District 1 Newsletter, October 26, 2026

Good morning, Redondo,

Start with the numbers: 12,000 runners sweeping through Riviera Village at sunset on Saturday, thousands of trick-or-treaters headed for Catalina Avenue this coming Saturday, and 119 years of the Redondo Beach Chamber of Commerce, ready for a celebration on November 5. Behind those big numbers sits a quieter one that matters just as much: 7:00 PM tonight, when our Public Works, Safety and Sustainability Commission digs into El Niño preparation for the wet winter ahead. Races, costumes, rain gutters, and a ballot: this edition has all of it. Off we go.

And I’m not sure what happened to last week’s newsletter, but it was held up and didn’t send, so you get two in one day.

🏘️ Measure ART: Why I Support It and What Critics Are Missing

🔹 I’ve heard the concerns about Measure ART, including parking, building heights, housing, and the cost of the election. I addressed these questions in a new blog post explaining why I support the measure. This isn’t something I just started working on as a Councilmember. I served on the General Plan Advisory Committee (GPAC), which spent approximately seven years developing many of these proposals. Our aging commercial corridors need reinvestment, and Measure ART would help make that possible.

→ 💡 What this means: Last year’s elimination of certain commercial parking minimums along Artesia and Aviation was the first step. Measure ART is the next critical piece, increasing allowable floor area so new restaurants, shops, and other commercial uses become more economically feasible. The measure also includes targeted changes affecting a relatively small number of residential properties. And while critics question the design standards, the City can continue refining those through future ordinances.

→ 🎯 My take: Most California cities don’t require voters to approve zoning changes like these, but Redondo Beach does. We could have placed a dozen separate measures on the ballot, adding complexity and potentially more costs. Instead, voters have a coordinated set of proposals developed through years of public review. I also believe holding this election in November gives more residents an opportunity to participate. Voting no won’t recover the election cost, and bringing these changes back later could mean additional expense and delay. Measure ART doesn’t guarantee redevelopment, but it removes obstacles that have held our commercial corridors back for decades. That’s why I’m voting YES.
👉 Read my full blog post: Why I Support Measure ART and My Responses to the Opposition

🏃‍♀️ Riviera Village: 12,000 Runners, One Honest Debrief

🔹 Nike After Dark lit up the Village on Saturday night. Twelve thousand women ran a nighttime half marathon through our streets at sunset, and Riviera Village rose to the occasion with packed restaurants, special lighting, and cheer zones that did not quit. Congratulations to every runner, whether it was your first race or your fiftieth. You made Redondo Beach shine, and our businesses felt the energy all evening.

→ 🎯 My take: The night was not perfect, and I will not pretend otherwise. Road closures, traffic, and parking restrictions created real headaches for some residents and businesses, and the feedback you shared with me points to clear lessons on communication, parking, and access. If we get the chance to host something like this again, I want us to keep what worked and fix what did not. Thank you for your patience, and for telling me the truth about both sides of the evening.
👉 See my full Nike recap (Instagram)

🎃 This Saturday: Halloween Takes Over Catalina Avenue

🔹 The Riviera Village Trick or Treat returns Saturday, October 31, from 3:00 to 8:00 PM. Catalina Avenue closes to traffic from Avenue I to S. Elena Street, shops hand out candy until 6:00 PM while supplies last, and the RVA has extended the street closure all the way to 8:00 PM, so the evening does not end when the candy does. This South Bay tradition welcomes thousands of kids each year for a safe, outdoor Halloween.

→ ⚡ Why this matters: A closed street full of costumed kids is my favorite kind of traffic problem. Families get a safe place to celebrate, and the Village businesses that hand out the candy get thousands of new friends walking past their doors. Stay for dinner afterward and make a whole night of it.
👉 View the Trick or Treat event page

🌧️ Public Safety: Getting Ready for an El Niño Winter and Police Camera Presentation

🔹 Tonight at 7:00 PM, the Public Works, Safety and Sustainability Commission takes up El Niño preparation (J.2). Our Fire and Public Works departments will present how the City is getting ready for the storm season ahead. Also on the agenda: a Police Department presentation on automated license plate recognition (J.3). The physicist in me appreciates a good sensor, and the councilmember in me wants clear, transparent rules for any data the City collects. Both conversations deserve an audience.
👉 View meeting details

🔹 Two community meetings bring El Niño prep straight to you. City staff and public safety personnel will host a harbor-focused conversation this Thursday, October 29, at 6:00 PM at The Cantina, 207 N. Harbor Drive, followed by a citywide meeting on Thursday, November 5, at 6:00 PM on the second floor of the Main Library. If you live near the water or just remember the last soggy winter, these are worth your hour. Helpfully, the King Harbor breakwall repair is expected to wrap up in November, giving the harbor stronger protection right as storm season arrives.
👉 Read the Harbor meeting announcement
👉 Read the citywide meeting announcement

🔹 Start your own checklist now. The City’s storm preparation page covers resident safety steps, harbor and dock preparation, and regional emergency resources. Ten minutes on that page in October beats a flooded garage in January.
👉 Visit the storm preparation page

🚲 Environment: A Better-Connected South Bay, From Inglewood to Dominguez Park

🔹 Thursday I joined local and regional leaders in Inglewood to break ground on the Inglewood Transit Connector. We heard from Inglewood Mayor James Butts, California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin, and South Bay Cities Council of Governments President Bill Uphoff about a project that will add mobility hubs, better pedestrian connections to Metro’s K Line, and dedicated event-day bus lanes ahead of the 2028 Olympics.

