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NOVEMBER 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 3
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
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shell of what it once was. If it wasn’t for the success of the San Pedro Fish Market and Ports O’ Call Restaurant, it probably would’ve been razed sooner. Some San PeWhen I finished this column last drans just can’t month by asking: “How long it takes let go. San Pedrans to stop calling it Ports O’ Last month’s Call, though? That’s anyone’s guess,” I issue featuring was only half-joking. While this whole the upcoming “potayto, potahto” argument might West Harbor sound frivolous to some (and in many development sure ways, I agree it is), it’s a good example struck a nerve of how nostalgia continues to color the with some readway many view this town, much to its ers and proved to me once again that detriment. some still can’t grasp the concept of San Pedro’s going through a huge change, or simply don’t want to. growth spurt right now, the likes of As soon as we posted the issue which we haven’t experienced since online, comments like “Thanks for the original Ports O’ Call Village was destroying my childhood hangout spot” built. Those investing in us now are and “Can’t even go vibe and reminisce trying to set this town up for success in [about] the old days there anymore” hit the future, just like the generations that our social media. They’re frustrating for came before us. me to read. While I understand the pasI highly recommend visiting the sion, the sentiment is misguided. newly reopened L.A. Maritime Museum You can still mourn the past but not to check out the stunning new Town at the expense of the future. Square and Waterfront Promenade. It’s Nearly every day, I see variations of a beautiful addition to our town, and “San Pedro isn’t how it used to be” on it’s the kind of progress people need to social media. While it’s a factual state- see in person. ment (no town is ever how it “used to Just think, Ports O’ Call would’ve be”), this sentiment swelled after Ports never existed if the community’s menO’ Call Village was razed a few years tality then was to keep the waterfront ago to make room for West Harbor. the way it was. Let’s not lose sight of You’d think the way people were our future because we’re blinded by our commenting then about their love for past. spt the former seaside plaza that they were still frequenting it. They weren’t. None Joshua Stecker is publisher/editorof us were. Which is why by the time in-chief of San Pedro Today. Letters Ports O’ Call met its demise, it was to the Editor can be emailed to nothing but a barren, termite-infested contact@sanpedrotoday.com.
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NOVEMBER 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 5
NOVEMBER 2021
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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.
VOLUME 13 | NUMBER 10 ON THE COVER: POLAHS graduate Paige Dillihunt, POLAHS Senior Development Director Erin Loveridge, and POLAHS Digital Photography Instructor and Pixels Gallery Coordinator Erick Miseroy. (photo: John Mattera Photography)
6 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I NOVEMBER 2021
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EVENTS
NOVEMBER 2021 SAN PEDRO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TURNS 10 November 4-7 (Thurs-Sun) – 10th ANNUAL SAN PEDRO FILM FESTIVAL at the Warner Grand Theatre, (478 W. 6th St.), visit SPIFFest.org for complete schedule. – The San Pedro International Film Festival (SPIFFest) celebrates its 10th anniversary with works by emerging filmmakers from around the world. This year’s event will take place in person and will also offer an online program, creating a “hybrid” festival to safely accommodate participants during the global pandemic crisis. As customary, SPIFFest will participate in the monthly First Thursday ArtWalk with an art exhibition, this year at Backdoor Studios (374 W. 7th St.), with the collection of artists live/work art lofts including Cherry Wood, Jeff Allu, Peter Scherre, and Jules Wolfe and a reception from 7-9p. On Friday November 5, Grand Vision Foundation, SPIFFest, and the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce present Charlie Chaplin’s 1931 tour-de-force silent film City Lights at the historic Warner Grand Theatre. Film tickets include the Pre-Screening Reception (5-6:30p) with one complimentary drink ticket. This special screening (7p) announces the Opening Night and the 10th Anniversary of SPIFFest, while celebrating Grand Vision Foundation’s 25th Anniversary and the Warner Grand Theatre’s 90th Birthday. The event will bring together the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce’s business and arts community, classic film and film festival fans, and art deco enthusiasts. On Saturday November 6, SPIFFest continues with the first Short Takes program, followed by the feature film Wisper, and ending the evening with the feature-length documentary Raymond Lewis: LA Legend, about the extremely talented basketball player blackballed from the NBA in the 1970s. Closing out the film portion of the festival on Sunday, November 7 is Short Takes 2 and the feature film Amazon Queen from award winning director Marlin Darrah. A tech panel discussion will take place on November 7 (1:30-3p): From VR/AR to Crypto: The State of the Art of Digital Entertainment 2021, where innovators will review the mass movement towards digitization, the latest technologies, and explore a wide range of trending digital applications. COVID-19 protocols will be in place. In addition to these select screenings, the program will also be available online until November 14. For more information, visit SPIFFest.org.
COVID-19 UPDATE: Due to the rapidly changing nature of public health guidance for in-person events, information may change. Please plan accordingly.
Every Friday – SAN PEDRO FARMERS MARKET AT LITTLE ITALY (638 S. Beacon St.), 11a-3p. – Pick up essential fruits and vegetables from certified, small family farms. Get a head start on weekend meals with so many delicious and fresh options. Please note social distancing of six feet between groups and people is required. Masks must be worn at all times, and a hand washing station is provided for your convenience. For more info, visit sanpedrochamber. com/san-pedro-farmers-market. Every Tuesday & Every Saturday – BELMONT SHORE RAILROAD CLUB at Angels Gate Park (3600 S. Gaffey St., Building 824), Tuesdays 7-10p & Saturdays 12-4p. – The best kept secret in San Pedro! The Belmont Shore Railroad Club is the oldest and largest N scale club and offers clinics on modeling and an opportunity to explore a new hobby. Admission is FREE and open to the public. For more info, call (310) 831-6262 or visit belmontshorerr.com.
