Issues to Ponder

The Clearwater Program Is Back

2011-05-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

This will be a post that will be published on several of my blogs because I feel it is important enough to share with everyone.

The Los Angeles County Sanitation District Number 5 is continuing necessary and recommended processes to create a third Joint Outfall System (JOS) from its Carson, CA treatment plant to the Pacific Ocean.

Two Joint Outfall Systems (JOS), one built in 1938 and the other one built in 1958 currently provide outfall capacity between the treatment plant and outflow facilities near the Palos Verdes Shelf, offshore from Royal Palms, in San Pedro, Ca.

The capacity of the two systems is nearing full capacity and they will not be able to handle future capacity.

I have written what I feel is a fair amount about the Clearwater Program in past posts, but new information, information I need to correct, and new opinions can now be shared.

www.ClearwaterProgram.org has been bookmarked on my computers for several years and it is the first and best source of information I urge everyone to go to.

Last Monday I met with Mr. Glenn Acosta, P.E. and Ms. Leslie Winner, both representing the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County.

A new series of outreach meetings with individuals and groups is currently underway and I hope these two fine representatives meet with everyone who has any interest in the Clearwater Program and who are able to help with opinions and other observations concerning the new proposals for this very needed program.

Mr. Acosta's Email address is: gacosta@lacsd.org

With a whole new set of proposals and a new brochure available to offer greater insight into the Clearwater Program, concerned residents and others now can view new facts and opportunities that are different than what I wrote about previously.

What is not offered in the new proposals is four 'Alignment' prospects instead of over 16 first illustrated in previous information and the 50 originally offered by the Sanitation Districts.

Living doors away from the surface of Western Avenue and its subsurface containing the two original Outfall Systems, I may have a somewhat different perspective about the Program and I certainly have opinions, lots of them.

One of the first things I must offer is some corrections to some of my earlier posts.

According to the new information, the Outfall System Shafts would be approximately 30 feet in diameter and not the 'up to 200 feet' I originally wrote about. I know I heard that figure somewhere in earlier talks, but 30 feet is quite different that 'up to 200 feet', isn't it.

When I wrote that the depths of a shaft could be up to '500 feet' deep, I only got that incorrect by about 100 feet. According to the newest information, a shaft could be up to 400 feet in depth, the depths of any shaft could be much less than that.

I am also very relieved to note that there are only four remaining shaft site prospects with the new information.

As originally conjectured, there will be one shaft sunk at the Carson treatment plant's property. This will allow for one tunneling machine being places and would be one access point for the removal of dirt and debris while the tunneling is being done and the casements are being placed.

Originally, the public was informed about 16 sites between Carson and the Pacific Ocean where a second shaft might be considered.

Thankfully, very thankfully, that number has dropped to just four.

Of course and naturally, the old LAXT site is part of 'Alignment 1' proposal for a shaft that could include worker access and debris removal, all the way up to the placement of a second tunneling machine.

'Alignment 1', as currently proposed, would be the longest and costliest (on paper now) of the four alignments now under preview and review. Using this alignment would provide the Diffuser site somewhat close to the San Pedro Shelf, which is not as deep as the depth of the Palos Verdes Shelf provides.

'Alignment 2' is quite new and it probably includes a shaft at LAXT's old site on Terminal Island, it also adds another shaft at the former Southwest Marine site on Terminal Island. This alignment would be the second longest and it would provide the outfall from the plant going close to the Palos Verdes Shelf.

'Alignment 3' is considered by me right now as a 'non starter' because even though it provides an outfall end close to where 'Alignment 2' would have for its outfall, it requires a shaft be placed at the parking lot below the Korean Bell, on the Angel's Gate site. I will have more about that in a future post.

'Alignment 4' is the shortest and illustrated as being the 'least costly'. It would have the tunnel travel under San Pedro, as 'Alignment 2' also includes, but it's outfall would be near where the two existing outfalls are, near the Palos Verdes Shelf.

This alignment requires an Outfall Shaft being sunk at Royal Palms, down near the water.

I will have more about that in a future post.

I fully support the Sanitation Districts' Clearwater Program as long as the old LAXT site is utilized, no matter that is would be the most or second most expensive alignments to build.

What is most important right now, I feel, is community members for every community possible and reasonable, coming forward to offer facts, comments and opinions about this program that is truly needed for every one's future.

Please learn all you can about the Clearwater Program so you will have the best knowledge possible when dealing with a process that has already taken years and will probably take another 8-10 years to build out.

With all the opportunities, there are genuine concerns about the environment, both ecologically and when dealing with persons' environments.

The Clearwater Program: What I Like and What I Don't Like

2011-05-18T10:30:00.000-07:00

So, the Clearwater Program is back and going forward. I think it is better than good for all of us, but there are some significant issues I have that I'd like to address.

In my almost one hour meeting with Mr. Acosta and Ms. Winner I told them that I was very supportive of the program as long as 'Alignment 1' and possibly 'Alignment 2' becomes the recommended alignments, but that they really shouldn't bother with Alignments 3 and 4.

Yes, it is written now that 'Alignment 4', with its shaft being sunk at Royal Palms is the shortest and 'least costly' in the $500 Million Dollar or possibly less range.

Yes, there is also 'Alignment 3' with its second 'least costly' aspect and its equal distance of 9 miles as compared to 'Alignment 2'. But it requires a shaft sunk at Angel's Gate. That would be at the newer parking lot, which is used by so many visitors and local residents attending gatherings at Point Fermin Park.

Yes, 'Alignment 1' is currently written up as the most expensive and longest alignment proposed at 14 miles long and $1.4 Billion Dollars.

And yes, of the four alignments now under consideration, 'Alignment 4' might have the 'least impact' on the environment, but everyone needs to take some issues under more careful consideration, such as:

Having the second shaft at LAXT means that should a second tunneling machine be placed, debris excavated would be able to be transported by rail and truck travel and there would be the least impact on residents, residences, traffic, and access.

I offered to Mr. Acosta and Ms. Winner that there is absolutely no way I would support the placement of shafts at Angels' Gate or Royal Palms and they really need to understand how there are more environments to consider other than what happens to the ground, sea, air, animal life and plant life.

The second shaft, no matter if it was sunk at Royal Palms or Angel's Gate would require up to or more than nine months of time for 'between 10 to 40' hauling trips, per day, to occur while debris is being trucked away.

What about the environment of San Pedrans who, when they flush, shower, bathe, or drain their sinks, never use the facilities that would be furnished because of all the digging done at Royal Palms or Angel's Gate?

There are lots of good San Pedrans who have some valid feelings that those of us who 'live on The Hill' send our 'trash' to San Pedro, rather than dealing with it ourselves.

Since we who benefit from Sanitation District 5 may want to call for the placement of a shaft at Royal Palms or Angel's Gate, I think we need to understand better how those who would have to deal with the all the requirements placed on the good folks in San Pedro as far as traffic inconvenience, added noise, and other types of impacts might want to rethink that is may not be the least costly to have shafts at Royal Palms or Angel's Gate.

I would imagine that the 25,000 household Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council may wish to be one of the first to head to court to stop any incursion into their neighborhoods by the Sanitation Districts.

I also think that the city of Los Angeles might wish to impose restrictions and/or obligations on our Districts should the Districts ultimately receive approval for 'Alignment 3 or 4'.

I remember when it was said that 'over 99%' of those asked or offering opinion about the placement of any second shaft clearly stated that the LAXT site was preferred over all others.

I do think we need a new Outfall System and I support the concept and many of the options. I do not however, feel any of this needs to be placed on the backs or in other ways interfere with anyone living in San Pedro or commuting around using the major access routes around that community.

It is still understood that there are those who support an outer harbor cruise ship terminal, even with the added transit troubles between any freeway access and outer harbor cruise ship terminal.

It should be considered that should that terminal be built and become operational about the same time either the Angel's Gate or Royal Palms shaft also find approval and construction begins, San Pedrans and others could see the following:

10-40 double dirt haulers per day, traveling along at least one major route though San Pedro and then when the biggest cruise ships call on San Pedro, all that trafficking of passengers and materials associated with huge cruise ship journeys also needing crosstown transport, together require great problems with all those wishing to travel around or through San Pedro while having nothing to do with ships or shafts.

Sometimes the 'least costly' is not really the 'least costly' when compared with all factors.

I do understand that the Environmental studies require the examination of more than two 'Alternatives' and that 'Alignments 3 and 4 must be studied. But that does not mean either of them should be taken very seriously, especially when so many people have already told representatives that any second or third shaft needs to be sunk on Terminal Island.

There are many good, true, real, and necessary reasons to support the construction of a new Joint Outfall System. But none of those reasons should overcome what could happen to San Pedro and San Pedrans and others in that area, who would be impacted by a process they never fully utilize and do not pay for.

Gathering Honoring John

2011-01-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

Angela 'Romee' Romero was thinking about a way to honor John Olguin other than a formal event.

She created "San Pedro Stands Up For John Olguin" facebook page and then facilitated the creation for a gathering on January 9, 2011.

The idea Romee shared was to have folks come down to Point Fermin Park and have momement of silence while gathered around and near the plaque honoring John as the person of the 20th Century for San Pedro. Then after the silence, folks would stand in a line as an honor to John's memory as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

While the intent might have been to have everyone standing along Paseo Del Mar to watch the sunset, we all seem to want to head towards the edge of the park, facing the sun and the Pacific, to watch the setting sun, marvel at the ocean and some marine life, and share whatever we wished to share, including the sunset.

Along the rocks below folks was one of our nesting falcons perched overlooking resting sea lions. Not far out from the rocks a dolphin was doing what a dolphin does, I suppose on 'porpoise'.

I found the gathering to be more of a celebration of life and fond memories as friends who hadn't seen other friends for some time greeted each other almost as if they just talked to them yesterday.

The sun set. We departed knowing we would probably see everyone again on June 22 at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium for the 'official' public memorial beginning at 1:00 PM. Fireworks at 5.

Pondering On How To Honor John Olguin

2011-01-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

How do we honor John Olguin?

This is a very simple question that will take great lengths of writing to ponder.

I don't want to ponder this alone and I want any and all comments on the very simple question that I will repeat throughout this post.

How do we honor John Olguin?

Some have been doing it for decades. All one needs to do is talk to Tom and Nancy Budar as just two examples of wonderful individuals who are both more like John than just about everyone else, including me.

Tom is just one of hundreds of men who could write an entire volume of incidents, activities, encounters, teachings, learning, and experiences with John.

Nancy has accumulated the most volunteer hours of anyone supporting both the Cabrillo Marine Museum and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

*Editor's Note: I've known Tom since high school, we carpooled together to and from C.S.U.L.B. he was best man at my sister's wedding to Phil, and he likes to blow things up while on a barge. I've known Nancy for almost 50 years with countless connections.

How do we honor John Olguin?

It sure looks like the love and interest in memories of John are flooding the local newspaper and on cards at the Aquarium. Reading facebook comments on any number of pages as well as reading Emails and hearing stories are other ways we are currently honoring John.

How do we honor John Olguin?

One way to to ask yourself: "How do I honor John?"

This is a personal question you need to answer for yourself by thinking withing yourself or communicating with others to find answers.

I am currently content to 'honor' John by keeping my memories of our times together held close in my vision and memory and not needing to reveal them to others. I feel I can best offer my honor of John not by posting my personal memories I have had with him, but by encouraging others to either share their memories or honor those memories with deeds and actions that will help others honor John in their own way.

Look, we all have so many personal and communal memories we can share about John and there should be places, perhaps like this comments-in-post to share.

I also keep mine close because I am someone that can easily call up both the visualization of those memories and also the emotions and thoughts I had when those memories were created and I don't need to share them to keep them close.

How do we honor John Olguin?

He was a humane human who lived a life that was shared by a few and by so many. Was he perfect? I don't remember him being perfect but then again I have never met a 'perfect' human except for the first moments of my sons' lives.

I also feel strongly that he was the very best gift any community could have and that I hope we all can learn to share him and his legacy with others who may not have been provided with the OUTSTANDING opportunity to have even a tiny association with John's personhood. We were and are so blessed to have lived during times when John was among us in body and activity.

He lived to be older than most of us will be and we know in our hearts that he didn't mind we called our elder, "John".

How do we honor John Olguin?

We need to cherish and protect those things he loved, cherished, and protected.

Growing up they were for me, not grunions, but John's grunions. All whales were John's whales. All sea life and other animal life were part of John's life and they must also be someplace within our lives, I feel.

We need to be better to ourselves and each other because John was so very good to and for all of us and none of us have the right demean that in any way. He taught us to be better and that is something we need to follow, every day.

He wasn't a saint and he never expected any of us to be, either. He was a people person and we are people who had chances to be among this wonderful person and we must honor that connection.

How do we honor John Olguin?

O.K., I'm taking the privilege of being the publisher of this post to make some personal history comments about my past and connections and where I hold John in my mind.

I worked for Pacific Telephone, Pacific Bell, SBC, and then AT&T for almost 28 years. From 1984 until about 2006 I was among a very small group of technicians that had access to places most people never get to see.

Yes, this part is blowing my horn but I hope you all finally realize that above everyone else, I am most proud and honored to have had experiences with John than for all the others I mention in this post.

As one of those few technicians, I was part of a group known as 'The Beverly Hills phonemen'. I also received specialized training and security clearances to have access to some of the most well known people in all types of industry, politics, government, and I got to go places and do things that, well.......

Of all the people, movie stars, Presidents, Vice Presidents, foreign leaders, clergy, corporate leaders, "V.I.P.s" entertainment industry people, and other people some claim to be 'important' NONE of them have impressed me and impacted my life more than John. Only my parents, wives, sons and their loves hold such high regard in me as John does.

Muriel is also very important in my life. She and my mother joined Terri and others in an investment club some years ago and both John and Muriel remembered my mother, Nancy, when John and Muriel attended "And To All A Good Night" just a few weeks ago.

We now have one of Muriel's paintings in our home that used to hang at my mother's house.

How do we honor John Olguin?

I imagine that he would not want us to grieve but instead celebrate life and demonstrate what we learned from him and with him as we progress from today onward.

I think he would be smiling at Romee for her consideration that we stand up for San Pedro and John in some fashion that is still being planned.

I feel he would appreciate it if we honor him with a memorial that contains providing goods and services, like he did for so many years to so many people, so we can 'pay it forward' what he gave us and give it to to others who might need it now, more than ever before.

I don't know when the public memorial will take place or where it will be. I do hope there is space where I can put whatever I can collect so that I can provide those things to others for no better reason than it is what I feel John would appreciate me and others doing.

For those with lots, provide lots. For those with little, provide what can be provided. For those with nothing to give by your thoughts and memories, share them generously so that those who did not know John as well as they did, can learn.

How do we honor John Olguin?

Holding our own memories of his smile, his zest for teaching, his passion for just about everything, his love of the sea and everything in it, and using what he gave us to better ourselves and others, all without strings attached.

Boy, did I get lucky or just was fortunate enough to have a mom who decided I was to grow up attending the First Presbyterian Church in San Pedro.

All us 'kids' growing up attending that church during the 50's, 60's and even later got many more opportunities to have John in our lives than most others. Wow!

Be thankful and grateful that you got chances to take and experiences to have, with John.

Be good to yourself and to others. Go out soon and look for whales. Don't get upset at all the seagulls wanting food at the picnic tables. Teach something good to somebody. Smile. Watch a tiny finger touch something from the sea for the first time. Then watch the reaction. John is here in these last words.

A Long Dry Spell Must End For Me

2011-01-04T12:19:00.000-08:00

This post is written for several of my blogs because I have taken an extended absence from writing on any of my blogs for quite some time.

So much has happened in our extended communities since I stopped writing on the blogs and I want to get back to pondering, questioning, commenting, arguing, and dealing with many issues common to the communities I live in and events and conditions in and around the communities most of my readers live in.

Nothing is more common in all of the communities we all deal with than John and Muriel Olguin. Right now, nothing is more important for all of us in those communities.

Most of us know that a great gentleman, very long into life and even longer in adventures would pass from us, far too soon.

We all knew the day would come that we would make us sad and drive our memories into overdrive.

We all knew none of us can and could measure up to the personhood we all now honor with the passing of John Olguin.

Muriel was and always will be the 'winner' of my writings about our community members who were closer to being "more like John Olguin" than the rest of us. She is in our hearts as she and the rest of us remember John.

Starting 2011 with the new adventure of working on ways to honor John's memory and try to be more like him in the acts of kindness and teachings he showed us, is a task we need to do. It is the first task of what is going to be one heck of a year for all of us.

As we move forward, please include in your visions and dreams the smiles your remember beaming from John's face as he taught you something you didn't know or how he was so happy when you understood how he regaled in your learning.

Let's work towards a public memorial that includes contributions of whatever you can provide to those in need and a clear demonstration that we all 'got' the fascination, wonder, and joy John offered, all supported by Muriel, a true inspiration, artist, and gift to all of us as she was to John.

One way to honor John and all those who volunteered for us is to volunteer to work on issues and projects that interest you in ways that promote those things that benefit 'community'

Not only are your acts, deeds, thoughts, comments, and wishes important, your means of demonstrating those things are also important on many issues you might want to concern yourself with.

Here is just a partial list of things that I am pondering about and I hope your list is at least as long as mine:

John's public memorial, the U.S.S. Iowa, Charter City status and vote in Rancho Palos Verdes, Ponte Vista, SRHS #15, downtown San Pedro, protecting our environment, Western Avenue, community goals, park lands, politics, arts in communities, good citizenship, the local economy, working for those less fortunate, San Ramon Canyon, Marymount's Expansion Project, educating everyone, recession recovery, working for peace, celebrating, family, neighbors and friends, contentious issues, common goals, fun, faith, play, and experiencing a full and productive life. Grandchildren, perhaps someday.

I hope to get back to writing on a much more regular basis on several of these blogs.

I know Ponte Vista is important and should see posts and comments from others throughout the year.

I live on the eastern side of Rancho Palos Verdes. San Pedro in heart, Rancho Palos Verdes in thought. I feel strongly that residents of Rancho Palos Verdes need to be better informed and more able to deal with and comment on their government and city.

There are "Issues to Ponder" regarding San Pedro. It may have a continuing set of problems in its downtown area but it has a growing vibrant aspect in its arts and entertainment and there will be new things popping up in the future throughout the community.

I know that "R Neighborhoods Are 1" and there is more to be considered in our community, for our community, and with our community.

As I am still a caveman, my 'dairy' needs to be updated with stories and learning this caveman has encountered over the last couple of years.

Whether I can manage to work harder to be more like John is something that I don't yet know, but I really need to try.

I hope readers will learn or argue or agree or disagree or ponder or rant or rave or just read. But with all blogs, it is truly more for the writer to write than the reader to read. If that was not the case, there would be no blogs and just look how many there are now compared to when I first wrote, in September, 2006.

Thank you and please return from time to time.

Mark Wells
aka M Richards
mrichards2@hotmail.com

Finally, Lots To Write About!

2010-07-12T20:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have been lagging with new posts on this blog. I can offer no good or reasonable excuse even after I claims I would post more.

The title of this post is misleading. There has been 'lots' to write about, but I just didn't write about the 'lots' of stuff.

So here goes.

I noticed that the construction traffic for the new high school has moved from the Gaffey at Barlow-Saxton gate to 36Th Street at Meyler or Cabrillo.

I thought it would move to Alma but I was dead correct when I claimed that Barlow-Saxton would not be used for the entire construction work for the high school and the Outdoor Education Center.
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Everyone, please channel your mind and provide brilliant white light towards July 19, 2010.

I cannot confirm, and it probably won't happen that day unless miracles occur BUT, I heard on the wind that Amalfitano Bakery MAY open on or about that date.

The ceilings are up, the displays are lighted, the windows are etched, the outdoor signs are up, the kitchen area looks mostly complete, fresh paint is on the walls, and the lights are on.

There is nothing posted to suggest when the Bakery will actually open. Perhaps the smell of freshly baked bread will waft into my window early one morning similar to when I stood in right field at the old Eastview Little League diamond and smelled the bread from DiCarlo's.

Mr. Anthony Amalfitano if of the family that kept Ramona's open for so long and we all hope the he brings to the new location, all the great special treats we enjoyed from Ramona's for years and years.
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There is a meeting on Tuesday about bring the U.S.S. Iowa to San Pedro.

I am the oddball that thinks that, while the U.S.S. Iowa would be good, a soon to be decommissioned amphibious assault carrier would be much better for San Pedro.

An attraction like the U.S.S. Tarawa would allow for a flight deck for static displays of aircraft from all branches of the Military. It has a hangar deck for displays of smaller things like tanks, trucks, artillery and things from the Army and Marines. It also has an amphibious deck for smaller boats and crafts used by the U.S. Marines.

A ship like the U.S.S. Tarawa would allow from more volunteers from all branches of the service to help restore and work on tours and attractions because of the expertise the volunteers have from their respective branches.

I think more tourists would visit a ship that had all branches represented and one that could have seen action in Desert Storm and other actions in the middle east and Viet Nam.

The U.S.S. Iowa was a big Navy vessel that was truthfully obsolete when is was first commissioned and had to undergo many modifications to see action after the Korean conflict.
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I am amused by the recall effort against Janice Hahn.

I hope you all know that some of the leaders of the recall were also good supporters or consultants for one Robert H. (Bob) Bisno and his attempts to change the fabric of northwest San Pedro and OUR community.

I am sure you all know that Bob went bankrupt after he was shown the door of his own project by the financial backers who grew tired of his antics.

Whether you agree with Janice's positions on many of the issues, I have to commend her for her support of OUR community in standing up to Bob and his cronies and lobbyists and her work with the good folks for the Vista Del Oro area in their fight to keep condos or apartments out of the area of Walker Avenue and 20th Street.

I don't agree with all the positions Ms. Hahn supports and I think any L.A. City tax funds spent debating and voting on boycotting Arizona while continuing to deal with an Arizona company for electric truck was and is a mockery and should never have been done by a city.

Let the Federal Government handle a Federal Government issue and don't waste L.A. taxpayers time and money over a Federal Issue. That is why you have Harmon, Feinstein, and Boxer, and Lowenthal.
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Averill Park is Averill Park again and that is simply nice!
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The issues revolving around the ballot initiative that could allow Marymount College to have on-campus housing is getting nastier and more heated by each passing day.

It is fair to consider that folks living near the Pacific Heights off-campus building near 24th and Cabrillo might want all their R.P.V. friends to vote for the initiative, but there is still absolutely no mention in The Marymount Plan to close off and then sell the Pacific Heights building and although Marymount has repeatedly claimed they would close that facility, wait, wait, upper class students are entering Marymount now so more older students need housing.

Isn't that special?

For the northwest San Pedro residents, no plans exist to ever close the Palos Verdes North off-campus housing area, either.
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What a summer? June gloom in July, at least up until today.

Shakespeare By The Sea has probably the two best casts for their two shows and if you missed the performances, check their Web site. They will end their 18-community tour back where it all began, in San Pedro.
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"Forever Plaid" Opens on August 13 and will play during the weekend of the Pedro Reunion.
The Relevant Stage Theatre Company is producing the musical that is about four souls who were on their way to a gig then perished on the night The Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.

At Little Fish Theatre, "Dixie Swim Club" also opens on August 13. It is a period piece that revolves around the lives of a small group of southern gentlewomen and their reuniting at a beach house.

Phil and I have the honor to build the set for "Dixie Swim Club" and look forward to it success and working with both TRS and Little Fish Theatre Company, perhaps in the future.
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It looks like the Waterfront Project is a stop again, stop again project. So many meetings. So many comments. So many discussions. So much of very little.

Yes, the new marina is taking shape, but I don't remember it being a real part of the most recent foray of The Waterfront Plan.

My assertion continues to be that the only thing that will be undertaken is the new cruise ship terminal in the outer harbor at 'Kaiser Point'.

I still don't want a new terminal there, but unless Disney gets Mickey's hands tied, we may be seeing the new terminal by 2011.
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Let's put the off-leash dog park at Joan Milke Flores Park, O.K.? It's already there by a de facto fault, isn't it?
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Go visit Terranea. I finally did.

You can get a cup of house wine for as little as $8.00 and a burger is just $9.00, with fries at just $6.00.

I know it is out of my income league, but I bet the food and drink is more expensive at Trump National.
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All the fal-der-all about the moving of electrical lines and circuits that cause a big fuss at Point Fermin Elementary School seems to have been settled.

And wouldn't you know it, those of us who objected to the way we thought would be less safe were eventually considered correct in that the new route for the added electric needs does not take the route originally supported by those who just wanted the job done quickly versus what many of us considered more safe.

At least the students at that fantastic educational facility will get to have a much better environment for their marine magnet program.

Great teachers. Great students. Caring parents. We are fortunate in our community to have so many fine schools.
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Please shop in downtown San Pedro at least once a week.

George's at the 8th Street Lofts is now open for dinners.

There is a new thrift store on the corner of Pacific and 6th.

Numero Uno is a fine place for groceries.

There are still great restaurants, night spots, and stores left for you to visit.

Our First Visit To Denny's

2010-04-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

**Ed Note: Yes I know perfectly well that Denny's is now located in the city of R.P.V. For those who remember fondly the old Denny's on Western that was in San Pedro, it is reasonable and realistic to consider which community one's heart belongs to. Since the old Denny's was a San Pedro institution and som many of us Eastview residents have our hearts with San Pedro, I think it is good, fair, and appropriate to consider the new Denny's to be in the San Pedro community. I hope you do too.

Well, it took until the fifth morning for us to visit the new Denny's located on Western Avenue in Rancho Palos Verdes.

I don't feel it is fair to make a real review of the entire outing because today marked the first Friday the new Denny's has been in operation.

Some time ago, there was a Denny's restaurant on Western Avenue near the corner of Western and Park Western. When the Ralph's Shopping area was remodeled some years ago, the old Denny's closed.

That Denny's was thought of quite well by it customers and the opening of the new Denny's was highly anticipated for months now, even before most folks knew what was replacing the Planet Kids store.

As it happened, I talked to the assembled wait-staff and managers during a meeting a week ago on a Thursday evening. I wanted to know when the restaurant was opening so I could post that information on several of my blogs.

During a short conversation I had with the head manager and with many ears perked up because of the stranger attending the meeting, I told everyone in the room that their new work location was highly anticipated and they should expect to see large crowds from the opening of the doors.

The entire wait staff, cooks and managers seemed surprised and somewhat shocked when I told them the information. They were all also quite pleased smiles abounded all through the seating area.

As it came to pass, I was not wrong one bit. The Denny's has been packed.

By 8:45 this morning all the seats were filled and there were customers waiting for table openings.

The two sides of the restaurant have parking spaces. Naturally all the spaces were filled. I expect that when the Asaka Grill finally opens there will be an average of ZERO spaces for customers of that site, right next to Denny's.

It looks like the workers at both restaurants will have to park somewhere other than the parking lots for those two places. I hope they don't choose Trudie, Highmore, or Jaybrook, thank you very much.

As you may have expected, there were two cars in the Marie Callender's parking lot as we walked through it. You may want to enjoy Marie Callender's while it is still open because it certainly looks like their customer traffic has dropped off and will continue to drop off as Denny's becomes more well known (not like it really needs it).

Because I should not offer a real review of the place, I do want to share some impressions and comments with the opening week and I think it is going to take a couple of months before a true set of opinions can reveal what normal experiences at Denny's should be expected.

The restaurants hours are as follows;

From 6:00 AM on Friday and until 11:00 PM on Sunday, Denny's will remain open.

All other times Denny's hours are 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM.

It appears that the conditional use permit does not permit Denny's to post the "Always Open" sign found on just about every other Denny's.

Parking is bad and probably that won't go away in the forseeable future. I have seen times when there was parking along Western Avenue, even directly in front of Denny's.

The south parking lot is also going to be used by customers of Asaka Grill once it opens AND if Denny's customers don't take up all the parking. This lot also has some spaces it takes skill to get into and out of. They are the spaces sort of behind the restaurant and near the gate that we found closed preventing a throughway between the two parking areas. I hope Denny's management open the two sets of gates behind the restaurant and leave them open during business hours.

You will be greeted by friendly and I really mean friendly managers and those showing you to your seat. They are a bit rusty with their actions but since there is nothing "normal" about Denny's yet, that is quite fine with me.

I remember with other Denny's that once ordered, it sometimes takes an eternity for the food to arrive. Please be very patient during your visits to Denny's in the coming months. The food you get might be cooled off by the time it finally arrives, but I expect that when the Denny's finds its normality, food will arrive sooner.

We had to request from someone other than our wait staff for the bill. We ended up getting copies from two different employees and did I mention they were friendly?

There is absolutely no reason for Terri and I and whoever visits Denny's while with us, need to add another vehicle to the parking lots.

Since those of you who know what I look like know I still need to lose lots of weight, I was pleasently surprised by the make-your-own Grand Slam. That size of Grand Slam is not the size I remember and I never needed that amount of food I remember filled the plate.

My Grand Slam consited of two regular size eggs, amout the smallest portion of hash browns I have seen in any restaurant in R.P.V. and San Pedro, two sausage links and two pancakes, each about 1/4 to 1/5 the size of my beloved Fluffys enjoyed at Rex's Diner.

The price was $5.99 and other than the eggs being cool, somebody like me need to learn to live better with smaller portions and at a price I can live with.

It looks like tables and chairs could be added to the dining area if the C.U.P. allows for that. But with the parking lots full with the amount of tables and chairs there already, more tables might create problems.

I did write to officials and our city's Traffic Safety Commission about something I observed that I feel could be a safety hazard and a potential for liability with R.P.V.

We saw many Denny's customers heading north on Western making a U-turn from the left turn lane for the south entrance to The Terraces.

Normally, that turning lane is overflowing during commute times and the added number of customers choosing to not go into The Terraces but rather making U-turns will add to the congestion along northbound Western and probably more collisions.

I don't have a solution for my thoughts but I don't think drivers will heed NO U-TURN signs on the medians of Western.

Of course we saw a "true Pedro thing" when we visited Denny's. Even though the restaurant is physically located in Rancho Palos Verdes everybody knows everybody else who live in San Pedro so many of you will meet friends and/or family members when you go to Denny's.

It's just like the Target where many of us can't get through a visit where we don't greet somebody we know.

The consequences of having the new Denny's where it is makes me think that perhaps Marie Callender's will continue to be a very good restaurant for our elderly friends and neighbors.

Many folks who are up in their years find comfort when they take their meals at Marie's. I think it has been that way for years. Whether Marie Callender's can survive what I expect to be a big drop in business is something we won't know for some time.

As for Asaka Grill, I haven't found any notice of when it may open.

Denny's is now the new monster on the Avenue. Folks who eat there will hopefully do other shopping along Western in both San Pedro and R.P.V. I do hope they visit Marshalls' more than they visit Ross. I also hope they visit Trader Joe's more than they visit the store near Peck Park.

For dining pleasure similar to Denny's I hope they visit Coco's over Carrow's and Azteca over Taxco. I certainly don't folks visiting Domenick's and Niccolo's. Eating at Baja Fresh is a good thing. I hope you like the ice cream at 31 flavors more than Coldstone Creamery. All of the above eateries are wonderful, but some of them help our General Fund grow with portions of Sales Tax dollars that flow into R.P.V.

For the high school football and party crowds, having Denny's open all night on Fridays and Saturdays is a good thing. It allows revelers the chance to continue in a safe and comfortable environment and it also provides more food options to those who need to eat because they drank too much alcohol.

For me, sobering up at the IHOP many year ago when it was open late helped. I was all done with that by the time the old Denny's opened or I chose not to cross Western while drunk. It was easier staggering home from IHOP than just about anywhere else.

So please, ENJOY DENNY'S! When it becomes a normal "San Pedro" restaurant, then I think we can make fair reviews. I use "San Pedro" because that is where our hearts still side with.

Would San Pedro and San Pedrans Be Negatively Impacted If Dorms Are Built At Marymount?

2010-03-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

The title is the question and the basic answer is yes!

According to the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project, there are a number of issues that have been documented that would negatively impact parts of San Pedro and many residents of San Pedro.

First and foremost is the additional traffic created by the Expansion Project, even taking into account on-campus housing at the college.

According to the FEIR, there would be an addition of 1,536 vehicle trips generated by the completed Project.

40% of that additional traffic would be along Western Avenue between Trudie Drive/Capitol Drive and Palos Verdes Drive North.

Another 25% of the additional traffic, would utilize the intersection of 9th Street and Western Avenue.

There is a lesser percentage of additional traffic that will go through San Pedro via 25Th Street.

The vast majority of traffic currently generated associated with Marymount College travels at least in part, through sections of San Pedro and that will only increase should their Expansion Project be completed, especially with on-campus housing.

This is in addition to the existing college traffic now encountered by residents.

The intersection of Palos Verdes Drive East and Palos Verdes Drive South is used by many residents of San Pedro on a regular basis.

According to the FEIR, the completed project would create an intersection that cannot be fully mitigated to create anything other than having unacceptable and unavoidable impacts.

That intersection would still have some mitigation provided.

The FEIR also states that a traffic signal system will be placed at the intersection of Miraleste Drive and Palos Verdes Drive East.

This intersection operates now at a Level of Service (LOS) with a grade of 'F'. This intersection has met the warrants established to be signalized for some time.

There are many San Pedrans who utilize this intersection on a regular basis also.

Even though signals are warranted, there is a continuing debate regarding the concept that regular users of that intersection do not want it to have signals installed.

There are two periods of time during most weekdays, when traffic at that intersection is very congested.

Before school and after school periods of time find the intersection particularly congested as would be expected due to the proximity of Miralest Intermediate School and a few elementary schools in the area, added to the traffic generated by Marymount's students, faculty, and staff.

While the following is not directly connected to the FEIR, it should be mentioned.

Marymount has a student body where approximately 90% attend the campus on a full time basis.

That is a remarkable percentage in terms of a Junior College or Community College. Statistically, most two-year colleges have only part time students as seen at colleges like Harbor College or Los Angeles Valley College.

With the prospect that has recently been confirmed that Marymount will become a four-year institution, employment impacts not need to be considered.

Because Marymount College sits in a residential area, there are very few jobs that could be offered to students locally. There are many more opportunities for employment in San Pedro.

If more Marymount students seek employment while attend that school, they will most likely look at businesses in San Pedro for jobs.

When there are more Marymount students working in San Pedro, there are fewer San Pedrans that can be offered employment.

Sure it is a slight number, probably around 300 job seekers from Marymount that has 793 students with 250 of them Bachelor's candidates. But 300 jobs in this current economy can be seen as a big deal.

I don't want to see qualified San Pedrans get crowded out of employment opportunities by Marymount students seeking employment.

Having the Pacific Heights and Palos Verdes North off-campus housing sites in San Pedro, may not sit well with some residents living near those two facilities.

Students living at those facilities spend money. The Pacific Heights building is located near Cabrillo Avenue and 24Th Street. So, many students living there spend money buying food, goods, and services more in San Pedro than perhaps, the students living at the Palos Verdes North site.

The Marymount Administration has stated a number of times that they would close the Pacific Heights facility. Of course their word has proven to not be their bond and the site remains open and populated by approximately 116 students and staff members.

Marymount seeks to have on-campus housing for up to 250 students and five staff members.

Residents of those facilities would find a cafeteria built on the campus to accomodate their needs.

Should Pacific Heights close and on-campus housing be populated, there would be at least a small revenue loss to businesses in San Pedro.

Sales tax revenue now collected from residents living in the two off-campus housing sites would likely decrease because of fewer folks living in San Pedro. Again this may only be a small number, but it is a recognizable number.

There would be property tax revenue created in San Pedro if Marymount finally sells its Pacific Heights building and the new owners are not affiliated with a tax-exempt organization.

This could also apply if the college sells its Palos Verdes North site.

Marymount Attempting To Crowd OUR Community

2010-03-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

With articles in two different newspapers this morning we learned;

Marymount College has received approval to become a four-year institution and,

Marymount College's administration and supporters want Rancho Palos Voters to vote to approve on-campus housing at the site.

These should be issues of great concern to members of OUR community.

OUR community consists of eastern Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Lomita, and parts of Harbor City and Wilmington.

A Marymount Expansion Project will impact traffic along Western Avenue and other streets in OUR community.

I have written a lengthy post which also contains the two articles on one of my other blogs:

http://eastrpv.blogspot.com/

We still don't have recent or decent information about what is happening with Ponte Vista at San Pedro.

Also we are learning that the Volunteers of America are moving forward with their plans to open up the 76 housing units it owns accessed by Palos Verdes Drive North.

I think it is reasonable and realistic to hope for a supportable project at Ponte Vista, opening up housing for homeless families by the Volunteers of America, expansion of the student bodies at Rolling Hills Prep and Mary Star of the Sea High School, and increasing the number of businesses along Western Avenue.

A College with on-campus housing in which traffic will be added to Western Avenue and commutes by students working somewhere along Western Avenue is asking too much of OUR community member.

I prefer to consider what Marymount's administration and supporters are doing are 'stunts' to keep the college open to accept more out of state and out of country students...and accept their parents' money, all at OUR expense.

Happy New Year! Now Let's Get Really Back To Work

2010-01-13T09:46:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Yes, it has been over two months since the last post. But now, only 13 days into the new year, there is some to ponder and much to consider pondering.

With a recent post on my Ponte Vista blog, I wrote about five new eateries being constructed along Western Avenue, mostly in eastern Rancho Palos Verdes.

As for Ponte Vista at San Pedro, look for more to ponder on that subject sometime in February, according to Ms. Elise Swanson, the Vice President in charge of the Outreach Team.

Very recent news around town is that both the incredible Canetti's and the world famous Papadakis Taverna have or will end their stay in our community. This is shocking, sad, and chock full of memories that go back generations.

Mike Caccavalla has closed his retail store called Boca Active Wear. He will still do online business and keep his business customers. He and his family are great people and I wish them all the best.

We got a new park! When I looked at the photos from various sites I couldn't make out where the restroom facilities are, if there are any. I haven't visited the park yet.

Required reading for everyone living or loving San Pedro is "San Pedro Block By Block" at www.sanpedrobxb.com. Ms. Romee is doing something wonderful, fantastic, historic, and honorable with her treks throughout San Pedro. Her photos and comments are priceless and everyone will learn something new every day as she touches her feet on every street in San Pedro.

Work continues on the remodel of the Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center. It will eventually provide up to 13,000 LAUSD elementary school students the opportunity to learn about the environment in a residential setting where youngsters will 'camp' for either 3 or 4 nights and days, right next to a new high school campus.

Yes, work continues on South Region High School Number 15 where it is truly needed or not. There is no real factual knowledge to be certain that the new campus will be an annex to San Pedro High School because nobody is really all that sure San Pedro High School will remain under the complete control of LAUSD.

Oh well, we fight the good fight to find reason where there doesn't seem to be any and respect where none is offered.

I read a report that cargo movement in our ports was slightly up. That is basic good news. So much of San Pedro's economy depends on the economy of others and having folks buying things imported through our port helps our community.

There may be something really big to ponder though. Mr. Richard Pawlowski and his www.venturexpo.com mentions the "ONE PORT" option that some folks are talking about.

The idea with this hot item is to build one GIANT wharf where just about all the container ships would berth and where new types of cranes and conveyors will store, on load, offload and move containers from ship to train or truck of back again.

I wrote to Dick and mentioned that if anything like that was truly contemplated for the Pier 400 and 300 areas, there simply were not enough lanes or tracks onto or off of Terminal Island to accommodate that. I mentioned that there would probably need to me a wide land area added between what would be a former island and what is now the mainland. I thought pumps moving seawater under the land bridge in the inner harbor could make that possible without killing the flow of water through the ports.

There is already much to ponder about Councilwoman Janice Hahn's attempts to become the Lt. Governor. One thing to ponder is why anyone in any type of correct mindedness would want to be involved in California's State government under the current and recent conditions.

The mid-term elections might also be something to ponder throughout San Pedro.

It also appears that parking rates in lots around San Pedro will be cut in half. That is something. But it is late, not enough, and probably won't attract customers to places that may not be around any longer or that much longer.

My wife was pondering why there isn't something like F.D.R.'s Works Progress Administration these days. The Federal Government is printing money so why can't they provide more jobs to work on improving infrastructure and environments for both businesses and residents.

Finally to begin the new year, please respond to the 2010 Census when the forms come in the mail or you get a knock on your door. The best way to try and secure more dollars to be counted and have our counts mean something.

Getting Back Into Business

2009-11-01T15:48:00.000-08:00

I have slumped off for too long with this blog. It is time to get back into writing about issues that need pondering.

The Daily Breeze has an article about local business owners attempting to get the meter fees lowered throughout downtown.

I hope they are successful and I would sign a petition supporting their goal.

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BrewHaHa is coming to the Warner Grand Theatre opening Friday evening.

At least one great comic followed by a movie comedy will be presented by The Relevant Stage Theatre Company.

There will be two consession stands open during the events with one selling beverages of different types to audience members 21-years and older.

www.therelevantstage.com provides all the information you can stomach and offers great bargains, too.

Buy a season pass for all of 2010 and you can attend BrewHaHa and "The Christmas Carol" for free!

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If you haven't visited San Pedro: Block By Block yet, do so as soon as possible.

http://sanpedrobxb.com/ is written by Romee who is determined to touch every street in San Pedro and she is already doing a great job and providing incredible pictures and words for all of us to enjoy.

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A former Honorary Mayor of San Pedro who is also an advocate for harbor area business and industry is running for a seat on the Rancho Palos Verdes city council.

There is not much industry in R.P.V. and I still have not found that city's harbor. Perhaps the fellow should stick closer to his profession and advocacy in San Pedro and the real harbor area and let two others serve Rancho Palos Verdes residents.

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It's on its Maiden Voyage and I was WRONG about how many passengers it can carry.

The Oasis of the Seas has departed from its birth berth and gone through the Baltic and onto the Atlantic Ocean.

Just about every single new large cruise ship has called on our port even though few of them call on it regularly.

We've seen the Freedom of the Seas, until the Oasis was spotted, it was the largest cruise ship afloat. It carries a mere 3,700 passengers.

We've seen the 'small' Queen Mary II and Queen Victoria but they only carry 2,093 passengers.

Currently the largest ship carrying passengers in and out of our port carries about 3,100-passengers.

But the Oasis of the Seas was originally touted as being able to carry 5,400-passengers. That was based on double occupancy in its 2,700 rooms.

But the maximum number of passengers the Oasis of the Seas can carry is 6,360!

Along with 2,100 crew members, that could put as many as 8,460 humans onto any berth that ship visits in San Pedro.

And it will probably stop by in the next few years.

Now might you be more able to ponder why the traffic supporting such large ships would create nightmares with traffic through much of San Pedro IF a new cruise ship terminal is built in the Outer Harbor?

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Please reserve any further pondering about Ponte Vista until something new is released by the developer or Outreach Team.

There will be some information provided at the November 11 L.A. Planning Commission meeting, but it will most likely be only a status report on where the project currently stands......or sits.

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Pondering Where the 2010 Taste in San Pedro Might Be Held

2009-08-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

They are fed up near the Point.

Many residents living in the Point Fermin area and in parts of the south side of The Palisades are fed up with the traffic and parking for Taste in San Pedro when it is held at Point Fermin Park.

Many Taste participants are fed up too. Some received parking tickets for parking illegally on Paseo del Mar. Some folks eager to taste great food later found out their cars were towed for being parked in a tow-away, no parking zone.

Still there are many others fed up with parking at the lot on 22Nd. and Miner and having to take the bus ride to and from the site at Point Fermin Park.

So it looks like next year's Taste in San Pedro will be held somewhere other than Point Fermin Park.

But where, oh where can San Pedro's Taste go.

Oh where oh where should it be?

First we can and should rule out the Middle Reservation of Fort MacArthur. That was the spot where it was held many years ago and years before 2001. Taste in San Pedro outgrew that spot some time ago and there simply is not enough space on the old parade grounds, whether security issues come into play or not.

There is a really big piece of asphalt that makes up the parking lot for Ports O Call, but a catch to that is offered by some.

Sure the Lobster Festival has been held there in past years. Sure, a re debut of the Fisherman's Fiesta made a try near the old Whaler's Wharf.

But there are rumblings around that the management and business owners at that historic, but now pathetic venue don't want thousands of folks there for something they may not profit from.

There is probably enough space at Eastview Park. There are two large parking lots for businesses near the park on Westmont. There is ample street parking in the area.

There is just one little problem having Taste in San Pedro at Eastview Park. Eastview Park is not in San Pedro.

So what about Peck Park. Nobody can say there isn't enough lawn space for Taste in San Pedro at that giant park.

There would be great objections to folks parking for Taste in the parking lot closest to the park. There is only some parking available at the park. Western Avenue is long and there is parking along quite a long stretch of that avenue.

But please take it from somebody who has about 54+ years dealing with the weather very, very close to that park. We would melt in early August is Taste were to be held at one of the hottest parks in San Pedro.

Ken Malloy Park is out. it is not in San Pedro.

Friendship Park. Not enough parking nearby.

There is a large area of parking at two spots that are somewhat close to each other. The parking area at Cabrillo is just a short walking distance from the parking area near the hotel down at the Cabrillo Marina.

There is enough asphalt at both sites for Taste, but then again, there are conflicts because boaters probably don't want their marina parking disturbed or boating fans having their trailer parking altered while they enjoy a day on the water.

Now down by Berth 93 there is a large area that saw the launches of the two Johnson sailing ships. A car show was recently held there and there is California's largest wading pool....sorry, fountain right there.

Unfortunately, there is probably not enough parking there. Traffic would be a nightmare and if a ship were calling on the hub, then that would only add to the problem.

What is needed is a large piece of land. The land needs to be in San Pedro if the event is still to be billed as Taste in San Pedro. Parking should be plentiful and nearby. Or parking could be dealt with, with a closer proximity to outlaying lots. Grass on the ground would be great. The site should be convenient for San Pedrans and folks coming to the event from out of town.

But wait folks! There is a brand new site coming along that just might fit the bill.

The good folks keeping our tideland from baseball diamonds and permanent structures and the great folks associated with the Port of Los Angeles and the L.A. Department of Recreation are building a large open space park along 22nd. Street, right close to the big parking lot at that street's intersection with Miner.

Sure it may not be the flattest park to have Taste in San Pedro, but there are advantages having it there that, I feel, should be pondered.

The new park is in San Pedro.

There is a parking lot nearby. There is parking available along Fisherman's Wharf and at Ports O Call.

Taste will offer a great event to highlight the new park and get more folks to learn about it and probably return to it.

Just like Point Fermin Park, a government agency owns the land. Taste in San Pedro would not be using private land.

So, what do you think? Are there sites I didn't ponder that I should?

What might your pondering be about a site I didn't think of?

We have some time, but not much, to ponder this as a community.

I hope this post is a start in finally finding a home for Taste in San Pedro that meets the needs and wants of the majority of OUR community and the participants of Taste in San Pedro.

Pondering Whether San Pedrans Will Speak Up About Marymount

2009-08-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council has begun its final push at the Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project.

There will be a meeting of the Council on the matter on Saturday Sept. 12 at the Council Chambers at Hesse Park, beginning at 9:00 AM.

San Pedrans have been very quiet with regards to the project that will impact folks dealing with Palos Verdes Drive North between Western and Five Points and around the area of 24th Street and Cabrillo Avenue, in San Pedro.

San Pedrans' time to speak up about the issues relating more to the college's Palos Verdes North and Pacific Heights off-campus housing sites is running out.

If San Pedrans have problems with the college's apartment building on 24th and Cabrillo or the larger housing along Palos Verdes Drive North, September 12 may be the final date to aire issues and concerns.

Posts on this and other blogs have mentioned the project and how it could impact San Pedrans and San Pedro with increased traffic and more students needing places to reside while attending classes.

I have heard and read comments about the Pacific Heights facility at 24th and Cabrillo and issues neighbors and others have.

The time to speak up is about to end and if folks choose not to speak up, then they will receive what they will receive.....and maybe it will then be too late to try to change things.

"The Wiz" and "The Last 5 Years" and "What the Butler Saw"

2009-08-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

San Pedro has a big theatre week this week with three entertainment choices for you.

On Wednesday August 19, and for just two showings only, the late Michael Jackson stars in "The Wiz" at WOW-Warner's on Wednesdays.

Prior to the 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM showings there will be a short tribute presented.

Tickets for each show is a mere $3.00 per person to watch a great movie on the large screen.

Parking should be available free after 5:00 in most spaces and free in other spots after 6:00 PM.

If you want popcorn, sodas, and savings, consider the $10.00 'Date Night Special'. It's two movie admissions, two small popcorns, and two small sodas. The full price for the items would be $18.00 so you ca see the savings you would get.

"The Last 5 Years" ends its run at the historic Warner Grand Theatre this coming weekend.

With 8:00 PM performances on Friday and Saturday, with a closing show on Sunday at 2:30, this show received a good number of great reviews including one featured in The Daily Breeze.

There must be something magical about the thirteenth row of the Warner Grand Theatre because John recommended it as the best row to view the show from.

Don't worry about seating though, there are 1,492 seats in the theatre built in 1931.

Tickets for "The Last 5 Years" are reasonable at just $20.00 per person as a regular admission.

Tickets are just $15.00 each for Seniors and College Students. If you can pass for someone under 18-years of age, you would pay a mere $5.00 to see the show.

"The Last 5 Years" chronicles the 5-year relationship between Jamie and Kathy and viewed by each character either from beginning to end or from end to beginning.

Kathy looks back on her relationship with Jamie, a successful author.

Jamie looks forward to his relationship with Kathy, a successful actress.

The show is a musical with melodies and lyrics that are easy on the ear and easy to understand.

The show includes a slide show of the couple's relationship through the years and it was photographed by San Pedro's own John Mattera.

www.therelevantstage.com/ is your access to the theatre company's Web site.

"What the Butler Saw" is the newest production from the Little Fish Theatre Company in San Pedro.

The show which opened last weekend doesn't include a butler but it is a comedy from a theatre group that consistently offers first class entertainment to the entire community.

Information about "What the Butler Saw" and Little Fish's mid-week show can be found at:

http://www.littlefishtheatre.org/

Terri and I will be taking in the production just after "The Last 5 Years" closes and we hope you all can come to see "The Last 5 Years" and then "What the Butler Saw" which runs until September 19.

Pondering Taste In San Pedro

2009-08-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend is Taste in San Pedro weekend.

It began with a first-ever Friday night concert.

Terri and I were first in line at the Saturday opening of Taste because we wanted to take in the boots and friendships and food before I taped the Youthorizons kids doing bits from High School Musical 2.

I liked the idea and took the opportunity to purchase our tickets online. The Convenience charge was $1.00 per ticket but we got a $1.00 discount on each ticket so it made it a wash and no additional fees were charged.

I was very impressed with the knowledge that the organization administering Taste in San Pedro met all of its volunteer needs days before the event. It shows that OUR community can come together with a great number of volunteers to help out.

Heck, there were volunteers serving who don't live in San Pedro and even some from the Eastview area of Rancho Palos Verdes. (Joshua and I are commenting to each other about my thoughts concerning Eastview and its residents.)

I don't know if my perception that there seemed to be fewer paying participants this year over the same hours as last year is correct. It seemed to me there were fewer folks enjoying the first hours on Saturday than I remember last year.

I hope I am wrong about that but I can understand If I am closer to being correct.

Perhaps more folks came after we left and there may be a big crowd for the music and fireworks later today.

Terri and I tried different food booths than we have enjoyed in the past and we were very pleased that we try new offering each year. We already know the quality of many of the food vendors at the event is wonderful.

It was tough to avoid a slice of Buono's Pizza or the Thai food we feasted on before.

Taste in San Pedro also allows folks to catch up with friends they have been meaning to get in touch with, but haven't.

The idea of even the normal 2-3 degrees of separation San Pedrans normally have gets shot out the window at Taste. It is more common to see people you know from around town. than just about any other place or event in San Pedro, moseying around Taste.

Great food. Great entertainment. Unusual shopping. OUR community uniting to do good works for OUR community.

For Real San Pedrans, folks who want to be thought of as Real San Pedrans, or great friends and residents just wanting to gather and participate in OUR community, Taste in San Pedro is not something to be pondered, really.

This is one of the events that we all just do.

It Flies AND It Travels!

2009-07-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, the Warner Grand Theatre's main curtain was replaced!

The aging red curtain was replaced with one looking golden to most of us.

The new curtain flies in and out, just like the old one did.

"Flying in and out" means something on a stage can be raised out of view or brought down from an overstage storage area known as a fly gallery and be viewed by an audience.

Things that are lowered to be viewed by an audience are "flown in" and when things are removed from the viewable portion of a stage by raising it out of sight, they are "flown out"

The new curtain can fly in and fly out, but it also is able to 'travel'

When something relating to stages or performances on a stage area move from out of sight and move from the sides and into a viewable area, it is said that those items 'travel'

The new curtain, when closed and viewed by the audience, can be made to open from the center to the sides.

The new curtain can either fly or travel, but it cannot do both at the same time.

Some of the more expensive ways for curtains to open and close allow for them to go up and down and from center to side at the same time.

The new one can't do that and that is probably a good thing because it was less expensive to purchase and will cost less to maintain over the coming decades.

One of the best things the new curtain will allow for is the ability to have only a portion of the stage viewable to the audience. It can be completely closed and then completely opened AND it can be completely closed and then only opened a small distance.

More options are now available at the Warner Grand and I hope everyone takes the opportunity to be entertained and informed by visiting this historic theatre, right in downtown San Pedro.

Pondering the Reemergence of Ponte Vista and Some Other Ponderings

2009-07-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

They are baaaaaaaaaaaaaack. Actually they never left but it seems they went into hiding for a spell.

The Ponte Vista project comes back into focus with a new post at www.yourpontevista.com and some other revelations that can be read about at: www.pontevista.blogspot.com.

Now please ponder the concept of seeing The Dark Knight while the Sun still shines over the Warner Grand Theatre.

Two showings of the latest in the series related to Batman occur at 6 PM and 9PM on Wednesday July 22 at the historic Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro.

Please ponder: http://www.cspnc.com/index.php where you can find a printable pass for two free entries to "Warner On Wednesdays" or WOW for short.

While pondering free tickets you may want to ponder the concept that free can cost more than $10.00 at WOW.

Let's say you want two movie admissions, two small sodas, and two small bags of popcorn.

If you use the free printable pass and still want the popcorn and sodas, the charge would add up to $12.00 at the concession stand, based on their regular prices.

Now please ponder the $10.00 Special. You would receive the two admissions, two small bags of popcorn, and two small sodas for less than using the free pass.

I don't care which option you choose, but I want you to know about pricing.

Regular admission tickets for each showing is $3.00 per person.

I am the fellow in the ticket booth you will see receiving either money or printed passes and I want you to have the best time possible.

If you are in a party of four persons, you may want to use the pass for two admissions and pay $10.00 for two other admissions and two sets of small popcorn and small sodas.

You are most welcome to print passes and come to different movies showing twice a Wednesday through the first half of September.

The Board of Governors of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council just voted to oppose the construction of San Pedro's fifth 7-11 which might be built on the corner of Pacific Avenue and 19th Street.

There was much to ponder during the lively discussions and comments from all over the room.

7-11 representatives stated they needed to have the convenience store open 24 hours per day, just like the other four are in San Pedro.

Since there are not other convenience stores in San Pedro other than 7-11, essentially they would be competing with themselves.

Noise, traffic, and possible unlawful acts around the proposed store provided interesting debate by almost everyone in attendance.

Have you pondered or wondered about what type of water is being used at the largest wading pool in the State of California? Strike that! I meant to write the largest fountain in the State of California. Does any of your pondering or wondering include what type of water is used to irrigate the new grass and trees in north San Pedro along Gaffey and THAT Welcome Park at the end of the Harbor Freeway?

The answers to those questions currently is potable water or the same type of water coming out of taps in homes and businesses in San Pedro.

There are plans to use reclaimed water at the three sites and other sites, and the pool/fountain did have reclaimed or gray water in it. But that is not the case at this time.

Now ponder on the fact that the city of Los Angeles has mandated a water conservation plan on everyone living in San Pedro. I think we can all agree we are in a long draught cycle.

Did it really make good sense to build a long park-like area along north Gaffey using the grass and other foliage used over more draught tolerant vegetation? How many of us use the north Gaffey parkland or the Welcome Park?

Perhaps the decision makers should have thought more about creating greater need for tap water on sites that have few visitors or could have been postponed until reclaimed water was available.

I use red apple in our parking area. It is really draught tolerant, but then again, I don't live within the limits of the city of Los Angeles.

Do you ever ponder about a land swap between the Port of Los Angeles and another entity to secure Knoll Hill for permanent ball fields for Eastview Little League?

Have you pondered on whether that private organization should have government agencies working on its behalf to provide the solutions it did not adequately plan for?

If a land swap does occur, I hope that OUR community get more benefit from the Port of Los Angeles than what the other entity gives up.

Music By The Sea has one last Sunday at Point Fermin Park this year.

For those of you who have pondered about parking in the area and feel you don't need to follow parking guidelines.....BE WARNED!

This coming Sunday and for Taste in San Pedro the following weekend, L.A. Parking Control Officers and tow trucks will be in the area.

I know there is not enough parking in the area for everyone who wants to come to the park. Please consider walking if you can or taking the bus, or arriving early enough to secure a reasonable and LEGAL parking spot.

This is my mid-summer pondering and I will write more in the near future.

