MAY 2016
ALL FIT GYM OPENS IN DOWNTOWN | DALMATIAN-AMERICAN CLUB TURNS 90 | NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS: A PRIMER
Dana Middle School Marching Band, led by Efrain Nava, continues to rack up trophies, but what they really need are new uniforms. Will the community step up?
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
19
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"Tell me about San Pedro" I get this request a lot. It's fun to entertain because it's almost always from someone who has never spent any significant amount of time here, but is usually interested in doing something, like putting on an event or opening a business, so it gives me the chance to be an ambassador of sorts and pitch San Pedro using its most positive attributes, which, fortunately, are plentiful. When my daily grind is filled with reading what locals are complaining about (mostly on social media), with all our issues and troubles (which are also plentiful), playing the part of the Pied Piper of Pedro is a welcome respite. In fact, I relish the role. This particular request came from a restaurateur in one of the Beach Cities who wanted to talk to someone who has, as they put it, "their finger on the pulse of the community." She had a copy of the magazine and figured I fit the bill, so we chatted. "Where do you think would be the best place to open a new restaurant?" "What's the real story on crime?" "Is the homeless situation in downtown as bad as I've read it is?" "What are the property values like?" "Who owns this, that and the other building?" "Who's good to work with (and who isn't)?" "Who are San Pedro's community leaders?" "Are they doing a good job?" "I heard [insert rumor], is that true?" (No, it wasn't.) "I heard [insert another rumor], is that true?" (No, it wasn't.) "I heard [insert another rumor], is that true?" (Ok, this one was.) – These are just a few of the questions I entertained. I love seeing San Pedro through the eyes of people who have never been here before. What we might see as ugly, they see as having character. What we think of as old, they see as authentic. Things we'd rather see gone are sometimes the very things they'd want to keep around. When you're able to remove the prejudice of experience from your surroundings, everything takes on an entirely new perspective. My conversation with this particular restaurateur was emblematic of the many other conversations community leaders like Councilman Joe Buscaino, San Pedro Chamber CEO Elise Swanson, and downtown property owners Alan Johnson of Jerico Development and Eric Eisenberg of the Renaissance Group have had with potential new investors in San Pedro. It's a welcome sign of the times to have our town be a target for economic growth by these people with new perspectives. All of this comes off the heels of the San Pedro Public Market announcement. As we've been touting in these pages for years, we're in the beginning of a new life cycle for our town. Gone are the days of the fishermen and canneries, and as automation becomes even more prevalent on the docks, future generations may see a time when the days of the longshoremen are marginalized. It's scary to think about, but it's very possible. San Pedro's lifecycle has always started on the water, and we're seeing its rebirth with the new investment on our L.A. Waterfront, which will, in turn, flow uphill into downtown and beyond, just as it did generations ago. These are exciting times, indeed. Torrance Today I have a bit of news to announce this month. In June, we will be launching a new hyperlocal publication for the city of Torrance, titled (appropriately enough) Torrance Today. We're taking the model that has made San Pedro Today a success and bringing it to our neighboring city of Torrance, which, as I've discovered in preparing this new magazine launch, is chockfull of amazing stories that I can't wait to share with the people of that community. If you or someone you know is interested in being a part of Torrance Today, either through advertising or with a story pitch, feel free to email us at contact@ torrancetoday.com. spt Joshua Stecker is publisher/editor-in-chief of San Pedro Today. Letters to the Editor can be emailed to contact@sanpedrotoday.com.
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NEW ARRIVALS: VANS!
Beer & Wine Tasting Fundraiser for Point Fermin Lighthouse ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE LIGHTHOUSE
at
THE CORNER STORE
Saturday, May 14th TWO TASTING TIMES:
2 pm & 4 pm
Healthy pours & great food. Featuring, French Gourmet
VaNS!!
5 OFF
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10 OFF
15 OFF
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$
Jams, and Specialty French Sodas as well as Jerry’s Famous Hummus.
on any purchase of $45 or more
on any purchase of $75 or more
on any purchase of $125 or more
PRE-REGISTER AT THE CORNER STORE
329 W. 6th Street • San Pedro Must present coupon at time of purchase. Excluding Sale items. Expires 5/31/16
329 W. 6th Street • San Pedro Must present coupon at time of purchase. Excluding Sale items. Expires 5/31/16
329 W. 6th Street • San Pedro Must present coupon at time of purchase. Excluding Sale items. Expires 5/31/16
Extended Hours Begin On Memorial Day!
OPEN TIL 7PM
A Perfect Mother’s Day Gift!
1118 W. 37th St., San Pedro • (310) 832-2424 Mon - Fri, 6ish-6pm | Sat & Sun, 7am-6pm
M-F: 10am-7pm Sat: 10am-5:30pm Sun: 11am-4pm
329 W. 6th Street | San Pedro | (310) 832-9364
MAY 2016 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 5
Silent Auction and Live Entertainment by Dennis Wilson.
MAY 2016
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Joshua J. Stecker
ADVERTISING: General Inquiries: ads@sanpedrotoday.com
ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION Joseph A. Casta単eda
Patricia Roberts - San Pedro (562) 964-8166 | patricia@sanpedrotoday.com
AT-LARGE CONTRIBUTORS Jack Baric, Councilman Joe Buscaino, Lori Garrett, Mike Lansing, Roseanney Liu, Ricky Magana, Steve Marconi, Diana Nave, Anthony Pirozzi, Angela Romero
Shana Ghekiere - San Pedro (and outer regions) (310) 753-5176 | shana@sanpedrotoday.com
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
VOLUME 8 | NUMBER 4
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 2009-2016, Empire22 Media LLC.
ON THE COVER: Efrain Nava with the Dana Middle School Marching Band
6 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
(photo: John Mattera)
AT THE CORNER OF 7th and Gaffey
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MAY Tour the historic PT. FERMIN LIGHTHOUSE, built in 1874 to light the entrance to the Los Angeles Harbor, located in the Pt. Fermin Park (807 Paseo del Mar). Guided tours offered 1-3p Tues thru Sun. Closed Mon and major holidays. Admission is free; donations accepted.
monu-mental absences in our cultural and built landscapes. is free to local youth ages 16 – 24. REGISTER TODAY at Free admission and open to the public. www.nwsanpedro.org/pathways-to-employment/
3 (Tues) - PT. FERMIN LIGHTHOUSE VOLUNTEER TRAINING at the Lighthouse in Pt. Fermin Park (807 W. Paseo Del Mar) 10:30a-12:30p. As a representative of Every Wed – CHILDREN’S WRITING CLASSES at the Lighthouse to the public, you will enable visitors to the Corner Store (1118 37th St). Seven Golden Secrets of appreciate what life at the Lighthouse would have been like. Writing with Diana Chapman, Wed 4:30-5:45p. For info, A rewarding opportunity awaits you! Please RSVP to (310) call (310) 626-7906. 241-0684.
