March edition Westchester/Playa del Rey HomeTown News by Westchester/Playa del Rey HomeTown News

NCWP addresses ﬂaws in the airport’s effort to move the runway north, more info page 24.

HOMETOWN

NEWS

FREE

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista

March

your community newspaper • your community • WESTCHESTER • PLAYA DEL REY • MARINA DEL REY • PLAYA VISTA • your community newspaper • your community

Cinco hopes to reach number one with new restaurant New restaurants open from time to time in the HomeTown News area, but few have seemed to garner as much buzz as the highly anticipated opening of Westchester’s Cinco. The Oaxacan-style restaurant, which is located at the site of the former Siam Thai Restaurant location, is slated to open in March pending its last approvals from building inspectors. Cinco is a collaboration between, you guessed it, five friends who bring their wealth of experience working at Santa Monica area restaurants and bars to the project. Co-owners Blake Landis, Hernan Fernando, Will Smith, Ben Molina and John Weir are

putting everything on the line–houses mortgaged, motorcycle sold, bank accounts drained– to create the type of restaurant and bar they’d like to hang out in. “This is kind of a collection of all of our unique skills and expertise. Overall, we just have a great bar experience, bar knowledge,” said Molina. “We love the opportunities that the business entails. You can bring all your influences; you can bring art, music, culture, food, drinks all together in a social environment and make it a business.” Landis gets the credit for being the driving force behind the idea of pooling

the group’s resources and knowledge to open the restaurant. In 2011, the group got serious about opening their own place, wrote a business plan and started mapping out recipes. Fernando’s Oaxacan heritage was an easy place to start looking for influences. The group originally looked to opening a restaurant and bar in Santa Monica, but after a deal fell through, Landis found a listing for their current location on Craigslist. After checking out the spot, he knew immediately it was “the one.” (continued on page 8) At right: The perimeter of the restaurant includes leather booths, while the center of the restaurant is home to a large square bar.

Neighbors share frustration about parking with LMU Neighbors filled the Westchester Senior Center for the LMU Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) meeting held on February 13 to share their displeasure with Loyola Marymount University’s change of policy to charge for parking and the resulting influx of students parking in the streets surrounding the school. A representative from the Department of Transportation (DOT), Tamara Martin, was on hand to discuss the realities of putting a permit parking district into place, which would allow only permit holders the right to park on certain streets. As a condition of its Master Plan, LMU has agreed to pay $24,000 a year for the next twenty years to help offset the cost of a parking permits. Since those funds would cover roughly three permits per household in the affected area, neighbors contend they will be footing the bill for any additional permits, including those for guests. “Asking for a district doesn’t necessarily guarantee the district. Your streets would each have to petition, so individual streets may or may not have signs posted eventually,” said

Martin. “We may or may not receive sufficient support from your community to actually go ahead and establish a district. The support would have to be two-thirds of the blocks petitioning.” After blocks petition to be considered for a parking district, DOT would then do a parking study to find the actual boundaries of the district. At that point, at least six blocks asking for a parking district would have to have demonstrated: a substantial impact from non-residential vehicles, 75% of the street would have to be parked up and 25% of the cars would have to be determined to be coming from out of the area. If the streets pass the parking studies, there are more reports, public hearings, a comment period and reports to the city council and transportation committee before the district can be approved. Just getting the signs posted can take up to six months and the whole process can take anywhere from a year to five years, according to Martin. Neighbors took issue with the amount of time it would take to get a permit (continued on page 4)

At left: Cars are parked around the curb on Gonzaga near the university.

A look inside your

HomeTown

6 Titans of aviation inducted into Flight Path “walk of fame” 11 Saint Anastasia marks school year with anniversary and new principal

Page 2

SAVE THE DATES...Get Ready! Get Set! FOOD TRUCK FRIDAY NIGHTS RETURN: MAY 17th with the Couchois Brothers Band, JUNE 14th with Two Meteors Band, JULY 19th with Pure Play Band, AUGUST 16th with Good Cop Bad Cop Band and SEPTEMBER 20th with Pure Play Band • View May and June Event Flyers and Band info on line @ www.visitationschool.org • IM5 BAND and GIRL SQUAD are invited to perform at the June, July, August and September Events

Visitation School

A Catholic School For All Children Full Day Junior Kindergarten & Kindergarten Through 8th Grade

School tours and Junior Kindergarten and All-Grade preview days may be scheduled school-year round. We invite you to call and schedule your VIP visit (310) 645-6620.

Strong Home-School Partnership “A Catholic Education Is An Advantage for Life” Educating the WHOLE CHILD in a CHRIST Centered Environment

• Challenging Curriculum • State of the Art Computer Lab • Spanish • Guidance Counseling • Visitation Voices Choir

• Music and Art Programs • After School Day Care • Algebra I • Gateway to Art • Choice Lunch Program • CYO Sports

ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR ENROLLMENT A Vistitation School Graduate is Well Prepared and READY for High School of Choice

• WASC Accredited – WCEA Certified •

A Catholic Tradition of Eaxcellence in Education Since 1947 Celebrating Shuttle Endeavour’s Mission 26, Westchester Stopover, during its historic journey to the California Science Center

• After School Enrichment Program: Drama, Cheer, Karate, Playball, Guitar, Piano, Golf Euro Soccer and JK/Kindergarten Acting • Science Lab

8740 So. Emerson Avenue, Westchester, CA 90045

Phone: 310-645-6620 • 24/7 Phone: 310-994-9904 • Fax: 310-645-4460 • jsmitley@visitationschool.org

Visit Us At: www.visitationschool.org

Your Neighborhood. Your News.

Stay up-to-date with your community’s news and events!

In Your Hand and Now on Facebook.

Visit Facebook.com/thehtn and click “Like!”

HomeTown News (310) 641-1016 westchesterhometown@yahoo.com thehtn.com

Click “Show in News Feed” and “Get Notifications” in the “Like” tab to make sure you are seeing all of our posts.

Email us at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com March 2013

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 3

T h i s M o n t h B r i n g s Yo u March Features Neighbors share frustration with LMU Shopping local keeps community strong Visitation submits proposal for fire house space Making workouts fun To Do/Calendar BID starts community survey on events

4 9 10 15 16-17 23

Monthly Features Community Random Notes/Opinion Looking Back... To Do

Calendar Happenings Pictures Business and Professional

Submit Submit articles, pictures and letters to the editor at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com. Be sure to include your name and contact information (phone number, address and e-mail) and correctly spell names of all those involved. All materials must be submitted no later than 12 noon on the 22nd of each month. The HomeTown News reserves the right to edit all submissions for content and length.

HOMETOWN STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS

t a t i d n u o f I ! r e t n e C n w o T r e t s e h Westc – MASON SHAYAN

Stephanie Davis, Publisher, Editor Fay Craton, Contributing Writer David “Duke” Dukesherer Sr., Looking Back

Nora Lee Owens, Humor Jeff Blair, Contributing Writer Jack Younger, Contributing Cartoonist

Advertisers’ Directory

Brooklyn Water Bagel Business & Professional California Mentor Covenant Presbyterian Church Drollinger Properties Food Pantry, LAX Gateway to Go Kevin and Kaz Gallaher Massage by Victor Melody Bar & Grill Nora Lee Owens Neighborhood Council Pat Davis

06 21 11 04 22 04 08 19 10 13 18 24 11

Race for Success 23 Silver Seminar 20 South Bay Brokers 18 St. Anastasia School 12 Urbansitter.com 08 Vergari & Associates 09 Visitation School 02 Waterside, Marina del Rey 05 Westchester Lutheran 7, 14, 22 Westchester Town Center BID 03 Westchester/Playa Village 06 Zacha Homes 19

“As someone who has been involved with Westchester Vitalization and the Westchester Farmers Market for many years, I know the value of great local businesses. That’s why I can take of everything right here in Westchester Town Center. Whether it’s training at Tenshin-Kai karate studio, getting food for my dogs at PETCO or having a meeting at The Coffee Company, WTC has it all!”

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:

Mailing Address: 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Ste. 110 #745 Westchester, CA 90045 Phone: (310) 641-1016 Email: westchesterhometown@yahoo.com or htn@thehtn.com Website: http://www.thehtn.com Facebook: facebook.com/thehtn

The deadline for submissions is the 22nd of the month.

If you normally receive the HTN at your home, and for whatever reasons your paper is missing or damaged, please call (310) 641-1016 or westchesterhometown@yahoo.com. March 2013

shop dine enjoy www.westchestertowncenter.com

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 4

Community

• your community newspaper • your community • your community newspaper •

Neighbors share frustration with LMU (continued) (continued from page 1) parking district implemented, not to mention that due to the city’s budget cuts, creating new permit parking districts have been put on hold. Said CD11 Field Deputy Nate Kaplan, “There is technically a moratorium on permit parking districts but since we knew this was going to be such a big issue, Councilman Rosendahl [spoke] to the general manager of the DOT months and months ago and said we are going to have to find an exception in this area.” Community members speaking out at the meeting, many of whom were alumni of the university or had children that attended the school, shared their parking issues with the NAC including not being able to get in or out of their driveways because they were blocked, their garbage not being collected because of moved cans and excessive speeding on the streets surrounding their homes. Neighbors also discussed their fears that their home values will decline if they have to disclose their block has a parking problem. Said Chen Song, “What is the cost of LMU enraging all of the neighbors in a meeting like this? It’s bad will; it’s really bad will...if this problem is not resolved, it is going to get very, very ugly.”

Christine Bolan discusses her frustration with LMU and the parking situation on her block at the February LMU Neighborhood Advisory Committee Meeting. The committee meets quarterly.

