Filling CRA Shoes: Neighborhood Council Takes First Steps p. 4
t
Reggae Artist Pato Banton on Environment, Peace and War p. 11 Homebrewer Talks Craftbrews for St. Paddy’s Day p. 12 Community Leader Daryl Supernaw Steps Up to the Plate for LB City Council p. 17
He’s Bringing Home the Bacon, But Can He Avoid Becoming Chum for the Sharks? In the month that he’s been in office, Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino has been working earnestly to fulfill his campaign promises of economic development and public safety—a job made a little easier when the new Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson surprisingly made him the chairman of one of the biggest commissions: Public Works.
By Terelle Jerricks, Managing Editor and James Preston Allen, Publisher
T
Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino stood with his son Matteo as he was sworn in during a formal community ceremony on Feb. 25, at the Warner Grand Theatre in San Pedro. Photo: Terelle Jerricks.
March 9 - 22, 2012
Joe Goes to City Hall/ to p. 7
The Local Publication You Actually Read
his commission oversees a department of more than 5,400 employees and is one that designs and executes public projects from sidewalks to bridges to waste-water treatment plants and libraries. Two days after his Feb. 1 swearing-in into office, Joe was faced with his first crisis. Downtown merchants learned that he submitted a motion to cut the downtown San Pedro and Wilmington rates in half rather than remove them all together—causing an online dust up that included labeling Joe a flip-flopper. To quell the furor, the council office told Random Lengths that Joe “is working with the Department of Transportation and collecting community input to come up with an overall parking strategy.” The council office communications director, Branimir Kvartuc said, “The Councilman is considering hosting a community forum to address parking issues.” Joe also sits on the Trade, Commerce and Tourism and Public Safety committees. On the day Random Lengths’ publisher James Allen interviewed the new councilman for this story, Joe had just finished introducing himself in his new role to the Harbor Commission and laying out a few of the things he would like to work on with the Port while, to hear him tell it, showing that he will be no doormat. “We looked at what the people want in this district,” Joe explained. “I told Dr. [Geraldine] Knatz [executive director of POLA], ‘We are going to disagree on some things, but as long as we agree to disagree... For me it’s a job issue in expanding the port. Making sure that we move forward with the expansion in light of what’s happening down south [referring to the widening of the Panama Canal and the building of the Baja California ports]. Joe spoke about his vision and mission of making San Pedro a destination at the end of the Harbor Freeway.
1
2
March 9 - 22, 2012
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area Harbor Area YWCA Golden Circle Awards
The YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay is hosting its ninth annual Golden Circle Awards Dinner on at 6 p.m. March 14, at “Top of the Market” at the Ports O’ Call in San Pedro. Honorees will include: Geraldine Knatz, Las Candalistas, Eric and Emi Murakami, Helene Pizzini and Marta Valladolid. Each honoree has contributed to the benefits and programs of the YWCA Harbor and South Bay. For more than 90 years, the YWCA Harbor Area and South Bay has offered valuable programs to low-income women and their families, such as child care, teen girl enrichment and empowerment programs, women’s health screenings and more. As part of the national organization of YWCAs, it joins in the mission to empower women and eliminate racism through education, awareness and understanding throughout the community. Golden Circle Dinner tickets are $40 each. Details: (310) 547-0831
Cut-a-Thon Fundraiser
The second annual Cut-a-Thon fundraiser to help children in need and to provide scholarships to high school seniors pursuing the arts will take place, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 18 at the Arcade Building in San Pedro. No appointment necessary and donations are accepted. Details: (310) 547-3606, (310) 832-1540, (310) 514-0263; www.claforchildren.org Venue: The Arcade Building Location: 479 W. 6th St., Suite #102, San Pedro
Unemployment Support Group
Unemployed, underemployed and all who are concerned about unemployment are welcome to join in for some coffee, cookies, camaraderie and commiseration at 9:30 a.m. March 11, at the San Pedro United Methodist Church. Share your concerns, suggestions, stories and support. Free to all and of all faiths. Details: (310) 548-1001; sanpedroumc@sbcglobal.net Venue: San Pedro United Methodist Church Location: 580 W. 6th St., San Pedro
“What A Pair” Breast Cancer Fundraiser
Proceeds for the “What A Pair” breast cancer fundraiser, at 6 p.m. March 16, at the Croatian Cultural Center in San Pedro, benefit Providence Community Announcements/to p. 4
HARBOR AREA
Committed to independent journalism in the Greater LA/LB Harbor Area for more than 30 years
The House That Mike Built Shy Soldier-Diplomat Wills $300,000 for New Beacon House Recovery Dorm
By Arthur R. Vinsel, Guest Contributor Mike Fry was a recovering alcoholic, a ruthlessly proficient poker player and a high achiever whose every triumph in life was a plea for approval from a father who came home from World War II a drunken, combat-wrecked soul. “I thought if I could just make my old man proud, he might change,” Fry once confided. Fry died on April 22, 2005. His father would have been proud Feb. 27, when a crowd gathered to salute the late Col. Michael Dunham Fry at the Beacon House Association of San Pedro and dedicate his gift, the nonprofit agency’s first new building. Eight more on the sea view campus were refurbished, beginning in 1971 with historic Beacon House, now 115 years old. Dignitaries included Fourth District County Supervisor Don Knabe and newly elected 15th District City Councilman Joe Buscaino. Congresswoman Janice Hahn had to fly back to Washington but sent a Congressional Certificate of Commendation. “ San Pedro is a little bit safer for the presence of Beacon House in the community,” said Knabe, who secured a $360,000 county grant to renovate their Lighthouse, next door to Fry House, a century old Georgian-styled hotel, Six beds were added bringing the program’s enrollment to 120 men. The Lighthouse renovation was funded by the Los Angeles County Community
The Fry House was named after the late Col. Michael Dunham Fry, whose estate financed the building of the Beacon House Association’s newest building. The dedication ceremony was Feb. 27. Photo: Arthur R. Vinsel, Guest Contributor
Development Commission. Fry House—designed to fit the architectural style of the Vinegar Hill Historical District—has three bedrooms in two stories with a homey commons, including kitchen, fireplace and automatic dishwasher. The capacity is seven residents in advanced second phase, whose men are in school or starting to work. The first phase is one year of intensive recovery activities; the average stay is 18 months. A small old 12-step meeting house outgrown years ago and more recently used for storage was
demolished for the new construction near the corner of 10th and Beacon streets. “What I’ve been stressing is not that we have a fine new residential building, but with Fry House and the remodeled Lighthouse, adding 13 beds, we are able to help that many more men,” says Executive Director Luis M. Lozano.. Fry was board vice president after 10 years as a devoted volunteer when he was diagnosed with lung cancer, having moved to San Pedro after retirement from a distinguished, 31-year Army career including Pentagon and White House staff assignments in the George W.H. Bush and Bill Clinton presidential administrations. Though he shunned subjects that might seem self-serving, or touched with grandiosity where his personal life was concerned, he once mentioned a moment of awe that a kid from the north woods of Michigan could find himself across a conference table from Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, hoping to stave off Armageddon. Mike was deeply involved with Beacon House and its men, attending every function and always focused on their lives, issues, worries and progress in sobriety, but he kept other aspects of his life apart. His formal memorial service at Fort MacArthur a few weeks after his death, included a parade of mourners and speakers from nine other nonprofits serving children and adolescents with learning disabilities. He was also active in Big Brothers, mentoring one fatherless boy for 10 years. And, he joined Trinity Care Hospice in Torrance, where he said, by working with the dying of all ages, he had conquered his own lifelong fear of death. The man who left all his worldly resources to Beacon House to be used as best they might to better others’ lives was fond of quoting a line from a play he once saw: “Life is a banquet, and most sons-of-bitches are starving.” The Local Publication You Actually Read March 9 - 22, 2012
3
Neighborhood Council Activists Step Up to Fill CRA Shoes By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor
Statewide, California leaders are still scrambling to deal with the aftermath of the states community redevelopment agencies demise. Here in San Pedro, activists already began laying the groundwork to fill the void at a Feb. 22 meeting that took place upstairs at The Whale & Ale. Officially, it was a joint meeting of two committees of the Central San Pedro Neighborhood Council—Land Use Planning and Public Works—with Councilman Joe Buscaino’s representative in attendance. Unofficially, it
was meeting of activists long involved with the Community Redevelopment Agency, pulled together by Sue Castillo, a member of the neighborhood council. Castillo said that the purpose of the meeting was, “to carry on the good work of redevelopment that the CRA will no longer be there to do.” “The role of the CRA and our community advisory board over the past 10 years was very positive,” said the long-time head of advisory board, Jayme Wilson, who was one of about
20 participants. “With the change in the law, I think having a city-chartered organization, like the Central Neighborhood Council, take on these responsibilities is very good.” Wilson also cited “Sue’s background on the CRA and chairing our street improvement group” in support of her taking the initiative. Castillo told Random Lengths that she reviewed three years of her notes about CRA activities to come up with a list of eight agencyassisted activities that formed the core of discussion at the meeting, including: • City code violation enforcement activity • Building permit sign-offs • Community plan update • Design Advisory Panel • Sidewalk repairs, street furniture & public green-scaping • Major projects • Seamless interface between the community and the waterfront, and • Affordable housing The building permit sign-offs was to ensure compliance with design guidelines and historic preservation goals. “When people do room additions or window replacement season, when you’re in these historic neighborhoods, they might put in something that really lessens the value; the perception of it being a historic neighborhood,” Castillo explained. “So we’re trying to preserve the historic character.”
March 9 - 22, 2012
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
continued on following page
4
Community Announcements:
Harbor Area from p. 3 Little Company of Mary Medical Center San Pedro Mammography Unit and other causes which improve the status of women and girls. Ticket prices are $65 per person or $120 for a pair. Tickets are on sale at Bringelson Jewelers, 461 W. 6th St., Suite 104, in San Pedro. Details: (310) 832-5482; martavalladolid@ sbcglobal.net Venue: Croatian Cultural Center Location: 510 W. 7th St., San Pedro
Occupy the Board Meeting
The El Camino College Board will be voting on eliminating Winter Session Meeting, March 12, and Occupy El Camino College is building for a rally and a large presence as “Occupy the Board Meeting.” The agenda will be posted at: www.elcamino.edu/ administration/board/meetingagendas.asp.
Women’s History Month
The Palos Verdes Library is screening Miss Representation, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. March 18 at its main branch. The film, selected for the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, is about how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in influential positions in America. Details: www.pvld.org
Women’s Circle/Occupy LA Rally
The Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services’ Give Us Back Our Children, Global Women’s Strike, KidVillage at OccupyLA, Women’s Circle at OccupyLA, Women of Color are hosting the GWS Rally, starting at 11 a.m. March 10, to mark International Women’s Day at Los Angeles City Hall. Details: (323) 276-9833; la@allwomencount.net Venue: Los Angeles City Hall Location: 200 N. Spring St., Los Angeles
State Forbids Humane Coyote Removal By Lyn Jensen, Carson Reporter
When a few Carson Harbor Village residents first complained to Carson City Council about a possible coyote presence this past fall, Mayor Jim Dear directed that any offending animals be trapped and removed humanely. Now he finds state law offers no alternative to killing them. “It was my understanding that we weren’t going to exterminate them,” Dear said. “I was told they would catch them, they would trap them in a humane fashion and relocate them to a wilderness area, but now I’m told they’re going to trap them and euthanize them.” Complaints about coyotes within Carson city limits have come mostly from Carson Harbor Village and the surrounding neighborhood, and mostly within the past nine months, said Ray Cruz, Carson’s Public Services general manager. Cruz said he’d never heard of coyotes in Carson until 2010 or 2011 when reports of sightings started popping up. He heads the city department tasked with animal control, although most such services are contracted with Los Angeles County. “Trap and remove the animals was not an option.” Cruz said. “The state Department of Fish and Game does not allow that” because of possible disruption of ecological systems, although cougars and bears are often removed from urban areas and released in rural ones. “Coyotes aren’t protected, they’re a nuisance species,” responded Andrew Hughan, public affairs officer for the department. “However, a qualified person must hunt and shoot the coyotes because it’s illegal to fire a gun within city limits.” Although, he added, individuals may
It’s almost completely enclosed by a high masonry wall but at the northeast end sits what Dear describes as “a protected wilderness area” about the size of a football field. The opposite end of the park borders a flood control channel where Cruz says most of the city’s coyote sightings have occurred. Dear said he was told coyotes may have come from the north, The City of Carson learns that state bars any alternative to the killing of coyotes, that they probably allegedly stalking Carson Harbor Village and surrounding areas. File Photo. were not a population protect family or property. displaced by recent construction near the 405 At recent council meetings about half a freeway. dozen residents of Carson Harbor Village have Cruz said that while Carson Harbor Village told disturbing tales of coyotes allegedly stalking residents are organized in their demands, the persons and killing cats. One person, Tiny Cook, city’s coyote problem appears to be beyond the gave the mayor an envelope she said contained one location. photos of coyotes in the mobile home park. “Residents are afraid of the coyotes,” Dear However, the city does not have the photos at admits. present. Cruz said a purchase order for the remainder At the same time about half a dozen other of the fiscal year has been entered into with park residents came forward who were highly Animal Pest Management Services. The company skeptical, with one, Bill Davis, going so far as to must first officially determine if there are coyotes flatly state, “There are no coyotes.” An animal that reside in the city, how many and where. activist also asked the city not to kill coyotes. Carson Harbor Village is private property, Carson Harbor Village is a 420-unit mobile and the owner, James Goldstein, has a history of home park that takes up most of a city block. contentious relationships with residents and the
from previous page
Neighborhood Council Filling In
March 9 - 22, 2012
for projects such as a prospective neighborhood park on 9th and Mesa streets and changing the lane structure on Pacific Avenue. Another category of major activities Castillo characterized as “community vision development,” which included the marketing of six different downtown opportunity sites, work on historic preservation overlays, parking issue solutions and Red Car extension into downtown. “All that work they did, it’s like a vacuum now,” Castillo concluded. According to the meeting minutes, the committee recommended, “that a dedicated city economic development specialist be assigned to the district and be made available to work with us.” The eighth and final item concerned affordable housing. Housing funding comes from the state and federal level, Castillo explained, but the CRA helped to make sure funds were “properly guided.” “If the community does not have input, the projects will not fit in nearly as well,” she said. The next steps will be to take the proposals to the full neighborhood council, which will consider them on March 13, as well as to Councilman Joe Buscaino, Castillo said. She summed up by saying, “The CRA and its (Community Advisory Committee) served as a forum for multiple community interests to come together in one place and develop policy... So, we see the neighborhood council as the next logical place to try and pick up that banner. To
The Local Publication You Actually Read
Formerly, CRA staff had to sign off on building permits as a way to ensure compliance. The meeting decided to request “that particular city staff member(s) who are knowledgeable on these matters be assigned to this task and that this staff be made available to the neighborhood council for reporting and follow up.” Castillo explained that the Design Advisory Panel, “was a really important asset we had because of CRA funding.” They were volunteer professionals, architects and landscape architects who “made a big impact on the projects,” she said. As an example, she pointed to the 7-Eleven on Pacific. The original plan was “mundane” she said, but “we got a great project out of it because the Design Advisory Panel caused them to change their design in a way that made it a much better project. Without that, it would have been some run-of-the-mill 7-Eleven.” Providing an institutional framework to continue this work would clearly be a significant plus for the community. The Major Projects discussion point spanned a wide range of different activities that Castillo cited from her review of CRA files. Direct funding examples included the Warner Grand Theatre improvements, other business improvements, funding for the Arts Culture Entertainment District, affordable housing, sidewalk improvements, street furniture and street lights. CRA staff also helped write grants and provide other assistance to help secure outside funding
the extent that we can bring people together at the neighborhood council, I think that’s our strongest option for getting results.” “What we had in San Pedro was very special, where we had volunteers that were really concerned about the community of San Pedro and how it would reflect our community,” said Carrie Scoville, another meeting participant. “Unfortunately, that program has gone away, but the people are still around… We would like to help to perform that role, and we would like to support the city councilman in any way we can in doing so.”
