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Otis students Jasmin Druffner and Junie Lee, along with EACG board member Tracie West, spell out WAM while hanging out in the community garden with the event committee.
Inaugural WAM Block Party looks to merge music, art and community Since its inception in 2011, the Emerson Avenue Community Garden (EACG) has hosted a variety of events from pancake breakfasts, movie nights, dinners and community volunteer days, but the nonprofit group with the motto of “Build a Garden, Grow a Community,” is hoping to expand that network with its largest undertaking yet, the Westchester Arts and Music (WAM) Block Party. EACG’s mission is to develop and maintain its 1-acre
plot on the campus of Wright STEAM Magnet into a “sustainable, organic food garden and green space” that is used for education and community building. “The genesis was to use music and art to bring awareness to the garden and our community at the same time,” said EACG president John Sharpe, a self-proclaimed music lover. With few, if any, community events focusing on art and music in
Let’s Celebrate Westchester
A Look Inside Your
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the Westchester/Playa area, Sharpe felt the climate was right to create a new event that merged the two with a family-friendly community block party vibe. “Our feeling is that there’s a huge demand for something like this. There’s nothing like this in Westchester,” echoed Westchester resident and EACG publicity co-chair Travis Pham. “We feel that we can be the stimulus to bring art and music to
the community. We think this event has a lot of potential.” The committee has created an ambitious line-up of activities for the daylong arts celebration that will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Both the garden and Emerson Avenue, which will be partially blocked off, will be utilized. The event will feature 8 bands that will entertain the crowd with a variety of music genres from Big Band, Irish (continued on page 4)
ARSAC reaches agreement with LAWA
Back to School Special Section
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Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
This Month Brings You A look inside your HTN Let’s Celebrate Westchester Business & Nonprofit News Back to School Special Section Secret Recipes from the Inn
02 06 09 22
HOMETOWN STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS Stephanie Davis, Publisher, Editor Jeff Blair, Contributing Writer Fay Craton, Contributing Writer
David “Duke” Dukesherer Sr., Looking Back Rebecca Hill, Secret Recipes of the Inn
Advertisers’ Directory
Airport Marina Counseling Bay Foundation Covenant Presbyterian Church Drollinger Properties El Segundo 5-Minute Carwash Emerson Avenue Garden WAM Food Pantry, LAX Gateway to GO! Good Pizza Jane St. John Kevin and Kaz Gallaher LA Arts Collective Loyola Marymount LMU Family of Schools
19 20 19 18 18 16 19 07 07 21 21 12 04 14
Marina del Rey Hospital 24 Neighborhood Council 08 Socal Sports and Fitness 22 St. Anastasia School 11 Team Crockett 05 United States Realty Fund 19 Vergari and Napolitano 04 Visitation School 13 Westside Neighborhood School 12 Westside Pacific Village 22 Westchester Farmers’ Market 23 Westchester Lutheran 03, 15 Westchester Town Center BID 03 Zacha Homes 20
About The HomeTown News (HTN)
The HomeTown News is a monthly community newspaper dedicated to providing information about the people, events and happenings of Westchester, Playa del Rey, Marina del Rey and Playa Vista. Look for the HomeTown News the first Thursday of the month at your home or at one of our drop-off locations.
Connect with the HTN:
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Celebra Start the New Year lo Start the New Year lo Star theNewYearlo kingintherightdirection. Up! Are you looking for adoubt. deeper relationship thefear. Lord Freedom from Freedomwith from and His people?
Join us at Westchester Lutheran Church,
Are looking forthe a community will accept andyou embrace freedomthat found in a you and celebrate you? loving, forgiving relationship with the
Lord. Join new friends in a celebration of
Are you lookingthat for ais spiritual homewhen where you everything possible youcanlive grow in faith, while building new friendships? in harmony with the Word. We’re here for you.
We want to get toAll knoware you. We want to study, serve, welcome. and socialize with you.
Come celebrate with us!
Our doors are open.Our Come look up up with with us. us. hearts are open. Come look All are welcome.
Weekly Worship Sundays at 10 a.m. Summer Weekly Choir Rehearsal Sundays at 9a.m. a.m. Worship, Sundays at 10 Vacation Bible School 29-August 2 Sunday School, Confirmation, andJuly Adult Bible Study resume in
mid-September
7831 S. Sepulveda Blvd. Westchester, CA 90045 310.670.5422 www.wlcs.org
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Enrolling
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September 2016 • Page 3
WAM Festival (cont’d) (continued from page 1) Traditional and Reggae to Indie, Pop/ Rock and Jazz. Other performances will include dance routines from LA Arts Collective and the Westchester Lariats. Magician Fantastic Fig will also be on hand throughout the day to amaze attendees with his card tricks. In the EACG, attendees will find a kids’ activity area that will encourage families to create arts and crafts, while exploring the garden. Activities will include face painting, a photo booth, chalk art, knot-tying lessons, a succulent potting station, a woodworking demo, mobile screen-printing and more. If all the interactive art activities and performances weren’t enough to tempt people to pull up a chair and stay awhile, organizers have secured some of L.A.’s most popular food trucks–Kogi BBQ, India Jones and S’Cream– to serve food at the event. Said Sharpe, “We encourage people to bring a blanket, bring a chair and hang out all day. It’s a chance to meet and hang out with your neighbors.” As an inaugural event, the group is thankful for its neighbors and groups like the Westchester United Methodist Church, Otis College and LMU for being supportive of WAM. The group is also grateful for the event’s sponsors, including premier sponsor the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation, for enabling them to be able to create something new that locals of all ages can enjoy. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the committee feels that
Page 4 • September 2016
Westchester is experiencing a renaissance, which has created the perfect environment for a local arts festival to thrive. With all of the new families moving in and development in the area, the time looks right to boost the local arts scene. “I think it’s pretty obvious the demand is here for this, it’s just how we execute it,” says Sharpe. “Westchester is starting to get traction and get the amenities to catch up with everything else that is going on here.” EACG hopes the neighborhood will come out to the WAM Block Party and join in their celebration of live music, dance, art, food and community. The goal is to make WAM a yearly event that everyone can look forward to. “Our garden is all about community,” said Sharpe. “One of the things we’re trying to do through the garden is bring people out and connect them in a meaningful way. WAM is another way to do that.” The inaugural Westchester Arts and Music Block Party will take place on Saturday, September 24 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Emerson Ave. between 80th Place and 80th Street. The event is free. Food and arts and crafts items from vendors will be available for purchase. While people are encouraged to walk or ride their bikes to the event, parking will be available on the campus of Wright STEAM Magnet. For more information, please visit wamblockparty.org.
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
CELEBRATE WESTCHESTER’S 75th ANNIVERSARY AT THE
westchester elks lodge car show / chili cook off september 10, 10aM to 4PM
8025 w. manchester ave., playa del rey Learn more at 310.339.6935 / 310.505.5793
SPONSORED BY TEAM CROCKETT AT CCR PROPERTIES INC. 310.641.3383 Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
September 2016 • Page 5
Business & Nonprofit News
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Community leaders celebrate the announcement that LAWA and ARSAC had reached an agreement at a press conference at Fire Station 5 on August 17. From left to right: NCWP President Cyndi Hench, LAWA CEO Deborah Flint, Airport Commissioner Valeria Valasco, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, Mayor Eric Garcetti, Councilman Mike Bonin, ARSAC President Denny Schneider and ARSAC Vice President Robert Acherman.
