Word on the street: Manhattan Village’s new wave, new and old political money, Proud Bird soars again

"Yin Yang" wave Chris Barella in front of the Apple Store at the Manhattan Village Mall. Photo
"Yin Yang" wave Chris Barella in front of the Apple Store at the Manhattan Village Mall. Photo

“Yin Yang” wave Chris Barella in front of the Apple Store at the Manhattan Village Mall. Photo

Two-way wave unveiled at mall

Just four days after being inducted into the Hermosa Beach Surfer’s Walk of Fame, Chris Barela unveiled his “Yin Yang” wave sculpture at Manhattan Village Mall in front of the Mall’s popular Apple store. “The challenge,” Barela said during the unveiling last Wednesday, “was designing the wave to be viewable from both sides.” He solved the problem by sculpting a wave that resembles a Mobius loop, breaking to the left, regardless of which side it is viewed from.

Manhattan Village general manager Liz Griggs announces the unveiling of the center's new art installation. Looking on are aculptor Chris Barela, Manhattan Beach Mayor Wayne Powell and mall assistant manager Monica Frey. Photo

Manhattan Village general manager Liz Griggs announces the unveiling of the center’s new art installation. Looking on are sculptor Chris Barela, Manhattan Beach Mayor Wayne Powell and mall assistant manager Monica Frey. Photo

Barela’s other local sculptures include the Meistrell Twins at the Redondo Beach Seaside Lagoon and the Tim Kelly Statue at the Hermosa Beach pierhead.

Manhattan Village Mall general manager Liz Griggs said the mall plans to commission more public art following its remodel. The 572,800 square foot mall is adding another 110,000 square feet to its Sepulveda Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue location.

Old money, new money funding

Newly elected State Assemblyman David Hadley of Manhattan Beach and newly elected Hermosa Beach Councilwoman Nanette Barragan took office just three months ago. But both have already started fundraising for the November 2016 election.

Hadley, a Republican, is taking the traditional approach with a fundraiser on Sunday, April 26 at the  South End Racquet & Health Club in Torrance. Guests will be invited to join Hadley’s 2016 support group, the South Bay 300 Club. Club admission: $1,000. Assembly Minority Leader Kristin Olsen (Modesto) will be among the speakers.

Hermosa Beach city  council woman Nanette Baragan and former councilman Sam Edgerton at the March 3, anti oil election night victory party. Photo

Hermosa Beach city council woman Nanette Barragan and former councilman Sam Edgerton at the March 3, anti oil election night victory party.Barragan has announced her candidacy for the 44th District Congressional seat Photo

Barragan, a Democrat, is running for the 44 District Congressional seat being vacated by Janice Hahn, who is running for the Los Angeles County Fourth District Supervisorial seat, being vacated by Don Knabe. Barragan is beginning her fundraising effort for the November 2016 race with a Kickstart-styled ActBlue site. Visitors to the web site are invited to make contributions ranging from $10 to $5,400. The self-described “progressive, Democratic Party” site has raised over $700 million for candidates since its founding in 2004.

 Girls pint out

King Harbor Brewing is appealing to the other 50 percent of beer drinkers with a Girls Pint Out on Saturday April 18. Instead of food trucks favored by guys, the Nail Truck and a  mobile fashion boutique called Birdie Fashion on the Fly will keep female guests occupied while they sip Swirly, described as “an American brown ale with coffee, vanilla and cocoa nibs. Saturday, 5 to 8 p.m. 2907 182nd Street, Redondo Beach.

It pays to teach

El Camino College will appointed an interview committee at its April 13 board of trustees meeting to review applicants to replace college president Tom Fallo, who is retiring next February. The position pays roughly $300,000.

Proud Bird soars again

Proud Bird’s neighbors and aviation associations from across the country, including the Tuskegee Airmen Association, have relaunched the four decade old aviation museum and restaurant.

John D. Tallichet, president of Specialty Restaurants Corporation, will sign a 20-year lease with LAX to operate the restaurant. His father David Tallichet, a World War II B-17 pilot in the European War, founded the Proud Bird in 1967. In 2012, operators of the restaurant held a final dinner, but the restaurants patrons rallied to save it and Airport Commission responded with a 13 month lease extension.

