San Pedro Today - April 2017

APRIL 2017

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BLOOMING INTO SPRING

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GOJI BERRY YOGURT MASK Goji Berry helps in rebuilding the skin by stimulating biosynthesis, fibroblast proliferation and by inhibiting MMP’s. Anti-aging results can be seen by the reduction of lines and wrinkles in addition to improvement in the skin’s elasticity. Yogurt moisturizes, smoothes and stimulates cellular regeneration.

POMEGRANATE & CRANBERRY This relaxing massage helps with circulation and hydration for dry chapped skin and helps to remove toxins.

FORMOSTAR INFRARED BODY WRAP The *Far infrared heat activates the metabolism, increasing blood flow and circulation. Encouraging the body to consume energy, reduce stress, manage pain and detoxify. *Includes whole body vibration therapy.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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Let’s talk about this month’s cover story, shall we?

I’ll be honest, I went back and forth wondering if I should even cover Saving San Pedro in these pages. The Facebook group was the talk of the town all of 2016, when our homeless problem was hitting its peak, but the negative aspect of the group, with all the emotionally driven comments, ad hominem attacks, and lack of empathy displayed by some of its members, some by people I know personally, cast such a pall on the group that I stayed away from the topic for a while. It was just too polarizing.

I, like most people who are members of the group, am a lurker. I’ve never posted but I have certainly kept tabs on it. Just as I know many local politicians, business owners, and residents do. I know this because there was a point in time last year where I couldn’t go to a public event, or even a family event, without someone asking me my opinion of the group.

The unfortunate thing is that sometimes the group’s less-thanstellar tact outshines the many positive things they have done. All the organized cleanups, the pressure put on Councilman Buscaino’s office and the City of L.A. to act on our homeless problem, the pressure put on the LAPD leadership to finally open the Harbor Division jail, all the local crime reports, have caused net positive results. Those were all major wins for the group, and

Joshua Stecker is publisher/editorin-chief of San Pedro Today. Letters to the Editor can be emailed to contact@sanpedrotoday.com.

PLANNING FOR PEACE OF MIND

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for San Pedro. But for me, the win that doesn’t get mentioned much when talking about Saving San Pedro, is how they’ve inspired people to get involved in our local political system.

Before the group existed, no one was attending neighborhood council meetings. But after the group took the Central SP Neighborhood Council to task over the “tiny homes” issue, resulting in a complete change in leadership and their board, our neighborhood councils were suddenly a hot ticket item. Things have calmed down in recent months, but not before the last round of neighborhood council board elections, where several people running on the Saving San Pedro slate won seats on their respective boards, including SSP co-founders Joanne Rallo (Central SP) and George Palaziol (Coastal SP).

This is a sure sign that a changing of the guard is happening within our local leadership. It started with Joe Buscaino’s L.A. City Council win in 2012, and we’re seeing it now on a more local level in our neighborhood councils. A new generation is rising and is rapidly pushing out the old guard that have held positions of power for far too long.

Change is good, and we’re certainly experiencing it here in San Pedro. Let’s hope this new crop of leaders continues to look ahead to the future, rather than dwell on our past. spt

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APRIL 2017 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 5

APRIL 2017

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ADVERTISING:

ASSOCIATE EDITOR/ SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Patricia Roberts - San Pedro (562) 964-8166 | patricia@sanpedrotoday.com

Joshua J. Stecker

Caitlyn Trudnich

ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION Joseph A. Castañeda

AT-LARGE CONTRIBUTORS

Pastor Nathan Hoff, Brooke Karli, Mike Lansing, Ricky Magana, Steve Marconi, Anthony Pirozzi, Angela Romero, Jamaal K. Street

PHOTOGRAPHER

John Mattera Photography

CONTACT INFO:

Phone: (424) 224-9063 EMAIL: contact@sanpedrotoday.com San Pedro Today P.O. Box 1168, San Pedro, CA 90733

General Inquiries: ads@sanpedrotoday.com

Shana Ghekiere - San Pedro (and outer regions) (310) 753-5176 | shana@sanpedrotoday.com

EMPIRE22 MEDIA LLC OWNER/PUBLISHER Joshua J. Stecker

San Pedro Today publishes the last Thursday of every month and is produced monthly

by Empire22 Media LLC. No portion of this publication can be reproduced without written permission by Empire22 Media. 25,000 copies are delivered to San Pedro and portions of Rancho Palos Verdes. San Pedro Today is a product of Empire22 Media LLC. Empire22 Media LLC, their subsidiaries and affiliates are released from all liability that may involve the publication of San Pedro Today. Copyright 2009-2017, Empire22 Media LLC.

VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 3

6 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I APRIL 2017

ON THE COVER: Background photos show items recovered from various Saving San Pedro sponsored cleanups across the community, including syringes, drug paraphernalia, and stolen goods. (photos: Saving San Pedro)

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Cruises and Sportfishing

APRIL EVERY WEEK – STRONG PEDRO PROJECT at Plaza Park (10th St. & Beacon St.) Tues 5p - Run Club; Wed at 6:45a - TRX circuit; Fri 4:30p - Taught

by Councilman Joe Buscaino; Sat 9a Glute Camp; Sat 11:30a - Yoga. Open to the public. For more info, visit www. facebook.com/StrongPedroProject.

Every Wed – CHILDREN’S WRITING CLASSES at the Corner Store (1118 37th St). Seven Golden Secrets of Writing with Diana Chapman, Wed 4:30-5:45p. For info, call (310) 6267906.

1 (Sat) – LEGO SHIPBUILDING CONTEST at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum (600 Sampson Way, Berth 84), 10a – 3p. This contest is free and open to builders of all ages! Put your Lego-skills to the test and enter three available contests, including “Home Build,” “Build It Here,” and “Dry Dock.” For more information on the contest requirements, visit lamaritimemuseum.org/legos or call (310) 548-7618.

1 (Sat) – BOOK SALE at the San Pedro Regional Branch Library, Phil Scott Meeting Room (931 S. Gaffey St.), 11a – 4p. The Friends of San Pedro Library Every Sat – LAFD HARBOR MUSEUM hosts its monthly book sale. Books (639 Harbor Blvd.) 10a-3p. Experience on all subjects, bargains galore! All San Pedro and Wilmington's Fire proceeds benefit the library. Or come Protection and Rescue service history visit The Friends' book store inside with vintage fire apparatus and various the library, open Monday through displays. The museum is located in Old Saturday, 1 – 5p.

Fire Station 36 in the San Pedro City Hall. Admission is FREE, donations are 1 (Sat) - SAN PEDRO SKATEPARK accepted.

ASSOCIATION ART SHOW at The Good Bar (3316 E. 7th Street, Long Every Sunday - SOUL FEAST at First Beach). Come and support the San Presbyterian Church of San Pedro Pedro Skatepark Association and their (781 S. Averill Ave) 5:30p. Come out fundraising efforts for the Channel and join in every Sunday for a family Street Skatepark. Art show entitled, worship service. All ages welcomed.

“Ain’t Foolin’ Around,” will include Dinner is included. photos and works from local artists, as well as live music.

