Buscaino uses viral homeless singer as draw to ‘historic’ Little Italy opening p. 2 Operation Ajax: An uneven but engaging primer on tragic U.S. meddling in Iran p. 9 Taxco Bonito ― Thirty-six years and now a new location p. 10
Walter Lippmann in Wonderland:
Project Censored’s Top 5 Stories By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
E
very year, Project Censored scours the landscape for the most important stories that the mainstream corporate media somehow missed, and every year the task seems to get a bit stranger. Or “curiouser and curiouser” as suggested in the subtitle of this year’s volume of their work, Censored 2020: Through The Looking Glass, which includes their full list of the top 25 censored stories and much, much more about the never-ending struggle to bring vitally important hidden truths to light. In the forward, “Down the Rabbit Hole of ‘Media Literacy’ by Decree,” Sharyl Attkisson, an Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist, highlights the absurdity of “so many well-organized, well-funded efforts to root out so-called ‘fake news,’ which—as we’ll see below—have significantly impacted the kinds of journalists and outlets who have historically produced the stories that make Project Censored’s list in the first place. “The self-appointed curators, often wielding proprietary algorithms, summarily dispense with facts and ideas that they determine to be false — or maybe just dangerous to their agendas,” Attkisson notes. “Thanks to them, we will hardly have to do any of our own thinking. They’ll take care of it for us.” Does that seem hyperbolic? Well, read on, dear reader, read on. In Project Censored’s #2 censored story this year, you’ll discover Facebook partnering with a NATO-sponsored think tank to “monitor for misinformation and foreign interference”— a think tank whose funders include the U.S. military, the United Arab Emirates, weapons contractors and oil companies. Its board includes Henry Kissinger, the world’s most famous war criminal. Who better to tell you who to believe? Or better yet, decide who you’ll never even hear from? “Through The Looking Glass.” Yes, indeed. In the beginning, Project Censored’s founder, Carl Jensen, was partly motivated by the way that the early reporting on the Watergate scandal never crossed over from being a crime story to a political story until after the 1972 election coverage. [See Project Censored, p. 14]
The Unholy Trinity Behind Trump’s Religious War on Family Planning By Leslie Belt, Contributer
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
Bad Faith, Bad Care and Bad Data:
With the exception of “all men are created equal,” few of America’s founding principles have been more manipulated or exploited than religious liberty. Part moral mood ring, part judge, jury and executioner, religious freedom has long served as the national patron saint of slippery slopes. Throughout American history, however, no president has slipped further or faster down from the majestic peak of protection for and from religion codified by the first amendment than Donald J. Trump. Since his “election” in 2016, Trump and the submissive cabal of old, white congressmen in his thrall have been ruthless in their attacks on sexual and reproductive health and rights in service to their conservative agenda. To date, 2019 has been a blessed year for these con men for Christ as they legislated themselves a giant lockstep closer to fulfilling their God-given desire to rip a hole in our nation’s family planning safety net.
October 10 - 23. 2019
Illustration by Anson Stevens-Bollen, Santa Fe Reporter
[See Unholy, p. 8]
1
Pepper Tree Plaza Proposed for Italian Heritage Events as Part of Little Italy By Hunter Chase, Reporter
Apparently, making Pepper Tree Plaza the cornerstone of San Pedro’s “Little Italy” despite no known historic geographic connection between Pepper Tree and any thing Italian is is A-OK as long as it serves the purpose for which it is intended. The City of Los Angeles General Services Department is leasing the nearly 10,000 square foot town meeting place to the Little Italy of Los Angeles Association for five years free of charge. LILAA will be expected to put on several events relating to Italian culture, according to documents on the city’s website. The lease will require LILAA to have at least one event per month, including four large scale events per year, said Aksel Palacios, Councilman Joe Buscaino’s planning deputy. The plaza will likely be renamed something in Italian to reflect Little Italy. “LILAA was formed in 2018 to create a central gathering spot to highlight the lives,
language, culture and stories of Italians in Los Angeles and they intend to create such experiences at this plaza,” said Tony M. Royster, General Manager for the city of Los Angeles in a letter to the Los Angeles City Council requesting permission to grant the lease to LILAA. Little Italy will run along 6th Street between South Pacific Avenue and South Harbor Boulevard, Palacios said. “The point of Little Italy is to bring Italian restaurants, businesses, cultural institutions and programming along that stretch,” Palacios said. There are several generations of Italian Americans that live in San Pedro, Palacios said. LILAA publicly unveiled a Little Italy sign on Oct. 5 on 6th streets between Centre and Palos Verdes streets. Inside Peppertree Plaza there is already a centennial plaque from 1988, commemorating a time capsule that was buried there. The description says it contains mementos of the
diverse cultures of San Pedro. Frank Anderson, a board member of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council and member of the San Pedro Bay Historical Society, said the society has not been able to find evidence of a Little Italy existing in the history of San Pedro, and the closest they had been able to find was something akin to Little Sweden. Palacios said that the historic Little Italy would be north of Gaffey Street, but since it is a residential area, there are not many opportunities for commerce. Future events for the plaza include the San Gennaro Festival, a 5K race organized in conjunction with Italian Consulate, and a celebration of Italian Heritage Month, said the community benefit analysis from the LA City website. The Los Angeles Fire Department had to bring out the truck ladder to remove the remainder of the veil that was caught on the “Historic Little Italy” sign. Photo by Adam R. Thomas
Buscaino Uses Viral Homeless Singer as Draw to Little Italy Opening
October 10 - 23, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
By Adam R. Thomas, Reporter
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Hundreds of local residents attended the grand opening of the new “historic” Little Italy District on Oct. 5 to mingle among open air stalls, listen to the viral hit “Subway Singer” and get a taste of self-laudatory local government … along with some pizza of course. 15th District City Councilman Joe Buscaino emceed the day’s events which ultimately stemmed from a motion he proposed in June of 2018 to designate a portion of San Pedro as an officially recognized Little Italy district. The event closed off 6th Street between Centre and Palos Verdes streets from 5 to 10 p.m. to allow residents to visit stalls set up by local businesses and purchase Italian food with $2 tickets. After some brief opening remarks on a stage in front of the Harbor Gateway Work Source Center, Buscaino introduced Emily Zamourka, a Russian immigrant opera singer who reached online viral fame when a member of the Los Angeles Police Department tweeted a video of her singing on a Koreatown subway platform. Since the upload in late September, the video has gotten over a million views on Twitter. Zamourka, who recently received a record deal and an outpouring of financial support online, performed the same Italian opera from the video — Puccini’s aria O Mio Babbino Caro — before being surrounded by dozens of well-wishers and media outlets. “Today we celebrate life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today we celebrate the immigrant experience. Today we celebrate the resilience of our city. Today we celebrate kindness. Today we celebrate like Italians,” said Buscaino during his introductions after declaring the need to build more housing to combat homelessness. Following Zamourka’s performance, Buscaino continued to bring local city government officials and notable participants in getting the section between Centre and Palos Verdes streets along 6th designated as a “historic” Little Italy district. This included Mike Gatto, the Chairman of the Little Italy of Los Angeles Association, the group responsible for organizing the day’s events. “We are going to make this Little Italy so that when people think about all of the great cultural places to go, in the state of California, they think
The subway opera singer, Emily Zamourka, performed at the Little Italy dedication on Oct. 5. File photo
about San Pedro when they think about Italian culture,” said Gatto. LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn was on hand, promising to donate $50,000 to build a fountain piazza in the Peppertree Plaza out of the county’s discretionary fund. Buscaino also announced that the Topaz building at 6th and Palos Verdes was recently sold on Oct. 1 and the new owners were promising to fill every storefront in the structure with Italian businesses. Buscaino then announced that one of the oldest Italian businesses in San Pedro, A1 Italian Deli, was moving to 6th Street next to longtime San Pedro restaurant Buono’s Pizzeria, serving as anchors for future development. After presenting several awards to themselves and others in their circle, Buscaino, Hahn, State Senator for the 35th District Steven Bradford, State Assemblyman for the 70th District Patrick O’Donnell, and the Dana Middle School Dance Team headed to the corner of 6th and Centre for the official unveiling of the sign indicating the area as Little Italy. Fate may have disagreed with Buscaino’s intentions, for when he and the other local government officials pulled the covering off the sign, it ripped in half and remained partially stuck while red, white and green confetti was fired into the air from cannons. Shortly thereafter the fire department was called, and 6th Street was effectively closed to traffic while city workers swept up confetti and a fireman took down the fabric that foiled Buscaino minutes earlier.
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area Voting Demonstration Centers Open
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean C. Logan announced the opening of 10 Voting Systems for All People demonstration centers. The demonstration centers provide the public an opportunity to experience the new fully accessible ballot marking devices and preview the electronic poll books prior to the March 2020 presidential primary election. The RR/CC will host 10 Demo Centers throughout Los Angeles County on a rotational basis through January 2020. Locations and hours will be updated as they are confirmed. Details: LAvote.net
Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 40 Years
Mayor Unveils New Zero-Emission Equipment at POLA By James Preston Allen, Publisher
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti celebrated California Clean Air Day, Oct. 2 at the Port of Los Angeles by unveiling state-of-the-art, zero-emission port yard equipment showcasing the world’s first all-electric tophandlers — one of 16 port projects deploying or testing zero-emission technologies. This comes on the heels of the emissions comparison report 2017-2018 which show
13 to unveil the zero-emission equipment as part of the California Clean Air Day — a call for the state’s residents to take individual and collective steps to improve air quality and promote public health. The POLA is significant in as much as it remains the largest single source of air emissions in all of Southern California.
terminal.” The port has committed to replacing all terminal equipment with zero emissions equipment by 2030. Taylor Machine Works in Louisville, Miss. designed and built the new top handlers at a cost of about $1.4 million each and they will be operated and repaired by union workers.
Veteran’s Welcome Home Event
WILMINGTON — Rep. Nanette Barragán invites veterans and service members from California’s 44th Congressional District to her 2nd Annual Veterans Welcome Home Event. Barragán intends for the event to bring together veterans, thank them for their service and inform them of the federal, state and local programs and resources available to them and their families. Representatives from several relevant organizations will be on site to offer information about resources and programs in the areas of employment, health care, housing, education, legal and community resources and family services. Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 12 Cost: Free Details: 310-831-1799; RSVP.Barragan@ mail.house.gov. Venue: ILWU Memorial Hall, 231 W. C St., Wilmington
Debate Watch Party
Don’t watch the debates alone — come join the San Pedro Democratic Club for a Democratic Presidential Debate Watch Party. Come see your favorite candidates with your favorite neighbors. Time: 5 to 8 p.m. Oct 15 Cost: Free Details: https://www.spdemocrats.org/ Venue: San Pedro Brewing Company, 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro Join the 2nd Annual Long Beach Economic Summit. Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month to discuss important issues facing Long Beach’s Latinx Community. Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 18 Cost: Free Details: RSVP:562-612-4180; Lissete@centrochoa.org Venue: Long Beach State Walter Pyramid, 1250 N. Bellflower Blvd, Long Beach
a bottom line increase in six of the eight air pollution categories studied. The new “top-picks” or “top-handlers,” are large vehicles used within a terminal to load and stack containers weighing up to 70,000 pounds. The Americanbuilt battery-electric vehicles are supported in part by a $15 million memorandum of understanding signed last year between the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and POLA for port-wide charging infrastructure, as well as a $4.5 million sustainability grant from the California Energy Commission. There are currently between 200 and 400 diesel top handlers now in operation throughout both ports. “Every Angeleno deserves to know that future generations will inherit a sustainable city and a livable planet — and that our air, water, and natural resources will be protected and preserved,” Garcetti said. “Clean Air Day gives LA an opportunity to show what it means to put our principles into practice with cleaner transportation, goods movement, and energy sources — to leave a healthier world for our children and grandchildren.” Garcetti was joined by Rep. Nanette Barragán, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn, State Senator Steve Bradford and Ray Familathe President of ILWU
“We’re excited to power up these batteryelectric top handlers and test them under the real-world conditions of a working container
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
Annual LB Economic Summit
State Senator Steven Bradford, left, an ILWU tophandler-driver and ILWU Local 13 President Ray Familathe, right, joined Mayor Eric Garcetti at the unveiling of zero-emission tophandlers on Oct. 2. Photo by Raphael Richardson
October 10 - 23. 2019
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Thousands March at LAX for Unions By Mark Friedman, Reporter
On Oct. 2, more than 2,000 airport employees and rideshare drivers rallied at Los Angeles International Airport in support of the “Unions for All” movement. LAX employees, Lyft and Uber drivers, homecare workers, city employees and other supporting unionists rallied together in this organizing effort. Most workers were from Service Employees International Union and UNITE HERE locals as well as workers from the Mobile Workers Alliance, Coalition of Airport Workers United and a few Teamsters. SEIU executive board member, Jeff Mannix, opened the rally by blasting Southwest and American Airlines.
“Subcontracted workers live in a different world — as janitors, cabin cleaners, wheelchair, attendants,” Mannix said. “We are working for a billion-dollar industry. Yet we struggle to put food on the table. We are mostly immigrants and people of color fighting for decent wages and health care.” Mobile Worker Alliance service driver Constantine Anthony rallied the crowd by asking: “How many of us make less than minimum wage after doing 8 to 10 hours work? The only way to fight back is to lock our arms together in a union, join together. We can thank the legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom for passing AB5 (designating many independent contract workers
A couple thousand demonstrators showed up in support of unionization at LAX on Oct. 2. Photo by Mark Friedman
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
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as actual company employees entitled to certain benefits), but the fight is still ongoing. An individual worker can be bent and broken, but united we are strong. You have the power to change this country.” Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, and L.A. City Council President Herb Wesson attended the demonstration. “We are under attack by the president, the Supreme Court and big business,” Wesson said. “Let’s fight back and let’s put a union card in the back pocket of drivers for Lyft and Uber.” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn showed her support. “You are the reason the economy works and companies are making incredible profits, but their success is not being felt by workers,” Hahn said. “The best way workers will be treated fairly is through unions and only through a union will women get equal pay for equal work.” Later in the day, airport catering workers with Local 11 of UNITE HERE marched through Tom Bradley International Terminal as part of a national day of action for roughly 11,000 LSG Sky Chef workers at 30 airports nationwide who want the same healthcare benefits afforded their colleagues at Flying Food Group, said union spokeswoman Maria Hernandez. There are 700 LSG workers at LAX.
Help Us Fight Childhood Cancer 2019 ILWU Walk The Coast Texas Hold ‘EM Poker Tournament • Thurs., October 17, 2019 Longshoremen, Family & Friends are invited to play in the 8th Annual ILWU Walk the Coast beneifit poker tournament for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
To register: ilwuwallkthecoast.org (310) 508-6224
Locals 13, 63, 94 & the So Cal Pensioners
Real News, Real People, Really Effective October 10 - 23. 2019
5
Trump Isn’t Going Down Without a Fight
Branding, not facts is at the core of his support James Preston Allen, Publisher
Robin Leach’s Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Trump’s various cameos on World Wrestling Federaion, appearances at major boxing events, his representation in cartoons and cameos on various television shows as a celebrity built upon his image of being of the wealthy elite. In this country, wealth has been equated with having the best and that their wealth is proof that they are the best. Proof outside of wealth isn’t necessary. Trump as a celebrity has often been treated as an antihero if not a villain. This is why pundits keep calling him the ultimate disrupter of politics. Trump’s fans and his supporters know who he is and voted for him because of his brand. So, how do you get past the rational mind of the consumer and get them to respond to their gut or sexual instincts? We see it all the time explained in the simple advertising lingo of “sex sells.” You might say that the ad campaigns are attempting to grab you in the same way Trump was caught on camera saying he grabbed women. Of course the new Facebook ads and the coming tsunami of fake advertising about the impeachment hearings or Joe Biden or Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders et al. are meant to grab you there. They’re not intended to reach your brain. So arguing with true believers about the facts of climate change, immigration, trade tariffs, Syria or the obligation of the president to follow the U.S. Constitution is a senseless exercise and a waste of good air. They will, as you’ve probably already experienced, turn all the words around on you like a tossed word salad and keep it focused on liberal elites screwing the working class. This might not be a bad argument if you just eliminated the term “liberal” and focused on “corporate elites” not paying their share of taxes, but that would only open up another endless line of circular debate and finger pointing. The true believers are loyal to the Trump brand beyond the comprehension of the rest of us, who now represent 50 percent of the electorate. This is still not enough to persuade the gutless Republican Senate majority and a large segment of independent rural voters listening to Fox News that Trump is simply unfit for office, if not a threat to our republic. The Trump brand is like a lot of other brand names, a symbol that may not contain any substance. [See Brand, p.7]
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
As the House of Representatives quickly moves forward on its impeachment inquiry — an inquiry that is gaining public support as it reaches 52 percent and disapproval ratings for the president drops to 41.7 percent — Donald Trump’s campaign launched a $10-million television ad-buy that paints the impeachment push as an effort by the Democrats to “steal” the election. In the days immediately after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the impeachment inquiry, the Trump campaign ran 1,800 Facebook ads mentioning “impeachment”— which have been viewed according to Forbes and CNN, 16 to 18 million times. Clearly he’s not going down without a fight and his social media campaigns are bound to be as deceptive and fraudulent as his twitter attacks. Amongst all of the chaos created by this reality-TV-president, the facts and the truth really don’t matter and attempting to argue with anyone who has bought into this is like arguing with a corpse. When Republicans and the Trump administration co-opt the term “fake news” and apply it to fact-checking and any news that’s damaging to the administration, words start to lose their meaning. Even Trump’s reverse accusations of corruption in Ukraine quid pro quo scandal has started to defang the very meaning of the term “corruption.” But daylight is starting to show through the cracks in the wall of lies and deceit. Still, his core supporters are adamant in defending this scoundrel. How do we understand this? First, the name “Trump” has been sold and traded as a “brand” for 20-some odd years, much like Coke and Pepsi. Trump has branded everything he touches including buildings, golf courses, wine and men’s wear. He has even sold the naming rights to buildings he had little or nothing to do with. And just like any other brand, his comes with certain perceived values. In these early days of the 21st century, branding has evolved into an industry spinoff of digital marketing, an end result of 100 years of advertising, psychological research and, yes, infotainment propaganda. Trump was probably the first to become a popculture celebrity because he said he was rich. Being on 1980s television shows like
October 10 - 23, 2019
Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com
6
Assoc. Publisher/Production Coordinator Suzanne Matsumiya
“A newspaper is not just for reporting the news as it is, but to make people mad enough to do something about it.” —Mark Twain Vol. XL : No. 21
Published every two weeks for the Harbor Area communities of San Pedro, RPV, Lomita, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson and Long Beach. Distributed at over 350 locations throughout the Harbor Area.
Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks editor@randomlengthsnews.com Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg paul.rosenberg@ randomlengthsnews.com
Governor’s Baby Steps Toward Charter School Law Reform By Dr. Silke M. Bradford
Gov. Gavin Newsom signing Assembly Bill 1505 represents the first step on a long overdue journey to charter school law reform. One important equity win it secured is the expansion of one of the required elements of a charter petition to go beyond only achieving racial/ethnic balance, to now requiring charters also serve a representative population of English learners and students with disabilities. My concern is that the law makes no distinction between students in special education with mild to moderate versus moderate to severe disabilities; my brother with Down Syndrome qualifies as the latter. Children like my brother rarely enroll in charter schools, unduly leaving the entire financial and ethical responsibility of educating our neediest students to district schools. I applaud AB 1505’s acknowledgement that districts that are deemed fiscally vulnerable by county officials have the right to pass on approving new charter schools that would create further financial hardships. This is a step in the right direction of dismantling what has become an unleveled playing field where a system of haves and have nots unfairly abounds. AB 1505 originally attempted to bolster local control by taking away the County Board of Education and State Board of Education authority to overturn charter petition denials. The final version of the bill fell very short in empowering elected district Board of Education trustees, as it still allows appointed State Board of Education
Columnists/Reporters Lyn Jensen Reporter Hunter Chase Reporter Andrea Serna Arts Writer Melina Paris Staff Reporter Send Calendar Items to: 14days@randomlengthsnews.com Photographers Terelle Jerricks, Steven Guzman, Benjamin Garcia, Raphael Richardson Contributors Leslie Belt, Dr. Sillke M. Bradford, Dennis J. Freeman, Mark L. Friedman, Greggory Moore, Adam R. Thomas, Gretchen Williams
trustees to approve and authorize charters. Adding insult to injury, the SBE can approve these denied charters and then pass the buck and designate districts and counties to perform the work of overseeing these charter schools. Plainly stated, my objection is that the appointed trustees of the SBE should not have the authority to overturn the decisions of locally elected district and county BOE trustees, so legislative reform on this issue certainly needs to be revisited. Finally, passage of AB 1507, in related fashion, also works to restore authority to locally elected district BOE trustees. This bill is tailor-made to combat bad acting charters that circumvent the authority of the school boards where a charter school is located, in favor of securing approval to operate from a charter authorizer outside of the boundaries of the district the charter school is housed. AB 1507 brings this unethical practice to an end by forcing these charters to seek authorization from the local district where the charter school is actually located. The law does fall short in that these improperly located charter schools only need to seek permission for continued operation at the time of the charter schools’ next renewal. In some cases that will be two to five years from now. Instead, all of these charters should have only been provided one school year to come into compliance, but I guess the old adage of better late than never applies here.
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Address correspondence regarding news items and tips to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email: editor@randomlengthsnews.com. Send Letters to the Editor to james@randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, letters must be signed with address and phone number (for verification purposes) and be about 250 words. For advertising inquiries or to submit advertising copy, email: rlnsales@randomlengthsnews.com. Annual subscription is $36 for 27 issues. Back issues are available for $3/copy while supplies last. Random Lengths News presents issues from an alternative perspective. We welcome articles and opinions from all people in the Harbor Area. While we may not agree with the opinions of contributing writers, we respect and support their 1st Amendment right. Random Lengths News is a member of Standard Rates and Data Services and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. (ISN #0891-6627). All contents Copyright 2019 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.
