Manhattan Beach About Town
Beach walk Interested in how King Tides impact the Southern California coastline? Attend the City of Manhattan Beach’s upcoming beach walk to explore beach ecology, capture the changing shoreline, and learn about beach dune restoration. The city has partnered with USC Sea Grant to conduct its first-ever Urban Tides Beach Walk. Urban Tides is a […]
Homeless man found at local school dies
A homeless man found with his pet dog on the campus of Meadows Elementary the week before Christmas was taken by paramedics to a local hospital and later died, according to school officials and the Manhattan Beach Fire Department. Kevin Bobek was a familiar figure in the local community. He and his dog, Nola, frequented […]
Astronaut Danny Olivas launches ‘Space for Everyone’
Danny Olivas was 248 miles above the Earth. As an astronaut and crew member on the STS-117 Space Shuttle Atlantis mission in 2007, Olivas was among the select few—562 out of the 108 billion people who have ever lived, to be exact—to ever see our earthly home whole, in truly full view, a blue […]
The last of the great patróns
The many lives of Pancho’s patriarch E. Abbott Lawrence E. Abbott Lawrence purchased Pancho’s restaurant on the corner of Highland and Rosecrans in North Manhattan Beach in 1975. The building had already endured a storied history. It was built in 1924 as a BBQ joint and fruit stand and survived through various iterations as […]
Manhattan Beach 2019 year in review
An Emoji House, an election, Mira Costa’s #metoo moment, and a few more bans Manhattan Beach prides itself on its iconic pier, beautiful beaches, superb schools, distinct neighborhoods, and its unusual combination of small-town charm and worldly sophistication. Yet in terms of global reach, the biggest story in the history of the town occurred […]
High Court will not review homeless law
The Supreme Court this week announced it would not review a case regarding whether cities can make it a crime for homeless people to sleep outdoors. The case, known as Martin v. Boise, had implications for many cities, including Manhattan Beach, which enacted ordinances in 2018 that made it illegal for anyone to camp […]
Stores given a year to comply with tobacco ban
The City Council on Tuesday night approved a citywide ban on all tobacco products beginning on January 1, 2021. After three meetings featuring extensive testimony from education and public health leaders and local residents overwhelmingly in favor of the ban, the council followed up on an emergency ordinance passed in October that banned vaping […]
Local author’s cookbook merges tradition with health
Annette Derovanessian had it all. She was a successful corporate accountant living in Manhattan Beach with her husband and family. But something wasn’t right. She barely slept at night, and when she did, she found herself dreaming of spreadsheets and budgets and strategic plans. She frequently experienced heart palpitations. She was always exhausted. “I […]
Manhattan Beach’s homelessness efforts bear fruit
The City of Manhattan Beach last month disbanded its Homelessness Task Force, not for lack of effectiveness, or because the problem the citizen advisory group was formed to address was solved. The task force had simply served its purpose: helping the city begin to tackle the issue of homelessness locally in new and more […]
The wisdom of ancient kitchens
National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner investigates the food and culture of those who live the longest, and comes back with recipes Most mornings, Cowboy Jose Bonifacio rides his horse Corazón five miles to go see two old friends. Bonifacio is known far and wide as one of the great vaqueros, or cowboys, of the […]
Manhattan Beach Tree lighting attracts thousands
Saturday construction ban considered
The Manhattan Beach City Council is considering restricting or eliminating Saturday construction, although initial discussion regarding the matter at Tuesday night’s meeting was lukewarm. Councilperson Suzanne Hadley suggested that people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. “We built our house in 1999. There was Saturday construction, and I love my house and […]
Anthony Napolitano passes away
Anthony Barberto Napolitano, a longtime Manhattan Beach resident and the father of Councilperson Steve Napolitano, passed away on Nov. 27. He was 92. His son spoke of him at the close of Tuesday night’s council meeting, which adjourned in memory of both Napolitano and former Manhattan Beach police chief Hugh O’Brien. Napolitano, who struggled […]
Manhattan Beach Police Beat
International drug bust Manhattan Beach Police Department Detective Don Brown was recently recognized at the White House, where he received the 2018 Land Interdiction and Apprehension Award. The City Council recognized Brown at this week’s meeting. Brown was assigned to a regional police effort to combat drug trafficking, called the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police […]
Manhattan Beach About Town
Blankets of Love Blankets of Love, a local non-profit that makes and delivers blankets to children in need, this month celebrated its 2,000th blanket. The group was recognized at City Council on Tuesday. Founder Cyndi Strand launched the effort in 2016 following the death of her son, Justin, to opioid overdoses. Justin was a Mira […]
Drew Boyles’ The Charger (last of 3 parts)
Drew Boyles’ unlikely path to becoming the mayor of El Segundo