JUN

E 2

016

PLUS: DE DE HICKS' LIFE OF VOLUNTEERISM | STRANGERS ON A SATURDAY NIGHT PLAY TAM | JUNE CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Our First Issue!

That's Entertainment!Encore, the South Bay's premier children's theatre company,

embarks on their 10th anniversary season

JUNE 2016

www.torrancetoday.com

2 I

TO

RRA

NC

E TO

DA

Y I

JU

NE

2016

6/30/16 6/30/16

TRUST THE EXPERT, DR. GIRI PALANI

State-of-the-Art FacilitiesClean,ultra-modern,relaxingoffice.Thelatestdiagnostic&imaginghardwareandsoftware.Patientconcierge,numerouspatientamenities&friendlyprofessionalstaff.Computer-guidedsurgery.

Entire Procedure in One OfficeDr.Palaniexpertlyperformseveryaspectofyourprocedure.Unlikesomeoffices,youarenotreferredto2or3additionaldentistsand/orappointments.Inmostinstancesthepatientcanreceiveafixedsetofteeththesameday.

The Best Equipment & MaterialDr.Palaniusesonlythefinestmaterials,fromstarttofinishyoucanbeassuredthatwewilluseonlythebestmaterialsbothinofficeandinourAdancedMilling Center

Most Experienced ProviderWithmorethanadecadeofexperience,Dr.PalanihasbeencredentialedbytheInternationalCongressofOralImplantologists.HisexperienceinbothCosmetic&ImplantDentistryissecond-to-none.Thousandsofpatientsagree.

Lowest Fees & Highest QualityBecauseDr.Palaniandhisstaffhaveperfectedtheprotocols,hasafull-serviceDentalLab&MillingCenter,andperformstheentireprocedurehimself,hecanofferahigherqualityproductatthebestprice.

TOP 5 REASONS TO CHOOSE DR. GIRI PALANI

310-953-4007 310-953-4007

Helping your family grow is just one of the perks of our job.

Obstetrics and gynecology services you can trust

Call 866-909-DOCS or visit california.providence.org/pmi to learn more about our physicians and office locations.

Trust Providence to bring your bundle of joy into this

world with care and individual attention. Together

with the teams at Providence Little Company of Mary

Medical Centers San Pedro and Torrance, Providence

Medical Institute has helped South Bay women stay

healthy and build families for years.

Our board-certified physicians provide comprehensive

women’s health services, from wellness checkups to

bone density management all in a caring practice.

It’s not just health care, it’s how we care that

sets our team apart.

San Pedro OB-GYN621 Butte St., San Pedro, CA 90732

Reza Askari, M.D. Mehdi Hemmat, M.D. Karen Callahan, N.P.

Axminster OB-GYN20911 Earl St., Suite 440, Torrance, CA 90503

Kenneth Holliman, M.D.Mia Sanders Madati, M.D.Christopher P. Meilleur, M.D.

Torrance OB-GYN20911 Earl St., Suite 220, Torrance, CA 90503

Denise Ishimaru, M.D.Donna Richey, M.D.

4 I

TO

RRA

NC

E TO

DA

Y I

JU

NE

2016

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

SO IT BEGINS...

To the residents of the city of Torrance, this is your magazine.But before we get into what we're doing together, let's start with a brief introduction. My name is Joshua Stecker and I'm the publisher and editor of Torrance Today.

Many moons ago, I was the manager of magazine publications for the Long Beach Press-Telegram where I oversaw a number of small, hyperlocal magazines under the umbrella of the newspaper. In 2008, I, like many other colleagues, became a victim of the stagnant

newspaper industry and was unceremoniously laid off two weeks before Christmas. (Yes, that was no fun.) Not wanting a "regular job," I salvaged from the trash heap one of the hyperlocal magazines I was producing, invested my entire severance check into the first printing bill, gave it a second life and changed the name, thus new, independently-owned San Pedro Today magazine was born.

Being born and raised in San Pedro, that publication became a natural fit for me to lead, and since our first issue in February 2009, we've continued to grow into a successful monthly magazine serving the Port Town located just a few miles south. But after seven years, it was time to grow. So I looked to another city where I grew up, Torrance.

You see, growing up in San Pedro in the 1970s and '80s, Torrance was like Disneyland to me. Whenever my parents or grandparents wanted to go and do something fun, we immediately went to Torrance. There was no mall in San Pedro, so everyone went to Del Amo. There were no toy stores, so we went to Toys"R"Us on Hawthorne. There were no movie theaters, so we had to go to the old Rolling Hills theater. There was no awesome churro place, so we'd go to Old Towne Mall and get churros and ride the carousel. Basically, if San Pedro didn't have it, Torrance did. Many of my fondest childhood memories were made within Torrance's borders. So when thoughts of launching a new publication started to percolate last year, Torrance was on the top of my list.

So, why a Torrance Today magazine? The answer is simple. I firmly believe in the power of hyperlocal news and information. It brings communities together. It makes communities stronger. And in doing so, it helps raise morale and community pride. It provides an opportunity for small businesses to reach their local customer base in an affordable way and it helps the community better understand the place they live and work. I've witnessed this succeed firsthand with my work on San Pedro Today.

