Kudos to revamped Hermosa Beach fiesta
Re: “Fiesta Hermosa will be back for Labor Day weekend, but with a new local look, slightly different name,” The Beach Reporter, 7/12/21
Hopefully the new rendition of the Fiesta de las Artes, [now called the Fiesta Hermosa Locale], was a success for the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce.
While these changes were necessitated by the COVID pandemic, this new arrangement was welcomed compared to the previous, traditional event. Far less mess, congestion, noise, garbage, crowding, clean up, rowdiness, traffic, etc. By the way, as most living within a few or even more blocks of the fair already know, we have enough of this on a regular basis albeit to a lesser extent. It’s somewhat ironic that the travesty of the pandemic necessarily prompted the recent the ‘new’ fiesta.
It would be terrific and a lesson well learned if the chamber and city continued with this modification to a scaled-back, more ‘civil’ celebration. I would gladly pay the $25 admission price, and not even attend the fair, even though I’d prefer to participate, if this modification is continued down the road.
And, if the the chamber/city decide on having the fair 2x/year — one is preferable — [they should charge] $50 bucks. I am confident that so many of our neighbors would agree that a scaled-back version is needed.I am all for HB businesses to be profitable, but let’s be sensible and sensitive to those who live here and continue to support efforts for all of us to thrive.
—Peter Carter, Hermosa Beach
Note: The $25 admission charged for the 2021 Fiesta Hermosa Locale was for The Garden section only. Admission was free for two other sections.
Beach Cities Health residential facility
Beach Cities Health District is planning to build a privately owned residential facility for the elderly on public land in Redondo Beach. They tell us that the programs and services offered by BCHD will discontinue without this revenue from the new facility. What is the reason for this projected revenue shortfall? Is BCHD a good steward of public funds?
Their revenue shortfall calls this into question. A comparison with another, similar health care district provides some clarity. In the 2019-2020 budget year, BCHD received $14.3 million dollars in tax-free revenue and spent $2.2 million (15%) on the community ($1.1 million on grants/contracts plus $1.1 million to subsidize their case management and fitness centers). In comparison, Sequoia Health Care District received $17 million dollars and gave $10 million (58%) of its revenue back to the community ( $5.7 million on grants plus an additional $4.4 million on special community programs such as their “School Health Program”).
How is Sequoia Health Care district able to give 58% of its revenue back to its community when BCHD only gives 15%? Sequoia Health Care District’s secret to efficiently using tax dollars is to keep administrative expenses low; more money goes back into the community. In my view, 58% of the BCHD revenue should go back into the community in the form of grants and community based/community driven programs. Using tax dollars efficiently by reducing administrative costs would prevent the potential revenue shortfall and bring more dollars back into the community.
—Sheila Lamb, Redondo Beach
