Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
Do you suffer from extreme back or chronic pain?
Let us help you improve your quality of life.
Most insurances, Worker’s Comp & ILWU accepted
Ripu Arora, MD Board certified in Pain Management & Anesthesiology
(877) 433-PAIN • Phone (310) 530-3595 www.arorapainclinic.com 1294 W. 6th St., Ste. 204, San Pedro • 22910 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance
Peninsula Interventional Pain Management Center
HarboRLiving
1
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
THISIssue 04 San Pedro’s Wild Parrots
14 White Point Silver & Sage Home Tour
By James Preston Allen, Publisher
06 Building Upon A Pre-Fab Dream A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO EVENT SPONSORS:
The Acorn Group, Advanced Orthopaedic Solutions, BiesmanSimons Architecture, Capital Group, Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council, The Geraghty Group, LA Dept. of Recreation & Parks, Terry & John Miller, Plaza Automotive, Office of LA City Councilman Joe Buscaino, Random Lengths News, SA Recycling, Supervisor Don Knabe, 4th District Los Angeles County, Wells Fargo, and Wild Birds Unlimited. A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO AUCTION DONORS:
Animal House Professional Petsitting • The Appetizer • Phoebe Barnum & Lowell Nickel • Karla Bergstrom • Dolara Bertsch • The Bike Palace • Sean Bill • Office of LA City Councilman Joe Buscaino • Masako Boissonnault • Kyle & Rodney Boone • Boren Studio • Bristol Farms • Wendy Milner Calloway • Georgia Caparis Interior Design • Centinela Pet Supplies • Susan & Craig Cooning • Corner Store • Kathleen Dijune • Distinctive Edge Framing & Gallery • Dominique’s Kitchen • Eileen’s Bead Boutique • Regina Fernandez • Logan Fox & J. S. Brown • Sari Freedman • Delores Garren • Joy Gonzalez • Jan Govaerts • Grand Vision Foundation • Darcy Hayhurst • Bungy Hedley • Helping Hands • The Hive Hair Salon • International Bird Rescue • James Jansen • Joe Jansen • Jen’s Jewels • Tom & Yuri Kantor • Patty Kattus • Keller Williams • Kim Kohler • Larry Kurtz • Roxanne Lawrence • Dale Laforest • Le Salon Specialiste • Andrea Lien • Malaga Cove Ranch Market • Mama Terano • Marine Mammal Care Center • Barbara Carnahan Marriott • Susan & Dick McKenna • Jim & Leslie McShane • Terry & John Miller • Mishi’s Strudel • Carmen Guevara Moen • Jan Napolitano • National Watercolor Society • Naturally Green Carpet cleaning • The Nature Conservancy • Off The Vine • Olson Visual • Optometric Concierge • Valyn Carenza Pack • Barbara Paige • Stacey Patterson • Bonnie Pio • Carol Powell • Cora Ramirez-Vasquez • Anke Raue • Susan Rawcliffe • Red Onion • REI • Kelly Reid • Tony Rufrano • Elisabeth Ryan • Larry Safady • Gitane Serrato • Dawn Slaney • Smith’s Cycles • Beth & Gary Sohngen • South Bay Tennis Center • John Spielman • Loa Sprung • Lowri Sprung • Dawn Stanley • Bill Steinkamp • John & Debbie Sue Stinson • Sara Sumner • Terranea Resort • Trader Joe’s • Lee Uran • Wagon Wheel Ranch • Nancy Webber • Whale & Ale • Mona Widner • Wild Birds Unlimited • Bob Williams Group • Steve Yokomizo
Home Profiles
By Zamná Ávila, Staff Writer
10 Artists Loa Sprung Opens Her Home for White Point Tour
Couple Share Their Experience on Building A Dream Home
By Andrea Serna, Arts Writer
By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy and Random Lengths News announce the 2013 White Point Silver & Sage Home Tour and Reception. This special event commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Land Conservancy with silver representing 25 years and sage representing the coastal sage scrub, which is among the many native species we work to preserve. This edition of HarboRLiving Magazine features an exclusive look at the homes featured on the tour. Guests will enjoy a self-guided tour of San Pedro homes followed by a lively reception outside in the Nature Center, where they will relax with good food, wine, great friends and music from the Bob Williams Group. Guests will also have the opportunity to bid on silent auction items including vacation homes, excursions and fabulous locally-made art and jewelry. Proceeds from the event will fund almost half of the annual stewardship and preservation activities for the White Point Nature Preserve in San Pedro.
Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen
Advertising Production Matt Highland, Suzanne Matsumiya
james@randomlengthsnews.com
Associate Publisher Suzanne Matsumiya
reads@randomlengthsnews.com
Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg Asistant Editor Zamná Ávila Design/Production Matt Highland
adv@randomlengthsnews.com
Advertising Sales Matt Highland
info@graphictouchdesigns.com
Contributors Zamná Ávila Terelle Jerricks Lori Lynn Hirsch-Stokoe Andrea Serna Photographer Terelle Jerricks
reads@randomlengthsnews.com
14 Palos Verdes Pastoral
A Garden-to-Table Dining Event
By Lori Lynn Hirsch Stokoe, Dining Columnist
HarboRLiving Magazine is a quarterly publication produced by Random Lengths News. HarboRLiving is dedicated to covering the unique lifestyle, development and cultural issues specific to the Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbor Area.
Random Lengths News editorial office is located at 1300 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731, (310) 519–1016. Address correspondence regarding news items and news tips only to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email to editor@randomlengthsnews.com. HARBORLiving Magazine is a wholly owned subsidiary publication of Random Lengths News. The entire contents are copyright protected. Random Lengths News is a member of Standard Rates and Data Reporting Service and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. (ISSN #0891-6627.) All contents © 2013, Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.
1300 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731 • 310.519.1442 www.RandomLengthsNews.com
HarboRLiving
2
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
HarboRLiving
3
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
White Point Silver & Sage
The Wild Parrots of San Pedro by James Preston Allen, Publisher
T
he couple on the cover of this issue reminded me of my days living in Point Fermin. Not the human couple, but the parrots they are holding. I still remember the screeches from treetops that could be heard for blocks when I walked through there. If you looked up, you’d see these amazingly, exotic, green and red parrots— some migrants, others escapees— chatting it up in the trees. It was almost as if they gathered there for a picnic. It occurred to me recently that these non-native parrots are a kind of symbol for San Pedro, if not Los Angeles and beyond. These parrots—transplants from other parts of the world that are very different from here—found a comfortable place to nest in San Pedro. “Are they so different from the rest of us who have found ourselves here for so many different reasons on this edge of the Pacific Rim?” I asked myself. No, they are almost the perfect metaphor for the people themselves. The grandparents of residents who wear their multigenerational family histories in this town like a coat are often the ones who have the most interesting stories to tell. Their histories begin in faraway places such as Ischia, Italy and the Dalmatian coast in the Aegean Sea. Or parts of Greece, northern Mexico or the Philippines. Each of these personal family histories weave together a greater cultural fabric in the surrounding cities of the San Pedro Bay—a region that is perhaps more culturally and ethnically diverse than anyplace else in Southern California. Who knows how many
HarboRLiving
4
A
generations of parrots have lived in the trees of our parks? When I first arrived in San Pedro back in the 1970s, I don’t remember ever seeing a squirrel. Now they seem to inhabit every nook and neighborhood park. And then there’s this explosion of crows in recent years. A flock of them is called a “murder,” and that’s exactly what you feel like doing to them when they all start cawing in the front yard. There is a growing population of beautiful, if not annoying, peacock escapees from Portuguese Bend’s Vanderlip estate. Some love them and others don’t. But you’d swear that a neighbor is harming a small child when they start to cry. I wonder how many times the police have been called out on a false alarm. But they are all here to stay also. I suppose I’d have to consult the local Audubon Society or Sierra Club to discern exactly which species of birds and mammals are actually native to this area. But I’d swear that the masked bandit stealing fruit from my backyard trees has been here longer than all of us. Every year, she seems to troop out a new generation of kittens that always discover the joys of climbing my sapote tree and washing their paws in the cat water bowl. The raccoons, however, have been here longer than any of us, including the ants, and they kind of act like everyone should know it.
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
HarboRLiving
5
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
Building Upon APre-Fab Dream A Married Couple Share their Experience on Building A dream Home by: Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor
Before San Pedro’s 2009 Paseo del Mar slide
near Western Avenue in 2009, the 1929 slide known as Sunken City was the most famous. Actually it is still the most famous. But before 2003, no one thought it possible build next to Sunken City. But one married couple—teachers in fact—did. In 1998, Karena Massengill and Graham Robertson jumped at the opportunity to buy an ocean front double lot at the eastern edge of Point Fermin Park for $50,000. Artist and educator, Karena Massengill and high school science teacher, Graham Robertson didn’t immediately know what if anything they wanted to put on the land when they first purchased it.. They just loved the view. But by any measure, $50,000 was a steal.
“If the guy at Walker’s Cafe had found out, he would have had a parking lot,” Graham said recalling their good fortune. “So, it’s sort of nice that it is a house.” Karena initially did not want to build on the property, fearing that they would be buried in debt for the rest of their lives. Describing herself as an artist first and educator second, Karena defines her art and, by extension, her art of living as a great communicator and healer and a medium through which new experiences can be acquired. “Art is a great communicator and healer and people experience things,” said Karena as she and Graham gave a tour of their home. “Whether it’s through words, whether its through visual arts, music, performance arts ...there’s something about the way people can experience what they are feeling where they don’t have to put it into words.” Taken together, it’s not surprising that Graham’s guerrilla tactics to persuade Karena build on the property —tactics that included dragging her to the property to watch the sunrise and the promise to build an awesome work-studio— was so successful. Graham initially hoped to build an old Craftsman styled home similar to the ones that were torn down or moved to make way for the widening of the north end of the 710 Freeway. “All those old beautiful Craftsman homes in Pasadena, the ones they don’t want, were bought and used as dorms for Cal Tech,” Graham explained. “They stripped out everything interesting. It’s all Home Depot cheap kitchens. We were really worried about what to do. We were teachers [and] didn’t have a lot of money.” The couple looked seriously at pre-fabricated houses—or factory made houses—based on a suggestion from an old friend of Graham’s. It took the couple three years to secure all the permits Pre-Fab Dream Continued on following page.
