San Pedro Today - August 2020

AUGUST 2020

OUTDOOR DINING COMES TO DOWNTOWN | DIBERNARDOS CELEBRATE 70 | AND MUCH MORE!

,

BUKOWSKI S SAN PEDRO IN HONOR OF CHARLES BUKOWSKI’S 100th BIRTHDAY, WE LOOK AT HOW THE LATE WRITER’S ADOPTED HOME INFLUENCED HIS LIFE AND LATER WORKS.

Smile A While.

Modern Dentistry, with Old Fashion Values.

Our office is a multi-specialty private practice located in Weymouth Corners in San Pedro. With 28 years of experience, we provide high-quality modern dentistry at an affordable cost in an inviting setting. Our office is equipped to provide most specialty dental services efficiently under one rooftop. We use cutting-edge technology and are versed in all aspects of Cosmetic, Restorative, Dental Implants, Orthodontic, and Oral Surgery services.

Dr. Ardalan, D.D.S. Education: USC school of Dentistry Doctor of Dental Surgery Professional Association: American Dental Association, member California Dental Association, member Western Dental Society, member

SERVICES & SPECIALTIES • General Cosmetic and Children’s Dentistry • Oral Surgery • Dental Implants • Permanent Implant Supported Dentures • Orthodontics (Traditional Braces & Invisalign) • Periodontics • Sleep Apnea

Dr. Ardalan & Associates Smile A While.

1411 W. 8th Street San Pedro, CA 90732

(310) 832-5559

ASSOCIATES Ian Woo, D.D.S., MD. Education: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Los Angeles County / University of Southern California Medical Center

Dr. Marvis Sorrel, D.M.D., M.D.S. Education: University of Pittsburgh, Master of Science in Dentistry, Doctor of Dental Medicine Advanced Education in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics Orthognatic Surgery Externship / Invisalign Certification

Color Palette:

Dr. Rebekah Coriaty Education: University of Pacific Professional Association: American Dental Association California Dental Association

Dr. Miles Madison #161f70

#4962f5

Education: UCLA School of Dentistry Professional Association: American Academy of Periodontology California Society of Periodontists American Dental Association California Dental Association American Association for Dental Research

#233f4

Font:

FONT: Lato Designed by Łukasz Dziedzic

ARTISTRY IN CREATION OF HEALTHY REALISTIC SMILES

We provide a full range of options – veneers, crowns, bondings, and re-shaping the teeth (to name a few), and at times the combination of these therapies, to meet (and in the vast majority of cases exceed) your expectations.

MINIMALLY INVASIVE COSMETIC DENTISTRY

BEFORE

Bonding technique – conservative direct composite bonding restorations, produce results that are immediate (by Dr. Souzan Ardalan).

Optimizing the curvatures, angles, comparative lengths, symmetry, and the shade of the teeth can in fact enhance the beauty of a smile supremely. Using tooth-colored material, minor imperfections are corrected.

• Cost-effective • No numbing • Immediate BEFORE

AFTER

• One visit • Simple • STUNNING

EXTREME SMILE MAKE-OVERS For individuals committed to a comprehensive approach to significantly enhance the appearance of their smile, our office is well-equipped to take your smile to unrivaled levels.

AFTER

Dental aesthetics are guided by the harmony of lips, gingiva, and teeth. To improve the dental aesthetic appearance, restorative approach can be combined with other specialties, such as orthodontic treatment.

The example to the left involved: • Orthodontic treatment (by Dr. Marvis Sorrell).

• Dental Implant to replace a missing front tooth (by Dr. Ian Woo).

• Cosmetic Implant Supported Crown, plus a Veneer on another front tooth which was anatomically too small (by Dr. Souzan Ardalan). Indistinguishable From Natural Healthy Teeth.

DR. ARDALAN & ASSOCIATES - WEYMOUTH CORNERS 1409 W. 8TH ST. SAN PEDRO (310) 832-5559 • FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION, VISIT www.DrSouzanArdalan.com.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

!

Value 0 0 . $98

0 rs. ust 31, 202 er offe g ny oth Expires Au

ith a able w

Limit

ombin Not C ld. useho

r ho one pe

Not Combinable with any other offers.

Limit one per household. Expires August 31, 2020

$98.00 Value!

Not Combinable with any other offers.

Limit one per household. Expires August 31, 2020

OFF ANY SERVICE!*

Not Combinable with any other offers.

Limit one per household. Expires August 31, 2020

Maximize Your Life!

Fuel Efficiency & Tire Life.

Complete 2 Wheel Alignment

Complete 4 Wheel Alignment

15

%

*Up to $150 Discount. Not Combinable with any other offers.

Limit one per household. Expires August 31, 2020

Beat the Heat!

5995 $7995 A/C SERVICE

$

*

*

*European Cars Extra.

Not Combinable with any other offers.

Limit one per household. Expires August 31, 2020

99

Reg. $152.23

Includes First 1lb. of R134a

System must not be leaking at time of service.

$98.00 Value!

4 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

Not Combinable with any other offers.

Limit one per household. Expires August 31, 2020

Monday- Friday 7:30am - 8pm Sat. 7:30 - 4:30

Looks like we opened too soon.

As you’re well aware, not long after our July issue hit the streets, the very businesses we showcased on our cover as having just reopened – salons, gyms, and indoor dining – were ordered closed once again due to the surge in COVID-19 cases across California.

How’s that for bad timing?

Like many of you, I thought we were on the downslope of this pandemic.

Here in San Pedro, we’ve been pretty diligent with wearing our masks and maintaining social distancing. Last month, a local data firm created an online survey asking Angelenos how often they wear a mask, among other pandemic-related questions. Their results ranked San Pedro as the fifth best mask-wearing neighborhood in Los Angeles, which is pretty good considering the competition. Unfortunately, our singular effort wasn’t enough to stop this surge we’re currently experiencing.

On the bright side, we’re seeing many local businesses make the best out of these unprecedented times. You may have seen the new dining parklets installed in Downtown San Pedro last month, which have brought outdoor dining to nearly every restaurant in the district. With summer weather in full swing, having outdoor dining available nearly everywhere (even J. Trani’s!) has been a silver lining to what we can all agree has been a pretty horrible year so far.

With the COVID-19 news constantly changing, we decided to take a break from pandemic coverage this month and focus on what we had originally planned all along for August, which was celebrating the life of the late writer and poet, Charles Bukowski, who would’ve turned 100 years old on August 16. The world-famous writer spent the last 16 years of his life writing some of his most prolific work from his modest home here in San Pedro.

This month, instead of a typical biography of the man, in honor of

Bukowski’s 100th birthday, we take a look at how his move to San Pedro in 1978 influenced his later body of work.

Our resident historian Angela Romero and local professor Christian Lozada examine ten of Bukowski’s poems where he writes about his life within our port town. His knack for revealing the rawness of life in his poetry turned mundane scenes – like eating sushi at Senfuku or picking up mail at the Beacon Street post office – into thoughtprovoking reflections on humanity.

While never really considered a mainstream writer, Bukowski certainly has a following. His many fans flock to his gravesite at Green Hills Memorial Park year after year, sometimes leaving cigarette butts or empty alcohol bottles on his grave marker.

The last time we had Bukowski on our cover was in March 2015, 21 years after his passing on March 9, 1994. For that issue, Bukowski’s widow Linda was gracious enough to show me and writer Monica Simpson around her home, giving us a rare glimpse into her late husband’s private life.

I’ll never forget walking into Bukowski’s writing room, which at the time had been kept virtually untouched since his passing. On his old wooden desk was his last computer, a now vintage Macintosh IIsi. Sitting next to it were two ashtrays with a few old cigarette butts, an empty beer bottle, his reading glasses, a pocketknife, and a large dictionary with a rip in the spine.

He could see the port and the Vincent Thomas Bridge from his office window.

San Pedro isn’t the kind of town that gets name-checked often in works of art. In fact, most movies, commercials, and television shows that shoot here turn our town into someplace else. But for Bukowski, San Pedro was just one of his many muses that fed his creativity. For him, San Pedro was a real place, with real people, that had real heart. spt Joshua Stecker is publisher/editorin-chief of San Pedro Today. Letters to the Editor can be emailed to contact@sanpedrotoday.com.

MANY NEW SAN PEDRO DESIGNS!

CURBSIDE PICK-UP AVAILABLE!

5 OFF

$

on any purchase of $45 or more 329 W. 6th Street • San Pedro

Must present coupon at time of purchase.

