inspiration that’s dr - san pedro today · when i took over the original san pedro magazine in...
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Plus: Colette Regan: Volunteer Extraordinaire // The Wedding of Matt Sardisco & Krista Murray
InspIratIon that’s Dr.IvenDr. Iven brings music and motivation to high schools.
The Ultimate Destinationfor your Celebration is alsoSouth Bay’ s Best ...Yet Again!
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MaKE YouR VoiCE HEaRdWhen I took over the original San Pedro Magazine in March 2005, the buzz was all about the “Bridge to Breakwater” project and the possibility – no, the REALITY – that the Port of Los Angeles would turn into a world-class port with businesses and amenities that would make our harbor a beautiful destination not only for locals, but for the entire state and even the world. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, this reality has taken a lot longer to become… real.
There is a lot of blame to go around as to why our harbor has languished in mediocrity for decades and I don’t plan on rehashing the past here. But it’s evident this Port Town is in dire need of a long
overdue makeover. (Frankly, when shops in this town sell these vile t-shirts that say “San Pedro: Where the Ghetto Meets the Sea,” it’s time for a change. Now.)
To say the journey of redeveloping the waterfront has been a long and frustrating road would be an understatement. The Port of Los Angeles has drafted numerous plans and proposals for waterfront redevelopment and has put them out to committee after committee (after committee…), only to see their plans face opposition from a small minority community group, who, in the opinion of many, failed to think of the greater good of San Pedro and have only opposed this project based on their own selfish self-interests.
But that was then… this is now. On September 29 at 5 p.m. the Port of Los Angeles will be submitting to the Board of
Harbor Commissioners their last proposal for waterfront redevelopment. The meeting will have a time set aside for public comment and I’m urging everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) who wishes our waterfront had nice restaurants, places to take your kids, shopping and entertainment, to go to this meeting and voice your feelings to the Board.
All indications from the Port say that if the Board of Harbor Commissioners rejects this proposal, we can all kiss the dream of having a beautiful harbor to eat at, visit, shop at and enjoy, goodbye. As John Mavar and Anthony Pirozzi both eloquently state in this issue… this really is now or never.
Since you are reading this magazine and my column, I’m going to assume many of you have a vested interest in the viability and future of this great town of ours. A lot of that future is directly tied to the future of our harbor, through both the business at the Port of L.A. and indirect business generated by the cruise ship industry. As most of you know, business at the Port is slowing down dramatically (all you longshoremen/women can attest to that). The Port needs to invest in its own future, and I’m a firm believer that the opportunity to transform our mediocre harbor into a beautiful seaside destination is one that cannot and should not go to waste.
I know most of you reading this are on the same page as myself. I also know most of you reading this have never been to a civic meeting before in your life. I’m asking all of you who agree with me to suck it up and show up to the meeting of the Board of Harbor Commissioners and tell them you want a future for this town that San Pedro deserves. We have waited far too long and have had way too many individuals make decisions for the rest of us. It’s time REAL San Pedrans make their voices heard.
Remember, Tuesday, September 29, 5 p.m. The location is still To Be Determined as of press time. Check the Port of L.A.’s web site (www.portoflosangeles.org), our web site (www.sanpedrotoday.com) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sanpedrotoday), or call the magazine at (310) 923-4084 for more up-to-date information. I hope to see (and hear) you there.
on a personal note… It’s been a whirlwind couple of months. As many of you know, I lost my Grandma Pauline in July. I want to thank everyone who offered words of comfort to my family and me. They were greatly appreciated. I also became an uncle on August 1 when my niece, Ryann Stecker, was born to my brother Justin and his wife Megan. And now this month I’m getting married.
This is the last issue I will be publishing as a bachelor. On Saturday, Sept. 26, I will be jumping into the infinite abyss and marrying my beautiful fiancee’ Andrea Bezmalinovich on a gorgeous spot overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I rarely mention her in the magazine, but I wanted to say how excited and happy I am to be spending the rest of my life with her. She’s a wonderful woman... and I’m one lucky guy.
It’s really amazing, this thing called life. Never forget how precious and wonderful it is.
Joshua Stecker
P.S. I want to thank Frank Buono from Buono’s Authentic Pizzeria for donating gift certificates to our online Typo Contest. Thanks, Frank! You rock!
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For further information on the Boys & Girls Clubs of the LA Harbor or to purchase tickets for the event call Deanna Deering @ 310-833-0514 x 230 or email [email protected]
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SEPTEMBER 2009
dEPaRTMEnTSLETTER fRoM THE EdiToR 4
EVEnTS 8
fEEdBaCK 9
BuSCaino 10 Beyond Bratton
MaVaR 10 now or never
HaHn 11 Conquering Bridges (While Building new ones)
MaRquEz 12 Stand up Paddleboarding
PaWLoWSKi 12 Extreme Makeover for World Cruise Center? Maybe...
MaRConi 13 Some Years You never forget
PiRozzi 14 Labor day and the Threat of Complacency
BaRiC 16 an injury to one is an injury to all
CHaPMan 17 new Leadership at SPHS
STudEnT aTHLETES of THE MonTH 18 San Pedro’s Eastview Little League all-Star 10-11 year old and Junior teams
fEaTuRESCoVER SToRY: inSPiRaTion THaT’S dR.iVEn 21 dr. iven brings music and motivation to high schools.
a HELPing Hand 26 Colette Regan receives the President’s Volunteer Service award.
SEnioR LiVing 28
WEdding 30 Matt Sardisco and Krista Murray – august 1, 2009
TRiVia 34
STaffEDiTOR-iN-ChiEfJoshua J. Stecker
ART DiRECTOR/PRODuCTiON Joseph A. Castañeda
ADvERTiSiNg ExECuTivES Patricia Roberts Sara Figueroa
WRiTERS-AT-LARgEJulia Murphy Leona June ChristensenMargaret Sharpe
CONTRibuTiNg WRiTERS Jack BaricCouncilwoman Janice Hahn Joe BuscainoJennifer MarquezRichard PawlowskiSteve Marconi Anthony Pirozzi John M. Mavar Diana L. ChapmanDiane Bassett
CONTRibuTiNg PhOTOgRAPhERSJohn Mattera
CONTACT iNfO:PHONE: (310) 923-4084EMAIL: [email protected]
mAiLiNg ADDRESS: San Pedro TodayP.O. Box 1168San Pedro, CA 90733
ADvERTiSiNg: General Inquiries: [email protected] Pedro area: Patricia Roberts (562) 964-8166 | [email protected] San Pedro: Sara Figueroa (562) 400-5887 | [email protected] & Cheryl Pellettieri - (714) 715-9074 [email protected]
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, LLC. 30,000 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, Empire22 Media LLC.
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on THE CoVER: Dr. Iven (photo by John Mattera)
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Email event info to [email protected]. deadline for october issue is friday, September 11. *all locations in San Pedro unless otherwise noted.
CLASS REUNION ALERT! The San Pedro High School Class of ‘76 reunion committee would like to invite all to give their ideas/sugestions for their 35th class reunion. First meeting in November to help spread the word. Contact Linda Miller at [email protected].
Wednesdays in Sept. – Warner On Wednesdays (WOW) at Warner Grand Theatre (478 W. 6th St., Downtown). 6pm & 9pm. $3/person. Sept schedule: 9/2 Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail (PG-13) [2009], 9/9 Coraline 2D (PG) [2009]. Couple’s Package $10 inc. 2 small popcorns, 2 small drinks and 2 tickets. Tickets available online at www.warnergrand.org or at Sacred Grounds Coffee House, Williams’ Book Store, Parkhurst Gallery, The Corner Store or at door (cash only). Schedule subject to change.
Every Wednesday – Bingo open to the Public sponsored by San Pedro Elks Lodge No. 966 (1748 Cumbre Drive). Doors at 5p.; early bird starts at 6:30p. $20 a pack and more. For more info call (310) 831-0624 or e-mail [email protected].
Every Friday – SAN PEDRO FARMERS MARKET (6th St. between Pacific and Mesa Streets). 9a-2p.
Every Saturday – The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) includes a performance by midnightinsanity! Warner Grand Theatre (478 W. 6th St., Downtown). Midnight. Tickets $9. Cash only. For more info and tickets visit www.warnergrand.org.
