sizes would not only cause more children to struggle but would also hurt the district’s overall academic achievement.

“It’s really going to bring test scores down,” Ross said.

Redondo Union High School teacher Tim Baumgartner argued that the district does have an alternative – tapping into its reserves. The state has temporarily loosened its requirement that each district maintain a three percent economic uncertainty reserve and allowed – for the next two years, anyway – as little as a 1.5 percent reserve. Baumgartner noted the district’s reserve is currently at 3.8 percent, or $2.9 million.

“We have stated many times in board meetings that reserves are for hard times, and we are there,” Baumgartner said. “Spend down, and spend down now! There is money in the reserve to protect not having any furlough days.”

Board members have in the past expressed reluctance to dip below three percent, arguing it would risk the district’s overall solvency. But Tuesday night they focused more squarely on the difficult decision directly at hand, approving layoff notices. Board member Jane Diehl said that the board has essentially been making cuts since 2003, and while other employees have been laid off – including administrators and classified employees – this was the first time the district had considered such a large number of teacher layoffs. Last year, eight notices were issued, but only one teacher ended up losing a job. Diehl said few other options remain.

“Because we’ve been doing this now for six years,” Diehl said. “We’ve been cutting and cutting.”

The state will not officially adopt its budget until June, at the earliest, and so there are still uncertainties regarding school funding. District officials are looking for other alternatives or sources of revenue, including a fundraising drive the Redondo Beach Education Foundation that is asking the parents of every child in district to contribute $360. If that were to happen, the district’s budget problem would be solved this year.

Billinger said that some of the cuts would almost certainly be implemented, including administrative layoffs. She said at some teacher layoffs – particularly at the elementary level – could possibly still be avoided.

“We have to disrupt all these lives to give us more time to figure this out,” she said. “…It just gives us a little bit of room to make some of those decisions.”

Loewenstein, addressing the many teachers and parents in attendance, said the board would do what it could to protect employees and class sizes.

“I can’t guarantee you anything,” he said. “But I don’t want anyone here to lose hope.” ER

Workers prepare to lift a tarp to shield the public's view of the recovery of a body from the site of a construction accident. Photo by Robb Fulcher

by Robb Fulcher

A worker was presumed dead Wednesday morning after he fell into a trench that apparently collapsed around him, burying him in loose dirt, at a large building under construction at Cypress Avenue and Sixth Street, in a mixed commercial-industrial area near South Park.

The man, who was not immediately identified, had been working to install a beam or girder when he plunged head-first into the loose dirt, coming to rest with only one foot above ground, firefighters said.

“His coworkers attempted to rescue him, but the dirt was so compacted they couldn’t pull him up,” Hermosa Beach Fire Capt. Mike Garofano said.

Hermosa firefighters were called to the scene about 10:30 a.m., and called upon Los Angeles County Urban Search and Rescue to recover the man’s body.

Suffocation quickly kills people trapped under tight-packed earth, and the man was presumed dead as rescue workers, county firefighters and Manhattan Beach firefighters began the work of extracting the body from the earth.

Also on hand were officials of the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which investigates workplace accidents.

Two and-a-half hours after the accident firefighters were using a flexible hose about the diameter of a basketball to drive either air or water into the earth to loosen it up so the body could be extracted.

The hose was operated from a “heavy rescue vehicle,” looking like an enormous fire truck, which was backed up to the site of the accident.

Two rescue workers wore harnesses and stood ready to be lowered some 10 to 15 feet below street level to the site of the accident, to free the worker’s body and help hoist it up from where it lay.

The partially completed building is being erected by Shaw Engineering and Construction. Documents at City Hall describe it as a two-story multi-use manufacturing building, and officials said Dave Shaw plans underground parking for trucks and other vehicles, with offices above. ER

by Robb Fulcher

Mayor Michael DiVirgilio used the annual State of the City address as a pep talk, telling civic leaders that innovative Hermosans will find unexpected silver linings in the economy’s dark cloud, and holding out hope for a positive outcome in a $500 million lawsuit that overarches other local issues.