Pondering Pedro For Facebook Members

2009-07-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

Howdy to any and all San Pedro Group members of Facebook!

Whether you live here or not, San Pedro has been on your mind and is certainly in your hearts.

Some of you are active in OUR community (all of you are part of OUR community in some form or another) while many of you have moved away but still feel strongly about San Pedro.

San Pedro is a state of mind and heart no matter where its borders are.

There have been more issues circulating around OUR community for years now than there ever have been before.

For those of you who don't live in the area and haven't heard much news, here are some recent events and issues. Some will shock you and some are just "Pedro" things.

Union War Surplus is in the final stages of closing its doors forever. Within OUR community, the shock has subsided somewhat, but it will still be a sorrowful day when the locks are locked for the last time.

Of course we must thank the Kaye and Robinson families and the other who kept that institution here for so long.

Yes, Ramona's Bakery closed down years ago. However, it appears that at least some members of the Amalfitano Family will be opening a Bakery on Western Avenue........in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Did you know that a new public High School campus is beginning to take form on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur? The new site is slated to become an annex of San Pedro High School with two Magnet Programs, but we'll have to see if that happens along about 2013.

Our Waterfront Redevelopment Plan seems to be off again with the exception of a new marina currently being dug across a small channel from the main Cabrillo Marina. This is a big step forward as the plan inches its way along at far less than a slug's pace.

Have you ridden on the Red Cars? Yup, we've got two of them running on tracks at the Harbor and they may get their routes lengthened to get all the way from Wilmington to Cabrillo Beach!

Disney Cruises is going to have one of their smaller ships home ported in San Pedro hopefully beginning in 2011. It's going to be a trial porting and the ship will only be the 2,400-passenger Disney Wonder, I believe. It is smaller than the two 4,400-passenger ships Disney is currently having built.

Our downtown area is having a very rough time right now, but bright spots shine through the gloom and doom.

We have the Little Fish Theatre Company continuing to provide excellent entertainment including its association with the free Shakespeare By The Sea productions that are now hallmarks in live summer theatre.

Joining Little Fish is The Relevant Stage Theatre Company and everything associated with the Warner Grand Vision Foundation and the historic Warner Grand Theatre.

Boy do we have galleries in downtown. We also have plenty, repeat plenty of housing units that are brand new and waiting for occupants in the downtown area.

The sixteen-story Vue is by no means sold out yet and we have lofts for lease as well as regular condos/apartments that are impatiently waiting habitation.

Work is continuing at Cabrillo Beach with ramp improvements, beach improvements, and a greater appreciation of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium.

Did you now that the former Nike missle site on Paseo Del Mar is not the White Point Nature Preserve? Its 102 acres are available to take in nature using trails, vistas, and an under construction interpretive center.

No, no ballfields or soccer fields are on the site, but it is one of the last open areas along the coast in the city of Los Angeles.

Nearby in Rancho Palos Verdes, there is Terranea. If you like a 6-ounce plastic cup of house wine as you stroll on the public paths at the very upscale hotel, golf course, and meeting facilities, just put your $13.00 on the bar and don't forget to leave a tip!

Of course the old Ocean Trails (Ocean Fails) golf course and clubhouse is now owned by "The Donald". The hole that fell into the Pacific Ocean has been repaired and now rich folks can play a round of golf.

Getting back to San Pedro, you can now enjoy a weekend tour of the Point Fermin Lighthouse.

The lighthouse, built in 1874 now is home to its original large glass lens. You can climb up to the cuppola where the lens once was and look at views we weren't allowed to access until just several years ago.

Bring a Kleenex or hanky as you tour Ports O' Call. Right now it is a shell of its former self, but there are a very few shops that you just might remember there. It is probably nothing like you remember, so think of it as a pilgrimage instead of a tourist stop.

Not surprising to just about anyone is that another individual 'fell' to his death at Point Fermin. What is less usual is that he did it on the west side of the park quite a long way from Sunken City.

There are now plenty of access routes into the fenced off Sunken City area, so it is easier for us oldsters to renew memories there.

I still don't know why the local newspaper continues to provide articles about folks who meet their end off the cliffs.

For those of you who haven't visited the Fort MacArthur Military Museum, it is open on weekends and you can roam by gun implacements and through tunnels and have fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean.

For locals who are still living in OUR community, we always need more volunteers to assist YOUR community in a great number of things. Don't be afraid to get involved.

Whether you call it "Pedro" "San Pedro" or make it sound like "Sahn Paydro" it is OUR community to cherish, remember, and help grow.

Always remember, OUR community is NOT "San Paydro"!

Pondering A New Business Coming To OUR Community

2009-06-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

If you had trouble noticing the new banner, here is a hint.

Coming not soon enough for many is a bakery at the intersection of Western Avenue and Trudie Drive.

The educated guess is that Amalfitano Bakery will take over the space vacated when Sunken City Skate and Surf Shop left R.P.V. for downtown San Pedro.

A full service bakery seems to be a wonderful idea for Western Avenue and all of us who live in the area.

Even though Terri were full from the one pancake we each had at Rex's, we both spotted the banner placed just this morning as if our bakeryradar was in full working order.

Another bakery in OUR community? Heck yes and why not?

We all lost Ramona's far too soon and it has been gone some time now.

We will never stop loving Polly Ann's and the generations worth of great baked goods from there. Of course we will still visit and purchase great eats for that San Pedro institution.

We all must never forget that we have other local bakeries like Buscemi's, Portofino, Joseph's and other that provide our large family gatherings and small parties with great breads, rolls, and other baked good.

But with a new bakery on this side of OUR community, perhaps we can gather to discuss and debate heavy and light matters involving OUR community while enjoying baked goods in a family oriented environment.

Who could possibly not know the Almalfitano name in OUR community. Real San Pedrans and many who aspire to be Real San Pedran, and even those who never want to be Real San Pedrans know members of that great family.

Yes I know perfectly well that the bakery will not actually be in 'San Pedro' and we in R.P.V. welcome revenue generated by the new bakery.

Having it just five houses away from our kitchen and stomachs may create a bit of a problem for Terri and I. But just the vision of all those wonderful pastries, breads, cakes, deserts, and other baked goods is far too hard to put out of our mind.

It didn't take long for Terri to remember those famous words spoken about a former store's sales. "Open, open open" was heard in the Honda even before we got into the driveway.

Opening a business in these tough economic times is also a gamble and I hope that this venture begins strong and becomes an institution just like Polly Ann's continues to be.

So welcome to Rancho Palos Verdes and the rest of OUR community Amalfitano Bakery. Expect us on your opening day or even before that.

Two Releases To Ponder Concerning Warner On Wednesdays

2009-06-25T22:50:00.001-07:00

Below are two press releases concerning the Warner on Wednesdays showing of films at the historic Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro.

Because I sit in the ticket booth outside the theatre which was opened in 1931 I can attest that the second week of the schedule brought in far more audience members than the first week and hopes are that the crowds will grow larger with every week's film.

Now here is something really unusual about Warner On Wednesdays; paying just $10.00 is better than free!

Here are the details of how that can be.

Regular admission prices for tickets is just $3.00 per ticket. That would be a whole lot more than the hundreds of complementary tickets that have been passed out but even free costs more, if you want popcorn and sodas.

Let's say you and a friend come to the theatre and want two $3.00 tickets. You hand me $6.00 and you get two tickets.

You go to the consession stand and pay $3.50 each for two small popcorns and $2.50 for two small sodas.

Heck, the prices for popcorn and soda beats the stuffing out of regular theatre prices to begin with.

So, you total up the tickets, the popcorn, and the soda. You just spent $18.00 for two tickets, two popcorns, and two small sodas.

Let's say you use two complementary tickets. O.K., that knocks off $6.00 and you still see the movie and enjoy the grub for $12.00.

Think you are smart? How about I sell you a $10.00 special?

That two tickets for the movie, two small popcorns, and two small sodas for just $10.00!

See, that beats free if you want the popcorn and soda.

There are still some complementary tickets roaming around. If you don't want popcorn or sodas, try to find them.

So now here are the two press releases.
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Warner Grand Theatre on Wednesdays Proves To Be Popular With the People of San Pedro

Warner On Wednesdays (WOW) a summer film festival - has brought in the crowds and grows in popularity in Downtown San Pedro.

WOW - Warner On Wednsdays in San Pedro

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRLog (Press Release) – Jun 25, 2009 – In researching the genesis of Warner On Wednesdays (W.O.W) we spoke to producer, Ray Buffer who remarked, "in my time in San Pedro I have encountered a number of people who have told me that they had never been to Warner Grand Theatre, which surprised me. What I learned is that many have had the perception that it is a 'uppity' place where they may not be comfortable - many people were not connecting to the place because the material presented was not known to them, and the price - not attractive."

Buffer continued, "I had been thinking about a way to get more footsteps in the theatre for sometime, and I met with Dave Lynch, owner of Sacred Grounds Coffee House, over lunch. We discussed the economy, and the infrequent events at Warner Grand Theatre. We discussed ways to stimulate concession sales even if it meant producing an event ourselves. We talked about doing a series of 2nd run movies - films that were fairly new, and may just be coming out on DVD. Why rent the film and watch it at home, when for the same price (or less) you can enjoy it on the big screen watching a 35 MM print? I spoke with Lee about doing a series of films and what 'day' would be good for the theatre. We looked at the schedule and saw that Wednesdays and Thursdays were generally available, but Thursdays were less available. Lee told me that John Delgado, president of Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council had wanted to do a series of films for sometime, but things may have stalled. So I met with John and shared my reasons for wanting to do a Summer festival: get people into the theatre for the first time by making it affordable and mainstream and perhaps after the audience gets comfortable, they will come see other events at Warner Grand Theatre. John's reasons were to offer low cost entertainment to his constituents and perform outreach for Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council - he also wanted to see the Warner become a more popular venue for locals like it was when he was kid. We also shared the desire to invigorate business in downtown San Pedro on Wednesday nights. John agreed to work together and approach various councils for funding and I got to work on the film selection, bookings, and marketing. When we settled upon Wednesdays, I came up with "Warner On Wednesdays" (WOW) for our concept and produced posters and materials. As additional sponsors came aboard, fully committed, we revised materials to include them."

Buffer explained, "in May, The PBID and Chamber produced an event tied in with the Mayor's Day of Service called Super Service Saturday. I assisted them with title concept and marketing and by booking Superman Returns for a 4PM showing at Warner. This was where we first mentioned Warner On Wednesdays, and Superman Returns was fairly well attended despite a late marketing attempt. The event showed me that people who had never been to the theatre could be attracted for free. So in exchange for financial support, our sponsors were provided with "free" tickets that announce their sponsorship of the event and extended free admission to the holder courtesy of the funding organization. In addition we were selling $3 tickets at the door, and $10 tickets that included admission, sodas and popcorn for 2."

Buffer expounded, "if the series ultimately proves to be successful, then we would like to continue it either as a Summer Series of 12 films, or as a year round Wednesday event. Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council has provided 85% of the theatre costs, with Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council coming in with 10%, the other 5% of the theatre costs, the film rental, delivery and license fees, and marketing/ticket costs are covered by The Relevant Stage and Sacred Grounds. Revenue goes to mitigate costs, and any excessive profits go back to perpetuate more 'WOW' in the future."

When asked about the costs of this Summer film festival, Buffer answered, "one way TRS is attempting to make sure all the costs are paid for WOW, is by selling preshow on-screen advertising. For $360 (about the cost of a movie license and rental) a business or organization gets their slide shown 3 times or more accompanied by 15 seconds of voice over, before each screening. That amounts to 72 impressions over the 12 film series, which breaks down to just $5 per ad."

Buffer credits the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs for working to make sure this community partnership came to fruition, "Lee Sweet, General Manager of the Warner Grand Theatre which is owned by City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs has been invaluable in helping us navigate our way through this first series. He has dealt with all the movie companies - and it is no small feat to book 12 films from nearly as many film companies all within a fairly compact window of time, and juggle scheduling personnel of the theatre, including a projectionist for something the theatre has not seen regularly in a while: back to back film screenings - especially on a weekday."

Buffer advised, "the screenings at 6PM and 9PM hopefully allow those who are retired, out of school, and working from 9 to 5, equal opportunities to take in a WOW film, and eat in downtown San Pedro. We have seen with just the first two films, over 600 people come in to the Warner Grand Theatre on a Wednesday night!"

Buffer concludes, "we hope that people will seize the opportunity to get engaged with the Warner Grand Theatre through this affordable series. Movie theatres typically make their money through concession sales, and with Dave Lynch's recently expanded menu of including hotdogs, and the convenience of buying beer and wine, fresh cookies, popcorn, sodas and candies - we hope that audiences who get to see the movie for free or even for only $3, will be inclined to spend more liberally at the concession stand. Its great to see the community gather in such a beautiful theatre, and use it the way it was intended by its creators".

The Relevant Stage Theatre Company performs in residence at The Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro, CA. TRS' mission is to challenge hearts, engage minds and expose truths. TRS tells relevant stories about the contemporary world we share.

Warner On Wednesdays (WOW) is produced through a community partnership between TRS, DCA, Sacred Grounds Coffee House, Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council, and Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council.

_______________________________________________

THE WIZ starring Michael Jackson, to be Screened in San Pedro on August 19th as part of Warner On Wednesdays

2009-06-26 06:47:05 - "The Wiz" can be seen Wednesday, August 19 at 6PM and 9PM at Warner Grand Theatre for only $3, or for $10 you can get two drinks, two popcorn and two tickets. See Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow in a big 35MM print just as audiences saw it 31 years ago.

The Wiz is a 1978 American musical film produced by Motown Productions and Universal Pictures, and released by Universal on October 24, 1978. An urbanized retelling of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz featuring an entirely African-American cast, The Wiz was adapted from the 1975 Broadway musical of the same name. The film follows the adventures of Dorothy, a shy schoolteacher from Harlem, New York who finds herself magically transported to the wonderland of Oz — which resembles a fantasy version of New York City. Befriended by a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion, Dorothy travels through the world of Oz to seek an audience with the mysterious "Wiz", who they say has the power to take her home.

Produced by Rob Cohen and directed by Sidney Lumet, The Wiz stars Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Theresa Merritt, Thelma Carpenter, Lena Horne, and Richard Pryor. The film's story was reworked from William F. Brown's Broadway libretto by Joel Schumacher, and Quincy Jones supervised the adaptation of Charlie Smalls & Luther Vandross' songs for film. A handful of new songs, written by Jones and the songwriting team of Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson, were added for the film version. The film received four Academy Award nominations for Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Original Music Score and Best Cinematography.

Michael Jackson, a former Motown star who by the start of development on The Wiz in 1977, had left Motown for Epic Records with his brothers The Jacksons, was cast as the Scarecrow. Jackson was dedicated to the role, and watched videotapes of gazelles, cheetahs and panthers in order to learn graceful movements for his part. Critics noted that Jackson possessed "genuine acting talent" and "provided genuinely memorable moments." Of the results of the film, Jackson stated: "I don't think it could have been any better, I really don't." In 1980, Jackson stated that his time working on The Wiz was "my greatest experience so far...I'll never forget that."

Warner On Wednesdays had already scheduled "The Wiz" as part of its Summer Film Festival of affordable for films for families. The selection is made poignant by Jackson's sudden passing. On Wednesday, August 19, There will be two showings of "The Wiz" at 6PM and 9PM at Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th Street, San Pedro. Come see Michael Jackson's film acting debut, on the big screen for this rare opportunity. Visit: www.warnergrand.org for more details.

Pondering A Very Busy Summer In San Pedro

2009-06-19T13:02:00.000-07:00

Summer hasn't officially begun but it is well past time that we ponder on all the activities planned this summer in San Pedro.

The first note to remember is that there are TWO 'calendars' you should probably bookmark or add to your favorites for everything San Pedro.

http://www.sanpedrocalendar.com/ is under the umbrella of www.sanpedro.com and provides three calendars for you to use.

http://www.pedrocalendar.com/ run by Ms. Kristina Smith provides more descriptions about upcoming events, meetings, and other things.

Both sites are essentials for learning more about San Pedro and the hectic happenings happening almost every day.

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Shakespeare By The Sea has already begun and this weekend is "Love's Labour's Lost".

The Company needs all of our support and they really enjoy seeing the huge crowds attending the shows at Point Fermin Park.

http://www.shakespearebythesea.org/ is their site.

Little Fish Theatre Company, along with SBTS is offering "Hamlet II" a very comic parody of the cursed Dane's story. You can find information about that production on the same site.

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Music By The Sea begins in July. Now THREE music groups will perform in a program extended one-hour longer than in previous years.

http://www.sanpedrocalendar.com has the bands and a whole lot of information about other events this summer.

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The Golden States Pops Orchestra will offer a free performance at Cabrillo Beach on Independence Day. This is all part of a humongous day and evening long event that is one of the most popular and well attended events on July 4.

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July 11-12 finds Fort MacArthur Days at the Fort MacArthur Military Museum, in San Pedro.

Where else can you spot "Abraham Lincoln" conversing with "General Douglas MacArthur" and you might see our own John Olguin as "Capitan Juan Cabrillo.

There will be battles staged, parades conducted and you might see skirmishes between Roman soldiers against Civil War troops with some Redcoats added into the mix.

This is a real San Pedro treat for the whole family and quite the hoot of a good time.

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July 17-19 finds the Mary Star of the Sea Fiesta being held.

http://www.marystar.org/ has information about the event.

What is wonderful about great traditions continuing in OUR community abounds during the Fiesta.

For all Real San Pedrans and even those who want to be, you simply cannot miss one of the dinners during the Fiesta and we all must support the Queen of our choice.

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August 1-2 is the TWENTIETH annual Taste In San Pedro...has it really been going on that long?

http://www.therelevantstage.com/

The Web site looks bigger and better and I expect this year's event will match the improvements of the site and even more!

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Weekends from August 7-23 finds "The Last Five Years" being presented at The Warner Grand Theater by The Relevant Stage Theatre Company.

http://www.therelevantstage.com/

A Summer Camp for youth where "High School Musical 2" will be rehearsed and performed four times before live audiences is available through the Theatre Company and information about it can be found via their Web site. Those performances will be held in late July.

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The third annual TriArt Festival will take place on September 12 and 13.

http://www.triartfestival.com/ provides great information about this ever growing and improving event that all should attend.

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Ongoing every Saturday night at Midnight is the long-running "Rocky Horror Picture Show" at the Warner Grand Theater.

A $9.00 ticket provides you with both a movie and live-action with skits and pre-show happenings younger folks seem to enjoy.

There is an ongoing Fright Night on Fridays at the Warner Grand, too.

www.frightnightla.com has the information you may want.

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http://www.grandvision.org/schedule.shtml is the place to learn about events at The Warner Grand Theater and Grand Annex.

The Warner Grand Vision Organization is doing great things as far as providing entertainment and education in OUR community.

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Stop by Angel's Gate Cultural Center during the summer and look up the activities and showings going on at the former Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur.

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Tired yet?

We have the largest fountain in the State of California you need to visit.

We still have the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. We have the Marine Mammal Recovery Center.

Out on the coast there is the Point Vincente Interpretive Center, Trump National that has public walkways, and then there is.......

Terranea. Yes it is in San Pedro's neighboring city of Rancho Palos Verdes but it is a must-see for all of us.

Oh the opulence. Oh the pricyness. Oh the views. Did I mention the pricyness?

Get a good look soon because none of us know if it will be around in six months.

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Hungry?

Being San Pedro, we have probably the best Italian restaurants this side of Rome.

Our local restaurants can cook fish, beef, and other meat dishes that cannot be uneaten.

We just about every continent covered as far as types of foods offered in OUR community.

Have you eaten at Think Prime yet? Or should the real question be, can you afford to eat at Think Prime?

I always like to put a shout out to Admiral Risty's at the Golden Cove Shopping Center on P.V. Drive West.

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Need a nap or a picnic?

Thanks again to the very late Mr. George Peck for starting something that is truly great about OUR community.

We have parks. Lots of them. You can be hot and sticky at Eastview Park and Peck Park or you can get much cooler at Point Fermin Park.

When the waterworks are fixed at Averill Park, you can lounge or fish for crawdads or just get a big block of ice, a towel or piece of cardboard and slide down the grassy hills with your tummy on the block of ice.

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There is so much more I haven't listed that you can do in OUR community.

The great folks at Beacon House will be putting on their street fair for the community and so many of them help at just about every event mentioned on this post.

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HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

Pondering The Truth Of Where I Really Grew Up

2009-06-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

As far back as I can remember, my parents kept informing me that the tract of homes I grew up in was the original "Eastview". Well, they and I were not correct. In fact, we were 180 degrees off!

The first photo was taken in 1950 and shows my home and about 214 others in what was the first tract of homes built on the west side of Western Avenue.

The second photo is from Google Earth and you can sure tell times and things have changed.

An Article from The News Pilot dated May 4, 1950:

Harbor Area Project Includes 215 Houses

Two Hundred and fifteen new homes are being erected in county territory above Peck Park as the harbor area continues its residential building boom.

The dwellings, known as Western View Homes, are being constructed by Shinn-Worzburger Building Corp. of Los Angeles.

Two Hundred of the structures are two-bedroom homes with attached garages, while the other 15 are three-bedroom houses with detached two-car garages.

The Price range of the smaller structures is $7200 to $7650. The three-bedroom houses are being offered for $8950.

Forty of the dwellings have been completed and several families already have moved into the project. Pioneer families in the area include those of M.O. O'Brion, James J. Prendergast, R. A. Marcoux and F.T. Veazey.

Three new streets have been created by the project-Highmore Ave., Jaybrook Dr. and Homeworth Dr.

The Shinn-Wurzburger firm built 55 new houses in Walteria in 1948 and has also done large-scale housing construction at Hawthorne, Monrovia, Arcadia and Fontana and in the San Fernando Valley.

The Western View project was started last December. One hundred homes are expected to be completed before the end of this month.
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My dad told me he signed papers for his home while it was still only a foundation with wood framing on top.

When the house was finished, he and my grandmother moved into the brand new home with my mother joining them when my parents married.

Our home and yards look quite different now. Our house is pictured as the fifth house above Western Avenue on the left side of Trudie. The first house above Western has a Highmore address.

Our house has sort of a gray shading on its side and the two poles behind it basically define the area of our back yard.

No retaining walls, fences, or patio structure exist in the photo.

Thanks to Mr. Fred Crawford for supplying me with the photo and article.

Now for what the area looks like today, see the photo below.

As you can see, there are quite a few more vehicles visible along Western Avenue.

Long gone is the Channel Heights housing project with its apartments and market in the foreground of the older photo.

Of the 215 original homes first purchased at Western View Homes, only the home of Mr. and Mrs Graham has original buyers, to the best of my knowledge. Boy, they have seen a whole lot of change!

Marymount: The Two San Pedro Facilities Will Remain

2009-05-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

Here is an article that appeared in today's The Daily Breeze about the current Rancho Palos Verdes Planning Commissions deliberations concerning the Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project.

Rancho Palos Verdes Planning Commission delays Marymount decision

By Melissa Pamer Staff Writer

Posted: 05/27/2009 06:15:53 PM PDT

After months of meetings, the Rancho Palos Verdes Planning Commission again this week delayed making a decision on Marymount College's controversial expansion proposal.

At a Tuesday evening meeting that lasted well into Wednesday morning, the four commissioners went in detail over documents needed for the approval of the project, which has been altered in response to concerns from the community and city staff.

Those changes included the removal of two proposed dormitories that would house a total of 250 students. That element of the project has raised the most ire of a group of neighborhood opponents.

Commissioners were split 2-2 on that part of the plan at an April meeting, and Marymount officials altered their proposal in response.

"Rather than waste everyone's time, we just redesigned the campus taking out the residence halls," said Michael Brophy, president of Marymount College. "Our main task right now is to meet the needs of the Planning Commission so we can have approval of what they approve of. And that, for now, is really quite fine."

Although the dorms are no longer part of the plan before the Planning Commission, Marymount officials could still appeal that component to the City Council. Brophy said that decision has not yet been made.

"We are keeping all our options open," he said.

The expansion plan includes a large athletic center, a new library and other facilities that would more than double the footprint of the campus, which is surrounded by residential neighborhoods off Palos Verdes Drive East.

A group of area opponents, Concerned Citizens Coalition/Marymount Expansion, lobbied successfully to have the dorms tabled, but its efforts to have the athletic center removed from the plan has thus far failed. Some changes, however, have been made to that portion of the project.

The group, which has retained lawyers for the battle over the plans, on Tuesday repeated its request to have Commissioner David Tomblin recuse himself after his name appeared on a list of Marymount supporters compiled by the college. Tomblin said he had been advised by the City Attorney's Office that he did not need to recuse himself, adding that he did not recall ever signing any document in support of Marymount.

Three other commissioners had previously recused themselves.

The commission is set to continue deliberations June 9.

melissa.pamer@dailybreeze.com

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There is much more to this story as a result of the recent meeting the Planning Commission held.

During the most recent meeting the Chair of the Commission forbade any speaker from providing any comments about the recent tragedy of the death of a second-year student of the College as a result of a single-vehicle incident.

Lawyers have already been notified about the possible problems with the Brown Act and any speaker's possible violation of their first amendment rights.

However, any mention of the tragedy and its effects on on-campus student housing was already moot since dorms had been taken off the table before the incident occurred.

Next, it seems the Commissioner who recused himself wound up on a printed and published list of supporters of the project even though he never considered himself to be one.

Opponents of the project believe they have grounds to question more of the 897 names submitted by the project's supporters because of that and possibly more irregularities.

What does this all mean to San Pedro?

First, get ready to continue to see the two off-campus housing facilities remain in use, if not grow.

Since one of the Alternatives to having on-campus housing at the College is to expand the off-campus housing along Palos Verdes Drive North, that may still come into play.

The off-campus housing site at 24th and Cabrillo in San Pedro known as Pacific Heights has been slated to be closed by the College for years now. Please don't bother betting it will soon be closed.

The folks at Marymount do not wish you to know that two of their students were injured in a traffic collision on Western Avenue earlier this month, either.

Opponents of the College's Expansion Project may now go after the expansion of the Athletic facilities on the Rancho Palos Verdes Campus.

Since there will not be anyone living on the campus, folks who never liked the large gym playing fields may wish to seek to have them eliminated, too.

I feel that would be a shame because there are lots of students and others that could benefit from having better access to athletic facilities on The Hill.

But it sure looks to many of us like the NIMBYs living close to the campus stuck it again to San Pedrans.

But I can honestly claim that San Pedrans were never out in number to support on-campus housing and the closing of the Pacific Heights housing site when the Planning Commission met.

Where were you San Pedrans? If you really wanted Pacific Heights to close, why weren't more of you commenting to the Planning Commissioners and R.P.V. City Council?

Where are the northwest San Pedro and eastern R.P.V. residents when all the traffic problems that will continue as long as Palos Verdes North stays open with 300 students?

I spoke out many times about the increase of traffic along Western Avenue would have because of the project.

The main opposition group to having on-campus housing used their belief in the expansion of the Palos Verdes North off-campus facility.

It is expected by many that once whatever is granted in the way of the Expansion Project is complete, the College will come back and demand on-campus housing.

Perhaps we on the east side of The Hill have more chances to have our wishes considered.

Welcome Ponderers!

2009-05-22T01:56:00.000-07:00

If you are visiting this blog because you saw the advertisement in the program, thanks for attending the show and welcome.

This blog is dedicated to pondering many issues relating to San Pedro and other local communities.

Whoever believes that San Pedro is just a sleepy bedroom community at the end of the Harbor Freeway is quite mistaken in their beliefs so many of us think.

San Pedro is part of a vibrant ever changing community with more issues than many other communities face.

We are located at the end of just about everything in the L.A. area. We share a peninsula with at least four other cities and we are the largest of them all.

San Pedro is part of the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports. The two ports combined welcome over 44% of ALL of the goods imported into the United States.

San Pedro continues to be a community in transition. The downtown area is presently undergoing a rough time involving change, loss, and trying to figure out new directions that will benefit everyone.

There is a large residential development project on the community's northwest border that was second only to the massive Playa Vista project.

With change being the only constant, this blog explores many proposed changes and wonders on the Internet what is the best for San Pedro and the surrounding communities.

There has been a lull in my publishing posts lately. If you attended "Upton Sinclair's Singing Jailbirds, The Musical" I was a member of the picketers, The Dominie, and The Bailiff in the show.

After the run of the show I think I'll go back to just being the House Manager for The Relevant Stage Theatre Company and let the real actors perform great musicals in the future.

Thank you for stopping by. If you read this and the other blogs you will see why I really need to learn to edit myself better or find and editor that can help me.

Pondering When You Will Come See the New Musical!

2009-05-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

This Friday evening The Relevant Stage Theatre Company opens "Upton Sinclair's Singing Jailbirds, the Musical"!

The show, based on an actual historical event that happened right in San Pedro is being presented and the very historic Warner Grand Theater, which opened in 1931.

