San Pedro Today - January 2018

JANUARY 2018

PLUS: SAN PEDRO'S TOP TEN STORIES OF 2017 | MARY STAR HIGH'S BASKETBALL STANDOUTS & MORE!

The Community's Artist

JULIE BENDER IS ON A MISSION TO BEAUTIFY SAN PEDRO, ONE MOSAIC TILE AT A TIME

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CELEBRATE SAN PEDRO CATCHES ON | 2016-17 PREP SOCCER PREVIEW | STRONG PEDRO PROJECT | WEDDING: ARTHUR & CLAUDIA MENDEZ

Celebrate

CJ MERCHANT GROWS FOR THE GOLD | LA HARBOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS | SPHS SWIMMER AUDREY STEEN

RED'S CHEESECAKES | SAN PEDRO'S EASTER EGGS | POLA HIGH SCHOOL'S SOCCER CHAMPS | EXTENDED EVENTS CALENDAR!

APRIL 2017

MARCH 2017

JANUARY 2017

FEBRUARY 2017

2016-17 PREP BASKETBALL PREVIEW | MAKING HEALTHY CHANGES IN THE NEW YEAR | IN MEMORIAM: WILLIAM STECKER

#LeafYourMark

San Pedro!

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Regenerative Design Studios aims to bring aesthetic beauty back to Los Angeles, starting with San Pedro.

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JANUARY 2017 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 1

MCKENNA'S PENDLETON | VITALICH SOFTBALL SISTERS COMPETE IN EUROPE | WAITING FOR YANCY | AND MORE INSIDE!

HOW A FACEBOOK GROUP INSPIRED A NEW GENERATION OF COMMUNITY ACTIVISM

PLUS: SPHS SOFTBALL CHAMPS | NEWS-PILOT YOUTH CARRIERS | SP CHAMBER AWARDS

JULY 2017

MAY 2017

JUNE 2017

PIROZZI'S ITALIAN DELI'S NEW OWNERS | PREP BASEBALL & SOFTBALL PREVIEW | COLLECTOR'S EXPO ON THE USS IOWA

THE LEATHER SHOP REVIVES THE ART OF LEATHERCRAFT FOR A NEW GENERATION OF SAN PEDRANS

PLUS: YMCA TIMELINE & MEMORIES | PREP SPORTS SIGNING DAY | FITNESS: WHY YOU QUIT

AUGUST 2017

Our picks of the top community anniversaries and milestones we should be honoring every year.

in’ k c i K & e v Ali

THE Y AT 100 CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF SERVICE IN SAN PEDRO

The New Kid In Town

GREG MORENA STAKES HIS CLAIM IN DOWNTOWN SAN PEDRO WITH PAPPY'S SEAFOOD

THE MARY STAR FIESTA CELEBRATES 70 YEARS OF FUN, FAITH AND FAMILY

WAYS TO GIVE BACK | SCRAPBOOKS UNCOVER SP'S PAST | AMAZING TEACHER/STUDENT REUNION NOVEMBER 2017

SP INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | PORT TOWN IN NEON | PREP VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW & MORE!

OCTOBER 2017

SEPTEMBER 2017

PLUS: WHITE POINT HOME TOUR | DANE WELLS CRUSHES IT | PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW & MUCH MORE!

ONE OF SAN PEDRO’S MOST POPULAR FAMILY EVENTS CELEBRATES HALF A DECADE OF OLLIES AND KICKFLIPS PLUS: WHAT'S GOING ON WITH CHANNEL STREET SKATEPARK?

The New Frontier

MEET CRAFTED ARTISTS | MIRACLE ON BEACON STREET | PREP SPORTS YEAR IN REVIEW | AND MORE! DECEMBER 2017

WITH A NEW GENERATION TAKING THE REINS - PLUS A VISIT FROM THE CROATIAN NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM - SAN PEDRO’S CROATIAN AMERICAN CLUB IS EXPERIENCING A RENAISSANCE

First Thursday at 20 TWO DECADES LATER, A LOOK BACK AT HOW ONE OF SAN PEDRO’S LONGEST RUNNING TRADITIONS CAME TO BE

WITH DEEP-SEA EXPLORER DR. ROBERT BALLARD ON BOARD, ALTASEA LOOKS TO TURN SAN PEDRO INTO A MAJOR PLAYER IN THE 'BLUE ECONOMY'

Here's to a prosperous 2018, San Pedro!

Thank you for letting us tell your stories.

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FINDING ITS STRIDE

CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS IN SAN PEDRO, CRAFTED FINALLY COMES INTO ITS OWN

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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“San Pedro cares about itself.”

This was one of many gems artist Julie Bender imparted to me during our interview for this month’s cover story.

And she’s right.

We’re a passionate community.

There’s a reason our town is so prolific on social media – with dozens of Facebook groups for nearly everything that happens here, multiple Instagram accounts capturing our town’s beauty, and the incredibly smart use of apps like Nextdoor that help us keep an eye on our neighborhoods – it’s because we actually care about what happens here.

Can it be annoying at times? Absolutely. Would we want it any other way?

Maybe. Are we going to change any time soon? Probably not.

Julie Bender’s passion for San Pedro is palpable. I wrote about her in this column a few months ago when I first heard of the 25th Street mural project.

When she told me her mission is to beautify San Pedro with her mosaic art, she instantly had my attention. I was already familiar with her work, having seen most of her public pieces around town, like at Peck Park Pool and the Rainbow Services offices. I love it. It’s intricate, beautiful and positive. I also love the communal aspect. How she can bring people of different skillsets together to create a single, beautiful piece of art is a talent all its own. So, hearing that she wanted to beautify a stretch of 25th Street that could use some TLC, I wanted to finally tell her story.

And wow, what a story.

Bender’s tale falls under the category of Just When You Think You Know a Person. Prior to our interview, I had no idea she was one of the first two women to graduate from the L.A. City Fire Academy. Or about her family’s firefighting history, or her family’s military accomplishments. Or the emotionally serendipitous story of how her studio ended up at Sirens Java & Tea. I discovered that she’s one of those people who puts words into action, and she’s

passionate about using her art for the common good of our community. We need more Julie Benders in San Pedro.

Speaking of action, we decided to throw caution in the wind this month and put together a list of the Top Ten San Pedro Stories of 2017. It wasn’t too hard to come up with the list itself, plenty of big things happened here last year. What was more interesting was how many of these stories centered about progress and change.

As we write in the story, 2017 was the year of action in San Pedro. We finally stopped talking and finally started doing. We’re not asking when things are going to start anymore. Instead, we’re now asking when things are going to be finished. Construction on the San Pedro Public Market is officially underway, with the new infrastructure improvements already close to being completed. The demolition of a building on S. Palos Verdes St. in downtown has made way for a new mixed-use building to go up this year. AltaSea opened strong with the addition of Dr. Bob Ballard. So many things are in motion that it’s been hard to keep up.

Of course, some things have stayed the same. Our homeless and drug addicted population has ebbed and flowed all year, but it seems like it’s on the rise as we close out 2017. Crimes are still occurring at an uncomfortable pace. Many buildings along Pacific and Gaffey could use a renovation. We still have a long way to go in many areas.

What does 2018 have in store? I wish I knew. My hope is that all this action leads to bigger and better investment in our community, both from the business and real estate side, but also from the City of Los Angeles and the Port.

