December 2008 Archives

Here's what's happening this New Year's Eve:

Hey, whatever happened to that Hermosa Beach guy who survived an avalanche while climbing K2 in Pakistan? What about the Republican woman who found herself in a voting quandary when she discovered Barack Obama was a distant cousin? And that Manhattan Beach yo-yo prodigy -- what's up with him these days? We give you the updates here.

In 2009, I will stop eating jelly beans like there is no 2010. Let's see what other New Year's resolutions South Bay residents have made. While you're at it, tell us what your resolutions are.

Time will stand still for a second today just before 4 p.m., when the custodians of time in Greenwich, England, add a "leap second," to help the earth make up the time it loses in a wobbly, slowing rotation.

Don't feel like a loser if you have no New Year's Eve plans yet: Get some ideas here, and if  you still decide to stay in tonight, wake up early tomorrow morning and go for a refreshing  ocean swim in San Pedro with the rest of the Polar Bears.

The buyers' market intensifies: South Bay home prices slid again in October, nearly a 28 percent drop over price at the same time last year.

Mira Costa's Falyn Fonoimoana is the Daily Breeze's player of the year, leading the best of the best in local girls volleyball players. Check out the lovely ladies here. And Bishop Montgomery's Carrie Rey is coach of the year.

See you next year, South Bay. Bwahahaha!

Controller John Chiang remains in a hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, where he has been recuperating since experiencing chest pains on Friday. 

Though hospitalized, he has not stopped tending to the state's dreadful fiscal condition. Today he issued a letter to state agencies, telling them to prepare to issue IOUs by Feb. 1.

First in line to receive the state's play-money will be Legislators and their staffs, who are used to not getting any salaries from July to about September, plus judges and other elected officials.

Next up will be taxpayers expecting a refund. That'll teach you to withhold too much.

All this could be averted if the Legislature and the governor somehow agree on a plan to close a $40 billion deficit. Don't hold your breath.
 

Here's today's scoop:

Torrance and Honda Motor Corp. are putting the final touches on their respective floats for Thursday's Tournament of Roses Parade. The city's float depicts a scene from Alice in Wonderland, and Honda's features a 49-foot replica of its humanoid robot, ASIMO.

Check out pictures of the float prep work here. And Honda's float rolls out second on the parade route, and Torrance is No. 54, according to the official float order.

The possible consequences of Los Angeles Unified School District's mid-year $400 million budget cut: Classrooms could double in size to 40 students. No more free meals for half the pupils already receiving them. Art classes could disappear in Feburary, and hundreds of teachers face lay-offs.

It's crunch time for non-profit groups, which are scurrying for last-minute, tax-deductible donations in the final days of 2008. Even in a catastrophic economy, more people are giving but donations are smaller, groups say.

A teenager was killed and another injured Monday afternoon in a possibly gang-related shooting in Lawndale.

Probably most folks never again want to think about the awfulness that was 2008 ever again. But if you're a glutton for punishment, why don't you check out our Year in Review?

State Controller John Chiang was admitted to a hospital in Fort Worth, Texas, after experiencing chest pains on Friday, his spokeswoman reports.

Chiang, a Torrance resident, was visiting family at the time. His brother, a doctor, advised him to go to the hospital.

Spokeswoman Hallye Jordan says that Chiang is "resting comfortably," and will be released once test results are in.

Here's what's doing out there today:

Friends and coworkers of a Torrance amputee are banding together to help her buy a badly needed new prosthetic arm that her insurance company won't cover.

Torrance High School teacher Jenna Gebel gives students the low-down on the touchier subjects of life.

Our Freshman columnist went back to her high school for the first time since graduation. Guess what? Juliana is over it, and high school is sooooo high school.

And here's some weekend leftovers, which taste just fine after a couple minutes in the microwave:

Did you see the Daily Breeze's list of the top 10 stories of the year?

After years of fighting to save the SS Catalina, crews have begun demolition on the Great White Steamer, stuck at the bottom of the Ensenada Harbor for more than a decade.

The Palos Verdes Art Center will get some upgrades instead of a completely new facility.

Donald Trump loves publicity.

But it's always a nuisance when he's wrong.

Here's that "terrible reporter" and The Donald in happier times (in full flow in the kitchen of one of his model homes).

Last month Google began making available the Life magazine archive of some 10 million images, the vast majority never before published.

One of the largest photography collections on the Web, the archive provides a slice of  everyday life in the 20th Century. It's also a lot of fun.

So we thought we'd take a look at some of the South Bay images contained in the archive.

Indeed, while we can't publish them here for copyright reasons, the images do provide a snapshot of an earlier, more innocent time.

Here are links to a few that caught our fancy:

Here's a swinging singles party in Torrance in 1967. (Is this Anza Avenue?)

The Cold War (and paranoia) comes to Hermosa Beach in this 1951 shot.

Here's a 1949 scene of the Palos Verdes Peninsula when it really was rural.

This is a 1954 picture of pious Gardena citizens praying for the abolition of gambling in their city (that didn't work out so well, did it?).

Actress Myrna Loy showed up in San Pedro in 1942 to rally the troops. (The shot was taken at the Bundles for Bluejackets Canteen).

There's much more including Redondo Beach storm shots and pictures of the Encounter Restaurant at LAX.

You can check it out here.

Chris Kelly, the chief privacy officer for Facebook, is apparently set to announce his candidacy for attorney general, according to TechCrunch, a Silicon Valley blog.

Kelly would be the fourth Democrat to get into the race, after San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, former Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla, and Torrance's own Assemblyman Ted Lieu. (All of this is contingent on the expectation that Jerry Brown will run for governor in 2010.)

Kelly is a lawyer and a former Clinton White House official, but he is best known as the guy who tries to keep child molesters off of Facebook. Earlier this year, he entered into an agreement with 49 state attorneys general to institute a series of measures to prevent adults from soliciting minors on the site. (The holdout: Texas.)

