Beach Feb 2018

February 8, 2018
Volume 48, Issue 27
Roundhouse reenvisioned
Koppel on cable Strand House remake Super blue blood moon

February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 3

February 8, 2018
Volume 48, Issue 27
ON THE COVER
Blue blood moon over the Manhattan Beach
pier Roundhouse. Camera settings: f/5.6, 1
sec exp at ISO 1600. Nikon 28-300 lens at
68mm
Photo by Bill Hood
Michael Burstein is a probate and estate planning
attorney. A graduate of the University of California,
Hastings College of the Law in 1987, he is admitted
to the California, Kansas and Oklahoma Bars and
is a member of the Order of Distinguished Attorneys
of the Beverly Hills Bar Association.
As an estate and probate lawyer, Michael has prepared
approximately 3,000 living trusts and more
than 4,000 wills.
An Estate Planning,
Estate Administration,
and Probate Attorney
l Living Trusts
l Wills
l Powers of Attorney
l Asset Protection
l Veterans Benefits
l Pet Trusts
l Advance Health
Care Directives
l Insurance Trusts
l Probate
l Conservatorships
l And Much More!
Call us to schedule an appointment or for our
FREE Guide:
Selecting the Best Estate Planning Strategies
111 North Sepulveda Boulevard, Suite 250
Manhattan Beach, California 90266
310-545-7878
BEACH PEOPLE
8 Super blue blood moon over South Bay
by Comon, Gaffney, Hood, Pagliaro and Lofgren
Local photographers share their images of the Jan. 31 Super Blue Blood
Moon, a rare astrological event that occurs when the moon is close to the
earth and eclipsed by the earth passing between the moon and the sun.
12 Koppel on cable news by Kevin Cody
Former ABC war correspondent and Nightline anchor Ted Koppel calls for
a return to the journalistic standards of Edward R. Murrow and
Walter Cronkite.
24 Roundhouse revitalized by Mark McDermott
Manhattan Beach’s historic Roundhouse Aquarium keeps its iconic exterior
while inside, exhibits are updated by the nation’s leading aquarium design
firm, through the efforts of the Harrison Greenberg Foundation.
34 Music base by Bondo Wyszpolski
World class, classical musicians perform weekly throughout the South Bay,
thanks to the rarely recognized organizational efforts of music lover Jim
Eninger.
36 Great dining expectations by Richard Foss
Strand House opened in 2011 with a spectacular Manhattan Beach pier
view and a celebrity chef. The chef has changed but the view and the dining
experience are undiminished.
BEACH LIFE
STAFF
PUBLISHER Kevin Cody, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Richard Budman, EDITORS Mark McDermott, Randy Angel, David
Mendez, and Ryan McDonald, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Bondo Wyszpolski, DINING EDITOR Richard Foss,
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Ray Vidal and Brad Jacobson, CALENDAR Judy Rae, DISPLAY SALES Tamar Gillotti and Amy
Berg, CLASSIFIEDS Teri Marin, DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA Hermosawave.net, GRAPHIC DESIGNER Tim Teebken,
DESIGN CONSULTANT Bob Staake, BobStaake.com, FRONT DESK Judy Rae
EASY READER (ISSN 0194-6412) is published weekly by EASY READER, 2200 Pacific Cst. Hwy., #101, P.O. Box 427, Hermosa
Beach, CA 90254-0427. Yearly domestic mail subscription $150.00; foreign, $200.00 payable in advance. POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to EASY READER, P.O. Box 427, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. The entire contents of the EASY READER newspaper
is Copyright 2018 by EASY READER, Inc. www.easyreadernews.com. The Easy Reader/Redondo Beach Hometown News
is a legally adjudicated newspaper and the official newspaper for the cities of Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach. Easy Reader
/ Redondo Beach Hometown News is also distributed to homes and on newsstands in Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Torrance,
and Palos Verdes.
CONTACT
10 Calendar
14 South Bay Giving
16 Hermosa Chamber
Man, Woman of the Year
18 HippyTree Instagram exhibit
20 South Bay Chili Cook-off
30 Easy Reader’s Hermosa:
2000 - 2017, in photos
31 Attorney profiles
38 SBBC/RiderShack surf contest
39 Redondo Women’s march
39 Home services
n Mailing Address P.O. Box 427, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 Phone (310) 372-4611 Fax (424) 212-6780
n Website www.easyreadernews.com Email news@easyreadernews.com
n Classified Advertising see the Classified Ad Section. Phone 310.372.4611 x102. Email displayads@easyreadernews.com
n Fictitious Name Statements (DBA's) can be filed at the office during regular business hours. Phone 310.372.4611 x101.
6 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

Super Blue Blood Moon:
Early morning Wednesday,
January 31, 2018.
Photos by
(clockwise from top left)
Steve Gaffney
Mark Comon
Dean Lofgren
Steve Gaffney
Ken Pagliaro
Bill Hood
8 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 9

S O U T H B AY
CAL ENDAR
Friday, February 9
Night at the Library
Artist Chuck Hohng speaks
about the meaning behind his
signature bears featured in his
exhibition, “Toyetic” on display
at the Manhattan Beach Art
Center and Manhattan Beach
Library. Light refreshments
provided. 8-10 p.m. This event
is free to the public. Toyetic exhibit
runs through April 1. MB
Library, 1320 Highland Ave.
(310) 545-8595.
Monday, February 12
Get on the bus
Learn everything about
using public transportation at
the Metro’s Older Adult Transportation
Pop-Up. Programming
will include services
geared to the older adult audience.
10 a.m. - noon.
Hawthorne Memorial Center,
3901 W El Segundo Blvd.,
Hawthorne. For more information
or to RSVP, contact Jacob
Lopez at (213) 922-1359 or
lopezj12@metro.net. Event is
accessible by Metro bus or
rail. Plan your trip using
Metro’s trip planner at
metro.net or (323) 466-3876.
Whale of a day
Go to sea through mid-April
in search of migrating Pacific
gray whales and a host of
other marine life including
dolphins, seals and sea lions.
Whalewatch naturalists,
trained by Cabrillo Aquarium
and American Cetacean Society,
lead boat trips from various
landings; fees vary. From
Redondo, boats depart weekdays
at 10 a.m.; weekends 10
a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Call 310-
372-2111. Groups can make
reservations by calling Cabrillo
Whalewatch at 310-548-7770
Tuesdays through Fridays, 8:30
am to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 14
Whale watching season continues through mid-April with
daily boats leaving King Harbor in Redondo Beach. For
more information contact the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium at
310-548-7770 or CabrilloMarineAquarium.org.
Ready to Read
Storytime just for 3 & 4 year
olds full of early literacy concepts,
songs, rhymes, movement,
and fun! Children are
encouraged to attend independently,
but caregivers are
welcome, too. 12:30 p.m. but
arrive a little early to check in
at the Information Desk for
name bear badge, go to the
bathroom, and get a drink of
water. Redondo Beach Main
Library, Children's Storytime
Room, 1st Floor, 303 N. Pacific
Coast Hwy. 310-318-0675 option
6 for more info.
Movie day
Hermosa Five-0 Senior Center
screens Goodbye Christopher
Robin, rated PG. Only
$1, includes coffee, candy and
popcorn. Noon. 710 Pier Ave.,
Hermosa Beach. (310) 318-
0280. www.hermosabch. org.
Thursday, February 15
Life Planning Series
Today’s topic is elder care
and residential choices presented
by H.E.L.P. (Healthcare
and Elder Law Programs) Corporation.
10:30 a.m. Redondo
Beach Main Library, 303 N.
Pacific Coast Hwy. (310) 533-
1996 or www.Help4Srs.org.
Author event
Pages bookstore presents the
award-winning adventure
writer and a longtime contributor
to NPR and Bloomberg
Businessweek, Peter Heller,
New York Times bestselling
author of Celine, The Dog
Stars, and The Painter. $20 (includes
book) $34 (includes
book + healthy box lunch
from Kale and Coconuts).
Noon. 310-318-0900 or
info@pagesabookstore.com.
904 Manhattan Ave. Manhattan
Beach.
Water workshop
Free two-part Rainwater/
Greywater Class & Workshop
hosted by West Basin Municipal
Water District. The workshops
will teach District
residents how to harvest rainwater
with rain barrels and
cisterns for outdoor irrigation,
as well as how to safely and
legally reuse greywater from
clothes washing machines.
Each event series consists of
one class followed by an additional
workshop at a later date
in the month. Attendees qualify
to receive a free “Greywater
Green Landscape” book, a
$100 discount on greywater
parts, and one-hour in-home
technical assistance for the installation
of greywater systems.
6 - 8 p.m. Redondo
Beach Performing Arts
Center,1935 Manhattan Beach
Blvd., Redondo Beach. For
more information and to register,
visit: westbasin.org/greywater.
Pen Show weekend
Los Angeles International
Pen Show is a 4 day event held
today through Feb. 18 at the
Westdrift Manhattan Beach
Hotel. View writing products
including new and vintage collectible
pens, pencils, stationery,
paper, ink and more.
Vendors will be selling inks,
new and vintage fountain
pens, ballpoint pens and other
types of writing instruments.
Vintage writing instruments
are also available for sale, and
there will be experts on hand
that to restore vintage pens.
Have an old pen you would
like to know more about?
Bring it in! $7 entry fee at the
door. Children under 12 are
free with an adult. For questions
and information (310)
546-7511 or lainternationalpenshow.com.
Friday, February 16
Hanna Somatic
Cancer Support Community
Redondo Beach (CSCRB) presents
this introductory Hanna
Somatic class. Led by instructor
Ken Lew, participants learn
the basics of Hanna Somatic
movement to increase flexibility,
help relieve chronic pain,
joint stiffness, and address ineffective
body movement patterns.
Advance registration
required. 3 - 4:30 p.m. 109
West Torrance Blvd., Redondo
Beach. Call (310) 376-3550 or
visit the website at cancersupportredondobeach.org.
Saturday, February 17
Quilt show weekend
The South Bay Quilters
Guild presents the 38th South
Bay Quilters Guild Quilt Show.
Featured quilter, Sue Glass
will be in the house in addition
to over 150 beautiful quilts on
display alongside many new
quilting supplies. A quilt auction
will take place on Sunday
at 1 p.m. as well as a drawing
for themed raffle baskets. Saturday
and Sunday 10 a.m. - 4
p.m. Torrance Cultural Arts
Center, 3330 Civic Center
Drive, Torrance. Tickets are
$10$9. Children under 10 are
free. For advance tickets contact
Julie Limbach Jones at
(310) 413-4316. Southbayquiltersguild.org.
Across Generations
The Palos Verdes Library
District, in partnership with
the American Association of
University Women Palos
Verdes Peninsula (AAUW
PVP), presents Judy Milestone,
Smith College alumna, UCLA
Lecturer, and former Senior
Vice President of CNN, in
leading a conversation about
how women’s lives have
changed across the generations
with Hanna Meghi Chandoo.
Hanna is an associate with the
law firm Stris & Maher LLP
and is also a graduate of Smith
College. Like many women of
her generation, Hanna wears
many hats and fills many roles.
In addition to being an attorney,
she is a daughter, a wife,
an activist and the eldest of
three sisters. 1 p.m. Peninsula
Center Library community
room, 701 Silver Spur Road
Rolling Hills Estates. This program
is free and open to the
public. For more information
contact Leti Polizzi, Adult Services
Department Manager
(310) 377-9584.
Beach Ball
The Beach Ball is Leadership
Hermosa Beach’s annual
fundraising event that brings
local leaders together for an
enjoyable night of socializing
and celebrating. Hosted by
Jared Young with live music by
Hit Me 90s. Emerging Leader
awards are given to an Adult,
Business/Non Profit and a
Youth who have provided service
and civic leadership in the
community. Appetizers and
drink specials will be provided!
Proceeds benefit future
Leadership Hermosa projects
that benefit the local community.
6 -10 p.m. at The Standing
Room, Hermosa Beach.
Tickets ($40-50) available at:
www.eventbrite.com/e/beachb
a l l - 2 0 1 8 - t i c k e t s -
41983547922?aff=efbeventtix.
Tuesday, February 20
Democratic Club
Stay current with what is
happening in local politics and
government and in our nation.
Free. Guest speakers and refreshments.
6 - 6:30 p.m. meet
and greet, 6:30 - 8 p.m. meeting.
El Segundo Library, 111
W. Mariposa Ave., El Segundo.
The meeting are energetic and
interactive. For questions call
(310) 497-3013. B
Artist Chuck Hohng speaks about his exhibition, “Toyetic”
Friday, Feb 9, 8-10 p.m. at the Manhattan Beach Library.
Toyetic exhibit runs through April 1 at Manhattan Creative
Arts Center and at the Library. Photo by Bondo Wyszpolski
10 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

