2016 04 20 web by Beacon Media News

APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 VOL. 1 -

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Movies and tvs and commercials, oh my!

The Long Beach office of Special Events and Filming work behind the scenes to ensure a successful production.

places to eat dessert

TOP 20 PLACES TO EAT DESSERT Sunday - Thursday 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday Saturday 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Want a better way to cool down from a hot beach day? Eat ice cream; this ice cream place is located right in the front of the beach. Many great flavors and it has the cutest little pink exterior outdoor; it really will get you wanting to go in.

1. Jongewaard’s Bake n Broil 3697 Atlantic Ave.

Monday - Friday: 6:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. Saturday: 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday: 7 a.m. 8:30 p.m. You only need to read two words: Red Velvet. It is to die for. Put it on your bucket list to come to Jongewaard’s for the red velvet cake. That is all, unless you really need a slice of chocolate cake. The restaurant may have to roll you out after that.

2. Sweet Jill’s Bakery 5001 E. 2nd St.

Monday - Thursday: 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday - Saturday: 5:30 a.m. - midnight. Sunday: 5:30 a.m. - 10 p.m. You can smell the bakery from three blocks away. Cookies, brownies, cinnamon rolls, muffins, pies, bread pudding, deep dish, bars, cakes, cheesecakes, the list goes on and on. This place is affordable and super delicious. It is the closest thing you will get to homemade goodies.

3. Long Beach Creamery 4141 Long Beach Blvd.

Close Monday. Tuesday-Thursday: 3 p.m. - 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday: noon - 9 p.m. Want to try unique handcrafted flavors? Long Beach Creamery has a couple ice cream flavors that will have your taste buds wanting for more.

4. Babette Bakery 1404 Atlantic Ave.

Sunday: 7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Monday Saturday 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. This place is known to sell fresh baked goods at a very reasonable price. The locals love this place. It’s a bakery, but they also sell sandwiches, which is always a plus.

5. Snow Monster 5211 E. Second St.

Open daily: noon - midnight The lines are out the door and down the street. This new and popular place continues to rise in the city of Long Beach. Snow Monster has macaroon ice cream sandwiches that have everyone wanting to grab a bite. They have many more options like cookie ice cream sandwiches and amazing lemonade. It has a definite new cute and yummy vibe.

6. Frosted Cupcakery 4817 E. Second St.

Open daily: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. What a place. Don’t forget to come by on the first of every month to get a free mini cupcake. You walk in and you immediately

12. The Pie Bar 240 Pine Ave. red velvet cake at Jongenwaard’s Bake and Broil

want to pick out every cupcake because they all look so good. This place even offers cupcakes with ice cream.

7. The Funnel House 425 Shoreline Village Drive

Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday - Saturday 10 a.m. - midnight Sunday - 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. If you are looking for great funnel cakes, the Funnel House has you covered. Not only does the Funnel House contain funnel cakes, they have churro ice cream sandwiches, and cookie sandwiches. This place is a win-win.

8. Afters Ice Cream 5708 E. 7th St.

Open daily: noon - midnight Home of the Milky Bun. It is ice cream in a donut; you can choose whatever topping and ice cream in a warm glazed bun. It is so delicious you will want to buy a second one immediately!

9. Paradis 5305 E. Second St.

Open daily: noon - 10 p.m. If you are craving one of the best handcrafted ice creams, Paradis is the answer.

10. Paleteria Mexicana 1864 Pacific Ave.

Open daily: 10 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Stacks upon stacks of Mexican ice popsicles. They even have specialty ice creams that can’t be found anywhere else, like optical dipped in flavored syrup with an extra topping to cover. Best part of all, these popsicles are handcrafted in the store, you can really taste authenticity.

11. Ice Cream and Yogurts on the Boardwalk 429 Shoreline Village Drive

| APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

Closed Monday. Tuesday - Thursday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Want a piece of pie? Well look no more; The Pie Bar has pies that will keep your mouth watering. You can order traditional large pies, or pie in a jar just for yourself. You can even personalize your pie picking which flavors you want.

13. Frostbites Crepes and Frozen Delights 1827 Ximeno Ave.

Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. Monday Thursday noon - 11 p.m. Friday - Saturday: noon - midnight Frozen treats and crepes? Sounds delicious! Crepes are always yummy but when you pair it with a sorbet on the side, you will be mind-blown. No wonder this place is booming.

14. Sweet and Saucy Shop 3722 Atlantic Ave.

Closed Sunday. Monday - Friday: 11 a.m. 7 p.m. Saturday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Cupcakes are life but Sweet and Saucy Shop will make you become a loyal costumer. These cupcakes are sweet, moist and cute and perfect for every occasion. They have great quality cupcakes with amazing designs. Go run in there, sweet tooth.

15. Sweet Embellishment 5555 Stearns St. #107

Sunday - Wednesday and Saturday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Thursday - Friday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Fresh cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and cheesecakes. This place is downright yummy. Many claim it is the best cupcakes they have ever had, and it is one of the best. It is a hidden gem; it has great selections and great quality.

16. Tropic Mist 901 E. Artesia Blvd.

Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday This place is popular for its funnel cakes and fruit smoothies. Whenever you are craving theme park funnel cake style

dessert from Snow monster

desserts go to Tropic Mist. You will not be let down.

