Week in Review: Patch Celebrates Earth Day; Dead Dolphins Appear on SoCal Beaches

Redondo Beach Patch went all-out for Earth Day this week, with stories about the South Bay's water supply, "green" cleaning supplies and ideas for celebrating the holiday.

The city of Redondo Beach also voted to for the police and fire departments, as well as for the Recreation and Community Services Department.

If you've missed any of these stories or others, don't worry—we've got you covered. Check out our roundup of the week's top stories below.

Dolphins, Sea Lions Wash Up on SoCal Beaches

Ailing sea lions and dead dolphins continued to make news throughout the week, with on Southern California beaches. Several dolphins were found in Orange County, and on Saturday, beach-goers found a near the Hermosa Pier.

in the deaths and strandings. This neurotoxin was also detected in the in King Harbor in March.

No word on whether the toxin was also detected in the Monday in Ventura Harbor.

Gas Prices Keep Rising, But Show Signs of Slowing

Though throughout the week, an . The average price increase per day has slowed considerably, and prices even plateaued for a 24-hour period last week.

Cities Work to Conserve Water for Earth Day

Earth Day was Friday, and to celebrate, Redondo Beach Patch published a two-part series on and . As part of its efforts to conserve, Redondo Beach is taking the , which encourages residents to save water and reduce waste. The in the percentage of residents who have taken the pledge. (To take the pledge, visit mywaterpledge.com.)

Also in honor of Earth Day, we published a list of ways to , as well as how .

Taxes Due!

Taxes were due Monday, and to nobody's surprise, there were many late-filers. To help the procrastinators, we with 5 p.m. collection times—and it became the most-viewed story of the week. We also took a look at which South Bay residents and businesses .

In related news, participants in Assemblywoman Betsy Butler's voted Thursday to increase taxes, among other measures, to combat California's budget crisis. And candidates for the 36th Congressional District seat debated—what else—taxes at .

36th Congressional District Candidates Disclose Finances

Speaking of the 36th Congressional District race, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn and Secretary of State Debra Bowen for their respective campaigns.

Craig Huey, who lives in Rolling Hills Estates, leads the Republicans in fundraising because he lent himself $250,000.

Redondo Beach Mayor Mike Gin, who raised nearly $66,500, for Congress on Tuesday.