Posts by Mark McDermott
Thus Spoke Joe Pug
The next great American songwriter-poet fully arrives with his new album, The Great Despiser Four years ago, a 23-year-old carpenter from Chicago snuck into a recording studio where his buddy worked. On nights when musicians had cancelled their slots, Joe Pug sang his first songs, and recorded them, for free. The very first song on…
Read MoreCartoonist Matt Wuerker, a Palos Verdes native and Easy Reader alum, wins Pulitzer Prize
Matt Wuerker, an editorial cartoonist from Palos Verdes, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize on Monday for what the award committee described as “his consistently fresh, funny cartoons, especially memorable for lampooning the partisan conflict that engulfed Washington.” Wuerker works for Politico, an online-only political journalism organization based in Washington D.C., where he has drawn cartoons…
Read MoreEdison questioned over voltage issues in Redondo Beach
A meeting intended to be informational turned confrontational Monday night as nearly 200 residents stormed a library conference room to demand answers – and action – from Southern California Edison regarding the alleged ill-health effects surrounding its electrical substation and power lines on Knob Hill Avenue. The meeting, organized by City Councilman Steve Aspel, brought…
Read MoreAngel girl: Manhattan Beach’s Alex Curry becomes the face of the Los Angeles Angels
In the mid-1990s, a feral-eyed dark-haired girl could be found running through the trees surrounding Sand Dune Park in north Manhattan Beach. Her family, the Currys, lived on the street just above the park.
Read More“Goon”: it’s not what you think [MOVIE REVIEW]
“Goon” is that most surprising of movies, one where the expectations aren’t terribly high for any one of a number of reasons; but then for those very same reasons, there is that hint of possibilities. I am happy to report that “Goon” far exceeds expectation and fulfills all of its possibilities. “Goon” tells the story…
Read MoreThe LA Flamenco Festival regales Redondo Beach [PHOTOS]
The 3rd Annual Los Angeles Flamenco Festival came and went this weekend at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, attracting robust crowds Saturday and Sunday evening with performances by, among others, superstar guitarist Vicente Amigo and dancers Nino de los Reyes and Carola Zertuche.
Read MoreThe Los Angeles Flamenco Festival takes flight in Redondo Beach this weekend
The historic Los Angeles Flamenco Festival, featuring a rare California appearance by the legendary Vicente Amigo and the innovative LA-based Adam del Monte, kicks off this weekend at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.
Read MoreThe man who quit money (and the writer who told his tale)
Former river guide and Manhattan Beach native Mark Sundeen delivers a myth for our times – one that happens to be a true story.
Read MoreConversation with a flamenco master: Vicente Amigo performs in Redondo Beach at the LA Flamenco Festival
The legendary guitarist Vicente Amigo will headline the two-day Los Angeles Flamenco Festival this weekend at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center.
Read MoreBest Park: Polliwog Park
Polliwog Park boasts 18 acres, making it the largest park in the South Bay. It’s a perfect spot for afternoon picnics, families can visit the park’s pond and wildlife area. Community-wide events are often held at Polliwog, including concerts and weddings. Residents can hold birthday parties or family reunions at one of the park’s three…
Read MoreBest Camera Store: Paul’s Photo
“I’ve been coming here since the ‘60s,” said Glen Combs who no longer lives in the area, but still drives to Torrance to get his cameras fixed. “They know what they’re talking about.” The store itself has been around since 1961 with Paul Comon at the helm throughout the entire time. The shop has been…
Read MoreBest Kids Beach Camp: Hammerhead Beach Camp
Bruce Kocsis, a 24-year L.A. County Lifeguard and Jamie Bateman, a preschool teacher founded Hammerhead Beach Camp 16 years ago. Their camps — Hammerheads, Minis and Guard Prep, are for children ages four to 13. Their number one priority is safety and they provide higher-than-required camper/counselor ratios, cordoned-off areas for activities and canopies for shade.…
Read MoreBest Kids Birthday Party Location: Scooter’s Jungle
Scooter’s Jungle wins the prize for best kids’ birthday party location because of their family friendly environment. They offer “worry-free” parties and special events featuring huge inflateable jumpers and permanent structures that include the tallest and longest indoor inflateable slides in the area. They also offer homemade pizza and other treats. Not only are their…
Read MoreBest Public School: Mira Costa
Mira Costa High School Principal Ben Dale had just landed in New York City when notified that our readers voted Costa the best public school in the South Bay – he was traveling with more than a hundred students of the school’s Vocal Ensemble and Festival Choir, who were set to perform at Carnegie Hall…
Read MoreBest Nursery: Deep Roots
Deep Roots – under different names and owners – has been at the corner of Sepulveda and 2nd Street in Manhattan Beach for nearly a half century. Current owner Jon Bell started working there as a 13-year-old Mira Costa student in 1997. The business had deteriorated by the time Bell and his family bought it…
Read MoreiRocke: two Hermosa Beach businessmen help shape the future of the music industry
Two years ago, Allen Sanford made a rare admission for an entrepreneur who’d staked his livelihood on deliberately careful decision-making and done so quite successfully, launching local clubs Saint Rocke and Union Cattle Company along with his brother Jed and a group of friends by the time he’d turned 30. Sanford was about to start…
Read More