San Pedro Today - March 2021

MARCH 2021

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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It’s been a year.

March 13 will mark our planet’s complete revolution around the sun while in quarantine and dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. If you had told me on that day that we’d still be in the thick of this a year later, I wouldn’t have believed you, but here we are.

Fortunately, with new cases and the death rate going down, and with vaccines finally being administered, I think it’s safe to say there’s a light at the end of this tunnel.

It’s hard to believe that San Pedro has gone 12 months (and counting) without any community events. We know it’s been for the public good to help curb the spread of the virus; but still, for a town that’s partly fueled by socializing and community interaction, the past year has been rough.

Think about it. There have been no First Thursday Art Walk events or Chamber of Commerce mixers. No Cars and Stripes Forever or Music by the Sea concerts. No shows at the Warner Grand Theatre or Grand Annex and no performances at Little Fish Theatre.

There were no San Pedro or Mary Star high school football games. We missed the Mary Star Fiesta and the Cabrillo Beach New Year’s Day Polar Bear swim. There was also no Spirit of San Pedro Holiday Parade. And forget about Día de los Muertos, L.A. Fleet Week, and the Cabrillo Beach Fourth of July fireworks. None of those events happened either. I can go on, but you get the point. As eventful as 2020 was (and it was eventful), San Pedro was fairly… uneventful.

In my opinion, the loss of these public events has been just as detrimental to our town as the restaurant, salon, and retail closures, if not worse. These events were not only economic generators, but they also served as collective community stress relievers and some of the only times we’d get to catch up with friends and relatives. Instead, most of us have been cooped up for the past year in our small bubbles at home with little contact with the general public.

San Pedro has always been an eventdriven town, proven by the very incomplete list rattled off above. Even though many folks like to label us as “sleepy,” we’re actually a very social community.

I mean, have you seen how many different Facebook pages this town has? That alone should prove to everyone that San Pedro’s collective need to socialize is real and is in desperate need of resuscitation.

I keep thinking about what a postpandemic San Pedro will look like. Will our business and restaurant communities be able to bounce back quickly?

When indoor dining returns, will the outdoor dining parklets stay? I wonder what the first live event will be at the Warner Grand. And what about progress on the newly named West Harbor (formerly the San Pedro Public Market)?

I don’t have any of the answers yet, but I’m looking forward to finding out. 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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329 W. 6th Street | San Pedro | (310) 832-9364 MARCH 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 5

MARCH 2021

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ADVERTISING:

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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

ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION

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

Joshua J. Stecker Lori Garrett

Joseph A. Castañeda

AT-LARGE CONTRIBUTORS

Mike Harper, Peter Hazdovac, Sanam Lamborn, Ricky Magana, Steve Marconi, Jennifer Marquez, Anthony Pirozzi, Jr., Angela Romero, Sophie Schoenfeld, Lee Williams

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 13 | NUMBER 2

General Inquiries: ads@sanpedrotoday.com

EMPIRE22 MEDIA LLC OWNER/PUBLISHER Joshua J. Stecker

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

by Empire22 Media LLC. No portion of this publication can be reproduced without written permission by Empire22 Media. 25,000 copies are delivered to San Pedro and portions of Rancho Palos Verdes. San Pedro Today is a product of Empire22 Media LLC. Empire22 Media LLC, their subsidiaries and affiliates are released from all liability that may involve the publication of San Pedro Today. Copyright 2009-2021, Empire22 Media LLC.

ON THE COVER: Sonora "Sonny" Alba, 14-year-old professional snowboarder. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

6 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MARCH 2021

MARCH 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 7

VOICES

HELLO, MA BELL? I’M HANGING UP FOR GOOD

by Steve Marconi Operator, well could you help me place this call?

Jim Croce, 1972 Well, I’ve finally done it — I cut the cord.

I said goodbye to my telephone landline, one of the last vestiges of my ‘50s childhood. I saw the incinerator give way to the garbage disposal, galvanized trash cans supplanted by plastic, the clothesline replaced by a dryer, metal ice cube trays with icemakers, Sears and Roebuck catalog

by Amazon, vinyl records by mp3s, my Smith Corona for a PC, car cigarette lighters by USB ports, Britannica by Wikipedia, yellow pages by Google.

Through it all, even though my wife and I both have had cell phones for years now, we kept the landline for… well, I’m not sure what for, since the last person who used it regularly was my mother, who died in 2018.

Since then, about the only calls we were getting on our landline were the constantly annoying robocalls, and during the election campaign, the phone was ringing continually, at all hours. I don’t know why it took so long, but paying a monthly fee for something I was no longer using didn’t make much sense. To my surprise, however — and I’m sure many of you already know this — it turns out I save money by keeping my landline because it’s part of a bundle with the internet.

So, I still have the number, but I’ve

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unhooked all the old phones and put them away.

I may keep them around, mainly for historical value. My son, now in his 40s, hasn’t had a landline for years, and I know my granddaughters will never own one. Like so many other conveniences of long ago, they have become a quaint reminder of how much our lives have changed in just a short period.

When it comes to phones, I’m so old.

I remember when we didn’t need area codes because the population wasn’t large enough to need one. Regions just had prefixes (San Pedro’s was TE for Terminal) and five numbers. Of course, those were also the days when you still dialed zero (“dialed” refers to rotary phones, what they had before push buttons) to get an operator; called a person for information; dialed a recording to get the time; long-distance cost a small fortune; you even shared lines with other residents on “party lines.” For you whippersnappers out there, that meant that you’d pick up the phone to make a call and another person would be on the phone talking to someone else. You were then supposed to hang up and wait for the line to be free Here and there, you’ll also still run into another relic of the past, a longabandoned phone booth — you know, those things used by Superman and Dr. Who — and an occasional payphone on a wall near the restrooms, and you’ll have to explain to your millennial friend that you used to have to put coins into those things to make a call.

And if you’re really lucky, one of those giant phone books will still be hanging beneath the phone with the white pages listing the phone numbers of nearly everyone in the area.

While I don’t miss the phone book per se, I do miss one old-fashioned element of using the phone: talking to a human being and not a recorded voice.

Spending 10 minutes punching numbers to get to hear a live human — as I had to do when I went to cancel my landline — and then getting someone at a phone

bank in India who I can’t understand is not my idea of progress. It may make fiscal sense for the company, but like everything else, “customer service” has become an oxymoron.

So in a weird way, I’ve personally come full circle. More than 50 years ago, while at Dodson Junior High, Mr. Fazio, one of my all-time favorite teachers, nicknamed me Wireless, a nod to my sharing the same last name as the famed inventor of wireless radio. I used “From the Wireless” as a column name in college and into my professional journalism career, long before the term Wi-Fi became universal.

And now I’m wireless again.

Who Knew?

It was a year ago, before COVID-19 and the lockdown, that I lamented in this space how awful 2019 had been for the local restaurant industry. Little did I know what lay ahead.

Running a restaurant even when times are good is a risky business, but 2019 had been a particularly rough year. It is still too early to tell, but my guess is few eateries, especially the mom-and-pop variety, will survive the extended lockdown of 2020 that has continued into this year. Small-business owners and displaced employees have received government bailouts, but it will take years for them to recoup the lost income. Allowing outdoor dining to resume during the coldest period of the year is something of a bad joke, and eating outdoors in the summer heat sort of defeats the purpose. Air conditioning is a big incentive to eat out.

Some jobs may indeed be more essential than others, but putting food on the table for your family is essential for everyone. Let’s hope that by the time you’re reading this, the COVID-19 science will allow politicians, who have the least essential job of anyone, to open the doors for business in California. spt Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.

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VOICES

PIROZZI LIVE!

by Anthony Pirozzi, Jr. It’s been two months since I retired from the Boeing Company after 30-plus years of building, testing, and launching communication satellites from all over the world. I was the director of satellite operations when I retired, but in my early days in aerospace, I was a test engineer after graduating from Cal Poly Pomona. This position provided me experiences that took me to faraway places to launch satellites.

I traveled to French Guiana three times in the early ‘90s and spent a month and a half there on each launch campaign. In 1996, 25 years ago this month, I spent three months in Kazakhstan at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, a Russian military base. Baikonur is 180 degrees on the other side of the planet, and this was the first time any country would launch a commercial satellite from Baikonur. My position was spacecraft leader, which is the person responsible for ensuring the safe processing of the satellite from arrival until liftoff. I would think to myself, “Not too bad for a kid from Pedro.”

I documented our team’s experience by videoing as much as I could throughout the journey. From the moment we arrived in Moscow, walking Red Square, offloading the spacecraft in -20-degree weather, processing the satellite, and on the way home touring the Kremlin, I covered it all. I believe it was the experience working with the Russians that helped propel my career because I learned how to work across cultural and language barriers, leading a team through difficult circumstances, overcoming adversity, and adapting to a much different living environment.

The experience came with personal sacrifice as well. Carolyn was three months pregnant with Antonio, and I missed her first sonogram appointment.

I would see Antonio for the first time through a faxed sonogram. Although this was emotionally difficult, we made the best of it. As the 25th anniversary of the launch approaches, the launch team is reliving our experience through the videos I took. This approach has stayed with me ever since.

Fast-forward to today, and the advent of social media and documenting our day-to-day life has never been

easier. When I first learned how to use Facebook Live, I went live with just about everything that I thought would be enjoyed by others and used it as a way to communicate to my parents and family while away for work or on vacation, sharing with them the sights and sounds of my experience. I transposed this into creating a similar approach at work called “Safety Live,” using video to showcase safety improvements and ideas in the work area. Today, this has taken on a new life in my new “Pirozzi Live” YouTube channel.

Pirozzi Live is a simple approach to spotlighting just about anything San Pedro. The focus may be on personal interests, local businesses, developments, scenery, lighthearted conversation, or a local issue worth discussing. For starters, we met with James Brown, owner of the San Pedro Brewing Company, the day after the outdoor dining orders were lifted to capture his perspective.

We then met with local business owner Yolanda Regalado, where she explained the story behind the advent of Sirens Java & Tea. Finally, we covered my personal experience of taking my mom to Kaiser in Harbor City to receive her first COVID-19 vaccination shot while providing the scheduling information and phone number for non-Kaiser members for the viewer, and it worked!

A friend in Glendale was having difficulty scheduling his father’s vaccine shot but was able to schedule his first shot easily because of the information in our video.

The next step may be to transpose some of the content into a podcast of some sort in hopes that Pirozzi Live becomes a place for interesting dialogue, key insights, and local content that matters. What I believe we all could use is some lighthearted conversation where we can learn something new about each other and work together to improve San Pedro. Finally, we’ll discuss pressing issues by having the sometimes difficult conversations, but with respect for each other’s opinions and a spirit of working toward common solutions together.

Consider subscribing to the Pirozzi Live YouTube channel for the latest stories.

For content ideas, please send an email to PirozziLive@gmail.com. spt Anthony Pirozzi, Jr. is a Los Angeles Harbor Commissioner. He can be contacted at apirozzi@yahoo.com.

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VOICES

KAYAK CLEANUP IN L.A. HARBOR

by Jennifer Marquez

I had planned to kayak with Paddle Out Plastic in the morning and pick up trash in the Port of Los Angeles with this volunteer group.

The late-night fog horns were telling me a different story as the weather might not be ideal for kayaking.

In the morning, I look out my window, and the fog is gone. Instead of going out with the group off the boat launch at Cabrillo Beach, I like to leave from the inner beach and meet them at the breakwater near Angels Gate Lighthouse. What other city can you meet people on their boards and kayaks under a lighthouse in the same neighborhood with a lighthouse in a park and a restaurant called Lighthouse Cafe?

As I paddle to meet the group, I can see the ocean floor in great detail at inner Cabrillo Beach 20 feet down.

Gliding past the closed fishing pier, the clear water spooks me, and I think about sharks despite years of scuba diving and being advanced certified.

Marquez sits on her kayak near trash and debris in L.A. Harbor. (photo: Eva Cicoria)

I like being alone, but not when my mind imagines what lurks below for a few fleeting minutes. I am distracted by pelicans and other birds that congregate near an area of the inner breakwall as I explore this area of San Pedro.

I think about the year that has passed since I first went out with Paddle Out Plastic to remove litter from the ocean.

Witnessing the amount of trash in the port has had a lasting impact on me.

Eva Cicoria, the founder of Paddle Out Plastic, counts and categorizes all trash collected and reports it to the Marine Debris Tracker app under the NOAA

list. Over the past year, Paddle Out Plastic has removed more than 40,000 pieces of trash from local waterways.

