The annual photo event has raised over $40,000 for the Hermosa Education Foundation since its founding nine years ago by Gum Tree owner Lori Ford.

Many of the 27 oil platforms drilling into the underwater shelf off the coast from Santa Barbara to Huntington Beach are decades old and, in the eyes of the oil industry and others, ready to be shut down.

Some cost big money to operate at a time of sagging oil prices. Others need expensive technical upgrades. And all are political targets, widely viewed in a liberal state as bigger environmental risks than the potential reward of pulling yet more carbon-generating oil from the Earth.

Big-screen TVs aren’t the only hot deals around as Black Friday stretches into the weekend.

If your wish list leans more toward whiskers, fur and cuddling, head on over to one of the six Los Angeles City animal shelters where extended Black Friday discounts on adoption fees run through Sunday.

Elected officials from the Redondo Beach City Council, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the California Assembly gathered Monday morning at the site of the AES power plant on Harbor Drive to announce a joint effort to purchase the century-old power plant.

The officials disclosed that the City of Redondo Beach and the County of Los Angeles have submitted a proposal to AES, the 18 year owner of the Redondo Generating Station, to purchase its 50 acre parcel and restore the saltwater wetland that the power plant sits upon.

A Torrance brewery has become only the second in California to receive the Cask Marque’s certificate of excellence, an accrediting program that sets cask ale standards for pubs and breweries via rigorous twice-yearly inspections.

Yorkshire Square Brewing, which opened in April in Old Torrance, is unique in Southern California in that it only serves cask ale, sometimes simply known as real ale.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula’s aging water system, nearing the end of its lifespan, is getting a much-needed upgrade.

California Water Service has proposed a $60 million overhaul to the decades-old system that calls for the installation of seven miles of new pipeline and a new pump station in Rolling Hills Estates.

Tesla’s flashy unveiling last week of a futuristic, electric heavy-duty truck was an eye-opener for industry experts, who are hopeful but still wonder if its game-changing features could truly be mass-produced affordably.

Nevertheless, officials at the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are going along for the ride. They have met with Tesla engineers about the new Semi to offer tips and learn about its unique features.

Hermosa Beach stores did not quite get everything on their list this holiday season, but one of their gifts is coming a little bit early.

In an effort to encourage shopping at local stores, Hermosa Beach will bag city parking meters for the month of December through Christmas Day. The program begins Friday, Dec. 1, three days earlier than initially approved by the City Council, thanks to an administrative intervention from City Manager Sergio Gonzalez.

Cell phone coverage in Manhattan Beach near the ocean is notoriously atrocious. Just ask Ray Joseph who lives on Manhattan Avenue and 5th Place and like many residents believes poor coverage is a matter of public safety.

“I can’t call my son. He can’t call me,” Joseph said. “Our 911 system is effectively useless. How many lives are being lost because you can’t make a phone call?”

Redondo Beach, one of the South Bay’s oldest and most politically impassioned cities, is grappling with how to comply with a new state law requiring cities and school districts throughout the state to change election dates to boost voter turnout.

Although virtually every other city and school district in the South Bay has tackled the issue in the past two years, it’s a trickier matter for Redondo Beach because it’s a charter city with its own set of distinctive election rules. And any changes to the charter must be approved by voters.