city. As of press time he had not given permission to hunt or trap coyotes. “We have not had any increase in complaints within the property about coyotes,” Goldstein’s attorney Richard Close said. “The city proposed putting snare traps on the property but because of the high risk to children being injured and domestic cats and dogs being killed we do not feel that it is safe.” Close did not respond to an inquiry from this paper for further comment. Carson has posted information about coyote safety on its Web site: ci.carson.ca.us
5
Los Angeles Harbor College Student Selected to Visit NASA and Plan Mars Exploration
Wilmington—LaLonnie Swagger of Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington was selected recently to travel to a NASA Center this spring to participate in a 3-day on-site event. She was selected out of a group of 92 community and junior college students from across the nation to be part of the National Community College Aerospace Scholars program. Students completed four Web-based assignments during the school year and maintained at least an 88 percent average to qualify for the experience. They will apply what they have learned during the year to work with NASA engineers. The program is a 3-day on-site event at either Johnson Space Center in Houston or the Jet Propulsion laboratory in Pasadena. It offers students from across the nation the opportunity to interact with each other as they learn more about careers in science and engineering. While at NASA, students form teams and establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration. Each company is responsible for developing a prototype rover, designing a line drawing of the rover and forming the company infrastructure, including budgeting and communications functions. The on-site experience at NASA includes a tour of facilities and briefings by noted NASA employees— including astronauts.
Authority Announces Master Developer for Public Housing Redevelopment Project
March 9 - 22, 2012
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
Los Angeles—The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) voted to enter into a 90day negotiation with The Michaels Organization and BRIDGE Housing Corp. in order to negotiate a master developer agreement to lead the redevelopment of Jordan Downs public housing. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called the development of events, “an exciting moment for Watts and the residents of Jordan Downs.” An independent evaluation panel made up of Jordan Downs residents, representatives from the City of Los Angeles and HACLA unanimously voted Jan. 10 to recommend The Michaels Development Company/BRIDGE Economic Development Corp. team as the master developer for the project.
6
Major Fight Looms Over Retail Giant’s First L.A. Grocery Store
The Price of Adult Education By Zamná Ávila, Assistant Editor
If the Los Angeles Unified School Board follows through on recommendations to shut down adult education in order to close a $557 million budget gap, students at Harbor Occupational Center like Frank Murillo will be the casualties. Diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the 20-year-old student went to the center soon after graduating from high school to study diesel technology and welding. School had always been a struggle for him, but working with his hands offered an attractive alternative. He said that every time he completes a course he is motivated to move forward. “If (they) close it down, it’s going to be terrifying because I really like this job and its been helping me and in the future it’s going to get me a good job,” Murillo said. A half billion dollars remains at stake of being cut from the Los Angeles Unified School District’s budget, which would come at the expense of adult education, among other programs. On Feb. 14, the school board decided to delay the vote until March 13. On March 8, several students rallied at Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal’s office and at the LAUSD board meeting to plead their case. Students have continued their demonstrations and are planning another protest on March 16 if the cuts go into effect. Nationwide, state and local budget cuts have reduced workforces substantially, even as the private sector has been adding jobs continually for the past 23 months. From the highest levels
in 2009 through the lowest levels in the first six months of 2011, job losses have totaled 137,860 in state governments and 570,711 in local governments, according to data from the Bureau of Labor statistics. Teachers make up a significant chunk of the latter, along with police and fire departments. So, what’s happening with LAUSD is part of a significant nationwide pattern. The school board first broached the subject in December 2011, when it appeared as a budget proposal at a board meeting. Adult education supporters have been protesting the proposals since. The cuts would ultimately shut down 30 district facilities, including Harbor Occupational Center and Harbor Community Adult School, both in San Pedro. However, supporters aren’t giving up. “This is not the final vote,” said Trudy Hawkins, principal of Harbor Occupational Center in San Pedro. “We still need to keep the word out. We still need people saying we need adult education.” Harbor Occupational Center serves about 3,714 students and employs about 60 part-time and full-time teachers and 30 classified staff members, all of whom stand to lose, where they to completely cut funds for adult education. Harbor Community Adult School serves about 7,772 students. Random Lengths News contacted Superintendent John Deasy’s, but the district’s spokeswoman Susan Cox said he was not commenting on the
Marco Vásquez, Frank Murillo and Francisco Federico (left to right) are adult education students at Harbor Educational Center in San Pedro, which is in danger of closing due to proposed LAUSD funding cuts. Photo: Terelle Jerricks.
matter. Cox did provide the paper with a general statement that read: “LAUSD has to date been confronted with annual deficits of at least $400 million, including a shortfall of at least $543 million for the 2012-13 school year,” The statement from Deasy read. “As a whole, funding to the District from Sacramento has been reduced by an estimated $2.5 billion over the past five years.... We must do all that we can to preserve K-12 class size at acceptable levels for next year.”
Minimizing Impacts on K-12?
But cutting adult education would still have a negative impact on K through 12 students, Hawkins argued. “If we didn’t have adult ed. and if parents were not trained, how would they feed the children?” she asked, rhetorically. “There is no way, if they don’t get a job, that they are going to be able to take care of the children. So, adult ed. is very, very important.” The board requested that Deasy return on March 8 with alternatives that
save jobs and prevent program cuts, instructing him to work with the state, his staff and unions to develop a proposal. Deasy must prepare a revenue-generating parcel tax referendum to be voted on June or November ballots, or the March 2013 ballot. If passed, the tax is expected to generate as much as $200 to $300 million for within the following five years. Parcel taxes require a two-thirds vote for approval, with revenue going directly to school districts. In his Feb. 15 proposal, Brown included a per pupil funding formula for schools that would give schools a base amount per student, assuming the tax initiative passes. He also included $500 million for school transportation, which had been cut out of the equation in December. The superintendent prepared layoff notices for non-tenured early education teachers and support staff, a precautionary process required in case of cuts. Cuts could impact about 5,000 employees. For the fourth consecutive year, the board has approved the dismissal of thousands of teachers in its effort to balance the district’s budget. “Of all of LAUSD’s programs, adult education gives the highest return on the lowest investment,” Hawkins said. “Adult ed. is very, very efficient. It is only 2 percent of the LAUSD budget. Adult education occupies 2.8 percent of the district’s schools facilities, while making up 27 percent of the district’s student enrollment. “Adult ed. is awarded grants and earns federal funding. In 2010, 11 were for a budget of $170 million. Adult ed. returned over $26 million to the LAUSD general fund.” About 350,000 adult education students would be affected throughout the district.
Los Angeles — Walmart Stores Inc. announced Feb. 25 that it will open a market in a multi-story apartment building on the edge of Chinatown near downtown Los Angeles, after Frying Pan News broke the story. Frying Pan News is a media ally of the working poor advocacy organization, the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy.
Harbor Occupational Center’s Assistant Principal Victor Abadia said the school understands that
continued on following page
Adult Ed Cut/ to p. 17
The Economic Impact on the City
Joe Goes to City Hall
lic comment process was taken out of the process, was not taken into consideration and obviously I had no part in,” he said. “I just came here.” When asked if he would support or even initiate a measure that takes the appointment process of the redistricting commission out of the hands of elected officials, he said he “would support any measure that puts government back in the hands of the people of Los Angeles.” But he quickly fell back into his default position that the commission was filled with appointees that come from elected officials. “We have to respect the process,” he said. “And, I understand that every year we’re going to have these issues.” During the race for the council seat, when it became clear that Joe was going to become the victor, critics wondered if he would be able to remain untainted by city hall—that he wasn’t just being thrown into shark-infested waters. It’s apparent he has the next year to show whether he’ll swim or get eaten.
from p. 1
Above, Los Angeles City Councilman Buscaino walks up the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on his first day on the job. Buscaino and Council Board President Herb Wesson forged a strong relationship during the new councilman’s run for office. Wesson brushes off charges of corrupting the city’s redistricting process, while Buscaino suggested he’ll maintain an independent voice. Photos courtesy of the 15th District Council Office
have played a role in Joe’s appointments. All of the redistricting commissioners were appointed by the Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s office and members of the city council. The 15th District was largely unaffected by the process, though early proposed drafts would have carved Watts out of the district, San Pedro resident and chair of the Los Angeles Neighborhood Council Coalition, Bob Gelfand, has been exploring ways to challenge the new redistricting maps if the city’s neighborhood councils so choose. “The coalition found that the redistricting ordinance is technically not challenge-able by referendum,” Gelfand explained. There was a question of whether this was constitutional. If the city passes the maps as is, a group could gather 27,000 signatures and submit them as part of a referendum to the city clerk’s office. The city clerk could deny the challenge and open the door to a lawsuit attacking the constitutionality of not providing an avenue to challenge the redistricting maps. To his credit, Joe resisted the early maps that would have lopped off the norther part of the district. “When they told me with the first drafts that I would be losing Watts, I told them, ‘Hell no!’” he said. “Watts was a constituency that I wanted to serve.” Joe wouldn’t say much about the redistricting process, noting that it was already well underway before he got there. “In listening to my colleagues, Councilwoman Perry and Councilman Parks, they feel that the pub-
Walmart, which has been trying to gain a foothold in the lucrative Los Angeles grocery market for years, plans to open a small-format grocery store in order to avoid an existing Los Angeles City superstore ordinance. Los Angeles superstore law was enacted following Walmart’s failed 2004 attempt to open a superstore in the City of Inglewood. The retail giant spent more than $1 million on a ballot initiative that would have allowed it to build, but was soundly defeated by the efforts of LAANE and a coalition of small businesses, clergy, community groups and unions. The Inglewood reversal put a halt for several years to the retailer’s efforts to penetrate the Los Angeles grocery market, which includes three large unionized chains—Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons— that have traditionally offered better wages and benefits than Walmart. Opponents of Walmart, say that the retail giant’s presence would create a race to the bottom by eroding the city’s middle class with its culture of anti-union practices.
Chiang Unveils Updated Costs for Funding State Retiree Health Benefits
Sacramento—State Controller John Chiang released a new actuarial report Feb. 24 showing the 30-year cost of providing health and dental benefits for state retirees is $62.1 billion. The unfunded obligation as of June 30, 2011, grew $2.2 billion from the $59.9 billion obligation identified as of June 30 2010. The accrued liability grew less than expected due to favorable health care claim experiences linked to a combination of fewer claims, less expensive claims, less utilization of services, and the implementation of new California Public Employees’ Retirement System’s health programs designed to reduce costs. While state pensions are pre-funded, allowing investment returns to reduce liabilities, California pays for retiree health benefits on a “pay-as-you-go” basis, or the minimum amount needed to fund the costs as they are due. Recognizing that fully funding the health and dental benefits obligation is unlikely given the state’s tight budget, Chiang noted that even incremental steps toward pre-funding the obligation would significantly reduce the state’s liability.