Excluding Uggs and sale items. Expires 8/31/20

10 OFF

$

$

on any purchase of $75 or more

on any purchase of $125 or more

329 W. 6th Street • San Pedro

Must present coupon at time of purchase.

Excluding Uggs and sale items. Expires 8/31/20

15 OFF 329 W. 6th Street • San Pedro

Must present coupon at time of purchase.

Excluding Uggs and sale items. Expires 8/31/20

M-F: 10am-7pm Sat: 10am-5:30pm Sun: 11am-4pm

329 W. 6th Street | San Pedro | (310) 832-9364 AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 5

AUGUST 2020

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ADVERTISING:

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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

ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION

Amanda Silva (310) 650-8051 | amanda@sanpedrotoday.com

Joshua J. Stecker Lori Garrett

Joseph A. Castañeda

AT-LARGE CONTRIBUTORS

Pastor Nathan Hoff, Christian H. Lozada, Ricky Magana, Steve Marconi, Jennifer Marquez, Tim McOsker, Karen Moneymaker, Angela Romero, Sophie Schoenfeld

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 12 | NUMBER 7

General Inquiries: ads@sanpedrotoday.com

EMPIRE22 MEDIA LLC OWNER/PUBLISHER Joshua J. Stecker

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

by Empire22 Media LLC. No portion of this publication can be reproduced without written permission by Empire22 Media. 25,000 copies are delivered to San Pedro and portions of Rancho Palos Verdes. San Pedro Today is a product of Empire22 Media LLC. Empire22 Media LLC, their subsidiaries and affiliates are released from all liability that may involve the publication of San Pedro Today. Copyright 2009-2020, Empire22 Media LLC.

ON THE COVER: Charles Bukowski stencil street art by Elvis Segarich. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

6 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

We’re Open Again and Back to Creating Healthy and Beautiful Smiles!

Braces for Children and Adults San Pedro • Torrance

AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 7

P A I D

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

First, I ask you to pause and pray for those you know and for those you don’t who still suffer from the disease of alcoholism and addiction.

Then, I ask you to remember David H, Garrison B, Tim J, Matty M, Michael O, RJ, Wayne B, and Zach T And, to those of you who have the courage to believe you can make miracles happen. You do. You can. You will.

Thank You The McMillen Family Foundation, The Swette Family, Athens Services, SA Recycling, Donovan & Nancy, Norm & Nancy, Julieanne, Yvonne, Patrice, Sandra, Paula, Phyllis, Deborah & Terry, Prosearch, National Charity League, KOALA, Chris & Alya, Jim & Nancy, Jennie & Mike, Cindy & Dana, Lyon Living, David, Walter, Mike & Marcia, West Basin Container Terminal, Lowri, Rich Development, Al Larson Boats, Jim & Paula, Peninsula Community Church, Tom & Lisa, Rancho LPG, McMaster-Carr, Sherry, Guy, Stephen & Karen, Kurt & Theresa, Moises & Fabiola, Margaret, Merle & Kathy, Torrance Refining, Don & Karen, Illinois Tool Works, Larry & Shaunna, Theresa & Curt, Lucianna, Elisa & John, Peter & Luz, Kyle, Leslie, Marathon Petroleum, Tom & Amy, Thomas, Janet, Parker Hannifan, Tim & Connie, Marianne, Dorothy, Mike, Evon, Karl & Sandy, Ricky, Malaga Bank, Barbro, Sandra & Dan, Diane & Glenn, John & Dianne, Gary & Lori, Bill & Deborah, Shellie, Bob & BJ, Suzanne, Irene & Ron, Jerry & Hillary, John & Rosemary, Bob, Emma & Frank, Mary & Jim, Mike & Becky, Val & Anka, Brandon & Leah, Steve, Jay & Kelli, John, Coby Cares Foundation, Honeya & Michael, Andrew, Byron, Gaye & Bruce, Roddy & Maria, Don & Sylvia, San Pedro Peninsula Cancer Guild, Matt, Pasha Terminals, James and Beth, Arde, Jim & Kathy, Laura, Suzanne, Cynthia, Susan, Lorna & Bob, Stephanie, Craig, Jeff, Mark, Cindy, Janis & Jim, Christine, Celeste, Jeff & Carly, Pete, Alex, Pam & Jim, Ryan, Allan & Mary, Rob & Teri, Ann & Peter, F & M Bank, Dolores, Elisa, John & Rebecca, Jack, Robert, Marcus, Jason, USC Caruso Catholic Center, Mark, Jonathan, Southwest Pipeline, Colich & Sons, Chef Christine, Chef Shafer, LA Harbor College Culinary Team, Rotary Club of Palos Verdes, Christina, LK Packaging, Holly, Tammy, Corey, Steven, Daniel, Niki, Linda, Martha & Albert, Jovita, Sharon, ME, Andrew, Gary, Jan, Kurt & Susie, Jenny, Steve, Lynne & Richard, Marilyn, Theresa, Laurie, Kathleen, Richard, Judi, Al & Sharon, Sean, Anna Jo, Glenda, Clay, Lou & Heather, Diane, Lincoln, Judith, Karen, Carol, Cynthia, Kerry, Natalie, Antonio, Hector, Tom, Toni, Tony, Gary, Sunya, Judy, Jonathan, Alton, Russell, Denise, George, Karen, Joan, Dori, Ann, Brenda, Catherine, Roman, Andreaq, Joshua, Jon, Carol & Alan, Leah, Eli, Cathy & Art, Gerald, Dayna, Carol & Casey, Mary Jo, Patty & Lou, Shannon, Christopher, Jose, Robin, Mauricio, Robert, Jo Ann, Danielle, Ron & Marsha, Oscar, MaryAnn, June, Ethel, Lorene, Bruce & Buenieta, Claire, Richard & Kathleen, Cherryl & Gordon, Martha, Shezelle & Spencer, Bill & Nancy, Scott, San Pedro Auto Parts, Clara, Jim, Carol, Nicole, George, Priscilla, Patrick & Suzanne, Marion, Teresa, Terry, Don, Robert & Marcela, George & Barbara, Pat & Dan, Mary, Gina & Keith, Marsha, John & Rebecca, Hartley Family Foundation, Chris, Dan, George, Irene, Heather, Roxanne, Thomas & Linda, Marcene, Fran, Lynn, Maxine, Reka, Anthony, Kathleen, Jennifer, Stefan & Aleta, Anna & John, Dolores, DeeDee & Bud, JoAnn, Holly, Laura & Victor, Roman, Alan, Michele, Jean & Charles, Grace, Marion, Carole & Nicole, Paula & Gregory, Dawn & Lorenzo, Hal, Dave & Zoie, Julia & Lisa, Don & Rose, Michael & Susan, Robert & Donna, Howard & Gale, Shirley, William, Norma, Miki & Mike, Rose, Rocio, Joseph & Sharon, Harry, Eric, Lou & Connie, Julie, Ralph, Anne, Wayne, Andy, Trish & Declan, Chuck & Susana, Kurth & Juliet, San Pedro Fish Market, Lee

Grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed, courage to change that which can be changed, and wisdom to know the one from the other.

Let’s Save Lives The Beacon House Association of San Pedro 8 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 9

VOICES

LIVES MATTER, BUT SO DOES THE TRUTH

by Steve Marconi

I’ve been told that my views concerning the social unrest currently sweeping the country come from being out of touch because I live in a bubble and am

“tone deaf.”

San Pedro is indeed a bubble — thankfully. Where else in the country is there a community of comparable size where so many different ethnicities and cultures live side by side in relative harmony?

But living in a bubble doesn’t mean I exist in a bubble. Putting aside the experiences and personal relationships gained over seven decades of life, I have a computer, the internet, Google,

a big-screen TV, a smartphone, a daily newspaper. I’ve traveled. I’m a member of the ILWU, probably the most diverse workforce in the country.

If I’m “tone deaf,” it’s because I don’t believe what I hear and read from most of the mainstream media and Twitterverse. Neither should you. I know “how the sausage is made,” having worked in the newspaper industry as a reporter and copy editor for more than 32 years.

So when I tell you there was “fake news” long before it became a popular catchphrase, it comes from firsthand knowledge.

When I started my journalism career in the early ‘70s, reporting was still objective — just the facts, ma’am, as Joe Friday would say — and opinion was kept to the Op-Ed pages. By the time

Ex 8/31/20

10 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

Ex 8/31/20

that career ended at the L.A. Times in 2004, advocacy journalism had taken over, and media reportage was reflecting the reporter’s and editor’s agendas — an agenda that was almost always one-sided.

