COMMUNITY FUNDRAISERS TO FIX UP OUR TOWN: HELP THE DOGS & HELP MR. CLEAN SAN PEDRO

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HELP "MR. CLEAN SAN PEDRO" CLEAN SAN PEDRO

Mr. Clean San Pedro continues to wipe down San Pedro to make it sparkle -- and now his entire team need our support.

This can be done by simply attending his second annual "Hot Pedro Nites" over a three day period which will host a Doo-Wop Concert, a classic car cruise and a reunion bash running from Aug. 16 to Aug. 18.

All proceeds will go to supporting Steve Kleinjan's efforts through the non-profit group he began -- Clean San Pedro --where a team of volunteers and himself clean up parts of the town every month one piece at a time. He also hired an employee to routinely clean the streets of San Pedro who putters around town in a little yellow-and-white Clean San Pedro golf cart.

Tickets can be purchased at http://www.hotpedronites.com/ or calling (323)780-0232.

----DON'T FORGET THE DOGS WHO DIED FOR US...

One of my favorite gals in town, Dorothy Matich, is at it again to restore the vandalized canine cemetery at Ft. MacArthur where guard dogs who served during the Cold War are buried. A tea will be held to earn proceeds for the project.

Vandals ripped up cemetery markers, trashed the grave sites and knocked down parts of fencing. Over the years, the cemetery has taken so many hits, visitors can no longer tell its a graveyard and picnic in the area.

Attempting to save this "historic treasure," as Dorothy calls it, a tea will be held Thursday, Aug. 23, at 12:30 p.m. at MaGriffe, 3624 S. Gaffey at a cost of $25. For more information, please call (310) 831-2803.

All proceeds will be used to rebuild the cemetery through the Ft. MacArthur Museum where dogs like Baron, Cheetah and Pancho are buried. The refurbishment is expected to cost around $25,000.

DON'T YOU WISH YOUR KID WAS THIS WELL BEHAVED????????

Meet Buddy-Love, a 3-year-old Pug who can be seen dining about San Pedro when his owner takes him out for breakfast. He puts his napkin on. He doesn't bark. He doesn't eat until he's told too. He's never rude. In fact, he's polite and mannerly.

Buddy- Love's owner, Shaune Ann Feuz, took this photo as scores of people walked by and stared at this canine's remarkable self-control -- to wait until he's told: "You can now have your bacon."

--Diana

DECIDING ON A PATH :
ONE THAT COULD HEAD HIM TO IRAQ;
THE OTHER THAT COULD TAKE THE POET TO COLLEGE
THAT'S WHAT HE WAS DECIDING THREE DAYS BEFORE HIS GRADUATION

(photo: Steve Ybarra to the left, College Bound Director Yesenia Aguilar and tutor/writing teacher Joseph Elizondo)

By Diana L Chapman

It was a warm day at Bogdanovich Park. My son’s team – the Pirates – were playing against a Wilmington team. The game was tight and went into extra innings. The weather was hot – but not too hot – and that’s when I struck up a conversation with the young man sitting next to me.

Sometimes, you just know things happen for a reason. And that day, at that particular moment, in that particular second, I knew I met this young boy -- lip piercing and all -- for a reason. And I think, so did he.

As his story unfolded, I knew it even more so. Steven Ybarra, 18, was moments away from graduating from San Pedro High School and talked about going to Harbor College. He had come ot the game to watch several of his close buddies from his neighborhood play. Having known each other practically all their lives, they had built a strong web of friendship, fashioning themselves like strong threads in a tapestry into a tightly woven support structure.

That's why Steve had come -- to show support for his friends

But now Steve needed a job. He had won two scholarships in poetry, one for $2,500, but wasn’t sure what to do with his life. Harbor College was a possibility, he mused, but he had decided that next week he'd go to the local recruiting office and join the military.

I blanched. My face didn't hide my emotional concern for a second. My forehead wrinkled up (all I could think of was Iraq and all the beautiful soldiers who had gone and were killed and injured there to protect us). Witnessing my expressions, Steve immediately leaped into a defensive diatribe as to why he should join; The military offers recruits 330 different careers to train in and he could select from anyone of them; the chances of going to Iraq were slim, he added.

He did not, however, say the magic words I was looking for: "I want to join."

In the past, I've been always telling kids I meet, "Go to college. Go to college. Go to college." It didn't dawn on me what a burden I was placing on them if they didn't have parents or some advocate to help guide them. To a kid, the lack of understanding --the how-to- get-there-holes -yawn before them like large crevices they don't know how to jump.

Until now, I hadn't realized how much I was blowing off wasted breath -- because I had no idea where to tell youths who needed help to go -- how to pick schools, apply for applications and the myriad of other requirements -- except for their already overwhelmed high school counselors working withhundreds of other students.

But now, I knew exactly where to send a kid like Steve before he made a momentous decision to join the military and discovered that wasn't the place for him. Explore your options, I said, and get down to the College Bound Program at the Boys and Girls Club. For me, it was a moment of realization -- what an incredible gift this program was to this community– one that didn’t exist until about five years ago.

Having steadily increased its numbers of students going off to university from a handful its first year – to now over "40" this year, college bound prepares students on taking SATs, filling out applications, writing essays and how to seek scholarships and financial aide. I used this myself when I was ready to tear my hair out helping my girlfriend's son apply through the college application process. What was taking me hours to do, took the program director a few seconds.

Currently, two hundred and fifty students are enrolled and are studying their realm of possibilities in higher education. They can begin as early as 7th grade.

A loud crack bolted through the air. The baseball suddenly snapped way past leftfield; players on the other team scrambled in vain to snatch it as the Pirate's pitcher, the other Steven who my friend had come to watch, scored another homerun. How many had he hit now? He had to be the best ballplayer I'd ever seen in any of the leagues -- as a pitcher easily sweeping out three players in a row time and time again. Not only was this youth a great pitcher, he was smooth and resilient under pressure, bringing us nearly as many outs with his fast pitch.

What about him, I pointed at the ballplayer friend. Will he go to college? Steve, the poet, didn’t know whether his friend, Steve, the ballplayer, had much of future either, because his grades were less than hot. The poet was bemoaning the fact that it was unlikely the tenth grader could even make his high school team with his grades -- and so was I, his coach and my husband.

Once I was sure the poet Steve wasn't exactly sold on the military, I called Yesenia Aguilar, the college bound director then and there and asked her if I could send the two Steve's down on Monday after school. Send them down, she responded, but I could tell over the phone she was calculating the possibilities of finding a school for the poet in such a short period of time. She'll be waiting for you, I explained to Steve when I got off the phone, and she'll do anything to help a kid. Take your friend, Steve with you. He nodded and the game was over.

We lost 6-5. And I wondered as we left if the poet Steve would lose too. I took a deep breath. The question was, would he do it? I'd have to wait and see and the soonest I'd know anything was Monday.

Steve showed up on the dot that Monday; his friend didn't.
By Tuesday, he’d placed everything Yesenia asked him for – transcripts and other paper work – on her desk. He had fulfilled all the requirements he needed, Yesenia said, but one class – chemistry! I could tell she was running around now looking not only for a college for Steve, but a summer chemistry class. Didn’t anybody tell him he needed it, she fumed to herself.

That same week, on Wednesday, I went to the College Bound Graduation Banquet to watch the graduating seniors get recognized and the Boys and Girls Club give out $1,000 scholarships to those students who had received acceptances and were headed off to achieving a higher education in the fall. One student, Justin Johnson, had received four acceptances (three to UC schools)and received a special $4,000 scholarship from the Palos Verdes Penisnsula Rotary Club.

At the banquet, Mike Lansing, the executive director of the Los Angeles Harbor clubs, urged all students to be accountable for themselves – and to do what was right for them – not their teachers, their parents or friends who may be telling them they didn’t need college.

