Westchester/Playa Hometown News September 2023 edition

Local buildsfamilybusiness

Local buildsfamilybusiness

Local buildsfamilybusiness

Local buildsfamilybusiness

September 2023

September 2023

September 2023

stitch by stitch

stitch by stitch

stitch by stitch

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stitch by stitch & at WAM community plan update draws hundreds to meeting

Music, art & community at WAM community plan update draws hundreds to meeting

Music, art & community at WAM community plan update draws hundreds to meeting

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Join Us Sept 9 for a Community Open House

YOU’RE INVITED to learn more about the plan to transform a portion of LAX Northside with new public sports and recreation facilities for the whole community.

Stop by and meet our project team, ask questions, and learn more about this exciting new project coming soon to the Westchester/Playa del Rey area.

Kids activities and snacks will be provided.

WHEN:

WHERE: MORE INFO:

Saturday, Sept. 9 10am - 12pm

LAX Airport Police Facility 9160 Loyola Blvd. Los Angeles, 90045

Malina@lulusplace.org Lulusplace.org

THIS MONTH BRINGS YOU

THIS MONTH BRINGS YOU

THIS MONTH BRINGS YOU

A LOOK INSIDE THIS MONTH'S HTN

Stephanie Davis, Publisher

Shanee Edwards, Contributing Writer

HOMETOWN STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS ABOUT THE HOMETOWN NEWS

Jeff Blair, Contributing Writer

Fay Craton, Contributing Writer

Zsuzsi Steiner, Photos

Robert Higgins, Photos

THIS MONTH BRINGS YOU A LOOK INSIDE THIS MONTH'S HTN HOMETOWN STAFF/CONTRIBUTORS ABOUT THE HOMETOWN NEWS

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, including The Book Jewel, Westchester Family YMCA, Playa Pharmacy, Loyola Village Library, Playa Vista Library, Truxton’s American Bistro and Cantalini’s Salerno Beach.

CONNECT WITH THE HTN:

Mailing Address: 8939 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Ste. 110 #745 Westchester, CA 90045

Email: westchesterhometown@yahoo.com

Website: thehtn.com

Facebook: facebook.com/thehtn

Instagram: instagram.com/thehometownnews

Story ideas & Advertising: westchesterhometown@yahoo.com

LAX Coastal Chamber

Westchester Farmers’ Market

Drollinger Properties

Westchester Veterinary Center

Peter Kohly

Truxton’s American Bistro

The Coffee Company

Ayara Thai Cuisine

Cafe Solar

FOLLOW US FOR UPDATES!

Westchester Bakery

Kanpai

Melody Bar & Grill

LaRocco’s Pizzeria

Covered by More

Westchester Pharmacy

SoCal Sports & Fitness

Edgar Saenz

The Book Jewel

The Ramen Joint

Beyond Vegan

Hart House

Front page: Fernando and Maria Villasenor pose in front of their Westchester business LA Vista Cleaners. Photo by Zsuzsi Steiner for the Hometown News.

We’re proud to be home to these “Best of” winners...

AUTUMN CROPS

Happy September, hint of fall is in the air! Enjoy last of the season summer crops with stone fruit, grapes and even summer corn and watermelon right alongside our first of the season persimmons! Follow us on social media for updates on going updates & cheers y'all to building community through good food, health choices, and family fun!

Westchester mother-son duo rely on customer service and community to become top-rated

By Shanee Edwards

Business at LA Vista Cleaners in Westchester is booming. But success didn’t come fast or easy. For the last 21 years, Maria Villasenor has been putting her heart and soul into each and every garment she’s cleaned, pressed or altered by hand, growing her business stitch by stitch. From humble beginnings, this single mother of three has ridden the ups and downs of a recession, then a pandemic, only to come out on top. Her company secret? Hiring her son.

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Maria always loved fashion and seeing people get dressed up for special occasions. Her mother, Adela, is a highly skilled seamstress who went to school to study dressmaking and taught Maria everything she knows about constructing clothing and altering fine garments like men’s suits and wedding dresses. But as a young, single mother in Los Angeles, Maria wasn’t exactly sure she could support her family using those skills.

When she saw that a shoe repair shop had some extra space in the back of their Manchester Ave. storefront, Maria got the idea to start a small dry cleaners that offered expert alterations. It was incredibly difficult at first.

“It was hard paying the rent, and I needed a second job to survive, so I got a sales job. I would work until 7 p.m. at the dry cleaners then make appointments at 8 or 9 p.m. with families at their houses to sell cemetery plots. I did that for about three years to pay the bills,” she says.

After finally getting the new business up on its feet, things at the dry cleaners started to pick up. Maria had regular customers and enough repeat business to quit her gloomy side hustle. She settled into an entrepreneurial lifestyle that included hard work, but also had room for family. She enjoyed starting her day by taking her kids to school in the morning, then heading into the cleaners. After school, her youngest, Fernando, would come to LA Vista and do homework and help with small jobs.

“It was a dream for me to send him to school, so he could have a career,” says the ever-business-minded Maria, who hoped Fernando would discover his own place in the world and find a profession where he could flourish.

But as Fernando became a young man, he started to get a strong sense of where he belonged–helping to run the family business.

“After he turned 18, he said, ‘Mom, I can work with you here,’” says Maria. “And I said, ‘No, I want you to go to college and be prepared to have a career.’ So, you know what he did? He went to sell cars at the Toyota dealer.”