Sen. Lieu Pushes Plan to Ease Collection of Compensation from Felons Under Realignment
Sacramento—California residents who have been victimized would find it easier to collect More News Briefs/ to p. 10
March 9 - 22, 2012
the Warner Grand Theatre, a ceremony that packed the 1,500 seat theater then led to a celebration on the closed off Sixth Street. These were, undeniably the 20 percent margin of victory that carried Joe into office. On the stage with him was he his predecessor Rep. Janice Hahn, Deputy Chief Pat Gannon, Chief Charlie Beck, his wife Geralyn and their two children, Joe’s mentee and friend Isaiah Washington, and Wesson. Wesson was on the stage too when Joe was elected. When asked why he got such plumb assignments at such an early stage in his tenure, he noted that the city hasn’t seen this in decades. “Someone from the community, someone off the streets, who loves this place, who wants to improve and improve the quality of life, who has never run for office, who does not have strong ties to the political machine and we sent a message to city hall and to Sacramento that it is possible,” Wesson said. “And my colleagues under the direction of the Council President Herb Wesson saw it as well. He said let’s empower this young man from San Pedro. He mobilized the community, he energized this community when it came to this election. Let’s give him the tools to fight for his district. And I am grateful and so humbled.” With the recent redistricting battles much of the monied downtown developments were gutted from Councilwoman Jan Perry’s district, while much of the African American core of councilman Bernard Parks’ district was carved out and given to Wesson’s 10th District. In addition Westchester was separated from LAX and placed in the Parks’ district, while Koreatown was divvied up despite the community’s intense desire to be kept whole for better representation. Observers of the redistricting process see this as Wesson punishing his opponents while benefiting his allies, the result of political calculations that could
from previous page
The Local Publication You Actually Read
“What better way to make this a destination like the Pike in Long Beach and move forward on the waterfront development project,” he explained. He suggested that he would use his position as chair of the Trade and Commerce Committee to push projects forward that are in line with his vision. “For the last 10 years they’ve kept saying, ‘This summer... this summer [construction will begin],” he said. “Well I want to see it.” “Sitting on the trade commerce committee, I look forward to working with them but I’m going to hold them accountable as well in making decisions and moving forward. We talk about what better way to put people back to work.” This was just one of many of getting to know you get-togethers Joe has been engaging in since his inauguration on Feb. 1. In the past month, he has been meeting with those who could form the basis of public private partnerships such as the Ahmanson Family and developers such as the head of the Anschultz Entertainment Group, Tim Leiweke. “Having the title and the authority to knock on some doors to really bring people, like I’m doing with Tim [Leiweke], and key folks like the Ahmanson family to build upon the public-private partnerships that I intend to depend on and will fight for.” Joe is engaged in carrying out other campaign promises on the economic front as well, such as building an interactive website that will highlight vacant lots to attract people to invest and shifting long-time field deputy under Janice Hahn’s tenure, Ana Dragin, to business advocate, a special position on his staff designed to guide new business owners through the bureaucratic maze of fees, permits, and paperwork. At times, Joe reverts to that boy-wonder look in his eyes when he tries to describe what he sees in the future for San Pedro. He never fully articulates that vision, but knowing a bit of his biographical story and his honest-to-goodness earnestness, you can almost see a bubble cloud above head when he talks about it. Like when he talked about his desire to bolster the District 15’s economy with the arts as one of its primary engines. “When it comes to economic development and supporting the arts I go back to how I was brought up,” he explained. “The arts is in my blood.” He links the vision to his memories of what he witnessed as a police officer, particularly of when he worked downtown Los Angeles, noting that he’s “seen the despicable choices that poverty breeds that is put on people of all ages.” He unquestionably wants to be the people’s champion. Joe notes Watts’ high unemployment rate and his intention to knock on doors to invite job creators to come to the 15th District. “We have 24 percent unemployment in Watts,” he said. “To sit on key committees, to chair public works, to sit on the trade an commerce and tourism committee, to sit on public safety… What this council president has done is offer me an opportunity to fight for my district by sitting on these key committee appointments.” However, the question that remains is whether—as a novice legislator amidst seasoned politicos—he will he be able to be the people’s champion. Though Joe was sworn into office Feb. 1, a more formal ceremony took place, Feb. 25, at
7
The GOP’s Big Top Circus It’s Looking Like a Parade of Woolly Mammoths By James Preston Allen, Publisher
March 9 - 22, 2012
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
The months long parade of Republican debates, caucuses and primaries has brought a lot of entertainment value to American politics, the likes of which we haven’t seen in some time. The gaffes and misstatements of candidates like Herman Cain’s “9-9-9” plan has provided a veritable humorous smorgasbord for pundits and cartoonists alike, exposing the real intent of the ultra-conservatives leading the anti-Obama, “he’s-a -socialist” charge. The scary thing is, if left to their own devices in the unlikely event that they win at the polls in November, this herd of nearly extinct pachyderms would likely roll back all the reforms that have been put in place since the Great Depression. Even the Rush Limbaugh “slut” tirade against the congressional testimony of Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke on contraception that exploded in the media recently drew into focus the huge disconnect between “conservative values” and 21st century realities. Is Limbaugh that out of touch or is he still addicted to his painkillers? I thought for one brief moment that the old political blow-hard of right-wing talk radio would pull a Donald Trump on us and throw his hat into the three-ring circus too. Now I’m not prudish nor offended by profane language. At times it’s appropriate to make an exclamation or exhibit frustration, But if a liberal radio commentator used those words I’m sure the Federal Communications Commission would be reviewing the station’s license. Sandra Fluke, the target of his rebuke, has a very good case for slander and I suppose that being a law student she could find a good lawyer. This of course is all just a sideshow in the ongoing circus with the main event being the spin-jugglers and media clowns, who continue to give the pachyderm four-stoogesprime-time exposure. Romney, Santorum, Gingrich and Paul, all these guys have to do is to keep doing to each other what they’ve already done and Obama may not even have to run a campaign. They will have killed each other off in the primaries. And, this is perhaps how it should be, as much of what they are laying out is mostly extinct political rhetoric. Moreover, even with all of their complaints about the deficit, according to the official projections, of all the candidates’ plans, only Ron Paul’s reduces the deficit. The rest of their plans expand the deficit beyond
8
what President Obama’s would. Curiously, Paul’s libertarian economic model might be more appropriately termed 19th century, but all of them have drunk the Milton Friedman Kool-Aid of free market capitalism, the deregulated drink that crashed Wall Street and from which we are still hung over. By the time the Republican convention comes to Tampa, Florida in August, they will likely be so wounded by each other that none of them can be nominated. Some have suggested that ending up with an “open” convention, where none of the candidates has a majority of delegates, would allow for a “dark horse” candidate to emerge, like Sarah Palin or one of the Bush brothers. This hasn’t happened at a Republican convention since 1940, when the relatively unknown industrialist, Wendell Willkie emerged as the unlikely nominee. Willkie, a former
are running on political ideas that were popular when Wendell Willkie opposed FDR. Does anybody in the corporate media or the Republican Party get the irony of this situation?
How Much Have Big Banks Been Docked for the Financial Crisis? By Cora Currier, ProPublica Nearly four years after the financial crisis, settlements with the big players on Wall Street keep coming out, one after the other. It can be hard to keep track of it all. So who’s been hit, with what, and for how much in total? We put together a chart of notable settlements reached between big banks and the government— namely, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice—over charges stemming from the crisis. In the case of the SEC settlements we list here, the firms neither admitted nor denied the charges when agreeing to the terms of the settlement. (The SEC’s habit of letting banks sidestep the question of culpability has been widely criticized.) Overall, the SEC says it has brought in almost $2 billion in penalties, as well as money for investors from settlements related to the crisis, and the Department of Justice lists dozens of criminal cases it has brought against smaller players. And the investigating isn’t over yet. The SEC recently sent notices of possible charges to JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Wells Fargo, and the DOJ reportedly has issued subpoenas to eleven financial institutions related
“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. XXXIII : No. 5
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 seven cities of the Harbor Area.
to mortgage securities. Bank of America Total Settlement Amount: $11.97 Billion Details: Bank of America was charged with misleading investors about the financial troubles and extraordinary bonuses (Feb. 4, 2010)—at Merrill Lynch at the time that Bank of America acquired the company. Where Did the Money Go?: The $150 million was distributed to affected shareholders. Details: The $11.8 billion secured Feb. 9, 2012, was part of the big mortgage-servicing abuse settlement. Included in Bank of America’s total is a $1 billion payment to the Federal Housing Authority to settle charges that it sent them shoddy loans to insure. Where Did the Money Go?: $3.24 billion in penalties to federal and state governments, including $1 billion to the Federal Housing Administration. $8.58 billion in homeowner relief programs. Citigroup Total Settlement Amount: $2.7 Billion Details: The SEC ordered Citigroup to
Columnists/Reporters Lyn Jensen Carson B. Noel Barr Music Dude John Farrell Curtain Call Assoc. Publisher/Production CoGretchen Williams Entrée ordinator Calendar Suzanne Matsumiya 14days@randomlengthsnews.com info@graphictouchdesigns.com Photographers Managing Editor Terelle Jerricks, Slobodan Dimitrov Terelle Jerricks Contributors editor@randomlengthsnews.com Cora Currier, Danny Simon, Arthur Assistant Editor R. Vinsel Zamná Ávila reportersdesk@randomlengthsnews.com Cartoonists Ann Cleaves, Andy Singer, Senior Editor Paul Rosenberg Matt Wuerker Publisher/Executive Editor James Preston Allen james@randomlengthsnews.com
www.randomlengthsnews.com
Democrat and Franklin D. Roosevelt delegate at the 1932 Democratic National Convention, was considered an improbable choice. So, here we are in the beginning of the 21st century with a set of 20th century candidates who
Advertising Production Mathew Highland, Suzanne Matsumiya Advertising Representatives Mathew Highland, Chad Whitney reads@randomlengthsnews.com adv@randomlengthsnews.com Display advertising (310) 519-1442 Classifieds (310) 519-1016 www.randomlengthsnews.com
pay $75 million on July 29, 2010 after it was found they had under-reported its exposure to subprime mortgage assets by billions of dollars. Two executives were also fined $100,000 and $80,000, respectively. Where Did the Money Go?: Penalties and disgorgement. Details: On Oct. 19, 2011, Citi was found to have misled investors over a $1 billion Collateralized Debt Obligation called Class V Funding III, which it structured while taking a position wherein Citi would benefit if the CDO defaulted—seemingly aligning itself against the interests of its investors. One employee in charge of structuring the CDO was also fined. The SEC ordered them to pay $258 million Where Did the Money Go?: The money would be distributed to affected investors, but a judge has refused to sign the order, claiming it is not fair or in the public interest. The SEC is appealing his decision. Details: DOJ and states’ Attorney Generals wrestled $2.2 billion as part of the big mortgageservicing abuse settlement on Feb. 9, 2012. Where Did the Money Go?: $415 million in penalties to federal and state governments. $1.79 billion in home owner relief programs. continued on following page
Random Lengths News editorial office is located at 1300 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro, CA 90731, (310) 519-1016. Address correspondence regarding news items and news tips only to Random Lengths News, P.O. Box 731, San Pedro, CA 90733-0731, or email to editor @randomlengthsnews.com. Send Letters to the Editor or requests for subscription information to james @ randomlengthsnews.com. To be considered for publication, all Letters to the Editor should be typewritten, must be signed, with address and phone number included (these will not be published, but for verification only) and be kept to about 250 words. To submit advertising copy email adv@randomelengthsnews.com or reads@ randomlengthsnews.com. Extra copies and back issues are available by mail for $3 per copy while supplies last. Subscriptions are available for $35 per year for 27 issues. Random Lengths News presents issues from an alternative perspective. We welcome articles and opinions from all people in the Harbor Area. While we may not agree with the opinions of contributing writers, we respect and support their 1st Amendment right to express those opinions. Random Lengths News is a member of Standard Rates and Data Reporting Services and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. (ISN #08916627). All contents Copyright 2012 Random Lengths News. All rights reserved.