At the meeting, the dialogue turned from permit parking to asking LMU to include parking fees in its tuition. “I believe that none of us Westchester residents should have to pay the consequences or the money for this—to have a parking permit. I’ve sent two children to LMU. I’ve already paid them several hundred thousand dollars. I’m done. I loved LMU, but not anymore,” said neighbor Christine Bolan who runs a day care out of her

Kathleen Aikenhead, Hannon Foundation honored with award

Come Join Your Friends At

COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Worship Service 10:30 am Canines@Covenant 5:00 pm Sunday Covenant on the Corner 80th and Sepulveda Blvd.

Church School for Young People during Service

Pastor: Rev. Cathy Chisholm

We have an Orchestra and Adult, Youth and Children’s Choirs E-mail: cpofﬁs@pacbell.net Childcare is provided- For more information, Call (310) 670-5750

FOOD PANTRY, LAX Emergency Food Distribution to those in need Sponsored by Westchester Clergy Association

Open Tuesdayand andFriday Friday •• 11:00 a.m.toto12 12:30 Open Tuesday 10 a.m. p.m.p.m. (noon) 355 Beach Street, Inglewood

If you have Food to donate, take to Covenant Presbyterian Church or bring to location from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Volunteers and money donations also welcomed and encouraged. For further information, please call (310) 677-5597

Ad donated by Covenant Presbyterian Church

March 2013

home. “LMU, in my opinion, should include parking in the tuition. It’s ironic my youngest son is going to college in Santa Barbara and I am paying $700 a year for him to park there, but I can’t even park in front of my own house.” Neighborhood Council President Cyndi Hench, who also sits on the NAC panel, questioned why parking was not included in tuition. Said Hench, “I was recently told that the reason this money can not

be included in tuition is because the university needed to have a specific identifiable stream of income in order to justify a construction loan. Is that true?” Vice President of Communications & Government Relations Kathleen Flanagan answered, “Yes, we are currently, right now, going out and seeking bond funding for the parking structures underground.” In addition to neighbors, two Sodexo employees, who are union food service workers, discussed how permit parking has affected the low-wage workers who work at the university. Said Chris Novoa, “I feel like this has had a negative impact to the community and the workers at LMU. We are low-wage workers and the median income for us is around $15,000 to $17,000 a year and the university is charging us $700 for parking a year, no exemptions.“ Novoa also contended that some workers have quit or have been forced to decide between paying for parking or health insurance. When an informal poll was taken to see how many of the 100 or so attendees were interested in permit parking, three people raised their hands in favor of it. Said Jeff Elder, “We don’t want [permit parking]. It is absolutely going (continued on page 13)

Airport Marina Counseling Service (AMCS) will be honoring Kathleen Hannon Aikenhead and the William H. Hannon Foundation at its spring event fundraiser on March 9 at Loyola Marymount University. Aikenhead and the foundation will be honored with the Community Builders award. As president of the foundation since 1994, Aikenhead has overseen its philanthropic endeavors and countless schools, non-profit organizations and churches have benefited. Aikenhead is the niece of William H. Hannon, an early developer of the Westchester/Playa area turned philanthropist, and a fourth generation Californian. Aikenhead has been a member of the board of directors since the Hannon Foundation’s inception in 1983. She also serves as chairman of the board of trustees at Loyola Marymount University, is a Trustee of the Catholic Education Foundation and President of the Los Angeles Travel and Tourism Education Foundation. AMCS, a Westchester-based nonprofit, offering affordable mental health services since 1961, counts the Hannon Foundation as a major donor and has received funding from the foundation for the Hannon Immediate Intervention Program since 2003, which offers immediate help for clients in times of crisis including individual

Kathleen Hannon Aikenhead. PHOTO COURTESY LMU.

and group therapy and access to related services, such as psychiatry. Fees for services at AMCS are based on a sliding scale and no one is ever turned away for economic reasons alone. Said Kathleen O’Leary Lefferman, AMCS Executive Director, “We consider it a privilege to honor Kathy and the Hannon Foundation because they have been such great supporters of Airport Marina Counseling Service for so many years.” The event will include a reception, silent auction and a program headed by Fritz Coleman, NBC 4’s premier meteorologist and comedian. For more info, please contact Jill Marcellus at AMCS at (310) 670-1410.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

MWS_10x14_KidsClub_HR.pdf

2/26/13

6:18 PM

Page 5

Kids Club Free weekly events for kids including music, dance, arts, crafts, entertainment and so much more! Every Tuesday Beginning March 5 from 11:15am – 12pm by The Fountain

For a schedule of events please visit shopwaterside.com shopwaterside

March 2013

ShopWaterside

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 6

Community

• your community newspaper • your community • your community newspaper • your community •

Titans of aviation inducted into Flight Path “walk of fame” Westchester has its very own Hollywood-style “walk of fame” dedicated to the pioneers, innovators and standouts of the aviation and aerospace industry located along Sepulveda Blvd. between 92nd Street to the south and Manchester Ave. to the north. The “walk of fame” is coordinated by the Flight Path Museum, located at 6661 Imperial Highway, just south of LAX. The small museum contains a history of local aviation, airplane models and flight attendant and pilot uniforms. The museum also houses a DC-3 airplane and offers prime viewing for plane spotting. Field trip opportunities are offered and the non-profit organization offers scholarships to those interested in pursuing careers in the aviation industry. The “walk of fame” was established in 1995 and plaques sponsored by community organizations and businesses like the Westchester Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, Drollinger Properties and LAWA line the sidewalk along Sepulveda. Each honoree inducted to the “walk of fame” is credited with making a significant contribution to the advancement of aviation or aerospace. Nine honorees were installed in 1995 and four of the honorees, including

General Kevin Chilton addresses the audience at the Flight Path event.

Howard Hughes, J.H. “Dutch” Kindelberger, Donald Douglas and John Northrop, have plaques located in the Flight Path Aviation Rotunda located on Sepulveda between Howard Drollinger Parkway and La Tijera Blvd. At an intimate February 24 event, Flight Path held a dedication ceremony to honor six new inductees to the “walk of fame.” Hometown hero, General Kevin Chilton, who was born and raised in Westchester, was the featured

Now Open in Westchester!

speaker at the event. “I remember jets breaking the sound barrier over the house when I was a kid. The windows of the house would rattle regularly. There were no rules about that. As exposed as we were to aviation in our youth, that exposure is just not there today,” said Chilton. “So without things like the Flight Path Learning Center and little reminders of the history of aviation in this community, I think there is a

whole generation of young people who just will not have the opportunity to be exposed like we were. To be considered to be part of this great award is super, particularly because it’s my hometown.” At the event, Chilton recalled growing up in the Westchester and Playa del Rey area and becoming fascinated with airplanes at a young age. After a friend invited him along for a flying lesson he had received as a birthday present and Chilton had the opportunity to help the plane take off, Chilton knew he wanted to dedicate his life to flying. Determined to find a free way to learn how to become a pilot, a chance summer encounter would cement his fate. A friend invited Chilton to tag along to the beach with some other boys and his older brother. Chilton inquired what the brother was studying at college and learned that he was in the Air Force. Shocked that it was possible to join the Air Force and learn how to fly planes for free, Chilton enlisted in the air force as soon as he was old enough. Chilton went on to retire with the highest military ranking achieved by an astronaut. “Not in my wildest imagination would I ever imagine that anyone would ever consider me for this honor. (Continued on page 9)

We help older adults remain active and independent in the comfort and security of their own homes and neighborhoods for as long as possible. Become a Volunteer

You can make a big difference in the life of a senior.

Become a Member

Did you

You will receive help from know? wonderful volunteers who We will work with your try to meet your needs. schedule! As a WPV REALLY AUTHENTIC • REALLY FRESH • REALLY AWESOME

8736 South Sepulveda Blvd., Westchester Open 365 Days, 7 Days a Week from 5:30 am - 4:00 pm 310-645-BAGEL (2243)

www.brooklynwaterbagels.com

March 2013

Call WPV Today!

Volunteer, enjoy ﬂexibility as you give back to others!

Carol Oike Kitabayashi (310) 695-7030 Executive Director info@thewpv.org / www.thewpv.org 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 326, Los Angeles 90045

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 7

WESTCHESTER LUTHERAN SCHOOL

PRESCHOOL – 8TH GRADE

ENROLLING NOW FOR SEPTEMBER 2013 We invite you to visit our campus and learn more about our Preschool through 8th grade programs.             

Small Class Sizes Reasonable Tuition Academic Excellence Spanish State of the Art Computer Lab Music Programs Performing Arts Interactive Boards Portals to Science Gateway to Art After School Enrichment Programs Before and After School Care Available WASC Accredited

For over sixty years Westchester Lutheran School has taught students from preschool through 8th grade to believe in themselves, in each other, and their ability to make a difference in the world. Our dedicated faculty and staff reach not just their minds, but their hearts and souls.

(Western Association of Schools and Colleges)

Tours are available for all grades. To make an appointment to visit our campus, please call our school office at 310.670.5422.

WLS offers a classical education in a contemporary setting with Christian values. Laying the foundation for a high level of excellence begins in the earliest years of a child’s education and continues throughout their educational journey.

For more information visit our website at www.wlcs.org

At Westchester Lutheran School, all are welcome, all are valued, and all are enabled to excel. We invite you to attend our Sunday Worship Service at 10:00 a.m .