When you come to the performance you may get a better understanding where I have been spending much of my writing time.

ONLINE ONLY - A Limited number of discount seats are available for Friday, May 22, and Friday May 29! Buy One Get One Free on Friday! Good only for Advance Sales, online.
BUY HERE and enter promotion code: SOLIDARITY.

That's right, for the two Friday performances, General Admission tickets are just $10.00 each when you purchase them online using the link on www.therelevantstage.com.

Be sure to include "Solidarity" in the 'Discount Code' box so you can see the World Premiere run of this new musical.

If you can't make it to a Friday performance, here are the ticket prices for the rest of the show's run.

Prices

Youths 18 and under

$5.00 ($6.12 w/service fee)

1/2 Price Special

$10.00 ($11.24 w/service fee) Remember “Solidarity”

Seniors 55+/College

$15.00 ($16.37 w/service fee)

General Adult

$20.00 ($21.49 w/service fee)

Wine Lover's

$25.00 ($26.62 w/service fee)

Pick of the Vine is located directly across 6th Street from The Warner Grand Theater where the show is being performed.

Whale & Ale + Show

$40.00 ($41.99 w/service fee)

The Whale & Ale is a San Pedro favorite and carries fine food and drink.

6th Street Bistro

$40.00 ($41.99 w/service fee)

6th Street Bistro is located about one block east of the theater and offers great cuisine.

Show+Donation

$120.00 ($123.99 w/service fee)

Shipping Method

Will-Call Tickets - Free (Recommended!)

You will not receive a physical ticket, rather your name will appear on the list at the door of the event. You will need to provide your ID for admittance. "Will-call" offers the greatest flexibility for making changes to your order, and potentially allows the option for a full refund for up to 12 hours.

Physical Tickets - USPS Express Mail - $18.00

These tickets will be shipped within 1 business day and should arrive within 3 business days.

Where else can you find live theater performances that will entertain you for so few dollars?

You can plan a great evening of dining or wine tasting and then enjoy a show from the newest professional Theatre Company in the South Bay.

Pondering Musical Theater in San Pedro

2009-05-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

The poster above is the latest one for "Upton Sinclair's Singing Jailbirds, the Musical".

The Relevant Stage Theatre Company is presenting the World Premiere of this musical based partially on actual events that happened right here in San Pedro.

This monument sits near the Boys and Girls Club of the Port of Los Angeles and informs readers of the historical event that happened at a Liberty Hill home.

The Relevant Stage Theatre Company at: www.therelevantstage.com is producing its second production of its 2009 Season at the Warner Grand Theater in downtown San Pedro.

Ticket sales have begun for the production that is scheduled for the last two weekends in May.

You can find all the information you may want to learn and purchase tickets by visiting the Theatre Company's Web site.

Now to be open and honest, I have accepted and I am currently rehearsing three different roles for this production so I am not totally objective about reviewing what I know so far.

But I can offer that theatre patrons will have a most remarkable time at the production.

The audience will see actors and actresses that perform throughout Southern California and a most fantastic band of first-time actors that will completely blow all away.

I don't have words to describe the pride and joy we have had working with the new actors, singers, and yes, even dancers from Beacon House.

A group of gentlemen have challenged themselves and the rest of us to provide all of us with a real enlightenment.

Take a group of folks in recovery, ask them to do things they would probably never have done if not for this experience and watch wonderful men shine throughout!

They have stepped away from what they knew about themselves and proved they can do so much more that they thought they could.

I am humbled and very very proud of our own Beacon House group. This is yet one more reason that OUR community has been given so many great gifts by men who others don't seem to care enough about.
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The star of the production began rehearsals for his part began during a performance run he was in for "The Full Monty". That show was a sell out in Orange County.

Our cast includes trained singers and dancers who have worked all over the country and have been in shows in New York.

The Relevant Stage Theatre Company is in its second full season of productions.

They gained a real footing with "A Christmas Carol" last season that will be produced this December because of its success.

"I Love You. You're Perfect. Now Change." the second musical of this season was so popular its run was extended!

The Relevant Stage Theatre Company brings to San Pedro and a second professional Theatre Company. Little Fish Theatre Company is the older troupe of players that has brought persist ant quality pieces to OUR community for many years.

Having two professional companies also adds to the hopes that more business comes to downtown San Pedro.

The Relevant Stage Theatre Company offers a combination of tickets with an experience with "Off the Vine" and "The Whale and Ale".

They also offer a Season Pass with discounted prices for the remaining productions this season.

Of the two professional larger Theatre Companies, The Relevant Stage offers a range of ticket prices that are less than found at Little Fish Theatre Company.

"Upton Sinclair's Singing Jailbirds, the Musical" brings the largest cast to the biggest stage in San Pedro, the Company has ever had.

I hope you all come and watch me and so many other perform for you later this month.

Pondering Dealing With A Crashed Hard Drive

2009-05-03T00:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes having a hard drive crash can bring new sites to learn about.

One such site I found as a result of having to rebuild my stored data is:

http://www.passion-for-san-pedro.com/index.html

When I find sites that deal with OUR community, I like to make other aware of them too.

Linda Dixon's site has some very interesting pages and I recommend her blog be looked from time to time.

Now back to the crashed hard drive.

I HATE Windows Vista!!!!. I am so used to Windows XP and I cannot stand not being able to do the things I found so easy to do.

Of course I have my Vista puter set up to look like a classic form, but I am still having a dilly of a time saving individual files, photos, and videos.

Why can't I just right-click and or find a save as prompt with the foul thing?

The longer I use Vista the more I believe the Microsoft engineers developed it as a method for that company to control our use of our computers.

I am now very comfortable using my iMac for things I used to do on my big Dell that died.

I haven't found an Adobe Photoshop for the iMac but I bet there is one out there if I can afford it. I am not fond of iPhoto compared to the various Photoshops I have my hands on.

I prefer Microsoft Office 2007 over some of the iMac programs, but they are fine and the iMac saves everything in any format I want.

The big debate I am having with myself is whether I get a replacement hard drive for the Dell. Since it is an older 1Gig Dell, I will probably need to replace the hard drive with a like hard drive even though it is sorely out of date. I don't want to trick the motherboard into thinking a sata-300 hard drive is really a sata-150 like what came with the computer.

Having an big external hard drive saved most of my rear end, but I forgot to backup my iTunes and some view files I saved before the Dell crashed.

Thank goodness the value of what was lost is far less than having to pay the hundreds of dollars having the old drive attempted to be restored.

I think I have mentioned that I HATE VISTA on other posts.

My I.T. son Dave says he saw a trial of Windows 7 and it looks fine to him.

The next time Microsoft feels it can make its operating system look and feel like the operating systems on iMacs, we all should travel to Redmond Washington and provide a piece of our minds and probably some computer hardware through the windows of Microsoft.

Windows Vista belongs in the same storage facility that "New Coke" now festers in.

Another thing that also helps when your hard drive crashes is to have a big iMac within three feet of the P.C. and also having at least one laptop available to bring up in a pinch.

Pondering the Pandemic

2009-04-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Please don't panic!

Scientists are already revealing that the H1N1 virus causes a milder flu than many previous flu strains.

The Marine that was first diagnosed in California is already recovering well.

Wash you hands.

Cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze.

Drink plenty of fluids.

Don't panic!

Remain aware and keep learning.

This may be a world wide pandemic, but it won't be anything like the 1918 pandemic.

If you do catch the H1N1 virus, you'll have something to write about, remember, and tell your grandchildren.

Take all the normal precautions you would if you know there may be ill folks around you.

Don't stop living your life or enjoying it!

This flu strain appears to be relatively mild compared to other flu strains. It just spreading like wildfire all over the globe.

You may feel that you can help others in poorer nations by making donations. That is a wonderful thing to do. Everyone on this planet appears to be in the path of the virus.

Maybe the crew of the International Space Station might want to stick it our up there a little longer than normal. They would all probably recover from an H1N1 virus attack because human space travelers are usually in pretty good physical condition to begin with.

Pigs can't give you the H1N1 "Swine Flu" or "Avian/Swine Flu" virus.

Most of the masks you have seen being warn do absolutely nothing to stop the spread of the virus. They may just help in the minds of those wearing them.

If you feel you may have the H1N1 virus, study it online before you race off to the emergency room for a dose of Tamaflu.

There are going to be lots and lots of folks who will get sicker than you that will need the services more than you might need them. They will probably need them sooner than you.

I expect to catch the strain. I have plenty of "Smart Water" and "Gatorade" on hand. My Britta pitcher is always refilled.

I have my soup and comfort food and plenty of facial tissue at home.

Please be prepared and knowledgeable. Please don't panic.

If you do get sick, please stay home and try not to spread your illness to others.

Please look out more for your elderly parents, friends, and neighbors. They will probably get his harder because they don't take in as much liquids as they should.

If you catch it and when you feel well enough, you may want to inform others about your experiences.

The news media seems to be already overcrowding the airwaves with too many reports. They may be the ones that could instill needless panic on folks.

Rumors have already flown all over San Pedro.

Worry if you must. Just don't panic!

We've got enough on all of our plates to over concern ourselves about a relatively weak strain of a common illness.

It's a somewhat milder flu. It's just that we will probably all catch it whether we live in OUR community or anywhere else on this planet.

__________________________________________

Immediate Update!!

Less than one minute after I published the original post my phone rang.

On the other end of the line was our baby Dan.

Dan is 29 and a paramedic in Hesperia, Ca.

Dan probably has the H1N1 virus. His temp is 102 and he is a first responder.

Neither of us are anywhere near panicing. He is going to call into the nurses station that the hospital he normally delivers patients to and provide information to them.

As a first responder I hope he get the Tamaflu swab up his nostrils and his information passed along to the San Bernarding County Health Department sooner rather than later.

He left work after 5 hours yesterday with flu-like symptoms.

I'll report back on this blog if and when his strain of virus is confirmed. It surely looks, feels, and seems like the H1N1 strain though.

Dan informed us that we are now 'grandparents' of two-ten week old puppies.

Our granddogs are going to grow into big dogs but now are just playful handfuls that know to use the paper but haven't learned that the best place to 'go' is outside.

Dan feels ill but he certainly has felt worse in his life. He doesn't sound all that ill. I hope he recovers quickly so he can get back into his ambulance and help others calling 911 while feeling sick.

Now Dan will have first-hand knowledge of this latest flu it seems so he can help other from panicing.

It looks like he may get lots of overtime replacing ill paramedics and going on a whole lot more runs.

It's just wierd that Dan called so soon after I published the post.

Pondering the Name for SRHS 15

2009-04-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

I got flooded today with information that seems to be coming from one John Mavar about the possible name of the new high school under construction on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur.

While I did have a giggle or two about Mr. Mavar's announcement, I am glad he is FINALLY on board with something that began four years ago with another proposed high school in San Pedro.

Here is Mr. Mavar's 'for immediate release' press release:

Below is the start of the process that I would like to see become a great community participation. I would like to see us discuss and put a plan together for this naming processes. LAUSD has giving us/me the "ok" to move forward with this processes.
Please let me know your thoughts.

John M. Mavar
Hon Mayor San Pedro 01-03
Vice President, Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council

###For Immediate Release###

April 24, 2009

Former Honorary Mayor of San Pedro and Vice President of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council, John M. Mavar is gathering support for naming the new San Pedro High School Annex on the Angles Gate site, the John Olguin Annex to San Pedro High School.

As the founder of the Cabrillo Whale-Watch program in San Pedro, John Olguin has been instrumental in developing ways for children and their families to learn not only about the whales, but all marine life. He has touched the lives of thousands of children and adults over the years and provided them with life long memories and many have gone on to pursue careers in the marine sciences."

As this new annex is to house a marine science magnet, the naming of this school after Mr. Olguin is appropriate.

John Olguin was born in San Pedro, CA on February 18, 1921.( Actually Mr. Mavar, John was born in East San Pedro where he grew up. When you were born the area was part of Terminal Island.)He was employed by the City of Los Angeles, Dept. of recreation and Parks for 50 years. He was a lifeguard captain and in 1949, he accepted the position of Director for the Cabrillo Marine Museum in San Pedro, CA., and is currently the Director Emeritus of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Mr. Olguin is also a charter member of the American Cetacean Society and the founder of the Cabrillo "Whale watch" program.

John Olguin has a way with the education children from all over Los Angeles about marine life and he is famous for his, "DO IT-DO IT", way of teaching.""He is one of those people that we are so lucky to be living with in our community, said John Mavar, Vice President of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council.

The new high school will be built environmentally friendly with state of the art learning and environmental technology.

John Olguin has been recognized by the community as Man of the Century by the San Pedro Rotary Club and has had numerous other recognitions after his lifetime of work on behalf of the children and community of San Pedro.

With conversation throughout the community a meeting is planned for April 28, 2009 at San Pedro City Hall, 6pm. The NWSPNC, Issue committee. will be taking the lead on the naming process by asking the community to be involved. The community is invited to submit suggestions. More details of the process will come out of Tuesdays meeting.

####
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John M. Mavar
Vice President, Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council
www.nwsanpedro.org
www.sanpedrotoday.com
www.johnmavar.com

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Thanks John for taking the bull by the horns! You are somewhat late in coming on board with the idea but at least you are now on board.

One of the Emails I got today reminded me that I called for naming SRHS 15 after John Olguin. I also included the idea of naming the site the John and Muriel Olguin High School because John's wife has also done a great many good deeds in OUR community.

Muriel is a proud Pilot. (Banning High School, Wilmington). She is a wonderful local artist who has been recognized many times for her accomplishments and fantastic giving to OUR community.

The Port of Los Angeles and just about everyone else did a very bad thing by not naming Port of Los Angeles High School for John Olguin. The port contains water. John has always been synonymous with water. No Marine Magnet school was planned when POLAHS was named. Shame on all those who supported naming that Charter School what they did. It was the most recent public school built in San Pedro and it should have carried the Olguin name.

Now then, let's get back to more of the past.

Once upon a time, LAUSD came up with a ridiculous idea for a new high school in San Pedro.

They wanted to build a 2,025-seat Senior High School to have students who normally would have attended Narbonne and San Pedro High Schools attend that monster. Go ahead, count the possible fights, riots, and other disturbances that would have been created.

That Scoping of those plans was conducted in 2005. That was the same year many of us stated to whoever would listen that if that high school would have been built, it must carry the Olguin name.

We aren't getting that horrible high. We are getting a new campus on a site I feel strongly it should not be built at.

Whether I want a new campus on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur is not any point.

Whatever new public LAUSD campus is next built and no matter where it is built at, it MUST carry the Olguin name.

It will not be a proud moment for any of us except John and his family to have the banner removed from the name of the school because we are all very late in having that happen.

But it will be justice for us to do what has been right since the last new regular public school was built in San Pedro.

Taper Avenue School was built in the early 1960's. It only has taken us a little less than 50 years or so to finally provide John and his family what is correct, just, and worthy.

Say It Ain't So, Al!

2009-04-23T00:29:00.000-07:00

Here is an artical from The Daily Breeze that has been coming for some time now.

Union War Surplus store may be marching into retirement
By Donna Littlejohn Staff Writer
Posted: 04/22/2009 08:04:46 PM PDT

An employee and a customer complete a transaction at San Pedro s quirky surplus store, Union War, which is likely putting a period to decades of selling oddball items from woolen boot socks to personal urinals. Stocked with thousands of oddball items - World War II mess kits, water pumps, camouflage underwear, woolen boot socks and fire-resistant overalls, to name a few - San Pedro's Union War Surplus store has been a quirky staple of the downtown shopping district for 63 years.

But Union War's owner, "Cheerful" Al Kaye, whose familiar, bearded visage has been synonymous with the business for decades, is now 84 and has decided to retire.

Beginning May 1, Union War will launch a 40-percent-off liquidation sale while transferring much of its name-brand work clothing to Urban Feet, a neighboring business.

"It's an icon in San Pedro," Kaye's former business partner, Tom Thomas, said of Union War, housed in an old Woolworth's store at 355 W. Sixth St. "There are three generations of people who will tell you their father brought them into this store when they were kids."

Whether the store will go away for good, however, remains unclear. Thomas, 45, and others are hoping to find a way to revive Union War.

Kaye was not available for an interview this week and no final closure date has been determined, Thomas said.

But for now, items are being cleared out and everything is 20 percent off leading up to the May 1 liquidation sale.

"It's kind of like a museum," said Jeff Daquila, the store manager who has worked at Union War for 19 years. "If you walk into Target, everything is sterile. This is organic. We have kids who came in here with their fathers and now they're coming in here with their sons."

Many locals have done stints at Union War's cash register during summer vacations.

Thomas began working in the store in 1976 and became a business partner of Kaye's in 1989.

They separated in 1991 when Thomas went on to run a prison-supply warehouse.

Walking into Union War can be a jolt to the senses.

With its creaky wooden floors, the store features aisles that are packed floor to ceiling with stacks of work and camping clothes, gear, and the more than occasional oddity such as a porcelain-plated personal urinal or a Czechoslovakian dental kit from the 1960s.

There are old military duffel bags, thermal underwear, jackets, canteens, helmets and new ice chests. Mosquito netting is going for $3.99 and tents are marked now at 40 percent off.

"There's some military surplus that's obviously been around for years," said Thomas of Rolling Hills. "We have wool pants on sale for $2 each. We have lots of knives, camping equipment, backpacks, duffel bags, we have a tremendous amount of sweats."

There are reading glasses, shot glasses, bandannas and car decals.

The 5,000-square-foot basement also is filled with merchandise, including old parachutes, emergency 55-gallon water drums, waterproof flashlights and earthquake preparedness kits.

The store opened after World War II when San Pedro had a strong military presence. Kaye's brothers, Ira and Dick, and cousin Robbie were the first owners, with Kaye taking over when the others moved away. All were World War II veterans.

The store has moved three times since it opened, but has always been on lower Sixth Street.

The sign hanging over the front door brags that customers can buy anything from a "battleship" to camping knives.

Years ago, the store sold old military barges and also bunk beds and military clothing. Union War supplied many of the local ships when the shipping industry thrived.

"The only time Cheerful ever got mad at me was when I had my restaurant and I wanted to put up a sign that said people could buy a submarine there," said neighboring business owner Mike Caccavalla. "I thought it was funny. But he didn't like it."

Cannery workers and other locals often cashed their checks at Union War.

"We'd cash paychecks at no charge, making four to six bank runs a day," Thomas said.

Thomas won't rule out somehow keeping the store afloat down the road. The building for now remains in the Kaye family.

"I've been sick to my stomach over it," Thomas said of the closure. "I was raised in that store, I worked there for many, many years."
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Many of us attended San Pedro High with many of the cousins that made up the Kaye and Robinson family.

If you are or every aspire to be a Real San Pedran then you have spent countless hours shopping at Union War Surplus during your lifetime.

If you couldn't find what you wanted at Perry's on 8th Street, you could find it at Union War Surplus.

I visited Union War Surplus just after the Hahn Parking Meter Fee Increase went into effect.

The store was already holding a 25% or so off everything just to try and attract more business along 6th. Street where we had to feed, feed, and feed, the meters.

Most certainly Mr. Al Kaye has more than earned his retirement. But would he have considered staying around a bit longer had the meter increases not happened?

This 'change' to the business community in downtown San Pedro is not the type of 'change' too many people in OUR community are crying for.

We will barely nod or notice the loss of Starbuck's at the Centre Street Lofts.

But if and when Union War Surplus finally locks its doors for the last time, it will be widely noted and be very sad.

Perhaps all the "newbies" (folks who weren't born here or can't trace their roots to Komiza or Ischia) may be happy.

It's just one more sign that the "newbies" want San Pedro to become more like Marina Del Rey or Santa Monica.

As the months and years pass, there will be more "newbies" than us.

Maybe it is time for many Real San Pedrans to gracefully exit OUR beloved town and look for more comfortable places.

In the end we all should rejoice that we had Union War Surplus in our lives.

For little San Pedro Boys, we were all G.I.Joes in that store.

For the workers throughout OUR community, it is and was a place to buy essentials for work.

For campers and outdoors men and women, it is and was the store to visit.

Cramped and crammed isles. The sound of our shoes on that hardwood floor. All the stuff we needed help in lowering down from it high storage spots.

Most importantly it has always been the place where great and friendly people worked.

For so many members of OUR community, it was so much like home. Familiar. Warm. Entertaining. Imagination. Growing up as the store grew more stocked. Peace among chaos of all that stuff for sale.

Gosh! Wasn't it the best?

Pondering "What Part Of No..."

2009-04-18T00:13:00.000-07:00

What part of "NO" don't they understand?

At last Tuesday's Rancho Palos Verdes Planning Commission meeting, Commissioners voted against allowing on-campus housing at Marymount College in Rancho Palos Verdes.

Whether supporters of the College's plan to build on-campus residences halls on the Junior College campus will live with that part of no is yet to be seen.

But according to at least one Commissioner and the main opposition group to having on-campus housing, proposing that all student housing be along Palos Verdes Drive North in San Pedro is something too many folks don't seem to understand that "NO" means NO!

Commissioner Lewis and members of the Concerned Citizens Coalition/Marymount Expansion continue to claim that the superior environmental Alternative on on-campus student housing is redeveloping the Colleges site in northwest San Pedro to house all student housing AND the athletic facilities for a College campus at least five miles away.

What part of NO don't they understand?

Currently there are about 300 students and staff members living in 86 units owned by Marymount College along Palos Verdes Drive North between Western Avenue and Five-Points.

The College was given the land by the Federal Government for use as housing. The 86 units on the site are actually four units more than current L.A. zoning codes would allow for.

A variance was granted to allow housing on the four units exceeding the zoning.

The current housing site in northwest San Pedro is fenced in and across a major six-lane street from a residential neighborhood in Harbor City.

There is also an Apartment building the College owns and operates as student housing near the corner of 24th Street and Cabrillo Avenue in the southern part of San Pedro.

The College has stated on several occasions they want to close the 'Pacific Heights' building, but they have haven't done that and they probably won't no matter what they continue to claim.

So, the Planning Commission voted against on-campus housing as part of the Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project. There will be votes coming to formally accept and reject specific portions of the College's plans before those plans move to the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council for final votes.

Currently the College's Preferred Project consists of ADDING and additional 624.4 vehicle trips per day along Western Avenue north of Trudie Drive.

That may not seem much right now, but since the Planning Commission may make the Palos Verdes North site the primary place for more student housing, we really don't know who many more vehicles may travel along Western Avenue for the College's purposes.

Oh and please remember, there is that 61.53-acre project site along Western Avenue that really is the elephant in the living room.

Until now there really hasn't been a strong need for folks living in San Pedro, eastern R.P.V., Harbor City, Lomita, and other areas on The Hill to get bothered by the Marymount Expansion Project.

But between now and June I hope more folks inform the Rancho Palos Verdes Planning Commission and the members of the R.P.V. City Council that they are not going to be able to pawn off more student housing onto San Pedro no matter what the neighbors of the College want.

Marymount College was established as a private Junior College for day use. Even though folks at the College may have always wanted on-campus housing, their demands should fall on deaf ears because like Bob Bisno, they should have know what could occur.

Buying something with the intent to change it in the future doesn't mean you will be granted the right to change it.

There are still lots of hoops for the College to jump through and they have lawyers and some money to spend on them.

Dr. Michael Brophy the President of Marymount College and the supporters of the Expansion Project do not want the Living Campus/Academic Campus Alternative suggested by Commissioner Lewis and CCC/ME. I can't imagine anyone at the College wanting to deal with the Los Angeles City Planning Department, especially with the elephant in the living room so close to the Palos Verdes North off-campus housing site.

The part of "NO" that Commissioner Lewis and members of the opposition group need to learn is that there are many more of us living close to Palos Verdes Drive North that do not want any expansion of the College's off-campus site than there are members of CCC/ME.

We happen to have just worked through a major victory against the same elephant in the living room and the Marymount Project would be no sweat for us and R Neighborhoods Are 1.

We have the bureaucracy of the city of Los Angeles at our side and we have the fact that there seems to be some residents of Rancho Palos Verdes who want to dump their troubles onto us.

That simply is not going to happen.

If Marymount College wants to buy up houses near the campus for student housing, that may be a good idea.

If Marymount College wishes to buy the remaining structures now owned by the Volunteers of America along Palos Verdes Drive North, then that is something that could and should be pondered.

If anyone really thinks or feels that Marymount College should expand their current Palos Verdes North facility to allow more student housing and/or the athletic fields, then I think they need to learn more about the part of "NO" they are having trouble with.

Pondering the 2010 Census

2009-04-17T23:09:00.000-07:00

The first one was in 1790.

The U.S. Census is mandated by the United States Constitution.

The published results of the 2010 U.S. Census MUST be on the desk of the President of the United States by the close of business on December 31, 2010.

The 2010 U.S. Census is unlike any previous Census.

It is one part of our participation in our Federal Government that is very important for many reasons.

The primary reason a Federal Census is conducted is for the apportionment of the population to the 435 members of the House of Representatives.

While each individual member of the House of Representatives may end up having fairly equal numbers of the population to represent, where that represented population may change as the result of the 2010 Census.

Another major reason to know where everyone lives is to determine where Federal Government spending is done. The areas where the population is the highest may receive more Federal Spending than other areas for social programs and other things.

Being counted in the U.S. Census is one of the best ways OUR community members can learn more about OUR community and help it in the future.

The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the Department of Commerce and the Federal Census is taken every 10 years on years ending in zero.

This year there is a new program with the U.S. Census that has been established and already has begun.

The first phase which has been underway for about three weeks is to find where everyone in the United States lives or could live.

The U.S. Census doesn't want to know who lives where yet. It wants to know where folks live or can live on properties all over the country.

You may have already seem employees of the U.S. Census Bureau in your neighborhood.

'Production Enumerators' or 'Listers' are canvasing the entire United States of America to determine where we all live or could live.

These individuals are walking individual neighborhoods all over the country wearing their identification badges, holding Hand Held Computers and gathering information dealing with locations of housing units and other places where we live or could live.

These workers will not need to enter private residences so if anyone claiming to represent the U.S. Census wants to enter you private home, DON'T LET THEM IN!

Several days to a week or so after the 'Production Listers' have finished a particular area, you may see another person carrying a similar Hand Held Commuter knock on your door or walk the streets of your neighborhood.

These folks are 'Quality Control Enumerators' or 'Listers' who are using a sample of the Production Lister's findings to verify the accuracy of the Address Lists compiled during the first canvasing of the area.

These folks also DO NOT need to enter your private residence, so don't let them in, either.

If you see a Production Lister or Quality Control Enumerator standing in your front yard holding their Hand Held Computer facing north, please do not worry. They are simply using G.P.S. to identify the location of your home on the maps being created by the Census Bureau.

In about April, 2010 your mailbox will contain a short form from the U.S. Census asking you specific questions about who you are and the identities of everyone living in your housing unit.

The U.S. Census Bureau encourages you to fill out the form as completely and as accurately as possible so we all can have a count on who lives in the United States and where our taxes should be spent.

As part of the following and to provide you with some information, I have been hired as a Quality Control Enumerator of the 2010 Census.

This phase of gathering addresses all across the United States should end on or about June 19, 2009 when a second phase is planned to gather information about group housing types.

During this first phase of the U.S. Census there are some important things you should know:

We could not care less whether the housing unit on a property is built using zoning codes or is even a legal residence. Don't worry, we won't tell anyone if you have converted a garage or shed into living quarters you are renting out.

We could not care less who you or anyone else is, in terms of personal identification.

We do not need or want to know if the residents of any living quarters is a citizen or not. We will not share information with I.C.E. because we don't care!

In this phase we won't ask you about names of folks who live in dwellings.

We just are trying our best to determine the addresses of where folks live or could live.

If we knock on your door, we should hand you a privacy notice. If we don't, ask for one.

We will ask you if there are any other places where humans live or could live on the property you reside at.

If you have converted your basement and it has a separate door so your renter can go and come without bothering you, we will need to go to that door and take a 'Map Spot' just like we take at your front door. This helps locate where folks live.

Please don't feel you can't or shouldn't ask us any question you may have. We should be mindful that we are coming into your neighborhood doing something that has never happened before like this. We all should provide neighbors with answers to any questions you have.

Our Hand Held Computers do not and will not contain names of persons living anywhere. They are not designed to use information like that and we have no use for that at this time.

The Hand Held Computers used to gather location and address information are going to be used ONLY to identify location of living quarters and nothing after that.

The U.S. Federal Census that will be conducted to take the actual count of the population requires paper responses and a paper trail must be created with those processes.

So, in further pondering about being part of the count of the population, you may want to ponder about what it might mean for OUR community.

The most accurate count of who lives where will mean where tax dollars can be spent and who may end up representing us in the House of Representatives.

It could mean OUR community receives more consideration about all of our issues because there are more of us here than previously considered.