Break the mold, he said.

And that’s when I spotted Steve – sitting in the crowd -- looking so happy. Yesenia called him up to the podium and said he qualified for the club’s scholarship: “We are still looking for a college for Steve. But he is going to one.”

Later she told me: "He's been great. He's followed through on everything. He was just confused, and now he knows he wants to be an architect. He's awesome."

On occasion, when I go to the club to teach writing, I see Steve -- and it makes me happy. It makes me happy because I know had it not been for my parents, I would never have made it to or through college, which allowed me to have a great journalism career.

Bravo. Steve. Bravo for breaking the mold. Bravo because you went for help and explored your options as my Dad would say. I pray Steve gets his baseball friend to go to the Boys and Girls Club too where they understand that -- sometimes -- there are many , many valuable kids like Steve out there -- just sitting and waiting for a bit of guidance.

INTRODUCING LOCAL HEROES: THE FOLKS THAT ARE AROUND JUST PROVIDING EVERYDAY HELP TO KIDS

We have so many heroes in this world. But some of the more important heroes, the people that are the glue that make the walls stick together, the people who work consistently day-to-day on a volunteer basis, the people who actually in reality make things work -- are the most ignored heroes in our lives. They are the ones who are there -- always -- in your classrooms, in the police department, at the hospital, at the museum...They are there always -- not just when the fire storms hit.

Here's my first group of heroes -- a set of Barton Hill Elementary School teachers --who retired from their teaching positions at the school, but agreed to return to bring art to the kids in their classrooms under the auspices of the non-profit group, Art To Grow On. ATGO teaches thousands of children art throughout the Los Angeles Harbor using volunteers like the women above. Most of the volunteers for this program are mothers with children in school where they teach.

But the five women above (except for the one to the right corner above are all retired teachers who returned to their former school so the program wouldn't end. Not enough parents volunteered to continue the art classes.

These former teachers, who-would-not-be-named, are the first set of heroes I selected to post -- because they deserve it (even if they hate the photo!)

Do you know a local hero that works with kids? Email me at hartchap@cox.net

ART CORNER FOR KIDS -------------
MORE FROM 7th GRADER MAYA PAVIC WITH HER OWN BIO OF WHO HELPED HER...
YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Dear Diana,

Hello I am Maja Pavic. I am a thirteen year old girl who attends Richard Henry Dana Middle School. Dana Middle School is a nice school and the teachers I have had for the past two years were wonderful and the teachers I have had in seventh grade are great. My English teacher for sixth grade was very nice and she is always willing to help people that need help. Her name is Mrs. Evano and Mrs. Evano would always help me with my work and she would help me in things that I did not understand. My English teacher for seventh grade is Mrs. Bradford. Mrs. Bradford is a very helpful teacher and she is a wonderful person. She also takes the time to explain homework and class work as well. Mrs. Evano influenced me to always be organized and always be ready for school and to be prepared for tests and quiz's. Mrs. Bradford influenced me to do well in life and to have all of your homework ready, have your school supplies and to follow school rules and to be a good student. And then there is my seventh grade History teacher, Mrs. Crow. Mrs. Crow is a wonderful teacher as well; she is a understanding teacher and she can help you in many ways. If you tell her something she will understand. She is a caring and kind teacher. She always cares about the students and how we do in school, and she cares about our grades. She influenced me by showing me that you can have fun and learn at the same time. She showed me that you can do your best; you just have to try you hardest to get to the goal you want. And the rest of my teachers were also helpful to me.
My goal in life is to finish High School and move onto college. In college , I will take classes to be a veterinarian when I grow up, and I will work as a veterinarian on work days and on weekends I will work as an artist, which means I will have two jobs. I will have two jobs because I cannot choose between the two jobs. And after college I will stay with my parents for a couple of days until I find a house and then I will buy furniture and I will buy a ferret, which is a weasel. I will try to be as successful in life as possible. I will buy my parents a house near to my house so we will be closer to each other. I will help my parents as much as I can with anything they need help with. And I will always be there to help my family members and that is what my goal is in life.

THE UNDERDOG FOR KIDS:WHY DID YOU CALL IT THAT????????????????

By Diana L. Chapman

This is an odd story. If you don't like the fact that people sometimes derive their values from cartoons and comic books, quit reading now.

I'm often asked: Why did you call your blog The Underdog for Kids? It's one of the most frequently asked questions in my peculiar journalism career, which has taken twists from writing for daily newspapers to writing for the Chicken Soup for the Soul series to blogging (where I least suspected I'd end up).

I have one person -- no, actually two -- to blame for the Underdog name.

The first would be my admirable neighbor, Judi Pierry, who routinely puts up with my 13-year-old son practically moving into her house with her two sons, Joey, 18, and Jimmy, 16, who embraced him from the moment he moved into the neighborhood. Their older sister, Jessica, just grinned and beared it, to have one more boy in the family. She was probably quite relieved to take off to San Francisco State University. Because the Pierry household is much cooler than my own -- a pool table, a widescreen TV, rooms equipped with computers and games -- and a mom who realizes the beauty of enticing her kids to stay home rather than go elsewhere so she knows where they are: The kids like it there.

With Ryan's frequent visits, she teased us as "the childless couple." About a year ago, just before the weekly More San Pedro newspaper changed hands, Judi asked me over for lunch with her girlfriend, Chris. She plopped a glass in front of me and said: "Diana, this is perfect for you. You're always protecting the underdog and acting just like the Underdog cartoon."

On the glass was the cartoon of the blue-caped, red-shirted, skinny armed, slightly muscled Underdog, and that was when lightning struck. I had watched this cartoon religiously as a child -- and any show such as Little Opal -- where a dog was always helping others get out of horrific plights when no one else would bother -- a theme as a child, I just couldn't understand. I was like: "Where are the heroes?" -- the same question a famous charter principal talked about later while he was practically starved as a child in New York ghettos. Where are the adults? Where are the heroes, he asked himself.

It hit me, at that moment, that Judi had unearthed an inner secret I didn't know about myself. What shocked me even more was that not even my husband or other friends had figured it out, either. I don't think I'd even thought of it before. I love to protect the underdog. It was my calling, my inner being -- and children were my first and foremost ones to care for -- especially children no one else cared about.

When I came home and told my husband that night, he gaped at me with the same reaction I had: disbelief. How could we have not figured this out much sooner? It hit us both hard. How can awoman who has only known me a few years figure this out before we did? We've been married 19 years. It was because she read my column religiously and noted a major theme in all my writing: Who protects kids when their parents don't care? Who protects kids when their parents don't know what's going on? And who protects kids whose parents might be interested some of the time but not often enough to help them grow into an amazing adult? The answer? No one.

Worse, why do adults firmly believe that kids who grow up in a ghetto, or just -- heck -- bad parts of San Pedro, Wilmington or anywhere else, should do A-OK and learn important values like politeness, honesty and respect when their lives are enveloped with troubles we could never understand -- gang members forcing them to do things they don't want to do, drugs permeating their neighborhoods, parents on drugs or alcohol, family member who are molesters, families who believe moving ahead is working at a Taco Bell for the rest of your life or babysitting your kid sister's baby, or having parents who believe in cons or forgers as a way of life. And we say: "You have the choice. You know what to do. You know the right thing."

