THE NEW MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR SCHOOL AT ANGELS GATE IN SAN PEDRO – THAT SWIRLED IN A QUAGMIRE OF CONTROVERSY -- WON’T GO OUT TO BID TO OUTSIDERS 

Construction is ongoing at High School 15 slated to open 2012 as an annex to San Pedro High School

 
By Diana L. Chapman
 
Don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t worry.
 
Because that’s exactly what I did when opening the newspaper Wednesday morning to find that the soon-to-open, $13 million-state-of-art high school at Angels Gate was up for grabs to outside bidders despite numerous promises from officials that would never happen.
 
What? I started making calls.
 
Just to put it into perspective, this school – called South Region High No. School 15 -- triggered much animosity in our community. Residents living nearby fought hard against the construction of the new campus on the Upper Reservation of Fort MacArthur despite the intensive overcrowding at San Pedro High. Most locals know the area as Angels Gate.
 
To sooth the uproar, school officials made many concessions and one was this: Los Angeles Unified agreed the campus would be run by the district. 
 
Unfortunately a press release was mistakenly issued Tuesday stating the new 820 seat school was up for “public school choice option” where apparently the left side didn’t consult with the right. That means other agencies outside LAUSD, including charters, could have taken over the school.
 
“It was a chain of events and at the time we made these decisions under a different superintendent,” said David Kooper, the chief of staff for Los Angeles School Board Member Richard Vladovic who oversees the region.
 
“It’s been rectified,” Kooper added who spent his day trying to fix the misinformation and tackling phone calls.
 
I sure hope it’s been rectified. LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines immediately sent out a release assuring the residents here that he would stand by the past promises made by David Brewer III, the district’s former superintendent.
 
In addition, San Pedro High’s Principal Jeanette Stevens, who had been told repeatedly that she would be responsible for High School 15 as an annex, said she wasn’t fazed when she saw the story.
 
“It is an annex,” said Stevens. “It’s not public school choice. I know what it is and what it isn’t so I wasn’t upset.”
 
Thank goodness. No neighborhood needs another storm of brutal battles that nearly pitted neighbor against neighbor. Those who were for the school were often too scared to speak up, fearing they’d lose long-time friendships, especially with their next door neighbors. 
 
Critics of the new campus, which can be easily spotted along Alma Street, south of 25 Street, cited issues against the project such as intense traffic, destruction of the neighborhood’s tranquility and the decimation of the area’s foxes. But the Los Angeles school board – desperate to ease the intense crowding at San Pedro High – approved its construction in 2008. 
 
This wasn’t in time to cure San Pedro High’s dire issues, which shortly after would sweep  the campus into a restructure when the LAUSD school board opted for “public school choice” in 2009. This was how its new principal, Jeanette Stevens, was greeted when she walked in the door. San Pedro was placed on a list (just as the annex was mistakenly done this past week) as one that non-profits and charters could submit proposals to run.
 
But no charter or profit applied to take over beleaguered San Pedro High. Prior to Stevens walking in the door, the school had poor accreditation and a revolving door of principals.

 Kooper said that because no one opted for the main campus and the annex fell within its realm, that's where it will stay.
 
Stevens has gradually been leading the San Pedro High campus reformation to yank it out of its state of dreary test scores and poor accreditation ratings. She planned out several small learning communities with her staff and accreditation officials have been pleased with the “benchmarks,” she said.

“We are in the emerging stages and we are strong and competitive,” she said.
As far as the annex, Cortines issued a new release Wednesday saying he removed the school from the list.
 
“It’s important that the district keep its commitment to the San Pedro community regarding the future status of South Region High School #15,” Cortines stated in the release. “I look forward to this new high school surpassing all academic expectations under San Pedro High School’s Public Choice plan.”
 
Recent construction of the school shows what a gem the campus will be. When I stopped by on Alma Street to look it over, I decided I was ready to go there myself. 
 
