Today, I had the pleasure of attending a groundbreaking event (literally) for Torrance with Governor Brown and other regional elected officials - the kick-off of our long planned transit center located at 208th and Crenshaw! This new transit center will be a hub for the region and provide bus and light rail service, reducing congestion on our crowded streets.

9-1-1 has revolutionized emergency services and saved countless lives. But, let’s face it- there are certain emergency situations that preclude someone from calling 911. One could also be  hearing or speech impaired or in an area with spotty cell phone coverage.

For times like these, Los Angeles County now accepts text messages to 9-1-1. This new system could literally save lives, so I thought you should be aware of it. Here are some guidelines:

Torrance may be changing from at-large to district elections. Currently, our elections are held at-large, which means that all six Councilmembers and the Mayor are elected to their posts by every voter in Torrance. If changed, Torrance would move to district elections where the City is split into geographic areas and there is one Councilmember elected by only the people of that area to represent that section of the City. The Mayor would still be elected at-large.

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: