Welcome to Elka's Update

Hi, I’m Elka Worner, a community volunteer, City Commissioner, journalist, and lifelong Hermosa Beach local. I was raised here, and I’ve had the joy of raising my daughter in this amazing town. My mom still lives here, and my daughter does too, three generations of Hermosa love!

Over the years we’ve seen change come in waves, new homes, new businesses, new faces. But the essence of Hermosa, that blend of creativity, independence, and neighborly warmth, is something worth celebrating and protecting.

After years chasing stories around the world -- from wars to wildfires -- I’ve come home. Now I want to turn my reporter’s eye back on the place that shaped me.

This newsletter is about us, the café owner who knows everyone’s order, the volunteer who keeps the parks blooming, the neighbors who show up when it matters. It’s about how we keep our small-town soul alive while everything around us shifts.

After years of telling other people’s stories, it feels right to tell ours, to celebrate the spirit of Hermosa, the town that taught me what it means to belong.

You can email me at elkaforhermosa.com