Peninsula People May 2016

May 2016 • Peninsula People 3

Volume XX, Issue 11 

May 2016 

PENINSULA PEOPLE 

P A L O S V E R D E S P E N I N S U L A M O N T H L Y 

ON THE COVER 

Steve Cooley 

Photo by Brad Jacobson 

PROFILES 

DA Cooley 

by David Mendez 

Steve Cooley looks back on four decades as a prosecutor 

and looks forward to a new career in law. 

Post film photographer 

by Bondo Wyszpolski 

Jerry Kotler merges film and digital technologies in his art. 

HIGHLIGHTS 

DEPARTMENTS 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Randy Angel is sports editor of Easy Reader. 

Stephanie Cartozian is Associate Publisher of Peninsula People. 

Richard Foss is Easy Reader’s food editor. His latest book is Food 

in the Air and Space: The Surprising History of Food and Drink in 

the Skies. 

Brad Jacobson of CivicCouch.com is a freelance photographer 

and videographer. 

David Mendez is a reporter for Easy Reader 

Bondo Wyszpolski, a Peninsula native son, is arts editor of Easy 

Reader. 

6 Peninsula People • May 2016 

36 

42 

46 

50 

66 

Casa Felicia 

by Stephanie Cartozian 

America’s preeminent landscape architect Frederick Law 

Olmsted retained influential Prairie School architect Myron 

Hunt to design his cliffside Peninsula home. Nearly a century 

later the home is largely unchanged. 

Best ball 

by Randy Angel 

PV Hi senior Steffi Best sets two school records while leading 

her team to the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs. 

Grill on the Hill 

by Richard Foss 

Chef Rafael Solorzano’s PV Grill in Lunada Bay reinforces his 

reputation with stellar steak and seafood dishes. 

Rotary Clubs’ Beer and Wine Fest 

PVAC 85th Anniversary Gala 

LA Philharmonic Grand Salon 

PEF’s Main Event 

LA BioMed Spirit of Excellence Awards 

Charity League celebration 

Rolling Hills Country Day music fundraiser 

St. Francis Designs for Dining 

Kids Camp Directory 

Community Calendar 

Around & About 

Home Services 

STAFF 

EDITOR 

Kevin Cody 

PUBLISHER 

Mary Jane Schoenheider 

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS 

Richard Budman 

Stephanie Cartozian 

DISPLAY SALES 

Adrienne Slaughter, 

Tamar Gillotti, Amy Berg, 

Shelley Crawford 

CLASSIFIEDS 

Teri Marin 

ADVERTISING 

DIRECTOR 

Richard Budman 

ADVERTISING 

COORDINATOR 

Teri Marin 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER 

Tim Teebken 

FRONT DESK 

Judy Rae 

DIRECTOR OF 

DIGITAL MEDIA 

Jared Thompson 

CONTACT 

MAILING ADDRESS 

P.O. Box 745 

Hermosa Beach, CA 

90254 

PHONE 

(310) 372-4611 

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(424) 212-6780 

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www.easyreadernews.com 

EDITORIAL 

PenPeople@ 

easyreadernews.com 

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easyreadernews.com 

Please see the Classified Ad 

Section for info. 

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Peninsula People is a supplemental 

publication of Easy 

Reader, 2200 Pacific Cst. Hwy. 

#101., PO Box 745, Hermosa Beach, 

CA. 90254-0427. 

SUBSCRIPTIONS 

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$90 payable in advance. The 

entire contents of Peninsula People 

are copyrighted 2016 by 

Peninsula People, Inc. 


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S P O T L I G H T O N T H E H I L L 

Rotary South Bay 

Beer and Wine Festival 

Over 35 breweries and 15 wineries participated 

in the 3rd Annual South Bay 

Beer and Wine Festival at Ernie Howlett 

Park on Sunday, May 15. Breweries not 

often seen on the hill were present, including 

Anchor Brewing and Firestone, along 

with many local breweries, such as Absolution 

Brewing and Phantom Carriage. The 

band Detour took center stage with a state 

of the art concert sound system amidst a sea 

of generous vendor booths. Over 25 restaurants 

were also present including Mama Terano, 

Bettolino’s Kitchen and Petros 

Restaurant. Guests in the popular VIP tent 

were treated to specialty and reserve wines 

and spirits along with mahi mahi ceviche 

and other Fish Shop specialties. 

The afternoon was a benefit for charities 

supported by the Rotary Clubs of El Segundo, 

Palos Verdes Peninsula and South 

Bay Sunrise. 

1 

3 4 

2 

PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE CARTOZIAN 

1. Pizza Port Brewing 

staff Fraser Cosh and 

Janae Broussard. 

2. HopSaint Brewing 

co-owner Steve 

Roberts, Helm Ochner 

and HopSaint Brewing 

brewer Brian Brewer. 

3. Rebel Coast Winery 

owners and brothers 

Chip Forsythe, Austin 

Forsythe and Doug 

Forsythe. 

4. King Shabu 

Shabu’s Emily Pham, 

Sunny Loo. 

6. Detour. 

7. Nicole Zalazar, Amy 

Theilig and husband 

Chris Winkler. 

8. Fish Shop Restaurant 

purveyors Brandon 

Van Dam, Vera 

Jimenez and Brian 

Herlihy. 

9. Guest Steve Lord, 

Three Weavers director 

of sales Omar Douglas 

and Lynn Lord. 

10. Volunteers Kelly 

and Tom Intagliata. 

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5. Guest Dan Scala, 

Alpine Village event coordinator 

Jon Weir and 

guest Helm Ochner. 

9 10 

10 Peninsula People • May 2016



Palos Verdes Art 

Center 

Celebrates 85th Anniversary 

Trustees, staff and volunteers of Palos 

Verdes Art Center / Beverly G. Alpay 

Center for Arts Education celebrating the 

center’s 85th anniversary last month. Bruce 

Bibby, aka Ted Casablanca, entertainment 

journalist and E! Online gossip-columnistturned-art-gallerist 

emceed the evening. 

Cocktails and a silent auction, which included 

a Don Crocker painting, were followed 

by dinner prepared by TGIS (Thank 

Goodness It’s Sofia). Guests enjoyed performances 

by ROMP Ensemble soprano 

Marja Liisa Kay and mezzo-soprano 

Stephanie Aston, accompanied by April 

Guthrie on violoncello. Guests were also entertained 

by Jesika von Rabbit. Guests included 

66th District Assemblyman David 

Hadley, Los Angeles County Supervisorial 

Candidate and former Manhattan Beach 

mayor Steve Napolitano and Rebekah Kim 

of Supervisor Don Knabe’s office and Rancho 

Palos Verdes Mayor Ken Dyda. 

1 

3 4 

2 

1. Allen and Charlotte 

Ginsburg. 

2. Anthony Richardson 

and Marta 

Jevenois-Richardson 

3. Don and Mary 

Louise Crocker. 

4. Eva and Brian 

Sweeney. 

5. Marylyn and Chuck 

Klaus. 

6. Stan and Judith 

Solomon. 

5 

6 

South Bay’s Largest Retailer 

of Stationery Products 

Wedding Invitations ● Personal Notes ● Business Letterhead 

Envelopes ● Boxed Notes ● Holiday Cards 

● Graphic Services 

“GREAT GIFTS FOR GREAT PEOPLE” 

● Root and Trapp Candles 

● Huge Selection of Olukai Footwear 

● Graduation Gifts 

Nantucket Crossing 

867 Silver Spur Road (next to Bristol Farms), Rolling Hills Estates 

310.377.7201 

www.nantucketcrossing.com 


Architectural Design & 

Remodeling Seminar 

This seminar will include: 

• Functioning Design 

• Choosing a contractor 

• Exploration of materials 

Join us on 

Saturday 

June 11 th 

at 10:00 am 

Join us on 

Thursday 

June 16 th 

at 6:00 pm 

Living Through 

Your Remodel 

This seminar will include: 

• ‘Livable Remodeling’ tips 

•The latest trends in the South Bay 

• The advantage of true design / build


Grand Salon benefits 

Los Angeles Philharmonic 

The Grand Salon fundraiser was a lush affair, 

hosted by Carolyn and Julian Elliott at 

their Palos Verdes estate overlooking Lunada 

Bay. An AMUSE guitar quartet greeted guests 

outside and a Palos Verdes High string trio 

greeted guests inside. Gourmet food was 

served by local restaurants including Chez 

Melange, Mar’sel, Ortega 120 and Rock’N 

Brews. The featured program included piano 

concertos performed by Joanne Pierce Martin 

accompanied by Catherine Ransom Karoly on 

flute. The Peninsula Committee was founded 

in 1952 and supports the L.A. Philharmonic 

through fundraising and audience development 

and promotes youth music education 

and fosters appreciation of music in the community. 

1. Co-chair Claudia 

Grzywacz, hostess Carolyn 

Elliott and co-chair 

Marian Hall. 

2. Violinist Marcus 

Chang, violist Laura 

Gong, cellist Jamie 

Chung. 

3. Trudy Park and Alicia 

Maniatakis. 

4. Grand Salon Committee 

Members Claudia 

Grzywacz, Marian Hall, 

Sue Frew, Debby Mc- 

Donald, Jean Strickland, 

Jo Ann Deflon, Val 

Noguchi, Ann Marinovich, 

Lu Takeuchi, Pat 

Zelt, Deborah Deutsch, 

Virginia Butler, Jann 

Feldman, Paula Del Vicario 

and Judy Sannes. 

5. Mar’sel restaurant’s 

Jacqueline Delcarson, 

Chris Scotti, Sheri King 

and Andrew Vaughan. 

6. Co-chair Claudia 

Grzywacz, Peninsula 

Committee for LA Philharmonic 

president 

Paula Del Vicario and 

Co-Chair Marian Hall. 

7. Benefactors Lois and 

Jim Moore and Grand 

Salon committee member 

Val Noguchi. 

8. Auction Committee 

Linda Whitson, Lu 

Takeuchi, Ann Marinovich, 

Joann Deflon, 

Sara Jane 

Bettge, Margaret Shimada, 

Nancy Ceja and 

Marilyn Hoffman. 

9. Benefactors Ron and 

Elaine Florance. 


Member Debby 

McDonald, Bristol Farms 

Catering Traci B., and 

guest Beth Howell. 


Members Virginia 

Butler, Jann Feldman 

and Debby McDonald. 

1 

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11 



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Peninsula Education Foundation 

Main Event takes guests for a ride 

Anew, red Ferrari (for a weekend) donated by the newly opened Ferrari 

South Bay in Torrance and a new Lexus RX 350 (to keep) from 

Toyota were among the auction and raffle highlights at the Peninsula Education 

Foundation Main Event held May 7 at Terranea Resort’s Grand 

Ballroom. Over 500 guests attended, many in costumes keeping with the 

Saturday Night Live theme and was orchestrated by a committee headed 

by foundation president Roma Mistry. The gala helps the organization 

reach its $3.4 million goal for this school year. This funding maintains 

teachers, counselors, college advisors, music, library aides and STEM 

programs. The event was a great success due to the generous sponsorships 

of Toyota Motor Sales, Terranea Resort, Del Amo Fashion Center, 

American Airlines and Micato Safaris. 

1. Peninsula Education Foundation 

president Roma Mistry, chairperson 

Cheryl West and executive director 

Christine Byrne. 

2. Trustees Jill Surace and Mike 

Surace. 

3. Trustees Jeri Delatorre, Sandra 

Field and Jody Pastell. 

4. Ferrari of South Bay general 

manager Eddie Brodsky president, 

Peninsula Education.Foundation 

president Roma Mistry and executive 

director Christine Byrne. 

