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Volume XXI, Issue 4 <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 3
PENINSULA<br />
Volume XXI, Issue 4<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong><br />
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<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
Jonathan Bisignano<br />
Photo courtesy of the Bisignano family<br />
PROFILES<br />
36 Love and loss by Mark McDermott<br />
The Bisignano family lost their 22 year old son Jonathan in<br />
April. In the six months since, his life, their faith, and the<br />
community's embrace have given the family lessons in the<br />
persistence of love.<br />
50 Young and fast by David Mendez<br />
Henry Morse began racing trikes, then bikes, then go karts.<br />
Now, at 15, he’s racing cars on the professional Pirelli World<br />
Challenge Series.<br />
54 Graceful Gale by Bondo Wyszpolski<br />
Graceful Gale was an alluring, first-class passenger who<br />
boarded the Queen Mary in May of 1939 and disappeared.<br />
Her ghost reappears each year about this time in Dark<br />
Harbor.<br />
60 Zen Modern by Stephanie Cartozian<br />
Architect Luis de Moraes designs a Visa Del Mar home to<br />
parallel the natural terrain, with an ocean view from every<br />
room.<br />
70 Il canto Italiani by Richard Foss<br />
Chef Michaelangelo Aliaga’s pastas and sausages and coowner<br />
Lou Giovanetti’s voice make Primo Italia worthy of its<br />
name.<br />
HIGHLIGHTS<br />
12 Portuguese Bend Horse Show<br />
16 Honda Evening Under the Stars<br />
44 Encore Circle<br />
64 Lundquist named Champion of Business<br />
72 Chamber bids farewell to Supervisor Knabe<br />
DEPARTMENTS<br />
22 <strong>Peninsula</strong> calendar<br />
68 Around & About<br />
73 <strong>Peninsula</strong> Dining Guide<br />
80 Senior Care Guide<br />
82 <strong>Peninsula</strong> Attorney Guide<br />
85 Home services<br />
STAFF<br />
EDITOR<br />
Mark McDermott<br />
PUBLISHER<br />
Stephanie Cartozian<br />
PUBLISHER EMERITUS<br />
Mary Jane Schoenheider<br />
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER<br />
Richard Budman<br />
DISPLAY SALES<br />
Adrienne Slaughter,<br />
Tamar Gillotti, Amy Berg,<br />
Shelley Crawford<br />
CLASSIFIEDS<br />
Teri Marin<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
DIRECTOR<br />
Richard Budman<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
COORDINATOR<br />
Teri Marin<br />
GRAPHIC DESIGNER<br />
Tim Teebken<br />
FRONT DESK<br />
Judy Rae<br />
DIRECTOR OF<br />
DIGITAL MEDIA<br />
Daniel Sofer (Hermosawave.net)<br />
MAILING ADDRESS<br />
P.O. Box 745<br />
Hermosa Beach, CA<br />
90254<br />
PHONE<br />
(310) 372-4611<br />
FAX<br />
(424) 212-6780<br />
WEBSITE<br />
www.easyreadernews.com<br />
EDITORIAL<br />
Pen<strong>People</strong>@<br />
easyreadernews.com<br />
ADVERTISING<br />
(310) 372-4611<br />
displayads@<br />
easyreadernews.com<br />
Please see the Classified Ad<br />
Section for info.<br />
FICTITIOUS NAME<br />
STATEMENTS (DBA’S)<br />
can be filed at the<br />
office during regular<br />
business hours.<br />
(310) 372-4611<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> <strong>People</strong> is a supplemental<br />
publication of Easy<br />
Reader, 2200 Pacific Cst. Hwy.<br />
#101., PO Box 745, Hermosa Beach,<br />
CA. 90254-0427.<br />
Yearly domestic mail subscriptions<br />
to <strong>Peninsula</strong> <strong>People</strong> are $80, foreign<br />
$90 payable in advance. The<br />
entire contents of <strong>Peninsula</strong> <strong>People</strong><br />
are copyrighted <strong>2016</strong> by<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> <strong>People</strong>, Inc.<br />
6 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 7
S P O T L I G H T O N T H E H I L L<br />
Portuguese Bend Charity<br />
Providing Hope for Childhood Cancers<br />
The Portuguese Bend National Horse Show held at<br />
Ernie Howlett Park in Rolling Hills Estates, has been<br />
providing hometown fun and friendly competition for 59<br />
years. The show is a benefit for Children’s Hospital Los<br />
Angeles (CHLA), and this year’s proceeds benefited the<br />
CHLA Associates Sarcoma Program Chair. The Sarcoma<br />
Program within the Children’s Center for Cancer and<br />
Blood Diseases is working to improve the outcome for<br />
children battling this aggressive form of childhood cancer.<br />
This year’s show theme “Taking the Reins of Hope,” honored<br />
the incredible staff of CHLA who give hope every<br />
day. The doctors, nurses, and support staff work tirelessly<br />
to help and heal all who come to them and give the gift<br />
of hope of a better life for their patients and families.<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> Committee Children’s Hospital members are<br />
honored to support the amazing accomplishments of the<br />
hospital through their donations. In addition to the three<br />
day horse show, there was a colorful children’s carnival,<br />
food booths, haybale boutique, a Saturday Night BBQ dinner<br />
and special events including a visit from miniature<br />
therapy horses, Parade of Trophies, and the Long Beach<br />
Mounted Police.<br />
1<br />
2<br />
PHOTOS BY<br />
NOELLE GIULIANO AND MIKE SHIELDS<br />
3 4<br />
1. Marine Langer accepting<br />
the Julie Martin Memorial Trophy.<br />
Presenters Ed Kelly, Jeff<br />
Earle, Antonio Camacho Jr.<br />
and Sr.<br />
2. A child carnival-goer.<br />
3. Katie Brown.<br />
4. Gemma and Celine<br />
Claessens (second and third<br />
from left), Clea Caddell (on her<br />
horse), Quaya Plaisir.<br />
5. The Long Beach Mounted<br />
Police performed a 9/11 tribute.<br />
6. Karl Graeber, Ken and Marilyn<br />
Prindle, Michele Romer,<br />
Toni Graeber and Carey<br />
Romer.<br />
7. Patty and Steve Lantz.<br />
8. Jim Beck, Mary DiMatteo,<br />
Angela and Frank Conterno,<br />
Flora Fairchild.<br />
9. Steve Lopes, Christine and<br />
Joe Rich, Suzanne and John<br />
Durnell, Helen Hitzel, Helaine<br />
Lopes.<br />
10. Steve and Alyson McFerson,<br />
Mike O’Brien.<br />
11. Cindy Choate, JoAnn Giuliano,<br />
Bonnie Upp, Barbara<br />
Fountain.<br />
12. Kelly Walsh, Susan Gray,<br />
Cathy Villicich, Jacquie Leimbach.<br />
13. Dave Farrell, Jim Cook,<br />
Chris Consani, Kirk Johnson,<br />
Doug Van Riper.<br />
14. Anthony Xepolis, Margaret<br />
Gibbs, Tom Light, Mark<br />
Costa, Ken Ochi, Vall Light,<br />
Kathy Costa.<br />
15. <strong>Peninsula</strong> Committee<br />
Children’s Hospital members<br />
celebrate a successful event.<br />
16. Dawn Knickerbocker,<br />
Karen Miller, Pat Lucy, Jody<br />
Murdoch.<br />
17. Jeff Renzi, Patty Ochi<br />
with grandson/PCCH Featured<br />
Child, Jackson Renzi, Val Kelly,<br />
Danielle Renzi, Kate Cocke.<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
12 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
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11 12 13<br />
14 15<br />
16 17<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 13
Brides and Grooms<br />
Newly Engaged Couples<br />
Provide your photos and we will<br />
write your love story<br />
To be shared in the<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> magazine<br />
Great gift idea from parents<br />
and in-laws to share your family’s<br />
news announcement<br />
Also available for wedding venues<br />
photo by Amy Theilig Photography<br />
Call 310-372-4611 for rates and sizes<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 15
S P O T L I G H T O N T H E H I L L<br />
Kenny G performs at<br />
Honda Evening Under the Stars<br />
Saxophonist and Grammy Awardwinning<br />
star Kenny G performed<br />
for guests at the 30th Annual<br />
“Honda Evening Under the Stars Children’s<br />
Healthcare Gourmet Food and<br />
Wine Tasting Festival.” The August 27<br />
event was sold out soon after its announcement<br />
and many of the South<br />
Bay’s finest eateries were present supporting<br />
the cause.<br />
Event proceeds will benefit Torrance<br />
Memorial Pediatrics, Providence TrinityKids<br />
Care, a program of Providence<br />
TrinityCare, and Vistas for Children.<br />
1<br />
PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE CARTOZIAN<br />
AND DEIDRE DAVIDSON<br />
2 3<br />
1. Jim Sala, Craig<br />
Leach, Sharon Martinez,<br />
Kenny G., Steve<br />
Morikawa, Karin<br />
Baker and Kacey<br />
Takashima.<br />
2. Terri Warren,<br />
Sharon Martinez,<br />
Linda Perry, (Back)<br />
Jim Sala, Craig Leach<br />
and Steve Morikawa.<br />
3. Dr. John Stecker,<br />
Bob Tarnofsky, Ros<br />
Stecker, Ian Kramer<br />
M.D. and Sherry<br />
Kramer.<br />
4. Ann and David<br />
Buxton.<br />
5. Steve Morikawa,<br />
Jacqueline Glass, Tara<br />
Gregerson and Glen<br />
Komatsu M.D.<br />
6. David and Barbara<br />
Bentley, Sally and<br />
Mike Eberhard.<br />
7. Barbara Demming<br />
Lurie, Mark Lurie,<br />
M.D., Terry and Joe<br />
Hohm.<br />
8. Jeff Krebs,<br />
Priscilla Hunt, Cynthia<br />
Soma, Fritz Friedman,<br />
Susan and Ralph<br />
Moore.<br />
9. (Front) Sara<br />
Moore, Trip and<br />
Aarika Simmons,<br />
Brenda Nowotka,<br />
(back) Wes Kauble,<br />
Sean Simmons.<br />
10. Rev. Jonathan<br />
Chute and Thyra Endicott<br />
M.D.<br />
11. Marc Schenasi,<br />
Harv and Ruth<br />
Daniels, Song and<br />
Dave Klein.<br />
12. Khrystyna<br />
Pavlova and Riad<br />
Adoumi M.D.<br />
13. Mark Kroeger,<br />
Colleen Farrell and<br />
Ann O’Brien.<br />
14. Sara and Dale<br />
Balough.<br />
15. Debbi Gelbart,<br />
Moe Gelbart Ph.D.,<br />
Kathleen Krauthamer,<br />
Richard Krauthamer,<br />
M.D., Jackelyn Lee<br />
M.D. and George So<br />
M.D.<br />
4 5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
16 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
10<br />
11 12<br />
13<br />
14 15<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> <strong>People</strong> 17
Fine Homes and Luxury Properties<br />
NEW<br />
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MANSION<br />
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RANCHO PALOS VERDES<br />
5 Bedrooms, 3 Bathrooms, 2,595 sq ft Home, 8,823 sq ft Lot<br />
Brand New Remodel Home with Ocean View, 2-Story Ceiling<br />
Trendy Features, Cul-De-Sac, Close to Park, Schools & Shopping<br />
OFFERED AT $1,695,000<br />
www.6462Parklynn.com<br />
PALO VISTA<br />
RANCHO PALOS VERDES<br />
6 Bedrooms Suites, 10 Bathrooms, 12,841 sq ft Home, 65,413 sq ft Lot<br />
Gated Luxury Mansion with Ocean, Catalina & Trump Golf Course Views<br />
2-Story Master Suite, Indoor Pool & Spa, Many Exquisite Features<br />
OFFERED AT $4,950,000<br />
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GREAT<br />
VALUE<br />
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VALLEY VIEW ROAD<br />
RANCHO PALOS VERDES<br />
4 Bedrooms + Office, 4.25 Bathrooms, 4,578 sq ft Home, 11,866 sq ft Lot<br />
Beautifully Updated Home on Quite Cul De Sac. Great Floorplan<br />
New Wood Flooring, Bedroom Suites, Gourmet Kitchen<br />
OFFERED AT $1,950,000<br />
www.RodYoon.com<br />
paseo la cresta<br />
PALOS VERDES estates<br />
7 Bedrooms, 11 Bathrooms, 10,400 sq ft Home, 42,412 sq ft Lot<br />
Magnificent Gated Estate offering a Unique Combination of Luxury and Comfort<br />
Sweeping Ocean, Bay and Treetop views. Exquisite Finishes and Fine Appointments Throughout<br />
$8,995,000<br />
www.1414PaseoLaCresta.com<br />
#1 Real Estate Team 2010 - 2015, RE/MAX Estate Properties<br />
Stephen Haw/Team Leader<br />
何 精 益<br />
310.503.9886<br />
skh8828@gmail.com<br />
Kim Hall<br />
Serving the South Bay<br />
310.721.7526<br />
KimHallHomes@gmail.com<br />
Cristina Go<br />
AREAA SB Founding President<br />
310.971.0404<br />
gocristinago@gmail.com<br />
Lauren Yoon<br />
로렌 윤<br />
310.619.4989<br />
laurenyoon17@gmail.com
Fine Homes and Luxury Properties<br />
REMODELED<br />
1-STORY<br />
HOME<br />
GREAT<br />
COASTLINE<br />
VIEW<br />
cedarbluff<br />
RANCHO PALOS VERDES<br />
4 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 2,192 sq ft Home, 9,968 sq ft Lot<br />
Nicely Remodeled in 2013, Open Floor Plan, High Ceilings<br />
Large Master Suite, Central Location<br />
OFFERED AT $1,250,000 $1,235,000<br />
www.28716Cedarbluff.com<br />
via somonte<br />
PALOS VERDES estates<br />
Spectacular Coastline and Queen’s Necklace View in Malaga Cove<br />
Bring your Architect/Contractor. Need Major Remodeling or Rebuild<br />
Currently 3 Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, 2,365 sq ft Home on 8,102 sq ft Lot<br />
OFFERED AT $1,795,000<br />
www.797ViaSomonte.com<br />
SHOWCASE<br />
PROPERTY<br />
TIP TOP<br />
CONDITION<br />
IN ESCROW<br />
BIG FLAT<br />
LOT<br />
CREST ROAD<br />
RANCHO PALOS VERDES<br />
5 Bedrooms, 6.5 Bathrooms, 8,533 sq ft Home, Guest House<br />
PANORAMIC VIEW of Queen’s Necklace & Downtown LA<br />
Architectural Masterpiece, Luxury Features, Beautiful Landscape<br />
OFFERED AT $3,995,000<br />
www.LuxuryPVhome.com<br />
SEA BREEZE<br />
RANCHO PALOS VERDES<br />
4 Bedrooms, 3.5 Bathrooms, 3,643 sq ft Home, 16,487 sq ft Lot<br />
1-Story Updated Mansion with New Wood Floor & Paint.<br />
Large Master Suite, Gourmet Kitchen, Garden Backyard<br />
OFFERED AT $2,188,000<br />
www.56SeaBreeze.com<br />
LAUREL DRIVE<br />
RANCHO PALOS VERDES<br />
1.21 Acre Gated Vacant Lot has Large, Flat Building Pad<br />
Panoramic Catalina, Ocean & Endless Sunset Views!<br />
Private & Secluded Location in Lunada Pointe. Rare Find Opportunity<br />
OFFERED AT $3,500,000<br />
Local Experts with International Connections to get YOUR Properties SOLD<br />
Natsuko Fujii<br />
藤 井 奈 都 子<br />
310.941.2468<br />
nfujii10@gmail.com<br />
Alicia Enrique<br />
Real Estate Specialist<br />
310.720.4852<br />
aliciahomes1@gmail.com<br />
Dede Hsu<br />
郝 蒂 蒂<br />
310.722.9222<br />
dedehsu@gmail.com<br />
Rod Yoon<br />
롸드 윤<br />
213.663.8888<br />
RodYoon@gmail.com
DERMATOLOGY & SKIN SURGERY<br />
BEACH CITIES DERMATOLOGY<br />
M E D I C A L C E N T E R<br />
Say Goodbye to Stubborn Fat....<br />
Buy One, Get One<br />
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William J. Wickwire, M.D.<br />
Certified, American<br />
Board of Dermatology<br />
Neal M. Ammar, M.D.<br />
Certified, American<br />
Board of Dermatology<br />
Two Coolscuplting Devices to Treat Two Areas at Once!<br />
Specialists in Skin Cancer Detection<br />
• Skin Cancer • Mole Removal & Mohs Surgery<br />
• Reconstructive Facial Surgery and Scar Revision<br />
• Acne & Accutane Treatment<br />
• Warts, Rashes and Cysts • Leg Vein Sclerotherapy<br />
• Hair Loss & Propecia • Restylane, Radiesse, Perlane,<br />
Juvederm & Sculptra • Botox and Dysport Injections<br />
• Age Spots & Sun Damage • Laser Surgery<br />
• Microdermabrasion • Glycolic and Chemical Peels<br />
• Ultraviolet B & PUVA • Pediatric Dermatology<br />
310-798-1515<br />
www.beachcitiesderm.com<br />
South Bay’s<br />
best equipped<br />
Dermatology<br />
Center!<br />
Redondo Beach —<br />
520 N. Prospect Ave., Suite 302<br />
Palos Verdes —<br />
827 Deep Valley Drive, Suite 101<br />
All PPOs Accepted<br />
Evening & Sat.<br />
Appts. Available<br />
20 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 21
Simply Tiles Design Center<br />
eventcalendar<br />
CALENDAR OF COMMUNITY EVENTS<br />
Compiled by Mary Jane Schoenheider<br />
You can email your event to our address: penpeople@easyreadernews.com<br />
All submissions must be sent by the 10th of each month prior to event taking place.<br />
Fine Ceramics, Natural Stone, Hardwoods, Cabinetry, Faucetry.<br />
Kitchen & Bathrooms Specialist.<br />
3968 Pacific Coast Hwy., Torrance • (310) 373-7781 • www.simplytiles.com<br />
License #904876<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> magazine<br />
wishes<br />
readers young<br />
and old a safe<br />
and fun Halloween.<br />
Local<br />
merchants offer<br />
free and safe<br />
trick-or-treating<br />
for children and<br />
their families.<br />
See listings<br />
below<br />
Saturday, October 29<br />
Halloween Happenings<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> Center hosts a family-friendly Halloween Spooktacular, featuring<br />
face painting, games, costume contests and trick or treating. Next to The Habit<br />
and Chipotle. Free. noon to 3 p.m. <strong>Peninsula</strong>ShoppingCenter.com.<br />