7831 S. Sepulveda, Los Angeles, CA 90045 • 310.670.5422 • www.wls.org March 2013

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 8

Cinco hopes to hit number one with neighborhood (continued) (continued from page 1) The rest of the group, however, was a little bit skeptical of the location because they weren’t that familiar with the area. “We came down here and we saw the demographics, looked at all the opportunity and what [the area was] lacking and thought it would be a great fit,” said Molina. “We want to change the neighborhood a little bit. We want to be a part of it too; we want to be a part of the community. We want to be a destination. We want to be something that this whole community is proud of.” The group says that the two main inspirations for the restaurant’s vision were taco trucks that serve awesome al pastor tacos (pork cooked on a vertical spit and then shaved off into tacos and topped with cilantro and onion) and a legendary Mexican restaurant in Santa Barbara known for its breakfast burrito. The hallmarks of Oaxacan (Oaxaca is a state located in southwestern Mexico) cuisine include it’s seven different moles. The restaurant’s current menu features a mole negro, a sauce made from ingredients like chocolate, chili peppers, onions and garlic. The other six moles will be offered at the restaurant as specials. The group and executive chef, Jose Miguel, took cues from Fernando’s mother’s recipes and the “Platos de Zoila,” are in homage to her. The restaurant’s signature plates under this category include “Costillas en Salsa Roja, a dish made of slow-cooking pork ribs in roasted garlic salsa that the group describes as delicious and unique. Handmade corn tortillas accompany

Cinco co-owners (from left to right) John Weir, Blake Landis, Hernan Fernando, Ben Molina and Will Smith pose in front of the bar area at Cinco.

most dishes. Along with the tacos and specialty plates, the menu also includes a variety of vegetarian dishes. The group has already visited both the Westchester and Playa Vista Farmer’s Markets and says Landis, “We look to have a good working relationship [with them].” Once the restaurant gets rolling, they hope to tie in what’s available and in season at the farmers’ markets and have daily specials. A brunch menu is also in the works. Desserts will come courtesy of Amanda Rekasis and her company “Hurray for Frosting” and will include Mexican wedding cookies with dipping sauces, tres leches cake and a rotation of specials like Oaxacan chocolate spice cake with flan and churros. Equally important to the restaurant’s

success is being the neighborhood’s go-to spot for craft beers, tequilas, mezcals and American whiskeys. They call the spirits they are offering “a great selection, well-rounded and pretty extensive.” “Everything on the shelf is there for a reason. We love it; we believe in it. We have a lot of close ties with a lot of these breweries,” said Landis. “We want to get the community introduced to these people and what they do and why they should be drinking this beer, instead of, let’s say, Budweiser.” Molina says the restaurant hopes to hold beer and whiskey tasting nights in a non-pretentious environment where people can learn about the intricacies of the different alcohols, be introduced to local breweries and ask questions in a welcoming environment.

Said Molina, “We want the taste elevated to some of the best bars in the city, but we want to take away the intimidation factor.” The budding restaurateurs feel honored that the neighborhood and local businesses like Tompkin’s Square and the Tripel have been supportive. Afterall, this is the first restaurant the group of friends has opened and they are hoping it’s something the whole neighborhood will rally behind. “We want this definitely to be a regulars, local spot where someone could feel comfortable coming in here everyday and it wouldn’t break the bank because [we] are going to be very affordable,” said Molina who points to the restaurant’s $3 to $13 price point. “But we also want it to have a little bit of a renown and people will seek it out– the connoisseurs, the beer geeks, cocktail geeks and also the locals and the students.” The 4,500 square foot restaurant, located at 7241 West Manchester Ave. in Westchester, plans to have a soft opening in early March with a grand opening planned for Saturday, March 30. The hours are planned to be 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to midnight on Saturday and Sunday. “Everyone is welcome and there is something for everyone here,” said Molina. “There is going to be something here that [people] didn’t know they liked, but that they are going to love, definitely.” For more information, visit the restaurant’s website at cincola.com.

GATEWAY TO GO! S

FABULOUS FOOD ON FOUR WHEELS. TUESDAYS 11 am - 3 pm @ Crowne Plaza LAX 5985 W. Century Blvd. New Trucks Each Week! MARCH 12

MARCH 19

MARCH 26

APRIL 2

BELLY BOMBZ BABYS BADASS BURGERS LET ROLL IT TRUCK

THE SURFER TACO CHEER BURGER FLIPPIN YOLK INDIA JONES

CREPES BONAPARTE ME SO HUNGRY TRUCK MEET ‘N POTATOES AN NAM DOGTOWN DOGS GOBBLES AND OINKS

EL BURGER LUCHADOR SWEET ARLEEN’S MOBILE AN NAM GOURMET GENIE DOGTOWN DOGS HANG 10 TACOS

PRESENTED BY

* food truck participants subject to change

March 2013

LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FOR WEEKLY UPDATES

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 9

Looking Back...

• your community newspaper • your community • your community newspaper

By David J. “Duke” Dukesherer, Sr.

Shopping Local is important for community My three older brothers and I worked locally in the grocery business. It was a great job for a teenager. My first job was at Royal Market in Culver City. My brothers worked at Lucky’s, Royal, Ralph’s and Hillmart. U.S. grocery stores are descended from trading posts, which sold not only food but clothing, household items, tools, furniture and other miscellaneous merchandise. These trading posts evolved into larger retail businesses known as general stores and later neighborhood markets and supermarkets. They are the heart of all towns and communities, and trading locally is fundamental to a town’s success. I sure do miss Hillmart. It was a great “mom and pop” store. They were known for featuring Manning’s Beef, which was the very best money could buy. The Fireside on Lincoln Boulevard famous for prime steaks, and now the location of Tompkin’s Square, also featured Manning’s Beef. In uptown Westchester until the 1970’s, the main grocery store was a Mayfair Market. It was also the home of the annual Westchester Easter Egg Hunt, held every holy Saturday before Easter morning. Hundreds of kids would line up early and at 9 a.m.

Von’s Market La Tijera 1950s. Directly to the left of Von’s you had Ade’s Pipe Shop. Other stores in this center included; Rite-Way Drugs, Hellman’s Hardware Store, St Moritz Bakery, La Tijera Bootery, Crocker Citizen’s Bank, Toy Castle, The King’s X Restaurant, Jule’s Auto Supply, Baskin Robbins 31 Flavors (still there and awfully good), and a Marina Federal Savings and Loan. The Van de Kamp’s bakery ladies dressed in cute little Dutch costumes with paper hats and they gave you a free cookie with a smile. PHOTO COURTESY WESTCHESTER, CALIFORNIA, THE AUTHOR.

the doors opened and in they rushed. Candy eggs were literally piled in the aisles of the market, and all you had to do was scoop them up. It was organized chaos. In October of 1964, Arden Farms acquired the Mayfair Markets, thus becoming Arden-Mayfair, Inc., which later became a subsidiary of the Arden Group. Around the same time, Arden also acquired a small chain of supermarkets from the Gelson Brothers. Mayfair was located, more or less, where the Blockbuster video store (recently closed) was located. It nearly burned to the ground on May 16,

Aviation (continued) (continued from page 6) So to share the same walkways with great icons from our history and great people like Iris [Critchell], how cool is this? It is the best.” This year’s “walk of fame” inductees include: Kevin Chilton. Chilton is a graduate of St. Bernard High School and Visitation Catholic School. His distinguished career in the United States Air Force included 11 years of service as a NASA astronaut. Chilton was also the pilot on the Space Shuttle Endeavour’s maiden voyage. Chilton retired from the Air Force in 2011 as a four-star general. Iris Cummings Critchell. Critchell was born in Los Angeles and graduated from Redondo Union High School. In 1939, she began flying at Mines Field, the future LAX. During Word War II she was a Woman Air Force Service Pilot (WASP). In 1962, Critchell founded the Bates Aeronautic Program at Harvey Mudd College. She is a certified FAS Pilot Examiner and a member of the Ninety-Nines, a group dedicated to the support of women pilots. Robert Prescott. Prescott, a native Texan who came to California in 1934, was a U.S. Navy ensign who joined the legendary Flying Tigers. After the war, Prescott and other Flying Tigers veterans formed the Flying Tiger Line

March 2013

in Burbank, which later moved to LAX and became the world’s largest cargo air carrier. Frank Robinson. Robinson established the Robinson Helicopter Company in Torrance. Since its founding in 1973, the firm has become the world’s largest manufacturer and seller of civil helicopters. Robinson is highly regarded as the driving force behind the firms’ business and technical achievements. Burt Rutan. Rutan is widely admired as an aircraft and spacecraft designer and his career was capped by his design of the Voyager, the first aircraft to circumnavigate the globe non-stop without refueling and the sub-orbital “SpaceShipOne.” Robert Six. Six achieved star status in airline management, serving as chief executive of Continental Airlines from 1936 to 1981. He moved the airline’s headquarters from Denver to Los Angeles, where it soon became one of the dominant carriers. Six is remembered as an innovator and visionary, one of the giants of the airline industry. The Flight Path board and The Westchester Streetscape Improvement Association are currently coordinating having the new plaques installed along the street.