With just the framework up, the campus has a view overlooking the Pacific Ocean and many educational opportunities that are near the site: the Marine Mammal Care Center, the International Bird Rescue and the Fort MacArthur Museum, which focuses on history.
 
At the moment, school officials are fairly determined to put San Pedro High school’s Marine Magnet and Police Academy at the annex slated to open in 2012. If there are any seats remaining, school officials are still determining who will fill those slots.
 
That could provoke another battle because many residents want their children to attend there.
 
We’ll have to wait and see.

Susan McKenna, owner of San Pedro's Nosh Cafe, Slobodan Dimitrov right, and his daughter, Kristiana, 8. The two business owners teamed up to make the first čevapčiči festival at Angels Gate Cultural Center.

A NEW FESTIVAL FOR SAN PEDRO POSSIBLY BECOMING A SIGNATURE EVENT? THAT’S WHAT ITS CREATORS WANT AND ARE CALLING ONE AND ALL  ACROSS LOS ANGELES WHO LIKE THE SKINLESS SAUSAGE CALLED  “Ćevapčići” TO ATTEND

THE UNUSUAL EVENT WILL BE HELD NOV. 7 FOR THE POPULAR FOOD THAT SWEPT  IN HISTORICALLY FROM TURKEY ACROSS THE BALKANS, INTO CROATIA, OTHER COUNTRIES AND LATER TO AMERICA

By Diana L. Chapman

Come one. Come all. In particular – if you like čevapčiči (che vap chi chi) – a popular, skinless grilled sausage brought by immigrants landing in the port community of San Pedro more than six generations ago.

Originating in Turkey, the meat dish – initially a mix of beef and lamb – migrated across the Balkans and when immigrants arrived in the harbor community, they brought the succulent sausage with them. Later recipes sometimes added pork.

“It’s produced here and sold here in places you wouldn’t even imagine,” said Susan McKenna, who owns the small eatery, Nosh, in downtown San Pedro, and is one of the festival’s creators. “I discovered it at Sunshine Market ten years ago, and as someone who loves sausages of all shapes and sizes, I said: “What is this?” They were incredibly delicious.”

With the 2008 closure of San Pedro’s Sunshine Market – considered one of the best sources in the area to buy a scrumptious čevapčiči with its secret ingredients, two local business owners  teamed up to spark a grassroots effort.

Asking one and all – those who make it at home and local businesses that stretch across Los Angeles to join in – the event is free and will run from 1 to 4:30  p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, at Angel’s Gate Cultural Center in Building H. Many other happenings will be included, such as artists selling their wares at a holiday boutique.

Susan teamed up with local photographer Slobodan Dimitrov, who wrote a piece after Sunshine closed, called: Where has all the čevapčiči gone?  Their effort means to promote San Pedro  and to reflect its “uniquely Balkan characteristics through its food,” Slobodan said.

“This event is very much to create the iconic San Pedro food festival,” Slobodan explained.  “There are many residents who make them and businesses that sell them. San Pedro needs a signature event. It’s a foodie festival. We want San Pedro to be a destination.”

 Many children here grew up on the sausages, the festival creators explained, who were able to score $1,000 from the Coastal Neighborhood Council to launch the program.

 Sometimes what makes the sausage so special are ingredients such as garlic and thyme.  No one makes them the same way, one reason that individual countries that consider čevapčiči a staple –“ think there’s are the best,”  including Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. The word comes from Persian language, meaning kabob.

“It’s like crack,“ said Trish Dixon Carpico, a San Pedro resident who grew up on the meat even though she’s Filipino. “We have the old school recipe. I am an established cheer leader of the event,” who added that binding the meat with 7-Up is one secret.

According to Slobodan, the photographer, nearly any milk binder will do the trick.

While two galleries are opening at the same time that day and local artists will sell jewelry, ceramics and paintings, the cevapcici festival clicked right in with the Angels Gate Cultural Center. Irish and modern dancers will also perform at the festival.

Deborah Lewis, Angels Gate’s executive director, said when she heard about the festival idea, she knew immediately it was a match.

