2. 2 OUR TOWN 2016 | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
T
HE HISTORY of
the Palos Verdes
Peninsula is reflected
in everything we
see on the Hill today, from the
equestrian communities to our
arts scene and schools. Early ar-
chitect pioneers nestled homes
into the natural beauty of the
Hill that features breath-taking
views. Our rural beginnings
gave rise to horses on the
Peninsula, with hitching posts
throughout the area for many
years. Now, the love of horses
rides with those moseying down
the trails as well as competitive
equestrians.
At our schools, students are
technologically advanced, with
the latest software and tools
available for
a competitive
edge when
they graduate.
From the
South Coast
Botanic
Garden’s plans
to make over its massive garden
to the Palos Verdes Peninsula
Chamber of Commerce’s new
programs, the future continues
to be very bright for residents.
The Palos Verdes Peninsula
News showcases these stories
and more in this 2016 Our
Town, an award-winning maga-
zine published annually by the
newspaper.
— Ed Pilolla, Palos Verdes
Peninsula News editor-in-chief
OUR TOWN | 2016
OurTownstaff
Publisher Simon Grieve
Director of Advertising Sales Caren Weiner
Photographers Chuck Bennett, Robert Casillas,
Brad Graverson, Steve McCrank, Stephen Carr,
Salvador Paniagua, Branimir Kvartuc and Kathy Berg
Contributing Writers Megan Barnes,
Carrie Yamato, Deborah Paul, Monique Sugimoto,
Dennis Piotrowski, Sam Gnerre and Robert Doss
Our Town is a product of the Palos Verdes
Peninsula News. The News is published every
Thursday by MediaNews Group. The News is located
at 609 Deep Valley Drive, Suite 200, in Rolling Hills
Estates. For more information about the News or
Our Town, call 310-377-6877 or visit www.pvnews.
com.
Cover photo courtesy of the Palos Verdes
Library District Local History Collection: Four
riders on horseback pause along a garden pathway
at the “Puerta del Norte” north entrance of a garden
area designed by the Olmsted Brothers. The photo
was taken on Sept. 26, 1925. Left to right, Gladys
Towle, Reba Willis, Howard Harris Towle and George
Bruner. Top photo by Ed Pilolla: Danielle Lean,
atop Quantum Leap, competes in the Seahorse
Open Jumper Classic at the Portuguese Bend
National Horse show Sept. 6.
Inside
4 The equestrian
community trots
through time
6 4 Questions with
PVP Chamber CEO
Eileen Hupp
7 Changes at Peninsula
Shopping Center
8 What’s a view worth
in Palos Verdes?
10 Rancho Vista iPad
program brightens
learning
14 Moe family a
fundraising pillar
16 Kyle Kazmark battles
cancer and gives back
18 South Coast Botanic
Garden growing in
popularity
20 Our Town photo contest
2 OUR TOWN 2016 | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
T
HE HISTORY of
the Palos Verdes
Peninsula is reflected
in everything we
see on the Hill today, from the
equestrian communities to our
arts scene and schools. Early ar-
chitect pioneers nestled homes
into the natural beauty of the
Hill that features breath-taking
views. Our rural beginnings
gave rise to horses on the
Peninsula, with hitching posts
throughout the area for many
years. Now, the love of horses
rides with those moseying down
the trails as well as competitive
equestrians.
At our schools, students are
technologically advanced, with
the latest software and tools
available for
a competitive
edge when
they graduate.
From the
South Coast
Botanic
Garden’s plans
to make over its massive garden
to the Palos Verdes Peninsula
Chamber of Commerce’s new
programs, the future continues
to be very bright for residents.
The Palos Verdes Peninsula
News showcases these stories
and more in this 2016 Our
Town, an award-winning maga-
zine published annually by the
newspaper.
— Ed Pilolla, Palos Verdes
Peninsula News editor-in-chief
OUR TOWN | 2016
OurTownstaff
Publisher Simon Grieve
Director of Advertising Sales Caren Weiner
Photographers Chuck Bennett, Robert Casillas,
Brad Graverson, Steve McCrank, Stephen Carr,
Salvador Paniagua, Branimir Kvartuc and Kathy Berg
Contributing Writers Megan Barnes,
Carrie Yamato, Deborah Paul, Monique Sugimoto,
Dennis Piotrowski, Sam Gnerre and Robert Doss
Our Town is a product of the Palos Verdes
Peninsula News. The News is published every
Thursday by MediaNews Group. The News is located
at 609 Deep Valley Drive, Suite 200, in Rolling Hills
Estates. For more information about the News or
Our Town, call 310-377-6877 or visit www.pvnews.
com.
Cover photo courtesy of the Palos Verdes
Library District Local History Collection: Four
riders on horseback pause along a garden pathway
at the “Puerta del Norte” north entrance of a garden
area designed by the Olmsted Brothers. The photo
was taken on Sept. 26, 1925. Left to right, Gladys
Towle, Reba Willis, Howard Harris Towle and George
Bruner. Top photo by Ed Pilolla: Danielle Lean,
atop Quantum Leap, competes in the Seahorse
Open Jumper Classic at the Portuguese Bend
National Horse show Sept. 6.
Inside
4 The equestrian
community trots
through time
6 4 Questions with
PVP Chamber CEO
Eileen Hupp
7 Changes at Peninsula
Shopping Center
8 What’s a view worth
in Palos Verdes?
10 Rancho Vista iPad
program brightens
learning
14 Moe family a
fundraising pillar
16 Kyle Kazmark battles
cancer and gives back
18 South Coast Botanic
Garden growing in
popularity
20 Our Town photo contest
Rolling Hills Prep
Two great schools, one vibrant community!
Middle School Discovery Day
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
9:00 am to 10:30 am
Upper School Discovery Day
Thursday, November 5, 2015
9:00 am to 10:30 am
OPEN HOUSE
January 30, 2016
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
One Rolling Hills Prep Way San Pedro, CA 90732 | 310-791-1101 | www.rollinghillsprep.org | @RHPandREN
Rolling Hills Prep prides itself
on being a forward-looking,
academically rigorous college-prep
school with a soul.