People are finally starting to realize just how important San Pedro is to Southern California. We’ve always known it, but it’s time for those with the means and power to better our quality of life here start treating us as such. spt Joshua Stecker is publisher/editorin-chief of San Pedro Today. Letters to the Editor can be emailed to contact@sanpedrotoday.com.

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JANUARY 2018 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 5

JANUARY 2018

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ADVERTISING:

ASSOCIATE EDITOR/ SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

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

ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION

Shana Ghekiere (310) 753-5176 | shana@sanpedrotoday.com

AT-LARGE CONTRIBUTORS

EMPIRE22 MEDIA LLC OWNER/PUBLISHER

Joshua J. Stecker

Caitlyn Trudnich

Joseph A. Castañeda

Jack Baric, Nathan Hoff, Mike Lansing, Ricky Magana, Steve Marconi, Angela Romero, Jamaal K. Street

PHOTOGRAPHER

John Mattera Photography

CONTACT INFO:

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

VOLUME 9 | NUMBER 12

General Inquiries: ads@sanpedrotoday.com

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 2009-2018, Empire22 Media LLC.

ON THE COVER: Artist Julie Bender photographed in her studio at Sirens Java & Tea in Downtown San Pedro (photo: John Mattera Photography)

6 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I JANUARY 2018

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Cabrillo Beach Bath House (photo: laparks.org)

JANUARY Every Wednesday – CREATIVE WRITING CLASS FOR KIDS at The Corner Store (1118 W. 37th St.), 4:30 – 5:45p. Taught by San Pedro Today columnist, Jennifer Marquez. $10 per class. For more info, email jennifertmarquez@yahoo.com.

6 (Sat) – MOONLIGHT TOURS at the Point Fermin Lighthouse (807 W. Paseo del Mar), 5 – 8p. Experience a special moonlight tour, featuring lighthouse keepers from the past! Your intimate tour group (up to eight people) will be guided through the house by these historic characters. You can even ask them questions!

Come early to enjoy hot beverages and snacks. Reservations are required. Admission is $10, per person. Children will be granted free admission when accompanied by an adult from 5 – 6p, after that admission will be for adults only. To make your reservation and for more info, call (310) 241-0684.

12 – 13 (Fri – Sat) FAMILY OVERNIGHT at the Aquarium of the Pacific (100 Aquarium Wy.), 5p – 7a. Grab your sleeping bags and coziest pajamas for an overnight adventure, exploring the Aquarium’s many exhibits. Ages 5+. Space is limited. $90 for non-members. For reservations and more info, visit aquariumofthepacific.org or call (562) 590-3100.

13 (Sat) – CABRILLO BEACH WALKING TOUR, 10a. Take a seaside stroll with historian and San Pedro Today columnist Angela "Romee" Romero while you learn about the beach's 90 years of history, including it's many brushes with Hollywood.

Tickets are $15 and space is limited. A second tour will be offered Sunday, January 21st. Call (310) 808-7800 to reserve.

26 (Fri) – February 4 (Sun) – SEUSSICAL THE MUSICAL at the Warner Grand Theatre (478 W. 6th St.), Various showtimes. Encore South Bay presents this fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza! Seussical brings to life all of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters including Horton the Elephant and The Cat in the Hat. For tickets and more info, visit encoresouthbay.org.

28 (Sun) FRIENDS OF THE SAN PEDRO LIBRARY PRESENTS FIREBIRD BALALAIKA ENSEMBLE at the Grand Annex (434 W. 6th St.), 2p. This internationally known quintet has toured extensively in the United States and abroad and also performs for television, radio, and films. Its repertoire ranges from Russian, 27 (Sat) – OPEN HOUSE at Christ Lutheran Church and School (28850 S. Western Ukrainian, and Eastern European songs to well-known classics and original comAve.), 10a – Noon. Visit the campus and enter to win half-off tuition for the 2018- positions. In this return engagement, the quintet will be joined by dancers special2019 school year. To RSVP and for more info, visit christrpv.com. izing in the Moldavian style character dance. Tickets are $20, and available at the San Pedro Library and friendsspl.org. For more info, call (310) 832-6288.

27 (Sat) – MARY STAR OF THE SEA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ANNUAL GALA AND CASINO NIGHT at Mary Star of the Sea Parish Auditorium (870 W. 8th Want to see your event here? Email events@sanpedrotoday.com to St.), 5 – 11:30p. Dinner, live and silent auction, and gaming. For reservations and place a listing. Deadline for the February issue is Friday, January 12. for more info, call (310) 831-0875.

Find more events at facebook.com/sanpedrotoday.

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VOICES

`TIS THE SEASON TO BE LEAVING SAN PEDRO

by Steve Marconi

One of the things that has always made San Pedro special is its multigenerational quality.

For example, my granddaughters are the fifth generation of my family to live here. That’s not only not unusual, it’s fairly common for a community with a fierce love for its hometown. A historic confluence of circumstances in 2017 threatens to end that unique feature, however. The evidence is only anecdotal, but there are people with deep roots, the “born, raised, and will die in San Pedro” type – who are leaving.

A large part of it surely has to do with the jaw-dropping increase in home values we’ve experienced this year. The

price of homes in our area has already been sending a generation of young San Pedrans fleeing to Long Beach and Orange County, where they can afford to own. On the flip side is the seniors, who are finding the chance to cash in on the bonanza irresistible. That opportunity to take the money and run is combined with the added economic incentive to leave because San Pedro, unfortunately, is part of the City of Los Angeles, which is part of Los Angeles County, which is in California. Those are three government entities controlled by politicians who have never seen a tax they didn’t like.

For people on fixed incomes, the rising price of gasoline, water and power, gas, and the always increasing property taxes, all add up to make lower cost areas and states more and more attrac-

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tive, no matter how much one loves San Pedro (and God forbid Sacramento ever succeeds in eliminating Prop. 13).

Then there are the non-economic issues that make living in San Pedro harder and harder, including crime (no matter where you live), the pervasive homeless problem, and impossible traffic situations (exacerbated by useless bike lanes).

Diana Chapman, a former colleague at the Daily Breeze, and her husband, Jim Hart, also a former colleague at the Daily Breeze and News-Pilot, where he was sports editor in the `70s, were longtime San Pedrans who pulled up roots this year. Diana, now a freelance journalist and blogger, posted an online “Goodbye San Pedro” column at CityWatchLA.com that I recommend every San Pedran read. As she told me, “It’s sort of ironic. We were probably the most determined people to stay in Pedro. I feel very bad for San Pedro. It’s such a beautiful place, and I love it so much. But as you’re aging, it’s a harder place.”

In her piece for CityWatchLA, Chapman touches on many of the subjects I have written about often, such as San Pedro’s difficulties working with the port, the bike lanes, the homeless, an unresponsive city bureaucracy, and says, “But after living here for so many years, I noticed with dread that San Pedro seems to not have moved forward, but backward, and this makes me very sad. It makes me sad to hear from oldtimers how gorgeous San Pedro used to be and the echo of the many losses we’ve had economically along with our difficult dealings with the city of Los Angeles who controls pretty much everything. We’ve long since lost all the wonderful classic dinner restaurants such as Ante’s, Cigo’s, Olsen’s, and Savage Court, as well as little places like Nosh and Mishi’s Strudel Bakery.

They’re gone for a variety of reasons, including the Great Recession and from the complicated task of running a business in Los Angeles.”

