MB Weekly 08/25/2022

Chief Talks … Crime, Homeless, Safety – Asks For Public’s Help

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NEW POLICE CHIEF SPEAKS UP – AN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY FROM NEW MANHATTAN BEACH POLICE CHIEF RACHEL JOHNSON:

While the brazen criminal act that occurred nearly two months ago at a downtown jewelry store was undoubtedly concerning, Manhattan Beach remains a safe place to live, work, and play.

On Saturday, August 20, 2022, MBPD was called to investigate a purported theft of a meal at a downtown restaurant by an unhoused individual that occurred on the evening of Friday, August 19. Upon investigation, officers learned that a server at the local restaurant gave the food to the unhoused person, who was soliciting for food from those dining in the restaurant. It was further revealed that this restaurant has occasionally been providing food to the person and as a result, he continues to visit the restaurant. This incident, while unfortunate, is not a crime. It should be noted, this was an isolated incident and there is no correlation to crime in Manhattan Beach.

Although visitors, businesses, and residents may not have noticed officers over the weekend, MBPD significantly increased its presence Downtown to safeguard the community as the Manhattan Beach Open drew an increase of visitors to the area. The Manhattan Beach Police Department (MBPD) remains committed to protecting our community and has continued its efforts to reduce crime, apprehend criminals, and provide homeless outreach services. Over the last several months, MBPD has also increased its patrols throughout the city. As a result, recent crime reports indicate there was an overall decrease in crimes in July compared to June.

The City of Manhattan Beach and MBPD continue to work diligently every day to serve and support our community. No act of violence or threat to the community is too small. We ask that the community continue to adhere to the “See Something, Say Something” philosophy and report incidents to the Police Department. It is when we work in partnership that we are the strongest and it is through that partnership that we will maintain the high quality of life we have come to enjoy in Manhattan Beach.

Manhattan Beach City Council, School Board Candidates Announced:

Residents are running for Manhattan Beach City Council and School Board. Tuesday, November 8, is City Council and School Board Election Day. Primary registration ended August 12. If an incumbent didn’t file by 4 p.m. on August 12, the nomination period was extended until Wednesday, August 17, at 5 p.m. Due to several incumbents not running, voting ended at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

NYC Council: Suzanne Hadley and Hildy Stern are currently on the Manhattan Beach City Council. Suzanne Hadley will run again; Hildy Stern won’t. The current list of candidates includes:

  • Amy Howorth (amyhoworthcitycouncil.com)
  • Suzanne Hadley (suzannehadley@gmail.com)
  • David Lesser (davidlesser4mb@gmail.com)
  • Stewart Fournier (stewart@stewartfournier.com)
  • Frank Chiella (frank.chiella@yahoo.com)
  • Rita Crabtree-Kampe (rita4mbcitycouncil@gmail.com)
  • Mark Burton (markfburton@gmail.com)

Manhattan Beach is a General Law city with a five-member City Council. Each four-year member serves nine months as mayor.

MBUSD Board of Trustees: Manhattan Beach Unified School District has three open board seats (more commonly known as the school board). Jennifer Cochran, Jen Fenton, and Sally Peel hold these seats. Only Jen Fenton is re-running. The current list of candidates includes:

  • Christy Barnes
  • Jen Fenton (jenfenton.com)
  • Tina Shivpuri (shivpuri.com)
  • John Uriostegui (johnnyu4mbusd@gmail.com)
  • Wysh Weinstein (kristenwysh@gmail.com)
  • Mike Welsh (mikewelshmbusd@gmail.com)

Manhattan Beach Unified’s board has five members. Members serve four years.

P.S. I Love You Foundation Seeks Mentors For 21st Annual “Adopt A Child For A Day” Beach Celebration:

P.S. I Love You Foundation and “Tidal” Sponsor Fabletics, present the 21st Annual “Day at the Beach” where 300 of our communities most vulnerable youth ages 5-12, unite with 300 caring adult mentors and their families for an interactive day of nurturing, healthy relationship building, trust, inclusion, laughter and lots of LOVE! The event will be in Manhattan Beach on Saturday, September 10, 2022, from 9:00am to 3:00pm local time. “We are anticipating an extraordinary event after a two-year absence due to the pandemic,” stated Patricia Jones, Founder of P.S. I Love You Foundation. “After experiencing such a difficult period of anxiety and isolation, Day at the Beach 2022 will most likely have an even bigger impact in the lives of the children we serve and once again hold a special place in the hearts of all involved.” Activities include boogie boarding, faces painting, miniature golf, volleyball, and the funniest three-legged mentor/mentee race ever seen.