Community Alerts
Notice of Availability: Clearwater Program Draft EIR
On March 15 at 11 a.m., the community will be celebrating the groundbreaking ceremony of the San Pedro Waterfront Downtown Harbor. Location: 500 Sampson Way, San Pedro
Saturday night on Sixth Street, was indeed a marvelous sight. We all look forward to there being many more such evenings where we can enjoy world class entertainment without leaving town. While I agree that the formation of the ACE District has added momentum to the goal. And, I believe that you deserve a bundle of credit for bringing the ACE District to life and ushering it through the early years of development. No where in your story do you discuss the contributions of other arts organizations that predate the ACE Committee and continue to bring high quality cultural performances to our downtown area. To be fair, you do credit the work of the CRA CAC and the PBID in making the downtown a safer, cleaner and friendlier environment. I do not want to denigrate the half million dollars brought to the community by the CRA for the ACE District. We need all the funding we can find and a little bit more. Other organizations deserve a portion of the credit for what has been done to encourage groups like the Long Beach Opera and the South Bay Civic Light Opera to use our community’s lovely arte deco palace, the Warner Grand Theatre. Other organizations have been presenting high quality performing arts here before there was an ACE District. The Grand Vision Foundation (GVF) has raised over One Million Dollars to make the Warner Grand Theatre (WGT) the viable venue that it is today. Would the LB Opera have chosen to come to San Pedro with the WGT the way it was before the GVF spent that million dollars? I doubt it. Without GVF’s stage improvements, which included a complete re-rigging of the stage, the fore-stage alteration to increase stage space, an improved sound system, cinema system and lighting system, what LB Opera was able to present there would not have from previous page
Pony Up
Details: On Feb. 15, 2012, Citibank was made to pay $158 million when the DOJ found the bank to have passed on bad loans to the Federal Housing Authority to insure, in a whistleblower case that alleged Citi actively undermined the process that was suppose to check for fraudulent or risky loans. Where Did the Money Go?: $30 million goes to the whistleblower. The rest goes to the FHA. JP Morgan Total Settlement Amount: $5,4 billion. Details: In June 21, 2011, the SEC made JP Morgan pay $153 million for fraud over its handling of the CDO called
been possible, at all. And, please, do not forget how the community has come to use the theater for ceremonial purposes like POLAH High School orientations and graduations, graduations by the Harbor College Nursing Program and the LA Unified Adult School. We have a place for these events to happen that we can all be proud of. The Warner Grand Theatre is a functioning community venue because a large number of our local citizens stepped up and bought chairs during the Save Our Seats campaign and regularly continue their support through memberships in the Grand Vision Foundation. You speak of a sold out performance at the Grand Annex and don’t credit either the Grand Vision Foundation or Jericho Development for the hundreds of thousands of dollars they spent to create the Grand Annex and to operate it on a continuing basis. The Grand Annex has booked and presented many music groups never before seen in San Pedro. The Meet the Music program annually provides middle school students from the San Pedro and Wilmington Boys and Girls Clubs with world music programs that demonstrate music fundamentals and world geography. The Grand Annex has hosted a number of groups like the Library Foundation for special events and for a large number of receptions for private groups and individuals. It is an ongoing community resource. Also, left out is the Golden State Pops Orchestra. This ensemble has been providing a level of concerts unknown in the South Bay and rarely heard in much of the rest of Los Angeles. It is a true local gem that features the fabulous music composed for films, video games and Broadway musicals. Who can forget the great tributes to film composers, the Holiday Concerts, the Disney, “A Tale As Old As Time” concerts and many more. They have been with our community for over seven years. They have shown the way
Squared. The company failed to disclose to investors that the hedge-fund Magnetar had been involved in the creation of the CDO, while it stood to benefit if Squared defaulted. Where Did the Money Go?: More than $125 million was distributed to affected investors. $27 million to the Treasury. Details: On Feb. 9, 2012, the DOJ and States’ Attorney Generals secured $5.29 billion as part of the big mortgageservicing abuse settlement. Where Did the Money Go?: $1.08 billion in penalties to state and local governments. $4.21 billion in homeowner relief programs.
Read more at http://projects. propublica.org/tables/financial_ settlements
the district forward and increased the awareness of San Pedro to a larger constituency. The nagging question in my mind is what happens to the ACE District when the CRA money is spent in the next two years. What is the way forward? We dare not lose the momentum. DISCLAIMER: The author is the brother of the Publisher and husband of the Executive Director of the Golden State Pops Orchestra, if that matters. Fred Allen, Chairman, Board of Directors Grand Vision Foundation, San Pedro Dear Fred, I’ve always said that we can
write anything we want about the President of the United States, but if you write about Sixth Street, watch out! One of the investments that we both left out was the purchase of the Warner Grand Theatre by the Community Redevelopment Agency saving it from the hands of a swap meet. But you are right to the extent of your own perceptions of the issue and the village is even larger than you suggest. Most of these people were either on the Arts Culture and Entertainment District formation committee or were on the original board, this was by intention not by accident. Also omitted was the central roll that the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce has played under the More Letters/ to p. 10
March 9 - 22, 2012
San Pedro Waterfront Groundbreaking Ceremony
Re: At Length editorial Feb. 9-22, 2012
for others that are now following including the Los Angeles Opera, the South Bay Civic Light Opera and Long Beach Opera. In addition, there is also, Little Fish Theater that has brought a high level of performance to our community for more years than I know. Their productions regularly impress local theater fans and regularly sell to maximum attendance. They have been here much longer than the ACE District. Someone said, “It takes a village!” We are all part of that village and we all deserve some small portion of the credit. The ACE District has its benefits and has brought needed capital to the table. Its grants have propelled
The Local Publication You Actually Read
The Clearwater Program is a comprehensive planning effort undertaken by the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles Count. Its purpose is develop a long-range master facilities plan for the Joint Outfall System, a regional waste water management system that serves 4.8 million people in 73 cities and unincorporated areas in Los Angeles County. The overall goal of the Clearwater Program is to identify a plan that protects public health and meets the needs of outfall system through the year 2050. The Clearwater Program master facilities plan recommends: The existing Joint Water Pollution Control Plant ocean discharge system be modified to accommodate projected flows and allow for the de-watering, inspection and any needed repairs or rehabilitation of the two existing effluent tunnels. A new tunnel would be built to convey effluent from the JWPCP to the existing ocean outfalls. The proposed tunneling would begin Harbor Regional Park on Figueroa Street, through North Gaffey Street and Capitol Drive, then further south under Western Avenue to the Royal Palms shaft site for a total distance of 6.9 miles. Visit www.clearwater program.org for further details about the draft Environmental Impact Report. Pursuant to Section 21091 of the Public Resources Code, the draft environmental impact report for the Clearwater Program masters facilities plan will be available for public review during an extended 60day review period and close in April 10. Comments on the draft EIR should be sent to: Steven W. Highter, Supervising Engineer, Planning Section Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, 1955 Workman Mill Road, Whittier, CA 90601 The Sanitation Districts and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers will be conducting a joint public hearing to receive comments on both the draft EIR and draft Environmental Impact Statement: At 6:30 p.m. on March 8 Crown Plaza Los Angeles Harbor Hotel, 601 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro.
RANDOMLetters
9
RANDOMLetters from p. 7
from p. 9
restitution from their convicted perpetrators under a bill announced Feb. 24 by Sen. Ted W. Lieu of Torrance. Under existing law, California crime victims have a constitutional right to be compensated for any losses caused by the person convicted of victimizing them. In order to help ensure this right, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation collects payments from inmates to provide restitution to California crime victims. Thousands of convicted felons, however, no longer are being sent to the Department of Corrections as part of the Governor’s Realignment Plan. They instead are being housed in local jails. Yet, county sheriffs at present have no authority to collect restitution from these convicted felons. Senate Bill 1210 would also give counties the right to collect a parole-revocation fine when an offender violates parole after being incarcerated in county jail instead of state prison. The parole revocation fines are used by the California Victim Compensation Program to help cover treatment and other support services for victims and their families.
leadership of Camilla Townsend in promoting the arts in San Pedro, the list could go on and on. My point, which seems to have been lost, is that the ACE district provided a cohesive focus for all of the groups and people that we’ve both mentioned. Prior to it’s formation it was rare to get all the players in the same room to talk about “the arts” at once. Previously we had various entities vying for attention sometimes at cross purposes, with no self recognition that a concentrationof artists existed, even though they have been here for some three generations. Lastly, my editorial was not aimed at personally taking credit for much of anything except getting the obvious players to sit in the same room and share decision-making, and to take public notice that the collective efforts of the extended art community have begun to bear fruits. None of this would happen without the participation of both the performing arts organizations and the individual purveyors of the arts—the artists themselves—who generally get ignored. That you have mentioned those of whom I so adroitly circumvented mentioning out of my sense personal bias, now only exposes your own and brings our differences to the attention of the public. I don’t expect everyone, or anyone in particular, to agree with what is written in this newspaper, even you. However, of those groups that you mention, and some that you didn’t, I don’t recall any of them actually sending a letter to the editor commenting on anything we have published for them for free or thanking us for the miles of copy we have written about their cultural events in recent times.
Extreme Poverty Doubles In America
March 9 - 22, 2012
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
Living on less than $2 per person a day is one World Bank definition of poverty for developing nations. Unfortunately, this threshold is increasingly relevant to the United States, according to a new study from the National Poverty Center. The number of U.S. households living on less than $2 per person per day—which the study terms “extreme poverty”—more than doubled between 1996 and 2011, from 636,000 to 1.46 million, the study finds. The number of children in extremely poor households also doubled, from 1.4 million to 2.8 million. --Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
10
You are absolutely right that “it takes a village” but there wouldn’t be much of a village if it didn’t have a newspaper! Respect, like Sixth Street, is a two way street. Thanks for sharing. James Preston Allen, Publisher
A Challenge to Rep. Hahn
Hahn votes to take homeland security funds away from Port of Los Angeles, putting Waterfront workers, residents and local businesses at serious risk. Current South Bay Congressmember Janice Hahn (D-San Pedro) voted in favor of Amendment H.R. 3316 to the homeland security act, by Mr. Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo) from upstate New York. Amendment H.R. 3116 would have redistributed critical homeland security funds from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, considered “tier-one” facilities, to smaller ports like the one in Congressmember Higgins’ district. If this bill had passed, tier-one ports such as Los Angeles and Long Beach would have to share funds allocated for homeland security with tier-two ports that are at much less risk than our local ports. I would have never voted for this amendment. Safety and security at our local ports is one of my number one concerns as both a resident and small business owner directly in the Harbor community. The Port of Los Angeles is the 2nd highest volume port in the nation, and has been classified by the department of homeland security as one of the highest risks for a terrorist attack. I cannot explain why Congressmember Hahn, who claims to represent our workers, residents and businesses on the Los Angeles Waterfront, chose
to vote against our best interests. Whether she is naïve regarding the consequences of this amendment’s effects on the ports of Los Angeles and long Beach, or had some ulterior motives for supporting this bill, I fully understand the Significant problems and dangers to my fellow residents and waterfront workers that the passage of this amendment would have created. In light of her actions, I am calling for ILWU 13 and the PMA to reconsider their support for Congressmember Janice Hahn and to consider supporting a representative who truly understands the homeland security threat that our waterfront faces every day. I challenge Congressmember Hahn to defend this vote and explain how reducing critical funds necessary to protect the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach from terrorist attacks serves the best interests of her constituents. As one of those constituents, I am deeply concerned about how Congressmember Hahn voted in this instance, and how she will continue to vote for the remainder of her current term. The constituents of the new 44th congressional district need a representative who truly understands the dangers faced by our waterfront businesses, residents and workforce, and will not gamble with their safety in exchange for Political opportunities. John Lauro San Pedro
Eldar at Alva’s
Eldar is coming to Alva’s in San Pedro on Sunday March 18 at 5 pm. Who is Eldar? Why should you care? Dave Brubeck, Michael Brecker, Wynton Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Nicholas Payton, Harvey Mason, Ron Carter, Pat Martino and many others know why you should care. More Letters/ to p. 19
Reggae Singer on Environment, Peace and War By Jesse N. Marquez, Guest Writer
P
ato Banton international reggae recording artist performed at the Brixton Club in Redondo Beach on the evening of March 2. Pato is known worldwide for his inspiring songs dealing with spirituality and the most pressing political issues of our time. After his show he invited everyone to participate in a prayer circle on the beach. Pato Banton was born Patrick Murray in London in 1961. The name “Pato” is derived from an owl in Jamaica that at night cries out “patoo, patoo.” At age 19 he joined a local reggae band called Crucial Music and recorded his first song, “All Night Raving & Sensimillia.” To date he has recorded 17 albums. In 2008 he released his album Destination Paradise with an inspiring environmental song, “Heal This World.” In the lyrics he sings, “Yes Mama Earth is in a state of emergency, pollution of the air, the land and seas. The planetary ozone is like a war zone and it affects us globally.” He states that his current mission is to serve divinity through humanity and he is currently on a 50 U.S. city concert tour.
What would be your message for the youth of today to protect our environment and Mother Earth? I think my message would be mainly to the teachers of the youth to educate our youth about our environment. Once our young people know about the environment, to treat it with love and respect and appreciation and do everything they can, you know; not to be wasteful, you know. And, how to be progressive in their future outlook about how they resolve some of the problems locally. Banton to page 16.
Reggae singer Pato Banton performed on March 2, at the Brixton Club in Redondo Beach. Photo By Jesse Marquez, Guest Contributor.
Shop Local. Dine Local. Support Your Community. Shop Local. Dine Local. Support Your Community.
Interview Questions What was your inspiration which caused you to write “Heal This World”? The reason I wrote “Heal This World” was basically just by looking at our environment, looking at what’s going on in this world and really looking at how a lot of the powers that be really just create industry without any care for our environment, you know. There are so many problems going on in the world right now. I just felt I had to share my viewpoint of the world and just bring it to people’s awareness.
March 9 – 22, 2012 March 9 – 22, 2012
11 11
Homebrewer Talks Craft Brews for St. Paddy’s Day By Michael Koger, Guest Columnist
Michael Koger is a San Pedro resident,
home brewer and self proclaimed beer nerd. He and his friends have brewed India Pale Ales, weizenbocks and are going to be brewing a barley wine. His favorite styles include IPAs, imperial stouts and lambics. In his free time, he likes to try new beers at his favorite brew pubs and breweries in California.
March 9 – 22, 2012
ACE>> Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment
Sun–Thurs 10am-11pm
12
Fri-Sat: 10am–11:30pm
1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro
Fast Delivery! 310–732–5800 Fax: 310-732-5804
When I tell people I brew my own beer, the reactions range from curiosity to people thinking I’m a wizard. I’m certainly not an expert, but brewing beer doesn’t have to be complicated. I got into brewing beer by trying different breweries and styles. I started off drinking ciders and hefeweizens and expanded from there. One thing I’ve learned about beer is that fresh beer makes all the difference. While Los Angeles isn’t yet the hot spot for breweries like San Diego, we do have a number of good options certainly worth checking out and the community is definitely growing. Being a local, San Pedro Brewing Co. is a great option that isn’t a far drive. For $7.50 you can get a flight of their house ales. Their Point Fermin Pale Ale is excellent and easy to drink. In addition to their regular lineup, they have two seasonals currently on tap that are worth checking out: Terminal Island Black Lager and Beacon Street Barleywine. Both are very delicious and good representatives of their styles. On a scale of 1 to 5 pints, I’d give San Pedro Brewing Co. 4 pints.