Chapman adds, “In the time that I’ve lived here, San Pedro has undergone

many attempts at rebirth. Every time, we residents got excited, but then the rebirth never really comes. As beautiful, high-rise condominiums were built downtown, giving us a sense of luster and polish, the Great Recession hit and few were sold. Many were eventually converted into apartments. Downtown businesses, which have tried so many times to make it, often have a short lifespan and struggle until they shutter their doors.”

Looking at the entrenched interests running our state, local and city governments, it’s hard to see any dramatic changes occurring in the near future that would curtail the exodus. San Pedro may never be the same again.

One More for Andy San Pedro native Andy Lopez’s man cave is probably already full of trophies, but he’s going to have to make room for one more, perhaps the biggest yet.

On January 5 in Indianapolis, he’ll be inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Lopez, who retired in 2015 for health reasons, is one of only three coaches to have led three Division I schools to the College World Series (Pepperdine, Florida, and Arizona), and one of only two to have won national titles at two different schools (Pepperdine and Arizona).

He finished with a record of 1,177742-7, having coached 39 All-Americans and 85 all-conference players over 33 years.

Lopez joins his mentor, Jim O’Brien, and Tony Bloomfield, Bobby Ramirez and Keith Ramsey at Saturday’s Harbor College baseball coaching clinic. Call (310) 233-4122 for more information. spt Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.

JANUARY 2018 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 11

VOICES

12 DOORS TO THE FUTURE

by Jack Baric On a warm Monday morning in December, I was among hundreds of people gathered at City Dock 1 – a waterfront stretch that, until recently, had been barren. Mixed in among the crowd of San Pedrans and Angelenos was Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilman Joe Buscaino, and several California titans whose combined net worth might be larger than the GDP of some small nations.

The event bringing these folks together was the unveiling of the doors that will lead to the La Kretz Blue Economy Incubator at AltaSea. The incubator will focus on finding and nurturing businesses that create local jobs in research, education and sustainable ocean-based solutions to global challenges such as food security, energy supply, and climate change. The building of the incubator is possible through the generous donation of prominent L.A. philanthropist, Morton La Kretz.

It will enjoy a synergistic relationship with CleanTech L.A., which is home to the La Kretz Innovation Campus in Downtown Los Angeles.

La Kretz is not alone among Los Angeles powerhouse donors that have given to AltaSea. The list of philanthropic giants include, among others, the Annenberg Foundation, the Norris Foundation, the Roy & Patricia Disney Family Foundation, the Gilbert Foundation, the Weingart Foundation, and the Baron Hilton Foundation.

I mention this to illustrate the sign of confidence that these prominent leaders have shown to AltaSea, the L.A. Waterfront, and San Pedro.

It’s especially worth noting because there always seems to be a persistent drumbeat of naysayers in our community that find fault in everything being done, not being done, should be done - pretty much everything.

Even lime green bikes couldn’t escape the grouchiness. The future does not belong to those who stand on the sideline making snarky critiques, it belongs to those who are audacious enough to risk investing in places where others can only find fault.

City Dock 1 laid dormant for decades until it was boldly reimagined as a place that would be perfect to make Los Angeles a global leader in the Blue Economy. This Blue Economy will play a significant role in the fourth industrial revolution where the confluence of artificial intelligence, biotechnol12 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I JANUARY 2018

ogy, quantum computing and other major advancements will create epic scientific and economic opportunities for those audacious enough to imagine possibilities in things yet unseen.

Ninety-five percent of the ocean has not been explored and the visionaries donating to AltaSea are betting on discoveries that can help feed the world and provide energy at a time when earth’s resources are running dangerously low. Ocean exploration and the sustainable solutions coming from it will be the cornerstone of the Blue Economy – and Los Angeles is perfectly situated to be a global leader.

The people donating will not be remembered for how they made their money, but how they spent it. Their legacy is marked on buildings of great science, education, and culture throughout the city. Their contributions helped lay the groundwork to make Los Angeles one of the most innovative and prosperous cities in the world – and they’ve now found their way to San Pedro.

The unveiling of the doors on that December morning not only marked the start of the La Kretz Incubator, it also launched a door-naming campaign dubbed 12 Doors to the Future. This campaign will provide AltaSea operating capital while the campus is being built and it will construct 12 additional doors matching the two that were unveiled.

Behind the 12 doors lies the future of San Pedro – and Los Angeles. They will open to: Catalina Sea Ranch, the only aquafarming company in U.S. federal waters. The Nautilus, the ocean exploration vessel of Bob Ballard, the man who discovered the Titanic. Blue Robotics, a company that builds affordable underwater drones, dramatically expanding ocean exploration possibilities. An aquaculture lab doing genomic research on maximizing sustainable shellfish production in limited spaces.

Braid Theory, a locally-owned company helping commercialize blue tech inventions. Ben Lecomte’s Longest Swim team, prepping for his swim across the Pacific to publicize oceanic health issues. Education programs across all facets of AltaSea, in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the L.A. Harbor.

I truly believe the future is ours if we’re bold and courageous enough to pursue it. There are probably just as many who scoff at this optimism. Here’s to a 2018 where the bold dreamers win. spt For more info, visit altasea.org.

Jack Baric can be reached at jackbaric@hotmail.com.

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VOICES

80TH ANNIVERSARY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

by Mike Lansing As the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor celebrate our 80th anniversary in the San Pedro community, our organization has decided to double down on the new year and make two resolutions: Sustain our tremendous growth and programmatic impact we have developed over the decades; and provide even more boys, girls, young men, and women with the same tremendous daily opportunities and a pathway to a better life.

Reason Number One: As we pass tax plans that add to the national debt and does not address the needs of “those who need us most,” we cannot stay stagnate. The child poverty rate in California is already more than 20 percent and will grow as social service funding decreases to offset the tax breaks.

Reason Number Two: Our youth do not need a hand-out, they just need a helping hand. Just a few of many examples: Misty, who took her first ballet classes in our gym and is now the most recognized ballet dancer in our country, if not the world; Miguel, who spent hours on end in our recording studio, and is now an internationally known recording artist; Marlyn and Uriel, who grew up in Rancho San Pedro, faithfully attended College Bound and will both graduate from CSUN, with Marlyn graduating two years ahead of time; Yesenia and Evelenn, who statistically were not supposed to attend college, let alone graduate, yet both did. Today, Yesenia continues to be our College Bound Director, while Evelenn is our San Pedro Club Site Director.

These are just a very few of the hundreds of success stories I have witnessed, and why we must serve more youth and young adults and not be satisfied with our current efforts. Each of these individuals made it happen, all we provided was the opportunity. So, I conclude with a final example of why serving more is so important in the re-

cent words of one of our amazing teens: Being the daughter of a drug addict, the number one thing I remember is 60 percent. Sixty percent of the children with parents who abuse drugs end up abusing drugs when they are older. That was the number my mother reminded me of my entire childhood.

It was the number imbedded in my brain, the number my brother had become, and the number destined for me. I saw 60 percent in my sleep, in my father’s diluted eyes – stained on my skin was sixty percent.