8 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
Every Wed – OPEN MIC NIGHT at Red Men Wigwam (543 5 (Thurs) – FIRST THURSDAY ARTWALK in Downtown Shepard St.) 6:30-9:30p. All are welcome. Chilidogs, snacks San Pedro. 6-10p and beverages available. Dress warmly. 7 (Sat) - ZHENA FOLK CHORUS WITH MIAMON Every Thurs (except holidays) – ADULT WRITING GROUP MILLER AND GARLIC BAND at The Grand Annex (434 in Library room of St. Peter's Episcopal Church (1648 W. 9th West 6th Street) 8p. Tickets start at $20. www.grandvision. St.). 1-3p. Everyone welcome! For more info, call (310) 831- org or (310) 833-4813. 2186. 8 (Sun) - TEA BY THE SEA at Point Fermin Light House Every Fri – SAN PEDRO FARMERS MARKET (6th St. (807 W Paseo Del Mar) 10:30a-1p. Each year the Lighthouse between Pacific and Mesa Streets) 9a-2p. celebrates the beautiful gardens surrounding it with a garden “Tea by the Sea.” The public is invited to join us in Every Sat – LAFD HARBOR MUSEUM (639 Harbor Blvd.) enjoying the beauty of the gardens by having a cup of tea 10a-3p. Experience San Pedro and Wilmington's Fire with friends and family. No reservations required. FREE. Protection and Rescue service history with vintage fire Donations appreciated. For more info, call (310) 241-0684. apparatus and various displays. The museum is located in Old Fire Station 36 in the San Pedro City Hall. Admission is 12 (Thurs) - SAN PEDRO CLASS OF 1945 BREAKFAST FREE, donations are accepted. at The Grinder (511 S. Harbor Blvd.) 9:30a. Please R.S.V.P to Alice Jacobson (310) 832-1807 or Grace Woodman (310) Every Sun – SOUL FEAST at First Presbyterian Church of 833-8321. San Pedro (781 S Averill Ave.) 5:30p. Come out & join us for a family worship service for all ages. Dinner is included. 14 (Sat) – THE CORNER STORE FARMERS MARKET at The Corner Store (1118 W. 37th St.) 10a-12p. Open every Every first and second Sunday – Tour the MULLER HOUSE second Saturday of the month. Grab some coffee and MUSEUM (1542 Beacon St.) 1-4p. Last tour starts at 3:15p. homegrown produce and don’t forget to bring your reusable Built in 1899, the Muller House is the headquarters of the bags! San Pedro Bay Historical Society. Admission is free, but a donation of $3 is encouraged. 14 (Sat) - BEER & WINE TASTING FUNDRAISER at The Corner Store (1118 W. 37th St.) 2p-4p. Generous pours of 1 (Sun) - OPEN STUDIOS DAY at Angels Gate Cultural wines and beers along with delicious appetizers, music, and Center (3601 S Gaffey St.) 12p-4p. Over 50 Studio Artists Opportunity Drawings. Admission $25/person, limited to will open their doors for you to see what they create in their adults 21-older. All proceeds benefit Pt. Fermin Lighthouse. studi-os. Three new exhibitions will open featuring both Tickets available at The Corner Store (310) 832-2424, or at locally and nationally recognized artists. Please join us for the Lighthouse, (310) 241-0612. See ad pg. 5. art, food, music and fun, where all ages will find something to celebrate. 14 (Sat) - PATHWAYS TO EMPLOYMENT at San Pedro High School Olguin Campus (3210 S. Alma St.) 8:30a-3p. 1 (Sun) - OPENING RECEPTION: NEW MONUMENTS This event is designed to assist youth in the Harbor Area at Angels Gate Cultural Center (3601 S Gaffey St.) 12-4p. with skills needed to be successful in both attaining and Come check out three solo exhibitions as they explore the keeping a job. It includes workshops in many areas, and
15 (Sun) - PHOTOGRAPHING NATURE HANDS-ON WORKSHOP at White Point Nature Preserve (1600 W. Paseo Del Mar) 9a-11a. Learn skills you need to take the perfect shot with a professional from Paul’s Photo. $30/ person. For more info and to RSVP, visit www.pvplc.org. 15 (Sun) - TEAM LEADER TRAINING WORKSHOP at White Point Nature Education Center (1600 W. Paseo Del Mar) 9a-12p. Team Leaders provide support and oversight during Outdoor Volunteer Days! Applicants must participate in at least two volunteer events before attend-ing the workshop and commit to four or more Saturday events before the end of 2016. Sign up at www.pvplc.volunteerhub. com. 15 (Sun) - CONTRA DANCE SAN PEDRO at People's Place San Pedro (365 W. 6th St.) Lessons start at 3:30p. Music and dancing from 4-7p. Learn how to contra dance with instructor Barb Stewart and music by Les Ami. Admission $10, students w/ID $7, and children 12-under FREE. CDSS members $1 OFF. For more info, call (562) 310-5087. 21 (Sat) - FREE PIANO RECITAL at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (1648 W. 9th St.) 3p. Come experience the piano virtuosity of well-known local artist, John Reith whose repertoire appeals to all ages and genres. Reception to follow in the parish hall. 21 (Sat) - BIG SUNDAY VOLUNTEER DAY at White Point Nature Preserve (1600 W. Paseo Del Mar) 9a. Join us and one of our partner organizations, Big Sunday, as we work hard in the native demonstration garden to restore wildlife habitat and create a place for the community to enjoy! Please sign up at: www.pvplc.volunteerhub.com. 27 (Fri) - 5TH ANNUAL GREEN FESTIVAL at Port of Los Angeles High School (250 W. 5th W St.) 12-3p. POLAHS opens its doors to the community to promote an environmental culture. Organic food, solar companies, petting zoo, mural painting, green car show, vegetable seedling giveaway, music, Fair Trade booths and much more. Join us in taking action towards sustainability!
Email event info to events@sanpedrotoday. com. Deadline for the June issue is Friday, May 13. All locations in San Pedro unless otherwise noted.
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS: 5 - 7 p.m. - All Draft Beers $1 OFF WEDNESDAYS: 5 - 7 p.m. - $1 Off Each Glass of Wine
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Dear Mr. Stecker, I appreciated reading your recent editorial in San Pedro Today [March 2016]. You have tremendous care and concern for the community, and I'm glad you're addressing our health and safety. Based on your editorial, I read some honest misunderstandings about homelessness. Let me address two. The first is the tie between homelessness and crime, and the second is what we're doing to help homeless individuals. According to the National Coalition for the Homeless, homeless people, especially youth, are more likely to become the victim of a crime than to commit one. For every homeless person who commits an act of violence, there are many more peaceful ones just trying to survive and protect themselves from being harmed. Let me give you some data from a study conducted by John Hopkins University. Researchers found, in a review of arrest records in Baltimore, that for persons who were not homeless, 35 percent of their crimes were against person or property. Homeless people aren’t as dangerous as the housed. The second thing I want to address is what Harbor Interfaith Services does to help homeless people get on their feet. We have nine, full-time individuals on staff who venture out to where the homeless congregate, such as across from the Beacon Street Post Office. That's double the number of employees committed to street work since last March. They approach every homeless individual and family and encourage them to come to us for help. Some accept assistance, others don't. We can't force them. Those who say "No" have had bad experiences with other agencies or with government offices. We work to alleviate their fears by making multiple visits to develop trust. Eventually, many agree to our help. When they do, we assist them with finding housing, jobs, childcare, clothing, food, and physical and mental care. We offer them a hand up, not a hand out. We won't give up until every homeless person is off the street and either cared for or are caring for themselves. We look forward to working with you to address this issue. If you have questions about what we do, don't hesitate to call. Sincerely, Tahia Hayslett Executive Director/CEO Harbor Interfaith Services
San Pedro Today, Something important is happening in our town right now. Yes, the homeless camps are being swept, the streets are being cleaned, and hopefully people are being forced to make the decision to seek help. I'm talking about something more important than that. Today, I notice a buzz of hope for the future. The lifting of morale and a cleansing of despair within our community. This is what our town has sorely needed. I would suggest no matter which side of the homeless issue you fall on, one would have to admit a great weight is being lifted from our community. This has been done through the hard work of the community itself. The forces of Saving San Pedro, the Community Police Advisory Board and all those who attended the No Excuses rally for a call to action at the LAPD Harbor Division Police Station. It is there we were finally heard. Let’s also not forget all those who have been working diligently behind the scenes every day, all hours. All of these groups have set the course for change. Let's continue to give our support to LAPD and our new Harbor Division Commander Captain Mike Oreb and all those who wear the shield. Let's give a shout out to our Councilman Joe Buscaino and his staff who have been working tirelessly while taking hits both from the public and colleagues, trying to work through this problem. Let's also try not to forget for a second that this is just the beginning and long-term action will be necessary to clean up what has been a long-term problem. Although we've been patient for what seems like forever, it will require more patience to get through this. We are a great town and we need to let people know. We need to let all the outsiders who
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR come here to desecrate our community and those within who work against us that it's not ok to trash our town. Sincerely, James Baeza Vice President of Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council Member of the Harbor Area Community Police Advisory Board
Dear Mr. Stecker, In "Enabling the Problem" [Letter from the Editor, November 2015], your column talks about the homeless, pan handling, etc. and suggests different ways of raising more money or directing the money. A lot of money is being raised now and has been in the past from both private donors and the government. Organizations receiving the money claim they are helping many and government is saying homelessness is costing the city a lot of money. However, one thing not mentioned, and lacking in the past, is a true accounting of the results of the money spent versus how many have been helped, preferably by an independent auditor. It could be simple. For example, one million dollars were spent, we helped 30 people this month, 10 people are still in the program after six months and five are not homeless after five years. Can these new city, county and private efforts provide the results so we know what we are getting for the time and money or is more money spent with no real results expected? Luke Mullins San Pedro
Dear Mr. Stecker, Regarding your Letter from the Editor [December 2015], bike lanes are a new and essential development for San Pedro, not a plague. Bike lanes provide a reasonable alternative to short trips around the area (store, gym) so one does not always need to get in the car to take care of day-to-day tasks. We should embrace road diets and bike lanes, all of which will contribute to making San Pedro better and more user-friendly, exactly what a city or town needs to grow and prosper. Try riding around San Pedro, you will find you can get to your destination faster than driving and even have a little fun. Think about it. Thanks, Lee Meister San Pedro
Letters to the Editor can be emailed to contact@sanpedrotoday.com. Letters may be edited for length, grammar and clarity. Letters must include your full name in order to be considered for publication. Please keep letters to 200 words or less. Letters may be edited for length and grammar. Please include an address, email and phone number (address, emails, phone numbers will not be published).
MAY 2016 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 9
VOICES
Local College, High School Sports Greats Back in the Spotlight by Steve Marconi
10 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
The Athletic Hall of Fame committees for Harbor College and San Pedro High have announced the inductees for 2016, setting the stage for two more nights of nostalgic celebration later this year. The newest Harbor College class includes three baseball players who contributed to the program’s streak of nine consecutive conference titles and two state titles from 1986-94: Will Parsons (1987-88), Tony Liebsack (1989-90) and David Rosato (1992-93), all infielders. Three football players are being inducted, two hard-nosed linemen from Scrappy Rhea’s powerhouse `60s teams, Ray Kalinich (1963-64) and Eric Wheeler (1966-67), and current NFL wide receiver Chris Matthews (2007-08). In addition to Wheeler, the entire 1966 football team, which won its conference and went on to a second consecutive Lions Bowl victory, will be inducted. Kim Young (1991-92), the first star of the women’s basketball program that dominated the state in the early `90s, will be inducted, and former baseball and football player and later assistant coach, San Pedro’s own Bobby Ramirez, will receive a Lifetime Achievement award. Ramirez (1969-71) played on one of Harbor’s best football teams (1969) and one of its worst (1970), and was a two-way starter both seasons. In 1970 and 1971 he was an all-purpose player in baseball, then returned as assistant baseball coach from 1973 to 1977 before embarking on a highly successful high school coaching career. The Seahawks’ 10th annual event will be Sept. 16, once again at Ports O’ Call Restaurant.
