DIANA’S HAPPY YELPERS AROUND TOWN – AND THEN SOME;  MY RULES FOR SURVIVAL: GO TO PLACES WHERE THEY ARE KIND, GO THE EXTRA MILE AND  WHERE THE SUCCESS REPEATS ITSELF

Mona Sutton, one of the owners of Omelette and Waffle Shop

By Diana L. Chapman

I was sitting at the Omelette and Waffle Shop in San Pedro catching up with a friend and eager to eat a good meal.

Somehow my dish got back-ordered  and my friend’s food arrived first. In her other hand, the waitress carried a bowl of sparkling freshly cut fruit and placed it in front of me that I hadn’t ordered.

“I felt bad that your oatmeal isn’t ready yet,” the waitress announced. “The kitchen was behind and was making another batch.  “So I brought you this so you didn’t have to sit and watch your friend eat.”

Bingo. Shazam! Double dancing up and down. Four star check out of four! Yelping with pleasure all the way home. That’s how I felt after that experience. Over  years of receiving poor service, grumpy sales people or the customer-is-never-right attitudes, I began to sum up what I wanted when visiting retailers and other service industries -- a lot less stress. I despise getting in disagreements over a wrong order or a returned item and had too many of them to count. Who needs that to ruin their day?

So I came up with this simple rule of thumb: Go where people treat me right – and that includes how they treat other people too.

Since then, my life has been more relaxed.

I’ve established a load of local places,  I haunt regularly.  You can send me yours at hartchap@cox.net. Here’s my list of favs from restaurants to banks and other retail services.

RESTAURANTS:

OMELETTE AND WAFFLE SHOP obviously --  where my son always insist the restaurant should compete in the Guinness Book of World Records  for having the most omelettes! The place is loaded with dishes – so many you can barely count them – from tasty pumpkin waffles to scrumptious delicious chicken tacos. The more than a dozen types of omelettes are great to sink your teeth into and I find the service  repeatedly awesome.  What I really like, however, is that owners Leslie Jones and Mona Sutton, repeatedly give to community, such as helping schools, sitting on the Chamber of Commerce, forging cleanup projects around town and sitting on the Los Angeles Police Department’s advisory board. Open for breakfast and lunch, the OWS is located at 1103 South GaffeyPedro, (310)-831-3277.

NOSH: 

William McKenna, Susan's son, helping out at Nosh.

 A great downtown San Pedro eatery run by  Susan McKenna, a former owner of the popular Corner Store.  Susan ventured into the new café diner she calls  Nosh and began to whip up delightful homemade soups – from carrot to lentil – creamy quiches, and salmon sandwiches. The place has an Aussie air about it – since Susan is Australian – and it carries such things as sausage in a blanket, seaweed salad and PG tips, a strong black tea from England. Check out golden syrup on crumpets, bangers and caramelized onions on toast, Aussie meat pie, or date pudding with toffee sauce.  Lattes, cappuccinos and other specialized coffee drinks  are available and the staff is always both warm and friendly. Free Wi-Fi is offered at the long table in the front and at the counter (where you can often see me writing.) Open for lunch and breakfast,  Nosh is at  617 S Centre Street, San Pedro, (310) 514-1121.

 

CORNER STORE:

 

A neighborhood eatery and small store where residents can come and hang their hats and chat for awhile. Most days, that’s the common scene at the Corner Store. Cappuccinos, a wide array of peculiarly colorful sodas including one that is bright blue, gourmet desserts and sandwiches are served daily. Drop by to grab a “Walk the Plank,” Albacore tuna on squaw or croissant bread or a “Black Beard’s” beef dip, thinly sliced roast beef on a steak roll with the meat’s juices. Sandwiches range about 4.95 to $5.50 – and you can count on some other delicious goodies, as well, such as an affogato -- two shots of espresso over ice cream. If you didn’t get to the grocery store, you can grab eggs, cheese and milk or buy that last minute gift as the store’s quaint boutique that hosts jewelry  and other charming gifts. How is that for the last minute? You can see me here teaching writing classes on Wednesday afternoons. Check out the store located at 1118, W. 37^th Street (310) 832-2424.