ROCKING HORSE RAFFLE at Providence Little Company of Mary 1-2 (Sat - Sun) – A NIGHT ON THE Medical Center San Pedro (1300 W. BATTLESHIP at Pacific Battleship 7th St.) Stop by the Information Desk, Center - Battleship USS Iowa (250 Gift Shop or Volunteer Office to enter S. Harbor Blvd., Berth 87), 4p – 10a. for a chance to win a beautiful rocking In a "sleepover" excursion arranged horse, handmade by Wayne Gemmell. exclusively for the Atlas Obscura All proceeds benefit the Health Career Society gather on the historic Scholarship Fund. Raffle tickets are $1. battleship for an exclusive tour, Q&A

8 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I APRIL 2017

Every Fri – SAN PEDRO FARMERS MARKET (6th St. between Pacific and Mesa Streets) 9a-2p.

Winner will be chosen at the Spring Bake Sale on Friday, April 7th.

with experienced veterans, meals in the mess hall, and overnight stay in the bunks. Advance tickets are $125, available at atlasobscura.com/events/ night-on-the-battleship.

1 (Sat) – ELTON & THE EARLY YEARS BAND at The Grand Annex (434 W. 6th St.), 8 – 11p. Saturday night’s alright! This talented tribute band skillfully re-captures the original album sounds of the legendary hit-maker, Elton John. Tickets start at $25. For more information, visit grandvision.org.

2 (Sun) – STREET CORNER RENAISSANCE at The Grand Annex (434 W. 6th St.), 8 – 11p. From Sam Cooke and Otis Redding classics and more, Street Corner Renaissance’s soulful, velvety voices blend together in the classic a cappella doo-wop melodies of the fifties and sixties, transporting audiences back in time! Tickets start at $20. For more information, visit grandvision.org.

an adult) can join in on the egg hunt.

The lucky finder of the golden egg will receive a special gift! The family fun also includes popcorn, crafts, and free admission. BYO baskets! For more information, call (310) 241-0684.

8 (Sat) – ANGELS GATE WALKING TOUR at Angels Gate Park (3601 S. Gaffey St.), 10:30a. San Pedro historian and San Pedro Today columnist Angela "Romee" Romero, will be continuing her new series of monthly walking tours of San Pedro. This month she will introduce you to Angels Gate Park, which is truly a world unto itself.

Tickets are $15 and space is limited.

A second tour will be offered Sunday April 23rd. Call (310) 808-7800 to reserve.

9 (Sun) – BARBERSHOP DAY at Pacific Battleship Center - Battleship USS Iowa (250 S. Harbor Blvd., Berth 87), 10a – 4p. Get a fresh haircut on the historic battleship’s actual barbershop that serviced generations of sailors. Long Beach’s A-BarberShop 6 (Thurs) – FIRST THURSDAY will be on deck! Men’s haircuts are ARTWALK in Downtown San Pedro. $20 (cash only). Special $11 selfguided tour tickets are available for 6-10p any paying customer. To make an appointment and for more information, 7 (Fri) – SPRING BAKE SALE at visit pacificbattleship.com Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro (1300 W. 7th 13 (Thurs) – NEEDLE ARTISTS BY St.), 7a – 1p. Homemade baked goods and handcrafted items will be available THE SEA MEETING at Ports O’Call Restaurant (1200 Nagoya Wy.), 10a. for purchase. Also, the lucky winner The local chapter of the American of the rocking horse raffle will be announced. Proceeds benefit the Health Needlepoint Guild will hold its monthly meeting with special guest Career Scholarship Fund.

Tomoko Takahashi, lecturing on the art of Sachiko embroidery. For more 8 (Sat) – EASTER EGG HUNT at information, call (424) 224-9254. the Point Fermin Lighthouse (807 W. Paseo Del Mar), 10a. Celebrate Easter early! Kids (ages 4-10, accompanied by Continued pg. 10

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APRIL 2017 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 9

PROVIDERS:

APRIL 14 (Fri) – MOMS CLUB OF SAN PEDRO at Eastview Park (1700 Westmont Dr.), 3:30p. Every second Friday of the month, join this non-profit that plans play dates, family events, community service, and supports all mothers.

For more information, email sanpedromomsclub@yahoo.com.

15 (Sat) – SUSTAINABILITY FEST at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen M. White Dr.), 10a – 3p.

Join the fun with games, interactive activities, Earth-friendly displays and demonstrations, food, and live music. Admission is FREE. For more information, call (310) 548-7562 or visit cabrillomarineaquarium.org.

19 (Wed) – PAINT NIGHT W/MIKE RIVERO at Off The Vine (491 W. 6th St.), 6:30 – 9p. Paint like a pro with local impressionist artist, Mike Rivero!

Tickets are $50, and includes canvas, paint, and discount on food and drinks, and raffle entry for the chance to take home one of Rivero’s works.

21 (Fri) – MOVIE UNDER THE GUNS at Pacific Battleship Center - Battleship USS Iowa (250 S. Harbor Blvd., Berth 87), 7:30 – 10p. Enjoy an outdoor movie screening aboard the fantail of Battleship IOWA, as you sit under the stars, overlooking the beautiful LA Waterfront. BYO chairs and blankets. Concessions will be available.

Admission is FREE. For more information, visit pacificbattleship.com

10 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I APRIL 2017

22 (Sat) – TAKE ACTION DAY at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen M. White Dr.), 9a – Noon.

Lend a hand and help cleanup at Cabrillo Beach! Afterwards, join the Naturalist-lead walk to the Point

Fermin Tidepools. Admission is FREE. For more information, call (310) 5487562 or visit cabrillomarineaquarium. org.

22 (Sat) – EARTH DAY CELEBRATION at White Point Nature Preserve (1600 W. Paseo Del Mar), 9a – 2p. Join the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy to help beautify the native plant gardens and repair trails.

The family-friendly day’s events also include a ranger-lead walk around the preserve, composting workshop, art activity, and native plant sale. To sign up, visit: pvplc.volunteerhub.com.

22 (Sat) – NATIONAL POETRY MONTH AND EARTH DAY CELEBRATION at the San Pedro Public Library, Community Room (931 S. Gaffey St.), 2:30p. Public is welcome to this free event, featuring original poems, written by members of the San Pedro Poets and their guests. For more information, email silmor@earthlink. net 22 (Sat) – GRAND GRUNION GALA at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen M. White Dr.), 5 – 11p. This annual event is mixing things up this year, with a relaxed beach resort-style atmosphere for an evening of food, music, and one-of-a-kind auction items. Sustainable fare will be provided

by Chef Paul Buchanan of Primal Alchemy, as well as entertainment and dancing the night away with music by Thin Ice. For more information, call (310) 548-2031 or email gala@cmaqua. org.

23 (Sun) – ART BY THE SEA at Wayfarers Chapel (5755 Palos Verdes Dr. South), 9a – 3p. Experience an art show featuring showcasing the

artwork and handmade creations of local artists, including jewelry, candles, pottery, home decor and more. For more information, contact the Visitors Center at (310) 377-1650, Ext. 21.

28 - 30 (Fri - Sun) - BYE BYE BIRDIE at the Miraleste Intermediate School Theater Arts Building (29323 Palos Verdes Dr. East), Various Showtimes.

What’s the story, morning glory?