The more educated residents and stakeholders are about the place they live and/or work, the better the entire community is for it. Publications like this magazine, and other local periodicals, have the power to inform, educate and entertain. Our mission with Torrance Today is to accomplish all three within each issue.

We want to tell the stories of the people, places and events that make this city special. We want you to get to know the small business owners, teachers, first-responders, politicians, entertainers, artists, corporate executives, basically anyone you may come into contact with, we want to tell their story. Who knows, that story may be yours.

Since this magazine is your magazine, we're going to need some help from the community to make this publication work. There are a few ways you can help this happen:

1. Pitch us stories! – We want to know what you'd be interested in reading about. The best way to do that is to pitch us. Email your story ideas to: contact@torrancetoday.com.

2. Write for us! – Are you an expert in your field and wish to share your knowledge with the community? Are you a freelance journalist and want to contribute in telling these stories? We're looking to grow a stable of columnists and writers to help grow our content. If you're interested, please email us at contact@torrancetoday.com.

3. Sell us! – We're also looking for great part-time sales people to help us grow. If you have sales experience, or if you're a great people-person and would love to parlay that into a new experience, email your resume to contact@torrancetoday.com.

4. Carry us! – If you're a small business owner and wish to have the magazine delivered to you to share with your customers, let us know via email at contact@torrancetoday.com.

5. Support us! – Lastly, if you're a business owner and think this publication would be a great fit to reach your customer base, then support us through advertising. This publication will only grow as much as this community supports it. You can request a media kit by sending an email to ads@torrancetoday.com.

So it begins. I hope this first issue is one of many more to come in the coming months and years. I'm excited to tell your stories and to go on this journey with all of you. This community has given me so much happiness through the years, it's time we give something back. Thanks for reading and for your support. tt

Joshua Stecker is publisher/editor-in-chief of Torrance Today. Letters to the Editor can be emailed to contact@torrancetoday.com.

The Business Services Resource For The South Bay -- We Are Here For You! Call Us, (310) 680-3830

• Recruitment Assistance• Business Services• Job Training

• Transitional Subsidized Employment

• Seeking Career Training• Individuals Seeking Their First Job Or A Better Job• Have A Wide Array Of Free Services At The One Stop

Center• Employers Also Turn To The SBWIB To Publicize Jobs,

Screen And Evaluate Applicants• Visit www.southbay1stop.org To Learn More

www.sbwib.org

JUN

E 2016 I TORRA

NC

E TOD

AY I 5

PRIORITYONEPRINTING ★ COPYING ★ GRAPHICS

350 W. 5th Street, San Pedro (Corner of 5th & Mesa, in the heart of downtown)

310-831-8804

www.PriorityOnePrinting.com

Serving San Pedro’s business and education communities since 1979

Brochures • Stationery • Fliers • Resumés Business Cards • Booklets • Programs

Self-Serve & High Volume CopyingFull Color/Black & White Digital Output

Receive Digital Files Online

Banners • Posters • Rubber Stamps

310.530.3722 1864 Lomita Blvd | Lomita, CA 90717 www.LeesTires.com OPEN: M-F 7:15-5:00 SAT 7:15-1:00

In Business for years

and still going ...JUNE 2016

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJoshua J. Stecker

ART DIRECTOR/PRODUCTION Joseph A. Castañeda

AT-LARGE CONTRIBUTORS Roseanney Liu

PHOTOGRAPHERJohn Mattera Photographywww.johnmatteraphotography.com

CONTACT INFO:PHONE: (424) 224-9063EMAIL: contact@torrancetoday.com Torrance TodayP.O. Box 1168, San Pedro, CA 90733

VOLUME 1 | NUMBER 1

ADVERTISING: General Inquiries: ads@torrancetoday.com Shana Ghekiere - Torrance(310) 753-5176 | shana@torrancetoday.com

Patricia Roberts - San Pedro (outer territories) (562) 964-8166 | patricia@sanpedrotoday.com

Empire22 Media LLCOWNER/PUBLISHERJoshua J. Stecker

Torrance Today publishes the last Thursday of every month and is produced monthly by Empire22 Media LLC. No portion of this publication can be reproduced without written permission by Empire22 Media. 30,000 copies are delivered throughout the City of Torrance. Torrance Today is a product of Empire22 Media LLC. Empire22 Media LLC, their subsidiaries and affiliates are released from all liability that may involve the publication of Torrance Today. Copyright 2016, Empire22 Media LLC.

Shop Local.To advertise, contact: (424) 224-9063 ads@torrancetoday.com www.torrancetoday.com

DEPARTMENTS LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 4

EVENTS 6

FEATURES TEENAGE DRINKING: SHOULD PARENTS 8BE HELD RESPONSIBLE? A social host ordinance, which is already in place in Manhattan Beach, is being considered by the City of Torrance

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! 10Encore, the South Bay's premier children's theatre company, embarks on their 10th anniversary season THE QUEEN OF GIVING BACK 13De De Hicks' life of volunteerism is an inspiration to all ON THE COVER: The Encore production of 'How To Eat Like a Child' (photo: courtesy Encore)

6 I

TO

RRA

NC

E TO

DA

Y I

JU

NE

2016

TORRANCE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS 'SELF HELP' June 3-19, Fri-Sat at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Thurs., June 16 at 8 p.m. – Torrance Theatre Company (1316 Cabrillo Ave.) – Hal and Cindy Savage are a married couple of second-rate theatre actors dying to leave behind the world dinner theater for a run at becoming the next big thing in self-help. They reinvent themselves as self-help gurus and become a huge success. Their lives unravel in this hilarious farce, as they try to conceal a body, hold on to their falsely won fame and save their marriage. Tickets: $25. For info and tickets, call (424) 243-6882 or visit www.TorranceTheatreCompany.com.