City Council approves agreement with ARSAC. On August 17, it was announced at a press conference held at Fire Station 5 that Los Angeles World Airports and the Alliance for a Regional Solution to Airport Congestion (ARSAC) had reached an agreement that would end the group’s litigation against the airport, so it could move forward with its modernization plans, while making safety enhancements at the airport. The agreement was approved by the L.A. City Council on Wednesday, August 24. With the agreement in place, ARSAC has agreed to not file any lawsuits that would impede on a variety of airfield safety enhancements and LAX improvement projects including the proposed $5.5 billion Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP), which would include an automated people mover, a consolidated rental care facility, two intermodal transportation facilities for additional parking and roadway improvements. While the agreement doesn’t explicitly mention anything about not moving the north runway, it will effectively halt the 2013 proposal that called for moving LAX’s northernmost runway 260 feet closer to Westchester and Playa del Rey. “What this agreement does is it says that instead of squandering a king’s ransom, spending years disrupting this airport and delaying modernization by moving full speed ahead with moving a north runway a football field in to the communities Page 6 • September 2016
Truxton’s American Bistro recently underwent a renovation to coincide with its tenth anniversary.
of Westchester and Playa del Rey, let’s do something to improve airfield safety and security right now for a lot less money, for a lot more impact and for a lot more immediate deliverables,” said Councilman Bonin at the press conference. “Safety is a number one concern here and with a series of airfield improvements blessed by and recommended by ARSAC and endorsed by this airport enthusiastically, we are going to move forward and make this airport as safe as possible. At the same time, this gives us the green light immediately to move forward with all of the modernization projects.” The agreement also has LAWA committing to help fund new parks and active recreation on the vacant
airport properties to the north of LAX and the continued use of Nielsen Park by community groups. Rotary to honor Tom Flintoft. The Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club has just announced it will honor Westchester resident Tom Flintoft with its Sunrise Community Service award. The award will be presented at the club’s largest fundraiser of the year, its Cultural Dinner. Each year, the club chooses a theme which reflects the food, entertainment and feel of the evening and has selected to feature Thailand for 2016. The money raised from the event helps fund the club’s service projects, both locally and globally, including
awarding $11,000 in scholarships in 2015, over $20,000 in Teacher Mini Grants to local teachers, arts contests, the Adopt-A-Family Program and supporting the Ajijjic/Chapala Fire Department of Mexico, just to name a few. The club meets weekly on Wednesday mornings at Marina del Rey’s Whiskey Red’s. Flintoft is a founding principal of Kindel Gagan, a public affairs and advocacy firm. He is a founding member of the Los Angeles Business Federation and the Alumni Association of Leadership in Los Angeles. He is a current board member of the Los Angeles Business Council and the LAX Coastal Chamber, and he has served on the NCWP since 2007. The Cultural Dinner will take place on Thursday, October 13 at 6 p.m. at the Playa Vista CenterPointe Club located at 6200 Playa Vista Drive. Tickets are $95 and can be purchased by calling (310) 306-8525. Truxton’s gets a makeover. Westchester’s Truxton’s American Bistro just unveiled a new sleeker look, thanks to a recent remodel to coincide with its 10th anniversary that took place in July. The upgrades, which include a more open bar area, a new lobby seating area, an exposed brick wall and beams, as well as refurbished booths and upgraded wood floors, give the restaurant a more upscale vibe. Truxton’s American Bistro is located at 8611 Truxton Ave. in Westchester.
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
NEW LOCATION
GATEWAY TO GO! Every Tuesday 11 am to 3 pm
@ SkyView Parking Lot 6101 W. 98th Street (Avion & 98th Street) Westchester’s Alley Poke lets guests customize their poke bowls with a selection of 18 toppings.
seaweed, wasabi, broccoli, Masago or edamame. Arif, who previously owned a Quiznos before opening up the new poke concept restaurant, has been pleasantly surprised by the support of the community and encourages everyone to come in and give it a try. “We want the community to know we are here,” said Arif. “And we’re serving healthy food at a good price.” Alley Poke is located at 8800 S. Sepulveda Blvd. #3 in Westchester (in the Bed Bath & Beyond shopping center). Have something to share about your business or nonprofit? Email us at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com.
FABULOUS FOOD ON FOUR WHEELS.
SEPTEMBER 6
SEPTEMBER 13
SEPTEMBER 20
SEPTEMBER 27
VCHOS RICE BALLS OF FIRE BOULEVARD SALAD TAINAMITE MEXICALBI
BELLY BOMBZ THE TROPIC TRUCK STUFFED STUFF ZEMATRUCK LATIN VIBES LET’S BOWL IT
MANGIA RISTORANTE POSTCARDSCAS FARMERS BELLY FUNKY CHEF CAFE
CANTER’S TRUCK LA PANINI GRILL ALEGRIA GOURMET BBQ SMOKEHOUSE TENDER GRILL BRAZILIAN
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
PRESENTED BY
Alley Poke serves up fresh seafood bowls. Since opening in early July at the former site of Quiznos, Alley Poke has been delighting customers with its fresh poke bowls that co-owner Amir Arif calls “healthy, fresh food that is served quickly.” Customers can choose one of three bowl sizes, which will determine how many scoops of poke you receive. Choose brown or white rice, add greens and then pick your poke. Popular options include salmon, tuna, yellowtail, octopus and scallop. Homemade spicy sauces and the restaurant’s signature sauce are then added before you get your pick of 18 toppings that include avocado,
* food truck participants subject to change
www.gatewayla.org
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September 2016 • Page 7
NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OF WESTCHESTER / PLAYA Working together to improve our communities!
Neighborhood Councils exist to: • give neighborhoods greater influence on decisions made by local government • make government more responsive to local communities • unite the local community to improve the quality of life in our neighborhoods
Get Involved in Your Neighborhood Council At its monthly meeting on August 2, the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/ Playa (NCWP) recognized its out-going board members, and Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Bonin swore in the members of the NCWP elected by the public in the June 5 election.
At the meeting, the Neighborhood Council installed the following officers:
The following people were elected or re-elected to fill four-year seats on the board (newly elected members are in bold): Gregg Aniolek (Residential District 2); Heather Tuttle (Residential District 4); David Mannix (Residential District 6); Thomas Flintoft (Residential District 8); Chris Gemgnani (Residential District 10); Gordon Welty (Residential District 12); Peter Dray (Residential District 14); Mark Redick (At-Large Seat 1); Ted Grose (AtLarge Community Interest Director); Geoff Maleman (Business Director, 90045); David Voss (Community Organization Director); Andrew Kamm (Education Director); Grace Yao (Loyola Marymount University Director); Jack Topal (Service Club and Fraternal Organization Director); and Scott Carni (Youth Organization Director).