Considering A Major Remodeling Project?
FREE - DESIGN & REMODELING SEMINAR
Join us on
Saturday February 10 th
at 10:00 am
R e s e r v e Yo u r S e a t s
LEARN ABOUT THE DESIGN / BUILD PROCESS
AND SEE AN INSPIRING ARRAY OF IDEAS
FOR YOUR HOME

people
Koppel
on the
cable cabal
by Kevin Cody
[Cable news] is to journalism
what Bernie Madoff was to investment:
He told his customers
what they wanted to hear...
Former ABC Nightline anchor Ted Koppel addresses Distinguished Speaker Series
subscribers at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. Photo by Deidre Davidson
In the late 1990s ABC Nightline anchor Ted Koppel received
a phone call from ABC World News Tonight
anchor Peter Jennings.
“Peter asked if the bean counters had been in touch with
me. I said I had just gotten off the phone with them. They
wanted to know how many times this year we used a
story from our Moscow bureau,” Koppel told Jennings.
The former Vietnam reporter and recipient of just about
every major journalism award recounted the conversation
last month during his talk to Distinguished Speaker Series
subscribers at the Redondo Beach Performing Art Center.
ABC’s accounting department subsequently determined
that ABC was using approximately one story a week from
its Moscow bureau, which cost the network $2 million annually.
That worked out to about $40,000 a story.
Shortly after the phone calls from accounting, the
Moscow bureau was closed, along with the Paris, Rome
and Bonn bureaus. The number of ABC foreign correspondents
was cut from roughly 35 to 5.
“A panel of yahoos is cheaper,” Koppel explained, referring
to the commentators who have largely replaced reporters
on broadcast and cable news.
Koppel proposed a strategy for keeping informed by
asking the audience for a show of hands of people who
listen to right wing radio host Rush Limbaugh.
“I think you’re doing the right thing,” he said of the 10
people in the 1,300 seat auditorium who raised their
hands. “I wish more of you listened to Rush Limbaugh
and Fox News’ Sean Hannity, because you need to know
what your fellow Americans are thinking.
“Over 20 million people listen to Rush Limbaugh every
week and the rest of you don’t have a clue what he is
telling people.
“A Stanford study found that interracial marriages are
more common than marriages between a Democrat and
a Republican.”
The audience laughed until Koppel silenced them with
a quote from the 1930s cowboy philosopher Will Rogers.
“Will Rogers, the John Stewart of the 1930s, said, ‘We’re
all ignorant, just about different things.’ It was his way of
saying, don’t reject your fellow Americans just because
they have different points of view.
“That’s what we are doing these days. As soon as someone
hears you are for or against Trump you are pegged.
“I worry that in a system like ours,” Koppel continued,
“if we don’t find a way to communicate with people with
different political opinions that we won’t be able to deal
with crises. Bad things will happen.”
“How do we undo the damage?” he asked. “I think we
need universal service for 18 year olds. Two years in the
military, Vista, the Peace Corp. Any social program where
people from different parts of the country focus on a common
task.”
Over 80 percent of the audience raised their hands
when he asked if they agreed with him on universal service.
Koppel traced the decline in journalism standards not
to President Donald Trump calling respected news
sources “fake news,” but to the Federal Communication
Commission’s 1987 decision to abandon the television and
radio Fairness Doctrine.
“Under the Fairness Doctrine, a left wing guest had to
be balanced with a right wing guest,” Koppel said. “In
1987 resident Ronald Reagan eliminated the Fairness Doctrine.
That was also the year Rush Limbaugh began broadcasting.
“Ten years later Rupert Murdoch saw Limbaugh’s success
and created Fox News.
“Within a few years Fox was making $1 billion a year.
MSNBC looked at Fox and said, if they can do it on the
12 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

ight, we can do it on the left. So they did.
“Ted Turner is a brilliant man. When he founded Cable News Network
(CNN) in 1979, his idea was to offer in-depth news 24 hours a day. Viewers
could watch the news when it was convenient for them, not when it was
convenient for the TV stations. It hasn’t worked out that way,” Koppel said.
“Cable owner have concluded that rather than giving you news journalists
think you ought to have, they will give you news you want to have,” he
said.
Koppel has been a prophet in the desert lamenting journalism’s decline
on both the right and the left, since he left Nightline in 2005.
Two years ago, on the Bill O’Reilly Show, Koppel told the conservative
Fox News commentator, “You have changed the television landscape over
the past 20 years. You took it from being objective and dull to subjective
and entertaining.”
Koppel was even more direct in his criticism of Fox News commentator
Sean Hannity last March during a CBS Good Morning America program
on partisan news.
“You think I’m bad for America?” Hannity asked Koppel.
“Yeah, in the long term,” Koppel answered, “because you’re very good
at what you do... and you have attracted people who are determined that
ideology is more important than facts.”
In a 2010 Washington Post column, Koppel wrote, “The commercial success
of both Fox News and MSNBC is a source of nonpartisan sadness for
me. While I can appreciate the financial logic of drowning television viewers
in a flood of opinions designed to confirm their own biases, the trend
is not good for the republic.”
“Beginning, perhaps, from the reasonable perspective that absolute objectivity
is unattainable, Fox News and MSNBC no longer even attempt it.
They show us the world not as it is, but as partisans (and loyal viewers) at
either end of the political spectrum would like it to be. This is to journalism
what Bernie Madoff was to investment: He told his customers what they
wanted to hear, and by the time they learned the truth, their money was
gone.”
Today, Koppel told his Distinguished Speakers audience, news organizations
on both the right and left are convinced the news people want is
about the Trump presidency.
“The president of CNN and the chair of CBS both said Trump is great
for business. The news and Trump have a symbiotic relationship. Imagine
if we have a Pence presidency. Oh God, how boring.”
“I once asked a New York Times reporter to appear on Nightline. He
went to his executive editor Abe Rosenthal to ask for his approval. Rosenthal
said, ‘Sure. Just don’t come back to the New York Times.’
“The premise was if you are a reporter for the Times, you can’t be expressing
opinions on Nightline.”
“It’s fun to appear on television and yell and scream. But that’s not reporting.”
Koppel said the separation between news reporting and opinion has
eroded not only on cable and news, but in newspapers, including the New
York Times and Washington Post.
“I genuinely believe journalists need to be reminded we are dealing with
factual reporting and to leave opinions to the opinion page. We need to restore
the old standards and exercise more discipline.
“The purpose of journalism is to lay out the facts and let readers make
their own decisions,” he said.
Ironically, Koppel’s Distinguished Speakers talk exemplified the dangers
of mixing news and entertainment.
Despite the seriousness of his talk, the conversation in the theater lobby
following his talk was all about penises.
Koppel had spiced up his talk with five penis jokes. One about John
Wayne, one about Bill Clinton, one about Henry Kissinger, one about
Charles de Gaulle’s wife Yvonne and one about Winston Churchill.
The only funny one was about Churchill.
“During the 1940s, the men’s room in the House of Commons was in
the basement. Instead of individual urinals, there was one long trough,”
Koppel recounted. “One day, when Labor Party leader Clement Attlee unzipped
his trousers next to Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Churchill
shuffled away. At the sink, when they were washing hands, Attlee asked
Churchill if he had done something to offend him. ‘Not at all,’ Churchill
answered. ‘It’s just that whenever you see anything big you want to nationalize
it.’” B
February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 13