When I catch up to Eva and the other volunteers, we are along the breakwall where a tremendous amount of litter is mixed in with kelp. As we pull out what we can by hand, we make our way to the lighthouse. As we are attempting to remove a large amount of Ziploc bags, single-use snack bags, straws, plastic bottles, and styrofoam, the fog returns. Eva suggests we go back in immediately, and I follow her.

At first, we head towards the boat ramp,

but we are far out, and the visibility becomes poor quickly. We don’t want to get hit by a boat, so we stay close to the breakwall, and I am happy to be distracted with conversation and the sound of the foghorns. Soon we are back by the pier, and we say our goodbyes as she heads to the boat ramp and I paddle to inner Cabrillo.

When I am not on my kayak picking up trash, I also pick up debris from inner Cabrillo Beach at low tide with a grabber. I find many interesting items from a fishing reel to a full-size scooter and lots of golf balls. I am grateful I can make a difference, even if it is small.

Leaning into a life with less waste, I now use more sustainable products like toothpaste in jars instead of tubes, reusable silicone Stasher bags instead of Ziplocs, and bamboo toothbrushes.

San Pedro is oceanfront, and our leaders must be invested in ocean conservation. The Port of Los Angeles should be taking steps to actively remove trash regularly from the harbor and provide education to boaters, contractors on the waterfront, and the community to help prevent and reduce litter in our local waterways. Adding kayak and standup paddle boarding (SUP) rentals at Cabrillo Beach would also help to increase the number of volunteers who can collect trash from the ocean. Ultimately, if these problems continue to be ignored, it is the sea life and ecosystems that suffer. spt To find out more about Paddle Out Plastic, visit “Paddle Out Plastic” on Facebook or Instagram.

Jennifer Marquez can be reached at jennifertmarquez@yahoo.com and @jenntmqz on Twitter and Instagram.

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VOICES

San Pedro has always been a hard-working town. From whaling to boat building and from tuna to moving America’s cargo, we are a workforce that adapts to the demands of the day. While we fight to protect and grow the existing jobs at the port, it’s important to keep an eye on other high-growth sectors and industries that will create opportunities for many future generations of San Pedrans.

In the short term, new construction will be one area of growth in jobs. There are several projects on the horizon that will need skilled tradespeople to complete them. With so many new construction jobs leaving California, San Pedro could see some real upside as we build out the waterfront, add new housing units, and renovate our entertainment venues.

Energy is another way we are going to create and sustain jobs here in San Pedro. The port and tenants like AltaSea are laser-focused on how we can best use solar and kinetic wave energy to produce clean energy. I imagine it like the work NASA did to send people to the moon. Many discoveries and sciences we now use in everyday life came from the ingenuity required to send someone there and back. Energy is no different — the port is investing millions in solar that will generate much of its future power needs. These will be built and maintained with union labor. Kinetic wave energy discoveries from AltaSea could create products and specialties we may eventually export throughout the rest of the world.

Aquaculture is another opportunity to create a major export from our shores and create jobs in San Pedro.

Feeding the world in sustainable and less climate-impacting ways is in high demand, and this high-growth sector will lead to well-paying jobs. Growing protein in the ocean will require divers at first, but much of the skilled, highpaying jobs will come from piloting drones to maintain crops and monitor growth remotely.

Think about that the next time you see a Cocobot driving around our San Pedro downtown. The pilots driving

Construction jobs are just one of a number of new employment opportunities coming to San Pedro. (photo: Pixabay/pexels.com)

CREATING JOB OPPORTUNITIES IN SAN PEDRO

by Lee Williams these vehicles delivering burgers could be developing the skills that will eventually get them paid like commercial pilots. Not to mention the San Pedro kid who will see one of these bots driving around Pedro and realize the hours they spent playing their favorite video game might lead them to a job in ocean exploration or bathymetry.

Before COVID-19, San Pedro’s arts and entertainment sector was growing rapidly. I’m not talking about all the filming opportunities, although I do love spotting Pedro on the screen. The art walks led by the late and beloved Pat Carroll, the sold-out performances at the Warner Grand, and traveling shows like Cirque du Soleil were bringing people downtown. These will return along with a 6,000-seat music venue on the waterfront. San Pedro will soon be known as a great place to grab dinner, a show, and to view local art.

I look at all the outdoor dining we now have in place in San Pedro, and I see a way for us to increase our

14 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MARCH 2021

restaurant traffic while so much of L.A. is seeing a reduction. People are tired of dining at home. They want an experience and to socialize when it is safe to do so again. Outdoor dining brings energy and activity to our restaurants that draws you in.

These are jobs and businesses that are family-owned and become part of your extended family the more often you go.

So many people predicted an end to tourism, especially cruises, for some time to come. Pent-up demand is bubbling over; if we can show travel, hospitality, and cruising can be done safely again, there is a good chance San Pedro will benefit the most. Each cruise ship drops about one million dollars into our local economy. But San Pedro tourism won’t just be for cruisers. We will have a “Park Once, Enjoy San Pedro” plan to get people around town in a way that will make it easier to spend a day in San Pedro for dinner, entertainment, and walks along the water.

Building out the waterfront and

including so many things to do and enjoy outside will give San Pedro the opportunity to deliver what so many people miss the most. Once we are allowed a more normal way of life, we are a lot less likely to take it for granted. There will be more places to go dancing and enjoy the nightlife here in San Pedro as well. You’ll still find me at Godmothers from time to time, but the increase in nighttime activities will give us more around-the-clock jobs and recreation.

San Pedro wasn’t built by people afraid of change. We are lucky enough to have the vision and local investment that will position us well as the globe comes back online. We will continue to innovate, adapt, and discover jobs and opportunities that will cement our place in history and what we provide for the future. spt Lee Williams is board chair of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce and leads The Williams Group at Keller Williams PV Realty.

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

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MARCH 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 15

EATS

It’s surreal to think that everything about how we live and socialize changed a year ago this month when we went into lockdown. Fortunately, outdoor dining is open again, and there are plenty of options to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness.

As the new owners of our British pub Whale & Ale, a local institution, Susan and Martin O’Sullivan haven’t skipped a beat with the excellent food and service. For St. Patrick’s Day, try the traditional Irish options on the menu, such as corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and bangers and champ. For those not familiar with champ, it’s the Irish version of creamy mashed potatoes kicked up a notch by scallions. You can’t go wrong with any of the food choices.