PHOTOS BY TONY LABRUNO 

5. Braden Turnbull and Chris Wendel. 

6. Trisha Barrios and Wendy Turnbull. 

7. Diana Heffernan-Schrader and 

Steve Schrader. 

8. Peninsula Education Foundation 

president Roma Mistry, Toyota Motor 

Sales’ Tracy Underwood and executive 

director Christine Byrne. 

9. Les Fishman and Virginia Butler. 

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1 

4 5 

2 3 

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7 

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Nissen, Mihlsten 

receive 

Spirit of Excellence Awards 

LA BioMed held its most successful gala 

ever at the Millennium Biltmore on May 

5, raising more than $1.1 million for the 

nonprofit research institute. Over 500 people 

attended the Spirit of Excellence Awards, 

honoring the outstanding work of its scientists 

in the growing field of personalized 

medicine. 

The 2016 Spirit of Excellence Awards recipients 

were Steve Nissen, senior vice president 

of legal and government affairs at 

NBCUniversal and emeritus chairman of the 

LA BioMed Board of Directors; and George 

J. Mihlsten, a partner with Latham & 

Watkins LLP law firm who has played a 

leading role in securing the future of LA Bio- 

Med. The California Community Foundation 

and its president and CEO, Antonia 

Hernández were also recognized 

“The Spirit of Excellence Award winners 

have provided critical support to LA BioMed 

and helped inspire all of us who work in the 

field of research to strive every day to improve 

the lives of patients across the world,” 

said David I. Meyer, PhD, LA BioMed president 

and CEO. 

1 

3 4 

2 

1. Philanthropists 

Bethany Hudek, Allen 

and Charlotte 

Ginsburg. 

2. LA BioMed Legend 

Grace and husband 

Kouichi Tanaka, M.D. 

3. LA BioMed President 

and CEO David 

Meyer Ph.D and Honoree 

Steven Nissen. 

4. Philanthropist Judy 

Leach and husband 

TMMC President and 

CEO Craig Leach. 

5. Guest Marty Zohn 

and event sponsors 

Diana and Van 

Honeycutt. 

7. Friends of LA Bio- 

Med Nancy and Larry 

Bolton. 

8. Chairman and CEO 

of Metropolitan 

Theatres Corp. Bruce 

Corwin and LA BioMed 

President and CEO 

David Meyer Ph.D. 

9. Chairman of Psychiatry 

at Harbor UCLA 

Dr. Ira and wife Dr. 

Bobbie Lesser, daughter 

Sara Lesser, Former 

President and CEO of 

LA BioMed Carole 

Wagner Vallianos and 

husband Peter 

Vallianos. 

5 

7 

8 

6 

6. Friend of LA BioMed Marion 

Paulson, philanthropists Webb 

Castor, Ph.D, Donna Lee and 

Harlyne Norris. 

9 



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30178 Cartier Dr., Rancho Palos Verdes 

$1,968,000 | 4 BD | 5 BA | 3,562 sq ft | Lot Size 15,534 sq ft


National Charity League 

Peninsula Chapter 

Seniors Celebrate Medallion 2016 

On Saturday, March 12th 2016, the Peninsula Chapter of 

National Charity League, Inc. presented its graduating 

seniors in a Medallion ceremony at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. 

This year’s theme was “Carpe Diem”. In addition to the presentation 

of each senior Ticktocker , the class hosted a fashion 

show featuring designers such Lily Pulitzer, Veda, The Stylist 

LA and Show Me Your MuMu. The graduating class “seized 

the day” with an elegant white dress presentation that highlighted 

each Ticktocker’s accomplishments during their six 

years as a member of NCL.National Charity League, Inc. is a 

mother-daughter philanthropic organization committed to community 

service, leadership development, and cultural experiences. 

The organization gives mothers and daughters unique 

opportunities to strengthen their bond while growing together, 

sharing of themselves, and improving their community. These 

graduating seniors have contributed more than 17, 000 volunteer 

hours over six years to 30 various South Bay philanthropies. 

PHOTO BY DAVID NICHOLSON PHOTOGRAPHY 

Front row, Rachel Oda, Jacquelyn Smith, Anna Bergland, Kathryn 

Jenness; Second row, Natalie Peters, Bella Townsend, Hallie Duvall; 

Third Row , Emily Fogle, Samantha Whitlock, Danielle Keshtkar, Jihana 

Mendu, Emily Chao, Hannah Rener; Fourth Row, Megan Moore, Abby 

Pluimer, Julia Stain,Whitney Pieper, Fifth Row, Lauren Otera, Cassidy 

Najarian, Eavan Burke, Erin McCann, Ellie Gruen, Sixth row, Hanna 

Allman, Lizzie Rich, Allie Durnell, Emily Ericson and top row, Alexandra 

Forsey, Hope Schmalzried and Kimberly Sklow. 

Chris Adlam 

310.493.7216 

www.chrisadlam.com 

Simply Tiles Design Center 

Fine Ceramics, Natural Stone, Hardwoods, Cabinetry, Faucetry. 

Kitchen & Bathrooms Specialist. 

3968 Pacific Coast Hwy., Torrance • (310) 373-7781 • www.simplytiles.com 

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Tennis Estate in Palos Verdes Estates. Gated and private, this gorgeous 5 bedroom home was 

built in 2005. Pool, spa, wine cellar, tennis court, and more. $4,999,000 


Chris Adlam 

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Casa Felicia. Once in a lifetime opportunity. 65,000 square foot, bluff top property 

in Palos Verdes Estates. If privacy is the ultimate luxury.... $12,500,000

Prime Lower Malaga Cove location with stunning coastline, ocean 

and Queen's Necklace views. $1,999,000 

One level, 5100 square foot home with tennis court, pool and spa on a 

huge street-to-street lot in Lower Lunada Bay. $3,999,000 

Chris Adlam 

310.493.7216 


Chris Adlam 

310.493.7216 


Wonderful family home in PVE. Ocean views, 4 bedrooms, pool, 

pool house and great location! $2,250,000 


Charming 3 bedroom home in Lower Malaga Cove. Sweeping Queen's 

Necklace and ocean views! $2,399,000 


P E N I N S U L A P E O P L E | P O L I T I C S 

by David Mendez 

Years ago, a meeting of the Redondo Beach 

Harbor Commission was veering off the 

rails when then-Assistant City Attorney 

Brian Hickey issued a warning to the commissioners: 

If they kept on their current path, they’d soon 

be in violation of the Brown Act. 

City Attorney Michael Webb, who was waiting 

in the wings behind the commission chambers, 

heard the director of the City’s Harbor Department 

respond, “Who’s going to arrest us, the 

Brown Act police?” 

Webb quickly stepped in front of the commission. 

“I made it very clear that, if they took that action, 

my very next act would be to go to my office and 

call the District Attorney’s office,” Webb recalled. 

“I think I held up a picture of Steve Cooley, and 

said ‘Here’s the Brown Act police, and yes, he will 

have you arrested.” 

Cooley was the Los Angeles County District Attorney. 

Webb had become acquainted with Cooley 

Cooley’s law 

Photo by Brad Jacobson (CivicCouch.com) 

Once elected, Steve Cooley kept politicians honest 

with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. 

through the Los Angeles County City Prosecutors’ 

Association, an organization Cooley established to 

coordinate efforts among municipal prosecuting attorneys. 

“He followed through on things that don’t get 

public attention or public gratitude, taking on other 

elected officials,” Webb said. 

“There were things that hadn’t been done before 

in terms of how aggressively he prosecuted political 

corruption, including state officials who didn’t 

even live in the districts they had supposedly been 

representing,” Michael Webb said. 

In 2000, after nearly two decades as a Los Angeles 

County Deputy District Attorney, Cooley challenged 

his politically popular and well connected 

boss Gil Garcetti in the countywide election for 

head District Attorney. 

He vigorously attacked Garcetti for corruption 

within the LAPD, in particular, the Rampart Station 

case, where a rogue cop had established his 

own criminal gang. Cooley also accused his boss, 

who was seeking a rare third term, of rewarding 

political supporters with special treatment. 

“Suffice it to say, I was unhappy with the incum- 

bent; I thought he was missing the mark. I 

thought there was room for improvement in a 

lot of arenas and I felt that I, and the people I 

would assemble, could do a better job,” Cooley 

said. “All of which proved to be true.” 

Among Cooley’s calling cards was the fight 

against corruption, a struggle he said he went 

after “hammer and tong.” 

Cooley toppled Garcetti 63 to 36 percent. 

Cooley joined the Los Angeles County District 

Attorney’s office shortly after passing the 

state bar exam in 1973 and quickly moved up 

through the ranks. He became a head deputy 

within 10 years and would win three terms as 

the county’s District Attorney. Only two other 

head DA’s in the office’s 166 year history 

served three terms and they were elected 

prior to 1940. 

Accidental warrior 

Cooley’s choice of law for a career came 

through a process of elimination. 

“My parents always said that we were to 

have some kind of career – become a C.P.A., 

or a doctor, something with a craft and a skill. 

But working as an accountant, or a doctor, or 

selling insurance? No, not for me,” Cooley 

said. 

Cooley was the second of five children in a 

solidly middle-class family in the Silver Lake 

neighborhood of Los Angeles. His mother was 

a homemaker and part-time Realtor. His father 

was an FBI agent. In 1954, Cooley’s father left 

the FBI to become an accountant so he could 

earn enough to put his children through college. 

Cooley completed his undergraduate studies 

at California State University, Los Angeles, and 

earned his law degree at the University of 

Southern California. 

His views on law enforcement were shaped 

between 1972 and 1979, when he served as a 

Los Angeles Police Department Reserve. 

“If I didn’t pass the bar or go into the DA’s 

office, I would have joined LAPD or the FBI,” 

he said. 

He had the highest grades in his criminal 

law class (“and not the highest in anything 

else,” he joked). Within a week of passing the 

bar in 1973, he joined the District Attorney’s 

office, where he would work for 27 years as a 

deputy district attorney until his election to 

DA. 

He was assigned to branches across the 

county, from Antelope Valley to San 

Bernardino, and headed divisions ranging 

from the juvenile office to welfare fraud. 

“I had 13 different assignments in the DA’s 

office, all of them good, all different and all interesting,” 

Cooley said. 

Non partisan politician 

“The DA’s office isn’t partisan politics, it’s 

about seeking justice,” said Peninsula resident 

and Superior Court Judge George Bird. “Justice 

is blind to politics, or at least it should be, and 

it was under Steve Cooley.” 

Bird praised Cooley’s “measured and proportionate” 

approach to the prosecution of 


three-strikes cases, noting Cooley respected the intent of the law, which 

wasn’t to put someone away for 25-years-to-life for a misdemeanor. 

“His views on third-strike violations, to make sure that the strikes were 

significant or violent felonies, later became law,” Webb said. “But at the 

time, it didn’t sit well for some people higher up, or DA’s in Northern California. 

They tried to punish him by taking away his leadership position in 

the California District Attorney’s Association. All the prosecutors in our 

office quit the C.D.A.A. [in protest] and only went back after Steve retired.” 

Bird’s recollections of Cooley’s accomplishments as DA included the establishment 

of a forensic investigation unit, improved training of deputy 

DA’s and the promotion of women and minorities to leadership roles. His 

second in command Chief Deputy District Attorney Jackie Lacey, with 

Cooley’s backing, was elected to succeed him, making her the first woman 

and first African American to serve as the county’s top prosecutor. 