Do they? I can't imagine how. Soon after my shock of learning something about myself when a friend placed the Underdog glass in front of me, I found myself with another friend, Marie Montgomery. Marie, a former Daily Breeze reporter like me, is now a public relations specialist for the Auto Club. We've both been living through the heartache of watching newspapers becoming dinosaurs with all the instant technology that floats about in a matter of seconds. DVDs here today, gone tomorrow. As for CDs, records are out to lunch. CDs? What are those? Now it's I-Pods. What are record albums, my 13-year-old asks about boxes stored away in the garage? Sometimes I wonder if he's ever seen that black, smooth pizza plate with perfect grooves. Newspapers? I want to cry because they're still one of the best educators of all time -- for very little money -- but they're almost as ancient, dead, salty and musty as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Marie, quite the hip gal even as we are showing our age these days, asked me: With all these changes -- and a newspaper job is likely to be here today and gone tomorrow -- have you considered blogging? She too was somewhat amazed that -- despite having known me for more than a decade -- it was my neighbor who saw my true core: a fighter for the underdog.

Marie promptly announced: "Start a blog. You can name it 'the Underdog!'" Crazy. I looked at her. But the Underdog for what? I demanded. "Kids!" she exclaimed. "You love kids. You fight for kids!" How right she is.

I started the http://www.theunderdogforkids.blogspot.com/ with some pretty sage advice from my friends, who seem to know me better than I know myself. Shortly after, the Breeze was sold, my job was cut in half and, since it paid next to nothing anyway, I figured why not work for myself? If you're not getting paid much, you might as well enjoy it -- and write what you truly want to write -- how to rescue kids that need rescuing. I call it advocacy journalism -- and despite layers of bureaucractic journalism ethics that don't recognize advocacy -- I can't help myself. It's just the way I am and will always be.

Shortly afterward, I saw a movie preview of the upcoming "Underdog" movie that was being resurrected and would be released Aug. 3. I'll be the first underdog there -- and somehow, I don't believe it will hurt a doggone bit if you take your kids, too.

Dear Readers: This is a great story actually written by a teacher! That's what this blog is for. We want teachers, parents, administrators and just your average citizen to write stories in regards to important opinions, beliefs and issues regarding children. But this is for children too. Kids can write their own stories. This is the first teacher to post on my blog and I am extremely appreciative of her effort. And, I also agree with her. Need I say more? -- Diana

WHY WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED THAT LOS ANGELES UNIFIED'S ADOPTION OF OPEN COURT reading IS THE END ALL, BE ALL....BECAUSE IT ISN'T EVEN CLOSE...

By Cathy Scott Skubik
Summer time is good for laying around and reading a good book, or two or three. In June, I sent my second grade students off with a list of some good books to look for in the library and I crossed my fingers that they will follow through. I also hope their parents will help them in this endeavor. For it is parental behavior that makes the biggest impact upon a growing reader. If you want to raise a reader, you have to be one. You have to value books, visit the library and bookstores, and you have to READ everyday, in front of your kids, even being a little selfish with your reading time.
I matched the list to what I knew each child needed as a reader. I kept it simple, but underneath the simplicity was a great deal of purpose; my belief in my critical role as a reading teacher/coach/cheerleader. This summer list follows a year of intense instruction that was personalized for them, that taught them what readers do, and gave them time to read whole chapter books and beautiful picture books. We engaged in amazing discussions of what we read, what we learned, what we believed in. We wrote our stories together, we learned about words together, we wrote informational text together. We had a great year of literacy.
Because, of course, raising a reader is also the work of our schools. Good teachers everywhere know that to be an effective teacher of reading, you too must be a reader. A reader who eats books for lunch- talks about books with friends and colleagues- studies reading behaviors and strategies. Teaching reading (and writing) is an art form. It is not brain surgery. But it is a complex process that involves skill and pedagogy, some gut-level understanding and instinct, and lots and lots of practice and study. Unfortunately, because it is such a complex practice, a few years ago our leaders decided to mandate a scripted, uniform program. It is known as Open Court. It has many good components, but it is a textbook program, a one-size fits all approach, and it is not enough. My friends who teach in Open Court schools know that in order to raise readers, they need to supplement the program with literature and actual books and magazines. In some schools, this is discouraged, and strict adherence to the program is monitored by what some of my friends call the Open Court Police. Yikes.
I rejected the textbook approach to reading almost immediately upon starting my career. I knew in my gut that in order for children to become a reader, they needed to hold a book in their hand and curl up with it. They needed to experience the entire book- not just an excerpt printed in an anthology. They needed to read multiple titles by the same author, and follow a character through a series. And, they needed to read (gasp) nonfiction! Open up an OC book, you won’t find much nonfiction, and what you will find is not what represents the large body of informational texts that we read and study in our everyday life.
So why are we told as parents that all is well in our literacy program? You know the answer; test scores! Just last week, Mike Lansing shared the general opinion of most (but not all!) administrators in the Los Angeles Unified School District, “...Since 1999, our instructional efforts prioritized elementary schools and specifically the Open Court reading program. We have been most successful in this endeavor, and the data speaks for itself - we have far outpaced the rest of the state over this time in elementary school student achievement.”
Do we leave it at that? Is that the best we can do? Are the results of a few days of testing- a multiple choice test- enough to tell us the whole story? What about a child's love of a specific book that they read and reread- a book they love with all of their heart? What about asking to be taken to the library-or the bookstore? What about a child's ability to quote their favorite passage? Talk about their favorite author? A child's choice to pick up a book instead of plop in front of a TV?
What about the way they write, and tell their own stories with words that flow and sing? Why don't we talk about that? (Don’t get me started on the so-called writing component of the OC program- that is another discussion entirely.)
I think there is a lot more we need to be asking about (and demanding of) our literacy programs. A test score will give you some basic information about basic literacy. And that is a success story in many of our schools. But it is so limiting, and reading and writing are not. They open us up to different worlds, they allow us to discover and confirm who we are and what we believe in. Good instruction in these areas must match the limitlessness of being a literate person.
Enjoy your summer reading, and let your children see you doing it!
Cathy Scott Skubik teaches at Park Western/ Harbor Magnet in San Pedro.
She has taught for 22 years, and she still loves it.
Her school is NOT an Open Court school.

Dear Underdog Readers:

I wanted to share this story written by Tim Marquez, the father of Paige, a 4-year-old who died of a brain tumor two years ago. He sent me this to share the journey of grief that has taken him and his family to the next level – helping other children and other families who've found themselves locked in a similar nightmare. As I’ve written about Paige over the last couple of years, first as a columnist for More San Pedro, then on my blog, I couldn’t help but feel that impish, elfin girl was with me – dancing around in my head with a perky spirit. After listening to her parents describe her as the family peacemaker, the child who begged her parents not to cry while she was dying and who wanted them to help others, I asked Tim if he would share their efforts with the readers. He gave me permission to post this story below and give you the following information about their upcoming fundraiser – and even more importantly – sharing his struggle with the loss of his child. If you can find it in your heart to attend their second fundraiser, Saturday July 28, at the San Pedro Elks Lodge, you too will be helping to prevent the deaths of sparkling children like Paige.-- Diana

(In the photo above, Paige's sister, Blake (left) holds candle at the Cancer Relay honoring Paige)

UPON OUR GRIEVING JOURNEY; WHY WE ARE RELENTLESSLY FUNDRAISING TO RESEARCH PEDIATRIC BRAIN TUMORS SINCE AT LEAST FOUR SAN PEDRO CHILDREN HAVE DIED FROM THEM IN THE PAST TWO YEARS
By Tim Marquez

Dear Diana:

The following paragraph contains information that I have not shared with anyone outside of my immediate family. I am sharing it with you because I am hoping to give you a feel for what we have gone through and continue to go through. I am hoping that you will take that feeling and express it in your next blog. I want your readers to feel motivated to do something about pediatric brain tumors now because you never know who will be next.