But after two years, Fernando wasn’t

happy selling cars. Maria was adamant that he continue his schooling, so he enrolled at West L.A. College. But Fernando still had his heart set on being an integral part of the family business. After just a few days of classes, Fernando sat down again with Maria.

“He said, ‘Mom, I need to work with you, we can grow the business together.’ And I cried that morning and I said, ‘This business is hard!’ I even fired him that day. I said, ‘You know what? I don’t have a job for you! You need to go back to school!’” says Maria.

But Fernando had a clear plan of not only wanting to work in the family business, but also taking steps to help it grow into something bigger and better. Maria could tell Fernando was serious. Moved by his passion and commitment to the family, she was finally swayed. How could she say no?

“I said, ‘Okay. But we’re going to have to work hard.’ So, we started working together. And since that day nine years ago, the business has been growing,” she says.

In fact, it’s blowing up. These days, they have a trusted team of 10 full-time employees, including six expert tailors who make the magic happen. Regular customers include community leaders and neighborhood celebrities. They also have accounts for some highprofile clients like local sports teams. Alterations are coming in all the way from states like Texas, likely due to their stellar reputation on the internet.

A Google search reveals a surprising fact about this unassuming storefront on Manchester and Truxton Ave.—it has more than 1,500 5-star reviews on Yelp. When Fernando began working with his mom, they had only three. He was on a mission to change that.

“I came in here and I focused on every single customer that walked in the door and got to know them. And word gets out,” says Fernando.

Customers loved Fernando’s excellent customer service and many long-time customers had seen him grow up at the store, making the Villasenors feel like members of the family. The Yelp reviews began to add up to the point where Fernando was shocked when he received an actual phone call from the Yelp headquarters.

“It was so wild. I’m like, what does Yelp want? And so, they tell us, ‘We don’t know what you guys are doing, but you have the highest-rated cleaners and alteration shop in the entire country.’ And I told my mom, ‘This is unbelievable. You work for things in life, but you just never know what you can do until you try.’ Now, it’s a dream come true.”

items. The pride in owning your own business also shines through in other areas: Fernando starts every morning at 7 a.m. by sweeping his stretch of Manchester to keep the area clean and inviting.

Now, nearly a decade after becoming partners, Maria and Fernando are enjoying the spoils of success. Not only did they recently expand the business to include the building next door, but they also purchased the commercial building.

“We own the land!” says a jubilant Fernando.

With Westchester real estate prices soaring through the roof, it was a big investment. But both Maria and Fernando are already seeing it pay off in some fun ways.

Maria went from sharing an old, beatup Honda with her son, to driving her dream car. For Fernando, who’s always loved American automobiles, he also upgraded to a cherry red sports car.

Those reviews not only tout the great service and quality of alterations, but also LA Vista’s welcoming atmosphere that the mother-son duo have created. Since joining the family business, Fernando has made it his goal to have a personable conversation with every customer who comes in. A whiz with faces, he also remembers everyone’s name, which creates a nice personal touch, especially when people are trusting the shop with some of their most prized clothing

“I think it’s a real success story–we started in such a small place and now we’re in a big building,” says Fernando. “I look at it sometimes and I think it’s a dream. My mom would always be scared of making rent, and now we have two tenants paying us rent. It’s the biggest accomplishment ever in my life, and I’m just so happy that I did not let my mom down.”

Maria agrees, adding, “He’s a wonderful kid. I mean, what can I say?”

With no plans to retire or open a new location anytime soon, their focus is now just keeping the business going strong.

“We are all in on Westchester,” said Fernando. “It’s our home, and it’s the community that we love and loves us.”

LA Vista Cleaners is located at 6208 Manchester Ave. in Westchester.

Photo by Zsuzsi Steiner

Westchester residents, Fernando, 29, and Maria, pose at LA Vista Cleaners.

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Business & Nonpro t News

Get ready to party at WAM with your neighbors.

The can’t miss event of the year is back on Emerson Ave. (between 80th St. and 80th Pl.) on Saturday, September 23 from noon to 7 p.m.!

This year’s Westchester Arts & Music (WAM) Block Party promises to be one for the books with entertainment kicking off at noon with Indie band Drunken Logic. The fun continues all day with live music from the Young Fables (Country), Pom Poms (Alternative Rock), the Francois Dean Band (R&B/Soul) and more. In between sets, The Lariats, Kentwood Players and LMU’s theater department will perform for the crowd.

This year’s beer & wine garden, hosted by the Stephanie Younger Group, is expanding to include more space and will feature offerings from Sweetzer Cellars, Firestone Walker and Three Weavers. No pets will be allowed in the garden this year. Drink tickets are $9 each, and only credit card payments are accepted.

When it comes to food, WAM favorites like Baby’s Badass Burgers, Dulce Europa Shaved Ice and Cousin’s Lobster are back this year, and join new trucks Kalamaki Greek L.A. and Yummy Bird.

Family activities hosted by Westchester Parents Nursery School (WPNS) take place in the Emerson Ave. Community Garden from noon to 4 p.m. with bubble mania, crafts and more.

Round out the day’s festivities by visiting more than 80 vendor and

community group booths, that are selling unique items and hosting activities respectively.

Major WAM sponsors include the Drollinger Family Charitable Foundation, LAWA, Westchester Rotary, Councilwoman Traci Park and the Stephanie Younger Group. Proceeds for the event will benefit the Westchester Family YMCA.

For more info and a complete list of the day’s festivities, visit wamblockparty.org.

Lulu’s Place hosts open house.