Cooley’s most important achievement as DA, Bird believes, was the communication 

network he established. “He actually sought out and worked 

collaboratively with justice partners to make the system work properly,” 

Bird said. “Prosecutors from across the county would meet monthly to coordinate 

and communicate in prosecution of offenses…Gone under Steve’s 

leadership was any issue of territoriality and resentment between agencies.” 

Looking back, Cooley said he is particularly proud of the drop in the 

county’s crime rate, which was at its lowest in 60 years while he held office. 

He doesn’t take exclusive credit. He said the drop in crime was a result 

of the system putting the right people in prison. 

“He did exactly what you teach young prosecutors to do: pursue justice 

no matter what the obstacles are,” Redondo City Attorney Webb said. 

Cooley believes the current county crime rate is unacceptable. In 2015, 

violent crime in Los Angeles County increased 5.5 percent and property 

crime increased 8.2 percent, the Los Angeles Times reported. 

“The crime rate, since I left office, has been increasing steadily because 

of changes to reduce the prison population,” Cooley said. He was referring 

to Proposition 47 passed by voters in 2014 and Assembly Bill 109, passed 

in 2011. Prop. 47 reduced the maximum sentencing for many crimes from 

felonies to misdemeanors. AB 109 reassigned “non-serious” criminals from 

state prisons to county jails. 

“The system should work, should identify criminals, appropriately incarcerate 

them and punish them for their wrongdoing,” Cooley said. “The 

system is working against the law-abiding public, led by Governor Jerry 

Brown, then aided and abetted by a weak Attorney General.” 

Cooley left the DA’s office in 2012 to campaign for the State Attorney 

General’s office. He was defeated by then San Francisco DA Kamala Harris, 

who is currently running for the U.S Senate seat being vacated by Barbara 

Boxer. 

“Cooley’s loss was a situation where the weakness of Republicans across 

the ticket hurt his campaign effort,” Webb said. “Not because of who he is 

or his qualifications… Kamala Harris’s heart wasn’t in being a career prosecutor. 

She’s using it as a political stepping stone, while he wanted to bring 

his no-nonsense attitude to the state.” 

Cooley is philosophical about the 2012 election. 

“I don’t regret it at all,” he said. “I’m probably in a better place now.” 

Where he is now, at age 69, is operating his own private consultancy 

firm – what he calls a “problem solving” business, in which he brings attorneys 

and investigators to work on clients’ cases. 

“At a normal firm, you go in there and they’ll send you to a department, 

give you an expert, put this clerk and that paralegal with you...but they do 

it with people in house,” Cooley said. “My thinking is clients come to me 

with their issues and I bring the right people to them.” 

It’s a matching game built on the deep network of professional ties Cooley 

made throughout his career. An added personal benefit is it gives him 

time to spend with his family. 

Cooley and wife Jana married in 1975. In 2012, the couple rented a home 

in Rancho Palos Verdes to be closer to their kids and grandkids. They now 

live in Rolling Hills. 

“If I were Attorney General or District Attorney, I guarantee you I’d not 

have an entire Sunday off – those would be 11, 12, 13-hour days with a lot 

of travel,” he said. “This is a much more flexible lifestyle. I pick the times 

I work and pick who I’m hanging around with. It gives me more time with 

the grandkids and my family and that’s the highlight of my time.” PEN 


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P E N I N S U L A P E O P L E | A R T 

Seen 

in a 

different 

light 

Photographer 

Jerry Kotler 

sets the tone 

by Bondo Wyszpolski 

Photography can seem like the most impersonal 

of artistic mediums, and I suppose in 

most hands this is true. All one needs to do 

is point the lens at someone or something and 

then press the shutter. And anybody can do that, 

right? 

Isabella Rossellini makes a comment in her 

book, “Looking at Me,” which says otherwise: 

“Photography is just like handwriting; it is personal 

and unique to each photographer.” 

Jerry Kotler is one of those photographers 

whose “handwriting” stands out. He has a style, 

Hermosa Beach 

strand 3.25.16 

E. Anaheim St. Bridge. All images by Jerry Kotler 

a technique, a vision, call it what you will, that 

enhances each image. What draws this writer to 

his work is the rich tonality, an often subtle glow 

as if the pictures have been infused with a visual, 

atmospheric spice. 

Kotler, who lives in Palos Verdes near Hesse 

Park, downplays the intended compliment. 

“A friend of mine would always laugh at that; 

he called it rainbowization. But I try to keep it 

under control. You can’t do too much oversaturation 

and stuff like that because then you bring 

a lot of noise into the picture.” 

Kotler spends hours tweaking his images, activating 

them one could say, by laying the subjective 

over the objective. That is, putting his 

impression over that of the camera’s. I’m reminded 

of these words by Abelardo Morell: “It’s 

important to me to have what I photograph undergo 

a certain transformation — to become a 

thing different from what we are used to, to be 

another version of itself.” 

A family influence? 

“I was into photography since I was a kid,” says 

Kotler, who was born in Brooklyn, New York. 

“My dad designed cameras, and worked for an 

old company called Bolsey.” 

Furthermore, “My dad’s uncle had a photography 

studio. My mom used to drag me there once 

a week when I was a kid, make me hold my sister 

on my lap, and (my uncle) would take a bunch of 

8x10s. So I guess it’s somehow in my blood.” 

In high school, Kotler began to paint (“I used to 

sketch a lot and doodle all over my books”), but 

he preferred photography. “I used to do b&w and 


Hesse Park 

darkroom stuff; I just loved it, seeing it all come 

out.” 

That was still the case a few years later, working 

for IBM and living in Poughkeepsie, New 

York. “The problem was that I didn’t have a darkroom. 

I had a kitchen in my apartment, and in 

the summer it wasn’t dark enough to do anything 

until after 10 p.m. I’d be lucky if I got two prints 

done before it was time to clean up and dry 

everything, and I’d get to bed at 3 a.m. It took a 

lot of work.” 

On the other hand, in the darkroom, is one interested 

in quantity or in quality? 

“If you can go into the darkroom to print (and) 

if you can come out and have one good picture 

printed, that’s an evening,” as W. Eugene Smith 

once said. “You’ve done something. You know, 

that’s a lot: to actually come out and make one 

good print.” 

At the time, Kotler’s idea of a masterful photographer 

was Ansel Adams, who of course is 

best known for his nature and landscape imagery, 

especially those related to Yosemite National 

Park. 

But when it came to making a living, painting 

and photography took a backseat. 

When digital doors opened 

“I had no idea what I was going to do when I 

got out of college,” Kotler says. “I majored in psychology, 

(which) didn’t help me figure out what 

I wanted to do, or what I was good for.” 

Somehow, he thought computers might be interesting, 

although he knew very little about 

them, and so he applied to various companies. 

“The only one that didn’t care that I had no engineering 

or math background was IBM. They just 

gave us all an aptitude test and hired us.” 

That was what got Kotler to Poughkeepsie. 

“I thought I had found the perfect thing, the 

thing I was meant to do — write programs.” Not 

only writing programs but optimizing them for 

speed. “I loved making programs run as fast as 

they could.” 

And it turned out to be a long-lasting career as 

well, first IBM for 25 years, and then Farmers Insurance, 

in the computer department, for 15 

Redondo Pier 2 

more. 

Somewhere in here, 1986 to be exact, Kotler 

moved to Southern California. He’s been in Palos 

Verdes since 1997, having lived before that in various 

cities from Santa Monica to Torrance. 

But what really changed during all those years 

was the very nature of how we take and process 

our photographs. Those who still print in a darkroom 

are akin to those who still use typewriters, 

Jerry Kotler cont. on page 44 


Venice Beach Manhattan Beach alley 3.10.16 

Jerry Kotler cont. from page 43 

not that technological progress means artistic 

progress. 

For Kotler, the digital world opened up new 

doors, and has led him to where he is today. 

“Being able to work on the stuff in photoshop 

and the computer totally freed me up from timeof-day 

constraints, light and darkness,” he says. 

“And the other thing, something I couldn’t do 

with oil painting, was if you made a mistake you 

saved a copy so you could always just start over.” 

Traditionally, a painter had to labor, while a 

photographer merely had to be on his or her toes, 

anticipating the “perfect” moment. These days, 

an artist can merge the two mediums with results 

that 50 years ago would have amazed everyone, 

painters and photographers alike. 

Even so, there is still the question of subject 

matter. And in Kotler’s case? 

“I tend to switch back and forth between landscape 

and buildings and architectural stuff,” he 

says. “I realize it’s kind of a duality, the pure creative 

stuff and kind of my engineering background, 

straight lines, right angles.” 

What about contemporary photographers 

whom he admires or finds interesting? 

“Well, my favorite amongst the people I know,” 

Kotler replies, “is my friend Jim McKinniss. He’s 

got such a variety of styles. We both do textures 

and things like that. 

“We bought all this expensive equipment,” he 

adds, “lenses and cameras, to make sure we take 

perfect clean shots. And then we grunge them up 

with textures. That’s kind of ironic.” 

Ironic, yes, perhaps, but Jerry Kotler, like Mc- 

Kinniss, has a way of presenting his subject in a 

different light, as if from a slightly new angle. It 

may be an object, a particular landscape or building 

we thought we knew well, and yet from this 

point forward we might not ever look at it the 

same way again. That’s quite an achievement, if 

someone can pull that off, and I believe Jerry 

Kotler has done just that. PEN 

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P E N 

A R C H I T E C T U R E 

on high 

Tiled theater style seating is situated above a fire pit 

overlooking the coastline. Photo by Stephanie Cartozian 

Casa Felecia’s dining room features an altar and sculptures. 

Photo by Stephanie Cartozian 

Ornate doors imported 

from Mexico feature hand 

carved religious figures. 

Photo by 

Stephanie Cartozian 

An aerial view of Casa Felecia. 

Photo by Peter McMenamin 

Casa Felecia, the former home of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. 

designed by Myron Hunt, is one of the Peninsula’s enduring 

architectural treasures 

by Stephanie Cartozian 

Casa Felecia is steeped in Palos Verdes tradition and romanticism. In 

1925, Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr., the preeminent landscape architect 

in American history, selected this exquisite bluff lot to be the 

site of his future home on the Peninsula. 

Still in its infancy, the City of Palos Verdes Estates gifted the parcel to 

Olmsted in exchange for his visionary work in the planning of the community. 

Famed architect Myron Hunt, an early member of the influential 

Prairie School of architects that included Frank Lloyd Wright, was then selected 

to design the spectacular, Spanish style hacienda that, when built, 

took center stage above the Redondo and Torrance beach coastline. Horse 

drawn carriages still roamed the dirt roads and the Peninsula was an expansive 

tapestry of possibility. 

The estate is currently owned by Debra and Kent Attridge and formerly 

belonged to her parents, Mary Ann Struble and Arthur Dewey Struble, Jr. 

The Strubles met at a US Navy officers dance party in Annapolis, Maryland, 

and were married 62 years. He was a former Naval commander who 

served in both WWII and the Korean War and later founded Sea Space 

Systems. He turned his attention to restoring and remodeling his beloved 

Casa Felecia in retirement. 

The home underwent many architectural transformations over the years. 

Built in 1925, the sprawling home presently has four bedrooms, five bathrooms, 

four wood burning fireplaces and sits on an acre and a half with 

spectacular views north of the Santa Monica Bay and its Pacific coastline. 

The 90-year-old hacienda-style compound exudes Old World rusticity. A 

brick pathway meanders through Koi ponds and fountains, with benches, 

patios, and pueblas tucked throughout the bluffside property’s grounds. 

The Strubles incorporated and installed distinctive elements of Mexican 

influence into their home. Debra Attridge has fond memories of the numerous 

trips her father made to Mexico in search of materials. He transported 

much of what he acquired himself. 

