San Pedro Today - October 2022

The Khalbourji Family: Amanda, Robert, Albert, and Mona.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

We’re losing a good one this month.

Our longtime health and fitness columnist, Ricky Magana, is retir ing his column after this issue.

Of course, I’m of mixed emotions. As his friend, I’m happy to see him explore new endeav ors. But as a fan of his column for over a decade, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit bummed.

I met Ricky in 2011 at a young pro fessionals meetup (back when I was ac tually young and professional). He told me about this gym he recently opened with his friend Eddie McKenna in downtown called Heyday Elite Fitness and invited me to try it out. Of course, not wanting to be rude, I accepted his invitation, albeit reluctantly.

Like many of you, I’ve fought with my weight my entire life. I’ve had good years and not-so-good years. When I met Ricky, I was in one of those not-sogood years. So, when he invited me to try a class at his gym, I was very unmo tivated to get into an exercise schedule.

But I went, got my butt kicked, and loved every second of it.

I could tell that Ricky was more than just your typical gym trainer. He was intelligent, curious, and motivating, qualities I thought would make for a good health and fitness columnist in the magazine. So, I asked him if he’d be interested in such a gig. Thankfully, he said yes. (Ricky tells his version of this story on page 28.)

For over a decade, Ricky’s been motivating San Pedrans to get active, make better choices, and get healthy. That was the goal, and I think it was achieved.

I want to thank Ricky for all his hard work through the years, for rarely miss ing a deadline, and for motivating me (and many of you reading this) to better our lives. It’s been a fun ride.

If you ever need a kick in the pants or a boost of motivation, I highly recommend reading Ricky’s archived columns online at sanpedrotoday.com. spt

Joshua Stecker is publisher/editorin-chief of San Pedro Today. Letters to the Editor can be emailed to contact@sanpedrotoday.com.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Joshua J. Stecker

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Lori Garrett

ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION

Joseph A. Castañeda

AT-LARGE CONTRIBUTORS

Sanam Lamborn, Ricky Magana, Steve Marconi, Jennifer Marquez, Nadia Nizetich, Anthony Pirozzi, Jr., Sophie Schoenfeld, Lee Williams

PHOTOGRAPHER

John Mattera Photography

CONTACT INFO:

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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 20092022, Empire22 Media LLC.

VOLUME 14 | NUMBER 9

ON THE COVER: The Khalbourji Family (l to r) Amanda, Robert, Albert, and Mona. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

OCTOBER

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS TURNS 10

OCTOBER 23 (Sun) – 10th ANNUAL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS FESTIVAL in Downtown San Pedro (398 W. 6th St., Mesa between 5th and 6th streets & 6th St. between Pacific and Mesa), 2-8p. – San Pedro's 10th annual Dia de los Muertos Festival will feature live entertainment from local Folklorico groups and traditional Aztec dancers, live music from Grammy award winner Maria chi Divas and Ellas Trio, authentic Latin food trucks offering traditional Latin cuisine, craft vendors selling handmade artisan crafts, kids crafts, traditional altar displays, an outdoor beer garden, and FREE trolley rides. There will also be a FREE screening of the movie Coco at the Warner Grand Theatre at 1p (doors open at 12p). To reserve tickets for Coco, visit tinyurl.com/2nvc3dcn. For further festival info, visit discoversanpedro.org.

Every Friday – SAN PEDRO FARMERS MARKET AT LITTLE ITALY (396 W. 6th St., corner of 6th and Mesa), 11a-3p. – New location! Pick up essential fruits and vegetables from certified, small family farms. Get a head start on week end meals with so many delicious and fresh options. Please note social dis tancing of six feet between groups and people is required. Masks must be worn at all times, and a hand washing sta tion is provided for your convenience. For more info, visit sanpedrochamber. com/san-pedro-farmers-market.

Every Tuesday, Friday, & First Thurs day Evening – OPEN GARDEN at Feed and Be Fed (429 W. 6th St.), Tuesdays 10a-12p, Fridays 10a-1p, & First Thursday evenings. – Feed and Be Fed farm, San Pedro's own urban farm, opens its downtown garden space every Tuesday and Friday and on First Thursday evenings. Organic produce is for sale at the San Pedro Farmers Market at Little Italy (corner of 6th and Mesa) on Fridays 11a-3p. Come share nature’s bounty and beauty as we grow vegetables, flowers, and community. Get your hands in the dirt as a volun teer, get expert advice, or just relax. For more info, visit feedandbefed.org.

1 (Sat) – SAN PEDRO STRONG AND HEALTHY COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen M. White Dr.), 11a2p. – FREE and open to the public! The health fair will offer a variety of FREE health screenings, FREE COVID and flu vaccinations, FREE aquarium entrance, educational tables/ exhibits, giveaways, exciting music, food trucks, and more. For more info, visit sanpedrocalendar.com/event/ san-pedro-community-health-fair/.

1 (Sat) – SAN PEDRO BAY HISTORI CAL SOCIETY BEER AND WINE TASTE at Muller House Museum Patio (1542 S. Beacon St.), 3-6p. – Taste local award-winning beer and wine and munch on tasty hors d’oeuvres while overlooking the harbor. You’ll also have a chance to bid on excit ing silent auction items inside the beautiful Muller House. $25.00 per person. For tickets or more info, email sanpedrohistory@gmail.com.

6 (Thurs) – FIRST THURSDAY in Downtown San Pedro, 6p. – The popular First Thursday ArtWalk is back in the historic core of Downtown San Pedro. The redesigned First Thursday will feature guided ArtWalk tours, open

EVENTS galleries, outdoor dining, and live music on the corner of 6th and Mesa streets.

