San Pedro Central

Hi. Remember me?

We started this blog back in ye olden days with the purpose of spotlighting the odd, strange and marvelous things that you see every day in and around San Pedro. After a while it sort of morphed into something else completely, a kind of neighborhood watch/politico thing that was far removed from the original purpose of the joint.

Nothing wrong with that, but the people who originally posted here drifted off and new voices stepped in taking it even further afield, so we decided to turn out the lights and send everyone home.

The old posts will remain, because there's a lot of cool stuff here, but we'll have to ask those of you who enjoy what the blog became to branch off and start something new. We'll leave LIFE ON THE EDGE here in its web2.0 time capsule and remember it fondly.

Peace and love, San Pedro. Peace and love.

There's an interesting story in today's Daily Breeze about the number of homicides that took place in the city of Los Angeles last year. Apparently, it's at a 40-year low.

From the story:

At Wednesday's press conference, Bratton said it's the effort of police officers, as well as community leaders, politicians and gang interventionists, that has brought about lower crime.

"This is one great story to get out," Bratton said.

[and]

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn said that despite the financial crunch, public safety will not fall by the wayside.

"I think this City Council is really firm in our commitment and our belief that public safety is our No.1 issue," she said. "Nothing else really matters if the city is not safe."

Hahn, who represents the Watts area, said things have improved dramatically since Christmas 2005, when 18 gang-related shootings led to seven deaths in the area.

****************************************

One great story to get out? Things have improved dramatically since Christmas 2005? That's great, but for the families of those 392 people that were killed last year, like Christopher Davenport, Laterian Tasby, Christopher Ingram, or Mario Sepulveda, there isn't much to celebrate about. In fact, I'm not so sure they'd appreciate being used by politicians as a statistic to tout for the press.

I'll leave you all with a quote from Tasby's uncle that was recently posted on the Homicide Report:
"I remember growing up as a kid that the family of some of my friends wouldn’t let their kids visit me because it wasn’t safe to go below Pacific. Nowadays people are afraid to venture beneath Gaffey. How much longer will it be before residents are scared to travel below Western?"

A second Industrial Revolution?



S. David Freeman, President of the Harbor Commission, will be signing copies of his new book "Winning Our Energy Independence" at Williams' Book Store on Thursday. The onetime adviser to President Nixon is on the forefront of helping the Port of Los Angeles go green.

From today's Daily Breeze:

"I'm calling for what amounts to a second Industrial Revolution, and I hope the book will inspire people to act," Freeman said.

"We are in the age of terrorism and we're out of our minds to build more radioactive nuclear plants in this country," Freeman said. "We haven't even figured out how to get rid of the waste that comes from these plants."

The book signing lasts from 7 to 9 p.m. Williams' Book Store is located at 443 W. Sixth St., San Pedro. For more information, call (310) 832-3631.

1st Thursday
After you get a copy of Mr. Freeman's book signed, head on over to 1st Thursday for some food and drink. Carofano's is usually the place to be, but if nothing is happening there, then give the Whale and Ale or the Loft a try. Hell, if that doesn't work, there's always Godmother's.

Led by none other than John Olguin himself, this year's Polar Bears swim went off with nary a hitch. Olguin kicked off the event with the "Grunion Dance," a tribute to San Pedro's grunion, which nest every year at Cabrillo Beach.

Here are some snapshots from the event, and a 30-second video clip for those of you not willing to brave the water:

If you haven't yet taken a look, the Port of Los Angeles just finished a magnificent project in conjunction with its Centennial Celebration. It's called "An Oral History". What it is, is a video archive of one or two minute excerpts from interviews with more than 100 people, posted on the Port's website for the public.

Some of the people interviewed include current and former politicians, restaurant owners, longshoremen, port police, as well as some of the port's staff. It's a really fantastic gift for local history buffs, journalists, and ordinary citizens who are interested in learning more about the Port's history, San Pedro, and the Harbor Area. The whole thing has a very Ken Burns feel to it. I would highly recommend people set aside 30 minutes and listen to some of the excerpts, like one from Joan Milke Flores on the pronounciation of Pedro.

