march 2011 riviera · joshua davidson, m.d. allergic rashes & swelling asthma contact allergies...

March 2011

A N E X C L U S I V E N E W S L E T T E R F O R T H E R E S I D E N T S O F T H E H O L L Y W O O D R I V I E R A

RIVIERAliving

Kelly & Laura Newsletter Inside...

Mardesich KidsPhotography by CMS Design Portaiture

3March/April Riviera Living2 Riviera Living March/April

DISCLAIMER: The paid advertisements contained within Riviera Living are not endorsed or recommended by N2 Publishing

or the Hollywood Riviera Homeowners Association, Inc. Therefore, neither party may be held liable for the business

practices of these companies. The Hollywood Riviera Homeowners Association is also not responsible for any content of the

Riviera Living except for that which they directly submitted for print. NOTE: When community events take place,

photographers may be present to take photos for that may be used in this publication.

™

Neighborhood News 4

Sponsor Index 28

Local Events 36

Young Life 38insi

de

© 2011 Neighborhood Networks Publishing, Inc.

www.n2pub.com

Rick Rizzo [email protected]

Geneva MartinRoberta Blowers Karen Lent

Christie Joyce Robb HotchkissErich Nickens Alex ChioiniAmber Rogerson Katie SneedMarie Nowell Krista DeWittAdrienne Jensen Kylie MartinAngelina Garcia Amanda Barnette

AREA DIRECTOR

LOCAL EDITORS

CREATIVE TEAM

N E I G H B O R H O O D C O N T A C T S

RIVI

ERA

HOM

EOW

NERS

ASS

OCIA

TION

RH

A OF

FICE

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MAI

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www.hollywoodriviera.org

2010-11 Officers and Directors

PresidentRoberta Blowers310-930-1322

First VP (Programs)Janet Kaplan310-780-9641

Second VP (Membership) Judy Brunetti310-378-5616

SecretaryJudy English310-378-0361

Co-treasurer &Public RelationsVoc Gregorian310-710-9080

Co-treasurerCindy Costantino310-376-1845

Newsletter EditorGeneva Martin310-378-9767

Hospitality ChairNancy Mansfield-Staudt310-378-5334

Landscape ChairKaren Lent310-375-6539

Community LiaisonPam Popovich310-375-8729

Traffic LiaisonMike Guidry310-373-1944

Mailing ChairDiane Miltimore

Webmaster/Photographer Julian Chasin310-373-6314

The following RHA Officers can be contactedthrough their e-mail:

[email protected]@[email protected] [email protected]@hollywoodriviera.org [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]@hollywoodriviera.org [email protected]

I M P O R T A N T P H O N E N U M B E R S

Emergency Only

City of Torrance - General Number

Airport Noise Abatement

City Council/Mayor’s Office

Community Development

Community Services

Library Services

Fire/Administration

Police/Information

Public Works

Water Emergency (after hours)

Torrance Animal Control

Transit

Animal Control (L.A. County)

Street Light Repair (Edison)

911

310-328-5310

310-784-7950

310-618-2801

310-618-5990

310- 618-2930

310- 618-5959

310-781-7000

310-328-3456

310-781-6900

310-781-7042

310-618-3850

310- 618-6266

310-523-9566

800-655-4555

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in Southern California is actually quite wonderful. Don’t forget to enjoy the sim-ple pleasures that surround us every day.

I always say this, be thankful when you have such great neighbors around you. Look for those great neighbors and enjoy them and be good, kind and generous to all of your neighbors, as well. Getting back to the basics and enjoying an every day simple life and keeping something good in your heart as you think of your community, as well as always remember-ing to be kind to your neighbors is a good way of living.

That is just my sim-ple point of view.

Thank you,

Roberta Blowers, DDS

Living in Southern California, I believe what is closest around us can be enjoyed the most as the simple pleasures in our life, such as our families, our friends, and our good neighbors. After speaking to some of my friends that live outside the State of California, I enjoy even more every bit of sunshine and good weather that we get here and realize how lucky we are to have such vast enjoyment of fruits and vegetables in our market places, plus enjoy living in such a nice, tight-knit community, as we do. I believe, enjoying what is closest to us should be kept as more important to us. Enjoying our close community even more so is a good thing.

Keeping it simple and looking at what is around us as important is a good way of looking at our lives when we live in the times that we do. Our community here

Membership FormJOIN the Riviera Homeowners Association (RHA) for 2010-2011

Your dues are an important contribution to our community. They allow us to provide scholarships to college bound students and donations to elementary and middle schools. They are also used to sponsor general meet-ings in the Riviera on topics important to our community. They finance our communications and allow us to keep members informed on important issues being discussed in the City. Your dues allow us to thank the City when they are doing a great job and to express our concern when our property interests are impacted. If you are not a member, please consider joining. It is a small sum, well invested.

Membership runs from September thru August. Since our new membership and business year has begun, it’s time to join or renew your membership in the Rivera Homeowners Association today and help support the interests of our community. Membership dues are only $25 a year . Please fill

out the form below or update the mailing label on reverse, enclose your check payable to “Riviera Homeowners Association”, and mail to RHA Membership, P.O. Box 1074, Torrance, CA 90505. Or, you can renew or join online through our PayPal system-it is quick and secure! Go to our website at www.hollywoodriviera.org

(Please note: Your street and/or email address are never shared with any third parties, and areused only for the purpose of notifying our members about upcoming events and other importantinformation.)Name: Address: City: Zip:

Do you receive emails from us? If not, and you would like to be on our list,please provide us with your email address:Email:

$25 Annual Membership for 2010-11 (Sept.-Aug.)

Additional contributions are always welcome! $50 $100 Other:____

Scholarships 2011Get a head start: think about submitting your application for the 2011 scholarship awards. The applications are due by March 1, 2011. The RHA college scholarship awards are given to graduating seniors in the Hollywood Riviera. Awards are based on academic excellence, participation in school activities, teacher recommenda-tions and community service. Interested seniors can get applica-tion information from their college counselor at South High. If you do not attend South High or have questions, please read click on scholarship information on the RHA website or contact Judy Bru-netti, RHA Scholarship Chair, at: [email protected].

Riviera HOA AnnouncementsWebsiteSign up for the RHA E-mail AlertGet periodic emails notifying you of RHA meetings, events, and occasional community notices. Don't miss out. (Note: The website is currently undergoing major changes. More information will be posted over the next few months.)

P.O. Box 1074 - Torrance, CA 90505 Serving The Hollywood Riviera Community Since The 1940S

Riviera Homeowners Associationthe

President’s Message: My Simple Point of View

Check out our new website now in progresshttp://hollywoodriviera.wordpress.com/

P.S. - The Riviera skies will be noticeably quieter thanks to recent Torrance City Council decisions. The Council voted to adopt the recommendations of the Heli-copter Committee headed by Riviera res-ident Richard Root who has worked long and hard with the Airport Commission for an agreement. For the next 6 months, pilots are asked to double the current minimum sea level flight height of 600 ft to 1,200 or 2,000 ft. Flight paths have also been modified away from residential areas. The increased serenity is greatly appreciated! Thanks Richard, Committee & Council!


Did you know that people who attend crime awareness seminars are 75% less likely to be the victim of a violent crime? Crime Prevention Seminar presented by BYRON WALLS

http://www.californiacrimefight.com/ Elections: Richardson Middle School Cafeteria23571 Nancy Lee Lane (off of Newton)

RHA Next General Meeting:Wednesday, April 27, 2011, 7 p.m.California Crime FightNOTE: We received an email message in early Novem-

ber from Damian on Greenmeadows Avenue regarding the unsightly chain link fence at the median strip on PCH in front of South High School. Damian did his research about possible solutions and we DID contact City Hall with Damian’s ideas.