9 (Sun) – CULTURE TALKS! GRE GORIO LUKE – PABLO NERUDA: POET OF LOVE AND THE SEA at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen M. White Dr.), 1p. – The San Pedro Waterfront Arts District re launches its Arts Appreciation series by presenting former director of the Museum of Latin American Art and distinguished lecturer, Gregorio Luke, in a talk about Pablo Neruda: Poet of Love and the Sea. Tickets $16 (Zoom option $8). For tickets, visit tinyurl. com/Gregorio-Luke. See ad page 6.

15-16 (Sat-Sun) – FESTA ITALIANA at Little Italy of Los Angeles (222 W. 6th St. in Downtown San Pedro), Oct. 15: 5-10p; Oct. 16: 2-7p. – The an nual Festa Italiana is a family-friendly FREE event in beautiful Downtown San Pedro. Join us from 5-10p on Oct. 15th and 2-7p on Oct. 16 for authentic Italian vendors, performances, and special guests. A percentage of all proceeds for this event will benefit the Little Italy of Los Angeles Associa tion. For more info, visit lilaa.org.

29 (Sat) – LOS ANGELES HARBOR COLLEGE FOUNDATION REGGIE 5K RUN FOR EDUCATION at Los Angeles Harbor College (1111 Figueroa Place, Wilmington), 7a. – Come and join us for a 5K run benefitting the Los Angeles Harbor College Foundation. Teams and individuals can register. Family & Kids Fun Run also happening at Harbor College track. Individual run ner $30; team (5) $100; Fun Run $15. FREE health fair! Check in starts at 7a, run/walk starts at 8a. Make checks payable to LAHC Foundation and mail to: 1111 Figueroa Place, Wilmington, CA 90744. To register or for more info,

contact Peter Bostic at (310) 233-4288 or bosticpf@lahc.edu. See ad page 8.

29 (Sat) – SCARY STORIES 20 at Angels Gate Cultural Center (3601 S. Gaffey St.), 6:30p. – The 20th annual Scary Stories is back with two unique programs — one live on Oct. 29 and the other online Oct. 1-Nov. 6. Produced and directed by Melanie Jones, Scary Stories is spellbinding storytelling with fabulous sound effects suitable for the young, old, living, and...shhh! LIVE: Saturday, Oct. 29 at 6:30p. Performance will take place in the amphitheater around a bonfire with distanced seating and masks required. Bring your own chairs. Picnics are welcome and warm attire is suggested. Tickets $5 general admission, cash only, and children 6 and under are FREE! For more info about the live event, visit angelsgat eart.org. ONLINE: (Oct. 1-Nov. 6): Visit melaniejonesstoryteller.com/ writer/witch starting Oct. 1 to discover what eerie stories she has in store for you. Donations are encouraged!

30 (Sun) – OCTOBER POP-UP at The Chori-Man (2309 S. Alma St.), 8a-2p. – Costumes! Candy! Trick or Treat! Join more than a dozen art ists, artisans, and makers outside The Chori-Man for a fun day of fall shop ping and Halloween hijinks! Event is hosted by Homemade by the Hays and The Chori-Man and sponsored by San Pedro Today. Best parking is along Leland Elementary. See ad page 4. spt

Email events@sanpedrotoday.com to place a listing for a small fee. Deadline for the November 2022 issue is Friday, October 14.

Find more events at sanpedrotoday.com.

SAN PEDRO LIFEGUARD REMEMBERED FOR LOVE OF THE OCEAN

by Steve Marconi

Visitors to Royal Palms on August 21 saw a particularly large paddle out, a touching ceremony by the surfing com munity to honor the passing of one of their own.

This seaborne memorial of some 200 surfboards was for San Pedro’s Derek Traeger, a county lifeguard, who was killed August 14 when his motorcycle was hit by a car on the 405. He was only 28, but from the outpouring of grief, he was already a well-established figure along Los Angeles County beaches.

Traeger, who graduated from San Pedro High in 2012 and attended CSU Long Beach, was a six-year county lifeguard veteran, following nine years

as a junior lifeguard and two years as a cadet. He was assigned to the northern part of Santa Monica Beach at the time of his death; the lifeguards formed a procession when his body was trans ported from the morgue to a funeral home in Lomita.

“Traeger understood better than most what it means to wear the red trunks,” according to a county lifeguard statement. “His passion for life, art, the ocean, and his lifeguard family was evident in every moment he lived.” The county thanked all those who attended the paddle out to “celebrate the life of a great waterman.”

The Santa Monica Mirror reported hundreds of “heartfelt” messages on social media. One person wrote, “LACO Lifeguard division just lost one of its most influential, natural-born leaders. Traeger was a (darn) good lifeguard, a

craftsman, he was a unifier, he led by example, and he didn’t shy away from any challenge he was faced with. I can only hope my kids follow Traeger’s path.”

Traeger, who also was a swim instructor, was a member of San Pedro High’s swim and surf teams. He was surf team captain, and after coaching him for four years, Richard Wagoner got to know him well.

“Derek was a wild kid when it came to surfing and skating,” Wagoner says. “He was one of the kids who would ‘bomb’ hills on a long skateboard and go for the big waves in the surf. He basically had no fear when it came to activities.

“But he was a gentle soul, always willing to be part of whatever needed to be done. Always competing in surf meets without needing to be asked twice, in the water for practice every day. He loved life and loved living life. My understanding is that he took that attitude into his job lifeguarding.

“There are few people like Derek. We are all the worse off with his passing, but all the better off that we knew him.”

Rebel Without a Cause

Balancing the sadness of in memo riam columns is the joy I get hearing from readers, which is why my email address always has been included at the end of every column.

Readers often supply column mate rial, which happened again after I recently wrote about the Civil War veterans buried at Harbor View Memo rial Park. It turns out that the 11 former Union soldiers buried there have a Confederate in their midst.