Places to Volunteer and Donate
Over 600 volunteers assist the Beach Cities Health District with programs
ranging from alzheimer’s support to school garden programs. For information
visit BCHD.org.
Beach Cities Health District
bchd.org
One of the largest preventative
health agencies in the nation
serving Hermosa Beach, Manhattan
Beach and Redondo
Beach since 1975.
514 Prospect Ave.
Redondo Beach, Ca. 90278
(310) 374-3426
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los
Angeles Harbor
bgclaharbor.org
The largest provider of premiere
after-school activities in the
South Bay with facilities from
San Pedro to Wilmington.
1200 S. Cabrillo Ave.
San Pedro, CA 90731
310-833-1366
El Camino College Foundation
elcaminocollegefoundation.org
Develops community relationships
and raises funds to support
El Camino College students’ success
in education and life.
16007 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90506
310-660-6040
Jimmy Miller
Memorial Foundation
Jimmymillerfoundation.org
Provides an ocean therapy/surfing
program to Wounded Warriors,
Veterans and at-risk youth.
2711 Sepulveda Blvd. #331
Manhattan Beach, CA. 90266
Habitat for Humanity of
Greater Los Angeles ReStores
DonateToHabitat.com
The LA ReStores are nonprofit,
home improvement thrift stores
and donation centers. Schedule
a pick-up today.
18600 Crenshaw Blvd.
Torrance, CA 90504
8739 Artesia Blvd.
Bellflower, CA 90706
Torrance Memorial Foundation
TMLegacy.org
Supports Torrance Memorial
Medical Center through donations
that help grow its health
care programs, expand services,
and build facilities. A Legacy of Care.
3330 Lomita Blvd.
Torrance CA 90505
(310) 325-9110
Waterfront Education
waterfronteducation.org
Programs that Enthuse and Inspire
Redondo Beach/King Harbor
(310) 684-3577 or text (818)
268-4740
#WEgoH2O
South Bay
Giving
14 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

Waterfront Education, founded by avid sailboat racers
Julie Coll and Mark Hansen, brings youngsters handson
learning experiences out on the ocean. From its
vast tidal reaches teeming with life forms, to its smallest chemical
elements, our local marine waters blend discovery excitement
and learning adventure that has this young organization
growing by leaps and bounds.
Kids, parents and teachers are flocking to Waterfront Education
for their unique ocean based excursions led by scientists,
researchers and naturalists. Their popular Coastal Survivor
course teaches knife and fire skills along with food foraging and
shelter building.
From its Marine Innovation Hub inside the SEA Lab at King Harbor,
this non-profit helps teams of kids build aquariums, underwater
robots and even a solar powered boat which will be
raced in the annual Solar Cup. The Pink Power Club offers girls
a fun, educational experience with the STEM principles of science,
technology, engineering and math.
In addition to working with the SEA Lab, Waterfront Education
partners with charter schools to bring kids down to the ocean,
Waterfront Education:
Kids flock to hands-on ocean programs
onto the shore, and into the lab for an aquatic education
that’s hard to match in a classroom.
“Experiential hands-on learning is so much more impactful
out in nature,” said Coll, the organization’s executive director.
“We’re building a pier between classrooms and the ocean.”
Initially formed to help facilitate two big community events -
the Holiday Boat Parade and Sea Fair, Waterfront Education
started adding enrichment programs three years ago, growing
from 50 kids initially, to about 500 kids served in 2017.
Coll loves seeing kids “build their confidence when they are
out interacting with the ever-changing ocean conditions.”
“Students gain an appreciation for the ocean and all the animals
who call it home. They begin to understand our human
impact and why it is so important to take care of our oceans,”
she said.
“Waterfront Education is doing a great job,” said Lisa Ragle,
whose 12-year-old son James paddles, kayaks, explores the
ocean, and practices outdoor survival skills.
Ragle added that Coastal Survivor instructor Cody Martin is
a “super cool role model” for kids.
SPONSORED CONTENT
For more information see waterfronteducation.org
February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 15

each people
1 2 3
HOFFMAN, LEWIS
HONORED
by Hermosa Chamber
P
ete Hoffman and Maureen Lewis
were recognized as the Hermosa
Beach Man and Woman of the
Year at the Chamber of Commerce’s annual
awards and officers’ installation
dinner last month. Hoffman is a member
of the planning commission and
chair of the Department of Urban and
Environmental Studies at Loyola Marymount
University. Lewis is a member of
Hermosa’s Parks and Recreation Commission
and recently retired as director
of e-commerce at Belkin International.
PHOTOS BY
KEVIN CODY
4 5
6 7
MATTUCCI
Plumbing
Since 1990 • License # 770059, C-36 C-34 C-42
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$ 7 5
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F R E E
E S T I M A T E S
M e n t i o n t h i s a d w h e n
s e t t i n g u p a p p o i n t m e n t .
3 1 0 . 5 4 3 . 2 0 0 1
Thank You
For Your
Vote!
2013
ON CALL
24 HOURS
7 DAYS
1. Thelma Greenwald, a chamber
member for over five decades, and
daughter Roberta Greenwald-Perkins.
2. Hermosa Beach 2018 Woman of
the year Maureen Lewis with 2017
Woman of the Year Jackie Flaherty.
3. Hermosa Beach 2018 Man of the
Year Pete Hoffman with 2017 Man of
the Year Ryan Nowicki.
4. Mayor Jeff Duclos swears in new
chamber board members (from left)
resident Robert Jones, Beach House
general manager Marje Bennett,
builder Rick Koenig, and former
council members Carolyn Petty and
Kathy Dunbabin.
5. Maureen Lewis expresses her
appreciation. Looking on are 2017
Woman of the Year Jackie Flaherty
and Chamber CEO Maureen
Ferguson.
6. Mayor Jeff Duclos congratulates
Man and Woman of the Year Pete
Hoffman and Maureen Lewis (second
and third from left). Looking on (from
left) are Council Member Stacey
Armato, Chamber CEO Maureen
Ferguson and Council Member Hany
Fangary.
7. Hermosa Beach Women of the
Year Kathy Dunbabin (2002), Alice
Villalobos (2016), Maureen Lewis
(2018) and Janice Brittain (2015).
16 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

each art
#52WEEKSOFNATURE
from HippyTree
H
ippyTree, a “surf and stone” apparel company
founded in 2004 in Hermosa Beach, hosted a
year-long #52weeksofnature Instagram photo
competition in 2017. Each week a winner was selected
from what would total over 30,000 entries. On
Jan. 13 the new Hermosa Beach gallery Shockboxx,
hosted an exhibition of the 52 weekly winners.
1
2
1. Shockboxx Gallery. Photo by Chris Van Berkom
2. Josh Sweeney, Brooke Basse and Andrew Sarnecki.
Photo by Chris Van Berkom
3. Andrew Sarnecki announces the winners.
Photo by Chris Van Berkom
4. Award winners, (left to right) Aim Lorejas (Staff
pick), Pablo Martinez (People’s choice), Hayden
Flores (Pro’s choice runner-up) and Ian Zamora
(Pro’s choice). Photo by Chris Van Berkom
5. Musicians Matt Robinson and Hudson Ritchie.
Photo by Kevin Cody
6. Justin Wagner, Brad Jacobson, Kevin Sousa,
Jason Napolitano, and Ricky Lesser. Photo by
Kevin Cody
7. Diane and Tony Cole. Photo by Kevin Cody
8. Brian Miller, Nicky Tenpas, Eileen Bugnitz, and
Jason Leeds. Photo by Kevin Cody
9. Chelsea Bower, Sarah Foley and Samantha
Haddad. Photo by Kevin Cody
10. Steve O’Brien and friend. Photo by Kevin
Cody
11. Matt Parker and Jason Napolitano. Photo by
Kevin Cody
12. Mike Siordia and ‘Big Mike.’ Photo by Kevin
Cody
13. Josh Sweeney, Justin Thirsk and Aaron
Osten. Photo by Kevin Cody
3 4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11 12 13
18 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 19

each charity
SOUTH BAY CHILI COOK-OFF
spices up charity
T
he annual South Bay Chili Cook-off on January 27 pitted nine local restaurants
in a throwdown over the best chili. Community members gathered at Manhattan
Beach Fire House No. 1, sampled the offerings, and bid on silent auction
items. In a close contest, the 900 Club’s white bean chili took home first prize, while
the spicy offering from Baran’s 2239 was deemed the “Fireman’s Favorite.” The
event, organized by the Neptunian Woman’s Club, raises money for the Manhattan
Beach Firefighters Burn Foundation.
1. Team Love & Salt, of Manhattan
Beach.
2. Team 900 Club, of Manhattan
Beach.
3. Team Sausal, of El Segundo.
4. Team Nick’s, of Manhattan Beach.
5. Team Baran’s 2239, of Hermosa
Beach.
PHOTOS BY RYAN MCDONALD
6. Team Zinc Lounge at Shade, of
Manhattan Beach.
7. Team Darren’s, of Manhattan
Beach.
8. Team Hop Saint, of Redondo
Beach.
9. Manny Serrano, vice president of
sponsor Pacific Premier Bank, with
wife Bree, serve for Team Brew Co., of
Manhattan Beach.
1
2 3
4 5
6
7
8
9
20 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 21

