At the moment, the beach at the base of the public walking paths below Trump National Golf Course is widely used by dogs and their owners. Although it’s not technically allowed, owners openly walk their dogs on the beaches down there without getting ticketed. (The beach was recently deeded to the city by the Trump organization.)

Earlier this week, the city of Rancho Palos Verdes moved a step closer to making this an official dog beach. The City Council voted to direct its staff to work toward a 12-month pilot program and permit system that would make it legal for dogs to enjoy the beach.  Possible outcomes could include special times for dogs, or a fence that separates dogs and people. The city will also begin enforcing leash laws in parking lots and on the trails leading down to the beach.

Personal note: The South Bay Sparkle family doesn’t own dogs, yet we have always loved the beach there, and our kids get a big kick out of watching the dogs have their day in the sun. So, for the record, these non-dog-owners are happy to see the city working on plans for an “official” dog beach.

Worth noting: The City Council reports that, “Based on the input received to date, there is strong support from the general public for off-leash dog use at RPV Beach.”

To view the full city council agenda item, click here [.pdf].

On Saturday we had the pleasure of attending a special premiere of the new Transformers RescueBots show, hosted by the HUB TV Network at the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society’s Hollywood museum.

Transformers RescueBots is a cool new show aimed at a younger audience than the Transformers Prime show. In this new series the RescueBots are paired with a family of “first responders” to keep the peace and keep people safe. It’s a fun ride, with good messages for kids and a few laughs thrown in.

For hero-loving little folks, there was no better place to watch the show than the LAFD’s historic museum (it’s one of two museums, the other one being in San Pedro).

The LAFDHS has inventory of more than 30 pieces of LA-based firefighting apparatus, thousands of artifacts (some dating back to the 1880s), and hundreds of hours of film and video. On a walk through the museum you’ll see everything from vintage firefighting uniforms to charred items found in fires and examined by investigators. The Hollywood museum, at more than 20,000 square feet, was once the largest firehouse west of the Mississippi and is home to the Fallen Firefighter Memorial. The San Pedro museum features Old Fire Boat No. 2, the longest serving piece of apparatus in the city’s history at 77 years.

Want to see some robot heroes do their stuff on TV? Tune in to the HUB on Feb. 18 at 8:30 A.M. (Saturday morning) for the premiere of the show. Then head over to one of the LAFD’s historic museums to see what our real firefighting heroes have done here in L.A.

LAFD Historical Society Hollywood Museum, 1355 N. Caheunga Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 (323) 464 – 2727. Open Saturdays, 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.

LAFD Historical Society Harbor Museum, 638 Beacon Street (across the street from Ports of Call Village), San Pedro, CA 90731, (323) 464 – 2727. Open Saturdays, 10 A.M. to 3 P.M.

“Transformers Rescue Bots” premieres February 18th at 11:30 A.M. ET/8:30 A.M. PT. The second season premiere of “Transformers Prime” will be on February 18^th at 8:30 P.M. ET/5:30 P.M. PST, only on The Hub.

Capriotti’s, located on Hawthorne Blvd. in Torrance, has a little something for everyone (even vegetarians). On a recent Sunday, we picked a sampling of sandwiches including turkey, tuna, ham, and grilled Italian.

In case you didn’t know this, South Bay Sparkle has not one but two Italian sides of the family – and we have incredibly high standards when it comes to our Italian subs (or hoagies, as we grew up calling them). But we’re happy to report that Capriotti’s was easily up to snuff. We especially loved their trademark turkey sandwich: no turkey cold cuts here, it’s all hand-shredded turkey from a fresh-roasted bird. Mr. South Bay Sparkle wanted something a little spicier, so he was very happy with the grilled Italian sandwich – which featured Genoa salami, capicolla, and prosciutini. All of the subs we got were 9-inch subs for $6.99. If you’ve got an even bigger appetite, you can get  a medium (12-inch) sub for $8.49 or a large (20-inch) for $12.49.

We had the experience of visiting Capriotti’s on Super Bowl Sunday, so we had a chance to see a whole crew of workers stacking up hundreds of subs on party tray after party tray. Catering platters can serve anywhere from 3 to 100 people.

On our next visit, we’re going to check out Capriotti’s most famous sandwich, The Bobbie, which has fresh-roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, and mayo.

Blogger disclosure: We were treated to two free subs from Capriotti’s for review purposes; we purchased the rest.

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, 17352 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 310-214-9200.

Photo via Shade Hotel

A December 23 motorcycle accident that claimed the life of a Redondo Beach mother has brought the greater South Bay community together in support of the sons she left behind. Shade Hotel is hosting an event on Feb. 7 to raise funds for Shaun Jensen, 23, a full-time college student; and his brother Alex, 25, who has special needs.

The Manhattan Beach Police Officers Association has been collecting funds to support the Jensen brothers. Tickets to the Feb. 7 event cost $75 in advance and $100 at the door. The event, sponsored by local businesses, will include a silent auction, food and drink, and music. All proceeds will benefit the Jensen brothers.

