Zoning change moves Hermosa a step closer to installing grassy park by the sand.

JEWEL OF THE COAST: A group of Hermosa Beach residents, who fought for more than two decades to turn less than an acre of beachfront property into a park, cleared one of their final hurdles last week when the state Coastal Commission changed the land’s zoning to open space.

“It’s a victory for the people!” exclaimed Parker Herriott, a community activist who spearheaded the park campaign. “We need the land to improve our quality of life. This is something we will all be able to enjoy now and in the future.”

Commissioners voted unanimously to allow a park on the lot, which was the site of the old Biltmore Hotel. The parcel, slightly more than three-quarters of an acre, is on The Strand between 14th and 15th streets.

Hermosa Beach voters went to the polls more than a dozen times over the years to try to decide the lot’s fate. In November, 1992, voters approved a park, overturning the previous year’s vote to sell the property to a developer and use the proceeds to buy land for parks elsewhere.

The park plan approved by the Coastal Commission prohibits any buildings, plazas or malls in the park. Only grass, trees, flowers, plants, benches and one flag pole will be allowed.

City officials have said it will cost about $60,000 for landscaping, most of which will come from city funds.

Herriott, however, said he would like to donate a tree or two to the project and that he expects other citizens will feel the same.

“It’s a diamond in the rough . . . but it’s going to be a great park,” Herriott said.

*

GIFT OF LIFE: Ten-year-old Kevin Nishimura got a special gift last week, a $6,000 check from Southwest Airlines’ LAX employees to help defray the cost of a bone marrow transplant.

Kevin has acute terminal lymphocytic leukemia, and the operation costs about $50,000. A former student at Cabrillo Elementary School in Hawthorne, he and his mother are now living with relatives in Hawaii.

Hawthorne City Councilman Larry Guidi put out a plea for funds, and his brother, a Southwest Airlines employee, decided to raise money from co-workers.

Kevin was at Hawthorne City Hall on Monday night to receive the airline employees’ donation. Guidi reports that $7,000 has been raised to date, and that Hawthorne Firefighters Local 3373 also is sponsoring a pancake breakfast to raise money.

More information about the fund-raising is available from Hawthorne City Hall, (310) 970-7905 or (310) 970-7907.

*

BRIDGE WALK: Los Angeles Harbor area residents who want to see the Vincent Thomas Bridge in lights will walk across the landmark bridge from noon to 4 p.m. today to raise funds for light cables to span its length.

The fund-raiser is sponsored by the Vincent Thomas Bridge Lighting Committee, and admission for pedestrians will be by ticket only; $2 for adults and $1 for children 5 to 12 years old. Children under 5 will be admitted free.

A highlight of the afternoon will be a flyover by vintage aircraft, and each person crossing the bridge will receive a certificate commemorating the walk. Souvenirs and refreshments also will be available.

The cable suspension bridge, which connects San Pedro and Terminal Island, will be closed to vehicular traffic from 9:45 a.m. to 6 p.m., as will the Channel Street on-ramp in San Pedro and the northbound Harbor Freeway connector road to the eastbound Highway 47, which crosses the bridge.

Highway 47 at Seaside Avenue and the Terminal Island side of the bridge at the toll plaza also will be closed. An alternate route for motorists is through Wilmington via Anaheim Street, Henry Ford Avenue and the Terminal Island Freeway.

*

MAKING THE SACRIFICE: In an attempt to show solidarity with city employees, Inglewood City Manager Paul D. Eckles has agreed to delay two raises due him under the terms of his employment contract.

Eckles, whose annual salary is about $175,000 including deferred compensation, said he would delay a 3% cost-of-living raise due him in July and a 5% pay hike due him next January to help the city cope with its worst financial crisis ever.

His sacrifice, however, apparently has moved few hearts. City employees, who recently rejected a suggestion that they delay a pay hike to help avoid layoffs, have so far not budged from their position.

But Assistant City Manager Norman Y. Cravens, who makes more than $120,000, and City Atty. Howard Rosten, who makes close to $160,000, are reportedly thinking about making similar sacrifices.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“There’s not a guy out here who doesn’t have an injury or a physical limitation of some kind. My shortstop has got a colostomy bag, my pitcher is 72 years old. You’ve never seen senior ball before, have you?”

--Dick Neitz, 64, founder of the Senior Slow Pitch Softball League in Manhattan Beach.

LAST WEEK’S CITY HALL HIGHLIGHTS

Palos Verdes Estates: The City Council introduced an ordinance Tuesday that would require people who work out of their homes to have a home occupation license. Fees have not been set. A final vote on the matter is scheduled May 25.

Rolling Hills: After hearing testimony from six skateboard enthusiasts, the City Council withdrew a proposed ordinance to ban skateboarding on city streets and instead directed staff members to start a skateboard safety campaign.

Torrance: The City Council accepted a $34,500 donation from the Friends of the Torrance Library for a computerized book renewal system that can be accessed by telephone. Library users with a touch-tone phone will be able to call the library, punch in their library card number and then the bar code numbers of books they wish to renew. The system also will call borrowers with recorded messages to alert them when books are overdue.

THIS WEEK’S CITY HALL HIGHLIGHTS

Carson: Mae Dedrick Prelow will be honored with a proclamation at the City Council meeting Tuesday. Prelow, a Carson resident who turned 99 last month, spent more than a half-century caring for children as a foster parent and hospital volunteer.

Carson: Cal State Dominguez Hills will hand out degrees Saturday to 3,400 students, the largest graduating class ever at the university. The Rev. Cecil L. Murray, pastor of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, will deliver the keynote address.

Rancho Palos Verdes: The City Council will vote Tuesday on an ordinance that would ban smoking in restaurants and city-owned buildings and would restrict smoking in bars to designated areas.