Monday, October 31<br />
Halloween haps<br />
Riviera Village in Redondo Beach closes the streets for its annual Halloween<br />
Stroll, from 4 to 6 p.m. Enjoy safe trick-or-treating through the shops in the Village,<br />
Catalina from Avenue I to Palos Verdes Boulevard. Jim Gamble and his<br />
puppets will perform. If you plan on staying for dinner afterwards, reservations<br />
are recommended. For more information, visit rivieravillageredondo.org.<br />
Sunday, <strong>Nov</strong>ember 13<br />
Dinner with David<br />
The Asia America Symphony hosts an intimate dinner concert with conductor<br />
and pianist David Benoit, a <strong>Peninsula</strong> resident, at the Palos Verdes Country<br />
SOLD<br />
LIZ SNYDER<br />
4325 VIA FRASCATI, RANCHO PALOS VERDES<br />
Located in the "Red Tile Roof District" of Rancho Palos Verdes!<br />
Fabulous Spanish Style 3 bedroom, 2 bath,<br />
2100+ SQ FT, home is an entertainer's dream!<br />
Gourmet Chef's kitchen with premium<br />
appliances, hardwood floors, spectacular<br />
views, multiple fireplaces, vaulted ceilings,<br />
just to name a few! Must See!!<br />
Offered at $ 1,400,000<br />
(310) 339-5301 | Keller Williams Realty | Email: lizsnyder@kw.com | CalBRE#01800973<br />
22 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
eventcalendar<br />
Club. Cocktails 5 p.m. Dinner and performance 6 p.m. $125. For tickets<br />
and more about the Asia America Symphony visit AAAsymphony.org or call<br />
(310) 377-8977.<br />
Concert with Robert<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> pianist Robert Thies and mezzo soprano Iris Malkin perform for<br />
the Second Sundays at Two series at Rolling Hills United Methodist. Free.<br />
26438 Crenshaw Blvd., Rolling Hills Estates. For more information call (310)<br />
377-6771 or visit rhumc.org.<br />
Tuesday, <strong>Nov</strong>ember 15<br />
Holiday Boutique<br />
The Assistance League of San Pedro-South Bay’s annual Holiday Boutique<br />
features food, stocking stuffers, children’s gifts, holiday decorations and<br />
many more wonderful gift selections. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (weekdays), and<br />
11a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays through January 4. Proceeds benefit local charities.<br />
At the Assistance League of San Pedro-South Bay Chapter House,1441<br />
W. 8th Street. 310- 832-8355 ext. 221.<br />
Friday, <strong>Nov</strong>ember 18<br />
A boutique to remember<br />
The Special Children’s League hosts “An Affair to Remember,” featuring a<br />
luncheon and holiday boutique at the Palos Verdes Country Club. 1 to 4<br />
p.m. For tickets call (310) 378-1888 or email tickets<br />
paula.boothe5@gmail.com.<br />
A More Youthful Appearance | Affordable Cosmetic Surgery<br />
Upper & Lower<br />
Eyelift Lift<br />
$3550<br />
Rhinoplasty<br />
$4500<br />
Face Lift<br />
$5150<br />
Juvederm $585/syringe<br />
Get 1 FREE area of Botox<br />
Radiesse $685/syringe<br />
Get ½ syringe FREE<br />
Vitamin Shots • Botox $9/unit<br />
Pre & Post Op appointments, O.R. Fee & Anesthesia All Included.<br />
Consultation must be scheduled by 11/30/16. Surgery scheduled by 12/31/16.<br />
Call for a FREE consultation<br />
Dr. David A. Bray<br />
310.375.8400 | www.DrBray.com<br />
Double Board Certified Plastic Surgeon<br />
Bray Plastic Surgery Medical Center | 3711 Lomita Blvd., Suite #150 | Torrance<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 23
eventcalendar<br />
13 MELA LANE, RANCHO PALOS VERDES<br />
3 Bedrooms | 2.5 Baths | 3,024 Sq. Ft. (approx.)<br />
2 Car Attached Garage | Gated Villa Verde Complex<br />
Charming, traditional 3 bed, 2 1/2 bath 3000 plus square foot home in the secluded,<br />
private gated community of Villa Verde. Abundant light, open floor plan with soaring<br />
ceilings and skylights; split level design with Living Room, Dining Room, (both with<br />
fireplaces) Kitchen and Family Room on the main floor; French doors from Family Room<br />
to Patio Garden; kitchen with cooktop island and double oven; split level design perfect<br />
for entertaining, Master Suite with luxurious Victorian footed tub. Two bedrooms and a<br />
bath on the second story and a bonus room and laundry down a few steps from main<br />
floor near entry to attached two car garage. Gorgeous patio with secret garden feel,<br />
fountain and lush landscaping. Complex includes two tennis<br />
courts and a pool and well maintained greenbelts; HOA $450/mo;<br />
within the highly coveted Palos Verdes Unified.<br />
Priced at $1,100,000<br />
JANET EARL, MBA 310.344.9230<br />
janetearl@cox.net | www.janetearl.net<br />
CAL BRE# 01056351<br />
The Norris Theater’s 28th Annual performance “The Nutcracker,” will<br />
be performed by the <strong>Peninsula</strong> School of Performing Arts at 2 and 7<br />
p.m on Saturday, <strong>Nov</strong>ember 19 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, <strong>Nov</strong>ember<br />
20. Tickets are available at the Norris box office or by phone at (310)<br />
544-0403. Photo by Chelsea Schreiber<br />
Saturday, <strong>Nov</strong>ember 19<br />
A run to remember<br />
The LaceUp Palos Verdes Half Marathon (and 5K and 10K) starts at Terranea<br />
(Pelican Park) and winds south to Abalone Cove and north to Torrance Beach<br />
before returning to Terranea. Views<br />
of spectacular homes and the even<br />
more spectacular Pacific Ocean and<br />
Catalina Island make this one of the<br />
most scenic and memorable runs in<br />
the country. Limited to 1,000 registrants.<br />
For more information visit<br />
LaceUpRunningSeries.com.<br />
“Planet Moon”<br />
The Palos Verdes Library District<br />
hosts a presentation, “Planet Moon,”<br />
by Madhu Thangavelu, an instructor<br />
at the USC Department of Astronautical<br />
Engineering. 2 to 4 p.m. at the<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> Center Library.<br />
Thangavelu will discuss extraterrestrial<br />
bases, space tourism and colonization.<br />
A fun and educational<br />
experience for all ages. For more information<br />
call (310) 377-9584<br />
x601 or visit www.pvld.org.<br />
Native plants workshop<br />
The White Point Nature Education<br />
Center presents Craig Torres, discussing<br />
how local plants are used in<br />
traditional and modern cultures. 10<br />
a.m. to noon. $20 per person.<br />
Space is limited. 1600 W Paseo Del<br />
Mar, San Pedro, RSVP required:<br />
pvplc.org/_events/WhitePoint.<br />
“Unbranded” Horses<br />
Part of the PV Land Conservancy’s<br />
Beauty in Nature series, “Un-<br />
24 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
eventcalendar<br />
branded” is a film about 16 mustangs and four men riding border to border,<br />
Mexico to Canada. The documentary tracks the fresh-out-of-college buddies<br />
as they set out on the adventure of a lifetime. 4 p.m. $10. 18 and under free.<br />
Tickets at pvplc.org or (310) 541-7613. Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W 6th<br />
St, San Pedro.<br />
Saturday, <strong>Nov</strong>ember 19<br />
Sunday, <strong>Nov</strong>ember 20<br />
Nutcracker at the Norris Theatre<br />
The <strong>Peninsula</strong> School of Performing Arts presents the Norris Theatre’s 28th<br />
annual holiday season “The Nutcracker” at 2 and 7 p.m on Saturday, and 2<br />
p.m. on Sunday. Professionals and pre-professionals, adults and young<br />
dancers, perform. Music by Tchaikovsky and choreography by Tita Boulger,<br />
Vera Ninkovic, Marina Kalinina and Alexander Kalinin. $32 for adults, $22<br />
for children. Tickets are available at the Norris box office or by phone at<br />
(310) 544-0403.<br />
Saturday, <strong>Nov</strong>ember 26<br />
Microplants on the <strong>Peninsula</strong><br />
Naturalist Neil Uelman will discuss his recent research on biological soil crust<br />
and how it applies to the <strong>Peninsula</strong>’s smallest plants. 11 a.m. ‘til noon. White<br />
Point Nature Preserve. RSVP: pvplc.org. 1600 W Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro,<br />
Tuesday, <strong>Nov</strong>ember 29<br />
ACT II Back to Broadway auditions<br />
Act II, a support group for Palos Verdes Performing Arts, is looking for talented<br />
performers to sing and dance to favorites from Broadway musicals at its 31st<br />
annual variety show. Auditions for “Back To Broadway” will be held at the<br />
Harlyne J. Norris Pavilion. Appointments for both solos and groups are being<br />
taken for times between 5:30 to 10 p.m. Participants should choose music<br />
from a popular Broadway musical to tie in with this year’s theme, and come<br />
prepared with a three minute act of dancing, singing or a combination of a<br />
special talent. An accompanist will be available. This season’s show is set for<br />
March 3-5, 2017 at the Norris Theatre. This year’s production will be in a<br />
different format, with audience members invited to participate in some of the<br />
numbers. For more information call<br />
co-producer Maureen Brugh at<br />
(310) 375-3328. 501 Indian Peak<br />
Road in Rolling Hills.<br />
Torrance Memorial’s<br />
Annual Holiday Festival<br />
TMMC begins its 33rd annual Holiday<br />
Festival fundraiser today. The<br />
festival features more than 36<br />
themed, decorated trees, live entertainment,<br />
the South Bay’s largest holiday<br />
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group members) Thursday, Dec. 1, 4 to 9 p.m. Torrance Memorial<br />
Medical Center, 3330 Lomita Blvd., Torrance. For more information, call<br />
(310) 517-4606 or visit TorranceMemorial.org/holidayfestival.<br />
Torrance Memorial’s Festival Fashion Show<br />
Cocktail and evening dresses by Kevan Hall Designs, as well as rare and<br />
original fur fashions and designs by Edwards-Lowell Furs Beverly Hills will be<br />
shown. 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., $125 per person. For tickets call 310- 517-<br />
4606 or visit TorranceMemorial.org/holidayfestival.<br />
Friday, December 2<br />
Torrance Memorial Festival Night Dinner Gala<br />
The Festival Night Dinner Gala, will include silent and live auctions. 5:30 to<br />
10 p.m. $300 per person/$550 per couple. Bid online from <strong>Nov</strong>ember 9<br />
through 22 by visiting biddingforgood.com/holidayfestival. To make reservations<br />
to attend any of the events or for Opportunity Drawing tickets, call the<br />
Torrance Memorial Foundation at (310) 517-4703. For recorded general<br />
event information, call (310) 517-4606 or visit TorranceMemorial.org/holidayfestival.<br />
Saturday, December 3<br />
Sunday, December 4<br />
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<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 29
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A highlight of Torrance<br />
Memorial’s Holiday Festival<br />
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trees. This year’s tree themes<br />
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World of Harry Potter,” “The<br />
Magic of Oz,” and “Floating<br />
Through the Decades,”<br />
commemorating award-winning<br />
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Rose Float Association. This<br />
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Sunday, Dec. 4,<br />
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5. Torrance<br />
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JJonathan Bisignano during his days at Palos Verdes High School. Photo courtesy the Bisignano family<br />
onathan Bisignano was two years old and ready to see the world.<br />
His family was living in South Redondo at the time, and<br />
Jonathan was playing by himself in the backyard. Then he wasn’t.<br />
His mother Angela Bisignano looked outside and her son was<br />
nowhere to be found. Panic set in. He’d found a way to climb the<br />
backyard fence.<br />
“He decided he was going to go someplace, exploring,” Angela<br />
recalled. “I could not find that boy.”<br />
He figured out how to climb through a neighbor’s gate, as well.<br />
Nearly an hour later, his mother found Jonathan calmly playing<br />
on a backyard swingset a half block away.<br />
In coming years, Gerard and Angela Bisignano would come to<br />
admire, occasionally fear, and generally expect the unending surprises<br />
that came with their first child’s blithely bold disposition.<br />
“My wife was concerned he had a bone problem because he<br />
kept breaking bones,” Gerard said. “It was skateboarding, soccer,<br />
snowboarding...jumping off a slide when he was three. When he<br />
was four he broke a collarbone.”<br />
“By the time he was 16, he’d broken seven or eight bones. Because<br />
he was charging.”<br />
Even as a fourth grade Boy Scout, or Webelo, he managed to<br />
push to the very edge.<br />
“We were in the Santa Monica Mountains, and there was this<br />
How faith and community helped the Bisignano family survive the loss of their son Jonathan,<br />
and the lessons in love his life imparted<br />
one huge mountain,” Angela said. “He ran to the top of it, and<br />
there was a 500-foot drop. He runs to it; he's the first one up there.<br />
I'm shaking down below. ‘What are you doing? Stop!’ That is what<br />
he would do.”<br />
Jonathan charged through his childhood, an electric presence<br />
wherever he went. Hunter Riley, who would become one of his<br />
closest friends, remembers when Jonathan arrived at Palos Verdes<br />
Intermediate School. They were both in eighth grade. The Bisignanos<br />
had just moved from Redondo to Palos Verdes and nobody<br />
at school knew the new kid. But few failed to notice him. He was<br />
almost impossible to miss, with his long black skater boy hair,<br />
wolf-like, piercing blue eyes and buoyant, mischievous presence.<br />
“The first thing me and my buddies, we didn’t like this good<br />
looking guy getting all the attention from the girls,” Riley said,<br />
laughing. “Our first reaction was to punk him a little bit. We tried<br />
to hate him, but we couldn’t. He became a part of our friends circle.”<br />
Another member of that circle, Arian Savar, recalled how the<br />
girls were curious about Jonathan while the guys kept a cool distance.<br />
“I’ve always been a direct, straightforward person, so I just<br />
walked right over to him and introduced myself,” Savar said. “I<br />
wanted to know, ‘Is he one of us?’ To be honest, it turned out he<br />
36 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
The Bisignano family, from left, Jonathan, Angela, Gerard, and David.<br />
Photo courtesy the Bisignano family<br />
was something quite more. He looked me in the<br />
eye and shook my hand.”<br />
Thus began a friendship that would have all the<br />
usual “shenanigans,” as Savar said, that teenage<br />
boys get up to together — the sports, misadventures,<br />
girl chasing, and epic hangouts of the<br />
bumpy, exuberant years of high school.<br />
But comradery with Jonathan had another<br />
level. He was somebody who found deeper ways<br />
to connect, both with friends and family and the<br />
world at large.<br />
“We would talk about God, family, our community,<br />
our country, what it all means, and what our<br />
place is in it,” Savar said.<br />
“We’d have conversations about metaphysics<br />
and the newest information on consciousness research<br />
all the way, basically, to what happens<br />
after you die,” Riley said. “That was something<br />
he researched, especially after high school. He<br />
was always exploring.”<br />
He played some football early in high school,<br />
but then grabbed hold of the idea that the school<br />
needed a rugby team. So he put one together with<br />
his friends.<br />
“He didn't just play football, he had to play<br />
rugby, with no pads,” his mother, Angela, said.<br />
“He couldn't just run and do hurdles, no, he had<br />
to be the pole vaulter — like he would always be<br />
going for the thing that would make me be on my<br />
knees praying, ‘Oh Lord what is he doing now?’”<br />
Jonathan also had an ability to learn on the fly,<br />
and to do so with an almost maddening ease.<br />
“He picked up rugby really quickly,” Riley said.<br />
“He was a smaller guy, but he was tough. He really<br />
got into rugby. He was 5’7’’, a buck thirty,<br />
