Hey, neighbor!

I held off as long as I could.

Then I asked Instagram, and 75% of you said it is absolutely not too soon to give in to fall. So, I’m taking that as the go-ahead.

Labor Day is behind us, football is back on TV, and Practical Magic 2 comes out today. Fall time.

Or at least Torrance fall: pumpkin muffins with cinnamon-butter crumbles, sweaters we regret by 9 a.m., farmers’ market apples and a cozy ’90s movie while it’s 90 degrees outside.

I’m ready.

Here’s your weekly wave.

In this issue:
​🌊 Meet the crossing guard who gets dozens of waves, a few hugs and plenty of “good mornings” every school day
🌊 Selena in the park, a nighttime marsh hike + tiny origami pumpkins for your weekend
🌊 Four Torrance neighbors helped save a life, the $4 SoFi bus is back + a local program training the next generation of auto techs

💌 P.S. I need your help for an upcoming project: What's one little thing about Torrance you think everyone should notice at least once? Hit reply and let me know what you think.

Meet Rita Benveniste, who starts and ends the school day with a smile, a whistle and a whole lot of waves.

Every morning at Arlington Elementary, Rita Benveniste gets a hug from Braden.

Another little girl, Penny, has her own routine. She counts, “One, two, three,” then waits for Rita to blow her crossing guard whistle.

And Benjamin? He was pretty upset on the last day of school when his dad explained that he wouldn't see Rita again for a few months.

Seven years into her job as a Torrance crossing guard, Rita has become part of the school-day routine for a lot of families.

It wasn't exactly the retirement plan she had mapped out.

Rita spent 30 years working at Northrop Grumman. A few months into retirement, she spotted a Facebook post looking for Torrance crossing guards.

Seven years later, she’s still at the same crossing at Arlington Elementary, one of 32 crossing guard posts across Torrance. She’s there before school each morning and back again when the final bell rings.

“I love the kids, even the parents — they’re all great,” she said.

Rita has lived in Torrance for more than 40 years, and her own children attended Arlington decades ago. Back then, Rita was the one at work while Grandma helped get the kids to school.

Now Rita is the one helping another generation get there safely.

She watches nervous kindergartners become confident elementary schoolers. She sends older kids off to Casimir Middle School with assurances that they're going to be just fine. Then a new school year starts, and she learns a whole new set of names and faces.

“If I’m not there, they’re like, ‘Where were you?’” she said.

Rita describes herself as someone who usually hangs back, not the person who walks up and starts a conversation. Put on her crossing guard vest, though, and that changes.

“When I’m out there, it’s like a different person,” she said. “I’m talking to everybody.”

Parents stop to chat. Neighbors wave from their cars. Kids yell her name as they pass.

“I’m always telling everybody, ‘Good morning. Have a good day,’” Rita said. “I try to make their days good.”

Of course, underneath all those hellos is a serious job. Rita says drivers distracted by phones, rolling through stop signs or speeding near the school are a constant concern. Parents regularly tell her they feel better when she's there.

And the feeling is mutual.

When she retired, Rita left behind the friends and routines that had filled 30 years of her life. Now, she has a new community waiting for her twice a day.

“I couldn’t wait for the first day of school to see everybody,” she said.

Neither, apparently, could they.

THREE MORE THINGS
How many waves does Rita get in a day?
​“At least 40.” And she tries to catch every one: “I don’t want to miss them. I don’t want to hurt their feelings.”

The one part of the job she could do without:
​Rain. Although watching kids test out their new rain boots almost makes up for it.

Her message to drivers near a school:
​Stay aware. “You see kids, you need to slow down.”

Next week, meet the woman who helped build Smog City Brewing from the ground up.

Know someone quietly making Torrance better? Submit an idea.​

If Friday night is pizza night at your house, take note. Prime Pizza opens this Monday, Sept. 14, on Sepulveda, with New York-style pies, Sicilian squares, garlic knots and slices. Their dough ferments for 24 hours, and Time Out has called the results “more than a cut above your standard chains.” But can we talk about the gluten-free pizza? I was not prepared for how good it was. Crispy edges, a little chew, no sad GF-crust situation happening here. It immediately earned a spot in our pizza-night rotation. Prime is saving the bigger celebration for Saturday, Oct. 3, when they’ll have free cheese slices and garlic knots from 11 a.m.–1 p.m., plus games and prizes. And if you’re one of the first 50 in line, you’ll go home with a limited-edition tote.