17. Miss Priss Cupcakes and Such 4131 Norse Way

Sunday: noon - 5 p.m. Closed Monday. Tuesday - Friday: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Some say this place has the fluffiest cupcakes in Long Beach. You can try out some unique cupcakes here like cupcakes with gummy worms with peanut butter and jelly or you can try traditional cupcakes. Aside from cupcakes, you can grab lunch here as well thanks to their wide selection of sandwiches.

18. La Creperie Café 4911 E. Second St.

Sunday: 9 a.m. - 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday: 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.. Saturday: 9 a.m. - 11 p.m. This restaurant has some of the sweetest crepes around; super yummy and there are so many to pick from. This place will make you feel fancy.

19. Anandamide : Psychedelicatessen 2040 E. Fourth St.

Open daily: 11:11 a.m. - 9:28 p.m. For all the vegetarians, this place has your back for your sweet tooth cravings. Even if you are not vegetarian give this place a go. This shop will not let you down. They have chocolates, cakes, to milkshakes. This place is a must try!

20. Doly’s Delectables 245 E. Broadway Ave.

Closed Sunday. Monday - Friday: 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. Yes, Doly is with just one “l.” Your dose of fine pastries. This is a French Bakery with many yummy items to pick, it also contains traditional baked goods. You need to try the pain au chocolat, you will not be let down.

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CONTENTS FOUNDER/PRESIDENT Von Raees CEO Jesse Dillon EDITORIAL editor@hlrmedia.com MANAGING EDITOR Gary Metzker SENIOR REPORTER Blake Pinto

THE EDGE-UCATOR

This is lucky issue No. 13 for us at The Edge. Thanks for your continued support. We are expanding our drop locations so you can find us in more location, like on Second Street. And some lucky people on Fourth Street will actually get home delivery; I don’t even get home delivery. Also, if you want to write for The Edge, see the ad in this issue. I won’t tell you what page; you’ll have to be a good investigative reporter and find it. Errata: In our story on Obsessive Attendance Disorder: a Look at Disneyphiles, the word DisneyExaminer should be one word, not two. As always, if you love us or hate us or have a story idea let us know with a comment on our Facebook page or our website www. theedgelb.com. Or send me an email at editor@hlrmedia.com

PHOTOGRAPHER Karen Sawyer CONTRIBUTORS Jesus Ambrosio Madison D’Ornellas Kevin Flores Olivia Otsuki Emily Rasmussen GRAPHICS/PRODUCTION Jorge Arroyo Katie Lowery Allison Rojas WEBSITE Jorge Arroyo SALES Jeffrey Vaughn Candace Klewer DISTRIBUTION SUPERVISOR Edward Davis ACCOUNTING Vera Shamon

- Gary Metzker Managing editor

top 20:

The best places for desserts in Long Beach.

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A former Cal State Long Beach student leaves everything behind to understand life through the eyes of Syrian refugees.

Long Beach’s award-winning office of Special Events and Filming deal with movie, TV and commercials . . . almost invisibly.

PUBLISHER HLR Media

A photo essay from the Long Beach Grand Prix by Edge photographer Karen Sawyer

entertainment: 10 The zine (pronounced zeen) culture in Long Beach is thriving and growing.

Contribute to The Edge! Are you a passionate journalist who loves writing about arts, dining and entertainment? As the independent voice of Long Beach, The Edge is welcoming a hand full of contributors who are eager to cover the latest trends happening in LB. Selected writers will have the opportunity to showcase their work in our print and digital publications while building their portfolio with professional reporter experience. From investigative stories, features on local artists,

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Contact: editor@hlrmedia.com Cover photo credit to Long Beach Special Events & Filming website www.theedgelb.com

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FEATURE

SYMPATHY FOR SYRIA Cal State Long Beach alumni Jordan Hattar creates a nonprofit to help Syrians in refugee camps

efore the mainstream media began focusing its attention toward the humanitarian crisis in Syria, one student from Cal State Long Beach left everything to understand life through the eyes of Syrian refugees. In fall 2012, Jordan Hattar was a student of International Studies at CSULB while also studying Arabic. He became interested in Syria after learning from his Arabic professor, Iman Hashem, about the war and violence happening to the country. At the beginning of each class, Hashem would tell the students about current affairs that were happening in Syria, which at the time was still underreported. “Two of her cousin’s friends were sniped

by Emily Rasmussen

and killed as they were pulling a body off of the street. And to me, that symbolized me,” Hattar says. “I could have been in that person’s shoes, because they were 20-year-olds just like me. That’s what made me want to do something.” Hattar couldn’t stop thinking about the Syrians who were forced to flee their homes and move to refugee camps. So he decided to change his plans and study abroad in Jordan, just a few miles from the Syrian border. “I just couldn’t continue to do nothing,” he says. “I think there’s a point in our lives when either we do something, or we forget about the situation. And I really wanted to find out how I could do something. I had a little bit of Arabic, so I was like, why not?” Hattar attended the Jordan Language Academy, an Arabic school for students from

| APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

the United States and the United Kingdom. This was his “ticket in” for going to the area, but his real priority was to get into the nearby Zaatari Camp on the other side of the Syrian border. It took Hattar a few weeks to get into the refugee camp. He began visiting the medical centers that were connected to the camp, but they wouldn’t just let a college student inside where the refugees lived. So Hattar decided to apply to the press office as an American journalist, which was his way in. For the first couple weeks, Hattar would walk through the camps, trying to start conversations in his beginner’s Arabic with people. It was difficult at first because a government guard would follow him and watch his every move, which made him, along with the people in the camp, nervous to talk. However,

after a few weeks, the guard disappeared and the people began to warm up to Hattar, telling him about their experiences. “They would show me on their handheld phones the protest going on in Syria and why they left. I remember this one man showed me his 11-year-old nieces that were killed and showed me their funerals,” Hattar says. “It made it real for me. Because I had never seen any of that. I mean my Arabic teacher talked about this stuff – but seeing it is another thing.” During his semester abroad, Hattar would visit the refugee camp whenever he had the chance. Each week he would visit about 20 families, asking how they left Syria and what their biggest needs were in the camp. He documented his stories on a blog, to give an outlet

FEATURE

for the unheard voices of the Syrian refugees. “Over those three months I learned how lucky they were to be in this circumstance after they had fled,” Hattar says. “This one man I talked to, he had lost 36 members of his family.” Despite these hardships that many families went through, Hattar says that it never deterred their friendly and hospitable culture. He became close to several of the families, sharing their rations meals with Hattar, despite his protests. “I would say that I was fasting to make sure they wouldn’t give me anything. And I remember they pushed their refugee ration, one of the kid’s juice boxes in front of me. And I said ‘No, no, no, I’m fine,’ and then they stuck the straw in the juice box. And I just thought ‘Wow.’ Hattar says. “I had never met a Syrian before my Arabic teacher, and here they are opening up their homes to me, giving me everything they have.” Many of the people said they needed better housing, because during storms the wind and rain damaged their shelters, which were basically tents. The water would flood the camps and children were dying every week due to the cold nights. Eventually Hattar came up with an idea to raise funds and get the refugees better housing. So he decided to visit the United Nations in Jordan, to discuss making a plan. There he met Andrew Harper, a prominent figure in Syrian refugee humanitarian work. “Being a refugee is nothing you would want to wish upon your worst enemy,” Harper told him. When Hattar shared his idea to raise money to purchase better housing units, aka caravans, which Harper was eager to let him help. The deal was Hattar would raise the money, and the U.N. would help to make sure the caravans were delivered. So after his semester abroad ended, Hattar came back to California and started Help4Refugees.org, an unregistered non profit. He worked with a UC Santa Barbara student, Ol-

ivia Wong, to help do fundraising for the caravans. Hattar would go to different colleges and to high schools, sharing the stories of the refugees. This is how they raised money for two caravans, which cost about $3,000 each. After sharing his story to a political science class at CSULB, fellow classmate and freelance journalist, Deric Mendes, came up to him after class and told him he wanted to join him in Syria. So in July 2013, Mendes came to document the refugee camp, along with Hattar and Wong, while delivering the two caravans to make sure they got to the camp. “I didn’t want to be too close to the caravan delivery, because it’s not me giving it,” Hattar says. “It’s all these people, I’m kind of the ambassador for all these people that are caring.So I didn’t want them thinking it was only me. I remember emphasizing, this is from the people that care around the world, and back in America. Because it’s not just this one college student. I think that’s my story. It’s about other people working together, building partnerships.” Soon after delivering the two caravans, more money was raised independently by two high schools in New York. This “ripple effect” raised enough money for two more caravans to be donated later to the refugee camp, Hattar said. After graduating from Long Beach, Hattar is now finishing his master’s at Cambridge University, studying International Relations and Politics. He went back to the Zaatari Camp in fall 2015 to see how the families were doing with the caravans. “I met one of the families again and they were telling me how great it was and they had a new baby boy, because they were able to live in that caravan. You never know what effect it actually had, but it alleviated suffering to some degree,” Hattar says. After seeing that every single refugee family in that camp has access to one of these caravans, Hattar says his focus has changed.

“Now it’s trying to counter people like Donald Trump and some of the media, how they are portraying [Syrians],” he says. “I think the reaction and the emphasis on ISIS and how it made everyone fear ISIS; it made them bigger than life. It actually gave them strength almost,” Hattar says. “When they’re on every single station it makes them have some . . . legitimacy, even though they shouldn’t even have that much news coverage. So that was tough to see, especially understanding the Syrian conflict and knowing their role. They’re not the ones killing the people – it’s mostly the Syrian government.” When Hattar was at the refugee camp last September, he asked the same question from years ago: What do you need? This time, the answer has changed. “They said shaving razors. And I said “Laish, Laish,” meaning “Why, why?” This is silly,” Hattar said. “They said because we don’t want to look to look like Daesh, we don’t want to look like ISIS.” Hattar hopes to start doing more work with Help4Refugees.org after he finishes school at Cambridge this year. Anything involving humanitarian work is what he loves doing. However, for his long-term goals, perhaps

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making that change a bit larger. “I’d love to work on foreign policy on Syria instead of just dealing with the repercussions of the foreign policy, I’d rather make that foreign policy so maybe we can prevent something like Syria from happening again,” Hattar says.