“The driveway bricks were all hauled up from Mexico in the back of a 

trailer,” Kent Attridge said. 

In the 1980s the Strubles completed a major remodel, converting garages 

The family room is adorned with arched windows and 

hand carved columns. Photo by Peter McMenamin 

A skylight gives a natural glow to the dining room. 

Photo by Peter McMenamin 

Casa Felecia cont. on page 48

A hammock on the upper patio provides expansive 

ocean views. Photo by Stephanie Cartozian 

Owner Debra Attridge with four generations of her 

beloved dogs. Photo by Stephanie Cartozian 

A coliseum surrounds expansive gardens, grapevines 

and monuments. Photo by Stephanie Cartozian 

The upper patio overlooks Redondo and Torrance 

beaches. Photo by Stephanie Cartozian 

A serpentine driveway was built with old bricks the 

Struble family brought back from one of their many 

Mexican journeys. Photo by Peter McMenamin 

Casa Felecia cont. from page 47 

and maids’ quarters to main living areas. Arthur 

Struble Jr. designed the fireplace with louvers between 

the mantel and the hearth so that the heat 

from the fireplace would radiate efficiently 

throughout the room. 

“All interior doors and many other design 

pieces were hand-carved with Mexican motifs 

having religious qualities, such as the Fatima over 

the mantelpiece,” said Debra Attridge. 

“These are church doors,” she added, pointing 

to a set of ornately carved, thick wooden doors 

off the living room. 

Though the family was never particularly religious, 

all of the added detail was in keeping with 

the history of the Peninsula and with the Spanish 

style architecture of the home, with its thick plaster 

arches, wood-carved columns, and adobe 

walls. 

The floors throughout the hacienda are of traditional 

Mexican terracotta. Attridge is herself an 

artist, and her father had an artistic, hands-on 

bent — in addition to possessing a broad array of 

home-building skills, he was a welder and an did 

wrought-iron art. Attridge recalled that she and 

her parents grouted, polished, and applied muriatic 

acid to the floors themselves. 

“It was the three of us who did this,” she said. 

The grouting between the terracotta tiles is 

wide and handpainted black. This effect exudes 

a warm and enchanting feel to the home, exemplifying 

how in even its smallest details the family’s 

artistry is perceptible and tactile. 

Wrought iron window boxes adorn the exterior, 

an architectural element that is deeply rooted in 

style but also fable and legend. 

“The steel window boxes, that’s very Spanish 

— that’s to keep the young virgins from being violated 

by young men trying to get into their window,” 

said Kent Attridge. 

On the north end of the house is a striking coliseum 

structure, a charming stone wall replete 

with arches. It borders a sweeping grassy area 

where grape vines, Coral and fig trees grow. The 

family has made wine from the grapes grown on 

the property. Debra and Kent Attridge were married 

here. 

The name Casa Felecia means happy home. Attridge 

said the half century her family enjoyed on 

their bluffside perch attests to the name’s aptness. 

“This is the most fantastic place to be on the 

Fourth of July,” she said. PEN

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P E N I N S U L A P E O P L E | S P O R T S 

a 

striking 

success 

Palos Verdes High School senior 

Steffi Best had an All-CIF quality 

season while setting two school 

pitching records. 

Photo by Ray Vidal 

After a disappointing junior 

season, Steffi Best has 

enjoyed a record-setting season 

for Palos Verdes High School’s 

softball program 

by Randy Angel 

Standing in the middle of the circle on the infield 

of Mira Costa’s softball field, Palos Verdes pitcher 

Steffi Best knew all eyes were on her. 

It had only been three games since the senior had set 

the school career record for strikeouts but claiming the 

single-season record was the one she had set her sights 

on. 

“Halfway through the preseason my dad thought I 

should try to set the strikeout record,” Best said. “I’m 

always up for a challenge. It helps keep me keep focused.” 

The record came in the sixth inning of a 2-1 victory 

over Bay League rival Mira Costa on April 29, in a game 

where Best finished with 14 strikeouts, eclipsing the 

mark of 207 set by Arianna Erceg in 2010. 

In a 3-1 home victory against Redondo, Best topped 

Erceg’s four-season career mark of 455, also set in 2010. 

Best is proud to have accomplished the feat in only 

three seasons and considers the wins against Redondo 

and Mira Costa as the most memorable games of her 

prep career. 

“Beating Redondo and setting the career record in the 

same game was extra special,” Best said. “It was a total 

team effort and a game I’ll always remember.” 

Best is the first to admit that her record-setting performance 

was in doubt entering her senior season. 

Facing as many ups and downs as her pitching repertoire, 

Best had to overcome adversity before becoming 

one of the most accomplished softball players in Palos 

Verdes High School history. 

Best missed her entire freshman year because of a 

torn ACL and wondered if she would be able to play 

again. 

“I worked hard in rehab four to five times a week and 

kept telling myself that something good would come of 

the situation,” Best recalled. “But it was hard sitting on 

the bench and watching my teammates have fun on the 

field.” 

Best then suffered through a disappointing junior season 

after being named to the All-CIF Southern Section 

Division 3 team as a sophomore when she posted a 15- 

4 record with a 2.24 ERA while striking out 153 batters 

in 140.2 innings. She also batted .390 that season with 

28 RBI. 

“I worked hard on different pitches, particularly my 

rise ball,” Best said. “That’s why I think the single season 

record means more to me coming off my junior 

year. My confidence had dropped so I wanted to start 

this season on a high note.” 

Although she batted .362 with 19 RBI in 2015, Best’s 

record plummeted to 7-14 and her ERA jumped to 3.31. 

She finished with 132 strikeouts in 118.1 innings. 

“During my sophomore year juniors Johniann 

Wahl and Kasey Halleen provided much-needed 

mental support and we became great friends,” 

Best said. “They really helped me through a difficult 

junior year and did their best to keep my 

confidence level up.” 

This season Best has led Palos Verdes to a share 

of the Bay League title, shared with Redondo, 

finishing the regular season with a 14-7 record, 

an impressive 0.31 ERA, and 245 strikeouts with 

only 33 walks in 136.1 innings while holding opponents 

to a .179 batting average. 

She also leads her team in batting average 

(.487), RBI (22) and doubles (9), along with two 

triples and two home runs. 

“I only have one month left in high school so I 

want to go all out,” Best said as the Sea Kings entered 

the postseason. “I spoke with the team 

about each game possibly being the last and for 

some players, maybe the last of their softball careers 

If we piece everything together and play one 

inning at a time, I think we’ll do well in the playoffs. 

I’m very proud of this team because we surprised 

a lot of people and really came out of 

nowhere.” 

Best credits her turnaround season to the support 

of her father, pitching coaches and reading 

Throw Like a Girl: How to Dream Big & Believe in 

Yourself, a book written by former Olympian and 

University of Arizona standout pitcher Jennie 

Finch. 

“I feel I took two steps forward from last season,” 

Best said. “After my sophomore season, I 

didn’t think I had to work as hard and it showed. 

It was all mental. I still had the same physical 

abilities but I began to question myself. Jennie 

Finch’s book helped me get back on track. 

“My dad never stopped believing in me. He has 

always been there for me and he told me that I 

have to ‘control the controllables.’ He taught me 

how to approach each pitch and know what to 

throw.” 

Best said she relishes the pressure and attention 

that comes with the pitching position, which 

has made her work harder. 

“During my high school years I have molded 

myself into becoming a leader,” Best said. “If I 

can be a leader on the team, my teammates feel 

more confident in having my back and I theirs.” 

Best is not an overpowering pitcher throwing 

in the high 50 to low 60 mph range and feels the 

curveball is her most dominant pitch but the 

changeup is her favorite to throw. 

“Hitters struggle to hit it (changeup) and it 

comes natural to me,” Best explained. “I have 

good command of the pitch and feel comfortable 

using it in almost every situation no matter what 

the count on the batter.” 

Best hopes the Sea Kings will have a playoff run 

comparable to 2014 when the team reached the 

CIF-SS Division 3 semifinals. She said her team’s 

24-7 performance that season is among the highlights 

of her athletic career. 

“I have been coaching for 23 years in several 

sports and Steffi has been one of the best I have 

had the opportunity to coach,” Palos Verdes head 

coach Patrick Fresch commented. “She brings a 

great attitude and work ethic every day, is a natural 

leader, and she brings everyone up around 

her. She’s been a huge part of the program and 

will be sorely missed next year.” 

Fresch believes Best’s ability to mix up her 

pitches and keep hitters off balance is the key to 

her success. 

“She can get an out with several different 

pitches, and she hits her spots,” Fresch added. 

“She also has a great competitive instinct and 

drive. She competes on every pitch, something 

that is very hard to teach and it comes to her naturally.” 

Best has a strong athletic background, which 

she feels she gets from her parents. Her father 

Tom played college football at Cornell and her 

mother, Callie Kourtis is an avid cyclist and paddleboarder. 

“I’ve been totally amazed at how Steffi has responded 

this season,” said her father who has 

kept stats for GameChanger during her club ball 

career. “There will be a void when she goes off 

Known for her domination in the circle, Steffi Best has had a stellar season 

at the plate, leading Palos Verdes in batting average and RBI. 

Photo by Ray Vidal 

to college. I tease her about my retiring, buying a 

ratty old RV and parking it near her new home 

field.” 

Softball has played a major role in Best’s life. 

Along with softball, which she began playing 

when she was five years old, Best has played soccer, 

basketball, volleyball and ran cross country. 

She narrowed down the field to softball and soccer 

while in middle school,. 

“I really like soccer and played on the Exile 

club soccer team but did not have time for soccer 

and softball,” Best said. “Every weekend and 

most weeknights was softball and I was missing 

a lot of soccer games, only attending the practices.” 

Best joined her first travel ball team when she 

was 10 years old and enjoyed a season she will 

never forget playing for Garden Grove-based Victory 

USA. The team won the Amateur Softball 

Association (ASA) Class A 10U championship in 

Johnson City, Tenn., with Best earning a complete 

game victory in the championship game. 

All but one of the 11 players on that team are 

still playing with eight of them being committed 

to Division I college programs. 

It was the first of three national championships 

for Best, who won two Premier Girls Fastpitch 

(PGF) titles with the Orange County Batbusters 

(18U in 2015 and 14U in 2013). Best also was on 

the ASA 12U runner-up team in 2011. 

Best now plays for the San Fernando Valleybased 

So Cal Choppers 18U Gold team. 

“Victory USA was the best team I ever played 

on,” Best said. “Many of the players remain my 

best friends to this day. I loved the environment 

of club ball and relationships we 

built. My teammates from that team 

will probably be at my wedding one 

day. Playing with players from different 

communities was exciting and a 

new experience for me.” 

Best said she can remember everything 

about her experience traveling 

to and playing in Tennessee. 

“I remember the rain delays, eating 

at restaurants and traveling with the 

team,” Best recalled. ”Our head 

coach also coached an older team 

and was in a different state at the 

time. The assistant coach had a 

daughter on our team who was a 

pitcher. I didn’t expect to pitch so I 

wasn’t nervous and even took a nap 

before the game. I was so surprised 

when he called on me to start. We 

won 7-1 and I’ll never forget getting 

back to the hotel and we all jumped 

in the pool with our uniforms on.” 

Best considers her father and Victory 

USA coach Mark Campbell as 

having the biggest influences on her 

softball career, along with pitching 

coaches Sherell Vance and former 

All-American University of Arizona 

pitcher Susie Parra. 