San Pedro’s Rebecca Moran, secre tary and registrar of the local United Daughters of the Confederacy, wrote to tell me about William Hiddle Smith, who died June 5, 1917, at age 83 in San Pedro and is buried with his wife at Harbor View.

The simple marker has only their names and dates. According to Moran, Smith was identified as a Confeder ate veteran a few years ago when the UDC’s state chapters were involved in a project to locate graves of former Rebel soldiers buried in local cemeteries.

Smith was a sergeant in Company C of the 2nd Nitre Bureau in Mississippi. Now I always considered myself fairly knowledgeable regarding the Civil War, but I’d never heard of a nitre (or niter) unit. Wikipedia informed me that the Niter and Mining Corps supplied the Confederate Army with the minerals and metals needed for the war effort. (Niter is another term for potassium nitrate, also known as saltpeter, a major component of gunpowder.) Whether Smith actually participated in any com bat will probably never be known, but we know he enlisted in 1861 and was discharged in 1865.

A native of Scotland, he had lived in San Pedro for eight years, probably to be with his children. Besides his wife, he was survived by a daughter and a son, who, according to the obituary in the News-Pilot, was a blacksmith work ing for the government on the dredger and at Fort MacArthur.

Smith’s obituary ends, “He was be loved by all who knew him.”

Much thanks to Moran. In addi tion to the UDC, she is affiliated with Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of the War of 1812, and the Jamestowne Society. I suspect we’ll be in contact again. spt

Steve Marconi can be reached at spmarconi@yahoo.com.

Derek Traeger (photo: LACFD Lifeguard Div./Twitter)

VOICES

LAPD: BUILDING TRUST THROUGH COMMUNITY

by Jennifer Marquez

The Los An geles Police Department Harbor Division has worked for years to include the community in its efforts.

Created in

1993, the Community-Police Advisory Board (C-PAB) has provided commu nity members with a way to provide input to the local police and to take in formation from the police back into the community. Each of the 21 geographic areas throughout Los Angeles has its own C-PAB.

The Harbor Division’s C-PAB con sists of nine civilian volunteer mem bers (three from San Pedro, three from Harbor City, and three from Wilming ton, plus the LAPD Harbor captain and the LAPD community relations captain at large). The public is encouraged to attend the meetings and share their concerns and ideas with law enforce ment. The local C-PAB helped open the Harbor Division jail, hosted the first pro-police rally in the Harbor Area, secured a transport van, and created stronger relations between law enforce ment and the San Pedro community.

Mona Sutton, the owner of the Om elette & Waffle Shop, is the co-captain of the local C-PAB and has volunteered with the Harbor Division for over 20 years. Sutton worked with Captain Joan McNamara, who blazed a trail in bringing new community partnership policing to the Harbor Area years ago.

“Attending meetings are a unique way to learn how LAPD works and to listen to the concerns of neighbors,” states Sutton. “There is an opportunity for activism and solutions. LAPD is lis tening when the community speaks up.”

LAPD Harbor Division also hosts other events to encourage community awareness, like Coffee with a Cop and gatherings for youth. The Harbor Division provides multiple programs, including Cadets for youth and a parenting class. Every neighborhood is assigned a senior lead officer (SLO) who focuses on that area and is accessible to the people living or working there. This is another layer of community policing.

James Baeza, a volunteer serving on the C-PAB, describes the meetings as a place where things actually get done.

“The community has the opportunity to advocate to the police in an open and friendly atmosphere,” states Baeza.

LAPD Harbor Division encourages the community to be more involved, especially since the police force has been down 800 officers since 2020. The meetings are candid and officers share obstacles they are experiencing, like when they get pulled into other geo graphic areas and situations that result in less patrol time on the streets.

“We listen to issues that the commu nity is experiencing and problem solve on how to make it safer,” states Bill Manlove, sergeant in charge, commu nity relations. “We work to do things better and have to be more creative since we have fewer resources.”

Sutton typically opens the meeting with introductions of those in at tendance and the captain provides an update on the department. Each SLO will report crime stats and trends. They report on what is happening in their as signed areas and updates on solutions. Police provide tips to the community in an effort to reduce the number of victims of crimes as the officers cannot be everywhere. The public is encour aged to share any issues they might be having or witnessed. It is an open exchange between the police and the community and creates an opportunity for relationships.

“In these modern times, LAPD Harbor Division is legendary for com munity policing for the last 14 years,” says Sutton. “The more we help them, the more they can assist the community to be safer.”

Meetings are held on the third Thurs day of the month at 6 p.m. at alternat ing locations but are often held at the Harbor Community Police Station. The meeting streams on Facebook Live on the LAPD Harbor Division page. To be added to the meeting list, email 36232@ lapd.online or call (310) 726-7920. spt

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

VOICES

McOSKER IS THE BEST CHOICE

by Anthony Pirozzi, Jr.

The upcom ing midterm elections bring with them many decisions for our great nation. Voting is the most powerful statement we can make as citizens in determining the trajectory of our country.

The question is: Will you vote? Or have you lost faith in the system? Do you believe that your vote doesn’t count or won’t be counted? When you receive your voter guide in the mail, look for the information to set up a ballot notification. This notification will tell you when your ballot has been sent, received, and counted. This may pro vide peace of mind that your ballot has reached its final destination. For me, this provides me even more confidence that my vote, in fact, counts. In the end, though, what matters is that you vote.

When standing in the voting booth, you will have lots of choices in front of you that can have long-term impacts on our community, state, and nation.

Although most of the media coverage is on national elections, I believe local politics is where most people can make the biggest difference.

There is that famous phrase, “All pol itics are local.” We all have our share in local politics through advocacy, direct involvement, or leaving the best ideas around the kitchen table with friends.