Pg.4 : Hattar (right) with a high school student (left) who fled from ISIS and into Jordan. One of the Syrian families living in the Zaatari Camp, which Hattar became close to. Above: The donated housing units, or caravans, that were delivered to the refugee camp.

- Photos courtesy of Jordan Hattar

| APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 |

business

LIGHTS, CAMERA, PLANNING Long Beach’s Office of Special Events and Filming takes hours and hours to ensure an event goes off without a hitch – even if it only lasts 30 seconds.

photo courtesy of film long beach official website

ust another “normal” discussion in the day of the Office of Special Events and Filming: “. . .You need one more policeman is what I’m thinking. . . You gotta hold it [traffic] back at Chestnut in the intersection. You gotta hold it back at the midsection of Broadway. Hold it back at the light at World Trade Center. How much . . . what is the camera going to see in that intersection? The camera’s on top. It’s a, you know, the Russian arm? You got a Russian arm. . . That’s because of, because of the Port [of Long Beach] and all those people, that’s a lot of [police]men . . . And the car makes a right out of . . . Yeah, but we would have to block out that intersection so we would have to do . . . two men. OK fine then, so add two . . .” “All that discussion we just had, and hours and hours before that,” says Tasha Day, the department head, “was for 30 seconds on a feature TV show.” Day and her cohort, Jacque Sweeting, special projects officer, Jay Lopez, event coordinator, Leah Solorzano, event coordinator, and Emily Scott, film coordinator along with two dedicated policemen and two dedicated firemen work tirelessly with the city’s public works department to make sure all special events, including last Sunday’s 42nd Grand Prix of Long Beach, and any movie, television or commercial spots, run smoothly, almost invisible to the community, when it comes to films and television.

by Gary Metzker

| APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

from left to right: Emily Scott, Jay Lopez, Tasha Day, and Leah Solorzano. photo courtesy of andy witherspoon / city of long beach

business “Dexter” and, of course, “CSI Miami.” “We do play Florida a lot,” Scott says. “Horny Corner (Bayshore Avenue in the Belmont Shore area of the city) is very popular.” “Ben Affleck and Tom Cruise were here, but we didn’t meet them. We did meet Dax Shepard of “CHiPs,” said Day. “He was so nice.” One look at the office’s web site reveals many an explosion that has taken place in Long Beach, like planes that have “crashed” in Marina Vista Park, a grizzly bear flying in a helicopter and air cannons flipping buses on Shoreline Drive. “The location industry is a small group,” Day says. “We know 90 percent of the location managers. That helps.” But what keeps the office really hopping are special events. How about 400 events per

year, according to Lopez. “Most people in the city have no idea about half of the events happening,” Lopez says. “We help coordinate all these events. We make it as easy as we can for the organizers.” “This is our busy season; April until October,” Solorzano says. “I’ll probably be working almost every Saturday from now until October, sometimes five events in one day.” Day says she wouldn’t trade her job for anything, and she’s been there for 17 years. “I love the city and I get to work with a great group of people, she says. “We just want to help people have the best time. Long Beach is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country, and it is the perfect choice for all things cultural and all things entertainment.”

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You want to talk tirelessly? For the Grand Prix, the work day began at 3 a.m. and ended at 10 p.m. And for the Long Beach Marathon, Day and her staff start at midnight and aren’t finished until 4 p.m. and then are back at work Monday morning at 8 o’clock. “It’s a fun and stressful job,” says Day, who started as a clerk in the department after graduating with a degree in sociology. “The most stressful is the Grand Prix.” Planning for the race starts six months ahead in November and some of the discussions that take place entail where to place policemen around downtown, where to place barriers . . . even how to adjust the timing of traffic signals. Day and her team work under the auspices of the city manager’s department. The Office of Special Events and Filming collects funds from those who want to film or hold special events. In fact there are six pages worth of different fees that can be incurred, whether it’s a special event, a block party or you just want to get married on city property. Last year, the economic impact on the city – thanks to Day’s office – was around $100 million with $47 million coming just from the Grand Prix. And in case you were wondering, if you want to close Shoreline Drive for the day, it will cost you $5,000 a day. “No money comes out of the general fund,” she says. “We do have to recover all our costs, and that’s what the fees are based on.” According to the Grunion

Gazette, in 2013, the office brought in almost $1.2 million while spending $1.15 million. In 2014, they brought in $1.24 million and spent $1.3 million. “We are unique,” Day says. In case you haven’t noticed, Long Beach is a popular location for films, television shows and commercials. How many times have you watched a car commercial only to recognize Shoreline Drive or the Queensway Bay bridge? Long Beach is so well-liked among location managers that the Office of Special Events and Filming was named as the top award recipient from the Outstanding Film Commission. The office beat out the Chicago Film Office; Film in Iceland; Oregon Governor’s Office of Film & Television; and Royal Film Commission of Jordan. A location manager for “NCIS-LA” nominated the bureau for its work on last season’s show. Of course, “NCIS” isn’t the only program to shoot in Long Beach. A total of 437 film permits were issued in 2014, with a total of 655 production days; more than 500 permits were issued in 2015. Most of the filming is for commercials but many feature films, like “Straight Outta Compton,” “Live by Night” and “Knight and Day” have used the city for scenes. And let’s not forget films like “American Pie,” “American Beauty” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” that have all used Long Beach in production shots. Recent television credits include shows like “Rosewood,” “Jane the Virgin,” “New Girl” and “Supergirl,” “NCIS-LA,” “Criminal Minds,”

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September 8, 2016

Job opportunities change every Friday 24-Hour Job Recruitment Line (562) 570-6201 Equal Opportunity Employer City of Long Beach Civil Service Department 333 W. Ocean Blvd., 7th Floor Long Beach, CA 90802 Ph: (562) 570-6202 Fax: (562) 570-5293 TDD: (562) 570-6638 www.theedgelb.com

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The Grand Prix was the place to be la 182,000 jammed Shoreline Drive to wa trucks jumping off ramps (above) to (below right), to taking your own photos cheer, especially when Simon Pagenau versial

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entertainment

by Jesus Ambrosio

zines and zinesters will return to the museum of latin american art on april 24 photos by jesus ambrosio

NEWS BULLETIN: PRINT NOT DEAD Grassroots Long Beach Zine Fest returns to the Museum of Latin American Art.

10 /

| APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

entertainment

Los Angeles resident Daniel Martinez browses the zine

zines and zinesters will return to the museum of

library at the Long Beach

latin american art on april 24

and-crafted and glued-together mementos of modest circulation known as zines will be celebrated at the second annual Long Beach Zine Fest (LBZF). “Historically, zines were half-letter, spine-stapled paper goods straight out of a photocopy machine and used by often ignored underground groups such as LGBT communities, punkers and science fiction fans pre-internet age to spread information quickly and portably,” says Sarah Bennett in the introduction of this year’s program zine. Bennett is one of the 12 organizers of the LBZF. Now the term is much broader and used to describe all kinds of periodicals that are of special interest, hand-made and of low-circulation. The zine culture in Long Beach is thriving and growing thanks to grassroots efforts from local zinesters. Bennett, a long-time freelance journalist who has written for LA Weekly, OC Weekly and the LA Record (to name a few), met fellow Long Beach zinesters at the Orange County Zine Fest (OCZF) in 2014. She said that three-quarters of the current LBZF committee met in person at this event which led to the creation of the first zine festival in Long Beach in 2015. “This city is a community,” Bennett says. “I can walk down the street and bump into people I know. It’s so nice to see a manifestation of that in a festival that is focused on zines.” She often refers to zines as “punk rock scrapbooking”. In only a few years, this “do-it-yourself” ethic has spawned festivals just about everywhere from Portland, Orange County, Inland Empire, San Diego, San Francisco, Los Angeles and now Long Beach. While Zinesters of the Los Angeles Zine Fest (LAZF) were engaging on the internet some five years ago to meet, organize and plan the LAZF; Bennett said meeting local zinesters in person at the OCZF had its advantage. This is where she first met the creators of Influentza Publishing; a project by locals Dan-

by Jesus Ambrosio

iel Garcia and Vanessa Rosales. If you look up the word zine on Wikipedia you will learn that the word is pronounced “zeen”, and you’ll also catch a glance of Inflentza’s zines as they are the feature image on this Wiki webpage. “It’s the power of print,” Garcia says. “I feel like this medium is so important to artists and writers because as soon as your work gets put on paper, regardless of whether it’s self-published or not it gives it a sense of power.”

to her mom. Taking her favorite photos of her mother, she made the zine in reverse chronological order. Her mother’s first diary entry concludes the hand-crafted zine. “It was a way to be creative outside of just words,” Bennett says. “I did everything tactically. I used an ex-acto knife, wrapping paper and tissue paper. I retyped her whole diary entries using a typewriter, and glue-sticked it all together.” That was only the beginning. Over the

It was a way to be creative outside of just words. – sarah bennett

years she has also done zines about beer and another about the characters she meet during the three years when she worked the graveyard shift at Harbor House in Sunset Beach. Ziba Zehdar another organizer of the LBZF is a librarian at the Long Beach Public Library and now curates the LBPL circulating zine collection. This is a fairly new edition to the library and would not exist without donations from the inaugural LBZF. The collection went public in November 2015, and has over 400 titles and continues to grow. LBZF received about 225 applications this year, but is only allowed to table 100 zinesters. Last year, the LBZF saw approximately 2,500 visitors; this meant that the venue was a bit cramped especially for the bands performing outside of the Museum of Latin American Art. Musicians will have a bit more room as music will take place in the sculpture garden at MOLAA with performances by local acts such as The Potential Lunatics, Bootleg Orchestra, Miniature Houses and Avi Buffalo. The event will also features workshops such as “The Power of Personal Story” and “DIY Sticker Making,” as well as panels with Davy Rothbart; a contributor to This American Life, Gustavo Arellano; an editor at OC Weekly and Griselda Suárez; executive director of the Arts Council for Long Beach. Rosales is excited that this festival will expose people to a culture that may be unfamiliar to some. She feels one of the most important aspects of this festival is bringing art to people that don’t know how to express themselves. “The art of making something that is important to you no matter how you make it,” Rosales says. “There is no right way to make a zine, if you have a craving to put something out in the world then just do it. What a great way to contribute to the world and show the universe that you exist.” The LBZF is a free event that will be held April 24 at the Museum of Latin American Art from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A zine can really be about anything. Garcia and Rosales from Influentza have done zines together on various topics including a travel zine, a guide to cycling in the city, another on the concept of “staying woke” and one on the city of Signal Hill. Zines can also be a way to express or examine one’s identity, these are often called “perzines” or personal zines. “First zine I made was based on a diary that my mother kept while she was pregnant with me,” Bennett says. “My mom passed away when I was 8. I’m a journalist and I don’t write about myself, I write about other people’s truths. I needed this outlet to express what I was feeling.” She came across the diary one day while cleaning in 2008. She said she couldn’t leave the journal alone, and decided to make an ode www.theedgelb.com