Renaissance School believes that
bright students who learn differently
can rise to great heights when they
become empowered and confident.
Grades 6-12 Grades 5-12
4. By Ed Pilolla,
Monique Sugimoto
and Dennis Piotrowski
S
O MANY of the hills
grew garbanzo beans
and tomatoes, and string
beans. Nancy Bolton was
six years old, and some-
times she rode Patty Cake, a Welsh
Pony, down to Malaga Cove Plaza
for an ice cream or a soda.
“Patty Cake was pretty spicy,”
Bolton said. “She would throw
me off because I was little.”
Sand paved the way down
to the beach, and lots of kids
swam at Malaga Cove.
This was the 1940s. Bolton’s par-
ents owned Palos Verdes Drug in
the Gardner Building, and she and
her brother tied Patty Cake to the
plaza hitching post before stopping
in for a treat. There were hitching
posts all over the Hill, including at
the Original Red Onion Restaurant.
The hitching post and horse
coral at the Red Onion were located
behind the restaurant, and guys
working in the kitchen watered
the horses while the riders often
enjoyed a margarita-themed
brunch inside. Sometimes, they
over-indulged.
“I was about five or six, and I
remember seeing a bunch of rider-
less horses on Cress Road,” said Jeff
Earle, third-generation owner of the
Rolling Hills Estates restaurant. “It
was kind of like a scene you’d see in
a battlefield in the Civil War. These
poor people who had been riding
home from the Red Onion had ba-
sically just fallen off their horses.”
The hitching post behind the
Red Onion came down in 1970
when Earle’s father paved the old
horse coral and expanded the busi-
ness to include a back room.
Now stories keep horsemanship
alive at the restaurant. One tale has
it that attorney Cliff Hicks bypassed
the hitching post, clomped his
horse across the old wood floors
to the bar and ordered shots for the
both of them.
These days, Earle hosts horseback
riders only once in a while. Nearby
business owners don’t appreciate
manure on their property, so Earle
EQUESTRIAN HERITAGE
TROTTINGTHROUGHTIME
has a crew ready to clean it up.
“Some people don’t think hors-
es are so picturesque anymore,”
Earle said.
Horsehistory
The first riding academy on the
Peninsula was developed in 1925
at the site of the current Palos
Verdes Stables. With stables, a
half-mile riding track and jump-
ing fields, the academy provided
training and prepared riders for
the show ring. In just twenty
years, “Sportologue,” the horse
authority magazine of the time,
called the academy “one of the
best in all of Southern California.”
Fourteen miles of bridle trails
were part of the original Palos
Verdes Project. With the popular-
ity of horseback riding, however,
the project increased the length
of the trails — extending some to
the ocean and others along paths
away from the main roads. The
area soon drew riders from Pasa-
dena, Hollywood and Los Angeles
“to enjoy the novelty of horseback
riding near the seashore.”
The Great Depression of the
1930s may have slowed develop-
ment of the Peninsula, but not the
equestrian lifestyle.
The Rolling Hills Hunt Club,
which started in 1937, held “drag
PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY BOLTON
Nancy Bolton, atop Sugar, was a winner at the
Golden West Riding Club’s third annual Easter
Horse Show in April 1950.
4 OUR TOWN 2016 | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
5. hunts” with colorfully-attired rid-
ers accompanied by English-bred
hounds chasing a scent that had
been laid over open fields.
In the 1950s, the Palos Verdes
Stables, one of the longest running
stables on the Peninsula, hosted
hayrides which ended up on the
beach with a “wiene bake” and
watermelon.
A lot has changed since then,
but not the affinity for horses.
Many clubs have flourished,
ranging in mission from the
promotion of proper horseman-
ship, maintaining riding trails, and
managing horses and their equip-
ment to clubs for competition and
the simple pleasure of trail-riding.
Today’sloveofhorses
At the Seahorse Riding Club,
Devon Gibson has been training
riders for nearly 30 years. She has
about 35 students these days.
Gibson tells each of her riders
that they are riding for themselves
and their horse, and not to be
concerned with anyone else.
“It’s really so they forget every-
thing else that’s going on and sim-
ply ride in the moment,” Gibson
said. The message resonates. Some
young women even weep, Gibson
said.
At the 58th annual Portuguese
Bend National Horse Show in Sep-
tember, one of Gibson’s students,
Danielle Lean, finished second by
a half-second in the featured event,
the Open Jumper Classic.
Lean said that Gibson’s advice to
ride for herself helped her succeed.
“I used to always go to the ring
and look around and see who was
watching, and that’s when I started
to get nervous and started to mess
up a little. It got hard,” Lean said.
“Then she told me that, and you
kind of walk into the ring with
more confidence.”
After finishing second in the
Open Jumper Classic, Lean and
her horse, Quantum Leap, went
out and took first place at The
Oaks Horse Show in San Juan
Capistrano a couple weeks later.
“I never really knew I had it in
me,” Lean said.
Bolton volunteers for the yearly
horse show at Ernie Howlett Park,
which benefits the Children’s
Hospital Los Angeles, and has
been a member of a nonprofit rais-
ing money for the hospital since
1979, the Peninsula Committee
Children’s Hospital.
Now 74, Bolton enjoys watch-
ing young riders compete, as well
as recalling her own time in the
saddle.
Bolton didn’t ride Patty Cake in
any horse shows back in the day,
but rather a quarter horse named
Sugar.
With Sugar, Bolton won first
place at the Golden West Riding
Club Easter Horse Show in 1950.
She was nine.
“It was a thrill,” Bolton said.
Monique Sugimoto and Dennis
Piotrowski are adult services librar-
ians with the Palos Verdes Library
District.