It could easily be argued that the local election that most impacts our town is the race for Los Angeles City Council to represent the 15th District, which includes parts of South Los Angeles, Harbor City, Wilmington, and our hometown, San Pedro. Our council man for the last decade has been Joe Buscaino.

Councilman Joe Buscaino decided not to seek his final term on the coun cil in order to run for Mayor of Los Angeles, leaving his seat up for grabs. Since 2011, his accomplishments as our councilman are too numerous to list here, but the work he has done with the Port of Los Angeles to advance water front development in San Pedro and Wilmington is one to take notice of. His

fight to clean our streets and work on housing the homeless is unparalleled, and his focus on bringing new housing development to San Pedro is beginning to take shape at Ponte Vista and in vari ous locations across the council district. Finally, the San Pedro downtown busi ness district has been transformed with outdoor dining, new restaurants, and the establishment of the first Little Italy in Los Angeles (with another “Festa Italiana” planned for October 15 and 16 in San Pedro’s Little Italy).

Now, who will best represent us on the city council going forward? I believe it is Tim McOsker. Tim brings to the table decades of experience working through the city hall bureaucracy. His many endorsements indicate the trust he has gained from a wide set of stake holders and indicate his ability to bring a diverse group of people to the table to address many of the issues plaguing our district. He is well prepared for the position he seeks.

Tim has been a lifelong friend, primarily through my wife Carolyn’s side of the family. My father-in-law Jay Aranda and Tim’s father, Kevin “Mac” McOsker, have known each other since elementary school. In fact, they were in the first graduating class from Holy Trinity. They played football together at Mary Star and continued their friend ship over the years playing golf. Today, they check in on each other through a simple phone call.

Tim understands the essence of who we are across Council District 15. I believe he will leverage his decades of experience working across the district to unite us and move us forward.

If you haven’t met Tim, come to a non-fundraising event during October’s First Thursday at Port Town Brewery Co. and meet the most qualified candi date to represent us on the Los Angeles City Council, Tim McOsker.

On November 8, we have a choice to make, and I believe the best choice is Tim McOsker. spt

Anthony Pirozzi wrote this column as an individual and not acting on behalf of the City of Los Angeles. He can be reached at apirozzi@ yahoo.com.

WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR TIM McOSKER

by Lee Williams

San Pedro has reached a critical time. The decisions we make today could affect us for generations. Few people know this better than Tim McOsker, candidate for L.A. City Council District 15.

Over the years, I’ve heard Tim talk about three things very close to his heart: faith, family, and community. I have seen him honor each interchange ably in his volunteer work in the Har bor Area. Tim has endless stories about the many faces and places in Harbor history. His stories are mainly about the great deeds of others and why our vari ous cultures and unique histories are worth passing down to the next genera tion. He never boasts about himself. He eagerly shares stories about the inspira tions he finds meeting folks in Watts, Wilmington, San Pedro, and the Harbor and working toward shared goals.

I met Tim through the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce. He recom mended me to succeed him as the board chair, and I’ll never forget our phone call that night. As passionate as I am about San Pedro, I’d only lived here a short time, and I don’t come from a line of last names with history or con nection. I told Tim I would need his guidance as I stepped into the role and avoided stepping on toes. He declined, saying, “It’s your turn to lead. I will support you in your decisions, but they need to be your decisions.”

I’ve always appreciated how he elevates people in the community and gently offers advice only when needed. Tim leads by bringing people together with a common goal, regardless of their differences. He has a wide variety of supporters and endorsements because he doesn’t get caught up in politics. He is focused on getting things done to benefit the entire community.

When Tim termed out at the Cham ber, he went on to volunteer at the Busi ness Improvement District (the PBID) and quickly became its president. The PBID is focused on improving our his torical downtown, connecting our busi nesses with the waterfront, and creating jobs and business opportunities for local entrepreneurs. Before the pandemic, Tim had helped create the frame work for our dining platforms. Once it became clear eating indoors at full capacity may not happen for a while, Tim worked with the PBID board, staff, and the office of Council District 15 to

fast-track outdoor dining at our local restaurants. San Pedro was the first to implement it, and the concept spread throughout the region, saving countless restaurants and businesses.

Tim co-chaired the Chamber’s Quality of Life Committee with Mona Sutton. It was founded to help support solutions for San Pedrans experienc ing homelessness to come in off the streets. Working with Supervisor Hahn, they got a shelter up and running in under 45 days. This included support for enforcing “no camping” restrictions around the shelters to encourage those who went inside to remain inside.

Tim is a Community Ministry Board of Directors member for San Pedro Hospital (Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro). Through it, he helped open a behavioral health center to serve community members in mental health crises. The behavioral health center offers a safe space for folks to recover and get the mental help they need at times of severe crisis.

Through the Quality of Life Commit tee, in partnership with Feed & Be Fed and Pastor Lisa Williams of the United Methodist Church, Tim helped found the Harbor Area Neighborhood Relief Fund. Through it, they raised over $200,000 to help individuals and local businesses weather the early days of the pandemic. It was used to help some stay employed, keep food on the table, and help some of our local restaurants stay afloat by paying them to feed their laid-off workers and first responders. One iconic San Pedro restaurant was three weeks away from not being able to make payroll. The fund Tim started helped save some businesses, kept people fed, and helped save jobs.

Tim McOsker can bring people from all walks of life to the table and get them to row in the same direction. If your goal is a better San Pedro that restores trust and transparency in city government, takes real action in sup porting homeless solutions, provides for the health and safety of our citizens, protects the jobs we have and creates the jobs we need, and positions San Pe dro to have a global impact on climate change and environmental justice for our residents, then vote for Tim McO sker. spt

Lee Williams leads the Williams Group at Keller Williams Realty and is a member of the Board of Direc tors for the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce and the Boys and Girls Club for L.A. Harbor.