The community is invited to learn more about Lulu’s Place at a Community Open House on Saturday, September 9 from 10 a.m. to noon.

In February, the L.A. City Council unanimously voted to approve a 50year lease with Lulu’s Place for the

potential development of open space and recreational facilities as part of the LAX Northside Plan.

Lulu’s Place is a planned 35-acre, $100 million complex of education, sports and wellness facilities. Some of the project’s partners include the foundations of golfer Tiger Woods and the U.S. Tennis Association. Most of the project will be on land that LAWA—which oversees LAX—owns between the north airfield of LAX and Westchester and Playa del Rey. Among other things, plans call for tennis courts, pickle ball courts, athletic playing fields, a dog park and walking trails.

At the meeting, attendees will meet the project team, ask questions and learn the most up-to-date info on the project. Activities for kids and snacks will be provided.

The open house will be held at the LAX Airport Police Facility, located at 9160 Loyola Blvd. in Westchester. Learn more at Lulusplace.org.

Get your tickets for Playa Vista’s Taste of Runway.

Calling all foodies! Head to Runway Playa Vista for their annual Taste of Runway event on Thursday, September 21 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $45 and include small bites from all the best Playa Vista restaurants, including Superfine Playa, Sol Cocina, Loqui, N’ice Cream, Hopdoddy, Neighbors, Joliet and more. Live music and happy hour specials round out the festivities. Get tickets at Runwayplayavista.com.

RSVP for Tapas on the Terrace.

The Emerson Avenue Community Garden Club (EACGC) is hosting its annual fundraising event, “Tapas on the Terrace” on October 14. The evening, held at a private Westchester residence, will feature small plates, wine pairings by an expert sommelier, live music and a silent auction with great prizes.

The money raised will help continue the EACGC’s mission to enhance its community garden, provide educational opportunities and operate a green space. Sponsorship opportunities and donations for the silent auction are also being sought. Tickets are $35 each.

Looking for other ways to support the garden? The EACGC offers memberships for $25 a year, which are required to be added to the garden’s waiting list to acquire a plot.

For more info, visit eacgc.org.

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WAM Block Party gets ready to rock Westchester. Head to WAM and get a spot in the Beer & Wine Garden or in front of the stage at Emerson and 80th Place to snag a prime viewing location for the live music and performances throughout the day. Bands start at noon and the festivities go until 7 p.m.

Photo by Marianne Pellin Photography

Marina del Rey •

A rendering of the proposed Lulu’s Place “Welcome Center.” The center would be used for student athletes and community members coming to use the tennis courts and other sports facilities at the proposed project along Westchester Parkway. Rendering courtesy Lulu’s Place.

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Pancake Breakast set for Fire Station #5.

Bring the whole family to Fire Station #5 for a Pancake Breakfast to raise money for local firefighters. The annual event is hosted by the Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary Club and features pancakes with all the fixings, firefighting demos, a chance to chat with your neighbors and local first responders, a bounce house, face painting and fun. The cost to attend is $10 per person and kids under 2 eat for free. Don’t forget to bring some extra cash to purchase swag to support the LAFD!

The Playa Venice Sunrise Pancake Breakfast will be held on Saturday, September 16 from 8 to 11 a.m. The firehouse is located at 8900 Emerson Ave. in Westchester.

Community members invited to join the Life Stories Writing Group.

Have an interesting life story? Want to share your history with family and friends?

Join the Life Stories Writing Group for its upcoming session starting September 13. The group meets Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is welcoming new members.

The group has been meeting since 1996 and has helped members share their legacies–whether they’re epic or

more ordinary. The supportive group meets once a week for two hours, and provides writing tips and prompts to spark ideas for members.

Whether you’d like to write a whole book or just jot down vignettes of your life’s most memorable moments, the class can help you put your legacy down on paper. Those interested in joining are asked to make a $10 donation per year. The class is facilitated by Madeline Nella, a retired associate professor from Santa Monica College.

For more information, email lifestories90045@gmail.com.

Westchester High School Class of 1983 readies for reunion.

Westchester High’s Class of 1983 is holding its 40th Reunion on Saturday, October 14, and organizers are looking to spread the word to reach all their classmates! The reunion will be held at the Westchester Elks Lodge and tickets are $70 per person. Festivities include a taco truck, music, karaoke, and a cash bar.

The fun will continue with a backyard party at a classmate’s house in Westchester on Sunday, October 15.

For more info and to RSVP, email rhondatell@gmail.com.

Have info to share about your business or nonprofit? Email us at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com.

Attendees get a chance to be junior firefighters for the day at last year’s Playa Venice Sunrise Rotary’s Pancake Breakfast. Eat a yummy breakfast and support Fire Station #5 at this annual event on September 16.

Community Plan Update draws hundreds to senior center with questions on impact of zoning changes

By Cory Birkett, Ad Hoc Community Plan Committee Member and Westchester Resident

Westchester and Playa del Rey residents turned out by the hundreds for the Neighborhood Council of Westchester/Playa’s (NCWP) Community Plan Update Ad Hoc Committee meeting on August 28. The meeting was standing-room-only at the Westchester Senior Center where multiple local TV news stations were there to cover the story. City Planners were the first to address the large crowd to present the most up-to-date draft maps for their zoning plans to the community, and they were met with many upset and concerned residents who sought answers. Other stakeholder groups, including Preserve Westchester; A Better Westchester; and Community Alliance-Concerned for Westchester/ Playa, presented their plans and ideas that opposed or supported various elements of the draft plans. Councilwoman Traci Park and her planning staff were also in attendance and assured the more than a hundred passionate residents, who were not able to enter the meeting facility due to the room being at capacity, that more meetings on this topic would be planned.