 

THINK CAFÉ/THINK BISTRO/THINK PRIME:   For dinner and sometimes lunch, I enjoy all three of these restaurants – each with its own flair and atmosphere. Once all were owned by Kashi Aghilipour, who recently sold the café to his Chef Sonny Ramirez and wife Carly. The café hasn’t skipped a beat still serving wonders such as Cajun Spiced meatloaf for dinner and shrimp tacos for lunch.  Think Bistro is one of my favorite dinner spots in town due to its fair prices and because it’s around the block from my house and I can get there in five minutes.  The veggies are always cooked perfectly, much too my liking as I’m keen on vegetables. My favorite dish, chicken piccata. Lastly, Think Prime—an upscale and casual steakhouse – can get an array of beef dishes along with sides that include fresh corn on the cob and buttery garlic mashed potatoes. Don’t miss their daily happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. where the bar menu is half price.

LOCATIONS:

Think Café: 302 w. 5^th Street, (310) 519-3662.

Think Bistro: 1420 W. 25^th Street , (310) 548-4797

Think Prime:  29601 S Western Ave., Rancho Palos Verdes (310) 221-0415

 

YOGURT:

An always smiling employee at Dolci Mango serves up the creamy treat.

 

 Dolci Mango: WOW! Love this place that touts low-fat European yogurt at about 25 to 35 calories an ounce. The staff is always fun – and the yogurt, creamy smooth sliding right down into your tummy! Red Velvet Cake, blueberry cheesecake – chocolate! All those great toppings of fresh fruits, nuts and berries. But be careful of those delicious toppings like Oreo cookies, pecan pralines and M&Ms. Those calories add up. Don’t miss this delectable pleasure at 28901 S. Western Avenue, Rancho Palos Verdes, #227.

OTHER SERVICES FROM BANKING, CLOTHING TO HEALTH

MALAGA BANK: 

I switched from Bank of America – after so many bad experiences, not so much with the staff but the larger organization itself. I had things like checks bounce – despite our overdraft protection – and had to make repeated calls to correct the mess. Switching to Malaga, now on 25^th and Western Avenues in the Vons shopping Center, was a godsend. Due to its small size, they are able to call you when something looks amiss – as they did recently when we were in Canada and using our ATMs to the max. In another incident, I left on vacation having made a transfer to the wrong account and overdrawing rapidly in the next few days. Calling right away, the small bank was able to salvage my fiasco and complete the transfer for me. BRAVO MALAGA! 1460 West 25^th Street/ 310-732-1100.

Kim Kromas runs San Pedro Health Center

CHIROPRACTOR/CLINICAL NUTRITIONIST:

My favorite chiropractor/clinical nutritionist in town by far is Kim Kromas, but what else can you say about the only person who wasn’t afraid to tell you the truth about your  diagnosis. While my doctors were petrified to tell me (having by now lost vision in my right eye and having fierce tingling pains in my arms) Kim began to put the pieces together. When I called her to say my doctors were dancing around, she told me straight out: “I think you have multiple sclerosis. Go back and ask them.” The relieved doctor confirmed Kim’s theory. Today, Kim's focuses on clinical nutrition with a supporting team of chiropractors, acupuncturist and muscle therapists. Other therapies include  ionic/detoxification, physio therapy and orothodic molding. Kim spends most her time counseling patients on nutrition and how to better themselves physically with supplements from Standard Process. Recently, I was coming in with bruises peppered across my body when she finally determined was from my medication. Once again, she turned out right and I remain under her professional care.  The Nutritional Chiropractor Center is located at 302 W. 5^th Street, 310-832-5818. Visit her blog at: http://www.kromasnutrition.com

ALPHABIOTICS: 

Richard "Doc" Wright and his wife,Dagmar Neubauer, treat ailments and stress with alphabiotics.

