Education Reconstruction

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Gary Drake might not have a white beard or a sleigh, but he looks an awful lot like Santa Claus to one local school.

The founder and chief executive of Gary Drake Construction has donated numerous hours of his time overseeing the renovation of Good Shepherd Catholic School in Beverly Hills.

He has pulled permits and made arrangements with contractors to improve the electrical, plumbing and lighting systems, and to equip the 82-year-old school with Wi-Fi. Drake, who makes his money restoring classic homes for celebrities such as Madonna and Sting, figures the work he has done helped save the school tens of thousands of dollars.

The Brookside Park resident, who has two children who attend the elementary school, said the work is much needed and will benefit Good Shepherd for generations.

“I just think it’s going to be a better, cleaner learning environment,” said Drake, 55. “Well after my children are gone, all this will still last.”

Frosty the Sailor

For 23 years in a row, Libby DiBernardo has been decorating his yacht, the Avanti, and sailing in the annual Holiday Season Parade of Boats through Wilmington and San Pedro.

For most of those years, DiBernardo, the 82-year-old owner of DiBernardo Realty in San Pedro, has taken home the top prize for best commercial entry in the parade. What’s his secret? A lack of competition.

“You’ve got to be sneaky,” said DiBernardo, who won the prize again at this month’s parade. “There’s not too many commercial entries, so I end up winning the first prize every year. I think I’ve won almost 20 times.”

This year, DiBernardo’s 40-foot yacht was decorated with lots of lights, an 8-foot inflatable snowman and a train – traveling around the deck – carrying Santa and toys.

But the decorations and the perennial first prize aren’t what keep DiBernardo participating in the parade every year. He said it’s an opportunity to pack his boat with friends and guests, make lots of good food and party along the waterfront.

“There’s a lot of food, a lot of wine. As the skipper, I can’t touch the booze,” he said. “But everyone’s singing on the deck. You’ve got Christmas music going. It’s a party.”

Staff reporters Richard Clough and James Rufus Koren contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by Editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].

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