For instance, what do you know about Black Lives Matter? It’s in the news daily, but are you getting the truth about it from the mainstream media or on social media? In the interest of saving space, I would simply direct you to the Black Lives Matters’ own website (blacklivesmatter.com). Click on About and What We Believe. Make sure and read it all — it speaks for itself.

Truth matters, and it has been said that the first casualty in war is truth.

And if you don’t think we’re at war in America today, you’re not paying attention. We are at war with a deadly virus, and the culture war that started in the ‘60s — up to now mostly contained to verbal combat — has broken out into violence on several fronts. Much of it involves the role of law enforcement.

Much of it also involves the simple act of saying something that may “offend” someone.

Whatever the issue, from the wearing of masks to the tearing down of statues, you are entitled to your own opinion, but not to your own facts. In a world of 24/7 news, it’s important to keep that in mind whenever you hear an “expert” pontificate on his/her field of knowledge. For every topic currently making headlines, from police brutality to COVID-19, no adage has ever been more relevant than, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.” That’s the less politically correct way of describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly how statistics are used — or ignored — to bolster weak arguments.

Consider the use of presentism in an effort to tear down, almost literally, America’s history. If you haven’t heard of presentism — and most people haven’t — it is the historical term for judging past events or people by today’s standards. No one is asked to ignore or overlook the bad in a nation’s history,

but it needs to be kept in perspective because attitudes and cultural values change over time. On the microscale, San Pedro has its own sordid past that includes a chapter of the KKK, the internment of Japanese Americans in WWII, and racial tensions and discrimination. But look where we are today.

I blame much of the turmoil our country is currently experiencing on presentism and the widespread acceptance of revisionist history (see 1619 Project). Our public schools and universities have produced at least two generations of Americans with a skewed view of their country, and we’re seeing the natural outgrowth of that today in irrational attacks on almost every aspect of our past. Philosopher George Santayana, who would be appalled at the efforts to eradicate American history from the public square, understood the dangers inherent in that type of behavior. He said more than a hundred years ago, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” That’s why I continue my efforts to memorialize San Pedrans who have died in war; why Jews have been so adamant in the wake of the Holocaust that we should never forget.

Between the lockdowns, protests, rioting and increasingly divisive political atmosphere, the past few months have given us many reasons to be depressed and pessimistic about our nation’s future. But two of my favorite axioms provide a glimmer of hope if taken to heart. In 2007, Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré, while coordinating military relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, told cynical reporters, “Don’t get stuck on stupid,” a comment even more apropos today. Two thousand years earlier, the Apostle John put it much more profoundly: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” spt Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.

Thank You!

We could not have done it without YOU!

All of us at the Marine Mammal Care Center would like to express our heartfelt

gratitude for the outpouring of community support enabling us to not only reach, but exceed our emergency fundraising goal.

We are committed to being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us and are taking actions necessary to build infrastructure for long-term success.

As we are only able to operate with ongoing support, we welcome our community to join us as we continue our animal care and ocean conservation work.

We invite you to keep in touch on our website:

www.marinemammalcare.org, and Facebook page @marinemammalcare

WE SPECIALIZE IN

• Tax Preparation & Planning • Accounting and Bookkeeping • Audit Representation 310-519-8600 George A. Van Buren, EA, MBA

1536 W. 25th Street, Suite K | San Pedro vanburenandassociates.com

Whatever happened to...

Mary Tamburovich?

“We realized mom could no longer stay alone in her apartment. She had fallen a few times and there were stairs. When she moved into Harbor Terrace, one of the perks that attracted her the most were the people that lived there. Mom realized she had missed socializing with others. She soon made new friends and started singing again with the singing coach at Harbor Terrace. Volleyball was a sport she had enjoyed in her teens and she immediately was drawn to that activity as well.

“Mom loves the food and looks forward to joining her friends for dinner and catching up on the day’s activities. She says Harbor Terrace is the greatest place ever! Her only regret is that she did not move in sooner.”

The Family of Mary Tamburovich Resident of Harbor Terrace

• A Full-Service Retirement Community • Independent Apartments • Assisted Living Services • Delicious Chef-Prepared Meals • Housekeeping & Linen Services • Daily Recreation & Social Programs

-IN !

E V T O S 435 W. 8TH ST., SAN PEDRO M GU www.HarborTerraceRetirement.com EE AU R F LL (310) 547-0090 A License # 198200855

AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 11

VOICES

OUTDOOR DINING COMES TO DOWNTOWN SAN PEDRO

by Tim McOsker

Outdoor dining in the historic core of Downtown San Pedro is something that our town has wanted for many years. Councilman Joe Buscaino has been a driving force of the concept and has worked closely with the Property Owners’ Alliance to develop a program.

Though his efforts, the commitment of the Alliance and ironically, the COVID-19 crisis, outdoor dining is here to stay. For the past several months, the Alliance has been working with the City and local businesses to develop several parklets in Downtown San Pedro on 5th, 6th and 7th streets.

First, two questions: What is the “Alliance?” And what is a “parklet?”

First answer: The San Pedro Property Owners’ Alliance is also known as a Business Improvement District, a creature of state law formed to provide services to benefit its members. The Alliance members are the downtown property owners, and they collect money from themselves — not city funds — and spend them on essential services to supplement city services, things like safety and security, tourism, and marketing of Downtown San Pedro.

The development and promotion of outdoor dining, for example, is one such service that would benefit all members of the Alliance by improving the vitality of Downtown San Pedro.

Second answer: a parklet is a parking space in a commercial zone that is sectioned off with a safe barrier and built out with a level deck and decorative walls to be used as a sitting and dining area. It is repurposed public space. The

Parklets, like the one here at Compagnon Wine Bistro on 7th Street, have been installed for safe outdoor dining.

(photo: John Mattera Photography)

idea of parklets is not new. Communities all around us have developed some version of them in the shopping, dining and commercial zones of their cities.

Before we ever heard of COVID-19, the Alliance was working closely with Councilman Buscaino and the City of Los Angeles to develop an outdoor dining program of parklets in Downtown San Pedro. The plans and permits were well in progress and nearly in final stages before COVID-19.

Then, the pandemic hit. First and foremost, we are in the midst of a health crisis. But our response to the health crisis — our efforts to control further outbreak and spread — creates an unprecedented economic crisis. At the center of the economic crisis are small, family-owned businesses, restaurants and shops that are tenants of locallyowned properties, all of whom employ our neighbors and friends and keep our economy going.

In this COVID-19 economic environment, parts of the original outdoor dining program that the City had planned were not feasible, at least not in the short run. Earlier in the year, with the economy running strong and businesses open for normal operations, it made sense to invest in parklets of a certain design and cost. Once the economy shut

12 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

down, it became a much more difficult proposition to invest in the proposed designs and construction.

Initially, all retail and dining were closed. As the economy reopened, we applied strict rules on the numbers and spacing of customers. Those spacing requirements had a significant impact on smaller, local businesses, especially dining establishments.

That was when Mayor Garcetti introduced an emergency plan called LA Al Fresco. The plan allowed for restaurants to reopen with seating on the sidewalks in front of the business (and maintain access for pedestrians). LA Al Fresco also said that local business associations and community groups could apply for temporary use of the street parking to create parklets for outdoor dining during the remainder of the summer.

The Alliance, in partnership with the councilman, immediately applied for outdoor dining and a parklet plan for multiple spots in and around 5th, 6th and 7th streets. We called it San Pedro Al Fresco, and the application was approved. The plans were redrawn for a quicker buildout, and the Alliance made a commitment to invest in San Pedro Al Fresco through its existing security, tourism and marketing budgets.

Outdoor dining is a good idea at any

time, but it becomes critically important in this pandemic response. Recent studies have shown that activities conducted outdoors are a safer alternative to indoor operations because of the natural breeze and movement of air.

When the City allows the use of a public right-of-way for dining, it is allowing us to repurpose property and create new dining and leisure space, providing for safe social distancing in the open air and stimulating muchneeded economic activity.

That is why the Alliance is invested in the program. Working with the City, the Alliance looks forward to developing and expanding the outdoor dining opportunities throughout the historic core of San Pedro. While these first parklets are temporary, the hope is to make them a permanent part of the Downtown San Pedro experience. The Alliance encourages everyone to visit Downtown San Pedro and enjoy safe and fun outdoor dining. Come see it.