Since Paigey died in July 2005, I have known of three other kids in San Pedro who have died from brain and spinal cord tumors. I imagine there are more that I am not aware of. I cannot sit by the wayside in my sadness and accept that Paigey's death was in vain. One day while I was holding Paigey's hand in the hospital I started to cry. She couldn't talk because of the ventilator tube that went into her lungs, so she shook my hand to get my attention. When I looked up at her she gave me a stern look and shook her head left-to-right, "NO". She did not want me or Cheryl to cry. She was a courageous little girl through it all. She was a bright, funny, independent spirit. I believe she was telling us to be strong and courageous like she was. Despite all the pokes, surgeries, treatments, doctors, nurses, and discomfort that she went through, she did not cry. On July 27, 2005, Paige was baptized and responded to all of the priests requests. About two hours later Paige was no longer willing to cooperate with the doctors and nurses. She began kicking both legs high in the air and hitting her hospital bed. She pulled at all of her IV's, blood-gas tubes, ventilator tube, and brain shunt. Even though her body was weak from lying in the hospital bed for nearly 1-1/2 months, she was strong enough to kick and pull. It was then that Cheryl and I knew Paige had had enough. She was done fighting the killer in her head and spine.

The doctors gave us a choice of continuing treatment or removing her from the ventilator; it was the 42nd consecutive worst day of my life. We decided to stop our baby's suffering and let her go. All the tubes and equipment were removed from her except for the IV that was providing sedatives to her dying body. We laid next to her on her bed over the next 60 hours or so talking to her and telling her how good she is and that we love her. She died in her sleep at 6:45 a.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2005. After she died we bathed her and we were able to hold her in our arms again. I hadn't been able to hold her since June 16, 2005, when she went into the hospital. I was warned in a dream that this day would be coming. At the end of February, 2005 before we knew Paige was sick, I had a dream that woke me up at 4:30 am. In my dream I was holding one of my three kids in my arms at the hospital and they had died. I could not see their face so I did not know which one it was. I rushed downstairs to check on them and all three were sound asleep in their bed. I was happy that it was only a dream. But now, five months later, it was reality. Cheryl and I took turns holding her for about 45 minutes to an hour. The nurse came in and told us it was time for the hospital staff to take her to the hospital morgue. We asked how they would transport her from the Pediatric ICU to the morgue and she said they would put her in a body bag, then a plastic case. We had the nurse wrap her in her blankey so that her body would not be touching the plastic bag or case. We stayed at the hospital until the mortuary had arrived to take her back to San Pedro and we went home with her.
Approximately 3,000 children are diagnosed each year with brain tumors and there is very little funding available for research and most of the children die before they reach adulthood. There also is not very much public awareness of brain tumors. Scientists and doctors do not know what causes brain tumors nor do they know exactly how to treat them. The surgery, radiation and chemotherapy that is applied is used mostly because there is nothing else available. The treatment also has long term effects on the children's body. While its true that radiation and chemotherapy kills cancer cells, it also kills the healthy cells that surround the cancer. Bones and tissue that are within the treatment area stop growing which means while the rest of the child's body is growing, their spine, skull, and other bones are not growing. For these children and families who survive their initial bout with cancer, funding is needed to provide them with long term care and quality of life. The bottom-line is that more funding is needed for research for a cure and to aid families and children who are afflicted with brain and spinal cord tumors.

If I could give my life so that no other children would have to suffer and die like this I would, but I know that is not possible. For this reason I will spend as much of my time as possible raising money to find a cure, which is why we created Paigey's foundation. She would want her foundation to succeed and I know that in order to do so we need everyone's support.

Thanks for listening to my story and request for help. I appreciate what you have done for us.

Tim Marquez Paigey's Dad Paige L. Marquez Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation P (310) 892-3503 F (310) 774-3956 tmarquez@pacbell.net

What? The 2nd Annual Paige L. Marquez Foundation for the Paige L. Marquez Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
When? Saturday, July 28, 2007/ Cocktails and Silent Auction begin at 5:30 p.m.
Where? San Pedro Elks Lodge, 1748 Cumbre Drive, San Pedro, California
Costs? $70 per person
Included: Live band, dinner, live and silent auction
How you can help?

Here is how you can help besides attending the dinner: Forward the invitation to your friends and family who might be interested; Ask business owners requesting that they donate an item for our silent or live auction. If you know of any business owners who would be interested in donating something for our auction let me know at the above number and I'll contact them.

We are also in need of corporate/business sponsors who would be willing to donate money to offset as much of the cost of the dinner and band as possible. If we sell the maximum capacity of the Lodge the dinner would cost about $11,000.00 ($35.00 per person X 315 people), plus another $1,500.00 to cover the band, d-jay flowers, and supplies. Are you aware of any business owners who are philanthropic and willing to donate to a great cause? In return we would announce their business name during the dinner as being one of our sponsors and they would be listed in our program that will be given out the night of the dinner. If they donate $1,000.00 or more we will give them 2 tickets to the dinner.

San Pedro Chamber Awards Given out to Those Who Truly Deserve It When It Comes To Helping Kids and Their Communities

Leslie Jones and Mona Sutton,owners of the Omelette & Waffle Shop, hold their recognitions recently awarded from the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce. Steve Kleinjan, right, who founded Clean San Pedro sits outside during a break.
Good News and Kudos Came in the Month of June to Those Who Help Their Community and Kids

By Diana L. Chapman
One local eatery and the non-profit group, Clean San Pedro, received awards from the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce this past month for their diligence, dedication and devotion to help their communities. They get kudos from me for their efforts to help kids!Owners of the Omelette & Waffle Shop, Leslie Jones and Mona Sutton, won the restaurant of the year award and Clean San Pedro founder, Steve Kleinjan, received the leadership award. Anthony Santich, the chair of the chamber’s board of directors, said he was proud to present the award for the year for the restaurant owner’s endless efforts to clean up the homelessness and graffiti along the Gaffey Corridor. (Mona is the block captain for the Gaffey Street Watch,) The owners have provided a safe haven for students as they leave school and head home and have even broken up fights.“They see the Omelette and Waffle Shop as a vehicle to spread all of the positive that’s going on and they see themselves as a conduit to connect people with information and introductions over a cup of coffee,” the chairman told dozens of folks who attended the event.From my point of view, they fight for the underdog – kids who are often prey to other students. Threatened students can use the restaurant as a place to escape and seek help.Steve, who began Clean San Pedro with a group of hard core volunteers who religiously donate their time to the clean up efforts, started the organization five years ago when he “got tired of the declining conditions and the lack of maintenance of many parts of San Pedro,” the chairman said.Under his organization, Steve has pulled together monthly clean-ups across San Pedro, bought tools, vehicles and other items necessary to make San Pedro an even cleaner and safer town.For children, Steve’s team has cleaned up several schools, but next year he plans to do some schools where he will help students will become the primary clean up leaders on their own campuses – under the auspices of Clean San Pedro.You go Steve!All I can say: thanks to both groups for providing a safer and clear environment for the kids of San Pedro.
Labels: Chamber Awards to those who help the community and kids

LAUSD Must “Still” Focus on the Children

By Mike Lansing, former LAUnified School Board Member

As I leave the LAUSD School Board after serving the last eight years representing Board District 7, I have been asked by the Daily Breeze to submit a column reflecting on my thoughts and hopes for the future. I am proud of the efforts of my staff and office over the past two terms and the simple credo we worked by: “Children First”. But rather than talk about what we accomplished, I submit the following three recommendations for the Board and District for the coming years.

Focus our instructional efforts almost exclusively on secondary schools. Since 1999 our instructional efforts prioritized elementary schools and specifically the Open Court reading program. We have been most successful in this endeavor and the data speaks for itself – we have FAR outpaced the rest of the State over this time in terms of elementary school student achievement.

