Our Town 2015_

ARTS

14 OUR TOWN OUR TOWN 15

By Deborah Paul

WHEN Palos Verdes Penin-sula High School senior Kyle Kazmark tested positive for non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 6, he never forgot how the lives of family members changed.

After chemotherapy, mul-tiple relapses and eventually a perfect 6-out-of-6-rated bone marrow transplant from his sister Krystal, he is now cancer free. The 18-year-old said he once spent a lonely 45 days in isolation at UCLA during an aggressive treatment plan. His family constantly visited, but also discovered how lonely the hospital could be.

To that end, 11 years ago Kyle became the inspiration and driving force behind Cop-ing Care, a 501C-3 nonprofit organization spearheaded by his mother, Mary Kazmark, that offers support to cancer patients and their families.

These days, Kyle is thriv-ing and grateful to beat the statistics. He is determined to give hope to other parents and children undergoing life-alter-ing cancer treatments.

Everything is going good for me now, said Kyle, who received his treatment from Miller Childrens & Womens Hospital Long Beach. We go into Child Life services play-

room and treat the parents of the kids who are in the oncol-ogy unit. The reason I go into the rooms is because when the families see me, they see there is hope, and that they can beat the cancer.

Coping Care holds an annual event around Mothers Day when the group, including Kyles parents Craig and Mary and sister Krystal, provides a party-like atmosphere. Angels supply a festive lunch while mothers can get their hair and nails done by professional styl-ists, manicurists and receive back rubs from massage thera-pists. The Kazmark family also supplies extensive gift bags for mothers and the kids.

Kyles gone so far as to shave his head a few times at the same time the kids go through their treatments, said Mary Kazmark, who, along with her husband are currently the main funders of the endeavor.

Clinical Operations manager Rita Goshert, a 28-year em-ployee who oversees the Childs Life Department at the hospital, said she has seen the program grow and flourish as the Angels out-do themselves every year. She also remembers Kyle as a patient.

We make sure the kids have wonderful things to do, but this is an extension of the programs by supporting and pamper-ing the parents, Goshert said. There are moms who come out in tears and tell us they havent

had their hair done in months. As the Kazmark family grows

its legacy of helping parents and young cancer patients, plans are being laid for fund-raising that will allow them to visit more hospitals and hold more events during the year. Work is almost complete on a new website, CopingCare.org, where interested donors can

become part of this grassroots effort.

We did this on our own the first 11 years, said Kyle, who plans to begin emergency medical technician training at the Southern California Regional Occupational Center after he graduates next year. If we had help from other people, we could do so much more.

PHILANTHROPY

KYLES GIFTStudent gives hope to families and children battling major illnesses

STEPHEN CARRKyle Kazmark

16 OUR TOWN 2016 |PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS

By Deborah Paul

WHEN Palos Verdes Penin-sula High School senior Kyle Kazmark tested positive for non-Hodgkin lymphoma at age 6, he never forgot how the lives of family members changed.

After chemotherapy, mul-tiple relapses and eventually a perfect 6-out-of-6-rated bone marrow transplant from his sister Krystal, he is now cancer free. The 18-year-old said he once spent a lonely 45 days in isolation at UCLA during an aggressive treatment plan. His family constantly visited, but also discovered how lonely the hospital could be.

To that end, 11 years ago Kyle became the inspiration and driving force behind Cop-ing Care, a 501C-3 nonprofit organization spearheaded by his mother, Mary Kazmark, that offers support to cancer patients and their families.

These days, Kyle is thriv-ing and grateful to beat the statistics. He is determined to give hope to other parents and children undergoing life-alter-ing cancer treatments.

Everything is going good for me now, said Kyle, who received his treatment from Miller Childrens & Womens Hospital Long Beach. We go into Child Life services play-

room and treat the parents of the kids who are in the oncol-ogy unit. The reason I go into the rooms is because when the families see me, they see there is hope, and that they can beat the cancer.

Coping Care holds an annual event around Mothers Day when the group, including Kyles parents Craig and Mary and sister Krystal, provides a party-like atmosphere. Angels supply a festive lunch while mothers can get their hair and nails done by professional styl-ists, manicurists and receive back rubs from massage thera-pists. The Kazmark family also supplies extensive gift bags for mothers and the kids.

Kyles gone so far as to shave his head a few times at the same time the kids go through their treatments, said Mary Kazmark, who, along with her husband are currently the main funders of the endeavor.

