Hermosa Beach about town
School board fills vacant seat
The Hermosa Beach City School district has selected Doug Gardner, a district parent, and volunteer, to fill the seat on the board left open by the departure of former board member Patti Ackerman. The board made the decision following interviews with eight candidates for the vacancy at a special meeting last Wednesday. Gardner was sworn in that night and participated in the remainder of the board’s agenda.
Gardner has two children, both of whom attend View School. He described himself as a volunteer with the Hermosa Beach Parent-Teacher Organization and the Hermosa Beach Education Foundation. He also worked on the campaign for Measure S, the school facilities bond approved by voters last summer.
The Stanford graduate is the Chief Financial officer of FactoryMade Ventures, an entertainment business consulting firm. He previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He said he hoped to use his experience in finance and accounting to help the district and said that he would emphasize interacting with the community.
‘You’re here as one of five representing 20,000 people. You have to make sure that those other voices are heard. That’s really the key. You have to be available and responsive. You need to put yourself out there. You can’t just hide behind the desk,” he said.
Remembering Strand ‘Parrot Man’
John “Buddy” Comitz and his parrot Curly were regular fixtures on the Hermosa Beach Strand for the past three decades. Comitz passed away August 17 at age 69. Friends and family will celebrate his life on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. at Tavern on Main in El Segundo. Comitz was born to John and Helen Comitz on March 8, 1947, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He attended King’s College before moving to Hermosa Beach 40 years ago. In addition to his parrot Curly, Comitz is survived by his brother Chet, sister Marie Claire Comitz, his daughter, nieces, nephews and godchildren.
Fine arts festival
The Hermosa Beach Fine Arts Festival will take place at the Community Center this weekend. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and features 100 booths of juried art works, as well as entertainment and family activities. This year’s featured artist is Hermosa resident Laura Schuler.
Parking Permit art contest
The Eighth Annual Hermosa Beach Parking Permit art contest is underway. Applicants submit designs for the placards that hang in car windows, and the winning entry will be featured on all residential parking permits for the 2018-19 permit year. The contest is limited to Hermosa residents, and entries must be received by Oct. 31. The winner will be chosen by the City Manager.