TORRANCE TRIBUNE August 30, 2012 Page 11 Downtown Torrance Market Place Draws A Student’s Perspective Crowd, Creates High Expectations It’s Almost that Time of Year Again By Cristian Vasquez to the City and they said ‘Sure, we’ll try it,’ Vendors, local owners and curious residents and that’s how it started. It took a full year By Glen Abalayan, final week. On this day, students meet missed filled El Prado Avenue, between Post and for me to take over the street, but the City Torrance High School Student friends for a brief moment while they turn Sartori, for Torrance’s first Downtown Market has been very supportive.” Notebooks for five cents, backpacks for in their enrollment documents. One of these Place. The first gathering was hosted on For Mary Feuer, one of the vendors and $20, computers for $300! The ushering of documents is the student’s class schedule. Thursday, August 9 and is scheduled to take new business owner in Torrance, these types the massive deals on office supplies can only The distribution of schedules to students place every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. of events are more about building relationships mean one thing--the end of summer and the reminds them of summer’s own ephemerality “This will bring people out in the in the community than they are about just start of school. Nine weeks after the glorious by summarizing what programs they will community,” local business owner and making money. “It is things like these that start of summer comes the last few days of participate in for the next nine months. The founder of the Downtown Torrance Market will slowly become the center of community summer, a period in which students prepare schedule roughly includes which class takes Place Michael Shafer said. “It will become life around here,” Feuer said. “You see the themselves for the upcoming school year by up which period and does not state who the a centerpiece for our community and it will same people come through every time and investing in new school supplies and clothes. teacher is. Upon receiving their schedule, most help all the businesses by bringing people people say hi. When you are selling antiques But on top of doing such enjoyable activities, students compare the results and look with who did not even know that Downtown and older things, a lot of people might have the last week of school also sparks a great delight or anguish once they find out their Torrance exists.” similar items at home or it reminds them of panic for students who have procrastinated friend is or isn’t in the same class. But as they The Market Place is heading into its third when they were a kid, so you have a lot of on assignments such as summer homework or compare schedules, students ask each other, week of existence and yet it has managed to interesting conversations with people. That is summer reading. This delicate time period is “Where has summer gone?” Another sign of draw a considerable amount of vendors with definitely part of the fun. For the community, looked by many as the most hectic and chaotic summer’s last hurrah are the back-to-school a variety of items including vegetables, fruits, aside from the economic aspect of it, it keeps part of summer. sales attracting parents.AAOS NewsBW64375x45Speak 12/29/06 10:37 AM Page 1 arts and crafts, vintage clothing and vintage people from isolation. Old Town is like living Registration Day is the first sign of summer’s See Student, page 12 items, among other things. There will also be in a small town and this is the day we really live music featured and an antique appraiser providing their services for a nominal fee. After tackling the formalities and legal Talk much with your doctor? come up short.Communication between doctors and patients canbe powerful medicine. But too often, both partiesget to play it as if we were a small town.”requirements with the City, Shafer had to take“That is very awesome to have this in Downtown Torrance,” vendor and Torrance on the task of attracting enough vendors to Patients should come to appointments prepared resident Mary Modglin said. “There are a organize the event. The well-known Torrance with questions written down in advance and a list lot of friendly people and they do stop and resident, business owner and philanthropist of all current medications and allergies. visit with you. It’s a great way to meet your expressed his satisfaction with the response Doctors can do more, too, starting with listening neighbors too. I do live in Torrance, so I do from vendors, whom he describes as being very a medical dictionary to understand.better and using language patients don’t need see some of my neighbors.” positive from the very beginning. “Reaching Better communication lets doctors and patients Shafer was inspired and determined to out to the vendors was easy--with the Internet, assess treatment options more clearly, and make organize this event after a trip he took. you can find anybody to do anything within a shared decisions as partners. However due to legalities and requirements minute,” Shafer said. “Last week, we had the A public service message from the American necessary to organize an event of this nature grand opening and it went very well. There Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, where Patient- where streets are closed off, the process to are people out here today and I am happy Centered Care means getting better together. get the market started was not simple. again. The shoppers are here and we just Care, visitorthoinfo.org.For more information on Patient-Centered “About three years ago, I was up at San have to get the word out so that everybody Luis Obispo and they had a market that was knows that we have everything. We have all similar to what I wanted to do where they kinds of stuff.” had food vendors, artisans, antiques and all For Modglin, meeting new people and sorts of stuff,” Shafer said. “It was just a making new acquaintances is her favorite aspect great way for the City to come out, hang of setting up for these types of events. Having out and things like that. So I started talking See Downtown, page 12 310.606.8000 | BankManhattan.com 2141 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 1100 El Segundo, California 90245 NMLS #401422 ©2012 Bank of Manhattan, N.A.
Torrance 8.30.12
To see the actual publication please follow the link above