3 (Thurs) – FIRST THURSDAY ARTWALK in Downtown San Pedro. 6-10p.
4-5 (Fri. & Sat.) Used Book Sale at San Pedro Library (931 S. Gaffey St.) Fri. 2-5pm, Sat. 11am-4pm – Preview sale on Friday is open to Members. Memberships are available at the door for $10 ($7/seniors, students). Saturday’s sale is open to the public and is FREE admission. For more info, call the library at (310) 548-7779. 12 (Sat.) – Infant Car Seat Safety Check at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance (4101 Torrance Blvd., Torrance). 8am-2pm – Free infant car seat fittings and instruction for South Bay families, location behind the hospital. For reservations, call 1-800-618-6659.
Now thru Sept 19 – WHAT THE BUTLER SAW at the Little Fish Theatre (777 Centre St./at 8th St.). Fri & Sat at 8pm; Sun 9/13 at 7pm; Thu 9/17 at 8pm. Entrance behind the theatre; access through alley between 7th & 8th Sts. Tickets: $25 ($22 students/seniors). Call (310) 512-6030 or visit www.littlefishtheatre.org.
Wed & Thurs thru Sept 3 - UNDERNEATH THE LINTEL at the Little Fish Theatre (777 Centre St./at 8th St.). Wed & Thurs at 8pm. Entrance behind the theatre; access through alley between 7th & 8th Sts. Tickets: $15. Call (310) 512-6030 or visit www.littlefishtheatre.org.
12-13 (Sat. & Sun.) – TriArt Festival along Mesa St. in Downtown San Pedro. 12p-Dusk. The festival hosts artists, dance performances, musicians, classic cars and a classic movie. For more info, visit www.triartfestival.com.
26 (Sat.) – Severin Browne at The Grand Annex (434 W. 6th St., Downtown). 8pm. Seasoned and finely-crafted soul-infused folk. Tickets $18 advance, $22 door. For more info, call (310) 833-4813 or visit www.thegrandvision.org.
October 10 – San Pedro Bay Historical Society Rummage Sale at Muller House Museum (1542 S. Beacon St.) 8am-1pm. The SPB Historical Society is collecting items for its next rummage sale. Items can be brought to the Muller House between 1-4pm on the first three Sundays of the month. For pick up call Joe (310) 832-5234 or Frank (310) 833-9113. NO mattresses, sofas, books, large appliances. Cut off date for pick ups Sept. 30.
August 30 (Sun.) – Lions Club Charity
Downhill Race & Legends Car Show
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admission. for information call (310)
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Shipbuilding SupportI appreciate Councilmember Janice Hahn’s recent piece on the proposed new shipyard at the old Southwest Marine location on Terminal Island and her approach to making it happen. The proposed Gambol shipyard not only presents an opportunity for good paying jobs with benefits but also ensures that the port will maintain its responsibility as a good partner in the shipping community. As one of the busiest ports in the world, it is haphazard to not maintain enough locations to repair ships that inevitably arrive in need. To postpone those repairs until they reach another harbor only endangers another coastline needlessly. We not only want the benefits of a busy port, we honestly want to earn those benefits. John Schafer
In response to Janice Hahn’s recent article about “Is it Time for a New Shipyard at the Port?” I have attended several meetings and committees to speak about preserving the historic buildings at the old Southwest Marine site.
Gambol Industries had a proposal to spend $50 million of their own money (not taxpayer money) to build a shipbuilding and repair facility at this site. Doing all of this, while still preserving the existing historic shipyard facility. With Janice’s involvement, the issue about the former Southwest Marine site was kept alive. The Port and Gambol are now currently working to put together a detailed business plan to accomplish this and bring many needed jobs to the harbor area.
The San Pedro Bay Historical Society supports the preservation of the old historic shipyard and its adaptive reuse of existing buildings.
Joe C. McKinziePresident, San Pedro Bay Historical Society
Our family has deep roots in San Pedro, and the harbor, particularly with respect to (grandfather/father-in-law) Joseph M. Mardesich, Sr. a pioneer of our local fishing and canning industry being co-founder of the French Sardine Company in 1917 and in 1923 founder and sole proprietor of Franco Italian Packing Company, and (father/husband) JMM, Jr. being a significant leader in the industry when he assumed the helm of the family business in 1951 through 1961.
We support the revitalization of the historic Southwest Marine Shipyard (SMS) as proposed by Gambol Industries. It is our understanding that the deeper channel and a revitalized shipyard is achievable and can coalesce. It appears that the Port of Los Angeles in conjunction with the Los Angeles City Council has now agreed to take action that could make the dream of opening of a new shipyard a reality. Councilwoman Janice Hahn should be
commended for her foresight in supporting the concept and looking out for the best interests of her constituents while being instrumental in the privately funded project going forward as the temporary economic downturn begins to climb back up. As the erudite Councilwoman has reminded, there is no shipyard in the vicinity of the POLA, thus it will be a tremendous asset for the harbor to provide service for ships that would look to locales and the prospective loss of revenue that would effect San Pedro and the harbor communities is immense.
The SMS location is ideal for a modern, state of the art shipyard operation that could fulfill many goals beyond accommodating the maritime industry in providing jobs from a myriad of sectors and the incumbent benefit to business from retail to real estate. It would be a travesty, if not fiscal irresponsibility to “fill” the SMS area and speculate that it could later be reversed at a potentially huge cost. It is more likely we would lose the potential forever having a viable shipyard again.
The SMS site and Terminal Island itself should be considered for historic monument status with the wonderful memorial to the Japanese fisherman and lost colony of Terminal Island among other interesting attractions. A way to augment tourism and cultural awareness might be to have water taxi service from mainland San Pedro, at Ports O’ Call, across the channel to Terminal Island so visitors and locals could have better and faster access that by automobile and the Vincent Thomas Bridge. The new shipyard is appropriate and good for the harbor, the entire population of metropolitan Los Angeles, and current and future interests of the burgeoning Port and the people who thrive within and around it.
Stephanie Mardesich & Lee (Sher) Mardesich
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by Richard Pawlowski
Extreme Makeover for World Cruise Center? Maybe...
i wasn’t sure if I should have titled this article “Lipstick on a Big Pig” or something a bit more politically cor-rect, but the reality is, the Port is about to spend $40 million on an upgrade to the World Cruise Center (WCC) in San Pedro, but from what I’m able to ascertain, it isn’t going to be anything
but a mere paint job. Or, in other words, just lipstick on a very big pig.
This is an old warehouse that was turned into a cruise ter-minal and it’s in very sorry shape. Especially on the backside (waterside) where people going over the bridge can see how dirty and ugly it is. It needs an extreme makeover, but I’m not sure it’s going to get it.
I’ve previously written about Disney Cruise Line coming to San Pedro in 2011 and that I feel very strongly that every attempt should be made to make sure we (the Port and San Pe-dro residents and merchants) do our very best to keep Disney
here beyond the temporary two-year commitment they made. I also wrote that I feel it imperative the CRA and Chamber of Commerce go all out and re-think everything they are going to do to capitalize on this Disney presence. They could and should bend-over backwards to create new and exciting ways of reaching out to the 15 million other Southern Californians when the Grand Ships (my term for cruise ships) will be in our front yards. So what if the locals no longer think these Grand Ships are a big deal, millions of other semi-locals do. And, this could provide unique opportunities just to SEE them...even if they don’t ride on them.
Besides the previous Grand Ships Expo proposal I made, I’ve been using some of my architectural skills and submitting some unusual upgrade proposals/ideas to the POLA for this massive and aesthetically important structure (see www.ven-turexpo.com/news40.html). Because the WCC is at the very entrance to our town and surrounded by a massive, chain-linked parking lot that is unused 250 days a year, this huge building needs to be representative for what we can become
in the future. Moreover, my crystal ball tells me that the new cruise terminal in the outer harbor may not be built anytime soon (because of the economy), and for that reason alone, we need a much brighter and better looking WCC now.
Some of the facade upgrade concepts I’ve put forward were the “Waves” (architectural panels) on the front of the building and the “Flower Boxes with a Trellis” on the second level. An-other idea for an extreme makeover, with just paint, hires local artists to paint – in very vivid colors – all the onboard activities and destinations of the Grand Ships. I call it the “Destinations” concept. See them online.