“The cultural center is really an outreach of the community and we want people to come up and enjoy it,” Deborah said. “We don’t have a concession stand and it’s part of the culture here. It will be really fun and a good day.”

Admitting to never having tried čevapčiči, the director explained she’s looking forward to it.

“My family is from Switzerland and Germany,” she confided with amusement. “I have sausages in my background.”

Starting out small, the festival operators are asking local business – which include A-1 Market, South Shores Meat Market, Goga International Market, the Whale and Ale and Pavich’s Brick Oven Pizza – to supply the different styles of sausage, which sometimes is made with only two meats; other times with three.

 As they are grilled on giant barbecues at the cultural center that overlooks the Pacific ocean, the sausages should tinge the costal winds with a smoky, delicious smell. Lemonade from Nosh and wines from Off the Vine will also be available.

There will be a giant long table to sample the meat.

On hand will also be the traditional condiments that typically go along with the sausage – chopped onions and red pepper – as well as rolls. All the tastes (only for the sausage at the event) will be free this year.

The dream is that the festival will grow into a food, but also an “ethnic event,” said Slobodan, who is part Serbian and part Bulgarian.

“This is the first annual San Pedro Ćevapčići Festival, the photographer said. “What we hope to do (eventually) is like an October Fest where people sit around at long tables and everybody gets together. It will be reminiscent of a Sunday meal at a farm house.”

For more information, call (562) 706 2892.

 

 THE LAST FEARFUL TALES: THIS ONE BY 19-YEAR-OLD JIMMY PIERRY

Dear Readers: This is the last of the Halloween tales students have written for me. Jimmy Pierry has some natural writing talent!  He's working on a series of pieces to discover what genre suits him best. Happy Halloween to all of you!

LUPUS

By Jimmy Pierry

Screams ring out, ripping through the morning mists of the concealed village.  Terror grasps hold of the morning dew as it drifts from person to person.  Small and remote, all in this land feel the same angst and panic as the next as the rising sun reveals an image damaging to any psyche, a twisted young body, mauled by the beast.  Again it struck in a raging swiftness, a speed unknown to man and their hearts began dying just as quickly. 

“Third child in a month’s time, this beast must be dealt with soon or they will all perish,” these thoughts crunch in the lead hunter’s mind as numbers do a mathematician.  Surveying the body of the poor young soul, the hunter takes in what little is left, imagining in his mind the type of creature, type of sadistic animal that would harm such a harmless being.  This kill is clean, too clean for that of a large mammal yet much too devastating for that of a small carnivore.  More and more questions fill his mind, unfazed by the destruction lying, so red, before him.  Torn flesh lie quietly, a silent gesture emphasizing two stone cold eyes staring back up at the experienced man’s own.  A feeling of resentment puffed in his chest, leaving in a heavy sigh as his wits are simply not enough to uncover the mystery behind the murderous culprit. 

Frigid waters pour from the sky, drenching the already frosted ground with tears from the heavens as it is much too cold for rain.  This phenomenon can only be explained with the occurrence of another.  Digging his hands into the soggy, fresh smelling earth as he always does, the hunter prepares himself for what he already knows will be the hunt of his life.  Lifting the clumps of dirt and mossy grass to his nose, pools of water flood into the holes of displaced dirt, filling the caverns created by the monstrous hands.  Standing up, his large toned frame now looms over the dismantled body and the purposefully left face, mocking the abilities of the hunter, daring him to find the one responsible.  “Honor,” thunder cracks at the sound of his voice, rarely a word ever creeps out of the large, silent man.  All heads around the makeshift crime scene turn and all eyes glare in amazement at the power of their inspirational figure, standing, promising vengeance.  Electricity begins to dance now, tantalizing each villager’s mind with what seems to be the hunter’s aura, stronger than any has felt before.  Dusk now broke, giving way to a night that would forever be remembered as the darkest night ever to have scoured the earth. 