T
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor
Giving a helping hand where it is needed most
he Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor (BGCLAH) might
be 80 years old, but they are pulsing with contemporary vitality. In
addition to providing safe places for youth in an area struggling
with crime and poverty, BGCLAH is energetically helping at-risk kids
succeed in school, go to college, and explore a wide range of opportunities
in the arts and the working world.
BGCLAH emphasizes a “Triple A” approach to their services, augmenting
the Clubs’ traditional Athletics with Academics and the Arts.
The national Boys & Girls Clubs have undertaken similar expansions,
but BGCLAH programs have especially excelled. They have partnered
with corporate donors to provide science and technology labs with
3D printers and a laser cutter, taught budding musicians chart reading
and music theory, and helped 96 percent of the kids in their “College
Bound” program graduate from high school.
“We are one of the few nonprofit organizations fully dedicated to
youth – first of all to the youth who need us most – with comprehensive
programming and services they need for a future life of quality,” said
Executive Director Mike Lansing.
“Rather than a hand-out, this requires giving them a hand up,” he
said. “We provide daily and year-round services and facilities, and a
commitment to service the growth of the youth, and to aid their ability
to break out of poverty and become contributing members of our society.”
Indeed, BGCLAH is the largest private daily service provider in the
Harbor/South Bay area for youth who are “at risk” through economic
hardship, family challenges, or various other reasons such as learning
or physical disabilities.
The services are vital. Among the area’s 37,000 youth, some 13,000
live in households below the poverty level. The Los Angeles Police Department
classifies the area’s crime rate as medium to high.
BGCLAH has grown to operate three traditional clubhouses and 10
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF LA HARBOR | 1200 S. Cabrillo Ave., San Pedro | 310-833-1366 | bgclaharbor.org
sites at elementary, middle and high schools in the Harbor area. The
Clubs serve more than 2,200 youth a day, providing daily transportation
for more than 500 of them, and serving 1,100 daily snacks and suppers.
Growing together
As executive director, Lansing has spearheaded BGCLAH’s growth.
As a kid, he played ball at the club in San Pedro. He went on to work
as an educator, teaching, coaching and administrating at the middle
school and high school levels, and served as a youth-oriented volunteer.
He was asked to join the board of directors of what was then the
Boys & Girls Club of San Pedro, and later applied for executive director,
approaching the board with a bold plan for the future of the club.
“I came in with a mindset that we could do more to help children
who need us,” Lansing said. He pitched a “Triple A” emphasis, and
pushed to expand offerings for teens.
The board said yes, and committed to sweeping new initiatives,
greater staffing, and vigorous shakings of the donor tree. Corporate
partners obliged, and the Clubs’ annual budget grew from $250,000
to $7.2 million.
Facing the future
BGCLAH is preparing a campaign for an additional $9 million for capital
improvements, sustained program offerings, and additions to an
endowment fund for the future.
“We want to support and sustain the impact we’ve had, for the next
80 years,” Lansing said, “and keep building the leaders for our community
and beyond.”
For more information see bgclaharbor.org
SPONSORED CONTENT
22 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

ROUNDHOUSE BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT:
HOW TO HELP
(See related story on following pages.)
The Roundhouse Beautification
Project is projected to
cost approximately $4 million.
The Harrison Greenberg Foundation
has donated $1.25 million,
the city has allocated $250,000 towards
the pier renovation, and another
quarter million has been
fundraised thus far.
Michael Greenberg said that beyond
the $4 million cost of the project
itself, the hope is to start an
endowment, so that the facility
never falls into disrepair again.
“Aquariums require maintenance,”
Greenberg said. “The
Roundhouse especially so, because
it sits on top of the Pacific Ocean, a
corrosive environment. What we
hope is to keep it looking beautiful.
Sustainability is the key word.”
“This is a gift we are bringing to
the people of the South Bay,”
Greenberg said. “But for people to
enjoy it, it should continue to shine,
and not become dilapidated. It
needs constant love. I am asking for
help as much as I can. I am grateful
for the gifts from a lot of very generous
people we’ve received so far.”
To learn more about the project and
how to contribute, see Roundhouse-
Beautification.com.
February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 23

each charity
Michael Greenberg speaks at the groundbreaking for the Roundhouse Beautification Project, which he has spearheaded in honor of his son, Harrison.
Photo by Jessie Lee Cederblom
The boy and the pier
Second of two parts
How Michael Greenberg transformed the loss of his son
into a gift for the place that made him
by Mark McDermott
Harrison Greenberg was still a toddler when his mother, Wendy,
made an unusual discovery. He was a hyperactive little boy, bouncy
and playful, all go, go, go. He had boundless curiosity; everything
he encountered was subject to inspection, but his mind was restless, always
moving to the next thing. Early on, while taking her son on early morning
strolls, Wendy Greenberg found a place where Harrison’s attention focused
to an utter calm: the Roundhouse Aquarium at the end of the Manhattan
Beach Pier.
As Harrison would demonstrate for the rest of his life, he was nothing if
not hands-on. At the aquarium, he found a rare place in the adult world
where his curiosity could run free. He especially loved the touch tanks,
where he could put his hands on ocean wildlife, such as sea stars, urchins
and snails.
“He was a very curious guy at an early age, so going to the Roundhouse
was an opportunity to learn, an opportunity to engage,” Wendy recalled.
“He was able to sit there and take in what was told to him. He could touch
and learn, which inspired us to go more frequently, with different friends
and on different outings.”
Such was Harrison’s enthusiasm for the Aquarium that for his second
birthday Wendy brought some of his marine friends to him. She was in the
late stages of pregnancy and confined to bed rest, so the family had staff
from the Oceanographic Teaching Station – the non-profit which operates
the Roundhouse Aquarium – come to their home in Manhattan Beach.
“What better thing could we do on his birthday?” she said. “He was jumping
around and happy. It was definitely a birthday party for him. He was
fascinated with the animals in the tanks.”
Even the field trips to the Roundhouse with his classmates from Robinson
Elementary were special days for Harrison.
“He was one of the lucky few who was able to kiss the sea cucumber,”
Wendy remembered. “He was fine with the idea. A lot of the kids would
cringe; they thought it was too slimy. He was fine because he’d touched
the animal so many times before.”
Harrison’s father, Michael Greenberg, is the co-founder and president of
Skechers, the popular, global shoe company based in Manhattan Beach. Although
Harrison grew up in affluence, his childhood had its difficulties. He
was unruly, and often in trouble. And until he filled out in his teen years,
he tended to be pudgy, for which he was mercilessly bullied.
24 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

A rendering of the renovated Roundhouse Aquarium, which will be open by this summer. Courtesy Cambridge Seven Associates
Through all those years, the
Roundhouse was his respite, the
place where he would find the
peace of wild things and the seemingly
endless possibility of life
upon this earth.
“I remember after having his little
brother and sister, bringing the
little ones along with him, and he
would be fully engaged,” his
mother said. “He was quite a handful.
He would act out and get into
trouble constantly. But in that environment
he could be happy, and
hang out for a long time. You had
his full attention if it was something
he was interested in.”
As he grew into a young man,
that spirit of exploration Harrison
found at the Roundhouse served as
a runway, a launching pad for all
points west. He first fell in love
with Catalina Island, exploring its
surrounding waters, fishing, often
alone in the family’s powerboat.
Then his attention turned to Asia,
where he traveled more than a half
dozen times, sometimes alone, a
teenager with a cell phone translator
and an unbridled sense of wonder.
It was in Thailand, on April 7,
2015, that Harrison lost his life,
choking to death on a late night
meal alone in his hotel room while
in the midst of a four month internship
in China and Southeast Asia.
He was 19 years old.
His father rushed back from England,
where he had been on business.
His first impulse was to go to
Thailand, but there was nothing to
be done there; he returned instead
to Manhattan Beach, to tend to Harrison’s
mother and his little brother
and sister, Chance and Mackenna.
They gathered to try and absorb
this unthinkable loss, together.
Even as Greenberg was on his
flight across the Atlantic, his mind
turned to the question, “What
now?” His beloved first born son
was gone. He was utterly powerless
to do anything about this. His job,
he realized, was to help his family
learn to live with this new reality,
to keep on loving life.
Never is the power of community
more apparent than in times of
tragedy. He’d barely arrived back in
Manhattan Beach when donations
started flowing in — a quarter of a
million dollars, entirely unsolicited.
The Harrison Greenberg Foundation
was established immediately.
It often isn’t until the end of a life
that we can see the full narrative
arc of the loved one who has
passed, as if it were a book that had
been lived, not written. The story of
Harrison was of this ebullient,
ruddy-faced little boy leaping in the
water, seemingly blossoming
overnight into into a square-jawed,
handsome and determined young
man who’d left middle-aged businessmen
at dinner parties slackjawed
with amazement at his
quickness of mind, his capacity
both for dreaming big and immersing
himself in practical details of an
idea. He was a third generation entrepreneur;
he’d been named after
his great grandfather, Harry, a green
grocer who’d established a family
business in Boston in the 1930s,
Belle’s Market, named after his
wife. His grandfather, Robert, inherited
this entrepreneurial streak,
and would start a half dozen businesses
before moving to California
and founding LA Gear, out of the
ashes of which would emerge
Skechers. Harrison was a link in the
chain, the heir apparent to the family
business, which had grown into
a billion dollar global enterprise.
But as both Michael and Wendy
began the process of remembering,
somehow the Roundhouse at the
end of the pier was always in the
background. The red-tiled building
at the end of the pier was more
than an aquarium; it represented
the gift Harrison had experienced
growing up in Manhattan Beach,
“this enchanted village,” as
Michael thought of it.
Four days after his son’s death,
Michael met with OTS officials. He
wanted to give back to the community
that had given his son such a
beautiful life. He knew no better
way than to go to the Roundhouse.
“It was just about Harrison,
about what we could do,” Greenberg
said. “We were later focused
on Harrison, what we could do on
his behalf to memorialize him.”
The pier
Few towns have as enduring or
distinct a symbol as the Roundhouse
at the end of the Manhattan
Beach pier.
Legend has it a pier was built,
before the city existed, by a mysterious
figure named Colonel Blanton
Duncan. According to lore
mined by city historian Jan Dennis,
Duncan arrived here from Kentucky
during the Civil War. Some
February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 25