To my mind and aesthetic sensibilities, that big ugly WCC box has to have something much more than mere lipstick. It’s too important to all of San Pedro to do otherwise. spt
Richard Pawlowski is a business development consultant and long time resident of San Pedro. He publishes his redevelopment concepts at www.NewSanPedro.com and www.GrandShips.com. He can be reached at [email protected]
by Senior Lead officer Joe Buscaino, LaPd Harbor division
Beyond Brattoni am sure many of you have heard that the Chief of Police of the City of Los Angeles, William Bratton, has announced his decision to leave the LAPD for a position in the private sec-tor. The decision to hire Chief Bratton seven years ago was a controversial one and a courageous one by former Mayor
James Hahn. Clearly it was the right decision.Is Los Angeles a safer city than it was seven years ago? Yes.
Is the Harbor Area safer today than it was seven years ago? Yes. The man greatly responsible for making New York City safer did it again in Los Angeles, and we owe our collective thanks to Chief Bratton and the men and women of the LAPD.
But, perhaps the more important question is: Will our com-munities be safer four years from now? That depends on you and me. For irrespective of who the new Chief will be (and there are excellent candidates lining up), we need to be mind-ful that the fundamental element of the LAPD’s success in recent years has been a shift toward community-based polic-ing. In essence, this is a partnership between the LAPD and the people we are sworn to protect and serve. It is essential that citizens be involved in the process of policing. Neighbors
watching out for neighbors is not only the right thing to do, it is a critical part of law enforcement’s ability to fight crime and improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods. And make no mistake about it, the neighborhoods of the Harbor Area are what gives our community character. This is where we live, work, raise and educate our children, worship and plan for our future. Preserving the quality of life in our neighborhoods is Job One.
Having said this, we at the LAPD are the ones paid to en-force the law. We put our lives on the line daily to protect and to serve and our ability to do this is sometimes challenged by external forces beyond our control. Information is one of the most important tools we have in securing our community and protecting our neighborhoods. Having an informed and engaged citizenry help us at the LAPD do our job better. The goal of a neighborhood watch is to build a safer, crime-free neighborhood. Neighborhood Watch groups discuss neigh-borhood crime problems with the objective of developing solutions to local problems. Additionally, officers supply crime information to neighborhood watch organizations and in-struct these groups in various crime prevention techniques.
Become a part of Neighborhood Watch today! It is likely that there is already one in your neighborhood. If not, we will
work with other concerned citizens in your area to organize one and make sure it gets off the ground smoothly. There are eight Senior Lead Officers assigned to the Harbor Area, which stretches from Harbor Gateway to the north, to San Pedro to the south. I am grateful to the many Block Captains and neigh-borhood watch members that I have been privilege to work with over the course of the last four years… together we have made a positive impact in our community.
It is no coincidence that the drop in crime in Los Angeles and in the Harbor Area comes at a time of thriving Neighbor-hood Watch groups throughout the area. Even more remark-able is that this has transpired during a time of economic dis-tress… a time when crime usually flourishes. We are hopeful and confident that as our economy rebounds, our commu-nity will become even safer and more hospitable. Working to-gether, we can rebuild our great neighborhoods and create an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. The good people of the Harbor Area deserve no less. spt
To form a Neighborhood Watch group, call LAPD Harbor Com-munity Relations Office, (310) 726-7920. For more information on Neighborhood Watch, log onto www.lapdonline.org.
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Labor day is always a great opportunity to honor the working men and women of our community and our country. It’s also a celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers, and their contributions to the prosperity and advancement of the nation. During the current economic downturn, I think the holiday is also a perfect time to focus on helping our local businesses prosper and create jobs – to help put more of the “labor” back
into Labor Day.That’s why this year, I’m encouraging everyone to get out and participate in the
Conquer the Bridge five-mile run, which will be held at 8 a.m. on Labor Day, and is being co-sponsored by the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce.
The race will begin and end on 6th Street in Downtown San Pedro, and will offer a unique opportunity to run along the Vincent Thomas Bridge. It’s been more than ten years since a race included the bridge, and it truly makes for a breathtaking course, with sweeping views of the Harbor and the Southern California coast. This event will finally give San Pedro a signature running race to call its own.
I recognize that not everyone wants to do too much actual labor on the namesake holiday, but the great news is that you don’t have to be a super-athlete to participate – you can walk the course, run it, or even push a stroller in it.
In addition to being a great opportunity for local walkers and runners to exercise and enjoy the spectacular views, Conquer the Bridge will also be a great way to bring visitors from across the region to San Pedro to experience our wonderful waterfront, Ports O’ Call and our downtown area. The race will provide an opportunity for San Pedro to shine.
I would like to encourage local businesses to get involved in helping to promote the event and in working with the chamber to bring runners and spectators into local shops and restaurants on race day. Why not offer discount coupons to runners in their race packets, making your presence known to locals and visitors alike?
Particularly in these difficult times, lets resolve to work together and get creative as a community, not only to support existing events that draw visitors to San Pedro, but to come up with new ones that help support our businesses while showcasing our wonderful town. spt
For more information on the race, visit www.conquerthebridge.com, or email [email protected].
by Councilwoman Janice Hahn, 15th district, City of Los angeles
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by Jennifer Marquez
Stand Up PaddleboardingLast month I wanted a new adventure outside of my life of work and mother-hood so I tried Dragon Boating. I had a great time and wanted to continue my newest adventure on the ocean but the Dragon Boating season was over. I feel so lucky to live by the water and want to take advantage of all the activities avail-
able here. There is a whole world of windsurfing, kayaking, sail-ing and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) going on right here in San Pedro.
I saw an advertisement for SUP that had a picture of a woman standing on a long board paddling through calm water and it looked appealing to me. I thought about that photo for weeks, then on a recent trip to Big Bear I happened to see a Paddle-boarding race. Participants ranged from children to seniors and it looked like a lot of fun.
Once I got back to San Pedro I went into Captain Kirk’s and signed up for a SUP lesson. I met storeowner and San Pedro resi-dent Kirk Robinson who assured me that I would have a great time. My lesson would be the next morning with his wife Kitty. For some reason I was a little nervous.
The next morning was overcast and I wondered how cold it
would be out on the water. I headed to Cabrillo Beach where I was supposed to meet Kitty at 9:30 a.m. Kitty and I got there at the same time and she was easy to spot with the old linen truck used to carry Captain Kirk’s boards and equipment. She put me at ease immediately and I was thinking that maybe this would be a new way for me to work out since she looked like she was in great shape.
We took our boards over to inner Cabrillo Beach, which she explained would be easier for me to learn because of the calm water. I decided to wear a wetsuit even though she was in shorts and a tee shirt. She showed me where to stand on the board and some paddling techniques on the sand. I kept asking her ques-tions, I was still a little nervous and was avoiding going in. She got in the water and demonstrated how to get on the board and stand up. Now it was my turn. I did what she told me and was kneeling on the board. I quickly stood up because I was thinking and worrying way too much. I just needed to do it.
Once up I got my balance, I realized that the board isn’t as wobbly as I thought. With Kitty’s direction, I began to paddle through the harbor. I was surprised at how far I went so fast even with my novice paddling. Pelicans were diving for fish right next to us and then we saw seals. They swam near our boards. At this point, I needed to sit down because my foot was cramped. We
sat on our boards and paddled while watching the seals and their babies. Kitty was sitting cross-legged and I was sitting with my feet dangling in the water. There is so much variety on the pad-dleboard and as Kitty said, it truly is a sport for anybody. When I was paddling against the wind, I felt like I was getting a good workout. Kitty told me she does yoga on her board and showed how she could do a sit up. Maybe that is something for next time but for now, I was concentrating on not falling off. Turns out, I didn’t need a wetsuit after all, since only my feet got wet.