Now however the same focus must be on secondary schools and the needs of those students. The work has already begun with a district-wide implementation process for Small Learning Communities. But while the concept in its essence is good – full implementation of the program will be necessary if we are to truly reach the thousands of disconnected teens who drop out of school every year. This means we have to implement a staffing strategy that will provide each student with a caring adult who will truly mentor and monitor the progress of each secondary student. If you want a “model” to consider – come down and check out the “College Bound” program my Boys & Girls Clubs have been sponsoring for the past five years in support of San Pedro, Banning and Narbonne high school students. It works and so can our secondary Small Learning Communities if the same resources and support of ALL secondary students is initiated.

Collaboration based on the needs of children – not “politics”. The impending plan for the Mayor’s office to take over one cluster of schools (out of nearly 70 district wide), is a waste of effort and resources because it will NEVER be duplicated nor sustained district wide. Pouring millions of dollars of resources and effort into a few schools and then walking away when the money runs out or after the next political agenda gets set is not the answer.

The City can truly assist our public education efforts if it becomes a committed partner to collaboration on neighborhood safety so all children can freely go to and from school and working together with the School district to enhance/expand after school and weekend child development programming. We already have all of the components necessary for the “extended learning day” that the Mayor and others talk about – we just need to bring the resources of the City and School District together to improve and expand those opportunities. True collaboration focusing on children is what we need – not another political press event.

Continue to build new schools especially in the Harbor area. The progress made by the School District over the last eight years in terms of the long overdue construction program is truly a Herculean effort and success story in so many ways. NOW is the time to build the schools planned for communities such as San Pedro, Wilmington and Gardena that correctly were made a “second” priority after I took office and are now scheduled to be built. We allowed the projects in all of the other communities (East & South L.A., the Valley, Watts) to be constructed first due to greatest need – the need and time is NOW to build the planned schools to relieve San Pedro and Narbonne High Schools (both with enrollments of 3600 while built for 2500) and Wilmington and Peary Middle Schools.

Amazingly, some elected officials are advocating for down sizing or eliminating these much needed new schools while at the same time promoting “thousands” of additional housing units throughout the South Bay. Either we spend the $300 million committed to these projects here and NOW or the funding will transfer to the other communities previously mentioned. In addition, schools like San Pedro and Narbonne will go to “year round” schedules unless ALL 2100 planned seats are built! This is a fact.

Let’s build upon the successes of the recent past and concentrate our instructional efforts on our teens/secondary students. Let’s truly form a worthwhile collaboration between the City and School District and build the schools in the Harbor area that are needed and have been promised. It’s not brain surgery – but it will take focus and commitment. Children First.

Former Corner Store Owner Takes Over the Dixie's with Wonderful Promises of Fresh and Fascinating Foods at a Mid-Range Price;

Food is An Art for this Owner

Susan McKenna prepares to open Nosh in July.

Diana L. Chapman

After building a business on sweat, blood and the “kids” – two Australian gals who made the Corner Store a booming non-alcoholic watering hole for the surrounding community and helped scores of friendships bloom are at it again – at least one of them.
One will own a new downtown eatery; The other will help.
If all goes well in the month of July, Susan McKenna will open the doors of the former Dixie Diner on Mesa Street as a new eatery called “Nosh,” which will be filled with delicious treats starting off with light breakfasts and lunches – and of course, something different – a line of toast.
Sound tempting?
Not yet?
Imagine this: Toasted artisan breads. Choice of toppings: Avocado and bacon spread. Salmon with cream cheese. Roasted tomatoes. English baked beans. And that’s not for the sandwiches and salads that will be served. That’s just for the morning toast.
Having been a frequent visitor of Corner Store over the years, I was surprised that Susan had embarked on another business venture. Last time I talked with her, she had decided against it just for the much needed break after running the popular Corner Store business for nearly eight years with her good friend, Marisa Giuffre.
But when Dixie’s closed down, Susan couldn’t resist taking a look at the space and jumped in with both feet flying – and Marisa – while not a financial partner has opted to help.
The former site, which has failed at least seven times in the past and probably hung on the longest as ironically, the Australian restaurant, Wallaby Darn’s, closed recently and perked Susan’s enthusiasm to trust her instincts, go with “fresh and the slow food movement,” that burst out of Italy -- instead of embracing corporate food. Fresher products spark Susan’s cooking spunk and imagination, she said, “because in the corporate food world, everything tastes the same.”
Thus, the toast line.
“What is so great about Southern California is that it’s a great incubator for food chains,” Susan explained to me as we sat in the new shop with workers nosily sawing away to build new countertops. “But I had just come back from San Francisco and from Chicago where there’s still a lot of Mom and Pops and independents.
“It was inspiring to go there and just have such good food and eyeing all the spaces,” for fresh food such in San Francisco’s Ferry Building where the inspirations are tempting but remarkably expensive, she reflected.
“I just thought: “Let’s just pitch a little higher, a little bit better and not be the lowest of the common denominator.”
Serving eggs, a question that Susan has been repeatedly asked by former patrons? No. A half-dozen restaurants already do that in town. She just wants to provide other choices for diners – where they can either dine and or take out, snacking on the usual suspects of cappuccinos, pastries, and muffins –with a lot of added flair, such as her toast line – and designer salads and sandwiches, yet to be revealed. She’s still creating them. For her, food is an art. She will serve hot chocolate, Italian sodas, fresh lemonade, ice tea made from scratch – and what else – is still unfolding.
While I was interviewing Susan, my doubts that she would open the July 4th weekend were growing. Her phone rang constantly and construction crews interrupted every few minutes to ask questions. It reminded me so much of my home life, where we are currently undergoing a remodel that I couldn’t believe she could possibly open the doors by then.
Every month, we think our remodel is about done. But then we go into yet another month.
But then miracles do happen – and perhaps that will be true for Nosh.
My biggest thought, however, is I just can’t wait for this place. I like something different. I like something fresh. I like choices. I like that she will provide a lighter fare of food – sandwiches and salads – not full, heavy meals here. While the rest of us eat food, Susan’s designing it like an artist toiling away on a canvas. That’s truly how she sees it.
So I suspect we will be eating some most interesting tastes at her place.
While we both suspect their won’t be too many children in the beginning – but mostly downtown San Pedro employees – she most certainly has learned not to ignore the thoughts and desires of children – because local kids are what saved the Corner Store. They were the springboard to its success. Once an old, dumpy liquor store, most adults would not walk in. But the kids kept coming to buy candy and they awed by what the new owners were doing
The kids, she said, begged their parents to come and look at the store and that prompted the Corner Store to flourish.
Keeping that success in mind, she will serve peanut butter and jelly and cinnamon toast – and treat them just like she did at her former business.
“It’s sort of like how you treat kids is how you should treat people in general,” she said. “You just treat them nicely and respectfully.”
As children watched the redesign of the store take shape – with its unusual twists of offering English pork pies alongside lattes, the parents finally began to come and started to discuss local politics, friendship and introduce neighbors who had never met one another before.
Friendships formed fast and furiously.
` Constantly, their patrons asked Marisa and Susan to make sandwiches at the Corner Store, which due to a variety of holdups, they couldn’t legally do – even though they wanted too.
Now, Susan said she’s thrilled by the prospect of finally being able to make sandwiches, but people are dropping by and asking her now: “’ Will you make eggs?”

Bandindi Street Teacher, Who Touched Thousands of Lives across the Harbor Area with Her Pre-kindergarten Program Retires

Diana L. Chapman

Having guided hundreds of children on the pathway to their upcoming school years – and embracing children at the age of four, a long time educator decided to hang the school bell up this week and retire.