“Steffi has come a long way,” said 

Vance who coached her since Best 

was five years old. “She once was a 

shy quiet little girl with glasses who 

would barely speak to me. Now she 

has developed into a beautiful young woman 

who can call me whenever she needs anything. 

“Prior to this high school season I suggested 

she set some goals to attain. Steffi met those goals 

and went above and beyond. Steffi can do anything 

she puts her mind to. I would consider Steff 

as a finesse pitcher. She is great at hitting locations 

and has tremendous spin and control.” 

“Their (pitching coaches) mindsets formed me 

as a pitcher,” Best said. “I’m not the fastest 

pitcher but they taught me how to work on spins. 

A batter can always catch up to a fastball. 

Steffi Best cont. on page 52 



Steffi Best cont. from page 51 

“My dad has always been so supportive and I played for Coach Campbell 

for a few years,” Best said. “Coach Campbell was a retired cop, had the 

big mustache and was very intimidating. He made us practice until we got 

it right. I remember his talks after the games and I learned so many lessons 

about day-to-day life. He drove me to be better and taught me that there is 

always room for improvement.” 

Best discovered that she preferred having a tougher coach that would 

help her become a better player. 

“I remember being so nervous before my first tryout for club ball,” Best 

said. “Coach Campbell was so nice to me but I didn’t think I made the 

team. I was standing by myself while the other girls were waiting in line 

to get fitted for their uniforms. He told me to get in line and I was so excited. 

But from that point on, beginning with our first practice, he became 

a hard-nosed coach.” 

Best began being noticed by college scouts prior to entering high school, 

but after her knee injury in her freshman year, she lost contact with schools 

like Washington and Florida. 

During her sophomore year, Best attended softball camps and eventually 

committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo after a trip to the school on the 

Central Coast. 

“To put my mind in position to realize I’d be away for four years was 

difficult,” Best said.”I went on a trip to Boston University but they had a 

completely different field and no stadium and softball-wise, I couldn’t see 

myself there and not being able to play year round.” 

Best called Cal Poly from the Boston airport and told them she wanted 

to sign with them. 

“On the flight home, I was so happy I couldn’t sleep,” Best said. “All of 

the hard worked had paid off, plus the campus is beautiful with the mountains 

nearby and the beach only 15 miles away.” 

Best is excited with the prospect of playing alongside Sierra Hyland, Cal 

Poly’s pitching ace who will be a senior next season. 

“I’ve watched her career and how she has shaped the team,” Best explained. 

“She’s the definition of a leader and I want to follow in her footsteps. 

I’ll also get to work with former UCLA pitcher Ally Carda (2015 

Pac-12 Player of the Year now an assistant coach at Cal Poly). It’s the best 

opportunity anyone can ask for.” 

Best’s decision to attend Cal Poly comes as no surprise, allowing her to 

enjoy nature throughout the year and providing the opportunity for her 

parents to watch her play games in person. 

“I love the outdoors including hiking, camping and traveling,” Best said. 

“I’m at the beach a lot. I enjoy doing anything beach related like biking, 

volleyball and swimming.” 

Best is also a bit of a shutterbug, having served an internship last summer 

with Redondo Beach resident and photographer Randy Ruby who specializes 

in beach photography. 

“My grandpa gave me his old Minolta film camera,” Best said. “My 

friends and I went to Big Sur during Spring Break and I took a lot of photos 

there. It’s a great hobby.” 

Best hopes to maintain her weighted 4.0 GPA heading into college but 

considers older sister Vasi, a 20-year-old student at USC, the smarter of the 

two siblings. 

“I tell her she got the brains, but I got the athleticism in the family,” Best 

joked. 

Best credits her parents for her success on and off the field and shares 

special relationships with both despite their being divorced. 

“They have always been there for me and it has been great to be able to 

come home to them,” Best said. “I consider them both my best friends. 

When my sister went to off to college, my bond with my parents really 

grew. I can tell them anything.” 

Tom Best was ecstatic with his daughter’s decision to attend Cal Poly. 

“It’s close enough for road trips,“ Tom said. “Plus, being in the Big West 

they will play Southern California schools like Long Beach State, Fullerton, 

Riverside and Northridge.” 

Best is planning to study Communications at Cal Poly which will give 

her as many options as her pitch selection. 

“I could go into graphics, journalism or public relations,’ Best said. “But 

my mom feels I’d do well as a broadcaster.” PEN 


MATTUCCI 

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summercamps 

uCAMPS & SCHOOLS FOR SUMMER FUN 

BeachSports 

June 13 through Sept. 2 

BeachSports Surf & Beach Camps is celebrating it's 21st year. BeachSports was 

created by LA County Lifeguards to provide beach and ocean safety education to 

local and visiting boys and girls. BeachSports programs start at age 4 and include 

instruction in surfing, boogie boarding, beach volleyball and Junior Lifeguard skills. 

Participants will leave camp with the ability to safely and confidently enjoy the 

beach and ocean. With safety in mind, camps are located at these Lifeguard 

Tower locations: Manhattan Beach, 14th St.; Hermosa Beach, 15th St.; Redondo 

Beach, Ave. I; and Redondo Beach, Vista del Mar. 

Online registration is available at BeachSports.org. 

CampSurf 

June through August 

Campsurf is "Los Angeles' Premier Surf School," according the LA Business Journal, 

offering surf instruction in Manhattan Beach for all ages and abilities. Private and 

group lessons and summer surf camps, after school programs, birthday parties, 

corporate events and much more are offered. Instruction is available year round 

with a 1:4 instructor to surfer ratio. Surfboards and wetsuits are provided. Youth 

and adult volleyball classes and camps through CampVolley programs are also 

offered. 

Visit Campsurf.com to schedule your lesson, class or camp. 

Rolling Hills Estates Summer Recreation Programs 

Begins June 20 

The City of Rolling Hills Estates has several summer programs available for all ages 

from sports such as cheer, soccer, flag football, golf and swimming camps to 

equestrian activities. Locations include Ernie Howlett Park, RHE; Peter Weber 

Equestrian Center, RHE; Peninsula High School, RHE; and Los Verdes Golf Course, 

RPV. 

For more information visit RollingHillsEstatesCA.gov click “Living” 

then “Recreation Programs and Classes.” 

excite kids about science and build great 

life skills. The STEM-focused camps combine 

science, engineering, unique projects, 

teamwork, problem solving, outdoor 

games and many great take homes that 

keep kids engaged. This summer’s 

themes: Roller Coaster Science, Robot 

Challenge Science, Space Quest Science, 

and Super Hero Physics Science. 

Early Bird savings, multi-week and sibling 

discounts. 

(888) 909-2822. 

destinationscience.org 

Robotics & STEM Summer 

Camps at Rolling Robots 

June 13 through Aug. 19 

Join robotics and STEM camps at the home 

of VEX Robotics World Champions. A fun 

and interactive curriculum has been developed 

by Palos Verdes resident Dr. Kirkman, 

a parent, teacher and scientist and his staff. 

It will introduce your children to science, 

technology, engineering and math through 

robot building and coding. And prepare 

them to join award winning competition 

Rolling Hills Country Day summer 

classes include Experium Science 

Academy and academic enrichment 

programs. For more information, 

contact Melissa Wilton. (310) 377- 

4848, ext. 7051 or mwilton@rhcds. 

com. Or visit rhcds.com 

teams. Week long camps can be half day or full day. Perfect for kids ages 5 to 

14 who love robots and technology. Serving 3 locations: Palos Verdes, Glendale, 

West LA. Camp Signup: RollingRobots.com/summercamp 

(888) 762-6808. 700 Silver Spur Rd. #101. Rolling Hills Estates 

Destination Science 


This is a fun science day camp for curious kids ages 5 to 11. It’s designed to 

Ages 5-14 

At the Home of the 

2015 VEX Robotics World Champions 



summercamps 

uCAMPS & SCHOOLS FOR SUMMER FUN 

Peninsula Montessori 


Many families seek out a Montessori education for its well-known benefits in the 

skills development of young children. With that in mind, Peninsula Montessori has 

prepared a unique and rewarding summer program experience open to children 

18 months to five years old (up to 12 years at the RPV campus). The summer program 

broadens the Montessori curriculum to include water play, cooking and food 

prep, themed art projects, science and sports. Programs are designed to further 

stimulate the development of the students while having fun -- both indoors and out. 

Please contact the Redondo Beach or Rancho Palos Verdes schools for more information 

or check the website. 

Peninsulamontessori.com. 

(310) 540-9742. 907 Knob Hill, Redondo Beach. 

(310) 544-3099. 31100 Hawthorne Blvd., Rancho Palos Verdes 

Rolling Hills Country Day School 

June 27 through Aug.19 

Join Rolling Hills Country Day School for summer fun with our academic and camp 

programs for grades K-8. We offer a traditional 6-week summer school, science 

classes through Experium Science Academy and fun academic enrichment programs. 

Camp programs are filled with fun activities that include swimming, sports, 

arts and crafts, cooking, dance, imagination and creation and themes and shows. 

Art Camp, Swim Camp, private swim lessons and extended day care are available 

until 6 p.m. Request a brochure online or call for information. Contact Melissa 

Wilton. 

(310) 377-4848, ext. 7051. mwilton@rhcds.com. rhcds.com 

School District offers summer programs 

Kids’ Corner and Teen Scene Programs welcome families to a memorable summer 

of friends and fun Children entering grades TK through 5 have a choice of the 

Kids’ Corner Summer Day Camp at Rancho del Mar High School, or Before/After 

Summer School Care at select Elementary Schools. Intermediate students entering 

grades 6-8 are welcome at the Teen Scene After Summer School Program at Ridgecrest 

Intermediate School. There are no residency requirements for participation, 

and various enrollment options are available. For more information on a fun and 

enriching summer experience, visit our website or contact the business office. 

(310) 541-7626. pvpusd.net/pvkids. h 

CampSurf surf camps offer 1:4 instructor to surfer ratio and provide surfboards 

and wetsuits. For more information visit Campsurf.com. Photo by Pat 

Komick (KomickKaptures.com) 


eventcalendar 

eventcalendar 

310.539.6685 310.884.1870 

310.326.9528 

866.BEYOND.5 

310.534.9560 

310.539.2993 

310.997.1900 

www.cflu.org 

CUT * COLOR * STYLE 

310.539.2191 

© 

310.530.5443 

310.326.3354 

310.530.4888 310.534.0220 

CALENDAR OF COMMUNITY EVENTS 

Compiled by Mary Jane Schoenheider 

You can email your event to our address: penpeople@easyreadernews.com 

All submissions must be sent by the 10th of each month prior to event taking place. 

Thursday, June 2 

48th Annual Palos Verdes Antiques Show & Sale 

n St. Francis Episcopal Church hosts the 48th Annual Palos Verdes Antiques 

Show and Sale, its annual fundraiser, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 

11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The Opening Preview Party and Sale will be 

held on Wednesday, June 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. Pre-sale tickets $25 in advance 

or $40 at the door. This 3-day event features exhibitors from Northern and 

Southern California and Arizona with furniture, artwork, silver, china and 

crystal, designer, couture and vintage clothing, jewelry and collectibles. In 

addition to the antiques, the show presents the Harvest Cupboard with tasty 

homemade offerings; Garden Gazebo with plants and garden ornaments; 

Silent Auction table, Patio Luncheons, English Afternoon Tea and Evening 

Wine and Cheese. Admission to the Harvest Cupboard is $10 with return 

privileges and parking is free. All proceeds support the Mission and Outreach 

of St. Francis Church. For more information, call (310) 375-4617, or visit 

StFrancispv.org to print out a $2 discount coupon. 