BRAD GRAVERSON
Lara Minder, 17, who trains at
the Seahorse Riding Club, gives
affection to her horse, Wine.
The animal suffered a back injury
just before the Portuguese Bend
National Horse Show in September.
Although Minder still could have
ridden Wine, she elected to
withdraw from the competition.
“It’s a partnership with your horse,
and the horse should always be
treated well,” Minder said.
Members of the Portuguese Bend
Riding Club head out for a ramble
along Narcissa Drive. From left
are Jean Muller on Samba, Sandy
Valeri on Sasha, and Grace Yung
on Annie.
STEVE MCCRANK
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS | OUR TOWN 2016 5
6. Eileen Hupp is the CEO
and president of the Palos Verdes
Peninsula Chamber of Commerce.
Visit palosverdeschamber.com
for information on membership
and events.
Our Town: What does the new
Nordstrom and Torrance’s reno-
vated Del Amo Fashion Center
mean for Palos Verdes?
Hupp: We need all the business-
es and communities throughout
the South Bay to thrive.
When the Del Amo renova-
tion is finished, it’s going to be the
fifth-biggest mall in the United
States. It is a huge powerhouse
mall. That is not what we have or
what I think our residents would
want to have here in the com-
munity. What we do have is many
beautiful and unique shopping
areas and attractions.
We should build on our
strengths and differentiate our-
selves and not view Nordstrom as
competition. We should be happy
that the Del Amo owners have
invested in that property, which
is going to raise up the whole
South Bay.
If Hawthorne Boulevard is
beautiful and safe, that is an amaz-
ing gateway into our community.
We have to look at the fact that all
the communities in the South Bay
have to thrive — and everyone
has unique characteristics.
Our Town: What does the PVP
Chamber do particularly well?
Hupp: First would be building
connections among our business-
es, so that businesses can support
each other and refer business to
each other, whether those are con-
nections we create through social
media or our website or those are
face-to-face connections where
people meet and get to know each
other at our events or by volun-
teering on our committees.
We also do an exceptional job
of being the voice of business to
government, whether that’s our
local government in our four cit-
ies, or our county, state or federal
government.
We promote our local economy
and provide business connections
and support business-friendly
legislation.
Our Town: What are your chal-
lenges?
Hupp: The challenge for our
members, who are our sharehold-
ers, is to create more business.
Businesses always need
more business, more customers,
more clients or more donors
and volunteers if it’s a non-profit.
The challenge is always keeping
that pipeline full because many
chamber members are small-
to medium-size businesses.
The Peninsula can be viewed
as isolated, and there can be a
mentality among people through-
out the South Bay who think,
‘I have to go up the Hill.’ I don’t
use that term, the ‘Hill.’ I talk
about the ‘Peninsula’ because
I think the ‘Hill’ perpetuates a
myth of isolation and being inac-
cessible. We have 75,000 people
here. That’s not enough to support
lots of restaurants and businesses.
It’s a challenge to bring people
from outside the community here.
And it’s not just about getting peo-
ple to our shops, but also getting
them to our attractions. It’s also
a challenge because some of our
residents may not be so supportive
of local businesses. We want them
to patronize what’s closer on the
Peninsula.
Our Town: If you could change
anything, what would it be?
Hupp: One of the issues that
challenges the Peninsula and the
South Bay when we look out at
our economic vitality over the
next 20 years or so will be solving
the challenge of housing. We need
to solve this issue not only for
our young people but also for our
businesses.
So many of our young people
grow up in the community, go
off to college and come back and
find jobs and want to live on the
Peninsula and in the South Bay.
But many have to live with their
parents because they can’t afford
apartments without their parents’
help.
With Toyota leaving the South
Bay to go to Plano, Texas, it’s clear
to see how attractive it is for their
employees to get large homes at a
third of the price they’d have to pay
in the South Bay, great schools and
they don’t pay state income tax.
It’s very difficult for our busi-
nesses to compete against that.
And it’s really hard to attract and
maintain businesses in the South
Bay in general.
Transportation ties in with
housing because if employees need
to live two hours away because
it’s the only place they can afford,
that just adds to congestion and
environmental issues. We need
to be able to have housing that
young people and young families
can afford.
BUSINESS
4QUESTIONSWITHEILEENHUPP,PVPCHAMBERCEO
STEVE MCCRANK
Eileen Hupp is the CEO of the Palos Verdes Peninsula
Chamber of Commerce.
6 OUR TOWN 2016 | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
7. Shops on the outdoor
Peninsula Center mall, 1974
FILE PHOTO
T
HE Peninsula Shopping
Center originally opened
on May 11, 1961, with
JJ Newberry as the
anchor tenant. The next 16 stores
opened in October of 1962. In late
1963, the Fox Theater opened along
with other businesses.
By 1965, the center had 65 stores
in more than 300,000 square feet.
After Courtyard Mall (later to
become the Promenade on the Pen-
insula) opened next door in 1981,
the Peninsula Center underwent
a series of upgrades, including
a $5 million renovation in 1986
and a $2 million renewal in 2002.
The center’s current owner,
Phoenix-based real estate develop-
ment company Vestar, is investing
$12 million in a massive renovation.
The changes include 24,000-square-
feet of additional retail space, three
new buildings and improvements
to street access to the center.
— Sam Gnerre,
Daily Breeze online editor
SHOPPING & CULTURE
CHANGESThePeninsulaCenterwasthefirstshopping
centerontheHill.Now,it’sgettinganewlook.
LIBRARIES
Palos Verdes Library District
The Palos Verdes Library
District offers more than books.
It offers lectures, movies and
music programs, book clubs,
story times and art exhibits.
It also has computers, study
rooms, free wi-fi and passport
services. Cardholders can
download ebooks, magazines
and music and learn a
language or get homework help
online. The district has three
branches: Peninsula Center,
701 Silver Spur Road in Rolling
Hills Estates; Malaga Cove,
2400 Via Campesina in Palos
Verdes Estates; and Miraleste,
29089 Palos Verdes Drive East
in Rancho Palos Verdes. For
hours and further information,
call 310-377-9584 or visit
www.pvld.org.