The vitality and success of our downtown will depend upon your responsible participation. As always, be safe and well. spt Tim McOsker is the CEO of AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles.

COME AND ENJOY OUTDOOR DINING IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN SAN PEDRO! Restaurants practicing social distancing and Covid-19 protocols.

SANPEDROBREWING.COM

COMPAGNONBISTRO.COM

Buono’s Pizza* Baramee Thai* Compagnon Bistro* Conrad’s Mexican Grill* Happy Diner* Hoja’s Tea House* Kalaveras Mexican* Kyo Ramen* La Siciliana* Nuda Juice* Pappy’s Seafood*

Sacred Grounds* San Pedro Brewing Co.* San Pedro Cafe* San Pedro Fish Market* Sebastians* Senfuku* Sirens Java and Tea* The Whale and Ale* Think Cafe* Twenty Second St. Landing* Raffaello Ristorante*

*Outdoor dining available

For a complete list of all restaurant locations visit:

discoversanpedro.org

AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 13

OPEN FOR CURBSIDE PICKUP & DELIVERY!

subs wings burgers salads

&

more!

1902 S. PACIFIC AVE. | (424) 264-5322 | WESTCOASTPHILLYS.COM

PATIO OPEN FOR DINING!

Open Mon - Sat 9a-9p, Sun 9a-2p Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner!

Curbside Pickup & Delivery thru

CALL (310) 519-3662 View our menu at thinkcafesanpedro.com

302 W. 5th Street • San Pedro

We Have 7 HDTVs to see all the games!

Now with 6 beers on tap!

Choose from Pizza • Appetizers Salads • Sandwiches Calzones • Pasta Dishes Dinner Entrees & Desserts

Gluten Free Pizza Crust is here!

FAST DELIVERY

310.732.5800 What A Deal!

Me Familia

Pick Up Special Large 1 Topping

with up to 2 Toppings 1 Dozen Wings & 2 Liter Soda

1199

$

Not valid with any other offer excludes gourmet toppings & extra cheese 310.732-5800 Limited time only.

Large Pizza

2999

$

Not valid with any other offer excludes gourmet toppings & extra cheese 310.732-5800 Limited time only.

14 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

Double Trouble 2 Large Pizzas with up to 2 Toppings each

2799

$

Not valid with any other offer excludes gourmet toppings & extra cheese 310.732-5800 Limited time only.

VOICES

CABRILLO BEACH, A DEEP DIVE INTO COLD WATER

by Jennifer Marquez

My goal before the quarantine was to see the ocean daily, usually Cabrillo Beach. I would either take my kayak out or walk by the beach. If I was too busy, I would drive by on the way home. The whole point of living by the ocean, in my opinion, is to enjoy it. Now I am exploring the local coast more intimately and discovering each day brings something new to learn or explore. Some days, if I have the time, I may see the ocean three times a day now. It is helping me to stay positive and get out of my house when I get buried by work.

I like to swim at Cabrillo Beach especially when the water warms up between August and October, typically.

Recently the water at outer Cabrillo Beach dropped from a chilly 62 degrees to 52 degrees in one day. There is a thermometer attached underneath a buoy at the outer beach. Swimming to the buoy is a tradition at Cabrillo Beach all year long, not just during the annual Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day. One of the local polar bears, a group of people who swim daily at Cabrillo Beach, mostly without wetsuits, had checked the thermometer and confirmed the temperature.

Two hours after the polar bear read the temperature, the lifeguard posted the temperature at 55 degrees. It is not uncommon for the water temperature to fluctuate during the day depending on currents and other factors. The water temperature is something people are known to debate, as with anything in San Pedro.

I was at Redondo Beach the next day, and the water was almost 70 degrees.

The lifeguard at Redondo explained that the beaches in the Santa Monica Bay (Torrance Beach to Santa Monica and all the beaches in between) can experience water temperature 10-15 degrees

warmer than Cabrillo Beach at times.

According to Jim DePompei, Programs Director of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, “The south-facing Cabrillo Beach gets an eddy, which is swirling water currents that can travel long distances before dispatching. The coldwater currents come down from the north where [they mix] with warmer water from the south,” he states. “When the eddy goes beyond Palos Verdes, it spins and curls and cuts into Cabrillo.

Our water temperature is always a little cooler than South Bay or Orange County,” adds DePompei.

According to DePompei, the two different water currents bring species of fish and marine life from both the cold and warm water climates. Cabrillo is unique because there are multiple habitats within walking distance of each other, including a saltwater marsh, tide pools, and mudflats. There are also two different beaches, including a protective inner beach with low wave activity, eelgrass, and a view of the harbor. The outer beach is an open ocean with a view of Catalina Island. There are different animals, birds, algae, and habitats at each of the locations. The tidepools are the beginning of the rocky shore from San Pedro to Rat Beach, which is mostly rocky.

Cabrillo has many varieties of birds, sand dollar beds, fossils in the rocks, and grunions who lay their eggs in the sand. It is truly a special place that relies on the city and the community to keep it clean. Tidepool etiquette promotes leaving sea life, rocks, and shells alone so others can enjoy them as well.

More than ever, we need local leaders who are focused on marine conservation and a community that advocates for the protection of the sea. Ultimately, the birds, dolphins, and marine life will benefit from our efforts. spt Jennifer Marquez can be reached at jennifertmarquez@yahoo.com and @jenntmqz on Twitter and Instagram.

WE DELIVER! Order online with Eat24

Check Out Our Tuesday Burger Special!

Now Open Until 8pm Mon-Fri! 813 S. Gaffey St. • 310.548.5322 • 310.548.3828

LOWER PRICES! NEW OWNERSHIP!

• Better Quality Ingredients!

• New Menu Additions!

• Renovated Dining Area!

($35 min. order)

ENTIRE ORDER! Exp. 8/31/2020

OFFERING TAKE-OUT & DELIVERY 726 S. PACIFIC AVE. (310) 832-9196 • JOLLYBURRITO.COM

AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 15

VOICES

APOCALYPSE NOW OR CABIN FEVER?

Now open for dinner!

by Sophie Schoenfeld, MFT

TAKE OUT AVAILABLE!

Mon-Fri 11:30a-9p, Sat-Sun 4-9p

Daily Wine Specials!

PATIO OPEN FOR DINING! Delivery: Postmates & Grubhub

(310) 548-4797 1420 West 25th St., San Pedro sonnysbistro.com

16 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

The psychological impact of radical shift in environment and circumstance of any sort entails a process. When we lose a loved one, we go through stages of grief — that is, denial, guilt, bargaining, anger, depression, reconstruction, acceptance, and hope. When we immigrate into a new culture, we go through the honeymoon, then comes the culture shock, then recovery, and eventually an adjustment, acculturation, and integration. In a divorce, again, are the stages of grief, euphoria, depression and rebirth.

In short, any time we find ourselves in the midst of a significant change, even a welcome, positive change, we as human beings require a process that allows our feelings to catch up with the realities of our situation. This is because our brains have two processing hard drives, fast and slow. The feeling brain is our fast processing hard drive and is responsible for our primary basic emotions, whereas a thinking brain is the slow hard drive in charge of our rational processes and more complex emotions. In other words, we first have an immediate visceral reaction to an event, such as fear, excitement, anger or disgust. Only after the initial feeling are we able to then rationally interpret the event. It is during this secondary process that we are able to develop a more complex understanding of our experience, creating an integrated rational — as well as an emotional — self-story, which contributes to our sense of identity and growth as individuals.

If, however, we are not able to complete the necessary process, utilizing both primary and secondary functions, we become stuck in a negative feedback loop, unable to grow from our difficult experiences. We have all been a friend to an individual, unable to move on from their anger toward their ex, even after many years of divorce, for example. Or a coworker that can’t let go of old grudges or a bereaved family member that refuses to embrace life.

It follows then, that when a society is collectively experiencing a radical change such as a global pandemic or the Great Depression or a war or a revolution, these stages become apparent not only on an individual level, but also on a greater global scale, in the greater whole.

For the first time in many decades, the western world is facing a radical

change in its environment and circumstance. With the acceleration of information technology, our society’s reaction to such change becomes more immediate and universal. The information we share with each other carries the primary emotion embedded in it; hence, we are not only sharing information, we are also sharing emotion, and in that sharing, we are unanimously vibrating with identical limbic responses.