Put on a happy face and enjoy a performance of the beloved (and honestly sincere) rockin' musical, “Bye Bye Birdie,” presented by Miraleste Intermediate School. For tickets, showtimes, and more information, visit www.ShowTix4U.com.

29 (Sun) – 3rd ANNUAL DR. AMY RADOVCIC MEMORIAL RAD RUN/ WALK 5K at Narbonne High School (24300 S. Western Ave.), 8a. Get in some steps for a good cause! This annual run/walk around the Narbonne High School Campus honors the memory of Dr. Amy Radovcic, beloved Narbonne counselor, who passed away in 2014. All proceeds from race registrations will benefit Dr. Rad’s Scholarship Fund. Registration is $45 for adults, $10 for children/students.

Donations are also accepted. To register, visit runsignup.com/Race/ CA/HarborCity/RadRun5K. For more information, email mrsrado@hotmail. com.

29 (Sat) – FERMIN LASUEN 36th ANNUAL ALUMNI WALK & PICNIC at Point Fermin Park (807 W Paseo Del Mar), 8a. Relive the good ‘ol days with your classmates! Join your fellow Fermin Lasuen alumni for a scenic run/walk, followed by a BBQ picnic.

For more information, call Chuy Ibarra (310) 833-3060 or Dickie Soto at (310)

547-4509.

29 (Sat) – TEA BY THE SEA at Point Fermin Lighthouse and Park (807 W. Paseo Del Mar), 10:30a – 2p. Celebrate the beauty of the historic lighthouse with tea and light refreshments. Take a stroll through the gardens, and ask questions of guest expert gardeners, and check out their craft boutique, featuring local artists and vendors.

Donations encouraged. For more info, please call (310) 548-7705.

29 (Sat) – SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN at the Warner Grand Theatre (478 W. 6th St.) 7p. The SPIFF invites you to celebrate the 65th anniversary of one of the most beloved musical films of all time, starring the legendary Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. Tickets are $10 + fees, and can be purchased at spiffest.org.

30 (Sun) – MAYDAY: TALES OF LOVE AND OTHER EMERGENCIES at the Angels Gate Cultural Center (3601 S. Gaffey St.), 7 – 8:30p. This second annual event includes 90 minutes of spellbinding storytelling, suitable for all lovers and lovers of literature. Enjoy great love stories and poetry by T.C. Boyle, Langston Hughes, and more. BYO seating, blankets and prepare to picnic under the stars! Tickets are $15/couples, $10/individual. Cash only. For more information, visit angelsgateart.org or call (310) 519-0936.

Email event info to events@sanpedrotoday.com.

Deadline for the May issue is Friday, April 14. All locations in San Pedro unless otherwise noted.

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VOICES

IT WILL TAKE MORE THAN LIPSTICK TO SAVE SAN PEDRO

by Steve Marconi

You come to the end of the Harbor Freeway on Gaffey Street and you head south and you think, yeah, that’s nice, a little green park on that side, one on this side, those stately palm trees down the middle (more on that later), colorful flags, pretty blue lights on the bridge at night, and, who knows, one day that hideous billboard may be gone.

Then you drive a hundred yards… and you’re still in San Pedro.

I raised a few hackles in another community awhile back when I used the phrase “lipstick on a pig,” but I can’t think of better words to describe Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Great Streets program, especially when applied to Gaffey.

You won’t save San Pedro with palm trees, lights and flagpoles until you find a solution to what really makes this town ugly, and it goes beyond billboards and empty lots. San Pedro’s best streets are its residential ones, where you can find some beautiful old homes, but the lower-income areas are plagued by gangs and the nicer areas

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infested by men in hoodies looking for unlocked cars or empty homes to burgle. And everywhere you go are the street people.

There is a reason San Pedro is known as “Where the Ghetto Meets the Sea” and topped a 2013 L.A. Weekly ranking of “L.A.’s 5 Surliest Neighborhoods.” While both pejoratives are admittedly tongue-incheek, no honest person would deny they have a basis in truth. Take a long look down Gaffey Street, and even if you eliminate the stockpiles of trash being pushed around in shopping carts, what you see is a string of liquor stores and dive bars.

Go ahead and build a new, improved Jack In The Box, the homeless people will be back or just move to a different corner. We’ve become a haven for the homeless because the bleeding hearts have decided vagrancy is no longer illegal; all you can do is vote to raise your taxes and hope for the best.

A great street is called a boulevard, and San Pedro doesn’t have one. Our streets were not created to be beautiful but to be functional. The population has doubled since most of the streets were paved so they are barely functional (see bike lanes), and there is nothing that can be done to make them beautiful. The lights strung over downtown look nice, but they mostly serve to illuminate just how empty the sidewalks are. Daylight reveals a timeworn downtown beset by vacant storefronts, panhandlers and people sleeping in doorways.

Harsh, but that's the reality of it.

It’s time for our elected officials and so-called civic leaders to take off their rose-colored glasses and see San Pedro as it really is and not what they want it to look like. And before calling me a hater, check out

Saving San Pedro on Facebook.

Anthony Pirozzi, who I greatly respect, once wrote in these pages that he loves San Pedro so much it hurts.

Perhaps my generation gap is showing, but while I liked the sentiment, I have a slightly altered view of it: I love San Pedro so much, it hurts to see what it’s become.

What it’s become is a dumping ground for much of the city’s undesirables, and as much as we want to welcome people to San Pedro, until we make it unwelcome for some, our problems will continue.

Dumb and Dumber Is San Pedro the only place in the world with a park at a freeway onramp? The new Sister Cities Plaza on Gaffey Street gives a whole new meaning to a phrase I recall from my childhood, when someone wanted you to go away: Go play on the freeway.

Putting a playground next to perhaps the busiest traffic area in town brings to mind something my late father, who didn’t finish high school because of WWII but never lacked for common sense, used to say. He didn’t disdain education, but when he’d come upon a spectacularly stupid public works project like that park (or bicycle lanes on busy streets), he’d say: “You know, a college graduate came up with that.”

As for those palm trees, they look nice now, but have the landscape experts who thought up that idea ever driven down Pacific Avenue or Paseo del Mar after a big windstorm?

Maybe this is a new variety of palm tree with fronds that don’t fall off, but if not, we’re in for a heap of trouble down the road… no pun intended. spt Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.

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San Pedro is going through dramatic changes in a short period of time as we face considerable challenges with homelessness, crime and drugs, while at the same time we are beginning to see progress towards redeveloping our waterfront.

A redeveloped waterfront will act as a magnet to draw new housing developments to downtown, as well as entertainment, shopping and much needed jobs. Until then, we continue to be exposed to, in one way or another, incidents of indecent exposure, drug addicts shooting up in broad daylight, being approached for money, or someone who has been a victim of a crime. We are also beginning to see a rash of home invasion robberies and vehicle break-ins in our neighborhoods.

The question is, have you had enough yet? If so, what are you doing about it?

Are you being active in helping take back our streets?

No matter what we are told about the dropping crime rate, none of that matters when you learn of a neighbor who walks in on two men who have just ransacked their home. That is exactly what occurred last month in my neighborhood. A neighbor had just left to drop off their kid at school around 7:40 a.m. and returned 30 minutes later to find the criminals in their home.