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old tales indicate he arrived with
both slaves and profits from the
cotton plantation he’d operated
down South; one of the town’s
early histories claims he built a
small pier in order to smuggle
opium from China.
What is factual, according to
Dennis, is Duncan did indeed
build the first house in what was
to become Manhattan Beach. As
nearby Redondo Beach and Hermosa
Beach formed in the late
1800s, the sandy area to the north,
all dust and dunes, was considered
undesirable – after all, who would
want to live amidst all that sand?
Duncan paid $1,000 in gold to the
Redondo Land Company for 87
and one quarter acres and in 1895
built a mansion on the hill overlooking
the scraggly settlement
originally known as Potencia. The
following year, for $680, he bought
another 100 acres that stretched
down to the water. It’s clear he
built an oceanside structure of
some sort, Dennis reports, though
it’s unclear if he built a pier.
The city’s first known pier, built
around the turn of the 20th century,
was a somewhat ramshackle
affair, in keeping with the fledgling
town itself. It was dubbed “the Old
Iron Pier” and fashioned out of railroad
ties and timbers affixed with a
900 ft. wooden platform for fishermen.
“Back then Manhattan Beach was
just sort of a little village,” Dennis
said. “People couldn’t get here because
of the dunes...Nobody came
here. So they decided, well, we’ll
build a fishing pier. That is what it
was for — when the Red Car came
down from LA, they’d come here to
fish.”
But as Dennis notes in her book,
“A Walk Beside the Sea: A History
of Manhattan Beach,” the odd little
pier quickly became a focal point
for many of the town’s activities.
Then, in 1913, storms wiped the
pier out, and city fathers decided to
float a public bond to build a more
permanent structure. A proposed
$75,000 bond failed in 1914, 168
votes to 170, largely due to a contingent
of “Northenders” who
wanted it located at the end of Marine
Street. In 1916, a compromise
was passed overwhelmingly, one
that included $70,000 for a pier at
the foot of Manhattan Beach Boulevard
(then Center Street) and
$20,000 for a pavillion at Marine.
Engineer A.L. Harris had the idea
for the Roundhouse. “Now in regard
to a round end, it is a feature
that hasn’t been, as yet, brought out
on any other pier along the coast
that I know of...another reason for
having the circular end is that it is
much stronger against the action of
the waves,” Harris said at a meeting
of the city’s board of trustees.
Material shortages due to WWI
delayed its construction but finally
the pier and a Roundhouse that
looks almost identical to today’s facility
were constructed in 1920.
The pier would remain largely
unchanged until the 1980s, when
Judge Richard L. Fruin established
OTS, and the Roundhouse took on
a new function as a marine science
teaching station. But the pier itself
was falling apart; there was a proposal
to destroy the entire structure
and rebuild. An activist group
called Pier Pressure, led by Keith
Robinson and Julia Tedesco, fought
for its preservation. A 3-2 council
vote in 1986 favored restoring the
pier rather than replacing it, and in
1991 a $2.39 million project to rehabilitate
the pier got underway.
By the time Michael Greenberg
met with OTS staff immediately
after his son’s passing in 2015, the
pier was in most ways flourishing.
More than 300,000 people visited it
annually, including 15,000 kids
who participate in programs at the
Roundhouse Aquarium. But beneath
the surface, the pier was in
a state of deterioration, and the
Aquarium’s facilities were being
held together largely by the inventiveness
of its co-directors, Eric
Martin and Val Hill.
“It’s been over 15 years since our
last renovation, and things have
started to go downhill,” said John
Roberts, the chair of the OTS board
of directors. “In a marine environment,
things don’t last too long.”
Greenberg’s initial notion was
possibly to refurbish a tank or two
at the Aquarium. But a Greenberg
family trait appears to be a certain
boundlessness, and as he considered
the facility’s needs a bigger
idea began to emerge.
“I'm thinking to myself, it's so dilapidated,
it’s so old,” he recalled.
“And something triggered the
thought, ‘Well, why don't we put
in an entirely new aquarium, and
reimagine this aquarium?”
He pledged a million dollars on
the spot, in addition to the quarter
million already contributed to Harrison’s
Foundation. The city, it
turned out, already had plans to
retrofit the pier itself, and thus a
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26 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

plan was born.
The project
Two remarkable things happened
in the 34 months since the
inception of the Harrison Greenberg
Foundation Roundhouse
Aquarium Beautification Project.
First, it was fast tracked with almost
unprecedented alacrity. Six
different governmental bodies, including
the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers and the California
Coastal Commission, signed off on
the project in short order; one
coastal commissioner actually
cried as he voted for the project.
The other unusual aspect is that
Cambridge Seven Associates, one
of the most prominent aquarium
design firms in the world, signed
on to do the 2,000 ft. project.
It was unlikely that such a firm
would even be interested in so
small a project, but after they responded
to the Request for Proposals
and were selected as finalists,
Michael Greenberg had an uncanny
feeling as lead architect
Peter Sollogub presented Cambridge’s
ideas for the Roundhouse
Aquarium last January.
Sollogub is a lively, ebullient
man, short in stature but large in
The Manhattan Beach Pier in 1930, a little less than a decade after its construction.
Photo courtesy Jan Dennis
wonder and imagination. He looks
a bit like an American Pablo Picasso.
But what struck Greenberg
that day was both Sollogub’s passion
for this project and his resemblance
to someone else – his
grandfather, Harry, for whom Harrison
was named.
“The passion Peter showed, and
knowing Cambridge Seven were
the architects for the New England
Aquarium and are one of the most
world-renowned architects for
aquariums around the globe...Yet
he said this would be the most important
project he would work on
because of the nature of how it
came to be,” Greenberg recalled.
“And you know, there was a connection,
because I am from New
England, and as he is presenting,
he reminded me of my grandfather,
Harry… I’m thinking, ‘My
god, this is meant to be.’”
Michael spent the early part of
his childhood in Boston, and was
pulled into the family business as
a young boy. He has vivid memories
of getting up at 4 a.m. to go to
the produce markets with Harry,
an indefatigable man who made
these pre-dawn runs five days a
week and operated his greengrocer's
market seven days a week.
“He was a big part of my growing
up,” Greenberg said. “And I felt
this deep connection with Peter.
Sort of like being guided. It was an
easy decision for me.”
Sollogub said it’s the smallest
project he’s ever worked on, but
also the one that means the most
to him, personally.
“Some tanks on other projects
are bigger than the entire aquarium
in the Manhattan Beach project,”
said Sollogub. “Some of our
projects are a hundred times bigger,
and almost all are many, many
February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 27

times bigger than this project. But
this has every last speck of what
they have in its little container.”
Cambridge’s other projects include
the National Aquarium in
Baltimore, Maryland, the Carolina
SciQuarium, the Acquario di Genova
in Italy and the Ring of Fire
Aquarium in Osaka, Japan. But
what the Roundhouse Aquarium
has that few other facilities do is
the immersive quality of being suspended
over the Pacific Ocean.
Cambridge Seven’s design plays off
this quality. The experience of the
new aquarium is intended to be
akin to walking into the bright blue
of the ocean.
A new east-facing entrance will
allow visitors to enter a widening
corridor that opens up gradually to
the Pacific. A rocky reef tank, a
sandy bottom tank and a larger
version of the popular kids’ touch
tank line the left side, and a large
shark tank is on the right. The
west-facing walls will retain the
Roundhouse’s distinct arched windows,
so the Pacific is always visible.
Above, an updated and
enlarged mezzanine will include a
goldfish tank, an exhibit space, and
a discovery “nook” for small children.
“The impact of this is really in
the heart,” Sollogub said. “When
we came down for our interview
and went to the aquarium, it really
spoke to us. We felt more excitement
than many, many projects
I’ve had the pleasure of working
on over 40 years. There’s something
about it. You are out there in
this tiny little place, the ocean is
coming in from the windows, and
the sand, and the tanks all over the
place, and the life support systems
are in dire need — they are put together,
but they need a little help.
And the tanks themselves, the animals
are being taken care of but
could also use a little
refreshing...It’s all grown in a little
bit of a haphazard way, yet it all
works. It’s somehow all cobbled together
and you somehow feel,
when you are in this special place,
this personal touch. And then you
remember why this project is happening,
and what it is going to be.”
Hill, the aquarium’s co-director,
estimated that the facility at some
points had been home to as many
as 100 species of marine wildlife
and, if you count the smaller life
forms, as many as a million actual
animals. “I’m a plankton person,”
she said. “[Co-director] Eric is a
whale person. We respect each
other’s choices. You can’t have one
without the other.”
This interconnection is the overarching
lesson of the entire aquarium.
“One of the highlights is the
touch tanks,” Hill said. “Kids get to
interact with the animals, and with
the ocean, really. It gives them a
real connection with the animals,
and that helps carry on when we
bring a message about ocean pollution
and pollution prevention and
how we all have this connection
with something that lives in the
ocean.”
“It fosters awareness and love for
the ocean, and from that awareness
and love people take measures
to consider things and not
pollute,” John Roberts said. “We’ve
done some surveys — some kids
who visit live 10 or 15 miles away
and have never before seen the
ocean. It’s startling but it’s true.
How can you protect what you
don’t know?”
The rebuilt upstairs of the aquarium
will feature an education center
as well as photos and videos by
Martin, who is a marine photographer,
so visitors can experience
nearby wildlife too large for the little
facility — such as orcas and fin
whales and Great White sharks.
28 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