maybe forty. But he was an animal.”<br />
“He was very hands on,” Riley said. “Back<br />
when we met, it was skateboarding, then he got<br />
into the surfing thing, playing piano, playing guitar.<br />
He didn’t even let a lot of people know he<br />
played piano, I think he was a little embarrassed...And<br />
he was weirdly good at everything<br />
he tried.”<br />
Jonathan was an exceptional student. He<br />
dreamt of going to USC, and lived that dream. In<br />
college, he met the girl of his dreams, a beautiful<br />
doe-eyed journalism student named Casey<br />
Tamkin, with whom he began to plan a life beyond<br />
college. Last spring, he was preparing to<br />
graduate with a degree in international relations<br />
and economics and pursue a career in investment<br />
banking. With typical, methodical avidness, he’d<br />
applied with 100 firms, and was advancing in the<br />
multilevel hiring process that the highest level financial<br />
firms require. Instead of doing the usual<br />
fraternity brother spring break to Cabo, he flew<br />
with a friend to Japan simply to better know how<br />
that corner of the world worked.<br />
His parents noticed that after his return he was<br />
experiencing unusual weariness, beyond normal<br />
jet lag. But he kept charging: a weekend in Vegas<br />
with his fraternity brothers, then a weekend in<br />
the desert with his girlfriend at the Coachella<br />
music festival. The couple drove back together<br />
Monday morning, April 18, and made plans to<br />
meet for dinner that night.<br />
He then went to his apartment and took a nap<br />
from which he never woke up.<br />
At the time of his passing, at the age of 22, the<br />
circumstances — a college kid who’d been at a<br />
music festival — led to a widespread assumption<br />
he’d experienced an overdose. The USC Daily<br />
Trojan reported “accidental overdose” as the likely<br />
cause of death. Initially, due to the news report,<br />
his father accepted the assumption, despite the<br />
fact it seemed entirely out of character for<br />
Jonathan and no drugs were found near his son.<br />
“He went to Coachella, it ended on Sunday and<br />
he partied all night long like kids do, into the next<br />
days, probably took something somewhere along<br />
the way he shouldn't have, he wasn't sure how<br />
powerful it was, whatever, and then finally made<br />
it home after maybe 48 hours up and just faded,”<br />
Gerard said. “That was the assumption.”<br />
But the truth was he'd done nothing of the<br />
kind. He and Casey left the festival’s final show<br />
and grabbed some food. Far from partying, he’d<br />
dutifully waited an hour-and-a-half in line with<br />
her just so she could have the noodles she<br />
wanted. Afterwards, they went back to their<br />
condo rental for a good night's sleep.<br />
The next night, his heart simply gave out.<br />
“There is just a moment,” his father said later,<br />
“where the number of beats that God has allowed<br />
to you comes to an end.”<br />
His family had a history of congenital heart failure.<br />
Angela’s father experienced four heart attacks<br />
and died of the final one, at the age of 54.<br />
But those who knew Jonathan best saw something<br />
beyond a genetic condition. They saw a<br />
young man who lived as if each day could be his<br />
last, a friend, son, and brother gone far too soon,<br />
but one who left behind lessons in love and living<br />
for those left in the wake of the startlingly beautiful<br />
and bold swath he cut on his way through<br />
this life.<br />
“Jon, you were taken from us far too soon,” his<br />
girlfriend, Casey, said at his memorial, standing<br />
near his casket. “But you taught me that life isn’t<br />
measured by the the breaths we take. It is measured<br />
by what we do with the moments we are<br />
given. In just 22 years, you lived a fuller life than<br />
someone who could have lived to be 100.”<br />
Life love<br />
Jonathan Chase Bisignano was born May 24,<br />
1993.<br />
“Twenty-five hours of labor,” Angela said.<br />
“Jonathan took his sweet time coming out the<br />
birth canal. In hindsight, it was probably a prelude<br />
for coming attractions. Jonathan was deter-<br />
Jon cont. on page 38<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 37
“There are literally no photos of<br />
my brother where he doesn’t have<br />
his arm around me,” said David. “I<br />
look at those photos and I realize<br />
how much he loved me. So that’s<br />
pretty cool.”<br />
“I don’t recall Jonathan ever saying<br />
anything mean spirited about<br />
his brother, he loved him so much,”<br />
Angela said. “I was really proud<br />
that I raised a son who cared so<br />
much about his brother; that really<br />
warmed my heart.”<br />
Growing up, David said, his<br />
brother was larger than life. Everyone<br />
seemed to know him.<br />
“It was strange for me,” David<br />
said. “I don’t know why, but it’s like<br />
my brother was famous. I felt like I<br />
was the brother of a celebrity. He<br />
just had a huge impact.”<br />
“I was always the kid who had<br />
the coolest big bro,” he said. “Everything<br />
my brother did was the<br />
coolest, that’s just how it was, and<br />
school, David got a call from<br />
Jonathan. He was coming to pick<br />
him up from school.<br />
“Man,” David said. “It’s 10:30.”<br />
“He said, ‘I’m coming to pick you<br />
up.’ I just left class, and that was it.”<br />
Jonathan had a gift for brotherhood<br />
beyond his family. Throughout<br />
his life, other boys congregated<br />
around him.<br />
“He was a gatherer,” Gerard said.<br />
“We would wake up on Saturday<br />
mornings and there would be five<br />
or six kids here sleeping on the<br />
floor.”<br />
Savar was one of those kids. He<br />
recalled “a rough patch” when he<br />
stayed for a while at the Bisignano<br />
house.<br />
“Jon provided a safe haven in so<br />
many ways, not just words, wisdom,<br />
camaraderie, and hugs, but he<br />
sheltered me at times when I<br />
needed it,” he said. “The family was<br />
amazing. They’d see me on the<br />
Jonathan and his girlfriend, Casey Tamkins, whom he met at USC in 2014.<br />
His family believe he’d found the love of his life. Photo courtesy Casey<br />
Tamkins<br />
Jon cont. from page 37<br />
mined to do things his way.”<br />
“The first time I saw him I fell in<br />
love, deep, deep love,” she said. “He<br />
became in that moment my beautiful<br />
boy. Honestly, the most beautiful<br />
baby I had ever seen. It wasn’t<br />
for another four years that I would<br />
know my second beautiful boy.”<br />
Angela, a clinical psychologist,<br />
put her career on hold to give as<br />
much attention as possible to her<br />
two boys. This was indicative of the<br />
approach the Bisignanos took with<br />
their family. They lived deliberately.<br />
Gerard, a successful real estate<br />
agent, was elected to the Redondo<br />
Beach City Council when Jonathan<br />
was four.<br />
“I thought, I want to show my<br />
family that being involved, getting<br />
out there, is an important part of<br />
life,” he said. “If we didn’t have children<br />
at the time, I never would<br />
have run.”<br />
Pastor Dan Bradford of Kings<br />
Harbor Church, who baptized<br />
Jonathan at Seaside Lagoon and officiated<br />
at his funeral at Green Hills<br />
Memorial Park, said he admired the<br />
intentionality with which the Bisignanos<br />
conducted their lives.<br />
“I can tell you, both are movers<br />
and shakers, but not for sake of<br />
being movers and shakers,” Bradford<br />
said. “They are genuinely invested<br />
in everything they put their<br />
hands and hearts to.”<br />
The fact the boys were given Old<br />
Testament names, the youngest as<br />
the man who would be king and<br />
the oldest as his deepest friend and<br />
protector, was likewise a considered<br />
decision.<br />
“Jonathan's name means gift<br />
from God,” Angela said. “When we<br />
were trying to figure out a second<br />
name for our youngest, there is a<br />
story in the Bible that talks about<br />
how the souls of Jonathan and<br />
David were knit together. We loved<br />
the idea that the souls of our boys<br />
would be knit together. And they<br />
were so close. It was precious.”<br />
As the family looked through<br />
photographs after Jonathan’s passing,<br />
they noticed something striking<br />
about the photos that contained<br />
both brothers.<br />
Jonathan and David Bisignano. Photo courtesy the Bisignano family<br />
every story I told was about my<br />
brother. ‘Well, my brother…’ Now<br />
it’s awkward. I can’t use those stories.”<br />
Early on, their age difference<br />
meant that Jonathan rarely hung<br />
out with David. But David, who is<br />
now 18, remembers the exact moment<br />
that changed. He was 11 or<br />
12. He and his brother were supposed<br />
to be going to church.<br />
Jonathan drove.<br />
“You know what? Let’s go do<br />
something fun,” he told his little<br />
brother.<br />
They went and got burritos at<br />
Phanny’s in Redondo Beach.<br />
“In my mind, I’m 11, doing something<br />
against the rules — it’s not really<br />
what I did yet,” David recalled.<br />
“That was kind of the breaking of<br />
the barrier.”<br />
After Jonathan went away to college,<br />
he didn’t come home often.<br />
But once, when he was in high<br />
couch, ‘Okay, good morning.’ Three<br />
days go by, the weekend passes, I<br />
wake up on the couch and they<br />
never gave me a hard time. They<br />
just made sure my head was in the<br />
right place, that I knew hard times<br />
come and go.”<br />
Once when he was staying with<br />
the Bisignanos, the family had plans<br />
to go to Palm Springs to celebrate<br />
Jonathan’s and his grandfather<br />
Flavio’s birthdays. Jonathan asked<br />
Savar to come along; Savar declined,<br />
telling his friend he didn’t<br />
want his heavy mood to dampen<br />
the occasion.<br />
“No,” Jonathan said. “You are<br />
going with me.”<br />
The Bisignanos, realizing their<br />
son needed a vehicle large enough<br />
to haul his constant crew, had purchased<br />
a GMC Denali. It would become<br />
an iconic car among his high<br />
school friends. Jonathan and Savar<br />
drove to Palm Springs in the Denali.<br />
38 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
“Jon was one of those people you<br />
could be in a car with for hours and<br />
you are constantly entertained,<br />
never a moment of boredom,” Savar<br />
said. “If there is a quiet point, it’s<br />
because you are contemplating<br />
something you just talked about.<br />
Car rides always went fast.”<br />
Savar didn’t want to talk about<br />
what was bothering him.<br />
“After we get back, dude,” he<br />
said. “Not now.”<br />
“We are not going anywhere with<br />
something weighing on your mind,”<br />
Jonathan replied. “Dude, you know<br />
me. You better tell me.”<br />
And so they talked. And laughed.<br />
And sat and thought, staring out at<br />
the stark landscape, Savar’s troubles<br />
dissipating with each passing<br />
mile.<br />
“We pull into Palm Springs, get<br />
out of the car smiling and laughing,”<br />
Savar said. “All worries were<br />
completely wiped out, gone — not<br />
dormant, but resolved.”<br />
They arrived to Flavio Bisignano<br />
holding court over drinks at the<br />
pool patio, regaling the boys with<br />
tales from his 90 years of living.<br />
Hours later, as they made their way<br />
to their hotel room, Savar paused<br />
and nearly broke down.<br />
“There’s so much suffering and<br />
conflict in my life,” he told<br />
Jonathan. “I just can’t see going on<br />
90 years, another 70 years of life.<br />
It’s just too much.”<br />
Jonathan looked his friend in the<br />
eye. “You have to, man,” he said. “If<br />
we are old men, telling stories to<br />
our kids and grandkids, we are<br />
going to look back and be grateful<br />
we got to live this long life. You<br />
aren’t going anywhere without me.”<br />
Riley said there was a dark time<br />
during his high school years that<br />
he’s not sure he would have made<br />
it through had it not been for<br />
Jonathan’s relentlessly caring presence.<br />
Unlike most of his other<br />
friends, Riley wasn’t a partier.<br />
Jonathan, with his ebullient conviviality,<br />
was extremely social. Yet<br />
he would make sure he and Riley<br />
also had quiet time together.<br />
“He was the only person I could<br />
talk to about some things,” Riley<br />
said. “At that age, most people, even<br />
friends, are very surface level. We’d<br />
have these strong, deep, meaningful<br />
conversations….No matter what his<br />
situation was, he was always able to<br />
be positive, always able to give you<br />
his full attention.”<br />
As Jonathan once told Riley, if<br />
one of his buddies was going<br />
through a hard time, then he was,<br />
too. He also had an extremely unusual<br />
characteristic for a teenager:<br />
he didn’t particularly care what<br />
anyone thought of him.<br />
“It’s hard to explain, but there<br />
was no problem with him,” Savar<br />
said. “He never let anything stick to<br />
him, or define him, or ruin his day.<br />
That was something that left a mark<br />
on me, in so many ways. He was<br />
like a pillar. If somebody was angry,<br />
he’d be like, ‘Screw it. Let that guy<br />
be angry. You can be better than<br />
that. Let’s skate, go bomb the hill,<br />
go get a milkshake.’ Always that<br />
positive influence.”<br />
“He was just such a good guy, no<br />
bullshit, so straightforward. If you<br />
didn’t like Jon, there was probably<br />
something wrong with you.”<br />
He had a perpetual smile on his<br />
face, a distinctive high-pitched<br />
laugh that his friends loved to<br />
mimic, and an ability to never take<br />
himself too seriously.<br />
“That was one of the things I took<br />
away from Jon the most: his ability<br />
to not care about other people’s<br />
judgement,” Riley said. “That was<br />
the biggest thing. He was goofy,<br />
such a dork, he could be so embarrassing,<br />
but he just wouldn’t care.”<br />
His penchant for helping those<br />
around him rings a bell for friends<br />
of Angela.<br />
“She’s always lived with purpose<br />
and intention, and she’s a great help<br />
to other women, helping them discover<br />
their gifts and live life to the<br />
fullest,” said friend Carol Anderson<br />
Junara. “She’s a great communicator<br />
of love.”<br />
On Mother’s Day this year, three<br />
weeks after Jonathan’s passing, another<br />
of his friends left a note for<br />
Angela. Handwritten, on pink stationery,<br />
the writer shared with Angela<br />
that his relationship with his<br />
own mother had gotten better “just<br />
by hearing Jon talk about your relationship<br />
with him.”<br />
“It’s so rare for a mother to be so<br />
close to their children, and the example<br />
Jon’s shown has made me<br />
strive to be a better son,” he wrote.<br />
“You’ve raised him to be someone<br />
I’ve trusted more than anyone else<br />
in my life….Although you are not<br />
my own mother, I appreciate you as<br />
if you were because of the impact<br />
you’ve had on my life through Jon.”<br />
Love life<br />
It was Tuesday night, March 12,<br />
2014, in the dormitories at USC.<br />
Freshman Casey Tamkin was<br />
bored. She called her friend at the<br />
Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity to see<br />
if there was anything going on.<br />
Jon cont. on page 40<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 39
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Jonathan Bisignano abroad in the Greek Isles. An avid traveler, he traversed<br />
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Jon cont. from page 39<br />
They were playing beer pong, he<br />
said. Come on over.<br />
She and another girl walked to<br />
the fraternity. When she arrived<br />
and found her friend, she saw a<br />
blue-eyed boy sitting watchfully on<br />
the steps of the house’s atrium.<br />
“Eyes so blue they just stop you,”<br />
Tamkin later recalled. “They are the<br />
first thing you see when you walk<br />
into a room.”<br />
She asked her friend who the boy<br />
