Author: Emilie St. John

INGLEWOOD (SBE) – Inglewood Parking & Traffic Commissioner Brett Roberts was sworn in to the El Camino College Board of Trustees on May 12. The El Camino Community College District Board of Trustees made a provisional appointment for Roberts to serve as the Area One Trustee until the next regularly scheduled election for Governing Board members on November 5, 2024. Mr. Roberts’ provisional appointment becomes permanent 30 days from May 12, unless a petition calling for a special election containing a sufficient number of signatures is filed in the office of the county superintendent of schools within that time frame.…

INGLEWOOD — Two Dodger Dreamfields for baseball and softball players from 5 to 18 years old in Edward Vincent Jr. Park were unveiled May 13. The $1 million project includes a new playing surface and grass, enclosed fields and fencing, upgraded dugouts, upgraded irrigation systems, new pitchers’ mounds, bases, home plates and scoreboards. “It was great to celebrate the two Dreamfields at Edward Vincent Park and more importantly celebrate all the different improvements being made to our parks,” Mayor James Butts said during the May 16 City Council meeting. “I want to thank Parks & Recreation Director Sabrina Barnes who…

INGLEWOOD — The city and Thomas Safran & Associates celebrated the opening of Beach Terrace, a 42-unit affordable housing complex last month. The housing complex designed for veterans, senior citizens and families features a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. “The city of Inglewood is pleased to work once again with Thomas Safran & Associates to help steadily improve affordable housing availability in the city,” Inglewood Mayor James Butts said in a news release. “When developers, cities, and lenders come together like this, it’s a win-win for everyone, especially veterans and families that are an integral part of our…

Inglewood residents continue to inundate Congresswoman Maxine Waters office with complaints about the three post offices in the city. Locations are in Morningside Park, Downtown Inglewood, and Crenshaw-Imperial which are regularly closed to the public and paying customers with post office boxes and on the surface appears that nothing is being done to solve the problem. Post office boxes cost $97 every six months to receive mail for both residents and businesses that are interrupted by the intermittent staffing at the locations. Delivery service in Inglewood has slightly improved with mail delivery resuming during business hours whereas last year it was…

LOS ANGELES (2UG) – Community organizer Sade Elhawary has earned the endorsement of Assemblywoman Tina McKinnor in her bid to succeed Reggie Jones-Sawyer as the area representative for Assembly District 57. “Assemblymember Tina McKinnor is a role model as a leader in civic engagement, Democratic Party organizing, and now as a legislator who fights for the people. I’m deeply honored to have earned her support,” Elhawary stated. In a rare move, the press release announcing the endorsement didn’t include a quote from McKinnor as to why she’s supporting Elhawary. Elhawary works with the Community Coalition, commonly known as CoCo South…

COMPTON (SBE) – Compton College celebrated the renaming of its library in honor of the first Black woman elected to its Board of Trustees during Community Day held April 22. Mrs. Emily B. Hart-Holifield was the longest-serving board member in the college’s history. Her name was placed on the exterior of the library and then removed after the district went under the control of El Camino College. Mr. Benjamin Holifield smiles widely as his wife’s name is restored to the Compton College Library. (Photo: Compton College) The Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) stripped the college of its accreditation in 2005 citing…

INGLEWOOD (SBE) – Inglewood City Clerk Aisha L. Thompson started a new podcast “Let’s Chat” which was released to the public April 25. The taxpayer-funded podcast kicked off with Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts Jr., Councilwoman Dionne Faulk and Housing Protection Director Yakema Decatur. Viewers didn’t learn anything new from Mayor Butts outside of the city will embark on a new first-time homebuyer program with the goal of helping 300 prospective homebuyers which would be funded in part due to the city’s development agreements. Councilwoman Dionne Faulk and Thompson are both up for reelection next year. They both mentioned the…

Newly elected District 1 Councilwoman Gloria Gray will hold a community swearing in April 29. The event is scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of Inglewood City Hall from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. No RSVP is needed. During the city council meeting held April 18, Gray confirmed she will be sworn in by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Gray also shared with the public that her liaison will be Alicia Smith who previously served in the same capacity for former Councilman George Dotson. “That was a HUGE battle to bring back Ms. Smith,” said an insider with…

The Gardena City Council unanimously approved a moratorium prohibiting significant tobacco retailers from establishing in the city during the March 28 regular city council meeting. Proposition 31 was placed on the ballot soon after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 793, the Legislature’s bipartisan effort to crack down on e-cigarettes and other products popular with kids. The law banned the sale of certain flavored tobacco products in stores and vending machines, including menthol cigarettes, but with exceptions for hookah, premium cigars and loose-leaf tobacco. Despite passage last November, little is being done to enforce the ban, particularly in Los Angeles County. https://southbayexaminer.com/2023/04/anti-tobacco-advocates-fail-to-take-position-on-state-bill-ab-935-to-put-new-tobacco-restrictions-in-place/ The…

The South Bay Cities Council of Governments Homeless Services Task Force will continue discussing a possible RV Encampment Pilot Program during their May 3 meeting. On September 13, 2022, the Board of Supervisors (Board) directed the Chief Executive Office -Homeless Initiative (CEO-HI) to consult with the Directors of Public Works (DPW), Public Health (DPH), Regional Planning (DPP), Health Services (DHS), and the Acting Director of Mental Health (DMH) and, in coordination With the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department (LASD), the St. Joseph Vehicular Homeless Outreach Program (VHOP) and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) to provide an updated assessment…