LACMA ON-SITE: FAMILY ART WORKSHOPS Saturday, June 4, 2016, 10:30 a.m. – Katy Geissert Civic Center Library, Polly Watts Story Theater (3301 Torrance Blvd.) – Join us to make and learn about art. Workshops are led by teaching artists from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. All workshops are free, but space is limited to the first 25 participants. Please contact the Youth Services Department at (310) 618-5964 for more information. CINDERELLA STORYBOOK BALLET (South Bay Ballet)Saturday, June 4 at 2 and 5 p.m., Sunday, June 5, at 2 p.m. – James Armstrong Theatre at Torrance Cultural Arts Center (3330 Civic Center Drive) – This ballet, based on the age old familiar story, is about poor Cinderella, mistreated by her stepmother and two mean, jealous, step-sisters. Tickets: $24. For more info and tickets, call (310) 781-7171 or visit www.sotuthbayballet.org. ARTFUL DAYS - LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF ARTTuesday, June 7, 12 p.m. – George Nakano Theatre (3330 Civic Center Drive) – Ever at a loss for the right words to describe the effects of a painting or sculpture? Wanting to explain an artwork without adding your personal opinions? Let’s start by getting to the core of art. Using art works from LACMA’s permanent collection we will learn the keys to understanding and analyzing art works. FREE. For more info, call (310) 618-2343. YOUNG ARTISTS 2ND ANNUAL CONCERT Thursday, June 9, 8 p.m. – James Armstrong Theatre at Torrance Cultural Arts Center (3330 Civic Center Drive) – Students age 10 through 18 perform and entertain at this very special musical evening. Tickets: $10. For more info and tickets, visit www.yaola.org. THE KAMA 25TH ANNUAL CONCERT (The Korean American Music Academy) Friday, June 10, 7:30 p.m. – James Armstrong Theatre at Torrance Cultural Arts Center

(3330 Civic Center Drive) – FREE. For more info, call (310) 988-9985 'GOSPEL AND MORE' FEATURING ROBERT RAY'S GOSPEL MASS AND MORE (Los Cancioneros Master Chorale) Sunday, June 12, 7 p.m. – James Armstrong Theatre at Torrance Cultural Arts Center (3330 Civic Center Drive) – Los Cancioneros Master Chorale is a mixed chorus that performs in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County whose repertoire ranges from classical to modern. Tickets: $25. For more info, call (310) 781-7171 or De Giebler at (310) 779-3072, or visit www.lcmasterchorale.com CULTURAL ARTS CENTER OPEN HOUSE AND TOURSSaturday, June 18, 11 a.m. – Cultural Arts Center (3330 Civic Center Drive) – Are you stuck in a rut in your exercise routine? Have you always wanted to try a new class, but were afraid to commit to a session? Have you always wondered if you could be the next Monet or Beethoven? Ever wondered what rooms are available for rent at the Cultural Arts Center? Join us for the Cultural Arts Center Open House! FREE. For more info, call (310) 618-2376.

JUNE

Email event info to events@torrancetoday.com. Deadline for the July issue is Friday, June 17. All locations in Torrance unless otherwise noted.

DANCEFEST 2016 (Dance West Dance Studio) Saturday, June 18, 5 p.m. – James Armstrong Theatre at Torrance Cultural Arts Center (3330 Civic Center Drive) – Get ready for an evening of dance at this very special event. Tickets: $17/$15. For more info and tickets, call (310) 781-7171 or visit www.dancewest.org. WELCOME TO THE CIRCUS (The Studio Art of Dance)Sunday, June 19, 2 & 7 p.m.; Monday, June 20, 7 p.m. – James Armstrong Theatre at Torrance Cultural Arts Center (3330 Civic Center Drive) – 'Welcome to the Circus' is a family fun dance concert that will have everyone in the audience dancing and singing along. Life is like a circus and this show will prove just that! Tickets: $23/19/16. For more info and tickets, call (310) 781-7171 or visit www.thestudioartofdance.com.

Combining music with visual arts, the Torrance Art Museum (TAM) continues its monthly concert series Thursday Tunes in June with Strangers on a Saturday Night, an organ trio featuring Carey Frank, Will Brahm, and Jamey Tate. Produced by artist Georgette Gantner, the monthly series started in January as the first musical series of its kind at the museum and will run through December.

“It was obvious that music should be there [in the museum]… it was just perfection to have music and the visual arts there,” said Gantner, who’s grateful for museum curator Max Preisneill’s support. Her intention is “to promote upcoming musicians’ talent in a local setting.” tt

Catch the concert on Thursday, June 23 at 6 p.m. at Torrance Art Museum (3320 Civic Center Drive). Suggested $20 donation. Visit www.TorranceArtMuseum.com for info on upcoming events.