Tax-deductible tickets ($75 for adults) can be obtained by calling (310) 233-4122 or (310) 233-4359. Seating is limited so reservations are encouraged. Pirate Pride The San Pedro High Hall of Fame event on Nov. 19 is moving back to the DalmatianAmerican Club this year after giving Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles a try, so tickets will once again be at a premium. And another full house figures to be on hand to honor more Pirate legends. The 2016 individual inductees are Nello Saggiani (1946) and Lou Medina (1951) in baseball; Vinko Matulich (1939) and Tiffany McCollum (1999) in basketball; Glen Hughes (1967) and Chuck Dragecivich (1967) in swimming; Melvin Yarbrough (1996) in football; Michael Ford (1985) in track and football; Robert McNutt (1981) in volleyball; and Jackie Conlin (2004), who earned 11 varsity letters in cross country, softball and soccer. Lifetime Achievement inductees are baseball icons Andy Lopez (1971) and Lefty Olguin (1969); softball pioneer Lillian Faralla (1942); football’s Ben Agajanian (1937); and Liz Joynt, longtime girls P.E. instructor and coach. Being inducted as siblings are the Markulises – John (1949), Mike, Nick (1952), Charles (1955) and Jimmy (1965); the Grays – Donald (1969), Kenny (1970) and Clifford (1972); and Tuiasosopos – Pete (1981), Andrew (1983) and Adaline (1983). Families being inducted are the Lovarovs – Frank (1949), Frank Jr. (1977), Desiree (1978), Rex (1981), Shawn Miladinovich (2003), Amber Miladinovich (2006), Kyle Atkins (2008) and Amanda Atkins (2009); the Dragiches – Nick (1940), Nick (1965) and Matt (2002); and Pappases – Victor (1954), Chris (1993) and Mark (1995). Posthumous inductees are Jimmie Reese (1920s), Bobby Dillon (1938), Red Zar (1938), Ralph Rippo (1939), Frank Endo (1941), Nick Buzolich (1937) and Dick Jenssen, longtime swim, cross country and football coach. Two teams are being inducted: the 1950 basketball team of Coach Bob Tabing (M.H. McGilvery, Nick Trutanich, Benny Hansen, Bill Stevens, Willie Naulls, Jack Satalich, Donald Hansen, Matthew Bozanich, Frank White, Jordon Viculin) and Jenssen’s 1981 City championship cross-country team (assistant coach Thom Lacie, Joe Barrow, Fernando Vasquez, Shawn Barrow, Oscar Encinas, Ron Morgan, Victor Estrada, Anthony Sigala). Advance tickets ($60) can be obtained by email (sppirateboostersclub@gmail. com); check sent to SPHS Hall of Fame c/o Leonard Miller, 1589 Plymouth Lane, San Pedro, CA 90732 (payable to Pirate Boosters-HOF2016); or PayPal credit card (SanPedroPirateBoosters.com). Tickets at the door will be $90. For more information, call Miller at (310) 701-9357. Meanwhile… Between now and November, Pirate boosters have two other opportunities to support their school. The Pirate Boosters Athletic Scholarship Dinner will be 6 p.m. May 12 at the San Pedro Fish Market. Tickets are $20. The Pirate Boosters Car Show will be in July. For reservations and details, call Miller at (310) 701-9357. Check it out We all miss the News-Pilot, especially the sports pages, but social media is now providing what a generation growing up without a local newspaper needs. The website www.sanpedrobaseball.org, unveiled in February by second-year head coach Steve Tedesco, is the go-to place for all-things San Pedro High baseball. It’s still a work-in-progress, but it looks good and shows great potential. Thanks to Steve Schiazzano, the alumni section contains a vast amount of data heretofore hidden in the archives of the San Pedro historical society. There is nothing you can clip out and glue into a scrapbook, but there are plenty of pictures you can print. In our new “information age,” it will have to do. spt Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.
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San Pedro 2020
12 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
by Anthony Pirozzi Today, technology is moving at an enormous pace. Every time we turn around, it seems as if something new is on the market or some new software is available to download. Take the mobile phone, for example. Applications (or apps as they are called) continue to get developed at such a rapid pace that it is hard to keep up. There is an app for just about everything. I remember wanting to by a velocity pitching gun for baseball and found an app for that instead. I couldn’t believe it. New technologies are revolutionizing how we communicate, navigate and purchase items, and there is no end in sight for what’s to come. The pace of mobile phone technology did not happen overnight. As a point of reference, Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone back in 1876 but it wasn’t until 1973, ninety-seven years later, that Motorola introduced the cellular phone. It wasn’t until 1983 that the mobile phone was available for the public to purchase. Since then, mobile phone subscriptions have surpassed 7 billion. I use this example as a point of reference when talking about change and the time required for change to take hold. One of the elements of change that increases momentum is vision and innovation. Vision, to me, is defined as being able to see what others can’t, while innovation is reinventing what is present. When change truly takes hold, it feels as if this change has always been with us and we lose sight of what once was. The evolution of the telephone to today’s mobile phone and its applications is just that. Local change has moved at a similar pace as the telephone. Like the evolution of the mobile phone, San Pedro is beginning to pick up momentum in development and entering a phase of innovation. We are at a time in our local history that the longest part of the wait for change is just about over. Many of the planning, preparation, and developments over the past two decades are starting to take shape. Let’s take, for example, the removal of the Kinder Morgan site that once resided on Gaffey St. near the DMV. In the early 2000s, local neighborhood councils and environmental advocates worked to shutdown the former marine oil and fuel facility for violating environmental standards. The facility was finally shut down in 2004 and now 15 years later JCC Homes is in its final phase of completing the new Harbor Highlands residential neighborhood. Another example of long-term change has been the development of Ponte Vista, renamed Highpark. We are finally seeing the ground move at the former Navy housing site on Western Avenue across from Green Hills Memorial Park. The original proposal to build 2,300 homes by then site owner Bob Bisno started back in 2005. The new developer, iStar Financial, Inc., was hoping that the first new homes of the 676-unit development on the site would have already been completed in 2015. The delay in the development was due to the permitting process through the City of Los Angeles that took two years longer than anticipated. The completion date is now set for 2020, 15 years since its inception. Finally, the redevelopment of our waterfront and Ports O’ Call has been in detailed planning and development since 2000, and here we are 16 years later with the announcement of the San Pedro Public Market. The completion date is targeting late 2020. This announcement has increased the momentum in the interests of developers in other parts of San Pedro. For example, recently an announcement by Omninet Capital was made to build a six-story, 400 market-rate rental unit development just two blocks from the waterfront at the corner of 5th and Palos Verdes. The targeted completion date for this project is also in 2020, and there is more in the works. It has taken decades to solidify this vision for San Pedro. As we head towards completing many of them by 2020, our future becomes that much brighter. spt Anthony Pirozzi is a L.os Angeles Harbor Commissioner. He can be contacted at apirozzi@yahoo.com.
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The Power of Creativity by Jack Baric I’ve spoken long and often about our hope for improving San Pedro by attracting technology companies to our downtown and waterfront district. The influx of these types of companies will finally allow our local students who graduate from college with the opportunity to work in their hometown. It’s no secret that one of the best ways parents can prepare their children for a more prosperous future is to ensure that they have a great education. San Pedro has taken great strides in this direction with the establishment of the Port of Los Angeles charter high school and the Olguin Campus for magnet students at San Pedro High. This month’s cover story about the Dana Junior High marching band provides another hint for how to prepare children for a brighter future – hand them an instrument. According to a study by medical journal Advances in Cognitive Psychology, third graders across all socioeconomic levels, who participate in high quality music programs, test higher on reading and spelling tests. A Stanford study shows that music engages areas of the brain that help students pay better attention in class. Kids Health states that students in schools with music programs do better on SAT tests than those at schools with no music. Aside from the positive impacts that music has on our brain waves, the other obvious thing about having a community filled with music is that it’s fun. As we embark on trying to attract the types of creative companies that can help us prosper, we should be aware that lifestyle plays a huge role for young start-ups in deciding where to locate. San Pedro has a proud music tradition that should play a role in revitalizing our downtown. Councilman Buscaino is aware of this and he’s working to attract an organization that will help fill the Warner Grand with a regular schedule of top-notch music acts to compliment its strong contingent of community-based companies, such as Golden State Pops and the San Pedro City Ballet. (If you’ve never been to a Golden State Pops or San Pedro City Ballet show, do yourself a favor and check them out.) Although the Warner Grand is downtown’s anchor, it certainly doesn’t have a monopoly on the great music you can see here. As an example, Alva’s has assumed a leading role in hosting some of the best jazz shows you will find in all of Los Angeles. And, one of my personal favorite things is seeing Mike Watt play a gig at Harold’s Bar, when he’s in town. Watt is a hero to many musicians (including numerous superstar acts) for his role as the bass player in the seminal punk rock band, the Minutemen – who happened to hail from San Pedro. The Minutemen were West Coast leaders in the DIY punk movement of the 1970s and 80s, which gave inspiration to so many future acts to go out and create their own music. The band is a source of great pride for San Pedro and they, along with Charles Bukowski, should be held up as an example of the creativity that our town can inspire – as should all of the current artists in our art colony. Creativity is no small thing. The Rise of the Creative Class, a national bestselling book by the world’s leading urban expert, Richard Florida, hypothesized that attracting creative types to a community is the key factor for future prosperity in all cities throughout the world. How seriously is this theory taken? Well, a 2013 MIT study named Florida the most influential thought leader in the world. When one thinks of creativity, it’s usually consigned to things such as the ability to draw or write a story. It is those things, but it’s also much more. Creativity is art, music, and film, but it is also design, technology and engineering. It is problem solving. It is seeing things as they can be instead of how they are. Put simply, creativity is power. San Pedro has always had the foundation of creativity, but our creativity never completely emerged to be considered a cornerstone of what the town was or could be. That is changing. The time has arrived for us to unleash the power of our creativity and to attract other creative types that will help us enter into a golden age for our community. Can you see it? I can. spt Jack Baric can be reached at jackbaric@hotmail.com.