That night, the night so dark that light itself fled, poured its devious black light onto the man, surrounding his body with the menacing colors of the depths.  Reaching out his loose and strangely calm hand, it disappears within inches from his eyes, eaten swiftly by the sharp teeth of the night.  Plodding on, his feet move gingerly along the estranged path, deeper and deeper into the snow covered woods.  Soon, as time passed with each birch, the man’s eyes gain vision, growing accustomed to the vivid darkness.  Far behind him, the village crouches, hiding its life behind a white capped hill, whispering to him in the wind, “You belong, not here, but with your heart, out there.” 

          Blowing flush in his face, the winter winds kiss his cheeks red, making its mark on his heart.  Abruptly, his mind focuses, and his body ceases to obey, frozen as the tree limbs resting sweetly in their icy graves.  Before him, massive and swift in its movements, a shadow, darker than even this night, swings around, glaring two pure blue orbs in the man’s direction, seemingly illuminating against the darkened surroundings.  A snap and a snarl accompany the devious eyes, compounding an image into the man’s now acute brain.  “Lupus…” the word float away in the breeze, carried away with the feelings of fear and angst, and replaced with infatuation.  The creature paces back and forth, marking its territory with a gaze so fierce time seemingly stands still. 

          Slowly, the man’s grip loosens from his spear, blood flow returning his white knuckles to red.  His gaze never once leaves those eyes, those tantalizing, glowing planets of blue, the Earth herself, and never will they until they disappear.  Beauty, obscurity, mystery; the three things he desires most.  Falling to his knees, numbness takes hold, euphoria dancing through his soul.  Driving his hands through the snow packed ground, spiteful twinges, which are a norm for this cold, are nonexistent, hidden by the warmth rolling down his rose-red cheeks.  All around him is nature, telling him what is already clear, telling him his path ends here, in the hands of the unknown.  Calmly, the beast approaches the man, its warm breath pushing aside his short, dark brown hair resting on his forehead.  Still eye to eye, his frigid, soaked hands erect from the grave, patting the now patient beast as it, too, knows what is to be done.  Trapped in a timeless vortex, the woods stand still and sound is absent in anticipation for what now shall unfold.

    Rivers begin to flow heavy, steaming around the man’s body in awkward, heated paths.  As vivid as the blue eyes which now stare directly into the man’s heart, a blanket of red sprawls from underneath the massive paws of the massive beast, darkness and mystery encapsulated into life.  Finishing what is left, the shadow drifts back into the deep woods, carrying with it the light of humanity, and two, shimmering blue eyes. 

SPOOKY TRAILS TO YOU. SPOOKY TRAILS TO YOU. UNTIL WE SPOOK AGAIN!

Dear Readers:

The spark of good writing can come from just letting children create and create and create. That’s what we do in the Seven Golden Secrets to Writing workshop at the Corner Store. Are the students grammar and spelling skills perfect? Not yet. But they sure learning much to do about writing!

Here is another bewitching story by an 11-year-old.

Ten Zombies and a Witch

By McKenna

The witch said to me: “I will kill you!”

But before we get to that, I will tell you about what happened before…Hold on. Let me flip through my book. Aah, here we are:

It was Halloween night and all through the house, not a thing stirred except for the HAUNTED HALLOWEEN HOUSE NEXT DOOR! It was a dark and rainy night and I was going to the Haunted House with my best friend Emma.

Well, I was dressed up as an evil witch with a jiggling  wart on my nose. Same with Emma. When we went to the gate of the spooky mansion, it creaked open. With one step, we fell what seemed like 20,000 feet. Well, may it was only several feet, but it was really scary.

We got up and brushed ourselves off.

“It was a trapdoor,” I whispered to Emma.

“Here’s a staircase,” said Emma.

We started to climb so we could get out and then suddenly there was a shriek and a cackle. There stood a witch and when she spotted me, she said: “I will kill you!”

With one snap of her fingers, a bowling bowl appeared.

We tried to run but ten zombies came toward us and then we died.

Don’t even ask how I am here to talk to you now.

That’s is a different story.