Don’t ask me how it works or why, I just know it does for me. While you can hear the whole explanation from Richard “Doc” Wright and his wife, Dagmar Neubaurer, or Gene Eramela, all

 alphabiotists, I sum it up as this:  you get a “brain hemisphere balancing” each time you walk in, which helps shake out all those old injuries and years of compressing and jarring your spine, the core that holds our bodies in one piece. This provides your brain the ability to balance itself and help you heal  naturally. Since I’ve undertaken this, I’ve seen improvements I haven’t made in 20 years. Having gone on a myriad of drugs that have helped me, but came with serious side effects, I found more relief from using alphabiotics to tame unpredictable multiple sclerosis than all my drugs put  together. For once in my life in the past two decades, I haven’t had to drop in my bed for hours a day and excuse myself constantly for intense fatigue. For a full detail on how this treatment works, stop by and chat with Richard at 1407 W. 8^th Street. Call first to make sure schedule. (310)519-7700.

Sylvia Hudson outside Hair and Nails Salon

HAIR AND NAILS SALON: 

I was tired of feeling like just another robot in the pedicure assembly line at so many nail salons. I confess; I wanted to be spoiled. At the Hair and Nails Salon, the staff is amicable, right down to the receptionist Yolanda. At this place, I found mutli-talented Sylvia Lee, who does my hair and my pedicures. What I like best truthfully is that Sylvia spoils me and I always leave feeling like a pampered queen. Everybody deserves to feel like royalty once-in-awhile.  What is most enjoyable here: watching the way the staff care about their clients that come in from young to old. After going to several indifferent salons, I stumbled on this one and haven’t quit going ever since. Sylvia is truly a gem. The salon also does also does waxing, facials and eyelash extensions. It’s located at 2312 S. Western Avenue. (310) 548-3406

MAX’S PLACE:

Max Beyda, the owner, and Barbara Arizpe make a fabulous team at this clothing store.

A low-priced, clothing boutique, this is probably the only place in town I look for casual and dressy fashions. Between the owner, Ann-Margret (Max) Beyda, who has a fabulous eye for purchasing ever-changing styles, to her store clerk, Barbara Arizpe, you should have a yelping good time finding clothes that suit your moment, from the sporty to elegant. This “mix-and-match” shop has been my lifesaver many times, where I’ve ran in at the last minute looking for something to wear that evening. Somehow, don’t ask me how, they always pull together a stunning outfit off the racks.  Voted South Bay’s Best women’s clothing store for 2010, customers can enjoy an array of colorful scarves to accessories to match their apparel. One tip: if you find something you like, buy it because clothes tend to literally fly off the racks. Max’s is located at  1422 W. 25 Street in the Von’s shopping center. (310) 519-9096.

PARK PLAZA SHELL: 

Talk about going the extra mile, this gas station is it! Owner Mitch Harmatz takes serving his customers to the max, such as having free loaner cars, rides to and from his business and delivering your car home after services are completed. Never in my life have I seen a gas station do any of this. His staff is kind to clients (or they are gone) and having used Mitch’s auto repeatedly, when mistakes are made, they are corrected. This place is so unusual that we don’t go anywhere else. In fact, when we bought our used 1999 Explorer, we took it to Mitch and he gave us the green light. It’s been a good car (knock on wood) ever since. My hats off to a guy who truly cares about his customers. 990 N. Western Avenue (310)-831-1571.

Terrace Cinema 6 General manager J. "Sabrina" McGuire says the public is responding to its low prices.

 THE NEW TERRACE CINEMA 6:  WHY SHOULD YOU ATTEND? THE REFURBISHED FAMILY-ORIENTED  THEATER REDUCED TICKET AND FOOD PRICES,  UPGRADED ITS SIX SCREENS, PROJECTORS  AND SOUND SYSTEM ; STARLIGHT THEATRES ADDS A NEW DIMENSION  WITH CHANGES THAT ARE  BRIGHT AND PROMISING FOR MOVIE GOERS  

By Diana L. Chapman

“Mom, you’ve got to write about it,” my son said as he bounced in the door.

