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$94 million judgement threatens ILWU p. 3 2020 Homeless Count: Life after the streets p. 5 Little Fish Theater’s 18th annual Pick of the Vine p. 9 Valentine’s Day dining in Downtown SP p. 10

Marine Mammal Care Center in Crisis — Part II

How the Crisis Began

By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor

[See LAUSD Race, p. 14]

February 6 - 19, 2020

ith California’s March 3 primary elections less than a month away, Harbor Area voters must still come to terms with a couple of facts: Fact # 1: This year’s school board races are about the balance of power between pro and anti-charter school forces on the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Sure, this year’s campaigns are about student achievement, school funding,and large class sizes despite declining enrollment. But make no mistake, a large part of this race is about charter schools.

Fact # 2: Charter schools and co-locations with charter schools won’t be going away no matter how much you wish for it.

If that’s not enough to convince you how important charters are in this race, get a load of our sidebar showing the slew of charter school related bills Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in 2019 that have been enacted this month.

It’s pretty complicated, too, which further raises the stakes of casting a vote. So how do Seventh District voters make a choice from among the candidates?

Hoping to unmuddle the issues and clarify the responses, Random Lengths News

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Pictured above are the top four candidates by fundraising running for District 7 of Los Angeles Unified School District board race. Clockwise from top: Mike Lansing, Patricia Castellanos, Dr. Silke Bradford and Tanya Ortiz-Franklin. File photos.

Three years ago, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, a textbook publishing giant that invested in other industries to diversify its business holdings, was looking to extricate itself from the Marine Mammal Care Center.

Amber Becerra, the current president of the board of the care center said that it informed the care center that it was going to just walk away, even though it had been financially supporting the care center since its inception. This led Jeff Cozad, who was board president at the time, to create a new 501(c)3 to fill the void left by that company.

To gain perspective of the Marine Mammal Care Center as an institution and understanding as it evolved through the years, Random Lengths News reached out to former board members of Mar3ine.

This nonprofit was put together by advocates who were actively concerned about the welfare of the animals at Marineland. To say they were angry about Marineland’s sale to SeaWorld and the subsequent news reports of the animals being mistreated resulting in trainer injuries would be a massive understatement.

Mar3ine convinced Harcourt Brace Jovanovich to financially support what would become the Marine Mammal Care Center, which was just a small marine mammal care center at a Dockweiler Beach substation before the facility was built at Fort MacArthur adjacent to Angels Gate Park. John Resich, Dennis Moore, Donald Zumwalt, Parker Stevenson and actress Kirstie Alley were the most significant figures at Mar3ine in the beginning.

When John Resich and Donald Moore learned of the Marine Mammal Care Center’s current financial troubles, their initial reaction was puzzlement. Resich is a San Pedro-born attorney. Moore, a retired veterinarian, moved to Montana. One of the first questions Resich asked was, “Why is there a full-time veterinarian on staff?”

Resich explained that prior to Dr. Lauren Palmer joining the care center, the care center’s full-time veterinarian, veterinarians from South Shores Pet Clinic (owned by Moore) would doctor the animals as necessary. The creation of protocols on how to treat various marine animals under various conditions allowed the veterinarian to hand off work to volunteers who did most of the work.

Becerra said that subsequent investigations of the care center’s books have found no malfeasance or improper expenditures, but Resich, Moore and a number of current and former volunteers find that pill a little too hard to swallow.

Since the publication of this story in Random Lengths on Jan. 23 (the story in its entirety online that same day), a number of current and former volunteers began calling, thankful that we ran the story but more importantly share more of their stories. But none were willing to have [See Crisis, p. 4]

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Community Announcements:

Harbor Area Find Vote-By-Mail Locations for Calif Primary

All registered voters in Los Angeles County have the option to vote by mail instead of going to the polls on Election Day. VBM ballots can be returned by mail, in person at any VBM drop box location in LA County.

The program begins Monday, Feb. 3, 2020 and runs until the end of election day on Tuesday, March 3. The VBM ballot drop boxes are available at a number of public buildings throughout the Harbor Area and will be accessible during regular business hours. Los Angeles County staff will pick up the drop box and leave an empty box twice a week during the election period.

Registered voters may apply for a vote-by-mail ballot for an upcoming election at any time.

Details: www.lavote.net

Street Parking No Longer Permitted on Pacific Coast Highway LOMITA—The Lomita City Council adopted a resolution approving the elimination of all parking on both the north and south sides of Pacific Coast Highway in the City of Lomita.

City staff will be installing “No Parking” signs on PCH during the month of February. Beginning on March 1, vehicles parked along PCH in the City of Lomita will be cited by the city’s Parking Enforcement and Lomita Sheriff Deputies. Full enforcement of the “No Parking” restriction, in the form of towing, will begin on April 1.

Details: 310-325-7110 x 155; PublicWorks@LomitaCity.com

SoundPedro Submission Deadline

SAN PEDRO— SoundPedro is an annual multisensory art event held at Angels Gate Cultural Center in San Pedro. Artists are welcome to submit works for consideration for SoundPedro’s 2020 event on June 6. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 14.

Details: Visit soundpedro.org/participate

POLB Summer Internship Program Open

Torrance Refinery Explosion Anniversary

By Mark Friedman, Reporter

Few paid attention to terminal operator International Container Terminal Services Oregon until this past November, when an eightmember federal grand jury awarded the company $94 million—to be paid by the workers of the ILWU. The money is intended to punish the union for work slowdowns that began in 2012.

In Portland, a jury of eight ruled for management against the union. The decision was based on a finding the dock workers union sabotaged shipping traffic and caused productivity to plummet through years of labor slowdowns and stoppages. On Feb. 14 the trial judge will review the award and the union may still appeal the judgement.

A federal jury in Portland, Oregon granted a $93.6 million penalty in November against the union to the American subsidiary of the Philippines-based International Container Terminal Services, which formerly operated the Portland terminal. The back story is a complicated one about union jurisdiction.

In 2012, the local ILWU began a series of work slowdowns over two jobs that involved handling refrigerated containers (as well as electrical equipment related to those containers) that the union believed were wrongly being put outside of the ILWU’s collective bargaining agreement.

Instead, these two port jobs were represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. ICTSI sued the ILWU, claiming the industrial action was an illegal secondary boycott and that years of battling the union had taken financial toil on the company. The jury sided with ICTSI. The ILWU has $8 million in assets, according to its most recent Department of Labor filing (Local 8, the local involved in the suit, has $386,000 in total assets, according to its DOL filing). Needless to say, the award, if upheld by the judge in proceedings in February, will almost certainly lead to bankruptcy for the union.

“It’s an attack on the trade union movement and could have very negative repercussions for union workers and labor generally,” said Donald Marcus, president of the International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots.

The jury found the dock workers union guilty of sabotaging shipping traffic and have caused productivity to plummet through years of labor slowdowns and stoppages. The longshore union had long argued that the problems the union was accused of were actually due to mismanagement by the terminal operator and that terminal operator is using the court system to execute his plans to break labor unions on the docks.

According to their website, ICTSI is owned by a billionaire goods movement titan in the Philippines, Enrique Razon. With a global presence of 31 terminals in 19 countries, it has an annual income of $2.5 billion and employs over 7000.

Razon is the third richest man in the Philippines. His personal wealth is equivalent to half of Madagascar’s GDP, while workers at ICTSI’s Toamasina terminal earn as little as

Billionaire founder of ICTS, Enrique Razon. File photo

US$40 a month, struggling to feed their families and send their children to school.

Workers fundamental rights to freely associate, join unions and to collectively bargain have been suppressed in most of the countries that this company operates. ICTSI’s often illegal model of using outsourced workers for many

of the most dangerous jobs at their ports is an attempt to limit their responsibility for working conditions and wages. Many of these violations breach domestic law in countries where ICTSI operates and violate international conventions.

“Africa is a very good place for us,” Razon said. “There is very little competition and they need the investment badly. Bottom line: Returns are best there with high yields in the freight handling business. To handle a box in our terminal in Yantai, [China], we charge about $45$50. The same container in Africa easily goes for $200 - $250.”

The ICTSI business model can be best summarized by this statement by its president.

“The countries with the best infrastructure in the world are dictatorships.”

“ICTSI’s operations—unlike those of other major terminal operators—are concentrated in countries where labor rights are not guaranteed,” said Professor Bradon Ellem, Professor of Employment Relations, University of Sydney Business School. “Yet the responsibilities for companies working in these environments are clear: the United Nations Guiding Principles clearly state that companies have a responsibility [See Judgement, p. 14]

February 6 - 19, 2020

Neighborhood Council Positions Open SAN PEDRO—The Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council is looking for community members to fill three vacant at-large board member positions for the term expiring June 2021.

The neighborhood council functions in an advisory capacity to various Los Angeles city departments and elected officials, as well as promoting a strong sense of neighborhood by bringing stakeholders together to work on activities that enhance the livelihood of the community.

Details: https://tinyurl.com/ candidatefilinginformation

Court sides with billionaire cargo operator who flaunts labor right abroad

TORRANCE—Participate in the five-year commemoration of the Torrance Refinery explosion, Feb. 15. The explosion, which took place Feb. 18, 2015, caused a near miss on 50,000 pounds of modified hydrofluoric acid.

The event will include speakers, short videos produced by the Torrance Refinery Action Alliance and an announcement of a major new campaign to mandate that the Torrance Refining Company and Valero in Wilmington, to transition to one of the modern, vastly safer processes.

Time: 9 to 10 a.m. Feb. 15 Details: info@TRAASouthBay.com Venue: Doubletree Hotel, 21333 Hawthorne Blvd.,Torrance

$94 Million Judgement Threatens ILWU

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

LONG BEACH—Applications are now being accepted for the Port of Long Beach Summer High School Internship Program. The paid internships are open to current juniors and seniors in the Long Beach Unified School District service area.

Applications must be submitted in person to Pacific Gateway by 5 p.m. March 2. The six-week program runs from June 29 through Aug. 6.

The curriculum is designed to assist youth in obtaining essential skills to boost and develop an understanding of workplace competencies needed to succeed in the modern workplace.

Details: 562-570-4700; www.academy.polb.com/ scholarships-internships/internship-info/highschool-information/ Venue: Pacific Gateway, Youth Opportunity Center, 4811 Airport Plaza Dr., Long Beach

Committed to Independent Journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for More Than 40 Years

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[Crisis, from p. 1]

Crisis at Marine Mammal Care Center their stories attributed to their names, fearing they would not be allowed to volunteer at the care center again.

One volunteer who works on the animal care side discussed the general sigh of relief amongst the volunteers.

“Everything happened so suddenly. From the time we got the email announcing he had resigned to now. We all thought that now that he’s gone the bleeding would stop,” one volunteer said.

What Happened to the Money?

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

Former education manager Jay Bon was employed by the Marine Mammal Care Center.

Bon explained that when the care center began to be operated by the new nonprofit, new staff was added to the existing staff.

Chris Nagle was on the board of Mar3ine with Cozad for seven years before joining him at the Marine Mammal Care Center as treasurer.

