SEPTEMBER 2020
HARBOR NEIGHBORHOOD RELIEF FUND | NEW SPHS PRINCIPAL | HOW TO HANDLE THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR
WOODWORKING WONDER CUSTOM FURNITURE DESIGNER HAROLD GREENE LOOKS BACK ON HIS 40-YEAR CAREER & GROWING UP IN SAN PEDRO
Smile A While.
Modern Dentistry, with Old Fashion Values. Our office is a multi-specialty private practice located in Weymouth Corners in San Pedro. With 28 years of experience, we provide high-quality modern dentistry at an affordable cost in an inviting setting. Our office is equipped to provide most specialty dental services efficiently under one rooftop. We use cutting-edge technology and are versed in all aspects of Cosmetic, Restorative, Dental Implants, Orthodontic, and Oral Surgery services. Dr. Ardalan, D.D.S. Education: USC school of Dentistry Doctor of Dental Surgery Professional Association: American Dental Association, member California Dental Association, member Western Dental Society, member
SERVICES & SPECIALTIES • General Cosmetic and Children’s Dentistry • Oral Surgery • Dental Implants • Permanent Implant Supported Dentures • Orthodontics (Traditional Braces & Invisalign) • Periodontics • Sleep Apnea
Dr. Ardalan & Associates Smile A While. 1411 W. 8th Street San Pedro, CA 90732
(310) 832-5559
ASSOCIATES Ian Woo, D.D.S., MD. Education: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Los Angeles County / University of Southern California Medical Center
Dr. Marvis Sorrel, D.M.D., M.D.S. Education: University of Pittsburgh, Master of Science in Dentistry, Doctor of Dental Medicine Advanced Education in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics Orthognatic Surgery Externship / Invisalign Certification
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Dr. Rebekah Coriaty Education: University of Pacific Professional Association: American Dental Association California Dental Association
Dr. Miles Madison #161f70
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Education: UCLA School of Dentistry Professional Association: American Academy of Periodontology California Society of Periodontists American Dental Association California Dental Association American Association for Dental Research
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ARTISTRY IN CREATION OF HEALTHY REALISTIC SMILES
We provide a full range of options – veneers, crowns, bondings, and re-shaping the teeth (to name a few), and at times the combination of these therapies, to meet (and in the vast majority of cases exceed) your expectations.
MINIMALLY INVASIVE COSMETIC DENTISTRY
BEFORE
Bonding technique – conservative direct composite bonding restorations, produce results that are immediate (by Dr. Souzan Ardalan). Optimizing the curvatures, angles, comparative lengths, symmetry, and the shade of the teeth can in fact enhance the beauty of a smile supremely. Using tooth-colored material, minor imperfections are corrected. • Cost-effective • No numbing • Immediate BEFORE
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• One visit • Simple • STUNNING
EXTREME SMILE MAKE-OVERS For individuals committed to a comprehensive approach to significantly enhance the appearance of their smile, our office is well-equipped to take your smile to unrivaled levels.
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Dental aesthetics are guided by the harmony of lips, gingiva, and teeth. To improve the dental aesthetic appearance, restorative approach can be combined with other specialties, such as orthodontic treatment. The example to the left involved: • Orthodontic treatment (by Dr. Marvis Sorrell). • Dental Implant to replace a missing front tooth (by Dr. Ian Woo). • Cosmetic Implant Supported Crown, plus a Veneer on another front tooth which was anatomically too small (by Dr. Souzan Ardalan). Indistinguishable From Natural Healthy Teeth.
DR. ARDALAN & ASSOCIATES - WEYMOUTH CORNERS 1409 W. 8TH ST. SAN PEDRO (310) 832-5559 • FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION, VISIT www.DrSouzanArdalan.com.
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4 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I SEPTEMBER 2020
Monday- Friday 7:30am - 8pm Sat. 7:30 - 4:30
Six months. Mid-September will mark sixmonths since the world turned upside down. In some ways, it doesn’t seem like that long ago, but in others it feels like we’ve been dealing with this coronavirus pandemic forever. Just look at some of the ways our lives have changed in half a year. It’s been six months since we’ve been able to go to concerts, movies, or the theater. It’s been six months since we’ve been able to workout inside a gym, get a haircut (except for that brief hiccup), or go to a bar in L.A. County. It’s been six months since we’ve been able to attend a live sports event. It’s been six months since we realized paper towels, hand sanitizer, and toilet paper would be the first things to go during a pandemic. It’s been six months since our parents discovered Grubhub, face masks became the new required fashion accessory, and “social distancing” and “contactless delivery” became new phrases in our lexicon. It’s been six months since we’ve been able to dine out indoors; or spun more positively, after six months we finally have outdoor dining in San Pedro. It’s been six months since homes became classrooms and Zoom became our new communication tool of choice. It’s been six months of hell for our healthcare workers, teachers, and grocery store employees, as well as all other essential personnel who have had to keep things going in the midst of a pandemic. It’s been six months of hell for parents trying to care for their children while also working from home. It’s been six months of hell for those who have lost their jobs and unemployment benefits while the bills continue to pile up. Lastly, it’s also been six months of hell for families losing loved ones; people getting sick, recovering, and dealing with the lasting effects; and
for people who have had to quarantine for two weeks after being exposed to someone with the virus. Now, this isn’t a list of complaints. While the above examples paint a depressing picture, these social, economic, and lifestyle changes have been necessary to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. I’ve only laid it out to show how drastic our daily lives have changed in such a short time. Throw in racially charged protests across the country, a record number of wildfires in California, and an upcoming heated presidential election, and 2020 is turning out to be one horrible Choose Your Own Adventure book. All is not lost, though. The data continues to show that our behavior is working, albeit slower than we had hoped. As we go to print this month, L.A. County has shown a continued downward trend in cases and hospitalizations, which is hopefully a good sign of more reopenings to come in the near future. So, where do we go from here? If you really want to make a difference in our community during these challenging times, continue to shop local and support our independently owned eateries and businesses. We’re coming up on some difficult months for our small business community as disaster relief loan funds start to run out and rent delays start coming to an end. Since we’ve been pretty good at adapting to these new lifestyle changes, I’m going to suggest one more this month that can directly benefit our small business community. Before you make a purchase online from a national retailer, ask yourself one question: Can I find the same thing in town? Yes, it may take a few extra steps to research, and maybe you’ll have to make a phone call and drive to pick it up. Also, many times the answer will be no. (San Pedro is notorious for its lack of quality retail establishments.) But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and find out. Every dollar spent in our community, helps our community prosper. And right now, San Pedro needs that continued support more than ever. 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 SEPTEMBER 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 5
SEPTEMBER 2020
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ADVERTISING:
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Patricia Roberts (562) 964-8166 | patricia@sanpedrotoday.com
ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION
Amanda Silva (310) 650-8051 | amanda@sanpedrotoday.com
Joshua J. Stecker Lori Garrett
Joseph A. Castañeda
AT-LARGE CONTRIBUTORS
Mike Harper, Peter Hazdovac, Pastor Nathan Hoff, Mike Lansing, Ricky Magana, Steve Marconi, Jennifer Marquez, Angela Romero, Sophie Schoenfeld, Pastor Lisa 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 12 | NUMBER 8
General Inquiries: ads@sanpedrotoday.com
EMPIRE22 MEDIA LLC OWNER/PUBLISHER Joshua J. Stecker
San Pedro Today publishes the last Thursday of every month and is produced monthly by Empire22 Media LLC. No portion of this publication can be reproduced without written permission by Empire22 Media. 25,000 copies are delivered to San Pedro and portions of Rancho Palos Verdes. San Pedro Today is a product of Empire22 Media LLC. Empire22 Media LLC, their subsidiaries and affiliates are released from all liability that may involve the publication of San Pedro Today. Copyright 2009-2020, Empire22 Media LLC.
ON THE COVER: Harold Greene photographed in his woodworking studio. (photo: John Mattera Photography)
6 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I SEPTEMBER 2020
8 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I SEPTEMBER 2020
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VOICES
IMPACT OF LOST YEAR ON SPORTS CAN’T BE IGNORED by Steve Marconi We’ve all lost something in this pandemic: family and friends, jobs, the lockdown of restaurants, stores, churches and other meeting places, no proms or graduations, the list goes on and on. At a time when we most need a diversion from all the misery and discomfort — and our brains are fried from binge-watching Netflix — we realize how big a role sports plays in our collective consciousness. The closure of public and private schools, and the consequent loss of organized sports, has affected nearly everyone in one way or another. San Pedro High sporting events have been a
regular part of many families’ schedules for more than a century. Athletics are every bit as important for those who are part of the Mary Star-Fermin Lasuen tradition. Harbor College has been a large part of the local sports scene for more than 70 years. The YMCA swim program, AYSO and Little League and all the other youth sports keep kids and parents busy year-round. Until this year. And sadly, there is no escape to be found in college or pro sports. As a mostly blue-collar town, San Pedro’s college loyalties are pretty much divided along the USC-UCLA fault line (with some Notre Dame holdouts), but the pandemic has pretty much wiped out this year. San Pedro’s affinity for pro sports goes back a long ways — generations of Angelenos grew up listening to
10 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I SEPTEMBER 2020
Vin Scully and Chick Hearn. For San Pedro, however, it became personal in the `60s when Trani’s Majestic became a stomping ground for L.A. Rams players and in the `70s when Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda would hold court there over a plate of linguine and clams. In the `80s, the Raiders gained an entirely new fan base by moving to Los Angeles. The San Pedro Sportswalk tapped into that enthusiasm, honoring athletic heroes of all stripes with plaques lining downtown sidewalks. One wonders, however, how well the NBA, MLB and NFL will weather the pandemic, with reduced schedules, the inability of fans to attend games, and the fact that in the eyes of many, the pro game has been poisoned by politicization. Most keenly felt by all, however, is the shutdown of schools. You can Zoom education, but not high school sports. Lefty Olguin, founder of the San Pedro High Athletic Hall of Fame, has a unique perspective on 2020. He compares it to the WWII years, when thousands of high school kids across the country quit school to enlist. High school athletics continued, but, minus most of the seniors, not on the same level. College sports were equally affected. The difference, of course, is that when the war ended, many of the young servicemen were allowed to return to high school and finish their academic and athletic careers. Olguin, a former community college athletic director, believes the biggest beneficiaries from the pandemic will be what used to be called junior colleges. With college athletes being given an extra year of eligibility, many high school athletes, even those highly recruited, will opt for community college because they’ll have improved chances of playing. He also sees that influx of quality athletes leveling the JC playing field, where the financial haves (El Camino) have dominated the financial have-nots (Harbor College). Olguin also has a solution for the loss of athletes’ senior years, when so many get to showcase their skills for college scouts. Olguin would like to see high school graduates get to participate in something akin to the NFL’s pro day for
those planning to enter the draft. Tim Ursich concurs with his old teammate concerning community colleges but sees a potential problem. Ursich, who started the spring as Mary Star baseball coach alongside Bobby Ramirez, said that without opportunities at D1 and D2 schools, “That rush of players would now impact the JC baseball programs (and other sports), and my guess is that they will become saturated so that the players that would otherwise be quality players at a JC would likely be cut and their careers come to an end.” On the other hand, Ursich notes, with the reduction of the Major League draft from 40 rounds to five, “Those undrafted players have to go somewhere, and JCs are the logical end point.” Both San Pedro High and Mary Star had championship aspirations in baseball this past spring, making the loss of the seasons even more painful. Olguin stressed, however, that the important thing for athletes and parents alike to keep in mind is that staying healthy takes precedence over everything else, including athletic careers. “The community is in a depression for many reasons,” Ursich said, “but for the moment let’s stick with the pandemic. Sports have always driven the social schedule, especially here in San Pedro. Take it away for whatever reason, and you cut the heart out of the community. “My fear is that removing sports will do more than depress the community. I fear kids, without the team concept, self- and team-discipline, could venture off into negative environments, lose focus and community interaction, lose drive and motivation and become statistics. “But I believe this community, more than any I have ever seen, is resilient and will recover. At what cost… that remains to be seen. This is a new experience for all of us, and there is no precedent to establish right or wrong in decision making. We need to hold together as a community, fight for our kids and pray as often as possible for guidance, which, by the way, is what San Pedrans have always done.” spt Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.
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VOICES
SOME GOOD NEWS: THE HARBOR NEIGHBORHOOD RELIEF FUND by Pastor Lisa Williams, San Pedro United Methodist Church special to San Pedro Today The last five months have been hard. In fact, this just might be the most isolating and difficult season some of us have ever experienced. For many, COVID-19 has brought us to our knees. While mourning the loss of family and friends, we yearn for the day we can hug our grandchildren and neighbors. We have lost our sense of “normal.” As a pastor and woman of faith, I believe that the rent we pay for our time on this earth is service. Service to everyone, no matter where they are in life. For many in our community, March of 2020 marked the time when some local families experienced hardship that many of us have been spared. First-time food shortage. The inability to pay rent. A struggle to avoid basic needs unlike ever before. How we respond to challenging times like these define who we are as humans. We can choose to look those struggling in the eyes, or we can go about our day. It’s a choice we make every day. Our neighbors are struggling. Their struggle is our call to action. A few in our community heard that plea and created The Harbor Neighborhood Relief Fund (HNRF) in March to support our most vulnerable individuals and families in Wilmington, Harbor City and San Pedro — those who are most impacted by the pandemic. And in early March, the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce Quality of Life Committee and the San Pedro Faith Consortium gathered to see how we could work together to make this fund a reality and respond to the greatest needs in our community — and quickly! Our neighbors are powerful. This fund was formed by our community for our community. Thus far, we have given grants to 80 local families and individuals and three nonprofits. Families have used these funds for food, gas, medicine, support for children with special needs, and basic necessities to keep themselves afloat and safe at this time. We also connect folks to local resources like food pantries, rental assistance, and mental health support. This fund seeks to leverage the already-robust services 12 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I SEPTEMBER 2020
we have in the Harbor area — and fill in gaps, as needed. Our neighbors are grateful. Each week, we read often-heartbreaking applications. People who have tested positive for COVID-19 and cannot work or leave their homes to buy food; folks who are one month away from homelessness; parents of kids with special needs who are trying to just make it through the day. Each week, we safely deliver gift cards and resources to these neighbors in need. They are overwhelmed by the generosity of their own community. They’ve never experienced anything like this before. “I washed my clothes for my children and myself, I got gas and a little food while I am waiting for assistance with unemployment. We are thankful.” grant recipient. Our neighbors need us. Applications have rolled in each week — and with increasing needs and severity. For us to sustain this level of support for those most in need, we need you. I’m asking you to open your eyes and see what you can give. “The grant was a tremendous help for my family and me. I took my son to speech therapy thanks to the gas money. I bought some healthier food choices and activities to help our mental health.” - grant recipient. This is your neighborhood. We are a connected community that cares for each other. You can make a difference. Our neighbors are resilient. But, even in quarantine, we aren’t meant to do hard things alone. Every dollar donated goes directly to our neighbors most in need. By leveraging the expertise of local leaders, Feed and Be Fed and the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, the HNRF has no administrative costs. I’m so honored to chair this effort and be supported by executive committee members: Amber Sheikh Ginsberg (Harbor APC Commissioner and community activist), Amy Grat (CEO of EXP), Jamie Moore (assistant chief, LAFD), Amanda Adams Riley (co-pastor of The Garden Church), Peter Rothe (chairman of Feed and Be Fed), and Lee Williams (chairman, San Pedro Chamber of Commerce). spt For more information, visit feedandbefed.org/harbor-relieffund.
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VOICES
NEW SPHS PRINCIPAL LEADS IN UNCHARTED TIMES by Jennifer Marquez Early on a Sunday morning, Steve Gebhart, San Pedro High School’s new principal, is working to prepare for the first virtual school year. He has only been at the school for a few weeks, but his communication with the Pirate stakeholders out of the gate is informative, timely, and upbeat, just as he is as I interview him by phone. I first became acquainted with Gebhart when I served as a volunteer for five years on the School Site Council at Dana Middle School when he was principal there. It was during that time that I learned that he valued a traumainformed approach in leadership and operation at the school. It created an environment of support and understanding where students and staff could thrive. I saw firsthand how he put students first, had an open-door policy for anybody, treated people with respect, and made sure school communications were prompt and accurate. As a parent of two San Pedro High School students, there couldn’t be a better time to have strong leadership and reliable communication as the school embarks on virtual learning and a major construction project on campus. Gebhart, a father of five and a San Pedro resident, taught at Gardenia High as a second career. He then became an English teacher at SPHS for eight years and later department chair and instructional coach serving on various committees. He was promoted to assistant principal at Los Angeles High School and most recently the principal at Dana Middle School for the last six years. Just a few days prior to our interview, Gebhart held his first SPHS Town Hall meeting via Zoom. He opened the meeting with over 500 attendees by talking about giving each other grace as we start the new school year. His message was a request for parents and students to give teachers a chance as they learn this new teaching platform and for the school to have grace for families as they learn to navigate school at home.
When asked how families can be prepared for the new virtual year, Gebhart stated, “Regardless of the age of the student, structure is always important and one of the biggest challenges of this virtual format. We used to have clear lines of when we were at school or at home. Home and school life have become blended.” He adds, “Structure can be challenging depending on the home environment, and there is comfort in the routine for all of us. Routine has to be unique for each student. Never forget who your student is and what works for your home.” The district has created the schedules for the schools to follow and an advisory class has been added as a way for students to check in with a teacher for any questions or concerns. “For a lot of students, it has been five months since they have been to campus, and their biggest challenge during that time has not been school. For some, they have been stuck in a place where the school was once an escape or whatever it happens to be,” states Gebhart. “SPHS is working to create practices and processes that ensure that kids don’t disengage or are forgotten. The school is also providing social-emotional learning resources for teachers, so they can guide students who need additional services,” he adds. For the last few years, Mr. Gebhart has stood in front of Dana Middle School every day as the students were leaving for the day. He was always there looking out for the students and knew most students and parents by name. As school starts remotely, Mr. Gebhart will be at San Pedro High School looking out for all the students like he did at Dana, but this time it will be more virtually until school opens up again. More than ever, San Pedro needs leaders like Mr. Gebhart who we count on to always be there for our students, the stakeholders, and the staff. Our local high schools are the cornerstone of the community and create future leaders that can change the world. spt Jennifer Marquez can be reached at jennifertmarquez@yahoo.com and @jenntmqz on Twitter and Instagram.
SEPTEMBER 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 15
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VOICES
HOW TO HANDLE THIS SCHOOL YEAR by Sophie Schoenfeld, MFT As the new school year starts, many parents are bracing themselves for the uncharted territory of long-term remote learning while working from home. Spring shutdown was a whirlwind of chaos as we scrambled to wrap up the academic year. No one had any idea how to handle a complete standstill and panic; we all scrambled to figure out Zoom class passwords and technical glitches of emails not sent, documents not uploaded, and assignments lost. We’ve been holding conference calls with our kids screaming bloody murder in the background. We kept our fingers crossed and told each other it was temporary, that this year was a wash and next year we would catch up, yet here we are. Children will not walk through campus, make new friends, and chitchat in hallways. No P.E. classes or science experiments gone wrong, no cutting of the frogs. I know many parents are feeling a mixture of sadness and anxiety. Our children are missing out on important formative experiences. How will it affect them? How will we cope? The lucky few who have a surplus of resources may find this to be an enriching experience, but those who do not enjoy such advantages are facing serious logistical challenges. Children that are in middle/high schools have a better capacity to self-organize and manage their academic workload, as well as a better grasp of negative consequences. However, elementary school-age children need significant handholding. Each age group will come with its own unique set of positives and negatives. Teenagers are capable of navigating digital platforms and accessing the workload without supervision. However, the part of the human brain that is responsible for calculating risk is not fully developed until they hit 18 years of age, hence younger people are more likely to take unnecessary risks, mismanage their time, and prioritize impulse over preplanned activities. Not to mention teens are in developmental protest with authority and are therefore harder to manage. On the other hand, teenagers have stronger social bonds outside of their families that may allow them to organically form support systems without significant parental involvement. Younger children are more committed to pleasing their parents; therefore, consequences and rules are more
effective. Younger children will have more time to catch up academically, not to mention their workload is easier to comprehend and manage for a parent. Here are some basic suggestions for parents seeking some guidance on how to handle this coming school year: 1. Remember, this is still temporary. 2. Make a list of your support network. Even one hour a week can make a big difference in helping you tracking your child’s progress. 3. Expect setbacks. Children are not capable of comprehending the big picture; therefore, they will at times get bored, frustrated, tired, and protest either overtly or covertly. This may mean getting distracted, not completing work, losing assignments, etc. 4. If you have a partner, make a clear plan together. Try to split responsibilities so you don’t end up arguing over your methods and undoing each other’s work. This way, you each get a break from having to be the bad person. 5. Outline your expectations and schedule to your children, as well as consequences for not adhering to the agreed rules. Follow through! 6. Be flexible. You might have to adjust as you go and learn what works and what doesn’t. 7. Reach out to your child’s school community to see if there are useful resources such as free tutoring, peer support groups, study groups online, etc. 8. If you have an elementary school child and you have to work during school hours, try to give yourself a break. Explain to the teacher your situation. Try to do your best at getting your child to at least attend online instruction. You can catch up in the evening and on the weekends. Everyone understands this is a trying time. 9. Remember that school for children is an important social/play time. Don’t make home schooling all about academics; allow your children to play. Try to find a safe group of at least a couple of peers, so your child can have some social interactions weekly. 10. Get out of the house. Kick a ball and breathe the fresh air even if it means postponing homework for an hour or so. 11. Stay in the moment and take it one day at a time. We might have to adjust to new rules and regulations or find ourselves back in school, so try to manage your long-term anxiety by just focusing on the task at hand. spt Sophie Schoenfeld, MFT is a local marriage and family therapist. For more info, visit sophiemft.com.
VOICES
ALL STUDENTS NEED MORE THIS YEAR by Mike Lansing Even with the realities and necessary limitations due to the pandemic, now is a time that our children need more support — and not less — given their social-emotional and academic development needs. As the school year has begun with schools closed and students relegated once again to “virtual” instruction delivered to their homes, it is important to note that this is not enough. The reality is that our children need more during this unprecedented crisis rather than the limited engagement provided by what is delivered and understood over a Chromebook. To quote a Wall Street Journal article dated August 15: “Remote work has been a success for American corporations while remote learning has been a slow-motion disaster for children and parents.” The article notes that these corporate parents who work at home have the “availability” to support their children during the school day or pay for rising childcare centers or similar opportunities to fill the gaps in virtual instruction. But what about the growing number of poor and minimum wage parents who must actually “go” to work and cannot afford childcare or additional academic support? As the Los Angeles Times noted in their July 25 article “With Schools Closed, Learning Pods Take Sprout,” they rightfully state that these academic support pods are only available to families who have the economic means to pay for a tutor or teacher to come to their home and offset the learning loss that is endemic to virtual instruction. In their follow-up editorial on July 29 they state, “The inequalities that have long plagued traditional public schools were multiplied during the emergency shutdown” and “before long, the ‘pod’ children might be a semester or even a full year ahead of others.” At the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor, we are making a commitment to the “others” with daily in-person academic and social-emotional development support from 8 a.m.–6 p.m. at our seven traditional Club locations while our 12 school sites are
closed. Through a great collaboration with Local District South Superintendent Michael Romero and Community of Schools Directors Lou Mardesich (San Pedro), David Kooper (Wilmington) and Terry Ball (Harbor City/Lomita), we have engaged in a partnership to provide 500 elementary and middle school students with full-day engagement including virtual programming support during the scheduled morning hours and a full afternoon of enrichment programming for a well-rounded day. We have implemented all of the COVID-19-related safety protocols at each of these seven sites (which limits us to 500 youth). With LAUSD support, we provide three meals and a snack each day, and we have made this all free so that “those who need us most” can participate and compete with the “pod kids.” Our pods are 10-1 or less and with training provided by Superintendent Romero and his leadership team, we are supporting the needs of these youth with the daily engagement they desperately require. In addition, we are engaging another 750–1,000 high school students with much-needed college pathway support via our most successful College Bound program, both virtually and through direct appointments. Yes, we realize that even with all of our safety protocols and heavy investment in the materials and services needed to fully facilitate those safety measures, we too may succumb to the virus and have to temporarily close the doors to one or more of these sites. But we cannot just stand by and allow the “others” to fall further behind — neither academically nor socially and emotionally. We are providing these important youth the environment to learn and continue to develop their full being rather than being relegated to staying home for another year with that limited reality. And in all honesty, the 1,250 or so students we are sponsoring each day/ week is not enough; we need others to step up and provide the same. So, who is willing? Who else will provide our youth with more than just a limited virtual school year? Will you? spt Mike Lansing is the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor. SEPTEMBER 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 17
WOODWORKING WONDER CUSTOM FURNITURE DESIGNER HAROLD GREENE LOOKS BACK ON HIS 40-YEAR CAREER & GROWING UP IN SAN PEDRO by Joshua Stecker
Harold Greene in his home woodworking studio. (photo: John Mattera Photography)
Harold Greene holds a dubious honor in San Pedro Today history. The woodworking artist and musician is the only person to ever be bumped off the cover and out of an issue at the last minute because of a global pandemic. True story. Greene, 67, a local custom furniture artisan who specializes in unique and functional designs, was slated to be the subject of the cover story for our April 2020 issue. The photos had been taken, interviews had been done, and we were in production about to enter our deadline week. Then COVID-19 arrived and, well… we all know what happened next. Greene’s story was replaced by cover-to-cover coronavirus coverage. His cover portrait replaced by a photo of empty grocery shelves. COVID-19 had officially taken over all our lives in one way or another, and Greene, like all of us, has been dealing with the effects of the pandemic ever since. Obviously, a lot has changed since I first interviewed Greene in his home woodworking shop in early March. With L.A. County’s current pandemic status unchanged, the time was right to contact him again to tell his story. I was especially curious to know how an artisan of his caliber has been handling quarantine life the last six months. So, Greene and I met outside Sirens Java
& Tea in Downtown San Pedro in midAugust to catch up, both wearing sunglasses, hats, and of course, masks, each modeling the new normal as it were. “Over 90 percent of my work is [done] in [my] shop,” says Greene. “Not going to the market and kind of shrinking down my life a little bit, I found I had more time in the shop, which is good. I had a pretty good slate of work ahead of me.” To Greene’s surprise, his workload has actually increased during the pandemic, which he attributes to people having more time to work on their homes. Not only is Greene a custom furniture maker, producing furniture pieces out of distinctive woods that he finds from around the world, he’s also an expert craftsman when it comes to any type of woodwork. “I felt like I was getting more calls; I was getting more work because people were at home and they needed things done,” he explains, noting that one client even asked him to make totem poles out of some cut logs. “So, my work really increased. I got a lot busier and new projects are coming in all the time. It’s fascinating and kind of baffling, but I feel very fortunate. I mean, my work is booked all the way into October, maybe a little beyond now.” If you’re unfamiliar with his name, you’ve certainly seen his work if you’ve
18 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I SEPTEMBER 2020
been down to our waterfront. Greene is responsible for designing and making all the teak furniture at the L.A. Waterfront’s Downtown Harbor and Town Square, located on Harbor Boulevard (but currently closed for construction), and the Ghost Fish plaza at the Southern Pacific Slip, near Utro’s Café. San Pedrans of a certain age may also remember Greene as a member of the popular local ‘70s music group, Titanic. He’s also quick to point out that many people just know him as Mrs. Seixas Greene’s husband from Crestwood Elementary. “Everybody will know that name,” he says smiling.
