Week in Review: Hermosa Holiday Edition

From holiday news to halibut research, here is a roundup of some stories that made headlines on Hermosa Beach Patch this week:

Holiday DUI crackdown

Patrols and checkpoints countywide, as part of the Avoid campaign, resulted in at least 598 arrests on suspicion of driving under the influence last week, . Hermosa Beach was included in the patrol areas.

Hanukkah begins

Hanukkah kicked off Tuesday evening, continuing for eight days. Rabbi Adam Greenwald recalled the miracle of Jewish survival and remembered that anything is possible.

'Living Christmas Tree'

Scott Martin—better known as "Scotty Claus" during the holiday season—brings eco-friendly cheer with his live, potted Christmas trees. looked at the story behind the Beach Cities business: The Living Christmas Company.

What's happening to halibut population?

The "Patch of Nature" series this week took a serious look at Santa Monica Bay's halibut population. The state Department of Fish and Game's first-ever California halibut assessment in July found the bounty has only depleted by 2 percent in 40 years. Yet local anglers .

Holiday imports

Patch on Tuesday took a look at where your ornaments, artificial trees, holiday gifts and more . China was the leading country of origin for most popular holiday gifts, and Barbie took the No. 1 spot on list of holiday imports this year.

Don't forget to check out Patch every day for your Hermosa Beach news coverage.