14 (Sun) – MARTHA REDBONE at the Grand Annex (434 W. 6th St.), 8p. – Singer-songwriter and Independent Music Award winner draws on her mother’s Native American heritage and her father’s African-American culture to deliver a powerful blend of Appalachian folk, roots, and blues. Redbone has been awarded Best Debut Album at the Native American Music Awards and Best Pop Album at the Indian Summer Music Awards, and her music has garnered national radio attention with features on NPR’s All Things Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts, WNYC’s Soundcheck and New Sounds, and Sirius Satellite. She will play at the Annex with her trio. Tickets available at grandvision.org.
December 5 (Sun) – 41st ANNUAL SPIRIT OF SAN PEDRO HOLIDAY PARADE at Downtown San Pedro, 1-3p. – The San Pedro Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce that the annual Spirit of San Pedro Holiday Parade will be celebrating its 41st 4 (Thurs) – FIRST THURSDAY in year on Sunday, December 5, 1-3p. Downtown San Pedro, 6p. – The Each year, this festive tradition brings popular First Thursday ArtWalk is back families, little leagues, scouts, students, in the historic core of Downtown San high school bands, equestrian units, and Pedro. The redesigned First Thursday volunteers to Downtown San Pedro to will feature guided ArtWalk tours, open celebrate the holiday season and our galleries, outdoor dining, and live music community. More than 9,000 individuals on the corner of 6th and Mesa streets. will line the streets to view the parade. The parade route is as follows: START 13 (Sat) – LAURENCE JUBER, A at 13th St. and Pacific Ave., right on 6th WINE & MUSIC CONCERT at the St., END on 6th St. and Palos Verdes Grand Annex (434 W. 6th St.), 8p. – St. The annual parade is made possible Grammy-winning guitar player at the through the generous support of our front lines of the fingerstyle genre and community. This event is presented by known internationally for his collabora- the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce tions with music legend Paul McCartand is a FREE event to the community. ney and as a lead guitarist for Wings. For more info, visit sanpedrochamPre-concert wine tasting at 7-7:45p ber.com or call 310-832-7272. spt with sommelier Mona Harrington. Tickets available at grandvision.org.
RIC PHOTOS Email events@sanpedrotoday.com to place a listing for a nominal fee. Deadline for the December 2021 issue is Friday, November 12. Find more events at sanpedrotoday.com. The Los Angeles Maritime Museum
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COMMUNITY CAN HAVE A ROLE IN WAR MEMORIAL by Steve Marconi The San Pedro War Memorial is coming. Thanks to donations from County Supervisor Janice Hahn and grants from City Councilman Joe Buscaino and the Port of Los Angeles, the memorial, honoring the men from San Pedro who died in service to their country in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, will be placed alongside the USS Iowa in the near future. The memorial will be part of the Iowa’s Freedom of the Seas Park Pavilion at the end of the waterfront promenade beneath the bow of the battleship museum, overlooking the Main Channel.
All that remains to do is finalize the lists of names to go on the memorial. I’ve been pushing this project for years, and I thought I had complete lists, but it turns out I was wrong. Timing is everything, and in this case, the long wait was worth it: The sources of funding came together, and additional San Pedro heroes were uncovered all within a few months. The total of San Pedro’s Vietnam War dead, listed here in the past, stood at 20, but I got the names of three more purely by chance. Earlier this year, I was talking at work with Louie Cesena, a longtime San Pedran and one of the few longshoremen older than me. He is a Vietnam veteran, and when I mentioned the memorial project, he asked about David Torres. I said, “David
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who?” because there was no Torres on my list of San Pedrans who died in Vietnam (casualties are listed by hometown at the time of death). It turns out Torres, who attended Barton Hill Elementary and Dana Junior High, was living in Oregon when he enlisted in the Marines. He was 20 and a lance corporal when he was mortally wounded by a mine on August 2, 1969. He is buried in Springfield, Oregon. Benjamin Bugarin was born and raised in San Pedro, but his mother was living in Sepulveda when she was notified of his death. Bugarin, a 1960 graduate of San Pedro High, was killed on April 27, 1969, during a night attack on his position north of Saigon. He was on his second tour in Vietnam, having enlisted in the Army after graduation and risen through the ranks to become captain. He is buried at Wilmington Cemetery. I was told about Bugarin by former San Pedran Ron Gonzales (Fermin Lasuen S`71 and fellow journalist), who came to hear my talk on the memorial to the historical society last month. At the National Maritime Day observance in May, I happened to ask John Pitts, former president of the American Merchant Marine Veterans, if any merchant mariners had died in Vietnam, and if any were from San Pedro. More than 40 merchant mariners died in that war, including Robert Rowe of San Pedro. Rowe, 57, was one of seven seamen killed when the SS Baton Rouge Victory was sunk by a mine in the Long Tao River south of Saigon on August 23, 1966. He is buried in Belvidere, Illinois. Then there’s Major Harry John Harrison, brought to my attention by Fort MacArthur Museum Director Stephen Nelson. Harrison, a Pennsylvania native and West Point grad, came to San Pedro with his wife and children in 1940 as commander of the 3rd Coastal Artillery’s Battery E at Fort MacArthur. After WWII broke out, he volunteered for the paratroopers; he was with the 109th Infantry when he was killed in action at
the Hurtgen Forest in November 1944 at age 34. All of this to say that if anyone reading this knows of someone from San Pedro who died in WWI, WWII, Korea, or Vietnam and wants to make sure they are included on the war memorial, they should drop me an email. I’m not even sure yet if Harrison qualifies as a San Pedran, but as the above examples show, word of mouth can sometimes reveal what hours of research might easily overlook. The community also could participate in another project linked to the memorial. Here again, timing was everything. The goal all along was to make this memorial interactive: Visitors would not just see names, dates, and locations etched in granite but, using modern technology, be able to access pictures and stories about each individual. This will be possible now thanks in large part to Don Milne and his Stories Behind the Stars project, which I first read about earlier this year in World War II magazine. Milne’s goal, using volunteer help, is to create stories on each of the more than 400,000 Americans killed in WWII. These stories are then posted on the websites Fold3 or Together We Served, accessible through either computer or smartphone. He already has more than 1,000 volunteers across the country helping him; anyone interested in joining this noble effort can contact him at don@storiesbehindthestars.org. His immediate goal is to have stories done on all 2,403 Americans who died on December 7, 1941, by this year’s 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Twenty San Pedro sailors died that day. Working with Stories Behind the Stars will cover the 173 San Pedrans who died in WWII, but that still leaves another 70 from the other wars. If you’re interested in helping out on doing their stories, please contact me. spt Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.