An Oral History

From a story in today's More San Pedro about Harbor Division preparing for New Year's Eve:

The division gets some unusual calls on New Year's Eve, as well. Sgt. Tom Hamilton responded to a call about a "sea monster" one year.
"We received a radio call and the comments were `see the sea monster at Cabrillo Beach,"' Hamilton recalled.
He and another officer responded to the call and found a young couple at the Cabrillo Beach Bathhouse. The couple had been getting, as Hamilton put it, "amorous" on a blanket on the beach when the blanket lifted up and started moving.
"When we looked at the blanket, we discovered this huge sea turtle had laid its eggs in the sand under the blanket," Hamilton said.
They resolved the situation with the young couple, but then had to explain the sea monster to the rest of the LAPD divisions, who can all hear each other's radio calls.
"They were all curious," Hamilton laughed. [link]

It's really too bad the reporter from More didn't get the rest of the story, or did and didn't print it. What happened to the turtle? Did the police notify anyone at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium? What became of the turtle's eggs? What year was it? What does "resolved" mean? Did they get a ticket? Were they arrested?

Hello? McFly? Anybody Home?

everyone,

i know what you're thinking. what happened to the good folks at LOTE? well, i'm happy to announce that the yankee bandit is still alive and well, and back from a lengthy hiatus. while i don't speak for the other contributors here, i do hope they'll return shortly from whatever is keeping them from posting. in the meantime, i'd gladly put a good word in to carol for anyone that wants to contribute regularly to the blog. drop me a line at: whereisosama@gmail.com

in any case, a lot has happened over the past few months:

* mccowan's market is in escrow, and is closing after the new year. nobody knows what the new owner will do with the place, but if he so much as attempts to put multi-family units there, you can bet people will scream bloody murder.
* a kid from pedro high was shot and killed. two other people were murdered shortly thereafter.
* a lot of new places have opened for business that deserve some love [mishi's strudel, gypsy way, jd hobbies, etc.]
* i am now in possession of a digital camera, so get ready for some excellent photos up on LOTE
* the port had its centennial celebration, and the fireworks were heard from miles around
* nooses were reported seen hanging at some port facilities. local leaders are looking to the port for action, but it's unclear how things will play out
* ponte vista was named one of the five worst development projects in the South Bay by the Aesthetic

though it appears as if the other contributors have moved onto other endeavors or are out of town, i'm still here. so don't worry, be happy...

[random thought of the day: has anybody seen recent news reports of people getting busted for shining pocket lasers at planes and choppers? i think the real reason the authorities are so touchy about that is that they are worried about surface to air missiles, like the one that was shot at an israeli jet in africa]

Just saw this in this morning's Breeze. So for those of us who aren't either ILWU or work in the port in other capacities, could someone give some clarity on the role of the Hoot Shift, any kind of perspective on a switch to two 10 hour shifts, etc... The only thing I know is that I have friends who do 10 hour shifts and they love them, since they get more days off, but I don't know how applicable that situation is here.

The PMA PR folks say this is about efficiency, not about the overpayment of folks for what's basically a half-shift, but that's a little (or a lot) too convenient for my taste.

Apparently four of the little bastards were captured on the Peninsula, and they're spraying trees and deploying sterile males to fool the lady medflies. Full article in the Daily Breeze. Props to both LA Observed and The Aesthetic, where I saw this item.

A couple of things are going down at Angels Gate this weekend. Here's the details

Martin Bax, Editor of AMBIT, Reading at Angels Gate Cultural Center with Special Guests

Martin Bax, the editor of Ambit, one of Britain's leading literary journals will be treating us to some history of Ambit, reading his own work and hosting some American poets published in his magazine. They include Robert Sward, Fred Voss, Joan Jobe Smith, Tricia Cherin, Geoff Nicholson and Steve de France.

The reading is at 2PM in the Center's main gallery, upstairs.