RANDOMLetters Little Italy Farce
I would think that we could depend on you and RLN at the very least to question the proposed historic Little Italy project given the amount of resistance the community has demonstrated but your paper has been silent. If BuscaiNO wants to create an ethnic Disneyland that’s one thing, but to claim it’s historic is irresponsible and reminiscent of the whitewashing of history coming out of the White House. On what evidence does he claim that the majority of the area was Italian? Most Pedrans know Vinegar Hill as an old Italian neighborhood but 6th Street? Who was consulted to verify his claims? What’s even more troubling is that the whole project was rubber stamped by the other members of the Clowncil without any input from residents. Let me get this straight, a former cop with no schooling in history that I am aware of is suddenly anointed to rewrite ours? I’m disgusted. Enrique 90731 San Pedro Enrique, I haven’t been silent. And so far seem to be the only one to publicly question this rewriting of Pedro history. I was even accused
[Brand from p. 6]
Brand
Buried Together
I wrote a poem that I would like to share with my community through Random Lengths. Punch, stab, kill are adjectives to describe the way I feel. Run, hide, flee are rhymes that come in three. Here, there or somewhere are all places that I can be. Past, Present, Future are all the places that I may visit. Fact, fiction and make believe all make for a good story. Wake up, fall asleep or Day dream your days away. Happy, Sad, or just feeling a tinge of melancholy
other and when the underlying finances are exposed with a court order and brought to the U.S. Congress the true believers will see the man who would be king has no clothes. And still many of them will be in disbelief and Trump will still fight on to the bitter end, screaming on Twitter, accusing anyone who defies him of being a traitor or worse: demanding absolute loyalty until that very moment he is indicted and convicted. Even then he will deny everything and turn the sober judgment of justice around on his accusers to exclaim his innocence against all the evidence, all the
Robert Scheer Fan
I was happy to see the article (RLN Sept. 26- Oct. 9, 2019) about the Robert Scheer documentary. I am about a decade younger than Scheer and have followed his works from Ramparts days. I also was able to hear two public speeches by Scheer, in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. As noted, he ran for a Congressional seat in OaklandBerkeley area in 1966 but was “soundly defeated.” With opposition to the Vietnam War as his main issues. This 30 year old who had never held public office obtained about 43 to 44 percent against an incumbent Demoractic Congressman. It was considered an impressive achievement which showed growing opposition to the Vietnam adventure. In 1970, Bob ran for the U.S. Senate as the nominee of the Peace and Freedom Party. He did not do as well as in 1966 but this gave him an opportunity to speak out against the was and to advance
other issues.
Don Delano Los Angeles
Reactions on Formal Impeachment of Mr. Trump
Not only did the president spend his afternoon attacking me,
Rep. Adam Schiffm, (D-CA 28th District), Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence In the middle of talking to reporters about the shocking revelation that President Trump pressured Ukraine to make up dirt on Joe Biden, I was told President Trump had once again attacked me: When asked how it felt for
but he called our free press “scum” and threatened the whistleblower who made the complaint. Clearly, the man in unraveling. All I have to say is, we’ll get to the truth. We’ll keep up the fight. And we’ll hold him accountable, no matter what he has to say about it. The Mueller Report made it clear, the reporting on Ukraine this past week made it clear, and now Trump himself has made it clear — the time for
the President to be live-tweeting attacks against me at that very moment, I simply replied that I’m always flattered when I’m attacked by someone of the president’s character. Well, I guess the President didn’t like that, because not even ten minutes later, the president went on live television to rail against me some more: “It’s Adam Schiff and his crew making up stories and sitting there like pious, it’s a disgrace.” And under an hour ago (Sept. 26), yet another attack on Twitter:
impeachment has come. The president has replaced foreign policy and diplomacy with corruption and extortion, and it’s endangering the future of our democracy. Sen. Kamala Harris, (D-CA) It’s been a long and busy, but productive week. On Thursday, I sent a letter to Steve Linick, Inspector General for the Department of State, demanding he investigate whether any Department of State officials
worked with President Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to advance President Trump’s political activities. An Aug. 12, 2019 complaint by an Intelligence Community whistleblower details the multiple efforts by President Trump and Mr. Giuliani to pressure Ukrainian officials to provide information to damage a political opponent and boost the president’s political prospects. These efforts are an abuse of the power of the presidency and a threat to the integrity of our democratic government. Let’s be clear about one thing. President Trump is a lawless president. His administration reeks of corruption. It reeks of selfservice. If any officials at the State Department worked with Rudy Giuliani to advance Trump’s political activities, then the American people need to know about it. That’s why I’m demanding the State Department’s Inspector General opened an investigation. We must continue to seek the truth — our democracy depends on it. [See Letters, p. 16]
documents from whistleblowers and all of the testimony from his former fixers, lieutenants and personal henchmen. If by some trick or contrivance he were to get away with this fraudulent exercise in corruption and escape impeachment, and as some suggest he gets reelected, no one will ever trust America again. Not our allies, not our adversaries and not the majority of Americans who see his “brand” as an empty vessel in which to pour bigotry and hatred, all the while exclaiming that he is making us great again!
$24 $36 $70
Real News, Real People, Really Effective October 10 - 23. 2019
What his Democratic opposition fails to do is approach this as a contest between brands, not as ideas or facts against lies but as a marketing campaign that uses information as a form of political warfare using words and images in contextualized contrast to degrade the opponent’s market share. The one weak point in Trump’s brand has been his tax returns. Trump has been defending from the very beginning having to release them. If you’ve noticed, anytime Congress, New York prosecutors or anybody else gets close to his “my taxes are under audit” excuse he gets a team of lawyers to fight it. Hiding those taxes are the bulwark of his claim to being a billionaire. And when his true worth is exposed, he will likely be revealed as a fraud, a scammer and a tax cheat who owes his “success” to the Russian mafia or worse some foreign potentate in Saudi Arabia. And suddenly his brand won’t mean much, if anything. Trump’s brand is built like a house of cards with each one having his name to promote and balance one against the
of being “anti-Italian” recently because some people don’t get that my critique is about the historic accuracy and lack of public process that you indicate. This project like the rush to demolish Ports O’ Call and the placement of the Bridge Home location is not about Buscaino’s ethnicity it is about his lack of community engagement and circumventing Neighborhood councils, relying on manufactured support from certain business groups. James Preston Allen, Publisher
Fly in an airplane, take a cruise-ship or go for a walk. Keep silent, careless whisper, or should I shout on a street corner. The Atheist, The believer And The Agnostic are all buried next to each other! Paris Thomas San Pedro
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LABOR Notes
UAW Strike Continues Appeal for Solidarity By Mark Friedman, Reporter
Nearly 50,000 United Auto Workers have been on strike at 33 General Motors factories and 22 parts warehouses across the country since Sept. 16. It’s the longest General Motors strike since 1970. The most popular T-shirt worn by strikers and the most common chant on the picket line has been, “No more tiers.” This is the central issue — the difference in compensation scales between temps, long-time General Motors workers, and workers who have been hired since the bosses declared bankruptcy in 2009. Robin Nolley, who has 24 years on the General Motors assembly line, was picketing. “There is also a tier system
even if you’re a regular employee of General Motors,” she said. “It takes eight years to reach top pay even though you’re all doing the same job. All this causes divisions in the workforce.” In the last year, General Motors bosses have closed three big plants — in Baltimore; Lordstown, Ohio; and in Warren, Michigan — and announced they will close the plant in Hamtramck, Michigan, in January. The union is demanding the bosses assign new production at these plants and bring the workers back. General Motors bosses’ efforts to push back against the strike are serious. They admit they’ve been raking in big
profits since their carefully planned bankruptcy and generous government bailout. But they say they still need to wring more concessions out of workers to prepare for rough competition ahead. The auto bosses are plowing capital into the development of electric vehicles and driverless cars. They intend to make the workers pay for the transition. They say everyone needs to sacrifice to save the environment. The bosses are also getting help against the workers from the government and its political police. Just before the strike began, federal agents raided union offices and brought corruption charges against a number of union officials.
[Unholy, from p. 1]
Unholy War on Family Planning
October 10 - 23, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
Signed into law by Richard Nixon in 1970, Title X of the Public Health Act set up the first national program to fund family planning services for low income, uninsured, young and otherwise disadvantaged Americans. For nearly 50 years, the program has affirmed the reproductive autonomy of those it serves through funding support to safety net health centers providing high-quality family planning information and services free from coercion, violence or retribution. California receives the largest share of Title X funds in the country. In 2018, an excess of 260,000 people, including more than 28,000 African Americans and 53,000 Latinx individuals, received family planning and related care at Title X-funded health centers in Los Angeles County. In March 2019, the Trump administration’s Office of Population Affairs issued sweeping new regulations, collectively referred to as the “domestic gag rule,” for the federal Title X family planning program. In a nutshell, these new regulations:
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• Block federal funds to family planning providers that also offer abortion services, as well as prohibit referrals to abortion providers, and eliminate requirements for non-directive pregnancy options counseling that includes information about prenatal care/delivery, adoption, and abortion. • Prioritize providers that offer comprehensive primary health care services over those that specialize in reproductive health services. • Encourage participation by “non-traditional” organizations such as those that only offer one method of family planning (e.g. fertility awareness-based methods).
California Voters All In for Access 87 percent of participants in a 2019 poll of California voters support access to birth control for everyone who wants it regardless of ability to pay, including: • 76 percent of men • 76 percent of Independents • 62 percent of Republicans • 93 percent of Democrats • 85 percent of Millennials • 81 percent of Catholics • 77 percent of Protestants Of Californian voters who believe abortion is wrong and should be illegal: • 62 percent believe access to birth control is important • 61 percent are concerned about the Trump administration’s changes to Title X Source: Essential Access Health data from 2019 poll conducted by Lake Research Partners.
It is important to note that to date Title X has never been used to fund a single abortion. Nonetheless, according to analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation the primary goal of these new regulations is to block the availability of federal funds to family planning providers, such as Planned Parenthood, that also offer abortion services with non-Title X funds, as well as to prohibit sites that receive Title X funds from referring pregnant patients to other providers for abortion services. Although the August 2019 announcement that Planned Parenthood would leave the federal Title X family planning program rather than comply with the new rules was not unexpected, it was bad news. Especially for patients who are likely to see longer wait times or increased costs for reproductive health services as a result. Planned Parenthood has long been the largest Title X provider in the country, serving 40 percent of all Title X patients. Within Los Angeles County, Planned Parenthood operates 23 clinics, including Health Centers in Long Beach, Carson and Compton. Planned Parenthood is not, however, the only local organization forced to make this difficult choice. In total, 41 Title X clinics in Los Angeles County
will forego federal funding in light of the new restrictions. Perhaps in an effort to pick up some of this slack, the Trump Administration recently awarded $1.7 million in federal family planning funds to Obria, a Christian medical chain headquartered in Orange County. But before you let out a big sigh of relief, you should know that Obria does not offer access to hormonal birth control or condoms. Obria’s doctors and nurses teach their lucky patients cutting edge techniques to help them manage their fertility, as well as all of those pesky carnal desires. Frankly, it’s an approach that falls far short of the expectation that clinics receiving Title X funding also provide services to detect, treat and prevent sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. But no need to worry taxpayers. According to Obria’s application for these coveted federal funds, we can count on its staff of highly trained providers to shoulder this responsibility as they diligently “emphasize that avoiding sex is the only 100-percent method to prevent pregnancy and STDs” and teach patients about “high-risk behaviors” and the “risks of using ‘safe-sex’ methods.”