HarboRLiving
6
A
Publication
Pre-Fab Dream Continued from previous page.
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
needed to build on the property. And during those three years they had to return to the factory to make what ever adjustments the city requested. In all, the couple spent 4 years securing permits, stabilizing the slide area, and piecing their home together using all of their combined talents. Indeed, their home was featured on the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy’s first White Point Home Tour. Aside from securing the permits, Graham explained that the house plans had to be approved by the California Architects Board and get inspected by a federal inspector, because the project fell under the jurisdiction of interstate commerce.
It helps that Graham is an owner, builder, contractor. His expertise allowed him to navigate the pitfalls of building a home without being taken advantage of by unscrupulous contractors that would drag out construction longer than necessary. With a friend’s help, Graham estimates it took him 10 days to build the basement walls, work he couldn’t even get a bid because the materials he was using was so new. Once the foundation wall were up, Graham and Karena simply marked where they wanted their windows and doors and had them cut into the rastra with a chainsaw, thereby sealing the home so that the windows (purchased on eBay) and doors fitted perfectly. “This is literally a truck chassis. It cost $6,000 extra, which is nothing in terms of building a house to have the manufactured house built on a steel truck frame, it took them an extra week to wield that up. After welding the chassis to the manufactured house, the structure was turned upside down and the plumbing, air conditioning ducting, windows, cabinets and some heavy appliances were installed before the structure was craned over to the foundation-- a three week process in all. It helps that Graham is an owner, builder, contractor. His expertise allowed him to navigate the pitfalls of building a home without being taken advantage of by unscrupulous contractors that would drag out construction longer than necessary. “The city is scared that you’ll screw up and end up with a half-built monstrosity,” Graham said. “That happens. And then the banks don’t like it because they figure you don’t know what you’re doing.” Pre-Fab Dream Continued on page 8.
HarboRLiving
7
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
APre-Fab Dream “I’m an owner builder. So how many houses am I going to build? Graham rhetorically asks. “One,” he answers himself. “The contractors could have screwed me. They could have said, ‘this guy will never ask us back, so we could do another job.’ And they could keep me waiting and that stuff. But Martin Walsh, our foundation guy educated me in how to work with contractors. He was so ethical and did such a great job, he charged us $150,000 for all caissons, concrete for both the rental and the house. A super guy got me off to a good start, and as long as you’ve got a good foundation, then the rest is pretty easy.” The bottom of the house was built out of a kind of cement called rastra. Graham picked up what looked like discolored cement block, but was in fact a building block made from a mixture of 80 percent recycled styrofoam and 20 percent cement. Rastra is solid yet flexible. “This is composite material This isn’t space age [technology],” Graham said. “This is ancient technology made with modern styrofoam. Fortyfive seconds after it was white hot, you can touch. It heats up and cools down on the outside so fast that when you home and you house is hot an you turn on the AC, boom, the house is cooled.” Rastra also renders the home soundproof. Their home, situated at the eastern edge of Point Fermin Park, we couldn’t hear none of the music blaring from the San Pedro Lion’s Club Car Show just feet away from Graham’s and Karena’s doorstep. Graham boasted have having hosted live band in the basement and being able to tell them to crank it up without worry of noise complaints from the Pre-Fab Dream Continued on following page
HarboRLiving
8
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
Pre-Fab Dream Continued from previous page
Home Tour Returns to Harbor Area
by: Zamná Ávila, Assistant Editor On Sept. 15, Harbor Area homeowners are setting out the welcome mats and opening their doors to share their new or renovated homes for this year’s White Point Silver & Sage Home Tour. Architecture, landscape and design lovers will experience the unique homes featured to raise money for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy.