Neighborhood cameras showed that throughout the early morning two cars, without license plates, cased the house until the resident left. The criminals then entered the home through a backyard window and ransacked the house. Upon returning, the neighbor was thrown to the ground and asked for jewelry, money and guns. Luckily, the neighbor was not harmed, but the memories of this traumatic incident will last a lifetime.

Another incident took place on a Sunday afternoon around 1:30 p.m. in the neighborhood near Westmont and Taper Ave., which has also been rattled with home robberies and car break-ins for the past couple of months. Three

young adults, two men and a woman, were loitering in the drainage ditch between Statler and Englander streets and peering in the backyard of homes that face Englander. Neighbors spotted the three individuals, which made them flee down the drainage ditch and headed toward their car, which was parked near the Science Center.

One neighbor, who just pulled up to see what was occurring, was so upset at what was transpiring that they chased the suspects with a baseball bat. Eventually, a picture of the license plate and the suspects was turned over to the police.

This has made me take a step back and ask myself, are we that weak as a community to sit back and accept the crime and drugs in our hometown and just let it happen? I think not. After all, this is San Pedro, where we stand tall when others run.

It is time for us to stand up and take back our streets. Today’s criminals are getting bolder so that means we must be smarter, more diligent and highly organized in our neighborhoods. We can no longer accept what we are being exposed to each and every day, but rather rise together. No longer can we wait for City Hall to help us, but rather we must help City Hall and law enforcement weed out this crime wave.

We read about the break-ins, robberies, and crimes across San Pedro and we all know there are many that go unreported. The only reporting that is consistent shows up on social media, which is a quick and easy way to get the word out to your family, friends and neighbors, but we must alert law enforcement through 911 or filing a police report. The extra time will document what is really happening on our streets.

I cannot encourage you enough to get involved, whether through organizing a neighborhood watch, getting to know your neighbors, setting up an online network using apps such as Nextdoor, or investing in security cameras or products such as The Ring. Most of all, stay alert, and when you see something, say something.

Together, we must take back our streets. spt

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PUBLIC SCHOOLS VS. VOUCHERS: DO THE MATH

by Mike Lansing

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With President Trump’s choice of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, the ugly concept of school vouchers is now front and center in this country. The effort has already begun as Rep. Steve King of Iowa has introduced House Bill 610, which would establish an education voucher program throughout our country. Let me make this perfectly clear: vouchers are bad for the public education of our children.

All other things being equal, the math just doesn’t add up when it comes to vouchers. Simply put, a voucher program provides a set amount of tax dollars for a student to attend a private school. In Milwaukee, where vouchers have been in place for over 25 years, a voucher provides approximately $6,500 for a student to attend a private school while the state spends about $14,000 per public school student. When you solely take these numbers into account, vouchers seem like a great taxpayer savings. However, the basic problems are threefold: 1.) Students currently attending private schools on private dollars are eligible for these publicly funded vouchers; 2.) These private and predominantly religious schools only have so many seats and therefore cannot take many students out of the public education system; and 3.)

These private schools have basically no oversight by the government/education system and they can pick and choose who they take – so the smartest will be enrolled utilizing these vouchers and those with special needs or who have academic struggles will be relegated to the even less funded public schools.

Let me show you the math when it comes to California. In 2015, there were approximately 500,000 K-12 private school students, so let’s use

that number. Let’s also use the $6,500 Milwaukee voucher figure and let’s conservatively estimate that 25% of the private school students are eligible for vouchers (It is probably much higher – in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles alone, my source tells me at least 75% will be eligible for vouchers, or 60,000 students). Twenty-five percent of 500,000 students equals 125,000 eligible for vouchers. Multiply that figure by the $6,500 voucher figure and the bill comes to $812,000,000. (Probably more given Archdiocese realities.) Now remember, these are students already in private schools, so with this scenario, California now starts the year with at least $812 million less to serve the same number of public school students than before vouchers. No bueno!

Vouchers will support private schools while providing significantly less funding for the same number of public school students.

Look, I taught 17 years in Catholic schools here in San Pedro, so I have no beef with private schools and feel they do a fine job. However, when California is already ranked in the 40s when it comes to comparing states and their public school spending, and then you take away at least $800 million from that already underfunded amount, it just doesn’t add up. And as noted earlier, for those seats that are open for students to transfer from public to private, none will be special education students and any private school with half a brain will enroll only the best and brightest. And this doesn’t even count the opportunity for true fraud when new private schools start popping up with basically no oversight or regulations – just as this new Washington D.C. administration wants it to be.

These aren’t alternative facts as numbers don’t lie and vouchers just don’t add up. Do the math and write your Congressperson. Better yet tweet at President Trump. spt

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SAN PEDRO’S EASTER EGGS story & photos by Angela “Romee” Romero

18 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I APRIL 2017

When most people think of Easter eggs, they imagine colorful hardboiled treasures sprinkled across the lawn waiting to be hunted. In the digital age, an Easter egg has come to mean a joke or a bonus hidden inside software or a movie. Disney-Pixar films have become famous for hiding characters from previous movies in their latest release. Regardless of whether an Easter egg is a joke or yolk-filled, it requires a keen eye and knowing what you’re looking for.

In honor of Easter, I’ve decided to scour the town in search of San Pedro Easter Eggs: history hiding in plain sight.

The White Links Gaffey Street is one of San Pedro’s largest and busiest arteries but there’s a good chance commuters have never noticed the three white chain links hanging high above street level on this brick building at the corner of 10th and Gaffey Streets. I remember wondering if the building was home to a hardware store as a child. The answer to the links comes from the origin of the building itself. Built in 1922, the large brick structure was the home of the local chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, one of San Pedro’s many fraternal organizations. What the square and compass are to the Masons,

Clockwise from top left: the La Rambla area where the current YMCA resides, Odd Fellows white links, the Veteran's Building on 11th and Mesa, and Tank Nelson's old apartment with the ledge where he posted his movie reviews.

the three links are to the Odd Fellows.

The links’ true colors are white, blue and red and correspond to the lodge degrees of Friendship, Love and Truth (FLT).

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church was built on 9th Street, the oldest little church in San Pedro was moved to the Harbor View Cemetery and the clubhouse remained.

Neighborhood Camouflage The best way to go unnoticed is to blend in and act like you belong.

In military circles, this is called camouflage. I found an old Army veteran hiding out in the historic Vinegar Hill area. This brown building on the southwest corner of 11th and Mesa Streets, known as the Veteran’s Building, is currently being used as a meeting facility for the Beacon House Association. The two-story building’s original location was out in Point Fermin on Fort MacArthur’s upper reservation. In 1922, the Army sold the surplus World War I era building to the St. Peter Episcopal Church for $1 for use as a clubhouse for their parishioners when the church was located on 10th Street. When the new

The Long Arm of the Film Critic In the early 1920s, San Pedro was in the midst of both a building boom and a housing shortage. Industry in the port was going so well that there were so many jobs to be had in San Pedro, but nowhere for the workers to live. This explains the concentration of so many bungalows and old style apartments on the south side of town. It’s on one of these bungalow apartments where the observant will find the Easter egg left by a longtime laborer, a wooden plank nailed outside a second story window, jutting out above 22nd Street. Rawlan “Tank” Nelson spent over 40 years working on the docks.

