Things Like Relay Make Pedro Great

There are many nooks and grannies in this small town that we call Pedro. Today, there is a Woody show at Ports O'Call. The event is put on by locals and is a just a bunch of folks hanging out with music and cars. Next week, there will be a Relay for Life event at San Pedro High School to raise funds and awareness for cancer. Both events are locally run and are a blast. It is these type of events that need to be celebrated in our local media like San Pedro Today, Random Lengths, and the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce news letter. These are positive events that are what makes San Pedro great. Those publications can talk about the future and how it should be. But we have some very cool stuff going on now that we are proud of. It would be good if in these tough times we highlighted the good we have now. A little more positive and a little less whining would be great.

At the end of the day events like the Woody show and the Relay for Life event make Pedro a great town.

Enjoy.

PS. Don't forget the awesome Shakespeare by the Sea shows at Pt. Fermiin Park throughout the summer, and the movies at the Warner Grand on Wednesdays during the summer. More reason Pedro Rocks!

Cabrillo Beach Inner Harbor

Cabrillo Beach's inner harbor is consistently rated "F" by various rating agencies. The lack of water flow keeps things stagnet and the contamination levels high. The port has replaced the sand, kept the birds off the beach, along with other attempts. Still, the beach is consistently rated "F". The fundamental problem is water flow is almost non-existant. The good news is that though our bright scientists can not seem to improve the rating of the beach, nature is finding a way. Specifically, the beach has gotten bigger over the years as sand piles up and just stays there.

There are many approaches to how to improve the quality of Cabrillo Beach's inner harbor, but the simple one is to fill in the dead space in the water right off the beach with sand. This will increase water circulation at the beach and improve the beach's ratings. Nature is already starting to do this for us. We just need to finish it.

If fixing the inner harbor does not work. Maybe we should go back to our history books and revert that part of the harbor back to the marsh lands it use to be. Marsh lands would compliment the reserve next door, and help clean the water in the harbor. The outer beach is one of the best kept secrets in Los Angeles. And with the enhancement of the Cabrillo Beach Bath House any improvement to the inner harbor (clean beach or marsh land) would be an improvement.

Just a Guy from Pedro.

Dream of a United San Pedro

San Pedro is a great town due to the wide variety of groups, nationalities, and neighborhoods. I wish that we had one shared vision and could rally around our way forward. San Pedro is a hard working family town where people live for generations. This should be our common ground that frames our dialogue for the way forward. This should be our common ground that gets us to talk and work together.

Today, our neighborhood councils, our city planners, our representatives, our San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, and our business districts all forget about our common bond. They all try to craft a way forward without understanding what is at the heart of San Pedro. San Pedro is a hard working family town where people live for generations. As such, we as a community need to create a vision where we would want our children to grow up and raise their families. Let Redondo Beach be where the college kids go to sew their wild oats. Let Long Beach be that eclectic mix of rich and poor with no great families. Let Pedro be where we want our children to grow up and raise their families. Once we all have this understanding we can create plans on what this town needs to move forward. Once we have this understanding we will be able to define clearly what makes San Pedro great - Our families, our traditions, and our respect for hard work with no free rides.

Shared use of Dead Space in Pedro

There is nothing more annoying than driving down Gaffey past the Gaffey Street Diner with traffic backed up due to people parking on the street. This is an accident waiting to happen.

Right next door is an empty lot. In some cities these vacant lots are not screened off, they are considered extra parking. Now I am not talking about asphalt or concrete, but throw down some gravel and let folks use the lot. Get the parking off the street. Given how this would relieve traffic the city should be able to cut a deal with the property owner to allow parking on the lot. The parking lot would be a lot better than some raggedy old chain link fence.

Sometimes it is the simple solutions, if only people would talk to each other, that can make our lives better.

San Pedro Downtown Development Forgets Roots

San Pedro is a hardworking family town where people stay for generations. Unfortunately our city planners and elected leaders do not get that what makes Pedro special it is its unique sense of pride and independence. Therefore, relying on plans that depend on outsiders to save us with their dollars is not top on anyones list. Though outside dollars are good. We have to start with making downtown San Pedro work for the locals. The locals are the ones who will provide patronisim year round and through various economic cycles.

How this relates to downtown is simple. Instead of making San Pedro look like Santa Monica's 3rd street prominade, Long Beach's revitalized Pike area. We need to start making downtown a destination for the people of San Pedro. Eating out is great. And the restraunts are great. However, what else are you going to do? Even kids that play Sim City understand that it takes packaging of businesses that feed off each other to create a robust economy. Movie night at the Warner Grand is good. Coffee or a dinner out is a good combo night out with a night at the Warner. However, parking at night is not the easiest or safest (at least it does not feel safe). During the day, why would you go downtown? Shopping at Numero Uno? Clothes shopping at the pricy and limited Norms? Going to thrift stores?

There has been talk about blocking off 6th street. Great, but why would you go downtown given the current mix of shops and limited parking.

I am a San Pedro lover. If you have ideas let me know.