The Weekly Newspaper of Manhattan Beach Herald Publications - El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hawthorne, Lawndale, & Inglewood Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 Vol. 10, No. 8 August 4, 2016 Inside This Issue Certified and Licensed Professionals...................6 Check it Out.........................2 Classifieds............................2 Film Review..........................2 Finance..................................4 Pets........................................7 Seniors..................................3 Sports....................................5 Weekend Forecast Our Nearby Mountains Bid Happy Trials By Rob McCarthy South Bay companies and commercial tenants are reaping the rewards of a sustainable-business challenge that asked them to think hard about how their dayto day operations affect their communities and the environment. Participants in the Green Building Challenge say they’ve gained a new appreciation for sustainable practices for their employees, customers and communities. The yearlong pilot program was created by the South Bay Cities Council of Governments, and is scheduled to end Aug. 31. A reception for the participants will be held Sept. 28 at the Automobile Driving Museum, which accepted the challenge to do more with fewer nonrenewable resources. “This opportunity was perfect for what I was hoping to accomplish,” said special events director Kobi Albert with the El Segundo auto museum. “Having done extensive research on venues such as Staples Center, The Verizon Center and Olympic venues, I knew there was By Rob McCarthy The largest urban national park in the country is right here in the South Bay, hidden in plain view for many who zoom past on the drive to Malibu or through the Sepulveda Pass. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area offers tranquility, sweeping vistas and ranger-led nature walks to those willing to unplug from their mobile devices and revisit a simpler time. SAMO National Recreation Area is staffed by the U.S. Parks Service, state, local and private interests. Nearly 800,000 people visited last year, generating $34 million for the local economy and businesses, according to the National Park Service. The hiking and biking trails, visitor center and the western town at the Paramount Ranch are popular with visitors and appreciated by local businesses, according to Superintendent David Szymanski. “The scenic vistas of the Santa Monica Mountains inspire thousands of people to visit each week,” he said. “We are delighted that so many visitors enjoy our park and also that their visits have such a positive impact on the local economy.” SAMO is one of 400 national parks, even though it’s designated a recreation area. It begins at the Getty Center, running through Malibu and up to Point Mugu in Oxnard. The most popular hikes are accessible from Pacific Coast Highway, and Temescal Canyon Park is one of them - 25 minutes from El Segundo. Admission is free in the federal park areas, and some areas charge between $5 and $12 for parking. Check the web site at https://www.nps.gov/samo/planyourvisit/ feesandreservations.htm for prices if you go. Hikers, bikers and equestrian riders share 500 miles of trails, and there is so much to see and do here. Cell phone service is spotty in the mountains, and hikers should bring water and food. Many trails run a mile or two, and are easy to walk. The longest one - Backbone Trail - runs 67 miles and park officials held a grand opening on June 4. The trail from Los Angeles to Ventura South Bay Companies Take the Green Building Challenge a huge opportunity here to reduce the operational costs by changing the energy usage and to become a more sustainable and efficient venue.” The Green Building Challenge supports area businesses and points them to rebates and discounted-rate programs through Southern California Edison and the Gas Company. The challenge is less of a competition, and more of a network of 150 participating companies, organizations and cities that want to know more - and maybe do more - good for the planet and their communities. “It’s almost like we needed to join the challenge to energize that spark to make the necessary changes,” said Albert. The museum’s current exhibit through July 31 is about the electric car, and the venue is now using recycled plastic cups, and re-introduced a recycling bin for glass and plastic bottles. The changes aren’t only happening inside either, according to Albert. “We want to change the green spaces in See Green, page 4 County took 40 years to finish, with donations of private land and volunteers playing a major role. The most popular areas of the recreation area are the visitors center, the Paramount Ranch and Malibu Creek State Park, all of which have drinking fountains and public restrooms. The visitors center is free to visit and explains the history, the wildlife and plant diversity of the recreation area. The airconditioned center opened in 2012 and offers a short 12-minute movie about SAMO, natural history exhibits, free maps and a gift shop. It is located at the King Gillette Ranch, 26876 Mulholland Highway in Calabasas, and is easily reached from Malibu. Take Las Virgenes Road from PCH at Pepperdine University, and head east through the winding canyon. The visitor center is a good place to get introduced to the SAMO recreation area, and the staff are helpful and will answer questions and point newcomers in the right direction. Directly across the road is Malibu Creek State Park, where the television show “M*A*S*H” was filmed. The hike to the “M*A*S*H” site is moderate difficulty and runs uphill for the last couple of miles. A local preservation group has made the trek worth the effort, though, by restoring the filming location and installing the 4077 camp’s milepost featured in the longrunning series. You won’t see the surgical tents, but there are markers showing where See Happy Trials, page 3 A Lovely Day on the Bike Path People are our enjoying volleyball and biking riding along the beach on a beautiful sunny day. Photo by Peter Thornton. Friday, August 5 Partly Cloudy 73˚/64˚ Saturday, August 6 Sunny 75˚/64˚ Sunday, August 7 Sunny 76˚/65˚
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