Lieu also plans to run on his record of cracking down on sex offenders. In 2006, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed AB 1900, a Lieu bill that made it illegal for sex offenders who are independent contractors to employ children or work around them. The classic example: no more sex-offender Santas.

You know things are bad when the state controller's quotes sound like they come from an action movie trailer:

"Without action by the Legislature and the Governor, we literally are weeks away from a meltdown of state government," says Controller John Chiang.

Cue the deflector shields.

Last week, of course, the state announced it was going to stop funding a couple thousand infrastructure projects.

What's next?

Well, if the state owes you money, get it now. Chiang says one of the options on the table is to start issuing billions of dollars worth of "registered warrants," in lieu of actual payment. In a sense, the state would be printing its own money. In theory, you could exchange these IOUs for actual dollars, but in reality banks will probably hesitate to give you anything for them, given the state of affairs in Sacramento.

How much longer before the whole state is repossessed?

Jews across the South Bay are celebrating Hanukkah, which began Sunday and continues to Sunday. The holiday commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabbean revolt way back in the day. Jews light candles on nine-branch menorahs each night in observance. Check out some of the cool menorahs that groups are lighting in public displays. 

Pete Hoekstra, the ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, is lobbying for South Bay Rep. Jane Harman to become the new head of the CIA.

In an interview with Human Events, Hoekstra says he called Rahm Emanuel, the incoming White House chief of staff, to promote Harman's candidacy for the job.

"Jane is excellent on intelligence issues and you'll recall that she was removed from the Intelligence Committee because she refused to dance to Nancy Pelosi's tune," Hoekstra said.

That's obviously a credit to Harman as far as Hoekstra is concerned, but it may not be seen the same way by President-elect Barack Obama.

Here's what's going on today:

A bomb threat at Lawndale's Will Rogers Middle School this morning was a hoax, Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies say.

A Redondo Beach police officer is under investigation for embezzling money from his police union.

China Shipping Holding Co. finally got the OK to expand at the Port of Los Angeles -- plans held up for six years by legal delays.

Day laborers who sued a developer in May over lost wages held a candlelit protest in front of the Palos Verdes Estates home of the company's owner last night. Be sure to check out the pictures of the event.

The Donald filed suit against Rancho Palos Verdes for $100 million Thursday.

In anticipation of our big move, news columnist John Bogert cleans out his desk.

Happy Friday!

Rick Warren, the pastor at OC's most famous megachurch, has a statement out about the controversy over his selection to give the invocation at the Obama inaugural.

I commend President-elect Obama for his courage to willingly take enormous heat from his base by inviting someone like me, with whom he doesn't agree on every issue, to offer the Invocation at his historic Inaugural ceremony.

Hopefully individuals passionately expressing opinions from the left and the right will recognize that both of us have shown a commitment to model civility in America.

The Bible admonishes us to pray for our leaders. I am honored by this opportunity to pray God's blessing on the office of the President and its current and future inhabitant, asking the Lord to provide wisdom to America's leaders during this critical time in our nation's history."

The Los Angeles Conservancy recently released its 2008 Preservation Report Card, which ranks how county cities' preservation efforts.

Turns out, we have a lot of delinquent kids around here.

Carson, Hawthorne, Lomita, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills all got Fs. They all failed in 2003 on their last report card, too.

Gardena, Lawndale, Los Angeles County and Torrance all earned a D- this time.

Manhattan Beach is most improved, moving from an F in 2003 to a D+ this time around.

El Segundo, Hermosa Beach and Rolling Hills Estates all earned a C-.

And Redondo Beach and Los Angeles city are the teacher's pets of the group, earning a B and A-, respectively.

Let's try better next semester, OK?

We are chock-full of news today. Here's just a tiny sampling:

Hermosa Beach police are searching for a man who allegedly sexually assaulted a woman as she walked near the Strand early Sunday morning.

Manhattan Beach historian and author Jan Dennis is at it again. Book No. 6 explores the bevy of women who helped shape the city.

Russia <3 Dana Rohrabacher. The Republican congressman just returned from a trip to Moscow, where he is much hailed for his support of Russia during the South Ossetia conflict.

Torrance will spend $2.5 million on an Intelligent Transportation System city leaders think will dramatically improve traffic in the city.

Redondo Beach moves closer to new regulations for RV parking in town, and Rancho Palos Verdes approves controversial expansion plans for St. John Fisher Catholic Church.

North Torrance High's wrestling coach is hoping to build on last season's successes.

Torrance-based Toyota Motor Sales USA this year will skip its annual dealer meeting in hopes of saving money.

Today the state's Pooled Money Investment Board shut down funding for infrastructure projects. Here's a statement from board member (and Torrance resident) John Chiang:

"The State is out of money, and the special funds we rely on to tide us over are fast running dry."

"There is a lot of talk about what hurts the economy more: cutting programs or raising taxes. But we know shutting down these infrastructure projects will definitely have an adverse impact. Anytime you create turmoil and uncertainty you are going to hurt the economy and slow its recovery.

"Today's vote is extremely painful. I worry about the impact shutting down these needed projects will have on the thousands of people working to improve our roads, our schools... the thousands of people who are working to build the California that our residents envisioned and funded."

That doesn't sound good. This list of projects that could be affected includes everything from school construction to road repair to HOV lanes to prisons to streambed restoration. A few are in the South Bay.

Also today, Sen. Barbara Boxer held a press conference in Culver City to announce that "help is on the way" for California's cities and counties, in the form of a stimulus package that should be on President-elect Obama's desk shortly after he's sworn in. Boxer talked about funding some of the same types of projects the state is today withdrawing support for. Perhaps in light of the state's decision, she talked about making those federal funds available without matching funds from state and local government -- a suspension of traditional practice.

Here's what's happening out there today:

A Rolling Hills Estates man allegedly faked his kidnapping in hopes of bilking $4,400 in fake ransom money from his elderly dad. Police say Andrew Davis is a drug addict and needed cash to pay off his dealers.

An alleged drunk driver hit and killed a 17-year-old boy and injured his brother Tuesday as the pair drove home from his Wilmington church.