UPDATE: A December City Committee meeting brought a phone call stating that they were working for both a short term and long term solution. (In the meantime, another motorist ran into the chain link fence requiring temporary hazard tape.) Watch for some powder coating of the chain link plus some possible plantings. It is hoped that eventually some grant money will be forthcoming for a major overhaul and thus beautifica-tion!

We appreciate our concerned citizen homeowners! Together we can do much!

Dear Riviera Homeowners Association Emails

Owner - Geoff GraueHollywood Riviera Resident

Serving the South Bay since 2004

310-373-3126www.strandtechnology.net

Computers, networking, servers, on-site service and repair

P.O. Box 1074 - Torrance, CA 90505 Serving The Hollywood Riviera Community Since The 1940S

Riviera Homeowners Associationthe

If you were a client of Retirement Protection Group,you would have a friendly, local, professional �nancial advisory �rm that truly cares about your future!

Thomas A. Gray, MBA and Christina Jesperson, MAare 20+ year veterans of �nancial planning, and are founders of Retirement Protection Group. Their emphasis is working one-on-one with their clients to help them make smart �nancial choices – while striving to avoid costly investment mistakes.

Retirement Protection Group (RPG) is a fee-based wealth management �rm headquartered in the same Riviera Village location for over 10 years!

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9March/April Riviera Living8 Riviera Living March/AprilNeighborhoodNews NeighborhoodNews

kids kids

Photography by CMS Portraiture

The Mardesich Kids

Name: Maya MardesichAge: 10School: Riviera ElementaryGrade: 5thFavorite color: GreenFavorite activities: Hanging out with friends, tetherball, playing catch, camping with the Girl ScoutsFavorite vacation: Lake HavasuFavorite video game: Just Dance 2 Favorite sport: SoftballFavorite Food: Enchiladas and TacosBirthday month: April

Name: Jack MardesichAge: 8School: Riviera ElementaryGrade: 2ndFavorite color: GreenFavorite activities: Riding on roller coastersFavorite vacation: HawaiiFavorite video game: Lego Indiana JonesFavorite sport: BasketballFavorite Food: Monte Christo Birthday month: January

Name: Lucas MardesichAge: 5School: Walteria ElementaryGrade: Pre-K “Preppy”Favorite color: BlueFavorite activities: Riding his bike to the pierFavorite vacation: Camping in the mountainsFavorite video game: Mario KartFavorite sport: SoccerFavorite Food: French ToastBirthday month: November

Joshua Davidson, M.D.

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Currently accepting new patients, children & adults. I accept PPO and most HMO plans. As part of the diagnosis and treatment of these issues, I offer skin testing for food and

environmental allergies, allergy treatment and asthma testing.

Pet #1 – WilsonKaplan

Wilson is a 2 ½- year-old Standard Schnauzer.

He has been doing Dog Agility for 1 ½ years and he entered his first trial in July. He has titled in both Regular Agility and Weavers. His brother, Jackson, is also an Agility Champion and they often attend trials together even though Jackson lives in Phoenix, AZ.

His favorite activities are retrieving the tennis ball and his bright pink and green Frisbee. He usually gets a run on the Esplanade in the early morning where he meets some of his best buddies-- particu-larly his favorite, Killian.

He is good with children and likes to hang out at the Coffee Bean in the Riv-iera Village in the mornings, especially on Sat. and Sun. with his friend Bella (black Lab cross). He has a tendency to bark at other dogs when he is there which drives his mom mad and we are working on it. He wants to play but it sounds like some-thing different than that!

PreciousPets

Pet #2 – Annie Brown

Annie is a 4-year-old Boxer mix. She was rescued by the Brown family. Annie likes to walk with her dog walker Debbie from the Den Mother Dog Walker Services. She lives in the Riviera and likes to hang out with all the other dogs on the trail.

Maya, Jack & Lucas

11March/April Riviera Living10 Riviera Living March/April NeighborhoodNews

Thomas A. Gray, MBAChristina Jesperson, MA

Retirement Pros!

Ask the

This column is written to help answer your personal financial questions, problems, and issues. Please email your questions to [email protected], give us some background on your situation, and we will research and answer your questions here!

John H. Trotter, DDS, MS OrthodonticsJohn H. Trotter, DDS, MS Orthodontics

310-373-0093

Please visit our website @ www.TrotterOrthodontics.com

Located in the Riviera Village/ Riviera Professional Building1706 South Elena Ave., Suite D, Redondo Beach, CA, 90277

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Q. I’ve been paying extra principal payments on my first mortgage for a number of years, and it’s down to about $90,000 still owed. The interest rate is 4.875%. Local realtors say our home is worth about $1.2 million. So the big question: Should we take a withdrawal from our IRA – that frankly hasn’t done very well, and totally pay off the mort-gage?

A. This is a question that we get asked about all the time! It sure is appeal-ing – having your home “free and clear”. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Here are some considerations: First, if you are not yet 59.5 years old, there will be a 10% penalty tax on any IRA withdrawals – ouch! Also, depleting liquid financial resources is not generally a smart idea. What if an emergency arises? Having all that equity in your home will not pay the bills. Finally, if your IRA is yielding more than your mortgage rate of 4.875%, then simple math will say to keep your IRA growing, and not liquidate the $90,000.

Q. I’m getting a ton of emails/newslet-ters touting gold as the ultimate invest-ment right now. With the political turmoil in Egypt, Greece, and some other countries Iran, does this make sense?

A. Many of our clients forward these sometimes distressing newsletters tout-ing the many fabulous benefits of owning gold. I’d say the majority that we see are “scare tactics” that would have you believe that the world as we know is coming to a quick end! They blame Bernanke, who they say is printing money so fast that the almighty dollar is doomed! Please keep things in perspective. View gold as perhaps one part of an overall diversi-fied portfolio, and treat these scare tactic newsletters as more “entertainment” than true financial advice!

Q. I recently retired and now find myself doing part-time consulting work for some local companies. They pay me not as an employee, but as an indepen-dent contractor. I don’t really need the money I make, so was wondering what my options are to defer some taxes. I’m in a pretty high tax bracket as it is.

A. Do yourself a favor, and investigate something called a “Defined Benefit Plan”. This is an IRS sanctioned pension plan that may allow you to contribute much of your earned income into it – reducing your taxes as well! They favor older workers who want to play “catch up” and put away larger sums of money. The drawback is that most require a tax return, and an actuary to certify the many assumptions that go into them. Give us a call if you need help weighing the costs and benefits of setting one up.

Q. I’ve owned a stock for a couple of years, and it’s more than doubled in value – in fact it’s now more than $300 per share! This seems a bit high. Should I sell and take my profits?

A. Many individual investors think the actual price of a stock is the true measure of its worth. Wrong! You need to look up other factors such as its P/E ratio which may indicate that your $300 stock is actually very inexpensive! Do some homework, and you may become a better investor.

About the authors: Thomas A. Gray, MBA and Chris-tina Jesperson, MA are financial & investment consul-tants, and founders of Retirement Protection Group, a fee-based financial & investment advisory firm located in Riviera Village, Redondo Beach. Securities offered through Triad Advisors, Inc.

Member: FINRA & SIPC. Call them at 310-375-1300 if you would like a complimentary personal consultation.

Pets: Maggie-10 (Calico cat), Whitney-10 (Golden Retriever), Lucy-9 (Golden Retriever), Bella-1 (Morkie) and Rusty (guinea pig)

Profession: Kevin, Hewlett Packard, Software Engineer Jeane – Stay-at-home mom

Favorite Activities and hobbies: Boating, swimming, biking & shopping

Favorite Restaurants: Mexican Riviera, Kincaids, In & Out, Pancake House

Favorite Vacation spot: Lake Mojave & Lake Havasu

Favorite Family Dinner: Pizza, Cheeseburgers & Mexican

What activities are they involved with: Dance, soccer, horse-back riding

What music do you listen to: Top 20(kids) Pandora…Collec-tive Soul, Eric Clapton, Annie Lennox

What are your favorite TV shows: Modern Family, The Good Wife, Wipeout, Funniest Home Videos

What is your favorite part about living in Riviera: Walk to the beach, great neighbors, & good schools

Photography by CMS Portraiture

Shauger Family

FamilySpotlight

13March/April Riviera Living12 Riviera Living March/April NeighborhoodNews

Randy's Riviera

New Smiles Dentistry

Dr. Steve Tassone has been gently treating patients from the Hollywood Riviera for over 20 years. He is dedicated to providing you with the highest level of

preventative and cosmetic dentistry available while maintaining ultimate patient comfort.