TAM Thursday Tunes: Strangers on a Saturday Night

Strangers on a Saturday Night (photo: Facebook)

JUN

E 2016 I TORRA

NC

E TOD

AY I 7

8 I

TO

RRA

NC

E TO

DA

Y I

JU

NE

2016

by Roseanney Liu

A social host ordinance, which is already in place in Manhattan Beach, is being considered by the City of Torrance

Teenage Drinking: Should Parents Be Held Responsible?

A 14-year-old high school freshman got so intoxicated with tequila with his friend after accessing his parents’ unlocked liquor cabinet that he had to be rushed to the hospital to have his stomach pumped.

A 16-year-old junior regained consciousness on the sidewalk lawn at 4 a.m. in front of a duplex that he doesn’t recognize; the last thing he recalled was downing his fourth beer at a hotel room his friend’s parents booked for them for the winter formal’s after-party.

A 17-old senior woke up in a state of stupor and panic when police raided the house party she’s at. As she scampered off the property through a side gate with a friend, she saw on her phone that the party had already been relocated to another house in west Torrance and tweets had gone live of her disheveled drunken slumber with limbs in awkward positions placed by acquaintances laughing in the photos.

An article in The Daily Breeze (March 25, 2012) cited that in 2011 in the South Bay we lost nine kids between the ages of 16 and 20 from alcohol, drugs or motor vehicle accidents.

To educate teens and parents on the effects of underage drinking and to curb occurrences of risky incidents that derive from such, the social host ordinance – a local law to financially penalize owners of a residence where underage drinking at unruly gatherings takes place – has been active in counties such as Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Diego. Los Angeles County is following suit after Behavioral Health Services (BHS) studies have shown that underage substance abuse in alcohol and marijuana to be one of the biggest health and wellness problems in the county. Data collected from 2007-2009 from BHS’ Manhattan Beach survey indicate that 31% of 485 11th graders have had five or more drinks of alcohol in a row in the past 30 days and that 48% of the same cohort have been drunk or sick after drinking.

Already active and effective in Long Beach, Carson and Lawndale, and implemented in Manhattan Beach since 2007, the purpose of the social host ordinance – drafted by each city’s own city attorney with input from the city’s police department and approved by the city council – is to “educate everyone on how to act responsibly,” according to BHS prevention outreach coordinator Jennifer Harris. Carson has seen a “significant” drop in teen and alcohol-related incidents in the city since its June 2013 implementation of the ordinance.

“One thing we were seeing in the South Bay according to police… parties were getting really big and out of control and that citing the teens caught with alcohol means they would be brought with criminal charges, which involves witnesses and evidence showing proof beyond reasonable doubt. Having a social host ordinance – instead of imposing a criminal charge – is a great [deterrent] tool serving as a civil penalty sending a message to adults in charge or siblings over 21 that minors may not consume alcohol,” explains BHS prevention coordinator Raunda Frank.

Teens are not taking small sips of beer or vodka here and there. When they drink in small groups or at raging parties, peer pressure and the need to blow some steam are leading some to binge drink to the point of alcohol poisoning.

When interviewed by The Daily Breeze in October 2013, Dr. Ian Kramer, a Manhattan Beach father who practices emergency room medicine, had treated two underage drinkers

in Whittier that year (ages 11 and 13) for alcohol poisoning, both near-death cases. The doctor explained that the two had consumed Four Lokos, which are “notorious alcoholic energy drinks popular among youth.”

As Hermosa Beach is trying to place its social host ordinance on the city council’s agenda for a vote, the City of Torrance is drafting its own ordinance that may be modeled after Manhattan Beach’s, which states, “The penalty for hosting a party, or allowing minors to consume alcohol would be $1,000 on the first offense, $2,000 on the second offense, and $5,000 on the third offense.”

The hefty fines alone aren’t the only things that have some parents opposing this social host ordinance. Some parents will rent out hotel rooms for prom parties knowing that alcohol consumption will take place. Some also make light of the issue of minors drinking.

“There are parents who think that since they themselves had alcohol when they were minors, that it’s a social norm to let their kids drink too… [These parents] tend to minimize the issue [of underage drinking and its effects],” said Heather Longridge, BHS prevention specialist.

But these parents might think twice. In 2015, according to the Torrance Police Department, there was just one reported DUI associated with juveniles’ alcohol consumption. It is unclear how many unreported DUIs, vandalism and incidents of assault took place due to teens’ drinking.

Another reason behind the opposition against the social host ordinance lies in parents believing the city has no right in telling them what their children may or may not consume in the privacy of their homes. “Some parents think ‘How dare you… the city telling me how to raise my kids.' They say they know their kids and that drinking is a phase they [the kids] will grow out of,” said Frank.

As an author/consultant on family leadership and emotional intelligence, Jacqueline Huynh, who also serves on the Beach Cities Prevention Community Council that has helped collect signatures to petition for the social host ordinance to be on the Torrance and Hermosa Beach city council’s voting agenda, believes education and prevention for parents and students is key.

“Educating the parents and kids that alcohol can kill is important," advised Huynh. "Parents should model drinking responsibly or reduce their drinking in front of their minor children. In addition, teenagers’ brains are not fully formed yet and alcohol disrupts the brain’s function to self-control, motivate and set goals.”