NOVEMBER 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 11
VOICES
NEW WATERFRONT PROMENADE & TOWN SQUARE OPENS
leadership understood that we needed to find a way to fund the infrastructure improvements such as the promenade, town square, roadways, and parking; otherwise, there would be no West Harbor development. The community understood this as well and communicated this at commission meetings that followed. In 2014, our Board of Harbor Commissioners adjusted the annual budget to add funding to begin the engineering to realign Sampson Way. The realignment was completed in 2016. In 2015, our board approved the by Anthony Pirozzi, Jr. Public Access Investment Plan, providOct. 21, 2021: Pirozzi (center) speaks at the opening ceremony for the completion of the Town Square and Promenade project along the L.A. Waterfront. ing a ten-year funding strategy for (photo: John Mattera Photography) the waterfront development occurring today, not only in San Pedro but along the Wilmington waterfront as well. a lifelong member of the community. solid commitment by many in leaderLast month The next step was for the port to The reason for the great turnout was ship positions to ensure the port built marked a big prepare the Ports O’ Call site for demosimple. The promise of prosperity for the infrastructure necessary to enable milestone in our lition to make way for the West Harbor past, current, and future generations waterfront devel- such new retail, food, and entertaindevelopment. This led to a groundfrom San Pedro has always started ment development like West Harbor. opment journey. breaking ceremony in January 2020, a along the waterfront. Thankfully, the From Mayor Eric Garcetti, CouncilThe Port of day many waited for decades to occur. man Joe Buscaino, the Board of Harbor Harbor Commissioners then approved Los Angeles Although the pandemic hit a couple of the waterfront development plan that Commissioners, and the Harbor has completed months later, the construction jobs reset the stage for today’s developments. Department, under the leadership of the Waterfront lated to the development were deemed The approval led to the 2011 ground- essential and work continued. Other elGene Seroka, you couldn’t ask for a Promenade and breaking ceremony of the downtown better team to be in place working Town Square at the water’s edge, from ements completed as part of this develwater cut between the Fireboat Station together on this huge undertaking. the Maritime Museum to the former opment phase include a turning circle and the Maritime Museum, which I par- and parking lot in front of the Maritime It is important to look back to Jankovich fuel dock. The remaining ticipated in as chairman of the board of Museum, a Main Channel overlook, September 29, 2009, when our then section, located at the San Pedro Fish the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce. Board of Harbor Commissioners held Market, will be completed in the next ramps connecting to 7th Street, a giant In 2014, now as a harbor commissioner, swing, art deco bollard lights, benches phase. The port has handed over the site a marathon meeting to determine the I participated in the ribbon-cutting fate of our waterfront. That meeting to the Ratkovich Company and Jerico along the promenade, two dozen trees, ceremony for this site, where a few went well past midnight, as hundreds Development team to begin building public restrooms, and a 600-foot floatthousand people came to enjoy the eve- ing dock providing tie-up space for visWest Harbor, which was the cover story of local residents, along with our then ning’s festivities. But deep down inside, iting recreational boaters. On October councilwoman Janice Hahn, spoke in in last month’s San Pedro Today. The I understood and knew that our waWest Harbor development is significant support of approving the San Pedro 21, 2021, a Waterfront Promenade and Waterfront Final Environmental Impact terfront development efforts would be and paves the way for generations of Town Square plaque was dedicated to judged solely on whether or not the re- mark this huge accomplishment. spt Report after hundreds of hours spent families to build lifelong memories, development of Ports O’ Call would acin community meetings, hearings, and just like Ports O’ Call did for decades. tually happen. This was a driving force Anthony Pirozzi, Jr. is a Los Angeles workshops. I was proud to speak that Since being appointed to the Port of for many of us in leadership positions. evening, not only as part of the San Los Angeles Board of Harbor ComHarbor Commissioner. He can be The Harbor Commission and port Pedro Chamber of Commerce but as missioners in 2013, there has been a reached at apirozzi@yahoo.com.