Special guests at the 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18 lease signing in Tuskegee Room are expected to include Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, city council members, the Board of Airport Commissioners and the management of Los Angeles World Airways.

The restaurant is located under the LAX runways, at 11022 Aviation Blvd., Los Angeles.

School of surf

Redondo Beach-based Body Glove returns as a key sponsor of the National Scholastic Surfing Association (NSSA) for the next three years. Body Glove was a NSSA sponsor from 1989-2009. Many South Bay surfers compete on the tour, as have several Body Glove team riders.

“Getting back to the fundamental idea of teaching kids how to compete and progress in their lives has always been an important ideal for the brand,” said VP of Marketing Scott Daley, who competed as a professional surfer in his twenties.

BCHD practices what it preaches

The Beach Cities Health District was among five companies nationwide presented with the American Psychological Association Healthy Workplace Award. The award was presented in Washington D.C. on Saturday March 16. The BCHD’s Blue Zone program, offered throughout the Beach Cities, are designed to encourage living a healthy lifestyle.

The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards are designed to recognize organizations for their efforts to foster employee well-being while enhancing organizational performance. The average turnover rate a the awardees is about half the national average and only 8 percent of their employees say they intend to seek employment elsewhere within the next year, compared to more than triple that number (27 percent) nationally.

Torrance Memorial has a new 7-story, 256 room patient wing which is nearing completion.

Torrance Memorial’s new, 390,000 square foot Lundquist Tower, houses 256 rooms, 18 surgical and treatment rooms and a café,

Torrance Memorial earns gold award

The Los Angeles Business Journal (LABJ) awarded Torrance Memorial Medical Center’s Melanie and Richard Lundquist Tower the first place Gold Award for medical projects as part of its 2015 Commercial Real Estate Awards. The awards, announced in February, are designed to recognize the biggest, best and most notable commercial real estate projects in Los Angeles County completed over the last 18 months. The 390,000 square-foot medical tower, which opened last November, has 256 rooms, 18 surgical and treatment rooms and “the ambience of a world-class hotel,” according to the Business Journal.

Redondo bank site’s third try

The pleasant, home-style, blue and white bank at 1333 S. Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach, which opened as Bay Cities National Bank and then became an Opus Bank, is soon to become a branch of Farmers & Merchants. Farmers & Merchants has opened a temporary office across the street at 1304 S. Pacific Coast Highway. The banks Rolling Hills Estates Branch is remaining open during a remodel, which will be done in September.

MB Chamber’s new coordinator

Laura Reed has been named event coordinator at the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce. She formerly worked at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club and Mediterra Golf and Beach Club in Florida.

Reed can be reached at Laura@ManhattanBeachChamber.net.

Chalk it up to preschool gym

The Manhattan Beach Chalk Preschool set to open in September at 1114 22nd Street in Manhattan Beach will offer a curriculum developed by My Gym Children’s Fitness Centers. The program is designed help children them acquire the goal setting skills, confidence and a positive self image. For more information visit ChalkPreschool.com.

Fresh Brothers’ crust goes whole

Fresh Brothers Pizza has burnished its Blue Zones designation by adding 50 percent whole grain crusts and Beyond Meat vegetarian options to its menu. Blue Zones is a Beach Cities Health District program that recognizes restaurants that emphasize healthy eating. Beyond Meat is an El Segundo that produces “Beyond Chicken” and “Beyond Beef.”

Restaurants get Cash for Kitchens

The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) is working with West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) to offer Cash for Kitchens.

This program is offer free water usage assessments to restaurants, and commercial kitchens in West Basin’s South Bay service area. Participants may qualify to receive free water-saving devices such as pre-rinse sprayers, a water broom, faucet aerators, and faucet flow control valves, along with information on rebates for ice machines and kitchen steamers. Gas equipment is cleaned and calibrated by the Gas Company. Kitchens needing lighting upgrades or other energy efficiency enhancements are referred to a Southern California Edison representative trained to assist them. Owners and managers of restaurants and commercial kitchens are encouraged to call SBESC at (310) 371-4633 to schedule a Cash for Kitchens visit. Additional information is available at www.westbasin.org/C4K.

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