wood. I remember that vividly.” With his interest in woodworking piqued at an early age, it was at Dodson Middle School where he discovered other talents, including athletics. “It wasn’t just woodworking that it turned out I was good at. I also aced electronic shop, metal shop, and drafting,” he says. “I was [also] a good basketball player. I broke my leg the last week of junior high (ninth grade). I was 15, but a semester later (in 10th grade), I recovered.” Tenth grade at San Pedro High School proved to be a seminal year for Greene. Fully recovered from his injury and knowing how good of a basketball EARLY INTERESTS player he was, he went out for the team Greene has spent nearly his entire and to the surprise of many, was cut. life in San Pedro. Born in Jacksonville, “My basketball skills and athleticism Florida, his family ended up moving were back, so I went out for basketball west to Harbor City when Greene was and got cut, and I couldn't believe it,” three, eventually settling in San Pedro says Greene, a member of the SPHS three years later. His father, a naval offi- Class of ‘71. “I was shocked and disapcer and writer, and his mother, a speech pointed, and I never knew why [I got and language specialist for LAUSD, cut] until many years later, maybe decided San Pedro would be the spot to seven, eight years ago. Someone told raise their family. me the coach didn’t want to have too “I began going to Bandini Street many Blacks on his team.” School, attending first grade,” remembers Greene. “I remember my firstRACE IN SAN PEDRO grade teacher, Mrs. Golfer. I remember In our first interview in March, a woodworking session in that class. Greene skirted around the topic of race They cleared out all the desks and they in San Pedro. At the time, it was clear it set up horses, and we sawed pieces of wasn’t something he wanted to get into.
SEPTEMBER 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 19
Top to bottom: Greene with his Soliarc chaise lounge at the WestEdge Design Fair in 2018; working on a new chair in his home woodworking shop in March; the tools of the trade. (photos: haroldgreenefinefurnishings.com, John Mattera Photography)
But between March and August, in addition to the pandemic, the country has experienced a wave of racially charged protests led by the Black Lives Matter movement, stemming from the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. With the topic of racial injustice at the forefront this summer, this time Greene felt compelled to talk about it. Growing up in San Pedro, Greene remembers his childhood as being filled with “friends of all different colors, white, Black, Japanese.” “That’s the essence of San Pedro.” he says. “[It] was a great community in that way. People who I went to elementary and junior high and high school [with], I still know.” Greene says he never experienced any type of overt racism while growing up here, which he attributes to the town being a melting pot of different races and ethnicities. Instead, he remembers it as being more systemic and cites his experience at Dodson in the late 1960s as an example. “Thinking back on my life and what happened, one thing is that [when] I went to Dodson, I was a smart kid and somehow, I was placed in remedial classes,” he remembers. “I was like, what am I doing here? It was mostly Black and Hispanic kids. So, in math class, at the 10-week mark, my teacher, Mr. Kelly, saw that I didn’t belong in this class, and he got me transferred to the upper-level class there. And it was just a whole different world. It was a mostly white class, and the students were pretty well-behaved. That was one example that I could see as kind of institutionalized racism. They just automatically shuffled the Black and Mexican kids to one side and the white kids to another.” Nonetheless, not making the basketball team in the 10th grade proved to be the moment that would change Greene’s life. “I put my energy into music, and I was playing guitar,” he says. FINDING HIS GROOVE While Greene considers himself a furniture maker first, his passion for music preceded his passion for woodworking. Music has been a constant outlet for creativity in his life. “I never understood when people tell me, ‘Oh, I haven’t picked up a guitar in 25 years.’ I never got that,” he says. “Because if I don’t pick up a guitar for two weeks, something’s wrong.” Growing up as one of five kids, Greene’s parents insisted all their children study music. “We all studied music, classical piano, all of us, all five kids,” he says. After the basketball team debacle, Greene channeled his energy into playing guitar. In the early ‘70s, he would end up playing lead guitar in the local rock band Titanic and fretless bass in the jazz/R&B band Magnum. 20 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I SEPTEMBER 2020
“We had Titanic, but there was Super Chicken, The Wingtips, Ambrosia,” recalls Greene. “All of these bands were playing and excelling, and we were part of that scene. It was great. High school was fantastic because I was in a popular band, and it was really fun.” Greene has performed solo and in other groups throughout the years. A few years ago, he was performing as part of a duo called Switch Off at Sirens, playing cajón with Freddie Schreuders on guitar. When not woodworking, Greene says he’s constantly playing music. He’s hoping to perform at the coffeeshop and elsewhere after the pandemic passes. FOLLOWING HIS PASSION You’d think a talent such as Greene would have some sort of formal training in his profession, but you’d be wrong. “I’m self-taught. I didn't study at any school. My first formal training was seventh grade woodshop at Dodson,” he says, proudly. “There’s so much math and geometry. When kids say, ‘I’ll never use that in life.’ All of the geometry and all of the math, those are everyday things for me.” His older brother Jerry, who passed away in 1980, was a big influence in steering him towards his woodworking ambitions. “He was very good with his hands,” Greene says of his late brother. “He was also a musician and an artist and a brilliant mathematician. He was always building something. So, when I graduated high school, I had developed an interest in building furniture.” While practicing his woodworking skills and playing music on the side, Greene took a detour and joined the L.A. City Fire Department for one year before realizing it was a mistake. He ended up quitting. “People thought I was crazy,” laughs Greene. “But I felt like I didn’t want to give it a half effort. I realized that if I was going to be a firefighter, I couldn’t give [woodworking and music] the attention that [they] would need.” Life would also come calling. During this time, he would also marry his wife Kathleen, a current teacher at Crestwood Elementary. The couple has been married for 37 years, and they have two sons, Harold, 37, and Marcus, 31. Greene remembers his first ever custom furniture client, a lieutenant in the LAPD named George Beck. “I think he may have seen a couple of my early things that I had made, and he asked me to make a dresser for him,” recalls Greene. “A chest of drawers. And I made it, and it came out really good, and he was really happy.” Soon after, he opened an art gallery with his mother called The Greene Line located at 22nd and Pacific Ave. It was the first place he was able to display some of his furniture publicly. By the early 1980s, Greene was a
full-time custom furniture builder. “I was getting orders for pieces,” says Greene. “Literally, people said, ‘Hey, I need a dining set, a table, and eight chairs.’ ‘Hey, I need a bed with nightstands.’ All of the interior furniture stuff. I wound up having a couple of clients where I did everything in their house. From the kitchens, bathrooms, windows, all the built-in stuff.” Trial, error, and experience have been Greene’s teachers as he has refined his woodworking skills through the years. His talents culminated with one of his signature creations, the Soliarc chaise lounge, which he showcased at the WestEdge Design Fair in Santa Monica in 2018. The Soliarc is described as a “handcrafted chaise lounge that spans your world through astute design and form.” Greene only made a small batch of 100 that were sequentially signed and numbered. It’s made from Costa Rican plantation teak, described as “a durable material with a sustainable footprint.” The chair can be viewed and purchased at B. David Levine (bdavidlevine.com) in Los Angeles. RETROSPECTIVE In addition to his current workload, Greene has been planning a 40-year career retrospective that will be showcased in San Pedro at Gallery 478 in the fall of 2021. It’s a project that’s
taken more than half his life to realize, and it’s an event Greene is extremely excited about. “It will be a tremendous amount of preparation to put that show together,” he says. “It’ll be older pieces that I have in my possession, pieces that I borrow from clients, and part of the display will be drawings and one-tenth scale models.” Looking back, even with four decades under his belt, Greene still feels the uphill struggle as a furniture designer making his way in the contemporary art world. “Getting recognition as a furniture maker in the art world is still not easy,” explains Greene. “I would always make things that were functional; things that are beautiful and that push some of the limits of design, but they could also be used. So, many of my chairs and other furniture have designs that maybe you’ve never seen anywhere else, but the key has always been that they function. That’s been my thing. I don't look at myself as an artist creating just purely visual things. To combine something that’s really beautiful with something that’s really functional, that’s a challenge.” spt For info on Harold Greene’s work, visit haroldgreenefinefurnishings. com or antiquesofthefuture.net.
