The Weekly Newspaper of Torrance Herald Publications - Torrance, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 7, No. 26 - June 29, 2017 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................2 Classifieds............................6 Crossword/Sudoku.............6 Legals....................................7 Police Briefs........................2 Politically Speaking............5 Real Estate...........................8 Sports....................................3 TerriAnn in Torrance..........4 Weekend Forecast Laker Hall of Fame Legend Helps Celebrate Bowlero Opening On June 17, Los Angeles Laker great James Worthy had some spare time to attend the grand opening of Bowlero Torrance where he bowled with a few lucky fans, signed autographs and—in this photo—posed with Bowlmor AMF VP of Food and Beverage Steve Bartek holding a five-pound Behemoth Burger. Photo by Bowlmor AMF. Patriotic Investors Bet on the Underdog in 1776 By Rob McCarthy The Declaration of Independence that we celebrate on July 4 marks not only the birth of this nation, but the beginning of the national debt. Defeating the superior British army required money for weapons and to pay soldiers, and historians have credited two allies--the France and the Dutch--for backing the 13 colonies. The victory for independence was longer than expected and more expensive. Thus, the national debt was created. From 1775 to 1783, the nation’s leaders used a variety of methods to pay for the war, some of which are still done today. The federal government printed money, and so did the individual states, because at the time there was no U.S. central bank. To raise money for the war effort, states issued war bonds and sold them to wealthy landowners in the colonies who put up their land as collateral, according to author John L. Smith whose account appears at the Journal of the American Revolution. He notes that wealthy, patriotic Americans were bullish on George Washington’s underdog army and the state-funded militias, betting on them to defeat the British. “Similar to World War II savings bonds, these war bonds paid about six percent interest--again, assuming America won the war,” Smith wrote in an essay entitled “How Was the Revolutionary War Paid For?” The See Underdog, page 7 Friday Partly Cloudy 68˚/62˚ Saturday Partly Cloudy 70˚/62˚ Sunday Partly Cloudy 70˚/61˚ Council Approves Sending RFP for New Emergency Operations Center By Cristian Vasquez A recommendation from General Services, Police and the City Manager to authorize a Request For Proposal (RFP) for the design and construction of a new Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was approved by the Torrance City Council this week. Also approved was the appropriation of $3.5 million of the 2016 Certificates of Participation (COP) fund to the Facility, Equipment, and Automation Plans (FEAP 569). Charlie Wilson from General Services explained to the Council that through the approval of RFPs, they would begin the process for “design and construction of the Emergency Operations Center, purchase and installation of computers and audio, visual equipment, workstations at the EOC, furnishings at the new EOC.” Staff, through the Council’s direction, issued the request to design and build a new standalone EOC to replace the current 960-square foot room located on the second floor of the Torrance Police Department. The current EOC requires rearranging office and training room space in order to establish the necessary communication and support infrastructure. While the City of Torrance is capable of documenting incoming field reports and tracking personnel deployment, it is predicted that in the event of a significant emergency, the City will face daunting challenges. The new EOC space will be an estimated 3,000 square feet and a standalone facility. Once equipment and command functions are established it will accommodate emergency personnel, along with any volunteer coordinators, during any given emergency and serve as an administrative boardroom. “It will be operational and staffed 24 hours in the event of an emergency, designed to be ‘at ready’ with back-up generator power, equipped with computers, monitors and printers, and will serve as a focal point for all mutual aid response agencies, and provide year round training opportunity for first responders and City staff,” states the staff report signed by Wilson. With a new EOC, staff concludes that the City can count on a joint information center where communications can be disseminated across various platforms, while providing a “ready response” to any emergency or “hazardous” situation without losing time to setting up equipment. The new EOC will also allow for year-round training for City staff and first responders. Since 2005, the City has been searching for funds to establish a new EOC. It was proposed by the Emergency Preparedness Team (EPREP) that capital funds resulting from the refunding to be partially used for the new EOC facility. In addition, the team determined that the plot of City land behind the police compound is spacious enough to accommodate the new facility. Designing and building the new EOC will cost $2.4 million, but new equipment adds $900,000 to the prices tag, as well as $200,000 for new furnishings and $105,800 for ongoing updates to equipment. Bicycle Racks to Be Installed on City’s Bus Fleet The Mayor and City Council have approved See City Council, page 6
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