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The 2010 celebration of the Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942 will happen this Saturday at Fort MacArthur Museum. There will be live music, dancing, vintage costumes and cars and food and drink.
WHAT: The Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942
WHEN: Saturday, February 20, 2010, Noon–8 pm
WHERE: Fort MacArthur Museum, 3601 S. Gaffey St.
TICKETS: $20 Pre-Sale (ends today at 5 pm) or $30 the night of the show
Related Articles:
Fort Macarthur news
There was a fire in one of the buildings housing artist’s studios early morning this past weekend at Angels Gate Cultural Center.
From the Daily Breeze:
“A building that houses eight art studios in the Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro is expected to reopen Wednesday in the aftermath of a weekend fire that damaged one of the studios.
The fire, reported at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, was extinguished quickly after flames and smoke were spotted by a member of the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, which oversees the property.
The blaze burned one studio and caused minor smoke damage to the remainder of the 1940s-era building, a former U.S. Army barracks at Fort MacArthur located at 3601 South Gaffey St.
Sculptors, musicians, painters, writers and others who work in the building were not allowed inside while Los Angeles fire inspectors assessed the damage, said Deborah Lewis, director of the center. Though the building is old, there were no issues with asbestos, she said.
“We are airing the building the out, and we’re making sure that everything is safe,” she said.
One art class that meets in the building was moved to another building this week, Lewis said. The cultural center is comprised of five buildings with work-studio space for 52 artists.
A spokeswoman with the Los Angeles City Fire Department said the cause of the fire is under investigation.
CORRECTION: An article Wednesday about a fire at Angels Gate Cultural Center misstated the number of buildings on the site. There are a total of 11 buildings, including administration offices, constructed in the 1930s.”
Related Articles:
Angels Gate Cultural Center news
Let us take some of the stress out of your holiday entertaining.
Order your holiday cakes and pies, pastries and breads, coffee and flowers from The Corner Store. We’ll be taking orders until Sunday, December 20 for our delicious and decadent selection of holiday cakes and pies from La Mousse French Bakery. Ask to see the order book when you drop by.
You can also order your holiday breads and we will bake them on Christmas Eve morning or you can pick them up and bake them at home. We proudly feature artisan breads fro La Brea Bakery and can have your French dinner rolls and baguettes ready for you at your convenience. Don’t forget to order by Thursday, December 17.
How about a large cornucopia spilling out festive holiday flowers on to your table, a flower ring with candles, fresh garlands of pine or Christmas wreaths and poinsettias? We can do that for you, too! Remember to order by December 17.
Do you hear Santa’s Elves?…Save the date! December 18 for our Third Annual “Miracle on 37th Street.” This year’s theme is A Winter Wonderland and we promise you and yours a good time. Start out with a free cup of eggnog and a snowy visit with Santa and his elves. Have your picture taken on Santa’s lap and tell him how good you have been this year. Pictures can be purchased for a small donation to Clean San Pedro and the Fort MacArthur Museum. Finish the evening with Christmas caroling for our neighbors and friends.
The Corner Store turned 62 years old this July and isn’t it nice to know that, as other neighborhood markets have disappeared over the years for one reason or another, The Corner Store is still operating as a deli/market? Only now, better than ever with our kitchen in full swing serving up the best ciabatta cheeseburgers in the land and hand-scooped malts and milkshakes in a variety of flavors including Mango, Espresso, Oreo Cookie, Raspberry, Strawberry and Peanut Butter.
We have a great menu of hot and cold sandwiches, Vienna Beef hotdogs, bistro soups and salads, steel cut oatmeal, breakfast bagel sandwiches, pastries and croissants baked fresh every morning. Take a look at our wide selection of decadent desserts – from Crème Brulee Cheese bars to Mini Chocolate Flourless Cakes and fresh-baked Devonshire cookies. We continue to carry the English line offering steak and mushroom pies, sausage rolls, bangers, Vegemite and Marmite and a nice selection of English teas. We serve them piping hot or over ice, as well as by the box. We also have propane tanks in case your barbecue runs out.
Stop by our gift shop featuring 15 local artists and authors including handcrafted jewelry, purses, cat rocks and much more. Check out our vintage candy selection. We know that everyone needs a pair of wax lips or some Nickle Nips. How about some old time toys to stuff those stockings with? Whoopie cushions and whizzers will be a sure delight on Christmas morning. The perfect gift is here — Corner Store T-shirts are now in stock! A loaf of fresh-baked bread with a nice bottle of Merlot from our wine section would make a nice gift, too.