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STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES THRIVE AT WILLENBERG
while they are at the school,” shares Mirigliani. “Before they attended Willenberg, many of our students were unable to participate in leadership in their schools or sports. We have all of that here and more. The students who were once placed in the back bungalows at other schools are superstars at Willenberg.” by Jennifer Marquez Finn’s Bistro, another real-world work program on campus, teaches students food handling, customer A Willenberg student works the counter at Finn's Bistro. service skills, and money management. There is some(photo: courtesy Willenberg Career and Transition Center) thing very special Students also learn how to garden students with severe disabilities from about LAUSD’s Consistent Sea Inc., students will learn on-site and sell their plants and other ages 3-22. The staff would literally Willenberg real tools of the trade with hands-on goods from the graphic design departwatch children grow up at the school. Career and experience. The shrimp are being prement at the local farmers market. Transition Center More recently, when students in special pared to sell to local aquariums. Willenberg has a commercial kitchen education were integrated back into lolocated here in Current high school students are able where students learn to cook and cater San Pedro. From cal schools, Willenberg became a center to spend part of their day at Willenberg. events. An apartment is set up at the for adults with disabilities ages 18-22. the colorful They get acclimated to the program school, and soft skills like laundry are It was discovered that this population murals around before they attend the school full-time practiced. Students are encouraged to campus to the friendly staff who answer was struggling to get employment and after graduation. Students in job trainbe more independent and taught how diplomas. Willenberg was a response to ing classes on campus, like printing, the phones, the vibe is pure positivity. to shop and attend churches and other The people who work there care deeply, this issue. The enthusiastic and inspirit- catering, or graphic design, wear classes to help them be more connected and that energy creates an environment ing staff teach students how to become uniforms and punch in on a time clock. to the community. independent adults through job trainthat inspires the 157 students who atStudents are trained on campus, so they Adaptive physical education is ing, adulting skills, and learning to ride will be more competitive when applying provided with multiple coaches and tend the school. public transportation. “One-third of the staff are family for jobs. Willenberg provides graphic equipment. Some students who spend Willenberg has partnered with members of students with disabilities,” design and printing to the community the majority of their time in wheelcompanies in the community that hire says Principal Gavin Mirigliani. “It is at competitive prices and makes over chairs have the opportunity to use a students as interns at no cost. The more than a job for them.” 500,000 copies a year for LAUSD. gait trainer, which simulates walking in “It is a blessing and an honor to work student earns a stipend and valuable job Part of their vocational programs an upright position. experience as an intern. Staff carefully here,” says Assistant Principal Mary includes the option for dual enrollment If you are interested in hiring a Julienne. “The school is part of my fam- match students with a job that will be a at Harbor College while attending Wil- student for your business, outsourcgood fit for them and provide job coach- lenberg. They also have a partnership ily, and my brother and sister attended ing printing or graphic design, or ing. Companies can also hire students Willenberg. I dreamed about growing with Kaiser Permanente called Project getting your car detailed by students and receive a tax credit. Students take up and working here. We get to know SEARCH, a job training program where ($10), please contact the school at each student with the care we provide. I pride in repetitive tasks like putting the students work on-site at Kaiser while (310) 548-1371. spt worked as a teacher for 23 years before go-backs on the shelves at CVS. mastering on-the-job skills in different A new work program at Willenberg becoming the assistant principal.” departments. This program has been a Jennifer Marquez can be reached is the Blue Technology Lab, where stu- huge success, with 87 percent of stuOriginally opened in the 1950s for at jennifertmarquez@yahoo.com dents will be cultivating brine shrimp. students with polio, Willenberg has dents being hired at Kaiser. and @jenntmqz on Twitter and Through a partnership with AltaSea and been many things. For years, it served “We are enriching students’ lives Instagram.
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With all the talk about cargo ships stacking up along our coast, few have noticed that cruise ships are back at the Port of Los Angeles. I didn’t realize how much I missed hearing the Love Boat tune coming through my window as the ships left port. Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Viking Ocean Cruises, and Princess Cruise Lines are now offering Mexico and Hawaii vacation voyages. Along with in-transit stops from other carriers, San Pedro is quickly regaining tourism interests, especially for passengers who come in a day early or return home a day after their cruise. In fact, 2022 could bring in twice the number of cruises from 2019 and at steep discounts. My Croatian father-inlaw, Frank Gasperov, was as cheap — er, I mean, frugal — as anyone I’ve ever known. He loved to cruise and would often tell me, “All-inclusive cruises, for less than what you would pay for a hotel, are a steal.” Now you can book a cruise for less than half the price of a hotel room. They include premium drinks, with even better deals for Los Angeles residents. I don’t know of a time when prices have been this low and offered so many upgrades and additional cruise credits. If you’re thinking about an inexpensive getaway, now’s the time. We all remember the horror stories from the early days of the pandemic. The cruise ships are stepping up safety requirements with 100 percent vaccinated guests and crew, requiring a negative COVID test within 48 hours of a cruise, and extraordinary cleaning measures. The payoff is the ability for passengers to return to normalcy with no mask requirements, no need for social distancing, and the ability to socialize with other passengers with much less risk of catching the disease. The ships are also running at about 75 percent capacity, which for me, means a shorter wait at the bar. Even with reduced capacity, we can expect between 2,500 and 5,000 cruise ship passengers per voyage and around 1,300 to 2,000 crew members. This will provide a much-needed shot in the arm for our hotels and hospitality industry, with additional foot traffic to Downtown
San Pedro during the day and our lunch hours for restaurants. According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), in 2018, there were 28.5 million cruise ship passengers globally, with the bulk (14.2 million) being from North America. This represented $38.4 billion in earnings in 2019. The cruise ship industry is betting that by creating a COVID-free bubble, they can lure these loyal and enthusiastic passengers back. Research group Stastista predicts we could see cruise ship passenger numbers returning to pre-pandemic levels as early as 2024. That could be perfect timing for San Pedro, as it matches up nicely with the completion of the West Harbor project. The prospect of increased numbers of tourism visitors is being closely tracked and studied as the port is actively working on a connectivity plan. Moving people around the cruise ship terminals, around development at West Harbor and the marina, and connecting the San Pedro downtown could give us leverage in building faster public access to LAX and light rail. The improvements to freeway access on Harbor Blvd. will begin in 2022 and will create a better flow for trucks accessing the port and San Pedrans getting into and out of town. Cruising is big business, and it will be up to our restaurants, hotels, retail businesses, and Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles to create a draw for these passengers spending time in San Pedro before and after their cruise. Typically, cruisers spend $100 per person, per day when in port, and with these ships that can equate to $1 million per ship. Shuttling these passengers around in our new rubber-tire trollies will help us extend people’s stay and enjoyment of San Pedro and give us access to those tourist dollars that will benefit our local businesses. I’m looking forward to what this will mean for new jobs, our art studios, outdoor dining, family-friendly attractions, things to do, and the possibility of more nightlife here in San Pedro. spt Lee Williams leads the Williams Group at Keller Williams Realty and is a member of the Board of Directors for the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce and the Boys and Girls Club for L.A. Harbor.