Kids enjoy the touch tank at the Roundhouse Aquarium. Photo courtesy the
Roundhouse Aquarium
The project is expected to be completed
by Memorial Day weekend.
Everyone involved in the project
has been struck by Greenberg’s unrelenting
positivity.
“His heart? As big as the aquarium
he is leading the way to renovate
into a free world class
oceanographic teaching center,”
said Councilperson Richard Montgomery.
“Michael, even through his
personal tragedy, has led the way to
show us all how to help others less
fortunate.”
Dennis, the city historian, expressed
gratitude for the Greenberg
family’s contribution. But she was
also emphatic that people understand
that the pier belongs to no
single family, but rather is a symbol
for the entire city. In a video promoting
the Roundhouse beautification
project, Dennis tears up as she
describes what the Roundhouse
means to her when she has been
away from Manhattan Beach and
returns. “When I see that pier, I am
home,” Dennis said. “And I’ve been
here 56 years — not as long as some
of our natives, but it’s home to me,
and the pier is a symbol of it.”
At a groundbreaking ceremony in
November, Mayor Amy Howorth
said the Roundhouse renovation is
also symbolic of the city’s sense of
community.
“It really struck me that this
speaks to who we are here in Manhattan
Beach,” said Howarth. “This
is what community does. We come
and gather to celebrate the good,
and we also stand by each other
through the dark times.”
Sollogub said that though the impetus
for the project was born from
unspeakable loss, the feeling that
has presided throughout is one of
boundless possibility.
“It’s never been a feeling of
tragedy in the room, but really
about the joy and wonder of growing
up, being young, being wideeyed
looking for new adventure —
and at the same time being able to
share that experience by taking care
of this place, and extending that
care and exposure to wonder to that
experience of underwater life….You
leave with more open eyes, and
joy,” he said. “I think that is what
this project is about. Wide-eyed
wonder.”
Wendy Greenberg knows a little
bit about wide-eyed wonder, from
the boy she misses so much. The
Roundhouse at the end of the pier
never fails to remind her of Harrison.
“As much as I try to get away
from the problem of losing our son,
it’s where I look when I take a dog
on a walk — the Roundhouse at the
end of the pier,” she said. “When
I’m flying on a airplane leaving, I
see it. Where I do yoga, there’s a
picture of the Roundhouse….It’s
the heart of this town.”
The Roundhouse Aquarium remains
open in a temporary location in
the south pier parking lot. See RoundhouseAquarium.org
for more information.
For more information on the
pier’s history or to order “Manhattan
Beach Pier History” or “A Walk Beside
the Sea,” Jan Dennis can be
reached at 310-372-8520. To contribute
to the Roundhouse renovation
see story on page 23. B
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Any Laser or Injection Treatment*
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February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 29

each art
EASY READER’S HERMOSA
in photos 2000 – 2017
A
n opening for an exhibit of photos by Easy
Reader staff and contributing photographers
was held Friday, January 26 at the Hermosa
Beach Historical Society. The show is hosted by the
Hermosa Historical Society and curated by museum
manager and curator Bradley Peacock. The exhibit
will continue through the spring. Sponsors include
La Playita, King Harbor Brewery and Paul’s Photo.
The Hermosa Historical Museum is located at 710
Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach. Hours: Saturday and
Sunday 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday 10 a.m. to noon. And
by appointment. For more information call (310) 318-
9421.
1
2
1. Exhibit photographers
Ken Pagliaro,
Brad Jacobson, John
Post, Chris Miller, Robi
Hutas, Ray Vidal and
Kevin Cody. Photo by
Beverly Baird
2. Casey, Jeff Atkinson,
Corey Newton
and Annie Seawright-
Newton. Photo by
Kevin Cody
3. Hermosa Historical
Museum curator
Bradley Peacock and
musicians Mark Fitchett
and Brian Sisson.
Photo by Kevin Cody
4. Hermosa Beach/La
County firefighters.
Photo by Brad Jacobson
5. Hermosa Historical
Society President
Norm Rosen and wife
Lorna. Photo by Brad
Jacobson
6. Peter DeAvilla,
Nicole Seyle, Phil
Oglesby, Marcella Villa,
and Marion DeSanto.
Photo by Kevin Cody
7. Sarah and Eddie
Solt with Searra and
Jani and Denyse Lange
with Kruz and Talyn.
Photo by Kevin Cody
8. Marcella Villa and
Chris Miller. Photo by
Brad Jacobson
9. Derek Levy and
Becca Rosen.
10. Easy Reader
editor Mark McDermott
and reporter Ryan Mc-
Donald.
11. Greg McNally and
John Wayne Miller.
12. Dency Nelson and
Carol Reznichek.
3 4
5
6
7
8
9
10 11
30 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

Lisa Houlé
MADE TO ORDER FOR THE DEFENSE
If TV producers were creating the perfect defense attorney,
they might envision a dynamic and determined trial lawyer, a
former prosecutor who knows in advance all that her client
might face, and enjoys the respect of the law enforcement and
legal communities.
In other words, they might imagine Lisa Houlé.
Houlé (pronounced Hoo-LAY) spent 15 years as a deputy district
attorney for Los Angeles County, prosecuting violent crimes
from homicide and rape to stalking. Despite her success, she
was ready for a change in 2015, and “jumped to the other
side,” continuing to specialize in sex crimes and domestic violence.
Houlé said a good defense attorney must pick apart the prosecution’s
case for errors or inconsistencies to prevail in court, or
head off prosecution altogether when that is possible.
Among her clients was a young man who found himself accused
of rape following a one-night stand, Houlé said.
“The police did not vet that claim as we would hope they
would,” Houlé said. “My client had to go all the way to trial to
be acquitted by a jury and finally exonerated.”
Houlé said that the woman testified that her trust in others had
been damaged,
and she was reduced
to hiding out
inside her home.
“We had photo
upon photo, and
video upon video
from social media
showing quite the
opposite,” a flirtatious
woman dancing poolside in a bikini and so forth, Houlé
said.
“We were not trying to ‘dirty her up,’ as claimed by the prosecution,
we were trying to show the jury that she was lying to
them,” Houlé said.
Houlé’s holistic approach to her work includes getting to know
each client, “how he got to this place,” and how to avoid legal
trouble in the future.
“It’s not my job to be a mill, to push cases and clients through,
and get to the next client,” she said. "It's about the greater
good."
SPONSORED CONTENT
HOULÉ LAW APC | 1230 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 300, Manhattan Beach | 424-274-7204 | Houlé-law.com
February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 31

BB&L team photo by David LeBon
B
The Law Offices of Baker, Burton & Lundy, P.C.
Expanding to Serve the Legal Needs of the South Bay
aker, Burton & Lundy, the local law firm with a nationwide reputation
and billions of dollars won for its clients, continues to expand
both its practice and its physical presence in the heart of
Hermosa Beach.
The firm has won more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements. The
attorneys have argued twice before the U.S. Supreme Court and have
won an unanimous opinion in the California Supreme Court making
new law that encourages resolution and helps reduce litigation.
Never content to stand still, BB&L has been growing its probate and
employment law divisions, while energetically maintaining its core
practices that include business, real estate, estate planning and personal
injury.
People walking and driving down Pier Avenue will see changes taking
place. To house the growing practice, the 42-year-old firm is making
its third expansion along Hermosa’s iconic Pier Avenue, adding new
offices and a “lifeguard tower-esque” roof deck to its storefront. The
shape is symbolic to the firm – just as local lifeguards keep beach-goers
safe, BB&L seeks to help safeguard the legal rights of their clients and
stands by to help when injuries of all kind occur.
Employment Law – Advising Employers and Employees
BB&L offers employment law services to a variety of clients in Southern
California from small start-up businesses to Fortune 500 companies.
Understanding the rights of both sides, BB&L represents both employers
and employees in discrimination, harassment and wrongful termination
cases. They also are experts in analyzing wage and hour issues and
employment and employee requirements under the current California
laws, which are technical and difficult to comply with.
Navigating Probate Litigation
The area of probate litigation has been growing as the Baby Boomer
generation ages. When conflicts arise concerning questionable documents
or how money and estate assets are being managed and/or
distributed, people find themselves needing an expert attorney. The
BB&L probate litigation team helps clients navigate through the complex
probate court system and reach equitable resolutions.
Protecting Sexual Harassment Victims
BB&L has been actively defending the rights of women long before
the #MeToo movement started. The firm spearheaded prosecution of
a doctor who, like Larry Nassar, was using his position and authority to
sexually abuse multiple patients during examinations and who was
convicted in criminal court of four felonies and lost his license. BB&L
also just won several million dollars for an employee who was a victim
of sexual harassment and discrimination. One of the most healing
things for these victims is helping them have their day in court and confront
the person who abused them.
Helping Clients with Brain Injuries
Unfortunately there are many ways people receive serious injuries to
their brain – from vehicle accidents to playing football or even dangerous
falls while walking. These brain injuries can drastically alter a
person’s ability to work and take care of his or herself. It is critical for
head injury victims to seek legal help when an injury occurs due to another’s
negligence so patients can get the resources needed for their
long-term care. BB&L has helped a wide range of clients injured from
falls, horse-riding accidents, and car and motorcycle accidents win
millions of dollars for their long-term medical needs.
Long Term Commitment
As the longest operating business on Pier Avenue, Baker, Burton &
Lundy remains committed to being there for their clients and the South
Bay community. Partner Brad Baker says, “Few professions provide the
opportunity to help people as much as the legal profession. We take
this mission very seriously. From the moment clients walk in our front
door, they know their experience is going to be unique.”
BAKER, BURTON & LUNDY | 515 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach | (310) 376-9893 | info@bakerburtonlundy.com
SPONSORED CONTENT
32 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