ALL IN THE FAMILY

THE KHALBOURJI FAMILY, FIXTURES AT WEYMOUTH CORNERS FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, EXPAND THEIR ENDEAVORS BY TAKING OWNERSHIP OF PIROZZI’S ITALIAN DELI.

by Joshua Stecker

It must be in the genes.

Albert Khalbourji has wanted to own his own business for as long as he can remember. This isn’t surprising con sidering his parents, Robert and Mona Khalbourji, own two small businesses across the street from each other in Weymouth Corners — Golden Trea sure Jewelers and Mandyz Boutique, respectively.

What is surprising — and what makes this a real San Pedro story — is that Albert’s recent foray into entre preneurship puts him next door to his folks, literally, with the Khalbourji fam ily’s recent purchase of Pirozzi’s Italian Deli, the iconic San Pedro establishment on the corner of 8th and Weymouth that began in the 1970s, which Albert will own and operate with the help of his family.

“I’ve always wanted my own restau rant. I’ve always had a passion for it,” says Albert, 27. “My parents have it, also. My mom grew up in restaurants.”

Five years ago, the Pirozzi family, led by family patriarch Vince, sold the deli they had reopened in 2012 to restauran teurs John and Debbie Toman. At the

time of the sale, Albert was only 22 and not yet ready to tackle a business on his own, but Robert took note of his son’s interest and let the Tomans know that if they ever decided to sell the deli, they were interested.

“Basically, my dad and I had a vision of owning [Pirozzi’s] one day, and then Vince sold it to John, the previous owner,” remembers Albert. “John sold it to us eventually, but five years ago, my dad and I started knocking on John’s door saying, ‘Whenever you want to sell, let us know.’”

Robert adds, “Every time I asked John [if he wanted to sell the deli], he kept telling me, ‘Next year. Next year. Not now.’ Every year, I felt like we were getting closer. [This year], they decided to sell.” The deal closed earlier this year with financial details kept private.

WEYMOUTH CORNERS

The Khalbourji family has called Weymouth Corners home for over two decades.

It began in 2001 when Robert opened Golden Treasure Jewelers in the quiet shopping neighborhood next door to

Pirozzi’s Italian Deli. Nine years later, Mona launched her retail clothing store, Mandyz Boutique, named after their daughter Amanda, directly across the street.

“It’s great having our businesses here,” says Mona.

While the parents were busy with their stores, Albert and Amanda were experiencing the trials and tribulations of youth and figuring out their futures. Amanda, 24, worked at a nail salon in Redondo Beach before recently quitting to help the family businesses. “I come in every day to help if I’m needed, either at the deli, Mandyz, or Golden Trea sure,” she says.

Before the deli, Albert worked at his aunt’s restaurant in Laguna Beach for a short time before landing an uninspir ing job in automobile sales and financ ing.

“I had two years of food industry experience and seven years in the car business. I did sales and finance, all that stuff,” says Albert. “I just got tired of the car business. Then [the deli] opportuni ty came, and I was like, ‘Let’s do it. This is the time.’ It was something I really

wanted to do.”

CARRYING ON THE LEGACY

Pirozzi’s Italian Deli is one of the few notable San Pedro businesses still around from the 1970s. Vince and Mary Pirozzi purchased the building where Peterson’s Market was on 8th and Wey mouth in 1974 and soon changed the market’s name to Pirozzi’s Food Center. They ran the San Pedro staple until 1983, when Vince decided to step down as owner, so his children weren’t forced to continue the family business.

The deli changed ownership a few times before closing for good in 2000. Wanting to get back into the deli business, the Pirozzi family reopened Pirozzi’s Italian Deli in October 2012 in the same location as the old market, much to the delight of San Pedrans who missed a good, old-fashioned Ital ian market in the Weymouth Corners neighborhood.

When asked what their future plans are for the deli, Mona quickly chimes in.

“We’re not changing anything,” she says. “We want to make a point of that.”

The Khalbourji Family (l to r): Robert, Amanda, Albert, and Mona. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

A Lebanese family owning an Ital ian deli might seem unconventional. Still, the deli has had owners of various ethnicities through the years without changing its Italian heritage or the quality of its food and products. Plus, the Khalbourjis have Vince’s stamp of approval, which is all they need.

“I can’t ask for better people,” says Vince, 79, praising the Khalbourji fam ily. “This family has been in this build ing for over 20 years.”

While he doesn’t own the business carrying his name anymore, Vince still owns the building and remains the deli’s landlord. He’s also become a fixture in the shop once again, com ing and going as he pleases, working behind the counter, and volunteering his time and wisdom to Albert, teaching him the little things that only someone with more than 60 years of experience can impart.

“I’ve been doing this for 62 years, most of my life,” says Vince. “I come and help here and there. When I get tired, I leave.”

True to Mona’s word, you wouldn’t

know anything has changed when you visit the deli today. If the “Under New Ownership” banner wasn’t hanging outside, most customers wouldn’t notice much of a difference. The shelves might be rearranged, but they’re stocked with the same imported Italian and Croatian foods and desserts. The deli serves the same sandwiches and sides as before. And you can find the same high-quality meats and cheeses that Pirozzi’s Italian Deli is known for.

The Khalbourjis would like to keep it that way.

“People do ask us for kebobs or other Middle Eastern foods sometimes, but we’re not turning it into that,” says Mona. She adds that they may add a few easy-to-prepare items to the menu, like homemade hummus, but that’s all they’ve planned so far.

‘IT’S LIKE A FAMILY’

On Saturday, October 8, at 10 a.m., the Khalbourjis will host a public ribbon cutting event celebrating their new ownership. Councilman Joe Buscaino will be on hand to lead the ceremony,

and the deli will be offering food spe cials until 5 p.m.

“We’re really excited,” says Robert, adding that the family has received nothing but kind words and support from their Weymouth Corners business neighbors and customers on their new endeavor.