For more information about the event, registration and media passes, please contact Angie Bortolotti at 310-902-2253 or angie@im720creative.com.

www.psiloveyoufoundation.org

MB WEEKLY – LENS:

Mira Costa opened girls’ volleyball season with tournament championship in Hawaii.

MB WEEKLY – COMMENTARY:
By Ann Shumbo

As for firefighter pay, I always find this an interesting question. How can you put a price tag on Someone who helps saves lives – if one of these individuals saved a family member, your home, a pet, a friend or did an act of service – as far as I’m concerned, you can never pay them too much.

www.annshumbo.com

MB WEEKLY:
The Faces of Manhattan Beach
Meet Melanie

“WOULD YOUR RATHER” INTERVIEW

Would you rather wear a constantly changing outfit or a constantly changing hairstyle?
–I CHANGE MY HAIR COLOR ON AVERAGE OF SIX TIMES A YEAR AND I AM JUST GETTING WARMED UP. YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE PURPLE / GREEN MIX.

Would you rather wear a green leprechaun hat every day or fairy wings?
–FAIRY WINGS. THINK I WILL TRY IT.

Would you rather your only mode of transportation be a donkey or a giraffe?
–A GIRAFFE. DO I LOOK LIKE A CHIC WHO WOULD RIDE A DONKEY?

Would you rather be able to control animals or be able to see into the future?
–THE FUTURE IS MINE.

To be featured in “The Faces of Manhattan Beach,” send your photograph to: MBWeekly@TimeWire.net

MB WEEKLY – COMMENTARY:
By Mark Burton

Former Mayor of Manhattan Beach

As one of several residents who appealed the Planning Commission’s approval for the Highrose “Behemoth of a Building” to the City Council, I must say that I was grateful to see two Councilmembers listen to our residents and oppose this blight of a project. Councilmembers Hadley and Franklin did what Councilmembers should always do, they listened to their “bosses,” the residents of Manhattan Beach. I commend Councilmember Hadley for speaking passionately about listening to our residents and expressing the resolve we all want to see from Council when she stated that “the only way this project would be approved would be if a Judge ordered it.” Well, no fear of that happening, since the law is settled that this project is not eligible for four-stories and an Environmental Impact Report is required.

roundhouseaquarium.org/board-of-directors/mark-burton

MB WEEKLY – REAL ESTATE:

Fund manager J.C. Frey of Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors and his wife Kristi put their custom Manhattan Beach home on the market August 12 with a price of $22 million. The 8,400-square-foot property works out to $2,622 per square foot. The house was listed by Kristi Frey, who works as a real estate agent for Strand Hill | Christie’s International Real Estate.

kaynecapital.com/people/j-c-frey/

MB WEEKLY:
The Faces of Manhattan Beach
Meet Tracy Evans

“YES OR NO” INTERVIEW

Did your parents get divorced?
–YES
Do you think that people are basically good?
–YES
Do you have any phobias?
–NO
Has anyone ever accused you of being too nice?
–YES
Do you think that karma is a real thing?
–YES

MB WEEKLY – READER POLL:

SHOULD CALIFORNIA K-12 SCHOOLS OFFER FREE LUNCHES TO ALL STUDENTS?

Please send your vote to: MBWeekly@TimeWire.net

MB WEEKLY – COMMENTARY:
By Phillip Cook

Manhattan Beach Financial Planner

Tax evasion by the wealthy? Seriously? Everyone I know does some form of tax evasion and they are not all wealthy. Some of the “evasion” is perfectly legal. The tax code does not require me to pay the most tax possible. So, if I put money into an IRA is my deduction for that contribution evasion? It does evade tax until it is withdrawn but it is perfectly legal.

How much of the total income tax paid is paid by the highest income earners? An update to historical figures dated 1/20/22, the non-profit Tax Foundation said, “The data demonstrates the U.S. individual income tax continues to be progressive, borne primarily by the highest income earners.” Key findings said that in 2019, “The top 1% of taxpayers paid a 25.6% average individual income tax rate, which is more than seven times higher than taxpayers in the bottom 50% (3.5%). The top 50% of all taxpayers paid 97% of all individual income taxes, while the bottom 50% paid the remaining 3%.”

