Oil Co. President to Discuss Potential Oil Project at Private Party

A Hermosa Beach resident is holding a private party tonight to educate her friends about E&B Natural Resources' proposed oil drilling project in the city.

The invitation touts the evening as an opportunity to meet E&B President Steve Layton for questions and answers.

Party organizer Holly Durand, who has lived in Hermosa for more than 20 years, told Patch the potential oil drilling project is an important issue. "I invited people I know. I'm holding it [the party] to educate members of the community. It's just an informal evening."

Durand's boyfriend, who lives in Hermosa, is a neighbor of Layton and his wife Anita, she said. The invitation shows the J.R. Ewing, Jr. character from the TV show "Dallas" tipping his hat, with accompanying text, "Dallas in Hermosa?"

Of the invitation, Durand said, "It's just supposed to be fun and campy." 

Asked about the invitation's reference to decreasing the city's reliance on bars and funding schools with revenue raised from oil drilling, Durand said, "It's very commonly known how reliant the city is on bars for income. I'm not a fan of the bars. We don't know how much money we're going to get out of oil. Don't read too much into it."

Durand wouldn't say if she is for or against the project and said she was surprised media had received a copy of the invitation, adding she wasn't "comfortable inviting press."

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