LAUSD appointed Deputy Superintendent Ramon Cortines as the new district leader Tuesday, about a week after the agency bought out embattled predecessor David Brewer's contract.

Los Angeles county officials Tuesday awarded $1.5 million to a Los Angeles woman who was paralyzed in a botched back surgery at County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center near Torrance in 2005.

Mira Costa's girls soccer team is shooting for its fifth consecutive title.

Despite a rotten economy and ample layoffs, South Bay secondhand stores have only seen a slight increase in business.

Redondo Beach was full of photo opps Tuesday: the Los Angeles Kings took over its outdoor skating rink, and the city unveiled its new sculpture near the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Catalina Avenue.

Here's what's happening out there today:

It's beautiful and wintery outside today, but the rain will pick up again tonight, meteorologists predict.

One thing was missing from Kaitlyn Maleman's 7th birthday party: gifts. The animal lover insisted revelers instead make donations to a Redondo Beach dog rescue group, and her goodwill helped raise enough funds to rescue four pups from local shelters.

Centinela Valley Union High School District has named a new superintendent, but critics say the board's selection process was too opaque.

Peninsula High School has a new boys soccer coach and strong competition this season for its championship title.

Early results are in -- Daily Breeze readers apparently donated about 3,500 athletic balls to our annual ball drive!

I've asked it once, but I'll ask it again: Are you following us on Twitter? Breeze reporters and editors are breaking news, linking to stories, providing newsroom insights and just being plain funny in 140 characters or less at www.twitter.com. Come find us!

I'm twittering @akwoodhouse; crime reporter Larry Altman is twittering @dbreezecrime; courts maven Denise Nix, @dbcourts; Donna Littlejohn, our Habor reporter and pets blogger, @dbBark; reporter Sandy Mazza, @DailyBreezeSM.

Look for Assistant City Editor and pets blogger Josh Grossberg, @dbDog; Copy desk Chief Jack Mulkey, @jacko75; Managing Editor Toni Sciacqua, @dailybreezeME; and Editor Phillip Sanfield, @editorbreeze.

Today, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas endorsed Assemblyman Curren Price for the 26th Senate District.

Price's 51st Assembly District includes his home in Inglewood as well as the South Bay cities of Hawthorne, Lawndale and Gardena. He was first elected to the Legislature a mere two years ago, narrowly defeating Gardena Councilman Steve Bradford in the Democratic primary.

The special election to replace Ridley-Thomas will be held March 24. If Price wins, there will have to be another special election to replace him. Presumably Bradford will take another stab at that.

So far the others who have taken out papers to run for the seat include Sandra Davis, Jonathan Friedman and our old friend Merv Evans, who has run for just about every office in L.A. County and remains undeterred.

I spend a lot of time here writing about Hermosa Beach bars and restaurants' relationship with the community, a complicated and multi-faceted dynamic to say the least.

Most of the time, the stories are about neighbors upset over loud bars, or the city shutting down restaurants early, or nightclub owners lobbying for specific City Council candidates.

So, it's always refreshing to write about a bar doing something good in Hermosa Beach.

Pier Plaza mainstay Patrick Malloy's is set this week to give a South Bay children's charity more than $3,300 in donations from patrons and owners.

For the last two Thursdays, every customer who donated $5 to Cheer for Children got a free drink voucher, and bar owners matched the total contribution, said owner Fred Hahn.

The result of all that imbibing is $3,300 in donations for the Redondo Beach-based charity that helps South Bay children and their families, Hahn said.

Hopefully next Christmas season, Patrick Malloy's customers will order a little hair-of-the-dog. Cheers!

Here's what's happening out there today:

Baby, it's wet outside! The first big storm of the season hit the South Bay hard last night and should continue through tomorrow.

An El Segundo great, great-grandmother rescues used stuffed animals, cleans them up and brings them to a local drug rehabilitation center so its patients will have Christmas gifts for their kids. Carol Lambert makes her annual delivery Thursday, when she'll bring her total contribution up to about 2,000 over 14 years.

The U.S. News and World Report has ranked the Lennox Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy as the 21 out of 21,000 high school across the country.

Is it any surprise that the new hands-free cell phone law apparently isn't making the roads any safer?

And some weekend leftovers:

After all that hoopla, the big game between San Pedro and Narbonne ended in a draw. Poignantly metaphorical or a complete let-down?  While you're at it, check out pictures of the game and other insights on the Pure Preps blog.

A $13 million renovation plan has owners of a Torrance condominium complex fighting to save their homes.

Bob Bisno is out, but Ponte Vista could still go forward.

A developer was given the greenlight Thursday to move forward with plans for a branch of Trader Joe's in a seaside shopping center in Rancho Palos Verdes.

The city's Planning Commission unanimously approved a plans to build the grocery store on the site of the defunct Golden Lotus restaurant in the Golden Cove Center, at the corner of Palos Verdes Drive West and Hawthorne Boulevard (map).

Earlier plans for a Trader Joe's at the site had been withdrawn in July, resulting in frustration among some local TJ's fans, who blamed city officials. The developer's architect later said financial considerations motivated the withdrawal.

With the new plans, the developer has scaled back the project -- it's reduced it by about a quarter in square footage and a third in height. Underground parking, which is darn expensive to build, has been eliminated from the plan.

Construction is expected to begin next summer so as to ease the impact on a nearby Peninsula Montessori School.

Boaters be warned: The U.S. Coast Guard says you might want to think twice about heading out to sea this weekend.

The National Weather Service is predicting possibly gale force winds beginning tonight through the weekend. That's sustained surface winds of 39 to 54 mph.

They also are predicting high seas of 10 to 15 feet.

The U.S. Coast Guard put out an advisory about all this today.

It's all because of a storm system off the coast of the Pacific Northwest that is moving down here this weekend. .

Here's what the Coast Guard says:

Boaters who plan on venturing out should take extra precautions to ensure their own safety.