It’s not often my 16-year-old suggests I write about anything, so my attention was 100 % focused on what he had to say. He was referring to the new Terrace Cinema 6 on Western Avenue in Rancho Palos Verdes that once belonged to Regal Cinemas.

Star Theatres, which owns four other cinemas in Southern California, took over in February, turning  the neglected and aging theater with block-buster low attendance, into a much more polished gem for the surrounding community.

Bravo!

“The tickets are low prices and the picture quality is much better,” Ryan chirped.

“And they remodeled the whole thing,” added his friend, Derek.

When kids give me tips on stories – I check it out. So it wasn’t more than a week later, my husband and I were walking across the new rust-cream colored lobby tile to watch the surreal , dream-state movie, Inception. Everything the boys said was true. We were greatly impressed with the plush, rocking seats – comfort plus – in my book and the new  hi-definition digital projection and Dolby sound.

And we weren’t even dreaming; I encourage residents to attend this great facility so it stays in operations. Frankly, I was tired of driving to Torrance or Rolling Hills Estates to get a quality picture. Now,  I am reaping the rewards at the overhauled six-screen, 907 seat theater in my own backyard.

Because the owner of Star Theatres is family oriented, the shows playing will tend to reflect movies for all ages and ticket prices are about $2 less than elsewhere.

During the day, tickets range from $4 to $6 before 6 p.m. or after that $9 each. Last I went to a matinee – before the new cinema opened – I was chagrined at paying $8 for a matinee.

For this price, a lot more families can attend. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the cinema hosts $4 tickets all day ($2 additional for all 3-D films.) Senior citizens’ tickets are $4 all day on Wednesday.

 In addition, food prices are lower, such as a large jumbo tub of popcorn costs $6, candies range from $2 to $3.50 and drinks range from $4 to $5.

“People are responding to our prices,” said J. “Sabrina” McGuire, a published poet and the cinema’s general manager, who opted to stay with Starlight Theatres when Regal sold it. She was pleased when the new owner immediately pumped money into fixing the uncared for theater. “All of our theaters have new seats, new screens, new projectors.”

Due to the owner, who asked not to be named, the cinema has removed any games with violence, Sabrina said.

The attendance numbers have gone up, she added, explaining when they did $5 tickets for midnight airings of the third Twilight movie, Eclipse, five of the cinemas were packed and the sixth was nearly full.

Starlight Theatres owns four other cinemas,  Cinema City Theatres in Anaheim, Triangle Square Cinemas in Costa Mesa, Whittier Village Cinemas in Whittier and 4 Star Cinemas in Garden Grove. Visit the site at http://www.Terrace Cinemas.com or call (310) 831-1100 for further information.

Ava has been taking the Seven Golden Secrets to Writing class for more than a year and has written several stories.

A CHARMING TOOTH FAIRY TALE BY 10-YEAR OLD WRITING STUDENT AND A FUN FILLED-KID EVENT:  A SIDEWALK CHALK CONTEST AT THE CORNER STORE

Dear  Readers: I thought this was a darling story that 10-year-old Ava Pfannerer wrote in a Seven Golden Secrets to Writing workshop at the Corner Store. It was so creative, I felt inspired to publish this effort on the Underdogblogforkids. Many students, like Ava, start out writing a paragraph or two and then learn to write full stories with confidence. Ava has blossomed so much over the past year, it should inspire all of us to become better writers.

The Tooth Fairy

By Ava Pfannerer

Amanda was one of the fifty tooth fairies. There was a tooth fairy for every state. She was the tooth fairy for Alabama.

It was a very odd day.  Amanda only had one child who lost their tooth. She usually had fifty or sixty children. The child’s address was 6891 Elmer Street. What Amanda didn’t know was that the girl who lived there was a brat – and probably didn’t deserve a single penny.