DiVirgilio devoted a front portion of his address Thursday evening at the Beach House hotel to the breach-of-contract lawsuit by the Macpherson Oil Company, which once held a contract to slant-drill under the ocean from city-owned land at Valley Drive and Sixth Street.

“The City Council is totally in the mode of looking under every rock” to create “the best outcome for the community,” DiVirgilio said.

“I still have a positive attitude about how we’re going to come out of this,” he added.

DiVirgilio touched on his personal life to expand upon his optimism regarding the lawsuit. He compared the municipal foreboding associated with the lawsuit to the fear he and his wife Danay felt when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and told of an unsuspected silver lining.

“It was terrifying,” he said her diagnosis. “It was a threat.”

She beat the cancer, and has been free of the disease for four years.

“Our lives are better because of cancer,” DiVirgilio said, sounding a bit surprised himself at the seeming dissonance of the statement.

“We have deep, gut, belly laughs on a daily basis,” he said. “Before, we were serious people.”

He reflected a moment and added that his wife had always had a playful side, and perhaps the experience taught him, more than her, to lighten up.

DiVirgilio said the dark days of the oil drilling litigation are also likely to yield a positive result, although the exact nature of that result cannot be guessed at yet.

“We’re going to look back at this time…and realize our community is better for it,” he said.

DiVirgilio spoke of a recent ruling in the case that is seen as a partial victory for the city, allowing attorneys for Hermosa to present evidence that the planned oil drilling project was unsafe and therefore was properly banned. He said the good news is that the city has been allowed a new line of defense, and the bad news is that the expensive civil trial will continue.

In addition to hefty legal expenses, the 12-year-long lawsuit drains other city resources, he said.

“The city manager spends 25 to 40 percent of his time on Macpherson stuff,” DiVirgilio said. “That’s our senior manager.”

DiVirgilio also predicted that bright, innovative Hermosans would find creative opportunities amid the challenges of a downturned economy, and he praised the civic clubs, leaders, volunteer organizations, athletes, entertainers and businesspeople that have contributed to the town’s vibrancy.

He said an expo for the community’s service clubs could be held before the summer, perhaps at the Clark Stadium area, an idea he first proposed when he took over the mayoral position, which rotates among City Council members.

DiVirgilio spoke of the importance of helping the city schools, which see “costs going up and revenues going down” as parents and other community volunteer raise funds to cover about 10 percent of the academic programs.

He extolled the virtues of green endeavors in Hermosa, such as a 1,000-foot filtration trench being placed under the beach sand near the Strand wall south of the city pier, designed to better filter and evaporate dirty storm water before it reaches the ocean. He said the project will be watched by other communities.

He also pointed to plug-ins for electric cars that will be added to upper Pier Avenue as it is refurbished, in an ongoing project that has already drawn praise from environmental officials.

DiVirgilio offered words of praise to Waterman’s restaurant on the Pier Plaza, saying the establishment remade itself after it ran afoul of City Council members in its previous incarnation as Dragon. ER

by Robb Fulcher

Federal authorities have filed a civil lawsuit accusing Hermosan Sean David Morton, well known for frequent radio-show appearances, of fraudulently raising $6 million after telling investors he could use psychic powers to predict the highs and lows of the stock market.

“Morton’s self-proclaimed psychic powers were nothing more than a scam to attract investors and steal their money,” said George S. Canellos, director of the New York office of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which filed the lawsuit.

Attempts to reach Morton for comment, by email and with a note delivered to the home identified as his by neighbors, were unsuccessful.

SEC officials said Morton used his monthly newsletter, web site, and appearances on a nationally syndicated radio show and at public events to promote his psychic abilities, and made false representations about the abilities to solicit investors for the Delphi Investment Group.

According to the lawsuit, Morton fraudulently raised more than $6 million from more than 100 investors, and at least $240,000 was diverted to a nonprofit religious organization. The lawsuit seeks a return of money and further financial penalties. ER

Event co-chairs invite one and all to the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation’s signature fundraiser, the ‘Hearts of Hermosa’ dinner-dance-auction 5:45 to midnight Saturday, March 20 at St. Rocke, 142 PCH. This year’s event will feature a pre-dinner cocktail hour with New Orleans style appetizers. Auction items range from breakfast at the Firehouse for four kids, plus a ride to school in the fire truck to five nights in Shelly Beach, Australia.