"Recreational boating is not advisable for the next couple of days. Those who do plan on boating should tell someone where they are going, and make sure they have their required safety equipment such as life jackets for everyone on board and signal flares," said Anthony Turner, spokesman for Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach.

The Coast Guard suggests boaters also equip their boats with GPS, a marine VHF radio, and 406Mhz Emergency Position Indication Radio Beacon.

"Often boaters in distress will rely on their cell phones. Coverage off short can be unreliable. With a marine VHF radio boaters in distress can contact the Coast Guard on channel 16. We have someone listening to that channel 24-hours a day," said Turner.

The most current marine forecast is available on teh National Weather Service web site at http://www.weather.gov/. Boating safety requirements and education information can be found at http://www.uscgboating.org.

Here's what's doing out there today:

You voted on your Top 10 South Bay holiday traditions, and the Breezie goes to....

San Pedro High celebrated Thursday the opening of its new gym, a controversial project because the $13 million structure was built instead of badly needed classroom space. Check out pictures of the celebration.

Turns out where you live is a huge predictor of how healthy you are and how long you'll live, a year-long study shows.

That San Pedro girl who said she fended off would-be abductors while walking home from school the other day? Well, she lied.

A San Pedro native who now lives in Oregon, comes back home every December to sell Christmas trees from the farm he owns in the Beaver state.

Serra High School takes on Oaks Christian in the CIF Southern Northwest division championship game tonight.

Here's what's up (or down) today:

Think the economy is bad now? Well, it's going to get worse in California, at least according to a forecast released today by UCLA researchers. The gloomy report projects the economy to worsen through much of the next year, until construction picks back up and people start shopping again.

Police are looking for two men who tried to grab a San Pedro High School student off the street Wednesday.

Members of a Hawthorne church are angry that the City Council there voted against a housing development proposed for their property that would help mothers recovering from substance abuse.

Modernizing Redondo Beach's aging Seaside Lagoon could cost up to $14.3 million, at least according to design concepts pitched by one consultant.

In a time where practically every day a national company announces layoffs or files for bankruptcy protection, the aerospace industry is expected to see an increase in sales.

San Pedro High defensive back Dray Ballard is dedicating his season to a friend killed last year at a Halloween party gone bad.  He and his team Saturday head to the Coliseum to in the L.A. City Section title game.

For some children, a sweet picture with Santa Claus is easier said than done. Check out a gallery of kids posing with the Big Guy at Del Amo Fashion Center this week.

Carson Mayor Jim Dear and West Basin Municipal Water District Board Member Ron Smith spent part of their weekend handing out 600 Turkish-made low-flow toilets at City Hall. 

Here's a close-up of the box:

Here's the low-down on what's happening out there today:

Los Angeles Unified School District board members Tuesday approved a new high school for San Pedro, a $102.5 million project that has residents near Angels Gate Park lawsuit-ing mad. Meanwhile, the board also approved Superintenent David Brewer's buyout.

The Port of Los Angeles has slashed its spending by more than $20.5 million, thanks to slumping cargo volumes expected to drop at least 20 percent in early 2009.

Nothing strikes fear like the term "flesh-eating bacteria." Calm your worries with new simple blood tests that quickly diagnose the necrotizing tissue infections and were developed right here at the South Bay's very own Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute.

Palos Verdes High School finally got its brand-new fancy swimming pool, a project with a long troubled history. While you're at it, peruse some pictures.

Narbonne High's Josh Moten is the L.A. City Section's most feared quarterback. Come Saturday, he'll lead his team against San Pedro in a fight for the title game.

About 50 members of New Journey Church of God and Christ in Hawthorne protested on Tuesday night a City Council decision not to turn an acre of land on their property into transitional housing for women recovering from substance abuse and their children.

The church's pastor, John Richardson, addressed the council about its 2-2 vote on November 25 on the issue. Mayor Larry Guidi and Councilman Ginny Lambert voted against the city using state Redevelopment Agency funds to buy the land. The city was considering selling the land to Behavioral Health Services to be developed into a transitional housing facility. Lambert and Guidi said the land was too expensive. A city appraiser valued it at $1.48 million.

Richardson said that church members supported the idea because part of the church's mission is to have "a dream of building a church and school that would help adults, youths, families, and hurting people."

Behavioral Health Services already operates a transitional home for women and children, and the nonprofit organization has wanted to open a second facility because of the community need.

Here is a picture I took from a camera phone of the church members addressing the council last night.  It's a bad picture, but it kind of shows the number of people that were there to protest.  Council meetings are usually sparsely attended.

 We will have a story about this in tomorrow's paper.

 

The Torrance Fire Department held a badge ceremony today and announced these promotions:

• Firefighter Gary Bowman promoted to Fire Engineer
• Firefighter/Paramedic Stephen Viera promoted to Fire Engineer
• Fire Engineer Dennis Costello promoted to Fire Captain
• Fire Engineer Alec Miller promoted to Fire Captain
• Fire Capt. Carl Besanceney promoted to Fire Battalion Chief

If you live in Inglewood, Gardena, Lawndale, Hawthorne, the Palos Verdes Peninsula, San Pedro, Lynwood, Compton, or certain parts of South L.A. or Long Beach, say hello to your new state senator:

This is the community swearing-in that was held on Sunday at First Church of God, Center of Hope in Inglewood. The officiant is Dr. Paul Martin, pastor of Zion Hill Baptist Church.

As mentioned yesterday, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, is on a trip to Russia with William Delahunt, D-Mass. Rohrabacher and Delahunt are the ranking member and chair, respectively, of a Foreign Affairs subcommittee on human rights.

Rohrabacher will also be stopping in Germany, and will be back on Thursday, per his staff.

Several months ago, I was asked to write a profile about Daily Breeze librarian Sam Gnerre for an internal employee newsletter. Unfortunately, as things tend to go in this business, both the people who were putting the letter together, and the newsletter itself, are long gone without ever going to print. So I thought I'd share with you a little behind-the-scenes of the Daily Breeze newsroom with this story:

Whether they need crime scene witnesses or a quick sugar fix, reporters at the Daily Breeze know Sam is their man.

