Posts by Ryan McDonald
Distant Shore: Los Angeles County unlikely to lift beach closures until at least May 15 [UPDATED]
After Los Angeles County ordered the temporary closure of all beaches late last month, Hermosa Beach resident Chris Brown began a routine of strolling west on one of the city’s walk streets right up the edge of The Strand, which had also been ordered closed, and watching the sunset. Eventually he stopped strolling. Brown, an…
Read MoreHermosa Beach to temporarily close parks Sunday
Hermosa Beach will close all parks in the city on Sunday to discourage people from gathering to celebrate religious holidays and inadvertently spreading the coronavirus.
Read MoreLos Angeles County property taxes still due, but owners can seek delays
The April 10 deadline to submit property tax payments still holds for Los Angeles County land owners, but those struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic can apply for a waiver of late fees. Officials from various branches of California’s complex property tax apparatus said Thursday that they measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 had…
Read MoreHermosa taps Long Beach commander as new PD chief
Paul LeBaron, who has spent nearly three decades with the Long Beach Police Department, will be the next chief of the Hermosa Beach Police Department, Hermosa officials announced Monday. LeBaron replaces interim chief Mike McCrary, who took over in December after the retirement of acting Chief Milton McKinnon. LeBaron will be sworn in April 16,…
Read MoreAt Chadwick School in Palos Verdes, Dal Sohi leads by observation
Daljit Sohi tiptoed through a dark hallway. He reached a set of doors, then turned around and said in an elevated whisper, “Let’s see if there’s something going on.” We stepped into the performing arts practice space at Palos Verdes’ Chadwick School to find two teenage girls lit on a stage. The jagged chords of…
Read MoreCoronavirus cases in L.A. County continue to surge
The number of novel coronavirus cases in Los Angeles County has increased from 409 to 1,465 in less than a week, Barbara Ferrer, director of the county Department of Public Health reported today. The cases include 26 deaths, five of them reported in the last 24 hours. Ferrer expects the number of cases in Los…
Read MoreCounty closes all beaches, bike path, until April 19
Beaches in the South Bay and the rest of Los Angeles County will be closed until April 19 in an effort to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, authorities announced Friday. Along with beaches, beach access points, including the Marvin Braude Bike Trail , will be closed, as will hiking trails throughout the county. Authorities…
Read MoreWorkers get creative to get by in time of coronavirus
Along with threatening the health of millions of Americans, the novel coronavirus pandemic is cratering the U.S. economy. Health officials have attempted to stem the spread of the virus by forcing many businesses to close their doors, effectively shutting down whole sectors of consumer spending. In California, “essential” services are allowed to remain open, but…
Read MoreHermosa Beach okays eviction moratorium, rejects rent abatement
Commercial and residential tenants in the city of Hermosa Beach who have been impacted by the novel coronavirus will not face eviction for being unable to pay rent during the state of emergency caused by the pandemic, but will have to pay back any rent they miss. Hermosa’s City Council unanimously approved an urgency ordinance…
Read MoreCoronavirus pushes back planned power outage in Hermosa Beach
Planned maintenance of the electrical grid in Hermosa Beach, which would have temporarily shut down power in part of the city, will not take place until after the novel coronavirus pandemic has ended. In a statement issued March 20, Southern California Edison said that it planned to “postpone noncritical planned projects, while only continuing with…
Read MoreHermosa Beach City Council meetings leave chambers for screens
Public meetings in Hermosa Beach will take place via videoconference in order to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. The city announced that all public meetings, starting with Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, will feature officials calling in from remote locations to hear reports from staff and vote on issues. The meetings will continue…
Read MoreWith fundraiser cancelled due coronavirus, Hermosa Beach Education Foundation launches online auction
The novel coronavirus may have brought down “Mom Prom,” the winking nickname of highly anticipated Hearts of Hermosa fundraiser. But it hasn’t removed the need for donations that the event, the largest single source of support each year for the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation, facilitates. Instead, an online auction to support programming in Hermosa schools…
Read MoreLong lines, bare shelves at South Bay grocery stores
As authorities delivered grim warnings about the novel coronavirus last Thursday, an idea spread among South Bay residents with the force and quickness of a contagion: buy toilet paper. Mirroring trends across the country, shoppers late last week began descending on Vons, Trader Joe’s, Ralphs, Whole Foods and other area stores, creating long lines, packed…
Read MoreGood medicine: South Bay’s civic spirit remains healthy amid coronavirus pandemic
About half way through the band Zeal’s Sunday afternoon set, a man in a white surgical gown, his face obscured by a respirator mask, threaded his way between an amplifier stack and a drum kit to apply some disinfectant. His feet were wrapped in sanitary plastic, and he walked with the deliberate slowness of a…
Read MoreBill proposes changes in response to long waits on Election Day
A bill from Sen. Ben Allen, who represents the South Bay in the state legislature, would force Los Angeles County Election Authorities to make changes to their procedures after voters throughout the region reported long waits on Election Day last week. The bill comes after voters in the Beach Cities and across Los Angeles County…
Read MoreCouncil extends ban on dockless scooters, bikeshare
Citing concerns about safety, obstruction and potential impacts on its neighboring cities, the Hermosa Beach City Council voted Tuesday night to extend its existing ban on dockless shared mobility devices, including the popular Bird scooters, for another year. The 4 to 1 vote, with Mayor pro tem Justin Massey the lone dissenter, will maintain a…
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