Pathway to Heaven
There is a story about a devil-like being, who can only roam the world by walking in straight lines. For that reason, some cultures build the pathway toward their home with sharp turns to keep the evil away. Whether or not the legend is true, artist Loa Sprung’s Japanese-inspired walkway surely is a pathway to a piece of heaven. “We built it as a retreat house,” said Sprung, who moved there from Marina del Rey with her late husband, John. Perhaps it’s because of that sense of peace that you would never guess Loa Sprung to be a 91-year-old woman. But she attributes it to something else. “Painting is nothing more than making decision,” she said. “Painting will keep you young and it never argues with you.” The couple was built their home inspired by the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Sprung said she and her late husband have not changed anything in her 2400-square-foot home since they built it, about 40 years ago. Well, that’s not quite true. “We used to have train that went around our house and now it’s gone,” said Sprung, a former arts teacher at Long Beach Polytechnic High School. She also has an active art studio where she and her friend paint away. Her stucco home with a flat roof sits right on the cliff overlooking White Point. A fire place in the living room allows for an even greater feeling of family unity for those she loves around her to sit. Maroons decorate her walls with her artwork and that of daughter Lowri, who shares her talent. The view of the ocean is unblocked by curtains. Instead, glass walls allow for a breathtaking intake of Catalina Island in the distance. “It’s on a wonderful [cliff] 150 feet above sea level,” Sprung said. “We have a 1000-square-foot rolling roof, electric, which opens up the atrium. And, that’s unusual.”
neighbors. For Graham and Karena, the entire experience of building on that lot of land has been humbling one. They faced a great deal of neighborly resistance to their building on the properly. One of the concessions Karena and Graham made was building the rental unit the traditional way from the ground up. It added time and cost to the project, but they ensured a means to help defray the cost of the home. It helped having a friend, then Councilwoman Janice Hahn. It made going through the friction with the city bureaucracy and local resistance a little easier. Karena and Graham ensured that the home had as many open spaces and sources of natural light as possible allowing Karena to show off most favorably her metal sculptures, castings, and paintings. There’s are two striking cultures that are a part of the Gettin’ off the Ground exhibition, entitled Looking Out, Staying In, created after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The idea of the work evolved as she began casting old and young people of all sorts of backgrounds and ethnicities during a period when the city was particularly divided. Karena explained that she was intrigued by how people experienced the installation, and how that experience was largely dependent upon their own life perspective. In some ways, the experience of building their dream home with perfect ocean views on teacher salaries offered its own shift in perspective. That’s been paying quality of life dividends ever since. HL HarboRLiving
Home Descriptions Continued on page 10 9
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
Home Descriptions Continued from page 9
Coolness
On any given afternoon you may come across a family of peacocks making their way near the modern home of Peter Niemiec and Ann Majchrzak, a short distance from the Paseo del Mar landslide. The home was built in 1988. Niemiec and Majchrzak, husband and wife, moved into the home in 2010. They’ve made renovations to the 4-bedroom house since. Drought-resistant landscaping with an olive tree, rosemary and emerald carpet manzanitas leads to the 2500-square-foot home with a 500-squarefoot garage. The home was part of a 10-house subdivision with white stuccos and red Spanish tile. “It was traditional,” said Niemiec, a real estate and environmental issues lawyer. “We bought it because of the … location and view. “ The main level of the house is on the upper level, not lower level, which is typical of hillside homes. The upper level, which faces the ocean, used to have four rooms, but the couple tore down the walls to make it a great room with clear glass walls leading onto a front deck to remove barriers between the house and the outside. An island countertop made of green granite patterns echoes of the nearby sea. “We put as much as we could to enhance the view of the ocean in the great room,” he said. “When it’s clear we get this fantastic view of Catalina Island.” They also have a bird’s eye view of the White Point Nature Preserve. “[Architect] Bill Gregory of Arcelab really helped us realize that vision and make it work,” Niemiec said. Diane Hewitt, their color consultant helped create a refreshing experience for the couple’s home. The interior is based cooler color with hues of blue such as jade green, aqua marines, grays, and a few walls with vibrant colors purple and red to pizazz. There are no beige or tan colors, which are more common in such homes. Amber wood flooring also accentuates the rectangular walls and defined edges of the home, echoing the rocks in the ocean. Light art pieces, such as a Wassily Kandinsky replica, which also acts as a television cover, add to the minimalistic, modern inflections of efficiency throughout the house. A sofa-type bench also works to keep Niemiec’s collection of 3,000 vinyl records; everything has a purpose. LED chandelier lights and skylight serve as energy savers. A 1933 Kimball piano — a family heirloom — leads into a balcony that has a great view of the land conservancy’s nature preserve. The home owners replaced railings with glass panel that meets a bougainvillea plant for admiration. The adjacent master bedroom also enjoys the ability of wide lighting through glass walls. Privacy can also be achieved with a curved rod that sustains thick, elegant curtains.