GREAT SPOOKS! ANOTHER HORROR STORY COMING YOUR WAY

Dear Readers: Another great piece of spookiness from the Seven Golden Secrets to Writing Workshop for young students done at the Corner Store. Merry Haunts! Diana

The Green Zombie

By Shersten Rosenfeld, 10

Once on Oct. 31^st, I was trick-or-treating with my friends Kealan, Lina and my brother, Sean. When we reached 37^th Street, I saw something suspicious.

I saw a zombie’s shadow dancing in the moonlight.  I Iooked back and saw a zombie  with green, wrinkled skin and yellowing beaming eyes.

“Ah,” I screamed.

My friends looked back and saw it too. We ran until we reached Ghoul Road!

“That was creepy,” I said, gulping air.

“I see him!” shouted my brother.

“Stop joking Sean,” I laughed. “We ran like three miles. He couldn’t catch up.”

“Oh no, he’s right,” said Kealan.

“Ahh,” screamed Lina.

I looked back and saw the zombie was trying to snatch  Lina.

“Lina,” I screamed, running as fast as I could to help her.

“Hey Zombie, want some brains,” I said. The zombie turned back.

“Brains,” it murmured.

“Come on, we’ve got three of them here,” I said.

“Brains,” it murmured again.

It lunged toward me with Lina. It tried to get me, but I grabbed Lina and we ran.

We ran and ran until we reached my house. The zombie caught up to us.

“Ahhh,” we all screamed.

“Ha! Ha!” The zombie took off his mask. “It’s only me.

“Dad,” I said.

We all started laughing. It was fun Halloween night after all.

MORE GHOULISH TALES FROM 7 GOLDEN SECRETS WRITING STUDENTS;  THEY ARE KNOCKING OFF OUR WITCH’S BOOTS WITH THEIR TREATS AND FEATS!

Dear Readers: OK, so I can’t resist. When kids tell a good tale, they deserve to share and publish it. So here it goes. Another bewitching story for you. Happy ghouling this Halloween!  Diana

My Grandpa’s Floating Head

By Veronica Gray, 11

  My Grandpa Jones (that’s what I call him) was the best warrior. I don’t know where, but he told me a story about his young life when he had a whole body.

“Jan, can you please scratch my chin?”

“Sure, Grandpa,” I said. “But can you tell a story of your young life when you had a body?”

“O.K. Fine. I was in the jungle washing my clothes when a strange beast crept up behind the bush and growled. I got so scared I dove into the lake that I was washing my clothes in and once I got to the other side, I ran as fast I could go. I leaped over rocks, but the other side was filled with strange beasts that were scarlet red.

 I saw them and ran the other direction until I hit the water again. I ran on the sand until I saw camp and I was shocked that nobody was there. I swam across the lake and ran to camp. The end.”

“Well, what happened to your body?!” I asked.

“That’s a different story. You just asked about when I had a body. Now rub my feet.

“Grandpa, you don’t have feet!” I exclaimed.

 “Oh, yeah and massage my beard,” Grandpa added.

“You don’t have a beard!”

“O.K. So stroke my moustache.”

“Nooooo, Grandpa. You are going to have to have my brother do that.”

“Pete,” I yelled. “Grandpa wants you!”

8-YEAR-OLD WEAVES A SCARY TALE ABOUT THE OLD MOVIE; THE CRAWLING EYE

Dear Readers: Over the past few weeks, students in the Seven Golden Secrets to Writing Workshop at the Corner Store have written some spooky tales. This blends quite well with Halloween, so I plan to run several for the remainder of the week. Happy Spoooooooks to you! Diana

THE CRAWLING EYE

By Sean Rosenfeld, 8

Once upon a time, I watched a movie called the Crawling Eye. On the front of the movie, it said: “True Story.”

I did not fall for that. Do you know how fake that is?

So one Halloween night, we were trick-or-treating on a rocky mountain and there was a gondola that took you to the top of the mountain. We dared my friend to go up, so he did. There was a fog at the top of the mountain. In the movie, wherever the fog was, the crawling eye was. That was when we got scared. 

