Mend the bend
MEND THE BEND
In previous years PVP Watch has had a reputation for being a right wing, highly critical of government publication. Sometimes it still is. Not this time.
This time it is a heart-warming story about the people and businesses who rallied to support those impacted by the Portuguese Bend Landslide and the resulting utility shutoffs.
THE CAUSE
A story about neighbors and businesses on or near our PV ‘Hill’ who reached out to help the almost 300 property owners and their families in the Portuguese Landslide Bend area who, last September, were informed that within days that they would be without electricity, gas and telephone lines indefinitely due to the increasing land movement beneath their homes.
THE PROBLEM
Imagine, if you will, if you were told that your utilities were going to be shut off for an unknown duration into the future . . . in two days. No electricity, no gas and no telephone lines. You do not want to leave your home so what do you do?
The Portuguese Bend Landslide homeowners scrambled to find alternatives for electricity (generators and solar) and for gas (propane) and communications (satellite providers).
THE HELP
Through an imitative led by the Palos Verdes Rotary and reported in the Daily Breese, caring people read about the homeowner’s plight and said to each other, ‘we need to help.’ They did.
Organizer – Tara Nierenhausen, Executive Director of Community’s Child contacted the Rotary with a generous donation that would fund the dinners for the entire month of October. Tara and Julia Parton of the Rotary began planning and within days the Mend the Bend dinners were introduced to the Portuguese Bend landslide community including 300 hot dinners provided every Wednesday.
Thanksgiving Special – Volunteers from the Rotary, PVP Realtors, CHOA, St. Peters by the Sea, RPV City Council, and many others organized to deliver hot turkey dinners and pumpkin pie to the homes in the landslide area.
Terranea Resort and General Manager, Ralph Grippo, and his master chefs packed 300 individual turkey dinners for delivery by the volunteers. A herculean effort considering they also served lunch and dinner to more than 2,000 Terranea guests.
THE RESTAURANT PARTICIPANTS
Baran’s 2239
Gaetano’s
Mickey’s Deli
Shore Grill
The Depot
Piccini Italian Takeout
Torrance Bakery
Avenue Italy
Good Stuff
Red Onion
Lazy Days Coffee Co.
Casa Luigi, Inc
Terranea Resort
Trump National Golf Club
Yellow Vase
Raffaello Ristorante
El Pollo Inka (March 2025)
VOLUNTEERS
PVP Rotary
PVP Association of Realtors
Rotary Club of San Pedro
Torrance Memorial
Palos Verdes CHOA (Council of Homeowner’s Association).
St. Peter’s by the Sea
Area Residents
SPECIAL RECOGNITION
Kiwanis International for starting the dinners program
City of RPV for providing Ladera Linda Park facilities as a dinner location.
St. Peter’s Presbyterian Church for arrangements and logistics to make the dinners happen
HOA support provided by Dave Emenheiser CHOA President.
FEMA for funding the purchase of 23 of the most damaged properties.
Terranea for providing more than 300 Thanksgiving turkey dinners
Rotary donation website set up by Julie Parton
And the many other volunteers and businesses whom we have not mentioned but equally deserve recognition and a big THANK YOU for supporting Mend the Bend.
AFTERMATH
Weekly meals continued through December converting to monthly meals in 2025 through the efforts of sponsors EDCO (RPV’s waste hauler); Tripepi Smith (RPV’s public relations consultant): and Aleshire & Wynder (RPV’s City Attorney’s Office).
If you are interested in donating or sponsoring a Mend the Bend dinner, please contact Ara Mihranian, RPV City Manager, at 310-544-5202 or via email at aram@rpvca.gov or info@pvpwatch.com (we will forward your email to Ara).
ACTION
Please join PVP Watch in thanking these organizations and volunteers who organized and funded this terrific effort to help their neighbors in Portuguese Bend. A job well done! info@pvpwatch.com
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