The pro-boss and big-business media makes the absurd charge that the union officers called the strike to divert workers’ attention from the charges. In a Sept. 17 opinion piece entitled “Behind the Auto Workers Strike,” Wall Street Journal editors claim, “UAW leaders are honking their horns to distract members from a federal corruption probe.” But, as strikers tell anyone who asks, they’re on the picket lines to protect their jobs and to end the divisive tier and temp system imposed by General Motors. General Motors workers are asking for concrete acts of solidarity from other workers to win this strike.
demanding that the school district take a stand on larger issues that affect the community, including curbing charter school expansion, supporting campaigns for affordable housing policies, and officially designating the school system a “sanctuary” for undocumented people. Updates can be found at: https://www. ctulocal1.org/news/
Solidarity with Chicago Teachers Union
Miners who had been blocking the railroad near Cumberland, Ky. since July 29 took down the encampment, cleaned the area and ended this phase of their struggle on Sept. 26. But they and their supporters say the fight isn’t over. “We will remain strong,” Donna Sexton, a home health worker and mother of Chris Sexton, the miner who first set up the blockade, told the Militant newspaper. “That’s what we are and what we truly believe in.” After Blackjewel LLC, the sixthlargest coal mining company in the U.S., declared bankruptcy July 1 and laid off 300 miners in southeastern Kentucky and 1,400 more in Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming, the company withdrew the final paychecks out of the bank accounts where miners had deposited them. When angry miners in Harlan County found out the company was planning to haul coal they had mined out of the Cloverlick No. 3 mine July 29, they blocked the train. Individuals, unions, organizations, churches and small businesses offered moral and material support. After two months, however, many miners have had to find other jobs or go to school to acquire new skills, only a handful of miners and supporters were able to keep up the occupation 24/7. Blackjewel bosses remain legally barred from trying to move the coal. Because the miners haven’t been paid, U.S. Department of Labor ruled the coal is “hot goods” and got a court order to keep the company from taking it out. Chris Rowe told WYMT radio the experience has led him to conclude, “If you take enough people that have been treated as wrong as we had got, you can come together and make a bond with people you never think you would.”
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) of 25,000 and the Service Employees International Union Local 73 of 10,000 authorized strike votes after months of fruitless contract negotiations with Mayor Lori Lightfoot (President of the Chicago Police Board and Democrat) and the Chicago School Board. Last week 94 percent of CTU members voted in favor of a strike. Educators could walk off the job and onto the picket lines as soon as October 17. United Teachers Los Angeles struck in January 2019 to win improvements for LA students and has expressed solidarity with Chicago teachers. Chicago Public Schools has about one billion more dollars available — yet city officials continue to push an austerity agenda. Chicago schools are desperately short of nurses, social workers, psychologists, counselors, and other support staff, as students struggle with high levels of post-graduate unemployment. The Chicago educators’ top demands include lower class sizes to prevent packing kindergarten classes with more than 40 students each; increased numbers of school nurses, social workers, and other critical frontline staff; protections for special education students and English language learners; a higher wage floor for school clerks, teaching assistants and other paraprofessionals; and a greater investment of resources into classroom needs and student supports. Chicago teachers are also pressing common good proposals and
Blackjewel Miners End Eight-week Protest, Continue Fight for Back Pay
Miners and supporters block railroad tracks for back pay owed to them by Blackjewel LLC in Kentucky. Photo by World Socialist Website
Curtain Call Operation Ajax an Uneven but Engaging Primer on Tragic U.S. Meddling in Iran By Greggory Moore, Curtain Call Columnist
Ask even passably educated Americans who Mohammad Mosaddegh is, and you’re likely to receive a blank stare in return. But thanks to declassified CIA memos and relatively recent films like Persepolis and Argo, add “you know, the democraticallyelected Iranian leader we overthrew in a coup,” and watch the look of recognition dawn. Aside from propagating the misconception that Mosaddegh was democratically elected (he wasn’t: in 1951 he was appointed prime minister by the Shah after being nominated by an Iranian Parliament largely hand-picked by the Shah and obtaining office via rigged elections, which is not to say he didn’t enjoy broad popular support), Operation Ajax hews true to the substance of what actually transpired in Iran between 1951 and 1953. The United States and Britain really did conspire — successfully — for Mosaddegh’s overthrow, and it really was all about oil, money and the Red Scare. It’s a truly tragic story of America’s often shortsighted and incoherent foreign policy, so it’s a credit to playwrights Matthew Spangler & Farshad Farahat and the Little Fish team
that Operation Ajax is not only a passable history lesson but also a pleasant night of theatre. Kermit Roosevelt Jr. (Christian Haines) — yes, one of those Roosevelts — is a CIA operative come to Iran to orchestrate the overthrow of Mosaddegh (Farahat), who has alarmed the U.S. and pissed off the British by nationalizing the Iranian oil industry, which centered on the British-built Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, under the ethos of throwing off the imperialist shackles unfairly restricting Iran’s “economic and political independence” (as he explained in a June 1951 speech at the United Nations). To help with the operation — codename: Ajax (after the bathroom cleaner, not the mythological hero) — he’s got an American-educated local operative named Mustapha (Farahat again) and a boatload of cash to fund various moves in the chaotic chess game of regime change. Because we know how it ends, Operation Ajax is all about the journey, with Spangler & Farahat never shy about moralizing along the way. “The Iranians will do anything for money,” Kermit superciliously quips early in the play. “These are poor people,” the Shah (Farahat yet again) notes later. “That’s why they’ll do anything for [See Curtain Call, p.11]
Real News, Real People, Really Effective October 10 - 23. 2019
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‘I
October 10 - 23, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
t is always a beautiful day at Taxco” was the sentiment overheard at the new Taxco location 28152 S. Western Avenue, just north of the former location. The diner was enjoying the colorful and cozy atmosphere, so fresh and yet so familiar. Tony Moreno, proud proprietor and accomplished restaurateur, has brought all the elements of the original restaurant to this new spot, with the vivid yellow, red, orange, green and blue tones, original art and stirring music just right. The delicious original menu of favorite dishes from Moreno’s home town of La Yerbabuena, in the Mexican state of Michoacán, bring the move full circle. Moreno started in the restaurant business as a young man, working his way up from the back of the house to chef and chief. His original Taxco Café opened in 1986, branching to El Gordo Restaurant at 240th and Western in 1990, and ultimately, his dream was realized in Taxco Restaurant. This new location, strategically close to designer ice cream at Western and Westmont, offers the lovely ambiance of the original with a nice view of The Hill. Also reassuring is a look at the menu. Great guacamole and awesome nachos still anchor the appetizers, with carne asada strips, cheese, avocado, jalapeños and tomatoes promising a satisfying start. Soups every day offer albondigas, tortilla and chicken rice, with menudo noted as Breakfast of Champions. Prepare for the real thing, served with tortillas, fragrant with herbs. All varieties come in cup, bowl or large bowl servings. Taxco combination plates are all appealing, especially handmade chile relleno with
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Taxco Bonito
Thirty-six Years and a New Location By Gretchen Williams, Travel and Cuising Writer
Taxco restaurateur, Tony Moreno, takes a break at his restaurant of 36 years. Photo by Terelle Jerricks
traditional rice and cheesy refried pinto beans or crispy all beef or chicken tacos, overflowing with chopped lettuce, tomato and shredded cheese. Taquitos (made with corn tortillas, rolled
around filling and fried] or flautas (flour tortillas rolled around filling and fried) are both fun for kids to eat, dipped in guacamole and salsa. Enchiladas are old-fashioned, fat with beef or chicken or cheese and sauced with the signature sauce of Taxco restaurant, rich with red chile flavor, slightly smoky with a hint of sweet — wonderful! Taxco specialties is a category of delicious dishes unique to Tony and his able crew. Carne asada is the thinly sliced, marinated beef so cherished for barbecue. Here it is grilled to perfection, served with fresh tortillas and salsa, and the answer for that weekend craving for barbecued carne. Barbacoa sounds similar, but
is a simmered dish, cooked with special spices until very tender. Steak picado is small bits of beef, simmered in tomato sauce with vegetables. This dish makes you feel like you are eating at your abuelita’s kitchen table. Steak matador is for the serious diner, tender and grilled to order, served with potato, grilled onions and spicy red sauce. Enchiladas verdes are stuffed with chicken breast and sauced with green tomatillo sauce, tart and tangy, and served with guacamole and sour cream. Fajitas with shrimp, beef or chicken sizzle fabulously across the dining room, with marvelous aromas promising great things to come! Breakfast is served all day, and always a good bet here at Taxco. Huevos rancheros is sauced with excellent ranchera sauce, with those great refried beans and rice, and hot tortillas, huevos à la Mexicana are scrambled with fresh vegetables, cheese and terrific, rolled into a flour tortilla. Chilaquiles verdes is a unique breakfast dish, with fried tortilla chips sautéed with chicken breast, green tomatillo sauce and eggs, full of flavor. Machaca and eggs combine shredded beef or chicken with onion, bell peppers and tomato for a savory breakfast dish far ahead of the carne seca or dried beef used in the original dish. Children may pass up chicken nuggets for ground beef taco and rice on the kid’s menu. Mini cheese quesadilla or mini bean burrito might do the trick for kids at Taxco. Children are given good choices here, along with juice, fresh fruit milkshakes, fresh lemonade and Mexican hot chocolate. Moreno is thankful for all the blessings of living and working in San Pedro, for his parents, his wife Vini and their children, his brothers and sisters, his staff and especially his friends and guests. The Mexican town of Taxco is known for its beautiful silver, copper, zinc and lead. Taxco Restaurant is known for its precious and solid hospitality, shining like silver. Taxco Restaurant, 28152 S. Western Ave., San Pedro. Details: 310-547-4554
[Curtain Call, from p. 9]
Curtain Call
money.” Why are they so poor despite such oil wealth? Because “Capitalism is always biased” — another way of saying that capitalism is a tide that doesn’t float all boats. The play’s main voice of conscience is Kermit’s fellow CIAer Roger (Cylan Brown), representing an amalgam of real-life U.S. government figures who regarded the coup to be a very, very bad idea on all counts. He pops on and off stage throughout the play, decrying this side of U.S. foreign policy as “ambition devoid of ethics, ambition devoid of purpose.” Dramatically, the onstage action feels a bit too synopsized. Kermit is really the only character we have any hope of identifying with, but he’s not especially sympathetic in general; and the one scene where Spangler & Farahat shoehorn a bit of his backstory (haunted by Grandpa Teddy’s man-of-action spirit) falls flat.