 

Sam Gnerre, 53, was hired as a librarian by the Daily Breeze in 1984. His main responsibility was to maintain the newspaper's new computer archive system, as well as assist reporters with research.

 

Now, the computer archive is pretty self-sufficient - as are many of the reporters, since the Internet made its way into the newsroom.

 

But reporters still call on Gnerre for the hard stuff, like phone numbers and other contact information, property records and relatives or neighbors of news article subjects. He has access to records and databases that reporters don't, plus the experience, know-how and a few "old tricks" to find people who might not want to be found.

 

 (Sam with wife Liz at Dodger Stadium)

Here's what's up today:

Los Angeles County Sheriffs deputies are investigating a Monday-night home invasion robbery during which three men tied and roughed up a Rancho Palos Verdes couple before making off with about $1,000 worth of belongings. Investigators believe the couple might have been followed home by the bandits.

Coincidentally (or related?), law enforcement folks in Orange County have made arrests in a series of home robberies where alleged criminals would follow home gamblers from Gardena's Hustler Casino and then rob them.

Embattled Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent David Brewer asked the board Monday to buy him out of his contract. Meanwhile, Ben Austin, one of four candidates seeking the board's Westside seat in the March election, did not file enough voter signatures to qualify for the ballot.

Palos Verdes' Marymount College is finally ready to expand, but its neighbors are fighting hard to stop the major expansion. A public hearing tonight marks the first step in a long approval process.

Ballot choices in Redondo Beach's and Carson's March 3 election have taken more shape as candidates returned nomination papers yesterday, but candidates in Gardena and Palos Verdes Estates have until Wednesday to file papers.

San Pedro High's Benny Weischedel has a chance to uphold a family legacy Saturday when his team takes on Narbonne High at the Los Angeles Coliseum in the L.A. City Section title game. Check out pictures of the tight end and defensive back in action.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, became an instant hero in Russia a few months back when he blamed Georgia for starting the South Ossetia conflict. He did so in typically colorful fashion, too:

"The Russians are right. We're wrong. The Georgians started it. The Russians ended it."

Well now he is building on that diplomatic overture with a trip to Moscow, according to this terse press release from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Ryabkov received on December 6 the members of the US House of Representatives, William Delahunt and Dana Rohrabacher.

The state of, and prospects for Russian-American relations were discussed, including in the light of the outcome of the US presidential elections held in November this year.

An exchange of views also took place on certain pressing international problems.

Speaking on "Meet the Press" yesterday, President-elect Barack Obama warned Russia about "bullying" its neighbors.

For three months, Gardena city officials have studied an issue that divided the community when it was last discussed at a City Council meeting.

The issue attracted more media coverage in the city this year than any other story (other than major crime news). Some residents called it one of the biggest issues facing the city. Others said it was ridiculous, and should not rise to the level of concern for local government leaders.

Either way, it's back.

On Tuesday night, the Gardena City Council will consider staff's recommendation to curb the wearing of baggy pants in the city by embarking on a public awareness campaign. 

In September, a city ordinance to ban the fashion style was considered by the council.  Council members decided not to vote on it, and instead asked the staff to consider options other than a law against wearing pants below the waist. Here's the original story: Saggy pants: A crime?

The result is a proposal to have a public campaign to encourage teens to pull up their pants.

The proposal is modeled on how Fort Worth, Texas handled this issue earlier this year by instituting a "Pull 'Em Up" billboard campaign.

And, you know an issue has reached an important benchmark in the national debate when Dr. Phil takes it on:

In the clip, Al Sharpton weighs in: "An underlying part of the baggy pants debate is whose butt is in the baggy pants," Sharpton said. "We're talking about the black youth."

Even President-Elect Barack Obama has taken on this issue: Obama: "Brothers should pull up their pants" .

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington today released a report on the nine "most embarrassing" members of Congress. The South Bay's own Laura Richardson is among them, for "accepting favorable loans and her failure to properly report a loan on her financial disclosure documents."

The full report is basically a summary of news articles (many of which have run in this paper) about Richardson's multiple home defaults and her foreclosure. Nothing new, but I guess they want to make sure people don't forget.

Richardson is one of only two Democrats on the list. The other is Rep. John Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat who has golfed with Richardson.

The other seven are:

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN)
Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA)
Rep. Don Young (R-AK)

Richardson even makes a brief appearance in the accompanying video:

Here's what's doing out there today:

Embattled Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent David Brewer is set to resign this afternoon, sources say.

Carson's first-time home buyer's program has been shut down after exceeding its budget by millions of dollars, leaving several families who had invested thousands into homes high and dry.

Playa del Rey residents are calling for a full-environmental review of a proposed development of 13 condominiums at the edge of the Del Rey Lagoon. The project is small, but it's partially submerged underwater and residents would prefer the C-shaped parcel be used to complete the city-owned lagoon.

Come on! Give a kid some joy this holiday, and maybe spur a lifelong sports enthusiasm. You have until Dec.15 to drop off athletic balls at the Daily Breeze offices, as part of the paper's annual Holiday Ball Drive, which helps needy children.

And some weekend leftovers:

Check out pictures of USC's Saturday triumph over UCLA.

How cold is this? Now criminals are targeting the cars left parked at cemeteries by grieving owners visiting graves of loved ones.

Ballot choices for the March 3 election are solidifying in several South Bay communities. But candidates in cities like Carson, Gardena, Palos Verdes Estates and Redondo Beach have more time because either incumbents chose not to file or City Halls were closed Friday.

Survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack 67 years ago are thinning, a fact that saddens one local resident.

Here's what's happening out there today:

O.J. Simpson goes down, sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison, with a possibility of parole in five years, for his role in a botched Las Vegas robbery. Searching for his ex-wife's killer will make his time in the hoosegow fly by.

A team charged with intercepting smugglers at our local ports have recovered 140 pounds of cocaine, 50 weapons and $25 million worth of counterfeit in just five weeks.