So anyway, you know how I dared my friend to go up to the mountain? Well, he did not come down. In the movie, the crawling eye rips their heads off. When my one friend didn’t come down, the other friend decided to go up.

But he didn’t come down either. Then, I went up. I was going up, up, up. I tiptoed off. On my second step, I saw the time and it was 12 o’clock. It was dark and cold and I could see clouds.

I jumped when I heard this crawling-like sound. I started crying. I saw this shadow and I saw frozen people. They were my friends. I did not know where their heads were. Then, I saw them on the ground with their eyes wide open and their mouths filled with blood.

Then it grabbed me. My eyes went dark.

Everything went black.

Last Day Off performs for Thomas Jefferson High School students. Students enjoyed  the pop-Disney band, a style that goes against the mainstream of today's rap and hip-hop music. (Photos provided by the non-profit P.A.C.E).

 LOCAL BAND L AST DAY OFF STARTS PLAYING AT LOS ANGELES SCHOOLS AFTER A SUCCESSFUL SIX-WEEK TOUR  AT BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA AND OREGON; 

AN UNVEILING OF THEIR VIDEO DEBUT AND C.D.  RELEASE WILL BE HELD OCTOBER 23 IN DOWNTOWN SAN PEDRO

By Diana L. Chapman

Coming home off a successful six-week summer tour, the local band Last Day Off  received another string toward success, landing tours for the remainder of the year at dozens of Los Angeles high and middle schools.

 In addition, several clubs have asked them to return and they received their first paying gig to perform before the popular band, Adema, in Medford, Oregon.

 The reaction at the schools has been “overwhelming,” said Thomas Heck, a program director at the nonprofit P.A.CE., Promoting Academics through Creative Expression, who booked the Last Day Off after he listened to their music and interviewed them.

He picked the group, he said, because their lyrics were clean, the music was unique, reminiscent of old school rock and they had a message: school was valuable no matter who you are.

“They are perfect fit,” said Heck, who witnesses most of their performances at various middles and senior high schools throughout  Los Angeles. “The kids love them to death. The girls are like: “I love you. I love you.” And the guys are like this is so cool.

“It’s worked really well so far.”

Students have the chance to discuss school and the band's career choices after the play.

Besides school performances, the group will unveil their first video debut “Mrs. Right”  and release their acoustical C.D. at a high school-themed dance party at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at the Grand Visions Building, 434 Sixth Street. Tickets cost $10.

Having visited 22 Boys and Girls Club at the state of California this summer, Wolf Bradley, 17, the band’s lead singer, said while they had fans before, the interest sky-rocketed after visiting at the clubs – where he himself first learned and became interested in music.

They receive e-mails such as:

 “You guys are koool and hot…”

“Andrew is a cutie…”

“Humm, you weren’t wearing makeup but you’re so gorgeous. Love you Wolf Bradley.”

The boys send more serious messages asking how they could get their own bands started. Some club members were so taken by the Pop-Punk Disney-style band, they demanded the group be invited back.

And they’re going. It seems doors are opening for Wolf and three other band members, drummer Andrew Mocatrao, 18, guitarist Jonathan Barron, 20, and bassist, Ryan Barker, 19.

All the band members were ecstatic with their success, said Wolf, who is finding the situation “humbling.”

 Weeks later, he was still shaking his head trying to understand why  a 12-year-old girl at one of the clubs started crying when he gave her one of their C.Ds. “Every time I saw her, she’d cry more. I’d just never had that happen to me. Before we booked the tour, we had fans, but now we have hardcore fans.”

Wolf and his mother, Cindy, decided that the band should visit as many Boys and Girls Clubs as possible because that’s where the seed for the band began.

As a middle class boy, Wolf stayed at the Boys and Girls Club in San Pedro after school and began to learn about music at its recording studio. His mentors there, he said, helped launch his music career.  It helps, he added, that he comes from a family of performers. His mother and father, Patrick, own the San Pedro Ballet School, and have aided the band on its tours.