Dr. Tassone is a graduate of USC , a school which has an ongoing tradition

of excellence in dentistry.

Dr. Steve Tassone

We take most dental insurances and are committed to providing you

with the best dental value in all of the South Bay!

As JFK famously said,

Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.“ ”

As a proud Riviera resident, I would like to take this month's editorial and urge the Hollywood Riviera locals to reach out and make a difference in our community. Whether it's as simple as sponsoring a local child's fundraiser, helping an elderly neighbor with a chore, or volunteering your time with a local organiza-tion, our community is only as strong as we make it. And while there are a lot of locals who do great work here and volunteer to coach their kid's team, serve in the PTA, or participate in great philanthropic groups like the Hollywood Riveria Sportsman's Club, I want to challenge everyone in the 90277 to step up and actively do something to help make a difference.

While I don't profess to be a saint or even make much of a conscious effort to be an overly philanthropic individual, I have found myself helping out around our area and it can be fulfill-ing, rewarding, and frankly, necessary. My wife has long been a supporter of causes and she believes in donating her time to help make a difference. From working with the Riviera Road-runners' Holiday Craft Fair to donating raffle items or even staffing the Student Store, she is always trying to lend a hand while working a full-time job and trying to keep order with our family despite my attempts to mess things up. Following her lead, I try to do my part by volunteering as the Room 13 PE coach, serving as a coach for my children's various sports teams, and I even started TEAM (Tomorrow's Entertainment & Ath-letics Marketers), an after school program that teaches at-risk students about sports and entertainment marketing in order to provide motivation and guidance for a successful future (follow us on facebook).

A good friend and fellow Roadrunner parent was surprised to learn recently that I help out at the school and noted that most of the dads don't actively participate as volunteers. I told her that perhaps they do donate their time or resources in other ways and I assured her that I am not the stand-alone volunteer

dad. We all can and should do our part to make our little corner of paradise the best community it can be and like JFK, I am calling on you, fellow Riviera residents to prove that I am right and our family's philanthropic efforts are not the exception!

Randy RovegnoHollywood Riviera Resident

SpotlightVolunteer

Buy a Cake, Change a LifeSouth High Fresh-man Anna Spal-lino has put a project together in prepara-tion for her Girl Scout Gold Award. Her business plan is to make and deliver cakes to Riviera resi-dents for her chosen charitable cause. For

every two cakes Anna sells she will be able to fund a wheelchair for a disabled person in a third-world country.

Anna's business is called Riviera Cake Fairies. Her two- cake selection is chosen from special family recipes: Death by Choc-olate and Tropical Coconut Cake. The cakes are $30 each and this writer and others can testify that the "Fairy" cakes are abso-lutely delicious! Anna will custom bake your cake and deliver it to you!

100% of cake sale proceeds go directly to Free Wheelchair Mis-sion which provides wheelchairs to the disabled in third-world countries. Anna's parents, Sandy & Jon, generously donate the supplies that Anna uses. What Free Wheelchair Mission does is make inexpensive, sturdy, safe wheelchairs out of LAWN CHAIRS! Through this charity, lives are forever changed for these disadvantaged, disabled people.

Anna, her sister and mom (all life-long Riviera residents) and dad live on Camino de Encanto. Contact Anna, Riviera Cake Fairies, at 310-375-9234 or at [email protected]. She will need at least three days notice for your cake order. Then she will deliver it with a big thanks and a smile! Obviously, because of the charitable cause, nature will ignore any extra calories you may consume!

Anna SpallinoStory and pictures by Karen Lent

NeighborhoodNews

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Hollywood RivieraHistoryby Karen Lent, Riviera Homeowners Board Member

The First House, The Riviera Reid Castle, 124 Via Monte D'Oro

"The Castle"--as many call it--at 124 Via Monte d'Oro, was the first house built in the Riviera. This stately Italian Mediterranean mansion was built for Developer Clifford Reid and his wife Ella by Beverly Hills architect Mark Daniels. The Reids moved into their new D'Oro castle before Christmas in 1928.

The lot is actually 3 lots wide and has gardens, a 3-car garage and a home that commands ocean views from all the major rooms. The formal dining room is majestic, with its hardwood floors and frescoed ceilings, spilling into the stone foyer at one end and viewing the gardens at the other. The home still contains many of the original furnishings.

There have only been three owners of "The Castle." The current owners, L'Cena and Bob Rice have owned and inhabited the Reid home longer than any others. They were also the first and only to raise a family there. (Please see the next Riviera Living issue about the current “Castle Owners,” the Rices.’)

The 6,700 square foot residence was crafted by artisans brought from the world over and most of the work was exe-

cuted right on the property, including the roof tiles with weigh 34 tons! Carved beams and intricately painted ceiling highlight the main living rooms.

The exterior "tower" dominates the front and proves to be a two story stone like foyer and stairway inside. "Modern" colors turn out to be original. Also, originals are the Southwest Indian tiles in the entry and mauve tub, toilet, shower and tiles in the master bath. Eccentricities abound: an electric escalator, a dumbwaiter, "phone room", a milk pass-through and a small metal wall receptacle for an iron.

Extremely high standards of architecture were incorporated in the Hollywood Riviera deed restrictions. All buildings were to be of the Mediterranean type with tile roofs. In accordance with the general plan of Torrance before any lots could be sold the company installed streets, lights and sewers. At this time, the deed restrictions were enforced by the board of directors of the Hollywood Riviera Community Association who appointed an Art Jury to review all building plans.

The second house built in the Riviera was for the Roy Stewart family. Roy was brother-in-law and a business associate of Mr. Reid. He moved into his house on Via Linda Vista August 1, 1929.

To Be Continued ...

Read about the Rices’, the Stewarts’, and the Hollywood Connection in future Riviera Living issues.

Information compiled from local Historian Marshall Stewart, the Riviera Reporter and the "Parkway P.T.A. Red Tile Roof" house tour booklet.

NeighborhoodNews

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17March/April Riviera Living16 Riviera Living March/AprilNeighborhoodNews

Dr. Oz and the One Simple Ritual: Daily Nutritional SupplementsBy: Dr. Roberta Blowers

Health Hint: Recently, I watched the Dr. Oz show on television where Dr. Oz discusses his feelings regarding nutritional supplemen-tation.

Dr. Oz, Daytime Emmy Award-winning host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” is Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University. He directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hos-pital. His research interests include heart replacement surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery, complementary medicine and health care policy. He has authored over 400 original publications, book chapters, and medical books, has received several patents, and performs more than 100 heart surgeries per year.

Dr. Oz has said that he is passionate about taking supplements and feels that it is important to not even skip one single day of doing so. He has said that he believes taking daily nutritional sup-plementation is the one simple ritual that is the easiest thing that you can do to A) Help improve your healthB) Helps give you energyC) Help you fight off the biggest dis-eases that many people face.Dr. Oz states that supplements are among the oldest tools of medicine used in some form or other for 100’s of years to help improve your health and in some cases even treat diseases.

Today more than ½ the adults take some kind of vitamin, or herbal supplements in this country. Some can lower blood pressure, reduce your cholesterol, increase energy, or even improve your mobility and more.

