Hawthorne Press Tribune Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - February 5, 2015 Rogers Park Gears up for Baseball A view of Rogers Park at 400 W Beach Ave in Inglewood, which will be gearing up for baseball season soon. Photo by Osvin Suazo, oqoimages@gmail.com. Lawndale Receives Approval to Transfer Funds and Reopen DeOro Lane By Nancy Peters The Lawndale City Council met on Monday, February 2 for its regular scheduled meeting with all elected officials present and seated on the dais. The agenda for the evening contained only a few items for consideration. The use of grant funding for the modular building that provided temporary shelter for community services during the building of the Lawndale Library and the Hofmann Community Center has been causing a conundrum for several years since the completion of the two building projects at the Civic Center. The modular building and its location causes DeOro Lane to be closed to vehicular traffic. The city is prepared to reopen that street to restore traffic circulation patterns in the Civic Center area along Burin Avenue and 147th Street. The terms of the Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (“District”) grant funding received originally in 2003 in the amount of $272,100.87 required the money be used for a capital project for recreation purposes for 10 years. The use of the grant for the modular building required approval from the granting agency and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. With the city, the County, and the District requiring many factors to be considered, the right project being designated for the use of the funds, and the approvals all around for the designated project, there is now a solution to conundrum. The city will reimburse the County $244,890.78 of the original grant amount that made the modular purchase possible. The grant will then be reassigned to the Frank T. Hogan Park Improvements Project, increasing the grant for that project to $522,100.87. The modular will be removed from DeOro Lane and moved to the Hogan Park Project, fulfilling the requirements placed on the grant and the use of the modular building will remain under the heading of “recreational purposes.” The city will be allowed to remove the modular at an appropriate time by auctioning the building to the highest bidder and reimbursing the General Fund for the grant reimbursement. However, the full process of the approval of the transfer of the funds; the receipt of the reimbursement by the County/District; the receipt of the matching appropriation to the Hogan Park Project; the removal of the modular; the completion of the street work to reopen DeOro Lane; the auctioning of the modular; and the completion of the Hogan Park Project will be done over a nine (9) month period. The City Council voted unanimously to approve this plan and accept the recommendation of the staff to proceed with reimbursing the County and arrange for the modular building to be removed and auctioned as an asset. The administration of the Community Development Block Grant program, handled by MDG Associates, Inc., since 2004, as well as providing services for the former Redevelopment Agency. Due to that program ending in February 2012, the services of MDG were not renewed three years ago. Residual administrative tasks are continually required, however, for those who are part of the old program. Both residential and commercial façade programs have active loans and these were being handled by a staff member until that position was recently vacated. With work to be administered, the services of MDG are being contracted once again with an approved contract to expend a maximum of $9,180 for a period of six months to be in effect until June 30, 2015. The funding will be shared by the Housing Authority and Successor Agency budgets. The City Council approved the two contracts for appraisal services with Ellis Group, Inc., dba Integra Realty Resources, and Donna Desmond Associates, for the properties impeding on the right-of-way for the right turn lane portion of the Inglewood Avenue Widening Project. In addition, the appraisals will determine the just compensation to the parties affected for the takes and temporary construction easements that can be paid by the city. Both properties are commercial in nature and will be impacted. In the Public Safety report offered by Captain Steven Sciacca of the Los Angeles County Sheriff ’s Department, it was announced that four (4) juvenile suspects were arrested in the fire, which damaged windows and a classroom, set on the campus of Lawndale High School in December. The suspects are all residents of Redondo Beach and their arrests were the results of work between the Lawndale School Resource Deputy and the Sheriff’s Arson and Explosives Detectives. An investigation of a strong-arm robbery and an assault at a home in Lawndale resulted in a detective using his revolver to subdue a large dog in the home as it charged at the detectives, growling and barking, and not retreating, fearing they would be mauled. A dispute at a 7-11 store at the Redondo Beach Boulevard and Hawthorne Boulevard intersection resulted in an arrest of a suspect who was observed stealing items and whom the store clerk attempted to detain until deputies arrived. Another customer assisted the store clerk in detaining the suspect. Investigation showed that the entire incident and the stealing of the items were all recorded on the surveillance security video. The Mayor and City Council sent sympathies to the family whose dog was killed by the Sheriff’s detective. The City Council also will be honoring the store clerk and the customer at the 7-11 Store thanking them for their actions and bravery. The City Manager announced that there will be no street sweeping on the federal holiday on Monday, February 16 and parking restrictions are lifted as well. The next meeting of the Lawndale City Council will be held on Tuesday, February 17 at 6:30 p.m. in lieu of the regular meeting on the third Monday to accommodate the observance of President’s Day on Monday, February 16 when City Hall will be closed. At this special Tuesday meeting the permits for Fireworks’ Stands will be granted. • Inside This Issue Briefs.....................................3 Classifieds............................3 Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................6 Food.......................................8 Legals............................2, 6-7 Pets........................................5 Seniors..................................2 Sports....................................4 Tech Talk...............................3 Weekend Forecast Friday Partly Cloudy 66˚/55˚ Saturday PM Showers 65˚/58˚ Sunday Partly Cloudy 69˚/59˚ The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne
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