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. 7, No. 7 July 3, 2014 Inside This Issue Calendar................................2 Certified and Licensed Professionals.......................4 Classifieds............................6 Community Briefs...............2 Finance..................................6 Food.......................................5 Looking Up...........................2 Pets........................................7 Women at Work..................3 Weekend Forecast The Manhattan Beach Chamber installed 5 new board members and 2 returning board members on June 12, 2014 for a three year term beginning July 1, 2014. Joining the current Board of Directors are Kyle King of Shorewood Realtors, Charles Gale of Metropolitan Water District, Chandra Shaw of Trilogy Spa, Tiffany Mesko of Manhattan Denim, and Bridget Bloom from Residence Inn. Darrell Sperber from Manhattan Beach Toyota/Scion and Adam Goldberg of Fresh Brothers Pizza will be taking on a second term with the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Nancy Vrankovic Catering and Events Director for Simms Restaurants will be taking over as the Chair of the Board. Photo by Lori Tostado. Veteran Takes a Hike for Heroes By Dylan Little Taking a hike is usually a way to escape the pressures and responsibilities of everyday life and look inward; however, for Mike Viti, his cross-country trek has a bigger purpose. He is trying to raise awareness and honor the servicemen and women who gave their lives in the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as garnering support for their families. Viti started hiking on April 26 in DuPont, Washington, and will be hiking 7,100 kilometers to Baltimore, Maryland, in memory of the American servicemembers who have given their lives as part of the struggle against terrorism. The distance of his hike corresponds to the number of military personnel that have been killed in theses conflicts. Along the way he will be dedicating one kilometer each to an individual service member, whose names he will add to a set of flags which he plans to present during the Army versus Navy football game. Viti said the inspiration for this monumental trip came from reflecting on the freedoms he can enjoy due to the sacrifices of his fellow servicemembers. “When I left the service last spring it gave me a new appreciation and a new lens to look out of to appreciate the freedom that I have,” said Viti. “The reason I have those freedoms is the 6,816 heroes who gave absolutely everything. The best thing I could think of is to pay tribute and honor them. I want to walk a kilometer for each one of them through their hometowns and across the country they swore an oath of allegiance to protect.” He hopes his hike will bring attention to the sacrifice that service members killed in action made for their nation as well as grow support for families that lost members during the conflict. Viti would like to see all Americans reach out to “Gold Star” families that are still grappling with the loss of a loved one and listen to their story and thank them for their sacrifices. “I don’t think that story is told enough . . . just because that solider is gone doesn’t mean there isn’t anything you can do for him,” said Viti. “What we can do as Americans . . . is we can always reach out to [Gold Star families] and let them know their son’s legacy, their husband’s legacy is alive.” Another goal of the project is to create memorials in the hometowns of service members killed in action, like Torrance’s own Seaside Heroes Park, which in a Facebook post he said was “an amazing monument. . . that stands to honor three local Heroes who sacrificed their lives in preservation of everything that makes being an American so fulfilling our Country so beautiful.” On June 29 Viti made a stop at the park to meet with the families of the two of three heroes to whom the park is dedicated. The families of Joseph Anzack Jr. and Matthew C. Ferrara added their sons’ names to the remembrance flags Viti hikes with and shared a little about their sons’ lives and what it means to them to be a Gold Star family. Joseph Anzack Sr. said a major part of it is reaching out to those who served and thanking them. “Being part of a Gold Star family is a big thing,” said Anazack Sr. “To have your head up high, to walk through it and to honor our loved ones as best we can. And also to say thank you to the people who have served and been though the stuff I have never been through and I’m fortunate to have never been through.” Veterans and supporters of all types attended the gathering at Seaside Heroes Park to thank the Anzacks and Ferraras for their sacrifices as well as to honor service members that have touched their own lives. While the gathering was a special moment, Viti was truly surprised the night before, when he was about to add a name to his flag. He was staying with the Ferraras and found out the next name he was to write on his flag was that of Lt. Matthew Ferrara. “There’s no way I would’ve been able to time this. Today is the sixty-fourth day and I’m on the Fs. Sure enough in their backyard, where Matthew grew up, I wrote Lt. Matthew Ferrara,” said Viti. “It’s one of those moments where it’s not about you. This project is not about me, I’m a vehicle. I just ask everyone to raise awareness and to connect with people.” While Viti is leaving Torrance behind, he’s still got months of hiking ahead of him. He’s documenting the journey at his website http://www.mikeshikingforheroes.com, as well as Facebook https://www.facebook. com/Mikeshikingforheroes. His website also allows you to donated to help Viti on the road and to fund future memorials. • Friday Sunny 80˚/66˚ Saturday AM Clouds / PM Sun 82˚/67˚ Sunday AM Clouds / PM Sun 81˚/67˚ Manhattan Beach Chamber Announces New Board Members
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