CITY HALL ROUNDUP : Good news newspaper won’t bend the rules--even for its own death notice.

BAD NEWS FOR GOOD NEWS: Hometown News, a weekly newspaper that provided South Bay’s beach cities with glowing accounts of prom queens, charity fund-raisers and students of the week, published its last good news-filled issue Nov. 7.

The 3-year-old paper, which was delivered free to 40,000 households in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach, had debts of $125,000 and lagging advertising revenues when Publisher Richard Seeley decided to end publication.

“I was trying to give something back to the community,” Seeley said last week from the paper’s Redondo Beach newsroom. “We helped many, many causes: the chamber functions, the Rotary functions, charities. If someone was driving some little old lady to the hospital for chemotherapy, we’d give them recognition.”

Seeley said there are so many newspapers stressing scandal and turmoil that he decided his would be different.

“All we put in the paper with the exception of the crime report was good news,” he said. “If a restaurant was closed for health violations or if there was an accident or scandal, we wouldn’t cover it. If you had a baby or graduated from high school, we’d put that in.”

Seeley was especially proud of the graduation issues that featured wallet-size photographs of every high school graduate in the beach cities.

When the sluggish economy made it impossible for the paper to continue, Seeley faced a dilemma: How would he report the worst news of all?

“I had to stick by our policy that we do not put bad news in our paper,” he said. “As foolish as it may sound, I didn’t even let readers know that we closed.”

FOWL PLAY: It started with a chicken, not an egg.

When a fan halted a hockey game at the Forum in Inglewood by throwing a live chicken onto the ice two years ago, police realized they did not have an ordinance to cover the situation.

So the City Council last week adopted a measure that has been two years in the making to prohibit the interruption of sporting or entertainment events. Violators are subject to a fine of up to $1,000 or a jail term of up to six months.

Council members did not say whether the ordinance applies to those who interrupt their meetings, which some people have called sport, others entertainment.

EARLY-BIRD SPECIAL: Torrance City Councilman Bill Applegate continues to look ahead--28 months ahead.

His supporters sponsored a fund-raiser Wednesday at Del Conte’s restaurant for “Applegate for Mayor of the City of Torrance.” Tickets to the drinks-and-hors-d’oeuvres event were $250 each, and a table for eight went for $2,000. Applegate says the evening reaped $25,000 to $30,000.

But the invitations neglected to note that the next mayoral election in Torrance is not until March, 1994. In fact, the invitations did not mention an election date at all.

Applegate launched his candidacy in August, the earliest Torrance campaign start in memory. He says that more fund-raisers are planned and that some early donors may contribute again before Election Day.

Some City Hall insiders suspect that Applegate’s early start is intended to dampen the chances of Councilman George Nakano, who wants to run for mayor but must first win reelection to the council in March, 1992. Mayor Katy Geissert is barred from seeking a third term.

Nakano thinks Applegate is rushing things a bit.

“We still have a mayor who’s in office for 2 1/2 more years,” Nakano says. “There are a lot of people who are confused. People have asked me: ‘When is this mayor’s race? Is it next March?’ ”

But Applegate says a candidate must look ahead these days. “You have to plan on having formidable opposition and be prepared,” he said.

OPEN SEATING: Rancho Palos Verdes is looking for a few good men and women.

Actually, more than a few. The city has 23 openings on seven volunteer panels, ranging from the Planning Commission to the Trails Committee.

Since the city advertised the posts in October, the response from residents has been less than overwhelming. As of Friday, only five had submitted applications, according to City Clerk Jo Purcell.

In addition to the planning and trails panels, there are open seats on the city’s Traffic Committee, Transit Advisory Committee, Recreation and Parks Committee, View Restoration Committee and Public Access Cable TV Advisory Board.

The deadline for applications is Nov. 26, but given the dearth of applicants, that may have to be pushed back. Said Purcell: “That is a loose deadline.”

LAST WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Hawthorne: After a two-year moratorium on apartment construction, the City Council gave final approval to a set of stringent development standards for apartment complexes that will reduce density from 35 to 17 units an acre and will increase open-space requirements.

Hermosa Beach: The city told Roger Bacon, owner of Park Pacific Shopping Center, that he must pay for a traffic study to see if left-turn lanes or signals are needed near the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Aviation Boulevard. Councilman Albert Wiemans believes that the intersection is treacherous--after trying to make a turn there, he said he “heard the angels clap their wings.”

San Pedro: About 30 people attended a public hearing sponsored by the San Pedro Commuter Plaza Advisory Committee on a proposed park-and-ride facility at 515 N. Beacon St. Most people favor the plan, said Mario Juravich, an aide to harbor area City Councilwoman Joan Milke Flores. “If they weren’t, there would have been more people there,” Juravich said.

Torrance: The City Council rejected a proposed seven-lot subdivision on a triangular piece of property between the Dominguez Channel and 166th Street. The council voted unanimously to deny the development proposed by Sequoia Real Estate Fund 34 Ltd. of Torrance but left the door open for the developer to submit a new plan.

THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS

Carson: The City Council, meeting as the Redevelopment Agency, meets in the council chambers to discuss partially financing a sweeping redesign of Carson Mall. The face lift is needed to lure furniture giant Ikea to the shopping center; 7 a.m. Monday, City Hall, 701 E. Carson St.; (310) 830-7600.

Manhattan Beach: Mayor Bob Holmes will reintroduce his proposal to ban smoking in all city restaurants and city-owned facilities; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 1400 Highland Ave; (310) 545-5621. Televised on Channel 3 (MultiVision) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Redondo Beach: The city will hold a public hearing concerning Chillers Bar & Grille, a beachfront restaurant that has been the subject of numerous noise complaints by neighbors; 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, 415 Diamond St; (310) 372-1171. Televised live on Channel 8 (Century); repeated at 3 p.m. Wednesday and 6 p.m. Sunday.

Torrance: The City Council will consider design plans for a $1.9-million expansion of the main library. Plans call for improving the basement and expanding library space by one-third; 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, 3031 Torrance Blvd.; (310) 618-5880. Televised live on Channel 22 (Paragon), and replayed at 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 10 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

OTHER MEETINGS THIS WEEK

Avalon: 7 p.m. Tuesday, 209 Metropole Ave.; (310) 510-0220. Televised live on Channel 3 (Catalina Cable) and repeated Saturday morning.

Carson: 6 p.m. Tuesday, 701 E. Carson St.; (310) 830-7600. Televised at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday on Channel 26 (Continental Cablevision) and repeated the next Wednesday.

El Segundo: 7 p.m. Tuesday, 350 Main St.; (310) 322-4670. Televised live on Channel 22 (Paragon) and repeated at noon Wednesday.

Inglewood: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, 1 Manchester Blvd.; (310) 412-5280. No cable telecast.

Lawndale: 7 p.m. Thursday, 14717 Burin Ave.; (310) 973-4321. Televised live on Channel 60 and repeated several times during the week.

Lomita: 7 p.m. Monday, 24300 Narbonne Ave.; (310) 325-7170. No cable telecasts.

Los Angeles: 10 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles. In San Pedro, (310) 548-7637; in Wilmington, (310) 548-7586; in Harbor City/Harbor Gateway, (310) 548-7664; in Westchester, (310) 641-4717. Televised live on Channel 35; meetings repeated individually at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and collectively on Sunday starting at 10 a.m.

Rancho Palos Verdes: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Hesse Park, 29201 Hawthorne Blvd.; (310) 377-0360. Televised live on Channel 3; repeated at 7:30 p.m. the next Tuesday.