“They just get bombarded after shows,” said Cindy, who manages the group. “The sky is the limit for them because of their commitment and their talent. They’re all totally committed to their music. They rehearse everyday that they are not performing.”

For the Bradleys, it was a difficult decision to allow Wolf to leave his senior year in high school to pursue his musical career, but one they believed was the right choice to move the band forward.  He will take the GED (General Educational Development)  this summer to earn his high school diploma.

Heck, the PACE program director, said he had no issues with the decision, because the program targets students who decided that dropping out would be a better option than struggling with the daily stress of trying to maintain their grades and getting their work done on time.

With Wolf getting his GED and the other band members having already received their diplomas, the group often tells the students they can’t obtain anything – without a high school degree.

“They are just a great bunch of kids,” Heck said of the band. “Wolf realized the importance to get his degree so he’s going back. This has worked really well so far and the kids are receiving the message.”

PACE’s interest has helped sparked further interest in several bands on their track to stardom such as FDM (Geffen), The New Boyz (Warner Brothers) and Lil Niko (Def Jam).

Last Day Off is now available on Rockband:

http://www.rockband.com/music/artists/Last_Day_Off 

IS JIMMY HOFFA BURIED IN MY BACK YARD? A NEW POST ON SECRET LIFE IN MY BACKYARD;

ALANO CLUB CELEBRATES RED RIBBON ANTI-DRUG CAMPAIGN WEEK BY LAUNCHING ESSAY CONTESTS FOR CHILDREN WITH CASH PRIZES WITH MORE EVENTS TO COME

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SECRETS IN MY BACKYARD

Dear Readers: On my new blog, I posted a piece about whether Jimmy Hoffa might be buried in my backyard. Find out why at: http://www.secretsinmybackyard.blogspot.com

ALANO CLUB LAUNCHES ESSAY CONTEST FOR STUDENTS

 DEA Agent Enrique "Kiki" Carmarena was killed while following the trail of drug traffickers in Mexico.


In yet another attempt to help children understand the dangers of drugs, the San Pedro Alano Club – which aides people to recover from drug and alcohol addictions --  has launched a contest with cash prizes for students grade one through 12.

Students interested in participating are asked to share  “Why I Choose to be drug free” in 500 words or less, said Bob Ahl, the general manager and director of the San Pedro Alano Club.

“Our hope is that this essay contest will serve as a vehicle for our students to take a stand for their hopes and dreams by making a personal commitment to live drug free lives with the ultimate goal being the creation of a drug free San Pedro,” Ahl said.

Prizes are $300 for first place, $150 for second and $75 for third. Entries will be judged on creativity, adhering to the theme and originality, Ahl explained.

Entries should be mailed or delivered to the Alano Club at 2001 S. Pacific Avenue, 90731, no later than 10 p.m. Sunday Oct. 31.

Red Ribbon week – slated for Oct. 23^rd to Oct. 31^st – celebrates the life of a Drug Enforcement Agent who was brutally murdered in 1985 when closing in on Mexican marijuana and cocaine drug traffickers. Before he was able to disclose his findings publicly, Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena was kidnapped and later killed.

He was hailed as a national hero and was the reason Red Ribbon was launched. It remains one of the nation’s and largest and oldest drug programs today.

For more information, call 310-833-3525 or visit http://www.recoverysanpedro.com

Tiffany Barber, 17, warms up and later hits a double in the game.

Joey Pierry pitches to Marvin Villata during Wiffle ball practice at Harbor Highlands Park in San Pedro. (Photos by Jim Hart).
 

PLASTIC WIFFLE BALL FOR AGES 5 TO 70; SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ORGANIZATION WANTS THE ZANY FAMILY/COMMUNITY ORIENTED GAME FROM OTHER COUNTIES TO EXPAND TO SAN PEDRO, THE SOUTH BAY AND LOS ANGELES

 IT  WILL BEGIN IN JANUARY AND ONE ORGANIZER HAS ALREADY STARTED PRACTICE GAMES

By Diana L. Chapman

It’s a baseball. It’s a softball --- No it’s a Wiffle ball!