was, and he told her Jonathan was<br />
his big brother at the fraternity.<br />
“You didn’t tell me you had a really<br />
cute big brother,” she told him.<br />
“Thanks.”<br />
She and Jonathan ended up talking,<br />
and then taking a walk together<br />
to a campus bar to have a drink. He<br />
told her she had the most beautiful<br />
eyes. Though flattered, she scoffed<br />
at him.<br />
“Are you okay? My eyes are<br />
brown,” she said.<br />
He gave her his phone number<br />
but she later realized it was missing<br />
a digit. She assumed it was on purpose<br />
and she’d never talk to him<br />
again. But weeks later, in Cabo for<br />
spring break, she ran into him on<br />
the beach. They ended up hanging<br />
out for the next four days. When<br />
she got back to USC, she thought,<br />
“You know what, I’m just going to<br />
text him.” He came over that night<br />
to do homework with her, and they<br />
worked and talked, the beginning of<br />
a conversation that would be ongoing<br />
until the day he died a little<br />
more than two years later. They fell<br />
seamlessly and deeply into love.<br />
Her first impression had been<br />
that Jonathan, with his good looks<br />
and cool swagger, puffed out chest<br />
and perfect posture, was “such a<br />
frat boy.” He turned out to be anything<br />
but. He was broadly curious,<br />
unconventional in how he thought<br />
and the intensity with which he<br />
lived. He was absolutely full of love,<br />
both for the world and for the people<br />
he shared his life with, and<br />
completely unafraid to show it.<br />
“Being in college, the guys are all,<br />
‘Yeah, hook up with a hot girl,’”<br />
Tamkin said. “Jon was so different,<br />
so kind, so unlike anyone I ever<br />
met. He just wanted to hang out<br />
and talk and get to know you. We<br />
just hit it off the moment we met.”<br />
“What was so special is he really<br />
lived every day like it was his last,”<br />
she said. “That is something I take<br />
away as a lesson from him. He was<br />
so full of life. The last weekend we<br />
spent together, he was dancing in<br />
the desert, having the time of his<br />
life, nonstop, go, go, go.”<br />
Next month: love, loss, lessons, and<br />
the embrace of community. PEN<br />
40 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
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S P O T L I G H T O N T H E H I L L<br />
Palos Verdes Performing Arts<br />
Encore Circle Season Opening Dinner<br />
The Palos Verdes Performing Arts Center’s Encore Circle support<br />
group celebrated the opening of the 34th season on September 23<br />
with a production of Mel Brooks’ Broadway hit, “Young Frankenstein”<br />
at the Norris Theatre. Before the show, members enjoyed an elegant dinner<br />
at the Harlyne J. Norris Pavilion and a surprise visit from Frankenstein’s<br />
monster during the cocktail hour. Maude Landon, who organized<br />
the annual dinner, and also serves as the chairperson of Encore Circle,<br />
welcomed the supporters, and acknowledged their vital role in keeping<br />
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1. Frankenstein’s Monster and Anita<br />
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2. Kathy Blenko and Mary Kehrl.<br />
PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE CARTOZIAN<br />
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4. Allen Alpay, The Monster and Ruth<br />
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5. Producer/director of Young<br />
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Reynolds, John Douglass and board<br />
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8. Karen Marcus and Art Friedman.<br />
9. Maude and Aaron Landon, Preston<br />
Landon and Katie Tornstrom.<br />
1<br />
2 3<br />
4 5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
44 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
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48 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
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B R E L i c . # 0 0 8 7 4 0 7 2
Henry Morse holds the lead through a turn at the<br />
Canadian Tire Motor Park in Ontario, Canada<br />
during the Pirelli World Challenge Series.<br />
Redondo Beach high schooler<br />
Henry Morse, 15, races to the<br />
podium in the professional Pirelli<br />
World Challenge<br />
fast 15<br />
Morse demonstrated his driving skills<br />
early on in go kart racing at the<br />
Cal Speed Karting Center at the<br />
Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.<br />
50 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
y David Mendez<br />
It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that Henry Morse, a contender for<br />
a series championship in the Pirelli World Challenge and multipletime<br />
racing champion, is only 15 years old. Even he forgets, sometimes.<br />
He was dissecting his comfort in front of crowds, how it’s so easy<br />
for him to speak clearly and confidently despite being much younger<br />
than most of his audience. “I took public speaking in middle school,”<br />
he said, before pausing for a moment. “That was last year, I guess.”<br />
Morse has been racing for nearly 90 percent of his life. He was “a<br />
year and eight months,” said his father Ben Morse, when he participated<br />
in his first sanctioned race, a bike race at the Chevron Manhattan<br />
Beach Grand Prix. He’s been moving up the ranks ever since, from<br />
bikes to motorcycles to go karts, where he won nine championships.<br />
This year is the Redondo Beach resident’s first year racing in a professional<br />
series. After ten races, he’s in second place in PWC’s Touring<br />
Car B division, 13 points off of the leader, 38 year old PJ Groenke. It’s<br />
not outside the realm of possibility for Henry to win the series, becoming<br />
both the first to win a PWC series in their first year, and the<br />
youngest person to do so.<br />
“He absolutely has the talent to be a successful race car driver, but<br />
he doesn’t have $7 million to $8 million dollars a year,” said his father.<br />
Racing isn’t cheap. It’s said that if a driver wants to make $10 million<br />
a year, they need to spend $50 million. Everything about owning and<br />
operating a race car is expensive, from cars to parts to transporting vehicles<br />
from track to track.<br />
“There’s another 15-year-old on a few series, and conservatively, he’s<br />
spending $8 to $12 million a year,” Morse said. “The only people who<br />
can make it like Henry are the incredibly lucky.”<br />
Both his father and grandfather raced cars, passing down a need for<br />
speed and deep-seated confidence.<br />
“There’s a certain mindset that someone needs to live in, in order to<br />
maximize their opportunities…I have an incredible opportunity to<br />
achieve greatness with the position I’m in,” Henry said. “There really<br />
isn’t any choice other than to devote myself entirely — it wouldn’t<br />
make sense not to.”<br />
He learned early on, he said, from watching his parents “making<br />
something out of nothing, or very little,” that trying his hardest can<br />
lead to success.<br />
“I’m really putting that to the test,” Henry said. “I think there are<br />
more people who have visited the International Space Station than have<br />
been pro race car drivers.”<br />
Much of his time is spent either on the track or in a racing simulator.<br />
But fundraising and finding partnerships are also a huge part of the<br />
work.<br />
Henry Morse earned motorsport media attention after his youthful<br />
success in the Pirelli World Challenge Series.<br />
“Ninety-nine percent of the time, we’re looking for partners who<br />
want to participate in this exceptional journey we’re on — people<br />
who have money, passion, and an interest in racing,” Ben Morse<br />
said. “The trick is hearing ‘no’ 10,000 times and still getting up in<br />
the morning with the understanding that the next person you talk<br />
to may be the one who makes your career possible.”<br />
Henry has the interview patter down. He rattles off his list of<br />
sponsors and partners — Pirelli, Freem, MorseGPS, among others<br />
— and tells how each has contributed to his career. He also gives<br />
credit to the teachers and staff at Rolling Hills Prep.<br />
He recognizes that his status as a 15-year-old racing with pros is<br />
a marketer’s dream. “They understand that I’m getting a lot of attention,”<br />
he said. He was given seven minutes of uninterrupted<br />
airtime on CBS Sports following a race this season. “It’s a good<br />
marketing move to partner with me.”<br />
He’s not concerned about burning out.<br />
“We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs…so much time and<br />
focus and energy has been devoted to this that, if burning out was<br />
possible, it would have happened already,” he said. “But if I end<br />
up not making it as a pro racer, I’ll still be racing something.”<br />
“I think it’s absolutely absurd,” his dad said. “I give him every<br />
opportunity to gracefully back away from it,” he said. “But you’re<br />
doing this because you enjoy it, not necessarily because you have<br />
to — it’s not a required career path, we just love it.”<br />
The two are constantly working together at the track. Ben races<br />
in many of the same series as Henry, and coaches him, discussing<br />
tracks and working out potential problems.<br />
Ben believes Henry’s biggest limitation is financial, not age.<br />
At the 2014 Grand Nationals a field of 100 drivers was pared<br />
down to six over the course of three days. Henry was among the<br />
finalists. All of the drivers took one lap, driving identical race cars.<br />
“The car is the same, the track, the time of day, tires, gas…all<br />
the same. There weren’t any excuses, just the person who was unquestionably<br />
the fastest driver.”<br />
That day, Henry came out on top — the fastest by seven thousandths<br />
of a second.<br />
“What happened in that moment is it defined him. It wasn’t any<br />
more about his dad telling him how good he was,” Ben said. PEN<br />
Ben Morse with son Henry at five months.<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 51
Still<br />
Night
y Bondo Wyszpolski<br />
Jennifer Hills is Graceful Gale at Queen Mary's "Dark Harbor." All photos by Bondo Wyszpolski<br />
Queen Mary’s Graceful Gale is enchanting… and deadly<br />
If you push your way through the brambles on a moonlit night and climb<br />
towards the summit of Palos Verdes, which faces the Port of Los Angeles,<br />
there’s a magnificent view of the “Queen Mary.” But how to explain that<br />
eerie glow that lately has enveloped it? Easy. From late September through<br />
Halloween, parts of the ship and its surroundings (including the dome that<br />
formerly housed the Spruce Goose) are transformed into the mazes that<br />
comprise “Dark Harbor.”<br />
The six mazes and assorted, or sordid, attractions employ over 200 zombies,<br />
ghouls, ghosts, and other apparitions. If one of them doesn’t jump out<br />
and scare the bejeezus out of you then rest assured that a dozen others will.<br />
Either way, people, mostly the fearless among us, keep returning for more,<br />
year after year.<br />
Night of the living dead<br />
Among the nameless hordes are several prominent characters, from<br />
Samuel the Savage to Scary Mary and Half-Hatch Henry. But the one who<br />
caught my attention was Graceful Gale. These characters have backstories.<br />
Henry was bisected and Mary drowned. Gale was an alluring, first-class<br />
passenger who boarded the Queen Mary in May of 1939. When the ship<br />
docked at its final destination she had vanished, never to be seen again.<br />
The story may have some basis in fact. And besides, the ship is rumored<br />
to be the home of numerous ghosts. One of them, the so-called “woman in<br />
white,” is a partial inspiration for Graceful Gale.<br />
Now, the majority of the monsters, or talent, as talent director David<br />
Wally refers to them, pretty much resemble your average 20-something<br />
who’s landed a cool job for a few weeks. They grovel and slither and leap<br />
about, the normal thing that scary creatures do. But Graceful Gale, and I’m<br />
referring to the principal Graceful Gale (there are others), bears herself elegantly,<br />
with dignity, moves slowly, languidly (like Paul Delvaux’s nocturnal<br />
women, if you know the painter), and envelops herself in an aura or shroud<br />
of absolute stillness.<br />
The effect is enhanced by her silence. Graceful Gale doesn’t utter a<br />
sound, or rather she speaks volumes by not speaking at all. She is aloof,<br />
but she is sad. Mascara runs down her face, and her eyes are dark, fathomless<br />
pools of sorrow. Her lips are bright red, yet her pallor is a deathly white.<br />
The bottom of her ballgown is blood-soaked. Did she murder someone, or<br />
was she herself the victim of a violent crime?<br />
I am, of course, reading too much into this. Or am I? Under the makeup<br />
and the blonde wig one detects an attractive woman. The eyes, as dark as<br />
the eyes of a seal on account of the special contacts she’s wearing, are<br />
spooky, but what I’m reminded of is the story of Pygmalion and Galatea,<br />
in which the sculptor falls in love with his ivory creation, and Aphrodite<br />
turns her into a living woman. In Ovid’s version, a daughter is born, and<br />
her name is Paphos. Although she’s just a footnote in classical mythology,<br />
I’d recently written about her, and Graceful Gale brought all this to mind.<br />
As fanciful and farfetched as these perceptions and projections are, that’s<br />
how I saw the character of Graceful Gale. But how does the real woman<br />
behind the makeup see her? I was given the opportunity to find out.<br />
Emerging from the shadows<br />
Her name is Jennifer Hills and behind the scenes she’s as alluring as her<br />
character but more expressive. One interesting thing, amusing in its own<br />
way, is that despite Graceful Gale’s reticience Jennifer talks a mile a minute.<br />
I’ll call her Jennifer instead of Hills, and instead of Graceful Gale, too,<br />
which frankly sounds more like a nickname, not unlike Hammerin’ Hank<br />
or Joltin’ Joe. Sure, she enters like a gentle gust of wind, so the moniker applies,<br />
but I picture her with a far classier name, and we’ll bandy about some<br />
possibilities in a few moments.<br />
This is Jennifer’s fifth year as Graceful Gale, and her seventh year at<br />
“Dark Harbor.” Before that she did dance shows at Universal Studios, parade<br />
shows at Disneyland, and made some appearances on TV. She’s still<br />
taking dance classes, but she’s actually gone back to school to earn a degree<br />
in earth science.<br />
After her first two years at “Dark Harbor,” the characters received a<br />
makeover and Jennifer was given a certain amount of leeway to mold the<br />
character of Graceful Gale. She knew the supposed history of the vanished<br />
passenger, but “obviously she has to be a bit more on the scary side; we’re<br />
here to haunt you, and you need to be able to (convey) a villainous feeling<br />
almost.”<br />
Gale cont. on page 56<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 55
Gale cont. from page 55<br />
“She’s from the ‘20s, ‘30s, she’s a first-class passenger,”<br />
Jennifer continues, “so my first thought<br />
was that she was a former entertainer, dancer,<br />
that kind of thing. She has an air about herself,<br />
she conducts herself well, she stands up straight.<br />
In those days things were segregated, so a lot of<br />
times I’ll pass by monsters, when they’re in character,<br />
and just not take notice because back then<br />
people didn’t do that. So I make sure I carry myself<br />
with a certain air.”<br />
The creators now promote the idea that Graceful<br />
Gale is gliding about the ship, searching for<br />
her soulmate. “If you are lucky enough to see her,<br />
she may extend her hand for a dance,” according<br />
to the PR, “but dance with caution [because] in<br />
death she tears apart the living and reassembles<br />
her victims to create the perfect dance partner.”<br />
Well, maybe. My guess is that ghosts or spirits<br />