Nagle’s suspicions were raised when he found out the new nonprofit was named Marine Mammal Care Center Los Angeles — for broader appeal to donors — and fundraisers were being hosted in Marina del Rey. “I, as the treasurer, never saw any of that money,” Nagle said. “I got suspicious at the first fundraiser when the auctioneer was auctioning stuff but there was nobody buying,” Nagle recounted. “It turned out it was a guy buying back all of his own stuff and was paying the Marine Mammal Care Center a small percentage of it.”

Bon recounted Cozad’s announcement during a staff meeting in spring 2017. He said

A recuperating sea lion and volunteers who care for it at the Marine Mammal Care Center this past month.

Photo by Terelle Jerricks

that the Marine Mammal Care Center was going to run out of money in two years. When the care center transitioned to the new nonprofit Cozad could only be paid $30,000 while he still had his day job as a law clerk. Cozad increased his salary twice. The first raise was to $48,500 and his final raise was to $82,500. This is supported by the 990 forms the nonprofit filed in 2017 and 2018.

In Bon’s recollection, Cozad had more than 20 people on his payroll including family and friends. Indeed, Tamara Meatzie, who is listed as a relative of Cozad, received $11,192 as compensation for research and proofreading.

Bon described Cozad’s behavior as becoming erratic over time and noted that as former board

president he started to alienate and kick people off the board. Eventually, the Marine Mammal Care Center staff was pared down to hand chosen staff including Alan Colman, a self-professed sales and marketing expert and partner in a company called the Closers Group.

Random Lengths News retrieved the Marine Mammal Care’s Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax Form for every year it functioned as an independent nonprofit since October 2015, when the Marine Mammal Care Center became a 501 (c)(3). While these documents are publicly available, the returns for the fiscal year 2019 are not.

On its 2016 return, covering the tax year beginning July 1, 2016 and ending on June 30, 2017, the care center received $3.4 million in revenue that came in the form of contributions and grants. Given the timing of Harcourt Brace Jovanovich dissolving its Florida nonprofit and the founding of the new 501 (c)(3) for the Marine Mammal Care Center, it’s likely that most of that $3.4 million came from Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. In that year, the Marine

Mammal Care Center incurred about $1 million in expenses, $700,000 of which were in the form of salaries, other compensation and benefits. This left a balance of $2.4 million that year.

The statement of expenses, compensation for current officers, directors, trustees and key employees for that year was $103,000 and other salaries and wages were $578,000. Repairs and maintenance were $87,000, food for animals were $86,000, medical supplies were $30,000 and training (ostensibly for volunteers) was $14,000.

On the care center’s 2017 tax return (covering July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018), the nonprofit received $763,000 in contributions and grants, $57,000 in program service revenue and $11,706 in investment income. In all, the care center’s revenue that year was $812,000, but it was $880,000 in the hole. Expenses that year ballooned to $1.4 million.

Scrolling down to the balance sheet of assets, the one thing that sticks out is that the care center started the fiscal year with $2.5 million in assets, but ended the year with $1.5 million in assets.

But when examined more carefully, the care center started the year with $1.75 million in investments. By the end of the year, these publicly traded securities were less than $500,000 and another $250,000 was invested in some money market account. The bottom line is the nonprofit was out $1 million by June 30, 2018.

In the statement of expenses, compensation for current officers, directors, trustees and key employees for that year was $101,000, while salaries and wages were $117,000. More than $900,000 was spent on “other.” Money spent directly on the animals saw modest increases with $124,000 on food and $48,000 spent on medicine and medical supplies. But right below that is $74,000 on marketing and another $107,000 for all other expenses.

One of the first things Becerra did when she was elevated to board president was trim the annual budget to $1 million.

“What I absolutely won’t mess with is animal care,” Becerra said. You can look at our hospital, we run a very tight ship and a very clean operation.”

[See Crisis p. 8]

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From Homeless to a Home in San Pedro Strategies to get people off the streets

By Hunter Chase, Reporter

For the past five years, Shirley Guss has been living in an apartment building in San Pedro. But for 25 years prior to that, she did not know for certain where she would be sleeping from one week to the next. She has lived in Harbor City, Long Beach and Wilmington, on the streets, with friends, in hotel rooms and even in an apartment, which she lost.

Guss made the move that finally stopped her constant moving when Harbor Interfaith helped her acquire a Section 8 housing voucher, which enabled her to make the San Pedro apartment her home.

In order for the county of Los Angeles to know who needs housing or other services, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority annually counts how many homeless people are in each city and community.

The purpose of the count is to collect information that enables officials to understand their numbers, needs and locations of the homeless population. The idea is to supply assistance more efficiently -- delivering resources that are relevant to real problems, in amounts commensurate to their need and to locations where these problems exist. The latest was on Jan. 22 and volunteers gathered to partake in the homeless count. I was one of 63 volunteers who met at the Harbor Community Police Station. Once there, after receiving instructions and supplies, my three-person team headed out to count how many homeless people lived in a specific area of San Pedro near White Pointe

Formerly homeless Shirley Guss inside her apartment. She was able to acquire housing using a Section 8 voucher, despite the difficulty of acquiring housing as a homeless person. Photo by Chris Villanueva

Nature Preserve.

My team did not see a lot of homeless people, we only counted a total of 21. Even then, I only saw one person outside of his car, the rest were inside their vehicles. Part of the reason for this was that it was cold and we were in a more affluent neighborhood.

Amber Sheikh Ginsberg, the head of the Council District 15 Working Group on Homelessness, was on Gaffey Street with

Councilman Joe Buscaino. She was not sure how many people she saw. Buscaino was doing the actual counting. Normally, the encampment in that area consists of 30 to 60 people.

LAHSA’s 2019 homeless count recorded 36,135 homeless people in the City of Los Angeles and 58,936 homeless people in the County of Los Angeles, according to LAHSA’s website. This was a 16 percent increase from 2018 for the city and a 12 percent increase

for the county. That same count recorded 616 homeless people in San Pedro. The city will be opening a bridge home shelter later this year in San Pedro with 100 beds and the county plans to open a shelter in San Pedro with 40 beds in a few months. Neither will come close to meeting the needs of the community.

Cheryl Gutierrez, the manager of a building in San Pedro that is all Section 8 housing, said she was homeless herself for three years. She lived in her car during that time. She is now retired and manages the building full time. Much of her time is taken up cleaning up the trash of the tenants in the building.

“I don’t feel like I should have to pick up people’s trash,” Gutierrez said. “They’re just the same in this building as they are in the street.”

The building is dirty because of the tenants, Gutierrez said.

Harry Vedder, a tenant of the same building and a former homeless person, has had a different experience with his fellow tenants.

“People here are really helpful,” Vedder said. “Everybody really tries to help each other here because we know everybody’s in the same situation.”

Everyone does things to help out in the building, Vedder said.

Vedder does maintenance on the building and helps Gutierrez clean out the rooms after tenants move out or are evicted.

Gutierrez and Vedder were both referred to the building by Harbor Interfaith. However, all the tenants she has had problems with have been referred by Harbor Interfaith.

Many of the tenants struggle with substance abuse. Of the 18 units in use, six of the units’ tenants do not have an issue with substance abuse.

Gutierrez herself struggled with substance [See Homeless, p. 8]

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

February 6 - 19, 2020

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Who is Stealing Your Vote?

Thom Hartmann’s new book, The Hidden History of the War on Voting — Who Stole Your Vote — And How to Get it Back

By James Preston Allen, Publisher

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

If anything defines this era of American politics it is the question of how someone as corrupt as Donald J. Trump can become president. Revelations from Hillary Clinton’s emails, hacked by Russia and their clandestine use of social media to influence the 2016 elections, continue to leak in dribs and drabs.

Even Trump’s impeachment, which was centered on his attempt to extort Ukraine’s government to create a false narrative against Joe Biden, makes Thom Hartmann’s latest book, The Hidden History of the War on Voting — Who Stole Your Vote — And How to Get it Back, all the more relevant.

For some of our readers, Hartmann may not be well known. He hosts the number one rated progressive talk show in the nation, which airs locally on KPFK-90.7 FM. He is described as an American radio personality, author, former psychotherapist, businessman and progressive political commentator. He is also the four-time Project Censored award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of 25 books currently in print in over a dozen languages.

What makes his recently published book so timely is that we are living in this era of vote suppression, voter purges and crookedly gerrymandered voter districts. Hartmann documents the long history of election stealing in this country using the tools of voter suppression, disinformation campaigns and racial intimidation. Trump was elected president by only 26 percent of the eligible voters in 2016.

With the deployment of stringent voter ID laws, the reduction in the number of polling places and polling hours and the purging of voters– ostensibly to eliminate voter fraud of which there is very little evidence — the Republican Party is undermining your right to vote.

In less than 200 pages of well-researched material, Hartmann goes from the founding bias in the U.S. Constitution regarding the three-fifths compromise to Madison’s warning about despotism founded upon corruption by an oligarchy. This couldn’t be more relevant now.­Trump is the tyrant that our forebears have always feared.

The Republican Party was once the party of President Abraham Lincoln, while the Democratic Party was the party of the southern Dixiecrats. That all changed by the 1960s when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. Then, after

Watergate and the resignation of Richard Nixon, the Republican Party lost to Jimmy Carter in 1976. According to Hartmann, “the Republicans thought if you can’t beat a peanut farmer from Georgia we’re screwed.”

Because of a series of Supreme Court decisions allowing corporate money to flow into political campaigns, former California Gov. Ronald Reagan got elected on a platform that included trickledown economics and his 1980 presidential campaign’s conspiracy with Iran to delay the release of 52 American hostages until after the election in exchange for weapons and the unblocking of Iranian government monetary assets in U.S. banks. This became known as the Iran-Contra scandal four years later.

“It wasn’t until the election of [Bill] Clinton in 1992 that the American people figured it out,” Hartman said in an interview.

Some of Hartmann’s growing concerns about voting fraud and election stealing started with the 2000 presidential election that came down to counting the votes in Florida where George W. Bush’s brother, Jeb, was the governor.

“I’ve been alarmed since the 2000 election with the Bush versus [Al] Gore election. A year later [in November] 2001 The New York Times and Washington Post brought all the ballots and counted and recounted them and released the results on Nov. 1, 2001. By any measure, Al Gore won the Florida vote. They [the news media] didn’t want to question the legitimacy of a sitting president during a national crisis after 9/11.” So the story was buried.

Again, in the 2004 election between John Kerry versus Bush, the Ohio exit polls showed that Kerry won the vote, but just before the results were released the state computer server crashed and a backup server that was out of state and owned by a person affiliated with the Bush campaign was used. Bush won Ohio and was reelected to a second term. Ohio is also one of the mid-western states that used voter suppression to take people off the voter rolls.

The Help America Vote Act created provisional ballots, but what is little understood is that voters who use them have three or four days to show that they are who they say they are by going to their county registrar with proper ID. “People are not told that provisional ballots are not counted unless there is a challenge to the vote,” Hartmann wrote.

February 6 - 19, 2020

Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com

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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. XLI : No. 3

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

Here in California, there are also provisional ballots. Not only have some activists challenged the new electronic voting system, but reporters like Greg Palast call these “placebo ballots.” This and much more is revealed in Hartmann’s new book — from voter suppression in Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida and South Carolina to the hundreds of thousands of registered voters who

have been purged from the voter rolls in those states.

