Greatest Mother's Day Gift of All: Fair Wages and Equal Treatment

America's work places are rife with unfair policies toward mothers.

Looking for something special to get mom this mother's Day? Forget the flowers, jewelry, chocolates or dining out, all things that sound suspiciously like another Hallmark holiday, and imagine something truly original. Give all mothers the gift of universal paid maternity leave. Actually, it's not that original since almost every other country in the world provides it, even poverty stricken third world countries where women are second class citizens.  However in America, where we like things fast and cheap, three months of unpaid leave is considered a fitting amount of time and money to dedicate to one of the most significant events in any family, though many moms agree it's not enough time to bond with a baby.  California and New Jersey …

• Photos (1)

No Plans for Mother's Day? Look No Further

Some ideas for Mother's Day activities in and around Hermosa Beach.

Still haven’t made any plans for mom on Mother’s Day? Well, shame on you but don’t stress. Here are some ideas below to help get you started. Hopefully, if you plan it right, you will be back in mom’s good graces again by Monday. If not, there’s always expensive jewelry. Good luck! Mommy Want a Mimosa? Take mom out to Patrick Molloy’s for a breakfast and free unlimited hibiscus champagne mimosas, for one hour. Also, 32-ounce Bloody Marys and screwdrivers will be served for $6 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mimosas will cost $3 without a breakfast purchase. Just make sure you have designated a driver—ask dad. Buy Mom Brunch and Margaritas Ortega 120 in Redondo Beach is having an amazing Mother’s day Brunch that is sure to put a smile on mom’s face. …

• Photos (1)
• Videos (1)

Reserves Protect Iconic Surf Spots

Save the Waves Coalition's Katie Westfall talks about the importance of surfing reserves and the protection of globally iconic surf spots.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on Imperial Beach Patch. The author, Serge Dedina, is a member of the World Surfing Reserve Vision Council. One of the most innovative tools in the conservation of surf spots has been the development of surfing reserves. Pioneered by Brad Farmer in Australia, the Davenport-based Save the Waves Coalition has taken the lead on organizing the development of a global network of World Surfing Reserves. Katie Westfall, Save the Waves' environmental and program director, talks to Patch about the protection of globally iconic surf spots: Serge Dedina: Why do surfing areas need to be designated as surfing reserves? Katie Westfall: Natural surf breaks are important public recreational resources. …

• Photos (1)

Announcing the 2012-2013 Mira Costa Pep Squad

Forty-one girls have been selected to lead songs and cheers at community events and school activities for the 2012-2013 school year. And, they've already begun to cheer others on.

If you get out and about in Manhattan Beach, you're pretty much guaranteed to see the Mira Costa High School Pep Squad leading cheers and songs at school, community and competitive activities. Yes, "Rah, Rah, Sis Boom Bah" in the hands of MCHS students is about the best it can get. And now, members for the 2012-13 school year have been announced and include:  The new squad is already busy: They will begin their community outreach at the Grand View Gator Run on June 2, host a summer cheer camp July 16-20 at MCHS and continue providing sideline leadership and spirit throughout the school year at every football, basketball and volleyball game.  For more information about the Mira Costa Pep Squad or to register for the summer cheer camp, go to…

• Photos (1)

Patch Poll: Parking at Dodger Stadium

At yesterday's press conference, Magic Johnson and Guggenheim Baseball Management lowered the parking fee at the stadium for games. Was this a good move?

At the May 2 press conference, Guggenheim Baseball Management, the new owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, announced an immediate $5 reduction in the $15 parking price. It has been widely reported that prior owner Frank McCourt, easily the most hated man in Los Angeles, kept ownership of the parking lots surrounding the stadium after a messy divorce forced him to file bankruptcy and sell the team. That morning, prior to the press conference, David Kippen, of the Los Angeles Times, wrote that fans were unhappy with McCourt retaining the parking lots, and that they should boycott those parking lots by taking public transportation. In fact, Kippen posited, hatred of McCourt would be the one thing that could get Angelenos out of their cars and …

• Photos (1)

Fishing Columnist Remembers Osama Post

Our fishing columnist Phil Friedman has reposted an interview he did with shipwreck explorer Bill Warren, who decided to go in search of Osama Bin Laden's body in the Arabian Sea last year after the infamous Al Quaeda leader was killed.