South Bay Film Fest at the Garden 

n A special screening of “Stand by Me,” on the 30th anniversary of the 

popular classic, based on Stephen King’s short story “The Body,” will be 

shown under the stars at the South Coast Botanical Garden, in partnership 

with The South Bay Film & Music Festival. Bring blankets and chairs and arrive 

early to hear live music and dine with wine at the gathering of food trucks. 

The movie is Rated R. Doors open 6 p.m, live music 6-8:15 p.m., movie begins 

at 8:30 p.m. $14 General Admission. 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, 

Palos Verdes Peninsula. Visit SouthBayFest.com for details. 

Friday, June 10 

Seaside Beaders 

n The Seaside Beaders, a special interest group of the Embroiderers' Guild 

of America meets at 9:30 a.m. at St. Francis Episcopal Church. Members will 

be working on a patriotic beaded Eagle. Visitors are welcome. Bring your 

own project to work on. 2200 Via Rosa, Palos Verdes Estates. For more information 

call (310) 540-6104 or visit azureverdeega.com/bead_projects.com. 

H.E.L.P. Gala 

n Join in the “Roaring 20’s Great Gatsby 20th Anniversary Ball,” celebrating 

the 20th Anniversary of H.E.L.P., 6 - 10 p.m. at the Palos Verdes Golf Club, 

3301 Via Campesina. H.E.L.P. (Healthcare and Elder Law Programs Corporation) 

is dedicated to assisting older adults and their families in making proper 

decisions with powers of attorney for health care and financial matters; probate 

court avoiders; government entitlement programs; and protections from 

elder fraud and abuse. For tickets or more information, call (310) 533-1996 

or visit help4srs.org. 

Saturday, June 11 

Guided Nature Walk 

n Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy at Abalone Cove Shoreline Park. 

9 a.m. Visit the beautifully landscaped trails with interpretive signage. Explore 

the tide pools and pillow lava formations. This is a moderate walk. Park in the 

lot at Abalone Cove Shoreline Park, 5970 Palos Verdes Dr. South. The parking 

fee will be waived. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 

(310) 541-7613 ext. 201 or sign up at pvplc.org/_events/Nature- 

WalkRSVP.asp. 

4203 Spencer St., Torrance, CA 90503 

(310)214-5049 • www.pevelers.com 

Appointment Recommended 

Showroom Hours: Monday Thru Friday 10-5 

Closed Saturday and Sunday 


• Serving the South 

Bay for over 35 years 

• Full Service Contractor 

• Complete Installation 

• New Construction 

• Remodeling 

• Second Floors 

• Additions 

• Cabinets 

Visit Our 

Kitchen & 

Bath 

Showroom 

310.530.3079 

310.530.0566 

310.530.3268 

310.891.2237 

310.530.8411 

310.326.4477 

310.517.9366 

310.539.3526 

310.539.1808 

310.517.0324 

310.326.8530 

TORRANCE 

TOWNE BEAUTY 

CENTER 

310.325.2960 

WineShoppe 

310.539.1055 

Northwest Corner of 

Crenshaw Blvd. & Pacific Coast Hwy. in Torrance 

~ For Information, Call 310.534.0411 

Friday, June 3 

Synagogue Celebrates with a Grand Homecoming 

n As Temple Beth El, the oldest synagogue in the South Bay, enters its 60th 

year at its current location on 7th Street in San Pedro, a significant renovation 

is nearly complete. All are invited to celebrate the reopening of Temple Beth 

El with a ribbon-cutting at 6:30 p.m., preceding Sabbath worship service. 

The following evening, on June 4, a homecoming gala will be held in the 

beautifully enhanced social hall. In the coming months, the Temple will host 

several Open Houses where all are welcome to visit and schmooze. 1435 

W. 7th St., in San Pedro. For more information (310) 833-2467. 


White Point Nature Center Docents Training 

n Onsite training 9 a.m. to noon at the White Point Nature Center. Volunteers 

must be 18 years or older. The Center is open Wednesday, Saturday, 

Sunday 10 a.m. -4 p.m. For more information, please contact Volunteer Program 

Manager Brittany Goldsmith at bgoldsmith@pvplc.org or RSVP: 

pvplc.volunteerhub.com/Events. 

Wednesday June 8 

Palos Verdes Woman's Club 

n The Palos Verdes Woman's Club meets at noon at Trump National Golf 

Club. Students receiving the annual scholarship awards will be introduced 

and the philanthropic recipients will be announced. $32. For reservations call 

Beverly Teresinski at (310) 378-1349. 

A LA CAZE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY PROJECT 



Timeless 

eventcalendar 

PVPLC Docent Training 

n At the George F Canyon from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers must be 18 years 

or older. The Nature Center is open Friday 1 to 4 p.m. and Saturday, Sunday 

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, please contact Volunteer Program 

Manager Brittany Goldsmith at bgoldsmith@pvplc.org or RSVP: pvplc.volunteerhub.com/Events. 

eventcalendar 

Guide to the Magnificent Fossils found in Palos Verdes and San Pedro.” Meet 

and greet at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m., Community Room of Palos Verdes 

Main Library. Park on roof because program goes past the closing hours of 

the library. Everyone is welcome. Free. For more information call (310) 373- 

2696. 701 Deep Valley Dr., Rolling Hills Estates. 

Michel Medawar at his store in 1956. 

Centuries ago when the world’s finest clockmakers were 

hard at work, their aim was to create a mechanical marvel 

that operates continuously and last forever. Imagine 

a hand made complex mechanism with hundreds of interworking 

parts designed to keep perfect time. Your clock is a work of 

art and your job is to keep this timeless treasure healthy for the 

next generation. 

Your clock reminds you of its presence every time you wind 

it and if its accuracy is not what it used to be, or its chimes are 

not as strong rythmic, or maybe it just stops. That means it’s 

talking to you and telling you that its endless life is in jeopardy. 

It is imperative to maintain and service your clock regularly. 

Oil gets old and dry forcing the train of gears to work twice as 

hard to accomplish their goal. This results in damage that drastically 

shortens the life of a fine timepiece. 

Michel Medawar has been extending the lives of timepieces 

for over fifty years as his father did fifty years before. He is the 

inventor of the first talking clock in the world. He is a graduate 

from Patek Philippe in Geneva, Switzerland, The Theod Wagner 

clock Co. in Wiesbaden, Germany, and the Howard Miller 

Clock Co. in Zeeland, Michigan. Call him so that he may come 

to your home and offer you a free estimate for servicing your 

clock. Or bring your wall or mantel clock to our store to see our 

showroom and receive the same 

complementary diagnosis. 

Open 10:00 am - 6:00 pm Tuesday - Saturday 

810C Silver Spur Road • Rolling Hills Estates • CA 90274 

Call 310.544.0052 

Sunday, June 12 

Piano Concert 

n Presents Pianist Robert Thies at Rolling Hills Methodist Church, 26438 

Crenshaw Blvd, Rolling Hills Estates (NE corner of Crenshaw and PV Dr. North) 

2 p.m. Free admission. Donations appreciated..100% for the artist. 

Los Cancioneros Master Chorale “Gospel & More” 

n Featuring Robert Ray’s Gospel Mass under the direction of Allan Petker at 

Torrance Armstrong Theater, 7 p.m. There are some outstanding new 

arrangers of spirituals and new gospel songs on the scene these days: Stacey 

Gibbs, Keith Hampton and Byron Smith, to name a few. Moses Hogan, 

Brazeal Dennard and Jack Halloran remain popular as well. $25 for the concerts. 

Student tickets $15 per ticket. Purchase tickets in advance from a Los 

Cancioneros members or by contacting De Giebler, at (310) 779-3072. Or 

email djgiebler@specialletters.net. 

Monday, June 13 

Paleontologist speaks to Gem and Mineral Society 

n Joe Cocke, a local paleontologist who is retired from the Los Angeles Natural 

History Museum, will lecture on his new book “Fossils of Palos Verdes, a 

We reimburse UBER & LYFT up to $10 

HAPPY HOUR TUES-FRI 4-7PM 

HAPPY 

FATHER’S DAY! 

Join Us June 19th 11am-3pm 

Make this Day SPECIAL 

For Your Father! 

APPETIZERS & 

FRENCH WINE 

TASTING 

SUN MAY 29TH 2 - 4PM 

$20/ PERSON 

Com plimentary D in ner 

Buy 1 Dinner and 2 Drinks, Receive Free Dinner 

($17 Max Value. Dine in only. One per table. Not Valid with other offers or holidays. Expires 6/30/16) 

$17 $17 

(310) 378-0267 

320 Tejon Place Palos Verdes Estates (310) 378-0267 

www.LaRiveGauchePV.com 

SPECIAL MENU 4-COURSE DINNER $25.95 

Dine & Enjoy Our Lunch & Dinner Specials! 


Promenade Ice Chalet hosts Olympic Day Celebration 

n Ice skating contests with 4- to 10-year-old Olympic hopefuls from the Promenade’s 

Learn to Skate programs. Guests include two-time US figure skating 

Olympian Russ Witherby and World figures Skater and actress Alisa Allpach. 

Program 1 p.m. Open skating 2 to 4 p.m. Free for all ages. 550 Deep Valley 

Dr., Palos Verdes Estates. 

Full Moon Hike 

n At George F Canyon with the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. 

Explore nocturnal sights with an expert naturalist under a full moon. Ages 9 

and up. $12. Reservations required at pvplc.org. 


Beauty of Nature Film Series 

n “Tracks” is presented by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. 5 

p.m., Peninsula High School Theater. Adventurer Robyn Davidson crossed 

the Australian desert on foot alone in 1977. Drawn from her memoir. Following 

the film, Conservancy’s board member Susan McKenna will lead a Q&A 

about the film and book, drawing from her life in Australia. $10 per person. 

Free for 18 years and under. Tickets and RSVP at pvplc.org/_events/filmseries.asp. 

27118 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates. 

South Coast Cactus & Succulent Society 

n "Landscaping and Micro-Climates for Small Yards" will be discussed by 

Gary Duke. Come at 1 p.m. to buy plants, meet other cactophiles and have 

refreshments. Lecture is at 1:30 p.m., South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 

Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula. For more information visit southcoastcss.org. 

Monday June 20 

Adult Education begins 

n The Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District-Adult Education, Summer 

2016 Session begins today. Most classes are held at Rancho Del Mar 

High/Adult Education Campus: 38 Crest Road West. Rolling Hills. Registration 

is underway for the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District-Adult Edu- 

Irene Freitas 

310.780.8012 

irene@fengshuiwithirene.com 

Fengshuiwithirene.com 

Contact me today for your complimentary 

20 minute energy alignment session 

Free Consultation 




Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy 

n Singin’ the Blues and other PV Butterflies at the Palos Verdes Peninsula 

Land Conservancy at the White Point Nature Education Center. 11 a.m. Meet 

local butterfly expert Jess Morton, PV/South Bay Audubon Society. Free. Followed 

by a Native Plant Sale to make your own butterfly-friendly plants into 

your home garden, 12 to 2 p.m. 1600 W Paseo Del Mar in San Pedro, 

90731. For more information and to RSVP, visitpvplc.org. 

PV Symphony Concert 

n The Summer Concert of the Palos Verdes Regional Symphony Orchestra 

will feature solo violinist Robert Ho, 15, who has performed at Carnegie 

Hall and recipient of the grand prize in the Young Violinist competition. 

He will perform the Bruch Violin Concerto. 7:30 p.m. Other selections will ineventcalendar 

cation, Summer Session. Classes include Oil Painting, One Stroke Painting, 

Mah Jong, Learn To Speak English, Italian-All Levels, Spanish-All Levels, a wide 

range of exercise classes, computer classes plus much more. 

