Week in Review: Volleyball Reclaims Spotlight and Sand Dune Reopens

The Charlie Saikley Six-Man Volleyball Tournament draws a tamer crowd under new city rules, and Sand Dune Park reopens to exercise-seekers with reservations. Here's a recap of stories covered at Manhattan Beach Patch for the week of August 1 - August 7.

SUNDAY

Senior All-Stars crush San Diego North Park 13-6 and 22-2 to advance to the Western Regionals, making it farther in the championship tournament than any baseball team from the Manhattan Beach Little League.

The renovated hill at Sand Dune Park reopens to unrestricted use by kids for the day, ahead of the start of a new reservation system for those 13 and older.

MONDAY

Mira Costa High basketball team closes out a successful summer schedule with victories over Compton Dominguez and Monrovia and a loss to Culver City.

The emphasis in this year's Charlie Saikley competition is more on beach volleyball and less on drinking and partying.

Adults get their first chance to climb the hill at Sand Dune Park since its closure last summer as a new reservation system takes effect.

Police report a drop in resident and merchant complaints over this year's Six-Man tournament compared with past years, though alcohol-related arrests and citations roughly triple.

Team Magnum captures its third consecutive title in the Men's Open division of the Saikley Six-Man, and the Paul Martin's women team makes it back-to-back titles.

TUESDAY

A new Department of Public Health report reveals that South Bay residents' affluence doesn't translate into much longer average life expectancies than the rest of L.A. County.

Verizon offers a firm deadline for completion of its utility undergrounding work in District 6 of Manhattan Beach.

WEDNESDAY

Mustang Anthony Lombardo overcomes a shaky start to strike out nine in only four innings of the Senior League Western Regionals against Red Rock (Nevada), and the Manhattan Beach Senior All-Stars' offense continues to rack up the runs.

The Manhattan Beach Farmers' Market introduces mid-summer produce and gets a visit from the Big Green Bus, while food columnist Allison Arbuthnot offers a recipe for baked summer squash blossoms with ricotta and honey.

THURSDAY

Manhattan Beach Senior League All-Stars pound Oregon champion Cascade 13-4 at Western Regionals in Ontario, making them 2-0 in pool play.

, a five-year veteran of the MBPD department who is battling multiple myeloma.

After complaints from District 6 residents about the slow progress of its utility undergrounding work, the City Council directs staff to draft a potential complaint against Verizon.

Manhattan Beach's crackdown on alcohol preserved the beauty of competition at this year's Six-Man tournament, despite more arrests, says South Bay resident Jayson Repko.

FRIDAY

Accidents are a part of surfing, but so is overcoming fear, says surf columnist and lifelong South Bay resident Tori MacLennan.

Stylists from Manhattan Beach boutiques share advice on how to dress fashion-forward this fall.

The Manhattan Beach Residents Association joins the city in its legal effort to get rid of single-use plastic bags, a case soon to go before the state Supreme Court.

SATURDAY

Though the City of Bell's municipal salaries are an extreme case, the lessons learned reverberate locally, says our open government columnist Gary Osterhout.