​Feature your event. | Suggest an event.​

Torrance is kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month with a celebration of its own. The inaugural Torrance Hispanic Heritage Festival takes over Columbia Park on Saturday, with food trucks from 2 p.m., live mariachi and a finale from 512: The Selena Experience, a tribute to the Queen of Tejano.

Bring a blanket, grab dinner and stick around for Selena favorites as the sun goes down. Dancing on the grass seems inevitable.

Columbia Park | Saturday, Sept. 12 | Festival 5–7 p.m.; food trucks from 2 p.m. | Free

Friday, September 11 🇺🇸
​Torrance City Hall — 9/11 25th Anniversary Remembrance at 8 a.m. Torrance will gather in front of City Hall to remember and honor those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, marking 25 years since the attacks. Seaside Heroes Park also offers a local place for quiet reflection.

North, South & West High – Friday Night Football at 7 p.m. Three Torrance fields light up Friday night: North hosts Banning, South takes on Paramount and West faces Centennial.

Mom Said Yes – Landen Tusi at 8:30 p.m. Modern country meets rock with singer Landen Tusi and his full live band, mixing acoustic storytelling with plenty of electric guitar.

Saturday, September 12
​Seaside Heroes Park – Beautification Day at 8 a.m. Spend the morning helping neighbors care for the park with light maintenance and California native planting.

St. Matthew Orthodox Christian Church – South Bay Mediterranean Food Festival from 11 a.m. Come hungry for beef and chicken shawarma, crispy falafel, baklava and other Mediterranean favorites. There’s also live music, drinks and a kids zone.

Nearby: Manhattan Beach – Moms Who Kinda Surf at 8 a.m. A surf morning specifically for moms who are allowed to be beginners: coffee first, then a 90-minute lesson with boards and wetsuits provided, followed by lunch on the beach.

Southeast Library – BARK Reading to Dogs at 2 p.m. Young readers can practice their skills with a very patient audience: friendly therapy dogs. A low-pressure way to build reading confidence and fluency.

Henderson Library – Watercolor Weekends at 2 p.m. Spend the afternoon painting with watercolors, with paints, brushes and paper provided. Instructional books and other materials will be on hand for inspiration.

North Torrance Library – Mystery Book Group at 3 p.m. This month’s mystery pick is Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace. Come ready to talk murder, memory and whether you can trust the person telling the story.

Columbia Park – Torrance Hispanic Heritage Festival at 5 p.m. Torrance marks Hispanic Heritage Month with its first city festival, featuring live mariachi and a headline set from 512: The Selena Experience. Food trucks arrive starting at 2 p.m.

Madrona Marsh – Night Hike at 6:30 p.m. See what the marsh is like after sunset, listening for the animals and insects that come alive as daylight disappears.

Sunday, September 13
​Hickory Park – Origami Pumpkin Patch with Sumizumi Adventures at 10 a.m. Pick a colorful hand-folded paper pumpkin from the “patch,” then head to the craft table to decorate it and take it home.

Scholb Premium Ales – Raise a Glass for Theater Arts from 2 p.m. Support Torrance’s Raked Stage Productions over food, drinks and live music, with a silent auction, prize drawings and a first look at its upcoming theater season.

Bruster’s Ice Cream – The Fleuria Book Truck from 3 p.m. Ice cream and a new book friend sounds like a solid Sunday plan. The Fleuria rolls up to Bruster’s with its mobile bookstore for an afternoon pop-up and ice cream social.

P.S. Going to SoFi Sunday? Don't forget Torrance Transit's $4 round-trip shuttle leaves from the Transit Center, where parking is free.

All Weekend
​Nearby: Hermosa Beach – Wedbush Hermosa Beach Open. Watch top beach volleyball players battle it out on the sand, with men’s and women’s main-draw matches running Friday through Sunday.