Before Amanda left, she packed invisible spray, a machine that makes dog barking sounds in case there’s a fairy-eating cat in the home, and her lucky hair clip. She was ready to go and flew all the way to the house.

When she got there, she slid under the door and sprinkled some invisibility dust on herself. There were just two problems with invisibility dust: it doesn’t fool cats and it prevents fairies from flying for awhile.

 “Ahhhhhh,” screamed Amanda as she stood up only to spot a snarling cat. The cat chased her back and forth across the house for 45 minutes before she was able to get her wings up and working again. At last, she managed to fly up the stairs and lay a quarter under the child’s pillow.

Boom! A net fell on top of her apparently left that by the girl she didn’t know was a brat.

If Amanda  let anyone see her, she would not be a fairy anymore. The invisibility spray had worn off since she spent so much time struggling with the cat. In a few minutes, all could be lost if the family came home. Just then, she heard the front door slam.

“I got it,” Amanda shouted to herself. She took out her hair clip and used it to wedge a big hole in the net. Escaping, she flapped her wings and flew out an open window.

“Phew, that was close,” Amanda thought as she soared back home safely to Fairy Grove where she would luckily remain a fairy for another 100 year – despite a nasty cat and a wicked brat.

SIDEWALK CHALK CONTEST FOR KIDS AT THE CORNER STORE

The first annual Corner Store sidewalk chalk contest will be held Sunday to help raise funds to build a children’s exhibit at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.

For a $5 entry fee, each child will receive a sidewalk square to make a drawings of ships and boats. Parents or children can register at the store in advance or show up on Sunday to see if anymore space is available.

Chalk drawings begin at noon and end at 4 p.m. Chalk and beverages will be supplied to the contestants and three top winners will receive a prize.

The Corner Store is at 1118 W. 37^th Street. For more information, call (310) 832-2424.

Mushrooms bloom on a nature walk outside of Edmonton.

Waterfall gushes near Jasper.

Solo elk strolls along roadway, greeting drivers.

A TRIP TO EDMONTON, BANFF AND JASPER SHOWS HOW MUCH CANADA HAS TO OFFER AMID ITS CANADIAN ROCKIES: ENJOY THESE PHOTOS FROM OUR FAMILY VACATION

Dear Readers:

Sorry, I haven’t been available for two weeks to serve up Underdogforkids stories. We were on vacation in Alberta, Canada and witnessing its breathtaking  scenery. The time we had was way too short to see all its natural wonders in the Rockies. As some other travelers have indicated, wildlife seems to magically appear and be unafraid of humans. In our case, that included marmots and elk. Fortunately, we didn’t see the big guys, the grizzlies that make the wilderness area their home.

We also enjoyed an adventure meeting scores of huskies at the Snowy Owl Sled Dog Tours where they are trained to sled through ice and snow. 

Enjoy and look for more stories soon on the Underdog. 

Glacial lake forms from melting

Ryan meets Henry, one of hundreds of sled dogs in Canada at the Snowy Owl

Above Lake Louise in Banff resides a smaller lake perched near a Tea House where hikers rest and partake in meals.

A friendly marmot greets many hikers on their way through a wild meadow.

SAN PEDRO HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA TRAIN CHUGS UP AGAIN WITH HIRING OF TAMI MARINO, A POPULAR AND “HILARIOUS” ARTS THEATER INSTRUCTOR FROM DANA MIDDLE SCHOOL

 AFTER 18 YEARS OF BUILDING A FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIPS WITH STUDENTS AT HER FORMER CAMPUS,  THE THEATRICAL TEACHER AGONIZED OVER THE DECISION BUT THEN REALIZED SAN PEDRO HIGH SCHOOL,WITH A NOW-DEFUNCT DRAMA PROGRAM, NEEDS HER EXPERTISE;

DRAMA STARTS THIS FALL, BUT AUDITIONS START NOW; 16 STUDENTS OVER THE SUMMER ALREADY SHOWED UP FOR MONOLOGUES AND MORE AUDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AUG. 17.

