Marriage Equality, Sean Penn, 6-Man and More

1. Manhattan Beach Mayor Nick Tell is one of 78 mayors from across the nation who have signed a bipartisan statement supporting same-sex marriage equality, as part of the “Mayors for the Freedom to Marry” effort. Although he didn't attend the winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors in late January, he signed the statement online, he told Manhattan Beach Patch today. Read the full statement.

2. Actor Sean Penn stopped in at Shade Hotel's Zinc Lounge on Tuesday night and wound up coming to the aid of bartender Patrick Daniel as he dealt with another patron who was yelling, said Alyssa Halden, marketing and event manager at the hotel. Halden told Manhattan Beach Patch that local pro athletes from the Lakers and other area sports team stop in quite a bit, including Luke Walton and Blake Griffin, as well as "older Saturday Night Live stars."

3. Neighbors of Mira Costa High School and others who'd like to stay current on the construction progress for the new science and math building can visit the school district's homepage click on "Mira Costa Construction Project" on the left side when facing the page on the screen. The construction project page contains links to a video overview tour of the project, project documents, letters to neighbors and a work schedule that lists what is being done at the site and on what days. According to the construction page, "Currently the work site is relatively quiet, as crews dig trenches and install steel for the footings and foundation of the new math/science building."

4. Registration fees for local businesses sponsoring a team in the Charlie Saikley 6-Man Beach Volleyball Tournament have dropped from $2,500 last summer to $1,000 for a 12-player team in 2012 and $2,000 for a 20-player team, said Mark Leyman, the city's recreation services manager. Teams interested in entering the July 31-August 1 competition can register online now through March 5 by making a deposit to hold a spot for their team. Event organizers want to know how many teams are interested in playing so they can update City Council in March or April, he noted. This is the first time the event has held online registration and the 2012 is being held on a Tuesday and Wednesday, instead of Saturday and Sunday, to reduce the party scene that has accompanied the tournament the past several years. The Chicago-based Team Ditka told Leyman that they will not enter this summer's tournament because team members hold full-time, weekday jobs. During the 2011 event, during a timeout called by Tilton's friend and teammate Deanna Goodman during a Chicago Pinup Girls game the two were playing in.

5. A pot left on on a stove caused smoke to come from an apartment building in the 1100 block of Manhattan Beach Boulevard Tuesday morning, prompting a call to the city's fire department. Around the same time, city dispatchers also called for paramedic help for an individual at Office Depot on Rosecrans Avenue and 24 Hour Fitness on the same street, coincidentally at 1700 and 1500 Rosecrans.