Belmont Shores Model Railroad Club Open House

If you love railroads, minatures or toys, this is for you. Their setup is amazing and every one of these micro-engineers is an amazing fellow to talk to. They're building is right up past the Center's galleries. It's all day long, and I think they sell hot dogs.

Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Council Election

In the Cultural Center's Building H, from 10 AM - 2 PM. Link to a .pdf of the official list of candidates here.

Angry about Knoll Hill? Worried about Pacific Energy's new supertanker facility? Interested in the Bridge to Breakwater EIR? Is the port's trucking plan up to snuff?

Here's your chance to speak directly to one of the region's largest power-brokers -- Executive Director Geraldine Knatz. Here she is at one of the port's recent events:


Coastal San Pedro is hosting the honorable Ms. Knatz at an evening meeting on Oct. 23. The appearance coincides with the council's Port and Environment Committee, and will include a question and answer session along with public comments.

Hopefully, someone on the council will play her this clip and ask her to comment on it:



Who: Port Executive Director Geraldine Knatz answers questions from the public
What: Coastal San Pedro's Port and Environmental Committee
Where: Cabrillo Marina Community Building, Berth 28
When: Tuesday, Oct. 23 at 7 p.m.

For more information contact Port and Environmental Committee chair
Peter M. Warren
310-519-1585
pmwarren@coastalsanpedro.org

Has anyone besides me been weirdly surprised by the fact that the Mario Danelo Billboard is now on Sepulveda, over by the mini-golf course? I was driving by the other day, and I did a major double take.

As some of you know, stories linked from this blog to the Daily Breeze website are gone after a short period of time, somewhere between 7-14 days. So when you're searching posts from a few months ago, those that have Breeze links are incomplete and often provide little context and no relevant information.

There are several options available to solve the problem, which I've presented below to get your feedback on.

First, we can take snapshots of the article, like this.
This method has pros, like the stories are available forever and they're free. But it also takes some time to read a story, because it is not possible to keep it all on one image. Also, it takes a hell of a lot of work to upload the images to blogger.

Or, the entire article can be cut and paste into the post, like this:

The Daily Breeze
Today is Sunday, October 07, 2007
Originally published Saturday, October 06, 2007
Updated Saturday, October 06, 2007
Another high-rise condo for San Pedro?
Preliminary plans call for an 18-story tower at Harbor and Fifth. Residents express concerns.
By Donna Littlejohn
Staff Writer

Despite a persistent real estate slump, developers want to build yet another condominium high-rise in San Pedro.

Galaxy Commercial Holding is in escrow for the corner property at Harbor Boulevard and Fifth Street, where the popular Grinder restaurant now sits. Galaxy developers this week unveiled their preliminary plans to build an 18-story, very narrow condominium tower with underground parking and retail on the ground floor.

"We think San Pedro is a unique market," said Steve Cienfuegos, vice president of construction for Galaxy Commercial Holding. "It's got a lot of appeal because of the Ports O' Call area and it's on the water."

Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn has asked the developer to spend more time meeting with the community and neighborhood council about the project.

"Galaxy is playing a big role in our downtown San Pedro revitalization and more market-rate housing is welcome," she said. But Hahn said she also expects to see community input "reflected in the final project."

Concern already has been raised about how the contemporary structure would blend - or not - with the community's historic, 10-story city hall built in the early 1900s and only a block away at Sixth Street and Harbor Boulevard.

"I'm worried it will overshadow the city hall," said Sue Castillo, chairwoman of the planning and land use subcommittee for the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council. "Building this huge, glitzy thing next to a historic building will be such a contrast in urban design that it would be jarring."

The new project would feature lots of glass, Cienfuegos said.

The likelihood of blocked views for two other condominium towers behind the Grinder also is prompting some consternation.

Castillo said efforts should be made to plan Harbor Boulevard as a whole.

During waterfront redevelopment workshops, many residents said they didn't want any buildings over five stories.

About a block behind the site, Galaxy also is building the 16-story Vue condominium at Fifth and Palos Verdes streets. And another 18-story project, the Palos Verdes Urban Village, is proposed for property right behind the Grinder corner.