“Performing is part of my life and not doing it after a year killed me.  Now I’m ready to shine and be back in the spotlight once more.” – 17-year-old Shawn Evans

By Diana L. Chapman

Tami Marino had an excruciating decision to make. For the past 18 years, she had taught English at Dana Middle School, handled the drama courses, encouraged students to perform who had never done so in their lives and built a family on campus she  thought she might never leave

 Until…

San Pedro High School’s performing arts program began to sputter, suddenly seizing abruptly a year ago, leaving  students in the lurch.

That disturbed her immensely.  And then, San Pedro High principal Jeanette Stevens offered her a job to teach English and drama.

That’s when the angst started and the excitement began.

While she was bothered that the high school students -- who more than ever need to be prepped for potential drama careers were losing out -- she was troubled about leaving Dana.  “A  bug that had been planted in my ear” years ago, made her seriously consider the proposal. Former San Pedro High drama teacher, Ellen Pomello, consistently told her she belonged there.

“It was really difficult,” explained Tami, 51,  who still has a lot of heartache about leaving Dana. “I had a difficult decision to make, but I’m excited. I couldn’t believe San Pedro High didn’t have a drama program and I believe my path is now here.”

Students couldn’t agree more. Sixteen students showed up for July auditions, several who had the instructor at Dana and others who couldn’t wait for the program to start again. Another audition will be held 10 a.m. Aug. 17 in Room 253. Interested students can email her at tmari2@lausd.net

During auditions she was surrounded by students, mostly seniors, who were in their glory not only that drama had returned, but that Tami became the new teacher.

“Ms. Marino’s” strengths, her former students said, were getting students on stage who were shy, coaxing the emotional side of characters out of them and making them perform to their best ability.

They all complained that the lack of drama at the school was discouraging and they couldn’t wait for the July auditions.

Russell Gielsih, 17, a senior, stepped on the stage and spoke his monologue with few hitches during the July auditions. When he heard Tami was coming to the school, he didn’t believe it. While at Dana, he said: “Ms. Marino did an amazing job with production. I heard about (her coming) from my friends and thought they were teasing me. We didn’t have drama for a whole year.”

Said his friend, Sarah Moreno, 17, also a senior, that she was with Marino when she had her first lead part at Dana: “I just love her. She’s hilarious.”

Students reading monologues didn’t seem too nervous during the July auditions in front of a panel of three – which included Tami, Dana teacher Elise De La Cruz and Cathy Subric, also a teacher, who specializes in making costumes. Both volunteered to help.

Pleased that during the summer, so many students showed up for auditions and that the word of mouth is getting out there, Tami said it will take her several months to develop the students to do performances. With enough students, she hopes to put together at least two shows, one in the fall and one in the spring and more whenever possible.

She has ready teamed up with dance teacher, Cherry Booth, and she plans to hook onto several of the dance events and perhaps put together a musical.

“We want to do lunch time performances,” Tami explained. “We want to get the kids out there. Some of these kids have never been on stage.”

Other students, who had never had the instructor before, couldn’t believe their good fortune that in their senior year they were going to have a chance to perform  again. Many of them said they were entering college for dance or drama.

“I was like: “We are going to have play productions!” exclaimed 16-year-old Hailey Garrett, who also has performed Hawaiian dancing since the age of five. “The kids here have just been basically out of luck.  “It’s a great opportunity.”

Said her friend, Jessenia Galvan-Lloyd, also a 16-year-old senior who performs jazz, belly, African and Modern dance, she was thrilled to hear about the new teacher after having her at Dana.

“Being on stage is like an adrenaline rush,” Jessenia said. “I was so excited to get such a great teacher. She does all these exercises to help you with your character. I played my characters and spoke my lines, but she made me become the person I was playing. She gets the full potential out of you.”