In Torrance, you can visit Red Car Brewery. While they make English style ales using mostly ingredients from Great Britain, I wasn’t impressed with their house beers. Their IPA didn’t taste like an IPA at all, but that may be because I’m used to American IPAs. Their Porter was pretty decent, but nothing to write home about. Red Car gets 2.5 pints. If you ever want to get into home brewing, South Bay Brewing Supply is just around the corner. This home brew supply shop has everything to get you started. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly and willing to answer every question. The shop is also home to the Strand Brewing Club which frequently hosts lessons on how to brew beer. Keep an eye out for their Atticus IPA
San Pedro Brewing company’s brewmaster, Jason Welke prepaing the brewery tanks. Brewco will be serving its specially brewed Barleywine on St. Paddy’s and beyond.
IPA is very highly regarded. They have a broad range of styles, so everyone will find something they like. They also have food trucks stop by to help follow your pint. The atmosphere is very casual and low-key. Stop by, get a pint and a growler to go, and enjoy some fine crafted beer. The brewery is open Friday through Sunday. Bootlegger’s Brewery gets 5 pints. Not far from Bootlegger’s is The Bruery in Placentia. While it is a bit of a drive, The Bruery makes world class beers. If you’re a wine fan and looking to get into beer, go here. If you’re a casual beer drinker and want to get into craft beer, go here. Their Loakal Red and Saison Rue are fantastic beers that are frequently available. Similar to Bootlegger’s, the atmosphere is casual. They also have growlers and bottles to go and have food trucks stop by when The Bruery is open. Combine this with a trip to Bootlegger’s to make your visit to Orange County worth it. The Bruery gets 5 pints. What makes a brewery or brew pub worth coming back for me is the beer. The beer has to be good. I also like it when they have a variety of styles available. If they are passionate about their craft, it’ll show in the product. It also helps if they have good food available and a great atmosphere.
There are even more breweries to check out in Pasadena and south in San Diego. Grab a friend and spend a day off running around to these different beer spots and see what you like. Cheers!
San Pedro Brew Co. Open at 11 a.m.! DJ Mickey McV at 9 p.m. Address: 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro Details: www.sanpedrobrewing.com The Whale & Ale will offer the best lean and tender corned beef, served with cabbage and all the works, from March 2 onward. Irish menu and drink specials from noon to midnight March 16 and 17. Lively music will keep it jumping from 7 p.m. until late both nights. Details: (310) 832-0363 Venue: Whale & Ale Pub Location: 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro 33 Degrees Harborside Pub puts a new spin on the grand auld day by getting “crafty,” with Irish beer flights, Irish whiskey tastings, and full Irish fare. Doors open at 9 a.m. and live Irish music in the afternoon. Details: www.33degreeslb.com Venue: Harborside Pub Location: 423A Shoreline Village Dr., Long Beach The Auld Dubliner Open for a full Irish breakfast at 8 a.m., with a full menu of traditional Irish favorites served all day. England verses Ireland Rugby game starting at 10 a.m. Live Irish music with Humble Hooligans starts at 3 p.m. Details: www.aulddubliner.com Venue: The Auld Dubliner Location: 71 South Pine Ave., Long Beach District Wine is serving green wine, having wine tastings all day, offering drink specials and a special Saturday happy hour from 2 to 7 p.m. Live music begins at 7:30 p.m. Details: www.districtwine.com Venue: District Wine Location: 144 Linden Ave., Long Beach, The Queen Mary Celebrate with an amazing line-up of live entertainment including performances by Sligo Rags, Oxalis (Featuring Swam Montgomery), and The Hollywood Stones. Admission includes access to three venues with non-stop music from 6 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $15 per person. Details: www.queenmary.com Venue: The Queen Mary Location: 1126 Queens Hwy., Long Beach
Shop Local. Dine Local. Support Your Community.
and 24th Street Pale Ale at bars in the area. South Bay gets 4 pints. Beachwood BBQ and Brewing in Long Beach is definitely worth visiting and one of my favorite places. They have a pretty large brewing capacity, which means brewmaster Julian Shrago is constantly putting out great, fresh beers that are inventive and worth drinking. Their Alpha Master Pale Ale and Dominator IPA are top notch. The food at Beachwood is great if you’re a barbecue fan. They also frequently invite other breweries to come and take over their taps, showing a devotion to the craft beer community. Beachwood gets 5 pints. Check them out. Golden Road Brewing in downtown Los Angeles is a relatively new operation that is quickly making waves in the LA beer scene. Their Point the Way IPA and hefeweizen are certainly worth checking out. You can find these wonderful canned beers at local Whole Foods and other select retailers. If you make the trip down to the brewery in LA, make sure to stop by their pub for a bite to eat. Golden Road gets 4 pints. Bootlegger’s Brewery in Fullerton is another favorite of mine. They’ve only been around a few years, but Aaron and his crew are making some fantastic beers. Their Knuckle Sandwich Double
Iron City Tavern Come in for corn beef and cabbage. Food and drink specials all day. Address: 589 W. 9th St., San Pedro Details: (310) 547-4766
March 9 – 22, 2012
13
ACE>> Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment March 9 – 22, 2012
14
The Chowder Barge
Babouch Moroccan Restaurant G r a c i o u s hospitality and authentic three-star Moroccan cuisine in an intimate tentlike atmosphere. Tr y the Babouch Stimulus Package dinner and show for $9.25 served from 5:30-9:30 p.m., Sun.-Thurs.—with your choice of beef kabobs, chicken, lamb or fish served with cous cous, vegetables and fresh baked bread. Children under 10 eat free from our children’s menu (not valid with coupons or gift certificates). Ladies Night every Friday from 5-9 p.m. in the Casablanca Lounge, belly dancing with Posha Khalil and Tarot card readings. Full bar, prix fixe dinners and a la carte menu available. Hours: Dinner, 5-10 p.m. Tues.-Sun., closed Mondays. 810 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro. (310) 831-0246. www.babouchrestaurant.com.
L.A. Harbor’s famous floating restaurant, surrounded by boats in Leeward Bay Marina. Dine inside by our fire place, or outside on our deck. This unique spot serves great sandwiches, burgers, fish & chips, wings and of course, the BEST clam chowder anywhere! Try our sourdough bread bowl and daily specials. Wine and beer on tap or by the bottle, featuring our 34oz Captains Mug! The new owners have kept the “funkiness” of the old barge, and stepped it up several notches. Watch the games on our big screen TVs, utilize our WiFi and enjoy our XM tunes. THE place for your next party. Hours: Mon, Tues 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Wed, Thurs 11 a.m.–8 p.m. Fri, Sat, Sun 9 a.m.–8 p.m. 611 N. Henry Ford, (at Anaheim) Leeward Bay Marina, Wilmington. (310) 830-7937. www.ChowderBarge.com
Big Nick’s Pizza
Fancy Melts
Tradition, variety, and fast delivery; you get it all at Big Nick’s Pizza. The best selection of Italian specialties include hear ty calzones, an array of pastas, and of course our amazing selection of signature pizzas, each piled high with the freshest toppings. Like wings or greens? We also offer an excellent selection of appetizers and salads. Call for fast delivery. Hours: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., 10 a.m.11:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat. 1110 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro. (310) 732-5800.
“Fancy” barely begins to describe it. Our secret recipe old-world bread has been a San Pedro staple since 1975. Now we use it to create the most amazing grilled sandwiches you’ll ever try. Come taste what everyone has been talking about... Delivered right up to your car window if you wish. Fancy Fever... Catch it! Call your order ahead for made–to– order, no–waiting pick-ups! Hours: Tues–Fri 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sat – Sun 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., closed Monday. 2331 Alma St., San Pedro. (310) 547-4331.
Boardwalk Grill
Iron City Tavern
Dine in or on the heated patio for lunch and dinner at the Boardwalk Grill located on the Waterfront in scenic Ports O’Call Village. Known for the best ribs, fish and chips, charbroiled burgers, beer, and wine that you can find on the Waterfront. Hours: lunch and dinner, Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m.7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Berth 77, Ports O’Call, San Pedro. (310) 519-7551. Buono’s Authentic Pizzeria F a m o u s for exceptional awa rd - w i n n i n g pizzas, Buono’s was named one of the four best pizzerias in Southern California by Mario Martinoli of Channel 9 K-Cal News. Also voted “Best Pizza” in the Best of the Harbor Readers Poll. All ingredients prepared fresh daily. Dine-in, carry-out or delivery and catering. Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.Thurs.; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fri. & Sat. Three locations: San Pedro, 1432 S. Gaffey St., (310) 547-0655; Long Beach, 401 W. Willow, (562) 595-6138; Downtown Long Beach, 250 W. Ocean Blvd., (562) 432-2211, www. buonospizza.com.
Iron City features a newly renovated dining room and wonderfully restored bar in a modern setting. The most comfortable restaurant/bar in San Pedro, Iron City offers a casual dining for lunch and dinner with food service at the bar. Watch all sporting events on five big screens in surround sound. (Iron City is a supporter of the Black & Gold.) Iron City features authentic Philly Cheese Steaks, various hot sandwiches and burgers, calamari steaks and a variety of Italian pasta dishes. Hours:10 a.m.2a.m. 7 days a week. Happy hour from 4-6 p.m. 589 W. 9th St., San Pedro, (310) 547-4766. Mishi’s Strudel Bakery Mishi’s is a fragrant landmark on 7th Street, where it is possible to find Nirvana by following your nose. The enticing aroma of baking strudel is impossible to resist, and the darling café is warm and welcoming like your favorite auntie’s house. Aniko and Mishi have expanded the menu to include homemade goulash soup and a variety of sweet and savory Hungarian strudels, crepes and pastas. The best indulgence is taking a frozen strudel home to bake in your own kitchen and create that heavenly aroma at your house. Mishi’s Strudel Bakery and Café, 309 W.7th St., San Pedro. (310) 832-6474. www.mishisstrudel.com
NIKO’S PIZZERIA Niko’s features a full menu of Italian specialties, as well as every combination of pizza imaginable. Niko’s has the feel of a neighborhood eater y, a great place to get a quick lunch or sit down and relax with family and friends. Niko’s features a wine and beer bar, with a wide selection of beers on tap or by the bottle. Watch sporting events on plasma TVs throughout the restaurant. Delivery service to all San Pedro, Port locations, and hotels. Hours: 10 a.m.-12 a.m. daily. 399 W. 6th St., San Pedro (corner of Mesa and 6th sts.) (310) 241-1400 PRONTO’S FRESH MEXICAN GRILL & PRONTO’S BURGERS
(25th and Western) 2420 S. Western Ave. , San Pedro, (310) 832-4471
Los Angeles 110 W. El Segundo Blvd., Los Angeles, (310) 527-7323 Gardena 13890 S. Normadie Ave., Gardena, (310) 327-5615
www.prontosmexgrill.com.
PORTS O’CALL WATERFRONT DINING Fine dining on the Waterfront, Early Bird Dinners and Happy Hour at this landmark San Pedro restaurant. Spectacular harbor vistas from each dining, banquet room and the patio, create an unforgettable dining experience for lunch, dinner or Sunday Brunch. Full bar and lounge. Hours: Lunch: Mon.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday Brunch: 10 a.m.2:30 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thurs. 5-9 p.m., Fri. 5-10 p.m., Sat. 3-10 p.m. Sun. 3-9 p.m. Berth 76, Ports O’Call, San Pedro (310) 833-3553. www.portsocalldining.com San Pedro Brewing Company SPBC has an eclectic menu featuring pastas, steaks, seafood, sandwiches, salads, delicious appetizers and great BBQ. Handcrafted ales and lagers are made on the premises. A full bar with made–from–scratch margaritas and a martini menu all add fun to the warm and friendly atmosphere. WIFI bar connected for web surfing and e-mail. Hours: from 11:30 a.m. daily. 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro (310) 831-5663 www.sanpedrobrewing.com SPIRIT CRUISES
The only dinner cruise in the Los Angeles Harbor. Two-and three-hour Sunset Dinner cruises and charters for special occasions feature prime rib, pastas, ribs, and salad selections. Full bar and unlimited cocktails served. Call for times and reservations. Located in Ports O’Call Village, Berth 77, San Pedro. (310) 548-8080.
Taxco Mexican Restaurant We are proud to s e r ve o u r community for over 25 years. We offer some of the most unique Mexican dishes around, including the best fajitas in town in a great family atmosphere. Catering for every occasion. Beer, wine and margaritas to your taste. Tony and Vini Moreno welcome you. Hours: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Major credit cards accepted. 29050 S. Western Ave., San Pedro (at Capitol and Western). (310) 547-4554, www.sanpedro.com, click on RESTAURANTS Trusela’s Southern Italian & California Cuisine • Bob and Josephine Trusela have been awarded the “Most Promising New Restaurant 2010” award and three stars 2011, by the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association. Catering available for all ocassions. Hours: Sun 2p.m.–8p.m., Lunch: Tues–Fri 11:30a.m.– 2:30p.m., Dinner: Tues–Sat 5:30p.m.– Closing. 28158 S. Western Ave., San Pedro (310) 547–0993 www.truselas.com The Whale & Ale San Pedro’s only British restaurant and pub offers comfortable dining in an oakpaneled setting. Dine on authentic pub fare such as shepherd’s pie and fish & chips, plus roast prime rib, fresh seafood and beef Wellington. Enjoy a great selection of wine, 14 European beers on tap and full bar. Live music on weekends and First Thursdays. Hours: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; 5-9 p.m. Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri. & Sat. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. 327 W. 7th St., San Pedro. (310) 832-0363, www.whaleandale.com. San Pedro’s Only Guide To Fine Dining
Brochure Coming Spring 2012
Call Today!