This year has been especially tough for all of us and we give our heartfelt thanks to all of you who continue to support The Corner Store. We look forward to a new year filled with fresh ideas and with the same old-time feelings that remind us of days gone by. We will continue to work to give our store that feeling of a home-away-from-home community gathering place, and to bring warmth and joy to this holiday season.
Don’t forget to join us on December 18 for our Miracle on 37th Street!
K-9 Command Cemetery Rededication
Saturday, May 23, 2009
1:00 pm
Ft. MacArthur Museum
3601 S. Gaffey St.
Related Article:
Were There UFOs Over San Pedro in 1942?
For more information, download the Seal Day flyer from the Marine Mammal Care website.
Do you remember the great air raid of February 1942? Civilians and military personnel reports ranged from Japanese bombers to alien spacecraft attacking L.A. It’s still a mystery today.
As a fundraiser for the Fort MacArthur Museum, there will be a recreation of what that 1942 evening would have been like at a dance. Dean Mora and the Fort MacArthur Officers Orchestra will be playing while you dance the night away in period costumes, if you have them. Dress warmly and expect loud noises!
DETAILS:
7th Annual Great Los Angeles Air Raid
Saturday, February 28, 2009
3–5 pm: Special Exhibits
5–8 pm: Music & Dance
The Fort MacArthur Museum
3601 S Gaffey St.
Admission: Advanced Sales $20.00 per person on-line or $30 at the gate on the night of the event. For more information visit Fort MacArthur Museum.
Alma Street rendering 1 (click for larger image)
This coming April or May, eight historic WWI buildings will be moved into the newly created “historic district” on LAUSDs property at Angels Gate where ten WWI buildings are already in place. Two of these buildings will eventually become prototypical historic buildings restored to near-original condition including redwood siding. The other buildings may be available to community groups in exchange for a low rent and building restoration. This is still in discussion. One of these WWI buildings may be available eventually for the Skills Center automotive program which was moved to the Harbor Occupational Center. The WWII buildings will be razed. Fort MacArthur Museum is in talks with LAUSD about possibly saving and moving one or two WWII buildings onto Ft. Mac property.
Also, in April or May, Angels Gate Continuation High School and the Early Education Center will be moved into portable classrooms placed on the sides of the parking area in front of the International Bird Rescue Center and Marine Mammal Care Center. Grading and remediation of contaminated earth will happen at this time. LAUSD will get back to us whether contaminated earth will be removed by trucks or recycled on site.
The migratory bird study, a special condition requested by the California Coastal Commission (CCC) for approval of the coastal permit, has begun. LAUSD will go before the CCC again in 2010 to seek approval for 36 wind turbines.
This fall the site will be ready for construction. Construction will begin no later than January 2010 and will last for 2 years and 4 months. The Point Fermin Outdoor Education Center (PFOEC) construction, which has already begun, should be finished in 2010. Offsite work on Alma and Gaffey Streets will be in late 2011 or early 2012. The new high school is expected to open in the fall of 2012.
Alma Street rendering 2 (click for larger image)
Alma Street will be widened by 7’ along the entire LAUSD property to straighten out the curves in the road and an 8′ sidewalk will be constructed. No residents’ property will changed. A traffic light will be installed on Gaffey Street at 32nd Street. This will be the preferred entrance and exit for busses going to and from the PFOEC provided a Memo of Understanding (MOU) and Joint Use Agreement with the Los Angeles City Department of Recreation and Parks are approved. Barlow Saxton Road (across Gaffey from 32nd Street) is on Rec & Parks land. This road will be slightly reconfigured near the PFOEC. The MOU gives LAUSD access to this road and parking in exchange for road improvements to Barlow Saxton Road, an engineering study on Osgood Farley Road and community access to the high school pool and fields. Rec & Parks will pay for the engineering study.
Alma Street rendering 3 (click for larger image)
The MOU between LAUSD and Rec & Parks will be presented at the next Board of Recreation & Parks Commissioners meeting on February 4. See meeting details here.