Artist Loa Sprung Opens Her Home for White Point Tour by: Andrea Serna, Contributing Writer
L
oa Sprung is a local treasure. For many years she was the heart and soul of the National Watercolor Society in San Pedro. The active, youthful looking 91-year-old is opening her White Point home and art studio for the benefit of the White Point Conservancy Home Tour. Breathtaking views in a Japanese inspired setting provide the feeling of visiting a Zen retreat a thousand miles away from Los Angeles. Standing on her back patio a visitor can watch for hours the pelicans and dolphins feeding off the rocky coastline. With Catalina Island sitting offshore, it is easy to imagine the 40 wonderful years the artist and her family has lived in this private haven. Loa’s large abstract impressionist watercolors decorate the mahogany
Home Descriptions Continued on page 11 HarboRLiving
Loa Sprung Continued on following page 10
A
Publication
Loa Sprung Continued from previous page
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
Home Descriptions Continued from page 10
Once a master closet, their bathroom has been renovated with elegance. The lower lever is a den to each to two offices that they extended: one for her and one for him, where each enjoys a nice view. It also has common bathroom in addition to their upstairs bedroom and guest room bathroom. “We worked very closely together,” Niemiec said. “People often joked, ‘Oh you are remodeling your house, next thing you’ll be getting a divorce,’ but I really think it brought us closer together because each of us contributed ideas.”
Art Den
From the outside in the home of Karena Massengill and Graham Robertson is a dollhouse, from inside out it’s an artist’s den. Th e a q u a c o l o r e d exterior greets visitors on a flagstone pathway with colorful roses as they make there way at the end of a road that’s atop of the Point Fermin home, near Sunken City. “Our house is what happens when a science teacher and an artist get merged together,” Robertson said. Each room in the home is an expression of the
walls of the home designed and built by her late husband John, a successful businessman in the field of medical plastics. The family relocated to White Point after the City of Los Angeles took their Playa del Rey home through the power of eminent domain in late 1960s to facilitate the expansion of the Los Angeles International Airport. Much of the material from the previous home was salvaged to build the current home, saving thousands of dollars, and inspiring a beautiful creation of their own making. Electric wiring, large beams and tons of Palos Verdes stone were moved to the new location. Even the kitchen sink made the trip. As an admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright, and a former architectural student, John built a dream home with absolutely no mortgage attached. The Sprung house is constructed with paneled walls which can be moved for entertaining. The center atrium has a large electric retractable ceiling, opening to reveal the stars and the skies above ocean cliffs. Loa and John met as students at the Chicago Art Institute during World War II. Loa studying fine art and John studying architectural design. After marrying and starting a family, they took Route 66 and headed west to Playa del Rey. Loa committed herself to her art studies, while John began his career in business. John’s success allowed the family to travel extensively overseas, where they became enchanted with Japanese culture and design, which is evident in the home. “Our first trip around the world was in 1962,” she said. “We fell in love with the food, their houses and farms, everything.” She told the story that describes the legendary birth of Japan, the celestial and earthly world, the birth of the first gods and the birth of nation of Japan. According to the myth, the island was populated with artists, poets, musicians and scientists by a Chinese emperor who wished to create a perfect society.
Home Descriptions Continued on page 12
Loa Sprung Continued on page 12. HarboRLiving
11
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
Home Descriptions Continued from page 11
couple, from the foundation and design, which Robertson helped build because he was also the contractor, to the art pieces that Massengill and her friends created throughout the years. Red hues collide with prehistoric art replicas and an almost life size painting of the couple’s loving embrace upon couch within the living room. Step onto the deck and you’ll meet a bust of Robertson, created with his wife, with the words, “I am ignorant,” restating words of wisdom the recently retired high school teacher bestowed to his students. Spiral stairs lead to an upper deck with view of the sunset and the sunrise. “This is how I got Karena to agree to let me build,” Robertson said. “I would drag her out of bed at our other house, bring her some coffee: ‘That’s the sunrise.’” The lower level of the home is a 2500-square-foot open space with a 16-foot high ceiling where Massengill, an artist, works on grandeur welding projects. Purchased for only $50,000 in 1998, the couple designed and built there home in 2004 using rastra, a recycled material made of Styrofoam encased in concrete to make it resistant. “Our home took three years to build (mostly due to the city’s caution in the permit process) and three weeks to attach everything,” Robertson said. Despite the roadblocks the city put in front of them because of the nearby landslide, the couple, with the help of then-Councilwoman Janice Hahn, built their dream home. The foundation, built on bedrock, took about four months to complete the foundation. They built the rastra blocks and it took 10 day to build the part in the street. They then, connected the house, part of which was inspected at the factory. “On one beautiful day, there is giant crane, three pieces, half the community came to see,” Robertson said. “It was a pretty good show.” The result was a house built from rastra material on the main level (artist studio) and manufactured housing on the second level (home), a onebedroom rental above two two-car garages, with solar panels, reclaimed water and drought tolerant plants. The couple spends no more than $10 on gas and $10 on electricity. “You would never know that half of our house was built in two,” Robertson said. “I’m an engineering teacher who got to have a lot of fun putting the house together.” Continued from page 12
Re-engineered
Artist Loa Sprung
Angela and Brian Burney re-engineered their 1200-square-foot house and almost tripled its size to a 3,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style home with unique wrought iron features. Brian Burney did much of the work on the two-story home including electrical, stonework and gardens. The earth-toned home has a beautiful kitchen cabinetry with a raised countertop that stands out and leads to the open living room, with similar features to its fireplace. The couple began the remodel of there 1940s-built home in 2010, and finished in 2012. They took the whole house and added a second edition floor. They added a deck that looks over the ocean, with a retaining wall and a sound system. The result is an unobstructed, 180-degree view of Catalina Island. The house also has a small balcony at the front where you can see the Harbor view.