This sound bite “tax evasion by the wealthy” isn’t a fact. The numbers say the wealthy are paying a disproportionate share (2019 returns): Top 1% filed 1,482,459 tax returns. Those returns showed the top 1%’s share of total Adjusted Gross Income was equal to 20.1% of all AGI. The top 1%’s share of total income taxes paid was equal to 38.8%. Obviously, the media needs to find a new, divisive whipping boy.

MB WEEKLY – LENS:

Chris Barra suffered a sudden heart collapse while driving in May 2020 at the intersection of 15th and Manhattan Avenue, losing consciousness and crashing his vehicle. He was saved in part by the quick response of a police officer from Manhattan Beach and paramedics from the Manhattan Beach Fire Department. “The fire department performed admirably. They have rescued my family twice already,” Lory Barra, Chris’s wife, who was at home by herself with her kids when the fire broke out last week, made the statement. “The guys that saved my life were the same folks that saved Chris’s life.”

MB WEEKLY – COMMENTARY:
By Bryan Stall

I hate to say it, but it is not just the kids; I see parents with small children on the back of e-bikes blowing through stop signs. We all know where the kids are learning this behavior. It is also not limited to e-bikes. I see cars blowing stop signs. On my run down N. Redondo, I had a car blow through a stop sign and graze me. I could believe it. It did not even stop to say sorry. Are you ok? It seems like after the pandemic and people started getting out, they forgot the road rules! Police should station themselves in critical areas and start ticketing people. It would quickly pay for the overtime.

MB WEEKLY – LENS:

Jack and Shirley Burke. They have been married for over 74 years and raised five wonderful children in Manhattan Beach. Also, they both had careers at Hughes Aircraft in El Segundo until retirement.

MB WEEKLY – RESTAURANT REVIEW:
By Darcy Winston

Set The Table

With so much stress, change, and uncertainty going on in the world today, the one simple pleasure my husband and I look forward to is dinner. But … who in the world has time to shop and cook these days? Through an advert on MBWeekly.net, we discovered the food services of www.SetTheTableLA.com. After calculating the cost of ordering from this prepared meal service or cooking/buying these items on our own, we found it WELL worth the value. We’ve been steady customers for two months now. Verdict … WE LOVE IT! These meals do not feel mass-produced and thoughtless, a notable pitfall of many other food service companies we’ve tried. On the contrary, each meal feels and tastes thoughtfully prepared. Delicious. The portions are large, and we haven’t experienced a dud yet. Some of our favorite meals have been the Chicken and Veggie Pad Thai with Zoodles, Traditional Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Mash, and the Southwest Summer Salad with fresh roasted corn and black beans. It’s as close to home cookin’ that you can get without actually cooking it yourself.

Food: A+  •  Service: A+  •  Value: A+

www.setthetablela.com

MB WEEKLY:
“Once A Week, But Never Weakly”

Join 25,840 readers in Manhattan Beach and surrounding South Bay communities.

Sign up to receive for free: www.MBWeekly.net

MB WEEKLY – CARTOON:

“Only 75 more days until it won’t be outlandish to leave your Manhattan Beach house wearing a light sweater.”

URBAN PLATES:

Plates for all tastes! Which do you want to try?

www.urbanplates.com

MB WEEKLY – READERS COMMENT:

“I just discovered MB Weekly. I have to say I’m quite impressed.” —- Jay B., Manhattan Beach

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** I recommend that you sign up for MB Weekly. It’s a good source of information with some great human interest stories as well. —- Mark Burton, former Mayor of Manhattan Beach

** The United States has the highest share of single parenting in the world. How did we get here? —- Arnold K., Manhattan Beach

MB – BULLETIN BOARD:


1. ** Ideally, purchasing a smoke alarm is a total waste of money. —- Candy R., Manhattan Beach

2. ** The new outdoor patio at islands in Manhattan Village is lovely and adds an excellent addition to the neighborhood. —- Jose M., El Segundo