Guinness and drink specials will be available to complete the experience. If beer is not your thing, then do yourself a favor and order the Irish Mule — it’s my current favorite. Please check their website for the latest hours of operation: thewhaleandale.com.

If you must have your green beer fix, then head over to San Pedro Brewing Company. Owner James Brown tells me that they will also serve Irish Car Bombs, an Irish-American drink for St. Patrick’s Day, which is a shot of whiskey and Baileys dropped in a pint of stout. There will be corned beef and cabbage as well as corned beef grilled cheese. I’m looking forward to trying the latter because anything that has grilled onions has my interest, but caramelized onions made with Guinness has my full attention. If none of the options above fit your palate, have no fears — there are plenty of good choices on the menu. For us, a visit is not complete without an order of Gaffey Fries, an affinity that my Pedro-raised husband has passed on to me. Please check their website for the latest hours of operation: sanpedrobrewing.com.

The newest kid in town is The Sardine. Who would have imagined that the location of the old Ramona Bakery, after sitting empty for years, would turn into an eclectic live music venue in San Pedro? They have an outdoor area in the back where you

Clockwise from top: The Sardine is serving food and drinks on their outdoor patio; San Pedro Brewing Company's fish and chips; shepherd’s pie from the Whale & Ale. (photos: The Sardine: John Mattera Photography, others: Instagram)

MARCH-ING INTO ST. PATRICK’S DAY & MARCH MADNESS

by Sanam Lamborn can sit and drink your beer or wine, purchased from the bar. They will have a food truck on St. Patty’s Day, barring any CDC or health department changes, serving corned beef sandwiches.

Guinness will be deeply discounted and poured cold. I encourage you to choose from their extensive and diverse beer collection for either drink in or take home. Please check their active Instagram account for the latest hours of operation: instagram.com/ sardinepedro.

Speaking of beer, we must also talk about the best and largest “beer garden” in Los Angeles: Brouwerij West.

Before the pandemic, my husband, my Great Dane Grace, and I used to spend many hours hanging in the courtyard socializing with local friends and

16 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MARCH 2021

making new ones. For me, walking up to the counter was like my own version of Cheers, where I was greeted by my first name. There won’t be a St. Patrick’s Day themed affair, but you can still enjoy drinking at one of the picnic tables with a meal purchased from the food truck of the day or pick up beer or seltzer to go. Additionally, there will be some special cool beer releases for their fifth anniversary. Please visit their website for the latest hours of operation and highly recommended reservations: brouwerijwest.com.

Brouwerij West and The Sardine have been particularly affected by the pandemic since for months they were only able to sell beers to go due to the health department’s regulation. They both add to the uniqueness of our port

town, and I encourage you to visit them so that they can continue to be part of our community for years to come.

While TVs must remain off during this time according to the CDC guidelines, there is always takeout for March Madness. We are lucky to have places in town that make good food and offer a variety of beers or cocktails to take home. With takeout, not only do you support our local restaurants, but you spend more time enjoying the games instead of prepping and cooking. spt Sanam Lamborn created the Eat in San Pedro Facebook group and Instagram account in April 2020 to entice people to patronize San Pedro’s eateries.

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RISING STAR

14-YEAR-OLD SNOWBOARDING SENSATION SONORA “SONNY” ALBA HAS HER SIGHTS SET ON THE WINTER OLYMPICS & BEYOND

by Joshua Stecker Sonora "Sonny" Alba, photographed at Cabrillo Beach on February 5, 2021. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

Sonora Alba is one busy teenager.

It’s an unusually warm Saturday in early February, and the 14-year-old pro snowboarder and San Pedro native, fresh off the heels of her X Games Aspen debut a week earlier, is enjoying some downtime with her parents, Karah and Rudy, outside of Sirens Java & Tea. In a few weeks, Sonora, who prefers the nickname Sonny, and her family will be heading back to Colorado for back-toback contests on the U.S. Revolution Tour. But right now, all this teenager cares about is hanging out with her cousins during this short break.

“I don’t have too many friends. My cousins are my friends. I have a lot of cousins,” she says, laughing.

Even though she’s been competing on the amateur circuit for years, Sonny recently caught the attention of her hometown during her nationally televised X Games contest, competing in the Monster Energy Women’s Snowboard SuperPipe. Photos and videos of her in action rippled through various local social media channels, many cheering her on and proudly pointing out her name on the chyron with “San Pedro, CA” displayed underneath it.

The enthusiasm was a reminder that it’s been a while since the town had a local pro athlete it could rally behind.

The event, her biggest contest to date, caps off an exciting 12 months that saw her move from the amateurs to the pros

when she appeared as the only girl on the halfpipe with the older kids during the annual San Pedro Shred: Festival of Skate event that ran from 2013-2017. At maybe three and a half feet tall, decked out in the required helmet and pads, she FEARLESS was skating circles around boys twice When she was three years old, Sonny her age. jumped off a 20-foot pier into the ocean “I was so intimidated. They wouldn’t while visiting Catalina Island. Her let me drop in,” remembers Sonny. mother realized then that her daughter “She’s always been like that,” says was fearless.

Karah. “I would credit her [fearlessness] “Her brother, Kai, is 10-years-old, as one of her strengths that really sets and they couldn’t be more different,” her apart. Of course, [she has] the natuexplains Karah. “One of my things I ral talent and stuff, but I always feel would always say about Sonny is that like sometimes you have to have those when she learned how to walk, she ran extra other things… no fear, the passion, away from me. And when Kai learned all those things have contributed to her how to crawl and walk, he crawled up success.” my leg. She never looked back. This was her personality.”

EARLY START With a thirst for excitement alWhile skateboarding and surfing are ready brewing at a young age, Sonny’s more convenient sports to pursue while parents introduced her to snowboardgrowing up in San Pedro (she won a ing during family trips to Big Bear and couple of early skateboarding competiMammoth mountains starting when she tions), Sonny knew at a young age that was three years old. her passion was snowboarding.

