29th Annual Family Halloween Carnival

Shima 0 comments 19.10.2016

29th Annual Family Halloween Carnival

Join the Fun with After School REC and the Teen Center!

Date:10/29/2016

12:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Location:Manhattan Heights Park
1600 Manhattan Beach Boulevard
Manhattan Beach, California 90266

Not letting fear win.

Shima 0 comments 12.06.2016

Every Monday, I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place.

Today’s MCM title belongs to Steve Robles who jumped back into the ocean just six weeks after being attacked by a shark in hopes of teaching others not to let fear stop them from doing what they love.

Robles grew up in Redondo and Hermosa Beach and is currently residing in Lomita. At just six years old, he began to swim competitively after his older sister signed them up for a swimming team and continued until college.

Today, he likes to swim regularly in the morning with the masters group from 5:00am-6:30am. He goes to the pool about 3 days a week and for the past 3 years, on Saturday mornings, he swims with an open water group and swims from Hermosa pier to Manhattan pier

On July 5^th, 2014, Robles was attacked by a shark when he was with 14 of the swimmers from his open water group. 10 of the swimmers were ahead of him by 30 seconds and didn't know what had happened until they were nearing the end of the swim. Three of the other swimmers were behind him by about 5-15 seconds. They were the first ones to rescue him from the encounter.

Robles says, “I did see the shark from underneath me. It was about 12 feet underneath me and then surfaced right in front of me.” However, he quickly realized it was too close to him at that moment and it bit him.

He says the bite held on him for five seconds while he grabbed its nose to pry it off. “I did think that it was one of my last moments so I had no time to be terrified and just had to fight with everything I had in me,” he says.

He had deep lacerations on his right torso area and a deep cut into his right thumb which cut into his artery. The bleeding from the artery didn't stop until about 3 hours later and he lost sensation to his thumb for about a month. He says his torso area still itches like a mosquito bite when he touches the scars, even to this day.

Fortunately, Robles recovered from the bite and was back in the ocean within six weeks. He says, “I felt it was important to get back in right away to overcome the experience and to let others know not to give up something they love doing because of one freak event.”

Others can see the reckless actions of the fisherman who agitated the shark on video. There are over 2 million hits of the actual event on YouTube, and can be found by simply typing in "Manhattan Beach Shark Attack"

Since the incident, Robles has continued to swim and is going to publicly speak about the shark attack on the Catalina Channel swim as a spiritual testimony. He says, “I want to share with people how God is always present and ready to provide his hand of protection on all of us. We in turn need to give our lives to following him. Once I experienced this miracle, I began to clearly understand I am here for a higher purpose!”

Steve continues to swim because he says it is one of the only things that keeps his body from feeling the process of aging. “I am 52 and I can clearly see that I don't move around like I once did at age 30,” he says.

This week Steve will be on a new TV show called, "To Tell the Truth.”  It is a revised variety show from the 60's with a modern day twist and will air on ABC. There will be 3 celebrity panelist trying to determine who is the "real" shark attack survivor amongst 2 other impersonators. The sneak peek to the series begins Tuesday night at 8:00pm and his segment will air at 10:00 p.m.

You can also listen to his radio interview with the former mayor of Manhattan Beach on Monday June 13th from 1:00pm-2:00pm "Powell to the People" here. They will be discussing the multiple recent shark sightings along the coast and my encounter with the great white shark attack.

Despite the challenges Steve has faced, he is able to remain positive. Here Steve is in a costume he created for Halloween.

Thank you, Steve, for using your “freak event” as a way to bring positivity, change and hope to others.

*Photos have been given by Robles in addition to various downloaded from websites*

Parks make life better.

Shima 0 comments 30.04.2016

Every Monday I will share a resident of the South Bay contributing to making our community a better place. Today’s MCM title belongs to David Ibarra who has worked for the City of Manhattan Beach as the Youth Program’s Supervisor for the past 17 years.

Ibarra was born and raised in Manhattan Beach and currently resides only a block away in Redondo Beach. When Ibarra was only six years old, he used to attend the afterschool program and camps.  At 12, he decided he loved it so much that he wanted to be a volunteer and help the staff.  Finally, at 18, he knew that he wanted to work there and the age of 22 I became the supervisor of the program.

His main responsibility is to offer residents of the community a place where their children can go, that is safe, clean and green. In addition, he hosts several events throughout the year within the city.  He says that his favorite part of his job is that it is very easy!  He says the difficult part is having to be more enticing to the youth, whom are so in love with their electronics and gadgets.

David oversees many special events in the city. Below are several events:

Family Camp out.

“We have 250 participants sleep in the field, have some family activities such as arts and crafts, ice block bowling, inflatable hamster balls, BBQ dinner then a movie.  In the morning we have a fishing derby and breakfast.”

Sand Castle Design contest:

“On the Sunday of the international surf festival my staff come down and make way for the sand castle contest, we offer prizes for the winner of the best sculpture, dribble and castle.”

Halloween carnival:

“This is my favorite event, we have homemade booths from the children of the REC program and staff and we charge 25 cents to play.  We have a costume contest, haunted house and a jumpy.  Best off all, win or lose, everyone gets a prize.  This is a good old fashion family fun event and easy on the wallet.”