South Bay Scooter Club – Swerve ’N’ Curve #26. The longest-running scooter rally in L.A. rolls out of Torrance for its 26th year, with group rides through Palos Verdes and the beach cities, plus a Saturday scooter show and raffle. Rides start from Gen Korean BBQ House.

Weather Forecast? Mercifully, backing off.
☀️ Fri 70°/82° Sunny
⛅ Sat 69°/81° Partly Cloudy
⛅ Sun 68°/79° Partly Cloudy

⚽ Fun fact: AYSO started right here in Torrance. Which feels especially fun this week because my youngest is about to start Kickstart after months of telling people, very proudly, “My mom signed me up for real soccer.” With two older brothers, he’s spent a lot of time on the sidelines. When he got his kit last week, he kept repeating, “My own uniform.” He’s been practicing in his cleats every day since. Naturally, I’m making an unnecessarily large poster and packing his very own post-game snack bag.

🍪 A passport for people with a sweet tooth. The LA Sweets Passport sends you to 10 bakeries and dessert shops around L.A. for a $1 treat at each stop, and Torrance Bakery made the list. It’s valid through March, which feels like plenty of time to see how many stamps you can collect.

🍕 Friday night movie season has begun. We kicked it off with the original Practical Magic last weekend, just in time for the sequel. Now we’re settling into our fall routine: pizza and a kid-friendly fall movie first, then something cozy for the grown-ups after bedtime. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown followed by When Harry Met Sally? Hocus Pocus then You’ve Got Mail? I think we have our Friday nights figured out through November.

Found something delightfully Torrance this week? Hit reply and send it our way!

🥵 TUSD says 3 in 4 classrooms don’t have A/C
​After Wednesday’s extreme heat sent classroom temperatures soaring, Superintendent Tim Stowe told families that the district’s current cooling measures “did not sufficiently address” the conditions. About three-quarters of TUSD classrooms lack air conditioning, and a district study estimates adding A/C to all learning spaces that lack it would cost about $520 million, including needed electrical upgrades. For now, schools are using hydration and cooling stations, fans and shaded spaces, while testing other options including cool roofs, exterior window shades and targeted mini-split A/C. The district is also forming a heat task force and hopes to develop a more affordable plan that could eventually go to voters in 2028.

🏈 Torrance’s new Chargers mural is officially here​
The giant Chargers mural we’ve been watching take shape at the DoubleTree near Del Amo is finished. Artist Robert Vargas painted The Storm Is Coming, featuring Justin Herbert and Derwin James Jr., freehand across the hotel’s north wall. It now faces Vargas’ Dodgers mural on the opposite side of the building.

❤️ Four Torrance bystanders helped save a life
​When a person went into cardiac arrest during a local fitness class, four people nearby called 911, started CPR and used an AED before Torrance firefighters arrived. The patient survived and was recently reunited with the bystanders, dispatcher, first responders and Torrance Memorial staff who helped save their life. The gathering was the first S.A.V.E. event, a new Torrance Fire Department recognition for Service, Action, Valor and Excellence.

🌱 Remember the North Torrance Bike Bus? It just won a city award
​The North Torrance Bike Bus, which gets a crew of kids to school together on two wheels each Friday, is among this year's Torrance Climate Smart Award winners. We introduced you to organizer Kyle Richardson earlier this summer, when the group had grown from three riders to around 30. Now the city is recognizing the Bike Bus for helping make Torrance a little greener.

🍎 Want to become a teacher? There’s $40K on the table
​Applications close Sept. 18 for the South Bay Teacher Residency, a partnership between Torrance, Lawndale and Wiseburn schools. The one-year program combines a master’s degree and teaching credential with classroom experience and a $40,000 stipend, plus discounted tuition. Programs include bilingual Spanish, special education, math and science, with priority hiring after completion.

🌸 Last call: Spotted a Torrance business with especially great curb appeal? Nominations for the city’s Commercial Property Beautification Awards close Friday, Sept. 11 at 5 p.m.

🙋 One more deadline: Applications for four Torrance city commission openings are due Sept. 17.