often hang around because they may not know<br />
or accept that they’re dead, or because on this<br />
plane they have unfinished business. Looking for<br />
a soulmate may play well, but I think that our<br />
young lady would be confused or in denial. And<br />
it would be a sadness that’s closer to profound<br />
grief and melancholy.<br />
While Graceful Gale’s sadness is a given, Jennifer<br />
also sees her as villainous, and possibly deranged.<br />
“<strong>People</strong> will always comment, ‘Oh, she looks<br />
sad!’ And I’m like, Good! I am, but there’s a<br />
twistedness and it’s like if I turn and look at you,<br />
and I have the black contacts and the makeup<br />
and the cracked face, and I smile at you, it could<br />
be unnerving.”<br />
On my previous visit to “Dark Harbor” I never<br />
saw Graceful Gale open her mouth, let alone<br />
smile. Even a mannikin shows more life. But because<br />
Jennifer’s character cannot indulge in the<br />
usual jump-and-scare tactics of her confrère<br />
beasties, largely because she’s in heels and clad<br />
in a long, form-fitting dress, she has to be more<br />
subtle. And thus the (evil) smile.<br />
“It’s rare,” she says. “That means I’ve got a victim.<br />
It’s the smile that creeps people out. It’s like<br />
people are afraid of clowns because of that<br />
creepy smile they have painted on their face.”<br />
In other words, the smile only comes out when<br />
she knows it will be effective. One really doesn’t<br />
need to leap up and down and shout. The power<br />
of suggestion can yield the same result. For example,<br />
one of Jennifer’s inspirations for her appearance<br />
came from “Halloween,” with Michael<br />
Myers (the white, full-face mask). “I took a page<br />
out of his book,” she says. “Sometimes silence can<br />
still be the creepiest thing.”<br />
Originally, however, there was less subtlety, as<br />
when Graceful Gale carried around a large dagger.<br />
I’m regaled with one anecdote of how she<br />
caught someone by utter surprise, slowly bringing<br />
out the weapon from behind her back. In the<br />
dark, who can tell if a dagger is razor-sharp or<br />
dull, right? And who wants to find out the hard<br />
way?<br />
In which one Gale meets another<br />
Jennifer appreciates the “Dark Harbor” guests<br />
who know her name and backstory. It shows that<br />
they’re fans or else have done their homework.<br />
But it’s here that I ask her, Would your character<br />
really be named Gale? And if not, what might it<br />
be?<br />
“That’s actually a really good question,” she<br />
replies. “You’d have to think of what names were<br />
popular during that time period. I mean, Graceful<br />
Gale actually flows very well [but] Gale (or rather<br />
Gail) is not a usual name you hear nowadays; it<br />
seems like it would be an older name.”<br />
I point out that the name should not be out of<br />
place in 1930s (as the name Jennifer probably<br />
would), and it should still have a resonance today.<br />
Eventually Jennifer says, “All night I’ll be standing<br />
there, all silent: What would my name be?”<br />
She laughs. “What is she thinking about? I’m<br />
thinking about my name!” And then, in a theatrical<br />
tone of voice: “You’ve stumped me, Sir; how<br />
dare you.” More laughter.<br />
Looking at the photographs, what name would<br />
Jennifer Hills, before her ghoulish transformation.<br />
you give her? Margaret? Flora? Emmeline? And<br />
for a last name, maybe something suggesting<br />
wealth or breeding such as Windsor, Dupont, or<br />
Waldorf?<br />
Perhaps the most unsettling aspect of Graceful<br />
Gale is the tragedy in her eyes and the running<br />
mascara.<br />
“She was crying, she’s lonely, and the blackness<br />
under her eyes adds an element of scariness to<br />
it,” Jennifer says. She notes that she’s the only<br />
Graceful Gale wearing full blackout contact<br />
lenses. “It just looks like my eyeballs have melted<br />
into these sockets, and the black coming down is<br />
also part of that.<br />
“She’s also going crazy, too,” hell-bent on finding<br />
her soulmate. “So she’s murdering people,<br />
she’s cutting them up, she’s sewing them back<br />
together and taking parts. And so when you go<br />
through ‘Soulmate’ (the maze at the rear of the<br />
ship that tells her story) you see the madness start<br />
to unfold, and she starts to get crazier and crazier<br />
as she goes.”<br />
If there are spirits or unextinguished life forms,<br />
and we mess with them, could there be repercussions?<br />
“I do want to add that I feel the first year I<br />
played Graceful Gale, she was looking for me, the<br />
real ghost,” Jennifer says. She describes in some<br />
detail an encounter that lacks a sensible explanation,<br />
where “the woman in white,” usually<br />
glimpsed on the former first-class levels of the<br />
ship, came below to see what was going on.<br />
“The fact that she was roaming around the<br />
bowels of the ship where we were scared me to<br />
no end, and I had to say, Ma’am, whoever you<br />
are, I’m not here to make fun of you. I’m merely<br />
here to portray you; I’m so sorry. Ever since then<br />
nothing ever happened, but it was really, really<br />
weird and to this day I don’t know… I felt that<br />
first year that she was checking things out.<br />
Maybe she was making sure that she was represented<br />
well, so I’ve got to make sure I’m doing a<br />
good job.”<br />
I think this answers the question as to whether<br />
or not Jennifer believes the “Queen Mary” could<br />
be haunted. And why not? Launched in 1936, retired<br />
in 1967. It carried statesmen, starlets, socialites<br />
and all manner of the well-to-do. Its<br />
colorful and diverse history includes the war<br />
years when it was painted grey (“the grey ghost”)<br />
and served as a troop transport. On deck and<br />
below, a lot happened on this floating palace, and<br />
who’s to say a lot isn’t happening still?<br />
Becoming Graceful Gale<br />
After our conversation I found myself in the<br />
makeup room where 200 young people were<br />
being transformed into 200 scary beings by up to<br />
22 makeup artists, and I don’t use the term<br />
makeup artists lightly. These people know what<br />
they’re doing and the effects are largely impressive.<br />
Jennifer Hills applies an undercoating of white<br />
cream that will later give her face an effect resembling<br />
cracked porcelain. Then she sits down<br />
and for the next 30 or 40 minutes goes from being<br />
a student of earth science to a femme fatale and<br />
a wandering lost soul. At first she’s reminiscent<br />
of the mime Marceau Marceau or the harlequin<br />
played by Jean-Louis Barrault in “Children of<br />
Paradise,” but later one is more likely to think of<br />
“Carrie” after her drenching by a bucket of blood.<br />
Having met the live woman behind the dead<br />
woman, was I now disillusioned? I think, subconsciously,<br />
I’d hoped she’d be a little more like her<br />
character, wistful and soft-spoken (but not menacing),<br />
just as one might hope, interviewing Sean<br />
Connery or Daniel Craig, that some of the Bond<br />
persona would emerge. But as soon as Jennifer<br />
was in full makeup and had again become Graceful<br />
Gale I was once more in awe, enthralled, and<br />
slightly terrified.<br />
It wasn’t hard to recall what Jennifer Hills had<br />
said to me a little earlier:<br />
“Graceful Gale, she’s a silent being. Just don’t<br />
get her mad, though.”<br />
Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor continues<br />
through Halloween night. For complete details<br />
(including zombie protection, I hope), go to queenmary.com/events/dark-harbor.<br />
PEN<br />
56 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
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ModernZen<br />
Architect Luis de Moraes sought harmony through design at the western tip of Rancho Palos Verdes<br />
The house at night is well lit with energy efficient lighting and is perched high up on the hill, boasting extensive travertine stone bricks and blocks throughout<br />
its exterior reminiscent of the newer Getty museum.<br />
Massive retractable glass doors provide an indoor/outdoor experience<br />
for the kitchen and family room areas and the pool is<br />
set up high so swimmers can take in the vast ocean view.<br />
by Stephanie Cartozian<br />
Photos by Walkthrough Productions<br />
Architecture is often said to be an old man’s profession. The skills required<br />
take decades to hone. Luis de Moraes, AIA architect and principal<br />
founder of Envirotechno, is not an old man, and he has defied time with<br />
his design of the “Modern Zen” residence situated at the tip of Vista Del Mar.<br />
“I designed the home to be part of the natural terrain and the orientation of<br />
the house is parallel to its topography,” de Moraes said. “Every room in the<br />
house has an ocean view.”<br />
The kitchen illustrates this design concept. It’s elevated, overlooking the family<br />
room seating area, and faces a massive glass retractable door that opens out<br />
to the ocean.<br />
“You feel like here you are on top of the world,” de Moraes said. “Each room<br />
offers an opportunity and invitation for you to stay and linger.”<br />
The architect’s intention was to create warmth through the use of natural<br />
materials yet maintain a sense of spaciousness. One of the dual kitchen islands<br />
is made of industrial steel and the other is made from granite. Both sit parallel<br />
to each other at bar top height, thus the home’s residents and guests sit high at<br />
the counter when preparing food or eating and enjoy unobstructed scenery. An<br />
infinity pool and outdoor kitchen are within view and are accessible through<br />
yet another massive retractable glass door that rushes in cool breezes and accentuates<br />
the indoor/outdoor experience. When the glass doors are opened, one<br />
is virtually in a comfortable family room setting outdoors. The travertine floor-<br />
60 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
The house is designed to take in the sunsets, the outdoors and the ocean breezes by offering an<br />
indoor/outdoor experience and by incorporating natural elements throughout.<br />
Envirotechno’s architect<br />
Luis de Moraes.<br />
The commercial-style kitchen offers numerous drawers for storage and dual large parallel islands for<br />
food preparation and dining, all situated on an elevated level to take full advantage of views.<br />
ing is carried through seamlessly from<br />
the inside kitchen and family room<br />
areas to the pool and outdoor kitchen<br />
areas, giving the impression of it being<br />
one capacious open-air space.<br />
When designing this home, de<br />
Moraes envisioned the structure melding<br />
with the surrounding environment,<br />
raising from the ground like a<br />
natural monolith. This massive structure<br />
of towering glass, wrapped in<br />
travertine and topped with painted<br />
metal, is an architectural feat reminiscent<br />
of Ayn Rand’s 1943 novel, “The<br />
Fountainhead” in which the protagonist,<br />
Howard Roark, follows his practice<br />
of modern architecture despite the<br />
pervasive traditionalist views of the establishment.<br />
In Palos Verdes, tradition<br />
is reflected by the pervasiveness of<br />
Spanish and ranch style architecture.<br />
Modern Zen is a clear departure.<br />
Upon entrance into this 6,838 sq. ft.<br />
home, one is met with high expansive<br />
ceilings with an entrancing two-story<br />
foyer and a tongue-and-groove exposed<br />
wood beam ceiling. Floating blocks of<br />
limestone in the main entry staircase<br />
were specially engineered by a steel<br />
stair fabricator. According to de<br />
Moraes, these blocks of stone were exceedingly<br />
heavy; the steel components<br />
that house each step were custom<br />
made and structurally masterminded<br />
by skilled artisans.<br />
The lighting scheme was a likewise<br />
methodical and purposeful exercise in<br />
conserving energy. Skylights are positioned<br />
strategically so that no electricity<br />
is required to illuminate the home<br />
during the day. At night, low profile<br />
lighting is peppered throughout; trimless<br />
LED cans provide ambient lighting,<br />
rather than the spotlight effect<br />
recessed lighting normally imparts.<br />
The Neocon award-winning “Ameba”<br />
entry lighting fixture is aptly named.<br />
Its shape can change, adding or subtracting<br />
appendages, a statement piece<br />
that levitates graciously upon entrance<br />
into the foyer. To the immediate right<br />
is an office designed with grasscloth<br />
walls and a wood-coffered ceiling interspersed<br />
with the same grasscloth<br />
fabric. A fireplace is in the center of<br />
the room, emanating warmth and a<br />
sense of invitation to sit down and stay<br />
a while. De Moraes said he wanted to<br />
create a space for entertaining that<br />
combined “the serene warmth of<br />
woods with other natural elements<br />
from the outdoors.”<br />
A standing seam metal roof and<br />
weight-bearing beams make possible<br />
the home’s expansive ceilings and feel<br />
of loftiness. This type of roofing is parde<br />
Moraes cont. on page 62
The larger purpose of each design element, de<br />
Moraes said emphatically, was to create a home harmonious<br />
with its environment. A bamboo log garden in<br />
the back, enclosed with glass, is visible from inside the<br />
house; aquariums built into walls unobtrusively meld<br />
the home’s surroundings with its adjoining interior.<br />
The original family who envisioned this contemporary<br />
residence with de Moraes in 2007 sold their plans<br />
and dreams to a developer, who eventually financed the<br />
building of the project. De Moraes continued to guide<br />
the project to its eventual completion in 2010. The<br />
home’s exterior is reminiscent of the newer Getty Museum<br />
with its flamed and stacked finished travertine.<br />
These stones are weaved among larger honed travertine<br />
blocks, imparting a contrasting design of contemporarycommercial<br />
similar to the renowned museum’s style.<br />
“Flamed” is a process where the stone is actually heated<br />
The office area is intimate and cozy and is situated off the entry offering clients and<br />
business associates a refuge for discussion.<br />
de Moraes cont. from page 61<br />
ticularly durable and oftentimes used in the past for commercial projects,<br />
but due to its sturdy composition it has become a more common choice<br />
for homeowners as it is also fire retardant. The material’s relative thinness,<br />
compared to wood or shingles, allowed de Moraes to design a higher ceiling<br />
while still conforming with Rancho Palos Verdes’ height restrictions. This<br />
creative roof solution literally took the interior of this home to a new level.<br />
This 5 bedroom and 6.25 bathroom home is replete with a wine room,<br />
tasting room and temperature controlled cellar adjoined by an elegant Prohibition<br />
era speakeasy. Vertical wood panel grooves disguise openings, such<br />
as that of the elevator door, and touch latches make the doors and hardware<br />
flush with the wall and invisible to the eye. A secret password for<br />
entry would be fitting with the feel of the spaces. The wine cellar also possesses<br />
Hollywood glamour, with an artful colored glass backdrop, a classy<br />
white couch, and backlit doors. A nice way to wrap up an evening would<br />
be to enjoy a movie in the theatre room after a sunset wine tasting. At the<br />
command of a touch, automatic blackout roll up shades come down instantly,<br />
and a state-of-the-art projector looms, preparing itself to cast the<br />
first scene.<br />
The dining room area has indirect lighting built into the coffered ceiling and an<br />
aquarium built into the wall as a backdrop melding outdoor and indoor elements.<br />
The master bathroom and suite offers all amenities, including a<br />
laundry chute to dispose of dirty laundry directly to the utility room.<br />
under the highest of temperatures using a controlled<br />