In June, the NCWP’s Ad Hoc Committee learned about City Planning’s Draft 2 Residential Map, which proposed residential upzoning to many areas of Westchester. The current Draft 2.0 Map (planning.lacity.org/ plans-policies/community-plan-update/ westside-events/westside-community-

planning-advisory-group) is targeting multiple residential zoning changes to R1 single-family neighborhoods throughout Westchester. In these areas, City Planning is proposing a zoning change in R1 single-family neighborhoods to “Low Medium Residential,” meaning four units with three stories would be allowable per lot, possibly more with specific developer and overlay incentives. A more substantial upzoning is proposed for the Triangle area of Osage from R2 which is currently single-family homes and duplexes to “Medium,” that would allow for three to five stories and up to 10 units per lot (or more with certain developer incentives).

A few weeks after the residential map was released, the committee discovered the Commercial Draft 2.0 Map, which proposes additional upzoning of residential homes to high density commercial mixed-use. This would affect hundreds of homes on residential streets lining every corridor of our community including Sepulveda, La Tijera, Manchester and Lincoln.

Below is an overview of some of the topics and questions brought up at the meeting.

What does the commercial map actually mean for homeowners and renters?

• The City is proposing changing the zoning from single-family homes, duplexes, triplexes etc. that are adjacent to the corridors to commercial mixeduse.

• This would upzone more than 650 homes directly and would impact

the homes directly across from the upzoning, approximately another 600 homes. This would mean more than 1,200 residences would be affected on residential streets lining the corridors.

• As one example, in the current draft map, residents living on Naylor Ave. or Arizona Ave., adjacent to Sepulveda to the east and west, would be rezoned from single-family homes to commercial mixed-use for high-rise density. There are many other examples of this type of upzoning along Manchester, La Tijera and Lincoln.

The reality of Westchester corridors now:

• Westchester corridors are designed to distribute traffic to LAX from the 405 and support local resident commutes.

• They are lined with low-rise residential that faces inward and away from the corridors in many areas of our community.

City Planning’s vision for the corridors and the Ad Hoc Committee’s assumptions based on their proposals:

• City Planning’s overarching goal with corridors is to promote new housing in mixed-use projects along major corridors supported by existing transportation infrastructure, and in pedestrian-oriented areas.

• Their vision for the corridors in Westchester/Playa is to have egress and ingress on the residential side (as DOT would not approve curb cuts on the corridor side).

• This will force commercial ground floor entrances/exits and signage to be residential facing on residential streets. Some community concerns

expressed at the meeting about rezoning residential to commercial mixed-use on corridors:

• Places high-density commercial use on airport-impacted corridors and intersections.

• The residential egress and ingress would presumably cause cut-through traffic in all Westchester/Playa del Rey neighborhoods, especially if the corridors are backed up with traffic.

• City Planning’s vision would lead to a parcel-by-parcel approach. Homeowners would have to sell over time to developers leading to a hodgepodge effect as opposed to a planned community such as Playa Vista (with an actual meaningful number of housing units).

• Adversely affects existing RSO (rent stabilization ordinance) and affordable housing.

• Potential for high-density commercial mixed-use projects for up to 15 stories with no gentle transition.

• No added green space, which Westchester/Playa is already lacking.

• LAX modernization and growth will continue to impact our corridors, which are a gateway for Angelenos and travelers across the world to access LAX.

One topic of conversation that was brought up by multiple residents during the comment period at the August meeting was that the bulk of the upzoning being proposed by City Planning is on the east side of the NCWP’s boundary in Osage and along corridors. This is an area most

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The draft commercial map for Westchester and Playa del Rey recently released by the city.

Community Plan Update: Residential, Commercial and Industrial Housing Plans Upzone 5600 Residential Lots

By Lisa Gaines, Westchester resident since 1987

Last month, we noted that the City’s draft Community Plan Update (CPU) Residential Plan for our Westchester/Playa area incorporated the upzoning of over 4,400 residential lots to accommodate an increase of over 20,000 units! We found that the City has two additional housing plans to add even more units known as the Commercial and Industrial Plans upzoning another 1,200 units, high-density apartments yielding another 20,000 units, depending upon with whom you speak.

How many housing units do we need between all three plans for the next eight years? The City planners simply won’t say. I think we can all agree that we need more “affordable” housing in all parts of the city,

including Westchester, but how much?

Between 2010-2021 our community built 51% of Westside Regional area total units and have 2,000 units in the pipeline, clearly doing more than our fair share in housing. We did not have a corresponding job growth to warrant these units suggesting people live in Westchester and commute to their jobs in other communities. Based upon this data, we believe the other community plans should take a larger role in upzoning CPUs.

The Commercial Plan converts all streets parallel to the main corridors (Sepulveda, Manchester, Lincoln, La Tijera) into highdensity housing. Because these areas are on transit corridors, Housing Element overlays allow for an additional three-story and 80% density bonus, and negates

When you look at these plans in total, they call for a massive increase in the number of high-density residential housing units in our community. City planners are ignoring our declining demographics and are requiring our community to absorb a disproportionate share of new housing units, along with all the associated negative impacts on our community. Most significantly, they are ignoring the impact that LAX has on our community by adding high-density housing close to the airport.

parking. On the map above, light pink will allow eight stories, what is magenta will allow 11 and 18 stories and red allows 18+ stories.