BIG NICK’S PIZZA
Tradition, variety and fast delivery—you get it all at Big Nick’s Pizza. The best selection of Italian specialties include hearty calzones, an array of pastas and our amazing selection of signature pizzas. We offer a wide selection of appetizers, salads, beer and wine. Call for fast delivery. Hours: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sun.-Thurs.; 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat. Big Nicks’ Pizza, 1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro 310-732-5800 • www.bignickspizza.com
BUONO’S AUTHENTIC PIZZERIA
THE CHORI-MAN
Fourth-generation artisanal chorizo and meats. Purchase chorizo by the pound or try our burritos and tacos! Menu specials change weekly. Open Wed. and Thurs., 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Fri. - Sun., 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. For catering email: info@thechoriman.com for catering and special orders. The Chori-Man, 2309 S. Alma St., San Pedro 424-287-2414
The Happy Diner #1 in Downtown San Pedro isn’t your average diner. The selections range from Italian- and Mexican-influenced entrées to American Continental. Happy Diner chefs are always creating something new—take your pick of grilled salmon over pasta or tilapia and vegetables prepared any way you like. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Catering for any occasion available for your home or office. Hours: Mon. - Sat. 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Diner #1, 617 S. Centre St., San Pedro • 310-241-0917
HAPPY DINER #2
Built on the success of Happy Diner #1, Happy Diner #2 just expanded its dining room for parties of up to 100 guests and soon to open for dinner service. American favorites like omelets and burgers, fresh salads, plus pasta and Mexican dishes are served. Happy Diner #2 is casual dining, a place to enjoy a relaxing meal with family and friends. Hours: Mon. - Sat. 6 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Diner #2, 1931 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro 310-935-2933
HAPPY DELI
The Happy Deli is a small place with a big menu. Food is made-to-order using the freshest ingredients. Breakfast burritos and breakfast sandwiches include a small coffee. For lunch or dinner select from fresh salads, wraps, buffalo wings, cold and hot sandwiches, burgers and dogs. Delivery to your home or office available. Ask about catering your next event. Hours: Mon. - Sat. 6 am. to 8 p.m., Sun. 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Happy Deli, 530 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro • 424-364-0319 www.happydelisp.com
La Buvette offers rustic French cuisine featuring the freshest ingredients from valued local purveyors. La Buvette pays tribute to the classic French bistros of various regions of France where good food, good wine and friends come together to create the special joie de vivre. Free, private parking lot in rear Hours: Tues.-Wed. dinner 5 to 9 p.m.; Thurs. lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner: 5 to 9 p.m.; Fri. lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner: 5 to 10 p.m. Sat. coffee & croissants 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner 5 to 10 p.m.; Sun. brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner 5 to 9 p.m.; closed Mon. La Buvette Wine Bistro, 335 W. 7th St., San Pedro • 424-342-9840 www.LaBuvetteBistro.com
MARIE CALLENDER’S RESTAURANT & BAKERY
Enjoy all your Marie Callender favorites at their new San Pedro location. From appetizers and salads to classic entrées and famous pies, there’s something for every taste and mood. For quick workday lunches or business meetings, try the Big, Boxed Lunch to go or delivery. Dinner entrées include fresh seasonal selections as well as traditional favorites. Ask about catering for your next event. During June and July, buy one pie at regular price and get the 2nd pie for $4.99. Hours: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Marie Callenders, 1030 N. Western Ave., San Pedro • 310-832-4559 • www.mariecallenders.com
PINA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT
Pina’s Mexican Restaurant serves traditonal Mexican food from Michoacan for breakfast through dinner, and is known for specialty enchiladas, burritos, tacos and mariscos served in a comfortable, casual dining atmosphere. Pina’s now has a full bar, so come by for a real margarita! Catering available for any occasion. Hours: Saturday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Pina’s Mexican Restaurant, 1430 W. 25th St., San Pedro 310-547-4621 • www.pinasmexicanrestaurant.com
Time: 8 p.m. Friday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, no show Sept. 8, through Oct. 27 Cost: $5-$28 Details: 310-512-6030, www.littlefish.org Venue: Little Fish Theatre, 777 S. Centre St., San Pedro
SAN PEDRO BREWING COMPANY
A micro brewery and American grill, SPBC features handcrafted award-winning ales and lagers served with creative pastas, BBQ, sandwiches, salads and burgers. A full bar with made-from-scratch margaritas and a martini menu all add fun to the warm and friendly atmosphere. Live music. Open daily from 11:30 a.m.. San Pedro Brewing Company, 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro, 310-831-5663 www.sanpedrobrewing.com
TAXCO MEXICAN RESTAURANT
We are proud to serve our community for almost four decades. Generous plates of traditional Mexican fare are the draw at this family-friendly restaurant. Visit us at our new location — the Garden Village in San Pedro, where Tony got his start. Catering for every occasion, beer, wine and margaritas to your taste. Open Sun. and Mon. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Tues.-Sat., 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Taxco Mexican Restaurant, 28152 S. Western Ave., San Pedro • (310) 547-4554
THE WHALE & ALE ENGLISH RESTAURANT & PUB
The Victorian oak panels & elegant brass fittings will make you feel like you’ve crossed the Atlantic. Featuring popular pub fare such as Fish & Chips, Shepherd’s Pie, Choice Steaks, Roast Prime Rib, Beef Wellington & Roast Rack of Lamb. Seafood selections include Chilean Sea Bass, Atlantic Salmon, Jumbo Tiger Shrimp & Sand Dabs. International draft beers & ales, and domestic craft beers on tap. Full bar; free, gated parking lot. Happy hour five days a week. Hours: Mon. 5 to 9 p.m., Tues.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sat. 1 to 10 p.m., Sun. 1 to 9 p.m. The Whale & Ale, 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro 310-832-0363 • www.whaleandale.com
October 10 - 23. 2019
Conrad’s menu reflects the cuisine of his native Oaxaca with a fresh focus on local, seasonal ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It features classic dishes from Oaxaca and regional Mexico, such as mole sauces, ceviche, empanadas
HAPPY DINER #1
LA BUVETTE WINE BISTRO
Dean and Scott Walewski do well with their simple but highly serviceable set, implementing the rarely-used second level at the Little Fish Theatre to good effect. If there’s a shortcoming in the mise-en-scène, it’s the sound design, which employs a rather unconvincing array of sound effects that err on both sides of the volume spectrum. Nonetheless, Operation Ajax is never unengaging. That, combined with its window on real-world history, is enough to tip the overall experience toward the positive. If nothing else, it’s good to be reminded just how craven and myopic U.S. geopolitics can be … and have been … and still are.
CONRAD’S MEXICAN GRILL
and sopecitos. Sourcing the freshest ingredients, combining them with traditional flavors and rewriting familiar recipes into exceptional cuisine is Conrad’s mission. Ask about Conrad’s vegan menu. Caterng available. Open Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sun. noon to 8 p.m. Conrad’s Mexican Grill, 376. W. 6th St., San Pedro • 424-264-5452 www.conradsmexicangrill.com
In the long run, well, we know how things turned out for the U.S., the Middle East, and the people of Iran. Oh, and remember the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company? In 1954 they would change their name to British Petroleum and, with Mosaddegh out of the way, get their hands back into the Iranian oil market and use the momentum to expand their operations. Today they’re called BP, one of the world’s six energy “supergiants,” a company with one of the worst safety and environmental records in history. Perhaps because none of the characters is fully fleshed out on the page, the acting is hit and miss. The Brits are perhaps a tad too stereotypically British, and a fit thrown by Kermit when the coup appears to have fallen apart is totally unconvincing (gotta hold director Suzanne Dean partly responsible here). But Farahat does fine work, making each of his four roles (he plays Zahedi, too) distinct despite little reliance on costume (and none on makeup).
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
Family owned and operated since 1965, Buono’s is famous for exceptional award-winning brick oven baked pizza. Buono’s also offers classic Italian dishes and sauces based on tried-and-true family recipes and handselected ingredients that are prepared fresh. Dine-in, take-out and catering. There are two locations in Long Beach. Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Buono’s Pizzeria, 222 W. 6th St., San Pedro 310-547-0655 • www.buonospizza. com
But two elements save this shortcoming from being fatal. One is the wryness Spangler & Farahat fit into the dialog. Midway through the operation ittbecomes necessary to move Kermit from his hotel to the U.S. Embassy. “Nobody, and I mean nobody, gets into the U.S. Embassy,” Roger boasts, a joke whose punchline comes 26 years later. There’s also a rather funny bit about how the coup has to be delayed because Iranians — government and protestors alike — take Fridays off. The second saving grace of Operation Ajax is how — via opportune projections of archival footage — the playwrights and Little Fish remind us that this debacle really happened. The CIA and MI5 really did foment massive unrest in the streets resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Iranis, really did overthrow a leader who really did have as close to a democratic mandate as was possible in Iran, really did supplant him with Nazi collaborator Gen. Fazollah Zahedi, really did orchestrate the brutal dictatorial rule of the Shah. And that was just in the short term!
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A MUSIC Oct. 10
Honey Whiskey Trio The Red Leprechaun hosts an open folk jam session that welcomes both beginners and experienced pickers. Time: 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 10 Cost: Free Details: 562-343-5560; www.redleprechaun.com Venue: Red Leprechaun, 4000 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach Prodigal Sun Enjoy a benefit concert for the American Cancer Society that raises awareness of breast cancer. Time: 6:30 to 11 p.m. Oct. 10 Cost: $15 Details: www.tinyurl.com/prodigal sun-federalunderground Venue: The Federal Underground, 102 Pine Ave., Long Beach
Oct. 12
The Harbor Groove Band Nonprofit organization Justice for Murdered Children is having a fundraiser dinner dance featuring KG Veterans Band, the Harbor Groove Band and Bobby Navarette from Thee Midniters on sax. Time: 5 to 10 p.m. Oct. 12 Cost: $20 Details: cymcabrillo.com/theplaza Venue: The Plaza at Cabrillo Marina, 2965 Via Cabrillo Marina, San Pedro
Oct. 13
October 10 - 23, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
The New Nine Ensemble This ensemble is modeled after the nonet from the seminal Miles Davis and Gil Evans’ album, Birth of the Cool. Time: 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 13 Cost: $20 Details: www.alvasshow room.tix.com Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro
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Oct. 14 Open Mic Shy But Flyy hosts this open mic. In an atmosphere of honesty and sharing, people show their unique perspective artistically, through comedy, drama, music and poetry. Time: 7 p.m Oct. 14 Cost: Free Details: www. roxanneslounge.com Venue: Roxanne’s, 1115 E. Wardlow Road, Long Beach
Oct. 15 Jazz Jam with the Free Radicals Open Jazz jam where everyone with an instrument or killer vocals are welcome to join. Time: 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 15 Cost: Free Details: 310- 547-4766 Venue: Iron City Tavern, 589 W. 9th St., San Pedro
Oct. 19
Halloween Spooktacular The El Segundo Concert Band summons all ghouls and goblins to the Halloween
OCT 10 - 23 • 2019
ARTS CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT concert event of the year in El Segundo. Time: 7 p.m. Oct. 19 Cost: Free Details: 424-242-3722; www.sbmusic.org Venue: El Segundo Performing Arts Center, 640 S. Main, El Segundo Las Chikas This all-star, all-women band lights up the Annex with traditional and contemporary salsa, featuring vocalist Lilly Hernandez and Iliana Rose on keys. Time: 8 to 11 p.m. Oct. 19 Cost: $22 to $32 Details: www.grandvision.org Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro Classical Crossroads “The Interludes” concert series presents pianist Lukasz Yoder and soprano Roksana Zeinapur. Time: 3 p.m. Oct. 19 Cost: Free Details: 310-316-5574; http://www.palosverdes. com/ClassicalCrossroads/ TheInterludes.htm Venue: First Lutheran Church & School, 2900 W. Carson St., Torrance
Oct. 20
Barbara Morrison Top jazz players James Arnold, Karen Hernandz, John Jackson and Bili Redd are joined by a cast of singers, along with jazz vocalist Barbara Morrison. Time: 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 20 Cost: $10 Details: 310-547-2348 Venue: Janny’s Showroom, 365 W. 6th St., San Pedro Jazmin Ghent Jazmin Ghent is one of the hottest national smooth jazz and gospel recording artists today. Time: 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 20 Cost: $25 to $35 Details: 562-239-3700; www.longbeach.harvelles.com Venue: Harvelle’s Downtown Long Beach, 210 E. Broadway, Long Beach
THEATER Oct. 10
Lady Day The year is 1959. The place is a seedy bar in Philadelphia. An audience sits waiting, not knowing that they are about to witness history as the legendary chanteuse steps into the spotlight for the last time. Time: 8 p.m. Wed. to Sat, 2 p.m. Sun. through Nov. 3 Cost: $55 Details: https://tix4. centerstageticketing.com/ Venue: international City Theatre, 330 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach
Oct. 11
Macbeth Propelled by prophecy, Macbeth and his wife are overcome with greed; they thirst for power and the Scottish throne. Macbeth kills the king, setting off a dark turn of events that lead toward malice, madness and death. Time: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 11 to Nov. 3 Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays Cost: $30 to $60 Time: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 3
Details: www.tinyurl.com/ houseofbard-macbeth Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Oct. 12
Hair Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre closes its 2019 season with the iconic musical tribute to the 1960s, Hair. With an infectiously energetic rock beat, the show explores ideas of identity, community and global responsibility. Time: 8 p.m. Fri., Sat. 2 p.m. Sun., Oct 12 through Nov. 16 Cost: $14 to $24 Details: 562-494-1014; www.lbplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach
Oct. 13
Unheard LA Join Unheard LA as it heads to Torrance in a night of stories by a variety of storytellers. Time: 5:30 to 7 Oct. 13 Cost: Free Details: www.tinyurl.com/ unheardla-torrance Venue: James R. Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Dr., Torrance
Oct. 18 Something Rotten! It’s London in the 1590s and brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play. When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. Time: 8 p.m. Thurs., Fri., Sat., with Oct. 18, 2 p.m. Sat., 1 p.m. Sun. through Nov. 3 Cost: $20 Details: 562- 856-1999; www.musical.org Venue: Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach
ARTS
Oct. 10 Peedrow Boogie Woogie Painter Piet Mondrian who was fascinated with American jazz, particularly boogie-woogie is the inspiration for the exhibition by Angels Gate studio artist Ann Weber. The exhibition runs through Dec. 13. Time: Mon. to Thurs. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: Free Details: 310- 600-4873; www.annwebersculpture.com Venue: LA Harbor College Fine Arts, 1111 Figueroa Place, Wilmington Thread Textile art has long been used for practical, ornate and expressive means — a cultural vessel for storytelling in the absence of written word. The selected works from modern and contemporary style exhibit a complex display of thread’s ability to tell stories and evoke woven symbolism, showcasing work by some of today’s leading fiber artists. The exhibition runs through Jan. 12. Time: Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m Cost: $8 to $10
Details: www.lbma.org Venue: Long Beach Museum of Art, 2300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach Día de Los Muertos Annual Art Exhibition & Altar Display The Museum of Latin American Art’s Día de los Muertos Exhibition is a juried display of art and altars open to artists residing in Southern California. The art and altars will be on display to the public and are featured as a part of MOLAA’s Día de los Muertos curriculum. This year’s Día de los muertos theme addresses our lineages and how we have been consciously and unconsciously shaped by them. Time: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 10, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 11, 12 Cost: Free Details: www.molaa.org Venue: MoLAA, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach Tim Maxeiner Off the Cliff is about a place to visit, where land meets ocean. It is a specific locale and a metaphor for the larger world we live in. The sea is the main force here, but civilization is leaving its mark. Time: 12 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sundays through Oct. 12 Cost: Free Details: 562-588 9153 Venue: Flux Art Space, 410 Termino Ave., Long Beach
Oct. 12 Wallpaper Design and Printmaking Workshop Palos Verdes Art Center, in partnership with Self Help Graphics & Art, presents an introductory relief printmaking workshop. Students will view the current exhibition On the Surface: Wallpaper from 1797 to the Present, for inspiration to create their own unique pattern design. Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 12 Cost: $65 Details: www.pvartcenter.org Venue: Palos Verdes Art Center, 5504 W. Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes SpookHaus! Inspired by Coney Island’s Spooka-rama and Dante’s Inferno, you’ll enter the Spookhaus and get the cheesy, the odd, and the horrific all in one fully immersive experience. Featuring new art by The Creep, and a group exhibition. Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 12 Cost: Free Details: 562-612-1118; www.darkartemporium.com Venue: The Dark Art Emporium, 256 Elm Ave., Long Beach
Oct. 13 Painted Architecture The exhibition is presented in collaboration with Bohemian Galleries and the Venice Institute of Contemporary Art. This exhibition introduces the works of Estonian and Latvian painters to the American public, and the works of younger generation painters have been added. The exhibition runs through Oct. 31. Time: 12 to 2 p.m. Oct. 13 Cost: Free Details: www.veniceica.org/ exhibits/2019/9/15/paintedarchitecture Venue: Venice Institute of Contemporary Art, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro Honoring Indigenous People’s Day Get the opportunity to make prints with master printmaker Francesco X. Siqueiros, and learn about Yreina D. Cervántez’s self-reflective practice, which addresses political and spiritual themes that coincide with Indigenous People’s Day.
Time: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 13 Cost: Free Details: www.csulb.edu/ carolyn-campagna-kleefeldcontemporary-art-museum Venue: Kleefeld Contemporary, CSULB, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach
Oct. 15
But Can You Sit On It? See the work of four Southern California artists in an exhibition of non-utilitarian furniture. While furniture is conventionally defined to be moveable things like tables, chairs and sofas, each of the artists has their own reasons for choosing the medium of furniture instead, as a unique vehicle for expression. Time: 1 p.m. Oct. 15 gallery walkthrough Cost: Free Details: 310-660-3010 Venue: El Camino College Art Gallery, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd. Torrance
Oct. 16 Port of Long Beach Photoprogram At the annual POLB Photoprogram, port staff shared photographic techniques and gave local professionals and amateurs a chance to apply what they learned on the harbor tour. The best of these images, highlighting the hidden beauty of the industrial port, forms a curated exhibition. The exhibition runs through Nov. 1. Time: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 16 Cost: Free Details: www.polb.com/ photoprogram Venue: Port of Long Beach Administrative Building Lobby, 415 W. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach
Oct. 19 The 99th International Open Exhibition The National Watercolor Society presents 103 exhibitors of watermedia paintings with international works never seen before and over $40,000 to be awarded in prizes and recognition. The exhibition runs through Nov. 17. Time: 3 to 7 p.m. Oct. 19 Cost: Free Details: 310-831-1099 Venue: NWS Gallery, 915 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro Local Notions Join the last gallery exhibition of 2019. Juried by Kristina Newhouse, curator of the Kleefeld Contemporary at California State University Long Beach, this exhibition will feature works by artists living or working in San Pedro. The exhibition will showcase the best of our community, including Angels Gate Cultural Center studio artists and artists across town. The exhibition runs through Dec.14. Time: 12 to 4 Oct. 19 Cost: Free Details: www.angelsgateart.org Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro Family Art Workshop Join the Family Art Workshop every third Saturday of the month. All are welcome to participate in art activities for kids and adults. Children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Time: 3 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 19 Cost: $5 per family Details: www.angelsgateart.org Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro
DANCE Oct. 10
Variance 2019 The CSULB College of the Arts and Department of Dance present Variance, the fourth annual presentation of BFA and guest artist works. Time: 8 p.m. Oct. 10 to 12 Cost: $22 Details: www.tinyurl.com/ carpenterarts-variance Venue: Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach
Oct. 19 close Celebrating their 15th year as a collaborative duo, Liz Casebolt and Joel Smith bring their trademark humor and accessibility with the world premiere of close. A complex weaving of dance, story, video and music. Time: 8 p.m. Oct. 19 Cost: $10 to $22 Details: https://elcaminotickets. universitytickets.com Venue: Marsee Auditorium, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance
FILM
Oct. 13 6th Annual Hollywood Silver Screen Festival Hollywood Silver Screen Festival is an annual event celebrating films, art, beauty, and music. The program consists of: film screenings and Q&A sessions ers on topics relevant to actors and filmmakers, film pitch session for filmmakers looking for funding or structured networking sessions and an award ceremony. Time: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 13 Cost: $15 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ hollywoodsilverscreenfest Venue: Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
FOOD Oct. 12
OOM-PAH! A Rockin’ Oktoberfest At its foundation, Oktoberfest is a celebration of love, culture and the abundance that will sustain its celebrants through the cold, dark and long winter months. Join in celebrating the fall harvest in San Pedro’s elegant Art Deco Penthouse Loft with German classics and not-so-classics, welcome cocktail and tastings, live music and an open dance floor. Time: 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 12 Cost: $50 to $69 Details: www.tinyurl.com/OomPah-A-Rockin-Oktoberfest Venue: Deco Art Deco Penthouse Loft, 520 W. 8th St., San Pedro
LITERATURE Oct. 20
Short Stories, Novellas and a Novel The Long Beach Literary Arts Center, Running Wild Press, and Gatsby Books is pleased to present a mini-lit fest featuring newly published RWP authors. Eight authors, along with RWP’s founder and editor, will present readings along with two panel discussions on the creative writing process and publishing. Time: 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 20 Cost: Free Details: 562-208-5862; www.gatsbybooks.com Venue: Gatsby Books, 5535 E. Spring St., Long Beach
COMMUNITY Oct. 10
Día de Los Muertos 2019 Join a community crafting session to support this year’s San Pedro Día de Los Muertos. All crafts produced in these sessions will become part of this year’s celebration. Materials and guidance will be provided. Artists and crafters of all ages and abilities are welcome. Time: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 10, 17, 24 Cost: Free Details: communityartmachine. com Venue: Community Art Machine, 446 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Oct. 11
Left Coast Forum ‘19 A three-day convening at Occidental College for progressive activists, academics, bloggers, writers, thought leaders and people wanting to make a difference. Time: Oct. 11 to 13 Cost: 0 to $125 Details: 213-434-4643; www.tinyurl.com/leftcoastforum centralityofrace Venue: Occidental College, 1600 Campus Road, Los Angeles AlpineOktoberfest The 51st Annual #Oktoberfest at the Alpine Village Restaurant which will be reconfigured in a
ARTS CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT traditional European bier hall style. The Haderlumpen Next Generation wil be performing live. Time: 6:30 to 12 a.m. Fri. and Sat. Oct. 11 to 27 Cost: $15 Details: 310-327-4384; AlpineVillageCenter.com Venue: Alpine Village, 833 W. Torrance Blvd., Torrance JetBlue Legacy Runners JetBlue, the airline with a mission to inspire humanity, will celebrate runners of all abilities leading up to the 35th annual JetBlue Long Beach Marathon and Half Marathon in 2019. The 26.2-mile scenic course showcases the city’s miles of sandy beaches and unique neighborhoods — offering serious competition and serious fun for runners. Time: Oct. 11 to 13 Cost: $46 to $149 Details: www.tinyurl.com/ jetbluemarathon Location: Downtown Long Beach to Marine Stadium, Long Beach
Oct. 12 Feed and Be Fed Annual Harvest Festival Join a lovely evening in the garden and help raise the funds to keep the garden growing. Time: 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 Cost: Free Details: www.feedandbefed.org Venue: Feed and Be Fed, 429 W. 6th St., San Pedro
1,000 Lights Water Lantern Festival Experience the beauty as thousands of lights illuminate the water at the 1000 Lights Water Lantern Festival in Long Beach at Marine Stadium. Enjoy local food, music, and entertainment prior to the lantern launch at sunset. Time: 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12 Cost: $10 to $30 Details: www.1000lights.com Venue: Long Beach Marine Stadium, 5255 E Paoli Way, Long Beach EL Dorado Nature Center Plant Sale Just in time for fall planting season, join an annual plant sale. A wide variety of drought-tolerant natives will be available. Come early for the best selection. Time: 9:30 to 2 p.m. Oct. 12 Cost: Free Details: 562-570-1745 Venue: El Dorado Nature Center, 7550 E. Spring St., Long Beach Railroad Museum OctoberFest Join friends and neighbors for a fun evening in support of the Lomita Railroad Museum. Enjoy a nice evening tasting locally brewed craft beers, fine wines, cocktails and delicious alcohol free drinks, accompanied by fine foods, dancing, and live music. Time: 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 12 Cost: $40 to $45 Details: 310-326-6255; www.lomita-rr.org
Venue: Lomita/Harbor City Kiwanis Hall, 24822 Narbonne Ave., Lomita
Oct. 13
Steel Beach BBQ Join on the fantail of Battleship IOWA to raise needed funds for its veterans’ programs. The event will feature the soulful, countrytwinged sounds of Sean Oliu and The Coastline Cowboys. Time: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 13 Cost: $30 to $75 Details: wwwtickets.labattleship. com Venue: Pacific Battleship Center, 250 S. Harbor Blvd., Berth 87, San Pedro South Coast Cactus & Succulent Society Gunnar Eisel will share a few tips based on his successes as well as some colossal failures in his attempt to master cultivation of Astrophytum (Star Cacti). Time: 1 p.m. Oct. 13 Cost: Free with park admission, $10 Details: www.southcoastcss.org Venue: South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula
Oct. 17
2019 ILWU Walk the Coast This Texas Hold’em Poker tournament will benefit the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting childhood cancer. Time: 6 p.m. Oct. 17 Cost: $20 to $80 Details: 310-508-6224; www.ilwuwalkthecoast.org Venue: Gardens Casino, 11871 E. Carson St., Hawaiian Gardens
Oct.19
Spooky Night at the Light Beginning at dusk, the Point Fermin Lighthouse Society will sponsor a family fun night of old fashioned spooky entities and occurrences at the historic 1874 lighthouse in San Pedro. Text for reservations. Time: 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 19 Cost: Donation requested, $8 to $ 15 Details: Text 310.293-8000 Venue: Point Fermin Lighthouse, 800 Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro Los Angeles Printers Fair A day filled with letterpress, printmaking and book arts. Activities running throughout the day include, letterpress swap meet, typecasting, hands-on printing and paper making Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 19, 20 Cost: $5 to $10 Details: www.printmuseum.org/ printersfair Venue: International Printing Museum, 315 W. Torrance Blvd., Carson LiveWire An all new generation of HarleyDavidson motorcycles will arrive in Los Angeles with Mayor Eric Garcetti invited to unveil the 2020 electric powered LiveWire. Time: 12 p.m. Oct. 19 and 20 Cost: Free Details: www.CaliforniaHarley Davidson.com Venue: Harley Davidson, 1517 Pacific Coast Hwy., Harbor City Country Freedom Festival The Port of Los Angeles is going country with the inaugural Country Freedom Festival, an all-day country music fest celebrating active military, vets and first responders.
Time: 1 to 10 p.m. Oct. 19 Cost: $59 and up Details: CountryFreedomFestival. com. Venue: 3011 Miner St., Berth 46, San Pedro
Oct. 20
Tres M Festival Experience Tres M Festival featuring the top mariachi talent on the West Coast coupled with premier mariscos/seafood and micheladas. Time: 12 to 10 p.m. Oct 20 Cost: $25 to $80 Details: www.preview.tinyurl.com/ tresmfestivalsanpedro Venue: Port of Los Angeles Outer Harbor, 3011 Miner St., Berth 46, San Pedro
Oct. 26
Scary Stories Read loud around a bonfire in the dark in the amphitheater at Angels Gate Cultural Center. All ages; picnics welcome; BYO seating; dress warmly Time: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 26 Cost: $5 Details: www.angelsgate.org Venue: Angels Gate Cultural Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St. San Pedro
AltaSea Open House The TrashBlitz is a web app enabling participants to collect data on the items most commonly polluting the neighborhood. Oceans United is a new nonprofit with an innovative ship designed to collect and recycle ocean plastics into reusable fuel. Time: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Oct. 26 Cost: Free Details: 424-210-4973, www.rsvp@altasea.org Venue: AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles, 2456 S. Signal St., Berth 58, San Pedro
Hours: Thurs. & Fri. 10 am to 2 pm Sat. & Sun. 12 to 4 pm First Thursdays 6 to 9 pm and by appointment
915 S. Pacific Avenue, San Pedro • 310.831.1099 • nationalwatercolorsociety.org
October 10 - 23. 2019
Exhibition dates: Oct. 3 - Nov. 17, 2019
Reception Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019 • 3 to 7 pm
All international work never before shown in a national exhibition
Real News, Real People, Really Effective
Carla O’Connor, watercolor and gouache
A
OCT 10 - 23 • 2019
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Through the Looking Glass: Project Censored’s Top Five 1. Justice Department’s Secret FISA Rules for Targeting Journalists
October 10 - 23, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
The federal government can secretly monitor American journalists under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, which allows invasive spying and operates outside the traditional court system, according to two 2015 memos from then-Attorney General Eric Holder. The memos were obtained by The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University and the Freedom of the Press Foundation through an ongoing Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, which was reported on by The Intercept, whose parent company provides funding for both organizations, but was virtually ignored by the corporate media. The secret rules “apply to media entities or journalists who are thought to be agents of a foreign government, or, in some cases, are of interest under the broader standard that they possess foreign intelligence information,” The Intercept reported. Project Censored cited three “concerning” questions the memos raise: First, how many times have FISA court orders been used to target journalists, and are any currently under investigation? Second, why did the Justice Department keep these rules secret when it updated its “media guidelines” in 2015? Third, is the Justice Department using FISA court orders—along with the FBI’s similar rules for targeting journalists with National Security Letters (NSLs)—to “get around the stricter ‘media guidelines’”? The corporate media virtually ignored these revelations when they occurred. The subsequent media interest in FISA warrants targeting Trump campaign adviser Carter Page “has done nothing at all to raise awareness of the threats posed by FISA warrants that target journalists and news organizations,” Project Censored observed. They ended with a quote from Krishnan, summarizing the stakes: “National security surveillance authorities confer extraordinary powers. The government’s failure to share more information about them damages journalists’ ability to protect their sources, and jeopardizes the news gathering process.”
14
2. Think Tank Partnerships Establish Facebook as a Tool of U.S. Foreign Policy
In the name of fighting “fake news” to protect American democracy from “foreign influences,” Facebook formed a set of partnerships with three expert foreign influencers in 2018, augmenting its bias toward censorship of left/progressive voices. In May 2018, Facebook announced its partnership with the Atlantic Council, a NATO-sponsored DC think tank to “monitor for misinformation and foreign interference.” “It’s funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force, along with NATO, various foreign powers and major western corporations, including weapons contractors and oil companies, (including Chevron, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell),” noted Adam Johnson, writing for the media watch group FAIR. It went on to note that the major news outlets covering the story said nothing about any of the above conflicts of interest. In September, Facebook announced it
[Project Censored, from p. 1]
I
t wasn’t censorship in the classic sense practiced by church and state since time immemorial, but it was an example of something even more insidious, because no clear-cut act of censorship or all-powerful censor was needed to produce the same result of a public left in the dark. Jensen defined censorship as “the suppression of information, whether purposeful or not, by any method—including bias, omission, underreporting or self-censorship—that prevents the public from fully knowing what is happening in its society.” And the most obvious way to start fighting it was to highlight the suppressed information in the form of the stories that didn’t get widely told. Thus Project Censored and its annual list of censored stories was born. Jensen’s conception of censorship may be light-years away from how most media figures think of things. But while introducing this year’s list of stories, the volume’s co-editor Andy Lee Roth quotes media legend Walter Lippmann echoing the same sensitivity in his 1920 book, Liberty and the News: “whether one aspect of the news or another appears in the center or at the periphery makes all the difference in the world.” But Project Censored was never just about the individual stories, it was about the patterns of marginalization and suppression that could be seen through the lens of connecting them. In his introduction, Roth says, “identifying these unifying themes is one significant way to gauge the systemic blind spots, third rails, and ‘no go’ zones in corporate news coverage.” He identifies several such patterns, which are stronger and more vivid in a full list of Project Censored’s Top 25 stories, but still illuminating in terms of the Top 5. Stories 1 and 2 deal with press freedoms, stories 2 and 4 deal with corporate misconduct, story 2 with technology, stories 3 and 4 deal with the environment, and story 5 deal with gender inequalities. As you can see, these patterns overlap and there may well be other patterns you discover for yourself. These patterns don’t just connect issues and problems that those in power would rather neglect. They also connect people, communities and potential solutions, which those in power would rather see stay disconnected. So don’t just read the following as a list of stories “out there.” Read it as an opportunity to connect.
Illustrations by Kahlil Bendib
would also partner with two Cold War-era U.S. government-funded propaganda organizations: the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute. In October 2018, Jonathan Sigrist, writing for Global Research described one of the greatest Facebook account and page purges in its troubled history: “559 pages and 251 personal accounts were instantly removed from the platform…. This is but one of similar yet smaller purges that have been unfolding in front of our eyes over the last year, all in the name of fighting ‘fake news’ and so called ‘Russian propaganda.’”
3. Indigenous Groups from Amazon Propose Creation of Largest Protected Area on Earth
When news of unprecedented wildfires in the Amazon grabbed headlines in late August, most Americans were ill-prepared to understand the story, in part because of systemic exclusion of indigenous voices and viewpoints, highlighted in Project Censored’s number three story — the proposed creation of an Amazonian protected zone the size of Mexico, presented to the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity in November 2018. The proposal, which Jonathan Watts, writing for The Guardian described as “a 200m-hectare sanctuary for people, wildlife and climate stability that would stretch across borders from the Andes to the Atlantic,” was advanced by an alliance of
some 500 indigenous groups from nine countries, known as COICA — the Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, who called it, “a sacred corridor of life and culture.” “We have come from the forest and we worry about what is happening,” declared Tuntiak Katan, vice president of COICA, quoted in The Guardian. “This space is the world’s last great sanctuary for biodiversity. It is there because we are there. Other places have been destroyed.” The Guardian went on to note: The organisation does not recognise national boundaries, which were put in place by colonial settlers and their descendants without the consent of indigenous people who have lived in the Amazon for millennia. Katan said the group was willing to talk to anyone who was ready to protect not just biodiversity but the territorial rights of forest communities.
4. U.S. Oil and Gas Industry Set to Unleash 120 Billion Tons of New Carbon Emissions
Three months after the United Nations’
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that we have just 12 years to limit catastrophic climate change, Oil Change International released a report that went virtually ignored, warning that the United States was headed in exactly the wrong direction. The report, Drilling Towards Disaster, warned that rather than cutting down carbon emissions, as required to avert catastrophe, the United States under Donald Trump was dramatically increasing fossil fuel production, with the United States on target to account for 60% of increased carbon emissions worldwide by 2030, expanding extraction at least four times more than any other country. References to the report “have been limited to independent media outlets,” Project Censored noted. “Corporate news outlets have not reported on the report’s release or its findings, including its prediction of 120 billion tons of new carbon pollution or its five-point checklist to overhaul fossil fuel production in the US.”
5. Modern Slavery in the United States, Around the World
An estimated 403,000 people in the United were living in conditions of “modern slavery” in 2016, according to the 2018 Global Slavery Index, or GSI, about 1 percent of the global total. The GSI defines “modern slavery” broadly to include forced labor and forced marriage. Because forced marriage accounts for 15 million people, more than a third of the global total, it’s not surprising that females form a majority of the victims (71 percent). The highest levels were found in North Korea, where an estimated 2.6 million people — 10 percent of the population — are victims of modern slavery. The GSI is produced by the Walk Free Foundation, whose founder, Andrew Forrest, called the U.S. figure, “a truly staggering statistic, (which) is only possible through a tolerance of exploitation.” “Walk Free’s methodology includes extrapolation using national surveys, databases of information of those who were assisted in trafficking cases, and reports from other agencies like the UN’s International Labour Organization,” explained The Guardian, to compile its figures. There are problems with this, according to others working in the field, The Guardian noted. There’s no universal legal definition, and tabulation difficulties abound. But the GSI addresses this as an issue for governments to work on and offers specific proposals. “The GSI noted that forced labor occurred ‘in many contexts’ in the US, including in agriculture, among traveling sales crews, and—as recent legal cases against GEO Group, Inc. have revealed—as the result of compulsory prison labor in privately owned and operated detention facilities contracted by the Department of Homeland Security,” Project Censored noted. Newly restrictive immigration policies have further increased the vulnerability of undocumented persons and migrants to modern slavery.
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PLEASE SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PET! *In any condition. We will wash and mend.
“Automated Response”--sign your initials to prove you’re not real. © 2019 MATT JONES, Jonesin’ Crosswords
A successful woman retired, attractive, financially secure, seeking similar gentleman age 65 to 80. (310) 684-1448. I don’t like online dating.
PETS PEDRO PET PALS is the only group that raises funds for the City Animal Shelter and FREE vaccines and spay or neuter for our community. (310) 991-0012
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One-Stop-Shop For All Your Catheter Needs. We Accept Medicaid, Medicare, & Insurance. Try Before You Buy. Quick and Easy. Give Us A Call 866-282-2506 (AAN CAN)
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11/7/2019, 11/21/2019
Wed.-Sun., noon to five Brown Bros. Building 461 W. 6th St., Suite 106, San Pedro
GOOD STUFF • GREAT PRICES
Worry-Free Tax & Accounting Service • Payroll • Income Tax • Notary Service
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870 W. 9th St., Ste. 100A, San Pedro Call for appt. today 310.221.0034 • www.justrelaxtax.com
1 Wasabi ___ 4 Scottish town 9 “Lost in Translation” director Coppola 14 115, in Roman numerals 15 Skater ___ Anton Ohno 16 Make ___ (profit) 17 Brewhouse offering 19 “That is,” to Caesar 20 Really clean 21 It may come in a kit 23 Disco ___ (“The Simpsons” character) 24 “Forever” purchase 27 Lend an ear 29 ___-Hulk (Marvel superheroine) 31 Aural entertainment now mostly obsolete 34 Post-bath powder 36 Established law 37 Stringed instruments? 39 Blue ball? 40 “Champagne Supernova” group 44 Single, double, or triple 47 Shark sort 48 Repertoire, so to speak 52 Nickname for two Spice Girls
53 Oscar winner Matlin 54 Figure skater Henie 56 Singer Rita 57 “Hamilton” home, casually 60 One usually grouped by sixteens 63 It may be passive 65 Winning once again 68 Arm of a sea 69 ___ con pollo 70 Paint swatch option 71 Double curves 72 By ___ (barely) 73 Galoot
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25 Calendar pgs. 26 Surname said a lot by Snape 28 Engine power source 29 Place for wallowing 30 “Ni ___” (“Hello” in Chinese) 32 Leonard of the NBA 33 Imperturbable ones 35 Computer language used in business 38 They’re not too risky 41 Bee on TV 42 “South Park” little brother 43 Fifth scale note 45 Easy crockpot dish 46 Match ender 48 “MST3K” fodder 49 Carter and Copland, e.g. 50 Mythical chalices 51 Button used mostly in the morning 55 May follower 58 Four-line rhyme scheme 59 Craft store bundle 61 Revolution outcome 62 Olympic event with swords 64 Icy core? 66 ___-Magnon 67 Daily ___ (political blog)
1 Banned pollutants, briefly 2 CFO, e.g. 3 In opposition 4 Tree of Life, in “The Lion King” 5 “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” airer, once 6 Go bad 7 1970s rock genre 8 Wish earnestly 9 Enter via ship 10 “If You Leave” band, for short 11 Galicia gala 12 Arched foot part 13 Make harmonious 18 The same old thing 22 Baseball’s Matty or Felipe For answers go to: www.randomlengthsnews.com
October 10 - 23. 2019
PLEASE HELP! The animals at the Harbor Animal Shelter have ongoing need for used blankets, comforters, pet beds.* Drop off at Harbor Animal Shelter 957 N. Gaffey St.,San Pedro • 888-452-7381, x 143
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2019267000 The following person is doing business as:(1) L.A. Urban Ballet, 1231 S. Pacific Ave, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: San Pedro City Ballet, 1231 S. Pacific Ave, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by a corporation. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A. I declare that
all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Patrick Bradley, CFO. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Oct. 7, 2019. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 10/10/2019, 10/24/2019,
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www.donmarshallcpa.com
11/7/2019, 11/21/2019
REAL ESTATE INVESTOR seeks to purchase commercial or multi-unit residential properties in San Pedro. No Agents please. 310-241-6827
Handyman Services in San Pedro & Harbor Area. Sergio Mendoza (432) 248-1767.
Live-in caregiver for elderly or children w/housekeeping service available in Harbor Area. Experienced care, references available, bi-lingual. 562-507-8612
facts set forth in the statement pursuant to section 17913 other than a change in the residence address of a registered owner. A new fictitious business name statement must be filed before the expiration. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see section 1411 ET SEQ., Business and Professions code). Original filing: 10/10/2019, 10/24/2019,
Don Marshall, MBA, CPA
REAL ESTATE SERVICES
HOME SERVICES
(310) 833-8977
Specializing in small businesses CPA quality service at very reasonable rates
Mature woman needed for companionship/light caregiving/light housekeeping for 76-yr-old woman in Point Fermin area. No previous experience necessary, 4 hours/day, M-F, 9 am to 1 pm. $220/wk. Text only 424-477-4007, 50 words or less why this might work for you. No calls please.
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Filing & Publishing
HELP WANTED
CASH FOR CARS! We buy all cars! Junk, high-end, totaled – it doesn’t matter! Get free towing and same day cash! NEWER MODELS too! Call 866-535-9689 (AAN CAN)
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Study with a violinist who studied with the masters: Zino Francescatti, Ivan Galamian and Christian Ferras. Results guaranteed for TV and film bound students. Call 310-548-1659. www.JimSitterly.com.
AUTOS WANTED
SENIOR LIVING
Serving the South Bay
VIOLIN LESSONS
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2019258767 The following person is doing business as:(1) RDS Consulting, 1180 W 7th Street Apt #1, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Rodel Filio, 1180 W 7th Street Apt #1, San Pedro, CA 90731. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 01/2012. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/. Rodel Filio, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Sept. 26, 2019. Notice--In accordance with subdivision (a) of section 17920. A fictitious name statement generally expires at the end of five years from the date on which it was filed in the office of the county clerk, except as provided in subdivision (b) of section 17920 where it expire 40 days after any change in the
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RANDOMLetters [Letters from p. 7]
Rep. Alan Lowenthal, (D-CA 47th District) One of my Constitutional duties as a member of Congress is to ensure that a president is held accountable to the people and to the law. It is time to hold this president accountable. From the day he took office, Trump has put personal profit and his own self interests over the needs of the American people. He has established a clear record of unconstitutional behavior, and this latest attempt to extort Ukraine, as well as the administration’s efforts to cover up that fact, elevate his actions to high crimes and misdemeanors. Because of this, I will be voting for articles of impeachment. This is going to make my opponents angry. It will draw attacks from special interests. But it is the right thing to do, and I am proud to put the needs of our country first. It’s time to get our country back on track.
October 10 - 23, 2019
Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant
California Gov. Gavin Newsom An overarching theme coming out of the White House this week has been Trump’s persistent weaponizing of our government to attack his political opponents. The Director of National Intelligence, the Justice Department, the EPA … all being used to attack those that stand in his way. It began with the White House’s constant failure on climate action that forced our state to step up and course correct — leading with activists, governors, even the automobile industry for innovative solutions to set our own standards and protect our air. Then, Trump gutted our environmental protections last week to roadblock strengthening our economy and protecting the health of our communities. So, we sued. Now, Trump’s EPA is threatening to take millions in funding away from our state. All because we’re winning in Trump’s war on climate. California trumped Trump and he can’t stand it. No matter how many attacks come from this Administration on California, we will always defend our values — no matter what.
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