Barbie wins: The mother of all girl fights ended late Wednesday when a federal court judge banned MGA Entertainment Inc. from manufacturing the popular Brats dolls, ending a four-year legal dispute with El Segundo-based Mattel, which alleged the dolls' designer developed the concept while employed at the South Bay company, where Barbie is queen.

But Mattel shouldn't get too excited: It joins other toy makers in a settlement deal, under which they pay $1.8 million over allegation of lead in their toys.

Now in its 25th year, Torrance Memorial's annual Christmas Festival fundraiser is expected to bring in $500,000, thanks to longtime volunteers like two Torrance women who have helped decorate the auctioned-off Christmas trees for more than 20 years now.

Mira Costa High School faces off tonight against Palmdale in the C.I.F. Southern Section semifinal. Check out pictures of the team here.

Get into the holiday spirit by scanning pics of Hermosa Beach's tree lighting last night.

Last March, Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, D-South Gate, got a tap on the shoulder and was told he was no longer the chair of the Rules Committee. Apparently, he had crossed outgoing Speaker Fabian Nuñez. He was given one day to pack his things.

The beneficiary of that palace coup was Torrance Assemblyman Ted Lieu, who was elevated from Banking and Finance chair to chair of Rules -- with a spot on the leadership team and the authority to control the flow of legislation through the Assembly.

Today, new Speaker Karen Bass formally announced that Lieu will be staying on as her Rules chair in the new Legislative term.

Here's the full list of Assembly leadership posts:

Speaker pro Tempore                          Assemblymember Lori Saldaña (D-San Diego)
Majority Floor Leader                          Assemblymember Alberto Torrico (D-Fremont)
Assistant Majority Floor Leader            Assemblymember Paul Krekorian (D-Burbank)
Majority Whip                                      Assemblymember Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco)
Assistant Majority Whip                       Assemblymember Isadore Hall (D-Compton)
Democratic Caucus Chair                     Assemblymember John Pérez (D-Los Angeles)
Rules Committee Chair                         Assemblymember Ted Lieu (D-Torrance)

Torrance firefighters rescued a construction worker who hurt his ankle while working atop a building in the 21800 block of Western Avenue on Wednesday. Because it was an unfinished construction site, with just ladders and stairs to go up and down, firefighters raised their aerial ladder to lift him directly off the roof. He was taken to a hospital in good condition. Capt. Steve Deuel sent these photos to us:

Here's a peek at what's happening today:

Torrance resident Linda Ferrara, whose son was killed in Afghanistan about a year ago, was storing in her motor home a trove of clothes and blankets set for donation to wounded soldiers, but thieves broken into the vehicle and stole them all.

A former Hawthorne man who was held prisoner in the United Arab Emirates at the United States' behest said he was beaten, deprived of sleep and kept in an underground freezing room.

Seniors may soon see a steep increase in monthly premiums for Medicare's prescription drug plan.

Redondo Beach can't make a decision either way on a controversial development in town, and Manhattan Beach is considering a trolley system.

Torrance children got a taste of country living Wednesday when the Dairy Council brought real live livestock to Hickory Elementary.

A  South Bay coffee company is going national.

Westchester High School's boys basketball team has a shot at an L.A. City title.

This is either a serious effort at reform or an act of frustration, or a little of both:

Democratic legislators have introduced a bill to put before voters the option of reducing the percentage required to pass a state budget down to a simple majority, a move likely to set off a battle in both the legislature and at the ballot box.

Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblyman Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) introduced the bill Wednesday, saying inaction on the state budget could be laid at the feet of the two-thirds majority requirement to pass a budget.

"Californians of all ideologies can see that the state's budget process is antiquated and in desperate need of reform," Steinberg said in a statement.

This is a perennial frustration for Democrats, but in view of this year's record delay and utterly dysfunctional result, they now seem particularly keen on reforming the 2/3 threshold.

Not sure how likely it is to get to the ballot box, though. It needs two-thirds support for that, and if they can't get two-thirds support for a budget, it's unclear how they can get two-thirds support to change the budget threshold to a majority.

Some 75 folks turned out last night for that hearing on San Pedro's Ponte Vista housing development. But as for the testimony, it was pretty one-sided. Bisno Development sent out e-mails telling its supporters not to bother showing up.

The session was of marginal importance, since no decision was to be made by the Harbor Area Planning Commission. Its role was simply to listen to the testimony and "advise" city officials who are charged making an ultimate ruling. And with members either recusing themselves due to conflicts of interest or out of town on travel, only the panel's chairman, Michael Ponce, was there to listen.

Nevertheless, residents opposed to the 1,950-home project, many wearing red shirts to demonstrate their solidarity, turned out to express their concerns about traffic and denisty.

Meanwhile, the hearing before the Los Angeles Planning Commission still looms as the major upcoming showdown on the issue that has been debated for some three years in San Pedro. That meeting was postponed from Dec. 11 and now is expected to take place (tentatively) on Feb. 12.

For a rundown on last night's meeting, check out San Pedro News online. 

 

Here's a look at what's happening out there today:

Carson voters will be asked in March to approve a 5-percent tax on tickets sold at the Home Depot Center, as well as a 2-percent utility-users' tax, the City Council decided this morning.

Manhattan Beach's Journey of Faith church is again gearing up for its massive annual Christmas program, which reenacts Bethlehem as it might have been more than 2,000 years ago. No doubt many South Bay residents' favorite holiday tradition, the elaborate event requires months of preparation work, including costume fittings, voice lessons and acting classes.

Memorial services for Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg, a director of the Chabad center in Mumbai who was killed in last week's terrorist attacks, are being held throughout the South Bay beginning tonight.

Cycling in Rolling Hills Estates could soon get easier, after the city spends about $2 million in grants to build a 5-foot bike lane on each side of Palos Verdes Drive North, a rough spot for road sharing.

Palos Verdes Estates responds to the lawsuit from the couple who got their fancy Halloween decorations torn down because they were allegedly on city property.