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NOVEMBER 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 17
Picture Perfect
PIXELS, POLAHS’ NEW STUDENT ART GALLERY AND CREATIVE SPACE, OPENS IN DOWNTOWN by Joshua Stecker and Avery Amaya-Adle Pixels Gallery & Creative Space on 6th Street in Downtown San Pedro. (photo: Cheryl Ogden)
The crowd outside the newly renovated art gallery stretches into the middle of 6th Street, blocking traffic. It’s First Thursday in September, and the throng of people, a mix of teenagers, their parents, some local dignitaries, and Port of Los Angeles High School staff, are anxiously awaiting the grand opening of Pixels, a new art gallery and creative space for POLAHS students. POLAHS representatives soon join San Pedro Chamber of Commerce Board Chair John Bagakis as they snip the ribbon with the ceremonial scissors, causing the large gathering to burst into cheers. It’s been a while since Downtown San Pedro has seen an art gallery opening with this much enthusiasm. With beautifully arranged balloons lining the entrance and plenty of hors d’oeuvres inside, the Pixels grand opening is the hottest spot in town on this First Thursday, and for good reason. The gallery’s objectives to showcase POLAHS students’ work and provide a creative learning space is something POLAHS’s Senior Development Director Erin Loveridge and Digital Photography Instructor and now Pixels Gallery Coordinator Erick Miseroy have been working on for more than a year. PERMANENT HOME Located in the 3,800 square foot gallery formerly owned by the late famed seascape artist Violet Parkhurst, Pixels serves “as a creative space for students
to participate in workshops and studio sessions with live models and a gallery for them to gain industry experience by displaying and selling their work,” says Loveridge. Before they were able to find a space of their own, Miseroy would showcase students’ work on First Thursdays across the street at the Arches on 6th. The networking for students was a success, which led Miseroy to the idea of securing a permanent gallery for the high school that he could also use as a remote learning location. He approached Loveridge about having their own gallery for students, an idea which coincided with her work in helping the school’s facilities planning. The space fit the requirements that Miseroy envisioned: needing to be close enough to POLAHS for students to be able to walk from the school to the gallery and for the gallery to be within San Pedro’s arts district. This would allow the gallery to participate in the First Thursday ArtWalk every month, the only day the gallery is open to the public. While the idea looked great on paper, one question remained: How was the school going to pay for it? Since POLAHS is a charter school, they needed to seek private funding and grants to secure a permanent gallery space. As Loveridge explains, “District public schools and charter schools receive the same amount of funding
18 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I NOVEMBER 2021
from the state based on Average Daily Attendance, but there is one key difference. Unlike district schools, charters don’t receive funds for capital projects/ construction. We rely on grant fundraising to embark on projects like Pixels or renovating classrooms and existing facilities.” Luckily, the California Community College District’s K12 Strong Workforce Program grant was accepting applications. According to the California Community Colleges website, the grant is “designed to support K–12 local education agencies in creating, improving, and expanding career technical education (CTE) courses, course sequences, programs of study.” CTE coursework prepares students to transition from high school, to college, to employment through hands-on skills training. According to Loveridge, POLAHS offers six elective pathways within its CTE Program: welding, construction, marine transportation, video production, graphic design, and digital photography. “Students may enroll in these pathways alongside their academic high school courses,” she says. The charter high school’s graphic design and digital photography courses were a perfect fit for the K12 Strong Workforce Program grant to fund the Pixels project. Loveridge quickly applied, and POLAHS was awarded $265,000, which was enough to fund a year lease, cover much-needed renova-
tions to the building, and purchase the latest digital photography equipment for the students to use. During the 2020-21 school year, POLAHS served 49 digital photography students, with seniors graduating with industry certifications from Adobe, the software company behind applications like Photoshop, giving them a muchneeded leg up when entering college and the workforce. The high school also belongs to the Nikon USA Ambassador Program, where students receive mentorship from Nikon industry professionals and participate in workshops at Pixels. “POLAHS is the first and only high school in the nation participating in the Ambassador program, which is typically reserved for colleges,” adds Loveridge. PROVIDING OPPORTUNITY The gallery itself is spacious, modern, and clearly forged out of the deep desire to showcase the work of the charter high school’s pool of talented teenagers. During September and October, Pixels hosted the digital photography work of two students, Michele Lee and Paige Dillihunt, who were chosen to travel abroad to Iceland on the National Geographic Photography Expedition in July 2021. The two-week trip, funded annually through a private donor at the cost of approximately $15,000 per student, included tuition, camera and travel gear, a laptop, meals, airfare, and
NOVEMBER 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 19
Wayne Ratkovich (center), founder and CEO of The Ratkovich Company, with Eric (left) and Alan Johnson of Jerico Development in a 2013 file photo. (photo: John Mattera Photography)
Top row (l to r): Grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 2, 2021; a wall in the gallery for non-student local artists; (bottom row) Visitors check out the gallery. (photos: Cheryl Ogden)
lodging. Each summer, the school donor sends more than 10 students on study abroad trips around the world, including Africa, Japan, and France, the list goes on. For Dillihunt, who graduated this past summer, it was her first time traveling outside of the United States. In Iceland, she witnessed glaciers fall and molten lava up close and interviewed locals to understand the culture of the country she was visiting. Even though she was a fish out of water, she
loved every minute of the trip and came back with hundreds of photos, many of which were framed and hung for sale in Pixels for the grand opening. Like most students, this is the first time she’s had any of her photography up for public display, which she found both exciting and terrifying. “I love the fact that when you look at someone’s photos, there’s always a discussion behind it, even if it’s criticism or some people don’t like your photo, that means it’s a good photo because
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people are talking about it,” explains Dillihunt, who also sold several prints during First Thursday. “To see people actually wanting to know more about my photos was so surreal to me,” she adds. “And to hear them say ‘Oh, this is a good photo,’ and ‘I like this one’ and have them take it off the wall to buy was just unbelievable. I just love that feeling of people wanting to talk about my photos and my photos being more than something to scroll by on Instagram.” EXCEEDING THE DREAM Miseroy and Loveridge agree that a place like Pixels is what the charter high school was created for. Originally focused on maritime studies, POLAHS has expanded its electives to include trades like welding, video production, and digital photography, among others. According to Loveridge, Camilla Townsend, POLAHS founder and Board Trustee, spearheaded the school’s opening in September 2005 to prepare students for college and careers within and around the port and to provide greater opportunities for students in the community. POLAHS would help stimulate Downtown San Pedro’s economy, too. Pixels’ downtown location and relation-
ship with the art community seems to perfectly align with Townsend’s vision. Pixels’ installations will change every month, with the public invited to check out the students’ work each First Thursday evening. The gallery also has space set aside to feature the work of other (non-student) local artists. The next public opening will be on First Thursday, November 4, with a Dia de los Muertos theme, which promises to be just as unique and inspired as the previous installations. The gallery will be open from 5-9 p.m. Expect music, appetizers, and free portraits and prints. Looking ahead, Loveridge and administrators have plans to expand upon the Pixels concept for other career pathways at the high school. “We’re aiming to both fulfill and exceed Camilla’s vision for the school,” says Loveridge. “As part of the next generation of leadership at POLAHS — and through Camilla’s mentorship — we have an incredible team who can help her vision evolve and take form into the future. There’s creativity and freedom in that.” spt Pixels is located at 439 W. 6th St. For more info, call (310) 832-9201 or visit polahs.net.