For information or to request a summer flyer call: (310) 541-7626 x289 or 

visit www.pvpusd.net/adulted. 

Thursday, June 23 

Azure Verde Chapter 

n The Azure Verde Chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America meets at 

9:30 a.m. at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 2200 Via Rosa, Palos Verdes Estates. 

This month they will be having a Stitch In. Bring any projects you need 

to work on. Visitors are welcome. For more information call (310) 675-2745 

or visit azureverdeega.com. 

eventcalendar 

clude Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, and Saint-Saens' Bachannale. The concert 

is open to the public and is free. Palos Verdes Stake Center of the Church 

of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 5845 Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos 

Verdes. 

‘90s Rock Band Dishwalla 

n The Palos Verdes Performing Arts’ “South Bay Live” will kick off its first concert 

at the Norris Theatre with Dishwalla, the platinum-selling rock band with 

hit songs "Counting Blue Cars" and "Somewhere in the Middle.” With a career 

spanning nearly two decades and five albums, the award winning band’s 

timeless music helped define the sound of a generation. Lights in the Dark featuring 

Brian Blickle, formerly of Baroness, will appear as a special guest. 7:30 

p.m. Tickets start at $32. For more information or to purchase tickets call the 

box office at (310) 544-0403, ext. 221, or go to 

palosverdesperformingarts.com. 27570 Norris Center Drive in Rolling Hills 

Estates. 


Celebrate Wellness in The Garden 

n Join Cancer Support Community Redondo Beach for the 20th annual Celebrate 

Wellness food and wine tasting at the South Coast Botanic Garden, 

from 3 to 7 p.m. Reserve your seat at this extraordinary garden party celebration 

that will amaze and delight food and wine enthusiasts. Proceeds will 

benefit the more than 160 free programs per month offered by Cancer Support 

CONCRETE - For the Drought-Conscious 

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Call for Showroom address 

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Vinyl Windows 

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eventcalendar 

Community Redondo Beach. Tickets are $150 per person. Guests must be 21 

and older. Tickets can be purchased online at visitingwww.cancersupportredondobeach.org 

or by calling (310) 376-3550. 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, 

Palos Verdes Peninsula. 

Monday, June 27 

Artifice Journeys at Artists’ Studio Gallery 

n Featuring assemblage/steampunk art, photography and monoprints by 

artists Beverly Holman, James Kao and Mary Tarango. At the Artists' Studio 

Gallery at the Promenade on the Peninsula through August 7. Opening reception 

for the artists on Saturday, July 9 from 3 to 7 p.m. Gallery hours are 11 

a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. 

The Artists' Studio Gallery is affiliated with the Palos Verdes Art Center/Beverly 

G. Alpay Center for Art Education, a community art organization that has 

been serving the South Bay for over 80 years. For further information call the 

gallery at (310) 265-2592 or visit artists-studio-pvac.com. At the Promenade 

on the Peninsula, #159, 550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates. 

Wednesday June 29 

Mac Users Meeting 

n Meets at Lomita VFW Hall, 1865 Lomita Blvd. 6:30 p.m. Beginners Q & 

A; 8 p.m. Presentation on a topic of interest to Mac users. (310) 644-3315 

email: info@sbamug.com. Free. All Mac/iPad/iPhone users and potential 

users are welcome. PEN 


Graduating NOVAS 

around&about 

Kriss Light, M.F.T 

Psychotherapy 

Jungian Depth Work 

Individuals, Family, Children 

Working With The Creative 

Torrance Memorial Medical Center NOVA volunteers (front row) Darissa 

Pham, Sarah Baxter, Shannon Chen, Vivian Lim and Kelly Kanemitsu. (Second 

row) Shirin Asgari, Taylor Woo, Monice Wong, Alyssa Ishimoto, 

Kayla Chung, Francesca Lauro, Katelyn Morimoto, Amanda Coors, Leah 

Whang and Megan Saunders. (Back row) Zachary Ishimoto, Davis Quan, 

Michael Oh, Adam Reece and Christian Au.NOVA is a volunteer program 

for high school students offered through Torrance Memorial Medical Center. 

The high school seniors contributed more than 3,000 hours of service 

to the medical center. Beginning in the ninth grade, the students volunteered 

to the Healthcare Foundation, Auxiliary, and Home Health and Hospice 

departments. 

kdlmft@aol.com 

Offices in El Segundo 

(310) 880-8514 

MFT#78311 

J. QUINN CONSTRUCTION, INC. 

Custom Concrete & Masonry 

Girl Scouts earn Silver Award 

McKinley Pieper, 

Maddie Cole, 

Claire Jenness, and 

Eden Houske of 

Troop 365 recently 

received their Girl 

Scout Silver Award. 

The scouts sewed 

over 100 chair 

pockets, which will 

hold books in elementary 

classrooms. 

• Pools, Spas, Fountains 

and Waterfeatures 

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P E N I N S U L A P E O P L E | F O O D 

of those items that do nothing but get better after long, slow cooking. These 

were fork-tender and enhanced by a wine and mushroom sauce that had 

hints of spice that kept us guessing – might have been some cinnamon or 

nutmeg, possibly a bit of coriander in the blend, but whatever it was, it 

accented the meat nicely. 

The menu described the pork tenderloin’s preparation as medallions 

served with sautéed apples, which led us to expect the meat to be cooked 

in the sauce. Instead the pork had been roasted, sliced and served on a bed 

of what seemed to be saffron cream sauce with the apples on the side. Pork 

with apples is a traditional winter dish in Northern France and New England, 

and though there was just a wisp of chill in the Southern California 

air it still felt like the right thing to order. 

The pork and beef came with an arrangement of asparagus, green beans, 

cauliflower, and mashed potatoes, enough to complement the dish but not 

so much that we didn’t have room for dessert. On this particular evening 

two housemade items were available – a raspberry white chocolate cheesecake 

and a dark chocolate mousse cake. I’m not a big fan of white chocolate 

or cheesecake and found this a bit too sweet, but the person at our table 

who has a sweet tooth found it delectable. The layered chocolate mousse 

cake was more my speed, rich and complex with enough bitterness to stand 

up to a savory red wine. We had some of that handy because we had ordered 

a bottle of Cigarzin Zinfandel to go with the meat dishes and hadn’t 

finished it all. If this cake is still offered when you’re there I’d recommend 

you do the same. 

Dinner at the PV Grill is not an extravagance, with most entrees below 

$20 – remarkable for this area and quality of food. The restaurant’s secluded 

location probably works against it, as casual passersby don’t even 

know anything is here, but it’s a bargain for very assured cooking and personal 

service in peaceful surroundings. 

The PV Grill is at 2325 Palos Verdes Drive West in Rancho Palos Verdes. 

Open 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Monday. Parking in 

small, front lot or beneath building, wheelchair access good, some 

vegetarian/vegan options. Wine and beer served. Website under construction. 

(310) 750-6877. PEN 

Chef Rafael reincarnate 

PV Grill chef and co-owner Rafael Solorzano. Photo by Brad Jacobson (CivicCouch.com) 

PV Grill is a hidden gem for assured cooking and personal service in peaceful surroundings 

by Richard Foss 

You probably remember someone from school who was a show off 

or class clown. They were smart and wanted to make sure everyone 

knew it, and they were not the person you wanted to be teamed up 

with on a project because while they might have brilliance, that sort of person 

tends to be short on discipline. The person you wanted for a lab partner 

was the one a few desks away who talked half as often and got twice as 

much done. 

Flashy and gimmicky ideas have their place in the culinary world, but 

most people don’t want all novelty all the time. It is then that they return 

to restaurants like PV Grill, a classic steak and seafood place in the historic 

Lunada Plaza building. This restaurant was previously the Lunada Bay- 

House, and those who visited that restaurant may notice some similarities 

in the menu offerings. This is no accident, as chef Rafael Solorzano was a 

partner at both places and is still at the helm. Solorzano has cooked for rock 

stars like Bono and Bruce Springsteen but has never sought much publicity 

himself. He’s not shy, and regularly comes out of the kitchen to talk with 

diners, but he’s not inclined to brag. 

When my family stopped in for dinner recently Rafael happened to be in 

the dining room and he stopped by our table to chat. When we asked his 

recommendation between a few starters he offered to set up a sampler, and 

we gleefully accepted. He sent out a wooden board with crab cakes, shrimp 

pesto bruschetta, calamari, caramelized brussels sprouts, and green salad 

with blue cheese crumbles. The bruschetta was a daily special that really 

should be on the regular menu, because they were a great way to start a 

meal. We liked the flavors enough that we mopped up stray drops of the 

tangy, garlicky pesto with the crab cakes. A garlic aioli had been provided 

for those, and we used it on the remaining crab cakes and as a dip for the 

calamari. 

Just about every restaurant has brussels sprouts on the menu these days 

(and think for a moment how odd that sentence would have seemed a few 

years ago, when they were a seasonal novelty). But the dish here is somewhat 

unusual. At PV Grill they are sautéed and served with a honey-balsamic 

reduction, basil, bacon bits, and parmesan cheese. The honey and 

balsamic vinegar give a slight sweet-and-sour flavor, the basil and cheese a 

more Mediterranean aspect. The vinegar sweetness mutes a bit of the cabbage-like 

flavor, which may or may not be a good thing depending on your 

tastes. I happen to like that aspect of sprouts and prefer it accented with 

more peppery seasonings, but this was a thought-provoking alternative. 

The wine list at PV Grill is relatively short but doesn’t tell the whole story. 

Our server Nadia (who we later learned is the co-owner) offered a 2014 

Hartford Court Chardonnay that was on special at $45 a bottle. We had 

never heard of this little Russian River family owned winery but it’s on our 

radar now. It was an excellent and aromatic wine that developed as it aired. 

For main courses we selected short ribs braised in wine with wild mushrooms, 

pork tenderloin with apples, and seafood fettuccine. The pasta had 

been tossed with scallops, shrimp, clams, and fish in a robust tomato-basil 

sauce and was a reminder of the joys of simple flavors. It’s far from simple 

to make, since it involves several different types of fish and shellfish to be 

cooked just to doneness and then combined moments before serving. It’s 

all about timing, and Rafael nailed it so that nothing was overdone. 

There was no such worry about overdoing the short ribs, since this is one 


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PV Assembly ball presents class of 2016 

n Seniors from the class of 2016 Palos Verdes Assembly, 

a non-profit co-ed social, dance and philanthropic 

organization, celebrated their 

Presentation Ball at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel 

on Saturday May 7. Each senior was awarded a 

medallion representing their 80-plus hours of volunteer 

service during their four year participation in 

the Palos Verdes Assembly. After the medallion presentation 

members danced the traditional 

mother/son and father/daughter waltz, followed 

by dinner and dancing with family and friends. 

This year’s ball was chaired by Rebecca Doub and 

Christine Becker. Assembly Coordinators Julie 

Arico, Helen Hong and Mary Deley directed a 

team of 38 Patronesses who worked behind the 

scenes to organize the year’s activities . Membership 

in Assembly is a four year commitment during 

high school. It is preceded by three years of participation 

in Cotillion during middle school. Assembly 

activities include a formal tea, six theme dances 

where members are instructed in ballroom dance 

and etiquette. Dance instruction in both Assembly 

and cotillion is led by dance master Bobby Burgess 

and manners and etiquette by Carol Thomas. 

Membership has closed for the 2016-2017 season, 

but applications will be accepted in April, 

2017 for the 2017-2018 season. To learn more 

about the Palos Verdes Assembly, visit 

www.pvassembly.com. 