The body can receive a majority of the vitamins and minerals it needs through a proper balance of fresh fruits, veg-etables, grains, dairy products and meats; yet, most people don’t consume foods in well-balanced meals. Busy lifestyles don’t always allow people to pay specific attention to their nutritional needs. Fur-thermore, there are certain vitamin and mineral requirements that cannot be rea-sonably attained through food alone. For example, a person would have to consume a pound of liver or drink an entire pitcher of beer every day to get the daily recom-mended amount of chromium. For that reason, multivitamins and other supple-ments are a great way to fulfill and regu-late nutritional deficiencies that cannot be ascertained through foods.

Dr. Oz mentions that multivitamins are a one pill wonder that offer the recommended dose and can provide most of the nutrients that you need on a daily basis that can help boost immu-nity, help memory levels and can help prevent

memory loss and more. He also said that getting calcium in the right way is important. He said that calcium should not be taken by itself; rather it should be taken with magnesium and with vitamin D. He also said that there is important research that shows that Vitamin D has been shown to play key roles in helping to preventing colon, uterine and breast cancer. He also said that omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the effects of inflamma-tion in the body. On his show he said that there is grow-ing medical evidence that most of the chronic degenerative diseases begin as inflammatory processes in the body with clear data on roles of inflammation as helping to lead to breast cancer, coronary heart disease, prostate cancer, and colon cancer, cancer of the pancreas, rheuma-toid arthritis and Alzheimer ’s disease. It is important to contain inappropriate inflammation in the body to help with optimum health, longevity and to reduce the risks of getting many different dis-eases. Always check with your doctor before taking any new supplements, herbs or vitamins.

Roberta Blowers, DDS


gardenNeighborhoodNews

of the MonthBy: Karen Lent, Photos by: Julian Chasin

Outstanding Landscape AwardIn appreciation for your enhancement of the Hollywood Riviera Community by the Riviera Homeowners Association and the Riviera Garden Club

OUTSTANDING LANDSCAPE AWARDS are chosen by a Committee of Riviera Homeowners and Riviera Garden Club members. Checkout the website: http:hollywoodriviera.wordpress.com. You will find current and past landscape awards: 21 years of them!

(Slope BEHIND HOUSE at Calle de Primera & Bluff Street)This is an “outside the box” Award to a rare do-it-yourselfer who has imagina-tively and creatively landscaped a “slope.” Who thought to paint a tire red? To incorporate metal “see no evil” frogs? to put a cactus or succulent here? a stairway of stones down a slope that others would have ice planted over? All of Steve’s additions to his slope are from garage sales. Congratulations Steve for your eye-catching and creative approach to a slope!

Dave is a self taught gardener who has experimented with his hilly front yard of different eco-climates, soils and sunlight. The ivy was torn out and a retaining wall divides the hill with Mediterranean type plants on the upper and drought tolerant types on the lower. Dave’s enthusiastic experimenting to find the cor-rect solution produced an eclectic and pleasing result. Thanks Dave!

Dave Golling and Bobbi Lenihan with dogs Lexie and Kona

Steve and Marianne Rushtor

Dave Golling and Bobbi Lenihan(and dogs Lexie and Kona)352 Via El Chico

Steve and Marianne Rushtor4112 Via Lado

310-378-5848Lic.#74-03686

310-378-5848

4172 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance, CA 90505Coastal Kids PreschoolCoastal Kids Preschool

Conveniently located next to the Hollywood Riviera!

Frank KostrencichO�ce: 310.697.3018Fax: 310.921.5380Cell: [email protected]

Mike MardesichO�ce: 310.697.3018Fax: 310.921.5380Cell: [email protected]

You may be able to savehundreds of dollars each month!

How do all of the new loan rules a�ect me? Am I eligible for the higher conforming limits?What are the new credit score requirements? Are all conforming limits the same?

Can I still buy or re�nance with less than 20% equity?

“Is your rate 4.75% or Higher?” The call is free to �nd out what your savings may be!


Monday-Friday 9:00am - 8:00pm Saturday 9:00am - 6:00pm Sunday 12:00pm - 5:00pm

Palos Verdes Medical GroupPalos Verdes Medical GroupFamily Care Specialists

Open 7 Days a Week

550 Deep Valley Drive Ste 319Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274

Allergy • Asthma • Pediatrics • ADHD • Internal Medicine

Dr. Lawrence Sher • Dr. Monica Saad • Dr. Laurence Gorlick

310.544.6858

EXTENDED HOURS FOR YOUR URGENT CARE(LOCATED IN THE PROMENADE OF THE PENINSULA)

Jon M. Monette DDS IncDentist

1921 S. Catalina Ave #1Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277

Conveniently located in Riviera Village

310-375-3338

attractive smile to your life.Looking to bring an

www.dentistryofredondobeach.com

MONTHLYDUES ASLOW AS $60$60

CYCLING YOGA PILATES

Individual classes and Packages Available

Riviera Village

Syzygy Cycling257 Avenida Del Norte

Redondo Beach, CA 90277310.316.7999 310.316.3277 fax

www.syzygycycling.com

Syzygy Soul1700 South Catalina #203

Redondo Beach, CA 90277310.316.0161

www.syzygysoul.com


Permanent Weight LossSuccessful Strategies

By Karla Schmidt, (R.D, Nutritional Consultant) Riviera Sports Physical Therapy

Weight Loss - just seeing those two words on a page can send most into a guilty sweat accompanied by images of quick weight-loss plans that came but didn’t conquer! Losing weight (and keeping it off ) is, no doubt, one of the most challenging hurdles an individual encounters in their lives. And, to make matters worse, most people don’t jump this hurdle only once. They keep trying to take the quick and easy route – only to return to face the same hurdle again and again. So…enough of the metaphors, here’s some tried and true advice. The following strategies are proven to get your weight-loss program off to a realistic start, and help you maintain the loss for a lifetime.

1. Make a commitmentPermanent weight loss takes time and effort. Make sure that you're ready to make permanent changes and that you do so for the right reasons. No one else can make you lose weight. In fact, external pressure — often from people closest to you — may make matters worse. Announce your plans to make these changes to those closest to you. Ask that they fully support your efforts.

2. Get supportTo succeed in losing weight permanently, an individual must take responsibility for your own behavior. But that doesn't mean that you have to do everything alone. Seek the expertise and support of a nutritionist who can educate you, evaluate your current eating patterns, develop a customized weigh-loss plan specific to your needs, and most importantly, coach & encourage you through the rough spots (such as plateaus).

3. Set a realistic goalWhen you're considering what to expect from your new eating plan, be realistic. Over the long term, it's best to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds a week, although initially your loss might be higher due to the significant changes in your diet. Statistically, indi-viduals who lose 1 to 2 pounds per week have an 80% higher chance of keeping the weight off when compared to those on quick, non-health promoting weight loss plan. Think of how

many times you’ve lost the same 10 pounds…but never perma-nently because your habits didn’t change. When you're setting goals, think about process and outcome. "Eat smaller meals" is an example of a process goal, while "Lose 30 pounds" is an example of an outcome goal. Wanting to lose 30 pounds is great, but the process goals (i.e. eat smaller meals) is what changes habits – the key to weight loss.

4. Change your lifestyleIt's not enough to eat healthy foods and exercise for only a few weeks or months. You have to make them part of your lifestyle. Lifestyle changes start with taking an honest look at your eating habits and daily routine. The easiest way to keep yourself honest (and adopt new, healthier habits) is to food diary. Write down everything you have had to eat or drink throughout your day. You’ll be surprised how many morsels pass your lips that have long been long forgotten by your next meal. It is also important to pay close attention to emotional, situational, or habitual trig-gers that have sabotaged your efforts in the past. For example, every time you go to a party hungry you tend to overeat. Pre-thinking this event would encourage you to eat a small, healthy snack before you go, thus avoiding the - I’m starving, out-of-control - eating episode. It's not enough just to recognize your triggers — you have to plan for how you'll deal with them if you're going to succeed in losing weight once and for all. Sure you’re likely to have an occasional setback. But instead of giv-ing up entirely, simply start fresh the next day. Remember that you're planning to change your life.