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// APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 // Queen Mary // April 24 // 11th Annual freestyle festival 1 p.m., General Admission $45 Featuring Salt N Pepa, Berlin, Stevie B, Lisa Lisa, Sweet Sensation, Debbie Gibson, Slick Rick, Trinere, Biz Markie, 2 Live Crew, JJ Fad, Robin S., Tiffany, Gucci Crew II, Nu Shooz, Pretty Poison, Connie

// April 25 // The Queen Mary Golf Classic Benefitting the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Want to shoot a ‘hull’ in one for charity? The Queen Mary will host a fun day of Championship golf, prizes and entertainment at the third annual Queen Mary Golf Classic, held at the historic Virginia Country Club. Proceeds will benefit the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House.

// Every Sunday // Sunday brunch 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., $49.95 adults, $19.95 for children 12 and under. Prices on holidays and special events are $59.95 adults and $19.95 kids. $7 parking with validation, $12 all-day valet parking with validation. Hosted in the Grand Salon and featuring live entertainment, the weekly Champagne Sunday Brunch sets the standard for elegance so early in the morning.

Long Beach Museum of Art // April 7 - April 24 // Artist in Residence: Jamie Sweetman Patterns, structures and shapes found in both the human body and plant life are depicted in Jamie Sweetman’s mysterious drawings.

// April 7- April 24 // “Beyond the Frame: New Media Arts from Taiwan” This exhibition of “new media” artists from Taiwan showcases their skills to use traditional art techniques with modern technology.

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// April 7 - April 24 // “Transformed by Fire” Diverse selection of functional and sculptural contemporary ceramics from the collection of Richard Oelschlaeger. The artists’ creations in clay are local, regional, statewide and national in significance.

// Every Friday // Free docent-led tourof the galleries 1 p.m. - 2p.m. in the Hartman Pavilion

// April 16 - April 23 // Adult Workshop: Cermaic Spoons 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., $75 non-members, $50 members Ceramic artist KLAI will teach participants how to make ceramic spoons. Minimum of six people required for the workshop. Contact Lisa Marsh at lisam@ lbma.org to make a reservation.

// Every third Sunday // free drop-in art making workshop 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. Create some art on the LBMA lawn! All ages are welcome.

Aquarium of the Pacific // Most Fridays // Shark lagoon nights 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. See a shark! Touch a shark! Free! Are you sold out yet?

// April 21 // Exploring blue carbon in so cal salt marshes 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., $5 for public, FREE for Aquarium members, seniors age 62 and up, teachers, and students with valid ID and advanced reservations Jason Keller will be discussing Coastal Blue Carbon.

// April 23 - April 24 // Earth Day Celebration 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., included with admission Learn what you can do to help our ocean

| APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

photos courtesy of the queen mary

planet at the Aquarium of the Pacific’s annual Earth Day Celebration.

// April 24 // ABILITIES NIGHT 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., capacity is limited. Advanced reservations are required. This will be a great evening for people with disabilities to get up close and personal with many of the aquariums sea creatures.

MOLAA // April 22 // Craft Club: Movement and Murals 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., General admission; $5, Members free Arts & Services for Disabled (ASD) will is leading a collaborative art project where participants can practice their gross motor skills through various games and activities.

// April 24 // 2nd annual long beach zinefest 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., FREE Zinesters! They’re back. A unique look at the art of Zine.

Arts Council of Long Beach // March 11 - May 29 // Beyond the Frame: New Media Arts from Taiwan $7 Long Beach Museum of Art An innovative exhibition featuring new media artists who continually evolve

their creative practice with rapid advances in media technology. For more information, visit lbma.org.

// April 1 - Oct. 27 // Black Gold Free 4640 Atlantic Ave. A photo exhibition called “Black Gold: Oil in the Neighborhood,” which explores the industry that helped shaped the Long Beach area. Hours: Tues., Wed., Fri. from 1-5 p.m. Thur. from 1-7 p.m. and Sat. from 11 - 5 p.m. For more information, visit hslb.org.