“We’re all so grateful to John and Debbie [Toman] for this opportunity, and to Vince for allowing us to con tinue his legacy,” adds Mona.

All three businesses are mere feet away from each other, making the cor ner of 8th and Weymouth a true family affair. Some might think that being around your family day in and day out might be a bit too much, but Albert says it’s the best part of the job, especially since his family time has been lacking in recent years.

“Us being Lebanese, we’re raised in very strong families. Family is number one. And that’s what I love. I love being around my family,” says Albert. “Obvi ously, like any other family, we can

have hiccups along the road, but at the end of the day, it’s all love.”

He continues, “For the last six or seven years, I haven’t stepped foot in Weymouth Corners. I was always working, dealership to dealership, long hours. So, I’d always miss family occa sions, family parties, and stuff like that. Now that I’m out of the car business and running the deli, I have the luxury to always be around my family, and I love it.”

“In Weymouth Corners, everybody knows everybody,” says Mona. “That’s the great thing about San Pedro. You can’t beat it. It’s like a family. And then when they come into our stores, we want to treat them like family.” spt

Pirozzi’s Italian Deli is located at 1453 W. 8th Street in Weymouth Corners. For more info, call (310) 548-0000 or visit pirozzisdeli.com.

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Top: Albert Khalbourji and Vince Pirozzi; bottom: Pirozzi shares his expertise about deli meats with Robert and Albert. (photos: John Mattera Photography)

A CUT ABOVE

SUBTERRANEAN HAIR

BRINGS A REVOLUTIONARY SALON EXPERIENCE TO SAN PEDRO

by Nadia Nizetich

It’s a common Hollywood trope — the misfit protagonist gets a makeover, and voila! With a new haircut and wardrobe, all their problems are solved. But like many movie tropes, it’s not real. At least, not according to Mitchel Wilson. “We believe the haircut should fit the person,” says Mitchel. “Our goal isn’t to make you into someone else.”

Mitchel and Rosemary Wilson are the owners of Subterranean Hair, a hair salon located at 7th and Centre streets in Downtown San Pedro. In a world that views hairstyles and identity as tightly intertwined, the couple takes an unconventional approach to styling, be lieving that the haircuts they give must suit the customer’s appearance and per sonality equally. “Hair should comple ment what’s inside,” says Mitchel, “and it’s our job as image professionals to make people look outside how they see themselves inside.”

Mitchel’s belief in hair as a reflection of the self came partly from his own bad haircut as a kid. “I wanted my hair bleached white and spiky like Billy Idol, and my mom took me to get a flat top,” he says. “I cried because I just didn’t look anything like what I envisioned.” The experience spurred a lifelong reverence for hair, and when he joined a punk band in his teens, he began experimenting with the hairstyles of his bandmates. “We’d walk through Del Amo Mall and see the hair salons where they were separating hair with foil. And I thought, ‘We want to do two colors in a mohawk… maybe we should try that foil thing they’re doing over there.’”

But though a lousy hairdo and pas

sion for punk drove Mitchel to love styling, a lackluster corporate beauty industry experience compelled him to open his salon. He and Rosemary were living in Dallas and working for Toni and Guy, a hairdressing company, when Mitchel began feeling unsatisfied in his creative director role. Despite overseeing their Education Academy and traveling abroad to teach classes, he felt his work had little meaning. “I was nothing more than a glorified shampoo pitchman, and I started feeling guilty,” he says. “All the corporate beauty in dustry is trying to do is flip the coin so that you buy more of their stuff. And so, I really felt like, ‘Wow, this is not right. This is really, really bad.’”

The Wilsons decided to move to San Pedro, where Mitchel had spent his teen years, and in 2019, they opened Subterranean Hair as co-owners. They borrowed the name from Jack Ker ouac’s book The Subterraneans, which Mitchel had read as a teen. “It’s about intelligence and motivation that comes from a different place,” says Mitchel, “and it obviously means underground, and underground culture has always sparked revolution.” In addition to be ing co-owner, Mitchel also serves as creative director — he’s both a licensed stylist and barber, and he dictates the artistic direction of the salon. Rosemary is the marketing director, although her role extends far beyond what her title would suggest. “I’m the branding guru, social media account manager, trend re searcher,” she says. “I’m always asking myself, ‘How can we be different?’”

Having vowed to move as far from

the corporate beauty industry as pos sible, the Wilsons strive to conduct business ethically. “Every product in our shop must pass our criteria,” explains Mitchel. “One, it has to work; two, it has to harmonize with our physiology; and three, it has to be responsible to the planet.” They also fill their shelves with local and organic merchandise, ensuring that even the complimentary beverages they serve to clients are lo cally produced. “We found our tea at Smorgasburg in downtown, and we got to know the owner,” says Rosemary. “We really pride ourselves on knowing the people behind every brand that we carry.”

They also commit to green practices. The salon is Green Circle certified, meaning that 95 percent of its waste is recycled and repurposed. Discarded hair becomes booms for oil spill cleanup or bioplastic. Excess hair color is trans formed into clean water and energy. And foils and color tubes are repur posed into commercial materials, such as the metal in bicycle frames.

At the heart of all this effort is the client, and the Wilsons work to ensure that the salon experience serves every individual. Pricing is gender neutral, and new customers must attend a com plimentary 30-minute pre-appointment consultation during which they define their identity. Aiding this task is a book of 12 personality archetypes that they developed, a tome filled not with text but images — the caregiver archetype, for example, features pictures of people engaged in caring for others. “What’s interesting about this — and we didn’t

even intend it — is that every single one of the caregivers has their hair pulled back,” says Rosemary. The concept behind the book is that once people rec ognize how their hair and sense of self intersect, they can select a haircut that fits their lifestyle and identity.