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THE PURRFECT SPOT
HYLA’S HEART TO HOME CAT LOUNGE OPENS IN DTSP by Valerie Electra Smith-Griffin In 1998, the first cat lounge, Cat Flower Garden, originated in Taipei, Taiwan, starting a global trend that has been growing ever since. Now San Pedro has a cat lounge of its own with the opening of Hyla’s Heart to Home Cat Lounge in downtown, a venture that aims to benefit both animals and the local community. The feline-centered lounge — created by Pedro Pet Pals, the nonprofit organization launched in 2009 by President Theresa Sardisco — is part of the new pet wellness center in the two-story building on the corner of 7th and Mesa streets. As opposed to the traditional shelter experience, the lounge reconceptualizes how rescue cats are re-homed, providing a warm, comforting, and fun environment for adoptable cats to roam freely and interact with potential adopters. In collaboration with South Bay Cats, a local nonprofit rescue and adoption organization, the mission is to find forever homes for the felines, all within a safe and unique atmosphere. The lounge pays homage to Hyla Marrow, an avid cat lover and accomplished gymnast, dancer, actress, and daredevil stuntwoman who created a trust that, since 2016, helps homeless cats find medical care and permanent homes. Pedro Pet Pals was fortunate to be chosen as one of the recipients of the Marrow Grant and decided to pur-
Hyla's Heart to Home Cat Lounge. (photo: Kelly Marini)
chase the vacant building at 395 West 7th Street, while honoring Marrow by creating the Hyla’s Heart to Home Cat Lounge. Project Manager Kenna Dean, who spearheaded the lounge inception, ensures all aspects of the operation run smoothly. “We are seeing a rejuvenation of the downtown area in San Pedro, and being the project manager for the cat lounge seemed like a perfect fit,” says Dean. “The hope is to get as many cats as possible into their forever homes. Our goal for the lounge is to be open daily and to have the cats live there while they wait to be adopted.” The cat lounge is an extension of the Los Angeles City Shelter, according to Sardisco. “We’ll have both community and shelter cats available for adoption, and [we] are currently working on a project of opening a low-cost vet clinic as well,” she explains. “Pedro Pet Pals also intends to eventually host shelter dogs on weekends.” The lounge concept was very carefully considered, with half of the building devoted to the long-term goal of lowcost vet care in collaboration with the
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Spay Neuter Project of Los Angeles (SNPLA), the largest nonprofit, spayneuter animal welfare organization. Animal shelter euthanasia and intake are reduced when high-quality, lowcost veterinary services are provided to the underserved communities in the Los Angeles area. The harsh reality is not every pet owner can afford vet services, and often for that reason, pets are relinquished to the shelters. Teri Harrington, president of South Bay Cats, a nonprofit organization since 2004, will host the lounge cats. They’re chosen based on whether they are healthy, friendly, and good candidates for socialization and potential adoption, with potential adopters given an evaluation form. The cat’s welfare is always the highest priority, and proper screening is done to ensure that both the potential adopter and the desired cat are compatible. Dean expressed “gratitude to the South Bay Cats for their organization of this project.” (More information about South Bay Cats can be found at southbaycats.com or their
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Hyla’s Heart to Home Cat Lounge is located at 395 W. 7th St., Suite A. For reservations and more information, visit pedropetpals.com/ hyla-marrow-center/hylas-heartto-home-cat-lounge, email info@ pedropetpals.com or Theresa.Sardisco@gmail.com, or follow them on Facebook under Pedro Pet Pals.
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Facebook page, South Bay Cats.) The well-being and comfort of the cats are the priority at the lounge. COVID-19 precautions are enforced, and house rules keep the cats safe and secure. To cite a few: allowing the cat to lead the way, no chasing, no cell phones on speaker, quiet voices, no food or drinks offered to the cats, and kids must be under parental control at all times. The lounge ambiance is one of serenity, and visitors are greeted with a sprawling, vividly-colored cat mural by renowned artist Jules Muck, a reminder that at this facility, cats reign supreme. Just as human body language is recognizable, so is feline language. The lounge has an entertaining graphic that illustrates “cat body speak” to better understand the cat’s mind. The Hyla’s Heart to Home Cat Lounge sponsors include Councilman Joe Buscaino, Supervisor Janice Hahn, The Hyla Marrow Trust (Rita Topalian, Trustee), Domenick’s Pizza House, ILWU, and the San Pedro Fish Market, just to name a few. The popularity of the cat lounge is already taking shape. “Our early start shows fully booked appointments,” says Sardisco, and she emphasizes how the community can show support, even if they’re unable to adopt. “We never turn down volunteers! If your schedule doesn’t permit volunteering, donations are always greatly appreciated and go directly to the animals.” spt
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FOOD
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organic in-season fruits, vegetables, fresh herbs, and flowers. San Pedro Sourdough’s bread and A Bite of Good’s spices are also available here for purchase. The San Pedro farm stand will be open November 14 and 28 and December 12 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. NUDA Garden Swap (407 W. 6th St.) provides a space for residents to swap their homegrown fruits and vegetables every third Sunday of the month. Most likely, there will be pomegranates, persimmons, hardy winter greens, guavas, and fresh herbs. Sundays, November 21 and December 19, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., in front of NUDA Juice & Wellness Shop.