W
Nigel Villanueva
Excellence in defense
ith more than 50 jury trials and arbitration hearings under his
belt, accomplished defense attorney Nigel Villanueva approaches
so-called minor cases with the same dedication
with which he defends a homicide suspect, the owner of an NBA team,
or in some cases, other attorneys.
“I have the same zeal for a drunk-in-public defense as I do for a client
facing a charge of first-degree murder. I have a great belief in criminal
defense. People are counting on you to protect their rights,” said Villanueva,
who is currently in preparation for an upcoming homicide
trial.
Villanueva represents clients in a wide range of violent crimes, drug
crimes, sex crimes and driving offenses. On the civil law side, he runs a
small but successful personal injury practice, recovering more than $1
million for clients, most of whom were injured in vehicle, motorcycle or
bicycle accidents.
Villanueva’s excellence in preparing a case, and arguing it before
a judge and jury, were exemplified in an eight-day domestic violence
trial in Lancaster.
“One of the deciding factors in the case was that his wife had made
allegations that he was in a rage, and he had punched multiple holes
throughout the house, that he shattered windows, broke tables,” Villanueva
said. “We were able to catch her in a lie. We found witnesses
who had been told by her that she caused some of holes, and some
of the damage was caused by roommates.”
“We used two investigators and started speaking with people she
knew, did searches on Facebook, it was just a lot of good investigation,”
he said. “The jury acquitted our client in under an hour.”
Villanueva’s successes have prompted other attorneys to turn to him
when they are in trouble, including a prosecutor who found himself
under criminal investigation. Villanueva dug into the matter, with the
result that no charges were ultimately filed.
“I felt real pride that some of our colleagues, when they have had
legal issues, have allowed me to defend them,” Villanueva said.
The case of the pro basketball team owner was another one that Villanueva
stopped in its tracks before it could go to trial. He declined to
identify the owner because the matter did not come to the public’s
attention.
“There are many criminal lawyers who advertise as criminal trial attorneys,
but their experience might be limited. The prosecutors are
aware of this, and it affects how they make pre-trial offers,” Villanueva
said.
Another of Villanueva’s clients, a 52-year-old man, was charged with
elder abuse in the case of an injured 70-year-old man. Prosecutors
claimed that the defendant caused a large hematoma to the skull of
the older man and gave him two black eyes.
At the preliminary hearing, the magistrate ruled that the older man
was the catalyst in the incident, and had forced Villanueva’s client to
respond in self-defense.
“In many similar cases dealing with fighting and aggressive behavior,
the parties can have vastly different stories,” Villanueva said. “Many
times, it can be law enforcement or prosecutors who determine the
victim based on sympathy, or political correctness, and not the facts.”
Villanueva’s careful attention to changes in law proved decisive in
his successful representation of a schoolteacher who was trying to get
her criminal record expunged of felony drunk driving, assaulting a police
officer and driving with a suspended license.
“She had applied for expungement, and it had been denied. She
hired our office to re-litigate the matter,” Villanueva said.
He won the case by finding a then-recent change in expungement
law that had been overlooked in the previous proceedings.
“She would have lost her job,” Villanueva said.
It is also important to Villanueva to make himself fully available to
each client.
“I try to be as open to my clients as possible,” he said. “I run an opendoor
policy. I am happy to meet my clients in late hours, or on weekends.
I want my clients to be able to simply walk into my office any
time. They will always find that my door is open.”
SPONSORED CONTENT
LAW OFFICE OF NIGEL VILLANUEVA | 220 S. PCH, Ste 106, Redondo Beach | nigelvlaw@gmail.com | cell 310-686-6524 office 310-318-0018
February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 33

y Bondo Wyszpolski
Jim Eninger. Photo by Bondo Wyszpolski
Aesthetics, not bodies in seats is what matters to classical music enthusiast Jim Eninger
This past October, Jim Eninger was among the recipients of the Excellence
in Arts Awards, an annual event presented by the City of Torrance
Cultural Art Commission. If the name doesn’t ring the bells of
familiarity that’s because Eninger is perfectly content to remain in the background.
That isn’t to say he doesn’t have admirers and champions. The late
John Bogart of the Daily Breeze referred to Eninger as “the smartest, besteducated
publicist in the South Bay and -- who knows -- maybe the entire
world.”
Many people who follow classical music would agree.
Adams and Adès to Zimmer and Zorn
From Jim Eninger’s Torrance home you can throw a stone into Redondo
Beach. He’s a retired engineer who graduated from Stanford and worked
at TRW. Along the way, his interest in classical music grew by leaps and
bounds. While he himself may not play an instrument, his wife and daughters
are musically inclined.
In the late 1970s, long before all the gadgetry came along that now pins
us to our phones and computers, Eninger became involved with the South
Bay Chamber Music Society. Then, when the internet became viable, and
being somewhat computer savvy, Eninger began sending out concert reminders
as well as the evening’s program notes: “And people would show
up at the concerts, (having) printed out the programs on their dot matrix
printers.”
These emails boosted attendance, to the point where a Sunday afternoon
encore performance was initiated to supplement the one on Friday. The visiting
musicians liked this as well, since if they were preparing for one concert
it was nice to be able to present it again, the same material and all, just
two days later.
The format continues to this day, Fridays at Harbor College in Wilmington
and Sundays at the Pacific Unitarian Church in Rancho Palos Verdes.
Having been on the board, as well as serving as the group’s president,
Eninger left the South Bay Music Society in 1999, and that’s when he began
his newsletter, now referred to as the Clickable Chamber Music Newsletter
from the South Bay.
“During the season, from September through June,” he says, “they go out
weekly because there’s so much classical music. And then when things
slow down during the summer sometimes they go out every two weeks or
maybe every three weeks if I want to schedule a vacation.”
For all that, they’re sent out regularly, the most recent issue (as of this
writing) is number 781, and there are in excess of 5,700 people who subscribe
to it.
Also, and most importantly, the newsletter is thoroughly comprehensive,
giving the date and time, the names of the artists, and the locations of
dozens upon dozens of classical music events coming up throughout the
greater Los Angeles area.
It’s a formidable undertaking, and yes there are volunteers who serve as
proofreaders and fact-checkers.
Eninger is in his early 70s, but he doesn’t seem to mind the trek to venues
near and far. On the day we met, he was headed over to Zipper Hall in
downtown Los Angeles.
“There’s a group of friends that I see at concerts all over the city,” he says.
“The distance to go to a concert is a secondary consideration.
“And one thing about attending classical music concerts, you really get to
know your city. Going to Pasadena, Westwood, downtown. It really makes
you feel connected.”
That’s a good lesson for those of us who automatically cite traffic as an
excuse to not venture out of the area.
But let’s say we don’t (or won’t) leave the South Bay in pursuit of classical
music. That’s okay, too, because Eninger says there’s quite a bit of it locally,
and a glance through his newsletter gives plenty of proof that this is so.
To mention a few, apart from the South Bay Chamber Music Society, we
have Classical Crossroads in Torrance, plus occasional concerts at El
34 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

Camino College, numerous churches, and one shouldn’t forget Alexey
Steele’s Classical Underground in Carson.
There are also many notable classical musicians who live in the area or
who play here frequently. Most people know of David Benoit and the Asia
America Symphony. Eninger also singles out two other fine pianists, Robert
Thies and Steven Vanhauwaert. Thies was recently named the artistic director
of the South Bay Chamber Music Society, and Vanhauwaert, originally
from Belgium, resides in Redondo Beach.
Music is a journey
Eninger says that when he began listening to music he wanted to keep
an open mind and so he listened to many genres. This is how we discover
what it is that appeals to us most directly. In Eninger’s case, he seems to
prefer the Germanic tradition, Bach to Brahms, and then into the 20th century
with predominantly tonal music. But he emphasizes that he enjoys a
wide range of music, his criteria being that the artists are exceptionally talented
and the music is well-played.
“I like to expand my horizons,” he notes, pointing out that at the moment
he’s carefully, slowly, reading “The Rest is Noise,” by Alex Ross. “If you
want to understand music in the 20th century, that’s an essential book to
read.” In addition, Eninger says, “I’ve been reading biographies of the great
composers -- Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann, Prokofiev, Brahms… because
these biographies reflect on the history of the time. It’s a great way
to learn about history.”
These days, at least, Eninger prefers chamber music over symphonies,
because with chamber music there’s a drawing room intimacy that can’t
be achieved with a Mahler-sized orchestra.
“What I’m really getting interested in now is American Contemporary
Ballet; it’s almost like chamber ballet. When you attend one of their performances
(located in a highrise on Flower Street in downtown L.A.) you’re
only at most three rows from the dance floor.”
The dances are accompanied by live music, “most of the musicians
drawn from the USC Thornton School.” Eninger is hoping to bring this
mixture of dance and chamber music to the South Bay.
One of the questions that people ask about classical music of all types,
including large-scale opera, is what happens after the audience becomes
too feeble to attend and, ahem, dies off? Because, if one goes to see “Così
fan tutte” or even “Rigoletto,” most of the seats seem occupied by those in
or nearing their sunset years.
“Well, there’s always new people coming in,” Eninger explains. In other
words, while some folks go out one door, others are coming in from another.
And actually, Eninger thinks this is a good time for classical music
attendance because the baby boom generation is reaching that point in
their lives where, presumably, they have more leisure time and, furthermore,
Led Zeppelin now seems a little outdated.
As for luring a younger audience, Eninger often sees students who were
sent by the teachers of their music appreciation classes. “I love to see how
they get drawn into it,” he says, “because they don’t have high expectations
for this [kind of music], and then they really like it.”
While Eninger is pleased to see students in the audience, he doesn’t think
the concerts should kowtow to them.
“There are some organizations that are trying to chase younger people
by making their presentations more hip or including things that kids like.
I don’t believe in that.” He also feels that sometimes a group or presenting
organization needs to put aside the notion of just trying to draw in as many
people as possible. An art song recital, for example, Eninger says, “where
you know your audience is going to fall by 30 or 40 percent, but you do it
anyway.”
That’s conviction, and integrity, even if it’s going against the grain of filling
seats at all cost. But it’s also admirable, that openness to finding and
presenting true gems in music and by doing so to offer a unique and one
hopes exceptional experience.
“When you come to a concert that’s played by talented musicians who
give an inspired performance of great music by great composers, then
something magical happens,” Eninger says. “The entire focus should be on
the artistic quality, and the audience will come.”
Revelations await us in the realm of live classical music, and Jim Eninger
is our guide and travel companion. His clickable newsletter is just that, a
click away. Email a request to JEninger@yahoo.com or go to
palosverdes.com/ClassicalCrossroads/ConcertReminders.htm B
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February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 35