In his retirement, he became known as a respected film critic among his friends. His recommendations were so

sought after that he was asked to hang them from a chalkboard outside his apartment window. In the 1990s, many San Pedrans would take the long way on their way to the movies to see what Tank suggested.

Staying Within the Line Sometimes, when you’re on the hunt, it’s best to take a step back and get some perspective because there’s a chance that the Easter egg is so big, you might be standing in it, or in this case, parked in it.

Have you ever wondered why the YMCA’s front parking lot is at such a strange angle to Bandini Street?

Or why it lines up perfectly with La Alameda? This is because the tracks of the local La Rambla line of the Pacific Electric ran right through the parking lot and up the middle of La Alameda.

The YMCA currently occupies the land of the former Gaffey Estate, La Rambla, which lends its name to the entire area. spt

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Un “Chain” Yourself No Wait, Same Co-Pay, We Deliver . . .

LOVE MADE EDIBLE HOW AMANDA ZUANICH TURNED HER SWEET DREAMS INTO RED’S CHEESECAKES

20 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I APRIL 2017

by Caitlyn Trudnich | photos by John Mattera

Julia Child once said, “Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.” For local entrepreneur, Amanda Zuanich, her passion is making people happy through baking, most importantly – her cheesecakes.

Zuanich, a graduate of San Pedro High School, was raised on the belief that food is an expression of love. A tangible way of showing your affection to friends and family, and making others happy. “Cooking has always played an important roll in my life,” Zuanich says, “I was taught at a young age how love can be transcended through food by my grandmother, Marion Brinson, from Louisiana. Food and family went hand in hand. Every Sunday at two in the afternoon, we had ‘suppa.’ Every holiday was spent in her small, yellow house, in her itty-bitty kitchen, so full of laughter, love, and of course, food.” Through this inherited trait of love through cooking, the soul of Red’s Cheesecakes was born.

What began as simply bringing her acclaimed homemade desserts to parties, quickly became a small business. “I have been making the same cheesecake recipe for over 15 years. Everywhere I would go, I’d be asked to bring my cheesecake. Around the holidays, I would make and sell them to friends and family. Then one day while at the farmers market, my husband Michael said to me, ‘Babe, you could sell your cheesecakes here.

People are here buying all these other great products, they would definitely buy your cheesecakes, too.’ Inspiration struck, and Amanda quickly got to work – polling friends and family on what flavors they preferred, coming up with a name for her new business (“Red” is her nickname, à la her perfectly coiffed, red hair), and sending

in an application to sell at the Torrance Certified Farmers Market.

One of her proudest moments as an entrepreneur, as well as a mother, happened during the application process. Zuanich recalls the special memory, saying, “I was told there was a two and a half year waiting list to become a market vendor, and a tasting committee to approve of products.

As you could imagine, I was nervous.

After sending in my application

and samples, I took my daughters, Aurora and Goldie, to the market that weekend.” The cheesecakes were an instant hit among the market staff, and Red’s Cheesecakes was officially welcomed as an artisan seller. “After getting the good news I shared it with Aurora. She was so genuinely happy for me. She hugged me so tight around my waist, looked up at me and said, ‘See Mommy, I told you. I knew it.

Your cheesecakes are the best. I am so proud of you!’ As parents, we tell our children all the time how proud we are

Red's Cheesecakes as displayed at the Torrance Certified Farmers Market; (inset) Amanda Zuanich.

of them, but to hear her tell me was all the recognition I will ever need.”

Red’s Cheesecakes sells a variety of flavors, with names like Pucker Up, featuring a light, lemon center and topped with Meyer’s limoncello curd, or Hey Daddy ‘O’, which has an Oreo cookie crust. Simply put, all are seriously delicious. Although Red herself considers Crème de la Crème, her original cheesecake with graham cracker crust, and topped with vanilla bean, as her personal favorite, as well as a favorite of her family. The cheesecakes have instantly become a well-known fixture amongst the farmers market crowd, with many customers returning week after week to purchase the delectable desserts. As a perk of being a loyal customer, Red’s Cheesecakes offers a rewards program, where upon your tenth purchase you receive a free cheesecake. Sweet deal.

As a wife, mother, and businesswoman, Amanda has become aware of the importance of taking on such a new and adventurous endeavor of starting her own, small business.

She understands the value of not only doing what she loves, and sharing her talents with others, but also being a role model to her daughters. Providing them with an example of girl power and a hard work ethic, is truly what makes Amanda’s story so special.

“To be able to say I started a business, and knowing how at some moments in this process I felt so overwhelmed and scared, but I did it,

is very empowering. I have learned and grown so much through this process. Cooking is what I love to do.

Seeing people’s faces as they taste a cheesecake I made is gratifying, and hearing them come back week after week with excitement is awesome. I am truly doing what I love. All I can hope for my girls is that they, too, one day take a chance, a risk, and do what they love.”

As for the future of Red’s Cheesecakes, Amanda hopes to continue to sell at the Torrance Certified Farmers Market, take special orders, and cater events, as well as one day open her own store. “I would love to have a 1940s-retro bakery with a counter, where I can chat with my customers while they enjoy one of my cheesecakes.”

Amanda describes the ultimate feeling her business gives her, saying, “My love for cooking, and seeing family and friends enjoy it, to me, is the greatest gratification.” spt

For more information on Red’s Cheesecakes, or to place an order, email redscheesecakes@gmail. com, visit the Torrance Certified Farmers Market at Charles H. Wilson Park (2200 Crenshaw Blvd.) on Tuesdays, 8a – 1p, and follow Red’s Cheesecakes on Facebook and Instagram, @redscheesecakes.

APRIL 2017 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 21

Background photos show items recovered from various Saving San Pedro sponsored cleanups across the community, including syringes, drug paraphernalia, and stolen goods. (photos: Saving San Pedro)

?

HOW A FACEBOOK GROUP INSPIRED A NEW GENERATION OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISM

22 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I APRIL 2017

by Joshua Stecker

San Pedro loves its Facebook.

Don’t believe me? If you’re a current resident (or expat who keeps tabs on this town), check and see how many San Pedro-related Facebook groups and pages you belong to. The number may surprise you.

A Facebook group or page exists for nearly every facet of this town. All the neighborhood councils (Coastal, Northwest, Central) have one, there’s a merchants’ page, multiple Downtown San Pedro-related pages, several local school-related alumni pages, one for available jobs, one for lost and found pets, a few dedicated to photos of San Pedro, nearly every small business in town has their own, the list goes on and on. But, not surprisingly, the most active and popular San Pedrorelated pages are the ones dedicated to the reporting and tracking of crime within our boundaries. As the adage goes, “If it bleeds, it leads,” and, as the popularity of these types of groups show, San Pedrans love a good drama.

For a while, the most popular of these groups was Crime in San Pedro (CISP). Currently at nearly 28,000 “likes” (the most of any San Pedrorelated page), CISP captured the attention of residents a few years ago when the moderators (it’s rumored to be run by a man and woman who choose to remain anonymous) started posting about crimes being reported in real time while monitoring the local police scanners. When news of a crime in progress posted, hundreds of users would chime in with either additional information, questions, or – more often than not – the snarky/offensive comment. While informative, it also made for a somewhat sick form of entertainment among the voyeurs and commenters on the page.