A LOCALLY SOURCED HOLIDAY MEAL by Sanam Lamborn
Since the start of the pandemic, contributing to our local economy and supporting San Pedro’s small business community has been important to me. This “think local” mentality has shifted the way I shop. I choose to predominantly purchase meats, produce, and goods from small businesses instead of mainly shopping at the large corporate supermarkets. On that note, here are some local options to source the ingredients for your Thanksgiving and Christmas tables from various independently owned entities around town. POULTRY & MEATS Slavko’s (1224 S. Pacific Ave.) has been selling fresh whole oven-ready turkeys for the past 70 years. Additionally, ham, prime rib, and fresh locally caught lobster will be available for Christmas. Moreover, they sell premade dinners for eight and up to twenty hungry bellies, which include sliced turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry delight. Call for orders early: (310) 832-5723. South Shores Meat Shop (2308 S. Western Ave.) will have fresh turkeys
Clockwise from top left: Produce at the San Pedro Farmers Market; Alma Backyard Farms; Seeded bread from Colossus Bread; Slavko's Harbor Poultry. (photos: Sanam Lamborn)
available for purchase in addition to their large variety of meats and fish, including their house-made sausages for your dressing. Lamb and pork will be available for Christmas. Lines get long here, so shop early. La Perla Tapatia Meat Market (210 N. Pacific Ave.) sells an impressive stuffed pork loin made with a special in-house mix and topped with house-made chipotle sauce for both Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is a perfect choice for those who want to skip the turkey or ham for something more exciting. Call and order early: (310) 221-0024. A1 Imported Groceries (348 W. 8th St.) usually sells fresh turkeys. However, this year they might only have limited birds that are 16 pounds or less. Ham and their usual selection of house-made sausages will be available. Additionally, their produce section will be well-stocked.
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VEGGIES San Pedro Farmers Market at Little Italy (638 S. Beacon St.) is a good source for in-season vegetables and fruits. Feed and Be Fed usually has fresh herbs. Visit A Bite of Good for top-quality small-batch handcrafted dried herbs and spices. Open Fridays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Green Girl Farms’ (390 W. 14th St.) master gardener Lara Hughey expects to harvest chard, beets, kale, lime, and sage. Broccoli is a possibility, as long as the baby plants grow steadily. San Pedro Sourdough’s bread can also be pre-ordered here. Check the farm website and social media accounts (links are on the bottom right of the website) on Mondays for what’s available to pre-order and pickup times: green-girl-farms.square.site. Alma Backyard Farms (1226 W. Sepulveda St.) will have a variety of
SWEETS & TREATS Colossus Bread (2311 S. Alma St.), in addition to their usual offerings, will have a selection of seasonal pies, loaves, and dinner rolls which will be available mainly by pre-order through their website: colossusbread.com. Polly Ann Bakery (1440 W. 8th St.), as mentioned in last month’s column, will have seasonal pies, baked goods, and decorated cookies for Thanksgiving and Christmas. DRINKS 5 Pours (29050 S. Western Ave. #137) has an impressive selection of domestic and international wines, beers, and spirits. It’s the perfect place to find wines that complement your meals. Brouwerij West (110 E. 22nd St.) has a variety of beers and seltzers in cans ready for pick up. Some of the restaurants in town usually offer ready-made holiday dinners with all the fixings for those who prefer to skip the cooking. I suggest keeping an eye out for social media updates, as menus become available in the weeks leading up to each holiday. 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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“Should the cabin lose pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the overhead bin. Please place the mask over your own nose and mouth before assisting others.” We’ve all heard the pre-flight safety instructions. Put your mask on before helping others because once the air gets sucked out of the room, you have about 15 seconds before it’s “lights out.” And no matter how well-intentioned, you’re of no use to anyone if you’re unconscious, so the best thing you can do for people struggling to breathe is to not be one of them. While this is a concept we generally accept at 30,000 feet, it’s not one we incorporate into our daily lives. In fact, one disturbing pattern I’ve noticed among thousands of oneon-one meetings with clients at the beginning of their fitness journey is this sentiment: “I don’t have time for myself. I’ve always put everyone else’s needs before my own.” Frequently, it’s the men or women putting in 80-hour weeks into their career, kids, marriage, and a thousand obligations that come along with it. This person gives and gives and gives to their family, co-workers, and organizations, and the scraps get left to themselves. Over time, sleepless nights, chores, soccer practice, meetings, deadlines, and quotas take their toll. This results in a lethal cocktail of stress, anxiety, and overwhelm that we medicate with greasy takeout and really strong drinks. In the moment, it feels like it’s “just for now,” but if we’re not careful, we can go so long that eventually the person in the mirror is unrecognizable. It’s all a recipe for burnout, and if you’ve felt this way, it can and should stop today. You do not have to sacrifice your health for those you love. In fact, if you asked them, they would emphatically tell you not to do that. It might feel selfish. It might feel unreasonable. But coming from someone who’s lost loved ones to poor health, making the time to be healthy in the short term so you won’t be sick in the long term is one of the least selfish things you could ever do. So if you’re tired of feeling burned out, here are a few things I
suggest you start doing immediately: Three walks, three workouts. On Sunday, carve out a minimum of three hours per week and schedule 10-20 minutes of walking in the sun each day. With the remaining time, break a sweat for 30-60 minutes three times a week, whatever your schedule allows. Start small, but start now. Exercise is the most potent and underrated antidepressant that will immediately improve your headspace and leave you feeling recharged. Make and follow a day/night ritual. Part of the reason humanity as a whole is more stressed and anxious than ever before is because we don’t have bookends to our days. We can check email, scroll the feed, and overload our senses all hours of the day. Have a set(ish) wake time and bedtime; schedule it in your calendar and follow it. Cut the screen time 30 minutes before bed. Pray, meditate, read, stretch, or journal, but get off the technology. Manage your information diet. The 24/7 news cycle is killing your mental health and productivity. It’s making you angry, worried, and generally irritable. Be more mindful of who you listen to and how it’s really serving you. Then cut away anything that isn’t making you a better human. Follow the 1-2-3 method. I stole this from famed trainer Jordan Syatt, and it’s a great first step for beginning a healthy diet: one big salad, two pieces of fruit, three bottles of water. Each day, eat the biggest salad you can manage with tons of vegetables, then have two pieces of real produce, and wash it down with three water bottles. Grab a big bottle and refill it often. Protect your time. And lastly, if you don’t respect your time, no one else will either. Make and keep appointments with yourself, and don’t tolerate interruptions (unless it’s an emergency, obviously). Do this and over time, you’ll see people and obligations will fall in line with the boundaries you’ve set. Do the above, and shockingly, you’ll find yourself showing up in all the areas of your life with a strength and presence your family, team members, and employers will thank you for. spt Ricky Magana is co-owner of Heyday Elite Fitness. For more info, visit heydaytraining.com.