A human brain has cells known as the mirror neurons; mirror neurons are there to be activated when resonating with another’s emotional state. In other words, if one is listening to a sad story where the storyteller appears to be sad, the listener’s mirror neurons become activated, making him/her mimic the neural activity of the storyteller. With high speed internet accessible to the majority of the modern world population, we are now able to export our emotional states universally with a speed of a neural synapse.

There is something beautiful and terrifying about this at the same time. How do we work through these radical changes as a collective? How do we move from fear and anger to reconstruction and integration? How do we, as a global community, grow rather than become stuck in our stages of grief? Currently, our social medial platforms are flooded with primary stages of processing these radical shifts.

Conspiracy theories about vaccines to control the population and evil groups plotting the second coming are the examples of our limbic reaction to the global shutdown. Feelings of being out of control bring about fear, an underlying anxiety of apocalypse in the midst of the cabin fever. Fear naturally lends itself to anger, and anger can lead to a cathartic outcry. Collapse of the old monuments, revolutions, cries for reforms, riots and streets on fire are all a result of prolonged forced self-reflection, an inability to distract ourselves from parts of us that no longer work, like a grieving mother screaming in the solitude of her car or a betrayed lover burning cherished love letters.

The function of the primary process is to bring about a catharsis, a breaking point, but what then? Then must come reconstruction, repair, acceptance, hope and rebirth. How will we come out of our isolation and come together? spt Sophie Schoenfeld, MFT is a local marriage and family therapist. For more info, visit sophiemft.com.

AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 17

,

BUKOWSKI S SAN PEDRO

by Angela Romero & Christian H. Lozada

"I type my first poem here / switchblade in pocket / I type this / for my tax accountant / for the girls in Omaha . . . I am broke again / I own 1/4 of this house . . . / everybody is worried about my soul now / I am worried about my soul now” Charles Bukowski’s decision to move to San Pedro in 1978 was strictly business. He needed both figurative and literal space from his old stomping grounds in Hollywood to get some of his most celebrated work completed. He also needed a tax write-off. And although his house on the hill made him somewhat broke again, at least he had equity and his beloved second floor sanctuary where he could punch out his prolific prose.

This month, on August 16, we celebrate Charles Bukowski’s 100th birthday. For sixteen of those years, he wrote his heart out in his San Pedro home; books, short stories, movie scripts, and hundreds upon hundreds of poems. Bukowski wrote with an intensity for the brutal and beautiful honesty of life, and it is the legacy of his life’s work that we honor for his centennial. While he didn’t come here to write about San Pedro, the town couldn’t help but sneak its way into his heart and his art. Here are some poetry snippets of San Pedro, as seen through the eyes of L.A.’s most famous poet.

Bukowski art by Elvis Segarich (photo: John Mattera Photography)

18 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 19

GREEN HILLS MEMORIAL PARK

McCOWAN’S MARKET

Eating My Senior Citizen’s Dinner At The Sizzler

Huh?

Excerpt: "the cemetery / on a long sloping green hill, / a very modern place with / the markers / flat on the ground, / it’s much more pleasant for / passing traffic."

Excerpt: "I can take my pants / to the cleaners or / stand in a / supermarket line / without any / hubbub at / all"

Green Hills is Bukowski’s final resting place. His flat bronze marker famously tells all his visitors, ”Don’t Try.” The modernity of the grave markers was something Bukowski took great notice of when he drove past Green Hills cemetery, mentioning it in a couple of his poems.

Traditional cemeteries are filled with headstones of varying sizes and material. When work began on Green Hills in 1948, great care was taken for the cemetery to have the look of a park rather than a traditional cemetery, with trees, shrubbery and the flat bronze memorials that were flush against the ground.

Bukowski appreciated his relative anonymity in San Pedro, as opposed to his high profile in Europe. His market of choice was San Pedro’s local chain, McCowan’s Market, sometimes referring to it as the corner market. Michael Montfort, Bukowski’s longtime photographer and collaborator, captured the poet shopping at McCowan’s in one of his books. During Bukowski’s time in San Pedro, McCowan’s had three locations: 10th & Gaffey streets, 1st and Bandini streets and 20th Street and Walker Avenue, the latter being the final location to shut its doors in 2008.

SENFUKU JAPANESE RESTAURANT That Rare Good Moment Excerpt: "now in a Sushi joint / on a side street / in a small town, / it all passes before / you / quickly / like a bad/good movie. / there is this / strange feeling of / peace."

Bukowski’s love of local sushi restaurant, Senfuku, is pretty well known. The downtown eatery has been a longtime must_see for any Bukowski fan. Senfuku was established in 1974 by Rei Suzukawa as a traditional Japanese restaurant that specialized in sukiyaki, teriyaki and tempura. It moved from its original location on Gaffey Street to its present location on 6th Street in 1974. In 1982, current owners Yoshimitsu and Helen Kikuchi brought sushi to Downtown San Pedro. According to the current owners, Senfuku loosely translates to "fan of happiness” (hence the fan on the facade) and is considered a symbol of good luck.

It’s A Drag Just Breathing Excerpt: "I won’t go to the post office anymore. / (I got a p.o. box there where women send me nude photos of themselves along with their love / letters.) / anyhow, I try to walk in and there / are bums everywhere, / got the old hand out. / gave a guy a buck the other day while / I was going in and coming out he’s / got his hand out again."

HARBOR VIEW HOUSE Wandering In The Cage Excerpt: "there is a madhouse near the post office / where I mail my works / out. I never park in front of the post office, / I park in front of the madhouse / and walk down. / I walk past the madhouse. / some of the lesser mad are allowed / out on the porch. / they sit like / pigeons. / I feel a brotherhood with them. / but I don’t sit with them."

The Harbor View House was an outpatient mental health care facility that had been occupying the old San Pedro Army and Navy YMCA building since the mid_1960s until last year when the building was sold to a private developer. Many longtime residents of Harbor View House had become familiar faces around downtown. Future plans for the 1925 building include luxury apartments, a cafe, gym and underground speakeasy.

20 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

BEACON STREET POST OFFICE

The Beacon Street post office is part of the federal building that opened in 1936 and also housed the customs house. San Pedro had been promised a federal building for so long that this building was the very first project on the list for President Franklin Roosevelt’s famous Works Progress Administration. Bukowski’s wife still maintains the post office box that the writer had during his lifetime.

(photos: Angela Romero; except McCowan's Market: courtesy San Pedro Bay Historical Society)

UNION WAR SURPLUS Military Surplus Excerpt: "my wife is more apprehensive than I am / and we were in a surplus store / poking around when / my wife said, "I want two gas masks.” / "gas masks?” / "yes, there are all those storage tanks nearby and if they explode there is / going to be nothing but flame and / gas!”

Union War Surplus was established in 1946 by brothers Ira and L.R. Kaye with their cousin Irving Robinson. The store boasted to have "everything from a battleship to a hunting knife,” and if they didn’t have it, they would get it. The Bukowskis gave the store a bit of a challenge later in this poem, asking if they had gas masks for cats, and the clerk begrudgingly had to admit that they did not carry them. The beloved local store closed in 2009.

TODD SHIPYARD Hard Times Excerpt: "we sat with our beer. / the canneries had shut down. / Todd Shipyard had failed / and was / phasing them / out. / San Pedro was back in the 30’s."

Fish canning in San Pedro started in the second decade of the twentieth century and hit its peak in the harbor during the post_World War II fishing boom. San Pedro had two household name tuna companies in the harbor, StarKist and Chicken of the Sea. They all eventually followed the fish south. Todd Shipyard took over operations of the Los Angeles Shipbuilding & Drydock Corporation after the Navy seized the shipyard in the midst of World War II. Government contracts kept Todd Shipyard going for decades after the war, while some of their private projects included vessels for Disneyland. Unfortunately, the company chose to shutter operations in San Pedro in the mid_1980s and hundreds of local workers were laid off.

VINCENT THOMAS BRIDGE Sardines In Striped Dresses Excerpt: "it’s been a world full of the brave / and I love them all / as outside the / Vincent Thomas Bridge arcs in the dark / holding, just now, the luck of us all."

The Vincent Thomas Bridge opened to traffic in November of 1963. It is named for San Pedran and state assemblyman Vincent Thomas, the man who pushed for the bridge for 15 years. The advent of container shipping and the need to transfer the containers from the ship to their destination via rail and trucks made Thomas prescient and his detractors foolish. Prior to the bridge, the only connector between San Pedro and Terminal Island was a ferry. Since its construction, the Vincent Thomas Bridge has become one of San Pedro’s most iconic landmarks. (photos this page: Angela Romero; except Todd Shipyard: courtesy San Pedro Bay Historical Society)

HARBOR FREEWAY Days And Nights Excerpt: "reaching the end of the / Freeway, I do a left / turn / onto Gaffey. / traffic is less / though unpleasant / enough. / well, finally I arrive where / I live, run up the / drive, cut the engine, the / lights, get / out, don’t bother with the / garage door, leave it like / that" Bukowski wrote often about the freeway, the thing that brought him to San Pedro but still kept him connected to his past, as well as his beloved racetrack.

When the Harbor Freeway was created, it initially ended at Channel Street. In 1970, several years before Bukowski’s arrival, the freeway was extended, and Gaffey Street became the new terminus. This massive undertaking to add a couple of miles to the Harbor Freeway included condemning/ moving homes and cutting a path through an entire hillside.

This also changed the nature of Gaffey Street and created a new commercial corridor for the town.

COCO’S BAKERY RESTAURANT Stuck With It Excerpt: "I go to Coco’s, / get my Senior Citizen’s / Dinner, / good deal, soup or salad, / the beverage, the main / too. / and I sit with the / other old / farts, / listen to them / talk, not bad, really, they’ve also / been burned down to the / nub."

Bukowski became a senior citizen while living in San Pedro and writes several poems about the aging scene at local restaurants like Coco’s and Sizzler on Western Avenue.

Neither restaurant exists as Bukowski experienced it, but his observations capture a time and community that most people don’t pay much attention to.

Initially, he seems to write as an outsider looking in, younger and foreign to San Pedro. Here, he fully embraces his age and his fellow seniors. spt AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 21

HISTORY

BUKOWSKI’S LIONHEARTED NEIGHBOR

by Angela Romero

A friend of mine lived next door to Charles Bukowski. Years later, I ran into her and asked her why she never mentioned it. Growing up, she had no clue that he was famous.

Bukowski and his wife were just nice older neighbors who let her swim in their pool.

When you think of someone living next to a famous person, you immediately think of their proximity as a front row seat to fabulous parties and celebrity sightings. After all, it was a wellknown fact that Bukowski was good friends with Sean Penn. There is even a famous Herb Ritts photo of the pair in Bukowski’s garden. In Bukowski’s case, the opposite was more likely. Instead of him being the celebrity fish in the bowl, it was often the neighborhood and environment serving as fodder for his poetry.

In four different poems, Bukowski writes about an elderly neighbor that he had taken great interest in. In the first, titled “A Patriot of Life,” Bukowski introduces his neighbor as, “old Charlie/ he runs the/ American flag/ from the roof/ of his/ garage.” Bukowski goes over to borrow a crowbar and finds old Charlie in his sanctuary, a shack he built off the garage that has “Captain’s

Quarters” painted across the door.

Bukowski, who is known for being too honest in his observations of others, hints at his budding esteem for old Charlie in the last stanza of the poem, “he makes/ a little/ of the darkness/ retreat.”

In “Charles the Lionhearted,” written several years later, Bukowski continues to see his elderly neighbor, 25 years his senior, as a bright spot in the darkness of life, much like the literal light coming from Charles’ second story window where Bukowski sees him watching television night after night. Bukowski recognizes a fellow survivor in Charles, who outlived a child and had been “married longer than most men live.”

But no one knows better than a poet that surviving life is impossible. When he contemplates the end of Charles’ life, Bukowski remarks that “when death comes for/ him/ it should be/ ashamed.” And when the upstairs light goes dark, “it will be another world/ not quite so magic/ not quite so good.”

Thinking about his neighbor’s death not only brings Bukowski’s end closer but changes their relationship. Charles stops being something that brightens his life and becomes a beacon leading the way to the final darkness.

The last two poems, “old?” and “I inherit” were released after Bukowski’s death and rightly deal with the subject of getting to the end of life. Charles, 96 years old when Bukowski writes

000000 reviews on:

”

ESTATE PROPERTIES

Teresa Volman #5 Miraleste Plaza, RPV 90275 310-935-5027 | teresavolman@gmail.com

22 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

business in 1932, Crouthamel started Harbor Ship Supply in Wilmington, one of the oldest and most successful ship chandleries in the state. He moved the company to San Pedro in 1941, where it expanded over the next decade. In the 1950s, Crouthamel even purchased the three-story building known today as “The Lofts” at 4th and Mesa streets because he had acquired a couple of his competitors. Eventually, Charles retired and left the operations to his sons and grandson. Harbor Ship Supply is still privately owned and operated by the Crouthamel family in a newer building on 4th Street. Retirement gave Charles more time to work on his own projects, like building his Captain’s Quarters.

Charles died in 1991 at the age of 96. spt August 'Heritage at Home' Events: Wed. Aug. 5 - All About Vinegar Hill Wed. Aug. 19 - SP in Pop Culture For more info, visit sanpedroheritage.org.

Private Investigation

Teresa was patient, gave us endless guidance, and had our backs every step of the way! She knows her stuff and we could not have done this without her. She’s the Best!

- Ashley Greer BUY SELL LEASE

“old?,” lets his neighbor know that he’ll be leaving soon. Bukowski fights the proclamation with evidence of Charles’ virility: his straight arrow back, his quickness on his feet, and his penchant for blowing kisses at Linda Bukowski through the window. Months later, a week after Charles’ death, Bukowski pens “I inherit” and accepts his inherited role as the new “old fart in the neighborhood.” His only mention of Charles in this final poem is the announcement of his death. Bukowski fills the rest of the poem with comical performative ways to show how he will live up to the moniker of old fart, perhaps to mask the pain of one less light in his world.

In the poems I have read, there aren’t a lot of people, besides his wife or cats, that Bukowski mentioned regularly or fondly. This made me want to know who this lionhearted Charles was. His full name was Charles Crouthamel, and he came to San Pedro while serving in the Navy during World War I. After the war, he went to work for Tanner Bros.

Ship Supply. When they went out of

Delta Bravo Group

Check out my

“

An early photo of Harbor Ship Supply. (photo: courtesy San Pedro Bay Historical Society)

• Loss Prevention • Background Checks • Marriage Records • Witness Statements (Recorded)

• Surveillance • Skip Tracing • Fugitive Recovery • Missing Person(s)

Contact us at: 310-707-2560 dennis@deltabravogroupllc.com deltabravogroupllc.com PPO License #16128 PI License #25444

PROUDLY PROTECTING COMMUNITIES FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS & INTO THE 21st CENTURY

Serving Our Community for Over 40 Years!

• Commercial & Residential Real Estate • For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Rosemarie “Bitsy” Lauro • Short Sales Owner/Escrow Officer • FHA & Conventional Refinance • Income/Investment Properties Independently Owned & Operated • Hard Money Loans 864 West 9th Street San Pedro, CA 90731 ∙ (310) 548-1263 www.ranchosp-escrow.com

24 Hours 7 Days Residential & Commercial Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Service

Serving the Community Since 1986 Family Owned and Operated

STEPHENS PLUMBING • HEATING AIR CONDITIONING

THROW & GO DUMPSTER RENTALS & DISPOSAL SERVICE — RESIDENTIAL and BUSINESS —

CONSTRUCTION DEBRIS, CONCRETE, GENERAL REFUSE & GREEN WASTE

- Any size dumpster available - All rentals include drop off and pick up!

- Next day drop off service!

ALL RATES INCLUDE DUMP FEES

Free

SOUTH BAY and ALL PORT AREAS

Consultations for plumbing, heating & AC

Call NOW for best prices!

Locally owned and operated

$75

AC/Heating Tune-Up

Call Now For

10% Off

Your Next Service Call!

(310) 832-9009

616 W. 6th Street • San Pedro, CA 90731

Info@smartrecycling.com

Credit cards accepted

CONTRACTOR DISCOUNT AVAILABLE

310-830-8277 | 310-924-1861 (cell)

AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 23

HEALTH & FITNESS

THERE IS NO FINISH LINE

by Ricky Magana

WE ARE ESSENTIAL & WE’RE TAKING NEW PATIENTS!

(310) 732-0036 Light Therapy with Cold Laser.

• Accelerates Healing: Light therapy increases blood flow. Energy from the light stimulates collagen, enzymes, DNA and RNA to facilitate healing.

• Pain relief: Light therapy has an inhibitory effect on peripheral nerves to decrease pain.