President Cyndi Hench Vice President Mark Redick Treasurer Erin Hanson Recording Secretary Geoff Maleman Corresponding Secretary Dave Oliver The board also established its committees and approved committee chairs:
Budget & Finance chair: Erin Hanson
Tell Us Which Streets in Your Neighborhood Need Repairs
Education chair: Michele Cooley-Strickland
The Neighborhood Council of Westchester Playa is currently seeking feedback from the community regarding an upcoming Bureau of Street Services Neighborhood Council Initiative “Blitz” in which the city will seek to make minor asphalt repairs to the streets in our community.
Airport Relations chair: Dave Mannix
Governmental Affairs/City Services chair: Mark Redick Outreach chair: Garrett Smith Planning and Land Use chair: Patricia Morrison Lyon Public Safety chair: Gregg Aniolek and Dave Oliver Seniors chair: Michael Frisch Visit www.ncwpdr.org for meeting times and locations and remember to sign up to receive all of NCWP agendas.
The Bureau’s Small Asphalt Repairs (SAR) truck will be in our community to perform small asphalt repairs on September 20, and NCWP is currently seeking the community’s help in identifying those streets most in need of repair. Please send your requests to info@ncwpdr.org by September 10, 2016 and be aware that only a limited number of locations will be repaired during this current “blitz.” The NCWP will prioritize locations by order of importance taking into account the visibility and amount of traffic in each location, the relative severity of the required repair and how close the selected locations are to each other (more locations, closer together means the SAR truck will be able to make more repairs during its day in our community). Small asphalt repairs include potholes and pop outs, asphalt skin patching of eroded or cracked areas, some sidewalk and curb repairs, and some repairs on concrete streets. In the case of rain or inclement weather on September 20, work will be canceled and rescheduled for another date.
MyLA 311 Smartphone App MyLA 311 puts the power of City Hall in the palm of your hand. With MyLA311, City of Los Angeles information and services are just a few taps away. The ‘Submit Service Request’ feature allows you to quickly and easily request the City’s most popular services, including graffiti removal, pothole repair, and bulky-item pickup. You can keep up to date with the latest City Hall News by browsing through Facebook, Twitter and YouTube feeds. MyLA311 also allows you to pay your Los Angeles Water and Power bill right from your mobile device. For more information, please visit: lacity.org/MyLA311/index.htm
Newly elected NCWP board member Peter Dray takes his oath of office before joining the board.
Next Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa Monthly Board Meeting:
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 6 in the Community Room at 7166 W. Manchester Ave. (at Lincoln Blvd.), in Westchester
www.ncwpdr.org • 213.473.7023 Page 8 • September 2016
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
Education Community Meeting last fall in which hundreds of members of the Westchester, Playa del Rey, Playa Vista, Del Rey, Mar Vista, Venice and Westside Village neighborhoods came to Wright Middle STEAM Magnet School to hear from leaders in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD): [then Chief Deputy] Superintendent Michelle King; School Board President and our elected district representative, Steven Zimmer; and Local District West Superintendent Cheryl Hildreth. We followed up that meeting with efforts to strengthen partnerships with the LAUSD leaders to advance the success of our local publicly-funded elementary, middle and high schools. This is a long-term relationship that necessitates full Westchester, Playa del Rey and Playa Vista parentcommunity-school system collaboration, particularly to most expeditiously meet the evolving needs of our local families. We welcome parents and other community stakeholders at our monthly NCWP Education Committee meetings, chaired by Dr. Michele Cooley-Strickland and co-chaired by Grace Yao. The Education Committee meets the fourth Wednesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Westchester Municipal Building Community Room, located at 7166 Manchester Ave. in Westchester. Meeting agendas and past minutes are available at ncwpdr.org/ education.
Photos courtesy St. Anastasia School.
Our wonderful Westchester/Playa community is in the throes of an exciting time: it’s growing. The new residents we are attracting are increasingly those with children or who intend to have children. And where there are children, there is a need for schools. Westchester/Playa offers a wide range of excellent public, charter, private, and parochial primary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities. It’s been a source of pride over the past 75 years of our community. One question facing us Westchester, Playa del Rey, and Playa Vista stakeholders today is how to best support and strengthen our schools, particularly to meet the ever-increasing needs by local residents. Regardless of whether you have schoolaged children, our entire community benefits from enriching the schools. The Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa (NCWP) strives to support all of our local schools. This includes working with Westchester/Playa parents, students, teachers and administrators, as well as residents residing in close proximity to the schools. We partner with other local educational organizations, such as the LMU Family of Schools, Otis College of Art and Design and the LAX Coastal Chamber Education Committee. We collaborate with adjacent communities, like when we organized and cohosted the Westside Public
Students from St. Anastasia and St. Bernard High School work on a science project together.
St. Anastasia + St. Bernard = Successful STEM Partnership
St. Anastasia and St. Bernard Catholic Schools have been partnering in a wide variety of ways for many years. Eighth graders from St. Anastasia have taken algebra courses at St. Bernard High School; there have been programs in dance and other fine arts; and most recently, the St. A’s junior high elective program was created through an exciting collaboration between our schools. During the past two years, seventh graders from St. Anastasia have had a chance to experience the single-gender STEM program at St. Bernard High School, which is located
just down the street from St. A’s in Playa del Rey. This program allows freshman and sophomore high school students to take their math and science classes in an all-girl or all-boy environment, helping them gain confidence and experience in these subjects without the distraction of the opposite gender. Each junior high student was paired with a mentor from the high school, with whom they attended classes and participated in a frog dissection class facilitated by St. Bernard biology teachers Jennifer Altergott and Heather Carmody, and coordinated by St. Anastasia science teacher David Han.
