Residents Forum Hosts Manhattan Beach City Council Candidates

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The Facebook group called the Manhattan Beach Residents Forum is hosting a Candidate Forum Sunday, Oct. 11 beginning at 12 noon for the seven candidates vying for three open seats on the Manhattan Beach City Council in the Nov. 3rd election.

To join the forum, you need to be a member of the Manhattan Beach Residents Forum group on Facebook. Forum creator and candidate event organizer Charlene Dipaola, who runs the FB page with her husband Todd Dipaola, invites MB community members to join the group. Prospective members who indicate an interest in joining the group on Facebook are asked three questions and Charlene or Todd determine whether or not to allow someone into the FB group.

As for tomorrow's forum, Charlene told Manhattan Beach Patch, "It’s a grassroots virtual event organized by me and a few resident volunteers." Anyone who'd like to submit a question for the forum should join the group ASAP and look at the FB page to see what questions have been proposed and then add theirs to the mix for consideration.

Charlene started the FB page Manhattan Beach Residents Forum in November of 2015. "My background is digital marketing and I was learning about Facebook forums and how it’s a good way to connect with community," she said. "I moved to MB in 2013 and didn’t feel yet very connected. So I decided to start the forum. My goal was to connect with neighbors and get better in touch with other residents. Every time I met a resident from Manhattan Beach, I was always fascinated by their stories. I think this town brings good people in."

Initially, she "invited people I know personally and also at that time I was active with the South Bay Bike Coalition so I invited people from that organization. My husband went through LMB [Leadership Manhattan Beach], so he invited people he knew from there."

The Manhattan Beach Residents Forum is online on Facebook here.