MUSEUMS&ART
Point Vicente
Interpretive Center
Learn about the marine life that
lives off the coast at the Point
Vicente Interpretive Center,
lcoated at 31501 Palos Verdes
Drive West in Rancho Palos
Verdes. For more information,
call 310-377-5370 or
visit www.palosverdes.
com/rpv/recreationparks/
pointvicenteinterpretivecenter.
Palos Verdes Art Center
Founded in 1931 as the
Peninsula’s artistic and cultural
hub, the Palos Verdes Art
Center exhibits works and
offers classes. The PV Art
Center is located at 5504
Crestridge Road in Rancho
Palos Verdes. For more
information, call 310-541-
9520 or visit pvartcenter.org.
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS | OUR TOWN 2016 7
KATHY BERG
This photo was taken looking south
from Baskin Robbins and TJ Maxx
all the way down to Amuse Music.
Shops on the outdoor
Peninsula Center mall, 1974
FILE PHOTO
T
HE Peninsula Shopping
Center originally opened
on May 11, 1961, with
JJ Newberry as the
anchor tenant. The next 16 stores
opened in October of 1962. In late
1963, the Fox Theater opened along
with other businesses.
By 1965, the center had 65 stores
in more than 300,000 square feet.
After Courtyard Mall (later to
become the Promenade on the Pen-
insula) opened next door in 1981,
the Peninsula Center underwent
a series of upgrades, including
a $5 million renovation in 1986
and a $2 million renewal in 2002.
The center’s current owner,
Phoenix-based real estate develop-
ment company Vestar, is investing
$12 million in a massive renovation.
The changes include 24,000-square-
feet of additional retail space, three
new buildings and improvements
to street access to the center.
— Sam Gnerre,
Daily Breeze online editor
SHOPPING & CULTURE
CHANGESThePeninsulaCenterwasthefirstshopping
centerontheHill.Now,it’sgettinganewlook.
LIBRARIES
Palos Verdes Library District
The Palos Verdes Library
District offers more than books.
It offers lectures, movies and
music programs, book clubs,
story times and art exhibits.
It also has computers, study
rooms, free wi-fi and passport
services. Cardholders can
download ebooks, magazines
and music and learn a
language or get homework help
online. The district has three
branches: Peninsula Center,
701 Silver Spur Road in Rolling
Hills Estates; Malaga Cove,
2400 Via Campesina in Palos
Verdes Estates; and Miraleste,
29089 Palos Verdes Drive East
in Rancho Palos Verdes. For
hours and further information,
call 310-377-9584 or visit
www.pvld.org.
MUSEUMS&ART
Point Vicente
Interpretive Center
Learn about the marine life that
lives off the coast at the Point
Vicente Interpretive Center,
lcoated at 31501 Palos Verdes
Drive West in Rancho Palos
Verdes. For more information,
call 310-377-5370 or
visit www.palosverdes.
com/rpv/recreationparks/
pointvicenteinterpretivecenter.
Palos Verdes Art Center
Founded in 1931 as the
Peninsula’s artistic and cultural
hub, the Palos Verdes Art
Center exhibits works and
offers classes. The PV Art
Center is located at 5504
Crestridge Road in Rancho
Palos Verdes. For more
information, call 310-541-
9520 or visit pvartcenter.org.
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS | OUR TOWN 2016 7
KATHY BERG
This photo was taken looking south
from Baskin Robbins and TJ Maxx
all the way down to Amuse Music.
Rolling Hills Plaza • 2531 Pacific Coast Hwy. • Torrance, CA 90505
SICK OF MSG? WE USE NO MSG.
(310) 534-8889
PV7215761022
8. BRANIMIR KVARTUC
Clouds depart over the Beach Cities in this northern view from the Peninsula. The coastline between Malibu and Palos Verdes is known as
the queen’s necklace.
A
picture may be
worth a thousand
words, but a good
view can be much
more valuable.
In Palos Verdes, veteran real
estate brokers say the right views
can be worth $1 million or more.
It depends on several factors.
Views from condominiums
aren’t as valuable as views from
single-family homes.
A foggy view on the west side
of the Hill is unlikely to com-
mand as much as a clear view.
But even a clear view can
become obstructed if a neighbor
builds an addition, or if adjacent
trees grow tall.
View ordinances can play a
significant role in whether a view
is a temporary or permanent
amenity. But if a view is unlikely
to be obstructed by fog, trees
or a neighbor’s construction,
a lovely ocean view in Lunada
Bay could be worth $200,000,
for example.
Views of trees may be worth
less than ocean views, but even
ocean views go dark at night un-
less an occasional ship motors by.
The very best view, the one
that commands the most money,
remains an unobstructed,
180-degree look straight north.
This view of the coastline is
called the queen’s necklace, and it
showcases the L.A. metropolitan
area, Santa Monica Mountains
and weather systems passing
through.
That’s the million-dollar view.
— Ed Pilolla
REAL ESTATE
WHAT’SA WORTH?
The skyline
of downtown
Los Angeles
emerges from
the haze
in this image
captured
at Peninsula
High School.
ROBERT
CASILLAS
Storm clouds
gather offshore
between the
twin harbors
area of Catalina
Island and
Portugese
Bend.
BRAD
GRAVERSON
8 OUR TOWN 2016 | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
9. So many ways to
connect to the Garden
The South Coast Botanic Garden offers a place where visitors can experience nature, learn about horticulture and
the environment in an ‘outdoor classroom,’ and relax in an 87-acre urban sanctuary, 364 days a year.
We aim for our visitors to connect with, and more fully understand, the need to protect nature - whether they are
dedicated gardeners or admirers of the planet’s diverse beauty. Educational programs and special events
happen seasonally and are provided year-round.