To Advertise in Random Lengths News’ Restaurant Guide for the Harbor Area, Call (310) 519–1442.
When the World Goes boom! by: John Farrell, special to Random Lengths News
Follow John Farrell on his new blog at www.randomlengthsnews.com/curtain_call.
Take a marine biologist obsessed with the
The New Frontier FM Verses the Internet: Sheldon Snow Eclectic Max HotMix106. com by: B. Noel Barr, Music Writer Dude
I
and $10 for groups of 10 or more. boom plays Friday, March 9 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, March 10 at 8 p.m. Details: (562) 494-1014, www.lbplayhouse.org Venue: Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre Location: 5021 East Anaheim, Long Beach
n the wild world of broadcasting, it is always about the bottom line: How to cut expenses and not lose listeners? What will the radio listening public accept? The recording and broadcast industry whose leaders come from the ranks of accountants and business managers have been in control for a very long time. Both industries are grasping for straws in order increase the bottom line. Long gone are the days of the freewheeling musician turn-entrepreneur company head. The same goes with the independent radio stations. Most are a part of entities like Clear Channel, replaced by the bean counters, the people who knew good music were no longer a part of the equation of success. What awaits us is on the periphery of commercial radio (whether it is standard broadcasting or satellite) is the Internet. Sheldon Snow is an online radio personality on HOTMIX106.com’s Eclectic Max, which airs every Monday night at 8 p.m. Pacific Time. Snow produces a show that encompasses music and interviews by independent artists. He mixes music of all stripes, from jazz to hip hop. This is basically old school FM radio when the mix was left to the disc jockey rather than the disembodied program director from Mars. Residing in Medford, Ore., Snow is a part of a network of on-air hosts spread across the United States, who feed into a central point in Sacramento at the studios of HOTMIX106. Random Notes to page 16.
Entertainment March 9
On A Boat Fest Shotguns N Gasoline will be at this festival on the Queen Mary with Less Than Jake, Death by Stereo and Ministry of Love. Show starts at 4 p.m. Details: www.imonaboatfest.com Venue: Queen Mary Location: 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach JD Crawford at Ashley’s There will be lots of dancing to honky-tonk originals and old school country music. Starts at 8 p.m. Details: www.myspace.com/jdcrawford Venue: Ashley’s Location: 1731 E. 4th St., Long Beach
March 10
Jazz Ensemble & Vox Choir Concert At the Chapel on the Main Campus, the College presents the Jazz Ensemble & Vox Choir Concert, a music concert featuring students from the Marymount Jazz Ensemble and the Vox Choir. Free. Details: (310) 303-7223; www.marymountpv.edu Venue: Marymount College Location: 30800 Palos Verdes Dr. E., RPV Joz at San Pedro Brew Co. Rock band performing at 10 p.m. Cover is $3. Details: www.sanpedrobrewing Venue: San Pedro Brewing Company Location: 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro Rina Orellana Flamenco Show Rina creates her own fiery and feminine brand of contemporary flamenco. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for children. March 10 and 11. Details: (800) 403-3447 Venue: Alvas Showroom Location: 1417 W 8th St., San Pedro Barry Big B Brenner He’s been a working musician for over 30 years, performing alongside renowned blues guitarists such as Albert King and Eric Burdon. 7 p.m. Details: (562) 434-7427 Venue: Lucille’s BBQ Location: 4828 E. 2nd St., Long Beach
March 16
Kilr Rock band, Kilr, will be performing starting at 10 p.m. at San Pedro Brewing Co. Cover is $3. Details: www.sanpedrobrewing.com Venue: San Pedro Brewing Co. Location: 331 W. 6th St., San Pedro Legends in Music: Act II Act II presents its 26th annual community variety show, Legends in Music, at the Norris Theatre for three performances, March 16 through 18. This year’s production will showcase outstanding returning and newly discovered local South Bay area talent of all ages. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on March 16 and 17, and 2 p.m. on March 18. Ticket prices are $25 for adults and $15 for youth ages 18 and under. Details: (310) 544-0403, www.norriscenter.com Venue: The Norris Theatre Location: 27570 Norris Center Dr., Rolling Hills Estates
Shop Local. Dine Local. Support Your Community.
March 17
Good Citizen This Powerpop band begins playing at 8 p.m. Details: (562) 437-1836 Venue: Clancy’s Location: 803 E. Broadway, Long Beach
434 W. Sixth Street, San Pedro, Calif • 310-833-4813
Friday, March 23, 2012
(Every Fourth Friday of the Month)
Dance Class 7 p.m. • Band Starts at 8 p.m.
Barry Anthony and his SWING OF THINGS friends bring their swingin’ tunes down to the heart of San Pedro’s art district! The night starts with a swing instruction and then the floor is open! Info: barrytrop@yahoo.com or www.musicbyanthony.com/swing_peedro. Tickets at door $20. Advance tickets available for $17 online at http://www.grandvision.org/shop/tickets.asp?id=285.
Beatles vs Stones - A Musical Shootout These two legendary bands will engage in an onstage, mash up duel courtesy of tribute bands Abbey Road and Jumping Jack Flash. Five alternating power sets with the two bands makes this 2-hour show a once-in-a-lifetime event. Show starts at 8 p.m. Cost ranges from $20 to $40. Details: www.brownpapertickets.com Venue: Warner Grand Theatre Location: 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro The Mighty Mojo Prophets The Mighty Mojo Prophets is hosting a blues jam Thursday at 8p.m. Details: (562) 421-2122 Venue: El Dorado Restaurant & Lounge Location: 3014 N. Studebaker Rd., # C Long Beach
March 9 – 22, 2012
end of the world, a female journalism student looking for love in exactly the wrong place, a tank of fishes and a woman who literally pulls switches to make the story happen, and you have boom, Peter Sinn Nachtrieb’s entertaining and occasionally thoughtful dystopic fantasy about the end of the world as we know it. boom tells what happens in one very crazy corner of the world when everything, and we mean everything, is lost in a comet impact that is bigger and better than the one that ended the dinosaur’s reign on earth. The play is a little long, and if you don’t like shaggy dog stories you’ll be unhappy with its ending. But you’ll love the three actors, the sparkling, witty, even crazy dialogue and when it is all over, you’ll be laughing and maybe evening thinking about the play’s premise. Take one marine biologist named Jules (the versatile Angel Correa) and a journalism student named Jo (the delightful Julie Civiello) and put them in a well-lit room-like box – they are actually a museum exhibit – with Barbara (the manic and at the same time conservatively dressed Michelle Holmes) pulling the levers, and you have boom. Jules has discovered the impending doom of the world by studying tropical fish and has taken refuge in a bomb shelter, where he invites Jo to join him. Problem is, Jules wants to repopulate the world with Jo, but he is gay and she, despite answering an add for hot sex in the newspaper, is a virgin who doesn’t want children. She also doesn’t believe the world is going to be obliterated by an interstellar collision. Barbara, who is giving personal notes to the audience as she pauses and stops and starts the show, and who delivers more than a few drum solos on her timpani as well, also has her problems: she has been fired for making politically incorrect remarks and may have to open her own museum. The comet does crash (in a very loud, timpanireinforced “boom”) but that is only the beginning of the historic couples problem. Food runs out in their bomb-shelter hide-away after they learn that the “Dr. Strangelove”-like mountain fortress for the well-heeled is flooded, and it looks like humanity – the audience in this case – is also doomed. Not to worry. Everything works out for the best (except, perhaps, Barbara’s drum solos) but we’re not telling how. Caitlin Sullivan Hart directs with a nice ear for the absurd and a watchful eye that the participants remain in their own fish-tank. The set, designed by Amanda Knehans, has just enough reality that it might actually be in some musty museum. boom is one of many plays being done at the Playhouse’s Collaborative series, which invited many Long Beach theater companies to use the Playhouse facilities to produce their own works, and the Collaborative has proven itself a success. Alive Theatre is doing another show at the Collaborative, Male Matriarch, written by and starring Amir Levi, March 6 and 7. It will be worth seeing, too. Tickets are $20, $15 for students and seniors,
RandomNotes
Entertainment Calendar to page 16.
15
March 18
Community/Family Calendar from page 15.
March 23
Swing San Pedro Come to a swinging night of dance fun featuring the renowned music of the Swing of Things playing your favorite dance music from the 1930s, 40s and 50s. The evening kicks off with a one-hour dance lesson at 7 p.m., followed by three sets with The Swing of Things. Dressing up is always welcome. Admission is $17 pre-pay, $20 at the door. Beer, wine, soft drinks and food is served. Details: (310) 833-4813 Venue: The Grand Annex Location: 434 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Community/Family March 10
Double Diamond Swing This a fun new West Coast party where you can learn to Swing dance from 7:30 to midnight. $10. Details: (310) 701-1519, (310) 547-2348; www. peoplesyogahealthdance.com Venue: People’s Yoga Health & Dance Studio Location: 365 W. 6th St., San Pedro
March 12
Feminist Lecturer Nancy Naples In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Cal State Dominguez Hills College of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Sociology and Women’s Studies Program welcomes Naples to campus to give her talk, “It’s Not Fair: Discursive Politics, Social Justice and Feminist Praxis.” The lecture is free and open to the public. The lecture begins at 5:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Parking is $4 in campus’ lots. Details: (310) 243-3431 Venue: Loker Student Union Ballroom, CSUDH Location: 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson
March 9 – 22, 2012
ACE>> Arts • Cuisine • Entertainment
March 17
16
Castanedas Against Cancer On March 17 and 18, there will be a softball tournament at Bloch Field to raise money for San Pedro resident and cancer patient Resa Castaneda. She was stricken with bone cancer in late June 2011, which has since spread to her eye and throat. San Pedro residents as well as family and friends will be lending-hand. The tournament will feature 10 teams. Entry fee for each team is $350. Taquiera and hot dog vendors will be providing the food and drinks. Participants are urged to wear burgundy and ivory for the event. Details: (310) 245-2327, Giveforward.com/TeamResa Venue: Bloch Field Location: 1500 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro Outdoor Volunteer Day - Native Plant Nursery Help transplant seedlings and weed plant containers, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Reservations are required. Details: www.pvplc.org; (310) 541-7613
Theater/Film March 9
The Love List Leon and Bill celebrate a 50th birthday by filling out a gypsy matchmaker’s wish list for the perfect woman. When that longed-for lady walks through the door, both of their lives are turned upside down and they quickly learn that their list could use a few revisions. The show runs until April 7. Talk to the production staff and actors during Talk Back March 25 following the 7 p.m. performance. Shows starts at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; Sun, with shows at 2 and 7 p.m. March 25 and at 8 p.m. April 5. General admission is $25, seniors and students $23. Details: (310) 512-6030; www.littlefishtheatre.org Venue: Little Fish Theatre Location: 777 Centre St., San Pedro Marriage is Murder - Little Fish Theatre Murder mystery writers Paul and Polly Butler are divorced, but a chance to turn their joint literary creation, Miss Charlie, into a movie forces them to work together once again. As the duo test out plot ideas on each other, it becomes a funny, high spirited game of cat and mouse. General admission is $20. Shows run on at 8 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays March 7 through 22. Details: (310) 512-6030; www.littlefishtheatre.org Venue: Little Fish Theatre Location: 777 Centre St., San Pedro
Continued from page 15.
RandomNotes
com. In a phone interview from his Oregon home, Snow explained that he had done a lot of video projects and post-production work, Snow even worked on some music videos. “I wanted to do more of that,” he said. “I was on Facebook when I met station manager Cory Marcus. I talked to her about what it takes to become a DJ.” After this discussion took place Sheldon thought he would give it a try. After a few short months, Snow premiered, in September 2011 on Eclectic Max. The Monday show is smokin’ with blistering sets from artists like Voodoo Fix, Fiest, Queen Electric, and Lykke Li, whose 2011 CD was one of this critic’s favorites. Then there’s the spectacular voice of 13-year-old Canadian, Sophia Radisch, plus ripping blues belted out by Al Stone, and our own Jill Sharpe. Snow also interviews some of the artists whose music he plays, like Queen Electric’s, Scott Sax. Snow’s interviewing style is engaging and funny when artists like Sax is on. Sax was picked up by Robert Plant, Allison Krauss and T-Bone Burnett to front their Raising Sand tour. “The music I play is (from) unsigned and independent artists,” Snow said. It is because of shows like Eclectic Max that HotMix106 is taking off like a rocket. “Cory Marcus has done an extraordinary job of putting this together,” Snow commented. “She is in Sacramento while the deejays are all around the country.” Snow shares time with DJs as far away as Australia and Florida. “That is the beauty of Internet radio is you can have this variety in music and the personalities who present this music,” Snow explained. “These people who are coming at it from different viewpoints as well different experiences, they have to draw from [that] when talking about the music.” With the advent of the media applications available today, broadcasting has become a Wild West show. “I think it is a godsend,” Snow said. “When I was a kid growing up, I’d listen to the radio.”