“My dad took me to Big Bear when “Well, I do go surfing and skating, I was really young, maybe like once but I feel like snowboarding is my pasa year, and then I started going more sion. I have so much more fun doing it and more throughout the years,” recalls than all the other sports,” she says. “I Sonny. was just better at it, [and I like] learn“She’s self-taught,” adds her father, ing more tricks and just getting that Rudy. serotonin and stuff when doing it.”

An avid skateboarder and surfer too, Sonny’s training paid off when she locals started noticing Sonny’s talent was selected to Mammoth Mountain’s with a big win at the Burton U.S. Open Junior Jam, leading to an invitation to become the youngest current member of the U.S. Snowboard Team. Did I mention she’s just 14?

18 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MARCH 2021

Elite Snowboard Team three years ago.

Described as a team with “the highest caliber athletes who have the skill, attitude, maturity and work ethic of an Elite Athlete,” the Elite Team’s training was intense and focused strictly on competitions and routine development and was the next rung on the ladder towards earning her pro status. It also required a lot of time and travel.

The team’s five-day training schedule, which meant having to make the five-hour drive back and forth from San Pedro to Mammoth Mountain every week, was something the Alba family had to get used to.

“It was a Wednesday through Sunday [schedule],” remembers Karah. “We would leave Tuesday for the five-hour drive to Mammoth… and we would come home Sunday night. It’s been a lot of driving.”

Between a busy training schedule and a competition calendar that had the Albas traveling around the world, it was clear Sonny’s schooling was going to be impacted. Knowing their daughter was on her way to becoming a professional snowboarder, the Albas decided to homeschool Sonny after she graduated from the fifth grade at South Shores Elementary School. “[South Shores] was awesome in supporting her because she would miss a lot of school,” says Karah. “But when she made that transition into

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Left: "I do go surfing and skating, but I feel like snowboarding is my passion," says Alba. Top: Catching air in Switzerland.

Bottom right: The Alba family: Rudy, Karah, Kai, and Sonny. Center: Sonny at the X Games Aspen. (photos: Instagram)

middle school, it was just too hard. So, we found an online program, and she has an online teacher. She’s in eighth grade now, but she’s an excellent student. She’s already taking high school courses.”

When asked if it’s been challenging to balance school, training, and competing, while also spending a fair amount of time on the road, Sonny concedes that it’s not easy.

“I train so much each day because I start snowboarding at 8:30 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. And usually, I trampoline after that for like three hours. Then I come home and do schoolwork. So, it’s a little late. But if I went to school [in person], I think that would be even harder for me. Homeschooling is easier [to manage] and more steady.”

GOING PRO Last season was a big one for the San Pedro snowboarder.

In early February 2020, Sonny competed at Dew Tour 2020 in Copper Mountain, Colo., marking her biggest competition at the time. Later that month, at only 13, she won the Burton U.S. Open Junior Jam in Vail, Colo. with a score of 75.00, earning her a spot in the main contest where she placed ninth out of 13 in the women’s halfpipe semi-final.

These appearances led to Sonny being offered a spot on the 2020-2021 U.S. Snowboard Team last April, where

she’s one of only four on the women’s halfpipe pro team.

“At 13, she was the youngest to join,” says Karah. “We got the call in April, and we knew, just from her success, that this was eventually a path. We believed that she would probably join the rookie team first, but we got a call in April asking her if she wanted to join the U.S. Snowboard Team.”

For Sonny, her quick success has been an almost surreal experience. In just a few short years, she’s gone from being a fan of snowboarding giants like Chloe Kim and Maddie Mastro to becoming teammates with them on the U.S. team. She’s now found herself competing with her heroes.

“Yeah, it’s so crazy. I’m competing against the best girls in the world right now,” she says. “I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness. What is going on?’”

Karah says the U.S. Team’s plan is to help develop Sonny’s talents at this early age in the hopes of having her qualify to compete in the Winter Olympics, either in Beijing next year, or more likely, in Milan, Italy, in 2026.

“If she does have the opportunity to go to Beijing, she’ll be the youngest snowboarder to ever go to the Olympics,” says Karah, “because you have to be turning 16 that year. So, she’ll be 15, turning 16 [that] July.”

“I definitely want to go to at least three Olympics,” adds Sonny. “And more than that.”

20 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MARCH 2021

Turning pro also means the opportunity for sponsorships. It’s no secret that snowboarding, like most snow/ice sports, is expensive to keep up with.

Boards, snow gear, gloves, goggles, travel expenses — all of it adds up — so any kind of corporate sponsorship to help lighten the financial burden is welcome. Fortunately, companies like Rockstar Energy Drink, Roxy, Vans, CAPiTA Snowboards, and Flux Bindings have all noticed Sonny as a rising star with Olympic potential and have offered their support.

“We’re very lucky that all of these companies reached out to [Sonny] and saw her potential,” says Karah. “They believe in her, even though she hasn’t accomplished much in the professional world. They help with financial and travel support, exposure, and of course, gear.”

TEEN BEAT When not crisscrossing the globe competing or driving back and forth with her family from Big Bear or Mammoth, Sonny tries to maintain a normal 14-year-old life. She loves watching anime, hanging out with her best friend and cousins, eating, and skateboarding at Peck Park.

“I love hanging out with my family because I never get to see them how I used to,” she says.

Sonny has found a common bond with her best friend and fellow snowboarder, Bea Kim, a teammate on the

Mammoth Mountain Snowboard Team, from Rancho Palos Verdes.

“The girls really connected,” says Karah. “And then the next thing you know, they live 10 minutes away from us. So, [the Kims] became like family.

She’s about six months younger. They really do support each other, so it’s kind of nice that they’re in it together.”

“We’re not weird when it comes to competition. We support each other,” adds Sonny. “It’s nice to always have her. We hang out at Mammoth. I see her every day; then I go to her house every day in Mammoth. And when we come back to L.A., I hang out with her here, too.”

Back home in San Pedro, Sonny’s father, Rudy, is both proud and humored by his daughter’s success.

“I would say it’s fun to watch, and I just want to see her be successful,” he says. “I love it. It gives me something to do other than work.”

When asked if she feels any pressure to win now that she’s competing at the top level at such a young age, Sonny expresses both confidence and humility.

“I don’t feel pressure because I want myself to succeed,” she says, “and just get better and progress even more. My team said they have no pressure on me. They just want me to do well and have fun. I definitely want to get better though and work hard every day.” spt

Dr. Kardovich and team celebrating the recent Super Bowl!