1969, but was rebuilt. A few years later it was torn down and the entire shopping center was redeveloped. From the 1960’s through the 2000’s, we annihilated most of the shopper’s choices in this town. Gone are: Hillmart (pet store), Boy’s Market (condo’s?), Safeway (Pep Boy’s), Dorr’s Market (Arbor Vitae), Von’s La Tijera (discount store), Ralph’s Sepulveda (Staples), Thrifty’s (Citibank), Alpha Beta (Bristol Farms), Dales, Jr. (local market), Mayfair Market and probably a few more that I missed. There are thankfully a few local/ specialty markets, such as Bristol

Farms, Robert’s Market, Trader Joe’s, Howe Mart, The Produce Market, and so on, but other than the Baby Von’s, we now have exactly two supermarket shopping choices; Ralph’s Sepulveda (where Mayfair Market was) and Ralph’s Lincoln (Shopper’s/Lucky’s). These are great stores, but the only two left standing, nonetheless. Many local residents drive to neighboring towns to get their bread and milk. If this happened in Russia, they would close the Duma and hang the guilty politicians. Speaking of bread, this rambling correspondent is happy to report that we still have an operating “scratch” bakery in town. Westchester Bakery is located at 6216 W 87 St. and open seven days a week. It’s just a few doors down from the little produce market (and formerly Karl’s Stationary and Toys), that just closed down and is now a dollar store. That’s walking distance to Spring Cleaners, the Coffee Company, Staples, Paco’s, El Tarasco, Runa Jewels, Curves Hair Salon, the new Brooklyn Bagel Company and dozens of other great local shopping spots and excellent banks, doctors, dentists and other professional services. Everyone of us should patronize this bakery, and every single day the line to get in should run all the way around the block to Truxton’s.

Please email comments to: dukepdr@gmail.com

VERGARI & ASSOCIATES attorneys & counselors at law

Our staff strives to build long term relationships with our clients We are committed to providing professional services with integrity

ESTATE PLANNING and FAMILY LAW

��

COZETTE VERGARI Attorney & Counselor at Law 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 1580, Los Angeles, CA 90045 310.410.4014 LAXLawyers.com

Idea for a story? Curious about your Community?

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/thehtn Email us at: westchesterhometown@yahoo.com Visit us at: thehtn.com Call us at:(310) 641-1016

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 10

An artist’s rendering of what the ﬁre station’s facade could look like if it’s developed into a preschool. RENDERING BY ANNA CODY.

Visitation makes proposal for former fire station 5 property Since 2006, the building that housed the old Fire Station No. 5 on Manchester Ave. at Emerson Ave. has been used for a variety of purposes and is currently being used to store construction equipment. One local group, however, hopes to one day turn the building into an educational center that would benefit children throughout the community. Visitation’s Principal Christopher Watson has recently submitted a proposal to Councilman Bill Rosendahl outlining the kindergarten through eighth grade school’s desire to lease the property (once the current lease expires) to be used for a low-cost arts focused preschool. According to Rosendahl’s field deputy, Nate Kaplan, whether the fire station is leased or sold, and who it is leased to is at the sole discretion of the current council person. Kaplan said in the past Rosendahl has received proposals from the Boy Scouts and the L.A. County Lifeguards among others to use the facility. To date, none of the proposals have been accepted. Said Watson, “Visitation has outgrown its own block and had to think outside of the box, so to speak, to hopefully provide the space needed for an innovative art’s focused preschool. Due to its proximity to Visitation School and its significance in our community, the old firehouse presents itself as the perfect location for such an important and valuable mission.” According to LAFD.blogspot, the old fire station 5 was built in 1950 “at a cost of $109,000 ($107,700 for the structure and a mere $1,300 for the land).” The station opened on August 2, 1950, and according to the blog maintained by the LAFD media and public relations staff, the station’s “physical space, as well as electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems proved unable to support a modern and diverse workforce. Because the property beneath Old Fire Station 5 was too small to support a new Regional Fire Station, Proposition F of November 2000 provided the community with a new 15,250 square-foot Regional Fire Station, 6,000 square-foot apparatus storage building and a 2,500 squarefoot multipurpose room on a two-acre lot.” The new station, which opened in 2006, is located at 8900 Emerson Ave.

March 2013

in Westchester. After exploring the idea of opening an arts focused preschool, the school contacted the LAFD Real Property Division last year and received information on the proper channels to go through to try to obtain the long-term use of the property. After conducting its own feasibility study, the school recently submitted its proposal to Rosendahl in February. Said Watson, “It really is a big dream for us to envision and plan for the opportunity for an arts focused curriculum and program that will set the stage for our community’s youngest to have an educational opportunity for life. We have done the research and the homework and we are both ready and excited to blaze a new trail.” The school hopes its record and “strong commitment” to arts education will pique Rosendahl’s interest to consider the proposal. Watson points to former school principal Dr. Carol Crede’s “Social Entrepreneur of the Year” award she earned for her “history of introducing new and innovative programs to elementary school students,” the school’s Gateway to Art Program and having a full-time art and music teacher as ways the school has proven its track record of making arts education a pillar of its school model. He also points to the need for more affordable local preschools, many of which, including Visitation’s, are waitlist only as proof the neighborhood needs more options for its prekindergarten students. Said Watson, “Our hope is for a lease agreement that would allow us to provide an exceptional and unique preschool education at an ‘at cost’ basis and extend area families a progressive and advanced level of preschool education.” The school has not yet heard back from Rosendahl’s office about the fire station space, but Watson says if the proposal for the site is not accepted this time around, the school will continue to look for the right location to house their “big dream.” Said Watson, “We are both hopeful and confident that the entire community will support and appreciate our effects to benefit the children in the neighborhood.”

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 11

St. Anastasia School marks school year with sixtieth anniversary and a new principal This year is an important one for Westchester’s Saint Anastasia School. Not only is the parish and school celebrating its sixtieth anniversary kicking off with a March 9 Parish Ball, but they have also welcomed principal, Mike Muir, the school’s first new principal in 27 years. Muir is a Southern California native who started his career at St. Francis de Sales in Sherman Oaks. After teaching English, history and religion to middle-schoolers for five years, Muir then moved on to principal of another Catholic school. At just 27, Muir was the youngest principal in the Archdiocese. Over the next twenty years, Muir hopscotched between his love for teaching and working as a principal. “I do my stint as a principal and then I feel like I need to go back into the classroom and recharge my batteries. I feel like maybe I can do more good as a principal or cast a wider net as a principal, but you can be so impactful as a teacher as well,” said Muir. “I love being with the kids and that is why I so enjoy the classroom, but at the same time, it’s nice to set a vision for a school and it’s nice to decide the direction you are going to go in.” Coming into a school as the new guy and taking over for respected former principal Rosemary Connolly who had led the school for almost

thirty years, couldn’t have been easy. Luckily for Muir, however, the school community–parents, teachers, students and parishioners– welcomed him with open arms, ready for change. In his second semester as principal, Muir has focused his vision on three areas: integration of common core standards school-wide, improving and increasing technology usage in the classroom and meeting the needs of all the school’s learners. Common Core Standards are built on international academic standards and are adapted to create a challenging curriculum with higher expectations for students. The model also works on the idea of encouraging the connection between curriculum and career readiness. As far as technology, the school was on the cutting edge of offering iPads as learning tools to its students. Now all students in fifth through eighth grade have their own and use the hand-held computers for daily lessons. Younger students use the devices as well. The school also boasts a strong wireless network. With the goal of meeting the needs of all of its student, Muir has dedicated himself to making sure all of the school’s students, regardless of how they learn, are successful. Said Muir, “It’s amazing what can happen when you help a student

St. Anastasia students share what they are learning on their iPads with Principal Mike Muir.

get organized and give them some strategies. Kids with learning disabilities are often very smart kids who have obstacles getting in their way. If you help them to cope with and mitigate those obstacles, then they can really soar. That’s part of my vision.” A “top-notch” teaching staff, a nationally distinguished school board and parents and a parish that are “supportive in both word and deed” have given Muir the confidence to continue the tradition of excellence at the school, with many of its students going on to top high school and universities.

“One of my goals is to continue to offer this top-notch Catholic education, faith-based, service-based education to the kids and families of Westchester. I want to keep things going,” said Muir. “What I don’t want to have happen is for me to kind of drop the ball in a great place that has such a strong reputation. I want to be equal to the task of keeping this wonderful place going and keeping the refinements and enhancements that are necessary. In order to be vital, you have to be forward thinking and making all sorts of judgments. I pray that I will be equal to the task of keeping it up.”

New Year. Same Priorities.

Keep your family safe and cared for in the event of the unthinkable by thinking about life insurance According to a recent USA Today article:

“The percentage of U.S. households with life insurance coverage is at its lowest in 50 years, leaving millions of families without a safety net” “Some 11 million households with children younger than 18 — viewed as families with the greatest need for coverage — have no life insurance.” “40% of families with children under age 18 said they would have immediate trouble paying expenses if the primary breadwinner died” *Information quoted from a 12/3/10 USA Today article by Sandra Block.

Call for more details or for a free consultation.

March 2013

Patrick C. Davis, CLU Life Insurance, Retirement Planning, Estate Planning Phone: (310) 937-1112 Email: patdav@verizon.net Please contact Erica Ryan license #0646017 for more info at (310) 670-0041 Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 12

Whole Foods confirms plans for store at Playa Vista’s Runway

St. Anastasia CATHOLIC SCHOOL

An artist’s rendering of the Runway at Playa Vista. The project is slated to open in 2015.

WE SALUTE

St. Anastasia Decathletes! St. Anastasia Parish and School salute the members of our academic decathlon team and wish them good luck at their upcoming competition. We are very proud of you. Go Panthers!

St. Anastasia Catholic School 8631 S. Stanmoor Drive Los Angeles, CA 90045 310.645.8816 school.st-anastasia.org

March 2013

Enrichment

Technology

“This is a thriving community, and the location is a great place for us to share the many products and services Whole Foods Market has to offer with the city’s highly creative and engaged community.” Whole Foods Market announced signing a lease with Lincoln Properties for the company’s Playa Vista store during its first quarter earnings call in February. With 345 stores nationwide including 48 stores in the Southern Pacific region, Whole Foods Market is on track to open a total of 32 to 34 stores during this fiscal year. In addition to the lease signed for the Playa Vista location, the company made agreements for an additional 10 locations averaging 38,000 square feet in size across the U.S, which are scheduled to open in fiscal year 2014 and beyond. Cinemark has also announced plans to open a high-end movie theater at The Runway.