Of all the mornings I have had in San Pedro, this was truly one of the most memorable and I can’t wait to do it again. Next time I am bringing my friends for my version of girl’s day out. spt
A 90-minute SUP lesson is $69 and includes board and paddle. If you don’t need a lesson, it is $25 for two hours for the board and paddle. It is $10 extra to rent a wetsuit. Captain Kirk’s is located at 525 N. Harbor Blvd. in San Pedro, (310) 833-3397
Jennifer Marquez writes about low-cost and free events in her blog www.grassrootsmama.com. She serves on the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council and can be reached at [email protected].
by John M. Mavar, Vice President, northwest San Pedro neighborhood Council and iLWu member, Local 13
Now or Nevera “renaissance” has been happen-ing in San Pedro since the 1960s. San Pedro has had leaders, past and pres-ent, which were out-of-the-box think-ers with bold ideas. From the Beacon Street redevelopment that tore down the old bars forty years ago to our cur-rent push for waterfront and down-town redevelopment, we must remem-
ber what has taken place in the past to finally move us into the future. We cannot let a small minority (a few handful of South San Pedro people) talk for all of us.
An early morning meeting about 10 years ago is when I introduced former Assembly-member Alan Lowenthal to my dad’s high school football buddy and family restaurant owner, John Papadakis. The two passionate community lead-ers had never met. Lowenthal was a Long Beach Councilman that spent the best part of his year in office redeveloping the Long Beach’s waterfront. Such a successful project along Long Beach’s waterfront, people now complain about not getting into restaurants rather than not having anything to do.
A bold visionary with a personality larger than life, John
Papadakis was frustrated with San Pedro’s waterfront. He saw the need for real change and developed the idea of a seamless walkway along the water from the bridge to the breakwater. He created the vision that would become a conceptual design of a world-class waterfront promenade along our harbor. His re-sults excited the community and civic leaders. A promenade that would be the anchor for new development, active recre-ation and a community asset where everyone can once again have access to the water.
That introduction 10 years ago was also a bike ride. Papada-kis took Lowenthal on this ride to give him a real touch and feel for our town. Their friendship created a study to see if people would come back to San Pedro and what those costs would be. Papadakis made it clear, this is for “all of California, not just San Pedro.” In Long Beach, their waterfront caters to the local com-munity but is sustainable because people come from all over.
The study was completed and it indicated a need for this type of development. The Port of Los Angeles conducted countless community meetings that pulled information from the community that showed signs of a grand development. From community meeting after community meeting, for 10 years, we have made little progress. Due in part to a new mayor,
new Harbor Commissioners and a small minority of people that scared the Port with lawsuits because they want the town to look the same as it is now.
But times have changed. The real voices in our community have continued to fight for the original vision Papadakis had for the promenade. This is a bold vision design that will bring new life into San Pedro. Look what has happened in the past year. People flocked by the thousands to see the grand opening of the Fanfare water feature at the cruise terminal. On July 2, 2009, even more families and community residents attended the Port of Los Angeles’s Cars and Stripe event. We have start-ed to build it and people are coming.
We must now champion 10 years of community input, the millions of dollars spent on designs and concepts and get to work now. Join me on September 29 at 5 p.m. (place TBD) at the Board of Harbor Commissioners meeting, where the board will finally decide to move forward (or not) on the Port’s waterfront plans. It’s now or never. spt
John M. Mavar welcomes your comments and suggestions. He can be reached at [email protected]. You can also visit his website at www.johnmavar.com for community updates.
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Some Years You Never ForgetYou know a certain year is special when Life dedicates an entire edition to it. I saw the 1969 issue in the store the other day, with the reminder that it was 40 years ago we had “Woodstock, the Moon and Manson.”
I remember those events well, not so much because they defined the year nationally, but because it was the year I graduated from San Pedro High, and events that transpire in a graduation year tend to enhance its milestone status. That status for winter graduates like myself, however, is
a little more expansive; we “walked” in January, but most of our senior year was 1968, which already got its own special edition. So, historically speaking, I think our class name, Classics, turned out to be prophetic. That wasn’t enough to get me to attend a combined 40-year class reunion, but events involving former classmates have kept 1969 in my thoughts much of the year.
One of the first was a sad one, the passing of Tommy Minas, who died on my birthday this year at age 58. The well-liked Tommy, like many from our small winter class, no longer lived in the Harbor Area. The son of the man well-known for the iconic downtown watering hole, Tommy’s Goodfellows, Tommy had moved away decades ago to make a career in the agricultural industry in the Central Valley.
News about another Greek former classmate was considerably better. Jim Damalas, our class president, hasn’t lived in San Pedro for years. He graduated from USC and stayed in the area for a while, dabbling in various art and movie projects, then fell in love with Costa Rica on a camping trip there 25 years ago. As a result, he became an expatriate, opening a resort hotel on the Pacific Coast.
Not just any resort hotel, mind you. Si Como No, located near Manuel Antonio, a couple of hours due south of the capital, San Jose, has become world famous as one of Damalas’ Green Hotels of Costa Rica. In recognition of Damalas’ environmental efforts, Green Hotels was awarded the 2009 Corporate Sustainable Trend Setters Award from the Rainforest Alliance at its annual gala in May at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. That puts the San Pedro native in the same company with previous award winners such as the Prince of Wales, Walter Cronkite, Ted Turner, Kraft Foods, Chiquita Brands and FedExKinko’s.
“We are really quite honored by this recognition,” Damalas said, “particularly since we are a relatively small group of ‘greentique’ hotels in Costa Rica, quite modest in comparison to some of the giant hotel chains. But we recognize and embrace our responsibility, regardless of our size.”
Visit www.greenhotelscr.com to learn more about Damalas’ venture in Costa Rica. Click on Si Como No, About Si Como No and Media Exposure for a picture of Damalas being presented his award by supermodel Gisele Bundchen and details on the story. Nobody should be allowed to look that good, and I’m not referring to Gisele.
While Jimmy and I were lazing away the summer of ‘69 on Torrance Beach and Woodstock was rockin’ and rollin’, Neil Armstrong was making his giant leap and Manson’s minions were terrorizing Los Angeles, another story, now mostly forgotten, dominated local headlines. During a training exercise in the South China Sea on June 3, the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans steered into the path of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne at 3 in the morning and was sliced in half. The bow section quickly sank with 74 American sailors (only one body was ever recovered).
It was a big local story because the Frank E. Evans was based at the Long Beach Naval Station on Terminal Island, was captained by Cmdr. Albert S. McLemore, who lived in the Navy’s officers housing in San Pedro, and two of the dead sailors were from San Pedro, Henry Kenneth Frye, 21, and Victor Thomas Rikkal.
McLemore, asleep at the time of the collision, survived with 198 others. Inquiries into the collision lasted throughout the summer; McLemore was court-martialed and reprimanded. He retired in 1976 and died in 2001.
Frye, a seaman apprentice, was a Summer `65 graduate of San Pedro High. He had joined the Navy that February, had completed boot camp in San Diego and had just been flown to the South Pacific, where he joined the Frank E. Evans on May 17. “He was attending San Francisco State but was disgusted with the student rioting up there and decided to enlist in the Navy,” his mother told the News-Pilot. “He felt it was his duty.” His mother said Frye was interested in writing and planned on pursing a career in that field after the service. His father, a Navy veteran of WWII and Korea, was a power plant controlman at the naval base.
Controversy surrounds the fact that because Frye and his 73 shipmates died outside the required geographical zone, they are not on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Exceptions must be made by Congress, but every attempt to get a bill through has died in committee. There is, however, a memorial to the 74 in Rainbow Park near Shoreline Village in Long Beach.
Frye also was survived by a brother, Don. He had graduated that January with Tommy Minas, Jim Damalas and me. Forty years ago – sometimes it seems like it was just yesterday. spt
Steve Marconi, a lifetime resident of San Pedro and veteran journalist, can be reached at [email protected].
by Steve Marconi
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by anthony Pirozzi
Labor Day and the Threat of Complacency
Traditionally, Labor day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer. The holiday itself originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union of New York City sought to create a day off for working citizens, which became an official holiday in 1894. This year, Labor Day has even greater meaning as many working Americans are thankful for the jobs they have, while many are struggling to find one.
As we embark on the tradition of Labor Day it is definitely a time to re-flect on the jobs that have been lost over the past few years. Whether the
loss is a union or non-union job the reach of this issue crosses all walks of life. We have become a nation of consumption and outsourcing and are losing our edge in engineering and manufactur-ing, which have always been the catalysts of invention, innovation and discovery for our nation. Without them we are reliant on other countries to provide such services.