Salsa Verdes 

Authentic Fine Mexican Cuisine 

Ask About 

Our Fresh 

Daily Specials! 

Let Us Bring 

Mexican Flavors 

To Your Home & 

Office! 

Open 

Tues-Sun at 4pm 

2325 Palos Verdes Drive West 

Palos Verdes Estates 

(424) 206-9456 

Salsa Verdes and PV Grill CREW invite 

YOU to dine in Lunada Bay Plaza! 

Enjoy delicious food in your OWN BACKYARD! 

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! 

Holiday Parties Catering 

Lunada Bay Plaza 

around&about 

Palos Verdes Assembly Ball Class of 2016 (front row) Kunika Poulsen, Ashley Ludwick, Emma Fischer, 

Caitlyn Barresi, Nicole Fujimoto, Alice Walker-Dupler, Lindsey Follis, Valeria Park, Patricia Hori, Kylie 

Murdock and Elizabeth Van Gieson. (Second row) James Hall, Madelynn Maloney, Davis Quan, 

Jennifer Capeloto, Tyler Kim, Dorie Weller, Kevin Lee, Sophia Gragg, Julius Lagmay, Olivia Johnson, 

David Young, Nicole Beaupré, and Brian Le. (Third row) Cameron Fox, Hanna Jensen, Matthew 

Miyamoto, Megan Fitzpatrick, Austin Doke, Rachel Lore, Philip Smart, Emily Ellis, Christopher Crump, 

Madison McAuley, Charles Gill and, Matthew Mizuguchi. (Fourth row) Brock Pennington, Joseph 

Rich, Austin Rule, Nolan Collins, Wesley Kasman, Arman Ramezani, Jared Lebental, Tyler Panfil, Russell 

Fong, Michael Arico, Donald Morton. 

Huge Selection of 

Fresh Fish, Handmade 

Pastas & Prime Cut Steaks 

Private Room for 

Holiday, Corporate Parties! 

Open Tues-Sun at 4pm 

2325 Palos Verdes Drive West 

Palos Verdes Estates, CA 

(310) 750-6877 

www.PVGrill.com 

Senior Ticktocker Class of 2016 recognized 

n The National Charity League’s 2016 senior class celebrated their six years of 

philanthropic work at the Terranea Resort ballroom, which was transformed into a 

whimsical, Through the Looking Glass, woodlands. The Senior Ticktocker Class 

of 2016 contributed 7,680 hours to charitable services, including Peace4Kids, 

Toberman Neighborhood Center, Heal the Bay, L.A. Food Bank, Boys & Girls 

Club of LA and Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. 

Ticktocker Class of 2016 (left to right) Christina Eldredge, Cameron Coffey, 

McKenzie Will, Annie Graziano, Eva Enriquez, Cameron Leach, Elena 

Ueda, Sydney Pascal, Gabrielle Allen, Annaliese Wargin, Jennifer 

Capeloto, Madison Denver, Kara Yasunaga, Kristen DiBernardo, Celine 

Horner, Abigail Watson, Madelynn Maloney, Emily Ellis, Leslie Vilicich, 

Jordan Karpin, Alissa Beall, Caillie Horner, Lauren Bourgeois, Elizabeth 

Berry and McKenna Goldstein. Photo by Sara Jordan Photography 

Earth Day a work day at Palos Verdes Peninsula 

Land Conservancy 

Skin Atelier 

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(310) 200-1606 

n Rancho Palos Verdes Mayor Pro Tem Brian Campbell joined the Palos Verdes 

Peninsula Land Conservancy in thanking over 200 volunteers who came to the 

White Point Nature Preserve Earth Day, April 23. The volunteers helped beautify 

the native plant garden and trails. Volunteers also hiked with an LA City Ranger 

and listened to presentation on Backyard Birding by Bob Shanman of Wild Birds 

Unlimited Torrance. Whole Foods Torrance and Starbucks (25th and Western) 

donated food and coffee and Toyota contributed gloves and swag bag gifts. Volunteers 

help planted toyon, saltbush, sunflower and sagebrush; removed wheel 

barrows full of cheese weed, bristly ox tongue, and other invasives; laid mulch 

around native plants to reduce weeds and keep the soil moist; removed four truckloads 

of irrigation line; closed two spur trails to protect wildlife habitat; and 

weeded, raked, and picked up trash along the trails. 

Six Peninsula students earn Eagle Scout rank 

Troop 277 Eagle Scouts (front row) Christopher Behenna, Luke Waldo and Corey 

Tong and (back row) Sean Olsen, Ethan Gold and Spencer Dalton. 

n Wheelchair accessibility, landscape improvements and kindergarten repairs 

were among the projects that earned five Troop 277 Boy Scouts the rank of Eagle 

Scout. The Scouts were recognized during a ceremony at Hess Community Center 

on October 24. 

Around & About cont. on page 71 

V ilicich 

Watch & Clock 

around&about 

Established 1947 

(310) 833-6891 

714 South Weymouth Avenue, San Pedro, CA 90732 

We Buy Watches! 

Not affiliated with Rolex USA 

Conservancy Conservation 

director 

Adrienne Mohan, 

RPV Mayor Pro Tem 

Brian Campbell, 

Conservancy executive 

director Andrea 

Vona and Volunteer 

Program manager 

Brittany Goldsmith. 




Rolling Hills Country Day 

School Fundraiser 

Guests dressed for the ‘70s and ‘80s and local band One Digit 

Down played classic ‘70s and ‘80s rock for Rolling Hills 

Country Day School’s annual fundraiser. The evening was 

hosted by Lisa and Nick Hawkins at their Rolling Hills Estate 

home on May 15. The “Back to the Future” theme was highlighted 

by an auction (for the day) of a retrofitted DeLorean and 

a Toyota hybrid Mirai (“future” in Japanese). For more about the 

school visit rhcds.com. 

1 

4 5 

7 

8 

1. Christy Phillips and 

hostess Lisa Hawkins. 

2. Barry Gore and Carol 

Royea. 

3. Hostess Lisa 

Hawkins and Todd 

Gordon. 

4. Allison Cohen and 

hostess Lisa Hawkins. 

2 3 

PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE CARTOZIAN 

5. James Pappas and 

Tia Kanavos. 

6. Adam Kontras, of 

RentTheDelorean.com, 

with the DeLorean he 

auctioned for the day. 

7. One Digit Down’s 

Arthur Garrison, Josh 

Cohen, John Hendrick, 

6 

9 

Ben Lichtman, Devon 

Elder and Jeff White. 

8. Stacie Kim and Host 

Nick Hawkins. 

9. Mona Ono and Shara 

Parkton. 

Christopher Behenna, 18, of 

Palos Verdes Estates is a member of 

Chadwick School’s varsity soccer team 

and plays bass in the school orchestra 

and jazz band. For his Eagle project, 

Behena designed, built and installed 

a wheelchair accessible bench for visitors 

to the George F. Canyon Nature 

Preserve Demonstrations gardens. 

Spencer Dalton, 18, of Rancho 

Palos Verdes, is a captain of the varsity 

tennis team, captain of the Technology 

Student Association National Competition 

team and a member of the Principal 

Advisory Committee at Palos 

Verdes High. For his Eagle project, he 

removed 16 rotted trees, installed new 

borders and planted trees in the parking 

divider strip at Ernie Howlett Park. 

Ethan Gold, 18, of Rancho Palos 

Verdes, attended Peninsula High 

School and is a freshman at Cal Poly 

San Luis Obispo. For his Eagle project, 

he expanded the seating area at the 

George F. Canyon Nature Center by 

50 percent and added 24 feet of retaining 

wall out of recycled railroad 

ties. 

Sean Olsen, 17, of Rancho Palos 

Verdes is a member of the water polo 

and swim teams and participates in 

Model United Nations at Palos Verdes 

High. For his Eagle project, he designed, 

built, stained and installed 10 

wooden benches in shady areas on 

the grounds of Montemalaga Elementary 

School. 

Corey Tong, 17, of Palos Verdes Estates 

is a member of the Peninsula 

High track and field team and a member 

of the National Honor Society. For 

his Eagle project, he restored and 

painted the kindergarten yard playhouse, 

repaired the storage shed and 

installed a new shed roof at Cornerstone 

Elementary School. 

Luke Waldo, 18, of Rancho Palos 

Verdes is is a member of Palos Verdes 

High football team, played the guitar 

and trumpet in the jazz band and was 

on the speech and debate team. He 

is also a Petty Officer in the U.S. Sea 

Cadets Lane Victory Division.He will 

be attending the United States Naval 

Academy. For his Eagle project, he 

renovated and refurbished portions of 

the museum and memorial section on 

the S.S. Lane Victory WWII Merchant 

Marine Ship, docked in San Pedro. 

He also created and set up a slide 

show honoring those who served on 

the ship. 

In January 2016, the Scouts of 

Troop 277 re-associated with Boy 

Scout Troop 276, The Mountain Men. 

Troop 276 is based in Palos Verdes Estates 

and serves the youth of the Palos 

Verdes Peninsula and neighboring communities. 

It is a backpacking troop, hiking 

in the local mountain ranges, Joshua 

DAVID FAIRCHILD PHOTOGRAPHY 

"Its Like You’re There All Over Again" 

around&about 

Tree National Park and the Sierra Nevada. 

Troop 276 meets Saturday mornings 

at Palos Verdes Intermediate 

School. For additional information contact: 

David Behenna, at 

chair@troop276.com or Scoutmaster 

David Emde at 

scoutmaster@troop276.com. PEN 

310-316-5547 WWW.DAVIDFAIRCHILDSTUDIO.COM 




2016 Designs For 

Dining Fundraiser 

at St. Francis Church 

S 

t. Francis Episcopal Church hosted its annual 

"Designs For Dining" fundraiser 

benefiting the St. Francis Outreach Scholarship 

Program in March. This popular 2-day 

event featured entertaining trends and 20 

themed table designs. Other highlights included 

guest speakers, boutiques, tastings, 

opportunity drawings and silent auction, including 

two African safaris. Opportunity 

drawings included a catered dinner with 

wine for 12 prepared in your home or at 

Chez Melange by Chef Robert Bell and staff. 

1 

2 

3 4 

1. 2016 Designs For Dining Themed Table 

Designs in St. Francis Parish Hall, Palos Verdes 

Estates. 

2. Designs For Dining planning committee 

members from left, Cheryl Gutierrez, Wendy Pratt, 

Janet Laudeman, Suzanne Gatlin, Mary Deley, 

Karin Petersen, Marcia Schoettle and Anne 

Pearson. 

3. From left, speaker Vanessa Kogevinas, owner 

of Vanessa K. Productions, event co-chair Cheryl 

Gutierrez and Mala Coatar. 

4. Vanessa Kogevinas gave a talk on "Sharing 

the Dish: Lessons Learned on the Road of an 

Event Planner and Producer's Evolution.” 

5. Chef Robert Bell, of Chez Melange, Riviera 

Village. 

6. Speaker Beth Lester, interior decorator and 

home stager and owner of Home Staging Designs 

of California, presented a talk in the Tea Room on 

Saturday: "Redecorating or Selling? Selection 

Colors – Making Life Beautiful, One Home at a 

Time." 

7. "Dinner at Downton Abbey,” from the private 

collection of Judith Holman. 

8. Lorrane Kasse and friend at Springtime 

Romance table. 

9. Opening Day Prayer at 2016 Designs For 

Dining fundraiser with SFEC's rector, the Very 

Reverend Paula Vukmanic presiding. 

5 

8 

6 

7 

9 


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Peninsula People May 2016

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