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MARCH 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 21

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

(photos: courtesy Rolling Hills Prep School)

AN INDIVIDUALIZED APPROACH TO EDUCATION

by Rolling Hills Prep School staff One of the greatest challenges for the modern parent is ensuring that their child has a positive educational experience, which can be difficult in large classroom and school environments.

Rolling Hills Prep (RHP) recognizes that students all have different needs and interests, requiring a more individualized approach to education that provides opportunities, support, and mentorship that allows them to embrace their own journey through education and beyond. In many ways, the program at RHP is dedicated to helping students find their goals and passions without the fear of getting lost in a crowd, allowing middle and high school students to embrace their unique qualities and forge their own path as they approach adulthood.

In addition to small class sizes, RHP takes an individualized approach to the entire learning process. Every student is matched with a faculty advisor, forming a trusted bond that allows a well-informed educator to help identify opportunities and challenges, while providing mentorship to students and feedback to parents. Each year, the curriculum is built from the ground up by assessing the academic and programming needs of the community, and these conversations explicitly

mention every student by name to ensure that course planning and placement address their needs. College counseling and life preparation are built directly into the curriculum, allowing older students to identify their schools of choice, but also providing crucial character and skill-based education to younger students who are still learning how to be young adults. Students who seek additional challenge can apply for a specialized diploma in the arts, global studies and world languages, or math and sciences, all of which show an above-and-beyond approach to their chosen field through additional work, internships, and dedication.

In addition to academic offerings, students of all grade levels are provided with numerous opportunities to explore and develop their interests in co-curricular activities with no-cut policies. Middle school students are encouraged to explore their creative side with rotating arts courses that give them an introduction to visual and performing arts, and the high school curriculum builds on that with advanced offerings in drawing and painting, 3D art, darkroom and digital photography, design, music and composition, and theatre studies. There are also several annual opportunities

22 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MARCH 2021

for students to highlight their creative endeavors, such as the fall play, spring musical, classical night, visual art shows, and recurring talent shows.

No-cut policies extend into athletics in both middle and high school teams, including high performing basketball teams that have won regional and state championships in recent years and have featured top-ranked players, such as Clarice Akunwafo ‘21, who is nationally ranked as the number two center in Varsity Girls’ Basketball and was recruited in her junior year to play for USC. Students interested in STEM have opportunities to build problem-solving robots on the robotics team, imagine the future of municipal planning with a “Future Cities” team, and have several opportunities to present projects and research at the annual STEM expo and science fair.

Character education is a crucial aspect of life at RHP, and every student is encouraged to view themselves as responsible global citizens. Currently, RHP is a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, an advanced educational approach that empowers students through inquiry-based learning methods that have been tested across the globe. Students are required to take

part in community service-learning projects, such as helping people in need or taking care of the environment, and there are numerous school events where entire families choose to volunteer their time or resources for the greater good.

Yearly outdoor education trips allow students and teachers to take learning outside of the classroom and relate their experiences back to an appreciation of nature and the environment while building stronger bonds and friendships with their classmates.

Even in the time of COVID, the school has succeeded at fostering positive virtual learning experiences and is prepared to address learning impact upon a full return to campus. In the coming years, the school anticipates helping new students navigate subjects and skills that may have been impacted by unsuccessful experiences with virtual learning at other schools. To increase accessibility and address the financial impact of COVID, RHP has also committed to freezing or lowering tuition for its programs and offerings. The school accepts applications year-round on a rolling basis and more admission information, including recording of virtual admission events, can be found at rollinghillsprep.org/info. rhp

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HISTORY

THE SAN PEDRO IDENTITY

by Angela Romero

A century ago, in February of 1921, the Harbor and Foreign Trade Committee of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce proposed to replace the names of Wilmington and San Pedro with Los Angeles Harbor.

Their issue stemmed from the confusion surrounding shipping by sea. While San Pedro and Wilmington were technically part of the city of Los Angeles, the cargo would still be 20 miles away from its final destination when it arrived. And who was responsible for the cost of transfer between the docks and Downtown L.A.?

In the 1920s, Los Angeles was still figuring out what kind of city it was going to be. Big business had decided that industry belonged in the middle of the sprawling metropolis, 20 miles away from the city’s port. Twenty miles in the 1920s was a world away. San Pedro had its own federally recognized post office and telephone exchange. So, not only did businesses in L.A. have to pay for their freight to get delivered from San Pedro, but they also had to pay toll rates on phone calls to arrange for that freight to be picked up. Because of this cost and inconvenience, the L.A. businessmen thought it would be easier if San Pedro and Wilmington gave up their names, phone exchanges, and post offices. This action would mean a phone rate increase for all San Pedrans. The post office was a moot point because the government had already refused to make the San Pedro office a branch of the L.A. post office.

Just as they did during consolidation over a decade before this issue, Wilmington community leaders caved to L.A.’s demands almost immediately.

They announced that they would be okay with the name change and

This cartoon by Jack Lindsley, “The Mysterious Cowboy Cartoonist,” was part of the “Buy in San Pedro and Greater Prosperity” campaign that ran in the San Pedro Daily Pilot from 1922 to 1923. The campaign promoted buying locally and highlighted local business owners with profiles and caricatures. (photo: San Pedro Daily Pilot)

giving up their post office. After all, Wilmington’s Chamber of Commerce’s technical name at that time was the Los Angeles Harbor Chamber of Commerce. I should point out that the people of Wilmington, and eventually business owners, disagreed with their civic leaders.

The community of San Pedro was a united front on this issue. The L.A. Chamber had invited delegates from the San Pedro Chamber to a luncheon to discuss the issue. The San Pedro Chamber refused to send representatives because they had already made it clear where they stood on the subject — San Pedro’s identity was not open for discussion. While

24 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MARCH 2021

the costs of these changes would be prohibitive enough for people to disapprove of the proposal, it was the collective community identity that became the rallying cry for San Pedro.

While the immediate shipping issue was eventually resolved by placing Los Angeles Harbor in parentheses after the town name, i.e., San Pedro (Los Angeles Harbor), interests in L.A. would continue to fight the issues of the telephone exchange and post office for two more years. The continued fight ultimately proved that the original complaint wasn’t rooted in shipping confusion at all. The consensus was that old-time L.A. businessmen were afraid

that Los Angeles could never truly prosper if San Pedro and Wilmington were allowed to retain identities apart from the main city.