Altergott explains, “This annual event gives the St. Bernard High School students an opportunity to take a leadership role in working with and helping the middle school students. The middle school students have the opportunity to experience a high school campus as well as the chance to dissect frogs and learn about both frog and human anatomy, as there are many similarities between the two.” The field trip to St. Bernard has become one of the highlights of the spring trimester, as St. A’s students delve deeply into body systems (continued on page 14)
A Message from the HomeTown News It’s Back to School season and we are proud to present the Fourth Annual “Celebrating our Local Schools” section in the pages of the HomeTown News! For this special section, we invited our local Westchester/Playa schools to share information with us that they would like the community
to know about their campuses, so we could share that information with our readers. There are great things going on at each of our local public, private, parochial and charter schools that the community can be proud of! The information provided in these pages, contributed by the principals and/or staff at
each respective school, is proof that the local schools are working hard to provide their students with innovative programs, engaged teachers and robust arts, sports and science programs. The HomeTown News is a proud supporter of our local schools. We support education through our
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
Back to School
sponsorship of events like the Race for Success, Neighborhood School Expo and the Teacher Eddy Awards; by donating to silent auctions; and of course, by inviting all of our schools to contact us with their achievements so we can share them with you, our readers! Here’s to a great school year! September 2016 • Page 9
FOS@10…A Time for Celebration! Often we hear statements like, “Time flies when you’re having fun,” “Time will reveal all things” or “Can it stand the test of time?” Time is a metric by which society marks the delineation between past impact, present experiences and future hopes. Understood in context of minutes, seconds and hours, time is used as a gauge for determining success, effectiveness or value. Nevertheless, time can be both quantitative or qualitative: the Greek word “Chronos” is a quantitative measure focusing on the amount of time spent or devoted to a task; while “Kairos” is qualitative and measures the impact, significance and value of each transformative moment. Ten years ago, in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Loyola Marymount University School of Education established the LMU Family of Schools as a partnership with five schools in the Westchester area. With the support of the LMU community, educational
stakeholders, donors and external funding, this partnership now spans 14 campuses across public, charter and Catholic schools. We have grown in order to address the problem of students in our community graduating high school without the experiences, tools, and relationships necessary to maximize personal and professional success. The LMU Family of Schools’ sustained commitment to student success and educational equity has not been a function of Chronos, but of Kairos, which references the perfect moment that an event occurs and requires a willingness to take chances, risk failure and seize opportunities. As a dynamic educational partnership, the LMU Family of Schools is built on a collection of Kairos moments. These moments are focused on college and career readiness, academic achievement and building positive school climate and culture. For our partners and stakeholders, these moments have includ-
ed: authentic support for educators through hosted conferences, symposiums and professional development workshops; student-centered collaboration with principals, teachers and community members; and innovative programming to ensure all students are prepared to take advantage of post-secondary options. We believe that the work of the LMU Family of Schools has been impactful, significant and transformative not because it occurred over the course of time, but because it has occurred at the right time. This year we will commemorate a decade of timely service to students, teachers and families in the Westchester-Playa community. We invite you to join us in celebrating “FOS@10.” Visit the LMU Family of Schools website for more details and save the date for the following events: • Fall Community Dialogue: Educating Students for 21st Century Success, October 25, 2016 • Winter Basketball (Men’s and
Darin C. Earley, Ed.D. Director, LMU Family of Schools.
Women’s) Game and Tailgate December 17, 2016 • Spring Community Dialogue April 4, 2017: “Educational Partnerships for Success” Please join us for this time of celebration!
Westport Heights focuses on challenging its students to reach their highest potential Westport Heights Elementary School has been serving Westchester and its surrounding communities since 1945. Our diverse population is comprised of local residents. In our 18 classrooms, under the creative instruction of our talented faculty, we serve over 300 students, many of whom are firstgeneration Americans from dozens of different countries. Over the past 5 years, Westport Heights has developed from a small neighborhood school into a 21st century “boutique” school. Through teamwork and the support of our dedicated teachers, staff, community members and volunteers, we have created a culturally-diverse learning environment focused on challenging our students to reach their highest potential. Some of our school’s highlights include: • Use of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (“STEAM”) model to integrate Next Generation Science Standards by using the “learning by doing” teaching method and working with Playa Vista Elementary for curriculum planning. • We are a member of the LMU Family of Schools. Other strong partnerships include LAX Kiwanis for Back-toSchool Shopping and the Community Health Carnival (November 5); Westchester Rotary for our Morning Reading Rotarians and Community
Page 10 • September 2016
Students line up for the morning assembly at Westport Heights.
Days; the LAX Coastal Chamber for the Eddy Awards; School on Wheels for after school tutoring; and many other local partnerships with community businesses. • As an Instructional Technology Initiative School, we provide an iPad for every student in every classroom. • We offer a Gifted and Talented Education Program (G.A.T.E.) that
Back to School
provides enrichment activities like robotics, coding and after school drama club and art. • Our students receive instrumental music, fine arts, theater arts and dance instruction. • We offer Preschool for All Learners (“PAL”), a special day class for children with unique needs. We also have a wonderful TK to 2nd grade
program for students with autism who are mainstreamed and receive 21st century instruction with a STEAM focus. Children are placed as per their Individual Education Plan. • Due to our cultural diversity, Westport holds an annual MultiCultural Festival! • A Parent Center dedicated to connecting Westport families with modern resources to support their children’s education, because involved parents = better schools! • For the safety of our students, we are a “closed” campus, and all visitors must have a pass before accessing campus. • We have Playworks to design a program for recess time that is fun, energetic, safe and inclusive for everyone and provides well-trained staff who work with school personnel to help our children become leaders and problem solvers during their play time. At Westport Heights Elementary, school and families are working together to ensure all students are college-prepared and career-ready. We invite you to visit our NEW website at westportheightselementary. com for news of upcoming events. Better yet, schedule an appointment to come visit us in person!
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
Westside Neighborhood celebrates announcement of new preschool program opening in fall 2017
St. Anastasia CATHOLIC SCHOOL
Celebrating SCIENCE with new programs and exciting hands-on activities!
We are committed to promoting growth and the love of science with STEM, robotics, and a wide variety of learning opportunites.
Westside Neighborhood School’s Director of Admission, Darlene Fountaine, spreads the great news about the new preschool opening in fall 2017.
Westside Neighborhood School (WNS) has announced the opening of a new preschool, a project that has been three years in the making! For 36 years, WNS has been a leader in DK-8 Westside education, and is pleased to now add their Reggioinspired preschool program with capacity for 68 children in fall 2017. The preschool will be housed in the newly created early childhood center directly across from the main K-8 campus at 12901 Coral Tree Place. “We are extremely excited about the opening of a WNS preschool that will serve our current school families as well as the surrounding community,” said Head of School, Brad Zacuto. “One of the best aspects of this opportunity is our ability to design the space, as well as the program from the ground up, exactly how we want it, based on the most current research on how young children learn best.” The WNS Preschool will make use of the building’s unique open warehouse features with large indoor/outdoor classrooms and play areas, skylights, abundant natural outdoor space and a completely enclosed and secure parking and drop-off area. The WNS Preschool is part of the school’s Tri-Campus Master Plan that will also include the addition of a new full-sized gymnasium and middle school STEAM Academic Learning Center. The preschool program, consisting of three age-based sections for children ranging from 2 years, 9 months to 5 years, is dispersed
throughout six state-of-the art classrooms. It will embrace a playbased, child-centered philosophy taught by a highly knowledgeable and experienced early childhood faculty and staff. WNS preschoolers will be viewed as innovators and cocreators of their own learning! Indoor/outdoor classroom experiences will reflect children’s passions and interests and provide opportunities for handson exploration, investigation, collaboration and reflection. Core educational experiences lay the foundation in literacy and numeracy, integrated Spanish, music, visual arts and social-emotional learning, reflecting WNS K-8 core values. “This is an amazing opportunity to begin educating very young children and connecting with their families,” adds Darlene Fountaine, Director of Admission. “With so many new companies and residential developments in the area, we recognize the need and are thrilled to be able to offer a high quality preschool experience for our growing neighborhood.” Children who enroll in the WNS Preschool will matriculate directly into the WNS K-8 program. Preschool applications for Fall 2017 are now available online at wnsk8. com/admission/admission-processpreschool. To learn more about the WNS preschool visit wnsk8.com/ admission/preschool or contact Darlene Fountaine, Director of Admission at dfountaine@wnsk8. com.