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Success Through 12th
16 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
by Mike Lansing I was recently asked to attend a meeting at the California Community Foundation as they brought together youth development nonprofits throughout L.A. County who are sponsoring successful academic support programs. While related discussion questions were raised, the focal question was this: What is your vision to help our youth and especially young men of color attain a college education? There are, of course, many reasons for the lack of educational success for far too many of our young people and disproportionately young men of color, so to hang our hat on one cause or solution would be a mistake. But the sad reality is that when you combine an underfunded and often uninspired public education system with a child poverty rate of approximately 25% in this country, there should be no surprise that so many children who eventually become young adults begin each year of their academic journey with the count of no balls and two strikes before a book is even opened. After nearly 40 years of youth development work, I firmly believe we can only overcome the stranglehold of a growing child poverty rate in this country and related socio-economic inequities with a much greater investment of resources and support, and it must be provided throughout our children’s K – 12 education. Currently, the majority of our academic intervention and support is only provided in a child’s early years such as Head Start, Early Start and Success By 6 programs, just to name a few. To believe that this early intervention will translate into a continuum of academic success throughout a K-12 public school system is just not logical. And yet, we continue to invest heavily in our children’s early years while high school graduation rates still languish in the 70% range. When comparing the education attainment rankings of our youth we embarrassingly lag behind way too many lesser developed counties, and our prison population continues to swell with far too many young men of color who possess an elementary reading level at most. While this additional investment of resources and support later in a child’s K-12 education is not the norm, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor has made this investment and has implemented this contrarian solution by developing and sponsoring our successful College Bound program. True, this is a huge funding commitment as our College Bound program alone has a budget of more than $1 million annually. However, we can justify this investment as we served nearly 2,500 middle and high school students last year in College Bound and 96% of our high school seniors graduated on time and 98% of those graduates went on to a 2-year college or 4-year university. I firmly believe we have proven over the past 14 years of College Bound success that supporting our youth in their later academic years is just as, if not more, important as in their early ones. Without College Bound, how many of these 2,500 participants would be on the road to imprisonment – either by continuing them on a pathway to poverty or via our penal system? What we need is a total commitment by all stakeholders to provide many more resources and support to middle and high school students so that they can overcome the numerous challenges they face and find success throughout their first 12 years of education. While my organization has once again expanded our facilities and staffing to comprehensively serve even more of these older youth, we do not have the resources or capacity to do it alone. Success Through 12th is a commitment to true education empowerment and the opportunity for a future life of quality for all of our youth. Isn’t this a worthy investment? spt Mike Lansing is Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor.
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A Tale of Two San Pedros by Councilman Joe Buscaino
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18 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
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We are living two tales in our city. Both tales are real, relevant and happening simultaneously in San Pedro. One narrative is that transients and shelter resistant homeless have infiltrated our family town and have interrupted our community standard by literally urinating and defecating everywhere and anywhere. The other narrative is that investment capital is starting to pour into San Pedro by investors who see the potential and the payoff of our underrated geographic location. It’s become harder to celebrate all of the good happening when too many of us are exposed to all of the bad that is happening. It pains me to see the state of existence some of our fellow human beings experience. As an LAPD officer for 15 years, I witnessed some of the most desperate and despicable circumstances in an individual’s life. Poverty, drug abuse and mental illness have always existed in our communities, but I felt thankful that everyday families were not exposed to the realities of despair that I was seeing. However, that is no longer true. Today, nearly every incident of despair is plastered all over social media. You can see it even if you never leave the comfort of your home. Less than five years ago, the only people who truly knew the extent of crime and homelessness in the community were the police. Today, social media allows everyone to see everything and that can be overwhelming and extremely discouraging. There is even a Facebook page dedicated to every police call in the Harbor Area. On the other end of the spectrum, San Pedro is seeing an influx of investment. Wayne Ratkovich and his local partners at Jerico Development are investing more than $100 million in the new San Pedro Public Market. Omninet Capital followed the Ratkovich reveal with an announcement to build a 403unit apartment building in downtown San Pedro. Grading has begun for the $250 million Highpark project to build nearly 700 homes in Northwest San Pedro, and we are making progress towards the redevelopment of the Rancho San Pedro Housing development. Concert promoters love the Warner Grand Theatre and will be booking A-list acts, bringing a new level of economic development to downtown. AltaSea is attracting some legitimate heavy hitters like SpaceX and Boeing and are well on their way to helping diversify our workforce. Many other projects are being considered. Some say that until we find a solution to our homelessness issues, investment will never come our way. While it is true that we are experiencing the worst homelessness that we have ever seen, we are concurrently experiencing the highest level of investment in San Pedro. I am committed to solving our homelessness issues, while working to attract as much investment capital as we have ever seen in this part of the city. We can work on both at the same time – neither will happen overnight. The civic engagement of our residents has never been at the level is it today. Together we are fighting to achieve a community standard that is appropriate for hard working and fun loving families. The Harbor Area and the L.A. Waterfront have more opportunities than most any other community in the city. Economic development and unrelenting persistence will lead us toward the ideal home we all know we can create. Our civic engagement is an ongoing project that will never be complete. We are in a position to write our own tale. This is why it is ultimately important that we all treat each other with the grace and dignity becoming of a great community and that we not lose focus on many of the positive things happening in San Pedro. spt
Dana Middle School Marching Band & Drill Team (photo: John Mattera)
by Joshua Stecker
"It's the room with all the trophies." That's what a teacher told me when I asked which room was the band room. "Trophies. Can't miss it." Navigating Dana Middle School is hard if you've rarely stepped foot in there, like me. Since I'm not a Dana alumnus, I had to ask for directions in order to make it on time for my interview with Dana's marching band director, Efrain Nava. I had never met Mr. Nava prior to this moment, but I sure heard a lot about him. In my near decade of publishing San Pedro Today, I've probably been pitched to do a story on Dana's marching band program more than any other topic. And it was never by Mr. Nava himself; it was always by a parent who had a child in the program. For whatever reason, those pitches never stuck until now. "Hey, how are you? Do you want a bottle of water or anything?" Nava asks as I stumble into the band room. For some reason, I pictured him a lot older. For being 41, he hides his age with a youthful vigor. With his close-cropped black hair and boyish looks, you'd never know he's been leading the Dana Middle School Marching Band for 17 years.
MAY 2016 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 19
Dana Middle School Marching Band, led by Efrain Nava, continues to rack up trophies, but what they really need are new uniforms. Will the community step up?
Left: The marching band rehearses for another competition. Right: The band performs at Disney's California Adventure in 2013 (photos: John Mattera / Efrain Nava)
20 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
"We started the marching band with no uniforms and no marching equipment," recalls Nava. In fact, when he first took over as the band director for Dana in the fall of 1999, the marching band wasn't even in existence. "The first year we got some instruments. I remember we got drums. We got some marching tubas, sousaphones," he recalls. "The second year, we did the San Pedro Holiday Parade, and we showed up in white sweatshirts, black Dickies, tennis shoes and Santa hats, and that was our debut down Pacific and 6th Street." Nava remembers that the band sounded great that day, but was heavily marked down by the judges for lack of uniforms. "They were judging the parade back in those days, and we got dinged. The judges' main comment was 'uniforms mean uniforms!' " Nava showed the scores to then Dana principal Dr. Linda Lade, who immediately went to work in securing a $16,000 grant to buy brand new uniforms for the upstart marching band. Unfortunately, 16 years later, today's Dana Middle School Marching Band is still wearing them. "We desperately need new uniforms," he says. "We're working on it." Learning Under a Legend Nava grew up in Inglewood. A 1993 graduate of Inglewood High School, music was always a big part of his childhood. "I used to bang pots and pans as a toddler," he tells me. He majored in music education at USC with an emphasis on instrumental music and played in the USC marching band for five years. When it came time to finish his student teaching, San Pedro High School's legendary band director, the late Paul Purdy, took him under his wing. Purdy passed away in November 2015, not long after he retired from SPHS. "I had already worked with Paul in 1995 and '96," recalls Nava, fighting back tears. "Paul was my mentor for 20 years. He was at SPHS for more than two decades. In '95, he said he needed a drumline instructor, so I started working with him as that. When it came time for me to do my student teaching in 1998, he opened the doors for me to come teach with him. He facilitated enough for me to come student teach here with [former Dana band director] Jason Justeson. I'm his successor."