Tickets are $140; see hbef.org or mail checks payable to Hermosa Beach Education Foundation to HBEF, Hearts of Hermosa, P.O. Box 864, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

The all-volunteer, nonprofit foundation helps fund school programs in science, technology, foreign language and the arts.

The 2010 co-chairs are (front) Stephanie Beck, Jenn Auville, Patti Ackerman, Carolyn Petty, (back) Susie Fraley, Laurie Baker, Lili McLean, Gloria Vialpando, Sam Rudow and (not pictured) Jeanine Benjamin and Kathi Jonas. ER

Oil gambit

Attorneys for the city will ask the state Supreme Court to dismiss a $500 million breach-of-contract lawsuit by an oil company that once planned to slant-drill under the Pacific Ocean from city-owned land.

The move comes on the heels of an important ruling by a state appeals court that allowed the city a new line of defense, but stopped short of dismissing the lawsuit as city officials had hoped.

Now they hope the Supreme Court will take the appeals court ruling “one step further,” City Attorney Michael Jenkins said Tuesday, shortly after the City Council authorized attorneys to seek a hearing before the high court.

“We think that this case can and should be dismissed without the necessity of a trial,” Jenkins said.

He said only 5 percent of such requests win a hearing before the Supreme Court. If the city secures a hearing, it would be the second successful long shot in a row – city officials said they had only a 2 percent chance of securing the recent appeals court hearing.

Pound foolish?

The lone faux pas in Mayor Michael DiVirgilio’s State of the City address came as he was showing slides of culturally accomplished Hermosans and their institutions, including the Comedy & Magic Club, the Lighthouse Café and punk rock icons Pennywise.

“I don’t happen to be a big fan of Pennywise,” he said offhand, prompting a roar of laughter from the civic leaders assembled for the annual speech at the Beach House hotel.

Then DiVirgilio began to walk his statement back, as they say.

“That probably came out wrong,” he said quickly, adding, “If I listened to them more I’d probably change my mind.”

St. Paddy’s

The annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, one of Hermosa’s signature events, takes place 11 a.m. Saturday, March 13. Decorated floats, classic cars, scouts and Brownies, pipers and dancers, Little Leaguers, dignitaries and more will start at Pier Avenue and Valley Drive, proceed down Pier to Hermosa Avenue, and turn south to disappear into an emerald mist at Eighth Street.

Green giveaway

Hermosa Beach Friends of the Parks in conjunction with the city’s St. Patrick’s Parade will host its spring family event, “Everything’s Green,” 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 13 at Starfish/Banzai Beach Plaza, 934 Hermosa Ave. The event will feature a children’s “green plant giveaway,” coloring, crafts and popcorn, and a membership drive.

Green vehicle

St. Cross by-the-sea Episcopal Church sponsors Plug-In Hermosa, an electric vehicle expo 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, March 14, at 1808 Monterey Blvd. St. Cross is hosting the event in partnership with Plug In America. Featured will be a gas-free, all-electric truck with a solar panel affixed to its rear.

In addition, a screening of “Who Killed the Electric Car,” followed by a discussion, will be 7 p.m. Thursday, March 18 at the church. Light refreshments will be served beginning 6:30 p.m.

For more call 310-376-8989 or see stcross.org and pluginamerica.com.

New tourney, new home

The AVP has proposed a second pro beach volleyball tournament in Hermosa, adding a round robin event Sept. 17 to 19, which used to be held in Las Vegas. The AVP also holds the Hermosa Beach Open over the summer.

The round robin, in which players rotate from partner to partner, would require a stadium court and two additional courts, making a sand footprint about five times smaller than that of the Hermosa Open. Original plans had called for the event to be held in Las Vegas, but economic conditions made it difficult to secure a venue.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Commission has approved the September tourney, and the City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the request Tuesday, April 27.

The AVP is also planning to move from its inland, high rise offices in the Howard Hughes Center, off the 405 Freeway, to an ocean view office in the 24 Hour Fitness building on Pacific Coast Highway in Hermosa Beach. ER