The South Coast Botanic Garden is a place where memories are made and has played host to some of life’s most
momentous occasions. Thousands of weddings, meetings, and parties have taken place
in the South Bay’s most scenic outdoor space.
(310) 544-1948 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274 www.southcoastbotanicgarden.org
MEMORIESNATUREDISCOVER COMMUNITY
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS | OUR TOWN 2016 9
10. By Carrie Yamato
A
Smart Board used to be the cut-
ting edge tool for teaching. Now,
it’s Rancho Vista Elementary
School’s 1:1 iPad program.
Bill MacDonald started the
iPad program in a combination class of fourth-
and fifth-graders when he became Rancho
Vista’s principal in 2013. This year, all students
in the fourth and fifth grades are incorporating
the popular device into their curriculum.
“You have to have a plan to enhance and
extend (teaching) rather than a device that
distracts,” MacDonald said. “Technology is a
great teaching and learning tool, but it is a tool
that has to be facilitated by the teacher to make
learning happen.”
That’s the idea when Laura Monge’s students
bring their own devices from home rather
than have the school district supply them. The
devices supplement traditional teaching models
by using educational websites, such as Khan
Academy and Reflexmath, to allow students
TECHNOLOGY
RANCHOVISTAIPADPROGRAM
BRIGHTENSLEARNING
PHOTOS BY BRAD GRAVERSON
Rancho Vista Elementary teacher Laura Monge instructs fourth- and fifth-grade students in the 1:1 iPad program.
10 OUR TOWN 2016 | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
11. The use of mobile devices is growing in the Palos Verdes Peninsula
Unified School District. Students can bring their own devices
from home for some programs.
Students work on iPads at Rancho Vista Elementary School.
to advance at their own pace. Paperless
classroom apps, such as Edmodo and
Showbie, help to create better organi-
zation, and Notability aids in writing,
presentations and note taking.
“IPads transform learning to a higher
level,” said Monge, who has taught at
Rancho Vista for 14 years. “It’s a lot
of work right now. But I’m motivated
because the possibilities are endless.”
Depending on the teacher, students
typically use the device from one to
three hours a day.
“I like the idea of how we use iPads
in the class because now we will like to
learn,” said fifth-grader Heath Fortune-
Velasco. “It also makes me more orga-
nized.”
Parents, who at first were concerned
about safety and security issues as well
as distractions in class, have for the most
part been swayed by program benefits,
Monge said.
“Parents have noted that their children
have become better public speakers as a
result of the presentation apps,” Monge
said. “And some parents have actually
suggested some new apps for the class
to try.”
Rancho Vista transitional kindergar-
ten teacher Roni Johnson said the iPad
program made her son want to do his
homework after seeing how much he
could accomplish. Johnson said her son
is finding the transition to Miraleste
Intermediate School a little challenging,
especially in his language arts classes, and
that’s because they do not use the formal
1:1 ipad program like Rancho Vista. She
would like to see the iPad program con-
tinue through middle school.
“It was easier for him to express
himself through iPad technology, and
as a result it made him feel proud of his
work,” Johnson said.
Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School
District strongly supports expanding
technology in the schools. Across the dis-
trict, about 1,400 iPads and nearly 1,700
Chrome books have been distributed
among students, and students also have
the option to bring in their own devices.
“It is always great to have more tech-
nology resources for our students,”
said Trent Bahadursingh, assistant
superintendent of technology and
support services. “There are a range of
variables we consider when expanding
and piloting programs. In addition to
establishing baseline technology goals
at every school, we are a district that be-
lieves in encouraging pilot programs like
this that balance the individual site needs
and district goals.”
“We all want the benefits of technol-
ogy,” MacDonald said. “And it works
when it is one-to-one and you don’t have
to share. We’re not taking away anything
that’s working. This is an extension.”
Students in Laura Monge’s fourth- and fifth-grade classes work with iPads.
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS | OUR TOWN 2016 11
13. Northeast Corner of Crenshaw & Pacific Coast Hwy in Torrance For Information Call (310) 534-4441
A LA CAZE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY PROJECT
OT7182241022
Shopping,dining and entertainment,we’ve got it all!
APPAREL & ACCESSORIES
Friar Tux Shop .........................(310) 534-4700
Styles of Hawaii ......................(310) 326-2151
Tilly’s ........................................(310) 534-1642
BEAUTY
European Wax Center.............(310) 325-2929
Fancy Nails ...............................(310) 326-7980
Strands Design Lab LLC .......(310) 539-8434
Pia Hair Salon .........................(310) 326-0815
Rolling Hills Beauty Bar ........(310) 530-3844
Victor Anthony’s Hair Studio (310) 326-2338
Vogue Beauty Studio ..............(310) 530-5900
Waterside Beauty ....................(310) 534-4242
BOOKS/CARD/GIFTS/
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
Book Value ..............................(310) 530-5343
The Gift Korner ......................(310) 539-5011
The Tutoring Center................(310) 530-5377
DRY CLEANING
Beltone Cleaners ....................(310) 325-2511
ENTERTAINMENT
AMC Theater Rolling Hills 20 (888) 262-4386
FINANCIAL/ BUSINESS SERVICES
Chase Bank .............................. (310) 257-1997
The Postal Mart .......................(310) 325-6777
South Bay Credit Union ........(310) 374-3436
GROCERY/ SPECIALTY FOODS
Baskin Robbins........................(310) 530-6812
BevMo! ....................................(310) 257-0034
Cups Frozen Yogurt.................(310) 534-2625
Nijiya Japanese Market ..........(310) 534-3000
Omaha Steaks .........................(310) 539-3831
Peet’s Coffee & Tea ................(310) 626-8008
Starbucks ..................................(310) 534-4835