That was the mindset I had the majority of my childhood. But the day a Boys & Girls Club staff member came into my 9th grade English class with an application was the day that mindset vanished. I walked into the Club that first day with knots in my stomach, but fast-forward to the following summer and the Club was no longer unfamiliar to me, it was my second home. Today, I am Keystone Leadership President, I have been a Leader-In-Training for two years, I have been to more colleges than I can count, and I have a mentor who inspired me to push my limits, but was also there to catch me when I fell The Boys & Girls Club taught me to use my past not as an obstacle, but as motivation. Now I am consumed with new numbers – numbers that lift and propel me towards success. Two - I am in the top two percent of my junior class. Nine - Out of 436 students, I am ranked ninth. One - I will be the first person in my family to not abuse drugs and the first to graduate from college. Five - I plan to become one of the five percent of certified female neurosurgeons in the world. If not for the Boys & Girls Club, I would be forever defined by sixty percent.

All they need is a helping hand.

Wishing you and yours a most Happy and Healthy 2018. spt Mike Lansing is the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor.

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The Community's Artist JULIE BENDER IS ON A MISSION TO BEAUTIFY SAN PEDRO, ONE MOSAIC TILE AT A TIME

by Joshua Stecker The sweet smell of espresso floods Julie Bender’s studio as she arranges hundreds of small, clay tile pieces on two large tables.

The pieces, all fresh out of the kiln and molded into various sizes, shapes and figures, will soon become part of one of the largest community art projects in San Pedro: a 2,000-square foot mural on a retaining wall spanning three homes on 25th Street.

The project, a dream in the making for Bender going back more than a decade, is the culmination of 15 years’ worth of community art projects geared towards, in her words, “beautifying San Pedro.”

“I would drive past that big, blank wall all the time when I’d drive to White Point Elementary School [to pick up my kids],” she says. “After I did the Peck Park Pool mural [in 2012], it gave me the confidence to think I could do this one.”

The mosaic artist’s workspace, conveniently located in the back room of Sirens Java & Tea, the bustling Downtown San Pedro coffee shop that took over the old News-Pilot building on 7th Street, is normally filled with a hodgepodge of various mosaic works and paintings, many featuring mermaids, a signature figure in Bender’s work.

Today, however, the 25th Street mural has consumed nearly every nook. Along with the tile-filled tables, plans for the massive mural are stretched across one wall, below it hangs a large, mosaic map drawing of a pelican, one of the featured figures on the mural.

“This mosaic is going to be a true mosaic in every sense of the word,” says Bender, 60, as she clears space for us to sit down for this interview. “It has ideas from all over; it will be put together by people with skill levels from all over. All of that is going to be depicted on this mural.”

16 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I JANUARY 2018

Julie Bender in her studio (photo: John Mattera)

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Clockwise from Left: First Responders mural inside Sirens Java & Tea; Peck Park Pool mural; one of two Rainbow Services murals (photos: juliebendermosaics.com)

THE FAMILY BUSINESS Bender, who was born in Burbank, is no stranger to challenges. In fact, risk-taking seems to be in her family’s blood. The daughter and sister of firefighters, Bender’s competitive drive was forged during her teens. Even though she wanted to pursue a career in art, she was also an active swimmer and gymnast through high school in Simi Valley. She would eventually graduate Cal State Long Beach with an art degree in 1981.

Not set on what she wanted to do after college, Bender had a short stint as a Sears security guard and a substitute teacher, and, at 21, joined the Ventura Country Reserve Firefighters.

“During the brushfires, they needed everyone doing something,” recalls Bender. “They would give me credit cards to go grocery shopping to make sandwiches to feed 100 firefighters.

I was amazed they were letting this 21-year-old be in charge of five food rigs. I felt like they trusted me.”

The experience led Bender to decide to join the family business and do something no other female had done before, graduate from the Los Angeles City Fire Academy.

“My dad was a firefighter and the department was trying out a program to hire women,” she recalls. “I was physically strong enough from my years competing in swimming and gymnastics, and I also thought it was a logical

choice because firefighters always had so much downtime that I could still pursue my art. So, after beginning the academy with dozens of other women, only two of us actually made it all the way to graduation.”

In December 1983, Bender became one of the first two women to graduate from the L.A. City Fire Academy. While the achievement was admirable and noteworthy, she was met with indignation and ignorance when it came to actually being hired.

“I had earned the respect from the men who went through the training process with me,” recalls Bender,” but the guys who were already there, I had to earn their respect along the way.

There were fire stations who wouldn’t talk to me at all. There was a constant struggle to prove myself. I learned how to win people over.”

The choice to enter the fire academy turned out to be more than just a barrier-breaking achievement. It’s also where Bender met her soon-to-be husband, Dave, currently an L.A. City firefighter. The two would marry and eventually move to San Pedro in 1985 to start a family.

Danny, 28, are in the U.S. Navy. One daughter, Erica, 24, is a Navy nurse.

Their youngest daughter, Monica, 21, swam the Catalina Channel at 17 and the English Channel at 20. (Bender depicted the Catalina Swimmers on a painted utility box mural on Harbor and 5th St. as part of the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District's “Unexpected Pedro” program in 2015.)

“We like to go big,” she says laughing.

As her family grew, Bender decided to leave firefighting and become a stayat-home mom and Girl Scout leader, helping out in myriad of art projects.

She was also a volunteer with Art to Grow On for 15 years, a nonprofit organization that brings art education to elementary school children. A known artist amongst her friends, Bender would be asked to paint murals and create various other art projects for homes and schools, including a large, painted mural at Portuguese Bend Nursery School that would eventually deteriorate a decade later. That’s when her passion for mosaic work was sparked.

“I was looking to do something more permanent,” she says.

In 2003, she got her chance. What IT STARTED WITH A BENCH originally started as a Girl Scout project The Benders have raised four children to make a sign warning people against in San Pedro, evenly split with two boys taking living creatures from the tide and two girls, and each carrying the pools, turned into five, 1,500 lb. mosaic same risk-taking genes passed on from benches, each depicting local butterfly their parents. Their sons, Scott, 30, and lessons. A project that, Bender admits,

18 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I JANUARY 2018

she had no idea how to accomplish.

“I had no idea how to do mosaics at that point,” she says. “There was a lot of trial and error involved with me and the girls. This project helped me discover the medium, the tools, and everything I needed in order to create these benches.”

Bender would soon discover that her love for mosaic work wasn’t found in the end product, but rather in the sense of community these projects would foster.

Depending on the project’s size, there are anywhere from dozens to more than 100 people – a mix of teachers, parents, students, and volunteers – helping to make Bender’s artistic concepts a reality. They’re able to shape, create, place and even write their names on the various mosaic tiles, making each mural personal to everyone who takes part in it.

“This work isn’t at all different from my work as a firefighter,” explains Bender. “It’s all about community. This kind of art is a civil service. It’s community art. It helps bring people together with the goal of making something beautiful.”

Bigger and more daunting mosaic projects soon followed, including large mosaic murals at White Point Elementary School (2004, 2009 and 2010), Holy Trinity School (2006), Peck Park Pool (2012), Point Fermin Elementary School (2013), Rainbow Services (2014 and

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Plans for the 25th Street mural project (top); tiles and a mosaic map of a pelican (photos: John Mattera)

2015), and Dana Middle School (2015).

The 25th Street mural aims to be one of the biggest mosaic mural projects Bender has taken on. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been easy getting it off the ground.

Even though Bender has always wanted to do something artistic with this particular retaining wall eyesore, it wasn’t until last February that she finally put the wheels in motion to make it happen.

“My boys were deployed in February,” explains Bender. “I thought it was the perfect time to do the mosaic. I needed something to keep my mind off of the news, something to help me deal with the stress of my sons overseas. I figured it would be done by the time the boys were back.”

Getting permission from the homeowners turned out to be the easy part.

Like anything having to do with the City of Los Angeles though, Bender ran into one roadblock after another. While applying for the required permits, she discovered that the 15th District, San Pedro’s district, had an ordinance in place that did not allow for public murals on private property. After expressing her concern with Councilman Joe Buscaino’s office, the councilman’s team assisted in getting the ordinance changed. Unfortunately, she had to wait six months for it to happen. The ordinance was changed this past August.

Another issue was funding. While Bender is fronting some of the costs for permits and materials, a project of this magnitude will require extra capital.

Because of this, she’s partnered with the San Pedro Waterfront Arts District as the nonprofit organization people can donate to in order to help fund the project.

“For most of the year, when people would come into the studio on First Thursdays, I’d show people various ideas [on the mural’s design] and people would give their input,” says Bender.

“I was going to community meetings and people would tell me what they wanted on the wall. San Pedro cares about itself. It’s what makes this place so special.”

The final design features two large whales in the middle, flanked by an angel symbolizing the City of Los Angeles on one side, and a mermaid pouring fish from a vase on the other, symbolizing San Pedro. A large cliff runs the length

of the mural, which also includes people depicting various trades (symbolizing San Pedro’s “working community”) and multiple pelicans and other wildlife.

Angels Gate Lighthouse also makes an appearance.

“I was having a really hard time trying to figure out the coloring for the cliffs,” admits Bender. “But then I had this idea, what if I put a box outside my studio door and invite people from the community to come and bring little things that won’t deteriorate on the wall, like tiles and stainless steel. Little items or pieces of things, maybe twoinches long, and use those items for the cliffs. Make the cliffs out of random items brought in by people in the community. It’ll add personality and make it something personal and special. The more people that bring in items, the more people have a personal investment in the project.”

Bender anticipates completing the 25th Street mural by the end of summer 2018. With the help of community volunteers, the tiles should be painted and ready to go by the end of March, after which the community art project will be constructed piece-by-piece and tile-bytile throughout the spring and summer.

Her hopes are to have as many people from San Pedro volunteer to make this project a true community event.

“Someone recently told me this beautiful story about quilting, and how

20 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I JANUARY 2018

all these little pieces from all these dresses come together to create this one beautiful thing,” says Bender. “It’s like a person, all these genetics from all over the world, through generations, come together to make one person. It’s such a beautiful thought. It’s why I’m so passionate about this.”

CALL OF THE SIREN Above the entrance to her studio in Sirens hangs a large mosaic piece Bender made for the shop’s owner, Yolanda Regalado. The piece, designed by Regalado, depicts Angels Gate Lighthouse with angel’s wings colored in patriotic stars and stripes and a mermaid on the bottom. According to the coffee shop’s website, the “angel wings wrap the lighthouse in the colors of the USA. The mermaid welcomes our nation’s first responders and heroes who have heard their last sirens and have paid the ultimate sacrifice.”

“Do you know the story of how I ended up at Sirens?” asks Bender. Before I can answer, she immediately goes into an incredible tale of fate and good fortune.

“I had heard Yolanda was looking for an artist to do some pieces for the coffee shop,” explains Bender. As she tells it, she received a phone call from Regalado late one night, explaining her idea to have a memorial wall in the coffee shop to honor her late brother, fire-

fighter Benjamin Pinel, who was killed in the line of duty fighting the Proud Bird Restaurant fire in El Segundo in December 1984.

“I stopped her right away and said, ‘Yolanda, I was at that fire. I worked alongside your brother that night. We both got really emotional over the phone, and she says to me, ‘I don’t even know what you do, but I want you to be my artist.’”

When asked about this story, Regalado confirms it, adding, “It was such an emotional moment for both of us. I knew right away she had to be here [at Sirens]. I was trying to figure out a use for the back room of the shop and decided Julie should use the space for her art, so I donated the space to her. She’s like family now.”

Regalado adds, “I’ve never seen anything quite like her work before.

She gets the average person involved in art, to be a part of something bigger than themselves. What she does is truly special.” spt To donate money towards the 25th St. mosaic, send a check c/o San Pedro Waterfront Arts District, 1351 W. 27th Dr., San Pedro, CA 90731. Add “25th mosaic” to the memo line. For more info on Julie Bender’s work or to volunteer, visit juliebendermosaics.com.

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SAN PEDRO'S TOP STORIES OF 2017

2017

by Angela "Romee" Romero & SPT Staff

will go down as a year of action in San Pedro. Gone are the days of just "hearing about" big plans for our port town's future. This year, we saw shovels hit dirt, buildings come down, and bikes hit the street. We saw new lights along Gaffey, new businesses in Downtown, and new innovators taking an interest in our waterfront. Some might say the seeds of change are finally sprouting.

Unfortunately, we also had a number of not-so-great stories this year.

Homelessness and drug addiction still plague our streets, a San Pedro High School student was brutally beaten, and we witnessed a major security breach at the Port of Los Angeles on live television.

It was an interesting year, to say the least.

While we could have doubled or tripled this list due to all the news that sprang up in our community the past year, we narrowed it down to just ten (with a few honorable mentions). Some you may agree with. Others might make you go, "Huh?" We may have even missed a story or two. Either way, the stories on this list made an impact in our community for better or worse.

Here are our picks for San Pedro's Top Stories of 2017:

Year of the Bicycle

2017 was the year of the bicycle in San Pedro. In July, the Metro Bike Share program installed docks along the L.A. Waterfront, with visitors and locals alike quickly seen riding up and down the promenade, from the fanfare fountains to Cabrillo Beach.

In August, CicLAvia, the city's biggest no-cars-allowed street party, made its 22 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I JANUARY 2018

way to the Harbor Area for the very first time. While pedestrians, runners, and skaters are also welcome, CicLAvia is widely thought of as a pro-bicycle event that closes large stretches of road to cars for several hours. For the San Pedro meets Wilmington event, cars in San Pedro had to scramble around closures on Harbor Boulevard, 5th Street, and 17 blocks of Pacific Avenue. While the event did affect busy Sunday traffic, it was hailed as a huge success by attendees.

The final two-wheeled invasion came in November, when an entire fleet of green bicycles appeared on street corners in Downtown, almost out of thin air.

These brightly colored transports are LimeBikes, a dockless bike-sharing program being tested throughout Councilman Joe Buscaino’s 15th District. As soon as the cloud of mystery surrounding the bikes settled, you couldn’t escape the sight of them being ridden in the very bike lanes that people not so long ago considered the scourge of the town.

“RESIST" Photo Goes Viral

San Pedrans are known for their civic engagement, so it’s no wonder that a local chapter of Indivisible, a progressive grassroots advocacy group, was organized here within weeks following the results of the 2016 presidential election. The key tenet of the national Indivisible movement, and the title of their manual, is “Resisting the Trump Agenda.” The Indivisible San Pedro group didn’t have to look far to find the perfect setting to send the message of those intentions directly to the president. On an idyllic Saturday morning in May, 200 members of the Indivisible San Pedro group spelled out the word “RESIST” with their bodies across the lawn at Founders Park in Rancho Palos Verdes, in direct view of the Trump National Golf Course. A drone-captured photo of the message quickly went viral, gaining attention on social media and snagging mentions in national print

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Clockwise from Top Left: Mural by Luis Sanchez in the newly improved Lilyan Fierman Walkway; massive Kent Yoshimura mural on the east face of the Warner Grand Theatre; the new and improved Hey Rookie Pool; RESIST viral photo by Indivisible San Pedro Facebook Group (photos: John Mattera, Kent Yoshimura/Facebook, Port of Los Angeles, Indivisible San Pedro/Facebook)

and broadcast news. 2017 was a year dominated by politics, and San Pedrans made sat abandoned, became somewhat of a mecca for graffiti artists. In 2009, Fort sure their voices, and bodies, were heard.

MacArthur Museum Director Steve Nelson won the $6.9 million in funding needed to bring the pool back to its original function and glory. While it’s opening Downtown San Pedro’s Improvements was delayed a year due to the discovery of a hidden underground tunnel, the Those of you who have complained about Downtown San Pedro being cool water and breathtaking view left nothing to be desired and made San Pedro neglected and in desperate need of some TLC, 2017 was your year. There the home of one of the most premiere public swimming facilities in the city. The hasn’t been so much attention focused on the area since the Beacon Street restoration of this historical pool, paid for by soldiers for their brethren, gives the Redevelopment project in the early 1970s. In fact, some of you who remember old upper reservation of Fort MacArthur, now Angels Gate Park, a piece of its soul those days may be experiencing some déjà vu around the newly empty corner back. The park feels more alive with swimmers coming for the first time, or oldof 6th and Palos Verdes Streets. It’s not the ghost of Beacon Street, but the timers coming back to relive their youth. new multi-use building being erected by Holland Partners. Holland Partners is definitely a name to remember because they were also chosen this year to Community Rallies for Evan redevelop the county courthouse site one block west.

On March 30, 2017, 15-year-old San Pedro High School freshman, Evan While no construction progress was made at the courthouse, or the adjacent Jimenez, was brutally attacked on his walk home by two men in an apparent Nelson One project, the town was happy to welcome a new restaurant that gang initiation. As he lay in the alley near 2nd and Bandini Streets, clinging to brought back a touch of Old San Pedro. Greg Morena searched far and wide for a life, three sisters, Cristina and Sofia Martinez and Jazmine Rivas, ran to his aid place to open his new seafood restaurant, Pappy’s. This young investor fell in love and quickly transported him up the hill to Providence Little Company of Mary with San Pedro and the famed Papadakis Taverna building, taking it down to the Medical Center. This fast-thinking would prove life-saving because, according to studs and its original 1925 facade. a comment made by Evan’s mother, Charlene Douthit, to the Daily Breeze, “…

It could be said that 2017 was the year that Downtown San Pedro did an about- doctors said Evan would have died if he had to wait for an ambulance.” face and really started to show itself as a vibrant, culturally forward community.

Overwhelming support from Evan’s San Pedro High School JV Baseball Two major public art additions, the art deco-themed mural by Luis Sanchez in the team and the extended San Pedro community immediately arrived in the form newly improved Lilyan Fierman Walkway, and the massive Kent Yoshimura mural of prayers, donations to a GoFundMe account (nearly $150,000 to date), and on the east face of the Warner Grand Theatre were both reasons why San Pedro subsequent fundraisers at local businesses. After a medically-induced coma was designated a California State Cultural District. and extensive physical therapy, Evan has proved to be a very strong young man. Only a few short weeks after his attack, he surprised his San Pedro High Hey Rookie Pool Opens School teammates by throwing out the first pitch before a game in April. Jaymel Summertime in San Pedro got substantially cooler in 2017 with the Williams, a Compton gang member, was charged with the assault in September reopening of the Hey Rookie Pool at Angels Gate Park. The pool, also known and awaits trial. Evan has returned to school and continues to recover from the as Gaffey Street Pool, was closed in the 1990s for safety issues and, while it severe brain injury he sustained.

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Clockwise from Top Left: Sign at Ports O'Call Village; Gaffey Street entrance/exit at night; San Pedro High School baseball player, Evan Jimenez; an artist rendering of the AltaSea campus (photos: Angela Romero/ That's So Pedro, Councilman Joe Buscaino/Facebook, Evan Jimenez/GoFundMe, Gensler)

Gaffey Street Renovations

So much effort has been centered around making Gaffey Street great again in 2017 that one only needs to drive into San Pedro to see that ours is a community on the rise. Since being named part of the Great Streets Initiative in 2014, much planning has been done to get Gaffey Street to this period of fruition.

In February, the 25 flags representing the home countries of San Pedro’s sister cities were raised in what was once known as the exit park, now called Sister City Plaza, near the entrance of the 110 Freeway. The momentum continued into the summer months, with the planting of 16 palm trees in the entrance median, trimmed with programmable LED lights to level up the color spectrum in the previously monochromatic welcome to San Pedro.

In July, the bulldozer of progress made a couple of stops in town, first razing the blue building beneath the large billboard at the end of the 110 Freeway that had long been seen as an eyesore. The demolition of the old Bonello’s and TC’s Bar buildings a couple of weeks later was a much more bittersweet loss, but many soon found comfort as the brand new drive-thru Starbucks began to take shape on the site. Starbucks wasn’t the only chain to make news in 2017. In a matter of months, the old Jack in the Box on Sixth and Gaffey Streets was knocked down and bounced right back with a bigger and brighter footprint. With so much happening this year, there is still more to look forward to in 2018, with new restaurants and the improvements to what’s being called the San Pedro Gateway Triangle Park. Stay tuned.

Ports O’ Call's Last Stand

For years, redevelopment of the waterfront and Ports O’ Call has been promised, only to have the plans fall through time and time again. So in 2017, when the announcement that infrastructure work was to ready to commence for the new San Pedro Public Market, people still had this “I’ll believe it when I see it” attitude. The first such work was the Harbor Boulevard Improvement project, which realigned the entrance to the future waterfront, alleviating bottlenecking 26 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I JANUARY 2018

and improving traffic flow.

The second infrastructure project that will need to be completed next year, before giving the site over to the developers, is the completion of a waterfront promenade. This put a definite expiration date on the leases of the Ports O’ Call Village tenants for the end of October 2017. For these tenants, who have been on a month-to-month lease for years, this was just another example of the Port crying redevelopment like the boy who cried wolf. They didn’t think it would really happen. When the reality set in, many of the tenants lawyered up.

Shop owners thought they would be given temporary spaces to stay open during construction, but that wasn’t the case. The word was only that the San Pedro Fish Market and Ports O’ Call Restaurant would stay open during construction. Then, to the shock of everyone, Ports O’ Call Restaurant was included on the list of the phase two closures that would happen by the end of March 2018. In the meantime, the City attorney’s office has been fighting tenants and winning cases, four at a time. By mid-December, less than a dozen shops remained open in the village, all of them clearing out stock at steep discounts, and expected to be closed by the end of the year.

AltaSea Plans for the Future

A new lease can do wonders, whether it’s on life, or a multi-million dollar aquaculture and blue technologies campus in San Pedro. That’s just what AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles got in 2017.

After talking to its tenants to get a feel for their needs, and following months of negotiations with the Port of Los Angeles, the Harbor Board of Commissioners approved a new 50-year lease for AltaSea that dramatically decreases costs from $130 million to $15 million. This reduction will have a huge impact on the construction schedule to repurpose the old warehouses, speeding it up by years. In a statement to the Daily Breeze in August, AltaSea general counsel Tim McOsker said, “…we figured out that we could build this project better and smarter because scientists and entrepreneurs don’t need a glamorous warehouse.” 2017 also brought some great new partnerships for AltaSea. They made a deal to combine

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Clockwise from Left: Sister Cities Plaza opening ceremony and dedication; security fence at the Port of Los Angeles; the infamous Gaffey 'Streeet' sign (photos: Councilman Joe Buscaino/Facebook, Port of Los Angeles/ Facebook, Angela Romero/That's So Pedro)

resources with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the L.A. Harbor and in December, announced the addition of La Kretz Blue Economy Incubator as a new tenant.

Honorable Mentions

Port of L.A. Security Breach on Live TV

YMCA Turned 100 – The YMCA came to San Pedro to provide safe recreation for the men of the armed forces stationed here during the first World War. The fact that the organization remained and has served the entire community of San Pedro for a century is something to be celebrated.

Homelessness & Drug Addiction Still Linger – For many, this topic should not be an "honorable mention," it should be on the top of the list because it's still a SpaceX Brings Technology to our Waterfront major problem. But that's also why it's just an honorable mention, because nothing San Pedro kicked off 2017 with a huge boost to its technology cred from has changed. an actual rocket booster. In January, SpaceX had its first successful booster Homelessness (and its ramifications) remains a huge issue in San Pedro, the recovery in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, the seventh overall. The greater Los Angeles area, as well as the nation. As development in San Pedro special droneship barge to capture the booster was built here in San Pedro and increases, it brings the need for solutions into sharper focus. The need for sent out for the landing. affordable housing across the City of Los Angeles is currently being addressed by On January 17, 2017, the 16-story tall SpaceX Falcon 9 booster floated into the Mayor Eric Garcetti and the City Council, but solutions are slow coming and the Port of Los Angeles and docked at the outer harbor. SpaceX has been trying to problem continues to plague our Downtown district and major thoroughfares. perfect the reusable spacecraft practice to make space travel more affordable. After San Pedrans are also still waiting to see the Harbor Division jail open as the first successful landing in January, SpaceX doubled the dock space in the Port promised by LAPD Chief Charlie Beck in February 2016. He vowed to have the of Los Angeles and welcomed their second in late June. As SpaceX works towards jail open "within three years." The two-year mark is next month. Will we see the increasing the speed of their launches and their fleet of reusable boosters, having jail open up in 2018? San Pedro is waiting... them in the Port of L.A. will be a huge win for San Pedro.

On August 16, 2017 a man driving a stolen SUV breached a security gate in the Port of Los Angeles, evading police and exposing the security cracks at one of the most notable and important shipping ports in the world, live on television.

For many in L.A., car chases are a spectator sport. Sometimes they end tragically, sometimes they get a little too close for comfort. This chase was both of those things, ending with the suspect climbing to the top of a gantry crane in the west basin, removing all of his clothes, and eventually falling to his death. The following day, Port of L.A. Executive Director Gene Seroka announced a thorough investigation into how the man was able to breach Port security protocols so easily. There’s too much that can go wrong at a complex as large and crucial as the Port of L.A., safety must be the utmost priority.

28 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I JANUARY 2018

Clean Air Port – The Port of Los Angeles updated its Clean Air Action Plan in 2017, expanding its goal to reduce emissions through cleaner trucks, newer ships, and transporting more cargo through the Port by rail.

Gaffey 'Streeet' Sign – When round signs installed near the Gaffey Street entrance improvement area included a misspelled “GAFFEY STREEET,” it put the "gaffe" in Gaffey and immediately went viral. spt

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JANUARY 2018 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 29

SPORTS

BASKETBALL STARS GET THEIR SHINE ON JOSEPH OCTAVE & HANALEI EMNACE PAVE THE WAY FOR MARY STAR BOYS & GIRLS HOOPS

by Jamaal K. Street

MSHS basketball standouts Joseph Octave and Hanalei Emnace. (photo: John Mattera)

As the 2017-18 San Pedro prep basketball season continues to blossom, excitement and expectations are rising at the end of town on Taper Avenue.

Mary Star of the Sea High boys and girls basketball teams are both off to great starts, each drawing a No. 2 preseason ranking in the CIF-Southern Section with the boys in Division 4-A, and the girls in Division 5-AA. Both teams made substantial playoff runs last year, with the boys reaching the semifinals, and the girls making the quarterfinals.

No one embodies both teams’ respective styles more than boys junior shooting guard Joseph Octave and girls senior point guard Hanalei Emnace, who both grew into the sport at a very young age.

“Growing up, I always knew my dad was successful,” said Octave, who averaged 24.7 points and 7.8 rebounds per game en route to an All-CIF selection, and currently has 1,426 career points at press time. “And with my parents’ help, they guided me towards basketball. It was never any pressure and it just led me to fall in love with the game.”

Emnace, who only averaged 5 points, but still led the Stars with averages of 4.4 assists and a staggering 4.7 steals said: “I grew up in a basketball gym since my dad was a coach and would spend my Sundays watching my sister play. I wanted to be like them so I

started playing myself and that carried on until high school.”

Octave, also a two-time All-Santa Fe League selection, proved last season how effective he is in clutch situations whenever Mary Star and coach Mike Sestich needed a basket. Against Don Bosco Tech of Rosemead in a league encounter, Octave drove to the basket and made a running bank shot with 2.5 seconds left for a 48-46 victory. In a non-league game against Malibu, he scored 23 second-half points (with three slam dunks) to pace the Stars to victory.

The CIF-SS Division 4-A quarterfinal showdown at Pacific of San Bernardino, however, was when Octave turned it up a notch.

With the Stars trailing by two, Octave broke free for a layup with eight seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Then, as the game went into a second overtime, he knocked down a game-tying three-pointer with seven ticks remaining to force a third overtime. With Pacific clinging to a 102-101 lead, Octave rebounded a missed layup and put it back in with 2.1 seconds left for the 103-102 victory.

“That was a great game for us,” said Octave, who scored a career-high 40 points in the win. “A lot of attention was focused on what I did, but if it weren’t for my teammates and coaches, I would not have been so successful.

I thank God for allowing us to come

30 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I JANUARY 2018

through with some big wins last year.”

Octave has two Division I offers from Montana and San Jose State, and plays on the Cali Boost travel team on the Adidas circuit, which is the highest level you can get on the AAU level.

Octave plays in front of at least 20 Division I college coaches every game.

“It’s a nice challenge to get me ready for high school season and the next level,” Octave said.

While Octave does his job offensively for the boys, a defensive mindset is always first and foremost for Emnace and the girls.

“Defense wins championships and I’ve always been taught that defense is what makes a team great,” Emnace says.

“But my favorite part about playing defense is anticipating what someone is going to do so I can get steals.”

That is something that Emnace is quite good at, and it gives the opposition plenty of headaches.

In two games last season, the twotime All-Santa Fe League selection posted double digits in steals, both against St. Pius X/St. Matthias Academy in league play. Emnace is not afraid to put her body at risk for the good of the team in drawing charges, something a lot of point guards shy away from doing.

Emnace’s defensive mentality is like a military drill instructor, and she’s become an extended coach on the floor for

fifth-year head coach Victor Tuberosi.