Tybris Green, who has never performed in his life, nervously showed up for.  But under the teacher’s watch, he relaxed, and explained he wanted to add drama to his tool kit.

“I didn’t do as good as I wanted,” he said.

But the instructor disagreed, telling all the students they “all did a really good job.” She was proud, she confided later, that they had the guts to show up.

 “Everyone”  should take theater,” Tami said,  because it teaches confidence, empathy and how to collaborate .

To gear herself up for the high school job, Tami did something she had never done before. She went back to a high school a reunion at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach walked the halls,  visited the football field, met former school mates and “re-experienced the feelings” she had in high school.

“My main thing is I’m not as much about them going out and becoming professional actors, but in theater you can learn so much about yourself,” she said. “Any profession you are going to choose in life, theater can only help you with that profession.”

While students were excited about the instructor coming aboard, the principal couldn’t wait to add her especially due to all the changes at the school, including a new house called Creative Expressions which includes drama. Tami’s daughter, Samantha, will arrive in the fall from Dodson Middle School at the same time as her mother.

 “San Pedro High School lacked an experienced theater teacher,” Stevens said. “With the numerous talents that exist within our diverse student population, it is important to me that we continue to provide courses that are of high interest to students.  Tami Marino is a talented and experienced educator that has a strong repertoire of skills that were lacking at SPHS.

“With high recommendations from the community and her former principal, we were extremely pleased to bring theatre back to SPHS with Ms. Marino leading the charge!”

John Zavalney, who runs the center, feeds Peaches, a 32-year-old Shetland pony.

THREE YEARS AGO, THE SAN PEDRO SCIENCE CENTER WAS DOOMED TO CLOSE DUE TO INTENSE LAUSD BUDGET CUTS; BUT THANKS TO PARTNERING WITH A NON-PROFIT TO ENHANCE THE SITE, A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER COMMITTED TO THE PROGRAM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER AGREEING TO PAY THE OVERSEER’S SALARY ,THE PLACE IS THRIVING WITH ANIMALS,  GARDENERS, BLOOMS AND VEGGIES 

 THE LIKES OF LUCY, THE IGUANA, A GOAT NAMED BUTTERCUP AND PEACHES, THE SHETLAND PONY, ARE JUST WAITING FOR THE PUBLIC TO VISIT; IT’S FREE!

Alma Bruhnke, 6,  leads Buttercup.  

Jacob Gutierrez, the chairman of Keepers of Indigenous Ways, explains that the Tongva people will partner with the center by taking over and nurturing its native vegetation and will tend to a Micronesian canoe in the middle of the Tongva prayer circle. The public is invited to find their own sacred  stones to add to the circle, but are asked to upkeep the area where their stones are placed.

 By Diana L. Chapman 

The odds that Lucy, the iguana would be safe at home in the San Pedro Science Center looked about as slim as her tail  -- just three years ago.

Same with her friends -- a laundry list of rescued, injured or confiscated animals  – that had come to reside at the center before its threatened demise. It was one of the first places targeted for closure during ugly budget cut battles still ongoing in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Gone would be the days of goats like Buttercup, Ophelia, the 500 pound sow, and Peaches, the 32-year-old Shetland pony, some of which graced the site and blessed thousands of students with a rare glimpse of something few urbanites see anymore  – farm animals.

But thanks to many partnerships,  LAUSD school board member Richard Vladovic and the many neighbors who rallied to save it, vegetables are flourishing, animals are eating and wildlife officials still have an agricultural oasis to bring animals taken illegally from the wild – including two albino squirrels.

“The district said it’s not viable,” said John Zavalney, an environmental educator, who oversees the entire six-acre plot with five employees and a crew of volunteers. His job includes collaborating with organizations to help the program thrive and survive.  “All the neighbors came to our aid to save it.

Now, “it’s impressive,” Zavalney added about the changes, who has numerous awards for his interest in instructing environmental studies and is involved in many organizations, including Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots program.

