We all know that oil and water don’t mix. Unfortunately, the Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has put forth a proposal to reverse a decades long ban and open our coastal waters to more offshore oil drilling.

With 1.5 miles of shoreline, Torrance has too much at stake to allow this to happen.

Yesterday, I was honored to provide the keynote speech at the inaugural Torrance Veteran's Day luncheon where we hosted more than 200 veterans from every branch of service and every conflict dating back to World War 2. 

I’m very happy to announce that something I’ve been working on for the last three years- enhancing public safety through the use of trained volunteers- passed the City Council last night by unanimous vote. This will benefit the City tremendously when an earthquake hits, heavy El Nino rainfall comes, or during any other time when disaster response is needed.

I’m proud to report that on Tuesday night, the City of Torrance debuted a newly redesigned website– www.TorranceCA.Gov

Last week, Torrance hosted the 58^th annual Armed Forces Day Parade, a celebration of those who currently serve in our Nation’s armed forces. The honored service this year was the Air Force and as an Air Force Veteran, it was such an honor to Chair the Armed Forces Day Parade Committee. 

Modified Hydrofluoric Acid (MHF) is a highly toxic chemical in use at the Torrance Refinery. Its characteristics are such that, if released, it can form a ground hugging cloud that can spread great distances and cause serious injuries or even deaths. While I have confidence that PBF Energy (the company which recently purchased the refinery from Exxon-Mobil) and its workers can improve the refinery’s safety record, I don’t have confidence in the safety of this chemical.

Yesterday, I attended our annual State of the City lunch and we unveiled a new video which I believe really encapsulates why people choose to live in Torrance, why we’re a great City in which to do business, and why our City is so great. Click on the video and take a look for yourself.

During the lunch, Mayor Furey provided a recap of the past year and there was a lot of great news. Here are some of our accomplishments:

It’s that time of year again- the 57^th annual Torrance Armed Forces Day Parade is tomorrow, Saturday the 21^st at 1:30pm. This year’s honored branch of service is the Army. 

Did you know that Torrance issued 970 business licenses just last year? We’re extremely fortunate to have a great business base that supports the services we all enjoy...

Over the last several months, we’ve made progress in getting our refinery running safely again. In January, we heard from the Federal Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board which reported their initial findings as to the cause of the Feb. 18^th, 2015 explosion...