Community Corner

Thanksgiving Spotlight: Wayne Powell

This Manhattan Beach resident is our current mayor. Find out what he did on Thanksgiving and what he likes about MB.

Name: Wayne Powell

City of residence: Manhattan Beach

Occupation: Mayor

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How long have you lived in MB? 17 years

What are some things that you like about MB? Everything, but especially our wonderful residents who make Manhattan Beach the community we all love.  And, of course, the scenic beauty of our magnificent neighborhoods and our beach. 

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What don’t you like about MB? What's not to like about Manhattan Beach. That said, I don't like politics in local Manhattan Beach decision-making. I'm a longtime community volunteer, not a politician. We should solve all of our Manhattan Beach challenges with open and inclusive public solutions that benefit our community, without regard to politicking.

What will you do on Thanksgiving and whom will you be with? I will  start the day reflecting on how to make Manhattan Beach an even better place for our community and improving the quality of life for all of our residents. Then I spent the day and evening with family and close friends.

What did your Thanksgiving meal consist of? Turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, giblets, yams, cranberries and home-made pumpkin pie (with tons of extra creamy whipped cream).

What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish? Why? The pie, with all of the whipped cream. Okay, so there's a couple of special days a year that the Vitality Cities "Blue Zones" healthful living rules are temporarily suspended.  

What is your favorite thing about Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the time of year to be thankful for the great city we live in, the wonderful people in our lives, and to help those less fortunate. This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful that I fought the Broad Beach (Malibu) folks who tried to take 500,000 cubic yards of Manhattan Beach offshore sand and forced them to withdraw their application with the California State Lands Commission. To each, a great Manhattan Beach!

What was your childhood Thanksgiving like? The entire family gathered, with my grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, family friends, and neighbors. Each of us would have to say what we were thankful for. I was thankful for the privilege of being with such great company.

What’s your favorite hang out spot in MB? The Strand, the beach and the bike path. I see so many friends and meet a number of people, while taking in the splendid scenery.

How would you describe Manhattan Beach in three words? I ♥ MB


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