Frank’s daughter, now graduating college, has said that some teens in high school do get hyped up about unsupervised big, private parties where alcohol and drugs are plentiful but that some peers want to steer clear of that scene and its peer pressure to be under the influence. Prevention outreach coordinator Harris and her team at BHS are raising awareness that education and encouragement for adolescents to stand up for their social responsibility, to say no to substances offered by fellow minors or adults, starts at the middle school level. BHS’ 10-week optional curriculum to educate students has started at Jefferson and Hull Middle Schools.

Intending that the social host ordinance and the BHS’ and Prevention Community Council’s outreach programs will teach youths how to act with social responsibility, Harris hopes that adolescents learn how to tell their peers and adults alike how to say no to alcohol and to prevent injury onto themselves and others. tt

cosmeticsurgery

Botox $10 per unitadministered by Board Certified MD

Financing Plans Available

Breast Surgery • Body Conturing • Tummy Tuck • Eyelids • Face and Nose • Liposuction

Laser Hair Removal • Brown Spot Removal Botox • Restylane • Juvéderm • Perlane

310.540.0144

gerlach-1007-DB-4c.qxd:gerlach-1007-DB-4c 11/15/07 10:15 AM Pa

H O LY T R I N I T Y S C H O O LEDUCATING THE MINDS AND SPIRITS OF OUR CHILDREN

school.holytrinitysp.org

310-833-0703

Holy Trinity School & Preschool1226 W. Santa Cruz Street

San Pedro, CA 90732

school.holytrinitysp.orgbeginning

FALL oF 2016!!

FULL DAYKINDERGARTEN

Science Technology Religion Engineering Art/Athletics Math

Emphasis on

CurriCulum

Cat h o l i C Va lu e s

hi g h aC a d e m i C sta n d a r d s

sh a r e d Fa m i ly Va lu e s

sa F e en V i r o n m e n t

Applicatio sBeing Accepted

Preschool - 6th Grade

please call the officefor more information

310-833-0703310-833-0703

10

I T

ORR

AN

CE

TOD

AY

I J

UN

E 20

16

"Make sure you're loud enough so we can hear you over the music," says Summer Dey Cacciagioni to a young girl singing a song from the Stephen Sondheim musical, Into the Woods. It's 12:30 p.m. on a Saturday, and the rehearsal space at Encore is bustling with elementary and middle school kids full of energy and anxiety as they rehearse this Broadway classic, which will be performed at the beginning of June. "Oh, and please don't turn your back to the audience!"

Cacciagioni is Queen Bee in a hive buzzing with nearly 50 talented kids bouncing off the walls, including two of her daughters. This youth production of Into the Woods will be the first one staged in Encore's black box rehearsal/performance space in their new headquarters off Lomita Blvd. (near Hawthorne) in Torrance. The 5,000 sq. ft. building, tucked away in a business park, is a culmination of a decade's worth of blood, sweat and tears put in by Cacciagioni, her husband Marcelo, and the thousands of children, parents, actors, stagehands, and volunteers that have spent time working on or performing in an Encore production.

"I still can't believe this," Cacciagioni says, eyes welling up as she tours me around the facility and into the new Encore offices. Anyone who's worked with her will tell you, expressing emotion is one of her trademarks, and her emotions are heightened even more by the fact she's currently eight months pregnant with her third child. "All of this you see here used to be run out of my house. It's so crazy to even think about."

It Started With a PaperCacciagioni and her husband founded Encore in 2007, but the nonprofit children's theatre company's roots go back more than a decade before then.

While a freshman at South High School in the early 1990s, Cacciagioni interviewed her musical theatre director, Alex H. Urban, for a school assignment. In the paper, she wrote prophetically about her wish to become a theatre director and run her own youth theatre company. After graduating high school, Cacciagioni began teaching acting classes around Los Angeles and the South Bay. She soon needed a name for her classes, and with the help of her roommates, they settled on Encore, which was not only a performance term, but also an acronym meaning: Educating the Next Class Of Rising Entertainers. Cacciagioni would later earn theatre degrees from El Camino Collage and Chapman University.

In 2007, Urban passed away. The traumatic event of losing her mentor was also the jolt Cacciagioni needed to turn her dreams into action. Having worked in youth theatre for 15 years, Cacciagioni, with the support of her family and friends, officially launched Encore Entertainers (now just Encore), a children's theatre company serving kids all over the South Bay. To date, the theatre company has produced more than 50 main stage productions, with three more (Into the Woods, The Music Man and Much Ado About Nothing) being mounted between now and the end of July.

"Losing my mentor was a turning point for me," says Cacciagioni. "It pushed me to want to do more, to carry on all the things he had taught me." And carry on she did. More than Entertainment, It's an Education A traditional main stage Encore musical production is a mix of adults, teens and elementary school kids. As with any business, including the business of show, there is a pay to play business model in place, which Encore employs.