Ruth Mohr passes away

Special thanks to our team sponsor, Michael's Uniforms. To find out more about St. Anastasia, including our new Junior Kindergarten, visit us online at school.st-anastasia.org.

Academics

Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading organic and natural foods supermarket, has recently announced plans to open a new 35,000-squarefoot store at The Runway at Playa Vista located at the corner of Jefferson and McConnell in Playa Vista. The store is scheduled to open in 2015. Once complete, Whole Foods Market will offer area shoppers a wide selection of high-quality natural, organic and local products. The Playa Vista store will create more than 150 new jobs for the local community. Information on job openings will be released as the opening date approaches, and applicants can apply online at www. wholefoodsmarket.com/careers. Whole Foods Market has been ranked for the past 16 consecutive years as Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For.” “We look forward to opening a store in Playa Vista,” said Patrick Bradley, president, Whole Foods Market Southern Pacific Region.

Community

Longtime Westchester resident, Ruth Mohr, passed away January 29. Mohr was born on March 21, 1903 in Dow City, Iowa and lived a remarkable 109 years and ten months. Ruth is proceeded by her husband, Theodore Mohr, and is survived by her only son, Edward Mohr, his wife, Margaret, two grandsons and three great grand daughters. Mohr moved to Westchester in 1954 with her husband. The couple attended Westchester Methodist Church for many years and she was active in the Women’s Circle. According to her son, she also enjoyed gardening and was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 13

LMU parking issue (continued) (continued from page 4) to impact the quality of life and make living in our neighborhood a living hell. For those of you [with] limitations in your mobility, it’s going to make it even worse. Having friends and family over is a nightmare. LMU has a serious P.R. problem.” Community Relations Director, Clarence Griffin ensured the neighbors in attendance that the university was taking notes on what was being said and would report back to the decision-makers what was discussed at the meeting. “The university is here to listen. We are listening to the comments from the neighbors. First of all, we have to do the survey to find out who wants permit parking or not. It’s not just those that attended [the meeting], but all the residents in a particular area. We are considering all of the possibilities,” said Griffin. “Our plan was to assess the impact of parking on the community and then determine who wants it and then assess the outcome.” At the urging of those in attendance, the university agreed that at the next NAC meeting scheduled for May 8, it would give the neighbors an answer as to whether the university would consider rescinding fees for parking or consider including parking fees in

tuition. WHOLE (Westchester Homeowners Opposing LMU Expansion) have started a petition opposing the university’s decision to charge for parking and also demanding LMU “make acceptable measures to prevent students, faculty, and staff from parking on Westchester streets.” The petition can be accessed via www.gopetition.com/petitions/permitparking-is-not-the-solution.html. According to Kaplan, Councilman Bill Rosendahl and university president David Burcham will meet to discuss the issue of parking in early March. In an interview with Griffin, he stated that the majority of LMU students and staff are parking on campus and the university has been very receptive to working with the neighborhood to solve issues. Said Griffin, “The university is following the agreed upon process and part of that is the provision of $24,000 to pay for permit parking permits should the community choose that process. In addition, we have worked with the neighbors to install 8-foot fences around the campus to prevent parking in the community and fence jumping. We are continuing to follow the process laid out in the master plan approval process.”

Speech Contest Winners. The Venice-Marina-LAX Club recently held a speech contest open to area high school students. This year’s topic for the speech was “How do We Create and Keep Jobs in America?” All the students who participated were winners at the February 20 contest, but David Citrin, a Westchester resident and Junior at Hamilton High School, advanced to the next level of competition. Citrin was victorious at the Zone D contest held Saturday, March 2, and will now advance to the Southern Region Student Speakers Contest to be held in Wilmington. The purpose of the contest, now in its seventy-sixth year, is to provide an opportunity for competitive public speaking among students on a subject of vital interest to the contestants and to the American people as a whole, to stimulate self-expression and independent thinking, to present

to the public through the student speakers contests the problems surrounding the maintenance of this country as a free nation and to consider the means at our disposal of meeting the present and future world problems. Back row from left to right: contest judge Marc Costello, Avenue Hair; Ken Blackman, Zone D Chairman; Christina Davis, contest judge and CEO/President of LAX Coastal Area Chamber; Angie Mahboob, club president; Sibyl Buchanan, student speakers contest chairperson; John Musella, contest judge and; Terry O’Connor, contest judge and development director at Visitation Elementary School; and Don Chinery, Past District Governor. Front row from left to right: David Citrin, Hamilton High; Roxanne Echavarria, Venice High; and Amber Brown, St. Bernards High School.

Join us at McMelody’s on St. Patrick’s Day, Sunday, March 17 • Green Beer $4 • Green Beer & Jameson Shot $10 • Guinness Shepherd Pie $15 • Corned Beef & Hash $15 • 4 - 7 pm The Lads • 9 pm DJ Creepy & Friends • $5 Cover after 4 pm Melody Bar & Grill 9132 Sepulveda Blvd. Westchester, CA 90045 310.670.1994

Monday - Friday 11:30am-2:00am Saturday & Sunday 10:00am-2:00am MELODYLAX.COM

www.facebook.com/melody.grill www.twitter.com/melodylax March 2013

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 14

Random Notes/Opinion

• your community newspaper •

Resilience skills help when the unexpected happens continue to write down what you thought when you first discovered what was happening. Include in the description how long it took you to absorb what your senses were telling you was unfolding. What did you see, hear, taste, smell, or touch? What were the sensations within your body? Did you hold your breath? What were your thoughts and feelings before you had all the information? Were your thoughts clear or did your mind initially go blank? Did you have mind chatter about yourself? Did you ever learn all the facts? Initially, what did you say or do? Did you make a decision about what you were experiencing before you learned all the facts? Was your decision based upon assumptions? What were the assumptions? What choices did you make? What you are writing down is a description of the internal process you experienced at the time of the event. How long is it taking you to think about your experience? Chances are you had less time to react during the actual event. Frequently, out of necessity, the reaction time is rapid and made unconsciously based on established patterns of thinking. These habitual responses have a bearing on the quality of your life. How you react to situations can color the quality of your relationships with others. In addition, your reaction includes the stress you hold in your body, which has

By Fay Craton Opinion: A few years ago, some friends decided to get a duck as a pet for their young daughter. They brought their pet with them to church and created quite a stir when a duckling dressed in a diaper was discovered walking down the hall. Ducks are not a usual pet and normally they do not come to church. However, with humor, our church family easily adjusted. The pet was brought to church a few more times; fascinating and bringing us enjoyment as we watched it grow up. Sometimes our expectations do not match our experiences. Seeing a duckling waddling at church was not expected. Sometimes an experience out of context with what is anticipated can cause laughter. At other times, the distortion can create stressful feelings. Can you think of a time in your life when something other than what you expected happened? I invite you to write down a brief description of a time when this happened. Most people can think of several examples—choose one of them. What varies among people and from situation-to-situation is the reaction when confronted with an unanticipated occurrence. A wide range of thoughts and feelings are normal. As you think about that time,

a correlation to your health. Life is a series of external events we cannot control. For most people, unanticipated circumstances appear with regularity. How you react and how long you cling to each event has a direct bearing on the satisfaction you feel about life, the success of your relationships and your physical wellbeing. There can be many different normal reactions when unanticipated situations catch us unaware. However, you have a greater chance at contentment—even joy—when you begin reacting from resiliency-building habits. Resilience happens within you, not to you. Resiliency skills are many faceted involving your mental and physical well-being. Building resilience includes learning new ways of thinking, coping, communicating, and relating to people around you. To gain resiliency, you take personal responsibility to build healthy habits to fall back on when the unexpected happens. With increased resilience, your internal processing has a “default mode” leading to life supporting responses. You have a choice about how you respond when life throws you a curve. A step you can take right now is to look at what you wrote down. At the time of the unanticipated event, it is likely your body started flooding with stress hormones, which automatically decreased your thinking ability.

With the aid of increased time to think and a lower amount of stress hormones in your body, do you notice possibilities you did not see at the time the unexpected happened? Do you now see facts that might change how you view the event? Were there assumptions made immediately after the surprise you may now wish to reconsider? Do you want to reassess any decisions made? Are there patterns in your response to this occurrence and other events in your life? What new patterns would you like to create? My wish for you is that you are able to build resiliency. The only real control you have in life is over your own thoughts, words, and behaviors. When the unexpected happens, take a deep breath filling your diaphragm and very slowly exhale. Learning to pause and breathe is one of many resiliency-building skills. The exhale of the deep breath will help reduce stress and help you to think clearly. You have the ability to make choices about how you respond in any given situation including finding a pet duck when least expected. The choice can include finding laughter and fun. 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. Contact her at (310) 645-6762.

