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The Weekly Newspaper of Torrance Herald Publications - Torrance, El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - (310) 322-1830 - Vol. 5, No. 25 - June 18, 2015 Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................7 Classifieds............................4 Crossword/Sudoku.............4 Film Review..........................4 Food.......................................5 Legals....................................6 Police Reports.....................2 Real Estate...........................8 Sports....................................3 TerriAnn in Torrance..........7 Weekend Forecast Torrance Chamber Holds Business Awards Celebrations The Torrance Chamber of Commerce honored its businesses, volunteers, and leaders of the year at its awards celebration, held at the Doubletree on June 11th. Pictured (L-R) Claire Coignard, Torrance Memorial Medical Center (Legacy Award); Joe Ahn, Northrop Grumman (Memorial Award); Steve Napolitano, Representing LA County Supervisor Don Knabe; Serena Josel, Kaiser Permanente (Emerging Leader Award); Jerry Ronan, Torrance Historical Society (Non-Profit of the Year); Ellenmary Michel, Pelican Products (Woman of the Year); Jamie Ruth Watson, Torrance Historical Society; TerriAnn Ferren, Torrance Cultural Arts Center (Volunteerism Award); Debbie Hayes, Torrance Historical Society; Barbara Graham, Exxon Mobil Corporation (Legacy Award); Jonathan Beutler, Sunrider International (Man of the Year); Melinda Fox, Merle Norman Cosmetics & Spa (Small Business of the Year). For story, see below. Photo courtesy of TACC. Changes In Compensation Provisions For TPOA Employees By Cristian Vasquez Some employees represented by the Torrance Police Officers Association will see a change in the hours, wages and working conditions due to the mayor and city council’s adoption of a resolution amending Resolution No. 2013-75. The resolution covers wages, hours and working Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce Business Award Celebration By Cristian Vasquez This year’s Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce Business Award Celebration honored local reporter/writer and volunteer TerriAnn Ferren with the 2015 J. Walker Owens Volunteerism Award. Ferren, who also works with the Torrance Cultural Arts Center, was honored along with a long list of local business leaders, non-profits and corporations for their work in the city. “Thank you to the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce and thank you to Donna Duperron and your staff,” Ferren said as she addressed everyone in attendance. “You lead as a captain this beautiful ship that is the chamber. It is excellent and I think it’s not only the best in California, but the best in the United States.” Also honored by the Chamber were: Exxon Mobil Corporation, Charles McDonough Accountancy Corp. and Torrance Memorial Medical Center with the “Legacy Award.” The “Small Business of the Year” Award went to Merle Norman Cosmetics & Spa; the “Large Business Leader Award” went to Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.; while Serena Josel of Kaiser Permanente was honored with the “Emerging Leader Award.” This year the Chamber named the Torrance Historical Society the “Non-Profit of the Year,” while Harbor Regional Center won the “Hidden Gem in Torrance Award.” Earning distinction of “Woman of the Year” was Ellenmary Michel of Pelican Products. Jonathan Beutler of Sunrider See Award Celebration, page 2 conditions between Jan. 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017. The $17,300 to be used is being made available through the city’s wage reserve and will increase the monthly compensation base wage for the gang detail and the Torrance Mental Enforcement Team positions. “With the approval of the attached resolution [the city] will be implementing the adjustment of the gang investigative premium from the current three-and-a-half percent to five percent to make it consistent with the other premiums,” Assistant to the City Manager Aram Chaparyan said during the staff report presentation. “The gang investigators are essential team members of the Torrance Police Department,” states the staff report. “They have been relied upon even more in recent years with the implementation of AB109 [realignment] and with the passage of Proposition 47 in 2014.” Part of the gang investigator’s responsibilities include gathering and using intelligence information to conduct arrests, post prison monitoring as well as regional task force interaction. The increase in compensation to the gang investigator position is only of 1.5 percent and aligns the “total premium” to that of other assignments that are covered by the TPOA Memorandum of Understanding. The increased premium is expected to make the gang investigator position more desirable for Torrance Police Department officers. Of the $17,300, a gang investigator will receive $8,300 while a Torrance Mental Enforcement Team [TMET] Investigator will be allocated an additional $9,000. The Police chief’s request for an additional 5 percent premium pay for the TMET investigator was described in the staff report as important for the department. “The TMET investigator is a vital component of the Torrance Police Department, and they will receive specialized training in dealing with those who are in need of mental health services,” states the staff report. “This is a priority for the Police Department and our community, and as such, the TMET investigator will provide mental health training to all members of the department.” Handling calls that involve individuals with mental health issues has been a challenge for police departments nationwide. See City Council, page 6 Friday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 75˚/63˚ Saturday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 75˚/65˚ Sunday AM Clouds/ PM Sun 76˚/65˚


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