The historic stone wall surrounding the property will remain, however the fence on top of the wall will be redone. There are no plans to open the entrances to LAUSD property on 37th 36th Street. Utilities will be placed underground so there will not be utility poles on the property (see photos). The school will be 75–100% sustainable and will be CHPS certified. CHPS (pronounced “chips”) is the Collaborative for High Performance Schools which incorporates some of the ideas of LEED for Schools certification
Once the school is ready to be filled with students, the high school will be a magnet school housing 510 students sharing the same administration as San Pedro High School. Students living in San Pedro will be given first priority to entrance in these magnet programs. Currently at San Pedro High School there are slightly fewer than 500 students attending the Police and Marine Science magnets.
If you have questions regarding South Region High School #15 please
Related Articles:
Rec & Parks to Meet about SRHS#15
California Coastal Commission approves SRHS#15
Parks Feedback
Alma Street
Named after George Peck’s daughter. George Peck was the man many refer to as the builder of San Pedro. George H. Peck, the famous philanthropist and benefactor, arrived in San Pedro in 1882 as a conductor on the Southern Pacific Railroad. He liked what he saw, quit his job and entered the real estate business. He became a subdivider, home builder, lumberman and contractor and he started the Bank of San Pedro (later to become United California Bank) in 1888. Within a short time he had enormous holdings. A few of the tracts he laid out were Point Fermin, Harbor View, Catalina View and South Shores. He also owned the land which is Point Fermin Park.
Averill Avenue
Named after the family that oned the Averill Weymouth Company, early land developers in San Pedro. They developed the Vista del Oro section of town, approximately 1,000 acres they purchased from Rudecinda Sepulveda deDodson. The family was from Maine and included the three Averill brothers Horace, Herbert, and Dr. George plus George’s brother-in-law, Harry L. Weymouth.
Bandini Street
Arcadia Bandini was from the old prestigious Californio family and was married to John T. Gaffey (see Gaffey Street). Together they lived in a sprawling Spanish-style hacienda at the corner of Third and Bandini Streets. The home was demolished in the 1960s to make way for the modern YMCA.
Cabrillo Avenue
The avenue and beach are named for Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo who sailed into San Pedro Bay in October of 1542, on a voyage of exploration for the Viceroy of New Spain. Cabrillo was Portuguese, but working in the service of Spain. There is no evidence to prove conclusively that Cabrillo or any of his men actually set foot on shore.
Fort MacArthur
Not named in 1914 after General Douglas MacArthur but for his father, Lt. General Arthur MacArthur, a Civil War Medal of Honor recipient.
Gaffey Street
John T. Gaffey was an ardent San Pedro booster, California Senator Stephen M. White’s campaign manager, real estate developer and financier.
Hamilton Street
The street and Hamilton Tract were named for John D. Hamilton. He was secretary of the Harbor Boat Building company. Mr. Hamilton was born in Chicago on October 30, 1899. He attended San Pedro High School and was a member of the Elks. He never married.
Jackstadt Street
This street first appeared in the city directory in 1925. At the time there was only one home, 3720, which was shown as unoccupied until 1928 when Miss Edith Patterson and U.S. Navy Captain and Mrs. E. Edgar Stone (her name was Allie) appeared to be the residents. The house and several adjacent lots were owned by William A. Jackstadt. His wife’s name was Jesse and they lived at 3603 Almeria. Mr. Jackstadt had come to San Pedro in 1924 and his profession was salesman. Records show that by 1926 he had gone into the real estate business. City directories indicate that William and Jesse never actually lived on Jackstadt Street.
Leland Street
Named after George Peck’s son. Records show Peck’s daughter Rena had a park and a street named for her. Santa Rena Street was renamed Walker and the whereabouts of the park is a mystery. Daughter Alma had a street named after her (see Alma Street) but son William never had anything named for him. Peck Avenue and Peck Park are both named after George H. Peck.
Meyler Street
Named for one of the two men who engineered the San Pedro Bay breakwater, a project started in 1899 and completed in 1911. His name was Capt. James J. Meyler. His colleague was Capt. Amos A. Fries (Fries Avenue in Wilmington). Both men worked for the Army Corps of Engineers.
Patton Avenue
The street is named for George S. Patton, II, the father of the World War II hero, General George S. “Blood and Guts” Patton, III. George S. Patton, II served as district attorney of Los Angeles County.
Point Fermin Park
Named in 1793 by British explorer George Vancouver as a thank you to Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen for the hospitality he showed Vancouver and his crew at the mission in Carmel.
