Author: Igor Nastaskin

In a world where travel has become both easier and more overwhelming, Hollywood Riviera resident Lisa Verbeck proves that nothing beats the human touch. As the founder of Verbeck Travel Consulting, Lisa draws on over 20 years of global experience — from Tourism Australia to Fiji and beyond — to craft bespoke journeys that blend luxury, adventure, and authenticity. Whether it’s a safari birthday in Africa or a boutique California road trip, her clients enjoy worry-free, personalized experiences and insider perks that no algorithm can match.

Fighting Cancer, One Step at a Time For many people, fighting back against cancer is personal.  More than 2 million new cases of cancer were estimated to be diagnosed in the US last year. For those spared the disease, chances are they have a family member, friend or other loved one who has been afflicted with cancer.  For me, that someone was my mother, Bella Nastaskin.   When I was 19 years old, just four years after immigrating to the US from Kiev, Ukraine with my mother, she developed abdominal pains.  What initially appeared to be gallstones was eventually revealed to be pancreatic cancer, and just six months after her diagnosis, she passed at the age of 57.  She was so young, with so much life ahead of her. Up until that point, I didn’t know anyone with cancer.  I dropped out of college to be my mother’s full-time caregiver, administering morphine injections in our tiny apartment as her pain grew.  We were extremely close, having fled the hardships of the Soviet Union together in 1973, and this was a devastating experience for me. Suddenly, my world turned upside down. I was on my own, no longer able to afford tuition at the University of Chicago, and having to face all of life’s ups and downs without my rock, my mother. Had there been a cure for cancer, maybe my mom would have seen me graduate from Loyola University of Chicago, where I eventually transferred, and start a career.  Maybe she would have met my wife of nearly 36 years, Suzy, and played with her grandchildren, Isabelle, Aaron and Jacob.  Who knows, maybe she would have met her great-grandchildren. There are a lot of maybes and what-ifs when we lose someone we love.  And too many of us have lost someone to this horrible disease, or have been diagnosed ourselves. My personal heartache motivated me to get involved with Relay for Life 20 years ago when I became the captain of the Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club team.  To date, we have raised approximately $200,000 to support the American Cancer Society. The signature fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life is the world’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising event dedicated to saving lives from cancer. During Relay For Life, teams have at least one member walking on a track at all times.  Funds raised go toward research, 24/7 support for cancer patients, access to lifesaving screenings and much more. Supporting Relay for Life is easy.  You can walk the track, or simply make a donation. This year’s event will take place May 4 from 12:30 – 8:30 pm in downtown Torrance on Sartori Avenue and will include live entertainment, food trucks and a kid’s corner. To sign up for the Hollywood Riviera Sportsman’s Club team (men and women are welcome), or donate funds to the American Cancer Society, please contact me at 310-892-6016 or inastaskin02@gmail.com. Your gift is tax-deductible as a charitable contribution to the fullest extent allowed by law.   Let’s all fight back against cancer to give those we love more tomorrows.  For more information about the American Cancer Society’s support for survivors and patients, please call them 24/7 at 1-800-227-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.

Frida in Flowers, a stunning mural by artist Elle Starlight in the Hollywood Riviera, where Frida Kahlo gazes out amidst blue butterflies and vibrant hues. A longtime Riviera resident, Elle’s love for color and nature shines through her work, from large-scale murals to whimsical nursery scenes and custom-painted surfboards.

South Bay locals reading through the new contemporary novel, My Year of Casual Acquaintances, will feel right at home.  Hermosa Beach, the Esplanade, Coast Highway and King Harbor are just some of the nearby references made in the book. In fact, for author and Hollywood Riviera resident Ruth Stevens, The Bay Club in Redondo Beach (called Seaside Fitness in the book) was an inspiration for the story. “I’m a regular at The Bay Club and became fascinated with gym relationships because I’ve met many members at health clubs over the years and some are now close friends,” said Ruth. “With more people working from home, relationships made at places like gyms have an important role in our lives because they provide community, and that’s something we all need.” My Year of Casual Acquaintances follows the story of a middle-aged woman, Mar Meyer, who tries to rebuild her life after her husband divorces her for another woman. Over the course of a year, she meets an assortment of characters who impact her life in different ways, including a fellow gym member down on her luck and a flirty hip-hop instructor.  A major arc in the story comes when she meets a handsome novelist from the gym who wants more from Mar than she’s able to give.  “This unique story opens with one cliffhanger and closes with another, yet manages to satisfy thoroughly,” says a 5-star review by Indies Today.  “Lighthearted fun with an upbeat atmosphere, My Year of Casual Acquaintances is an optimistic novel about looking for the best in everyone, including ourselves.” My Year of Casual Acquaintances, which was released in September, is Ruth’s second published book.  Her debut novel, Stage Seven, was published in 2021 and centers around two mature adults who fall in love while helping a parent and a spouse through Alzheimer’s.  She has also written two theatrical works.  The second book in her South Bay Series, The Unexpected Guest, will be released this month. Ruth was recently honored with the 2024 Excellence in Arts Awards for Literary Arts by the City of Torrance Cultural Arts Commission. She and her husband, David Olson, have lived in the Riviera since 1989, and are the parents of one son and grandparents of two grandsons. Ruth will be the featured speaker at the Redondo Beach Library’s Author Program on April 5, 2025, and also speaks at private book events around the South Bay. To invite Ruth to speak at your book club, please contact her on her website at ruthfstevens.com.