An overlay of Section 8 and Rent Stabilization Ordinanace (RSO) housing show concentration along these corridors, and the Nielsen and Osage neighborhoods. If affordable housing is in such a shortage (2% vacancy), why would we want to displace our neighbors with RSO and Section 8 units for years while rebuilding, to be replaced by market rate units?

Any development close to our main transportation corridors will adversely impact the already clogged airport traffic that takes our community to a standstill daily. LAX projects a 35% increase in trips, which translates to an increase in traffic in and around our community WITHOUT any high-density housing added.

Councilmember Traci Park attended the Ad Hoc Community Plan Update Committee meeting on August 28 to hear from constituents and learn of innovative strategies to meet housing needs. It was a packed room, and she commits to another meeting to make sure everyone has a chance to express their views.

Constituents pack the Westchester Senior Center for the Ad Hoc Community Plan Update meeting on August 28.

Historical society readies for Salute to our Schools exhibit

By Cozette Vergari

The mission of the Westchester/ Playa Historical Society (WPHS) is to gather, study and preserve the history of the communities of Westchester, Playa del Rey and Playa Vista. The historical society is a nonprofit and its home is the Discovery Center, located at 6203 W. 87th St. in Westchester.

If you stop by during the Sunday Westchester Farmers’ Market (or make an appointment or attend a special event) from 9:30 to noon, you will find catalogued artifacts that have been digitized for research purposes. A wonderful mural that captures the history of the region, as far back as 8000 BCE is prominently on display to help spark conversations between visitors and volunteers who donate their time to share their knowledge. Special rotating exhibits also enhance the space and have featured tributes to local veterans, women doing great things in the community and artists who have used local themes in their painting and photography. A fun fact shared by the docents is that standing in the Discovery Center and traveling back in time, we are reminded that generations of people in our geographic footprint have saluted the flags of three countries: first Spain, then Mexico and finally, the United States of America. Prior to that, our indigenous ancestors thrived in a productive trading economy.

The volunteer WPHS board members are always working to create new programming and exhibits. Currently, we are working on an upcoming “Salute To Our Schools” exhibit, which will open in two parts, commencing in October and expanding into the New Year. Detailed narratives, describing the historical significance of the many images captured in the Discovery Center

mural, will be ready for our visitors in October.

In 2024, there are plans to resurrect the guided historical walking and bus tours, which will have attendees travel through the Westchester/Playa area while docents share the history of prominent landmarks. We also await the grand opening of the Breezeway Project, where visitors will be able to walk from Sepulveda Boulevard west to the retail parking area in the Kohl’s shopping center. In the breezeway, WPHS has collaborated to create a display of a dozen historical images that we hope will be enjoyed by

visitors of all ages for years to come.

Our holiday candle workshops are coming up soon, and new this year, we will be offering ready-made candles, in honor of the 1950s tradition. The historical society was thrilled to be able to bring this back to life last year and see new candles displayed on neighborhood streets.

We thank our many donors, who help us sustain the mission of the Westchester/Playa Historical Society. The community’s continued support is welcome, through our website wphistoricalsociety.org. We also accept in-kind historical artifacts

and photos from our community members.

This month, we’ll be hosting a booth at WAM! Visit our booth and come talk history with us!

Cozette is an attorney and lifelong resident of Westchester. She is the President of the Westchester/Playa Historical Society. Together with a group of dedicated volunteers, the organization is working on creating new programming and events to celebrate the history of the area and engage the community in preserving it for future generations.

Thanks, Westchester/Playa.

I love being here to help in a community where people are making a difference every day. Thank you for all you do.

The historical society will have a variety of images displayed in the Breezeway Project on Sepulveda, including these “now and then” photos of Loyola Marymount University and Otis College.

By Shanee Edwards

Youth baseball is having a moment in Southern California. On August 27, the West Region team from El Segundo faced rivals Curacao to become champs in the Little League World Series. Westchester family, the Knudsens–Steve, Jenna and their son, 12-year-old Julian–watched the games from Steve’s man cave located in their garage. The players and families on the El Segundo team are people the Knudsens know well from

years of Julian’s own participation in local athletics, including the Del Rey American Little League (DRALL) and being on a travel baseball team with some of the championship players.

“I was actively texting Louis Lappe’s dad,” says Steve. “We had a little chat group of dads, and we were just living vicariously through them. So, it was a lot of fun to watch them win in such dramatic fashion.”

For Julian, watching El Segundo win was exciting and also inspiring. He’s played baseball against the team

before, as a member of DRALL, and nearly won.

“In the sectional tournament, we were beating them 2-0 in the last inning and then they hit a home run,” says Julian. “So, it felt like, ‘Oh, we almost beat the World Series champions!’ It gives me a lot of motivation.”

There’s nothing like a healthy rivalry to inspire an athlete!

But Julian, known as Juju on the field, also knows the sweet taste of victory. Juju was selected to play

baseball for the USA 12U National Baseball Team earlier this year. The team advanced all the way to the World Championship Final at the World Baseball Softball Confederation last month, which was held in Taiwan and featured teams from 12 countries. Facing the Chinese Taipei home team, who was previously undefeated, was a daunting challenge. But the USA team pulled together, and after beating the team twice, they came out victorious!

How long has Westchester been your hometown?

What does the perfect day in Westchester look like to you?