3. ** Every time I go to the California Pizza Kitchen in the Manhattan Village, it seems like a disorganized mess. Not enough staff, long waits, and confused servers. No one ever seems in charge. I wonder what the kitchen looks like. —- Tina M., Manhattan Beach

4. ** Help Wanted: the Concern Foundation, one of the country’s preeminent cancer charities, is looking for a part time accounting finance manager or full-time employee who will be an accounting finance manager and events and donor relations manager. To apply: www.ConcernFoundation/job-description

5. ** Yesterday my daughter was bitten by a dog on the beach. The owner didn’t have the dog on a leash and instead of taking responsibility of the situation, she used the situation instead to run away. She was Asian between 25 to 35 wearing a fur brown and white jacket, the dog was midsized brown dog. Does anyone know her?? Apparently the local lifeguards approached her asking to put her dog on a leash before she got to us and her dog bit my daughter. My girl is 6 years old and already had anxiety related to animals. Police came, took a report. Treated my daughter’s finger but I would like to see this person take responsibility for the incident. —- Kristina Karapetian, Manhattan Beach

6. ** Just a heads up about a scam we had run on us at CVS Pharmacy on Sepulveda. A simple allergy relief medicine was put on the belt for purchase (cost about $7.00) but we were charged for a different product at $36.79. This was not noticed until later when we got home. I went back to the store and showed the slip to the manager and he said we must have bought it because it had to be scanned to be on the slip. We are elderly and that may have emboldened the cashier. —- Diana Driscoll, Manhattan Beach

7. ** Honest to God, when I look at the White House today, I can’t remember this much chaos since the last year of Carter administration. And that, my dear, is not a compliment. —- Lois C., Manhattan Beach

8. ** My husband and I were visiting Scotland. Our suitcases got lost in the mess of canceled flights and re-booking. Nearing the end of our trip, I received a text message from a good Samaritan who used to live in Manhattan Beach with a photo of our bags showing my bag tag. This total stranger let me know that our bags were sitting in the corner near baggage carousel 3 in the Edinburgh airport. —- Linda R., Manhattan Beach

9. ** What I love about your MB Weekly so far is that it is independent, not drawn to extremes with the woke crazies and the hardline right wing. Keep up the excellent work. —- Yardley A., Manhattan Beach

10. ** Manhattan Beach Cars And Coffee, Dates: Last Saturday Morning Monthly Location: El Segundo – The Point (shopping center) – 850 S. CA-1, Starts: 8 AM, Ends: 10 AM, Admission: Free, Vehicle Registration: Free

11. ** We are calling our last Call to Action for Council to protect our city against the financial peril of costly lawsuits and mitigate the stain of racism cast on our Beach City by explaining their conclusion of “racial discrimination” is debatable (See above Call to Action). It has been our pleasure to serve our fellow residents by bringing you the information on this issue. BrucesBeachGetTheFacts, Please address all comments to: BruceBeachGetTheFacts@gmail.com

12. ** So disappointed and disgusted in the behavior of the owner of Racer Tea in Redondo Beach. My best friend, who is type 1 diabetic, politely asked for no sugar in a coffee drink to make her morning easier. Instead of being polite, the owner berated her for wanting to make a change to something and called her disease a “fad diet.” Don’t own a business if you’re not prepared to treat people with respect. And don’t send someone out of your store in tears because you decide to have an attitude. —- Shelby Fredricks, Manhattan Beach

13. ** Please tell the people the truth, the council, staff and many residents believe it’s better for Manhattan & Hermosa Beach to push the feared pot shop problems into poorer communities and onto their children not ours; even if it does have a slight stench of privilege, prejudice and elitism. The teen pot use argument is a compelling red herring. Don’t take the bait. Teen pot use is an educational issue. Those that don’t buy into it will still get their pot, maybe from the Sinaloa Crime Family instead. —- Tony Higgins, N. Hermosa Beach

14. ** A huge 4-story, 79-unit luxury apartment complex called Highrose is being considered for the Verandas / Tradewinds property in El Porto near to the Chevron oil refinery. Highrose would cover two acres and have a maximum capacity of 144 residents. There will be 127 car parking spaces included in the project. This is bad for Manhattan Beach! —- Lilly N., Manhattan Beach

15. ** Let’s be honest. Governor Newsom is a pretty-boy disaster! —- Derrick P., Manhattan Beach

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