Back to School! St. Anastasia Catholic School offers students a well-rounded and challenging curriculum in a balanced and stimulating learning environment that enables children to grow spiritually, thrive academically and flourish socially. Call today to schedule a school tour! Back To School Night Wednesday, Sept.14, 2016 l 7:00 PM Pancake Breakfast/School Support Sunday Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016 l After morning Masses
St. Anastasia Catholic School 8631 S. Stanmoor Drive Los Angeles, CA 90045 310.645.8816 http://school.st-anastasia.org
Academics
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
Enrichment
Back to School
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September 2016 • Page 11
Visitation starts new school year with upgraded campus Visitation School is off to an amazing start! With a record high enrollment, we are very excited to announce so many new things going on at Visitation. First, we have completed a massive construction project in our main building. We completely remodeled the bathrooms for the students and faculty, remodeled the hallway, updated many spaces and modernized our entry. We also have four new faculty members joining our staff this year that come from all over the U.S. to teach at Visitation. Our new kindergarten teacher, Toni Beacham, comes from Michigan where she was Teacher of the Year. Our new second grade teacher, Whitney Bannerman, has been teaching second grade in Arizona for several years and is a joy to have on our team as well. Blanca Santiago is a veteran educator and joins us to teach our Spanish program. Lastly, Deanna Madanat joins our school as our JK aide and will have her own classroom soon as she is enrolled in the MA program for Education at LMU. What a great bunch of new teachers we have here at Visitation! Lastly, our Visitation Sports Program is off to a legendary start. Our football teams and volleyball teams have been practicing all summer for the season that begins early September. Let’s go Visitation Bulldogs! For more info on Visitation, please visit visitationschool.org or email cwatson@visitationschool.org.
Visitation JK students Gabe O’Donoghue and Makayla Mellor get ready to line up on their first day of school.
The school received a variety of upgrades over the summer including new bathrooms, hallways and updated spaces.
Cowan works to create an exceptional education for every child The Cowan Gifted/High Ability International Global Humanities Magnet for grades 1 though 6 is located on the campus of Cowan Elementary School, which serves grades K through 5. Cowan Magnet Center was created to provide an educational environment that supports the needs of Gifted and High Ability students within LAUSD. Our program is designed to challenge students to work beyond the traditional gradelevel frameworks articulated by the Common Core standards. Students in our program are engaged in lessons and projects that require higher level thought processes and are asked to produce work that displays their knowledge in new and unique ways. The center has recently been deemed a prestigious LAUSD Excelling Magnet School. Cowan and Cowan Magnet contribute their success to a number of curricular programs and strategies including International Global Page 12 • September 2016
Humanities instruction, physical education, yoga, robotics, coding, intervention and Spanish language and culture classes. Cowan students also excel in an interdisciplinary Arts Program which includes visual arts, music, drumming and dance. Local field trips for all grades and overnight science field trips for grades four through six rounds out our program. LMU volunteers, Smart Boards, laptops, iPads and other advanced technology items are in every class. The administration, faculty and staff will continue to be successful in their endeavor to be the best example of what a school can accomplish when all stakeholders come together to achieve a common goal. That goal is an exceptional education for every child. Please visit our wonderful school. We conduct tours almost every Thursday at 8:30 a.m. Also, browse through our website at Cowanschool.org to learn more about our exceptional school community. Back to School
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
Back to School
September 2016 • Page 13
Why Westchester Lutheran School? As Westchester Lutheran School starts the 2016-2017 school year, we are excited to continue to lay the foundation early in each student’s development to empower them to think critically, strategically and utilize relevant tools to interact within a global community. We seek to enroll students who are committed to success in the total educational program of the school. With small class sizes and strong academic core, we promote the importance of physical education, the visual and preforming arts, technology and creating long-lasting bonds within our school family. We welcome all students from diverse and religious backgrounds. We are proud that over 90% of
our eighth graders gain admission to their first choice high school. Our curriculum exceeds state and Common Core standards, and our exemplary scores on standardized testing each year speak to the success of our programs. We invite you to visit our school for open houses. This is a great opportunity for prospective students and parents to see the classrooms, meet the teachers and see the kids’ work. Current parents, student and school staff will be present to answer questions. Our first open house is on Sunday, October 23 with another open house on Sunday, January 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. We hope that you can attend one of these dates and
find out firsthand what a difference Westchester Lutheran School can make in the growth of your child’s development throughout all areas of life. Varying extracurricular activities are offered varying from sport programs to music and performing arts. We also offer yoga, science, cooking and engineering classes to name a few. We aim to not only develop your child academically, but provide opportunities for a well-rounded education that meets all interests. Please visit our website at wlcs.org or call us for a tour at (310) 670-5422. We will provide more information about our school and help you explore if it is the right fit for your family.
St. Anastasia and STEM (continued) (continued from page 9) and anatomy with this engaging handson activity. Some St. Anastasia students had this to say about it: “We had a lot of fun getting to not only see the school’s campus and meet the students, but also to have the hands-on experience of doing a higher level science project.” – Nick G. “It was a wonderful experience. I
was hesitant at first, but it turned out to be surprisingly fun.” – Vittoria B. “I had an amazing time with my partner and wish I could do it again!” – Christian T. Opportunities to collaborate abound as St. Anastasia welcomes veteran science teacher Bob Cloer to Westchester. Cloer has taught middle school science for decades and helped build a renowned robotics
team at his previous school, Rolling Hills Preparatory School. This year St. Anastasia is excited to include robotics as a junior high elective, and will compete in the First Lego League— an organization with several hundred thousand participants around the world. Students are expected to create innovative solutions to challenges facing today’s scientists, while they strategize, design, build, program and
test an autonomous robot. Children inherently love the discovery and wonder of science, and St. Anastasia Catholic School is committed to promoting and facilitating a vast array of opportunities for students to learn and grow through hands-on science activities. For more information, please visit the school website at school.stanastasia.org.
The Loyola Marymount University Family of Schools would like to welcome our partner schools and stakeholders to the 2016-2017 school year. • Cowan Avenue Elementary School • Kentwood Elementary School • Loyola Village Elementary School • Wright STEAM Magnet Middle School • Paseo Del Rey Natural Science Magnet • Playa Vista Elementary School • St. Anastasia Catholic School • St. Bernard High School • St. Jerome School • Visitation Catholic Elementary School • Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets • Westport Heights Elementary School • WISH Charter Elementary and Middle School
Page 14 • September 2016
Back to School
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
Back to School
September 2016 • Page 15
art
music
dance
food trucks
westchester arts & music block party saturday, september 24th • 10:00a-8:00p emerson avenue @ west 80th place
The Emerson Avenue Community Garden Club is hosting the first annual Westchester Arts & Music Block Party, a free, day-long celebration filled with live music and dance, art, food and socializing. We’re closing down Emerson Avenue and opening up the garden for arts and crafts activities for all ages and a diverse mix of performances, vendors and food trucks! Come celebrate Westchester’s 75th Anniversary with us!
wamblockparty.org thank you to our sponsors POMEGRANATE SPONSOR:
Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation GOLDEN BEETS SPONSORS:
The Fineman Suarez Team Brookfield Residential TOMATILLO SPONSOR:
The Stephanie Younger Group Page 16 • September 2016
RUBY REDS SPONSOR:
The Good Pizza
SWEET PEA SPONSORS:
First Friends By The Sea Loyola Marymount University Kevin and Jeannine Wright IN-KIND SPONSOR:
LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce MEDIA SPONSORS:
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Calendar Ongoing monthly events: Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club Join the Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club every Wednesday morning at 7:15 a.m. for its weekly meeting. The club meets at Whiskey Red’s, located at 13813 Fiji Way in Marina del Rey. The cost of the meeting is $25, which includes breakfast. Guests are welcome and reservations are not required. For more info, visit playasunrise. org or call (310) 429-3808.