Westchester Lutheran Church Easter Celebrations

��

All are welcome. �� March 2013

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

More trouble with neighbors By Nora Lee Owens Opinion: When I recently complained to a friend of mine about the airport trying, once again, to take land in Westchester, she not-so-subtly reminded me that I knew LAX was there when I purchased my home. I dislike it when anybody, especially friends, point out the obvious. But, ah...I did my due diligence when I bought my house. I sat in front on several occasions, at different times of the day and night, to see if the noise would bother me, and I decided that it wouldn’t. And it hasn’t. What has bothered me is what a bad neighbor the airport is to those of us who live near it and (usually) smilingly endure noisy take-offs, gunky black smudge on our otherwise pristine patio furniture and helicopter fly-overs every time there is a U.S. or other country’s president visiting our fair city. I first attended meetings when the airlines asked to increase their number of flights in and out of LAX. I learned then that lots of people in Playa del Rey, El Segundo and Inglewood are affected by airport noise even more than

we Westchester denizens are bothered. Planes fly off track and directly over Playa del Rey several times a week, if not every day; and people who live in the flight path in Inglewood are treated to shrieking plane noise all the time. But initially, anyway, the neighborhood people were just asking the FAA to deny more flights. Nobody was really asking the airlines to shrink their departures and arrivals on our account– just not make it worse. Back and forth it went for several years, and then a movement began to get LAWA and the City to move the airport to Palmdale onto land that was set aside for such use, and for which purpose thousands of people moved to that area 40 years ago. I guess weeds are still the primary product of that acreage. I don’t even know if there is a bus depot on the property that would make such sense as an airport. Of course, it is a schlep from Downtown L.A. and even the Westside. But if you’ve ever flown into Washington, D.C. or the new Denver airport, you know that not all municipal airports are inside the city limits. That is one of the beauties of rapid transit and shuttles.

They move people efficiently from one place to another. Well, the airlines don’t want to go to Palmdale. So that is that. Maybe what we need is a new movie called “Airport of Dreams: if you build it, they will come” (sorry, that’s really corny). Instead, the latest way to make Westchester residents miserable seems to be coming at us full-speed ahead in the ruse of “safety,” and the board of airport commissioners and the L.A. planning commission has approved moving the north runway 260 feet north. I’m not sure which of our roads and businesses will eventually be affected by this disruption, but, rest assured, our not-very-good neighbor LAX will almost certainly make it as painful, as noisy and as unnecessary as possible. Maybe a new Mayor and the City Council will save us. More likely they will never even notice our lovely area while they speed down Sepulveda each time they need to catch a flight. I think civil disobedience may be our only answer. Let’s all lie down on the tarmac sometime soon. I’ll bring a few pillows.

Making workouts fun By Jeff Blair Opinion: When it comes to working out, “fun” is not always the first word that comes to mind. However, you can bring more “fun” to your workouts by making a few changes. Why is fun important? If you find your workout to be fun, you are much more likely to continue doing it.

actually slow, rather than speed, your gains. Too many extreme workouts without a break can actually lead to a potential injury. People who perform extreme workouts are more likely to burn out or workout inconsistently in my experience. Challenging workouts are great, but you do not need to workout like an NFL linebacker to see great improvements in appearance and strength. Find a happy medium where your workout is challenging but not overwhelming.

• Get a Friend...or two...or three: Human beings are social creatures and exercising is no exception. Not many people like to work in an office or take care of kids all day and then go workout alone. There are exceptions as personalities differ, but most people enjoy working out more when other people are involved. Find a workout partner or great exercise class. Many personal training sessions are now also offered in a semi-private environment where your workout partners can encourage and support you.

• Get Your Groove On!: Think about how you feel when you crank up your favorite tunes on your iPod versus when you just exercise to silence. Suddenly, your workout comes with a soundtrack! Music is proven to improve exercise performance so do not hesitate to use this resource to increase your workout enjoyment. By creating a workout playlist, you may find you look forward to your workouts even more.

• Avoid Extremes: When we see athletes on TV doing extreme workouts, keep in mind these athletes are usually pursuing their sport full-time and do not sit behind a desk or chase kids all day. They often get lots of sleep (10+ hours) and are frequently in their early to mid-20’s. Most of the rest of us have a different lifestyle. You do not have to perform extreme workouts to achieve great gains. In fact, exercising to failure (when you cannot do one more repetition) may

• Take a Long-Term Approach: Let’s face it, when it comes to “fun,” most of us would probably rank relaxing on a beach or sipping a cappuccino in a cafe above working out. But working out can bring a more long-term brand of fun into our lives. By working out regularly, we can improve appearance, avoid joint pain and dramatically improve our quality of life. Although not instantaneous, these benefits help us lead happier lives and

avoid many struggles that can quickly diminish or destroy quality of life. And when you are in great shape, you will feel much better at the beach or while sipping your cappuccino in the cafe! • Find a Challenge: Many people get more excited to work out when they have a specific challenge. Maybe you want to run a 5k race or lose 20 pounds? Maybe you want to hike up a mountain or drop a couple inches off your waistline? Whatever your goal, adding a specific focus can be a great motivator. I recall a client named Dean who came to me to design a program to help him climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. Dean’s goal gave him an extra bounce in his step each time he came in for a workout. Your goal may not be as dramatic as Dean’s, but challenging yourself can add some excitement to your workout program. Take these five steps to add more fun to your workouts! Before starting this or any fitness program, consult with your doctor. JEFF BLAIR (M.S.) owns a personal training studio located in Westchester. He was voted “Best Of” Personal Trainer in the Hometown News 2012 Readers’ Poll. Jeff has been featured in “Men’s Fitness” magazine and as a “Fitness Expert” on ABC’s “Everyday Health” TV show. Email jeffblair@jeffblairfitness.com for fitness story ideas or comments.

The HTN is looking for a new columnist! Have an interesting take on the area? Passionate about Playa del Rey? Love checking out new spots in the neighborhood? Email us your proposal at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com. March 2013

Page 15

Pick up the HTN at any of the following locations:* Drollinger Building Lobby (8929 and 8939 Sepulveda building) Westchester Family YMCA Covenant Presbyterian Church The Guilded Cage Airport Office Center Medical Office Building Chase Bank The Coffee Co. Lucky Cleaner Ayara Thai Cuisine Ted’s Hair Design Truxton’s American Bistro Soundsations Needlepoints West Westchester Watch Works Bill Rosendahl’s Office Loyola Village Library Senior Center Loyola Village Library Elks Lodge Westchester Watch Works Kentwood Elementary School Orville Wright Middle School The Real Estate Consultants Office Dario’s Carpet Tower Pizza Chase Bank Paradise Building LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce Wells Fargo Westchester CenterPointe Club Playa Vista Library Picnik Dinah’s Restaurant Playa Vista Urgent Care Coffee Bean Cantalini’s Emerson Pharmacy Howe’s Liquor Ace Cleaners Coin Laundry Felicia’s Coffee Garden Outlaws The Shack Prince of Wales Tanner’s Coffee Holy Nativity Westchester United Methodist Westchester Christian Church Zacha Homes Airport Marina Counseling Service Burton Chace Park Wagz’ Custom Hotel Playa del Rey Florist El Dorado Bowl Buggy Whip Westchester Playhouse La Tijera Church Matilla Village Center * partial list of drop-offs

To make your business a drop-off location, please email us at westchesterhometown @ yahoo.com

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 16

To Do

• your community newspaper • your community newspaper • your community newspaper •

Rotary Club of Westchester The Rotary Club of Westchester meets every Wednesday at 12 noon for lunch at the Crowne Plaza LAX Hotel, 5985 W. Century Blvd. in Westchester. The cost of lunch is $20 and validated self parking is free. Guests are most welcome! Reservations are not required. For information regarding the upcoming luncheon programs, visit www.rotary-westchester.org/ or become our friend (Westchester Rotary) on Facebook.

its 8th Annual Bingo Night on Saturday, March 9. The event starts at 6 p.m. and will be held at the Elk’s Lodge, located at 8025 W. Manchester Blvd. Ave in Playa del Rey. The event is $50 per person and includes 10 games of bingo, no host bar, and a bbq dinner provided by the Outdoor Grill. There will also be a silent auction and door prizes. For tickets or information, please call Angelica Mahboob (818) 339-7021; Sue Levitt (310) 717-6114; or Jann Brauer (310) 823-7449.

Playa Vista Farmers’ Market Come out to the Playa Vista Farmers’ Market, located in the heart of Playa Vista. Open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and showcasing the freshest fruits, vegetables and flowers direct from the best local farmers’ California has to offer as well as other traditional market fare. This is a Certified Farmers’ Market sponsored by Sprouts of Promise Foundation, a 501(c) 3 non-profit focused on the education of healthy eating habits.

Senior Balance and Mobility In 2010, there were 2.3 million nonfatal falls that brought adults over the age of 65 into emergency rooms all over the United States. As people age, their body’s ability to heal from a fall decreases, so it is important to know how best to prevent a fall. During March and April, Westchester Playa Village (WPV), together with Loyola Marymount University Department of Health and Human Sciences, will be presenting a free to the public senior fitness series discussing balance, mobility and an in-home fall prevention assessment. The first part will consist of ten tests for balance relating to daily functions. Depending on the proficiency on each test, recommended activities will be offered to improve balance where it may be lacking. Mobility includes the strength to be able to perform normal everyday activities. Regular physical activity is a very beneficial part of an independent life. For the in-home assessment, trained Loyola Marymount students will come to your home and look for hazards that may cause falls. These hazards could include ground surfaces, furniture and lighting. The following events will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. • Program Kick-Off: March 12, Los Angeles Turner Center, located at 8946 Sepulveda Eastway in Westchester. • Senior Fitness Assessment: March 19 and March 26, at Westchester United Methodist Church, located at 8065 Emerson Ave. in Westchester. • Mobility and Balance Assessment: March 21 and April 9 at the Los Angeles Turner Center.

Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club Join the Rotary club of Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club at its Wednesday morning meeting at 7:15 a.m. at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel, located at 13480 Maxella Avenue in Marina del Rey. The cost of the meeting is $25, which includes breakfast and a guest speaker. Guests are welcome and reservations are not required. For more information, www. playasunrise.org or call (310) 4293808. Speakers by the Sea Toastmaster’s Group Improve your public speaking skills every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. by joining the Speakers by the Sea Toastmaster’s Group. Visitors are always welcome - just drop in. The meeting takes place at 12000 Vista del Mar in Conf. Room 230A in Playa del Rey (One traffic light South of Imperial Highway on Vista del Mar) For more info, please call (310) 5592834. Life-story Writing Class The Westchester Life-Story Writing Class is looking for people interested in putting their life story to paper. The group is led by Bernie Horst and welcomes and encourages seniors and adults interested in writing their life stories. Class members have published numerous books since the class’ inception. Meetings are held every Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the YMCA Annex. The entry gate is on Alverstone Avenue around the corner from the Westchester YMCA and is located at 8015 80th Street in Westchester. 8th Annual Bingo Night Join the Venice Marina Lions Club for

March 2013

Celebrity Bartender Fundraiser Melody Bar & Grill will be hosting its inaugural Celebrity Bartenders Fundraiser on Wednesday, March 13 from 5 to 9 p.m. The event will benefit EmpowerTech, a non-profit dedicated to bringing the latest in assistive technology to children and adults living with disabilities. Drinks will be poured by volunteer celebrity and community leader bartenders. One hundred percent of the tips collected at the event will go to EmpowerTech. Melody Bar & Grill is located at 9132 South Sepulveda Blvd. in Westchester. For more info, please call Joan Anderson at (818) 665-8001 or e-mail

her at janderson@empowertech.org. Kindergarten Tea Join school officials at Kentwood Elementary School’s Kindergarten Tea and school tour on March 14 at 8:45 a.m. Prospective parents will have the chance to see what Kentwood Elementary has to offer. Attendees will tour the campus, meet the principal and have the opportunity to visit classrooms. It’s also the first day to get on the school’s “permit” waiting list. The school is located at 8401 Emerson Ave. in Westchester. For more information, please call (310) 670-8977. Luck O’ the Irish BingoFest The Rotary Club of Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary presents its annual Luck O’ the Irish Bingofest on Saturday, March 16 at 6 p.m. The event will take place at the Boys and Girls Club of Venice, located at 2232 Lincoln Blvd. in Venice. There is a $100 payout per game with a $500 prize for the final game. The event will also include dinner provided by Playa del Rey’s Cantalini’s Salerno Beach, music, entertainment and raffle prizes. Early bird reservation tickets are $40 before March 10 and $50 after. Call (310) 306-8525 for reservations. Spring Music Series The second performance in the 2013 Messiah Spring Music Series will be a concert by Susan Thampi, mezzosoprano, on Sunday, March 17, at 4 p.m. She will present a program of opera and world music. Born in India and raised in Central California, Thampi has her musical roots in choral and sacred music. She has performed as a concert soloist at Carnegie Hall, Epcot Center at Disneyworld and the Pacific Basin Music Festival in Waikiki, Hawaii. She became a member of the Fresno Opera League in 2000 and won honorable mention in the Central Valley Vocal Arts Competition. She has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and has been in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute,” Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” and Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress,” with the USC Opera. Her debut album, “Chanson Boheme,” was produced under her stage name, Susan John. She is the former music manager of Dream Works Animation Studios. A donation of $15 will benefit the Messiah music program. Students and children are free. The Congregational Church of the Messiah is located at 7300 West Manchester in Westchester. For further information, call (310) 670-2242. Westchester-Del Rey Republican Women’s Meeting Join the Westchester-Del Rey Republican Women on Tuesday, March

19 at 11 a.m. for its monthly meeting at KJ’s Diner and Restaurant, located at 8731 Lincoln Blvd. in Westchester. Cost for the luncheon is $17.50. Reservations not required. Parking available. For more info, please contact Carol at (310) 641-9726. L.A. Civil War Roundtable The L.A. Civil War Roundtable presents Annette James Rogers, who will be the guest speaker at March’s meeting. Rogers will discuss her great grandfather who fought with the “New York 26th United States Colored Troops.” The meeting will take place on March 19 at 7 p.m. at Villa Velletri, located at 4330 Glencoe Ave. in Marina del Rey. There is no admission fee. For directions, or more info, please visit: www.lacwrt.org or call (310) 5709223. Jazz Sanctuary Join Holy Nativity on March 24 starting at 6 p.m. for an evening of improvisational jazz. “Jazz Sanctuary at Holy Nativity” will feature Ross Garren, a gifted composer and pianist at its March event. A USC Thornton School of Music graduate, Garren has played with some of the most influential jazz musicians and has garnered several honors both as a composer and as a performer. After the concert, chili and cornbread will be served. There is a suggested donation of $10 for this event. Holy Nativity is located at 6700 West 83rd St. in Westchester. As with all events at Holy Nativity, attendees are encouraged to bring food for donation to Food Pantry LAX. For more info, please call (310) 6704777. Westchester Secondary Charter School Info Meetings Westchester Secondary Charter School (WSCS) is holding information meetings in March. The school is scheduled to open in Fall 2013 with grades 6 through 9, and plans to add one grade per year until the school serves grades 6 through 12. Applications for enrollment are now being accepted and will be available at the meetings or via westchestercharter. org. The location for the school is pending, but is planned to be in the Westchester area. Meetings will be held on: • Thursday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Westchester Community Room, located at 7166 W. Manchester Ave. in Westchester (in the Municipal Building, across from the library). • Wednesday, March 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the Kenneth Hahn Community Room, located at 4100 South La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles 90056. • Saturday, March 30 at 9 a.m. at Del Rey Church, located at 8505 Saran Drive in Playa del Rey.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 17

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

March Sunday

Monday

Tuesday Tuesday

Wednesday Wednesday

Thursday Thursday

Friday Friday

Saturday Saturday

First Friday @ 87th Street & Truxton Ave.

Farmers’ Market @ Playa Vista

1 Gateway to Go @ Crowne Plaza LAX NCWP Board Meeting @ Community Room

Westchester Farmers’ Market @ Westchester Park

Venice-Marina Bingo Night @ Elks Lodge

Speakers by the Sea @ Playa del Rey

Gateway to Go @ Crowne Plaza LAX

Speakers by the Sea @ Playa del Rey

Senior Balance and Mobilty @ Turners’ Center

Westchester Farmers’ Market @ Westchester Park

7 Kindergarten Tea @ Kentwood Elementary

8 “Ragtime” @ Westchester Playhouse

St. Patrick’s Day Spring Music Series @ Congregational Church of the Messiah “Ragtime” @ Westchester Playhouse

17 Jazz Sanctuary @ Holy Nativity

18 Passover

24/31

March 2013

Gateway to Go @ Crowne Plaza LAX

Speakers by the Sea @ Playa del Rey

Westchester-Del Rey Republican Women’s Meeting

Westchester Farmers’ Market @ Westchester Park

Civil War Roundtable @ Marina del Rey

Healthy Living after 50 @ YMCA

19 Gateway to Go @ Crowne Plaza LAX

Spring Music Series @ Congregational Church of the Messiah Easter March 31

“Ragtime” @ Westchester Playhouse

Senior Fitness Assessment @ United Methodist Church

9 “Ragtime” @ Westchester Playhouse Farmers’ Market @ Playa Vista

EmpowerTech Fundraiser @ Melody Bar & Grill

Luck O’ The Irish BingoFest @ Boys and Girls Club

14 WSCS Info Meeting @ Westchester Community Room

16 Farmers’ Market @ Playa Vista

“Ragtime” @ Westchester Playhouse

Senior Balance and Mobilty Assessment @ Turners’ Center

Easter Egg Hunt @ Westchester Lutheran

Speakers by the Sea @ Playa del Rey

WSCS Info Meeting @ Del Rey Church

Westchester Farmers’ Market @ Westchester Park

“Ragtime” @ Westchester Playhouse

WSCS Info Meeting @ Kenneth Hahn Community Room

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 18

CONSIDERING

SELLING? WHY WAIT?

310.546.7611

WWW. SOUTHBAYBROKERS. COM

SELLS PROPERTY FASTER AND AT A HIGHER PRICE*

(310) 528 7187

Premier Agent

Richard Otterstrom

richard.otterstrom@southbaybrokers.com

Irish or Not, Feeling Lucky?

Want to Buy? Or Sell?

Let me Help You!

In Real Estate, Experience Matters, So Call Me! March 2013

Real Estate Section

Nora Lee Owens at the Real Estate Consultants For real estate answers, Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 19

�� Getting your Property Sold is as Easy as Listing with Robin Zacha There are many realtors or With Robin Zacha of Zacha agents to choose from, but Homes, You get all of that when choosing to buy or sell, knowledge and expertise why not choose a realtor and more... that knows not only sales, Welcome to Westchester, If you are thinking of contracts and negotiating Call for a free evaluation and a wonderful your home, call for a BUT EVERY aspect of a neighborhood. see how this can save selling you home from building and hundreds and thousands of free home evaluation. plumbingHomes to electrical, dollars before you sell or buy are selling and foundation, structure and with just anyone... families are moving here and Find out how to keep more more...

making it their home.

money in your pocket...

Robin Zacha • ZACHA HOMES • You deserve great things... Your Local Realtor (310) 293-3043 • zachahomes.com • 6605 W. 80th Street, Westchester

Referrals upon request.