• Safe: Approved by FDA in 2002. This non-invasive treatment has no side effects.

It can be used on sprains, strains, back pain, carpal tunnel, peripheral neuropathy, wounds, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, and joint pain.

28901 S. Western Ave., #103, RPV | coast-physicaltherapy.com

24 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

I was watching a stand-up comedian one day doing a bit about people at the gym. He was not a particularly in-shape guy, and he was talking about how he can’t stand seeing fit people at gyms crowding up the place and taking all the equipment, “Like if you have abs, what are you still doing here?

You’re done! Go home!” The comedian, whether he knew it or not, was calling out one of the most common misconceptions people have when they begin their fitness journeys: that one day you will be done.

For many of us, there is some point we feel like we must arrive at with our health — like hitting a number on the scale — in order to be happy. And having fooled ourselves that the number on the scale will solve all our problems, we think when we get to said number, we will cross a finish line and go about our lives again. It’s this line of thinking that would cause us to think that the number on the scale is the only thing that matters. And unfortunately, this sets us up for failure.

The number on the scale (or whatever external goal you use) is only an indicator of your progress towards health; it is not the end in and of itself. If I lose twenty pounds by starving myself and crash dieting, I may have lost weight, but I did not become healthier. In fact, I became less so.

Most people tend to look at health and fitness as something they get. But in reality, it’s something you must become. You don’t get a fit and healthy body. You become fit and healthy and in turn, get the body in the process. The implications of becoming as opposed to getting means you will need to continually embody and develop the traits that got you your results long after you got the results in the first place. The same way marriage doesn't end at the wedding or parenthood at the delivery table. It begins there. What follows is a

lifetime of fulfilling the role. It may not be what you want to hear, but it’s the same with fitness.

Right now, in the middle of a pandemic, it’s easy to spot the people who are trying to get fit as opposed to those committed to becoming fit. They are the ones that equate gyms being closed with meaning they can’t workout. They have gained weight through lockdown because they sit at a desk and on the couch with little physical activity and way too much snacking. And they are telling people that “as soon as things go back to normal,” they will get back in shape. They are consuming all manner of negative information that feeds fear and disempowers them.

This is called fair-weather fitness, when you’re only able to get and stay in shape when things go well. Compare this to those who are becoming fitter, even through the weird turbulent times we are living in. These are the people who understand that the very definition of fitness is the ability to adapt, not wait for the storm to pass (and the treadmills to be available).

It’s easy to spot these people too.

They are in the garage, living room, or backyard working out. They are a little out of their routine because this isn't an ideal situation, but they understand that their best option is to keep moving forward even if it might be slower or more inconvenient. They are still cooking, prepping, eating healthy, and training hard. They know that besides not being able to go to the gym, nothing is really keeping them from continuing to make progress towards becoming healthier.

They can still sweat, go on walks, and eat healthy. And in fact, the more they do, the better and stronger their immune system will be.

They are focusing on what they can control and not getting too caught up in the rest. When you know there isn’t a finish line, you never have to stop. spt Ricky Magana is co-owner of Heyday Elite Fitness. For more info, visit heydaytraining.com.

South Shores Chiropractic has moved to: 615 W. 9th St. San Pedro, CA 90731

Jeffrey S. Millan, D.C. sschirocenter.com

562-276-8463

@Telehealth Available!

Dr. Ja'nae Brown, PT, DPT, CFSC Dr. Nicole Palermo, PT, DPT, CFSC O (310) 548-5984 M (424) 337-1980

www.physicaltherapysanpedro.com

SPECIALIZING IN Orthopedics

info@physicaltherapysanpedro.com

sPORTS

643 W 6th St. San Pedro, CA 90731

MOVEMENT gerlach-1007-DB-4c.qxd:gerlach-1007-DB-4c

INJURY 11/15/07

10:15 AM

cosmetic

surgery

Financing Plans Available

Breast Surgery • Body Conturing • Tummy Tuck • Eyelids • Face and Nose • Liposuction Laser Hair Removal • Brown Spot Removal Botox • Restylane • Juvéderm • Perlane

310.540.0144 AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 25

WEDDING

FROM ISCHIA TO SAN PEDRO: A LOVE STORY 6,456 MILES IN THE MAKING NANCY & ANTHONY DIBERNARDO CELEBRATE 70 YEARS OF WEDDED BLISS story by Karen Moneymaker Anthony & Nancy DiBernardo; Inset: the DiBernardos on their wedding day, August 5, 1950. (photos: courtesy DiBernardo family)

If history had been a little different, Nancy Lauro and Anthony DiBernardo might have met in their village of birth on the small Italian island of Ischia.

Perhaps they would have married, had a family and lived their lives on the sunny, Tyrrhenian isle. But as fate would have it, both families immigrated to San Pedro in the late 1930s, and it was in this coastal town that the two would be introduced and fall in love.

“My father came over in 1910,” recalls Tony. “It was happening a lot that young people would get married and the husbands would come to San Pedro to work in the fishing industry.”

As the years progressed and “things started getting turbulent before the Second World War,” more and more families from Ischia would come to settle in San Pedro.

“We all knew each other,” adds Nancy of the community of Italian transplants that were now making their home in San Pedro. “I had met Tony when I was 12 or 13 because his sister, who had a young family, lived across the street from me.”

Several years later, Tony was working as a retail clerk at Sunshine Market, where Nancy would go with her family to shop.

“She caught my eye, and that was it,” he recalls. “So one day — it was in 1948 — I asked her to go out with me.”

If only romance was that easy.

“Next thing I know, her brother comes over to tell me that Nancy’s mom wants to talk to me,” remembers

Tony, “and her mom, who was very strict, made me basically promise to marry her before I got to take her out!”

“Well, he didn’t realize at the time that I was 16,” laughs Nancy, “and there was no way she was going to let me go out with a 19-year-old. So it was daytime dates on the weekends.”

Tony graduated from San Pedro High in 1947, and their courtship continued under the watchful eye of friends and family. The sweethearts got engaged during Nancy’s senior year at St. Anthony High School in Long Beach, and they were married on August 5, 1950, a few months after Nancy graduated.

The wedding was held at the old Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church, followed by a lunch reception at the Assistance League that afternoon.

The day got off to a rough start when Nancy’s younger brother locked the door to the room where she was getting ready with her wedding party.

“He was such a little monster,” laughs Nancy. “He took the key, so we couldn’t get out. Tony had to come over and remove the door!”

The festivities went off without another hitch, and the two celebrated their union with dancing, snacks and drinking with about 300 friends and family members.

“Back then, the whole town would come out,” says Nancy. “You didn’t invite just the parents and immediate family; you invited every sister, every uncle and aunt you had and their whole families and their kids and their kids. So

26 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

that's how everybody got to meet and got to know each other.”

Much to the surprise of the newlywed couple, Tony was drafted to serve in Korea and deployed a few months after their wedding, putting their future on hold while he served abroad.

“I had to move back in with my family,” recalls Nancy. “I took a job at Bank of America and worked there … off and on for a couple of years.”

When Tony returned from Korea, he took a job loading and delivering bananas to local markets. Nancy got pregnant with their first child (daughter Annmarie who was born in 1953), and they purchased a 900 square foot home “on a large lot with huge trees on the corner of 9th and Meyler” that was close to family, church and school for the kids. As the couple settled into married life, their house needed to be expanded to accommodate four more children (Neil, born in 1954; John, born in 1958; Anthony, born in 1961; and Grace, born in 1962).

“I took four permits out and did all the work myself,” Tony proudly remembers. Over the years, this home would become the gathering point for their growing family.

“Every Sunday, I would cook,” Nancy recounts. “At first, it was just us and the kids, then it was their kids. Sometimes it would be 10 of us, other times there would be 17, depending on who was around.”

“It is a special thing for our family,” says Anthony, the couple’s youngest

son. “No matter how many of us show up, there is plenty of food to go around.”

Nancy is known for her traditional meat sauce spaghetti, lasagna and Italian Easter bread.

“And their Christmas Eve seafood dinner is the highlight every year,” continues Anthony. “Mom and Dad have lived their lives based on the principles of faith, family, friends and food — or any combination of the four.”

The arrival of COVID-19 has disrupted their weekly dinner tradition, but that doesn’t mean the DiBernardos feel isolated. With 17 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, there are plenty of Zoom calls and grocery drop-offs to keep the two connected to their family, most of whom are still living in the area and taking great care to keep Nancy and Tony safe and well-stocked.