Rotary Club of Westchester The Rotary Club of Westchester meets every Wednesday at 12 noon for lunch at the Crowne Plaza LAX Hotel, located at 5985 W. Century Blvd. in Westchester. The cost of lunch is $25 and validated self parking is free. Guests are most welcome! Reservations are not required. For more information or to reserve a seat at the luncheon, please contact Bob Smith at (310) 643-9350.
LAX Kiwanis Club The LAX Kiwanis Club is looking for new members. The club meets every Thursday at 12:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel, located at 9620 Airport Blvd. in Westchester. Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to improving the world, one child and one community at a time. The LAX Kiwanis raise money every year for such causes as providing scholarships, holiday baskets for needy families and back to school shopping sprees. For more information about the club or to RSVP to attend one of their meetings, please email laxkiwanisclub@gmail.com.
September events: Ballona Ice Plant Removal The Bay Foundation is looking for volunteers to help launch an Ice Plant Removal Project in a targeted area within the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve. Volunteers will be hand-pulling invasive Ice Plant and helping to spread black tarps over patches of Ice Plant to dry it out, giving native species the opportunity to grow in its place. Ice Plant competes directly with native wetland species, stealing water and changing the chemistry of the soil. Its removal will increase the health and condition of the wetland habitats in the Reserve. This project will take place over several days on September 1, 6, and 8 from 9 a.m to noon and from 2 to 5 p.m. Closed-toe shoes are required and sunscreen and a hat are recommended.
TheHTN.com For more information and to sign up, please visit santamonicabay.org and click on “Upcoming Events.”
Westchester Elks Lodge Events The Westchester Elks Lodge is hosting a Public Safety Town Hall meeting for the Playa Vista, Playa del Rey and Westchester neighborhoods on Wednesday, September 7 at 7 p.m. Guest speakers include LAPD Deputy Chief Jon Peters, Operations-West Bureau; Councilman Mike Bonin; LAPD Pacific Area Captain Nicole Alberca; LAPD Senior Lead Officer Ruben Garcia and LAPD Motorcycle Officer Paul Ramlo, Community Traffic Services Unit. On Saturday, September 10th the Lodge will hold its 17th Annual Car Show and Chili Cook-Off from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with chili tastings starting at noon. Attendance is free, open to the public and is family-friendly. There will be burgers, hot dogs, a beer garden, music, raffles and pre-1980 cars on display. To enter a car in the show or sign-up for the chili cook-off, contact the Lodge at (310) 821-3005. On Sunday, September 25 there will be a Community Carnival in the back parking lot from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with games, a bounce house, dunk tank, food, beverages and more. It’s fun for the entire family! There is no admission fee and the event is open to all in the neighborhood. The Westchester Elks Lodge is located at 8025 W. Manchester Ave. in Playa del Rey. Entrance is in the back. For more information on Elks Lodge events, visit facebook.com/ westchester.elks or call (310) 8213005.
Kentwood Players present Wait Until Dark Next up for Westchester’s Kentwood Players is Wait Until Dark a suspenseful thriller by Frederick Knott. The play is a suspenseful thriller set in 1944 Greenwich Village. Susan Hendrix, a blind, yet capable woman, is imperiled by a team of men in her own apartment. Aided by her difficult young neighbor Gloria, and Mike, her husband’s Marine buddy, Susan must fight for her life against ruthless criminals, led by a sociopath, Roat. The men believe she has a doll hidden somewhere in her apartment that is more than just a toy, and they do not want to play. As the tension builds, Susan discovers her blindness might be the key to her escape, but all must wait until dark to play out this classic thriller’s chilling conclusion. Opening night is Friday, September 9 and the play runs through Saturday,
October 15. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Performances take place at the Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Ave. in Westchester. Tickets are $20. To purchase tickets, please call (310) 645-5156 during box office hours or buy online at kentwoodplayers.org.
Movie in the Park at Bay Club Howard Hughes Join the Bay Club Howard Hughes for an end-of-summer celebration and movie in the park featuring Guardians of the Galaxy. The event will take place on Saturday, September 10 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the park adjacent to the club (Howard Hughes Center Triangle Park). The movie starts at 7:30 p.m. The event is $5 and is open to the public. Guests are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, food, games and drinks. Other entertainment will include a bounce house, cornhole, frisbees and volleyball. To pay in advance or for more information, please contact the Bay Club’s Welcome Desk at (310) 216-3060 or RSVP to events.bchh@ bayclubs.com. The Bay Club Howard Hughes is located at 6833 Park Terrance in Westchester.
Fall Reduction Seminar Join the Silver Seminar Series for their September seminar focusing on Fall Reduction. Topics discussed will include facts, statistics, causes and consequences of falls, as well as prevention strategies. The seminar will be held by Mohamad Hassan of Seniors Helping Seniors and takes place on Thursday, September 15 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Westchester Senior Center, located at 8740 Lincoln Blvd. in Westchester. The Silver Seminar Series is a collaboration between Westside Pacific Villages, Airport Marina Counseling Service, EmpowerTech and the Westchester Y.
Flight Path Museum Speaker Series One of the best remembered military figures of World War II, Gen. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle will be spotlighted on Tuesday, September 20 at 10 a.m. at the Flight Path Museum as part of the Flight Path Speakers Series. Don Penny, longtime aide to General Doolittle, will share personal recollections of the pilot who led the daring 1942 U.S. air raid over Tokyo. Doolittle and his raiders were immortalized in the Hollywood feature film, “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo,” starring Spencer Tracy
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
as Doolittle. Later, in retirement, the general came to have a close association with Los Angeles International Airport through his friendship with Clifton A. Moore, the airport’s longtime general manager. Don Penny served as an assistant to Doolittle during the postwar years. He later performed a similar role for President Gerald R. Ford. Penny will share an extensive collection of mementos during his Flight Path presentation. Admission and parking are free. Flight Path is located in the LAX Imperial Terminal, 6661 W. Imperial Hwy. in Los Angeles.
