A good friend of mine recently moved back to town and asked “Where do I take my kids for Halloween?”. I’ll share my answers with all of you. There are so many great things to do in town these days that we should really consider changing our name to Fun Pedro. Here is the breakdown…
I can not recommend the First Sunday series at the Muller House enough. You have two more chances to see the News-Pilot exhibit, today and next Sunday. Next month’s program is “Cooking in Mrs. Muller’s Kitchen”, which deals with antique kitchens and tools. You can see the full calendar at the Historical Society’s new website www.sanpedrobayhistoricalsociety.org.
Please come out and support a great organization and learn a little in the process!
After the talk, everyone went inside the Muller House for refreshments and to see the collection of News-Pilot artifacts on display in the dining room.
Some of the original printing plates were included in the collection. I absolutely adore the original News-Pilot masthead. You can sort of make it out of the inverted plate. It is the lighthouse with a small banner that says “where ship and rail meet”. Maybe I’ll practice some of my new photoshop skills and draw it for you all one day.
The News-Pilot is special to me for a few reasons. 1) It was my first job. I was a youth carrier for at least 3 years. My Mom was my boss and believe me, she did not believe in sick days- she even made me hobble down the street delivering papers in a cast. 2) I lived in the old News-Pilot building downtown on 6th Street. It was my first apartment that was not owned by family, my industrial-urban-bohemian experience. It saved me a trip to New York. and 3) The News-Pilot was OUR paper. We didn’t have to share it with the “south bay”.
Bob Beck was first up. He had some great stories about what it was like to be a newspaper man in the 60’s. It sounded just like Mad Men but with way more booze and newsprint.
Steve Marconi was up next. He told the story about how the “Real San Pedran” came about and how fortunate he was to be able to live AND work in town.
Donna Littlejohn is the last “man” standing from the News-Pilot days. She survived the transition over to the Daily Breeze where she continues to cover San Pedro and other areas in the South Bay. She told about her San Pedro learning curve and how she has grown to love the town.
It really was a wonderful talk. You’re listening to these stories on the patio of the Muller House that overlooks the main channel. It’s amazing!
Hello friends. I would like to introduce you to two people who I am a huge fan of. Doris Theriault is the new head of programming for the San Pedro Bay Historical Society (I know there’s an official title I can’t remember) and Bob Beck is her husband and the former longtime editor of our beloved News-Pilot. I met Doris and Bob at my second home, the historical archives, where we bonded over our mutual belief that San Pedro should have it’s own historical museum. Doris actually took a huge leap in the right direction by having the Muller House open every Sunday and creating the fabulous First Sunday Series. The First Sunday Series is a brand new oral history program where there’s a new subject and exhibit opened every month. SPBXB friends Dave Garcia (the bottle dig guy) and Bungy Hedley were the first two participants!
When they announced that this month’s subject was on the News-Pilot, I had to make a special trip to First Sunday.
A couple of weeks ago I got an email from my favorite Lady of the Lawn, and long-time SPBXB reader/friend Dorothy Matich. She was asking me for my address because she had bought me a birthday present and she wanted to mail it to my house.
You may remember me posting this a few weeks ago, wherein I make a little half-suggestion that someone buy me the stamp for my upcoming birthday. Well Dorothy showed me and actually bought it for me! How do you like that?! I couldn’t believe it, that’s just about the nicest thing ever! Of course I couldn’t let her mail it to my house, instead I dropped by on the Ladies on their Lawn. Yes, that little thing in my hand is the tiniest little San Pedro stamp you have ever seen in your life. But it is mine and Dorothy Matich, Queen of the Lawn, bought it for me and I will treasure it forever! Thank you Dorothy, that’ll show me to make suggestions on the internet. In case anyone is wondering, there’s some money I’ve had my eye on for quite some time…(kidding!).
In case you haven’t heard, San Pedro is now a college town thanks to California’s newest 4year learning establishment Marymount College. Yes, that Marymount from up on the hill. Not only have they doubled their accreditation, but they’re (more than) doubling their student body as well and that expansion is happening in San Pedro. They’ll be constructing a slew of buildings at the PV Drive North campus in the coming years but for now, the biggest change we’ll see will be at their “Waterfront Campus” in downtown’s main drag of 6th Street. The school has signed a 10yr lease for the entire first floor of the old Northrop building.
My favorite part about them moving into downtown is the purchase of the old Lad n Lassie store. The building was purchased by Marilyn & Chuck Klaus and gifted to the school. Marilyn & Chuck aren’t the only ones excited about Marymount’s new Pedro adventure.
Maybe you’ve seen these banners hanging above 6th street, welcoming Marymount College (I’m 95% sure I took the picture used on the banner). The banners are courtesy of PBID as were the trolley tours given during the orientation this weekend.
Classes start this week so we’ll see a lot of young new faces and the Marymount shuttles making the rounds. I’m really excited about it.
It’s time for this month’s Townee Trivia! Townee Trivia is sponsored by Townee Tours (me), San Pedro’s premiere (only) walking tour company and gives you a taste of one of my three tours of the Historic Waterfront District. I shared a trivia nugget from my “Back-Lot San Pedro” tour. I’d like to share another because I had such a fun time at the Beatles show this past Friday. There have been so many amazing performances on stage at the Warner Grand over the years and some of them have been courtesy of Hollywood.
This Youtube clip starts in Spanish, but the performance is all in English. It’s a clip from ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It” starring Angela Basset and Laurence Fishburne. Angela plays the role of Tina Turner, Laurence plays the part of Tina’s husband Ike and the Warner Grand is playing the role of the famous Apollo Theatre in Harlem. This wouldn’t be the last time the Warner Grand stood in for a world famous concert hall. Some years later the Warner Grand had a small role as Carnegie Hall in Running With Scissors.
I’m really sad that Sunken City Skates has closed. I was so happy to see the old shoe store space get filled and saw it as a sign that Sunken City had outgrown their old digs on Mesa and graduated to the main drag of 6th. The Sunken City, in my opinion, had reached Stavros and Onion level exposure to solidify it as a representative “Pedro Brand”. I’m really hoping that they figure out a way to retain some bit of the business, even if it’s just an online presence. From one young Pedro-preneur to another, you guys are awesome and I wish you nothing but the best in life.
I almost didn’t want to share this one because I wanted to buy this for myself. You know we’re all suckers for something that says San Pedro, Calif. on it. After some thought I realized that I’m not really able to spend $20 on a little stamp, even if I have a sneaking suspicion that it is connected to the News-Pilot. So here’s the link if you want to bring this relic back home. I’d also like to add that my birthday is coming up on the 16th. Do with all this information what you will.
I noticed that no one’s bought the Starkist movie that I posted about last week. At $17 this is a lot more affordable, and if you buy it, send me an e-mail and let me know!
San Pedro: Block by Block 