In her bedroom Loa has hung an oversized illustration of a Japanese samurai warrior next to her bed. She tells me she now “sleeps with another man.” Among the artists many interests is the art of etching. Her 800-foot studio contains a floor model etching press, one of the finest in the Harbor Area. She still hosts students in her studio and they spend months on the tedious mezzotint process of copper pressing. The process begins with a drawing on paper. The sketch is copied onto a copper plate, which is scraped with etching tools and burnished before it ever reaches the ink plate of the press. Creating the designs on the plate is a patient practice that is rarely exercised in today’s fast-paced world. “Creating art is an addiction, — one of the best,” Sprung says. “If I could just get a bed in my studio I wouldn’t even have to go in the house.” As past president, and signature member of National Watercolor Society she was key to the decision to relocate the organization and purchase the property they occupy on Pacific Avenue. She also had many positions with the group such as communications director, membership director and as an advisor to the board of directors.
Home Descriptions Continued on page 16. HarboRLiving
Loa Sprung Continued on page 15. 12
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
Big Nick’s Pizza
Lighthouse Cafe
Tradition, variety and fast delivery; you get it all at Big Nick’s Pizza. The best selection of Italian specialties include hearty calzones, an array of pastas and of course, our amazing selection of signature pizzas, each piled high with the freshest toppings. Like wings or greens? We also offer an excellent selection of appetizers, salads, beer and wine. Call for fast delivery. Hours: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.Thurs., 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat. 1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro • (310) 732-5800
The favorite local cafe for the point Fermin area of San Pedro great breakfast, lunch and even dinner. Serving traditional offerings for breakfast along with specialty omelets, espresso and cappuccino. Lunches include a delicious selection of soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches with hearty portions as well as Chef’s Creations. Dinners feature Top Sirloin Steak or Prime Rib as well as a kids menu. Beer and wine are served. Free wi-fi and is pet friendly on the patio. Open 7 days a week 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. close to Cabrillo Beach and the Korean Bell, Point Fermin area: 508 West 39th St., San Pedro. (310) 548- 3354
Boardwalk Grill C a s u a l w a te r f ro n t dining at its finest! Famous for slabs of Chicago-style baby back ribs, fish-n-chips, rich clam chowder, cold beer on tap and wine. Full lunch menu also includes salads, sandwiches and burgers. Indoor and outdoor patio dining available. Proudly pouring Starbucks coffee. Open 7 days a week. Free parking. 1199 Nagoya Way, LA Harbor - Berth 77, San Pedro • (310) 519-7551
Mishi’s Strudel Bakery It is possible to find nirvana on 7th Street by following your nose to Mishi’s. The enticing aroma of baking strudel is impossible to resist, and the café is warm and welcoming like your favorite auntie’s house. Aniko and Mishi have expanded the menu to include homemade goulash, soups and a variety of sweet and savory Hungarian strudels, crépes and pastas. Take a frozen strudel home to bake in your own kitchen and create that heavenly aroma at your house. Mishi’s Strudel Bakery and Café, 309 W.7th St., St., San Pedro • (310) 832-6474 www.mishisstrudel. com
Buono’s Authentic Pizzeria A San Pedro landmark for over 40 years, famous for exceptional award-winning pizza baked in brick ovens. Buono’s also offers classic Italian dishes and sauces based on tried-and-true family recipes and hand-selected ingredients that are prepared fresh. You can dine-in or take-out. Delivery and catering are also provided. Additionally, there are two locations in Long Beach. Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. 1432 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro • (310) 547-0655 www.buonospizza.com Iron City Tavern
Iron City features a newly renovated dining room and wonderfully restored bar in a modern setting. The most comfortable gastropub in San Pedro, Iron City offers casual dining for lunch and dinner with food service at the bar. Catch all sporting events on seven 50” screens in surround sound and listen to your favorite tunes on our internet jukebox. (Iron City is a supporter of the Black & Gold.) Iron City features authentic Philly cheese steaks, various hot sandwiches and burgers, calamari steaks and a variety of Italian pasta dishes. Hours:10:30 a.m.-2a.m. 7 days a week. Happy hour from 4-6 p.m. featuring 1/2 priced appetizers and drink specials. Free parking in rear. 589 W. 9th St., San Pedro • (310) 547-4766