Her teaching style touched generations of families across the Harbor Area.
Jackie Terry, the pre-kindergarten teacher at the school, served hundreds students, giving four-year-olds their first glances at public education and systematically reminding parents that they are their child’s first and most important teachers.
Jackie, who prepped scores of youngsters for kindergarten for nearly three decades, was touted for her educational abilities to teach and prepare children both socially and academically through a federally funded program called the “Speech, Readiness Language Development Program,” or SRLDP. Each session included a parent component and the children who went through it often returned when they had their own kids.
Under Jackie’s tutelage, the program grew and always had a waiting list.
“We just had so many families loyal to her program,” said the school’s Principal Bob Fenton. “They have their kids and they bring them back. And then they bring their grand kids. She just does not age. The program always remains fresh and pertinent. It’s the old adage. You can’t replace her.”
He added that once her retirement was made public, scores of students came up to him in shock to ask if “Ms. Terry,” as they called her, was really leaving.
Starting out nearly thirty years ago when the program was first launched with the concept of breaking down the racial divide in the educational system, Jackie took over the curriculum, after teaching other grade levels at the school.
She never left – until announcing her retirement recent late in the school year.
The program, she said, helped encourage families whose children could not afford to enter nursery schools to enroll. Later, the state of California wanted the program to be opened to all students, despite their financial backgrounds. There was never a residency requirement like other public schools, which meant children could live anywhere, the principal said..
Over the years, Jackie’s program became increasingly popular – especially due to the many learning concepts she embraced. Students went on field trips to the beach, the zoo, aquariums, did plays, had speakers come in, learned art, reading, writing and how to learn in ways other than the usual setting. She didn’t want her classes to be just “pen and paper.”
Toward the end of the year, she typically had a graduation day where children would line up on the stage and announce their future careers. Four-years-olds, now well prepared for kindergarten, would tell the audiences how they wanted to become firefighters, nurses, doctors, lawyers, astronauts --- and most surprising one year to Jackie was the student who announced he wanted to become a reverend.
As a humble and private person, the teacher didn’t want to discuss much of her accomplishments, but did say her most memorable days were the moments where the kids thanked her in special ways. One of her favorites, she said, was when she was working with a boy on a project and he patted her hand and said: “’Ms. Terry. I love you so much.’” That happened often. She also helped to keep the school’s PTA together and fashioned many Career Day events for the entire school. The basic theme that ran through her success, the principal said, was her relentless ability to draw parents back into the school and get them thinking about all the things they could do with their children.
She often inspired parents to put on programs, make art work, help their children with their homework – efforts that got their own creative juices going.
“I just saw them (parents) develop and discover skills they didn’t even know they had,” Jackie explained, “and they were spending time with their kids.”
In recent years, the program expanded to other elementary schools, including Cabrillo Avenue Elementary. Each enrollment includes a commitment from parents that they will take a six week parenting class – provided with the package – and volunteer a couple of times a month.
Parents were always welcome in the classroom to help – whether the children were learning to make toast, doing paintings, or learning their ABC's.
Because the whole school campus will be impacted by her departure, the principal said they already have asked Jackie to return part time to perhaps run the parent education part of the program.
They will hold a big farewell event on Sept. 21, he added, due to the teachers’ late decision to announce her plans to leave.
Jackie will be replaced by kindergarten teacher Kathleen Ocampo, who has a passion for early education, the principal said.

Spaghetti Fundraiser:

Dinner for Christian's family will be held Saturday from 5 p.m. to 8 at the San Pedro United Methodist Church, 580 6th Street, San Pedro. Adult tickets are $10; children from ages four to six are $6. Children under three are free. Each ticket is accompanied with a raffle ticket. Winners do not need to be present. Tickets will be sold at the door. Additional raffle tickets will be sold as well.

Christian, 14, fighting neuroblastoma

Another San Pedro Child Has Cancer; How Can You Help? Let Me Count the Ways


Diana L. Chapman

The skies dazzled a brilliant blue. The clouds lingered in a hazy mist atop the towering, sheer-faced cliffs. And six students were sick with the flu – and staying behind from the grandiose adventures other middle school students were about to undertake -- to scour the glacially carved walls of Yosemite.

One of the stay-behinds was Christian Shelik, 14, a curly, long haired boy who had captured my heart on this February journey. As his science teacher, Alyssa Widmark, pointed out to me repeatedly: “He’s an old soul in a young body,” she said. “I bet you will connect.”

Never could anyone be so right. Having been a writer for as long as I can remember, when I met Christian the first thing I asked him to do for me was write. I didn’t know it at the time, but he had a disability when it came to writing. His page would pour out a purity of words and then suddenly take a nose-dive where it looked like bird scribble – scratching out a different scrawl that made no sense. We didn’t know it at the time, but that disability would be the least of Christian’s problems. His teachers said they were concerned he was losing weight, but to me, he looked fine.

When I got done reading his prose, I knew this kid could write.

The day we left him behind in his cabin when his stomach hurt confirmed that for me. I asked if he could detail on paper whatever came to mind while he sat in his cabin mending. When I came back, he politely handed me several pages of beautiful gems. I could kick myself now, as somewhere along our travel destiny, I lost his pages to the wind and never found them. But I do remember how he wrote these beautiful words as he lingered in his cabin, peering out at the thick forests and the ground floor spotted with emerald moss. Squirrels skittered by and then there were the most seemingly interesting and poignant conversations taking place among the crows. How he wished, he wrote, that he could be privy to those discussions, because he believed the crows might have something profound to teach him.

When I sat down later to read what he wrote, my interest in his potential writing abilities was ignited even more. How beautiful this child could write if we could just take him beyond and away from the disability -- an arena that appeared to be holding him back despite his extreme intelligence and maturity. Meeting Christian and his friend, Felipe, were one of the highlights of my great adventure to Yosemite with Dana Middle School’s Ecology Club – and one I knew I’d never forget. Christian had a profound way of figuring things out; and Felipe – when several us were crawling through a blackened cave and he knew I was panicking –said: “Ms. Chapman. Ms. Chapman. Don’t worry. I’m right here.”

I was flooded with relief.

My husband and I left Yosemite (we were support chaperones) and agreed we had a fantastic journey with some incredible kids (including our own); Some of those kids I would never forget – especially Christian.

A few weeks after arriving home, I was shaking. Christian, I learned through an email from his teacher, has just been diagnosed with neouroblastoma, a rare cancer that often forms as a tumor in the stomach along the spinal cord and typically strikes children at much younger ages. It’s, without a doubt, an extremely grim illness that rarely attacks children over the age of 10 and in two-thirds of the cases starts in the stomach area. It heavily impacts the autonomic nervous system.

Having some familiarity with this disease, I immediately told his teacher my family would help the family in anyway we could. His father, Pete, basically raised his son and daughter, Rhea, 11, in San Pedro and I knew that the family would need as much help as possible – especially because Pete wanted to stay overnight with Christian at Millers Children Hospital in Long Beach as his son underwent went long bouts of chemotherapy.

Money, in all these cases, becomes an issue. And that’s why I believe its important for all of San Pedro to help out in some way or another – even when you don’t know the child. Fundraising for cancer research, joining the Cancer Relay For Life, helping family members, whatever it takes -- whatever you are able to give or do. In this case, two of Christian’s teacher, Alyssa and Michelle DeBilzan and an Ecology Club parent, Sandy Sampson, arranged for a large spaghetti fundraiser for the family. It will be held this Saturday June 23 at the San Pedro United Methodist Church at 580 Sixth Street. (Christian will not be able to attend due to his weakened immune system.).

I will be there. And I hope so will you.

But there are other ways people have stepped up to the plate. Sometimes these are small things, but often they mean more than money. For example, one mother, Megan McElRoy, took Christian’s sister shopping for her fifth grade culmination outfit, which I’m sure helped her Dad out quite a bit and helped take her to school.

Rhea stayed with us for two days when Pete and Christian were in the hospital over night. And because of Christian’s intensive therapy, his immune system is out so out of whack, and he can’t be near any crowds – it looked like he would entirely miss his 8th grade culmination.