When not busy with business affairs, the Wilsons are parents to a young daughter, and Mitchel is a musician in the band Mirrored Vision. “Subter ranean is great, but ever since I could breathe oxygen, music is what I was supposed to do,” he explains. Many of the themes in his work at the salon also course through his music, includ ing anti-corporate sentiment and the importance of carving one’s own path.

Inherent to this mentality is a belief that people come before profits. Though Mitchel admits that money is a neces sity, he distances himself from the idea that a business’s sole purpose is to increase revenue. The salon is closed every Monday for classes, which the Wilsons open to all stylists in San Pe dro. “It’s time to shake up the industry, to engage in a like-minded pursuit that is mutually beneficial,” says Mitchel. “It’s not just about beating the com petition. Our job is to serve the com munity. And if you let that guide you, it becomes infectious. That’s the mission of it all.” spt

Subterranean Hair is located at 263 W. 7th St. in Downtown San Pedro. For more info, call (424) 287-0161 or visit subterraneanhair.com.

Rosemary and Mitchel Wilson, owners of Subterranean Hair. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

by Sanam Lamborn

I love going out to breakfast.

Fortunately, there are many options in San Pedro — in particular, good diner-type estab lishments.

I should confess that I had an epiphany while or dering food for August’s column about burgers and this month’s breakfasts. I have always known that I am a creature of habit. When I find something that I love on a menu, I order it regularly. I realized lately that living in California has conditioned me to immediately gravitate toward anything avocado and bacon, an omnipresent combination on menus. While we are at it, I should also confess that, although I like a good pancake and French toast, my go-to breakfasts are usually omelettes with a side of potatoes and toast.

The first place in town my husband took me for breakfast was Pacific Diner (3821 S. Pacific Ave.). I immediately liked the enclosed patio and the overall vibe. I have tried several items on their menu over the years, including the eyecatching John Wayne. However, for a

long time, I ordered either the avocado or the guacamole bacon omelettes. Truthfully, during the pandemic, I lost a bit of hope for Pac Diner — as the locals call it — because the food tasted bland. But my faith was restored during my last visit when I ordered the benedict special, where English muffin halves are topped with bacon, avocado slices, per fectly poached eggs, and finished with hollandaise sauce. The upon-request pico de gallo was a perfect addition.

For years, my favorite breakfast spot has been the Omelette and Waffle Shop (1103 S. Gaffey St.). There are 100 omelette options on the menu, but I am a forever #5 fan. On a perfect day, the abundant bacon in the eggs is crispy. I

love the creamy texture of the folded-in mashed avocado, the sliced mushrooms, and the melted cheese on top. I ask for extra crispy potatoes and request their salsa, which is the best in town. I cul minate my meal with what I consider the dessert part of my breakfast: toast and marmalade jam. Last year I found another menu item to love: banana-nut French toast. I am picky about French toast because I have been disappointed many times, but these are my definition of perfection: fluffy and flavorful.

San Pedro Café’s (605 S. Pacific Ave.) social media posts lured me in. Of course, I tried the ABC (avocado, bacon, and cheese) omelette, but then the chicken fried steak entered my life, and

there is no going back because it’s the best I have had. The breading is flavor ful, and the chicken cutlet is tender and fried to perfection. The gravy on top and the runny yolks from the sunnyside-up eggs make it an over-the-top delicious dish. My second favorite op tion here is the SPC avocado toast bene dict. Multi-grain bread is topped with avocado, spring mix lettuce tossed with feta cheese and tomatoes, then topped with two poached eggs and chopped cilantro. I like to order mine with a side of potatoes.

Joe’s Diner House (1621 S. Gaffey St.) is a recent discovery for me. I decided to try the namesake omelette: Joe’s Diner House omelette made with chorizo, pico de gallo, avocado, sour cream, and cheddar cheese. This was a brave choice for me, given my dislike for greasy chorizo. Joe, the owner, who took and cooked my order, promised me I would be happy with his chorizo. He didn’t disappoint; I really liked the way the flavors came together. I noticed the nopales omelette on the specials menu, and I had to order it because of my affinity for prickly pear cactus paddles. The perfectly fluffy eggs, flavorful carnitas (the meat I chose), no pales, cheese, and red enchilada sauce come together beautifully. As usual, I requested my potatoes to be crispy, and I can confidently say that Joe’s Diner House potatoes are the crispiest — and, therefore, the best — in town. 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.

Breakfast specialties clockwise from top left: Pacific Diner's benedict special, omelette #5 from the Omelette and Waffle Shop, San Pedro Café’s chicken fried steak with eggs sunnyside-up, and Joe’s Diner House omelette. (photos: Sanam Lamborn)

84,000 WORDS (LESSONS LEARNED)

by Ricky Magana

In 2011, I met Joshua Stecker, the owner/publisher of this magazine, at a young profession als meetup here in San Pedro. At the time, I was a young fledgling trainer with a new gym and was eager to get my name out there, so I was frequently out and about working local events. As is customary at any networking event, I did my best to work the room, meet people, and do all the networking things. I struck up a conversation with Josh, and we hit it off. He had an inter est in finding somewhere to work out and wanted to come to check out our

program at Heyday Fitness.

Josh thought this meeting was ac cidental, just because of a spontaneous conversation he had at a networking event. It was not. Unbeknownst to him, I had been doing some light internet stalking of Josh for months to get my self an audience with him. I had been a big fan of his magazine and wanted to write for it.

And now here I was talking to him shamelessly, but discreetly, self-promot ing. Fortunately, Josh joined the gym, and after a few months of training, he had a bright idea: “Would you be interested in writing a column for the magazine?” I had to rub my chin for a few seconds to pretend like the thought hadn’t occurred to me. I then said,

“Yeah, I might be interested in that. What are the details?”