San Pedro Bay
Named by Spanish explorer Sebastian Vizcaino, who anchored there on Saint Peter’s Day, November 26, 1602. Rancho San Pedro’s name was derived from the Bay of San Pedro on which it was bordered.
Silvius Street
Silvius Street first appeared in the San Pedro/Wilmington city directory in 1926. There was one house on the street, 1343. No one appeared to live in the house until 1928. The man who lived there then was Allen Albt. The home was designed by a young Los Angeles architect named Paul T. Silvius. It was not clear if Mr. Silvius owned the lot and named the street after himself or if Mr. Albt named the street, or even if someone downtown just used the name of the architect of record.
Walker Street
Rear Admiral John G. Walker was chairman of the commission, known as the Walker Board, that investigated the feasibility of constructing a federal breakwater in either Santa Monica or San Pedro. In 1897, the Walker Board submitted the report nominating San Pedro as the best location.
Weymouth Avenue & Place
(see Averill Avenue)
White Point
This area of land, which juts out into the sea to form a point more than 100 feet above sea level, has been called both “White Point” and “White’s Point”. The origin of the name is disputed. One version is that it was named for a sailor named White, who jumped ship and swam to shore at this spot, thus “White’s Point”. Another version is that sailors used the cliff face as a landmark, because it’s altamira shale appears white, and that they named it “White Point”. A third opinion is that it was named after Senator Stephen White, who led the political fight for development of the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. The area was officially termed “White Point” in lease agreements signed around the turn of the century by the owner, Roman Sepulveda. The San Pedro Bay Historical Society favors “White Point”, based on this authenticated documentation.
Wilder Addition
Wilder Addition, also refered to as Wilders Annex, of Point Fermin Park, was named after the Charles T. Wilder family which donated the 6.9 acres south of Paseo del Mar to the City of Los Angeles in lieu of back taxes owed on the property.
Many thanks to Madeleine Drake for her research on Palisades street names for the 1999 Palisades Perspective newsletter.
“The results of the human health risk assessment conducted for the Site
utilizing a conservative, hypothetical residential use scenario indicated that
several chemicals detected in several OUs at the Site, pose an unacceptable
cancer or non-cancer health risk. The chemicals contributing the majority to
risk were localized in nature and include arsenic, PAHs, chlordane, dieldrin,
and dioxin.” Page 10-2, PEA report for SRHS#15
LAUSD has released the Preliminary Environmental Assessment (PEA) report for the proposed South Region High School #15 at Fort MacArthur’s Upper Reservation. Sampling and analyzing of soil over several areas of the Angels Gate location were performed. The results are outlined in the PEA report available online at LAUSD, electronically by sending an e-mail to Christer Loftenius at christer.loftenius@lausd.net, or to view in person at the San Pedro High School or San Pedro Library.
The public review period begins on August 5, 2008, and ends on September 5, 2008. During this period the LAUSD will receive written comments on the PEA document. The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) will review the PEA document concurrently and must either approve or disapprove the PEA document within 30 days after the close of the public review period. Written comments must be received no later than September 5, 2008, at the following address:
Attention: Christer Loftenius, Environmental Assessment Coordinator
LAUSD Office of Environmental Health and Safety
1055 West 7th Street, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone (213) 893-7045, Fax (213) 893-7412
A Public Hearing on the findings of the PEA will be held at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, August 20th, 2008, at Barton Hill Elementary School, 423 N. Pacific Avenue, San Pedro, CA 90731.
**UPDATE** The anticipated “release” date of the Draft EIR for the Proposed SRHS #15 Project has been delayed from the original estimate. Currently, the tentative release date is August 22, 2008. We will keep you informed of any additional changes should they arise.
Have you ever wanted to see what the inside of your neighbor’s cool house looks like? Well, here’s your chance! The Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy is holding their second annual Spring for White Point Home Tour on Sunday, June 1. This self-guided tour takes a look inside six diverse San Pedro homes from a downtown loft carved out from a 1930 Montgomery Ward department store to a parade ground home at Fort MacArthur to a contemporary home with an artist’s touch.
A wine and cheese party with a silent art auction and music by the Howard Ellis Quartet will be held after the tour from 4:30 –7:00 pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $50 per person from the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. All proceeds go toward improving the White Point Nature Preserve and it’s habitat restoration.
Related Link/s:
Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy