Recently in Lawndale Category

 The city of Lawndale has posted the contracts of elected officials and city employees on its web site. The information has been posted for a week or so and comes as other local cities, including Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Torrance and Rancho Palos Verdes disclose public employee compensation information in the wake of the Bell salary scandal. Last month, the Daily Breeze took a look at what city workers and elected officials across the the South Bay are earning.

In Lawndale, council members earn $450 a month and are eligible participate in the city's benefits package while in office. Interim city manager Dayle Keller earns a base salary of $168,000 and deputy City manager Otis Ginoza earns a base salary of $148,500.

 

The Lawndale City Council tonight will consider hiring an outside firm to hire a new city manager. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. at 14717 Burin Ave.

Lawndale city union employees voted this week in favor of ousting City Manager Keith Breskin, claiming he unfairly yells and harasses employees. The final vote on Tuesday was 36 to 11 against Breskin.
While this action reveals a large rift between Breskin and some employees, it does not guarantee that Breskin's job, which he has held for 5 years, will be affected. The City Council is in charge of hiring and firing the city manager.
No-confidence votes have historically received mixed reactions. Here are a few examples:

• Last April, Ed Boks, the head of Los Angeles Animal Services received a no-confidence vote from the Los Angeles City Council. Boks resigned shortly after the vote.
  
• Nearly 80 percent of California Faculty Association members issued a vote of no confidence for California State University Chancellor Charles B. Reed last July. Reed remains chancellor of the statewide system, which has a location in Carson.
  
• Former Hermosa Beach Fire Chief Russell Tingley received a no-confidence vote from firefighters in 2005, who claimed he was incapable of leadership, management, decision-making and strategic planning. He stayed with the department for two more years before retiring in 2007.
  
• In 2003, Hobart Cress, then-principal of Taper Avenue Elementary School in San Pedro, asked for -- and was granted -- a transfer to another school. The request came about a week after the Taper school site council took a vote of no confidence in Cress.

The Daily Breeze's coverage of a relatively minor Lawndale City Council decision to replace some smelly Society Garlic plants became a local television news sensation this week.

The media attention mostly annoyed city officials -- except Councilman Jim Ramsey, who soaked up the spotlight. He is the only councilman who strongly opposes removing the plants.

People were so interested in Lawndale's decision to remove some of its 5,000 stinky garlic plants, that the story was picked up by the Huffington Post.

But the most interesting part of the story apparently became Ramsey's joke about the plants keeping away vampires.  People seem to think he might not be joking about this remark but, for the record, he IS joking.  He just looks really serious saying it on KTLA...

Readers, here's your local news:

Fifteen customers of the Apple store in Manhattan Beach have been targeted since September by thieves who follow them away from the store and snag their new purchases.

In the wake of the attempted Christmas Day terrorist attack, Los Angeles city officials are promising to beef up security at Los Angeles International Airport.

Only three South Bay school districts have submitted applications to receive a portion of up to $700 million competitive federal grant program.

More fall-out on the great Lawndale garlic-gate.

El Segundo's flasher has struck again -- the ninth time in recent months.

A beautiful historic San Pedro building celebrates its 85th birthday Thursday.

Torrance-based Toyota Motor Sales may have had a rough 2009, but it still gained two No. 1 rankings.

Serra High's Robert Woods is the Daily Breeze's prep football player of the year. His leader, Scott Altenberg, is the coach of the year, and why don't you check out the rest of the All-area Team?

Readers, let's hit it:

A Rolling Hills Estates attorney was shot in his driveway Monday night. The man is in critical condition died at Torrance Memorial Medical Center this morning.

Monday's rain went away but will come again another day -- like Thursday. Check out pictures of yesterday's storm.

Los Angeles Unified School District leaders are set to vote today on a three-year budget plan today that includes massive lay-offs of teachers, administrators and school workers to close a $495 million deficit.

Two Torrance High alumni and one of their mothers have been arrested in a shooting death last week of a Harbor Gateway man.

Hey, times are tough: Why not rob a Christmas tree lot for $70 and apologize in the process like this guy allegedly did?

Kaiser Permanente hosted a free surgery day Monday, providing gratis procedures for about a dozen uninsured patients on waiting lists for months.

El Segundo-based Boeing said Monday it had acquired the first on-orbit signals from an Air Force satellite launched over the weekend.

Leuzinger High's boys basketball team thinks it has the skills and roster to get to another shot at CIF. And Serra High's team isn't too shabby either.