Since you’ve made Westchester your home, what is the biggest change you have seen in the community?

There are so many great people and businesses in this community; is there anyone you would like to give a special shout-out to?

Have a family you’d like to recommend to be featured? Email us your suggestions at westchesterhometown@yahoo.com!

Block party shenanigans led to one of

favorite events

By Irene Sharpe

Opinion: The call to arms arrived on brightly colored paper through the mail slot, delivered by the little blonde pony-tailed Johnson sisters accompanied by their dad. An alliance would be formed the following Sunday night for those possessing the leadership, strength and sheer will to work together for the common goal. It was game on, and my husband John’s dream of having a block party was about to come true. After years of envy and suffering through the July 4th revelry on an arch-nemesis neighboring street, the “Ogelsby Avenue Block Party Era” was about to begin. It was our time! Ours would be themed and clever and feature no illicit fireworks. Unlike our cruel neighbors, Ogelsbians were petand baby-friendly, and not wanting to scare anyone–outside of Halloween of course. And besides, it would take place in September.

The theme of Ogelsby Avenue’s First Annual Block Party: Hawaiian Luau. I ordered a box of plastic leis, baked some cupcakes and called it

weak link member of the Block Party Committee. At lunchtime, our fiveyear-old son Connor ran into the house proclaiming, “The Toias are cooking a whole pig on the street!”, grabbed his PB&J and raced back to his spot on the curb between two neighborhood terrors, and the three of them were mesmerized for the entire afternoon by the revolving spit. That Toia family! The Committee would set the bar for the block party and Lori and Joe only raised it higher. With my cupcakes iced, it was time to get back to painting my nails.

Every year, the block party themes got more and more elaborate. During the country fair-themed year, we had hay bales, pony rides and live chickens wandering the street. The year we had a western theme, the Farley family built a saloon and a jail. For our Mardi Gras theme, John, the self-anointed “Paper Mache King,” worked with neighbors to fashion a jester head from a 4-foot-wide beach ball, chicken wire, newspaper and flour. Sadly, the “float” which took months to create, only took five minutes to drive down Ogelsby

made beignets, while my cupcakes grew stale. Oktoberfest featured a beer garden, an accordion player, and the Toias ordered beer mugs for everyone. Of course, they did!

Eventually, our children grew up and the thrill of riding bikes and Razor scooters down the middle of the street got a lot less exciting. After a good 15 years, Ogelsby Avenue ran out of steam. The families driving the block party train were on to other endeavors.

As the street started to turn over with younger families, John attempted to talk up the idea of resurrecting the festivities, but to no avail. Maybe that other street had it right: stick to a consistent July Fourth theme that everyone looked forward to following the parade.

And so there we were, back to listening to their block party firecrackers until John could stand it no longer. “You know what Westchester needs? No! What Westchester deserves? An arts and music festival! And we should do it in September, and call it WAM Block Party!” Being the ever-supportive

what I didn’t know then was how many crazy, can-do volunteers and sponsors are among us. And to all of you lunatics, thank you. You are what keeps the Mayberry in Westchester.

Irene has been a Westchester resident for 30 years, and is a mom of two grown adults. When she’s not working in the world of finance, she enjoys entertaining at home and beating her husband in Rummikub. She is using her comic sensibilities to share her musings on life

Plan Update (cont’d)

(continued from page 8) impacted by the poor air quality and traffic impacts of LAX. The upzoning also adversely affects some of Westchester’s most “affordable” areas with RSO units. Questions about the equitable distribution of upzoning in the community were also expressed by residents.

City Planners attempted to calm upset residents by stating the Community Plan Update maps are still in draft form and have the potential to change. They stated that the EIR (Environmental Impact Report) process was designed to identify potential problems as they relate to traffic, infrastructure and the environment, which would cause them to make changes to the plans. They also stated they wanted to hear

community feedback. Unfortunately, the Planners left shortly after their presentation and didn’t hear the impassioned presentations given by community members. They are accepting comments via email at planning.thewestside@lacity.org, benjamin.sullivan@lacity.org or diego.janacua@lacity.org.

Stay involved in the process and attend the NCWP’s Ad Hoc Community Plan Update meetings held on the fourth Monday of each month. The next meeting will be held on September 25.

Visit the Ad Hoc committee’s page on the NCWP website at ncwpdr. org/community-plan-update-0 to view documents and the agenda for upcoming meetings.

Thanks for making us the Most Honored Restaurant in This

You named us

Best Family Restaurant

Best Outdoor Dining Spot

Best Restaurant Service

and honored us as your favorite in the following categories:

Favorite American Restaurant Favorite Tavern

Thanks for being with us for over 26 years!

We know you’re only as good as your last meal and we strive to make every meal with us your favorite!!

See you soon!

Birkett addresses the crowd at the August Community Plan Update Ad Hoc Committee.

Making the time to make yourself a priority

By Jeff Blair

Opinion: Almost everyone knows they should exercise. Most people know strength training (also known as weight training or resistance training) is good for you, but knowing we should exercise is not the biggest challenge most people face. Making it happen is the bigger challenge. Most people are juggling many life responsibilities and making time for exercise is not always easy or simple. This month, I am going to offer three strategies to help you turn the “I should” strength-train idea into an “I do strength train” reality.

1. Make an appointment to exercise.

An appointment is the single best way to make consistent exercise a reality. Whether it is a family event, work task or something else, it is very easy to put exercising off one more day in favor of a more immediate demand on your time. When you set an appointment to exercise, you have made a commitment to yourself and at least one other person. It becomes difficult to ignore what you have committed to do. Setting a specific starting time and date provides clarity and simplicity. An appointment simply

feels more important to us than a hope to “do something, someday.”