San Pedrans had thought they quashed this name erasure issue when it initially popped up in 1918.

Instead, it became a five-year battle for community identity. Community identity became such a rallying cry for locals that it became a policy platform for politicians looking to secure the San Pedro vote. Local businessmen created progressive groups to boost small businesses and instill civic pride in the community. The newspapers began running town booster campaigns engaging the community to think about why community identity was so important to them and San Pedro’s future. Even the Women’s Club canceled their contract with Los Angeles businesses and promoted buying local. This concerted effort to boost San Pedro was happening as large housing tracts like Vista Del Oro were getting built. For town leaders, the people who would fill these new homes would only strengthen San Pedro’s fight for a community identity outside of Los Angeles.

It’s hard to understand how close San Pedro came to losing its identity in the early 1920s, but the years-long battle was big enough to light a fire under the community to make sure that it would never happen again. I see this period as the birth of San Pedro’s signature pride. San Pedro shirts, stickers, tattoos, vanity license plates, email addresses, and social media handles are all thanks to some greedy L.A. businessmen thinking that their convenience was worth our erasure.

I hope this little story will make anyone think twice about San Pedro erasure to be different or technical. If your zip code is 90731 or 90732, don’t say you’re in Los Angeles. Put some respect on this century-long struggle.

You’re in San Pedro. spt If you are a proud San Pedran who would love to learn some local history, please join us Wednesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. for our next Heritage at Home presentation. This month, we will be reprising our launching event presentation, San Pedro History Basics. To participate, please email angela@sanpedroheritage.org.

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MENTAL HEALTH

DIVORCE: A MARRIAGE TO SELF

by Sophie Schoenfeld, MFT In a world where we women are finally able to provide for ourselves and our children, have a voice in our governance, and choose our purpose and direction in life, California (one of the most progressive states in the country) has reached a 60 percent divorce rate. In the last decade, overall marriage rates have been dropping consistently across the country.

New surveys indicate that younger generations no longer strive for marriage as their end goal in life. Some argue that this is an indication of the social fabric's disintegration; some say it is an example of an emotionallydisconnected society in the digital era; some say it’s the end of romance.

Pragmatic minds point out that the dwindling economic need for marriage renders it socially redundant. From a psychosociological perspective, however, it is also interesting to review the post-feminist age of the female condition in modern society and an emergence of a new cultural narrative that is flipping the paternal script for the female life path in our society.

No marriage begins with divorce plans, and no divorce is a walk in the park. While personal tragedy is

involved in love lost, dreams unfulfilled, disappointments, and betrayals weathered, divorce is becoming not only a likely outcome of matrimony but a reality for many families across the board. So then, perhaps, divorce in the modern world is not a failure of a family to stay together but a necessary developmental stage in the growth and development of an open family system that is in direct relationship with its environment.

Is it possible then that families that do not end in a divorce are, in fact, more likely to be closed boundary systems that fail to fully integrate the outer world and therefore maintain their institutions at the expense of individuals within that system? In other words, keeping a family together more often than not requires major sacrifices on behalf of each partner, sacrifices which the society at large no longer demands from the individual. Current culture celebrates individualism, selfactualization, self-promotion, pursuit of

systems; children are being raised in the community exposed to multiple family systems configurations. There is no social necessity or economic need to remain indefinitely bound to, let’s say, the father of your children.

Could we perceive uncoupling as a step toward female liberation from the patriarchal doctrine that states it is somehow “romantic” for us to “belong” to someone?

Women don’t need to “belong” to their partners any more than men do.

When we are emotionally individuated, when we feel truly capable, when we are openly engaged with the world on our own terms, we enjoy a very diverse variety of relational needs with each other. Not all men we come in contact with need to be our lovers or a potential husband, for that matter. We enjoy (photo: cottonbro/pexels.com) intellectual banter, we enjoy friendship, we enjoy romance, we enjoy raw sexual individual happiness, and taking charge encounters, and not one of these is of one’s destiny. We are presented with absolute for our emotional health or life purpose. In other words, relationships endless opportunities, career choices, ideas, and ways of living and expanding with our partners are as important, but not more important, than relationships our consciousness, so the reality of we have with our friends, colleagues, a partnership withstanding such a dynamic and ever-evolving culture with and the community at large.

The most important relationship for matching speed is almost inconceivable. a modern woman is the relationship Marriage in the modern context she has with herself. Hence, divorcing becomes inevitably thwarting. a partner that no longer serves this It is undeniable that we need a relationship is simply a necessity. stable support system to start building Modern-day divorce, for many, is a a family; it does take a village to raise renewal of vows to one’s self, and the a child. Certainly, our own families of reality of contemporary marriage is origin and extended families we adopt through our marriages can serve as that that, in most cases, it has a life cycle of village. Yet currently, very few families its own.

So perhaps it is time we stop asking live close to their extended relatives. the question of why so many people are In reality, families rely more on relationships they forge with friends in divorcing and start asking the question their immediate communities to support of why so many people remain married to the other instead of the self? spt this process.

With neutralizing gender roles, we are seeing a rise in stay-at-home fathers Sophie Schoenfeld, MFT is a local marriage and family therapist. For and working moms. We no longer more info, visit sophiemft.com. raise children in tight-knit family

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“Free 30 Minute Consultation with Mr. Green” 26 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I MARCH 2021

FITNESS

SIX WAYS TO GET BETTER

by Ricky Magana In the 1940s, the nation’s hospitals faced a serious problem. World War II was nearing its conclusion, but the collateral damage of wounded soldiers returning home created a massive backlog of veterans that needed rehabilitative care to enter back into civilian life.

Until this time, the only solutions we had to offer were lengthy rehabilitative methods, and it was overwhelming hospitals far beyond capacity. This prompted an army physician named Thomas DeLorme to test a new method of rehabilitating soldiers. It involved using weighted resistance exercises in which patients had to find the maximum amount of weight they could lift ten times repeated for three sets. DeLorme’s experimental method proved to be significantly better and faster in rehabilitating patients and was quickly adopted as the standard in military and physical therapy programs.

This practice came to be known as progressive resistance exercise and, perhaps, unknown to DeLorme, had other uses outside of rehabilitative care, namely building muscle and strength in healthy populations.