finishing process. As a result, the individual grains in<br />
the stone burst and change color, leading to a rougher<br />
texture and a more muted appearance. These “finishes”<br />
and design concepts are particularly geared towards de<br />
Moraes’s environmentally conscious aim — he is credentialed<br />
as a sustainable designer with the United<br />
States Green Building Council and has also been a design<br />
instructor for the last 25 years at UCLA’s Extension<br />
Design Certificate Program. He possesses the rare combination<br />
of an interior design education (he’s a member<br />
of American Society of Interior Designers) along with<br />
his formal architectural education from Cal Poly<br />
Pomona. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and has<br />
been a resident of the Palos Verdes community for the<br />
last 15 years. Having started out young in his profession,<br />
what “old age” holds for de Moraes has yet to be<br />
seen. PEN
5 CHUCKWAGON ROAD | ROLLING HILLS<br />
This is truly “One of a Kind” in the gated city of Rolling Hills. There is loads of space for the family and friends in this 5 Bedroom 6 Bath home<br />
surrounded by lush greenery and uniquely designed pool & spa with view. The entrance off Chuckwagon has a custom designed driveway with plenty<br />
of space for additional cars and a 3-car garage with direct access to the home. Other special features of the home include skylights, cam lighting, parquet<br />
wood flooring, inside laundry room with sink and storage galore.<br />
• 5571 sq ft (per assessor)<br />
• 108,225 sq ft lot (per assessor)<br />
• Built in 1987<br />
• 5 Bedrooms<br />
• 6 Baths (Each bedroom has a private full bath plus Powder Room)<br />
• Exquisite wood paneled library with custom bookcases & cabinetry<br />
• Formal Living Room with soaring cathedral ceilings & dramatic fireplace<br />
• Formal Dining Room with French door access to private outdoor patio<br />
• French doors throughout the home leading to professionally<br />
landscaped yard with pool & BBQ area<br />
• Gourmet Kitchen including 3 ovens, 2 dishwashers, warming drawer,<br />
microwave, subzero refrigerator and loads of cabinets & pantry<br />
• Family Room is located adjacent to kitchen featuring fireplace,<br />
professional wet bar and soaring wood cathedral ceiling<br />
• Spacious Master Bedroom features a dramatic fireplace and adjacent<br />
office and Tatami Room. Master Bath includes double vanities, spa<br />
tub, double stall shower and 3 closets.<br />
OFFERED AT $3,999,000<br />
Call Phyllis for All<br />
Your Real Estate Needs!<br />
Phyllis Weitzman<br />
Top Producer<br />
phyllisweitzman@cox.net<br />
310-413-5150
S P O T L I G H T O N T H E H I L L<br />
Lundquist receives<br />
Champion of Business award<br />
Richard Lundquist was presented with the<br />
City of El Segundo Champion of Business<br />
award at a dinner this month at Vistamar<br />
School. Over the past four decades,<br />
Lundquist’s Continental Development has<br />
built over five million square feet of office<br />
and retail space, much of it within El Segundo’s<br />
5.4 square miles. Lundquist’s contributions<br />
to El Segundo have been<br />
philanthropic as well. For the past 12 years<br />
he has chaired the El Segundo Education<br />
Foundation. Lundquist recently contributed<br />
$1 million toward the construction of a $14<br />
million aquatic center to be used by the El Segundo<br />
and Wiseburn high schools and the<br />
community.<br />
PHOTOS BY KEVIN CODY<br />
1<br />
2 3<br />
1. Council member Michael Dugan, Mayor Pro<br />
Tem Drew Boyles, council member Don Brann,<br />
Mayor Suzanne Fuentes, LA Rams’ Kevin Demoff,<br />
council member Carol Pirsztuk, Barbara Voss,<br />
economic development manager; Al Keahi, EDAC<br />
chair, Richard Lundquist honoree and President of<br />
Continental Development, Supervisor Don Knabe<br />
and Scott Houston, West Basin.<br />
2. Jeff Wilson, Bill Fisher, Jill Brunkhardt, Steve<br />
Napolitano and Ron Swanson.<br />
4 5<br />
6<br />
3. Christina O’Brien, Bob Tarnofsky and Don<br />
Knabe.<br />
4. Jim and Andrea Sala and Ann O’Brien.<br />
5. Jeff Wilson and Bob Healey.<br />
6. Jeff and Vickie Cutler.<br />
7. Supervisor Don Knabe, Vistamar student Jaxon<br />
Williams-Bellamy and Vistamar Head of School Dr.<br />
Karen Eshoo.<br />
8. Economic Development Advisory Council chair<br />
Al Keahi.<br />
9. Los Angeles Rams COO Kevin Demoff.<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10. Tim Sirichoke, Kite Pharma vice president of<br />
manufacturing, accepts the Big Ideas Award from<br />
Don Knabe.<br />
11. Richard Lundquist.<br />
12. El Segundo councilman Drew Boyles.<br />
10<br />
11 12<br />
64 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
PUBLIC<br />
OPEN SAT/SUN<br />
2-4PM<br />
CASA DE MARGARITA<br />
In Monte Malaga<br />
around&about<br />
Good from year one<br />
1415 VIA MARGARITA, PVE<br />
Refreshed, remodeled and ready for the 21st century! This charming, ocean view 5 bedroom, 4 bath +<br />
family room + den home has been tastefully re-imagined and appointed to fulfill the needs of a growing<br />
family or anyone desiring a “move-in-ready” home. The house has an open, highly functional floor plan of<br />
3,570 sq. ft. and the lot has 103 ft. of frontage and a total of 16,579 sq. ft., with room for a pool. Situated<br />
on a wide, quiet street in the heart of Monte Malaga, this beautiful home is close to shops and restaurants<br />
and award winning schools.<br />
Offered at $1,995,000<br />
BARBI PAPPAS<br />
(310)266-3300<br />
www.BarbiPappas.com<br />
n Good Stuff’s Chase Bennett welcomes<br />
guest to the first anniversary of<br />
his <strong>Peninsula</strong> Promenade restaurant.<br />
The family-owned restaurant group<br />
began on The Strand in Hermosa<br />
Beach, specializing in healthy food<br />
long before the farm to table trend.<br />
Good Stuff has kept up with the times.<br />
It now offers six craft beers on tap.<br />
Photo by Stephanie Cartozian<br />
66 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
57 EASTFIELD DRIVE | ROLLING HILLS<br />
2 BEDROOMS | 2 BATHROOMS | 2147 SQFT | LOT SIZE: 65307<br />
Absolutely fabulous opportunity to own your slice of heaven! This adorable home is all ready to go. Situated in a<br />
very private setting, you can sit on your very private patio and watch the beautiful sunsets and the horses graze. It<br />
has high beamed ceilings, gorgeous crown moldings, hardwood floors, remodeled center island kitchen with breakfast<br />
bar, Viking appliances, wine fridge and bar sink, large laundry room/pantry, remodeled baths, dual paned windows<br />
and sliders, recessed lighting, living room with fireplace and dining room with fireplace, and charm, charm!<br />
ASKING: $2,275,000<br />
GAYLEPROBST<br />
Re/Max Estate Properties<br />
310-977-9711<br />
CalBRE# 01137236<br />
KEVINMOEN<br />
Re/Max Estate Properties<br />
310-466-4656<br />
CalBRE# 0104808
J. QUINN CONSTRUCTION, INC.<br />
Custom Concrete & Masonry<br />
around&about<br />
Special Children’s League plans annual benefit<br />
• Pools, Spas, Fountains<br />
and Waterfeatures<br />
• Firepits and Fireplaces<br />
• Outdoor Cook Centers<br />
• Stone and Tile Patios<br />
Skin Atelier<br />
First Wax on Me !!!<br />
Jennifer Jackson<br />
Walk with Confidence !!<br />
Take advantage of my complimentary wax for<br />
first time clients*. Book your appointment today!<br />
I look forward to pampering you.<br />
Women:<br />
Free Basic Bikini line, Eyebrow, Lip,<br />
or underarm.* Upgrade to Brazilian for half off<br />
(First time clients only)<br />
Men:<br />
Free eyebrow, Ear or Nose<br />
*First-Time clients only. Must be a<br />
Southern CA Resident.<br />
(310) 200-1606<br />
JennMJackson@yahoo.com<br />
• Interlocking Pavers<br />
• Retaining Walls<br />
• Driveways<br />
(310) 325-6790<br />
www.quinnpools.com<br />
License B, C-8, C-53 #775677<br />
Blow Outs<br />
L u x u r y of Beaut y<br />
in your home…<br />
I ’ l l c o me to you!<br />
$45<br />
Jenn Jackson<br />
Book your apt. Today<br />
JennMJackson@yahoo.com<br />
(310) 200-1606<br />
Incoming Special Children’s League South Bay board members (first row)<br />
Maria Ballinger, Jacqueline Dunton, Joyce Komatsu and Michele Dahlerbruch<br />
and (second row) Paula Boothe, Monique Caine and Lori Delgado.<br />
n The Special Children League’s annual benefit will be held <strong>Nov</strong>ember 18 at<br />
the Palos Verdes Golf Club. SCL recently held its installation of officers and<br />
awarded over $86,000 to charities and nonprofits. Recipients included United<br />
Cerebral Palsy of Los Angeles, PVPUSD Special Education Services, Pediatric Therapy<br />
Network, Ride to Fly, LA Dodgers Foundation - The Miracle League, Golden<br />
Heart Ranch, Camp Paivika and US Adaptive Recreation Center. The SCL South<br />
Bay Committee was founded in 1957 by a group of Palos Verdes women who<br />
rallied around a friend whose child was born with cerebral palsy. They soon<br />
formed an alliance with UCPLA. Some members have been with SCL for over 20<br />
years. Those who have children with disabilities help create a better understanding<br />
and appreciation of the needs of affected individuals and their families.<br />
For more information visit SCLSouthBay.org. PEN<br />
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68 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
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Il<br />
canto<br />
Italiani<br />
by Richard Foss<br />
Primo Italia chef Michaelangelo Aliaga. Photo by Brad Jacobson<br />
Chef Aliaga’s in-house pastas and sausages and co-owner Lou Giovanetti’s voice make for magical meals<br />
Somewhere you might go on a whim when nothing in the refrigerator<br />
calls to you. Not all can manage this, of course. Some have too high a<br />
price point or too formal an atmosphere, and others feature a cuisine<br />
so arcane or confrontational that you may appreciate it only occasionally.<br />
The cuisine that is right there at the top when it comes to impulse dining<br />
is Italian. Think of how much money you’d have if you had one penny for<br />
every time anyone in the world said, “I don’t feel like cooking, let’s go out<br />
for pizza.” It’s comfort food even if you didn’t grow up with it, but restaurants<br />
still make a statement about whether they’re special occasion only<br />
with their decisions about ambiance and price point.<br />
The new Primo Italia made an interesting decision in this regard. It looks<br />
like a high-ticket restaurant, complete with a bar full of exotic bottles and<br />
a grand piano in the corner. But just about every entree is below twenty<br />
bucks. We had a large party to celebrate a birthday, so had a chance to order<br />
an array of starters and entrees from across the spectrum.<br />
The cooking by chef Michaelangelo Aliaga is authentic, rustic Italian with<br />
pastas and sausages made in-house. So among our starters, we selected<br />
grilled sausage with roasted bell peppers. I don’t usually order this because<br />
I can make it at home, but that fresh sausage makes a heap of difference.<br />
The texture is lighter, the garlic flavor fresher because it hasn’t oxidized<br />
over time, and it is in every way superior. The sausage had been grilled and<br />
sliced into eight thick coins rather than being sautéed with the peppers, so<br />
there were different flavors to savor.<br />
Our other starters were mussels in broth, grilled octopus, bruschetta, and<br />
an arcane pasta called testaroli with pesto sauce. Testaroli is rarely seen in<br />
restaurants because it is time-consuming to make. A thin batter is poured<br />
into a very hot pan, then another pan is put on top of it very briefly. The<br />
resulting pancake of pasta is then slashed into pieces and briefly boiled and<br />
the result has a slightly rubbery exterior and spongy crepe-like interior. If<br />
you expect standard pasta you may find this texture weird, but give it a<br />
chance -– it’s like nothing else and it grows on you. The pesto sauce was on<br />
the light side rather than a basil and garlic bomb, so you still taste the good<br />
olive oil and wheat flavor.<br />
The octopus was tasty but very misleadingly described. If you expect just<br />
70 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
the usual tentacles on a plate with a little garnish, you will think the wrong<br />
item was delivered. The octopus here is one element of a dish that includes<br />
potatoes, olives, and vegetables, served atop thick slices of red and green<br />
heirloom tomatoes. It’s a well composed salad of hot and cold vegetables<br />
with a fine balance of robust flavors, but people who would like it might<br />
not order it and some people who order it won’t like it. I could have enjoyed<br />
it as an entrée, because there were enough flavors that I could have<br />
just kept eating.<br />
There was nothing conceptually unusual about the bruschetta, though<br />
the fact that they used housemade fresh bread elevated it a few notches.<br />
One slice was topped with tomato slices and herbs, the others with musky<br />
wild mushrooms and a garlicky artichoke heart mix. The mussels were<br />
also exactly what they were supposed to be, a healthy amount of shellfish<br />
in a broth that had some bell pepper and spice, with some more of that<br />
good grilled bread.<br />
We ordered two salads as an intermezzo, a fennel and orange with greens<br />
and red onion and a peach and burrata with balsamic vinegar and olive<br />
oil. Crisp raw fennel is delightful in salads and the orange brought out the<br />
gentle anise-like sharpness. My only quibble is that I would have liked the<br />
fennel pieces a little thinner or smaller so it would be easier to get a mix<br />
of flavors. The peach and burrata salad was polarizing, with some people<br />
at our table liking it as it was and others wishing the balsamic had been<br />
on the side so they could have the exquisitely fresh, creamy cheese and<br />
fruit by themselves. While I was in the former camp I understand the sentiment.<br />
During the brief wait between courses, we enjoyed music by the very<br />
good pianist, who was joined on Broadway standards by crooning co-owner<br />
Lou Giovanetti. Lou is a constant presence and table-hops to say hello to<br />
friends and be sure the service is working, and though his singing is superb<br />
not all staff members have their act together, yet. At both our table and a<br />
neighboring booth silverware was cleared with one course and not brought<br />
with the next one, and the timing on refilling waters and other details was<br />
not well synchronized. It’s a new operation so things will probably smooth<br />
out soon, but for now there is room for improvement.<br />
For entrees, we ordered lasagna, spaghetti carbonara, pappardelle with<br />
wild boar, and veal saltimbocca with sage. Saltimbocca is Italian for “jump<br />
in your mouth,” one of the most poetic food names ever, and this dish delivered.<br />
It’s simple, thinly sliced meat rolled around sage leaves, wrapped<br />
with prosciutto, fried and topped with white wine sauce, but when done<br />
right the salty meats, lemon, and herb is superb. It was served with mashed<br />
potatoes and broccolini, and despite my early fears about petite entrees it<br />
was a fine full meal.<br />
The three pastas all hit the spot, too.The lasagna was a particularly big<br />
hit with everyone who tried it. It’s not the usual heavy, starchy brick of<br />
carbs drenched in sauce. The noodles are thin and the delicate béchamel<br />
sauce and cheese are used moderately. Let your expectations go and enjoy<br />
this, because it’s a winner.<br />
This brings me to the only place where Primo Italia is out of balance:<br />
the wine list. All the pastas we ordered were under $20, and the saltimbocca<br />
is one of the most expensive items at $28, which makes it odd that<br />
the wine list has no bottles under $38 and escalates steadily from there.<br />
Those bottles are superb quality, but there are some very good Italian, Argentine,<br />
and Californian wines that would go well with this food and could<br />