Trader Joe’s ..............................(310) 326-9520
Treat Tea & Ice.........................(310) 326-9888
Whole Foods Market ..............(310) 257-8700
Yogurt Lounge ........................(310) 230-5505
HEALTH & FITNESS
Arthur Murray Dance Studio.. (310) 997-0987
Great Earth Vitamins .............(310) 534-8494
My Fit Foods..............................(310) 257-9175
PV Massage .............................(310) 530-9093
24 Hour Fitness Center ..........(310) 534-5100
Weight Watchers .....................(800) 651-6000
HOME FURNISHINGS
Bed, Bath & Beyond ..............(310) 325-0432
Hitachiya ..................................(310) 534-3136
INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES
Budding Artists .......................(310) 326-9764
Color Me Mine.........................(310) 325-9968
JEWELRY
Modern Jewelry Mart ..............(310) 517-0308
MEDICAL/DENTAL SERVICES
Mylena JI D.D.S, Inc ...............(310) 326-4691
Dr. M.G. Monzon, D.D.S. ....... (310) 891-3303
Dr. Nolan Ng, Optometrist ....(310) 326-2881
Olive Chiropractic ...................(310) 539-2285
Imperial Clinic ........................(310) 539-2285
South Bay Pain DOCS ...........(310) 626-8037
Torrance Family Urgent Care
of So. Bay .................................(310) 997-1796
PET & GROOMING
Grooming Wonders ................(310) 534-1130
Pet’s Plus...................................(310) 539-5700
Wild Birds Unlimited .............(310) 326-2473
REAL ESTATE
J A Realty ................................(310) 539-2430
Person Realty ..........................(310) 325-8700
RESTAURANTS
Blaze Pizza ...............................(310) 325-9500
California Pizza Kitchen ........(310) 539-5410
Daphne’s Greek Café ............. (310) 257-1861
Fanoos Persian Restaurant ....(310) 530-4316
Fish Bonz Grill.........................(310) 325-2669
Hakata Yamaya ............................(310) 257-1800
IcCho Japanese Restaurant ...(310) 325-7273
Ichimi An .................................(310) 784-0551
Islands Restaurant ..................(310) 530-5383
Joey’s Smokin’ B.B.Q. ............. (310) 257-1324
Kabab Curry of India .............(310) 539-0171
L’Amande French Bakery .......(310) 326-8980
Little Sheep Mongolian
Hot Pot ......................................(310) 517-9605
Mashawi Lebanese Grill ........(310) 325-3545
Mrs.A Vietnamese Pho........... (310) 541-1227
Nice Cafe .................................(310) 539-0323
Romano’s Macaroni Grill ......(310) 534-1001
Rubio’s ......................................(310) 891-1811
Ryo Zan Paku ..........................(310) 530-8720
Sushi Boy .................................(310) 534-4013
Veggie Grill .............................(310) 325-6689
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS | OUR TOWN 2016 13
14. By Deborah Paul
F
ROM a heartfelt concept in 1977, Richard “Dick” Moe has seen Palos
Verdes Performing Arts grow to include the Norris Theatre and Harlyne
J. Norris Pavilion. These days, he’s looking forward to the opening of a new
conservatory building.
ARTS
FAMILYLEGACYTheMoefamilyhasbeenafundraisingpillar
oftheperformingartscenter
Still, Moe gives most of the credit
to his late wife Joan, who thought
that having a performing arts theater
would greatly benefit the community.
“I worked full time when Joan
started the theater,” Moe said. “I was
really involved all along, but she was
head of the job.”
In 1977, the Norris Foundation
donated $1 million to kick off fund-
raising efforts, while developers of the
Promenade on the Peninsula, Ernie
Hahn and Ron Florence, donated the
land and the start-up theater shell. As
vice president of the Community As-
sociation of Peninsula, Joan inspired
25 prominent Peninsula residents to
join and help raise money to build the
theater.
The Norris Theatre opened for
business in August 1983, with Joan
and others managing the theater.
Moe, who was working full time
as a TRW engineer, joined the board
of directors and became board presi-
dent in 1986.
A youthful octogenarian who still
plays golf twice a week, Moe said
that as the theater became successful,
more room was needed for offices,
training space for students and set
storage. So Moe went about convinc-
ing the city of Rolling Hills Estates
to allow the theater to utilize the tem-
porary post office structure on Indian
Peak Road to store theatrical sets.
The unshakable fundraiser negoti-
ated for two years to purchase the
land for the new building and once
again convinced Ken Norris to donate
$1 million — this time with the
promise of naming the building.
“Ken’s wife’s birthday was a couple
days before mine,” Moe said. “I asked
him if it wouldn’t be great to surprise
her and name the building after her.”
Upon receiving the seed dona-
tion from Norris, the Moes formed
an eight-person committee that met
every Thursday morning for four
years and raised another $4.5 million
dollars to design the building.
Besides zealously seeking financial
support, Moe also served as head
contractor during the build’s last six
months.
The Harlyne J. Norris Pavilion
doors opened in November 1999.
When others tell Moe he has a tal-
ent for fundraising, he is philosophi-
cal but succinct.
“I don’t feel like I have a gift; I just
don’t feel right asking for anything
I wouldn’t do myself,” he said.
Others say the Moes’ endeavors
started a family legacy that now
extends to the whole community.
“The Moe family has dedicated
their whole lives to the Center,” said
Dave Diestel, vice president of PV
Performing Arts board of directors.
“Dad was doing 14-to-16-hour
days,” said Moe’s daughter Julie Moe
Reynolds, president and acting execu-
tive director at the center. “Our legacy
is continuing — not only through the
family, but the community is really
stepping up, too.”
Currently, Moe, his family and
community members are knee deep
in a new adventure.
Designs are already completed for
the new Palos Verdes Performing Arts
Conservatory slated to open in 2016.
The building will have room for more
education classes, as well as recording
and dance studios.
And Moe is already fundraising.
“I go for the big numbers, gener-
ally, since I was taught by professional
fundraisers,” Moe said. “But you will
always be my friend whether you give
money or not.”
BRAD GRAVERSON
Dick Moe was named thePalos Verdes
Man of the Year in 2006. His wife,
Joan, died in 2013.