LMU’s Laband Art Gallery Presents Woody Woodpecker & The Avant-Garde LMU’s Laband Art Gallery’s newest exhibit, Woody Woodpecker & the Avant-Garde will open on Thursday, September 22. The show will reflect the unlikely collision of people, art forms, political beliefs and wartime efforts that were exhibited in the animated Woody Woodpecker cartoons of the 1940s led by director Shamus Culhane. Similarly, there will be an ongoing screening of avant-garde films by Man Ray, Maya Deren, Oskar Fischinger and Mary Ellen Bute. A walkthrough with curator Tom Klein will take place on Thursday, September 22 at 3 p.m., with the opening reception from 4 to 6 p.m. LMU’s Laband Gallery is located on the campus of LMU at 1 LMU Drive in Westchester and is open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. For more info, please visit cfa.lmu. edu/labandgallery.
Yoga Therapy for Women in Midlife LiveYoga Wellness will host a special seminar on Yoga Therapy for Women in Midlife on Saturday, September 24 from 12 to 3 p.m. Taught by Amy Wheeler, PhD, the class will focus on the changes Women have in their bodies, minds and spirits from ages 35-65. This workshop will be a way to honor those changes and to work with the flow of nature, instead of against it. The workshop will consist of: • Gentle breath-based practice focused on women’s issues • Lecture: cycles of a woman’s life and how to support ourselves • Discussion and Q and A • Breathing and visualization practice focused on women’s issues. The cost is $54 and LiveYoga Wellness is located at 6700 W. 83rd St. in Westchester. Visit liveyogawellness.com to signup. September 2016 • Page 17
Random Notes/Opinion Are you experiencing a toxic relationship?
TheHTN.com
By Fay Craton Opinion: Movies are full of super heroes rescuing helpless people. The story lines play into our imaginations, often bringing into the spotlight some pretty destructive situations people experience. In real life some situations are threatening. While movies find resolutions to problems, real life toxic situations often are not so easy to settle. In homes, places of employment and in community activities, the actions and words of some people are hurtful, demoralizing and confusing. Toxic behavior can poison your sense of self, your ability to function, your sense of meaning and both your mental and physical health. Sometimes you can be fully caught up in toxic settings without seeing what is happening until slowly you realize you feel drained, disillusioned, untrusting and not safe. It is healthy to want to have control over your own life. It is also healthy to connect with another person in a kind, accepting, honest and respectful fashion. When you are in a healthy relationship you talk and listen to one another, seeking to understand points of view and needs of significant people around you. People who care want the significant people in their life to experience their own value and competence. You do not need to be a super hero to care
about the feelings of another person. Relationships become unhealthy when kindness, acceptance, honesty and respect is broken. Unhealthy relationships become toxic when they spiral into being demeaning or about controlling others. What is unfolding around you can be confusing. Toxic relationships often have an element of someone or some group misusing their power or influence over others. Frequently these people can seem to be highly charming and/or have very strong verbal skills. There may also be an element of someone in a position of power playing favorites. Some toxic situations are more damaging than others. Some examples of toxic relationships are when: • A spouse or parent is frequently highly critical and demeaning – perhaps using stinging words to express dissatisfaction. • One person in a family must always be in full control of all family activities or there will be repercussions. • There is ongoing coercion to force others to bend to the will of one person. • There is a pattern of ongoing omissions of facts or outright lying in order to intentionally mislead an understanding of what is true. • A person has a pattern of accusing another person of inappropriate actions
in order to deflect attention from his/ her own behavior. • In work settings, someone uses influence in a way to harm a coworker for personal gain. • A person constantly encourages conflict within a family, work or community setting. • A highly toxic relationship is when physical abuse is happening within a family. If you are in danger of being physically hurt, I encourage you to gain assistance. The number to the L.A. County Domestic Violence Hotline is 800978-3600 and the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-SAFE. You can also contact the police. Changing relationships is not a simple undertaking. The decision to make a change often comes after careful reflection. One of the first considerations to think about is your own role. You are not responsible for the destructive behaviors of another person. However, you are responsible for your own reactions and to ensure your own behaviors are healthy. Are you the one who is trying to control another person, and are you willing to accept the person just as he or she is? Think about how important the relationship is to you? Is it worth doing the work to change? Is the other person (or people) in the relationship willing to change? Are there
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any indicators that there is an opening to have a safe conversation about what you are experiencing and your needs? Is there too much pain for the relationship to continue? In the long run, are you better off removing yourself from the setting? Is forgiveness possible? What are the risks and benefits of making the change? Once you decide to make a change, consider what you need. Implementing a change can be difficult without a good support system. Do you have the necessary knowledge and support? Do you need coaching by a professional who may be able to understand your choices? A counselor can also help you devise a plan and to guide you in building a support system. My wish is for you to be in supportive relationships which help you to thrive. Just like the super heroes in the movies, you are valuable and have skills to make meaningful contributions. Healthy connections with other people will provide a foundation for you to be successful. Fay Craton, M.A. is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (mfc40011), which is the psychology license specializing in relationships (with ourselves or with others), and she has an office in Westchester. For more info, visit communicationtriangle.com or contact her at (310) 645-6762.
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10 thoughts about weight loss By Jeff Blair Opinion: After working as a personal trainer for 14 years, I feel like I have seen just about everything when it comes to the attempt to lose weight. Unfortunately, many people despair and there are always scandalous operators willing to capitalize on these vulnerable people with less than ethical “weight loss cures.” Here are a few “keeping it real” thoughts from someone who has worked with hundreds of people trying to lose weight: 1. Like most things in life, it doesn’t happen overnight. If the latest diet, weight loss gizmo, etc. sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 2. The more muscle you have, the easier it is to lose fat. This is one reason my preferred fat loss exercise choice is weight lifting. Weight lifting allows you to burn calories during the exercise and also maintain a higher metabolism. And since most people begin losing about 5% of lean mass per decade after 30 years of age, weight lifting’s potential to slow, stop or even reverse this loss is a true secret weapon in the healthy weight battle. When you reduce your calories in an attempt to lose weight, weight lifting also allows you to maintain the muscle that powers a strong metabolism. 3. I don’t believe in crash diets. When the average person loses 10 pounds on a crash diet, about 2.5 of that will be lean body mass (mostly muscle). Losing lean body mass will lower your metabolism and if you gain those 10 pounds back (most people do), it will be mostly fat that you gain back. Basically, crash diets have you replace lean body mass with fat. This is a losing proposition in the long-term. 4. Our brains may perceive a crash diet as a threat to survival as lower calorie availability may have foretold starvation to our ancestors at one time. The body and mind will usually rebel at any crash diet as our bodies are programmed to avoid starvation at all costs. While we no longer live in an environment where food is scarce, our bodies and minds still act as if we do. 5. The more weight you need to lose, the longer you need to give yourself to lose it. If you need to lose 50 or more pounds, I would recommend a year and it might take longer. I have seen people lose a lot of weight very fast, but I can’t recall too many people keeping it off.
6. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, exercise can play a role, but it should never be your sole focus for weight loss. I would say it should be your second focus and maybe lower than that. Your number one focus for losing weight should always be nutrition. According to the National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), 98% of successful weight loss participants reduced food intake. Exercise is crucial to maintaining the weight loss, however. According to the National Weight Control Registry, 90% of successful “losers” exercise at least one hour per day to maintain their weight loss. 7. One area that doesn’t get enough attention, in my opinion, is the role of emotion and stress management for long-term weight loss. Many think losing weight is just a matter of following a certain diet and exercising. While this can be the case for some, for others it is not enough. If you have a significant amount of weight to lose, I would encourage you to explore whatever resource calls to you whether that is a spiritual solution, counselor, support group, online group or something else. 8. Millions of Americans experience binge eating. Binge eating can be characterized by eating to the point of discomfort, a feeling of a lack of control while eating, eating rapidly and embarrassment/shame from the behavior. I encourage you to seek the proper professional if you feel you may be a binge eater. 9. When reducing calories, it is crucial to maintain a moderately high protein intake. Numerous studies have shown this will help preserve muscle mass (and preserve your metabolism) when reducing caloric intake. 10. We all know losing weight is hard, especially a significant amount of weight. However, it can be done. The National Weight Control Registry (nwcr.ws) has tracked over 10,000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for over a year. The average person in the Registry has lost 66 pounds and has kept the weight off for over 5.5 years. 45% of these lost weight on their own and 55% participated in some type of formal program. Before you start this or any fitness routine, consult your doctor. Jeff Blair is 5-time “Best of” Hometown News Personal Trainer. He has operated a personal training studio in Westchester since 2011.
Come Join your Friends at
COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Worship Service 10:30 am Canines@Covenant 5:00 pm Sunday Covenant is on the corner of 80th and Sepulveda Blvd. Church School for Young People during Service. We have an Orchestra and Adult, Youth and Children’s Choirs. Email: cpoffis@pacbell.net Childcare is provided-For more information, Call (310) 670-5750.
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September 2016 • Page 19
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2nd Annual Coastal Connections The Bay Foundation invites you, your family and friends to celebrate your Connections with the Coast, featuring delicious food for all ages, entertainment, passes for all the rides and games, and more! Thursday, September 22, 2016 Starting at 5:30pm Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier HONORING Leslie Iwerks, Filmmaker, Environmentalist • Beth Ryan, Disney VoluntEARS • Terranea Resort HONORARY HOST COMMITTEE Hon. Ted W. Lieu • State Senator Ben Allen • Assemblymember Autumn R. Burke • Assemblymember Richard Bloom • Supervisor Sheila Kuehl Mayor Eric Garcetti, City of Los Angeles • Mayor Tony Vazquez, City of Santa Monica • Councilmember Mike Bonin, City of Los Angeles
The Bay Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Page 20 • September 2016
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
September 2016 • Page 21
By Rebecca Hill Sometimes a job is so fun it doesn’t feel like “work” or “labor.” That’s how the Inncrowd and I feel about our jobs at the Inn at Playa del Rey. We take our hospitality duties seriously, but, truth is, we’re having such a good time that we actually look forward to being at work even on Labor Day. While others enjoy some R&R on the long holiday weekend, we’ll be baking, taking reservations and helping our guests with vacation plans and local last minute getaways, or comforting Loyola Marymount parents who are dropping their freshman off for their first semester of college. Juliet Orman who is a real estate agent with the Stephanie Younger Group loves her job too. Juliet delights in making connections and says she “really enjoys helping people and families buy homes in this wonderful community.” Juliet has made a lot of great friends through sales and open houses. Two of her clients are now members of her church and another client invited her to a very special Indian house blessing ceremony. Recently, she also helped an East Coast couple relocate to Playa Vista and the husband is now a member of Juliet’s Rotary club and the wife is now her coffee buddy. Juliet plans to take Labor Day off and spend the afternoon barbecuing with friends, but says she is “of course available to her clients if they need her.” How’s that for service!?!
Page 22 • September 2016
Dawn Suskin, who used to work with us at the Inn many moons ago, is now the Executive Director of Playa Vista Parks & Landscape Corp. She says, “Unless I’m needed at the office, I plan on spending Labor Day at the beach with friends and family.” Dawn says the best part of her job at Playa Vista is, “knowing the job I do has an impact on those who live, work and play in our awesome community.” Celebrate Labor Day with a delicious banana bread recipe. The common this banana bread! I’m a banana bread thread I hear from connoisseur and I kid you not – this Juliet, Dawn and the Inncrowd is that is the best banana bread recipe ever. we all truly delight in our employment Enjoy! and find fulfillment in our service to Mrs. Hamilton’s others. It’s been said, “Find a job you Saskatchewan Banana Bread like and you add five days to every • 1 Cup butter, softened week.” • 2 Cups sugar Even so, I hope Juliet gets to go to • 2 Tsp. Vanilla her friend’s barbeque and Dawn gets • 2 Eggs to hang out at the beach this Labor • 3 Cups flour Day. You’ll probably see some of the • 2 Tsp. baking powder Inncrowd hanging out at the beach or • 1 Cup buttermilk (or you can use Bacari PdR after their shift and as for 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon me, well, I’ll be in the kitchen baking
Photo by Liz Hall.
Secret recipes from the Inn: Labor Day edition lemon juice) • 2 Cups mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium) • 2 Tsp. baking soda Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10” Bundt pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs and mix until well incorporated. In a large Ziploc bag or small bowl, mash the bananas with the baking soda and set aside. Combine the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter, mixing just until combined. Add 1/3 of the buttermilk to the butter, mixing just until combined. Add 1/3 of the banana mixture to the butter, mixing just until combined Repeat these steps until all the ingredients have been incorporated. Pour batter into pan and bake for 3545 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. The Inn’s recipes have been lovingly collected over the past 20 years. Some are original recipes, others are well-known recipes that have been adapted and some are recipes that have been handed down by our innkeepers’ mothers and grandmothers over the years. Rebecca Hill is an innkeeper at the Inn at Playa del Rey and a published writer. Her stories have appeared in Redbook magazine and in over a dozen Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies.
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
It’s Westchester Farmers’ Market Time! Sure, you can head to the Westchester Farmers’ Market for bushels of kale, organic carrots and baskets of berries, but if that’s all you come for, you’d be missing out on a huge part of what makes the market special: community. While the Wednesday Westchester Farmers’ Market is celebrating its 23rd (!) anniversary this month, its second outpost on Sundays (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) in the Westchester Triangle just opened in mid-July. After your shopping bags are full, there’s plenty of reasons to stick around and get to know your neighbors. Each week a rotating list of community groups like the YMCA, Airport Marina Counseling Service, Emerson Avenue Community Garden and Oula set up booths to do outreach and share their programs with people that are passing by. With all the ample chairs and food vendors offering items like organic Taiwanese boba tea, delicious tamales, handmade popsicles, refreshing aquas frescas and crepes, shoppers are encouraged to order up brunch and take a seat in the shade and enjoy live music or a demonstration that encourages audience participation (like a recent group Tai Chi session). It’s not unusual to see shoppers involved in lively conversations about neighborhood issues with people they just met and exchanging contact information. So this Sunday (or Wednesday), consider supporting your local farmers’ market. You may come for the produce, but sticking around for community is the real treasure.
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News
September 2016 • Page 23
Page 24 • September 2016
Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista HomeTown News