Appointments can be set in many ways. Meeting a friend at the gym is one strategy. No one wants to tell someone they will be somewhere and then not show. A little peer pressure can be helpful when you are trying to become a consistent exerciser. Joining an exercise club or group is another way to create an appointment. Using personal trainers or other exercise professionals is another idea.

As a personal trainer, I have long understood that an appointment helps create exercise consistency. Trainers can instruct you how to perform exercises and help you with other technique-related issues. They also serve as an appointment on your calendar. That psychological anchor dramatically increases the likelihood that you will show up for your workout.

2. Getting stronger does not take as much time as you might think.

Contrary to popular belief, there is no need to workout two hours per day, six days per week to make progress. Most major medical organizations recommend two full-body strength training sessions per week. A full-

JOIN ONE OF OUR THERAPY GROUPS

LGBTQIA PROCESS

GROUP:

NAVIGATING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS

WITH SELF AND OTHERS

Sundays | 1 - 2:30pm

in-person at AMCS • $15/session

Chloe Koslo (she/they) at ext. 155 & Robert Torres (he/him) at ext. 213

GROUP FACILITATORS SUPERVISED BY Mimi Hoang, Ph.D. (she/her) #PSY22006

MEN’S SUPPORT GROUP

Wednesdays | 6:30 - 8pm via Zoom • $15/session

Daniel at ext. 137 & Anna at ext. 244

GROUP FACILITATORS SUPERVISED BY Stefani Roscoe, LCSW, CGP #60100

LIFE TRANSITION SUPPORT GROUP

Thursdays | 10:00 - 11:30am

in-person at AMCS • $15/session

Anna at ext. 244 & Helene at ext. 221

GROUP FACILITATORS SUPERVISED BY Stefani Roscoe, LCSW, CGP #60100

WOMEN’S PROCESS GROUPS

VIRTUAL

Wednesdays | 5:30 - 7pm via Zoom

• $15/session

Shimul at ext. 215 & Tara at ext. 249

GROUP FACILITATORS SUPERVISED BY Stefani Roscoe, LCSW, CGP #60100

EMERGING ADULTS:

NAVIGATING YOUR 20s

Thursdays | 5:00 - 6:30pm via Zoom

• $15/session

Helene at ext. 221 & Shimul at ext. 215

GROUP FACILITATORS SUPERVISED BY Stefani Roscoe, LCSW, CGP #60100

To join us for one of these educational therapy groups please call 310.670.1410

To join us for one of these educational therapy groups please call 310.670.1410

7891 La Tijera Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045 | www.AMCShelps.com

7891 La Tijera Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045 | www.AMCShelps.com

body workout works the major muscle groups of your body. Exercising the legs, back, chest, arms, shoulders and abdominals will do the trick. This can be done in a one hour or less workout. One study showed 40 minutes of strength training per week helped people get stronger.

Finding a couple hours per week (two workouts at one hour each) can happen with a little creativity. Many find greater consistency working out first thing in the morning. In the morning, there are often less schedule conflicts than throughout the rest of the day. Some people have more flexibility to work out on the weekend. Find the times that work best for you and your personal situation. There is no one size fits all answer.

Most people are also pleasantly surprised as to how quickly they feel a difference after starting a strengthtraining program. Most people notice a difference within a few weeks and some people feel stronger–and better–within a week.

3. Understand that showing up for a workout is an achievement.

Like many things in life, getting started exercising can be the hardest part, and we can create many mental

barriers to beginning. When people contact me about starting a workout program, they often tell me they have been thinking about it for months, but had not made the call. Others tell me they have driven by the studio for years thinking about starting. I remind them that starting is the hardest part. Making the first call and showing up for that first workout is a true achievement. As the saying goes, “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Make a commitment to begin, do your best and be patient with yourself. Try not to compare yourself to others. Focus instead on the progress you have made. Stay on that simple path and you will reap many rewards from your decision. Jeff Blair (MS, CSCS) started the SoCalSport and Fitness Personal Training Studio in 2011. The studio has provided approximately 50,000 personal training experiences during the past twelve years. Jeff has been featured in national and international fitness publications, but is most proud of helping Westchester area residents live healthier, and hopefully happier, lives. Reach him at jeff@socalsport. com for comments or questions.

OCTOBER1-7

Self care: loving, appreciating and accepting yourself

By Fay Craton

Opinion: A group of women and I meet every couple of weeks. I am fortunate to have found these friends who can be fully present for me and to whom I am able to be fully present for. Early on, we mutually realized the importance of trust and transparency between us. Each one of us has stepped up to be honest about our own strengths and weaknesses. Our conversations are driven from what we know within.

Originally, our intent was simply to give each other support, but as time went on, we discovered a common theme for all of us is self-care. Since each one of us has a master’s degree in either psychology or nursing, the topic of self-care is well known to all of us. At a surface level, we can all share information about care and give examples as to how we care for ourselves. Yet, as we pulled back the layers on the issues causing stress, we realized that each one of us has trouble fully valuing ourselves and demonstrating self-care at an authentic level. This is a common challenge for people (especially those in the helping professions). Throughout our lifetimes, many of us have been taught to put others before ourselves and not to listen to our own wants or needs.