Progressive resistance (or progressive overload) is the gradual increase of stress placed on the body (musculoskeletal and nervous system) over time. This steady increase in stress triggers the body’s adaptive response that allows one to get stronger, build muscle, and perform at a higher level.

Any time you see the culmination of any athletic performance, it is in all likelihood the result of progressive overload at work.

It is not an earth-shattering concept: steadily make things harder on yourself, and you will get better as a result.

But despite it being such an essential law of getting better, the concept of progressive overload is still largely unknown or ignored by virtually everyone on the quest to getting fit.

This is because the tendency is for people to do what they’re comfortable with in the gym. They have their stationary bike or their go-to weights and rarely stray from them. Cardio people tend to stick to the same cardio machines, done at the same speed, for the same 45-minute duration. Others in the weight room tend to do roughly the same weight with the same three exercises for the same amount of reps,

week in and week out.

But your body is an adapting machine, so for it to keep improving, you must continue to challenge it, or it will no longer change. So if you feel stuck and put in the work, it is likely because your program isn’t utilizing progressive overload. If so, here are six ways to work it into your routine.

Switch up the movements. Don’t build fitness around one machine or exercise. Your fitness should be wellrounded and include a nice mix of movements and exercises you can switch out to keep your body guessing and hit it from different angles.

Change your weight. If your goal is to get stronger, the weight should steadily and safely increase over time.

An increase of 1-5 pounds every few weeks done over the long term will keep your strength improving.

Revise your rep scheme. It is conventional knowledge that lower reps (1-5) build strength, mid ranges (6-12) tend to build muscle, and higher reps (15+) build muscular endurance. You should incorporate different ranges at different points in your training cycle.

Tweak your rest periods. One of the most effective changes you can make to your workout is to time your rest. If a weight starts to feel easy, shorten the rest period and you probably won’t feel that way anymore. Or go heavier and rest longer; the point is to change what you always do.

Adjust the tempo. You don’t always need to go heavier — simply slowing down the entire movement can make what was once easy very difficult. For example, try incorporating slow threesecond descents and pauses in your squats. Playing with tempos can make all your workouts challenging in a new way.

And lastly, track your performance.

So many people mindlessly exercise, but the key to getting great results is to track how you do each workout so that you can push it a little bit further each time.

I once heard it said that some people say they have ten years of experience when they just have one year of experience repeated ten times.

Progress is not automatic. It has to be deliberately worked at, and by incorporating progressive overload, you’ll be doing just that. spt

(photo: JESHOOTS.com/Pexels.com)

Ricky Magana is co-owner of Heyday Elite Fitness. For more info, visit heydaytraining.com.

MARCH 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 27

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE TRENDS: ONE YEAR INTO THE PANDEMIC

by Mike Harper & Peter Hazdovac

Serving Our Community for Over 40 Years!

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Who would’ve thought? One year has passed, and our lives are still very much at the mercy of a global pandemic along with the social, business, and lifestyle alterations it has thrust upon us. To say it’s been an interesting year in real estate would be a gross understatement. Let’s take a closer look at how our local real estate market fared in 2020, with the pandemic taking hold on March 12, 2020.

According to local MLS statistics (2020 v. 2019), there were 355 singlefamily residences (SFR) sold in San Pedro (+14%) with an average sales price of $781,000 (+8%) and average days on market (DOM) of 32 days (-11%).

In neighboring Rancho Palos Verdes, there were 399 SFRs sold (+9%) with an average sales price of $1.644MM (+10%) and average DOM of 38 days (-19%).

Overall, there were 3,959 SFRs sold (-4%) in the South Bay with an average sales price of $1.340MM (+14%) and average DOM of 31 days (-16%). The trend in San Pedro and Rancho Palos Verdes was increased sales volume, with higher prices and fewer days on market throughout the South Bay. With all the uncertainty and chaos that the pandemic has caused in our economy, real estate had remained stable when many initially predicted declining values due to a staggering unemployment rate and uncertain economic future.

The fundamental reason for a continued rise in housing prices is the lack of inventory (as low as we’ve ever experienced) and favorable mortgage rates (under 3% and not projected to increase in 2021). At the time of our publication deadline, there were only 19 active SFRs on the MLS in San Pedro and 38 in RPV. This is at or below one month of available inventory, which heavily favors sellers. We consider it a “balanced market” for both buyers and sellers when there are approximately 4-5 months of available inventory. The low inventory environment has made for a fiercely competitive landscape for

desirable properties in the residential market.

One interesting trend we have noticed, as of late, is the number of outof-area agents that have been involved on the buying side of recently closed transactions. Over the last six months, there have been a total of 276 SFRs sold in San Pedro and RPV within the price range of $750,000 and $2MM. Of those transactions, 179 (65%) were conducted with agents not based in San Pedro or RPV real estate offices.

Is it fair to conclude that transactions involving out-of-area agents represent an influx of consumers moving to San Pedro and RPV? What is the reason behind this trend? Working from home?

More bang for the buck as compared to other areas in the South Bay? Is the anticipation of the new West Harbor development spreading? Is the secret finally out? It could be a combination of all these factors. You be the judge, but it appears that people from other areas are moving to the many beautiful neighborhoods that our desirable coastline offers.

Demand for local residential real estate is stronger than ever. San Pedro and RPV are no longer “too far” from LAX, DTLA, the Westside, Orange County, etc. It’s plausible that many folks have discovered a new norm of working from home while enjoying the proximity to the ocean. There are various reasons why San Pedro continues to be one of the most affordable coastal communities in the South Bay, which is a topic in and of itself. This new trend is forcing housing values to highs we never imagined.

It’s easy to take our amazing climate, beautiful coastline, cultural diversity, and tight-knit community for granted.

The secret is clearly out, and as long as inventory is tight and mortgage rates favorable, an upward trajectory will likely continue. spt Mike Harper and Peter Hazdovac are both licensed Realtors® with Keller Williams Realty. For more info, visit harperhazdovac.com.

2020 was a hell of a year. Here's to a better 2021.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Wear a mask.

To advertise, email ads@sanpedrotoday.com or call (424) 224-9063.

MARCH 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 29

THE BACK PAGE

The hull of the USS Rodney M. Davis is hoisted into place at Todd Shipyards. The shipyard closed in 1989 after failing to win government contracts. (photos: San Pedro Bay Historical Society)

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