“Georgia purged over 1 million voters when Stacey Abrams [ran] last time for governor and only lost by 50,000 votes,” the author remarked.

“Since the 2000 election the Republican Party has only been able to win by cheating at the ballot box.”

Carbon Fee and Dividend Will Help Fight Climate Change

By Jeff Cohlberg, Long Beach/South Bay Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby We urgently need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Should we put a price on carbon emissions, providing a financial incentive to switch from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources? Some people back carbon pricing as an important tool to combat global warming; others say that marketbased approaches are unfair and ineffective, benefiting fossil fuel producers. Who’s right?

Let me try to convince you that a policy called carbon fee and dividend – placing a fee on emissions and giving the revenue to Americans as a dividend — is an effective, fair, and crucial component of our efforts to limit global temperature rise.

Carbon pricing is often described as a market-based approach. Basically, if you want to eliminate something, make it more expensive.

To discourage people from smoking, taxes have inflated the cost of cigarettes.

To solve the problem of acid rain, the 1990

Columnists/Reporters Andrea Serna Arts Writer Melina Paris Staff Reporter Hunter Chase Staff Reporter Send Calendar Items to: 14days@randomlengthsnews.com Photographers Terelle Jerricks, Benjamin Garcia, Raphael Richardso Contributors Jeff Cohlberg, Mark L. Friedman, Katrina Guevara, Greggory Moore, Gretchen Williams Cartoonists Andy Singer, Jan Sorensen, Matt Wuerker

Clean Air Act used a cap-and-trade scheme to make it expensive for polluters to emit sulfur dioxide. As a result, sulfur emissions decreased, solving the acid rain problem.

Under a carbon fee and dividend policy, companies that extract fossil fuels pay a fee based on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted when the fuel is burned. So the fee is highest for coal, which goes away in under 10 years. To ease household and business impacts the fee starts low and increases each year. As the cost of fossil fuels increases, energy companies stop building fossil fuel-based plants and switch to alternative sources like solar and wind. As gasoline becomes more expensive, more consumers switch to electric cars.

Will the fee really result in lower emissions?

Nearly all economists think so, including the 27 Nobel laureates and 3,500 other economists who signed a letter recently printed in the Wall [See Fee, p. 7]

Design/Production Suzanne Matsumiya, Brenda Lopez

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All contents Copyright 2020 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.

RANDOMLetters Take Trump Off Twitter

It’s really simple: Have the house pass a bill DEMANDING, ON NATIONAL SECURITY REASONS, that Twitter owner and CEO Jack Dorsey immediately revoke Trump’s privileges. Pedro if this sounds like a good idea, contact your congresswomen and anyone else who will advance this idea.

Damian Walters San Pedro [Fee, from p. 6]

Carbon Fee

Street Journal. “Among economists, this is not controversial,” said Greg Mankiw, Harvard economist and former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, or EICDA (HR7673/ S3791) bill now in Congress is backed by Citizens’ Climate Lobby and cosponsored by 75 congressional representatives, including progressive Californians like Barbara Lee and Ted Lieu. Peer-reviewed economic analysis predicts that this bill, where the fee starts at $15 per ton of carbon dioxide emitted and increases $10 per year, will lower emissions 40 percent by 2030 and 90 percent by 2050.

Note that a market-based approach is used in the Los Angeles-Long Beach Ports Clean Truck Program, reducing air pollution from trucks within the ports ’ by 90 percent since 2008. A major part of that program involves fees imposed on trucks entering and leaving the port based on their emission characteristics, providing a financial incentive for switching to less polluting trucks.

But isn’t a carbon tax regressive? Don’t lower-income people suffer most from the increased cost of living caused by the fee? Here’s where the dividend comes in. All of the money collected from the fees is returned to households.

The Education of Arthur

(Response to Arthur Schaper in the letters column 1/23/20) Bernie Sanders a “radical socialist”? No, he is a New Deal Democrat with his support of the Green New Deal, Medicare for All and similar legislation.

It shows just how far corporate PR has pushed the political spectrum to the right over the past 60 years.

“Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance and eliminate labor laws and farm programs we would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group of course that believes you can do those

In the EICDA, a family of four is predicted to get a dividend of $196 a month in the fifth year of the plan. In the 44th congressional district that covers San Pedro and the port area, served

by Rep. Nanette Barragán, around 84 percent of households (those with the lowest carbon profile, generally lower income households) will come out ahead — their dividends will be more than the increased cost of living. Only the top 7 percent will experience a net loss greater than 0.2 percent of their income.

Won’t this plan just result in fossil fuel companies acquiring a license to continue polluting low-income communities near their industrial plants? No, it won’t. In programs involving cap and trade and carbon offsets, fossil fuel producers can purchase credits allowing them to exceed emission caps at their facilities by reducing emissions in other locations. But carbon fee and dividend is a simple fee and does not involve a trading or offset scheme, so it won’t encourage fossil fuel companies to keep polluting our already impacted communities.

But shouldn’t we have regulations to force polluters to act, instead of just relying on market forces? What about the Green New Deal? In fact, carbon fee and dividend can support other rules and regulations that control carbon emissions and help us achieve emission reductions faster.

The EICDA specifically states that it does not affect regulation of emissions from automobiles

things. Among them are a few Texas oil millionaires and an occasional politician or businessman from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid.”

Whose quote is this? Hint: it is a Republican president’s. The answer is Dwight D. Eisenhower. He was president from 1953 to 1961. Eisenhower also passed the Federal Highway Act and coined the term “military industrial complex” in his farewell speech.

Imagine any Republican uttering this today. They would be severely admonished, perhaps booted right out of the GOP. And FYI, there are still a lot of WPA [See Letters, p. 16]

and planes, car mileage standards, or any state and local regulations or laws. We can have carbon fee and dividend along with programs for a just transition for fossil fuel workers and environmental justice.

But how will we get carbon pricing legislation through Congress, where the Republicans control the Senate and Democrats are highly unlikely to get a filibuster-proof majority? Thankfully, this policy approach has bipartisan appeal. In the EICDA, the fee is revenue-neutral; all of the money collected in the fees, minus a small administrative cost, is returned to households.

Since the government doesn’t keep the money, the fee is not a tax and anti-tax Republicans can support it. Also, regulations on power plants are suspended for 10 years if power plant emissions don’t decrease as predicted, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency must impose regulations to make sure that the decrease occurs.

CCL’s Capitol Hill staff say that these provisions will guarantee significant Republican support when the bill comes up for a vote.

Carbon pricing is an effective and fair way to help us reach the goal of a world free of fossil fuels and we can pass carbon pricing legislation now.

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

February 6 - 19, 2020

7

[Homeless, from p. 5]

POLA Breaks Ground on LA Waterfront Promenade Segment

SAN PEDRO — The Port of Los Angeles broke ground Jan. 27 on the $33 million LA Waterfront town square and promenade. The project will connect San Pedro’s Downtown Harbor to the future San Pedro Public Market development.

The additional segment of public promenade will run parallel to the port’s Main Channel for about one mile, meeting the new town square at 6th Street and Harbor Boulevard. The public space will serve as a link to the San Pedro Public Market, where construction is scheduled to start in the spring. The project is expected to be completed by summer 2021.

POLB Develops Anti-Human Trafficking Effort

LONG BEACH —The Port of Long Beach is developing a comprehensive campaign to train employees, leverage public and private sector partnerships and build awareness in the harbor community to combat human trafficking.

Under the initiative, port staff is expected to finalize campaign policies, protocols and strategies by the end of June. The port will launch major components of the campaign by the end of 2020 and continue to build out the program through the end of 2021.

In addition to employee and community education, the campaign includes installing signs that provide reporting procedures and hotlines throughout port facilities.

LA County’s New Voting System Approved

LOS ANGELES — Secretary of State Alex Padilla, Jan. 27, approved Los Angeles County’s Voting Solutions for All People or VSAP 2.0 Voting System. The approval allows the county to move

February 6 - 19, 2020

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

[Briefs, p. 14]

8

Not Homeless

abuse in the past, but said she was able to overcome her addiction by herself.

While Gutierrez is highly critical of many of the tenants in her building, she still considers herself an advocate for people without a home.

She said the system of Section 8 works for those who want it, but those who are unwilling to accept it should not have a place in the building.

[Crisis, from p. 4]

Crisis

Next, Becerra and the board laid off six people working in the fundraising, development and community awareness capacity at the care center.

“Now, 80 percent of every dollar that comes in goes directly toward taking care of the animals,” Becerra said. “Only 20 percent of that goes toward overhead.”

If this is true, that would mean that $800,000 will be going to animal care when historically the dollar amount was only about $100,000, and eight-fold increase if salaries in the animal care department aren’t considered.

The volunteers, however, will likely continue to hold their breath to see if more money will go into the care of the animals. A few volunteers after the publication of this story online called the newspaper to report some of the ways management has cut corners on animal care during lean financial times.

Continue reading about the challenges facing the care center at https://www.randomlengthsnews. com/2020/02/05/partii-mmcc-crisis

Gutierrez became homeless after her mother died in 2012. She and 10 of her adult relatives, including five of her children and five of her nieces and nephews, lost their home after Gutierrez’s mother’s death. They all eventually found housing, including her nephew, who will soon be moving into a unit in Gutierrez’s building.

Vedder is a veteran who owned his own business prior to being homeless. Both of his parents died from cancer around the same time, which was the catalyst to his losing his home.

“I was left without any family, so that really spiraled me out of control,” Vedder said.

He was in the army for eight years and he did two tours in Iraq. After losing his parents, he was homeless for 10 years.

Harbor Interfaith and the military helped Vedder find the apartment he has lived in for roughly three years. He has lived his entire life in San Pedro.

“I have a lot of established roots here,” Vedder said. “So it would be really hard to pick up and just leave.”

Guss has been living in the Harbor Area for 30 years, but was unfamiliar with San Pedro, so she was reluctant to move there when she was first offered housing there.

“We get comfortable,” Guss said. “Then, when it comes to giving us a place to stay, we want to stay right here in our area.”

Ginsberg said a thorough and accurate homeless count is important because it gives you an idea of what is going on with homelessness locally. Later in the year, LAHSA will release the results for cities, then a few months later for the local communities.

Kathleen Martin, site coordinator for San Pedro’s portion of the homeless count, said organizing the count was an incredible amount

Cheryl Gutierrez outside her apartment. Once homeless, she is now a resident and manager of a building that is all Section 8 housing. Photo by Hunter Chase.

of work, but it was worth it.

“Doing this was one of the most rewarding things I think I’ve done,” Martin said. “I was so grateful to have the leadership of the community to help pull this off.”

Lots of people stepped up and contributed, Martin said.

Most teams took less than two hours to survey their area. The average departure time was 9:15 p.m. and most returned to the police station around 10:30 p.m., with a few coming in around 11:30 p.m. My team was last. We did not arrive until 12:40 a.m.

My team received two maps of territory to cover, but this was not the reason for our late arrival. Some teams received as many as four maps. The central area of San Pedro was covered

by Harbor Interfaith and it took several hours. It was very densely populated.