Greene holds a one-tenth scale model of a current chair project. (photo: John Mattera Photography)
SEPTEMBER 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 21
HISTORY
BUKOWSKI IN BRONZE: AN UPDATE by Angela Romero
I had big plans for August 16, 2020. Huge, monumental plans with a weekend full of festivities to celebrate the unveiling of the new Charles Bukowski statue in honor of the writer’s 100th birthday. Even without a global pandemic cutting our fundraising efforts off at the ankles in March, I will admit that I was overly ambitious about what would have been a Herculean task. We were just about to release tickets to our first fundraising event when rumors of the quarantine started. It was disappointing but completely necessary to cancel our entire slate of events and just wait and see. Unfortunately, COVID-19 is still here, and we were unable to gather for any celebration this year. But that doesn’t stop our efforts to memorialize Charles Bukowski with a monument. It only means that the party will be that much sweeter when we will be able to gather again. When we announced the project last year, we got an overwhelmingly positive response from the community, including the council office, local businesses and our neighbors. Thank you to each and every one of you that donated to our GoFundMe campaign. We’ve had some substantial private donations come in as well. While getting atten-
tion from international news outlets was pretty cool, I must say the best part was hearing the local stories about Bukowski in San Pedro, whether they were longtime fans or just had a funny Bukowski anecdote. The biggest lesson to come out of the initial announcement of the Bukowski in Bronze project was that a lot of San Pedrans weren’t really familiar with who Bukowski was. That’s why I am working with a local poet and academic, Christian H. Lozada, to put together a presentation about Bukowski, with an emphasis on the works he completed here in San Pedro. Bukowski’s writing isn’t for everyone, but there is a commonality we all have with him as San Pedrans, so part of the project includes a study of how San Pedro inspired his work. This educational aspect is all part of the San Pedro Heritage Museum’s mission to celebrate the San Pedrans who have contributed great works of art to the world. Putting up a statue was never the ultimate goal; the statue is just a conversation starter that allows us to celebrate Bukowski’s work while having an honest conversation about who he was and the legacy of what he did here in San Pedro. We want to show the world that we’re not just some blue-collar town. There is culture here; we have inspired great art, and there’s more where that came from. The last year hasn’t been all disappointment and despair; it’s actually been a pleasure to collaborate with
San Pedro Today's August 2020 cover featuring Bukowski.
some really wonderful people. The greatest joy of which is getting to work with our esteemed (and local) sculptor Eugene Daub. From the minute I thought about doing a Bukowski statue, I knew Eugene had to be the one to do it. Getting to witness his process up close has been a true honor. What excites me the most about this project is allowing a genius like Eugene Daub have fun and do his thing. I trust his talent and aesthetic so completely that I know we will all be grateful for the result. Beyond his talent, Eugene has been extremely generous and patient with the process of keeping this project going. He has even created a special piece of art that we will be releasing soon as a fundraiser for the statue. The honest answer of when we’re going to be able to unveil a statue is going to come down to fundraising. COVID-19 has really affected every aspect of our lives, and a lot of people are struggling in one way or another. Prices for casting bronze have nearly doubled because of the pandemic, so we’re back at
(photo: John Mattera Photography)
the drawing board with designs, trying to figure out what this new set of circumstances means for the statue. Luckily, we have a master sculptor at the helm and an amazing committee that is completely committed to bringing this dream to a reality. I’d like to personally thank everyone who has served this project in any capacity, especially Linda Lee Bukowski, Anne Daub, and our current Bukowski in Bronze committee members, Liz Schindler-Johnson, Alan Johnson, Joshua Stecker, Kelly McLeodHernandez, Christian H. Lozada, and Lee Williams. We will celebrate a new statue in Downtown San Pedro, and it will be wonderful. spt To donate to the Bukowski in Bronze campaign, visit gofundme. com/bukowski. For more info, visit sanpedroheritage.org.
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LOCAL FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE HITS 20-YEAR MILESTONE story & photo by Joshua Stecker The trash talking hasn’t stopped for twenty years. For a small group of lifelong friends in San Pedro, every Labor Day weekend for the past 19 years has been spent together in heated competition. It’s their fantasy football league draft day, a day that holds almost as much importance to them as New Year’s, Christmas, and maybe even their own birthdays. That isn’t an exaggeration. If this was a typical year, a barbecue pool party would ensue. Their families would get together, plenty of food and beverages would be had, and the aptly named San Pedro Fantasy Football League’s 20th draft would take place. But with 2020 being the complete dumpster fire of a year that it’s been, there will be no pool party this year. Instead, this group, some members of which have known each other since grade school, will get together responsibly in their league commissioner’s backyard, with masks on and seats socially distanced apart, with no families or non-league friends allowed, and have their annual draft. This wasn’t exactly how they wanted to be celebrating their 20th anniversary, but here we are. “The draft was and will always be the most fun part of the entire season,” says John Mattera, 47, a freelance photographer (San Pedro Today) and one of six remaining original members of the league. “This year, because of
The Original SPFFL Six (l to r): Matt Redlew, Mike Trani, James Santos, David Young, Tony Galletti, and John Mattera.