PORTS O’CALL WATERFRONT DINING Since 1961 we’ve extended a hearty welcome to visitors from every corner of the globe. Delight in an awe-inspiring view of the dynamic LA Harbor while enjoying exquisite Coastal California cuisine and varietals. Relax in the Plank Bar or outdoor patio for the best Happy Hour on the Waterfront. With the Award-Winning Sunday Champagne Brunch, receive the first SPIRIT CRUISES Harbor Cruise of the day Free. Open 7 days, lunch and dinner. Free Parking. 1199 Nagoya Way, LA Harbor - Berth 76, San Pedro • (310) 833-3553 www.Portsocalldining.com San Pedro Brewing Company A microbrewery and American grill, SPBC features hand-crafted award-winning ales and lagers served with creative pastas, bbq, sandwiches, salads and burgers. A full bar with made-from-scratch margaritas and a martini menu all add fun to the warm and friendly atmosphere. Wi-fi bar connected for Web surfing and e-mail—bring your laptop. Live music on Saturdays. Hours: From 11:30 a.m., daily. 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro • (310) 831-5663 • www. sanpedrobrewing.com
SPIRIT CRUISES
An instant party! Complete with all you need to relax and enjoy while the majesty of the harbor slips by. Our three yachts and seasoned staff provide for an exquisite excursion every time, and “all-inclusive” pricing makes party planning easy! Dinner Cruise features a 3-course meal, full bar, unlimited cocktails and starlight dancing. Offering the ultimate excursion for any occasion. Free parking. 1199 Nagoya Way, LA Harbor - Berth 77, San Pedro • (310) 5488080, (562) 495-5884 • www.spiritmarine.com Trusela’s
Southern Italian & California Cuisine • Bob and Josephine Trusela have been awarded the “Most Promising New Restaurant 2010” award and three stars 2011 and 2012, by the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association. Catering available for all ocassions. Hours: Sun. 5 p.m.–Close, Lunch: Tues–Fri 11:30–2:30, Dinner: Tues–Sat 5 p.m.–Closing. 28158 S. Western Ave., San Pedro • (310) 547–0993 www.truselas.com
The Whale & Ale
San Pedro’s British Gastro Pub offers comfortable dining in an oak paneled setting, featuring English fish & chips, roast prime rib, sea bass, rack of lamb, beef Wellington, meat pies, salmon, swordfish & vegetarian dishes. Open for lunch & dinner, 7days/wk; great selection of wines; 14 British tap ales, & full bar. Frequent live music. First Thursday live band & special fixed price menu. Hours: Mon.-Thu. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Fri. 11:30 a.m.-midnight Sat. & Sun. 1-10 p.m. Bar open late. 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro • (310) 832-0363 • www.whaleandale.com Keep An Eye Out for San Pedro’s Best Guide To —Fine Dining—
Brochure
To Advertise in Random Lengths News’ Restaurant Guide for the Harbor Area, Call (310) 519–1442. HarboRLiving
13
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
Palos Verdes Pastoral A Garden-to-Table Dining Event by Lori Lynn Hirsch Stokoe, Dining Columnist
I
magine a field of candlelit tables elegantly dressed in white linen with sparkling glassware arranged under a harvest moon on a hill overlooking the blue Pacific. Imagine a vibrant autumn menu created using farm-fresh, seasonal foods from our local vendors and growers expertly paired with hand-picked regional wines. This is the Palos Verdes Pastoral, the premiere al fresco garden-totable dining experience of the peninsula, which will take place on Oct. 6 at Terranea Resort. After a fabulous wine and appetizer reception on the patio, 200 guests will take their seats at sunset to enjoy the artisanal creations by Chef de Cuisine Rebecca Merhej of Terranea’s acclaimed Mar’Sel restaurant. Her sophisticated presentations and strict attention to detail bring innovative imaginative cuisine to the peninsula. Chef Merhej’s inspiration for cooking is fueled by, “the joy that is felt in creating happiness for others through unique dining experience.” She takes pride in helping to create lasting memories for guests dining at Mar’Sel. The chef’s vision for this garden-to-table event is “California driven.” She is at the Farmers Market all the time, in search of the freshest locally-sourced foods. Palos Verdes Pastoral is a fundraising event to support the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy’s mission to preserve and restore habitat for the enjoyment and education of all. Since its founding in 1988, the Land Conservancy has preserved 1600 acres of open space with nearly 42 miles of public trails. Designed to bring people together amidst nature for an exclusive dining experience-- an experience that features the best of California HarboRLiving
14
A
Publication
Continued on page 15.