Sadly, that was Christian’s biggest wish. He didn’t care if he was in it. He just wanted to watch it. For that reason alone, science teacher Ash Rahmonou has been scrambling to set up a direct video feed so he can watch it from a private room at the school.

When it became clear that both should celebrate their culminations (Rhea’s graduating from fifth grade) I called the owners at the Omelette and Waffle Shop and they’ve allowed us the entire back patio for this family on Monday morning – again because Christian can’t be with crowds.

In all these cases, it makes you just feel better if you can do something --anything -- even if its small – and it helps a precious soul feel that much more loved and wanted. And if we do it right, maybe we will get lucky, and Christian will once again be able to write those beautiful prose.

Don't Forget to Visit the Warner; Many movies for Kids All Summer Long

Remember the days you could walk around town, buy pretzels, baseball caps, fresh flowers, tie-dye dresses and other knicks knacks, all without leaving town and with the extra pleasure of running into friends? Those
days are here again, in downtown San Pedro! The Warner Grand Theatre is
partnering film presentations to Sunday Grower's Market and street fairs, so bring the family, neighbors and friends for a stroll down pedestrian-only 6th Street and use the [Sunday-only] free parking meters. Here are a few of the days you can enjoy family films in our downtown:

Sun Jul 1 Shrek 11 a.m. and Shrek 2 1 p.m. $5/$2
Sun Jul 8 Grease - 2 p.m. $5/$2 [come in costume!]
Sun Jul 22 Little Rascals (1994) 11:30 a.m. and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
(1965) at 1 p.m. $5/$2
Sun Jul 29 Edward Scissorhands - 2 p.m. $5/$2
Sun Aug 5 The Outsiders (1983) 2 p.m. $5/$2
Sun Aug 12 Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) 2 p.m. $5/$2
Sun Aug 19 The Beatles at Shea Stadium (1965) and LIVE performance by The
Backbeats 2 p.m. $20 ($10 for those in period costume!) Sun Aug 26 Stand And Deliver (1988)

To add yourself to the mailingn list, visit http://warnergrand.org and click on "mailing list" or buy tickets online by clicking "tickets."

San Pedro High School Culinary Teacher, Sandy Wood, Trying to Decide Whether She will Stay at San Pedro High School After the District Ordered the Student-Run Pirate's Cafe to Close Its Doors Because it Competes With District Cafeteria Food....OH Isn't That TOO BAD???

Closing the Student-Run Pirate's Cafe where Nutritious Is Delicious...
Does that make any sense to anyone except for a bureaucrat?

By Diana L. Chapman

A food fight was inevitable when the Los Angeles Unified School District opted to battle this one.
Some things border on stupidity. Others are just simply ridiculous. But this -- in the case of the district’s recent decision to close down San Pedro High School’s student run Pirate’s Café – made the food fly. I’m ready to throw a few tomatoes myself at the arrogance of it all.
Here’s how it all started.
After an entrepreneurial group of students brainstormed a brilliant effort to offer students healthy food by opening the café doors -- and won an award for their efforts -- a school board official showed up at the school declaring the café was in direct competition with the school cafeteria. He forced the small eatery on May 30 – which only planned to serve food three times a week – to close its doors. The student run operation only made it in business for a total of five days.
The move has infuriated long time culinary teacher, Sandy Wood, who oversaw the cafe.
This punitive action – and to me its punitive – has left her contemplating quitting because it was “unconscionable and only hurting the students. Students who ate at the café and were running it were miserably disappointed.
And School Board Member Mike Lansing, who leaves the board at the end of June, received a call on his way to Palm Springs, fumed over by what appears to be another frivolous action by some mid level manager. It’s hard to believe that a café, which only sold about 40 sandwiches a day, was ever in a true completion with the school’s cafeteria food that serves hundreds.
“Believe me,” Mike told me on the phone line, “if there aren’t health issues it will be reinstated. He immediately directed his staff to investigate and a meeting is scheduled for Monday. He added he told his staff: “I do not want to hear why this “won’t” work, but rather how we “will” reinstate this positive program by September – nothing less.”
It’s the same old story ever since I can remember, forever and a day, about bureaucrats getting too arrogant who begin going around flexing their muscles like bullies – picking on small delicacies rather than seeing the bigger fruit on the tree. All four of the students who planned the café are looking at future food services careers and this experience only enhances what the schools are supposed to do – teach. Now we will have to watch the outcome as higher ups spend a lot of time discussing the issue and wasting precious time. And the school year is almost over!
What started out as a fantastic idea now sits spoiling like rotting food on a shelf. The way it began was like this. A group of students decided to run for a contest, called Echo Project, which is connected to a UCLA mentor program.
Students were asked to design a new business, write a business plan, determine how they would act that plan out and -- if they won – would be provided $500 for start up costs.
The four students were awarded the first place winners on Feb. 24 for an inspiring “new business category” to feed students healthy, notorious food. Their motto: “Pirate’s Café; Delicious and Nutritious.” For three days a week and less than a month, they got off to a resounding start, selling turkey and veggie sandwiches during lunch hours for $3 and fruit salad for $2. Only 100 percent juice was sold and everything prepared was sold out immediately.
It was impossible to compete with the cafeteria, the teacher said, because they café only prepared 40 sandwiches a day and thousands of students eat in the cafeteria. They opened in late April and were shut down by the end of June.
“It was such a big hit,” Sandy told me during a cooking class where students bustled around making salads, paring vegetables, boiling pasta and whipping up lunch for themselves like Fettuccine Alfredo (which I tasted and its was scrumptious.)
Her regular class of students were having so much fun – and actually learning to cook and take care of themselves – I wondered just how ludicrous it would be to lose obviously such a special teacher who students seemed to adore. But why continue with a district, she argued he “hurts its own students.”
When the four students won, she said, she was so proud of them “because we didn’t know anything about a business plan and we just decided we’re going to learn. They went to UCLA for the competition and they won. They were really thrilled.”
The students – Ainsley Sanchez, Lidia Pedroza, Anthony Hernandez, all 17, and Dennis Veliz, 18, immediately used the money to buy supplies and opened up the café under Sandy’s guidance. With the small amount of profits, the students decided they would invest back into the business and then perhaps give one student a scholarship to culinary school.
“I was really bummed and sad,” when the doors closed, explained Ainsley while cooking hamburgers in class. “We had been working on this project since October and we barely lasted a month.”
Even students who enjoyed Pirate’s Café said they cannot understand food service’s decision.
“They did a good job and the sandwiches were really good,” said 10th grader Monique Maestro, 16. “I was just so mad, because that was my lunch. The cafeteria food isn’t healthy at all.”
“It was really good and they were so organized,” said Jeanine Vargas, 16, an 11th grader. “I feel so bad because they worked so hard to put this together. It was like why?”
Why is a good question Jeanine.
The way it all went down, the teacher explained, was she received a call to come to the principal’s office on the afternoon where she met David Copleland, a food supervisor for the district. He was holding an article about the Café in the More San Pedro newspaper and demanded café be closed, Wood said. The reasons, he told her, were that the district did not allow direct competition with school cafeterias and that she didn’t have the proper permits.
. The teacher was stunned. No one had ever told her she had to have permits. She didn’t need any for a cooking class and the café was running out of the same classroom.
The doors were closed that day and remain that way.
Monday’s meeting should reveal the outcome, but this all sounds like the big bully came to town to me. Maybe perhaps the real fear Mr. Copleland has – and he should fear it – is that the student café will become so successful and popular that these students will have successful cafés pop at schools all over Los Angeles.
Now that’s now such a bad idea, Mr. Copeland, is it? If the district can’t provide healthy food – what’s so wrong with a bit of competition? In America, last I heard, that’s a good thing.