The Pumpkin Race:

“This event is silly and good clean family fun.  We race over 1000 pumpkin on MB blvd.  I am the head official and anyone caught cheating, such as racing a watermen and not a pumpkin- they get smashed by the mallet of justice.  This event is a MB tradition and trophies are given out to the 1-2-3-4 place winners.”

Pier lighting ceremony:

“During the Holidays, the City lights up the pier and downtown MB.  There is live music, a small ceremony with city officials and singing for the local middle and high school.”

The REC program is full of activities.  David says, “When the kids arrive, staff assist them with homework, then after that is done we offer recreation games like foosball, soccer, Jedi master, knock the blocks, pony express.  We also offer arts and crafts, lanyards, friendship beads and fuse beads.”

When is he not working, he enjoys spending time with his family.  He has a large family and 2 children of his own.  He says, “There is never enough time, so we make it quality time.”

David pays it forward to the community by mentoring young recreation leaders.  He says that they will become the new professionals one day.  He teaches what they will one day be able to do. “It’s rewarding to see them grow up before my eyes,” he says.

He enjoys living in the South Bay mostly for the community, the schools and the local feel.  “This is the one stop shop for all of my family’s needs,” he says.

David says that the City of Manhattan Beach is always looking for great new individuals looking to make differences.  “We are always hiring,” he says.  In the next five years, he would love to be the manager of Parks and Recreation.

To learn more how you can work for the city, please contact David here: [email protected] or visit the City of Manhattan beach website at www.citymb.info and click the jobs link.

“Our Branding statement for Parks and Recreation is: “Parks Make Life Better!” I can personally say, it made mine so much better.”

– David Ibarra

Five ways a home is valued

Shima 0 comments 26.02.2016

The other day my client asked me, “Shima, how much money can I get for my home?”

I told him that when a potential buyer is inspecting the value of a home, several factors come into play. Although the market has a huge impact whether a home will sell quick or slow, there are some indications that are always considered.

First and foremost, LOCATION!

One of the most influential factors a buyer will consider when deciding whether to purchase a home or investment is geographical location. You’ve heard it, seen it and even said it, “Location, Location, Location!” Proximity to attractions, transportation routes, schools, demographics, ocean views, fine dining and freeways are all advantages one may take into consideration when assessing the value of a home or business’ location.

Second, PRICE!

In 1950, Pepsi used the slang, “More bang for the buck” as an advertising method to describe the New Look policy on nuclear weapons. Today, the phrase is used to mean a greater worth for the money used.

We all love a great deal, especially in one of our greatest investments we will ever make. People want to know that they’re getting more than they imagined they could ever have and that happens when they feel like the home was a steal. Well, how does this occur?

When a home is strategically priced, people line up, wanting it before it’s gone. And the way to do that is to make sure it is priced to sell!

Third, knowing who is your COMPETITION.

When pricing your home, it’s vital to look at what is currently active, what is pending, what has a backup offer, and what has closed.  The active listings are who we are competing with. The pending sales are necessary to see how many days something has been on the market until it has gotten an offer. Closed Sales will test us exactly where our comps will come from- which is typically between the lowest and highest sales.

By understanding WHO the competition is, it is easier to focus on what you have to offer that the others don’t- and that is your power.

Fourth, the CONDITION of your home.

Again, a home or business is a huge investment one makes and the condition will either influence or scare some away. What may seem like a potential fixer to some, may seem frightening to others. So, the condition of a home will influence one’s decision in determining if they will get more bang for their buck!

 Last but not least, the CURRENT MARKET.

Current market conditions are gathered from interest rates, stock market, gasoline prices, election-year distractions, global events, and other things going on around us that we basically have no control over.  These factors plus seasonal things such as income tax time, holidays, add an unpredictable element to home sales.  However, over time, the trend is always upward! As my friend and business partner Tim Marshall says, “I have a saying that the best time to buy is now and the best time to sell is now, because in the long run the trend is always upward.”

As previously mentioned, we all love a great deal. To some, a deal may be getting furniture with the home, a free TV or fridge. To others, it’s simply getting more bang for their buck- which is really just getting something better for the same price.

So when deciding what to price your home, remember these determining factors that will ultimately influence a buyer’s decision. Remember, we’re all out to get the most bang for our buck!

Manhattan Beach among top cities in property value growth in 2015

Shima 0 comments 22.09.2015

Its Tuesday Telegram- news brought directly to you– and according to LA County Assessor, Jeffrey Prang, Manhattan Beach was among the top cities in Los Angeles County in overall growth of property values for 2015.

Awesome!

Read all about it here.

Concerts in the Park

Shima 0 comments 04.06.2015

Photo Credit: City of Manhattan Beach

One of my favorite summer activities is discovering all the fun things there is to do for free!

I spent many years as a Nanny and to keep the children busy, I would research local places that offered a good time for the kids and myself. A few years ago, I discovered CONCERTS IN THE PARK.
Every year, the city of Manhattan Beach provides a series of summer-long concerts held at Polliwog Park. The concerts vary from Elvis and Beatles tribute bands to local musicians.
The performances are free to the public and offer an excellent outdoor dance floor for you and the kiddos. The first concert will begin on Sunday, June 28 and will continue until September 6, 2015. Concerts play from 5:00-7:00 PM.

If you’re looking for a kid-friendly activity, pack a picnic and head to your local park for some free fun!

For more details and rules, please refer to the City of Manhattan Beach’s website.