14 OUR TOWN 2016 | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
15. BRAD GRAVERSON
Dick Moe, shown here inside the Norris Theatre in Rolling Hills Estates, is now raising funds for the PV Performing Arts Conservatory.
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS | OUR TOWN 2016 15
16. By Deborah Paul
W
HEN Palos
Verdes
Penin-
sula High
School
senior Kyle Kazmark tested
positive for non-Hodgkin
lymphoma at age 6, he never
forgot how the lives of family
members changed.
After chemotherapy, mul-
tiple relapses and eventually a
perfect 6-out-of-6-rated bone
marrow transplant from his
sister Krystal, he is now cancer
free. The 18-year-old said he
once spent a lonely 45 days in
isolation at UCLA during an
aggressive treatment plan. His
family constantly visited, but
also discovered how lonely the
hospital could be.
To that end, 11 years ago
Kyle became the inspiration
and driving force behind Cop-
ing Care, a 501C-3 nonprofit
organization spearheaded by
his mother, Mary Kazmark,
that offers support to cancer
patients and their families.
These days, Kyle is thriv-
ing and grateful to beat the
statistics. He is determined to
give hope to other parents and
children undergoing life-alter-
ing cancer treatments.
“Everything is going good
for me now,” said Kyle, who
received his treatment from
Miller Children’s & Women’s
Hospital Long Beach. “We go
into Child Life services play-
room and ‘treat’ the parents of
the kids who are in the oncol-
ogy unit. The reason I go into
the rooms is because when the
families see me, they see there
is hope, and that they can beat
the cancer.”
Coping Care holds an annual
event around Mother’s Day
when the group, including
Kyle’s parents Craig and Mary
and sister Krystal, provides a
party-like atmosphere. “Angels”
supply a festive lunch while
mothers can get their hair and
nails done by professional styl-
ists, manicurists and receive
back rubs from massage thera-
pists. The Kazmark family also
supplies extensive gift bags for
mothers and the kids.
“Kyle’s gone so far as to shave
his head a few times at the
same time the kids go through
their treatments,” said Mary
Kazmark, who, along with her
husband are currently the main
funders of the endeavor.
Clinical Operations manager
Rita Goshert, a 28-year em-
ployee who oversees the Child’s
Life Department at the hospital,
said she has seen the program
grow and flourish as the Angels
out-do themselves every year.
She also remembers Kyle as a
patient.
“We make sure the kids have
wonderful things to do, but this
is an extension of the programs
by supporting and pamper-
ing the parents,” Goshert said.
“There are moms who come out
in tears and tell us they haven’t
had their hair done in months.”
As the Kazmark family grows
its legacy of helping parents
and young cancer patients,
plans are being laid for fund-
raising that will allow them to
visit more hospitals and hold
more events during the year.
Work is almost complete on a
new website, CopingCare.org,
where interested donors can
become part of this grassroots
effort.
“We did this on our own
the first 11 years,” said Kyle,
who plans to begin emergency
medical technician training
at the Southern California
Regional Occupational Center
after he graduates next year. “If
we had help from other people,
we could do so much more.”
PHILANTHROPY
KYLE’SGIFTStudentgiveshopetofamiliesandchildrenbattlingmajorillnesses
STEPHEN CARR
Kyle Kazmark
16 OUR TOWN 2016 | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
17. SCHOOLS
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS | OUR TOWN 2016 17
Cameron Fox
and Yesica
Alvarez have
fun on the
campus of
Palos Verdes
High School.
ED PILOLLA
Cole Bryant, 18,
works during a
statistical analysis class
inside Peninsula High
School’s new S.M.E.R.T.
classrooms that focus
on engineering and
technology.
BRAD GRAVERSON
SALVADOR PANIAGUA
Students spend time outdoors at Chadwick School.
ROBERT CASILLAS
The Rolling Hills Prep sailing team practices in the Redondo Harbor,
with Cade Morris leaning back as he steers.
1956 2016
Palo
sVerdes Penin
sula
Cha
m
ber of Comm
erce
18. One of Nakashima’s first orders
of business was to embark on a col-
laborative effort to update the garden’s
long-range vision, which includes
a $2 million renovation of the Rose
Garden, a new native plants garden
and a nearly 3-acre interactive
children’s garden, which still needs
$17 million to be completed.
“When I interviewed, one of the
things that they told me and that they
were very proud of was that the South
Coast Botanic Garden is the South
Bay’s best kept secret and I thought,
‘That’s unfortunate,’ ” Nakashima said.
“We’re trying to let the secret out.”
Nakashima, who led PR and mar-
keting for the Los Angeles Ortho-
paedic Hospital and development
for the Special Olympics of Southern
California, is tasked with guiding the
garden well into the future and secur-
ing funds to see it through.
Before the South Coast Botanic
Garden was founded on the Palos
Verdes Landfill site in 1960, it was
an open-pit mine for diatomaceous
earth. It became a hub for horticul-
tural interests, hosting flower shows,
plant societies and serving as a go-to
spot
for specialty plants.
“A lot of that history still exists
today,” said Nakashima, who grew
up in Torrance and volunteered at
the garden when she was a student
at Bishop Montgomery High School.
“We do still have those groups. They
serve a purpose. However, we have to
accommodate to the changing times.”
For 50 years, the 87-acre Palos
Verdes Peninsula institution had sub-
sisted largely on memberships. But
with big box gardening stores down
the Hill and answers to horticultural
questions a Google search away, Na-
kashima understood that the garden’s
role needed to evolve.
Designing for the shifting landfill
site can be expensive, and Nakashima
wants to set up endowments for ongo-
ing maintenance.
Today, the “urban oasis” has more
than 2,500 plant species in dozens of
gardens and collections. Over 20 plant
societies and clubs remain active.