→ ⚡ Why this matters: Every improvement that helps people reach big destinations without a car eases traffic for all of us, and it shows what neighboring cities can build when they work together. Regional mobility is a team sport, and the South Bay is playing it well.
👉 See my groundbreaking post (Instagram)

🔹 The Local Travel Network ribbon-cutting is this Thursday, October 29, at 1:00 PM at Dominguez Park. Bring your bicycle, e-bike, or neighborhood electric vehicle and help us celebrate a network of lower-speed streets, new pavement markings, and wayfinding signs built for the short trips that make up most of our driving. Thursday is a doubleheader: celebrate on wheels at 1:00 PM, then talk storm prep at the harbor at 6:00 PM.
👉 Learn about the Local Travel Network

💙 Community Health: Ten Years in the Blue Zone

🔹 Beach Cities Health District is celebrating a decade of Blue Zones certification. BCHD launched the Blue Zones Project in 2010 to make healthy living the easy choice, and in 2016 Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach earned certification together, with more than 24,000 residents pledging healthier habits. The momentum is real: Manhattan Beach just posted the highest Well-Being Index score Gallup has ever recorded.

→ 💡 What this means: Blue Zones Project Week runs November 1 through 7, with community moais, purpose activities, and discounts at participating restaurants and grocery stores. Healthy habits stick when your whole neighborhood is in on them, and this week is designed exactly for that. Pick one event and bring a friend.
👉 Explore the Blue Zones Project

🏆 Economic Development: 119 Years of Honoring the People Who Build This City

🔹 The Chamber’s 119th Anniversary and Community Awards Celebration is Thursday, November 5. Doors open at 11:00 AM, and the program runs from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at The Portofino Hotel & Marina, 260 Portofino Way. Honors go to the Man and Woman of the Year, City Employee of the Year, Business of the Year, Solopreneur of the Year, Non-Profit Business of the Year, and New Business of the Year.

🔹 Congratulations to the Woman’s Club of Redondo Beach, which will be honored as Non-Profit Business of the Year. That recognition is well earned, and I am glad the whole community will get to applaud it.

→ ⚡ Why this matters: Growing city revenue through economic development is the first priority I ran on, and it starts with the businesses, nonprofits, and individuals this lunch celebrates. Strong local institutions are not a nice-to-have. They are the engine.
👉 View the event details

🤝 United Against Hate Week: Thank You, South Bay

🔹 United Against Hate Week ran October 18 through 24, with communities across the South Bay standing together against hate and intolerance. Civility is one of my non-negotiables, and weeks like this remind us it is a practice, not a slogan. Thank you to the organizers, partner cities, and every neighbor who took part. The work continues all year.
👉 Learn more at South Bay vs Hate

✍️ A Personal Note

🔹 Saturday morning, Dale Petrulis, Chadwick Castle, and I hosted coffee and conversation with MyLoc Dinh, candidate for the El Camino College Board of Trustees. Thank you to everyone who joined us. Having served on the school board and the SoCal ROC board, I know community college governance quietly shapes thousands of local careers. With Election Day arriving Tuesday, November 3, I will be posting my remaining ballot recommendations on my website this week, as promised. Do your homework, then vote.
👉 Watch my News page for recommendations

📅 Coming Up

🔹 Public Works, Safety and Sustainability Commission meets tonight, Monday, October 26, at 7:00 PM in the Council Chamber. El Niño prep and license plate readers are on the agenda, as covered above.

🔹 National First Responders Day is Wednesday, October 28. The Council made it official with a proclamation last week. Now comes the easy part: say thank you to our police officers, firefighters, and paramedics.

🔹 Thursday, October 29, is a doubleheader. Local Travel Network ribbon-cutting at 1:00 PM at Dominguez Park, then the El Niño harbor community meeting at 6:00 PM at The Cantina.

🔹 Riviera Village Trick or Treat, Saturday, October 31, 3:00 to 8:00 PM on Catalina Avenue.

🔹 Daylight saving time ends Sunday, November 1. Clocks fall back one hour. It is also a fine excuse to test your smoke detectors.

🔹 Blue Zones Project Week runs November 1 through 7. Details above.

🔹 Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, and Measure ART is on your ballot. The City Council also meets that evening at 6:00 PM.

🔹 Franklin Park ribbon-cutting, Thursday, November 5, at 3:00 PM. The City opens its first all-accessible play space at 807 S. Inglewood Avenue, designed for children of all abilities, with thanks to the LA Kings Foundation, the California Parks and Recreation Society, and GameTime. A playground every child can use is a milestone worth crossing town for.
👉 Read the Franklin Park announcement

🔹 Redondo Beach Veterans Day Tribute, Wednesday, November 11, at 1:00 PM at Veterans Park. Mark it now, and come honor those who served.
👉 Learn about the Veterans Day Tribute

🍍 Weekly Markets

Farmers’ Market by the Pier (Veterans Park), Thursdays, 8am to 1pm. 309 Esplanade.
👉 Read more

Riviera Village Farmers Market, Sundays, 8:30am to 1pm. Triangle Lot, 1801 S. Elena Ave.
👉 Read more

North Redondo Beach Farmers Market, Wednesdays, 2pm to 7pm. Green Lane at Artesia.
👉 Read more

📱 Access Redondo

Do you have a problem or need to report an issue to the city? Use the Access Redondo App. With storm season approaching, it is also the fastest way to flag a clogged storm drain or standing water on your block before the first big rain arrives. One report goes to the right department the first time, and every report helps the City fix problems where they cluster.
👉 Download the Access Redondo App

🏘️ Redondo Roundup

A race that taught us lessons, a street about to fill with tiny superheroes, a winter worth preparing for, and a ballot worth your full attention. November is going to move fast, so here is my simple ask: grab your candy for Saturday, give the storm preparation page ten minutes, and make a plan to vote by Tuesday, November 3. The city works best when you are in it, not just watching it.

Questions, ideas, or corrections: hit reply. I read every message. Have a safe and happy Halloween, Redondo.