It might mean OUR community may have growth statistics recalibrated to find out how many more housing projects we need or can have.

We may actually learn how many senior citizens live in OUR community compared to other age groups.

We will eventually learn some more economic statistics after the 2010 Census is published to determine whether our income levels compare to other areas.

The U.S. Census Bureau conducts studies throughout the ten-year period between the official U.S. Federal Census. But the 2010 Census is the big one I hope we all participate to the fullest in.

Pondering and A Relevation

2009-04-02T00:07:00.000-07:00

Click over image to enlarge.

I have accepted the roles of The Dominie and The Bailiff in the upcoming production illustrated above.

The production is loosely based on a real event that happened on San Pedro's Liberty Hill in 1923.

The charge of criminal syndicalism was thrown onto strikers who were attending a function in a private yard and were welcomed by the homeowner.

Approximately 600 citizens were thrown into the San Pedro jail for using their constitutional rights during a time when the Los Angeles Police Department didn't consider that citizens had those rights.
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I have posted information about the most recent hearing by the Rancho Palos Verdes Planning Commission regarding the Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project.

It can be found at: www.eastrpv.blogspot.com.

I wish more San Pedrans and eastern R.P.V. residents were more interested in the issues because the outcome could effect portions of San Pedro and R.P.V.
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If you notice the cruise ship terminal lately, you may see a 'new' cruise ship calling the Port of L.A. Home.

The Mariner of the Seas has replaced the Monarch of the Seas in our harbor.

The Monarch of the Seas carries 2,744 passengers and a crew of 858.

The Mariner of the Seas carries 3,114 passengers and a crew of 1,185.

Along with the Disney Wonder coming to our port in 2011 with its passenger capacity of either 2,400 or 2,700 depending on what you read, these two ships and the other ships will be adding more vehicle trips, supply journeys, and other things to our port.

It would be so great if San Pedro could become more of a destination that just a hub.

We still may see the Freedom of the Seas with its 3,760 or so passengers visit us again.

Further into the future we will probably welcome the Oasis of the Seas and/or the Allure of the Seas. The big thing about these ships is they will carry 5,400 passengers each.

The cruise ships aren't getting any smaller and we still have a long way to go to get voyagers to stop off in San Pedro and enjoy our town.
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Later this month I will feature a post dealing with much of what we can look forward to this summer.

Whether it is two comedies from Shakespeare by the Sea, Little Fish, Taste in San Pedro, The Relevant Stage, Golden State Pops Orchestra, the TriArts Festival, Music by the Sea, and many other upcoming activities, San Pedro will be alive and kicking this summer for everyone on a real budget.
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San Pedro Today Magazine

2009-03-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

My edition of San Pedro Today magazine arrived freshly inside a plastic wrap earlier today.

I am counting this third issue as the best so far and hope Josh and the gang keep it going and growing.

Janice Hahn rightly deserves everything all of the writers wrote about her in this month's issue.

As pointed out, L.A. increased trash fees to increase Police and Janice used the increase in meter fees for the same reasons. Double taxes for less Police presence in the Harbor Area doesn't help anyone.

I also wholeheartedly agree with the writer who suggested that Ms. Hahn has done nothing to help the economic situations within her office and with her staff.

Perhaps all City Council members should reduce their staffs and spending equal to the percentage of unemployment in the city of Los Angeles.

When oh when is Stephanie Mardesich going to have "Some Kind of Wonderful" shown at the LAHIFF? If that isn't Pedro-based or Harbor-based enough for her and her group, I don't know what is.

Scenes of San Pedro and parts of Wilmington are throughout the movie and it takes place during the lives of high school students attending......oh well, if you can't figure it out, why bother.

How about a compiliation of shows like "Sea Hunt" or even "San Pedro Beach Bums" as part of the Festival?

Has "Chinatown" been shown yet?

Steve Marconi understands that there is absolutely nothing like "Six Degrees of Seperation" in San Pedro. It is hard to find more than 2-1/2 degrees around this town.

Many of us are Ke-Alians like the Moody brothers, and a whole bunch of us also bought "La Vista" albums while at Dodson!

The two candidates written about for the Office of Honorary Mayor of San Pedro are worthy of having that office.

Both candidates are supporting great causes and I hope that there will be as close to a tie as possible. Let's support both candidates as much as possible.

Thanks Josh, good edition.

A Survey Regarding the New High School Campus

2009-03-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here is a letter and a survey regarding a survey for the Proposed South Region High School #15.

You should be able to print the information.

You can click over each page to enlarge it, before you print the survey, if you wish to.

Stars of Stage and Screen Appearing in San Pedro This Friday!

2009-03-11T08:10:00.000-07:00

Judith Ivey and just one of several Special Guest Stars

Little Heart

The Story of 1960s Pop-Art Nun and Social Activist Corita Kent Directed by Two-Time Tony Award Winner Judith Ivey.

TICKETS ONLINE

Friday, March 13, 2009, 7:30 p.m.(Doors Open 7:00 p.m)

Warner Grand TheatreSan Pedro's Celebrated Art Deco Movie Palace & Performing Arts Center

478 West 6th Street, San Pedro, CA

Tickets $20 - General, $25 - Better Seats

$100 - Best Seats & Invitation to VIP Reception to follow with Special Guests Judith Ivey & Irene O'Garden

For Reservations call Annette Ciketic 310 489-1362 or The Grand Annex 310 833-4813 (weekdays)

Little Heart speaks broadly about peace and justice as artist, teacher, activist, and spiritual seeker Corita Kent faces the challenges of hierarchy, politics and her own questions of faith.
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Special Guest Appearances by stars you may easily recognize are in store this Friday evening.

I'm not allowed to mention the stars by name, but you may recognize in the photo on the right, the 'dad' who had strong 'family ties' on television for several years.

Ms. Ivey, along with her two Tony awards has been featured in many films and television shows and was in the cast of "Designing Women" towards the end of its long and successful run.

The stars will shine this Friday night, so please attend this great entertainment event.

A Great Review for Little Fish Theatre Company

2009-03-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

I have known Mr. John Farrell for decades.

He usually reviews plays, orchestra concerts, restaurants, and other entertainment events that are more popular to classical music folks, comedies and tragic works, but rarely musicals.

John knows everything their is to know about Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes.

John and a friend wrote an entire cookbook based on foods served during the time Sherlock Holmes was doing his investigating and crime solving.

It really doesn't matter that Sherlock was created in the mind of an addict and Mr. Holmes is more similar to Betty Crocker than to the late Marie Calender.

John's review of the newest production from the Little Fish Theatre Company is below.

I am very happy that John found the production so wonderful. It is great to see him reviewing entertainment that was not created over a hundred years ago and that he is willing to review comedies is that much more delightful.

Rumor control time: Look around the timeframe of May to learn about the productions that will be undertaken by The Relevant Stage Theatre Company.

I think if you loved "The Christmas Carol" and "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, you may not be disappointed to look at the 2010 season and all that is in store.

Both Little Fish and The Relevant Stage established 2009 as starting an unbelievable season with Little Fish's "Pick of the Vine" which has become a must see since it was first produced.

I don't need to remind you of the first musical of 2009 from The Relevant Stage.

So now, here is John's review of the newest production from Little Fish.

Escanaba in da Moonlight

What: Play by Jeff Daniels, presented by Little Fish Theatre, directed by Gia Jordahl

Where: Little Fish Theatre, 777 Centre St . , San Pedro

When: Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. through April 4, additional performances Sunday, March 29 at 7 p.m. and Thursday, April 2 at 8 p.m.

Tickets: $25, $22 students and seniors.

Information: (310) 512-6030, http://www.littlefishtheatre.org/

Rating: Four Stars

By John Farrell

You could wait until a cold day in October, dress yourself in a goose down vest colored bright orange, and head for the woods in Michigan ’s Upper Peninsula and try your hand at deer hunting.

But how do you get that thirty-ought something rifle on the plane?

Better head down to the Little Fish Theatre in San Pedro, where actor/playwright Jeff Daniels’ hilarious tribute to his home-town “Escanaba in da Moonlight” will give you the real hunting experience, right down to the Leinenkugel beer in the sink and maybe even an encounter with aliens from somewhere farther away than Canada.

The story takes place in the Soady family hunting lodge, a room filled with ill-matched chairs, two sturdy bunk beds, a lounge chair, a sofa that has seen better days, and plenty of deer-hunting trophies, all assembled with loving detail by set designer Anthony Inferrera. Diana Mann has created costumes that are just about what you’d expect: vest and flannel shirts. One note: the hunting boots shouldn’t be quite so clean.

Albert Soady (Dan Adam) introduces the story and its location in a brightly funny monologue, and you’ll be glad for his guidance unless your knowledge of the geography of the Great Lakes is better than most. Escanaba is a real town on the U.P., the upper peninsula of the state of Michigan , a place isolated from the rest of the state, and the United States , by its geography. The folks there speak a dialect that is apparently influenced by their Finnish forefathers and the Canadians who live just across the border.

Albert Soady explains all that, and the family story he is about to tell, a story about hunting, tradition and maybe a little magic.

His oldest son Reuben (Rendon Ramsey) has never in his life killed a buck, a male deer, and the people in his town, and his family, are sure he is cursed. As hunting season begins, everyone knows that if he doesn’t get one he will be the oldest member of the family to fail, and he is haunted by the thought.

Reuben’s brother Remnar (Chris Monk) and family friend Jimmer Negamanee (John Charles Meyer) complete the hunting party, an event Reuben describes as “like Christmas with guns.” They drink copious quantities of beer and of homemade whiskey flavored with a little too much maple syrup.

Reuben has his own idea of how to break his curse. He has married a Native American woman and she has given him a powerful potion to drink: part milk, part maple syrup, but also including ground ants and a moose testicle. She has taught him a ritual and, at her instruction, he has bottled a lot of porcupine urine to splash on to scare away evil spirits.

There are bright, unexplained lights in the woods, and Jimmer, who was once abducted by Aliens (he returned speaking a very strange language) thinks they are back. Ranger Tom Treado (Victor J. Springer), a new recruit from downstate Detroit , arrives saying he saw God. Add to the mix Great Granpa (CQ) Alphonse (Kevin Wisney-Leonard) (he’s been dead for decades) and Reuben’s wife Wolf Moon Dance (Marie Arevalo), an evil spirit and a trance Reuben falls into, and you won’t need any homemade hooch too laugh yourself into your own trance.

A lot of the fun in “Escanaba” is in the language, and this cast, under director Gia Jordahl, has grasped the dialect. Adams has it down pat, as though he was a native “Yooper” himself.

Ramsey and Mock have the middle-aged sibling rivalry down pat, and Meyer is brilliant as Jimmer, who speaks fast and acts more than a little weird. (It is why the aliens returned him to Earth. Springer, as the down-peninsula ranger dazed by a vision of God, is straight man to the Soady family group, a city dweller lost in the boonies.

“Escanaba” began its life as a play, and later as a film. Playwright Daniels clearly loves the isolated, culturally unique place he grew up and depicts it with affection. But you don’t want to see “Escanaba in da Moonlight” to learn cultural details. You want to go because it is a heart-warming play filled with so many laughs you may emerge exhausted. Happy, but exhausted.

More of John Farrell’s reviews can be found at http://byjohnfarrell.typepad.com/
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Pondering Some Wackyness Going On Lately

2009-03-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

It was no surprise that the Mayor of L.A. got reelected.

What was surprising is that the second largest vote-getter was a fellow who provide a great deal of racism into the election. He probably should have received fewer votes that the third-place candidate got.

Walter Moore, who cam in second is a member of a political party that is struggling to not have to claim that a radio personality is actually the emotional leader of that group.

I was amazed that Measure B went down to an unofficial defeat. 1,322 voters should be hailed as heroes if Mayor V., Jack the hack, and other supporters of the measure don't demand and secure a recount.

Still, there seems to far too many ignorant voters in L.A. who simply saw the words on the ballot and voted for the measure, as opposed to learning what they should have, about how the measure was created and who, actually will benefit from it.

(Acquiring Sunlight still seems free, so why can't the savings created by not having to use other means of generating and transporting electricity be used to offset those costs so nobody would need to pay for the installation and maintenance with higher rates?)

Yesterday's election also demonstrated that members of OUR community need to go where needed and do what is necessary to assist Carmen 'Nuch' Trutanich to become the next City Attorney.

L.A. voters identified a candidate by placing him just within 10% of the vote Jack the hack received.

The election to be the next City Attorney continued to demonstrate that there are still far too many voters who's I.Q. can be realistically questioned.

'Nuch' was not my favorite candidate, but now that he will be in a runoff with Jack, we all need to get behind him and show downtown L.A. politicians that we are tired of business as Chicago and that reason, responsibility, and respect must be returned to Spring Street, and everywhere else in the City of Los Angeles.

There was hope by some that Janice Hahn would receive some type of scare with the outcome of the election. Sadly, that certainly did not happen.

We knew she would win, but many hoped she would receive less of the overwhelming majority of votes she got.

It looks like she can use her great margin of support as she ponders the correct time to run for County Supervisor.
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March 10, 2009 was supposed to be the date the Rancho Palos Verdes Planning Commission continued the public hearing regarding the Marymount College Facilities Expansion Project.

Supporters of the project have been running their mouths, keyboards, and pens attempting to get all the processes finished as soon as possible, so they can get the project moving along.

The February R.P.V. Planning Commission meeting did not continue the public hearing because one of the four members of the Commission who is still left a vote on the issue was not able to make that meeting. It takes four of the seven members of that body to deal with the Marymount issues because three members have removed themselves from the issue.

So, guess who is the instigator of the next meeting's inability to continue the public hearing?

That would be Marymount's President, Dr. Michael Brophy.

Since Dr. Brophy claims he can't attend the meeting, the public hearing has apparently, been postponed again.

This brings up several questions and issues.

Dr. Brophy will not vote for or against the project because he not a member of any Commission or the City Council of Rancho Palos Verdes.

Dr. Brophy is one human being who now has been allowed to alter the actions of the Planning Commission, the meeting agenda, and the lives of many folks who want some kind of end to this very long process with the Planning Commission.

Why must Dr. Brophy attend the meeting? Does he not trust his assistants and others supporting the project?

I feel that if one person is able to disrupt the process, that person should publicly provide honest, and very important as to why he is not able to attend.

The College's Facilities Expansion Project is not and should not be considered a legacy for Dr. Brophy, so his attendance at the meeting should not be something that stops, postpones, or alters the process that so many people have interests in.

There is an Email going around and garnering consideration and laughter that Dr. Brophy won't be able to attend the Planning Commission meeting because he has a job interview somewhere else.

There is other pondering out here that Dr. Brophy is stalling the processes because he knows he has a loser of a project plan and he is using time to try and fix as many problems before proceeding forward.

One guy, with the power to stop processes and work by so many others. Maybe we should rename to "W".
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March 12 is the day the Ponte Vista Outreach Team wants you to come to the auditorium at Peck Park anytime between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM to provide your comments on things like what materials should be use in the sinks at Ponte Vista, how many trees should be planted there, what color scheme should be used on the outside of the buildings, how many outdoor bar-b-ques could be on the property, and other "amenities" at the site.

I don't really think they want you to tell them how many units, people, and vehicles should be on the property. They probably learned all that from the approximately 60 'community leaders' who provided opinions to Jim Oswald.

You are welcome by me, to write an Email to Mr. Oswald at: jim_oswald@gensler.com and give your opinions to him, even though you are not one of the 60. You are however, one of the thousands and thousands of folks who will be impacted by whatever is built at the site.
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On a related and disgusting matter, there may be lots of Eastview Little League supporters at the open house to strongly suggest that EVLL be provided permanent fields on the site.

This would be a demonstration of how many folks living in OUR community care more about their own interests than the interests of OUR community.

Building baseball fields at Ponte Vista would require the developer to demand higher number of units, higher population, higher density, more vehicles, more traffic on Western, and much more inconvenience to most people in OUR community.

Yet it seems EVLL supporters may not give a crap about the rest of OUR community, so please be forewarned that there are folks living around us who don't care about you at all.

Sure, they claim to care about the kids and only about the kids, but they don't seem to be willing to care about all of us.

Not only would more units be required to be built at Ponte Vista, because of the land that would be provided for a park, thus limiting profits, EVLL traffic on Western Avenue would contribute to the enormous increase in traffic that would occur with a large population density at Ponte Vista.

EVLL has a history of saying one thing, then going back on their word and demanding something else.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNkEY9C86qo

Hypocrisy in motion, in OUR community.
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Yesterday, an agenda item concerning the Memorandum of Understanding between LAUSD and the Department of Parks and Rec. was placed earlier in the morning.

The agenda item was a General Manager's Report on issues related to upgrading the roads at Angels Gate for use by LAUSD.

The report would be part of the preparation to approve or disapprove the MOU, by the Commissioners of L.A. City Department of Parks and Recreation.

As it turned out, the report was not prepared in time for this morning's meeting of the Commissioners, so it should have never been placed on the agenda, according to the Parks and Rec representative who was overseeing the report, and placed it on the agenda in the first place!

It was a wacky bureaucratic afternoon, yesterday.

If you are near the L.A.U.S.D.-owned portion of the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur, you can look at two different things happening.

The demolishing and clearing of part of the Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center has been happening for a period of time.

Debris hauling trucks are using Leavenworth to clear out the debris of the building being demolished to make way for a new building to support a 24/7 operation of the facility by students, faculty, and staff of the Center, going toward a 365-day operation of the facility.

The demolishing of historical buildings on the site of South Region High School No. 15 is just beginning.

The debris-haulers for that project may use the steep and narrow Barlow Saxton road to Gaffey Street, near 30th Street.

The word "Alma" is never uttered regarding the two sets of activities.

PFOEC uses Leavenworth, yet SRHS 15 would use Barlow Saxton for the same type of vehicles.

Leavenworth, the much-used road throughout Angels Gate is being used in the removal of one building.

Barlow Saxton is claimed to be the route taken by the same types of trucks for the removal of several buildings.

Barlow Saxton is rarely viewed with its gates open at Gaffey Street.

Isn't it wacky that the contractors would use a more dangerous route to remove debris from several buildings after a more well, less steep, and wider road is used to remove debris from just one building?

Ah yes, this is L.A.U.S.D. OUR community is dealing with. Why in the world should I have not considered that in the first place!

From Wacky To Just Plain NUTS!

2009-03-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

Proposed School District Parcel Tax‏
From:rpvlistserver@rpv.com
Sent:Wed 3/04/09 1:08 PM
To: mrichards2@hotmail.com

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School Distict (PVPUSD)has provided notice to the City that the Board of Education will be discussing the possibility of ordering an election to be called in the District for approval of a a measure authorizing the District to levy a qualified special tax for educational purposes.

The meeting will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 6:30 P.M. at the regular meeting place of the PVPUSD Board of Education, 3801 Via La Selva, Palos Verdes Estates.

PVPUSD invites any persons interested, including all tax payers and registered voters within the District, to appear and be heard at the meeting.

Sincerely,

RPV City Staff
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It's already wacky enough that about 80% of the kids living in the Eastview area of R.P.V. attend P.V.P.U.S.D. schools without the members of their families allowed to vote on P.V.P.U.S.D. issues and races.

I wonder if P.V.P.U.S.D. wants to impose a parcel tax on properties owned by folks who have no vote or real say in P.V.P.U.S.D. matters.

ANOTHER TAX!!!! Are they NUTS?

Arnie, the State Assembly, and the State Senate already provided all of us with hefty tax increases.

Tony Villar and Janice Hahn helped see to it that parking fees in San Pedro was increased more than dramatically.

As progressive as my politics are, I simply cannot afford to be taxed one cent more.

I guess many of the folks living in Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Palos Verdes Estates, and portions of Rancho Palos Verdes can afford to pay more in taxes, but those of us living in the Eastview area ( of R.P.V.) already pay the education portion of our property taxes to the State of California for the benefit of the Los Angeles Unified School District.

If we don't get to vote in P.V.P.U.S.D. issues and a parcel tax is applied to properties in Eastview, it will surely become taxation without representation. If I remember correctly, many of our ancestors fought in a revolution to end that inequality.

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

2009-03-02T11:51:00.001-08:00

Thank you so very much to all who attended the 2009 Season opener of The Relevant Stage Theatre Company's production of, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change."!

The audience attendance was record-breaking. The run of the musical was extended. One of the most repeated comments heard was that it would be great if it came back in the future.

Well............... There is no guarantee yet, but talks have begun to consider doing the production again during the next Valentine's period.

Last year's season ending production of "The Christmas Carol", an adaptation of the famous Dicken's classic was received so well by so many, will return in December, 2009 and The Relevant Stage is trying to find more performance dates for that show.

It was a true hit, just like "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." has become.

However, although you are all appreciated for your wonderful attendance and great comments about these two productions, we will not stand idle and rest on the fantastic reception the two productions garnered.

Upton Sinclair's "Singing Jailbirds" is the next production coming from The Relevant Stage Theatre Company.

In late May and after the current two plays being produced by the great, wonderful, fantastic, and enjoyed Little Fish Theatre Company have ended, there will be a musical based on events that happened right in San Pedro, presented on the stage of the historic Warner Grand Theatre.

Here is a press release and information about "Singing Jailbirds"

JAILBIRDS SING IN SAN PEDRO
pr@therelevantstage.com / (310) 929-8129

The Relevant Stage Theatre Company is mounting a visionary musical adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s obscure 1924 play, “Singing Jailbirds”. The new production titled, UPTON SINCLAIR’S SINGING JAILBIRDS: THE MUSICAL will feature a large cast of performers. The story is set in 1920’s San Pedro, the Port Town of Los Angeles amid the demonstrations of union activists during the worker’s movement.

UPTON SINCLAIR’S SINGING JAILBIRDS: THE MUSICAL will feature over 35 musical numbers, including numerous songs from the IWW’s (Industrial Workers of the World) Little Red Songbook by Joe Hill, T-Bone Slim, Ralph Chaplin and other Wobbly leaders.

The score also includes popular music from the decade such as If I Could Be With You, Have A Smile, Sonny Boy, If I Had You, Love’s Ship, and more. Composer and Music Director Robert Gross, along with Writer and Lyricist, Ray Buffer also penned several original songs and the entire show consists of new musical arrangements.

The story is just as Upton Sinclair penned it: Red Adams, a leader of the Wobblies, is thrown into solitary confinement without criminal charges for peacefully demonstrating. Threatened with the charge of criminal syndicalism (a charge no longer in the State of California’s law books) Red begins to lose touch with reality as isolation and starvation begins to play with his mind.

Through Red’s delusions we see his secret past, and his perceptions of the present and future. His steadfastness to the doctrine and vision of the One Big Union is what keeps him grounded as he and his fellow workers use songs to turn pain into power and get their pleas for change heard.

In 1923, 86 years before this production, Upton Sinclair climbed the steps of a platform that striking dockworkers had built atop a hillock they named Liberty Hill. As someone held a candle for illumination, Sinclair said nothing about the 600 dockworkers who had recently been arrested for striking. He only tried to read the Bill of Rights.

He got as far as the first three lines of the 1st Amendment, the one guaranteeing freedom of speech, before he was arrested. His experience led to the writing of “Singing Jailbirds.” The ACLU of Southern California was formed the same day that Sinclair addressed the public, one week after his arrest and three years after the national ACLU had formed. Sinclair’s arrest and release also led to the empowerment of the labor movement.

Sinclair’s four-act play on which this new production of UPTON SINCLAIR’S SINGING JAILBIRDS: THE MUSICAL is based, ran for 79 performances on Broadway in 1928 and 1929.

The new musical production will run May 22 – May 24; May 29 – May 31 – 2009, Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 2:30 PM.

Performances will be at Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731. WGT is a facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Advance tickets may be purchased at www.therelevantstage.com. Press inquiries may be made to pr@therelevantstage.com or (310) 929-8129.
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The Relevant Stage announces auditions for the World Premiere, musical adaptation of Upton Sinclair’s 1924 play, Singing Jailbirds

Roles for 16M/3F

THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY – Male aged 30 to 50, No nonsense, all business (Bass-Baritone)
RED ADAMS – Male aged 25 to 45, Leader of the Wobblies, charismatic and smart (Lyric Tenor)
SONNY BOY – Red’s son, aged 14 to 19
PETE, JERRY, MATT, JOE & IKE – Wobblies, aged 20 to 50
(Baritones and Tenors)
THE DOMINIE – Religious Leader of the Wobblies, aged 50-70
THE CHIEF OF POLICE – Blustering and frustrated, aged 40-50
JAKE APPERSON – Red’s best friend aged 25 to 45, (Baritone)
ONE LUNG - Chinese eatery proprietor, aged 30 to 50
NELL - Female, wife of Red Adams aged 25 to 45 – (Lyric Soprano)
A JAILER – Male, aged 20 to 35
MRS. SMITH - a Neighbor – Female, aged 30 - 40
MURIEL - Female, the Stenographer for the DA, aged 20 to 30
THE BAILIFF – Male, Strong presence, aged 30 to 50
JUDGE – Male, aged 40 to 60
THE JACK-IN-THE-BOX – Male, the Defense Attorney – aged 25 to 40
SECOND JAILER – Male, aged 20 to 35
Some roles double as
STRIKE-PRISONERS, JAILERS, POLICE OFFICERS, a DOCTOR,
a WAITER, a NANNY, and a CLERK

Auditions will be Tuesday March 10 and Wednesday March 11, 2009 from 7PM to 9PM at Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th Street, San Pedro, CA 90731

Please call (818) 287-6944 to schedule an audition time

Prepare 16 bars of a song that showcases your range. You may be asked to read from the script. If auditioning for Red Adams, please prepare a 2 minute dramatic monologue.

Rehearsals begin March 16 in San Pedro, and take place weekday evenings from 7PM to 11PM. Tech rehearsals begin May 18 from 6PM to midnight. Performances are 5/22 - 5/24; 5/29 - 5/31 - 2009 - Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 2:30 PM. There is also a special daytime matinee for students to attend at 12 Noon on 5/22.

Seeking volunteer talent only. Email head shots and resumes to auditions@therelevantstage.com or mail hard copies to The Relevant Stage 600 S. Pacific Ave., #220 – San Pedro, CA 90731

Ray Buffer Producing Artistic Director The Relevant Stage Theatre Company at San Pedro's Warner Grand Theatre visit: www.therelevantstage.com

T: 310/929.8129

Office: 600 S. Pacific Avenue, #220 San Pedro, CA 90731Venue: 478 W. 6th Street San Pedro, CA 90731

Pondering When Video Speaks Volumes

2009-02-27T10:35:00.000-08:00

Please view the video by clicking over the URL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNkEY9C86qo

Ron, I believe you are acquainted with Mr. Stanovich in one form or another.

It sure looks like Mr. Stanovich understood what Mr. Freeman was stating.

Of course Ron and others may try to claim that opponents of keeping Eastview Little League on Knoll Hill after the agreed upon contract ends, actually put words into Mr. Stanovich's mouth and edited the clip, dubbed in the words Mr. Stanovich spoke into the microphone and also put a look alike into the seat that would have been occupied by Mr. Freeman so that whole video could be claimed to be a scam.

Fortunately or unfortunately, when representatives of Eastview Little League forget they made comments that were taped, it's kind of interesting that EVLL officers and others seem to be going back on their agreements.

What kind of examples are these folks providing to the youth they claim to help?

Pondering Today, Thursday, With Some Writers and a Meeting

2009-02-26T21:55:00.000-08:00

The second issue of San Pedro Today became the first issue to end up on my driveway.

I was ready to read it online, but was pleased to find it outside.

I read each letter, column, article, and viewed all the adds.

While I have to state that Josh did a fantastic job with the first issue, this one presented some comments I could not help offering some words on

I support NOEL Weiss for City Attorney, instead of Carmen Trutanich Mr. Carmine Sasso wrote about in his 'Feedback' comments.

Of course we all must expect that Carmen 'Nuch' Trutanich, a true Pedro Boy will sweep the vote count in San Pedro and he is a great person who could also do a great job as City Attorney.

The rest of Mr. Sasso's writing was dead-on correct, wonderful, insightful, and should be read and voters should vote along the lines that Mr. Sasso intends to vote.

But then.......

Mr. Ron Galosic offered comments about something he should know much more about, than what he wrote with his 'Feedback' piece.

Here is a sentence from that piece.

"The bottom line here is that San Pedro needs a place for Little League to call home, and while some may be convinced otherwise because they are thinking more about themselves and not about the kids of our community, Knoll Hill is the perfect place"

Mr. Galosic, your sentence was just plain wrong.

It appears that you either ignore or downplay the fact that Little League is played in San Pedro like it has for more years than Eastview Little League has existed. (Don't worry, I'll get to another factual misrepresentation Mr. Galosic made, a bit further down).

Peck Park Little League was provided with a Mayor Villaraigose photo op just last April. Little Leaguers play Little League with Leagues other than Eastview Little League. I hop you are not myopic about that fact.

