Parks and rec commission recommends film premiere, retires three subcommittees and hears seasonal event reports

The Hermosa Beach Parks, Recreation & Community Resources Advisory Commission on Tuesday recommended that City Council approve a community-center screening event titled A Marble in a Jar Film Premiere and voted to retire three commission subcommittees that completed their work. The commission also received post-event and pre-event reports from local event organizers and the department director.

The commission voted 3–0 to recommend approval of the A Marble in a Jar Film Premiere, a South Bay Board Riders Club event scheduled for Friday, June 6, 2025. Staff said the producer expects about 350 attendees and that the event will use the community theater and the community center courtyard for a 5–7 p.m. reception followed by a 7–9 p.m. screening; Tatiana Weston-Webb is scheduled to appear. The commission’s positive recommendation will be forwarded to City Council for formal action at its May 13 meeting.

The commission also approved a motion to retire three standing subcommittees — the Clark Building Renovation Subcommittee, the Greenbelt Pedestrian Trail and South Park Accessible Playground Renaming Subcommittee, and the Hermosa Beach Concert Series Subcommittee — noting each had completed the tasks assigned to it. That motion carried 4–0.

Commissioners and staff heard presentations from a range of community event organizers. Dan, the incoming president of Hermosa Beach Youth Basketball (HPYB), described operations, volunteer leadership and recent youth-program partnerships, saying the league runs volunteer-driven programming that draws players from across the South Bay and highlights opportunities such as Clippers camps and championship nights. David Friedman, who organizes the Endless Summer Classic Car Show, presented a post-event summary of a 26-year free community car event and raised a contract/fee issue related to Public Works overtime that event organizers say must be clarified in the event’s long-term agreement.

Sam Perotti presented the Fine Arts Festival plans for June 7–8, including a Friday night artist reception in the Hermosa Beach Museum on June 6. Allison Corteen, the festival secretary, described the reception as an opportunity for artists and members of the public to meet in a smaller setting; Perotti said the festival expects roughly 75 artists and uses 10x10 pop-up tents.

Rafael McMaster presented plans for Indivisible Arts’ State of the Art fundraiser May 17 and described a larger youth-facing initiative he called the Emerging Consciousness Broadcast Center, a planned online resource for youth mental and emotional health tools produced with local partners.

In the Community Resources director’s report, staff highlighted department representation in the California Parks and Recreation Society (CPRS), noting recreation coordinator Nick Shattuck served as outgoing district president and Brian Souza was appointed incoming president of District 9; Cambria Vint was reported as appointed secretary of the state board’s aging section. Staff also noted that City Council on April 8 approved renaming the Greenbelt Pedestrian Trail to Greenbelt Accessible Trail and renamed the South Park playground the South Park Casey Roar Accessible Playground, and approved a long-term agreement for the Hermosa Beach Open through 2027.

Votes at a glance - Consent calendar: motion to receive and file; carried 4–0. - A Marble in a Jar Film Premiere (recommendation to City Council): carried 3–0; staff anticipates 350 attendees; courtyard use 5–7 p.m.; film 7–9 p.m.; recommendation goes to City Council May 13, 2025. - Retirement of three subcommittees: carried 4–0.

The commission closed the meeting after a brief public-comment period; no public speakers were recorded for the film-premiere item.

The commission will forward its recommendation on the film premiere to City Council for final action on May 13, 2025.