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 - August 14, 2014 NVision Project Expands Childrens’ STEM Knowledge Children watch a robotics competition at a Woodcraft Rangers NVision event. NVision is a program developed to advance scientific knowledge in underserved communities. “Ranging from video production, to soccer, to dance, to robotics, Woodcraft Rangers develops all its activities to be infused with STEM. Whether it be students playing basketball, skateboarding, or graffiti art their staff is always focused on instilling STEM concepts into the activities.” Woodcraft Rangers has served the Los Angeles community since the 1920s. More information at woodcraftrangers.org. Photo credit: Woodcraft Rangers staff. Inside This Issue Calendar...............................2 Classifieds............................2 Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................2 Looking Up...........................4 Food.......................................8 Legals............................4, 6-7 Pets........................................5 Police Reports.....................3 Sports....................................3 Weekend Forecast Friday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 76˚/64˚ Saturday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 79˚/64˚˚ Sunday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 81˚/65˚ Hawthorne Mayor Challenges Council Members By Nancy Peters The Hawthorne City Council met on Tuesday, August 12, and the many citizens who attended for various reasons to be in the Council Chambers observed their elected officials as they passed all items requiring to be voted upon with a 5-0 vote. The evening’s first order of business was the presentation of the Employee of the Month in the Hawthorne Police Department, this month honoring Marietta Quitangon. During his brief remarks near the end of the regular meeting, Mayor Chris Brown put out two challenges to each of his fellow Council members: 1) try to make positive remarks during each Council meeting, ceasing always being negative; and 2) once a month report on at least one new business spoken to about bringing that business to Hawthorne. The consent calendar for the City Clerk included the restricted parking of 20 minutes from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in front of 4365 Rosecrans Avenue and for a distance of 80 feet west from the driveway. The approximate cost of $500 for signage will be funded through the Gas Tax funds. The budget allocation for each member of the City Council was approved at $3,000 for the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2014. Unused money in these individual funds allocated to each elected member of the City Council may be carried over from one year to the next. Funds may be designated by the individual Council member to any approved events and/ or groups in any amount deemed appropriate by the Council member. At the end of each quarter the Finance Director will report the allocation and/or disbursement made in that quarter to the City Manager, the mayor and the City Council members, the City Clerk, and the City Treasurer. The list of approved nonprofit groups, events, organizations is Exhibit A of the passed resolution (7652) and is on file in the City Clerk’s office for examination by the public of any listed group, event, organization, numbering 42 in all. In accordance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), each jurisdiction must have a mitigation plan in place in the case of any emergency requiring the assistance of FEMA. The cities of Hawthorne and Gardena have entered into a multi-jurisdictional hazard mitigation plan and will submit this to the California Office of Emergency Management for approval of the joint plan. Two public hearings were conducted and their proposed resolutions were also approved. An amendment will be added to the U.S. Tow towing and storage fees to be increased to $115 for towing and $35 per day for storage. The Los Angeles County Congestion Management Program (CMP) requires that any city in the county be in conformance with the County CMP and recommends that adoption of the CMP Local Development Report must be in accordance with the state codes. Under the City Manager’s recommendations in that consent calendar speed bumps were approved to be installed on 132nd Street between Ramona Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard, following a study that determined speeding was present numerous times even in off-peak hours. Two speed bumps will be installed on the flat portions of this street as no speed bumps may be installed where grades exceed 2.5 percent. A brief discussion ensued concerning the 2014-15 budget, which was passed with the allowance of seven new positions in the city staff. The Council agreed by consensus to only allow any “must-haves” that are mandated by the Memoranda of Understanding for each bargaining group of city employees. No unknown or unbudgeted dollars will be spent and postponed for consideration until a review of expenditures and revenues can take place in early January 2015 after financials for the first six months of the fiscal year have been reconciled. Council member Alex Vargas requested a report from the City Manager and the Finance Director of the expenditures since December 2013, using the city credit cards issued to City Hall staff and a detailed report of the reimbursements issued to the seven elected officials (Council members, City Clerk, and City Treasurer) since December 2013. Following an introduction by the local Chamber of Commerce president, a spokesman for tenants at a complex on Doty Avenue appealed to the Council for assistance with an increase in rent requested by a new landlord of the property that is 30 percent or more. Council member Angie Reyes-English requested that the City Manager counsel the group that there is nothing that can be done by the city with issues between a landlord and tenants involving rent since the city is not rent-controlled. The next regular meeting of the City Council is scheduled for Tuesday, August 26 at 6 p.m. • Month of August TRAFIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECT Installation of more catch basin inlets & storm drain laterals and irrigation and electrical conduits. Temporary traffic signals will be installed at El Segundo Boulevard and at 132nd Street. Another set of infiltration chambers will be constructed between 134th and 135th Street. Median islands between 133rd Street and El Segundo Boulevard will be fully excavated. The medians between 133rd and 134th Streets, 137th and 138th Streets, and 139th and 141st Streets will be completed and opened for public use by the end of August. So far, the project has installed 2300 feet of new pipeline and four new traffic signal poles were put up at Rosecrans Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard. Additional storm drainpipes, catch basin inlets, and infiltration chambers were constructed in the median island between 139th and 141st Streets. More than 3500 feet of irrigation lines and electrical conduit have been installed in the center medians. The new median island just north of Rosecrans Avenue is complete. •
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