Even after two top players graduated last year, Mira Costa's girls basketball team is hoping to continue the team's legacy. See the team here.
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A retired Redondo Beach aerospace worker is developing his own fuel conversion system to run his car on vegetable oil. Check out pictures of Sanford Stein in action.

December is a great candy month. Browse our recipes to get your own homemade sugar high.

The Carson City Council, which just adjourned at 2:30 a.m., has approved a 5 percent tax on Home Depot Center tickets for the March ballot.

However, the HDC has said it would be willing to agree to a 2 percent tax by contract, and the council may pull the tax off the ballot if a deal can be reached by next week.

More tomorrow.

The Carson City Council just voted unanimously to place a 2 percent utility tax on the March ballot.

By reversing his earlier opposition, Mayor Jim Dear broke a campaign pledge to oppose a new utility tax.

Because it won unanimous support of the council, the tax will require only majority support from the voters -- not two-thirds.

The council has not yet debated a separate proposal to impose a 2 percent tax on tickets at the Home Depot Center.

Tomorrow the Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism will release its Congressionally-mandated report. The report's most eye-popping claim is that it is more likely than not that a nuclear or biological attack will occur somewhere in the world by 2013.

South Bay Rep. Jane Harman, though not immune to such rhetoric herself, says in a statement today that such talk amounts to playing "the fear card."

We need to educate and inform the American people, not terrify them with alarming details about possible threats to the homeland. 

Harman, who is said to be on the list of potential candidates for CIA director, goes on to praise President-elect Barack Obama:

Comments yesterday by President-elect Obama and DHS Secretary-nominee Napolitano about working more closely with America's first responders - something the Bush Administration resisted for eight years - are spot on.

Yesterday's roll-out of the President-elect's national security team signifies that very capable nominees will use the full range of US power to combat the serious terror threat.  Now it's time for the rhetoric about that threat to calm instead of inflame an anxious public.

While Harman has arguably played the fear card herself many times over the years, she has also played the fear-card card when she believes that fear is overblown or unhelpful. This most recent report is apparently in that latter category.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has put an end to speculation that he might join the Obama administration:

Villaraigosa said he had a "conversation" with Obama in mid-November about joining the new Democratic administration, but told the incoming president that he would stay in Los Angeles to focus on his reelection campaign and ongoing efforts to address the city's financial troubles and other pressing issues.

"I'm honored and flattered to have been considered for an appointment in the Obama administration," Villaraigosa told The Times on Monday. "I made it clear I love what I do. And I feel that at this moment in my life, this is the job in which I can best serve my city and country."

The Washington Post reported over the weekend that Villaraigosa was being considered for Secretary of Labor and for director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Did you happen to catch last night's cosmic triangle where the crescent moon perfectly aligned with Jupiter and Venus? Isn't that the start of a 5th Dimension song? This cosmic anomaly won't happen again until November 2052.

Manhattan Beach is moving ahead on its green mission. This time, the city is considering whether to pursue a ban on polystyrene foam food containers.

Carson couldn't get enough votes to get a warehouse tax on the March ballot, but tonight city leaders will try again for a levy on tickets sold at the Home Depot Center and also a utility-users' tax for most residents and businesses.

Almost 200 travelers on a flight from El Salvador sat on the tarmac of LA/Ontario Airport for nine hours early Monday after thick fog forced forced authorities to divert the plane from LAX.

Life is good, at least for the authors of holiday newsletters filling columnist John Bogert's mailbox.

Selling cars must be rough in this economic climate, but Mat Hand has the business in his blood.

New players have revived Inglewood High School's girls basketball team. Their Bishop Montgomery counterparts are in good shape, too. See for yourself.

Pres.-elect Barack Obama announced his "national security" team today. But he said nothing about the two top intelligence jobs -- CIA Director and Director of National Intelligence.

Both are proving to be difficult positions to fill.

Last week, the top candidate for CIA dropped out, leaving no clear front-runner in his wake. And while there is a strong contender for DNI, evidently some civilians don't like the idea of working for yet another military guy.

So who else is out there? ABC News has a list of CIA candidates:

Sources told ABC News that contenders have included John McLaughlin, a former CIA official with more than three decades of service at the agency, former Clinton deputy national security adviser James Steinberg, former U.S. Navy Secretary Richard Danzig, former Indiana Rep. Tim Roemer or Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., who is the current chairwoman of the House intelligence subcommittee. But Steinberg is expected to be tapped as deputy secretary of State, and Danzig as deputy secretary of Defense.

Harman's name has been on these lists from the beginning. The South Bay Democrat hasn't gotten mentioned as much in the last couple weeks, but here she is again.

If chosen, Harman would be the first female CIA director. (Also the first one who wasn't a white male.) All the other candidates on this list are white males, and Obama has shown in his other appointments that he values diversity.

But how would she do on the break-from-Bush question?

"This is the area where you see extremely bright lines separating the Bush administration and the Obama administration," said James Miller, a senior vice president at the Center for a New American Security, a left-leaning think tank. "I would be shocked if anyone who supported those policies or implemented them got a job."

Harman was the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee when the most controversial Bush administration policies were planned and executed. She was briefed on a lot of it, though she was kept in the dark on the legal rationales. She did object when the CIA planned to destroy tapes of interrogations, but her instinct as a legislator seemed to be to split the difference:

She initially supported the administration's program of domestic wiretapping, and in February 2005 gave a speech at Georgetown University in which she suggested creating a system of warrants for coercive interrogation.

Of course, finding somebody who A) was totally uninvolved in all of this and B) is still qualified
to run the CIA, will be difficult.

Just got word from the LA Planning Department that the Dec. 11 Planning Commission meeting to rule on San Pedro's Ponte Vista project has been postponed.

The developer asked for more time to review the staff's recommendation denying approval for the 1,950-home development on Western Avenue. Staff agreed to the request this afternoon.

The matter will now tentatively be heard by the commission on Feb. 12.

