Hawthorne Press Tribune The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - April 28, 2016 Council Takes Aim to Clean Up City With Storm Drain Upgrades, Trash and Graffiti Removal By Derrick Deane Graffiti removal was another matter that reward for anyone who reports illegal dumping,” It’s time to clean up Hawthorne. That was was addressed by both City Clerk Norb Huber English said. “There should be an effort. I the overarching message as the City Council and Mayor Alex Vargas who advised residents know there are folks here saying, ‘We’ve got tackled matters ranging from storm drain to call (310) 349-1632 to have it removed. dumping here,’ ‘There’s an eyesore there,’ but upgrades, graffiti removal, and trash along “If you see graffiti out there, that’s the how far are you willing to ensure that this parts of the 105 Freeway. hotline to call,” Huber said. “There’s a lot of doesn’t happen again by catching that person City Manager Arnie Shadbehr presented what graffiti still going on and the city has a great and ensuring that they have full prosecution?” he called Phase Two of improvements along crew to go out and remove it or cover it up.” Vargas said that even though the area is a half mile stretch of Hawthorne Boulevard Mayor Vargas said that if the matter is CalTrans property, the city should take initiative between El Segundo Boulevard and 120th reported and cleaned up, “those people will and maintain the area because it projects a bad Street during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. get tired. Because they’ll see whatever their impression on the city. “This is another project that, with your little work of art is not going to last so they’ll “When you get off the off-ramp and you approval, we are going to start advertising move on to somewhere else,” then added look to your left, there is all this trash and for bid,” Shadbehr said of the project which jokingly, “they can move to Los Angeles or bags and piles of clothes,” Vargas said. “And follows part of a $14 million improvement of Gardena or somewhere else. They’re going to you’re going to turn left to go where? To the the drainage system between Rosecrans and move somewhere which is unfortunate, but at city of Hawthorne.” El Segundo boulevards. least we’re taking care of our city. That’s our Vargas said that when people get off the “What it does basically is divert 140,000 responsibility.” freeway at Hawthorne or Crenshaw boulevards, gallons of water for each 24 hour rain event Councilwoman Olivia Valentine said that at “that’s what they see and that’s the image underground to infiltration chambers instead a recent city event, residents told her about that they get of Hawthorne. It doesn’t matter of sending polluted water to a storm drain trash and illegal dumping taking place in the that it’s CalTrans. They think this is what is that ends up in the ocean,” Shadbehr said. city. While the illegal dumping took place on representative of Hawthorne and I’m not going The project became available to the city Crenshaw Boulevard between 120th Street and to stand for that.” after it won a competitive grant courtesy of Wilton Place, the onramps and off-ramps to Vargas added that he thinks the city should Prop 84. With the combination of $1.1 million the 105 freeway on Crenshaw Boulevard were take “a direct role” in contacting CalTrans to from that grant and $500,000 of Prop C and reported to be “dirty and unsightly.” clean up the areas around the freeway. Measure R returns, the city was able to move While the area around the freeway falls “They’re not doing that when you get off forward with the project. under the jurisdiction of CalTrans, the city in Brentwood or go to UCLA or Westwood. The filtration chambers would be constructed took initiative to clean up the area after not Those are nice and tidy when you get off on 20 feet under the center median along hearing back from the state agency in a certain other exits,” Vargas said of CalTrans Hawthorne Boulevard. timely manner. disregard for cleaning up around the Hawthorne Shadbehr added that the project would also “I know it is CalTrans property, however section of the 105 freeway. change the configuration and look of the center it is Hawthorne residents who are offended Shadbehr said that, “there is only so much median in anticipation of the Hawthorne Plaza from having to see this every day,” Valentine we can do. We contact CalTrans and they don’t redevelopment which would include, “an extra said. “I want to thank Mr. Shadbehr and the respond and then we have to go. Whatever wide sidewalk.” Public Works Department for taking it on and budgetary allowance we have, we are using “At the completion of the project that we going ahead and cleaning it up.” it and cleaning it up.” are going to start this summer, some of the Mayor Pro Tem Angie Reyes English went Vargas didn’t back down saying that, “if we trees will be removed and re-planted north of the extra step of suggesting the city incentivize need to talk to our assembly members and 120th,” Shadbehr said. Shadbehr added that reporting of illegal dumping and trash along senators who we don’t see for a couple years the project will likely take about three months Hawthorne streets with a reward. at a time, maybe they can get involved if we to complete and close down one lane in each “If there’s full prosecution and that person need them to.” • direction along Hawthorne Boulevard. ultimately gets sent to jail, there should be Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................5 Classifieds............................3 Community Briefs...............3 Film Review..........................3 Hawthorne Happenings....3 Legals............................2, 5-7 Pets........................................8 Police Reports.....................7 Sports....................................4 Weekend Forecast Friday Sunny 66˚/55˚ Saturday Mostly Sunny 66˚/55˚ Sunday Sunny 70˚/51˚ Celebrating Hawthorne Volunteers at the Memorial Center Hawthorne elected officials joined Hawthorne Presidents Council to celebrate the 34th annual Volunteer Appreciation Day. Over 180 volunteers were recognized at the April 24th event held at the Memorial Center. Photographed left to right are Alex Monteiro, Darlene Love, City Treasurer David Patterson, Mayor ProTem Angie English, Council Member Nilo Michelin, Mayor Alex Vargas, Council Member Olivia Valentine, City Clerk Norb Huber, Carol Steinhauer, Richard Huhn and Chevron External Affairs Manager, Lily Craig. Photo by Tom Quintana.
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