Along the way, the group decided to use a textbook on the topic to guide our discussions. Eventually, we let go of using the text because it was too academic. Collectively, we all concluded an intellectual understanding just skims the surface, and quite frankly, we were zoning out on material we had all previously studied. We acknowledge deep self-care comes from the heart. It comes from loving, appreciating and accepting ourselves. Acknowledging this is a step in the process.

However, there are considerable life, family and generational history, as well as cultural values, and general misunderstandings, in the way. It can be hard to articulate the history and misunderstandings to find how they keep us from expressing from the heart.

Here is an example of how history can either encourage or discourage

how we authentically express. Think back to when you were very young. What did you love doing? Let’s pretend you enjoyed singing or playing an instrument. Were you praised or was someone critical? Did anyone make comments about how bad you sounded? Were you encouraged to keep it up? If you received negative messages, what adjustments did you make to what you were doing? Did you stop what you were enjoying because someone made disparaging cracks? How do you feel about singing or playing an instrument today? Do you feel inadequate or not talented? Messages we receive become mind chatter to either encourage or discourage us in the present day. Loving ourselves includes participating in things we love. In this scenario, learning selfcare could include starting to play your instrument again or practicing singing. There are many examples of how history and culture form beliefs we hold about ourselves. Some are simple, such as the example about music, and some are complicated. Sometimes beliefs might empower and give the belief holder positive grit. At other times, history results in self-destructive habits. Emotional eating can come from selfsoothing patterns formed as children.

Self-care and loving yourself and others is very important. Having support is crucial. Healthy relationships thrive when people are supporting each other to be authentic and grounded in compassion. This can be accomplished through good friendships. For many people, it takes good therapy or professionally run peer groups. I encourage you to find the support you need.

My wish is for you to have a healthy relationship with yourself where you are able to love yourself and express love, where you are able to appreciate yourself, and most of all, where you can accept yourself. The time and effort to learn is worth it.

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). She has an office located in Westchester. If you have any questions, please contact Fay at (310) 645-6762.

Spotlight on Playa Vista

Superfine Playa and their highly anticipated arrival is ready for you ! Superfine Playa will feature house-made pastas, wood-grilled meats and fish, and dishes highlighting fresh produce from the Playa Vista Farmers Market. Chef Mo Marvel will be leading up the kitchen alongside Steve, having moved over from his position as sous chef at Rossoblu. There will also be a full-service bar with craft cocktails by Ella Zoller of Honey House, who also curated the beer list. The wine list which focuses on family growers and winemakers is curated by James Saidy and Dina Samson; and there will be a happy hour and a bar menu to accompany. Brunch service will begin at opening and will be available Saturdays and Sundays. Soon, they will also serve a hybrid NY and Neapolitan-style pizza made famous by Steve at Superfine Pizza in the Fashion District in Downtown LA.

Come visit at @runwayplayavista and follow them @superfineplaya

Kris Zacuto

DRE 01972897

Photo credit : Wonho Frank Lee

CENTURY STROLL FOR MENTAL HEALTH

AUGUST 13 | HOSTED BY GATEWAY LA

On Sunday, August 13, Gateway LA gave the community a taste of the incredible cuisine being served up every day at the hotels along Century Boulevard. Gateway’s inaugural Century Stroll–a progressive dinner fundraiser that supports the mental health efforts of Airport Marina Counseling Service–showcased the talents of Chefs Serge Devesa and Victor Miguel, who enjoyed cooking for a good cause.

“Not everyone knows the kind of incredible food that is being served up by our local hotels, so the Century Stroll was a great opportunity for us to share an amazing culinary experience with our neighbors,” said Gateway LA CEO Christina Davis. “The best part was that we were able to raise more than $10,000 to support mental health.”

The Century Stroll took 100 diners from the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel to the Marriott Los Angeles Airport Hotel as they sampled delicious creations ranging from filet of beef with peppercorn sauce and escargots de bourgogne to churrascaria featuring Tomahawk steaks, whole chickens, longaniza, and grilled vegetables.

Devesa and Miguel bring with them decades of experience cooking all over the world.

Devesa earned France’s Medal Order of Agricultural Merit in 2020, the second highest honor

bestowed on a French citizen, while Miguel’s passion for creative execution of unparalleled dining experiences has earned him recognition as an ACE Award Nominee for the Americas Award of Culinary Excellence.

Pictured:

1. Gateway to LA CEO Christina Davis and Westin LAX GM Mark Goldrup welcome the crowd at the inaugural Century Stroll.

2. Chef Devesa and crew get ready to wow the crowd with their crepes suzette a la mode.

3. AMCS supporters Bob and Christina Neiwirth pose with AMCS President/CEO Eden Garcia-Balis and Development Director Bill Morgan.

4. The Marriott serves up decadent banana bread pudding with bourbon ice cream.

5. LAX Coastal Chamber board chair Ravi Singh gets ready to feast on the churrascaria carving station.

6. A guest chats about the numerous ceviche options.

7. Hilton Los Angeles Airport GM Grant Coonley is honored by Councilwoman Traci Park for his years of supporting business in the LAX coastal area.

8. Guests enjoy the ambience at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel.

9. Mar Vista Family Center Individual Giving & Events Manager Kelli Trombley and Wine with Traci owner Traci Cox take a selfie during the festivities.

Photos by Robert Higgins

FROM WORLD-CLASS CHEFS TO AMAZING POOLS, GATEWAY LA IS THE PLACE WHERE LOS ANGELES STARTS AND ENDS. COME SEE FOR YOURSELF!