South Bay Echo for Sept 29
Special silly season in Redondo, BeachLife success, rabbis address anti-semitism, Marymount college sells to UCLA
Welcome to the 40th edition of South Bay Echo, your source of local hometown news with a real estate angle.
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Special silly season in Redondo Beach
Ballots were mailed this week to Redondo Beach voters in a special election to decide whether a Long Beach pot dealer can control local politics. And if I know Redondo politics, my guess is he cannot.
For those in North Redondo District 4, they will decide whether to recall Councilman Zein Obagi. And for voter’s at large, Measure E would allow up to three cannabis retailers.
Readers to this Substack know I am against the ban on pot shops currently in place, but this is the wrong way to go about it. Measure E is a self-serving ballot initiative meant to benefit one particular cannabis retailer and his friends at the expense of Redondo Beach.
To counteract this measure, the City Council approved pot shops in July with a much more sensible approval process that doesn’t hamstring the city. I am voting NO on Measure E.
Now to the recall effort led apparently by the same person behind the ballot measure, Elliot Lewis of Catalyst Cannabis. Lewis was apparently so butt hurt by Obagi at council meetings last fall that he launched a six-figure recall effort.
Then, all the political opportunists in Redondo without backbones decided there was some valid reason why Obagi should be recalled. But there is not. A month ago it was revealed by The Easy Reader that the parent company of Catalyst spent more than $300,000 to recall Obagi and Lewis said they planned to spend even more since then.
If you ask me, this recall is nonsense. There is no good reason to recall him. This is an outsider’s attempt to buy an election and nothing more. Obagi is a well-grounded and thoughtful council member. He doesn’t waste time droning on at council meetings and he knows how to get things done.
You might also be wondering why Redondo Beach voters are being asked to cast ballots in October. Well, this was a bit of political maneuvering as well if you ask me. The council was posed with placing these items on the November general election but chose instead a special election at additional costs. I’m not a political genius, but I’m thinking voter turnout will be lower.
BeachLife another success
It’s been a few weeks since the BeachLife Ranch Festival at the waterfront, and since I haven’t written for a while I just wanted to show my appreciation for a spectacular show.
I could not be more proud of our hometown. This music festival has turned into a signature attraction drawing crowds from throughout the region. My personal favorites were the Lumineers, the Waylon Jennings tribute, Jackie Greene on Sunday even though he had a terrible settime up first, Lucas Nelson (what a set!) and Brandi Carlyle who blew the crowd away on Sunday night to close out the show.
I was thoroughly exhausted and stoked to be a part of yet another amazing BeachLife. Thanks to Allen Sanford, the Redondo Beach Police Department, and all those who made it possible.
UCLA buys Marymount college in RPV
In a major South Bay real estate deal, UCLA announced this week it had purchased Marymount California University’s 24.5-acre main campus in Rancho Palos Verdes and it’s 11-acre residential site called the Villas in San Pedro. The purchase price for both properties was $80 million, according to the Daily Breeze.
The private college existed for more than 50 years on this picturesque campus before closing in August due to enrollment declines and financial issues. The purchase expands UCLA’s reach into what’s truly become a regional institution. We’ll have to wait and see what they plan to use it for.
Swastikas at Manhattan Beach schools
Manhattan Beach made national news for unfortunate reasons earlier this month when swastikas and other signs of anti-semitic hate were scrawled across Mira Costa High School. The acts of hate were the subject of heated discussions at the school board meeting in September, and several local rabbis have launched efforts to address the issue.
I am willing to believe these kids just want to cause trouble, but they need to understand the power of such hateful symbols. Most troubling, this is not the first time swastikas have popped up on Manhattan Beach schools. One was even scrawled on the playground of a grade school a few months ago.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading.