Redondo park dedicated to interned Ito family
by Chrissa Olson Eighty-one years ago, Takao (Joe) Sakai told his daughter, Kimiko Ito, in a postcard, that he was going to jail. “Dear Kimiko,” he wrote. “I am leaving here this evening. Please be in good health.” Sakai, and subsequently his daughter, Kimiko Ito, and her future husband Tomo Ito, were among the more […]
$50 million budget balanced, AI lurks over unfunded jobs
by Chrissa Olson A $50 million 2023-24 city budget, half going to public safety, was approved by the Hermosa Beach city council at its June 13 meeting. Revenue is projected to increase 7 percent over the 2022-2023 fiscal year, with taxes making up 74 percent of general fund revenue, City Finance Director Viki Copeland said […]
Money’s good, but landlords resistant
by Chrissa Olson One third of Redondo Beach’s 633 Section 8 vouchers go unissued largely because landlords in the city refuse to accept Section 8 tenants, according to Redondo Beach Housing Supervisor Angelica Zavala. Redondo Beach’s June Section 8 status report showed 1,192 families on the waitlist. Housing specialist Robin Flanagan said the Housing Authority […]
ADUs won’t satisfy State Housing mandate
by Chrissa Olson Market and historical forces are working against Hermosa Beach meeting a state mandate to build low income accessory dwelling units (ADUs), according to local planning experts. Hermosa Beach has been mandated by the State to create 64 ADUs by 2029. Of these, 11 must be for very low-income residents, 28 for low […]
Sea lion bites King Harbor boat cleaner
by Chrissa Olson Redondo Beach boat cleaner Jose Gutierrez was bit on the thigh by a sea lion while diving on a boat in King Harbor on June 20. He said he believes the sea lion was suffering from domoic poisoning, which has caused large numbers of sea lions to wash up on local beaches […]
Drone show lights up sky for Redondo’s Fourth
by Chrissa Olson The hum of drones replaced the bang of fireworks during Redondo Beach’s July 4 Independence Day celebration. Redondo Beach City Council approved a 200-drone show for Fourth of July in lieu of the canceled annual fireworks show Thursday. The show started at 9 p.m. and ran for nine minutes above the south […]
ADU restrictions relaxed in effort to make city denser
by Chrissa Olson To help Hermosa Beach meet a state mandate to build 558 low to moderate-income residential units by 2029, the City Council revised its accessory dwelling units (ADUs) ordinance during its June 13 meeting. In 2022, Hermosa issued 14 ADU building permits. But none were for low to moderate income, Community Development Director […]
Anti Israeli graduation speech puts El Camino College in unwanted national spotlight
by Chrissa Olson El Camino College Associated Student Organization President Jana Abulaban drew national attention Friday after stating in an address to the graduating Class of 2023, “I gift my graduation to all Palestinians who have lost their lives, and those who continue to lose their lives every day, due to the oppressive apartheid state […]