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 - April 24, 2014 Inside This Issue Calendar...............................3 Classifieds............................3 Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................6 Hawthorne Happenings....3 Food.......................................7 Legals.................................2,7 Looking Up...........................4 Pets........................................8 Police Reports.....................2 Seniors..................................6 Sports....................................4 Weekend Forecast Friday Partly Cloudy 64˚/52˚ Saturday Few Showers 65˚/52˚ Sunday Sunny 68˚/55˚ Women of Distinction Honored for Community Service El Camino College recently honored nine area women at the 2014 ECC Women of Distinction ceremony. The winners of this year’s awards were honored for their service in the areas of professional accomplishments; leadership and/or mentorship; and social, educational, or health services. Honorees include (from back left): Carol Raines-Brown, Kristie Daniel-DiGregorio, Lori Suekawa, Natalie Gouché, and Rosalinda Martinez. (Front row, from left): Terry Castillo, Jacquie Thompson, Anita Avrick, and Dorothy Jeszenka. Photo by El Camino College. Council Hears Fireworks Enforcement Plans for July 4 By Nancy Peters The Lawndale City Council met for the last time with Mayor Pro-Tem Pat Kearney presiding, awaiting the ceremony to swear in the newly elected mayor on April 28. In the meantime, business as usual was conducted with the first topic--fireworks enforcement for the 2014 Independence Day celebration. Despite the citizens of Lawndale voting on two separate occasions for a referendum to retain the sale of safe and sane fireworks in the city, many other citizens are opposed to these as a means of celebration. In recent years there have been various measures taken to enforce only safe and sane fireworks within the city by the Sheriff’s Department deputies who act as the police for Lawndale. This year there is a task force comprised of the Sheriff’s Department Lawndale Service Center, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and the city, will enforce the plans on July 4. The city will distribute flyers about the laws pertaining to fireworks, and announcements will be made in the Lawndalian, on Facebook, via Twitter, and Nixle. A suggestion was made to hang a banner across Hawthorne Boulevard announcing “Only Safe and Sane Fireworks Allowed—It’s the Law!” Twice as many deputies will patrol to arrest anyone who is caught firing any illegal firework or any device that is not marked with the Safe and Sane logo that is affixed to all legal fireworks. No fireworks may be sold prior to June 28 and none after 11:59 p.m. on July 4. Likewise no fireworks may be discharged before noon on July 4 or after 1 a.m. on July 5 or at any time within city parks. The storage of any fireworks will result in confiscation of all found by search warrants and these warrants will be issued for any suspicious location deemed to be storing any fireworks with penalties up to and including arrest, fines up to $1,000, and incarceration depending on the assessment by a judge of the offenses. In other business, the Sheriff’s Department reported the crackdown on distracted drivers during April, which is Distracted Drivers Awareness month, resulted in 26 citations for motorists, mostly for using cell phones while driving. In addition, Sheriff’s deputies are on the lookout for violations at the 147th Street intersections between Prairie Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard, where several traffic collisions have taken place due to drivers not observing the stop signs. The City Council approved the Community Development Block Grant Program for the federal fiscal years 2015-2017 so that the program participation may be authorized with the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission. The audit services of Marcum, LLP, will continue for the city to use their services, as well as the Information Systems Services Contract with Bercom IT being extended to allow for information management of the city employees to continue efficiently. The Public Works Department was authorized to purchase a new backhoe, the first in 32 years, with the use of a grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) in the amount of $46,035 and funds in the amount of $44,965 from the Urban Development Action Grant, thus not expending any monies from the General Fund. The equipment to be purchased is dictated by the AQMD’s grant, as the agency requires specific equipment in order for their grant to be used by an approved applicant. The Lawndale Youth Parade and Bike Ride for Youth and Adults will take place on Saturday, April 26 along Hawthorne Boulevard, Manhattan Beach Boulevard, and tPrairie Avenue, beginning at 9 a.m. for the bike ride and 10 a.m. for the parade. Traffic will be diverted as appropriate. During the reporting segment by City Council members, Mayor-elect Robert Pullen-Miles asked that the City Manager send a letter to the Centinela Valley Union High School District (CVUHSD) Board of Trustees to inquire to whom concerns should be addressed and to get a report for the citizens of Lawndale during a Council meeting on the recent allegations against the superintendent of the District. Reports of wrongdoing in the CVUHSD have been misattributed to Lawndale city, and since there is no connection between the two entities, Pullen-Miles is concerned about misconceptions about the city of Lawndale. The reformation of a social media subcommittee will be introduced soon to allow for decisions so that Lawndale has a presence on social media and can explore streaming of City Council meetings. The next meeting of the Hawthorne City Council will be on Monday, May 5 at 6:30 p.m.; however, a brief City Council meeting will be convened on Monday, April 28 at 6:30 p.m. in order for the newly elected officials to be sworn in and for a reception for citizens. • Twice as many deputies will patrol to arrest anyone who is caught firing any illegal firework or any device that is not marked with the Safe and Sane logo that is affixed to all legal fireworks.
Lawndale 04_24_14
To see the actual publication please follow the link above