Overcoming Breast Cancer: Rebecca Weintraub’s Inspiring Journey October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to reflect on the progress made in preventing, detecting and treating the disease and the work that remains to be done. In 2024 alone, more than 310,000 people are estimated to be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S., and one in eight women will be diagnosed with the disease in her lifetime. That’s one person every two minutes. But there is hope. Advancements in early detection methods and support continue to increase the chances of survival. In fact, when caught in its earliest, localized stages, the five-year relative survival rate of breast cancer is 99%. That’s a statistic breast cancer survivor Professor Rebecca Weintraub, PhD, would have liked to have heard 21 years ago. In 2003, Bek, the nickname she goes by, was diagnosed with stage 3C of a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer with only a 30 percent survival rate in three years. Three weeks later she was doing chemotherapy. Over the next two years, Bek endured 12 rounds of chemo, five surgeries and weeks of radiation, all while choosing to continue working as the Director of the Master’s of Communication Management program and the Center for Corporate and Community Education at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication. “When I read the survival rates of inflammatory breast cancer I was devastated,” said the Hollywood Riviera resident, whose students called her Dr. R. “I had a paralyzing fear that sapped me of my energy and power. But when I took another look at the data I realized that the statistics were past information. They weren’t future predictors but rather analytics from years before. More importantly, I realized that no one has survived cancer 89% or 33%. It’s a zero-sum game for each one of us. 100% or 0%. My advice is to ignore the stats and plan on being 100%. Stats are for mathematicians, not cancer survivors!” A big part of Bek’s journey has been to give back by championing breast cancer research and helping survivors. Four months after finishing her treatment, for example, Bek walked a half marathon to fundraise for breast cancer support groups. She also served on the board of the breast cancer support group that was immensely helpful in her recovery. “I thought I didn’t need a support group but studies show longer survival rates for patients who have attended them, and that was enough for me,” said Bek, who is currently Emerita Clinical Professor of Communication at USC, as well as a professional speaker, a corporate communications coach and an author. “The Wellness Community South Bay breast cancer support group was strong for me when I felt defeated. They were optimistic when all I could see was a black hole. They showed me how to survive diagnosis, chemo, radiation, hair loss — the works. And then, when I was strong, I got to give it all back to the next women who joined us.” Through it all, Bek maintained her life-long sense of humor, much of which is reflected in a book she is writing about her breast cancer experience, Cuts From the Slice of Life (see excerpt in this issue). “The most important thing I want to emphasize is that a breast cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence, and I’m proof of that,” said Bek. “There have been many advancements in the more than two decades since I was diagnosed, including new drugs and protocols. No one truly knows when they will die. We only have today, so live it with hope and humor.” The Cancer Support Community South Bay (formerly The Wellness Community South Bay), offers classes and workshops free of charge, including several breast cancer support group meetings each week. To learn more about the Cancer Support Community South Bay, go to cscsouthbay.org, call 310-376-3550 or email Carla@CSCSouthBay.org or info@CSCSouthBay.org. They are located at 2601 Airport Drive, Suite 100 in Torrance.You can reach Bek Weintraub at drbeksurvivor@gmail.com. Hair Is Over-Rated (excerpted from the forthcoming memoir by Professor Rebecca Weintraub, PhD, Cuts From the Slice of Life) Forget nausea—the side effect every woman thinks of when she finds out she’s getting chemo is hair loss. And I was no different. Now, like most women, my hair is an indicator of what kind of day I am going to have. There are good hair days and bad hair days. I had been working on growing out my hair and it was finally where I wanted it. Slightly longer than chin length, good color and highlights, great shine—it was terrific. Now I was facing what one video called “No Hair Days.” Over time I got used to it all. At home, I would wear nothing on my head. It was cooler during menopause hot flashes and generally more comfortable. The wigs never really bothered me—but it was rather like wearing a hat. I’ve never been big on wearing hats. Many women go the scarf and hat route rather than the wig route. On them, it looks chic. On me it looked odd. Scarves never looked quite right. I did have some hats that I liked wearing – but they didn’t look quite as good as they do when a little hair is poking out around the face. I’ve since seen one beautiful woman wearing a large-brimmed red hat with a fake ponytail hanging down the back. If I’d had that, I might have been more willing to wear a hat. So, I wore the wigs for months. And six weeks after the last chemo treatment I looked in the mirror and realized I had hair. Short hair to be sure, but hair. That day I went to campus without a wig. Rich, my husband, asked, “You’re going to school topless?”“Yup,” I replied, “And so is my car.” With that, I went outside, put the top down on the convertible and drove to USC with the wind whistling through my stubble.