If one gets past the audition process, there is a tuition fee, usually starting around $495 for one child or adult, per production. The more family members and siblings are involved, the less it is for the next person to perform, and so on. (The fifth family member is free.) There are also nominal, but mandatory, costume fees, ad buys for the program and allotment of tickets for each show that families must purchase and sell (usually 20 tickets per family). It seems like a lot, and it is, but the on stage experience, theatre training, community, and the bevy of other skills required to work in the theatre all come with the price tag, and for many families, it's worth it.

by Joshua Stecker

Encore's production of 'Guys & Dolls' (photo: courtesy Encore)

The elementary school cast of 'Into the Woods' (photo: John Mattera)

That's Entertainment!Encore, the South Bay's premier children's theatre company,

embarks on their 10th anniversary season

We are not commission-driven and there is no misleading hype or pressure.

Come see why we are voted the Number One Mattress Store in the

South Bay for ten years in a row.

Sofa SleepersHeadboardsBed Frames

Storage BedsPlatform Beds

Toppers & Linen

Free Mattress Protector w/ purchase of any set (min. $499)

FREE Delivery • FREE Set-up • FREE Removal

SAN PEDRO/RANCHO PALOS VERDES 28733 S. Western Ave. 310 832-9600REDONDO BEACH 2207 Artesia Blvd. 310 793-2600 goodnightbeds.com

(min. $499)

Your Good Night’s Sleep Is

Ours Too

10 Years In a Row!

serving the entire South Bay Area

Fine, Fresh Flowers

310-833-4300

Celebrate Mother’s Day!

Life is.... Rewarding

Challenging

Hectic

Exhilaratin

Scary

Precious

Awesome

Joyful

Funny

Peaceful

Have

AboutYour

theLife

Talk

Allow me to assist you in taking the first step to having thediscussion about your lifetime and preplanning needs.

Call us for your complimentary Advanced Planning Guide.

www.GreenHillsMemorial.com 27501 S. Western Avenue, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

Contact me to plan ahead or at the sensitive time of need.

g

Robert BobichFamily Services Counselor

(310) 521-4445rbobich@ghmp.com

Learnthe many cemetery options

available for you and your family here at

Green HillsMemorial

Park

Attendone of the

largest events of its kind:31st AnnualGreen Hills

Memorial DayObservance

May 3010:00 a.m.

Secureyour final

resting placeand yourmemorial

markerto properly share your

legacywith others

Documentyour wishes

and organize your own

customizedcelebration

of lifein order to

relieve othersof this burden

Let Me Help You With Your List

Robert BobichFamily Services Counselor

310-521-4445rbobich@ghmp.com

27501 S. Western Avenue Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

Please mention this ad when contacting

me to get your complimentary

PersonalPreference

Guide.

Contact me to provide your family with peace of mind. I provide guidance as you make cemetery plans for the future or at the sensitive time of need.

Let me help protect your family

12

I T

ORR

AN

CE

TOD

AY

I J

UN

E 20

16

"Encore has been a very welcoming and fun place to be and it feels like family," says Amanda, a parent, in a statement on Encore's website. "My daughter, Serenity, has grown so much and learned a lot of great lessons, including a good work ethic. I am thrilled that she now hangs out with such a fantastic group of kids with good ethical standards. She has more close friends now than she ever had attending a public school thanks to Encore."

Cacciagioni claims that more than 20,000 children have worked on an Encore production in their nearly 10 years in existence. The numbers would seem inflated if it weren't for the fact that shows are regularly double or even triple cast, turning a regular cast of 20-30 into 40-60 kids and adults, and many times even more. Add to that the summer workshops, niche performance groups and other non-main stage productions and one can see the reach a unique company like Encore has within the South Bay community. A Well-Rounded EducationTo play with Encore, the commitment isn't just financial. Time – an even more valuable commodity these days – is required as well, and the everyday acts of school, homework and enjoying one's youth can be furious to balance at times.

Knowing this to be the case, and knowing that most of the Encore kids would prefer to be able to accomplish their homework and school duties while still being available to have fun and rehearse, Cacciagioni and the Encore staff developed the Homework Help and Arts Education Program (H2RT). This afterschool program offers kids the chance to study with qualified academic tutors and arts educators. The program even offers a rideshare service that picks up the kids from school and brings them to the Encore headquarters, saving parents the hassle of scheduling carpools or pick up times.

"I love what we're doing with this program," says Cacciagioni. "As far as we know, it's the first of its kind. Kids come, essentially from 3:30-6 p.m. The first hour is tutoring and the second hour is arts education, which is different every day. One day my husband Marcelo will teach stagecraft, the next day it'll be technical theatre where we get to train future light and sound kids, the next day it can be stage make-up. The goal is to send the kids home at 6 p.m. with all their homework done so the parents don't have to worry about it as much and the family can enjoy their evenings together."

Running any business is hard, and Cacciagioni and Encore have had their fair share of ups and downs the last decade. While tuition and ticket sales remain strong and have been able to keep the doors open through the years, what Encore sorely lacks is fundraising help and sponsorship money.

"Tickets, tuition, and fundraising/sponsorships were each supposed to cover a third of the costs to run the company," says Cacciagioni. "Tuition is strong, ticket sales are ok, but we really lack in the sponsorship support. There's only so much we can do. We're starting

our 10th season and we've never had a grant or a big corporate sponsor. Hopefully, we're getting set up where we can apply for a lot more grants. It's tough to get people to see how much we're offering these kids. We offer so much and I'd love to be able to share that with people who are in positions to help us out. Maybe in our 10th year, it'll happen." tt For more information and a performance schedule, visit www.encoreentertainers.org.