Coming at ya, readers:

Lomita's City Council race has ended in a tie for the third seat, a relative rarity in local elections. Also, check out our post-election coverage.

Say goodbye to bikini-clad baristas in Torrance. The controversial Bikini Espresso is closing.

The family of a man killed in a shootout that also injured a sheriff's deputy this week in Lawndale said the incident could have been avoided had a parole agent arrested Juan Carlos Aguilar for drug possession earlier that day. Check out pictures of the aftermath.

John Bogert opines about a rite of passage -- school dances.

Trial has started for the former Torrance plastic surgeon accused of working while on disability and double-billing for procedures.

Los Angeles city leaders have approved $1.3 billion worth of construction contracts to expand the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX.

Several South Bay cities and agencies will get nearly $13 million for various projects from Los Angeles County, Supervisor Don Knabe announced in his state of the county speech Wednesday.

Two Mira Costa High School girl volleyball players are glamming up the usually inglorious middle blocker position.

Let's hit it with the news:

We check in with South Bay schools that tuned in Tuesday to watch President Obama address school children across the country.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has awarded a $170 million contract for the construction of a new surgery center at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center near Torrance.

Meantime, the county will receive nearly $15 million from the Center for Disease Control to combat swine flu as part of an emergency public health fund.

Turns out, Tortilla Flats isn't the best name for a restaurant in Old Torrance, just blocks away from the turf of an East Torrance gang that has adopted the literary moniker.

Trucking companies are protesting a proposed 18-cent state gas tax, which some companies working out of the Port of Los Angeles say would only add to the burden they're feeling after new environmental regulations.

One local company is seeing a profit boost thanks to gold's rising value.

Prep football is here, and today we look at teams from Leuzinger and Inglewood. While you're at it, why don't you check out pictures of Leuzinger's team?

Readers, let's hit it:

The Rancho Palos Verdes fire is out, but blazes continue to rage in the rest of the region, including the massive Station wildfire, in which two firefighters died Sunday.

Scroll through pictures of the aftermath of the PV fire here and here.

Sheriff's deputies are looking for four men believed to be involved in the shooting of a man in Lawndale last night.

Loyola Marymount University opened its brand spanking new library Sunday. Check out pictures of the $63 million facility.

Old Torrance hosted its first ever block party Sunday.

A Long Beach man was first to paddle Sunday into Manhattan Beach in the 34th Catalina Classic Paddleboard Championship. Check out pictures of the event.

And some weekend stragglers...

Shell Oil Co. has discovered methane and benzene contamination beneath a south Carson housing tract.

Patrons of a popular San Pedro cigar shop are fasting for Ramadan in solidarity with the store's owner.

The election for the 51st Assembly seat is Tuesday.

Readers, let's end your work week with some juicy local news:

A 13-year-old Carson boy died when he accidentally shot himself while playing with a gun Thursday.

A Westchester man believed to have made threats against the White House locked himself in his car for more than nine hours Thursday outside the Federal Building in West Los Angeles. The stand-off snarled traffic and forced evacuations of neighboring buildings.

Mourners Thursday gathered in San Pedro to remember the Sandovals, the family of four killed in a fiery car crash along with a young niece last week while en route to Legoland. Here are some photos of the emotional services.

A Redondo Beach man was sentenced to three years in military prison Thursday after going AWOL from the Air Force and lying about it, a military judge ruled in a rare court-martial proceeding at Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo.

Lawndale's Environmental Charter School hosted a conference Thursday for educators statewide to learn more about "green" curriculum models.

Torrance resident Akihiko Noro is on a roll as the head chef at a Redondo Beach culinary mainstay's new sushi bar. Check out some pictures here.

3...2....1... News off!

Parking could get half easier in Manhattan Beach if an upcoming experiment with high-tech meters is successful.

An elderly Lawndale woman was killed in a hit-and-run crash Sunday in Los Angeles that police believe was caused by street racers.

Manhattan Beach landmark restaurant Old Venice is back in business after three years of turmoil. Check out pictures of the eatery.

South Bay beach goers got an aerial ad of a different message Saturday, when a plane dragged a banner over Hermosa Beach telling an NBA great to stop chasing married gals.

Check out photos of Camp Escapades, a three-week Torrance camp for special-needs children.

A Torrance youth baseball team is headed to the Babe Ruth World Series.

Knit Sewing Club USA of Torrance teaches members to make their own clothes.