be sold for less. If Primo Italia aspires to be an everyday joy, they might<br />
want to add a few more modest bottles to the list.<br />
We had filled up on our appetizers and mains but had to try some<br />
desserts around the table in honor of the birthday. So tried the tiramisu,<br />
cannoli, bread pudding, and cheesecake. All were good but the cheesecake<br />
was the standout, made with a rich and flavorful cheese rather than the<br />
usual bland stuff. The topping of sliced, toasted almonds and strawberry<br />
sauce with fresh berries made this a must-try item, and whetted my appetite<br />
to sample more.<br />
So is Primo Italia the restaurant that you can stop into on a whim? It’s<br />
still a work in progress, but the outline is clear. They deliver high end food<br />
at medium prices in a classy environment. You wouldn’t feel right there<br />
in shorts and a T-shirt (though I presume they’d serve you), but if you want<br />
to treat yourself just a bit, it’s worth the drive to Hillside Village.<br />
Primo Italia is at 24590 Hawthorne Boulevard in Torrance. Open daily 5<br />
p.m., close 10 p.m. Mon-Thu, midnight Fr-Su. Full bar, parking in lot, some<br />
vegetarian items. Food menu at eatprimo.com, phone 310-378-4288. PEN<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 71
S P O T L I G H T O N T H E H I L L<br />
PHOTOS BY KEVIN CODY<br />
Knabe thanks <strong>Peninsula</strong><br />
Wishes he could do more<br />
There are times I wish I could stay on and be more<br />
helpful,” 4th District Supervisor Don Knabe said<br />
at the Palos Verdes Chamber of Commerce dinner<br />
at Terranea two weeks ago. But the law says otherwise.<br />
After 20 years as a county supervisor, Knabe<br />
terms out in <strong>Nov</strong>ember. Julie, his wife of 48 years, also<br />
said otherwise. She and her husband have enjoyed an<br />
estimated 12,000 “rubber chicken” dinners during his<br />
36 years of elected service, and that’s enough, she said<br />
at the dinner. (For the record, Terranea served barbequed<br />
ribs with risotto).<br />
One of his proudest accomplishments, Knabe said, is<br />
the Safe Surrender program established in 2001.<br />
“It’s a no name, no shame, no blame. All the<br />
mother or father has to do is bring the child<br />
across the threshold of a hospital or a police or<br />
fire station. They can’t leave the child in the<br />
parking lot. Parents have 14 days to reclaim their<br />
child. I’m so proud of the 142 mothers who have<br />
had the guts to do the right thing,” Knabe said<br />
of mothers who surrendered their children.<br />
He said he is establishing a college scholarship<br />
fund for the surrendered children.<br />
Knabe was presented with the Palos Verdes<br />
Citizen of the Year award, one of dozens of tributes<br />
he has received as his final term winds<br />
down.<br />
1. <strong>Peninsula</strong> magazine<br />
co-founder Mary<br />
Jane Schoenheider<br />
and Don Knabe.<br />
2. Don Knabe and<br />
Jackie Crowley.<br />
3. Don Knabe and<br />
Don Gould.<br />
4. Terranea Managing<br />
Director Terri A.<br />
Haack and Don<br />
Knabe<br />
5. Steve Napolitano<br />
and Sherie Schier.<br />
6. Don and Julie<br />
Knabe (center) with<br />
Kei and David Benoit.<br />
7. Julie and Don<br />
Knabe.<br />
8. Don Knabe with<br />
Chamber CEO Eileen<br />
Hupp and Virginia<br />
Butler.<br />
9. Julie and Don<br />
Knabe with chamber<br />
board members John<br />
Polan, Teri Haack, Lili<br />
Amino and Allen<br />
Bond.<br />
1<br />
2 3<br />
4 5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
72 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
P E N I N S U L A<br />
DININGGUIDE<br />
1<br />
1<br />
HAWTHORNE<br />
Continental Gourmet Market<br />
12921 S. Prairie Ave.<br />
(310) 676-5444<br />
continentalgourmetmarket.com<br />
NOW SERVING YOU IN 2 LOCATIONS!<br />
With the great goodness of Mama<br />
in Rolling Hills Estates, we now offer<br />
our Cafe’ - a smaller version in Malaga Cove Plaza!<br />
2<br />
2<br />
HERMOSA BEACH<br />
Hennessey’s<br />
8 Pier Avenue<br />
(310) 372-5759<br />
hennesseystavern.com<br />
Specializing in Mama’s Spaghetti & Meatballs with<br />
our newly inspired flatbreads, salads and more!<br />
Join us for Lunch & Dinner Mon-Sat.<br />
• Outdoor Patio Seating • Lots of Free Parking<br />
Pho Hana Restaurant<br />
For a wide variety of Vietnamese and Korean tastes, diners should visit Pho Hana in the<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> Center! Owned and operated by Ruben and his wife, Chef Lisa, this venue offers<br />
delicious noodle soups of ALL types, chicken, pork, seafood and vegetarian dishes. With<br />
indoor and outdoor patio seating, Pho Hana is open 7 days a week. Call now to reserve<br />
space for your holiday get-together! Enjoy their new lounge area!<br />
55B <strong>Peninsula</strong> Center • Rolling Hills Estates • (310) 541-1227<br />
36 Malaga Cove Plaza<br />
Palos Verdes Estates<br />
(310) 375-6767<br />
815 Deep Valley Drive<br />
Rolling Hills Estates<br />
(310) 377-5757<br />
www.mamaterano.com<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 73
74 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
See you soon in the Lunada Bay Plaza!<br />
P.V.E.’s own “Hidden Gem”<br />
Upscale Dining in a Casual Setting<br />
New Happy Hour & Early Bird Menus<br />
Huge Selection of Fresh Fish, Handmade Pastas &<br />
Prime Cut Steaks<br />
Private Room for Holiday & Corporate Parties!<br />
Open Tues-Sun at 4pm<br />
Live Music on Weekends & Craft Beer on Tap<br />
(310) 750-6877 www.facebook.com/pvgrill<br />
Salsa Verdes<br />
Authentic Fine Mexican Cuisine<br />
Ask About Our Fresh Daily Specials!<br />
Let Us Cater Mexican Flavor To Your<br />
Home & Office!<br />
Open Tues-Sun at 4pm<br />
(424) 206-9456<br />
2325 Palos Verdes Drive West<br />
Palos Verdes Estates, CA<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 75
76 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 77
P E N I N S U L A<br />
DININGGUIDE<br />
3<br />
4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
7<br />
8<br />
9<br />
10<br />
LOMITA<br />
Continental Gourmet Market<br />
25600 Narbonne Ave.<br />
(310) 530-3213<br />
continentalgourmetmarket.com<br />
LONG BEACH<br />
Café Sevilla<br />
140 Pine Ave<br />
(562) 495-1111<br />
cafesevilla.com<br />
MANHATTAN BEACH<br />
Hennessey’s<br />
313 Manhattan Beach Blvd.<br />
(310) 546-4813<br />
hennesseystavern.com<br />
PALOS VERDES ESTATES<br />
Mama Terano Café<br />
36 Malaga Cove Plaza<br />
(310) 375-6767<br />
mamaterano.com<br />
PV Grill<br />
2325 PV Drive West<br />
(310) 750-6877<br />
Salsa Verdes<br />
2325 PV Drive West<br />
(424) 206-9456<br />
salsaverdes.com<br />
RANCHO PALOS VERDES<br />
Admiral Risty<br />
31250 Palos Verdes Dr. West<br />
(310) 377-0050<br />
admiralristy.com<br />
REDONDO BEACH<br />
Hennessey’s<br />
1712 S. Catalina Avenue<br />
(310) 540-8443<br />
hennesseystavern.com<br />
3 4<br />
5<br />
6<br />
9 10<br />
11 12<br />
7 8<br />
11<br />
HT Grill<br />
1701 S. Catalina Avenue<br />
(310) 791-4849<br />
htgrill.com<br />
13 14<br />
78 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
P E N I N S U L A<br />
DININGGUIDE<br />
15 16<br />
17<br />
12<br />
13<br />
Ragin’ Cajun Café<br />
525 S. PCH<br />
(310) 540-7403<br />
ragincajuncaferb.com<br />
ROLLING HILLS ESTATES<br />
El Pollo Inka<br />
550 Deep Valley Dr., #201<br />
(310) 377-3477<br />
elpolloinkarhe.com<br />
14<br />
15<br />
Mama Terano<br />
815 Deep Valley Dr.<br />
(310) 377-5757<br />
mamaterano.com<br />
Pho Hana Restaurant<br />
55 B <strong>Peninsula</strong> Center<br />
(310) 541-1227<br />
16<br />
17<br />
Plates - An American Bistro<br />
550 Deep Valley Dr. #145<br />
(310) 541-9500<br />
platesrgi.com<br />
TORRANCE<br />
Frida Mexican Cuisine at<br />
Del Amo Fashion Center<br />
21438 Hawthorne Blvd.<br />
(310) 371-0666<br />
fridadelamo.com<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 79
P E N I N S U L A<br />
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310-325-6500<br />
Kriss Light, M.F.T<br />
Psychotherapy<br />
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& Children<br />
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serves varying needs<br />
n If you have reached an age to live the life you want, but unexpected health<br />
changes have gotten in the way for you or your spouse, then Belmont Village Senior<br />
Living may offer a solution for you, as a couple. Varying needs, either health<br />
or memory loss, can be challenging for both, but especially for the spouse who<br />
becomes the caregiver. Belmont’s tiered programs allow both partners to interact<br />
with their peers socially and to maintain their own mental and physical fitness, nutrition,<br />
spirituality and creativity. Ask about Belmont Village’s award-winning cognitive<br />
care including Circle of Friends for residents with Mild Cognitive Impairment.<br />
Take a tour or call for more information.<br />
(310) 377-9977<br />
5701 Crestridge Rd, Rancho Palos Verdes<br />
The Canterbury<br />
n Whether you are looking for Independent Living, Independent Living with some<br />
services, Assisted Living with full services, or Skilled Nursing with 24 hour custodial<br />
care, you’ll find a warm, inviting and caring community at The Canterbury. As<br />
part of Episcopal Communities & Services, our not-for-profit philosophy guides our<br />
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and see for yourself why The Canterbury is a great place to live life to the fullest.<br />
Our A-Fitch rating, the highest rating of a CCRC in the state of California, makes<br />
us a superior choice for retirement living with comfort, care and financial security.<br />
(310) 541-2410<br />
5801 Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes<br />
Thecanterbury.org<br />
Comfort Keepers keeps life<br />
comfortable, dignified<br />
n At Comfort Keepers, nothing is more important than helping people live full, independent<br />
and dignified lives within the comfort of their own homes. Comfort<br />
Keepers is dedicated to providing in-home care that enriches people’s lives and<br />
helps them maintain the highest possible level of independent living and dignity.<br />
Comfort Keepers in-home assistance includes companionship, meal preparation,<br />
transportation to doctor appointments and other commitments. It may also include<br />
personal care such as bathing, dressing and mobility. Families choose Comfort<br />
Keepers for both extensive and short term care.<br />
(310) 325-6500<br />
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Kriss Light, LMFT<br />
n There is a gift in the aging process -- the desire (and time) to look within. Parts<br />
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1101198.1 State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL<br />
80 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
Lenze Kamerrer Moss, PLC<br />
Tight-knit partnership protects the unjustly harmed<br />
Jennifer Lenze and her partners of Lenze Kamerrer Moss, PLC have<br />
created a firm over the last year that displays high-level litigation<br />
skills and zealous dedication to their clients. LKM specializes in<br />
complex pharmaceutical mass tort drug and device litigation, as well<br />
as personal injury and employment law cases, striving to defend the<br />
rights of injured individuals.<br />
With three women at the helm including Laurie Kamerrer and<br />
Jaime Moss, LKM has a passion for cases that impact women’s<br />
health, such as a current case involving Essure, a permanent birth<br />
control device inserted into the fallopian tubes of a woman. The<br />
complaints filed by LKM on behalf of their injured clients include allegations<br />
of migration of the device, which can lead to the perforation<br />
of a woman’s uterus or fallopian tubes.<br />
LKM is also involved in litigation of talcum powder, linked to ovarian<br />
cancer in women, the blood thinner Xarelto, linked to internal bleeding,<br />
the diabetes medication Invokana, linked to ketoacidosis, and<br />
Bair Hugger, a warming blanket used during surgery, linked to surgical<br />
site infections.<br />
LKM aims to hold manufacturers accountable for the harms they<br />
cause and at best, help bring about changes in labeling to provide<br />
sufficient warning of associated risks. These cases can go on for years<br />
and involve hundreds or even thousands of clients across the country.<br />
Lenze said dedication, persistence, and a high level of organization<br />
are important in<br />
mass tort litigation.<br />
The partners<br />
at LKM have<br />
learned first-hand<br />
over the last two<br />
years about persistence,<br />
having<br />
come together<br />
through tragedy.<br />
In 2014 Lenze’s<br />
significant other, Paul Sizemore, was killed in a rafting accident on<br />
their trip to Aspen, Colorado. Shortly thereafter she became practice<br />
administrator of his firm, the Sizemore Law Firm, and with the help of<br />
Paul’s lawyers, Laurie and Jaime, held the firm together and transitioned<br />
to their new venture to continue the work Paul was so passionate<br />
about.<br />
LKM’S personal injury practice includes slip and falls, car accident<br />
and product liability cases. Employment cases include wage and<br />
hour violations, harassment, discrimination, and wrongful termination.<br />
“We are definitely a team,” Lenze said. “That is really important to<br />
us. We’ve all been through a lot together and it has created a firm of<br />
people committed to each other and to the work we do for our<br />
clients.”<br />
SPONSORED CONTENT<br />
Lenze Kamerrer Moss, PLC | 1300 Highland Ave. Suite 207 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 | (310) 322-8800 | lkmlawfirm.com<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 81
T<br />
he prestigious International Academy of Trial<br />
Lawyers limits itself to only 500 active members<br />
worldwide. AgnewBrusavich, a South<br />
Bay law firm widely acknowledged for excellence<br />
in catastrophic injury and wrongful death<br />
cases, now boasts two of those 500.<br />
Candidates are nominated for the Academy<br />
without their knowledge, by existing members,<br />
and subjected to a year-long vetting process<br />
with judges and attorneys, including those they<br />
have been against in court. The process is focused<br />
on ethics, civility and excellence in jury trials.<br />
A candidate is admitted only on a vote of the<br />
full active membership, which is limited to 500.<br />
Members reaching age 70 become emeritus<br />
fellows.<br />
AgnewBrusavich partner Bruce Brusavich was<br />
recently admitted into the Academy, joining his<br />
partner Gerry Agnew, who was admitted several<br />
years ago.<br />
"Bruce and I are extremely proud - as members<br />
of the same small firm - to be fellows in this<br />
prestigious organization,” said Agnew.<br />
The partners’ list of honors – by peers, prestigious<br />
publications and rating services – are too<br />
extensive to list in this space. But that’s not<br />
enough for Agnew and Brusavich, who continue<br />
to vigorously pursue justice for injured victims,<br />
and to force businesses and government agencies<br />
to make changes that protect public safety.<br />
AgnewBrusavich<br />
Small firm adds to its worldwide prestige<br />
At the time of this interview, Brusavich was reviewing<br />
a traffic engineer's report in a case that<br />
will force officials to redesign a major highspeed<br />
intersection in Newport Beach, where bicyclist<br />
Debra Deem died in a traffic accident.<br />
Brusavich said the poorly designed intersection<br />
forced Deem, who was riding northbound<br />
on PCH, to cross what amounts to a freeway onramp<br />
to continue onto Newport Coast Drive.<br />
“Debra was an accomplished bicycle rider,<br />
who had recently retired early as a successful litigator<br />
with a large Orange County law firm to<br />
take a job as executive director of a battered<br />
women's shelter,” Brusavich said.<br />
He negotiated a large monetary settlement<br />
and, in a result important to Deem’s husband<br />
Paul, a commitment by officials to work with<br />
traffic engineers to make the intersection safer<br />
for cyclists.<br />
Advocacy for victims and families who have<br />
been injured in bicycle accidents has become<br />
a noted niche for the firm and its platform, Cal-<br />
BikeLaw.com. Agnew is a competitive velodrome<br />
cyclist and has won a number of state<br />
and national championships. Several successfully<br />
concluded cases for cyclists have also<br />
ended with much needed repairs and safety<br />
improvements on public roads.<br />
“We are very proud of those accomplishments,”<br />
Agnew said.<br />
The firm also represents victims of injury and<br />
wrongful death in all other types of vehicular accidents,<br />
medical malpractice, elder abuse and<br />
defective products.<br />
Agnew recently concluded a serious injury<br />
case for a cyclist injured in Palos Verdes, and is<br />
preparing for trial on a wrongful death elder<br />
abuse case.<br />
The attorneys were waiting to conclude settlement<br />
proceedings in the case of a teenage<br />
girl who they said was badly injured when she<br />
stepped into an unguarded elevator shaft and<br />
fell three stories at a defunct construction site.<br />
Brusavich said the site had become an attractive<br />
nuisance that drew visitors into danger.<br />
The attorneys also represent several patients<br />
of a now-closed Long Beach hospital that was<br />
caught in a large billing fraud scheme involving<br />
unnecessary spinal surgeries.<br />
New additions to the firm are two talented<br />
women attorneys, Puneet K. Toor and veteran<br />
litigator Terry Schneier.<br />
AgnewBrusavich’s extensive community involvement<br />
includes a 23-year old scholarship<br />
program that has helped more than 540 students<br />
with college expenses. Recent recipients<br />
included members of cycling clubs sponsored<br />
by AgnewBrusavich.<br />
SPONSORED CONTENT<br />
AGNEWBRUSAVICH | 20355 Hawthorne Boulevard, Torrance, CA 90503 | (310) 793-1400 | ab@agnewbrusavich.com<br />
82 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
B<br />
BETI TSAI BERGMAN<br />
BUILDS PROBATE POWERHOUSE WITH PENINSULA LAW<br />
eti Tsai Bergman started <strong>Peninsula</strong> Law with the idea of creating a law<br />
firm that does one thing and one thing well, and that is probate law.<br />
Bergman believes that you can’t be good at any one thing if you try to<br />
do a little of everything. With that vision and her laser focus on probate law,<br />
Bergman built <strong>Peninsula</strong> Law into a probate powerhouse. <strong>Peninsula</strong> Law represents<br />
fiduciaries, beneficiaries, and families who need help planning, administering<br />
and settling estates. <strong>Peninsula</strong> Law embraces resolution of conflict<br />
and embraces trial when necessary. <strong>Peninsula</strong> then wins because it firmly believes<br />
in bringing out the truth. There are no smoke and mirrors. <strong>Peninsula</strong> Law<br />
does not ignore or hide the facts. <strong>Peninsula</strong> Law builds winning cases based<br />
on excellent legal analysis, strategic thinking, and masterful persuasion. Families<br />
come first and <strong>Peninsula</strong> Law vigorously pursues the wishes left by testators<br />
or trustors.<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> Law also minimizes long and protracted litigation or administration<br />
of an estate because it follows the same motto as Nike: “Just Do It.” The<br />
drive and goal on each case is to reach a quick resolution. Of course there is<br />
no controlling the court’s calendar, but anything that is within the control of<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> Law is addressed and handled with speed. Putting a task on the<br />
back burner is considered blasphemy within the firm.<br />
Another key element that has factored into the success of <strong>Peninsula</strong> Law is<br />
listening to clients and hearing what they have to say. Families are often perplexed<br />
after the death of a loved one and do not know what should be done<br />
or what needs to be done. If you add a contentious family member who<br />
comes forward to contest a will or trust, or who distrusts the person in charge,<br />
then you have an emotional struggle added to the confusion. Often the dissension<br />
can be quelled by educating the family members<br />
about how an estate<br />
needs to be administered<br />
after a death.<br />
Clients have consistently<br />
been satisfied<br />
by <strong>Peninsula</strong> Law’s<br />
approach to its<br />
clients. The testimonials<br />
posted on <strong>Peninsula</strong><br />
Law’s website<br />
attest to this.<br />
With such ethics,<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> Law has<br />
earned a reputation of<br />
being one of the top-notch probate law firms in the South Bay.<br />
Legal secretary Thomas Allard, attorney Joshua Watts,<br />
attorney Beti Tsai Bergman, paralegal Hanbee Oh.<br />
Beti Tsai Bergman is certified in estate planning, trust, and probate law by<br />
the California Board of Legal Specialization and has earned an advocate<br />
designation from the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. Before earning her<br />
J.D. at UC Davis School of Law, Bergman earned a B.S. in applied mathematics<br />
from UCLA and an M.S. in applied mathematics with concentrations in<br />
partial differential equations and probability and statistics from CSULB.<br />
Bergman sustains active involvement in the community. She is a Probate Co-<br />
Chair of the Trust & Estates Section of the South Bay Bar Association, a past<br />
president of the Southern California Chinese Lawyers’ Association, and is longstanding<br />
board member and officer of the Asian Pacific American Women<br />
Lawyers’ Alliance. You can contact <strong>Peninsula</strong> Law for a consultation by calling<br />
424-247-1196.<br />
<strong>Peninsula</strong> Law | 3655 Torrance Blvd., 3rd Flr., Torrance, CA 90503 | 424-247-1196 | www.peninsulalaw.org<br />
SPONSORED CONTENT<br />
Moore, Bryan, Schroff & Inoue<br />
Combining accomplishment with sensitivity to clients<br />
T<br />
he founding partners of Chris Moore, Sharon Bryan and Becky Schroff<br />
routinely earn recognition by their peers and by high-profile rating services<br />
and publications. But they practice their specialties of family law<br />
and estate planning as a people business, with sensitivity to the uniqueness<br />
of each client’s case.<br />
Moore, Bryan, Schroff & Inoue has been named one of the Best Law Firms<br />
by U.S. News & World Report and by Best Lawyers continuously since 2010,<br />
and received a Metropolitan Tier 1 ranking in Family Law by U.S. News &<br />
World Report.<br />
Bryan and Schroff have been selected by their peers to The Best Lawyers<br />
in America since 2015, and Moore since 2008. In 2015 Moore’s peers<br />
dubbed him the Los Angeles Family Law Lawyer of the Year. “I’m humbled<br />
by the honor,” he said.<br />
Bryan uses her expertise and sensitivity to her clients’ advantage, beginning<br />
with their initial meeting, listening carefully to what they really want regarding<br />
property, custody, the family home and the legal process.<br />
“Because so many clients ask about the process, I prepared a process<br />
map, really a flowchart, showing the various required and possible steps in<br />
the divorce process from filing the petition to the final judgment,” she said.<br />
“<strong>People</strong> facing divorce are typically scared,” she said. “I tell them the<br />
waters are going to be choppy at first...but the waters will calm down, and<br />
we will address issues in a reasonable manner.”<br />
Bryan said she is able to reach a settlement for her clients, avoiding a<br />
trial, in 95 to 99 percent of her cases.<br />
“I am an experienced litigator, but I am also a good negotiator,” she said.<br />
“My colleagues know that I am going to be reasonable, but also be tenacious<br />
in defending my client’s rights and positions.”<br />
* Certified Family Law Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization;<br />
** Certified Trusts & Estates Specialist by the State Bar of California Board of<br />
Legal Specialization; + Chosen to <strong>2016</strong> Super Lawyers; ++ Chosen to 2015, <strong>2016</strong> and<br />
2017 editions of Best Lawyers of America ©<br />
Moore credits Bryan with “great instincts” that allow her to handle especially<br />
difficult and emotional custody cases.<br />
Schroff, who specializes in trusts and estates, uses her legal expertise to<br />
assist individuals and families make a plan, so they are comfortable “that<br />
things will be taken care of after they are gone”. In addition to estate planning,<br />
she handles trust administration, probate, conservatorships, guardianships<br />
and trust litigation.<br />
A lawyer must understand her client’s needs and wishes, and understand<br />
the law to craft a good estate plan. Clients who have lost a loved one are<br />
often overwhelmed by the responsibilities of being a trustee or an executor,<br />
“We can guide them through the process, take care of the legal requirements,<br />
and give them some relief as they go through a very difficult time,”<br />
Schroff said.<br />
SPONSORED CONTENT<br />
MOORE BRYAN SCHROFF & INOUE LLP | 21515 Hawthorne Boulevard, Suite 490, Torrance | (310) 540-8855 | mbsllp.com<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 83
B<br />
Baker, Burton & Lundy, P.C.<br />
Hermosa’s giant-killing law firm had its roots in friendship and the European mumps<br />
Kent Burton, Clint Wilson, Christine Daniels, Evan Koch, Teresa Klinkner, Brad Baker, Albro Lundy<br />
aker, Burton & Lundy, the small law firm with a big reputation and<br />
billions of dollars won for its clients, is celebrating its 40th birthday<br />
by expanding its storefront along Hermosa’s iconic Pier Avenue,<br />
where they are the oldest owner-occupied business.<br />
“We are so blessed with this location and this business,” partner Albro<br />
Lundy said. “There’s some magic going on, how it has all worked out.”<br />
The decorated law firm is preparing for its third expansion along the<br />
avenue, adding offices and a roof deck with a “lifeguard tower-esque”<br />
design. And the attorneys are continuing to vigorously protect their<br />
clients’ assets and security, and to fight for people unjustly harmed.<br />
A Partnership Begins<br />
The whole operation had its beginnings in a law school friendship and<br />
a truly evil case of the European mumps.<br />
The law school friends were Brad Baker and Kent Burton, who saw<br />
more of each other on the UCLA sports fields than in its law library. They<br />
each passed the bar, and Baker took off traveling to celebrate, while<br />
Burton started looking for a job.<br />
“While Brad was in Europe he got a really bad case of the mumps,<br />
and he thought he might die. He made a deal with some higher force<br />
that if he lived” he would be sure to work at a virtuous job, Burton said.<br />
“An elderly European woman nursed him back to health, and he<br />
came back and volunteered for Venice Legal Aid,” Burton said.<br />
Burton went to work for a large firm in Century City, where he was immediately<br />
sent to work major cases in the looming courthouses of downtown<br />
L.A.<br />
“I was getting my ass kicked. I didn’t know where to park. I didn’t<br />
know how to address the judge,” he said.<br />
“There’s this no man’s land between the attorneys’ table and the<br />
bench, and I didn’t know that,” Burton said. “I had some papers I<br />
wanted the judge to see and I started to just walk up to him, and the<br />
bailiff jumped up with his hand on his weapon. I was like a deer in the<br />
headlights.”<br />
Back from Europe, Baker decided to open his own office, so Burton<br />
eagerly signed on as a partner, and the two hung their shingle in a modest<br />
office in Venice in 1976.<br />
Hearing they could buy a building in Hermosa Beach cheaper than<br />
renting in Venice, they moved into the 515 Pier Avenue storefront previously<br />
occupied by Ray’s TV in 1980. Later in 1994, Lundy left a Beverly<br />
Hills law firm to join BB&L and became the third partner.<br />
Legal Victories<br />
Among its highlights, BB&L won $4 billion for California consumers by<br />
leading a high-powered legal assault on energy companies accused<br />
of illegal actions, which artificially raised the price of natural gas, contributing<br />
to the energy crisis of 2000 and 2001.<br />
In addition to high-profile victories, the attorneys have at times spent<br />
hundreds of thousands of dollars to battle cases that promised no profit,<br />
prompted by compassion for harmed victims and the desire to see justice<br />
done.<br />
Growing as a Firm<br />
Meanwhile, the old Ray’s TV storefront has been gussied up, and the<br />
BB&L offices continue to expand along Pier Avenue as more attorneys<br />
join the firm, which has become a Hermosa Beach institution. Burton devotes<br />
himself to real estate and business transaction law with attorneys<br />
Clint Wilson and Teresa Klinkner.<br />
Baker, along with bilingual attorney Christine Daniels, focuses on estate<br />
planning, probate and trust litigation, and has argued twice before<br />
the U.S. Supreme Court. Lundy is an expert personal injury attorney who<br />
has won an affirmative verdict from the state Supreme Court and works<br />
with Evan Koch, recognized as a Rising Star attorney by Superlawyers.<br />
“Sometimes it seems like all of Hermosa is our client,” Lundy said. “We<br />
are here. We’ve always been here. We always will be here.”<br />
BAKER, BURTON & LUNDY | 515 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach | (310) 376-9893 | www.bakerburtonlundy.com<br />
SPONSORED CONTENT<br />
84 <strong>Peninsula</strong> • <strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong>
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Jeannine_mcdaniel2001@yahoo.com<br />
PLUMBING • HEATING • COOLING<br />
DEPENDABLE • PROFESSIONAL • AFFORDABLE<br />
ON CALL<br />
24 HOURS<br />
7 DAYS<br />
FREE ESTIMATES<br />
310.543.2001<br />
CALIFORNIA<br />
Lic. #770059<br />
C-36 C-20 A<br />
Unlic.<br />
OFFICE RENTALS<br />
100 sf Executive/Creative<br />
Suite Space in<br />
Palos Verdes Estates<br />
available for lease for<br />
$500/mo. Length of<br />
term negotiable. All<br />
utilities paid for. Comes<br />
fur- nished with free<br />
high speed internet<br />
(150 mbps download<br />
and 20 mbps upload<br />
speed), kitchenette<br />
and bathrooms. For<br />
more information call<br />
Neil Chha- bria at 310-<br />
902-7227 or visit<br />
www.malagacoveoffices.com.<br />
2013<br />
Patch Master<br />
Plastering<br />
Patch Plastering<br />
Interior • Exterior<br />
• Venetian Plastering<br />
• Ceiling Removal<br />
• Drywall Work<br />
• Acoustic<br />
Ceiling Removal<br />
• Water & Fire Restoration<br />
310-370-5589<br />
Lic. # 687076 • C35-B1<br />
PLUMBING<br />
Thank You South Bay for<br />
50 Years of Patronage!<br />
Residential • Commercial • Industrial<br />
Plumbing 24/7 • Heating<br />
Air Conditioning<br />
pfplumbing.net<br />
800-354-2705 • 310-831-0737<br />
ROOFING<br />
Tile Reroof and<br />
repair specialist<br />
310-847-7663<br />
Family owned<br />
business since 1978<br />
Lic 831351<br />
TILE<br />
POOLS • SPAS<br />
HARDSCAPES<br />
New Construction<br />
& Remodeling<br />
Excellent References<br />
Horusicky Construction<br />
310-544-9384<br />
www.Horusicky.com<br />
Credit cards accepted<br />
Lic #309844, Bonded, Insured<br />
SOLAR ENERGY<br />
TUTORING<br />
Math Tutoring<br />
SAT/ACT Specialist<br />
20 Years Experience<br />
Math Degree from UCLA<br />
Certified College<br />
Counselor<br />
Mensa Member<br />
1000+ Successful<br />
Students<br />
(949) 564-0224<br />
mensatutor@gmail.com<br />
classifieds<br />
424-269-2830<br />
Simply Tiles Design Center<br />
Fine Ceramics, Natural Stone, Hardwoods, Cabinetry, Faucetry.<br />
Kitchen & Bathrooms Specialist.<br />
3968 Pacific Coast Hwy., Torrance • (310) 373-7781 • www.simplytiles.com<br />
License #904876<br />
<strong>Nov</strong>ember <strong>2016</strong> • <strong>Peninsula</strong> 85
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