According to Nava, Justeson wasn't into teaching marching band during his tenure, so when Nava applied for the job, he was honest with Dr. Lade about his plans to expand the band program to include marching. "I'm a die hard marching band guy," laughs Nava. "We started the marching band in 2000. Dr. Lade was a huge supporter of mine and understood my philosophy. I told her we should have a well-rounded art department. We should have a parade band. We should have a marching band. I believe kids should be marching at the middle school level, because it's a cool thing and it's a good skill for the high school level. Purdy was so jazzed. He's like, 'Yeah, teach them how to march. By the time they get over here, they'll already know what to do.' " Winning It took a few years to get things on track. With more band equipment acquired through the many grants Dr. Lade applied for, and new uniforms to boot, Nava was hard at work at turning a sedentary music program into a full-blown competition ready marching band. Sitting with Nava as he's telling the history, we're surrounded by more than 100 trophies of all shapes and sizes, mostly big ones, surrounding the band room. Some of them are as tall, if not taller, than the students themselves. "We didn't start competing until 2006," says Nava. "That's when everything started to kick in. That's when it really skyrocketed." The Dana Middle School Marching Band has traveled up and down California, even performing at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure, collecting trophy hardware along the way. Every year the trophy count seems to rise, even with the natural turnaround of new students. If there were any down years, one could easily point the finger at the talented students of certain years as the reason for the marching band's success or failures, but they'd only be half right. The marching band's consistent success is proof that it takes both, great students and an excellent instructor. "He's an amazing, inspirational teacher, that really cares about us and our music ability," says Diana Zavala, 14, an 8th grader at Dana in her second year of marching band. "He
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Left: Nava leads a rehearsal at Dana Middle School. Right: The Dana Middle School Marching Band with their sweepstakes trophy win at the Hawaiian Gardens Anniversary Parade last month. (photos: John Mattera / Efrain Nava)
teaches us new things every day. New things that he sees in music, he explains to us. Being in the band has affected my life in every possible way. It really helps bring out your inner self.” “He’s really cool,” says Edgar Carrillo, 13, a 7th grader in his first year of marching band. “I’ve learned how to read music, how to actually play an instrument. Before then I didn’t even know how to hold a saxophone.” Both Zavala and Carrillo were still riding high on the marching band’s most recent win at the Hawaiian Gardens Anniversary Parade last month. It was their first sweepstakes trophy of the year. When asked about the importance of teaching music and marching band to middle school kids, Nava is quick to answer. “We’re not just teaching these kids just how to play instruments or march, we’re teaching them things like core values and how to be good citizens,” he says passionately, adding, “And it’s not just me. I have an amazing team that works with me in helping these kids reach their full potential.” The Quest for New Uniforms As mentioned earlier, the Dana Middle School Marching Band is still wearing their first set of uniforms – their only set of uniforms – that were originally purchased in 2000. According to Nava, the life expectancy of a marching band uniform is around 8-10 years. It’s apparent their uniforms are in dire need of replacement. “For us to even have them this long is kind of a miracle,” says Nava. “It’s always a financial issue. One of the reasons we are able to carry on with what we do is because we are basically self-sufficient. We get next to no money from the school. We get no money from the district. What little money we do get from the school is usually from Title I, if we have extra money. Parents pay out-of-pocket for their kid’s shoes or different things they need to buy for their uniform. The school owns the uniforms, but the kids still have to buy the sweatshirt, shoes, and hat, which equals out to about $400 a year.” Currently, Nava and the Dana Middle School Marching Band are on a mission to raise enough funds by the end of the year to pay for new uniforms. They are hoping to raise $70,000 by October to purchase 130 uniforms and are asking for the San Pedro
22 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
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community’s support to make it happen. (They need new instruments, too. But that’s a whole other round of fundraising that Nava wasn’t prepared to discuss just yet.) “If we can raise the funds and put in the order when we’re hoping to, we can have our new uniforms ready by this year’s San Pedro Holiday Parade,” says Nava. “That would be really cool to be able to debut them right here for the hometown crowd.” spt If you’re interested in supporting the award-winning Dana Middle School Marching Band’s quest to look sharp and represent San Pedro proudly in brand new uniforms, you can send a tax-deductible donation to Dana Middle School/ Attn: Efrain Nava, Band Director (1501 S. Cabrillo Ave, San Pedro, CA 90731). Make checks out to Dana Middle School with BAND UNIFORM FUND written in the memo section. The school can provide the tax ID number upon request.
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MAY 2016 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 23
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A Great ‘Fit’ for Downtown New gym gives members refunds for accomplishing their weight loss goals. by Roseanney Liu
24 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
On a Tuesday morning in April at All Fit on 7th Street, I died. Several times. I can recall the exact moments, too. The first was around the sixth incremental rep of a 4-punch jab-hook combo followed by six roundhouse kicks against the kickboxing bag; my gloved hands and wobbly knees screamed, “Stop this bloody torture!” The second time was about 5 minutes later during 50 fast and furious (for me it had to be slow and excruciating) punches against the bag followed by 30 seconds of burpees (don’t get me started on those). The third time was during the seemingly tranquil 3-minute plank hold when my insides were telling me they never hated me so much and that I had to drop to my knees twice because 3-minutes of plank meant 180 seconds of holding my body weight with abdominal and hip muscles that were asleep merely 45 minutes ago. “Hard” does not begin to describe the kickboxing class taught by Lawrence Alcera, All Fit co-owner with 15 years of tae kwon do and Muay Thai background. But like a cult following, Alcera and business partner Aaron Ellis’ members keep coming back for sweat and glory. And if the pumping music, Alcera’s disciplined sensei-like vibe mixed with fellow classmates’ high-octane energy and shouts of mutual encouragement don’t do it for you, the cross-training class adjacent and concurrent to kickboxing is enough to keep you motivated. What you see are no clocks on the walls, but more than 20 people of all backgrounds, demographics and body size, sweating it out against punching bags, medicine balls, and those heavy battle ropes. “We teach people not just to work out, but to transform their lives… showing them the tools for them to do so. People come here not because they have to, but because they want to,” shared Ellis, who also has more than 15 years of experience in the fitness industry and custom-made the program at All Fit. “The challenge is to lose 20 lbs. in 6-weeks, and our average weight loss is 27.4 lbs.” To implement their 6-week weight loss challenge – which entails three kickboxing classes and two cross-training classes per week, and a nutrition plan that detoxes you
All Fit co-owners (l to r) Lawrence Alcera, Aaron Ellis and Ernesto Avina. Below: All Fit in motion. (photos: John Mattera)
from inside out – Ellis and Alcera searched multiple South Bay cities and locations for months. With no official space to call their own and only nine days left before their February 1st opening date, the partners were scrambling, Ellis with his long hair and chill vibe balancing with Alcera’s more serious and analytical nature. Taking a look at spaces in downtown San Pedro in late January haphazardly connected the partners to one of Alcera’s clients, who happened to have the lease at 279 W. 7th Street open. “We toured the space, and Aaron and I were looking at each other, thinking, ‘Can this work? Can this work? Why can’t it?” recalled Alcera about the excitement in stumbling into the perfect space. “We had nine days left before the opening date we told people, and man, it was fun having two to three days of straight demolishing to take out rows of builtin architects’ desks and wall partitions.” Friends who were electricians and plumbers and a host of other handy people pitched in and transformed the old office space into not just a gym with exposed skylights, but seemingly a second home where members like to hang out, catch up and swap words of encouragement. As 48-year-old Tammy Mondor attests, she would “follow Aaron [Ellis] and Lawrence [Alcera] wherever they go… such is the family atmosphere at All Fit.” The homemaker who used to consume 12 cans of soda each day and topped out at 190 lbs. for her 5’6” frame, has shed 65 lbs. after completing the 6-week All Fit challenge three times. “This is my fourth round [with the weight loss challenge] and I owe so much to Aaron and Lawrence for, basically, changing my life,” said Mondor. Even with the gym’s exceptional promotion of refunding members for their 6-week challenge if they lose their goal weight, Mondor chose to roll that fee into the subsequent 6-week round every time. I didn’t have to see her before-and-after photos to know that I couldn’t have been situated next to a more motivating person during the Tuesday morning kickboxing class. A sort-of veteran at All Fit, she shouted words of encouragement to me and Cheryl Groff, a 37-year-old photographer doing the weight loss challenge (to gain more energy to keep up with her toddler), behind me during our one-hour grilling session. All Fit member and resident chef, Rian Acuna, helps members with the nutrition side of the weight loss challenge with “clean eating,” consisting of leaner proteins, clean carbs and more nutrients. Her passion for healthy living and nutritious eating has spilled over from her managing a San Pedro-based daycare where she also makes organic meals for children aged 5 and under. “I’m a foodie and enjoy eating… and we are here to teach people creative and inexpensive ways to eat clean that’s delicious and flavorful too,” Acuna expressed. “We took a leap of faith [with no backup plan] to open a gym with our vision because we want to help people, really help them improve their lives [by first] realizing what their vice is,” said Ellis. “People come out of this with unmatched compassion for [our] community. And wherever you are in life, we can tailor a program that works for you.” Perhaps that’s why members say, “We all fit at All Fit.” spt All Fit is located at 279 W. 7th Street in Downtown San Pedro. For more info, call (424) 287-0432 or visit www.allfit20.com.
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MAY 2016 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 25
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Zivjeli!* The Dalmatian-American Club celebrates 90 years serving San Pedro
A Croatian folk group performs at the Dalmatian-American Club. Inset: The club’s exterior. (photos: Dalmatian-American Club, John Mattera)
(pronounced -zheev yay lee”, “Cheers!” in Croatian) by Roseanney Liu
26 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
“A real San Pedran has been to the Slav Hall at least once,” jokes DalmatianAmerican Club’s president Rudy Svorinich Jr. about the Club’s token nickname. It may sound funny, but there’s truth behind that statement. The long history of the social club is interwoven within the history and community of San Pedro. Since 1926, when it was called Jugoslav Club started by 25 immigrants of Slavic/Croatian descent, the familiar hall has been witness to the vast changes our port town has gone through. The club itself has grown from a small gathering of men from the old country to the more than 650 co-ed regular, Women’s Auxiliary, junior and honorary members of today. The club, which changed its name to the Yugoslav-American Club of San Pedro in 1949 and since 1992 has been called the Dalmatian-American Club of San Pedro (yet many still refer to it as Slav Hall), will celebrate its 90th anniversary this month with a grand party on Sunday, May 15, beginning at 3 p.m. A host of Croatian folk dancers and musicians will entertain the crowd of more than 250 expected to attend. An extensive smorgasbord of delicious Croatian staples will be on hand paying homage to the old-school eats as well as a mix of more modern fare. As with any special event catered by the club, board member Bill Brownell jovially adds, “If you leave hungry, that’s your fault.” A Need for Camaraderie It took a lot of hard work, teamwork and the willingness to adapt to change to have the club that it is today: a staple in San Pedro, and a serious contender as a special events facility with its own catering service. It began as a small group of Dalmatian men in 1925 that wanted to foster a sense of camaraderie and goodwill by meeting regularly to socialize and to commiserate in their lives as new immigrants. Within nine years, the club grew to approximately 300 members large and managed to raise a considerable $100,000 by 1934 to build its current building at 1639 S. Palos Verdes Street. Since then, the club’s functions as a social network and rental facility for special events have grown exponentially, thanks to many driving forces. Svorinich credits the many generations of families and notable San Pedrans behind its success while commemorating two specific families. “We cannot forget the incredible generosity and grand patronage from Martin J. Bogdanovich and his family. Martin led the building committee and served as club president from 1934 to 1944 and not enough can be said about his leadership and vision,” says Svorinich about one of the club’s founding members. Bogdanovich was the founder of Star-Kist Foods (formerly, French Sardine Company) that was part of the thriving fishing and cannery scene in San Pedro, an industry that created thousands of jobs in the community and was the lifeblood of our port town’s early years. Ivo and Radmilla Lusic also had elevated the club’s status through 1960s, 70s and 80s by modernizing and streamlining operations inside the club and leading the way in improving the quality of food and service after the earlier cooks retired. Under their helm, and later their sons’ George and Nick, the Club’s reputation for fine food and service blossomed, which helped continue the club’s membership growth and maintained the club’s positive standing within the community.