Snow remember listening to all kinds of musical genres on radio station. Today terrestrial radio stations have broken down music genres into particular demographics, Snow critiques. “What I like about my show, Eclectic Max, is that I can play all genres of music. With my show, you’re going to get a feel and a taste of everything that is out there,” Snow explained. “I’m not playing Lady Gaga, Metallica or Justin Bieber.” Snow believes that mainstream artists like Gaga and Bieber should leave Internet radio to artists that want to be heard. “The acts like Gaga and Bieber, they want these laws enacted,” Snow argued. “It is these independent artists that want to get their music out there and heard. They are the ones like me, (who) don’t want these regulations. “If you don’t want your music being played through other mediums, then don’t put it out.” Since the music industry is a mere shell of its former self, the only way any artist can make it is to promote like crazy. That means getting airplay where ever and whenever possible. In the end, it is all about getting heard. It’s about the performance and the magic that happens between listener and player. On a weekly basis, Snow is the one who is playing for the future and the new good music to come, —which is not necessarily available, unless you hit the Internet. Continued from page 11.
Banton
What would be your message for the youth of today to prevent war and embrace peace? My message to every young person around the planet is to say yes to peace and say no to war. Don’t sign up to join the military to be a soldier to fight no matter what country you live in. Don’t fight and the day that people say no, there will be no soldiers to send to war; it’s as simple as that. What would be your words of inspiration for environmental justice organizations fighting the day-to-day battle to protect our communities and the planet? My message to organizations who are fighting to keep the planet clean, who are fighting to take care of our wildlife and our rare plant life is to really be organized, be as organized as possible. Plan wisely. Have good people with good intellect and good legal minds, because it is a battle. It will be an ongoing battle until we get people who really are responsible and care about our environment. It’s an ongoing battle because people with money care more about their finances than our environment. Do you believe that Alternative News Media provides a critical outlet for free speech and world news truth? Alternative news media is critical in this time we are living in. Commercial news channels control the media, shuts the door on anything that rubs the financial industry the wrong way. So we need alternative avenues for free expression, so that we can educate people on what the real issues are at hand.
Art Calendar March 12
Andres Matute: Video and Installation Art At the Naddy Conference Room on the Main Campus, the College presents Andres Matute: Video and Installation Art as part of the Visiting Artists, Curators, and Writers Series. Andres Matute is a Colombian-Ecuadorian artist based in Bogota, who works in video and installation art. Free. Show starts at 4:30 p.m. Details: (310) 303-7223; www.marymountpv.edu Venue: Marymount College Location: 30800 Palos Verdes Dr. E., RPV All That Is: New Works by Hiroko Momii All That Is is a selection of new works in oil on canvas by Hiroko Momii. Momii paints delicately layered abstract works where cell-like structures unite and separate, multiply and divide, appear and dissolve, as though woven within the depths of pictorial space. These paintings of biomorphic systems and astral fields are contemplative and meditative in nature, and rich with saturated color and meticulous detail. The exhibit opens March 1. The exhibit will continue to be on display until May 20, by appointment only from 6 to 9 p.m. There will be an artist reception on April 5 and May 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. Details: (310) 514-1238 Venue: Lauren Kilgore’s Studio Gallery 339 Location: 339 W. 7th St., San Pedro Senior Capstone Art Exhibition Series Marymount College presents the Senior Capstone Art Exhibition Series featuring Marymount seniors from the arts and media division who will exhibit a week long one-person art show accompanied by an artist talk, at 7 p.m. Thursdays through April 26, at the Arcade Gallery. The exhibit is free. Details: (310) 303-7223; www.marymountpv.edu Venue: The Arcade Gallery Location: 479 W. 6th St., San Pedro Time Out of Mind at LAHC’s Fine Arts Gallery Los Angeles Harbor College Fine Arts Gallery presents Time Out of Mind, the nature photographs of Ray Carofano. The exhibition will open with an Artist’s Reception from 4 to 7 p.m. March 17. Ray Carofano’s nature images have been variously described as transcendent, mystical, emotionally resonant, hauntingly beautiful—the combination of superb craftsmanship and artistic intuition. These new works display a compositional and spatial dynamic reminiscent of classical Chinese landscape painting executed in ink on silk with soft, rubbed brushwork, striving to reveal nature’s inner spirit over outward appearance. Curated by Ron Linden and funded in part by generous support from Linda Lee Bukowski. Runs through May 4. Gallery hours are from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and by appointment. Details: (310) 233-4000 Venue: The Arcade Gallery Location: 479 W. 6th St., San Pedro Femme Fatale at Flazh Gallery Join Ray and Cora Ramirez-Vasquez of Gallery Azul for the artist’s reception for Femme Fatale. Femme Fatale (deadly woman), has many ways of seducing you and breaking you, come find out how. The show starts at 9 p.m. Fatale Burlesque Dancer, Miss Scarlet O, will be performing and Fatale Sirena Serpentina (fire dancers) will finish the show. Fatale Artists exhibiting: Nichole Alex, MER, Elizabeth Retolaza, Pat Estes, Vincent E. Soliz, Cora Ramirez-Vasquez, Diego Aguirre, Liezel Rubin, Tania Jazz Alvarez, Mark Metzner, Estela Gama, Ray Vasquez, Annie Dubber, Gerry Bonilla, John Middelkoop, Fabi Munguia, Carl Lozada, Reidar Schopp, Ronald Del Cid, and more. Venue: Flazh! Alley Art Studio Location: 1113 S. Pacific Ave., San Pedro
Business Consultant Seeks LB District 4 Seat By Zamná Ávila, Assistant Editor
And, there is his approach to communication with regards to controversial issues that council members face. “I always go with open communication,” said Supernaw, responding to a question about Long Beach Police and other city departments real or perceived abuses and negligence. “I’m a firm believer from a public relations standpoint that when issues occur that you get out in front of it and own it… And, I’m not commenting on how the police should handle things, I’m just saying that is my own personal philosophy in terms of
anything that happens within the city.” He said he recognizes cultural changes within a department often take a long time within an organization to develop. “You make all entities within the city—not just public safety—aware of the concerns of the constituents,” he said. “I come from the private sector. I know a lot about customer service. “And, in any industry, people want to know their voices are being heard and that it’s registering with someone. That is the key.”
from p. 6
Adult Ed in Peril
there need to be cuts, but adult education students and educators would prefer that those cuts be made proportionally. Referencing a finding from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and a letter from State Superintendent Tom Torlakson, Abadia noted the greater economic impacts considering that Los Angeles has the highest rate of under-educated working adults of any metropolitan area in the country, that more than one-third of the district’s students are in the adult division programs and less than 2 percent of the budget goes toward the cost of those programs, and that cutting adult education would impact the health and jail system detrimentally to individuals and their families. “Let’s say we use 300,000 students that we serve and we look at the return on investment,” Abadia said. “Assume a job of $10 an hour, that’s a little more than $20,000 a year. When we tax
the individual that comes to about $1,800 a year. And, since there are provisions to get some of that money into education at a rate 37.9 percent, that represents about $700 that would not get into education. “If we assume an attrition of 60 percent, we end up with about $2 million that will be lost. That represents $224 million in state revenue and that represents about $85 million that will be lost in education.” However, students, teachers and administrators hold out hope that the board looks beyond dollars and cents. Lisa Andrade, Disability Services advisor at Harbor Occupational Center says hope is a common theme. “You can come here to make your life different and to get a job and to be self-sufficient in society,” Andrade said. “And, that is pretty much what we’ve provided for the community for the last 42 years.”
The Local Publication You Actually Read March 9 - 22, 2012
He said that he spoke to O’Donnell on Communication and his ability to think outside the box in detecting alternative revenue multiple occasions and the councilman had are what Daryl Supernaw believes he brings to initially mentored him on running for office. But the table with his candidacy for the Long Beach on Jan. 5, O’Donnell called Supernaw to tell him that he was considering a write-in candidacy. City Council. The councilman has not responded to Random The 60-year-old business consultant specializes in operations, marketing and crisis Lengths request for comment on his candidacy. management and sees his community activism and the fact that he’s spent his entire life in Long Beach’s District 4 as qualifications to run for office. He has served on the Sustainable City Commission, and is best known for organizing Atherton neighborhood residents to lobby the city council and congressional leaders to cover the culvert that ran along the north side of Atherton Street from just east of the Cal State Long Beach Pyramid to the Los Cerritos Channel with a green zone. With the help of the late Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, the group District 4 Long Beach City Council candidate Daryl Supernaw had an secured $3 million to cover the intricate role in the Atherton Ditch Project, a $3 million project to cover open-air ditch. Upon the project’s an open-air ditch. The community leader, decided to step up to the completion, the group changed plate, when he thought two-term councilman and mentor, Councilman Patrick O’Donnell was moving on. With O’Donnell running as a write-in its name to the Atherton Corridor candidate, the race for the council just added a degree of difficulty for Neighborhood Association. the political newcomer. “That’s why I think our Since Councilman O’Donnell’s announceAtherton Ditch project was so critical to get something accomplished,” he said. “But it took a ment of his candidacy, the councilman long time and we didn’t use local funds for it. We has collected the Long Beach Firefighter’s got that put into a federal transportation bill … Association and the Long Beach Police Officers and that was one of the few wins we’ve ever had, Association endorsement. Supernaw said he found that development of where we really felt we were getting our share.” Supernaw hears the community’s frustration events interesting. “If you go to the front page of the website with seeing the flow of redevelopment dollars sucked up by downtown to the neglect of the of the Long Beach Firefighter’s Association, rest of the city. More importantly, Supernaw right there they’ll say, ‘We are down 30 sworn sees a great deal of waste in how redevelopment positions for firefighters since 2004.’ That is monies are used. He noted that Long Beach has the year O’Donnell came into office. So, they allowed relatively new building to be torn down are choosing to support the same guy again… in favor of even newer buildings as was the case If you do the same thing and expect different with the downtown Long Beach mall built in the results…” Supernaw said he has been suggesting 1970s only to be demolished and replaced with a alternative revenue streams to help maintain shopping center in the 2000s. “I would like to see a far more scientific public safety levels since 2002 to no avail. approach,” Supernaw said. “Do the research to One of the strategies he has been pushing are see what needs to happen. Instead, you’ll see “public-private partnerships” such as corporate something built and then after the fact, we’ll look sponsorships and naming rights that might emulate the branding of buildings in other cities, at issues.” He recognizes the importance of development, like the Staples Center in Los Angeles. “You need a department that looks at their but believes that the needs of existing business have been neglected. If elected, Supernaw wants non-traditional revenues,” he said. “The sense of to offer existing businesses incentives to stay in urgency doesn’t seem to be there…” Cuts in public safety might result in more the area. Supernaw would also like to see the council crime and in turn, less revenue growth for the office partner with Long Beach Unified School city, he said. “It’s very tough to bring new business if District to foster student engagement in their district. He doesn’t just want to post events on you have the crime,” he said. “They go hand in a website but collaborate with schools to engage hand.” There are significant differences in the way students in volunteer activities to turn them into he plans to represent the district as opposed to stronger stakeholders in their communities. Though Supernaw has long been a community O’Donnell, Supernaw explained. For one thing, advocate, he hadn’t previously considered he is not opposed to allowing access to medical marijuana for patients, though he recognizes the running for office. “Council member (Patrick) O’Donnell has current political and legal ambiguity on the state termed out,” said Supernaw about his decision to and federal levels. He also, believes in providing a voice to run for office. “No one was stepping up who had any type of record of community service or any all constituents of the District 4, as opposed to type of record of concern with the Fourth District certain areas of the district, which he said that some people perceive is the case with O’Donnell. issues. So, circumstance and time chose me.”
17
Employment Signing Bonus!! IMMEDIATE OPENINGS. Open Mon - Fri.! Very busy independent shop in San Pedro looking for aggressive and motivated ASE Technicians. Knowledge of diagnostic scan tools, English language and computers required. At same location for over 10 years with strong client following. Guaranteed work and paycheck every week. Needs to be strong in brakes, engine performance, and some experience in air conditioning, suspension and electrical. 310-831-2888, ask for Mitch.
Sales Random Lengths is looking for an experienced advertising/print salesperson. We are the Los Angeles Harbor Area’s oldest independent newspaper. We are a stable and growing company, open for over 30 years. The candidate should have 2 or more year’s experience in outside sales. Bi-lingual is a plus. Please email resume and cover letter with salary history to james@randomlengths news.com. Monthly base salary and commission. EOE
Help Wanted!!! Make money Mailing brochures from home! FREE Supplies! Helping Home-Workers since 2001! Genuine Opportunity! No experience required. Start Immediately! www.theworkhub. net Actors/Movie Extras needed immediately for upcoming roles $150-$300/ day depending on job requirements. No experience, all looks. 1-800560-8672 A-109 for casting times /locations. Movie Extras. People needed now to stand in the background for a major film Earn up to $300 per day. Exp not REQ. CALL NOW AND SPEAK TO A LIVE PERSON 877-824-7260 $$$HELP WANTED$$$ Extra Income! Assembling CD cases from Home! No Experience Necessary! Call our Live Operators Now! 1-800-4057619 EXT 2450 www.easyworkjobs.com (AAN CAN)
Business Opp Chela’s Beauty and Barbershop is looking for hairdresser with experience and license. Call (310) 514-0441. ALL CASH VENDING IN YOUR LOCAL AREA. Be your own boss-25 machines/ candy all for -$9,995.00. 1-877-915-8222. Vend 3. 880 Grand Blvd, Deer Park, NY. (AAN CAN)
CLASSIFIED ADS
Financial Services
Takeover Payments On Existing Loans 20-50% OFF thousands of homes available. No Credit requirements. CALL Today 805-683-8600 Please no section-8 (AAN CAN)
Professional Services MOBILE NOTARY—South Bay. I come to you. Certified to notarize loan documents. Bonded. Paula Bills, commission #1894472. (310) 691-9921.