To read more about the Jensen brothers, check out these news stories from the Daily Breeze and from Inside SoCal. (In related news, Manhattan Beach and CalTrans have agreed to traffic restrictions at the fatal accident site on Sepulveda Blvd. and 8th Street in Manhattan Beach.)

To attend the event, register at Shade Hotel, or contact Shaunna at 310-406-6801. If you would like to contribute to the fund, please make checks out to the Manhattan Beach Police Officers Association, P.O. Box 3542, Manhattan Beach CA 90266.

Jensen Fundraiser, February 7 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Shade Hotel, 1221 N. Valley Drive, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.

Photo via Port of Los Angeles

Looking for a sweet ride for a sweet price? If you have a young train or car enthusiast in your family, you can’t beat the Port of L.A.’s Waterfront Red Car Line for cheap thrills – a $1 thrill, to be exact.

Red Car Line map

The Red Car Line is a 1.5 mile long vintage trolley line connecting San Pedro’s World Cruise Center and the Fanfare at San Pedro Gateway with other attractions along the waterfront including 6th Street and the LA Maritime Museum, Ports O’ Call, Fisherman’s Wharf, and 22nd Street.

The trolleys operate from 12 PM to 9:30 PM, Friday through Sunday. Trolleys may also run on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays when cruise ships are in port. The $1 fare is an all-day fare includes that gets you unlimited rides for the day.

Inside the trolley

It’s a perfect ride for kids; short and sweet, with interesting scenery and stops. On our Saturday afternoon ride, Jay, the friendly conductor, gave each kid a conductor’s hat and trolley coloring book.

If you’re looking for an old-fashioned romantic evening activity, try a trip on the trolley to see the nighttime performances at the Fanfare Fountain at San Pedro Gateway from 7 PM to 8 PM.

Getting there is easy: It’s a straight shot down the 110 from most points in the South Bay, and there’s free and plentiful parking at the 22nd Street Marina Station. The Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line, Marina Station, East 22nd St and Miner St, San Pedro. (310) 732-3508

“Metropolis II is an intense and a complex kinetic sculpture, modeled after a fast paced, frenetic modern city. Steel beams form an eclectic grid interwoven with an elaborate system of 18 roadways, including one 6 lane freeway, and HO scale train tracks. Miniature cars speed through the city at 240 scale miles per hour; every hour, the equivalent of approximately 100,000 cars circulate through the dense network of buildings.”

It’s located in a large room with plenty of space to walk around and survey it from all sides. But possibly the best viewing happens in the upper balcony wrapped around the room, which gives you a great view of the 1100 cars creeping slowly up the ramp and then launching into motion.

You can look at Metropolis II any time you go to the museum, but what you really want to do is see it in action. For that, you have to visit at these times:

Fridays: 12:30–2 pm; 3–4:30 pm; 5–6:30 pm; 7–8:30 pm
Weekends: 11:30–1:00 pm; 2–3:30 pm; 4–5:30 pm; 6–7:30 pm

Check this link to plan your visit to LACMA (you don’t need any special tickets for this exhibit). General museum admission for adults is $15; seniors and students $10; and children 17 and under are free. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles.

Photo via South Coast Botanic Garden

South Coast Botanic Garden: The well-tended gardens here are beautiful, of course, but if you keep walking a little further down the hill, you’ll find some lovely and untamed wooded areas. If you need extra solitude, head down on weekday mornings – you’re almost certain to have the place to yourself. Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $3 for kids ages 5 to 12 - but Tuesdays are free. 26300 Crenshaw Boulevard, Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Photo via Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy

Portuguese Bend Reserve: Want some gorgeous scenery among majestic rolling hills? The Portuguese Bend Reserve is your place. It’s a great place for a walk, and for seeing wildlife and native plants in their natural habitat. It’s part the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy’s extensive range of preserves on the peninusla (see a .pdf map here). To get to Portuguese Bend, enter near Del Cerro Park at the end of Crenshaw Boulevard (nearest cross street is Burrell Lane). Rancho Palos Verdes.

Photo via Hopkins Wilderness Park

Hopkins Wilderness Park [.pdf]: Wilderness- it’s right there in the name! This little park sits right in the middle of Redondo Beach and you might have driven right by it on Camino Real. But once you get through the gates, you could just as easily be in a forest somewhere. With a bubbling stream, two ponds, and plenty of trees, it’s a kid’s wonderland. Bring a quarter for the fish food dispenser so you can feed the fish. 1102 Camino Real, Redondo Beach.

Photo via Madrona Marsh Preserve

Madrona Marsh Preserve: This little preserve calls itself  ”an island of wilderness in the city” and it’s a pretty amazing place, considering it’s right near one of the biggest malls in the country. The preserve is one of the last remaining vernal marshes in the country. A very helpful visitors’ center gives you good info on all of the wildlife and native plants to look out for. Cool events include occasional night hikes from 8 to 10 pm. 3201 Plaza Del Amo, Torrance.

Happy hiking!