A Place to Connect This year celebrates not only the club’s 90th anniversary, but also its 55th anniversary for the famous Friday Fish Luncheon, where you want to see and be seen hobnobbing with movers and shakers. People from all walks of life, from politicians to laborers, from business owners to longshoremen, from corporate executives to community leaders vie to get tickets to this bimonthly lunch held on the last Friday of every other month where serious socializing and networking takes place. “This is why there’s still a purpose for institutions like the club. This is where interpersonal relationships, the connections, happen,” Svorinich notes. Aside from the club’s space rentals and catering service, bimonthly members dinner, and Friday Fish Luncheons, San Pedrans might not know that there is a Women’s Auxiliary part of the Club that oversees much of the operations and fundraises with its Fashion Show event on the fourth Sunday of each October. The auxiliary started in 1962, and in 1991 the club started welcoming female members into its regular membership. Svorinich recalls, “Like other social and networking clubs, we changed with the times, and a time came when our membership said, why not welcome women into the club?” Similar to many organizations in San Pedro that give back to the community, the Dalmatian-American Club also budgets $4,000 to $6,000 annually to offer several scholarships to junior members, eligible students from local high schools who are not affiliated with the club, and a math award to graduating 8th graders from Dana Middle School. Maintaining a Cultural Identity The club’s goal for the next decade is to not only grow the rentals revenue but to maintain the Club’s cultural identity. (The club already has more than 100 rental bookings for 2016.) Since Los Angeles is an ethnic melting pot becoming more blended with the times, Svorinich hopes that the preservation of the Croatian-Slavic culture will continue through the social agenda of its membership. “The club will continue to serve our diverse community with our unique brand of services, great food and beautiful facility, but a common denominator among our members is that one is – or is closely affiliated to – someone of our cultural and ethnic descent. We hope the preservation and passing on of that cultural lineage will keep thriving.” Some of its club members have enjoyed trips to Croatia and the Dalmatian coast together, such as Brownell’s 1989 trip with some fellow members; but for the older members for whom it is a challenge to travel back to their homeland, Svorinich adds, “If they can’t visit Croatia, we will bring Croatia to them.” What’s really important to the club and its ambassadors, from its board members to the wait staff, from the chefs to the cleanup crew, is to make “members and guests that walk through the doors feel they are part of the family and treated as such.” “We are celebrating the club’s 90th anniversary thanking the community for sharing their special events and making wonderful memories with us, and we want to continue offering incomparable hospitality,” says Svorinich. spt Visit www.dalmatianamericanclub.com for catering/event inquiries. Call (310) 223-6970 or email info@dalmatianamericanClub.com for tickets for the following events: May 8: Mother’s Day Brunch; May 15: 90th Anniversary Celebration; May 27: Bimonthly Fish Luncheon; June 19: Father’s Day Brunch.
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1432 W. 25th St. | San Pedro | Von’s center @ 25th & Western
Mixed Martial Arts, Gymnastics and Kickboxing Fitness Developing healthy minds & bodies and making a positive impact thru Martial Arts & Gymnastics Now Offering Brazilian Jiu Jitzu and Judo with David Dunphy on Mondays & Wednesdays
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1850 S. Paciic Ave. San Pedro, CA 90731
MAY 2016 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 27
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Neighborhood Councils: A Primer by Diana Nave, Board Member, Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council Many San Pedrans are looking for ways to make a difference on the issues we care about most: crime, homelessness, traffic, development, the Port, and the economy. Neighborhood councils were established to do just that by advocating directly for real change in their communities. Neighborhood councils are city-certified local groups made up of people who live, work, own property, worship, or have some other stake in the neighborhood. San Pedro has three neighborhood councils: Central, Coastal, and Northwest. Many of us are stakeholders in more than one council district. For example, if you live in Coastal, work in Central, and are a member of the Elks Lodge in Northwest, you are a stakeholder in all three councils. A board of directors, whose members are elected or selected to their positions by the stakeholders, heads each council. Each of the three San Pedro neighborhood councils will be electing new board members over the next two months and all stakeholders are eligible to vote. Neighborhood Council Election Days: • Coastal San Pedro: Saturday, May 21, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Point Fermin Park • Northwest San Pedro: Saturday, June 11, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Peck Park Community Center (560 N. Western Ave.) • Central San Pedro: Tuesday, June 7 (time and polling place TBD, please visit www.sanpedrocity.org for info) More information about neighborhood councils is available at www.empowerla. org. Note: Minimum voting age varies: Central: 14-yrs-old, Coastal: 18-yrs-old, Northwest: 16-yrs-old.
28 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MAY 2016
You do not need to be a registered voter. An eligible voter is anyone who lives, works, owns property or a business, worships, attends school, or belongs to an organization within the boundaries of the specific council. In fact, you may be eligible to vote in more than one council’s elections. The power of the neighborhood councils is strengthened by a high turnout in their elections. Each council will have candidate statements available, as well as providing a candidate forum where you can learn more about individual candidates. Neighborhood councils receive advance notice of issues and projects that are important to our community so they can understand, discuss them, and voice the opinions of the neighborhood to the city before final decisions are made. The councils can adopt Community Impact Statements that summarize their official position on city issues and have them printed directly on the City Council meeting agendas.
Councilman Joe Buscaino addresses the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council in a file photo from February 2014. (photo: Megan Barnes)
Neighborhood councils receive public funds of $37,000 each year to support their activities. This may include creating events and programs that respond to the unique needs of their community or advocating on behalf of the issues they care about, such as crime, roads and streets, the creation of safe spaces for children, gangs, and economic development. Neighborhood council representatives meet with the Mayor to discuss priorities in the annual development of the city budget, prior to its submittal and approval by City Council. The neighborhood councils tackle a wide range of issues from very specific projects like the location of a stop sign, to projects with huge community-wide impacts. San Pedro neighborhood councils are tackling issues such as the future of the Science Center, the L.A. Waterfront, greening of San Pedro, and the re-visioning of Pacific, Gaffey, and Western Avenues. They rallied to prevent a lane from being removed from Gaffey at the end of the 110 Freeway, lobbied to get the infrastructure completed to pave the way for the redevelopment of Ports O’ Call/San Pedro Public Market, successfully advocated for the reduction in the Ponte Vista/Highpark development from 2,300 units to 700 units, and planted trees along Pacific Avenue. They have sponsored community clean ups, election related forums, movies at Peck Park, and concerts in Point Fermin Park. A few upcoming neighborhood council events include: • Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council Public Safety Forum on Saturday, May 21, at Point Fermin Park. • Northwest San Pedro’s 5th annual Pathways to Employment – a free event for youth 16-24 years of age, on Saturday, May 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the John & Murial Olguin Campus (3210 S. Alma). Interested youth should sign up at www.nwsanpedro.org/pathways. Neighborhood council board and committee meetings are always open to anyone who wants to attend and always have an agenda time for comments from community members. If there is something you care about, make your opinion known. No matter what your passion, they have a way for you to be involved. More information on each of the councils, their committees, and board meetings, is available on their websites: Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council Meets 2nd Tuesday of Every Month 6:30 p.m. at Port of L.A. High School www.sanpedrocity.org Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council Meets 3rd Monday of Every Month 6:30 p.m. at Cabrillo Marina Community Building www.cspnc.org Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council 2nd Monday of Every Month 6 p.m. at Peck Park Community Center www.nwsanpedro.org
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“My husband and I moved into Harbor Terrace because our house in RPV was getting too much for us to handle. We had looked at quite a few places but when we saw Harbor Terrace we knew this was the place for us. My husband has since passed away but what brought us to Harbor Terrace has not changed; wonderful, caring staff and the fact that the residents were so kind, happy and welcoming. I feel safe here and so comfortable with all my needs met. I am so glad we made the right decision.” Maxine Saucke Resident of Harbor Terrace
free onboard spending money per stateroom ‡
CARIBBEAN
MEXICO & CALIFORNIA COAST
November 2016 – April 2017 Roundtrip Ft. Lauderdale
$549 $799
Balcony
Up to $300 Onboard Spending Money‡
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10-day fares per guest from*
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$1,249 $1,799
Interior Balcony
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Up to $400 Onboard Spending Money‡ Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses of up to $345 are additional and subject to change.