“It’s not the amount of maps, it’s really the territory and the density of the area,” Martin said.

Curtain Call I

Love’s Disenlightenment, a sendup of avant-garde theater featuring a director (Light) trying to sell one of his troupe-mates (McCarthy) on the pathos of a play about a relationship between a stick and a desk lamp, never gets off the ground.

On the other hand, while there isn’t much to Jenny Mead’s Must Love Pit Bulls, what’s here works. In the dog park, Elizabeth (SchlueterCorey) introduces herself to Anne (Lewis). But Elizabeth’s had her eye on Anne for a while, thinking she might be the perfect person to take care of her dog. Elizabeth is “moving on,” you see, and Anne, whose beloved basset hound moved on not long ago, seems to be one of those people with a “cosmic connection” to dogs.

It’s hard for me to say how well Must Love Pit Bulls works on its own merits, but in a Pick of the Vine three or four years ago there was a play featuring a pair of dogs in the park confronting the fact that one of them is moving on — and Little Fish was smart enough to cast the same actors in this one as a bit of an Easter egg. It makes the “cosmic connection” thing resonate on a higher frequency.

Ken Levine’s Dating Through the Decades closes the night, with Booey and Knight portraying a succession of couples—the first in the 1950s, the second in the ‘60s, etc., on through today—rattling off a string of period-specific clichés. It’s lowhanging fruit (the cleverest bit is “Did you see “The Simpsons” last night?” popping up three separate times), but the actors’ energy maintains the necessary momentum.

Of the five Pick of the Vines I’ve seen, 2020’s is neither best nor worst. There’s charm and feeling sprinkled throughout the evening and the acting is almost always what’s needed to make the most of the material. Throw in good pacing and efficient scene changes and the nine plays go down smoothly in a brisk two hours (including intermission). But the lack of any standout writing probably means that, however pleasant the night may be, by morning you probably won’t remember what you saw.

February 6 - 19, 2020

Times: 8 p.m., Friday through Saturday 8 p.m.; 2 p.m. Sunday; extra shows: 7 p.m. Feb. 2; 8 p.m. Feb. 6 and 2 p.m. Feb. 8 through Feb. 9.

Cost: $15 to $28 Details: 310-512-6030; LittleFishTheatre.org Venue: Little Fish Theatre, 777 Centre St., San Pedro

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t’s a San Pedro tradition. Each January, Little Fish Theatre opens a new season with its I, an evening of short plays, each by a different author. This year’s iteration, the 18th installment, is on the lite side, although a quiet echo of a sentimental piece from years ago offers something extra for those in the know.

The opener, Steven Hayet’s Date with Death, might be the funniest. Angela (Melissa Booey) has a bad habit: she can’t stop killing anyone she meets on eHarmony. They always ask for a second date and it’s just so … awkward. Why does she keep bothering then?

Don’t try to make sense of it. Just go along for the ride when a detective tracks her down with an unexpected proposition. It may not be hilarious, but there is a bit of silly charm here.

Infesting the Mob, which mines the idea that a couple of macho capos could be afraid of an eensy little spider for all the laughs it can, doesn’t really find any, no matter how hard the actors dig (and give ‘em credit: they dig). It’s a bit of a head-scratcher how this one made the cut.

James McLindon’s Choices, however, is a no-brainer. A young woman (Olivia Schlueter-Corey) with a quarter-million dollars in student loan debt meets with a loan officer (Susie McCarthy), whose company offers terms seemingly too good to be true. But read Footnote 7, which outlines how they profit in the end. Is it better to live a long life with crushing financial obligations or a shorter one without so much on your shoulders? Quantity or quality— it’s a choice. With straightforward ease, McLindon gives you something to chew on.

The best thing about Irene L. Pynn’s Ophiuchus is its satirization of today’s new-age hippies (I’ve thrice been to Burning Man, so I know what I’m talking about) by depicting a happy pair of lovers (Booey and Branda Lock) whose world is turned upside when their waiter (Ryan Knight) informs them that the entire zodiac has been rejiggered to include a 13th sign. Bogs down a bit toward the end, but Booey and Lock’s mock earnestness bring the LOLs. Little Fish adds an absurdist dash to the Pick of the Vine dish with Ian August’s Eleanor Descending a Staircase, which charts the lengths a woman (Mary-Margaret Lewis) is forced to go simply to obtain a print of Marcel Duchamp’s classic painting. There’s nothing to this one but the absurd, which is brought by the spirited charm of Brad Light as a series of clerks who won’t sell it to her.

After intermission, we get Booey and Lock again, but with a completely different dynamic in John Minigan’s Closing Doors, where a grade-school assistant principal (Booey) has to decide how to handle a teacher’s broken protocol during an active-shooter drill. I’m not sure this has the heft Minigan wants, but Booey and Lock keep you invested. And, I do like the ending’s ambiguity.

9

J

ames Republic alumnus Brennan Villareal has worked in the food industry for eight years, but his life as a chef has been anything but a business for him. “I just like to make food that tastes good. Once it stops being fun then I won’t like it,� Villareal said.

Villareal, who is Filipino American, cuts persimmons from his ancestral home in the Wrigley neighborhood of Long Beach. He has embraced meditative qualities in preparing dishes such as tofu-based spam or mushroombased sausage in the style of longanisa. Villareal recognizes he has mellowed over the years. “I am driven and ambitious, but it helps having a good attitude,� he said, “I feel it carries itself in what I do. It’s not about the money and more about the quality of life.�

Villareal has been working at Chinatownbased restaurant Lasa, run by the Cailan brothers.

On his days off, he hosts Filipino-inspired vegetarian pop-ups as Pogi Silog around venues like Rose Park Roasters and Commodity. When he’s not dreaming up dishes, he’s writing music, poetry and remembering times he used to surf ever so frequently.

Although Villareal is not a vegetarian, the restrictions he sets with his menu allow him to experiment with Filipino cuisine, ultimately appealing to more palettes. Since Filipino dishes rely heavily on fish sauce and shrimp sauce, he has found creative and more affordable solutions such as gluten-free tamari.

Katrina Guevara: How do you feel about Filipino food in Long Beach?

Brennan Villareal: Everything seems the same with outgoing vibes. Not many like to jump outside the box when it comes to Filipino food, even though there are plenty of establishments like Tambuli market with turo turo to-go food. These places are just not as consumer-friendly to nonFilipinos.

KG: Do you recall instances when “pogi� and “silog� were used around you when growing up?

BV: Growing up in an Filipino American

Pogi Silog Branches Out with Vegetarian Filipino Dishes

By Katrina Guevara, Contributing Writer

KG: What taste has been the most challenging for you to create your meatless rendition of?

BV: I don’t think it’s been very challenging. The part that is challenging is finding different ways to make a dish without the use of fish sauce and bagoong, which is fermented shrimp paste.

KG: What can we expect for your food endeavors in 2020?

BV: I am planning to have more chefdriven collaborations and a residency at the Marina Farmers Market in Long Beach. Plan to see a lot more of Pogi Silog!

Brennan Villareal picks persimmons at his family’s home in Long Beach. Villareal hosts Pogi Silog, a Filipinoinspired vegetarian pop-up held in Long Beach venues. Photo by Katrina Guevara.

household, we weren’t accustomed to all Tagalog terms. However, the food and the flavors were there. I remember when I was little, I dressed up all spazzy. My grandma would tell me I looked “pogi,� which means handsome. I didn’t really know what silog meant until I got older, but I sure did grow up eating a lot of fried rice and eggs.

KG: How has your experience as part of the kitchen team at Lasa led up to your current endeavors?

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Main EntrĂŠe Choices Include: Pescado ala Veracruzana, Salmon with Asparagus Sauce, Grilled New York Steak, Vegan Mole, Vegan Zucchini Steak

VEGAN OPTIONS AVAILABLE 376 W. 6th St., San Pedro

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February 6 - 19, 2020

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experiment with?

BV: There are so many Filipino dishes that I’ve barely scratched the surface. For the most part, I’ve been into Filipino desserts right now. It also just depends on the season and what fits in. I have three ideas, like a coconut, egg and gravy with pandesal.

! " !

BV: I’d say the way we present ourselves is more of a family. We have a lot of pride and love for the food we cook and create. Watching everyone operate humbly and calmly has been inspiring. I feel like it all reciprocates back to how I operate as a chef and an individual. Lastly, we all just have fun.

KG: Is there a Filipino dish you have yet to

KG: If you could give a dish to a public or historical figure, who would it be and what would the meal be?

BV: Marvin Gaye. The favorite comfort Filipino dish will always be my mom’s chicken adobo with rice. I feel like it’s always the perfect choice for any newcomer to Filipino food. It’s good for the soul.

KG: Do you have any favorite restaurants in the South Bay area?

BV: I haven’t been to the rest of the South Bay much, but I’d have to say Little Sister in Redondo Beach. It’s a casual, upscale Vietnamese restaurant that perfectly balances citrus, herb, fish sauce and salt in many of its dishes.

Compagnon Wine Bistro—

Love on 7th Street

By Gretchen Williams, Dining and Cuisine Writer

The secret of France is the beauty in every moment, every breath and every new sight. The French attitude to life is basic but full of delight, in art, in food, in wine and in love. France has many qualities in common with California, especially the sunlight, the soil and the proximity to the sea. Take a trip to the South of France at Compagnon Wine Bistro on the “Riviera of 7th Street.’’ The romantic atmosphere of the CĂ´te d’ Azur is present in every detail, the French blue accents, the woven bistro chairs, the charming art, the subtle music, the proper table setting.

Compagnon Wine Bistro is warm and embracing, fragrant with the aroma of roasting coq au vin, lush with the promise of a thoughtful wine list. Winter weather and the delicious choices on the menu at Compagnon are perfectly suited. Authentic French onion soup is generously laden with molten cheese on crouton, steaming with rich broth and thick with sliced onion.

The fresh oysters on the half-shell and chilled Champagne seems like just the thing for a loving tĂŞte Ă tĂŞte.

Make reservations now for the Valentine’s Day prix fixe menu at Compagnon Wine Bistro.

Monsieur and Madame are planning three courses: soup pistou, a lovely vegetable broth with crouton and pistou, a flavorful sauce of herbs and garlic or poached pear salad with spring

greens; a choice of steelhead trout, filet mignon with pomme frites or duck confit; and apple tartine or crème brÝlÊe. Reserve for 5:30 or 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14. $59 per person.

Compagnon Wine Bistro 335 W. 7th St., San Pedro 424-342-9840

Valentine’s Day in Downtown

Valentine’s Day in Downtown San Pedro promises to be loving and affectionate, as well as delicious. Sebastian’s on 7th Street is the cozy and intimate cafe with terrific food that every neighborhood needs. Great coffee is important in San Pedro and Sebastian’s is a strong contender for best java.

Sebastian’s Mediterranean is the cuisine of the south of Europe, the menu circling the Mediterranean Sea as the countries of the Mediterranean hug the coastline.

The common elements of seafood, olive oil, whole grains, grapes and wine, citrus and greens, abundant herbs and fruit all contribute to the robust and well-rounded diet of the countries adjacent to the sea.