In a long and faith-filled marriage that has spanned seven decades, Nancy and Tony have taken life’s unexpected curveballs with grace and love and created the strong foundation for each other and their family.

“In addition to their numerous years of service to their church (Mary Star of the Sea Parish), they show a never-ending love to our family, from their oldest child to the youngest great-grandchild,” notes their daughter Annmarie. “Every member of the family — especially the grandchildren and great-grandchildren — has their own special connection and relationship with Nana and Papa.”

Nancy and Tony celebrate 70 years of marriage on August 5. spt

BRE#00778233

STEFANI COUGHLIN

• San Pedro • PV • South Bay

HISTORICALLY LOW INTEREST RATES! PRICES ARE STILL GOING UP! Whether you are selling or buying, NOW is the time!

Put your plan into ACTION! I will work hard to make that happen for YOU! CALL OR TEXT ME for a private, safe consultation.

SO

LD

!

Miraleste Canyon Estates!

LE

South Shores!

AS

ED

!

Veteran Approved Realtor & VA Loan Specialist

CALL OR TEXT ME (310) 877-0073

BUY • SELL • LEASE • INVEST | stefcoughlin@gmail.com

PLANNING FOR PEACE OF MIND

Estate Plans • Probates • Wills • Living Trusts Power of Attorney • Real Estate

Raymond D. Green

Attorney at Law 30 years of service in the San Pedro & South Bay area

FREEDOM FROM ADDICTION 815 S. Averill Ave., San Pedro, CA 90732

(310) 784-8867

www.raymondgreenlawoffice.com rgreen.atty@sbcglobal.net

“Free 30 Minute Consultation with Mr. Green”

Difficulty Hearing ???

6 feet Since COVID-19, the introduction of face masks have had a debilitating effect on the hearing impaired population. These masks block faces and prevent our ability to see facial expressions, read lips, and communicate with others.

We have helped many patients and are open to help you!

Call

(424) 570-0117

to experience the difference!

1360 West 6th Street Suite 243 West Building San Pedro, CA

Chelsey Jones

s t y l i s t

BRING OUT YOUR BEAUTY Specializing in: • color • cut • blow dry • keratin treatments • extensions

Find me at:

@ Cé

la

FAITH

luna Salon, 1861 n. Gaffey St., Suite G & H (310) 528-8848

28 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

by Pastor Nathan Hoff The congregation is gathered at the beginning and commissioned at the conclusion of every Sunday liturgy. After the benediction and closing song, from the back doors, I cry out, “Go in peace and serve the Lord!”

They respond, “Thanks be to God!” Then people get prayer for healing and a million other things. They make commitments. They catch up. They do a little business. They hug. They linger. Some take off as quickly as possible. I miss that — all of it. I miss the introverts plotting their getaway. I miss the extroverts who don’t take the extinguished candles and turned off lights and me standing by the security touchpad as hints that it is time for lunch.

The back doors of the church are holy, like the font and altar and pulpit are holy. All are encounter places where God meets the world. That is why I stand by those doors and cry, “Go in peace and serve the Lord.”

Serving the Lord happens on both sides of the stained-glass windows. We worship and give our offerings and our thanksgivings inside. But God is the one doing most of the serving in there. Forgiving sins. Freeing captives.

Revealing love. Washing, feeding, and speaking. But when we move outside, it is as if God says, “Now it is your turn.” In our down-to-earth vocations, God resources us to meet real-life needs. Teaching, healing, longshoring, defending, first responding, grandparenting, filmmaking and 80,000 other vocations in San Pedro’s 12 square miles all serve the world in unique ways.

One group that I really miss is a residential recovery group from Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro. Sometimes one or two and sometimes six, they walk up the alley and into the sanctuary, and God serves them the same thing he serves the rest of us —

forgiveness. Sometimes it seems like they treasure it more. They have a holy vocation too. They have been called to freedom from addiction for their own sakes and for the sake of the people around them. My favorite preaching compliment came from one of them.

Usually when I’m standing by those back doors, I get some feedback about my preaching. “Great sermon, pastor.”

“I wish my spouse was here; they really needed to hear that.” “Pastor, that was more of a hostage situation than a sermon.” I’m working on tightening up my too-often-too-long messages. Often, I share out of my own vulnerabilities. The Apostle Paul said, “In my weakness, he is strong.” (2 Corinthians 12.9-11) That Sunday, as the congregation was sent out with the “Go in peace and serve the Lord,” one of the recovery folks pulled me aside, winked at me and said, “You're a drunk too, aren’t you?” I wish I had something more clever to say. But I responded, “Pretty much.” Takes one to know one.

It isn’t the bottle or the syringe where I’ve looked for salvation. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t looked many other places, drunk with desperation.

So, yes, I’m a drunk too. But like the woman at the well, I have tasted from the One who says, “Whoever drinks what I give will never thirst again.”

(John 4.14) And I relate to Martin Luther who said, “We are all mere beggars showing other beggars where to find bread.” Or, like the twelfth step in recovery, “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” Thanks be to God. If you would like to know more, contact me at nathan@trinitysanpedro. org. If you would like to take a step towards freedom from addiction, visit aa.org. spt Nathan Hoff is the Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro. Follow his blog at trinitypastor.blogspot.com.

What Happens When You Shop Local?

• Local businesses are more likely to utilize other local businesses such as banks, service providers, and farms.

• For every $100 you spend at local businesses, $68 will stay in the community.

• Independent retailers return more than three times as much money per dollar of sales to the community in which they operate than chain competitors.

• Independent restaurants return more than two times as much money per dollar of sales than national restaurant chains.

• Small businesses employ 77 million Americans and accounted for 65% of all new jobs over the past 17 years.

In addition to helping build the local economy, there are also notable intangible benefits that come from supporting businesses in our local community.

• Local businesses are owned and operated by your neighbors! They care about and are invested in the wellbeing of your community and its future.

• Local businesses are more accountable to their local communities and donate more money to non-profits.

• Supporting local businesses is good for the environment because they often have a smaller carbon footprint than larger companies.

Support San Pedro & RPV Businesses!

To advertise, email ads@sanpedrotoday.com

(Sources: U.S. Small Business Association, U.S. Department of Labor)

AUGUST 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 29

THE BACK PAGE

FIRST FIESTA: Here's a vintage newspaper ad promoting the first Mary Star Fiesta on July 20, 1947, then called the "Barbecue & Fiesta." The yearly celebration started at Royal Palms Grove at Paseo del Mar and Western Ave., but eventually moved to Mary Star of the Sea Elementary School. (photo: courtesy Mary Star of the Sea Parish)

Don’t miss an issue, subscribe today!

Tired of sending YOUR copies of San Pedro Today to out of town relatives? Tired of having to drive into town to pick up a copy, only to find the magazine racks empty?

Let us do the work for you by subscribing to San Pedro Today!

For just $29.95 a year, you can have San Pedro Today delivered right to your mailbox every month.

Cost includes 12 issues of San Pedro Today mailed in a flat envelope.

You can also order online at sanpedrotoday.com!

30 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I AUGUST 2020

ww w.s

anp edr

oto day .co m

Name _____________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip ______________________________________________________ Email _____________________________________________________________ Phone _____________________________________________________________

Send to: San Pedro Today P.O. Box 1168, San Pedro, CA 90733 Make checks/m.o. for $29.95 payable to San Pedro Today.

This offer is for the Continental United States only. Sorry, no international orders.

NOW OFFERING TAKE-OUT & DELIVERY THRU GRUBHUB

Discover the only

PERMANENT SOLUTION

for repairing TOOTH LOSS

Giri Palani, DDS, FICOL Implant Dentistry Dr. Palani is a Fellow in the International

We Offer:

• Dental Implants & Teeth in ONE DAY • Complete Implant procedure done in one office from start to finish • Minimally Invasive Dental Implant Procedures • Computer Guided Implant Placement • Treatment Options to fit into any budget • Financing Available

Congress of Oral Implantoligists. He has been giving people back their smiles for over a decade.

TRUST AN EXPERT — CALL TODAY — (310) 464-1322

www.Teeth4LosAngeles.com

28358 S. Western Ave., RPV 90275 NEW PATIENT SPECIAL

$1200-$5500 OFF

Your Dental Implant Procedure

Not combinable with any other offer or discount.

Exp. 8/31/20

NEW PATIENT SPECIAL

FREE

CT Scan

with an Implant Consultation

Not combinable with any other offer or discount.

Exp. 8/31/20