Clinical Operations manager Rita Goshert, a 28-year em-ployee who oversees the Childs Life Department at the hospital, said she has seen the program grow and flourish as the Angels out-do themselves every year. She also remembers Kyle as a patient.

We make sure the kids have wonderful things to do, but this is an extension of the programs by supporting and pamper-ing the parents, Goshert said. There are moms who come out in tears and tell us they havent

had their hair done in months. As the Kazmark family grows

its legacy of helping parents and young cancer patients, plans are being laid for fund-raising that will allow them to visit more hospitals and hold more events during the year. Work is almost complete on a new website, CopingCare.org, where interested donors can

become part of this grassroots effort.

We did this on our own the first 11 years, said Kyle, who plans to begin emergency medical technician training at the Southern California Regional Occupational Center after he graduates next year. If we had help from other people, we could do so much more.

PHILANTHROPY

KYLES GIFTStudent gives hope to families and children battling major illnesses

STEPHEN CARRKyle Kazmark


SCHOOLS

PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS| OUR TOWN 201617

Cameron Fox and Yesica Alvarez have fun on the campus of Palos Verdes High School.

ED PILOLLA

Cole Bryant, 18, works during a

statistical analysis class inside Peninsula High

Schools new S.M.E.R.T. classrooms that focus

on engineering and technology.

BRAD GRAVERSONSALVADOR PANIAGUA

Students spend time outdoors at Chadwick School.

ROBERT CASILLAS The Rolling Hills Prep sailing team practices in the Redondo Harbor, with Cade Morris leaning back as he steers.

1956 2016

Palo

s Verdes Peninsula

Cham

ber of Comm

erce

The new childrens garden will have 16 areas, including an out-door classroom, water spiral, food garden, climbing nets, fossil digs and more.

In 2013, the foundation took over management of the guest ser-vices center, rentals and filming.

In addition to renovations and new projects, the garden is evolv-ing as a community venue.

A zombie charity run, Valen-tines Day Sweethearts Stroll and a Frozen screening are just some events that have drawn visitors to the garden. There was even a stargazing party after a lecture on Pluto by Griffith Observatory Director E.C. Krupp.

I think if those same people in 1960 would have looked ahead to

see what we were doing, they prob-ably would have never guessed we would have zombies running around the garden or a dozen tele-scopes looking into the night sky, Nakashima said.

There is now a new interest in what the South Coast Botanic Garden is.

Next year, from Feb. 19 to May 8, the garden will host Nature Connects, an exhibit of nature-themed sculptures made entirely of LEGOs.

Efforts to bring new life to the garden are paying off.

Since Nakashima arrived, mem-bership has more than doubled to almost 5,000, and family member-ships are especially are popular.

People are hearing about (the

garden), and its great, Nakashima said. It means our efforts are working. I love seeing that people are now approaching us because they do see us as that community resource.

The challenge, Nakashima

said, will be keeping an ear to the ground to respond to change and of course, fundraising.

Thats whats going to keep the doors open and will continue to help us be that resource in the next 50-plus years to come.

One of Nakashimas first orders of business was to embark on a col-laborative effort to update the gardens long-range vision, which includes a $2 million renovation of the Rose Garden, a new native plants garden and a nearly 3-acre interactive childrens garden, which still needs $17 million to be completed.

When I interviewed, one of the things that they told me and that they were very proud of was that the South Coast Botanic Garden is the South Bays best kept secret and I thought, Thats unfortunate, Nakashima said. Were trying to let the secret out.

Nakashima, who led PR and mar-keting for the Los Angeles Ortho-paedic Hospital and development for the Special Olympics of Southern California, is tasked with guiding the garden well into the future and secur-ing funds to see it through.

Before the South Coast Botanic Garden was founded on the Palos Verdes Landfill site in 1960, it was an open-pit mine for diatomaceous earth. It became a hub for horticul-tural interests, hosting flower shows, plant societies and serving as a go-to spot for specialty plants.

A lot of that history still exists today, said Nakashima, who grew up in Torrance and volunteered at the garden when she was a student at Bishop Montgomery High School. We do still have those groups. They serve a purpose. However, we have to accommodate to the changing times.

For 50 years, the 87-acre Palos Verdes Peninsula institution had sub-sisted largely on memberships. But with big box gardening stores down

the Hill and answers to horticultural questions a Google search away, Na-kashima understood that the gardens role needed to evolve.

Designing for the shifting landfill site can be expensive, and Nakashima wants to set up endowments for ongo-ing maintenance.