Recently, a 0.1% reduction in job losses from the previous month was said to be an indication of an economic turn around. What is more telling is that California exports are down 25% from the same period last year and the lowest since 2005, cargo shipments are down 17.5% from July of 2008 and tax revenues are on pace to drop 18% this year as many can’t afford the higher taxes and fees that have been imposed on us at all levels. All of this while government continues to pile on more sponsored programs and the deficit approaches two trillion dollars. In the end who suffers? The American worker.
Although these are not the same conditions that sparked the labor movement of old they are conditions that are sparking Americans to study the facts beyond the rhetoric and push back on
government representatives. This is not a political party issue but rather an American philoso-phy difference that must be addressed with the best interest of the American people in mind. We in San Pedro have our own realities to address such as job creation, waterfront development, revitalizing downtown, reducing crime, eliminating poverty and improving our educational sys-tem while keeping the best interest of all of San Pedro in mind.
On this Labor Day reflect on the type of San Pedro that you inherited and the San Pedro that you to leave the next generation. Ask yourself if you are making a difference by supporting change that will bring new jobs and opportunity to your community. If you own residential in-come property do you keep it a condition that you would want to live in? If you own a business property do you invest in it to be a place that you would want to shop or eat with your family? Do you mentor young children and teenagers about the importance of a good education? As a
resident do you volunteer, coach or assist local non-profits? If you own a home do you keep it up? Do you go that extra mile to help someone in need or turn the other way? We should all ask ourselves some form of these questions especially during these tough economic times.
The one attitude that threatens our San Pedro livelihood is complacency. Being complacent in the way things are today and believing that they will always be this way leaves us vulnerable to the future. Jobs do not get created or maintained without progressive development, infrastruc-ture investment, educational improvements and business incentives and communities do not thrive without them. San Pedro is no different.
On September 29 at the Port of Los Angeles building on 5th St. here in San Pedro, the Harbor Commission will decide if it will approve or reject the final Waterfront Development Environ-mental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR has been sent back to the drawing board a couple of times delaying the “Bridge to Breakwater” project for years. An approval will provide the framework for transforming the waterfront, while a rejection will leave San Pedro in the current state of stagnation.
San Pedro will continue to be an afterthought to those who visit Los Angeles. An afterthought when a cruise ship gets diverted to San Pedro only to have its passengers bussed to Long Beach for the day. An afterthought in local promotion material at the new Terranea resort. An after-thought to the thousands of locals who do not consider San Pedro first for shopping or dining.
The opportunity will be missed and it will be a lifetime before it presents itself again. All of us must take the time to study the facts in the EIR for ourselves beyond the rhetoric of obstruction-ists that get quoted in local newspapers. The San Pedro reality must be addressed head on and we must begin to push back and speak up for our future now.
On this Labor Day while you are enjoying a day with family and friends at the park, by the pool or at the beach ask yourself if this is the San Pedro you want to leave the next generation? See you on September 29. spt
Anthony Pirozzi is the Chair-Elect of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and President of Eastview Little League. He can be reached at [email protected].
On this Labor Day ref lect on the type of San Pedro that you inherited and the San Pedro that you to leave the next generation.
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as summer moves toward fall and the school year gets set to be-gin, Labor Day serves as the last chance for many Americans to get away, have barbeques, go to the beach, or just relax at home. Although it is a day that is meant to honor the contributions of workers to the United States, the idea of celebrating labor is often blurred in the smoke of burgers and hot dogs grilling on the barbeque.
This Labor Day weekend I have been given the unique opportunity and privilege to showcase a film that I produced, which honors the roots
of many of the working men and women in San Pedro. As I previously mentioned in this maga-zine in my July column, I recently completed Bloody Thursday, a PBS-KOCE documentary with my co-production partners Jared Cotton and Chris Burke, which chronicles how the ILWU was formed out of a major West Coast strike in 1934 during the Great Depression.
If ever a group of people deserves to be honored on Labor Day, it is the longshoremen of 1934 who struggled against all odds to create a better way of life for themselves and their fami-lies. I cannot even begin to completely comprehend the courage they exhibited to go on strike at a time when they already didn’t have enough money to put food on the table. And then, while on the picket line, they put their lives on the line every single day for over 80 days as can best be exhibited by the killing of strikers in Wilmington, San Francisco, and Seattle.
The police killing of two picketers in San Francisco on July 5, 1934, was the last straw. Previ-
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An Injury to One is an Injury to Allously, West Coast citizens and the rest of the nation were led to believe that the striking long-shoremen were communists bent on overthrowing the government. But now, after witnessing firsthand the police brutality, San Franciscans had seen enough and in the ensuing days they shut down the city with a general strike in support of the longshoremen. This led to an arbitration victory for the longshoremen and the union was formed.
One of the key things that the ILWU and other unions won in the first half of the 20th Cen-tury was for workers to not be left out to dry if they were injured on the job. Workman’s comp is something that we now all take for granted, but it was those picket line battles that paved the way for many Americans to have a safety net that has made our society much safer and stronger.
But what about the uninsured? What about the people, like myself, who don’t work for a corporation and are not automatically a part of a built-in insurance system? The system is bro-ken and just like it was laughable that the nation considered West Coast longshoremen to be rampaging Reds looking to make Moscow their capital, it is just as silly to hear the lunatic fringe scream “Socialist!” at President Obama for his attempts to reform health care.
“I don’t want a government bureaucrat between me and my doctor,” the insurance company proxies scream at town hall meetings. Well, how many people do you know have an accident and pay for their car to be fixed or won’t go to the doctor if they are sick because they’re terrified that they’ll lose the insurance that they do have if the bureaucrats at the insurance agency don’t like their claims?
How many people won’t leave a corporation to go into business for themselves because they know that they might not be able to get insurance? (Come to think of it, that seems socialist!) Case in point, me – I got gonged by major insurers after leaving the MediaNews Group Cor-poration because I had the audacity to go to the doctor for mild sleep apnea when I did have insurance. Silly me.
The system is a scam, it’s broken, and it needs to be fixed. And so wouldn’t it be great if this La-bor Day we all took just a moment away from flipping burgers to jot a note to Congresswoman Harman and Senators Boxer and Feinstein and urge them to stand strong – just like our San Pedro forefathers did in ’34. spt
Jack Baric can be reached at [email protected]. Bloody Thursday will be screened on First Thurs-day, September 3 at 8 p.m. at the Warner Grand Theatre. $10 admission benefits the Harry Bridges Institute. The film will be broadcast on PBS station KOCE on September 6 at 8 p.m.
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in my lifetime as a journal-ist, I’ve interviewed scores of principals, superintendents and a myriad of other school administrators. Not once can I remember any of them from the beginning to the end talk about one thing: Kids.
With a refreshing “isn’t-that-why-we-are-all-here” attitude, I marveled at principal Jeanette Stevens’ keen ability to maneuver all the issues back to this: What’s in it for her charge of 2,800 students since she took over the vacant San Pedro High School top post?
Students, explained the San Pedro resident and 41-year-old mother of two with genuine candor, should feel welcomed at their school, be nurtured and know that the staff cares as they groom them for their futures. They should feel part of a family!
I was dumbstruck. While I’ve believed this phi-losophy for years, Stevens stands out as the first top-notch school administrator I’ve ever met to embrace such an approach. Her invigorating enthusiasm and caring she brings to the campus might be the needed ticket to rejuvenate this school’s seemingly broken spirit. The high school has suf-fered the last several years from ever-changing leadership, poor test scores, overcrowding, a painfully low accreditation rating and staff entrenchment.
She is the third principal in four years to pick up San Pedro’s torch.
As she’s done in the past – coming from two inner-city mid-dle schools where she was principal – her plans always start out with building powerful leadership teams among her staff where she believes there are already dedicated and hard-working peo-ple, including at her new school.
“It’s time we shined,” she told me during an interview about
story and photo by diana L. Chapman
New Leadership at SPHS
San Pedro High.Yes it is. Known for her innovative programs and sharp team build-
ing skills, Stevens headed John Liechty Middle School – a brand new school in the Pico Union District, which she built from the ground up and encouraged a sense of family among the staff and students.