The War Against Tiny Homes CISP held the title as the most talked about local Facebook page until July 2015, when what became known as “tiny homes” started popping up near

the Beacon Street post office. These makeshift shelters, meant for San Pedro’s growing homeless population, became the catalyst for the launch of another popular Facebook group, the now defunct San Pedro Against Tiny Homes (SPATH), the precursor to what would eventually become, Saving San Pedro (SSP).

“On the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Watch Facebook page, there was a picture of a ‘tiny home’ in front of the health department on Beacon Street sitting alongside the curb and it caused lot of questions,” recalls Joanne Rallo, who co-founded Saving San Pedro with George Palaziol, both of them lifelong residents. “Who put this here? How did it get here? Who built it? Amongst all the discussions in these public Facebook groups, somebody mentioned the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council had some part in it.”

And just like that, the war against tiny homes began.

The fallout would happen months later with attendance skyrocketing and emotions flaring at the monthly Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council meetings, resulting in an upheaval in its leadership and board. In September 2015, Councilman Joe Buscaino’s office organized a public homeless forum at the Warner Grand Theatre, resulting in a jam-packed house fueled, in part,

by San Pedro’s rising frustration at the out of control homeless problem, but also by an organized effort by SPATH to fill the seats to generate community awareness.

“We created a private Facebook group (SPATH) and allowed people into it that felt the same way as us [against the tiny homes],” remembers Rallo. “People started getting added to the group like wildfire. We decided that we were going to help educate people in town about what’s going on. We called our councilman’s office and let him know that we are not for this. Eventually, Councilman Buscaino

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decided to put together the homeless forum. Our little group of people that had never met before are all meeting at some stranger’s home and we’re saying, ‘Okay, you’re going to produce fliers, you’re going to pass them out to every business and home in the area…’

Basically, we promoted that forum. We packed the place.”

Councilman Buscaino’s office declined to comment for this story.

The L.A. City Council would eventually deem the tiny homes illegal in February 2016, and the rise in popularity of the San Pedro Against Tiny Homes group would give way to the less specific-titled, Saving San Pedro.

“We realized that it’s bigger than just a tiny house issue,” says Rallo. “It’s bigger than just a homeless issue. So that’s why it was pretty genius that George labeled it Saving San Pedro, because it encompasses all possible issues within that.”

24 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I APRIL 2017

Actions Over Words San Pedro had not seen this type of community activism in years. Inspired by the actions of SSP, residents who didn’t participate in local politics were now becoming regulars at neighborhood council meetings. The local political acumen was rising and problems such as the dormant LAPD Harbor Division jail, general lack

of LAPD resources, the trash and degradation of public lands, the rise of the mentally disabled and drug addicts wandering our streets, and, of course, the overwhelming homeless problem, were now issues that were in the spotlight, in part because Saving San Pedro became the squeaky wheel that got the attention.

“I think it shows a level of trust from the community that people come to Saving San Pedro with these issues,” says Palaziol. “They know that we can address them to an extent, or at least get the ball rolling one way or the other with certain issues. Whereas back in the day, you’d have to write a letter or make a phone call. Our main goal is to get the community involved, and to have our elected officials involved in productive dialogue to address issues that are going on in our community. Those are two of our major goals.”

The list of community activities and achievements spurred on by Saving San Pedro is impressive. Nearly two years in existence as a Facebook group, SSP has held two LAPD police rallies in support of bringing additional resources and opening the Harbor Division jail, which resulted in Harbor Division’s acquirement of a temporary booking van until the jail is finally open; organized successful community cleanups on Gaffey Street,

(Left) George Palaziol and Joanne Rallo, co-founders of Saving San Pedro. (right) Photos of the “tiny homes” that appeared along 8th Street in downtown in 2015. (photos: John Mattera/ Saving San Pedro)

Pacific Avenue, 22nd Street Park, the Miraflores hillside, and the Welcome Bridge; participated in the 2015 San Pedro Holiday Parade; helped collect food, toys and hygiene products for Harbor Interfaith Services; and, most notably, have assisted in the arrest of an unspecified number of criminals.

“We’re about bringing a positive change to our community with the right tools and the right people,” says Palaziol. “We’re not going to go out there and take care of it ourselves if it’s breaking the law. We’re not going to be vigilantes and hurt people. We do things using the police. We use the resources that our taxes are paying for.

One phone call doesn’t work, so we start posting [on the Facebook page].

We have multiple people file reports.

It takes that kind of work in L.A., unfortunately, to get results.”

A Lack of Tact As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished, and while Saving San Pedro has proven to be an effective group promoting positive community activism, it isn’t without its critics.

Of its 6,500 members, it’s estimated that less than 5% participate through posts and comments on a regular basis, and an even smaller number participate in their organized events, most just lurk. But within that small percentage, there are some notable

members whose consistent negative behavior, be it ad hominem attacks, name calling, trolling, or spreading of misinformation, have helped Saving San Pedro earn a less than stellar reputation among some in the community.

The criticism is not without merit.

For example, a recent photo posted by a woman showing her family offering food to a homeless man denigrated into a vicious thread of personal attacks.

While the motives and discretion of the woman who initially posted the photo was worthy of questioning (it could have been considered in poor taste), the number of unnecessary disparaging comments by regular contributors just added to the destructive nature such online communities can cultivate.

In seeking comment for this story from those who have expressed dismay about the group in the past, nearly all who were approached declined to be interviewed, which says as much about the negative aspects of the group as the positive.

San Pedro resident, Steve Casares, himself a target of some of SSP’s vitriol for his monthly crime data/ analysis postings in the San Pedro neighborhood watch pages, was one who agreed to go on the record. Some members believe crime continues to rise when Casares’ recent data suggests otherwise.

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‘OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED, AND TO HAVE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS INVOLVED IN PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE TO ADDRESS ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITY.’

“[Saving San Pedro] started off as a good idea. I think their heart is in the right place, but their means is the problem,” says Casares. “For example, I don’t believe, as they do, that more police are the solution.”

According to Casares, his data, culled from several public crime mapping sources, suggests that most crime in San Pedro is property crime, and while having more police in the city might give an air of security, the best prevention is for individuals to be vigilant about securing their homes, cars and other valuable property. He also says that the proliferation of crime When asked about the actions of and I are just two people and we can’t reporting on social media makes it some of its members, and how such control others. We can control if they more personal for people, which then actions reflect negatively upon the go over the top or if they’re threatening exaggerates emotion over logic. group as a whole, Rallo, who now people on the page; we’re not going “I’ve found the use of social media holds a seat on the Central San Pedro to allow that. But I would hope that in general has been useful as a whole,” Neighborhood Council board (Palaziol people would have an open mind and says Casares. “Communication brings is on Coastal’s), says she understands if they are lurking that they do their people closer together whether they but hopes the good deeds outweigh the research and see that the people that want to or not… but crime reporting bad seeds, and points to the more than are showing up, representing, being became personal. Despite the dropping 1,300 people that have been banned part of their community, attending crime rates, people have this perception from the page so far as evidence they events, trying to get involved with their that crime is worse. When it’s personal, are continually working on this issue. community, those are the ones that it’s emotional, and try convincing those “Pick any Facebook group out there pay attention to what they’re saying. people [who are emotional about it] and you can’t possibly think with an Keyboard warriors exist, and we all that they’re wrong. You can’t. When open mind that two or three people know that there are people online you’re trying to bring statistics into that happen to be very vocal about that do that. Like, when people would gerlach-1007-DB-4c.qxd:gerlach-1007-DB-4c 11/15/07 10:15 AM Pa the conversation with people who are things represent the entire group,” she say, You guys hate the homeless. We emotionally invested, they don’t listen.” says. “At the end of the day, George will have 10 people fire back and say,

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Really? If we hate the homeless, why do we help them get shelter? Why do we offer them resources? Why did we create a pamphlet so that when they are asking for help they have everything there in front of them?”