Strategies for Every Stage of Your Investing Lifecycle I look forward to helping you with your financial services goals. Please contact me today for a review of your current investment strategy.
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NOVEMBER 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 27
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WE SPECIALIZE IN
• Tax Preparation & Planning • Accounting and Bookkeeping • Audit Representation 310-519-8600 George A. Van Buren, EA, MBA
1536 W. 25th Street, Suite K | San Pedro vanburenandassociates.com
Happy Thanksgiving!
Serving Our Community for Over 40 Years! • Commercial & Residential Real Estate • For Sale By Owner (FSBO) Rosemarie “Bitsy” Lauro • Short Sales Owner/Escrow Officer • FHA & Conventional Refinance • Income/Investment Properties • Hard Money Loans
Independently Owned & Operated
864 West 9th Street San Pedro, CA 90731 ∙ (310) 548-1263 www.ranchosp-escrow.com 28 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I NOVEMBER 2021
REAL ESTATE
‘BUT ZILLOW SAID MY HOUSE IS WORTH....’ by Mike Harper & Peter Hazdovac Over the last several years, this statement has become a regular occurrence during many of our meetings with homeowners. So much so that we make it a priority to check the value of a home on Zillow prior to sitting down with a potential client. But what exactly is Zillow and how does it operate? We wanted to use this column to provide more information on this topic and also relate it to our local real estate market. To quickly summarize, Zillow was established in 2006 as a website where property owners could sell or rent their homes or apartments. The Zillow platform was based on selling advertising space to consumers, as well as vendors looking to market their properties and businesses. The popularity of the platform has grown tremendously over the years, as consumers clearly enjoy the convenience of having a resource that allows them to do their own research on available listings and housing data. How is Zillow able to provide this information to consumers? Zillow has negotiated data sharing and syndication agreements with local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) providers, where millions of properties are inputted for sale, lease, and then reported when sold. The information gathered through these MLS providers is then processed through Zillow to provide a single platform for users to view. Many consumers that we have talked to seem to love the Zestimate feature. Zestimate is a Zillow feature that allows consumers to input their address to get an immediate estimated value of their home. But how accurate is this? Zillow has created an algorithm to price your home based simply on comparable homes in a specific radius of a home or zip code with similar square footage. They are not able to take into consideration the condition, upgrades, location on street, views, etc. In San Pedro and our surrounding local markets, it is possible that a home with ocean views or other important attributes is not properly accounted for in a Zestimate.
Other significant factors, which can’t be quantified, are current market conditions, overwhelming buyer demand, and the fundamentals of supply and demand. Keep in mind, a Zestimate is determined by a computer and not a person. While a Zestimate may provide a reasonable assessment of value for a home in some cases, it should not take the place of a formal appraisal or having a local real estate professional that is familiar with the characteristics of a home and features of a community to provide a more thorough assessment of your home’s value. Another aspect of Zillow that consumers may or may not be aware of is how real estate agents are selected to be “Premier Agents” on their site. Premier Agents pay for placement on the Zillow platform so that their profile is spotlighted, increasing the likelihood of generating more consumer leads. Keep in mind that this allows agents from other areas to market in different zip codes based on their paid advertising. When selecting a Realtor®, one factor should be that they have a good understanding of the local real estate market and can accurately analyze the value of your home. The "shop local" mentality, which we are strong supporters of, also applies to the real estate market. As with most industries, evolution due to technology provides efficiency and can improve the overall marketplace. Zillow did this for our industry by providing housing information to every homeowner with the click of a mouse. With that in mind, local real estate agents show their worth by providing accurate values, professionally marketing your home, and negotiating the best possible price for the homeowner. As San Pedro's housing demand continues to increase, we are setting records for home values month over month. Heading toward 2022, we are excited to see what next year brings to our real estate market, along with the continued redevelopment and improvement of our town. spt Mike Harper and Peter Hazdovac are both licensed Realtors® with Keller Williams Realty. For more info, visit harperhazdovac.com.
NOVEMBER 2021 I SAN PEDRO TODAY I 29
THE BACK PAGE
Front Street in the 1880s. You can see the Dodson House on the bluff at Beacon and 7th streets.
(photo: San Pedro Bay Historical Society)
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Mary Star of the Sea High School
Information Evening for Prospective Students Thursday, November 18, 2021 - 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. (use Taper Avenue entrance)
«TTraditi tio onal Catholic values «SStaff ffeed by Norberti tin ne Priests «W WASC accredited «1 15 Sports and 30 Clubs «SSmall class size 1/19 «2 27-acre campus 2500 North Taper Avenue San Pedro, CA 90731 310.547.1138
«1 100% acceptance rate into 4-year colleges/universiti tiees «U UC/CSU approved college prep curriculum «1 18 AP/Honors Courses «C CIF Camino Real/Del Rey League Membership For further information: info@marystarhigh.com www.marystarhigh.com
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