everything going on, we wanted to be responsible and asked everyone if they felt comfortable meeting this way, and we all agreed it would be okay.” Fortunately for this particularly rambunctious group, they can still trash talk with a mask on. Formed in 2001 by Mike Trani and James Santos, the SPFFL started when most of its members were in their mid to late 20s. As the years rolled on, members came and went. The current league, made up of 12 teams, includes original members David Young, Matt Redlew, and Tony Galletti, along with Trani, Santos, and Mattera. “Our [draft day] parties were a lot of fun,” says Trani, 48, co-owner of Gold Star Catering. “Great friends, amazing food, smack talk, ‘champ juice,’ and I usually wake up the next morning not remembering a single draft pick.” A lot can happen in 20 years. As the men grew up, the league’s dynamics changed. Girlfriends would eventually join in on the draft festivities (some would even play and win); some would turn into fiancés and then wives; kids would eventually be born. As their families grew, so did their draft day party, which had turned into a multi-
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family event over Labor Day weekend. “Being a part of this fantasy league has been a great experience,” says Young, 44, a teacher and the head football coach at Peninsula High School. “We have had so many members come and go, along with some memorable years.” While writing about a local fantasy football league might sound silly, the fantasy sports industry’s success is impressive. According to a 2016 report from the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association, fantasy sports is a $7.22 billion industry with nearly 60 million fantasy sports players in the United States and Canada, with 80 percent playing football. The game has become so popular that there was even a sitcom on FX called The League (2009-2015) starring Mark Duplass and Nick Kroll that centered on a fictional fantasy football league. In an interview last fall, Paul Charchian, president of the Fantasy Sports & Gaming Association, told Sports Business Journal, “I challenge anybody to come up with a single element in the history of football that has changed and progressed the game more than fantasy football has. It has been a seismic shift in how the game is consumed and the level of interest.” For those unfamiliar with the game, here’s a quick primer: Every year before the NFL season starts, millions of people spend endless hours researching the statistics of NFL players in order to “draft” them onto their fantasy teams that they “own.” There’s usually a buyin to own a team, which consists of a virtual roster of real NFL players. The SPFFL plays in a points-per-reception league, where players (in any position) earn one point for each reception or catch. Players also get points for yardage and touchdowns scored. During every NFL game, players are tracked, and points are tallied by their performance on the field. Basically, the team with the most points wins, usually a
cash prize. There are other prizes for the Super Bowl and individual team/player performances. There’s a lot more to it, but you get the picture. “Cash rewards are okay, but nothing beats bragging rights among friends,” says Santos, 43, the league commissioner, a record five-time SPFFL champion, and an ILWU Local 13 longshoreman. Each season brings with it its ups and downs. Players get injured, trades are made. Players they thought would perform don’t, while undrafted players can become heroes. For the 17 weeks of the regular NFL season, the members of the SPFFL ride a rollercoaster of emotions as they try and manage a winning fantasy team. “It’s insane,” says Tony Galletti, 45, a seafood salesman. “[Santos] forces the trash talking with his incessant appreciation of his team and all of its ‘fortunate’ success.” With the coronavirus pandemic still engulfing the country, questions remain to see whether the NFL can even pull off a 2020 season. The NBA and NHL have proven it’s possible by setting up quarantined environments (or “bubbles”) for players and staff and playing games in empty arenas. However, Major League Baseball, which did not set up a bubble and instead are playing their normal games in empty stadiums across the country, found itself having to reschedule a number of games due to COVID-19 outbreaks. Like MLB, the NFL also chose to proceed without a bubble system. With the 2020 NFL season set to start on September 10, only time will tell if the league’s preparations will work, because if there’s no NFL, there’s no fantasy football either, and the SPFFL’s 20th anniversary will have to wait another year. “I believe that if they make it through week five or six, then they may be able to get through the full season,” says Trani. “Although, I do think that it’s going to be a big challenge for them to reach that point.” spt
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MOVEMENT
by Ricky Magana
INJURY One of the most consistent frustrations I see people have is not their ability to lose weight but the ability to keep it off. Most people can, for short periods of time, manage to lose 20 to 30 pounds by sheer force of will. They get in a groove, they knuckle down, they get focused and voila, the weight comes off. Sweet, sweet victory. And deep down, they hope that this time, it’s for good. But deeper down, they know it isn’t. Sooner or later, old habits start to creep their way in. They loosen the reins, stop doing what worked, and before they know it, they’re back where they started. Losing weight is one thing. But living a lean, healthy lifestyle is something else entirely. It will require you to do some hard internal work to undo years of bad habits, and you’ll need to be patient, but if you persist, you’ll be off the dieting hamster wheel for good. You just have to be a little self-aware and keep yourself in check. After 16 years, here is what I’ve found works best: 1. Always focus and be crystal clear on your “why.” Hands down, the most common questions and/or frustration I hear is, “I just can’t get motivated to work out or eat healthy.” This arises from the misconception that in order to work out and eat healthy every day, you have to feel pumped about it. As if “feeling it” is a prerequisite to getting the results we want. That is not what motivation is. Motivation is not a feeling, it’s a fire. One that burns internally, fueled by deeply personal and important reasons. No one can get you motivated because no one can decide for you what’s important. And once you have your reasons, you have to understand why what you’re doing today is serving those reasons. 2. Be realistic about your expectations, both about your progress and what you’re willing to do to get said progress. Not everything will happen as fast as possible and when you want it to. If you’re serious about what you
want, you’ll need to have the patience to let it happen on its own time. Effort is not an ATM machine. There will be long periods of time where you’ll need to keep doing the work without the gratification of instant results. When you begin a diet, you’ll lose a lot of weight fast, then nature’s survival mechanisms kick in and seem to fight you every step of the way. You’ll lose fractions of a pound one week, nothing the next, and even gain some back in others, all while you’re still doing the hard work. This is normal and part of the process. Your success will depend on your ability to trust the process and set expectations accordingly. 3. Align your fitness with your personal preferences and personality. Let’s face it, exercise is hard. Eating healthy is hard. But it’s a non-negotiable if you want to look and feel healthy. That being said, it can still be enjoyable if you pick a routine and plan that fits you. You might like to lift weights or run or do Pilates. Whatever it is, it’s got to be something you see yourself doing forever. The same goes for diet. If your nutrition plan is a constant battle between hardcore restriction and allout bingeing, you’ll always spin your wheels. Find a middle ground between freedom and discipline. And here’s a little secret: as long as you hang in there, your appetite will change. Over time, you’ll want the ice cream less and protein shake more because of how it makes you feel (well, most of the time). 4. Create an environment and relationships that sustain and reinforce the positive changes you’ve made. And lastly, all of the above is infinitely harder when you’re going it alone. If no one around you is trying to live a healthier lifestyle, it’s hard not to succumb to the gravitational pull of your lesser self. You need to surround yourself with people and circumstances that push you, challenge you, and pull you forward. Do that, and fitness will be yours for life. spt Ricky Magana is co-owner of Heyday Elite Fitness. For more info, visit heydaytraining.com.
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SEPTEMBER 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 25
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REAL ESTATE
WHAT’S GOING ON IN REAL ESTATE? by Mike Harper & Peter Hazdovac
Do you have these same thoughts? If so, you aren’t alone. Most of our past columns have been fact-driven and even statistic-based, but we felt it would be fun this month to simply share our professional opinion of what’s taking place and impacting our local real estate market. This column reflects some of our thoughts, ideas, and assumptions of why real estate seems to continue forging ahead in the midst of a global pandemic. Working from Home - Due to the closure of many office spaces, working from home has become the new normal. This is an interesting phenomenon that may be helping buyers keep some of their hard-earned money in their pockets. Money saved on office rent, gas, auto insurance or even the decision to not own a car may directly lead to increased purchasing power. Buyers may now be considering purchasing a larger home with an extra room for an office or some additional space to satisfy their new working-from-home conditions. Schools Closed and Open Spaces Limited - School’s out for summer (cue Alice Cooper), but will kids actually ever go back to their respective schools? Distance learning, teaching from home, and Zoom classes for kids are now becoming common for many Americans. Buyers may be scrambling for homes with larger yards, pools (P.E. class must go on!) or additional rooms to be used as study spaces. There’s no question that some active buyers are identifying homes with these “wish list” features as they search for new properties. Historically Low Mortgage Rates - We informed the parents of
one of our clients that the current interest rate on a 30-year mortgage has now dropped to nearly 2.75%, and their mouths dropped open. Decades ago, mortgage rates were over 15% and just months ago, jumped to what we thought was an unimaginable 4%, but they've dropped again. So what does this mean to prospective buyers? To give an example, a buyer purchasing a $750,000 home with a 20% down payment will need to secure a $600,000 mortgage. The monthly payment at 4% is approximately $3,424/ mo. (based on 30-year fixed rate). At 2.75%, that payment decreases by approximately $415/mo. That’s a considerable savings that can also help a buyer stretch their finances to secure a higher-priced or larger home. Housing Inventory - The basic principle of supply and demand moves to the forefront once again in real estate. If supply decreases, competition for available housing increases, which leads to rising prices. San Pedro and most of the South Bay continue to experience a record low homes for sale. This continues to cause multiple offer scenarios for desired homes as they hit the open market. With limited housing inventory and the current low mortgage rate environment, it’s difficult to envision a major market correction in the near future despite the craziness in our economy. It’s clear our country is experiencing some of the most challenging economic times since the paralyzing financial crisis of 2008. We are a great nation that always finds a way to rise to the challenge when faced with adversity. This time is no different. Collectively, we will get through this. Shop Local! Live Local! spt Mike Harper and Peter Hazdovac are both licensed Realtors® with Keller Williams Realty. For more info, visit harperhazdovac.com.