That campus had 3,000 students convincing Stevens and her team to immediately break the school into four small cam-puses – named after sharks – and make sure students knew the staff were there for them. She also built a strong afterschool pro-gram at the school. Prior to that, Stevens became well versed in the district’s issues when she ran another inner-city school, Berendo Middle School, for five years.
Her innovative style, team building and San Pe-dro roots, is what caught the eye of Superintendent Linda Del Cueto, who heads a cluster of LAUSD schools that includes the Harbor Area, Lomita, Carson, Gardena and parts of South Central.
“People like to work for her,” explains Del Cue-to, as to why she hand-picked Stevens, making an unusual move by plucking her from another re-gion of LAUSD. “She’s coming in with a sensitive attitude toward the community. She’s a true col-laborator and brings out the best in people and motivates them.”
It’s likely too, that Steven’s commitment will remain strong to San Pedro High, not just for pro-fessional, but personal reasons. She wants both her daughters to attend there.
Teel, a 6-year-old first grader, and Taylor, 8, a third grader, currently attend an LAUSD campus, Park Western Avenue Elementary School. While Stevens was born and raised in Wilmington, both her father and grandmother attended San Pedro.
In addition to the high school, Stevens will head the new San Pedro annex, a mini-campus for 800 students at Fort MacArthur’s Upper Reservation – which was met with severe and grueling community opposition. Currently in the building phase, the school is expected to open in 2012.
The new principal calls the time “exciting” and seemed un-concerned by the myriad of issues that plague the school. The spark I witnessed that day in Stevens, a rarity among many school officials I’ve met, makes me optimistic.
“We are going to make this work,” she said candidly to ease community fears that San Pedro could lose its accreditation. Somehow, I can’t help but believe her. spt
Diana Chapman is a freelance journalist and can be reached at [email protected] Visit her blog at www.theunderdogforkids.blogspot.com.
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Congratulations to San Pedro’s Eastview Little League all-Star 10-11 year old and Junior teams as they won the district 27 and Section 4 Tournaments in their respective division! San Pedro Today would like to recognize the players and coaches for their achievement.
2009 Eastview Little League 10-11 year old All-StarsSteven Bentley, Louie Canjura, Joey domicoli, Jonathan duarte, derrick Edwardsnick fager, gianfranco gentile, Matthew Luna, anthony Marron, Matty MavrosakisJacob Miller, Leonardo Russo, Jd Vogelzang, Willem Webber Coaches: Vince Samperio Sr., Vincent Samperio Jr., Jose duarte, Joe domicoli, Ed gentile, and Leonard Miller
2009 Eastview Little League Junior All-StarsJesse Betancourt, Luke Broyles, dru Chavez, Sonny Cortez, dylan garneau, Brandon giordano, Chris Jaramillo, Jacob Lechuga, Johnny Lauro, Riley McLean, Tyler Monroy,nico Padovan, issac Paredes and Bobby Rivas Coaches: Chris giordano, Jamie davenport, Henry Paredes & John Lauro
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by Leona June Christensen photos by John Mattera
InspIratIon that’s Dr.Iven
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DrIven by theIr faIth anD theIr passIon for achieving their dreams, two men of God hope to inspire young people with the gift of music.
It’s a lofty goal, but it’s a task Gino Di Leva and Dominic Pi-lato are perfectly suited for. Two years ago, the duo formed the group Dr. Iven, with the hope of mixing motivational messages with their talent for composing and performing music.
The band now performs for Catholic high schools and uni-versities throughout the country. It’s a niche market that suits Pilato’s experience as a former Catholic high school music instructor and administrator and Di Leva, who attended local Catholic schools from first to twelfth grade.
Pilato is the lead vocalist who also composes the music. Di Leva is the drummer and writes the lyrics. Josh Taddeo on bass and Michael Kohl on guitar round out the band.
Dr. Iven is a play on the word “driven.” Aptly named, Dr. Iven reflects the musicians’ passion for achieving their musi-cal aspirations and their motivational message, inspiring their audience to achieve their own dreams and overcome obstacles.
“We changed our name several times,” says Pilato, whose band is sponsored by LAcarGUY.com, an online automotive resource. “I wanted a name that described us. It just so hap-pened that the period fell between the ‘r’ and the ‘i’ and I said, we have something unique on our hands.”
While their faith permeates what they do, the music stands on its own.
“We are not a Christian rock band, we’re a rock band,” says Pilato. “Our lyrics are positive in nature and thought provoking. We don’t write any sexually connotative lyrics. We don’t write anything that degrades women.”
Although the first-generation Italians were raised in San Pe-dro on 8th Street, less than a block away from each other, Di Leva and Pilato didn’t meet until later in life. In 1991, mutual friends who thought they would be a dynamic musical duo ar-ranged for them to meet.
“I knew everyone in Dominic’s family, except for him,” says Di Leva, whose father came to the port town to work as a fisher-man and later became a longshoreman. “I had gone to school with his sister and was friends with both of his younger broth-ers.”
“Gino’s grandfather was my dad’s godfather in Italy,” inter-jects Dom. “When Gino’s grandparents came to San Pedro they lived with my grandparents for a few months while they were getting settled. The family connection goes back to the 1930s in Italy.”
Di Leva worked in the maritime industry behind a desk for 15 years. Almost three years ago, he took a leap of faith to pursue his lifelong passion for music, despite the economic disadvan-tages of giving up his “union job with great pay and benefits.”
“Enough was enough, I had to jump ship,” says Di Leva, who was encouraged by seasoned dockworkers to pursue his dream. “It’s a tough life. When it’s good, it’s really good and when it’s bad, it’s really bad. You have to get used to the rollercoaster.”
Trained as a classical pianist, Pilato declined a scholarship to study with a concert pianist. Instead, he entered the seminary to become a Catholic priest. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. After, Pilato attended Mount St. Mary’s College studying post graduate-level music and pia-no performance. At that time, he was one of 17 male students and the first to live on campus.
Motivation Madness: Dr. Iven spreading the word at a local Southern California all girls Catholic high school.
Gino Di Leva (left) and Dominic Pilato engage the students with their inspiring message.
Dr. Iven at work.
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“With 5,000 women and one guy on campus, it was a great time,” laughs Pilato. “The seminary and I both felt becoming a priest wasn’t in my path. I was progressive in my thinking.”
Although he decided the priesthood was not for him, Pilato still dedicated his life to serving others. He taught music at a Catholic high school and worked with abused women and children. He volunteered for Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan’s campaign and after the victorious election was recruited to work in work in economic development. But his heart wasn’t in politics either; he turned down an opportunity to work in the White House.
“My mentor encouraged me to pursue music and told me that I would figure it out,” says Pilato.The band is poised to become a mainstream success. Dr. Iven’s singles “Follow Through” and
“When It Looks Like Rain” reached 1,000 spins weekly and were broadcasted on radio stations throughout the United States.
Dr. Iven has been the opening act for headlining recording artists including Maroon 5, Lit, J.R. Richards (of Dishwalla), Gin Blossoms, Winger, Berlin, The English Beat and Eddie Money. They were also selected the best of more than 60 musical acts who competed for the Daily Breeze South Bay Battle of the Bands.
Presently, Dr. Iven is a full-time job for the musicians and they say it’s just beginning to pay off rich dividends. The band would like to sing their musical messages to a broader national, and even international, audience.
“My goal is to keep drumming and songwriting for as long as I possibly can,” says Pilato.“As a band we would love to continue to perform and write until the pen runs out of ink,” adds
Di Leva. spt
For more information, visit www.dr-iven.com.
“We are not a ChrIstIan roCk banD, We’re a roCk banD. our lyrICs are posItIve In nature anD thought provokIng. We Don’t WrIte any sexually ConnotatIve lyrICs. We Don’t WrIte anythIng that DegraDes Women.”
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Colette Regan’s life story reads like a primer on Califor-nia history. Born in Pasadena in 1916, her world was framed by two phenomena: the automobile and oil. Amidst the ensu-ing entrepreneurial ferment, Colette herself was industriously making inroads in the field of social services. In the years since, she has had the privilege of improving the lives of others less fortunate. “I always wanted to help people,” she says. This past May, Colette was honored with the President’s Volunteer Ser-vice Award for her 78 years of volunteering. She received a let-ter signed by President Obama, a framed certificate and a letter from the White House staff.