MARCH

Best Buys Helping People Move Ahead

Westchester’s Best Buy 7210 Dunfield Avenue

8005 Denrock Avenue

Spacious 3+2 home in deep North Kentwood

Entertainer’s delight! 3 + 2 open floor plan

SOLD IN 7 DAYS

SOLD FOR TOP DOLLAR

7921 Kentwood

6327 West 85th Street

6337 West 82nd Street

Expansive 3+2, Family room + master bedrm suite

Gorgeous triple A+ Nowell built, 3+1 home

GREAT VALUE IN KENTWOOD

SOLD IN MULTIPLE OFFERS

Best Priced Home in Westchester! Prime location in Kentwood 4 bedrooms + 3.5 baths Wonderful floor plan with hardwood floors, open Kitchen overlooking secluded Backyard with pool

$725,000

Call us anytime for a FREE Market Evaluation! kevinandkaz@gmail.com Agents may have represented sellers, buyers or both. DRE 00916311 Gallaher 01212762

March 2013

Real Estate Section

( 310 )

410-9777

www.kevinandkaz.com BROKER ASSOCIATES

RE/MAX Execs

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 20

STAYING ACTIVE EATING RIGHT MAKING FRIENDS A SILVER SEMINAR ON LIVING AN ACTIVE, HEALTHY LIFE AFTER 50 Wednesday, March 20 2-3pm Westchester Y 8015 S. Sepulveda Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90045

Join us for a free seminar on how women over 50 can lead independent, healthy lives through exercise, nutrition and fellowship. Learn how to build an active life, discover ways to improve balance and mobility, pick up tips on health and nutrition. Meet YMCA Staff and Trainers who will be leading the seminar. The Silver Seminar Series is an on-going series put on by a partnership of The Westchester Family YMCA, EmpowerTech, Airport Marina Counseling Service and Westchester Playa Village. This group came together in an effort to put a focus addressing issues facing Senior Citizens who live in and around the Westchester and Playa Del Rey area. Each month, the seminar will address senior issues such as nutrition, local transportation, independent living, local services which cater to the senior population, local activities and more. To R.S.V.P. please contact the Y Welcome Center at 310-670-4316.

March 2013

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 21

Business and Professional Painting

Laundry

Tax Preparer

Income Tax Preparation April 15th is Right Around the Corner!

Robert E. Bates, CPA Playa Vista, CA 90094 (310) 266-8918 rob@rbatescpa.com

Try our FREE pick-up and delivery service!

• Local CPA with more than 20 years of experience •

Visit us online to sign-up at www.valetcleaners.biz or call (323) 294-7181

Moving & Storage

Chiropractic

Landscaping FREE ESTIMATES

GREAT REFERENCES

MOVING & STORAGE SYSTEM

Sunflower

SECURE & DEPENDABLE MOVING SERVICE

LANDSCAPE

Creative Design and Installation Irrigation and Drainage Tree Service and Gardening

Custom Hardscape Walkways and Patios Lighting and Fencing

310.670.3444

• Family owned and operated since 1979 • Local and long distance moves • Residential and commercial moves

• Packing services available • Fully licensed and insured, we carry full workers comp. • Member of the BBB, YMCA and Culver City Exchange Club

(310) 836-0792

www.sunﬂ 4712 Admiralty Wayowerlandscape.net Marina del Rey, CA 90292

armormovingandstorage.com

Locksmith

W ESTCHESTER LOCK WORKS ...Your Local Locksmith Who Cares About Your Safety and Security House Calls - Lock Repair and Replacement Installations and Lock outs - Commercial Residential - Automotive - Safes - Keys

(310) 641-8546 LCO# 4301 Bonded & Insured - CLA Member

Chester West

Plumber? Doctor? Landscaper? Interested in advertising your business? Advertise your business with us! Rates as low as $35/month. Email us at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com or call (310) 641-1016.

By Jack Younger

Idea for a story? Curious about your Community? We want to hear from you! March 2013

Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/thehtn Email us at: westchesterhometown@yahoo.com Visit us at: thehtn.com • Call us at: (310) 641-1016

HOMETOWN

NEWS

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey • Playa Vista

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 22

In Pictur es

• your community newspaper • your community • your community newspaper • your community •

Come Claim Your Prize! �� Jesus has won eternal life for you: Come claim it.

� � � �� Journey with us through Lent, to the joy and glory of Easter. Stay to celebrate with us – in worship, in fellowship, in classes and activities for all ages. All are welcome in His grace and at Westchester Lutheran Church.

Come join us. Your prize is waiting.

Our doors and hearts are open. All are welcome.

�� Lenten Drama Series March 6, 13 and 20 at 7:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday Service March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Easter Sunday March 31, Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Services at 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. Weekly Worship Sunday School (ages 3 to adult)

Sundays at 10:00 a.m. Sundays at 8:45 a.m.

��

To donate to Airport Marina Counseling Service, please call 310.670.1410 or visit www.airportmarina.org

“

We are proud to be longtime supporters of Airport Marina Counseling Service, and we are amazed every day by the incredible services AMCS provides to our local schools and communities.

Westchester Girls Earn Section 1 Championship Title. Westchester’s AYSO Region 7 U10 Girls soccer team, Poison Ivy, earned the Section 1 Championship title after playing five grueling games in 24 hours. The Section 1 Tournament includes teams from throughout California, Nevada and Arizona. This is no small accomplishment for the 8- to 10-year-old girls and their team, which came together purely by chance and included girls who had never played soccer before. Coached by Annabelle Gharibeh, the team has come a long way since its very first practice back in August where they were lovingly nicknamed the “Bad News Bears.” Poison Ivy is now one of just four remaining teams that will compete for the title of GU10 California State Champions in Davis, California in March. Said coach Gharibeh, “I am so proud of these girls. They have come a long way and we are not finished. Davis here we come. Go Poison Ivy!”

The counseling AMCS professionals provide to our school children and others is critical, especially given �� environment in which we live.

– Karen Dial, President

Drollinger P R O P E R T I E S

310.417.8048 www.hbdrollinger.com

8929 S. Sepulveda Boulevard, #130 Westchester, CA 90045

w w w . h b d r o l l i n g e r. c o m

We want to see you “In Pictures!” Email us at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com March 2013

“

I encourage you to join me in supporting this outstanding organization.

“Ragtime.” Kentwood Players proudly present the 1998 Tony Award-winning musical “Ragtime” with book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty from Friday, March 15 to Saturday, April 20 at the Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Westchester. “Ragtime” is the quintessential American musical that paints a powerful portrait of life at the turn of the century. Three stories are woven together that poignantly illustrate the struggle Americans faced dealing with class, race, money and justice in a country still struggling to find balance as it moved from the 19th to the 20th century. Tickets are $23 with a $2 discount for seniors, students and servicemen. To purchase tickets, please call (310) 645-5156 during box office hours. Tickets can be purchased online at www.kentwoodplayers.org. Pictured: Karen E. Kolkey and Bradley Miller. PHOTO BY SHARI BARRETT.

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 23

BID begins community event survey process Don’t be surprised if someone approaches you while shopping at Ralphs and asks you to tell them about what matters most to you at a community event. The Westchester Town Center Business Improvement District will soon be undertaking a major effort to survey property owners, business owners, employees and shoppers throughout the Westchester Town Center area to gauge opinions about which community events have the most positive impact on the area. “We’re focusing on the annual Halloween Town Fair event, in which the BID has played a major role for the past several years,” said Executive Director Don Duckworth. “But we are also interested in what the community thinks make all community events work well.” From food to entertainment to admission fees, Duckworth said he hopes to get a better sense of the kinds of events the BID should look to create in Westchester. Of course, central to the discussion is whether businesses will benefit. After all, the BID is funded by local property owners to clean and maintain the business district and market the area to potential customers. “We are asking business owners what they enjoy most about special events and what they like least,” he said. “But we are also asking them what would cause them to shop or dine out more

The Westchester Town Center Business Improvement District will soon be surveying business owners, property owners, employees and shoppers about events like the annual Halloween Town Fair.

often in Westchester.” The surveys will be conducted in a variety of ways, including mailings and on-line surveys directed at tenants and property owners. The BID will connect with shoppers using an “intercept survey,” so named because the interviewer actually “intercepts” shoppers as they move about a shopping area and asks them to take part in the survey.

Intercept surveys have proven to be extremely accurate, and Duckworth said the BID will rely on the information gathered through the surveys to help guide its involvement in the Halloween Town Fair and other community events. In addition, he said the survey will include questions about a potential discount program in the area, shoppers’ use of social media and how the BID can better promote local businesses.

“We are excited to see what the respondents tell us and look forward to finding even better ways to promote Westchester Town Center as the place for shoppers and diners,” Duckworth said. So, if you’re out shopping in downtown Westchester, you might just have a say in the community’s next big event.

RACE FOR SUCCESS SAT., APRIL 20, 2013 AT LMU 8AM 5K 10AM KIDS 1K

Register online: www.raceforsuccess5k.org TEAM RUNNING: Win a cash prize for your team! VIRTUAL RUNNING: Can’t make the starting line? Donate a minimum $10 online & “race” as a virtual runner. You can even receive a t-shirt! BENEFITTING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: Proceeds are shared between participating schools. The school with the most participants takes home the Hannon Spirit Award plus an extra cash prize!

► ► ► ► ► ►

Free Parking Cash prizes Team running Chip timing Race T-shirt Post-Race Expo

Local News & Culture.

HOMETOWN

STEPHANIE

YOUNGER

NEWS

��

S P O RT S M E D I C I N E I N S T I T U T E O F LO S A N G E L E S

9100 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 116, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Westchester Pediatrics

March 2013

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News

Page 24

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL OF WESTCHESTER / PLAYA

NCWP Airport Relations White Paper on LAX �� effort to move the northernmost runway closer to our community and underscores NCWP’s support for SPAS DEIR Alternative 2. Why moving forward on LAWA’s preferred alternative means giving up on �� regionalism: �� The Rationale in favor of SPAS DEIR Alternative 2�� Regionalization leads to Southern California Economic Stability�� Suggestions to make regionalization a reality��

www.ncwpdr.org March 2013

Westchester • Playa del Rey • Marina del Rey• Playa Vista HomeTown News