The Weekly Newspaper of Manhattan Beach Herald Publications - El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 Vol. 10, No. 12 December 1, 2016 Inside This Issue Certified and Licensed Professionals...................8 Classifieds............................3 Film Review..........................2 Food.......................................5 Looking Up...........................4 Pets................................. 6 - 7 Real Estate.................. 9 - 11 Seniors..................................3 Sports....................................8 Weekend Forecast See Closer to Home, page 3 “There is more to explore” is the tagline for these far-seeing telescopes at the Manhattan Beach Pier. Photo by Peter Thornton, jp.thornton58@gmail.com The Marijuana Question: Where Do We Grow From Here? See Marijuana, page 2 Closer to Home Life Gets Better By Rob McCarthy If South Bay residents seemed distracted these past few weeks, it’s understandable. The run-up to the heavyweight presidential contest grabbed everyone’s attention and the knockout finish hasn’t let go. The transition of power unfolding in Washington has lived up to the Irish proverb, “may you live in interesting times.” While many of us were looking away, recent events occurred here at home that should give South Bay residents, their families and friends reasons to be thankful today. There are plenty of reasons to look forward to 2017. Here are just a few: Boeing Co. announced it is moving 1,600 jobs to Southern California as part of a reorganization aimed at winning more contracts. The aerospace contractor by 2020 plans to move jobs from the Boeing plant in Huntington Beach to El Segundo, Long Beach and Seal Beach. The company will close down sites in El Paso and Newington, Virginia to operate its defense, space and security businesses more efficiently. Relief from high gas prices is expected to continue and give Californians more disposable income next year. A new report by an oil industry watch group says that oil-producing members of OPEC aren’t expected to lower their daily output of crude oil anytime soon. The U.S. meanwhile has stockpiled oil reserves, adding to the glut of domestic oil that had driven crude prices below $100 per barrel. Southern California motorists are paying under $3 per gallon for regular unleaded--nearly $1 less than they were paying 15 months before. A majority of adults like their health care. A UCLA study published last week found that most adults between 46 and 64 say they like their health plans. Ninety-two percent of the people surveyed told researchers at UCLA’s Center for Health Policy Research they like their health plans so much that they wouldn’t change unless the premiums became too costly. The center’s director, Gerald Kominski, characterized the poll results as evidence that Americans don’t think their health care system is broken. They are satisfied with their coverage, though they are worried about their costs. The poll based its findings on interviews with 400 men and women, according to UCLA’s health center. The Dodgers are contenders. The Chicago Cubs got the monkey off their backs by winning the World Series for the first time in a century, so could the Los Angeles Dodgers be next? With their shortstop Corey Seager being named National League Rookie of the Year and with Manager Dave Roberts picking up the award for best skipper, the Dodgers head into the 2017 season with big expectations. They haven’t appeared in the World Series since they won in 1988. They got close this season, but couldn’t keep the highly-favored Cubs from reaching their destiny. L.A. has hosted victory parades for the Lakers, Kings, Sparks and Galaxy. It has been nearly 30 years since the city hosted a World Series winner, and the Dodgers have playoff experience that should help them get over the hump. Crime rates are dropping. California is a safer place to live compared to 20 years ago, according to the state’s Attorney General’s Office. The violent and property crime rate is half of what it was in 1995. Recently, California’s violent and property crime rate started increasing after years of decline. Robbery and aggravated assaults were down in 2015, the latest reporting year. Fewer citizen By Rob McCarthy The grass is greener in the state now that marijuana is legal for adults to use recreationally and to grow at home. Enterprising growers are lining up to get in on the action too, though it will take the State of California awhile to issue licenses. Prop 64 decriminalizes small-scale consumption and cultivation of the leafy-green plant in the Golden State, but only for adults over 21. “The Marijuana Legalization Initiative Statute” was approved by 56 percent of voters statewide and by a slightly wider 58 percent margin in Los Angeles County. The sea change of public opinion about legalizing marijuana appears to be less about personal choice and more about creating additional tax revenue for the state. While the days of buying it from a neighbor or a buddy aren’t going away with the passage of Prop 64, the State now has the authority to tax the sale of marijuana through licensed stores. The State will tax marijuana growers - both medical and recreational - at a rate of $2.75 per ounce of dried leaves. Flowers will be taxed at a higher rate of $9.25 per ounce. Buyers will pay a 15 percent tax at a State-licensed outlet, and local governments can levy their own taxes too. For many Californians, the tipping point for supporting Prop 64 was the new tax revenue for funding youth programs, environmental protection efforts and law enforcement. The path to victory for many, based on interviews, was the State’s own estimate that a regulated marijuana business could mean hundreds of millions of dollars - up to $1 billion per year - in new taxes. State prisons could expect savings as marijuana possession and growing in small amounts was decriminalized. Federal law still classifies marijuana possession, cultivation and selling as a crime, though California’s new law could nudge the “There is More to Explore” Friday, December 2 Sunny 65˚/48˚ Saturday, December 3 Sunny 58˚/49˚ Sunday, December 4 Sunny 69˚/50˚
MBSun_120116_lorez
To see the actual publication please follow the link above