18 OUR TOWN 2016 | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
By Megan Barnes
W
HEN Adrienne Lao Nakashima was hired as chief executive officer
at the South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation in 2010, she was
surprised the nonprofit didn’t have fundraising staff, a marketing budget
or even a social media presence. Since then, a new season has swept
into the garden.
NATURE
FRESHGROWTH
INTHEGARDEN
PHOTOS BY STEVE MCCRANK
Adrienne Nakashima, South Coast Botanic Garden CEO
19. The new children’s garden will
have 16 areas, including an out-
door classroom, water spiral, food
garden, climbing nets, fossil digs
and more.
In 2013, the foundation took
over management of the guest ser-
vices center, rentals and filming.
In addition to renovations and
new projects, the garden is evolv-
ing as a community venue.
A zombie charity run, Valen-
tine’s Day Sweetheart’s Stroll and
a “Frozen” screening are just some
events that have drawn visitors
to the garden. There was even a
stargazing party after a lecture
on Pluto by Griffith Observatory
Director E.C. Krupp.
“I think if those same people in
1960 would have looked ahead to
see what we were doing, they prob-
ably would have never guessed
we would have zombies running
around the garden or a dozen tele-
scopes looking into the night sky,”
Nakashima said.
“There is now a new interest
in what the South Coast Botanic
Garden is.”
Next year, from Feb. 19 to May
8, the garden will host Nature
Connects, an exhibit of nature-
themed sculptures made entirely
of LEGOs.
Efforts to bring new life to the
garden are paying off.
Since Nakashima arrived, mem-
bership has more than doubled to
almost 5,000, and family member-
ships are especially are popular.
“People are hearing about (the
garden), and it’s great,” Nakashima
said. “It means our efforts are
working. I love seeing that people
are now approaching us because
they do see us as that community
resource.”
The challenge, Nakashima
said, will be keeping an ear to the
ground to respond to change and
of course, fundraising.
“That’s what’s going to keep
the doors open and will continue
to help us be that resource in the
next 50-plus years to come.”
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS | OUR TOWN 2016 19
Carolyn Marchi, left, and Elizabeth Candelaria, right, of Long Beach stroll through the rose garden at the South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes
Peninsula. The garden celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010; today plans are being made for the next 50 years.
The perfect personalized touch for your next event.
Specializing in party favors, candy buffets, decor and more!
Email: perfecttouchsoiree@gmail.com
OT7216871022
22. PHOTO BY ROBERT TOLONE
“The Palos Verdes Peninsula is a hiker’s
paradise; several times a week my friends
and I are out on the trails. We always start
at dawn and often enjoy wonderful sunrises.
This view is from the Georgeff Trail above
Hesse’s gap, captured on an iPhone 5.
Pictured is my dear friend Richard Seamans.”
PHOTO BY SUSAN SHULTZ
“This photo was taken in Lower Point
Vicente Park, Rancho Palos Verdes, in May
2015. A pair of red-tailed hawks nest nearby,
and they often hunt in the field. On this day,
I was lucky to get this shot of one of them
catching dinner.”
PHOTO BY SUSAN SHULTZ
“The Palos Verdes area is so unique with all of the beautiful equestrian and walking trails. I took this
photo in 2013 on the School Trail behind Rolling Hills United Methodist Church in Rolling Hills Estates.”
PHOTO BY DEAN LOFGREN
“This photo was taken at 9:30 a.m. with the luxury of nice, soft morning light. A favorite of local
photographers, I shot the Point Vicente Lighthouse while trying to bring in the unique fencing along
the Palos Verdes bluffs. Shot with a Nikon D300 and 24-120 lens.”
22 OUR TOWN 2016 | PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS
23. PHOTO BY MARILYN TITLOW
“To me, finding hearts
in nature is about
discovering the small joys
found in ordinary life. They
always make me smile as
they are unexpected. This
photo was taken on the
beach at Abalone Cove
on the afternoon of April
11, 2015. My daughter,
son-in-law, his parents
(visiting from Maryland)
and my granddaughter,
Molli, were with me.”
PHOTO BY MALCOLM SHARP
“This photo was shot with an iPhone 6 an hour before sunset in June on Crest Road
in Rolling Hills. Photoshop was used to convert the image to monochrome.”
“The photo was taken on
May 1, 2012 at 9:19 a.m.,
after a rain. I took it with
what I call the Motorola
Droid 2 R2-D2 model.
I suppose that makes it
even more impressive,
since it’s an older phone
and the photo still made
the cut. The specs
include a focal length
of 4, f-stop of 2.8 and
exposure time of 1/120
of a second.”
PHOTO BY VIC CHRISTENSEN
PHOTO BY ANGELA MATTEWS
“‘Expansive’ was taken on a late February morning hike in 2014 in the Portugese Bend Reserve. This view was from the
Eagles Nest Trail. I stood there in awe as I felt how beautiful and expansive the Peninsula is. The more you explore, the
more this secret paradise reveals itself.”
PHOTO BY CONNIE BURNS
“‘Pablo Peacock-so’ visited my
backyard every day for four years.
At dusk, he flew to the top of my
house and from there he flew two
blocks down the hillside to sleep
in a tree. During molting season
he plucked his tail feathers and
left them on my patio.”
PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS | OUR TOWN 2016 23
24. 24 • 2016 • Our Town • Palos Verdes Peninsula News
circa 1961 Today
Todaycirca 1961
ROLLING HILLS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
Where Tradition Meets Tomorrow
In 1961, Rolling Hills Country Day School established the core educational values that have
served as the foundation of success for many children in the Palos Verdes/Beach Cities community.
Today, these same values remain essential to the experience of an RHCDS student. Through the
eras of emerging technology and new academic standards, RHCDS has remained steadfast in its
mission to provide a safe, nurturing environment for students to learn. By respecting the values
of yesterday and understanding the educational climate of today, Rolling Hills Country Day
School ensures that its students are prepared for the opportunities of tomorrow.
26444 Crenshaw Blvd. | Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 | rhcds.com | 310-377-4848
In with the old.
In with the new.