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
handcrafted, organic, and sustainable foods-- this event is made possible with major underwriting from Terranea Resort and Whole Foods Market. Business sponsors and individual donors make it possible for all the ticket proceeds to support the Land Conservancy’s mission. Chef Merhej will wait a week or two before the event to finalize the menu. She will then review the foods that have been donated and choose the fruits and vegetables that are at their peak of their freshness to deliver the most dynamic meal for attendees. Devising a menu from donated items is an exciting challenge for Chef Merhej. Dinner will be served family-style on large platters to help bring people closer together at the table. Chef Merhej and the staff at Mar’Sel has hosted the Palos Verdes Pastoral experience for the past two years. Once her team is humming along in the kitchen, she will visit the tables and speak with guests about the menu and garden-to-table concept. The evening will not only raise critical funds, but increase awareness of the important work of the conservancy in protecting and stewarding open space and nature. Tickets for the Palos Verdes Pastoral are $250. For individual dinner details and tickets visit: www.pvplc.org/_activities/events.asp or call 310-541-7613. Chef Rebecca Merhej was happy to share the recipe for a salad that she absolutely adores. Her Melon Salad from the Mar’Sel menu is the epitome of summer—light, fresh, and refreshing. Taking care not to overdress the melon, she crafts this salad in a way so as to let the integrity of each ingredient shine. Marcona almonds are a sweet, fat, round gourmet Spanish almond with a high fat content,
making them luxurious and rich in taste. She also includes the cow’s milk, soft-ripened, triple-cream cheese from the Normandy region of France called Saint André. It is a cheese similar to Brie, but accented with lovely sweet cream and sour cream notes. The result is a gorgeous composed salad that screams summer. Enjoy it with a glass of chilled dry rosé!
Melon Salad— Serves 2 Ingredients:
• 1 small melon- peeled and cut in large cubes • ¼ cup marcona almonds (rough chopped) • 6 slices prosciutto • 6 slices Saint André cheese • Arugula for garnish • Extra virgin olive oil • Sea salt and black pepper
Method:
Put the melon in a medium mixing bowl, drizzle a little olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper. Toss in a small handful of arugula and place the melon in a line on a plate. Delicately place the prosciutto and the Saint André cheese on the salad, scatter the chopped almonds on top. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. Lori Lynn Hirsch Stokoe blogs about food, wine, and entertaining at Taste With The Eyes http://www.tastewiththeeyes.com and tweets as Tasteblog at https://twitter.com/tasteblog. HL HarboRLiving
15
A
Publication
Special Supplement • Autumn 2013
Home Descriptions Continued from page 12.
Continued from page 12
Artist Loa Sprung
By some accounts, it could be considered to have smart home technology (though more upgrades are needed to make it fully operational). The home also has a network communicating thermostat and a water heater with a recirculating pump.
The group spent years in various temporary locations. The first exhibition took place at the Los Angeles Museum of History, Science and Art, which later became the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The first 25 annual exhibitions took place there. From 1946 through the early 1960s, they were often at the Pasadena Art Museum but also in Santa Barbara, San Diego and the San Francisco area. From the late 1960s through the 1970s, Laguna Beach Museum of Art was most often the host gallery, in addition to the Otis Art Institute and the Palm Springs Desert Museum. Throughout the 1980s to mid-2009, the annual shows have taken place at, in alternate years, the Brea Civic Cultural Center and the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton. In 2010 National Watercolor Society had its grand opening at the San Pedro location. Although the artist is known for her large loose abstracts she enjoys figurative work and landscapes. She showed us her painting of Los Angeles Laker Pau Gasol, as well as a painting of television sports announcer Ralph Fukuhara. “ I enjoy changing mediums, I love acrylic, and I have even done pastels and oils.” Two years ago Loa’s daughter Lowri picked up a brush and discovered the joys of painting as well. Her acrylic and watercolor graphic inspired work is also in the home. The works will be on display during the home tour and a portion of all sales will go towards the fundraiser for the Land Conservancy. The White Point Home Tour and Reception takes place Sept. 15. The tour is from 1 to 4:30 p.m., with a reception from 4 to 7 p.m. Tickets are $55. Details: (310) 541-7613; pvplc.org
Surprise
Among the homes in the tour is a Ranch-style home that looks directly toward the water. Built in 1968, the home was been remodeled with a front courtyard and a swimming pool with the owner’s college football logo, “UCLA,” on the floor. The 2700-squarefoot house, which sits on a bluff, is open and airy with seven French doors that open up to the ocean front. The interior of the home has blue tones and a library of history books. Purchased in 1998, with few renovations, the owners made extreme remodels of the courtyard and backyard in 2008. The tour ends at the White Point Nature Education Center, where participants will be able to enjoy a glass of wine or food, while they listen to live music. The National Watercolor society will also be featured on the tour. Tickets and details for White Point Silver & Sage can be found at www.pvplc.org
Paul Aghilipour –Manager
Every Sunday Night from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Ms. Rosie Brand is singing songs from the 1940s and 50s, with a $2 glass of champagne, “Le Cardinale” from france.
Frank Ravalli –Proprietor
Starting October The second Monday of each month A wine tasting/drinking! dinners combined with Opera song singing
Tuesdays Uncorked Nights Half Off wine bottles with your entrée, Dine-in only.
Every Thursday Kabobs Night Folkloric songs, Turkish coffee and Tarot reading cards
HarboRLiving
16
A
Publication