Herald Publications - El Segundo, Hawthorne, Lawndale & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 1, No. 7 - October 17, 2019
Inside
This Issue
Calendar of Events.............2
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................7
Classifieds............................2
Hawthorne............................3
Huber’s Hiccups..................3
Lawndale..............................4
Inglewood.............................5
Inglewood City Council.....5
Legals............................. 2,6,7
Wiseburn..............................3
Weekend
Forecast
Rams Star, Super Bowl Champ
Treat Local Kids to a Good Read
Peter Burnett Elementary School in Hawthorne welcomed Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley and Super Bowl champion Malcolm Mitchell reading aloud and distributing books to nearly
500 students during “Read to a Child Day.” Photo Provided by Wiseburn USD
Hawthorne Looks to Ban Smoking
in City-Owned Apartment Units
By Brian Simon
For its most recent meeting, the Hawthorne
City Council featured a light agenda that
prompted Mayor Alex Vargas to remark that
the goal for him and his colleagues is “ to
take care of business.” He explained, “We’re
not just here to hear ourselves speak and do
diatribes. We just want to get things done
and be efficient as possible.”
With that in mind, the Council still addressed
several notable items during the brief
session– including introduction of an ordinance
change that would ban smoking in any City of
Hawthorne-owned residential properties. The
previous code outlawed smoking in facilities
owned, occupied or leased by the City but
did not include language about apartment
complexes. During public comments, a local
resident pleaded with the Council to table the
item for further study. She cited the example
of medical marijuana patients and asked the
Council to “think about others… it’s not
just about you.” Vargas asked City Attorney
Russell Miyahira if the revised no smoking
ordinance has “enough teeth” to kick out
an apartment tenant in violation. The latter
responded that the objective is not eviction,
but rather prohibition and maybe a citation.
The Council went ahead and introduced the
item for future adoption.
Mayor Pro Tem Olivia Valentine thanked
City Manager Arnie Shadbehr for securing
over $603,000 in grant monies to replace
traffic signals along Prairie Avenue at
various intersections running from 118th
Street down to Marine Avenue. The work
in progress entails signal controller and
cabinet upgrades, signal system rewires,
conduit installation, signal head and pole
replacement, pedestrian count-down signal
installation, radar feedback signs, and ADA
ramp construction. Valentine noted that the
project improves safety and traffic flow
while not spending any City general funds
in the process. “All the credit goes to Public
Works,” Shadbehr emphasized. The Council
then approved the progress payment to the
project contractor.
City Clerk consent calendar items approved
included an amended conflict of interest code
that differentiates designated City employees
from those in higher management positions in
the area of financial disclosures; a resolution
proclaiming October 2019 as Breast Cancer
Awareness Month; and a resolution to opt into
the Los Angeles Consolidated Fire Protection
District’s 2020 ballot measure that aims to
provide increased funding for fire protection
and emergency medical services – with
monies potentially earmarked for additional
paramedics as well as upgrades for facilities,
equipment and communication systems.
The City Manager’s consent calendar, in
addition to the aforementioned Prairie Avenue
signal work, additionally included Council
approvals for local tree trimming as well as
installation of speed bumps on Truro Avenue
between 120th Street and Broadway.
During reports, City Clerk Dr. Paul Jimenez
touted the recent mock elections in town and
was pleased by the “great turnout.” Vargas
later added that the events were important
test runs for Hawthorne in advance of the
new election format coming in March. He
mentioned some problems with the equipment
and training, but thought it was better to get
the kinks out of the way now as opposed to
dealing with them on actual Election Day.
Jimenez also announced that Hawthorne
will host a city clerks’ meeting on Oct. 21
with his peers from neighboring communities
set to attend to learn about best practices.
He also noted growth in his department,
with new interns on board including Dulce
Bautista who has begun to provide content
for this newspaper.
Councilmember Mike Talleda touched upon
his work with combat-wounded veterans and
thanked the Hawthorne Police Department
for organizing a recent barbecue that drew
about 45 vets/family members. He spoke of
his desire to try “to create fellowships and
get veterans together.”
Councilmember Alex Monteiro said he and
Valentine attended a South Bay Council of
See Council, page 4
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