When Mr. Galosic states that opponents to having Eastview Little League remain on Knoll Hill after the contract they agreed to ends, are thinking more about themselves, I really really have to take offence to that.

If an when Eastview Little League leaves Knoll Hill, there will be many, many more opportunities for youth and adults from all over the area to enjoy Knoll Hill without Little League Traffic, Little League fields taking up park land and it will provide a much needed addition to park lands east of Gaffey Street.

Mr. Galosic, do you feel that kids who do not wish to play Little League are somehow defective or don't deserve park lands?

I have it on extremely good authority that Mr. Galosic and others who manage Eastview Little League were told that the State of California is ready, willing, and able to send down attorneys to make absolutely sure that the current contract is honored and that is ends on the date specified.

I do not believe local taxpayers are willing to spend valuable dollars for State, Port, and City attorneys and the costs of trying to keep fields atop Knoll Hill.

As I have written before, I see no reason that one of the two large fields can remain on top of Knoll Hill for the enjoyment of the entire community and not during times Little Leaguers play real games on that field.

Ron, when you got personal, you also allowed yourself to be identified as a person who will stop and nothing to keep fields atop Knoll Hill no matter what the truths, facts, laws, regulations, and other things have been handed to you on a silver platter.

Yes, I did not like getting hit by baseballs thrown by 8 and 9 year-olds, they still hurt.

You never asked if I participated in other sports besides baseball, did you.

Here's a bit of news Ron. The kid who just happened to not like getting hit by baseballs went on to place third in a city-wide decathlon.

That same fellow eventually rowed in seat #1 of the CSULB Freshman 8 Crew. He also did quite well in softball, track, cross country, and was a rated intramural athlete.

As for watching lives change Ron, when I played for Eastview I got the chance to watch another player lose his mother when she choked on bubble gum, in the stands. How is that for being 8 and having to watch a mother pass away?

Please do not try and tell me that Little Leaguers grow up differently than other children simply because they played Little League. Readers are not that stupid.

Here is yet another sentence the person who identifies as being a Former President of Eastview Little League and a Lifetime San Pedro Resident and Parent.

"This is not about me or about any other parent who stood at the past two Knoll Hill planning committee meetings. What it is though, is about preserving an organization that thousands of residents in San Pedro have volunteered to keep together for our kids since 1967."

Well Ron, you also wrote that you are a lifetime San Pedro resident, how can that be?

You don't seem to have died, so how could you possibly have lived a lifetime in San Pedro?

But wait, it gets better Ron.

Where in the H E double toothpicks were the parents and volunteers to pony up funds to work on securing fields the day after you were all told that DiCarlo's was closing?

Don't forget the times, places, and events that too many folks attempted to do to force their opinions and will on others.

I went looking for all the picketers which were promised by folks supporting EVLL when the new Target opened. What's up with that?

I guess the folks who cried, shouted, demanded, prodded, cajoled, and screamed the loudest lost their voice by the time Target opened.

Oh that's right! Since those very same folks were going to enjoy three years atop Knoll Hill, they seemed very sure that they would be able to hold onto the site beyond the contract EVLL management agreed to.

Ron, I believe you may want to purchase a calculator for this next bit.

I played for the Minor League Athletics when I was 8-years old. I finished playing later in that same year after I turned 9-years old.

I was born in 1955.

Now why oh why would someone so knowledgeable and wanting to put their best foot forward for the benefit of Eastview Little League not be more informed about the real history of Eastview Little League.

I'll give you one hint and you may phone a friend. The hint is, look up the history of the League your defend so passionately.

Oh but wait, there's more Ron.

Here is what you wrote.

"So please remember, when you say you oppose saving the fields on Knoll Hill and you are putting up a fight to have the fields removed, consciously or un-consciously, you are trying your best to end Little League in San Pedro. If that's fine with you then okay, but remember, we volunteers will not stop because we want to be sure that our grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and their children have a Little League to play in our town - the great town of San Pedro."

Now Ron, Ron, Ron, why do you suborn the breaking of laws and regulations?

Come on, don't be so disingenuous to readers in San Pedro, they are not that stupid.

Once again, there IS Little League in San Pedro. Why must Little League only be defined as Eastview Little League.

Are your players superior than othe Little Leaguers in San Pedro? Are parents of Little League players in leagues other than Eastview worse than parents of EVLL players.

You were told in no uncertain terms that the State of California would not allow any extension of the current contract and that there could not be a new contract written.

Instead of really working with folks like me who have offered suggestions, you and your group is working solely on something that will bring lawyers down from Sacramento who will cost us money and they will deal with lawyers for the Port of L.A., the Harbor Department, the Department of Parks and Rec. and the city of Los Angeles. All of the lawyers will end up being paid by taxpayers or by folks who are affiliated with the port.

Why oh why do you wish for all of us to pay for short-sightedness?

You are in year two of your contract, yet I don't hear anything about your group's efforts recently to acquire fields that will be on undisputed land.

Why can't your players play outside of normal Little League months? Why can't you all work harder for the Field of Dreams to get put in? Why haven't we read that your group is in talks to try and acquire Knoll Hill that will make all of these debates and discussions moot.

Have you or other members of your group fully discussed the issues with the city of Rancho Palos Verdes and the L.A. County Sanitation Districts?

Hey Ron, have you figured out which year I played with Eastview Little League yet?

Ron, I have said absolutely nothing about, or written one word about the abolishing of Little League in San Pedro. All youths should be provided with any and all opportunities for participating in organized groups, if they choose to AND if they can play on fields where the laws and regulations are followed.

For you or anyone to thing that I oppose Little League in San Pedro is truly stupid and you should be ashamed of lowering yourself to a groveling, snorting, demanding, as a fellow who perhaps throws temper tantrums.

Yes, I was a terrible batsman when I played with Eastview Little League. I also played with extreme exotropia of the ocular sinister, so I had and still do not have any depth perception. I do however, compensate pretty well when playing all forms of softball, I have about an .850 batting average in that sport and I can place a softball over the second baseman or the shortstop anytime I like.

Of course I supported my sons growing up by helping them enjoy many sports activities.

The thing my younger son won a world championship at is not usually called a sport, but he has been winning races with rollerblades and on mountain bikes.

My older son won at Volleyball and also brings home trophies with his mountain-bike racing

Little League is not a hopeless cause in San Pedro unless too many Eastview demanders continue their claims that they must keep and are entitled to the top of Knoll Hill for their use.

I don't think your group could possibly pay the real leases that would be required to have privately leased ball fields on land that is designated solely for public use.

It would have been better for Eastview to not have been provided the fields in the first place.

Janice and others however, were tired of hearing the crying of grownups and their selfish demands that the kids they support are more worthy and entitled that the rest of the kids in San Pedro.

Nay nay I say, Ron. I think your 'Feedback' piece will do more good to the folks who do not wish to have 3 fields on top of Knoll Hill, than you have done with your tantrum.

Ron, do you still need more time concerning the year, or do you need another hint?

Here's a hint because I don't think your 'Feedback' piece demonstrated all that much intelligence.

L.B. Johnson was the President of the United States when I played for Eastview Little League.

Heck Ron, you are going to love this next bit. You weren't the only writer to spew venom, untruths, and misrepresentation.

John Mavar, you should be ashamed of yourself and if you were planning on running for elective office in the near to not-so-near future, I think you will need to reconsider things.

You support the new campus at Angels Gate do you? What was your position about SRHS 14, a campus much closer to northwest San Pedro.

Talk about PIITBY (Put It In Their Back Yard)!

If LAUSD can do whatever they want on property they own, I fell folks who live in glass castles should not throw stones.

Northwest San Pedro is home to quite enough of L.A.U.S.D. owned land to place an 810-seat high school campus, needing just "6-8 acres". Let's see, the land that Cooper and the Science Center currently are on is just over 9 acres and look at all the parking along Sandwood, Barrywood, and Westmont.

John, you simply do not have enough knowledge and information to make a realistic and respected opinion concerning SRHS 15 and I would very gladly debate you on the matters.

Now let's remind folks of something John wrote in this latest issue.

"Small-minded individuals feel San Pedro is not a destination. That's because they have made it a non-destination location. But we have some unique things to do and see here. We can improve and grow with new innovated attractions. But some people in the south part of San Pedro whined about traffic, pollution and not wanting other people in their community. Well, I say then move out of San Pedro! We can make all this work when you think outside the box. If you get mad at me and take issue with what I have written, then you are probably one of those people that are not thinking creatively in trying to make San Pedro the successful, viable and relevant town it can - and should be. God help us?'

John, you lack credibility with just about every word you wrote. You are disrespectful, unrealistic, ignorant, and you probably have supported Bob's original plans from day one.

John, you don't seem to be willing to learn about more than one side of an issue.

I guess the best way to deal with John's misstatements is just to list my thoughts, because John seems to also have gotten personal with me and my issues, and he may need a good response.

John, apparently you never read my comments about getting a Tarawa Class Amphibious Assault Ship that would have gone into mothballs, but would be a great addition and attraction in part of the Fisherman's' Slip, if you even know where that is.

John, point in fact. San Pedro is not any type of destination compared to Santa Monica, Venice, Long Beach, San Diego, and many other cities.

I think you may want to learn that San Pedro is on a peninsula and already has lots and lots of lots with lots of people.

The Naval Base and Shipyard are gone from Terminal Island, so San Pedro doesn't get the amount of visitors and spenders it once had.

I haven't seen any contingent of Naval Vessels moored in the outer harbor, and neither have you.

Just putting a berth for the largest cruise ships in the world in our outer harbor will not make San Pedro a destination, quite the contrary.

How many visitors would be willing to spend their time and money driving around San Pedro when ships call on passenger terminals in the outer harbor.

If we can get a ship like the one I have considered, berthed close to a remodeled Ports O Call, and renovate the downtown district something like I have suggested and along with some things Richard Pawloski is suggesting, then how and why would you consider me and folks like me as being negative.

No John, it must be you who is small-minded because you are unwilling or unable to listen to others in a more respectful manner and talk with them about differences.

One of the fellows I share time communicating with could not be farther away from me, politically speaking. But even though I disagree with many of his positions, I respect him and his opinions far higher than I consider yours.

And another thing John, I did move out of San Pedro when I volunteered and joined the U.S.A.F.

John, what does your DD214 indicate?

Don't you EVER think of folks like me as being someone who is "not thinking creatively". How dare you suppose that on others?

I was volunteering to help San Pedro be a better place to live at least as far back as 1971.

What makes you feel you are superior to folks who do not share you thoughts. You seem to relish in demeaning folks, so I think some payback is in order.

Now John, let's you and me compare how we have helped the communities we have lived in. I'll go first and I can only imagine that you won't come anywhere near what I have provided to and for others.

But I guess I must be small-minded, uncreative, and not willing to help others, even in San Pedro.

Where were you John, during the time I:

Worked to establish the first storefront Free Clinic in San Pedro by volunteering to clear out the rubble left from the previous business owner.

Volunteered and helped restore a youth camp damaged by a flood.
Volunteered and worked in community theater.
Volunteered and served on active duty with the United States Air Force.
Volunteered and taught American Red Cross CPR classes during and after my active service ended.
Volunteered as a Cub Scout leader, Boy Scout Leader, and District Commissioner.
Volunteered to serve on various committees and a Commission to better the communities we all live in.
Volunteered, spent large amounts of personal income, and provided goods, services, and time helping to protect OUR community against a greedy developer who you probably supported and who thought he knew what was best for San Pedro, even though he lives in West Los Angeles.
I assisted in having the Q Qualification Classification placed on lots that helped keep an R1 residential community from having condos built where they should not have been.....and I don't live in San Pedro!
Currently I am helping to provide information to folks concerning many issues they may want more information on.
I continue to keep you and others representing northwest San Pedro informed about the goings on with Marymount College and how that could negatively impact northwest San Pedro, and area you have represented.
I have recently volunteered and begun working with a Theatre Company in San Pedro that had a wonderful run with its first production of the 2009 season and I have donated time, money, and effort, to that group.
I continue to write about what is right and wonderful about San Pedro and the rest of OUR community, yet I was confronted with our diatribe that was more negative than positive with regards to members of your own San Pedro community.

I think John, you just might finally acquire a clue, because your 'Feedback' piece demonstrated very clearly that, when you wrote it, you were sorely missing even the most basic of clues.

John, if you are a young politico type of person, your column did nothing positive for you.

Of course I save things like you wrote and I will be happy to bring your quotes back into publication should I feel it is necessary.

John, don't continue to degrade folks living in the more southern areas of the town you represent, it makes you look small, petty, disrespectful, and just plain ignorant.

Seek out opinions, ask questions, seek truthful answers, learn about OUR community much more that you feel you do right now.

Times are tough all over. Nobody needs to read what you wrote and you seem more negative than positive about San Pedro because you talk down to San Pedrans who don't happen to agree with you.

Also, where were you in offering suggestions to the folks from Eastview Little League. I have offered help, suggestions, and information to them because they need it and they need support to find permanent places to have their league players play baseball, other than atop Knoll Hill.

To Ron and John, it really doesn't matter one hill of beans what can be successful on Knoll Hill.

If it can't be purchased from who owns it today, then the laws, regulations Trust Act, and reality must be followed, whether we like it or not!

I guess you two just don't get it and that does not help any kid or EVLL ball player

Open your eyes and be more reasonable, realistic, responsible, and respectful. When you do that to others, I will be more than happy to provide you with nicer comments and thoughtful praise.

Now gentlemen, read what I can write.....

The Caccavalla Family is simply just about the most wonderful gift we could have received from the east coast.

Mike has brought to OUR community and keeps giving us all nothing but the best.

You will be reading much more in the near future about the third annual Tri-arts Festival Mike's dad puts on in downtown San Pedro.

I have been to the two previous events, yet I didn't see Ron or John at either Festival.

I have also written about the Festival for the prior two years and I will help Joe Caccavalla as much as I can, with this year's events.

Joe and I have already talked and written to each other about this year's Festival and we are trying to have many more folks come down to the two-day event and enjoy different forms of art and have a great community event.

I certainly agree with Mike's opinions concerning the good folks from Beacon House. That facility provides OUR community with events, support, and work and the folks who are recovering at Beacon House deserve our respect, help, understanding, and gratitude.

Ron and John, I hope you know that Beacon House is DIFFERENT than Harbor View House.

Oh John, wait a minute. I doubt you were born when I swam in the indoor pool at what was then the Y.M.C.A. I bet you weren't even born when kids from all over San Pedro went into the basement of the place and had some great time.

I wonder if Ron took the opportunity to run on the wooden track over the basketball court and the gym that was just accross the street from the old Y.M.C.A.

Sorry Mike, I just got veered off.

The entire Caccavalla family is such a great family in OUR community. I don't agree with Joe about Ponte Vista, but Mike, Joe, and their families are what is the best in San Pedro.

Josh Stecker, you published a stinker of a column from John Mavar and you might want to have your columnists provide you with there comments early enough so that if you feel their comments would do harm to your publication you could either ask them to change their articles or fire them, on the spot!

Since I know you have read this blog, it is unfortunate that you allowed a personal attack about me, that also appeared as a comment on this blog, to appear.

I don't like attacking anyone personally, but I have no problem when I feel attacked to provide facts and justified opinions to rebutt those attacks.

I think you just might want to have me write something since Ron wrote something personal about me, even though he disguiesed it a bit.

And now to the meeting with LAUSD about the demolition of buildings at the Angels Gate site.

The meeting was only eventful because a union member took some time challenging the speakers about using non-union workers and workers picked up off the street to do the demolition work.

The person seemed to know what he was shouting about. Even though he did not look or speak like others did, he presented himself and his opinions to the audience and he was credible, though a bit too strong in his presentation.

I deliberately asked questions that I knew would provide the opportunity for LAUSD to mislead, misinform and inform the audience about what they really intend to do, even though they did it via the back door and with misleading answers.

Here are some of my questions and their answers.

Q. Would the debris-hauling trucks use Alma or Barlow Saxton for ingress and egress at the site?

A. "They will use Gaffey" stated Brian Eamer.

Q. Well then, would the trucks use Barlow Saxton or Leavenworth.

A. "Barlow Saxton"

Q. So what you are stating is that the heaviest trucks, carrying the most hazardous materials would use the steepest and narrowest access road to the intersection on probably the steepest portion of the hill Gaffey is located at.

A. (Brian stumbled a bit and kept silent. I guess we both already knew the answer was YES but he was not going to verbalize his answer for others to hear.

Brian also stated that the contract with the company doing the demolition has not been signed yet because their has not been a winning bid given.

Brian stated repeatedly that demolition would begin in March, last until October and that construction would begin before the end of the year.

Brian also made the statement that demolition work normally began between 30-45 days after the contracted company wins the bid.

I opined to a friend in the audience that I think Brian was telling all of us that demolition would most likely begin aroung March 45 or 46.

I didn't have any problems from the LAUSD person who is working on the demolition bids. A fellow who will manage the site for LAUSD while the contracting company does their thing, also provided reasonable and realistic answers and comments.

The fellow running the contracts from LAUSD got up, spoke using the microphone, and stated something like...LAUSD inspects itself using self inspections and that the community has nothing to fear from LAUSD because of its in-house inspections.

I could not let that humor pass. I got up and spoke into the microphone three words that still and will haunt LAUSD until all of us who knows about it, dies off.

You know the three words, let's say them together, okay.

1,2,3, "Belmont Learning Center".

Now about those trucks.

Brian stated that during the days where "load outs" occur, between 15-20 debris-hauling trucks and trailers would use Barlow Saxton to intersect with Gaffey.

This is where I feel we find Brian is quite a pickle.

He stated the trucks would use Barlow Saxton.

I had to then point out where he is misleading, disrespectful to the community and attempting to keep the truth away for members of OUR community.

Safety first and always must be the absolute and unignored consideration.

Catching Brian in something he and I know to be less than the truth was simply fun for me.

The trucks will eventually use Alma, and everyone should now that as soon as possible.

If we hold LAUSD to any safety standards, it is obvious that Barlow Saxton would be the WORST road used by the heaviest of vehicles.

The real reason Brian is sticking by Barlow Saxton is he and others at LAUSD know that when the trucks use Alma, all hell will break use.

Please Brian, consider the safety of San Pedro residents when you speak.

Barlow Saxton won't be improved untill AFTER the trucks haul away debris from the campus' site.

The intersection of Barlow Saxton and Gaffey will still have the same geometry and slopes they have today.

What will be missing from the picture is the signal at 30th/31st and Gaffey that could provide some better measure of safety, but NOOOOOOOOOOOO.

If debris-filled trucks do not lose their brakes descending Barlow Saxton, they will be at an intersection which has hardly been uses and is normally ignored by drivers on Gaffey.

The trucks would turn left, or northbount onto Gaffey and they will be successful only if they do not collide with speeding cars traveling too fast down the steep Part of Gaffey and heading northbound.

They could also collide with vehicles whose drivers are heading south, anticipating a steep uphill portion and swifly try and get up the hill without noticing the trucks.

The truck drivers will be confronted by speeding drivers from both directions as they slowly turn onto Gaffey, crossing both southbound lanes and probably taking up both northbound lanes, if they don't careen into one of the houses on the corner or head east onto 32nd. Street.

It is a recipe for injuries, collisions, and lawsuits.

But Brian doesn't want you to know about the safe route the trucks will eventually take, because he doesn't want to hear residents fume about the use of Alma.

I feel, after two or three days of between 15-20 trucks per day trying to use Barlow Saxton, the powers that be, along with drivers who appreciate a safer route, will find the gates on Main at Alma opened for their use.

The drivers will have to negotiate a narrow Alma, but I have seen plenty of large trucks take up both lanes on Alma and make residents and other wait.

I am not that clear on whether the truck drivers will use 30th Street to Gaffey, but it would be safer that having the trucks turn at 25Th and Gaffey, which can be a pretty hairy intersection at times.

After the meeting ended, I asked Brian why LAUSD was not verbalizing the safest, widest, and best route for pedestrians to and from both SRHS 15 and the Outdoor Education Center.

I repeated by pointing out that taking one or two houses on the south side of 30th street would provide the safest and best access to the facilities and as expected, Brian offered that folks are not happy when the right of eminent domain and the taking of property is discussed.

In conclusion, thankfully for all of us, Rod Hamilton stated that drivers will use the most convient route to and from school sites, and Alma wasn't considered to be an emergency only access point.

Brian had to conclude that Barlow Saxton was the "acceptable" route, but he and I both knew is certainly is not the safest for anyone.

Brian acknowledged the flak that will come when Alma is used for demolition and construction, because it is safer than Barlow Saxton, but the LAUSD folks didn't blink when claims that community members are not listened to, was provided.

Alma will most probably be the primary access road unless Main and Barlow Saxton become a one-way route for students, faculty, visitors, and deliveries, to both campuses.

Nobody with LAUSD is willing to publicly acknowledge that Alma will be used and they cannot run far enough away, fast enough when the safest, easyist, and best access route is suggested.

All in all, I got what I came for and had some laughs, too

Q&A with L.A.U.S.D., A Potentially Very Serious Hazard, and A Possible Solution

2009-02-24T22:56:00.000-08:00

Mr. Rod Hamilton from the Facilities Services Division of the Los Angeles Unified School District visited the February meeting of the Governing Board of the Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council.

Mr. Hamilton was supposed to be joined by a representative of the L.A. Department of Parks and Recreation to offer answers, on both sides, concerning the Memorandum of Understanding between the Dept. of Parks and Rec. and L.A.U.S.D. over the rights by L.A.U.S.D. to use roads and other facilities owned by the Dept. of Parks and Rec. on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur.

Nobody from Parks and Rec. showed.

Mr. Hamilton offered answers to every single question asked of him, at the meeting.

Here are some of the issues Mr. Hamilton informed the Board and audience members about.

Contrary to rumor, the Memorandum of Understanding has NOT been approved of by the Dept. of Parks and Rec. Governing Board.

Mr. Hamilton stated that the MOU was still in draft form, but the Dept. of Parks and Rec. is scheduled to vote on the matter at the March Meeting.

Mr. Hamilton stated that the swimming pool that is being proposed will be 25 meters by 25 yards and you should be able to pick out the location of the pool on the illustrations below.

Mr. Hamilton also stated that there will probably be 19 more parking spaces added along Barlow-Saxton Road, on L.A.U.S.D. Property. They may already be illustrated on the right side of the Outdoor Education Center.

The next part of this blog will deal with what Mr. Hamilton stated during the meeting and you can take from it, as you please.

There will be 37,000 square feet of solar panels on top of the buildings at the new campus. It is estimated the panels will generate 55% of the daily electrical needs of the campus.

IF the District goes ahead with putting wind turbines on the site, it is estimated that they will produce the remaining 45% of the electrical needs for the new campus.

If SRHS 15 becomes the first school in L.A.U.S.D. to have wind turbines, and develop 100% of the electrical needs of the campus, using solar and wind, it may be one of the only campuses the planet to have complete electrical needs met by naturally provided means.

We would surely see one former Vice President visit San Pedro.
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***Ed. Note: If it comes to pass that 100% of the electrical power needed is generated by solar and wind, or perhaps only 75% of the needs can be met, I would expect that there will be a whole bunch of political, and business types that will swarm into the area to see how it is accomplished.

The dynamics of increased exposure throughout the world was not studied in the EIR and would have impacts for businesses, residents, traffic, and studies throughout the area for some time.

This may be one heck of a great idea, but the issues regarding how San Pedro will handle the added interest and presence, hasn't been studied, I believe.
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Angels Gate High School will have new modular facilities close to the Oiled Bird Recovery Center and that construction will begin this June.

It is also expected that the Early Childhood Education Center will also be moved, but it may move after Angels Gate does.

Demolition and the beginning of movements of old buildings to sites closer to the Marine Mammal Center will commence in March.

The Removal Action Work plan will not have been discussed, debated, or approved of by then, but if L.A.U.S.D. does not fully follow regulations and safe procedures established by a large number of governmental entities, there could be lawsuits, injunctions, and work stoppages on the site.

According to Mr. Hamilton, construction on South Region High School #15 will begin by the end of 2009.

Alma Street will be widened, but it probably will not be straightened out much more. Sidewalks will be added at L.A.U.S.D. expense.

The widening of Alma Street will be between the access point at Main Street and go south to 37Th Street.

Mr. Hamilton offered that drivers and other who will eventually access the school site will adopt their own routes to and from the school.

There should be no expectation that Alma Street would not eventually become the primary access route to and from the campus, even thought school officials and elected representatives adamantly stated that Alma would not become the primary access point.

Currently there are no plans to have the Alma/Main access be an emergency access point, only.

According to Mr. Hamilton, the members of the Board of Education would have to vote to make the Alma access for emergency access only.

Barlow-Saxton Road is expected to be upgraded using funding from L.A.U.S.D.

Improvements to roadways on Dept. of Parks and Rec. land, other than Barlow-Saxton to the point where it enters L.A.U.S.D. property, would have to be paid by the Dept. of Parks and Rec.

L.A.U.S.D. will pay for signals at the intersection of Gaffey Street and 30th/31st.

The folks at the Military Museum have expressed in having the "Radar Building" on L.A.U.S.D. property moved onto the site of the Museum.

The Museum supporters would most probably be required to fund the move of the building and any other building moves that bring those buildings onto the Museum site.

The historical buildings slated to be moved closer to the Marine Mammal Recovery Center, will be moved at L.A.U.S.D. expense.

Mr. Hamilton reminded everyone about the meeting regarding the demolition plans for the site. The flyer for that meeting, on Thursday evening, is on this blog.

Now to the potentially hazardous situation, some reasoning, and the possible solution.

Below is an illustration depicting, in a very rough form, what can be expected at the site, according to current plans and illustrations.

You should probably click over the illustration to better view the issues.

What is illustrated is the SRHS 15 campus, the Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center, the access points to both facilities and the geometry currently planned for Gaffey Street.

According to Mr. Hamilton, there will be a signalized intersection, with crosswalks at the intersection of Gaffey Street with 30Th. Street on the west and 31St. Street, on the east.

At the intersection of Gaffey Street with Barlow-Saxton Road on the west and 32Nd. Street to the east, the current geometry of two stop signs will remain.

There has been and will not be any change to any stop signs along Gaffey Street between it's intersection with Leavenworth Drive at the entrance to Angels Gate Cultural Center and the new signal at 30Th and 31St.

Here is the potentially very hazardous condition that the proposed geometry presents.

Drivers traveling northbound along Gaffey, as they move downhill, north towards the intersection of 30Th Street may attempt to speed down the hill to "catch" the stale green or yellow light that will occur at 30Th. Street.

Drivers attempting to access northbound Gaffey Street by turning left off of Barlow-Saxton Road may not be able to properly judge the speed and distance of the vehicle heading north along Gaffey.

Those turning drivers on Barlow-Saxton may also not be able to safely judge vehicles that sped through the signal at 30Th and Gaffey and head south, up the incline of Gaffey Street.

There appears to be a serious potential of very bad traffic collisions at or near the intersection of Gaffey Street and Barlow-Saxton Road.

Youthful drivers, drivers in a hurry, fog, excessive speed and other factors, along with the very close position of the signalized intersection make for a brew of destruction and injury that nobody wants.

If lawsuits arise from collisions at the intersection, which taxpayer-based entity may be found liable?

It costs usually a minimum of $285,000 Dollars to fund a four-way signal, with crosswalks.

One consideration is to place a double-signalized intersection along Gaffey at all four intersecting streets, but it is highly doubtful that the L.A. City Department of Transportation is willing to pay for the added costs, whether it is warranted or not.

L.A.U.S.D. has offered to pay for the signals at 30Th./31St. and Gaffey.

There is also the consideration of placing crosswalks at Gaffey and Barlow-Saxton/31St.

While it may be warranted, necessary, and required, it still offers a serious potential for injury, death, and collisions because of the location being on a steep hill, close to an intersection too many drivers will speed through.

There is also the factor that Alma Street may become the primary ingress and egress route for the facilities on land owned by L.A.U.S.D.

This is something many officials promised would not happen and some of them have already gone back on their words.

This was not unexpected by me and many who have found that trust of just about everyone, other than teachers within L.A.U.S.D. is questionable at best.

So, after pondering the issues, I may have considered a solution that would cause very little disruption along Gaffey, except for folks turning west onto Barlow-Saxton from northbound Gaffey. (There is no left turn lane proposed).

Make Barlow-Saxton through the two campuses and Main Street one-way roads.

Vehicles would enter the properties from Gaffey Street, with probably 90+% of drivers turning right onto Barlow-Saxton from southbound Gaffey Street.

When leaving the SRHS 15 campus, drivers would easily be able to turn right and proceed a few feet to 30Th. Street, where they can eventually turn either northbound or southbound on Gaffey Street.

This concept would also insure that Alma Street would never become the primary ingress and egress route for SRHS 15, Angels Gate H.S., the Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center, and the Early Childhood Education Center.