In the early 20th century, both the arrival of the automobile and the search for oil catapulted The Golden State into a period of unforeseen growth. Colette’s father, Frank Verbeck, made
headlines in 1913 by winning the Pan-Pacific Road Race, a 444-mile road race from Los Angeles to Sacramento celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal. Verbeck drove a 45-horsepower Fiat and won the race (and $5,000) in a little over 11 hours after enduring unpaved roads and dangerous mountain passes with dim headlights and wooden-spoked tires. Later, Verbeck, a suc-cessful owner of several auto parts stores, became a consultant on driving laws and the construction of California highways.
Frank and Elizabeth Verbeck believed in helping those in need, with little fanfare. When Colette was 11, her mother learned that a Mexican family suffered the tragic loss of the father in a workplace accident. Elizabeth Verbeck asked her daughter to help select popular toys for the children so that they could experience a little joy that Christmas. It was all done
anonymously. Years later, one of the sons approached Colette’s brother. “You’re Norbert Verbeck,” he said. “I just wanted to let you know how much it meant to us to have a real Christmas that year.”
During the Depression, Frank Verbeck’s customers could loan their valuables as collateral without fear of losing them permanently. The Verbeck home in Pasadena became a way station for two to three men a day, burdened with hunger and meager means.
As a teenager at Pasadena Junior College, Colette and 19 friends formed a group called 40 Working Hands. These teen-agers, on their own initiative, visited children at St. Luke’s Hos-pital who didn’t have family.
Colette majored in sociology at Mount St. Mary’s College
A Helping HandColette Regan receives the President’s
Volunteer Service Award. by Julia murphy | photo by Joshua Stecker
Colette Regan relaxes in her home in Rolling Hills.
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and wanted to become a social worker. A class assignment required visits to social service agen-cies and took her to Toberman Settlement House in 1940, known for its successful programs. During her visit to the Catholic Welfare Bureau office in Redondo Beach, Colette was asked to accompany a foster teenager on a shopping trip one afternoon. The young woman received the attention and advice from a sympathetic peer.
Colette married Paul Regan in 1939 and, with that, married into a successful San Pedro oil business family. Regan Forge & Engineering sold traveling blocks, oil tools, blowout preventers and other drilling implements. Paul Regan and his cousin Jack, along with other family mem-bers, continued to expand their business over the decades. Eventually, Regan Forge & Engineer-ing became Regan Offshore. (Regan Street in San Pedro is named after the family.)
In the 1950s, and in between children, Colette managed the same Catholic Welfare office she had visited years before. She participated in an ongoing dialogue between area school princi-pals, the L.A. County Sheriff ’s Department, and social service agencies on how best to connect troubled children to appropriate agencies. Both the Sheriff ’s Department and Toberman Settle-ment House began working with gangs around that time, said Colette. (She added that, in the early 1990s, Toberman hosted a large dinner and invited representatives from various gangs to a discussion. The men found they had a lot in common.)
Once her children were grown, Colette became involved with the Assistance League of San Pedro. She raised money for Operation School Bell, which provides needy schoolchildren with new clothes. She also worked in the Assistance League Dental Clinic, which still services quali-fied children whose families cannot afford dental care.
In 1991, Colette joined the Toberman Auxiliary and actively began raising money for the nonprofit. She organized the Patron Program, a letter-writing fundraising campaign that contin-ues to contribute significantly to the Auxiliary’s net profits each year. According to Kristy Day, Toberman’s Volunteer Coordinator, the Auxiliary raises over $50,000 each year to support the agency’s programs. Funds come from the Auxiliary’s holiday fundraiser, the Thrift Store, Macy’s Community Shopping Day and other projects.
Kristy Day said that Colette’s been very instrumental to the survival of the arts and crafts pro-gram with her financial support. In her spare time, Colette paints watercolors; she took a class at age 88. (“I’m another Grandma Moses, I guess.”) The sale of her artwork supports the cost of Toberman’s art supplies. Fellow Auxiliary board member Leslye Borden, who’s actively involved with the art program, is a big supporter. “Colette’s lively,” gushes Borden, “she bubbles over!”
About a year ago, Colette met an equally enterprising woman. Ely (pronounced “Ellie”) Robi-nette is an entrepreneur disguised as a caregiver. Originally from the Philippines, Ely had learned the art of jewelry making (including metallurgy) years before and taught Colette how to make beaded necklaces. The two organized a jewelry-making luncheon (sponsored by Colette) with the Toberman Auxiliary women. These singular designs will be on sale at the November Auxil-iary fundraiser at the Torrance Marriott. Is it any wonder that Toberman Neighborhood Center (their name changed in 2007) gave Colette the Volunteer of the Year Award? “Colette has been an inspiration to others who are volunteering at Toberman,” says TNC’s CEO Gloria Lockhart. “She’s very encouraging to the youth of today.”
And that historic road race in 1913? The Auto Club, for its centennial celebration, recreated a shorter version in 2000. Colette Regan signaled the start of the race and proudly rode in a 1929 Bentley. Race participants stopped for lunch at area schools and displayed their cars –
all with great fanfare. Schoolchildren in Bakersfield created a bulletin board with copies of the original press, and a very focused sixth grader interviewed Colette for the school newspaper. Two schoolgirls shook hands with Colette and said later that they “felt like they were shaking hands with the President of the United States.”
There are other organizations that have benefited from Colette Regan’s volunteer work, Mount St. Mary’s Alumni, the South Coast Botanical Garden, St. John Fisher Parish, among them. Today at 92, Colette may use a walker but her enthusiasm for volunteering has hardly di-minished. Ely Robinette, Colette’s partner in all things enterprising, says, “I live with a general. She should be running the country today!” spt
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Join us for the High Holy Days and all year longFree Rosh HaShanah Family Service
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We’ve also eliminated the biggest excuse for not joining:
First year dues for all new members is voluntary
Member, Union for Reform Judaism
We offer a BJE-accredited, twice-weekly Torah School.We engage in joyful uplifting worship.
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When people are recovering from an injury they often have to have physical and occu-pational therapy to regain their mobility, strength, and independence. It can sometimes be a dif-ficult and painful process, despite the talents of the most competent and compassionate physical and occupational therapists. Movements we used to take for granted can suddenly be painful to perform and our attitude toward our physical therapy sessions can begin to dip. But now Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro’s rehabilitation center (known as Rehabcentre) has put a new twist on physical therapy. It is the only rehabilitation center in the South Bay to have installed and incorporated a Wii™ system to provide a fun new therapy program for inpatient and outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and psychological care. I decided to check it out firsthand.
The new system consists of a variety of games that challenge the player’s balance, coordina-tion, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, cognitive thinking skills, problem solving skills, visual-perceptual skills and strength. Painful or repetitive movements suddenly become a bit easier when done in the context of vivid games. The games require body movements similar to tradi-tional therapy exercises, but patients become mentally engrossed in the game itself. The games allow patients to complete difficult movements within the context of a fun activity.
“The system is surprisingly engaging,” explaines Physical Therapy Supervisor Shelly Kor-mondy. “It provides necessary therapeutic movement and coordination while allowing the pa-tient to have some much-needed fun that’s carefully supervised by their therapist.”
Senior patients who were not normally be drawn to video games reported finding the system easy to use and remarkably fun. When I tried it myself, I was surprised at how interactive and sensitive the controls were. I played a balance game that required that I stand on a shallow rect-angular platform. My shifting body weight caused a corresponding shift on a horizontal plane on the large screen, and my job was to make multiple balls rolling on the screen’s plane go into holes (similar to a pool table) without rolling off the digital surface completely. Easier said than done!
Even the slightest shift of my weight and the effort to press harder with my toe was recognized and rewarded. But most of all, I was taken by how much it consumed my attention in a fun and very rewarding way. The game had me laughing out loud and working hard at the same time. And it was quick to offer me more difficult levels of play each time I mastered the current game. When used with patients, therapists determine the level of game difficulty. The creativity in the game design was impressive, the effort required was achievable but substantial, and I had a great time. And I don’t normally have the time or interest to play video games.
Funding for the system came from Joseph D. Mudrick, a generous donor who was a patient at Rehabcentre in 1994. He was so moved by his experience there that he has generously donated
funds annually to enhance equipment and technology available for patients during their recov-ery at Rehabcentre.