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by Pastor Nathan Hoff
Where are you from? Family? Your own call to serve as a Rabbi? “Free 30 Minute Consultation with Mr. Green” Rabbi: I’ve known I wanted to [be] a rabbi since I was a teenager. I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where I was blessed to fall in love with We’ve had Torah, Jewish music, social justice, some transitions and — most importantly — the Jewish in the faith people. Now I’m fortunate enough to community of San Pedro, so I’ll take a have a career that encompasses all of few months to introduce you to some these passions. I’m grateful to be on WE SPECIALIZE IN of our newer leaders. This month, this journey with my husband, Joshua, • Tax Preparation & Planning let’s welcome Rabbi Cassi Kail. and our two wonderful children. Pastor Nathan Hoff: Rabbi Cassi Pastor: Give us a glimpse of • Accounting and Bookkeeping Kail, welcome to San Pedro and a day in the life of a rabbi. • Audit Representation the South Bay! I’m especially glad Rabbi: The blessing and challenge that you have come since we are of being a rabbi is that every day is immediate neighbors across from one unique. I’m humbled to sit with people 310-519-8600 another on 7th Street near Weymouth at moments of grief, illness and loss, Corners. When did you arrive at and moments of new beginnings 1536 W. 25th Street, Suite K | San Pedro gerlach-1007-DB-4c.qxd:gerlach-1007-DB-4c 11/15/07 10:15Temple AM Beth Pa El and can you give some and great joy. I have the privilege of vanburenandassociates.com George A. Van Buren, EA, MBA initial impressions of San Pedro? teaching Torah to people of all ages, Rabbi Cassi Kail: Thank you so leading a community in worship, much, Pastor Hoff, for inviting me to and working with a phenomenal be a part of this article. I moved from staff and lay leaders to create New York to California this past July meaningful programs, opportunities [2019], and the transition has been [for] social justice work, and holiday wonderful. San Pedro makes me feel celebrations. Most of all, I see my at home because it is so wonderfully work as creating sacred connections. diverse. In some ways, it feels like a Pastor: The Prophet Jeremiah small town; everyone seems to know wrote long ago, “Seek the peace and one another. In others, it is bursting prosperity of the city to which I have with cultural venues and entertainment. carried you into exile. Pray to the Pastor: Can you share some Lord for it, because if it prospers, of the Temple Beth El’s story you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29.7) with the SPT readers? When you think and dream about Rabbi: Temple Beth El (TBE) is one the peace and prosperity of San of the oldest Reform temples in Los Pedro, what does that look like? Angeles. It began in 1922 when a few Rabbi: I believe that San Pedro’s Jewish families came together to pray. greatest asset is its people. I have The San Pedro Jewish Sisterhood began met some of the most generous, kind, a year later, providing opportunities intelligent people who truly care for our for socializing, serving people who community. Given how polarized our were needy, and even acquiring the world currently is, I dream about a San Temple’s first Torah scroll. From its Pedro in which we don’t avoid talking humble beginnings, TBE was filled about religion and politics, but rather Financing Plans Available [with] people committed to foster[ing] we honestly and respectfully open a meaningful relationship. From its ourselves up to one another’s truths. first Temple building on Cabrillo Given the huge homeless population, I to its current home on Seventh pray that when we look into the eyes Breast Surgery • Body Conturing • Tummy Tuck • Eyelids • Face and Nose • Liposuction Street, TBE has always been proud of a stranger, we see a sacred being of its San Pedro roots. Under the deserving of dignity and respect. A Laser Hair Removal • Brown Spot Removal Botox • Restylane • Juvéderm • Perlane leadership of phenomenal clergy, prosperous San Pedro is one in which such as Rabbi Lieb, Rabbi Briskin, all residents have roofs over their Cantor Davidson, and remarkable lay heads and food in their stomachs. spt leaders, TBE has worked to develop strong bonds with religious neighbors More information about and a myriad of organizations Temple Beth El can be found doing holy work in the region. at bethelsp.org. Pastor: Tell us about yourself.
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28 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I SEPTEMBER 2020
“Make change your friend, and you will have a friend for life.” Duffy Nelson
Whatever happened to...
Dottie Hill?
“I had several falls while living in my home. My boys felt it wasn’t safe for me to be there any longer. I knew Harbor Terrace enjoyed an excellent reputation. Plus, I personally heard really good comments about it. “I moved in and voilà… it was so much more than I could ever have imagined. It has been a godsend to me. Here I have found safety, security and all the support that I have needed, with so many added bonuses. It truly far exceeded my expectations. People need to know how beneficial and incredibly wonderful this place really is. As the saying goes, you have to see it to believe it. I say, come and visit us! “For me, it was meant to be. I am very happy and thankful and so are my children!” Dottie Hill Resident of Harbor Terrace
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What Happens When You Shop Local?
• Local businesses are more likely to utilize other local businesses such as banks, service providers, and farms. • For every $100 you spend at local businesses, $68 will stay in the community. • Independent retailers return more than three times as much money per dollar of sales to the community in which they operate than chain competitors. • Independent restaurants return more than two times as much money per dollar of sales than national restaurant chains. • Small businesses employ 77 million Americans and accounted for 65% of all new jobs over the past 17 years. In addition to helping build the local economy, there are also notable intangible benefits that come from supporting businesses in our local community. • Local businesses are owned and operated by your neighbors! They care about and are invested in the wellbeing of your community and its future. • Local businesses are more accountable to their local communities and donate more money to non-profits. • Supporting local businesses is good for the environment because they often have a smaller carbon footprint than larger companies.
Support San Pedro & RPV Businesses!
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(Sources: U.S. Small Business Association, U.S. Department of Labor)
SEPTEMBER 2020 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 29
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An aerial view of the area formerly known as Bogdanovich Park, off of 25th Street, west of Patton. At the top right, you can see the intersection of 25th & Western. The 22-acres of land were transferred, amid protests from the community, to the Air Force to use for housing in the late 1980s. (photo: San Pedro Bay Historical Society)
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