Brand: Power Plant Is South Bay Issue

Whether AES Redondo Beach is permanently retired depends on united opposition in the South Bay, Redondo Beach City Councilman Bill Brand argues.

Editor's note: This opinion piece was also submitted to the Beach Reporter and Easy Reader newspapers. In all the discussions about whether we want a new power plant on our coast, it’s important to remember that other communities have fought the exact same battle the South Bay is facing now—and won! They are remaking their waterfronts without a polluting behemoth dominating their skyline and degrading the air they breathe. Why can’t we accomplish the same thing? AES themselves have calculated and reported to us that particulate pollution will double with a new plant, and of course, those are very conservative estimates.  More accurate estimates show it quadrupling, from five tons to 20 tons per year—which is about what their Huntington …

•  18 Comments
• Photos (6)

Gerry O'Connor

1:43 pm on Thursday, May 10, 2012

If only this local issue was of as critical national importance as how to interpret the U.S. Constitution, and the anonymous contributions here rose to the level of political science exhibited by, say, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison or John Jay ... then, and only then, would the above analogy *perhaps* be applicable. Meanwhile, such an obviously off-target suggestion only further validates the…   more ›

Kaley German Remembers Rachel Kekauoha

The Redondo Beach resident tells Manhattan Beach Patch about her best friend, Rachel Kekauoha. The two were closer than sisters, she says, and Rachel knew everything about her.

Kaley German shares her thoughts and feelings about her best friend Rachel Kekauoha, a 2011 Mira Costa High graduate, freshman at Brigham Young University, Idaho and Manhattan Beach resident, who died on April 6 in an SUV rollover while on her way to spend time with Kaley at Laka Havasu. The funeral service for Rachel is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 21 at the Redondo 2nd Ward building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 715 Knob Hill Ave., Redondo Beach. A visitation will be held Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. Manhattan Beach Patch: When and how did you meet Rachel? Kaley German: I met Rachel when we were about 11 years old. We both played for South Bay Soccer Club. We were on the same team for seven …

• Photos (3)

Ten Facts About the Titanic

The British passenger liner struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage 100 years ago.

On April 14, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean on its maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York City. The British passenger liner, which was carrying more than 2,000 people, sank in the early hours of April 15, 1912. Only about 700 people survived after being pulled from lifeboats.  Here are 10 facts about the Titanic: 1. The Titanic was nearly three football fields long and one football field wide. 2. From its bottom—or hull—to the top of its smokestacks, the Titanic was 175-feet tall, which is about as tall as a 17-story building. 3. There were some 2,200 people onboard when the Titanic set sail. The ship could carry 3,547 people.  4. It cost $4,350 for one of the Titanic's suites on its maiden voyage…

• Photos (1)

Grief, Healing and Fred on the Hermosa Pier

My dog and I find some peace taking pictures of the pier after storms, both yesterday's literal one and our personal one.

I needed to get some pictures for tomorrow's Landmark Hermosa and since the water was off at my home office, I decided that the rain we were having might make for some interesting shots. On a whim, I decided to bring my dog Fred out with me as a treat for him. Fred has been having a rough few weeks. His house is being remodeled and his long-time pack mate (our other dog Moses) entered the final stages of his illness and passed away a few days ago. Plus what with Mommy and Daddy being pre-occupied with taking care of the old dog, we didn't quite notice that Fred's hearing had finally gone. Fred isn't all that young, himself. We think he's around 12 years old. Since he was a rescue dog and we got him after he was full-grown, we have no real …

• Photos (11)