If you are interested in a free consultation with Karla Schmidt, RD or any other fitness service, please call 310.316.3577 to schedule your appointment today or visit www.rivierasportspt.com.

Riviera Sports Physical Therapy is conveniently located at 225 Avenue I #110 in the Riviera Village just steps from the beach!

for


Address Currently IN ESCROW Sq Ft Beds Bath Price DOM Status

251 Paseo de Gracia,RB 1412 3 1 $749,900 6 Pending

4826 Pacific Coast Hwy, TORR 2566 4 4 $775,000 131 Back Up

848 Calle de Arboles, RB++ 1504 3 2 $799,000 135 Back Up

211 Paseo de las Delicias, RB ++ 1640 3 2 $800,000 51 Back Up

416 Paseo de las Estrellas, RB 1518 3 2 $849,000 214 Back Up

621 Camino de Encanto, RB ++ 1560 3 2 $850,000 23 Pending

4527 Vista del Largo, TORR 3056 4 4 $920,000 257 Pending

3872 Newton, TORR ++ 4042 4 4 $1,099,000 26 Back Up

205 Calle de Sirenas, RB 1382 3 2 $1,150,000 48 Back Up

337 Calle Mayor, RB 2951 5 3 $1,179,000 5 Back Up

404 Via La Selva, RB 2379 3 3 $1,399,000 19 Back Up

Address SOLD Sq Ft Beds Bath List Price DOM SOLDPrice

4026 Bluff St, TORR ++ 1520 3 2 $650,000 222 $608,800

4633 Highgrove, TORR ++ 1437 3 3 $729,000 116 $675,000

5428 Riviera Way, TORR 1360 3 2 $689,000 143 $689,000

4520 Newton, TORR 1368 3 3 $719,000 8 $719,575

156 Via Los Miradores, RB 2507 4 2 $899,000 34 $733,440

5038 Newton, TORR ++ 1948 3 3 $739,900 10 $739,000

109 Via los Altos, RB 1895 3 3 $795,000 67 $756,250

5026 Newton, TORR ++ 2544 5 3 $799,000 140 $759,800

413 Calle de Castellana, RB 1533 2 2 $879,000 107 $795,000

127 Via Sego, RB ++ 2072 4 2 $779,900 33 $805,000

500 Via Colusa, RB 1965 4 2 $949,000 51 $905,000

5510 Greenmeadows, TORR 2255 3 3 $998,000 22 $975,000

4806 Via el Sereno, TORR 2366 4 4 $1,049,000 91 $1,000,000

109 Paseo de Suenos, RB 1389 3 2 $1,150,000 18 $1,100,000

422 Camino de Campo, RB 2420 4 3 $1,299,000 168 $1,175,000

410 Paseo de la Playa, RB 3598 3 3 $1,995,000 148 $1,900,000

4th Quarter Sales for Hollywood Riviera - 2010

Average Sales

NeighborhoodNews

Hollywood Riviera Real Estate Trends

2010 remained a stable year for the Hol-lywood Riviera’s real estate market. The number of sales was similar to those of 2009 - one more than last year. The aver-age sales price also remained relatively stable - dropping only 1%. The first half of 2010’s real estate market was much better and had shown many improve-ments over 2009; however the last half of 2010 was not so great and we ended up giving back any gains we had made. As you can see the last quarter of 2010 was not nearly as good as the last quarter of 2009. The number of sales was off 24% in the last quarter over 2009’s last quarter. And the average price of the last quar-ter’s year over year also showed a 10% drop off in pricing. Interest rates were quite low in 2010 and should remain low as we head into 2011. Obtaining a loan is still difficult and fee hikes by Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac are on the horizon. We shall see how this affects the 2011 market. ++ Indicates properties that were sold in distress - either a short sale or REO. 4 of the current pending escrows were in distress and 5 sold in the last quarter of 2010. We are likely to see more distressed sales in 2011 as well. Happy New Year!

List Price Sold Price DOM Avg. $ Per S/F # Sold Sq Ft

4th Quarter 2010 $928,113 $895,942 86 $445 16 2011

4rth Quarter 2009 $1,023,810 $987,619 108 $487 21 2025

Entire Year 2010 $1,009,339 $980,175 67 $491 77 1994

Entire year 2009 $1,020,643 $985,504 85 $500 76 1970

Riviera Real Estate Happenings

Sales information obtained from the Greater South Bay Multiple Listing Service, deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Check Out Our Blog by Visiting Our Websitewww.KellyandLaura.com

Check Out Our Blog by Visiting Our Website www.KellyandLaura.com

NeighborhoodNews

Hollywood Riviera’s 10 Year Historical Trend in Pricing

Kelly & Laura’s Useful Tips & InformationCurried Lentil Stew

# Homes Sold160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

02000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Num

ber

Average Sold Price$1,200,000

$1,000,000

$800,000

$600,000

$400,000

$200,000

$02000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Pric

e

Year

Year

Useful Life Tips from Mark Twain

Twain is known for his many and often funny quotes; here are a few of our favorites to live by.1. Your limitations may just be in your mind - “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”2. Lighten up and have some fun - “Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.”3. Release yourself from entitlement - “Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”4. Keep your focus steadily on what you want - “Drag your thoughts away from your troubles… by the ears, by the heels, or any other way you can man-age it.”5. Don’t focus so much on making yourself feel good - “The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”6. Do what you want to do - “Twenty years from now you will be more disap-pointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did so. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

1 Tbsp butter1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil1 large chopped onion2 cloves minced garlic6 Cups Water or Low Sodium Chicken/Vegetable Broth1 1/2 cups rinsed lentils1 tsp ground curry powder1/2 tsp cinnamonSalt & Pepper to tasteChopped Fresh Cilantro for garnish

In large soup pot heat the butter & olive oil. Add onion & garlic, cook stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the broth, lentils, curry & cinnamon. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes stirring occa-sionally until lentils are fully cooked & tender. Season with S & P, garnish with cilantro!

Send in your favorite recipe for the newsletter and receive a $25 Trader Joe Gift Card.

The graphs on the left show a 10 year history of Average Sales Prices & the Number of Homes Sold here in the Hollywood Riviera. As you can see back in 2000 the average sales price was $561,000 and 143 homes sold that year. Wow, that’s more than 11 homes sold per month! Over the next 6 years the aver-age price continually rose until it hit its high in 2007 of $1,139,000; that is a 51% increase in those 6 years! 2003-2004 was the year that had the largest gain with a 24% increase in average price that year $777,000 up to $1,015,000. The number of homes sold is almost half of what it was back in 2000 with only 77 selling in 2010 vs. the 143 back in 2000. Looking at the graph really gives you a good visual of the small drop in average price we’ve really had over the last 3 years. We really are lucky!


Hollywood Riviera Specialists!

NeighborhoodNews

Kelly&LauraDRE# 01070091 DRE# 01309575

KELLY - Cell: 310-613 2465Email: [email protected]

LAURA - Cell: 310-738-7355Email: [email protected]

Let’s Go Fly a KiteWalteria Library - Make your own kite!Wednesday, March 9th ~ 4pmwww.Torrnet.com/Events

Hazardous & E-Waste RoundupManhattan Bch - Northrup GrummanSaturday, March 19th ~ 9am to 3pmwww.Torrnet.com/Events

37th Annual Festival of the Kite Redondo Beach PierSunday, March 13th 10am - 3pmwww.RedondoPier.com

Riviera Elementary Monte Carlo NightMarriott TorranceSaturday, April 16th 6pm www.riviera.tusd.org

Mortgage News by: “Riviera Funding’s” Brian Diederich1801 S. Catalina Ave #201, Redondo Beach, CA 90277310-989-4041 [email protected]

Curious What YourHome is Worth ?FREE Market AnalysisCall or E-mail Us

Save the Date!!