// April 3 - May 15 // Songwriting Workshop Free - $20 Suggested Donation Every other Sunday from 12 - 2 p.m. Alamitos Beach Taught by Taylor Crawford, one of Long Beach’s treasured singer-songwriters. For more information or to sign up, email taylorcrawfordmusic@gmail.com

Brix at the Shore Live Music Wednesday: Luke Zell Thursday: Stacy Balestos Friday 8 - 11 p.m.: Rob Covacevich Saturday 4-7 p.m. : Howard Rice

8-11 p.m. : Benn Clatworthy

Sunday 12-3 p.m. : Elena Gilliam

4-7 p.m. : Jazz Jam

wine tasting Wednesday 6-8 p.m. : Special wine flight $8

calendar

WED 4/20 Alex’s Bar Karaoke 9 p.m. 21+ Alex’s Bar, 2913 E Anaheim Street, Long Beach Booze and drunk people singing classics, what’s not to like?

Salsa Dance Lessons Cover charge may apply 8 p.m. - 10 p.m. Sevilla Night Club Every Wednesday night they offer salsa dance lessons in their club taught by renowned local salsa dance instructors.

Open Mic Night at DRNK 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. DRNK Coffee + Tea 4245 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach Say what you mean, mean what you say. The perfect opportunity to speak your mind.

THU 4/21 Ken O’Malley Live Irish Music 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. The Auld Dubliner 71 S. Pine Street, Long Beach Ken O’Malley play an early evening set every Thursday.

FRI 4/22 Snapback Long Beach 10 p.m. - Free before 11 p.m., $5 After The Federal Underground, 102 Pine Ave, Long Beach Throwback Hip Hop / R&B classics

Shark Lagoon Nights 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Aquarium of the Pacific Most Fridays, some exclusions apply See a shark! Touch a shark! Free! Are you sold yet?

SAT 4/23 Musica Angelica Baroque Chamber Orchestra “Indoor Fireworks: Thrills from Baroque England 7 p.m. | Ticket prices vary | Beverly O’Neill Theatre Some of the best instrumental music of the late 17th century comes from the theater of the Restoration era.

Joe Bonamassa in Concert Ticket prices vary 8 p.m. Terrace Theatre One of the greatest guitar players of his generation, Joe Bonamassa will be performing.

BK Strollers 7 a.m. - 9 a.m. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, 4105 Atlantic Ave. A neighborhood walking club meeting every Saturday morning. Get you exercise on.

Flamenco Dinner Show $59 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Café Sevilla, 140 Pine Avenue, Long Beach Three course meal and a lesson in the art of Flamenco? Yes please.

Rocky Horror Picture Show Adults: $11; Senior/Child: $8 11:55 p.m. 2025 E. 4th St. Long Beach The tradition continues. Beware if it is your first time. You’ll be in for quite a surprise

Sole Saturdays 10 p.m. The Federal Underground 102 Pine Ave, Long Beach Like you’re at a house party. Is that a good or bad thing? Up for you to decide.

Truck Squad food trucks 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. 1632 Cherry Ave., Long Beach trucksquadevents.com Rotating food truck every Saturday afternoon!

SUN 4/24 LAUGH FACTORY Sunday Funday Comedy Show at The Laugh Factory 8 p.m. The Laugh Factory, 151 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach | Tickets: www.laughfactory.com Clean comedy show from the Pike at Rainbow Harbor in Downtown Long Beach!

Sunday Brunch at the Queen Mary $49.95 per adult, $19.95 for children 12 and under Prices on holidays and special events are $59.95 Adults & $19.95 Kids. $7 parking with validation (up to 3 hours) $12 all-day valet parking with validation | 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. |

photos courtesy of the aquarium of the pacific

Queen Mary, 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach Hosted in the Grand Salon and featuring live entertainment, the weekly Champagne Sunday Brunch sets the standard for elegance so early in the morning.

2nd Annual Long Beach Zinefest April 24, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Free | MOLAA Zinesters! They’re back. A unique look at the art of the Zine.

Traditional Irish Music Session 4 p.m. - 7 p.m. The Auld Dubliner, 71 South Pine Street, Long Beach Some good ol’ live traditional Irish themed music.

MON 4/25 Trivia Night at Willmore 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Wilmore Wine Bar 3848 Atlantic Ave.

www.theedgelb.com

Competitive trivia and great wine will have you coming back again and again.

I Love LOVE 10 p.m. | 8 p.m., $20 The Federal Underground, 102 Pine Ave, Long Beach Starring David Morris.

Graffiti Murals Workshop 6 p.m. Homeland Cultural Center, 1321 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach Get a taste for the culture of street art.

TUE 4/26 Alex’s Bar Karaoke 9 p.m. | 21+ Alex’s Bar, 2913 E Anaheim Street, Long Beach Booze and drunk people singing classics, what’s not to like?

