Odds and Ends 19

It came as absolutely no surprise to me that Joe Donato has become the new Honorary Mayor of San Pedro.

Mr. Donato collected over $106,000.00 for the charity of his choice, the Harbor Interfaith Shelter. Mr. Donato is also on an advisory board for the Ponte Vista at San Pedro.

I wonder how much was donated by Bob Bisno, his organization, and supporters of Ponte Vista to Mr. Donato's campaign. It will probably be taken as a feather in the cap for Bob to have one of his biggest supporters also installed as the Honorary Mayor of San Pedro for the next two years.
We will probably know more if and when the Bisno organization tauts Mr. Donato's election in upcoming advertisements or newsletters.

I do think it is good that all the charities candidates worked hard to collect for, received donations. They are all worthy.
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Trivia:

In today's Daily Breeze, there was what I feel is a great trivial insert. It is the Los Angeles County Almanac. It contains lots of trivia, including Lomita's claim that it is the former celery capital. The Almanac lists all the incorporated cities in the county and gives trivial information about each, including population, income, ethnicity, and types of housing. Many of the facts are based on information gathered in 2000 and 2001.

I have no idea, at this time, where folks who don't subscribe or buy today's Daily Breeze can go an find their own copy, but the almanac was produced for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group so it may be in other newspapers.
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Without quoting anyone from last night's CAC meeting, it appears nothing was recommended or approved of, at the closed-door affair.

As it was reported to me, there is still great division between members of the CAC as far as what size of development members would like to consider. To be sure, there is a group of members who are solid in their support of keeping the site with its current zoning of R1, and it is true that those members are still a minority group.

There is at least one member who seems to want to see a development that is larger than many others who are considering compromise numbers less than 1,226-units.

There appears to be a member who is seeking compromise but when quizzed whether they would favor 1,950 units or R1, that member seemed to indicate that if 1,950 units was the number Bob continues to go with, that member would call for R1.

I have heard that there were some passionate moments during the meeting and according to my source, things did get a little heated, at times.

What is most possitive to report is that there was nothing decided at the meeting. No matters were settled out of the public eye and no recommendations were concidered or voted on. That is something both supporters and opponents of Bob's current plan should be happy about.

It seems that what happened last night was something one or more members, and a former member of the CAC wished had been done several months ago. Now that all members of the CAC know where each stand on the size issue, perhaps things will progress towards a set of recommendations with a majority opinion report and a minority opinion report.

There still are less than seven members of the CAC who are currently supporting R1. That was to be expected and will probably insure that there will be two reports issued by the CAC, to Ms. Hahn.

The next CAC meeting is scheduled for July 24, 2007 and is expected to be an open meeting.
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KB Homes posted a second quarter loss of income, due to the inventory of units left unsold. This problem is due to the housing slump the area is in.

If people need housing, and/or want new housing as supporters of Ponte Vista currently believe, then it should stand to reason that home builders would be making profits instead of reporting losses, it seems to me.
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The other blogger has turned moderation (censorship) back on, according to what I have read. I still can't figure out why I can receive all kinds of criticism, name calling, attacks, foul comments, and leave moderation off, when the other fellow needs to control what appears on his blog to the extent that some folks might find his blog more like blogs in dictatorial countries.

I continue to forbid myself from making any comments on that other blog, but I continue to read attacks and misinformation about supporters of R1.

The other fellow seems to believe he has a lot of negative information about persons supporting R1 and he seems to be threatening to publish some information, which is my take on what I have read recently, on his blog.

His readership is far below the readers of this blog, but I am sure he knows ways of getting the number of readers of his blog to increase, sometimes dramatically, whenever he wishes.

I must admit, his knowledge of the blogging world and the Internet far surpasses mine. Unfortunately for all of us, he is unwilling to engage us with openness, honesty, (nobody still knows his true identity) and using a measure of control just slightly lower that Mr. Kim of Korea, in my opinion........watch for attacks from a few folks on this one.
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I have read that McCowan's Market is having a Grand Re-Opening of its remodeled store this weekend. If you don't know where the store is located then you are not a "Real San Pedran". Of course many other folks know where it is and you should ask them for directions.