1972 7.38% 1982 16.08% 1992 8.40% 2002 6.54%

1973 8.04% 1983 13.23% 1993 7.33% 2003 5.82%

1974 9.19% 1984 13.87% 1994 8.35% 2004 5.84%

1975 9.04% 1985 12.42% 1995 7.95% 2005 5.86%

1976 8.86% 1986 10.18% 1996 7.80% 2006 6.41%

1977 8.84% 1987 10.20% 1997 7.60% 2007 6.34%

1978 9.63% 1988 10.34% 1998 6.94% 2008 6.04%

1979 11.19% 1989 10.32% 1999 7.43$ 2009 5.04%

1980 13.77% 1990 10.13% 2000 8.06% 2010 4.69%

1981 16.63.% 1991 9.25% 2001 6.97% 2011

Historical 30 Year Mortgage Interest Rates

NeighborhoodNews

Congratulationsto South High School Varsity Football

After a tremendous season of team work the South Boys took it to the finals of the CIF Football Playoffs. The team and coaches were honored at a January Torrance City Council Meeting by the Mayor and Council Members. The team sadly did not win the final playoff game but the team has every reason to be proud of the exciting games they provided their school and fans during the season. Con-gratulations again to Spartan Football, Coach Josh Waybright, assistant coaches and every member of this great team!

Varsity Football players as follows: Jesurun Wright, Ryan Dobie, Hayden Finley, Terrence Pinks, Chris Aldape, Justin Concetti, Cale Dester, Dylan Tobin, Colton Glandorff, Drew Lawrence, Kevin McMahon, Jordan White, Seth Baumann, Brandon Loera, Tyler Glandorff, Preston Falmoe, Kevin Haworth, Ian Campbell, John Sico, Roberto Parsa, Kevin Williams, Dylan Redondo, Keith Mitsuu-chi, Joe Compton, Eric Capacchione, Kevin Park, Jake Hood, Rheid Thill, Malik Johnson, Kurt Lipar, Anthony Aguilar, Thomas Flanigan, James Pallitto, Kurtis Heinemann, Seamus McNulty, James Pakzad, Orion Gould, John Marcopoulos, Armin Haghanimanesh, James Hapgood, Karl Panzer, Julian Blood, Alex Lee, Nick Campbell, Brent Malone

Business BeatHaupt RoofingBy Geneva Martin • Picture by Julian Chasin

Riviera residents Bob & Donna Haupt have owned their roof-ing business for nearly 20 years. They would like to be known for giving good value, as well as being fair and honest. All of their estimators have been with them for a long time and have all worked previously as installers. So as they go up on the roof to estimate, they have experience in what is really involved in getting the job done. Haupt Roofing installs all kinds of roofs, from tile to shake to shingle and more on residential, apartment and commercial buildings. They also offer solar installations at the same time - a good value for those with big electric bills, as the electric companies will credit returned power, but will not pay for extra returned. They have solar at their offices and have been quite pleased with the savings.

I can testify to their outstanding work as they replaced our roof five years ago. We got a clear estimate (including all those forms that are required by the state for our protection). They gave us a generous list of past installations, which helped us in pick-ing color and pattern for the shingles. They cleaned up after themselves when the old roof was removed and the new roof added. We haven't had any trouble since, although Bob gently reminded me that roofs should be inspected annually, especially the gutters and flashing. Call the Haupts at 310-679-6767 for an estimate, you will be pleased with their work.

Check Out Our Blog by Visiting Our Websitewww.KellyandLaura.com

29March/April Riviera Living28 Riviera Living March/AprilNeighborhoodSponsors

Sponsor Index

ALLERGY/ ASTHMAJoshua Davidson, M.D.(310) 534-4494

ART / CREATIVEKids Art(310) 316-9331

AUTOMOTIVEA&A Smog Away(310) 534-8706

BATHROOMFIXTURESThe Bathroom Store(310) 787-2400

CATERINGLisa's Bon Appetit(310) 784-1070

CHIROPRACTICDr. Diane Jordan(310) 375-4039

COMPUTER REPAIRSERVICESComputer Trouble(310) 373-3126

DENTISTJon Monette DDS(310) 375-3338

Kirstin Hellmeyer DDS(310) 541-9725

New Smile Dentistry(310) 791-2041

DENTISTRY/ORALSURGERYFulbright Dental(310) 316-4477

FINANCIAL SERVICESRetirement Protection Group(310) 375-1300

FITNESSRiviera Fitness(310) 316-5000

Riviera Sports Therapy(310) 316-3577

FLOORINGSinbad Flooring(310) 375-0516

FURNITUREFringe(310) 316-9100

HEALTH & FITNESSSyzygy(310) 316-7999

HEALTH NUTRITIONAS Global Wellness(310) 930-1322

INSURANCE SERVICESState Farm - Chris Gordon(310) 373-5551

JEWELRYThree Wild N Crazy Ladies(310) 750-6574

KITCHEN & BATHDESIGNKitchen Collection(310) 540-4090

MEDICALPalos Verdes Medical Group(310) 544-6858

MISCELLANEOUSSolar - G(310) 527-1650

MORTGAGECobalt Financial Corporation(310) 697-3018

MORTGAGE SERVICESVillage View Escrow(310) 944-9626

MUSIC LESSONSPeninsula School of Music(310) 918-0439

OPTOMETRISTBeach Cities Optometry(310) 376-8975

ORTHODONTISTTrotter Orthodontic(310) 378-5007

PET SERVICESSouthbay Critter Sitter(310) 308-0585

NeighborhoodSponsors

PHOTOGRAPHYCMS Design Portraiture(310) 373-5450

PILATESShapeShift Pilates(310) 378-4455

PIZZALampost Pizza(310) 325-4864

PLUMBING SERVICESBeach Cities Plumbing(310) 378-9826

PRESCHOOLCoastal Kids(310) 378-5848

PRIVATE SCHOOLSAkai Swim School(310) 378-2242

REAL ESTATEKelly and Laura(310) 613-2465

REALTORKeller Williams - Janet Kaplan(310) 780-9641

RESTAURANTYellow Vase(310) 373-0013

ROOFINGHaupt Roofing(310) 679-6767

SKIN CARE / PLASTICSURGERYAestheticedge(310) 316-1400

TILE & STONEDeLorenzo Marble & Tile(310) 328-8000

TRAVEL SERVICESTravel Store(310) 750-9420

WEIGHT LOSSA New Me(310) 379-9626

YOUTH SPORTSZenith Aquatic Program(310) 377-3241

1806 S Catalina Ave. Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277

3516 Highland Ave. Manhattan Beach, Ca. 90266

310-316-9100

HOME FURNISHING BOUTIQUE HOME FURNISHING BOUTIQUE

GIFTS JEWELRY ACCESSORIES

Casual Living By The Sea

Fringe


The Kaplan Team -

Local – We live and work in the Riviera

Committed – To helping buyers and sellers reach their dreams

Professional – Constantly striving to exceed your expectations!

Please don't keep us a secret!

Your referral of your relatives, friends and associates in need of real estate

service and advice are integral to the success of our business! Thank you!

Top Producers 2009, 2010

Direct: (310) 780 9641

www.redondobeachhomesca.com

DRE Lic #01859254/01331933

Call us today for a free market evaluation of your home.

Janet and Alan Kaplan

Throwing a LIFELINE to Local Schools in PERILNew Fundraising Initiative Aims to Bring Teachers Back to the Classroom

Unless you haven’t been paying attention, you know that the State of California’s finances have hit rock bottom during the past few years and the outlook remains dismal. What you may not know is its impact on local schools. Elementary educa-tion financing has been demolished and as a result, local public school budgets are now in dire straits.

