August 11, 2016 Page 3 Hawthorne Happenings From City Clerk Norb Huber Competition We all like to compete. We all like to compare ourselves to others or even compete against what we think our best self is. We all like to win or at least beat out one of our friends. It’s fun knowing that we were successful at something. We feel a sense of accomplishment. It may not be much more that staying in better shape that our coworkers. We feel healthier and look better than the friend who comes to work with two large donuts and a Starbucks coffee every morning. With the Summer Olympics on the tele 24/7 we see that the world likes to compete, countries against countries, teams vs teams, individuals trying to beat the other guy or gal. Who is the strongest, the fastest, or the best trained to win the gold medal. I find myself competing more with what I think I’m capable of doing that what reality tells me. I really think I can shoot a 79 in golf but I never do. Maybe old age, maybe not enough practice, maybe just my muscle acuity doesn’t allow me to swing the club consistently enough to avoid those double or triple boogies. It’s frustrating not achieving what I think I can. It’s the challenge of trying to reach my goal that keeps me going. That sounds like a good lesson for life. Look at whatever is holding you back or hindering you from moving on. Keep on trying to overcome those challenges. Don’t give up, just press on to get better each day. Oh yeah, and don’t forget to have a cold one along the way to celebrate your efforts. November Election Everyone knows that we will be going to the polls, or in some cases staying away form the polls, this fall to elect a new president. But, it looks like a lot more will be on the ballot. Locally, the Centinela Valley Union High School District has placed a $105 million bond on the ballot for the completion of the construction remodel of our three, local comprehensive high school campuses, Hawthorne, Lawndale and Luezinger High Schools. Voters will decide whether or not additional property taxes will pay for this measure. Some of these local ballot items have more of an effect on homeowners than who the commander and chief is. It certainly will be an interesting campaign season. Something for upcoming elections to look for is that the state legislature has mandated that cities with low voter turn out, like Hawthorne, to consolidate their local election to an even numbered year. So, by 2020, our local city council and mayoral election will have to be moved to coincide with the state or federal elections on even numbered years. Other local cities are dealing with this issue also. The city council will have to decide whether to extend the terms of some council members or cut them short. We shall see how this plays out in the next couple of years. Hawthorne Olympian Dr. James W. Kelsey has been in practice in Hawthorne for many years as an optometrist. He competed and won medals in the Olympics in the sport of water polo. If you need your eyes checked Dr. Kelsey is the man to see. You’ll get to see his medals if you visit his office on Hawthorne Blvd. • Email me at norbhuber@gmail.com. Real Estate Booms for Office Space Cross Paths A Special Case This big boy is nothing but sweet and docile! He is about eight years old and weighs 78 lbs, according to the vet. I first found him on my back doorstep, trying to escape the summer heat in South Los Angeles; he was limping on his back leg and covered in dirt and fleas. He was even so thirsty, he tried drinking a puddle of oil that had been leaking from a parked car. Luckily, I was able to coax him into getting into my car and put a leash and collar on him. He was limping, bleeding from being so flea-infested, covered in black blotches of dirt, and had a huge swollen ear. His breaths were drawn out and exasperated, and he barely wanted to move. In fear that he was seriously injured or sick, I took him to the vet that same day; she explained that he had an extremely large hematoma in his ear that would require surgery as soon as possible as well as advanced arthritis in his back legs. After getting him some much needed flea medicine and an anti-inflammatory for pain, I returned the dog to my house where he is now camping out in my bathroom. Unfortunately, I am not allowed to have dogs at my place of residence, and I already am fostering a cat. He is just too sweet and loving though; even in his poor condition, he nudges his head onto my lap for me to hold and pet him. This dog has earned his right to be able to spend his last years being well cared for and loved; he needs to enjoy his last years in peace. I am in search for any rescue or family that can lend a hand to help keep this big boy stay out of the pound and streets and get into his rightful, forever home! Interested parties please call 310-755-1626.• By Rob McCarthy This is a tale of two commercial-property booms. One is losing some momentum, while the other looks unstoppable. A new forecast cautions that construction and leasing of office space throughout the state will begin to slow with the U.S. economy by 2019. The July outlook by Allen Matkins/ UCLA Anderson School of Management thinks the demand for office space has peaked and it notes that commercial developers themselves are less optimistic than they were in 2014. The survey taken in June “provides the first indication of a topping out in office and retail markets,” said senior economist Jerry Nickelsburg with the UCLA Anderson Forecast in a three-year outlook for commercial real estate in California. Most of the office development projects already approved in Southern California are expected to break ground despite the bearish vibe. The commercial-property outlook tells investors, landlords and leasing agents they can expect to feel the slowdown sometime after 2017. The office-rental market isn’t staring at a bust, barring an extraordinary global event that jars the financial markets, forecasters said. The downward sentiment picked up in the commercial-property survey occurs as developers become more pessimistic about where rental rates and vacancy rates are headed, forecasters say. Vacancy rates, notably in Los Angeles County, have dropped and rental rates climbed by 20 percent since 2014 as companies expanded their operations and hired more employees. The developers remained optimistic about the prospects for industrial properties, and they’re slightly bullish about the building and leasing of retail space. They are slowly losing their confidence in the office-space boom, which forecasters say is based on developers’ belief that rental rates and vacancies will only hold steady for another three years. Hiring and wage growth are identified as the fundamentals of commercial real estate, and California is expected to outperform other parts of the nation in both important categories. The worry for developers and landlords is that the recovery that began in earnest after the unrealized threat of a government shutdown in 2013 is slowing. The July unemployment rate was 4.9 percent, and it’s been hovering there for a year, prompting the head of the San Francisco-based Federal Reserve to proclaim the county as full employment. Wage growth typically runs 3 percent to 3.5 percent during full employment, however, wage growth in the current economy is running at 2.5 percent, which Fed President John Williams called puzzling in a May interview with CNN Business. He did predict that See Office Space, page 7
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