Rehabcentre’s therapists and psychologists have all been delighted to incorporate the new Wii™ system into their patient therapy plans.
“I see my patients’ competitiveness come out and they actually look forward to working on the Wii™,” says Occupational Therapist Heather Beckman. “I’m including it in therapy plans for more and more of my patients.”
The games currently in use at the center include Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Wii Play, Family Game Night, Mario Cart Driving , Deca Sports and Game Party 2. Others will be added in the future to further enhance the program. spt
Rehabcentre is the acute rehabilitation program at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro, providing inpatient and outpatient services for those who have experienced stroke, brain in-jury, spinal cord injury, multiple trauma, neurological illnesses, or orthopedic injuries and surgery. Rehab-centre has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) for their medical rehabilitation program, including a Stroke Specialty program. Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro is the South Bay’s first and only Advanced Primary Stroke Center certified by the Joint Commission.
Diane Bassett is the media relations manager at Providence Little Company of Mary
Hospital Gives a NewTwist to Physical Therapy
by diane Bassett
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Krista Murray and Matt Sardisco sailed through their days at Dodson Middle School and San Pedro High School with plenty of mutual friends, but never really talked to each other. Matt’s brother Fred was even on the high school swim team with Krista, but still Matt and Krista never really met. It wasn’t until years later that they finally spoke, and they owe it all to their gym schedule and MySpace.com.
Matt and Krista worked out at Bally’s Gym at the ridiculous-ly early hour of five in the morning. They saw each other a few times but still didn’t break the ice.
“I had known who he was but we had never formally met,” says Krista. “I kept seeing him at the gym and thinking, ‘Is that Matt from high school?’”
Later, when Krista was on MySpace she was looking through people who had attended San Pedro High School and saw Matt listed. She sent him a message through the social networking site.
“I just sent him a message saying, ‘Do you work out at Bally’s at 5a.m.?” says Krista.
Matt was happy that she had contacted him.“I was excited when she started messaging me,” says Matt. “I
was excited, scared, typical things that a man thinks.”After that, they were friends for a couple of months and then
started dating. About a year and a half later Matt decided that he was going to ask Krista to be his wife.
“I had the ring for about a month,” says Matt. “I told my dad, and he was super excited about it. I didn’t have to tell my mom
– she pretty much just knew – mother’s intuition.” Matt’s plan was to take Krista away for her birthday to San
Diego and propose there. But her birthday fell on Halloween weekend and she was adamant about attending a friend’s Hal-loween party. So Matt’s plans for the birthday getaway were dashed and instead they went to her friend’s party.
“So the next weekend I was working on a Saturday and I just called her on a whim and said, ‘Pack your bags, we’re going away,” says Matt. They went to San Diego for the night and the next morning they had breakfast at a restaurant on the beach in La Jolla.
After breakfast, they went for a walk overlooking the ocean. There, on the rocky beach of La Jolla, is where Matt asked Kris-
It Had to be YouMatt SardISco and KrISta MurraY auguSt 1, 2009
by margaret Sharpephotos by Jeff Loftin & John mattera
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ta to spend her life with him.“I had absolutely no idea, I was totally caught off guard,” says
Krista of Matt’s proposal. “I immediately started to cry. I cried the entire day, and just kept saying over and over again, ‘Oh my gosh!”
As they were driving back home, Krista was excited and wanted to call all of her friends and family to tell them the big news… the only problem was there was no one to tell.
“Everybody knew except for me,” laughs Krista. “I kept say-ing let’s call so and so and tell them, and Matt kept saying, ‘Um, yeah they already know!’”
Matt had done things the traditional way and taken Krista’s parents to lunch prior to let them know of his intentions.
Even though Matt had all his ducks in a row - bought the
ring, told the parents, and swept her off to a beautiful beach set-ting, he still had a healthy dose of fear.
“I was absolutely scared,” laughs Matt. “I don’t know any guy that wouldn’t be scared!”
The couple wed the following summer, August 1, 2009. Keeping with San Pedro traditions, the couple had a large wed-ding, with 300 guests and a wedding party of 16. The couple exchanged vows and danced with friends and family at Saint Anthony’s Croatian Church in downtown Los Angeles. The wedding party entered the reception hall to the Black Eyed Peas song, “I Got A Feeling” and the couple walked in to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing.” The bridesmaids wore indigo dresses and the ballroom was decorated with cream and white flowers.
For the first dance, Matt went with a classic – “It Had to Be You” by Bobby Darrin.
A couple days after the wedding, the honeymoon began on the Hawaiian island of Maui. “It was so relaxing,” Krista says of the romantic trip. “We laid by the pool, went to nice dinners and had umbrella drinks.”
Matt expressed a love for the island, “I didn’t want to come back.”
Future plans for the couple include having a family, but not for a while. Krista is starting nursing school soon so they’ll have their hands full with that for the next couple years.
“We’ll wait for her to finish school,” says Matt of starting a family. “Then we’ll take it from there, have a couple kids.” spt
It Had to be YouMatt SardISco and KrISta MurraY auguSt 1, 2009
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18 months-6 years • open 7:00am-6:00pm • monday-friday
it’s our 15th birthday! application fees have been lowered to $15 in honor of our 15th year in rpv. • A Full-Service Retirement Community • Independent Apartments • Assisted Living Services
• Delicious Chef-Prepared Meals • Housekeeping & Linen Services • Daily Recreation & Social Programs
435 W. 8TH ST, SAN PEDROwww.HarborTerraceRetirement.com
(310) 547-0090
License # 198200855
“I fell down a couple of times at home and so my daughters felt I needed some place safe. Also I wasn’t looking after myself and they said I was living like a hermit. Once I moved to Harbor Terrace and the staff took over my medications, I felt so much better. My family saw a big difference in me. My privacy is most important and bringing my own furniture made me feel more at home. Eating with oth-ers in the dining room encouraged me to eat properly. I didn’t want to come here, but now I am very glad I did. I have made some wonder-ful friends.” Janet Eliassen
Resident of Harbor Terrace
Whatever happened to...Janet Eliassen?
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310.832.14241931 N. Gaffy St., St. C • San Pedro
(between Target & Home Depot)
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James KoLAc
USC AlumniFormer Faculty
Member of AcupunctureUniversity
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July 22, 2009 – Zac Sunderland, the youngest person to sail solo around the world (at age 17), speaks to young sailors and members of the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club. (photo by John Mattera)
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TRiVia Box | [email protected] | dEadLinE: SundaY, SEPTEMBER 13 Winners Circle: gloria Radmilovich, gina Korthe, John gilhuly, Jillian fotz, gustavo ugenf luegen, Henrietta Baguette, Bibby Peters, Mazinger zi, Mike Yanagita, quentin Locke, Pat diBona, Bobby Milke, anita Montes-Crue, Bruce Phung, Paul Kersey, Julia Sampson, alice gravett Young, Mike Rotch, Sally Cornea, Steve Verino, Claire Robbins, Harry Merkin, Hugh Johnson, Chuck flasko, Venetia Jarlin, Joyce & Vern Hall, Brandt VerSteegh, Marina Barraza
Last month’s questions & answers:1. What was Buono’s authentic Pizzeria before it turned into a pizzeria in 1973? italian grocery store & deli
2. What’s the most expensive item on nazelie’s Lebanese Café’s menu? Lamb kebobs that cost $12
3. in college, what subject does Lauren Costa plan on majoring in? Psychology
4. What occupied the larger dining area in azteca before the restaurant expanded? a bank
5. True or false – The assistance League of San Pedro Post office is the
only post office in the u.S. run entirely by volunteers. True
This month’s questions:1. instead of studying with a concert pianist, what did dominic Pilato study to be?
2. What two dr. iven singles have reached more than 1,000 spins weekly on radio stations throughout the u.S.?
3. What school did Jeanette Stevens head before taking the job as the new principal of San Pedro High School?
4. What popular home video game system is Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro utilizing for physical therapy?
5. from 1984-88, fitness personality and San Pedro native, denise austin, served as the fitness expert for what popular morning network news program?
Email your answers to [email protected] and we will list the names of everyone who correctly answer all five. Please include your full name and write “Trivia” in the subject line. The due date for answers is Sunday, September 13. spt