“Coach Vic has really taught me about passion and heart on the court, just giving my all whenever I’m on the court and being there for my teammates,” said Emnace, who also competes in swimming, track & field, and has played on four straight league title-winning volleyball teams. “I’ve also learned a lot about leadership while playing under Coach Vic and how I can make a difference in the girls’ attitude.”

Both Octave and Emnace are agreeable on a couple of things that help make their high school experience special: the strong Christian atmosphere and, of course, the Gold Rush student section at home games.

“Everyone is so loving and caring,” said Octave. “(Principal Rita) Dever and all the teachers really put faith first and it makes the experience so amazing.”

Emnace will also participate in the 2018 Rose Parade as one of 50 Gold Award-winning Girl Scouts during the Opening Flag Ceremony. She’ll also be carrying an award-winning float entry banner on the parade route.

“I love being a Girl Scout because it’s truly an adventure,” said Emnace. “I’ve learned so much about myself, what I’m capable of and it has taught me how to be confident and sure of myself.” spt

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by Ricky Magana Before you begin the new year with lofty weight-loss goals, we need to have a talk. You see, you’ve been duped.

Everywhere you look, you’re told you need to lose weight. Magazines and social media infomercials all espousing the diet or cleanse du jour that’ll get you to lose ten pounds in three days.

But if weight-loss is the only outcome you’re looking for, you’ve been misled. The weight of your body is comprised of lean mass, fat, and water.

But in the quest to look better naked, I think we’d all agree the only pounds you’re really interested in losing is fat.

Fat is what’s behind the jiggle, cellulite, muffin top, and beer bellies we are so motivated to lose. Not water, bone, or lean muscle.

However, what’s crazy is that most fad diets, while getting the number on the scale to drop dramatically for short amounts of time, actually do very little to make you leaner, and often, actually make you fatter than you were before.

In fact, with bodyweight, there is a seldom mentioned but important distinction you must be able to make: are you being sold weight-loss or weight manipulation? Many diet trends masquerade as a “solution for weight-loss,” when in reality they’re just short-term tactics for gaming the scale to say the number you want it to.

Let me give you an example: trash bags. When I first started in the gym, it wasn’t uncommon to see people wearing trashbags while they worked out. The idea was, if we sweat more via sweatsuits, sweatbands, or doing marathon sessions in the sauna, we burn more fat. While very useful for fighters and wrestlers to make their weight class, this is simply weight manipulation that drains your body of water that will return once you hydrate again. Sweating in and of itself has zero effect on fat loss. But sadly, many people endure severe discomfort and heat exhaustion for something that isn’t effective for losing bellyfat.

Another tactic for weight manipulation is crash dieting. We have this thing called the basal metabolic rate (BMR).

The BMR is the number of calories you burn to run all of the unconscious functions of your body excluding any physical activity – heartbeat, circulation, thinking, digestion, etc. These core functions your body needs to survive all require energy (calories) to keep going.

Unfortunately, lots of people think the less they eat the better. So much so, that they aren’t even eating enough to sustain their BMR. Your body views this as a red flag, and being a highly evolved adapting machine, starts feeding off its own muscle, and using as little energy as absolutely possible. And at every opportunity, it saves whatever food energy it can spare for a rainy day, so over time, you lose muscle and steadily gain adipose tissue resulting in “skinnyfat,” weighing very little but having high levels of body fat and no muscle tone.

Do this enough and your body will fight weight-loss like its life depended on it.

This is why focusing solely on weight-loss without regard to the kind of weight you’re losing will only hurt your results long-term. So, what’s a better method of setting goals and measuring progress? Measure your body composition – the ratio of your fat mass to lean mass.

At the end of the day, we really just want to look and feel better. We want to feel confident in the reflection, in ten-year-old jeans, or the infamous little black dress. Besides that, who really cares what the scale says if you can rock the hell out of a two piece or the tux fits you like James Bond?

This year, on your quest to become a better version of yourself, don’t get too caught up chasing the wrong metric.

Focus on decreasing your body fat and increasing your muscle. Sure, it’s more complicated than doing a lemon water cleanse, but it’s way more enjoyable.

(And before you begin, make sure to get your body fat measured so you know where your levels are for your age group.) spt Heyday Elite Fitness offers a 2-minute scan that provides a full 1-page body fat analysis to help you tailor your fitness goals. For more info, email ricky@heydaytraining.com.

RELIGION

SAINT PETER OF ALEXANDRIA: SAN PEDRO’S NAMESAKE

by Pastor Nathan Hoff When I moved back to San Pedro in 2005, I was under the false impression that our fair city was named after Saint Peter, the fisherman and apostle. It was only after stumbling across a Wikipedia article on our city that I realized we were named after Saint Peter of Alexandria, Egypt (d. AD 311), who was named after the more famous Saint Peter. Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo discovered what others had already discovered, a beautiful bay on the edge of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The date was November 24, 1542 – Saint Peter of Alexandria’s day. The next day is Saint Catherine of Alexandria’s day, which an island 25 miles off our coast would be named after – Santa Catalina.

So, who was Saint Peter of Alexandria? Does it matter? Foundations are important for futures. Healthy soil is important for healthy fruit. Our destiny is not disconnected from our history.

In our nation, we are continually going back and asking the constitutional question before we go forward. When a child is named after a beloved family member, we tell the story of that person, and what we want to honor about them. Embedded in this fourth century person of Saint Peter may be some character or personality or value of something indicative about our city in this century. I suggest two embedded gifts in Saint Peter of Alexandria that mark, or could mark, San Pedro: sacrificial courage and redemptive hope.

Peter of Alexandria lived during a time of great upheaval. The temptation to trade conviction for comfort was faced daily. The persecutions of the Roman Emperor Diocletian extended to the reaches of the empire, and made the faithful think twice about the price they were willing to pay for their beliefs.

Peter was courageous. His convictions were worth more than the high cost

of imprisonment and even death. San Pedro has a certain courage, too. There is strength in San Pedrans that is, at worst, an external swagger with a surly attitude. LA Weekly named us “L.A.’s Surliest Neighborhood” in 2013. The suggestion really ticked us off, which only confirmed our surliness. But at our best (though we are not there yet), we have the potential to stand our ground on some things that actually matter, like honoring family, fighting for just working conditions, and striving for something brighter for our kids.

During Peter’s era, many of the faithful were not so, well, faithful.

When we face persistent opposition, the temptation to give in, or even give up, is real. Many of Peter’s flock did just that, but some regretted it. They wondered if there was a way home after they had wandered far away. Concerned about keeping a high standard and not being too easy on those who had failed, many of Peter’s colleagues said there wasn’t a way home for the ones who had lost their way. Peter disagreed vehemently. His most well known writings are canons or rules related to welcoming home the lost soul. He could be a patron saint for those who have not been very good saints, a bishop of second chances. We are a city of second chances. Beacon House, Providence Little Company of Mary Recovery Center, 12-steps galore, and recovery homes in abundance. There are second chance outposts on every block. Of course, that kind of town comes with challenges, but the side of redemptive hope is the side I want to be on.

May the sacrificial courage and redemptive hope of Saint Peter mark this town more profoundly in 2018. spt

Why Choose McNerney's Mortuary?

You value what's important. We do too.

That's why families have trusted us since 1941.

Nathan Hoff is the Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro. Follow his blog at: trinitypastor.blogspot.com.

570 W. 5th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731 310-832-8351 • McNerneysMortuary.com • FD-418 JANUARY 2018 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 33

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