Although the Hollywood Riviera’s only public elementary school, Riviera Elementary, ranks among Torrance’s best schools, it is facing the worst financial challenges in its 55-year history. Torrance Unified School District’s (TUSD) budget was severed by over 25% in the past few years, resulting in a $50 million loss for public education in Torrance alone. Riviera Elementary lost 12 teachers due to budget cuts, representing a 24% loss of its professional staff. In addition, its class sizes have skyrocketed by 50% in most grades, while many classrooms sit empty due to lack of staff.

The TUSD Board of Education threw a lifeline to local schools in the fall of 2010 to create new ways for the community to supplement recent budget cuts. In a landmark decision, the Board voted to allow individual Torrance schools to raise funds to be spent on its own personnel. The decision allows PTAs or other non-profit organizations to pay for part-time, credentialed teachers through these fundraising efforts.

Riviera Elementary has embraced this opportunity and its efforts are gaining momentum. School personnel identified the school’s most pressing needs in order to supplement and improve the education of Riviera’s students. Their goal is to raise $200,000 by the end of June 2011 in order to pay for six to eight part-time teachers, with an emphasis on technology and science, to build new programs, support existing ones and to ease the burden of increased class sizes.

Local residents can get involved in fundraising efforts by either donating time or money to Riviera Elementary School. They also can support school fundraising events, such as the upcom-ing Annual Monte Carlo Night fundraiser. Riviera residents can donate auction items and attend the popular event, which will be held at the Torrance Marriott on Saturday, April 16, 2011. For the first time, this year’s event will feature wine tast-ing, in addition to silent and live auctions, gaming tables, music and dancing. Event proceeds will directly support Riviera’s per-sonnel fundraising goals.

“While Riviera Elementary continues to maintain its high academic performance on a shoestring budget, the forecast for continued budget cuts to education will be devastating for our school,” said Christie Forshey, Riviera Elementary School Prin-cipal. “Our hope is to gain the support of the entire community in order to give our local elementary students the education they deserve.”

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Manhattan Beach Unified

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Local School District Funding

continued on next page...

Torrance Lags Behind Neighboring School Districts in Local Funding (Source: CA Dept. of Education)

Riviera Students Sit Shoulder to Shoulder in a Packed 5th Grade Classroom Backpacks Overflowing Outside of Riviera School’s Crowded Classrooms

NeighborhoodNews


Hosting a Family – EF International Language Center

"From short term hosting to life long Friendships!"

Every week students from all over the world arrive in Redondo Beach, Califor-nia and every week families welcome the world into their home. Students at the EF International Language Center in Redondo Beach, California come to learn English, explore California and experi-ence living with a local family. Without leaving the United States, the host family gains an enriching international experi-ence.

When asked to write something about their experience hosting international students, the Hensley family responded with, “To do justice to all our great ESL Students, from many different countries, the past 12 years would require a book, not a short article.”

The Hensley’s current students on the far left, Evelyn Hensley in the middle and Ed Hensley on the far right.

The Hensleys have hosted EF students from all over the world and now have friends across the globe. Over the recent New Years holiday a former student from Germany traveled to California with his friends and stopped by the Hensley’s home for dinner. They shared stories and reminisced while eating dinner with the Hensley’s current students.

Open your home to an international student and you open your door to the world, for life. Hosting is a wonderful opportunity to participate in cultural exchange and is an enriching experi-ence for everyone involved. Along with providing a bed for the student to sleep in, host families provide some meals and act as the student’s support system in the United States.

Students at the EF International Lan-guage Center in Redondo Beach are ages 16+ and come for short and long term programs. New students arrive every week and families can choose to host up to four students at one time. If you live in the South Bay area and are interested in playing a role in a student’s experi-ence abroad, please email: [email protected] or call the EF school at 310-540-2550. We’ll tell you more about the pro-gram and set up a time for us to meet you and visit your home. We prepare you in advance for your stu-dent and can provide beds if necessary. We hold events throughout the year for families to meet each other and to share ideas and stories. Give us a call so you can start traveling the world!

Impact on Property Values

The Hollywood Riviera is a desirable community to live in largely due to its schools. As shown in numerous studies, school performance can have a direct cor-relation to property values. Furthermore, better schools have many other positive effects on the community, including an enhanced quality of life for local residents and the greater likelihood of success for the next generation.

Surprisingly, Torrance has lagged behind the other neighboring beach cities in local funding, which represents a large portion of school budgets. As shown in the bar chart, Torrance schools, such as Riviera Elementary School, receive 50 to 80 percent less in local funding and donations than neighboring school dis-tricts such as Palos Verdes and Manhat-tan Beach.

Proponents of TUSD’s new decision are hopeful that Riviera’s personnel fundrais-ing efforts will be a turning point for the school.

“For the first time in history, we have an opportunity to make a direct impact on the staffing challenges facing Riviera Elementary,” said Riviera Alumni and resident Rob Stahl, who is helping to lead the school’s personnel fundraising efforts. “Getting behind our local school will have a positive outcome for our property values, community and the success of our kids. It’s an investment that will pay divi-dends for years to come.”

To find out how to bring more teachers back to the classroom, please visit http://riviera.tusd.org/.

Throwing a LIFELINE to Local Schools in PERIL...continued from previous page

NeighborhoodNews

travelnewsA new era in European travel is here!

Debuting in 2011 and generating tremendous interest, Trafalgar’s brand-new At Leisure vacations are perfect for independent-minded travelers who still want all the benefits of a hassle-free guided vacation.

At Trafalgar, travel is their passion! For more than 60 years, they have been designing unforgettable vacations that showcase the very best of Europe and the world. Now with their brand-new At Leisure, they have used their expertise to create an exciting new guided vacation experience.

At Leisure combines the advantages of a hassle-free guided vacation with the flexibility of independent travel. They’ve taken some of the most popular destinations and created new vacation itineraries to Italy, Spain, England, France, Holland, Germany, Austria and more, all featuring more choice, more opportunity for in-depth experience and more freedom to go your own way than ever before!

At Leisure boasts a number of key features that make these vacations a refreshingly different approach to traveling in Europe. All itineraries have substantial free time to explore each destination your own way; always with the reassurance your Tour Director’s guidance is there if you need it! This free-dom is enhanced with complimentary hop-on/hop-off sight-seeing tickets in major cities and the opportunity to personal-ize your vacation with a range of optional excursions you can choose to join in.

You’ll also stay two to three nights on average in each city, sometimes up to six nights, giving you a chance to unpack, unwind and take in the local scene. On traveling days, depar-tures are no earlier than 9 a.m. They’ve carefully selected hotels to allow quick and easy access to local sites, attractions and ven-ues so even on non-travel days you can relax knowing there’ll be plenty of time to explore at your leisure.

Your At Leisure vacation is full of authentic local discoveries. With exclusive programs like their ‘Be My Guest’ dining expe-

rience, which takes you into a family home or private venue, and special ‘Hidden Treasures’ unveiled by your Tour Director, Tra-falgar shows you the hidden places outside the guidebooks, the local people you wouldn’t otherwise meet and the traditions you may never experience traveling by yourself.

As with all Trafalgar guided vacations, your At Leisure vacation includes First Class hotel accommodations, luxury coach trans-portation, excursions to the must-see sites and the services of a professional Trafalgar Tour Director and expert Local Guides. Plus, Trafalgar’s buying power enables them to negotiate bigger discounts, delivering you incredible value for your money. Even hotel service charges, tips and local taxes are included so there are no surprises on the price of your vacation.

If you’ve always dreamed of taking your own journey of discovery through Europe, and don’t have the time to plan and arrange it all, At Leisure vacations are your perfect solution! For reservations or more information call Travelstore 310-373-0954.

Conveniently Located in Riviera Village

229 Avenue I • Suite 110 • Redondo Beach • CA • 90277310-944-9626 • F: 310-944-9615 • [email protected]

Michelle Marsicoescrow office notary public

e s c r o w


South High Spartan

By Lynda Black

Bone breaking injuries, equipment-crushing falls, racing across the field being followed by players intent on taking possession of their spot on the field.