Today, the urban oasis has more than 2,500 plant species in dozens of gardens and collections. Over 20 plant societies and clubs remain active.

18 OUR TOWN 2016 |PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS PALOS VERDES PENINSULA NEWS| OUR TOWN 201619

By Megan Barnes

WHEN Adrienne Lao Nakashima was hired as chief executive officer at the South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation in 2010, she was surprised the nonprofit didnt have fundraising staff, a marketing budget or even a social media presence. Since then, a new season has swept into the garden.

NATURE

FRESH GROWTH IN THE GARDEN

PHOTOS BY STEVE MCCRANKAdrienne Nakashima, South Coast Botanic Garden CEO

Carolyn Marchi, left, and Elizabeth Candelaria, right, of Long Beach stroll through the rose garden at the South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The garden celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010; today plans are being made for the next 50 years.

The new childrens garden will have 16 areas, including an out-door classroom, water spiral, food garden, climbing nets, fossil digs and more.

In 2013, the foundation took over management of the guest ser-vices center, rentals and filming.

In addition to renovations and new projects, the garden is evolv-ing as a community venue.

A zombie charity run, Valen-tines Day Sweethearts Stroll and a Frozen screening are just some events that have drawn visitors to the garden. There was even a stargazing party after a lecture on Pluto by Griffith Observatory Director E.C. Krupp.

I think if those same people in 1960 would have looked ahead to

see what we were doing, they prob-ably would have never guessed we would have zombies running around the garden or a dozen tele-scopes looking into the night sky, Nakashima said.

There is now a new interest in what the South Coast Botanic Garden is.

Next year, from Feb. 19 to May 8, the garden will host Nature Connects, an exhibit of nature-themed sculptures made entirely of LEGOs.

Efforts to bring new life to the garden are paying off.

Since Nakashima arrived, mem-bership has more than doubled to almost 5,000, and family member-ships are especially are popular.

People are hearing about (the

garden), and its great, Nakashima said. It means our efforts are working. I love seeing that people are now approaching us because they do see us as that community resource.

The challenge, Nakashima

said, will be keeping an ear to the ground to respond to change and of course, fundraising.

Thats whats going to keep the doors open and will continue to help us be that resource in the next 50-plus years to come.

One of Nakashimas first orders of business was to embark on a col-laborative effort to update the gardens long-range vision, which includes a $2 million renovation of the Rose Garden, a new native plants garden and a nearly 3-acre interactive childrens garden, which still needs $17 million to be completed.

When I interviewed, one of the things that they told me and that they were very proud of was that the South Coast Botanic Garden is the South Bays best kept secret and I thought, Thats unfortunate, Nakashima said. Were trying to let the secret out.

Nakashima, who led PR and mar-keting for the Los Angeles Ortho-paedic Hospital and development for the Special Olympics of Southern California, is tasked with guiding the garden well into the future and secur-ing funds to see it through.

Before the South Coast Botanic Garden was founded on the Palos Verdes Landfill site in 1960, it was an open-pit mine for diatomaceous earth. It became a hub for horticul-tural interests, hosting flower shows, plant societies and serving as a go-to spot for specialty plants.

A lot of that history still exists today, said Nakashima, who grew up in Torrance and volunteered at the garden when she was a student at Bishop Montgomery High School. We do still have those groups. They serve a purpose. However, we have to accommodate to the changing times.

For 50 years, the 87-acre Palos Verdes Peninsula institution had sub-sisted largely on memberships. But with big box gardening stores down

the Hill and answers to horticultural questions a Google search away, Na-kashima understood that the gardens role needed to evolve.

Designing for the shifting landfill site can be expensive, and Nakashima wants to set up endowments for ongo-ing maintenance.

Today, the urban oasis has more than 2,500 plant species in dozens of gardens and collections. Over 20 plant societies and clubs remain active.


By Megan Barnes

WHEN Adrienne Lao Nakashima was hired as chief executive officer at the South Coast Botanic Garden Foundation in 2010, she was surprised the nonprofit didnt have fundraising staff, a marketing budget or even a social media presence. Since then, a new season has swept into the garden.

NATURE

FRESH GROWTH IN THE GARDEN

PHOTOS BY STEVE MCCRANKAdrienne Nakashima, South Coast Botanic Garden CEO

Carolyn Marchi, left, and Elizabeth Candelaria, right, of Long Beach stroll through the rose garden at the South Coast Botanic Garden on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The garden celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2010; today plans are being made for the next 50 years.

