Court rules Manhattan Beach cannot ban coastal short-term rentals
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has overturned Manhattan Beach’s ban on short-term rentals in the city’s coastal zone, ruling that the prohibition violates the California Coastal Act. Judge James C. Chalfant, presiding over a challenge to the city’s short-term rental ordinance brought to the court by Manhattan Beach resident Darby Keen, ruled that […]
Craft beer crisis: LA County’s zigzagging regulations threaten to kill the South Bay brewery industry
On June 29, when Governor Gavin Newsom announced that many businesses that had previously been allowed to reopen would once again face restrictions or closures due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, he likened the process of reopening California to a dimmer switch. The idea was meant to convey that the reopening process […]
LA County vs. craft beer: A call for recognition
Strand Brewing’s 10,000 square foot brewery, with its 20-foot high ceilings in Torrance is ideal for social distancing customers, but Los Angeles County is not allowing breweries to serve customers. Photo by JP Cordero by Joel Elliott Los Angeles County craft beer will not die from COVID-19. But a second, more deadly […]
Manhattan Beach’s $1,000 social distancing fines questioned
On Saturday morning, April 4, Nick Winnie went for a little walk with his fiancee, three-year-old stepson, and dog in North Manhattan Beach. It was the third weekend since the statewide “Stay At Home” lockdown had been enacted. Winnie and his little family unit had been giving themselves 20 minutes of outdoor time every […]
MBFD chief fired for “foot on throat” comments
Manhattan Beach Fire Department Chief Daryn Drum was dismissed last week due to language he used on a conference call with regional public safety officials in which he urged a negotiation tactic of “not taking our foot off their throat,” as well as comments on a local podcast in which he spoke sympathetically of […]
Realtor Greg Geilman, who had COVID-19, uses ‘Domo Gives’ project to sell three houses free for others impacted by virus
In late March, a strange, distressing, and potentially awful thing happened to Greg Geilman. He fell ill with COVID-19. Geilman, who is 50, started feeling ill and self-isolated on March 12, but was unable to find any medical facility that would test him for the virus. Things took a turn for the […]
Manhattan Beach council to host forum on race relations on July 9
A Manhattan Beach community forum and panel discussion to discuss policing and community partnerships in light of the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping the nation has been scheduled for July 9.
LA County to close beaches for the 4th of July weekend
The County of Los Angeles announced Monday afternoon that beaches will be closed the entirety of the 4th of July weekend due to a spike in COVID-19 cases that has brought the county’s total to over 100,000. The closure, which includes parking lots serving beaches, will begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday and be in […]
BeachLife Festival kicks off SpeakEasy Summer Series with G Love, the Mother Hips, and more
The BeachLife Festival, like everything else in these pandemic-altered times, is finding new ways to keep on keeping on. This week, the festival kicks off a new, monthly live stream called the SpeakEasy Summer Series. Featured artists include G. Love, the Mother Hips, Matt Costa, and Mondo Cozmo. Also making appearances will be local […]
Livestream Wine Auction raises $1.1 million for Manhattan Beach schools
The 26th Annual Manhattan Wine Auction was truly unlike any of the previous 25 events. First of all, nobody was there, because it didn’t occur at the Manhattan Beach Country Club or anyplace like it — instead, the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation’s signature event occurred throughout the town, on walk streets, in garages, dining […]
Manhattan Beach pier will reopen Monday
The Manhattan Beach pier, which has been closed since late March due to Covid-19 social distancing concerns will reopen Monday. Mayor Richard Montgomery made the request earlier this week, and LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn helped advocate for the reopening of the city’s landmark. The city will be required to power wash the entire […]
Manhattan Beach Council debates reopening pier without LA County approval
“So what is the deal with the pier?” Councilperson Steve Napolitano asked at Tuesday night’s council meeting, at which he led an unsuccessful charge to reopen Manhattan Beach’s signature landmark, regardless of whether doing so was approved by state or county agencies. “We hear that it’s the state, but who cares?” Napolitano said. “They […]
Not fade away: How Dietz Brothers Music kept its groove in the time of novel coronavirus
Something strange was going on at Dietz Brothers Music during the first weeks of the pandemic. Like every other small business, the shop had closed its doors when state and county officials issued Stay at Home orders in mid-March. But Dietz Brothers is more than a guitar store; the two-story, labyrinthian compound on […]
Hahn seeks Governor’s approval for local businesses to reopen, secures bike path reopening; Manhattan City Council approves opening businesses
Supervisor Janice Hahn responded to the Manhattan Beach City Council’s request to help local businesses reopen by this weekend with a letter to Mayor Richard Montgomery last night in which she expressed a willingness to intervene: “I too have become increasingly concerned with the stringent guidelines for businesses outlined in the Safer at Home ordinance,” […]
As Manhattan Businesses rally to open, Council tries to help
Something occurred Tuesday afternoon in downtown Manhattan Beach that hasn’t happened in two months. A group of people gathered. More than 100 people attended a protest aimed at gaining support from City Council to allow businesses to reopen throughout the city. The protest, organized by local Realtor and former council candidate Joe Franklin, […]
Manhattan Beach reopens its Strand
The Manhattan Beach City Council voted to immediately reopen the city’s portion of The Strand in a 3-2 vote Thursday morning. The vote came in the wake of an extension of LA County’s “Safer At Home” public health order released Wednesday, which extended most social distancing measures first implemented in March, including the closure […]