And just like that, my evil plan conceived months prior had come to fruition. I was hired as the fitness writer for San Pedro Today, writing my first column in January 2012. Fast forward and here I am, ten years, 120 columns, and roughly 84,000 words later, writing for you today.

But all good things come to an end, and my tenure as this magazine’s fit ness writer has come to a close. It’s been a fun ride and I will miss it dearly, but before I go, I figured I’d share some nuggets of wisdom I’ve learned in my time filling the pages of this mag. Here goes.

We need to be reminded more than we need to be taught. Over the last ten years, as much as I’d love to think otherwise, I’ve said nothing new or original. We generally have all the answers to our most pressing challenges. We just ignore/forget/hide from it for a myriad of reasons. If I ever wrote something of value to you, it was probably something you already knew but needed to hear. Good advice is usually that way, and that was how I viewed the job of this column — to poke you with truths you already knew but needed to be reminded of.

The fitness journey is universal. I can’t tell you how often someone ap proached me and said how odd they felt reading a particular column because it felt like I was talking directly to them.

From seniors in their 70s and 80s, the disabled, young athletes, overworked parents, and everyone in between, all of them have similar challenges. It’s been very rewarding to hear from all of them to drive the point home: You are not alone in your struggle, and the desire for improvement crosses all human lines.

Community is everything. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” A select few can do the fitness thing solely on their own, but by and large, the path to health is not one you can or should do by yourself. The people I’ve seen who go the furthest are the ones who band together. This is true with fitness, but it feels uniquely true in this town. As a small business owner and writer for this magazine, I’ve received nothing but support from residents, readers, and clients as our business weathered some pretty significant storms.

And lastly, I was terrified to write my first column. And only slightly less terrified to write each one after that. But it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. So let me remind you to seek that which makes the palms sweaty, because on the other side of it is the version of you I’d very much like to meet some day. spt

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

George A. Van Buren, EA, MBA

(photo: Victor Freitas/Pexels)

THE SHADOWS WITHIN

by Sophie Schoenfeld, MFT

Halloween season is upon us, and streets will soon be filled with ghouls and monsters roaming neigh borhoods for free candy. Any parent knows children love this time of year, some even more so than Christmas. As Carl Jung so astutely pointed out, “Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is.” In fact, there is no story of human ity without the story of its shadows. Even in a biblical narrative, Christ himself cannot fulfill his messianic des tiny without the betrayal of his beloved apostle Judas. In the words of Mikhail Bulgakov, “What would your good do if evil didn’t exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared?” Let’s take a moment to honor the sacred tradition of what I call the collective exorcism. An annual ritual of self-cleansing, as performed on the night of the harvest moon all throughout the ages and cultures. Let’s recognize the healing powers of such practices, so we may truly embody our shadows on the night of the pumpkin king and walk in light again at dawn.

Research shows that experiencing terrifying things from a safe distance allows us to practice managing intense emotions and generates feelings of ela tion and pleasure. Telling ghost stories or dressing up as shadow archetypes allows us to experience dark aspects of ourselves in a culturally acceptable format, thus allowing us a bridge and an acquaintanceship with darker parts of ourselves. In so doing, we bring into the light of consciousness that which is normally hidden and repressed from our psyche. As per psychoanalytic theo rists such as Freud and Jung, repressed feelings and desires have a life of their own. Independent of our consciousness, they have the power to wreak havoc on our lives and relationships. Unchecked, we unknowingly act out our shadow impulses without understanding what is controlling us. The more unaware and unacquainted we are with the dark aspects of ourselves, the more destruc tive the shadow becomes. Without al lowing ourselves to explore these parts safely within ourselves, we become the puppets of the shadow that lives within.

Humor provides a sense of safety and distance from disturbing experi ences, and so does a safe setting, such as a familiar home or a group of friends. It’s all fun and games to roam the

dark streets in packs, but not quite the same to be roaming them alone. One can watch a scary movie, but it’s not quite the same as being alone watch ing it in a strange cabin in the woods. And yet, something deep within us is compelled to witness: What is that thing behind the curtain or under the bed? What is it like to be lost in a deep dark forest? These images represent millennia of collective narratives that are passed down from generation to generation, the visceral trauma that has traveled across the ages and even species. It is the fabric that makes up the totality of our survival story. And like all important stories, these stories must be told and re-enacted.

The thrill of danger informs our imagination, creativity, and expression. Children’s minds ignite when they’re compelled to embody forbidden charac teristics. We are not allowed to be mur derous when our parents limit us, but at Halloween we can become a homicidal doll that can act out any number of dark fantasies. How exciting and free ing is then the sensation of such per mission without punishment. When we experience such freedom, we are able to feel integrated and rid ourselves of per verse compulsions in real-life settings.

Neuroimaging reveals that parts of

the brain associated with emotional, visual, and auditory processing are more active when we are experienc ing fear in the above-outlined set tings. This boosts the production of adrenaline and endorphins, which are pleasure chemicals in the brain. After such a boost in adrenaline, the nervous system downregulates to reboot itself, thus providing a semi-euphoric sensa tion, and with this emotional depletion comes a sense of satiation. Interestingly, it’s also been shown that what we find most terrifying is that which is not fully revealed; that which is partially hidden that creates a feeling of anticipation. Here our imagination fills in the gaps, conjuring up ideas that are uniquely terrifying to the individual himself. In the words of the brilliant Edgar Allan Poe, “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” Thus, when we let our imagination inhabit terrors, we are less likely to live in a nightmare. spt

Sophie Schoenfeld, MFT is a local marriage and family therapist. For more info, visit sophiemft.com.

(photo: Toni Cuenca/Pexels)

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DIA DE LOS MUERTOS 2019: Scenes from the last major Dia de los Muertos celebration in Downtown San Pedro. The event celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. (photos: John Mattera Photography)