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The winner of the 2015 Our Town photo contest is Richard Seamans, who died suddenly Sept. 27 while hiking in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Yosemite National Park. Seamans, 73, of Rolling Hills Estates, was traveling with a close friend, Robert Tolone, who is also a featured photographer in the contest. Photographers were informed of selection Sept. 25.

Photos reveal the world as the photographer sees it through the viewfinder. Richard was a retired attorney who skied, hiked and played tennis. But more than anything in retirement, he enjoyed snapping photos of the places he hiked and traveled.

Thank you to Richard, and all photographers who submitted images, for sharing your worldviews with us.

Ed Pilolla

2015 OUR TOWN PHOTO CONTEST

This image was taken with my cell phone at about 6:30 a.m. on July 23, 2014. I was hiking around Miraleste with my friend Richard Tolone, and this particular photo was taken from PV Drive East looking east over the port. By hiding behind a tree, I was hoping to partially block out the intense sunlight.PHOTO BY RICHARD SEAMANSRichard Seamans


PHOTO BY MARILYN TITLOWTo me, finding hearts in nature is about discovering the small joys found in ordinary life.They always make me smile as they are unexpected. This photo was taken on the beach at Abalone Cove on the afternoon of April 11, 2015.My daughter, son-in-law,his parents (visiting from Maryland) and my granddaughter, Molli, were with me.

PHOTO BY MALCOLM SHARPThis photo was shotwith an iPhone 6an hour before sunset in June on Crest Road in Rolling Hills. Photoshop was used toconvert the image to monochrome.

The photo was taken on May 1, 2012 at 9:19 a.m., after a rain. I took it with what I call the Motorola Droid 2 R2-D2 model. I suppose that makes it even more impressive, since its an older phone and the photo still made the cut. The specs include a focal length of 4, f-stop of 2.8 and exposure time of 1/120 of a second. PHOTO BY VIC CHRISTENSEN

PHOTO BY ANGELA MATTEWS Expansive was taken on a late February morning hike in 2014 in the Portugese Bend Reserve. This view was from the Eagles Nest Trail.I stood there in awe as I felt how beautiful and expansive the Peninsula is. The more you explore, the more this secret paradise reveals itself.

PHOTO BY CONNIE BURNSPablo Peacock-so visited my backyard every day for four years. At dusk, he flew to the top of my house and from there he flew two blocks down the hillside to sleep in a tree. During molting season he plucked his tail feathers and left them on my patio.

PHOTO BY ROBERT TOLONEThe Palos Verdes Peninsula is a hikers paradise; several times a week my friends and I are out on the trails. We always start at dawn and often enjoy wonderful sunrises. This view is from the Georgeff Trail above Hesses gap, captured on an iPhone 5. Pictured is my dear friend Richard Seamans.

PHOTO BY SUSAN SHULTZThis photo was taken in Lower Point Vicente Park, Rancho Palos Verdes, in May 2015. A pair of red-tailed hawks nest nearby, and they often hunt in the field. On this day, I was lucky to get this shot of one of them catching dinner.

PHOTO BY SUSAN SHULTZThe Palos Verdes area is so unique with all of the beautiful equestrian and walking trails. I took this photo in 2013 on the School Trail behind Rolling Hills United Methodist Church in Rolling Hills Estates.

PHOTO BY DEAN LOFGRENThis photo was taken at 9:30 a.m.with the luxury of nice, soft morning light. A favorite of local photographers, I shot the Point Vicente Lighthouse while trying to bring in the unique fencing along the Palos Verdes bluffs. Shot with a Nikon D300 and 24-120 lens.


24 2016 Our Town Palos Verdes Peninsula News

circa 1961 Today

Todaycirca 1961

ROLLING HILLS COUNTRY DAY SCHOOLWhere Tradition Meets Tomorrow

In 1961, Rolling Hills Country Day School established the core educational values that haveserved as the foundation of success for many children in the Palos Verdes/Beach Cities community.Today, these same values remain essential to the experience of an RHCDS student. Through theeras of emerging technology and new academic standards, RHCDS has remained steadfast in itsmission to provide a safe, nurturing environment for students to learn. By respecting the valuesof yesterday and understanding the educational climate of today, Rolling Hills Country Day

School ensures that its students are prepared for the opportunities of tomorrow.

26444 Crenshaw Blvd. | Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274 | rhcds.com | 310-377-4848

In with the old.

In with the new.

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Our Town 2015_