That’s  the craze that has hit hard across the east coast, landed in Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties catching on like “wildfire” and its blazing its  way here.

Chris Furgel, who will aide the SoCal Wiffle Ball Association in bringing the sport here,  started  practice games at San Pedro’s Harbor Highlands Park Saturday. Wiffle ball, he said, is “goofy,” “crazy,” but most of all “fun.”

 “This is going to be for family times,” said Furgel, a baseball coach who started playing Wiffle ball with his son Richard about a month ago. “You don’t have to be an athlete to be good at this game. We’re just in the baby steps right now and we want to get it off the ground and running.”

League games will begin in January.

The truth was already out last Saturday as about ten players showed up for the practice: One team was called the Vipers, the other the Scallywags on the teams that typically have only three to five members.

Until the players climb to high ranking levels, Wiffle ball encourages silliness across the board with everyone teasing one another – especially because they are all at the rookie level. The din of the park was cackles, laughs, hoots and howls during the practice game, which was charged with pleasure.

“You’re terrible Ryan,” shouted out Derrick Traeger teasing his friend who was up to bat. “You’re just terrible!”

When people struck out, no one got upset or marched off the field. They just giggled. Because the truth was, no one was too good at the game – yet.

While the structure looks a lot like baseball, it’s only so close. For instance, no one runs to bases. There are only four innings and every player pitches. Pitching, in fact, is the key to the entire game, something not all that easy since a Wiffle ball seems to have a mind of its own.

It can go up, down and all around. But that’s part of the crazy fun. And it didn’t stop people from coming.

Tiffany Barber, 17, a San Pedro High school student, said she found the game easy – and exciting.

“I just wanted to learn it,” said Tiffany, who hit a double. “It’s easy and a lot of kids at school who can’t make the teams will like to play this sport.”

“I like the atmosphere,” said Jimmy Pierry, 19. “It’s light hearted and  a fun time when you’re playing with friends. I’ve never done it before.”

“The rules are just a lot of fun,” added Marvin Villalta, 19. 

That’s the whole idea, said Furgel, who stumbled on the game on the internet and started playing with professionals in Riverside for the heck of it. He later urged the organization to expand to the South Bay area, which he will help pull together.

There can be Wiffle madness – touring pros and backyard bombers – but at the rookie level – it’s all about enjoyment.

The game hosts a scaled down diamond – and all the pitches are determined fair if they hit the back stop  – the strike zone area – behind the batter. How far out the ball is batted out defines whether it’s a single, double, triple or home run, Furgel said.

“It’s just phenomenal what you can do with it,” Furgel added who wants leagues to start from San Pedro, across the South Bay and up into Malibu. “We want to get everyone out from Lomita, Redondo, Carson, Gardena, Los Angeles…

To play, each member pays $20 for eight games. If their team makes the play offs, they will enter tournaments where winners will receive cash prizes of $250 for first, $100 for second and $50 for third place.

One of the beauties of the game, Furgel explained, is it doesn’t take much overhead and the equipment isn’t expensive. The diamond is placed down on grass using rope and spikes, which are removed after the game. Bats usually run about $2 to $3 and a single Wiffle ball about 99 cents on the internet.

Wiffle ball was created in Connecticut in 1953. David Mullany designed it for his 12-year-old son, according to Wikipedia.

Nearly anyone can play the game, Furgel explained, saying that his dream is seeing teams with moms, dads, grandmas, aunts and uncles and kids coming out, barbecues in tow and making it a pleasurable day.

“This game is the great equalizer,” Furgel added. “It doesn’t matter how good you are as athlete. You don’t even have to be an athlete.”

The players Saturday all left – saying they planned to return and were likely to join the league. The Scallywags won 8-3 against the Vipers. But no one left sad since it was all in the name of fun.

For more information, email: socalwiffleball@aol.com or facebook socal_fastplastic.