"It is in front of the Vue, so there will be some views that will be impacted," Cienfuegos said. But he added that the new development would be positioned to minimize any loss of views.

Cienfuegos stressed that the new project, a rectangular building with 158 market-rate condominiums dubbed "G8" by the developer for now, is still in a very preliminary stage. The site is 33,400 square feet and sits just north of the Sunrise Motel at 525 S. Harbor Blvd. on the same block.

Several residents said the Grinder also will be missed should it be demolished to make way for the development.

Lorraine Ornelas, a volunteer at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum across the street, said she was "crushed" when she heard the restaurant, built in 1979, might be demolished.

"That's where my family and I have gone for Mother's Day breakfasts for years," she said.

Plans for the condominiums are only conceptual, Cienfuegos said.

"We're still going through the entitlement process and planning approvals," he said. "This is purely preliminary and conceptual at this time. We don't have specific (plans)."

He envisions the retail space on the corner including possibly a steakhouse at the street level.

Cienfuegos showed a rendering of the G8 building Thursday night at a meeting of the residents panel overseeing downtown San Pedro redevelopment.

It all came as a surprise to panel members and those in the audience who asked that the developer return with drawings showing neighboring buildings to give the community more of an overall perspective.

"I need to see how it fits in with what's already there," said Diana Nave, a member of the Northwest San Pedro Neighborhood Council, who attended the meeting. "Nothing surprises me in terms of development in San Pedro anymore."

Several members of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council requested that they be given a full report by the developer when they meet in November.

"I'm excited about all of these great projects but would like to see it come before the community," said neighborhood council President Joe Gatlin.

"We're concerned about the height, the density," he said. "We're trying to build a San Pedro we're all going to be proud of."

Galaxy was also interested earlier this year in buying an adjacent parcel being planned for the Palos Verdes Urban Village, which would be between the Vue and G8. For now, that remains in the hands of Omninet Capital of Beverly Hills, which is planning to move forward with the proposal for an 18-story, $110 million condominium development at 550 S. Palos Verdes St.

Cienfuegos said he had no comment about whether Galaxy was still interested in purchasing that project site as well.

"Galaxy has a commitment to San Pedro," he said. "We see it as an exciting growth opportunity. We want to open that area up for more pedestrian use."

San Pedro, he said, "is an exciting place to live and work. We just want to provide housing."

The other alternative is just to keep doing it the way it's always been done. I think that is not a very good idea, because people should be able to look at older posts and not have to ask themselves, "what the hell is he talking about?"

Thoughts?

Love that wind! It's a 100% Pedro day out here above the point. Windows shaking, dust flying, whitecaps as far as one can see. Great weather indeed! I hope everyone is enjoying it.

Apparently the huge waves and winds might have had something to do with a fun day for 150 kids out on the schooner American Pride, too.

So the Chamber's been trying to put some life back into 1st Thursday, so I'm back to saying that it may be worth checking out. They fired the individual who was running the disaster of a "street fair" and efforts are being made to pull the event back from the cliff that it was heading over.

I'm really not sure what's going on elsewhere, but husband of AGCC Studio Artist Phoebe Nickell, Lowell Nickell, Studio Artist Ailene Shibata and former Studio Artist Paul Carmichael have an opening at The Loft. I've been a huge, huge fan of Paul Carmichael's work for years and years and he rarely shows, so this is a great chance to see it. Lowell Nickel had a beautiful diptych in this year's On Site at the Gate and Ailene Shibata is back in the swing of painting after recovering from a nasty back injury.

Up at Angels Gate, we're hosting 2 performances this 1st Thursday, at 6:30 & 8:30 PM. Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks wrote a play a day for a year, and we're presenting seven of them (they're short, they only take about 1 hour to perform) this Thursday in Building H. These plays are being performed all over the country, but we can enjoy them right in our own backyard. It's free, and if you're planning on going downtown for 1st Thursday, you can check out the 6:30 show before you make your way down there.