The concept does put burdens on residents along 30Th, but only eastbound traffic would be more greatly impacted.

This idea would also allow for changes in the geometry of the parking lots and drop-off point for the new campus.

This is also, in my opinion, the only solution that would not mean that property along 30Th. would not have to be taken for a more safe route to and from the facilities.

Everyone should have the safest environments to live, drive, and work in.

Although I have found L.A.U.S.D. to be very resistant to actually providing members of the community with any real input into the final product, I should imagine it may only take one life, several serious injuries, quite a bit of personal property damage, and several lawsuits where they are the defendants, to get the message across.

They can pay now or pay later. I can only hope they pay for safety now rather than for settlements later.

Pondering the Beginning of the Intermission Last Night

2009-02-22T09:55:00.000-08:00

I did promise with my last post that I would not mention you know what, you know where, and the fact that you know what presented by you know who, has seen its run extended.

Sure, I could mention to folks reading this earlier on Sunday, than 2:00 PM, but I wrote this post to let folks know what they witnessed at the very beginning of last night's Intermission, you know where.

Ray, Kara, Bob, the 'you know where' House Staff and myself know a fellow who visits the Warner Grand Theater on a very regular basis to try and find paying work there.

This gentleman is also known in the local area and he has some difficulties dealing with some issues, including reality.

Our acquaintance was told to leave a bar local to the Warner Grand area as he was causing problems.

Local security guards on patrol were summoned to assist in the removal of the fellow, from the bar.

The bar patron left the bar before the security arrived and he then went to disturb and misdirect traffic from the middle of Sixth Street.

He may have known that the security guards were looking for him because during the first act of you know what at you know where, he slipped into the audience while attempting to hide from security and others.

Before the Intermission began, the person provided some disturbance to some audience members while security guards were looking for him and came into the theater, where he was located.

Just after I put up the "Intermission" (10 Minutes) slide, the security guards found the fellow and began attempting to extract him from the theater.

At that point, the guy did not need to have a wireless microphone on his person because his tantrum, shouting, and unruliness could be heard by everyone in the Orchestra Section, the Balcony, the Foyer and probably the basement areas of the you know where.

He shouted loudly that 'they' were hurting his finger while the guards were trying to get hold of the fellow.

As the person continued shouting, their was an audience member who witnessed everything going on and commented to the fellow that 'they' weren't even touching his finger.

The female audience member described, in detail, the events of the extraction of the drunk and disorderly human, and I took every word she said as the real truth.

It just so happens that I purchased two tickets to that particular performance for the woman and her husband as a gift for their 19th wedding anniversary that occurred on February 10.

The husband knows quite a bit about activities of live theater because for two decades he was the Stage Crew Teacher at San Pedro High School, a very close friend since 1973, and my brother-in-law.

Ruth Buono, my sister, gave me an account of things I could only witness from the balcony of you know where as I was changing tapes on two video cameras during most of the Intermission.

Now you know I couldn't end this post with reminding folks about you know what, you know where, by you know who. So here goes.......

Sure, you can click over the image to make it larger.

Pondering Future Theatre Productions

2009-02-20T13:22:00.001-08:00

Please click on each illustration to enlarge view.

1. I promise that this is the very last post dealing with live theatre events in San Pedro until I publish another post on the subject.

2. If you attend theatre events regularly in San Pedro or the greater L.A. Area OR if you want to look for ticket prices to other events that save you money, please look at www.goldstar.com and consider whether you can actually save some real dollars while attending great performances, concerts, and sporting events.

3. As a member of The Relevant Stage Theatre Company, duty requires that I ask you to attend "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" before you take in either of the first two performances of the next production by the Little Fish Theatre Company.

4. But you should really try to see all four productions mentioned on the illustrations viewed above.

5. I guess I am still in a funny mood after last evening's funny event and that is why I altered the address side of the post card sent out by Little Fish Theatre Company.

6. If you want to see a performance with an audience having fewer folks, come to the Warner Grand tonight, February 20, 2009.

7. If you wish to include yourselves along with a large audience laughing and enjoying a performance, then Saturday February 21 is the date to get to the Warner Grand Theatre.

8. You will just about always find a packed house at 777 South 7th Street, where Little Fish Theatre Company provides their great performances.

9. I don't feel it is necessary to mention that "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" has had its run extended by two performances.

10. But I think you need to learn that the run could not be extended through Sunday March 1, 2009 because of a previously planned event at the Warner Grand Theater.

11. 11 is the sixth lowest prime number. (1,2,3,5,and 7 are the first five)

12. The modern English translation for the number "twelve" is "eleven with two". I know it doesn't make any sense, but I didn't create the translation.

13. Thank you for reading and please enjoy all upcoming productions by two fantastic theatre companies.

Let's Ponder What Is Missing, Below

2009-02-20T08:31:00.000-08:00

Please take a look at some recently found information about the new High School campus that has been approved to be constructed.

The paragraph below offers what is going to be built at the site and some of the facilities that are being explored to be considered in a joint use agreement with the Los Angeles City Department of Parks and Recreation.

As I have opined more than once, I continue to believe one of the items L.A.U.S.D. was promising while they were seeking approval of the project will probably never be provided.

It is something that will be built on at least 10 other new school construction sites, as revealed by L.A.U.S.D. in documentation I have saved. This particular amenity is never mentioned to be included at the new campus.

Please take a look and consider what has been left out of the items L.A.U.S.D. is willing to provide on the campus.
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"The District intends to build a new high school on District-owned land at Fort MacArthur. This campus will consist of two small schools or learning communities that include classrooms, science labs, and administration. Shared facilities will include performing arts classrooms, a library, multi-purpose room, gymnasium, food service and lunch shelter, indoor dining room, administration support services, playfields, and surface parking. The District and the City of Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Department are exploring a joint use agreement at the new high school."
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Can you tell what is missing?

The item also appears to be missing from all but one conceptual illustration of the new campus.

Is it something that OUR community needs and will use? You betcha!

Is it something the member of the School Board for this District promised while seeking approval and support for the new campus? Why yes, I heard him speak about it.

Is it something dealt with in any real manner in the Environmental Reports? Sadly and as expected, NO.

Have you guessed yet?

Don't worry if you can't identify what promised item is missing and most probably will not be provided at the new campus.

If you didn't guess it, you won't be all wet. And it appears that neither will anyone else in OUR community get the opportunity to be all wet, either.

Pondering the Candidates Forum For The March 3 City of L.A. races

2009-02-19T23:42:00.000-08:00

On March 3, I hope every eligible voter goes to the polls and uses as much information as they can when considering whom to vote for, in the contested races and on propositions and measures that appear on their ballots.

I will be heading for my polling place on March 3 even though my ballot contains candidates of three seats on the Los Angeles Community College District.

Since I don't live in San Pedro/Los Angeles, I don't get to vote in some real juicy races being considered on ballots of folks living in L.A.

At the end of this post are the Internet addresses of the candidates who showed up at the forum and for Ms. Hahn and Mr. David Saltzburg, aka Zuma Dogg. You will also find the yes and NO on Measure B sites, too.

But I have pondered further on who I would like to see win in certain races in Los Angeles and I attended the forum held where candidates for three offices in L.A. appeared and also a supporter and opponent for Measure B had a chance to be heard by the crowd.

John Stinson were almost asked to leave the room when we both could not stop laughing as some of the things said by folks came out.

The festivities began with two candidates for the office of Los Angeles City Attorney made comments and answered questions using a typical format for those such things.

Later on in the evening the two other candidates for City Attorney made appearances, but they came after the Q and A session.

The two candidates for City Attorney who were there at the beginning of the evening were Mr. David Berger, Esq and Mr. Noel Weiss, Esq.

Both of the gentlemen were interesting to listen to and learn about and both of them spoke very ill of Jack Weiss who may be the front runner in the race.

The well informed crowd of folks attending the forum seemed to all agree with the two candidates about Jack Weiss and I doubt Jack will receive a vote from anyone in the room.

Mr. Berger is an award-winning Deputy District Attorney for the County of Los Angeles and Mr. Noel Weiss is a lawyer in private practice who specializes in the rights of citizens against developers and he has worked with groups against over development in the greater Los Angeles Area.

The third candidate for the office of City Attorney to come in was Mr. Michael Amerian, Esq. Mr. Amerian is currently a Deputy City Attorney for the city of Los Angeles and he is the only one of the four candidates who has worked in the L.A. City Attorney's office.

The forth candidate who came from one forum and had to leave to attend another forum after being able to stay at our forum for too short of a period of time was Mr. Carmen Trutanich, Esq. Mr. Trutanich is also a Deputy District Attorney for the County of Los Angeles.

It appears that "Nuch" being a true "Pedro Boy" will garner the majority of votes from San Pedrans.

Mr. Trutanich also can claim endorsements from a wide variety of government types as well as the I.L.W.U. and the Los Angeles Times.

I have a very good idea that any one of the four candidates who appeared at the forum would do a much better job as City Attorney than the current City Attorney, Rock Delgadillo has done.

All four of the candidates were very animated about their dislike of Jack Weiss, the fifth candidate running for City Attorney.

I believe all four are very correct in their dislike and great distrust of Jack Weiss.

I think it is very understandable that Carmen Trutanich will garner the majority of votes from voters in San Pedro and I think that town should be very proud of the work their native son has done over many years.

Noel Weiss is the only candidate who is not currently employed in any government agency.

It may be time for a true outsider to take the helm of the City Attorney's office. Noel Weiss has spent many years advocating and serving regular citizens against developers and even government entities who attempt to over-govern the people.

Noel Weiss has provided guidance, information, assistance, and resources when many of us are dealing with the Ponte Vista at San Pedro project and Noel Weiss is very leery of developers who attempt to change the nature of communities and Noel Weiss has demonstrated that he serves all of us even without being employed by a government agency.

If I could vote for a candidate for the office of Los Angeles City Attorney, I would consider Carmen Trutanich but I would mark by ballot by the name of Noel Weiss.

The second set of candidates to provide their accomplishments and views at the forum were two candidates for the office of Los Angeles Controller.

Ms. Susy Evans and Mr. Nick Patsaouras were the only two candidates for that office to appear.

I am not that interested in the office of City Controller, but both of the candidates spoke well, answered questions with intelligence and both could do a good job in the office they are seeking, I feel.

However, Mr. Nick Patsaouras has served OUR community and the greater Los Angeles area for many years and he also firmly demonstrated the correct position concerning Measure B on the March 3 ballots.

I think both candidates could do the job they are seeking in a very professional manner and would be an asset to the population of Los Angeles.

For this office I lean slightly towards Nick Patsaouras, but only slightly.

The next issue that came up at the forum was the debate/debacle/hilarity concerning Measure B.

Measure B would provide solar panels on about 25% of Los Angeles' public buildings and is the most debated and contested measure that has come up in years, in the city of Los Angeles.

It also brought out the most laughter and almost got John Stinson and I kicked out of the room.

Mr. James Unger, a paid spokesperson for the support of Measure B debated Mr. John Stammreich in what turned out to be quite the fun time where James was basically reduced to the ignorant fellow he, unfortunately is.

John Stammreich and I are on the opposite ends of the political spectrum. John actually agrees with The Random Lengths News' publisher Mr. James Preston Allen and that happens almost never, but they both do on this subject. John has been quoted in print that it is extremely odd that he and Mr. Allen have basically the same views on Measure B.

During the debate and the Q and A session between James and John, there were many issues in dispute.

Even poor James disputed himself from time to time and many of us could not help laughing at the fellow.

You should probably know that there was probably only James Unger in the room that will vote for Measure B, but the trooper he is, he still came out for the oddity.

When the costs were debated James contended that the average residential user's monthly increase would be only about $1.00 to pay for the placement and maintenance of solar panels.

James stated he thought just a $1.00 increase per month was reasonable.

John however pointed out that the D.W.P. is already going to raise the average monthly bill about $13.00 per month without the added costs if Measure B passes.

John was not disputed by James, the supporter when John mentioned that the suspected costs would create the need to raise monthly rates about $1.00 per month for 52 years to pay off the Measure.

James, even though he stated that he thought $1.00 per month may be reasonable then stated he thought the monthly charges would probably be much higher because he considered it taking 52 years to pay of the debt would not happen and the added costs would have to be repaid long before the 52 years had elapsed.

Well this got John Stinson and I going and we simply could not stop because of what was contended with next.

Poor, poor James Unger happened to comment that the D.W.P. knows something about electrical generation because they built Hoover Dam.

John was quite quick to respond that he didn't thing the Hoover Dam was a solar project.

Okay so with that, we were in tears. James was trying to find support for solar generation in the city of Los Angeles and John Stammreich had to remind James that the Hoover Dam has nothing to do with solar panels.

John Stammreich also pointed out something that has never been refuted by James or other supporters of Measure B.

It seems that less than 10% of the I.B.E.W. members who would install and maintain the solar panels actually live within the limits of the city of Los Angeles.

James claimed that companies would be moving into Los Angeles to attempt to get more business dealing with electrical generation by means of solar panels.

John Stammreich then pointed out that if the Measure passes, those very companies would be charged higher rates for their electricity.

Measure B would have solar panels built in China brought to Los Angeles and installed by I.B.E.W. workers who would earn far much more than other unionized workers who could do the jobs for less costs.

The measure was basically run through City Council approval without any of the Council members, other than Jack Weiss knowing the true facts of the measure.

The proposed costs for the measure are not factually known because the first audit of the measure was so bad, a second set of comments had to be issued and they showed a dramatic increase in costs for the project.

Unfortunately for many of us, probably far too many L.A. voters will see any measure suggesting solar panels as a good thing and vote the very lousy measure in.

All the candidates that appeared at the forum are either very opposed or dramatically opposed to Measure B and L.A. voters should vote NO on Measure B.

The last issue to be debated was who will win the March 3 election for the 15th Council District for the city of Los Angeles.

Ms. Janice Hahn, the current holder of the seat was not present at the forum due to a commitment she made last year.

In her place was Ms. Canizales, Ms. Hahn's senior assistant in the San Pedro office.
Also seated next to Ms. Canizales was Mr. Gordon Teuber, another senior aide to Ms. Hahn.

The only candidate to actually show up for the office was Mr. Christopher Salabaj.

The back and forth between the representative for Ms. Hahn and Mr. Salabaj was polite and folks learned more than expected about some of the positions Ms. Hahn has taken and what Mr. Salabaj would do if he were elected.

Mr. Salabaj pointed out that Ms. Hahn used "Quimby funds" to build the San Pedro Welcome Park which many in our community feel is a real boondoggle.

Mr. Salabaj also pointed out that Ms. Hahn dramatic yet unsuccessful attempt to get the anti-gang Measure A passed would have required an increase in property taxes while it would have allowed funds for a very small area of Watts and no place else in Ms. Hahn's District.

The most troubling thing we learned at the forum is that Ms. Hahn either tacidly supports or is neutral on Measure B and that is a real problem.

Ms. Canizales did a pretty good dodging dance around the issue when asked about whether Ms. Hahn supports or opposes Measure B and she never stated that Ms. Hahn opposes Measure B.

Over the years there has been many comments written about how Ms. Hahn is not willing to take firm stands on a number of issues her constituents feel she should. Ms. Hahn also provided frustration by a number of her constituents over her activities and measures to deal with gangs.

Perhaps it may be time to either put the scare into Ms. Hahn by having voters vote for Mr. Salabaj or simply elect Christopher Salabaj as the new 15th District Councilman for the city of Los Angeles.

Ms. Hahn has publicly called for the baseball diamonds remaining on Knoll Hill and that Eastview Little League be allowed to hold games there even after the current contract expires.

Many individuals, including Ms. Hahn have been informed repeatedly that is really doesn't matter what anyone in and around the area truly want, it is the State of California that is quite willing to sue agencies over the legal uses of Knoll Hill and Ms. Hahn knows that.

It really doesn't matter whether the Harbor Department, the Port of Los Angeles, the L.A. Department of Parks and Recreation and the City Council agrees to or provides contracts for. The State has repeatedly informed everyone that they are perfectly willing to sue and I do not believe any city or county agency wishes to spend dollars they do not have against lawsuits brought about by the State of California.

I am also concerned that Ms. Hahn has not been pushing hard enough to help redevelop downtown San Pedro and also working harder on the Waterfront Redevelopment project.

Maybe it is time to get a fresh face into the job of representing the 15th District and the people who live and work within the District.

As much as I appreciate the work Ms. Hahn and her staff have done in dealings with Ponte Vista and the redevelopment of the former McCowan's Market site, if I got to vote, I would mark my ballot by the name of Christopher Salabaj.

Many folks know that Ms Hahn has demonstrated an interest in becoming an L.A. County Supervisor, just like her father was.

The current L.A. County Supervisor for the District ends his current term in 2012 and is termed out in 2016.

Ms. Hahn is running for her last term as a member of the City Council and it may make folks wonder if Ms. Hahn would be willing to serve a full term as a City Council Member or try for Mr. Don Knabe's job before another City Council term ends.

If Ms. Hahn is reelected, might her current constituents have only a part-time Council member in 2012?
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At the forum, there were plenty of handouts including two magazines.

The San Pedro 2008/2009 Community Guide and Business Directory has a map of most of the peninsula, including all of San Pedro.

One residential project was singled out on the map in the middle of the Directory. I bet you can guess what property was named and outlined on the map.

The San Pedro Business Journal has an article beginning on Page 1 about the upcoming Honorary Mayor campaign. In the article are photos and comments about past Honorary Mayors.

Can you guess who is missing from the article? The only hint I am willing to provide is: "current".

I guess you all realize by now that I have a very odd sense of humor that doesn't necessarily translate into humor many can understand. I like subtle humor and things like seeing Ponte Vista outlined and named on the map and the omission of Mr. Joe Donato from the article on Honorary Mayor seems a bit funny to me.

The forum proved to be much funnier than I thought it would be and I had planned for a few laughs even before the event began.

I am sorry that my candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles did not show up, but I guess Mr. David Saltsburg, aka Zuma Dogg had other events and forums to go to.

In these tough economic times we all need humor and a big shakeup in the way the current systems operate.

The folks I hope you vote for would do all that and more, I feel.

Just think of all the tourists that would benefit the L.A. economy coming to town to be part of what could happen if Zuma Dogg is elected Mayor.

The City Attorney, City Controller, and 15th District picks I'd like to see elected would help keep L.A. trimmed and the L.A. City Council might actually do something for the folks who provide their pay.

http://michaelamerian.com/index.php
http://berger4ca.com/
www.tru09.com
http://electnoel.wordpress.com/

http://evansforcontroller.com/
http://www.nick2009.com/

http://votenomeasureb.com/
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46315869753

http://www.janicehahn.com/
http://www.chrissalabaj.com/

http://zumatimes.com/

A Benefit For Kids Via A Theft From A Great Blog

2009-02-19T15:12:00.001-08:00

Ms. Diana Chapman publishes a great blog benefitting youth in OUR community.

I read it regularly and I have been in contact with Ms. Chapman about my theft of information from her blog, The Underground For Kids at: www.theundergroundforkids.blogspot.com.

I altered some of the format of Ms. Chapman's post and for that I am very guilty.

Here goes the altered post from Ms. Chapman:

ENJOY LIFE IN AN AMAZINGLY HUMOROUS WAY;
ATTEND THE LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE SPOUSES CLUB FUNDRAISER
TO SEND MILITARY CHILDREN TO COLLEGE;
And HELP DIANA BY SIGNING UP AS A BLOG FOLLOWER;
(You are more than welcome to sign up as a blog follower on Ms. Chapman's blog. I did.)

Last year, I had the time of my life attending this event.

What was the most fun was the cake auction.

Many of the military wives concocted the most remarkable looking cakes – cakes like I’ve never seen before, some towering as high as wedding cakes – and some looking like the leaning tower of Pisa.

Cakes started out at low rates during the auction, say like $30 a pop, but as the evening wore on and the cakes kept coming out and were paraded around, the prices went up. Someone paid $300 for a cake last year.

If you want to have fun, attend this frosting-filled event by filling out the information below. You won’t regret it. Plus, you help kids!

Los Angeles Air Force Spouses’ Club
13th Annual Auction for Education “Hooray For Hollywood”
Friday, 20 March 09
6pm – 10pm

Fort MacArthur Community Center,
2400 Pacific Ave. Bldg. 403,
San PedroCa 90731.

If you are a civilian we will have to have you on a seperate list to get on base.

(I usually have to show a photo I.D. to get on the Middle Reservation of Fort MacArthur as do civilans who are transported in my Honda.)

Here are more particulars:

$20/per person for dinner
Buffet begins at 7pm
Chicken Piccatta: sauteed chicken breast w/lemon caper white wine sauce
served with chef’s choice of vegetables

** vegetarian option available upon request **(denote option by placing a VEG by the name below)

Please RSVP to attend this fabulous event

Number in party:
____________

Name(s): _____________________________________

____________________________________________

Child care is available for this event.

Parents Night Out is open at the youth center for children.

Kindergartners over the age of 5 and above.

Please contact Pat at the youth center to reserve your spot.
310-653-8383

We also have a group of red cross certified babysitters available to watch younger children (and any age siblings).

Reservations can be made by contacting Cindy Horejsi. boohoocindylou@yahoo.com
310-987-1697

This is a private organization. It is not a part of the DOD or any of its components and it has no governmental status. AFI34-223 / 10
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Have a nice meal. Meet folks who may only be in our beloved community temporarily and help them be more comfortable with living here.

Bid on a cake, you fortunate folks. Having diabetes means my former grand times of enjoying many baked and decorated treats continue to be former grand times, but that shouldn't stop you from getting your cake-cutter out and having a fantastic treat, or two, or three, or more.

This One WILL Get Interesting

2009-02-19T14:14:00.001-08:00

The time is very quickly approaching for asbestos to be dealt with, grounds of a former military installation to be moved, historical buildings to be demolished or relocated, and work to go ahead on finally building an 810-seat campus for about 500 students in a school district that may still have to lay off teachers and other employees.

"Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" continues to be what seems to be the intentions of L.A.U.S.D.'s highly budgeted Facilities Services Division.

Now it is time for OUR community to make absolutely sure whatever is done on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur, it is done with safety being the very most important issue.

The next steps in building a new campus will provide the most environmentally challenging aspects to the project, to the local residents, the workers on the site, the kids attending the Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center, people enjoying activities and Angels Gate Cultural Center and all the folks who use the buildings on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur, AND the people who work at and visit the Fort MacArthur Military Museum, the Marine Mammal Rescue Center, the Oiled Bird Recovery Center and any remaining students and staff of Angels Gate High School.

March 2009 could see the most hazardous work beginning on the site and it is probably up to all of us to make sure we and the members of OUR community are not harmed in the forthcoming processes.

We will need folks to watch that all truck trailers containing all types of material from the site have been covered and the covers remain in place while the material departs OUR community.

We will need to watch and make sure that workers on the site adhere to only the safest practices and that whatever goes on at the site goes on with the safety of everyone as the most important issue, no matter what goes on.

We need to continue to make sure representatives of L.A.U.S.D. and its contracted companies continue to provide honest, reliable, and continued communication with anyone who asks any question about anything about the project.

We have seen what L.A.U.S.D. and its contractors can do to a school site and we must make sure nothing even remotely bad happens in OUR community.

On another matter, the very hotly contested new elementary school in Echo Park is now being held up because the City Councilman in that area has not signed a document necessary for the project to go forward.

Since at least one roadway near the site will have to be altered, the Councilman's signature is required and he is not willing to provide it without further studies dealing with roadways and transportation being done.

This just might portend something similar with SRHS 15 because Alma Street is slated for a great deal of work being done on it for the SRHS 15 project and we still have issues dealing with the Barlow-Saxton intersection with Gaffey Street.

If a signature is required from Janice Hahn in the future, I hope she thinks long and hard about providing that signature when there will be so many changes along Gaffey and Alma necessary.

If Ms. Hahn only supports a campus having no more than 500 seats, perhaps L.A.U.S.D. should consider altering its plans and reduce its costs by building a campus that would never have more than 500-seats.

The New Hit Is Being Held Over in San Pedro!

2009-02-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

Please click over image to enlarge.

The 2009 Season of The Relevant Stage Theatre Company is starting out with such a hit, a request was made to hold the show over for one more weekend!

This is a first for The Relevant Stage Theatre Company and all the members of the Company quickly agreed to provide two more dates of great performances, laughter, singing, and wonderful entertainment in OUR community.

The new dates added for "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" are Friday February 27 and Saturday February 28. Both performances begin at 8:00 PM.

As a matter of fact and as the House Manager for The Relevant Stage Theatre Company, my watch showed that the three previous performances began within seven minutes of their scheduled starting time. The performance last Friday evening began at 8:05 PM and the Sunday Matinee began at 2:32 PM, just two minutes after the scheduled starting time.

All three shows last weekend drew a large number of theater goers and it sure looked like they all enjoyed a wonderful time.

I am still the newest member of The Relevant Stage Theatre Company and I am both very happy and proud to have become associated with The Relevant Stage Theatre Company at the beginning of its second season.

Last year, as a paying theater goer to several productions by The Relevant Stage Theatre Company, I considered that they could do better to become more like our own outstanding Little Fish Theatre Company.

It looks like The Relevant Stage Theatre Company has risen to the challange of becoming more like Little Fish and now we have two fantastic Theatre Companies to entertain OUR community and a whole lot more folks who will come to San Pedro to enjoy productions from TWO excellent Theatre Companies.

All members of The Relevant Stage Theatre Company are looking forward to a spectacular 2009 Season.

Upton Sinclair's "The Singing Jailbirds" was written considering events that occured on San Pedro's Liberty Hill, many years ago.

Even though "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" has midnight performances each and every Saturday night at the Warner Grand, later this year The Relevant Stage Theatre Company will offer a truly different chance to view "Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show" which is NOT the movie, but a live performance of the work by the movie screenplay's author.

The absolute worst thing about "The Christmas Carol" that will be presented in December is that is only runs for too short of a period of time.

"The Christmas Carol" is an adaptation of the Dickens classic that includes singing and music between and different edit of the very old piece.

You will be completely entertained by "The Christmas Carol" and I can state that as a person who paid to attend the performance last year.

While all the future productions have the issue that they might be changed without notice, I am more than quite sure that "The Christmas Carol" will become a staple for The Relevant Stage Theatre Company every December, for years to come.

Ticket prices for all of the productions by The Relevant Stage Theatre Company are just about the best you can find anywhere in the greater L.A. area.

Adult tickets are just $20.00 for folks who are under 55-years old and are not students.

Seniors and students over 18-years old can get tickets for just $10.00 each.

Youths between the ages of 9 and 18 can see "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" for just $5.00 each!

But wait, there are even better deals.

A Season Pass for all five productions by The Relevant Stage Theatre Company are just $50.00 each!

If you want to visit Off the Vine to sample or buy wines AND see the show, those combined tickets are just $25.00 each.

If you buy your tickets online and want a super meal at The Whale and Ale on the evening you attend the performance, that combination is just $40.00 each.

It's hard to find great theater in the greater L.A. area for the low ticket prices The Relevant Stage Theatre Company is offering.

Please plan on attending at least one of the five remaining performances of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. If you have already seen it, come again and tell all your friends about it.

Goldstar.com the local theatre review and ticket purchase site has already given "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" is "Best Seller" award and there have been over 34 reviews written my Goldstar members who have rated the show higher than the current ratings for "Pippin" at the Mark Taper Forum.

"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" provides a wonderful evening's entertainment and is presented at the historic Warner Grand Theater in Downtown San Pedro.

Come see the Theater that Jack Warner built and proclaimed its greatness when he attended the opening performance at The Warner Grand in 1931.

Pondering What We Can Find on Google Earth

2009-02-18T12:02:00.000-08:00

Google Earth can provide a wealth of visual information regarding what is and is not within a community.

In my pondering about whether there truly enough ball fields in OUR community, I decided to take a look at OUR community and zoom in on some athletic facilities in our area to consider whether more ball fields are necessary rather than just demanded by a minority number of residents of OUR community.

"Ball fields" in my pondering are considered by me to be both baseball diamonds and softball fields where youth and adults can place a mitt on their hand if they choose and either bat or field a round ball, usually containing some threading or raised examples of threads.

I wanted to also include several illustrations of different types of playing surfaces that may be built in the future at Mary Star of the Sea High School, Rolling Hills Prep, S.R.H.S. 15, and Marymount College as they all may play a role in our future.

I did not provide any illustration of Knoll Hill.

I feel there should be consideration for thinking that OUR community's youth want to participate sporting events, other than baseball or softball. So I used Google Earth to find four different types of facilities that youth might wish to participate with and also consider how many of those different types of facilities are available in OUR community

Below are four sets of photos and illustrations depicting the swimming pools of sufficient length for competition, indoor gymnasiums for basketball, soccer fields and ball fields our youth might want to use.