The mild climate and many days of [See Love, p.11]

[Love, from p. 4]

Love on 7th

sunshine create ideal growing conditions, and the rocky soil is especially good for wine grapes. This kind of climate and atmosphere is thought to be the optimum for the long and healthy lives enjoyed by the inhabitants.

San Pedro is blessed with the fine Mediterranean climate as well, soaking up plenty of sunshine and benefitting from great produce and seafood. Sebastian’s appetizer menu demonstrates the variety and appeal of the Mediterranean area. Tzatziki and hummus are two dishes that have crossed borders over the centuries. Tzatziki is the refreshing and soothing salad of thinly-sliced cucumber with plain yogurt, lively with garlic. The hummus is the smooth puree of garbanzo beans blended with olive oil, lime and garlic.

Both of these pleasing dips are good on bread as well as pita, crudité or breadsticks.

BIG NICK’S PIZZA

BUONO’S AUTHENTIC PIZZERIA

CONRAD’S MEXICAN GRILL

COMPAGNON WINE BISTRO

Compagnon Wine Bistro (formerly La Buvette Wine Bistro) offers rustic French cuisine paying tribute to the classic French bistros in 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. dinner 5 to 10 p.m.; Sun. brunch 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; dinner 5 to 9 p.m.; closed Mon. Compagnon Wine Bistro, 335 W. 7th St., San Pedro • 424-342-9840 www.CompagnonBistro.com

HAPPY DINER #1

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

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 madefrom-scratch margaritas and a martini menu all add fun

To advertise in RLn’s Dining Guide, email: rlnsales@randomlengthsnews.com

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 • 310-8315663 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. 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

To our loyal customers, our restaurant is undergoing some significant plumbing repairs that should take several weeks to address. We are looking to be back in operation by mid-February and appreciate your ongoing support and patronage. Please keep an eye on these pages for the announcement of our reopening. And we thank you for your patience and understanding, Andrew Silber, proprietor. The Whale & Ale, 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro • 310-832-0363 www.whaleandale.com

February 6 - 19, 2020

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 and sopecitos. Sourcing the freshest ingredients, combining them with traditional flavors and rewriting familiar recipes into exceptional cuisine is Conrad’s mission. Now serving non-alcoholic beers. Ask about Conrad’s vegan menu. Catering 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

Sebastian’s Mediterranean 309 W. 7th St., San Pedro 424-342-906

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

Papas bravas is a Spanish dish, full of flavor, with potatoes marinated with garlic and then roasted, sprinkled with Parmesan and served with homemade aioli. Verdure arrostite are oven roasted vegetables, marinated with herbs and served with tzatziki. Chim Chim Shrimp is amazing, a step up from the usual scampi.

feta cheese, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Sebastian’s is master of the grill, with a splendid choice of kabobs (chicken, salmon, filet mignon or vegetables), lamb chops marinated with herbs or the fish or meat of the day.

Skillfully grilled, each choice is served with roasted vegetables or rice and a choice of salad.

Specialties of the house lean to the Italian, with lasagna and eggplant parmigiana leading a list of favorites. Lasagna is not the heavy dish of the standard red sauce menu, but a whole new experience at Sebastian’s. It’s mad with velvety pasta, creamy cheeses, light sauce, baked with care, and it’s fantastic. Eggplant parmigiana is the dish Marcello dreamed about, with thinlysliced eggplant, baked not fried and lightly sauced. Capellini pomodoro is the dish as it is meant to be served, made with a light touch.

You will feel happy after eating this pasta.

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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

Capellini pomodoro at Sebastian’s Mediterranean San Pedro. File photo

The best deal on the menu is probably the zuppa di mare, known in Pedro as cioppino.

This is a good broth, packed with seafood, nicely seasoned and $11. A real taste of San Pedro.

Salads, thy name is Sebastian’s. The tabbouleh is unusual, with Israeli couscous in lieu of bulgur wheat, but scrumptious. It has lot of mint and parsley and lemon—it’s lovely. The beet salad is deep on 7th Street in with flavor, roasted beets with spring greens, dressed with housemade balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkled with feta cheese, pine nuts and dried cranberries. Caesar salad is a fine example of the art, with the requisite crisp romaine, croutons and very good house-made Caesar dressing. Greek salad is classic cucumber, green pepper, tomato and red onion with tart

11

A

FEB 6 - 19 • 2020

ARTS CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT

MUSIC

Feb. 8

First Thursday Open Mic The Grand Annex opens its stage every First Thursday to musicians, singers, songwriters and poets.

Performers can begin signing up at 6:30 p.m.

Time: 7 p.m. Feb. 6 Cost: $5 Details: https://www.meetup.com/ FirstThursdayOpenMicGrand Annex Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro

Mike Massé and Bryce Bloom Join Mike Massé as he returns for this intimate evening of acoustic music. An internationally acclaimed artist, Massé performs some of the best classic rock songs of all time acoustically: the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, U2 and many more.

Time: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 Cost: $30 Details: www.tinyurl.com/ mikemassetickets Venue: Grand Annex at Grand Vision, 434 W 6th St., San Pedro

Feb. 6

Feb. 7 Rhythm Jukebox Band Go party with the Rhythm Jukebox Band at El Principe. This cover band plays old school, oldies, funk, rock ’n’ roll, disco, rhythm and blues, modern pop and Latin music.

Time: 9 p.m. Feb. 7 Cost: Free Details: 310-547-0795 Venue: El Principe, 115 N. Pacific Ave., San Pedro Bombón, Gustaf & Gesserit Recess Ops and The Sardine present Bombón at 11 p.m., Gustaf at 10 p.m. and Gesserit at 9:15 p.m.

Time: 8 p.m. Feb. 7 Cost: $8 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ Recessopsevent Venue: The Sardine/Recess Opps, 1101 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro

February 6 - 19, 2020

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

First Fridays at First Flutist Susan Greenberg and harpist Cristina Montes Mateo share their passion for classical music with the audience.

Time: 12:15 p.m. Feb. 7 Cost: Free Details: 310-316-5574; www.palosverdes.com/ classicalcrossroads Venue: First Lutheran Church and School, 2900 W. Carson St., Torrance

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Shana Tucker Soulful pop-jazz vocalist (with cello, piano, bass and drums) conjures a mix of Dianne Reeves, Joni Mitchell and Tracy Chapman.

Time: 8 p.m. Feb. 7 Cost: $22 to $48 Details: www.grandvision. com Venue: Grand Annex, 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro Croce Plays Croce A.J. Croce is a multiinstrumentalist roots rock singer-songwriter and son of the beloved artist Jim Croce.

A.J.’s material incorporates pop, blues, folk and jazz. This set features a set of classics by his father, some of his own music and songs that influenced them both.

Time: 8 p.m. Feb. 7 Cost: $30 to $40 Details: 310-781-7171; www.TorranceArts.org Venue: James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 civic Center Drive, Torrance

Feb. 9

South Bay New Orleans Jazz Club All interested musicians and listeners are welcome. There is no charge for musicians that agree to play.

Time: 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 9 Cost: $12 Details: 310-980-4026.

Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro Zelter Quartet Recent winners of the USC Thornton School of Music string quartet competition, the Zelter Quartet comprises current or past students of the USC Thornton School of Music.

Time: 2 p.m. Feb. 9 Cost: Free Details: 310-316-5574 Venue: Rolling Hills United Methodist Church, 26438 Crenshaw Blvd., Rolling Hills Estates Robert Plantation Tribute Band Swan Montgomery, one of the industry’s most well-known tribute band lead singers from Led Zepagain has put together a Robert Plant tribute band.

Plant, a member of Led Zeppelin embarked on a solo career after the group disbanded.

Time: 8 p.m. Feb. 9 Cost: $20 Details: 310-833-7538, www.alvasshowroom.com Venue: Alvas Showroom, 1417 W. 8th St., San Pedro

Feb. 13

Live Leftfield Electronics Long Beach-based Electronic Dance Music DJ and founding member of GRN+GLD, Dirty Merlin will be performing at Que Sera for a “A Night of Live Leftfield Electronics.” The Long Beach DJ just released his first EP album of 2020.

Time: 9 p.m. Feb. 13.

Cost: $3 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ dirtymerlin Venue: Que Sera, 1923 E. 7th St., Long Beach

Feb. 14

Valentine’s Day for Lovers & Friends Make this Valentine’s Day a night to remember with a delightful dinner followed by a jazz concert experience featuring the smooth sounds of Boney James, Will Downing and Rebecca Jade.

Your VIP ticket includes a savory three-course meal, a rose for each lovely lady in your party and preferred orchestra seating for the concert.

Time: 8:30 p.m. Feb. 14 Cost: $75 to $95 Details: 562-424-0013 Venue: Long Beach Terrace Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach The Harbor Groove Valentine Party Valentine’s night, come and bring your sweetie and dance the night away. Beat the V-day dinner crowds and party with Harbor Groove band. Reservations are needed.

Time: 9 p.m. Feb. 14 Cost: Free Details: 951-665-9916 Venue: El Principe Nightclub, 115 N. Pacific Ave., San Pedro Angel Town Combo Spend Valentine’s weekend with dinner and Angel Town Combo, Los Angeles’ premier soul, jazz, ska and improvisational groove collective.

Time: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, 15 Cost: $33 to $50 Details: www.TorranceArt.org Venue: George Nakano Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance

Feb. 15

Recess Ops and The Sardine Presents Glob Jolly On this night, bands Glob Jolly perform at 11 p.m., Rat Fancy at 10 p.m. and The Beau & Belle at 9:15 p.m. This event is 21 and older.

Time: 8 p.m. Feb. 15 Cost: $5 Details: Venue: The Sardine/Recess Ops, 1101 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro

Feb. 15

‘80s Weekend #9 Relive the ‘80s with Violent Femmes, Wang Chung, A Flock of Seagulls, The Romantics, Big Country, Missing Persons Heaven 17, Farrington + Mann Original Members of When in Rome UK, Josie Cotton, China Crisis and Dramarama with a special performance by MC Hammer.

Time: 8 p.m. Feb. 15 Cost: $20 and up Details: www.microsofttheater. com Venue: Microsoft Theater, 777 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles Camila Lima and Xavier Prado Beautiful, artistic, clear operatic soprano from Argentina will share a program with a powerful tenor from Chile. Both have extensive repertoires.

Time: 3 p.m. Feb 15 Cost: Free Details: 310-316-5574; www.palosverdes.com/ classicalcrossroads Venue: First Lutheran Church and School, 2900 W. Carson St., Torrance RyKyuKoku Matsuri Daiko LA RyKyuKoku Matsuri Daiko is internationally recognized for its fusion odori [traditional dance] and karate movements. Performers

dance and drum simultaneously to a blend of traditional contemporary Okinawan and Japanese music.

Time: 5 p.m. Feb. 15 Cost: $20 to $25 Details: www.rmdlosangeles. org/25th/ Venue: James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance

THEATER Feb. 6

Pick of the Vine Little Fish Theatre opens a new season with its 18 annual Pick of the Vine, an evening of short plays, each by a different author.

Times: 8 p.m., Friday through Saturday 8 p.m.; 2 p.m. Sunday; extra shows: 8 p.m. Feb. 6 and 2 p.m. Feb. 8 through Feb. 9.

Cost: $15 to $28 Details: 310-512-6030; LittleFishTheatre.org Venue: Little Fish Theatre, 777 Centre St., San Pedro

Feb. 7

Ragtime Based on E.L. Doctorow’s acclaimed novel, the 13-time Tony-nominated musical tells the story of three families trying to find their way during the turn of the 20th century in New York City.

Time: Thursday, Friday and Saturday 8 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m. and 6 p.m., Feb. 7 to 23.

Cost: $20 Details: 562-856-1999; www.musical.org Venue: Carpenter Center for the Performing Art, 6200 E. Atherton St., Long Beach

Feb. 9

42nd Street One of Broadway’s most classic and beloved tales comes to screens in the largest ever production of the breathtaking musical. It was filmed in 2018 at London’s Theatre Royal.

Time: 2 p.m. Feb. 9 Cost: $17.50 Details: 310-781-7171; www. TorranceArts.org Venue: James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance

Feb.14

Kinky Boots 3-D Theatrical’s award-winning production Kinky Boots is a bighearted musical about unlikely friendships and accepting each other’s differences. The musical garnered six Tonys.

Time: 8 p.m. Feb. 14-15; 2 p.m.

Feb. 16 Cost: $25 Details: 562-916-8500; cerritoscenter.com Venue: Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts 18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos

Feb. 20

Sketch on the Rocks Improv for Life brings their 7th annual original sketch comedy show to the Long Beach Playhouse this season as part of their Collaborative Series showcasing local artists. This year’s compilation, Sketch on the Rocks boasts over a dozen robust sketches.

Time: 8 p.m. Feb 20 to 22 Cost: $15 to $20 Details: 562-494-1014; lbplayhouse.org.

Venue: Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach

ARTS Feb. 6

First Thursday Artwalk, San Pedro On the first Thursday of every month over 40 galleries and studios host public receptions and food trucks appear in the street for the First Thursday Artwalk.

An official tour starts at 6:30 p.m. from the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, 390 W. 7th St. Time: 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 6 Cost: Free Venue: Downtown San Pedro 6th and 7th streets Machine Studio Five Year Anniversary Art Show Machine Studio hosts its five year anniversary show during First Thursday Art Walk. All artwork in the show will be on their oversized 11x14” postal labels from lots of local artists.

Time: 6 to 10 p.m. Feb. 6 Cost: Free Details: 323-644-8200; www.communityartmachine.com Venue: Machine Studio, 446 W. 6th St., San Pedro Visions Adjoin Join an opening reception for Visions Adjoin at the National Watercolor Society gallery.

Time: 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 6 Cost: Free Details: 310-831-1099; www.nationalwatercolorsociety. org Venue: National Watercolor Society, 915 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro Paths Unseen, Karena Massengill The exhibition runs to March 14 with an opening reception and closing reception 1 to 3 p.m.

March 14.

Time: 1 to 4 p.m. Feb. 8 Cost: Free Details: www.artAngels.org Venue: Institute for Genetic Medicine Art Gallery, Keck School of Medicine USC, 2250 Alcazar St., 2nd floor, Los Angeles

Feb. 7

Figurative Encounters Join the Art@Work pop-up gallery space in Long Beach for the opening reception of Figurative Encounters, showcasing the work of Long Beach-based artist Virginia Broersma and Gate studio artist Anna Erneholm. The Art@Work collaboration bridges two port hubs, Long Beach and San Pedro, through artistic representation.

Time: 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 7 Cost: Free Details: www.angelsgateart.org Venue: IDEA, Precision Dynamics International, 100 Oceangate, Suite 375, Long Beach Gallery at Crafted This is a photo exhibit with fine art landscape and wildlife photography and prints from around Los Angeles.

Time: 12 to 8 p.m. Feb. 7 Cost: Free Details: 310-732-1270; Venue: Crafted at the Port of Los Angeles, 112 E. 22nd St., Warehouse No. 10, San Pedro

Feb. 8

Artists as Collectors Artists as Collectors seeks to illuminate the unique perspective that contemporary artists bring to the pursuit of collecting. The selected works featured in this exhibition range from small to

expansive—from collections that comprise the artist’s work, to collections without a direct connection to the artist’s work.

The exhibition runs through April 4.

Time: 4 to 7 p.m. Feb. 8 Cost: Free Details: 310-732-2150 Venue: TransVagrant + Gallery 478, 478 W. 7th St., San Pedro Habitat California: Flora & Fauna Flora & Fauna is an invitational and juried exhibition featuring the plants and wildlife of California in the shifting ecosystems they inhabit. The exhibition presents more than 80 works of art in wide-ranging styles and media, including plein air landscape paintings, botanical drawings and sculpture as well as video and internet art. The exhibition runs Feb. 8 through April 18.

Time: 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 8 Cost: Free Details: pvartcenter.org Venue: Palos Verdes Art Center, 5504 W. Crestridge Road, Rancho Palos Verdes Tuskegee Airmen This exhibit is in honor of Black History Month and the many contributions African-Americans have made in defending our freedom since the founding of our nation. The Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is featuring an exhibit of the WWII flying group, the Tuskegee Airmen, on loan courtesy of the University of California at Riverside. The exhibit will be open to the public during regular business hours until Feb. 27.

Time: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, Feb. 6 to 27 Cost: Free Details: 213-765-9621 Venue: Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, 1816 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles

Feb. 9

New Work by Maggie Tennesen Maggie Tennesen’s work derives its imagery from the accumulation of strands or veins that recall the weft and warp of existence. Time and space and color are part of the material of this fabric.

Time: 2 to 5 p.m. Feb. 9 Cost: Free Details: 562-400- 0544; www.michaelstearnsstudio.com Venue: Michael Stearns Studio, 404 S. Mesa St., San Pedro

FILM

Feb. 8 Dawn of the Light The film follows the personal search for truth and meaning undertaken by eight people from different parts of the world.

Each one describes the journey to discovering new spiritual messages that are revolutionizing human thought and behavior and bringing together people of diverse ethnicities, ages, races and cultures.

Time: 2:30 p.m. Feb. 8 Cost: Free Details: angiesabet@hotmail. com Venue: Peninsula Center Library Community Room. 701 Silver Spur Rd., Rolling Hills Estates.

DANCE Feb. 19

21st Annual TUSD Dance Collaboration North, West and South Torrance High School Dance Departments

come together for an evening of celebration and dance enthusiasm.

Time: 7 p.m. Feb. 19, 20 Cost: $10 to $12 Details: 310-781-7171 Venue: James Armstrong Theatre, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance

COMMUNITY Feb. 7

Biodiversity in Our Ocean Researchers have been using the seabeds off of San Pedro, Long Beach and Palos Verdes to learn more about our local oceans and the biodiversity in our aquatic neighborhood. Members of Cabrillo Aquarium can attend a VIP reception before the event where they can meet with the speakers, Dr. Dean Pentcheff and Dr. Regina Wetzer. RSVP. Time: 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 7 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ BiodiversityLecture Cost: Free Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro First Fridays Mardi Gras Celebration Parades, vibrant masks and beads galore are in full swing in Bixby Knolls for the Annual First Fridays Mardi Gras Celebration.

Time: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 7 Cost: Free Details: 562-595-0081; www.bixbyknollsinfo.com Location: Atlantic Avenue in Bixby Knolls between Bixby Road and San Antonio Drive, Long Beach

Feb. 8 Street Naming Ceremony in Honor of Dave Arian The Port of Los Angeles will honor late Harbor Commissioner and International Longshore Warehouse Union leader Dave Arian by renaming a section of Miner Street “Dave Arian Way.” The public is welcome to attend the ceremony.

Time: 11 a.m. Feb. 8 Cost: Free Location: Intersection at 22nd and Miner streets, San Pedro Klapa Samoana See the Croatian-singing band, Klapa Samoana with Petra Tulić.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. The concert begins at 8 p.m.

Time: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 8 Cost: $25 Details: 310-547-9484; www.croatianamericanclub.com Venue: Croatian Hall of San Pedro, 631 W. 9th St., San Pedro

Cost: $15 to $30 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ WhaleWatchingSanPedro Venue: 1150 Nagoya Way, San Pedro Sean Dean Gildenhuys South African horticulturist Gildenhuys will share his knowledge of the genus Haworthiopsis and his wide interest from succulents to tropical plants. Gildenhuys has been involved with the Succulent Society of South Africa and with Gariep Plants and Kambroo Plants nurseries for 14 years.

Time: 1 p.m. Feb. 9 Cost: $10 Details: www.southcoastcss.org Venue: South Coast Botanic Garden, 26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula

a special whale love talk by Diane Alps, a cetacean scientist. RSVP

by Feb. 7. RSVP. Time: 5:30 p.m. Feb. 10 Cost: Free Details: 310-548-7593; membership@cmaqua.org Venue: Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro

Feb. 10

Harbor Jail Grand Reopening Grand reopening ceremony kicks off at 10 a.m. with a news conference followed by tours of the jail facility, souvenir photos and refreshments.

Time: 10 a.m. Feb. 10 Cost: Free Venue: LAPD Harbor Community Police Station, 2175 John S. Gibson Blvd., San Pedro Details: nwsanpedro.org

Yaba TV Black History Banquet This is a special event by Yaba TV Featuring African cuisine, cultural dancers and a fashion show.

Time: 7 p.m. Feb. 8 Cost: $75 to $100 Details: www.yabamedia.com Venue: Toyota Meeting Hall, 3330 Civic Center Drive, Torrance

Oscars Party Temple Beth El Celebrate the 92nd Academy Awards with a trivia contest, a silent auction, a cash bar and the chance to win prizes if you pick the winners correctly. There will be dinner served and proceeds go to the youth choir.

Time: 4 p.m. Feb. 9 Cost: Free Details: https://tinyurl.com/ BethElOscars Venue: Temple Beth El, 1435 W. 7th St., San Pedro

Feb. 9

Feb. 10

King Trivia: Trivia Nights Brouwerij West is hosting King Trivia: Trivia Nights every Wednesday. Thousands of people put their pride on the line and compete every week to win beer and other cool prizes.

Time: 7 p.m. Feb. 12 Cost: Free Details: http://www.kingtrivia. com/venues/brouwerij-west/ Venue: Brouwerij West, 110 E. 22nd St., San Pedro

Whale Watching During this two hour cruise into the open Pacific Ocean, watchers will look for blue whales, dolphins, sea lions and other marine life.

Time: 10 a.m. Feb. 9

Bird and Bees, Under the Sea Celebrate Valentine’s Day with dinner and a behind-the-scenes look at how sea creatures meet, mate and raise their young.

Enjoy fun learning stations, plus

Rancho Los Cerritos Bird Walk Stroll through the grounds of the historic rancho and watch both resident birds and seasonal

Feb. 12

Feb. 13

migrants. Meet in the lower parking lot at 8 a.m. Bring a hat and binoculars, if you have them.

The walk will be cancelled if it rains.

Time: 8 to 9:30 a.m. Feb. 13 Cost: Free Details: 562-206-2040 Venue: Rancho Los Cerritos, 4600 Virginia Rd., Long Beach

Feb. 15

Thom Hartmann Hartmann will be speaking on his latest book The Hidden History of the War on Voting, with a book signing to follow. Hartmann unveils the strategies and tactics that conservative elites in this country have used from the foundation of the electoral college to the latest voter ID laws, to protect their interests by preventing “the wrong people” from voting.

Time: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 15 Cost: $25 to $45 Details: https://tinyurl.com/ ThomHartmannVoting Venue: Sportsmen’s Lodge Hotel, 12825 Ventura Blvd., Los Angeles Ruby Celebration South Bay Quilters 2020 Quilt Show More than 160 beautiful quilts will be on display in the quilt gallery alongside many new quilting supplies by your favorite vendors.

A quilt auction will happen Sunday at 1 p.m. and a drawing for themed raffle baskets.

Time: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 15, 16 Cost: $10 Details: www.southbayquilters guild.org Venue: Torrance Cultural Arts

Center, 3330 Civic center Drive, Torrance

Feb. 16

10,000th Day Open House & Donation Drive Celebrate the center’s mission to provide medical care, food and shelter for injured seals and sea lions that are rescued. This is the perfect day to bring vital “Wish List” hospital supplies to mark the center’s 10,000th day and the next 10,000 days of helping marine mammals get home. The hospital’s wish list can be found at www.marinemammalcare centerlosangeles.com/wish-list.

Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 16 Details: 310-548-5677; www.marinemammalcare.org Venue: Marine Mammal Care Center, 3601 S. Gaffey St. San Pedro

Feb. 22

Laura Flanders KPFK Speakers Series presents a discussion with radio show host Laura Flanders entitled, How People’s Media Can and Always Have Fought Back. The event is hosted by Sonali Kolhatkar with special guests journalist Greg Palast and Random Lengths News publisher James Preston Allen.

Time: 1 p.m. Feb. 22 Cost: $20 Venue: Palos Verdes Art Center, 5504 W. Crestridge Road Rancho Palos Verdes Details: www.kpfk.org

27th Annual Pan African Film Arts Festival

By Melina Paris, Arts and Culture Reporter

Spotlight Screening, The Last Black Man in San Francisco Directed by Joe Talbot A young black man searches for home both spiritually and materially in the changing city that seems to have left him and his people behind. Jimmie Fails dreams of reclaiming his grandfather’s home in the heart of San Francisco. Q&A and discussion will follow.

Time: 7 p.m. Feb. 12 Cost: $25 Venue: Cinemark BHC 15, 3650 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles

Closing Night, Zulu Wedding Directed by Lineo Sekeleoane Lou left South Africa and her Zulu-Sotho heritage behind to become a dancer in America.

She falls in love with an African American man named Tex but after bringing him home to meet her family, she discovers she’s been promised since birth to a Zulu king, Nondumiso Tembe.

Time: 6 p.m. Feb. 23 Cost: $40 Venue: Cinemark BHC 15, 3650 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles About ArtFEST The PAFF ArtFEST, rooted in Africa and its diaspora features established and emerging fine artists and craftspeople from around the world. Featured artists at PAFF present creative works using oil on canvas, watercolor and pastels, acrylic on paper, glass, ceramics, metal, cloth, plastic, wax, wire, leather and stone.

Details: 310-337-4737; www.paff.org

February 6 - 19, 2020

Opening Night, Hero Directed by Frances-Anne Solomon Hero is inspired by the revolutionary life and times of Trinidad and Tobago citizen, diplomat and judge Ulric Cross, the most decorated West Indian of World War II, who went on to play an active and important role in the Pan African Movement, which led to the creation of

the 28 modern Caribbean and 54 modern African nations. This movement inspired the Civil Rights movement and black power movements and the rise of black consciousness.

Time: Red Carpet: 6 p.m., Screening: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 Cost: $105 for single ticket or $200 for two Venue: Directors Guild of America, Theater Complex, 7920 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles

Documentary, Another Red, White, Black & Blue Odyssey Directed by James Brown Students from View Park High School on the corner of Crenshaw and Slauson go on a rugby tour every year. Over a three-year period the girls and boys teams tour Japan, Brazil, and Fiji. Back in South LA we see the students in their daily lives, using rugby in their quest toward high school graduation and college admission.

Time: 6:50 p.m. Feb. 19 and 4:10 p.m. Feb. 23 Venue: Cinemark BHC 15, 3650 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Los Angeles

Real News, Real People, Really Effective

There is no arguing that black filmmakers, not only — but especially — of late have created compelling, urgent and timely films all while keeping audiences engaged and entertained.

Highlighting some of the best of these films, it is once again time for the Pan African Film Arts Festival, Feb. 11 through 23.

A few films viewers should look for at the festival are the following:

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[LAUSD, from p. 1]

LAUSD Race

gathered the top four candidates running for the 7th District seat on the board and conducted a straightforward Q & A. Beginning on this page of the newspaper and continuing on Random Lengths News website, we asked them questions about charter schools, and allowed them time to respond in writing, giving readers an unvarnished look at the candidates’ views.

1. Some believe that charter schools aren’t carrying their fair share of the financial costs of education in the LAUSD, from educating special needs students to paying their fair share of plant maintenance and utilities on campuses. Do you agree with this assessment? Why or why not?

Mike Lansing

At a recent school board meeting, the board unanimously renewed 17 charter schools – and at the same time held up the renewal of a number of these schools until the charters paid a penalty for unused school district space. This was an appropriate action. Invoicing of charter schools to meet the expenses of operating and supporting their schools must be facilitated — especially given the fiscal challenges LAUSD is facing.

Whether or not charter schools are meeting the financial burden of educating their students must be addressed — but that is an accounting function that can be easily assessed. Also, charters are required in their petition and during their annual review by their authorizer to demonstrate how they are serving a similar student demographic as the district, including special needs students.

This was reiterated in the governor’s budget this year. The district is responsible for ensuring this is happening. They (both the district and charters) need to be held accountable to assure “similar student demographics.”

funds while public schools still have to pay fixed costs. This concerns me because my top priority is to make our neighborhood public schools the first choice for our families by securing and investing resources in our neighborhood schools.

The district has a responsibility to consider how new charter schools impact or burden our neighborhood public schools, where the majority of LAUSD students are enrolled. The funding of our schools is directly linked to student enrollment. When student enrollment in neighborhood schools declines, per-pupil funds for those schools decrease as well. Meanwhile, neighborhood schools must still cover the fixed costs of maintenance and operations.

Thanks to the passage of Assembly Bill 1505, the district can now ask how a new charter will [affect] the fiscal health of nearby schools and whether the school’s teachers are qualified to educate our children. As a state and local school district, we have strayed from the original intent of charter school legislation. The original purpose of a charter school was to develop innovative strategies to improve student learning and bring those lessons and models back into the neighborhood schools. Unfortunately, in Los Angeles, the rapid growth of the charter industry has created the largest concentration of charters in the nation, which is affecting both charter and neighborhood schools.

Instead of being laboratories of innovation that develop strategies to benefit all students across the district, charter schools are in direct competition not only with neighborhood schools but with each other as well. At times this results in the abrupt closure of charters because of underenrollment — often leaving parents scrambling to find another school for their children.

Silke Bradford

My older brother has Down Syndrome and I worked at the Special Education Hearing Office in Sacramento throughout college. For

Patricia Castellanos

February 6 - 19, 2020

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

I agree. Recent reports estimate that the charter industry costs LAUSD nearly $600 million a year because of declining per-pupil

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[Briefs, from p. 3]

forward with its implementation plan for the March 3 presidential primary election. The publicly owned and designed VSAP 2.0 system was found to be compliant with all applicable California and federal laws. VSAP 2.0 went through functional and security testing conducted by the secretary of state’s testing consultants. The county also subjected the system to independent, third-party security and penetration testing that exceeded state requirements.

In September 2009, VSAP was developed in response to growing voting system needs and the end of the county’s legacy InkaVote Plus system.

The project transitioned from a research and design project to a full system development and implementation program.

The other change for voters in 2020 will be in-person voting, which has been expanded to 11 consecutive days beginning Feb. 22. Voters can now go to any open Vote Center within the county to cast their vote.

Details: www.lavote.net

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the past seven years I have worked for the Los Angeles County Office of Education, Compton Unified School District and Oakland Unified School District to hold charter schools more accountable. These personal and professional connections to the work of special education and charter accountability equip me to continue to apply pressure to existing charters to either directly serve their fair share of students with moderate/severe disabilities, or rejoin the district SELPA [Special Education Local Plan Area] as full members paying for the full cost of indirectly serving all students.

Today, charter schools are not serving their fair share of students with moderate to severe disabilities. This is most evident by the fact that charter schools spend little to no money on bus transportation, while LAUSD spends millions to transport students with disabilities to their respective schools. Charter schools have an ethical and fiscal responsibility to serve kids of all abilities and I plan to hold them accountable in doing so as the District 7 trustee.

Tanya Ortiz Franklin

All public charter schools must both pay and

[Judgement, from p. 3]

Judgement

to mitigate against human rights risks — including potential labour rights violations – in the countries where they operate. With workers in almost all ICTSI terminals facing limitations on their access to labor rights at a country-level, it is clear that ICTSI must do more to ensure the rights of its workforce at an enterprise level.”

The ILWU had sought ICTSI to give it the jobs there held for years by workers who are members of an electrician’s local at the port.

The company said it could not or would not assign the jobs as the port controlled them. The labor dispute was quickly decided in ICTSI’s favor by the National Labor Relations Board and later in federal court.

Ultimately, the company paid the port $20 million to end its lease and turned around and sued the union to recoup its losses.

At the next hearing on Feb. 14, the ILWU attorneys said they will try and persuade U.S. District Judge Michael Simon to reduce the award. If not, the union could potentially face bankruptcy.

However, union president Willie Adams, quoted in The Los Angeles Times, told members in a Dec. 5 memo that “a bankruptcy would not affect their contracts, working conditions, pensions and health benefits.” Whether that is actually true or an effort to bolster the members remains to be seen. A Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing could force the union to disclose its internal finances, reduce its operations contract enforcement and grievance handling or expose itself to further intervention into internal union affairs by U.S. government agencies and courts.

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receive their fair share. Given what is publicly available information and that each charter goes through an individual process, it is challenging to fully assess the accuracy of the all-encompassing fair share financial burden question.

As a board member with fuller access to information, I will pursue all avenues to ensure all budgets are maximized efficiently and effectively to meet the needs of all students. The recent concerns about charters paying for unused but designated classroom spaces on co-located campuses has resulted in real dollars owed to the district.

The concerns about charter schools serving students with special needs is particularly nuanced when considering how much autonomy their memorandum of understanding allows (i.e.

Options 1, 2 and 3) and how much full inclusion (a model used more often in charter schools) benefits students based on their specific disability and Individualized Education Plan.

As a board member, it will be my responsibility to ensure budgets reflect our values of student achievement, transparency, equity and sustainability.

Addressing ILWU members on Dec. 12, 2019, Adams wrote in the ILWU Dispatcher: “While we respect the process, we disagree with the excessive damages award, which supposedly compensated ICTSI for lost profits and some additional costs for a five-year period. It is our view that the award is not supported by the evidence, but based instead on speculation. The award is also several times what ICTSI projected it would make during that same five-year time period.”

“The ILWU attempted to settle the case, but ICTSI’s goal appeared to be “union-busting on a global scale,” Adams said.

The ILWU in Oregon and Washington has organized strikes and job actions multiple times within the past decade as employers sought to run operations without union labor. In one case, unionists blocked a grain train from entering the new export terminal at the port because EGT development refused to hire union members.

The unionists allowed the train to pass, reported the Longview Daily News, after police formed a line “donning riot helmets and brandishing rifles with rubber bullets.” ILWU members were clubbed and sprayed with pepper gas, the paper read. Sixteen people were arrested.

The ILWU’s favorite slogan of “an injury to one is an injury to all” must be the rallying cry for all of labor today. Historically, workers’ power has been in their numbers and mobilizations, not in the courtroom. If the courts win this unionbusting effort, more employers may attempt to use this same tactic and other unions will be targeted next.

(For further reading on the history of the labor movement and how workers have successfully fought back company and governments assaults, check out books and pamphlets at www.pathfinderpress.com)

JOBS

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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: 01/23/20, 02/06/20, 02/20/20, 03/03/20

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020023226 The following person is doing business as:(1) A.C. Chair Covers, 1505 S Weymouth Ave., San Pedro, CA 90732, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Antonia Ciolino, 1505 S Weymouth Ave., San Pedro, CA 90732. This Business is conducted by an individual. The date registrant started to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 10/1926. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant

02/06/20, 02/20/20

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2020004980 The following person is doing business as:(1) Lena Mi-

03/05/20, 03/19/20

© 2020 MATT JONES, Jonesin’ Crosswords

“Decade in Review, Part 2” — fun stuff from 2012 & 2013.

02/06/20, 02/20/20

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2019320817 The following person is doing business as:(1) The Spanish Swan Ballet, 679 W Oliver Street, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Lorraine Maese, 679 W Oliver Street, 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: 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/.

Lorraine Maese, owner.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Dec. 23, 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: 01/09/20, 01/23/20,

who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime.) S/.

Antonia Ciolino. owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 29, 2020. 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: 02/06/20, 02/20/20,

ACROSS

1 It’s produced in a Van de Graaff generator 7 Glass with a radio cadence 10 Base times height 14 “Garfield” cat 15 “As much as you want” 17 Type of music video with a world record set in 2012 by 9,300 participants in Lindsay, Ontario 18 Book-based movie series that ended in 2012 with “Breaking Dawn - Part 2” 19 Q&A feature, on Reddit 20 Like Dali’s art 22 Spear-shaped fish 23 Need an ice bag 25 8-Down’s need 26 Home of the Nevada Museum of Art 27 Opera highlight 28 Actress Claire of “The Crown” 29 Becomes dim 30 2012 song that was YouTube’s most-viewed video until “See You Again” surpassed it in 2017 34 Yoko born in Tokyo 35 “___ Nub” (common name of the 1983 song called “Ewok Celebration”) 36 House vote 37 ___ Lipa (“New Rules” singer) 40 What China became the third

country to achieve with the Chang’e 3 mission in 2013 43 ___ dab in the middle 46 Suffix with puppet or racket 47 Key West, e.g.

48 Minnow’s home 49 Sign of sorrow 51 Fascinated with 52 Go bad 53 Role for Smith, Cartwright, Kavner, or Castellaneta 55 Athlete’s knee injury site, often 57 Swedish duo with a breakup song that hit #1 on the UK Singles Chart in 2013 59 Game that “The Price Is Right” devoted all six pricing game segments to in a 2013 episode 61 Gillian Flynn thriller published in 2012 62 Bygone Toyota model 63 Drink from a flask 64 Red Sox rival, on scoreboards 65 Jousters’ horses

DOWN

1 Parlor, in La Paz 2 Boat with three hulls 3 2020 Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominee 4 Talking bear film of 2012 5 Occupied, as a lavatory 6 “From Peru to ___ hear the power of Babylon” (Philippine island namedropped in Enya’s “Orinoco Flow”) 7 They receive paper assignments 8 Crew member 9 What a celebrity might use at

a hotel 10 “Who ___?” (“Les Miz” song) 11 Fixed illegally 12 Gas in fuel mixtures 13 Team in a sign-stealing scandal 16 Taking a sick day 21 Floor-cleaning robot 24 Sea ___ (Popeye villain) 26 Peabody Award-winning Issa 27 In bygone times 28 “Prelude to the Afternoon of a ___” (Debussy work) 29 Dessert also known as crΦme caramel 31 Stooge’s laugh syllable 32 First Family of the 1840s 33 2012 or 2013, e.g.

37 Itinerary measure 38 Insecure, in a way 39 Mature 40 “Daft Punk is Playing at my House” band ___ Soundsystem 41 Freshen up, as lipstick 42 Annoying racket 43 Rosemary bits 44 Milk source, to a kid 45 “Queer Eye” food and wine expert Porowski 49 Easy basket 50 Atlanta research university 51 Arm of the sea 53 2012 AFTRA merger partner 54 Chooses 56 Online outbursts 58 Pos. opposite 60 Incensed feeling

February 6 - 19, 2020

www.donmarshallcpa.com

310-833-5372

los Photography (2) Salacia Jewelry, 3702 S. Meyler, San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County. Registered owners: Lena Milos, 43702 S. Meyler, 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: 12/2019. 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/. Lena Milos, owner. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 08, 2020. 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

(310) 833-8977

Furniture for sale, fair price.

Call after 4:30 pm:

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2019320817 The following person is doing business as:(1) American Air, Heating & Cooling, 1134 W 21st Street., San Pedro, CA 90731, Los Angeles County.

Registered owners: William Sullivan, 1134 W 21st Street., 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: 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/.

William Sullivan, owner.

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Dec. 13, 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: 01/09/20, 01/23/20,

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15

RANDOMLetters [Letters, from p. 7]

(New Deal) projects around the South Bay today including the Maritime Museum in San Pedro, Veteran’s Park in Redondo Beach and the original Post Office in downtown Torrance.

Steve Varalyay Torrance

LAUSD and Rancho LPG Safety

February 6 - 19, 2020

Real News, Real People, Totally Relevant

I received word this morning that Councilman Buscaino’s office and Supervisor Hahn’s office were represented last night at the consortium of Neighborhood Council’s meeting where the issue of the Plains/Rancho LPG facility was on the agenda.

Reading the documents regarding the LAUSD’s resolution to “relocate” Rancho due to its risk to children attending the schools near it was brought up. While LAUSD had responded in the recent past that they were “assured” by jurisdictional agencies that children at those schools (two falling within 1,500 ft. of the site) were “safe”, there continues to be “zero” comprehensive risk analysis on this site or its operations that confirm that to be the “truth”. It defies simple “logic” to believe that extraordinary risk is not threatening these kids and the surrounding area every single day.

With two massive “antiquated” 12.5 million gallon butane tanks (each having a blast radius of 3-plus miles) and (5) 60,000 gallon

16

pressurized propane tanks this site is easily capable of producing a disaster of overwhelming scope.

United States Resiliency Council map estimate of Rancho disaster attached.

The policy of LAUSD on safety encompasses the issue of “Rail Safety.” The document appears to mandate that rail carrying hazardous cargo located within 1500 ft. of schools be evaluated for the risk it represents to students.

Certainly, in the case of Taper Avenue Elementary (1,350 ft.), the Johnson Continuation School (900 ft.), & the Christensen Science Center, this condition is met. So, since each rail car of propane gas being transported daily from Rancho LPG has a .58- mile blast radius, where is that risk analysis?

Where is the concern for the safety of these students?

While there appeared to be no argument related to the high risk exposure, the controversy last night seemed to stem from the issue of “who would pay for the risk analysis?” I find this question to be “outrageous” given the potential for loss that exists. We have seen an infusion of revenue by our City Councilman, our Mayor, our County Supervisor... etc. to a number of community causes … yet this particular one … this “extraordinary” high risk situation … elicits such great reluctance … How? … Why? Also, I understand that Councilman Buscaino’s representative, Jacob Haik, responded

that the Rancho facility is “necessary” to store the excess butane gas from “distant refiners” because they are providing a critical service to the refining process. He stated that these poor refineries have “no space” on their “own” grounds! Seriously?? I had this discussion with one of Valero’s executives years ago, as he stated that in order to facilitate their butane...they would have to “remove” some of their old (less dangerous) tankage, and build the “heavily regulated and seismically upgraded” expensive (multimillion dollar) tanks! We should worry about this in the face of decimation of our community and its residents? Why is corporate oil not concerned about the high jeopardy that they are presenting to the public? They know what they are doing! Why is our Councilman so worried about Corporate oil and not about “public safety?” He ran on a campaign of “Safety First!”

What happened to that mantra?

These refineries in Wilmington, Valero and Tesoro/ Marathon Oil corps., are sending their “excess” most explosive commodity (butane) to this site —a site “far, far more hazardous than their own grounds”—a site that is located in the only earthquake rupture zone in the entire Harbor Area (7.3-7.4 magnitude faults), on “landslide,” “liquefaction” and “methane” zones ... to be store in 47 year old tanks (built without permits to a purported 5.5 seismic substandard) … tanks “exempted” from building, fire and API standards and regulations when built, on the very doorsteps of homes, schools, shops and next to

two of the most trafficked corridors (Gaffey St. and 110 Fwy.) in the area. When is the “outrage” of the non-action on this issue going to resonate? Why must it be after we suffer the tragic and catastrophic consequences?

There is far too much emphasis placed on the insulation of this site from responsible action. People need to wake up fast and demand that a serious and moral conscience finally be embraced that prompts immediate responsible action.

Enough escuses!

Janet Gunter San Pedro

Why We Need Bernie

The first time I heard about Bernie Sanders was when I was a waitress at a diner in downtown Manhattan, I had been working 12 hour days. I didn’t have health insurance. I was being paid less

than a living wage. And I didn’t think that I deserved any of those things. I thought that was just how life was.The reason I thought running for office was even possible for me was because of Bernie’s example. He proved that you could run for office not by taking big money, but by building a grassroots campaign.

And it is because Bernie does not rely on big donors or super PACs that I need to ask for your help today.

When Bernie talks about a political revolution – when he talks about Not me. Us. – those aren’t just slogans.

It is about what we must accomplish together. It is about creating a government that advances the needs of working people rather than accommodating the wealthy and big corporations.

No matter who you are, where

you come from, or what you’re born into, we need a society that guarantees economic human rights.

But in order to make that happen, we need a revolution of working class people – one that is multi-racial, multi-gendered, and multi-generational.

When you talk to Bernie, he doesn’t talk about creating a movement so that he can get elected. He talks about his campaign as part of a mass movement in America.

That’s the kind of leadership we need right now. And that is why I am asking you directly: I am so thankful to be in this movement with you.

Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez New York, NY