The Weekly Newspaper of Torrance Herald Publications - Torrance, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 4, No. 16 - April 17, 2014 The Old Torrance Neighborhood Association hosted a candidate forum on April 10 at the Bartlett Senior Citizen Center. Janet Payne and Debbie Hays from OTNA moderated a Q&A with the candidates for the Torrance City Clerk and Mayor’s office in front of a full house crowd of community residents and business owners. Pictured (L to R) are City Clerk candidates Gina Semana, Jay Scharfman and Rebecca Poirier and current City Clerk Sue Herbers. Upcoming candidate forums will be held Thursday, April 17 starting at 8am (City Council) at the Nakano Theatre; Wednesday, April 23 starting 630pm at the Bartlett Senior Citizen Center; and Tuesday, April 29, 6pm start at the Toyota Automotive Museum. Additional forum details are available at: www.torranceca.gov. The Torrance Tribune’s continuing series of Q&As addressed to the mayoral and city council candidates starts on Page 3. Photo by Charlene Nishimura. Inside This Issue Calendar...............................2 Certified & Licensed Professionals.....................14 Classifieds..........................12 Crossword/Sudoku...........12 Elections........................... 3-6 Food.....................................10 Legals..................................13 Letters...................................6 Pets......................................15 Police Reports.....................6 Politically Speaking..........11 Real Estate.........................16 Sports....................................7 TerriAnn................................8 Weekend Forecast Road to Election 2014 Torrance City Clerk Candidates Speak At Forum New Chief of Police Appointed See City Council, page 13 See Intent on Youth, page 9 By Dylan Little The Torrance City Council and City Manager LeRoy Jackson appointed interim Torrance Police Chief Mark Matsuda to take over the department and permanently fill the position. He took the oath of office during the April 15 meeting of the Council. Matsuda was sworn-in with the help of his wife Kristin Matsuda and his three daughters. The role isn’t completely unfamiliar territory for Matsuda, as he has been serving in the interim role since his predecessor Chief John Neu stepped down earlier this year. Prior to serving as interim Police Chief, he served in the City’s first gang task force, and has taken on responsibilities as diverse as managing the SWAT team and training officers. Upon being sworn-in, he reaffirmed his and the department’s commitment to keeping the city safe and secure. “The Torrance community has high expectations of its police department and working together we will continually to strive to exceed those expectations,” said Matsuda. Mayor Frank Scotto reminded the audience assembled in the nearly full Council Chambers that leading Torrance’s police force is a monumental undertaking. The department has a budget of $68 million and employs nearly 240 officers as well as additional civilian personnel. The department also has a wellearned reputation for effectiveness, helping Torrance consistently rank among the safest cities in the nation. Scotto said the new chief will continue the department’s impressive record. “It’s not just a department head--it’s truly a really essential part of our city,” said Scotto. “Just today, we were proclaimed the 10th safest city in the United States. [Crime] will never be taken lightly. Anybody who is a victim of crime is one crime [victim] too many. We have very, very committed officers. In the middle of the night, when we are sleeping comfortably in our homes, they are out there protecting us from crime.” Jackson praised Matsuda for his history of adopting innovative tactics for the department. He started the Community Lead Officers program and has been instrumental in the force’s adoption of focused basis policing and team policing. Jackson said that Matsuda Friday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 63˚/55˚ Saturday Partly Cloudy 64˚/55˚ Sunday Sunny 71˚/56˚ Super Intent on Youth By Charisse Kubr When students speak, he listens. He delivers. Superintendent Dr. George Mannon of the Torrance Unified School District is a man of action. In a richly diverse district where students speak over eighty different languages, Mannon helps develop educational opportunities and programs to serve the needs of each unique student. When it comes to success as a community, Mannon said it is not about placing people into groups, even by grade level. “For a community to excel, all the pieces must work together for the whole,” said Mannon. The district implements this philosophy through collaboration. Leaders come to a consensus and work toward one goal. What is the goal? Maximizing student achievement. Whether meeting with staff, parents, students, volunteers, city leaders, or potential career partners, Mannon said, “We always ask the same question. How do we maximize student achievement?” A group of TUSD high school students were asked this specific question. “The students were very precise in their answers,” said Mannon. “They asked for more career education starting in middle school.” The students’ requests were a priority when reworking the counseling program. By collectively working with district administrators and counselors, the counseling program has been redesigned to better serve the needs of all students, with earlier intervention a focal point. Starting in the next school year, the
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