Each different type of facility provides teams of different numbers of participants with basketball usually having the fewest members on each team.

You can click over the images to enlarge the combined pages.

The swimming pools illustrated are located at: Peck Park, the Elks Lodge, Miraleste Intermediate School, the Y.M.C.A. and the proposed pool at the South Region High School Number 15 campus. The Fort MacArthur swimming pool is also included, but it may have a limited number of folks who can participate in events there.

Next we can find gymnasiums for indoor basketball games. Here are the gyms that are illustrated in the above combined illustration:
Both the "Boy" gym and the brand new gym at S.P.H.S., Peck Park, Miraleste Intermediate, Dodson Intermediate, Bogdanovich Park, the Y.M.C.A., the proposed gym at South Region High School Number 15, and the proposed gym at Marymount College.

I did not include any indoor gyms for the Boys and Girls club of San Pedro or the Boys and Girls Club of the Port of Los Angeles. I also did not include any gyms at the old Mary Star High School campus or Holy Trinity school.

The third illustration includes fields where soccer can be enjoyed by everyone. The current fields at both the new Mary Star campus and Rolling Hill Prep are far too small to be considered fields where a regular soccer game can be played on.

The fourth illustration should not need too much explanation. There are two fields that appear in both the soccer illustration and the illustration above.

Miraleste Intermediate School and Dodson Intermediate School have fields that incluse space for both soccer and/or baseball/softball.

So in review we can see six competition length swimming pools, seven current gyms and two proposed gyms for basketball, approximately 12 or more soccer fields, and a minimum of 21 ball fields between Palos Verdes Drive North on the north, the harbor on the east, the ocean on the south, and Portuguese Bend on the west.

I could have included football fields in the mix, but I feel you should all be able to clearly see there are more ball fields available for youths to play at then there are pools, indoor gyms, and soccer fields.

Perhaps if some of the kids who would normally play baseball with Eastview Little League want to take up swimming, basketball, and soccer, there may not be such a demand to have more ball fields.

I certainly understand that kids are required to share sporting fields and courts with adults, but by viewing the number of ball fields already dedicated to organized youth baseball or softball, it should be apparent that there are already quite a few places where kids can play ball.

Perhaps we need more ball fields in OUR community. But it looks like we also need more competitive length swimming pools, especially in sunny southern California. We could easily use more indoor basketball courts and it looks like there may not be enough soccer fields in OUR community either.

It does seem to me though, that there are more ball fields than any other type of constructed or proposed facilities for sports, by looking at Google Earth.

Perhaps we should encourage youth to take up competitive cross-country, more bicycle touring, tennis, weight training, surfing, ocean swimming, golf, or any of a wide array of other individual and team sports not already listed.

There is one illustration I did not include that I probably should have.

I didn't include the park lands and open spaces east of Gaffey Street AND east of Pacific Avenue in San Pedro.

Had I included those areas along with a large overhead of the number of residential units east of Gaffey and then east of Pacific Avenue, perhaps folks demanding more ball fields might see that there is already far too little parks or open spaces east of the two large streets mentioned.

Don't the youth and adults living in the eastern portion of San Pedro deserve some more park lands and open spaces the rest of us enjoy closer to our homes?

Why should eastern San Pedro residents have to transport themselves to parks not as close to their homes as we have in other areas of OUR community.

The new park along 22nd. Street and Knoll Hill are fairly far apart but they will offer residents living within walking distance more options, it seems.

Please take an objective look at what we have as current sports facilities and what we can view east of Pacific Avenue in terms of parks and open space.

Along Western Avenue we enjoy a great deal of parks and open spaces, all within about 1/4 mile from Western Avenue.

Where Western Avenue enters Lomita, there are baseball diamonds. Extremely close to where Western Avenue has its southern end, there is a baseball diamond.

Along the way there is Peck Park, Bogdanovich Park, Dodson Intermediate and there could be baseball and or softball fields at Mary Star and Rolling Hills Prep.

I think eastern San Pedro residents should be provided with more of what so many of us have close to our homes, don't you?

Pondering Whether the San Pedro Youth Coalition Still Even Exists

2009-02-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

During the last meeting dealing with Knoll Hill issues and East View Little League being able to remain on the site after the current contract expires, Scott Lane who identifies himself as the President of the San Pedro Youth Coalition got up, was the first to grab the microphone, and then loudly provided his demands and overspoke some audience members who do not agree with his opinions. Scott also continued to speak even after he was asked to finish by meeting organizers.

Scott offered a letter to the editor in the February 17 edition of The Daily Breeze which seems to continue his demand that ball fields be kept on Knoll Hill for Eastview Little League, even after the current contract expires.

I must admit that Scott probably understands about contracts because he is listed on the Internet as a lawyer.

So his outburst and letter got me pondering about the San Pedro Youth Coalition that he claims he is President of. It got be further wondering about the activities of the organization and whether is continues to be active in OUR community and actually provides services it states to provide on its Web site: www.spyc.sanpedro.com.

I visited the site and spent some time reviewing all the pages listed. I found it odd in many ways and it certainly does not appear to be as up to date as many other sites on the World Wide Web.

On the "Links" page there are no refrences to the Boys and Girls Club of San Pedro and there is no specific link to the Boys and Girls Club of the Port of Los Angeles.

Nowhere on the "Links" page can I find any specific link to San Pedro High School, Eastview Little League, and other some other organized youth activities programs that I know occur in the San Pedro area.

I also found it extremely odd that Scott offered the following quote in a December, 2008 edition of The Daily Breeze concerning the new park along 22nd. Street.

Here is Scott's part of the article about the groundbreaking for the new park:

"We have been trying to secure this very piece of land for the children in 1991, so this day has been 17 years in the making," said Scott Lane, president of the San Pedro Youth Coalition. "This effort has been a testament of endurance and perseverance of the humble men and women of the youth coalition."

But the new park is definetly not what the San Pedro Youth Coalition supported in the past.

What makes it so odd for me is that on the San Pedro Youth Coalition's Web site, under the "Activities" menu item is the nine-page, 2.2 megabyte PDF formatted proposal for the
"San Pedro International Sports Complex".

By reading the PDF for the Sports Complex we can view that the San Pedro Youth Coalition supported building the complex on the very spot where the new park is currently under construction.

Why would Scott offer praise at the groundbreaking of a park that he seems to oppose with his letter to the editor and takes up the very space the Coalition wanted the Sports Complex to go?

The file for the Sports Complex illustrated that it was published on April 1, 2003.

In fact and on every item revealed on the "Activities" link is anything dated beyond about May, 2004.

On the "Events" menu, the latest date that also contains a year is for the "Future Leaders Award" and that date was for May 12, 2004.

Whether any of the listed Board members continue to actively serve with the San Pedro Youth Coalition is something I do not currently know.

I could place a call to Mr. Pete Manghera to find out, but I just may ask him the next time I see him.

Also on the "Activities" menu is the "Scholarship Awards Program". The sample scholarship certificate shown on the site looks to be dated May 10, 1996.

No matter, I happen to have known someone who knows quite a bit about scholarships being provided in the San Pedro area. I have known her for about 48 years, so I just might get some information as to whether the Coalition has been offering scholarships since 1996 or even as late as 2004 or thereafter.

One of the items on the "Events" page is the "Youth Track Meet". visiting that particular menu item will bring up a photograph of (apparently) the event. Whether the track meet has gone on in recent years is still undetermined by me. I think if you carefully look at the photo and the location of the Victory Arch, you just may wonder yourself if the San Pedro Youth Coalition is still in business or if Scott is using the former Coalition to continue to remain identified as someone who truly is attempting to support youth activities.

The "Events" page has not been updated after 2004.

When Scott gets up and claims to represent a Coalition or a group continuing to this day, to support youth activities, it needs to be learned whether those activities are still going on.

I would very much appreciate factual information from Scott or anyone else that can prove Scott is not using a former status as President of something that may no longer really exist to support youth in OUR community.

If Scott is going to out shout folks, commandeer a microphone, berate opponents of his thoughts, and demand something that is contractually not agreed to yet, he may need to provide OUR community with evidence that he is not simply speaking as a private citizen and he truly continues to actively support youth in OUR community by being President of an active San Pedro Youth Coalition, complete with all the supportive activities that are listed on the group's Web site.

I am Mark Wells, aka M Richards. I am the President, Founder, and Spokesperson for the Rancho Palos Verdes Film Retrospective, an event that is over ten years old and occurs the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Almost every production shown at the Retrospective includes youthful persons. There have been only two productions shown at the Retrospective that did not include humans under the age of eighteen-years old.

I have nothing to hide with the group I am President of. Does Scott have something to hide, while continuing to claim he is President of the San Pedro Youth Coalition?

Pondering a Very Odd Situation, and More

2009-02-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

Here is an article from the London-based Financial Times.

I highly doubt that this publication is produced by the 'liberal media'.

Bank nationalisation gains ground with Republicans

By Edward Luce and Krishna Guha
Published: February 17 2009 19:44
Last updated: February 17 2009 21:31

Nationalisation, long regarded in Washington as a folly of Europeans, is gaining rapid ground among US opinion-formers. Stranger still, many of those talking about federal ownership of banks are Republicans.

Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator for South Carolina, said that many of his colleagues, including John McCain, the defeated presidential candidate, agreed with his view that nationalisation of some banks should be “on the table”.

Mr Graham said that people across the US accepted his argument that it was untenable to keep throwing good money after bad into institutions such as Citigroup and Bank of America, which now have a lower net value than the amount of public funds they have received.

“You should not get caught up on a word [nationalisation],” he told the Financial Times in an interview. “I would argue that we cannot be ideologically a little bit pregnant. It doesn’t matter what you call it, but we can’t keep on funding these zombie banks [without gaining public control]. That’s what the Japanese did.”

Barack Obama, the president, who has tried to avoid panicking lawmakers and markets by entertaining the idea, has recently moved more towards what he calls the “Swedish model” – an approach backed strongly by Mr Graham.

In the early 1990s, Sweden nationalised its banking sector then auctioned banks, having cleaned up their balance sheets. “In limited circumstances the Swedish model makes sense for the US,” said Mr Graham.

Mr Obama made it clear last week that he favoured this model over the piecemeal approach taken in Japan, which many would argue is the direction US public policy appears to be heading.

“They [the Japanese] sort of papered things over,” Mr Obama said. “They never really bit the bullet . . . and so you never got credit flowing the way it should have, and the bad assets in their system just corroded the economy for a long period of time.”

Senior administration officials acknowledge that the financial rescue plan unveiled by Tim Geithner, Treasury secretary, last week could result in the temporary nationalisation of some weak banks.

The plan sets out a framework for revealing the extent of the likely credit losses facing banks. Most private sector analysts believe the exercise will reveal that some banks have large capital shortfalls.

Policymakers acknowledge that, if this is so, it will be difficult for those with the largest shortfalls to raise the required equity from the markets; in which case the government would probably have to take temporary control. Moreover, while nationalisation remains taboo in some political circles it is increasingly openly discussed among economic policymakers of all leanings.

“If necessary you temporarily nationalise some of these institutions,” said a former senior Republican policymaker. “There has been a lot of pussyfooting around because we don’t like the word – which strikes me as utter nonsense.”

The time for biting the bullet may be fast approaching. In early April, big institutions publish their first-quarter results. If Treasury stress tests have not yet revealed the true state of their balance sheets, first-quarter results might do so.

“The first week in April – that’s when the children’s party is over,” says Chris Whalen, co-founder of Institutional Risk Analytics. “That is when the obvious will become apparent.”
The Obama administration remains officially opposed to control. Mr Geithner last week said: “Governments are terrible managers of bad assets.”

Others say Mr Geithner may have no choice. “The danger we face is a Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae scenario where government gives the banking sector guarantees and then socialises the losses,” says Adam Posen, an economist. “That’s the worst thing we could do.”

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
__________________________________________

It certainly seems to becoming more apparent that conservatives want to privatize profits and socialize losses. This is something that has been talked about for some months now.

ILWU workers in San Pedro are finding fewer hours available. Far too many businesses in San Pedro are struggling. But I guess if you own shares in major banks, you are looking good to conservatives and centrist Democrats.

I hope you all remember R. Reagan's 'trickle down' economy and supply-side economics. It finally resulted in what happened on September 15, 2008, when the collapse of Lehman Brothers almost caused the collapse of the basic financial engine that was already sputtering and already causing far too many folks in OUR community anxiety, aggravation, and fear.

I also would not consider Bloomberg News, The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Fixed Noise, Barron's, and other media organizations as being "the liberal media".

The socialisation of the banking industry looks like another issue where far-right thinkers meet up with far-leftists on the back side of the political circle. Both groups now seemed joined together similar to their positions taken concerning NAFTA, CAFTA, and a few other issues.

Unfortunately OUR community needs to ponder how we are all going to get ourselves and each other out of this mess.

Should we accept 'inclusionary' housing at Ponte Vista to be more in line with Mayor Villaraigosa's housing initiative?

Must we put our much delayed Waterfront Expansion Plan on hold for too many more years?

Do we have to watch as San Pedro's downtown fights for its very survival?

President Obama signed the stimulus bill into law today. I wonder whether San Pedro will benefit from it or whether OUR community's residents will get real relief.

I did get a laugh from two members of the House of Representatives who both boasted of the benefits coming from the new law into their Districts. The two of them were of course, Republicans and we all know that no Republicans in the House of Representatives voted for the package.

Partisanship reigns supreme just like it did when the Republicans had both houses of Congress between 1995 and 2007. Too bad Republicans have such short memories or they would have realized that what you sew, so shall you reap.

Pondering A Very Important Comment To A Post

2009-02-15T08:53:00.000-08:00

Mr. Ron Galosic left a comment to a past post. Mr. Galosic's comment is worthy, in my opinion, of having his comments elevated to a post.

Mr. Galosic does not besmirch any individual who happens to disagree with his opinions and that is very commendable in this day and age. Thank you Mr. Galosic.
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R. Galosic has left a new comment on your post "Pondering the Latest Meeting About Knoll Hill":

R. Galosic said...

"This link was passed on to me to read this posting, and again, as so many times during the past few years, it is so sad to see that some people just do not get it. This is not about the greedy parents; this is about the kids of today, tomorrow, and the future, and saving the only organization in San Pedro known as "Little League". I currently do not play "Little League", nor have any one of my kids played for over five years now, yet I support saving "Little League" for OUR town.

I do not agree with them, but I really think I almost understand where the group that opposes this is coming from. Sure, I can see how those that oppose seem upset that Eastview signed an agreement saying they would vacate Knoll Hill at the agreements end, and now are trying to find a way to stay, but I ask you, would you have done anything different if this was the last ditch effort in saving an organization you were passionate about? Signing the agreement was like this, “You sign on the dotted line, or you league ends tomorrow.” I have no doubt; every one of you would have done the same. Folks, the bottom line here is that “San Pedro” needs a place for “Little League” to call its home, and while some may be convinced otherwise, Eastview’s volunteers are not part of an organization that is “Loaded” with cash nor does not have an “Owner”, and it is not a “Managed Business”. What Eastview is though, it is a group of volunteers that changes from year to year that organizes a place for kids to go and learn life’s lessons in a group setting.

If you never played in the organization that is nationally known as "Little League", or if you did and you stopped because you were hit be a ball as a child and were afraid to ever get back up in the batters box, you don't realize how many kids lives it changes. "Little League" keeps kids off the streets, and out of open space parks where they can experiment with drugs and drink alcohol with their buddies. "Little League" gives kids a place to be part of a group that plays together for (6) months of the year, learning work ethics and how to play with a team in a group setting.

This is not about me, who as last years President, as I said earlier has not had a child play there in five years, or about any other parent who stood before you. What it is though, it is about preserving an organization that thousands of volunteers in San Pedro have volunteered to keep together for the kids of San Pedro since 1967.

Eastview Little League by no way is a "Business" as you suggest, and there is no "Ownership", only Volunteers who through the years step up and help organize a place for kids to play each and every year.

So remember this, when you are putting up your fight to have the fields removed, remember that consciously or un-consciously, you are trying your best to end "Little League" in San Pedro. If that’s fine with you then okay, but remember we volunteers will not stop because we want to be sure that our Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren have a "Little League to play in OUR town of San Pedro."
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I agree with some of Mr. Galosic's comments and I disagree with others.

When I played with Eastview Little League, the Manager of our team, the Minor League Athletics was the father of zero sons. In those days, girls were not allowed to play, so our team's Manager had none of his own children playing with Eastview. I do understand that it is a volunteer organization.

And although I only played "hardball" for one season, I played various forms of softball and other organized sports for many years in my youth, rowed first seat on the CSULB freshman 8 crew, and I continue to participate in athletics to this day.

I don't know if there is any real objection to having "Little League" as Mr. Galosic refers to the sport, remaining in San Pedro and in the rest of OUR community.

I don't know of any individual opposed to having Eastview Little League remaining on Knoll Hill who objects to "Little League" remaining somewhere else in San Pedro.

At the end of the meeting Mr. Galosic commented to my blog on, I talked to several gentlemen with the Eastview Little League organization and asked them about alternative sites where the League might find a new home.

At this point, I need to remind folks that Bob Bisno, the former 'Developer' of Ponte Vista finally stated that Eastview Little League would get fields at his site, no strings attached, towards the end of his reign. Apparently Eastview's management liked that deal. It allowed Bob some final tries at getting more support for his failed schemes at the 61.53 acre site.

Gosh, I wish Eastview's management would have turned him down a second time.

I do not agree that Eastview Little League is not a business. There is a management structure to the League and there is an organization, even if only made up by volunteers, that can have interested parents and others show up in great numbers to help sway opinions at meetings, in the press, and at other events.

The adults working for and with Eastview Little League are in the business of providing youth a means to play organized baseball in San Pedro. This is NOT a bad thing at all, in my opinion.

Baseball is as American as, Hot Dogs made of chicken parts, apples from South America, and Chevrolets from a company near bankruptcy.

Some of the best Major League baseball players come from San Pedro, in the Dominican Republic.

But that is quite alright too, because baseball is now a truly international sport, with the top home run hitter of all time having played in Japan for his career.

For several years now, many folks who backed Bob Bisno's attempt almost constantly stated that, things change and we all must realize that and deal with it.

Yes, Eastview Little League lost its $1.00 a year fields that kept for almost two generations.

Yes, Eastview's management signed a three-year TEMPORARY lease for the top of Knoll Hill.

Yes, folks understand that when they attempt to break their promises it sets a bad example for kids to follow.

Yes, we all should work as much as we can to help find a permanent home for Eastview Little League.

I opined to several 'higher ups' with Eastview Little League that I thought the city of Rancho Palos Verdes and the Los Angeles County Department of Sanitation might be approached to see if Eastview Park might be considered for the new home of Eastview Little League.

The park on Westmont, a little east of Western Avenue has land leased to the city of Rancho Palos Verdes on land owned by the Sanitation District.

Some years ago the American Youth Soccer Organization wanted fields placed at the park, but local area neighbors apparently objected to that idea. Maybe things have changed.

I live in the first tract of homes that were called "Eastview".

I played with the League when the majority of players lived in the greater Eastview, San Pedro Highlands, and Channel Heights areas.

Back in those days, Midtown, Block Field, Peck Park and other leagues played in San Pedro.

Over the years, Eastview Little League grew to outnumber all the leagues that currently remain in OUR community, including Lomita Little League that plays alongside Western Avenue by P.V. Drive North.

Yes, Mr. Galosic and others, OUR community, San Pedro included needs to keep "Little League" somewhere, somehow.

I don't know the answers to where the League may find a permanent home, but I will continue to help look for one.

Maybe the "Field of Dreams" needs more kicking in the pants of folks who can make that finally happen.

The Tidelands Trust doesn't allow permanent fields on Knoll Hill as long as the Port of Los Angeles owns the land.

There are far too few parks and open space in San Pedro east of Gaffey Street and especially east of Pacific Avenue, where Knoll Hill is located.

One of the sadder issues when dealing with the current issues Eastview Little League is facing is the fellow who runs the San Pedro Youth Coalition and far too many adults representing Eastview Little League.

Instead of the reasoned, calm, and thoughtful comments made by Mr. Galosic with his comments, we find one fellow who grandstands, shouts, and demands that his positions must be followed, without accepting other opinions, other options, and other voices.

We also find far too many folks organized into a campaign of seemingly demanding that OUR community accept what they want, while not realizing that they are in the minority of the opinions revolving around Eastview Little League.

If Eastview Little League supporters would consider being less dogmatic and attacking folks who don't agree with their demands, using shouts, pouts, name-calling, and 'bullying' tactics, perhaps OUR community might find more favor in helping kids find a permanent home to play "Little League".

When local meetings and forums are packed with an organized group of folks not willing to listen to folks opposed to their particular wishes, it demonstrates to other, and even children attending those meetings and forum, a type of behaviour that is not likely to find sympathy or any reasoning to work with others to find solutions.

So few Rancho Palos Verdes residents have a clue where Eastview Park is and far too few R.P.V. residents use the park compared to our great San Pedro neighbors who use the park.

Why not work on the men representing R.P.V. on their City Council and folks at the Sanitation District at getting Eastview Park, in Eastview, for Eastview Little League?

OUR community is going to have to deal with the Clearwater Program of the Sanitation District that will surely cause much discussion and consternation in OUR community, including San Pedro.

Most of the residents of San Pedro are not on the L.A. County Sanitation District's sewer system.

So, if the Sanitation District is going to impose on San Pedro, why not ask them for some type of benefit.............use of Eastview Park, in Eastview, for Eastview Little League?

It could not hurt to ask, could it?

Again, thank you Mr. Galosic, for your reasoned and wonderful comments. Wouldn't it be great if all the discussions, debates, and comments regarding Eastview Little League were as civil as Mr. Galosic's were.

Pondering Misspent Money

2009-02-13T20:00:00.000-08:00

L.A.U.S.D. is building an 810-seat campus for 500 students, most of whom will come from outside San Pedro to attend classes.

The average student to teacher/classroom at San Pedro High School typically runs about 40 students per teacher in non-specialized situations.

Today I am estimating that South Region High School will cost $102,000,000 to fully build and furnish. I haven't seen any dollars available to maintain it as a brand new facility, without impacting the maintenance of other schools in the area.

So, lets do some math, O.K.

$102,000,000 divided by the "500" Magnet Program students means the average cost for the campus would be about $204,000.00 per student.

I have no idea, at this time, of the average cost per student at other campuses currently in production and construction.

Well, since the school is being constructed with 30 classrooms and having seats for 810 students, it looks like if all 810 seats have students sitting in them, the new campus would only cost about
$125,925.93 per student to build.

But let's wait a minute, shall we?

Suppose the objective of lowering the student population at S.P.H.S. to pre-2002 levels as approved of by the Board of Education, occurs.

Since the regular, non-physical education classes being conducted at S.P.H.S. have about 40 students per classroom, here is another average that should be presented.

Let's take 40 students per class at S.P.H.S. and move them to the 30 classrooms that will be constructed at SRHS 15.

That would equate to a student population at the new campus to be 1,200 students, if my calculator works well.

It looks like the average cost per student with those numbers would have the new campus built for a mere $85,000.00 per seat.

Oh, but you may wish to hold on to your calculators a bit longer.

Now suppose L.A.U.S.D. decides to build 45 classrooms on the site, like it originally called for in May, 2007.

45 classrooms times 40 students per classroom means that 1,800 students may eventually share the halls and views of the wind turbines.

L.A.U.S.D. has proclaimed they expect enrollment to begin to rise more sharply in about 2017 and thereafter.

It shouldn't matter that L.A.U.S.D. is currently losing students because I think they feel that, "If they build it, they will come."

So, it is only fair to calculate the cost of the campus divided by the 1,800 students that may very well attend school there.

Well by golly, we can now find that each of the 1,800 seats would 'only' cost $56,666.67.

Perhaps if L.A.U.S.D. waits to actually build the 15 classrooms they removed from the approved plan, costs to build those added facilities may be quite a bit higher than costs are now.

In the end, L.A.U.S.D. may very well claim they built an electrically neutral campus. They may also contend that it was built for only $56,667 per student.

But in reality, the California Coastal Commission members are having doubts about the wind turbines.

L.A.U.S.D. is building a campus using the cost of about 204 Thousand Dollars per student.

The majority of the students will come into San Pedro from elsewhere and like so many other attending the main campus of S.P.H.S., they will drive themselves to and from the new campus.

How might if feel in several years when selected students are able to park vehicles on the new campus while 'regular' students attending the main campus, park on the street?

How might it feel to students attending the main campus, compared to how it might feel with students having dignitaries, government and business types, on a world-renowned campus that may become a real hallmark for future school construction.

How might it look when graduates of what will become a place named differently than SRHS 15, offer their diplomas to employers who learn they attended a state of the art campus.

Boy oh boy, when one considers the "haves and the have nots" these days, with regard to the main campus versus the annex campus, it certainly appears that inequality will run amok in San Pedro.

I thought we were all through with that kind of crap!

One high school, two campuses, unequal educational opportunities, in the same community.

Did anyone think we would not take notice?

Ah but wait! If the new campus actually had students from San Pedro, just like Dr. Vladovic originally promised, that could bring a better few of the campus and bring things onto a more level playing field.

If San Pedro residents are going to have to put up with a world acknowledged campus and all the issues around that, shouldn't only San Pedro residents (and the few living in Eastview who still choose to attend L.A.U.S.D. schools) enjoy the notoriety, glamor, and pride that may come their way?

Oh well, we are dealing with L.A.U.S.D.

Nothing has become more clearer in my dealings with that bureaucracy that whatever a community member requests or considers goes in one ear and out the other, so it truly seems.

I do hope they can read better than they wish to listen.

Pondering ANOTHER Issue in San Pedro, With Short Notice

2009-02-13T17:51:00.000-08:00

Click over image to enlarge.

So, you want to build a new home on a hillside?

You may wish to attend the meeting on February 17, 2009 at Peck Park Community Center to learn more about the new plans for allowing residential building on hillsides throughout the city of Los Angeles.

You may just want to prepare yourself for the folks holding the meeting to not have a clue about the uniqueness of some of the hillsides in San Pedro.

This meeting may be similar to the recent meeting when folks came down from Downtown L.A. and from the Mayor's office and gave a talk about Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's 5-year, 5-Billion Dollar housing plan for low income and workforce housing needs in Los Angeles.

San Pedro has hillsides, some with seashells imbedded in them.

San Pedro has hillsides that occasionally slip, fall, and crash into the Pacific Ocean.

Who knows, there may be some comedy during the meeting when the folks will probably supply a slide on their PowerPoint Presentation and cut off San Pedro or place the community's name bisecting Pacific Coast Highway like the Mayor's folks did.

There are quite a few of us who live on San Pedro Hill and other smaller hills in San Pedro.

It may turn out to be the very best meeting of the entire year. But I think I'll pass on betting on that.

New Production in San Pedro!

2009-02-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

This off-Broadway smash hit opens at the Warner Grand Theater on Friday February 13, 2009 and runs for just two weekends.

Presented by The Relevant Stage Theatre Company: www.therelevantstage.com, the troop of three actors, three actresses, two musicians, and a crew of remarkable folks brings this musical comedy to life with what promises to be an enjoyable evening for theater goers.

There are laughs throughout the evening's entertainment and even a bit of issues to ponder regarding relationships between men and women.

The Relevant Stage Theatre Company is beginning its second season and is starting out 2009 with a production that is timely, funny, and very entertaining.

Please come see, "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change"!

Tickets are very reasonably priced for an evening of enjoyment. A seasons worth of tickets is just $10.00 per show, if bought as a package.

There are discounts for seniors and students and there are even packages that combine a night at the theater with food and wine at a local hot spot.

When you visit the Relevant Stage's Web site, you will learn of upcoming productions including a popular work by Upton Sinclair based on the turmoils that occurred at San Pedro's own Liberty Hill.

For "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" you can purchase tickets online or at the door with cash. Sorry, no credit cards taken at the door.

See you at the historic Warner Grand Theater!
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Publisher's note:

The answer to the question posed in an earlier post regarding the newest member of The Relevant Stage Theatre Company is........me.

I have been involved in some forms of the entertainment industry since I was about three years old.

It was always my wish that after I did many of the things I accomplished earlier in my life, I would try my best to get back into the theater. I am taking this opportunity to remember from my past and work with other to help provide OUR community with another great performance group.

It is also my hope that all the theatre companies thrive in OUR community.

We should all support The Relevant Stage, Little Fish Theatre Company, Shakespeare By The Sea, Music By The Sea, the Warner Grand Vision Foundation, Alva's Music and Dance productions, and all the arts in OUR community.

We have a real opportunity to bring the best to our local area and that brings in folks from all over the Los Angeles area to attend performances, eat at local restaurants, and learn about our local businesses.

I think we all help downtown San Pedro and the rest of OUR community when we support the arts throughout San Pedro and the peninsula.