Summer Dey Cacciagioni (center) surrounded by members of the cast on 'Into the Woods' (photo: John Mattera)

Summer Dey Cacciagioni (center) surrounded by members of the cast on 'Into the Woods' (photo: John Mattera)

by Roseanney Liu

De De Hicks' life of volunteerism is an inspiration to all

The Queen of Giving Back

A 10-year-old girl watches anxiously toward the hills of Mount Vernon, Iowa, as a neighbor’s house burns down. The cries and yells for hurried instructions and commands to help the family in that house come from all directions. Her heart races as she sees her father and other men in the neighborhood speed up toward the burning house in their farm trucks; her mother and other women gather blankets and run toward the mother and young children dashing out of the blazing, crumbling home, knowing no amount of buckets of water can save it. The women envelope the mom and her young with blankets, shielding them from the smoke and rush them to a wood shed that’s clear of the burning.

It’s after midnight but the girl isn’t tired. Shock and sadness at witnessing a neighbor lose their home prop up her adrenaline. She helps her mother and others clear the wood shed, making the hard, compact space a little more comfortable with blankets, clothes and some furniture neighbors have brought over. This will be the new home for the family until their house is rebuilt. Words of reassurance are said in low voices, a neighbor’s arm wraps tightly around the young mother’s shoulders as they all watch the orange blaze engulf the house up the hill. Men’s eyes are weary but determinedly intuited, “This too shall pass, and the opportunity to rebuild is here.”

Thus begins the inspiration for the little girl’s life motto in helping those in need. Sixty-some years later, that little Iowan girl, De De Hicks, is now widely known and

respected as the Queen of Volunteerism. Her 29-year career with the Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach has not only led to her implementing programs that served myriad of disadvantaged youth and women, developed teens into civic and community leaders of the future, but also shaped the Volunteer Center into a model of excellence that now refers volunteers to over 600 nonprofit agencies.

Hicks' life work with the Volunteer Center is no less than a reflection of what she often said to the youth leaders that go through training at the center, “Don’t ever let anything be ordinary.”

Commending Hicks to be an inspiration, former colleague Sherry Saacke, who worked with Hicks for 25 years and just retired from her post as associate director at the Volunteer Center, said that Hicks “could figure anything out and her intuition never let her down. De De could talk to people of all walks of life and handled every challenge that came her or the Volunteer Center’s way.”

It is not often we see someone who is a Jack or Jill of all trades and who happens to also be a master of all with which they are involved. Hicks is one such master. A young college woman in Colorado in the 1950s, she was courted by and soon fell in love with Allen Hicks, an accounting major at nearby University of Colorado who insisted that a mutual friend of theirs introduce him to Hicks, whose picture in McCall’s Magazine next to her article about gourmet cooking instantly swept Allen off his feet. A year after they met, wedding bells rung and it wasn’t too long after four baby boys, one after another, came bounding through the Hicks household.

In the ‘50s, few women worked outside the home if they had to, but the norm was that the majority of married women made a life out of being a full-time housewife and doting mother. Allen’s career as an accountant took off immediately and Hicks not only made a life, but an art, out of being the lady of the house. She loved taking care of her four active young sons and she developed a knack for entertaining.

“Being a homemaker... I enjoyed it. I loved, and still love, gourmet cooking, interior design, hosting soirees at the house,” beamed Hicks, who made time to be an active member of the neighborhood association and volunteer at the boys’ schools in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Her personal taste is apparent at her light and bright home in Rancho Palos Verdes with Americana artifacts, wallpaper in cheery spring colors, neatly stacked cookbooks and

a collection of small décor ceramic shoes of various materials decking the halls. When her youngest son was graduating high school, however, Hicks' paid work outside

the home began to seriously take shape. She did not realize at that time after a short stint as a women’s wardrobe consultant at Bullocks in Del Amo Mall, that the career of a lifetime was just around the corner.

“I loved raising our boys and I believe homemaking is an art. Every week I’d try a new recipe and I volunteered a lot at the boys’ schools and at various organizations in the area. But there came a time when I thought it would be advantageous or fun to put all the things I learned from volunteering into a career outside the home,” Hicks recounted, her soft, aqua eyes reminiscing.

In 1986, Hicks noticed an ad in the local newspaper soliciting for a new executive director of the Volunteer Center South Bay, and although she felt excited about it and had a feeling it would bring her much fulfillment, she hesitated at the job’s criteria stating that candidates’ needed to have experience in grant writing, which she did not have at the time. Fortunately for the Center, after some encouragement from close friends, Hicks bit the bullet anyway and applied.

As the new executive director for the Center, Hicks faced the immediate challenge of finding a new home for the Center’s location, which moved from occupying two classrooms of an empty school in Torrance to the current location on Cravens Avenue in Old Torrance. After spearheading the capital fundraising effort to refurbish the large-story building on Cravens, she and her staff were thrilled to call it their new base. What was dear to her heart, however, was developing more philanthropic programs that would benefit children.