Palaziol adds, “Saving San Pedro is a public forum, and it’s a representation of the community’s frustrations and concerns. You’re going to get some people that come into the group mild mannered. You’re going to get some that are very articulate. And you’re going to get some that aren’t. It’s a reflection of the times, and right now, times are tough.” spt

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SPORTS

POLA HIGH SECURES SOCCER SUCCESS

28 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I APRIL 2017

story and photo by Jamaal K. Street

Program vindicated. Anguish destroyed. Disappointment erased. Port of Los Angeles High girls’ soccer can finally call themselves champions.

After four runners-up finishes in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016, the Polar Bears finally achieved what they toiled so long for when sophomore midfielder Gisselle Mora took advantage of a mishandled attempt at a clear-out by a Grant of Van Nuys defender. Mora would slightly tap in the golden goal with just over two minutes left in sudden death overtime for a heartstopping 2-1 victory in the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division 2 final at Los Angeles Valley College.

“I am really proud of everyone,” POLA junior midfielder Briana Mancilla said. “We gave our all even though we were fatigued. We could not have won without everyone fighting tooth and nail for this title.”

Even so, there was seemingly little hope when Grant sophomore midfielder Paige Smith scored with two minutes left in regulation to give the Lancers a 1-0 lead after 78 tantalizing minutes of near misses by both teams.

“I definitely thought the game was over at that point,” POLA senior midfielder Anna Vidovich said.

It was Vidovich who took a long pass from senior midfielder Alejandra Gurrola, somehow brushed off a defender on the right side near the 18-yard box and lofted in a perfect shot

in the left corner of the net to knot up the score at 1-1, forcing overtime and putting Grant’s plans of a perfect season on hold.

“Alejandra gave a great pass and that goal was the best feeling of my life,” the Stevens Institute Of Technology-bound Vidovich said of the final seconds. “That’s going to be a memory I have forever.”

Neither team could score during the first 20 minutes of extra play (two tenminute overtime periods), so the Polar Bears (18-3 overall) and Lancers (19-1) had to go to two five-minute sudden death periods.

Grant nearly put an end to an already classic game in the opening minute of sudden death but Smith’s shot just misfired to the right, giving POLA freshman goalie Katelyn Viducic, who made a career-high 13 saves, a reprieve. Grant also failed on a corner kick chance during their aggressive attack on the defensive back line of POLA, but they persevered. “[The back line] was under so much pressure and I think we handled it amazingly,” POLA junior defender Christy Messner said.

POLA also had some chances late, but finally got their big break when Vidovich beat two defenders and fired a shot just behind off the right side of the goal. A Grant defender tried to kick it away, but the goalie charged the ball a little too much and it went right to Mora, who tapped it in for the

Port of Los Angeles High School girls’ soccer celebrates their big win.

win... and the ultimate redemption for herself, and the Polar Bears.

“I honestly was just hoping that I would score and make my team proud,” said Mora, who painfully watched last year’s Division 4 championship loss to Northridge Academy from the sidelines after suffering a concussion in the first round. “They’re like my family and I wanted them to be proud of me.”

Viducic expressed her gratitude towards Mora and her teammates.

“I am so thankful for Gisselle,” Viducic said. “Without her and Anna, we wouldn’t have won the game. I see a great soccer future for Gisselle.

I want to thank my team for never giving up, playing their hearts out and everyone having a positive attitude.”

In the first half alone, POLA had several opportunities against Grant, but Mancilla, Vidovich and sophomore defender Kendall Dimson were not able to finish them. Junior midfielder Britney Delgado and freshman midfielder Keely Bales had potential breakaways snuffed out by the Lancers’ defense. In the second half, Delgado set up a perfect chance for Bales, but her header was wide left of the goal.

Also in the second half, Messner narrowly misfired on two 30-yard free kicks before Smith finally broke free for Grant’s only goal of the night.

Still, the Polar Bears stayed the

course, didn’t panic, and eventually sent the Valley College crowd – and their own bench - into a frenzy with Vidovich’s goal, which prompted shades of her quick goal in their 3-1 semifinal victory over San Fernando on February 28.

“Anna worked so hard this season and definitely deserved that goal,” Viducic said. “I wish her the best of luck in college.”

POLA out-shot Grant, 15-9 in regulation, controlling the field possession for 45 of the 80 minutes, but the 108th minute of action when Mora scored, ended all those torturous years of heartbreak, especially for the seniors of the team in Vidovich, Gurrola, defender Alyssa Medrano, midfielder Lizeth Chavez and midfielder Florizel Torres.

“It’s the most amazing feeling in the world,” Vidovich said of the joy of finally being called champion. “We’ve been so close for all four years and it’s so great to finally win it all.”

The Polar Bears defeated Marshall of Los Angeles, Van Nuys and San Fernando before finally claiming the program’s first championship, and the San Pedro-based charter school’s seventh sports crown, joining softball (2011, 2012, 2013), girls’ cross-country (2012, 2013) and baseball (2014) into their championship history. spt

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WEDDING

MAKING MEMORIES OF US

30 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I APRIL 2017

by Brooke Karli | photo by John Mattera Photography

William (“Billy”) and Puja (Khatri) Brownell met in the summer of 2011 while working at Catalina Express. A little more than a year later, the two began spending time together and looking to see whether or not their friendship would lead to something more.

Fortunately for the two of them, love was in the cards, and after dating for a few years, the two became engaged.

“I knew early 2015 that I was going to propose to Puja,” explains Billy. “I wanted it to be special for everyone, so because English is her parents’ second language, I asked for their daughter’s hand in marriage in their native language Hindi.”

After getting their blessing, Billy proposed to Puja on August 27, 2015, in Hermosa Beach. He proposed to her while walking on the sand, all the while having photos taken of the whole proposal as it unfolded. When they

went to the restaurant Mediterraneo afterwards, they were greeted by 20 of their closest friends waiting to celebrate.

Just more than a year later, on September 4, 2016, the two became husband and wife in front of 220 guests at The Grand in Long Beach. With Puja being Indian, the first half of the ceremony was done in Indian attire alongside Indian traditions.

“One of the traditions we embraced was having Billy’s shoes stolen after he entered the mandap,” Puja said. “The tradition goes that my bridesmaids and female family members steal the groom’s shoes, and because he has to wear the same shoes exiting the mandap as he did entering, they hold them for ransom. So Billy had to pay them off in order to get them back. It’s symbolic of saying ‘I’m going to take care of her and of you as well’.”

The second half of the ceremony was that of a traditional Catholic wedding, which was officiated by the couple’s

“second mom,” Terry Workman.

“Terry is really the reason Billy and I met in the first place,” recalls Puja.

“When I was looking for a job, she suggested that I get a job at Catalina Express. So her officiating the wedding seemed more than fitting.”

Also standing next to Billy and Puja were Best Man Kyle Walsh; groomsmen Corey Straub, Bobby Lucin, Robert Workman, Andrew Nunez, Ryan Alsup, and Charley; Ring Bearer Bennett Line; Maid of Honor Tanuja Khatri; bridesmaids Amanda Cataudella, Monica Mueller, Noemi Alsup, Sarah Workman, Mannat Sra, and Hayley Krawitz; and flower girls Shyla Khatri and Mia Cataudella.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds changed into a wedding dress and suit and went on to celebrate their love in Indian and Croatian fashion at their reception. They shared their first dance to Keith Urban’s “Making Memories of Us” and Arijit Singh’s “Dilli Waali Girlfriend,” a

choreographed danced that meshed their love for music and dance together.

Puja and her father, Azad, danced to Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl,” while Billy and his mother Mary Jo danced to Elton John’s “Blessed.”

The cultures were brought together at the buffet, with foods from both countries, and more than 18 trays of cookies and desserts made from both sides of the family. Some of the cookie makers were Marie Ancich, Andrea Bucci, Lisa Ancich, Mary Jo Brownell, Amanda Cataudella, and Kayleigh Perkov.

The couple honeymooned for two weeks in Hawaii at the beginning of February.

Currently, Billy and Puja live in San Pedro. Billy is a superintendent at the Long Beach Container Terminal, and Puja is an Intake Specialist for Mental Health America. The two are excited to travel and enjoy each other before starting a family in the future. spt

HEALTH & FITNESS

THE CHALLENGE DIET BLUES

by Ricky Magana

Have you done a weight-loss challenge lately?

Did you work your butt off (literally) for several weeks, doing cardio, following a strict diet, meal prepping, and using every ounce of discipline to meet your ambitious goal?

If you did, I give you huge kudos. It wasn’t easy. It took sacrifice and a lot of hard work.

If you met your goal, you know how empowering it is to take control of your health and see the reflection you see in the mirror change into something you’re proud of.

Depending on how long it’s been since you finished your challenge, you may still be in the glow of your success.

But if you’re like most people I’ve seen do a challenge in my gym or otherwise, you’re wondering… Now what?

The restrictions you placed on yourself have suddenly been lifted. Part of you is elated by the accomplishment of being done and the liberty to “splurge” on whatever you’d like to eat.

But part of you is a little afraid.

Afraid that you no longer have accountability and you’re not exactly sure you trust yourself with all the freedom. You’re afraid everything you’ve worked for will be gone if you’re not careful.

You take a weekend to order a nice huge burger, you go on that planned vacation and rock the swimsuit in pride, eating whatever you want.

“When I get back, it’s right back on the plan!” you say to yourself. But when you try to get back on track it just isn’t the same. When it’s on your own, it’s much harder to keep yourself honest.

I’ve seen many at this juncture before and without a clear plan, lots of those people lost their way and gained all the weight back (and then some).

Tips to prevent yourself from gaining the weight back after a challenge Don’t fall for the lottery curse. You may have heard that an alarming percentage of lottery winners end up broke and worse off than before they won. This can be boiled down to a

simple idea; getting what you want and keeping what you want are entirely different things.

Your results can be yours long-term if you have a few solid habits to base your daily life on. Otherwise, you’ll constantly yo-yo diet.

Challenges are a GREAT way to get results fast, but they are a lousy way to maintain them. The number one piece of advice they give to lottery winners?

Talk to a professional who knows how to manage the long-term. The same goes for you.

Don’t try to outwork your diet.

Most of your weight-loss results came from your diet, so it’s the most important element to learn how to manage if you’re going to have lasting results and not just try to “calorieburn” your way to skinny.

Move beyond cardio. Cardio is a great introductory to your weight-loss journey. But the sustainable method to a trim physique is resistance training.

It is the only thing that quite literally will keep your physique young for as long as possible.

Finally, understand that the carrot ALWAYS moves. You may have thought that losing those stubborn pounds would make you content. Then you got there and realized, you’re still not quite where you want to be. You think, just five more pounds, or just this area under my arms and I’ll be happy.

You won’t be. Changing your body is tremendously fulfilling but happy, it will not make you. Celebrate your wins and know that even the fittest people still get frustrated about being stuck. spt

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RELIGION

#NOTINMYTOWN

by Pastor Nathan Hoff

30Off

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32 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I APRIL 2017

Serving the South Bay For Over 20 Years!

Former captives have captivated me.

We recently spent a week in Tanzania with a group of girls who had been rescued from sex trafficking. One girl, my daughter's age, had been trafficked for six months and used as someone else's property up to twenty times a day.

Let that settle in. That happens in our world. My 14-year-old daughter came with us, and some of the girls in the rescue home were younger than she is.

Their wounding is profound, and their healing complicated. But, God as my witness, healing is possible.

The reason we were in Tanzania in the first place was to help host a gathering for pastors and their spouses in the Northern Diocese in the Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Their Bishop, a fatherly man, Bishop Shoo, invited us to share our own experiences of spiritual renewal in our parishes, the process of clergy and congregations growing in emotional health, and finally to give a presentation about the evil of sex trafficking that is happening all over the world, usually in dark shadowy places.

You should have heard the pastors and their wives lament when they heard what was happening in their parishes and their cities and in their nation. A cry went up from Moshi, Tanzania, and I am sure God heard it.

Mama Bishop, Bishop Shoo's dignified wife, invited our girls over to her home where she teaches art and cooking and traditional tribal ways. The Bishop came home while the girls were around the table with his wife. I should say that you wouldn't know by looking at these girls the hell that they have been through. Their countenances speak of a peace that comes from a heavenly

source. But the Bishop is aware. The girls lit up when he leaned on the table and smiled at them and said, "You want to hear about how Mama Bishop and I fell in love?" What a champion! In fact, he, along with his assistant, Pastor Saria, were given Courage Champion awards for their commitment to bringing an end to this evil.

The first part of their commitment was starting a campaign in their church and in their country called, "Not in my country." They said this statement with faith. Conjure up your best John Wayne swagger and say it, "Not in my country!" I felt the heartbeat of our resolute God as they said it.

One of my favorite hymns is "This is my Father's World." Its epic tune wafts, at times eerily, and at other times triumphantly, through the musical score of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

The 3rd verse is my favorite: This is my Father's world / O let me ne'er forget / That though the wrong / Seems oft so strong / He is the ruler yet. (Text: Maltbie D. Babcock) When those African leaders declared, "Not in my country," an "amen" arose in my heart. Not in my Father's world! Then I thought about San Pedro. God loves our town, and all of her residents. He loves those in the light and those trapped in the dark shadowy places. And a cry is starting in a deep place in my heart that says, "Not in my town." I wonder if you will consider joining me? Let's meet up outside of San Pedro City Hall on the Friday after Easter (April 21st) at 5 p.m., along with the leadership of our fair city, to kick off Not in My Town. spt Nathan Hoff is the Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro.

Follow is blog at www.trinitypastor. blogspot.com.

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