Lawndale Tribune AND lAwNDAle News The Weekly Newspaper of Lawndale Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - February 6, 2014 Inside This Issue Calendar...............................3 Classifieds............................3 Hawthorne Happenings....3 Food.......................................7 Legals......................2,8,10-11 Obituaries.............................3 Pets......................................12 Politically Speaking............5 Sports....................................4 Weekend Forecast Friday Partly Cloudy 61˚/50˚ Saturday Partly Cloudy 62˚/53˚ Sunday Partly Cloudy 64˚/53˚ Donna Duperron New SBACC Chair Newly installed 2014 South Bay Area Chamber of Commerce (SBACC) Chair Donna Duperron (center) is surrounded by well wishers including (L to R) Sherry Kramer, Melissa Griswold, Dick Rossberg, Aaron Aalcides and Aurelio Mattucci. Photo by Brandon Smith. For more photos of the SBACC’s installation go to page 6. Lawndale City Council Hears Mid-Year Budget Report By Nancy Peters During its February 3 meeting, the Lawndale City Council heard a 2013-14 mid-fiscal year budgetary report from City Treasurer Ken Louie. The report included revenues from increased receipts for the transient occupancy (hotel) tax, although there have been reductions in funds collected from the motor vehicle fees and buildingrelated fees for an estimated revenue decrease of $57,446. Expenditures include savings of $155,688 due to vacancies in several departments and savings in repairs in the Cable Department. Although insurance premiums are higher than estimated in the adopted budget, $12,203,687 was expended through December 31, 2013 for a total of $86,360 decrease in the general fund appropriations. The Council voted unanimously (3-0, with James Osborne absent on this evening) to accept the mid-year report of the City’s budget for 2013-14. Included in the consent agenda was approval of a grant from Metro for $2,172,000 in order to widen Inglewood Avenue between Rosecrans and Marine avenues. A modification to the traffic signal at Manhattan Beach Boulevard and Firmona Avenue is now complete, including an offer of easement from the Safer homeowner for placement of traffic signal cabinets on their property in the northwest quadrant of the intersection. The Lawndale BEAT (bus transportation) will be allowed to continue use of the Redondo Beach Transit Center at the South Bay Galleria Terminal through December 31, 2016. During public communications, a citizen suggested that home and property values be examined by the City in order to assist homeowners in obtaining increased valuations from appraisers. The new street signs were complimented for their design. Mayor Pro Tem Pat Kearney reminded citizens that the City website has a link to a program, beginning on February 18, which permits purchase of the former street signs at a cost of $10 each, with no limit on the number of signs purchased by each individual. Citizens were advised that they should always report suspicious activities to the Sheriff’s Department and to join www. nixle.com to receive alerts from local police departments. The Sheriff’s Department Safety Report included an incident at Lawndale High School that involved a student who was heard by numerous other students and a teacher that he intended to blow up the school. When confronted, he said he was only joking. However, he was arrested by Sheriffs for threatening violence at a school, despite a search of his residence resulting in no explosives being found. An enforcement of parking restrictions for those who display disabled placards in their vehicle was conducted for several hours, ticketing vehicles for misuse of disabled placards or for parking in spots reserved for disabled persons when the driver is not the named owner of the placard registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Sheriffs will continue to conduct this same type of operation throughout Lawndale every few weeks. Drivers are warned that heavy fines for parking in a spot reserved for disabled persons will be levied and there is no reversal of those tickets. The disabled person must be in the vehicle for the placard to be used legally. The next Lawndale Sheriffs Department Coffee with a Cop will be held at Choices Café, 15122 Inglewood Avenue, on Wednesday, February 12 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. All citizens are invited to attend and ask questions of the Deputies who will be in attendance. The notification of election to be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2014 has been finalized with the County Registrar’s Office with two candidates for the position of Mayor, three candidates for two positions on the City Council, and two candidates for one position of City Clerk. Due to the federal holiday and closure of all federal buildings on Monday, February 17, 2014, the normal day for the next City Council meeting, the Lawndale City Council will meet instead on Tuesday, February 18 at 6:30 p.m. • Included in the consent agenda was approval of a grant from Metro for $2,172,000 in order to widen Inglewood Avenue between Rosecrans and Marine avenues.
Lawndale 02_06_14
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