Meanwhile, the Harbor Area Planning Commission -- which will make no decision but only "hear and advise" -- is still set to hear arguments on the project at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday (12/2) at the Port of Los Angeles Boys and Girls Club, 100 W. Sifth St. (at Harbor Boulevard) in San Pedro.

Earlier post: Ponte Vista maneuverings 

Today is the first day of a new session in Sacramento, which means new leadership positions are being announced.

State Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Redondo Beach, has been appointed the Democratic Caucus chair. According to her office, this puts her in the "inner circle" of Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, and gives her a chance to shape policy.

In a release, Steinberg calls her "a Latina role model."

Seriously?

Obama is said to be considering former representatives David E. Bonior (D-Mich.) and Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) and at least one prominent Hispanic, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, for labor secretary.

Villaraigosa is one of two Latinos on Obama's transition economic advisory board, which may help to fuel these rumors. The Obama transition folks appear to be getting some pressure from Latino groups to make some high-profile Latino appointments:

Hispanics are hoping to see representation beyond New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D), who is the leading candidate to become commerce secretary. In addition to Labor, Villaraigosa is thought to be in the running to lead the department of Housing and Urban Development.

We're hearing that Bisno Development is asking for a 45-day extension on that Dec. 11 L.A. Planning Commission hearing.

E-mails went out last night to Ponte Vista supporters about the exentsion request. The e-mails also suggest that supporters not bother showing up for tomorrow night's Harbor Area planning commission meeting where Ponte Vista also is scheduled to get a hearing (although that body has no authority to make any kind of decision, only offer comments to the city).

We're checking with LA city planners to see what's up. It's up to the city Planning Department to grant an extension. We'll keep you posted and look for a full story in Tuesday's Daily Breeze.

To be continued .....

**** UPDATE: I just spoke with John Dugan at LA Planning who says it's "likely" the postponement until Feb. 12 will be granted. The request came in late on the day before Thanksgiving but with the holiday, planning staffers are only now able to discuss it.

The developer says he needs more time to go over the staff's earlier rejection of the 1,950-home project plan.

A final determination on the extension will be announced later today, Dugan told me, so we'll post that information as soon as we hear.

Meanwhile, Dugan said the Harbor Planning Commission meeting is still on for Tuesday (12/2) night. Ponte Vista says they'll have staffers there "to take notes and listen," but they've told supporters there's no need to show up in large numbers since there will not be a quorum and no decision will be made.  

Jeff McLaughlin, director of marketing and business development at Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, sent me an email in response to my Black Friday blog: Black Friday shopping blitz.

Here's his email:

I was reading your blog entitled "Black Friday Shopping Blitz" in The Pipeline section of the on-line Daily Breeze and came across your reference to an "unsubstantiated report of a fight at the Macy's at Del Amo Fashion Center."
I wanted to touch base with you to let you know we have no record of any such incident, and, quite to the contrary, we've been seeing lots of excited shoppers throughout the day with bags in hand, really getting into the holiday spirit and taking advantage of all the deals and promotions mall-wide.
Thank you for the opportunity to clarify.

Using the term "unsubstantiated report" is a bad idea on my part because it's so vague and basically means nothing. But, since I didn't give you just the facts ma'am on Friday, here they are:

Shoppers at the Macy's in Del Amo Fashion Center called Torrance police officers when they saw people fighting in the store early Friday morning, according to Torrance Sgt. Mark Athan. When officers arrived, they learned that that the fight was between some of the store's plain-clothed loss prevention officers and a suspected shoplifter.  Apparently, the shoplifter attempted to run out of the store with $137 in clothing without paying, Athan said.

Other than that minor incident, the only other thing police in Torrance responded to on Friday (or Saturday) was a drunk guy at the Toys R Us on Hawthorne Boulevard in the early morning, Athan said. Overall, holiday shoppers were very orderly. 

More good news: Retailers are reportedly relieved today because holiday sales were much better than expected in this tight economy.  Here's a snippet of a story by Ylan Q. Mui in the Washington Post today:

Market research firm ShopperTrak reported that sales on Black Friday grew 3 percent to about $10.6 billion. Last year, sales on that day grew 8.3 percent.

"Under these circumstances, to start off the season in this fashion is truly amazing and is a testament to the resiliency of the American consumer, and undeniably proves a willingness to spend," said Bill Martin, ShopperTrak co-founder.

A more comprehensive picture is expected on Thursday, when national chain stores are scheduled to report November sales, which should offer more insight into how the holiday season is going...

...Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation, a trade group, said yesterday that about 172 million people have shopped in stores or online since Thursday, spending an average of $372.57 per person for a total of roughly $41 billion. That's a 7.2 percent increase over the same weekend last year, when about 147 million shoppers spent $347.55 per person.

"I would say people were putting off a lot of purchases, waiting for the best deals, knowing that retailers would obviously reward them," said Scott Krugman, NRF spokesman.

The group estimated about 73.6 million people hit stores and websites on so-called Black Friday, the busiest day of the long weekend. According to its survey conducted by BigResearch, about 23 percent were at the stores by 5 a.m. and nearly 58 percent arrived by 9 a.m.

Here's a look at what's doing out there today:

Culture Shock Los Angeles, a nonprofit dance company that brings professional-quality entertainment and dance instruction to the public, has expanded its programming in the South Bay. So far, the group has taught moves to students at Gardena High School and Peary Middle School. See for yourself here.

After achieving a statewide ban on smoking in cars carrying children, Sen. Jenny Oropoeza is setting her sights on prohibiting puffing in state parks.

It should come as no real surprise that we are officially in a recession.

Did your cat also freak out at the big noise and accompanying rattling Sunday afternoon? It was a sonic boom produced when the space shuttle Endeavour landed at Edwards Air Force Base, after bad weather diverted it from reentering in Florida.

Are your legs tired? Because you've been running through my mind all night long. Don't worry ladies, you won't be hearing that cheesy line from Redondo Beach resident Simeon Moses, who was named last night as a master pick-up artist a VH1 reality show.