NEW ZEALAND
HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
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October 2016 – March 2017 Roundtrip Sydney
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Interior
Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses of up to $295 are additional and subject to change.
(310) 547-0090
7-day fares per guest from* Interior
Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses of up to $155 are additional and subject to change.
Up to $600 Onboard Spending Money‡
www.HarborTerraceRetirement.com
October 2016 – April 2017 Roundtrip Ft. Lauderdale
Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses of up to $110 are additional and subject to change.
Balcony
435 W. 8TH ST, SAN PEDRO
spa treatment ‡‡
PANAMA CANAL
September 2016 – April 2017 Roundtrip Los Angeles and San Francisco
6-day fares per guest from* Interior
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September 2016 – April 2017 Roundtrip Los Angeles Also available: Roundtrip San Francisco or Vancouver, B.C. 15-day fares per guest from* Interior Balcony
October – November 2016 From Singapore to Beijing or Tokyo
17-day fares per guest from*
$1,599 $2,499
$1,899 $2,899
Interior Balcony
Up to $600 Onboard Spending Money‡
Up to $600 Onboard Spending Money‡
Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses of up to $230 are additional and subject to change.
Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses of up to $225 are additional and subject to change.
GET UP TO $600 FREE ONBOARD SPENDING MONEY PER STATEROOM!‡
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‡ Get up to $600 USD Onboard Spending Money per stateroom (Up to $300 Spending Money per guest) is based on voyage length and stateroom type, and applicable to reservations booked and deposited between March 15, 2016 and May 12, 2016, for voyages listed in this sale only. Offer is applicable to first/second-berth guests only. Third/fourth-berth guests are not eligible. Guests with single occupancy will receive the per stateroom credit amount. Spending money may be used on a single voyage only, is not redeemable for cash, cannot be used in the casino and expires at the end of that voyage. Offer is not transferable and may not be combinable with other select offers or other onboard credits. Onboard spending money is quoted in U.S. dollars.
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‡‡ Free Lotus Spa Treatment is applicable to full-sized Suite stateroom reservations booked and deposited between March 15, 2016 and May 12, 2016 for voyages listed in this sale only. Offer is applicable to first/second-berth guests only. Third/fourth-berth guests are not eligible. Mini-suite staterooms are not eligible. Guests must be 18 years of age or older to receive spa treatments. Voucher will be delivered to the stateroom upon embarkation. Voucher is restricted to guests choice of LaTherapie Hydralift Facial or 50-minute Swedish Massage. Substitutions will not be given. Lotus Spa Treatment voucher may be used on a single voyage only, is not redeemable for cash, and expires at the end of that voyage. Offer is not transferable and may not be combinable with other select offers, including onboard credits. Other restrictions may apply. * Fares are based on Caribbean Princess® 11/27/16 for 6-Day Caribbean, Ruby Princess® 11/12/16 for 7-day Mexico, Grand Princess® 10/22/16 and Ruby Princess® 10/29/16 for 7-day California Coast, Coral Princess® 11/18/16 for 10-day Panama Canal, Emerald Princess® 11/15/16 for 13-day New Zealand, Star Princess® 12/5/16 for 15-day Hawaiian Islands and Diamond Princess® 10/26/16 for 17-day Grand Asia. Fares apply to minimum lead in categories on a space-available basis at time of booking. Fares for other categories may vary. Fares are per guest, non-air, cruise-only, based on double occupancy and apply to the first two guests in a stateroom. These fares do not apply to singles or third/fourth-berth guests.
Plan a wonderful vacation with Princess today — with great savings and exciting extras!
Offer is not transferable and is available to residents of the 50 United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Bermuda and the District of Columbia who are 21 years of age or older and receive this offer. Fares quoted in U.S. dollars. Please refer to princess.com for terms, conditions and definitions that apply to all bookings. Offer ends: May 12, 2016. Reference promotion code: N3-
There’s nothing as relaxing and rejuvenating as a cruise with Princess. And when you book select voyages now, you’ll get Note: For assistance reserving a wheelchair-accessible stateroom, please contact customer service at 1-800-774-6237. © 2016, Princess Cruises, Ltd. Ships of Bermudan and British registry. incredible Cruise Sale discounts plus special perks that make a cruise or cruisetour vacation with Princess irresistible.
• A reduced deposit as low as $50 per person ^ • Shipwide Savings Coupon Booklet worth up to $325 in savings on shipboard products and services* Coupon Booklet includes: • Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve; 15% off one (1) bottle • Maître d’ Wine Club; $5 off seminar fee • $10 off boutique purchase of $100 or more • 10% off any single purchase in Fine Jewelry or Gifts • Lotus Spa;® FREE metabolism test • Lotus Spa;® Receive $40 off Exotic Lime and Ginger Salt Glow with Massage
• Lotus Spa;® Receive $35 off Oxydermy Facial
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Group Space Still Available for Agency Name Our 4-Day Cabo Cruise in October! Address Telephone Also: Fall & Spring Hawaii Cruises Get Up To $600 On Board Credit! Offer valid XX/XX/XX to XX/XX/XX Cassis Travel (310) 831-1123 AVAILABLE THROUGH:
Note: Some restrictions apply. This offer may not be combinable with Future Cruise Credit promotions and select promotions. Prices and discounts are quoted in U.S. dollars. *Total value of coupons combined is $325 USD. Coupon book offers are based on current Shipwide Savings booklet, which is subject to change. One coupon book is provided per person, up to two maximum per stateroom. ^Reduced deposit of $50 applicable for cruises between 3-6 days and $100 on voyages 7 days or longer, and applies to new bookings only. Reduced deposit applies to each of the first two passengers in a stateroom and does not apply to the World Cruises and 45+ day World Cruise Segments. The deposit for the World Cruises and 45+ day World Cruise Segments is 5% of the cruise fare. This promotional piece is created and distributed by an independent travel agency, not by Princess. Coupon offers expire 12/31/14.
1447 W 7th Street, Suite A, San Pedro, CA 90732
CST #1014633-10 | Princess Ships are of Bermudan Registry.
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MAY 2016 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 29
• Lotus Spa;® Receive $40 off Aroma Stone Therapy
• Photo & Video Gallery; 20% off 8x10 portrait
Helping your family grow is just one of the perks of our job. Obstetrics and gynecology services you can trust Trust Providence to bring your bundle of joy into this world with care and individual attention. Together with the teams at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Centers San Pedro and Torrance, Providence Medical Institute has helped South Bay women stay healthy and build families for years. Our board-certified physicians provide comprehensive women’s health services, from wellness checkups to bone density management all in a caring practice. It’s not just health care, it’s how we care that sets our team apart. San Pedro OB-GYN 621 Butte St., San Pedro, CA 90732 Reza Askari, M.D. Mehdi Hemmat, M.D. Karen Callahan, N.P. Axminster OB-GYN 20911 Earl St., Suite 440, Torrance, CA 90503 Kenneth Holliman, M.D. Mia Sanders Madati, M.D. Christopher P. Meilleur, M.D. Torrance OB-GYN 20911 Earl St., Suite 220, Torrance, CA 90503 Denise Ishimaru, M.D. Donna Richey, M.D.
Call 866-909-DOCS or visit california.providence.org/pmi to learn more about our physicians and office locations.
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Holy Trinity School & Preschool 1226 W. Santa Cruz Street San Pedro, CA 90732
FALL oF 2016!!
school.holytrinitysp.org
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The combined rubbings of all 19 San Pedro men memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, listed in order of casualty from 1965-1975. (rubbings courtesy Angela Romero)
Remembering Our Boys by Angela "Romee" Romero
Last summer, I had a chance to take an impromptu trip to Washington, D.C. I had previously visited our nation's capital 25 years ago on the annual Dodson 'D.C. Trip.' That first excursion was full of important milestones in my life, like my first week away from my parents and the first time I ever heard Bob Marley. Sure, we hit all the sights like the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and even Arlington National Cemetery, but my sighing at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was 70% out of reverence and 30% swooning over my crush, who was one of the kids chosen to lay the wreath. I could be respectful, but my 12-year-old self didn’t fully appreciate what I was seeing. So when I knew I was going to go back to D.C., I thought long and hard about what I wanted to see and do this time around. Being the host and producer of a podcast called "That’s So Pedro," I decided to go on a mission to discover all the San Pedro connections I could possibly find. The most important stop on my list was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Not only was it the one place that wasn’t completely wasted on my pre-teen self, but it’s also where you could find the names of 19 San Pedrans carved into black granite, among countless others, who died as a result of the war in Vietnam. It was important for me to pay my respects and get a rubbing of all 19 names. Research Thanks to my fellow San Pedro Today contributor, Steve Marconi, who continues to write frequently about San Pedro’s lost sons (and is currently petitioning to have a memorial made to remember all of San Pedro's casualties of war), I already had the list of names. The only other homework I had to do was look up all the directional locations of where to find each name on the wall. This information is easily found on the Internet or in books located at the memorial site. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is made up of
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"The heaviness lied in the realization that most of them had been Pedro kids just like me, before they were asked to be men." two walls, east and west, each containing 70 panels. All names are listed by the year and day of casualty, with the first day beginning on the east wall where the two walls meet in the middle. So our first San Pedro casualty, Paul J. Marquez, had the location of 2E/79, meaning he is located on the 2nd panel on the east wall, line 79.
