Beach passings: 2010 to 2001
2010
Hermosa Beach resident Sean Kelly, 44, and Palos Verdes residents Chuck Chambers, 58, and Russell Urban, 63, died in a plane crash on Nov. 21. The three were flying back from Baja Mexico after a week of surfing, when they ran out of gas while approaching John Wayne Airport in Orange County.
Decade in review: Art and theater
Civic Light Opera South Bay producer James Blackman was at a rare loss for words, if only briefly, after enlisting his childhood idol Carol Channing to be the guest of honor at the gala opening of the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center in January, 2003. “I feel like baby in a high chair with a cake in front of me, clapping and goo-gooing. Yay, isn’t life grand! I have nothing intellectual to say about this,” finally gushed.
Decade in review: Surfing’s long, cold winter
The local surf industry’s assimilation by the global economy, and its accompanying economic undertow; and the pressure on domestic board shapers to abandon their hand tools for milling machines to fend off foreign imports has not left South Bay surfers with warm feelings for the first decade of the new millennium.
Decade in review: Greening of the Bay
Diving off Rocky Point is comparable “to the experience a hiker has walking inside Yosemite Valley,” Santa Monica Baykeeper executive director Tom Ford said last year, during the debate over making 18 square miles off of Rocky Point a marine preserve.
“I mean, it’s got it all: canyons, sea grass beds, kelp beds, marine mammals flying around all over the place, big fish, and big sharks,” Ford told Easy Reader reporter Mark McDermott in a September 2009 interview.
Tron:Legacy soundtrack review
The French duo Daft Punk – Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo – have been playing together and recording for over a decade, but the Joseph Kosinski-directed “Tron: Legacy” is their first film score. The movie is the long-awaited follow-up to “Tron,” released in 1982. It goes without saying that the cinematic technology has advanced by leaps and bounds.
Tron: Legacy [MOVIE REVIEW]
In 1982 Walt Disney Studios released “TRON” – a movie that used computer-generated graphics as never before – to create a glowing neon world entirely made of pixels & imagination. While it generated quite a bit of news for its technology, the film was ultimately considered by many, including Walt Disney Studios, to be a commercial and artistic flop. The studio turned its back on it.
Dance Peninsula Ballet
This holiday celebration kicked off the Nutcracker season last month at the Palos Verdes Country Club with a preview of Nutcracker scenes, a children’s fashion show, and photo opportunities with Clara, themed basket opportunity drawing, boutique shopping, and a delicious English Tea. Dance Peninsula presented their Nutcracker Ballet at the Norris Theatre in late November and early December.
LA BioMed
The Blueprint for Discovery Gala was another big success as the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) honored Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Anne-Merelie Murrell, president of Giroux Glass Company, Inc., on Oct. 30 at the Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes. Supervisor Ridley-Thomas received the LA BioMed Spirit of Excellence Award for Community Service, and Mrs. Murrell was the recipient of the LA BioMed Spirit of Excellence Award for Inspirational Leadership. Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the Abraxis BioScience CEO who has also performed pioneering transplant surgery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, introduced the supervisor, praising him for his mission to eliminate disparities in access and good health care. LA BioMed President and CEO David I. Meyer, PhD, introduced Mrs. Murrell as an “inspirational leader” who launched the successful UCLA Thrift store in the 1960’s and achieved success as a real estate investor and President of Giroux Glass. Nearly 500 guests at the Blueprint for Discovery Gala enjoyed dinner, dancing and a silent and live auction.
Volleyball nets largest headlines in 2010
It was an exciting year in the local sports world with athletes of all ages enjoying success but one sports emerged as the most noteworthy. Whether it was on the sand or the hard wood courts, volleyball players made news throughout 2010. Mira Costa and Redondo continued their rivalry in the gym while local young athletes excelled on the summer sand. The professional circuit was cut short when the financially strapped AVP cancelled its final five events before filing for bankruptcy in October, allowing the organizers of the Manhattan Beach Open to revive the old-school game.
VIDEO: Flash Mob by Journey of Faith at Galleria
Read the related story: Journey of Faith surprises Galleria shoppers with song
2010 Monthly Sports Highlights
January 7 – Palos Verdes resident Chase Zukerman won his fourth consecutive Manhattan Beach 5K when he captured the annual Yuletide 5K in 16 minutes, 18 seconds. 14 – Members of Mira Costa’s CIF Western Division championship football team swept post-season honors with Don Morrow being named Coach of the Year, J.R. Tavai being selected […]
Surfing Santa visits El Porto and Hermosa Beach [VIDEO]
Surfing Santa visits El Porto and Hermosa Beach