Life has burst out loudly again at the site, tucked squarely in the heart of a middle class neighborhood in the northern area of San Pedro and next door to Cooper Continuation High School.  

Instead of dirt and weeds, turkeys trot across the lawn. Geese cackle out screeches and honks. Stray cats slink around having found a safe haven there. The goats bray. And large turtles dip in and out of ponds.

Monthly Tongva languages classes now take place to keep the native American language alive and the Indians are now a large part of the site’s future – tending to a prayer circle and all the Native plants on the site.

Polynesian style planting of zucchini and other squash.

Pastor Etepati Panama (middle) of First Samoan Christian Church of Harbor City with Ernie P.Enesi, left and Malotumau Leiato planting tarot. 

Elizabeth Rodriguez, 17, of the Port of Los Angeles High School with a friend from Dodson Middle School

Angel Rodriguez, 14, left, Christian Rodriguez 15, of South High School, plant tomatoes to be sold to a restaurant to help sustain the center.

                                
 The center’s savior:  collaboration.

“The San Pedro Science Center lost its mission for many years facing drastic budget cuts and enormous pressure to cut back services,” Vladovic said. “Only through these budget cuts were we able to see the Science Center through a collaborative lens and seek partners in the community to renew and reengergize the facility.”

Partnerships, did in fact,  bring life back to the dying site. 
The Department of Water and Power agreed to pay  Zavalney’s salary 
through the district. Plots of land were opened to schools and other groups to use and grow vegetables (Plots are still available.) 

Then there’s the goats.

Barbara Salinda, who keeps her 14-year-old daughter Lynette’s goats at the center,  said she volunteers to care for the roughly ten goats in return to pen Buttercup and Pearl. Finding a home for the creatures, she said, would have  cost her a fortune so the match is perfect. In addition, the volunteer added, she believes it’s imperative that all children should be exposed to ranch life, including her daughter.

“I grew up in a farm in Montana and I was near farm animals,” she said. “It’s so difficult to find any of this in this urban setting.”

Another collaboration landed a refreshing change to

some of the center’s dreary buildings. The interiors went from a drab, chipped and dirty beige to a colorful array of murals done by volunteers, including artists.

Silkworms used as reptile food.

A confiscated chameleon that was taken illegally from wild.

A center employee holds Shadow like a baby after she was rescued by staff.  Kitten looking for new home also a center rescue.

If it hadn't been for partnering Lucy, the iguana, would have lost her home.

Haik, a Vladovic aide. The non-profit brought in about seventy volunteers in May to repaint interior walls to blues and greens, sandy beiges and earth browns that depict animals such as a snowy owl, bearded dragons and boa snakes.

One of the murals done through ShareFest, a non-profit organization.

Kitten the staff rescued and needs a home.

Money also was a necessity to nurture the once-wilting center.

 Vladovic provided about $65,000 for  upgrades such as installing brand new tables and chairs, upgrade the outdated electrical where the reptiles live and add a “smart” board which allows work from a computer to be reflected on a board, similar to a whiteboard, and vice-versa.

Between this facility and LAUSD’s Center for Marine Studies (at the Marine Mammal Care Center), school officials are hoping to spark an interest in science and the environment among its thousands of students and to get their minds “to flourish,” Vladovic explained.

The community is expected to become a “day destination” for thousands of LAUSD students, said David Kooper, Vladovic’s chief of staff, because it will use bus transportation more efficiently and give students another doorway to the  sciences that would have been lost if facility had closed.

 “We have a master plan and the center is reinventing itself,” Kooper  explained.

Zalvaney holds turkey and stands next to David Kooper, chief of staff for LAUSD board member Vladovic

Located at 2201 Barrywood Avenue in San Pedro, the center is open 8 a.m.  to 4:30 Monday through Friday and can be visited by the public at anytime during those hours. Visitors are asked to get permission to feed the animals as many are on a restrictive diet. For more information, call (310)-832-7573.