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artist of the week

CAPTURING THE MOMENT

Artist Kiyomi Fukui loves to have audience participation in her art projects

hen you first walk into Kiyomi Fukui’s exhibit “The Green Thumb Project,” there is a print on the wall layered with earthy, ocean colors and intricate leaves and branches etched and screen printed onto paper. This is the only traditional, two-dimensional fine art you will see in her exhibit – a tribute to where her art studies began in screen printing when she moved back to the United States from Japan at the age of 19. The main show, however, begins in the center of the room with three wooden boxes on wheels holding dirt with growing plants. On the back table, there are potted plants, some alive and some dead – each one encapsulating a different time of Fukui’s experience learning how to garden for this show. The plants are on display in an assortment of pots, fishbowls, Starbucks cups, and whatever else Fukui could find around her home at that moment in time. She is kneeling down by a plastic storage bucket filled with water, molding paper pulp into the shape of her mother’s thumb. This thumb contains seeds from an assortment of chives, cherry tomatoes, marigolds, turnips, Japanese parsley, beets – just to name a few. The exhibit ran from April 3-7 at the Gatov West Gallery at California State University.

by Olivia Otsuki

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| APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

During that time, each of the visitors picked from the assortment of seeds, and Fukui planted them inside of the paper-pulp molded thumb for them to take home and grow. A few of Fukui’s other art projects have a similar theme of inviting interaction from the audience, which requires viewers to experience the art in that specific moment. Much of her artwork focuses on the impermanence, fragility, and ephemerality of moments that occur in life and with people – which makes it impossible to re-experience through photo or video. For one example, her 2015 exhibit “Reminiscing Remnants,” was a tea ceremony. “A tea ceremony is about conversation,” she says. “There was a placemat, and we would have tea, and the droplets would fall and that was the,” she air-quotes,’art.’ The stains were a representation of capturing that moment.” She used many different tea-dyes, the main one was beet juice. “It is a natural dye,” she says, “but very fugitive, which means it fades very fast, so it doesn’t stay that way at all. And I think there is something about that in this moment, of this life, because I’m sitting next to you right now, and I’m having this conversation in this moment, but I can only have that right now.” She describes the dripping of the tea and the staining as a “meaningless effort, it’s not a

artist of the week

fruitful act.” For Fukui, the end product is not the main art, she describes her artwork as, “the process itself is the piece more so than the outcome. It’s not going to be there forever,” Fukui says, “I found it to be kind of beautiful, I guess.” This philosophy applies to The Green Thumb Project. “The moment is the most important thing,” Fukui says. “In this project in particular, it is about being here, seeing it, touching it, and even taking a thumb home with you and growing it on your own. I would love to call the action of growing a process and the relationship you build is the art itself.” But why a mold of a thumb – specifically her mother’s thumb? For three years, her mother was terminally ill, and unresponsive. “I just saw her really changed, her appearance – it was just shocking to see her that way. She couldn’t even speak. I couldn’t even hear her voice anymore.” A few days before her mother died, in order to lighten the mood of the hospital room for her father and her other three siblings, she remembered she had mold making material in her purse. As a child, her mother would let her play by putting clay around her mother’s thumb. “I do these things from time to time, even when I was little, she was kind of always making fun of me for doing that. And

I think when I just did that and pressed her finger against this gooey shit, excuse on my language – on her thumb, I could tell she kind of smiled or something. It was this little moment of delight. So then I had this thumb with me and she passed away right after that a couple days later. The voice I could not hear no more. All that stuff was just too much.” While grieving the loss of her mother, she asked herself questions like, “Now that it has actually happened, how do I go about making art anymore? Why does everything go on normally? Everything should stop and it shouldn’t go on. How do I live through the process of healing instead of just talking about it?” Her curiosity to reorient her understanding of the passing of time, and life and death inspired her to restart a project she had begun in 2014 where she paralleled the art of growing plants with the art of creating meaning in art using organic materials, including: mushrooms, dirt, and leaves. It took a while to learn how to grow everything, “I don’t have a green thumb, I have a brown thumb. I kill a lot of stuff,” Fukui says. “Growing them up, [the plants], I think that there was some sort of metaphorical layer to the practice. I thought it was about life going on. It goes on on it’s own and it’s not a

negative thing. It’s actually just how it is, and I felt like doing this really made me feel like I am ready to say that’s just how it is, and that’s okay. It was a really meaningful process for me. I mean the act of propagating thumbs,” she laughs, “In a way, it’s propagating her spirit that I think of - it’s not her actual spirit, but it is for the people who are left behind. I feel like I am propagating her spirit and that is actually a beautiful way to remember her, you know?” “I’m just excited that some of them are going to be fully grown mature plants and I get to eat them with friends. I would love to host a show where I would invite people to eat them with me, digest it, feel like it’s a part of you. Complete the cycle.” To view more of Kiyomi Fukui’s artwork, visit her website http://www.kiyomifukui.com/

PG 14. Top Left Isabel Avilla - Kiyomi Fukui at her 2015 tea ceremony art exhibit called, “Reminiscing Remnants.” Top Right Jordan Daniels - “Reminiscing Remnants” dye and glasses prepared for exhibition guests to stain the tablecloths, like the one on shown on this table. Bottom Right Wooden bins that contain some of Fukui’s bigger plants that she grew from the paper pulp thumbs. Right Artist Kiyomi Fukui displays her plants, both dead and alive, from her journey learning how to garden. - Photos by olivia otsuki

Contact Olivia:

/oliviaotsuki /oliviaotsukii /oliviaotsuki

www.otsukio.wordpress.com www.theedgelb.com

| APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 |

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April 23 - May 1

For a complete list of restaurants and menus, visit www.DineLBC.com

Hungry for More Info? Text DINELBC to 66866 SPONSORED BY

#DineLBC | @DineLBC

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| APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com