“I felt we needed something that we could do to help needs in the community, especially the children. So we started Operation Teddy Bear, which began as a holiday program that aided Title I students to have a nice Christmas. But we realized it would be more helpful to provide them things they needed before school started,” explained Hicks

Since its inception in 1994, Operation Teddy Bear has helped more than 81,000 students welcome the first school semester with new backpacks filled with school supplies and age-appropriate books. A labor of love from not only Hicks, but also the volunteers like this writer who spent time soliciting funds from corporations to pay for school supplies and assembling the backpacks full of notebooks, pencils, storybooks, and of course, teddy bears in each pack. In August, Volunteer Center’s largest hall in the back of the building

De De Hicks (photo: Volunteer Center staff)Summer Dey Cacciagioni (center) surrounded by members of the cast on 'Into the Woods' (photo: John Mattera)

14

I T

ORR

AN

CE

TOD

AY

I J

UN

E 20

16

“Non-surgical & No downtime”

PHYSICAL THERAPY MASSAGE THERAPY • CHIROPRACTIC

• ACUPUNCTUREWe accept health INSURANCE

WEIGHT LOSS

METAGENICS MEAL REPLACEMENT PHENTERMINE/ADIPEX

FDA Approved Appetite Control Medication

FACIALS - BOTOX - FILLERS

COOLSCULPTING A Proven Technology Which Safely Delivers

Precisely Controlled Cooling To Gently Target The Fat Cells For A More Sculpted You.

TO BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT

CALL TODAY424.287.5555

1360 W. 6TH ST., STE. 165, SAN PEDRO, 90732

COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION FOR

ANY TREATMENTEXP. 6/30/16

would be full of long conference tables that are stacked with school supplies and canvas bags made by Green Vets, and in systematic lines volunteers would walk up and down the aisles of tables, stuff the backpacks full rulers, #2 pencils and everything you can imagine a first grader needs to go to school with.

Recalling that Hicks was involved in many aspects of Operation Teddy Bear, Volunteer Center’s William Welch, director of the program, said, “On a direct personal level, she loved working with corporations and social groups in the schoolbag packing environment.”

“People like to volunteer and do something hands-on for the community that doesn’t involve being a member of a service club or paying dues to an organization, so Operation Teddy Bear is great for the kids and great for the volunteers too,” explained Hicks, in her genteel voice laced with an Iowan accent.

She recalled how touching some of these deliveries would be. “There was one time when a little boy was really timid around a police officer, as sometimes law enforcement and fire fighters would accompany our volunteers in dropping off the backpacks at these schools. The boy stayed in a corner for a while by himself while the other students were

really excited to be around the officer asking him all these questions. But by end, when our volunteers and the police were getting ready to leave, the little boy came up and gave the officer the biggest hug you can imagine around his leg and you could just see the joy in his eyes.”

Calling Hicks “an extraordinary woman who has made an impact on the lives of people she has met, and not met,” Torrance Chamber of Commerce President Donna Duperron, who’s known Hicks for 18 years and has often heard her praise and thank those that have assisted the Volunteer Center, believes that Hicks' legacy will be remembered for years to come. Living up to her own motto of never let anything you touch be ordinary, Hicks is certainly an extraordinary woman. tt

For more information on how you can help at the Volunteer Center of South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach, visit www.VolCenter.org.

Left: Hicks leads the mailing crew at the Volunteer Center in August 2013; Right: Hicks accepts the Torrance Chamber of

Commerce Citizen of the Year award on October 8, 2015. (photos: Volunteer Center staff)

California’s Largest Restaurant

4 Guinness World Records

Over 1 Million Customers served annually

Waterfront seating for over 2000

Featured on Food Network, Travel Channel, and The Hungry Channel

1190 Nagoya Way, San Pedro, CA 90731 • www.SanPedroFish.com

310.832.4251

YOU CAN NOW ENJOY SAN PEDRO FISH MARKET AT HOME!

Look for us in the seafood section of your local grocery store.

16

I T

ORR

AN

CE

TOD

AY

I J

UN

E 20

16

JerryandLaura.comYour Home Deserves the Best Exposure

310.480.3601JERRYANDLAURA.COM

Your Home Deserves the Best Exposure

LIST YOUR HOME WITH

Jerry and Laura

Our clients love the personal attention they receive from Jerry and Laura from beginning to end. You will receive a suite of free services from Team Jerry and Laura, including a custom property website, interior design, handyman work, and dedicated marketing to local and foreign buyers.

Jerry and Laura will include all of the following at no additional charge:STAGING | 4 TO 20 PAGE PROPERTY BROCHURE | TELEVISION COMMERCIAL

PROPERTY INSPECTION | OVERSEAS ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

LIST YOUR HOME WITH

Jerry and Laura

Jerry and Laura will include all of the following at no additional charge:STAGING | 4 TO 20 PAGE PROPERTY BROCHURE | TELEVISION COMMERCIAL

PROPERTY INSPECTION | OVERSEAS ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

Our clients love the personal attention they receive from Jerry and Laura from beginning to end.You will receive a suite of free services from Team Jerry and Laura, including a custom property website, interior design, handyman work and dedicated marketing to local and foreign buyers.

Landscape Architecture by Mark Scott Associates, Newport Beach, CA