food
The infinity view at Strand House. Photos courtesy of Strand House
Evolution of a dining destination
Dinner at the Strand House in downtown Manhattan Beach is typically expensive,
36 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018
but the experience is anything but typical
by Richard Foss
Strand House opened in 2011 to the very highest of expectations. The
former dance club had been renovated by an internationally known
design team, and founding chef Travis Lorton collaborated on the
menu with Neal Fraser, one of LA’s top chefs. The menu was easily the
most ambitious in the South Bay, featuring unusual heirloom vegetables,
arcane seasoning combinations, and housemade cured and smoked meats.
Crowds showed up to see if this was going to set the standard for fine dining
in the South Bay or be the biggest flop ever.
Seven years later the Strand House still has a crowd most nights and is
still leading the pack in adventurous dining. That said, there have been subtle
changes in style that show a refined focus. In the early days an exuberant
kitchen team decided they could do everything in-house. They made their
own bacon and performed other time and labor intensive tasks. As the
restaurant’s chef-partner Greg Hozinsky observed, when he took over they
were doing some things just because they could, not because the result was
a superior product.
Hozinsky made some changes when he took the reins, and new Executive
Chef Austin Cobb has added his own signature to the eclectic mix of items
here. The flavors are still complex but more reliant on the natural flavors
of seasonal produce, and there is a an American sensibility rather than the
Italian focus of earlier days.
Some items from days past are still on the menu, such as the hand-torn
pasta with housemade lamb sausage, roasted fennel, blistered tomatoes,
pine nuts, and chili. Since this involves using several cooking methods before
combining them, you can see that the tendency toward complexity is
alive and well. Those different methods give each bite bursts of flavors
that are complementary rather than unified so that you’re still finding new
harmonies of flavor in the last bite.
Another small plate shows Cobb’s gift with simpler but still inventive
combinations. I never would have thought of roasting cauliflower with bits
of pineapple and adding pickled onions. This was served over coconut
cream with faint notes of chili and curry, and the combination of tropical
flavors with a winter vegetable was brilliant. Another starter offers comfort
food for the modern crowd, Spanish octopus in a Peruvian-influenced style.
The crispy corn kernels, confit potato, and yellow chili and garlic sauce are
traditional pairings, and thanks to fine technique there were many textures
and flavors to savor. This showed a restraint that is rare in the industry, because
a creative chef knew when to just leave a winning combination alone.
The same was true of a main course of a grilled Kurobuta pork chop,
which was served with braised purple cabbage, crispy spaetzle, and apple
chutney. This is soul food if you’re from Germany or places in the U.S. that
have a large German population. If your grandmother is visiting from Wisconsin
and wonders if she can find anything to eat here the answer is yes.
Grandma may find the décor a bit modern and the sound level a bit high
for her taste, but the hearty flavors will win her over.
Other items are more multicultural, such as the Ora king salmon that is
topped with a mix of sliced radishes, pickles, and roasted tomato in a Japanese
yuzu sauce and served over a French-style pesto. The mix of citrus and

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vinegar in the vegetables made a superb complement to the rich, crispskinned
fish. I ignored the pesto at first because I was so entranced by the
other flavors but found that adding a dab to alternating bites enhanced the
experience. Ora King is a New Zealand sustainably farmed fish with a flavor
that rivals the best of the wild fish. If you haven’t tried it this is the
place to do so.
When I scanned the menu to see if I could deduce Chef Austin’s culinary
signature I found an easy clue: an item called “Chef Austin’s saltimbocca
pizza.” I probably would have ordered that even if it wasn’t his signature
item, because I was curious about the name. Saltimbocca is traditionally a
preparation of veal stuffed with prosciutto and sage, occasionally with
cheese. The item here was a pizza stuffed with housemade porchetta,
fontina cheese, a dash of fresno chili, and pesto. This was served as a sandwich
in a folded and cut, freshly baked flatbread. I can’t say that it reminds
me much of the traditional favorite, but it was exceptionally good.
To pair with these items the Strand House offers a dizzying variety of
wine by the glass as well as craft cocktails. I strongly recommend the Clyde
Barrow, a new drink in the classic style made with Chivas Regal, Cointreau,
ginger liqueur, blood orange juice, and chocolate bitters. This was a
drink worth a long slow savor, the most outstanding of several I’ve tried
there.
For dessert we tried a housemade doughnut sampler and a warm brown
sugar cake. We would have tried more but we were dining late and the
kitchen had run out of a few items. My wife ordered the doughnuts because
she has a weakness for them that I don’t share because they’re generally
too sweet. These weren’t, and though I liked the chocolate crunch
and vanilla bean glazed versions I particularly enjoyed the caramel fleur
de sel version. A glass of Sandeman port was suggested as an accompaniment,
and it finished the meal with a flourish.
Dinner at the Strand House is not cheap – you may expect to pay between
$75 and $100 per person with a glass of wine and a cocktail each,
and more if you explore the high side of the wine menu. But that’s about
typical in downtown Manhattan Beach now, and this experience is anything
but typical. The cooking here is assured and inventive, the service
impeccable, and I suppose I should mention that they have a great view
because every review has to mention that. It’s pretty, but the least of the
attractions.
The Strand House is at 117 Manhattan Beach Boulevard in Manhattan
Beach. Open for lunch Tues.-Fri. 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Brunch Sat.-Sun. 10 a.m.
– 3 p.m. Dinner daily 5 p.m. – close. Pay lot adjacent, elevator to upper floor
but steep sidewalk outside. Full bar, corkage $30 but waived with bottle purchase.
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Cupids countdown has begun...
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February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 37

each sports
SBBC/RIDERSHACK CONTEST
scores great conditions
T
he South Bay Boardrider/RiderShack surf contest
on Sunday, Jan. 21 in El Porto enjoyed near
perfect conditions with double-overhead outside
sets feeding inside reforms that ran the length of
the contest zones. The outside sets were generally
closing out, but inside the waves provided plenty of
workable faces.
1
2
PHOTOS BY STEVE GAFFNEY
1. Early morning setup.
2. Beck Adler, second place juniors (18 and
under).
3. Chad Parks, third place juniors (18 and under).
4. Kai Kushner, fourth place groms (under 12).
5. Bethany Zelasko, first place open women.
6. Roi Kanazawa, first place juniors (under 18).
7. Greg McEwan, first place legends and open
longboard.
8. Parker Browning, second place open men.
9. Groms loving the ocean.
10. Joey Samuelian, fifth place juniors (18 and
under)
11. Eddie Lester, first place open men.
12. Miles Gaffney, third place junior longboard
(18 and under).
13. Adele Bouvet, first place assisted groms.
3 4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11 12
13
38 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • February 8, 2018

each activism
WOMEN MARCH IN REDONDO BEACH
joining others across the country
N
early 1,000 men, women and children marched from Seaside Lagoon to Veterans
Park on Jan. 20, in solidarity with Women’s Marches across the country.
The Redondo March was organized by the Progressive Parents of the South
Bay and had a family-friendly focus.
Cliff Leicht, of Manhattan Beach, was at the corner of Catalina and Pacific avenues,
with his daughters Hudson and Dylan. “To drill these ideas, that they’re equal
to men, into their minds at an early age is incredibly important,” Leicht said.
Half a mile away, at the Redondo Beach Veterans Memorial, Linda Falcone stood,
craning her neck to find the friends she’d separated from. “I marched with Cesar
Chavez, in the ‘60s, I protested with Vietnam vets against the war,” Falcone, 70, said.
“I hope things like the marches here, can get things turned around, and maybe Trump
will open his eyes and understand the things he’s doing are hurting people — not
just me, as a senior, but our children.”
Her 93-year-old friend Fay Ferraioli said, “I’m here for women’s rights and for
good government. I don’t know whether I like this government or not, but we’re
working on it.”
1. Cliff, Dylan and Hudson Leicht
share their views at the corner of
Catalina and Pacific avenues.
2. Linda Falcone, 70, Deloris Gantner,
Laura Oczachowski and Fay Ferraioli,
93.
PHOTOS BY DAVID MENDEZ
3. “This is all about the women in our
lives – our wives, our daughters, our
mothers,” State Assemblyman Al Muratsuchi
said from the steps of the Redondo’s
Historic Library.
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February 8, 2018 • Easy Reader / Beach magazine 39