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At the Wall I consulted with a park ranger about proper “rubbing” procedures. She handed me a golf pencil and a stack of blank sheets that read Vietnam Veterans Memorial. You place the paper over the desired name and rub with a pencil or crayon to create the souvenir. Because some of the names can only be accessed by getting on a ladder, she would be assisting me with those. Before I started, I took a minute to be quiet and just observe. Everyone at the wall was standing in quiet reverence. I thought about the 19 names on the list in my hand and walked to my first location. As I took out the first rubbing sheet and placed it on the wall, something changed. A public memorial with thousands upon thousands of faceless names became instantly personal. Although I had never met the man that belonged to that name, I was making him flesh and blood in their eyes. He was a person who had people who wanted to remember him. He wasn’t just a name carved into granite, he was real. People stopped and I could feel them watch me as I scraped the pencil back and forth across the white paper. When I was done, I looked up and caught the sympathy in people’s eyes – the kind where they can’t imagine what it’s like to be you. Part of me couldn’t help but feel like a fraud, like I was lying to these people. I didn’t
Douglas Nichols
John Burich, Jr.
Craig Sysak
Greg Hankamer
know Paul or any of the 58,000 people named on that wall. But the Pedro connection is strong in all of us and that would have to be enough for me that day. I continued down the wall, carefully rubbing each name on my list. As I went along, I would wonder about each person… Where did he live? Which was his favorite movie theater? Did he surf? When I was done, I just sat there with a stack of names in my hand. The heaviness I had imagined they would have wasn’t there. But those questions lingered like a dense fog. When I got home from my trip, I went to the San Pedro Bay Historical Society Archives and looked up some of the names in the school yearbooks. It was there that the heaviness lied in the realization that most of them had been Pedro kids just like me, before they were asked to be men. None of us can do anything to undo history, but we can do our part, as fellow San Pedro kids, to make sure that they aren’t just names on a wall. I would like to honor the memory of these 19 men by making sure they all have a photo on the virtual Wall of Faces at www.vvmf.org. This is San Pedro, everyone knows someone who knows someone, so please, if you were a relative or a friend and you have a photo of one of the 19 men whose names adorn the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, visit the site and upload it so they can be remembered for posterity. spt If you’d like to learn about more San Pedro’s connections in Washington, D.C., please visit www.thatssopedro.com.
Lawrence Pinales
David Dolan
David Reid
Robert Kelly
Most of San Pedro's fallen sons grew up going to our local schools, many left for war not long after graduation. This selection of senior portraits above were found in annuals available in the San Pedro Bay Historical Society Archives and have been uploaded to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund's Wall of Faces (www.vvmf.org). The collection of annuals is not complete, so please upload any photos you may have of our hometown heroes to the website so that visitors might see their faces. (top row, l to r) San Pedro High: Douglas Nichols (1960), John Burich, Jr. (1967), Lawrence Pinales (1967), David Reid (1967); (bottom row, l to r) Craig Sysak (1967), Greg Hankamer (1971); Fermin Lasuen: David Dolan (1967), Robert Kelly (1967).
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Last time, we learned how saturated fat has been unfairly demonized as a “bad fat,” and one of the consequences of this myth has been the push to replace saturated fats with allegedly “healthier” processed polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). There are some whole food sources of PUFAs that do fit into a healthy diet, such as fish, nuts, and seeds. However, PUFAs in the form of highly refined industrial crop oils are altogether another story. Although they’re often referred to as “vegetable” oils, these oils — like canola, soybean, and corn oil — don’t come from vegetables at all. In order to extract oils from these crops and make them suitable for human consumption, industrial oils must endure several rounds of high-heat, chemical processing, involving steps like deodorizing, bleaching, the use of petroleum solvents (and if you add the step of hydrogenation, you get margarine, a trans fat). Because PUFAs are unstable (i.e. vulnerable to oxidative damage), they are oxidized and damaged during this process (and further damaged later, when cooked), and in turn, become damaging to human cells when consumed. Add to this a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, and the result is a food product that is linked to inflammation and disease. But crop oils are a huge, highly profitable industry, and making sizable donations to certain large organizations (who shall not be named) also means they get pushed as “heart healthy” in the mainstream. No wonder most of us are confused! As a clean-eating proponent, if there were only one healthy change I could encourage for all, it would be to toss out those industrial oils and replace them with more natural alternatives. For cooking, nothing beats good ol’ saturated fats. This is because saturated fats are stable and more resistant to oxidative damage (meaning they can stand up to high heat). Ideal options include pastured butter, beef tallow, and — wait for it — lard. Yes, I said lard (you may unclutch your pearls now). If these are still too scary for you (I get it, these fears have been indoctrinated in us for a long time), unrefined coconut oil (which contains medium-chain fatty acids) is a great choice also. Not sold on saturated fat options? Enter my new favorite cooking fat: cold pressed avocado oil. Rich in monounsaturated fat, this nutritious and buttery flavored oil has a high heat point, making it ideal for cooking. Although it is less stable that saturated fats, it is still much more stable than processed PUFAs. Cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil (another monounsaturated fat and a favorite of many San Pedro families) has a lower smoke point, and therefore, is less desirable as a cooking oil and best consumed in cold form. However, it’s still more stable than processed PUFAs, making it a superior cooking choice to industrial oils. (Just be sure to research which brands are the real deal, as some brands of EVOO have recently been found to be mislabeled and mixed with filler oils.) So in a (coco)nut shell: fats and oils from properly raised animals, coconuts, avocados, and olives are ideal because not only are they nutrient dense, but they are unrefined or extracted by the process of cold pressing. Highly refined fats created in a factory aren’t. Now, this doesn’t mean I’m encouraging everyone to chow down on a whole stick of butter or guzzle coconut oil like it’s lemonade on a hot summer day. Healthy fats should be consumed in moderation, within an otherwise balanced and healthy diet, and relative to one’s activity level. But if you’re ever confused about which dietary fat is the healthiest, consider this general rule: instead of reaching for a factory-made fat, go for the fat made in nature. spt There are many studies and books relating to the topic of dietary fats, and too many to list here. However, if you’re looking for some basic reading to get you started, these are two of my favorites: “The Great Cholesterol Myth” by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., CNS and Stephen Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C. and “Eat the Yolks” by Liz Wolfe, NTP (lists of medial studies are referenced in both sources). This information is not meant to replace the advice of your medical doctor or professional health care practitioner. Please consult a functional medical doctor and/or qualified nutritionist for more information. You can follow Lori Garrett on her healthy lifestyle blog: www.adventuresofasickchick.com.
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by Ricky Magana Have you ever noticed that your to-do list – no matter how many items you check off – only seems to get bigger? And some of those to-dos have been on that list for quite a long time and somehow keep getting punted to the next day? Why is that? You see, every day you make decisions to take action on the laundry list of tasks that fall within your priorities. And each day you must decide, which will be completed now, and which can wait. The night before, you always have the best intentions on what you’re absolutely going to get done the next day. But as the sage Mike Tyson once said, “Everybody’s got a plan till they get punched in the face.” Day to day, most people live in reactive mode, responding to crises, catastrophes, and deadlines. From the moment they wake, they’re putting out fires and running around with their heads cut-off. This is because we pay the most attention to things that are the most urgent. Scientists would probably say this is a remnant survival mechanism developed during our hunter-gatherer days. Procrastinators will attest that unless something becomes urgent most people simply won’t take action. The problem is urgent tasks are rarely the most important. Exercise, the blog you want to start, that stuff is important but it’s rarely urgent. If we’re not careful, the areas where we should pay most of our attention to are where we’ll spend the least.
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Non-Urgent, but Important (The Bucket List items) I saw a great TED talk by Tim Urban recently. He’s a chronic procrastinator who once wrote a 90-page doctoral thesis in two days. He along with millions of others confesses to putting off vitally important work until it becomes cataclysmically urgent. In the talk, he describes us procrastinators as having an instant-gratification monkey. One minute we’re about to begin writing and the next we’re binge watching "Making a Murderer." The M.O. of a procrastinator is far from ideal, but at least it gets done. The problem Tim Urban tells us is that our most important life-fulfilling aspirations have no deadline. There’s no professor hounding you to get it your paper turned in. There’s no publisher expecting your novel in his mailbox. You’re not getting weighed-in on national television. And so many of the things we intend to do, simply get put off as if we have all the time in the world. Sadly, lots of the things we intend to do get put off until it’s too late. Weeks become years then decades and we’re left with the painful sting of regret. So how do we make sure we don’t let life pass us by and miss the important stuff? We create urgency. Make the Important Urgent A few years ago, I had the faint aspiration to complete an Olympic triathlon. My best friend forced me to sign up. I wasn’t ready. I never swam a mile in my life, let alone a mile in the ocean. I hadn’t biked in years. I thought, “Oh I’ll start swimming soon… and then I'll sign up!” No. I signed up then had a holy crap moment; I have six weeks to complete an Olympic triathlon. There was no turning back. Quitting would be too humiliating. Six weeks came and I completed the triathlon. It was scary, but I’m grateful I was pushed to do it. If you have the best intentions to get fit but find yourself constantly making excuses, hold your own feet to the fire and sign up for something that you’re in no-way ready for and force yourself to get ready. When something becomes vitally urgent, all of the trivialities melt away. You become crystal clear about what needs to get sidelined and what needs to get done. You won’t cut yourself slack because you can’t. When you have a gun to your head, you become very creative. So if you’re really serious about making changes, put your pride where your mouth is. Raise the stakes and commit to do something the current version of you is not ready for and watch yourself grow. spt For some sample workouts to help you get better, email ricky@heydaytraining.com.
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On Friday, April 15, 2016, Leland Street Elementary School honored San Pedro's military families with a special event Celebrating the Month of the Military Child. Military families from all over town were invited to join in the festivities, which included an assembly filled with children celebrating each branch of the United States armed forces. Military parents showed up in uniform while students held American flags and the flags of each military branch. (photos: John Mattera)
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