Marching Band & Color Guard

What sport am I describing? Wel-

come to the 2010 South High Spartan Marching Band and Color Guard

season! It all began in Summer Camp 2010 where returning students and incoming freshman met 4 days a week to begin learning the music and marching for the upcoming season. Under the direction of long time Riviera resident Tom King, the students begin with music scales, field drills, and learning to play as a team. Joined by his dedicated group of assistant coach-es; Brian Smith, Andrea Ruof, Niko Jasniewicz, Nathan Ortiz, and along with a few hard working alumni they work tirelessly to bring out the most in each student. The majority of the stu-dents come from either Calle Mayor directed by Tim Nail, or Richardson Middle School, directed by Carrie Willette. This year they bestowed South High with 60 incoming freshman which swelled the band up to 170 students. When Mr. King started 10 years ago the band was around 45 students. This type of rapid growth sent the dedicated Band Boosters scrambling this year to get more instruments ranging from several hundred to several thousands of dollars, more uniforms taking months to have made, more everything!

The 2010 field show theme was “Alice”, a montage of songs related to the story of Alice in Wonderland taken from different scores. Mr. King favors difficult music to challenge the students and to make it a more valuable learning experience. The chal-

lenging score and field show choreography is specifically writ-ten for the band and color guard. After a short summer break, the season begins with a 2 ½ week preseason mandatory band camp putting the music and the “work in progress” drill together to build up to a 3 part field show. Then, they practice 2 nights a week once school begins. It is still mind-boggling how this vibrant, fast moving performance can start out with dots on a graph. Although I can find it difficult to walk and chew gum, these young performers learn to play their music or spin a six foot flag, racing across the field, all the while avoiding collisions with each other. The field show was performed each Friday night as the home football game half time show, giving our champion Varsity South High football a much needed respite. They were led by Drum Major Nolan Dean appropriately dressed as the Mad Hatter and Assistant Drum Major Carey Tanaka. If that is not enough, the band also takes part each year in Marching Band competitions on many Saturday evenings in the fall against other schools in California. Their efforts this year were rewarded with a competitive 2nd place win in the 5A division in the final SCJA State championship at Mayfair High School at the end of the season. Great job Spartans on an out-standing year!!

The spring brings concert and Jazz band events. Visit the southband.org website to see upcoming performances! The culmination of the 2010-2011 school year will be a band trip to Germany and Austria where the students will perform and visit the birthplaces of Beethoven, Bach and Mozart.

NeighborhoodNews

Snow in the

If you happened to be driving past Riv-iera Elementary School last month, you might have run across an unusual sight that made you look twice – SNOW?! No, you weren’t seeing things. Just ask any student in Room #2 and they will tell you it REALLY was snow you saw. Kindergarten teacher Islay Butler, known to many Riviera residents as "Mrs. But-ler", has made it an annual tradition for the past 22 years to host a “Snow Day” celebration. It’s her way of boosting the holiday spirit and bringing a little winter wonderland to her students. Mrs. Butler held her first "Snow Day" when a parent offered to make some snow for her class. Ever since then, all her students have enjoyed countless snow ball fights, snow-men and even sled rides -- all in the com-fort of their very own schoolyard.It's no easy feat to make snow in sunny temperatures that sometimes get up into the mid 70’s. But with the help of a snowmaking machine, eager dads with shovels and wheel barrels anything is possible in the Hollywood Riviera – even snow.

As a parent of 3 kids who currently attend Riviera Elementary School, I can tell you it's an unforgettable memory my children will always have. It’s best summed by my daughter, Kenedy, who experienced this years celebration: “It was sooo much fun!” So, while the East Coast is getting records levels of snow this year and can't wait for the winter storms to stop, our West Coast kids get the chance to experience their own version of a memorable "Snow Day".

Traci Tamura Hollywood Riviera ResidentMother of Austyn, Kade and Kenedy

Riviera?


marchL O C A L E V E N T S

March 8 – April 22Secret's of the Madrona Marsh Preserve, a Photography Exhibit by Emile FieslerMadrona March Art at the Marsh On view: March 8 – April 22Artist's Reception: Friday, March 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m.Madrona Marsh – Plaza del Amo between Madrona & Maple

Saturday, March 12, 4:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.39th Annual Spaghetti Dinner - Torrance Fire Fighters AssociationKen Miller Auditorium - Madrona Ave and Torrance Blvd

Saturday, March 12, 8 p.m. Charles Phoenix's Retro Southern California Slide Show Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation: Guest Artists SeriesJames Armstrong Theatre - Madrona Ave and Torrance Blvd

Saturday, March 12, 8 p.m. & Sunday, March 13, 2 p.m.The Queen of Bingo Norris PresentsNorris Theatre – 27570 Norris Center Drive (Formerly Crossfield), RHE

Thursday, March 17, kick-off assembly at 9:15 a.m. Riviera Elementary School 21st Annual Fun Run Riviera Elementary students will run and walk around a special track on the athletic field to raise funds for the PTA funded pro-grams. Be sure to sponsor a student you know. Riviera Elementary School, 365 Paseo de Arena, http://riviera.tusd.org

Friday, March 18 & Saturday, March 19, 7:30 p.m. Sara Gazrek Jazz Cabaret SeriesNakano Theatre - Madrona Ave and Torrance Blvd

Saturday, March 19, 7:30 p.m.Music, Magic, & Mayhem PV Symphonic BandNorris Theatre – 27570 Norris Center Drive (Formerly Crossfield), RHEhttp://www.palosverdes.com/pvsb/

Saturday, March 19, 8 p.m.March Music Madness -Torrance Symphony AssociationJames Armstrong Theatre - Madrona Ave and Torrance Blvd

LocalEvents

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Sunday, March 20, 11:30 a.m.Street Side Strutters - Cabaret JazzNorris Theatre – 27570 Norris Center Drive (Formerly Crossfield), RHE

March 22- April 3, Tuesday through Saturday, 8 p.m. & Sunday, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.The Taming of the ShrewHermosa Beach Playhouse, Pier Avenue & Pacific Coast Highway

Saturday, March 26, 7 p.m.Pentagon papers: Volume II Works in ProgressThe Kennedy Years / 1961 - 1963After a build-up of advisors, the young President plans a withdrawal of forces.Nakano Theatre - Madrona Ave and Torrance BlvdFor more information visit www.TorranceLive.us

Friday, April 8 & Saturday, April 9, 7:30 p.m. Steve Lucky & the Rumba Bums Jazz Cabaret SeriesNakano Theatre - Madrona Ave and Torrance Blvd

Saturday, April 9, 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.The No Show - staring Dana Daniels Norris PresentsNorris Theatre – 27570 Norris Center Drive (Formerly Crossfield), RHE

April 15-23, Friday & Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, April 17 & Saturday, April 23, 2 p.m.Moon Over Buffalo by Ken Ludwig: Torrance Theatre Company George Nakano Theatre, for tickets call 424-423-6882

Saturday, April 16, 6:30pm – 11:30pmMonte Carlo Night to Benefit Riviera Elementary SchoolTorrance Marriott - $50 per personIncludes: Wine Tasting, Buffet, Dessert and Gaming

Wednesday, April 27, 7 p.m.Riviera Homeowners Association Meeting - Crime Fight & RHA ElectionsRichardson Middle School Cafeteria

ONGOING

Tuesdays, 10 a.m. - NoonLife Planning ClassesCall H.E.L.P at 310-533-1996 for topics and reservationsKaty Geissert Civic Center Library, Library Meeting Room

Fridays, 10 a.m. -11:30 a.m.Friday Fun for preschoolers ages 2-6 and their parents or guardiansCall 310-782-3989 for topics and reservationsMadrona Marsh – Plaza del Amo between Madrona & Maple

39March/April Riviera Living38 Riviera Living March/AprilYoungLife

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