There will be R1 petition signature gatherers at the store from Noon until 3:00 PM this Saturday and Sunday.

During the last Supermarket strike, McCowan's was an oasis of wonderfulness, as it always has been. The store is the last of the three similarly named stores in San Pedro. I grew up going to the First and Bandini store even after Von's was built at Park Plaza. Adrian McCowan was a great person for us kids to get to know back then.

McCowan's still has great produce and some of the best breads from local bakeries. Everyone in OUR community should make pilgrimages to McCowan's from time to time and remember how Supermarkets looked like when we were all younger. It is not a mega-market, but it is mega-great, Terri and I feel.
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For those of you who are alumni of San Pedro High School and graduated or attended between 1970-1975, and any other year, the fifth annual A Gathering of "The Crowd" and Friends Picnic is scheduled for Sunday August 26, 2007 at the Wilder Addition of Point Fermin Park. This bring-your-own-everything picnic is being held on the same day as the Lions Club Soapbox Derby and Car Show, at the main park, so we are moving our picnic farther west.

If you were photographed for a senior photo between the years of 1970-1976 and would like a photo name tag so you can be recognized at the picnic, please Email me at the address on the top of this blog and I will have a photo name tag for you when you looked much younger than you do now.

More information about the picnic can be found by visiting one of my other blogs:

http://kealian.blogspot.com/

It is a free picnic. We will supply some water and chips. You are encouraged to come and enjoy the picnic beginning at 9:30 AM. On Saturday August 25, 2007, the Mystics, San Pedro High School Class of 1972 will be holding their 35-year reunion. If you would like more information about that event, please Email me.

I would like the picnic to be a Ponte Vista free event where all of us can gather in comfort and not allow such a divisive issue to invade the picnic.
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Shakespeare by the Sea is preforming The Taming of the Shrew and The Merchant of Venice Thursdays through Saturdays during several more weekends at Point Fermin Park. It is the tenth anniversary season of this free event.

Music by the Sea begins its run on Sundays, beginning this Sunday at Point Ferming Park as well. The free concert features two acts each Sunday beginning at Noon.

Taste of San Pedro is scheduled for August 4-5, again at Point Fermin Park. This is NOT a free event, but it is a great event for all of us to enjoy. Music, food, fun, and shopping are the mainstays of this event. Everyone is encouraged to attend and if you can be a volunteer, that is great!
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Come see my best friend Joe fire a canon on July 4th at Cabrillo Beach. Join thousands of others celebrating our nation's independence from almost all dictators. The Golden State Pops Orchestra will be having a free concert in the evening and should finish off with the "1812 Overture, complete with canon fire, and of course lots of fireworks.

If you happen to see Mr. John Olguin around town between now and the fourth, please empty your pockets of as much money as you can and had it over to the great gentlemen. Mr. Olguin has been collecting money for his fireworks show for many, many years.
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July 13, 14, and 15 has the Mary Star of the Sea Fiesta at its site. This is a real "home town" event that everyone should attend, at least from time to time. A very special attraction of this event are the dinners that can be purchased. If you want a great home town meal in San Pedro, there are great dinners to be enjoyed at this event.

Please buy some raffle tickets from the young women competing for the title: Queen of the Fiesta. Your donations helps programs of the High School.

I am not a member of the Catholic Church, but that has never stopped me from going and supporting the Fiesta and buying raffle tickets to support my choice for Queen. My particular choice for Queen this year is Ms. Loren Costa. I have met her dad and the rest of her family and they seem to be a great family. Ms. Costa was selling raffle tickets at Albertson's while several of us were collecting signatures for R1 petitions. We kept our distance from her greeting of customers of Albertson's and selling raffle tickets.
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Folks, life in OUR community does not revolve around Ponte Vista. It is an important issue, but as you have read, there are other events, happenings, and things to be concerned about that have nothing to do with a greedy developer trying to market a far-to-large project into a community that can not take such a large development.

Let's enjoy what we can without debating the Ponte Vista issue at the events outlined above. There will be plenty of time to continue the debate, and plenty of ways to examine the issue.

We should all try to keep things separated if we can, to show everyone that we are still a community that has the character to look beyond our differences at certain times, and enjoy what has be built here and what we all hope remains here.