DBA filing and publishing $120
(310) 519-1442 Career Training EARN $500 A DAY Airbrush & Media Makeup Artists For: Ads - TV - Film - Fashion Train & Build Portfolio in 1 week. Lower Tuition for 2012 AwardMakeupSchool.com
Education Educational tutoring by certified & experienced Special Education & Reading teacher. Patient, well-trained, creative
& structured. An expert in positive reinforcement. Reasonable rates negotiated. 310-528-1111. Academic and occupational consulting and guidance assistance with the college admissions process, admission essays, resume revision and job searches. Call for a free consultation! 424-210-5771. For more info: http://guidedachievements. info. HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA! Graduate in just 4 weeks!!! FREE Brochure. Call NOW! 1-800-532-6546 Ext. 97 www. continentalacademy.com (AAN CAN)
Teach English Abroad! 4-week TEFL course in Prague. Job assistance worldwide. We have over 1500 graduates teaching in 60+ countries! www.teflworldwideprague. com info@teflworldwideprague.com
Dating Services SWF Seeking Someone to Spoil Me – 25, blonde I’m a clean, young sexy girl seeking a generous older man for some adult fun. I can host in a safe, discreet place. Only contact me if you’re serious. Check out my profile and photos at www.EstMen.com/ Ashlee4 New! Free to Try! 4 Services! 1-877-660-3887 Instant Live Connections! 1-866-8173308. Hundreds of Local Women! You Choose! 1-877-
747-8644. Connect With Live (18+) Local Ladies! 1-866530-0180 (AAN CAN) MEET local SINGLES in YOUR area! Women receive a FREE lifetime membership! Gentlemen receive FREE 30 min trial. Fall in love OR FLIRT NOW 800369-3649
For Sale Whirlpool Heavy Duty gas dryer, commercial quality, super capacity, 9 cycles, 5 temps., AccuDry sensor— sacrifice at $150. Call today, (310) 548-1706, pp.
Storage Available Storage Containers for rent in San Pedro, at 15th and Centre Streets. 310 544-7400.
Autos Any Car/Truck. Running or Not! Top Dollar Paid. WeCome To You! Call For Instant Offer: 1-888-420-3808 www. cash4car.com
Misc. FREE Groceries! Receive $2000 in Grocery Savings! Grocery Stimulus Program provides $2000 savings to participants of shopping survey. ALL MAJOR AND LOCAL supermarkets! Call now 877-301-1691
Bulletin Board Don Marshall CPA, Inc.
Golden West Realty
(310) 833-8977
March 9 - 22, 2012
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area
Don Marshall, MBA, CPA
18
Angeles is the way it is. Bread and Hyacinths: the Rise and Fall of Utopian Los Angeles is the gripping, little-known saga of the great battle between Job Harriman, the West Coast’s leading socialist, and General Harrison Gray Otis, publisher of the Los Angeles Times—a battle for the future of Los Angeles. Written by Lionel Rolfe, Nigey Lennon and Paul Greenstein, Bread and Hyacinths was originally published in 1992 by California Classics Books. It is reprinted by Random Lengths News and available for $15. Buy it now at Williams Bookstore, Random Lengths News office and The Tobacco Leaf at Western & 25th
Adopt a pet from the Harbor Care Center, 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro. 888452-7381.
Psychics
PSYCHIC GLORIA Help on all love, money, health problems. Guaranteed results in 3 days. Reunite lovers.
310-470-9046 Room For Rent
$140 PER WEEK! SAN PEDRO SRO Hotel has rooms available. A clean, tranquil setting for the best price. Alex (310) 514-3919.
Apartment / House For Rent Beautiful Single $695/mo., with appliances—stove, refrigerator. Pt. Fermin area, San Pedro. Private parking, small yard. (310) 722-4461. Special—$199 to move in, no deposit! Newly remodeled single unit for $670/mo, 1 bdrm unit $850/mo. Wood & tile flooring, secured property, quiet area, close to bus lines. Gas included. 2040 S. Pacific Ave., SP. Call Francisco, 310872-4831.
Real Estate For Sale/Lease BIG Beautiful AZ Land $99/month. $0 down, $0 in-
terest, Golf Course, National Parks. 1 hour from Tucson Int’l Airport. Guaranteed Financing, No Credit Checks. Pre-recorded msg. 800-6318164 code 4057 www.sunsiteslandrush.com (AAN CAN) San Pedro – For Lease S.Pacific Ave. office suites & retail space in the “Arts District”. Several choices available. A-Delta Realty 310/831-6670
Real Estate Investor seeks to purchase commercial or multi-unit residential properties in San Pedro. No Agents please. 310-241-6827
SAN PEDRO COMMERCIAL BLDG FOR RENT 2,300 sqf — $1,300/mo. 310-707-2207 Rommates ROOMMATES.COM. Browse hundreds of online listingswith photos and maps. Find your roommate with a click of the mouse! Visit: http://www. Roommates.com. (AAN CAN)
Adoption Service PREGNANT? CONSIDERING ADOPTION? Talk with caring agency specializing in matching Birthmothers with Families nationwide. LIVING EXPENSES PAID. Call 24/7 Abby’s One True Gift Adoptions 866-413-6293 (AAN CAN)
NEW LISTING! 8/12
Please help!
Bread & Hyacinths This is the book that explains why the city of Los
Pets
Serving San Pedro and the entire South Bay since 1980
Specializing in small businesses CPA Quality Service at very reasonable rates
www.donmarshallcpa.com
Reach 63,000 Harbor Area Readers
The animals at the Harbor Animal Shelter have ongoing need for used blankets, comforters, pet beds.* Drop off at Harbor Animal Shelter, 957 N. Gaffey St., San Pedro.
888-452-7381, x 143
PLEASE SPAY/NEUTER YOUR PET! *In any condition. We will wash and mend.
Vintage Auto & Motorcycle Storage 25 indoor & outdoor stalls
• Armed Response Alarm System • Web-based Video Monitoring • Electronic Access Control • 24-Hour Availability • Self-Serve Free Hand Wash • WIFI Hotspot • Free Charging Station (310) 707-2207 www.8thstreetgarage.com
This duplex is located in the desirable Point Fermin area of San Pedro. It has two houses on one lot. One has two bedrooms and one bath, and the other has one bedroom and one bath. This property is a “fixer” and is priced for a quick sale. Offered at $250,000
LARGE 4 BEDROOM FAMILY HOME
Large 4 bedroom, 2 bath home so near the channel you can see the ships moving past. It has an island kitchen with a nice dining area. There is a large backyard just behind the 2-car garage. A long driveway is suitable for boat, rv, or any other toys. This home is also large enough and the floorplan is suitable for extended family. Come on down...Offered at $299,900
For more information call Golden West Realty
310.548.2881
www.goldenwestsanpedro.com 1 5 1 7 S . G a f f e y S t . • San Pedro, CA 90731
• Business Cards • Banners/Posters • Brochures • Custom Printing • Publications • Union Printing • Logo Design 1302 S. Pacific Avenue San Pedro (310) 519-1442 info@graphictouchdesigns.com Hotlink your ad for only $10 per issue! Our readers can link to your website when they read RLN online at www.randomlengthsnews.com
DBA filing and publishing $120 (310) 519-1442
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012011980 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) CR Quality Painting, 1175 E. 2nd St. #3, Long Beach, CA 90802. County of L.A. Registered owner(s):Ramon Sambrano, 1175 E. 2nd St. #3, Long Beach, CA 90802.. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name listed above May 31, 2005. 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. Ramon Sambrano, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 23, 2012. 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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 01/26/12, 02/09/12, 02/23/12, 03/08/12
03/08/12
Original filing: 03/08/12
01/26/12, 02/09/12, 02/23/12,
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012013516 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Chic Canines, 1430 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Molly M. Martinez, 1430 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name listed above Jan. 18, 2012. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information, which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime.) S. Molly M. Martinez, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 24, 2012. 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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 02/09/12, 02/23/12, 03/08/12,
03/22/12
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012017523 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) 2 Market Street, 2275 W. 25th St. #110, San Pedro, CA 90732. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Judith King Wagner, 2275 W. 25th St. #110, San Pedro, CA 90732. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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.) Judith King Wagner, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 31, 2012. 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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 02/09/12, 02/23/12, 03/08/12,
03/22/12
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012009369 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Happy Panda Family Childcare,1387 W. 7th St., San Pedro, CA 90732. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Grace Eva Chan,1387 W. 7th St., San Pedro, CA 90732. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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.) Grace Eva Chan, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 18, 2012. 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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 02/09/12, 02/23/12, 03/08/12,
03/22/12
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012015353 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Boat City Yacht Inc., (2) Boat City, 241 Watchhorn Walk, Ste.# 1, San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Articles of Incorporation # 2035425 Registered owner(s): Boat City Yacht Inc., California, 241 Watchhorn Walk, Ste.# 1, San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by a corporation. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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.) Boat City Yact Inc., David H. Grosse, President This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 27, 2012. 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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 02/09/12, 02/23/12, 03/08/12,
03/22/12
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012022970 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) El Burger Luchador, 672 W. 20th St., San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Alejandrina Curiel, 672 W. 20th St., San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name listed above Jan. 18, 2012. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information, which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime.) S. Alejandrina Curiel, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Feb. 9, 2012. 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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 02/23/12, 03/08/12, 03/22/12,
04/05/12
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012025313 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) El Gato Gateau, 750 W. 2nd St., San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Katie Peraudeau, 750 W. 2nd St., San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name listed above Jan. 18, 2012. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information, which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime.) S. A Katie Peraudeau,Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2012. 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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 02/23/12, 03/08/12, 03/22/12,
04/05/12
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012032485 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Coastal Broadnet Wireless, 2275 W. 25th St., #105, San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Robert Brubaker, 2275 W. 25th St., #105, San Pedro, CA 90731. Roxanne K. Lawrence, 2275 W. 25th St., #105, San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by a husband and wife. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name listed above Jan. 1, 2012. I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information, which he or she knows to be false, is guilty of a crime.) S. Robert Brubaker, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Feb. 28, 2012. 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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 03/08/12, 03/22/12, 04/05/12,
04/19/12
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012032483 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) The Nautimermaid Shop, 301 W. 7th St., San Pedro, CA 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Diana Perry, 3157 Alma St., San Pedro, CA 90731. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Diana Perry, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Feb. 28, 2012. Notice-In accordance with subdivision
RANDOMLetters from p. 10
Born in 1987 in Kyrgistan. Eldar Djangirov signed a recording contract with Sony Classical at 17. He’s on the same record label as YoYo Ma, the world’s principal cellist. Jazz fans know Pat Martino as the guitarist with the most chops (virtuosity) in jazz. Eldar (twenty- something) just did a tour with Pat Martino (66) including a Jazz at Lincoln Center date. Eldar has the chops of a Chick Corea and the harmonic depth of a Bill Evans and the solo piano gift of a Keith Jarrett. Did I mention he has a Grammy nomination? Personally I’d like to see him trade sets with Keith Jarrett at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (tickets $125.). Fortunately for me, I can see him at Alvas for $20 bucks on
Alva’s wonderful Steinway Grand. Once again kudos to Alva’s Matt, Art, Larry and everyone there who bring us this world class music venue. Alva’s Showroom (800) 403-3447. Charles Lamont San Pedro
Keep San Pedro Clean
Hi to all San Pedrans, to all who enjoy San Pedro. I am not a resident but spend a lot of time in the area, I love San Pedro. Over the past 20 years, I have brought the kids to San Pedro for the museums, the beaches, tidepools, fire boat, and many car shows, most events at Fort MacArthur museum. During the summer, every 2 weeks I bring the whole family to Acapulco restaurant for dinner and walk to
(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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 03/08/12, 03/22/12, 04/05/12,
04/19/12
the fountains for the show. I now have a small boat I keep in the area and we enjoy the harbor from the water. On Monday, 3/5/12, I had breakfast at The Grinder on Harbor Blvd. I went to Ports O’ Call to get a copy of Random Lengths, I always read your paper. I could not believe the trash in the Ports O’Call parking lot—it looked like a trash truck exploded. I was sad and amazed and even mad at how people can disrespect an area to that point. Maybe together we can persuade all who live in and visit San Pedro to participate and encourage all to keep it clean. After all, San Pedro is the jewel of the City of Los Angeles. I hope you can help me spread the message. Thank you, keep up the good work. Earl Bernard Downey
March 9 - 22, 2012
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012007425 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) TLC The Landscape Concern, 1213 S. Grand Ave., San Pedro, Ca 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Hugo Arroyo Barron, 1213 S. Grand Ave., San Pedro, Ca 90731. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Hugo Arroyo Barron, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2012. 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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code).
The Local Publication You Actually Read
Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2012007424 The following person(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Parker Tree Service, 401 W. 3rd Street #320, San Pedro Ca, 90731. County of L.A. Registered owner(s): Christopher Lynn Parker, 401 W. 3rd Street #320, San Pedro Ca, 90731. This business is conducted by an individual. The registrants commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name 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. Christopher Lynn Parker, Owner This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on Jan. 13, 2012. 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 expires 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 right of another under Federal, State, or common law (See Section 14411et seq., Business and Professions Code). Original filing: 01/26/12, 02/09/12, 02/23/12,
LEGAL BUSINESS FILINGS
19
20
March 9 - 22, 2012
Serving the Seven Cities of the Harbor Area