IF YOU’RE A TAGGING TEEN, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHO IS WATCHING YOU! IT JUST MIGHT BE A JUDGE…AND NOT JUST ANY JUDGE

By Diana L. Chapman

This is one of those wonderful stories where you wished all tagging incidents ended up this way.
Take the two teenagers, around 17, who decided on a Saturday night this month to start penning their street jargon on electrical boxes around 13th Street and Pacific Avenue.
Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for us, a local Superior Court Judge Peter Mirich, who serves both the San Pedro and Catalina court houses, was ambling along the road in a car on his way to get something to eat.
When he spotted the teens with their pens marking the boxes, stop signs and park benches, he followed them watching diligently as they continued tagging one spot after another. That’s when the judge began calling the police.
If you think the judge has much more pull then we do, he still found himself going through the frustrating web of black hole phone calls. He started out first calling Los Angeles Police Department’s main line and asking to be connected to the Harbor Division.
The staff person on the line refused to connect him, he said, calling a tagging incident, a “low priority, and that if I contacted (the taggers) it was at my own risk.” But if you know the judge – nothing like this could be a low priority. Having been born and raised around San Pedro, he – like most of us – find tagging and graffiti a major drain on our urban lives as a constant, needling reminder of needless destruction continuously injected into our psyches.
As all of us have sadly and angrily watched the bombardment of graffiti over the years, the judge, decided despite the rebuff on the phone, he would not give up.
“I was then placed on hold and followed the taggers to 9th Street,” the judge e-mailed me. “Finally, (while still on hold), I spotted a patrol car and flagged it down.”
The judge never stopped his quest to nab the taggers. The officers agreed to follow him and together they looked for the taggers – which later led to both of their arrests. Once the police were on hand, he said, he was extremely impressed with their professionalism.
This lesson taught me that even a judge can run into problems with the law cooperating! And the judge’s advice to all of us is to think about carrying the Harbor Division phone number so witnesses can call directly to the area, instead of the regional lines, to get much more likely action on those so low, priority calls.
And to all those taggers out there, all I can say is: “Here come the judge!” AWESOME.

Another lost treasure
By Ron Galosic, Eastview Little League Board Member

As we approach our last day of Eastview Little League at it’s current location on the corner of Gaffey and Capitol in San Pedro, I look back and reflect upon another mistake our city has made that has let this wonderful complex for kids, that has been open 24 hours a days, seven days per week, for the entire community to enjoy for over forty years, just disappear.

I recently watched the tryouts take place for the next incoming class for the San Pedro High School baseball team freshman class., and after watching the two days with the kids from Dodson Junior High tryout, and then the two days with the kids from Dana Junior High tryout, I along with others there, were amazed with what we saw. Fourteen kids from Dodson, who all come from Eastview, are fully prepared to play high school baseball, and will make the team, while maybe 2-3 from Dana, none of whom even play currently in San Pedro, are prepared to play. What conclusion can you draw from this? There are simply no quality fields left on the south side of our town for the kids that go to Dana to learn this game of baseball and stay out of trouble, and that the one great place that this town does have, and has had for over forty years, Eastview, we all are watching disappear.

Since 1970, the South side of our town has lost the South Shores fields, the Upper reservation fields, the original Bogdonovich fields, Trona fields, Dillon Fields the Boys Club fields, and the fields at Liberty Hill. I ask you a question that I believe is also a responsibility of our elected officials, where do the kids on the south side of town go to play ball and stay out of trouble, and why did we not act fast enough to save the best fields this town has ever seen on the north side of town, Eastview, any sooner?

Did our elected officials ever have a chance to save the fields at Eastview you ask? Well the answer is yes they did. When this whole process began three years ago, one of the first things we suggested to our Councilwoman was to take the property for community park space, a thing this town needs, via eminent domain. The mistake we made was that we trusted Councilwoman Hahn, when she told us that it could not be done. Well, I sat in on a meeting a little over a month ago, and Janice invited a City Attorney to sit in on our meeting. At this meeting, the city attorney was grilled as to the possibilities of eminent domain, which in the end, she also agreed that yes eminent domain can be done now, and that it could have easily been done three years ago, and that the fields could have been saved.

Along with the sadness of the loss of the fields, special thanks does need to go out to The Port Of Los Angeles, and their wonderful leadership, as they did what needed to be done to help temporarily save us from extinction. With the Port’s engineers on site and working daily, it does look like a temporary home on Knoll Hill has began, and should be ready for the first pitch in 2008.

In conclusion, the people of our city need to take a stand and save the places that serve our youth and keep them out of trouble. We need to understand the distinction between the new phrase, “Open Space”, which is a fancy word for space for a place for adults go to sit and enjoy a view, and “Park Space Facilities” which is a place that the kids can go and exercise, run around, kick or throw a ball, and stay out of trouble. This past season I helped coach 8-9 year olds, and one of the coach’s I coach with has a great phrase he uses with the kids to help them to understand that every at bat you only get to see one or two great pitches, and you have to swing the bat and hit those pitches. Those pitches he calls “Treasures”, and tells them that when one comes, you need to swing at them, and you can't let them go. Well, coach, as we close the book on the final season here for Eastview and the corner of Capitol and Gaffey, unfortunately, our city let another good one go by, and we have lost another treasure, Eastview Little League.

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FINAL EFFORT FOR HONORARY MAYOR CANDIDATE TO BUILD SPORTS COMPLEX : LET's DO IT! WE OBVIOUSLY NEED THIS IN THIS TOWN:

Dear Readers: I support the efforts you'll read below. We need everything we can get our hands on for kids in this town.

Sincerely, Diana

To all,

This is my Final effort asking for your donation to
help win the 2007 Honorary Mayors race and continue
our advocacy for a San Pedro Sports Complex!

Whether it is $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, or any other
amount, every dollar puts us one step closer to
winning.

Why do I want to win you may ask yourself and why
should you send in a donation? Winning opens the
door to those who can help our Mission of building a San
Pedro Sports Complex. It provides opportunities to
speak at events continuing this advocacy and much
more!

San Pedro is a Sports Town and we owe it to our kids
to provide them a Permanent, not Temporary, location
to participate in Sports.

All donations are due by June 21st. The 2007
Honorary Mayor will be announced June 27th at the Crowne
Plaza in San Pedro at 5:30pm!

Please send your tax deductible donation TODAY to
P.O.
Box 78, San Pedro, Ca 90733. Please make checks payable to: SPYC-Pirozzi for Honorary Mayor.
Please forward this to your email distribution list.
Thank You So Much!!!

Anthony Pirozzi
Candidate for Honorary Mayor of San Pedro 2007



____________________________________________________________________________________

GIRL POWER! GIRLS POWER! GIRL POWER!

Attention Supporters of San Pedro Youth: If you have work with middle school age girls or have a daughter of this age feel free and call me with questions. This is great opportunity for girls to get information, support and prizes. The workshop is FREE and the schedule does not interfere with Summer School!

YWCA of the Harbor Area and South Bay Presents:


“GIRL POWER” A 3-Day workshop for girls ages 11-14
June 26-28
10:30am-2:00pm
@ 437 W. 9th Street
San Pedro

Over the course of three days we’ll talk, play games, and learn about…

· Changes your body is going through and what they mean

· Peer Pressure

· Getting along with others

· Communication Skills

· What is abstinence

· Feeling Good about Yourself

· Making Healthy Decisions

· Body Image

· And much more!

TALK!
ASK QUESTIONS!HAVE FUN!


Breakfast and Lunch will be provided each day

Prizes for attendance!!!
Day 1: Registration Goodie bag!
Day 2: Movie Ticket!
Attend ALL 3 Days:
Gift Card to Old Navy
***If you would like to attend this workshop, bring the attached consent form to Gaby Medina at the YWCA on or before June 26th. ****

QUESTIONS?
Contact: Gaby Medina @
(310) 547-0831 or
Mena Hughes @
(310) 780-0477

Mena Hughes