Torrance police want to ensure that kids have a seat that’s complete.

STRAP ‘EM IN: In an effort to urge out-of-town visitors to buckle up their children during the holidays, the Torrance Police Department is offering child car seats for temporary use. Twenty of the seats are available for loan at no charge for up to 30 days.

The seats are also available for needy Torrance residents or for families whose babies are born before a car seat has been purchased, said Officer Dale Robbins.

Since the department began the year-round loan program three years ago, about 470 families have used the service, Robbins said.

The program is endorsed by SafetyBeltSafe USA, an Inglewood-based transportation safety organization. Last year, 301 children in California under the age of 4 died in motor vehicle accidents. Of that number, only 15% died in unsurvivable crashes, said Stephanie Tombrello, executive director of the group.

“The tragedy is that all of the rest would have survived if they had been buckled up correctly,” Tombrello said.

BLIMP CITY: Cal State Dominguez Hills University officials are weighing the pros and cons of admitting the Budweiser Blimp onto campus.

Anheuser Busch needs a place to dock its bright red Budweiser airship for a few months and is asking to lease a spot on the west side of the campus. University officials say they would like the money; they just don’t want to annoy the neighbors or offend those who do not imbibe.

Carson is already home to the Goodyear Blimp, a familiar sight off the San Diego Freeway. If the Budweiser deal goes through, would it make Carson blimp city?

NET GAIN: Usually more concerned with base and service lines, the Manhattan Country Club, which hosts the well-known Virginia Slims Tennis Tournament each summer, found itself focused solely on the bottom line Tuesday night.

The country club has been in bankruptcy proceedings for the 15 months but seems to have rallied of late. A restructuring plan was unanimously approved by creditors last month. However, the plan banked on the Manhattan Beach City Council approving an increase in club membership from 850 to 1,000.

Opponents argued that a boost in club numbers would further aggravate club parking problems and devalue memberships, which sell for about $4,000 apiece. But Alan Block, an attorney representing the club, deflected those arguments and then served up his ace: “The bottom line is we are at your mercy,” he confessed to the council.

It was a clean winner. With a few conditions about parking, the council OKd the hike in membership. Just goes to show you can depend on the kindness of strangers--even in a tennis game.

LOCKOUT: The Redondo Beach City Council swears it didn’t know the doors of the Council Chambers were locked two weeks ago while members discussed the possibility of changing the city’s charter.

The late-night discussion came at the end of a Nov. 17 public meeting after City Atty. Gordon Phillips announced that he would not run for reelection in March. Phillips, who has served as city attorney for 12 years, suggested that the council consider changing the city charter to make the city attorney’s post appointed, rather than elected.

At a council meeting Tuesday, resident Frank O’Leary said he was “grossly disappointed” to learn the discussion had taken place at the end of the council’s closed session, after citizens who believed the meeting was over had left for the night.

“I ask myself, ‘Would the town hall meetings of Lexington 200 years ago conduct meetings that way?’ The answer is no,” he said.

But City Manager William E. Kirchhoff said the controversy was little more than a tempest in a teapot. He said the doors were locked by janitor Jose Sanchez, who also believed the meeting was over and had started to clean up. When citizens began banging on the door, Sanchez returned with the key a few minutes later and let them in.

“We were kidding him. We told him that to satisfy people who were complaining, we were going to drag him in front of the council and shoot him,” Kirchhoff said. “The poor guy will probably never lock the doors again.”

THIS WEEK’S CITY HALL HIGHLIGHTS

Beach cities: Three new members will take their seats on the South Bay Hospital District board in the wake of a spirited election campaign that saw the defeat of three candidates backed by hospital leaders. The three victorious challengers--Dick Fruin, Aviva Kamin and Gerald L. Looney--will take their seats Tuesday at 5 p.m. in the conference room at the district office, 2615 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 120, Hermosa Beach.

LAST WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Inglewood: Councilman Jose Fernandez returned last week from New Orleans, where he combined city business and a honeymoon. Fernandez was in New Orleans for the League of Cities convention. With him was his bride of two weeks, Marguerite Martin. City officials were quick to point out, though, that the city did not pay Martin’s travel expenses.

Carson: Councilwoman’s Juanita McDonald’s gang intervention program was approved by the City Council last week. The program calls for city administrators to solicit federal funds to help turn around gang members.

MEETINGS THIS WEEK Gardena: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 1700 W. 162nd St., Gardena. (310) 217-9565. Televised live on Channel 22 (Paragon) and repeated 7 p.m. on the next two Sundays. Hermosa Beach: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 1315 Valley Drive, Hermosa Beach. (310) 318-0239. Televised live on Channel 3 (Multivision). Inglewood: 7 p.m. Tuesday, 1 Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. (310) 412-5280. No cable telecast. Lomita: 7 p.m. Monday, 24300 Narbonne Ave., Lomita. (310) 325-7110. No cable telecasts. Los Angeles: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles. In San Pedro, (310) 548-7637; in Wilmington, (310) 548-7586; in Harbor City/Harbor Gateway, (310) 548-7664; in Westchester, (310) 641-4717. Televised live on Channel 35; meetings repeated individually at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and collectively on Sunday starting at 10 a.m. Palos Verdes Estates: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 340 Palos Verdes Drive West, Palos Verdes Estates. (310) 378-0383. No cable telecast. Rolling Hills Estates: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 4045 Palos Verdes Drive North, Rolling Hills Estates. (310) 377-1577. Televised live on Channel 3 (Dimension). Torrance: 7 p.m. Tuesday, 3031 Torrance Blvd., Torrance. (310) 618-5880. Televised live on Channel 22 (Paragon), and replayed at 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.