Saemann named Hermosa Beach mayor amid challenges, controversies
by Kevin Cody Rob Saemann was a 15-year-old freshman at Lutheran High, near his home in the middle class community of Leimert Park, near the Los Angeles Coliseum, when he first visited Hermosa Beach with classmates in 1963. “We went body surfing at the Pier and peeked inside the Insomniac Coffee House. I thought I […]
Letters to the Editor 5-1-25
Speak out Dear ER: There’s something profoundly heartbreaking happening in our small Hermosa community—something that stands against the very values we all hold dear. I want to be very clear: this letter is not about personal attacks. City Manager Suja Lowenthan has always been kind and respectful toward me. This is not about her character. […]
Hermosa City Manager review triggers protest from civic leaders, staff, residents
by Kevin Cody The simmering divide between Hermosa Beach City Councilmembers who support, and who oppose City Manager Suja Lowenthal erupted with a public protest at Tuesday night’s special council meeting. The council chambers and chamber foyer were filled with over 100 city manager supporters, including city staff, school and religious leaders, and residents. Supporters […]
Hermosa Beach Mayor praises volunteers during State of the City
by Kevin Cody Hermosa Beach Mayor Dean Francois underscored his theme of “Connect, Collaborate and Celebrate” by honoring resident volunteers, and recognizing improved cooperation among his fellow councilmembers during his State of the City in the Community Theater on Thursday, April 10. The Mayor also praised the city staff for the progress they made over […]
Letters to the Editor 4-24-25
Don’t get Encinita-vized Dear ER: I grew up in Manhattan Beach, surfing, playing volleyball and living the California dream. I was lucky to live in a small-town beach community whose coastal charm set the tone for how generations have wanted to live their lives. Even though I now live in Encinitas, I attended the April […]
Hermosa Valley school trip to Museum of Tolerance becomes unplanned ‘learning moment’
by Kevin Cody Seven Hermosa Valley Middle School students were disciplined after what Valley Principal Jessica Bledsoe described in a February 20 letter to school parents as “inappropriate and disrespectful behavior both at the museum, and on the bus.” The incident during a field trip to the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance attracted little attention […]
Parker Herriott fought beachfront hotel, that is now Noble Park
by Kevin Cody Parker Herriott, a relentless Hermosa Beach activist credited with blocking hotel development on the Hermosa Beach Strand, on the site of the former Biltmore Hotel, passed away last week at 86 from natural causes. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Herriott led the fight against six City Council-supported general election ballot measures, […]
Letters to the Editor 4-17-25
Dias bias Dear ER: Re: March 25 City Council Meeting April 11, 2025 After hearing comments from Councilmember Raymond Jackson in the March 25 Hermosa Beach City Council meeting regarding my short-term rental ban lawsuit, I am compelled to respond to him (“Hermosa Beach signals intent to fight short-term rentals challenge,” ER March 27, 2025). […]
British Open winner’s trophy rises from Altadena fire ashes
by Kevin Cody Mo Martin won the 2014 Woman’s British Open in one of the most fabled finishes in the prestigious tournament’s four-decade history. The Redondo Beach resident began the final round at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport, England three shots behind, in a six-way tie for seventh. She finished the final round […]
Best of the Beach 2025 Dining & Entertainment
American BBQ Willingham 443 S Pacific Coast Hwy #A Redondo Beach (424) 390-4300 willinghambbq.com Asian Fusion RYLA 1220 Hermosa Avenue Hermosa Beach (424) 247-9881 eatryla.com Bar Food Shellback Tavern 116 Manhattan Beach Blvd Manhattan Beach (310) 376-7857 shellback-tavern.business.site Brunch Martha’s Hermosa Beach 25 22nd Street Hermosa Beach (310) 376-7786 marthashermosabeach.com Breakfast […]
Letters to the Editor 4-10-25
District border not a wall Dear ER: The primary service recipients of Beach Cities Health District, its programs, and its services have always been – and continue to be, now and in the future – the residents of Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Redondo Beach (“Shing light in the district, ER Letters April 3, 2025). […]
Decoupling policy proposed to defuse pickleball disputes in Hermosa Beach
by Kevin Cody Tracey Tozser lives across the street from the Kelly Courts pickleball courts on Valley Drive in Hermosa Beach. By Tozser’s calculations, she hears 900 pickleball pops per hour, per court, every day except Sundays and Mondays when the courts are closed. “You do the math,” Tozser told the Hermosa Beach Parks and […]
Letters to the Editor 4-3-25
Devil in the details Dear ER: There should be a distinction between short term vacation rentals and a family home whose owner wants to rent their place out when they’re away on vacation (“Where goes the neighborhood,” ER March 20, 2025). We’ve got the Los Angeles Olympics coming in 2028. It would be wonderful to […]
The Luck of the Irish prevails in South Bay Friendship Foundation’s charity Quick Pitch
by Kevin Cody Pitch perfect timing was a key factor in Katie Vernon’s winning pitch for the $10,000 prize in the South Bay Friendship Foundation’s Quick Pitch Contest at the Lighthouse Cafe on Wednesday, March 5. A dozen charities participated in the fifth annual event. But only Vernon could argue an immediate need for the […]
Hermosa Beach signals intent to fight short term rentals challenge
Hermosa Beach currently has 320 STVRs, averaging $443 a night, according to the aggregate STVR website AirDNA. Image courtesy of AirDNA.com) by Kevin Cody Hermosa Beach City Attorney Patrick Donegan signaled the city’s intention to fight a lawsuit challenging the city’s ban on Short Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) in the residential coastal zone (between the […]
Letters to the Editor 3-20-27
Neighborhood voices Dear ER: Folks from Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach have finally discovered the impact of the growing number of state housing mandates. Complaining to city officials has no impact. Their hands are tied. Communities face even more draconian state overreach if their City Councils blatantly defy these state mandates. The problem is not […]